Activate Learning

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • What They Say About Me
    • Use of My Content
  • Blog
    • The Blog Archive
  • Life Lessons From Books YouTube Channel
    • My Amazon Shop (Affiliate)
    • My eBay Store Selling My Books
    • Donate a Cup of Coffee
  • Donate
  • Let’s Chat
You are here: Home / Archives for 2025

22 April 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Meet Griffith

Here’s our adorable new furry family member. His name is Griffith and he’s 2 years old and 8 months. It’s been six months since our last cat Pud had crossed the rainbow bridge and I’m not going to lie, I’ve missed him terribly. There isn’t a day that goes by without thinking – or talking […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, Cat, Griffithi, Pets

24 March 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

A Trip to Clunes Book Town Festival

This weekend was the annual Clunes Book Town Festival. Two days on the celebration of books and story telling in a rustic town of Clunes which is about two hours west out of Melbourne. We headed off nice and early so that we couldn’t be stuck in Saturday traffic and stopped at a service station […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, Book Town, Books, Clunes

18 March 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Volunteering at Our Charity Event

Yesterday our golf club held the 9th Annual Epsom Day, a charity event. I was asked to help out on the day to take photos and help out which I gladly agreed to. It was an early start and you could still see the moon up high in the sky when the first group started. […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, Charity, Golf

13 March 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

The Genius or Maniacal Man When It Comes To Technology

A recent book review I uploaded (thanks to a recommendation by my friend Fiona who I have some back and forth conversations about AI), was Benjamin Labatut’s The Maniac. I think it’ll be one of the best books I’ll read this year as it’s about how man wants to understand – and overcome – nature. […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: 2025, AI, Book Reviews, Books

13 March 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Ladies Night at the French Film Festival 🇫🇷

It’s been a few years since I last attended this particular event at the annual Alliance Francaise Film Festival. So I decided to attend once again this year as it’s been some time that I’ve done something like this for myself. Usually I go to events like this by myself and find people to chat […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging, French Tagged With: 2025, French, Movies

24 February 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

We Had Our First Book Club Author Event for 2025

Last Wednesday I hosted author, Caroline Petit who wrote the book, The Natural History of Love to our golf club. I started and run the Birdies, Bogies and Books Club at our golf club and every month we have a book to read and discuss. Sometimes I source the books from a local library who […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: 2025, Book Reviews, Books

24 February 2025 by Helen Blunden 2 Comments

How I Take Notes When Reading a Book

person holding white ceramci be happy painted mug

A couple of weeks ago, I published this video where I shared how I take notes while reading using note books where I journal my thoughts. It’s got many views and it made me realise how it might be an important topic for some people. I was interested in their comments which showed that we […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: 2025, Books, Journaling, Reflective Writing

11 February 2025 by Helen Blunden 2 Comments

Transferring All My Blog Posts

One of my own projects I’ve started is to transfer all the 1498 blogpost onto a Word document (well, to be exact Apple Pages as I don’t use any Microsoft programs anymore). My intention is to print them out into Volumes of Books so in the near future I can archive and pull down this […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, Reflections

6 February 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Creating a Book Club Journal

I’ve been on a roll lately creating a couple of journals that are not only creative to make but also a lot of fun. Recently I made a Reading Journal that I could use to write notes every time I read with the intention of selling it on Amazon. However I keep delaying putting it […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, Book Club, Book Reviews, Books, Reading

5 February 2025 by Helen Blunden 2 Comments

Our 19th Wedding Anniversary

I can’t believe that it’s been 19 years! They go by so quickly. Unbelievable to think that within six months of meeting each other we were married. (When you just know, why silly dally?! 🤣) Every year we celebrate our anniversary by treating ourselves to a dinner at a local restaurant. We decided to try […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, anniversary

18 January 2025 by Helen Blunden 5 Comments

Extracting 1498 Blog Posts One by One

white and black typewriter on white table

Oh this is going to be painful… This week I finalised the Reading Journal Notebook that I created and ordered a printed proof from Amazon to arrive before I publish it. It’s known as a ‘low content’ book in that there’s not much text in it. This is a surprise for me as I usually […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging, Lifelong Learning, Working Out Loud (Work Narration) Tagged With: 2025, Blogging, Learning, Projects

15 January 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Changing Ways

My husband and I are thinking about going overseas next year. We haven’t been on any long holidays (albeit for a weekend away to Inverloch and Castlemaine nearby or a week with family in Canberra) since 2018 (I went overseas to a conference in 2020). So it’s fair to say that we are both hanging […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, Holidays, Leisure, Technology, Travel

13 January 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

The Moon & Sixpence Book by Somerset Maugham Book Review

Here’s the latest video book review which was interrupted by my husband (who does not read my type of books! 🤣)

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: 2025, Book Reviews, Books

11 January 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Flâneur Friday ~ Patterson Lakes

Yesterday I thought I’d take a short trip down to Patterson Lakes. It’s a suburb about twenty minutes drive from my place inland near the Patterson River. The entire suburb consists of canals and waterways with the houses each having a small jetty and a boat. It reminded me of being in Queensland on holiday. […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging, Tours Tagged With: 2025, Libraries, Meanderings, Tours

4 January 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

My Annual YouTube Analytics

Every couple of weeks or so, as a YouTuber, I get a wrap up of the analytics of my channel. It’s interesting to go through it and see how it’s being received but if I want more details, you can drill down into the analytics in that specific section in YouTube Studio which is the […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Books, Lifelong Learning, Vlogging Tagged With: 2025, analytics, Books, Reading, Videos, YouTube

1 January 2025 by Helen Blunden Leave a Comment

Happy New Year!

I can’t believe another year down. Where did the time go? In 2024, I kept a daily diary where I wrote down what I did, where I went and what happened each day. Let’s just say there was a lot of golf and reading going on… I started the year optimistically with the goal of […]

Know anyone who would value this post? Why not share it!

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Tweet
  • Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: 2025, New Year

Life Lessons Through Books

Like What You Read? Consider Donating

My Writing

  • Meet Griffith
  • A Trip to Clunes Book Town Festival
  • Volunteering at Our Charity Event
  • The Genius or Maniacal Man When It Comes To Technology
  • Ladies Night at the French Film Festival 🇫🇷
  • We Had Our First Book Club Author Event for 2025
  • How I Take Notes When Reading a Book
  • Transferring All My Blog Posts
  • Creating a Book Club Journal
  • Our 19th Wedding Anniversary
  • Extracting 1498 Blog Posts One by One
  • Changing Ways
  • The Moon & Sixpence Book by Somerset Maugham Book Review
  • Flâneur Friday ~ Patterson Lakes
  • Spending Time with Mum
  • My Annual YouTube Analytics
  • Happy New Year!
  • My Year in Books – Reading in 2024
  • What I’m Reading
  • Book Review of She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai
  • Book Review of Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
  • Visit to New and Old Parliament House in Canberra
  • Futuro House
  • Creating a Reading Journal
  • Book Review: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
  • Last Book Club Chat for the Year
  • New Book Review: Home by Toni Morrison
  • Golf Trip to The Dunes
  • A Week of Golf and Cleaning
  • Book Review: Leonard & Hungry Paul

Copyright © 2025 · Executive Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

%d