Our spring getaway

 

Today I'm dreaming of... our spring holiday to Kingscliff! Very excited to get away and get out of the house for a few days. The best thing about Kingscliff is that there is very little to do but relax and unwind. We're staying at Peppers Salt Resort & Spa, which is stunning so that's even better. I'm hoping the weather will be as warm and spectacular as it has been the past few days and as we'll be celebrating Ben's birthday and our 3rd wedding anniversary, I am thinking the weather gods will be good to us :) 

Bullying bust-up not model behaviour

Now that I am a mother, I have started thinking/worrying/planning for things to prepare and protect Grace from as she gets older. Bullying is one inevitable thing that she will probably bare witness to. 

So I was mortified to hear that A Current Affair was televising a violent incident that occurred on the current Season of Foxtel’s Australia’s Next Top Model (ANTM) between two teenage contestants.

In a challenge-gone-wrong, New South Wales native Ashley Pogmore (18) was physically attacked by Taylah Roberts from Perth (18) after Ashley got paint on Taylah’s shirt. She was basically choked on TV.

The disturbing vision aired on A Current Affair on Monday night

Footage aired around the country on A Current Affair on Monday night showed Taylah wrapping her hands around Ashley’s neck in what was initially a ‘joke’ but  escalated into a serious situation, fast.

As a result of this, Taylah was disqualified from the show (that should be the least of her punishment in my book, she’s lucky Ashley isn’t pressing charges).

But what really boils my blood, is that this incident wasn’t aired on ANTM until last night (Tuesday). So in fact, producers of ANTM were promoting this case of bullying in order to boost viewership. The interview between the two girls on the Monday night acted as a preview to the actual event that was to be shown the next night. Ah, what the? 

I work in public relations, and I’ve got to say, I have never seen such desperate measures to win ratings. Seriously, what kind of television show publicises bullying?

Instead of dealing with it internally, the producers of ANTM obviously thought this clash between two feuding teenage-model-wannabes would make for good viewing. When youth suicide rates are climbing, did they think that this was some kind of clever ploy to satiate the thirst of young audience members?

A Current Affair spoke to both contestants. Taylah seemed regretful over her actions and a tearful Ashley (the one who got attacked) basically defended the actions of Roberts in the interview, saying that even though ‘violence isn’t right’ she didn’t want her competitor’s career ‘to be jeopardised over something that was just a complete misunderstanding’. These words surprised me as Ashley seemed very distraught over what had happened to her. 

 

Ashley Pogmore

Taylah Roberts

Charlotte Dawson, former model and judge on ANTM was also interviewed as part of the A Current Affair segment. Ms Dawson then appeared on Channel Nine’s Mornings show the next day, further plugging the incident. She went on to say that she was worried about the girls’ wellbeing as a result of the footage being aired etc, but if the show was so worried about their contestants and what the public might say, why air it at all?

I think it’s disgraceful, the whole thing, and even though it’s the industry I work in, this kind of thing makes me sick that the media would promote such a thing just to win ratings.

Easter happiness

Chocolate eggs play a very small role in my Easter... gone are the days of stuffing my face with chocolate eggs!

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy Easter!

It's our first Easter as a 'family' and I am happy to say that we are doing absoutely nothing! I think when Grace is a bit bigger we will go away for Easter family trips, but for the time being, we are just going to chill out with our families and bum around the house. Poor Ben has been working like a dog so he will be hoping to catch up on sleep and spend some quality time with Gracie as most of the time she is asleep by the time he gets home at night : (

Tomorrow it's off to church in the afternoon - Easter means a lot to me and what it represents so church is high on my (small) list of things to do this long-weekend. It gives me time to reflect on my blessings and be thankful for the life that I am so lucky to have.

Easter with my family while I was growing up was always spent boating - running around with my brother on the sand, driving around in the 'rubber ducky' and swimming and kayaking until we were sunburnt and buggered... good times! We always wondered how the Easter Bunny could get to us on our boat, but he always, always managed to find us! These are my most favourite memories.

So here's to some beautiful weather, time with family and chilled champagne and seafood! Take a minute to reflect on how good you have it and be thankful for the wonderful people you have in your life.

Happy Easter xo

Have child... will travel

So we have made the decision to take our first overseas trip with Grace next year and go to beautiful Hawaii. We are currently doing some of our own research (we aren't going to venture over to the travel agent just yet) and are taking tips, suggestions and ideas to make our trip with a baby (Grace will be around 18 months when we go) as smooth and as enjoyable as possible.

Also, in the short-term, we are going to go down to Melbourne for my birthday in May... it will only be a weekend trip but Grace will only be five months, and that in itself is a scary thing. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! We are looking at staying at a hotel as opposed to a self-contained unit so that we can order food in-house in case a trip to a restaurant is all too hard for our little Princess!

I guess travelling with your baby is like taking them out for the first time since coming home from hospital - you've just got to bite the bullet and do it no matter how scary it seems. I am just a bit apprehensive about the plane ride (especially over to Hawaii!) but I am sure we'll just deal with it when the time comes! Obviously a crying baby on a plane isn't great - for passengers and especially for the parents - I would imagine it to be a very stressful experience.

So if anyone knows a great website for travelling with bubs please send them through!

Why not celebrate love every day?

Today is Valentine’s Day and of course, it has got me thinking about love.

My husband and I don’t really do anything special for this day, but we used to when our relationship was young, which is really the group of people (those in new relationships) who I think really make the most of Valentine’s Day.

Ben says that we often do nice things for each other and with each other and that we don’t need just one day to express our love for each other, and I couldn’t agree with him more. Hey, we are married and a beautiful baby girl… there is a lot of love in our life and it’s evident every day - I don’t need a box of chocolates and red roses to know I am loved. Also, I tend to think of Valentine’s Day as more of a clever marketing campaign on steroids than a day to express genuine, unwavering love for someone.

It got me thinking that I am so lucky to have so much real love in my life and that I get to experience it on a daily basis. I think falling in love, whether it be with a special someone, your newborn baby, a puppy, or even a fantastic pair of heels (hey I know girls who go weak at the knees for a fabulous pair of shoes), is one of the best feelings in the world. Having something or someone to love and cherish is a wonderful thing.

In 2010 when my husband and I got married, we used a quote on the front of our wedding invitations that read “the greatest thing in life is to love, and be loved”. This is one of my favourite quotes and I really do believe it to be true.

So on days like this, when love is at the forefront of many people’s minds, I think how lucky I am to have true, meaningful love in my life every single day. I am a bit of a romantic, but nothing says love like a person who will stick by you at your worst and your best and still be there for you at the end of the day.

To my husband Ben, having you to love is the best thing ever and I am a very blessed to have your love in return. 

Life changing...

Four weeks ago today our lives changed completely - our daughter, Grace Olivia, was born and since then life as we know it is forever different in the best way possible. She has already brought us so much happiness and laughter and we can’t wait to get to know our little princess better as she continues to grow and bring light to our lives. I didn’t think I could love something so much, but your heart immediately gets bigger the moment you are handed your first born child - it’s the best feeling in the world.

A matter of opinon

Unless you're my doctor, family, or a friend, keep your opinion to yourself!

As I am sure many pregnant women will attest, getting every second person’s opinion on your unborn can be highly frustrating. And by this I mean every second stranger's opinion.

In my current state, mine, my husband’s and my obstetrician’s opinion are the only ones that count at the moment. And after that, once the baby arrives, we’ll take opinions and try things out, but at the end of the day it will be our decision on how to raise it, what things to try etc.

Yesterday, some bogan Barbie who worked at a newsagent decided to tell me in no uncertain terms that I was going to have a huge baby and that I would need all the luck I could get. This is pretty much how the conversation went:

Me: Hi, just the two cards thanks.

Bogan Barbie: Sure (scanning and entering stuff in computer). So when are you due?
Me: In six weeks.
Bogan Barbie: (Cue dramatic eye roll) Oh wow, is it your first? You’re quite big; your baby is going to be huge. Don’t they like, grow heaps in the last four weeks?
Me: Yes it’s our first and the baby is healthy, which is all that matters.
Bogan Barbie: Well, good luck, you’re going to need it.
Me: Thanks.

Gee, thanks for that bit of helpful input, are you a doctor that just moonlights as a rude chick that works at an Ashmore newsagency? You don't even know me!

I didn’t tell her that I thought she should go and see a dermatologist for her awful patchy skin and smoker’s lines all over her face. Nor did I tell her that she was in dire need of a trip to the hairdresser. I just walked away.

I’ve also been told by people who obviously just like the sound of their own voices, what sex my baby will be and how tired I look. Well, considering I AM PREGNANT and due in six weeks, I am not surprised I look tired, because I am! You would think that people should be trying to be overly nice to pregnant women and tell them they look fantastic even if you don’t feel or look it.

I had a business meeting this week at the workplace of a good friend of mine and as I walked in the office she said “Hi Ash, how are you? You look great!” – it was just the boost I needed.

I think hitting the awkward phase of the pregnancy has affected me more than I thought it would. It is hard to sleep, sit, get comfortable in any position and don’t even talk about my inability to dry myself properly, shave my legs or do up shoes… and on top of all that I have to endure the comments of imbeciles who think nothing of sharing their thoughts about me or how it is delivered.

The blessing is that I know in a few small weeks, it will all be over and we will finally get to meet Baby V.  

So for now, unless you’re a friend or family member, keep your opinions to yourself (if they aren’t of a constructive nature) because this pregnant woman may just unleash her inner crazy at you – and that, I can assure, will not be pretty.