Toddlers To Teens Magazine Issue 5d by Melissa Groom

Issue 5

Toddlers To Teens Parenting Magazine

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contents

July 2012

66 40

Feature Stories 10 Apps your kids and you will love Caring for kids after separation The Power of using mobile apps in your business Sunshine Art Boutique Parties by Poppy Lou

4 76 77

Welcome Directory Video Links

10 20 56

14 16 18

Grandparents View Should you be your grandchilds friend on facebo ok

Transform Your Life Own Your Greatness Worthiness comes from within Health and Fitness Are you feeling Irrateable and Agitated Top 5 Postnatal Exercise tips

Travel Kids Club Holidays

33 36 44

54 60 64 66

Parenting Letting Go of Your Teenager Someone Push the Pause Button How to prevent behaviour problems with siblings when baby arrives What is real confidence and does your teen have it?

Parents in Business How to write a press release What does Micro-Management mean to small business Top 12 ways to engage on facebo ok How to get out of mummy mode today

Finance Your money at every age

Fashion Outerwear

WELCOME TO JULY 2012

Welcome to the Winter issue of Toddlers To Teens Parenting Magazine. In this edition we are very excited to feature some contributors from the United States of America. The beauty of the internet is we connect with people from all around the world to enrich our lives and improve our businesses. imums shares the top 10 apps for kids, and Dana Dunn from Mobile Media Impact shares why your business needs an app and how to make yours a success. They are kindly donating a $200 gift voucher for everyone who orders an app for their business. Lyn Lucas the online divorce lawyer talks about caring for kids after a separation. Our front cover is courtesy of Beverly Cassidy Photography and Jodies Cakes. Our panel of experts on Toddlers To Teens Parent TV have written some great articles to help you with your life and parenting issues. Our parents in business section gives you some great tips and strategies to help you with your small business. This months we showcase some online children’s boutiques set up and run by mums in business so please visit their websites and support them. We also have some great giveaways for you to enter thanks to some of our very generous mums in our community. Thanks to the Greater Building Society and Priceless Exchange DemiPair Agency we are now running kid friendly networking events for mums in business or thinking of starting a business. Mums Chatterbox is currently held on the Gold Coast. We look forward to bringing you more events and getaways to support your mission to be your best self. Please share our magazine with your family and friends. We want your feedback, so email editor Melissa Groom and the team. We are here listening to your needs. Take care of yourself and have a grateful day.

Melx x

Melissa Groom PUBLISHER & EDITOR

Subscribe to www.toddlerstoteens.tv and join 1000’s of parents in our community and have access to videos, interviews, Toddlers To Teens Magazine, events, and discounts on advertising. PLUS receive your free copy of “How to Create Harmony in the Home” written by the Panel Experts of Toddlers To Teens

Mums in Business Magazine Booking deadlines Issue 1 - 1st September - deadline 1st August Contact and Enquiries Phone: 02 6674 4754 Mobile: 0414 948 109 admin@mumsinbusinessaustralia.com.au Join our village Facebook Twitter Publisher & Editor Melissa Groom Contributors Alison Amanda Beverly Cassidy Bobbie Chegwyn Bree Gibbons from Poppy Lou BYO kids Chelsea McLean, Claire McFee, Dana Dunn Davina Sharry, Donna Emerson Hazel Theocharous Kimberly Riggins Kirsty O’Callaghan Lay-Ean Eng Lesley Dewar Lucy Hendriks, Lyn Lucas Marijke Collins Mary & Grace from imums Michelle Wright Sam Beau Patrick Sue Papadoulis Zahrina Robertson 4

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feature

10 apps your kids and you - will love! This years best apps for mums and kids

hen we first got our iPad and tried it out with my son I was concerned about its educational value and the increased screen time from using it. Within the first couple of days I was glad to see that my fears were reduced, as I realized this was just a digital tool and part of my arsenal to help my son learn. I was no stranger to technology myself, as I started using a Mac Plus in elementary school and it was amazingly helpful in my studies.

When looking at apps to download for our iPad I try to look at educational value, value for the money, skills learned as well as opportunity to translate them into real life. One of our first apps on our iPad was Toca Boca’s Paint My Wings. This app allows you to symmetrically color on both sides of the butterfly. One look at the creativity of the app, and soon I was hooked. As a reviewer for The iMums I look at lots of apps, but Toca Boca holds a special folder on our iPad. These digital toys allow me to interact with our son in a variety of situations from Toca Kitchen - cooking in the kitchen to Toca Parenting Birthday party which practices turn taking, simulation of a birthday party and the opportunity to take turns having your own party. I do like the fact that these apps are open ended and allow for dramatic play which can be translated to using the play kitchen or cooking with us, building using Toca Robot or even learning literacy skills through books, letters and numbers. As a parent, one of my least favorite things is IAP or in-app purchases. I really don’t like IAP, advertising or links to social media in apps that my son regularly uses. There are controls that can be set, but I really don’t like even the chance of my son going into the app store. I like other parents am concerned about allowing my son onto the internet through a seemingly “safe” app. The iMums - Amanda, Alison, Mary and Grace - are four mothers from around the globe dedicated to reviewing apps and technology products for children to educate parents about the variety available and to bring them the best of the best. We also offer the latest news in apps for kids, interesting articles and interviews, as well as free apps and regular product and promo code giveaways! Learn more about us on YouTube at: www. youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-lqJ0P_WbQ8. Visit us online at www.theimum.com and www.facebook.com/TheiMum 10

The iMums have compiled a list of some of our favorite family friendly apps to share with you – and really hope that you will enjoy them. Please come by and visit us at w w w.t h e i m u m s . c o m and subscribe to our we ekly newsletter. We hope to “se e” you so on! My Playhome by Shimon Young “My PlayHome brings the dollhouse into the digital age by offering an entire virtual home, complete with an adorable family of five that kids can explore and interact with. Now a universal app which includes a backyard as well , this app features beautiful hand-drawn illustrations and realistic sounds associated with each interaction. My PlayHome also has a simple user interface very easy for little fingers to control.” Cake Doodle by Shoe the Goose “Cake Doodle by Shoe the Goose is a virtual cake decorating shop. From cracking eggs, sifting in flour, pinching in orange juice, to measuring out vanilla this app will have your child learning how to cook using a recipe. Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, blend the batter and put it into the oven to bake. Once the cake comes out of the oven, the real fun begins. After icing the cake in any variety of colors, you can decorate with fancy tips, pre-made toppers and decorations as well

as put your own photos on the cake.” Magikid Stage by Angell Echo “Magikid Stage by Angell Echo is a creative play app that lets you and your child direct, create, record and playback your own magical stories. As a director, your child can choose a scene, design his stage, select his characters and add his choice of music soundtrack yet still able to change any or all of the selection later. Once he has added his own dramatic narration, dialogue and lots of action in his script, he’s ready to make a live recording of his theater production.”

“As a parent, who has many apps, I would recommend the following”

Toca Kitchen by Toca Boca Toca Kitchen, a universal app from Toca Boca, features the opportunity for children feed four characters that range from a boy and a girl, to a cat and a cow. A variety of foods including: vegetables, meat, fish, fruit and even hay are available in the refrigerator to be chosen by the child. A vegetarian option is also available that removes meat from the refrigerator. The food is removed from the refrigerator, placed on plate in front of the character and then the preparation steps begin. These include using a food processor, cutting, boiling, frying or micro waving the food; the child can do one step or many. Characters react both based on the foods they are presented with, as well as the way it is prepared. If the character does not like the food, the player can simply go back to the refrigerator and choose another food and way of preparation. This app allows

6. Choose apps which help your child enhance their skills in a specific area. My son loves reading books on the iPad because they highlight the words and interact with him when he touches the pictures. I also love that he uses his creative skills to tell me stories about what he sees in the pictures.

1. When downloading a new app, be sure to screen it yourself prior to allowing them to use it. As a parent, grandparent, teacher, therapist, you know your child the best 2. Make using the iPad a family occasion, I was surprised how fast my son picked up on the technology and the things he could do. By using apps as a family we have worked on a variety of skills while keeping him engaged and learning 3. Rotate apps on and off the iPad to allow your children to practice different skills 4. Visit app review sites like The iMums, Moms with Apps and the other app review sites for an opportunity to learn about apps via reviews before you buy. 5. Realize that even if an app looks great in concept, it may not be a perfect fit for your child’s learning style. Lite versions of more expensive apps give you a chance to “try” before you buy to ensure a good fit.

7. Categorize your apps into folders to make them easier to find. You can do this either via iTunes or on your iPad. On the iPad simply hold down an icon until it wiggles – then you can stack them together to make folders. Makes apps much easier to locate and categorize. 8. Think of ways that you can use what you have learned on the iPad and translate it to real life. Using the Shoe the Goose app Cookie Doodle, we make pretend cookies and then we also measure out real life ingredients to make cookies to bake at home. 9. Use technology to interact with your family if they live at a distance. I can’t tell you how much joy my son gets from using Skype to show our long distance family what he is doing and making in pre-school. We try to set up time every week for him to talk with them. It’s amusing because he now thinks that people should be able to “see” when he talks to them from our home phone because of his experiences with Skype. 10. Have regular “turn off technology” nights which mean that you spend time together as a family – even though we have an iPad I still read my son a print book every night just to have time together with him.

children to practice dramatic play, categorization of food and cooking and food vocabulary”. Build cars with Edward and Arthur by PlayWithMotion “Build Cars with Edward and Arthur, a universal app by PlayWithMotion, stars an alligator and a tortoise, the alligator builds the cars and the tortoise drives them. You are taken into their workshop where you have a car chassis and a collection of parts which you can put together to build a car. Once you’ve built it you get to drive it around a small curving desert race track, to collect stars. You can also choose to build more traditional vehicles such as a red race-car, a pink convertible or an old fashioned police car.” Build a Train by The Guys in The Booth “The Build A Train app by The Guys In The Booth was designed for the iPhone with another version for the iPad and is aimed at kids in the 2-6 age bracket. The concept of the app is to build a train by selecting an engine and some accompanying cars that you can then drive along a track. My first impression of the app was that it had adorably simple yet high quality graphics and fun bluegrass-style music that had my kids bopping along from the beginning.” Felt board by Software Smoothie “Felt board is an iPad only app from Software Smoothie, a member 12

of Moms With Apps. I always wanted a ”Fuzzy Felt” set as a kid, and this feels just like having a whole toy chest full of felt board play sets without all the little pieces to lose! The app is very easy to use, you just click on a drawer to see what is in it, touch the item to select it and drag it into place – even very young children can use the app easily.” I Luv Drawing Animals by Learn with Fun Apps “I Luv Drawing Animals is a iPad and iPhone app from Learn With Fun Apps (iPhone version is coming soon). It has been featured in What’s Hot in US stores and has been No 1 (education) in 10 stores worldwide including the USA. This app gives you step-by-step directions for drawing 40 animals – including Penguins, Porcupines, Cats, Jellyfish, Giraffes and many more. The basic premise of the app is very like those “how to…” drawing books where you draw a circle for a cats head, add triangles for ears etc., but they have taken this idea and run with it. “ SimpleSort by Kids & Beyond ”SimpleSort by Kids and Beyond is a great way to practice skills for your preschooler such as sorting and counting in a interactive way that will have your child begging for more! Join the Clever Clouds as they help your child to pick out two buckets of objects. The objects are then “spilled” by the Clever Cloud and it is up to your child to help them get back to the right place. Your child needs to drag the

object to the appropriate bucket and clean up the mess. The app features both a timed and un-timed version which you can pick and choose depending on if you want to make it a race, or if you are really playing for fun and learning opportunities. We tried it both ways and once my son understood the concept of the game, we started using the timed version. You can sort as little as two buckets or up to six buckets at one time depending on how advanced your child is in sorting. This app is also available in English and Spanish.” Bug Games by Busy Bee Studio Bug Games by Busy Bee Preschool provides hours of fun with five games and activities featuring phonics, numbers, matching, music and stickers for successfully completing an activity. The game features ant tunnel construction which requires your child to use fine motor skills and matching to rotate tunnel pieces and connect the path to complete the puzzle, spider connect which is a dot-todot exercise requiring children to practice counting skills in order to reveal a surprise picture, phonics where your child builds words by placing letters in the correct order along with cricket music. This app includes skills such as fine motor, patterning, matching and dot-to-dot.

parenting

Letting go

of your

teenager

By Lay-Ean En Go Parents

“I am sharing a personal journey with you. For those parents whose children are ready to leave the “nest”, you will relate to what I have to share”

y children Jon and Eileen are now 20 and 18 respectively. I have always been very close to my children since day one. When Jon started university last year, he was more sociable than normal. He was attending many university functions and gatherings; basically he was not at home most of the time. It was a learning curve for me, especially when I am used to having both my children around in the evenings. I went through a stage of worrying and waiting up for him to be home, and always had my mobile phone next to my bed (which I very seldom do). It took a while but I settled down and got used to not having my son around most of the time; however, I still had my daughter doing her HSC last year, so the year passed very quickly. This year, my daughter started University and suddenly I am not seeing very much of her as well. The term has just started and she was off to as 3 day camp, many days of social gathering at the uni plus a couple of night shifts (casual work) at a retail outlet. For those parents out there who have been fully involved with your children and suddenly faced with them not being around a lot, this is something we have to get used to… And communication between parent and teenager is still important.

Learning to Let Go! I remembered when I was 19, I packed my bags and left my home town in Penang, Malaysia and went off to Australia to further my studies. It was a HUGE thing for my family to

get used to, being more than 8 hours away by plane; it would mean another 10 months before I saw my family again. That was what my parents felt when I left home those 25 years ago. I understand that children will have to grow up someday and eventually leave home, but when the time comes, you will still not be prepared for it. We were there with them, nurturing, involved with their day activities, guiding them in their school work, pushing them to be better than they thought they could be, making sure they ate their vegetables, going over the teenage issues, cleaning up their mess and making them clean their rooms, laughing with them together, snuggling in bed watching a Harry Potter movies marathon… and when the time comes, intellectually you know that they will eventually leave home and pursue their studies and eventually moving out of the family home. But emotionally, it is a hard thing to bear. With my son, I took it as him being a boy - boys are able to look after themselves, however it took me one whole year of learning how to let him go. When it comes to my daughter’s turn, it is another learning curve. I was raised in a fairly closed knit family, therefore, I have inherited some of my values and beliefs through my upbringing and thus I am more protective of her. And I believe all parents should be protective anyway. I know my daughter would say that is sexist, but a girl is a girl; we can never be too careful. But the message is clear, she is ready to explore… so the practicing of “letting go” will have to start again… So the question to most parents: how well are you handling the “letting go issue”? It took me many days of hard thinking, journaling and observing my actions, reactions, conversation and conflict, and finally I realised that I have to accept the inevitable…my baby is asking me to release her as she is ready to explore the world …and I realise that I have to let go of my best friend… I am journaling to find ways to handle the situation and I am learning. Whether you are nearing this phase of your parenting journey or in the midst of facing them, think about the following suggestions.

1. We must believe that we have done whatever we could to provide our children with the tools to enable them to use them. 2. Trust you have instilled your values in them and give them the opportunity to test them. 3. It is a good time to enable them to find out who they are and what sort of person they want to be. 4. I have to accept that there will be a time when she is not going to tell me everything, like we used to talk and share. 5. Be there for them and give them the space; and trust them to make the best decision. To learn to “let go”, as my husband always says, is the best thing you can do for them. “TRUST them wholeheartedly that they will live up to the values we have instilled in them and that they will be the person we brought them up to be.” The next stage of our family life has begun. I will be travelling with my husband in April and May to Malaysia and China and to give my children the space they need to grow and be independent. I wish all the parents who are going through this phase of their journey positive space.

Lay-Ean Eng is the founder

and owner of GoKids and GoParents. Lay-Ean is the parent of two young adult children, and she is very passionate about helping parents create connections with their children at any age. Lay-Ean has spent the past 20 years working and playing with her now grown up children and has used her experiences to create fun activities for children and parents. She has written about how families can do activities together and enjoy the experiences, which connects the parents to the children and opens up communication channels. Parenting has motivated LayEan. She works closely with parents: to help them find clarity in themselves; to balance their lives; and to find the confidence to be the person and parent they set out to be.

w w w. g o p a r e n t s . c o m . a u 15

parenting

Someone Push the

Pause Button

By Kirsty O’Callaghan Unity-Qld

Quite often I hear statements from parents like: “I feel like there is something missing, I am exhausted, I know what I want but it just doesn’t seem to happen or I am always busy and feel like I am getting no-where and being noone.” I believe that when life feels like this you are presented with a choice to improve and through focus and intent can gain more satisfaction in your daily life. There may be things you can change or you may not have to change anything other than the way you think. Take some time out, uninterrupted, to ask yourself the following questions, and jot down on a notepad your answers. During this time of stillness, reflection and honesty with yourself, you may find inspired ideas that have been hidden in the busyness and empty feelings that you are stuck in. These are great questions to consider that could kick start a process that puts you back into the control seat, rather than feeling it is a battle to be won or lost.

1 2 3 4

What do you feel is missing in your life? Is life feeling more challenging than it could be? How?

What negative emotions do you feel regularly, and then what are the underlying cause and/or triggers?

Can you identify this emotion, feeling or belief of yourself, then change it then make a more successful daily plan of action?

5 6 7 8

Is life feeling more challenging than it could be? How?

What strengths and opportunities do you have that you may not be utilising?

Are you focusing on the opinions and actions of others and feeling limited or can you accept what is important to you and

9 10

Are you focusing on the opinions and actions of others and feeling limited or can you accept what is important to you and

What is one thing you can do right now so you can feel more productive

In identifying specifically what you feel is missing, what you aren’t getting and how you are experiencing overwhelm, it is much easier to make a shift to realise there is a real opportunity to succeed and what success, personally and professionally, looks like to you. Everyone needs times dedicated to ‘pausing’, reflection, gratitude and updating your life and family plan. So instead of being on fast forward, rewind or even continuous play; stop, make an honest evaluation of your situation, then dedicate yourself to the improvements you want to make. This is how we become truly satisfied, fulfilled and enormously successful. Kirsty O’Callaghan is the Owner & Principal Coach and Speaker at Unity-Qld. Kirsty specialises in assisting and guiding parents to create a stronger connection with their family and satisfaction in their parenting role, from home to workplace.

www.unity-qld.com.au | 16

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parenting

How to Prevent

Behaviour Problems

with siblings when baby arrives PART ONE

ongratulations! You’re both pregnant! What an exciting time of life! As new parents, or even as established parents, you are about to become very, very busy! New babies can represent one of the happiest times for families, but they can also represent one of the toughest.... If you already have a child, there will be specific things you will need to do to ensure he, or she, is fully prepared for the changes that are about to take place in the home and prevent, as much as is possible, any behavioural issues that could arise as a result of the new arrival.

“How to prevent behaviour problems with siblings when baby arrives’ has two parts. Today we will look at part one in this two part series”

By Davina Sharry B. Teach. Grad. Dip. ECE Founder of Poweful Parenting Australia and author of the highly-effective program, Powerful Parenting – 12 simple steps to behaviour success! www.powerfulparenting.com.au

Behaviour and the new baby

It’s true! The birth of a new baby is a wonderful time of life, but few things can be more disruptive for a child than a new little person arriving and being the centre of everybody’s attention. While you, and your partner, may undoubtedly be excited about the new addition to the family, your child may not share your enthusiasm. Why is that? To help us understand what a child may be feeling, let’s try to see things from the child’s perspective for a moment... Just imagine how you might react if, as an adult, your partner told you he or she while not replacing you, had arranged for a shiny, new partner to come and live in the family home. Imagine if your partner told you he or she will still love you as there is enough love for everyone, but you needed to accept the new partner who was arriving soon. Then imagine everyone fell automatically in love with the new partner after she or he arrived... WOW! Even as an adult, thoughts of being replaced or not being valued enough would quickly present. We can guess that some children would experience similar feelings... Research shows us children with close relationships to mum are more likely to be upset after the baby arrives. The good news is, children with a strong relationship with dad seem to adjust well. Some children accept the new baby without skipping a beat, while others experience fear and jealousy, act out, regress to wanting to be babied themselves, exhibit challenging or even angry behaviours, or become overlyattached to parents while others have no response at all - it’s all normal. There are many things you can do to help your older child or children to adapt, and adapt well. Children need to know what to expect, what will happen, what to think about the new arrival and how to deal with all the changes... They need to learn about their evolving feelings and how to best react to the new baby which will, in turn, inform their emotional development.

Before baby arrives

As you prepare for your baby’s arrival over the coming months, one of the most important jobs you will have is to help your child prepare for the changes about to take place. your child 1. Tell There is no right

time or right way to tell a child about an impending sibling. The key here is to use ageappropriate language and break

down your communication so young children understand... Answer all questions honestly, but at the same time, acknowledge your child’s maturity level. For example, “Where do babies come from?” - Explain about the baby growing inside mummy’s tummy rather than broach the topic of sex. You will also need to communicate very clearly, that you will still love them and that they will always be cared for. Side note: Young children rarely grasp time, especially a long term timeline, so you could make a baby calendar and cross off the days, or weeks, so your child can gain more of a concrete understanding of when the baby will arrive. a connection 2. Create Remind your child that he or she

was a baby once too. Create a connection between your child and the unborn baby. You goal is to build upon this connection over the coming months. Maybe even show your child photos of when he or she was a baby to make the connection more real. The new baby could even send the big brother or sister a gift or card to say ‘hello’ if you think that is appropriate.

Plan for involvement! Plan to involve your child in the process and to be very inclusive. By doing this, you communicate to your child that they are important, and a part of the family unit. Some activities your child could participate in could include helping you choose clothes or toys for the baby, decorating some of the baby’s room, choosing bedding or baby furniture and maybe even helping to pack your hospital bag or have a ‘small’ say in the name! Let your child know they are expected to contribute, and that they are important. big changes 4. Postpone There will soon be a lot of activity

within the home, and things will inevitably become quite busy. Routines will play an important role as they communicate to children that things are stable and safe. Also, in the last few months leading up to the birth, if possible, don’t make any big changes to your child’s life. For example, don’t organise for them to leave their bedroom ready for the baby to move in! That move, if needed, should be done in the very early months prior to the baby’s birth as it can be unsettling and even stressful to a child.

Educate your child about the hospital Hospitals can represent a scary place for a lot of children. Plan a visit to the hospital maternity ward to teach your child about what happens there. Make the trip fun and exciting, and explain not all hospital trips are because someone

is sick. During your pregnancy, be sure to allow your child to come to your ultrasound and doctor appointments, if they are old enough. your child about the baby 6. Educate Time to educate your child about

babies! Now that could include reading a small collection of good reading and picture books that explain ‘pregnancy’ and what will happen when the baby comes home. There are even books that look at jealousy and how the sibling may feel during this process... Let your child voice their feelings and ask you questions. Link in what they were like as a baby. You might like to purchase a real-life baby doll and practice holding the baby and touching the baby, and explain the care needed when nursing and supporting the baby. Depending on your child’s age, you could also investigate classes for older siblings-to-be to help them learn about what will happen and to help them feel prepared. You could visit any friends with babies and have a real life practice! your child for assistance! 7. Ask Children are very egocentrical.

Little girls thrive on being called, and considered, ‘big’ girls. Little boys always want to be thought of as ‘big’ boys. Use this terminology to excite your child about their ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’ position now in the house. Appeal to their need to be all grown-up! Explain some of the activities they will need to help you with as they are the big sister now or big brother. Make it fun and ask for their help. Tell them why they are needed, and explain why you think they can handle the role. Use promotional language such as ‘my assistant’, or the ‘leader in’, or ‘big sister’ of etc. To denote their role, use the language of ‘big’ boy or ‘girl’. If done carefully and in a fun way, children love to be ‘big’ and will aspire to meet the responsibilities of their new role, however small, with pride and a gleam in their eye! the school 8. Tell Naturally the school, kindergarten

or child care centre needs to know about the pending arrival of baby as this can help the teachers understand any mood swings. It also is helpful if the teacher is aware of the changes in the family as children may even discuss how they feel with a much-loved educator or carer. Ok everyone. We hope we have given you some really practical and effective strategies today to help your family. Next issue we will look at what to do after the baby is born in order to prevent behavioural issues, and also what steps to take if behaviour does become a problem.

feature

Caring for kids after

SEPARATION Lyn shares with us strategies on avoiding long term emotional damage to the children involved in divorce.

hen partners decide to separate, it is a traumatic and often devastating time for both partners, and it causes a ripple effect across their families. Often relationships with in-laws become strained, and may never recover. Friendships will suffer too as friends feel uncomfortable and agonise over who they will support without showing any bias, and some friendships will be lost. Children are the innocent parties. Depending on their ages, children often feel guilty, and blame themselves, for the separation. They believe they have been the cause because they have been disobedient or naughty. Huge changes happen for them especially if they lose regular contact with grandparents, aunts and uncle, cousins and friends. The behaviour of parents will often have the greatest negative impact on children that will affect them for most of their lives. If parents demonstrate insight into how their actions affect the children, this may lessen the negative impact. The period before and after separation involves a process of grieving for the loss of a partner, and the loss of the future you planned together. The combination of grief, and the fear of the unknown often causes sadness and depression, a loss of rational thinking, and focus. Family and friends can often help in these circumstances, but counselling with an independent counsellor would be of greater assistance. You need to have a strategy to help you cope with a dramatic change in your life, and especially how to help your children cope.

w w w. o n l i n e d i v o rc e l a w y w e r. c o m . a u

By Lyn Lucas Online Divorce Lawyer

Lyn Lucas is a compassionate and innovative lawyer, and the owner of Online Divorce Lawyer. With over 20 years of experience in family law Lyn empathises with couples going through a separation and a property settlement. Her focus with Online Divorce Lawyer is to encourage separated partners to reach an amicable property settlement and so reduce the pain of the process of a property settlement. With a negotiated fixed fee for this service, couples have certainty as to legal costs. Visit Lynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site and opt in for a complimentary e-book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Guide to Saving Money with a Divorce Property Settlement.â&#x20AC;?

With almost twenty years of experience as a family lawyer behind me, and assisting hundreds of clients to deal with children’s issues following separation, I suggest the following strategies to avoid long term emotional damage to your children. I am not a trained psychologist or counsellor, but the following issues continually emerge in children’s cases as having a real negative impact.

If you are discussing your separation with your partner, or with anybody else, personally or over the telephone, ensure that the children are not within hearing range. Children don’t need to be involved, they need reassurance that the impact on their lives will be as minimal as possible, and that they will be spending time with both of their parents. Never denigrate your partner to your children, or in their presence. Kids love both of their parents, they don’t want to hear negative comments about one parent, from you or from anybody else, particularly other family members. You should ensure that your family and friends are aware of this, and ask them to stop making derogatory comments in the hearing of the children. Try not to “dump” on your kids – don’t make comments like “We’ll have to sell the house”. “I don’t know where we will live”, “I don’t think I can cope with this.” These comments will make your children feel even more unsafe and insecure. Reassure the children that things will remain as normal as possible until you and your former partner are able to work out something that will be in everyone’s best interests.

Frequently reassure your children of your love and support, and try to keep their lives as normal as possible. Keep them involved in school and sporting activities, and spending time with their friends, and continue to be involved yourself with these activities. It is imperative that the children are not prevented from spending time with a parent, or talking to them on the phone, unless there is a real and genuine concern that the children may be at risk. Any attempt to alienate the children for no good reason will negatively affect the children and their relationship with both parents. Try to be civil with your partner in the presence of the children. Kids sense any tension between you, but if you avoid confrontational behaviour, it will assist the children to better cope with the situation.

If you can keep your separation as stressfree as possible and come to an early amicable agreement in relation to your property settlement and the times the children will spend with each of you, you stand a good chance of continuing a civil relationship post separation. A huge bonus is that you will keep the majority of the asset pool, and not spend a large chunk of it in legal fees, so everyone loses out. Keep in mind that you will have ongoing communication with your former partner for many years as your children are growing up. You will both be attending school and sporting events, birthday parties, weddings, christenings and other family events. It will make life much easier for the whole family, and especially for you, if that contact is amicable and civil.

Discuss the above strategy with your former partner and ensure that you both agree with, and follow, these suggestions. If you are both consistent with your behaviour it will ensure that your kids survive what will be a traumatic period for them.

Amicable Agreement = Friendly Divorce = Happy Kids = Saving of legal fees 21

What is Real Confidence and does your Teen have it? The teens of today have more information thrown at them than ever before. They can get tips on how to talk, walk, and dress, what’s in and what’s out, who the latest sensation is and who’s not and everything in between. With all this information, you would think that teens would have the knowledge and know how on what confidence is and how it works for them. However, have you noticed that for many teens this doesn’t seem to be the case and the ones that do have seemingly high confidence, is it really true confidence? What’s really happening in the world of teens? Speaking to teens today, it is evident that our fast paced society has them wondering what is really going on? The family dynamics has altered dramatically. Some teens share their life between two families, two home and two different sets of family dynamics, expectation, rules and lifestyles. This leaves them wondering who are they really? Where do they really belong? And what does their future hold. Some teens grow up without a male role model or father figure, and a mother trying her best to be both. Some succeed and some struggle. There is a longing in these teens to experience having a father figure around and often seek this through very unique ways that aren’t always positive.

Some teens haven’t experienced any of this and live at home with mum and dad. But who really knows what goes on in people’s lives. How are they handling it and what are these teens really going though? With all of this going on in their world, where does this leave our teens’ sense of self worth and self esteem? Do these teens, based on their experience have the confidence to step into their lives and really live their life to its fullest? Do they know what it takes to have real confidence when they have all of this going on in their world? What is Real Confidence? To answer that question, there must be an understanding of what Real Confidence isn’t. Confidence built up by repeating something over and over again until a person is confident at doing or being something, is not real confidence, it’s familiarity. This is not real confidence because a person has to know what it is they are doing before stepping into it. Confidence gained by learning a sport or other activities that comes naturally to a person is not real confidence either because this is doing what come naturally. This is natural to them therefore, known to them. This is not stepping into the unknown with certainty and assuredness. The meaning of the word confidence is belief in one’s self, one’s power or abilities, self-confidence, self-reliance and assurance.

Can your teen step into the unknown, into whatever life brings with the assuredness and certainty that they can and will succeed? Do they trust in themselves no matter what? Can they step forward and speak from the essence of who they really are and express themselves from a place of centeredness and certainty? Real Confidence for most doesn’t come naturally and is a process of discovery. It’s the discovery of self and for some it’s a lifelong journey. Every puzzle piece and every experience picked up along the way adds to their understanding of who they are and are not. As parents, we can only do our best. Sometimes we don’t have all the tools and all the answers and sometimes, some things just need to be experienced. When a person knows they have real confidence and feel it, they have it for life. This set up for them the resilience to keep getting up no matter what life throws at them. The journey must start somewhere. Their journey must start . . . Today Real Teens Foundation, and their Free NOW experiential Break Workshop for teens aged 13 - 17, has been supporting teens to discover and uncover their inner brilliance and gain an understanding what makes them unique. This leads to understanding Real Confidence and how to unleash this into the world. For details of their next workshop go to www.realteensfoundation.org or call 1300 369 700.

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Should You Be Your Grandchild’s Friend On

facebook

By Lesley Dewar Stories My Nana Tells

This is an interesting question and it will get a lot of different answers, depending on family relationships and locations. There are a lot of positives of being a Facebook Friend with your Grandchildren It helps you keep in touch, especially if live far away from you: interstate, overseas or in the country. It is amazing how far just a little “Like” click on one of their posts will go, in letting them know you are thinking of them. Rather than being a way of spying on them, it’s an unobtrusive way of reaching out and saying “Hello”. If their post triggers a comment from you, it is important to do two things: 1. Read all the other comments BEFORE you say anything. Remember all their friends will see what you have said. 2. Make sure the topic

is appropriate for a public comment from a Grandparent. Their public Facebook page is NO PLACE to be airing any family “dirty linen” or to be chastising them where their friends will see it. Being able to see their photos, as a friend, will let you share much more of their life and activities and it’s here you can often make a loving and encouraging comment. Stories about getting a new job, an award, winning a prize are perfect for congratulating them and sharing their happiness. On the other hand, it is usually not appropriate to share their photos on your personal page – with all your friends. Given your age

grandparents view

something happening that concerns you deeply, you can message them privately and ask about it. Politely and with love; never in a critical way. It would be surprising if they responded rudely or aggressively to you, since they know no one else will see your question or concern and that you have respected their privacy.

differences, it is likely you will have a completely different circle of friends with whom your Grandchildren would never think of sharing their own photos. It also works in reverse. Nothing will touch your heart more than having a grandchild you haven’t seen for a while reach out through Facebook and Like one of your posts. If it is highly personal, it means even more. Sometimes, we forget that when we post on Facebook (or Twitter and other online networks) that people we don’t even know will see what we have said – by being a friend of a friend. Another positive of being a friend of a Grandchild on Facebook is that you can skip the generation of their parents – and make your own relationship with the child alone. This is wonderful where there has been a breakdown of relationships between adults – especially in blended families – and the children are somehow being caught up in the angst of their parents. There is many an exiled grandparent who has been able to use Facebook to create a loving relationship with absent grandchildren, within bounds.If there is

There can be disadvantages as well, of course.

Keep your own Facebook timeline full and interesting. Be someone your Grandchildren would want to have as a friend. You will be amazed at how generous and loving they can be.

Not all your grandchildren may welcome you or care to know that you can hop onto Facebook at anytime and check out what they are doing. Their personal interests may be very different to yours; the language that younger people sometimes use on Facebook may shock you and you won’t want to have all THEIR posts shared with your friends. It’s easily managed, by hiding most or all of their posts. You need to exercise discretion and not aggravate any existing family disputes – so, don’t take sides ON LINE. If they want to talk to you about an issue, make sure you do it with them privately, whether it is face-to-face, by telephone or email.

w w w. s t o r i e s my n a n a t e l l s . c o m 28

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for young readers, 7 – 12 years old, and come with 12 – 20 questions to help your child develop their comprehension skills. If you work away from home or going to be home late you can still enjoy story time with your child, by logging onto Stories My Nana Tells then using Skype and reading the story together. Lesley Dewar will be adopted as your family’s honorary Nana. Her engaging and inspiring stories will be loved by your children and truly become Stories My Nana Tells.

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Own Your

Greatness

By Coach Bobbie

There are three key steps to follow when creating the life you desire. Your thoughts, plus your emotions, plus your actions, ignite the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. The Universe always mirrors the thoughts you think, the emotions you feel and the action you take. Who you cho ose to be affects your vibration. Vibration is energy, and everything is made up of energy, including you. This energy flows in a positive or negative way. Therefore, it is in your best interest to flow in the positive, and therefore you will attract more positive into your life.

your thoughts on how 1thisFocus you wish your life to be. To make step even more powerful,

bring your desire into the now by including the words ‘I am’ into your thought process, for example ‘I am healthy!’ Using ‘I want’ is less powerful as it presupposes you do not already have, and keeps your desire out of reach. Allow your imagination to place you in the centre of your desire. This is your daydream; allow your mind to run freely and without limits! Your positive thoughts and im2to those agery will align your emotions of joy, anticipation and

possibility. Your energy will be vibrating in the positive and at a higher frequency to attract what you want into your life. The Universe mirrors your ac3 tion, or lack thereof. Therefore it is in your best interests to take action toward what you which to create and have the Universe do the same. Many small steps eventually take you a long way. On the flipside, lack of action will produce lack of results.

“ Test my manifestation equation today and create a life that is rightfully yours! “ “Coach Bobbi is a Self Empowerment & Life Transition Specialist Learn more at www.askcoachbobbi.com

Own Your

Greatness Part 2

By Coach Bobbie

In my forty years on this planet, I’m yet to come across someone who hasn’t made a mistake. But what I do come across in my work are two definite groups of people – those who choose to let failure dictate their lack of action towards achieving their goals, and those who embrace ailure as an opportunity that drives them to live life better,smarter and stronger. Life is all about the ‘follow up’. It’s not about the mistakes you make or the errors in judgment. I can guarantee that at some point you are going make a mistake so the key is to decide today on how you will choose to view those mistakes. Failure can stop you in your tracks or can be a gift that teaches you that there is a better way to do something. As Thomas Edison, the American inventor of the light bulb said: “I have not failed; I have just found 10,000 ways that do not work.” Inspired living is what you choose to do after those times you make a mistake or experience failure. It is those choices that define who you are, not the error itself. Your mistakes do not make up your character. They are presented to each and every one of you as an opportunity to learn and evolve during your journey on earth. What creates your character,are the choices that you make and the action that you take - the follow up. Life is not what is holding you back. If you are not achieving it is because you have stopped looking for alternate ways that you can achieve. When you set the intention to move forward in your life, you will not be alone. Teachers and guidance will appear everywhere for you. It may seem magical, but it is due to what you are focusing on and taking action toward – living the life of your dreams. © Ask Coach Bobbi Many people today are facing a similar challenge. There is a niggling feeling within; a voice, a knowing that they no longer can go on living their life without authenticity. Their soul is awakening to their true purpose, their true form. There is an understanding that moving on to their true path is no longer a whim or a daydream but a necessity for their own growth, evolution and existence here on earth. It is at this stage that you can make one of two choices: continue existing or start living. Self Empowerment & Life Transition Specialist, Coach Bobbi takes you on a journey towards living a life of self discovery, self love, authenticity, focus, strength and purpose. Through her own insightful journey from nowhere to now here, Bobbi shares the steps she took to self empowerment. Featuring Empowerment Exercises including access to mp3 downloads, the 12 Steps to Self Empowerment will open your heart and mind to a new way of being that is rightfully yours. 34

Worthiness

Within

Starts from

Body Image, Self-Love expert and author of “Love Your Naked Ass” Kimberly Riggins shares with you, her tips on how to shift your thoughts and become happy, confident and strong with who you are! Women are guilty of two things. They spend too much time taking care for everyone else and not enough time loving themselves. The sad part is…all you have to do to witness this is to listen to your own thoughts.

If you found yourself shaking your head “Yes,” to any of those thoughts, you are NOT alone. The good news is you absolutely have the power to shift those thoughts.

“I am not toned enough. Look at this flab…I just want to hide.”

But in order to shift your thoughts, you have to make a commitment to stop sabotaging your life. That means you have stop being your own worst enemy.

“I am so embarrassed being naked. I can’t even be naked alone without feeling insecure.”

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

“I am so fat. I am utterly disgusted with my body.”

“I am not confidence enough to fully enjoy sex. I spend the whole time worrying that “he” will notice my cellulite.” “I am uncomfortable looking at myself in the mirror. I bypass windows and mirrors whenever possible.” “I can’t find clothes I feel good in. Whenever I go shopping, I end up in tears, feeling unworthy, unhappy and guilty.” “I need to lose weight to feel beautiful.”

Believe me, I completely understand where you are. You feel less than “perfect.” You think you have too many “flaws.” You believe you will never be “good enough.” I was the girl who used to: Cancel dates because I thought I looked fat.

“I’m not smart enough, or good enough to accomplish that.”

Stand in front of mirror and obsess over all my flaws.

“Why would anyone love me?”

Pass over great opportunities because I thought I wasn’t

“good enough.”

So Where Can You Start?

Punish myself incessantly because I ate a piece of chocolate cake.

Stop Living From Your Head

Sabotage nearly every relationship I was ever in because I was so afraid they would not love the “real” me. Believe my dreams would never come true. It literally took me years to stop sabotaging myself. In fact, I had to hit rock bottom (eating disorder, depression, broken relationships and financial hardship) to understand that I was worth fighting for. But the lessons I learned along the way were absolutely priceless.

The Lessons I Learned

1 2 3 4 5

It is crucial to love your body. Your life depends on it. Your happiness relies on it. Striving to be a perfectionist only makes things worse and it causes unnecessary stress.

You must value yourself. Because if you don’t, no one else will. You have a choice whether you allow your fear to keep you stuck or push you forward.

When you can love yourself wholeheartedly and completely, you have the ability to be authentically you, without any apologies.

You decide how you are going to show up each and every day in the world. YOU determine your own happiness.

7 8

What you give out to the Universe, you always get back.

When you accept yourself just as you are, you can live from a place of constant pleasure.

Break free from constantly questioning your decisions, your feelings, your desires, your wants and your needs. Give yourself permission to listen to your body, your heart and your gut. Trust your intuition. Let it guide you. Your gut will give you the answers. When you have the overwhelming feeling of “Yes, go for it!” Do it! If your gut is hesitate, sending you icky signals, listen to it…perhaps whatever is at stake is not the right choice for you. Your gut feelings hold great wisdom—they are always trying to tell you something. It’s your job to learn to listen to them. Your gut will provide you with information to help you honor your own self-worth. It will also shed some light on how you can expand your horizons, who or what you need to let go of or forgive; and illuminate those in your life that don’t value who you are. When you start listening and honoring your “gut feelings” and you get out of your head, your life will transform. You will feel lighter, happier and much more content. Stop Stacking Yourself Up Against Every Other Woman Yes, I am referring to you as a comparison queen. It’s okay. I admit I was one too! And there is nothing worse than finding yourself wishing you were someone else because of certain qualities that they possess that you believe you will never have. It can literally derail you and it definitely does not allow you to put your best foot forward. So the next time you find yourself in comparison

mode, stop and think about WHY you stack yourself up against others? What do they have that you feel you are lacking? Don’t be afraid to come clean. Every woman I know has been here. Does she have the relationship you want? The looks? The job? Does her life appear easier? Sexier? Happier? Then, rather than sulk about your shortcomings, celebrate YOURSELF. And embrace those women (the ones you used to compare yourself to) as friends, rather than enemies. You’d be amazed at what can unfold when women unite rather than fight. It is time to stop this madness!

To me, perfection is the beauty in imperfections.

~ Kimberly Riggins

Do not waste another day sabotaging your life. Let go of your insecurities, your fears and embrace your so-called flaws and start living the life of your dreams. YOU ARE WORTH IT! TTT

By Kimberly Riggins

Body Image & Self-Love expert AND Author!

In Love Your Naked Ass: 80 Gentle Ways to Transform Your Life, Restore Your Serenity & Rediscover Happiness body image expert and author Kimberly Riggins shows women how shifting from a place of self-loathing to self-love and taking small, easy-to-implement actions on a daily basis can have profound effects on how they feel and think about themselves.

“I want to bring you some inspiration through the power of words and give you some simple, gentle, action steps that can assist you in changing the way you feel about yourself,” says Kimberly.

Buy Now

Kimberly Riggins is a dynamic, outspoken, body image & self-love expert. She is the CEO of Kimberly Riggins International, the author of the highly acclaimed inspirational book, Love Your Naked Ass: 80 Gentle Ways to Transform Your Life, Restore Your Serenity & Rediscover Happiness, the facilitator to

The Love Your Naked Ass Warrior Series as well as the creator to the upcoming transformational program instilling self-love among women known as The Ravishing Renegade. She also is working on a huge philanthropy project called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Watch Her Thrive.â&#x20AC;? Her mission: to empower women of all ages all across the world to stand in front of the mirror naked and smile back at what they see. Her ideas may be a little outside of the box but she has tried them all and is a true believer in their success. As a teenager, Kimberly was a body-hating, insecure girl who ended up suffering from anorexia. Today she is a body-confident, sassy, sensual woman who embraces her flaws and uses them to her advantage. Her credentials speak for themselves. She is a Board Certified Holistic Health and Wellness Counselor and Coach, accredited with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition and has been certified as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor.

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There is a new trend in girls parties “The Cooking Party” is so hot right now that every where you look you can find products for children in the kitchen. Children’s parties are super fun to organise and now to add to that fun you can create something really cute and girly by creating a boutique party, and what girl doesn’t like a little bit of prettiness? The word boutique formally means any small, exclusive business offering a customised service. So when it comes to parties it refers to the party being small, exclusive and customised. Poppy Lou’s secrets to one great boutique party… Secret #1. Pick a theme. It’s important to start out with a party theme. Make sure your invitations, decorations, food, party favors and games all center around your cool theme. Secret #2. Invite a few kids. Keeping your numbers low makes it more manageable for mom and dad, keeps the cost lower and gives you more of a budget to ensure quality not quantity. Secret #3. Make it hands-on Kids love structured play, create short activities to keep them excited. E.g. cooking and craft. Secret #4. Plan alternative activities. I know it’s surprising, but not every child will want to get her hands messy, roll out dough, or

www.poppylou.com.au 42

decorate cookies--and that’s okay--but as the host, you should have a plan ready. Maybe the guest would enjoy setting the table or folding fancy napkins? Plus, while your creations are cooking, the kids will need something to keep them occupied. Board games, crafts or even something like a word search are all great options. Secret #5. Give goody bags Boutique goody bags should contain customised gifts, this is another good reason to keep you numbers low so you can splash out on the take home goodies.

Poppy Lou is an Australian-designed family owned brand. With our passion for unsurpassed quality and attention to detail, our love for new and old, entwining together the unique feel of durable hand washable fabrics, earthy textures, creative textiles and classic colour tones- all of this brings together the inspiration behind our beautiful collection of out of the ordinary yet practical Designer Nappy Bags and Hand bags. We have also extended our innovative range from the designer nappy bags and hand bags to a gorgeous collection of school bags, library bags, cot quilts, hair accessories, boutique clothing, beautiful matching Mummy and Me aprons and lots of gorgeous bits and pieces.

top6

POPPY LOU'S

y a w ivea

ful ns of i t u ea apr o ous b h it s! 10 orge E w y r t apr on r om. G s L IK a p our y Lou ho se f t o do i us a y e et Po pp t o c ave send s and l p m C o pped st yles l l you h k t hen o teen wi n. ra ice 3 s. A cebo o lers t w t o w t gif ur cho e gift l ou fa t odd he dra yo ke hom p o pp y w ords i nt o t 2012 ta s at t he l y go t sept u sage ical 1s e r mes ut omat Drawn e h a lick

Recipie

Vanilla Cup Cake

ingredients

2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

online party stores

sweetlittlebirdy.com.au twiggi.com.au pinkfrosting.com.au partyboxes.com.au speckledfreckle.com.au sassykidsparties.com.au

cup cake parties are both fun and educational!

method 1. preheat oven to 170c 2. line muffin cups with papers 3. cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. 4. beat in eggs one at a time 5. mix flour with baking powder and salt 6. add flour alternating with milk beat well; stir in vanilla. 7. divide evenly among pans and bake for 20 minutes. let cool in pans. 43

Irritable&

ARE YOU FEELING

Do YOU ever...

Agitated

By Sam Beau Patrick RN, ND, Author

Feel angry or agitated?

Lose your patience with the kids?

Feel like you are running around non stop with little time for your own needs?

Chances are if you’re a mum or dad, you will know all about irritability, anger, losing your cool and the feeling of self neglect. Most of these feelings are normal and will come and go, despite us trying to be perfect parents. It is when these feelings stay with us day in, day out, plaguing our thoughts and affecting our families, that we might need to seek out some guidance. You see, your environment might be stressing you or your hormones might be controlling your feelings. It can be a double edged sword and getting to the bottom of a hormone imbalance can take years. In the meantime, you could be suffering, quite unaware, with a hormone imbalance. Symptoms such as mood changes, anger, irritability, low energy, low sex drive, stubborn fat loss, irritable bowel syndrome, adult acne, cellulite, problems with your period, endometriosis and a gamut of other conditions can be indicative of a hormone imbalance. The feelings mentioned above may be explained by high testosterone levels or high estrogen which may result in increased stress leading to increased cortisol and insulin levels. All of these lead to increased fat! (But that is a story for another time). Unfortunately there is no single magic pill for hormone imbalances. Rather hormones respond better to managing our external environment better and living a very healthy lifestyle. This

means choosing to stress less by unfilling the day rathe than filling it up! It means forward planning with meals, factoring in exercise for yourself and taking some time out. Many people are not aware of how hormones impact their lives, while others might have seen a health care professional and be told nothing was wrong. I have written more about the common symptoms of high testosterone and high estrogen in my book and video, Beauty and the Beast Within (available for sale from www.healthqueen. com.au) and the four main strategies for resolving hormone imbalances. It’s an easy to read book, explaining in plain language what hormone imbalances are, why they are happening and some hot tips for balancing them. IF you have been told nothing is wrong in the past then get another opinion from a hormone specialist. Not necessarily a medical hormone specialist as hormones respond extremely well to natural therapies. Find yourself an experienced naturopath or herbalist. The beauty of natural medicine is that there are many options for managing hormone imbalances: naturopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathics, acupuncture, yoga, flower essences, reiki and on the list goes. There are some great practitioners around who might be able to help you stress less , live more and be happier!

With formal training in critical care nursing, naturopathy, nutrition and pharmaceuticals, Sam Beau Patrick – The Health Queen – has worked with over 24,000 individuals, doctors and corporate groups. On national television she regularly referred to as Australia’s leading female hormone expert. For more information on fertility and other health issues go to www.byebyebridget.com (female hormones) or www. healthqueen.com. au for other health programs. 45

Pelvic floor first! One of the most commonest questions I get is when can I return to exercise? My answer is the day you give birth! Your first exercises should be drawing your pelvic floor up and gently drawing your belly in. In this order! Lucky you can do this one easily sitting down and when your baby is new, there is a lot of sitting and feeding. Try and get into the habit of combining the 2. Even if you have had a C-section and have lost some of the sensations there… persevere – your efforts will be rewarded.

Lower back pain be gone! Flat belly here I come! A good pelvic floor contraction will also activate the transverses abdominus muscle, which runs across your hips and protects your lower back. The TA is responsible for giving you a flat belly, not your 6 pack muscles, as used when doing a crunch or sit up. Practicing great posture, with neutral spine will also activate the TA muscle and make it stronger.

Rowing for upper back strength All that bending over your little one coupled with larger than normal breasts and your upper back really cops it! We need to strengthen the upper back as well as lengthen the muscles in through the chest (pectorals). Using hand weights and mimic a rowing action, where your shoulder blades are drawn down from your ears and into the centre of your back are great. Or even better… invest in a theraband and attach to door handle and do a few sets each day.

Top 5

postnatal

exercise tips!

Squats for weight loss! You don’t need to go to the gym to squat, as a mum you can be squatting all day long as you get up and down or pick things up from the floor. Avoid bending at the back and use your legs instead. Power up through the heels and activate your gluteus (butt muscles) and don’t forget to also activate your pelvic floor to avoid bearing down internally.

www.mishfit.com.au

Tuck shop ladies arms? No thank you! Our biceps get lots of use from lifting baby and all their paraphernalia, but sadly our triceps don’t get much of a look in. And it’s not till we wave good-bye that we are reminded. A simple way to involve your tricep exercises is incorporate a few tricep dips off the edge of the bath when you are bathing your little one. Remember to keep your wings in so your triceps do the work, not the biceps. Start with shallow dips until they get stronger and don’t forget to breath and include your pelvic floor activation!

Mish is the founder and CEO of mishfit. Mishfit Mothers is a specialised personal training program designed for pregnant and post-natal women, educating women on how to exercise safely and where their babies and children are welcome. mishfit is truly a family friendly small business and is now available as a franchise. 47

the no-fuss cure for fussy eaters

www.superfoodsforkidz.com.au @H e) O t N Hom g u o .au in ab cs @ s i m s a o u r i .c Ask Organ y fund anics ra ealth raorg t u (N ur h a@nut o and ness : va t c nta

100% natural & raw, gluten, dairy, soy, and nut free Low G.I no processed sugar No artificial colours, flavours or numbers Kids actually love the taste Certified organic, wild harvested superfoods

heathy profits made easy! ™

www.nutraorganics.com.au

BlogWE s RECOMMEND 1. stayathomemum.net.au 2. lovelyliving.com.au 3. sevencherubs.com 4. homelifesimplified.com.au 5. stylingyou.com.au 6. alittledelightful.blogspot.com.au 7. hiplittleone.com 8. mummasminimes.com 9. motherlink.com.au/mummy-blogs 10. rubydolly.wordpress.com 11. theimum.com 12. theorganisedhousewife.com.au

Recipie of the Month

Coconut

Blueberry Pancakes

wheat, sugar and dairy free

ingredients

method

1/2 cup of blanched almond meal

In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients â&#x20AC;&#x201C; almond meal, coconut and salt.

1 1/2 cups of desiccated coconut

In a second bowl, mix all the wet ingredients â&#x20AC;&#x201C; eggs, milk and honey.

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 5 Organic eggs

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix batter.

1/3 cup organic whole milk/or almond milk

Stir in berries

2 tablespoons of organic raw honey Frozen blueberries Coconut oil (for frying)

Heat coconut oil in pan on medium heat and aldle in the desired size (try not to go too big otherwise it gets a bit hard to flip). Let the pancake cook at low flame until bubbles form. Loosen the pancake and flip. Add a bit of honey or cinnamon on top to garnish.

Wheat-Free

fact

& Gluten-Free

If you have a wheat allergy, you are sensitive to proteins found only in wheat. If you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease, you are sensitive to gluten found not only in wheat, but also in rye and barley. With a wheat allergy, the only solution is to avoid foods containing wheat; with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, the only solution is to avoid foods containing wheat, rye or barley. Fortunately, the growing awareness of celiac disease is resulting in more gluten-free and, therefore, wheat-free products becoming available in supermarkets. It is important to read nutrition labels to check ingredients if you are unsure whether a product contains wheat or gluten. Safe pre-packaged products are usually labeled as being wheat and/or gluten-free. 51

b u S l C Y s A d D i I K L HO We all know that travelling with the kids can be challenging but it can be very rewarding too! It’s important for every member of the family to take a break and recharge the batteries. Taking a holiday is not just good for you physically but mentally too and ‘the family that plays together stays together’ so they say . Our resident travel guru Leah Squire owner of Australia’s largest specialist family travel service www.byokids. com.au is here to help!

w w w.byo k i d s.co m. a u 52

Kids club resorts are a favourite amongst families they offer a range of activities for kids as young as 6 weeks at some properties right through to teenagers. Whilst it’s great to do everything together as a family some Mum and Dad time is important too! Many parents choose to utilize the kid’s club services to entertain the kids whilst they join a day trip, indulge at the spa, have a hit of golf or tennis, dine out or just relax with a good book by the pool. BYOkids tips for great kids club holiday destinations are:

Fiji

with swaying palm trees, dozens of family friendly resorts and some of our cheapest holiday deals ever Fiji is a great choice. The kids club activities range from sand crab racing to basket weaving and everything in between. The Fijians really know how to spoil kids and they’re wide smiles settle even the most anxious of children.

Bali

just a short flight from the West Coast makes Bali an absolute favourite with Western Australians. Properties like the Bali Dynasty, Club Med and the Westin have just mastered the kids club! With great pools, slides, beaches, and staff running kids activities throughout the day the kids will be well and truly tuckered out come bed time!

Whitsundays

tropical islands, no need for a passport and easy access makes the Whitsunday group of Islands of Queensland’s Coast a popular choice. Every Australian should visit the Great Barrier reef at some stage and with a range of resorts, excellent kids clubs plus a huge range of day tours and sightseeing on offer now is the time. BYOkids have some excellent deals including kids under 12 eat free at selected properties or an all inclusive deal for those big eaters.

Thailand

known as the land of smiles Thai hospitality extends to their love of children. Thailand offers kids club resorts throughout the country, including the very popular destination s of Phuket and Koh Samui. Spacious beachfront resorts have kids club offering a range of activities from Thai cooking classes, silk painting, Thai dancing and more. For more information on kids club holidays check out the kids club section on BYOkids ….your family travel gurus. BYOkids also offer a free brochure service to subscribers they’ll be delivered to your door or inbox and you can start dreaming about your next holiday 53

How to write a

Press Release

By Sue Papadoulis

Self promotion can be a major part of your success in business. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to go after publicity in the media - it can be far more extensive and influential than a paid for advertisement. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my 10-step plan to writing a good media release.

Get the layout right: You need the following: a) A headline sentence in bold b) An opening paragraph in bold c) Text that supports your headline and opening paragraph d) Contact details Create a great headline: The head line should sum up the media release contents in a concise manner – just as a newspaper headline does. Keep it to one short sentence. Write a snappy opening sentence. Your opening sentence can be just as important as the headline in attracting interest from a journalist who may scan this alone and determine whether or not the entire story is of interest. Remember also, these words are also indexed by search engines so if you’re putting your release online, add some key words. Support your headline and opener with quality text: The remaining text supports your story and must answer the questions of who, what, when, where, how and why. Write the text in the format used by your target media outlet. For example if you’re targeting a local paper, write it as a newspaper article – the sure sign of a great media release is to read it word for word in the paper. Use quotations. Quote yourself high-up in the release – in the second or third sentence. Keep quotes short, sharp and newsworthy (often referred to by the media as a ‘grab’ which summarises the main point of the story). Include an expert if possible. If you can find a third party to support your position it will give you and your release instant credibility and move it away from being a promotional piece into the realm of serious news story.

Provide full contact details. Include your name, landline, mobile phone number, email address and web address Try to keep it to one page. More than 1.5 pages and a journalist just won’t read it. Offer images and make yourself available for an interview. Often, a journalist will want to do an interview rather than lifting quotes directly from a media release. A media outlet may be happy to use your images, or they may want to take photographs themselves, so make yourself available Send it out! Develop a list of targeted media outlets, and don’t overlook online PR release sites such as www.free-press-release.com and www.prweb.com. © Copyright, Bliss Life Enterprises 2011-2012

Sue Papadoulis is an inspirational entrepreneur, media coach, engaging speaker and best-selling author who empowers and motivates others to take their game to the next level by using the power of free publicity. Sue is Australia’s leading specialist in helping entrepreneurs generate free publicity. To access her special report “The Five Biggest Secrets to Getting Free Publicity in the Media” plus find out when she is speaking in a city near you visit www.pr-agencyforprofit.com 55

BEVERLY CASSIDY “the business womens headshot photographer” join me on facebook...

beverly cassidy photography

fact

Personal Brand

YOUR

BusinessBrand

EFFECTS YOUR

In this day and age a photo isn’t just worth 1000 words it could also be 1000 page views too! Appearances matter! How your dressed, How you behave, How you talk and even your body language can influence how others including potential clients see you. Protecting your image, i.e. your “Personal Brand” has never been more important! With media going viral in social networks, video streaming, blogs and other online tools, technology has made it easier for people to make snap judgments about us. So what does your “Personal Brand” say about you? Let’s think about a possible scenario of you attending a traditional networking event. You make some terrific connections and develop an instant rapport. You’ve exchanged business cards and get back to the office to send a follow-up email, but before you do, you decide to take a peek at their website to find out a little more about them. Imagine doing this to find that the images on the website look nothing like the person you just met. Considering good business relationships should be built on a foundation of honesty and trust, that wouldn’t be a good start now would it? 57

feature

The power of using

Mobile Apps

in your business

PLUS 10 Key Elements to insure your App Success It is expected that before mid - 2012 more people will be accessing the internet on their mobile devices than on PCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. With that in mind, it cannot be emphasized enough the importance of having oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business or service seen properly across all the different mobile platforms otherwise you will lose business. Do you have clients and customers that you want to communicate and stay in touch with? If so, what is the best way to do that and get responsive results? The clear choice is through Mobile Apps. By Dana Dunn Mobile Media Impact 58

The possibilities for your Mobile App are endless! 1. Determine your Mobile Objective Are you looking for sales, brand awareness, social media engagement or to stay in constant contact and in front of your clients and prospects? 2. Integrate Social Sharing Features We all know and understand the power of social engagement, and social sharing features of our information. All of your social sites can be integrated into your Mobile App which will insure and increase your brand awareness. 3. Keep Your App and its content up to date Just as important as updating a blog, your app must be updated with relevant and engaging content. You need to keep the end user engaged, or just as quickly as they downloaded your app, they can remove it. 4. Integrate Engaging Features Provide up-to-date information about all of your business events and specials by creating an events calendar. Whether you conduct live events or virtual events online, you will want to keep your new users engaged and in-the-know of what you’re doing, where you’re doing it, and how they can participate. We are social creatures by nature, and want this information available at our fingertips..literally! 5. Create Loyalty / VIP Programs You will want to incentivize your subscribers, and give them a reason not only to download your app, but to also keep it on their mobile device. It’s very simple to create Loyalty or VIP programs, and your clients and prospects will LOVE you for it. 6. Develop an effective Mobile Marketing Strategy It’s not if you build it they will come…You

need to prepare your marketing plan prior to the launch of your new App in the App Stores. 7. Create Raving App Fans It’s very important to create an opportunity for your App users to feel as though they are part of your community. Remember the Social Sharing feature? Well this is just as important. What if at your next event, you gave your App users the ability to upload their photos from the event, or even write on your App fan wall? 8. Tracking your Apps progress with inApp Analytics You want to be sure you have a way to track the downloads of your App in the App Stores/Markets. Tracking the number of downloads is important as you prepare for future promotions, as well as revenue streams from advertising opportunities. The more downloads you have, the more valuable you are to advertising partners. This is a great way to help monetize your app!

Dana has been a Sales and Marketing Professional for over 25 years. She is passionate about helping business professionals and entrepreneurs harness the power of Mobile Marketing to Reach more clients, and ultimately make more sales! Her personal goal and mission is to help you get more business by expanding your reach into the Global Mobile Marketplace!

9. YES…The Power IS in the PUSH!!!! To find out more about Dana and Here’s the most important feature of all... Mobile Marketing Solutions for PUSH Notifications! This is very similar your business, contact her at: to sending out an email notification, but is much more effective. Remember you will have a 97% open rate within the first few Dana@mobilemediaimpact.com minutes of sending it. You can send out http://MobileMediaImpact.com notices immediately, or schedule them to go out on a particular day, and time you set. 10. Promote, Promote, Promote! Once your App is completed and published in the App Stores, you will need to get busy promoting your new marketing tool! Your app will not download itself to other mobile devices, so you will need to be proactive in the marketing and promotion of your new App. Don’t forget the golden rule of marketing: People buy from People, and those they Know, Like and Trust! Having a mobile app for your business will help expand your “Brand!” Isn’t it time to share your expertise and reach your mobile consumers before your competition? It’s your responsibility to make it easy for them to connect with you!

WHAT DOES

MICRO-MANAGEMENT

MEAN TO SMALL BUSINESS

By Hazel Theocharous

Most business owners feel that this is such a negative word, but is it really negative? Mainly Micro-Management is associated with larger businesses where a team of people are managed because the Director/ Partner does not have time. So that is where a lot of the negative connotations spring from, largely from employees who feel that their space has been invaded, that they are constantly being monitored and therefore their motivation decreases. Some comments from business owners who feel this would have a negative impact on their business… “Micro-Management (MM) will kill team spirit and enthusiasm. High morale and enthusiasm are strong driving factors when it comes to motivation. When you micro-management you will end up killing those forces that really give your employees momentum.” “You spend a lot of time micro-managing, is it worth it? Could you be better at time management?” “When you micro-manage you are shutting down communication lines. Your employees will stop talking to you in fear of becoming micro-managed.”

All of the above comments could be construed as correct if you are looking at this concept as a negative one. If you have too much emphasis on managing time, individual energies or looking too deep into the ways and means of a specific matter, then absolutely the above 3 examples of a negative aspect of micro-management would be totally acceptable. However…. Flip the coin over and become a small business owner. Take a look at this concept from a completely different angle. How could micro-management work for me? Can it work for me? By employing the services of someone who specialises in this and works for small businesses, you can completely retain the business you built but have someone manage specific projects in your business. Examples of how this can work A business coach or similar needs his/ her seminars / workshops transcribed and turned into E-Books but neither have the inclination or know-how to pull this together. By outsourcing to a micro-management

specialist, the specialist will bring all aspects WHY? It takes the stress out of something a of this project together, manage the process business owner does not know or understand. and produce ongoing marketing for their business. It can alleviate stress when a business owner knows that they want to achieve something Are you setting up a new office but do but DO NOT HAVE THE TIME. not have the time to organise every aspect required from booking the removalist to It allows a business owner to set projects setting up new phone lines and creating the they have wanted to do for a long time but office space sufficient for your business? havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t known how to begin. Have some micro-manage this for your business. They will pull together everything Imagine having someone to: required, ensure all contractors conclude a. take the reins on a project; their particular roles successfully and hand b. pull together all of the elements; over the keys to your new office without any c. manage the entire process; headaches to you. d. provide you, the business owner, with a successful conclusion. Setting up your new business but do not know the steps necessary or what needs to So, take the time today to find out more be completed? From the creation of your about how you can use Micro-Management business name through to graphics, branding as a positive experience in your business. Is and database setup, you can easily walk there a project you have been leaving sitting away to get networking etc whilst everything around for a long while but want to get it off is micro-managed and created for you. the ground? If so, contact Expert VA today to find out about a package to suit you and Basically, micro-management is not a your business. negative concept for a small business owner. It is a POSITIVE ONEâ&#x20AC;Ś

Hazel Theocharous, Owner and Small Business Specialist of Expert VA has been specialising in outsourcing, time management and more recently micro-management for over 5 years. She works with clients individually to ensure they receive a professional , efficient and effective response to their small business needs. As a mum and business owner, she completely understands the needs a small business owner faces and has set up structures to ensure she can assist you with your needs.

Ph: 0431989985

Email: hazel@expertva.com.au

www.expertva.com.au

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  



 - 

  -   





fact

Time and Money

YOUR STRENGTHS MAKE YOU

YOUR WEAKNESSES COST YOU THAT TIME AND MONEY.

What you do well, you do fast. What you don’t know how to do, takes time to learn. What you do well makes you feel good and makes you want to do more. What you don’t know how to do well makes you feel bad and you will try to avoid it. When you feel good you are more productive. When you feel bad you procrastinate.

Get back the time to do what you love! With a Virtual Assistant and you can save money because you don’t pay for: Superannuation, payroll/income tax, annual leave or sick day pay Business insurance and work cover Water cooler time talking about the weekend Expensive and time-consuming training Office space and equipment

Top 12

WAYS TO ENGAGE

facebook “On Facebook, content is king and engagement is queen and she rules the house.” – Mari Smith With greater popularity than Twitter, LinkedIn and You Tube, Facebook is the leader in social media marketing, according to Social Media Examiner’s 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. If you want to connect people with your brand or business on Facebook, you have to post great content that engages your audience.

One of the main things to know about Facebook is only about 16 percent of your content is actually being seen by your fans, thanks to Facebook’s Edgerank formula. This is largely determined by how often someone interacts with your page, by liking or sharing a post, or leaving a comment. 64

To work out your page’s engagement rate, look at the two figures under your page name on your timeline. Take the ‘number of people talking about this’ and divide it into the total number of likes for your page. ‘Talking about this’ is the number of people who have interacted with your page as a rolling seven day total that changes daily. Check your engagement rate at the same time each week to see how effectively you have engaged with your fan base.

How to... to increase your engagement rate

Post updates in the form of questions to encourage more comments.

Keep your narrative to less than 160 characters.

Always post an eyecatching image that measures about 400 x 400 pixels

tip! you can resize larger

images using a free tool at www.shrinkpictures.com

If you are posting a link, remove the link thumbnail and post an image instead (screenshots are a great way to create your own images).

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Run competitions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Facebook says to use an app for these, so check first www.facebook.com/ page_guidelines.php

Respond to all comments on your page.

Try posting a quiz to get your fans to interact with you.

Think about when are the best times of day to reach your community on Facebook.

Post at most once an hour, or at least once every two days. The best rate is usually two or three times a day, or maybe four to five depending on your page.

Schedule your posts in advance using a third party publishing app like Hootsuite so they go out consistently at the same times each day

Change your timeline cover image regularly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but remember not to include any contact information, calls to action or arrows pointing to anything on your Facebook page. Monitor Facebook Insights to see what type of posts engaged your audience the most.

Please share your Facebook tips or questions on my page facebook.com/ ChelseaMcPublicity

How to get out of

Mummy Mode

today

Just like being a great mum is important, so is balancing your home life with your professional image. Fortunately, most women make it out to be much harder than it really is. You can definitely be a professional businesswoman while still being a great parent at home. For instance, before you head out to a branding shoot for your business make sure you take the time to have your hair styled in a professional manner first. Additionally, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s okay to splurge on a having your makeup professionally applied, as well. This will instantly boost your credibility factor with clients. 66

In addition to making sure that your hair and makeup are perfect, taking the time to coordinate your outfit with the business image you want to represent can go a long way when it comes to getting out of mummy mode. The more professional and confident you feel as a woman, the more genuine and trustworthy you will appear in your branding photographs. On a side note, make sure the outfits that you choose to wear will represent your business in a professional manner. The worst thing that you can do is appear rushed and unkempt in your business photos, regardless of how you really feel that day! When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting your branding photograph taken, make sure you allow your personality to shine through in the

image. Your unique personality is something that your competition can’t take away from you, and no one can do it better, either! Finding a great photographer, like ZahrinaPhotography.com, that understands this is the first step to creating a marketable image that you can use in all of your corporate branding campaigns. If it helps, try to think of choosing a photographer like you would a job interview – you want to know how they can help you achieve your goals, not just a regurgitated summary of their skills that you could have gleaned from their photography portfolios.

When it comes to online business, the most important thing that you can do for your own success is to believe in your business. If you believe that you can do it, then the confidence you have in your own abilities will be the only thing you need to move forward during tough times. And don’t forget, there will always be new competition cropping up online. It’s how you handle it that determines whether or not you will succeed. www.ZahrinaPhotography.com

Sunshin Art Sunshine Art began nearly 12 months ago when it was decided that our community would benefit from art based classes for children. We felt that mainstream education was missing an important and beneficial element of “hands on mess” and creating for the sake of creating, and often parents just didn’t know where to start and we wanted to fill that gap. We run weekly art classes at our amazing ocean view studio at Kirra Hill on the Gold Coast as well as holiday workshops and the infamous Sunshine Art Arty Parties (also available on the Susnhine Coast) “Arty Parties” are the perfect way to create and celebrate. It makes for a one of a kind party and each child leaves with a creation of their own making. The parties are tailored to suit the child’s

age and interest so if we have a child that loves pirates then what we create will be pirate themed. When it comes to creating the possibilities are endless and we never have the same party twice because every child is unique and so are their creations.

If you are not on the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast and want to hold your very own art party it is really not too daunting. I suggest you begin the creativity with the invitation. Perhaps you could send an invitation with a drawing from the guest of honor or a box of crayons with the invitation attached. Remind your guests to wear old clothes and note their excitement as as they wait for the expected arty mess! As with Sunshine Art, it is important to tailor the party to the child’s interests. Recently, an 8 year old boys party focused on the

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wonderful world of Robots. Each child was able to build their own unique robot using recycled materials such as aluminum tins and hardware bits and pieces. With a quick visit to your garage or work shed you would be amazed at the springs and cogs and screws you can gather. These little bits and pieces are true treasure to our little artists. For another hands on experience, consider soap sculpting. Simply purchase cakes of soap and provide plastic knives, forks and spoons as carving tools and watch your little artist create. They can add colour by painting with food colour and take home their very own personal soap sculpture and an experience like no other! Another side benefit of hosting your own arty party is that the children are

ne often so busy exploring and creating that they just don’t have time to eat. You really only need to provide drinks and a cake with candles and don’t even need a party favour as the guest get to take home their art piece. Be brave and encourage mess. It is good for children (and adults) to touch and feel and explore their creativity. At Sunshine Art we have found that open ended activities that ignite the imagination are the most popular. By providing excellent materials and facilitating rather than instructing, our artists gain confidence in their own individual ways of expressing themselves artistically in any way shape or form that they chose. There is no right or wrong answer at Sunshine Art, only creating and fun.

feature Marijke Collins is one of the founders of Sunshine Art as well as a facilitator and program co-ordinator. When she is not leading art workshops for Sunshine Art or juggling the busy lives of her three children, she spends her time doing freelance illustrating and making artistic creations of her own. You can see some of her latest work at the blog, www.rubydolly.wordpress which is a website of stories for children about a character named Ruby-dolly. The blog is a collaborative effort between Marijke, who does all of the illustrations, and a friend in Canada who does all of the writing. Marijke is also in the process of starting an Etsy shop where she hopes to sell some of her paintings which have been described as whimsical and unique. Despite all that Marijke is already working hard at, she hopes to be even busier with Sunshine Art as she has just begun to offer their event tailored workshops for special events such as company family days, corporate parties that include children, weddings and festivals. Marijke says that she is never not working on something creative, it’s what makes her happy and she wants mostly to pass that on to others. a range of different art techniques and use a variety of materials and media from working with clay, water colours, printing, tye dye, and edible art. We even use the wonder of science to do things like making goo, building scribble bots with offset motors and shrinky dink jewelry. Some activities that students have really enjoyed and responded to the techniques of drawing, ceramic painting, tye dye totes, puppet making, scribble bots, bubble art, inspiration art (using artists such as Klimt and Mondrian) and paper marbling. Pablo Picasso once said, “Every child is an artist. The

problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Sunshine Art is all about inspiring the artist that is in every child and then giving that artist the confidence to create and we hope that they keep that inspiration and confidence well beyond childhood. Sunshine Art is for creative, curious kids who love to do stuff. We would love your little artist to join us in our weekly classes or one of our holiday workshops and would be honored to host your child’s very own Sunshine Art Arty Party either at our Art space or in your own home (don’t worry – we clean up everything!)

In the workshops we explore

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Love and Money A 2011 Relastionships Australia survey indicated that 71% of the respondants believed financial problems would push their relationship apart. From that 71% the top reasons were that there is too much stress in the relationship, financial problems cause fights, and that couples blame each other for their financial problems.

FINANCE

INCREASED INCOME

MONEY

INSURANCE

PROPERTY

BANKING 71

Money

YOUR

AT EVERY AGE

e should celebrate the milestones a little differently by giving ourselves the best gift of all, a lesson in what to do with our money at every age so that we can achieve financial freedom.

Women spend hours pouring our hearts out over the most intimate emotional issues, but are reluctant to talk about one of the most personal subjects of all: what we’re doing with our cash. A survey has shown that a large percentage of Australian Women said they can’t talk about money, even with their closest friends. The same report showed less than 20% of women are confident about their financial future and more than half say they don’t have a plan in place for achieving their financial goals. Woman can become Prime Minister of Australia, run publicly listed corporations and most women expect to be part of the workforce during their lives, yet we’re still not taking control of our finances. Why? Partly it’s about education. More than half the women surveyed said they felt overwhelmed when it came to issues such as investments and savings, property, superannuation, insurance and shares, and didn’t know where to begin. Getting a handle on your finances is probably the best gift a woman can give herself. It’s always better to start early, but financial confidence can begin at any age. Let’s start now. It’s never too late to have a NEW BEGINNING

’s is the time to build strong foundations for your financial future. It is during this time in your life you’ll most likely start your first full-time job, pay rent and bills for the first time. Responsibility starts and with this brings not only a sense of freedom, but many discover the pitfalls of debt.

’s This is a big decade in terms of financial responsibility with many people buying their first home and having children. It is also time to start making a serious move into investments. Hopefully by this stage you will have a nest egg you have been building during your 20s. If you haven’t, don’t panic, it’s never too late to learn how to budget and save.

’s The forties are often an expensive time for people with commitments to a home and a growing family. But don’t panic! Even if you haven’t been doing anything for yourself financially until now, it’s still okay, you just need to get your financial house in order as quickly as you can.

’s The 50s are an important time for women in terms of money. As many women who have been caught out by recent falls in the share market have found, it pays to be vigilant and active in managing your money towards your retirement age.

Tips to free you from debt

1. Maintain your Financial Independence - take charge & be responsible for your own finances 2. Start with a budget â&#x20AC;&#x201C; know what income you have coming in & what expenses go out. 3. Live within your means- do not rely on a credit card to get you through 4. Have a clear goal in mind & be willing to make sacrifices when needed 5. Surround yourself with experts - you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to be earning a large income to ask for help from a professional

WIN A TRIP FOR 2 TO NEW YORK

With interest rates dropping now is a good time for a financial check up! Book your appointment with me to review your existing home loan or enquire about a new home loan and your in the draw to win a Trip to New York.

Donna Emerson 0419 605 851

Outerwear The Trench Some things stand the test of seasons and trends â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the trench coat is one such piece. It travels well, is inherently chic, covers a multitude of sins, creates a sharp first impression, goes with jeans and cocktail dresses, beats the windiest and wettest weather, and â&#x20AC;Ś.it never goes out of style. Every season, this classic resurfaces with updates, crafted in new shapes, shades and embellishments. While the staple trench is a piece of fashion iconography, we admittedly look forward to the fresh iterations. This season, bold jewel colours of ruby and sapphire turn this piece of fashion iconography into a bold statement piece you can wear for years to come

As the temperature starts dropping, and summer is but a memory, we look for versatile and chic outerwear pieces that bring us warmth, yet will stand the test of time for years to come. Here are 5 outerwear pieces that will make a statement and inject style and comfort into your winter wardrobe.

The Blazer The Little Black Blazer is the jacket that women have blatantly stolen from the boys, and then wore it better - and with more panache. The beauty of this garment is that it oscillates between the masculine and the feminine, the casual and the formal, the trendy and the preppy, the smart yet the sexy. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite pin it down, and therein lies its charm. This season. Look for tailored styles that suit your body shape and define your waist. A hip grazing length is universally flattering, though if you are tall, you can afford a slightly longer variation.

Images courtesy of Getty via Celebstyle.com

The Cape This season, there’s a new jacket style in town, the cape coat! Not only is this jacket silhouette easy to wear, it’s a fantastic layering piece that will spice up your winter wardrobe in a pinch. The ultimate in ladylike refinement (and warmth), capes are shaping up to be the season’s coolest cover-up. Though it can be a tricky piece to wear, the new cape is more modern glamour girl and less stylish superhero — think ‘50s-era icons Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

The Motorbike Jacket

Photos courtesy of Imaxtree.com via Fashionindie.com

If there’s one trend you cannot ignore this upcoming winter, it has to be the motorcycle jacket. Neat tailored biker jackets accentuate the waist and add a rock’n’roll swagger to feminine ensembles. Unexpected, luxurious fabrics add softness to the look, with jackets coming in buttery leather, navy wool, boucle and tweed. Designers play with color too, eschewing the biker’s traditional black for creamy whites, grays, tan suede and beige. Zips, buckles and swinging belts add interest at the waist and emphasize the swing of the asymmetric fastening. Minimal detailing elsewhere adds elegance to this rough-edged piece.

For a timeless version that will never go out of style, choose a cape in a solid hue, like black. Or, stay on trend this season by injecting a dose of burnt orange via a sleek and streamlined style. My styling tip? Because of their roomy nature, keep the rest of your ensemble streamlined to balance the voluminous silhouette.

The Poncho

Photos courtesy of All Saints, DKNY, Barneys.com

Want a garment that offers warmth, comfort, style and is bang-on-trend this season? One of the easiest styles to achieve that off-duty look is with ponchos! From cropped chunky knit versions to texturally intriguing knit and satin iterations, this outerwear option is the perfect cold weather cover-up that can be easily worn over a dress for day, or over a pair of skinny jeans for a relaxed yet chic look for week-end wear. Think Navajo with a seventies twist.

Carlos Miele/Custo Barcelona/Michael Kors ponchos from New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2012/13 *picture via fushionmag.com*

Mums in A New Online Magazine to educate, empower and inspire mums in business all over the world.

With businesses becoming more eco conscious and the world relying on mobile devices more and more each day we have decided to provide you with a magazine full of content that is educational, empowering, relevant and interesting all online and available to download on your mobile devices.

Advertising Opportunities

reasons for choosing to create an online magazine rather than a printed magazine...

They are much easier to have on you at all times, you can have multiple magazines all downloaded to your mobile device at one time.

You can update when ever you want by simply downloading another issue.

Less overheads creates less outgoings and savings can be passed onto consumers, creating a lower magazine price.

Environmental friendliness, no paper used, so no trees cut down for our magazines

On-time delivery, issues can be downloaded as soon as they are released.

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Back issues, easily downloaded

Interact while reading, click or tap and watch, listen or even purchase immeadiately!

Advertisment spaces available in these sections Business in General Latest Trends Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Your Bookshelf Health and Fitness Transform Your Life Finance Fashion & Beauty Online Tech-Savvy Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on - add your event to our calendar Product reviews - have your product reviewed Directory - image and interactive links

Add a Buy Now button this will link to your online store Add audio and visual media to your advertisment

n Business

magazine 1st issue out September 2012

Click to PLAY video

Our a udien ce wi read ll , liste n watc and h intera c t with our n ew o nline maga zine

Secure your spot in our launch edition. Click to Email Now! Reading on issuu? click here to watch

Plus oportunities to be a guest contributor Show the subscribers that you are an expert in your field by sharing your knowledge, giving advice and allowing them to understand more about what you do.

0407 266 450

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Mums in

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WANT YOUR OWN

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