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REBECCA MORSE: We get a sneak peek into Rebecca Morse’s 2020 Christmas list and there are a few things on here that we think we all might just need too!

We are thrilled to be able to share Adelaide couple, Brendan and Matt’s story about their experience of becoming new parents via the generous surrogacy of Anna, how the process worked, advice for those looking into surrogacy, and what it has been like to become new dads!

ELF ON THE SHELF: The Triumph and the Torture. “I must have missed the part in the book where it says every place the elf moves to must be meticulously chronicled on social media. Because if your 314 Facebook friends didn’t see your elf’s slow cooker marshmallow bubble bath made out of your own tears, sweat and self loathing, did it really happen?”

With Bluey season 3 due to commence production late this year, we caught up with Melanie Zanetti, voice of Chilli, to chat about all things Bluey, what it’s like to be caught up in what has become a global sensation, and just how Chilli manages it all!

We were lucky enough to chat with Jules on our podcast KIDDO Chats, and it was like sitting down with an old friend. She regaled us with stories about growing up in Adelaide, and shared her insights about parenting and motherhood, as well as what’s coming up for Jules and her family for the rest of 2020 and beyond.

We chat with Amanda McPherson, the creative director and chief magic maker behind Santa’s Wonderland, about what this year’s event will look like and how she manages the jolly juggle of managing large scale events with her young family!

Got a question about life, motherhood or eating chocolate biscuits…? Ask Hayley @sweetlittlestory! This month, Hayley talks about losing yourself in motherhood.

The pressure to be perfect and the challenges of a perpetually plugged in social media life can be all consuming for young girls, but Adelaide based business, The Girl Gang Wellness, is here to help.

Turia Pitt inspired the nation with her story of survival and extraordinary resilience after she was caught in an out of control grass fire while competing in an ultra marathon in 2011. She suffered burns to 65% of her body, and then went on to, as her website says, ’defy every expectation placed on her.’ We chat with her about her new book, Happy (and other ridiculous aspirations) and her advice on how to be happy.

Of late I have resigned myself to the fact that I am a Free Range Parent. I had been resisting this parenting pigeonhole, fearing it had connotations of neglect or a lack of care or interest in my children. But, I’ve come to realise that it’s time to embrace the title. It can be hard to adequately keep across the social, sporting and schooling commitments of three daughters, especially when, like chickens on a free range farm, they choose to roam far from home. My middle child Milla is 11. A mature 11. Mature enough to be left alone for half an hour or so if we need to duck out of the house and she has zero interest in joining us. On one such weekend morning when the household commitments had pulled us in a multitude of different directions we returned to a note from Milla saying she was walking the dog. When she swanned in some time later she casually regaled us with her morning activities. She had raided her birthday money, taken the dog and her book on the 15 minute journey down to Joe’s Kiosk at Henley Beach, ordered scrambled eggs and smashed avo on toast and had a relaxing solo breakfast. Living her best pre-teen life. She asked to be reimbursed. Because no matter how free range our parenting is, it’s still our responsibility to feed our little chickens apparently. “You could have held off on the avocado,” I grumbled, reluctantly handing over twenty bucks. When I repeated this story to my Hit107 co-host Cosi he was MORTIFIED. He thought she was way too young to be wandering the streets and most of our listeners agreed with him. I second-guessed myself briefly. But we all know our own children. Milla is familiar with the local roads, she knows the local cafes and she had the dog with her. I would much prefer she had the confidence and initiative to get some exercise, fresh air and a meal much better than that on offer at home then stay trapped in the house, on a screen. Free Range is just one of the types of modern parenting styles. Others include: Helicopter Parents This is where you hover over your children like said aircraft. I am not and have never been a helicopter parent. My husband can venture into helicopter territory. Which, while mildly irritating, does increase our children’s chance of survival. When our first born was little I was dining al fresco with her and he rang to remind me not to let her run onto the road. “I’m so glad you called honey, just hold the line for a sec while I rescue her from the traffic because I had not thought of that.” Snowplough Parents This is where you remove obstacles that are in the way of your children so they don’t fail. Also not me. Kids have to fail, it’s how you learn and grow. They should also be allowed to make bad clothing and hair choices like we did so they can look back and cringe at their old photos. They don’t seem to do that anymore. They just look pouty and perfect from primary school. I’m not protecting my kids from failure if it’s their own fault. “Mum can you write a note in my diary saying I couldn’t finish my homework?” “Did you watch Netflix and Snapchat your friends?” “Um, for a little bit.” Then no note in the diary, princess. Tiger Parents The succeed at all cost, pushy parent. Nope, not me either. I can hardly find the energy to push myself to succeed. The pushiest I’ve ever got is yelling “up and in” at their school netball games. So, Free Range it is. All things considered I think my free range chickens are pretty well-adjusted, independent and resourceful farm animals. With expensive taste in breakfast. @rebeccamorse10

‘When women come together, extraordinary things happen’. We are Better Together. This is why Pip and Lenny decided there was no better way to celebrate than to come together and acknowledge the enormity of motherhood and the significance of a strong support network!  On Friday 7 Feb guest speakers Teresa Palmer and Christiane Duigan (Lovewell), Sophie Walker (Australian Birth Stories) and Lucy Cornes (She Shopped) came together and chatted all things motherhood.  This are some of the socials we snapped on the evening:                                 Meaghan Coles Photography For more information: eventbrite.com.au/e/better-together-a-pip-and-lenny-event-tickets

Name: Bianca Nilsson Age: 22 Passion: Music When Bianca Nilsson launched Renegade Records, the entrepreneur had no idea how to run a record label, but she taught herself through YouTube. “I sign artists first for a single and if they’re happy to proceed we’ll distribute their music and create marketing campaigns, do all the digital assets, and book gigs, tours, also sync deals – just like the whole spectrum of everything music related,” she explains. “We’ve actually got a song on an advertisement right now with Volkswagen that’s aired in Paris, and is bringing a lot of traction to one of the songs which has almost 150,000 streams on Spotify. It’s called ‘Freedom’ by one of my artist’s Matt Cue who is based in Detroit, Michigan. He reached out to me via email about two years ago and I really loved his music, so I hopped on a call and then signed him and we’ve been together ever since.” Follow @renegade.records on Instagram to find out more.

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 eenie meenie miney mum