Jesus H Christ... Its just an iPad

Its just an iPad not a bloody strangling, spanking, choke hazard, assault bomb.

The way people are carrying on at the moment you would be forgiven for thinking your precious child is going to turn feral and murder everyone at the sight of one "you - know -what".

Its an iPad and much like its bulkier older cousins the TV and the xbox, it is a great, sometimes educational mostly recreational baby sitter. It is... There I said it. Yes, the iPad entertains my children when I have other things I need to do.

No i'm not advocating propping up your 1 year old in front of one while you head out to the club to down tequila shooters. No I am not saying that 16 hours straight is going to have a positive effect on your childs development. What I am saying that used in moderation along with the other tools in my Mummy arsenal,  it can be a bit of a saviour and no I am not bloody timing their "screen time" down to seconds.  These kids are more adept at navigating on an iPad than anyone I know over the age of 30. It is NORMAL to them, just like rollerskating and blue eye shadow was to us.
Its so normal that its not a big deal. Sometimes my kids want to play on it sometimes they don't. The more of a HOO HAAA these medical types make about the damn things the more they will think its something special.

Remember when people thought Rock music was the devil?? This is the price of progress people. You don't have to like it, whole groups of people don't, they complain loudly about the danger of iPads and iPhones... on their blogs.

To be really honest, after 6 months travelling with the kids, even if they discovered that iPads were hidden portals to hell... I would still have to give it some serious consideration.

So roll into the chaos and mayhem of the school holidays and joyfully embrace the iPad and a glass of wine. Cheers

Oh God. I am boring myself already

Today is the 1st day of a new eating regime. Day 1, actually 1/2 of day 1 as its only just lunchtime....
So far my inner dialogue has gone something like this...

Yeah, I can do this, I'm gonna follow this diet and i'm going to be healthy and slim and feel great... WOO

Is that sausage roll I can smell?

If I squint, really hard, these blueberries look a little like chocolate covered raisins.

Why can't coffee be negative calories? Its not a food as such, its my life sustaining battery charger...

"Yay" (sarcasm dripping from each letter).... spinach...

FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD... I'm sorry were you talking to me?

What should I blog about.... I know!.... Food

If I don't eat anything else for the rest of the day, I can have a glass of wine when I get home.

This Chamomile tea tastes like mouse pee

How can fruit salad be so unsatisfying?

I am still NOT eating kale... just no


If I stand at this exact spot at the counter at work, I can see Krispy Kreme donuts (because my brain is an asshole)

So, as you can see, I will be back in my size 12 jeans shortly.... ahem.

Pretty things in strange places

While we were travelling I documented all the "Street" or "Urban art" I could. I loved looking down a dirty alley way and finding a splash of colour and style. Looking back through the images, a lot of them have more meaning to me than the big touristy places and traditional "happy snaps".

This post is dedicated to the pretty things in strange places that I collected and would like to share with you all and to the everyday art makers, who strive to bring fun, beauty and quirky to our mundane minutes. xx

P.S Italy, New York, Paris, Montpellier, Joshua Tree NP, Los Angeles, Texas

No wifi and no data makes Caroline go something, something.....

                                  

 CRAZY!!!!





Dave and I have had no wi-fi at home for about a fortnight. Because of this we have chewed through 12GB of data on our phones and devices, I think we absorb it through our pores or something.
Its not only me. The kids love to play minecraft and have a plethora of apps and games. Before you frown with judgyness, at least half of them are educational. But the usage at home is mainly me. I like to facebook (hadn't noticed?), I like to blog (shock horror), I like to Pinterest, I like to research, I like to look for books and images for inspiration, basically I like to have the internet at the click of my fingers. It is no longer just a  convenience, it is now a complete reliance on technology. Like when you have a black out, and you know you have no lights, but every time you change rooms, you flick the switch anyway. 
The internet is now so deeply ingrained in me that to be without it is like a black out. There is only so much crochet and food network this old lady can handle before she wants to google something vitally important like where you can buy Chipotle Chilli in Perth, or search through what is on sale at Ikea. 
I am tech dependent, and I don't care.
 I get it. There is plenty of advice out there about disconnecting, about the dangers of ignoring society and real life and your kids while being in cyber space. You know where I read about them?
Yep, online, lounging back in bed, trying to stop my phone from bouncing off my forehead when I start to fall asleep.
 

To the boy on the bus this morning

You're young. Maybe 16. 
You are wearing a clean white shirt and pants and look like you are on your way to work. 
Through the music on my headphones, I hear you talking. 
You're on the phone... But no, no phone or headphones. 
You're talking to yourself. Swearing , hitting yourself and the bus wall in front of you. You're actually quite quiet. It's not aimed at anyone else on the bus, it's aimed at yourself. 

You stand up to get off the bus, I see all the scars and sores  on your face and arms. ICE or Meth, I'm thinking. 

You. Are. So. Young. You are handsome for a kid, you have big clear blue eyes. You aren't homeless and you look like someone cares for you. 

You have psychosis. 

If you stop now, you might not suffer from mental health problems permanently. If you stop now, at 16, you might have a normal life, you might even have an extraordinary life. 

In between swearing at yourself and getting off the bus, you stop and thank the bus driver and walk off. 

I think there is hope for you.