LSNED - Day 16

I've been watching more science videos (because I'm a closet geek, plus it's a good way to pass the time whilst breastfeeding!) and so today I learnt that you can blow out a candle but relight it by lighting the smoke! Check out the video below, it's very cool!

*hugs*

Thankful Thursdays & LSNED Day 15

The Blue Mountains is a World Heritage area, rich in natural bushland and history. I love the laidback atmosphere where you can sometimes feel isolated, but also part of the community if you want. Then of course there is the gorgeous natural landscapes. Although extremely prone to bushfires, the area is still lovely to live in and explore. Then there is the Three Sisters (in the photo above and perhaps one day I'll tell you the story behind these three rock formations) - possibly the most famous landmark of the area. I'm thankful for the fact that I live in such a beautiful part of Australia.

What are you thankful for today?

Today's lesson is more of a previously learned lesson that was confirmed. We've had the feeling that Jasmine has been fussy and unsettled (especially during the afternoons) due to the fact that she's been missing daddy now that he's back at work. Well, perhaps today (and the past weekend) had confirmed that as she has hasn't had her afternoon fussy period and has been reasonably content. I think only time can fix this one particular issue. And possibly a very healthy dose of patience!!!



(Sorry if this post today sounds disjointed and/or not completely comprehensible. Lack of sleep and a currently grumpy Jasmine has frazzled me a bit and my brain doesn't seem to be working. I know it's silly, but I'm kind of stressed out that I didn't get this post up on Thursday - as it's just gone midnight now. Really it shouldn't matter in the scheme of things, and no doubt I'll (hopefully) forget all about it tomorrow, after the post is up anyway!)

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 11, 12, 13 & 14!

It's been a few crazy days around here, so I have four days of LSNED lessons to catch up on! Here goes:

Day 11 - I learned today that you spend 40 minutes a day blind! In my case that would probably be more if you count the minutes when I'm not wearing my glasses. LOL It's called "Saccadic masking" - our brain creating a "mask" or illusion so that we don't get motion blur from when our eyes are moving around. This is also called the "stopped-clock illusion", when the first second on a clock after you turn to look at it appears to take longer than all the other seconds. Check out the video here.

Useless trivia or cool scientific fact?!? LOL

Day 12 - I learned that with the current routine I'm in (feed bubby, put bubby to sleep, eat something, sit down to rest for a teeny bit, bubby wakes, change nappy - repeat sequence), some days there just really isn't that much to learn. :/

Day 13 - I've been reading through SmartphOWNED, Memestache and Taste of Awesome and consequently I've learned a whole bunch of new slang words (in addition to being thoroughly entertained). Not that I'd use them in normal conversation, but they're interesting to know!

Day 14 - I learned that you can buy awesome things like Lego cameras, Star Wars ice trays or these Mood Mugs, as opposed to "what-on-earth?!?" items like Mantyhose (pantyhose for guys?!?), bacon flavoured toothpaste, or a toilet mug! What will they think of next?!?! LOL

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 10

We finally used up all the Huggies Newborn size nappies yesterday and started using some Aldi Infant ones as there is a bit of a gap with the Huggies ones from Newborn (up to 5kg) to Crawler (6-11kg) size (plus they're a bit cheaper than Huggies!). The Aldi ones have nothing printed on them whatsoever and I realised today that I miss seeing the wetness indicator strip on the Huggies nappies (I also miss the really cute Pooh Bear graphics, but that's another story altogether. LOL). And that brings me to today's lesson: I found out that the wetness indicator strip only appears on the Newborn nappies and none of the other sizes. Darn - that's a good invention as it means I don't have to go rooting around in her nappy to see how wet it is! LOL

Finding out all these small things about baby products is quite amusing. Never in my life would I have imagined making such a fuss over a nappy "wetness indicator". LOL

Have you learned anything amusing lately or is there something in your life that you find amusing right now?

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 9

Thank you Monika & Sian for your lovely comments and great encouragement after my post and awful day yesterday. It means so much to me and I'm glad it's normal to feel awful some days! Today was much, much better and I learned quite a few things today. :D

* I learned today that the same situation can turn out to be a hugely different experience for different people. I went to the first New Parents group meet today and we talked about our birth experiences. Each and every story was different and unique - some went through absolute nightmare labours, while others had a totally trouble free labour (like mine).

* I learned today that it IS possible for me to go out alone with bubby (further than just a walk up the road) and not run into disaster upon disaster! In fact nothing much happened at all except for the fact that I actually ENJOYED the experience!!! Getting her in and out of the car and to each destination wasn't a problem, even in the rain! And just the two of us having lunch? Awesome! :D

* I learned today that a cute baby really does draw lots of comments from other people. LOL

* I learned today that I really should learn more about the equipment I'm using. My mobile phone has two cameras - one in front and one in back. Little did I know that the front one is used more for video conferencing and thus doesn't take good pictures at all. :( I ended up with only two usable photos (the one above being one of them). After complaining about the terrible photos to hubby, who then explained WHY they were terrible, I then remembered that our point and shoot camera was in the backpack I was carrying with me. DOH!!

What a very fruitful day of learning! Maybe I should store some up of those lessons for those days when I don't learn anything. LOL Have you learned anything noteworthy today?

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 7 & 8

Source: xruamariex on DeviantArt

Day 7 - Today I learned (but not yet accepted!) that no matter how frustrated I get, circumstances are not going to change or things aren't going to get done if I just sit around hoping and wishing!

Winnie, PROCRASTINATION is thy middle name!

Source: dailyclipart.net

Day 8 - dealing with a non-stop screaming baby really does take a lot out of me. I'm soooo exhausted. :( (edited) I really can find something to be thankful for, no matter how bad my day may have been (see today's Thankful Thursday post).

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 6

My first day at home alone with bubby again as Gus is back to work. I discovered today that it IS possible to cook something for dinner whilst looking after Jasmine by myself! A definite and much needed self-esteem booster.

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 5

We took the dogs to get their annual vaccinations today, and I learned that a new way of giving the Kennel Cough vaccination is now being used. The vaccination is squirted up the dog's nostril instead of being injected via a needle. Apparently it works better this way as it protects the dog more from Kennel Cough bacteria which can often enter via the nose.

So there you go! Even animal science is moving forward in leaps and bounds! :D

*hugs*

LSNED - Day 3 & 4

Yesterday we headed down to Sydney and I was just too exhausted when we got back home to post what I'd learned! It was a very long and tiring day.

However, yesterday I was reminded that in marriage, self-sacrifice works both ways and can be small - like giving up the perfectly cooked sunny-side up egg and eating the ugly looking, messy egg at breakfast - or big - like enduring a whole afternoon with your wife's family and relatives when you have no idea what they're talking about because you don't speak Cantonese!

Today I have been no less exhausted unfortunately (in fact all three of us have been very tired and sleepy for some reason), but thankfully we had a whole day at home to do absolutely nothing but rest. Or try to! There was still something to learn today though, and that was the fact that Jasmine's very bowed legs and slightly turned feet are actually quite normal! I thought it was a genetic or racial trait as I have bowed legs too, like a lot of Asians! Whether or not her legs will straighten out will remain to be seen. Regardless though, I'm sure she will still be a tall girl like her mummy - her legs are already so long!!

Wonder what lesson tomorrow will bring? :D

*hugs*



PS. Sorry for the lack of photos. I have them, but it just seems like a bit too much effort today to download and prepare them for uploading to the web. With the way I'm feeling at the moment there's a huge possibility I might upload the wrong photo anyway!! LOL Maybe I'll make it up tomorrow. :D

LSNED - Day 2

It's great to see some of you participating in this month long class. Hope you've been looking out for lots of things to learn!

Today I learned (or more to the point, the lesson was very much reinforced) that when you have a baby, schedules, plans and "on time" no longer exist! Everything revolves around baby's feed time and right now, that's anytime between 3.5-5hrs. It takes immense planning to be somewhere at a certain time and trying to figure out if that time coincides with a feed or if we have to work around/between two feeds. The annoying thing is that it takes so long to feed, so an hour at the very least has to be taken into account when planning where to be and when. However, when we do spend the extra minute or so calculating our day, everything more or less works out to plan and it's smooth sailing for the whole day.

Are you as bound by time as we seem to be? Or are you still free to flit about the day without any regard to what time of day it is?

*hugs*

Learn Something New Everyday

Shimelle's annual class for September, Learn Something New Everyday, started today. I did attempt this last year (LSNED 2010), but lost momentum by the third week. I'm not optimistic that I'll get very far this year either, especially with little Jasmine now on the scene, but I'll try and do as much as I can. For now I'll keep my learning to blog posts, but maybe one day I'll get my act together and make a mini-album. :D Or maybe I'll do it all digital...we'll see. With Gus back at work from next week, time is going to be very precious.

So what did I learn today?

Today I learned that due to Government incompetence, I may not be eligible for government assistance unless I give my baby up for adoption!

Major *FAIL* by the Australian Government.

I have read and re-read the question a million times. If I have it wrong, please let me know!! I think someone needs to review this form. Mind you, like most government forms, it is so complex and confusing in the first place that I seriously doubt anyone in Government administration can figure it out any more than the general public!

So that, with much sarcasm and shaking of the head, is what I learned today! LOL

Are you participating in this class too? Let me know as I'd love to see what you're learning every day!

*hugs*

LSNED Week 2 Summary

Here's a summary of all the things I've learnt in the past week of the LSNED project. As always click on the photos to get a better look. Find out about the LSNED project here.


Monday, 6 September 2010

The image you *think* you project to the world may not necessarily be the image that people see.

I had an interesting conversation with a work colleague today that had me realise the image I was projecting at work wasn't necessarily the image that some people saw of me. It was a bit of a shock to the system to know my image was now "tarnished". LOL But maybe that's a good thing that this colleague saw a bit of the "real me". I'm not sure I will open up completely, but at least with him, I can relax my guard a bit?!? Who knows?


Tuesday, 7 September 2010

Severe PMS should not be taken lightly.

I suffer badly from PMS. Not just the emotional symptoms but the debilitating psychological and physical symptoms too. Cramps, tiredness/lethargy, aches and pains, headaches etc. Maybe I need help if it's this severe? Hiding away once a month might not be the perfect solution, but it helps. LOL


Wednesday, 8 September 2010

Check all settings on the camera BEFORE taking photos.

I was playing around with my new macro lens when I noticed a symbol I hadn't seen before on the camera display.

Puzzled Winnie: What's this symbol mean, Gus?

Stricken Gus: Uh oh. That's the manual white balance.

More Puzzled Winnie: Erm . . . why is it on manual white balance and what effect will that have on the gazillion photos I just took?

Sheepish Gus: I was playing with the camera last night and set the manual white balance for indoors. It means all your photos will have a blue tinge.

Anguished Winnie: You're kidding, right!?! Tell me it can be fixed?!?!

Sad Gus: Um . . . no, it can't be fixed because the camera wasn't set up to take RAW photos so I can't really fix the photos.

Gobsmacked Winnie: ..........


Thursday, 9 September 2010

READ ALL DIALOGUE BOXES CAREFULLY BEFORE CLICKING THE "OK" BUTTON!!!!!!

Thank goodness I married an IT guy who has the foresight to create numerous back-ups of all our data as I managed to delete whole folders off our computer AND my laptop. Twice. Sigh.


Friday, 10 September 2010

An achievement no matter how small is still an achievement.

I managed to complete my very first digi layout COMPLETELY IN PHOTOSHOP!!! This is exciting for me as I've previously used a programme called Scrapbook Factory. It's a great programme but a little limited in what it can do. I've picked up a lot of knowledge of Photoshop through various readings, but just hadn't sat myself down to play with it yet. I did so today and managed to create THIS layout, so I was pretty chuffed! :D


Saturday, 11 September 2010

Sometimes the most pleasurable things in life are free.

A gorgeously sunny and cloudless, mild early spring day.

New shoots on trees that have been bare all autumn/winter.

Relaxing in our very own "holiday house".

Playing with the dogs and enjoying a nap in the sun WITHOUT the prying eyes of neighbours on all sides.

Going for an exploratory walk with the dogs along some fire trails close to home.

All the above on one day?!?

PRICELESS!!! :D LOL


Sunday, 12 September 2010

Some things definitely are just as good, if not better, the second time around.

I saw Wicked again today. Even though there were two different actors playing the lead roles, it was still as awesome as the first time. Not quite as magical, but only because I knew what was going to happen next. I still loved the music, I still loved the costumes and I still loved the story. What more could I ask for?

Erm. Perhaps seeing it AGAIN in two weeks time?!? LOL


That's the wrap-up for the second week of September. Did you learn as much as I did?!? :D Come back next Sunday for a wrap-up of the lessons learnt in Week 3. Hopefully I will have put all the lessons into a mini-album by then!! :D

*hugs*

LSNED 4 Day Wrap-up!

Thursday 2 September 2010
Cloudy and/or wet days need not be miserable. I never realised that sitting around watching the clouds roll in over the hill from the other side of the valley could be so relaxing! I always thought mists were mysteriously beautiful, but now I realise that there's also something peaceful about the swirling currents of air - despite the fact that it's always moving, eternally changing before your very eyes.

Friday 3 September 2010
Driving whilst tired is not advisable.

Driving whilst tired AND trying to eat a McFlurry is not advisable.

Driving whilst tired and trying to eat a McFlurry AND in fairly heavy traffic is not advisable.

Driving whilst tired and trying to eat a McFlurry and in fairly heavy traffic AND in bad weather is not advisable.

Driving whilst tired and trying to eat a McFlurry and in fairly heavy traffic and in bad weather AND taking a photo of it all on a mobile phone IS DEFINITELY NOT ADVISABLE!!!!!

I did eventually make it home safe and sound without incident. Lesson learned. Will not attempt this again.


Saturday 4 September 2010
I complain that I'm not a baker. In a moment of calm rationalisation, I realise that I just need to practice. Practice, practice and practice.

I have to say that these Cake Pops didn't turn out too badly for my first attempt. Not perfect looking, but perfectly edible! :D


Sunday 5 September 2010
My Cantonese is in a severe state of disrepair if the confused looks and umpteen corrections from my parents and SIL today are anything to go by. I'm definitely losing it from lack of use. :( I think I need to buy this:

(Yes, I do realise that this is the Mandarin version.  Anyone know if there's a Cantonese version out there?!?)

Stay tuned for LSNED posts or huge updates!!

*hugs*

Learn Something New Every Day

Shimelle's online course Learn Something New Every Day (LSNED) started yesterday (and of course I'm already one day behind!! I blame it on the time difference. :P ). I'm not quite sure what I'm in for, but I hope it will be fun and insightful!

I'm actually a bit confused as to what I'm supposed to be doing, but I don't think that there is a right or wrong way to do this. I guess I just have to document something that I've learned on each of the 30 days in September. No doubt this will be very enlightening! It will also follow on from what I've learned through completing a few of the Big Picture Scrapbooking courses in that I very rarely scrap about something that's important or scrap a special story/memory. Doing LSNED will hopefully change that!

What did I learn on this first day? I learned (well, more like had the fact confirmed) that relationships are hard work.

(Copyright pupazzoso from DeviantArt)
(Yes, it IS Elphaba and Glinda from Wicked.  hee hee)

Some relationships happen naturally and are smooth sailing all the way, but others you really need to work at. If one side of the relationship is more needy or more selfish than the other side, then it becomes even harder. I've been on both sides of the coin and neither side is very pleasant.

In the end, is it all worth the pain and agony? Is the relationship worth saving if it's that hard to maintain? Or you just let go and move on?

What do you think?

*hugs*