I have had an interesting time lately and our baby is about to turn 1 and celebrate his first Christmas. So, of course we have been searching for gifts and toys to spoil him with, but compared to other people we know its going to be relatively low key.
He is too young to really know what is going on, and will enjoy the wrapping paper more than the presents. Yet my wife feels guilty for only buying a few larger items and filling a stocking for him when everyone else is loading the lounge-room with toys. I am wondering if Christmas has become too competitive between parents and are we setting ourselves up for more expensive gifts every year? Or am I just Mr Scrooge?
Another interesting thing which I have noticed, is while I am buying my son cars and trucks, little girls everywhere are getting kettles, irons and vacuum cleaners…we even saw a mini dustpan and broom. I’m in two minds about this, on one hand if I had a daughter I would hate her (and my son) to think it is the woman’s job to do all the housework. Yet on the other hand, my wife informs me that girls “just love that kind of stuff”. Maybe they want to be like their mum, (or dad) and it is completely innocent.
Being a parent is challenging every day, there are so many decisions to make and which toys to allow them to have is only one of them. Do you ban licensed products or do you allow your child to get caught up in the fad and fit in with their friends.
C’mon guys let’s face it, when it comes to doing chores, we’re more concerned with washing the car than doing the laundry. And when it comes to ironing our business shirts, just the thought makes our faces wrinkle up just like our clothes. That’s where Cuddly Ultra Fabric Conditioner steps in as your secret weapon in the laundry, even your mum will be impressed!
Cuddly Ultra Fabric Conditioner’s protective ingredients smooth and condition fibres, helping to reduce creasing and to make ironing easier.
For Aussie blokes out there who are yet to comprehend the benefits of Cuddly Ultra Fabric Conditioner, let me put it to you like this; we all know that if you want to protect your car, it’s not good enough to hose it down with just car wash and water. In order to keep your car in top condition, you will need to wash, dry and wax. Clothes, like cars, also need protecting and conditioning on top of using detergent, to help your clothes look and feel new for longer.
Not only will Cuddly Ultra protect and increase the life of your clothes, it will also make them smell awesome and feel soft and smooth – the girls will be cuddling up to you in no time!
So if you want to spend less time ironing and more time watching the footy, washing your car or impressing the ladies, just add half a cap full of Cuddly Ultra to your washing machine’s fabric softener dispensing unit. Priced at just $5.48 RRP* Cuddly Ultra Fabric Softener (500mL) is available at your nearest supermarket store now.
To celebrate Father’s Day, Molton Brown is giving you the chance to win $1,000 worth of men’s products, including grooming, body and hair products*.
Between 15th August and 6th September, visit your closest Molton Brown counter at David Jones and simply fill in an entry form and tell us in 25 words or less what your favorite Molton Brown grooming product is and why.
The winner will receive a hamper containing $1,000 worth of Molton Brown men’s products.
Our collection of men’s grooming, body and hair products features luxurious textures, powerful plant ingredients and exhilarating scents to give you an indulging sensory experience.
Available at Elizabeth Street, Bondi Junction, Chatswood Chase, Bourke Street Mall, Chadstone, Doncaster, QueensPlaza, Robina Town Centre, Rundle Mall and Hay Street Mall.
*Terms and conditions apply. Please see entry form for full details
My wife has been watching HomeMade religiously every week since it began, and to be honest I will be glad when the final is over on Tuesday night. For the last few weeks I have been hearing of her plans to create feature walls, eco fires and the fact “our kitchen just isn’t big enough anymore.”
These days, a house just isn’t a house, it is a reflection of your personality (or so I have been told) and when we went to visit a friend it was obvious his wife had been watching the show too as their lounge had transformed into some kind of stripey paradise.
Personally, I am happy to have white walls and a few big posters of cars for decoration, but if you admit something like that to a lady “you are such a teenager”. Most of the time, my wife likes to dream and her plans get forgotten, but if she does happen to add hot pink polka dots to our kitchen then I am happy for her to do it…I will just tell my mates to meet me in the shed.
Watched Gran Torino last night, starring Clint Eastwood. I had no idea what it was about beforehand (I vaguely knew it had something to do with an old car), but it turned out to be one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. A mixture of comedy, action and tragedy – you can read about the plot at IMDB.
An outstanding performance from a very grumpy Clint Eastwood and the rest of the cast, with plenty of twists.
If you are looking for something for Mum, make sure you visit our Shopping Guide. We have created a category especially for Mother’s Day gifts, and have started early so you can be organised! Click hereto visit our Mother’s Day Shopping Guide.
We also have compiled our top 5 casual games for March, with free trial downloads of course (100% safe). You can take a look here: Casual Game Picks.
There is an easy recipe idea, Nacho Turkey Bake which is a good one for the blokes!
The perfect dish for watching the footy now that it is back on!
The opportunity to open for arguably the world’s biggest band right now was intensely sought after, and Sydney outfit Decoder Ring couldn’t be more thrilled to have been hand selected by Coldplay for the job. They will take the stage in front of over 150,000 eager fans when they perform in eleven arena shows across Australia, on Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ tour later this month.
Their first performance takes place in less than thirty days in Perth on Friday 27th February, the first of two shows at the Burswood Dome. They will then go on to astound audiences in Melbourne over three nights, Brisbane over two, and finish up in Sydney with four massive shows at Acer Arena.
Decoder Ring play music that has been described as cinematic, emotive and sublime, and with a almost indescribable sound compared to the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, Pink Floyd and Sigur Ros. They are a multi award winning six piece possibly best known for creating soundtracks to complement independent and short films. The 2004 release of their record “Somersault,” a spectacular soundtrack for the Australian film of the same name, won 5 awards out of the 7 nominations it received, including a coveted AFI award and the award for best music at The Jackson Hole Film festival USA.
More recently, Decoder Ring have finished recording their fourth album, in the United States with producer Scott Colburn (The Animal Collective, Arcade Fire) all the while continuing to collaborate with drama, documentary, and live productions.
Decoder Ring combine rich organic sounds and psychedelic electronic arrangements in an audiovisual journey that is as expansive as it is moving, and will no doubt set the stage for Coldplay’s own audiovisual concert spectacular.
Australians, the countdown has begun. Coldplay will be on our shores in less than four weeks, with strictly limited tickets available across the eleven arena shows. Don’t miss your chance to witness the astounding performances from support act Decoder Ring and the main event, Coldplay, on their biggest ever tour of Australia.
Times are tough financially for people around the world, and even in Australia the shops seem to be much emptier than usual. Maybe it’s just me, but customer service is the best it has ever been and haggling to lower the price is much easier than ever before. I suppose it is a case of a small profit is better than none.
I find it really confronting to enter a large retail outlet that is virtually empty and even feel guilty if I don’t make a purchase out of sympathy rather than want.
If you do have money to make a purchase, now is a great time to shop even with the weak Aussie dollar and I would love to hear your feedback on the subject. For big purchases the price is never “the real price”.
Anyone out there scored a bargain lately or had to make sacrifices in your day to day living?
Just in time for Christmas, The Dark Knight has been released in Australia to DVD. A great gift for any guy, and an absolute blockbuster which smashed the box office when it was in cinemas earlier this year.
Heath Ledger was truly amazing in his role as the evil mastermind – the Joker (why so serious?) and even though he has passed, he will be remembered for this role forever.
Christian Bale plays the slightly damaged Batman, and Katie Holmes was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal, but the transition was seemless and Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine are also back for more.
I recently purchased the NEWEST model of the Kayanos for a big summer of running. A couple of runs in and I’m loving them, previously my old Asics Gel 1120 didn’t seem to have the support I needed for my over pronating feet. I’ve owned a 12 model of the Kayanos before and swore by them, however when going to purchase new shoes I didn’t have the funds at the time for a new pair.
The Ascis Gel Kayanos have a great track record and were voted Internationals Editors choice 2008 for their 14 model.
The variances in models have some consumers preferring previous versions but we’ll have to wait a little while before people try out Asics Kayano 15’s.
The notable difference between the models 14 and 15 is they’ve re-tooled the heel structure and modified upper geometry to improve a better comfort and fit, the heel and forefoot contain GEL cushioning, and the upper has been re-worked to ensure that the heel remains secure and the instep is stabilised through the new asymmetrical lacing system.
RRP 259.95 AUD
However I purchased mine from Olympus Sports and it arrived the following day via express post. “Note free postage in Australia” www.olympussports.com.au for $234.00 AUD
