On any given night, entrepreneur and One Roof founder Sheree Rubinstein could be cooking for 10 people – at least.
Because aside from her and her partner Rod, there is their two-and-a-half year old daughter Goldie and three-month-old baby, Ace.
... And Rod’s brother, Elliot – and his wife Vanessa, and their three children – from 18 months old to eight years old.
And there could be any of the children’s grandparents or extended family or friends at their table too.
“We never know who will turn up. It’s an open-door policy – and that’s how we like it.”
Indeed, it’s an outlook that saw the two families come together to live under one roof in 2022. By choice.
After giving birth one week into the first of Melbourne’s long lockdowns in 2020, Sheree and Rod decided to head north – first to Sheree’s mum’s apartment on the Gold Coast (via quarantine in Darwin), before settling in the Byron Shire.
There they stayed, sitting out the two years of harsh lockdowns and running their businesses remotely.
Then Sheree fell pregnant again.
It was time to go home, back to their family and friends in Melbourne.
Parenting 101. Article continues after video.