Things I learnt this week, including the mother of all lentils

A bit of a slow week I'm afraid. You will note that I kind of ran out of learnings at about point 7, but pressed on regardless...
1. Storybird is a really sweet site where you can create storybooks using existing artwork and themes. Delicious.

2. After singer/songwriter Lori Lieberman saw Don McLean singing his composition "Empty Chairs" in concert, she wrote a poem titled "Killing Me Softly with His Blues". Which became the basis of Roberta Flack's hit "Killing Me Softly with His Song." Thank you Don.

3. Drinking one bottle of water has the same environmental impact as driving a car for a kilometre, which is interesting considering that a litre of bottled water generally costs more than a litre of petrol.

4. For some parents (not naming any names here) it's practically impossible to stick to the 'no children in our bed at night no matter what' rule. Which sort of means that that parent (identity protected) really shouldn't make sweeping statements such as 'no children in our bed at night no matter what', especially to said children.

5. Environmentally-friendly laundry detergents (EFLD) do not offer the same hospitality to your clothes. I have yet to find one that actually cleans. If you know and love one, please recommend and I will try.

6. I am feeling particularly bad about my inability to find an EFLD because I learned this week just how much in love I am with my (new) dryer. It is the king of Dryer-Person relationships and I have never been happier.

7. Clinical Psychologist Lyn Worsley has developed a programme called "The Resillience Doughnut" which helps to build resillience in children. The programme uses the formula "if something is working, do more of it" and Lyn dictates an insightful, common-sense approach that is easy for parents to apply straightaway. I found her talk amazing.

8. It's not just beans. Too much fruit will make you toot.

9. Making a statement like 'too much fruit will make you toot' instantly lowers people's perception of your intelligence level.

10. Trying to pass brown lentils off as 'baby chickpeas' doesn't work. It results in not a single lentil being eaten and you will also find yourself having one of those conversations involving questions such as 'how old are the chickpea babies?' and 'are they brothers and sisters?' and 'where is the baby chickpeas' mother?' (stuffing her head into the gas oven, most likely).


Did you learn anything new to share this week?

[Colourful lentil image: allproducts.com]