AN AUSTRALIAN study, widely publicised earlier this year, concluded there was “no such thing as baby brain”. Professor Helen Christensen, from the Australian National University, probably spent hours, days and months researching a report to show that there were no signs of motherhood impeding a woman’s cognitive function.
Well Prof. Christensen, I’ve got plenty of aneacdotal evidence compiled over the course of my wife’s two pregnancies and this week I gathered proof that baby brain may well affect women long after the birth.
You see my wife, Princess Kel, has not worked for some months. A journalist by profession, she went on leave well before the birth of our little one, Princess Holly, last October and has not been near the office since. Yet, after having cause to ring her at home on a Monday afternoon this week, Kel answered our home phone with the words “Good afternoon, editorial, Kellie speaking’’.
What followed was a couple of stunned seconds of silence from me and then fits of laughter from both of us after we realised what she’d done. No further proof needed. Baby brain exists
Princess Ella devouring her strawberries from “Santa''.
WEDNESDAY mornings are like Christmas in our house – minus chocolate for brekkie. The neighbours can hear Princess Ella’s squeals as the gift bearer arrives at the door. She then proceeds to explain how she’s got pink underpants on and “look, I’ve got strong muscles. See?’’ Vital information. After they leave, we excitedly unpack the parcels to see what they’ve left.
Of course, I already know what they’ve left. Yes, the Coles lady is like Santa Claus in our house.
With a five-month-old breastfed baby, heading to a supermarket with the worry I might have to back myself into the deli section to feed mid shop terrifies me. Add to that a preschooler who’s tempted by anything in a shiny wrapper and I fear the place more than the dentist (I’ve already had six teeth pulled in my lifetime).
So, when I discovered online grocery shopping I thought all my Christmases had come at once – and so did the three year old. Now, instead of screaming for the chocolates at the grocery counter, she’s squealing “look Mum, strawberries’’ in our kitchen.
Mind you, when I describe the Coles lady as being like Santa, I really do mean it. No, she’s doesn’t have a beard – that I’ve noticed, anyway. She’s like Saint Nic, because most weeks she brings us free samples. Granted, last week we were left disappointed because all we received was a small bottle of deodorant.
Ungrateful li’l…., you say. Well, it’s hard to take when the week prior we received:
Two packets of mini Milky Ways
Two packets of Cadburys assorted mini chocolates
Two gossip magazines
A box of Robert Timms coffee bags
Another mini deodorant
Vitamin water
A large bottle of spring water
A large V8 juice
Two big packets of Dorritos
All free! Clever marketing, I say. Although, I started to wonder if maybe the Coles lady had left behind someone else’s shopping. In fact, I didn’t touch any of it (despite Ella’s pleading) until the next day in fear she’d return and want them back.
Every time I heard a vehicle outside, I’d get Ella to check if it was the Coles lady. Of course, she obliged because, well, a second visit from Santa in one day would have made her the happiest girl in the world.
So, my answer to surviving grocery shopping with kids? Stay at home! The kids will love you for it.
Yum!
What are your tips for surviving shopping with the kids? Have you embraced online grocery shopping yet?
Written by a newspaper journalist, who’s married to a deputy editor
WITHOUT careful planning, a press release to the media about your new project can fall on deaf ears.
Journalists, chiefs of staff and editors are busy people. There are now more spin doctors employed than there are journalists in newsrooms, meaning they have to read and sort through hundreds of press releases per week. If you can’t capture their attention early in your release, it will go straight to the trash file.
They are looking for a “hook” (something interesting) or the pay-off (OK, what’s in it for us as a media outlet?). The key is a point of difference. You have to stand out from the crowd.
Here are some tips to help your press release get noticed:
The first question a journalist, chief of staff or editor will ask after reading your press release is: “why is this news?’’ What sets this apart from anything else out there?
It’s important to grab their attention from the first line (which also includes your headline and email subject line).
Directly after your headline you need to tell the journalist where the release is coming from and when it was delivered. A simple: Sydney, February 24, 2011 will do.
Tailor your release to the market you’re targeting. If you’ve got a blog about mums who meet in Hobart, there’s not much point pitching this to a Coffs Harbour newspaper.
Answer all the questions you might think a journo would ask – who, what, where, why, when and how. And generally in the first few lines.
Treat your press release like an inverted pyramid – the most important information at the top and then the detail, background etc further down. In many instances, only the first few lines of your press release will get read.
Don’t make it too long. As long as you’ve covered the important points, one page will suffice.
Make it colourful. Add some quotes from yourself, using a conversational tone. Some journos are lazy and may simply use your release without even interviewing you.
A press release is no place to be reserved. Sell yourself. Tell them how good you or your product is. For some of us, that’s easier said than done!
Tell them a bit about yourself, your background and what led you to this point.
Before you finish writing, make sure it includes your contact details – web links, email, home phone and mobile!
Always attach print-ready photographs, making sure it’s in jpeg format and at least 200 dpi. Add a simple caption to it, so they knows who’s in the photo or what it’s about. Bear in mind though, many newspapers and magazines prefer to take their own photos.
Before sending it, find out and use the reporter or chief of staff’s name. Even better, see if you can get the journalist’s direct email address.
Sometimes it comes down to timing. Slow news day and you’re a hit; major disaster and sorry, nothing personal, but they’ve got better things to be chasing.
Each week, we’ll cover a different aspect of dealing with the media. If you have something in particular you’d like covered, don’t hesitate to drop us a line via the Contact page.
AFTER 15 minutes of pampering, courtesy of the good people at miniOrganics, this tired, sleep-deprived body is feeling totally refreshed. Ahhh. Not to mention, my skin feels as smooth and soft as a baby’s bottom. My baby’s bot, anyway.
I’ve always been sceptical of products branded “organic’’, but closer inspection of miniOrganics reveals these guys are the real deal. In fact, it can boast the world’s first fully certified organic skincare range for babies and new mums. If only I’d know about it back when I was pregnant with Princess Ella.
I could go on about the award-winning products using the purest ingredients and it being developed by a mum, but what’s grabbed my attention most is each product’s multiple uses.
Here’s what I’ve been lucky enough to try:
SUPERFINE JOJOBA: Sprinkling this in the li’l princesses’ bath left their skin so silky. OTHER USE: It can also be used to relieve dry, itchy skin; as baby massage oil; nail treatment; shaving balm for men; moisturiser for teenagers with acne prone skin; and wait for it, an eye make-up remover for Mum. Genius!
CALMING AND HYDRATING MIST: Baby Holly’s had this one sprayed on her bot more than a few times now. OTHER USE: You can spritz it in the air to calm a cranky baby (hello, over this way) and as a soothing stress relief for mum (again, in this direction!).
INFANT MOISTURISER: After bath-time, I’ve been massaging Holly with this one, primarily because it’s infused with lavender and chamomile. Ah, sleep. OTHER USE: For anyone with sensitive skin.
NOURISHING BODY OIL: I was fortunate to score a massage from the bloke in The Shed using this oil. He, who doesn’t really know one product from the next, commented on it being the first oil to not leave his hands greasy. OTHER USE: Ideal for conditioning and supporting the skin during the demanding later months of pregnancy, helping to minimise the appearance of stretch marks.
NIPPLE BALM: I’ve now been blessed with my second problem-free breastfeeder, so haven’t had to try this one for its primary purpose. OTHER USE: Cleverly, this one doubles as a super moisturising lip balm, so it’s definitely not going to waste.
There’s also the 3-Step Prescription (combining Calming Mist, Superfine Jojoba and Infant Moisturiser), which is an all-natural, non-steroidal approach to easing discomfort from dry skin conditions such as eczema. Baby Holly had quite dry skin on the tops of her toes and this combination got rid of it instantly.
The range also includes Gentle Baby Wash, Gentle Baby Soap and Soothing Nappy Balm for bub and Enriched Moisturiser for mums and mums-to-be.
We’re giving away $115.70 worth of miniOrganics products. The prize includes a Nourishing Body Oil ($55), Nipple Balm ($32.75) and Calming & Hydrating Mist ($27.95).
To go in the draw:
THE bloke in The Shed was a little naughty this week. If he were a toddler, I would have sent him to his room to have a think about what he’d just done.
So, what did he do? Well, he cooked Chocolate Brownies. Ah, the problem, you ask? The problem is, because he’s on a quest to find a thinner version of himself, he left me to eat the lot. And the lot, I did. “Hmmm’’, I hear you all nod in agreed.
All I can say is it’s just lucky I’m breastfeeding Baby Holly and the weight continues to fall off me quicker than Rhianna’s clothes in a video clip. Now, if only I looked like Rhianna…
If you feel like being a little naughty in the kitchen this weekend, then try these rich, but yummy brownies.
CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
Ingredients:
150g butter
1 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
¾ cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 packet white choc bits
Method
Preheat oven to 160C. Line a 27cm x 18cm x 3cm tin with baking paper. Melt the butter, then stir in cocoa and allow to cool slightly. Beat in eggs, followed by sugar and vanilla.
Stir in flour and baking powder, followed by white choc bits. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 minutes.
Leave in the tin for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cut into bars and enjoy!
OUR li’l chatterbox, Princess Ella, talks so much it’s inevitable she’ll deliver at least one golden quote per day.
Because of this, we’re launching a new regular series titled She Said What? Feel free to send your own little one’s funny lines through to us via the Contact page and we’ll give them a run.
The Little Emperor asked Rachel who made him. “He followed this up by asking how had we got the bones in?’’ she said, laughing. “I knew the question would come up eventually, but wasn’t expecting it in that format. Thought it would be more of a: `where did I come from’. Awkward moments!’’
Classic!
Princess Ella was also concerned with her body this week, after not feeling 100 per cent. When I later asked her how she was feeling, she replied: “my tummy has a headache.’’.
Of course it does!
So, come on. Share what line your little one’s said that’s caused you to laugh this week?
