Happy New Year Everyone!! Our first episode for 2021 is an absolute beauty. We are chatting with author Suzy Zail about her inspiring book - I Am Change which detail the story of Ugandan girl Lilian's fight to remain at school. I read this book in a day. It is a rollercoaster ride. It is hilarious, heartbreaking and also frustrating. You will walk in the shoes of Lilian in Uganda which will give you an understanding of the challenges and hardships that girls face today. From dealing with female genital mutilation, family violence, the prohibitive cost of female hygiene products and not being seen as worthy of an education, this book gives the reader a very raw account of the trials of being a young girl in Uganda. Check out the show notes on the website here for more information. Happy listening!! Alex xx

Merry Christmas Everyone! Did you know that term was first coined by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol? This episode is not just a book club - it's a Christmas extravaganza!We talk food, books and even have a musical perfomance by the uber talented Mandy Newman - my guest on the show.If you want to find out more about the episode, be sure to visit the show notes on the website here. Merry Christmas Everyone!! Alex xx

In this episode of BeautyChat, I share with you how I manage my sensitive skin when it flares up - which just so happens to be now!! Here are the products that I am currently using to help my skin calm down: Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser or Sukin Cleansing Lotion for Sensitive Skin, Avene Eye Contour Cream and Avene Skin Recovery Cream. I also love Avene's Eau Thermal Spray water and the Cicalfate Cream to soothe. Check out the show notes on my website here for more information.

The Dictionary of Lost Words is the story of Esme Nicoll, who works alongside her father in The Scriptorium, where words are being compiled and assessed for inclusion in the First Oxford English Dictionary. Over several years, Esme gathers together a trunkful of words that are either excluded or never considered for the Dictionary. These are essentially women's words - words that the men who control the dictionary would never consider. Many years later, Esme's gathered words are published into the novel entitled Women's Words and Their Meanings, after Esme's collection is passed onto a typesetter at the Press. Esme's theory that 'all words are not equal' is confirmed when she presents a copy of the novel to the editor who takes over Sir James Murray after his death. He rejects the volume as unscholarly and not a 'topic of importance'. The Dictionary of Lost Words is Pip William's first work of fiction. She has previously written a memoir, entitled One Italian Summer, that detailed her move to Italy with her partner Shannon and their children. The Dictionary of Lost Words was heavily endorsed by Aussie author Thomas Kenneally earlier this year when he said he was certain that a "more original" novel "will not be published this year". Although Pip is an Aussie author, the book is headed for worldwide release - it will be published by The Great House which published Mark Twain and Huxley - whose works, ironically, helped shaped the first Oxford Dictionary which is covered in the book

Welcome to The Grown-Up Girls Report Book Club! I have a marvellous book for you this week - Untamed by Glennon Doyle. And I'm taking a deep dive on this beauty with the lovely Mandy Newman. Both Mandy and I both think Untamed is a standout book for 2020. But be warned - this book is a gut punch, it will prompt you to rethink, dive deep and examine what you need to do to regain your true self. It is the sort of book that will want to read again, take copious amounts of notes from and keep permanently on your bedside table. Just like Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb, it also has loads of 'aha' moments! Check out the full show notes on the website here. Happy listening! Alex x

In this episode of BeautyChat, Alex speaks with Sydney based Celebrity Skin Care Therapist Ingrid Seaburn about whether a Collagen supplement will really improve our skin. Collagen supplements have become quite the fad in the world of health and beauty so Alex takes a deep dive on this product with Ingrid. Ingrid explains how collagen is produced in our bodies, what slows down its production and what we can do to ramp it up. She also shares her professional opinion on whether taking collagen supplements is really the best way of boosting the collagen in your skin. The girls also share their favourite luxe and less products of the moment. Check out the show notes on the website here for their fave products and more information.Alex xx

If you belong to the 'sandwich generation' then 'Mum and Dad' by Joanna Trollope is a must! And I am delighted to be discussing this great book with a fellow sandwich generation member - my gorgeous friend Sally Seymour. What's It About? It's been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a vineyard and wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it's left to their three grown-up children in London to step in - and this is where it gets complicated. About Joanna TrollopeJoanna Trollope is the queen of contemporary women's fiction and is very tuned in to the issues of her devoted, predominantly female readership. She has a real knack for honing in on the complexities of life and love and has included the themes of lust, adoption, divorce, infidelity and the changing nature of the modern family in her 30 plus novels! Some of her earlier novels were written under the pseudonym Caroline Harvey. Mum and Dad is her latest novel. Check out the show notes on the website here for more details.Alex x

In this episode of the podcast Alex speaks with parenting expert Sarah Wainwright about how to help our teens navigate life after their final Year 12 exams.The final Year 12 exams are an important delineator for Aussie teens. They represent the pinnacle of 13 years of schooling and a couple of years of particularly hard work. But often the build up to the exams can be all encompassing that there isn't time to contemplate life after the final exams. So, in this episode Sarah and I workshop how to help your teens transition to life after these final exams.In addition to being a mum to 4, Sarah writes a parenting column for the Sydney Observer Magazine. she also has an Instagram platform 'Parenting Tips' which is dedicated to helping parents navigate the often complex job of being a parent!

In this episode, Alex speaks with founder of Aussie Skincare Brand Inkandi, Tanya Newcombe, about what nasties to avoid when choosing which skincare brand is best for you.Since her early 20's, Tanya has always had a passion for health. But when she discovered that our skin is our biggest organ during an anatomy lesson, she committed to ensuring what she put on her face was as natural as possible.A few years ago, she was trying to find natural skincare suitable for her teenage daughter's skin but couldn't find anything that fit her criteria. So, the idea for Inkandi was born. Tanya has spent a lot of time and energy working closely with expert botanists to develop a skincare range suitable for both teen skin and also mature skin. She even has a range suitable for oily skin and an overnight spot remover - all without toxic ingredients!!Tanya believes consumers should absolutely avoid buying skincare that contains parabens and Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS). Parabens can have adverse affects on human hormones and SLS can be very irritating and drying to skin.Inkandi skincare is 100% natural, 100% vegan and is proudly Australian made. You can find it here. Checkout the show notes on the website for the full details of Alex's conversations with Tanya here.

What a treat this week to have another fabulous Aussie author (yes, we're claiming her!) Ashley Kalagian Blunt on the podcast this week to discuss her new book - How To Be Australian. This wonderful memoir, which Ashley refers to as her 'love letter to Australians', details her first five years in Australia with her new husband Steve. They arrive in Sydney assuming that Australia is just like Canada with more sunshine and strange animals! But they soon discover things aren't so simple. Steve struggles to settle and Ashley fears he will come to regret both the move and the marriage - especially after she loses her wedding rings on Bondi Beach. Baffled, homesick and increasingly anxious (in a land renowned for 'no worries'), she is preparing to return to Canada when Steve shockingly announces that he wants to stay in Australia. Forever. For the sake of her marriage and her happiness, Ashley must find an Australia she can belong to: she decides to travel the country, learn its history, decode our cultural quirks and connect with as many Aussies as she can meet. Check out the show notes page on our website here for more info about Ashley and this great book. Alex xx