Pollyanna Journals-FREE

After spending many hours and weeks on the journal sets I have decided the first 2 will not be sold or auctioned.


Instead they will be given away.

Free.

To be in the 2 draws you need to first become a friend of the facebook page-
Once we pass 100 friends there will be one draw, the second set will be a simple competition where you can nominate someone you believe should receive a RAOK..

Both will be full journal sets. These are quite time consuming and costly to make and most sets will not be this size.

As I have explained before these have been designed as an ongoing fundraiser for Angel Flight, so as these 2 are not being sold I will also contribute those $$ to Angel Flight.

Obviously with Christmas fast approaching they wil not be able to be sent before then so entry will commence after Christmas, making them ( hopefully) a New Year's gift.

Future sets will be auctioned or sold (or may also be given away, you just never know) . Note the full sale or auction price goes to Angel Flight. I do add postage at its cost.Many of these sets will need to be posted in a box,for protection.

A Pollyanna Journal is a specially created package ranging in size from Full sets to very simple mini-journals and is designed to encourage you to 'Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative". (Most of you will probably be too young to know that song.) They are a cross between a Gratitude Journal and the Glad Game but can be adapted to other uses also.

So what do you need to do?

1.join the FB page as a friend

That automatically puts you in the draw for one box ( after we pass 100).

2.Watch for the information on how to enter the competition and in the meantime have a think about who you might like to nominate, and why.

Entries are not being accepted yet ,but details will be given right after Christmas.

Need 100 members,then freebies will start

I had hoped to be able to send someone a lovely Pollyanna Journals set (free) before Christmas but time is running out.
If we can pass 100 friends on the Facebook page in the next 48 hours then I may be able to deliver, so please tell your friends to join up,then watch this page as well as the FB page for info.

Join NOW

Join the Pollyanna Journals FB page now, I need at least 100 friends then I can start offering prizes. Links in previous post.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Red Kite auctions in November, your items and bids were very much appreciated. Wahms please let me know if you can make an item for the Angel Flight auctions at any time between now and March

A couple of links for you

Please become a friend of Pollyanna Journals on Facebook  HERE so you can keep up to date on availability, plus once we have enough friends  you may be able to win one.
Also watch the Pollyanna Journals Blog for info.
Several auctions have been held on the Possum Pouches site in the last few days in aid of Red Kite, and if you keep an eye on the SITE in the next couple of days you might see something from Cherubs Kiss.

Possum Pouches introduces the Pollyanna Journal

What is a Pollyanna Journal?

This is something I have been planning for some time, and is my own version of a cross between the Glad Game and a Gratitude Journal. They have been created as part of an ongoing fundraiser on my website in aid of Angel Flight.


I chose to call my creations Pollyanna Journals because as those of you who have read the Pollyanna books will know she played the Glad game, finding things to be glad about and thankful for.

It teaches you to turn away from the disappointments and problems and focus instead on things that you can be thankful for, or happy about. I see increasing numbers every day of people who could benefit from such an exercise.

My Pollyanna Journals come in different styles and shapes,not all are in book form, and some will come as special sets. Each item is individual, no two are exactly the same but all have the same purpose, that is they are to be used for writing or adding words or perhaps a few photos and mementos.They are not limited to being used as gratitude journals, they could be a diary, collection of quotes, trip diary etc.

If using them as a gratitude style of journal you need to be as spcific as possible.
This is a mental exercise to encourage better attitude and learning to think positive thoughts.

It helps you become aware of what you do have rather than what you think you should have, and at the same time makes you more aware of others around you who may not be so fortunate.

Pollyanna Journals is the property of Possum Pouches and the products are only available through the Possum Pouches website.

As you will realise there is a lot of work in each of these so they will be listed randomly, no custom orders.To have the opportunity to get a journal for free please support the Angel Flight auctions either with an item donation or by bidding on the items, then keep an eye on the Possum Pouches Facebook or blog pages.

All money raised from any journal and journal sets sales is in aid of Angel Flight.

Auctions from December to March will also be in aid of Angel Flight. This is a special long term fundraiser.

Please support this very worth cause.

Upcoming long term fundraiser

Following the Red Kite auctions at the end of November I am planning to hold a longer term auction spread over Dec, January, February and March , maybe longer.
These will all be in aid of Angel Flight
I have received permission from Angel Flight to fundraise on their behalf.

I hope many wahms will recognise what a great organisation Angel Flight is and generously donate items for auction.

I am introducing a new product to coincide with these auctions and you have the opportunity to receive one for free; more about that later.
In the meantime please consider offering an auction item for Red Kite in November, and/or Angel Flight from December through to March 2011

BBF Orangutan Nappy auction this week

A gorgeous orangutan nappy has been made and kindly donated by Chris from
Baby Bullfrogs and will be auctioned this week in aid of the Australian Orangutan Foundation.
Don't miss this one, it is fabulous.
See it soon at Possum Pouches.

Grammar lesson for today

For heaven's sake, "then" and "than" are 2 totally different words.
"Then" is time related, ie "now and then".
"Than" relates to comparison, "rather have that one than this one".
It's not difficult, so why do I keep seeing people using "then" for "than"?
While we are at it, lets get "you and I" and "you and me" sorted.
For example "you and I can have cake" is correct, but "let's buy cake for you and I" most definitely is incorrect and makes me cringe at how bad it sounds.
I'll shortly start sending out spelling and grammar books I think. Whatever has happened to education, are these subjects never being taught or are people just not paying attention?
Less time at sport and computers and more at learning the 3 R's would be a start.

Not to be missed

Wednesday 10.30pm Ch 9. Every Heart beats True-the Jim Stynes Story. (Also being shown Sunday 6.30pm Melbourne but Australia wide Wednesday). A truly inspirational man.
The only football I follow is the AFL, and I am a fan of several teams, but have a special interest in the Melbourne Football Club and watched this man turn the club around in the last few years.
Since he was diagnosed I have been following his progress and he is an absolute inspiration to so many.
The documentary I understand is very moving, but something we all should watch.
You may also like to visit the Reach Foundation for more info

OCTOBER KNIT AND CROCHET PROJECTS

I have just posted info on the Projects page of my site about 2 new projects commencing in October. I am hoping lots of you will be involved in this one which is designed to be easy, and able to be flexible time-wise .
Both projects are for blankets.
The crochet one involves a new square pattern every week, with a commitment from anyone joining ( for 2 months) of making one of each pattern minimum, obviously you can make as many as you like. I would collect at the end of each 2 months, so you have 8 weeks to make 8 blocks, and then can recommit for another 2 months if you wish. So you may make all the blocks in the last week if you prefer. 8 ply wool is the yarn of choice, and colours will be limited.
For the knitted one, this is a very very simple knitted pattern, fast to knit and a true beginner would manage it very easily.
Colours more flexible, yarn again is 8 ply wool, but commitment is in multiples of 9, so you can do 9 or any multiple of nine, but there will need to be nine made in each colour you use.
You would easily whip up a couple of these watching your favourite tv programme at night. Also it is small enough and easy enough to take with you and knit a couple of rows whenever you can.
Please join in by emailing me from the website

The Nappy Hunt begins

The time is here, the hunt starts tomorrow (Wed 1st) at Diaper Decisions.
The PossumPouches site may be rather quiet for the first week as I have been away and have a mountain of "stuff" to catch up on, but several items have been promised for this month and will be auctioned somewhere during September. Also some "for sale" items will be going up randomly, so please do keep an eye on the site each week.
The icon will be really easy to find, the site does not have many pages at all and you don't have to click through sub-pages either, so most of you will find it in the first 2 or so clicks. That means no clues, and no starting point link.
It may change position during the month.
Don't allow the hunt to frustrate you, start with the easy ones and you will have enough very quickly for the first level of prizes.Don't spend too much time on any one site in the first week.If you don't find it within a couple of minutes make a note to come back to it and then move onto the next one. Those who get frustrated with the hunt are the ones who stay on a tricky site for too long.
You have a month to find icons, if you progress this way you will get far less annoyed with any one site.
Happy Hunting

September Auctions

The next round of auctions will take place through the whole month of September, as this is Great Cloth Nappy Hunt month .
If you can donate items for auction it would be greatly appreciated.
This time there will be smaller items for sale through the month as well.

I have received authorisation from the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to raise funds in their name, using their logo.

Alannah and Madeline Mikac, aged 6 and 3 were killed, along with their mother at Port Arthur in the tragedy that occurred on 28th April 1996.The foundation was set up by their father and others with the belief that all children should have a safe and happy childhood without being subjected to any form of violence.
I visited Port Arthur some months after this event and it left a lasting impression on me.
Please give generously , either items for auction or sale, or by bidding. These items will go up randomly throughout September so please check in to see if new items have been listed.

Authorisation has also been received for November's auctions, and this will benefit Red Kite. I will have more info about that later.
All fundraising on this site is done with prior permission of the charities involved, whom I personally contact.
If you have a charity or organisation you would like to help it may be able to be run through this site, so please feel free to contact me. The site is set up to involve other people, not just myself.
The charity knitting and crochet project is ongoing, and I will be delivering items in the next couple of weeks to a group who is desperately in need of them. If you knit or crochet please give serious consideration to becoming involved, either through Possum Pouches, or within your local area.

Successful fundraiser for Jeans for Genes

The July auctions for Jeans for Genes has finished, with $535 being raised from auction bids.This will be forwarded on this week just as soon as I gather all the funds in the same place. A sincere thank you to everyone who donated the beautiful items which were auctioned, and also to everyone who bid on these auctions, whether you won the item or not.
There is no auction in August, please give support to the Juvenile Diabetes auctions being run by Sue and Natalya via Ravelry and WoollyButts.
September will see auctions on the possum pouches site all month during the Nappy Hunt, more about that shortly.
October, again no auctions, please support the Breast Cancer auctions at Murasaki Mama.
Fund Raising for September and November has now been authorised by the relevant charities so I will be chasing donations for both of those.
If you are bidding please if possible I ask you to pay via direct deposit. It keeps all the funds in the same place, but it avoids the annoying hassle of paypal fees,and having to wait for the money to reach the bank after transferring it across.

Auctions commenced

Some of the auctions for Jeans for Genes are now active, and I have received more items today which I need to photograph and list. This will probably happen tomorrow as I returned from the airport this afternoon with a not-very-nice headache, so I need to shift that to prevent writing words upside down or back to front.

I will shortly be listing the yearly charity plan on the site for the coming months, so please give serious consideration to donating for any month. Every cent goes to the charity.

Also- if you have a charity you would like to help, I would be happy to help you support it via the Possum Pouches site. The purpose of the site was to encourage as many people as possible to support the many charities which need assistance, and if you would like to take advantage of my setup to auction items by all means contact me and I am happy to work in with you.

I am always interested too, to hear of organisations of which I may not otherwise be aware, particularly ones which do not receive Government funding or help from big name fundraisers.

A huge thank you to the lovely ladies who have rallied to the cause so far.

new website up

The PossumPouches site is now up except for one little button, which will possibly be done in the next 24 hours. There is also a Facebook page ( link on blog) so please go and join. I now am hoping people will begin making donations, if not for July then for the following months as auctions and sales will be held every month. If you are not a WAHM then you may be interested in the Projects page which I need to complete; but you can contact me from the site if you knit or crochet and would like to help make items for the homeless, Salvation Army etc. These projects are being kept as simple as possible to allow many of you to join in without any pressure.
If you can see my profile picture on my Facebook page ( my own page, not the possumpouches one-you will find me in the PP fans list )you will notice I am holding a cloth doll. Her name was Jessamy, and she was part of a project I coordinated several years ago, in which Jessamy was posted from Australia to NZ, USA and UK where she was dressed by keen sewers before returning to Australia with her large wardrobe. The photo was used in our local paper and the dress was her "Gone With the Wind" outfit. She was then raffled to raise funds for Children's Medical Research Institute. I am pleased that July's auctions are going to Jeans for Genes Day, again in support of CMRI.
Please give generously either by donating an item for auction, or by bidding in those auctions which will take place the last week of July.

Possum Pouches Returns

After a break of around 9 months Possum Pouches is about to relaunch, just as soon as the website design is completed .
There is a big difference this time. Previously we made donations of part proceeds to charity and sold only our own items.
This time every cent from all sales and auctions is going to charity, that's 100%, and some of the items sold will be donated.

I am hoping WAHMS will generously donate special item/s for the monthly auctions and if anyone would like to donate for July's auctions please contact me asap. Although the site will possibly not be completely set up for a few more days the contact page will work now.
Auction week is the last full week of July and is in aid of Jeans for Genes Day which supports the Children's Medical Research Institute. I was involved in organising a fundraiser for this organisation several years ago and am thrilled to once again be helping them.
I hope my fellow wahms will donate items generously .
There will be other opportunities for people to help with charity donations such as knitting blanket squares and other items; that will also be explained on the site.
Please watch for the new website very soon.

And

it all happens soon...

Hmmm?

there was movement at the station.....

Final reductions on remaining wool, 48 hours only

I have lowered all prices on the remaining wool at my Ozebaby store; these will remain until 6 pm Friday,after that the listings will disappear forever.Grab a real bargain now.

More wool tonight

Planning to upload more wool tonight and tomorrow,so if you have not seen what you want keep an eye on my ozebaby store for a couple more days. Am clearing out close to all my hand dyed stash-which was huge. Most of it is half price or less and I want it gone this week.

WOOL SALE STARTS TODAY at OZEBABY POSSUMPOUCHES STORE

My clearance of top brand and quality hand dyed wool will start today and continue through the week. Postage will be added to listed price. Listings will be random due to the time it takes to photograph and sort everything, and also because I have other things taking my time at the moment, but I hope to clear it all this week.Prices are low, so there will be no further price reductions.Items must be paid for when purchased, no exceptions. If you want to check out the later listings and combine postage that is fine, but payment is still required for each package of wool as you purchase it, the first pack postage payment is required, successive packs payment for just the wool is required immediately and any additional postage will be billed at the end. I am sorry but I will not hold a package unless it is paid for up front straight after purchase; items will be relisted if no contact is made directly after purchase ( within the hour). Paypal payments are accepted with payment of pp fees, direct deposit preferred, DD receipt must be emailed at time of payment

It's May

So guess whose DH forgot her birthday yesterday? I am so annoyed. We only talked about it on Monday, why can't men remember on their own? Fortunately my family did remember as did two dear friends, both 80+ years old. Must be just mid 60's year olds who have problems remembering from one day to the next.
I have given up spoon feeding people.
I am starting to reclaim some space in my sewing room/s but still have a long way to go. I am being pretty ruthless, a lot has gone into the wheelie bin.
I planned to list some nice wool for sale with proceeds to charity but am now thinking I would rather knit it up and give away the items I make. It still benefits those who need it and is more pleasurable for me and keeps my mind off other problems.
If anyone is interested in a simple charity knitting and crochet group check out the link on this page to Cloth Nappies Made Easy forum.

My mum is now back at her unit following the passing of my stepfather;she has not yet decided whether she will stay put or look for a small unit with a view;she has only ever wanted to be able to watch the ships (Caloundra,the most beautiful spot in the world).

Lest We Forget

The passing of another World War 11 Veteran

I am currently with family in Toowoomba for my stepfather's funeral on Friday. He has been very ill for some time, and doctors thought in January he would not see the week out,but he came home (Caloundra) and my mum nursed him full time until Sunday when he reached up and managed to give her a hug then just went to sleep.
I was with Mum from Sunday and then brought her to Toowoomba yesterday. I should be back at the weekend for a while so if anyone is looking for me I will be checking emails when I can.

Sale items now listed

All for sale items have now been listed on the Cloth Nappies Made Easy Forum Market. They are there until Friday and this is the last time they will be listed anywhere. There is hook and loop tape, snaps, FOE, and other stuff. You do need to join the forum to see the rest. I have nowhere left to store leftovers so grab yourself a bargain now before I get tired of falling over it and dispose of it into a skip.

FREE Boosters/Pocket stuffers

Want free boosters? Make sure you join Cloth Nappies Made Easy because on Monday there will be free boosters on offer,in assorted absorbent fabrics, plus some bamboo boosters which will be cost price.Great way to get some spare pocket stuffers or additional night boosting ;also touch tape, snaps, FOE and who knows what else. Listings start Monday but you need to be an active member of the group to see what is available.

Oh my gosh- free auriels x 2

I know where you can get an auriel for nothing.
Interested?
Click on the nappy logo link to CNME at right of this page.

The last of my nappy making odds and sods

I am still madly sorting out cupboards and cupboards full of bits of "stuff", not just nappy making fabrics but also dress fabrics, craft bits and pieces.
There is no way I can sort it in time for listing at ozebaby during the hunt so I have decided instead to list it on the Cloth Nappies made Easy forum in their new market section.

There will be coloured touchtape, snaps, bamboo, and whatever I find. Some will be odd shaped pieces of fabric, some dress lengths.At some stage there will be some great wool bargains. I won't know what it is until I list it, so will not be available any other way than on that forum.
You need to be a member of that forum to see the lists, and I have to say the offer of a free Cherubs Kiss nappy as a prize during March is a great incentive to become a member.

A word about preloved KK nappies

If you are offered or are selling a used KK please be aware that minkee KKs are not true Night Nappies.
Some may have had a layer of PUL in them and could be used overnight but most were made simply as fitteds. Minkee, although close to waterproof, does actually need a cover if there is no full layer of PUL inside.
KK (KeesterKover) Night Nappies are those made out of windpro or 300wt fleece, which is the majority of those made; I only made a limited number in minkee.
Some new fleece KKs will hopefully be available in the not too distant future.
So fleece KK's are Night (and day) nappies; Minkee KKs are Fitteds, and can be used during day with or without a cover and at night with a cover.
Also there have been several boosters sold with KKs over the years, the style of booster will determine its age.
If you are unsure about how they work by all means contact me via the Ozebaby Possum Pouches store.

Nappy Hunt time again

So here it is.
I did say the September 09 hunt would be my last but I need to clear out the remaining odds and sods from my cupboards so am taking advantage of the nappy hunt to do that. I do have longies shorts and soakers to list but also will be progressively emptying my cupboards throughout the month and listing anything I think people may be able to use. Prices will be very low but remember if you are a hunter there is a further discount.
Register for the hunt now if you have not already done so,at the diaperdecisions.com site ( make sure you register for the NAPPY hunt, the other one is the US hunt).
My listings will be on my ozebaby store-link at right- and the icon will be very easy to find, one to help you boost your icon count with no effort.
My prize is a pair of longies and matching beanie.
Also check out the forum Cloth Nappies Made Easy, link at right. This is a very new forum which I just joined in the hope it will allow me to just have one nappy forum to visit instead of several. It is very new so remains to be seen how it shapes up but the webmaster is a good friend of my DH and very interested in the future of MCN so I think it will be well run and informative once it gets plenty of members.

Isabel

More pics on my Poss Paradise blog (link at right)

Newest possum pouches baby has arrived

Isabel Joyce arrived at 4.55pm Thurs 4th Feb,7lb 12 ozs. Mum and bub doing well.Pics will follow but rest assured she is absolutely gorgeous and Jacob adores his new little sister.Cousin Corey hopes to visit later today. (Joyce was the name of daddy's late grandmother)

Great Lesson of Life

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1,000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling: And even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason behind it.

Unashamedly borrowed from a group to which I belong.