Tuesday Tip: The Melbourne Cup

The first Tuesday in November is Melbourne Cup day here in Australia. A horse race, yes, but an iconic one which (quite literally) stops a nation. Between 3pm and 3.05pm today the wheels of our industrious nation will grind to a halt. All eyes will be glued to the nearest TV screen, whether that's at home or at work or at one of the many, many Cup-day parties. Eyes glued to screen, champagne glass firmly clutched in one hand, betting ticket in the other.

This year I'm heading to my mum's armed with Anne Gracie's world famous cheese-and-leek pie. We'll be watching all the lead-up, the fashions, the celebrities, and passing judgment on frocks and hats. My mum recently moved into a new home, very centrally located. We'll be able to nip out and place our bets and be back home before the ad. break is over. It's fun, it's girl stuff, it's a chance to take a day off and not worry. That attitude is very Australian, we're the no-worries-mate nation.

So, my Tuesday tip isn't exactly for the Melbourne Cup (because I'm still vacillating between Princess Coup, Mahler and Zipping) or for Bling Bling in race 3 (very topical with the launch of our Diamonds Down Under website). No, my tip today is to make a date with yourself, your mum, your sister, your best girlfriend, for a no-worries-mate day off (or afternoon or just a couple of hours.) Plan to do something fun, something for the girls, something you enjoy. If it involves champagne, all the better.