Birthdays and Bloggers Brunch

Another Friday, another busy week over (gawd that went fast!), another glass of wine. And another FYBF with Grace!

I've got so many things I need to blog about and yes, I made a list in my notebook.  I'm in the middle of two reviews which I need to talk about and so many lovely things I've come across lately that I'd like to show you.

On the family front, my little Nugget entered the double digits last week and we had a little party at the local bowling/lasertag venue along with 6 of his friends and his big sister (she was surprisingly tolerant).  Seeing I had spent the day at the Kids Business Blogging Brunch and was more in the mood for putting my feet up and sipping a nice white, the event was manageable, besides the fact that a torrential downpour an hour before had flooded the lasertag room where they were supposed to be having two games.  Luckily the few staff there didn't want to disappoint a 10 year old boy so after one game of ten pin, they said they were ready for them to kill each other with laser guns.  Lovely.

While we watched them collect those hundreds of tickets in the games room (I think you can get a rubber ball for 475 tickets), the phone calls from the parents started coming in.  They would not be able to collect them (we had picked everyone up from school) because of the tropical storm which had flooded Parramatta Rd and caused untold pile ups.  So we took them all home.

We finally got home at 7.30pm and I could finally look at all the lovely stuff I got from the Bloggers Brunch.

As this was my first Bloggers Brunch and an opportunity to meet some of the brands that were willing to work with Bloggers, I tried my best to sell myself.  Not sure how I went (no phone ringing, no emails binging yet .... anyone? Anyone? Bueller?), but I quite enjoyed sampling all the products and getting to know the people.

My first stop was at Rust-Oleum where I found out my peeling white kitchen cabinets and drawers could be spruced up without the huge cost and hassle of visiting Ikea (though I do love that place).

I passed by the Spotlight stand even though I'm a VIP member and I can spend ages wandering around that store wishing I was crafty, but the onslaught of the Christmassy red and green frightened me off.

Next was Dyson which I hung around for awhile listening about how wonderful the new cordless vacuum cleaner which could almost inspire me to clean the house!  They also gave us a cute little one for the kids to use which my little niece is going to love for Christmas.

Another very popular stand was for Kambrook (could have been the food on offer) who are an old favourite of mine so I was very glad to take home to my little baker the Cake Pop Maker.  Kambrook gave me some great ideas for more pressies (check out the Little Chefs range).  The ladies there were lovely and very interested in what I was all about too (they even took notes!).

I spent the most time at Brown Sugar because as I was sitting and listening to some inspiring chicks (Toni Powell, 30 Day Gratitude; Rosemary Lee of Stars with Hearts; and Ellen Briggs who was hilarious and talking about her town which I know well, Mullimbimby), I was eyeing off a beautiful maxi (on their home page) that my mate Rachel from The Kids Are All Right ended up buying because it looked so much better on her (along with half a dozen other pieces which also were perfect for her). It's like she was made to wear absolutely anything!).  Kimbalikes picked up some great stuff too which suited her style perfectly.  I did end up buying this which I have already christened at the P&F Social Night this week and felt very spiffy.   I even recruited a new fan for them at work. She has already bought 3 tops from them (you're an online shopping queen, Yaz!). I'll be sure to be buying more pretty stuff from Brown Sugar (and I just love that their name is one of my favourite Stones tracks). Maybe I should have sold myself a bit more there, could have supplied me in a few more pieces?

I even got my eyebrows shaped with the Nad's ladies!  Anyone that knows me would have a laugh at this as they know I'm not big on the girly, beauty procedures.

Which might change in the future.  Because as I get older I realise I need to work harder to even resemble a woman (what's with the jowls and chin-hair appearances?? WTF???).  Of course I do the necessary hedge trimming but I've never waxed in my life (well except for the eyebrows last Friday).  I only got my ears pierced when I turned 40 because I don't like the idea of pain for beauty, but seeing the eyebrow waxing did not hurt one bit I might be tempted to take the wax a bit 'lower'.  I better stop talking now, eh?

Surprisingly, I'm also investigating a product which could be an alternative for me to having anti-wrinkle injections and dermal fillers, which I most probably will never do.  But first I wanted to ask your opinion on them.  The brand also has a new website which has a great before and after page where you can draw the bar across the faces to see the difference (I had lots of fun with this).  Please have a look at it here and let me know what your impressions are, what do you think needs improvement on the site and what you think of these type of procedures yourself.

Liebster Blog Award and 11 Things You Didn't Know About Me ... Maybe

My fellow Kiwi, Kimba Likes, has kindly passed on a Leibster Blog Award which is a lovely way to promote some fellow wee bloggers (that's little ones, not ones with a bladder problem).

Now this award comes with some responsibilities.  One is to supply 11 facts about myself, so here goes:

1.  My second toe is longer than my big toe (this is a delightful genetic character of my family).
2.  I can bend my thumb back to my wrist.  This proves useful for nothing except amusing children.
3.  I can draw - mostly naked people but can whip out a cartoon dog or kiwi in a minute.
4.  I like having my hair brushed. My husband did this on my first date to charm me. It worked. He has done it about twice since.
5.  My right ear was very pointy as a child and my sisters called me pixie ears.  I have covered it with long hair ever since.
6.  My nose is crooked. Not because I broke it, but according to family lore, because as a small child I used to like sleeping face down with my bum in the air.  Apparently this squished my nose permanently. [I reckon one of those siblings dropped me as a baby and broke my nose.]
7.  My palms and soles of my feet are really, really wrinkly, always have been.
8.  I have trouble falling asleep before 12am, but I am now trying to train myself to konk out earlier, up to 11.30pm now!
9.  I find it really hard to get up in the mornings, be it Winter or Summer (see point 8 for possible reason).
10.  I can't swim very well. I do what I call the Frog Stroke with my head above water as I hate the feeling of water up the nose.  I also like to be able to feel the bottom of the pool with my feet and I don't go into the ocean.  This despite the fact I grew up by the beach.
11.  I have had, in the past, the occasional dream that came true. Odd things like news items, e.g. a crocodile that was stolen from an Adelaide zoo and also how a missing girl was found dead in a boot.

Another responsibility is to answer the questions Kim has set for me:

1. How many pairs of shoes do you own?  Not sure but I think it's about 22 but only regularly wear about 3.
2. What’s your favourite perfume?  Beautiful, or a gardenia bush.
3. How many countries have you visited?  Born in NZ (only went back once about 4 yrs ago), Fiji 3 times (got married there), Thailand 2 yrs ago.
4. What was the first car you owned?  Part of a Holden EH station wagon, but the first one that was mine to drive (learnt at 25) was a Suzuki Vitara soft top.
5. What’s your favourite movie?  I love many many many movies but I saw Life of Brian the most times.  Still in love with Mouline Rouge though.
6. What’s your tipple of choice?  Coffee, Tea, Baileys, Vodka tonic and lime or champagne. Don't mind a nice white either ... or a Cosmopolitan ... OK almost anything except soft drinks.
7. Diet Coke or full fat?  Don't drink Coke unless its really really hot weather and there's no vodka.
8. Brazilian, full bush or somewhere in between?  Never a Brazilian, mostly in between.
9. Do you have any pets?  Yes, Sydney the Schnoodle is my third child and Candy the pensioner budgie.
10. How many siblings do you have?  Three older sisters and an older brother.
11. What’s your favourite nail polish colour du jour?  Hardly ever use nail polish but had a stint with pale pale pink for awhile.

Another is to flog great bloggers that have under 200 followers.  Now I may be mistaken (I'm not very good at the statistical/techie side of this caper) but I think these guys have less than 200.  If they don't, I'm very sorry I underestimated you, no offence intended 'cause I'm a fan otherwise I wouldn't have listed you here!  And though it's not the required 11 bloggers, it's only because others that I would like to tag, I know are over 200.

So guys, consider yourself tagged!

Whining at the World
My Big Nutshell
Mummy Issues
Debbish
Rainbow Tatt
Lizosauros
Mum on the Run
Jelly Shane
Retrogoddess

Now it's your turn to answer the following Leibster questions I have chosen for you:

1.   Did you suck your thumb as a child?
2.   Did you achieve the career/job of your childhood dreams?
3.   Did you ever have a dream that came true?
4.   What's your favourite biscuit?
5.   What's your party trick?
6.   Hugh Grant or Hugh Jackman?
7.   Favourite present ever received?
8.   Best present every given?
9.   Best physical feature?
10.  Which age did you enjoy the most?
11.  Favourite song of all time?

Thanks for joining in (if you can) and don't forget to link me in so I can read all your answers.

I've also joined in with Grace for FYOB Friday.