TGDM ends here.

by ~Tina · 32 comments

in Uncategorized

After months of deliberation, I have decided to close Tina Gray {dot} Me.

The last seven years have been amazing.

I feel honoured to have been thought of, for a time, as an influential blogger, a veteran blogger.

And I am flattered that people saw me, for a time, as someone who was knowledgeable in the field.

I have met the most amazing people over the years. People who I am proud to call my friends and will always cherish their friendship.

Thank you to everyone who helped me make a dollar or few from blogging.

I have worked with some amazing PR firms and Brands who trusted me when it came to the commercial side of blogging and allowed me to help promote businesses and services and in doing so, have given me and my family the opportunity to experience things that we would not have otherwise been able to do.

But most of all I want to thank each and every single person who has ever read any of my posts.

Especially those that have been with me since the early days.

Thank you for making me part of your day.

Thank you for your comments.

Thank you for your emails.

Thank you for sharing my posts with your friends.

I think TGDM has run its course.

I’ve run out of things to say here.

The Tina Gray {dot} Me domain does not expire until April 2015 so it will remain live until then. But the TGDM Facebook page and my Twitter account will be deleted soon.

Pinterest and Instagram will remain. They have always been my favourites.

And I am still able to be reached at tinagray.me@gmail.com

Or let’s connect on Facebook on a personal level.

It’s been a fun ride! xx

{ 32 comments }

What did we do before phones with cameras?

by ~Tina · 2 comments

in LIFE, Reviews + Giveaways

This content has been created as part of my involvement in the Microsoft Connections Program.

My involvement with the Microsoft Connections Program is coming to a close and it has almost taken me THAT long to really become “one” with the Nokia Lumia 925 that I have been using. I didn’t like it so much when I first started with it, only because I was used to the apps of the other phone I was using. And if you know me, you know that I don’t like change all that much.

But as the months passed and I had time to play with my Lumia, I was discovering more and more what this little phone could do.

And the camera is awesome! I love that I don’t need to lug around a camera as well as everything else that find its way into my handbag. I have a camera right there in my pocket All. The. Time.

I’m not a specs type of person but you might be so here are the specs on the camera of the Nokia Lumia 925:

The Main Camera

  • primary camera sensor size: 8.7MP pureview
  • camera focus type: auto focus with two stage capture key
  • camera digital zoom: 4x
  • ZEISS optics: Yes
  • Sensor size: 1/3 inch
  • Camera F number/aperture: f/2.0
  • Camera focal length: 26 mm
  • Camera minimum focus range: 8 cm
  • Camera image format: JPEG/Exif
  • Camera Flash Type: Dual-LED Flash
  • Flash operating range: 3.0 m
  • Flash modes: Off, Automatic, On.

Main camera features

Camera feature: Touch Focus, Landscape orientation, Exposure Compensation, Auto and Manual Exposure, Auto and Manual White Balance, Still Image Editor, Face recognition, Full Screen Viewfinder, Geotagging, 6-lens optics, Automatic photo upload to web services, Backside-illuminated image sensor, Creative Studio, Full resolution photo and video upload, Optical image stabilization, PureView, True 16:9 sensor, Image capturing, Capture modes: Video, Still, Scene modes: Automatic, Sports, Night; White balance modes: Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Daylight, Automatic; Light sensitivity: Automatic, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200.

Secondary Camera

  • Secondary camera resolution: 1280 x 960 pixels pixels
  • Secondary camera f-number/aperture: f/2.4
  • Secondary camera – other features: Video recording, HD 1.2 MP wide angle, Still image capture, Video call.

And then you have the photography apps that enhance the camera….

  • Photography apps .Nokia Smart Camera: Shoots a sequence of photos, making it easier to capture great moments. Choose your Best Shot or combine the photos into one picture, make a strobe effect to emphasize motion, remove unwanted objects or choose the best faces for great group shots
  • Cinemagraph: A magical blend of photo and movie-like animation, creating pictures that seem almost alive. Helpful on-screen assistance lets you select the animated area of your picture and easily create and edit a cinemagraph. You can share your cinemagraph with friends via social media, email and messaging
  • PhotoBeamer: PhotoBeamer is an innovative and easy way to show your pictures on any screen. Point your Nokia Lumia at any screen displaying www.photobeamer.com and enjoy your photos anywhere with family and friends. It’s a mobile projector that’s always at hand

All of that is good and well but if you are anything like me, it’s the photos that the camera produces that makes that me pay attention. So I thought I would share some of the photos I have taken over the last couple of months.

With no filters. Straight out of my Nokia Lumia 925 camera.





When I started with the Microsoft Connections Program, I thought I would just use the Nokia Lumia for that time only and then go back to my other phone, but I think I’m now sold on it. And will continue using it as my mobile phone/camera.

Do you use your phone camera more? Or do you still tote around a “”traditional” camera?

{ 2 comments }

So we went to see Disney on Ice

by ~Tina

in FAMILY, LIFE, Reviews + Giveaways

Rugging up, we headed into Wollongong to see Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove. My girls (and Annabelle’s friend) were SO excited. As were the winners of the TGDM/Disney on Ice ticket giveaway. We got in there early but it didn’t take long for the seats to all fill up with Disney fans of all ages.

The show was spectacular. The performers were flawless. The props and sets were magical. And the whole show had us all mesmerised from start to finish.

My only criticism is the price of the merchandise.

A bag of fairy floss – $15

A cup of crushed ice – $18 or $25 if you wanted a fancier Disney cup.

And how can you say no to your child when your child see other kids getting these kids.

We were lucky. I received tickets in exchange for this review. But if we had to buy tickets for the family AND merchandise, that would definitely have broken the budget.

Surely if it was priced a little more realistically and affordable, the sales would be higher for these things, yes?

::

Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove opened in Australia on 29 May 2014.

On this tour, you will be taken on a magical journey that spans 50 years of Disney animated film, from the inaugural Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the 50th film Tangled.

Get lost with Rapunzel and Flynn and enter the worlds of your other favourite Disney princesses – Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White.  Set sail with Peter Pan, the always playful Tinker Bell and the cunning Captain Hook and his crew as they head on an adventure beyond Never Land!  Trek through the wilderness and wildlife of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’  Embark on a mischievous ride with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Disney Pixar’s Toy Story and explore the mystical and marvelous Wonderland with Alice and the Mad Hatter.

2014 National Tour Dates

Perth - Perth Arena                29 May – 1 June     (Thurs – Sun)

Adelaide – Adelaide Entertainment Centre         7 – 8 June     (Sat – Sun)

Wollongong – WIN Entertainment Centre     13 – 15 June    (Fri -Sun)

Newcastle – Newcastle Entertainment Centre    20 – 22 June     (Fri – Sun)

Brisbane - Brisbane Entertainment Centre        28 – 30 June    (Sat – Mon)

Melbourne - Hisense Arena, Melbourne         3 – 7 July     (Thurs – Mon)

Sydney – Allphones Arena, Sydney Olympic Park     9 – 13 July    (Wed – Sun)

Purchase tickets from Ticketek: 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au/disneyonice.

Tickets start from just $29.50. Additional discounts apply. For more information visit www.disneyonice.com.au

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Frozen inspired beanies

by ~Tina · 2 comments

in Everything else, LIFE

It’s been really quiet on the blog front for the last few months and me finding a new hobby has a LOT to do with it. It’s quite rare now to NOT see me without a crochet hook in my hand. I have even resorted to keeping a skein of yarn and a crochet hook in my handbag for those times that I am waiting. Anywhere. Can you say nana?

I thought I would share with you a couple little projects that I completed recently.

Annabelle is a HUGE fan of Frozen. So I made her a couple of Frozen inspired beanies – an Elsa style and an Anna style.

The Elsa has a cute little snowflake and a long blonde plait and the Anna has a cute little heart with two plaits, complete with the frozen strands of hair J

She loves them! And so do some of my friends who have ordered them for their own little Frozen fans.

I can make these in any size and I am selling them for $20 plus postage. Email me tinagray.me@gmail.com if you like to order J

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