Typecast

Should we be reflective of what has happened on our blogs over the past twelve months or should we be look forward into the future?  I believe that whatever you have written is part of the building blocks of your blog and acts as the foundations.  If you hadn't written any of those posts, you wouldn't be where you are now.

Featured Post For more information please see my  disclosure policy  

I'm not a great photographer by any means, but I am interested in the concept of scenic and unusual photography so when I received a Nikon L120 Coolpix camera as part of my Christmas present I was determined to get out and about with it.  Today was the first expedition.

So, that was Christmas, huh?  How was it for you?   Here's a few photos of the last few days.

I'm one of the lucky ones.  I have my family with me over the Christmas period, the cupboards and fridge are heaving with food and treats and there are an abundance of presents under the tree. But not everyone is lucky enough to be with their loved ones for whatever reason.  If you are one of these people please do not be alone this Christmas.  Here are some organisations that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Christmas.  Pick up the phone and talk to them. And please, if you know of someone in need, pass on the information on this blog post.

For once in my life, everything seems to be done prior to tea time on Christmas Eve.  I braved going into town for the final present that I had forgotten the last three times I went into town some last minute bits and pieces, the sausages and bacon for ' pigs in blankets ' and the Christmas booze from Asda.  Yes, even I thought this was a bit stupid but needs must.  I was lucky though, everywhere was quiet and even the Salvation Army brass band were playing.  I love a good brass band - so traditionally wonderful. Anyway, shopping done, presents wrapped, all Santa-runs completed, wine chilling, take-away arranged for tea.  I think it's time to sit back and.... RELAX! Wishing all my readers a very happy Christmas.

I have been trying to find a way to get Google+ to work for me.  I have always been a great advocate of Google but I didn't want yet another social media platform to update constantly with another mixture of friends to entertain at regular intervals.  Getting my head round 'circles' and sharing was one task and the fact that it was so quiet on the G+ platform was another.  Beta testing mode meant that it was rolled out slowly, hence less 'noise' but I felt that users were feeling the need to be seen to be active as I was seeing updates in triplicate across G+, Facebook and Twitter.

Editors Note :  You "meet" all sorts of people when you blog; some are fellow bloggers, some are readers and some are the lovely PR's who contact you for various reasons.  And of those PR's it's also nice to hear from them that they do actually read your blog. Daniel - one of the afore-mentioned PR's - approached me a short while ago to ask if he could post his own cancer-related story and his style of writing is infectious and page turning (if blogs had physical pages).  And as this occasional series of personal stories is all abut breaking the taboo of cancer, I'm honoured that Daniel requested that he openly and honestly shares his experience of testicular cancer.  As he says at the end of his story, he is open to questions so please feel free to ask in the comments.  You may use the "Guest" option if you wish to remain anonymous.

When it gets towards Christmas, everybody wants to get festive and cheer in this happy season. Finding the right presents to buy and places to go can be a difficult task. Don’t fret though because we’ve come up with some of the most festive cottages to see this Xmas. ·          Demelza Barn, Cornwall - When it comes to the best holiday cottages , many of them are found down in Cornwall where you can enjoy the many amenities, harbours and countryside walks that the region has to offer. At Christmas, the festivities begin and you are able to enjoy harbour lights at St Ives and Porthleven – both of which are within walking distance of this wonderful property. ·          Libby’s Place, Haworth – A trip to Bronte Country is always a romantic time, but seeing this charming village that was home to the famous sisters covered in snow and festive lights is something that makes for a unique holiday. Take in...

Thank you to everyone who joined in the Typecast Christmas Music Quiz over the weekend. How do you think you got on? (if you're  having problems with the player you can also hear the mash-up on this YouTube link )

Claire has challenged me with finding the ULTIMATE Christmas song.  This seemingly impossible task has already been made difficult by most of the best one's being picked already, including Claire's own choice of Last Christmas and Sian's choice of All I Want For Christmas . For me, there's only one choice.  I can name it from the first note in true " Name That Tune " style and can name every single person, in order, when not watching the video.  I received the single (yeah, kids, a 'single', remember those?) as one of my Christmas presents in 1984 and I had the 'behind the scenes' programme (Boy George turning up pissed, an atmosphere you could cut with a knife, Status Quo cutting something else with a knife or a credit card...) on video somewhere but it's long gone. * sad face * And the lyrics... hastily written but very clever.  Maybe it's the nostalgia kicking in but there is no cover that has come close to the quality of t...

I'm trying to get into the Christmas mood so h ere are ten well-known  Christmas songs squished up into a 30 second clip.  (if you're  having problems with the player you can also hear the mash-up on this YouTube link ) Fill in your answers on the form below and I'll send out a selection box to the winner in time for Christmas (not because I'm nice but because I bought one too many *ahem*).

... well, not really!  I don't feel Christmas-y at all!  I think the main problem is that I am geared up to the fact that my eldest granddaughter is the Queen Of Being Almost Three.   I've been wrapping presents for her ready for Saturday and bemoaning the fact that  I.  F.E.E.L.  O.L.D.!! Anyway, I remembered that Ruth sent me a little dance video last week and I saved it to favourites to cheer me up whenever I was feeling a little down.  It is now time to share that with you, dear reader.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do... And then I had a brilliant  mental idea to run a little Christmas Music Quiz (stay tuned for that tomorrow).  When I opened YouTube I saw this on the main page.  I really REALLY wish I had thought of this.  I certainly separates the spoilt little brats from the cuties that really do appreciate everything that they are given... I also wanted to stage a Twitter Pantomime this...

[ picture credit ] Yesterday we had some left over boiled potatoes and thought I'd make some potato cakes.  My memory of potato cakes is of mum buying them from a cafe in St Annes-on-sea, just off the Square, and frying them up in a little bit of butter for tea.  They looked a little something like this ~~~~~~~~~~~> Now, I know mine wouldn't look like that but I googled "potato cake recipes" and was presented with a whole host of different methods .  I scrolled through a few and thought: how hard can it be?  I hate following recipes anyway - that's boring!  Plus I don't have a food processor or a potato ricer (Huh! A what?) and neither did either of my grandmothers.  What was good enough for them is good enough for me so here's my method with some do's and don't's and Top Tips.   * Ingredients: Some potatoes, cooled and mashed Just over half a very large onion, grated Some cheese, grated One egg, lightly beaten salt and pep...

Today, Coca-Cola launch their " Designated Driver " campaign for the festive period. They have joined forces with the Department for Transport to reward responsible drivers with a "buy one, get one free" offer on Coca-Cola and Diet Coke in participating bars and pubs.  The scheme is currently in it's fourth year and over 8000 pubs and bars across the UK have signed up to support responsible drivers.  This is also the first year that NUS bars will also take part in the campaign.   You can find out which pubs in your local area are supporting this scheme by using the Coca-Cola Designated Driver interactive map   and this scheme will run for three weeks, starting today, right up until New Years Eve.  

I'm co-hosting the iExplore #tripofalifetime Twitter Party tonight at 8pm.  We're going to be talking about adventure travel, active family holidays and 'thrillaxing'.  I'm joining @KidFriendly_UK and @iExploreUK to discuss travelling with kids and maybe even dreaming about adventures without the children. If you join in the Twitter party there's chances to win some brilliant prizes!  Just respond to the tweets from @iExploreUK and join in all the discussions.  Here's a sneaky peek at the prizes:

After the mix-up the last time I had a delivery of toys I was very interested in the claims of 'discreet packaging' from Vibrators.co.uk .  So, to prove their point they sent me a surprise parcel.  Can you guess what is in it?  Lets have a look at the video... Now, I'm supposed to post a product review here but * ahem * I'm not really sure how to approach that but you need to know how this product performs, don't you?  Then I remembered a Top Tip!  The best place to try out a vibrator in public is to test it on one of the softest parts of your body... ... THE TIP OF YOUR NOSE!!   So I did just that and my nose started running.   I guess that's the equivalent to a nasal orgasm and that's all that matters.   * cough *

Hit play and sing along with the lyrics below... Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooo Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooo Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooo Aaahh  Aaahh Where have all the hardbacks gone?  Are they in the library? What's all this I hear about samples I can get for free? Isn't there an e-reader all wrapped up for me? Late at night I sit in bed with a book upon my knee... I need a Kindle.  I'm holding out for a Kindle until Christmas Eve It's gotta be sleek and it's gotta be light And it's gotta have 3G I need a Kindle.  I'm holding out for a Kindle until Christmas Eve With a smooth touchscreen and a cute cover And have a long battery life, a long battery life. Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooo Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooo Ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooo Aaahh  Aaahh Somewhere to download books and newspapers just for me Somewhere to play some games and a built in dictionary The credit card and an Amazon account at the ready And sharing integration for my Twitter friends to s...

Welcome to my occasional series of recommendations.  Here are my star items for November 2011 from the gifts and samples I have been sent this month and some personal recommendations too.

I am currently changing handbags.  Again!  Simply because when a Kate Benjamin handbag arrives from the 'vintage glamour' section of Accessories Direct , in it's own dust bag, wafting that gorgeous smell of leather around, you just have to indulge!  I have an unnecessary obsession with handbags and shoes, but at least they are always guaranteed to fit!

Since I renamed and relaunched this blog a couple of years ago,  I have had some fantastic opportunities with plenty of learning curves along the way.   I believe that I am accountable for the content I hold on my blog space and that is an enormous responsibility.   Apart from the occasional featured post (clearly marked, paid-for content), everything on my blog is my own work, my own ideas, my own experiences.   That is what makes it individual. If you are a regular reader you will know that I occasionally host a giveaway or a competition.  Some of my readers have been the recipients of great prizes.   I enjoy the interaction between brand representatives (a.k.a. PR's) and myself and I wholly believe that PR's contact me because I work hard at my blog and I reach a wide and diverse audience.   Social media networking plays a large part too.    I also know that they find me through the number of ‘charts’ that use rankings – namely the T...

Trying to find Christmas presents for teenagers that are both affordable and will be a big hit can prove to be difficult.   Idealo - the price comparison website - have conducted some research and found that the average amount that parents spend on each child at Christmas has risen by 63% from £75 in 1995 to £168 in 2010. So, Idealo set me a challenge.  They provided me with a kitty of £75 and I had to attempt to put together the perfect Christmas stocking for one of my boys.  I had to find the items on the internet and (preferably) use their price comparison website to try and get the best deal.  Here is what I bought: The Inbetweeners Movie Play.com £11.99 Fifa12 for the XBox 360 Amazon £37.19 Remote Control Spinster Hawkin's Bazaar £12.00 Drinking Glasses Hawkin's Bazaar £3.50 Two tins of Celebrations Tesco £4.50 each TOTAL:  £73.68 NB: online prices may change Now I think that's a Christmas stocki...

When I featured the new #FaceOfRegis and their  Rock, Lock and Load competition a couple of weeks ago ( which doesn't close until 3rd January 2012 ) Regis Salons   invited me to have a cut and colour by way of a "thank you". My hair hasn't been its natural colour since I started going grey at the age of 21 and I've probably been every colour you can think off (apart from green).  I've had bleaching disasters (think along the lines of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland), had to go to work with a dye stain down the back of my neck after home colouring sloppiness and I've had every length of hair going from one extreme to the other when having it cut (from shoulder length hair to clippered at the back in one fell swoop).  I also don't mind experimenting with styles but it never looks the same after the day I step out of the salon.

This post was submitted to me within the ethos of  Blognonymous .  This contributor doesn't blog but heard about the Blognonymous team from a blogger in our community.   This is an interesting  quandary  and one I'm sure you'll all have something to contribute; personal experience, friends who have been in a similar situation or even just your own opinion. If you would like to offer any kind of support in the comments but prefer to remain anonymous yourself then there is  a "guest comment" facility - sign out of Disqus (if you have used it before), write your comment, click "Post as..." and you will see "guest" appear as an option. If you would like to contact the Blognonymous team please click on the image to the right for more details. - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -

Did I disappoint every one again? You know when you feel you can't do right for doing wrong... Is that why they have all but cut me out of their lives Or do I have to try harder to make them Communicate? I have to question if they still love me or If live just takes over, as I know it does. Is it because the memory of the one person That held us together is Fading? I said the wrong thing and apologised But it didn't mend the gap Only made it wider. When that happens, do you leap or do you Wave? No-one to ask how I'm doing or How I am coping with everything here. Everyone expecting me to carry on being The strong one.  Which, at the best of times is Hard! Two people, ignoring me and still Expecting me to make an effort. Talking shouldn't be this hard and I just want someone to tell me I'm doing OK!

This time last year I was telling you about my inclusion in an anthology of creative writing of which all profits were being donated to Children In Need .  You can still buy the book, you know - Tiny Acorns is HALF PRICE on the Dotterel Press website  now (and postage is free). So what is going on this year? The Build-A-Bear Workshop have teamed up once more with Children in Need  to create a very special Pudsey and his BFF, Blush.  Last year Build-A-Bear sold over 11,500 Pudsey and Blush bears with £5.00 from the sale of each going directly to the charity - the total donation was £135,000 and they hope to top that this year.  This year, Pudsey has brand new pajamas and slippers and Blush has a new pinafore.  £1.00 from the sale of the outfits is also donated to Children in Need. Note: The Pudsey Bear retails at £15; Pudsey Bear t-shirt at £5; Pudsey Bear Pyjamas at £10 and the Pudsey Bear slippers at £3.50.  Blush Bear retails at £15; Blus...

What do you think the main symptom of meningitis is?  The rash? Have a look at this video then keep reading to see if you are right!

If you've not already heard about Movember then where have you been hiding? Movember is a charity that raises the profile of prostate and other cancers that affect men.  They raise awareness by encouraging the testosterone enhanced among us to be sponsored to grow some face furniture during the month of November... Moustache + November = Movember.  Geddit? So those of us aren't blessed with a furry top lip (f'nar), what can we do?  Stop bleaching, plucking or waxing for a month?  Oooohhh no... there's a much easier way to go and Mo'.  FACEBOOK!

The day Modern Warfare 3 was released there was a great online discussion sparked over on the Blogger.Ed forum  regarding the reasons why games and films have classification, especially since the popularity of first-person shooting games grew. The males in this family are all big gamers.  My husband has a PS3 and an Xbox 360 (both online) and the two boys have an Xbox 360 each (one online, one not).   My sons are 18 and 12 and have unlimited internet access on the computers in their bedrooms and I have always let them play on games that may be rated above their actual age.    Ruth from Geekmummy  has a husband who is also an enthusiastic gamer and they have two young children.  They have very clear views on what they will and will not allow their children to have access to when it comes to online content and it has sparked a very interesting debate.   You can join the debate over at GEEKMUMMY today   and we would be grat...

If you ordered a "vegetarian platter" and a "meat platter" of sandwiches for a business lunch, would you expect prawn/salmon on the vegetarian one? This was the question I put to my Facebook and Twitter possé the other day after an incident at a well-known supermarket.

The Transatlantic Blonde asked me to live blog the X-Factor show this week whilst she's living it up in America.  Here's a snippet but click through to read the rest... Kelly is back from her skive, Tulia is trying it on for the sympathy vote, Gary is moaning about what a tough job it’s turned out to be and Louis is playing the ‘bitch to the media’ card a couple of weeks early. It’s Club Classic Floor Fillers Dancefloor Classics week, people, and I’m all prepared for a little bit of chair dancing and a sing-a-long so let’s hope I’m not disappointed. PLUS it’s an X Factor DOUBLE ELIMINATION this week so everyone is at risk

I have become acquainted with people from all walks of life during my time online.  What I never expected was the revelation that one of those friends was the owner of a now-defunct online adult toy store.   He was clearing the attic out one day and discovered a couple of boxes of old stock.  I logged on to our mutual forum to find him offering free goodie boxes to his friends.  First come, first served. Well, what's a girl to do?  Free is free, right?  And everything needs renewing from time to time, doesn't it? So we conversed a little by email and he arranged to send the box by courier so that it would arrive, in plain packaging, on a Saturday.  The doorbell rang at about 2pm and I signed for the box.  It was heavy and I also noticed that it was sealed with ' Screwfix ' branded tape.  " You sarcastic, sod, Andy! " I sniggered under my breath.  It was uncharacteristically quiet in our house so I prepared...

I have a fantastic Top Tip straight from a cobbler that will make your boots last twice as long. These boots were made for working... I bought these boots from Tesco yesterday after searching high and low for a pair of flat heeled, black, knee-high boots that were actually in my price range (i.e. as cheap as cheap can be without actually being free), completely flat and truly knee-high.  I needed them for work. Our local friendly cobbler told me that ALL new boots should be resoled and reheeled before wear as many boots and shoes are made with very thin soles which wear out quite easily.  There must be some truth in the theory because my last pair of boots lasted me four years after an initial resole. Unless he's talking cobblers, of course, and I've just fallen for the oldest trick in the book: " How to make money out of gullible customers and keep a dying trade in business. " PS:  The boots are lovely; really comfortable and I'm probably going ba...

Today I am guest posting over at  Domestic Goddesque .  In November of each year, all the local forces organisations, voluntary groups and beyond took part in the Remembrance Day parade.   My final parade as Lance Corporal in the Girls Venture Corps was to be marker in the squad and to lay the wreath on the Cenotaph.   The greatest honour ever, in my opinion.    To read my " Remembrance Day " memory in full  head on over there. There's also a photo of me in uniform for you to giggle at...

Watch this exclusive video to find out who the new face of Regis Salons UK is and then keep reading for all the details of an amazing competition run by Regis Salons where you can win a year's worth of hair services and a Canon 550D digital camera. Aaaahhhhh I have SERIOUS hair envy when it comes to Emma Willis.  She always looks gorgeous, doesn't she?  I am so excited to be working with Regis Salons over the next couple of months. I'm going to check out their Preston salon and I will also be having a delve into one of their Regis Designline gift baskets before Christmas so keep an eye out for those reviews. Emma is also going to be writing a monthly update on the  Regis blog .  Also on the blog, you can also find out how you can get £10 off your next visit to your local Regis salon. Featured Post For more information please see my  disclosure policy

Sally has asked to post this here, away from her blog. = = = = = = = = = = =

Welcome to my occasional series of recommendations.  Here are my star items for October 2011 from the gifts and samples I have been sent this month.  I will be either recommending the product or the service.  This month I have some special offer codes for you and TWO giveaways for you to enter.

I had the BEST conversation  with my granddaughter.  She will be three years old in December. Amie : Nana, I going big school in January coz I'm a big girl. Me : Yes, you're a very big girl, love.  It'll be very exciting. Amie :  Yes, I going big school and it might be raining. And in other news, Megan (almost 20 months old) shouts "NANA" (pronounced " nan-er " at the top of her voice constantly whenever she's near me.  On Thursday, she was started shouting "GRANDAD" whenever he wasn't in the room.  RESULT!

If you're not keen on reading another rant from me then click that little red cross in the right hand corner of the screen.  Maybe I'm over-reacting again but if anyone wants to make judgment on my children then they have me to answer to.

Featured Guest Post For more information please see my disclosure policy Often, parents find themselves looking for new levels of convenience during the holiday season. After all, this is obviously a busy time of year, and the added pressure of making it a special time for your children adds quite a bit of time, effort and work. Therefore, it is always a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for quicker and more effective ways to decorate, shop, etc. One thing to keep in mind specifically, if you have never done this before, is to take a look at Christmas hampers from Marks & Spencer . These gifts are available to order online, and you can have them sent directly to the gift recipient. Furthermore, they come with assortments, rather than individual items, meaning that they can appeal to entire families or groups. Here are some brief descriptions of a few of the nicest Christmas hampers available at this specific store.

It was only last week when Alex pointed out to me that he had got hooked on X-Factor thanks to my tweets and then wanted tips on how to watch TV and tweet effectively (prime position in the lounge, laptop on knee, Tweetdeck on full screen, peer over the top of the laptop - just in case you're interested) I realised that I do actually watch a lot of telly - and tweet about it too.  But who doesn't these days?  Even those who don't use Twitter comment on Facebook about what they're watching. But seriously - I started counting up and realised that I watch a LOT of crap.  Or is it just that a lot of crap is being made now and is spoon-fed to me during my prime TV watching hours?  The TV seems to be on all the time at our house, even as background noise.  We have access to god only knows how many channels thanks to our satellite subscription and there's always some schmaltzy Disney/Nickelodeon  guff or music video blaring out when I'm ...

I used to devour a fair few books a week and was a regular at the local library (by the way, does anyone remember the mobile library that used to call round?  I've just had a major flashback to the one that called to the end of my Nana's road in St Annes. Aaahh nostalgia.) but there are less and less books coming into the house now mainly because I spend far too much time online.  I've got a pile of books on my table that I keep meaning to read but if I could... just... put... down... the... laptop... BUT NO!! The pull of my internet life is too strong.  How sad is that?

I am known for being early for almost every single appointment in my life.  I hate tardiness.  However, turning up a full DAY early is a bit OTT.  This almost happened this week but I was saved by the power of Twitter:

This week Listography is back over at KateTakes5's blog and she wants to know about the top 5 keyword searches on our blogs.  My top five are really boring.  Honestly, you don't want to know what they are.  You'll say, "Really, Nickie?  That's yawnsome!" So here are some of the more interesting ones:

#PrincesBrekkie Radio Day Today I am sat in a recording studio in Manchester with Amy from "And One More..." waiting to be patched in to a number of radio stations around the UK to talk about healthy breakfasts, trying to ease the stress at breakfast time and what it's like being a busy mum.  We are here on behalf of Princes , in conjuction with their campaign to get tinned fruit incorporated into breakfast as a quick and easy alternative along with it being one of that all important 5-a-day.  Stay tuned as you can follow the  #princesbrekkie twitter stream here too. Don't forget to enter my competition to  win a Princes Breakfast Goodie Hamper   which closes tonight at 23:59 (Monday 17th October)

I am setting up for a launch meeting at work (it's OK, I don't work for NASA but we're very excited about some Big Lottery funding we have recently been awarded) and my phone rings. "Hello, it's Jake's school.  He's had a bit of an accident..." I squeak, "Oh god, no!  What's happened?" Everyone turns to look at me, their panic-stricken faces mirroring mine.  Every single scenario runs through my head in about two seconds flat.

Back in January I was a guest at the Kellogg's factory in Manchester and I learnt about the Government initiative " Breakfast For Life " which centered around ALL school-aged children having access to a breakfast to give them the best start to the day.  Missing breakfast is directly proportionate to poor concentration in class and obesity and illness later in life.  In the information that Kellogg's gave me I found the most surprising and disturbing statistics were: 1.7 million children age 0-5 will skip breakfast 1.4 million children age 6-10 will skip breakfast 2.3 million children age 11-16 will skip breakfast added to that is this  97% of teachers said that better concentration was a key perceived benefit of eating breakfast 84% of teachers said those students that eat breakfast are better behaved 79% said there is a clear link between breakfast and academic achievement

I love random email conversations as they turn into you suggesting a theme for Listography which you then find yourself hosting.  Yes, ME... the one with the allergy to linkys * cough *  So HELLO to my fellow Listographers!! Anyway, when Kate (from KateTakes5 ) dropped " ... a bit like my Debs when I ended up going with an asshole, but that's another story " into an email conversation I pushed for her to tell all via a Listography then maybe the shame would be diluted.  Instead she offered me the hosting rights so you can head on over there and see if she's actually shared it when you've finished here. So, considering I met my husband not long after my 18th birthday, my own "worst dates" are pretty thin on the ground but there were a few.  Now, before you read any of these remember I was young, innocent and impressionable...

... between Tony Hart - presenter of Take Hart and Hart Beat in the 1970's, 1980's and sneaking into the 1990s - and Neil Buchanan - presenter of Art Attack from 1990 to 2007?

WAH-HEY! No, seriously.  *sad face*  He was one of my 1970's hero.  I yearned for the Multi-Coloured Swap Shop roadshow to rock up near to where I lived so that I could swap some of my old Mandy annuals for the board game Go For Broke .  I applied to go on Cheggers Plays Pop  but never heard back.  I even bought the record " I Wanna Be A Winner " by Brown Sauce...

So, at the end of very fantastic show, which you can read about here , there are always the bloopers and the best bits aren't there?  Here is my MAD Blog Awards version of just that (in no particular order):

Where to start?  I think it's very obvious by now that I didn't win my category - " Most Innovative " - at the Mum and Dad Blog Awards 2011 (aka The MADs) but, you know what, it doesn't matter.  I would have been proud for any one of them to win and we all really did deserve it.  But MASSIVE congratulations to Ruth - Geekmummy - who won, played our video at the ceremony as part of the (pre-planned joint) acceptance speech and started an impromptu dance-off between us all from that category.

...between all of the MADs finalists in  the Most Innovative catagory?

Even though I almost never reproduce anything I read on Facebook, I couldn't help steal this from a friend's status and adapt it slightly.  Original source unknown. - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - How do you describe the experience of raising a child with a disability?  To try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this: When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Michelangelo's statue of David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go.  Several hours later, the plane lands. Upon your exit the stewardess says, “Welcome To Holland”. “ Holland ?!?” you say, “What do you mean “ Holland "? I signed up for It...