The choice is simple ...

Image - CFLA

Choice is part of living in a free and democratic society. It enables us to choose the we drive, the milk we drink and who we vote for on election day. But sometimes, the number of choices available to us makes it difficult to know exactly which choice to make. Luckily for us, there are some useful tools to make the process a little simpler.

Our favourite is Choice. Since its inception in 1960, Choice has established itself as Australia’s leading independent consumer watchdog. It’s annual awards highlight the best products of the year and separate the wheat from the chaff across a number of consumer categories. You can find a summary of their findings here. (insert link)

This year’s winners were;
Best Insurance - Suncorp
Best Travel Money Card -  GE Money 28 Degrees MasterCard
Best Refrigerator Brand - Fisher & Paykel fridges
Best Vacuum Cleaner Brand - Miele vacuum cleaners
Tester’s CHOICE Breville Fast Slow Cooker (our must have for Winter 2012)
Game Changer - The car-share industry
Consumer Advocate - Dr Ken Harvey (Consumer Champion)

We are often asked to help clients source a variety of products and Choice is always the first place we start our research. Their unbiased testing uses international standards and covers a range of price points and brands. And because Choice buy directly from retailers and don’t get free products to sample – they are actually testing what consumers will be buying in store. Just another reason to feel confident with their recommendations.

But because Choice can’t test everything every year, we also access a number of other consumer review sites such as Product Review, Word of Mouth Online and Mouths of Mums when researching a client’s product needs.

Once we’ve trawled the internet and delved into our vast wealth of knowledge, we provide our clients with our top recommendations for their consideration. Because personal preference is important, the ultimate decision always lies with the client.

And just because we’ve found the best products, it doesn’t mean our work is done. We will always try to find the lowest price.  We visit Lasoo to see what the major retailers are offering and utilise the vast amount of information online to find the best price. Our preference is always to buy local, then Australian, and if need be we source products Internationally.

In addition to researching product choices for our clients, we also source the very best services, including home maintenance services, personal services and more. Utilising online service review sites such as Word Of Mouth Online & Female Friendly, as well as accessing our database of preferred suppliers we can source a selection of service providers for our client to chose from. And of course if our clients have a preferred supplier of their own, we will always include them.

So why struggle with mountains of brands, functions and models to chose your next toaster, television or mobile phone deal when there is one clear choice - have us do the legwork and just sit back and enjoy the best part, ripping apart the packaging and enjoying your latest purchase!

ANZAC DAY 2012

April 25th has officially been known as ANZAC DAY since 1916. It’s a day that has become symbolic of the Australian fighting spirit and a time to remember the sacrifices made in times of conflict. But all too often, it becomes the source of its own kind of conflict.

(Image - zaragaladez.com)

The Department of Veterans’ Affair sparked outrage last month when it revealed the findings of it's $370,000 study into ANZAC Day. The study, undertaken to gauge public attitudes ahead of the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli, discovered that many saw the occasion as a good excuse to have few drinks and a sleep in. The same report warned that 2015 celebrations run the risk of dividing a nation - our nation. It suggests that celebrations be ‘culturally sensitive and inclusive’ as to not offend minority groups. Many, including the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, have dismissed the report’s findings.

Callers inundated talk-back-radio and comments flowed in to news.com.au to slam the report and it’s findings. Many suggesting it is indeed the actions of our soldiers during WWI that make Australia such a fine country to emigrate to. If anything is going to cause offense and tension between migrant groups it is likely to be this findings of this report.

But this kind of controversy is not new. For years debate has raged about whether the descendants of diggers should be allowed to march in ANZAC Day parades, the involvement of Vietnam Veterans in the parades and the need for memorials to recognise the involvement of Indigenous servicemen and women. And of course ANZAC Day has always sparked fresh debate about the involvement of Australian troops in modern day conflicts around the globe.

In the lead up to the 100th anniversary in 2015, there will no doubt be countless debates about the most suitable way to mark this very special occasion. One thing is certain though, it must be done right. We must continue to teach our history in schools and continue to acknowledge the immense sacrifice made by our nation's finest in times of war. We must support our veterans and current servicemen and women as they defend our country.

So whether you attend the Dawn Service, an ANZAC Day Ceremony, watch the traditional ANZAC Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood, or simply enjoy the day with your family, spare some time, think about the sacrifices made in the name of freedom and remember the day when a nation, still in the early days of its adolescence, grew up. A day we should never forget.

For more information on ANZAC Day, and to find commemoration services in your area, visit www.rsl.org.au.

Tell us what you think? How do you like to commemorate ANZAC Day and what do you think of this latest report?


For the fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables at home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon (1869–1943)

The joy of free-play.

(image www.digsdigs.com)

It’s school holidays, and with a myriad of activities available for our kids to take part in, we’re wondering what happened to simply playing in the backyard and riding bikes in the street.

As cliched as it sounds, when I was a kid, my sister and I spent our school holidays (& weekends) riding our bikes, dressing up, playing boardgames and maybe watching the odd movie (as well as a lot of healthy sibling fighting). We ran in the garden and helped mum bake biscuits. Now, it seems we’ve become disconnected with the art of ‘free-play’.

The kind of unstructured, undirected play that my brother and I enjoyed has been labeled ‘free-play’ and it seems to scare parents. It seems as though we, as parents and educators of our children, are less likely to let them just play in case it limits their development or reduces their capacity for success in the future. Instead, they participate in highly structured (and often expensive) activities that are directed by adults and designed with a specific purpose.

However, experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, claim that ‘In order to develop socially, emotionally and cognitively, children need plenty of free, unstructured play - in other words, lots of old-fashioned free playtime’. Their report, "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds.", reminds us that ‘play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child’.

And just as adults strive to achieve the perfect work-life balance, as must we help our kids maintain a healthy balance between education and play. Too much structured activity adds stress to kids and parents alike and creates an rushed and often anxious environment. And while we know that play forms an important part of how our kids learn, perhaps we need to learn how to just let them play for the sake of play.

So by all means, get involved, grab some Lego, a couple of dolls or a tambourine and let the kids lead the way - who knows, you might just have some fun!

For a discussions on free-play and other issues relating to modern parenting, check out the 3PM Pick-Up Panel featuring Wendy Harmer, Kerri Sackville & Alex Brooks.

Tell us, what was your favourite game as a kid and do your kids engage in similar play?