5 Minute Laugh - Evian Roller Babies.

Hello friends! Welcome to my bloggy home NatashaInOz.com. Thanks so very much for stopping to visit!

I hope that everyone has been having a great week. My kids are on school holidays at the moment so I have been enjoying some quality time with them. We have been to the movies, have had some play dates and we are even going to the beach for a couple of days! I can't wait...you know how much I love going to the beach!

We have had a rainy start to the holidays so we have had to spend some time indoors. While we were looking at movie previews on the computer I stumbled upon these advertisements for Evian water. I remember seeing the ad a while ago but since it made me laugh so much again I thought I might post it for another 5 Minute Laugh. I especially love the behind the scenes clip with a dubbed interview of the babies...it's gorgeous! I hope you enjoy it too.





Best wishes for a happy and laughter-filled week.

Natasha In Oz 

Carry laughter with you wherever you go. Hugh Sidey

Tuesday Tune - Homage to Autumn

It's Autumn in Australia...finally!

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler and the golden and burnished leaves are starting to fall off the trees.

Autumn in Australia lasts from March to May. I love this time of year because the extremely hot weather fades away and by late April I finally feel as though winter is approaching.

In autumn here in Oz, the sun still shines brightly and many people still head to the beach, just like we will be next week!

Autumn is my favourite season and I am so happy it has finally arrived.

Since I celebrated the arrival of Spring in August last year I thought I should celebrate Autumn this year so I have made a little slideshow on Smilebox of some of my favourite Autumn images. The music is just a generic piece from the site but I think it fits quite well with my images. If anyone else has used Smilebox before and thinks I should pay for the extra features I would love to hear from you!

So, here is today's #TuesdayTune, which was inspired by my favourite season, Autumn!

Homage to Autumn

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. Elizabeth Lawrence

Do you have a favourite season? Do you have a song that you always play in Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall? Perhaps you have a song that just makes you feel happy whenever you hear it? If so, then I would love it if you could link up your favourite song with me today-you can link up with any post, old or new. Please feel free to even link up a song you have already linked up before.

If you would like to link up a seasonal song or any other music to this week's Link up, please just click the button below!

I am linking this post up to my weekly Say G'day Saturday Party. If you would like to join in with this week's party please just click the Say G'day Saturday button!

Thank you my dear friends, for dropping by and visiting today! Wherever you are and whatever your weather, I hope you all have a truly beautiful week.

Best wishes always,

Natasha In Oz 

Please join me each weekend for the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party!

You can also visit me at PINTEREST, TWITTER, 

INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Cleaning the House with the Rubbermaid Reveal Mop

I have just rediscovered the joys of mopping floors! I know...who knew that someone could actually get a kick out of cleaning?

New research released in the UK found an hour of mopping the floor burns about the same calories – if not slightly more – than the same time spent lifting weights at the gym.

Source

I got my mopping mojo back thanks to Porter Novelli and Aussie Mummy Bloggers, because they kindly sent me a Rubbermaid Reveal mop to try out.

Do you know why this mop has changed my views of mopping? There is NO BUCKET!

You simply fill up the cannister with hot water, or add your favourite floor cleaning product and using the trigger, just spray and mop!

The microfibre cleaning pad is reusable so you don’t have to worry about buying disposable pads. You just throw it in the washing machine and reuse it. A quick spray and the microfibre pad mops up any spill easily. Apparently it picks up 50% more dirt and grime than any other mop!

The swivel function is great because I was able to very easily go under the furniture and it also fitted in perfectly in the space between my fridge and the cabinetry. I would normally have to get down on my hands and knees to clean this spot!

This brilliant mop has recently been launched in selected Bunnings stores around Australia and retails at $39.95. The Rubbermaid Australia site will launch soon, but until then if you would like more information about the company and products please visit www.rubbermaid.com.

Now, to the first give away....Thanks to Rubbermaid, one Aussie reader will win a Reveal Mop!

To enter the Rubbermaid mop give away, just make sure you are a visible follower and leave a comment on this post. If you would like an extra entry please tweet about this giveaway and come back and tell me that you have done so in a separate comment.

Now, I can't leave my overseas bloggy friends out so I am going to give away a second prize! Since many of my Northern Hemisphere friends are heading into Spring I am sure many of you are starting to get right into your Spring cleaning!

I bet many of you have lots of handy hints on great ways to effectively clean the house. Maybe some of you have shared ideas on how to polish silver, how to clean the bathroom on a budget or maybe you have posted about natural ways to clean the floors? If you have posted anything about cleaning the house I would love to hear from you!

Link up your post and the best two tips and hints that have been linked up by followers of my blog will win one of these Williams Sonoma Marseilles tea towels.

Give away closed.

Thanks for joining in with my impromptu "Cleaning up the House" linky party. Thanks also to the lovely people who are hosting these fabulous linky parties this weekend: 

Don't forget to Whistle While you Work!

Thanks so much for dropping by today and visiting me in my little corner of the world Down Under!

Best wishes and happy cleaning. 

Natasha In Oz 

Terms and Conditions:

I received a complimentary Reveal Mop courtesy of Rubbermaid Australia via 

Aussie Mummy Bloggers. 

All opinions expressed are purely my own.

Giveaway ends April 1st, 2011

Rubbermaid mop give away is only open to my Australian friends-sorry! 

Tea Towel give away is open to everyone!

#TuesdayTune ~ You'll Never Walk Alone, Japan.

A Tuesday Tune
For Japan With Love

Beautiful wallpaper free wallpaper

These beautiful Sakura flowers, the Japanese cherry blossom, would have to be one of my very favourite flowers. They are so pretty and unique. They are also a favourite because they represent hope. Today, these flowers are a sign of the hope that we all hold for the thousands of people who have suffered in Japan over the past week.

HGTV

CNN

Flickr

Source

Sakura (cherry blossom), Japan 桜 2008

All mosaic images from here


My prayers go out to everyone who has been affected by the earthquake and tsunamis in Japan. I am dedicating this week's Sunday Song to our friends in Japan. I hope they know that they are not alone in this long and harrowing journey towards 
re-building and recovering from this terrible natural disaster.  

pilicon

I thought that this week we could share any posts we have published about our friends in Japan. It can be a reflection, a song, a poem, lyrics to a song, anything.


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Thank you dear friends for visiting and visiting me in my little corner of the world Down Under. I hope you will find time later to visit my blogging friends who have linked up this week.

Blessings and best wishes always,

Natasha In Oz 

Wordless/Wordful/Wordish Outdoor Wednesday-A Day of Sunshine.

A Day of Sunshine!
I hear the wind among the trees

Playing the celestial symphonies;

I see the branches downward bent,

Like keys of some great instrument.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

There is no season such delight can bring

As summer, autumn, winter and the spring.

William Browne

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; 

they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.

Luther Burbank

Happy Wednesday dear friends!

Joining in with Spring Fling at This Blessed Nest,  Wow us Wednesday, Susan's Outdoor Wednesday, You Capture and Wordless/Wordful/Wordish Wednesdays at Parenting by Dummies,  A Beautiful Mess,Supermom, My Little Drummer Boys , Live and Love Out loud and Pink Saturday. Thanks for having me today!

Please come back and visit on the weekend for my #SundaySong post!

This weekend's Sunday Song post will devoted to Japan and any posts dedicated to our dear friends who are suffering after the tsunami and earthquake will be welcome.  

Best wishes always,

Natasha In Oz 

Sunshine is a welcome thing. It brings a lot of brightness. Jimmie Davis

Tuesday Tune ~ Relaxing with Cafe Del Mar

Welcome friends to this week's #TuesdayTune at NatashaInOz,com. I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit!

Over the last couple of weeks I have been listening to a lot of ambient music while doing my chores, reading blogs, cooking meals and on my walks. I have always known that music is an effective relaxation and stress management tool and have found that listening to music, these last couple of days in particular, has really helped me calm down and de-stress. So for this week's Tuesday Tune I am posting one of the songs that I have listened to MANY times this week. This music has really helped me relax and release some of the tension that I have been carrying over the last couple of very stressful weeks.

Music can affect the body in many health-promoting ways, which is the basis for a growing field known as music therapy. However, you can use music in your daily life and achieve many stress relief benefits on your own. One of the great benefits of music as a stress reliever is that it can be used while you conduct your regular activities so that it really doesn’t take time away from your busy schedule. Music provides a wonderful backdrop for your life so that you can find increased enjoyment from what you’re doing and also reduce stress from your day. Source

Source

I hope you might be able to find some time just for you so that you can chill out, relax and unwind to this peaceful music from Café Del Mar called Lux (Northern Lights)

No matter how much pressure you feel, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you’d be more productive. Dr. Joyce Brothers

I feel so much better after listening to this! This music really helps me get my brain get into a meditative state, which carries wonderful stress relief benefits with it. Do you have any music that helps you relax and wind-down after a busy day? I would love to hear your suggestions if you do!

Source

If you would like to link up a relaxing song or any other music or song to this week's Tuesday Tune Link up, just click the button below!

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Thanks for joining in! I hope you might be able to pop by again later on so you can hear the music that my Tuesday Tune friends have linked up this week.

Best wishes for a beautiful, stress-free and relaxing week,

Natasha In Oz 

Please join me each weekend for the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party!

You can also visit me at PINTEREST, TWITTER, 

INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!

Tuesday Tune: Shania Twain and a Chocolate Cookie Recipe

G'Day dear friends! Welcome to Natasha In Oz and welcome to this week's Tuesday Tune post.

Has your life been as unbelievably busy as mine lately? I feel as though I have been racing around like a mad thing all week! I have had to do some substitute teaching (there must be lots of sick teachers around....flu season has obviously arrived!), I have had to help my kids with homework, do the usual household duties, cook, go marketing and manage the family....I seemed to be everywhere for everyone this week....

I don't know about you but when I am feeling stressed and I need to relax, I listen to some music and head to the kitchen...not to eat but to bake and cook! Yesterday I decided to make some cookies, but not just any old cookies.... 

I made Chocolate Uglies!

I know the name of these cookies is a bit undesirable but my family will unequivocally agree with me that these cookies are Delicious!

Chocloate Ugly Cookies

Ingredients
115 grams or 8 tablespoons of butter,
200 grams or 8 oz of dark chocolate,
50 grams or 2 oz of chopped unsweetened chocolate and
1 cup of white chocolate chips
3 eggs,
3/4 cup of sugar,
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract,
11/2 cups of self-rising flour (or you can use plain flour and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder)
a pinch of salt.

First set your oven to 350F or 180C and line 3 baking trays with baking paper. In the top part of a double boiler, over hot, not simmering, water, melt the butter with the chocolate. Remove from heat, and let stand until tepid, about 10 minutes.

 You can also take the quick option and melt them very slowly on low heat in the microwave...that is how I did it!

Using a hand-held mixer set at high speed, beat the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and foamy.

Beat in the vanilla and chocolate mixture, just until blended. Stir in the flour, baking powder if you are using it and salt. Then stir in the white choc chips.

Now, at this stage you might be looking at this runny batter and panicking-don't! It is meant to be a bit runny. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough about 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets for a fudgy and flat cookie, or refrigerate the dough for a couple hours for a puffier cookie that doesn't spread as much.

I added some sprinkles to some...to make the uglies a bit prettier!

Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes or until they’re slightly cracked. The cookie needs to remain soft and gooey inside.

The whole family loved these cookies!

I love this recipe and I know that my family will want me to make these again! I also loved singing along to some of my favourite songs as I cooked. One song I love to play when I need to lift my spirits is "Up" by Shania Twain.

When everything is goin' wrong

Don't worry, it won't last for long

Yeah, it's all gonna come around

Don't go let it get you down

You gotta keep on holding on

Please enjoy today's Tuesday Tune!

I would love it if you could link up one of your favourite songs with me today-you can link up with any post, old or new. Please feel free to even link up a song you have already linked up before or a repost like I have done today!


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Thanks for joining in. Please come back again later so you can visit everyone who linked up!

I hope your day is fabulous and thanks again for visiting me in my little corner of the world Down Under! I love it when friends drop by!

Best wishes,

Natasha In Oz 

Please join me each weekend for the Say G'day Saturday Linky Party!

You can also visit me at PINTEREST, TWITTER, GOOGLE+

INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK!