Open post of the week. What's on your mind?

Mia rugged up for winter

by MIA FREEDMAN

Baby it’s cold outside. Winter. Sniffles. Coughing. Illness. I have always been a bit germ-phobic but I get particularly snitty (not to be confused with snotty) about it at this time of year. Nobody likes being sick but after you have kids, it becomes a whole new level of punishing.

Not only do your kids not allow you to stay in bed and moan like the poor wounded animal you are, but invariably they catch it. So just when you rejoin the land of the healthy, they crash. And then you have to take MORE time off work to tend to them and make chicken soup. Or make it from a packet.

So.

Sick people. Can I take a moment to send many many virtual germs to whoever came up with the ‘soldier on’ campaign for whatever form of cold and flu medication they were trying to sell. DO NOT SOLDIER ON, PEOPLE. STAND DOWN, SOLDIER & PUT YOUR GERMY WEAPONS AWAY.

At many workplaces and schools, there is a tradition of ‘sickies’. Pretending to be sick so you can have a day off. At Mamamia, we have something I have dubbed “healthies” – where sick people PRETEND to be healthy so they can come to work.

I know. It’s insanity.

My husband Jason and I are very strict about sick people staying at home. We insist upon it. If we hear a cough or a sneeze or a sniffle, our ears immediately prick up. Cough/sniff/sneeze multiple times and you are likely to get a red card and an order to go home. ‘Benched’ if I were to use sporting terminology.

So people pretend their sneezes are hayfever. People try to hide their coughs and their sniffles. They go into the kitchen or the bathroom to cough. Furtively. Just yesterday I was in the kitchen and someone rushed in, took one startled look at me and rushed out again. She needed to cough. BUT I HAVE SHARP HEARING AND I CAN HEAR YOUR SECRET COUGHING SO STOP IT AND GO HOME.

Ahem.

And no, that wasn’t a cough. I was just clearing my throat.

Anyway – here’s what else has been happening around the office this week.

Brainstorm alert! There's been a lot of this at MM HQ recently.

Sales manager Mikki is sporting an adorable bump.

We had a Mia Freedman initiated 'sparkle day' in editorial. Writer Lucy, site coordinator Nat and News Editor Rick did their bit for the cause.

Here's a little more of Rick's 'Liberace jacket' as he calls it.

Nat wearing her Sportsgirl 'Disco' nail polish. Stylin'.

Mia's Zoya nail polish next to Nat's Disco. Zoydisco?

Nice boots, Nicky. From Gorman.

We've been decorating again because, why not?

Here's a little more of our redecoration. You like?

Still working on that redecoration. More plants or less?

Mia took sparkle day to its logical extension ... by bringing in almost every pair of sparkle shoe she owns.

We love birthdays in the office. Seriously. This happens.

MM's new managing editor Jamila dropped into our Publishing editor Rebecca Sparrow's house for a catch-up before she moved to Sydney to take on the new role.

Jamila ended up discussing nail polishes with Bec's daughter Ava.

Nicky snuck into the office and pretended to be Mia.

So we took her photo as punishment. Her jacket is from Lover.

And that very special scarf is from Sportsgirl.

Mia's jacket and the impressive array of buttons.

After Rick wrote about his complete inability to use chopsticks, Lucy arrived the next day with this present. He hasn't put it down since.

Nicky's last week helping out on MM. We'll miss your mad skills!

Want! Nicky styles it up with this necklace from Spell.

Mia decided to pop the sparkle joggers on. They're from Lipstick, by the way.

Planning the week. We usually try to get a sense of how things will track as the week goes on, but that usually goes out the window each day. Yay, Internet!

Lucy rocking the animal print scarf and forsaking her desk. Sure, why not?

The wall, the planning, the Nat.

Nat's wonderful sweater is from ... her mum's wardrobe.

So, it's a little bit windy in Sydney today. How are things in your area?

Mia's Sass & Bide jeans and boots from Tuchuzy.

Background music: we’re still streaming smoothfm while we work – you can check it out here.

What’s on your mind this week?

Tags: gallery , just-asking , men , women

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