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Hi Everyone!
Forecasters warned us of a stormy October but little did we know just how turbulent this month would become.   The school holidays began with wintery cold snaps, wind and rain putting a dampener on outdoor activities.  But any complaints we may have had were swiftly silenced with news of earthquakes and a tsunami leaving devastation throughout the pacific.  We listened for news updates; prayed for the welfare of our friends and relatives in Samoa; feared for the safety of fellow New Zealanders in coastal areas as we waited for the tsunami to reach our shores; let out a unanimous sigh of relief at the anti-climactic end; and then watched in horror as the footages and stories started rolling in from our neighbours.  So we rallied together, dug deep into our pockets, donated our time, resources and useful items, and continuing to offer aide in rebuilding the communities that have been destroyed. Then amidst the memorials being held to honour the souls lost in the pacific, another horror began to unfold closer to home - the disappearance of a two year old girl from West Auckland.  One minute she was with her mother and older sister, the next she was gone.  Once again, New Zealanders have rallied together but at the time of writing, our efforts have been futile.  Police were almost certain they were dealing with an abduction situation and cautioned communities to exercise vigilance and parents to be sensibly cautious as the nation's children return to school.  I'm sure I was not alone in my inability to reconcile what had happened - things like this aren't supposed to happen in our clean, green and safe country.

Losing a child through an accident or illness is a parent's worst nightmare - but to have her simply disappear, not knowing what happened and where she might be makes the situation a million times worse.  The Symes family were in our thoughts and we prayed that whoever was holding Aisling would realise what a terrible mistake they had made and return her safe and sound to the arms of her family.

I firmly believe that everything in life happens for a reason.  The answers may not be clear to us immediately and even after a lifetime of searching we may not find an acceptable explanation.  Even with warning systems, natural disasters are outside of our control and therefore in time we are able to accept what has happened.  However, how does one reconcile the senseless abduction of an innocent child?  What sort of a person would be capable of doing such a thing?  What could possibly be their motivation?  How can they continue to ignore the pleas from the family, friends, police and community??

The discovery of Aisling's body along with confirmation that her death was due to misadventure rather than foul-play was at once devastating and a relief.  Our sincere condolences go out to the Symes family as they farewell their precious angel.  May we all take comfort in the knowledge that we are no longer hunting for a monster with sinister intent and in time find closure on this terribly sad story.

Whilst these two tragic events are oceans apart both physically and figuratively, the message for us all is loud and clear: make time today to hold your loved ones close and tell them at every opportunity that you love them unconditionally - for tomorrow isn't promised.

The aim of the Book / Product Reviews section is to share books, products and services available to New Zealand families and to provide our members with the opportunity to add their own ratings and reviews. This month we review a nifty product to easy your baby's blocked nose, quirky novelty tee shirts and fabulous well decals to decorate the whole house!  We also have a fabulous selection of books for the whole family:

Breast cancer kills 650 New Zealand women a year, and over 2,300 new cases are diagnosed anually.  The truth is that in many cases breast cancer is a preventable disease!

Come and hear the most current information on the the science of breast cancer prevention.

If you want to do all you can to never become a breast cancer statistic, attend this seminar covering:

• The latest strategies to reduce your risk of breast cancer

• Top tips for female hormonal health and wellbeing

• How safe, non-invasive breast thermography can help you safeguard your breast health

Presented by award winning health researcher, speaker, author and practicing acupuncturist and naturopath Lynda Wharton.

Tickets are $20 at the door or pre-purchase online for $15 at www.lyndawharton.com.

Spot prizes to be won include:

• 3 free breast thermograms valued at $200 each

• Copies of Wellbeing by Lynda Wharton

• Subscriptions to Fitness Life magazine

Saturday 17th October 7.30pm-10.00pm

Grey Lynn Community Centre

510 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland

For all queries contact lynda@lyndawharton.com

They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and serve many purposes: they attract spouses by enticing, arousing and providing pleasure; they nurture our offspring through the supply of nourishment; and for many, they form a part of our identity.  Yet despite these significant roles which they play, their health is often neglected and sadly, this can result in the premature loss of a loved one.  I am, of course, talking about breasts.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month so we begin with a celebration of breasts - from tips to help you with breastfeeding to breast cancer prevention strategies:

• Breastfeeding - Ministry of Health

• Breastfeeding Nutrition Part 1: Eat a Variety of Foods - Ministry of Health

• Breastfeeding Nutrition Part 2: Food for Thought - Ministry of Health

• Breast Cancer Prevention - Lynda Wharton
  

Baby Loss Awareness Week takes place from 7th to 15th October every year, ending with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day on 15th October.  It provides an opportunity for parents, families and whanau around New Zealand to come together and remember the lives of their babies who have died.  Thanks to Miscarriage Support Auckland Inc, we have a large number of articles on this difficult subject:

In response to some questions which were raised on the coffeegroup.org forums a few months ago, we are thrilled to share with your the following articles written by Emily Hay from NZ Nannies International which explain your home-based childcare options and the costs associated with each:

• Why Choose Home-Based Childcare - Emily Hay

• The Difference Between Nannies and Au Pairs Part 1: Price - Emily Hay
  

Why don't you sign in and join a discussion topic - or start a new post about something concerning you? Chances are, you're not alone in your experiences!

We are always thrilled to bring coffeegroup.org members Special Offers from our wonderful advertisers and this month we have following fantastic offer from At Your Aid:

As our children head back to school it is time to cross anything and everything that contains nuts off the lunch menu and get creative.  Whilst bananas and apples are available all year around, with the arrival of spring (yes, despite appearances it IS in fact spring) we have been blessed with a great selection of seasonal fruit to add variety such as: grapes and mandarins (all seedless of course!), plums, nectarines and kiwi fruit.  In order to stay out of the jam-sandwich-rut, we have introduced pita pockets and wraps filled with finely grated cheese and carrot.  Occasionally we have ham, luncheon or salami, but these don't fear so well on hot days - unless you can put a cooler pack/frozen drink next to said sandwiches to ensure they stay chilled until they're eaten.  (Not to mention the fact that as soon as your children study healthy eating their lunch box contents will be discussed at length by the class!)  Yoghurt now comes in a variety of fantastic forms for packing in lunch boxes - from squeezable tubes to squeezable pots that don't even require a spoon.  But if you'd rather not spend those precious $$ on packaging to add to our landfills, your best option is to purchase your own re-usable containers and fill them each day from a 1L tub of yoghurt or better still, your home-made yoghurt and REALLY feel like a domestic goddess!  All children (our girl in particular) enjoy a sweet/crunchy/chewy treat in the form of biscuits and if it encompasses chocolate then all the better.  Whilst such delectible treats tend to fall in the 'occasional' category of the healthy food pyramid, do not discount the 'brownie points' (excuse the pun) you will earn for your child's lunch box containing home-baked goods (as opposed to snack-sized packets of biscuits/crackers/crisps!  Muffins - both sweet and savoury - are quick and easy to make and freeze.  Bake them in either standard or mini muffin tins to add variety and avoid wastage from those with bird-sized appetites.

To follow is a selection of our favourite lunch box fillers:

A B C Muffins Cheese Muffins Pumpkin Oat Muffins Mini Quiches Mini Meatballs Mince Wraps Visit the Cook's Corner page for more tempting recipes. And if you are a seasoned sugar-crafts-person or new to cake decorating, be sure to check out our Birthday Cakes Gallery which allows you to share your creations and inspire others.

The coffeegroup.org Events / What's On section is devoted to "what's on" throughout New Zealand: from parenting courses and pre-school classes to community, sports and recreation events.

But wait, there's more!! As a member of the coffeegroup.org community, you now have the ability to upload and maintain your own listings so that you can notify the whole of New Zealand about your community-based, family oriented activities completely free of charge!!

October 2009 Giveaways:

. Click here to go in the draw to win a copy of Buddy valued at $20

. Click here to go in the draw to win a copy of Yates Young Gardener valued at $25

Congratulations to the Winners of our Father's Day Photo Competition:

The $500 Photography Package from Designer Portraits went to: Michael Pavey (Auckland)

The $500 Gift Hamper from Breastmates, Stork to Chalk and coffeegroup.org went to: Darren Baker (Dunedin)

Congratulations to the Winners from our August 2009 Giveaways:

• A HOTmilk Nursing Bra from Breastmates went to: Eugenie Dervin (Waitakere) and Sarah Sweeney (Rangiora)
  

• Musical Theatre School Holiday Programme from The Performance.net went to: Leila Thomas (Ponsonby), Eva Anton (Waitakere) and Anita Erceg (Ellerslie)
  

• A copy of Cry of the Taniwha by Des Hunt from HarperCollins Publishers went to: Simone Jenkins (Tauranga) and Sophie Robbers (Wellington)
  

• A copy of It's the Best Day Ever, Dad! by Brooke Shields from HarperCollins Publishers went to: Sharon Howard (Whangarei) and Kathryn Granier (North Shore)
  

• A copy of The Naughtiest Puppy by V.M. Jones and Scott Tulloch from HarperCollins Publishers went to: Scott Kelland (Rotorua) and Gwen Thompson (Christchurch)