The Juggling Act

When Diana Nicolls was ten weeks pregnant, she found out she had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome - a rare pregnancy where twins share one placenta and a network of blood vessels. Her complicated pregnancy took a huge toll on her mentally and physically, and the grief and anxiety still lingers three years later. Diana, who is also a personal trainer and marathon runner, has now released a book about her experience called 30 Weeks and 1 Day and she joins us to share her story.

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When Sam Bloom headed off on a family holiday to Thailand with her three sons, she never could have imagined what would happen. The young mum and keen outdoorswoman fell off a rooftop and broke her vertebrae in two places, as her children looked on. Paralysed from the waist down, she was left questioning who she was as a woman and a mother, and spent long months battling depression. Then a year later her children brought home a wounded baby magpie and her life changed. Her incredible story is now a film starring Naomi Watts, and Sam opens up about how this little bird called 'Penguin', helped her heal.

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This week, we catch up with one-half of the parents competing on The Amazing Race after a cancer battle and losing their business. Finance expert Effie Zahos shares the best way to save for your child’s education. Author Dr Susie O’Brien joins the pod to tell us why we should all strive to be half-arsed parents. (so here for this). Actress Zoe Naylor opens up about the 'healing' of her second birth. And the gorgeous Taryn Brumfitt shares her top tips to change your mindset when you’re having one of those ‘meh’ days.

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Today’s guest is one of our absolute favs. She oozes body confidence and positivity, but it wasn’t always that way… Taryn Brumfitt was on the cusp of getting plastic surgery after her third child when she realised the example she was setting for her daughter. So instead, she posted a nude picture on social media showing how much her body has changed between her bodybuilding days and now. It quickly went viral with more than 3.6 million people viewing and sharing it - including Ashton Kutcher! She then founded The Body Image movement and released a fantastic film called Embrace. Now she’s getting behind the Cupid’s Undie Run which raises funds and awareness for The Children’s Tumour Foundation and Neuroblastoma, and is encouraging everyone to embrace their body, strip down to the knickers and help raise money for this brilliant cause.

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Aussie actor Zoe Naylor has two beautiful children with fellow actor Aaron Jeffries, and now she's stepping behind the camera. Zoe has opened up about the trauma of her first birth, and how her second a few years back was the complete opposite and actually ended up being a ‘healing’ experience. This prompted her to produce a film called Birth Time, and embark on a mission to find out why an increasing number of women are emerging from their births physically and emotionally traumatised.

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Ah being a parent, full of love and wonder, while simultaneously being exhausting and stressful. But we are creating all that stress ourselves? Today’s guest says we need to let all that pressure to be perfect go, and just go back to basics. Dr Susie O'Brien is a journalist and columnist with a PhD in Education, and she has a new book out, The Secret of Half-Arsed Parenting - Raising kids with half the guilt and twice the joy. She joins us to (hopefully!) share some of those secrets…

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I’m a words not numbers person, so thinking about finances and planning for the future does hurt my head a bit. One thing I did do when my kids were born, was start an education fund. But I have often wondered whether it’s the best way to save for their schooling. Today’s guest is one of Australia’s leading personal finance commentators, and the author of Ditch the Debt and Get Rich (yes please!). Mum-of-two Effie Zahos joins us to share her advice on saving for schooling and where families go wrong when it comes to finances.

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Last year was tough, but for firefighter Deb and former NRL player Shane it was particularly tough. Shane was diagnosed with prostate cancer and Deb lost her gym during Covid.  With Shane’s health improving, they decided they were ready to make the most of life and compete in the race of a lifetime – The Amazing Race Australia. They join us and reveal the hardest thing about the race, why they did it and how much the prize money would change their lives.

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This week, we chat with Beau Ryan who reveals his top tip for travelling with kids and actually enjoying it. We get some incredible tips on raising girls who like themselves (in a world that tells them they're flawed). We meet the mums competing in The Amazing Race Australia and find out why they entered. Former Olympic swimmer Brooke Hanson opens up about how she keeps smiling after a heartbreaking loss. And Sarah and Mel chat managing conflicting opinions around social distancing with families and friends.

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The rules around what we can and can't do and with how many people has been nothing short of confusing! It's also been interesting to see how different family and friends have reacted to covid restrictions - some are very strict, some a bit more laid back. So how do you navigating varying opinions around what should or shouldn't be done without falling out with family or friends? Sarah and Mel share their experiences and how to navigate this complicated world we find ourselves in.

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