Blogs

I've just heard that ACT Playgroups will be hosting the Sing and Grow music therapy program for families whose children aged 0-6 have a disability, chronic illness or other special need.  
It will be followed up by a fully supported My Time playgroup, where parents are able to support each other in a relaxed and accepting environment.

If you missed out on getting all the beautiful children's clothing you wanted in the Brindabella Baby Facebook Garage Sale, here's a hot tip on more bargain. My soon-to-be neighbour, MissChief Maker, has a 'Gold Spot' sale on new and handmade clothing and gifts.  Up to 30% off, with lots of brand new handmade clothing at close to cost price. There's a special on pre-loved too: buy two and get the third at half price.

Wow, what a sale we had on Wednesday 27 Jan! And I only had time to list about half the clearance stock. So we're doing it again Thursday 28 January from 8pm.

Thursday night's listings will include women's PJs, jewellery, coffee (to keep us all awake...), one-size nappies, toilet training paraphernalia, books...
Don't miss out! These really are never-to-be-repeated prices, as I don't want to pack and move this stuff to the new shop location at the end of March!

The time has come to clear out a ton of stock at Brindabella Baby. On Wednesday night from 8pm, Brindabella Baby is having a Facebook Garage Sale, with most stock at cost price or less!

So how does it work? I'll post pictures and descriptions of items, with a bargain basement price, on the Brindabella Baby Facebook page from 8pm Eastern daylight savings time on Wednesday, 27 January 2010. All you have to do is post in the comments if you want the item. On Thursday morning, I'll email Paypal invoices, with postage costs based on how much I can stuff into pre-paid Express Post satchels. There will be hundreds of items, with entire product ranges being discontinued - clothes, accessories, gourmet treats, carriers, nappies and more. And the first to comment gets the item, so make sure you don't miss out! Become a Facebook fan today, and get ready for never-to-be-repeated bargains!

We usually head out to the Cotter Bush Picnic for Australia Day festivities, but this year it's moving from Cotter to Tidbinbilla. The bush picnic runs from 11am til 3pm on Tuesday 26 January 2010, and it's sure to be just as much fun as the previous Cotter Bush Picnics. Read on for more Australia Day family events in Canberra...

Breastfeeding in Ergo carrier

Last week, I asked people to tweet their favourite thing about breastfeeding for a chance to win a Finnstarz organic cotton breastfeeding advocacy t-shirt. We have winners! From @kayozview: "Favourite thing about breastfeeding? Hmm, hard... instant baby/toddler comfort I think." She followed this up with "I mean along with it being perfect food, always ready, filled with antibodies, plus antibacterial, perfect baby eye drops". @LittleKDesigns was also a winner: "Because it is natural, healthy, free and a great way to bond with my daughter. I love bfing :)"

What's my favourite thing about breastfeeding? It's a food that is a perfect genetic match for my baby's needs. The nutritional content changes to match my developing baby's needs, and even becomes more watery to better hydrate my baby on a hot day. You can find out more about the benefits of breastfeeding at the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Make sure you hear about competitions, give-aways and special events by signing up for the Brindabella Baby email newsletter here. We will never give your email address or other contact details to any third party. You can also find Brindabella Baby on Twitter and Facebook.

Want to try African Drumming? Drum Effect and Innanna Inc provide fortnightly classes in which students learn traditional djembe/dun dun rhythms from West Africa in a group setting for free.

Inanna Inc and Drum Effect are holding a free drumming workshop in the school holidays for young people aged between 13-18 years of age. Please call Charlie for more information on 6162 1672.

Finnstarz breastfeeding advocacy t-shirts are the coolest. Made under fair trade working conditions, printed with non-polluting vegetable ink, and made from organic cotton.

Inspired by this blog post, I'm going on a Slow Media Diet. As of right now.

The basic idea is that I spend too much time online, and it eats into time I should be spending on other activities. I'm interested to find out what other areas of my behaviour might change if I didn't prioritise online time so highly. Will I consider the information more deeply if I take longer to read it? Will I connect more with my local community if I take the time to seek out traditional media in my area, rather than Googling everything?

Changing how I ingest information is a bit like food - slow food isn't as convenient as fast food, but it's often better quality. Of course, online is not all evil. Online shopping cuts down impulse buys at the mall, email means I don't need a fax and reduces phone calls, and social networking is great for keeping in touch with people too far away for a coffee and chat. But the rules below will help with my digital cleanse, my own personal Slow Media Diet.