Virginal Update

We have access! But – it’s at dialup speed. Grrr.

Apparently our issues are not restricted to us or our area – seems to be an Australia-wide phenomenon. Anyone heard anything about mobile-phone-based internet going belly-up?

Needless to say, I’m still peeved. But not frantic 😉

My Latest Project

Shhhhhhhhh.

This is top-secret stuff.

But not exactly high-security, now I think about it.

You might not be surprised that I have yet another blog project on the go?

It’s in very early stages yet. But if you want to check it out, have a gander at Computer Noob. It’s a blog for all things techie and confusing. And you can download some of my favourite header creations, if bright and gaudy appeal to you! 🙂

Best Packaged Soup EVER

I’m not a fan of tinned and packet soups. Usually they’re so full of sugar, salt and artificial flavourings as to be pointless (might as well eat a packet of chips). Or they’re just plain BLAHHHHH.

BUT!

I found me some new soup.

This is not a paid post, k? Sadly, I won’t even get any free soup out of it. But this is a damn good product, and I want others to try it so it doesn’t disappear from supermarket shelves like most things I adore.

La Zuppa soups are vegan, mostly vegetable, very low-fat and low-cal, and yet damn tasty. Seriously.

I discovered these on a rare foray into the soup section of Coles a couple of months back. And I’m hooked. I’ve only tried three – the Tuscan Bean was nice, but the Cauliflower and Pea was surprisingly awesome. As was the Pumpkin. And in my neck of the woods, they’re under $4 each, and big enough for lunch. Yum. Add to that the convenient microwave bowl, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Read a bit more about them here.

Wednesday Wisdom

How to Burp a Baby

Bubba Boy has always had a few troubles when it comes to getting air out of his stomach and released back into the wild. Part of this is probably due to digestive issues – he’s dairy- and gluten-intolerant – but part seems to be due to a slight back misalignment that he gets whenever he gets tense about not being able to burp (can anyone see a vicious circle?).

So, being the brilliant and somewhat lazy mother that I am, I decided against holding him for hours trying to burp him. Instead, I developed a series of stretches which have always worked wonders for him. They have been known to work well for other babies with similar problems, too – so I thought I should share them with the world. Be aware, though, that they’ll only help babies who are actually struggling with a fairly simple bringing-up-wind problem. If the baby has reflux or a similar digestive complaint, they’re unlikely to help much.

These stretches may seem rather radical to do to a baby, but I found Bubba Boy was always a lot happier afterwards… they’d always make him burp, whereas standard methods could take hours of screaming. And as long as you’re gentle, you’re not going to do her any damage.

Warning: Gentleness is very important in all of these stretches. You’re not wanting to increase flexibility at this stage, you just want to use the range of movement that baby is already comfortable with.

The general rules are:

• be very very gentle
• don’t force anything that bub doesn’t like. eg. if you’re trying to get her arms up and she’s pulling them down, let it go till later.
• All stretches should be done for at least 30 seconds.
• Let her bend in only one direction at a time. eg. She shouldn’t be slouched forward while you’re bending her sideways.

Lengthen the Back

With a really young, floppy baby, the best method is to lie her on her back across your leg, supporting her head, so her back arches but is supported too. To get more of a stretch, lift her hands up over her head.

With an older baby, get her into a sitting position on your lap, back towards you. Raise her arms till her fingers are pointing straight up, and pull just a tiny bit to get a stretch.

Side Stretch

The side stretch is from the same position (lying on her back or sitting on your lap)… let her arms down, and keeping her unslouched, bend her slowly to the side so that one shoulder is a little higher than the other and her back curves sideways. Do this 2 or 3 times each side.

Torso Twist

In the same position, with a straight back, twist her torso sideways a little. One shoulder should be forward a little, the other backward a little. Do this 2 or 3 times each side.

This is a bit harder to do with a young, floppy baby – I laid Bubba Boy on his back on my lap, then raised one of my legs to allow me to ‘twist’ his torso while still supporting his head and keeping his back straight.

Upper Back Stretch

Either in the sitting position or lying on her tummy. Straight back. Leaving her arms down in their natural ‘relaxed’ position, pull her shoulders very slightly back.

Bicycle Legs

This old classic is great. It seems to work by loosening up the lower abdominal and back muscles. Lie her on her back, and move her legs as though she’s riding a bike (but wildly exaggerated 😆 ). One leg straight, the other bent with the knee near her chest, then swap. Slowly and gently, of course. The circular motion is optional, it’s the up-and-down motion that’s important.

Musical Monday

I’m figuring that y’all might like something slightly newer than 1980.

Am I right?

So here’s a song from a Brisbane taxi driver who I met a couple of years ago, and bought a CD from. His name’s Manjit Boparai, and he’s a Fair Dinkum Aussie:

Hehe 🙂 It always makes me giggle!

Still in Limbo

(and by ‘limbo’, I mean bending over backwards for a mere taste of netty goodness)

Warning: Every now and then, Virgin Broadband SUCKS.

I’ve got very, very intermittent internet. Like, taking me 2 hours to get the ‘new post’ page up. But don’t worry, I haven’t been sitting here just trying to get it to load. There’s been plenty of opportunity to do housework. Eurgh. Somebody save me from broadband limbo!!

Ahahahaha!

I’ve worked out how to fool my body.

A cup of hot water from the urn makes it think it’s a) warm and b) getting indulged with something NOICE.

*snicker*

SUCKER!

GAHHHHHHH

Just as I start thinking that I’m back in the game, my computer starts threatening a blow-up and my internet dies and my home phone likewise cos they run off the same box. Dammit. I have a couple of posts written up so I might seem to be around anyway…. or maybe Virgin will get off their virginal arses and fix whatever the hell happened to my internet!!!!

I’m typing this from the middle of Boganville. If you never see me again, either Virgin bombed my house to shut me up, or the people around me realised that it was me who wrote that nasty post about Ipswich…. *gulp*

Buhbye!

Boy Am I Drooling

… and again, sadly, it’s got nothing to do with Hot Hunk Thursday. But then, as I pointed out to Riayn weeks ago, pictures of gorgeous women usually work better for me. Except when we’re talking Tim Curry back in his Frankenfurter days.

Anyway, back onto the train of thought. Un-de-rail said train. Right.

Oh, that’s right. Drooling.

Over this stuff:

*droooooooool*

Yup, it’s hair dye.

In case you didn’t know, the boring brown (as seen in my current avatar) isn’t my natural colour. My natural colour is multiple, bright, and “oh dear God, another little old lady just fainted”. And now that I have SOME spending money, getting my hair back to its natural colour is one of my top priorities. Because it’s been pining, and so have I. You’ve no idea the stress involved in dressing like a washed-out 30’s-plus mum when my insides are screaming for a punk-hippy exterior to match them.

I’m thinking mostly blue-black, with dark-dark-blue, blue and turquoise highlights.

And yes, I’ll look like a freak.

And you’ll still love me.

Right?

Maybe even more.