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May
05

Mother's Day Musings

Mothers Day is approaching, and with it, a flurry of hand written cards, hasty trips to the shops by dads, husbands, sons, daughters and partners, a myriad of school and pre school stalls, the busying of florists, jewellers, beauticians,  and the stacking of installations of cards in post offices, shops, corner stores, and petrol stations. These are the Mother's Day Musings of The Celebrant's Network's guest blogger Lisa Philipsen....

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Feb
17

Turning 18 is a really big deal!

Turning 21 and celebrating your 21st is seen as the big celebration and the year that you become an adult, but turning 18 is actually more of a big deal - especially here in Australia.  It not only marks your transition into adulthood, but there are quite a few responsibilities that go along with it. 

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Sep
21

Celebrating being Australian

Advance Australia Fair

 

Tuesday 17th September was Citizenship Day in Australia.  The Australian Government established Citizenship Day in 2001 as a day when all Australians could celebrate their Australian citizenship. Today's blog is wriiten by TCN celebrant Sonia Collins from Batemans Bay, NSW

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Sep
11

Celebrating New Beginnings

Think about all the times in your life when you've started something new... School, university, work, moved house, bought a house, moved in with a partner, moved towns, cities, states and countries, a new project, marriage, children... the list goes on.  TCN Celebrant and today's guest blogger Shell Brown from Mandurah, WA takes us through how we can add ceremony to all our life celebrations.
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Jul
24

Celebrating family members

Celebrating family

We have birthdays, mother's day and father's day... but what about everybody else in our family?  When do we celebrate them?

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1562 Hits
Nov
30

Celebrating Life

Celebrating Life

Throughout our lives there are many milestones that we traditionally celebrate... birthdays, coming of age, weddings, anniversaries, etc... and we celebrate them because in doing so we gain a sense of belonging and achievement, like we've reached a goal, we've finally arrived at a particular stage of our lives.

We made it!  

Celebrating these special moments in our lives can give us a special sense of meaning and happiness.....



... but what about all the other moments that don't get the same social recognition?  

What about the wonderful moments inbetween those big events?

A beautiful sunrise

That job prmotion

A perfectly still ocean



Your indoor netball granfinal win

Your favourite bottle of wine is on sale




Funny cat photos and videos




A fresh new notebook

Reading the papers on a Sunday



Making somebody laugh



A cool breeze on a hot day

Freshly cut flowers



Getting the USB plug in the right way first go

Successfully using chopsticks



Each of us will have our own list of little moments that fill in the space between the big events and each and every one of them should be celebrated.

Some moments in life are meant to be celebrated publicly, with family, friends and sometimes with a celebrant.....

.... and other moments are meant for us to simply enjoy on our own.

If you'd like to speak to a TCN Celebrant about any moment you'd like to celebrate - Click Here

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Narelle Adams

Other times to celebrate ...

Coming Out Transitioning Welcoming pets, partners, family, foster or adopted children
Friday, 01 December 2017 08:33
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Aug
30

Celebrating Father's Day

Father's Day is only 4 days away!  
What have you got planned?


Father's Day is celebrated worldwide to recognise the contribution that fathers and father figures make to the lives of their children.  The day is celebrated on different days in different countries, and in Australia, along with New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea we celebrate it on the 1st Sunday in September.  

Quite similarly to Mother's Day, the modern day celebration might include buying dad a tie, some socks and a mug that says "World's Greatest Dad.  We give him a card and possibly gather the family together for a meal - probably a BBQ that dad ends up cooking.



Here are some alternative ideas that might just make dad's day.

1. Let him sleep in.  If dad usually has to get up early because of work or kids or sport.... let him sleep in on Sunday.



2. Ask him what he would like to do - let him make the decisions and choices all day.



5. Plan a day full of surprises that dad will love.



5. Just spend time with your dad - go for a walk or sit and talk.



6. Invite all the family around - uncles, grandfathers, step fathers



7. Be creative - Make a special slide show, write a song or create a book about all the things you love about your dad.



If you'd like to speak to a TCN Celebrant about how you could add ceremony into your father's day celebrations - Click HERE to find the closest celebrant to you.

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There is a comment section ? at the bottom ⬇ of the blog for you to do just that.  
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May
14

Different Types of Families

Different Types of Families

Family:
 noun, plural families.
a. a basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family.
b. a social unit consisting of one or more adults together with the children they care for: a single-parent family.

 
 

The idea of the ‘traditional’ family of Mum and Dad and the kids has changed 
tremendously over the last 50 years.  No longer are you required to be in a heterosexual 
coupled relationship, all living together in the same house, with possibly a dog and a picket fence to be considered a “family”

Today’s families are diverse; culturally, genderly and ethnically mixed and should be celebrated.

In many countries around the world you can find:

* Children who are adopted and fostered and can be raised by grandparents or other relatives 

grandmother-with-granddaughter-2081318_1920.jpg
Photo: Pixabay

* Single parents

father-1383159_1280.jpg
Photo: Pixabay

* Families that consist of two parents who don’t live in the same house

pexels-photo-164338.jpeg
Photo: Pexels


* Children who will grow up with step parents and step siblings, half siblings and extra grandparents

freestock_21428875.jpg
Photo:Free Stock 

* Parents/couples who can be different genders, the same gender, transgender or not identify with a gender at all

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Photo: proudparenting.com

* Children who don’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth

&

* Families with members who live with a disability

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Photo: Nathan Anderson - unsplash.com

*Couples who do not to have children



* People who choose to complete their family with a fur baby.  

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Photo source: PHann

* Loving partnerships that bring together families from different cultures or nationalities

&

* Families that can be made up of a group of people who are not blood related to them at all

Smile_3.jpg
http://atlantablackstar.com

This is just a short list of the different kinds of families that can be found in Australia and around the world and there's one thing for certain.... 

There is not one type of family that is more ‘normal’ or important than another.

If you would like to find out how you can celebrate your family, please speak to a TCN Celebrant today.

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Thank you for 
joining us....
?? We would love it if you would let us know what you think ?.  
There is a comment section ? at the bottom ⬇ of the blog for you to do just that.  
?Click on the word "Comment" and go for it!
? Don't forget to subscribe ? to this blog - the "subscribe" button is up the top of the page ⇞⇞⇞ and the blog will magically ?? appear in your email inbox ?.
Also please feel free to share ? our blog on your social media ? so we can spread the love ?! 
Please use this ? link: https://www.celebrations.org.au/blog when you share. ? 
Find us on FacebookInstagram & Twitter

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May
08

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day

Wikipedia tells me that Mother's Day originated in the USA back in 1872 as women were called to support disarmament and for the 2nd June to be established as a "Mother's Day of Peace".  This day was not to honour mothers as such, but for organising pacifist mothers against the war.

On further reading, it was actually Catholic and Protestant Christians in certain parts of Europe in the 16th century that held aside a day called "Mothering Sunday" which fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Day.  This was the day that people would visit their "mother" church, - the church that they'd been baptised in, and being that it was the only day that family would be able to get together, it also became an occasion to honour their own mothers.

Mother's Day in Australia, is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.  In 1924 it became a day to honour mothers and give them gifts when a woman from Sydney, Janet Heyden began visiting patients at the Newington State Home for Women.  She met many lonley and forgotten mothers and to cheer them up, she rounded up support from local school children and businesses to donate and bring gifts to the women.  Each year the day got bigger and bigger and thanks to florists and confectionery companies, became quiet commercialised.  The chrysanthemum becoming the traditional flower to give mums on Mother's Day.

Mother's Day has become a day for Mums to sit back and relax whilst her family dotes on her by making her breakfast, taking her out to lunch, doing odd jobs around
the house and bringing her flowers and gifts….

bed-tea.jpg
Image Source : cheapmothersdaygiftideas.wordpress.com

If she’s anything like my mum you will probably find her tidying up after all those activities and arranging the lunch herself!

Ahh, a mother’s work is never done!

TCN would like to gently push Mother's Day into the future... to a time where we don't simpy give Mum a card and some flowers from the petrol station and be
done with it, but that we look at the Day as a chance to honour our Mum and celebrate her achievements and say thank you for all that she's done for us.

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Here are some different ideas to celebrate your Mum on Mother's Day...

Plant Some Memories... 
Spend the day in the garden with Mum planting some of her favourite flowers that together you can water and look after. Spending this quality time with you
mum will make her feel loved, needed and apprecated. 

b2ap3_thumbnail_mom-daughter-gardening1.jpg

Mother’s Day Selfie... 
Start another family tradition of taking funny selfies of your family with your Mum as the central figure. Then you can print them out and make a
collage of the day. You can look back on that every day and remember how special your Mum is. 

b2ap3_thumbnail_likenessvselfie2.jpg

A Family Reunion...  
Gather all your beloved family members together at a park or someone’s backyard and before you bbq and share out the potato salad, take turns to share
how you feel about your Mum, what she means to you and why you're grateful to have her in your life. 

b2ap3_thumbnail_o-FAMILY-REUNION-facebook.jpg
Image: JACK HOLLINGSWORTH/PHOTODISC/THINKSTOCK

Share in Mum’s Hobbies... 
Gardening might be her passion, she might like funny movies, or she might just love pottering in the kitchen making those mini cakes she’s
famous for - get in there with her. Learn, laugh and love. 

MD-movie.jpg
Image source: blog.ltdcommodities.com

Surprise Mum with a “This Is Your Life” Ceremony...
Take a walk down memory lane and create a book of all Mum’s accomplishments throughout her life.

All you need to do is speak to a celebrant and together you can pull off the most fantastic surprise for your Mum.

b2ap3_thumbnail_grandmother-923871_1920.jpg

Give Mum the Day Off and Leave Her Alone...
No cooking, no cleaning, no washing, no picking up after anybody - just a day of pure bliss.  If Mum has small children, sometimes all she wants
is to have some quiet time to herself to read the paper, or go to the toilet in peace.... then once she has had some time - then you celebrate her - big time!

adult-1850672_1280.jpg

To me, my Mum is more than just my Mum - she’s my best friend and it brings a tear to my eye to even say the words ‘I’d be lost without her’, but there are lots of
people out there who will be celebrating Mother’s Day without their Mums.

Your Mum will always be special and it's important to keep them in your memory.

Make her favourite recipe...
Dig out that scone recipe that your Mum used to make and think about her with every turn of the wooden spoon, then lovingly whip some cream and with each
bite, remember all the wonderful things about your Mum.  You could also invite family around to share in the love with you, sharing memories and stories.

b2ap3_thumbnail_gallery-1461869243-gettyimages-548555775.jpg

Hold a Day of Remembering...
Not too unlike a memorial, but a lot happier.  Gather the people who were close to your Mum together, ask them to bring with them something that reminds them of her and each speak about the wonderful person that she was and the amazing legacy that she has left for you all.  You could incorporate a TCN Celebrant to assist you in arranging the day and keeping it flowing so that you can be completely immersed in the memories and the feelings of the day.

multi racial gathering diversity fellowship dinner vine seminar family Courtesy of Monkey Business Images Shutterstock com  _292953494.jpg
Courtesy of Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

Make a patchwork quilt...
My Mum has a thousand scarves and each one reminds me of a different event, a different place and a different smile.  Imagine sewing all those memories
together into one glorious patchwork quilt to wrap yourself up in on Mother's Day.

b2ap3_thumbnail_gallery-1461869637-gettyimages-153940025.jpg

CLICK HERE to find some more lovely ideas to keep Mum close with you this Mother’s Day.

???
Thank you for 
joining us....

?? We would love it if you would let us know what you think ?.  
There is a comment section ? at the bottom ⬇ of the blog for you to do just that.  
?Click on the word "Comment" and go for it!

? Don't forget to subscribe ? to this blog - the "subscribe" button is up the top of the page ⇞⇞⇞ and the blog will magically ?? appear in your email inbox ?.

Also please feel free to share ? our blog on your social media ? so we can spread the love ?! 
Please use this ? link: https://www.celebrations.org.au/blog when you share. ? 

Find us on FacebookInstagram & Twitter


 
 
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