Carnival of Family Life in Australia

G’day from Down Under to all you Family Lifers.

Australia began as a penal settlement -
a place where convicts were transported for the natural term of their life – a place where they could start a new family if they were lucky. Seems almost appropriate to have the
Carnival of Family Life here.

Since it’s move to the mainland and emergence into snowy cold winter (so perhaps it doesn’t snow where Colloquium lives but I’ve been to California in winter and it’s still darn cold!), The Carnival of Family Life is pining for the tropical shores of Hawaii. In an effort to induce a little healthy anti freeze, the Carnival has been packed off for some island recuperation in the South Pacific – to sunny and outback Australia.

Australians are a diverse and laid back mob (translation – easy going group). Their language is bazaar (known as slanguage) and their penchant for outdoor barbies (translation – barbeque) makes every day down under a 4th of July celebration.

But what about family life in Australia? Do they care about family? Do they live in houses like we do? Do they all ride kangaroos to school (pic is of me trying to hug a kangaroo – to see other animals in our neighbourhood visit our homeschool audit) and crocodiles to the shopping centre (translation – Mall). Yeah, yeah, settle down. We’re just like you. We may speak, spell and live in a different climate and culture but the Aussie value of mateship means that we are fiercely supportive of our families, mates (translation – friends) and cobbers (translation – people we meet). In fact, we love our kids so much that we especially divided Australia into  an easy to remember number of states so they could get top marks in Australian geography and citizenship (lol, America has soooo many states that even I can’t name them all). Did you know that Australia is the largest continent in the world, it is also an island (the second largest, after Greenland) and that the majority of the population lives on the south east coast of Australia? I live in the far north of the east coast, in Cairns, right on the Great Barrier Reef. Our life here is casual, family focused and out doors. While you guys in the northern hemisphere are currently freezing, we are sweating to death and have the air conditioners running. Our Christmas will be characterised by the smell of beach, mangoes, frangapannis and pineapples – umm, bliss.

I always begin my Carnivals with an honour post from the previous Carnival  host, in this case,  On the Horizon. Thank you for hosting last week and for passing the baton safely on to me.

So c’mon Aussie, c’mon, c’mon – get on with it will ya!

 Sue Bayliss (from Spasmodic Dysphonia), an Aussie Grandma who also just happens to be my Mum, wants to take you guys on A Two Day Country Drive ,through the outback, to begin your tour of the Carnival of Family Life. Look out for the pot holes and kangaroos!

zamejias quietly whispers Screamless Parenting to us posted at crizematt.

Marjorie buckets out her frustration with those who just don’t understand in Bucket-Free posted at Life Without School . This is a really lovely community blog. 

sara serves us shopping with kids fun over at the fiveberries in texas counter.

SuburbanOblivion cleans up with Sometimes They Need Reminding lying in bed over at Suburban Oblivion, saying, “Humor post.” Humour indeed – I LOVED IT! 

Marn presents some Lessons Learned, nicely remade over at at Homelife. Hello there Marn, I see you over in the Philippines [Megan waves and beckons Marn for a visit and cuppa].

And on her other blog, Marn presents A wife’s purpose and more posted at I am for Eternity. This raised a lump in my throat Marn – sad but beautiful.

Christine presents Vin Chaud – Hot Wine posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France, saying, “Bring a little bit of France home for the holidays with this traditional French favorite, vin chaud (hot wine). Enjoy the holidays!” This is a cosmopolitan edition of Family Life isn’t it! G’day from Australia Christine.

Rose presents Check Your Child’s Toybox for Lead over at Learning at Home, saying, “Before you wrap those presents, check to make sure you didn’t purchase a lifetime of lead-exposure learning problems. Lead-exposure learning disabilities are preventable.” Child safety is an issue close to my heart. If you think it is just Curious George who has a lead problem, check Rose’s list.

GP presents an ecological sustainable and healthy, The Apple of My Eye, posted at Innside Montana-Your Home at the Range. In Aussie slanguage, “she’ll be apples mate,” means that all will be good. GP, apples mate, apples. I would love to take my kids for a weekend stay at your place.

Jenny presents Baby Showers posted at the so called me. Jenny I had to laugh. I really must be down under and all upside down. We had the baby showers in reverse. First two had no showers, we had a small shower for the third one and the day before the forth (and LAST!) one was born my friends threw the most amazing shower I have ever been to!

Sagar presents Top 50 Websites for Awesome Travel Deals. Fly over to Travelhacker for all manner of holiday and travel tips with the tots. Wherever you go, just remember, safety is in your hands.

Melitsa presents Waiting for Preschool play activity posted at Play-Activities.com, saying, “finding new ways to play and have fun.” This is a really beautiful site, full of great play ideas for all ages but particularly the little ones.

Lisa Mitchell presents My Pregnancy: Baby’s Arrival delivered at Let’s Talk Babies.

Yazan Manasrah presents Uncluttering your mind  posted at The Blasted Crossing, saying, “Want to find out how to gain the focus and mental energy to accomplish the daily tasks you must do?” Oh yes please! I’ll be printing this one out!

Cathy presents The Cosmic Wheel of Kindness…Pass It On! at Joy Thru Generosity , saying, “This idea of passing on a “token of kindness” began as a unique way for people to reach out and connect with others. In recognition of random acts of kindness, a “token” is passed on to someone as they perform a kind act. This sets the “cosmic wheel of kindness” into motion, as tokens are passed on endlessly! Whenever someone performs an act of kindness hand them a token.” Give these guys a token Stumbleupon green thumbs up as a way to start your blogosperic tokens of kindness.

While sitting at THE HEALTHY LIVING LOUNGE, Carole Fogarty (another Aussie) presents The one and only zen gift to give your children. She says, “This will offer a helpful guiding path through any confusing, unsure or turbulent times for your children and carry them through to adulthood.”

Susan drives home  Hit the Open Road With a Free Car and Tank of Gas at The Innovative Traveler, saying, “Go on a road trip without the expense of renting, or owning, a car.” Love this idea Susan – it’s environmentally friendly too.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents My Family Needs Me (Limerick and Video) at the fantastically named Mad Kane’s Political Madness.

Christine presents Is Homeschooling Right For Your Family? over at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France. She offers us, “One families experience with homeschooling. When it was right. When it wasn’t.”

Jeniffer presents 10 Tips For Putting On A Birthday Party For A Child  at her thethirtydayyear.com, saying, “Here are ten tips to help make your child’s next birthday party a success”

Laura washes up it’s my dirty job posted at Adventures in Juggling. This is a great post to give to young couples, wanting to conceive. Genetic considerations are so important. I wish Holly, and baby, all the best.

Char Polanosky presents Clutter Free Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List  at Casual Keystrokes, saying, “How many times have you receive a gift that you knew was going to be added to your clutter collection? I’ve compiled a list of great clutter free gift ideas for everyone on your list!”

WhatWorksForUs presents Lightapalooza – Cast Your Vote posted at What Works For Us.

Kerri Aldrich presents Being Thankful  posted at marriageactually.com.

Abel Cheng presents Unique Christmas Gift Ideas for Men (and Husbands) over at Parent Wonder. Hi Abel. Nice to see so many of us Southern Hemisphere bloggers in the Carnival of Family Life.

Loraine Lawson presents Quick Tip: Christmas Lights and Coco at Time for Family, saying, “Want an easy, low-stress family tradition for the holidays? That’s right – I said “easy, low-stress” and “family tradition” in the same sentence.” WOW – got to try this!

Amy S Quinn presents 27 Creative Ways to Keep Kids Entertained While Flying at Travelhacker.

The Career Counselor presents The Top Ten Companies for Working Moms and How to Negotiate Better Family-Friendly Benefits  posted at ask the CareerCounselor, saying, “Although there are undoubtedly many companies still stuck in the dark ages of work-family balance, many employers are shifting toward a more positive attitude regarding extended maternity leave or extended time off for child care. More and more businesses are putting up quite a fight to hang onto valuable female employees and executives. These efforts include a range of clever time-management and career development options. For example, many employer programs offer women the opportunity to “phase back” into work after leave, perhaps working only a few hours a day at the start and then working towards a normal full-time schedule. Other companies provide extended maternity leave or child-care leave, coupled with opportunities to stay up to date in their field such as free training classes and networking events.”

Eugene Varnado presents Spiderman: The Next Generation at The Chronicles of Roosevelt Franklin

Dawn presents One of those moms… posted at Mama’s Coffee Break, saying, “This is my first time entering one of these carnivals, I hope this is ok. Just a post on how I’ve become a mom with no life outside my kids.” Welcome to the Carnival of Family Life Dawn. We hope to see you back here each week – and you do have a life outside the kids, a virtual blog life along with all of us.

Aparna presents Fenugreek (methi) for health and beauty  posted at Beauty and Personality Grooming, saying, “Use a lot of fenugreek (methi) in your culinary preparations. Why? For the simple reason that it is so healthy. This wonder herb, a very popular vegetable in the Indian cuisine is nature’s boon to mankind. Besides, it is so appetizing, light and dry. Rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus and iron in their natural forms, its mineral and vitamin contents are also very high and this is easily assimilated by our body.”

James DeLelys presents Cherished Moments (a day with our Dad) posted at Healing through words, saying, “A complete family.” Truly lovely. Thank you James.

Matt M presents Dogs & Children Activities posted at The Pet Haven, saying, “Tips about dogs and children playing together.”

Debora Silkotch presents O Christmas Tree posted at Ramblings, saying, “Plant a living tree!” I could not agree more. I have long failed to understand why we chop trees down for Christmas when our environment is screaming for ways to reduce the carbon footprint. I’ll be planting, not chopping.

Mandy presents Teaching Math Using Exercise posted at Building Blocks Blog. I love to see the teachable moment being utilised rather than wasted. Great idea Mandy.

Karen Weideman presents Frugal Friday 33: Saving Money on Christmas posted at Thrifty Mommy, saying, “For many, Christmas is a favorite time of the year. Unfortunately, many times it can be the most stressful. Here are 30 ways to help you save time and money, and avoid unnecessary stress.”

Sheila Scarborough presents Video of the week: Colonial Williamsburg posted at Family Travel: See The World With Your Kids, saying, “My first experience with a video blog post, taken on Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg, VA on a family trip. Lesson for others? Just get a disposable video camera and give it a shot!”

HowToMe presents How to Make Natural Christmas Ornaments posted at HowToMe, saying, “Decorating for Christmas doesn’t have to be expensive. Making one’s own Christmas ornaments is a frugal and memorable way to deck the halls and enjoy the season.

Alvaro Fernandez presents Robert Emmons on the Positive Psychology of Gratitude posted at SharpBrains, saying, “can we enhance our happiness and health by nurturing gratitude?”

Stephanie presents Mini Bread Pan posted at Stop the Ride!, saying, “A great tool for making homemade gifts for the holidays.”

Tiffany Washko presents BPA and Glass Baby Bottles – Siliskin and Wee Go posted at Natural Family Living Blog.

An Ordinary Mom presents Guilty As Charged posted at An Ordinary Mom .

Jaimie presents No One Told Me This Stuff In Parenting School posted at Hug Twice, saying, “Thanks for hosting in Australia!” You are most welcome and here’s two hugs for you Hug Twice: xoxo

paidtwice presents Raising Financially Responsible Children posted at I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

Summer presents Santa Won’t Be Stopping Here posted at Wired For Noise.

Chief Family Officer presents Not everyone is meant to be a stay-at-home parent posted at CFO: Chief Family Officer.

Terri Mauro presents How Would You Improve Your Pediatric Experience? posted at About Parenting Special Needs.

Kate Baggott presents The Generous December Group Writing Project posted at Babylune, saying, “Does your family support one cause, one charity with care and kindness each December? If so, write about it on your blog between December 1st and 19th and submit the link to Babylune. You could win a donation to the charity of your choice in your name.” Thanks Lune. I’m going to partake in this philanthropic project.

Julie Heath – More4kids Inc. presents A Typical Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Mom  posted at More4kids .

Stephanie presents Be Rewarded for Shopping posted at Unclaimed Money, saying, “Earn rewards for the shopping you need to do!”

zamejias presents I Love You, Honey posted at Verb.

Dr. Hal presents Help-How Do Parents Stop Thinking About Their Children? posted at North Star Mental Fitness Blog.

Jennifer in OR presents You Know the Holidays are Here  posted at Diary of 1, saying, “It just isn’t Christmas without my egg nog!”

Dana presents Spanking and abuse posted at Principled Discovery. An interesting range of responses have been left to Dana’s post. Where do you all stand – is spanking abuse and does the state need a law against it? This is a debate that is raised again and again in my professional circles and that is oft mentioned over in our Safety Talk forum. Dana presents a balanced version of an emotive topic. And…Dana is a little bit Aussie too.

Warren Wong presents How To Wake Up Without An Alarm Clock  posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Tips on how to wake up without an alarm clock and feel refreshed.”

Jenny presents New Family Member Coming posted at the so called me.

Micellaneous Mum presents My son – the portable mannequin posted at Miscellaneous Adventures of an Aussie Mum, saying, “Everyone loves dress-ups!” He’s very handsome Karen…lol…that’ll be a great pic to pull out on the day he wins Australian Iron Man.

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents The Proven Power of Gratitude posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, “In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. Here’s a story of how our two-year-old responded to our new family tradition.”

Seabird presents Art and how to hang it posted at SeaBird Chronicles, saying, “An economical and easy way to hang the art you and/or your kids create!”

Lisa Lamb presents The Girly-Girl posted at The Loony Bin: Outrageous but True.

Robert Bach presents NICU Glance posted at Kintropy In Action .

Summer presents Hot Cocoa Treats posted Mom Is Teaching, saying, “A yummy cold weather treat!” I just cannot get my head around how cold you all must be…..watermelon juice or frozen mango anyone?

Silicon Valley Blogger presents 15 Cleverly Cheap Ways To Watch Your Hygiene  posted at The Digerati Life, saying, “Here are some tips on keeping our families clean!”

If you are looking for some different carnivals to submit to, why not do a Aussiecentric post and submit to the Carnival of Australia. Or, just to prove how seriously Australians take family values and how much we love our kids, I’m hosting the Carnival Against Child Abuse here on December 14. Then there’s the ever popular All Women Blogging Carnival. I regularly host and I love the Aussie facilitator, Leigh from All for Women. C’mon Aussie, c’mon, c’mon.

What ever new Carnivals you may choose to participate in,
DO NOT forget to get your posts in for next weeks
Carnival of Family Life
over at the so called me. Submit here.

 

and hooroo (translation – good bye)

from the ultra warm me in Australia!

 

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