We live in an unreal world. It’s fun to spend time outdoors. At the end of the day, dirtgirl likes ]]>

We live in an unreal world. It’s fun to spend time outdoors. At the end of the day, dirtgirl likes to record her outdoor adventures in her scrapbook. Now you can too.

This fully expandable scrapbook can become a daily diary, a garden journal, a recipe book, an art pad or a field guide – in fact, anything you like.

It will be amazing to look back through your scrapbook and see how much you have learned and re-live all the adventures you have had getting grubby.

Contents:
- Ideas for keeping your scrapbook
- 64pp heavy weight dirtgirlworld blank pages
- 1 sheet of full colour scraps to cut and paste
- 2 sheets of craft papers
- Plus loads of other fun scraps on the inside of the packaging

Printed in Australia on 100% recycled paper.
Shades of green rating: 

Launches World Environment Day, 5 June 2012.

RRP $39.95

*Pre-order at our new online shop by 31st May and receive a FREE Grow Garden Journal Expansion pack valued at $17.95. You will be required to enter a promo code to validate this offer. Follow us on Facebookor Twitter and keep your eyes open!

Check out this fantastic announcement by dirtgirlworld on Facebook - Celebrating the arrival of dirtgirl’s scrapbook

©dirtgirlworld productions pty ltd/decode/dirtgirl productions Inc 2009 www.dirtgirlworld.com
Brought to you by Leaf. Paper for Life.

Today is ANZAC Day. A day for remembrance. A day to reflect on war and those brave men and women ]]>

Today is ANZAC Day. A day for remembrance. A day to reflect on war and those brave men and women who fought for what we enjoy today.

Noble? Of course!

But I will never understand war.

Last year the Munchkin had no idea about war or fighting, or guns even. This year, it is his latest obsession. Such is the nature of boys, I suppose. It makes me really uncomfortable. I hate listening to his latest “War in Cat Land” story. Hearing stories of violence drives me insane – I can’t even listen to the news. I try to explain… “War is bad. You have no idea how bad it is. I have no idea how bad it is. I don’t want to even think about it.” Because the thought of having to send my one and only gorgeous child to war is up there amongst the worst thoughts I can think.

Today, in the pouring rain, we attended our local ANZAC Day parade and service. At least the rain washes away the tears.

I look at the young cadets standing guard at the memorial – they are barely younger than the boys who gave their lives so long ago. Those boys in Gallipoli, France, New Guinea etc were not much older than the school captain of the high school, the scout troup boys and girls huddling under their parents’ umbrellas – scarves dripping, or the boys from the local footy team, turning slowly blue in the freezing cold air. In fact, when you think about it in context, they were barely older than the Munchkin, my beautiful boy – a boy with so much of life ahead of him – with a whole world ahead of him.

And my thoughts turn to the mums of those boys who went to Gallipoli, France, New Guinea etc.

Big fat tears blend with the rain.

And I want to scream out to the world, “There is NO WAY you are getting my beautiful boy – unless it’s for a VERY good cause.” (“NO, not even then”, are my true thoughts.) Like all those mothers before…

The mothers who bravely let them go. The mothers who received the telegrams. The mothers that held a horrible pain in that empty space in their hearts every single day, while they got on with rest of their lives. A pain that permeated through a whole society – a pain that is only now disappearing with the people carrying it.

Is there any good cause worth that? I don’t know. But here’s to the Mums who let their sons go.

And here’s to their sons who did them proud.

Lest we forget.

Last month, coinciding with International Women’s Day, I hosted an online event – A Celebration of Girls. As part of ]]>

Last month, coinciding with International Women’s Day, I hosted an online event – A Celebration of Girls. As part of this event, I invited a number of bloggers to take part in our Story Starter Challenge using Leaf’s Girl Talk Junior Story Starters to share their experience and wisdom with today’s girls.

Today, I am delighted to welcome one of Australia’s best known and loved bloggers, Naomi Ellis from Seven Cherubs, as our guest blogger. Naomi’s blog is always full of positive energy and happiness tips, especially for mums – with seven kids, she should know! (Personally, I don’t know how she does it – I struggle with just one.). Naomi recently enjoyed sharing our Girl Talk Junior Story Starters with her four daughters and reviewed them for us. I think they had fun! Naomi’s choice of cards were “I wish…” and “Discovery”.

Thank you Naomi for participating in our Celebration of Girls.

As a mother to four daughters I am excited to be involved in a project celebrating girls. I so adore my girls and have great hopes and dreams for them. I even spend a lot of my time daydreaming and wishing an endless stream of thoughts in relation to what I hope for them in the future.

I wish that they will grow up to be strong independent women who know what they want from life and are confident enough to go out and get it. I want them to be happy in life, to enjoy life and to embrace all the wonderful opportunities that come their way. I hope they will laugh, they will cry, they will feel their way through life and will be present in each moment they live.

I wish for them to live a life of…discovery. To learn and to explore all the beauty and wonders that this Earth has to offer and to experience first hand the many cultures and countries that surround us. I hope they discover love, for themselves and for others. I hope they serve in the community, that they find a healthy balance between caring for themselves and for caring for those around them.

We live in a time of great opportunity for women and girls. There is nothing we cannot do. If we set our minds to achieving a goal or dream we can make it happen. I wish for my daughters that as they set goals and dream big that doors will open for them and they will be amazed at what they can achieve.

What a wonderful time it is to be a girl and a woman. We really can discover that life is full of options and opportunities and when we start to look for them we will be surprised at what is available for us. We simply just need to go out and to make it happen for ourselves.

My wish is that all girls will discover this for themselves. That the possibilities are endless!

This picture was taken by blogger, Eden Riley, who recently travelled to Niger in Africa to blog about the West ]]>

This picture was taken by blogger, Eden Riley, who recently travelled to Niger in Africa to blog about the West African Food Crisis and raise awareness about how bad the situation is there.

It’s bad. Eden said so.

When I first saw this photo, I cried. “Same, same”, Eden was laughing with the girl. Cutting across the language barrier, the message spoke of connection – our pink thongs are the same – we are the same.

This is not the type of photo an aid organisation takes. The stories Eden told were not the types of stories the usual celebrities tell to tug at our heart strings and convince us to hand over our bucks. Who else would have to stop herself in her tracks from asking a young girl’s mum if it was OK to give the starving child a lollipop? No, these were real stories from a real person, warts and all, shared amongst a real community of readers. Most of us were deeply concerned for her wellbeing. Africa’s a tough place at the best of times and this was clearly not the best of times.

Sure, Eden was taken to Africa by World Vision with a purpose – to raise awareness and increase donations. Clever marketing? Absolutely!

But for those of us jaded by years of sob stories and the sad, sorry eyes of impoverished, dirty children, it had cut-through. For those of us sitting back going, “Well, I already support a charity (or sponsor a child)… I can get on with my life”, it shifted us off our easy chairs for a while.

For me, sitting on a beach, nursing a hangover after a particularly indulgent night with friends while living the high life on holidays, it was a wake-up call. “Hey, if I can afford some nice wine and fancy food, I can afford to make an extra donation to prevent kids from starving”. But I also realised I could do something more… I could add my voice to Eden’s, and help spread the word. This is about more than just giving a token donation (which we need to do too) – it’s about spreading a message of urgency – quickly, effectively.

It’s also about the realisation that maybe the world is ready for the next level of connection – interconnectedness.

Blogging has made it so much easier to share our stories… to build understanding across streets and continents. It has created communities.

I don’t know Eden personally (although she smiled at me at a blogger conference once!), but I read her blog regularly, I comment, she comments back. I feel a connection. The thing that moved me most about Eden’s posts was that I felt connected, and not just to her. Through her words and photos, I felt connected to those women and children who desperately need us at the moment. Maybe that’s because I’ve been to Africa, so I understand the smells, the dirt, the smiles, the random craziness, the “essence” of it all that seeps into your being. But not everyone reading Eden’s blog has been to Africa, yet I’m sure they felt connected too.

It was so different from watching yet another news item or TV special, reading a magazine article or hearing an ad on the radio. The words and emotions were raw – and deep. I sure wish I’d written this…

“I believe that all people in the world are interconnected. Maybe, a Kevin from Liverpool in Sydney’s West is sitting on his couch feeling bad about himself because Abdouh from Tera in West Africa is hungry and frightened. Maybe the ills of the west have a lot to do with the suffering and angst of other parts of the world. We know we have a lot. We know we have so much choice and others have none. Instead of letting it eat us away and make us feel powerless… we can do the small things, that make a difference. That’s all.” Re-Entering Earth’s Atmosphere – Edenland 10/4/12

Africa will always have its problems. The world will always have its problems.

However, the current West African Food Crisis is NOT your normal, run-of-the-mill event – it’s one of those big, evil nasties we can help fix before it gets worse. The facts have been in the newspaper, just hidden away where we don’t read them.

Personally, I think Australians are generous people who care deeply about others in need. We’ve reached out our hearts and hands to the Tsunami victims and our friends in New Zealand after the earthquake. We’ve opened our purses and baked cakes here after numerous bushfires and floods. We bought copies of “Do they know it’s Christmas?”, all those years ago.

Your donation counts. Telling your friends counts too. They are the small things, the things that together make a BIG difference.

Donate NOW to one of these awesome charities, which are currently working on emergency relief in West Africa:

World Vision

Oxfam

UNICEF

Plan Australia

Care Australia

OR check to see if your favourite charity is also working in the area.

Remember… we are all one. We are the “same, same”.

Blogger and all round wonderful person, Kelly Exeter (check out her blog A Life Less Frantic and you’ll see what ]]>

Blogger and all round wonderful person, Kelly Exeter (check out her blog A Life Less Frantic and you’ll see what I mean) has joined us again to discuss feminism and its relevance to girls today. Have we reached the point where we are no longer marginalised for being female?

Recently I read Caitlin Moran’s book “How to be a Woman” and it seems that this book was written for people just like me. Here’s what Caitlin says:

“As a feminist, I had become horrified by how few women now would use the word to describe themselves. IT IS THE ONLY WORD WE HAVE THAT MEANS WOMEN BEING EQUAL TO MEN. If you don’t believe you’re a feminist, you might as well be bending over and begging the patriarchy to take your vote and kick your arse.”

Hmm. Personally I struggle with the term ‘feminism’ – I really do. I am fairly certain this has nothing to do with the term and its definition and its connotations though. Instead it has everything to do with my own personal life experiences. And nothing sums up my personal experience more than this one time, at leadership camp …

In high school, myself and a couple other girls from my school were sent on a leadership camp being run by Women in Sport here in WA. There were 40-50 odd girls at the camp from Perth schools and I guess as a cohort we were quite confident and self-assured.

On several occasions during the camp we were quizzed about whether we had ever felt marginalised at school because we were girls. Or felt marginalised because we were girls who like sport and participated in sport. As a group, we kinda looked at each other in a bewildered fashion as if to say “what is this marginalisation you speak of”.

And this illustrates life for me as a whole. I can’t honestly ever remember a time where I felt that the options available to me were limited because I was a girl. Or a time where I was passed over for something because I was a girl. Or a time where I felt marginalised because I was female. Which is very un-feministic of me right?!

When I sit down and examine why I am like this, it is hard to pinpoint a ‘cause’. I can’t remember ever feeling marginalised as a girl so I never really needed anyone to sit me down and boost my self-worth! As a child I was very self-motivated so the only propping up that my ego ever needed was for someone to tell me they were proud of me. My parents never let a “we’re proud of you” opportunity pass when we were kids so my own confidence in myself was guaranteed in those crucial years.

So while I understand the concept of feminism, and I get the need to fight for our rights as females, I almost think that in the first world we have progressed to a place where, instead of talking about this stuff, as women we just need to DO. Can we have such confidence that we don’t even notice the glass ceilings, we just glide straight through them like air.

And can we inspire this same confidence in our girls?

There was a time when my best friend and I would lie on the grass and make clouds dissipate, just ]]>

There was a time when my best friend and I would lie on the grass and make clouds dissipate, just by concentrating on them.

We would watch them change shape, and talk about the characters they formed as they slowly disappeared.

We would marvel at our power! We thought we could change the world!

They were teeny, tiny clouds then.

As I remembered that wonderful friendship the other day, I took on a cloud far bigger than those little ones in days of old. Successfully dissolved… more powerful than ever.

I realised how much the best friend of my teen years helped shaped me. She was a part of the creation process – of building the “me” who I am today.

I chose wisely!

It’s my turn to take up the Story Starter Challenge today, using Leaf’s Girl Talk (Junior) Story Starter conversation cards. The cards I chose were “If I could change the world…” and “Best Friend”.

What does it mean to be a girl?

Today, our guest blogger, Janine Meadley shares her view. Janine trained and worked ]]>

What does it mean to be a girl?

Today, our guest blogger, Janine Meadley shares her view. Janine trained and worked as a performing arts teacher before exploring diversity and sexuality particularly regarding issues facing gay youth, as part of her further studies. She is now working with an education consultancy. Janine also happens to be my truly awesome sister.

****

I like being a girl.
I like other girls.
I like girls who like being girls.
I like girls who like other girls.
I like other girls who like being girls who like other girls.
I don’t understand girly girls at all!

What am I talking about? Sure, I “like” other girls but that’s not what I am getting at here.

When I was a young girl, I didn’t like dolls. They still creep me out. I think those dolls with the moving eyelids didn’t help! I preferred huggable teddies. I didn’t play mummy or wife. I did, however, play celebrant for my teddies. I remember longing for a transformer or to play with my brother’s Lego.

Now I’m a big girl, I still want a transformer but I don’t like Lego. I don’t like dolls either. I still don’t play mummy or wife but I could BE one. Fingers crossed xx

For now, I’m a business woman! A powerful girl in a strange, scary, man’s world. But I am lucky! I work with women I can look up to. Women who like being girls. Girls who aren’t afraid of a man’s world. Girls who wear Prada and Hermes and rainbow shoes with not so gay but definitely joyful abandon.

Who can cut you down or lift you up with a carefully crafted reply. They quilt their phrases into tailored concepts and knit pride in each other and bake confidence for everyone they meet.

Walking around the city, I see other kinds of girls. Girls I’m not really used to. I’m not used to them because this world is a new world for me. A Twilight Zone of teetering heels and matching hand-bags, tight skirts, knee high boots, Gucci looks and power suits.

I don’t understand these city-clad girly girls! These ’sex in the city’ girls. These power-hungry, man-emulating girls.

I’m used to hippy, op-shop, enviro girls. Dirt-girl girls; dirty girls (giggle); girls who forget to tie up their purple shoe laces on their vegan/recycled leather Doc Martins. Girls who really like other hippy, enviro, girl-loving grrrrls.

In the world I belong, where I’m from, where I feel most at home; Gucci girls are frowned upon. Slaves to socialization!  Dead, oppressed capitalist zombies. Bimbos celebrating everything girly. But not ever living or understanding the true power of ‘Girl’. Laying, obliviously in their graves with painted nails and crafted eyebrows.

Because girls are weak right!? They always need approval from others. They always have something to prove. They do that by dressing a certain way, right! They do it by covering their wrinkles and colouring their hair. They wax and wear strings for underwear. Right!?

No.

In the history of my world, girls are encouraged to be less girly-girls but not like men. To stand up against the Man. To be woman! But never girl.

Not the girls I know.  Not any girl I’ve ever known.

I like girls. I like being a girl. I like other girls who like being girls. And girls who like other girls.

Girls are amazing! BEING a girl… is Amazing!

This is what ‘girl’ means to me:

Girl means strength in the face of constant challenge
Girl means softness and warmth
Girl means fabulous, fun and free
Girl means always seeing me for me

Girl means honesty and truth (sometimes more than you need)
Girl means perseverance
Girl means hugs and friendship forever
Girl means laughing and cooking together

To be a girl is the greatest honour
To know a girl is to kiss life in the face
To succeed as a girl is to better the future
To like being a girl is an open and shut case!

Today Danielle Quarmby from Curiouser has joined us as guest blogger. Danielle is a fabulous photographer, writer and all- round ]]>

Today Danielle Quarmby from Curiouser has joined us as guest blogger. Danielle is a fabulous photographer, writer and all- round inspiring person. I fell in love with her prints the first time I saw them, and am delighted to have one of her works adorn my Wonder Wall!

Danielle used the following cards – “My favourite…” and “Magic” from Leaf’s Girl Talk (Junior) Story Starters as her inspiration for today’s post. Thanks so much for sharing your story here, Danielle.

*****

I knew them all by heart – the names, personalities, colours and a decent chunk of the accompanying poems as well. They fostered imagination in my heart, nurtured a love of nature and fuelled years of joyful pretend play. While they weren’t a trend that I’m aware of, Cicely M. Barker’s Flower Fairies were my favourite thing.

My best friend and I created so much magic on the basis of these characters. The array of fairies and poems in the flower fairies books were ample fodder for our imaginations. They have created a whimsical nostalgia in my mind, as though those childhood years were awash with a rose-coloured hue, tinted with a touch of sunshine like the shades of an old photograph.

Though our inspiration came from books, when Hornby released a selection of flower fairy dolls in the late eighties, they became the most coveted item I’d ever known. In our low-income family I felt lucky to receive two of these dolls and I still have them twenty years later.

So when I had a baby girl, and as she grew, I held in my heart a hope that she would find something to inspire her and ignite her creativity as the flower fairies did for me. From the time of my own childhood to now, the time of hers, hundreds of toys and trends have risen and fallen. My daughter is eight years old now and has flirted with a variety of toys over the last few years. From her first doll, Disney princess Mulan, through briefly passing trends such as Bakugan and Mighty Beanz, nothing quite fit. No one toy of theme really engaged her, until now.

Lalaloopsies. What sounds like an accident of the tongue has become a second language in our home. For over a year my daughter has been collecting the mini lalaloopsy dolls, one by one increasing the population of her very own lalaloopsyland. Somewhere between Coraline and kawaii style, lalaloopsy dolls are in a rag doll design our of sturdy but soft plastic. There are large, littles and minis in our collection and she has even gotten her little brothers interested in the boy lalaloopsy dolls, with such characters as a pirate boy, knight and even a ‘wacky hatter’ with a wonderland twist.

I find it strange to be part of a popular trend in toys, with my personal preference for obscurity, but if their success is my only gripe with the lalaloopsy range, I haven’t got much to complain about! Even the expense is fairly protracted, with our wishlists, reward and job charts in place to manage the kids lalaloopsy desires. And the cost per play is very low for such well loved possessions.

My daughter also has Aspergers, a high-functioning autism, and is fixated on the lalaloopsy world in true Aspie style, learning all she can about her ’special interest’ and memorising character names and attributes. She busies herself developing her social skills through pretend play, processing her day’s events with lalaloopsy re-enactment and coping with her fears by writing dramatic lalaloopsy stories in true fairy tale style! Her creativity runs wild, constructing cardboard homes and furniture for the dolls and decorating with panache. New skills are developed as she devotes herself to hand-sewing improvised clothes out of fabric scraps. And her engagement with her peers is at an all-time high, with her own particular area of expertise being a socially successful one.

While I try and keep in mind the chances of her passion fading, life lessons about materialism and an awareness of our consumerist ways as a society… at the end of the day, it’s fun! She’s happy and flourishing, and the certainty of a special interest is contributing to that. That her special interest is a range of cute dolls doesn’t hurt.

I can watch them now, my daughter and her best friend. At 8 and almost-9 years of age, enjoying their play, experimenting with video and creative make believe. Things may not be perfect in a myriad of ways, and my little aspie girl has more than her share of anxiety in general. But this, this is good. And I am grateful.

Want to take up the Story Starter Challenge too? Your theme is “My favourite” and “Magic”. Please feel free to link up below.