For a while I thought Spring is coming soon. But just when I was thinking that, temperatures started to dip down again. And then up and down. Well, at least it’s a good sign that Spring is indeed just around the corner. But an outdoor fireplace would still be needed to do some night time barbecue or other similar activities. Well we don’t have one. So we’ll just have to wait a little bit more.

Have you ever looked your kid in the eye to tell them that you need to throw or give away some of his/her old toys? It is not the best position a parent would like to be in. Kids just seem to have some special attachment even to old and sometimes even unused toys. Be they toy spy gadgets that came in free from a fastfood chain, or be they some gift from a now-unknown giver, it is just not easy to let go. I had to go through this experience the past weekend. Well, we were only able to put away a few (almost negligble amount). We’ll give it another go one of these days.

As we are about to close the seventh month of the year, I am reminded of the fact that the holiday season is really just around the corner. And to avoid all the rush, I have learned to prepare early by stocking up on some goodies to send back home or even to prepare holiday greeting photo cards. The idea is to have small and almost negligible preparations or purchases. In that way, I could enjoy things more when the season comes.

I recently opened our old laptop to have a look at the files which need to be transferred or backed up. I was quick to find some old photos which brought back great memories from the early days of our family. It is not the best computer in the house but even with it’s limited laptop memory, it carries with it valuable treasures including our kids’ photos. Of course, I promptly moved these to another machine to make sure that these files are kept in safe place.

A couple of weeks ago while walking in a shopping mall, we were given some household item freebies. A new dishwashing tablet dubbed as having standards that of diamonds was launched. It was quite pricey and that perhaps was exactly what the campaign was all about. Was I convinced to spend a little more after the try-out. Sadly, the answer is no. Though I’m not really complaining in getting my freebie.

One time the kids left the television running unattended. It is then that I noticed a short program about how language has evolved. I could only agree as today’s kids are probably faced with another version of English. Talk about sms or text message shortcuts or even code-like messages such as ‘gr8′, ‘col m3′, detoxufree72 and so on. I wonder if getting a smart phone with full QWERTY keyboard will fix this.

It is common thinking that is good to train children to be street smart. But with today’s culture and technology, I think it does not hurt to get kids early on to learn about ‘the fine print’. The fine print is just everywhere nowadays. Software agreements, contracts, life insurance terms and definitions, and retail promotions. And as fine prints are, in several cases, as important (or more important) than the large print, it is certainly something you do not want to miss out.

Up on television next week is the final week of MasterChef Australia. It sure is something to watch for. At the same time, it is something to be missed when it is over. And as usual, after the food comes effort to lose it. Phentermine 37.5 and the likes are options. But television has something else in mind. I’m sure it won’t be long and The Biggest Loser will be back in the spotlight.

Over the past weekend, our eldest daughter went out to watch The Karate Kid with one of her buddies in school. Apparently (as I did not watch it myself), it has similar storyline to what I have watched when we were ‘younger’ as in just about the time my age was dealing with the best acne treatment. Having learned that, I probably would not go out of my way to see it in the cinema. Wait for the DVD? Perhaps.

The Hillsong Conference 2010 closed last night with a big celebration. The conference ran from July 5-9 at the Acer Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. The evening rallies were indeed a great blessing starting with Pastor Brian Houston in day 1. The following nights saw Ed Young, Judah Smith (whom we missed because of an earlier 4pm start). The last two nights were capped with back-to-back messages through Bishop TD Jakes. We are thankful to hear from the Lord through these ministers.

Of course, there was great praise and worship all throughout c/o the Hillsong team. Special guests were Tim Hughes, Israel Houghton, Nancy Beach, Christy & Nathan Nockels and (my daughter CN’s favourite) Kari Jobe. I especially liked the reggae version of Saviour King lead by Israel. The songs from the just released album A Beautiful Exchange were also great.

How I wish all my family and friends could have been with us to share the experience. For now, we just want to share these snapshots during the conference. Do visit livinginau.com for more!

A couple of weeks ago I went to one of the countries leading department store with the kids. It was just to pick up some free age spot removal cosmetic among other things. I really haven’t used it and am still unsure if i’ll ever use it. For now just seing my kids is enough to make me feel young and look young. I guess that works for most if not all moms like me.

Week one of the school holiday is finished. It was a very busy week for us with the kids doing play sessions with classmates. We also went to the Hillsong Conference in the evenings. Those were enough to put us straight to sleep without over the counter sleeping pill. It was a quick first week but we’re looking forward to the next one.

The MasterChef Australia took a big twist this week with the elimination of someone believed to be the favourite to win. The ouster of Marion led to a surge in online comments by the show’s followers apparently threatening to abandon support. I wonder if this translates to the fans abandoning love for food altogether thereby no longer threatened by diet pills side effects. Is this a prelude to the next season of Biggest Loser?

When you’re out and about doing activities which are not exciting for your kids, what do you do to keep them up and entertained? This would include situations when parents need to do something but have no choice but to tag the kids along. For us, the iPhone proved to be a good entertainer. We loaded it with heaps of free games and though it is in ‘play’ a lot of times, we didn’t really need to tap our iphone warranty for anything. It just kept going on and on and on. That also means, that whenever we need an entertainer, then we have something to tap on.

Last weekend, we bought a pack of carrots mainly for my kids’ pet guinea pigs. And surprise, surprise. That evening, I realised that I do not have carrots to be used for dinner! So, I had to ‘borrow’ from the guinea pigs. Of course I had to let the kids know how important it is to borrow from their pets as vegetables are important! Found it a good launchpad to do the healthy food talk as asking them to read about colon cleanse reviews is probably not yet in their interest. But yes, I borrowed from a guinea pig. Question is, do I need to pay them back?