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!

Caylie Jeffery of Distractions of a Busy Mother shares her experience attending an appearance by her childhood heroine Julie Andrews in her post An Evening with a Childhood Heroine.

Most of all, I loved Julie Andrews- from the way she sang like a nightingale, to her beautiful face with its upturned nose and crooked front tooth. From her perfect diction, to the way she tut-tutted when she was cross, and her turned out toes. I have seen all of her popular movies and loved every one of them. But more than anything, I loved a book she wrote called "Mandy", about an orphaned girl who found solace in a little house she found in the woods behind her orphanage. I had no idea it was 'Mary Poppins' who wrote that book, because it was published under her married name, Julie Edwards. So when I discovered it was Ms Andrews who wrote it, I knew she was a wonderful soul and connected with her even more.

Read the rest of Caylie's post here.

Nathalie Brown of Easy Peasy Kids looks back on motherhood as her daughter turns 17 and accepts her 'mummy fails' may not have been that big a deal after all in her post Confession" 17 years of 'mothering fails'.

Instead of beating my self up with guilt and self loathing I began to look at the bigger picture. Well, in saying that it’s only really now that I can step back and see the bigger picture. My daughter is 17 and she’s ok. She’s more than ok, she rocks my world.

So called labelled parenting fails/mothering fails, which we usually label ourselves just form part of the bigger picture. Parenting and motherhood is a continuous lesson of learning with your child. It changes as they grow. It changes as we grow. It’s totally unique to you and your child. No amount of preparation can make it smooth sailing. There are no guarantees when you have children or warranties or return policies.

Read the rest of Nathalie's post here.

Jo Hartley of Wannabe Yummy Mummie takes us through her hilarious attempt to toilet-train her son in her post This Post Comes With A Smug Mummy Warning! Sorry!

So the Monday arrived and I explained to Mr T what we were going to do – well, as much as you can explain to a 2.5 year old who doesn’t tend to listen all that often or sit still for more than 5 minutes straight. I told him that he was a big boy now and that only babies wear nappies all the time and, therefore, from here on in, he would only wear nappies for sleep times* – *I am going ‘cold’ turkey ok…not, arctic. I then proudly and excitedly pulled out a pair of robot pants which I had brought a pack of especially (commonly now known as Big Boy Pants), kind of did a jig round the room waving said pants to make them more exciting, and then proceeded to get him dressed.

Read the rest of Jo's post here.

Bianca Slade of Wholefood Simply has us all scrambling to make this amazing treat in her post 'Is it as good as Gran's? Wholefood Simply Caramel Slice.

I do not believe I will ever fully come to terms with no longer having my Gran’s physical presence in my life. I try, as a Mother, a friend, a daughter and a wife, to walk in her direction, but I do not possess her level of calmness or selflessness. I think of her daily, and I love anything that reignites the joy and ease I experienced in her company.

My Gran made the best caramel slice. Did everyone’s Gran do that?

If only I could be sharing this with her, I know she would be so proud. This slice is a toast to all the Gran’s out there, holding hands and warming hearts, giving unconditional love and acceptance in ways only Grans can, how thankful we are to have you in lives.

Read the rest of Bianca's post here.

Amy Taylor-Kabbaz of Seek Act Love discusses the perfect time-out from motherhood in her post Tuning Out.

Do you ever just sit in silence? No TV, no radio, no children talking, no baby crying?

And not just silence in terms of a lack of noise – silence for your other senses too. Dim lights. Warm room. Comfortable chair. Something easy and comforting to cast your eyes over. Something nourishing to sip on and feel trickle through your body.

Motherhood can be an assault on the senses. Every fibre of your being is attune to the sounds, smells, and actions around you. The noise alone can create a physical reaction at times! We crave silence – just for a moment – to allow our bodies to stop. Release. Breathe.

Read the rest of Amy's post here.

 

Stephanie Rogers of She Said What writes charmingly about feminism, botox and how silly some people are when they are drunk in her post Feminism - It's all about choice.

 

I like the way I look when I have hair and make-up done. I like having less wrinkles and smooth skin. I’m still a feminist. I still believe in gender equality. I still believe in busting glass ceilings, in equal representation of and for women, in equal status for ‘women’s issues’ such as child care and female sexual health. I believe in equal pay for female dominated industries, and ultimately I believe in choice. Women have an ultimate right to choose what they will do with, and to, their own bodies. That is pure feminism at work folks, fake eyelashes, botox and all!

 

Read the rest of Stephanie's post here.

 

If you're a blogger and you want to appear in our next iBlog Friday roundup please send the link to your blog to us at [email protected]

We will be posting all the blogs we receive in a round up every Friday morning so make sure we get your blog by Thursday at 12 noon.

The winner will be published on Monday and that blogger will win a 9 pack of CDs from the Jazz Club collection and the soundtrack to the new Baz Lurhman movie The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

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.