RIP Google Reader.

It's simply crazy that Google Reader will be no more in several hours ... simply craaazy!

I hope you know what to do to continue following your favourite blogs and RSS feeds. What are you planning to do? Have you found your new reader?
It's just one of those first-world problems that life throws you.

I recommend Bloglovin'. I did my research, looked at the layouts of the various options, and decided Bloglovin' looked most like what I wanted - a simple and effective home page of all unread blogs, easy to quickly view and navigate around.

I've been using Bloglovin' for several weeks now, and it did take me a little while to get used to it .. but I am liking it. A lot. It's actually faster than Google Reader when  loading blogs and images, and I can actually see the blogs I follow - colourful layouts n' all.
Plus, they have this great button which gets all your Google Reader information and magically transports it to the new program. It takes no more than a few minutes to change .. no need to loose anything.

There are other options. Feedly is a very popular one at the moment. It is similar to Bloglovin' - very sharp and easy to use. AOL and a few others have just brought out their own reader too.
You could also follow your favourite blogs via Facebook, or even subscribe the old-fashioned way via email. How archaic.
Need to help deciding?  Read this helpful article.

So .. rest in peace Google Reader ... now it's time to take the leap!
Make sure you find something to replace Reader .. and follow me on Bloglovin'!

It's where I'm currently at .. and you can easily (ie at the click of that great single button) transport all your blogs and feeds in one swoop to this new site, and your life could continue on as you now know it.

(pin it)

Fun Friday: Conversations with a two year old.

Today is Friday.  I am in bed, ready to welcome the weekend with a long sleep.


"If you take the words of a two-year-old and put them in the mouth of a grown man,
suddenly the malevolence and intimidation really shine through."

Second episode here:

Enjoy your weekend.

(I found this via A Cup of Jo)

My brother and the beach.

This is my brother.
He came to visit us for a few days earlier this year, and on this particular day we walked the beaches and practised our photography.

He and I are really good friends.  We just get each other, and are always quoting movies and laughing together.

I won't embarrass him.  But he is a genius.  He will go places, and will hopefully remember me when he's a well-travelled famous man.

30 before 30 list.

So I'm finally getting around to sharing my 30 by 30 list with you.
I took my sweet time, right up to the day of my birthday, to finalise this list .. I guess it means more to me than I first thought.

30 Before 30

1. Ride a hot-air balloon.
2. Run a race or fun run.
3. Do Bikram Yoga for a fortnight or 30 day challenge.
4. Put up all frames and paintings in our house.
5. Find my go-to kareoke song.
6. Play a decent pipe organ in Adelaide.
7. Fit into my clothes properly - be my target weight.
8. Walk four different hikes.
9. Study Jesus the Christ.
10. Swim with dolphins.
11. Learn how to cook .. properly.
12. Take an art class.
13. Go on a cultural (musical?) weekend away.
14. Compose a piece of music.
15. Compile our family photo albums electronically to publish.
16. Take an amazing luxurious bath.
17. Landscape our gardens.
18. Be completely clutter-free.
19. Write to Jones Shimai (a few times).
20. Audition for the opera chorus (or just a better choir).
21. Go on a ‘watch the sunrise’ date.
22. Have a ‘riding a bike’ date.
23. Have a ‘painting on a canvas or two’ date.
24. Send a message in a bottle.
25. Climb a tree.
26. Plan and host an awesome classy party.
27. withheld.
28. withheld.
29. withheld.
30. withheld.

The plan is to achieve all 30 tasks between 25 March 2013 and 24 March 2014.
And yes .. there are a few that are withheld.  Because I can do that.  Adds a bit of mystery to the last year of my twenties.