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Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber cake… and lessons in letting go and being a better mum

It’s another birthday party in our house today. My son turns 9 (nine! what?), and has requested a lightsaber birthday cake. Not just any lightsaber birthday cake mind you. Kylo Ren’s lightsaber. “You remember what that looks like from the movie, mum?” he asks. Ahh, no. But google does, of course. There are plenty of…
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Puppy Love

If you follow me on instagram (@sharlzed), it would be hard to miss that I have just become a new fur-mum. Yes, some people have puppies (and I honestly thought I would be one of those), but it turns out I have a fur-child. You can tell this by the number of photos of the dog…
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On being older. And wiser.
Lately, I’ve been feeling old. Maybe it has something to do with spending lots of time with the young and happening things at my acting course. It is hard not to let their perspective of you take hold. And they don’t mean it in any negative way – but really, I am a contemporary of…
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Skiing in Australia

Skiing is not something I naturally associate with Australia. Despite being here for 15 years, the beach-stereotype is still firmly entrenched. But in the winter months, Kosciuszko National Park plays host to a vibrant ski season, and thousands of Aussies trek down here to spend time cavorting in the snow. We went for a weekend.…
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The magical allure of New York

“New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made true…” We’ve just been to New York. The city of dreams, home to hopes of fame and glory. The subject of famous crooners and the backdrop to countless movies, TV shows and adverts. A city so familiar from reruns of Sex in the City and Law…
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A mini-break in Orlando

As part of our recent trip to New York, we also spent a week down in Orlando indulging our kids (and our inner kids) with the joys of theme-parking. It was a really spectacular holiday, too short perhaps, but fun, and here is what we go up to: 1) The Magic Kingdom at Disney World Magical…
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Allergy-friendly cupcakes

I hate the lunchbox rigmarole. I have a friend who is insanely organised. She has a weekly lunchbox meal plan, that she just rotates. That much structure freaks me out. Even thinking about it gives me a headache (in a jealous “I so wish I could do that” kind of way). As a result, every…
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London in the Sunshine

In the fifteen years I have been boomeranging back to London to see family and friends, never has that fleeting glimpse of summer the Brits get coincided so marvellously with my trip… until now. And London in the sunshine is just glorious. The kids and I had a ball with family. For the first time,…
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Falling in love with Perth

I’ve always been a little disparaging about Perth. Friends and family have moved here despite my rather derisive comments about how small and parochial it is. But during the last few days I have secretly fallen in love with Perth. I think it is the colour of the sea that has stolen my heart. But…
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A life mostly ordinary…

Weekends away… once upon a time the man of the house and I used to take them on a regular basis. At least once every six weeks we would be zipping up to The Hunter Valley or meandering around Jervis Bay. Because in those days we were a two income no kids family, we took plane…