Cool things about living in a small town....

As UN-cool as it feels sometimes, living in a small town has its perks.....


- people in the grocery shop say, "Bless you!" when you sneeze
- men in the shops will run after a lady with a baby in a pram to return a lost frilly lacy sock
- you can leave for school 20 minutes before the first bell and know that your 5 year old can still get a go on the monkey bars before class
- inevitably you can run into someone in the shops who a) you know and b) is free for a chat & a coffee
- you can pick up a sleeping baby, pop him in the car, drop kids at school, drive home and then pop him back into bed for more sleep for another hour or so
- friends live no more than 10 mins away (unless they live way out of town and then a cut lunch is needed ;0)
- I can call my mum at 2:30pm to see if she can pop into to mind two sleeping kids so I can go and pick up Miss 5 and still be early enough to get a car park at school
- a bigger more exciting city is only 1 1/2 hours away
- the hospital, shopping centre, cinemas and good restaurants are only 5 minutes away
- friends and sisters are always around for spontaneous craft nights, coffee nights, lunches, shopping trips and other random get togethers

Cool as a .... Can Opener!

I must be grown up, because I have come to a point in my life where I realise that Tupperware is really cool.  I know, I know, I have always loved Tupperware, in a past life I was even a 'Demonstrator'.  Infact, I would love to be a Demonstrator again, but I love my friends and family too much to put them through the endless parties I would be begging and cajoling them to have. So, I look longingly from afar.

A few months ago, I went to my first Tupperware party in A.G.E.S. It was so much fun! There were lots of lovely people to talk to, I got to snoop through a friend's house (I resisted the urge to rummage through her bathroom cupboards) and we sampled Toblerone dip while doing damage to our credit cards with Bic ball point pens.  A great morning out all around.


At the aforementioned party, I bought a can opener. I had been meaning to buy a Tupperware can opener for years. My mum has one and it is great. But at the whopping price of $30 (I know this is not the correct price, I really don't want Mr Cool to know how much I shelled out for a simple can opener) I couldn't justify it. But, in 2010 I went through four can openers! I tried an $18 Magican one from Woollies (rubbish), a cheap $1 from Ikea (dangerously bad, rusted really quick), a mid-priced junk of a thing from a generic department store (pfft) and one of those old fashioned metal things you keep in your glove box in case you need it on a road trip (Eeek). I could not believe how unfortunate I was with this simple kitchen device.


So.... I did it. I bought the Tupperware can opener. I asked the demonstrator about it, while dodging questions about hosting my own party, and asked if she could assure me that it would last. And not just last for a year or two, I asked if she could guarantee that I would be able to take it to my retirement home. I mean, this thing was more than I spent on my last pair of shoes!  The poor lady didn't know what to say, so she nodded and smiled (I get that a lot).


Therefore the Tupperware Can Opener arrives in the Cool Files. It has a funky design, safe cutting blade, big handle thingy and says it is ergonomic - so it must be good.  If you would like to know more about this amazing kitchen device click here...


Oh, and by the way it has not gone un-noticed that most cans now have ring pulls.....  Don't worry, I just turn those babies upside down and use my fabulously cool can opener anyway!

For there to be cool .... there needs to be UN-cool. Neighbours.

Newton's Third Law of Motion says that, 'For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction'. 


This concept can be found in the coolness realm also.  For there to be cool, there must be uncool.

I think we live next door to the most uncool neighbours on the planet.  They drive me bonkers. They are so totally uncool, it is bloggable. What makes neighbours uncool? Let me give you my list...

1) They don't mow the lawn until they lose their big boof head dogs in the foliage (or a rental inspection is due - whichever comes first)

2) They leave exterior lights on for weeks on end. This is killing our environment and spills light into our cosy house

3) They drive along our footpath to park their bomby cars on their front lawn (this however, does hamper thier grass growth)

4) The 'lady' of the house wears g-strings, precarious bras, stretchy pants and has a wobbly belly, she likes to bend over to pat the dogs (Shudder.....)

5) The 'men' of the house were dealing drugs we thinks. After I called the cops about a domestic dispute and mentioned they were fighting over who owed who how much for the mull, the men left pretty smartly never to be seen again (How many jerry cans is a reasonable number to carry at any one time? These guys had dozens..... Hmmmmm *puzzled look*)

6) The 'lady of the house' doesn't leave the house for days and days on end. There really is no crime here, it is just a bit creepy.  What do you think she does inside all day? Watch Oprah and Dr Phil or is she a Bold & The Beautiful Type? Eat butter straight from the container? Snip things up with scizzors? Train fleas? She doesn't wash often, I know this because when I jump on our trampoline, I can see into their yard at the top of my bounce, and there is never washing on the line. If she just left the house, I could see what kind of state she is in....

7) Once the dodgy dope dealers moved out, we were very relieved, they were seedy lads indeed.  We figured surely she couldn't afford the rent on a dumpy house in a fabulous street with totally cool and groovy neighbours on her own

8) Indeed she couldn't - she excelled herself on the uncoolness spectrum.... She filled the dumpy house in a lovely leafy street with a gaggle of young male uni students. Sigh.

Is folding laundry cool?

I don't often get the chance to watch Oprah anymore. But the other day, I managed to have two small cool people in bed and a smidgen of time to sit and eat my lunch, so I thought I would see what cool things she was up to.

The show was all about Martha Stewart and crafty kinds of things. Now, I am not a big fan of Martha myself. I mean she seems a little.... I dunno.... lacklustre to me. She makes everything look so easy, but I get the impression she has an army of crafty assistants who buzz around getting things ready and she just hot glues the bits together at the end and grabs the glory. And she has been to prison, not cool.

But - she showed how to fold a fitted sheet. Oh my goodness, THAT was cool! I mean, my linen cupboard is not too bad; I keep all my sheets folded and kept in their pillow cases so as to keep things organised and I have all my face washers stacked neatly. But I have to admit that folding fitted sheets is a pain. I used to adopt the method I shall call the, 'Scrunch Arrange and Roll' method. It got the job done. But Martha's method means you can fold down the sheet to be the same length and width of a folded pillow case. Very cool!

Take a look at Martha's Link Here...



I know that to some people,  keeping an organised and clean home is not cool. But... I have realised just recently that being organised and tidy actually gives me more freedom. I am free to invite people over at the drop of a hat. I am free to go out more and not feel I have to stay at home to clean. I try to not let things get so untidy that it takes a huge amount of time to get on top of again.

I saw a quote a long time ago (that a dear friend has since used against me) that said, 'A well dusted house is the sign of a wasted life.' Sigh... It is all about balance I guess.  But, my motto for the year is 'Peeps first.' I am due to dust again next Thursday - anyone for coffee?

B

Product Review: Havaianas

Havaianas flip-flops have been around for years and years and were launched in Australia 10 years ago. For those of you who have never bought a pair because you didn't know how to say their name, the word is pronounced,  'ah-vai-YAH-nas'. They are made in Brazil at a rate of 5 pairs per second and are taking Australia by storm. This company has made the flip-flop a socially acceptable fashion item. They have a very cool website that can be found here....

I bought a pair of green Havaianas flip-flops while shopping with a friend in Mooloolabah a few years ago. I bought them because they were $10. I really wanted black or red ones, but they only had green or purple, so I bought the green. That is the only reason I bought them.

But, as soon as I started wearing them, I realised how good they were! They were not hard and 'rubbery' they didn't give me blisters and they are soooo soft and cushiony. I really love them! In the past, there is NO WAY I would have paid more than $15 for a pair of flip-flops, but now, I will only buy Havaianas as they are just so cute, comfy and economical.

I am so hard on shoes, I have the dodgiest feet and really should get to a podiatrist as I think I should have been given orthotics at birth. My shoes always wear out really quickly and I am lucky to get more than a season from a pair. But, my trusty green Havaianas have been going on for their 3rd summer and are only just starting to show some wear and tear. Unfortunately, it is the rough hard cracked skin on my feet that is wrecking my trusty flip-flops, not the hard cracked ground I walk on! Not cool.

Oh, and I know I am not being truly Australian by calling them 'Flip-Flops', but I hate the word 'Thongs'. We used to live in London and learned really quickly that putting the words 'Black, Rubber and Thong' in the same sentence could induce awkward, spluttery, tea spitting, chair-falling-off laughter.

I did a bit of checking around trying to find the dark side of these flip-flops,  I googled a few forums and do you know what? The worst thing I could find about them was their price, but peeps said that they were worth every penny. The company even supports animal rights! 

A few weeks ago, Mr Cool came home from a shopping trip with a new pair of rosey pink Havaianas for me... What a sweet heart.

Tips on Being a Cool Person

I stumbled upon this a while ago and really, it says all I could possibly want to....  


Tips on Being Cool
- Do not care about what people think of you. Most of us are always concerned about what other people think of us. Remember that it’s not possible to please everyone. So, it is better if you live your life the way you like, rather than bothering about the world.


- Though you should be immune to other people’s opinion about you, you should keep a check on how they perceive you. This might sound contradictory, but carries significance. Being cool is all about learning how to perceive yourself better. With regard to physical appearance, beware of bad breath, body odor, etc. In terms of body language, stand/sit up straight, look and feel confident, smile generously, do not stare, etc.


- Present yourself in the most comfortable and confident way. While interacting with people, make sure to maintain a good posture and look them in the eye. For acquiring the respect of others, you need to look and feel positive.


- Find real friends and stay in their company. Real friends respect you for what you are and cherish the time spent with you, making you feel positive and happy.


- Don't shy away from being different, whether it means standing up for yourself, defending someone else or taking interest in something that no one else dares to do. People who break against the tide and question the status quo are quite often regarded as the coolest.


- Speak your mind. Cool people usually speak confidently and clearly, that too with a good pace. However, this does not mean chattering uselessly. Make sure you say what you mean and vice versa. Be confident about what you speak and don't bother if people disagree with your opinion. - At times, it is good to be respected for what you believe in.


- Cultivate the habit of laughing at yourself. Remember being cool essentially states finding humor in moments of clumsiness and discomfort. You will not only gain respect for it, but people will like you for being so earthly.


- Another thing to be remembered is that for being cool, one should create his own identity. Find your talent in terms of sports, music, art and the like and pursue it with excellence. --- - Being known for your passion is certainly deemed cool.


- Being cool is all about staying relaxed and comfortable in any and every situation. If at times you do feel vulnerable, and end up losing your temper, bursting into tears or losing control, take a deep breath and mellow down. Don't be disruptive and annoying or have unpredictable mood changes. Your serenity and steadfastness shows your coolness.


- Be friendly and social, but not excessively eager and clingy. It’s good to be outgoing, but do not be overly excited. Do not force yourself on people. Smile and be genuine.


Taken from - iloveindia.com

New Year's Goals

I love, love, love writing lists. Shopping lists, jobs lists, lists of phone calls to make, bills to pay, things to organise, lists lists lists are my favourite! Infact, as I sit here, I am writing a list of things to write about for the blog. Long lists of ideas... Love it.

I remembered that I have written my favourite kind of list a few weeks ago. My New Year's Goal list. This is my list of things to ensure I am moving forward. I like to know I have pursued something new and something interesting throughout the year. I hate the word 'resolution' it is too.... resolute. Rather, I like the word 'goal', it gives the picture of aiming for something.

Here are my 2011 Goals (insert daaa-daaaaa music here)

MR COOL

1) More dates

2) Weekly "Meetings" to discuss ... stuff!

KIDS

1) Swimming lessons

2) Piano lessons

3) More friends over to play

SOUL

1) Keep a prayer journal

2) Read 10 books of the bible

3) More reflection time with Mr Cool

4) Learn to play piano
5) Read min 15 novels

BODY

1) Get to my WW goal weight by my birthday

2) Run 10km at the Gold Coast Marathon weekend

FRIENDS

1) Don't lose touch with Mrs Style & Grace and Mrs Writes & Amazes

2) Fortnightly girlie time with my peeps

3) More time with my sisters

WRITING

1) Write a blog post once a week for all the blogs I write for....

2) Get more things published around the place

HOUSE

1) Keep an indoor plant alive

2) Paint and mould-treat the inside of all wardrobes

3) Plant a vegetable garden

4) Get gardens established

FINANCE

1) Track finances better (at all would be a start!)

2) Save up for a family holiday

3) Be better at filing and organisation

CRAFT

1) Get scrapping girlie - I am now years behind!

2) Sew more clothes 

3) Learn to put in a zipper

4) Learn more crochet stitches

COOKING

1) Make Tarte Tartin

2) Make Creme Brulee

3) More cooking with the girls

4) Blog photos once a week

I know this seems like a lot. But it helps me to stay balanced and to remember the important things in my life. I am excited about this year and look forward to working at being content. Because that is cool.