Author Archives: Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

About Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

Bouncing into middle age armed with courage, ambition and a pair of tweezers (chin hairs for anyone over the age of 45 reading this) I am a writer with a mission: to redefine this midway point in my life when the last thing I want to do is hang up my high heels and become invisible. This is the end of the beginning, not the beginning of the end. A single mum to 3 fabulous girls, an author, and a fundraising consultant, both ends of my candle are on fire. As I enter this new stage of my life, I want to explore what it means for 'mid-aged' women today, who were promised they could have it all, ended up doing it all, and just do not identify with the traditional image of middle age.

Which Cartoon Character are you?

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

Since we mums spend so much time watching, singing about, helping to colour in, and picking up soft toys of cartoon characters, they can sort of take over our lives. The other day I even found myself thinking, “You know, … Continue reading →

Posted in motherhood, Mummy Pig, Peppa Pig | 7 Comments

my favourite photo

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

Thanks so much for Hot Cross Mum’s tag – to show and tell my favourite photo. In this digital age when we have more photos than blades of grass in our garden, this was no mean feat. But I’m a … Continue reading →

Posted in daughters, mothers, writing | 8 Comments

My history of feminism

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

Dare I open this debate again? Many previous blogs on the princessing of our daughters – and my responses (afraid to speak my mind if I’m honest, because the consensus seemed to be against me, and I was feeling on … Continue reading →

Posted in feminism, pink, princesses, Virginia Woolf | 9 Comments

High Fives

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

This has been a good day, for lots of reasons. We are snowed in and I managed a whole day trapped (ahem, that meant to read enjoying) in the house with the girls without any major tantrums. The girls were … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010, blogging, family, highlights | 8 Comments

Certainties of Parenting

Posted on January 5, 2010 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

It’s a new year and that means lots of reassessment, fresh ideas and approaches. Eat less, exercise more, write a lot, and watch TV less. Mmm, sounds worryingly like last year’s list… and the year before. And actually a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in new year, parenting | 7 Comments

Christmas Surprises

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

We got more than we bargained for in our yuletide surprises this year when surviving Christmas took on completely new meaning. WE got through the day itself in one piece, despite almost exploding from overeating and almost imploding from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, crash | 2 Comments

Letter to Santa

Posted on December 24, 2009 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

Christmas Eve. Its here at last. I can almost hear the distant “Ho Ho Ho” over the crinkling of wrapping paper as stockings are stocked and stuffed. Have I been a good girl? Well, let’s see. According to the good … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Christmas Eve, Santa | 2 Comments

Loving Christmas

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

Ah Christmas…..always loved it. All that glitter and glutton. All that ho ho ho and he he he. All those presents wrapped under the tree, all those presents hidden in the cupboard waiting to be stuffed into expectant stockings. Little … Continue reading →

Posted in children, Christmas | 3 Comments

Testing Times

Posted on December 16, 2009 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

I’ll never forget the shock and surprise when the first blue line changed my life forever. And the rollercoaster ride we embarked on, first with Daisy and then Poppy, was a journey like no other. But never did I think … Continue reading →

Posted in baby, miscarriage, tests | 5 Comments

Role Reversal

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Grin & Tonic by Alana Kirk

The girls may be responsible for most of my exhaustion (indirectly at least), but they also are my rainbow at the end of a crap day. Yesterday I hit the wall. Up again most of the night with various coughs … Continue reading →

Posted in exhaustion, parenting | 6 Comments