A beautiful passing
My mother's passing has taught me much about life, love and family.
How much should parents ‘help’ kids with assignments?
How much help is too much? What do you think about kids and schoolwork?
Introducing Ian Fixit – Australia’s DIY answer to Tim the Toolman
Ready to Do It Yourself? Check in with Ian first for a few shortcuts. You can spot his 'handywork' a mile away.
Diversity means I can wish you tidings of comfort and joy
Political correctness undermines our ability to celebrate the diversity of our community. I wish you a Merry Christmas (and so does my sis-in-law!).
A special pre-Christmas afternoon tea
During the silly season it's easy to be too exhausted to enjoy the company of family and friends. My mum's idea of an early afternoon tea allowed us to slow down for a while.
Memories without media are about how you feel, not what you see
There are benefits to not having media with you sometimes. Recording feelings with your heart is different to a visual lens.
Before and now with pictures: The journey to fit and fantastic
Nutrisystem held my hand. Today I am grateful for that opportunity and here are pictures to prove it!
A beautiful passing
mediamum // Feb 28th, 2012
As you know, my mum has been hard hit by cancer and its treatments over the last three years. My family and I currently grieve her loss, as she passed away on Friday 10 February, and we celebrated her life on Friday 17th with a beautiful Thanksgiving Service which mum herself designed. There will no doubt be numerous...
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How much should parents ‘help’ kids with assignments?
mediamum // Feb 17th, 2012
We’ve just finished dealing with the school Science Fair assignment. The directions were handed out just prior to Winter break, coinciding beautifully with the end of semester for me, and my extended stay in Sydney for family reasons. I got back the day after school started to a child with the project begun...
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Introducing Ian Fixit – Australia’s DIY answer to Tim the Toolman
mediamum // Feb 15th, 2012
Some people just have a knack at DIY. Some don’t. And some think they’ll give it a bash even though they’ve never actually successfully accomplished any DIY project before. That’s where our new Mediamum contributor, Ian Fixit, comes in. Ian is the Aussie King of DYI (do yourself in) –...
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Diversity means I can wish you tidings of comfort and joy
mediamum // Dec 24th, 2011
The Daily Telegraph’s poll yesterday announced that over 70% of people will not attend any religious service this Christmas. I am surprised by this. In years gone by, even the most non-believing people would line the aisles in churches at Christmas – it was what you did, as much a part of the traditions...
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A special pre-Christmas afternoon tea
mediamum // Dec 23rd, 2011
The week or two leading up to Christmas in Australia is usually harried and hot. All the shopping, wrapping, preparing can leave us all feeling somewhat exhausted on Christmas Day. My mum decided to have a nice, informal afternoon tea this week, with just a few close family members, to take five and enjoy each other’s...
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Memories without media are about how you feel, not what you see
mediamum // Dec 12th, 2011
Our lives have become mediated to an extent never before encountered. A concert? A kids’ play? A birthday party? Everyone’s got some sort of technology recording every moment. So much so, they’re only ever living the moment through a lens – from the moment it’s recorded to every revisiting of it, the same...
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Before and now with pictures: The journey to fit and fantastic
mediamum // Nov 30th, 2011
I have been thinking it must be time to share some pictures, so you who don’t get to see me offline really can see the results those who see me all the time can see. I am about to celebrate a weight loss of 30 pounds. I am already celebrating my daily walk/jog/hike with my dog in the trails of South Boulder....
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When do you unstrap the girls? Boobs and freedom
mediamum // Nov 27th, 2011
Many women I know can’t wait to get home from work and take off their bra. The over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder can be one of the most restrictive pieces of clothing a woman has to endure. The larger your cup, the worse it seems to be. To feel good about yourself at a certain age, you need scaffolding not unlike...
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Well played QANTAS, but you still suck. #QANTASluxury twitter un/fail.
mediamum // Nov 21st, 2011
Tonight QANTAS decided it was time to turn things around. The world’s leading safety airline (we’ve never crashed, mum!) is moving onward to try and get Aussies back on board, trusting the airline to be as true blue as ever. The company decided to launch a little twitter comp, with the requirement being...
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A healthy Thanksgiving with a new tradition and 10 tips to stay on track
mediamum // Nov 18th, 2011
We don’t have Thanksgiving in Australia (of course, but it still surprises many Americans ). In order to explain to the Aussies, Thanksgiving is about eating and football. That’s all you need to know. The eating is massive. For someone like me, therefore, Thanksgiving is a dangerous time, where I’m...
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I didn’t get eaten by a mountain lion on the trail because it was at my kid’s school instead
mediamum // Nov 18th, 2011
The first time I got an email from Charlie’s school telling me that there had been a mountain lion sighting, and the kids were being made to go home in pairs or have a parent collect them, I thought it was a joke.
But I was assured it wasn’t, so I had a heart attack, and made sure I went to school to pick...
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Trying to lose the heaviest 3.2 pounds in history
mediamum // Nov 16th, 2011
My Nutrisystem journey has been incredible. I have said to numerous people it has changed my life. That’s absolutely true.
I’ve dieted before, been on that roller coaster of going from small sizes into large sizes. Seeing my collarbones appear (and then disappear again a few months later). But I’ve...
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Jogging for women: AKA how to give yourself two black eyes
mediamum // Nov 5th, 2011
As you know, I’m embracing the outdoors and loving being about the fittest I’ve ever been in my whole entire lengthy life! I have been hiking over 30 miles a week, and I truly love it. There is absolutely no “should” in my mental processes as I wake up. I really look forward to getting on the...
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Nintendo Wii Play Motion – Games beyond machine guns
mediamum // Oct 22nd, 2011
I’m a Wii fan. Just putting that out there. While my years as a game magazine editor in Australia have long passed, Nintendo has always been a reliable, solid company with technology that truly is family friendly.
Having three boys in the house, aged 11 to 17, usually means the video games are focused around...
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Ritual, connection, love and earth
mediamum // Oct 20th, 2011
My mum and I are very, very close. Spending nearly two months in Australia this year was perfection. We got to hang out, connect and be a family without thinking of all the things that need to be crammed in if you have the pressure of a limited number of holiday days.
My mum is also being treated for cancer. She is...
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Living in a small town means knowing how to work the liquor stores
mediamum // Oct 11th, 2011
So with Halloween upon us (well, it’s October), it became apparent that yet again the dry weather in Boulder had evaporated some of the wine in the fridge. Ahem.
But I’ve been concerned about replenishing my bottle of white. I always go to the same store, and the people in there recognise me. I was kind...
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I’m better than Gibbs. I only need three rules.
mediamum // Oct 10th, 2011
NCIS is a great show. I adore Leroy Gibbs. But as a leader, he is a little lacking. He has too many rules. I reckon you only need three.
All four of my children will tell you Mummy Rule Number One: Don’t stand on things with wheels. This rule came into being many years ago. Every time one of the kids has hurt...
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How a game rated E for Everyone landed my child in front of the school psychologist
mediamum // Oct 9th, 2011
The youngest of my children has a stinging wit, a little (lot) beyond his years. He loves media content, and when combined with his photographic memory, can be confronting to those who don’t know him.
Examples:
Charlie only needed to hear the Beatles sing Maxwell’s Silver Hammer a couple of times before...
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