Friday 29 March 2013

... for Easter Greetings

My first attempt at Hot Cross buns
Celebrating Easter this weekend, visiting with friends and baking hot cross buns. I used the recipe from the latest edition of the Australian Women's Weekly magazine. I was really pleased with the way the buns turned out, very tasty and light, but I must say my skills at piping the crosses left a lot to be desired! Maybe I need to practise a bit before next Easter.
  Easter is traditionally a celebration of new life and our family had a wonderful new life to celebrate this week - the birth of my daughter and son-in-law's first child, a girl called Carys, a Welsh name meaning 'Beloved'. 
  So whether Easter for you means chocolate eggs, fluffy bunnies and chicks, hot cross buns or Simnel cakes, or you remember the reason for the season, I hope you have a safe and happy long weekend.

Sunday 24 March 2013

... to Have Fun With 'Giggle' Translate!

I have spent many happy hours lately planning our trip to Europe. And part of the fun has been reading the translations into English of websites in other languages. In fact I have renamed 'Google Translate' as 'Giggle Translate'.
  The flowery English hypes up the hotels and locations into flights of fantasy. Sometimes the translations are completely impenetrable; sometimes they are laugh-out-loud hilarious. Here are some examples to bring a smile to your day. See if you can guess what they're about!


  1. 'The innumerable traditional settlements outspread all over the impeccable natural scenery in combination with the unique mentality of the hospitable inhabitants compose the unparalleled amalgam of excellence.' 
  2.  'Watch your next 3 ride options to a selected compound will always find on my path.'
  3.  'The area has limited traffic, you can still get under the Hotel to download the pack, then it will be our care to send fighters to the plate for the transition took place.'  
  4. 'To tinker the canopy for the bedtime story is the purest breeze.'
  5. '... to feel smitten by the exquisiteness of this metropolis.'

 And the answers are....
  1. A region in Crete
  2. Booking a ticket on German rail
  3. Arranging valet parking at an Italian hotel
  4. In the catalogue for the children's section of a German department store
  5. A town in Italy
I  love it!

Wednesday 13 March 2013

... to Save Money

An Easy Way to Save Money
This is going to be an exciting year for us - a new grandchild and a big trip - so I have been on a 'spend less, save more' kick for quite a while!
  I thought I'd pass on this easy, blindingly simple, painless way of saving money that has worked for us.
                      Never Spend a $5 Note

  Every time I get given a $5 note in change I tuck it into the back of my wallet, then when I get home, transfer it to this jar.
  At the end of each month, I bank what's in the jar. The $5 notes have added up to amounts that have been surprising!
  If you're saving up for something special, why not try this idea. It really is that simple!
  

Monday 4 March 2013

... to Learn Something New

At the End of the Day

 'Make every day a school day,' says my friend Sue. 
  And she's right. In this wide, wonderful world there are so many fascinating people, plants, and animals; words, ideas, and plans; structures, inventions and technologies; books, movies, art and music to discover. So much to keep you excited about learning!
 At the end of each day I like to spend a few minutes reflecting on what has happened over the intervening hours and what new things I have learnt. 
 And today, while reading a gardening book, I came across a word, a lovely word, I hadn't heard of before.  Miz-maze.
 A miz-maze is a labyrinth made out of turf. Or a state of confusion! Which led me to look on websites about labyrinths and Iron Age forts and the difference between a maze and a labyrinth (labyrinths have a continuous path and no dead ends) and Druids and centuries old school traditions in Winchester and ... in fact I was in a virtual Google miz-maze.
 You can tell I love research, can't you? What new thing did you learn today?