Finding joy in the everyday

1878 wedding dress I do love wedding dresses (what girl doesn't) and thought it would be fun to look at the changing style of the wedding dress over the last 130 years. How styles have changed over the years, some more elegant that others! I have always been a big fan of Princess Grace of Monaco's dress (below), it was so beautiful and feminine and I did love the dress that the Duchess of Cambridge wore — once again so elegant and feminine. What is your favourite style of wedding dress? Ten fascinating facts about weddings: 1. Brides traditionally wear veils because ancient Greeks and Romans believed they protected her from evil spirits.   2. The tradition of a bride wearing "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," comes from an Old English rhyme. Something old represents continuity; something new offers optimism for the future; something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness; something blue stands for purit...

I stumbled across a beautiful and touching story the other day which I wanted to share — it’s about nine women, all now aged over 50 (known as “The 9 nanas”) from West Tennessee who have spent more than 30 years secretly helping those less fortunate and when their husbands final found out their secret, they too came on board to help: . . .  They’d eavesdrop -- all with good intentions, of course -- at the local beauty shop or when they were picking up groceries. And when they heard about a widow or a single mom who needed a little help, they’d step in and anonymously pay a utility bill or buy some new clothes for the children.  “We wanted to help as much as we could,” Mary Ellen said, “without taking away from our own families, so we became coupon clippers. And we’d use green stamps. Remember those? We’d use green stamps and we’d make sure to go to Goldsmith’s department store on Wednesdays. Every week they’d have a big sale and you could spend $100 and walk away ...

We all want to save money for something— perhaps a holiday, Christmas, a new appliance for the kitchen, home renovations . . .  but it can be hard work and we often fail.  The other day I was reading " Women's Agenda " and came across a method that was so simple and easy that I wanted to share it with you.  This is how it works — each week you put aside the following: Week 1: $1 Week 2: $2 Week 3: $3 Week 4: $4 Week 5: $5 Week 6: $6 Week 7: $7 Week 8: $8 Week 9: $9 Week 10: $10 . . . . . Week 51: $51 And at the end you have = $1,378 After thinking about this option I realised that not every one will have (for example) $50 on week 50, but you might have it earlier (i.e. in week 10), so do a switch. In week 10, put aside $50 and in week 50 put in the $10. This is best done on a spreadsheet so you can keep tabs of which amounts you have put aside.  The other way of doing this is working backwards — start the challen...

Art Friday: Ribbon embroidery Some people are so talented and these examples below of ribbon embroidery is just amazing. I can't even start to decide which is my favourite, they all are!! And as far as I am concerned, this is art — as good as anything on canvas. Perhaps one day I will learn how to do it.  Do enjoy. *****

We often look at our ancestors with rose-coloured glasses and look back nostalgically at the wives of past centuries with great fondness. We think they were happier than we are today. That they loved their large families, they took their role as keepers of their homes seriously and without complain, their husbands loved them dearly and life was rosy and beautiful. This photo is the sort of imagine we have in our minds — happy smiling mother and child. Sadly the reality is very different to our view — for many ordinary women: life was exhausting and full of drudgery, husbands beat their wives (for many centuries it was considered acceptable to beat one's wife as long as you didn't kill them), women died in childbirth or lost many of their children to what is now curable diseases, they had no way of escaping a loveless marriage and had to endure their husband mistresses without complaint or they husbands departure for something better. Women could not choose their futures...

Feminine and pretty . . . here are some recent photos of Australian born Princess Mary (in the long blue skirt and white blouse) and her family (including the Queen of Denmark and her husband). Each year the Royal family gather together to celebrate summer and have photos taken, this is they 2015 photos.  Princess Mary is looks so feminine and beautiful in her navy and white outfit. Whilst we aren't princesses, we can still dress like this and look modest, modern and beautiful. Her white blouse isn't see-through and the lace makes it look lovely and pretty. The jewellery really does add something to her outfit without being over-the-top or too showy. Her hair is beautiful done, simple and neat. This is the look we can all achieve and it looks great. Even her young daughters (Princesses Isabella and Josephine) are dressed in pretty dresses that are age suitable.  And I love the little dogs as well!!! ****

To smack or not to smack? A question many parent asked. . .  What are your views on this topic?  I have read a number of blogs that support smacking plus the comments left by readers — it is certainly a topic that can polarise a room with very strong views for and against.  It can also divide parents and cause many  arguments. It is one of those topic that should be fully discussed before having children and a decision made whether to smack or not. It saves a lot of pain in the end.  As to my position — I am not a supporter of smacking babies for any reason and would never recommend it. However I know there are many supporters of Michael and Debi Pearl (and their book "To train up a child) who strongly  believe in smacking (switching) babies of only a few months old on their bare skin or pulling hair to cause pain to stop a particular behaviour to obtain complete obedience.  They also have, what I consider, very h...