Hello, and welcome to our second episode of a very outspoken Christmas Our summer series, and today we're joined by the incredible Amy Connor, better known on TikTok simply as Ames Now. Ames has over nine hundred thousand followers on TikTok and shares relatable content about her life as a nurse and Mum, we know you're gonna love this episode, so let's get into it.
I love being interesting, I love being relevant, I love being funny. I love making people laugh. That's all about what social media and my content is. And I think that the reason I've got so many followers is because people feel that they see that, they see that I enjoy what I'm doing. It's a catch twenty two when you go viral, because it's like it opens you up to this dark web because it's just like you're old, you're ugly, your styles.
Would of those things are true at all.
Honestly, a lot of those negative comments actually fuel my content, and you've had a lot of engagement when you snap back in comments like that. So bring them on because they are actually feeding my content. They're making me more relevant, and they don't even realize that they do it.
Thank you so much for joining us for Outspoken's Christmas special. We're so excited to have you on the show because firstly, we were shocked when we saw on TikTok that you were actually an Outspoken listener.
Yes, I am, I love it. I love the show. Are you entertaining on my way to work? I just I couldn't do the drive without you guys. I love hearing a bit of Goths. I love being not being a part of the drama, but just like hearing about it and feeling like I'm in there. I think you guys delivered the news in a way that it's just so intriguing. And I don't know, there's podcasts out there that just kind of dribble, and you don't. You just get to the point and you tell it how it
is and it's really entertaining. I love it, so thank you. Blew some wind up skirt there.
Much appreciated because usually we have influences hitting us up in the dms, maybe not too happy with some of the content.
Oh you haven't, but you haven't spoken about me. I nothing. I don't know, bad lut hey.
Who are some of the influencers you follow? And I suppose maybe a line with because I'd love to know.
Yeah. Well, I mean I love like the Sky Wheatley, the Indie Clinton. I love Lily Is it brown? Lily Brown? Is it brown? Yeah? Yeah, I love them babies. I love that she's just had a baby. I feel like she's just absolutely in her element right now, and I love seeing it because she just I know that she went through a rough time, you know, like with her mum and stuff. So I just feel like she's just found her like the meaning to life. I think, I
don't know, I don't know something about her. Her content has changed since she's had a baby, and it's just so wholesome to watch. I love it.
Yeah, I I've been really enjoying her content more recently. And you mentioned Sky Wheatly. I mean we've been speaking about Sky a lot, especially her fox eye surgery and the thing about Sky's I agree. I think she's I don't think she has a bad bone in her body, but she's so controversial, Like every week there seems to be something that she's done that sort of sparked in I think it's because she's so honest and actually puts
all the stuff out there. She doesn't hide a lot of what's going on in her life like other influencers too.
That's and that's the thing, like when you get on social media, I feel like I've become quite numb as well to what I put out there because I don't really want to deal with the controversy and the hate. Where Sky she's just so brutally honest and it just tells it how it is, and I feel like, yeah, she's just she's so young too, you know, like she's just learning through like and she grew up on social media as well, so it's just I don't know, it is nice to see her grow and become a mum as well.
Last year, we predicted that she would be canceled again this year in our little end of Yew predictions and that I don't think that's really happened yet. If anything, I think that more people have celebrated her because of her appearance. I'm a celect yeah exactly. I think everyone's falling ye with her and I think everyone has a soft spot for her, like as the young girl from bing Brother that we watched, you know, ten years ago,
but I mean away from Sky Wheatley. I don't know, Amy, what made you start your TikTok because it started blowing up in twenty twenty, and this isn't when everyone sort of tried to get on the TikTok bandwagon. But what made you start? And I suppose what made your content stand out?
Look I start. I was a consumer of TikTok for ages, but I was working and I had just had two kids, and I sort of didn't really know, like didn't really know what to do with it really, but I always sort of wanted to. I don't know, like it was weird and how it all happens because I had Billy and then Lockdown hit and I was like, well, shit, like like I don't even know what where like what
clicked in my head to make a video. But I think like one of my first few ones went viral, and it was back when TikTok was like just the comedy stuff and like the skits and the like the trending sounds and just like coming up with like a funny concept to those, and I really kind of I don't know, I think because I was watching and I
studied TikTok. I follow a lot of like American moms that are just freaking so funny so I think I just started doing those, to be honest, and just started doing the tiktoks and like adding and the skits and just like being the parent and the toddler because back then my kids were not they wouldn't comply to videos, and they still wouldn't. Really, I don't really like to put them. I don't really like to put them in
the skits and stuff. They're sort of in the background in the vlogs and the dancing ones and stuff like that. But yeah, back then, they weren't really in it at all, and it was just I don't really know. I think it was just timing for me, to be honest. It was the right time, the right place, the right sense of humor, and it just sort of clicked and it all just went off a little bit.
And you mentioned your kids obviously said they do appear more in your content now. Was that something that you worried about sharing about them online? Because we've heard recently from Steph Claire Smith and she came out and said that she now doesn't want to share her son's face online because he gets recognized wherever he goes. Is that a concern to you, No, not really, It's never really been.
I don't want to sound like a naive to the situation, but I think where we live in particular, were so out of the city, Like I feel I live a little bit rural, so it's not really like I obviously think about it, but I just I don't dwell on it, do you know what I mean? Like I feel like I don't show like privacy wise, I don't really show what's going on with them. I don't show tantrums. I make sure that like whenever I'm filming, they know that Mummy's filming video, and like, do you want to be
in it? Do you not want to be in it? Like they don't, and they know when the video when the camera's on, and Marley is very my eldest and my two oldest, they're just like if they don't want to be a part of it, they won't. And even my three year olds now, she's just like she doesn't want to be a part of it. So I don't
force them to do anything. I mean, I still want to talk about the issues and stuff like that, so I make sure that if there's like an issue that I want to discuss to kind of open up the conversation and share it to TikTok, which you know, advice and stuff like that, and it opens up, you know, like when I do my TikTok's talking about autism or tantrums and stuff like that. I just make sure I
sort of not sharing too much information. I obviously don't share them in the videos and just sort of discuss what's going on rather than showing what's going on. If that may any cent.
You seem really mindful of it. And I know it's a really hard one because even with our sister Kate having a baby recently, I know that's been a discussion of her. She's like how much do I actually share online? And it's not like she has a huge personal following. But you know, most people share photos of their children online regardless of if they have a following or not. And I think the main thing with your content aims is that you're the main character, you know what I mean,
Like you're too in the background. But it's as you say, like you're mindful about what you're sharing, which I mean, yeah, And as Amy said, there's so many parents these days who don't have a following, who are constantly sharing so much content. So it is a really tough one. Well, that's that thing of weighing it up, isn't it. Like I hate when people share content about their kids that you think that kid is going to be mortified when they grow up and they see that they've you know,
the tantrum kind of content. Yeah.
Yeah, Like I make sure, like you know, like if we're potty training or something like, I'll just talk about it rather than showing what we do. Like it's kind of like, you know those ones that you definitely have to respect your kids privacy in that aspect. And again, like I ask my kids if they want to be a part of it or not, and I'll make sure that they're all okay, But I generally try to keep them out of it, but they're always in the background anyway.
It's funny because I actually first came across you when you were sharing the contents of some of your lollijer. It was these gummy lollies, and I was like, oh my god, Like I have to follow James. You actually went viral for showing that you feed your kids at three PM. And I think everyone's like, well, this is dinner three. It's a fantastic idea. Can you explain like the reasoning behind this and how it works.
I copped a lot of flak for people saying that, like I thought that I invented and stuff like that, So I want to firstly put a disclaimer out that I do not think that I invented the three cock dinners. Like I know they do them all across the world.
I definitely am not the first to do it. I think my video just went viral and I talked when I was talking about it, and that's just and people were just some people were like, yeah, we've been doing it for ages, and some people, you know, we're saying we've just started it and it's the most amazing thing. But basically, we've had so many issues with food from day dot to be honest, Like my first child, Marley had food aversion, so the minute she turned one, she
basically didn't really eat much of anything. So I've sort of had this really horrible relationship with feeding my children from day one. So I've gone through a lot in that sort of aspect where they're always changing and I'm always trying to find ways to feed them. I'm always trying to find nutritional foods to put into them and try and hide the vegetables wherever I can. So it's always been like a topic for us. It's probably been the hardest part of parenting in my journey, to be honest.
But I think it started because Marley started school and she came home. She's basically the main one that I need to get the most nutrients into because the others sort of they eat fruit and here and there, but they're all so different and they all eat different things,
so I'm always cooking different meals anyway. But when she got home, I found that she was just feeding up on snacks and like she was so hungry every single time she'd walk through the door because she doesn't need anything at lunch, so her lunchbox is always full still, so she comes home and she's starving. So I thought, well, why don't I just try to have dinner ready and then she can eat her dinner when she gets home.
And then it just started like working. And it works for me too, because I prepped dinner sort of around eleven o'clock, so when the babies are asleep, I can actually have a rest and I'm not trying to I'm not thinking about what I'm going to cook or anything like that. It's all done. So it's just sort of worked for me because I always like to be one step ahead and in like to be able to sort of sit down and have a rest. I like to
have everything done. I like to have like dinner prepared and the kitchen cleaned and everything sort of ready to go. That's just a me problem though, I think when.
You have such a busy life because away from TikTok, you also work as a nurse. And it's crazy because I think we're seeing more of this where people are wanting to follow people who have full time jobs or work or you know, actually have a career. How does that work though as a nurse, because surely you get recognized a lot.
I do. I do. I do. It's it's actually like the last sort of few months, I've really noticed like a lot of people recognizing me. Look, it's fine. I don't like I just forget to be honest. I I because I do all my videos basically in the like in my home and as I said, we sort of live out of the city and stuff like that, and people do recognize me down here. But as I said as well, it's like a really safe community around here, so it's just kind of like I mean, I say
high to anyone on the street anyway. So it's sort of like just that little bit of like that extra element of they know everything about my life, but weren't no working. I'm only really working as much to keep my registration at the moment, because you know, as you said, like it's really quite the logistics of me working isn't really even worth it at this point. It's more just to keep my registration so I can go back when
all the kids go back to school. So because everyone's in such a different routine, like having only one at school and then two at daycare and then one always with me, Like it's just no one's in the same routine yet, So even the thought of me going to work, it's just a logistical nightmare at the moment.
So do you think you'd ever want to become a full time content creator? Is that something that's on the cards for you?
Look like, I already am a full time content creator and a nurse, and I would never ever ever stop nursing. It just that would be ridiculous, would be really silly for me, because you know, like like I understand other people do do that, and I completely agree with, Like that's completely their decision. But for me personally, you know, like I'm thirty nine, Like I'm not going to be relevant forever on this app, do you know what I mean?
So I'm very realistic with how relevant I'm going to be for what amount of time and to give up my neur Like I studied for years to you know, become a nurse, and I've worked really hard to get to the position that I am at the hospital where I'm able to just kind of work when I want to, do you know what I mean? So for me to give that up would just be silly. And I love being a nurse. I'm so passionate about being a nurse.
But i love social media as well, So I feel like I've got the best of both worlds, to be honest, And it's kind.
Of a double edged sword, isn't it, Because people follow you because you're relatable and they want to see you as a working mum And that's sort of a is a strange one, now, isn't it, Because there's so many content creators. For example, there's that guy who posts about his nine to five, which looks a bit soul destroyed, like he could have his job because he's got so
opportunities but he can't. We've had the same conversations too, like I feel sad, like us being like, you know, you're saying you're thirty nine and like we're thirty five, and I feel like, as women, you think, oh my, like, is no one going to be interested when I reach my forties?
You know what I mean?
Like it's a sad. It's a risk, isn't it. Social media, podcasting, all this stuff. You just don't know what the future is.
Yeah, yeah, but it's something that I really enjoyed the moment. So it's like I'm I'm really happy just writing this wave while I can like for me to be able to stay at home and make some money. And but not only that, like I love creating videos just to kind of.
You know.
I love being interesting, I love being relevant, I love being funny. I love making people laugh. Like that's all about what social media and my content is like. And I think that the reason I've got so many followers is because people feel that they see that they see that I enjoy what I'm doing, So you know, I feel like that's something that social media misses. Like there's only like there's a lot of negativity out there, like if we can get like I follow the people who
I follow are just so uplifting. They're so energetic, they're so charismatic, They've got they're so interesting, So like I want to be that for someone else, do you know what I mean? So yeah, it's it's really fulfilling at the moment, and I feel like that's another reason I started it is because like when you are a mom. And I don't want this to sound negative, but like when we were in lockdown and I had three children under four, it was like everything was so similar, Like
the day was the same, we'd waker. It was like I had this little outlet of TikTok where I could be funny and I could be relevant and people were like watching and love and really enjoying it. And I love making people laugh. I think that's my main sort of reason. I love making people laugh, and I love allowing people to see my life so they don't feel
so alone, do you know what I mean? Like being a mom like some like when I went through everything with Marley's autism diagnosis, I just felt like I was the only one going through it, Like what like no, like and fussy eaters, like like, what did I do to get this? Like I have not done anything wrong and I've got these children that don't eat anything. And then as soon as I started posting about it, every like there was such an influx of people going, oh
my gosh, same, same, same. So we're all like this to build this community where we could just bounce off each other and people didn't feel so alone, and like people chat in my comments section about like, you know, tricks and like ideas that they have too, and it's just sort of helpful and uplifting. I think. So even though we're going through this sucky time trying to get vegetables into our children, and it's like, you know, someone across the world is doing the same thing, So it
feels nice to be connected in a way. That's the thing.
People can be so critical of social media and things. I mean, obviously there's negatives that come with it, but there's so many positives as well. And I know, for Kate at the moment being on maternity leave, I think because obviously Amy and I don't have children, so it's very hard for her to relate to what's going on in our lives and vice versa isolating. The first time you're on maternity leave. It's probably the most isolating time for women because you don't have that support system if
you work colleagues. And even with Kate, like she hasn't joined like a mother's group or anything like that. So I think for her, like she's really resonated with your content and she's like love following mums in the same stage of life. So it's so important, and I think it's so wonderful that people like you are opening up about it because we I mean, you think about our mums, they probably had not much support at all, and there'd be so many unanswered questions.
Oh crazy, Like I just because like Kate especially like when she was said that she's like feeding at the moment, and I'm like, oh, I remember that, because I was very strict like Kate Kate is and I was like, this is feeding time. No one like we're not leaving the house, this is it. And like I didn't lose any friends because everyone's still there. They're just sort of they're letting you do your thing, do you know what I mean? Like you know, I'm sure friends didn't call
me because they knew of my strict schedule. But it doesn't mean that they don't like me. They're just trying to mind, you know, minding my business. So I mean I get it, and like, and that's the thing. Was like, like, as you said, like, I have no idea what my mom did. My mom had me in Venezuela and she had my sister who is eighteen months older than me, and she lived in like I think they're in some expat community, and she didn't know any Spanish, and like it was just I have no idea how she would
have done it. She wouldn't have been able to watch TV or anything because it would all have been in a different language. I'm like, how did you not? How did you survive that? Like that would have been so pressing.
It's a bit like our mum having triplets, because we've spoken to her and we're like, how did you even leave the house with three children? She's like, I didn't for like over a year. Because yeah, you just hear these stories from your parents and you're like, Wow, you guys are incredible. And I think something else that probably a lot of your audience has connected with is that you have candidly shared about your challenges with sobriety in
your early twenties. If you do feel comfortable talking about it, are you able to share with listeners your journey?
Well?
Yeah, I mean, look, I let people know that, you know, I'm sober, and I went through this hard time and blah blah blah.
But I don't really I've never really kind of gone into it, not because I don't, not because I'm ashamed or anything. It is definitely it's who I am. You know, It's a part of my story, but I don't. I don't want that to be my content, if that makes any sense. Yeah, because and like I want people to know that, yes, I'm sober, Yes I went through a hard time, but this is what happens when you give up, Like this is my life. My life now is because
I'm not drinking, do you know what I mean? Like it's like, you know, like there's a lot of Whenever I mention it, I get a lot of questions. But the second I sort of start answering those questions, my whole content will become that. And as I said, I'm not ashamed of it, and I do want to help in a way, but I feel like i'd be helping more by sharing what the best that comes out of becoming sober, Like what what you can have if you give up you know that hard if you give up
the drink. Like honestly, it was. It was a really tough time for me. Like my whole twenties is a bit of a blur. I just I started drinking like normal, like normally, I think I liked to party a lot more than other people. But like I still you know, managed to you know, have a steady job through the week. I studied a whole bunch of things in my twenties.
I went to tay If, I went to college, and all these different sort of career paths, but none of them really resonated with me as much as nursing does. And I went from in my late twenties, I sort of was in and out of rehab for ages, and then finally got sober at twenty seven, and then met my husband at twenty eight, and then did my nursing degree, and it just all kind of everything happened in a very quick time, Like I got married, had four kids, and all that kind of stuff, have my nursing degree,
We bought a house, we built a house. It just so many good things came from me become like finally stopping drinking.
It's kind of become good that so yeah, yeah, And because I mean, I don't drink, and that's just been a choice. I've just never really got into it. And it's funny because a few people, like my husband, he didn't drink for I think it was like three months, and he's like, I actually feel so good. And it's good that people are talking about that as well. But I think it's important, as you said, for people to see what's on the other side of you changing your life.
So it's really positive to see someone who's made a huge success of their life and the fact that you got through it. You did touch on your husband. I have to bring this up. He doesn't like being in your content?
Does he?
I can relate to that with my.
It's not so much that he doesn't like being in my content. He's just never liked photos or videos of himself like that. Even on our wedding day was it was a struggle to get photos like it's now it's not really about it's not really about social media. It's not really there's no like real kind of I feel I feel like some of my followers want the like
the the duty details. I'm like, it's really nothing. It's really nothing more than he just doesn't like photos of himself and he never has, like I don't think I can. I think his mom has given me like three or four photos of his whole childhood. So it's just him, like, it's just not he doesn't like it. So and I would never force him, Like he's happy now to kind of be in the background, because he realizes, you know, this is our life now and he's really supportive of
that and he's really happy for me. So he's like he doesn't mind being in the background. He just would never, you know, actively be on camera.
Well, while we're talking about your husband, which I'm sure he loves us discussing him on a podcasts.
Right, he really doesn't mind anymore. He just doesn't want to be on the camera.
I mean, I get it. Obviously, this is a Christmas special episode and we want to talk about Christmas. I want to know because everyone, I don't know people's husbands are different at Christmas time, but I want to know, what is your husband like? Is he like a last minute shopper? Do you have to do most of the shopping for the kids or is he quite a good guy when it comes to present buying.
I do most of the shopping. When it comes to like clothes and books and toys, I don't go too crazy. I've set the bar very low with our kids, so they get Santa presence and they usually just get one joint from me and him. But in saying that, like he's very good at finding things that the kids like, so like, for example, Marley like surfing. So when it comes when it comes to presence, they say, it's all or nothing for him. So it's like he will research the best board for a seven year old and like
he gets really into it that way. But he has to sort of know what they like. So Indy, I think he's going to get some art stuff in it, and he'll just randomly come up and they'll be like, I've got this really great idea for a Christmas present football and I'm like, yeah, that's great, do it, let's do it. We'll wrap it up. Yeah. Yeah, So like he had, he's a thinker.
Yeah, And you spoke last year a lot on your TikTok about Christmas budgeting because Sophie and I were having this very discussion the other day about like how much you actually spend on a child because it's the first time we've had a child in the family buy for. And I even had this discussion with my husband. He was like, the kids don't know what they're getting, you know,
when they're a baby, so it doesn't matter. I'm like, I don't know what's your take on that, Like how much do you think you should spend on your children.
One hundred percent with your parents, with your husband on that one? You honestly, for Kate's baby, you could get them a set of keys and they'd be right, like, honestly, like a potato masher, like seriously, like I am not like I love the active giving. I love them opening presents and stuff like that, but they really don't need much. They really don't need much. And if you set the barlow, like I said, so when I say set the barlow,
they're still getting presents. They're getting some books, they're getting some clothes, they're getting some toys. Of course, of course they're getting toys and toys that they like too. I think this is kind of last year in this year, like the first sort of years where the bigger girls are telling me exactly what they want. But then like in saying that who, they'll be happy with whatever if that makes an his ends, I know what they like. So as long as they get a few really exciting ones.
And then they've got the books that they open the presence and they're like, it's just the fact that they're opening the paper is actually more exciting than what's inside. Yeah, because the girls are a bit older, I think my budget is obviously going to be a bit bigger and we don't need They don't need any bikes or anything at the moment, so I think we're going to be pretty cruisy this year. Honestly, we're just pretty humble when
it comes to Christmas. And I mean that in like the least dickiest way, Like I don't want to be like a pick me kind of girl, but like we really just keep it really low key and on that we go to my husband's house usually for Christmas. If not the day, then like we pick a day. It depends on his siblings and his parents spoil them so and they get so much stuff from my parents as well, So I think, you know, as long as there's stuff
in the Santa Sax, you're fine. I'm probably even gonna say fifty dollars a kid, to be honest.
Yet, you know, like those tiktoks from those American kids and they're doing the PowerPoint presentations of what they want and then they do the whole in they're like they drunk.
All I thought that was satire for so long. I honestly thought, I thought there's no way, like I get it when the kids are a bit older. I understand because like you know that, like an ad comes on on TV and my kids are all over it. But at this age, they don't know anything else. Like we don't have a Nintendo, don't They don't have game boys or anything like that. They have their iPads and that's
it because they don't know any different. I think the second we get a Nintendo, and we're not really a Nintendo family, so I don't think we would ever really get one until they go to someone else's house and say, oh, they've got this Nintendo. I really want it, because they would have no idea what Nintendo is until they see it somewhere else, you know what I mean? So as long as yeah, so they don't know anything else, so that the only way they're going to know about something
is through you. So if you just keep it really low and just make the magic of Christmas be something else, like the act of giving. Like maybe even this year, I think I might get Marley to, you know, give her a little bit of money to get presents for her siblings and stuff like that, so they can give to each other. And I like the fact that, you know, I can take the big girls out and we can go by Daddy a present and they get them involved in that side of it rather than them just getting things.
So true about the magic of Christmas and making it special for them. Because growing up, we had a girl at our school and her parents would just go next level about making it magic, especially on Christmas Eve, so they'd get up on the roof and they would stomp around. Do you and your husband do anything like that? Like I saw, for instance, Steph Claire Smith, they were doing the whole ritual where they'd nibble on all the carrots and like, what's in trouble for that?
Though?
Yeah, is there something that you've done that people? Yeah, there were all these like grinches who are like, how dare you? My child has seen this and it's like, but why is your five years old.
I got Actually I got a bit of slack for it too, because I've made the night before Christmas eves like being sent to basically and wrapping all the presents, and I got a lot of people saying like, you should have put a trigger warning in front of this, So I was like, oh, really, like why are you showing.
I blame TikTok. There should be parameters up, maybe if you're ontok trigger warning for everything these days like that now things Yeah.
Yeah, exactly, And I like even to even as like far as me using sugar these days, like I need to put a trigger warn It's just like, yeah, sugar and vegetable oil. Apparently I'm not allowed to like or canal canol whatever it's called. God, but no. We so we do the carrot. We do the carrot, and then we do the Santa sax obviously, and then we leave a biscuit out. We make biscuits. So that's one of my cooking things. I just love, like the Christmas cookie,
like just the sugar cookie. I love those, and we decorate them and then we leave one of those out for Santa with a glass of milk. So yeah, that's sort of all we kind of do, like we don't go too crazy, we put Christmas lights on, we love a Christmas tree. We get the real ones. But I heard your episode of them of the Christmas trees what are they called?
The We like literally have only recently started getting fake trees because I swore against and like, We've always been a real Christmas tree family. And I hate that I've become that wanker with a nice like fake tree. Okay, So I mean this is how into real Christmas trees we are. So like, for thirty five years, I've always
had a real Christmas tree. And then my husband, who doesn't even like Chris mess he connected the dots that I like real Christmas trees and when and bought a whole packet of like Christmas tree seedlings to grow at his grandpa's property and so because he realized how expensive they were, and he's like, in fifteen years, we're going to have a whole load of Christmas trees if I
get one of them for free. But I love that. Yeah, but I feel like getting a real Christmas tree is so much fun with kids, Like I've always said to my husband when I have kids, like I'm like, we're going to get two Christmas trees and we'll just have a real one in another room, except when they probably want to pick out the most expensive. I'm assuming, do you is that what you do? Is that like you have a special day where you go and pick the Christmas tree up?
Yeah? So yeah, I've always been a real Christmas tree girl, and my husband has always had a fake one, but they're fake one is epic too, but like, yeah, I just something about the smell of the tree is real nostalgic for me. We usually go to there's a nursery in town on and depending on it's che usually just goes and takes the big girls with him, but when the kids grow up a little bit, we'll probably all go as a family.
You touched on sugar cookies and we love debating the top Christmas recipes. So I want to run you through some recipes and well not recipes, with some dishes and get your rating either if it's a top tier Christmas dish, a mid tier Christmas dish, or if it's in the meth tier.
So okay, pa over oh top tier absolute banger. That is like, that's what that is something that I look forward to every Christmas I love that.
I agree, I have to, I have to actually disagree. I do love a path I do love a Pablo.
I totally get it. You're either a pad or you're not.
I do like it, but I think because our mum serves it in summer time, not just for Christmas. So that's why it's not like a QUINTI because it breaks up. Like, okay, so the next one is putting. We'll get your take on putting first before we delve into that debate.
But see, I'm I reckon you're either a pav or a pudding, and I would definitely be a pav I think. I mean, I love I love pudding, and I love like the warm you know, warm and up and have the cream one and stuff like that. But like in the middle of summer, it's not it's not the dessert of choice, do you know what I mean?
Like, I'm you have to be sitting under the air conditioning almost to be able to consider putting, especially if you've got podcast. Last Christmas was cold in Adelaide and it like just felt wintery, so it was like perfect, like the one perfect time to have pudding. What you need is a little bit of pudding and ice cream and then like the path as well when you break up. Yeah, yeah you need both.
But I usually, yeah, I usually have like a selection of everything. I've got a huge, like a massive variety when it comes to food, Like I'm not really like I would never say no to anything really, so putting Pavlova like, it's all just delicious to me. So yeah, but I think Pavlova's is the one that I had growing up.
You know what it is? I think about putting. I don't know, did your family do this where they'd put the coins in the pudding? No, you don't like because remember we spoke about it, I think last year and people were like some people go, oh yeah, yeah I used to have coins in my putting, and other people didn't. But it's an English traditional, yeah, like our auntie one year, I remember she gave out. It was like, if you've got a piece of pudding, you almost got six dollars
in coins out of this pudding. So of course, even if you didn't like it, you wanted it to get the money. So yeah, that would be a good service.
Terry, like what to boil it?
Well, I think I think it's like normally you meant to use like I think the old currency you were able to boil it up I think, but now, for example, so they just put it on the side of the plate. They wouldn't know they sprinkle it in like I mean, this was in the nineties, so when people probab we didn't carry about that sort of stuff.
Oh my god, I would never like, don't do that on TikTok. Honestly, I said, my kids pop on yesterday. I got so much ship for that.
Oh wow, they won't be putting coins desert chocolate coins. That's actually one of those tis problem.
Would bloody child Services on me?
That TikTok would probably go off because of everyone in the commons.
There's a way to go viral on usually yeah, they usually do it. Probably would get taken down for community like community violations.
Okay, everyone listening, please don't put coins and you're putting them, maybe just.
Know that that might It's like that ice cream cake that comes that Fredo ice cream cake that comes with the little Freddos in them. My kids don't even really like ice cream cake, but whenever we go to my in laws, they always have that cake for a birthday and they will eat it because it's like it's a competition to see, like how many freddos that you get? That is so cooy.
The same for the version of the pints of the pudding.
Yeah, so on.
TikTok trends, there's I'm sure you've seen it. There's that viral bree and cranberry puff pastry reef that everyone keeps doing. I don't know, is that like, do you reckon that would be top tier, mid tier or just men?
I reckon that would be I mean, it's not like it's not in my head like it would be freaking delicious, don't get me wrong, but it's not like something that I would think, Oh, for Christmas this year, I'm going to do a bree cranberry reef. Like it's not really traditional for me, but if someone brought it, I'd eat it for sure. So like probably mid tier.
To wrap that up on a controversial one, What about egg nog? Is that something you can do?
People like itself? Yeah? I bought some last year because it was on special. I'd never tried it before. It just goes like vanilla malt. But I think the one that I got was just one of them. I think eggnog is one of those things that like you've got to have the real deal for it to be eggnog. But then it gets like distributed to all these like different kind of brands and they just kind of put their own twang on it. But like, what is actually eggnog?
It's got like ram in it, it's warm, it's you know, and there's stuff that we would buy down at the shop that's like the same brand as the custard brand, like Peter's or whatever. They're not going to be creating like the real eggnog, are they. So I don't know, but I would definitely not drink that. And I don't think my family has ever had.
I know, last year you had this viral video. Oh sorry, it might have been this year there was a viral video where you showed how you repurpose some of the kids leftovers. Is leftover is a big thing at Christmas time for you? Is there any sort of like go to recipes that come to mind?
We if we did, like we don't actually do a family like we don't actually whole host Christmas at ours. We go to who again, we go to my in laws? So she but then she always like divvys up all the leftovers and everyone takes their own packet. So I'm yeah, but I don't think there's much you could do like with but obviously there is, like with Christmas ham and stuff like that, but I think my husband's going to be eating that ham before I'm able to kind of
do anything with it, to be honest. But honestly, the repurposing videos and stuff only really happened recently with just the amount of like with my fourth now eating as well, there's just so much waste and it just gets to a point where I just couldn't handle throwing it out anymore. So I was just, yeah, I just but it's usually only breakfast stuff, if I'm completely honest, or sandwich crusts
and things like that. But when it comes to dinner, like, I'm not going to go reheating chicken three or four times. It's just it's about a sound treat thing as well. And my hat is gonna jump on that one too, because they think that I'm cooking up like snotty cereal and stuff like that, but it's not the case at all. It's usually the cereal that I pour and I give it to them because I'm just on autopilot and that's
what they had yesterday. And then they look at it and they're like, no, I want some toast, And I'm like, are you are you kidding me? Like it's just eat that and the like there's no way I can force my child to eat like it's just and then I'm not gonna I'm not gonna sit there and like tell them to go hungry or eat it. Like that's just not the parenting style I have. So I'm like, Okay, it's usually my fault anyway, because as I said, I go on autopilot and I'm just making the same thing
as they had yesterday. But maybe they weren't want the same thing as they had yesterday.
I'm sure all the trus did have an issue if you were just like wasting food and throwing it out too. So I feel like you can never wait with people there.
Yeah, I did this this bistle, add this vacuum ad and I poured a few little cocoa pops on the ground and they ate it up. So now like, who's the hypocrite? Like, oh my god, yeah, totally, I can't win. Honestly, It's just it's crazy.
How do you deal with the criticism, because I know, even like on a smaller level with our podcast, I found the criticism hard and I find myself going and reading negative comments. Do you what's your sort of tactic with dealing with it?
Well, I don't. I don't read the forums anymore. Because there was one one sort of trail of one what do they even call? Because it t one? Oh no, that was what was it? What the other? No, there's another credit? Yeah, yeah, So there was a Reddit post and it was like it was horrible, but it wasn't about me. It was about one of my daughters. So after I read that, Yeah, after I read that, I was like, I'm not going on anymore. And that was probably about six months ago, and I was just like,
that's it. I'm done. And then ever since i've stopped reading that, I'm pretty good, Like I'm pretty okay with the comments that come up because they're just so ridiculous. Like, but the forums, that's where I found myself sort of going into a little bit of a hole with because it's just they're just literally making up stories and you've got no way to defend yourself and there are people
on there defending you. But like it's just honestly, it did my head in not being able to defend myself, and for like like trying to work out how they even came up with that, for example, like taking my kids to the pool. There was this one thing where they were saying that I was just sitting there on my phone and my kids are just in the pool by themselves. I was like, what do you mean my kids? What do you mean? Like, how would I take how would that even be possible?
It's just awful when it's just a flat out and as you said, you can't defend yourself. And I just think that those like they really need to have some sort of regulations around those forums because then, like I mean, even though as well, like I don't understand how they can get along. Something I find crazy about tattle Life obviously not read, but tatle Life is that you can't
even join it without getting a referral link. So even if you did want to jump in there and defend yourself, which probably wouldn't be a good idea, be the worst idea, but I'm just saying, even if you did, you can't
even get on there. Like I always say this to Sophie as well like sensitive, so something like tattle Life, it's you know, they toout it as it's a snark site, and so I just think if you go in with the mentality of they're never going to say anything nice about you, like it's literally your place to be vile. So I think it's I think when them red it's one step further. Who takes a thread on a child.
You don't like? It was like it was the most horrible thing, like it was talking about their way as well, Like it was just the most disgusting post and it had been deleted, so it was just the comments underneath, so I didn't actually read the post. It was just the comments underneath, just alluding to the fact that that's what the person originally posted. And it was just so disgusting that I just almost threw my phone and just
said never again. But then but like going past that, just the comments that I get, like they honestly, they don't get to me anymore. I don't think I ever really did, because it's just like you're old, you're ugly, your styles.
Would like those things are true at all, I don't really matter.
Well, I think it's more like, honestly, it's just the ones usually that go viral. So it's a catch twenty two when you go viral, because it's like it opens you up to this dark web where they're just saying things because they just like I don't even know why. But to be honest, I really don't care. Honestly, a lot of of those negative comments actually fuel my content and you get a lot of engagement when you snap
back at comments like that. So to be honest, like bring them on because they are actually feeding feeding my content. They're making me more relevant and I just like that and they don't even realize that they do it. I don't think so I love that.
I feel like we shouldn't end it. I feel like we shouldn't And even though that was a really positive sentiment you had, I feel like we shouldn't end the Christmas episode talking about trolls. I want to know one last question about what do you want for Christmas this year? Because anyone that's listening that knows you, here's a good way just to drop it so you actually get what you want. Question to throw that wasn't in the approved questions.
Abe, you know what, And I don't want this to sound it's going to sound cheesy. But my husband and I actually we like we get so much throughout the year. Like it's just it's crazy, like with my line of job. With my line of work, Shay used to be a sponsored surfer, so he still kind of get whatever he wants. Really, so it's like I don't really feel like we need
things all. I just love this time of year, you know, when the sun starts to go down at like eight o'clock, like yesterday at six point thirty in the afternoon, like the kids were on the trampoline jumping with the sprinkler, Like it's just that's all I want. I just want everyone, like just to have a really magical Christmas. That's it. Like I'm and I know that sounds really cheesy, but honestly,
I have everything I need. You know, I just got the I just got the ad with Bistle vacuum, So I just that's sort of like been the most special thing that I've got for a long time because at vacuums and it mops. It's amazing.
Honestly, you know what, your husband's probably sitting here being like I've listened to this so I can get like the hot tip and want to get you don't know what that's so true about vacuum cleaners though I had never become I got a Dyson vacuum cleaner like four years ago, and I literally, I mean I paid for it, and I literally became the biggest advocate for this vacuum cleaner, Like.
Yeah, but yeah, it's just so yeah, it's It's one of those things that you just you don't realize you need until you've got it, and you're like, what was I doing without this?
I think Hat wants one of those, actually, So she flagged that Christmas.
It's a good one though, the Bissel. It's a really good one, No, honestly, but like I don't We've got I've got enough. I've got too many clothes, I've got jewelry, I've got makeup, I've got everything. It's just I would prefer to give this year, I think. And yeah, that's sort of the mentality I'm going with. And my husband too, Like he doesn't really need anything, So I think we're just gonna try and focus on spending our money on the kids and just making Christmas really special.
So you're not planning on buying your husband a boat like Sarah's day. I don't know if you remember that back in both was that too? Are you kidding me? Did she get a boat or she gave him a boat? It was like a speed boat would of course, like well, oh my husband was hard at that, Like he was so envious when he saw that pop up. He's like, where's my boat. I'm like, I'm so sorry we're not in the same tax bracket.
Yeah, let's not forget that. There's day is worth millions. Like we're just we're just very very basic bitches down here in We're not like pulling, like we're just living in this really old cool house and like there's just we're just happy with sort of the basics at the moment. So yeah, I don't think I'll be getting him much.
Obviously we get something that like so the kids can see us unwrapped stuff, but it's usually just I don't know if my husband gets me at last year, he got me a dress to wear for Christmas, which was really nice, and I opened that and I got him some barbecue tools or something like it's really not crazy.
Idsted he got your address. I'm laughing because Amy's hus been like when they first I think it was one of their first Christmases together, he bought her a whole bunch of clothes with the hope that she would wear them on one of them on Christmas Day, and they were literally like I don't know where he got these things from. Now he just gets me like hoodies and they was like, I feel like a tomboy. It was like this polka dot dress, like these really girly things, were like, do you know her?
This is one, oh dear. He tried, He tried, gets like pretty much all the clothes that you see he dresses me. So he's pretty switched on to fashion, not in the sort of just in the way that he knows what looks cool. I don't know, it's weird.
He's just got that sort of yeah, he's he's really you wouldn't pick it, but like because he's like he's a building designer and he's really kind of artsy and crafty, so he's he's all over the whole fashion stuff.
He's got the best fashion. He's so much more fashionable than I am.
This is just making people want to see more on your TikTok. I think you're you're not helping that cause.
He's so cool and like he's just like the coolest surfy dude. Like yesterday we're at the beach and he just jumped on his surfboard and went and had a surf, and I was just like, you know what this is, Like I'm living my actual dream right now. Like I've got my little grommets on the beach digging a hole to China, and my husband's out catching a few waves and I'm just sitting here cruising like it was just it's it's the best at the moment, Like I'm just absolutely loving life. It's just amazing.
Thank you so much for listening to another episode of a very outspoken Christmas. We will be joined in Outspoken Plus tomorrow with Ames. We are testing her to see how big of an outspoken fan she really is. We're going to be doing an influencer quiz with her, which is a lot of fun. So make sure you are subscribed and if you did enjoy the episode, don't forget to leave us a five star review as it really
helps out the show. This episode was recorded on the traditional land of the Ghana people of the Adelaide Plains. We pay respect to elders past and present,