SHE Magazine Body Beautiful feature - October 2

SHE Magazine's October edition came out today (published in the Gold Coast Bulletin) and I was lucky enough to participate in the mag's Body Beautiful feature!

I was joined by mummy and blogger Carly Electric and ex-Big Brother housemate Charne White where we talked body image, confidence and dealing with our body 'issues'. Since falling pregnant I have seen my body change dramatically and it was great to be able to discuss how my body has changed over the years and how I have grown to love my imperfections and be happy in my own skin. I feel like it was important for me to participate in this as I haven't always loved my body and growing up I did feel the pressure to look a certain way.

I just want to thank Liz, Lauren and Chantay and everyone at SHE Magazine for making this such a fantastic, positive experience to be part of.

Here are a couple of snaps from the publication : )

WARNING: Hormonal

I am on an emotional roller coaster at the moment, and I can’t wait until it stops. That is the only way I can describe how I am feeling at the moment, and I can’t even be bothered wording it differently so awful clichés will have to suffice.


My hormones are going crazy, and in turn, making the people around me crazy as they try to deal with my wild mood swings, tears and tantrums. Oh yes, pregnancy can be a b*tch.

The smallest thing is enough to set me off… and don’t even talk to me about work at the moment – that’s just been thrown in the too hard basket.

I think I need to get myself one of these shirts...

I get sent weekly email updates from the Huggies people, detailing mine and the baby’s physical and emotional changes. They are pretty interesting and most of the time, quite accurate.

This week the following two paragraphs are especially relevant to my situation:

You could find yourself feeling more emotional than you usually are, with situations or stories really affecting you. Watching the news can bring on a fresh outbreak of tears, not to mention walking past a new baby in its pram.

If you’ve always prided yourself on being very disciplined about your eating and exercise habits, being 24 weeks pregnant may come as a rude shock. You’re hungry, tired and feeling as if you really couldn’t be bothered keeping up your usual routines. Guess what? You don’t have to. Give yourself a break and ease into what should be a reasonably relaxing time. Pregnancy is not a performance based state, nor can it be graded into high, average or low achievement. Trying to intellectualise your symptoms or why you are feeling as you do will just sap valuable energy from what should be an easy time. So keep a supply of treats in the pantry and reach for them if you’re feeling low.

I especially like that bit at the end there talking about the supply of treats in the pantry – hey if the good people at Huggies say I should be treating myself to make me feel better, then pass me another chocolate chip cookie.

But seriously, I have got to say, I do not love being an emotional wreck. I have been a cow to my husband and my dad, the two men who (sadly for them) have to deal with me day in, day out at home and work. I hope they realise that it’s not the real me, just the mega-hormonal, tired and cranky version of me who really feels pretty rotten about most things in the world at the moment.

All I can say is that I am sorry and I hope you understand – this too shall pass.

Near-naked posing with the bump

SHE Magazine's September edition

On Tuesday I was contacted and asked to participate in a special feature being prepared by the girls at SHE Magazine for the Gold Coast Bulletin. A journalist who works with my friend and ex-colleague Chantay told me that I’d been suggested as someone who might be interested in participating.

The feature entitled ‘Gold Coast women bare all’ is part of the magazine’s October body issue where Gold Coast women discuss body image, health and fitness.

After I was given the details of the interview and photo shoot it took me a little while to decide whether this was something I wanted to do. Then I thought stuff it, you only live once, and it would be a great keep-sake anyway.

I must say I was pretty apprehensive this morning when I was readying myself for the semi-nude shoot – yes you read correctly. Bar a few props I was to do a photo shoot celebrating my pregnancy baring as much skin as possible without being too risqué.

 

It's not like I was getting full on naked like Demi Moore or Britney Spears did with just their hands strategically covering their lady bits and showing off their baby bumps - I am not that brave!

I wasn't as brave as Britney was for her Harper's Bazaar cover!

I think body image is such a personal thing, but it is so widely discussed! I haven’t always loved my body – it has been a love-hate relationship to be honest! But I think it is an important topic to talk about. I find it even more relevant now that I am pregnant and my body is actually going through something it was meant to… I love seeing my body change and grow with my baby.

The shoot today was fantastic and a lot of fun – I can’t wait to see the pics! Make sure you keep your eye out for the October edition of SHE Magazine in the Gold Coast Bulletin!

Can't wait to tell our baby one day that it was in my belly at the time of these shots!

She's just a girl in the world

I think Gwen Stefani is one of the coolest chicks on the planet. I love No Doubt, and grew up listening to songs like "Don't Speak" and "I'm just a girl" - they are still some of my absolute faves. 

GS recently sat down with Harper's Bazaar fashion editor Lori Goldstein and discussed love, lipstick, her boys, fashion and of course, music. She is just so rad, I had to share the amazing photos (taken by none other than Terry Richardson). All credit goes to Harper's Bazaar US (you can read the interview here ).

International Women's Day

Just a quick note that today is International Women's Day. I just wanted to tell all the wonderful women in my life that I love them so much! Today marks 100 years of this milestone - so make sure you tell all the women in your life how much they mean to you on this special day!

This year's theme is: Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.

For more information about the day go to http://www.internationalwomensday.com/