iBlog Friday: Our weekly roundup of Aussie bloggers

October 17, 2013

It's a chance for bloggers introduce their favourite post of the week to iVillage readers and for our community to read what Aussie writers are up to.

Here are the bloggers who have sent their submissions this week to info@themotherish.com. Happy reading!

Nicola Wood of First World Beauty Problems explains how sorting out your handbag can sort out your life (and there's nothing scarier than a mummy-handbag) in her post When my handbag is a mess, my life quickly follows.

I think you can tell quite a bit about a person and their state of affairs by how messy their car or handbag is. When my car is spotless and my handbag is clutter-free, I really feel like I’ve got my life together. I’m usually wearing matching underwear and have a blow wave on these days, too. How many times have you seen a girl get flustered at the register because she can’t find her cards? How many times have you had to wait behind a girl in a bathroom because she can’t find her gloss and has her bag up on the sink for a search? How many times have you seen a girl carry around what looks like a suitcase because she has emergency items coming out of the seams?

Read the rest of Nicola's post here.

Tania Condren of Rowdy Fairy shares a very special post about the amazing items she collected as a child in her post The Ultimate Childhood Collections.

iVillage Team

October 17, 2013

My Summer Vagina & Emotional Regulation

Mamamia Out Loud

EXTRA: Paulina Porizkova - The Supermodel Who Dared To Grow Old On Instagram

MID

I have always loved collecting things! When I was a child I would go through fazes of collecting all kinds of stuff and I would often end up with a mish-mash of incomplete collections. It's pretty obvious that a lot of toys are geared towards collecting so as a child, toys made up a large portion of my collecting addiction.

So here is my ultimate childhood collections list! Do you share any of my ultimate childhood collection addictions?

Read the rest of Tania's post here.

Shelley Marsh of Money Mummy tells parents exactly how to teach their children about money in her post How to Teach Your Kids About Money.

There are so many things I want to teach my daughter but money smarts is very close to the top of my list. It is an essential life skill and I am very aware that it is my responsibility to teach her. Many parents feel the same way, and I often get asked “What is the best way to teach my child about money?” The truth is, like with many things, there is no one correct way. Each child is an individual and some ways will work well with some kids, but not with others.

Read the rest of Shelley's post here.

Melanie Dimmitt of Mel-o-Drama talks about her brush with fame in her post My friend dated a bachelorette.

“So I get home from the states and watch the Bachelor for the first time. I've dated one of those girls!!!!!!!”

This fantastic statement appeared on my Facebook feed and within two minutes, I’d arranged dinner with its owner. Too much of a gentleman to reveal her name, my friend asked that I not spell it out, however read on and it will no doubt become obvious to anyone who watches the show exactly who the bachelorette in question was.

Read the rest of Melanie's post here.

Kathryn Boyde of Katzrambles discusses the insanity of our busy lives in her post Does Busy Trump Bored?

One of my favourite sayings goes “It’s better to be busy than bored.”

I have always whole-heartily agreed with this statement and at times when I have been crazy busy, I have consoled myself with the fact that ‘at least I’m not bored!’

But as our modern lives seem to be getting increasingly fast-paced and hectic, I am starting to re-think this theory. Is it really better to be busy? And how busy are we talking here?

Read the rest of Kathryn's post here.

Amanda Raboul of My Champagne Daze channels her Rose for breast cancer awareness in her post La Vie en Rose.

October is a great month. While everybody is encouraged to ‘Think Pink’ for Breast Cancer Awareness, I like to take that one step further and ‘Drink Pink’, and feel a little bit blue, for two causes very close to my heart.

October is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and Monday October 14 is International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, and I for one, will be finding a very nice bottle of pink champagne to pop on the occasion.

Read the rest of Amanda's post here.

Lisa Wilson of Two Point Five Kids talks about losing her child in her post The worst day of my life.

After about an hour I started to relax a little, let my guard down, allowing perhaps two minutes between glances up from conversation. It was a stunning spring Saturday and there were literally THOUSANDS of kids and families around and there were kids as young as Master J running around as well, I'm guessing being watched by a mindful Mother or Father somewhere around. I rationalised that I was being as responsible as needed, just like everyone else.

Read the rest of Lisa's post here.

Jacintha Webster of Time to get a veghead share the quirks of her canine child in her post The pup hates technology.

Now this may seem odd, but it is most certainly true. My ridiculously charming schnauzer hates technology. The TV doesn't bother him too much, there is not enough interaction required which could get in between him and I. The computer he is not crash hot about, if we are the only ones home, and I sit at my desk to write then I here a ridiculous sigh and he usually goes to the other room to sleep. I kid you not, but this is still nothing, his true hate lies in the kindle and the iPhone. He truly hates them, or more to the truth, hates what they do to me. Whenever I sit/lie down with my kindle he knows I'm out for at least an hour.

Read the rest of Jacintha's post here.

Alisha Forbes of Naughty Naturopath Mum embraces motherhood and clings on for dear life in her post The Toddler Years.

I will always be your shelter and your home
I will be there for every cry, squeal and moan
I must remember that these years will too quickly pass
I must remember the feel of your special grasp
Your small hands, sticky and warm in mine
Those looks you give me that renew me every time….
I must remember that you won’t always need me to cut up your food
I must remember to tell you what’s polite and rude

Read the rest of Alisha's post here.

Joanna Lamb of Joanna Writes Here tackles the difficult subject of gender selection in her post Would you choose your baby's gender?

In some countries, it’s now legal to undergo IVF gender selection. (Victoria Beckham, I’m looking at you.) At this stage, it’s illegal in Australia, though there have been calIs for it to be available to people who want the freedom to choose the gender of their unborn child. This is an uncomfortable subject for a lot of people. Isn’t it crossing some kind of ethical boundary, or should we be able to choose? Should gender selection through IVF become available in Australia, would it upset the natural balance of our society? Would we have an overpopulation of girls, or the opposite? Would people even want to utilise it?

Read the rest of Joanna's post here.

Amanda Bryant of Barbie Bieber and Beyong - Raising Girls discusses fatherhood in her post 10 Secrets for a Great Father/Daughter Relationship.

I was one of the lucky ones, I had an amazing relationship with my Father. I am an only child and he was the one man in my life that I looked up to with admiration and respected above all others. He was my best friend a wonderful husband, father and grandfather.

Sometimes I wonder how he ended up being such a wonderful father, after all his parents were consistent and stable, but he did not grow up in household that displayed much affection. I know he was very much loved but that love was not often displayed publicly.

Read the rest of Amanda's post here.

This week's winner will receive a Banana Boat children's sunscreen pack and be published on Monday.

Send your submissions each week by midday on Thursday at info@themotherish.com.