Dannii's Diary Of A Working Mum: November

Posted: 01/12/11

Dannii Minogue

Follow: Alan Carr, Dannii Minogue, Diary Of A Working Mum, Louis Walsh, November

Another month, another flying visit to London! I timed my visit so I could combine business with pleasure, in particular welcoming Tabs' gorgeous baby girl Betsey Belle to the world. In typical Tabs style she's already trying to set her little girl up on a date with Ethan!!!

I also found time to catch up with old friends Louis Walsh and Alan Carr, accept a university doctorate, jet to the Maldives and Abu Dhabi, hold another book signing AND celebrate Ethan's first steps...

Click on the gallery below to find out what else I've been up to in November!

Dannii's Diary of a Working Mum: November

I was honoured and grateful to receive an honorary Media Degree from the Southampton Solent University, presented to me by University’s Chancellor, Admiral The Right Honourable Lord West of Spithead and Kathy Lette, who was awarded an honourary degree in recognition of her contribution to the arts and media.
I was so nervous ahead of the graduation ceremony that I thought I was going to faint. All I could think of while I was sitting waiting to receive my degree was that I was going to end up face down in front of the podium!
My friend Terry Ronald came to the ceremony and was asked by Southampton Solent University to lecture to their students. He is such an accomplished writer I know they will benefit hugely from his wisdom and talent.
Afterward the ceremony we squeezed in a little champagne celebration with Kathy at the Savoy then hot-footed it off to the ITV studios to catch up with two old friends, Louis Walsh (<a href="http://www.mydaily.co.uk/2011/11/11/exclusive-video-dannii-minogue-is-reunited-with-louis-walsh/" target="_blank">check out my video interview with him here!</a>) and Alan Carr. Alan’s TV show Chatty Man cracks me up – my jaw dropped when Alan described me as the sexiest Aussie since Dame Edna!
It was a real treat to take part in another My Style book signing, this one at Westfield Stratford City to celebrate the opening of the new Foyles bookshop. Again, the number of people who turned out blew me away and I really enjoyed meeting some new people and catching up with some now-familiar faces who also came out for the October book signings.
A huge thank-you to the Beverly Hills Bakery who supplied the most scrumptious girly cupcakes for people waiting in the queue – they loved them!
I especially loved the ones decorated with glittery shoes...
After a wonderful week in London it was back onboard Etihad to enjoy the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix en route to a whirlwind holiday with Kris to the Maldives. We were so lucky to test out one of Etihad's new flight routes ourselves, and you can read all about our uh-mayzing holiday in this month's travelogue which will be online in the next few days. Back home in Melbourne we were so excited when Ethan took his first steps. He loves balls and will chase everything from a tennis balls to rubber balls and even a little football, which is certainly keeping me on my toes. I think I've been wearing flats more than heels since I've been back home….I never thought I'd see the day, but I am loving being a mummy with baby in tow.
The highpoint of the month was seeing my amazing sister Kylie inducted into the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall of Fame. She was so funny and gracious in her acceptance speech. I’ve never been more proud of her.
We had a great night catching up with old and new friends from the Aussie music industry including 2011 Australia’s Got Talent winner Jack Vidgen.
I can’t believe this is my last diary for My Daily. Where has the past 12 months gone? I’ve had a ball in my role as contributing editor for the website and want to thank the My Daily team for their support. Trust me, this is adieu, not goodbye. There is more My Daily content to come from me this month and I look forward to chatting to everyone on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/DanniiMinogue" target="_blank">@DanniiMinogue</a>) and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DanniiMinogueOfficial" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. And make sure you keep visiting my website <a href="http://danniiminogue.com/www/home/" target="_blank">DanniiMinogue.com</a>, which will be undergoing a transformation in the next couple of months… Signing off for now, Dx
My first business engagement was an appearance with my friends from Etihad Airways at the World Travel Market to help celebrate the launch of their new routes to the Maldives and Seychelles. I had a lesson in holiday mixology, learning how to make a Seychelles Sunrise (a delicious concoction of Tequila, orange juice and Grenadine). We celebrated the airline winning two prestigious awards, The Guardian/Observer 'best business airline' award and TTG Travel Awards’ 'airline of the year'. Whooooooop whoooooooop!