When the Ziolkowski family were displaced from their Mr Fluffy home in July, they not only lost their home but also most of what they owned.
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"We actually lost about 90 per cent of our belongings, and one of those things was our Christmas tree and all of our decorations," said Lisa Ziolkowski.
After such a traumatic year and with the festive season approaching Lisa wanted to make Christmas as special for her young family, nine-month-old Natalie, three-year-old Jonathan and husband Andrew, as possible.
"I just wanted to focus on making Christmas extra festive and very special for my kids so I'd been madly working away doing some creative therapy making handmade Christmas decorations," she said.
"So I thought if we're going to have a tree at least it can be covered in things lovingly made and we'll do it properly this time. But I hadn't got around to thinking about the tree."
Halfway through November, Lisa received a phone call from The Christmas Tree Truck saying that they had been nominated and were going to receive a free, real Christmas tree.
"We got that lovely call one afternoon and it was a beautiful, kind gesture," she said.
"It's one of those little things when you've been through such a hideous time – these things make such a difference – just that little bit of kindness."
Lisa said now the flat where they've called home since July is covered in decorations and lights, centred around their new tree.
"It's beautiful. It's actually the first real tree I've ever had since being independent from my family as a child," she said.
"Actually, it enhances the Christmas experience, because there's also that lovely smell in the house. You open the door and it smells like Christmas."
The Christmas Tree Truck set up business last year by brothers Liam and Ben Zeller, John Pelli and Pat Newell, and Liam said this year they really wanted to give back to the community where they could.
"This year we decided to give away 14 trees in 14 days and we gave people who bought trees an opportunity to nominate someone," he said.
Their service includes delivering a fresh Christmas tree with a stand, and then on January 11 they go around and pick up the trees and put them through the wood chipper and use them as garden mulch.
As well as four Mr Fluffy families, eight other Canberra families who had a rough year were delivered a tree.
To spread even more cheer, The Christmas Tree Truck partnered up with the Australian Forest Products Association to donate a further 10 trees to charities and government departments to promote the sustainability and environmental advantages of real Christmas trees.
HOME, Barnardos, St Vincent de Paul, Anglicare, the Salvation Army plus the Departments of the Environment, Agriculture and Health all got special tree deliveries.
And the Christmas Tree Truck guys are working all the way up until Christmas Eve, still delivering trees plus their range of Christmas hampers and puddings. You can find them at christmastreetruck.com.au
Mauboy announced as Australia Day headliner
Canberra's annual Australia Day concert Australia Celebrates Live will be back in 2015, with the first details announced this week.
And as one of the most successful Australian female artists of all time, it seems fitting that Jessica Mauboy has been named as one of the performer's.
It's been a big year for Jessica, performing at both Eurovision and the closing ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
She is the first name to be revealed of a series of acts to hit the stage for the family-friendly concert, which also combines the Australian of the Year Awards.
Australia Celebrates Live is on the lawns of Parliament House on Sunday January 25. Gates open at 3pm, and entertainment starts at 4pm. Free. For more information visit australiaday.org.au.
Collectors Raffle offers unique art opportunity
An exclusive piece of one-off art tends to be out of most people's price range, but how does $50 sound?
The Canberra Glassworks has just launched their Collectors Raffle, with tickets at only $50 and the winner walks away with a glass artwork valued at $17,500.
Canberra Glassworks founder and board member Klaus Moje came up with the idea to raffle off an exclusive art piece, and has donated his own work for the prize.
The funds raised from the raffle will go towards sponsoring a new fellowship program, starting in 2015.
"We have generous funding from the ACT Government – it is fantastic in helping us with the Glassworks. But the money is missing is in the area of fellowships of visiting artists where we have input from the outside world into the Glassworks," he said.
"We don't just want to have a self-breeding situation – we want to be inclusive with whatever is happening in glass, so therefore we have a fellowship program that has to somehow be funded."
The prize piece is from Moje's From The Roll Up series from 2007 (pictured).
"It is one of three pieces that I made in the Glassworks in 2007. One of the pieces from these three was bought by the National Gallery of Australia," he said.
"This is the second piece, and the third piece is still in my possession. So it is quite exclusive."
Raffle tickets are $50 each, and available to purchase until March 7 at Canberra Glassworks, or over the phone 02 6260 7005.
What's On
December 26: BOXING DAY FAMILY FUN If you're in town for Christmas, head to Murrumbateman on Boxing Day for The Annual Boxing Day Family Fun Fair, with all proceeds going to Canberra's Ronald McDonald House. 10am-3pm. Murrumbateman Country Inn. For more information visit facebook.com/boxingdayfamilyfunfair.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW - FLIX IN THE STIX With a brand new collection of award-winning international short films curated by Aussie actress Deborah Mailman, Flix In The Stix returns in 2015. Also featuring live music from My Friend The Chocolate Cake plus comedians Tripod. Local gourmet food and beverages available. Saturday January 31, from 6pm. National Botanic Gardens, Canberra. Tickets $45.88-$254.88 from ticketek.com.au.
