Before this day arrived, the folks at iolo Technologies contacted me a few months ago to tell me about their product, System Mechanic. Although my main machine is a Mac, our mixed household still has two PC machines – a 5-year-old desktop and a 4-year-old laptop. Both machines have just been sooooooo slow. It’s ridiculous. I really don’t use them anymore, unless I absolutely have to. They’re primarily used by my hubby when he works from home, and occasionally by the kiddos when they do games and homework.

That’s why when iolo’s spokesperson asked me if I want to give System Mechanic a whirl, I thought, why not? Besides, I really wanted to help hubby and the kids with their home computing needs by speeding up their computer a bit.

In a nutshell, System Mechanic is an app for PC users who need to get their computers in tip-top shape. Once installed, you can let it analyse your computer and find the necessary fixes, then let it fix your machine. The general idea is that it will free up some space for your computer – and allow it to function better.

From my experience with System Mechanic, I was impressed with the quick download and installation process. All very intuitive. Of course, once installed, I needed to reboot my system. Then, I let the new app run. From the initial run, I believe it freed up at least 30MB’s worth of space from our desktop PC. And, according to my husband (the desktop’s main user), he said he thought the clean-up got rid of some annoying pop-ups and sped up the reboot/startup process a little bit (not much, but still…).

I don’t think it’s possible to get back to its “brand new state” unless we uninstall a bunch of stuff. But, I do think using the desktop PC has become a bit more bearable. And, combined with Google Chrome, internet browsing has definitely become faster in our old PC.

So, what about you? What are you planning to do today – for Clean Out Your Computer Day? When was the last time you tried to tune your computer?

Anyway, if you decide to try iolo’s System Mechanic, they’re running a special from today (8th Feb) until the 25th Feb. They’re giving out a 50% discount during this promo period. And, if you’re keen, do read their 10 Clean Out Tips for some ideas on how to clean your computer.

Full Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, but I have been provided with a review copy of the app.

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Things seem to be a bit hot and heavy around here at the Studio lately, what with posts on goals and love and all that. So, I thought I’d keep things light today.

And, since my online buddy and fellow KIDoosh mate Nenette tagged me with this “7 Red Things” meme a few days back – I thought I’d finally give it a go.

The idea is simple:

• Take photos of 7 red things that you can find around your home.
• Tag 7 people to do the same thing.

Easy peasy. Lemon squeezy.

Now, the 7 Red Things that you can see in the collage are:

1. Red Minnie Mouse toddler flip-flops. Owned by my li’l girl, of course. Bought in South Africa.

2. Me – in my red top. One of my old-time favourites. I don’t remember where I bought it, though. It has been a long time ago. In any case, I’m wearing it right now, even as I blog. Yes, I was sitting in my study (home office) right there.

3. My red coat. Bought from Target. Love it.

4. A can of Coke. Something that you can definitely find at our house!

5. Red toy shopping trolley. Not the best made toy, but the kids love it.

6. Footballs. Lots of ‘em all over the house. Different shapes and sizes too. One of ‘em’s an Arsenal football.

7. Red apples. Another mainstay in our household.

Well, that was fun. So much red around! I should do more colour-themed photos and/or art.

Hmmm… But, now comes the tough bit. I’m always hesitant to tag folks because I don’t want anyone to feel obligated. But, I’ll tag 7 bloggers anyway (but don’t feel the pressure to do it, though), who I think might enjoy the photo challenge.

Now, please show us your 7 red things: Kari, Rachel, Kay W, Toni, Sinta, Melissa W, and iHanna. If you’re registered at KIDoosh and/or you have a Flickr account, consider yourself tagged too.

You Might Also Like To Read…

• 52WoC #29: It’s Meme (or Group Project) Time!
• 52WoC#49: What You Love
• 52WoC #46: Share Your Video!
• 9 Ways to Celebrate the Studio’s 9th Blog Anniversary
• 52WoC#40: We Love Our Blog Community!

This year, I’m taking my reading habit up a notch. Not only do I read at least a book a month (I’m being kind to myself by not overextending my goals list – HAH! ) — I have to start documenting my reading too. Partly to remember. And, partly to practice my ability to read as a writer and to record my views.

So, here I am. If I read more than 1 or 2 books in one month, I plan to write a round-up of my reading log. I’ll only dedicate single posts to single books/series, if I feel I have more to say about something. Otherwise, it stays in the round-up. If I read just one or two books, then I hope I can justify dedicating a single post for those books!

Anyway, here’s a list of what I read last month (with mini reviews). You’ll definitely notice that my reading preference at the moment is heavy on the YA Fantasy genre. With reason, of course. Here you go, in order of reading completion during the month (warning: might contain some spoilers?):

1. Arriving at Your Own Door (108 Lessons in Mindfulness) by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Non-fiction, Self-help) – A collection of short thoughts from Kabat-Zinn and some quotations that relate to the topic of mindfulness or meditation.

Review: If someone told me that I’d be interested in the topic of “mindfulness” or “meditation” a couple of months ago, I would’ve said they’re nuts. My mind runs a hundred miles a minute and it seriously hurts to try to make it go still. Unless I’m totally exhausted, the brain just won’t stop buzzing. But, something happened to me at the end of last year that I can’t quite explain. And, that something led me to the concept of finding stillness within me. When I was trying to understand the whole thing better, I came across Kabat-Zinn’s work. Since I wasn’t quite sure I’d be all for the mindfulness thing, I decided to read whatever was available from my local library. Thankfully, they had this concise version of one of his books. And, I’m glad I read it. I can’t wait to read more and to learn more. Of course, my mind still buzzes about – and I still struggle with the stillness. But, I am more aware of this concept, and I know I want to get to know it more and to see how it will work for me.

Studio Notes Rating: 4/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

2. Princess from Another Planet by Mindy Schanback (Fiction, YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi) – This is the story of Gracie Wright whose mother claims that she’s a Queen from the planet Pannadeu. This planet has been destroyed by the Maluxiads. The mum, and a small number of residents from Pannadeu escaped and got sucked in to earth. Mum gets married to an earthling and produces two heirs. And yes, this makes our protagonist a princess. When the Maluxiads heard that they’re on earth, they decide to go too and destroy them (because they don’t like to leave things unfinished). There was also the sub-plot of switching places with a rich cousin in order to attend an exclusive camp.

Review: I like YA. I like Sci-Fi/Fantasy. If you put those two together, I’m usually in reading heaven. But, even though the premise of this book appealed to me to start with, I slowly lost interest, as I couldn’t shake off my nagging disbelief in some of the characters and the plot. I don’t usually like writing negative reviews, that’s why I don’t do them. But, since I’ve committed to a reading log here, and I’m committed to telling you exactly what I thought when I read something… I might have to get used to writing such feedback. After all, I can’t possibly like everything I read, right? But, I still encourage you to check out other reviews of the same book. Others might have a different viewpoint.

Studio Notes Rating: 2/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

3. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (Fiction, YA Fantasy) – This is loosely based on the story of Snow White, which is once again set within the world of Ella Enchanted (only this time, our heroine Aza is from Ayortha). Blessed with a lovely voice, but unfortunate in her looks, Aza felt isolated and lonely in the singing land of Ayortha, where beauty was considered to be of high importance. When she accepted the friendship and work as lady-in-waiting of the new Queen, found herself entangled in lies and deception.

Review: Some of you would already know that I’m a Gail Carson Levine fan. She’s one of the authors who hooked me in to modern retelling of fairy tales. Fairest, like her other novels, did not disappoint. It was interesting how Ms Levine handled the theme of “beauty” (or the lack of it) in this book – and how everyone didn’t always make the right decisions. Although I wasn’t too excited about the “songs” written within the story, I could overlook those because of the other strong elements in the book.   

Studio Notes Rating: 4.5/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Fiction, YA Fantasy/Romance) – Seventeen year old Isabella (Bella) Swan moved to Forks to live with her dad (the Chief Police) and found herself the talk of the town – and the focus of one particular male, Edward Cullen. But, Edward is no ordinary male. He’s a century-old vampire in the body of a 17-year-old. The initial pull towards Bella is due to his attraction to her scent and her blood. He loves her – but he is in constant danger of killing her. Yet, Edward becomes trouble-prone Bella’s protector and saviour. They fall in love. But, their romance was never meant to go smoothly.

Review: Admittedly, I’ve resisted getting in to the Twilight series. Not because I’m trying to be a literary snob, as I don’t really consider myself as one. I can read just about anything (as you’ll probably see in these reading logs). It’s just that even though I love fantasy, I’m not particularly keen on vampire lore. Maybe partly because like Bella from the book (and apparently, Ms Meyer herself?), I get all woozy when it comes to blood. That’s why even though some of my good friends have been such Buffy fans – and later, Twilight fans – I was never lured in to such things (but admittedly, I did like Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire”). But, as I continue to study the genre of YA fantasy, Twilight kept coming up in some examples. So, as a writer, I decided that I had to know what people are talking about. So, I did. And, I have to say that it’s a love/hate thing for me. In fact, I don’t even know how to rate this book (especially because I don’t want to be flamed by Twilight fans! ) All I know is that I can understand why people love it. I can understand the attraction to the series and the characters. But, there were just so many things that I found difficult to enjoy about it, and yet, I’m still hooked… So, what can I say? (Well, truthfully, I can say heaps more, but… I’m going to hold it. For now.)

Studio Notes Rating: 3.5/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

5. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (Fiction, YA Fantasy) – Two sisters live in a kingdom haunted by monsters and a plague. One of them is a brave princess aching to go on an adventure to slay monsters and find a cure to the Gray Death, which claimed the life of their mother. The other princess is timid, scared, and wishing to be protected. When the Gray Death struck again, it was Addie who had to step out of the comfort of their castle to battle with ogres, specters, and dragons to save her sister Meryl – and their kingdom.

Review: Unlike many Gail Carson Levine books that I’ve read, I think this is one of the few that wasn’t a retelling of a fairy tale. But, like most of the other books I’ve read, this is another winner from Ms Levine. Beautiful plot, strong characters, unexpected twists, and an amazing world. Definitely the kind of stuff that made me fall in love with reading and writing.   

Studio Notes Rating: 4/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

6. Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Now and Again by D. Weiss and B. Weiss (Fiction, MG/YA Fantasy) – Sabrina’s busy schedule in college made her wish that she could go back to highschool in one moment of weakness. And, when an eavesdropping gnome decided to grant her wish, she travelled back in time by accident. Both the past and current Sabrinas then come up with a plan to reverse the spell and get things back to how they were.

Review: Well, I told you I can read just about anything. If it can hold my attention long enough. And yes, this book is from the Sabrina The Teenage Witch series, which was based on the TV series that starred Melissa Joan Hart. Of course, Sabrina is based on the character from the Archie comic books (anyone here read ‘em?!). Anyway, I’ve always been fascinated with the ideas that the writers of the TV series come up with, so that’s why I decided to pick this up from the library. The plot and the writing aren’t too exciting in this book, but I was still interested in some of the concepts.

Studio Notes Rating: 2/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

7. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (Fiction, YA Fantasy/Romance) – In her usual clumsy fashion, Bella gets a paper cut whilst opening a birthday present in front of the Cullen family. As such, Edward had to defend her from the most of the family who suddenly seemed ravenous for her blood. Due to this event, the Cullens decide to leave Forks, which left Bella in a massively deep depression. She then developed a friendship with Jacob Black and worked up an appetite for dangerous activities. Jacob turned out to be another boy who’s “not good for her”, as he happens to carry the werewolf gene. Due to Bella’s daredevil tactics, Edward was led to believe that she died – and so wished to kill himself too by seeking the Volturi (a powerful vampire family in Italy).

Review: Still with the same mix of great and utterly terrible, New Moon continued to make me want to scream and sigh at the same time. But, it lost some of the first book’s initial attraction for me. And yes, it just makes me wonder: How can something so good get so bad (or is it the other way around)? In any case, I’m a Twilight quasi-convert now, for better or for worse.

Studio Notes Rating: 3/5 | { Buy at Amazon } | { Buy at Fishpond }

NOTES:

• Fishpond is an Australian-based online bookstore, which offers free shipping for orders over $50.
• This is also an entry for 52WoC #49: What You Love.

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Ever since I began looking at embracing a single word to focus on for the year, I’ve been finding a bit more meaning to do things that I do. Granted, it’s never easy to choose THE ONE WORD. And, the lessons I’ve been learning through those words had been tough all around.

I mean, imagine when I chose TODAY as my word-of-the-year in 2008 (my first attempt at this), my biggest lesson was: “Never take a day for granted.” This was especially highlighted when my dad passed away that year, and it was the first time that I had to face the reality of that lesson. As in, it really, really hit home then. Hard.

So, with a tough 2008, choosing my 2009 word-of-the-year was even tougher. That’s why when the word BLISS insisted on being chosen, I was hesitant. It felt like a challenge bigger than what I could manage at the time. And, as I mentioned in this other post, my WOTY was certainly challenged when just at the start of 2009, I lost my company, my work, and an online identity that I’ve been living with for over 3 years (at the end of the year, I lost another one I’ve worked hard on for over half my lifetime). The blow was rough and I had to go back to basics. But, I was grateful for having “bliss” as a guiding word for me. When making life choices and planning a career change, I worked with my main lesson from the year: “Trust your bliss.” (or perhaps, “Bliss is within you, not outside of you.”) It was a time when I had to strip things down to the core and learn to trust that if do things that I love and things that make me happy, I will find the right way to heal, to inspire, and to succeed. Sure enough, even though it was once again a rough year, it was also a time when I was most attuned to my happiness. My bliss.

Now, on my third year of WOTY, I end up with the word CONNECT. My first verb. One thing that struck me about this WOTY is that in the same year that I’m trying to think more along the lines of “stillness”… (that’s why there’s that Gandhi quote in my journal’s first pages: “There’s more to life than increasing its speed.”) – I get an action word to focus on. Twists always make things more interesting, yes? Especially since “connect” isn’t exactly the top of my priorities lately. In fact, I’ve been disconnecting a lot in more ways than one. That’s why at first, I felt this word didn’t really fit for me. But then, after pondering on it for some time, I realised that, perhaps, it was actually one reason why it fits.

And perhaps, there are other reasons and ways…

… learning what connect really means to me – and what it takes to connect….

… connecting my many varied interests, experiences, and expertise…

… to find connection with mind, body, and soul… and the world around us…

… who and what do I connect with?….

I could probably go on.

And, guess what? If I had any doubts whether connect was really supposed to be my word of the year or not, this is what I saw when I first arrived back in Australian soil after The Big Trip (not that I needed a sign or anything ):

Ah, yes. Don’t you just love it when that sort of thing happens?

Surely, it will be one interesting year to see how it works…

Image Notes:

• Top Image: The first pages of my current journal/diary/organiser. I did something similar for last year’s WOTY.
• Bottom Image: Our connecting bus from Perth International Airport to the local terminal, on the way back to Adelaide.

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• 10 Things I Look Forward to in 2010
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So, for our 49th task, I encourage you all to do something love-related on your blog. Some ideas might be:

• Recommend some things that you love to your readers
• Dedicate a post to a loved one
• Write a love letter
• Share a love letter you received
• Create a list of bloggers that you love
• Hold a Blog Love Party…

Well, you get the picture. I’m sure you can amaze me with even more interesting and exciting ideas. And, I can’t wait to see what you do with it!

In any case, as I promised, I’m sharing the round-ups from the last three tasks right here… And yes, just 3 more to go and we’re done! Yay!

Now, here’s our 52WoC Round-up #46: -

• Nicola (Video)
• Nenette (Video)
• Kari (Video)
• Toni (Video)

And, here’s our 52WoC Round-up #47: Holiday Wish List -

• Kari
• Em Dy
• eds
• Nenette
• Nicola

Then, of course, our 52WoC Round-up #48: Your New Year Challenge -

• Melissa W
• Kari
• Heather
• iHanna
• Rachel
• Em Dy
• eds

Thanks again, everyone, for taking part in 52WoC! And, special props go out to Kari for completing all three tasks here.

Now, let’s see how LOVE works for your blog…

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• 52WoC #46: Share Your Video!
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My apologies for the unexplained silence over the last couple of weeks. But then, you’d probably already know that life’s been crazy busy… until I crashed and ended up with the flu for a few days. You’d know, that is, if you’re following me on Twitter and/or if we’re Facebook friends.

I’m okay now, though. Things have settled a bit (no choice, I could barely get up from bed some days!)… And, I’m slowly getting better. Today’s the first day that I can sit in front of the computer for longer than a commercial break. Well, sort of.

Anyway… I’m back and I won’t bore you with the details of the whys and hows of my absence.

But, with everything happening all at once, I was almost taken aback this morning when I realised that the first month of 2010 is gone. Now, it’s February already!

It made me think – How are your goals and challenges so far? Making much progress?

In my case, fitness and health had obviously been the first to buckle for me this year from my 2010 list. Ah, yes. As always, hey? Some other things on my list have also been affected due to my health too, unfortunately. But, I’m not one to give up just yet.

Thankfully, a few things on my list have gotten some check marks too. So, that’s cool. I’ll try to share more as we go along.

Do let me know how you’re progressing with your goals for 2010 too! Perhaps, we can do a monthly check-in or something. What do you think?

In any case, I’d like to list some things that I’ve been hoping to write here and share with you… This will help me to remember – and to deliver!

• Complete The Big Trip round-ups – I still owe you the England/Wales and the South Africa parts of the journey.
• Share 52WoC #49 – This should come shortly! And yes, I’ll do the participants round-up from previous tasks as well. (DONE! – 2/2/10)
• The Last Decade – I wanted to do a 2000 – 2009 summary… a look at a decade from my world. I thought that this would be cool to do in January (mostly as an exercise in memories for myself), but now that it’s February, I’m not so sure… We’ll see.
• Do another Web Wednesday – It has been a while!
• My January 2010 Reading List – Just to give you a quick run-down (mini reviews) of the books I read from the month. Yes, PLURAL. I was hoping to read at least 1 book a month, but with the rate I’m reading, I’m going to finish my target 12 books with two months. Heh. Just a perk of being in bed a lot the last week too! – (DONE! – 4/2/10)
• My January 2010 Movies List – Similar to my book list, of course!
• The Red Tag – From Nenette (Yes, I’ll do it, I’ll do it… Just need some time to catch up!) (DONE! – 5/2/10)
• My Word of The Year: CONNECT – I wanted to share more about this, so I’m hoping to do so still. (DONE! – 3/2/10)
• The Novel Project – This has been a big part of my life since deciding that I’m just going to go for it. And, I’ve been hoping to give you all some updates – partly, so I can keep myself on track, even on times when I feel like giving up. I’m working on a monthly update to let you know where I’m at. Maybe.
• … and other little features here and there. Like recipes and random lists.

Well, there you go. I’ve got a full list of “Things To Blog About”. I have no excuse about not having enough ideas.

Now, tell me, please… How have YOU been lately?

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• Home Sweet Home. Sorta.

This is a bit delayed, I know. But, I did promise to tell you stories and to share with you some pics from The Big Trip, so here I am. I plan to do a round-up/highlights post for each leg of the journey (one for Singapore, one for the UK, and one for South Africa). And then some. Maybe.

Anyway, here goes Round-up #1 from The Big Trip – Singapore Highlights:

Ever since moving to Australia, we often stop by Singapore every time we travel. We just love going there for food and shopping. And of course, catching up with friends and reminiscing the first few years of hubby and I’s life together there.

On Day 1 (28/11/09): We mostly spent the day travelling. We took the Qantas – Singapore flight, direct from Adelaide. We left around mid-day and arrived at around 6:30 pm. When we got to Singapore, we went to see our friends. We often stay with them when we visit. From their house, we went to a nearby hawker centre to begin our food fest. Yummy roast duck, roast pork, steamed fish, and more. Absolutely divine.

Day 2 (29/11/09): This is the big day trip planned with our friends’ family. We all went to Sentosa (with a stop over at the lovely Food Republic via Vivo City for more food fest). First, taking the monorail in and then taking the Sky Ride. That was one scary moment there! It was fun, though. Then, we went to Underwater World to enjoy the big aquarium and the seal show. Afterwards, we all went on the Luge. Now, that was great fun! After that, we went back on the monorail to the shops. Then, back home to eat dinner (with some takeaway Chicken Rice!).

Day 3 (30/11/09): It was our solo family day. We decided to go to the city to show the kids all the skyscrapers and such. We first stopped by Lau Pa Sat for more food heaven (strangely enough, we actually had some delicious Filipino food when we discovered a very popular lechon stand there). Then, we walked towards Boat Quay. When we got there, we decided to take a cruise along the Singapore River via a bumboat. The boat was nearly empty and we had a really friendly driver/captain, so we managed to take a lot of photos. The Boy was even allowed to “steer” the boat a bit. It was all great fun! Later that evening, we met our family friends and we all went to Chinatown for dinner. The Boy was eager to try some barbecued sting ray and cray fish, amongst other things. We also did a quick shop there and bought The Girl a pink cheongsam, which she loves.

Day 4 (1/12/09): Our big social day! This is the day when we met up with as many of our friends in Singapore as possible. One of my biggest highlights was meeting Hsien and Jean, two long-time online buddies both of whom I’ve been busting to meet for ages now. I’ve known Hsien for almost 6 years now, and we’ve even worked together in the past online. And, I’ve known Jean for probably 8+ years now online. We’ve met through our blogs many many years ago, even back when I was still living in Singapore. The story of how I know both of them is so interconnected, it’s just too cool for words. Anyway, when they told me that they can come and meet me, I was really excited. It’s just so amazing to meet online friends in person. I’m so so happy to have finally met these two wonderful women.

After lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant in the city with Hsien and Jean, we went to my husband’s old workplace. There, we met up with and some of hubby’s Singaporean ex-colleagues (one of them, a good friend who has recently visited us here in Adelaide; he was even part of our two weddings 10 years ago).

Then, for dinner, we met up with more of hubby’s ex-colleagues/friends (this time, mostly the British expat ones). Had some more wonderful food and great catching up.

Day 5 (2/12/09): Our last day in Singapore. It was tough to choose where to go when you know you don’t have a lot of time in a place. So many places we wanted to see (e.g., Singapore Zoo, Little India, etc) and so many places we still wanted to do (i.e., shop and eat!). In the end, we decided to go to Science Centre Singapore as we thought that the kids would probably love that best. And they did. They had a blast. They especially love Waterworks in there. After the Science Centre, we had a quick stop over at a shopping centre to do a bit more shopping for the kids (yes, yes, one of my biggest regrets in this trip is not having had the chance to shop much for me – heh). Then, we were off to Changi Airport. There, we met up with our family friends – P and KY, with their daughters, A and N. We had dinner and our final chats. Saying goodbye is always hard, but we’re hoping that we’d get to see them again soon enough.

So, there you go. Our Singapore trip in a nutshell. Next stop: England!  

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• Getting Ready to Go on a Big Trip
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Think about it. When faced with this question, what’s the first answer that comes to mind?

What matters most to you?

When I was looking at my work and my pathway some time last year, I asked that question. Again and again. As I pondered on what I’d do next with my life, my career, I asked myself: “What matters most to you?”

My kids. My family. It was automatic. No hesitation. I know.

It wasn’t blogging or networking. It wasn’t about making it to “popularity lists” or becoming known as Miss Influential. It wasn’t even art or writing or any of my personal dreams.

My kids and family matter most.

Following that thought pattern, I looked deeply in to what kind of work would suit me best knowing what matters most to me.

Almost the same time as my last Big Project ended for me, I received an offer to do postgraduate studies in a University here in Adelaide. The degree: Master of Teaching, Junior Primary/Primary (additional specialty in Special Education).

Working with Kids.

It was a strange sensation, thinking about it. A career change? A shift in my personal direction? Or, is it just a way of bringing me back on track?

You see, the idea of working with kids has always been something I harboured.

The fact that my first (and so far, only) book published is a Children’s Book is probably one big clue about this matter. Plus, some of my first writing gigs were for kid/family/education-focused publications.

And yes, I did teach and tutor in the Philippines. I even considered doing it full-time at some stage.

Even when I was practising in Psychology, I wanted to do Child and/or Educational Psychology. In fact, my first official psych work in Singapore was at a school there.

However, other opportunities came along – and I became sidetracked.

Somehow, though, the idea keeps coming back.

Working with kids? My heart was already jumping with excitement at the thought of it.

After some soul searching and further research, I accepted the postgrad study offer. I didn’t know how my experiences and expertise in Media, Social Web, and Psychology would all fit in to my new pathway, but it didn’t matter at the time. I knew I was on a new, exciting adventure!

As my mind shifted from my old web-community paradigm to my new working-with-kids-and-education one, something struck me.

Like an imaginary bridge connecting my “old life” to my new one, I saw this project beginning to take form. Not exactly a Eureka! moment, but it certainly felt close to one.

And, not long after, I started working on KIDoosh (kidoosh.com), a content and community network for parents, teachers, and other carer of kids (mostly ages 12 and below).

So no, it’s not just a blog. Nor a blog network. It’s not even a megablog or a megasite. Or, whatever it is people on the interwebs call ‘em nowadays.

However, as it currently stands, it’s mostly just a number of sites/blogs linked together with some social networking and such thrown in using Wordpress MU and a number of add-ons to make it all work together. But, I want it to be much more than that. I definitely have other hopes and plans for KIDoosh. It’s just a matter of time, finding the right people, finance, and all that crazy business and development jazz.

Actually, that’s why I’ve held back launching KIDoosh all these time. It just doesn’t feel ready yet. There’s so much more I want to do. Including changing our logo/banner (yes, I hired a designer who unfortunately didn’t quite deliver— another reason the launch kept getting delayed). There are still a lot of things that need fixing, editing, adding… So, I keep thinking: It’s not right yet. The timing’s still off.

But then, I got a massive nudge reading the words of Mark Victor Hansen:

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”

And apparently, Pixar (another kid-friendly place?!) president Ed Catmull shares a very similar sentiment about showing projects early. Or rather, before they’re even ready. To improve. To fix. To succeed. (Thanks for the hat tip, @blpro!)

So, that’s why KIDoosh is finally out of my Projects Closet. In BETA form, but still…

I’m thrilled.

Even more thrilling because I’m soft launching this baby with a few wonderful women who have been helping me to build this dream…

• Mary Emma Allen – writing Family Food, Writing for Children, and co-writing Reading Books for Kids
• Kari Rohl – writing Kids and Family Crafts
• Kristyn Maslog-Levis – writing Baby, Babies! and Gadgets for Kids
• Nikki Katz – writing Young Authors
• Melvie Yang – writing Kids’ Style

We have a couple of other sites that are still “in the making”. So, we’ll have to launch them when they’re up and about. I also contribute to some of the sites like Education and Media.

Other “minor milestones” / “mini-successes” pre-launch include:

• The site has already over 50 members, even though it hasn’t been promoted yet;
• Having its very own business plan to get us going;
• One of my lecturers at Uni saw this project and really liked it; said that he’s hoping to mention KIDoosh to other teaching students in his future lectures (oh, and I got a High Distinction from this class – heh); and
• The main site has a Google PR of 2 (with minimal linkages, etc).

Tiny, tiny stuff in the great big scheme of things, I know. But, when you’re starting a project, even the tiniest things feel exciting. That’s the beauty of a startup. The flip side, of course, is that there’s all that work and money that need go in to building and growing these tiny, tiny things. Ah, yes. Those. Well, I’ll deal with those things as we go along.

For now, if you’ve managed to read this far — and if you’ve got kids who matter heaps to you too (children, nephews/nieces, grandchildren, godchildren, students, etc etc) — please do head on over to KIDoosh. Have a look around, sign-up/register (it’s free!), leave a comment or two, create a profile, join a group, and connect with fellow grown-ups who just happen to love kids and kids’ stuff.

Also, if you haven’t done so yet, do join KIDoosh’s Facebook Page and follow Twitter.

As a member/fan/subscriber, you’ll be one of the first to know about the developments over at KIDoosh.

I’m really, really looking forward to seeing you there. And, to reading/hearing any ideas/suggestions/thoughts that you might have about it all.

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