Anna Kooiman - Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Communities Help Local Ronald McDonald House Charities, Here's How

Next time you see a way to donate to RMHC, consider giving a few coins, or more! I have been involved with the Ronald McDonald House Charities since college. I was the philanthropy chair for RMHC in Alpha Delta Pi at UNCW. I am proud to have been an ambassador for them here in Sydney for the last year. Watch this video to see how local communities can help make a difference in the lives of seriously ill children receiving treatment in hospital. RMHC provides a home away from home for their families. It is an amazing charity.

How to Keep Blonde Hair Healthy and Bright, An Interview with my Hair Stylist in Sydney

Want to know how I keep my blonde hair healthy and bright? It’s not always easy. Being out in the sun and swimming in salt water can really dry out my hair. I had a bad experience when I was pregnant where my hair became so dry and brittle it was like straw. I’m not sure if it was because I became so low on iron or what. I did have to have an iron infusion because my levels got so low. Babies suck everything out of us don’t they!? LOL All worth it of course but that was tough. My energy levels were so low and my hair looked bad!! I did a lot to get it back to where it is now. Watch this interview I did with my favorite stylists in Sydney to see what they advised! Stylist Bondi Beach. Woot woot!

Heading Back to the USA for Fox News July 4th Coverage

Brooks and I are heading back to the USA for some Proud American coverage for Fox News Channel in Norfolk, Virginia. Don’t miss it! More details to come. Check me out on social media. Can’t wait to see everyone!

Join Me for a Fun Run Benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities

Hi Friends! I am proud to announce I have become an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Charities! This weekend is the first event I'll be helping out with...RBC Race for the Kids

Please click on this link if you would like to join me or donate to the cause!

RBC Race for the Kids is an exciting series of fifteen charitable runs supporting children’s causes and the fourth year RBC Race for the Kids has been held in Sydney.

Our goal is to raise over $100,000 for Ronald McDonald House Randwick (RMHR) and attract 1,000 runners. Funds will go towards helping RMHR make a home away from home for seriously ill children and their families and will support refurbishing an isolation unit and creating a sanctuary space at the Randwick House.

The day is guaranteed to be fun for everyone who attends. People of all ages can run, skip, jog, scoot, walk with your dog, or pram around the 5km or family routes. After the race join the family festival for a bite to eat or a cool drink. Our new Ambassador Sydney Thunder Cricketer, Chris Green will also be taking part on the day and there will be a whole host of exciting activities for the entire family including goodie bag challenge, bouncing castles and interactive fun zones and much much more.

Grab your colleagues, friends and family and spend a Sunday raising money for a worthy cause. If you can't make it on the day why not sign up to be a remote runner? We will send you a pack and then you can create your own family 2k or 5k run, walk or jog.

Check out the schedule below:

Registrations Open: 7:00am

Warm Up: 8:40am

Welcome Speeches: 8:50am

Race Start: 9:00am

Festival Zone Opens: 9:15am

Race Presentation: 10:00am

Head Line Performance: 10:30am

Event Closes At: 1:00pm

We look forward to seeing you on the day!

Last Minute Christmas Table Decorating on a Budget

Check out the Christmas table decorating segment I helped host on my favorite Aussie morning show, Studio 10! It's all about staying within budget and still looking fabulous! Natarsha Belling and I interviewed lifestyle blogger, Jen Bishop, of Interior's Addict.

How I Feel Home for the Holidays, While Living Half a World Away

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." It's always been one of my favorite Christmas carols and something my brother and I used to cross our fingers for every year. Sledding, snow men, snow angels, snow cream, snowball fights - it doesn't get much better for a kid. Growing up in North Carolina, then beginning my TV anchoring career in Ohio, and spending five years at Fox News Channel in New York City - I was lucky enough not to just sing about having a white Christmas, but actually have a white Christmas - a number of times.

This year the only white Christmas I'll be seeing - isn't snow - but white sandy beaches. Santa will be riding a Sea-Doo instead of a one horse open sleigh, and ugly Christmas sweater house parties will be replaced with ugly Christmas wetsuit beach parties. For real! You see it's summer where I live. I live in the place Americans fondly refer to as The Land Down Under. I'm not complaining, just noting the stark contrast.

I'll be kicking off my Christmas morning with a cool swim at Australia's most iconic beach, Bondi Beach, and then heading to my brother-in-law's house for a poolside Christmas feast with 'prawns' the size of your fist! That's 'shrimp' for folks in our corner of the world!

Recipe! Peppermint Forest Christmas Shop Pecans: A Kooiman Family Tradition

It's that time of year again when the calories don't count!!!!!! Yay! Eat what you want! That's the rule I'm going to live by as I take on my Aussie Christmas feast in Sydney this year. And to make me feel home for the holidays I made several batches of a famous Kooiman family sweet treat.... Peppermint Forest Christmas Shop Pecans!

Being that I am just wrapping up my 8th month of pregnancy, I am VERY excited to be using the excuse... "I'm eating for two" when it comes to this Kooiman Christmas staple.

During my time in New York City hosting Fox and Friends, producers sent me home one year to make the pecans, chat with my mom, dad, & bro about our North Carolina traditions, and pay a visit to the family biz. To WATCH the video, click here.

Every year growing up I would help my mom bake batches and batches and batches. Then during several busy holiday weekends, I would walk around the Peppermint Forest Christmas Shop serving the customers the famous pecans along with shortbread and hot apple cider.

So what are these special pecans I speak of!? Quite possibly the best Christmas goodie on the planet! The treats are great with ice cream and pie for dessert, they are a decadent sweet potato soufflé topper, a divine salad cruncher, and the old faithful way to eat them is just as a standalone, festive snack.

You should try them out! Here is the recipe:

Delivering Your Entertainment News on My Favorite Aussie Morning Show

From Taylor Swift touring Australia - to a potential Pussycat Dolls reunion - to movie awards - to a Roseanne reboot... I've got your entertainment news on Australia's Studio Ten! Check it out! This is my favorite Aussie morning chat show. Such a talented group... and the perfect mix of serious and fun!

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Baxter's Mystery Ailment Nearly Killed Him, Here's What Happened

"Putting all these factors together, the conclusion from several of the doctors was that the problem was likely something that couldn’t be easily cured. Something like cancer."

An American Thanksgiving in Oz, with a Bun in the Oven

This opinion piece first ran on FoxNews.com.

I’ve enjoyed Thanksgiving as an American living in Ohio, North Carolina and New York. And now I enjoy living in Australia – a wonderful place except … Aussies don’t celebrate the wonderful holiday.

This is quite understandable, given that Australia is a place far, far away – where back in the 1600s there were plenty of kangaroos, but neither Native Americans nor Pilgrims.

What do you think of when you smell apple cinnamon and pumpkin spice? It’s something we don’t even have to think about as Americans, right? The holiday season, of course

I’m willing to bet you’re getting a warm, fuzzy feeling inside your tummy this very second. It’s why Starbucks makes such a killing this time of year selling their festive lattes. Those tempting aromas mean Thanksgiving is here and Christmas is just around the corner.

Let’s continue my game for a moment. What do you think of when you smell coconut sunscreen and salt in the air? Again, as Americans our mental rolodexes flip to beach vacations in the months of June, July and August.

OK. Now flip everything you know on its head. Let’s travel to another hemisphere. Let’s go to the wonderful land of Oz! A faraway land where the seasons and corresponding months are just the opposite of all I’ve ever known.

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Lifestyle philosophy

I am all about trying to live a beautiful and balanced life. It's hard when we want to have it all. I think we have seasons in our life where we are running around like wild women (and men)... trying to manage it all. And if we can just take some time to sit back, reflect, and just BE... we serve ourselves and the people will love much better. This lifestyle section is a mix of whatever shenanigans I'm getting into, new fashion, beauty, or home products or hacks that have made me happy... and hopefully you too! I also include a lot of Baxter pics and videos... simply because I can't resist showing the world my fur-baby! Oh... and he is on social media now too. ;-) @sirbaxterbear