At iVillage we’re passionate about supporting Australian bloggers. 

That’s why we’ve created iBlog Friday.

It's a chance for bloggers introduce their favourite post of the week to iVillage readers and for our community to read what Aussie writers are up to.

Here are the bloggers who have sent their submissions this week. Happy reading!

Georgia Johnson of Parental Parody

apologises for the profanity but really, it's needed when discussing kids swimming lessons right. Georgia shares in in her post FFS!? Friday: Taking the piss. Literally.

Following my

previous post about swimming lessons

, a School Dad (whose daughter is finishing up as The Feral Threesome start their lessons) helpfully pointed out that, in addition to pissing in the showers, all the kids piss in the pool too.  FFS!?

When I thought about it, I realised that I've never ever seen a kid get out mid-lesson or mid-swim and rush to the toilets in all of my poolside years…..eww and FFS!?

Read the rest of Georgia's most here .

Nicole Moriarty of nicolemoriarty.com.au shares a powerful story about how a random conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop lead to a serious conversation about post natal depression in her post A Coffee With A Stranger .

Do you chat to strangers in coffee shops? At the bus stop? On the train?

And if you do, has your conversation ever gone past polite chit-chat, pleasantries about the weather and the like?

I only ask because I met a woman in GJ’s the other day, and somehow, our conversation went from “your son has the most gorgeous brown eyes!” (she had an adorable 16 month old, who was climbing on the bench seat next to me and attempting to stand on his head) to “How do you know if you have post natal depression?”

So how did we get there?

Read the rest of Nicole's post here .

Keri Arkell of Awesomely Unprepared tackles the tricky subject of justifying being a stay-at-home-mum in her post So…what do you do ?

Some people feel most fulfilled being full time stay at homers, while others feel complete working outside the home as well as being parents. I think I’m a member of the former group. However, I find comfort in knowing that because of a wonderful thing called feminism, I have the right to choose and change my mind at any time. Nothing is a life sentence. Which is why I find it ludicrous that there are even ‘mummy wars’ in the first place. Why do we need to label everything/everyone and keep them in a little box in our minds? Right now I love what I do ‘at home’.

I don’t want to apologise for being a stay at home parent. I don’t want to feel like I can’t admit that I love it and that right now, it’s enough for me. I have talents and qualifications. I am lucky enough to be an educated person, due to many opportunities I’ve been afforded in life. However, I find it funny when it’s implied that I am wasting my talents.

Read the rest of Keri's post here .

Amanda Raboul of My Champagne Daze talks about the dramatic lengths she went to one day to open a bottle of wine in her post I Sabered Alone . It's quite a handy tip!

All this pondering made me realise that the minute I had waited for company had long since passed. The bottle wasn’t getting any colder. So, channelling Napoleon and my beloved Lily Bollinger (who both would have understood my actions, I am sure!), I went inside, picked up my saber, strode out to the bottle, and without missing a beat, sliced the top right off it.

It was sweet.

Read the rest of Amanda's post here .

Jodi Gibson of JF Gibson explores the idea of a mid-life-crisis having nothing to do with age and everything to do with expectation in her post The New Mid-Life Crisis.

I too have questioned myself and my purpose in life. It frustrates me that I feel a ‘need’  to have a purpose. Maybe it is just human nature, or maybe it is simply from watching too much Oprah in years gone by.

When we are young, fresh out of school or uni we are forging ahead with our lives. We have purpose. We can define ourselves by what we are in terms of our career. The question ‘what do you do?’ is easily answered. Then along comes Mr. Right and the little pattering tiny feet. Many choose to stay home with their children, some don’t, some don’t have the luxury of choice.

Read the rest of Jodi's post here .

Amanda Whitley of Her Canberra talks about how Mother's Day isn't a day of celebration for all women, particularly those dealing with grief in her post Mother's Day – not always a day to celebrate.

For those women who desperately want children, but have not been able to; or for those mothers who have lost children; or for women who no longer have their own mums in their life, it’s a day of mourning.

I battled infertility for two years. It seemed like an aeon but I know there are women who’ve been fighting for much, much longer. And, at the end of the day, I’m one of the lucky ones. We got there in the end, and that made the sickening rollercoaster ride worth it ten times over. But others aren’t so fortunate.

Read the rest of Amanda's post here .

Michelle Holland from Mummy Loves to Write writes about her first child, her dog Woofy and he coped with having siblings in her post When Woofy was an only child .

Woofy was our first baby together. He was our only concern if we were going out for the night or away for the weekend. We took leisurely walks together by a picturesque lake. He had 27 degree warm water baths with doggy day-spa shampoo. His golden retriever coat was brushed until it gleamed. Woofy’s downtime was spent laying at our feet while we watched TV and I would sometimes snuggle him in our bed – when my future husband wasn’t looking. His life was a steady diet of pats, hugs and Schmackos (Disclaimer – This post is NOT sponsored by Schmackos). Happy and content Woofy.

I got pregnant and spewed, cried and hobbled my way through the next eight months. Preeclampsia at the end meant bed rest, so Daddy was busy too. Woofy’s lifestyle changed and he had to be content with the occasional walk, bath and brushing session. Unconditional love got us through. I vowed it would get better when the baby came.

Read the rest of Michelle's post here .

Shirley from Rhubarb Whine shares her experience with lost friendship in her post Losing My Best Friend.

I do know we were friends – closer than sisters – for over 30 years.

And then we weren’t.

From the age of 6 and 8, respectively, you and I, we were almost inseparable. From the day your brother knocked over our back fence so we could talk without peering through the pickets, we were peers. We danced. We laughed. We kissed boys. We sang to the same bands, our hairbrushes synchronised with our hotpants as we emulated Agneta and Annifrid,  Dancing Queens.

Read the rest of Shirley's post here . http://www.facebook.com/wholefoodsimply

Bianca Slade of Wholefood Simply has delighted us with her recipe post called Coconut and Raspberry Mousse . It explains itself.

Does it look good? I assure you it tastes even better! It is insanely quick and easy and so healthy you can give it to the little ones for breakfast without a single tinge of guilt.

I made this for my neighbor, but it didn’t get there. My children barricaded the kitchen. This small bowl that I managed to capture before being sprung was the only mousse that made it out of the blender. The three of us succumbed to sitting on the kitchen floor, each with a spoon in hand, and digging straight in. Raspberry smiles from ear to ear.

Read the rest of Bianca's post here .

Louisa Simmonds of My Midlife Mayhem takes us through her detailed plan to make sure we don't dress older than we are in her post My Top 5 'Young Fashion' Shops For Middle Aged Women.

I refuse to dress like my grandmother just because I’m over 40. I might not have the body I had in my twenties, but I still have my pride.

I have made a few concessions to my age in terms of fashion, admittedly – wedges, flats and loose fitting dresses have become much more prominent in my wardrobe these days, but I’m proud to say that there is still not a Hush Puppy or kaftan in sight.

But even though I want to stay fashionable, I don’t want to look like ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ either.

Read the rest of Louisa's post here .

The winner will be published on Monday and that blogger will win a

 9 pack of CDs from the 

Jazz

 Club collection.

This fabulous selection covers an array of repertoires, from rare historical recordings to the latest trends, with artisis including Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole.