​Welcome to our Bonus blog, we chat about R U OK Day. 
 
What is R U OK Day?
 
R U, OK day is Thursday 14th September and support those who are struggling along with wearing yellow to represent this beautiful and important day.
 
The meaning of R U OK means reminding everyone that any day is to ask ''are you okay?' and support those who struggle with life or any other struggles. this year's theme is 'I'm here to hear.” 
 
R U Ok is an Australian non-profit suicide prevention organization, founded by advertiser Gavin Larkin in 2009. It revolves around the slogan “ R  U OK?” and advocates for people to have a conversation with others to encourage responsible public discussion of social isolation and its negative consequences such as suicide.
 
Gavin Larkin is the founder of Ru Okay and the first day of R U, OK? day was held on 29 November 2009. His mission is to inspire and empower people to meaningfully connect with those in their world and lend support when they are struggling with life.
 
Ru Ok contributes suicide prevention efforts by encouraging people to invest more time in their personal relationships and building the capacity of informal support networks, friends, family, and colleagues to be alert to those around them to have a conversation if they identify signs of distress of difficulty and connect someone to appropriate support, long before they’re in crisis.
 
TODAY at Every 1 cafe we will be acknowledging those who are struggling and we will support them during the difficult times.

Who loves themselves a little retail therapy?
In store or online, these shops and outlets can help us buy everything we need, even when we don’t need anything! These days we shop online for so many things but in store we can touch feel and smell everything on offer.
This week our team blogs about their favourite shops or retail outlets…
 
Retail and stores are part of our everyday life. From the supermarket to buying clothes for the season, it is the second biggest employment with 9.8 percent of Australia working in retail as their main job. I’m going to talk about the stores I go to when I have free time and money.
The shop I’m going to be talking about today is called Critical Hit and it is Located in the heart of Melbourne, they are labeled as a hobby and pop culture store.
They sell everything from Anime goods and pop references to exclusive items from Japan, I mostly go there to try my luck at Itchiban Kuji, meaning number 1 prize, it is like a lucky dip with letters, A being the highest to go for and hardest to get, this includes figures, plushies and big items, then the list goes down from there until a set letter like H or G being the smallest like a keychain. I have been lucky a few times, I even won an A prize on one ticket.
They sell Manga and cds, posters, figures, TCGs (trading card game), Plushies, and apparel.  They even can help recommendations on what to watch next and are LGBTQ+ friendly. – Holly
 
Welcome to our blog today I chat about my favourite retail shop which is Sportsgirl. I love shopping at Sportsgirl because of the clothes they sell and the really cool accessories they have. I especially love the T-shirts and jumpers as they make me feel comfortable to wear and I can move easily. I love buying clothes that I can move and grove.
Sportgirl has been opened since 1948 to bring fashion and beauty to the world customers love seeing their new products in the many different stores around the world.
Sportgirl is a business that can be founded all around the world, they have many locations such as Cranbourne and Fountain Gate and you can find these locations on their website for a location closer to you.
Sportgirl is an Iconic Australian brand specializing in fashion beauty and accessories. The journey began in 1948 and Sportsgirl is now operating in 120 stores nationally including online.
The first store Sportsgirl store opened in 1948 as an alternative to its sister label, Sportscraft, on Swanston Street Melbourne. The store was owned and operated by the Bardas family, who at the time had no retail outlet and had been distributing their Sportscraft clothing label via department stores. Why do you like Sportgirl? – Scarlett
 
 
My favourite shops are EB Games, Woolies and Coles.
My favourite shop of all time is EB Games or wherever I can buy my Xbox cards. Why you may ask? It's because I'm a gamer in my spare time. It's a must for me to buy an Xbox card every Wednesday afternoon when I go shopping If not I get cranky. But lately, I have been trying to save money for my trip to America so I'm spending less than usual but I still buy a cheaper one. The card is for my Fortnite game that needs to be updated.
The other shops I go shopping at are Woollies and Coles. Wednesday afternoon is when I cook dinner for my family with the help of my support worker Jessy from Umbrella Support. We go food shopping for my breakfast, lunch, snack, Pepsi Max no sugar, and the stuff I need for cooking dinner.
As for clothing my dad and I do them together I love shopping with him. I'm looking forward to Next week I will have fun with my dad but I will also miss my friends. – TJ
 
 
Jay Jays were founded in 1978 in Sydney by 2 brothers. In 1993 it was purchased by the Just Group and it’s a very successful company. Jay Jays sells jumpers, t-shirts, shirts, sweatpants and their policy is all about having a good time and living carelessly. Inspired by youth, culture and street wear.  
I think Jay Jay's have great street wear, and they are a fabulous clothing brand and as a customer there I love it because all their outfits and clothing are very suitable and comfy. The Jay Jay's clothes are made in Bangladesh and the company is now owned by Just Jeans. The locations of jay's jays in Australia are in Cranbourne, Dandenong, South Wharf, Doncaster, Southland, Chadstone, Docklands, Knox, Karingal and so many other locations throughout Australia. 
Do you like shopping at retail stores if so what type of store? - Angelina
 
 
 
Kmart was established in 1969, with the opening of its first store in Burwood, Victoria, and was only open for 45 min and closed due to safety reasons. The original hours were only Monday to Friday 9 to 5 and Sunday trading. In the late 1980’s late night trading opening their doors at midnight. Now Kmart is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and their 323 stores throughout Australia. Kmart were voted best. family store because it sells such as things as home decor and textiles, furniture, apparel and footwear, children's entertainment and toys, pet supplies, photographic developing, camping and fishing goods, sporting goods, small appliances, storage and home organisation, confectionery, stationery, books, cards and party goods.
I used to work at Kmart over 10 years ago or a little more. I love how it’s got a variety of things and the prices reasonable for the product. 
We have tried to find out when Kmart first opened its doors at midnight. We think it was the late 1980,’s but we could not find out the exact date. Would you know? Do you like Kmart  - Jess
 
 
 
Hello Friends! 
 I just want to start off by saying that I hope you are having a wonderful day!  
Now let me make it better by talking about two of my favourite things!  
BAGS AND DISNEY!  
 
I’ll back up the truck here for a moment, most in our blogging group are talking about our favourite retail stores or online stores. I have chosen Loungefly.com  
 
Don’t know what Loungefly is, that’s all good because I'm going to tell you.  
 
Loungefly.com is amazing!  
They have vegan friendly & licensed backpacks, bags, apparel (clothes), wallets, enamel pins, ear headbands, keychains and lanyards. 
 
Everything you find at Loungefly.com or at the places that stock the Loungefly Brand is inspired by all things pop culture. This means you'll find; Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, Harry Potter, Stitch Shoppe and MLB (Major League Baseball). So just fandom heaven really. A Fandom for anyone who doesn’t know is fans of a person, team, group or series for some examples.  
 
You see now why I love Loungefly, BAGS AND DISNEY. I’ll also add that I have two loungefly bags; A Lion King full sized backpack and a Simba mini backpack and you can safely assume that I love both endlessly and they bring me a lot of joy!  
I love all my bags, but the Loungefly ones just hit different for me and my goodness they are such good quality.  
The bags being vegan friendly is a bonus too.  
 
Did you want a bit of a background on Loungefly? 
Well, here it is! 
Loungefly was founded in 1998 in a small warehouse in California by Trevor Schultz.  
They started small and now are one of the biggest or leading collectable companies.  
As of 2017 when they joined with Funko Pop. They have been stocked in physical stores such as EB Games, Zing and Sanity just to name a few as an example. Google Loungefly and you'll find them stocked in most web stores (Popcultcha, shopDisney) because they are just that good!  
 
GO GET ONE! Or don’t, I don’t want to tell you how to live your life.  - Shan
 
 
Today Phillip wasn’t feeling the vibe of retail so decided he would branch out and blog about traditions…
 
Intro: What is religion traditions many countries has their own traditions since growing up
 
European traditions
 
1. Throwing pottery out of the widows, which started in an Island called Corfu in Greece.
 
2. Partita a Scacchi, Marostica in Italy is a human chess game.
 
3. Easter whip, in Czech Republic & Slovakia who believes by whipping girls and women will help with luck and fertility.
 
4. Ursul (bear dance), in Romania and Moldova is a winter even that symbolises death and rebirth of time, and push off the evil spirits.
 
5. Sinjska Alka (Chivalric Tournament), in Dalmatia Croatia is chivalric tournament.
 
6. Caber toss, is a Scotland, tradition which is a Highland Games  that involves tossing a large pole called a caber.
 
Asian traditions some examples are  Different Greetings, kick off your shoes, Mind your head and feet, slurping is good, and share your food.
 
African traditions
 
1. The courtship dance of the wadable
 
2. The lip plates of the Morsi
 
3. The bull jumping of the Hamer
 
4. The red ochre of the Himba
 
5. The spitting of them Maasai
 
6. The healing dance of the san
 
The list goes on and on tradition around the World is vast topic so I am going stop here and maybe I will have another occasion to blog on this topic that I am  passionate about.
 
What is your family traditions and A,Y,O,K? Phillip

The thought of writing about relationships gives me warm and fuzzy feelings. We all have a person who lights up our world OR we may have an animal who also does that! I love my dog, he’s my best friend so I can understand if any of our team, wanted to write about their pets!
Today this talented team of writers explore feelings on relationships and you as our readers will once again be treated to a little more insight to their views…
 
Relationship, the way in which two or more people or things are connected, or the state of being connected. You may not know it but you are in one right now, everyone has some form of connection or relationship involving family, friends or even work colleagues, it doesn’t necessarily mean to love someone, it’s more like a simpler way to explain the situation depending on what they may be.

So let’s keep it simple and practical this time when talking about my relationship with my boyfriend, We started out as good friends online back in 2017 and over the course of that year I slowly grew to like him more than a friend. This relationship is built on trust and honesty but it isn’t all that easy, we have our ups and downs and trust gone all over the place but we talk it out and I will forever be grateful to him, he really brings the light to my dim, boring world, he just brings that extra ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

His laugh is contagious and makes some pretty funny but very dark jokes, I want him to excel at his writing and creative story making, he is an aspiring author but just needs that push to keep going and that’s why I’m here because that’s what you’re meant to do in relationship, help them to help yourself as well, I could not have made it this far without him and by the time he reads this, I just want him to know that I support you the very best I can and hope we can both help each other with our dreams and projects for the future, I believe in you and I encourage you to push a little harder, even though it sounds like I’m the annoying one.

That being said, maybe I can give you guys a glimpse of his work, who knows what the future holds but I hope I can help give his confidence, I love you Adam. – Holly
 
My relationship with Mrs. Pepper  
 Hi it’s me Angelina! Today’s blog will be all about different types of relationships. I would like to go wayyyy back to when I was in primary school when Mrs. Pepper was my Vice Principal and the relationship that we had was very special. 

Mrs. Pepper was my person to go to at Trinity (Primary School) because she would always understand what I was going through and that helped me a bit to know that someone understands what I was going through.  

Mrs. Pepper is a really nice person when you meet her in person because she checks up on people when they feel down or sad, she cares for the other teachers, students and staff, she is so kind and generous, she helps the students with problems and she tries to make time for others so that they can communicate with her. I liked Mrs. Pepper so much because we laughed together, played games together and most of all we worked together. 
​
Do you have any relationships with special people in your life? – Angelina

​Welcome to our blog today where I chat about my relationship with Lucy my dog.
 
Lucy is a Great Dane who is 5 years old. Her birthday is January 25th. 
We got Lucy in 2018 from a breeders house where they had heaps of Great Dane puppies. She was called yellow collar when we went to check her out. Dad and my brother picked her up from the breeders as I was at school during the time they were collecting her.
 
Lucy is a great friend and supporter buddy. Whenever I need a hug or a cuddle from Lucy she is always there. She sometimes even sneaks on the couch for a cuddle even though she is not allowed on the couch.
 
Can you Imagine me eating pizza or food at the kitchen bench?  Especially pizza! Lucy lays her head next to me or rests it on my hand for a piece or a two. It’s sometimes hard to control especially when there is cheese hanging from my mouth, she sometimes grabs it from me and kisses me after it.
 
I sadly can’t walk Lucy as she is so strong and heavy but I sometimes go on the walks with her down the streets, the neighbours love lucy and often call her over and she pulls dad across the road and she lets kids pat her.
 
I sometimes go on runs with Lucy as we take her to a dog park which has fences around it so Lucy can’t escape as she is very fast runner and hard to keep up with. She loves hoping in the car for a journey to either the vet or the park. She gets very excited and we have taken her into Bunnings as you can now take dogs into there and she sometimes comes to drop in on me at Salvos in the morning as she needs social interaction. 
 
She loves to play with soft toys even though sometimes she breaks them apart in thirty seconds. We often buy them from Kmart or Salvos as they are for a good price. Funny fact about Lucy is that she can’t catch a ball. She gets fed twice a day, once at breakfast then dinner and sometimes some treats during the day such as chicken as it’s her favourite food. 
 
Facts about Great Danes 

• Did you know Scooby Doo is also a Great Dane? I knew this I found it very interesting when I found out 
• Did you know Great Danes can live for 8-10 years I didn't know this but now I do.
• Great Danes can come in many different colours like Brindle, Fawn, Blue, Harlequin, Black and Mantle I didn’t know this but now I do. – Scarlett

 
 
So, when we had the discussion about today's topic, and it was suggested that we blog about relationships I thought, how can I make this authentically Shan? 
What is our topic, you ask?  

Our topic is relationships. When people talk about relationships, they usually think about human relationships so naturally I'm throwing that right out the window and I am going to talk about being a plant parent. For anyone who doesn’t know what a plant parent is, it is a person who cares for their plants as much as they would care for a child or a pet.
 
I am in no way a green thumb, but I do consider myself a plant parent because I love my little friends so much, I have two pots of alyssum flowers (Groot and Butterfly), a tiny lavender sprout (Tiny), a Venus fly trap (Spike), an aloe vera plant (Vera), three succulent plants (Pickle, Pip and Duckie) and hopefully a Cherry Blossum bonsai tree soon (yet to be named). In spring I plant sunflower seeds and become the proud parent of some beautiful sunflowers. Fun fact about me, sunflowers are my favourite flowers.  

I really enjoy growing plants from seeds because you get to see every part of the plant's journey, from seed to seedling to fully grown plant and it's super rewarding. It has been suggested that growing plants can have a positive effect on mental and physical health by helping to make you feel happier, reduce stress and lower blood pressure. It’s an added bonus, they also provide you with better air quality too!  

With Spring coming I'm looking forward to sitting in the sun with my plants and telling them how beautiful they are and hopefully they will have flowered by then and I'll get to see butterflies and bee friends.  

Relationships come in all shapes and sizes, not just with humans. Plants are wonderful friends and if you're worried about killing them fake ones are just as good. I have said in a previous blog that I make friends with all little creatures and inanimate objects because why not. That’s a topic for another blog though. 
Don’t forget to water your plant friends and yourself too!  - Shan
 
 
 
Today I am going to talk about my relationship with a special man and how we met. Who is he you ask? He is Robert and this is our lovable journey.

We met each other at a bowling competition. I forgot to give him my number so I rang his bowling club and gave it to them. What drew me to him was his kind, polite, honest manners in fact he is everything to me.

We have been together five years and engaged for 10months. They have been the best years of my life, we laugh together and we have so many things we love doing together, I can’t imagine life without him.  Are you lucky to have someone special in your life?  - Jess
 

What is the meaning of a relationship? (I had to look this one up with Jessy). A relationship is any connection between two people, which can be either positive or negative.
 
You can have a relationship with a wide range of people, including family and friends.

Today I want to talk about my relationship with my family. My family includes mum, dad, my twin brother, my older sister, my little brother and myself. Something that you guys might not know about me is my twin brother and I were adopted when we were babies. How I feel when I am hanging out with my family is relaxed, calm, chilled, and safe.
 
I know I can count on my mum and dad whenever I need them because they've always been there for me and I love hanging out with family because they are awesome and funny. My mum is the one who always pushes me to be more independent and my dad is the person I can talk to when I have a problem he listens and makes me feel calm. I am thankful to have a family, do you? – TJ
 
 
In my opinion a relationship is when two people come together and as two worlds collide.

What you need to know about Shaije H and Brooke P is that we are quite close because we have lots in common. For example Shaije and I used to go to same schools at Yarrabah and Frankston SDS. I have known Brooke when we attended another disability program together.  

Brooke and I do a lots together. We went to each other birthdays, we went to Australia’s Got Talent auditions and we went away together.

Shaije : we both love Japanese animas and super heroes events.
 
I have a mysterious close friend since growing up but what I mean by mysterious, is a childhood friend. I can’t remember her name and even though I have known her for a long time she now lives in Sydney and she has two kids. I wish that one day our path will cross again. (Do you remember your close friendships? Try to Remember their names ?) - Phillip

Here’s the thing, our team is pretty cool. I’m sure you, as our readers are starting to notice!
With a full team on deck for this weeks blog there was a lot of ideas put out as suggestions for what we would write about today and then… As a group we decided once a month we would  “Choose our own adventure”.
IT’S ANYTHING WE LIKE TODAY!
We hope you enjoy…
 
Food Business
 I have been passionate about to running my own food business quite a long while. When I had my meeting plan about this my passion started to come alive. My next step for my food business is the location and staff.  My dream location for my food business is in Frankston or Cranbourne. Once I find the location I will need to find business partners. They could be Becon constructions or Amstel Club. Some of the staff for my food business are the people form Umbrella Support and I am not stopping there.
What is your adventure? Phillip.  
 
 
This week since everyone loved the choose your own adventure, we have decided to do a monthly session of choose your own topic, now as to what to write hmmm, how about who I am and my interests and what I like to do in my free time.

So I am Holly as you guys already know, I have purple hair and like to change hair colors once in a while and I like drawing and helping people out whenever I can.
 I am a empath which affects me emotionally so I strive to make the world the a better place for everyone as I believe “every kindness is rewarded in some shape or form”.

I do a form of acting with a Virtual Reality headset and a free chatting software named Vrchat, as seen in my last blog, we create these Avatars to perform in and act in, it takes a lot of work to create these Avatars, the programs people use to create Avatars are Unity and Blender and a lot of assets are free online to customize however you like, all it takes it time and patience (which I don’t have so I buy the models).

I also mostly chill and talk on Discord with my Boyfriend as well as my other friends I introduced last time, we spend hours just playing games and being stupid and funny, time just seems to flow when I’m doing something I love, especially doing card reading for fun and yet still give that hope to others that needed it most, that’s the best feeling in the world. I would probably like to make a small side business with my readings and acting. Wishful thinking am I right?
​
Another thing which I don’t indulge in too much is drawing and anime watching, but that’s for another blog to write about, talk to you all in another blog of mine, bye bye! Holly
 
Hello welcome to our blog today. I speak about my passion for music and some of my favourite artists and my favourite songs at the moment.
 
The reason I love listening to music is because it makes me feel so happy. Any artists especially, Taylor Swift, Pink, Ed Sherren and One Direction to name a few. I love listening to these artists as they make me happy and calm and in the mood for dancing. They write so many amazing songs. I don’t really have a favourite song as there are so many to choose from. Some of my favourite songs are Hold back the River, What makes you so beautiful, Sherry, Welcome to New York and Geromino as they give me dancing vibes and they make me smile loads and I even sing most of these songs word for word. 
 
Do you have a favourite artist?  Do you have a favourite song? There are so many songs to choose from some can bring back memories, sad times or exciting times in your life. Another song I love at the moment is the Nutbush by Tina Tunner as it brings back memories from when I was at school when we did the Nutbush. We also did the Chicken dance and Macarena during our dance club for lunch time. It was one of the highlights of my time at school. Do any of these songs bring back memories.

Did you know Ed Sheeran has sold more than 26 million albums? Thats a great achievement to have in life because some artists could not achieve this. In my opinion Pink’s most popular songs are “ So what" and “Just give me a reason” as these are some favourite pink songs because I love her music loads especially these songs.  I also think “What Makes you Feel Beautiful” is One Direction’s most popular song in my opinion because I  hear this song the most on the radio. Did you know Taylor swift is best friends with Ed Sheeran?  I didn’t know this but now I do. - Scarlett.
 
 
Umbrella Support is a disability service that has been around for over 2 years. Cindy is the fabulous Director of Umbrella Support. They have a café with Amstel Club called ‘Every 1 Café’. The team members are Angelina, TJ, Britt, Cody, Charlotte, Scarlett, Aly and Tildy. (every 1 cafe team).  

Before I was in every 1 cafe, I had a meeting with Cindy, and I was so excited but nervous at the same time because she was telling me all the important things that Umbrella Support have done, and I didn't feel like I was going to get into this amazing, fabulous disability service/group. But when I heard that I got in, I was so excited because that's when I became an Umbrella Support member. At every 1 cafe we are learning how to handle cash, waitressing, making cold or hot drinks and writing down the orders from customers and checking it with either Cindy or other staff members who are present. 
 
This team are, and matter of fact is! LEGENDARY! We have so much support and teamwork in this AMAZING disability service business run by Cindy.  if it wasn't for Cindy, we wouldn't have been here running the 'every 1 cafe'. So, thank you Cindy on this awesome team you have built.
if you are looking for an amazing disability service or group, go to Umbrella Support because we always understand what you have gone through or are still going through.
www.umbrellasupport.com.au  – Angelina
 
What's the first thing you think when you hear bully breed?  
For anyone who doesn’t know what a bully breed is here’s a list of dogs who are under the bully breed umbrella; American Pitbull, Bull Terriers, Bullmastiffs, Staffordshire terriers, Boston terriers, Boxers and French bulldogs just to name a few. 

 I think of tough looking love bugs who have no sense of what personal space is when I hear the words bully breed, in my opinion chihuahuas are scarier than most of the bully breeds I've met. Just to throw it out there Saffies are nicknamed nanny dogs because they are so good with kids. To some people a bully breed is big, loud, scary and all teeth. It's common for people to believe that bully breeds are the most aggressive dogs, but they are the most loyal and loveable dogs, they love their family like it's their only purpose in life.  

You can't judge a whole group of dogs and label them aggressive and dangerous just because of a few who have been mistreated or badly trained. EVERY breed of dog has the potential to be dangerous and aggressive if not treated or trained right. Yes, all dogs should be approached with caution, in fact that’s true for every animal and possibly some humans too. All responsible dog owners will let you know if their dog is nervous, needs space or not ready to be sociable just yet. (Some will even have vests)  

So, when you see a bully breed with its owner, instead of judgement or fear why not ask them if you can say hi and talk to them about their four-legged family member. You might learn something about them that you didn’t know and make a new friend. Sometimes the unknown is what causes fear and knowledge is power. 

If you are thinking of getting yourself a dog of any breed, just remember you get what you put into them, how you take care of them, how you treat them, the amount of work you put into their training and how much you walk and exercise them. Do your research as well, if you choose a bully breed, you will have an extremely loyal, cuddly, energetic, space invading, adorable zoomie machine.  – Shan
 
 
Jess Gardens world. Michelle and I decided to make a garden to use the produce for my cooking as the cost of herbs is expensive to buy. In my garden you will find the following herbs, spring onion, capsicum, zucchini, parley rosemary, mint and mint chocolate. 
Michelle and I headed to our local Bunnings to purchase herbs as we already had the planter box with soil at home.   
 
We went into the backyard to commence the planting of the herbs First we planted the parsley which involved digging a hole for each of the plants. Michelle took them out of their containers and we put them in the soil my job was to put the herbs name in front of the row. 
 
We also planted flowers in baskets and put them on the fence. It was lots of fun and so rewarding. It will save money and we have fresh herbs when we want them. Another great thing is we didn’t use pesticides and my niece and nephews can help me to look after them.
 
Have you have got a vegetable garden and if you do, is it rewarding? - Jess 
 
 
What is exciting about America is seeing my sister Paige, my nephew Jet, my niece London and her husband Jared. My sister's husband is from England and my sister is from Australia and now they both live in America my mum and dad have gone to see her a few times already but for me it’s going to be the first time that I’m visiting another country.
 
Sometimes I miss my sister and I remember how she used to be cheekier than me. Another reason I'm excited about this is that my dad and I will go on this trip together and he is one of my favourite people to be around he is an awesome dad. Blogging about my trip got me thinking of what I want to do when I get there and places that I can go see are Disneyland, the Statue of Liberty, or the Golden Gate Bridge.
I'm sure that I will have lots of fun when I'm there and I'm looking forward to seeing my sister and her family. – TJ
 
 
Today's stories are about our new family pets, my mum, my dad and about my trip coming up in just a week's time. We have four new family pets which are budgies 1 boy, 3 girls and their names are Romeo for the boy and his colour is purply blue, Rapunzel is the name for green girl, Juliet is light blue girl and sunshine is the name for yellow girl. Now that I've introduced you to our family budgies and I’ve told you about their names and colours. Do you have any pets?
 
Now I’m going to start talking about our trips. Next week I’m going on a trip to Brisbane Queensland to visit my family. How am I feeling?  I’m feeling  excited and  anxious. It's my first time on an airplane, however I am planning to do a lot of fun things. For example, I want to go to the theme parks, swimming pools, shopping and cooking with my family. Mum and dad are going on a well deserved trip to Cairns and they’re very excited about their trip
Have you ever been on an exciting trip? - Charlotte

See you all back next week for more writing greatness from this incredible team. 

MUSIC! What a joy. It can instantly change our mood, take us to another place in our mind, calm us or make us want to dance. It can instantly bring back a memory or in some cases, it can make us feel sad. Who are our favourite artists and why do we love them? What is it about them that draws us to a particular song or album?
This week’s blog explores all of the above and brings us into the wonderful world of music…
 
My favourite song is “Who let the dogs out”.  I like to listen to this song because the sound is good for me and makes me calm and relaxed. I often listen to this song and I have requested it many times when I go out somewhere like to “Dinner with Friends” or when I go out partying.
 
"Who Let the Dogs Out" is a song performed by Bahamian Junkanoo band Baha Men. The song was released on 26 of July 2000, and was in 40th place on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 in the UK. The song won the Grammy for best recording dance at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

Anyway, the song lyrics are funny to listen to. Do you have a favourite song?
I would like to hear what is your favourite song. TJ
 
Delta Goodrem:
 
Facts about Delta
 
1. One song of Delta’s that I can related to is "Dear Life"
 
2. The song Dear Life tells about her struggles in life that she dealt with In the past.
 
3. I can relate to that as well with everything that I went through
 
 
Three facts about Jonas Brothers:
 
1. Jonas Brothers are strong Christian boy band
 
2. Nick Jonas and I have many similarities as performers and I look like him
 
3. Nick Jonas and I are the same age and I was once  in boy band too!
 
 
Five Facts about Phillip C (ME)!
 
1. I was in performing arts (musical)
 
2. I was a founder and a member of a boy band
 
3. I was on TV (Sunrise twice)
 
4. I write my own songs for my own CD Album
 
5. I am famous on Facebook (including dancing with the stars extra) - Phillip
 
 
Jessica Mauboy is one of my favourite singers because she is an inspiration to women and all future singers. Jessica Mauboy is 34 years old and she lives in Darwin, Australia. She has one sibling who’s named Sandra Mauboy and that siblings age is 40 years. (She is older than her sister Jessica). Both of their parents’ names are Ferdy (father) and Therese (mother). Jessica Mauboy has achieved six top ten albums in Australia as well as two number one hits. Jessica’s singing journey started in 2006 and she has won 40 awards from 108 nominations. She is an Australian singer. She is or was dealing with anxiety. Jessica Mauboy was inspired by Mariah Carey.  
How has Jessica Mauboy impacted on other people? She has a strong singing voice (like every other singer) nationally and internationally and has always been an advocate for women’s rights. 

Jessica Mauboy was born on August 4, 1989, in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Jessica Mauboy likes to have her fun just like every other person or singer. She likes to hike in her free time and she likes adventuring for her fun time to focus on mental wellbeing/ health.   

This is a quote made and said by Jessica: “The first thing I do when I get home is take off my shoes and go barefoot”. This is going straight to my heart because this is how I truly feel about the quote. It’s a great quote Jessica! 

Jessica is a good singer and I look up to her and if I ever sang on the voice and I got all four chair turns I would have to pick Jess because I think she is so much fun and she is such a good person in my opinion. I love Jessica Mauboy. 
Which artist or celebrity do you like?  Angelina
 

My favourite singer is Taylor Swift the reason I love her music is because she writes many songs that bring me joy and remind me of many memories.
Some of my favourite Taylor Swift songs are Welcome to New York, You belong to me, and Shake it off. These songs make me feel like dancing. Her music takes me back on a journey.
 
When I first started listening to some of her music, I first heard Love Story. I was singing it with lyrics since I didn’t know any words but the more I have listened to it the more I know all the words and this makes me feel proud and I always sing word for word on each song. She is best known for Love Story because in my option this is her most popular song 
 
Did you know Taylor Swift is named after James Taylor I didn’t know this but now I do.
She has won so many awards for being a famous artist and having the most popular music.
 
She started writing music when she was 12 years old. It's so good when you start something when you are young and then you one day achieve your dreams. She has even been in the Guinness world record book in 2016 for the most million-selling weeks on the US album charts. She has loads of different hobbies such as cooking different meals like myself. She loves the colour red. Funny fact, red means my name and she also loves to travel to many different places.
 
Did you know Taylor wrote a book when she was a young adult she wrote it in 2015. It was called “A Girl Named Girl” and her parents still have a copy. Have you ever read her book? I haven't but I would to read it one day. Scarlett
 
 
Today I'm going to talk about Alecia Beth Moore or as she's better-known P!NK.  
So let's get the party started and I’ll throw in some facts about her because like a new friend it's nice to get to know a person. The basics first, P!nk’s full name is Alicia Beth Moore Hart, she is 43 years old (born September 1979), married to Carey Hart and has two children Willow Sage Hart (12) and Jameson Moon Hart (6).
 
She has 9 studio albums, a greatest hits album and an abundance of awards to her name. 3 Grammy awards, 1 daytime Emmy award, 7 MTV video music awards, 2 MTV Europe awards, 2 People's Choice Awards, named Billboards woman of the year (2013) and the Britts outstanding contribution to music award (2019). She’s a big supporter also of charities like; No kid hungry, Make-a- wish foundation, Planned parenthood, Human rights campaign and is an ambassador for UNICEF USA. 
 
I love P!nk because she’s not afraid of hard or controversial topics and if she's about it she’ll let everyone know she's onboard and ready to support the cause. She’s a wonderful singer and very energetic and I'm going to say brave performer. She’s been known to fly around stadiums singing upside down and tumbling down silks because she likes to put on an entertaining show. I have seen her live twice (Beautiful Trauma Tour & The Truth About Love Tour) and I was not disappointed!  
 
My Favorite P!nk Album is I’m Not Dead, which was released in 2006. It was an album that I listened to a lot with my best friend, and it just reminds me of all the fun we had.  A more recently released song of P!nks that I love is called “Cover me in sunshine” that she sings with her daughter Willow and it's truly beautiful.  Shan
 
 
Fun facts about the rapper that I like his name Eminem.

• Fact number 1 Eminem’s real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers the third.
• Fact number 2 he was born on 17th October in 1972 (He is 50 years old).

Why do I love his songs?  Because he tells a story about the journey of his life through his songs. One of my favourite songs of his is called "Lose Yourself". I like to listen to that song when I’m anxious because it helps to me calm down slowly. He started rapping at the age of fourteen years old and his first album was released in 1996. He even worked as a cook once before he started rapping.

What is your favourite music or who is your favourite celebrity artist? Charlotte
 

Bonus read for you…

This week Jess was away however she blogged at home at the same time we did and sent it through. How’s that for dedication!

My favourite band of all time has to be Hanson. Myself and my older sister Lisa went to see them live in concert. It was a different experience. My younger sister Sarah and myself went to see Justin Bieber live in concert and it was an amazing night.

I am grateful to have my sisters to go to a concert with. Also myself and my fiancé went to see Ed Sheeran live on stage at the MCG. It was an amazing experience. 

​Have you ever been to a live concert? Jess

​When you think about your friends what is your very first thought?

I went to the Urban dictionary and typed in “What is friendship”. This is what I read.
“A friend is someone you love and who loves you, someone you respect and who respects you, someone whom you trust and who trusts you. A friend is honest and makes you want to be honest, too. A friend is loyal”. There was a lot more to read however this was the message that stood strong.

This week our team write about their experience with friendships and what it means to them.
 
Shout to all my mates and friends that I have made online the past few years,
In real life or online, thank you for those who joined me on this blog. Today I want to shout out to my best friends online and allow me to talk about why they are my friends and how I have met them and my boyfriend as well (funny enough I met them online).
So I’ll start with the obvious one to start off this topic, My boyfriend, for privacy sake I’ll stick with his online name along with the others as well, His name is Maltssie or Malts for short and I met him through a online game back in 2018, funny to think it has been five  years since he and I got together but originally a friend, we grew closer and closer until I confessed to him that I liked him, he was surprised and shocked at first so he didn’t give me an answer until the following day as he had to think about dating me and we are still together to this day with promise rings.
Now on to my other online friends, this may be a long list but I want to give a shout out to these amazing people online who have helped me move forward.
Jay or his username JayTeeDawg is a loud but very funny guy and his antics always make me laugh with his voice acting and silliness he delivers. He himself just lights up the whole room and he’s a joy to be around, he does a virality of games on his twitch channel alongside his girlfriend which I will talk about soon, he and I do roleplay together and we always have a blast. I met him in 2019 through mutual friends as we had the same problems online with someone but we stuck together to get through that problem.
My other online friend is Jay’s Girlfriend JesziiDuck or Jeszii in general, we met online as well in a VR game called VrChat, we both do roleplay and play games together, we even share the same birthday, she is honestly like a little sister to me and I’m grateful to even have a friend like her. She is an amazing drawer and I want her to follow her dreams, she is starting college soon and I’m so proud of her. – Holly


Friendships to me are special because when I have friends, I feel special inside and that feeling of being special is a really nice feeling. Friendships can be a bit difficult when you have fights or arguments, all you need to do is work through it with your friend and yourself and understand that we all feel things differently and see things differently, but the important thing is to talk with your friend.  I’m lucky because I have good friends in my life because they support me, they’re fair to me and they respect me, What do friendships mean to you? Quote: friends can come and go but the TRUE friends always stay! Do you have a TRUE friend? I do have true friends because they respect my feelings, and they haven't left my side. Who are some or all of your TRUE friends?  Angelina


It's good to have friends because they make people happy and make working together fun. If I want to make friends I ask people if they want to hang out with me. I always make sure my friends are good, feel love and let them know I'm a caring person and that I care for them. A good friend is like a teammate and they have been a friend for a long time. I work for Amstel and the Every1 Café. I like that I work with my best friends.
I have a few best friends their names are Dan, Jo, Jess C, Cindy, Cody, Daz, Scarlett and Charlotte. We hang out at dinner with friends and we go bowling together my friends make me happy and I feel good when I hang out with friends. Tyson (TJ)


Welcome to the world of my friendship I have lots of friends from all different states. 
FRIENDSHIP What is it? 
 Caring, supporting, honest trustworthy, a loving friend who is always there for you when you need it. How do friendships start? They start in various ways and at various places but for me Umbrella Support is where a special friendship started and it grows each day,   I need these people as they respect me and love me for who I am and are always there to support and encourage me.  
 Communication to me is the most Important part of a friendship. To me fake friends are not worth talking to or wasting the time with. How do you feel about fake friends? 
I am so lucky to have all my friends around me. How about you? Jess


Do you have a good friend?
Let me tell you about my good friend.
His name is Connor we’ve been friend for 4 years.
I met him at Marnebek School Cranbourne on my very first day. As I walked through the school gate and went straight into my new classroom. I met everyone there when I sat down in my chair and then I got told to get up and come up to the class to introduce myself to my class.
How did I feel? I was very anxious. It took me two weeks to settle into my new school and make new friends helped me be more comfortable at school. My friend and I worked together as Vice Captain and Sport Captain.
My personal opinion about friendship is that it's very difficult to make friends also something I've learnt through school is if you want be friends with someone you need trust.
Do you have a good friend or a good friendship with someone? - Charlotte


My four close friends
Brooke P. What you need to know about Brooke is that our close friendship started when I first started at another disability program. It was there our close friendship blossomed. We did everything together such as we invited to each other birthday’s, we went to bowling together, we went to Australia's Got Talent auditions together, we had lunch together including her nephew and her sister’s boyfriend, we went away together.
Delta Goodrem. What you need to know about Delta besides that I have a huge crush on her. I went to her live concert and she is a part of a disability family due to the guys from the all abilities dance crew doing her songs. They put a performance on with her songs and she inspired me to continue to just keep writing more songs and never stop singing.
Guy Sebastian.  What you to need to know about Guy is we both grew up in Christian homes and we go to two separate churches. We grew up with singing Christian songs. I have a church friend that use to work with Guy’s relative.
Jessica Mauboy. What you need to know about Jess. I am a still friends with Jessica Mauboy’s relative from my church it is Jessica Mauboy’s cousin 
I am very lucky to have these friends. Phillip

Shout out to all of the friends out there. Keep being the best you can be and making this world a better place. 

​DREAM BIG! That’s the memo for today’s blog.
Let’s get serious and talk about what that secret is. Maybe we haven’t told anyone else what it is OR maybe today is the day we explore what that might be. Nothing is off limits and nothing will be shut down. We as amazing humans can dream about anything we like because that’s what dreams are…

​This week on Just Write we are talking about our Dream Jobs. Everyone should have some dream job in their lifetime but most don’t try to achieve this because of the possibility of finding the right one and the amount of effort to do so, but nether less I will talk about my dreams here today,
My dream jobs I would love to achieve or get into would be a travel blogger or even a masseuse and travel the world doing what I love, helping people while seeing the world hence the jobs I chose can provide that freedom in exploring the world and learning about other cultures while providing first hand experience for everyone wondering about what I was writing about and reviewing them,
Granted not everyone will take my advice but at least they can read and appreciate the time and effort I put into my blogs I write about, these trips can’t pay for themselves now can’t they?
How to achieve this job? Well.. word of mouth and social media is the way to go to get noticed with this type of job which I hope this would get out so everyone can read and try these experiences. Holly.

My dream job (Mythologist)
The reason why I want to be Mythologist is because not only I want to study it but I love the part of it that has to do with doing a lots of research. Part of being a Mythologist is to travel a lot as well around the world. As a example like: Christian mythology, Jewish mythology, English mythology. I will need to travel to such places like Britain, England, Scotland, Ireland and Israel. I won’t be alone because I will be in a team. The mythology I would study in is Christian mythology due to this being one of the most common religions world wide. Phillip  

Welcome to our blog today where I chat about my dream job to be an AFL commentator. 
The reason I would love to work in the sports industry is I have a huge passion for footy. 
I have media experience in radio and marketing for business and these experiences will help me find a career in the sports industry. I've heard from loads of people the sports industry it is hard to get into as your need some qualifications to get in there.
When I was younger I would go to footy games and love them each time even more as I have gotten older. I love meeting famous players. I even love watching the footy on TV I scream because I’m excited that my team is going to win or they are coming back to win the game.
Some of the famous players I have met before are Lance Franklin, Luke Parker and Ben King. All players who play the game in my option are inspirational in their own ways as they have many different talents and they all play different roles. 
There are so many different areas you can work in the sports industry you can be a manager for a player or even a coach for a club or another industry. It does not have to be the sports industry 
I hope you learnt something new about the Sport Industry. - Scarlett. 
 
My dream job is being on Radio with Daz and Cindy. I have been on the radio program called "Disability Matters" a few times and shared the spot with my good friends Jess and Aly. We have so much fun listening to Daz and Cindy they did a great job recording the show on Monday then the show is on air Thursday at 6:00 pm.
Being on the radio might seem easy but there is so much work to do. Daz and Cindy helped us how to choose topics that matter to us and we have also learned how to speak on the microphones, how to work together as a team, listen to each other, and learn about communication skills. They always make sure the team work well together and we laugh at Cindy being cheeky and my M8 (mate) Daz who is so funny.
The most important thing about being on the radio is to have fun so my friends if you don't want to miss out tune into your radio every Thursday at 6 pm and listen to our show Disability Matters. TJ 
www.thebuzzz.com.au


My dream job is to be a volunteer in a children’s ward in a hospital.  The reason why is to make their life a little bit easier. The organisation I would like join is the Star Light  Foundation.
The reason is I can sit with the sick kids and play with them to make them smile and help ease what they are going through. I can achieve this by taking them down to the big play room, or to Maccas or to the outdoor play ground it helps the family communicate with the hospital about what there are going through. This would make me proud. The reason I’m passionate about this is I have a number of friends and family who have been helped.  If I could pick the hospital I would choose 
The RCH or Monash, Clayton 
Have you or anyone you know been treated at the hospital?  
Happy reading all.
Who is eligible for Make-A-Wish Australia?
 People aged between 3 and 18 years old.
Must live in Australia.
Must be experiencing a life-threatening illness or medical condition. - Jess.

Today I have writers block because a lot is sitting on my mind. I’ve been struggling and I know some of you do too. Don’t hide the feeling of stress, nervous, anxious and struggle. You are fine and calm because hey, you know what? We all deal with these feelings! EVERY SINGLE DAY! My dream job is to become a teacher’s assistant because I always loved the idea of helping out my fellow teachers and students. Ever since I started at Trinity Catholic Primary School Narre Warren, I felt bad for the teachers because they have to deal with stress about work and coming early to teach us students. I also love helping out my fellow school mates and teachers. Do you have a dream job for the future or now?  One day I hope to get my dream job and accomplish all my goals to enable me to become a teacher’s assistant. - Angelina
​
My dream job since I was a kid is to be a chef. I remember when I was younger my mum always cooked a lot in our kitchen at home and I always asked if she needed help. Our mum also had a little cake business and she used to make and decorate cakes. I used to stay up late with my mum making and decorating cakes however I can’t explain how much our mum has inspired me to become a chef and also the reason why I love cooking food so much.
Have you ever had a dream job and if so what is your dream job? - Charlotte

Are you inspired to say out loud what your dream job is? Why not be as brave as our team was today and write it in the comments below? 

This amazing group of writers will be back next week to WOW you with their incredible stories once again.

Choose your own adventure… 27/7/2023
 
This week we were indecisive as a group as to what our topic was going to be.
We had suggestions of Influencers, food, unusual hobbies, and lifestyle. In the end we agreed that we would choose our own adventure because we couldn’t decide on just one!
 
We even have a “guest blogger” Jeff the umbrella bear who was assisted by Shan to write about him.
 
Hello from Jeff the Umbrella Bear 
Today I am writing Shan's blog as a guest writer and I am going to talk about me!  
For those who don’t know I am Jeff Umbrella or Jeff the Umbrella Bear. I am 2 years old and was born in eBay land. Before I joined the “Handmade” group, I was just a lonely yellow bear waiting for a home in eBay land. Shan and Britt were brainstorming and wanted to have a bear to have adventures with like a buddy bear (I'm so much better than a buddy bear!) so I guess you could say I was the chosen one. I travelled all the way from eBay land to Cindy’s house (Cindy is the Director at Umbrella Support), and I became a pretty big deal. I was given my name by my good friend Oli who is amazing at choosing names!  
 
Like a buddy bear each week I go to a different Handmade by US participant’s house and go on adventures with them, it’s very exciting for me because I never know what I'm going to do next, and I'm always so welcomed in everyone's home. I have a special book that each person can write in or stick photos in that have been taken during my weeks' stay. I always get to join in the Handmade by US craft and mindfulness program on Mondays at Balla Balla community Centre.  
 
Most recently I helped represent Umbrella Support at the Marnebek Community and Careers Expo, I am the mascot after all, and I take my duties very seriously, I had a sign that explained who I was and as always, I was a big attraction. I had a wonderful time giving out fidget toy keyrings and made some new friends one of my new friends nearly took me home with him. Cindy said I needed to stay at the table with her, but he got a fidget toy keyring to take home instead.  Daz from Radio Voice was also there, I always have a good time when Daz is around.  
Thank you everyone for reading this blog about me and I hope you enjoy all the blogs written by my good friends at Just Write!  Jeff (Shan).
 
 
For some odd reason, I’ve always had affiliation with empathy and feelings, I always thought it was just cause I was so soft spoken and centered but that changed when I found out about tarot and oracle cards, out on a whim I brought a deck one day and tried it, I didn’t think it would work but I started getting better and better with it which lead me to look more into this side of life, a spiritual lifestyle, I learned with my empathy I could do more for people while reading their cards, I started self-teaching myself on another aspect within the spiritual lifestyle called Chakras, whenever I do this or talk about this topic I get a sense of tingles in my fingers and hands like the energy flowing through at what I type, it’s a very calming feeling and I want to express more with this topic, but I’m afraid at what people will think of this, some just do for money others just want to make a world a better place, me I just want that, just knowing I could help someone change their lives for the better through this weird but wonderful gift I call spiritual lifestyle, I want people to know what I do isn’t meant to be scary or a scam because unfortunately there are people like that, but some people have to make a living don’t they?
As a closing statement let me do a small reading to bring your spirits up today, This reading is about colors and what they mean to you. “Blue” “blue can assist you to activate your healing powers and increase vitality, it has a calming effect when people feel nervous, manic or overexcited. Blue contains antiseptic qualities which help to heal burns, stop bleeding and relieve fevers, blue can also help with soothing nervous irritations and increase your metabolism, that being said try to wear some blue today. Holly
 
Welcome to our blog. Today I chat about a fantastic cafe of which I happen to be a part of. 
Each Thursday eight Umbrella Participants work at a cafe called Every 1 Cafe it's located at Amstel Club. It's a skills-building café where coffee, milkshakes, and soup are available for a gold coin donation. The money raised goes towards the participants for a group activity later in the year.
 
We make milkshakes with fancy decorations and the coffee is the best in Melbourne. Every 1 Cafe is located at Amstel Club every Thursday including school holidays from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. It’s a beautiful atmosphere for the customers to enjoy. We even have social media on Instagram and Facebook check it out. 
 
Salvos is a large community organisation which helps loads of people in need. I work at one of the stores in the South East of Melbourne. I work on the registers with support from staff. I also help package donations for our online store which is huge and has heaps of products online. Feel free to check it out. The money we raise goes to provide support, counselling and plan long term strategies that will give those struggling hope for a furture. I believe everybody should be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their situation. I’m proud to part of this amazing organisation who gives back to the  community and many ways. Scarlett
 
 
 
Let’s take a take a journey  of my typical  day at Vinnies .I work every Tuesday, morning from 9:00am to 12:00pm . When I arrive I look round and see what needs to be done. I see the toy cage over flowing I think to myself “Where the heck do I start”? After a deep breath I begin to sort the toys. They are sorted according to their cleanliness and if they can be sold. If they can’t, they get binned .
 
The remaining toys are cleaned priced and then put on display to be sold. Some weeks I need help with this job. There is fun times when I get to dress up with all the masks and clothing. Sometimes  I get to help in different areas such as bric-a-brac , media, clothing, linen, electrical at the end of my shift  I am exhausted. I am honoured to be a part of a great team at Vinnies. The staff have made me so pound of my achievements, I have been working for Vinnies for 5 years. Everyone should give volunteering a go because you will learn new skills like myself.
 
 
 
 
Why did St Vincent de Paul help the poor?
Born in 1581, Vincent de Paul was a holy and contemplative man who saw that love of God needed a practical demonstration and that the face of God was found in the poor. As a young man he ministered to and tutored the powerful.
 
How do Vinnies volunteers help?
We combine a unique pairing of professional services alongside volunteer-led assistance. Our volunteers help people who are often living below the poverty line by providing financial assistance to pay rental arrears or advocacy to real estate agents and other agencies.
 
What does Vinnies do to help people?
The St Vincent de Paul Society has members and community-focused Vinnies Support Centres right across NSW. They provide people in immediate crisis with food, clothing, other everyday essentials, help with bills, a friendly face to listen and importantly referrals as needed to other helpful services. Jess.
 
 
 
My favourite Dhar Mann videos (it’s a true story) is the one with the Actor named Grace Marie Geren because she had to deal with being born with Down Syndrome and being bullied and teased for both her Down syndrome and love of unicorn themed stuff.  On top of that as well she was crushed and in a very emotional state but her mum did not back down when all of this started to spread. This story went viral and touched everyone then later on everyone treated her much better. Phillip
 
 
Stradbroke Island is just a 25 minutes boat ride from Brisbane on the Redlands Coast. I went on trips there before Covid with my friend Bailey and his family for the first time.
The best time for me was when I got the chance to sail a boat with my friend Bailey’s dad while I was there my friend told me I'm good at sailing a boat it was so much fun. I think many people don't know about this beautiful Island I was lucky my childhood friend brought me along with him.
North Stradbroke is the second largest Island in the world it has one of the best spots for diving in Australia, they are surrounded by beautiful beaches, wildlife, lakes, and wetlands. I even saw an eagle but I didn't remember the name. I am grateful to have travelled around Australia I loved it so much and I am so excited about my next trip which is going to be to America with my dad. TJ
 
 
Hi again it's me Charlotte and this year in September I'm going to Brisbane Queensland to visit my Aunty Anci, (some people  at work call her Anastasia), my uncle Steven and my two cousins names are Istvan for the oldest cousin and my youngest cousin name is Silard. I am so excited to see all of them and excited to go on holiday on my own to Brisbane Queensland without my family.
I'm going to take our Umbrella Support teddy bear Jeff.
What are the things I'm looking forward to? The things I am looking forward to are going to Gold coast theme parks and hopefully going with my aunty Anci and helping my uncle Steven with cooking and trying new things with our Umbrella bear Jeff. Charlotte
 
 
Hi my name is Angelina and I am back blogging! Yay! 
I got back from Vanuatu 2 weeks ago and oh boy it was tropical and beautiful. The flight was about an hour from Melbourne to Sydney. First let me tell you how me and my family got to Vanuatu! 
First me and my family woke up at 3:00am (in the morning) and got ready because the maxi taxi was taking us to the Melbourne airport. When the maxi taxi arrived, the driver popped our luggage in the back of the maxi taxi (the boot). While the driver was popping our luggage in the boot me and my family were getting into our seats and we were all belted up as soon as the driver closed his door he started driving us to the airport. As soon as we got to the airport we were lining up for Qantas international departure, they were checking our bags and putting them on the cargo (which was underneath the plane). We were going through all sorts of things such as duty free, security checks and more. Eventually we made it to the airplane, and we were given an early flight off to Sydney we went! When we got to Sydney we were told it was only one runway available for all international flights. So, we waited and waited eventually we got on the plane to Vanuatu, which took 6-7 hours. When we arrived at Port Vila, Vanuatu it was so beautiful, we were so tired that we just checked in and went to bed.  
The next day, we woke up and got dressed for brekky. It was an open buffet and I had waffles and orange juice. My family had fruit, yogurt, juice and eggs. We went to the souvenir market in Vanuatu city. It was amazing their city and markets. When we finished with souvenir market we went back to the hotel and relaxed and swam I the pool.  
The rest of our 10-day holiday was spent relaxing, swimming and enjoying quality time with the family. 
I felt so exhausted and relaxed but it was a great family holiday. I cant wait to go back! 
What was your favourite family holiday? Angelina

A moment I’ll never forget…
 
Readers, you’re in for a treat today!
We have recently been told by so many of you that you’re enjoying learning more each week about our talented writers and today, is no different. In fact, this one is going to be possibly our best to date! Its all about moments and they're BIG ONES! 
​We also welcomed Holly to our creative writing group and we were so impressed with the work she submitted. Keep reading to find out why. 

​On December 8th 2021, I graduated from Emerson School.
Every year 12 student had to make a speech so the audience knew their favourite memory.
I was very nervous as it was my first time doing a speech in front of a huge crowd. I practiced my speech loads of times to not let the nerves kick in. It made me feel happy that there were so many of people I knew there. I did my speech full of confidence and did not let my worries get to me which was a positive step.
I mentioned what I loved during my time at Emerson and my favourite memories and achievements. Some of my favourite memories were learning heaps of hospitality skills and completing Certificate two and three at Gre8.
 I even received a leadership award. I was shocked and very happy. I had happy tears I got a circuit machine as my prize and then I didn’t have to make a speech but I had the confidence to step out of my confront zone to thank all the staff and my friends for helping me during my journey through school. I had a lot of emotions when reading my speech because I was so grateful for everything I had achieved during my time at school. - Scarlett.

At 7:30am on a Thursday morning in April 2016, I walked through a very quiet Fountain Gate Shopping Centre to meet my Idol Delta Goodrem at the “Dear Life” Meet and Greet. There were two people who got to Fountian gate earlier than I did (can you believe it). I don’t remember the time Delta was supposed to turn up but all of us in team Delta had made it our mission to make a day of it. We were not going to miss an opportunity to celebrate the release of Dear Life.  
The first 100 people to buy the Dear Life single got to meet Delta and I was the 3rd person to turn up for the meet and greet and one of the first 10 to buy the single. The group I ended up hanging out with decided we should all buy white shirts and write dear life and #teamdelta on them. I bought my Innocent Eyes album with me to get signed by Delta because it was the first ever album I got of Delta’s and is a very important album to me.  
When it came time to meet Delta, I got super excited and anxious and walking up to her was an unreal experience, I said hi to her and then couldn’t say another word to her, (what a fun time to go mute) but she gave me a hug and signed my Innocent Eyes Album. To say I was over the moon was an understatement. After spending all day waiting to meet my beautiful and talented idol it became a reality and oh my goodness, It was a moment I will never, ever forget.  
It was also my dad’s birthday on that day......  Shan

Myself and Robert were away on a holiday with each other, we went to Aslings Beach in Eden. Looking out at the sea I was enjoying the view of the scenery. I had no idea what he was doing. I was feeling happy, and relaxed. 
Suddenly he was talking to me, I turned around to him, I looked over and saw he was down on one knee. I was overwhelmed Robert asked me to marry him. I laughed then I said yes. I gave him a big hug. We were both over the moon. That’s when the ring come out. It’s a beautiful single diamond. I love it. I then noticed we had an audience. They were cheering.  I just wanted to call the family. I also called Cindy they were so happy for me.  5 years we’ve been together and been engaged for 18 and a half months. 
Have you ever had a moment like this?
Have you ever been engaged before? - Jess

A memory I will never forget is when I had a sit down meeting with the executive chef of Amstel. His name is chef Andrew. The reason for the sit down discussion was to discuss my family’s cultural Hungarian food recipe for stuffed cabbage soup.
How did I feel?  I felt a mix of emotions: anxious, calm, happy, excited and I wanted to cry happy tears because Andrew is thinking about using my family recipe for the Umbrella / Amstel group cooking class. It would be my dream to have our family soup on the Amstel menu one day. I just want to say how proud I am of myself and my family.
Do you have a moment you'll never forget? - Charlotte.


A day I’ll never forget was when I went on a trip to Japan, I convinced my mother to do this experience in Kyoto, she wasn’t sure about this experience but still she gave it a go, it was the weirdest but most wonderful feeling, the experience was a guided tour to Kyoto with a Kimono rental included, we booked it in 2 days in advanced but mum wasn’t too keen on wearing but, at the end of the day she thought it was the best experience ever and I have to agree with her.
It started at our hotel, we waited at the pick up point in Osaka at 9am, we got picked up in a minivan with a tour guide and driver and a trainee tour guide, we drove a hour into Kyoto while the tour guide talked about the scenery while driving into Kyoto, we got to the rental house about 10:15am and that’s when we started to pick our Kimonos, Mum chose a really pretty pink Kimono while I went for something light and blue, they even did our hair which took about a hour to do everything, the kimono rental was based in a traditional Japanese house, the stairs were quite steep along with the socks and wooden thongs, which was surprisingly quite comfortable given the fact that they were wooden shoes. Holly 


A moment I will never forget Is meeting Dylan Alcott. We first met in 2019 I was in one of his campaign videos called Remove the Barrier Foundation which is about what problems that people with disability face in their everyday life and also problems they face in the workplace. It was a proud moment for me to meet a sports celebrity He was very cool I was happy that we got to hang out together we had a fun time working together and we have been friends since then.
I'm so proud of Dylan because he has worked so hard for what he has done in his life and he works on a lot of projects to help people with disability he's a great example of people to follow.
What I have learned from Dylan Alcott is to listen, try your best, work hard, keep going and enjoy the moment. TJ


Many moments that I will never forget is when I became a celebrity since I was on the Sunrise morning show twice with Bam and the All Star with all abilities dance crew. I met Sam Mac and I did my number one move called human pretzel on live TV.
I was on Dancing with the Stars extras, I was called down to dance floor with a dance partner and I met Grant Denyer. 
 Since I met Geoff Shaw our past Frankston state MP for very first time this made me famous.
 I am famous on Facebook due to my recipes and all my songs that I did for my CD Album
 I use to be in a group call BAM they had talent show on zoom, out of know where Delta Goodrem appeared. I was surprised and my heart went over the moon. I was telling her about the song she writes. She said "You are the Man after my own Heart". Phillip

Well there you go!
Once again this team of writers have shared their thoughts and memories and we are loving each new addition that is shared.

See you next week when we return to..... JUST WRITE! 
​

Three cheers for us!
Hip Hip Hooray!! – We deserve those cheers because we are so proud of ourselves.
That’s how we are all feeling today knowing that we are so proud of something we have done, are doing, or have contributed to. THAT moment! The one when the entire world stops for a single moment and we smile so big to ourselves knowing that we have done something SO good! It’s almost like a little party happens but no one else is invited. Have you felt like that before? It’s a feeling no one can take away. These are the moments we are proud to share with you today.
 
I have been a bridesmaid/maid of honor twice and I have never been prouder to be asked to be a part of an important day in my best friend's lives. 
 
For the first person's wedding I was asked via video chat to be a bridesmaid, my mum and sister were there too and of course when I was asked, I said yes! This was my first time being a bridesmaid and I really wanted to be the most helpful I could be. We did dress fittings together, looked at flowers, talked about the bridesmaid's dresses (dusty pink dresses with nude shoes), put the names on all the place cards, tackled the vinyl for the signing board, had a bridal shower in the park, did the rehearsal and got through any challenges or stress that came our way.  
 
For the second person's wedding I was unofficially asked in passing while helping to put together the bridesmaid's boxes and was officially asked with a beautiful box that had a card in it that asked if I would be her maid of honor. I officially said yes and was there to help with anything that I was needed for. Being invited to help her pick her dress and the bridesmaids dresses together with the other bridesmaids was such a privilege. The bridesmaid's dresses were a purple the bride's favorite colour with shoes to match her beautiful sparkly wedding dress. I wrote a speech for the newly married couple and read it out to them on the day.  
 
What I am most proud of is that I got to see two of my best friends be brides and they trusted me enough to be a part of the journey leading up to and on the day. Seeing them walk down the aisle toward their future husband, which was magical and beautiful.  
Both wedding journeys were very different but the love I have for my beautiful best friends is the same. The dresses were stunning, the flowers amazing, the groomsmen looked very well put together, the photos afterwards were perfect, they chose such gorgeous venues, the atmosphere was great and honestly could not have been happier for my best friends and their husbands.  – Shan
 
 
My name is Jessica but I go with Jess.  
I am proud of myself because I am engaged to Robert. I have been engaged for 16 months. I have learnt so much throughout the years I don’t know where to start. My family are so proud of my achievements.  
 
I’m here to talk about my family. I am a pound Aunty to four nephews they are all different ages. I also have 3 Nieces. Jagger, April, and Mack. They are different ages too. I enjoy having them around. I also have siblings. I have two amazing sisters and a sister-in-law. 
 
My nephews 
 Age 11Cooper: He is a big fan of Essendon and he plays football and basketball. He is also school house captain. 
Age 10: Mason:  He is funny when he can be. 
Age 9: Asher:  He got dreadlocks and he loves my fiancé Robert.  
 
Nieces 
Age 3 Jagger. She is the sweetest and she is a mummy’s  girl. 
Age 15 April. She plays local football. 
Age 13: Mack. She loves art. 
 
My siblings 
Lisa is my older sister, she’s a hard worker. 
Sarah is the youngest in the family. 
Sister in law.  Lexie kind and loves singing.  
Mum is the mother of the house and a hard worker.
Dad is the man of the house.  
Bob is my bother in law he is the biggest sport fan. 
Robert is my man. He is a hard worker and he is the coolest dad alive. 
 
Thanks for reading about what I am proud of. – Jess.
 
 
I'm proud of myself because I won at bowling and my friend Cody shared his bowling ball with me. We love sharing and hanging out together, of course, we are brothers.
Cindy picks me and Cody up every Wednesday morning and we meet up with my other friends Britt, and Jess C, and “Umbrella Jessy” (our support worker) was also there too. I like bowling because I like to win and I love spending time with my M8 (mate) but yesterday I was so happy I had four strikes and won the second game which made me so proud I even did my happy dance. My friend Cody always wins. He's very good at bowling but sometimes I get to win too at friendly game with my friends. - TJ
 
 
Welcome to our blog today I chat about my proudest moment of getting my first paid job. I’m going to explain my journey. It started when I got a Facetime call from Cindy and she said I had a job interview at Amstel Club I was over the moon when she told me with joy and emotions.
 
On the day of the interview (nearly 12 months ago) I was excited and nervous because I had never met the people who were interviewing me. Have you ever had a Job interview? How did you feel? I had my job interview at Amstel Club with the bistro manager and Dan the Managing Director. they made me feel welcome, comfortable and relaxed. I wore a dress to the interview as it’s important to look professional for an interview.  
 
They asked many questions such as “Tell me about yourself, activities, do you have work experience and especially why did I want to work at Amstel". I was feeling happy during the interview and I was very relaxed. The interview went on for around 30 minutes. I was a bit nervous about whether I would  get the job. Luckily Dan, at the end of the interview told me I got the position at Amstel. I was proud of myself and couldn’t believe what I had accomplished.
 
My First shift was very nerve wracking but the longer I have been there the more comfortable I have become. We first learnt how to refill the salt and pepper shakers and then we learned how to set tables and then started serving customers. I’m loving it so much it’s making me so proud. My advice for anybody who is nervous or anxious for a job interview is to not overthink and believe in yourself. You can do it. 
 
Over the last 12 months, I’ve learned so many new skills in the hospitality industry.
 
I’m grateful for  Amstel for all the opportunities they have given me. – Scarlett.
 
 
My proudest moment of 2023 is getting awards at my SPECTACULAR school called Marnebek. Some of my awards are SWPBS (School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support) award, house colour award and learning neighborhood award. It makes me feel like I have accomplished my hard work and the school staff there are great. Especially My teacher who is FANTASTIC because she stands by me all the time when she can. One of the teachers over at Marnebek helped me get into a TAFE retail course and I appreciate her for her hard efforts helping me get into this retail course.
 
My course that I’m doing at TAFE is retail because I always liked the idea of fashion and accessories. I would like to work behind a cash register. I go to my retail classes one day a week on Wednesday’s, and it makes me feel tired but happy at the same time.
 
On Wednesday’s I wake up and I remember that I have TAFE and I say to myself “I don’t want to go but I have to”. I don’t like going to TAFE because it’s boring and not fun but I have to go and prepare myself for the big world. As soon as I get dressed and eat my breakfast I hop in the car and mum drives me to TAFE. When I arrive, I sign in and get to work on my workbook. In my workbook some of my subjects are product visual merchandise, how to deal with angry aggressive customers and follow point-of-sale procedures. 
 
This makes me feel proud, what makes you feel proud or accomplished? – Angelina.
 
 
My Biggest passion was to know my Ancestry and culture and where I come from.
After the results come back I went deeper into my Ancestry until I found that I have a British culture.

There are so many different cultures in Australia. Examples like European, Latin Americans, African Americans, islanders, and Asian cultures.

My biggest discovery is that there is a thin-line that I am possibility related to King James 6th and the 1st of Scotland and England.
My advice if you want to find where your ancestry/ culture is to go ancestry app not only find your ancestry but also your culture as well. - Phillip.
 
 
 What are you proud of?  I’m proud of myself for being able to learn to drive because it’s going to help me to become more independent and not to rely on others to drive me  places. How does it make me feel? I feel happy and confident because when I am learning to drive. I am used to driving now and that’s why I feel happy and confident.
 
When I first started my driving lessons I felt anxious and nervous because it was my first driving lesson and I’d never driven before. It is so much fun now to learn how to drive. How did I get there? Well first I always practiced online on the VicRoads practice test. I did 32 practice test questions over and over and over again. It felt like a hundred times. Then I moved on to  the online test. There were three topics. The first one was called how to drive, the second one was called hazards and third and last one was called road signs. With all three topics I not only had to get  three keys but I also had to complete all the questions to pass. Then I had to go into VicRoads with all my paperwork like:
My  birth certificate
My student id
My passport
I had to pay for it on line
They took a photo of me too.
 
Then I got my learners diving card and after that started doing my driving lessons. I do driving now every Saturday morning. Some Saturday mornings I start at 9am till 10am and some Saturday mornings I do driving lessons from 10:30 am till 11:30am. My mum who is the best mum ever takes me every Saturday to my driving lessons.

Do you remember the first time you drove or are you doing driving lessons now? – Charlotte.
 
 Okay, you can all pick your jaws up from the ground now!
We will assume that you are as proud of our team as we are learning so much about their achievements and proud moments.

​Blogging is so much fun. We have so much to offer so we will be back next week once again to share our thoughts with you as we…. JUST WRITE! – Cindy. 
​