The Lord of the Rings Lego for xBox

Greetings all,

Last week we received a pre-release copy of the Lord of the Rings LEGO for xBox game, which my son test drove on the weekend.  He had a ball & i was a bit of a hero for providing the game.   Thanks One Green Bean & Warner Brothers!!

We set our boy up to play the xBox & heard him giggling away.  Sisters came & went (up to two players at a time) as he worked his way around Mordor, living out the Lord of the Rings stories.  There is action, horse riding, scary trees attacking you, a creepy Lego Gollum is involved . . . & Frodo is the main character.  The goal is to destroy the ring, just like the books/ movies.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this, the graphics are fantastic & story comprehensive.

Personally, i thought the facial expressions were hilarious & very entertaining.  Between the action on each level - the story plays out with the Lego characters - like the Hollywood actors in the movies.  Yes that's a 'Lego' Orlando Bloom!! 

Like a typical 8 year old boy, he didn't want to put the controls down (he is allowed a couple of hours of gaming on the weekends only) & pose for a photo . . . this was the best i could do.  Yes the xBox is currently in our bedroom as my husband has back issues & this keeps him quiet too!!  Don't judge, the xBox only just came back to our house here in Canberra, it was living in Brisbane at the bachelor pad.

Due for release this week, keep your eyes peeled for this fun stocking filler.  Love Posie

some weeks are just freshly squeezed fantasticalness

Greetings all,

Another week done & dusted as the year races towards the finish line.  This year has been full on, with my husband in Afghanistan for the first half, countless children's activities & slowly closing down my business.  Wrapping up this year is tying up a lot of loose ends on a long list.

A big ticket item on that list was the 12-month-check-up at the optometrist to see if this far sighted girl needed to continue wearing glasses to read.  She literally burst out of the chair with the news that her eyes have adjusted & she no longer requires them.  After following the optometrist's instructions on when to wear them & why, it has totally paid off. 

 Mid week i took my high schooler to a VIP Country Road soiree in the city, it was lovely to have personal shoppers & spy the new range.  We picked up new coloured jeans, Summer tops & a pair of pretty yellow stitched linen pillow cases.  Yellow = happiness.

 In Canberra, we have a lot of logging, hay & cattle trucks passing through this regional city (albeit, the nation's capital!!)  I posted this image on Instagram this morning & sparked quite the interested debate on logging.

 Summer to me is platters & lunch boxes loaded up with watermelon.  All 4 of our children were born in the tropics, so this brings happy memories of our wonderful life in Darwin.  I know we eat watermelon ALL over Australia, however, mangoes, watermelon, pineapple (& frangipanis) just scream Darwin to us.

 Often Fridays find me madly juicing up all the fruit left in the house before the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings!!  Apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes (we'd eaten all the celery) with some chia seeds, delicious!! 

Other fantasticalness things this week include . . . discovering our chickens have been wandering into our German Shepherd's yard & they all get along swimmingly . . . i started swimming . . . i saw Sky Fall . . . a delicious lunch with my husband . . . pavlova triumph . . . we planned a fun Christmas party . . . i've been running up a storm . . . i'm still losing weight . . . some surprise gifts from lovely friends . . . great shopping & just a general overwhelming feeling of happiness. 

Gosh i'm loving the colours in my photographs lately.  Thank you iPhone 5, you make me so happy.  Have fantasticalness weekends folks & don't forget all the great giveaways currently on the blog.  Love Posie

win an autographed copy of Andy Griffiths' The 13-Storey TreeHouse

 Greetings all,

Last weekend, tightly squeezed in between parties, i attended a book signing & presentation by Andy Griffiths - one of Australia's BEST loved & highest selling children's authors - at the National Library of Australia.  It was packed with over 300 children clutching stacks of his books, the atmosphere was electric & i was thrilled to be in his presence.

Naturally my son had left his Andy books at school so we purchased some new books (ok, nine new books) & bless Andy, he signed every single one!!  Including an extra book i purchased to giveaway on my blog.  I told Andy i was doing this (giveaway) & he stopped, looked up & asked if i was a writer, did i run a children's literacy blog - he was so engaging, interested in who i was & what i was doing - i was thoroughly impressed.  This man is as energetic & fun as his books.  

 I hung out with my gal pal author Tania McCartney who had hosted a book awards events the day before with Andy, she said he was fantastic.  With the overflowing crowds, Andy started the event an hour early, to autographed books so no one missed out.  Truly an author who appreciates his audience!!

I've stolen these images from Tania (thanks) as my images were dark.  

Andy gave a fabulous presentation, but truly, he was more interested in questions from the audience & bantering.  He made everyone feel special & his brain goes a million miles an hour, he's absolutely hilarious & spilled the beans on his next instalment in the 13-Storey series (it will involve a chocolate fountain!!)   

 Andy writes like a naughty school boy, it's so entertaining & captures that difficult demographic of fidgety boys who can't sit still.  While he was chatting, there were boys reading everywhere - the Library provided seats & cushions - it was brilliantly organised. 

After he finished, he went back to signing books, the queue was loooong & the Library staff brought around badges, book marks, balloons & chocolate frogs.  My boy continued to read, then bounced a balloon around, made some new friends & back to reading.  While at the signing table, Andy chatted away to my son, which books he liked the most, he treated us like we were first in the queue, when we were easily the 200th!!  Gosh he must have signed thousands of books. 

 My son spent the rest of the weekend with his head stuck in Andy's books.  He has the 13-Storey & 26-Storey TreeHouse books now, the series will continue to expand.  So i thought i'd start someone's collection off with . . . 

an autographed copy of Andy Griffiths' 13-Storey TreeHouse 

. . . in a blog giveaway.

Just leave a comment here & follow this blog (on the right) for your chance to win.  Entries close after midnight Sunday 9th December, just in time for someone's Christmas stocking!!  Good luck, random draw & as always + extra entries per mention on your Blog, Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook.  Love Posie

hello 800 followers, how do you do??

Greetings all,

Every 100 followers i do a get-to-know-me post . . . this time i'm scratching up things i do believe i've never mentioned on my blog before.  Most are in line with my accident prone & self effacing nature, i can be serious but that's just not as much fun!!

I was the lead actress in a friend's University final assignment - she directed a movie masterpiece based on a romance over coffee - for her communications degree.  I couldn't keep a straight face or remember my lines.  I don't even drink coffee & looking longingly at a guy i just met, over a steaming brew . . . impossible.  My on screen lover had this awful wig on & his facial expressions . . . oh dear, there was a lot of 'cut' while i composed myself.  I also did the voice overs in a sound studio, think: breathy.  Somehow the movie was edited into a winning piece of 'cinema' & my darling friend got her degree, went overseas to a flourishing career with Andrew Lloyd Webber.  

I've never made a photo worthy macaroon.  Tastey but ugly.

When my son was a toddler, i lost him in the house.  I eventually found him naked, on the trampoline in the front garden, sound asleep.  I took a photo for his 21st birthday!!

I actually wet my pants on a date.  My boyfriend didn't believe i was really that busting & fiddled around with my house keys . . . i burst into tears as i wet my pants on my parent's door step.  He still married me.

In my final year of school, my mother ran me over in her car, outside the train station.

I'm a total green thumb, yet over-love succulents & kill them.  En masse.  Massacre.

I broke my nose as a child by swimming into the pool wall really fast, nose first.

I'm allergic to bees.  I've been stung several times & swell severely around the bite.  We had bee laden wisteria all around our pool area.  My parents never thought to cut it down, just treat my stings!!

My first car was a Ford Laser, a bubbly blue hatch back, i bought from my brother.  I loved her until the day she was stolen.  I replaced her with a Ford Laser, an older version white 5 door, i bought from my sister-in-law.  We traded her in when we were pregnant with twins, for a Ford Falcon.  My husband had a Ford Falcon before we bought the Toyota Landcruiser (when we got married & still have 15 years later.)  There was also a Mitsubishi Mirage & Jeep Cherokee in the mix, before we bought our first-ever-brand-new-shiney car this year.  She's magnificent & will be with us for at least a decade.  Long range diesel people mover, we're all set for the farm commute.  The next car we purchase will be for our eldest daughter in a few years, eeeep.  Ford maybe??  

Finally, this is where my blogging happens . . . my first desk top computer since last millennium.  I have a habit of breaking laptops (burning out the engines) so i figured, i don't need a portable computer anyway, i'll go big screen Mac & i love it.

Thanks for following, love Posie

Lego Duplo Read & Build GIVEAWAY: WIN 1 of 3 TRIPLE sets!!

Greetings all,

Very excited to show off the new Lego Duplo Read & Build sets - in gorgeous colours, your children can read the story book & build the Lego figures as they go.  I adore Duplo, i may have purchased this Lego brick style long after my last baby turned 4, just because they make me happy.

LEGO® DUPLO® BUSY FARM (RRP: $24.99)

The easy-to-follow illustrations and engaging story line make building fun, while familiar objects will fill your child with an immense sense of pride. Busy Farm is the perfect introduction to LEGO playtime adventures! 

 LEGO® DUPLO® LETS GO! VROOM! (RRP: $24.99)

Reading about the iconic airplane and sports car as you build it, using the easy-to-follow illustrations and engaging story line, will leave your child with a great sense of achievement! Let's Go! Vroom! is the perfect introduction to LEGO creative learning! 

 LEGO® DUPLO® GROW CATERPILLAR GROW (RRP: $24.99)

Watch your child glow with pride while building Caterpillar and his friends using the easy-to- follow illustrations and engaging story line. Grow Caterpillar Grow is the perfect introduction to LEGO building fun!

Completely adorable right??  

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 9,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries. 

I just love how they keep it traditional yet modern.

Win 1 of 3 TRIPLE sets of Lego Duplo Read & Build 

(each winner receives Grow Caterpillar Grow!, Let's Go! Vroom! & Busy Farm, value $74.97) 

. . . just follow this blog & leave a comment at this post.  Extra entries for sharing this giveaway on your FaceBook, Blog, Twitter, Instagram . . . by midnight Sunday 2nd December 2012.

A fantastic stocking filler this Christmas season.  Thank you Lego & One Green Bean.  Good luck!!  Love Posie

PS great time to follow, more giveaways this week including autographed Andy Griffiths book & a double book review from the National Library of Australia!!

maybe i'm a little twi-hard . . .

Greetings all,

Ok, so i've had a headache for a couple of days & no amount of water, rest or head massaging (read: drilling my knuckles into my temples) is helping . . . so i took to a dark cool cinema this morning to see the first release of the new Twilight movie.  You can call me keen, i don't mind.  I discovered a must-be-used free ticket & after a few goes with lighting, playing the movie & getting the sound on (in a coordinated fashion) the movie was finally running.  I had made brownies before school & packed myself a lunch box with cashews, a turkey sandwich & bottle of water too.  Throw in validated parking & my Twilight experience . . . was free!!     

Look, i haven't read the Twilight books or taken a side for Team Edward/ Jacob, i don't even think Kristen Stewart is a half decent actress . . . i just find the movies entertaining.  I'm not after an intellectual brain drain.  I especially love the stylish decor, gorgeous actors (Vampires not Voltaire) & fashionable clothes as the back drop to the movies.  The scenes filmed in Canada were breathtaking & the wolves were more . . . believable . . . if you know what i mean - they weren't doing that awkward wolf talking like the other movies.  Jacob even acted 'happy' which suits him better than broody.  

I was expecting a bunch of school girls giggling in the cinema, nope, it was me, 4 housewives & a husband.  We chatted on the way out (complete strangers - bonded by the fact we're all at a Twilight movie at 9.30a.m.) & we liked how ALL the characters from each movie, were listed at the end.  

So the verdict . . . i really enjoyed Breaking Dawn Part 2.  I'd take my daughters & see it again.  It was much better than Part 1 & i would happily watch any spin off movies from the characters.  This finale in the saga had heads rolling (literally) & the girls were totally kick arse (Alice, Rosalie, Bella.)  I'm still trying to stomach the baby being named Renesme, i wonder how they kept a straight face calling her that??  Truly!!  She's a beautiful young actress though. 

I treated myself to a little Christmas decorating shopping (after my movie savings) . . . i love rustic, wooden, red & white themed ornaments i would use all year round.  I think the stars are a bit witchy wicker.  

I took the children swimming on Monday & realised six of our beach towels are at my husband's bachelor pad in Brisbane, so best i top up the collection here in Canberra.  As i said on Instagram tonight, "i've never met a tassel fringed towel i didn't like" & at 25% off Country Road VIP sale, i couldn't resist these four. 

A lovely day, good movie, great shopping & delicious lunch.  Off to bed to see if i can have another 9 hour nap like last night, it was bliss, even if i wasn't well.  Love Posie

a new found respect for florists

 Greetings all,

I had a box of goodies i ordered for Christmas from gidgi to play with last night.  We discovered the donkey & cart cardboard holders had plastic inserts = vases, so we hopped on bikes after dinner & went a searching for pathway flowers.  We have lots of cycle & walk ways through our suburb - with fantastic wild roses, gladiolus, lavender & pansies.  Fear not, we only picked a couple of flowers from each bush, there were hundreds.  Most of the flowers are past their best anyway.  If you want karma . . . i came home with lots of bugs & tiny spiders creepy crawling up my arms.

It was so hard to get the flowers to balance, stay in position, look 'together' & mix the colours, varieties, textures . . . florists are amazing, they are engineers, architects, artists . . . i did a pretty shocking job with these short stems!!  Pretty maybe, but it's all Mother Nature.

 Some images i found half decent enough to post to Instagram last night.  The Belle&Boo cart is adorable.

 An arial view of the blooms, i do love the whispy lavender.  I'm hoping to get another practise in before a pretty event i have coming up next month.   

Florists, i applaud you, this was really REALLY hard work.  Love Posie