Going Nude for School a Smash Hit!

There are a lot of things I dislike about the school routine period - early mornings, drop off and pick ups (especially in the rain), laundering white shirts (what possessed us to agree to white shirts?), homework - and of course, the making of school lunches! Now, I can't really help with all your fussy eaters but I can recommend products to make the packaging of lunches easier!

I was recently sent a Smash Insulated Cool Box, a Banana Mover and a Muffin Mover to road test - and I was quite happy to do so, since I had already been using Nude Food Movers for my boys' school lunches.

Did you know that Smash's entire range of food movers is BPA (Bisphenol A) and Lead free? Although Australia has not banned BPA products, a number of other countries have because of the potential health risks. I'm by no means an expert on this matter, but anything that is devoid of an industrial chemical like Bisphenol A makes me feel better about using it for my children's lunches.


I also love the Smash and Nude Food Mover range because of the following reasons (in no particular order):


* They are sturdy (important with rough and tumble kids like my boys)
* Lids are attached to bases (so no chance of lost lids on the playground) and they are easy   
   for little hands to unclip (which the teachers love)
* Very easy to clean (warm, soapy water is all that is required but they can also be thrown in
   the dishwasher)
* They are airtight and don't leak (so food stays fresh without having to wrap it in fiddly  
   and wasteful plastic wrap and you can chop up fruit without risk that it will leak  
   throughout school bags)
* 100% Australian owned (a great thing)
* Affordable (a small ice brick retails from $1.95 and even a meal box only has a RRP of 
   $7.95)
* Looks great (kids want funky and fun looking lunch accessories)
* Can be bought from selected Woolworths and Coles supermarkets, Big W and Officeworks, 
   and now also online through bonzoo.com.au.


I was given 3 products to road test and they were all great! All had the attributes mentioned above. My husband immediately took possession of the Cool Box (basically a large, rectangular cool bag/lunchbox)! He is happily using it at work to keep his lunch salad ingredients cool and fresh.


The muffin mover also proved a hit with the boys. I was able to pack them fresh, homemade muffins and cupcakes (with icing) without fear of them getting squashed. The containers can also be easily used for other snacks making them very versatile. I think they're great for storing nuts for little snacks at work :)

I was a bit more hesitant about the Banana Mover. I thought it looked a bit bulky, even though very clever in design - it's able to be adjusted to fit any size banana. My youngest LOVES bananas so I thought it was perfect for throwing in my large handbag (I don't like bananas and can think of nothing worse than a squashed banana in my bag!), but I didn't know how it would go for a packed school lunch. Surprisingly, it fit in the lunch bag, although it could easily have also gone into the school bag. My eldest loved the novelty of it and apparently, it was a big hit on the playground! Anything that encourages them to eat more fruit is a winner in my books!

In my experience, Smash and Nude Food Movers are great for school (and work) lunches and I can honestly say I highly recommend them.


Now, I know most of you have lunch containers sorted for the school year but


a) you may not have these pieces I'm about to give away
b) even if you do, it's always good to have spares that can be used by the whole family when
     out and about (or in the event of lost containers at school) and
c) who doesn't love a freebie?


So, here are the terms and conditions of entry for this giveaway where one lucky reader will receive an Insulated Cool Box and a Muffin Mover:


1. To enter, leave a comment on this blog saying why you love Smash and Nude Food Movers or what food you're looking forward to packing in them.


2. For extra entries, share this post on your Facebook page or on Twitter (using the handle @CameraChronicle) and let me know you've done so.


3. Competition closes at 10pm EST on Tuesday 6th March, 2012. One winner will be drawn using random.org and decision will be final. If winner cannot be contacted within a reasonable time frame, I will redraw prize. Winners will be announced on the blog under the Reviews and Giveaways tab as well as on our Facebook page.


4. Sorry to my overseas readers but competition is only open to Australian residents.


Good luck!


All opinions contained in this post are my own and were not influenced by the receipt of Smash and Nude Food Mover products. All pictures (except for the dodgy one taken on my mobile phone) are from the Nude Food movers website. 

Rockin' Rod Stewart!

Sometime last year, a couple of my sister in-laws and brother in-laws, along with their friends, decided to buy tickets to the Rod Stewart concert in the Hunter Valley. Sam decided to buy tickets for us as well. I didn't think the concert would be that great - Rod Stewart's songs are catchy but I'm by no means a huge fan. However, any excuse to get away, especially to the Hunter Valley (one of my favourite places to relax) was A-okay by me.


I left booking accommodation a bit late (and underestimated the appeal of Mr Stewart) so up until two weeks before the concert, we had nowhere to stay. Luckily, something came up with the only catch being we had to stay two nights. So off we drove on the Friday night, looking forward to a weekend away.


I must admit, the concert was excellent. For an entertainer in his 60's, Rod Stewart can still rock! We had excellent seats close to the stage and Rod Stewart put on a really great show, performing many of his well known hits and interacting with the audience. Here are some snaps of him in action:

The last shot above was when he was kicking out his customary signed Celtic soccer club balls! Martes who was in our group was lucky enough to snare one of Rod's balls! 

For the record, I don't find Rockin' Rod all that attractive, but I was up dancing and singing and hollering for much of the concert. Probably more so than people there who actually think he's sizzling hot! He was a great entertainer but I suspect a large crowd and a bottle few wines may have had something to do with the dancing and singing and hollering. I'm beginning to suspect that I would have an equally great time watching Kamal if he had a concert in the Hunter Valley. I'm not really much of a drinker. My favourite line is "I only drink in the Hunter"... it's the only place I can relax and am guaranteed not to be the designated driver!  

So the moral of this story is...I should go away to the Hunter Valley more often for the purpose of rest and relaxation. 

Who would you love to see performing in the Hunter Valley?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Zariti Designs

Playing along with My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday. Zariti Designs word art can be found on Facebook or here.

Anniversary

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary. My husband has been away for the weekend with his "other wife" - yes, I'm still dutifully sharing him. It's lucky I like his other wife as well, otherwise there might have been trouble over the years! Can't wait for him to return home!

He sent me these - my favourite flowers (good move on his part). They are so gorgeous. I love having flowers in the house - they put me in a happy mood :)

Happy Anniversary Sam! I love you very much xxx

My Four Valentines

I should probably put a warning at the beginning of this post that it is sickly sweet and contains a lot of cliched red Valentine-y type things. So, be warned.

We don't usually do much for Valentine's Day. Flowers and dinner at a restaurant are two of my favourite things, but with 3 kids in tow that's not really an option on the one day when nearly every diner is hoping for a nice, peaceful meal. I don't think whining and loud shrieking (and perhaps head banging) would be appreciated. Leaving the kids with someone isn't an option either - we never ask anyone to do that on Valentine's Day because they probably want to go out themselves :) So generally, we just stay home and do the usual thing.

Yet, this year I was bitten by the Valentine's Day bug - or hit with Valentine's arrow as the case may be. I decided I would make an effort and surprise Sam and the kids by setting the table a little differently than usual. I had about 20 minutes to spare in the afternoon before picking up the boys so I hastily threw on a white tablecloth, dug out some red napkins, made a paper flower-thingy centrepiece, found some candles and punched out a bunch of hearts to scatter across the table. My four Valentines were very impressed, especially the two middle ones...it obviously doesn't take much. That said, I think it looks slightly better than some table settings on My Kitchen Rules (I said slightly)!

My number one Valentine took care of the main meal, making a spaghetti dish with fresh cherry tomatoes and herbs from our garden.

He also bought me long stemmed red roses. 

I made some homemade chocolate cupcakes and my Valentines were very happy that they were topped with sickly sweet icing.

Sam and I indulged in our favourite dessert, ricotta cheesecake!

 All in all, a bit of Valentine's Day overkill (I did warn you), but fun nonetheless. 

Happy belated Valentine's Day!

Did you do anything special for Valentine's Day?

Remembering Whitney

This past week, the world lost another superstar - the incomparable Whitney Houston. I felt I needed to dedicate a post to her because I was surprisingly upset by her passing at the very young age of 48. Another talent lost to dark forces. Whilst many have described her as "just a junkie" or "just a singer" (because she didn't write her own material), I can't dismiss her quite so easily.

I grew up loving Whitney and listening to her on constant rotation (in the time of records and cassette tapes) - and even singing along with her - despite being tone deaf and not being capable of holding a single note :) At the height of her career, Whitney seemed untouchable. But I guess her story demonstrates the powerful force of bad influences, drugs and whatever else. Sad beyond words.

There's a generation out there who probably don't know her music. However, just a glance at her records and achievements should silence those who call her "just a singer". For those who still doubt, for those who want to see what all the fuss was about or for those who want to pause and reflect on Whitney's great gift, here she is in just one of her many, many powerful performances...

Whitney Houston's performance of One Moment in Time at
the Grammy Awards (click on picture)

And for those who are big fans, here are some highlights from Oprah Winfrey's 2009 interview with Whitney. It's lengthy but so very poignant, considering how her story ended. In it she speaks of her abusive marriage, her decision to leave, her resolve to stay away from drugs, her sadness at Michael Jackson's passing and her love for her daughter (who appears at the end of the clip).

Click pic to watch interview.

Remembering the Whitney I grew up listening to...

Do you have a favourite Whitney song or memory of her?

Vitamin ME!

Vitamin Me... I knew I was seriously in need of some because I took this quiz and it confirmed that I was desperately in need of some down time. So I spent last night from around midnight to 1am drafting this great post about it and then I spent all morning fixing it up. And then...I accidentally deleted the whole thing. What little levels I had of Vitamin Me have now surely sunk into the negative zone. I'm tired and devastated.

Any writer who has deleted a piece of work knows they can never replicate what was there before but this is my time-poor, desperate attempt (because I really do need some Vitamin Me)! Perhaps not as good as the original but here goes...

So what is Vitamin Me? It's the brainchild of Tourism Queensland (big kudos to their PR team) who describe it like this: "It’s activated by adrenaline, wonder and excitement. Found in oysters, white wine, nature and good times. It’s the antidote to routine, an elixir for the spirit".

Am I in need of an antidote to routine and an elixir for the spirit? You be the judge.

I go to bed every night some time between midnight and 1am. I am awoken between 3 and 4am most nights by my two year old calling my name and then alarms start going off at 6am to get everyone up for work and school. I'm sleep deprived, look like a zombie most mornings (just ask the mums who see me crawling through the school gates every day) and am functioning on auto-pilot.

My mornings involve getting three boys ready for school - feeding them breakfast, dressing them, overseeing teeth brushing, yelling at them to pick up toys whilst cleaning up and putting loads of washing on. It's no surprise that most mornings I run out of time to actually feed myself. I know breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day but I come last and sometimes that translates to no breakfast!

By the time I drop everyone off where they need to be, grab some things from the supermarket and do the daily chores (washing, ironing, vacuuming, mopping) and preparing dinner as well as doing some work for my husband's new business, it's time to go and pick them all up. Notice lunch didn't get a mention.When I do eat something, it can't actually be described as a meal.

The afternoon routine involves homework, baths and lunch-making for the following day. Once soccer and swimming begin, I'll also be ferrying the boys to and fro from there! By the time I've finished cleaning up, putting more loads of washing on and helping my husband with work projects, it's midnight. I actually drafted the original post for this at a quarter past midnight. That sadly, is what I class as "me time". That's when I blog or grab a cup of coffee and watch a pre-taped episode of a favourite show. Hardly an elixir for the spirit.

Even a trip to the bathroom doesn't afford me any downtime. There is usually a child pounding on the door calling my name. When I'm not in there, my two year old is following me around calling "Mum, Mum, c'mon Mum" as he tries to drag me somewhere. He thinks I'm his personal slave and his brothers aren't much better.  Much as I love the sound of "Mum", when it's repeated a hundred times a day, it starts to do your head in. Seriously.

So if there's some Vitamin Me up for grabs, I unashamedly kneel before you and beg you to give it to me. Please.

So, how would I choose to have this boost of Vitamin Me? Well, if I were a water lover, I'd definitely take my shot at the Great Barrier Reef, and snorkel in one of the most beautiful places on Earth...

If I were an animal lover, I would visit Sea World or Australia Zoo and fall in love with all creatures great and small. I would love to return to the Africa enclosure at Australia Zoo and be mesmerised by the gorgeous giraffes and zebras.

For the thrill seekers, there are plenty of theme parks throughout the state of Queensland which will test your mettle. Dreamworld and Waterworld are just two that spring to mind...

There are literally hundreds of places and experiences to choose from when you visit Tourism Queensland's site - from rainforests to beaches, fine dining experiences to thrill-seeking adventures, there's something for everyone.

For myself, the perfect dose of Vitamin Me would involve an indulgent stay at a five star resort somewhere like Noosa (a piece of unspoiled heaven). Or perhaps a stay at Palazzo Versace which I hear is all about indulgence. I would lay on the beach or by the pool with a cocktail in one hand and a good book in the other and just relax. I would do absolutely nothing. Oh, a girl can only dream.

I might interrupt the 'nothing' for a spot of shopping and a relaxing visit to a hair salon. I would then dress up and head out for a mouth-watering seafood dinner with a calorie-laden dessert included. After all, there are no pesky bathroom scales in a Vitamin Me experience.

I'm also partial to a concert or theatre show or even a trip to one of Queensland's famously parochial rugby league stadiums, where it would be awesome to watch my Parramatta Eels beat a Queensland team ;) Or perhaps I could watch the NSW Blues regain their mojo! And since Vitamin Me is all about me, I'll take either of those experiences from a box seat.

Being a Sydney-sider, it kills me to say it, but Queensland - this is a ripper of a concept and I need some Vitamin Me immediately. Take pity on this busy mum of three boys! Living in a household filled with testosterone isn't conducive to high levels of Vitamin Me!

*This is my entry in the Nuffnang Australia and Tourism Queensland  $5000 Vitamin Me holiday blogging competition. All pictures featured in this blog post are from Tourism Queensland's website, where you'll find plenty more holiday ideas.

So where in Queensland

would you choose to get your boost of Vitamin Me?

Sir Elton John - Music Royalty

Towards the end of last year, Sam and I were lucky enough to watch music royalty, in the intimate setting of the Lyric Theatre in Sydney. The man was Sir Elton John and the music blew us away. We had never spent so much money on concert tickets, but our centre seats just 9 rows from the front, were worth every cent. Elton John was brilliant. To think that he is over 60 and still belting out his hits like a 20-something year old is quite phenomenal! I got caught up in all the emotion of his music and when I wasn't singing and bopping along, I was sitting there crying. I may have been a tad hormonal emotional. 

I just think that Bernie Taupin and Elton John are amazingly gifted - they have a knack (if that is even an appropriate word) for marrying melodies and lyrics to produce unforgettable music pieces - many of which have been the soundtrack to our lives. I was pleasantly surprised that Elton performed so many of his popular songs - that's what an audience wants and that's what he delivered!

I think I first started crying when he sang Tiny Dancer. Just magical. What a beautiful song. Daniel and Sacrifice also had me teary eyed. But then I really blubbered when he performed Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (dedicated to George Michael who was seriously ill in hospital at the time). I cried because I now associate this song with our late friend Trent Skinner. A karaoke favorite of his, they played it as the recessional hymn at his funeral...so to hear it live sung so poignantly by Elton, whilst thinking of Trent (and his beautiful family) was quite special.

Another special song was Candle in the Wind. Long before Candle in the Wind was reworked and made popular as Princess Diana's farewell song, it was a favourite of mine. Due to its association with Diana and the new version, I didn't think it would make the play list. But again, Elton didn't disappoint. I sat there in awe listening to it. How many times had I listened to and played this song growing up? - and here I was listening to it sung by Elton himself. It's hard to even describe the feeling.

This was his 3000th+ concert in over 50 years of performing so obviously he couldn't perform all his songs. Probably the only one that he didn't play that I would have loved to hear was Something About the Way You Look Tonight. It was our wedding dance song. "Our song" is actually a Frank Sinatra number but we thought we would pick something more modern and mainstream for our wedding dance, so Elton got the gig :) Like so many of his songs, it holds  special memories.

And the encore? Always such an important number, I was wondering what it would be. Well, after describing his love affair with Australia and the important milestones in his life that have occurred here (including his first marriage), he dedicated Your Song to us. He often uses the song as an encore and it's just perfect. Another one that always makes me cry.

Elton was brilliant. His band were brilliant. His support act and backing vocalists were brilliant. So, so glad we got to experience the magic that is his music in an intimate setting. I have a new found respect for the Lyric Theatre as a concert venue. It felt like we were in a private recording session - up close and personal. Unforgettable.

Do you have a favourite Elton John song?

Book Covering Insanity

If nothing else sends you to the loony bin as a parent of a school age child, then covering books with contact surely will. I'm certain that in homes across the land, there are parents swearing and muttering under their breath about the bloody need to cover books. If you disagree and actually look forward to and love covering books with contact, then I advise you seek medical assistance immediately.

I only got two to cover last night but I'm sure an avalanche is coming with both Thomas and Daniel now in school. Pity the people who have four or more children...they won't want to see contact for the next several months! I'm sure the amount of books I get to cover will be relative to the amount of books I sent home for covering (karma?). However, before you curse the teacher, imagine if he/she had to cover close to 200 books (if not more) on their own. Many hands make light work. Sort of.

Not sure who came up with the idea of self-adhesive plastic for covering books, but good one! No need for tape. Quick. Simple. Right? Ummm wrong! You have to cover each book with almost military precision...one false move and you could end up with an air bubble disaster that no ruler will smooth out!

                                           

I must admit that usually I'm pretty good with book covering. I learnt my craft from my Dad who always got the book covering job when we were growing up. He is a perfectionist so most of our books were pretty well covered. But even a perfectionist is no match for contact when it decides to behave badly. And last night I came unstuck in the book covering department...or stuck as the case may be. I didn't end up with air bubbles but I must have pulled the contact too tightly and ended up with a very small fold near the spine of the book, which resulted in the book cover being a few centimetres too short for the actual pages. I did my best to pull it back into shape...but as most of you know, when contact sticks, it sticks!

For those who have failed miserably at covering books with contact, never fear. Hope is at hand. And practise does offer improvement, if not perfection. My cousin Marie was very proud of herself after covering her Year 1 daughter's books this week with no bubbles!! Her young daughter quipped, "Wow Mum, these look so much better than my Kindy books!" Well done Marie! Gold star for you! I was actually thinking of you as I stuffed up my own covering last night haha.

For all you new school parents who may not be familiar with contact and covering books, here's a YouTube video made by a young girl (click on image below to watch). It's not the method I use and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure it's the easiest way. Have a look and see what you think.

Have you used the above method?

Are you able to offer any tips or tricks for book covering?

Daniel's Exciting Adventure

Last year, when Thomas began "big school", I described it as the start of a new adventure for our family and it certainly was a learning curve. Being a parent in a school as opposed to a teacher was interesting.

Well, a couple of days ago we embarked on the second leg of this adventure as Daniel set off for Kindergarten. This is Daniel only a few days old, as we brought him home from the hospital...

Even a 0000 jumpsuit was too big for him

In keeping with family tradition, he also wore an over sized uniform for his first day of Kindy. So, so cute! And oh, how time has flown!

It looked like a nervous smile...

Daniel is generally more confident and outgoing than Thomas. He also had the added advantage of knowing the physical surroundings of the school and also some of the other children going into Kindy, being siblings of Thomas' friends. Yet, he is also extremely sensitive, prone to tears at the drop of a hat...so I was half expecting an outburst at some stage.

Yet the outburst never came. Daniel loved getting into his new uniform and posed happily for photos before we headed off - a very different scenario to last year when Thomas was a bundle of nerves. In Thomas' defence, he was heading off to a completely foreign place where he knew not a single soul.



He's so tiny!



The only pic I could get of the three of them!



The obligatory silly face.

 Once at school, Daniel insisted on carrying his own bag even though I hadn't adjusted the straps and the bag was nearly at his ankles. Then as soon as we were in the room, he spotted a puzzle and said he wanted to do it (he loves puzzles and is actually very good at the ones without a base). With a big smile and full of confidence he said, "Mum, take a picture of me!"



Daniel settles into his classroom.

The first piece of work Daniel brought home. The 'something he did
today' was building a tower with his friend Santino :)


Daniel's first full day is tomorrow but so far, so good. He loves school and loves his buddies Santino and Matthew. I was always worried that he would struggle with school, but something a friend said to me last year put me at ease. They told me that Daniel has such a great personality and is such a thinker (he is very inquisitive), that he will no doubt land on his feet. I hope so because Daniel has a big, big heart and he deserves all the happiness in the world.

Like Thomas, and Samuel at daycare, I will try not to wrap him in cotton wool. I will try and let him find his own path in life. People find it strange that I'm a teacher who doesn't push her kids to be top of the class... but all I want is for my boys to try their best, be their best and be happy! No mum can ask for more than that.

And so the school roller coaster ride continues...deep breaths.