The Juggling Act

It can be exciting when your child gets invited to their first playdate, but things get more complicated if you don't know the family very well. So how do you navigate it and how do you have those conversations? Mel and Sarah share their experiences and find out how to make playdates fun for everyone involved!  

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This week, Sarah and I talked about birthday party etiquette and how to navigate it – can’t we just go back to the days of a bowl of cheezles, an ice cream cake and a trampoline?! ‘Friends’ star Jane Sibbett reveals she started work on the hit TV show just TWO days after giving birth… (I couldn’t even walk out of the hospital five days later). Lisa Hollinshead opens up about being stranded in Spain with her young son during Covid and how it led to a new business opportunity. We meet the mum who created an eco-friendly detergent that is now saving 12,000g of plastic from the ocean each year, and we were super excited to chat with scientist Emily Calandrelli who is making science fun for our kids on Netflix (and filmed the whole show 9 months pregnant. Rock. Star)  

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I didn’t love maths and science when I was at school (words not numbers), but if I’d had a teacher like today's guest - I think that would have been a different story.  Science expert, engineer, space guru and mum-of-one Emily Calandrelli pitched science shows to TV networks for years and was constantly knocked back, told that male audiences won’t relate to a female host. Yup, apparently that’s where we are still at. But then last year, Netflix realised she was onto something and picked up the show she had been pitching for so long, Emily’s Wonder Lab. On top of that, Emily filmed the whole thing 9 months pregnant. Total. Boss. Lady  

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Before I had kids, I could never understand why kids were always dirty. Like, is it really that hard to wash their clothes and keep them clean, naive me would think (to myself, luckily). Well pre-kids me, the answer is yes. Yes, it is that hard to wash clothes and keep them clean. I try to let them wear things for a couple of days in a row – unless they’re really filthy – because I don’t like washing and I try to keep the loads to a minimum. One mum who is also passionate about the planet and decided to do something about it, is Frankie Layton. She’s a new mum and the Founder of Melbourne based business The Dirt Company. Frankie wanted to create sustainable household products, that work, something people could really fall in love with - and are better for the environment. She joins us to share her story.  

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In March this year, Lisa Hollinshead and her son landed in Spain to spend time with her mum and granny. Only two days after arriving, the European lockdown hit Spain and they were housebound with flights home to Australia cancelled. After the initial panic and fear, she realised how lucky they were to be safe in her mother’s home, but how difficult this whole experience was proving to be for so many others. Lisa joins us to share her incredible story and how it led to a new business venture when she finally made it home.  

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I struggled to walk out of the hospital five days after giving birth, let alone heading back to work. But that’s what actress Jane Sibbett did when she got the call to star in 'Friends' – one of the most popular TV comedies of all time (now streaming on Binge). Jane had just given birth to her second son, Kai, after a 24-hour labour, when producers called and asked her to take on the role of Ross’ ex-wife Carol. She joins us on the pod and opens up about taking that call and reveals which of the main roles she originally auditioned for (it's not who you would expect!).  

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Ah children's birthday parties, so much fun for the kids, so much stress for parents! There's pressure around who to invite, where to have it, food intolerances, THE CAKE! Pass. The. Wine. Sarah and I talk about whether there's a certain etiquette when it comes to kid's parties and reminisce about the days our parents chucked a box of cheezles in a bowl, threw an ice cream cake on the table and BOOM, party done  

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This week, we chatted about how to know if it’s time to walk away from your marriage or find a way to work through it…We’re joined by inspirational mum-of-two Turia Pitt who opens up about her definition of happiness and how to try and savour the moments with your kids, even on the days being a parent totally sucks. The fabulous Maggie Dent joins us with her no-nonsense, compassionate advice on raising emotionally aware boys. Nutritionist and WAG Alex Pendlebury calls in from the AFL hub in QLD and shares her secret to a happy marriage! I’m taking notes… And the founder of Resilience In, Susie Mogg, stops by to share her do’s and don’ts for helping our kids develop resilience during such a tough year.  

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We all know what a struggle this year has been for our kids… The world has completely changed and they don’t really understand why. Resilience is the number one skill they need at the moment and there’s a lot we can do as parents to help them build on that important life skill. We are joined by Susie Mogg, the Founder and CEO of Resilience in... with her do's and don'ts for helping our children handle setbacks.  

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Our guest today is a nutritionist, Little Étoile Organic Ambassador and mum of two with AFL player Scott Pendlebury. Alex Pendlebury is currently juggling work from the AFL bubble in QLD, an experience which the kids are loving! She opens up about the importance of supporting women when they return to work and her secret to a happy marriage.  

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