8 Things NOT to do During a Fire Evacuation

This list came about after a fire evacuation at a leisure centre, where we were gathered for the birthday party of one of Thomas' friends. All in good humour :)

Here are 8 things you should NOT do during a fire evacuation:


1. Grab everything you brought with you and attempt to carry it out. This includes wet towels, swim bags, noodles, goggles etc

2. Go to another section of the swim centre from where you currently are to retrieve your coffee. Coffee addict much?

3. Head off in the opposite direction of the exit to search for your child's discarded thongs.

4. Push your child, who is tightly wrapped in a towel and thus has no arm movement, under a table to search for abovementioned thongs. Precious minutes lost.

5. Cause mild panic by asking, "Was that a fire alarm or a bomb threat?" (You know I'm only joking J)

6. Start taking photos on your mobile phone in order to use in a blog post. Ahem, no names.

7. Congregate in front of doors from which everyone has exited, thereby blocking the fire and rescue squad's path into and out of the building. Really smart move.

8. Perve at the firemen who have turned up to do their job, and try to ask one of them out on a date. I added this one because I know someone who would do this. She once asked a funeral parlour staff member for their number...at a funeral.

Faces have been pixelated to protect the innocent :)

This man may or may not have turned up to rescue us.

This post was written somewhat in jest, but some of the abovementioned actions did take place. In the event of fire and in the interests of safety, one should immediately exit an evacuated building, leaving all possessions behind. This has been my community service announcement for the day :)

Have you ever done anything silly during an evacuation?

Screaming from the Sidelines: Parents and Childrens' Sport

We all know what the ugly sideline parent looks and sounds like. They are invariably on their feet, displaying aggressive body language and sometimes even needing to be restrained. They often swear and shout abuse at coaches, referees, opposing players, other parents or even their own child. Thankfully, I have witnessed nothing like this at my boys' sporting events thus far, but I have heard lots of stories from other people. This type of parent certainly exists. Most of us are level headed enough to realise that the behaviour is wrong and damaging to young people.

Yesterday, two of my boys ran their little hearts out in the school cross country event. Their little legs kept pumping and they came 3rd and 4th respectively in their events. I was very proud of their achievements. But not so proud of my behaviour. Before I go on, let me back track a little. Thomas, to my shock and horror, has often expressed the notion that winning is everything. In a conversation we had I tried to espouse the sentiment that it didn't matter whether he won or lost, what was important was that he had fun. On hearing this, he piped up with, "Well, losing isn't fun". I was gobsmacked but couldn't really argue with that. In all honesty, I suppose it isn't fun. However, by the same token I can't let it be "all about winning".

The night before the race, the discussion came up again. I told him it didn't matter if he came first or last, I would still love him no matter what. He told me that if he went there and raced and didn't win it would be a big waste of time! Oh boy, how could he be so obsessed with winning? Sam and I don't put that sort of pressure on the boys! With Thomas, I guess it's just an innate desire to succeed. Pity he doesn't apply it to his school work as vigilantly :)

But back to the day of the race. I attempted to take a quick grab of video on my camera in order to show Sam what he had missed. On playing it back at home, besides the shonky camera work, I was mortified to hear myself shouting "Go Thomas! Keep running! You're coming 3rd!" and to Daniel similar exclamations. I tend to get carried away at all sporting events and get excited supporting my team/athlete. I was yelling out in encouragement, willing them on. I was happy that Thomas was going to earn himself a place and with it, a ribbon as I knew how much he wanted this. And of course, I wanted Daniel to do the same, although he just missed out.

Does my behaviour make me a bad sideline parent, just like the 'ugly parent' mentioned in the first paragraph of this post? Well, apparently it does. The cheering was okay, but the "keep running" is a no-no! According to the article "Why Sideline Screaming Can Stifle Your Child's Game" by Mike Woitalla (which I have seen reproduced on many sites), he explains that there is a difference between cheering/words of encouragement and giving instructions. "Keep running" is no doubt an instruction, as are other phrases like "kick the ball", "run", "spread out", "go the other way" that I and others may or may not have called out at soccer matches from time to time. As Woitalla explains, imagine if we as adults were trying to complete a really difficult task like assembling a piece of furniture with hieroglyphic instructions and someone (or a group) was standing there screaming at us. It certainly wouldn't help and could even be frustrating. He also points out that we don't stand there shouting out instructions as children attempt to colour in or do maths homework, so why do we insist on doing it on sporting fields? Woitalla clearly explains that children learn games like soccer by starting with a simple skill and building on it (as a teacher, I should know that!). By screaming instructions, we are not only invading their play time but also preventing them from learning the game, and we are stifling their instincts and creativity. Makes sense.

In my defence (and in defence of fellow parents that I have been in contact with), we also cheered on other runners in the race and at soccer, we applaud when the opposing team scores. We also don't berate our children if they make mistakes or don't win. These are obviously good traits and teach good sportsmanship, but they do not excuse the instructions that are also being called out.

So today at soccer, being conscious of all the above, I didn't call out any instructions. I just called out words of encouragement. It's really hard not to get carried away, but it's necessary if we are to raise children who can think for themselves, try their best and hopefully succeed (but not at all costs).


Cartoon found here





What sort of sideline parent are you?

Do you think it's okay to shout out instructions?



Lest We Forget

This ANZAC Day, we remember all those who have fought for our freedom. There are many countries in the world where I couldn't be sitting at my computer and blogging. It just wouldn't be allowed. Sometimes we forget and we take it all for granted. Today, we remember. We remember those who have fought, those who have returned with physical and mental scars and those who have given their lives.

Apart from all our old diggers, this ANZAC Day I particularly remember the thirty two Australian soldiers who have lost their lives in Afghanistan in the past decade:


Take a moment to read each of their names and ages...

Andrew Russell, 33  
David Pearce, 41  
Matthew Locke, 33  
Luke Worsley, 26
Jason Marks, 27
Sean McCarthy, 25  
Michael Fussell, 25  
Gregory Michael Sher, 30  
Mathew Hopkins, 21
Brett Till, 31  
Benjamin Ranaudo, 22
Darren Smith, 25  
Jacob Moerland, 21  
Ben Chuck, 27
Timothy Aplin, 38
Scott Palmer, 27  
Nathan Bewes, 23  
Jason Thomas Brown, 29
Grant Kirby, 35  
Thomas Dale, 21  
Jared MacKinney, 28  
Richard Edward Atkinson, 22
Jamie Larcombe, 21  
Brett Wood, 32  
Andrew Jones, 25  
Marcus Case, 27
Matt Lambert, 26
Rowan Robinson, 23  
Todd Langley, 35   
Bryce Duffy, 26
Ashley Birt, 22  
Luke Gavin, 27

There was also a young Sydney-born rifleman in the British Army - Stuart Nash, 21, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2008. He is not counted in the list of Australian casualties above.

Everytime I heard a report about another casualty, my immediate thoughts were for the families left behind. Terribly heartbreaking. So today, I also remember all those still serving overseas and pray for their safe return.

The above video and list of casualties was sourced here.

What does ANZAC Day mean to you?

The Involuntary Stash of Body Parts

Just by coincidence, as I was drafting this post, a story popped up on Kidspot about Hilary Duff keeping her newborn baby's umbilical cord stump.



Hilary Duff with husband Mike Comrie and baby Luca

Hilary's husband thought it was gross that she would keep such a thing, but she did anyway and says it is stored in a Ziploc bag at the back of her make-up drawer.

I don't think I kept my boys' umbilical cord stumps, although I cannot be sure. My memory is not the best and I am a hoarder. I'm learning to "chuck" more as I get older, but at heart I will always be a hoarder.

However, I do know that I have become a somewhat involuntary stasher of a different body part, if it can even be termed a body part. I say involuntary because I never really thought about it. I just found myself accumulating...

This here little treasure chest sits in my bedroom. It measures a mere 12 x 8 cm and is only 7cm tall. It was actually a gift from a uni friend for my 21st. I'm sure he envisioned me storing jewels of some sort in it...not body parts. But 16 years later, here it sits holding a secret...

Can you guess what lies within?

The tissues might be a giveaway...yes, it's a collection of baby teeth - some with blood stains!



Can you spot them all? The one on the far left was taped down so I thought
it best that I leave it undisturbed.

There are 6 teeth there. I don't know if the one that is taped down is the first tooth. I have no idea which is the first tooth. You see, I never consciously set out to accumulate teeth. I just did. Many a sleep-deprived night I had to help the tooth fairy out. What was I supposed to do with the retrieved tooth? It was always dark. I was always operating under difficult circumstances. My heart pounding. I took off with that tooth, wrapped it in tissue and stuck it in that little treasure chest. Before long, it just became a ritual.

The scary thing is that Daniel and of course Samuel, have not started losing their baby teeth yet. When they do, one of two things is going to happen. Either I will keep stuffing teeth wrapped in tissues into that little chest and will lose track of who owns what teeth. Or I will have to start sorting them, classifying them, labelling them! Now, that thought is a tad scary. It's frankly a little macabre.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this. I bet there are people out there with even weirder body parts stashed...tonsils perhaps? I have no idea. If you are a criminal reading this, with illegal body parts stored somewhere, please contact the police. I do not want to know. However, if you're a regular mum or dad with an involuntary stash of body parts like me, then feel free to share...

So what weird and wonderful parts of your children

do you have stashed away?

Liebster Blog Award

The lovely Lisa from Sweet Little Pretties awarded me this blog award which was a lovely surprise! It is given to blogs with under 200 followers who are an inspiration to others (I didn't count Facebook likers and Twitter followers when choosing my blogs). Thanks Lisa - hope to get to meet you at Blogopolis 2012!  

 

There are a few rules for accepting the award:

• Copy and Paste the award on your blog
• Link back to the blogger who gave you the award
• Pick your five favourite bloggers with under 200 followers who deserve to be recognised and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have received the award
• Hope the five chosen bloggers will continue to spread the blog award love

I have decided to pass on the award to the following five blogs which are all amazing in their own ways! Check them out to discover funny, heartwarming and thought provoking posts, yummy recipes, great photos of celebrities, home design ideas and lots more!

 

Mama of 2 Boys

 

Chalk and Talk

 

Delightfully Tacky Little Squirts

 

Anything, Everything and Inbetween

 

Melodramatic Me

 

I discovered some great new blogs through the award that was shared with me, so hope you all discover some new favourites as well! Go on, go check them out :)

One Direction Hysteria



Picture Source

In case you've been living under a rock, which I obviously was until about two weeks ago, this is all-singing, all-dancing British/Irish boy-band, One Direction. And these are some of their Aussie Directionites, as they like to call themselves.


So, is all this screaming, crying and fainting normal? Well, I guess it depends on your definition of normal but what I do know, is that Directionites are doing the same thing that hundreds of thousands of fans have done before them, not just in their own generation but in their parents' and possibly their grandparents' generations. Music and fashion differences aside, these are snapshots of fans of The Beatles on their Australian tour in 1964...

Images found here and here

And these are images of some of Elvis Presley's fans.

Images found here

Girls were screaming, crying, fainting and declaring their undying love and devotion way back then, just like today. I think it's a bit of a misrepresentation to say that it is  only today's generation that is "out of control" or "hysterical" or "hormonal". 

Childhood Behaviour Consultant, Teenage Mentor and Parent Counsellor, Nathalie Brown from Easy Peasy Kids admits that "hysteria happens quicker" these days because teenagers are inundated with information and pictures virtually 24/7. Teenagers get caught up in the moment and really, they are not very different to teenage fans from other eras. Nathalie suspects boy bands are always popular amongst girls because there are multiple band members to choose from and hence there "is more chance of getting the fairytale date".

Facebook and Twitter conversations this past week made me wonder whether One Directionites had taken their devotion a step too far. The media reported that a radio station receptionist who had been asked out by the band, was hunted down on Facebook and threatened. After speaking to Nathalie and doing some research, I realised there was nothing new about this either. Yoko Ono and Priscilla Presley, to this day bear the brunt of Beatles and Elvis fans who blame them for the downfall of their idols. Yet just as they are despised, and like the young receptionist mentioned above, they also offer hope to every teenage girl/fan that maybe, just maybe, fate will deliver their idol to them.

Priscilla Beaulieu was just 14 years old when she apparently stole the heart of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, then aged 24 years old! And she managed to walk all the way to the altar with him when she was old enough to marry! So perhaps it's not an impossible dream that the Directionites are living...

There are conflicting accounts of how Elvis and Priscilla
came to meet, with some die-hard fans believing Priscilla
schemed and manipulated her way into Elvis' life.
Image source

Whatever the truth about how they met, Priscilla lived out every girl's
fairytale at the time, when she married Elvis. Image source

So getting back to today's Directionites...we all did what they are doing to some degree or another. We may not all have cried uncontrollably or physically followed our idols across the country, but we were all besotted with someone at some stage or another and we dreamt of being swept off our feet by them.

I don't remember who I was completely besotted by but New Kids on the Block were definitely up on my bedroom wall and Jordan was my favourite from memory!

NKOTB - image source

There were many before NKOTB and many after them that I idolised. Embarrassingly, I think one of my first concerts may have been to see Bros and like every teenage girl there that night, I wore bike pants! Cringe!!! "When will I, will I be famous?"

Bros - image source here

This is what Matt (one of the blonde twins above) looks like today!
Source here

Okay, I think I'm wandering off track and too far down memory lane!

Nathalie Brown points out that as adults we sometimes forget how we behaved or how we felt as teenagers, or if we do remember, we tend to "see it through adult eyes". As long as nobody gets hurt, and nobody usually does, then fans like One Directionites are harmless and not as crazy as we may think.

 Are you a One Directionite?

Who is or was your teenage music crush?

The Perils of Boys

"Stop running in the house!"

"Don't jump on the lounge!"

"Be careful! Someone's going to get hurt!"

"I've told you before - no playing with the ball inside the house!"

"Stop throwing that ball around!"

"You're going to break something!"

I scream say these things (and many more) repeatedly...especially during school holiday time. And this morning my words rang true.

As Sam and I sat in the back room finishing our breakfast, and the boys chased each other around the house whilst flinging a huge bouncy ball around, we heard an almighty crash followed by a moment's silence...and then the scared voices of the guilty trying to blame others.

My first words to Sam were, "Don't scream" - because I knew they would already be feeling the weight of what they had done.

Before we even got to the scene, we could hear a chorus of "It wasn't me", "It was an accident" and worst of all, "It was Samuel". Poor Samuel. He too had been running around being silly but I knew it wasn't him who had kicked or thrown the ball.

And then I reached the crime scene. A silver, decorative vase had been knocked over but was intact. Our beautiful Willow Tree ornament however, given to us by friends when we moved into the house, was lying in pieces...

Decapitated and shattered :(

With the message, "To all who enter, welcome here", this is what she had looked like before...



So beautiful...

I surprised myself by remaining remarkably calm. Sam sent the boys to their rooms (Daniel howled with all the conviction of an innocent man - it was Thomas who kicked the fatal blow) and I collected my figurine.

I really, really love this piece and Sam must have sensed this because he promptly returned from the shops with superglue to piece it back together. He's yet to attempt the reconstruction, but if he can't do it, I will go and buy another one.

The perils of boys...they just do not sit still!*

What have your children

accidentally broken?

* For some reason, incidents like this always remind me of The Brady Bunch episode where the kids break the lamp/vase and try to piece it back together #showingmyage

Best Australian Blogs 2012

So, this is the competition I would really, really love to win. Best Australian Blogs 2012. There are five categories (I'm entered in the Parenting category), four competition-wide special awards and of course the People's Choice Award.

Your (constant) voting earned me 3rd place in the Top 25 Aussie Mum Blogs competition. There was no actual prize up for grabs but my placing earned me attention amongst PR companies, and I've since received many offers and expressions of interest.

This competition is different. There are $15,500 worth of writing courses with the Sydney Writers' Centre up for grabs and even finalists get prizes! You may remember that a while back I blogged about why I blog. I have coveted some of these very courses for a long time, but at almost $400 a course and with living costs rising and only one wage in our household, the courses are a luxury that I can only dream about. So I'm entered and I'm dreaming...

Each blog will be assessed by industry experts and judged on quality of writing (70%), presentation (20%) and engagement (10%). With a whopping 1024 blogs entered, I don't even rate my chances of a second look, particularly when I glance at the list and see scores of my favourite bloggers (some of them now celebrities)!

Over 940 of the above blogs are also entered in the People's Choice category...making even that seem an impossibility! However, as I have learnt in the past, if you don't ask you shall not receive.

So I guess I'm begging asking kindly for your vote. You have to scroll to the fifth page as blogs are listed in alphabetical order, tick The Camera Chronicles box and then click through to the last page where you enter your name and email and click "done". Not too hard.

A wise blogger recently said to me, "Fear of failure will never get us anywhere", so I'm throwing caution to the wind and daring to dream. If a miracle happens, it happens (and I will be overjoyed) but if it doesn't, I'll just keep on blogging because that's what I love to do!

You can vote by clicking on the "vote for me" badge in my sidebar or by clicking on the following link >> www.surveymonkey.com/s/BAB2012. Spread the word and share this post via Facebook, Twitter (#bestblogs2012) and email. Voting closes Thursday 9th May at 5pm.

Thank you for your support!

Movie Date

Today we went to the movies with the boys' school friends to watch the animated film, The Pirates - Band of Misfits. It was an okay movie, although I probably wouldn't sit through it again. The older two seemed to enjoy it more than the younger ones. The moral of the story was don't sell your friends out for a pot of gold. Good advice there :)



Friends and popcorn the highlights of the day



This was only the third time I've taken the boys to the movies which may sound incredible to a lot of people who seem to go at least once every school holidays. Thomas and Daniel last saw Cars 2 at the movies which they loved, and previous to that their first movie experience was How to Train your Dragon.

They are getting better at sitting still, although Daniel still got up several times today! We had no mad rushes to the toilet either which was great! The first time we went, I decided to go on the first day that school went back thinking it would be less crowded. Well, it certainly was that - we were the only ones in the movie theatre! The boys were unsure about being in a darkened room alone, although they soon made themselves at home. Their attention span didn't quite get them to the end of the movie as they proceeded to roll down stairs and tumble over seats, with popcorn flying in every direction! Goodness knows what the film projectionist was thinking - or is that all automated nowadays?

Sitting still for 80 minutes during a film meant that for the rest of the day they had to run, jump, argue and wrestle. The joys of boys.

My friend Josie probably got the raw end of the deal with the seating. Besides being next to our youngest two, she had the small boy next to her spill his coke everywhere - and then had to help clean it up because his Dad came unprepared.  In addition, she had children behind her kicking her seat, with one shining a torch in her face and another playing with her hair. I had to laugh when she told me all this as I was totally oblivious to it all.

 

The gang of four



How old were your kids before they

sat still through a movie?

The Introvert

Five months ago, life coach and blogger Kirri White, wrote a piece titled "Just leave me alone" that touched on issues surrounding introverts and extroverts. She got me thinking back then and I'm still thinking... Kirri made me more comfortable labelling myself an introvert.

Before reading Kirri's piece, I always imagined that introverts were in a clear minority and I associated the word introvert with the stereotypical hermit. Whilst most extroverts were probably too busy socialising to comment on Kirri's blog, the responses made me realise that introverts are not that small a minority in society (if that makes sense).

Image found here

As Carol Bainbridge wrote in her article Introvert,

Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.

Introverts are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. They often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. This is true even if they have good social skills. After being with people for any length of time, such as at a party, they need time alone to "recharge."

This is definitely me. I like sitting at home in my pj's and like nothing better than having the house to myself. I like to retreat, to think, to relax in my own space. I sometimes cringe when I get invitations...not because I don't like the person doing the inviting, not because I don't want to get together with said person but because it's an effort for me to do so. The organisation involved, the need to dress up, all the social do's and dont's that I have to be mindful of...it can all be draining.  Having said that, when I do go out, in 95% of cases I have a great time but I always look forward to going home.

Reading the above, I'm sounding kind of weird but I'll soldier on in the hope of making everything as clear as mud :)

My calendar does not look like that of a stereotypical introvert - it's full to the brim. With the boys' parties and social get togethers now added to the mix, it's rare to get a weekend at home, free from events. Maybe that's part of the reason I cringe upon receiving invites. There are just so many, that I don't have that time to "recharge".  I'm going to the movies tomorrow with a friend and I organised it so just to be clear, sometimes it's me adding to the social calendar :)

In summation, you could read this and think what a weirdo or you could read it and think, you know what, I'm a bit like that...or I'm a lot like that. Kirri says it's okay and I believe her so I'm passing on that message to all of you. Please don't stop inviting me out - sometimes I long to hang out with friends (the type that make me laugh and cry and everything inbetween), but don't be offended if I say I don't really feel like going out. I usually only decline invites when they clash with another invite, but maybe I should say no more often just for my sanity*.

What do you think?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

* Unlikely to happen because I don't think most people would understand and I wouldn't want to offend anyone.

 

Easter Wrap Up

I'm beyond tired and I think I've eaten too much chocolate. I know I've eaten too much dessert. In fact, I've eaten too much good food all round. But I was determined to write a post tonight, so here I sit with coffee in hand, pushing myself to do just that.

Last night when I was writing about the dangers faced by the Easter Bunny and similar characters, I realised that I never write about the big occasions here on my blog. The kids will have plenty of the everyday, seemingly mundane to read about. But what about Easter and Christmas and other such family celebrations? I'm usually so tired and so busy that those posts tend to fall by the wayside.

So this year I packed the camera! Packing the camera used to be my number one priority but after I had Thomas and certainly as Daniel and Samuel came along, it usually got left behind. As any parent will know, going out with children involves packing almost everything but the kitchen sink! A camera is just one more thing to carry, so it often gets left out nowadays.

Where was I? Oh yes, I packed the camera with the anticipation of lots of great shots - photos with the family, Easter egg hunts, table settings, buffets filled with wonderful homemade food, dessert tables filled with millions of yummy calories...

But I forgot to get it out. You see, our celebrations are so big and loud and full in every way, that it's easy to forget to take photos. And so again, I find myself saying, 'Next  year I'll take lots of photos'. The problem is we don't know whether we'll have a next year. Photos should be taken every year.

I want my boys to know how great our family gatherings are. I want them to know that I took them to church this morning, where they proceeded to play scissors, paper, rock throughout. I want them to know that despite the odd argument with a cousin, they are loved and adored by all their older cousins.

So next Easter, I'll try even harder to remember the photos! In the meantime, I leave you with 3 photos taken on my mobile this morning...



So what special traditions do you participate in at Easter?

Do you always remember the camera?

Sprung!

Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and of course the Easter Bunny all operate in the stealth of night...

Image found here

Image found here

Image found here

How stressful must that be?! I know that if I were them, I would constantly be wondering if I was going to be sprung by one of the little men in the house.

Santa has a tough job with all those bulky toys to carry. The Easter Bunny has to ensure he's extra careful with all that fragile chocolate. But for me, the Tooth Fairy has the toughest gig of all. She has to sneak right into their bedrooms, just metres (if not less) from where they are sleeping, extract a tooth from a glass of water and place some coins in the glass all without making a sound! If any of you have your children leave their teeth underneath their pillow, then all I can surmise is that you are high achievers who like a challenge or you're just plain, crazy dare-devils!

I wonder what they would say if they were sprung?

Have your children ever caught

Santa, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy

in the middle of their deliveries? 

bChill Review and Giveaway

A couple of months ago I was contacted by an entrepreneur who was launching a new beverage in Queensland. I'm all for Australian products and ingenuity so was certainly interested in giving it a go. The beverage is a relaxation drink which is a new concept in Australia but already popular overseas, particularly in the large US market.

From the bChill site

bChill is advertised as the drink that will provide a "happy, relaxed feeling" and it is said to be made with natural ingredients. In essence, it is the opposite of an energy drink. Now, if ever there was a candidate for a relaxation drink, it is me. I'm forever in a state of tension, stressing about this and that as I try to organise the boys, the house and anything else I'm doing! I could certainly do with some relaxation.

But a relaxation drink? I wasn't quite sure and truthfully, still am not. bChill is made with the following ingredients - carbonated water, crystalline fructose, citric acid, natural flavours, stevia, I-tryptophan, chamomile extract, passion flower extract, lemon balm extract, magnesium sulfate, rhodiola extract, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what half these things were...so I googled and researched.

What I discovered was that the drink is potentially full of sugar, even though it doesn't taste sweet. For instance, the crystalline fructose is a processed sweetener derived from corn that is almost entirely fructose. It is 20% sweeter than table sugar, although I'm not sure what percentage makes up the drink. Many of the other plant extracts have been traditionally used as sedatives in the treatment of things like anxiety and insomnia. So the drink is made up of ingredients that are likely to relax you. Presumably it also meets Australian food and beverage standards.

 So now to the actual experience of the drink...

THE LOOK:  The drink is packaged in a recyclable, tall and slim can. It is very attractive and easily catches the eye. It's very comfortable to hold as well, not that that is something I consider when choosing a drink, but it's just a nice touch.

THE TASTE: The taste is okay and not sweet at all. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. I'm not a heavy soft drink consumer, but when I do drink soft drinks they are usually sweet. I'm not really a fan of mineral or soda water, which this drink can be likened to. If you like those sorts of drinks, I think you'll really enjoy bChill.

THE EFFECT: Crunch time. Does it relax you? I was skeptical. Energy drinks don't really give me a boost, so I wasn't expecting bChill to well, chill me out either. But it did. At first, my heart set off racing and I thought oh no, it has done the opposite but after 20-30 minutes I did feel relaxed. I picked up the kids from school and despite their whingeing and fighting, I didn't lose the plot., I don't know if that was because it was the last day of school term and I don't know if I imagined it, but I was more relaxed than usual.

Then, about an hour or so later, I felt really tired - almost like I could fall asleep. Now, again I am not sure if that was the drink or just my body screaming out for rest. The can says the drink is non-drowsy, however the small print on the back does say that heavy machinery should not be operated immediately after consumption.

Some doctors in the US have been concerned with relaxation drinks, just as they are with energy drinks. Although made up of natural ingredients, they do have the potential to be abused, especially by the teen market. The can does state that only 1 can should be consumed daily and that pregnant women or children under the age of 15 shouldn't consume the beverage. Obviously people with other conditions like diabetes or anxiety should also proceed with caution, seeking a doctor's advice before consumption. 

Would you like to try bChill for yourself?* You can visit the website for more information, including stockists, or you can be the lucky recipient of a sample can in this giveaway! This is what you need to do: 

1. Like The Camera Chronicles' Facebook page, if you haven't already.

2. Like bChill's Facebook page.

3. Leave a comment on bChill's Facebook wall, mentioning that you were sent by The Camera Chronicles and telling them why you need some relaxation.


The first ten readers to follow the above instructions will receive a can of bChill to try for themselves.

Sorry, give away only open to Australian residents.

Good luck everyone. I'd be interested to hear what you think of the drink!

Do you think there's a market in Australia for relaxation drinks?

I received a sample can of bChill for the purpose of reviewing this beverage. I have not been paid for this review. The opinions herein are entirely my own, based on my own experiences. I am not a doctor and do not purport to be an expert on the components of this beverage. Any person trying bChill should do so with consideration of their own medical conditions, if any. The drink should be consumed according to directions and each person does so at their own risk.

Blogopolis 2012

I just took an enormous blogging step and clicked "order" to get a ticket to the Nuffnang Blogopolis 2012 Conference being held in Sydney at the end of June! I'm super excited and nervous all at the same time.

I've only met a couple of bloggers in "real life" before. There could be up to 300 at this event, if last year's inaugural conference is anything to go by. That one was in Melbourne, as was the inaugural Digital Parents blogging conference that just finished up. I obviously attended neither. Then I found out this year's Blogopolis was in Sydney and I really had no more excuses... Sam has some hotel and restaurant vouchers from Christmas time, so we are going to make a weekend of it!

I know some people think blogging is ridiculous. Those people probably won't be reading this post. But if they did, I'm sure they would think a blogging conference is ridiculous too. What does one do at a blogging conference, I can hear some of you thinking. Firstly, we get to network with like-minded people - people we may never have met but that we know fairly intimately through reading of blogs and that in itself is scary and exciting all at the same time. Sometimes we also get to mingle with public relations people, who can provide many opportunities if that is the direction we choose to go in. We also get to attend master classes and panel discussions run by successful bloggers (many our idols). It's basically a whole day of blogging nirvana which I realise to the non-blogger may sound totally geeky! Who cares?! I just bought a ticket!!!

Image found here

So now I need some advice. I'm hoping seasoned conference attendees will offer some pointers about what to do and what not to do. What do I need to bring? Do bloggers really hand out business cards? Will I be walking into a room of cliques or is everyone super friendly? (it might be best to lie here so that I don't pull out haha). OMG what is a little blogger like me going to do at a big conference like Blogopolis? Help!!

Have you attended a blogging conference?

What advice can you share?

Hooters - a hoot or not?

Wall-to-wall TVs showing all sorts of sports, loud, blaring music that eliminates the possibility of conversation, burgers, ribs and chicken wings, a bar serving alcoholic drinks and waitresses dressed in very short shorts and low-cut mid-riff tops. Who could have possibly thought up such a place? A man? Six of them in fact. Six businessmen in Clearwater, Florida bought an old rundown nightclub and turned it into the first Hooters restaurant. They actually opened it on April Fool's Day 1983 as a bit of a joke, thinking it would fail as many businesses in that area had before them. But alas, they found that hooters brought all the men to the door! Beer, boobs and burgers - every man's fantasy I guess.



And for some reason, the restaurant chain now attracts women and children as well. Last Friday night, a local Hooters played host to eleven mums who all left their husbands and children at home. Whilst my 20-something-feminist-essay-writing-uni-student-self would have written a 10 000 word essay on the objectification of women, my 30-something-"me time"-deprived-mum-self didn't hesitate for a night out at Hooters!



Mum's on the loose minus two


We were greeted with great fanfare by the above mentioned girls in little orange shorts. And we quickly gathered that Hooters wasn't the sort of workplace you wanted to come to if feeling a little under the weather. These girls jump, skip, run, holler, sing, dance, hoola hoop and conga line their way through the night. Definitely not a job for the shy and retiring type.

We could barely hear ourselves talk but we had a great night nonetheless. Most of the food was actually okay for what is effectively a sports bar...ribs and burgers were all well-received, although the chicken dishes ordered were a little dry. I had the nachos burger which came with fries and it was extremely filling. It sounds like a calorie-laden nightmare and it was...but it tasted good (apart from the corn chip sandwiched in the middle). The curly fries dipped in a guacamole sauce were also yum. All that was $19.95 and I get out so little these days that I'm not sure whether that's the going rate for a burger and chips (apart from a meal at McDonald's)...

One of our group also sweet-talked her way to a free cocktail and then sweet-talked her way some more and got us all a free cocktail! I ended up with two free cocktails as did some of the other girls, so who can complain? Awesome skills Siobhan!



More drinks at the table than people...

If you are an introvert and don't like celebrating your birthday in a very public fashion, then the recommendation would be to stay clear of Hooters. Our birthday girl, along with other birthday patrons, got given a birthday bib with big boobs drawn on to wear before being "serenaded" by the Hooters' girls. She also got called up to dance and at one stage was standing on her chair doing the chicken dance as the Hooters girls led her from below. Great sport Mel!



Mel even colour co-ordinated with the Hooters' girls :)

It was a Friday night and packed to the rafters...and they literally had to kick us out. The place cleared, the lights started being turned off and we were still there. We moved our conversations to just outside the front door which prompted one of the staff to ask if any of us needed to use the loo before he closed the big doors on us. What was he implying? That us mums have weak bladders?!  Well, he needn't have worried because we kept talking for another good 30 to 45 minutes before starting to make our way back home.

Us mums don't get out very often. We had to make the most of it. We laughed heaps and had hardly any voice left by the end of the night. I only have one question. Why weren't the male staff topless in tiny shorts?

What do you think of Hooters?

Sexist nonsense or just a bit of fun?