(tracey, Clay, ollie71 got me)

1. What's your child's favorite book? Banana's in Pyjamas

2. What's your favorite children's book? Blinky Bill, the funniest and most adventurous Koala Bear of the Aussie Bush...my first introduction to the Aussie Outback...not enough of us Aussie's get further than the outskirts of the city. (Till I became a eighteen and no more curfew)

3. What's your child's favorite thing to eat? Sultana's, apple, pear and anything placed in front of him, but mainly chicken or dim sum, or brocoli, hmm what else, rice, mince meat, rice crackers..................................

4. What's your favorite thing to eat? Chocolate (oops), I do like brocoli (lol)

5. What's your child's favorite game? If your happy any you know it.....clap your hands...clap clap AND of course "Rasberries on mummies bumpy tummy"

6. What's your favorite game? Peek a boo with Codi

Now I tag...mommyofWHA, tinker79, silly-mummy, pudster, mumoftwo, Dawn

The little man is getting a good balance and mastering motion and movement. He is having fun now with riding around on little kiddie cars. He also loves playing with brightly colored rings and large leggo blocks...will have to get some for Codi's birthday which is really soon... yay

It was such a great day...our team (Aussie Rule Footy) called the DOCKERS!! Won against the team Eagles who are the league's favorite to win the Premiership Cup!!!

Codi was so proud in waving the FREO DOCKERS FLAG!!! I couldn't watch too much I get too stressed so I cooked all afternoon, getting a sideways glance and jumping up and down when we were 9 goals in FRONT...

WOOO HOOOO - here come the finals!!!!!

We went through a phase of category 9 tantrums....with a calm period...now I am having to work out "toddler hitting" it is very light tapping or slapping of the face, but I have realised the only thing at the moment that is curbing this behavior is getting constant with the "naughty corner". I have told him you go straight into the naughty corner for hitting, no warning. Initially he was in the cirner all the time...now I would be surprise if it was once a day...will shall see how it goes!!!

Congratulations on the winners of the Roomba...I love rating artilces that provide real experiences, impactful advice and in a very pleasing to the eye format...even with a picture goes along way for me!!! Keep on sharing...writing articles of advice is a good bet!!! (ps. of course I can't win the roomba, but just making it known :0)...

Go Minti Friends!

Cheers,
Rachel

Hey everyone! An online party at minti...
I had an idea...on the whole day of Wed 30th, come visit my lounge and we'll have a virtual party. I'll have balloons, feel free to bring a jukebox (image)...cup cakes, and music. I will see if I can upload some of the b'day party, if I can work out youtube!!! Regardless of what country, on Wednesday the 30th of August (click watch at Rachel's lounge), Codi's party will be on. EVERYONE is invited!!!! You can also bring some (image) pressies too!!!

Here's your party invite...



To: All global Minti Friends + kids

Birthday: Codi Cook's 2nd Birthday

When: Wednesday 30th August

Where: Codi's mum's lounge...click here

Bring: (images) pressies, treats, juke box

RSVP: Just log on on the 30th Aug!!!!

Rach xxx

Image source: here

If you need some ideas for a birthday party with no pressure...a playcentre may be the answer. I have booked the space ship room for Codi's birthday. Per head is worth it, for giving you the time off from preparing, hosting, and cleaning up after a party. The food is handled for you and everyone just turns up, eats, sings happy birthday and off they run to play on the age appropriate equipment...it's like a jungle gym. I think for the age of 2 it's really great as you don't need to go to any fuss, as the playcentre has it set up so they handle all the fussing and no clean up!!!

As a mom, this week I have been quite busy, but am finding time now to post on all my blogs, think on more strategies for minti and now I have to go through and thank those I met at blogher...and comment on posts where I need to...nit nite

Yay, I have no sickness to complain about and feel quite relieved I am not travelling right now. It is a worry that the threat against travellers is becoming more global. I also don't know what I would have done without any carry on luggage, but I would have definitely have been happy to comply and I would be a little freaked out by the international threat, travelling by myself.

I feel for those travellers who are travelling right now and who must be so eager to get home to their families.

But I am back into the routine and planning to fill out invites for Codi's 2nd birthday, yay! I wonder what type of cake I am going to make...he likes stars, and is into squares at the moment and boxes with picutres on each side...gees I love family life. I am proud to be a mother and you know I try and practice what I preach and aim to balance things out with business. I guess I have gone from one extreme to another...and I have finally found my balance.

That doesn't mean I don't fly out of wack from time to time, I guess my thirties will be about watching myself get back into balance. I still haven't squeezed in a massage for myself yet...why am I thinking about balance?...I guess I try to find people to learn from... I learnt once at an investment function about also having a 'balanced portfolio' of life...cool idea hey? I thought so...

He mentioned to draw a circle and cut the circle into sections that represented, friends, family, you, work (being a mom) and partner, doing a check every now and then to see what's out of balance and where you thought 'you' and the other sections sat? here's mine at the moment...

This post is from from my other blog here

and also meet me over at rachelcook.minti.com/blog

I was thinking the other day… wow the ocean looked quite glassy today, a perfect surf day. I haven’t touched my boards, only once, since Codi was born. So I thought I shall re-live here…all in Australia
Burleigh Heads, Queensland

Torque Beach, Melbourne

Tweed Heads, Queensland

Honeycombs, Dunsborough

Secret Harbour, Mandurah

Avalon, Sydney

Cronulla Beach, Sydney

Coolum, Queensland

and local haunts…isolated, trigg beach break, north trigg

….oh the life of a surfa gal…

Hey everyone, I just did the coolest thing...I have been trying to maintain my time4mom.com blog as well as my Minti blog and 'the boys" and the Minti team can provided a great feature that I have just trialled.

So now that I have claimed my external blog, if I post on time4mom it was automatically be mirrored here on my Minti blog...coool more readers...and less time having to link back and forth...

Have a try if you are a parent blogger or other...click here for more info

Howdy everyone, I have a quick tip for article writers...like a title of a book, the title of your article needs to also be catchy enough for parents seeking help to click on your article in the global search results in search engines such as Google...as well as standing in the search results in Minti.

A title that explains the article and topic often gets the higher visits and readership.

Excellent title examples...

- Teething, how to manage the big teeth cutting through
- Buying clothes for your teen when you both don't agree
- First day at high school jitters
- Fighting toddlers, how to manage and resolve
- Busy lives, how to manage a small family

Too abstract explamples...

- What I did
- If you think so
- Hope this helps
- Busy lives

Your intended audience are global parents needing to see the title quickly, click and get help ASAP...they will most likely skip an abstract title...remember it's so cool when parents finding your articles in the global web as well as on Minti, make sure they have the best chances of clicking on yours...and a good article gets the most exposure...

"How to have an attractive and meaningful article to increase the likelihood of good votes"

Take a look...Minti at Blogher '06...copy and paste link (this editor doesn't like @ symbol)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28132314@N00/

Cheers,
Rachel

So you are joining the gang of 30 dom!!! Welcome sista... here is something from Clay and I..



It was 1:20am and I was feeling hyped up from being on Minti all night, when Clay told me you are turning 30!!!!!!

See Izzy's blog - "I am turning 30 tomorrow"