The Grown-Up Girls Report Podcast

What a treat this week to have another fabulous Aussie author (yes, we're claiming her!) Ashley Kalagian Blunt on the podcast this week to discuss her new book - How To Be Australian. This wonderful memoir, which Ashley refers to as her 'love letter to Australians', details her first five years in Australia with her new husband Steve. They arrive in Sydney assuming that Australia is...

In this episode of BeautyChat, I takes a left turn and workshops what it is that makes someone beautiful, with one of my oldest friends, Bec Monin. Bec and I have been friends since we met in kindergarten - nearly 44 years ago! I consider Bec to be incredibly beautiful - she is warm, compassionate and has an inner sparkle! True inner beauty! For more information about the episode, including the pr...

I'm so delighted to be joined by my wonderful friend Katie Hislop to workshop American Dirt in book club this week. Katie is an HR guru who has been a guest on the podcast before when she shared her wisdom about helping women 'rev up their careers post kids'. In this episode, Katie is donning her reading hat and helping me workshop this controversial yet powerful book. American Dirt...

Yes, COVID is still a feature of day-to-day life here in Australia but things are definitely on the improve! So, in this BeautyChat episode, Make-up Artist and Beauty Concierge Susan Napper, shares her top tips for how to get out of the house in 5 easy steps - because the future is definitely looking brighter!! Alex and Susan have 6 kids between them and have always juggled work and family, so the...

It is so wonderful to have one of our favourite authors back on the podcast. This week, I speak with the wonderful Petronella McGovern about her latest book - The Good Teacher. Staying in the suburban suspense genre which Petronella does so well, The Good Teacher follows kindergarten teacher Allison through a time of personal and professional crisis. Dealing with the unexpected collapse of her mar...

In this episode of the podcast, Alex chats with Makeup Artist & Beauty Concierge Susan Napper about the best way of managing your makeup while wearing a mask. Susan believes it is all about the eyes!!Check out the Episode Notes for the full details of all the tips and products discussed. Guest:Susan Napper - Beauty Concierge & Make-Up ArtistGet In Touch: The Grown-Up Girls is on Instagram...

Welcome to BeautyChat - the latest regular addition to The Grown-Up Girls Report Podcasts. After receiving so much positive feedback to previous episodes on beauty, I've decided to add a regular fortnightly episode that will feature beauty pros who are keen to share their tips and know-how. But, I want to make it very clear that BeautyChat isn't about trying to make us all look younger o...

In this episode, Alex workshops the incredible 'Maybe You Should Talk To Someone' with good friend and author Mandy Newman. Written by Lori Gottlieb, this book is a memoir that follow's Lori's therapy journey plus four of her patients. It is full of spectacular words of wisdom, life advice and insight. Both girls had lists full of takeaways. It is highly recommended - both girl...

In this episode of The Grown-Up Girls Report podcast, Alex interviews Shannon Molloy about his first book 'Fourteen'. Shannon describes 'Fourteen' as the story of the worst year of his life. He was subjected to bullying, homophobia all because he was different. This book made Alex angry and it made her cry but it also made her laugh. It is so beautifully written and is a powerf...

In this episode of the podcast, Alex talks with Compassion and Mindset Coach Suzanne Mann about the power of self-compassion and how it may just provide the mindset shift we need to cope with the stress and uncertainty that 2020 keeps on giving! Self-compassion is more than just being kind to yourself. Having compassion for one for oneself is really no different than having compassion for others....

This week, I'll be exploring A Gentleman in Moscow by America author Amor Towles with my old friend, the lovely Kate Walker. Like me, Kate is a busy working mum with a tribe of kids - with similar ages to mine. She's a mad, keen reader and often has several books on the go at once. This year, she has been slightly distracted from her normal job as she has managed the COVID-19 response fo...

About 2 weeks ago, Charlene received the keys to her first home. After 3 years in social housing and time spent homeless, Charlene now has a safe and secure place to raise her 3 kids thanks to a 'leg-up' from Head Start Homes. Head Start Homes is a not for profit social enterprise that's all about helping community housing tenants becoming homeowners. And even better, I discovered t...

Welcome to book club everyone! How good is it to be back in the reading zone? This week, I'll be reviewing the truly magnificent book - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Scottish author Gail Honeyman - with my very smart editor friend Jules Collard. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is Honeyman's debut novel which is truly incredible. Released in 2017, it has warmed the hearts of...

In this episode of the podcast, Alex talks with Jenny Holman who works with DonateLife - the Australian Government's Organ and Tissue Authority. It is Jenny's job to walk beside families on some of the hardest days of their lives. Now, Jenny she sees this job as a privilege, an opportunity to help families honour their loved ones in a respectful and beautiful way. It's DonateLife We...

If there is one book and TV show you should watch this year it's Little Fires Everywhere. In the latest episode of the bookclub, I workshop both the book and TV show with my lovely author friend Mandy Newman. This book is all about motherhood, power, white privilege and teenagers!!! Happy listening! Alex x Want more from The Grown-Up Girls Report?   Follow along and join the conversation: Ins...

In this episode of the podcast, Alex speaks with Sydney based 'Beauty Concierge' and Make-Up artist Susan Napper about the best way to get our makeup groove back after months at home wearing active wear and no makeup! Alex and Susan also discuss what impact lockdown may have on makeup trends, their hope for a paired down approach and the emerging trend of matching eyeshadow to face masks...

Alice Achan was just 13 when her idyllic life in Northern Uganda changed forever. Conflict and terror suddenly ruled her day to day existence and she soon found herself living in a battlefield. She spent 5 years on the run from the LRA (the Lord's Resistance Army), lost much loved family members to war and also HIV and spend the bulk of her teenage years out of school. But this experience did...

In this episode of the book club, Alex and her good friend Jules chat about Aussie author Trent Dalton's debut novel Boy Swallows Universe. This novel was released in 2018 and has set the record for the fastest selling Aussie fiction debut since records began - it sold an incredible 200,000 copies in 72 weeks. This book is part survival, part coming of age story that is exhilarating, funny an...

In this episode of The Grown-Up Girls Report Podcast, Alex chats with Julie Jones, a 'Productivity Ninja' from Think Productive about how we can work smarter, worry less and love what we do even more! Julie is not about doing more or working harder rather about getting balance and a sense of well-being in our lives so we can focus on the right things. She teaches how to manage overwhelm...

In this episode, Alex workshops Elizabeth's Gilbert latest book - City of Girls - with her wonderful friend and author, Mandy Newman. This book is set in the theatre world of Manhattan in the 1940's - a world which retired thespians Alex and Mandy would have loved to be a part of!! It's a colourful tale of beautiful, promiscuous girls having a rollicking time but it's more than...

In this episode of The Grown-Up Girls Report Book club, Alex discusses The Stationery Shop of Tehran with her lovely friend Edwina McKinnon - who is herself a Stationery Queen! Check out OzCord Cards & Stationery for some fab Aussie stationery people!!This book is about love, loss and commitment. It provided such a fascinating insight into Iranian culture and the history of the 1953 coup d&apo...

In this episode of The Grown-Up Girls Report Podcast, Alex chats with Helen Barry from War On Waste Weekly about a topic that's long overdue on this podcast - our waste problem here in Australia. Helen was so affected by the ABC's War on Waste in 2017 - in particular footage of a marine biologist trying to remove a plastic straw from a sea turtle's nose - that she became determined...

This week is quite the occasion on The Grown-Up Girls Report book club! A real milestone! I am so delighted to introduce you to the very talented Petronella McGovern, an Aussie author who will be talking to me about her bestselling book - Six Minutes! Six Minutes is a psychological thriller with a big dose of women's fiction thrown in also. So, sit back and make yourself a cuppa, because this...

Welcome to The Grown-Up Girls Report book club! We are now into our 8th book - haven't we done well? I am not sure it is Guinness World Record status but in my eyes it is quite the achievement! Our book of the week is Such A Fun Age by American author Kiley Reid and I am lucky enough to have my fab 'editor friend' Julie 'Jules' Collard join me to workshop this thought prov...

In this episode of The Grown-Up Girls Report Podcast, Alex discusses strategies to ensure your immune system is in the best shape possible with Nutritional Medicine Practitioner Petra Hooyenga. Having recently recovered from a bout of the flu, Alex is keen to understand what we can do to ensure our immune system is in great shape to ward off the winter flu and COVID-19. During the episode, Petra e...