Why Fletch gets a huge gold star this weekend…

Posted on March 16, 2013 by JenniferHansen

Sometimes the logistics of running a family get tricky. For instance, what happens if your husband has bought a ticket to a Neil Young concert this weekend (in Geelong) and then at the same time, you’re offered an amazing weekend away along the Great Ocean Road, staying at an up-market beach property overlooking the sea, to cover the Airey’s Inlet Music Festival – but your teen daughter needs DESPERATELY to go to a party in Melbourne and your son is playing in an all-important school cricket match???

Ezard’s wedding anniversary dessert

Hmmm… As I said, tricky. Plus, this weekend happens to be our 23rd wedding anniversary. Which we celebrated in fine style at Ezard’s restaurant in the city last night. Definitely one of Melbourne’s best on every level. I was particularly impressed that they noted it was a special occasion and decorated our desserts to suit.

But back to this weekend. Often my amazing Mum and step-father help out with the kids, but as it turns out, my older brother had already booked their services… So Fletch, bless him, realised this was a great blogging opportunity for me and gave up his ticket to see Mr Young to stay home and ferry the kids about to their various commitments. What a guy!!!

THAT IS WHY FLETCH GETS A HUGE GOLD STAR THIS WEEKEND.

This ALSO left me free to turn this into a ‘girl’s weekend’ and invite along a few mates for a break from domestic and kiddie duties. And yes, they were pretty happy with the offer to head down to one of Victoria’s most picturesque holiday locations for an uber cool music festival AND stay at a beautiful holiday home.

View of the Great Ocean Road

Driving down to Airey’s Inlet, I had to stop along the way and marvel at the view from the Great Ocean Road. Truly stunning, isn’t it? As a child, I was lucky enough to enjoy several family holidays at Fairhaven, just up the road from Airey’s Inlet, so it felt a bit like going home.

Erin Hughes, from Great Ocean Retreats sorts us out

I dropped in to Great Ocean Retreats to pick up our keys and was mighty impressed with their organisational talents. Marketing manager Erin Hughes had printed lanyards for the music festival ready and waiting, printed directions to our property with the keys AND she had even found out what wine I liked and told me TWO BOTTLES of chardonnay plus a cheese platter were in the fridge waiting for us. Tick, tick and DOUBLE tick. I knew from the moment I met her she was my kinda gal!

My beachside bedroom

Then we set off to the house and found a magnificent two storey property, with double-bedrooms both upstairs and downstairs, two bedrooms with bunks for the kids we left behind, and two living areas. Both double bedrooms also come with their own massive ensuite bathrooms.

Our living area

The kitchen is modern and open-plan, with wonderful wide benches, which would be brilliant if we actually wanted to cook, but no, maybe next time… There’s too many bands to see down here to waste time slaving over a hot stove.

Even better, most of the bands are playing at the Airey’s Inlet Pub which JUST HAPPENS to be a stone’s throw from our beachside mansion!!! Now ain’t that a happy coincidence… Oh yes, the house is also walking distance from the beach too. Of course.

I’m going to show you more pictures and give you the lowdown on the music festival on Monday, but for now, I want to get to the pub and enjoy myself. And if you haven’t got anything planned for tomorrow, jump in the car and head on down. Cheers!

An Über way to ride

Posted on March 15, 2013 by JenniferHansen

Melbourne taxis

Sometimes Melbourne’s taxi services leave a lot to be desired. I really tire of drivers who don’t know left from right, let alone how to get anywhere, such as the location of our major icons – even the MCG. Why they don’t have to pass a test like the London cabbies do – with THE KNOWLEDGE – beats me.

And then, with our recent spell of hot weather, there’s the matter of personal hygiene… EWW! Shouldn’t the use of deodorant be mandatory??? Even better, let’s lobby for legislation.

But it’s not within my budget to afford a limo every time we go out. Heck, I’m quite happy with public transport if I’m not in high heels with trussed up hair heading somewhere fancy. But hang on… I do wear heels quite a bit….

So I was delighted when I heard a new service, called UBER, was being introduced in Melbourne, to fill that gap in the market – for those wanting something more up-market than a taxi but not so pricey as a limo. It’s already proved a hit overseas, with Uber cars in most major cities including London, Paris, New York and Berlin.

UBER promises a service with sleek black cars, air-conditioning and drivers who know exactly where they’re heading. (And are groomed appropriately!) Even better, Uber has an amazing I-phone App which is incredibly accurate. It will tell you exactly how many minutes away your driver is, so you can decide to proceed with a booking or not.

THIS is how a travelled when I headed out last night. Mev, the Uber driver, turned up to within a second of the estimated time and I never had to tell him which way to go to get to The Smith restaurant in Prahran. (one of my favourites!!)

Mev and his Uber car

It might cost a few dollars more (the average cost compared with a taxi ride is about 30% more) but the quality and efficiency are worth it. As well, you don’t have to worry about payment at the end of the trip as it’s all charged automatically to your credit card. Those details are sorted when you sign up. And you’re not expected to tip the driver either – just be polite! The website is easy to navigate too, at Uber.com.

Or if you’d like to know more about rates and charges, check those details here: http://uber.com/cities/melbourne

Now isn’t that better than finding yet another tax driver who doesn’t have the right change? Arghhh – that always drives me crazy.

Now I can sit back and relax, and enjoy an UBER ride every time.

(NOTE: The Uber Group kindly donated vouchers to the Goodie Bags of our Sisterhood Charity function on Valentine’s day, raising funds for cardiac research at St Vincent’s Hospital)

My next scientific self-improvement experiment – post muffin-top

Posted on March 13, 2013 by JenniferHansen

You all loved the blogs about my muffin-top experiment so much that I’ve decided I really should get off my butt and try another beauty treatment – just to keep you entertained. I mean, heck, it’s not like I CARE what I look like, or anything??? All in the name of duty, right?

It just seems that’s there’s so MUCH stuff out there about how to improve our faces and bodies – how do we actually sift the good from the shonky and know what actually works?

Jocelyn Wildenstein

Don’t go thinking I’m going to turn into some kind of Jocelyn Wildenstein, though. I do understand the meaning of restraint. And just in case I went all silly, I KNOW Fletch would pull me into line. He even hates lipstick. To the point that he WIPED HIS MOUTH after kissing me at the alter during our wedding. The shame…

Luckily the kind folk at the Liberty Belle Clinic in Toorak, where I underwent the Cool Sculpting process, are happy to help out, so I went along to check out the different procedures available.

Pelleve brochure

Looking through all their brochures, I learned there’s a helluva lot of different and NEW treatments available to improve ourselves that I’ve never heard of. I could easily hang around this clinic for years. After focusing so much on my tummy last year, I thought it was time my face got a bit of attention. When I saw this brochure with the line ‘A Fresher Face WiTHOUT Surgery’ – I snatched it up faster than you could say ‘Botox’. Because, yes, I have had Botox and I love it, but something new and different is always appealing. This treatment is called Pelleve.

I’m at that age where anything promoting WRINKLE REDUCTION warrants immediate attention, especially now those nasty lines around the neck region are becoming more prominent. Unfortunately, if I’m to blog about this, it means more humiliating photos of myself to show you what really happens….

Side profile – NO MAKE-UP!!!

So I have to show you a really ICKY close-up photo of my face without makeup, so you can get the gist. Ewww. These pics are taken by the lovely staff at Liberty Belle in the same photo room each time so the lighting is consistent too – very legit!! This snap was taken before my first treatment.

Before and after photos

But getting back to how Pelleve works… In the brochure, it explains how a metal probe is used over the skin – using gradual radio frequency that becomes quite hot at times – to stimulate the re-growth of collagen. The effect is not immediate and you really need about three treatments over a course of several months. But I’m assured it WILL work.

To give you a much better understanding of the science behind all this, I’m going to interview Dr Chris Moss (you met him last time, chatting about the Cool Sculpting fat freezing treatment) who will explain it properly. He’s a very busy man, but I’m going to nail him down in the next few weeks for the nitty gritty and get back to you. Then I’ll have some Pelleve sessions and, over time, we’ll see how my wrinkles go. (Away, I hope.)

(For further enquiries, contact the Liberty Belle Skin Centre on 9826 9988 Address: 504 – 506 Toorak Road, Toorak)

The Upside of Sinning

Posted on March 12, 2013 by JenniferHansen

For most writers, the dream begins at an early age. That burning desire to create a book that you’ll one day hold in your hands – physical proof you’ve achieved your goal of becoming a published author. It’s the validation most writers seek that their words really do have some merit.

These days it’s harder than ever to have a book published that’s printed on paper. The increasing popularity of e-books is taking a toll on many a writer’s dream. All the more reason for author Ailsa Piper to be celebrating, with news this week that her first book, Sinning Across Spain, is to be re-released one year on, in the smaller B format, coming out in April.

But sometimes reality falls short of our dreams, so I’m curious to find out if Ailsa’s experience has lived up to expectations. Having a book published is also the start of a long journey – promotional commitments, signings at bookshops, media interviews, appearances at writers festivals – all very much a part of what needs to happen to generate a buzz about your book. Has it been everything she’d hoped for?

Author Ailsa Piper

‘It’s still continuing,’ said Ailsa. ‘The thing I didn’t realise, being a first-time author, is that it can be six months or a year and you think the book has done its dash, and then suddenly a letter comes in talking about it transforming someone’s life or you’re invited to another writers festival – so it’s been an amazing journey.’

As well, the subject matter of Ailsa’s book has led to some added complications. It’s a real-life account of her travels, hiking through north-west Spain and following a long-held tradition of carrying other’s sins to buy forgiveness. That’s not because Ailsa is deeply religious – rather she was exploring a spiritual concept to help her write a play, unaware at the time her experiences would end up becoming a successful book.

Sinning Across Spain

‘Because this book is about confession, people have made a decision on some level that I’m the vault and can keep secrets, so they tell me extraordinary things. In fact, in the last few months, because of the royal commission into sexual abuse and the fact that the book deals with someone’s whose brother committed suicide as a victim of abuse by a cleric – that has led to people telling me about the abuse of their children, their siblings… That’s been quite hard but I’m also very aware I’m privileged to receive their stories.’

I imagine that could be quite a lot for one person to carry. Is the weight of such stories sometimes too much to bear? ‘There was a day last year where I felt my heart would break because I had about six people at one book signing come up with those stories and then I came home and heard from someone I know, who had had a similar experience and it came very close to home. I don’t have much to offer except to listen, but I’ve come to understand that listening is not a bad thing. It’s small thing, but it’s something.’

But the subject of abuse is just one of many issues raised in the book. In fact, Ailsa says she’s often surprised by the number of ways readers have interpreted her work. ‘It depends on the reader,’ she said. ‘Some people read it just for the story about the Camino and there are people who read it because they love the poetic nature of the descriptions about landscape and Spain. Others go into the morality side of things. It reminds me that a book is co-written by the reader, in a way that has really surprised me. One person’s experience of the book can be completely different to another’s.’

Ailsa at the Bryon Bay Writers Festival

Part of the book’s success has led to Ailsa being invited to many writers festivals – definitely an upside of sinning. In the past year, she’s been part of festivals at Airey’s Inlet, Byron Bay, Daylesford, Perth, Denmark and Albany. Next on the agenda is the Sydney Writers Festival in May. The main benefit of these, says Ailsa, is that they open the book up to an audience who may not have known about it.

I’m sure part of the reason for Ailsa’s book finding such a broad audience is that it appeals to those interested in pursuing a spiritual quest that isn’t necessarily religious in the traditional sense. Ailsa herself was brought up as a Catholic, but her parents divorced when she was little, and she was never forced to go to church.

‘I loved all the rituals – the candles, the incense – I still love all that. But I was always angry I couldn’t be an altar girl and that thing about a woman’s place in the church was frustrating, so I had skepticism from early on. I wanted to believe, but kept questioning things. Even on the walk, I wanted to believe and that’s why I kept going to churches. I really do envy people who have their faith.’

For myself, I found the book satisfying in that Ailsa’s long and arduous quest in Spain does lead to a form of spiritual realisation. I don’t want to give away the ending, but I think it’s something many will relate to. And it doesn’t mean you’ll feel any pressure to get to church every Sunday. But you might want to put on your walking shoes and appreciate the here and now, instead of trying to get to heaven.

It’s all about my breasts…

Posted on March 6, 2013 by JenniferHansen

A lot of hands have been groping at my breasts lately. And I’m not talking about my husband’s. Sometimes the world sends you plenty of signals that there’s something you need to do, so I did it, and suddenly my breasts are the focus of much attention. Here’s why.

Me and Sam Johnson

Recently I’ve been surrounded by health issues. First there were stories of loss from heart disease at the St Vincent’s Hospital fundraiser. Then there was the farewell for Sam Johnson as he set off on his epic uni-cycle ride around Australia in support of his sister, Connie, who is suffering breast cancer. (Please donate at www,loveyoursister.org) Read Sam’s diaries there too – his words are truly inspiring, not to mention funny! And finally, a story about a young woman who died from cancer two weeks ago. She’d been engaged to get married but didn’t live long enough to make it to the altar so was dressed in her bridal gown at her funeral. That made me weep and I didn’t even know her.

Enough already. I realised it was time. I wasn’t completely sure when I’d last had a full health check, but it must have been more than ten years ago. And I’d never had a mammogram. (Thanks Sam for reminding us all to be ‘breast aware’) So I made an appointment with my local GP and the process began.

Dr Steve did the usual stuff – blood pressure, a long list of health questions and a urine test on the spot. Then there were referrals for a lung test (spirometry test) and blood test, to check liver, kidneys and cholesterol. Then he asked if I’d checked my breasts lately. I felt foolish saying ‘no’, but to be honest, it just isn’t something that occurs to me, despite knowing how important it is and hearing the constant reminders through advertising and health awareness programs.

Up on the table, he said and an examination got underway. I babbled away incessantly to distract myself from the embarrassment, but never for a moment thinking anything was likely to be wrong. So it was a little bit of a shock when he said that I should have a mammogram to investigate an ‘IRREGULARITY’ in my left breast.

AN IRREGULARITY???? REALLY??? What the frickin’ hell does that mean in real language? He reassured me it was ‘unlikely’ to be anything serious, but it was worth checking out.

Years of working under stressful situations as a newsreader or on the road as a journalist in terrifying situations have at least stood me in good stead in one regard. I’m well-trained at not panicking. Staying cool, calm and collected. On the outside.

On the inside, it’s a different matter. Nodding to Dr Steve and smiling, I said I was sure it would be fine, thanked him for being so thorough and left. Inside my head, thought patterns were going crazy at a million miles an hour.

There’s lots of questions you have to deal with internally. Should you tell anyone? It’s only an irregularity anyway and you don’t want family or friends to be alarmed for no reason. So I didn’t even tell Fletch for two days. I preferred trying to ignore the whole business. The timing was difficult too. I’d seen Dr Steve on a Friday and wasn’t able to have a mammogram till the following Wednesday. That meant FIVE full days of torturous ‘WHAT IF’ lines running through my brain like a broken record.

Mammogram machine

Having the actual mammogram was better than I’d expected. The sweet young girl putting me through my paces at the Cabrini Hospital in Brighton was warm and sympathetic and explained the process well. It still didn’t stop me feeling affronted when she did what she had to do – squeezing my boobs into place in the steel machine. Very unsexy. She then forewarned me not to be upset if she needed to ask for a second opinion, as that was quite common after the pictures had been taken.

Despite her explanation, of course I feared the worst when she frowned slightly and said in an over-bright voice, ‘Just going to check with the doctor. I’ll be back in a jiffy!’ It was a very long jiffy. One that I felt sure would seal my fate as a cancer victim.

After the mammogram, there was an ultrasound with another doctor. This would be the third person to manhandle my breasts. You really do start to feel like it’s open slather on your boobs. I thought about walking down the hospital corridor with an open shirt, calling on anyone who wanted to cop a feel, to go ahead.

For the ultrasound, a male doctor rubbed gel over my breasts before using a cold steel probe to circulate and look for what those ‘irregularities’ really meant. He ummed and ahhed, but said it seemed the patch under concern seemed to be showing a couple of tiny cysts that were nothing to worry about. I started to feel relieved but also wished he could try sounding a little more positive.

When all was done, I was sent on my way after being told I was ‘probably’ in the clear. For me, ‘probably’ was good, but not good enough. I was keen to hear the final verdict from Dr Steve. That meant waiting another day until he received the results from the hospital.

The upshot is this. Dr Steve thinks that I’m probably okay. God, I hate that word. But he does want me to see another breast specialist. Really, I said? I mean, if the mammogram is clear, then I’m okay, right? Why do I need yet ANOTHER doctor to be groping my frickin’ breasts? Well, it will make ME feel okay, he said. Great. So I’m off to ANOTHER boob man in two weeks. That’s how long it takes to get in to see a specialist.

So that’s why I haven’t been blogging so much lately. I’ve busy hanging out with my boobs. I’m sure we’ll be okay, but I will let you know, hopefully FOR SURE, in a couple of weeks.

A Laundry Explosion

Posted on March 5, 2013 by JenniferHansen

It was the Diet Coke getting his revenge… He knew what I was going to write about him. One minute I was grabbing three cans out of the laundry fridge for a Blog photo – the next, ‘Take this, lady!’ – he jumped out of my fingers and crashed to the floor.

KERBOOM!!!!

A laundry explosion

I had no idea one can of Diet Coke held that much nasty fluid. Sticky stuff flew everywhere, and right up high on the opposite cupboards too, even though it’s hard to see from the photo. Great. That took at least half an hour to clean. And just when I was getting keen on the idea of blogging again too.

Aeroplane Jelly

What really sparked this story was the hot summer weather. As many of you may know, I’ve been writing about going sugar-free this year – (apart from wine, of course) – and am always looking for fresh options to satisfy cravings for treats. So today I thought I’d take the quick and easy route, whip up some jelly and whack it in the fridge.

Jelly ingredients

Even though the packet says ‘low calorie’, I checked the back nutrition panel for an ingredients check and was delighted to see ZERO sugar content. BUT all the chemicals listed did give me cause for concern.

Especially because a doctor friend was recently voicing an opinion that he believes aspartame and other chemical sweeteners are contributing to an increasing number of patients with neurological and immunological diseases – not to mention cancer and multiple sclerosis. Normally I just brush aside those concerns, but today I thought I might take a closer look.

The Chemical Maze

So I reached for a small manual that hides away in a kitchen cupboard – the sort of thing you buy, intending to study up on and never do. It’s called ‘The Chemical Maze‘ by Bill Statham and is a really handy guide to all the potential risks posed by various additives and chemicals.

Well, smack me down with a wet fish if this didn’t accord with my doctor’s theories! Here’s what The Chemical Maze has to say about just two of the chemicals in Aeroplane Jelly:

952 CYCLAMATES, Cyclamic Acid: (artificial sweetener) – “Should be avoided by those with heart, circulation or liver problems: causes bladder cancer in rats, various skin conditions and migraines.” Nice.

955 SUCRALOSE (Splenda): (artificial sweetener) – “May lead to chronic neurological and immunological disorders; caused enlarged kidneys and liver in animals.”

Evil Diet Coke

Yikes. That sweet looking jelly doesn’t seem quite so appealing now… So what about Diet Coke? I ran to the laundry to grab a few cans and that’s when one of them chucked a tantrum and exploded, knowing full well I was going to diss him. Yep, sure enough, chock full of Aspartame. Described like this in my handy guide:

951 ASPARTAME (Nutrasweet, Equal): Potential health effects – Cancer, asthma, MS-like symptoms, headaches, hyperactivity, fatigue, anxiety, dizziness, migraine, memory loss, depression, insomnia, irritability, impotence, epilepsy, blindness, diabetes, seizures plus at least 80 others.

That does it. From now on, I am going to HAVE to ditch sugar substitutes AS WELL as sugar!!!!

Summer drink of choice – fresh lime and soda

From now on, my preferred cool drink on a sweltering day (apart from a damn fine chardonnay) will be a refreshing soda with fresh lime juice.

Sugar free butter candy drops

Sadly I went to my treats drawer in my office to ditch my supplies. I picked up my favourite Double D Sugar Free Butter Candy Drops and looked at the back of the packet, expecting to see another nasty list of ingredients. But no. The only suspect was ISOMALT.

Again I check The Chemical Maze.

953 ISOMALT: (Humectant artificial sweetener) – MAY CAUSE INTESTINAL GAS!!!

Oh joy! Now that’s one kind of explosion I CAN live with.

Heroes in the crowd…

Posted on February 23, 2013 by JenniferHansen

Last week on Valentine’s Day, I was busy rehearsing some lines I was going to use as MC at a fund-raising function. It was the first time I’d MC’d an event where I was also on the organising committee, so there were twice as many reasons for hoping it was going to be a ripper of a night. And thankfully it was.

Called ‘The Sisterhood’, the committee did a brilliant job reaching out to Melbourne’s movers and shakers and getting them to come along and help raise much-needed funds for the cardiac research unit at St Vincent’s Hospital. As you might know, heart disease is still the biggest killer of all (when it comes to health matters) in Australia.

I’m not going to bang on about what a fab time everyone had, because if you weren’t there, then that’s just plain dull. But I do want to thank a few people who deserve special mention for going above and beyond the call of duty. And to a handful of those people, you have been elevated to hero status in my eyes and I will forever be indebted to you. Thank you. A million times – thank you.

Special thanks to:

Our amazing sponsors!

The Deck at The Prince, St Kilda

The Deck at The Prince in St Kilda. This stunning venue was made available through the generosity of The Melbourne Pub Group. Definitely the best place in Melbourne to stage a glamour party!

Bensimons diamond

Bensimons Jewellers, for donating a TEN THOSAND dollar diamond for our main raffle prize.

Major sponsor, Swisse Vitamins

Swisse Vitamins for donating a Spring Racing Carnival package for the main auction, including marquee tickets and Arthur Galan race wear.

Magnetic Island

Magnetic Island, Luxury Private Apartments and Boston Kennedy Recruitment for providing a wonderful holiday package for the main auction.

Crown Metropol

Crown Metropol for providing a glamour hotel accommodation package as a raffle prize, including dinner at Mr Hive.

Laurent Perrier champagne

Laurent Perrier for making our special champagne raffle draw possible. Easy to sell tickets when people know they’re getting a glass of such fine bubbles!

Also, to the many wonderful friends and family who bought tickets, some dipping into their pockets despite tight budgets, AND to those with enormous work loads who came despite tight schedules, AND to those whose companies also donated products for goodie bags – sending you all the biggest of hugs and thanks… xxxxxx

Kate Arnott and Mitch Catlin

Aaron Jenkin and Sally Richardson

Jill Hansen and Tina Millington

Julie Thomas, Cathy Thomas and Jill Hansen

To my sister, Jill (Billie) for all her love and support. And to my brother, David and sister-in-law, Penny, who came as well.

Cameron McGlinchey and Natalie Bassingthwaighte

And to Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Cameron McGlinchey who came despite Nat not feeling her most comfortable right now, due to the exciting news of a second baby on the way!

Me and Fletch

And a HUGE thank you to my gorgeous, amazing and supportive husband, Fletch, who helped enormously on the night. Not only did he rally the crowd, using his best theatrical voice, when we needed everyone inside for speeches or the auction – he ALSO sang a number with Melissa Bergland, proving – one again – he is indeed a man of MANY talents.

THE HEROES

For me, there were also several heroes on the night – those who proved to be outstanding human beings for many reasons. Here they are:

Andrew Newcomb, surgeon

(1) Andrew Newcomb, the Deputy Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital. This man is a medical genius. He spoke on the night about the breakthroughs in heart surgery taking place RIGHT NOW which means we all look to him in awe. He’s performed five ground-breaking operations since December, which will revolutionise the way aortic valve replacement surgery is performed, making patients’ recovery times quicker and easier.

Kristen Kennedy (middle)

(2) Kristen Kennedy is one of The Sisterhood committee members. Kristen also spoke on the night, and it was one of the most heartfelt and brave speeches I’ve ever heard. Kristen took some time to decide in the weeks before the event, whether it was something she would be able to do. You will understand why… Kristen talked about the tragic loss of her brother, Andrew, who died at just 36 years of age from a Sudden Arrhythmic episode only 18 months ago. Her words reminded everyone that heart disease doesn’t discriminate in terms of age and is an issue that affects us all.

Melissa Bergland

(3) Melissa Bergland is not only a super-talented actress whom most of you will instantly recognise from the hit TV show Winners and Losers – she has a powerhouse voice! Melissa kindly agreed to sing on the night – DONATING HER TIME – which was incredibly generous. PLUS she is working very long hours on the show right now and had to start the next morning at FIVE AM!!! Definitely a hero in my book. Thank you Melissa!

Guardian angel

(4) My anonymous Guardian Angel. A special friend, who doesn’t wish to be named, made an incredibly generous donation as well as proving to be an enormously special and supportive friend. Darling, I love you – thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Rachel Holland with friend, Julian Gerner, Melbourne Pub Group

(5) Rachel Holland was the chair-person of The Sisterhood committee, for this – our second event. I’ve always known she was smart and efficient (she is a lawyer, after all…) but Rachel’s work for this Valentine’s Day event went WAY above and beyond the call of duty. She and her husband Nick are also expecting their first baby, so she took on this extra workload while also dealing with first pregnancy issues and running her own successful on-line jewellery business, Eclektica. (ECLEKTICA.com) Rach, you are a legend and a wonderful friend. Thank you for everything!

Finally, it has to be said. None of this would have happened without the dedication and hard work of all my ‘sisters’ in The Sisterhood Committee. Special mentions for outstanding effort goes to Amber Petty, Kate McGrath and Sarah Kennedy. Well done, girls!

The Sisterhood Committee

An unexpected Blogging holiday

Posted on February 21, 2013 by JenniferHansen

Apologies to any readers out there who may have been missing my blog posts and wondering why I’ve suddenly stopped writing. I think I started to realise I was spending too much time chained to the computer and not enough time ‘living’. Summer is drawing to a close and as a lover of warm weather, I want to get outdoors while I can and soak up the last of the summer rays.

On Sunday, I had a group of friends over and we sat by the pool, drinking wine, chatting and swimming. Heavenly. I think that’s the first time I’ve done that this summer which is ridiculous when I’m lucky enough to own a swimming pool. I’ve also spent a bit of time riding and walking in the sun – pondering life and it’s complexities. Necessary time out.

I haven’t posted a Blog since last week. I have been consumed by much emotionally – weighed down by the good and the bad – and weary from it all, that there’s been nothing left to put in to words.

(Plus, after running to demanding deadlines with a major charity event and blogging responsibilities, the house had fallen apart and needed a damn good spring clean. Cleaning is very cathartic for the soul.)

An older woman once warned me about getting involved in charity work. ‘Your friends will hate you, Jennifer,’ she said, raising her eyebrows and nodding sagely. Dismissing her words, I barrelled on through, taking on various roles with several organisations and blithely accepting offers to help. I am fortunate enough to be at a time in my life where I’m not working in a regular full-time job. Why wouldn’t I say ‘yes’ when asked to help with such worthwhile causes? And ‘There but for the Grace of God go I’ (even though I’m not religious) – that could be me one day down the track – with breast cancer, heart disease, or financially destitute.

I knew, sending out an invitation to a charity event such as we held last Thursday night for St Vincent’s Hospital, that there would be some friends who would open the email invitation, sigh, and swear – ‘Bloody hell. Not again. She’s (me) wanting us to go to some God-awful function and spend a fortune for a ticket. No frickin’ way. I’m SO over those things.’ You’re always going to get a few of those. The ones who love going to a free event but hate to fork out cash for something deemed ‘charity’ even when they’ll happily spend more than $100 on a regular night out. Or declare they’re just ‘tired’ of social occasions, as an excuse not to attend.

I know I should expect that and NOT place expectations on others. But deep inside, you can’t help but feel a little hurt when close friends let you down. Especially when you’ve talked about it for months, sent out ‘save the date’ emails and they know how important it is to you.

But then other friends go above and beyond your expectations and you love them all the more for their kindness. When they give, with both time and money, you feel more grateful than if they’d given their gifts to you personally.

I am going to write about the HEROES from that evening – exactly a week ago, on Valentine’s Day and I will post that later today. But for now, I just wanted to explain my absence. Now you know why.

Meet Ross, my new motivator

Posted on February 13, 2013 by JenniferHansen

Physically speaking, I’m naturally a lazy person. I’d much rather sleep in and eat ice-cream (from the tub) for breakfast-in-bed, while reading a book, than get up and go to the gym. Especially if I’ve had a late night writing – my favourite time to tap out words.

Most mornings I get up early to take the kids to school. (Unless Fletch doesn’t have an early start on Neighbours, but that’s a weekly negotiation…) After dropping them off, I love the idea of going back to bed and snuggling back under the doona for maybe an extra hour or two… but that’s just a fantasy. I think I’ve only actually done that about twice in my life. Maybe three…

My favourite sweet treat

Instead, I try to head to the gym after the kids drop-off and before work, but last year things went awry. My weight ballooned after giving up smoking, and then a neck injury meant I gave up working-out. Plus I was eating WAY too many sweet treats. Of course it became harder to keep the fat at bay.

Luckily I began the Cool Sculpting process in late October – more as a Blogging exercise really – to see if this freezing process would help get rid of my burgeoning muffin-top. Each week I went along to the Liberty Belle Clinic for a photo update and JOY, OH JOY, it actually WORKED! (check out the weekly updates, starting from October 30th last year http://wp.me/p29YsS-kK )

This inspired me to get back to the gym and try and fix the rest of me. God knows I’d like to get rid of those orange-peel flabby underarm bits…. Yet still, I was pretty half-hearted about the whole exercise regime, so decided I needed someone to motivate me. Someone I could be accountable to.

I met Personal Trainer Ross Sheridan at Fitness First in Brighton several months ago. He looked like one of the fittest guys taking people through their workouts, plus he had a lovely manner about him. I didn’t want anyone screaming orders at me like a boot camp major. So I grabbed his card and promised I’d book in. That was last November.

Then a few weeks ago I ran into Ross at the gym (after dodging him for months) and couldn’t think of any more excuses as to why I hadn’t made an appointment. As we chatted, I explained how I needed to be accountable to someone PLUS the fact that I was easily bored by exercise. Ross came up with a great solution. I couldn’t afford to see him twice a week, but he was happy to divide my one hour session into TWO half-hour appointments, with me promising to do some cardio work – on the treadmill or cross-trainer – for the other half-hour. A perfect solution. This meant I would HAVE to turn up to the gym twice a week. At least.

I booked in on the spot. That was nearly three weeks ago and I’ve stuck to it. Lo and behold, this exercising PROPERLY business is already working!!

So meet Ross, my new training buddy. Ta da!! Cool tattoos, yeah?

My new trainer Ross

But things between us didn’t start off so great. This is NOT a bad thing about Ross. It’s probably more about me…. You see, the week I started with Ross, I started getting text messages quite regularly.

‘Great training today, Jen, keep up the good work!’
‘Have a great weekend and try not to indulge too much!’
‘Less drink, better food.’
‘Get ready for a big week of training!’

Now, I appreciate the effort and thought put into this and I recognise it helps many people stay on the straight and narrow, but it’s not for me. WAY too much. So I texted back.

‘All good. Probably don’t need so many text msgs though… Thanks anyway.’ Ungrateful cow, aren’t I?

But I thought it best to sort this out upfront before I became too peeved by it all and threw in the training towel. Ross was fine and explained that most of his clients like the additional motivational messages. I guess everyone’s different…

Boxing with Ross

Now we’re getting into the hot and heavy stuff – BOXING. I’ve done this before and am loving punching it up again. It really works up a sweat. Ross reckons I’ve got a great right hook, so watch out. But I’m still pretty unfit and am exhausted at the end of every half-hour session.

I suspect part of the reason for Ross’ text messages is that he thinks I drink too much. Here, we have another point of difference. Ross DOES NOT DRINK ALCOHOL AT ALL. He hasn’t for 18 months. Which is highly admirable. But not for me. Ross is encouraging me to have more AFDs, (alcohol-free-days) which I probably need, so I am trying. One friend advised, ‘NEVER tell your PT how much you drink. He won’t know!’

Unfortunately, you’re wrong there, Mr M. At training today, I thought I’d omit confessing to the red wine intake last night. Nothing was mentioned about alcohol till right at the end. Maybe it was my lack of energy? Then Ross remarked, ‘Had a few last night, didn’t you.’ It wasn’t a question. I only had a few glasses, but still he knew? I think he might be psychic.

Massage voucher

Ross has other talents too. He’s a qualified remedial massage therapist. AND he’s mobile. That means he has his own massage table and can come to your home.

What better way to have a massage, than to be able to fall into bed into a deep sleep immediately afterwards? He also does gift vouchers, which is a great idea. It might be a bit late to organise one for Valentine’s Day, but keep it in mind next time you’re shopping for a birthday or anniversary gift. So many people have all the ‘stuff’ they need these days, that an ‘experiential’ gift is often appreciated. And $80 for a one-hour massage AT YOUR HOME or at the gym is great value.

To contact Ross for either a personal training session or massage, email him at rosssheridanfitness@gmail.com or phone on 0406 331 697.

SPECIAL OFFER

Ross has a special offer for new remedial massage clients. If you are a subscriber to this Blog and would like to book a one-hour session, he is offering a FIFTY PER CENT discount to the first TWENTY readers to email him. Enjoy.

New Year’s Resolution Update

Posted on February 12, 2013 by JenniferHansen

Sorry, but I’m too busy right now to write a ‘proper’ New Year’s Resolution update. I’m getting bored with the whole concept too. Twenty minutes till the official end of the day though – so I might just squeeze in a mini-update so I can feel I’ve stuck to the program. To some degree anyway…

Lindt balls

(1) Sugar free challenge (apart from wine) – Not good. I found an open box of Lindt chocolates one night after drinking wine, (which of course drastically reduces one’s will-power) so I scoffed what was left in the box. Which was about four of those scrumptious round balls. God, they tasted good. FAIL.

(2) Not to play I-Phone Games – No Good. I couldn’t sleep one night so downloaded Spider Solitaire on to my I-phone at 2am and played that for about half an hour. And I haven’t deleted it yet either. FAIL

(3) To tidy my office before the end of March – Not yet. But I still have time. An easy TICK for this one.

(4) To go to the gym at least 3 times a week – YES!!! I have a new trainer who I have to meet twice a week at the gym and this is fabulous. I’m going to introduce you to Ross tomorrow. Plus I did three spin classes and have lost half a kilo. I think it was the Lindt balls that did it. TICK.

(5) To NEVER smoke another cigarette again – I actually felt like one this week for the first time in ages. On several occasions. I think it has something to do with stress????? But I remained strong and did NOT smoke. Big TICK.

Overall, checking the scorecard – that’s three ticks out of five at the end of week six. Not brilliant, but hey, I’m only human after all…

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