Category: General

Personal reflections, life updates, and thoughtful posts from Nightwolf’s Den, sharing stories, insights, and moments that don’t fit neatly elsewhere.

Learn Something New–Week 1

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I signed up for Learn Something New over at Shimelle.com last year and just followed along with the prompts & I think I may have even blogged a few. This year I’m blogging daily & posting at the end of each week. No mini album for me cause I know I’ll never finish it. Blogging it is much more doable.

So here we go for 2012

My name is Caroline and today is the first of September 2012. The last big adventure of my life would
probably be falling pregnant and giving birth to my daughter Miss K. I was so unprepared for the whole rollercoaster ride of pregnancy and parenting.

Three people who have been great teachers in my life
* My mum who taught me to be a great mother by supporting me, showing me unconditional love and being there when I need her most.
* My gran who taught me you are never to old to have fun.
* My bestie Lisa who taught me to believe in myself no matter what.

I would really like to move forward in a more organised fashion. I need to get some routines in place to make this happen. AND they have to simple otherwise I won’t follow them for long.

Come into my home and you’ll see I live with someone who can be a bit messy. You’ll also notice we LOVE books.

I’m much more a planner than spontaneous. I have learnt I need lists. I seem to get more done when I have lists. I like to have everything planned before I start a project or hold an event.

I wrote a card to someone special, for no real reason, just to say thank you.

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An ‘ordinary’ day for me is up at 8, just pottering around home & playing with Miss K, checking Twitter & Facebook (probably a bit too much), taking lots of photos, surfing the net & watching TV of an evening then to bed about 10.30

So that’s week 1 of Learn Something New. Onto week 2…..

Review–Table of Plenty NoNo’s Bars

Can a kids snack be tasty & healthy? You bet it can! A lot of snacks marketed to kids are full of sugar so when I was asked to try Table of Plenty NoNo’s bars I jumped at the chance. The Mini Rice Cakes are super yum & healthy so I was hoping the NoNo’s bars would be the same. They are made of totally natural wholegrains and one bar contains less than 100 calories.

Berry Blast Web

I tried the Berry Blast NoNo’s first and was very pleasantly surprised. These are super yum. Lots of yummy dried pieces of cranberry.

Cocoa Crush Web

Miss K tried the Cocoa Crush NoNo’s and took a couple of bites then stole my Berry Blast one! The Cocoa Crush ones are not what I expected. They are nice and chocolaty but not too sweet.

So it’s a definite snack that will find it’s way into our trolley (that’s if our local supermarket stocks them)

Table of Plenty NoNo’s are available exclusively in Woolworths. RRP $4.25 per box.

Disclaimer: I received a box of Berry Blast & Cocoa Crush NoNo’s to try. All opinions are my own.

From the Den–What we’re reading

One of the great exhibitors I met at the Digital Parents Conference was Hardie Grant Egmont
I love books and I want to share this love of books with Miss K so jumped at the chance to review a couple of their books.

The first I picked up was

Winnie-the-Pooh ABC

I love Winnie-the-Pooh and so does Miss K so this was a given. It’s now one of her favourite books and she will happily sit down and point out the different things – especially Tigger (which makes Mummy very happy cause I luvs Tigger. And yes I know the Tigger song off by heart LOL). I’d love to get my hands on this one too.

the other book I picked up was

Numbers: A Child's First 1-2-3

This book is gorgeous! I love the vintage illustrations and how the book uses nursery rhyme characters to illustrate this cute counting book.

What is your favourite book for young children?

Things I know….

Joining in with Things I know this week

…the blogging world is an awesome place sometimes. So much support and love is being shown for those who are hurting or grieving.

…it’s also full of some amazing, inspiring people. I won’t name them, cause they know who they are Winking smile

…that as horrible as things are people can’t blame movies/video games/heavy metal music/role playing games for people going mental. This is a topic that really gets me ranty so I won’t continue Winking smile

… Tassie is an wicked place to live

…I hate being sick. vomiting is not nice. waking at 2am with terrible stomach pains sucks

… I love my hubby for putting up with me while I’ve been sick & for looking after Miss K

… that my footy team rocks! My NRL team not so much. BUT they both had a win tonight so great start to the weekend Open-mouthed smile

… i’m looking forward to taking part in the Blogging Olympics

… i’m also looking forward to taking part in the Sweet Shoppe Summer Games (I haven’t digi scrapped for awhile)

… I’ll be sleeping in not getting up early to watch the Olympic opening ceremony, it’ll be repeated later in the day I imagine.

… I really need to go to bed LOL Night all

What things do you know?

Review–The Jungle Bunch

Wanna know a secret? I really love watching kid’s movies, well more specifically, animated kids movies. Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Despicable Me, Fantasia, Go to Hell (oh wait, that’s not a kids film)…. the list goes on. And I’ve just added a new movie to the list – The Jungle Bunch.

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The Jungle Bunch is the story of Maurice (voiced by actor John Lithgow), the penguin who thinks he’s a tiger. Two penguins from Maurice’s home in Antarctica travel to the jungle in search of ‘The Great Tiger Warrior’ to save their village. Their search leads them to Maurice’s jungle home where they share their plight. Determined to help Maurice; his adopted son – a tiger fish named Junior; Fred the warthog convinced he lives in a musical; Batricia the bat afraid of the dark; Miguel the gorilla and Gilbert the tarsier afraid to leave his branch form a team and embark on an adventure.

The Jungle Bunch trailer

We enjoyed the movie and there’s lots of scenes adults will find just as funny as the kids. Miss K watched most of it, which is a pretty big thing as she hardly ever watches a whole movie.

The Jungle Bunch goes for 58mins and is available now on DVD. One lucky reader will a copy of The Jungle Bunch plus some other kid’s DVDs.

All you need to do to enter is answer the following question via the Rafflecopter below.

“What is your favourite kid’s movie?”

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be Here Now

eye-candy-andy-whitfield-12Andy Whitfield was an amazing Australian actor who many of us would have seen in the first season of the Starz show Spartacus. If you haven’t, check it out – there’s something for both the ladies & the men plus a fair bit of violence. He was also in All Saints, Packed to the Rafters & McLeod’s Daughters

Sadly Andy passed after an 18 month battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, aged 39. After his diagnosis Andy invited a camera to follow him throughout his journey as he explored both medical and alternative healing option in Australia, New Zealand and India. Led by the Academy Award® Nominated and multiple award winning filmmaker, Lilibet Foster, a camera followed Andy and his gorgeous family’s unfolding story, for over a year. Andy also filmed personal diaries and took photographs throughout his journey. Together with the support of Sam Maydew, producer, Andy’s manager and principal of talent management and production company, The Collective, who brought everyone together, the documentary has gotten to a certain point.
But this doco needs our help. They have created a Kickstarter project looking to fund the additional filming and editing needed to finish the film. For your contributions, you will not only be rewarded with amazing, limited edition and collector’s item gifts, but you will be helping to make Andy’s wish come true – to help or inspire others – because the plan is to distribute the completed film as widely as possible internationally.

Andy’s Spartacus co-star, and friend, Jai Courtney discusses the project in the video below along with a few sneak peaks of the film. Have tissues handy.

Please support this Kickstarter, even if it’s only $5. Let’s help make Andy’s wish come true. Let’s “Be Here Now” and live life in the present.

You can also follow the film’s progress on Facebook and Twitter

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation to this Kickstarter project. I’m just a huge fan of Andy’s and would love to see this story out there to help and inspire other.

The Tastes of Winter

This post is a Product Talk by Nuffnang. I was provided product to sample & review. All opinions herein are my own.

Ah winter, you have joined us with a vengeance this year, well at least in Tasmania. It’s been cold and windy, perfect weather for staying inside by the fire. One of my other favourite things in winter, apart from sitting by the fire, is a huge mug of steaming hot soup.

Homemade soup is a staple in our house each winter but when I can’t be bothered we often grabbed the single serve quick packet powdered soups for a warming lunch. My biggest concern with these is sometimes you really aren’t sure what’s in them. Enter Heinz with their new Squeeze and Stir soups.Heinz Squeeze & Stir soups Heinz Squeeze & Stir sachets are a thick and rich soup concentrate paste, and unlike powdered cup soups, are made from fresh ripe tomatoes. Heinz Squeeze & Stir is low in fat and contains no artificial colours, flavours and no preservatives.

We were sent the Rich Tomato with Basil and Ripe Tomato & Vegetables to try and it was a fight for who would try which flavour.

Squeeze & Stir set

Heinz Squeeze & Stir are super easy to prepare. Just squeeze into a mug, add boiling water, stir and if you’re like me, add a swirl of cream on top.

Squeeze & Stir 01Squeeze & Stir 02Verdict – I had Ripe Tomato & Vegetables and wasn’t sure what I would think. I’m a Big Red girl, just plain big red. This was a nice surprise. It had all the tomato flavour I expected plus an extra kick from the vegetable pieces. Hubby had the Rich Tomato with Basil. When I asked him what he thought, “it’s ok but not something I’d rush to buy”, was the answer. Hubby, for the record, isn’t a big fan of what he calls ‘fancy soups’ much preferring pumpkin, plain tomato, Chinese chicken & corn or potato & leek. If it’s homemade all the better. Meh, I tried a small bit & I though the touch of basil was a nice flavour. Miss K is a huge soup lover and I’m yet to find something she won’t eat (am yet to try her on Scottish broth – I don’t eat it or cook it so she’ll have to wait til my Mum makes it for Dad). She had a small amount of both and came back asking for seconds so I’ll call that a win!

Overall, I’m not sure if I’ll be adding these to our shopping any time soon. Maybe as a treat (or so I can try the Big Red one). They would great for chucking in your bag before work for a winter warmer at lunch or great for camping trips or even the footy (nothing beats watching sport in winter, rugged up and a hot mug of soup – unless it’s watching sport, inside, in front of a fire, with a hot mug of soup)

Heinz Squeeze & Stir will bring Australia’s number one wet soup flavour, Big Red Tomato*, along with Mediterranean Vegetable, Ripe Tomato & Vegetable and Rich Tomato with Basil into the convenient pack format. Individual Heinz Squeeze & Stir 70g sachets are now available for RRP$1.25 from all major supermarkets and independent retailers.

* Source: Nielsen Scan Data in Season 2011