LISTEN: Reality Check podcast
Welcome to my new guilty pleasure that I don’t actually feel in any way guilty about. This shiny new podcast is an iteration of the Shameless Podcast I recommended a few issues ago, the podcast for “smart women who love dumb stuff”. Hi. The Reality Check takes a leaf out of the same book, bringing you the sugar and smarts in equal measure, while dissecting the best and worst moments from the week in reality television. I refuse to believe I’m the only adult woman with an insatiable need to talk about everything that just went down on Love Island, The Bachelorette or MAFS, and the Reality Check podcast is the perfect balance of trashy TV chat with a side of insight, intelligent commentary and social analysis.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
READ: Not Bad People by Brandy Scott
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book, I’m not going to lie. My energy and brain capacity have been well and truly zapped lately by my kids clinging to me like mum jeans to a camel toe. By the by, I managed to pry my three small humans off myself for long enough this month to read Not Bad People, the debut novel by former journalist Brandy Scott, which is not a bad effort given it is 500ish pages long. The novel, set in small-town Australia, is a story of how seemingly harmless decisions can snowball into tragedy under the right (or wrong!!) circumstances. On New Year’s Eve, three thirty-something women and lifelong best friends, let off illegal Chinese lanterns filled with resolutions for letting go. The following day, newspapers report a light plane crash, with two victims pulled from the wreckage, with the friends left questioning whether their lanterns brought the plane down. Not Bad People is kind of a slow burn (pardon the pun), but definitely worth seeing through to the end, at which point you feel like you inherently know the characters like you would your own friends; they are realistic in their flaws, relatable and without being stereotypical. Discussing themes of parenthood, friendship and the balancing of modern life, all within a twisting and turning plot line, this is definitely a book to put on your summer reading list.
Dymocks $32.99
DO: Volunteer to pack bags for new mums in need with The Village Co.
The women from Adelaide based charity, The Village Co., are passionate about seeing all South Australian new mothers, regardless of their background or disadvantage, embraced and supported as they begin the life-changing journey of motherhood. Through generous donations of South Australians, The Village Co. provides mums in need with essential and practical items, with the hope that this gift will make them feel seen, cared for, and empowered to be the best mother they can be, with the ability to address the basic needs of their newborn and also themselves. If you want to play a part in being the village for a new mum who may not have much access to support, not only can you donate new items for these care packs, but you can also be involved in the collation of donations into bags at The Village Co. regular packing days. These days are about like-minded, loving people coming together to do something amazing for people they’ll never meet, while having some chit-chat over coffee, and getting to know other mums who make up the village. These bags are then distributed via agencies who care for vulnerable and at-risk perinatal women.
Upcoming packing days are scheduled for February 11 and March 10, 2020 and The Village Co. welcome as many helpers as possible, with further details about how to get involved on their socials. We all want to give something back, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start; this is a good place. Just saying.
The Village Co. @the_village_co
