I am going on a Vacation again!

I am going to Bangkok for a week from the end of the month.  My husband left today for a business trip and I am following him later.

I have never been to Thailand and unfortunately I wont get to go to one of the islands like Puket but I will have fun shopping and relaxing.  I am very excited about going and have already started packing.  Don't worry I am leaving lots of space in my bag for extra weight coming home hehe.

All this traveling I do gave me enough frequent flyer points to get there so this is a very affordable vacation if you don't count the shoes and handbags I will buy.

There has been a terrorist alert on there but nothing has been said for a week now so I think it has all settled down.  I will post some pictures when I come back.

Till then, have a great week and stay safe.

Oh and I nearly forgot to tell you that I have been doing well with my Crock Pot Recipe Books on Kindle so if you have one or and iPad or iPhone go and have a look at my Author Page which lists my books at
Pauline's Amazon Author Page.

Bowral Tulip Festival 2011

I have just returned from my trip to Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW for their annual Tulip Festival which is held the end of September and early October.  It is Spring in Australia and the gardens are starting to look very pretty.

I went this time with my mother and sisters for a girls long weekend and we really enjoyed it in spite of the weather which ranged from raining to overcast to a few sunny periods.  Luckily we decided to go to the main garden, Corbett Gardens in the afternoon that we arrived and enjoyed the time there amongst the tulips.

We were fortunate we did as it rained on and off all the next day.  We spent the time talking and catching up though so we still enjoyed ourselves.  We stayed at a B & B and as one of the rooms was very large so we hung out there most of the time.  They also had a lovely common lounge room with a fire burning which was very inviting but we decided we were a bit loud for the other guests and had more privacy to talk in our own room.  You can see my review of the B & B called Strathbourn House (coming soon).

My Mum & Sisters (I am on the right)

We still got out and around the town the day it rained but it was more difficult for my elderly mother with her walking frame so we limited ourselves a bit and so we took her back to our accommodation for a rest and explored the town again ourselves.  We bought some lovely earings at one of the boutique type shops in Bowral.

The tulips were good this year but many had already flowered and after the rain a lot were damaged.  There were beds of tulips though that were just glorious and some were very big.  Overall they were a lovely display.  The only negative really was the admission fee of $8 which I thought was a bit much for a public garden that size.  I realize though that tulips are expensive but they do sell the bulbs off afterwards so that should recoup some money and the area does great business during the festival. Anyway that is my own whinge of the day.

We had a lovely time at the Bowral Tulip Festival this year but we would have had a great time anyway because we were all together to spend some quality time with each other which we did.  I treasure all the time I can get with my mother now as she will be 88 this Christmas time.

If you haven't experienced a Tulip Festival wherever you live then you must go next Spring.....you will love it.

I have been busy publishing on Kindle

I have been busy lately publishing my crock pot recipe books on Kindle and it has been an experience I can tell you.  I am sure if I was publishing these books the old fashioned way it would be more complicated than Amazon make it with Kindle but for me it was still a bit of a challenge.

I did a lot of searching on the internet for the best ways to do this and I must say I got a lot of good advice from people at Warrior Forum. I took points from each of those who offered it and started my own folder for reference.

Not everyone had the answers I needed but together I got a good picture of what I needed to do. Probably the best advice came from Jay Boyer with his Kindle Cash Machines which includes a template to help you get the formatting right.

The next step was promotion as it is nice to have your book published but you want people to see it too. I also have to recommend his follow up Kindle Sales Crusher which addresses all the promotion you need to get to the top of the best sellers list.

I would love you to see my Author Page on Kindle so follow this link to it.....My Author Page.  My books are Mexican Crock Pot Recipes and My Soup Recipes.  If you have a Kindle I suggest you grab them as they sell for less than a cup of coffee.

Please  leave a comment here or on Kindle as it would be greatly appreciated especially as the soup recipe book is new.  I also plan on publishing a casserole book next.

I saw this funny sign.....

so......don't read it just look at it hehe

Hi again, remember me?

I have been very busy since the end of last year.  I got married to my soulmate in December in Las Vegas, had a lovely honeymoon in the US and also started a new job here in Australia.

I wish I was more organized and then I would have been able to do all the things I wanted to do.

I really miss blogging here and posting my photos so I will be doing more of that now that I have settled into married life and the new job.

What I found out though which surprised me was that at 57 years of age I don't learn new things as fast as I did when I was younger.  Starting a new job in a different field has been very stressful, challenging and I found out how much confidence can desert you when you need it the most.

Here's a lovely picture of my garden in early Autumn (fall).  I have posted this part of the garden before at different parts of the year.

I will post some photos from my short vacation to Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo, NSW in my next post.

Las Vegas - Shocking Santa

Once Santa has come you can then get back to being
a little naughty but nice.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Melbourne Cup

Today is the running of the Melbourne Cup and most people in Australia will stop to watch the race which is held at 3 pm.  The Melbourne Cup is run on the first Tuesday of November.  Today as I was not working I took the opportunity to go to a luncheon with my partner and watch the Melbourne Cup.  People get dressed up at these functions and so I wore a hat.

Many people get dressed up even when at work by wearing a hat while watching the Cup being run and most businesses will allow people to stop work to watch it.  Some companies even have lunches or snacks so it becomes a fun activity for their staff.  In Victoria it is a public holiday but in other states we work, but stop for the race.

For a few years we would go to Melbourne the Saturday before the Cup was run on a day called Derby Day and I enjoyed that even more than the Melbourne Cup itself.  Here is a photo of me dressed up for the day. One year I would wear a hat and the next I would wear a fascinator.   It was a fun day at the races and I always enjoyed it whatever the weather was like.  This year the Cup was won by Americain watched by 120,000 people at the racecourse.

Another picture of my garden now its full into Spring

I really love Spring and its now much warmer during the day here in Australia while the nights are still a bit cool
 My garden has come to life and I have the most beautiful pink Azalea flowering at the moment that I would love to share with you. My orchids are still out but finishing now. 
Getting outside into the sunshine really lifts your spirits and I am so glad it is Spring here now.

Are my cattle dogs susceptible to human flu?

We as humans are prone to the  flu virus but can we give it to our cattle dogs? The answer is no. The flu virus is a type of disease that is transmittable from animals to animals (zoonosis). Zoonotic diseases are broken up into two aspects - those that humans catch from other animals (anthropozoonoses) and ones that other animals catch from humans (zooanthroponoses). There is no evidence that humans can pass the flu to their Aussie blue heeler. The form of flu found in dogs comes from horses. Similarly, dogs do not get the strains of flu that humans are vulnerable to.

In today's world with flu pandemics such as Swine Flu, White Pox, FMD or Foot and Mouth Disease, and Influenza Virus it is easy for us to ignore the fact that our cattle dogs can also catch their own version of flu. Much like in human flu, the main symptoms of this illness in Aussie blue heelers are nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing and fever. In some cases, however, cattle dogs can get real sick.

If you notice your cattle dogs start to cough regularly, you should visit your nearest vet clinic so that they can assess your Aussie heeler dogs and provide an appropriate treatment. If left neglected, the biggest problem with dog flu is that in some cases, your dogs may develop pneumonia, which is considerably more dangerous.

How can I protect my cattle dogs from having flu?

Protecting your Aussie blue heeler dog from getting flu virus is very easy. Always clean their environment to help minimize the risk of being infected by flu. Keep your cattle dogs away from populated dog areas. Keep your dogs away from street dogs. Most of all, visit your vet clinic to know more about the precaution you need to do for your pets.

So don’t be alarmed, if you feel like coughing or sneezing with your cattle dogs around then feel free to do so. Don’t worry about having your dogs hang out with you on your next sick day – they’ll be fine.

Orchids in late Winter

I have some lovely native orchids out in bloom at the moment in my garden and I thought I would share one of my photos with you. Hope you like it.

 I hope to have some more lovely photos from my garden now that we (Australia) are approaching Spring.
All the best to you and your family from me and mine.

Persuading other people using your Charisma

People have different personalities that makes them unique. It’s a bit hard dealing with every individual since not all of them are the same; some are easy to deal with, others are not. 

Charisma makes a lot difference when dealing with other people. Charisma is like a magnet that attracts people and inspires them. It is like an aura that surrounds a person and makes them wanted. Charismatic people have the ability to persuade not only other people but also his/her surroundings to be able to bring their dreams alive. The influence should start within themselves and they should act on it in order for those people to think and do things the way they expected.

You should not give up once a person is not acting in the way you wanted or believe on the ideas that you want to convey with them, because each of us has different points of view and we never get easily influenced by other people’s insights and actions. Remember, we have our own power to act on the things that we consider, and no one can control us. We’re not like robots, we are human and we want to be free… free to express our mind and act on it.

But once you get their trust, they are willing to follow everything you desired them to do. They hand over their faith and depend upon you to take important decisions on their behalf. They look for direction and are willing to be driven. Charisma gives a power to take such responsibilities and work towards the benefit and for betterment of other people. Charisma is equivalent to leadership, which provides direction with purpose in the life of others.

There are certain things that coerced this world, and charisma is one of them. It is a quality of a person that builds over time by obtaining the knack that are admired and trusted by other people. You need to work on it and learn to value it. Most of all, learn to respect others opinions. Show them respect, and they will respect you in return.

Surviving a facial peel

I had to have a chemical face peel lately to help me get rid of skin cancers on my face. Having a procedure on your face is difficult because you feel like you want to hide yourself away afterwards. What you look like to others does affect you.  For about a week I didn't even look like me. 

I am lucky that it is temporary and even 3 weeks on I have still a lot of redness and itching to part of my face. I hope I don't have to have that procedure again but realistically I probably will have to in around 7 years and then there may be advancements in the treatment of skin cancer.

Here is my photo.....giggle....you didnt think I would post one until I have my face all healed did you? This is me though ...just call me the masked woman.

A Real Marketing Help

Marketing Online is a bit hard.…that’s a fact, especially if you’re only just started and you’re not savvy when it comes to the internet. I admit it, at first I thought internet marketing was so easy to do, you just need to write articles, well I love writing so it’s not a problem to me, go to social networking sites and post a video on Youtube. But as time goes by, I realized I was wrong. Being an internet marketer needs a lot of experience and expertise. Marketing help can contribute a lot to achieving your goals in the internet business world.

Trial and error is very vital. You must prepare extra approaches in case you’re first approach doesn't work, and try it until you get the right rhythm. So patience is a must! As any other business, internet marketing is much more complex. Remember, you don’t see who your customers are. You need to convince them well maybe through emails, e-newsletters, twitter, facebook and so on. You must make the most out of it with those approaches.

Another thing that I learned is to get marketing help to guide you on what to do and how to do online marketing, the right way. It’s better to ask someone who has already established a successful internet business. Get advice from them, or you can research the internet and try to look for some methods that will help you on your marketing strategies. List them all down and apply it to your own internet business and observe which one will work and which ones don't.

Most of all learn from your customers. The things that you need to consider first are the feedback of your customers about your product and whether they are satisfied or not. With that you may take necessary actions or apply another marketing approach until your customers are happy and pleased with your products or services.

Lazy Slow Cooker Meals

I haven't been well lately so I suppose I should call this post Crock Pot Meals for sick people.   Ah maybe not!

I love slow cooker meals but when you aren't well you want something that doesn't need much preparation as well as cooking itself.  Yeah well it can be done and I have done it.  I found that McCormick and Maggi and I am sure other companies have brought out a range of crock pot/slow cooker recipe bases which are just perfect for this time.

Just make sure you have all the ingredients and add it all to the slow cooker.  Easy.  I like Chicken Chasseur with chicken pieces, an onion, sliced mushrooms and tomato paste and the recipe base of course. Add the base with some water and pour over the rest of the ingredients into the crock pot.  Cook for 8 hours on low and you have your meal.

Next you have a sick house then make up these bases and presto you have dinner.  No one needs to leave the house to go get it.  Just serve with bread, toast, rice, pita bread or pasta or mixed vegetables.

AboutMeMovie and introducing my other blog

A new venture in giving marketing help

Hi I am back from a bit of a rest from posting.  I have to fill you in about my weight which has been going down but little by little.  I have lost about 3 kgs. I am not worried about that as it means I will be able to keep it off and my skin has a chance to adjust hopefully and I wont go too saggy - yuk.

I have started a new venture in internet marketing and have got myself a mentor.  He is a a young guru of internet marketing called Alex Jeffreys.  I joined his mentoring program and doing great guns.  I am studying hard and following his direction so that has kept me pretty busy.

I have built a blog to help others who are starting out and by giving marketing help I can really help others on my goal and theirs towards financial success.  I want to be able to retire in the next few years and have been worried about how I was going to manage financially.  I am also going to be displaced at my workplace in the next 6 months so this training has come at the right time.

I have always wanted to help other bloggers like myself make money online and I have been lucky that Alex has given me a FREE WEBINAR for my readers to watch.  He is a great trainer so you can benefit at no cost from this webinar.  There is no catch, just click on the link and I will send it to you or just click on the banner below.

Here's to our success for the near future!

Weight loss so far and new toy

Image by ifranz via Flickr

My weight loss is going well!

I have lost about 3 kilos so far.  That is not bad for me and I would prefer to lose it slowly so my older skin shrinks back.  I have a plan to lose the weight over 7 months so I am ready to be tortoise rather than the hare haha.

I have a new toy and its called a bloggie.  Its a small video camera by Sony so maybe in a few weeks I will post some I have taken. 

My bloggie is dark purple and real cute. It will be perfect for travel which I love to do.  It even takes still photos.  I have to work out a lot about it though so I am now going back to play with it so until next post take care and stay safe.

I hope you have missed me

I have been offline for nearly 2 weeks because my computer crashed.  I have a netbook but it's not easy to use for more than a short time as you have to scroll a lot, and I mean a lot hehe.

After having to spend a small fortune I now have it back and running well.  Actually it's running faster and I now have Windows 7 as well.  Windows 7 is a bit different but feels a bit more sophisticated, more organized, if you know what I mean.

It's very stressful for a blogger not to be able to blog :(   I hope I don't have to go through that again for many years to come. 

One good thing came out of it and that is that I had time to write about my new blog on my marketing online experiences and it is now online too at PAULINE'S INTERNET WEBSITE MARKETING.  I would love you all to have a look at it and please make suggestions in the comments if you can.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Image by turtlemom4bacon via Flickr

I would like to wish all my readers who are Mothers and Grandmothers a wonderful and happy MOTHERS DAY.

I am a mother and a grandmother myself and I will be spending my day with my children and grandchildren.  We are going to the beach where we will have a brunch nearby and then a long walk along the beach.  To me that is the perfect relaxing day.

I would also like to wish my wonderful mother, daughter and two sisters a great Mothers Day as well.  I saw my own mother yesterday and I will see my daughter today. 

So, if you a mother, have a wonderful day, spend it how you want and enjoy!

Can anyone tell me what plant this is

I have many of these plants in pots, as you can see below, and we don't know the name of the plant.  We divided the original one about 2 years ago and this is the first year they have flowered.  I can't remember buying the plant so maybe someone gave it to me but it sure looks beautiful now in flower.

Can anyone tell me it's name please?  Remember though that I am in Australia so it is Autumn (Fall) here and not Spring.