Forum Thermomix
Welcoming Center, Management and General Chat => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Russell on March 25, 2010, 09:23:32 am
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Hi All,
My name's Russell. Let me start off by saying our family are not yet Thermomix owners.
We have a son with Aspires & ADHD and want to try the FAILSAFE diet to see if food intolerance may be a contributing factor. We've known about the diet for years, but the difficulty of spending so much time on preparation in the kitchen has given us excuse not to try it. While browsing around the Fed Up website, I found a reference to someone else doing the diet using a Thermomix, and how much easier it made it for them. Well, this was about 3 days ago, and I'd never heard of a Thermomix.
Since then, I've been doing lots and lots of reading, and I must say, I'm impressed. Even without having had a demo, I'm practically sold. It's just that one minor sticking point about whether the money is better spent elsewhere or not. The fact I've signed up here and started contributing I think will give some money of my indication on that, but we do still want a demo. We've contacted Thermomix through the web site about having a demo, but haven't heard back from anyone yet.
If it works as well as it seems for everyone else, I think it will be a godsend in more than just meal preparations for us. If we can identify any food intolerance in our son with this diet, and stop the years of stress and heartache we've been going through, any amount of money is worth it. Before seeing what the Thermomix can do to simplify preparing food from raw ingredients to finished products, so quickly and with minimal mess, I would still only be thinking about attempting the diet. Instead I've ordered the Fed Up book and the FAILSAFE cookbook, and it's just the final decision on the Thermomix left to go.
In the meantime, I'll lurk here and enjoy looking at some of the scrumptious recipes you're all preparing, and gathering whatever other info I can on the Bimby :)
Russell.
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Welcome Russell!
There are plenty of us SQ'ers on the forum. ;)
Some even like myself who have an ASD/ADHD child as well! He is definitely much easier to cope with whilst on his diet so for us it sure worked. That said, it's been 8 years since we started the elimination diet.. but only 8 months since the TMX came to stay.
It has cut down my day to day cooking time to around a third of what it was.. and now also includes more diverse recipes for my other 3 kids!
Here's to you finding your way soon! :)
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Welcome to the forum Russell. Here's hoping you find every perceivable way of helping your son and if that includes buying a TMX and making all your own food from scratch then you've certainly done the right thing by finding us and the Thermomix. We have so many wonderful parents on this forum who are doing the right thing by their children with allergies etc - not only does it help the children but it has to make parenting so much more pleasurable as well. Good luck with your efforts.
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Welcome Russell, just ask whatever you need to know and the good people here will try and help.
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Hi Russell
Hope you're enjoying your lurking. This (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2031.0)thread will give you some indication of the results some of us have seen from changing the diets of our children. I hope you find it helpful, and give you some ideas of things to try.
Where in Southern Queensland are you? There are quite a few owners around the Darling Downs region.
Fire away with any questions you have so you can make an informed decision.
Cathy
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Hi Russell - I'm a consultant who does cooking demo's. I'm in yarraman are you anywhere close?? I too am a fan of Sue Dengate and read her book after my first child - that's nearly 12 yrs ago!! If you noticed the 'nasty food awards' given away to slush puppies last year - that was me that nominated them - that's my claim to fame! LOL :D Anyway you'll have plenty on here to keep you busy reading for a while. All the best! ;)
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Where in Southern Queensland are you? There are quite a few owners around the Darling Downs region.
Thanks all for the welcome.
Cathy, I'll check out the thread. We're just 10 minutes west of Cunninghams Gap, 30k east of Warwick. Sorry Nay-Nay, a bit far from Yarraman :)
We moved out here 2 years ago to get away from the hustle & bustle of living in Brisbane. Unfortunately, I still work in brisbane during the week as I'm in I.T. and there's not much call for that in Rural areas yet.
Ceejay, thanks for your reply. Finding someone in a similar situation to ours and hearing how the TMX has helped is really what we need to know just now. Wow 8 years hey? That's a long time. We actually did try the diet about 6 or 7 years ago I think it was, but at the time my wife & I were both working, and there just wasn't enough time in the day to do everything, so we gave up before we got too far I'm afraid. Now my wife is not working anymore, and we have a new home with a big well laid out kitchen, as opposed to the shoebox we had back then, we're hoping it'll be easier.
Russell.
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I'm sure someone will be in contact real soon! ;)
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Welcome Russell
I don't know Qld well, so not sure if anyone on this list is close
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1297.0
Hope someone gets back to you soon.
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Welcome Russell
I don't know Qld well, so not sure if anyone on this list is close
http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1297.0
Hope someone gets back to you soon.
Thanks. I looked at that list. There's 2 about 3 hours drive away, the rest are about 18 hours drive away :) There are some Demo's coming up in Brisbane at times I can't make it, so i wonder who puts them on?
I've emailed Thermomix again asking about demo, so we'll see. The MIL has waded into the fray now and thinks we could get by with the utensils and appliances we have. She wouldn't spend the money, although she agrees it looks good.
Russell.
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Russell, I'm not a consultant - just a obsessed cook who would love to share the joy. If you're interested in seeing one in action, you'd be welcome to visit sometime you're in Toowoomba and have a look. Then if it's worthwhile, you can travel to Brisbane.
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Russell, I'm not a consultant - just a obsessed cook who would love to share the joy. If you're interested in seeing one in action, you'd be welcome to visit sometime you're in Toowoomba and have a look. Then if it's worthwhile, you can travel to Brisbane.
Thanks Cathy,
I've just found your thread on bulk buys in the Darling Downs - only on page 1 currently. I was just saying to Damaris (my DW) this morning that we'll need to find bulk stuff after the poor showing Woolies in warwick had yesterday when I was looking for FAILSAFE foods, so I'm sure we'll have lots to talk about :)
Russell.
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Hi Russell, I'm in Toowoomba as well and you would be welcome to check out my machine any time. In addition to controlling what goes into your son's food, I think the main attraction for someone in your situation would be time saved in the kitchen. It really is mind-boggling how much you can achieve in such little time. I used to find meal times stressful with a perfectly healthy toddler demanding my time - now I literally 'set and forget' and when dinner is ready, I am called into the kitchen.
Anyway, I don't want to sound like I'm trying to sell you on it (I'm just a user, not a consultant) but I gather if you're on here, you would like to hear people's experiences of the machine. You may have tapped into a slightly biased resource, however!
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Anyway, I don't want to sound like I'm trying to sell you on it (I'm just a user, not a consultant) but I gather if you're on here, you would like to hear people's experiences of the machine. You may have tapped into a slightly biased resource, however!
Yes well that's one of the surprising things. The internet is renowned for portraying things in a bad light, as people usually only bother posting when they want to complain. But I've searched & searched for con's of the TMX, and found virtually nothing! So I know it's no use asking for opinions on the machine here, as it's quite obvious :)
I'm not sure if I'm looking for excuses to justify buying one, but I dragged out our blender/food processor (a not inexpensive model as food processors go) yesterday to try and make Cashew Butter as our first FAILSAFE replacement for peanut butter. I chucked the cashews in the blender, and it did a moderate job of pulverising them. Then when I added the butter and it almost churned to a stop, then the maple syrup, there was no mixing going on. The blades were spinning underneath it all, but the ingredients weren't moving. I had to keep poking it with a spoon to get the blades moving the mixture.
The replacement for Strawberry Jam was next - Pear jam. So I tried to blend up a time of pear halves. Same result! The pears touching the blades were chopped, but none of the other pieces were pulled into the blades. Out with the spoon again - stop-poke-start-stop-poke-start-stop-poke-start. I was getting very cranky by the end of it and telling my DW that I'm sure the Thermomix would have had this all done ages ago.
Russell.
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Oh Russell, you must ditch that food processor and buy yourself a thermomix ASAP. Take the girls up on their offer and go visit them to see how easy this machine will process things you need to make for your son.
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Welcome Russell, I have only had my TM a few months and it is fantastic, I have not cursed it yet, like previous machines lol. From the demo to the purchase has been fantastic and when the demonstrator lady took my book by accident, the friendly ladies on here were a great help. Hope to see you on here very soon, telling us about using your own machine ;D
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Russell, I always hated my food processor for that reason. It was infuriating. The blades on the TMX are all at different heights so you don't get that problem. Honestly, you should see how it could purlverise those cashews for you! They could be dust if you wanted them to be!
You will also inevitably come up against the 2 cents worth of others who say that you can do anything the TMX can do with your existing utensils. Well, yes, I suppose you can, but if you have my temper you will also lose a few wooden spoons along the way!
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You will also inevitably come up against the 2 cents worth of others who say that you can do anything the TMX can do with your existing utensils. Well, yes, I suppose you can, but if you have my temper you will also lose a few wooden spoons along the way!
LOL, Damaris is actually out buying a new wooden spoon right now ;) Not because I'm breaking them though , although I have broken a plastic spoon before, but that's a different story....
I love cooking and do as much as I can when home, but here's the things I hate that stops me doing more stuff from scratch :-
1. The washing up afterwards, especially with fiddling things like blenders!
2. The time it takes - when I'm only home 2 days a week, I have a long list of things to do that my DW keeps reminding me of, so I can't spend 2 hours in the kitchen every day and try and get all the other things done around the house
3. Not having the right ingredients in the house when I find the perfect recipe
I'm hoping the Thermomix can help with points 1 & 2. Point 3 I guess means I just have to plan ahead more if I want to make something. Going to the FAILSAFE diet will mean more cooking from basic ingredients, so for a while at least we won't be using as much variety of different things anyway.
Russell.
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I love cooking and do as much as I can when home, but here's the things I hate that stops me doing more stuff from scratch :-
1. The washing up afterwards, especially with fiddling things like blenders!
2. The time it takes - when I'm only home 2 days a week, I have a long list of things to do that my DW keeps reminding me of, so I can't spend 2 hours in the kitchen every day and try and get all the other things done around the house
3. Not having the right ingredients in the house when I find the perfect recipe
I'm hoping the Thermomix can help with points 1 & 2. Point 3 I guess means I just have to plan ahead more if I want to make something. Going to the FAILSAFE diet will mean more cooking from basic ingredients, so for a while at least we won't be using as much variety of different things anyway.
Russell.
I was hesitant to spend so much on an *appliance* being a sole mum. Took me 3 months to come around after my demo... now my son can even cook his own meals if he isn't happy with what's on offer... and it's all from scratch.
Since I no longer buy any processed foods and have total control over what is in our cooking now, with relative ease... I notice instantly if something's been *snuck* in at school with friends. ;)
I'd confidently say you wouldn't regret it... since the resale value on them is quite high as well!
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Good to see you on here Russell.
The failsafe TMX blog is written by ralo (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1054) so you may want to contact her by PM through this link (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?action=pm;sa=send;u=1054)
Hope that works.
Some of her posts that are also on her blog are here: http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1054;sa=showPosts;start=30 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1054;sa=showPosts;start=30)
Two threads that may be of interest - http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2501.0 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2501.0) and http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=973.0 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=973.0)
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Thanks Thermomixer.
I had come across Rae's blog. Shame it's not really being updated anymore, but I can't say anything. I've started several blogs and just never get around to updating them regularly.
We're still a week or two from starting FAILSAFE. Possibly over the Easter Holidays when I have some time off and we can all chip in to get started. Have to "remove" some of the nasties from the pantry first too, to get them out of temptations way :)
A consultant from Brisbane called this afternoon about a Demo, just have to get Damaris to organise some friends and a time once we get her contact details, and we'll be good to go.
Russell.
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A belated welcome from the other side of the coountry Russell. I remember Cunningham's Gap well. It is a lot better now than the first time we went through/up with the van.
I agree with all the afore mentioned comments and think that if you can manage one it will be a good buy for you. I've had mine for 16 months now and still find new ways to use it. Minimal washing up is an enormous bonus.
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Hi Russell and welcome to the forum.
I hope that you come to a decision that you're happy with re outlaying so much money. I know I'm happy with my decision!
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Russell, my mother in law is having a demo tomorrow in Toowoomba and you are more than welcome to come along. If you are interested, please message me for more details.
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Oh man, I'm gonna get in so much trouble making this post, but here goes :-
Haven't heard back from the consultant who called about a demo yet. I'm afraid I'm just too impatient.
Do you have to have a demo before you buy one? How long after ordering does it take to get one? Is there any advantage to becoming a consultant before buying your first one (I know there's disadvantages, but that's OK at this stage).
*sigh* I'm my own worst enemy :-\
Russell.
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Russell, i'll post in the Demonstrator discussion thread to see if one of our wonderful consultants can answer correctly.
I would say - maybe not (too impatient), no (buy then demo) few days to a week (depends on location, time of month and what consultant's sales have been like this month/likely to be in next month), yes (if you have big contacts list with like-minded friends who are likely to buy in 60 days)
Good luck
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Hi Russell,
Sorry, I've missed this thread all together :-[
Thermomixer has pretty much covered it off for you.
Once someone decides to purchase, time seems to stand still and not pass - we all know that feeling of being impatient so don't worry about that!
My advice is that if you already know that you will purchase, then purchase first then have your delivery demo. That way you'll get a lot more value out of the demo. You should be guided through the use then during the demo you should also be helping with a couple of the dishes as you go. THEN when the demo's over - you have your machine there ready to play ;D ;D ;D
Depends on your location, how you purchase (Credit Card is the quickest, bank transfer will take an extra day or two and the Finance option will take at least 2 weeks.. ) etc but 1-2 weeks.
Becomign a consultant is a very individual thing. Many decide to get a feel for the thermomix first before stepping out as a consultant, others sign up to earn their thermomix. Ask your consultant to put through a Prospective Consultant Form to their Group Leader and have a chat to them about it.
Hope that helps :)
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Welcome to the forum Russell.
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Thanks folks,
I'm afraid I've been sprung. My DW finally caught up with me talking about being a consultant and I got a flat out "NO!". So i guess I better shut-up on that one for a while :P
I'm sold on the idea of getting one, she's still ambivalent, so I guess it's still up in the air.
Russell.
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Russell, i'll post in the Demonstrator discussion thread to see if one of our wonderful consultants can answer correctly.
I would say - maybe not (too impatient), no (buy then demo) few days to a week (depends on location, time of month and what consultant's sales have been like this month/likely to be in next month), yes (if you have big contacts list with like-minded friends who are likely to buy in 60 days)
Good luck
Thanks. I'm still keen on the info for future reference if nothing else. If I wasn't working, I'd be up for it, but as the spare time falls to Damaris currently, it's her decision. The thing for me is, if I'm this keen already and haven't even seen the thing, I can imagine just talking to friends about it will generate interest from others, and I'd feel a bit putout if my friends bought from my recommendation, and I got no benefit from it.
The converse is that I hate selling when there's pressure to make sales. Look at yourself. You have no vested interest in making sales, but I bet all the work you've done has resulted in plenty, and I think you should be rewarded for that as a consequence. The problem is when people find out you do need to make sales, they treat what you say with scepticism as to whether you really mean it, or whether you're just saying it to make the sale.....
What was I saying? How did I end up on this soapbox?
**steps down**
Russell.
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I get a lot of satisfaction from sharing recipes on here, sharing the cooking that I generate and helping families like yours share in the health benefits that I'm achieving for my family.
It would be nice to generate a little $$ on the side from referrals, but that's not my motivation at this point. I just love sharing the cooking joy!
And wondering market stalls getting ideas of food I can make at home that's healthier, not to mention cheaper. But that's another story.....
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Hi from a quite chilly Geelong,Vic. I used to live in Goondiwindi for a period of time, it is much warmer than here, although when winter sets in living there gets nasty too.
I only decided to become a consultant when it was pointed out to me at Xmas that I sounded like a salesperson for TM! I was aware though that all TM owners sound crazily alike.
The excitement that will breed in your house over the next couple of months as your cooking life turns into a breeze instead of a chore will amaze you.
You would already be noticing, as I think by now your TM should have arrived, how simple it is to pulverise a full bowl of food into something that tastes divine in a matter of seconds.
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Thanks Sarah,
Nah hasn't arrived yet. One more day. Then the pulverizing will commence :)
Russell.
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Hi from a quite chilly Geelong,Vic. I used to live in Goondiwindi for a period of time, it is much warmer than here, although when winter sets in living there gets nasty too.
OMG - it has been very mild down here in Vic - record period of days over 20 deg :o :o :o - wait til it gets COLD
I only decided to become a consultant when it was pointed out to me at Xmas that I sounded like a salesperson for TM! I was aware though that all TM owners sound crazily alike.
True - but you decided to actually use your enthusiasm to make some money - good work and good luck :-* :-* :-*
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I know I am soooo soft when it comes to the weather. Maybe this year is worse as I am no longer a beached whale with blubber to act as insulation! ;D ;D ;D
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Our first day in 4 months under 20 degrees = now it is getting cool. I still have loads of blubber :(
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Our first day in 4 months under 20 degrees = now it is getting cool. I still have loads of blubber :(
Well oddly enough, it seems to have warmed up again. I keot sticky my arms and legs out from under the sheet last night, which is not good since we'e had a mossie plague for the last week. We can't figure out how they seem to be getting in through the flyscreens though ???
Russell.
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They hitch a ride inside on your back Russell. ;)
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They hitch a ride inside on your back Russell. ;)
Anything's possible I suppose, although that's usually the Fly's M.O. but we manage to keep them out. I think they follow the dogs ina nd sneak through the doggy door. As we're trying to avoid any VOC's in the house, sprays are out, so there's a lot of slapping & clapping going on in the middle of the night.
Russell.
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Yes, it was a tad humid out there... not used to sleeping without the blankets at 3am! LOL! ;)
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Is it lavendar bushes that are a natural insect repellant? I seem to remember a gardening show that suggested lots of lavendar bushes around the BBQ area. Might be worth checking out something natural like that.
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You can make your own insect repellant from catnip or rosemary leaves - check it out here Russell
http://www.marigoldlane.com/greenliving/mosquitoplants.html (http://www.marigoldlane.com/greenliving/mosquitoplants.html)
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Hmm, well.
We have both Lavender and Rosemary bushes in the garden outside of our bedroom, so I'm not sure how well they'll work. Will checkout the link though. Thanks.
Russell.
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Once you read the link Russell, you will see how it works. The bushes themselves don't work, it is what you do with the leaves that is supposed to work. Give it a go, you'll have nothing to lose. ;) ;)
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Russell our weekend newspaper had a recipe for repellant using water and lavendar oil in it. If you're interested I'll post it. It is one of Shannon Lush's recipes. I haven't tried it but I plan to when we go away.
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Russell our weekend newspaper had a recipe for repellant using water and lavendar oil in it. If you're interested I'll post it. It is one of Shannon Lush's recipes. I haven't tried it but I plan to when we go away.
Sure if you could, that'd be great, and of course the TMX helps in pulverising the raw ingredients. There'd be no mossies in your cakes then either :P
Russell.
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ROFL.
Here is Shannon Lush's tip. Mix 1 teaspoon of lavender oil with 1 litre of water and put in a spray bottle. Among the many uses for this is a mozzie and fly repellant. She says mist a little over your skin and rub it in. She also says that this mix is good as a fibre relaxant. Spray it lightly over your clothers and put them on. She says this combined with your body heat will have the creases out of your clothes by the time you reach the front door. I plan to try both of these at Monkey Mia.
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Cookie, you are not just looking for an excuse to leave the iron at home when you go on holiday are you ??? ??? ??? Don't forget to get back to us and let us know how the experiment went :-*
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Hmmm sounds like something a uni student might try to get out of ironing... :D :D :D
Bet my eldest tries things like this when he attends... :-))
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I refuse to iron when we're at Monkey Mia. We spend most of the time in really daggy clothes and go fishing most days if the weather permits. Hence no ironin' for me. When we travel I will drag the iron out otherwise we look very ruffled. We look so bad at MM that I have seen students I teach not recognise me- daggy clothes, hair everywhere (the water there is salt) and no makeup. Great disguise. ;D
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HaHa Cookie1- every teacher's dream - A great disguise!!!
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I will have to remember that one when I head back to teaching. ;D