Finding your passion in life

"Don't die with your music still in you!"

These were the closing words at a breakfast talk I went to this morning. Powerful and inspiring words from a wonderful man. Ian Berry spent his childhood being called stupid, and started his adult life believing he was stupid. But when a manager in a moment of weakness saw something in him and gave him a job, he started to realise that when his Nanna told him he was special, maybe she was right! 

He used another quote from German culture "See man as he is, and he gets worse. But see man as he can be, and he gets better". 

I think this applies to children as well. If we see them for who they are today, crying, having tantrums, not doing well at school, being picked on. It festers in our language, our emotions and our behaviour. But if we see the children for who they could become, well behaved, respectful, achieving in their strengths, enjoying life, then we change our language, we change our emotions and we change our behaviour. 

Instead of focusing on the weaknesses and what they do wrong, we need to focus on their strengths, and what they do right. What they are good at, what they enjoy. Encourage them to follow their dreams and be the best they can be. 

Find your heart song

Which is where I am heading. I have grown Learning that's Fun from a page where the only person looking was my Mum, into a great community of people sharing their love for learning and helping children enjoy their education. I've written a small book about my experiences and ideas for making learning fun...although if I knew then, what I know now, it would be a completely different story! I've made amazing connections with wonderful people everywhere. I've been able to run competitions and giveaways and help people build their collection of fun and educational toys and games at little cost. And I hope I've inspired some families to try new activities and create new traditions in their homes to spend more quality time together and have great fun family learning adventures together. But most of all, through Learning that's Fun, I've found my heart song. I've found the music in my soul that makes my heart tick to the beat of my drum, and my voice sings the melody of my calling in life. 

While Learning that's Fun is the vehicle that has lead me there, LTF is not the destination. 

The destination is my Blossom Connect. I suppose you could call it a reincarnation of Learning that's Fun, but directed straight at my local community. And not just in learning, but in all aspects of a child's life. But at the end of the day, every experience in a child's life is learning of some sort. Be it about their health, their well being, their friends, their personal time, their physical ability, their social skills, their life skills. 

So today I'm announcing a break from Learning that's Fun. I can't continue to give this wonderful site the attention it deserves while focusing on a new venture. So from today there will be no new content on the website. And there will be very little activity on the Facebook page. But don't leave us. In the future who knows what could happen. From time to time myself or the other girls may still share a post from other sites or something we find that is really awesome. But there won't be any new content coming from us directly. Unless I happen to find someone willing to take it on, and give it the time and effort it truly deserves. 

The book is still always available for purchase. And I'm always here to continue taking questions or helping with ideas when you get stuck. 

For any of you in the Ballarat area (even out to Ballan, Maryborough, Bacchus Marsh & Daylesford) come on over and join us at Blossom Connect. Facebook & Website. Sign up to the newsletter for discounts and news on local businesses and what's happening around town. 

Thank You & Goodbye (for now)

And also a very special thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. You know who you are. I won't mention names individually because I would hate to forget someone. But look back through past posts and you will find them. Family, friends, complete strangers who have put their hand up to help out! Be it with editing, reading, coming up with ideas, donating items to giveaways, supporting me in many ways. You are all special and have helped to contribute to a great cause in the world. 

Making learning fun, to help little buds blossom! 

Now I take time to focus on the little buds of Ballarat. Blossom Connect.

Happy Learning.

Louise XXX

Suddenly 30 - Learning from Film

"If you could have just one do-over, what would it be?"

This line from one of my favourite films, Suddenly 30, resonated loud and clear as I sat to watch it (again) with my "little sister" who I mentor. 

In recent weeks we'd been talking about the "popular" girls at school, being a teenager, growing up, goals, future dreams and all those things, so this film seemed a perfect fit.

So sure, while we sat and watched it, I noticed so many lessons for her, about bullying, standing up for yourself, being true to yourself, being nice to your friends, caring for your family, being careful what you wish for, having confidence and just having fun. 

But I got some lessons out of it for myself! I don't know what it is about turning 30, but in the past couple of years I've noticed some big changes in myself. I know who I am. I am confident with myself. I've stopped comparing myself with others all the time....well maybe not so much, but at least I try not to lose sleep over it or go do crazy things to change who I am. I follow my heart, not my friends. I do what I enjoy, not because it's cool. 

So watching the film again just reinforced some valuable lessons for myself as a woman too. Feeling confident in what I do and staying true to why I do it. Living happily ever after if you treat others with respect and integrity and follow your heart. Following YOUR dreams, not the dreams of others around you. And to really treasure those who are closest to you. 

I know it's just a light hearted, teenage chick flick. But it's one of my favourite movies and I think there's so much in there to learn for the young and the young at heart. 

Do you have any film suggestions for teenage girls? List them here and we'll add them to our growing list to watch! 

STOP READING NOW!

How many times have you been told to READ MORE with your kids?

How often do you see these quotes floating around Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook?

"Readers are Thinkers"

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader"

"A home without books is like a house without windows"

And so on....

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE reading. I got so hooked on a novel recently that I literally read it while I was walking from kitchen to car. 

BUT, here's a thought. 

How about those kids that aren't good at reading? They don't enjoy it? They can't sit still long enough? They have run out of books? They cry and argue? Get distracted easily? Reading time ends up in tears and everyone is miserable?

I'm going to suggest something radical! 

STOP FORCING THEM TO READ!

I know...you have to do your reading diary, so go ahead and do that. 

But at another time, try this:

Put the books back in the shelf. Turn off the television. And make up your own stories! Use your child's latest interests. Dinosaurs perhaps? Re-tell interesting events from your past. Act out scenes from your favourite films. Reminisce about when your kids were little and did funny things.

Set aside Time

Find a special time when everyone is home. On the weekend, a weeknight, every day, whatever suits your family. Set aside as much as you can spare, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour? 

Involve Everyone

This is an activity for the whole family! Mum, Dad, Gran if she lives in your spare room, and all the kids. If you've got visitors, get them in on it too. Take it in turns to tell a short story? Make a whole story with everyone acting a part. Sit around the fire place and take it in turns to add the next twist to the tale. 

Voices

Use funny voices, put on accents belonging to your characters or impersonate the people in the story. Does old Uncle Johnny have a funny walk? Does Grandma have a funny accent, or pet names for the kids? 

Use Props

Who doesn't love to dress up for play with props? Use a remote control for a phone. Pretend the couch is Jack & Rose's Titanic. A hula hoop is a portal to another world! 

Film

If you have a mobile phone, a tablet, a video camera, a bloggie, an iPod, a web cam, virtually anything electronic can be used to film your story telling time. Keep these treasures for the most amazing memories. You never know, you could end up with a $500 prize on Funniest Home Videos, or a You Tube Sensation!

If you get really stuck, go back to the books, but find books with "things to do". This Dinosaur is So Big, is one of the favourites in my house! It has huge sturdy pages with bold colours and simple images. But best of all, it has MAGNETS! The kids can place the magnets on the pages to create their own version of the story. "This dinosaur is SO Big it can eat a <car><plane><couch><bus><house> for breakfast!" 

Take a book like this and act it out in the lounge room!

Just like reading, family story telling will encourage your kids to get in touch with their creativity, thinking outside the box and increasing their vocabulary. Using real life to influence fiction can help to learn about history, family upbringing and facts about life. And it just be some amazing time to spend together as a family, recounting precious memories and having fun without the pressure of parent-teacher diaries or homework chores. 

Do it this weekend and let me know how it goes! 
If you photograph or film it, share a link so we can see :) 

Happy Learning! 

Junk Drawer Makeover - Sensory Fun

Do you have a drawer that looks like this? 

If you're anything like me EVERY drawer looks like this, and I've seriously been contemplating PAYING for someone to come and sort out my cupboards! Don't get me started on the plastic containers! 

So anyway, think back to when you were a kid yourself, visiting the grandparents. Didn't they ALWAYS have a junk drawer? The perfect place for you to get into and find all sorts of odds and ends to play with? A comb, a notepad, a compass, even the rollerdex? Now that's stretching the memory a little! 

So while trying to sort out some drawers and reminiscing I realised, I don't have one of these drawers for the kids. So I made one! 

Just odds and ends around the kitchen that really had no home anyway. Now they are all together, living happily, waiting for a moment to play. 

Contents:

* The souvenir cup from the theme park

* A bunch of swirly straws that I bought for a party once

* The pile of cardboard coasters hubby has for "when he gets his bar one day"

* A random drink cooler

* Some plastic spoons and serviettes from the take away restaurant

* All those little knick knacks you get from party plans

* Some plastic bowls that were cute and on special one day that I've never used

* A few disposable medicine cups - I mean you get a new one every time you buy cough medicine

* That maraca that I have no idea where to keep

YOUR TURN:

Could you find enough bits and pieces to make your own sensory drawer for the kids to play in? Put it at the bottom so the toddlers can get into it without any trouble. You could even use a basket? A box? A giant mixing bowl? Doesn't have to be a drawer.

Leave your comments below. 

Or send us a picture! 

Email, post it on Facebook or tag it on Instagram or Twitter with #learningthatsfun

Happy Learning!

Snazzy Baby i-Mat Giveaway Winner

It's with much excitement that I announce the winner of the i-Mat Giveaway! 

Melissa has been a long time follower and supporter of Learning that's Fun, so although the winners are drawn randomly by the Rafflecopter App I'm so glad that a loyal friend has been selected to win.

Melissa also happens to be a blogger, who writes about the adventures she has as a Mum and Wife with her two little people. You might like to check out her website at http://www.twolittlehumansandme.com/ or follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TwoLittleHumansAndMe.

Also an opportunity for me to thank Cyndy from Snazzy Baby who provided Learning that's Fun with this fantastic opportunity to grow our community and offer such a wonderful gift to our audience. The i-Mat really is a wonderful educational and fun learning toy to have in your home. I remember as a kid we had a set of books with a similar pen, and it would buzz if you selected the right answer to the questions. Those books were some of our most treasured toys and got LOADS of use years.

I can't wait to see what new mat sets they bring out. And will definitely be adding more to my collection.

To purchase your own i-Mat head to the Snazzy Baby website at http://www.snazzybaby.com.au. You'll also find a great range of other baby products.

Runners Amanda G and Chelsea T, please get in contact with us to claim your Learning that's Fun book pack.

Happy Learning! 

Buy Learning that's Fun here. 

Mason reviews the Award Winning i-Mat PLUS your chance to Win!

As soon as I opened the door Mason came running to see "What's this" as he yelled and pointed excitedly. For a little man who doesn't talk much he certainly made that clear! He was captivated before we even unpacked the box, and we are talking about a little fella who's attention is hard to grab!

So once he popped on some pants we unpacked the box from Snazzy Baby and set about putting the i-Mat together, pre-loaded with a recorded message on the pen from Aunty Lou. His little eyes lit up as if to say, WOW How Cool! 

Within about 2 minutes Mason completely had the hang of the iMat. Touch the pen on this and it says a word, touch this one to turn it on and off, and this one makes it louder. (He likes it loud). So luckily there's a headphone jack in the pen so Mummy doesn't have to listen to the sound of the Moo Cow all day long! The only tricky bit we found was trying not to press the Voice Record button constantly...his boisterous grip is a bit rough. But being such a big solid easy grip pen makes it great to control and touch the right spots on the mat.

But I was blown away by how stimulating it was, how quickly he picked it up, and how well it actually held his attention. So we all sat and played for a while. Even Nanny and Pa got in on the action for a bit of a giggle. "Ooooh how do they say Kangaroo in Spanish?" And asking lots of questions, like how much does it cost, can you get more mats to extend it and many ooohs and ahhhs. I think I could see Christmas Shopping ticking through their minds already! Turned out to also be a good spot to sit for a snack and then lay under for a quick nap. Boys huh!

Needless to say Mason was pretty rapt in the iMat, I was very impressed with it, and Nanny & Pa were certainly very entertained and commenting on all the educational benefits their grandies could get out of it. We might need to stock up on some more pens though!

It's little surprise that the iMAT has won numerous awards overseas and here in Australia. I know Mother & Baby Magazine wouldn't take their awards lightly. The i-Mat is educational, introducing kids to new words in verbal and written form and also working on those fine motor skills and learning universal controls such as on/off, volume and record. But our number 1 rule here is that it has to be fun, and I can't tell you the last time I had so much fun with a kids toy. I can't wait to see what mats they bring out next so we can add to the collection. 

i-Mat Features 

Includes:

• 4 soft padded interactive play mats - puzzle style interlocking

• 1 voice pen - large grip for toddler hands

• USB Cable - for use as new mats are released

Features:

• Bright colourful pictures with name bubbles (visual & written cues)

• Point the voice pen to hear the names of the animals & landscape

• 3 languages - English, Spanish & Chinese

• World Wide animals - giraffe to kangaroo, penguin to beaver

• Volume Control

• 2 Games - where is the animal & which animal makes the sound

• Voice recording function in pen

• Head phone jack in pen

• USB connection in pen - to download additional sounds & games as new mats are released

i-Mat & Voice Pen RRP $109.95
Voice Pen RRP $59.95

Purchase yours from http://www.snazzybaby.com.au

i-Mat Giveaway from Snazzy Baby

Thanks to our friends at Snazzy Baby, we are giving away an i-Mat to one of our lucky readers!

Valued at $109.95 this is the BIGGEST giveaway we've EVER had at Learning that's Fun! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrating Australia Day and Back to School

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYONE!!!

To celebrate our great nation, Learning that's Fun is offering all Australian Residents a MASSIVE 50% Off over the Australia Day Weekend! Plus FREE DELIVERY in my local region.

Easy to read, space to write your own notes or ideas and printable templates to help you get started, Learning that's Fun is just the quick read you need to get you pumped for the school year! 

Delivery Options

Paperback (Ballarat Delivery) $9.99 AUD  Paperback (Victoria Wide Post) $12.99 AUD  Paperback (Australia Wide Post) $15.99 AUD

If your kids are struggling at school with the basics, if you have toddlers craving more stimulation or you are looking for ways to ensure your family gets a well rounded education this book is for you.

This simple guide offers easy tips and ideas for families on a tight budget to make learning fun. Living in a busy lifestyle, many of the ideas can be incorporated into everyday life, such as grocery shopping, driving in the car or around the home. So there's no need to add extra hours to your day or spend loads of money on tutors or expensive materials. 

Delivery Options

Paperback (Ballarat Delivery) $9.99 AUD Paperback (Victoria Wide Post) $12.99 AUD Paperback (Australia Wide Post) $15.99 AUD

Back to School Giveaway

For my friends here in Australia, the kiddies are heading back to school in the next couple of weeks. For some it will be the first day. For others, a move up into the next level, up into high school, their final year, or even a move to a new school.

So for back to school, rather than another giveaway for the kids, we thought we'd reward the hard working Mums and Dads this year. 

Have you got your copy of Learning that's Fun by our Senior Learning Funologist, Louise? 

If not, you're in for a treat. This simple guide offers easy tips and ideas for families on a tight budget to make learning fun. Living in a busy lifestyle, many of the ideas can be incorporated into everyday life, such as grocery shopping, driving in the car or around the home. So there's no need to add extra hours to your day or spend loads of money on tutors or expensive materials. 

If your kids are struggling at school with the basics, if you have toddlers craving more stimulation or you are looking for ways to ensure your family gets a well rounded education this book is for you. 

Easy to read, space to write your own notes or ideas and printable templates to help you get started, Learning that's Fun is just the quick read you need to get you pumped for the school year! 

To get you started we've got two Learning that's Fun packs to giveaway. 

Each pack contains:

• Learning that's Fun by Louise Jones
• Hand Made Library Bag
• Blossom Learning that's Fun pen
• Blossom Learning that's Fun fridge magnet
• Blossom Learning that's Fun bookmark 

Hand made library bags

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment below and tell us what Back to School 2014 means for your family. 

FINE PRINT:

• Entries Open Wednesday 15/1/2014 9:00am AEDST
• Entries Close Sunday 19/1/2014 11:59pm AEDST
• Entrants must Like the Facebook page or be Subscribed to the Newsletter
• One entry per person
• Winners selected by random ballot & notified by email / facebook message

Does Education Kill Creativity?

I have always loved to make things, design things, creative beautiful things. I love using my own hands to create something to admire and I love to admire beautiful things other people have created. 

So how on Earth did I end up with a job in IT? 

It started a little something like this:

1987, Prep, Mrs N's Classroom, Drawing Time

Little Louise drew a horse. Four legs, a tail, a head, a body and ears. Pretty good right? 

Little Mary looks at the horse, turns to Little Louise and says "That's not a horse!"

Little Louise says "Yes it is". Scrumps up her paper and throws it out. 

Later at play time, Little Louise spies Little Mary sitting in the classroom door way. She walks up behind Little Mary, musters up all her strength and mite and kicks Little Mary as hard in the back as she possibly can. Little Mary screams, Little Louise cries and Mrs N comes running to see what the fuss is. She makes the girls hug, make up and be friends. And they go on to be good friends for a long time in school. 

Violence is certainly not the answer here! But that moment has stuck with me my entire life. From that moment on I never showed my work to anyone unless I was 100% certain that I would not be criticised or chastised for it. My creativity was cut right there and then. And even into my teens and adulthood I struggled to do anything unless it was perfect, and I doubted myself countless times and never followed my heart just because I might not be good enough at it. 

Do you know how hard it is to practice playing the drums when you're too scared that someone might hear you and you might make a mistake? That's no way to make music and feel rhythm run through you. 

Your Homework

I want you to watch this video. It's only 20 minutes and might make the difference you've been looking for with your kids, or even with yourself! 

I want you to think about the way education systems focus so much on the literacy and numeracy and give second fiddle to anything creative. As a student I loved all of my classes, I loved maths and english and I loved art, metal work, drama, music, woodwork, textiles. Actually I didn't really like Science and Sports. But it shows that at my core, in my heart, I wanted to create beautiful things and solve problems. I wrote poems. I made crafts. I designed posters. I planned my dream home. Drew my princess wedding dress. My heart wanted me to be creative. But something in my education process and the expectations I put on myself from those experiences drove me into Information Science of all the things in the whole world! The one of two things I really didn't like at school. 

Fast Forward a few years and I'm here doing what I love, creating, writing, helping others and letting that core expand again. But for such a long time it was restricted, and my heart was crying for something else. 

It may be Singing. Dancing. Painting. Building. Sculpting. Seeing. Designing. Inventing. Writing. Sketching. 

Whatever it is, encourage creativity. Foster it. Give space for it. Go looking for it. Fight for it! 

And remember, it may not be a horse in your eyes, but theirs it is. Go with it. 

Happy Learning! 

Get your copy of my book Learning that's Fun here. 

A simple guide for families to make learning fun. 

New Year's Resolutions to add a little learning to your life

Happy New Year 

PHEW! I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted after a few weeks of crazy times with family and friends. I need a holiday from my holidays. But boy, wasn't it fun. Hopefully you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families, and enjoyed some celebrations to ring in the new year. Pretty much my entire December was filled with family events. We got to catch up with all of our 22 nieces and nephews, exchanged gifts, ate loads of food and played games and enjoyed each other's company!

Our Family Traditional Boxing Day Piniata

So now that we've changed the calendar on the fridge and made it to 2014, many people take the opportunity to reflect on the previous year's achievements and look forward to the prospects of the new year. At Blossom we like to do the same.

2013 was a huge year for us. The website had a makeover, I launched my book "Learning that's Fun", I attended the Pro-Blogger Event in Queensland, the Facebook Page and Website audience grew exponentially to the point where we needed to expand our team of contributors online, and we ran the most amazing 12 Days of Christmas Event! So needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the prospects of 2014.

Resolutions for Learning

But what about you? How about your family? What will you do this year? Big or small? What changes can you make in 2014 to add a little learning to your everyday life? How can you help your kids basque in the wonder of exploring the world?

We've put together a list of 15 resolutions you can do. Do one or do them all.

1. Read everyday (you, the kids, out loud, just do it)
2. Start a weekly games night (not electronic games)
3. Join the local library
4. Create a kids homework area
5. Cook / Bake together
6. Plant a veggie garden
7. Purchase only educational gifts this year
8. Read Learning that's Fun
9. Make a swear jar - kids copy, don't blame them for your language
10. Eat dinner at the table together
11. Join a club - scouts, dance, knitting, whatever takes your fancy
12. Keep a 2014 Family Journal
13. Make healthy eating a family affair
14. Be kind to the environment and upcycle whatever you can! Get creative.
15. Watch more family comedies - laughter is the best medicine

Which will you do? Leave a comment on the blog.

For more ideas like these and more get your copy of Learning that's Fun in eBook or Paperback.

Happy Learning for 2014