Mini Reviewers take on…The Great White Man-Eating Shark

The blurb:

Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey.

Norvin is a very good actor, but rather plain. In fact, he looks very like a shark, and more than anything, he loves to shoot through the water like a silver arrow.

But his cunning plan to clear the water at Caramel Cove badly misfires . . .

A brand-new full colour Early Reader edition of this charming story from the CARNEGIE-winning and HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AWARD nominee author Margaret Mahy, with illustrations by Jonathan Allen.

My Mini Reviewers:

Our little panel of reviewers comprises the following:
Mr 7: an avid reader with an enormous imagination.

Miss 5: a beginner reader with a taste for the dramatic.

Mr 4: loves being read to – the sillier, the better.

In the interests of full disclosure, I feel it is necessary to advise that our panel of mini-reviewers are being paid for their time in chocolate. (To be fair, their mama works for less)

The result:

(marks on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the worst book we’ve ever read, 10 being the best)

Mr 4: This book was quite long for my littlest wriggle-bum. He and I snuggled up and read it over several sessions and I wasn’t sure how much he was following it….until our next library visit when he was determined that the only book he wanted to get out was one on sharks. I think he’s got big plans in mind for this summer! I asked him what he thought of it and he said it’s the best book in the whole wide world. Big praise! Mr 4 gave ‘The Great White Man-Eating Shark’ 9/10.

Miss 5: This book really appealed to our little girl’s wicked side. She giggled her way through it and practiced her shark imitations in the bath for days afterwards. She gave it 9/10.

Mr 7: He took this book to bed one night and read it in one sitting. It’s aimed at a perfect level for him – capturing his imagination with a little bit of naughtiness, but still retaining that innocence. I asked him who he thought would like ‘The Great White Man-Eating Shark’ and he said anyone between the ages of 4 and 25 who isn’t afraid of sharks. He gave it a 10/10.

Mama’s opinion – I loved reading this book with the younger two and discussing it with Mr 7.  It’s such a funny tale, with lots of opportunity to discuss ideas such as sharing and not crying wolf, and it’s so lovely to see books by such a wonderful author as Margaret Mahy being enjoyed by younger generations. It’d be a great stocking stuffer for Christmas!

xo

(Book supplied by Hachette NZ)

Dear Dorothy

I have a 16 year old son and he has asked if his 15 year old girlfriend can spend the night. I don’t know what to say to him! Help!

Confused Mum

Dear Confused Mum,

Tricky situation! My first point is that your son’s girlfriend is actually under the age of consent, so if you allowed her to sleep in his room, you’d be facilitating him possibly engaging in an activity which could lead to him being charged and carrying a criminal conviction as a sex offender. (You can check out more information on the age of consent here.)

Once your son’s girlfriend is over 16, however, it’s up to you to decide what you are comfortable with in your home. If you decide that you are ok with them sleeping together under your roof, then it may be worth having a chat with the girlfriend’s parents and finding out their thoughts on the situation.

Good luck!

Do you have a question you’d like to ask dorothy? E-mail them through to info@dorothynada.com

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Leigh-ann, the face behind dorothy nada, is a qualified counsellor with a background in individual teen, group, and family work specializing in addiction work. The advice and information given here is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but should not be taken in lieu of professional advice. I accept no responsibility for the actions of readers based on the advice given.

5 favourite pins August 2015.

I’m such a fan of pinterest and can while away hours planning rooms, crafts, gifts and outfits….all online.

Here are a few of my favourite pins from the dorothy nada pinterest boards.

1. http://www.woohome.com/diy-2/26-diy-cool-and-no-money-decorating-ideas-for-your-wall

I love this wall! I think it’s peaceful and inspirational at the same time, and if my husband isn’t careful, the next time he goes away for work he’ll come home to this painted in our bedroom!

2. http://visual.ly/century-chairs

This is actually the most pinned of all dorothy nada pins and it’s easy to see why…a century of iconic, amazing chairs!

3. http://www.100layercakelet.com/2015/01/20/modern-bohemian-boys-nursery-by-jamie-street-photo/

This little boy’s nursery is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I’m in seriously love with the use of black, combined with the gorgeous animal wallpaper, copper pipe clothes hanger, and stack of books including Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo…this nursery is almost worth having another baby for!

4. http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/gratuitous-photos-of-drawer-porn?sub=2077546_972698#.ahApkY2vA

I’m a ‘tidy-on-the-surface’ kind of girl. Look behind any closed door or drawer in my house and you’ll find stuff that needs to find an actual home. I’m in awe of those super-organised people. I want to be like them when I grow up!

5.http://styleandcreate.com/post/115884515066/an-amazing-house-in-malmo-sweden-with

This work space is pretty special – the use of a corkboard wall adds texture and interest, and it definitely feels like a space you’d want to work in.

Home Story

You can find the dorothy nada pinterest page here: https://www.pinterest.com/dorothynada

xo

On Caitlyn Jenner…

I have to admit that when the news broke that Bruce Jenner was going to become a woman, I was skeptical. I thought it was a far-fetched rumour. Obviously, time would go on to prove me wrong, and I’ve watched her transition with interest.

The first note I’d like to make is that, watching the HUGE outpouring of support for Caitlyn and her transition has been heart-warming, although the cynic in me has wondered why we are so quick to vocalize our support for a celebrity when there are so many people struggling for support in our LGBT community closer to home. I have wild hopes that Caitlyn Jenner will work as a trailblazer, and the follow-on effects of her very public transition will include a more accepting society in general.

I’ve watched the first two episodes of ‘I am Cait’ avidly – at first out of a voyeuristic inclination, and then out of curiosity and interest.

My hesitations pre-‘I am Cait’ centred around the idea that Caitlyn Jenner was being hailed as the epitome of transgendered people, when she was coming from a background of huge privilege, and her journey has been (in many ways) much more supported and much more cushioned than that of other people in her situation. I love the way that this has been addressed in ‘I am Cait’, and to see Caitlyn’s realisation of the same.

I have watched her new friends talk about the ‘pink cloud’ and how Caitlyn’s apparent self-centredness and blindness to how she is treating those who have known her for years is all a part of her process. We are left with a sense of Caitlyn almost an adolescent, with that strange combination that we all carry at that point in our lives of being so totally sure of ourselves, and so completely out of our depths and learning about ourselves and the world all around. I am so impressed with how the series is panning out so far and will definitely be watching further.
My final thoughts? Here’s what I’ve concluded: if I had waited 65 years to live a life true to my essential being, I’d probably be a little self-centered about it too. AND actually…I come from a ‘normative’ gender story and a ‘normative’ socio-economic story, and as such, it’s really not mine to commentate this issue, but to sit back and learn.

Have you been watching? What are your thoughts?

xo

On vaccinations….

On vaccinations….

I wasn’t going to wade into the vaccination debate, but I’m getting sick of the ongoing war on social media between pro-vacc and anti-vacc mums, and I have to ask…..

When did we get so mean?

I just want to put every single one of you who post these ‘articles’ (both for and against) into a big Mummy time-out. Why do you think it’s ok to call people ‘ignorant’ or ‘stupid’ because of their choices?

My children were having a debate in the back of the car the other day about evolution vs creation (entirely led by them, and yes, I possibly do have the strangest children in the world.) There were two definite camps taking place in the backseat, with each party vigorously defending their position and belief, and not once did anyone call anyone else names. (And this is no mean feat considering they are aged 4, 5 and 6, so at the age when throwing a quick ‘poo-head’ or ‘dumb-bum’ is a sure-fire way to escalate an argument…or end it by rendering the opposition incoherent with tears at the unjustness of the slander) They are CHILDREN and they are already behaving better than many of the mums I’ve seen on social media ‘debating’ vaccinations. We ended their discussion by following up with a talk about how people have many different opinions, and even if we don’t agree with their belief we must respect their right to have that belief. They get this – it’s not a difficult concept for them. Why are so many adults struggling with that same idea?

For the record, I am pro-vaccination. My children have received all their vaccination on the immunisation schedule on time and in full. In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that my dog is late for her annual vaccinations, but I’ll probably have that remedied by the time I publish this blog.

My problem isn’t whether or not you should vaccinate your children. Read that again. My problem isn’t whether or not YOU should vaccinate YOUR children. They are YOUR children. We’ve made our choice for our family, based on what WE believe to be the best decision for us. What you decide for your family is exactly that…your choice.

My problem is that there are so many grown women out there reduced to name calling and downright meanness over what boils down to a personal choice. And that’s not ok. I get that you are passionately pro-vaccination, or passionately anti-vaccination, but can we just grow up a little bit please? Make your choice, be happy in your decision and get on with your lives. If someone has chosen a different path than you, don’t see it as a threat to your belief or an insult to your choice, just be glad that we live in a world where we have the luxury to choose.

Review…Circling the Sun. Paula McLain

The blurb:

As a young girl, Beryl Markham was brought to Kenya from Britain by parents dreaming of a new life. For her mother, the dream quickly turned sour, and she returned home; Beryl was brought up by her father, who switched between indulgence and heavy-handed authority, allowing her first to run wild on their farm, then incarcerating her in the classroom. The scourge of governesses and serial absconder from boarding school, by the age of sixteen Beryl had been catapulted into a disastrous marriage – but it was in facing up to this reality that she took charge of her own destiny.

Scandalizing high society with her errant behaviour, she left her husband and became the first woman ever to hold a professional racehorse trainer’s licence. After falling in with the notoriously hedonistic and gin-soaked Happy Valley set, Beryl soon became embroiled in a complex love triangle with the writer Karen Blixen and big game-hunter Denys Finch Hatton (immortalized in Blixen’s memoir Out of Africa). It was this unhappy affair which set tragedy in motion, while awakening Beryl to her truest self, and to her fate: to fly.

What I thought:

This was a truly compelling read. I found myself pulled along with the story from the very first page. Usually when I’m reading a book to review I keep a notebook at my side and jot down screeds of notes as I go. This book was so interesting and moved along so quickly that I got half way through and realised I hadn’t written anything more than the title! This is a great book to lose yourself in.

You find yourself in the midst of a vast array of ex-pat characters throwing themselves into colonial life with all that brings. They are nuanced and complicated, but by and large they are likeable.

Beryl is one of times’ early aviatrix (to use a delightfully old-fashioned word) and an adventurer on a grand scale – becoming a trail-blazing horse trainer in a world of lions and Empire struggles, bad marriages, love affairs and booze. She faces each setback with a spirit that appears to be indomitable.

I only realised part-way through this novel that Circling the Sun is based on a true story. I restrained myself from doing any research on Beryl until after I had finished the novel, and when I did, I was captivated by the lifeline of this fascinating woman.

Circling the Sun is a beautifully written story of an intriguing character – well worth the read. I’m off to hunt down a copy of McLain’s ‘The Paris Wife’ now!

I give Circling the Sun 9/10

xo

(Book supplied by Hachette NZ)

Review…Kitchens of the Great Midwest. J.Ryan Stradal

The blurb:

Who is Eva Thorvald? To her single father, a chef, she’s a pint-sized recipe tester and the love of his life. To the chilli chowdown contestants of Cook County, Illinois, she’s a fire-eating demon. To the fashionable foodie goddess of supper clubs, she’s a wanton threat. She’s an enigma, a secret ingredient that no one can put their finger on. Eva will surprise everyone. On the day before her eleventh birthday, she’s cultivating chilli peppers in her wardrobe like a pro. Abandoned by her mother, gangly and poor, Eva arms herself with the weapons of her unknown heritage: a kick-ass palate and a passion bordering on obsession. Over the years, her tastes grow, and so does her ambition. One day Eva will be the greatest chef in the world. But along the way, the people she meets will shape her – and she, them – in ways unforgettable, riotous and profound. So she – for one – knows exactly who she is by the time her mother returns to find out.Kitchens of the Great Midwest is about the family you lose, the friends you make and chance connections that can define a life. Joyful, quirky or brazen, everyone lends their voice to tell Eva’s story – one that’s as heartwarming as it is irresistible, taking the bitter with the sweet.

What I thought:

Kitchens of the Great Midwest is the story of Eva’s life told chapter by chapter through the eyes of people close to her, and the foods they bring into her life, as told through the chapter headings – ‘lutefisk’, ‘chocolate habanero’, ‘sweet pepper jelly’, ‘walleye’, ‘golden bantam’, ‘venison’, ‘bars’, and culminating in ‘the dinner’.

This book is funny. I literally laughed out loud a few times, and that’s always a good start!

Each person in Eva’s life is touched by her food and adds to her repertoire in some way. When stories are told in this manner (jumping from person to person), it can sometimes be disjointed and frustrating, but I didn’t find that with this book. It was sometimes tricky trying to work out how the chapter protagonist fit in with Eva’s story, but I felt a sense of satisfaction each time I worked it out.

I thought that Kitchens of the Great Midwest was a little like moving through life – once you move on, you lose touch with those you’ve left behind and that happens with Eva; her next phase brings you new stories, but leaves the old ones unfinished. I loved the characters and would have loved some closure on exactly what happened with a few of them – the story does come around and you get a little glimpse of most characters in various ways by the end of the book, but I wanted more. I found that thinking of each chapter as a vignette of a life helped – almost like a collection of short stories linked rather than a complete novel, but I did enjoy it.

You know that saying ‘always leave them wanting more’? This book does exactly that and while I desperately wanted to know what happens next, it’s kind of endearing that the author trusts that his readers have gotten to know the characters well enough that they can guess what happens next. In some ways it’s more satisfying than being spoon-fed a happy ending. (By the way Mr Stradal – you write a female character very well!)

I give it  7/10

(Book supplied by Hachette NZ)

Review…Ruin & Rule. Pepper Winters

The blurb:

‘We met in a nightmare. The in-between world where time had no power over reason. We fell in love. We fell hard. But then we woke up. And it was over . . .’

She is a woman divided. Her past, present, and future are as twisted as the lies she’s lived for the past eight years. Desperate to get the truth, she must turn to the one man who may also be her greatest enemy.He is the president of Pure Corruption MC. A heartless biker and retribution-deliverer. He accepts no rules, obeys no one, and lives only to reap revenge on those who wronged him. And now he has stolen her, body and soul.

Can a woman plagued by mystery fall in love with the man who refuses to face the truth? And can a man drenched in darkness forgo his quest for vengeance – and finally find redemption?

What I thought:

Oh god. Where do I start?

Trust me when I tell you that I absolutely wanted to love this book – a novel by New York Times bestselling New Zealand author. I wanted to get behind it, but it just didn’t happen for me. In the interest of being completely open, I should mention that the genre just isn’t for me anyway, but I really struggled through most of this book. Stilted writing, unsympathetic characters and an incredulous storyline ultimately let to disappointment.

Ruin & Rule reads a bit like a Mills and Boon novel on acid –  basically a romance without the bodice ripping, but still with the requisite cruel, masterful man and the vulnerable woman who can overlook his faults and love the tormented man inside.

Here’s the thing – I rolled my eyes a LOT reading this book. I shouted at the main characters for unrealistic reactions and over-the-top dialogues. I called my friends and make fun of the heavy-handed writing, BUT…halfway through the book I realised that I wanted to know what happens next. Pepper Winters says that she ‘strives to write a story that makes readers crave what they shouldn’t…’ I don’t know if I craved much about this story, but despite my misgivings it drew me in.

The 50 Shades trilogy has proved that overworked writing can be overlooked in favour of a twisted love story based on broken characters (and plenty of sex). If you enjoyed that, then Ruin & Rule may well be for you.

I give it 3/10

xo

(Book supplied by Hachette NZ)

Vinyl Home…

I was lucky enough to have the lovely Katja from Vinyl Home send me some gorgeous marble patterned vinyl recently and I put it to good use!

Vinyl Home was started by Katja after she looked around for sticky-backed plastic which is a common DIY tool in Europe, but couldn’t find any here in New Zealand. She started to bring it in for friends and soon realised that there was a market for the product here. Made in Europe, the sticky-backed plastic is solvent-free and manufactured using water-based glue. This means that it’s an extremely safe product to use in your home, as well as being SUPER easy (as I’ll demonstrate soon), and awesomely affordable.

I was excited when my roll of marble contact paper arrived – the quality is fantastic, and you can see that straight away. I decided to use it on our en-suite bathroom vanity. When we built we installed the standard, basic vanity and I was bored of it!

Here’s what we had to work with:

Simple, clean and basic. I wanted interesting, gorgeous and WOW!

I’ll admit to feeling some trepidation about using this stick-on vinyl after the trauma of the great school-book-covering-debacle-of-2015 which ended in a wrinkled, sloppy mess (and that was just me!), but I took a deep breath and got on with it.

Now, ordinarily I wouldn’t choose to start a DIY project in the second week of the school holidays surrounded by children who were still faintly hyped up on the sugar high from the preceding day’s birthday party, but I was DYING to get into this, so I bribed them for a bit of time with Minecraft and Frozen (thank you Steve and Elsa!)

I removed the drawers and unscrewed the handles (I have to admit that I felt like superwoman doing this. I just needed a tool belt and I’d be a total DIY amazon). The process is really simple – cut the vinyl to size and carefully stick it down, working with a cloth or a squeegee to remove air bubbles as you go. The vinyl is VERY forgiving so I could peel back and re-stick as I went to ensure a bubble-free finish. It was actually fun and took no time at all – in fact it took longer to take all the lotions and potions out of the drawers than it did for me to cover both drawers!

I’m thrilled with the finish! I’ve been dragging anyone who arrives at our home to the bathroom and demanding that they gaze in admiration at my gorgeous vanity and the verdict has been unanimous – this vinyl is a definite hit! Katja warns that it’s addictive, and she’s right…I’m eying up various other potential projects around the house, and with a fabulous range of patterns and prints, there’s plenty of scope for choice.

I’m a complete sticky-back plastic convert! It’s affordable, easy to use and looks great.

Katja has an exciting giveaway for dorothy nada readers too…head on over to my facebook page to find out more!

 

You can find Vinyl Home here:

http://www.vinylhome.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/vinylhome.co.nz

xo

Mama Keeps Her Cool….5 steps to not losing it when the kids suck

Let’s face it -sometimes being a mum is pretty shitty. Especially during the school holidays in the winter…kids cooped up inside driving each other crazy means that pre-holiday zen mum with visions of crafting and baking with her angelic offspring turns into a yelling, screaming banshee. Not fun. Here’s 5 ways to hold on to the zen when WWIII erupts over whose turn it is to wear the ballerina dress-up (yes, I’m looking at you Mr 4!)

1 – Count to 5. When that doesn’t work (and let’s be honest about this, no matter how often we tell our children to do so, counting to 5 NEVER works), count to 10.

2 – Calculate how long until bedtime. Or until you can crack into that bottle of wine. Break the remaining time down into manageable chunks – afternoon tea, play time, put a move on, make dinner, baths, bedtime. Woop woop! (If you’re starting your countdown at 7.30am, that’s a lot of chunks!)

3 – Remind yourself that they’ll be all grown up before you know it, with children of their own. Then you’ll get to sit back and laugh at them – the ultimate parenting karma.

4 – Ask a friend or family member to have them for an afternoon. Swap childcare so you both get a bit of a break. But here’s the key – don’t rush around cleaning while they’re gone. Sit down with a good book and enjoy the silence.

5 – When all else fails change it up! Put some  music on LOUD and dance around like a maniac (if your children are young they’ll join in and laugh. If they’re older they’ll be embarrassed by you and laugh. Either way, surely laughter is better than the constant whining that’s been going on until now!) Bundle them up and go on a treasure hunt. Bake. Paint. Look at photos of them as babies – children LOVE hearing stories of what they were like when they were tiny.

When you get through your shitty, crappy, sucky day, go and peek in at your babies on your way to bed – even as they get older, there’s something angelic about their little sleeping faces that will make you remember that they don’t always act like little demons and you’ll be ready to face the next day.

xo