This ad for VW's new Passat is simply brilliant - naturally I had to share. Enjoy! http://youtu.be/R55e-uHQna0

Brain drain

Sorry for my lack of presence this year - between working, chasing two kids, keeping four blogs, Facebook, Twitter and the rest, my brain has run out of juice for the time being. But I will be back!

First website creation

I created a website (my first) recently for a very talented Australian artist - Elizabeth Young ....... who I like to call my mum.

The opening of her first solo exhibition at the Light Horse Gallery last Saturday in Robertson (Southern Highlands) warranted a website to support her wonderful creations. 44 paintings on exhibition (as well as many more she has done over the years) = time to show them off to the world.

Check out her amazing talents ...... that obviously skipped a generation: www.elizabethyoung.com.au

Porsche Panamera - what do you think?

I've seen two 4 door Porsche's in past week (Panamera). Very stylish, but seems to take some of the coolness out of a Porsche.

What do you think?

Of course, if I was given one I wouldn't turn one down. Can you just see two baby seats in the back!

http://bit.ly/Pxsez

Dreaming of sun, sand and sipping cocktails

Vanuatu here we come!

After a crazily busy time for my husband and I, we finally booked a much needed holiday to Vanuatu in January and we can't wait. Time to catch up on some reading and getting some rest.

Considering consulting or freelancing?

It has been a very long time in between posts - sorry!

The last few months have been incredibly busy with my business stepping up a notch. It has been a challenging juggle attempting to fit around the kids, who are only in daycare two days a week. It has meant many late nights of working once the kids go to sleep and a few boring weekends, but these are the things you have to do if you want to run a business and have a good balance with kids.

While I am not actively looking for work, the work seems to be finding me at the moment. I guess a nice position to be in, but it is often hard to say no too.

But I have been lucky that I know so many wonderful professionals that I have been able to refer a lot of the work to that I can't take on.

For anyone considering marcoms or PR consulting or freelancing, there is an abundance of work out there and doesn't seem to be letting up.

It just shows how valuable your network of contacts are!

Another low life .............

This just infuriates me - a mother ........ actually she doesn't deserve the title of mother ......... a low life tried to sell her baby so she could buy a car. Well I guess at least the baby would hopefully find a better life, but very sad all the same! Only in the US.........

Back-seat Parenting

I had to share this funny, but very true article on back-seat parenting written by Mia Freedman in Sunday Life Magazine. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/backseat-parenting-20100705-zw5q.html

In Mia's words: "The best parents are the ones who don't have children. I was a perfect parent once. I knew exactly how kids and parents should behave and I shared my grand philosophies with anyone who was interested and many who were not .............. then I had babies and it all went to hell."

Nothing can quite prepare you for parenthood. We all have these grand ideals about what it will be like when we have kids and how kids are supposed to be. 

Throw out the text books I say! Every kids is different. I don't know many parents who have experienced parenthood the way they thought it was going to be before they had kids.

Some babies will quite happily sleep through 16 people singing happy birthday at the top of their lungs and in the noisiest Mexican restaurant in town (Master 3 was one of those!). Whereas others will make a huge fuss any time you want to sit down and have a bite to eat in a cafe or restaurant (Little Miss 1 is one of those). 

I was blessed with a first baby who slept well, we could take to restaurants, on holidays, etc and still feel relaxed. Then number two came along and it was the biggest shock to our systems - she was the complete opposite. She woke every 2-3 hours until she was 10 months old and she knows exactly what she wants and when she wants it.  

As Mia so wittingly discusses, as a parent you find yourselves doing things you always said you wouldn't like using the TV as a babysitter, using food as bribery, etc. Sometimes you have to do what you can to survive!

Having said all of this, parenthood is the best thing ever! I have two beautiful children who I love and adore. They make me laugh and there is nothing better than a cuddle from your children or hearing the words "I love you mummy." 

There will always be fantastic days, but there are also very difficult days where you just want to run away. We are only human! 

We have all looked at parents and made judgements. All I can say is unless you have experienced what it is like to have the ups and downs of parenthood, please try not to judge us! We try our best to do the best we can - well most of us anyway. But often it is not what the textbook says!

Australia's first female PM!

Interesting times in Australia this week with KRudd ousted out of power as Australia's leader, replaced with Australia's first female PM - Julia Gillard. I think the whole nation has been taken surprise as this wasn't the result of an election, rather a Labor party overthrow - and it came with little warning. One day KRudd was in power, then next Gillard.

Many are excited that a woman is finally running the country. This certainly is history in the making! What remains to be seen though once all the excitement has settled, is whether she is the right person to lead this country and whether she can keep Labor in power once election time comes around ........... which could be as early as August.

Rightly so, Gillard is keen to be elected by the Australian public to make it official - and it will be interesting to see if she does. There are of course many differing opinions across the country - I think that many are still in complete shock and not sure what to make of it all yet.

KRudd gave the most emotional speech of his life in his farewell to the Australian public. Whether you like or dislike him, you would have to have a heart of steel not to feel a little sorry for him. Not the way you want to lose your job!

Bitchy, sly and exciting - another series of Amazing Race is over!

Sad as it is I actually missed watching The Amazing Race this week. The series finale was last week with the gay brothers winning, with a few cunning ....... but smart moves in the final legs. I was secretly hoping the cowboys would win - so close but no cigar!

But the highlight had to be the scornful lesbians who couldn't move on from the fact that they were road blocked by the models. So rather than celebrating a great achievement of the "not so smart" models making third spot on the finishing line, the lesbians let the loose on the Miss South Carolina beauty queen. Boohoo life is not fair - c'mon move on ladies! It is not as if you could have won anyway.

But the real reason for this post is to use this as an excuse to share the beauty queen's ever so famous speech she made as Miss South Carolina a number of years ago, which continues to haunt her and will for the rest of her life.........and for good reason. Just in case you have never ever seen it - it is priceless. So enjoy!