Technology…
 
It’s a mixed bag this topic as we love it so much but some of us in the room have also lived without mobile phones, Google, and social media. We had to use phones that were attached to a wall in our homes back in the day!
 
How do you feel about the world we live in now and as you read this blog today, do you find yourself looking down at your phone?
 
 
I am happy for technology and glad we have it. 
I have my phone with music to my hearing-aid helps to make me calm down. I love playing games on my laptop, especially Fortnite and GTA. Sometimes I win the game and get more level and some cool math games too. 

I love to hangout with my friends on Fortnite and technology makes all this possible. TJ
 
 
Hi readers, today's blog is about technology and how it's impacting our everyday life.
I think we can all agree that technology does make our life easier but is it a good thing or is it making us dumb?

If you ask me I will never put my trust or rely completely on technology simply because behind it there are people. A good example is of the Titan submersible, the people building it made so many mistakes that it ended up badly for all the people who went in to the submarine.

There were communication issues, they used the incorrect materials and it wasn't executed well.  The poor people.

The Titanic is another very famous incident and a lot of research has pointed to the fact that the ship itself snapped in half but may have also exploded because there were fires in the coal bunker. The weight of the engine versus the weight of the water in the front after hitting the iceberg may have caused it to snap in half...and then sink.   There is a story about the chef on the Titanic who thought about the passengers by throwing chairs out in the water so they had something to hang on too. 

Technology of different times suits those times, but old technology doesn't really help us anymore. – Nick
 
 
Welcome to another tech savvy blog. Technology dates back to the early 17th century in Greece. Technology was created in ancient Greece. It is predated with the word tekhne used to mean “used to make things”. In the 19th century It started to be used by the Europeans and the French. The Germans used the words Technik and the French use word technology to refer to way of doing. Technology has changed over the years which has changed the way we do things and how we interact with people. I often wonder what will happen over the next 10 years and if the younger generation will know how to communicate without technology?  Even kids as young as 3 are using iPad’s and that’s leading to developmental delays.
 
This leads to crime and youth ending up in jail which puts a strain on our justice system. Scammers have also taken advantage of the rise of technology and they use it to use it to their advantage. Technology has also helped in the way we work and connect with others. This can be dangerous as we don’t know who’s on the other end of the online chat.  
 
Are telcos doing enough to protect us? What can we do to protect ourselves? Well, it’s late so I’m going to sign off before the scammers get to me.
 
Keep being awesome! – Ben
 
 
I use technology every day. I am lucky for a hearing aid that connects to my phone. I can talk on the phone, and no one will hear it ring, just me.  

I use my iPad to play games, bowling is my favourite. And I am typing on my iPad today for blogging. I watch movies on my iPad, Disney is my favourite. I use my phone to watch YouTube about fairies and to open my gate at home. .  

I love technology because I love my games and I like my movies, they are very good.  I get to call my friends and to message them too.  I can listen to music on my phone and it plays in my hearing aid which I love.

I don't like technology sometimes because I have to remember to charge my things and if I forget, oops, I won't get to use them. So it's important to keep my hearing aid in green, not orange or red. 
 
If it's red it's flat and that's not good.  I am a smart woman and I love Cindy, I have the best time in bowling and blogging and media cameras too. 

From your friend, Claire 
 
 
Hi friends, how are you? It’s Thursday again which means back to blogging and today’s topic is technology. For those who don’t know, technology was invented and became more important to us in the 18th century, and it all began with Stone Age humans inventing tools made out of stones. That was technology for their time. 

Google tells us that nowadays technology is everywhere and it is helping people with special needs with reading and writing documents, communicating with others and searching for information online.  It can help people who are upset or have anxiety by using technology such as a phone or tablet or headphones. They can use it to play games online or listen to music wherever they are. For me, technology has helped me when I am dealing with my anxiety.  By listening to music, playing a game or taking a few deep breaths even just talking to someone you trust online, technology is helpful. 

Have a great rest of your day my dear readers this is Bethany signing off, until next week.  Beth
 
 
Technology... Friend or foe? 
We are fast becoming a world that heavily relies on all things technology, it seems that we are trying to all have the most advanced and futuristic technology to make our lives easier. Is it really making our lives easier though or is it just another thing that has a hold on us and will eventually control us. If you don’t think technology can be a problem, here’s a fun fact there are rehab programs for phone addiction.
 
There isn't a part of our lives that doesn't have some form of technological aspect. To an extent this is scary to me because we are slowly handing over control of our lives to technology. 
 
 I’m wary of AI (Artificial intelligence) while it masks itself as fun and super helpful to me it seems like a dance with the devil, it can and will cause problems for us and I'm just waiting to see what rules and regulations (if any) will be put into place for AI. Who would have thought it could take our whole identity and be us. If another human took my likeness and identity, it would be called identity theft.  
 
 I love learning all about technology, how it works, the brand, where it came from and the different ways it can be used in different areas in people's lives. When it comes to all things technological, I dive into the good, the bad and the sinister. Because it’s good to be educated and stay one step ahead. I don’t for a second think there will be anything in the technological world that won’t be used against us in one way or another.

I try to learn as much as I can about the how’s and why’s so that if needed, I can thwart any plans of a tech uprising! (look at me being dramatic). I'm not going into what I have learnt so far because I don’t want to scare anyone, though I want to point out that I would never use my knowledge for evil. 
 
Just randomly to finish off I do have a soft spot for robots I like to think we can be friends.  Be careful out in the world my friends, 
Your friend,  
 Shan.  
 
 
Dear readers this week’s topic is Technology.

Readers I have a question: what do you use your technology devices for?

Let me start by telling you about how we use technology in everyday life for things in buildings, farming , cars , roads, airports, airplanes and  even I used my laptop which is a piece of technology to write this blog.

However I use my Iphone  everyday because I need my phone with me all the time. Let me give you an example of how tech impacts my everyday life. I will wake up by my alarm. The first thing is checking the weather. I will also use my phone for booking a taxi for where I need to go on that day, I use it for listening to music, and chatting with my friends.

One thing that scares me about technology is AI because I don't like it.
​
I am worried that maybe it will take over the world one day. – Charlotte

"Let meee.....eeeee entertain you!! (In Robbie Williams style)
 
Robbie didn't grace us today with his 1997 banger, but our bloggers sure did!
Life can't all be about work, we have to find time to play and what better way to fill our cup than to seek out what we find entertaining. Movies, bowling, mobile phone games. The list is endless, and our bloggers today spill the beans on everything they find the most entertaining parts of their weeks
Enjoy!
 
 
Hi lovely readers its Claire, welcome back to my blog. Today we are talking about entertainment.
 I like to do so much fun things, I always keep my week busy and I do things that make me happy. Let me tell you how I entertain myself. I love, LOVE dancing which I go to every Wednesday night. But for me it is anytime I get a chance to go to a party with my friends or with my family, I will dance. I even dance in the park, on Mondays with my Handmade group friends. 
I will always be the first one on the dance floor. My favourite music to dance to are Disney songs.  
 
 The second thing that I love doing is going bowling with my friends especially on the Wednesday morning with my Umbrella support group. Let me tell you it is so much fun, I love winning and I can get a bit competitive. But that is the fun of it. I know it is a friendly game but a little competition won't hurt anyone. I win a lot.
 
The third thing I love doing is spending with my family. I love spending time watching movies with my mum and sometimes I go to the movies with Krystle and she makes me laugh all the time. We have a list of movies that we want to watch, I can't wait to watch them all.  
 
The fourth things I love doing is craft with my lovely friends every Monday. We do so many fun activities. We keep our day busy and I get creative with my craft, I have done so much and it makes me happy and I love it.  

I'm very lucky that I get to do so many fun things. Talk to you next week, Claire. 
 
 
 There are lots of things that I find entertaining, I think I’m lucky.
I have fun at bowling on Wednesdays with my friends.
I play Fortnite gaming and it’s so much fun with my friend. Sometimes on the weekend I have fun with Tayla, like this weekend I have the movies and lunch.
Monday to Friday is so much fun, one more thing, RadioVoice is so much fun or me.  I have so much fun with Krystle and sometimes she be cheeky. I have so much fun with Cindy and Daz too.
I can buy food and drink for one week with my money that I earn at my job, I am learning to be good with my money and how to make good decisions with my money.
There are two more things I get to do that is entertaining to me. My dad and I need to think about stuff in my new house and painting. Racing cars are also fun, I help a lot of people with wheels and oil change. It is so much fun.
From TJ
 
 
 
Today's topic is entertainment. For me, entertainment is making songs.
I write rap songs and I start with words.
I don't think about the beat yet until I have the words I want.
I find it very entertaining as it makes me get out of my comfort zone by going out and experiencing things to write about.

I found a microphone at work and I love it.  It helps me feel like I'm a fair dinkum radio host and it gives me confidence to write and perform my rap songs.
I find listening to music is the most entertainment. I listen to West Coast rappers like Kendrick, Tupac, Biggie and I am influenced by them in my own rapping.
I recently found a rapper, who also has cerebral palsy and I am inspired by him and everything he does.

Thank you readers for reading my blog. See you next week, your friend Nick.
 
 
Hi friends how are you? Today’s topic is entertainment and I have chosen to write about karaoke. For those who don’t know about karaoke let me tell you. The first machine was invented in 1971 by a Japanese musician.  

Karaoke is most popular in Asia singing karaoke has been proven to relieve stress and anxiety and boost confidence.

I started singing at home with a microphone and an amplifier. I love singing pop and Disney songs and especially at this time, Christmas songs.

Sometimes my mum, brother and sister sing with me and my brother sometimes plays guitar while I sing.

Occasionally I sing while I am on call with my friends.

For my 18th birthday I had a party at Strike Bowling and it had a karaoke room, it was a lot of fun and I think I want to have my 20th birthday at Strike again.  I find that singing really helps me with anxiety. I love singing at “Dinner with Friends” and I am really good at it.

Friends, have you sang karaoke or do you just love singing. If you have anxiety does singing help you like me?
Thank you for reading my blog. Stay awesome friends, from your lovely friend Beth 
 
 
 
Dear readers, this week's topic is entertainment.
Readers I have a question: What do you do to entertain yourself and do you watch a movie or listen to music?
 
Let me start by telling you about what I do to entertain myself  because Christmas is just around the corner.
 
I started listening to Christmas songs on my phone and soon will start watching Christmas movies because I'm almost ready for Christmas as I have already put my Christmas tree up and bought my family’s presents and now I just have to buy Christmas wrapping paper.  I find Christmas time very entertaining.
 
Another thing I like doing is making and baking gingerbread people and then decorating them.  This year I'm going to put together a kit-kat house as well as my gingerbread people.

Are you prepared for Christmas or are you still thinking about it?
Written by Charlotte
 
 
Hello and welcome to my latest entertaining blog. I love movie’s, bowling, comedy and of course sport. I love watching comedy and forgetting about the world’s issues. My favorite comedy show is an American show called whose line is it anyway?

Outside of comedy I love the amazing race and MAFS. I recently went to the NBL game where they’re was a massive fight. Two players got ejected and multiple players and coaches are awaiting sanctions from the NBL. One fan also got a life ban for engaging in the melee.

What’s the biggest fight etc you have seen at a sporting event?  I love movies, especially comedy. My favorite movies are the Hangover and Bad Grandpa (note to self don’t go and see bad grandpa with your mum)!

I love going to comedy shows and laughing till my head hurts.  My favourite Australian comedy is Thank God You’re Here and the Inspired Unemployed. Outside of comedy I love the amazing race. Do you have a favorite comedian and comedy show? What about movies? Are you into comedy or romance? Fact or fiction? There are so many different genres of movies and TV shows.
 
Thankyou for reading another entertaining blog
 
Keep being awesome.
 
Ben x 

Let’s dream BIG! We can open a restaurant anywhere in the world. What is it called? What will you serve there and what does it look like?
 
The possibilities are endless. Today, this team of bloggers open their own restaurants and they can’t wait to share their ideas with you.
 
 
If I had my own restaurant, I would do scones and donuts with jam, hot chocolate and coffee for the ladies and the men. 

My menu would have special kids things like babycino and some kids food too. I will have mini donuts and mini scones for the kids. I would be the best mini milkshake maker. 

If I had all the money, I would build my pie cafe bakery on the mountain. I would be able to see water and the forest from my cafe. 
I will paint it white and black inside and pink on the outside. The Pink Mountain Bakery Cafe is its name. 

I will play Disney music in my cafe because it is my favourite. 
My top selling food is the Disney biscuits, I will decorate them with all with the Disney princesses. 
  
It is a good place, a wonderful place. 

For the kids I have special farm animals. They can feed them any food. We have kangaroos and koalas and they are very friendly. 

I will work at the Pink Mountain Bakery Cafe everyday but not on Friday as it's my rest day. I will still go to the movies. 

Thank you for reading my first blog, I have fun. – Claire
 
 

Hi readers today we are writing about if you own a restaurant and
what would you call it, what kind of food you would serve and where it is going to be.

If you asked me I do not really cook anything but I can cook easy stuff like noodles or make my favourite cheese sandwich. If I ever own a restaurant it must be on wheels something  like an RV that I have fixed up myself. I will not be doing the cooking, I will hire a chef but I will be there to drive the RV around to different places and I will be there to manage and make sure my customers are happy.
 
My food truck will be called Schnitz at Nicks. Let me tell you how much I love schnitzel, I always order them when I go out for dinner. I love it because of the crunch, and they 
are so yummy. Schnitzel is a favourite in Austria and they are made using different 
kind of meat for example, veal, pork, and chicken are the most popular. My food truck is going to have the best Schnitz you ever had.
  
Thank for reading my blog, Nick
 
 
I will do American food like a bigger hamburger and bigger drink. I will get my own place in Pakenham close to my dad's work and he will have to pay for coffee but not for free for him or anyone. It will have latte and cappuccino and flat white and short black. Any time of the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
 
My restaurant will have orange chairs and black tables. This is called Deaf café. My cafe will have orange walls and white outside.  I will have deaf people work with us.   If you can’t sign that is ok, you can use your phone and type any food or drink you like. You can have take away or eat-in. – TJ
 
 
If we had a restaurant.
 
Hello all and welcome B & B’s delicious blog. We have decided to blog together as we both have a passion for gluten free food. If we had a restaurant together it would be called BethanBen. It would be full of gluten free pasta and lots of variety of food for coeliac’s to enjoy and indulge.
 
We would sell lots of yummy pizza’s, pastas and the most delicious desserts including lemon meringue pie.  We would love for there to be less expensive items so that we can all enjoy the love of food. We would plan to have multiple restaurants around the world to cater for this need, as we feel like there is a lack of gluten free options around the world and a lack of verity and we would like that to change.
 
We see our restaurant as a small bakery/sit down restaurant in a local shopping centre and then build up towards the big city.
 
We can see ourselves with a few small tables and chairs with the smell of delicious cooking and coffee that will attract our customers.
 
Would you like to join us at BethanBen restaurant?
 
From your bubbly restaurant managers. Beth and Ben

 
Dear readers, this week’s topic is if I had a restaurant.
 
Readers, if you had a restaurant what would it look like and what food would you serve?
 
Let me start by telling you about what restaurant I would have. It would be a country restaurant in Garfield and it would be family owned and my family would all work in it together. I would be one of the chefs and my mum would also be a chef as well as the manager. My dad would be the owner and my sister would be one of the waitresses. We would serve Dutch and Hungarian food.

I would envisage it would be a big restaurant with a huge chandelier in the middle of the dining room. There would be booths around to give a rustic modern feeling. Adding to the atmosphere would be beer barrels and small vases of flowers on each table.
 
We would serve traditional Dutch and Hungarian food like goulash, croquettes, mini poffertjes, crepes, sarma flatbread langos,  chicken and beef schnitzels with chips and choices of sauces of cherry, mushroom, pea and spinach.
​
One day this may be more than a dream, who knows.
 
Written by Charlotte

Choose your own adventure – November 2024
 
We’ve done it again! We decided that this week we would choose our own adventure. That’s two weeks in a row BUT…the team spoke, and we listened! We also welcomed Ash and Nick to or blogging team.
 
Part 2 ticket blog - Hello and welcome to part two of my blog on the issues surrounding ticketing and seating. Recently I went to Coldplay and while I got awesome seats, my friends got sold "ghost seats". For those who don’t know what ghost seats are they are seats that are sold that don’t exist within the venue. I don’t understand how can this can happen when ticket agencies are the ones who understand the venue and plan out the events and sales. This creates an absolute mess for the innocent venue staff and stress for the people involved. In this case my friends and the one of our support workers got to sit in the second row.  My concern though is that in the future, people will have to leave a concert (or any event for that matter) because ticketing agencies don’t seem to have the capacity or understanding of the event or the venue itself.
 
My other concern is that disabled seats are being sold to people who don’t need it but due to overcrowding they get sold to anyone. How can we ensure that this doesn’t happen in future? What should the policy be if ghost seats are sold? Has this ever happened to you? How does it make your feel, and how would you feel if this happened to you?
 
That’s it for another blog!
 
Keep being awesome - Ben
 
 
I am back from a good trip with my dad, we went to The Bend in South Australia for a few nights to race cars.  It was so much fun I did buy some clothes. 
 
I love go to the racing cars. I have so much fun in trying to help my dad to fix the wheels in the pit. I also put some fuel and oil in the back boot. We have pizza two nights and chicken parmigiana.
 
Next week I go to my new house and plan out for new things.  I am excited.
 
Thank you everyone - TJ
 
 
Hello everyone my name is Ash and this is my first time of blogging. I’m a huge fan of Southern Sons and I’ve met Jack Jones heaps of times. I’ve even got a hug from Jack and Peter Bowman from Southern Sons. 
 
I’m also a huge fan of Ned Kelly’s history and I find it very interesting history. 
Ned Kelly’s real name was Edward and he was one of eleven kids. The Kelly gang and Ned Kelly’s final words were "Such is Life". I have a huge interest in Australian history like Ned Kelly’s history and also Australian music.

There are a few little known facts about Ned Kelly, that he saved a 11 year old boy from drowning in the creek and he tried to derail the train from Wangaratta to Melbourne. Lastly his skull was stolen from the old Melbourne jail. It is still a mystery as to where it is. 
 
Ned Kelly’s body was originally in the old Melbourne jail ground and then they moved his body to Pentridge in 1939. His descendants wanted him to be buried in Greta with his family members and in 2022 I went and did the Ned Kelly tour. I got to go to Beechworth, Wangaratta, Benalla, Glenrowen and Greta, Avenel, Seymour, Mansfield and Beveridge. I wish I could go to Jerilderie to see Ned Kelly’s letter. One day. 
 
Thank you for reading my very first choose your own adventure blog. – Ash
 
 
Hi friends, how are you? it’s Thursday again which means back to blogging. Today's topic is a choose your own adventure and my adventure is going to be a conundrum because I don’t know what to write about today. Sometimes I have a little bit of help from my friends or support workers so I have to put my thinking cap on. 

I am a fashionista, and for those who don’t know what it is it is where you dress up.  Like today. A fun fact about me is that I love to spend money. I find it difficult because I don’t buy things online I buy things that are in stores.  Although I do like Temu. A fun fact about the concept of fashion and what’s considered fashionable first started in 1858. Can you imagine what the clothes must have been like back then?  Another fun fact is it takes 700 litres of water to make a cotton shirt and shoes can take up to one thousand years to break down. 

Lastly, clothes can take up to forty years to decompose. That’s why I find it important to buy second hand and save the clothes from going into landfill.  

Another thing that I am really interested in is astrology/ star signs. it first started in the 19th century and it became popular for those who needed some guidance and information on compatibility. 

Thank you for reading my blog from your lovely friend Beth 
 
 
Hi I am Nick, welcome to my first blog.
My hobbies are riding scooters with my friends and I like to spend a lot of time in my shed fixing lawn mowers.

Funny story, my dad drove me and my friend to Kilcunda where they have a sand track for us to race our scooters  When I was riding my scooter my friend Dave pushed me and I fell from my scooter, and we even got it on video. It was funny and even funnier when I re-watch the video.

One more thing I would like for you to know about me is that I work at the tip in Hallam and I love working there. I always find things to discover. When we find the good stuff they can re-sell it at the shop. My favourite part of the job is that I get to break stuff and pull them apart. I think it's fun and it doesn't matter when I break things.

Thank you for reading my first blog.
 
 
Dear readers, this week's topic is a choose your own adventure.
Let me start by telling you about what I chose to write, it's a made up story set in a fairytale kingdom.
 
Once upon a time in the fairytale kingdom, there was a beautiful rose garden where a pretty fairy with purple sparkly wings lived.  She was best friends with a mushroom, pegasus and a unicorn. The fairy’s name was Rose, the mushrooms name was Blossom, the unicorn's name was Cherry and Pegasus' name was Sugar Plum.

They had a conundrum: Sugar Plum the pegasus lived in another kingdom called cloud kingdom which was far away up in the clouds. They can’t see Sugar plum every day because she lives so far away.

Stay tuned for part two for my next choose your own adventure, fairytale kingdom story.
 
Written by Charlotte
 
 
 I’m seeing orange, oops I mean red. (if you know, you know)! 

Today I walk around with a swirl of feelings, and I can’t believe the reality of certain events. I'm not going to dive into the event or its results, because why waste the time on it when there is nothing, I can do to change it. As for the feelings I will touch on them briefly now, I'm confused, disappointed, filled with disbelief and there's a small amount of outrage.

I will at some point get to acceptance but that's not happening today and just because I’m willing to come to the reality of the situation it does not mean I will like it. This event has a ripple effect and will continue to do so for the next four years. There’s your clue my dear readers. 

This is what happens when I don’t switch off from social media and have endless access to Google when I probably should have just read a good book. Though I will add that while that would have been a wonderful thing for my mind, I would have eventually still have had to come to reality. Reality will not and cannot be ignored or avoided forever. It doesn't care what you're trying to hide from, it will bring you back down to earth and it doesn't care what you want or how hard you fall.

Heartless but it must happen, for our own good, I guess. I have spent probably years of my life with my nose buried in a book to avoid facing whatever it was that I didn't want to face at that time. Practicing avoidance won’t work my friends and I know because I have practiced avoidance a lot. 

Your girl (me) likes a good brain dump if you haven't noticed, though I might have mentioned it before and I hope you all don’t mind. This is how I work through things, and this is the edited, G rated and well put together version of a brain dump. Honestly if you were inside my brain right now, you’d either be well entertained or completely shocked or both. My brain is great but also there's no holding back from all the different thoughts and opinions once you are in there. I've got all the genres in there so I suppose there's something for everyone! 

I hadn't expected this blog to go the way it has, and it was a bit of a journey but once I got going and put on my angry playlist with my headphones I was on fire. I will leave the playlist to your imagination, but it is my absolute favourite for when I need to get things done and work though things.  
​
As always thank you for reading,  
Your friend Shan.  

Choose your own adventure – October 2024
 
It’s that time of the month again when our talented bloggers get busy writing about anything they like. The buzz in the air was alive with fingers tapping on laptops and iPad’s and a great variety of ideas flying around the room…AND…we had Abbey join us for her first time 
 
 
Welcome to my latest blog. Today I would love to talk about how hard it is to buy tickets to concerts and events as a wheelchair user. Unlike an able-bodied person who can just go online and buy tickets it’s so hard to buy tickets as a wheelchair user cos you have to call and wait on hold for potentially hours at time.
 
It’s so frustrating not being able to go online and buy tickets. Sometimes I worry that tickets will sell out before I have the chance to buy them. My advice to people with a disability is book early and be patient and don’t be disappointed if you miss out.
 
Have you had any bad experiences when buying tickets? Or do you feel discriminated against when you do try? I would love to hear your experiences.
Kind regards.
Ben
 
 
 
Dear readers, this week is a choose your own adventure.  Charlotte and Beth decided to join their blogs and have decided to write about how to deal with anxiety.
Let us start by sharing tips about how we deal with anxiety and things that work for us:-
 
Listen to music, calm breathing and talking to a friend.
Colouring in and journaling is also helpful. Being in nature is also helpful. Take a bath, stress toys, read a book and meditation. 
 
Self care is key!
 
Essential oils are good for anxiety too, you can roll them on your wrist or use them in a diffuser. The most effective way for one of us is rolling on lavender essential oil on the wrist and forehead. We both find it very relaxing and when sitting in a chair listening to music is calming.
 
We also like to put a diffuser on with lavender oil and I like to listen to pop music in my bedroom.

Fun fact peppermint oil is good for hair growth and good for stomach problems.
How do you deal with anxiety?
 
Written by Charlotte and Beth
 
 
 
It's adventure time! Choose your own adventure time!  
 
On the day I wrote this blog it was Halloween; I love Halloween because it's full of everything magical and mythical. The imagination can run wild and it’s also a day that people can dress as whatever they want without judgement, with a few exceptions because we need to be respectful and kind. Obviously, I won’t be listing the numerous costume ideas that might not be the best idea as far as respecting others because I think we all know the dos and don’ts of costumes and Halloween. If you aren’t sure get on Google and I'm sure it will tell you.  
 
I choose to see all the happy and joyous parts of the spooky season. It’s basically my Christmas, I do a countdown, and a good friend of mine really helps hype the spooky season and it’s something that we really bond over as it’s a shared interest/love. I also really love seeing how excited kids get when they are out with their parents/guardians/trusted adults trick or treating. It's so lovely to see the effort in their costumes too.  
 
Halloween just feels so magical and accepting which is probably strange since there’s a whole heap of people dressed as monsters and serial killers. But it feels accepting all the same. Hopefully a lot of people share this feeling and if you don’t, please know that there are good people who would include you and love you. I would include you and we could skip around being our beautiful selves enjoying the spooky season together. I'm sure you will find your people and they would be very happy to have you.  

I could write a book called the observations of acceptance and inclusion on Halloween. I have found in my observations over the years that many people love Halloween and are quick to include others in their trick or treating and their parties. I have been included on Halloween and I wasn't even dressed up. Everyone just gets excited together and if you have nothing else to look forward to you can jump on the Halloween bandwagon and there will be a group of overly enthusiastic people possibly dressed as your worst nightmare ready to include you in whatever it is they are doing for the spooky season.  
 
You know what's also awesome about Halloween?  
LOLLIES!  
Love you all, 
Your friend Shan.  
 
 

Today I will write about a sport called Netball. It is a running sport that has rules that will not allow any player to run with the ball.
 
Each team has seven players. I play for a team called The Stars.
The seven positions are called Goal Keeper, Goal Shooter, Goal Attack, Wing Attack, Wing Defence and Centre.

To play the game, fingernails have to be short. There is a person called an umpire and a coach for each game and a scoring system to count the number of goals being scored. A goal is worth one point.

A netball game lasts sixty minutes and each game is split into four quarters.
 
Each position has a responsibility.  

Goal Shooter is able to score goals each time, Goal Attack is to feed and work with Goal Shooter and can score goals. Wing Attack is to feed the circle players gving them shooting opportunities. Goal Keeper is to work with the Goal Defence to prevent the Goal Shooter from scoring goals. Centre takes each centre pass and passes to the mid court. Goal Attack works with the Goal Shooter and can score goals. Wing Defence looks for interceptions to prevent the Wing Attack from feeding the circle.

As a long time netball player, I play multiple positions, but I most importantly enjoy scoring, and defending. 
 
 Thank you for reading my first blog, Abbey  

​It’s HALLOWEEN!
 
Wooooooooooooo It’s a spooky day today as we celebrate Halloween in our group.
 
Our bloggers are going to share with you their take on this annual event and share their thoughts on whether they celebrate the day…
 
Hey everyone and welcome to another spooky edition of my blog. With Halloween fast approaching I thought I would share the origins of this holiday.
 
Despite the majority of people believing that Halloween is American it actually originated in Ireland to celebrate the end of the harvest season. The date is marked with candle lit pumpkins and skeletons (something I think Cindy would look great dressed in costume).
 
Did you know that people are tipped to spend $430 million dollars to celebrate this holiday. Is Halloween too Americanized to be celebrated here? At least one Aussie thinks so.
 
Do you celebrate? And if so…
How?
What’s the best outfit you have seen?
Is it too commercialized? I
s the community spirit still what it once was?
 
Thank you to our readers, I
 
 hope you’re enjoying your newest bloggers entries.  – Ben
 
 
Hi friends how are you? Welcome back to my world of blogging. Today’s topic is Halloween, I chose to write about some of the things I do on that day. I would like to tell you first that Halloween started in the middle ages and is dedicated to remembering the dead including saints. Nowadays people decorate their houses with decorations that you can buy everywhere.


In the older days they used to carve roots vegetables that are called a Jack-O-Lantern it is originally from  turnip and a weird looking vegetable called mangelwurzel that I can’t even pronounce. These days you may see jack-o-lanterns made of pumpkins. 
Trick or treat started in Scotland in the 1920s and a lot of people watch scary movies on that day but I don’t watch them because I have nightmares.  

I bought a Halloween dress on Temu and I do trick or treating with my mum and my sister, and then I like to watch movies that are not scary. 

Thank you for reading my blog have a great rest of your day. Keep on believing, keep on following your dreams.
 
From your lovely friend Bethany 
 
 
I love Halloween because I love the scary movies. Like Friday the 13th and Michael Myers and Chucky the doll.
 
I have a Halloween zombie costume for me but it is too small. I will earn money from work for my new costume for Halloween next week. I am going with my mate for Halloween trick-or-treating and will have fun with her kids.
 
Do you celebrate Halloween readers? Yes or no?
Your mate, TJ
 
 
Dear readers, this week's topic is Halloween.
I chose to write about the origin of Halloween.
Readers, I have a question: Do you like Halloween or do you celebrate Halloween?
 
Some interesting facts about Halloween are that it started a long time ago and is celebrated on the 31st of October every year. It was called (All Hallow’s Eve) and now we know it as Halloween night when all souls of the dead return to the living and where they remember the dead and the Saints. It was a Pagan tradition celebrating Scottish and Irish Gaelic and Samhain festivals in Scotland and Ireland which mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
 
Halloween for me is about being with my family. On that day we dress up, we give out lollies to the little kids, go trick or treating with my friends, and watch a scary movie by myself.
 
Written by Charlotte

Do you have something that makes you feel unhappy?
We do, and today our bloggers write about things that they don’t like. So many times we have written about the positives but today, we’re going to spill the tea on some new things you will learn about us…
 
 
Hi friends, how are you? Welcome back to our cosy corner. Today’s topic is something that you don’t like.

I am a very picky eater, but I am trying to push myself to try new foods. 

I do cooking on a Tuesday and we cook new recipes every week. Some of them I am familiar with and others are quite new to me. I am not a big fan of meats. I like fried rice; I don’t like very spicy foods and the same with some fruits. I don’t really like lemons or mandarins. I haven’t tried many of the fruits, but I will try to push myself. I would like to try some different fruits like different varieties of apples, mango, durian, dragon fruit, mangosteens, guava, cumquat, lychee and star fruit especially as summer is coming. There are new types of watermelon, different colours too that I would like to try and also cotton candy grapes. 

Have you tried any of the foods I have listed and if you have what do you think of them?
Even though I can get annoyed by things like too hot and spicy, and most meats, I am still willing to try them. 
 
Fun fact from Beth - In the realm of exotic fruits, two reign supreme: the durian and the mangosteen. Known affectionately as the King and Queen of Fruits, these tropical treasures offer a unique blend of flavours, textures, and health benefits that have captivated fruit enthusiasts worldwide.
 
Thank you for reading my blog, your bubbly friend Bethany 
 
 
Dear Readers,
 
I’m really scared of smoke alarms and high-pitched noises as they pierce my ears and cause a sense of panic in me that I won’t get out fast enough. Another thing I used to be scared of is fireworks. It’s the sudden, loud noise that I don’t like. This includes balloons.
 
I am still scared of surgical masks (even though I have to wear one nightly) and CT Scan Machines and MRI due to being confined to an enclosed space.
 
Some of the readers may not realise that you can listen to music to pass the time while you are in getting scanned.
 
Thanks for reading my first blog. – Ben
 
 
Dear readers, today's topic is about things that annoy us.
Readers, I have a question: What's something that annoys you?
Let me start by telling you about buying Christmas presents and how this annoys me.
 
I don't like shopping for presents during Christmas time because it’s so crowded in shopping centres and everything is so busy. The Christmas carols are so loud, and everyone is in such a rush.  In the city it is worse because it's so hectic especially around the Myer Christmas windows as the line of people waiting to see them is huge and so long.
 
For our family it’s a tradition to visit the windows together.
I prefer to buy gifts for my family in November to avoid the chaos.
Do you like Christmas shopping in the centres and when do you do your shopping?
 
Written by Charlotte
 
 
There are things that annoy me a lot, sometimes my little brother, sometimes my mum. But I know that they care for me. 
I probably annoy people too!
I call them doggie and sometimes I don’t listen. That would be annoying.  And sometimes I can be cheeky but that is me. 
If I am always be late it’s annoying to me and to my mum, but my days are fun too!
If things annoy you, you can do better, and not be late and not be fighting too. Be kind be nice. TJ
 
Red flags, the ick or just plain annoying,  
I have a list of things that are red flags, cause the ick or annoy me to no end and I mostly just try to ignore them and get on with life. It doesn't work though I always end up over thinking it and having to do a brain dump about it. At the same time, I over think about if I'm annoying or cause people the ick but that's for another time in another blog. I'm going to dive into this, and I hope you’re ready for this week's blog post.  

Now going into this I must say that I have not written this blog meaning to offend or upset anyone and I also want to say that I have written this from my point of view and only my point of view. I send everyone love and kindness always.  

Something that really gets to me is when people see the disability and not the person. I will go to get coffee or lunch with a good friend of mine, even when she is clearly the customer the cashiers will always look at me or ask me questions about her order, there is no acknowledgment that it is her order and I feel like I have to remind them that I'm not the person that is buying their goods and just because someone has a visible disability doesn't mean that customer service goes out the window. See the ability not the disability.  

As someone who now has amazing and supportive people around me, my next one really grinds my gears. It is people who are supposed to help and support others as their job/career and are not at all helpful or supportive. I have experienced and observed many different examples of this, and it upsets me that someone can happily and without a second thought just not care how it affects others. Not a single bit of empathy is shown and that is disappointing and makes both my head and heart hurt.  

Anyone that calls out “MY DOG IS FRIENDLY.” instead of putting their dog on a lead. Yes, your dog may well be friendly, but did you think about the fact that the other dog that is running towards may not be? Why would you expose your dog to danger and uncertainty? You’re also causing the other person and their dog a whole heap of stress also. It's a recipe for absolute disaster. Just be a good dog parent and put your dog on a lead and everyone can go about their business, and it will all be tickety boo. 
​
I will end this blog now so that it doesn't turn into a novel.  
Thank you so much for your dedication and support.  
Love your friend, 
Shan.  

We can't show you anything with this weeks blog because we are keeping it a secret!

​THE END! 😜

It's a week of gratitude and thanks for our incredible bloggers this week and writing about what the best part of our days are. Being thankful for opportunity, being thankful for sunshine and showing gratitude for opportunity to nudge the boundaries of our comfort zones, are just a few you'll read about this week. Happy reading! - Krystle 
 
Dear readers, this week's topic is what is the best part of my day. Readers, I have a question what was your best part of which day this week?
 
Let me start by telling you about my best part of my day this week. The best part of my day is my mum’s birthday, which is today, or last week by the time you get to read our blogs.  My mum is the best mum in the world, as she does so much for me.
 
My older sister and I love her so much and if there ever is a competition for the world’s best mum, my mum would win first place. I hope my mum has an awesome birthday and happy birthday to my mum, I can't wait to celebrate her birthday with her.
Written by Charlotte
 
Hey friends welcome back to our cozy little corner today’s topic is what is best part of my day, why, and how I will make sure I keep having great days. 

Everyday I look forward to hanging out with my friends, my support groups and going out with friends even if it’s not with support workers just getting out of the house and sometimes enjoy the sunshine while I can.

Wednesday, I enjoy the day spending time with my best friends and doing things that I enjoy, whether it’s bowling or cooking or doing something in my own time or looking for a job. 

But the best part of my day on Thursday is getting out of my comfort zone and trying something new. It makes me more of an independent person, I always like to try something that is something I haven’t done before. Another thing I enjoy doing is getting out of my comfort zone, for example cooking at home on my own. It makes me feel brave but it is a little scary. I will get better each time I cook at home. 

For those who don’t know what blogging is, let me tell you. Blogging is a piece of writing. We come together and decide on a topic and write about what is of interest to us. I enjoy it very much. We publish our blogs each week. 

For those who don’t know what media is, let me tell you. It’s where we interview people in front of the cameras, learn camera skills, being in front of cameras and asking questions of our guests to learn about their businesses. 

I think it’s important to push yourself out of a comfort zone, in order to grow and develop. I also love knowing that my blog gets published and other people can read it. Thank you for reading my blog, your wonderful friend Beth.
 
What is the best part of your day?  
Hello Friends, 
 
As the title says we are talking about the best part of our day, this one is a no brainer for me because the best part of any day is Chopper. Chopper for those who are new here is my sister’s American Staffie, he is a light brown/red colour and white as well. He is a very handsome boy. He is her four-legged son and my favourite nephew. I love him so much and he brings so much joy to everyone he meets. 
 
It's a highlight to see his adorable good morning dance, all the excitement and love he has for each family member comes out with a bum wiggle, tail wags, excitement circles and every bit of love is shown with every ounce of his weight thrown in. Mornings are so much better with an over-excited Chopper; he never fails to bring a smile to our faces, and I like to think that we bring him joy as well. Though I'm pretty sure we are his whole world.  
 
Apparently, Chopper kisses and stinky dog breath are a non-negotiable part of Chops greeting and excitement which is something that has become an everyday thing. Whether it's a good morning greeting, greeting his favourite visitors, greeting new people or just everyday excitement you get what you get and you don't get upset! He is honestly such a beautiful and loving dog so unless he is jumping up there is nothing to get upset about.  
 
On our walks he will carry a toy, sometimes it's a slipper or a sock and he does occasionally carry sticks or branches too. It’s something that makes my day bright and happy because it’s adorable and he brings so much happiness to complete strangers when they see him (especially the time with the slipper). After walk zoomies are a great part of the day! Zoomies full stop are hilarious and dangerous if you happen to be in his way you become a bowling pin, and he is the bowling ball. It's a high adrenalin activity and he lives life on the edge when it's zoomie time.  
 
He does calm as well, plenty of cuddles and time in the sun. I'm convinced that Staffies are solar powered as Chopper spends as long as possible in the sun and if we didn't move him, he would overheat. Staffies also do not come with personal space, which is fine because I have become accustomed to my role as Choppers couch! 

Another little bit of joy there's no need to "boop" chopper because he will "boop" you. I'm laughing right now because people think I'm kidding. He is super good and gentle with kids and doesn't "boop" them though, he just sits like a good boy.  
 
As you can probably tell the best part of today is writing about Chopper, the best part of any day is Chopper and I’m sure this is the same for all dog parents/dog families. Or even all pet parents in general. I'm very grateful that chopper is in our lives, and we get to be his world sharing in his good days, bad days and crazy zoomie days.  
Your Friend, Shan  

Oh hey! Welcome to our blog today. It’s a fan favourite the choose your own adventure and today our bloggers are here once again to share their thoughts and feelings…
 
Hi friends welcome back to our chilly but cozy corner today’s topic is a choose your own adventure and my adventure is my Temu online order.

I first started looking at Halloween dresses on Amazon, the internet, then I looked at Temu and I found a beautiful dress, and its name is Halloween Pumpkin dress.  I placed the order and my mum said that she would pay for it for me, I was so excited that I kept asking her when it would arrive. I think I annoyed her, but Temu eventually updated that it would arrive between the 23rd of September to the 1st of October. I have been waiting for the last two weeks, so it can come anytime now. I can’t wait for it to arrive and wear it to Dinner with Friends in October.

I am really excited because this is the first time I have ordered something online that is magnificent to wear to a special dinner and where everyone will be dressing up for Halloween. I will say what colour it is, but, you’ll have to wait for the proper surprise. There is yellow, purple, orange and black. It is lovely and I’m not giving anymore hints.  

I love shopping on Temu as they have so many wonderful things that are cheap.
Do you shop with Temu or Amazon and what have you bought?
Have a wonderful day my dears 
From your lovely friend Bethany.
 
 
 
 I like to play games with my friend last night but we lost the game.  We do something fun with my niece and we play hide and seek then I love to play with her brother too, so I have fun with my friend and bestie in the same day.
 
I will go to holiday soon then we will go onto the boat.  I will drive the boat and two Jetski and have fun into water with my mum and dad and brother and kids, and some of my friends.
 
I love my work twice a week and have fun with my friend sometime, but keep working hard and have fun with Krystle and always work hard at work. – TJ
 
 
Dopamine  
Hello friends,  
Welcome to another choose your own adventure! I have chosen to write about what I call the happiness chemical of our brain, Dopamine. I will point out that technically there are two happiness chemicals, and the other one is called Serotonin. Serotonin talks to our bodies and helps to control our memory, sleep, body temperature, hunger and of course happiness. That’s enough about Serotonin though. 

Now onto Dopamine, Dopamine is the messenger between the nerve cells in our brain and body. It is a chemical that is released when we do something that makes us happy or feel good. It's like our very own reward system but in our brains, it’s home or where it is produced in the brain is called the hypothalamus which in my terms the hypothalamus is found deep in the middle of the brain above the gland that controls our growth (the pituitary gland).  
 
Dopamine is my favourite because we have something in common, we both like to make people happy and bring joy. Some of us don't have high levels of Dopamine and may need a little bit of help from a doctor with this. It has also been said that a change in diet can help but seeing a doctor is important to get advice on this.  
If you go on your favourite search engine you can find a diagram that will show where the hypothalamus is, I highly recommend learning about all the different parts of the brain and what each part does for us. Brains, while sometimes a bit complicated, are super interesting and amazing.  
 
While I was writing this blog, I learnt that one of our umbrella humans, Krystle, has studied the brain so obviously I had to use her knowledge and learn from her for this blog. Thank you, Krystle, for your brain topic knowledge and your help.  

I really enjoyed writing this blog today and want to thank all our readers for coming back each week and reading our blogs. It means a lot to each of us, and we are grateful.  
Have a wonderfully happy week and enjoy the work of our happiness chemical Dopamine.  
Your friend, 
Shan.  
 
 
Dear readers, this week’s topic is a choose your own adventure.
I chose to write about Lego.
Let me start by telling you some fun facts about Lego.
Lego makes one hundred million pieces in a day and was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, in Denmark.

The CEO of Lego is called Niels B. Christiansen.

Lego is fun to play with and build  and it's very good for fine motor skills .
I love building with Lego. It helps me with my fine motor skills. I find it frustrating working with the pieces especially when I have long nails, but I feel determined to finish it and once I've started, I feel pleased with myself and relieved it’s finished.
​
I am working on the house from the movie Up! right now, it will be stunning when it is done, I'm almost finished.
 
Do you play with Lego or do you like Lego?