Liebster Award

Just recently, I was very chuffed to say the least to be awarded a Liebster Award (Liebster meaning 'dearest' in German) by Laura from Spotty Owl Design for my blog.

It is given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers.
The process of accepting the award is:
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it you.
3. Choose five blogs to pass the award on to and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
4. Hope that people you have sent the award to forward it on to their favourite bloggers.

Thanks so much Laura – I was really thrilled to know that anyone even reads my blog at all...it gave me a real boost!

Here are some blogs that I love that I would like to pass this award onto!

Mandy from A Little Space Like Home
Natasha from Little Love Home of the Small
(The above 2 are blogging friends and their blogs are the first blogs I ever read… I can't thank you enough for the inspiration!)
Kate from Our little sins
Jane from tea and vegemite toast
Jodi from Lemon Rhodes

So why not wander over and check them out…I think they are inspiring!

Thanks also again to Laura for brightening my day! 

Found via Pinterest from http://ladylimoges.tumblr.com/



Random Acts of Kindness



found via Pinterest..by Chelsea Victoria

 This week I am grateful for a random act of kindness. Today I found myself smack bang on the end of one and it left me a bit stunned.

I was meeting my sister in law and my niece for lunch with my 2 misses at Maccas. It was a casual school holiday catch up thing. As my sister in law walked in the door, my 2 girls were so excited to see their Aunty and cousin - there were kisses and hugs and general carry on. There was excitement about the chipmunks that were going to be in the happy meals and general merriment!

A lovely old guy walked in at the same time and was asking my sister I law, “are these all your kids?” She said, “This one’s mine and these are her cousins”. He said, “So you’re all getting together?” and he seemed genuinely chuffed and amazed at the thought.

We were waiting in the queue and I didn’t realise he was in front of me. He paid for his meal and then turned to me and gave me $20. He said, “Use this for all your lunch; for the kids”.

I was really taken aback and said “thank you so much but I really can’t accept it.” I tried to give it back so many times and he kept insisting. I felt terrible but I also didn’t want to offend him. He just seemed so chuffed that we were all getting together.

Maybe his grand kids are away? Maybe he has heaps of money and not much to spend it on? Maybe he’s just a gorgeous kind old man? He was beautifully dressed and had kind eyes. I wish I’d asked him to join us but I was too stunned to think and there was a whole queue of people staring at us. I didn’t even ask his name. I wish I had.

What a random thing to do. I am grateful for his random and very thoughtful generosity. I wish I could thank him again and ask him for his story. I am grateful I bumped into him today, not for the money but for the fact that I haven’t stopped thinking about his kind, happy face all day.

Linking up this week with Maxabella Loves, 52 weeks of Grateful

Giant Sky Wheel

I am linking up again this week for “Sentimental Summer”  with Mandy from A Little Space Like Home and also “Wonderful Weekends” from Life, Love and Hiccups.

We have been loving spending a lot of time down at the waterfront here in Geelong. It’s so easy and gorgeous down there. I never appreciated it all when I was growing up here but I just love it now. (It's also  come a long way since I was a kid too!)

A couple of weekends ago, we headed down in the afternoon to tick something off our "Summer holidays to do list"…the Big Ferris wheel!! The Giant Sky Wheel is currently situated on the Geelong waterfront, Ritchie Boulevard, Geelong and gives you beautiful views of Corio Bay.

I have to admit, I was a bit chicken at first all that way in the air and if you’re afraid of heights, I wouldn't recommend it! In saying that Miss 3 and soon to be Miss 7 loved it and giggled all the way around.

It is a little bit expensive too I think…it’s $8 per person for a 7-10 min ride. If it was a bit cheaper I‘d be inclined to have a go whenever we’re down there but I think that’ll do for the summer now. Although it would be pretty at night too!

After that, we had our obligatory gelati and passeggiata on the foreshore.

The big outdoor pool has been completely re-done and we checked that our too. We’re actually heading down there for a swim today (post to come!)

We grabbed some chips and wedges at the Beach House Cafe and so ended a very pleasant Sunday evening. We stopped and took lots of Bollard * pics that I will enjoy writing about soon!

Eastern Beach Life savers - This group includes a portrait of Bill Coyte who devoted much of his
 life teaching many generations of Geelong People to swim

Ahhhh...summer!

* BAY WALK BOLLARDS, created by artist JAN MITCHELL.104 painted wooden sculptures around the arc of Corio Bay, from Rippleside Park to Limeburners Point, tell the affectionate history of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Waterfront Geelong by Baywalk Bollards

Adventure Park, Geelong...Fun!

I have decided my word for 2012 is........ FUN!
I am linking up with a couple of my favourite blogs this week as I tell you about our New Year’s Day.

I had a call from my cousin; a cousin who when we were kids used to come and spend Christmases with us with his family. He said, "we’d love to come and visit you and your mum and how about we all go to The Adventure Park near Geelong on New Year’s Day?"

I have to be honest; my first reaction was…OMG stinking hot, hundreds of people, public holiday…not my idea of a fun…but in the spirit of “fun” and the fact that he and his wife and 3 kids under 5 were going to make the effort to drive quite a way, we said, “why the hell not?” His sister and her boyfriend visiting from Sydney also came and made a great effort, especially since they were driving back to Sydney the next day.

That’s another thing that I find inspiring…people who make an effort. I really appreciate that.

Well, we had the best day ever!

Miss nearly 7 has been busting our chops to go there ever since we first went there 2 years ago. When we were there she was too short to go on this ride, “the Lazy River”. It was her mission to be able to go on it this time…and she did…11 times!!

The blurb from the website…
“River Torrent Lazy River
Get wet, water adventure, when you raft the turbo rapids on the "River Torrent Lazy River" ride.
Make a splash on these super charged waves, as you hang on and go with the flow whilst your raft is propelled along the tropical style river oasis. This inner tube ride is just under 300m in length, filled with twisting tides, roaring rapids and swirling gauntlets. Expect the unexpected.”

Awesome fun!

My biggest tip for anyone going there is to buy your tickets** on line if at all humanly possible.
We bought them in the morning and we walked straight in, trying not to make eye contact with all the people in the queue. I reckon it gave us about an hour of crowd free play which was priceless.

There are heaps of BBQ/picnic areas if you want to bring your own food and there are also lots of places to buy food. We went with slack fish and chips but it was really easy and yum.

To be honest we probably only utilised a quarter of the park given that our kids are only 7 and 3 but they had such a ball. You know that excitement and joy that only a kid can have. It was brilliant.

Hats off to my cousin and his wife for being so relaxed with their 3 little kids. Impressive!

We spent most of our time in the...
“Tiny Tots Splashzone
Keep the kids cool and entertained all day at Adventure Park's "Tiny Tots Splashzone", a coral reef themed water wonderland. Designed for the tiniest of tots, this shallow and safe oasis of interactive water play is every kid's dream with waterfalls, mini waterslides and spray cannons. With lots of water fun for the little ones, look out for Tommy the turtle and beware of the big splash!”

We also went on the old carousel but there are heaps of water slides and water play areas, electric cars, archery and big jumping pillow. Would be a bit of fun to go without the kids actually!!

We will definitely be going there again this summer and I thought what a smashing way to kick off 2012, my year of fun.

Linking up this week with A little space like home’s,  Sentimental Summer and Maxabella Loves, "Hello 2012: One Word" post.

**
Day ticket prices
Adults or Children over 1.2m tall $36.00
Children under 1.2m tall $28.00
Children under .90cm tall FREE
Senior Citizens 60yrs and over $25.00
Disabled / Carer (card ID required) $25.00
Season pass is $75.00

I love summer!

Summer is my favourite season.

I love… the feeling of freedom, daylight savings , stone fruit, beaches, light, swimming pools, BBQs, catching up with friends, night markets. I love it all. I am grateful it has finally arrived and that we are finally into it.

At the beginning of the season Miss nearly 7 and I made a list of stuff to do in the summer holidays…

• Get Santa photo taken
• Have a night “back in the big smoke” before Christmas
• See the Myer Christmas windows
• Have various friends come over for BBQs
• Go out for dinner
• Go to Mirboo North (Latrobe Valley in Gippsland) and the local pool there. "The most beautiful pool in Gippsland" that the council is trying to close down.
• Go on big ferris wheel at the waterfront
• Swim at new Eastern Beach pool
• Do the Bollard walk! (I have been saying this for years!)
• Go to the Water Adventure Park in Wallington
• Go to the pool (Leisure link and also Kardinia outside pool)
• Go to the beach
• Miss 7s birthday party
• Go to Fairy Park
• Visit various friends 

Maybe things if we have time

• Go to the zoo
• Australia Day Eve fireworks at waterfront 

Jobs 

• Paint deck
• Sand outdoor table
• Go to the dentist
• Get hair cuts

We have ticked off quite a few already and I look forward to writing all about them. Today I am trying to convince the man of the house to go to the beach but it is not his favourite thing. (Something about sand getting up his…) Anyway…here’s to summer!!

Linking up for the first time this year with Maxabella Loves, Grateful Posts.

Also, a huge thank you to Miss Mandy from A little space like home for my new blog header!

Thanks Mandy for tinkering away for me in the early hours of the morning! I love it!

Happy New Year!

I love making New Year’s resolutions. I do it every year. I love the promise of a new year.
I LOVE calendars and diaries and writing in all the new things to come.

This year I resolve:

- To not sweat the small stuff

- To always (mostly) keep a good perspective

- To drink more (this may seem odd…but it’s probably more about loosening up and having a good time!) I  resolve to try more cocktails!


My brother in law's Mojitos...yummo!

 - To find a way to make exercise part of my life

- To go to the movies more

- To plan a great holiday

- To read more books (and finish the one I have been “reading” for the last 6 months)

- Take more photos (is that possible?)

- Do a photography course

- Listen to more music

- See a live show

This brings me to my theme for the year…it usually just unofficially comes to me but this year I have struggled a little bit to find it. I read an article in the Sunday Herald Sun by Sally Bennett titled, “Do more stuff that makes you happy” and I have to say I like the sound of that!

I think this year should be about fun. I have been through a lot of heart ache and change. I am not saying that’s over but I want to try and have fun too. I think I deserve it. I think we all deserve it.

I think if we all did “more stuff that made us happy” we would all be better off and better to be around.

Happy New Year from my family to yours!