The silent competition of the children's birthday cake

YOU don’t have to speak to many mothers to realise that motherhood is a competitive sport. Whether it be whose munchkin walks first, says the cutest phrase, gets the best grades at school or scores the most goals in their chosen sport, war is waged from birth. Never has the extremities of the competition been more obvious than children’s birthdays.   

I was thrown some pretty spectacular birthdays as a kid. I also endured some very lame chicken dinners and Woolies sponge cake birthdays too. But there were presents, and a token friend or two either way so I loved each celebration. I know of kids who are yet to experience a lame birthday and that’s fine – I’m not judging – I’m just pondering the stress parents go through in the competition, mainly the birthday cake.

Arguably the most competitive part of the birthday party is the cake. While I am sure there are still Woolies sponges with mock cream making appearances at birthday parties, fancy schmancy designer cakes or cupcakes are gaining popularity.

The following picture was bought into the child’s kindergarten for all to share. Normally parents take simple cakes or cupcakes into kindy/prep/school and reserve the best cake for the real party or birthday (so I am told). If this is true for this kid, imagine the cake on the big day!   

I read a story recently about how in one family, a month before each child's birthday, the birthday child got to flick through The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book and choose the birthday cake they wanted their mum to bake. Little did they know but their mum had glued some pages together, leaving only the cakes she believed she could have success with. While the mother recalls how some cakes she attempted were embarrassing to produce as they just did not work out, all the children remember is how every year they had an awesome cake thanks to their loving mum. Awww...

Some people just don't have the baking prowess to successfully produce an awesome themed cake. I wonder how the mum felt who produced the "shark" cake below? A decent effort I think, and I'm sure the child loved it but... well...And herein lies the truth behind the competition. We can't help but judge!

Then there are other mothers that could make even the most complex cake look easy, telling only their nearest and dearest friends or family of the ordeal they faced to be able to produce ANYTHING in time. Note: I say mothers because I am yet to meet (or hear about) a father who baked an extravagant birthday cake for there child. I am sure there are dads  out there that have and/or will but again, I do not personally know of any. But just to prove there are men who do the cake baking, check out this Angry Birds cake - it is epic!

Having no children myself, I have never had the stress of attempting to bake the perfect themed birthday cake. However, I have a niece in love with Paris (and all things Parisienne) so I am contemplating baking her the following. It will be easy, right? Fun maybe? Bring on the stress!

Have you fallen victim to the birthday cake competition?

Origin, geeks and plankers? What a day!

THERE sure are a lot of things to celebrate or get into today. Not only is today the first State of Origin match for 2011, it is also International Geek Pride Day. Ooh and allegedly International Planking Day too.

State of Origin

While tempted to simply write QUEENSLANDER repeatedly for this part of the story, I will refrain, as there are far more interesting things to discuss (first).

If there was a prize for State of Origin supporter of the Year, the Queensland Police Service would win hands down. Not only have they changed their logo today so that it is maroon, but they have unveiled a special maroon vehicle, complete with the infamous cane toad on the bonnet. The car will be at public events in the weeks between the first and last State of Origin games before the bonnet is signed by all Q origin players then removed and sold at a charity auction by the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation.

The vehicle is collaboration between the Queensland Police and the Queensland Rugby League to celebrate the spirit of Queensland, and lend a helping hand to young Queenslanders affected by serious illness.

And what have the New South Wales Police done? Nothing. Ahh the fighting spirit of Queenslanders, impacting our Government departments. Love it! God help Queensland though if we don’t win. We don’t know how to deal with failure.

Whatever the outcome tonight, one thing is for certain – there will be some sore, sore losers, licking their wounds while scoffing “Wait ‘til Game Two” and “It’s not over yet!”

QUEENSLANDER!!!! (Couldn’t help myself).

Geek Pride Day

The idea behind Geek Pride Day is that geeks can publicly boast about their geekiness today without being labelled as weird. The day started in 2006 in Spain when 300 geeks showed their pride by creating a human "Pac-Man" game. May 25^th also happens to be  the release date of the first Star Wars movie (in 1977).

But the day could not be without some controversy – not all geeks are happy about the date, especially the book loving type. Seems some geeks celebrate Towel Day on May 25^th each year and want Geek Pride Day moved to another date.

And what is Towel Day, I hear you ask? The day was created by fans of Douglas Adams in 2001 as a tribute after his death. Adams wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the idea for towel day is for people to carry a towel to demonstrate their love for the books (and Adams).

So carry a towel AND get ya’ geek on – win win!

International Planking Day

Personally I think the planking community rushed this and therefore ruined it. Where was the build up? The plan? Seriously plankers, you could have rocked this day, if only someone gave a damn about event planning and management. Will there be media coverage about it being International Planking Day? Not unless someone hurts themselves again. You let me down, plankers. You let me down.

Are you celebrating anything else today?

Walk to School Day 2011 - success or farce?

In case it is not 100% clear, the blue 4WD is parked next to parked cars illegally, with the champagne car deciding to do the same.

This is on a Friday afternoon school run at a local primary school.

TODAY is national Walk to School Day and, as the name suggests, the idea is for parents to get their primary school aged children outside to get some fresh air, get some exercise and walk to school. Did your kids walk to school today? Or for those childless folk like me, did you encounter a flood of walkers this morning in your travels?

The Pedestrian Council of Australia (PCA) started Walk to School Day twelve years ago to help promotes the message "active kids are healthy kids" and asks parents to walk all or part of the way to school with their children to start healthy habits from a young age. Some of the functions the PCA is concerned with are the continual improvement of pedestrian safety, amenity and access, and the promotion of walking as a legitimate transport mode and an important, healthy, social activity.

In the later years of primary school I rode my bike to school and in high school I walked so the idea that there needs to be an advertised “walk to school” day seems sad to me – but also a sign of the times (we are all so time poor and reliant on our cars now). Then again my family didn’t own a car so really there was no alternative for me.  

There are of course many different circumstances preventing children from walking or riding to school regularly. However Deakin University found that less than half of all primary school children who live within 15 minutes of their school actually walk to school. They also found that 75% of those kids who are driven to school WANT to walk to school. Hmmm...

Walk to school day makes me ponder two things. One – the dire parking situation at schools. Two – why are teenagers exempt from this day?

Parking at schools

I have done the school run (drop off and pick up) a few times recently with my sister for my two nieces. While the mornings are busy, the afternoons are absolutely ridiculous. “Wow” and a head shake in disbelief, is really the only way to describe the influx of cars, parking or stopping illegally, causing a litany of various traffic hazards. No doubt some of these parents who drive their kids to school and pick them up would claim to do so for the child’s safety – then park 3 cars deep over a two laned road.

Recently an article in the Sunshine Coast Daily argued that schools need more parking as the current situation is dangerous.

The parking problems listed are no doubt apparent at most schools (especially primary schools) around Australia:

-      limited parking spaces for parents dropping off or picking up their kids

-      drivers stopping in no-parking areas

-      drivers staying too long in the drop-off zone

Naturally, debate raged amongst readers, although most comments seemed to be in favour of parents not driving their children (a feat easier said than done perhaps). However one reader argued that it is not safe to let your kids walk or ride to school because of the “amount of paedophiles” around, and quoted the Daniel Morcombe case as an example. The reader also quoted “crazy drivers” as a risk to their child’s safety (ironic perhaps, my opinion is above). One thing is for certain here – a life lived in fear is not a life lived. Statistically a child is more likely to be in a car accident, with a family member driving then have an encounter with stranger danger.

Teenagers?

As mentioned above, Walk to School ay is directed at children to encourage a healthy lifestyle and healthy habits at a young age. Still, shouldn’t it be open to all school age children including teenagers? Is it ever to late to foster healthy habits? Or are teenagers left out under the assumption that they are more likely to walk to school?

On my morning walk I have been privy to some interesting behaviour. I witness cars banked up at the bus stop for both pick up and drop off. Now I don’t know how far these cars are travelling to and from said bus stop – they may in fact be too far away for the child to walk.  However I have even witnessed one parent drive their two children up their street (which is a steep incline), drop the kids at the top, then do a U-turn and head back home. While I acknowledge the street is steep, and would be a pain to walk up every day, what lesson is this teaching these children? The street would not be 100 metres in total, so even though it is steep, it is not a mammoth walk.

What are your thoughts on Walk to School Day?



Pinch, punch and prank

UNTIL midday today I am not going to believe anything I read, hear or see. I'm gullible at the best of times so I figure it's better to be safe than sorry on April Fool's Day.

Unless you live under a rock you would know April Fool's Day is a widely recognised and celebrated day of practical jokes and general foolishness. The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness was in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, published in 1392.

Australia is amongst the countries who only celebrate April Fool's Day until midday rather than the entire day. The idea is if you fall for a practical joke or are subject to foolishness before midday, you are the April Fool. However, in Australia, if you play a joke after 12pm then you are the fool, regardless of whether the unsuspecting prey fell for your joke or not.

A quick Google search highlights the wonder that is April Fool's Day and how the biggest, most memorable pranks have come from some of the biggest corporations in the world.

Who could forget Burger King's "Left Handed Whopper" stunt in 1998 (which resulted in people ordering both left and right hand varieties of the burger for some time after the prank was revealed)?

Remember Dick Smith's iceberg stunt in 1983? For those unaware Dick Smith claimed he had towed an iceberg back from Antarctica into Sydney Harbour.

Dick Smith and his "iceberg" 1983

Arguably the crème de la crème of April Fool's pranks are from the BBC, most notably the Swiss Spaghetti Crop stunt of 1957 and the Flying Penguins prank from 2008. An update for the confused and gullible - spaghetti does not grow on trees and no penguins can fly (but the BBC videos are pretty convincing). 

So today it's not just pinching and punching you need to be wary of until midday. Someone could be trying to make an April Fool out of you.

1957 Spaghetti crop prank: BBC

2008 Flying Penguins prank: BBC

Cop a feel, save a life?

THERE is an event taking place right now and if you are not involved you should be. The event is simple to partake in - all you need to do is feel your boobies, or those of a friend or family member (with their permission of course). Now before you run off into the street and start sexually assaulting women (or well endowed men), the event is not for fun or to cause offence. It's to check for lumps to attempt early detection of breast cancer.

For Australian women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death.  

Breast cancer is also the most prevalent form of cancer in the world with statistics showing 1 in every 4 women diagnosed with cancer have breast cancer.

The colour pink and the pink ribbon are worldwide symbols of breast cancer awareness, hence this blog being pink today, and why the event's picture has the pink ribbon on display. Not quite sure why the image for the event is Christmas themed, but at least the event is getting well deserved attention. 

Word Chic interviewed “Feel a Boob Day” founder Jade Edith Sargent to find out some background into the event.

Why did you start the event?

I started this event because my Nanna is losing her battle with breast cancer. She is my rock. After speaking to people and hearing how common it [breast cancer] is, I wanted to do something, anything even if it was only small.

[Feel a Boob Day] seemed like a good idea to get people checking and aware.

Did you expect so many people to partake in the event?

I definitely did not. I would have been happy if the event had of reached only one person as that's one more person who would have been aware and able to potentially save their life by early detection.

Will this be an annual event you will host?

After the response I have received I would definitely be keen to make this an annual event. I would like to do whatever I can to help fight breast cancer.

Is this event for women only?

I cannot stress enough how important it is for not only women but men to check themselves regularly for any changes in their breasts.

What do people do if they do find a lump or abnormality?

Don’t be scared because it's better to find it early, as we all know. If you're at all unsure on what you should be looking for please go see you GP.

Any final thoughts?

Breast cancer does not discriminate! So please don't think you are too young or too old to check. And a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this event - keep up the good work and keep checking.

There are over 200,000 people “attending” the event on Facebook right now. If you haven’t RSVP-ed yet, DO IT! If you weren't invited, it is a public event so you can invite yourself. Worst case scenario either way, you will spread awareness of the event.

Will you feel your boobies today?

Hello! Bonjour! Hola! Ciao!

YOU would think the easiest thing to write would be the introduction to my blog. Yes? No. Well here goes:


Welcome! The plan for this blog is to put pen to paper (or more accurately to tap keys and watch letters appear on screen) about life in general - news, events, trends and opinions.

Why, you ask? Well the story goes a little like this:

In 2008 I completed a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in both Communications and Creative Writing. I then set off to travel around the world and get some priceless life experience under my belt. Upon returning to Australia I stepped back into a retail sales role, needing to gather funds quickly to get my life back on track. Before I knew it years had passed, I am still in sales, but my desire to do something in the writing arena has become insatiable.

I always loved to read and write as a child – this passion has never wavered. I’ve kept a daily journal since I was 13. I love to waste money I don’t have on magazines but rather than drool over the fashion and beauty sections I always skip straight to the features. Reading novels is a favourite pastime but has fallen by the wayside of late.  My thirst for knowledge lately has led me to predominantly online media. It is for this reason I have decided to contribute to the online arena, using this blog to utilise and expand my writing and research skills.

Being based in Queensland on the beautiful Sunshine Coast means I will probably end up writing a lot of stories that impact or affect m region but I hope this will still carry relevance to those outside of South East Queensland.

Thanks in advance for reading my blog (and saving it as a Favourite, and liking and sharing it on Facebook and other social media, and telling your friends about it *wink*wink*wink*).