YouthProjects: 'Nobody plans a life on the streets' - VIDEO

Did you see this ad before Christmas?

It is heartwrenching, raw and real... and very well done.

I meant to post it before Christmas... it's very moving.

Watch:



Sydney creative agency Grown-ups created this ad, and they have done so help raise money for YouthProjects.

The spot was created by Mick Hunter and Grant Booker, and directed by Paul Goldman via Playbig. The DoP was Russell Boyd ASC.

Incredible stuff.

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#XMAS JAMMIES - Merry Christmas from the Holderness Family!

Have you seen the now-viral video of this cool young family's video Christmas card?

They write, on YouTube:

"Consider this our annual newsletter - just so you know what we've been up to. We love you all and hope you have a fantastic holiday! #xmasjammies

They even encourage you to contact them if you "want a video like this for your family or company? Holla at us: info@visitthegreenroom.com, http://www.visitthegreenroom.com or https://www.facebook.com/VisittheGreenroom."

Watch the video here:

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Prince George Official Christening Photos

Have you ever seen such an adorable baby, and such 'normal' looking royal christening photos?

These are the official photos from Prince George's christening day.

He looks utterly adorable with those gorgeous big cheeks! And seeing as the official photo his parents chose is this one with his arms up and having fun, they continue to prove they are keen on breaking the mould on what a royal should look like.

All the official photos here (photo credit: Jason Bell/Camera Press).

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Tiny Baby

-Tytan Amos Pease-

8 lbs 1.6 oz 21" long

9-22-13

 

{Two years ago we lost a dear family member way too early. On the 2 year mark from when she left us here on Earth, this sweet little Miracle Baby was sent to the most loving, caring family you could ever imagine. There's no doubt in my mind this tiny chunker was hand-picked & comforted his whole way here..}

 

 

I'm so happy and thankful to have this new little Miracle Baby in our family!
Welcome to this beautiful world Tytan, I already love you more than you'll ever know.

 

XOXO

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My Papa

My Papa is 88 years old, and a total grump to everyone..

...except me.

 

It's completely safe to say I am his favorite.
..It helps that I'm a total sucker for old people..

I am also the only one willing to put him in his place when he's being a smart ass.
Or to call him out on stuff. You could say he's Brutally honest. Not in a good way.

 

I guess my family would call me "Brave" for standing up to him.

(But I also think this is why he likes me so much.)

 

Well.. My Papa is not a loving affectionate person. Like at all.

But in the last few years he's really gone downhill with his health.

So repeatedly when I leave I say, "I love you"

...I say repeatedly because I say it until he says it back.

 

I will also go to kiss his forehead and most the time he flinches.. but he eventually started letting me kiss his old wrinkly face.

 

Well recently I went to visit him with sister.

I walked in like usual and went to kiss his little bald forehead.

 

He IMMEDIATELY put his arm up and completely stiff armed me.. (he's surprisingly still got pretty strong arms. Maybe it was just his bony elbow that stopped me.. )

 

He stiff armed me and said, "EW I HATE THAT COLOR!"

..Referring to my new hot pink MAC lipstick.

 

Welp, gpa.. you got out of a kiss. But only this time...

Congratulations.

 



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'A Table For One' - Paul Hayes: Recipe E-Book

I love a good cookbook as much as the next enthusiastic home cook.

However, I have piles of books which don't get as much love as they should, quite simply because I think that cooking a special meal just for me (I have the most adventurous food tastes in our little family of four) is a tad too laborious.

The thing is, I cook every single night (unless we have leftovers) and I while I love it and know my repertoire inside out, I wish I could develop it a little more, especially when it comes to meals for me. And yes, extend that to my family, so their tastes move along in a similar direction to mine.

Enter 'A Table For One'. The author of this brand new e-book is Paul Hayes -  and here is the elegantly simple cover:

I wrote about Paul earlier this year as he was actively writing for his blog of the same name.

Now, this clever man has turned his engaging food blog posts into an enticing e-book.

Paul says:

"Most cookbooks are written for meals that serve four or six people, which is fine if you have to cook like that all the time. But I cook regularly just for myself, and I know a lot of other people do, too. In fact, what are called 'single-occupant households' are the fastest growing demographic in cities all over the world. And we all have to eat!

The books that are out there for people cooking for one can be pretty grim: lots of things like boiled eggs and toasted sandwiches. In fact, most of them come from the perspective of cooking being a necessary evil. I wanted to take a new approach, and celebrate the many pleasures to be found in cooking for yourself.

I don't think we need to be trying to reproduce restaurant food at home, but I do think that it's possible to eat well without resorting to a constant diet of takeaways and frozen dinners. That's where my book comes in – it's all my solutions, created, tested and tweaked over years, all in one place.

When I started putting my recipes online as a place to store them, I was immediately encouraged by people from all over the world. That's when it hit me that I should put all my favourites into a book that people could read on their iPad or Kindle, devices that are incredibly useful in the kitchen.

The book is pitched at all kinds of cooks, even beginners. You don't need a lot of skill or fancy equipment to cook well, just start with a few great ingredients and be guided by a tested recipe and the judgement of your senses."

Here are some delicious examples of Paul's fantastic handiwork:

I have already downloaded this fabulous e-book and it's now a huge source of inspiration for my daily meals.

The recipe list is beautifully simple and utterly delish. Think: leek and camembert risotto, Parmesan-crumbed pork chops, truffled mac and cheese, plus lots more. Mouth is watering! And: banana-maple bread pudding, blood orange semifreddo, and flourless Toblerone cake, plus many more sweet treats.

There are 'make it easy' meals, 'bright sides', 'creature comforts', 'weekend winners', even 'DIY extras' to learn how to make, like dukkah, chermoula, and za'atar (I adore the last one... in my ethnic suburb it's a real staple on Lebanese pizza).

And for littlies with big tastes and appetites, Paul has created a slew of yummy recipes too: cajun chicken nuggets, corn and zucchini fritters, and lamb meatballs... to name a few. Bravo, bello!

You can download this book right now at the Amazon Kindle Store - click right here - for a tiny $3.19. YES!

And at the Apple iBookstore - click right here - for just under five dollars ($4.99).

The best (under) five dollars you will spend on food. Download it now and stop your drooling!

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'All I Know': Mary Coustas Book

When I received a copy of the new book by Mary Coustas called 'All I Know' a few weeks ago, I immediately flipped opened the cover.

Was it that Mary Coustas? The funny one? Who created the inimitable 'Effie', the big-haired 'wog' who quite possibly burned a new hole in the ozone layer with her overuse of hairspray?

Why yes, it was!

But then I read the subhead: "A memoir of love, loss and life from Australia's favourite comedian."

My heart sunk. Oh no! Who died?

Several people close to her heart, it became apparent.

Says Australian actress Naomi Watts about Mary's new book:

"Mary's book is a reminder that we don't have to be alone with grief. Her heartbreak and inspiring story is a lesson to all of us on how to live life to the fullest even in our most difficult moments. I loved it."

The book begins by painting a colourful picture of Mary's childhood in Collingwood and Doncaster, under the shadow of her father's mortality, and ending in sunny Bondi, supported by a tight circle of girlfriends who got her through a death even more painful.

In the book, Mary takes the reader on a journey through three deaths that changed her life forever.

Here is an excerpt from her incredibly powerful story, as told to 'The Good Weekend':

Six weeks after George and I were married, I found out that I could not have children. A laparoscopy revealed that I had blocked fallopian tubes. Our honeymoon was brought to a swift end by an unanticipated and massive blow. I was told my only option was IVF. I was completely winded emotionally.

The shock of hearing the news that I could not have children naturally ricocheted in me for months. My future as a mother was now at the mercy of laboratory long shots.

But fall pregnant she did.

She continues:

On the day of my pregnancy blood test in December 2010, the only time I wasn't within earshot of my phone was when it rang. I was in the bathroom - on the toilet, to be exact - when I heard Nathalie, my close friend since childhood, yell out as she was running towards me, "It's your doctor!"

I froze. I couldn't get up. I couldn't move.

I managed to open the door slightly just as Nathalie passed me my phone. I sat there with my trousers around my ankles and with my heart skipping beats, trying to listen with my fertility tone-honed ears for clues. The confirmation came - third sentence - I was pregnant! The exact words were, "We have great news, Mary. I'm pleased to say, it's a positive result. You're pregnant."

The story continues with a heartbreaking, devastating outcome.

To read more, click here.

Mary's book is utterly raw, moving, and it is so upsetting to read of Mary's ordeals.

The woman who gave us a gazillion laughs from the days of her 1987 ground-breaking stage show role in 'Wogs Out of Work' (where 'Effie' was born), and who followed this up by five seasons of the TV sitcom hit 'Acropolis Now', has already written a book, one on self-help for teenagers titled  'Effie's Guide to Being Upyourself.'

Feel free to comment below on Mary's story. 

'All I Know' by Mary Coustas will be available from June 26, 2013 (RRP $24.99).

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Cheerios: Advertising Controvery Over TV Ad

This seemingly harmless TV ad about breakfast cereal has caused somewhat of a mini furore... for embarrassinly ridiculous reasons.

Watch the ad and see if you can spot the 'controversy':



Did you pick it?

Yeah, that's right a normal looking family.

Mum, dad, child.

Oh yes...

The child is dark-skinned.

The ad - for Cheerios - features a mixed race couple and in the US, it has stirred some per-etty ugly comments.

So much so, the ad YouTube now has comments disabled on the site.

"The comments that were made in our view were not family-friendly, and that was really the trigger for us, you know, to pull them off,'' Camille Gibson, VP marketing for Cheerios maker General Mills told the US 'Today' show.

Comments referring to "Nazis and racial genocide" and destructive words like "more like single parent in the making. Black dad will dip out soon".

Yes, really.

"Ultimately we were trying to portray an American family, and there are lots of multicultural families in America today,'' Camille said. Indeed, mixed race couples make up 14 per cent of couples in the US.

What do you think of this madness?

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