Meccano

My boyfriend suggests that the elderly in nursing homes should be given meccano to make things out of. I think it's a fantastic idea- it'd really help keep minds active and they could make some great things. It's certainly not 'just for kids'.

Aw

My placement didn't work out. :( I can't really go into it on a public forum, but it's left me feeling quite unhappy, disappointed and angry. I'll be going back to it in hopefully a few months' time, at a different school.
But for now I can relax- I've never been so stressed in my life.

What I'm Up To

A research subject (I picked a topic, it's creativity in schools, and if teachers/the education system encourage or discourage creativity/creative thinking and how/why, and whatever other issues come out of the conversation).
A visual arts/performing arts subject. We're making puppets and masks and analysing things and making teaching resources and learning how to do mime and write jingles and all sorts. So much fun, but a lot of emotional and physical effort each week.
A maths/science subject, to teach us how to teach it. Lessons are really fun in that one too but also time consuming in terms of homework and readings.
A subject that is supposed to help us prepare for the future, but also to keep in contact with us about our placements.
And my placement. A very nice 6/7 class.
I won't be able to see my boyfriend for a week because of all the homework and even then I'm going to feel slightly guilty! I've got three assignments due next week. :(

This week I'm teaching my first class. And I'm going to teach something modern! Something relevant! The Internet!

... No, not really. I'm teaching letter writing and running daily fitness time. :p

My course has been making it increasingly difficult to blog.

Would it be unethical to blog, (under a different name, on another blog, using as few identifiers as I can about me, the kids (obviously), even the city I'm in or the area I live in at least) about my teaching experiences? I feel like I need an outlet.

How To Get Your Kid To Eat Healthy Food

"Lie through your teeth"

Sew Sweet Stitches (her Etsy shop is here)made that statement a little while ago, and I'd like to talk about it. She's talking about that practice where you tell your kid whatever possible, to get them to try/eat things that they don't want to eat. An example she used was telling her child that some herbs were 'tree stars' from The Land Before Time, and her daughter flipped out over it, saying that she's not going to eat leaves!

Whoops!

Also telling her that grapes are berries.

And other lies/embellishments too, apparently.


I know why she's doing it- she wants her daughter to eat healthily. However, it obviously also backfires- now her daughter thinks herbs are 'leaves'. And now she's being 'punished' (forced to eat it by doing the sit and wait thing) for not wanting to eat something that she considers to be inedible. It's a tricky situation and one I think would develop some trust issues- can she trust Mum when she sees something new in her food? Or will it be as gross as leaves?

Now, we all know that Mum was simply trying to connect the gross food with something that her daughter likes watching, and something a character likes eating. But lies can backfire, which this one did.

I posted in the thread about this on a forum, and was, probably rightly, asked 'Any tips for us dummies? ' (Maybe I sounded a bit mean, saying that there's no need to lie, and that children should be exposed to healthy food from birth.)

I gave some suggestions which she liked, so now I'm going to share it with you. Some are tips for from birth, others for 'when you already have a picky child'. Please note that I am not a parent, these were just my ideas.

1. Start them off early. Feed them a wide variety of food from the moment they're starting to be weaned. Mashed banana (and let them SEE you mash the banana, rather than it being from a jar. Not that jarred food is the devil or anything, but kids won't make the connection unless they see it.), stewed apricots, whatever else you have. It doesn't have to be for every meal, I know how time poor many mothers are.

One of my extremely early memories is my mother and father pipping cherries for me one afternoon when we were on holiday- their fingers were incredibly stained. Go that extra distance!

2. Let kids see YOU eat healthy foods/foods that you want them to eat. It's an evolutionary thing- they need to see you eating it to see that it's alright. That doesn't mean that, if you hate oranges like Sew Sweet Stitches does, you have to eat oranges- there are many other choices of foods. Or let other family members feed them a variety of foods that you don't eat. This can be fruits and vegetables, or whole meals. Set a good example. If you hate the texture of certain things, get someone else to be available to be the example.

3. Give up on 'kids meals' at restaurants, and from early days. I was never allowed to eat chicken nuggets while my parents ate pasta or other, more adult things. I was fed bits from their plate, and when I was older and my brother was able to eat solid foods, we shared a plate. Most places will let you do this. Or, go to restaurants that just have smaller sizes of the adult meals for the 'kids menu'. This might require some sacrifice sometimes, but it's up to you to decide if it is worth it.

4. Understand that kids will have to try new things many times before they come to like it or accept it. So, mix up how you serve certain items, rather than, for example, trying to feed them a banana just as it is, if they hate banana.

I'm 24 and only just starting to accept capsicum, curry, and other certain flavours right now- these were things my parents didn't like, so they never exposed me to them (though they did well in so many other ways!). I think it's because I've been building it up.


5. Don't back down, but also don't force them to eat the entire plate of something they hate- would you want someone to do that to you? Instead, insist they eat three bites of their disliked food. Or, say that if they don't eat the required amount, no dessert for them (if you don't want to sit around for two hours while the cauliflower gets cold).

6. Understand that there will be some foods that they just... won't like. We're trying to minimise that here, not insist that they eat absolutely everything for all eternity. I still don't like really hot spicy foods, and I don't think I'll ever be a fan of cheese with fruit in it.


7. Try offering foods in different ways, disguised or with a different flavour. They hate cauliflower? Put cheese on it, or a sauce, or cook it til it's really soft, or put it in soup, marinade it, etc etc. They don't like oranges? Try orange juice first, or orange flavoured iceblocks.

8. Try growing some things at home, or letting them go to a farm to pick some/see them grow. Peas were infinitely tastier when picked off my grandfather's plants, and eaten right on the spot. Berries were better when picked from sharp bushes by my parents. Bananas were awesome when a man cut one down for me with a long scythe.

9. Make your own meal look AWESOME. And make a big fuss to each other about how wonderful this meal is going to be, how special, this is going to be the best thing you eat this month. Most kids will then want to try it. :P
That doesn't count as a lie, I think- it's just a jealousy thing and they'll come to the conclusion they want to eat it themselves. Most of the time you really WILL be looking forward to eating it- but how often do you express that out loud so that the kid can hear?

10. Literature! Go out and find books about food, or where people are eating food. Get the kids to watch movies like Ratatoille if that's appropriate for their age group. When I was teaching my Healthy Eating unit to the kids last year, you'd be amazed at how much they responded to the book 'Delicious'. And they were 10 year olds! It's a story of a duck, squirrel and cat who live together and ALWAYS eat pumpkin soup. One day there are no pumpkins. Duck refuses to try the things that the other two spent hours slaving over, pronouncing them gross before even trying it. At the end they trick Duck by making an orange coloured soup. The duck tries it, and realises it is not pumpkin, but that he likes it anyway! We discussed about how the squirrel and cat feel about having their food rejected, is there any real reason why Duck is refusing to try it, is it good to only eat one food forever, and so on.

And there's always the old favourite Green Eggs and Ham! My mother would always say "Try it, Sam I am!" and I'd have to grudgingly try it, because I acknowledged that Sam refused to eat things without knowing what they're like.

Seek out episodes of their favourite tv shows that talk about food- and tape them, then show them it. They'll soon start thinking about it.

11. If your child now thinks that the food is gross as a result of a lie (eg, that food is leaves) try to admit you were only teasing about the leaves thing, or, explain what other things we eat that are leaves- such as lettuce. Go into biological detail, explain about omnivores, and that we do eat certain leaves but not all of them.

12. If your child eats too many unhealthy snacks- simply stop having them in the house. Sorry kid, no longer an option. You'll eat this carrot, or you'll go hungry. Alternatively, ration them. "You're allowed one unhealthy thing today, if you eat this cupcake now, you cannot have a biscuit later, which will it be?"

13. It's harsh, but the whole 'well, if you don't eat it, you'll go hungry' thing is tried and true.

14. Not mine, but from Naturally Hip act excited over healthy snacks. "Who wants a banana??? YAY!"

15. If you have time, make your unhealthy things yourself. Desserts, biscuits, etc from scratch. Then it becomes more of a special treat thing rather than an easy fix from the pantry.

16. Involve the kids in the cooking process.

17. Let your kids have a choice. Have a recipe book, and ask the kid to pick what's for dinner based on the pictures in it. Then cook it for them.

18. Explain WHY you have done something- herbs add flavour, vegetables are needed to keep you healthy, meat keeps you strong, that sort of thing.

19. Let the kids watch cooking shows- that'll give lots of examples of people eating healthy foods.

20. And of course the old 'bribery' method- Eat everything on your plate, and I'll make you a dessert. If you eat fruit for a snack every day this week, I'll do [fun thing that is not a norm] with you! Sticker charts. Lots and lots and LOTS of praise when they get it RIGHT.


21. Make the food fun. There are ads around here where little girls are making necklaces out of fruit, and there's a whole lot of other 'recipes' too.


I hope this was helpful for you!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorena-david/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

NightLight

The Twilight Parody book.

Nightlight: A Parody of Twilight


... I am not a fan of Twilight. I haven't read it, but I don't need to read it to know that it'll drive me crazy and that there are lots of elements that are in it that will guarantee I won't like it.
So, I read this book, because I thought it might be amusing.

It wasn't.

The End.

... P.S. It was still better than Twilight.

Eloise

Eloise by Kay Thomson




A blog recommended I read this, as a 'books you should read no matter your age' sort of list.

The book is a picture book, about a little girl called Eloise, and was written in the 1950s. Eloise lives in the Plaza hotel, which was a hugely interesting aspect for me- I didn't realise people did live in Hotels. Do they still live in Hotels? She basically runs around all day exploring and having little adventures. She has a Nanny, and her parents are always away. I find it interesting that it's a book where she has a career mother, but I guess they're leaving it to you to decide if that's right or wrong- Eloise is left largely unsupervised and is a bit naughty, but since you see it all from her perspective, and her stream of consciousness, it's okay. It's also nice to see an older book with a 'naughty' little girl, and where she's not punished for it, it's just how she is.

I wouldn't recommend reading it to children who are too young- it's very long, but the front cover does say for ages 7 and up (though the main character is 6).

If you ever get a chance to look at it, do.

Teacher Identity

A young woman in Alaska was killed by some wolves recently.
The headlines said "Wolf Attack Kills Young Teacher in Alaska".

I find it interesting that she was not in her teaching capacity when she was killed, but that is how she is identified in the papers. They wouldn't say 'Young Shop Assistant' in that headline would they? I found this classification interesting, and I see it a lot. It's as if a teacher becomes a teacher and then that's what he/she is. People forget that she would have been a daughter, possibly a mother or wife or girlfriend or sibling, perhaps an aunt, perhaps she's a crafter. She was apparently a runner, but they didn't say 'Young Runner'. Why is 'Teacher' the biggest, most important part of her identity? Is it because many of her students would be in mourning, so lots of people are invested in her, more as a teacher than as a daughter?

Have a think, and reply! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Sad Thought

I remember a time when gorgeous craft supplies weren't so easily accessible, but it's quite trendy now.
... I feel sad thinking that maybe it will go out of fashion, and I won't be able to get things in the future. I also see lots of fantastic things right now that of course won't be in fashion in the future- scrapbooking paper designs. :( But I can't afford them now, and even if I could I think I'd still want more in the future.

Fail

Something I learnt while teaching:
NEVER give the kids their marks for something, just before you want them to move on and do something else. At least I did the right thing by giving them their individual marks and not writing it on their work for all to see as it was being displayed, and also giving it to them on paper so that they can see how I marked it. But ... total chaos. Remind me not to do that one again.

Sad Thought

Sad Thought... in the future there'll be very few photos of the 2000s... because they were all just kept online and never printed.

Don't have that there

Yesterday I saw a bunch of Asian tourists, no idea where they're from as I saw them out the window, walking around Hahndorf taking photos. One young man pointed and took a photo of the "No junk mail please" sign on a letter box.

I found that quite interesting. What little things have you taken a photo of when you're in a foreign place?

The Year Of The Flood

The Year of the Flood
by Margaret Atwood

Another great book I've read this year. Apparently I have good book choosing taste/luck because I've only given up on three books this year, all the others I've liked or loved!

This is a dystopian future novel (she does them so well!), where some people live in compounds run by companies, which seem pretty similar to nowadays, but with added genetically modified animals, but many people live outside them in slum areas, eating foods that have 'secret' meats in them (could be anything! human, dog, lion...) and in some really interesting conditions. There's also several religious/environmental groups who want the world to change. Adam One, the leader of one of these groups called The Gardeners, has long predicted the end of the world. Now it has happened. The story flashes between two women who remain on earth when everyone around them is gone. It also flashes back to their pasts before The Flood, which is what Adam called the coming apocalypse and cleansing.

I have to say I was incredibly sucked into this story right from the beginning.

Crucial Pancake Day

I watch this episode of Maid Marian and Her Merry Men every Shrove Tuesday. What an opening sequence for a show, right? :D

Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter

Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter
by A.E. Moorat



Wow, this book is a good one. I read it hot on the tail of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and the cover led me to believe it'd be another 'zombie' thing. But no! Sure, there are some zombies in it, but it's mostly about demons and other otherworldly evils, and the fact that Queen Victoria is often attacked by them as a young woman. Why? You'll find out!

It follows the real life of Queen Victoria quite accurately, which is slightly 'scary'- for all you know, it could be true, because who's to say that demons aren't real and they're just hiding themselves well? Reminds me of that bit in Doctor Who about The Royal Family (you know what I mean if you've seen it.)

It's quite funny in places, and has a good love story between Victoria and Albert, plus all sorts of great actiony scenes. Plus zombie servants, mad scientists, werewolves, rats, Intrigue, and much much more.


Tagline: She loved her country. She hated zombies.

Blurb: There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.

London, 1838

Queen Victoria is crowned, she receives the orb,t he sceptre and an arsenal of blood-stained weaponry. Because if Britain is about to become the greatest power of the age, there's the small matter of the demons to take care of first.

But rather than dreaming of demon hunting, it is Prince Albert who occupies her thoughts. Can she dedicate her life to saving her country when her heart belongs elsewhere?

With lashings of glistening entrails, decapitations, and foul demons, this masterly new portrait will give a fresh understanding of a remarkable woman, a legendary monarch and quite possibly the best Demon Hunter the world has ever seen...

Books I'm Looking For

Updated list of books I'm looking for. I've put a hold on the books that are at the start of the original list. I have a limit of I think 10 books on hold, hopefully more will come in soon!



Neverending Story
Bring the Jubilee

Pretty much all the books on this list.

The Catcher in the Rye, because I've not read it yet
What I saw and How I Lied
The '100 Ideas' books for education
Little Brother- I really like dystopian kinds of books.
Saturn's Children, about a sexbot after the humans have died out.
Zoe's Tale
The Last Colony
Books by Lois McMaster Bujold
Thunderer
Briefs for the Reading Room by Dan Marvin
The Magicians
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
The Handmaid's Tale- read it before, but I want to read it again.
The Time Traveller's Wife... I'm not totally sure on this one but I'll give it a go.
Before I Die - if I'm wanting a tearjerker.
More of the Jeeves and Wooster stories
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Up the Down Staircase- about teaching
To Sir With Love
More books by Mark Billingham, one of the guards in Maid Marian and Her Merry Men. He writes crime novels.
A book by Hugh Laurie. I forget what it's called, it's a detective story
The Picture of Dorian Grey
Books by Dickens
Gods Behaving Badly
Galex-Arena A book that has stuck with me since my early teens.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
The Brief History of the Dead
Geek Love, Catherine Dunn
Catch 22
Buying Time
Starship Titanic (again)
The Difference Engine
Diary of Anne Frank
The Minpins
Something Beginning With
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Beka Cooper series by Tamora Pierce
Bartimaeus Trilogy
Stranger in a strange land by robert heinlein.
Full Tilt
Books by Shel Silverstein
Playing Beatie Bow
To Sir With Love
more Terry Pratchett books

Blind Faith

Book: Blind Faith
Author: Ben Elton

I've been sitting and staring at this draft (with only the above on it) for quite a few days now. Why? Because it's hard to explain how good a book this is.
I read it a while ago, and then asked to get it for Christmas. I got a good quality second hand copy- that's all I need.

Ben Elton is a British comedian who did/does stand up comedy, wrote many fantastic britcoms and is friends with Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson. He also writes novels: something that people might not know.

I think "Blind Faith" is my favourite Ben Elton novel, and I've read quite a few of them.

I like that it plays on many classic novels like 1984, Farenheit 451 and quite a few others, in its portrayal of the future, but makes it more 'relevant' for modern times (not that 1984 isn't still relevant, but he bases his dystopian future on a world that we, now, could fear happening).

I like that it's written in a way that is very readable, and entertainingly (in a non funny way). I like that it all seems so ridiculous, but at the same time possible. It makes me think about social networking, the internet, privacy, religion, and the nature of technology.

Without giving too much away, Blind Faith is set in the future, after a Flood that the citizens believe was a message from God to kill off people for their vanity and pride, however is clear from the start was the ice caps melting- the whole city is too hot as a result of global warming. Everyone is crowded in, and 50% of children die. There's also a lot of media everywhere, even little screens on coffee cups. People are constantly watched on webcams by fellow citizens, and are expected to watch other people as well. They're expected to blog and to read blogs, and to post up videos of all major life events. This is a matter of religion- you're taking pride in what God has given you. Similarly, you should not wear too many clothes, or that's not taking pride in the body God gave you. 'Disrespecting' someone is a crime that could get a mob after you very easily. Fiction is banned. Cake is good and therefore God must want you to eat more of it.

You are never alone.

And the main character lives in this world.

It sure makes me thankful for not joining Facebook.


I really, really, love this book.

My Weight Loss 'Secrets'

In 2008, I went from 69 kgs to 55 kgs. I am very short, so this was a huge difference. I felt really proud of myself.

People asked me 'how did I do it?'

Here are my 'secrets'.

1. Eat stuff you like.
Yep. I'm serious. Don't waste calories eating stuff you don't like or don't really want, out of politeness. Learn to say 'oh that looks lovely but I'm not really hungry right now' when offered biscuits, cakes, or even a giant steak. And don't just eat random junk because you're a bit peckish. How much do you REALLY like those chips? Really? Wouldn't it be better to eat some cherry tomatoes right now, that you actually enjoy and are better for you? Or eat nothing?

2. Don't feel bad about eating. Just eat in moderation.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/eszter/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

There's no food that's really bad- it's just bad in certain quantities. You like chocolate? Eat two squares instead of 2 rows. Then put it away. You've had your chocolate pieces for today! Full? Stop eating that meal and put it away for lunch tomorrow. Want dessert? Go for it. Just don't eat five scoops of icecream. This way you don't 'miss out'. Don't feel you have to live a life just eating vegetables and nothing else. This is what put me off originally. It depressed me.




3. Save foods- understand it'll most likely be there for you tomorrow too.

I think I got a big possessive about my foods, I was thinking if I don't eat it now, it'll be ruined tomorrow, or eaten by someone else! Just because I don't eat it *now* doesn't mean I can never eat more of it again ever, even if it is ruined tomorrow- I'm full now, and had enough now. It doesn't matter if other people have had more. So, make use of doggy bags, of gladwrap, fridges, freezers, and leftovers for lunch. And that chocolate will still be there the next day.

4. Eat frequently but little.

This way your metabolism can keep fuelled, and you don't feel hungry. By 'frequently', I was eating a little every two hours. This totally stuffed up when I went back to uni though, this year. :(

5. Gum.

Chewing something sweet actually convinces my body that I've just had some sort of tasty snack- but it's very very few calories.

6. Know calories.

Understand how calories and metabolism work. You don't just need to eat less than what you're eating now, if you're already eating way too much for your body size- that's still gaining weight, just less quickly. And understand that the fitter you are, the faster your body processes energy. I figured out how many calories my body actually needs. I ate about that, and then did more exercise every day. It was also illuminating to find out how many calories are in different foods. When I was in my first degree at uni I'd often eat two packets of dried noodles for lunch. I found out in 2007 that those noodles are about 400 calories or more a packet- I could certainly not afford to eat 800 calories just for lunch! Finding out some of the foods has now put me off those foods for life, and I don't even miss them.
Some people get too stressed about calorie counting- my mother for one. But if you don't have at least a vague awareness of it, I think that you're less likely to be successful.

7. Drink water

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorispindler/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This hydrates you, which does all sorts of wonderful things for your body and metabolism, makes it easier to exercise (at least it did for me!) and also, most of the time when your body is saying it's a little peckish, it's actually thirsty. I'm really bad at remembering to drink water- it could be good to get into a habit (like I did) of tallying how much water you drink a day.

8. Food/drink diaries
Just for a few weeks, write down what you ate that day. Perhaps get a trusted friend to look at it. Just knowing that a friend will look at it, in combination with a promise to yourself not to cheat, can make you moderate what you eat, and how much water you drink.

9. Diet soft drinks and other low calorie options.

I don't feel like drinking my calorie intakes. So yep, 'diet coke, and a pizza please', if the pizza can fit in for that day. Coke has a lot more calories than you realise.

10. Home Made Foods
Home made pizza is soooo much better for you than pizza from Pizza Hut. And if you have my boyfriend's recipe, you'd be drooling. It also doesn't take that long to cook!

11. Find an exercise you like

http://www.flickr.com/photos/procrasti-nate/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Not me.



I can't stress this enough. In late 2007, I took up ballroom and latin dancing with a group of friends. Decided I'd take the plunge and learn, I'd always been interested. That then moved to some of us taking up swing dancing, which I still do today, slowly rising through the ranks of abilities. I LOVE it. I love that I get to dress up, get to chat to all sorts of different people, that I'm feeling far more coordinated and less clumsy in day to day life, that it's all vintagey and feels wonderfully old fashioned that I can go out dancing with my friends and not have it involve alcohol and loud music, that I feel good and happy doing it, that I can help newbies out, and I'm proud of my abilities. I could have just gone walking on the treadmill alone.
Find an activity that suits YOU. You need to combine healthy eating with exercise- make it something you're NOT going to resent and put off. Don't just hit the gym, unless that is the activity that suits you.

12. Put signs up.

I put signs up saying "Do you really want these biscuits?"
"Are you really actually hungry? Drink some water".
It only works as long as the signs are 'fresh', but it does work.

13. Stress/willpower

Sadly, I think one of the things that made me lose weight was stress. It gave me more willpower somehow. Don't do that if you can avoid it. But I thought I'd be honest. Willpower however is important- people say 'oh, I couldn't possibly lose weight!'
But they CAN! If they have the willpower. (Well, 99% of people who say that could if they wanted to. But perhaps not with their current mental state).



11. Have a goal.

I wanted to be able to fit into pretty dresses. I also wanted to win a weightloss competition. It was fun competing against my friends, and also having a goal to work towards.

12. Go do things

Don't just sit around at home. Get hobbies. Go out walking. Walk to the shops. Get a 'life'. (not just a job). You're moving around more if you do, and are distracted from thoughts of food.

13. Don't be afraid that you're too fat to be seen.

You're not too fat to dance. Too fat to swim. Too fat to go to the gym. Too fat to find love. Too fat to do anything at all, unless I suppose you're housebound but even then you could dance with just your arms!
"Ugh, no one wants to see me in bathers"- you're not THERE to be seen. You're there to swim and have fun. "No one can dance with me, I'm so big". Well, I know two very large girls in my dance classes, and a few very large guys- it's no big deal. And we're not doing lifts anyway, you don't until you get muuuuuuch better than I might ever be.
If people laugh at you for being in your bathers, that is THEIR problem- you are out, getting exercise, doing what you want to do and having a fun time doing it. Force yourself into some self confidence, and go out and do it all.



A sad note though: I've gained weight back, because of university- university meant I was sitting still for longer, couldn't see friends as often, eating less frequently and worse foods, had to sit around and read and write a lot at home, and so on. I'll be trying to follow my own rules again from now on.

Pride and Prejudice And Zombies- Review

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains"

By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

A much talked about book, that I finally finished on the 4th! But just in case you've not heard- it is awesome, if you're a zombie geek, and a Jane Austen lover (or hater even, I think). It's even great if you're like me and like the concept of zombies but can't cope with too much gore so don't go much further than Shaun of the Dead in terms of Zombie Movies, as it's all in text format and is just so funny juxtaposed with Regency England!

The basic idea is that someone has added zombies to Pride and Prejudice. Woah there, don't get angry- they did it in a completely awesome way, and most of the original text is still there! The zombies have been woven almost flawlessly into it. I was expecting normal Pride and Prejudice, and then sudden Zombie attack, like what often happens in movies- they have no awareness of zombies before that point. No. They've written it so that quite a few decades ago, a plague started, a strange plague, that brought the dead back to life. Now, it is usual and expected for young ladies of a certain social standing to add 'zombie killing' and 'hand to hand combat' to their list of accomplishments, for children to be sent to China, or better (according to Lady Catherine) to Japan, for martial arts training, for groups of militia to travel about the country side killing the afflicted and for deadly blood oaths to be sworn rather than mere grudges based on pride or prejudice.

Yet all of the original story is still there (though altered sometimes due to the zombie changes).
Brilliance.
I also love the fact that it is *illustrated*!

I will have happy memories of this book forever, as I started reading it in the tent while I was away on the Yorke Peninsula, lit only by a torch, and I was laughing away at all the changes Seth made. If you love Jane Austen (or Zombies) you'll love that there's some more stuff to read that could easily get people loving the original (rather than just loving the most recent P&P movie which was sadly lacking in my opinion. No, not talking about that one where she jumped into the book through a portal, which I quite liked!). If you hate it, it'll make it more entertaining for you.


I look forward to the movie that is being made, and also to reading Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters, which I got for Christmas.

Do Not Buy From

Haha awesome, I'm on a Do Not Buy From list of someone on Etsy because I'm an 'Unbeliever'. Like she was going to buy dollhouse miniatures anyway.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union -Review

The Yiddish Policemen's Union
by Michael Chabon
Genre: Detective/Crime/Alternative History

I picked up this book from the library as it was on my list of books that sounded cool- it was on an alternative history sci fi list. This is a genre that I quite like. The author changes something that happened with history, and writes their story set in that world. The changes can be big or small, and have varying levels of difference to reality. The stories can be set in any time in the past or present or future as well.

This story, by Michael Chabon, is set in the present, but the point where time diverged into a different dimension, was that after the second world war a safe haven was created for Jews in Alaska. In 1948, the fledgling state of Israel collapsed. Now, sixty years later, the Jewish state of Sitka is about to be reverted back to Alaskan control. A homicide detective, a workaholic after the shameful divorce from his wife (bit cliche for a crime novel...), investigates a murder that took place in the same 'flophouse' he's been living at.

What do I think of it? I think people should give it a try, but I didn't get more than a few chapters in. Perhaps I will keep reading it, but it doesn't seem like 'my' sort of thing. I didn't realise when I borrowed it that it was a crime novel, and though I don't mind crime novels, I like specific sorts. To be honest the Jewish stuff confused and frustrated me- I don't know nearly enough about Jews apparently to understand things, and though I tried to just read it and piece it together like I would for an alien culture, it was difficult for me, and I gave up, I wasn't sucked in. I LOVED the concept of the alternate history, however, and he writes decently, just in a style that I'm not used to. And I know nothing about Chess.

Maybe I'll try reading it again in a while.

Apparently a movie is coming out - I'd watch it.

edit: People on Library Thing had a hard time reading this too, this makes me feel slightly less bad about it!

My Favourite Gingerbread Recipe

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jopeattie/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Not made with my recipe, but looks similar.


I made a lot of gingerbread this holiday season! Once we tripled the batch and it wouldn't fit into the mixer anymore.

I thought I'd share the recipe that I've been using, and perhaps you can enjoy it next Christmas, or maybe 'just for'. :)

* Melted butter, to grease
* 125g butter, at room temperature
* 100g (1/2 cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
* 125ml (1/2 cup) golden syrup
* 1 egg, separated
* 375g (2 1/2 cups) plain flour
* 1 tbs ground ginger
* 1 tsp mixed spice
* 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
* Plain flour, to dust


Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush 2 baking trays with melted butter to lightly grease.
2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the golden syrup and egg yolk and beat until combined. Stir in the flour, ginger, mixed spice and bicarbonate of soda. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Press dough into a disc shape. Cover with gladwrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

3. Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until about 4mm thick. Use cutters to cut out shapes (we used star shapes). Place on trays about 3cm apart. Repeat with any excess dough.
4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven. Transfer to a rack to cool.
If you want to, decorate the gingerbread with icing.

Eco Friendly Lifestyle- Guest Post

This is a guest post from Frugal Mom in MA. AKA, ShabbyChic72



I am just your ordinary thirty-something stay at home mom who tries to make an effort each day at living an eco-friendly lifestyle. One of my biggest attributes ( at least I consider it to be one!) is that I am frugal. There is a distinction between being cheap and being frugal. I prefer to reuse, reduce and reycle! And from this comes my love of all things vintage! I believe things were forty or fifty years ago were better quality and back then people were eco-friendly before things changed.

One of my favorite things to do is to shop at thrift stores and yard sales. I find beautiful cloth napkins that make me feel like I am dining in a five-star restaurant when I use them at home. The other option is to use paper napkins and feel like your are eating at your local fast-food restaurant and killing trees! Vintage napkins are eco-friendly, cost effective AND beautiful!

Another love of mine is Pyrex. The beautiful designs from decades ago that our moms had when we were growing up. Before microwaves and plastic covers were invented! And the best part is you can find them at yard sales and thrift stores! They are inexpensive, beautiful AND they have glass lids so you don’t have to worry about chemicals being released into your food!

And like many women, I love, love, love jewelry and purses! I love it when I stumble across a beautiful purse or piece of jewelry from years ago. What a hidden treasure! It is usually inexpensive and I am reusing and recycling, so how can my husband complain?

I am a coffee and tea drinker. Over the years I have found many beautiful vintage teacups and tablecloths at yard sales and thrift stores. I am a bit of a girly-girl, and I have two daughters, so to me this is fun to be able to have my tea in fine china and a fancy tablecloth! I don’t need the Queen of England to invite me for tea, I can feel special right at home and know that I am recycling and at little to no cost!

Maybe thrift store and yard sale hunting is not for everyone, but at least it is my passion and my conscious effort to having an eco-friendly lifestyle! This is also why I started shabbychic72, my online vintage store at etsy.com. Hopefully others will find the beauty and benefits of all things vintage!


Photo by

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicestalan/ / CC BY-ND 2.0