OMG i've gone & ruined my blog!!

Greetings all,

So my husband went out for dinner last night & i thought i'd fiddle with my blog, maybe try out some new templates . . . then do a sweet post about this gorgeous blouse i bought my eldest daughter, talk about how teen fashion doesn't have to be trashy (of course this blouse is worn with a tank top underneath) & how pretty it looks blowing in the almost-Spring breeze, with a side note of how i would never actually peg anything this way, it was purely for the photo . . . & somehow i have destroyed my blog look.  

 So rather than make any more mistakes, i'm just winging it with this current look & will hammer away at a new template on the weekend, while my husband goes fishing with our son.  I'll pretend that i'm relaxed & floating like the breeze in this image.  Only i'm not, i'm really annoyed, tense & trying to remind myself "it's only a blog" + i can fix it later.  I don't want to pay for a blog template, i was happy with my old Blogger one, which no longer exists so i can't go back.  I wasn't ready to move forward, just play around.  

What irritates me the most - is trying to find a free blog template which allows the side bar titles in small caps.  Don't capital letters = yelling??  I don't need to yell "I'M POSIE, WELCOME TO MY BLOG!!"  Deep breaths.  Does it look as bad as i think or was i just SO comfortable with my old look??  

Have you ever fiddled around with your blog & completely changed it by accident too??  Is this what drunk dialling/ texting/ emailing feels like (only i don't drink) my stomach sank as i clicked 'view blog' & it looked like this.  I can't even work out what colour palate/ fonts/ date formations i want . . .  so signing off & tackling this template another day before i make it worse!!  Why doesn't Blogger have a big 'undo' button for major things like template changes??  It's a pretty blouse though, non.  Love Posie

snap it 'new'

Greetings all,

What's new pussy cat??  

Finding a new way to make use of the ceramic toadstools we bought from Paper Pear Gallery . . . our German Shepherd decided he wanted to play with them = the stems broke off . . . but still just as cute laying down??

 I'm swapping buying sushi as a treat . . . for a new habit . . . like something the whole household can enjoy!!  Aldi roses, $5/ dozen, will last a week then be tossed to the chickens.  

 I have this lovely Nigella Lawson Mortar (handsome soldier accidentally broke the pestle) so it's laid dormant in the cupboard for years.  What to do with it now??  Maybe rose petals??  New ideas??  Don't bother saying 'buy another pestle' as my husband never liked using it anyway - he'd prefer a whopping big granite manly mortar & pestle.

 Spring is coming . . . fresh, happy, very yellow, new daffodils in the neighbourhood.

 Planting fresh herbs in the barrels . . . i'm growing these wonderful 'Asian salad' assortments, they look fantastic, a variety of leafy greens & new cooking ideas.

Playing along with Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love photography blog's Snap It Wednesday.  What's new in your world??  Are you a new follower??  Welcome!!  Love Posie

PS don't forget last few days to enter the Taronga Western Plains Zoo family pass giveaway here!!

a colourful weekend

Greetings all,

Ah, nothing like a few days off blogging to enjoy a colourful action packed weekend & generate new ideas for posts.  With Spring almost here, my husband & i have been preparing our crappy-state-of-backgarden-grass for weeks, we're starting to see results.  I also planted a new barrel of herbs & vegetables, following the no-dig-garden advice from these wonderful books.

 I kicked off the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation this morning with berries & ricotta on grainy bread - i have two new tips - defrost frozen berries in a colander & don't let berries roll off your toast, raspberries stain!!  

 Indulged in a couple of new dresses & tops from Country Road - to say i have fallen back in love with green is an understatement.  I adore stripes & this retro pattern, neat way to side step the-fluorescent-movement this season.

What a gorgeous way to say i-heart-leopard print, in a cute handbag case.  I picked up the rattan version of this last season from Seed, i use it as a sewing case or picnic-for-two with my husband.  I love having him back in Canberra, we meet for lunch twice a week, it's like dating all over again, when i was at Uni, he'd meet me for 10 minutes here & there between lectures, then drive me home, just to say hello.  

A gift for a nephew's birthday - he is obsessed with Eric Carle, but really, who isn't??

The colourful imagination of my eldest daughter, make what you want out of these fresh eggs . . . bulls eyes right??

Ah, glorious sunshine on the weekend had me in a flowing dress & back in Birkenstocks.  I picked up these purple patent leather beauties in Venice 2 years ago.  I do need a pedicure (i say seeing i've had like one in the past decade) & i'm thinking of a fun polish colour, maybe purple, green or orange??  Ideas!!

Poof, there you have it, heading into a busy week with a huge smile on my face, i'm up early enough to do 2 loads of washing, walk the dog, feed the chickens, make school lunches & a post before the school run, bliss!!  Love Posie

too many things in my head to blog right now

Greetings all,

Phew, what a week . . . rain, athletics, snow, shopping, wind, sneezing, hail, GCB . . . which my husband has already ruined by informing me that the GCB television series has been cancelled after the first season, damn it, such perfect timing with my 20 year school reunion later this year!!  Have to say, we didn't have mean girls in our year, but they were around in high school . . . so to see adults not moving on (albeit in a television show) & now being parents of high schoolers . . . was fascinating!!

I'm just signing off for a few days so i can get my head around next week (more rain, athletics, sneezing etc.)  Just did the groceries for the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation, starting Monday, & bumped into 3 school mums (almost literally with my trolley, i was so focused on the shopping list) who are interested & ready to cheer on my transformation.  I've had a tummy irritation all week yet no weight loss, argh!!  

Winter is having a final hurrah, it's awful outside, mud everywhere & icey winds, we even put the ducks in the bath last night to clean up - now i'm going to clean up the bathroom!!

In the meantime, we're still dreaming of this & shopping for a farm . . .

have glorious weekends everyone, i'm starting Monday fresh & energised!!  Love Posie

PS want to win a family pass to Taronga Western Plains Zoo, check this giveaway.

snap it 'straight lines'

Greetings all,

For a curvy gal i like my straight lines!!  Playing along with Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love's Snap It 'straight lines' today, i give you some of the liney goodness i snapped around my home this morning.  I love stripes, diagonals, chevrons & ticking, above all . . . texture.

 Country Road cushion; ice cream buckets; Lilly & Lolly child's blanket.

Hexagon florals; cookbooks on high rotation; Country Road children's socks.

Vintage straw collection; striped washi tape; Country Road cushion.

Note to self: venture outside Country Road for all my fashion & decor needs!!

 Laura Ashley throw; Army housing dining room blinds; Country Road cushion.

Adirondack chair; Army housing kitchen blinds; Piano keys.

Country Road felt cushion; Army housing fence palings; Kikki-K note paper. 

Like the black & white twist on this collage, i know, i try, hard!!

This my friends . . . is the Trenery block striped scarf which has kept my neck warm all Winter & is a great way to blend a brown/ grey/ black wardrobe.  Growing up the rule was you would NEVER wear brown & black together, i.e. black shoes with a brown belt or handbag.  Seriously, who cares??  I spent the Winter in 3 different maxi skirts (dark brown, light grey & dark grey) with cream/ caramel/ black cardigans in black low heeled leather boots or brown Converse sneakers.  All a bit drab but hey, i spent much of this Winter at home, cosy, with the animals.  

Now, bring on a colourful Spring, i'm ready!!  Love Posie

Taronga Western Plains Zoo family pass GIVEAWAY

Greetings all,

We went to Taronga Western Plains Zoo in the school holidays - it was amazing & everything we had dreamed of for our animal loving children to experience.  As a super special surprise, we spent the night there - sleeping at the Zoofari Lodge - listening to the lions & tigers as we drifted off to sleep.  'Dubbo Zoo' has over 700 animals on 300 acres of native bushland + is the sister zoo to Taronga on Sydney Harbour.   

 Bike hire was included in the Zoofari package, so on day one we popped on helmets, collected bikes & took off around the 6km roadway/ 15km walking track, stopping at each animal enclosure & listening to talks.  

While i had lunch with the children & peacocks at the cafe, my husband fed the lions - awesome!!  He was the only person in the afternoon group feed, so he let the keeper have a turn & took some stunning photos.

 The Zoofari experience included 3 tours behind-the-scenes in a bus with the other guests (5 people on our evening.)  The afternoon tour took us to the reptile house & display of animal paraphernalia stopped by Customs.  It's simply horrifying what people try to bring in & out of Australia.  I'm terrified of snakes, but my children loved handling them.  We also visited a beautiful cheetah, endangered black rhinos & quirky Meerkats.  

After a delicious 3 course dinner in the main house, we had an evening tour, which included meeting magnificent tigers, a happy hippo & burrowing wombat.  We had plenty of time with each animal, nothing was rushed & our guide Emma answered all of our children's questions patiently.  We had a luxury tent with heated floor tiles . . . & fell into bed from exhaustion!!  My favourite was the tiger - the stripes, the eyes, the fact they were a breath away from my children.  Annoyed i didn't take the camera on the night tour.    

In the morning there was an early tour of the animals waking up.  We met the enormous elephants, sleepy lions & fed carrots to graceful giraffes as the sun rose.  

Then back to the lodge for a hot breakfast & another day of touring the zoo, this time we drove the 6km track.  We farewelled Targona Western Plains Zoo & vowed to return.  Next time we'll book in to feed the tigers too!!  Zoofari Lodge is pricey ($1500 for a family of 6) which covers tent, dinner, 3 tours, breakfast; 10% off cafe, lion/ tiger feeding ($59 each) & souvenirs.  The experience was once-in-a-lifetime & a gift from my husband, for him being away at war in Afghanistan.  Love him.  All proceeds from Zoofari go to the endangered black rhino programme.  There are less expensive sleep over options for students at ZoosnooZ or family camping at Roar&Snore.  We'll do Zoofari again.  

We visited Cowra (Japanese POW Gardens) & Parkes (the Dish) on the way to Dubbo, then straight home - an easy 400km drive back to Canberra through central NSW 'the food bowl' for a complete 3 day family holiday.  

Just follow this blog & leave a comment telling me your favourite zoo animal for your chance to win a Family Pass (2 adults, 2 children $117.30, children under 4 are free, tickets valid for 2 days.)  Random winner drawn after midnight Sunday 2nd September.  Open worldwide, just tell me who in Australia to post the tickets to.  Good luck, love Posie

Disclaimer: because i was going anyway, i asked the folks at 'Dubbo Zoo' if they might offer a giveaway to my readers, yippee, they would love to.  No payment, just my love for animals.  

social commentary Sunday . . . 'what do your jewels say??'

Greetings all,

I love how strangers inspire some blog posts - this week's social commentary is thanks to a lovely lady at the optometrist who asked if i was engaged.  I looked at her strangely & said "no, i've been married for 15 years" & then realised i was only wearing my engagement ring.  Since i had surgery on both my wrists earlier this year . . . my fingers swell & i often have to remove rings because they hurt.  I don't like to be naked on my ring finger, sometimes i just wear my wedding band, other times my engagement ring, or just my eternity ring (a gift from my husband this year, colluding with jeweller Emma Kidson, such a surprise & the perfect compliment to my other rings!!)

So just from looking at my left hand, you can see i'm married, maybe a young bride, possibly a while ago.  My diamonds are modest, suggesting i didn't marry for money??  A keen eye would also note my rings are white gold . . . i'm allergic to yellow gold + i prefer silver jewellery.  The 5 diamonds on my eternity ring represent my husband & our 4 children.  All that information from a glance at the jewellery on one finger.  

Recently a friend celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary & was bursting to show me her updated wedding rings - yes, updated - she had always wanted bigger & better diamonds.  Personally i wasn't fussed on even having a diamond in my engagement ring, a lovely sapphire would have been perfect, but my husband saved up & insisted on a diamond.  But to update my half carat diamond to something bigger, later in life because we might be able to afford it??  Never.  I love what my rings say about us, who we were.  

My sister refused to take off her wedding rings when she had surgery, to me they are merely symbolic jewels, my marriage is in my heart.  My sister-in-law is a dentist & can't wear her rings under gloves, she often leaves them at the surgery or by a basin.  This proved hazardous with her son 15 years ago, when he took her engagement ring & proposed to a girl in his kindergarten class.  Luckily the mother of the betrothed girl realised it was 'real' & returned it, phew!!  My darling nephew had bitten the ring to make it fit her too.  I completely understand - when i was 5 - i chomped down on my mother's jade ring to make it fit me.  

My mother had Joy perfume, Chanel handbags & Missoni dresses collected from travels, however, her wedding rings . . . after 40 years of marriage, she had them soldered together as they had worn so thin.  They were the best my father could afford at the time & to my mother, they meant the world, representing where they came from - children of the depression & married young in 1955.  I really respected that.  

How about you, do your jewels say a lot about you too??  Can you take your wedding rings off??  Do you feel naked without them??  I fiddle with mine when i talk to people, they are my little security blankets.  My husband can't wear rings to work, he goes for months without wearing a wedding band, even at home he forgets.  Sob - i've often  farewelled him off to war only to come home to find his wedding band on my bed side table, now that is heart breaking!!  My wedding bands will always be my favourite pieces of jewellery, what they mean & the story behind our young love.  Love Posie  

a new me

Greetings all,

Since i coloured my hair back to my once-natural-blonde for a wedding in June, i finally updated it this week.  Apparently i can get away with regrowth as my hair is still 'beige'.  I plan on maintaining this for my 20 year school reunion in October & once more for our big family Christmas.  Then, not sure, i am not into heavy personal maintenance - i rarely wear make up - so long as my skin is clear & i exercise . . . i am more concerned about how i feel than my appearance.

 I went to a different hair dresser to the one who did my hair back in May.  I cannot rejoice enough about the difference in having a . . . 20 something drone on about her drunken weekend/ dysfunctional relationship/ car troubles/ FaceBook/ nightmare clients . . . in a trendy-music-blasting-salon where i try to hide in a trashy magazine, ONLY to realise the hairdresser is reading it over my shoulder too & commenting on celebrities . . . um, concentrate, you have scissors at my head??!!  Deep breath . . . versus an experienced 40 something hairdresser who listened to what i actually wanted done, sharing wonderful tips on teenagers & offer me a cup of fruit infused tea in a peaceful, inexpensive, Army barracks salon.  Did i tell you last time, the former hairdresser suggested i have a shot of red across the back of my hair??  I had to stop her with force, she was determined to update my look.  

 I only had 'half head' foils & not a hair cut, thus the scraggly bits on the side, i want some length for style options come October.  Yes, i want to look great for my school reunion.  My husband said it's the happiest he's been with my hair for a long time.  Bless his honesty.  The expense for this temporary hair measure was $70.  I had a quote from my original salon, who insisted i needed full foils, colour, cut & the whole production for $220.  I'm so glad i canceled & went the 'between colours' option.  I will admit, i asked my glamorous blonde girlfriends Tania & Tina for advice, they both said "be strong, tell them exactly what you want, it's YOUR hair."   

 So along with hair update, i needed a new script & frames (i have retired the Prada & updated them with Coach glasses.)  It's a new me, form the neck up.  I will look back at this year, turning 37, surgery on both wrists, 20 years out of high school, my husband at war for half the year/ living with us for the rest, a new family car, keeping chickens & ducks . . . as a really optimistic time in our lives which set us up for a positive future, not much about my appearance.  

Let me just share a bizarre comment from a blog reader who met me in real life a while back, she said . . . 
"i was actually expecting you to be uglier, as you didn't have a picture of yourself on your blog, i thought you were hiding something."  
I know, jaw dropping weird, out loud, in person, to my face, at a market stall (that's my work place!!)  But damn it, it planted this evil seed that i too thought, hmmm, no personal photo on your blog, what do you really look like??  So i put a photo of myself on my blog side bar, saying 'may as well embrace the fact i am what i am' whatever that may be in a reader's eyes - glasses wearing/ beige haired/ unbalanced skin toned me, i'm proud to me, most importantly i'm glowing on the inside.  Love Posie

my creative space . . . 'road-side-find to roof-top-garden'

 Greetings all,

Last week i drove past this cabinet on the side of the road (for extra degree of difficulty it was  dumped at a round about) & on closer inspection it had a broken up marble top . . . i wonder if it was a homemade basin??  Thrilled to discover it's made from packing crates, incredibly sturdy, painted in the perfect 1950's vintage green one side, yellow the other & the chickens love their new day house.  

 My end goal was to take advantage of the height & create a full sun roof top garden.  

 Our chickens & ducks LOVE lettuce, so i planted a couple of dozen butter, iceberg & rocket lettuce varieties, to give them whole lettuces every day.  

This small gauge chicken wire was perfect to protect the lettuce as they grow.  

 We've found the odd chicken up there having a look around, their weight lowers them down for a little peck & we can easily prop it up if they start to destroy the garden.

I used some old pumpkin fencing, stakes, plastic from my sewing stock & discarded MDF, purchased extra soil which we need for a new wine barrel Spring herb garden too.  Another inexpensive project for the chickens & ducks to benefit from.  Total cost, under $20.

None of our chickens have tried to fly away (we inherited the hens, they might have tried to leave or hop over the fence away from our German Shepherd, even though chickens are useless at flying they can panic flee.)  The ducks have their adult feathers yet i'm uncomfortable clipping their wing feathers & they're staying too . . . for the lettuce??  

The chicken day house is a huge hit, just ask raised-from-egg-chicks Viola, Flute, Piccolo & Cello.  I knocked the top shelf out & put in a perch.  For some reason, our chickens don't have a pecking order, they all hang out together or in gangs of different breeds, sizes, ages & mingle all day & night.  One hen has gone broody (a Silky Star cross) she rolls everyone's eggs under her & is quite the proud Mama.  For more Creative Spaces visit Village Voices.  Love Posie

snap it 'small'

Greetings all,

Well feeling a whole lot better this Wednesday than last - just a little dry cough left - so joining in Faith Hope & a Whole Lotta Love's Snap It 'small' . . . 

i give you some of my smallest Babushka members . . . 

 my small children are learning about manners at school - my mother used to say "point with your elbow" subtle . . . 

 found this small childhood memory on my keyboard this morning, a chatterbox with messages like "you shall see a pom pom/ rainbow/ shooting star/ death" & "you shall eat a pie."  I love discovering how my children think creatively - from pom poms to death??  Anyone who thinks children are boring are crazy, they are SO entertaining, albeit black comedy!!

 I took this photo of my small family to my 10 year school reunion, hiccup, this year is my 20th!!  Luckily i've kept the same husband from the 5 year reunion, there have been a few divorces.

 This small fellow came along in 2004, he hogged most of the Italian genetics, as he's kept the jaundice olive skin & is brown ALL Winter.

 Finally, our smallest chickens - the Pekin bantams Oboe & Xylophone.

 Size comparison with a cabbage leaf & Rhode Island red adult hen . . . 

 & their same age Spangled Hamburgs friends.  They are the friendliest feathered pom poms in the chicken world.

I love small things that make my world go round, love Posie

multitasking in the evenings

Greetings all,

In the evenings while dinner is cooking, i'm often sipping tea while baking a pie, cake, cookies or . . . egg shells.  I like to multitask those chores which require attention in spits & spurts, around something i have to focus on.  I use the oven heat for dual purpose & bake tomorrow's recess while we eat dinner (sometimes cake decorating is best done after the children have gone to bed!!)  I can't tell you how much easier this is with my husband home cooking the dinner . . . i still have 4 children asking homework/ party/ sports scheduling questions at the same time!!

 So tonight i was baking our hen's egg shells to make shell grit to give back to them for an additional dose of egg-making-calicum.  Rather brilliant.  Just 10 minutes in the oven at 170C to remove any flavour of them being their own eggs, crush & serve separate to their grains/ pellets/ corn.  They look like sequins & smell like burnt meringue.  

 Lots of city siders have been asking me "is it really that easy to keep chickens??" as i live in suburbia too.  Well i'm home all day & spend at least half an hour with our chicks every day: handling them, spot cleaning, hand feeding fresh fruits & vegetables - it's no wonder they laid eggs all through Winter with the animal husbandry.  Then add 4 children who cuddle & treat them with fresh clover & grasses every afternoon!!  We make the time.  I'm sure most of what i do is unnecessary, but they greet me at the gate, they are wonderful friendly company, they love me back Ok??  

In short, it's a lot of effort for a couple of cartons of fresh eggs a week, but it's so satisfying for our family & my husband is loving the manure on the rest of the garden, literally nothing is wasted.  Ok, i've also found handsome soldier out in the chicken run picking up the affectionate Pekin Bantam chicks - little balls of pom pom feathers - who sit in your hands & chatting to the ducks   

 I have decided that ducks are nearly impossible to photograph, especially ones who excitedly waddle towards you, it's just like trying to photograph a toddler!!  Their feathers are so warm, i'll find the children sitting with a duck on their lap, hands under their wings, adorable.  Can you believe i'm actually scared of birds??

I raise everything up onto crates - from the road side - saves the coop getting wet from the ground up, insulates that little bit more from the cold, you can rake under them & i just really like old coloured packing crates!!  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'sex explosion - like it's new or something'

Greetings all,

Sex sells, we get it!!  Sex is plastered all over advertising, media, lyrics & television shows, for our children to see & ask wonderful peak hour traffic questions like "do you want longer lasting sex too, Mum??" as you pass those erectile dysfunction billboards.  Um, why are they Ok??  Surely if you were suffering from penile flaccidity, you'd go home & google help, not need a giant public announcement to prompt you??  I explain the science to my children, then the old "this is not for discussion outside the family" so they don't repeat it for Show&Tell with their class.  I posted on this topic 2 years ago here, now i have a teenager & trust me folks, there is always some misinformed child in the playground with older siblings talking about sex, incorrectly, i'd just rather my children know the facts!!  I also believe sex education is VERY different to sexual relationship information.  Not sure if sex reference laws have been relaxed in the media, but everyone seems to be carrying on like sex is a new fad!!       

Olympic Poster of the Day: Paris France 1924.

Olympic Message: celebrate athletes in their finest physical form, 1920's muscle-porn-style.

I've just spent the last week flat on my back with a cold, unable to kiss & breath at the same time, it's been a below-average-sex-week in our boudoir.  This morning i leapt out from under the covers giggling to my husband "get your naked penis away from me" only to find our middle daughter standing at the end of our bed saying "that was awkward, next time i'll knock!!"  I was gasping for air in a coughing fit, fully pyjama'ed.  Anyway, i've been watching the evening Olympics suffering the commentary on channel 9 (FYI Channel 9 Olympics Coverage Sucks on Facebook has 28000 'likes'.)  Many low points . . .  including a male commentator joking that our female swimmers were reading 50 Shades of Grey to help them sleep.  Female swimmers are mostly teenagers - is this where they are getting sexual relationship information from??  Sexual innuendo during swimming commentary is repulsive.  The only juices that book evokes . . . is my vomit reflex & it doesn't need any more publicity, especially not to children watching Olympic swimming.  A book with questionable ethics, sexual practises, weak female characters & men with the power??      

I've been catching up on blog reading & have noticed plenty of anti 50 Shades of Grey book reviews & bloggers wishing they could get their wasted-reading-hours back.  I had a hunch the book would suck & avoided it . . . one woman's erotic literature is very unlikely to be mine.  Accidental Housewife wrote a fabulously damning review here.  While i'm no prude, when you marry your teen love, your list of sexual partners is low, my children have already asked me how many people i've had sex with & how many dates i went on with Daddy before i slept with him . . . prompted by some subconscious message in the universe i can't control.  When my first born was 2 she asked HOW did those twins get in my belly, so i knew i was going to have to approach sex talk with my children, honestly & openly.  FYI i did not explain penetrative sex to a toddler, instead the sperm & egg version, which she thought sounded like cooking, excellent!!  I figure, sex is fun, it's how we made our children, it shouldn't be a taboo, mysterious OR naughty topic when they ask about it.  Gawd, if you want to encourage promiscuity - miseducate your daughters about sex so they find out the hard way - which rarely benefits them or their reputation.

This leads me to boys & porn.  Seriously parents, talk about sex & relationships to your sons, do you really want them learning how to treat a girl from porn movies??  I honestly believe, as my daughters get older, i'll be doing damage control & telling them what is not Ok, you can say NO; as opposed to all the fun, good, healthy things about sex.  Children need real accounts of sexual relationships - from an adult they respect - not a book, your church, their peers or porn media.  My eldest asked me a sex related question the other day & i answered the same way i would any intelligent person, then asked her if she understood & if it was awkward.  She replied "Mum, you're so open, there are no awkward moments with you!!"  I'd rather her hear it from me than misinformed peers, or both, so she can form her own balanced opinion.               

I'm done with prime time shows like How I Met Your Mother & The Big Bang Theory as they are so over-the-top saturated with sex & how-to-bag-a-girl . . . the message it's sending the big ears on our little children is all wrong.  Especially our daughters!!  Ok so it's a balance/ warning & conversation starter, i actually appreciate that my children are comfortable enough to ask what some thinly veiled innuendo means - often i respond with "it's about sex, not appropriate for your age" & by not making a fuss, they don't either.  

Are you comfortable about discussing sex with your own children??  What do you say when "football players have group sex with girl" comes up on the news, or the horror of pedophiles??  Clearly it's all very uninvited to our lives, but it's there & we need to cope with it & arm our children to make healthy positive choices.  Love Posie