Shows
Soul TradersFollowing your curiosity: a Q&A with graphic designer Tess McCabeTess is a freelance graphic designer with a broad portfolio of work spanning web design, print and publishing. But she has many other strings to her bow: she started publishing company Creative Minds and has written and released several books of her own. She was formerly the coordinator of the Creative Women's Circle and co hosted The New Normal Podcast with friend and fellow small business owner Emma Clark Gratton. Her monthly newsletter Sylloge, a compilation of podcast, blog and book recommendations has a cult following.
Amy asks Tess about her incredibly diverse career and how she manages to wear...
2021-07-0838 min
The New Normal PodcastQuarantine 2020 Bonus Episode!So. We know we said last year that we were too busy to keep doing regular episodes of the podcast, but that was before a pandemic rolled into town and our busy social lives (haha) were scaled right back. I mean... if there is ONE THING you want to arrange a playdate with your favourite mum friend to gossip about then isn't it how the world has been, like, grounded indefinitely?
In this special episode of the pod, Emma has some very cute 5-month-old news... plus we talk out all the highs and lows of staying at h...
2020-04-061h 00
The New Normal PodcastOur final episode!All good things must come to an end. Yes, after a hopeful return to the pod earlier this year, the struggle of the juggle has won and we're setting our podcast aside - happy in the knowledge that we had a good five (FIVE!) years in your ears.
From the bottom of our hearts, we'd like to thank all of you who took the time with us to laugh, cry, fist-pump-in-the-air, do kegels, commiserate and celebrate all the highs and lows that come with parenting.
To those of you who we call dear friends; to...
2019-05-1709 minThe New Normal Podcast72: That time both our husbands had serious accidents :~{We're back for 2019, after a rather strange and frequently stressful end to 2018! Yes, both Emma and Tess' spouses went under the knife late last year after sudden yet unrelated accidents (just a few weeks apart!). In this ep we digest the aftermath and take stock of what we learned. And we make up for lost time by sharing our summer reads and TV recommendations, PLUS, yet another (hopefully the last) update to Tess' Paid Parental Leave miniseries.
Tess' Paid Parental Leave (the background and November update)
TNN Episode 34
TNN Episode 40
November update (on Tess' instagram)
2019-03-0951 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 71: Victorian Small Business Commissioner Judy O'Connell has two sets of twinsOur newest podcast is with Victoria’s Small Business Commissioner Judy O’Connell who has TWO SETS OF TWINS *faints*.
This basically qualifies her to run the whole damn country, in our opinion.
Judy has had a long career in the public service, including as Assistant Commissioner at the Australian Tax Office, where she set up an in-house childcare centre. Throughout her career, Judy has been a champion for flexible work for both mums and dads, and for integrating family life with career.
She also told us all about the cool things the Vict...
2018-11-2233 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 70: Are Nerf Guns a good idea? Plus our recent book and internet recommendationsSo we've decided to change the focus of the podcast to be the Leigh Sales Appreciation Society. Just jokes, but seriously we do spend a fair bit of time this episode talking about Australia's leading current affairs anchor and the new book she's written about overcoming trauma. Other cheery topics include breast self-examinations and whether or not our kids should play with toy guns. Happy listening!
Reading:
The Nowhere Child by Christian White
Leigh Sales’ interview in Fairfax papers
Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales
Practising Simplicity (blog)
T...
2018-10-0438 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 69: Maryanne Moodie on entrepreneurism, creativity and building a communityFinding a way to turn a creative passion into a profitable business can be tricky, especially when you throw a family into the mix. Enter Maryanne Moodie, Insta-famous weaver and teacher, a magical unicorn who has managed to develop her creative expression into a thriving business and community.
If you’re a crafty type who enjoys a bit of interiors porn, there’s a strong chance you’ve seen Maryanne’s work. Her gorgeous textured weavings have inspired thousands of people to pick up some yarn and a loom, through her online and in-person weaving classes and her book...
2018-09-1847 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 68: Sleepovers, kid-friendly podcasts, and having (more) empathy for teachersIt's Emma and Tess in your ears again with our recent book, pod and teev recommendations (for you AND your kids!). Yep, this episode we talk about a few kid-friendly podcasts on high rotation at home, plus revel in the wonder that is nature (documentaries). Then, thanks to a great listener suggestion, we discuss our policies on sleepovers and babysitting while our kids are still little. Enjoy!
Reading:
Teacher by Gabbie Stroud
Ache by Eliza Henry Jones
Lunchlady Magazine*
Listening:
Wowee Podcast
Married to a...
2018-09-0641 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 67: Beci Orpin on raising independent kids, self-regulating screen time and keeping a small radius.Beci Orpin needs no introduction: her work has been seen on everything from billboards and snowboards to food trucks and books. Beci and her partner Raph (of Beatbox Kitchen and All Day Donuts fame!) have built a creative empire, all while raising their two sons.
Many of our guests are still in the trenches with toddlers or preschoolers, so hearing Beci’s view on the tween and teen years is a balm for our exhausted souls. She describes how it does get easier (hurrah!) and the joy of seeing your kids grow up.
Beci also ta...
2018-08-2141 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 66: Extra-curricular activities, op shop books, and podcast therapy for The Handmaid's TaleWe kick off this episode discussing what's been in our podcast feeds and TV queues, and you'd be right in thinking that recently we haven't been consuming them as an escape tactic from the realities of the big bad world. From The Handmaids Tale (no spoilers, promise) to Nanette; You Can't Ask That to Teacher's Pet; there is definitely a 'theme' to our recommendations this episode (so consider this a content warning!).
But it's not all dark... We talk about our approaches to introducing extra-curricular activities into our kids lives and what we've tried; and share some trusty pa...
2018-07-2541 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 65: Jen and Kirstie on egg donation and equalityFor some, the path to parenthood is relatively straightforward. For others, it is more complicated, but no less joyful.
On this episode we talk to Jen Clark of Jen Clark Design and her partner Kirstie Innes-Will, managing editor at Black Inc. In 2014, Jen and Kirstie decided to help another local couple to complete their family, and ended up in their own modern-day fairytale.
Because life with a newborn isn't hard enough, their first year as parents was shadowed by the same-sex marriage survey, where the entire country passed judgement on the validity of their new fam...
2018-07-131h 02The New Normal PodcastEpisode 64: Screen time rules, donut cakes, and teaching kids about consentIn terms of shielding our pre-school and early primary school-age kids from the big bad world, we're kinda in a cosy bubble rn. But for how long? In this episode we talk about our own family rules for screen time and what we fear is awaiting us in the future; as well as the important conversations we're starting to have around consent and approaching strangers for help. Then - because it be freezing outside - we share some recent TV & film recommendations that you can curl up under a blanket to consume. Happy listening!
Reading:
Toda...
2018-06-2636 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 63: Guardians, wills and Sausage Slurry with lawyer Laura VickersLaura Vickers is a lawyer and mum of two who has carved out a niche for herself in the legal world with her practice Nest Legal based in Melbourne. She explains to us why it’s important to have the difficult conversations around who will look after your kids if you die, who gets your assets and what songs you want played at your funeral.
Her practice focusses on families, wills, tax and property conveyancing, and strives to be a family-friendly little hamlet in the decidedly unfamily-friendly legal world.
We learn that pre-nups are not as...
2018-06-1341 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 62: Great Aussie TV miniseries', bulk-buying birthday gifts, and making 'mum friends'While admittedly this episode starts with a requisite debrief on *the* Royal wedding, if you're in need of some high quality TV series' and podcasts to get hooked into while the weather is chilly, this episode has heaps of our recent (or ol' favourite) recommendations. Then we delve into how and why Tess is trying (and so far failing) to make some new local mum friends, and share our friendship origin story, a.k.a that time when we awkwardly met at a cafe having read eachother's blogs and stalked eachother online. Plus we offer some parenting hacks and a few chu...
2018-05-2244 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 61: Homebirth, anxiety and the Mother Baby Unit with Lorelei VashtiIf this bumper episode sounds like you’re eavesdropping on three friends who haven’t seen each other in a while, then that’s exactly what it is.
We catch up with past guest Lorelei Vashti (author of How to Choose Your Baby’s Last Name: A Handbook for New Parents) who we first spoke to way back in episode 27. Lorelei generously shares all about her two very different home births, dealing with birth trauma and what help is out there for parents who may be struggling.
The birthing course that Lorelei mentioned is through B...
2018-05-0900 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 60: Asking for flexibility at work, internet wormholes, and a dash of BeyonceA LOT of random ground in covered in this episode, featuring Emma & Tess chit chatting about recent reads and audiovisual consumption. Cults, cold case murder investigations, stars without makeup, wills, Beyonce... See? Plus, a discussion about asking for flexibility at your workplace before/after you've been offered a new job; and two parenting hacks that that will make you a whole lot less frustrated by the minutiae of daily parenting life! :D
Reading:
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
Zero Fucks Cookbook by Yumi Stynes
7 Damaging Parenting Behaviors That Keep Children From Growing Into Leaders
Guide...
2018-04-2547 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 59: Jess Reftel Evans on IVF and hopeIt seems unbelievable that after 58 episodes, this is the first one where we have deep-dived into IVF. Fertility issues affect one in six couples, and more than 70,000 IVF cycles are performed in Australia each year.
But photographer Jess Reftel-Evans came to IVF for a different reason to most people: Jess has a genetic condition that she didn’t want to pass onto her offspring. She answers all our nosey questions about egg harvesting and HCF levels, and graciously puts up with us exclaiming, ‘Oh my God!’ every few seconds.
We also chat about celebrity pregnancies (Janet...
2018-04-1045 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 58: Tess' meal planning method, She-Ra, and the genius of Date DayOnly a privileged few have ever set eyes on Tess' weekly meal plan, but in this episode the origin and power of this document is revealed once and for all (and it's actually super easy for you to try for yourself!). Also, we talk about the books and podcasts we've been consuming, and offer a couple of parenting hacks including one that will make bathtime easier, and one that will make you a fancy free human adult who enjoys midday movies and long lunches with your lover.
READING
Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
...
2018-03-2735 min
The New Normal PodcastEpisode 57: StillbirthEpisode 57 is a special one. Instead of our usual mix of recommendations, updates and banter, we dedicate the entire episode to the stillbirth of Emma's daughter Edie in October last year. Her due date was last Saturday.
We discuss what happened, what helped and where to from here, including how you can help someone in similar circumstances.
You can find more of Emma's writing about her experience at her blog.
This probably isn't an episode for little ears, or if you are feeling a little tender.
2018-03-121h 00The New Normal PodcastEpisode 56: Belle Gibson's cancer con, poetry for beginners, and speech therapy for kidsIt’s another episode chock-full of recommendations to make your sleep-deprived mind at least a little stimulated with culture. But ah, who are we kidding, we also spend a fair bit of time talking about the Belle Gibson saga. Later, Emma shares her experience attending speech therapy with her 5-year-old for the last few years, and we trade some parenting hacks we’ve only recently devised since becoming mums what seems like 400 years ago. Enjoy!
Reading:
The Woman Who Fooled The World: Belle Gibson’s Cancer Con by Nick Toscano and Beau Donelly
Men Explain Things to Me by...
2018-02-2042 minThe New Normal PodcastEpisode 55: First aid for kids, the science of smells and what we've been readingEpisode 55 is here, AKA the one where Emma learns that essential oils aren’t made from squashed flowers, Tess finally watches the Handmaid’s Tale and we talk about staying connected to a partner after a stillbirth.
Also, Tess tells us what she learned at a first aid course for parents (hint: it's both helpful and terrifying) and we accept that broken limbs are probably part of our future.
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READING
The Case Against Fragrance by Kate Grenville
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Buddhism for Mothers with Li...
2018-02-0746 min