The Juggling Act

This week, Sarah and I talk about the epic struggle that is juggling the summer holidays, work and children. The numbers just don’t add up… We meet an incredible mum who has rocket scientist, medical scientist and author on her CV. Now she’s helping families become zero waste – in just thirty days. We’re joined by the co-founder of Palm Beach collection who quit her job as a fashion buyer to start the business with her brother – then found out she was pregnant the very next day. Sarah opens up about losing two pregnancies this year and wonders why she felt like she didn’t deserve to grieve. And we discuss teacher’s gifts – how much should you spend and what on earth should you get them?!

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It's that time of year, the last-minute scramble to organise a thank you gift for your child's school or daycare teacher. It's been made even harder this year with the restrictions around not gifting food. So what should you get and how much should you spend? Should it be a group gift? Does each carer need a gift? Sarah and Mel talk about how they manage the end of year gift and share some of their gift ideas.

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Earlier this year as Covid hit, Sarah McGilvray had a traumatic miscarriage. But with two small children and a high-profile job, she didn't feel like she could take time off. Seven months later she was told that her baby didn't have a heartbeat. At the time she didn't feel like telling people - not even her family and friends - because both experiences had left her feeling numb. With two gorgeous children already, did she deserve to feel sad? Was there something wrong with her for not feeling anything? Now she's sharing her story to reassure others who may have experienced the same feelings

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Quitting your job to start a business, is a huge decision. Today's guest decided to walk away from her job as a buyer for General Pants, to start a candle business with a brother. The timing all seemed perfect until Kirsten Walker found out she was pregnant the next day. Ten years on and Palm Beach collection is a thriving business, and Kirsten joins us to talk about the challenges of juggling a new baby and a new business, and why it's the best decision she ever made

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Our local council in Sydney has just introduced a food waste bin, and even provided a small bin for the bench with biodegradable bags – I am so here for it, it’s such a fantastic idea. It’s also been a great way to talk to the kids about waste, recycling and where our rubbish goes (anyone else’s kids obsessed with garbage trucks?). Today's guest has taken that a step further and written a book about how families can reduce their waste by up to 80%. She also happens to be a qualified rocket and medical scientist, plus mum of one. Seriously. Anita Vandyke’s new book A Zero Waste Family also includes a thirty-day guide to making a zero waste life easier.

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School and daycare are about to wrap up - if it hasn't already - and the looooong summer holidays are looming. As working parents, how on earth do you juggle all that time off? With four weeks annual leave the numbers just don't add up. Sarah and Mel talk about how they manage and the stress that comes with juggling work, leave and childcare.

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This week, former Bachelor star Tara Pavlovic opens up about her postponed wedding and surprise baby! We meet an incredible mum who describes how fleeing from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake led to a children's book series about resilience. Nikki Webster gets real about why dance mums get such a bad rap and exactly where she keeps the infamous pink hero dress. Adam Liaw has some seriously simple tips to take the stress out of Christmas lunch and make it extra special this year. And Sarah and Mel ask how much you should spend on your child’s Christmas gifts… man that amount can creep up on you quickly!

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Christmas is an expensive time of year, and there's often the temptation to go overboard when it comes to presents for your children. So how much is too much? Some people stick to one main present and a couple of small ones, some use the 'something to wear, something to read, something they want, something they need' rule, while some parents love completely spoiling their kids! Sarah and Mel chat about how much they spend and how they (try) to keep things under control.

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Today’s guest is a former Masterchef winner, TV presenter, author and dad of three.   Adam Liaw joins us to share his tips on making Christmas lunch extra special with our families this year, and some hacks to keeping things simple.  Plus he opens up about managing the juggle with kids and work, and how becoming a dad has changed him for the better.

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Nikki Webster shot to fame at the 2000 Sydney Olympics as 'Hero Girl' when she was just 13 years old. Fast forward twenty years and she's now a single mum of two and runs three dance studios. She joins us to chat about Australia's Biggest Trolls Dance party, why dance mums get such a bad rap and where she keeps that infamous pink dress!

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