Hello!! 
 
All great things must come to an end, but don't worry!  It's only for the Christmas and New Year break! Our bloggers today have absolutely smashed it.. once again, and you'll read below all the amazing accomplishments they have had for the year 2023 – Krystle Umbrella Support Worker.
 
This week is the last week for blogging so let’s end it off with a bang!
I’m going to be talking about my achievements I’ve made this year while coming along to the Umbrella Support blogging group every Thursday.
I started on 27th of July with not knowing anyone and being my usual shy self, I tend to be like this when coming to new programs and experiences. I think this program has made me more confident and encouraged me to do the things I want and be the person I choose to be.
I was very nervous about telling people here about my tarot reading as I thought they would hate it and not like the topic I enjoy, but it turned out everybody wants to hear my readings from my tarot cards. It has even inspired Cindy to buy a new home. It’s crazy to think how this can help so many people and it gives me the biggest warm feeling knowing that I give people hope and excitement whenever I do these readings. I was to start my own business helping people though the art of Oracle readings.
This group has inspired me to follow my dreams and to not give up.   Everyone is watching and congratulating you on your hard efforts, even when you feel like you’re not accomplishing anything, you are making an impact with these stories and blogs. And that makes me feel awesome. – Holly
 
 
There are so many things I have achieved this year.  
I love seeing my friends from Umbrella Support in the morning and I say good morning to them. This makes me happy and we are all doing something nice for Christmas. Krystle and I have something for you all but you all have to wait and see until our Christmas lunch on Monday. I have been working so hard this year Amstel it is my first paid job.  I hang out with Cody a lot this year we have so much fun together at bowling and sometimes playing fortnight video game online.
On Wednesdays I have been cooking with Jessy and sometimes with Krystle.  On Friday I go hangout with Krystle cooking, clean the house my room and pick up dog poo. On Thursday we do blogging.
I’m proud of myself for reaching for some of my goals. Merry Christmas to you all and Happy New Year – TJ
 
 
Hello, welcome to this blog! Today we chat about our year in review. 
This year has been a massive year with loads of changes and exciting events coming up.
 
This year I started my own podcast with RadioVoice it’s called "Your Story with Scarlett" where I chat to loads of different people who have a story.
 
I continue to be a regular voice on the Disability Matters radio show once a month and I'm happy to say I got closer to the mic!   That was something I was working on at the start of the year. You can listen to Disability Matters on the Buzzz 6pm every Thursday night. www.thebuzzz.com.au
 
Another great achievement for the year of mine is my work with Amstel Club. Every week, me and my friends learn something new from watering the plants to serving customers. I love working as part of the team and communicating with my team mates each week.
 
This year I started at Every 1 Cafe, a learning cafe where I have learnt hospitality skills each week. I’m proud to say I learnt money skills, serving skills during this program and I learnt how to carry coffee as I have always wanted to learn. I've learnt that I can make sure customers are happy and comfortable and I am very polite.
 
This year I started at “Just Write” which is blogging.  I have enjoyed it so much.  It has helped with my spelling and literacy skills each week and my spelling is improving. I've learnt what a blog is and it’s been a lot of fun learning with the Umbrella Group.
 
As you can see there are lots of things I'm proud of.
 
Thank you to the whole Umbrella team for being amazing. 
 
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. Stay Safe
 - Scarlett
 
 
My year in Review and My time at blogging. 
Looking back we started blogging in July, I was nervous and not sure what to expect, but I knew who was in the group so that helped. They were my friends from Umbrella, we all bonded straight away and maybe it was the donuts Cindy provided. We discuss topics and chose ours and off we went.
It was tough to get started, brain fog hit in a big way, and ideas were hard to put down.  Slowly we got writing and suddenly we were finished, and our 1st blog was ready to publish. We were not sure if anyone would read it or even like it, what a shock we got the following week. Everyone loved it and we have regular readers.
Over the weeks and months my confidence has grown, my writing and spelling have improved. I still get writers block but there is always someone to help me and it’s not so scary as we discuss and decide what this week’s topic is each week.
I am so PROUD of myself and all that I have achieved through blogging.
My biggest achievement was reading one of my blogs to everyone at Dinner with Friends and it made Delia cry. Last week I read another blog and it made my good friend Britt cry and she loved it, it was called Friendships.
I have lots of support from my family and friends. If I can do it, anyone can do it, you just need to get started and have wonderful people supporting you.
Thanks for being on my blogging journey. See you next year.
Merry Christmas love Jess xo
 
 
Blogging for 2023 has come to an end... 
Hello Friends, 
We have come to the end of blogging for 2023, and our blogging group has done so much in such a short amount of time. We should all be so proud of ourselves. I'm excited for 2024, not just the blogging part but ALL of it. Our blog will be awesome though so stay tuned friends.  
 
This year has been one heck of a roller-coaster ride, but you can't have flowers without a little rain, right? There has been a lot of sunshine moments for me this year and I will take them with me into 2024. Blogging has definitely been one of the sunshine moments for me.  
 
The best part of blogging for me, was the writing. I have had a great time playing with words, sharing my mind with you all and jumping right into the experience. Yes, I have had a few writing blocks and some not-so-great writing days, but I got through them and ended up with a great end result.  
 
I have really loved being in a team-writing environment, bouncing around ideas, sharing experiences, our wins and picking each other's brains for ideas and inspiration. All of us are learning something new, stepping (or jumping) out of our comfort zones and helping each other to be our best selves. So, to our blogging group, each of you are amazing and I thank you for being here.  
 
Each Thursday we talk about our wins for the week, sometimes it's easy to come up with a win and other days I come up blank. I am proud of my many wins for this year, work, blogging, handmade and the standout win here is GETTING ON A PLANE... I had never done that before, and I did it twice in one week.  
 
You know what is also a win? 
 
YOU, the readers, returning each week to read and committing 10-20 minutes of your time to reading our blogs. Knowing this makes all our hard work worth it and I find it encouraging to know that there are people who enjoy reading our blogs. I love receiving and reading the feedback so keep it coming! 
So until next time my friends, looking forward to seeing you in 2024 
Your Friend, 
Shan 
 
 
I have achieved so much this year with Umbrella Support and in my own life.
Let me tell you about this year and my biggest achievements.
This year I started working at Amstel 12 months ago and it is my first paid job.
How did I feel starting my first ever job at Amstel? I felt very anxious and excited to meet my team. The past 12 months our team and I not only learned team building skills but also how to work together through Amstel Academy and Every1Cafe. My dream is to be a Chef and this year I have learned so much about hospitality.


I graduated from school last Thursday and last Friday was my last day at school. I'm excited that I don't have school anymore and I'm looking forward to the future
and starting a new chapter of my life. I can't wait for next year. This year is officially over for me lol. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
- Charlotte
 
 
Have any of you ever be compared to between fictional characters or Celebrities before?

I have been compared to both Prince Charming and Simon Phillip Cowell. A Fun fact for you in Celtic, is the meaning of my last name "Born Handsome" and I am a reverse name version of Simon Cowell. I am Phillip Simon.
 
31st of December is the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 it’s the year of massive changes in many lives including mine. Many of these changes for me include an extra day of work (Wednesday and now Thursday), I hope to do my certificate 3 hours in hospitality, and finally getting into Supported independent Living. - Phillip
 
 
My achievements for this year with Umbrella and with my own life.
This year I have started blogging with Umbrella Support and our group is called Just Write.  So far I have really loved it and it has also helped me in learning lots of new skills such as learning how to use my laptop computer, improving my writing , thinking, reading and has given me lots more confidence.
 
My experience with Umbrella Support has always been positive and I have learnt so much. 
I used to do Umbrella Support “Hand Made” group and next year I am returning to the group and I am looking forward to so very much.
 
Umbrella Support has taught me to remain positive and see the positive things life, feel good about myself, and look after my health. Umbrella Support are very supportive, kind, caring and understanding.
 
I also do podcasting that I love very much and I do a radio show once a month called Disability Matters that I really love doing and I would really like to thank Daz for his support.
 
Umbrella Support has given me the most amazing opportunities and I am so very blessed. Umbrella Support are totally amazing they are the best.
Umbrella support has made me the happiest.
 
I love all the Umbrella Support staff and they have been wonderful to me.
I would like to thank all the Umbrella staff for their support. 
I hope you enjoyed reading - Gipsy
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C H R I S T M A S
 
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”… (Are you singing with me)?
Whether we like it or dislike it, we really don’t have much choice! It’s everywhere we look right now. The shopping centres are decorated, the carols are playing and the shoppers are hustling! Personally, I’m a huge fan. I love the hype, I love the weather, I love the thought of having a break and I love the time to catch up with family and friends, but that’s just me! Let’s see what our team of creative writers have to share about this festive time of the year… Cindy.
 
 
Hello! Welcome to our blog today where I will be chatting about Christmas films. 
Christmas can be a stressful time for some. I find it a stressful time as it's my birthday around this time too. Before I start writing about Christmas movies I thought I might include some jokes since some people like my Halloween Jokes from the Halloween Blog I have done. 

Why did the Christmas turkey form a band?  Because it had drumsticks. As you can see I love telling jokes as they make me feel happy. One of my favourite movies is The Grinch. This movie is about a person who does not like celebrating Christmas and he steals Christmas presents from people's houses. I don’t want to give too much away in case you have not seen this movie. 

Home Alone is a huge favourite of mine. There are 6 Home Alone movies and they are great movies in my opinion. The movie is about Kevin who is accidentally left at home by himself it's such a funny movie to watch with family or friends. Home Alone can be found on Disney Plus if you haven’t seen it.

Elf is also a great movie. It is about a boy named Buddy who sneaks into Santa’s Sack when he delivers Christmas presents to Buddy’s family house. He ends up helping the Elves at the North Pole, he leaves the North Pole on a mission to find his father and make him have Christmas Joy.

Do you have a favourite Christmas Movie? There are so many to choose from. 
Is there a special memory that always reminds you of Christmas?

My advice if you are stressing about Christmas is to just breathe as it will be okay. Remember it is the thought that counts not the cost. 

Let's finish with another joke. 

What did Santa say at the start of the race?  Ready set Ho Ho Ho – Scarlett
 
 
 
It’s that time of the year to sing and spread joy all around, it’s December and Christmas is soon upon us, time to get gifts and organise your family trips. This year however my family and I are not going anywhere as were inviting all of our family members for Christmas lunch, this year we are doing Disney themed again as it was popular last year.

My brother and I are going to be cooking up some delicious treats for example, homemade gingerbread and Mickey Mouse reindeers. My grandma is bringing the traditional truffle and pavlova and my sister and her partner are bringing the prawns, you can’t have Christmas without prawns, well at least in Australia.

 I brought something special for this year’s festive drinks, it’s called Potion Floss and they have a few  sparkly colours to choose from, Snow globe, Love potion, and Liquid gold. The snow globe looks like iridescent snowflakes while love potion looks like a potion out of Harry Potter, and I guess you can tell what liquid gold looks like.

Every year after boxing day I either go up to see my boyfriend's family, or he comes down to stay with me, so he will be staying with me for a few weeks, who knows we might stay in Melbourne for a couple days - Holly
 
 
It's that time of year my friends... 
 
Hello festive friends, 
Ah Christmas, don’t you just love this this time of year?  
 
I know that there are going to be people saying yes, no or maybe to their computer screens right now, possibly out loud (that’s right I see you) and I just want you to know that there is no right or wrong answer. This is a safe place for all answers and know that all people with different ideas to bring to the table are welcome. There is no hate here.  
 
I don’t know if I like Christmas or not, but I do know that I seem to notice a lot more people being a cotton headed ninny muggins and showing unkind behavior. So here I am sending out a reminder to be empathetic towards our fellow humans and kill them with kindness. (not literally or you might find yourself in a bit of trouble).
 
Role modeling is important also, we need to role model kindness and empathy for others to follow our example. Just treat others like you would want to be treated, with dignity, kindness and respect. Especially people who are working in retail, hospitality and anywhere really. They don’t deserve to be treated badly for any reason and they will go home and tell their loved ones about you and is that how you want to be remembered?  
 
Whether it be in person, online, on the phone or in a letter/card always choose kindness. This time of year can be a lot but you just need to take a moment and say “what would I want if it was me?” You also need to be kind to yourself and remember that you are loved and deserve love, kindness, respect and dignity. 
 
 JUST. BE. KIND. 
Merry Christmas, Happy December or whatever you celebrate  
Be safe my friends  - Shan 
 
 
 
Christmas Day with Jess 
 
Hello friends, come on a journey with me to my house on how we spend Christmas Day. We get together with the family and my fiancé Robert joins us on that day. Everyone brings food to share. I supply the nibbles. We have different meat dishes and salads.
 
My most favourite part of the day is watching my nephews and nieces faces when they open up their presents. I love seeing what I get given, but it’s the intention that counts.  Having someone to think of you warms my heart.
 
Merry Christmas everyone and happy new year to you all.
 
Interesting facts about big man in red…
 
Where did Santa Claus come from? The Dutch are responsible with transporting the legend of St. Nicholas to New Amsterdam (now New York City), along with the custom of giving gifts and sweets to children on his feast day, which is December 6.
 
How old is Santa?  My research says he is currently 1752 years old.
Jess C
 
 
The history of Christmas and the true meaning of Christmas.

I know many of you think that spending time with family and opening presents is the meaning of Christmas, but if you have any faith based religion you may realise the first word “Christ”, is in Christmas. 

The true story of Christmas is the birth of Jesus.  Christmas truely begun if you have any faith based religion in your family you may know the true story. What I am telling you about Christmas, to me, is not just spending time with family or opening presents for me it’s more around were my religion.  Church is very important to me.


I know that there are many miracles happen at this time of year.  The best example is, I was born two days after Christmas as I am my parents little miracle.

Did you know that Santa has a darker side, and legend has it that his name was Krampus and that he would abduct naughty children. It is a good way to make sure kids behave themselves.  
 
I most look forward to Christmas and the two Christmas’ I get to enjoy every year.  With my family and my extended family.  – Phillip

Christmas is a Christian celebration and tradition that I was brought up with all my life. Christmas has a real special meaning to me.  I am a Christian even though I don’t go to church at the moment but in the future I hope to start going back to church. There is a church in Seaford that I have a strong connection to, it is called Fire. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. 
 
My most favourite part is the Christmas Tree, the decorations, lights and putting the Christmas tree lights and Christmas decorations up.  I love decorating the Christmas Tree and seeing all the Christmas presents and Christmas cards.  
I love seeing my dogs lie down by the Christmas tree. 
 
I also really love all the Christmas Carols and Christmas movies but my most favourite Christmas movies are Santa Claus and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. 
 
I also really love spending time with my Dad and I really love going to Christmas parties.  Spending time with all my friends means the world to me and I really love when the weather is hot on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I love waking up on Christmas morning and opening up presents. I love having a bacon and eggs with fried mushrooms and grilled tomatoes, Christmas lunch and Christmas dinner with Christmas plum pudding and Christmas Chocolate pudding and Christmas cake, short breads and lots of yummy food.
 
I really really love Christmas and I look forward to it every single year.
My favourite decorations are the Angel, Star Snow Flake, Swan, Fairy, Sea Horse Dolphin, Dove, Butterfly, Bell, Reindeer, Owl, and Elf.
I hope you all enjoyed reading my blog - Gipsy
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​I’m inspired by…
 
This week we share our inspiration though people. There are so many people who we can be inspired by for so many different reasons. Our bloggers have shared their views here today.
 
 
I like work on the Disability Matters radio show with Daz from RadioVoice and sometimes the crazy one Cindy from Umbrella Support. I like to talk about everything because it makes me feel better and relax. Daz has been awesome to work with in radio because he does great  work and I like listening to music of course! - TJ 
 
 
Today’s topic is:  Who inspires me?
 
 Hello my friends for me it’s my mum, my mumma, bear and the reason why is simple. She is a hard worker, she is always there for me and my siblings, nieces and nephews, especially during our dads illness. She managed to support my dad when he was at his worst with the cancer, while still being a mother and nanna to us all. 
 
How would I describe my mum?
 
·       Her personality is warm and she loves to laugh
·       She is trustworthy and has a great smile
·       Caring for her family and friends in all situations
·       Kindness. She is always there for us no matter what is happening in her life
·       She’s tough. She takes no rubbish especially regarding my dad and his medical appointments
·        Respectful of others
·       Loyal friend and confidant
·       Strong and independent  
·       Hard worker always puts her family friends and work colleagues before herself
·       Faces challenges with a positive attitudes
 
My mother is an amazing person who inspires me to be the best people my siblings and I can be.
 
LOVE YOU MUM – Jess.
 
 
Sometimes you just need to write and see where the words take you... 

Hello Friends!  
 
Writer's block is no joke! I had a topic and a person to write about, but I just wasn’t getting it done and do you know how frustrating that is?  
 
Eventually I decided that I'd just start writing and see how I went. Much like going on a reality TV show, which Georgia love was on. The second season of the Bachelorette (Georgia's season) aired on the 21st September 2016 on channel 10 and the best part of the whole show was that she chose Lee (the guy with the donkey!). I would like to point out that I haven't committed to watching another season of the bachelorette since Georgia's season, obviously hers was the best.  
 
Georgia and Lee got married in March 2021 and it was a beautiful Tasmanian wedding. They have a cat together named Pawdrey and I love that she just gets to live her best cat life with cat parents that adore her. They also live in a house together somewhere in Australia, obviously they are entitled to their privacy and let's not be posting peoples addresses on public forums.  
 
Now to the why I chose to write about Georgia apart from having a brilliant work ethic with many projects and her own sleepwear line, she is the Pancare foundations national ambassador and is a pancreatic cancer advocate. Her mum lost her battle to pancreatic cancer in 2016 after a six-month battle. Georgia wants to bring awareness to the disease and to do something good for those like herself and her family.
 
I admire the strength she had for going through what she did with her mum and for doing all she can to help others like herself.  
 
Did I mention she chose the guy with the donkey? 
 
Have a wonderful day friends and look after the ones you love,  - Your friend, Shan  
 
 
 
Someone who inspires me? Hmm let’s see there’s the family, the boyfriend, fiends…so hard to choose someone. I guess I’ll choose my friend Jay, or better known on his twitch, JayTeeDawg.

We met at the end of 2019 through mutual friends on Vrchat and roleplay groups. He makes me smile and laugh with his clueless demeanor, but he means well and we explain to him stuff he gets confused about but honestly, he is very sweet and kind and deserves all the love and attention, he works so hard to make a career out of his internet sensation, he’s just that bubble of joy and his energy is warming and calming that attracts everyone.

He helps me with topics and he listens and vice versa for him to me, he asks me for recommendations about what to do and how he should go about it. I helped him come out of the shell and in return he helps me from my insecurities, I couldn’t ask for a better friend than him and I’m so glad I met him, besides he just turned 18 last week and it was a big milestone for him and his friends and fanbase, which means bigger goals in store for him and it'll only go up from here. – Holly
 
 

Welcome to our blog today. I am speaking about someone who inspires me and has helped me  lots..
 
It happens to be Cindy. 

She inspires me every day to get out of bed, to challenge myself and to be the best human I can be. By her smile and the way she acts around others. We share so many interests and have so much in common like radio, words searches and 80s music. 

She teaches me things others can’t and she has helped me overcome my fears and has helped me to step out of my comfort zone, she has helped me handle change too and she has taught me to be grateful for what you have and what others don't have . She very understanding when somebody is not feeling like themselves. Cindy is always there for the team no matter what happens, or what is happening.

Her personality is calm, friendly, and hilarious. No matter what, she treats people with kindness and respect. She makes me feel safe, happy and excited for my next chapter in life.

Nothing is a issue and everybody has the confidence to speak to her about anything.
She has helped me learn radio skills and she even is my co-host on Disablity Matters once a month on The Buzzz radio. www.thebuzzz.com.au

She has helped me get work placement and my first employment too.
If you need a support worker who is understanding kind calm and terrific Cindy is definitely the person to work with.

She is the best support worker in my opinion and loads of people would agree with me too! – Scarlett.
 
 
Real super powers and fictional super powers inspire me.
You may believe that superpowers aren’t real but think again.
Intelligence (ie above IQ professor’s): Stephen Hawking
Magic and escapology (ie historical Witches,Wizards): Gregori Rasputin

Manipulation is a form of ability that magicians can use and there is also Celebrity Manipulation/fame Manipulation 
Fun fact fame can get into the minds of celeb Psychically  
Future control technology : I keep on seeing future tech on the news a lot.

They are real super powers and they inspire me - Phillip