I don’t really love that it means an influx of new toys in my already overflowing house. My children are so lucky to have more than they will ever need, that they will probably never know a day of not having enough to eat, or enough to buy news clothes if they need them, or even enough for a special treat occasionally.

This year for Christmas, we are making up some boxes for Operation Christmas Child, a unique project of Samaritan’s Purse that brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes.

Each shoebox contains a variety of gifts that are fun and educational, including something to love, something for school, something to wear, personal hygiene, something to play with and something special.

The website has lots of ideas of things to buy (and also guidelines for what not to include) as well as labels and information on where to send your boxes.

I have found this a great thing to do with my four year old as he helps me choose different gifts and we talk about other little boys and girls who do not have very much. It would also be a great thing to do with a mother’s group or with a few friends, to get together and make a variety of shoe boxes. Or perhaps you could ask people at your workplace to donate items … there are lots of ways you can be involved to help make these childrens’ Christmas just that little bit brighter.

For more information, check out the website - Operation Christmas Child.

A huge ginormous thank you to all the beautiful people that sent money to help make this possible. Patric had her brand spanking new laptop delivered to her today and she is over the moon. Stay tuned for more details and some pictures once she has calmed down. Oh..and of course we can’t forget my hair!

Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to see the wonderful internet community I am a part of..thank you so much all of you!

This is our beautiful Patric, she is a very special part of All for Women. Many of you may also know of her as the Mad goat lady.

If you have read any of her blog, or posts here on All for Women, you will know that Patric suffers at the hands of chronic illness..not just one..but 3! (Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia)

Last week, due to complications from one of her conditions Patric was hospitalised. It was a bit of a shock..she is one tough nut and will fight going to hospital with all she has. So we knew she must be sick.

Yesterday we got news that she will need to stay in hospital for 3 weeks or more to continue treatment.

She is such a beautiful person, I feel so privileged to call her a great friend. She has such a kind heart, is always there to offer a kind word or advice and will do anything she can to help others. She has really been dealt a raw deal, and remains such an amazing woman despite the pain she suffers everyday.

This is where you all come in! The girls (Naomi, Barbara and Kay) and I thought it would be great if we could chip in and get her something special to cheer her up, to make life just a itty bit easier.

Now, it may be ambitious, but our goal is to get her a cheap little laptop. Try to keep her connected to her support network (all of us) games, DVD’s, music anything that can help make the time a little easier for her. She is also hoping to start a new treatment, which will mean a stay in hospital one night every week. Not to mention at home, when she is having a rough day.

So, where does the purple come in you ask? Well, as an added incentive if we reach our goal the girls and I thought we could do something crazy. Then they chickened out So if we reach our goal for Patric, I will cut my hair short and dye it purple!! The girls said they will go a more normal colour *hehe*

It’s the story of the life of an 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who created scandal for her extravagant political and personal views. Visit ‘The Duchess’ website to learn more.

Would you like to see it? We have 25 free double passes for Sydney-based readers to see an advance screening of the film:

Wednesday 17th September 2008
GU George St, GMAX Cinema 1
6.45pm

All you need to do is reply with your name, and tell us who plays the Duchess of Devonshire in ‘The Duchess’. Make sure you leave a valid email address in the comments so we can contact you.

Red wine lamb shanks with herb mash

1 cup plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

4 lamb shanks, frenched

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 brown onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups full bodied red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 cup beef or chicken stock

2 bay leaves

For the mash

4 large Desiree potatoes, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup hot milk

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

sea salt and black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Place the flour, salt and pepper on a plate and stir to combine. Roll each of the lamb shanks in the flour and shake off the excess.

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep heavy based fry pan. Add two of the shanks and brown on all sides. Set aside on a plate, then repeat with another tablespoon of oil and the other two shanks.

In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil, add the onion and saute for 5 minutes until just starting to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute further.

Add the wine, stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes then remove from the heat.

Place the lamb shanks in a single layer in an oven proof casserole dish with a lid.

Pour the red wine mixture over the shanks, cover with the lid and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until the flesh comes away easily but isn’t actually falling off the bone. Check once during the cooking time to make sure there is enough liquid. If becoming too dry add a little more stock or water.

Meanwhile, make the mash.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough cold tap water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with the hot milk, butter and herbs. Taste and season, then serve with the lamb shanks.

This delicious recipe is brought to you by the lovely Christie from Fig & Cherry. Check out her foodie blog for loads of other mouth watering recipes and keep your eye our for more from Christie on All for Women in the coming months.

Today 1.1 billion will have no choice but to drink dirty water. That is 1 in 6 people who are exposed everyday to diseases such as malaria, cholera, dysentery and typhoid without access to safe water.

Women and children are the worst affected by water poverty. 2.2 children die each year from water related diseases.  Some Women and girls may spend as many as 7 hours trekking for water that still is not fit to drink.

Thanks to an accident of birth, you’re not one of them.

But what if you were? If you had to wash the dishes with it, bathe in it, drink it - and ask yourself this question-if you had to give dirty water to those you love knowing it could kill them, would you?

Twist the screw on her back (oh how symbolic!) and her abdomen stretches. It’s gruesome to watch. She looks like she is being stretched by a medieval torture device.

Hey presto! Now she’s a “curvy, cool teen.” But wait, you say, all that has really changed is that her stomach has stretched to make her appear taller!

How telling. It seems there is no physical difference between an 8 year old girl and an older teen in Mattel land.  Nor should the clothes they wear differ. The accessories do change though - she trades in her school books and teddy bear for a full make up kit (”Whoa, her make up changes too!”) and some glossy fashion magazines. Flats shoes are out - its all about the stilettos now. Out too with cute hair clips and in with designer sunnies. Where do I begin in explaining why this type of doll is so toxic for our daughters? And why do I feel I must actually explain why this is not acceptable. Isn’t it self-evident?

In the wake of the Senate tabling the findings of its much anticipated inquiry into the sexualisation of children in the contemporary media environment in parliament last week, more than ever I feel I need to justify my concerns.

The committee observed “…that children are certainly more visibly sexualised in terms of the media to which they are exposed. This basic assumption was not challenged by any evidence received, and is based on recognition of the increasing targeting of products to child-related markets and the greater exposure of children to information via the many available media forms, and particularly the Internet. However it would be a mistake to equate these influences with actual harm.”

Why would it be a mistake to equate these influences with actual harm? Because not enough long term research has been done yet on the impact of the sexualisation of children on their physical and mental health? Does anyone think for one moment that any research that is commissioned will come back showing that stealing childhood has actually been helpful? Healing? Why do we need to wait for more numbers to come in before we act - there has already been a large body of research that has alerted us to numerous potential dangers including an increase in eating disorders, self harm, risky sexual practices.   Why can’t we err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting children?

Clive Hamilton, former Director of the Australia Institute whose report ‘Corporate P-dophilia’ prompted the Senate Inquiry, summed up the recommendations thus: “The recommendations..amount to nothing more than a polite request that advertisers and broadcasters might perhaps, if it’s not too much trouble, consider listening to community concerns a little more.”

I have found the debate surrounding the Inquiry very interesting too. Those who dare question the path society is taking have been labelled prudish, out of touch, alarmist. Catherine Lumby, the Director of Journalism  and Media at UNSW, expressed concern that some commentators were viewing children as “uncovered meat”, she told the world she was “furious” that children were being made to feel ashamed about their bodies.

I will join Catherine in her fury if anyone dares suggest children’s bodies are provocative and need to be covered up. I too will dismiss as alarmist anyone who wants nappy advertisements banned. But I haven’t met, nor heard, from any of these types. I haven’t seen people up in arms over singlets, or nappy ad’s or innocuous pictures of girls looking pensive. Such people may well exist at one end of the continuum, just as those that design t-shirts for toddlers emblazoned with “All my Daddy wanted was a blow job” do exist at the other end of the scale.

Do I have a problem  with little girls wearing singlet tops? Absolutely not - unless they are emblazoned with slogans like “Porn  Star”, “Flirt” or “Tease.” A 10 year old girl I worked with in a school recently turned up at her school camp wearing a shirt that read, “Wrap your lips around this.” Can you see why I might be concerned about that Ms Lumby? And this is not by any means another extreme example. Raunchy messages aimed directly at young girls are mainstream.

I am concerned too not just because I think there are too many hyper-sexualised messages bombarding our girls, but becuase the messages presented are so narrow. It’s all big (fake) breasts, pouts, and male fantasy soft porn. It’s all Hugh Hefner bunnys and pole dancing. Women’s sexuality (and men’s) is in reality so much more diverse and complicated. Just as we are told that only a leggy blonde size 8 model can be truly beautiful, we are now being told only a busty, wet and wild blonde can be truly sexy.

And Ms Lumby just for the record, I have never had a problem with teen girl magazines offering age appropriate advice on sexuality. Magazines are a valuable source of information as some parents do feel uncomfortable having these important conversations with their children. But I do think some of the advice and articles offer too much too soon - do tweens and teens really need detailed information on anal sex and to be told it is a “personal choice” ? Isn’t there a risk that a twelve year old will feel left out when she reads in the June issue of Dolly that over 21% of the readers profiled in their sealed section say they lost their virginity between the ages of 10-13?

And it’s not even just the advice and articles that concern me - it is the mixed messages buried within the pages that really trouble me. The mag’s occasionally do offer great articles on self esteem and body image, yet they allow advertisements for mobile downloads that include slogans like “Save a virgin, do me instead” and “Fancy a quickie?” I never wanted magazines to be banned. I just wanted common sense self-censorship, and age appropriate guidelines on the covers to alert parents and readers to the fact that the content might not be as innocuous as the oh-so-wholesome airbrushed covers might lead one to believe. It seems even this was asking too much.

Do I sound like a sore looser? I feel like one. There was a lot to loose.

I am comforting myself by holding on to the belief that despite the senate’s softly, softly approach, the process itself has at least brought about a heightened awareness of the issues.

Instinctively, we all know that we do not need a government report, or a team of academics, or a myriad of research papers to tell us that enough is enough.

And despite the divisions there is one point on which every one seems to agree - education is key. Girls and boys, now more than ever, need to be savvy media navigators. They need to be given the skills they need to make sense of the adult world that is becoming more and more part of their childhood world too. Teaching and helping girls navigate Girl World is the work that I love passionately, and it is the work that my team and I are gifted in doing well.

Education works.

This week my own real life “too cute tween” , an eleven year old girl I worked with at a school recently, was told by her dance teacher that she had to start wearing not just a full mask of make-up for her dance concerts, but false eye lashes too. When her mother, who has completed my course for parents, questioned why this was really necessary she was told by the dance teacher that the eye lashes would “increase her (daughter’s) confidence.” Mum and “Ms Enlightened Tween” are both saying no. Neither are comfortable with this and both feel that long batting eyelashes are just too much. As is so often the case, the dance teacher tried making Mum feel stupid - “But all the other parents think it is fine.” When Mum investigated this claim, she found that four out of the ten dance mothers were also actually really worried about the appropriateness of wearing false eye-lashes but they had been scared to speak out.

And whether you think the eyelashes were actually harmless or harmful is ultimately immaterial. What I love is the fact that this little girl will no longer allow herself to be stretched and pulled into becoming a “curvy, cool teen.”

She’ll be a teen who will set boundaries, deconstruct all the mixed messages she will be presented with, and make choices she is truly comfortable with.  She will not allow her sexuality to be shaped by misogynist music, plastic Paris-wannabee dolls, or the contemporary media environment that would have her believe that everyone is up for anything, all the time, and that to be hot she will have to get more make up and less clothes.

She’ll grow up on her own term.

That is my wish for her. That’s my wish for all girls. That is what I will continue working towards.

This Guest post is written by Dannielle Miller, CEO of Enlighten Education. Enlighten work in schools nationally promoting healthy body image and positive self esteem, the company recently won Australian Small Business Champion for Children’s Services. You may have seen Dannielle in action on 60 Minutes recently?

Danni is also an avid blogger at Enlightened Education and in our Top 100 Australian Women’s Blogs

Other guest posts by Danni on All for Women..

Club 21, “girl world” exposed: binge drinking, bullying, low self esteem and distorted body image.

Helping girls move beyond Bratz, Britney and Bacardi Breezers.

From this month the list has moved permanently to my other blog, crazy meezer .

Everything else will stay the same, list will still be updated on the first of each month. And you can still email me to let me know if you have a blog you think should be in the list. I don’t always get a chance to reply to all of them, but rest assured they are all filled away to be checked for the next update.

We have a new blog in the number 1 spot this month. Alexa data has been jumping around a lot the last few weeks, and has caused a lot of changes in the list. Congratulations Karen Cheng.

New and returning blogs this month….

• DigiFree digital scrapbooking freebie
• The Original Mx5
• Meet me at Mikes
• Get Shouty
• One Red Robin
• Morsels & Musings
• Limes & Lycopene
• Save Save Save
• Housewife Hiccups
• Frog ponds rock
• Innovation Feeder
• Australia Entertains

If everyone could update their links to the Top 100 Australian Women’s Blogs, that would be great.p.s Have you joined Plurk yet? You are really missing out on some great fun!

Welcome to the new blogs entering the list this month…

• Sex,Life & Frilly bits
• Beauty Banquet
• Bland Canyon
• crazybrave
• Dancing about Architecture
• Ask Josie Kay

A big thank you to everyone who sends in blogs for consideration. I love going around and visiting new blogs and finding new additions for the list each month, but its always helpful to get an extra helping hand. While your blog might not make it into the list right now, it is added for future checking. If you have a blog, or know of one that could be in the list contact me.

Calling all Sydney Women Bloggers

We have organised a lunch meet for Sunday the 29th of June in Sydney. Our foodie Christie is going to suggest somewhere yummy! All are welcome, new and seasoned bloggers. A great way to meet and connect with other Women bloggers in Sydney..don’t be shy! Let me know if you are interested in coming along.

There are some other Sydney blogger meets happening this month as well, check out Bloggers of Sydney for details.

Those marketing folk at the RSPCA are a clever bunch..no? Can there be a better combination, cute animals and yummy cupcakes!

Monday August 18th (a day after my birthday!) is Cupcake Day for the RSPCA. RSPCA Cupcake Cooks across Australia will descend on their schools, workplaces and social groups with batches of yummy homemade cupcakes to sell. With 100% of the proceeds will go to the RSPCA.

Whether you want to be an RSPCA Cupcake Cook or simply an RSPCA Cupcake eater, you will be supporting the thousands of animals we care for everyday.

To get involved and host your own Cupcake party all you need to do is go to the site and register your details and the will send you a Cupcake kit for all the details you will need to know for the day! Or you can download it from the site.

They even have cupcake recipes for dogs!

Anyone can get involved to bake or eat cupcakes for the animals. I think I will be going on a weekend long cupcake bender!

Cupcake Day for the RSPCA