And now for a little me time
THE POWER OF ... SERIES
The power of being organised
GIVEAWAYS by Lorna Gordon
We are nearly at the busiest time of year for many people . Schools finish next month , then there is Christmas and New Year with all the extra activities that go along with them . I know there could be a lot of eye rolling happening here , it ’ s only just into November , but if you do a few things now , your future self will be very happy with you !
Getting organised will allow you to enjoy the festive season when it arrives , instead of panicking and trying to buy last minute gifts , book the kids into activities or out of school care or arranging to see friends before it gets super busy . It will give you more time to make choices , spread any costs out over a longer period and make those important dates in your diary before people are all booked up .
If you celebrate Christmas and haven ’ t started buying gifts , here is my fail safe idea to make decision making easier , keep it simple and choose one gift and tailor your idea to everyone . For example , you might decide to give books , which could be a novel , journal , photo book of your family , colouring in book , etc .
You can do the same with gift cards , clothing , experiences , magazine subscriptions and I ’ m sure there are plenty of other ideas out there you can
Plan now for the holidays and you ’ ll thank yourself later !
think of . Don ’ t forget to check out local businesses who love support from their communities .
Next is school holidays , if you have to keep your kids busy , now is the time to book into camps , daycare or with family .
Not everything has to be expensive , local libraries and councils often have low cost activities for younger children and so do many of the local RSL or other clubs in your area .
If you want to throw a party or are hosting Christmas lunch , write up your shopping list now so you can buy the non-perishables or frozen items ahead of time and spread out the costs . This is also useful if people offer to bring some food along , you know what you have arranged and can easily ask them to bring extra snacks , the desert or a fruit platter .
Getting organised isn ’ t too difficult , even if you only do a couple of things each week , by the time the holidays roll round you ’ ll be very happy that you did .
The world ’ s premier theatrical ice-skating troupe , THE IMPERIAL ICE STARS returns to Australia with its award-winning masterpiece SWAN LAKE ON ICE LIVE ON STAGE 9 – 19 January 2025 .
With Tchaikovsky ’ s glorious music , exhilarating new choreography from leading ice director Tony Mercer , and dazzling costumes , this innovative portrayal of the classic love story will take your breath away when the Imperial Ice Stars return to Australia to perform SWAN LAKE ON ICE exclusively at The Coliseum at Rooty Hill from 9 to 19 January 2025 .
The 23 Olympic , World , European and National Championship level skaters , who between them hold more than 250 competition medals , take contemporary ice dance to a new level with their daring and graceful feats – some of which are so complex they haven ’ t yet been named – performed in the intimate setting of a
frozen theatre stage . The award-winning Imperial Ice Stars have won five-star praise from audiences and critics alike and performed at some of the world ’ s most prestigious venues – the London Palladium and the Royal Albert Hall , Singapore ’ s Esplanade Theatre , Montreal ’ s Place des Arts and Cape Town ’ s Artscape .
This adrenaline-infused SWAN LAKE ON ICE will bring you to the edge of your seat … www . imperialicestars . com Insta @ SwanLakeOnIceAUS
We are giving away 6 family passes to Swan Lake . To enter tell us why you would love to see the performance and send it to us via email to info @ hdinews . com . au . Please put Swan Lake Giveaway in the subject line and leave us your name , address and phone number . All winners will be notified by phone / email .
PODCASTS
by Lorna Gordon
THE LAZY GENIUS
If you have ever struggled to get organised , know how to plan a project , have smooth running holidays or get the kids back to school with ease , then this is the podcast for you .
Kendra Adachi is the host of The Lazy Genius and encourages us to be a genius about things that are important and lazy about the things that aren ’ t , and I don ’ t know about you , but this time strapped mother needs this in her life !
Her recent episode on how to help your kids to tidy their room is a real eye opener and will change the way you approach tidying forever . Her back to school checklist will be handy when the new year rolls round , and you can print it off to help you even more .
If you struggle with managing your time , whether this is when you have a really busy spell ( hello end of school year , Christmas and school holidays coming up ), or just need a way to organise life in general , she has some great episodes on it . The 10 reasons why compassionate time management changes everything and episode 387 helps you when life is chaotic .
She has a few recurring episode ideas , I love her ‘ What ’ s saving my life ’ episodes which are fun and give you ideas on things that can make a big difference in your life , even if it is simply taking a rest or buying extra hair brushes . You can listen to the podcast on your normal streaming services .
THE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Starring Michael Boyd and Special
Guest Prinnie Stevens State Theatre 20 to 22 December
2024
Master magician and illusionist Michael Boyd and special guest Prinnie Stevens arrive with the most magical holiday event of the season returning to the State Theatre from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 December .
The Christmas Spectacular is an extravaganza of music , circus , dance and magic that celebrates the joy and excitement of Christmas .
This magical show will ignite your holiday spirit and remind you that Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year as your senses ignite with a kaleidoscope of Christmas songs and dances presented by world class variety performers lighting up the stage in a show that pays tribute to the Radio City Rockettes , The Nutcracker and much more .
Join The Voice finalist and Musical Theatre sensation Prinnie Stevens , as she takes you on a musical journey of Christmas classics from traditional songs to Mariah Carey favourites all performed with Prinnie ’ s unique style and the voice of an angel .
Acclaimed illusionist and Australia ’ s Got Talent finalist Michael Boyd will perform some of his greatest illusions , mind-boggling disappearances and incredible magic ( with a Christmas twist ) that will keep the audience entranced .
Joining Prinnie and Michael will be the absolute crème de la crème of Australia ’ s showgirls , many of whom have graced the stages of Moulin Rouge , the Lido and appeared in other world-famous cabaret revues .
We are giving away 9 Double passes to The Christmas Spectacular . To enter tell us why you would love to go along to the Spectacular and send it to us via email to info @ hdinews . com . au . Please put Christmas Spectacular Giveaway in the subject line and leave us your name , address and phone number . All winners will be notified by phone / email .
14 ISSUE 113 // NOVEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT