Sponsored Post
I sat across from my friend and stifled a giggle. We felt like kids waiting to be found out after stumbling on an amazing world of grown-up wonder. I’m sure there was an invisible but impressionable sign on our foreheads with these words inscribed: mums on a night out.
Looking around, I could see sparkling glasses, shiny plates and white tablecloths; order, efficiency and poise; happy people, glamorous light displays and copious amounts of silver cutlery. Hello Cinderella moment! The last time I was at a fancy-fancy restaurant…was…thinking…thinking…
“Can you believe we are here right now?” I said to my dinner-date more than once during the night.
When asked to road test the ultimate date night AND giveaway a package for your blog readers, well – you say yes please! My husband is hard to pin down because of his work commitments so I arranged for my friend Bernie to keep me company. She came reluctantly, as you can see by her reply to my request.
This is how it went…
Live music greeted Bernie and I as we checked into Hotel Urban in Brisbane. There was perfume to try at the counter (I liked Brittany Spears – Fantasy), flowers, chandeliers, fancy couches and chocolates in our 2 x double bed room.
Getting dressed…
This night was in celebration of a new product by my favourite underwear brand. Berlei makes the most comfortable bras and now do legwear too. In true Berlei form: without a doubt THE most comfortable tights I have ever worn. Love, love, love! The Dig Free hosiery holds you in all the right places so you feel feminine and confident without the discomfort. There’s this wide band up the top so they sit beautifully under clothes and I felt nothing short of fabulous in them!
I promise Bernie and I didn’t mean to match our outfits so well. We both wore the 100 Denier Opaque tights in black.
Check it out online…
Barely There Legwear is available in an 8 Denier Light Shaper with control waistband and unique invisible shaping, 8 Denier Firm Shaper with innovative firming and slimming solutions, or 8 Denier Toe Less sheers. Available in Naked, Golden, Fair, Natural and Black RRP $15.95.
Dig Free Legwear is available in 15 Denier Sheer, 100 Denier Opaque tight and 100 Denier Opaque full length leggings. Available in Naked, Golden and Black RRP $14.95.
Dinner…
With the choice of any restaurant in Brisbane, Bernie and I decided on celebrity chef Matt Moran’s restaurant Aria, which sits on the edge of the Brisbane River overlooking the Story Bridge. Three letters: W.O.W. The incredibleness of the food made me want to sob with happiness.
It was a treat to linger over the menu, reading each description of mouth-watering combinations. Three courses to pick! Bernie picked the same entrée and dessert as I, but went with a perfectly cooked steak for the main meal.
SCALLOPS
seared and served with crisp chicken, seaweed, apple and radishDAUBE
of Ranger’s Valley beef cheeks with carrot purée and toasted oatsSOUFFLÉ
raspberry soufflé with white chocolate mousse and a raspberry salad
After dinner…
Two happy women finished the night wandering along the lit bank of the Brisbane River before heading back to the hotel for a blissful night’s sleep in a soft bed with crisp linen. I was curious to see how the hosiery held up after three courses of food and a walk. The verdict: I could LIVE in them!
Both Bernie and I mentioned what a perfect night it was. We chatted for hours about things I don’t remember and laughed out loud like silly school girls. Ah, yes, it was a good time. I needed that. It’s important to have these Cinderella moments as a mother sometimes, to remember yourself as woman. Isn’t it?
It was a difficult job, but someone had to do it. Ha! Adored every minute of it. Now, over to you…
Giveaway $1,000 Date Night!
Thanks to Berlei, I’m giving away The Ultimate Date Night Package worth $1,000, covering:
– A restaurant dinner for two
– One night’s hotel accommodation
– Limousine transfers from hotel to restaurant.
– Berlei Dig Free product
To Enter
Simply answer this question in the comments below:
Share how you make yourself feel like a woman (as a mum)?
Terms and Conditions
Open from Monday 29th April to Monday 20 May 2013. Open to Australian residents over 18 years of age only. Read the full list of terms and conditions here.
Coming into winter now, and tights have become a wardrobe essential. Pictured above are some of the ways I’ve worn them in the last couple of weeks.
Disclosure
Read my disclosure policy here.
190 Comments
megan g
April 29, 2013 at 9:22 pmSimple things! Like shaving, bit of mascara and lippy, nice “going out” clothes, and actually getting OUT of the house, with a girlfriend, and having a lot of laughs and silliness! Also when my hubby says how much he loves me and my body, even after 3 kids….. makes me feel confident, takes me back to when it was just the 2 of us and everything was in place…. 🙂
amanda
April 29, 2013 at 9:22 pmAs a mother of 4 and a student im on the back burner! Putting on makeup, an outfit i feel confident in, styling me hair and wearing heels makes me feel womanly (this happens once every blue moon). A long shower to destress, and smooth skin also works! Hugs and “i love you, mummy” make it all worth while!
Lauren Kite
April 29, 2013 at 9:25 pmGetting a dress on with comfy tights and adding a bit of lippy. It’s like I am going out to a 5 star restaurant! haha
Kathryn C
April 29, 2013 at 9:32 pmBy ditching the trackies, and wearing heels. This is how a woman should feel. Bright red lippy and a pretty flowing dress, hubby taking me out that’s sure to impress! A date with the kids to our local pizza shop, being a Mum is nothing I would swap!
Rebecca Wilde
April 29, 2013 at 9:33 pmTo make me feel like a woman….
I will flirt with my partner starting with a little love note i place in his lunch i make at 4.45am each morning…then follow up with a cpl of cheeky texts during the day asking him to let me know when he is half hour away from home when coming home from work.
First I make sure the kids have an activity that will keep them occupied for a “few” minutes when he is due home.
I madly dash about making final preparations to make sure the house is that little bit more tidy than usual…have fresh linen on the bed with candles going in the bedroom and ensuite etc….do the whole shave bit and dress up a little and put on some light makeup just some mascara and eye liner and a bit of lip gloss and greet him at the door just as I did when we first were dating…certainly helps keep the spark alive and he loves the bit of extra effort so much it makes life for us so much more spontaneous and sexy.
Being with my man makes me feel more like a woman than anything else…and if its at home and not a “date night out” who cares it doesnt hurt much to put in some effort for the important man in your life…he makes me feel like the MOST desirable woman ever esp when i go to a bit of trouble.
Dawn Marchment
April 29, 2013 at 9:48 pmFor me it takes a candle lit bath before an amazing night out with my very handsome husband of 20 years . While i am taking my bath my husband prepares me my favourite drink while i get ready listening to a little bit of Barry White. I then run out and have a quick look at what my handsome husband is wearing and this gets me in the mood for what sexy wrap dress I can slip into . But best of all I love to show my curved body (after 2 gorgeous kids) with an elegant flowing not to hugging dress that also shows just enough of my breast and a bit of leg to keep him keen for the night . Then to finish it off there is nothing like putting on your subtle make up but with red hot lip stick , with a light spray of my all time favourite Chanel No. 5 and my high heels . Now tell me who wouldn’t feel like a sexy vivacious women after that … Guaranteed to feel gorgeous every time !!
Julie mackay
April 29, 2013 at 10:01 pmA date night in the big smoke woooo hoooooo,
Given that we have been together a decade and have our
first child 17months ago a bit of city love and date night
might be the kind of inspiration my partner needs to propose.
If not a perfect date anyway..lol
Amy Forrest
April 29, 2013 at 10:05 pmAs a single mum of 4 and a full time shift worker I make myself feel like a woman in lots of little ways, I have my hair done every 6 weeks without fail, keep my eyebrows in check, shave my legs often, even if no one is going to see them. I even wear my good undies under my work uniform, just to feel a little less daggy! I love to frock up at any chance, and try to dress well when ever I go out.
Natasha Eilola
April 29, 2013 at 10:19 pmAs a single mum of four when I need to feel a bit feminine I change my sheets then do a bit of pampering and maintenance. I shave my legs, have a bubble bath, paint my toenails, and slather myself in my favorite scented moisturizer. Then I crawl into bed and enjoy that smooth leg in nice clean sheets feeling!! Bliss!!
Bec Lloyd
April 29, 2013 at 10:22 pmI pull out a snazzy dress, blow off the dust and team with some funky coloured tights. Then I fall asleep on the couch next to an untouched glass of wine 😉
Ritu
April 29, 2013 at 11:11 pmEveryday I wash, clean, change nappies, cook for my a amazing husband and my adorable son and at the end of the day when I see my son sleeping peacefully and see the look of appreciation from my hubby for what I achieve during the day…. That makes me feel like a woman! 🙂 I feel the best when I have my eyebrows threaded, legs shaved, toenails painted and hair in place…. Putting on a new outfit with pretty shoes is the cherry on top.
Caroline R
April 29, 2013 at 11:23 pmFeeling like a woman (as a mum) would be to me, getting dressed up and going out for a nice meal/activity like show or movies with friends or partner!
Corinna W
April 29, 2013 at 11:57 pmAfter 12 years together and 2 kiddies, our youngest being 8 months old, no babysitters, action in the bedroom is somewhat……………So sometimes I am required to give myself………….a swift kick up the backside to get my act together. I’m not dead yet!! So I put on my nicest, sexiest MATCHING bra and undies, because what makes you feel more like a woman than gorgeous underwear right? Hubby gets home from a long hard day at work, we survive dinner and bath time. Kids are in bed……….Hubby goes to bed at the same time they do………..I wander in earlier than usual, strip off my beautiful undergarments in the dark, slide into bed, think about grabbing that extra hour of sleep, but decide to stick with my plan and wake hubby from his deep sleep. Nothing makes me feel more desirable than feeling desired and to feel desired I need to feel desirable…….which begins with me.
Corinna W
April 30, 2013 at 12:08 amEven if I need to trick myself into thinking it at first lol
Fiona Arthur
April 30, 2013 at 1:41 amAny time i need to chill out and be less mum, more woman i choose a night that hubby is away at work. Take the kids for a massive bike ride to tire them out. We all get DVDs and i choose one for myself (usually a chic flick -pitch perfect last time), get some chocolate and when the kids are in bed i grab a glass of wine and bunker down on the couch. Works every time and i feel almost like I’m not sometimes mum or wife for a couple of hours.bliss
carielle
April 30, 2013 at 5:05 amTrying on dresses works. Before you know it you’ve upturned your entire wardrobe and rediscovered clothes you’d totally forgotten about. Its the ultimate adult dress up box experience. Plus you usually go to work wearing something a little outside the square the next day too. 🙂
Katie Wallace
April 30, 2013 at 6:18 amWearing a skirt / dress instead of the usual comfy mum gear. Heels that click on the pavement always make me feel like a “lady”. I already feel like the ultimate woman being a mum but sometimes a hit of blush, mascara & gloss helps too 😉
Juli
April 30, 2013 at 6:22 amI’m lucky – I have a husband that tells me I’m beautiful and sexy everyday even when I’m in my farm clothes – so I try to feed and water all the kids and put into bed and have a fancy dinner ready for my husband that we share together. Works for me!:)
Lynne
April 30, 2013 at 6:48 amI love to buy myself some sexy yet comfy new underwear and once miss is fast asleep in bed, just enjoy some time with hubby.
Nicole Grant
April 30, 2013 at 6:57 amI like to drink tea from pretty cups, throw on some lipstick occasionally and wearing matching underwear makes me feel like a woman. And getting my hair done makes me feel awesome for at least 2 days 🙂
Chloe
April 30, 2013 at 7:43 amNothing makes me feel like a woman more than looking at my two beautiful boys and my gorgeous man. However getting dressed up in a hot dress and heels does come in at a close second. The only problem these days is that those same two boys have left their mark by creating a series of intricate varicose veins and sad breasts that refuse to coordinate with my LBD! Step in berlei bras (literally the only ones that fit my giant breastfeeding gazoongas) and tights and I’m all woman again!
Kerrianne Sheppard
April 30, 2013 at 9:34 amWAXING!!!! It’s as simple as that. On the odd occasion that I get 1 hour spare time, I wax every square inch of skin so that I am silky smooth. Then, when I “slip into something a little more comfortable” I don’t feel like the tired, frumpy housewife, but more of a sexy seductress ready to have a little bit of fun.
Amy
April 30, 2013 at 9:41 amLiving 1400kms from nearest relatives is tricky with a young family but my mum is fantastic and flys up every 6 wks for a 4 day weekend and sends me to get my hair and waxing done and kicks my partner and I out for a beautiful date night while she stays in with the littlies!! I’m sure it’s what makes the world go round as each and every one of us look forward to it and I get to feel all refreshed and womanly on a date night with the love of my life while the kids are spoilt rotten!!! 🙂
Narelle Rock
April 30, 2013 at 10:38 amI like to go to the hairdresser and get a colour and style that is not just plain and boring, makes me feel young at heart, not so ‘mummy’!
sarah-jane miller
April 30, 2013 at 11:20 amAfter having 3 boys (youngest being 7 months) I think you cant go past a good bra! One that looks great and supports the ‘girls’ 😉 but what makes me feel most like a woman is the look I get from my man. THAT look that makes you feel like you are the only girl in the world and for that moment you forget about all the chores you have/haven’t done, and just feel the love and warmth (excitement!) that comes from one of the most important poeple you have in your life. 🙂
Jayleen considine
April 30, 2013 at 12:21 pmThe best thing i do as a mum is make sure i take time to do things for me now my boys are 4 and 6 i have rejoined my local hockey team and get to spend time with a team of women sharing the joy of team achievements and hard work. I also spend time with my girlfriends on mummy only nights so we can all return to our families refreshed ready to give more of our selves while under standing we all go through the same battles as women but we are stronger & wiser for it ( psst its also a great excuse to dress up & have a few glasses of wine while pretending we are young again)
Michelle
April 30, 2013 at 1:03 pmI embrace music in my life by dancing, it makes me feel womanly and I can do it by myself (when the chance arises) and I can do it with my children, music brings out so many parts of myself. To top it off I embrace the flowy, the pretty and spaces like the open that just give me a sense of myself…..when I do that I can find my “womanhood”. All of this can be done in so many ways which is needed when you are a ‘WOMAN” with a family.
Claire Lenton-Cater
April 30, 2013 at 1:52 pmWearing new underwear & nice bras, washing my hair! and shaving my legs! which may seem silly but so easy to not do when your a busy mum. Also getting out of the house, and also DATE NIGHT! really important and something the hubby and i should do more often
Carla
April 30, 2013 at 2:29 pmWearing a nice piece of jewellery.
Generally cannot wear any at all as earrings and necklaces are pulled, watches get covered in saliva…
Mel
April 30, 2013 at 4:53 pmHair freshly styled,
Perfume dabbed at the neck,
Boots zipped up,
A sweet date night text.
A glass of wine,
A lovely dinner,
Desert….not telling that’s for you to go figure!
Joanie
April 30, 2013 at 7:07 pmI try to wear one piece if jewelry to make me feel like an individual, not just stuck in the mum uniform of jeans and flats! The pieces are different to what I wore pre-kids, but it still lets me add a bit of my personality to being “just another mum”
Sam Hardt
April 30, 2013 at 10:21 pmI wear a spray of my favourite perfume everyday, regardless of where I’m going or what I’m wearing, it just makes me feel feminine, even if I’m dressed in shorts and t-shirt. I would love the chance to dress up and have a romantic night out with my husband, I actually can’t remember our last date, and it will be our ten year anniversary this year, so I’m hoping we’ll do something, one way or another!
Lisa wright
April 30, 2013 at 10:34 pmI feel like a woman when I take time out and put myself first. Do my hair, not just in a quick up style, wear a nice piece of jewellery, do a bit of exercise so I look good and feel great. That little bit of extra effort makes my friends and husband notice and then I feel great too. I’d love the chance to dress up for the night again like you girls did, my response: ahhhhhh…… FRIGGIN YES please!
.
Kylie Thomson
April 30, 2013 at 11:56 pmTaking the time for myself to do my hair and make-up, dressing up with nice clothes and pretty underwear and going out for dinner with my partner (with the kids at home with my mother-in-law), talking and laughing with each other.
Pauline
May 1, 2013 at 7:58 amJust enjoying a shower & not smelling like baby vomit is all it takes for me!
Kelly Be A Fun Mum
May 2, 2013 at 9:34 amThis made me lol Pauline 😀
Monica
May 1, 2013 at 11:58 amwhen I’m getting ready to go out whether with my husband or friends, my husband will look at me in the same way he did when we met over 5 years ago and tell me how beautiful & sexy I look…so after having 2 kids and one on the way it sure makes me feel like a woman !
Lowanna Hugall
May 2, 2013 at 9:29 amJust getting out of the “home mummy clothes”
And a tizz of the hair some makeup to hide the
Baby night shifts and some accessories is enough just simple
Things!
Claire Duffell
May 2, 2013 at 9:30 amHaving a long hot bath, shaking off the PJ’s and tracky pants and putting on a fresh face of makeup! A new outfit and cute shoes always helps too!! 🙂
Claire
May 2, 2013 at 9:30 amThe best I can manage or afford is being able to occasionally do my own acrylic nails, and the odd touch-up of my roots (ie.hide the greys!) with a cheap home dye!
Being a Sahm & wide, like so many others, I often forget to put myself first (or second or even third!).
Yvette Bowyer
May 2, 2013 at 9:31 amMaking that little extra bit of effort when heading out of the house – and my husband looks at me like the first time he realised he loved me! Ofcourse my fancy pants up to the boobs is always a good way too – holding in all the flabby bits and giving me a nice shape around my tummy!
Katie
May 2, 2013 at 9:34 amI was going a wee bit insane at home! A friend suggested trying out Pilates so I went to my local physio and joined the group there … There’s nothing like catching up with a group of lovely ladies for conversation and time out once a week!! (Oh and that added bonus of exercise!)
Shontelle Prudames
May 2, 2013 at 9:39 amBeing able to have a shower, shave, slap on some lippy & head to the shops…well in reality its more like shower with someone opening the curtain, ripping up toilet paper & trying to climb in the toilet & lucky to get to the shops without food or texta all over me…BUT I still have the lippy (although it is but squished as it has been used to colour in with…haha).
Aimee Sharpe
May 2, 2013 at 9:51 amA little make-up and a fancy dress rarely gets seen as a busy mum of young children, But it does make a woman feel AMAZING when she can feel gorgeous again.
Chrissy
May 2, 2013 at 9:51 amPulling out my old friend the Ghd that’s hardly seen the light of day since my daughter was born and straightening the frizzy curly fuzz I call hair! Not having it tied up in what ever manner I could manage on the way to a crying baby is awesome!
Rachael
May 2, 2013 at 9:52 amI feel like a woman when I get to have a nice long shower and shave my legs. I love wearing skirts or a great bra with matching knickers. It’s the little things for me xXx
Marnie
May 2, 2013 at 9:53 amBy treating myself to a totally inappropriate pair of heels. I don’t mind if the only time I get to wear them is when I’m in my daggy pj’s and the three kids are tucked up in bed. Takes me back in time for a moment. Would be nice to have somewhere nice to wear them though!
Jenni
May 2, 2013 at 9:53 amMascara and high heels always do the trick!! Makes me remember I’m not only ‘Mummy’ to two gorgeous little boys but still the ‘me’ I was before they came bounding into our lives 🙂
Emily Duggan
May 2, 2013 at 9:56 amHot bath with candles. music and a glass of wine. With some perfumed bubble bath of course!
Janelle Wallace
May 2, 2013 at 10:02 amI make me time to do the things I want. This could be as simple as putting on nail polish or buying a new bra. That makes me feel like a real woman.
Kelly Buchanan
May 2, 2013 at 10:03 amWe recently acquired an ensuite. We have an OLD house, which we are renovating. SLOWLY. Originally, the miniscule bathroom came off the dwarfed kitchen, but after 6 years, we have converted the old kitchen into our bedroom, and the old bathroom, is now our ensuite. I can’t tell you have amazing it feels to, before bed each night, brush my teeth, cleanse, tone and moisturise without having to scrape bubblegum flavoured toothpaste off the sink first. Words cannot describe how nice it is to find my toothbrush in the cup where I left it, and not have to search high and low for it, only to find it on the floor, having been used to kill a bug by my six year old boy. How incredible is it to be able to see my face in the mirror, without it being distorted by toothpaste splats, where my 3 teeth-brushing children have flicked their brushes with such vigor that the mirror is now white, with a few splashes of reflection.
Yes, my ensuite is old, it has a pink enamel bath tub, with green fibro walls and no shower. But it is all mine, and it is this one simple room of the house that refreshes my woman-ness each morning and evening. My husband appreciates the pick-me-up it gives me right before bed too!
Elisa Fenton
May 2, 2013 at 10:13 amFeel like a woman? Male husband, two male children, male dog, and male elderly parent next door. I rely on a few things. My girlfriends, crafts, interests like the Jane Austen society. It can be a struggle at times, as I never was a girly girl.