The Final Goodbye

This is it.

The time has come.

After 21 months and 147 posts, this will be the final post on Mum and Daughter.

I’ve spent every spare second (and some not spare ones too) over the past 6 months creating the new space where the content from this blog and a whole lot more will move to; my new online home. In amongst the wonderfully exciting and shiny newness, what I hadn’t factored in was this goodbye.

I remember now with mixed feelings the moment that I clicked “create” on the blog that you’re reading. Sitting at my desk in Sydney’s west, already with one foot out the door of a corporate life that I’d decided wasn’t for me and feeling a whole wave of emotions at once. Trepidation at what was next in my life, an overwhelming sense of relief and the distant buzz of excitement thrown in there somewhere too. I was excited for the possibilities that lay ahead and I had no idea that this very blog would become such a large part of that.

When WordPress presented me with the momentous task of selecting a name for this blog, I was stuck. After pondering for a few moments I chickened out from anything serious and typed in Mum and Daughter. In my mind it was a holding name of sorts because I had to select something, I liked the vagueness of it and quite truthfully, that’s exactly who we were.

I’d like to think we’ve become so much more than that though….

What started from a simple idea of sharing our knowledge and expertise through our great love of writing and each other, fast turned into something that people actually read.

When we started seeing people’s names that we didn’t know subscribing to our blog, commenting on our posts and sending us the most heartfelt, soulful messages I felt I’d hit the jackpot. This was what I had been seeking all those years, offering real value to others through sharing myself and my journey. It was therapy and work all rolled into one and I never knew it was possible to feel so protective and in love with the work that I did.

What Are You Saying To Yourself When No-One’s Listening?

I was interviewed a little while ago and asked one question that has really stuck with me, or more so my answer has.

If you could ask the women of the world one question, what would it be?

My answer?

“If what you say to yourself each day could be heard by others, would you still say it?”

Right now as you read this, think about how many times already today you’ve spoken to yourself in a way that you wouldn’t want others to hear.

Now there’s nothing wrong with chatting things out loud with yourself from time-to-time though in this instance I’m referring specifically to those silent words we speak to ourselves.

You know the ones right? They often start right first thing in the morning….

You’re selecting your clothes for work and catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror, “fat cow, nothing ever looks good on you!”

In the office when you’re prepping for a meeting and you kindly remind yourself that “you know nothing and everyone will see straight through my ideas.”

Later at lunch you wonder why the ‘perfect’ girls at work can eat whatever they like and look like they do when “you need to stick to your diet just to look half-decent!”

Later at the gym instead of throwing yourself fully into the workout, you’re distracted and say “I can’t do half of what they’re doing so why bother and everyone’s noticing my wobbly legs anyway!”

Following this charming and positive day of both brutal words and self-loathing you then decide to ditch the stir-fry plans that you had and instead say “I’m ordering pizza – I earned it after the day I’ve had!”

And so the cycle continues…

Inspiration Insider | Lee Sutherland

Welcome to this edition of Inspiration Insider, a series that always sees me super excited to share with you the story of someone who is living their dreams in the wellbeing world, kicking goals, inspiring me and no doubt will inspire you too!

Lee Sutherland has a simple philosophy – Move. Live. Nourish.

Through her work (as Director of Fitness In The City), Lee utilises her qualifications in Natural Medicine and Nutrition, Personal Training and Health Coaching to inspire others to find their own groove. This West Australian health & fitness blogger now calls Sydney her home where her dazzling smile and relatable nature is genuine and totally charming. 

Her business came to be from feeling frustrated at the lack of both fitness and health options available that interested her. In Lee’s own words, “I wanted a form of training that made me want to get out of bed in the morning and one that motivated me to lace up my sneakers after I left work. Most of all I wanted to feel supported and encouraged- not just while training but away from training when my motivation levels dropped.”

I had watched Lee’s work from a distance for some time and was always impressed at the variety of her knowledge in the wellbeing world. Meeting and speaking with her in person has absolutely confirmed that this talented lady has a whole lot to offer so let’s hear more…

What does your day on a plate look like?

This changes everyday depending on how early my first client is or if I have a back-to-back session but usually it’s something along the lines of this….

I’m a Bachelorette Again

Well kind of…. This past week I’ve been living alone once again.

With my incredible husband jetting off to live his dreams (doing the below – yes these are his incredible photos) I have 10 days in the house, just me, myself and I. Up until 3 years ago, this was daily life for me. Coming home to a dark quiet and empty home and you know what?

I freaking loved it!

Living alone as I did for 3 years was awesome. It taught me more about myself than anything else ever has and allowed me to feel ultimate self-strength; I could always rely on myself.

Tippy booked this trip earlier in the year so I knew it was coming and I planned accordingly. I reset my outlook and was not-so-secretly looking forward to it. Even though I consider myself independent; living and partnering with someone undoubtedly means that you start to lean on them. You know those little things like leaving the rubbish which you’re totally capable of taking, for them and asking for a lift to dinner with the girls when a bus will do just fine?

Sometimes you even start to develop bad little habits whether that be eating a little more than you need because you serve him that amount or maybe not doing that last set at the gym because you want to get home to see him. The reality is that these things are all good and perfectly normal. Of course we want to spend time with the ones we love, they want to help and support us and who the heck likes public transport over private cars anyway…

It’s just that the “we” sometimes becomes more powerful than the “me” and this isn’t so helpful.

I was looking forward to and have enjoyed re-affirming my own life. Being together and being a happy duo doesn’t mean checking out from yourself, though how many of us do this exact thing?! Don’t we all have that friend who you never hear from now that she’s loved up? Or perhaps we are her?

I Ate Ice Cream Last Night

It wasn’t even just ice cream. It was delicious vanilla ice cream covered in espresso and Frangelico liqueur…

After a divine dinner out with Mum, I didn’t even hesitate to order it nor did I feel a thing about that fact.

So why is it then that 3 (delightful) mouthfuls of alcoholic and caffeinated ice cream would be such a big deal anyway?

Because I never drink coffee at night.

I said it to myself, it made sense (concerns of it affecting my sleep among other things) and therefore I never deviated.

Why?

Because I’m insanely good at sticking to rules. My own anyway. I’ve very little to say about following other people’s rules and an assessment of my school reports will confirm this analysis…

It had occurred to me in a fairly profound way on that exact ice cream/coffee eating day that setting and abiding by rules has most certainly assisted growth in many facets of life though that doesn’t mean it’s always served me.

The problem with rules is that the only way they work is if, like us, we allow and encourage them to grow, develop and change.

A Day On My Plate

This is something that I’m asked about quite a lot so I thought it was time to give you the updated version.

I have posted about this in the past though like all of us, I change and so does life. The journey develops and naturally so does how we eat however for me, my food focus remains the same. It’s all about whole foods, eating as close to nature as possible and keeping it simple because eating need not be complicated or extreme.

Finding a balance between eating what I love and what makes me feel nourished and satisfied. Like you, each day is different and of course what I eat changes too. Some days I eat more, some days less and some days I even drink wine and have dessert (yes I’m human!) however what has become more and more vital to me is tuning in to my own instincts when it comes to food. Eating when I’m hungry and not because it’s lunchtime, consuming the amount that I need to feel satisfied instead of full and listening to signals that tell me when my body doesn’t like something, or when it does!

It’s adjustment, it’s a journey and it’s damn delicious. I would consider myself an impassioned food activist (how awesome is that?!), supporting other women on their own path to optimal health and wellbeing and letting them know that it can be done without the stress and the misery. That you can…

eat well

look good

feel great

I tell you it’s the greatest job on Earth!

Why I Need To Take My Own Advice… and Maybe You Do Too

You know those days that you wake up feeling flat? When one thing leads to another and you spiral…..?

Last Friday I woke up feeling pretty damn flat, crappy actually and not at all myself. The morning was quiet and regular if not a little inefficient. After a nourishing brekkie, I got through some work and made it to yoga. By the time I arrived though, I was starting to become teary and not surprisingly, the dynamic flow class on the timetable brought me to actual tears by the end (not the first time yoga has done this to me.)

On the short walk back home I was struggling to hold back the tears and upon arriving home, spent the next 10 minutes feeling almost paralysed by my emotions.

That afternoon I decided, after some very good sisterly advice (thanks sis!) that I needed to stop.

After searching for reasons all day as to why I felt so ordinary, why my energy levels were flailing and what was going on for me, it hit me in the face – I had ignored myself for too long.

I recognised that weeks and weeks of working 7 days pushing myself night and day, forging full steam ahead to create, liaise, build, collaborate and live out my dreams was catching up with me.

It was all push and no pull.

I recognised that I was exhausted and nearing burn-out. For a person who loudly advocates taking care of yourself, it felt as if I really needed take my own advice. Even the strongest and most dedicated among us, need time out and all too often we perform poorly in this area.

Don’t we?

Cellulite Shame

This is the post that I have wanted and equally not wanted to write for months.

An entire post centred around a word that brings horror to most women’s faces at the mere mention of it. A powerful word and an even more powerful reality for many of us.

I’m no different and that’s why this post has lingered in drafts for so long. However I’ve learnt that the more resistance I have to share a story, the more that I need to and perhaps the greater value that it has to offer you.

Long-term readers will know all about my devotion to health & wellbeing; how I love to train and eat delicious wholefoods. You’ll also know that in the past I have obsessed over every morsel that I have eaten and lived a fairly strict existence all in the name of my own appearance.

What I have never shared with you though is my intensely deep shame… that I have cellulite.

You see, this doesn’t fit the picture. The one where I’m excited and devoted to empowering and inspiring you on your own health & wellbeing journey. The one where I train consistently and effectively. The one where I eat nourishing wholefoods and share recipes with you. It just doesn’t fit.

I should be flawless. I should be strong, athletic, fit and lean. Healthy and fit girls don’t have cellulite.* Who the heck am I to inspire with this reality on the back of my legs?

Inspiration Insider | Kate Dalton

Here we are again – another edition of Inspiration Insider where I am always super excited to share with you the story of someone who is pushing the envelope, kicking goals, inspiring me and no doubt will inspire you too!

It was only a few months ago that I read an awesome piece on Broadsheet all about the lovely Miss Kate Dalton. As I read a little about Kate’s journey I felt both excited and proud. There are so many killer individuals out there rocking their vibe and it makes my heart sing to see it and when their purpose is to bring about positivity and the rest of the world takes notice too, well that’s just freaking awesome!

What really captured my attention was Kate’s vision and her “give it a go” attitude. A gorgeous and intelligent young woman who whilst studying Naturopathy launched her own business; hand-making 100 per cent organic, medicinal-grade tea. Oozing from her website, every photograph and each word written about her was love and beauty. This girl was right behind the products that she made and of course I wanted to know more.

So much so that I reached out and got to know all about Kate; her business, her dreams (she’s moved to Byron to begin growing and harvesting her own herbs!), how she eats and her thoughts to live by for a healthy and happy life.

 Let’s dive right in with the gorgeous, natural and inspiring Kate Dalton….

Why I’m Not Celebrating My Birthday Tomorrow

….at least not in the traditional sense.

Over the years I have had some fairly incredible birthday celebrations; whether that be elaborate parties with all of my friends, week-long celebrations or even flying to other countries. The Leo in me (yes I like astrology) loved that. In fact the Leo in me relished that.

Tomorrow I turn 29.

I will wake up in my own bed at home and have somewhat of a quiet day, taking the time to be myself. After a morning gym session, the hubby and I are headed to one of my fave spots for lunch followed by a raw treat detour, some wandering/meandering around that neighbourhood and a quiet family dinner.

Fairly different from this…