~~~28~~~

Spent 7 hours in Manchester City Centre yesterday Xmas Shopping….Nearly all done…just one lil trip to the Trafford Centre should see it completed. It was so heavy carrying it all back to Piccadily train station….Im shattered. Managed to get the girls Clubland outfits sorted too…remind me never to take four 15 yr old clubbers to Afflecks Palace….Cost me a fortune !!!

Outraged!!

JAIL DRUG BILL SOARS TO £40M Taxpayers are paying nearly £40million a year for the treatment

TAXPAYERS…Yes…You and I… are paying nearly £40million a year to provide methadone and drug addiction treatment for convicted prisoners, according to new figures.The sum – paid for from NHS budgets – has spiralled since jails lost a court case after being sued by inmates.They claimed that being forced to go  “cold turkey” – to suddenly withdraw from drugs – was a breach of their human rights. This failture to provide medical care for withdrawal from drugs ended up with 200 prisoners each winning £4,000 in compensation.Heroin substitutes are now allowed by the Ministry of Justice. But the bill has rocketed from £8million in 2006/07 to last year’s £39.7million.

CHRISTMAS PARTY DRESS SQUEEZE

MANY women will buy a Christmas party dress one size too small this year – then fail to squeeze into it.A quarter of them admit using the ruse as an incentive to try to lose weight before over-indulging on festive treats.But only half of those will manage to slim down enough to get into their new purchase, while the other half will either leave it mouldering at the back of the wardrobe or take it back to the shop.The average woman splashes out £68 on a new dress to look her best at the office party, according to research commissioned by nutrition company ­Herbalife.Almost half have a target weight in mind to hit before December 25 and the average amount they want to lose is 11lb.Marketing director Gavin Aley said: “Often dieters set themselves unrealistic targets and this can have a negative impact, leaving them feeling as though they have failed.“Panic dieting in order to lose weight quickly for an event or special occasion can often be counter-productive in the long run. After a ‘crash’ diet like this, the bad eating habits inevitably creep back in and people often end up heavier than they were when they started.“The key is to take a long-term view and change all the bad behaviours that led to putting weight back on rather than just suppressing them for a short while.“If you lose weight gradually it will make it easier to keep the weight off.”According to the study of 4,000 women, a third of them always go on a diet before Christmas but only one in five keeps the weight off permanently.Forty per cent of those who did manage to fit into their new dress said they needed help with the zip. Of those who did not manage to squeeze themselves into the dress, only one in three bothered to take it back to the shop.Six out of 10 women said they wanted to lose weight to boost their confidence and 13 per cent said they were slimming to impress a man.The good news is that almost seven out of 10 women planned to lose weight through healthy eating and one in five said they would cut back on the booze.Eight in 10 reckon diets are more successful when they have something to aim for, such as the Christmas bash. But the average woman put on 7lb after reaching her desired weight.

Touching

Lingerie

After My Comments the Other Day Regarding Lingerie…Someone asked me what defined Nice Lingerie As opposed to nasty…I must stress…this is only MY opinion

Nasty

Nasty

No Thanks Luv

Ewwwwwwww

Naff

OMG….NOO!!!

Call Me A Cab

Nightmare Time

Much Better

Even Better

Perfect

Beautiful

And Guys…No No No !!!

Why Would You???

Aghhhhh

WTF !!!

Obviously Wants To Remain Single

Funny Mummy

Todays WTF !!

Youngest Moche noble

Two thousand years ago, a young man was buried in the royal mausoleum next to a huge and brightly decorated Moche pyramid, now known as the Huaca Rajada, at the site of Sipán. Studies have been conducted on this recent discovery that have determined his age at time of death to be just 21, making him the youngest Moche noble yet found.
This is the important conclusion of scientific analysis conducted by physical anthropologist Luis Millones, who in the past weeks has studied the tomb of the mysterious youngster, determining his age and nobility, surprising considering his contemporaries died in their 40s.
Luis Millones and team had known about the tomb at the Sipán site, location of one of world’s archaeology’s most impressive discoveries in the form of the Lord of Sipan, since 2005. But due to budget restrictions they had never been able to complete the excavation.
However, in June this year they were able to resume work and were very surprised by what they found. Since then, studies have been frantic and ongoing by excited experts.

Millones has taken bone samples from the skeleton’s right foot, which have been sent to a lab in the US where they will undergo DNA analysis and Carbon 14 dating to determine both the exact age and the degree to which the young Moche was related to those in other tombs at the famous site.
For now though, the remains of the young noble have been excavated and removed from the tomb to determine locally whether the bones show any signs of violence, or any other
Head of the Sipan site, Luis Chero Zurita, told reporters today that from the studies carried out so far, the team are ready to announce who they think the character was.

Based on the objects found in the tomb – two ceramic containers, two another owl-shaped ceramic items and a gold mask also of a owl – the team is lead to the conclusion that he served religious functions.

Speaking with a reporter from Peru’s El Comercio newspaper, he explained:

“Similar objects were found in tomb 14 of the warrior-priest, in which many details featuring owls are seen. There are other objects, like the tip of a metal club or spear, which also reveal that served military functions”.

Ecco una storia: la storia di un Angelo…

@ storybird.com

Hello Girls,

I wanted to show you what Mummy has been doing today.

Everyone is excited by different things in life. I am always excited to go on a date with HY, to be near her and to just be with the woman I love; I am always excited to partake in my mother’s cooking and it’s almost certain that I’ll finish every morsel of food; I am always excited to converse with my sister (when she’s not moody) because she’s like the best friend I’ve always had (and knowing her, she’d puke when she reads this because she has affection-phobia towards me).

So, what always excites you?

Nowadays, I get excited by learning something new about God and knowing something more about Him. I get excited about preaching because I think it’s something that stretches and challenges me in my competencies. (On that note, I really think that my “season” of worship leading is over, well sort of.) I get excited when I am mentoring someone and imparting what I know and have experienced to him or her. I get excited when I meet my mentors and to learn from their many life experiences and stories.

So, what excites you today?

I think it’s imperative that we all live for a purpose greater than ourselves. It would be pure drudgery for anyone to have to drag themselves out of bed each morning. We have to be internally motivated by goals and externally driven by actions to achieve all the dreams that are birthed in our hearts. There is no salary high enough that could ever satisfy a man if it doesn’t challenge, inspire or motivate him to take a step closer to his given destiny in life. This is why I’ve always aspired to live the mundane in an extraordinary fashion.

You and I are no different. We have similar struggles and have as many victories as setbacks. We get persecuted as much as we get praised. I’d like to think that my life is a fulfilling one because I choose to approach it that way. I refuse to live a life of mediocrity and settling for second-best (unless God specifically instructs me to do so). While life (on earth) is short, it is also the longest journey (on earth) that we will ever embark on. So let us learn to remind each other to live our lives for something, someone, some event greater than ourselves.

And to close a less serious note, I do enjoy very much (“get excited” is an exaggeration of this sentiment) when I make people laugh or when they laugh at my jokes – there’s a sense of gratification bringing joy, fun and laughter to someone’s day. This is one reason why I have baptised myself as Asher – which stands for “blessed, joyful, happy”. I also enjoy it very much when I pull off a stunt that people will remember. Presenting to HY her 22nd birthday gift was one; suddenly deciding to leave Shanghai was another; appearing for the No One Else was something that is etched in my heart forever.

And for the most recent one, it was great to pull off something so crazy in my trip to Shanghai last weekend. Man, the look on people’s faces – priceless. Lovely.

Je participe présentement au concours “Les momies” en cours sur le blog de Johan Troïanowski.

Voici mon entrée : 

C'est plus beau en plus gros !

Que le plus momifié gagne !

The post today is an excerpt from the MSN conversation I had with Mum this morning. I tell you what… major, major reality check…

Eva 님의 말:
allow
jp… 님의 말:
allow?
jp… 님의 말:
hello?
Eva 님의 말:
Good am..
jp… 님의 말:
good am?
jp… 님의 말:
hhahaha
Eva 님의 말:
Pilipino allow
jp… 님의 말:
ur english is so bad mum
jp… 님의 말:
oh really
jp… 님의 말:
haha
jp… 님의 말:
maganda umaga
Eva 님의 말:
I don’t know how to speach english?
jp… 님의 말:
haha
jp… 님의 말:
i dont know how to speak tagalog nemore either its ok
Eva 님의 말:
 hehehehehehehehe
Eva 님의 말:
u dont want to speack taga..
Eva 님의 말:
How’s the weather ther now??
jp… 님의 말:
of course… pachene naman walan pinoy dito
Eva 님의 말:
when r going to japan?
jp… 님의 말:
friday… cheap tickets!
Eva 님의 말:
did u talk ate fe??
jp… 님의 말:
no not yet… i will try to call her 2nite… wat language do i speak haha
jp… 님의 말:
i dont know much japanese
Eva 님의 말:
english, bec.ur tagalog is bad..
jp… 님의 말:
hahah
jp… 님의 말:
its not taht bad – i just need practice
Eva 님의 말:
so u get the no..?
jp… 님의 말:
i got it i will try to call her
Eva 님의 말:
okies..
jp… 님의 말:
is she working during the day?
Eva 님의 말:
did u know len already booked her ticket..feb
jp… 님의 말:
oh really
jp… 님의 말:
thats good
Eva 님의 말:
how long u will still stay there until May??
jp… 님의 말:
i think so
Eva 님의 말:
other 6 months not bad…
Eva 님의 말:
we will be back to Aus on Feb..for few days only..
jp… 님의 말:
oh really
jp… 님의 말:
will u bring the baby?
jp… 님의 말:
wen will u get the baby already!
Eva 님의 말:
many relative got Born again….15
jp… 님의 말:
oh really
Eva 님의 말:
But!!!!!!!!!!!!u know…
jp… 님의 말:
do i know them?
jp… 님의 말:
hahah
Eva 님의 말:
no..
Eva 님의 말:
u will know them when u get here..
Eva 님의 말:
bit hard…i have to pay the taxi to come to church and back home..
jp… 님의 말:
for them?
jp… 님의 말:
dont do that… just teach them to catch a bus
Eva 님의 말:
and give them to eat lunch and merinda and pocket money..etc….
Eva 님의 말:
the bus is 8 each But, the taxi 50.oo for 7people..
Eva 님의 말:
cheaper….
jp… 님의 말:
why do u pay? thats ridiculous… they have to take responsiblity
Eva 님의 말:
We do this for His Glory…
jp… 님의 말:
haha but they wont go to church if u go mum
jp… 님의 말:
its not real faith if they cant struggle to go to church
jp… 님의 말:
remember… i catch bus to church for ages
Eva 님의 말:
they are poor….they don’t even have food at the table everyday..
Eva 님의 말:
all kid not go to schools..
jp… 님의 말:
its not easy for them right
Eva 님의 말:
one cousin daughter she 16 not even finish elementary..
jp… 님의 말:
wow
jp… 님의 말:
thats really sad
jp… 님의 말:
nobody working?
Eva 님의 말:
if we’re in they shoes???
jp… 님의 말:
yeah its difficult… i still have to learn to be more compassionate
Eva 님의 말:
many relative 6,7 years old not going to schools..can’t even buy notebooks..
jp… 님의 말:
we have to help right… even if its a bit of money
Eva 님의 말:
very sadd.
Eva 님의 말:
Yes, so many works to do here..
jp… 님의 말:
its ok mum God is helping them now
Eva 님의 말:
even in my own relatives..
jp… 님의 말:
yah i know
Eva 님의 말:
in Australia everybody comfprtable…
Eva 님의 말:
i tell sometimes they sleep without food in the tommy..
jp… 님의 말:
yeah i dont experience that for a long time now
Eva 님의 말:
one t-shirt,
Eva 님의 말:
u never experience.
jp… 님의 말:
yeah i dont
jp… 님의 말:
its difficult for me to understand
jp… 님의 말:
im fat and always have food
Eva 님의 말:
BECAUSE U R BLESSED!!
Eva 님의 말:
U LOVE GOD WITH ALL UR HEART SOUL MIND..
Eva 님의 말:
I LOVE YOU…BE GOOD!!
Eva 님의 말:
SEE U VERY SOON..
Eva 님의 말:
MISSED U A LOTS..
jp… 님의 말:
love u mummy
Eva 님의 말:
BYE…
jp… 님의 말:
talk soon
Eva 님의 말:
PRAY FOR ME..
jp… 님의 말:
of course everyday mum
jp… 님의 말:
lov u

Like I couldnt get it through my thick head they CANT pay for a bus fare… I seriously never, ever will ever say I am hungry again… or I need a new shirt.

food for thought eh… actually hunger for thought.

I hated Vegetables, but what does it have to do with Affiliate Marketing?

When I was a young man of 10 years old, I was a rather playful boy, and without mention, I prefer toys or doodling over chores anytime, back then.

However, as talented as I was, my doodles were never really appreciated much by my late mum, partly because I chose the living room sofa as my canvas and in the end the only reward I’d receive were nagging words of lesson from Mummy, as I’d affectionately call her.

I remember how I used to tag along whenever she goes to the market and I especially look forward to when it’s time to buy the vegetables.

I have a confession to make — that I do not like greenies or vegetables, but I would always pull Mummy over to this particular stall, which was seen over by a middle aged lady, or whom I call Vegetable Lady, and buy our vegetables from her.

I would give all sorts of reasons like ‘this vegetable is so green and fresh’ or ‘let’s try this weird looking green stuffs, I think I’m going to love it’, and not give up until Mummy buys some.

Of course I end up not eating most of the vegetables, and knowing that I didn’t enjoy vegetables then why did I get Mummy to buy them?

I was rewarded by Vegetable Lady.

You see, back then, whenever Mummy bought vegetables, I would be given a sweet from the Vegetable Lady.

When you’re 10 years old, a sweet is a big reward!

I was being rewarded simply for getting Mummy to buy vegetables, and if you look closely within this story, this is Affiliate Marketing in its simplest form.

I was an affiliate marketer without even realising.

Here’s how an affiliate marketing equation would look like:

Customers buy Products that are promoted by Marketers, that are sold by Vendors. Vendors then give Marketers Commissions for helping them clinch the sale.

If we inserted my story into the equation:

Mummy buys Vegetables, that are promoted by Me, that are sold by Vegetable Lady. Vegetable Lady then gives Me Sweets for helping her clinch the sale.

Easy eh?

If you can relate to this story then I’m sure that the equation can relate to you at some point in your life as well.

You would also fully understand that to succeed as an affiliate marketer, you need to answer these questions before you can tackle the business head on successfully.

1. Do you have a trusted Vendor to partner with?

2. Do you have a workable Product to promote?

3. Do you have an attaractive marketing pages for Customers to view the products?

4. Can you convince the website viewers into clinching a sale and earning your Commisions?

5. And are You ready to commit time and dedicate energy into this newly found business?

Wow, big questions indeed.

These are the questions an Internet Marketer indulging in Affiliate Marketing needs to ask and convincingly have the answers to before venturing out into this work from home business model.

This is indeed an easy way for anyone to start earning money online.

No doubt Affiliate Marketing can be explained much more than within these pages, but hopefully my story is adequate enough an introduction as to what Affiliate Marketing is all about.

With plenty of dedication, hard work and smart marketing plans, your success is never too far behind.

Anyway, I suppose vegetables aren’t so bad after all.

———-

Author Bio: Mar is nowhere near the most successful internet marketing warrior but neither is he the worst ever. He holds a day job to spend his day working hard, plays games, like dota in the evening, and continuously markets stuffs online during most nights. He works hard trying to balance everything, so catch him at blog.mar.sg and say hi.

Well good gravee I am beginning to thinks that Mummy has sum sort of brane problem! No sooner does she sware off fostering cause of all her werk then she brings home this sorry lookin thang.

It is a gurl baby dawg that smells awfull jest like Dubby smelld awfull. Thats rite this dawg has The Manje!! Dont wurry it is the kind of manje that me and Star cannot get called demodeks.

Rosie wich iz this baby dawg iz obveeusly not all bawld like Dubby wuz but she iz way more skratchee. She skratches all the time and she haz to take lots and lots of medisin.

Mummy sez this is jest fer a very short wile cause Rosie iz a dawg wut iz called a Bawstun Terryer and unlike us pit bull dawgs they iz not reel commun in reskue howses and there iz a wating list fer reskue Bawstun Terryers. So Rosie will be gawn soon before she kin take away Mummys hart.

In uther nooz I have jest started takin alerjee shots!

I have so menny alerjees that I must take two shots at a time. But dont wurry it duznt hert.

I wuz a little bit nurvus at furst.

Daddy gived me the shot! Mummy wuz too skeered to do it.

Dun alreddy?? Well that wuznt so bad!

OK well Mummy sez she haves to go hurry bak to wurk so I gess that is all frum me fer a wile. But dont wurry I will makes Mummy halp me with my blog soon cause it is my burthday very very soon!!

Pee Ess Happy Turkey Day everybuddy!!

Tóc dài óng mượt thời con gái

Em đã dành cho con gái mình

Xuân nay uốn gọn tóc còn lại

Trên bốn mươi rồi em vẫn xinh

Đó là 4 câu thơ cậu viết tặng mẹ sau lần đầu tiên mẹ uốn tóc.

Hôm nay, cậu lại đưa mẹ đi làm tóc.

Số là lần trước xuống Linh Đàm chơi, cậu phát hiện ra một cửa hàng làm tóc ở tầng 1. Cậu đang có nhu cầu cắt tóc nên vào đó để cắt tóc.

Hôm trước cho Titi về chơi với ông bà ngoại, mẹ bảo: Chiều CN 2 giờ về dưới LĐ nhé, để cậu đưa mẹ đi làm đầu.

Hóa ra, cậu cắt tóc ở đó xong thì về thủ thỉ với mẹ là sẽ đưa mẹ đi làm đầu ở đó.

3 giờ chiều CN, cả nhà đi taxi về lại LĐ. Mình cho Titi ngủ còn cậu đưa mẹ đi làm đầu.

Lúc uốn tóc và chờ ngấm thuốc, mẹ lên nhà ngồi chờ, bắt cậu canh đồng hồ đến giờ thì bảo mẹ xuống

Mẹ nhắc lại chuyện ngày xưa: Ngày xưa lần đầu tiên mẹ làm đầu, về LN không cho mẹ bồng. Không biết chốc T iti có cho bà bồng không.

Mình thì vẫn nhớ như in cái hôm đó.

Mẹ tóc rất dài, thế mà hôm mình đi mẫu giáo về, thấy mẹ ngồi ở giường, tóc cắt ngắn, uốn xoăn tít. Cậu trêu mình: Có cô nào đến chơi nhà mình đấy.
Còn mình thì lầm lét, không biết có đúng là mẹ không =))
Mẹ bế không cho, không phải vì lạ mà vì mùi thuốc hắc xì )
Vậy mà cũng 20 năm rồi ý.

Thế rồi sau 3 tiếng thì mẹ cũng làm xong. Cũng vừa lúc mình nấu xong cơm tối với sự hỗ trợ của bà nội Titi. Cũng là lúc anh Kiên vừa về.

Trong lúc anh Kiên  tắm rửa, mình dọn cơm thì cậu … chụp ảnh cho mẹ. Bắt mẹ bế Titi chụp ảnh. Chụp mọi góc độ. Hahaa… Hai ông bà rất chi nhí nhố .

Mình thấy thật hạnh phúc

Và cũng bon chen chụp được một cái ảnh của mẹ

Bây giờ cậu phải nói là: Trên 60 rồi em vẫn xinh

Mummy  miss you so much!

You already 11 months yesterday, but when people see you they thought that you already 1 years ++. Means that you are quite big as compare to other babies. Daddy is so concerned about you putting on weight. He dont like the idea that you with big size of tummy, with chubby face. He wants you to be like mummy, eat a little but frequence. hmm … ok.. mummy agreed on that too.

Anyway, i will love you no matter what.. you are my baby…

Semua hasil jahitan tak sempat promo untuk dijual telah habis dibeli…

weekend baru ni takde hasil jahit menjahit sebab saya masuk hospital lagi… yer saya warded lagi..ahahah, senang cakap az-zahrah dan columbia asia tu kira rumah kedua sayalah…ahahah, KC cakap insyuran company leh bankrupt kalau dapat client macam saya ni…heheheh. sapalah yang nak sakit kan…takdir tuhan redha je lah.

walau apa yang melanda saya tetap mengepam untuk Aisyah…alhamdulillah, prestasi tidak menurun, masih cemerlang seperti biasa.

Welcome to Mid City Super Powered Community College. We provide an academic foundation to a Super Heroic future. But that future begins in our past…

In the summer of 1932, in the hot and dusty Valley of the King’s Favorite People (just a short 30 mile jaunt from the famous Valley of the Kings) an adventurer and archeologist named Doctor Harold Pherb discovered the tomb of a little know Pharaoh’s Assistant name Hepschepset. The tomb was crammed with books, scrolls and jars of what appeared to be some sort of strange scientific experiments. It didn’t take long to realize that Hepschepset was a brilliant man before his death 2500 years earlier.  His mummy lay entombed in his brilliantly adorned coffin…when they crackd that coffin open to inspect the body…Hepschepset jumped out screaming, curses and striking out at anything he could get his stiff hands on.  It turns out he had been performing some experiments on lightning, magical potions and a rare flower found only on the banks of nile when something went wrong and there was an explosion.  The ancient Egyptians thought that Hepschepset had been killed when in fact he had been rendered immortal yet stunned.  They mummified his body and buried it along with all his scientific experiments. When he woke he was in the coffin…and had been in there since. Sitting…waiting…hoping that he would some day be rescued.

Seventy years of intense therapy later…Hepschepset comes to MCSPCC as our resident historical expert.  Each student is privileged to learn about Earth history from 4000 BC through 1000 AD.  He also is co-chair of our scientific research department…though he doesn’t teach any public classes.

We love it when Grannie comes to visit. Things happen around the house. Most of these things are funny Grannie-isms. And we laugh a lot with her and because of her. But most of all we love it when Grannie comes to visit because Beatrice and Harry and Eleanor love it. Here are six classic tell-tale signs that Grannie is in the house:

1. Our teacups breed, and plan complex escapes. They’re everywhere! Grannie must consume her bodyweight in tea and coffee every day, because the damn cups are everywhere. Bathroom? Check. On the bookshelf next to a book about princesses? Check. Next to the telly? Check. Arranged along the windowsill in Grannie’s Room? Check, check and check again. They’re mighty clever, these teacups: they don’t plan their escapes without provisions. There’s always a quarter-cup of tea left in each and every one to avoid dehydration.
2. Food disappears from your plate. At its most extreme, and with the reactions of a cat and the stealth of an owl (are owls stealthy? I’ve met quite a few that are!), any meat product may be taken at any time. Vigilance is required. More cunning is the Food Taste, prior to dishing up. An excellent context. Of late, the Mine-Sweeping of finished plates stacked in the kitchen has resulted in more food for Grannie’s tummy and less food for us to sacrifice to the Compost God.
3. You know those people statues you get in city-centres? The ones who are usually sprayed gold or silver and spend ages not moving an inch? Well, whenever Grannie comes to stay and it is bedtime, one of these people statues appears on the sofa: a Grannie-statue. On special occasions there is a prop (teacup, of course, usually at least half-full). The one modification to the Grannie-statue is that whenever the phrases ‘are you asleep?’, ‘is it not time for bed?’, or ‘are you watching that?’ are uttered, the Grannie-statue jerks to full alertness, mutters something about ‘bed’ and ‘in a minute’, before drifting happily back off to the land of nod. She has yet to start asking for money…
4. At least one obligatorily inane conversation is held in the kitchen, which is either about a relative, a trivial observation about the house, Beatrice and Harry learning, or chicken.  We chuckle lots.
5. The ironing pile disappears. We particularly love this phenomenon. And it’s easy to explain, too: iron and ironing board out into lounge + latest Federer match located on TV, or failing this, the latest period drama = stuff ironed. Brilliant!
6. Most importantly of all, Beatrice, Harry and Eleanor are Happy Bouncy Bunnies. And that makes Jen and me Happy Bunnies, too. Eleanor is still taking a little time to become a Happy Bouncy Bunny, because whenever Grannie arrives and says “Hello, Eleanor”, Eleanor puts on her I Am Truly Unhappy Right Now face and bursts out crying. I think she’ll eventually get over herself. But Beatrice and Harry utterly love seeing Grannie. They love reading with her, and showing her how to play with their toys, and going for walks and just finding out about stuff.

Like I said, we love it when Grannie comes to visit. Things happen around the house. Beatrice and Harry have been staying at Grannie and Grandad’s this weekend, which has worked really well. They’re back now and Grannie’s staying for dinner. I’m off to protect my food, and Eleanor’s just started crying.

My mummy is a very considerate person. Er. Most of the time.

Anyway. Just want to share something that my mum does to make the life of random people easier, though they probably don’t realise/appreciate what she does.

She noticed that the rubbish collectors don’t use that bin-flipping thing on the rubbish truck that empties the bins for them. Instead, they manually reach into the bins and pluck out the bags of rubbish from in there. So imagine if people were to just throw their cans… and icky rubbish straight into the bins…

So anyway, to make their jobs easier. When ever my mum throws out the rubbish, she makes sure to tie the bags tightly and altogether (like if there’s 2 or more bags) so that when they pick up the rubbish the next day, they only have to reach into the bin once and everything comes out all together.

Okay. Random story over.

See people. Simple considerate things. Ho ho.

Notes from Motherhood is written by Anne, Mummy to Francesca, Molly and Benjamin. Anne is the BornFree™ Social Networking coordinator for the UK.

When we moved from the Big City to the Smaller One By The Sea 2 years ago I had no qualms at all. It was so comforting to know that we were doing the right thing for our 2 girls and moving them somewhere healthier and safer. However, one thing I did miss was my mummy network. I was used to taking the girls out everyday to playgroups, on play-dates, to the local park etc and we had a familiar routine which made us all happy. Moving to the new place had meant sacrificing all that to start again.

Soon after moving I discovered I was pregnant again and because I suffer from Hyperemesis (a debilitating disease which causes severe and constant sickness during pregnancy) I knew that I had to act fast to establish a support network before the illness took hold.  So I did some research and found a few local groups where I could take the girls.

I love taking my kids to baby and toddler groups. They provide an excellent venue for your children to let loose with other preschoolers and learn important social skills. For me, they can be a place to recharge my batteries when my energy levels and patience are running low or a vent to radiate positive vibes when things are going well. A new mum can compare notes with other first time mums, mums pregnant with number 2 can seek advice and reassurance from mothers with 2 or more on how to cope with a newborn and other kids. I’ve noticed that although dads are very much in the minority at these groups they are always given a warm welcome and in fact can easily find themselves the centre of attention. Until the biscuits are handed out, of course.

After my son was born and my husband went back to work, and my parents had travelled the 1000 mile journey back to their home, reality slapped me hard in the face. How was I going to cope with an 8 week old baby as well as an 18 month old and a 3 year old?. I was scared, I needed friends, I needed support. I was ON MY OWN.

Lucky for me I have my laptop and I soon discovered the world of mum’s networking sites. They were created for people just like me, who maybe can’t get out and about as much as they’d like, but who still need the support of a social network. So I got to work fast; I went to the forums, the review sites, the meet-a–mum pages. And then I stopped panicking…

Here’s a quote from Linda Lowan who writes for About.com

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but the Internet is a BFF (best friend forever) to women navigating motherhood for the first time.

Unlike previous generations – who were often isolated and alone during the first weeks and months of life with a new baby – women today with access to a computer can take advantage of limitless opportunities to connect. You can make new friends, find local playgroups, and get support and advice from the many online communities and social networks designed specifically for mothers.

…I wasn’t alone anymore. I can honestly say that thanks to these websites I have maintained my sanity and I have found some wonderful friends with kids who I meet on a regular basis.

Below is a list, by no means comprehensive and in no particular order, of some of the sites that connect mums around the block and around the world.

http://www.mumsnet.com

http://www.mumslikeyou.com

http://www.netmums.com

http://www.babyworld.co.uk/

http://www.thinkbaby.co.uk/

http://www.parentdish.co.uk/

http://www.gurgle.co.uk/

http://www.askamum.co.uk/

http://www.madeformums.com/