Wednesday 28 October 2015

Wordless Wednesday : Lifou ~ Loyalty Islands

Lifou - New Caledonia - No Filter . It looked like giant swimming pool with clearest turquoise water.

No building permits

Markets through here.

The main Church was a long walk up a steep rocky path - solar powered no vehicle access we could see.


Pew less - Chapel

Stunning panoramic view from the Church grounds

Notre Dam de Lourdes

Thatched huts ...


Easo Beach- Lifou is a commune of France in the Loyalty Islands Province of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean
Back of Adam Harvey ...

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Richer

I've been having a hiatus from blogging - the busyness of a cruising holiday with no wifi, Dr's appointments and an injured arthritic knee that is giving me grief.

Otherwise, all is well and good with my soul.


I had my Oncology follow-up appointment today and the DR was happy with things. I expected no less.


Once a year ,  my local community and other communities across Australia come together to walk (run and wheel) alongside carers, survivors and supporters - fun and friendship ensues.While there is a truly sad side , it also is a time of celebration.


I joined our local committee and it's been enlightening how much effort and hard work goes into Relay. I'm really looking forward to it. Visiting the oncology unit today reminded me why I relay.





I'm having an arthroscopic surgery in a few weeks because of the torn meniscus in my knee, that keeps locking up and catching causing momentary excruciating pain and a little lingering discomfort. 

After more than 6 wks off exercising and absence from the gym I am at my heaviest weight ever. Of course over eating on the cruise has nothing more to do with it.

Running ...it's not happening.

Swimming ... I've got a plan to get my 'freestyle' stroke correction and breathing sorted out. A lovely friend has offered. I just have to keep my ears absolutely dry.

How has life been treating you lately ?  

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Wordless Wednesday :Vitamin Sea



I've had a fabulous holiday exploring and carousin' on the high seas with my Swashbucklin' Captain  - Johhny Depp doesn't hold a candle to him.


Home

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Light the Night

This product talk is brought to you by Nuffnang and Illooms &
 LIGHT the Night 

ILLOOMS are balloons with a small LED light that once activated, start glowing and create an illuminated effect.

The balloon takes on a magical luminary appearance!

Light up your night time celebration with ILLOOMS balloons up to 15 hours (or longer - like a glow stick in a balloon.)


Each ILLOOMS balloon comes with an activation tab. Instructions on each packet explain how to activate the ILLOOMS Balloons.

Simply squeeze the LED tip and pull the activation tab, then inflate like a standard balloon.


For the purpose of this review we were gifted a multi pack of ILLOOMS balloons including the following:

• Plain Mixed (4 colours)

• Girly Mixed (4 colours) RRP – $6.99

• Happy Birthday (4 colours) RRP – $6.99

• Faces (4 colours) RRP – $6.99

• Multicoloured Marble – RRP – $7.99

• Pink Marble – RRP – $7.99

• Flashing Alien RRP – $9.99

• Flashing Gnome RRP – $9.99

Each pack contained four balloons except the Flashing Alien and Gnome have three balloons each.

ILLOOMS are compliant with global safety regulations and requirements. We had one pop rather early - though deflation stickers prevent the need to pop them since many children hate that big bang effect. Our eldest son hated balloons for years - he must have had an unfortunate experience with a balloon before adoption.

A few ILLOOMS and all the lights out resulted in spooky , zany fun for the boys with only one burst balloon.  The light up balloons were fascinating to me and illooms balloon tennis was a big hit .

The soft illumination, and flashing was bright enough to make them light up the night and into the next day.

ILLOOMS Balloons make an awesome party decoration, and a very creative and inexpensive way to light up your night celebrations , you still need additional lighting but they light up with plenty of ambience.



The kids love them - and best they are available nationally in at Big W, Kmart and Woolworths (try the party aisle!).

PS I want to take this opportunity to pause and share

This FRIDAY O ct 9th is
http://lightthenight.org.au/

Walk this Friday - or because I can't be there (on board the ship) I'm taking a Illooms in memory of my Dad.

Register by Thursday evening to guarantee your lantern at this Friday's Light the Night - if miss out - why not try a Illooms.

Every extra dollar raised helps families affected by blood cancer – mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.

The 60,000 Australians living with blood cancer, thank you so much for your support.

What's your favourite way to light the night ?

Wordless Wednesday : Hit me ..

Pony Piñata









Tuesday 6 October 2015

Taking Stock - October

Hello, are things good with you ?

Things are okay with me though it’s been a bit of a rough eight weeks, hopefully that is all going to turn around.

I had my sutures out and the scar is healing well. There is no pathology results as yet and no dreadful phone calls.

It is six weeks since my hysterectomy and since I've also heard nothing from this Surgeon (and of course peeked in the notes while waiting for day surgery the clear margins on the melanoma removal site - no malignancy) I think I can breathe easier.

Tense times, when three times previously I've been given shattering news. Cancer.Cancer.Melanoma (albeit in situ)

Every so often I pause and take stock.

Took this pic on our wedding anniversary a few years ago.

Making : Beds for our next visitors expected tomorrow.
Cooking : Good question - what's for dinner ?
Drinking : Water and water Kefir ... and Midori Snowcones.
Reading: Breakfast, School run,Chemo and just started Jillaroo
Wanting: My new bed quilt - today !
Looking: Endlessly through Netflix menu
Playing: UNO - with the minions.
Deciding: What to pack for the cruise
Wishing:For calm seas
Enjoying:A lovely weekend with our 7 visitors.
Waiting: For Friday - the epic 25th wedding anniversary Cruise departs
Liking: Daylight Savings is coming this Sunday.
Wondering: How i will go with a digital detox on the Cruise.
Loving: my Dyson Vacuum cleaner - as much as the kids.
Pondering: If I can still go Dragon boat paddling with friends here on Sunday
Considering: Something different for my hair.
Buying:New face washers !
Watching: what I eat cleanly this week because I'm go for broke on the cruise.
Hoping: Our former Sydney house is SOLD - cooling off is over so technically SOLD
Marvelling: My mother is just the best in the world - coming to mind my boys while we cruise
Cringing: At the scales
Needing: An Energy boost
Questioning: Why bad things happen to Good people
Smelling: Hay
Wearing: Hats - being sun smart everyday now.
Following: No-one, I march to the beat of my own drum
Noticing: My nuts are almost gone.
Knowing: Some days are diamonds, some days are stone.
Thinking: That Purple is an awesome colour
Admiring: The resilience of friends going through terrible times
Sorting: The kids bedroom clean up is complete - Hallelulah
Bookmarking: Recipes - I will never make
Coveting: A new rose garden
Getting: Ready for a busy month ahead.
Disliking: Pain in my knees
Opening: The results of my MRI as soon as I can my hands on them
Giggling: OddBall the movie was hilarious
Feeling: Tired , didn't get much restful sleepover the weekend
Snacking: Vanilla Maple Pecans
Helping: Spread awareness about Breast Cancer - Be Breast Aware and feel your boobs right now...unless you are on the train or bus or shopping :)
Hearing:Country music CMC is Hubby's favourite and next week it's all about the music.


Friday 2 October 2015

Diary of a Dyson kid

We had a special delivery here a few weeks ago. The timing was perfect. I was recovering from my hysterectomy surgery and milking the no housework thing to the max.

My minions inherited their love of vacuuming from their dad. The first thing that attracted me after his candylicious bod was that he did the vaccuming for his MUM every week.

Without fail.
I fell for the " Oh sorry I'll be late for our date I'm still doing the vacuuming for mum "
He probably was.

It felt like Christmas when I was invited to attend the Dyson event at the Sydney Good Food and Wine Show. While decorating cupcakes and being invited to make a big mess - we had the opportunity to make a see how the clean up can be a breeze with a Dyson V6 Absolute Handstick vacuum. Best you pop over there and read the technical stuff.





So this arrives -

Dyson V6 Absolute 'Cordless' Vacuum -  a new toy for the boys though I secretly take it for a quick zip when no-one is watching.


like Lego it goes together easily. A nine year old did it.

 This was sped up but you get the gist.

Then the vacuuming wars began. I supervised closely so the wand didn't turn into a light sabre or weapon of mass destruction to beat the bro'.

I was 'floored' at the amount of red dirt and dust (the downside of a tree-change) - a fair bit of red dust gets traipsed inside every hour day , the dust it sucked up in the boys' room that had not long been vacuumed by Hubby with our other vac was astounding. Let's talk about the lego that was saved too - and how clean the car is now.

This was only a small handful of what we recovered over a few vacs.

 It’s probably the last vacuum I’ll probably ever buy ...though to be clear this was gifted. Hubby loved the Absolute V6 so much he bought Motorhead for his business. He loves that Dyson cleans from floor to ceiling and everywhere in between - cobwebs are history.

The V6 Absolute is rightfully at the top end of the V6 range as a “premium vacuum”. It covers the bases of the entire Dyson family - V6 Handstick; the V6 Animal (specialist for pet hair as well as hard/soft floors) ; the V6 Motorhead Handstick designed just for carpets , V6 Fluffy Handstick for hard floors.

Each model looks slightly different, comes with slightly different batteries and attachments but the wands/heads are interchangeable on our two.

Vacuuming is not meant to take all day - in less than 20 minutes this awesome vacuum’s super power zips through the dust , detritus and crumbs. Super 6 mins on max power on a single charge sucks up the cat hair on my outdoor lounge. the dust from around the fireplace was a big winter problem.



Between charges you can relax knowing you have time up your sleeve to relax instead of still lugging the plug in vacuum from room to room and searching for a free power point.

Maintenance instructions suggest rinsing of the filters, once per month or so and my friend tells me they send you a message to remind you.

It's comforting knowing that the dust and allergens aren’t being exhausted into the air largely to the HEPA filter attached to the back of the unit.

The GOOD - 

Every head you could possibly want .
V6 Absolute comes with
  • a soft-roller cleaner head for hard floors,
  • a direct-drive cleaner head for soft floors,
  • a mini-motorised tool for pet hair , car mats and seats, furniture, stairs - the anywhere, suck up anything vacuum.
  • a mini-soft dusting brush for compact tasks like keyboards and other such delicates. 
  • extension pole attached for floor use and detached for compact hand held suck ups.
  • 2 Tier Radial™ Cyclone Technology: Flings dust out of the air and into the bin, separating out even the most microscopic particles.
  • 2 year parts and labor warranty.
Lightweight at 2.31kg but with MAXIMUM power.
Should unexpected friends pop in you have just enough time to do a quick zip around the kitchen and entry.

Though we rarely change the heads - Dyson comes with a docking station/wall bracket too for storage of all the accessories - we haven't decided when to put ours yet.

The Ummm
  • You have to work quickly because apparently it takes 3.5 hours to fully recharge from empty (according to Dyson) .
  • So if you have a bigger house to clean, you’re going to do something else in between charges.
  • I think it is worth the price tag yet it's something a lot of average families might not see the value in investing in - unless they read a stunning review and are convinced.
  • The sizeable bagless bin needs emptying often , duh' that means it's doing it's job - especially with my dirt magnets and their boots off rule interpretation - "That's for muddy boots Mum! " and hubby "I'm just in for a minute" Why can't they just follow the rules.
  • ONLY 2 year parts and labor warranty.

  • Available from Dyson.com.au and select retailers.
  • Range: Dyson V6 RRP: $499, V6 Animal RRP: 699, V6 Fluffy RRP: $799, V6 Motorhead RRP:$799, V6 Absolute RRP:$899.

Now the kids are all revv'ed up by the intensely powerful Dyson's V6 motor. I'm still sitting back watching them vacuum and waiting for the V8's.