I know I haven’t updated in quite some time, however I am still here!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter xxxx

Anyways, thought i’d post a video for you to enjoy & to let you all know i’m still here  )

I can’t wait to find out where our next part of the journey heads & what will happen along the way.

Will keep you all posted )

I am interested in hearing from others who have been or know someone that has been through this process. Please don’t hesitate to contact me. I need all the advice I can get right now.

I have had endless disapointment in trying to secure myself a job here in the Illawarra. I have even approached stores out of the area at around 45 minutes away with no luck. I have not tried every single store int he area, but I have tried every avenue where I am experienced in & yet had no luck.

The worst part of this journey has been the fact that only 1 store, in the whole 7 months of looking for work had even bothered to get back to me & tell me that they had passed my Resume on to HR for future reference. I even registered online with Select Education…. & heard nothing back! This is appalling!!!!

The emotional strain job hunting has on a person is already at high levels. The feeling of disapointment is never ending & the negativity that surrounds it all over several months of unsuccessful searching has put me in a place I never wanted to be.

However things have now changed for the best. My SIL Duff works at a Bunnings store in Sydney & travels back & forth every single day, taking her roughly 1.5 hrs in a one way trip.  There happened to be a position become available for her to work 9-5 weekdays which is one of the best situations you can get in Retail! Also a position became available for the same hours & days in the Cafe in the same store. So I applied. I had 2 days notice of the position, then attended the Group Screening they offer. Followed by a 2 on 1 Interview. This happened all last Wednesday. Yesterday I got the phone call to say I was successful for the job & I start Induction training this weekend. Then start in the store next week. I will be doing 2 days of Stock Take which I did a few months ago with them.Then into my position in the Cafe.

I find it amazing that I have managed to get myself a job where I am not 100% familiar with the role, nor is it nearby to home. But at the moment I am fairly desperate. So am pleased to just get the work. The bad part is that I will be spending a good chunk (roughly about a third) of my wages on fuel! Paying half the cost of fuel will be better than the full amount, however it’ll still hurt the pocket. So i’ll be working about a day & a half just so I can travel to work. BLEH!

So now I’m back in the workforce. I will be earning my own money. We will be able to  plan things on weekends again as a family. Oh how sweet it is!

My friend Michelle told me earlier in the week that the final Top Ten will be telecast on tv Live. I was unsure what show it would be broadcast on, so I went hunting.

I have retrieved this info from the Terms & Conditions page: “The National prize will be judged by the panel on 04/09/08 at 10am at ‘Martin Place’, George Street, Sydney NSW 2000″

Therefore I believe that the judging may take place on Channel 7′s The Morning Show, as this is shown live from Martin Place, also home of Mel & Kochie’s Sunrise.

I will be watching & hoping that East Lynne Store finish strong!

Thank you to anyone who did vote for my best friend Michelle & her partner Colin. It has been hard work for them to keep up such a good name & reputation, but one i’m sure they are extremely proud of. I know I am 

Added: 7th Sept, 2008.

Well a place from Victoria who has been open a mere 18 months won the competition. Congrats goes to Wickedly Delicious Patisserie. Monbulk. VIC! Job well done. Good competition against them and runners up were:

Elaines Gourmet Pies. Fyshwick. ACT
Sugar & Spice Patisserie. Joondalup. WA
Bremen Patisserie. Umina Beach. NSW
Beefys. Palmview. QLD
East Lynne Store. East Lynne. NSW
Ettalong Beachside Pie Shop. Ettalong Beach. NSW
Pie In The Sky. Olinda. VIC
Whiteys Pies On Sale. Orange. NSW
Tolga Bakery. Tolga. QLD.

Good try again this year Michelle & Colin. My vote will always go to you both. Love you & Miss you xxxx

THE mother of a five-month-old baby was followed and questioned by police and security guards after she used a parents’ room at Westfield Marion to express breast milk, earlier this month.

Sharleen Salmon, who works at Marion, said she felt harassed and was embarrassed after a woman and a female cleaner at the shopping centre complained to police and centre security about her using the room during her half-hour lunch break.

The young mum, who has recently returned to work in the hair and beauty industry, to support her family, said “I was in a private area (in the parents room) behind the curtain and this cleaner just walked in on me and watched what I was doing.

“She told me the parents room was for parents and breastfeeding only – and that I wasn’t allowed to eat lunch in there.’’

Ms Salmon said she was using a standard breast pump to express milk to feed her baby daughter Justice, who was being cared for by her father.

She said the cleaner made her feel as though “I wasn’t allowed to be in there. I was doing something very personal and for her to stand there and watch me was embarrassing.’’

Ms Salmon, who expresses milk once a day, said she was followed back to work by a security guard and a police officer, who said a formal complaint had been made to centre management.

Full Story Here.

This is absolutely pathetic! What on earth is this damn world coming too??!!

I found this story at http://guardian-messenger.whereilive.com.au after reading a post in the BubHub forums I frequent.
It made me feel angry about the treatment of this young mother & makes me wonder what kind of treatment I may receive in the future if placed in this situation.

Breastfeeding is vital to sustaining life to an infant whether it’s thru immediate contact feeding or expressing milk for later use. There is so much negativity existing already about public feeding, however when a mother cannot even express in a private area without being harrassed, then socety has gone way too far out of line.

The Security and especially the Cleaner should have approached the woman with respect & credibility. I believe that Ms. Salmon has every ground to make an uproar against Westfield Marion in South Australia & the Cleaner involved. This woman should be removed from her position as she had no right in speaking to Ms. Salmon in the manner she did. Who did she think she was???? Sounds like shoot now ask questions later syndrome.

SHAME ON YOU WESTFIELD MARION!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Please enjoy.

1) I will be away for a few days hospital stay next week & due to time constraints cannot close the poll later than today.

2) Only TWO Entrecarders bothered to leave a comment & vote. In the whole month. Sad.

Therefore I have awarded both members the 150 credits each & they are both welcome to a free advert of their Entrecard Widgets on my site.

Thank you & congratulations to you both, Sue & Lightening )

For anyone interested, here are the results:

I like to bowl but don’t do it very often. = 5
I used to bowl but for reasons, I don’t anymore. = 2
Everything! I have my own gear. It is my chosen sport for life. = 1
I have picked up a ball once or twice. = 0
Other answer… = 0
What is Tenpin Bowling? = 0