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Creating a Beautiful Play Space for your Children

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I’m Amelia from My Soulful Space and today I would love to help you create a beautiful play space. Especially at this time when we are at home with our children for much longer periods, creating a space that brings more serenity and calm into our home can make all the difference to our days.

There are many benefits to having a simple clutter-free play space which include:

  • Your child feels more relaxed and at ease

  • They are less distracted

  • They are able to focus on one activity for longer periods of time

  • They play independently for longer

  • They can be more creative and imaginative

  • It takes less time to keep the play space clean and tidy.

And for the parents, the benefits are that you have more time for yourself to do what you need to do during the day!

Step 1: Declutter your child’s toys

Decide if you would like to do this with your child or on your own….it can be fun to do together if your child is at the right age (very young or a bit older!) but I find that with my children who are 2 and 4 it is a bit tricky, so I try to do it when I have time by myself.

If I am feeling inspired and have the time, I will gather ALL of the toys from every area of the house and put them in a big pile in one room. If you are limited with time or that feels a little overwhelming for you, simply declutter one small area at a time eg the toy box or the art and craft box.

What toys to remove from the play space:

  • broken toys

  • ugly toys that you just don’t like looking at

  • Noisy and flashy toys

  • Toys that you have multiples of-just keep out 1 or 2 favorites

  • Toys that are not age-appropriate

  • Toys that are character related or that only have one specific use

  • Toys that your child simply doesn’t play with anymore (or at the moment

Toys to keep:

  • Beautiful toys that your child uses frequently

  • Toys that have multiple uses (eg blocks, dress-ups)

  • Toys that you love looking at

  • Toys that you enjoy playing with together with your child

What to do with the toys you aren’t keeping out:

  • Donate to charity or gift to a friend

  • recycle or bin if they are broken and unfixable

  • Gift special toys with meaning or that you are reluctant to part with to a friend’s child for a special occasion such as a birthday. Preloved gifts are great for the environment, more cost-effective and have meaning. We now tell friends that we love preloved gifts for our children’s birthdays, and the children love it too!

  • Store them in cupboards in your home to swap out so that the children have a chance to miss them and then enjoy them more!

Step 2: Create the space

  • Place like toys together and create little nooks. I like to put my daughter’s dolls and imaginary house play in one area. Arts and crafts in another area and my son’s blocks and little cars in a little spot of their own. They will both end up sharing the toys or playing separately but it’s nice to have some cohesion of where toys are placed.

  • Create a little reading nook and a special chair or cushion.

  • Tidy like toys into boxes and baskets that are easy for your child to get to and easy to clean away.

Create a mini space if you are in a small home:

  • If your child’s play space is shared with your lounge room space, create a little corner with a lovely rug and a couple of baskets of toys. Try to keep your child’s toys together in one area so that they can feel like they have a little special space.

Enjoy creating your child’s beautiful play space!



Take the Moments as They Come

It’s ok to feel saddened by the loss of experiences our kids might be having- playing outdoors with friends, fish and chips at the beach, visiting with loved ones. Amid all the loss people are facing and the changes to our work and lives, I have to admit it was when my daughters’ activities were cancelled that I was teary; the missing out of life experiences that we had planned for them. It sounds trivial, and on one level it is, but I was so excited to see rumis face when she saw Emma Wiggle live! And to hear of faiths 5 day stay interstate alone with her big sisters in Sydney over Easter - something they would hold dear forever. This is when it felt real to me, despite everything else happening. When rumi asks to see her granddad or for her favourite people to take her to the park, that’s when my heart breaks and tears come. I think it’s ok for this to be the trigger to release some of the tension we as adults are experiencing and holding for our children and for those we love. The trigger to release the overwhelm, the disbelief the anxiety for the future. We have become so incredibly resilient as parents, and yet when our little ones are affected in even these little ways, it seems to cut right through. Lots of love to everyone ❤️

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Let's get this Cardio Party Started

Crank up some Spotify Tunes and let’s get your body moving today

This is a great little workout to get the heart rate pumping

4 Exercises 10 times and repeat as much as you can

Warm Up

Marching on the Spot

High Knee Jog on the Spot

Butt Kicks

Exercises do 10 repetitions and repeat as many times as you can

Squats - with our without arms, my ultimate favorite exercise, remember to clench the butt and tip the hips as you come up

Mountain Climbers - pump those knees to your chest and really work that body

Lunges - 5 each side, remember to keep your body in line and keep the weight in the ball of your back foot

Knee Repeaters - 10 each side, work those arms too

How many sets of these exercises can you do?

It's Podcast Time! Connecting Through Motherhood Struggles & Creating Your Village with Tiffany De Sousa Machado

#WellbeingWednesday

Wellbeing is a term I really appreciate. It captures something broader then Mental Health - it reflects the biopsychosocial elements that, when aligned, support us in our thriving. I do believe we all have the capacity to thrive, to cultivate rich wellbeing in our lives.

However, as you probably know, motherhood is a particularly challenging season. With many joys, but many struggles. So, I wanted to share this Wisdom for Wellbeing podcast interview with The Village Foundation founder Tiffany De Sousa Machado.

This episode is going to resonate with all the mumma’s out there, but I think it will hit home more broadly in the discussion around the importance of community and exploration of how we can create this in our modern world (*update: and now, our socially distanced world!). You will, no doubt, feel connected to Tiffany as she transparently shares her own losses and challenges, including her lived experience with postpartum depression, and her struggles balancing her work and family. Tiffany also shares sociological reflections, which offer a useful framework from which to understand the all-to-common experience of postpartum stress and isolation.

I hope you find Tiffany’s wisdom as validating and connecting as I did. It is certainly important to know that ‘wisdom’ is sometimes simply recognising we don’t know it all - and we are not supposed to have it ‘all figured out’. I think this is a particularly important message in these uncertain times of COVID19, where we are all just doing our best to figure it out, stay safe, and support our community.

Wishing you and yours well,

Kaitlin xx

www.embodiedpsychology.com.au / www.drkaitlin.com

Wisdom for Wellbeing Podcast - Season 1 - Episode 6

Wisdom for Wellbeing Podcast - Season 1 - Episode 6

Keeping fit at home just got easier

Join me daily Monday to Friday for a quick movement session at the Village Foundation App

Did you know the World Health Organisation suggests that we need at least 60 minutes of “huff and puff” exercise daily?

Did you know you don’t need to slog out 60 minutes in one session either, so what does this mean for you over the next few weeks or months working from home, balancing life and family?

It means you can steal a few minutes, watch one of our videos and repeat throughout the day to boost your activity and keep your body and mind active, and these exercises are kid friendly, and hey if you have little ones they double as great weights :)

Power to Move is a Health and Wellness business and our main goal is to Create Active, Healthy Humans. In this changing landscape we have put together online, live fitness videos for Kids, Youth, Families, Mums and Adults. We have set up ZOOM so our classes are real time and live and are limited to 20 students per teacher so we can give you the Best Workout. Our range of classes include

Boxfit Kids, Teens and Adult Classes

Join the Power to Move team for 45 minutes of Boxfit. Work out that pent up frustration with a high intensity, fun and full on Combat Style Workout.  Each class will be different with variations of Jabs, Cross, Hooks, Uppers, Knee Strikes and MORE

Burn Adults Class

Burn by name, Burn by nature Our Signature Burn Class combines Pilates, Core and Strength and Conditioning Moves to burn your Belly, Butt, Thighs and Arms.  Get Toned and Trimmed in this Hot 45 minute Class.  Turn the music up and lets get the party started

HIIT Adult Class

Want to get fit, sweat, get a full body workout and join in with other like minded individuals around the globe? Join us for our High Intensity Interval Training Class Designed to get your heart rate pumping, calories burning and body strong.  

Yoga Family and Adult Class

Join the Power to Move team for 45 minutes of yoga, for the mind and body. Each class will be different with variations of Sun Salutation flows, working on your breath, stretching and strengthening your body and mind

Family Fitness

The family that trains together stays together, or something like that :) Let's get you fit, healthy and active even if you are stuck at home. Who is the strongest in your home? Let the fun games and challenges begin! This is the perfect class to connect with your body and move with your kids or anyone else you are hunkered down with. Each day we will work on something different, but be ready to have some fun, work those legs and arms and listen to some funky tunes

Kids and Teens FAST

Join us Online and Live Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for our FAST Class. Get Strong with this Functional Aerobic Strength Training Class designed to work your whole body. The class is 30 minutes with 15 minutes of chatting with other kids all around the Globe

Daily Kids and Teen PE Class

Each day we will meet at 1pm for 30 minutes of movement, we will then chat about our health, well-being and what we are doing at home. This is a great opportunity to keep connected and moving more with Cass and Power to Move

Power to Move is here to help you keep fit, move more and have a bit of fun in the process. Join our Online Community today

www.facebook.com/powertomoveau

www.powertomove.com.au

www.instagram.com/powertomoveaus

What Happens When You No Longer Recognise Who You Are?

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What happens when your lived experience or the external representation of yourself doesn’t match your ideal or the way you view your inner self?

Perhaps you’ve always expressed yourself as organised, in control, tidy. This is something you love about you and maybe measure others against. Maybe you love clean living – organic food, no packets, no sugar. Perhaps the life you envisaged was simpler, or busier, had fewer people in it, or more. Maybe you’re a workaholic or a family man. Maybe you love to surround yourself with others, or you could be a harry hermit (like me). Whatever you feel you are or describe yourself as we tend to have a great deal of attachment to it; it defines us, its who we are, it’s how we self-identify. What happens then, if we find ourselves living out a persona we don’t identify with? Or worse, that we don’t want to identify with, despite still loving and choosing the life we lead?

In a society of combined families, working parents, and celebrated extroverts, this dissonance can be the root of mental and emotional unrest, of anxiety and a loss of wellbeing.

I had a daughter. One daughter and she was my world. After 4 years of waiting she was here and she was my whole focus. A born extrovert, she loved people and would make friends with everyone. I remember when she was 3 we were on a beach in Byron Bay. Just her dad, our two dogs, me and her. She was desperate to play and as she chased other children along the beach her dad and I looked at each other and knew she needed a sibling. We couldn’t have any more children; as it was, Faith was a miracle. And so our life focused around her and I and despite always wishing for her a sibling, I loved it. She came everywhere with me.

Her dad and I parted ways, but I loved being a single mother of one child; Faith never went to childcare and I didn’t have parents to care for her so we were always together – work, uni, everywhere. The house was clean, organised, we were routined, I was in control, she and I worked as one…it was easy, it was as I wanted it in terms of food, aesthetic, activities, cleanliness – everything.

Fast forward 5 years.

Im the mother of 5, I share a house with my partner, and now,  my daughter is distanced from me – she’s one of ‘the kids’. We don’t do things together, her and I, we do things as a whole or separately. I yell a lot. It’s them and me, and she has quickly been absorbed away from me and into them like spilled water rushes into a paper towel. Its what I wished for of course and I love my partner. She has siblings. She has fun, she has company. She a best friend who lives with her. The house, well, its’ almost never tidy. Why, for the love of God, do cushions not stay on the couch? They live permanently on the floor as though in defiance of being told what to do – maybe they’ve learned it from the kids? The pantry is well beyond my control now - filled with packets of things I would never buy. I’m not even going to talk about the bathroom. The harry hermit in me feels quite lost and at the very least overwhelmed, most of the time. I don’t recognise myself or my surroundings as something that resonates naturally with me. I miss Faith. I mourn her and the time we shared together. I am so happy that she is happy but I miss us. I miss giving her the things she wants and the experiences we had, in order to be fair or frankly because who can afford it, with 5. People introduce me as a mother of 5 and I don’t sit comfortably with all the connotations that has.

It’s not because I don’t love my life, or because I’m not grateful for the abundant family I have. It’s simply a recognition of the loss of identity change brings, and the difficulties in navigating the new road, and the new self.  

This is something women (and men, but particularly women) face in various areas of their lives, especially in terms of the identity we lose in the workplace when we become a mother, and its’ not to be underestimated; suicide is the leading cause of maternal death and one in 5 women experience postnatal depression. The strong self-identity we have developed by our early 30’s is hugely linked to who we are in the workplace. Driven, career-focused, workaholic, switched on, sharp, well-presented, awake, available. The list goes on. Unequivocally, we change as we become parents. And how many of us return to work, torn, teary, tired, blurry, less available and to top things off, with Weetbix in our hair (that we don’t notice until mid-morning).

So what do we do? We try harder. In an age of self-care, wellbeing and speaking our truth, we put our heads down, and we try harder.

Dissonance. It eats away and creates unrest. It shakes the foundation of how we self-identify and how we validate ourselves; how we measure ourselves against others and against who we know we used to be. We don’t sit comfortably with the connotations our new self brings. We strive and compare and fight and mourn the loss of that special time, that one-on-one time with ourselves and our work. We miss it. We miss the focus and commitment. We miss who we were and what we represented all the while loving this new life. It’s both, we are both, and while it feels like there is an imbalance it’s all still there, in us somewhere. It takes some time to work out the new reality of what we are, who we appear to be and how this sits within us. Up, down, inward and outward we will travel.

I find it hard to be the me I am now and to let go of the image and the me that I was. Absolutely, it can be hard. And on those days I take a minute and allow myself the time I need to have those feelings – and to watch them pass. I know there is a richness and depth to my life and beauty in the chaos. It will pass. The bathroom will be clean again, one day. This ‘mess’ will form the memories of my children and it will develop who I am as a person to have increased compassion, empathy, and acceptance of all things, including myself if I let it.

I think back to that day on the beach, often. The peace, the ease, the quiet. Faith’s loneliness and our longing for more.

Saturday just passed, my partner and I took all 5 kids, with mayhem, noise, and a very cramped car, to the beach. I sat on the sand and watched Faith walk playfully towards the water, arm-in-arm with her sister; her best friend, and I knew that although I missed her, this was good. This was beautiful. And that although this moment too would pass, that her heart was full, and so was mine.

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Why Food isn’t Aways About Nutrition…

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We’ve just returned from a short family holiday and it’s had me thinking a lot about food. I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me “ohhh you’re a dietitian, I bet your kids eat well!”. 

Well yes and no. If you saw me on holiday I’d suspect that dietitian wouldn’t be the first thing that sprung to mind. That’s because on holidays I’m completely happy to live in the moment and enjoy plenty of occasional food. After all, that’s the very definition of occasional food..it’s eaten occasionally, and that’s what holidays are. 

Food isn’t just about nutrition. Food can also act as a wonderful memory. Cast your mind back to your own childhood and I’ve got no doubt that you can instantly identify both positive and negative memories that you have of food. Perhaps your nana made a particularly good chocolate cake and now every time you eat cake you think of her? Maybe you made pancakes on the weekends and they are now symbolic of family time for you? Did you have a particular food that you shared with your family at Christmas? 

Rituals represent an important part of family life that bring happiness to children’s lives and give them something to look forward to. Many rituals in family life revolve around food and the benefits that come with this have nothing to do with nutrition.

So back to my holiday, let me tell you what we ate. For my children the day started with either cocopops or nutrigrain, two cereals that would generally NEVER make their way near my pantry. But do you know why I do this? Because it’s a ritual my husband had as a child. He has fond memories of this and therefore it’s something he wanted to repeat with his own children. My kids have to agree on what two choices of cereal they want and when it’s gone, that’s it. My kids don’t ask for these foods outside of holidays because they know it’s simply not what we do. 

Beyond breakfast there was generally no planning and we ate as saw fit in the moment. Our five days away certainly weren’t balanced and we definitely didn’t eat enough vegetables. Will it kill us? Absolutely not. One of the most important things to remember about diet, is that it’s your overall pattern that matters, i.e. what you are doing most of the time.

Some of the biggest studies that have been conducted looking into which diets are best for cancer prevention and heart health such as the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) or Women’s Health Study (A large prospective study looking at risk factors that predispose women to heart disease), look at say fruit and vegetable intake over a prolonged period of time, and then break it down into groups with the highest and lowest intakes. What we see in these studies is that those people in the highest groups of intake have significantly lower rates of disease (eg heart disease or specific types of cancer). If you monitor your diet and try to get your 2 serves of fruit, 5 serves of vegetables, preference wholegrains and a moderate intake of lean meat and dairy, you are doing a really good job and the occasional ice cream, cheese platter or cake won’t really make any difference. 

Some people might argue that I’m putting these foods on a pedestal, but I disagree and feel that I am simply reminding my children that some foods are only occasional. I could pretend that many of these processed, high sugar, low nutrient foods don’t exist or I could prohibit my children from consuming them. But do you know what? Research has actually shown that the stricter you are with your child’s (or your own) diet, the more they (or you) are likely to binge on these occasional or “junk foods” when they have access to them. I’m a realist, these processed foods exist, and I don’t see them leaving our supermarket shelves anytime soon. I know my children will be introduced to all of these foods eventually, so I might as well do it in a manner that pleases me, and truly teaches them that occasional foods are just that. I also spend time teaching them what good nutrition looks like and how to cook. Learning where processed “occasional” foods fit into your diet is just as big a life skill as learning what good nutrition is and how to cook! 

So this holiday season quite worrying about your diet! Eat mindfully and enjoy the food you are eating with your family. The ice cream won’t kill you, but the memory your kids have of that time Mum and Dad let us eat 2 ice creams in one day, will last a lifetime.  

Text by Julia
Bloom Nutrition Studio

A Conscious 2020

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Welcoming in the new year has for years been more about conscious intentions and reflections than popping the champers (not that thats not fun!) Its partly about getting older and not loving the massive crowds and hangovers, but its more about taking a moment to reflect and reset, and honouring the year thats been and the year to come. If you’re a new parent, this has likely been one hell of a year, filled with challenges and immense emotion, of all kinds. Whether planned for, prayed for, surprised by or somewhere else on the parenting expectation scale, no doubt things havent gone exactly as planned. This is the new normal. More so than when we were just ‘me’ or ‘us’. Its hard to handle sometimes! Taking stock, resetting, reflecting, planning is all important, even if we are swayed from here to there in the months to come. It gives us a chance to go inward and better understand what happens and what we value out there. So whatever your night holds, whether its falling asleep at 8, partying until 3 or battling the bedtime routines as though its just another day, I urge you to take some time for self and do something special. 5 minutes…30 minutes…3 hours. Whatever you can spare. This is what I do on NYE once the fireworks have stopped popping. This year Im opening that up offering some space to do it as a group on the 5th. Feel free to get in touch if you would like to join us or need some ideas. So much love to you!

Lunch box snacks

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If you’ve been following Bloom for a while you’ll know that I like to make a lot of my children’s snacks. I do this to maximise the nutrients in their snack choices whilst minimising less desirable nutrients such as salt, sugar, fat and refined carbohydrates. For young children who need to eat regularly, snacks form a large part of their daily diet and should really represent our major food groups as much as possible, not something just grabbed in haste to fill a hole. 

Now no one likes to be a slave to their kitchen, so when I bake for the lunchboxes I do large batch cooking and freeze. I look for recipes that include ingredients from our key food groups like fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and seeds (or nuts if your school permits them). I’ll often try and reduce the sugar too. If you need some inspiration you might like to try our green seed slice or coco cranberry bliss balls. 

Even with great planning and preparation there are still weeks where I might find I have nothing on hand, or I just don’t want to or have time to cook. In these situations I turn to a selection of pre-packged snacks from the supermarket that still offer plenty of nutrition. I also like to alternate my home cooked choices with purchased snacks to mix things up a bit and ensure the kids don’t get bored of the same old thing. 

To help you make smart choices in the supermarket we’ve come up with this list of Bloom approved snacks. 

1. Roasted nori sheets - These are a great source of iodine. 1 small 8g packet provides 30% of a young child’s daily iodine requirement. It should be noted that these are very high in salt but as the serving size is so small (8g) the total quantity of salt consumed is small. 

2. Fruit/Raisin bread - I’ve always got a loaf in my freezer. Sure it has some added sugar, but most of the sugar comes from the added dried fruit. It’s low GI, filling and has around 120 calories per buttered slice (1 slice is plenty for a recess snack). Tip top have also have a wholemeal Raisin toast and that’s got my tick of approval 

3. Cheese and Crackers -I’m not really a fan of the pre-packaged cheese and biscuit packs as they cost a fortune. Even when you’re low on time you can still still grab a handful of crackers and cut a slice of cheese (or a cheese stick if you really need to). Not all crackers are created equal though. You definitely want to focus on buying a wholegrain variety (look for those with at least 4g of fibre per 100g) and with a sodium content less than 400mg/100g (harder to find). My top picks would be Ryvita wholegrain crisp breads (I’d suggest breaking two in halves as they are larger), Vita-Wheat crisp bread range and crackers (note these all exceed 400mg of sodium/ 100g,but most are under 500g/100g) and the Mary’s Gone Crackers range (although please note these are a more expensive option). Team with your child’s preferred cheese and you have a filling snack option high in fibre, B vitamins, Omega 3 fatty acids (from the seeds), calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. 

3. Roasted or puffed Chickpeas and Fava Beans 

The crunchy texture of these products will appeal to many kids. They come in plain (lightly salted), as well a variety of other flavours. I love that they come in individually wrapped portions so you can simply grab and chuck into the lunchbox. They also hit the mark for fibre content, sodium and overall calories, not to mention they also count towards your child’s daily intake of vegetables! 

4. Popcorn 

Another option that’s sure to be a hit with most kids that is filling and high in fibre. I’d recommend you check what type of oil your popcorn is cooked in (or better yet go for air popped, although 

many kids may find this too bland) and avoid any cooked in palm oil (a saturated fat we want to avoid). Also look for those with a lower sodium content, ideally less than 400mg per 100g. I’d also stay away from any of the sweetened varieties, children don’t need the extra sugar in these products. 

My pick would be CobsR natural sea salt variety. I buy it in the large packs and portion it out to save money, but if you’re really low on time you may prefer the individually packed option. 

5. Coles “buddy” dried fruit and seed packets - with a few varieties on offer there should be something here that most kids will like. Some varieties contain “fun” foods like mini marshmallows and chocolate buds. This personally doesn’t bother me and I find the inclusions of some fun foods in a trail mix makes it more likely my kids will eat the whole thing. 

6. Weetbix and BelVita breakfast biscuits - These biscuits have just over 1 teaspoon of sugar per 2 biscuits (about the right serving size for most children) and 2.5 g fibre, more than most other snack biscuits on the market. They are also fortified with iron and a range of B vitamins. Bel vita also make a similar biscuit in convenient mini size multi packs for the lunchbox. These however have 3 teaspoons of sugar per packet of biscuits but contain more fibre at 4g per packet. 

7. Milk boxes/Smoothies - Devondale mini milk boxes are a perfect option to deliver a hit of calcium (and protein) to your child’s lunchbox. As they are long life milks you don’t have to worry if they get warm during the day. My kids are happy to have plain milk but I do also give them flavoured ones to mix things up a bit. The Devondale Moo flavoured milks have around 1 tsp of sugar per 100g which is not overly bad given that this product also contains lots of other worthwhile nutrients. Sippah straws are another quick option to pop in the lunchbox with a thermos of plain milk and contain less than 1/2 teaspoon per straw. Nudie also released a range of long life brekkie smoothies last year in flavours such as banana and mixed berry. They are sweetened with maple syrup and have around 1.5 teaspoons of sugar per 100ml. 

8. Fruit straps - There are a few different options on the market now, for example The “Fruit Wise” and “Bear Yo Yo’s. Both brands are made from 100% dehydrated fruit with no added sugars or fillers. Per serve these products contain about 1/2 the calories of a fresh piece of fruit. Most people don’t find them as filling as eating fresh fruit (because the water content has been removed from them) and of course being quite sticky they aren’t a great option for your child’s teeth. I wouldn’t make this your every day fruit option but they’re a reasonable back up. 

9. Date and seed based bites/bars and protein balls - eg Kez’s kitchen lamington bars. These are made from dates and seeds and have nothing but real ingredients added. If you are buying these sorts of products check the ingredient list and try and avoid those with added sweeteners such as honey or rice syrup. Most of these products are quite pricey and I feel you could make a similar version yourself for much less but for those busy times they are a handy option. 

10 Messy Monkeys - Out of all the flavoured savoury snacks/biscuits on the market for children these would probably be my pick. They are high in fibre (2g per serve) and don’t contain artificial flavours or flavour enhancers, the salt and fat content is however quite high (as are many other similar products in this category). My biggest concern with savoury salty snacks for children is that it tends to program their taste buds to want more salty highly flavoured foods and these flavours aren’t found in natural whole foods. That’s not to say that I’d never buy these snacks for my children but I certainly limit them to occasionally and where possible I try to buy plain varieties of biscuits. 

11. Mini dips and baby cucumbers - we love the Obela mini dips for the convenience of their grab and go size! Keep and pack of baby cuqs (cucumbers) on hand and have you have a super healthy snack prepared in 30 seconds!

Text by Julia
Bloom Nutrition Studio

Like A Tree

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In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful. - Alice Walker

Another day of the @capturinggratitude project - and my sister @summitjewellery is visiting. We had a beautiful lunch @cherrydarlingsbakehouse, which we ate outside in the beautiful sunshine (it was our first stop after the airport... as it is every time she visits!) I love spending time with her - as we get to let out true weird sides shine.

In addition to being so grateful to have such a wonderful family and special sister, I feel so grateful to have soaked up family time in the sun and to have reflected on one of the lessons of nature today. Namely, the beauty that exists in imperfection - and the reminder to show up. How empowering to show up as oneself - raw, imperfect, and in that, absolutely brilliant.

So, today - embrace your natural brilliance. Be like a tree!

Photo credit to the multi-talented and lovely @blackspruce_woodworking.

Text by Kaitlin

Joy To Be Found

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Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul. - Linda Solegato

This was yesterday’s moment of gratitude. (I’m practising @capturinggratitude this week): sitting with a cup of tea, noticing the light streaming through the window, illuminating the outdoors in green and, what turns out to be a beautiful table of homage to our darling cat, Cashew (and the biggest gratitude to the amazing painting and sketch by @gracedrawsdogs @gracemackayart and the photo by @elisedphoto - check out these talented ladies Adelaide).

What I’m enjoying most about #capturinggratitude is taking the time to deliberately reflect on, and celebrate, what might seem like simple moments - because, it seems there is so much joy to be found.

I’ll share today’s moment in my stories I think... but let me say, it’s a beautiful day! Have a think, what are you grateful for today?

Text by Dr Kaitlin Harkess

You will not always have the crayon colours you want...

Once upon a time, there was a 5-year-old girl who on the first day at school was asked to choose her favourite colour from a box of crayons and write her name. The girl looked at the colours and stood still with her hands at the back despite being asked a few times. At the end of the day when the teacher asked her how come she had chosen a colour to write her name, the child replied "ma'am, the box did not have my favourite colour"

How many times do we feel immobilized because the choice we had in mind was just not available to us, at least not at the time we wanted. Is progress halted when acceptance for the desired job is denied, when enrollment in a required class is closed, when that dream date does not progress or a relationship breaks down? At the time the answer to the question can feel like a resounding Yes!

Are we ever, due to reasons hard to understand or beyond our control, faced with a set of circumstance that we did not have in mind for ourselves? In other words, what happens when we look in the box and the pink crayon just isn't there? It is so easy to lock our knees, lock our hands behind our back and do nothing. But to do so would defy the very reason we are placed here on the earth.

As challenging they may be to accept, stumbling blocks are essential to our progression and growth. At the time you may not always know why things have turned out the way they have but when you look back and join the dots, it usually all makes sense. I am sure you have examples of your own that testify this fact. If you are on this mailing list, you are up to something other than the ordinary and likely have been pushed in directions not foreseen.

For me it was the breakdown of my relationship and the time and that I was away from the then 4-year-old daughter. I would have certainly not chosen those colours from my box of choices but had to pull my life together with the colours that were there. My choice would have been to not experience what was given me to do, yet each day is filled with deeper meaning, new insights and more clarity on helping create a world where children grow up joyful, feeling loved and with self-belief. If I was given the choice to take the challenges away, I would say Yes to that in a heartbeat but I would not want to be denied the insights that have come with it. Always having our first choice may mean giving up unknown benefits.

Emerson said "for everything you have missed, you have gained something else"

To remain focused, the see the end from the beginning will become tough from time to time. Taking the small steps each day and following a grounded daily routine goes a long way - how you start your day and how you end it and who you surround yourselves with. At times, you may need to pivot, take a different path temporarily. This will be unique to each person and their unique set of circumstances. But wherever you are and whatever you are doing, small steps taken consistently usually yield great results.

You may not have all the colours of the crayons you want, but do have all the colours that you need!

P.S. This note is inspired by a video I recently saw.
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Text by Puneet Sachdev
”I coach interesting people out there making an impact and a difference. I support my clients increase their income and impact is by working One to One with them to help them get clear on their highest leverage areas. We build the vision of their desired lifestyle and then work on their strategy, mindset, skillset, environment to get the best results. Giving back is another foundational practice I usually suggest.”
More information about Puneet and his portfolio: here

Capturing Gratitude

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Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams. - Ashley Smith

Gratitude. Getting out to the park and watching the joy flow. The simple pleasure of watching wonder unfold as the sun shines. I know I always feel better after I’ve been outside. It soothes me - particularly if I take off my shoes and truly connect to the earth. I hope with all my heart that Charlie will be able to do the same as the years go on. It should not really be a fight... but I’m grateful that we are waking up and standing up for our Mother Earth. Thank you @capturinggratitude project for shining light on this cause.

What will you do for your soul this week? If you’re anything like me, I recommend kicking off those shoes and grounding down to the magic of our planet.

Text by Kaitlin

Be Yourself

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The human being who does not wish to belong to the mass must merely cease being comfortable with himself; let him follow his conscience which shouts at him: 'Be yourself! What you are at present doing, opining, and desiring, that is not really you. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Eek! Being oneself is hard work. It’s so vulnerable to open and expose the depth of our being...which is not always aligned with the ‘status quo’. It makes sense in evolutionary terms - we would not survive out on our own, we needed the tribe for protection. So, to have been ‘outcast’ was death - and hence the emotion of shame is SO UNCOMFORTABLE (it evolved to make sure we did not step out of line from the tribe). The trouble is, sometimes (depending on our tribe) there is a disconnect with our own truth in favour of this ‘keeping up appearances’ - it certainly does not feed one’s soul.

SOME OPTIONS

  • Develop a new tribe that feels in more alignment with you, or where you feel safer to express yourself.

  • Find unique ways to honour your history and nurture all parts of yourself.

  • Practice making peace with those shame feelings, with being vulnerable - be it through reflective practices like meditation and journaling, or with the support of a safe friend or therapist.

  • Remember: all these emotions, the big feels that often hold one back, they are HUMAN - everyone feels them, even if the triggers are sometimes unique.

So, the challenge is, figure out what you need to grow. What requirements do you have at this moment? Go as slow as you need, remember, there is no finish line we are racing to - the magic is in the movement.

Beautiful art by @howamifeelingg

Text by Kaitlin

World Mental Health Day

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This long weekend, among other things, I watched Sex and the City 2, the movie. It’s not fantastic, but there was a moment I could relate to. Charlotte and Miranda sat in the bar in Abu Dhabi, 6700 miles away from their homes, and began to share the realities of parenthood. Miranda had to push Charlotte at first, who initially maintained her ‘its all worth it, parenting is a blessing’ façade. (This after earlier finding herself crying in the pantry to hide from her 2 girls). They spilled….Stress, guilt, inadequacies. They drank after each sentence. They cried and spilled some more - Charlotte erupted as though she hadn’t ever been allowed to express herself honestly until this moment. And then they laughed.

This Thursday is World Mental Health Day. 1 in 5 maternal deaths is caused by suicide. 1 in 5. And yet, so much pressure can be so easily released, by sharing and talking and learning that we are not alone.

All parents have a hard time. It doesn't matter what you see on Facebook or Instagram or even what they may say to you. Up to 80% experience emotional distress. That is near enough everyone.

Reach out and have a coffee this week - a chat with a friendly, honest face, can make a world of difference.

Have a wonderful, connected week.

Tiffany x

*If you are experiencing distress, please contact Beyond Blue, PANDA or Lifeline.