February 2009 saw many parts of Victoria suffer the worst bush fires our country has ever seen. Entire communities were wiped out, left devastated by the loss of 173 lives and 1000’s were left homeless.

During the aftermath, so many Australians wanted to reach out and do something to help those effected. A group of crafters and artists joined together with Handmade Help outs.

This fantastic recipe book evolved from these efforts.

The Homemade Recipe Book is collection of treasured family favourite recipes, donated by people from all over the world along with some well known chefs such as Margaret Fulton, Allan Campion and Michele Curtis.

I have bought my PDF copy,  it is packed with lots of yummy recipes for soups, pasta, mains, salads, desserts and heaps more. It is also beautifully design and illustrated…it looks great!

You can purchase a paperback copy of the book for $15AUD. Or you can buy a PDF downloadable version of the book for $8.

All proceeds from sales of the recipe book will be donated to the Salvation Army.

The Homemade Recipe Book

Right now, 50% of Lipton Black and Lipton Yellow Label in Australia comes from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, they aim to achieve full certification by 2015.

Visit Lipton for the Future to find out more.

What is a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm, and why should you purchase products that feature this symbol?

The Rainforest Alliance is an independent organisation that works with individuals, communities and companies whose livelihoods depend on the land to reduce environmental impacts and increase social and economic benefits.  The Rainforest Alliance Certified seal of approval makes it easy for consumers to know they are buying a product that has been grown or made sustainably, where water, soil and wildlife habitat are conserved, workers are treated well, families have access to education and health care and communities benefit.

Lipton Rainforest Alliance Competition

Lipton are looking to collate everyday tips for acting more sustainably at home that are cost-effective, manageable and unique which Australian families can easily follow. They want to hear from real Australians, what works in your life?

We are looking to hear your favourite tips for being a “little greener at home”. What little things do you do at home to be a good global neighbour?

We will pick the top 2 most creative and effective tips to win a great Lipton Tea pack valued at $150!

The packs will include the latest eco-friendly kettles from Tefal, bright and lively tea set and Lipton tea which of course is comes from Rainforest Alliance certified farms.

To win, simply leave a comment below with your tip. You can also submit your answers using our contact form here.

Available only to Australian Residence. Entries close Friday 10th July 6pm 2009.

Good Luck

Today is World Environment Day. Now more then ever we are realising that our production and consumption cannot go on at the rate we have.

We all need to play our part by learning and putting The 4 R’s Refuse, Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle into action…
Refuse- plastic shopping bags and excess packaging material
Reduce- the waste you produce.
Reuse- reuse packaging, bags and containers. Repair items instead of throwing them out. Sell your unwanted items, if you can’t reuse it someone else can.
Recycle- There will be things that the above 3 do not apply. Many items can be recycled these days, contact your local council for advice on recycling in your area.

Australians are one of the worlds biggest waste producers. In 2006-7 Australian households threw out a staggering 41,402,000 tonnes of garbage. With each person producing about 1,900kgs. Only 49% of this garbage was recycled.

For ever very 10 tonnes of recyclable materials recovered is equivalent to:

• taking four cars off the road permanently
• providing a year’s electricity for 14.5 households, and
• saving enough water to fill 3.5 average backyard swimming pools

Recycling, if done properly can have a great impact on our families eco footprint. But is everyone really sure they are doing it right?

Many councils now offer kerb side recycling,  this is the most popular form of recycling. Here are some tips to get the most out of your household recycling..

• Be sure to sort everything. Check for and remove any non recyclable contaminants such as plastic bags, lids and ovenproof glass. Just a small about can ruin an entire recycling collection load.
• Before placing glass, cans, milk cartons and plastic drink containers into the bins, remove any lids, and rinse and squash containers and boxes. Especially rinse food containers and dispose of food scraps (in the compost if possible) – old food is not only unpleasant, it attracts vermin and reduces recycling opportunities.
• Look for the recyclable symbol on plastic containers and look for the numbers – Be sure to check your councils requirements, most councils collect numbers 1, 2 and 3, and some also accept 4, 5, 6, and 7.

For things that may not go into your regular kerb side collection, you can check out Recycling near you. Here you can search by area or product and it will give you a list of council and private companies who offer recycling.

Despite a heavier population the most recent data collected for the women’s sizing standard was in 1975. With many stores and brands not going beyond a sz14-16

International fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld described his recent H&M range as designed for “slender and slim” people. Melbourne designer Bettina Liano says she makes size 14 clothes but “they just don’t sell”.

Some fashion designers admit they are reluctant in some cases to make their labels available in larger sizes. The industry body, Council of the Textile and Fashion Industries Australia (TFIA), says this policy can send negative body image messages to younger consumers.

“Vanity sizing” is also a well-known practice in the $2.8 billion dollar industry, with generous sizes designed to entice the consumer into buying the garment because they feel flattered to fit into a size smaller than their usual one.

Sizing irregularity is also affecting the online shopping market with retailers saying Australia lags behind the United States, United Kingdom and Europe in this area.

“How can people confidently buy online when even if you’re physically standing in a shop you can’t be certain what size will fit you?” said CHOICE spokeswoman Elise Davidson.

CHOICE says men generally have it better than women when it comes to clothes shopping because their clothing is generally measured using specific waist and neck measurements in inches. There is a standard for children’s clothing sizes currently used in Australia.

CHOICE journalist, Kate Browne set out to discover just how big the difference in sizing is between some popular Women’s clothing brands. Watch the video to see how she fared on her shopping trip.

Read the full report at Choice.

What are your thoughts, do you think we need a new sizing survey?

Did you know?
• One in three Australians will need blood at some stage during their lifetime – but only one in 30 currently give it

• Australia needs 21,000 blood donations per week to ensure there are adequate supplies for those people who need it

• Giving blood takes only one hour of your time and it can help save the lives of three people

• A donation of 470 ml of blood is less than 10% of your total blood volume

• Your body keeps discarding and replenishing blood all the time whether you give blood or not – so you may as well put that ‘spare’ blood to good use and help save up to three lives as you do it

I went along to give blood for the first time today! It is something I have wanted to do for awhile, but I guess like so many things in our busy lives I just never seemed to get around to it. I myself received quite a few blood transfusion after the birth of my last child, so I know how important they can be.

I had some super cute motivation and when I saw that the mobile donation bus would be in the area I jumped at the chance. Take the time to read Ivy’s special story and how just an hour of your time can change her life, and the lives of so many others.

The winter months are often the toughest for the Red Cross, less people donating and more demand for blood products. Please visit the Australian Red Cross Blood service to see if you are suitable to be a Blood donor and find your nearest Donor Centre.

RSPCA Cupcake Day is back again this year.

Monday August 17th (my birthday!) is Cupcake Day for the RSPCA. RSPCA Cupcake Cooks across Australia will descend on their schools, workplaces and social groups with batches of yummy homemade cupcakes to sell. With 100% of the proceeds will go to the RSPCA.

Whether you want to be an RSPCA Cupcake Cook or simply an RSPCA Cupcake eater, you will be supporting the thousands of animals they care for everyday.

To get involved and host your own Cupcake party all you need to do is go to the site and register your details and the will send you a Cupcake kit for all the details you will need to know for the day! Or you can download it from the site.

They even have dog cupcake recipess!

Anyone can get involved to bake or eat cupcakes for the animals. I think I will be going on a weekend long cupcake bender!

Cupcake Day for the RSPCA

Remember when using eggs in your cupcake recipe, Choose Wisely

Nominations are now open for this years Telstra Business Women’s Awards.

Since its inception in 1995, the Telstra Business Women’s Awards program has recognised over 400 amazing business women from all fields of business.

“Nominations for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards are now open and we are looking forward to recognising and rewarding some of Australia’s leading business women who continue to excel in their respective fields despite the economic downturn,” Ms Kramer,Group Managing Director, Telstra Product Management and Telstra Business Women’s Awards Ambassador said.

In 2009, there are five Award categories open to Australian business women:
• Commonwealth Bank Business Owner Award – for owners with a 50 per cent share or more in a business with responsibility for key management decision making;
• Hudson Private and Corporate Sector Award – for employees in the private and corporate sectors, or owners with less than a 50 per cent share of a business;
• White Pages Community and Government Award – for employees in government departments, statutory bodies and not-for-profit organisations;
• Nokia Business Innovation Award – for eligible business owners, private sector employees and entrepreneurs who answer the Innovation questions in the Entry form; and
• marie claire Young Business Women’s Award – for entrants who are eligible in one of the three qualifying categories who were born on or after July 30, 1974.

Awards are offered in each category in every state and territory with the winners eligible for the national finals in November.

To nominate yourself or other inspirational business women visit: Telstra Business Women’s Awards or call 1800 817 536 during business hours.

Nominations close 10 July, 2009.

The game has been developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene – renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah Winfrey’s personal trainer. EA Sports Active is perfect for the whole family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Read more

That’s great and all, but what about all the cat lovers of Australia?

The RSPCA has launched a new event this year just for cats!

Million Purrs is a virtual event for cats. Cat owners can now join the fun and help raise money without leaving their house.

In the past year, the RSPCA cared for more than 69,000 cats across Australia. The RSPCA relies on generous donations for 98% of their funding, which is why fund raising events like these are so very important.

So how does it work? You sign up and make yourself a Cat avatar and profile.  You can then interact with other users in virtual worlds with your Cat. Great for adults and kids.

To raise money, you need to find sponsors. Send your profile link to friends and family where they can simple make a donation to sponsor you and your cat or they can purchase virtual gifts like food, toys and kitty litter for your cat.

Million Purrs, sign up and start collecting sponsors. Or you can just sponsor my cat by visiting my profile or searching for crazymeezer. All processed go directly to the RSPCA and are tax deductable of course.