I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s life is an organisational nightmare.  I have calendars, diaries, checklist upon checklist to keep on top of my life.  And that’s just me – throw into the mix CHILDREN and those lists implode!

I’m sure it wasn’t like this when I was growing up.  My mum did a variety of jobs from night fill at Coles, to a teacher aid at my primary school.  She regularly worked, but there always seemed to be time for other stuff too.  When we were at home, I remember mum cooking or cleaning, while we played outside and kept out of her hair.  Weekends were open opportunities for freedom, and every Saturday night was homemade pizza and home-brand cheezles while we all watched ‘Hey, Hey it’s Saturday’ on the loungeroom floor.

I always envisaged a similar family for myself, but I never really got there.  I wonder – is that kind of life even possible these days?

Today, society places a lot of pressure on parents and kids to be engaged, connected and purposeful at each minute of the day.  As a parent, I feel guilt if I don’t set aside specific time for my children because if I’m not engaging with them and making their time ‘purposeful’ then they are drawn to the dreaded ‘screen’ (and that associates its own guilt!).

It’s not just pressure around my kids.  I work from home quite a lot, so connecting with other motivated professionals is important to me.  But lining up a time that suits each of my colleagues and friends seems rarer than winning the lotto!  Everybody is battling their own ‘busy’.

Technology also keeps us ‘available’ 24/7.  With a device in my hand constantly, I feel like I mustn’t let someone down when they ask a question or are reaching out to connect.  The problem being, I usually fill every gap in my day with something for someone.

I often ponder, is this the stage of life I am in?  Will this pass?  Or is filling my life to within an inch of itself a conscious choice I make, to feel successful, validated and purposeful?

While I don’t have the answer, I know that only I can be in control of my life.  If our core values are to be family focused, we need to assess whether our day to day ‘busy’ is following those values.  We will always have the push and pull of work and home life, however we are the only ones who can put weight on either side when it is required.

So, in the absence of ‘Hey, Hey it’s Saturday’, choose a few things that you value and enjoy and write it on one of your lists.  Don’t feel tempted to bump the things that fill your bucket and allow some ‘spaces’ in your life where you can do nothing at all.

Life is not the same today as in the 80s, but the relationships we have with our children are timeless.  We don’t need to have a family meal at the table every night if it’s not possible, but we do need to be flexible in finding another time.  Kids still need our time, and we also need a bit of time for ourselves.

(Unless we can find an extra few hours in the day?  If you find them, please let me know)

Want to get in touch with Megan from Key to Kids?

Click here to visit her website

How to love them. How to raise them to be good humans, healthy and happy. How to survive school holidays without driving yourself insane. How looking after yourself first is sometimes the best thing for them.

We will be sharing school holiday ideas, tips and activities. Along with some healthy ‘kid friendly’ recipes and ideas of how you can empower your children to take control of their own health at any age.

So before you start sobbing into your pillow and sculling copious amounts of red wine, as we launch into the first round of school holidays for 2019, be sure to subscribe to our Juicy News and keep yourself one step ahead of the game. Remember back in the ‘old days’ they had villages raising children… I say let’s bring that back. Together we can do this! LOL #gameon

Here’s to a month of laughs, love and amazing cuddles with our favourite little humans.

Very few people intentionally embark on a parenting journey with the idea of doing it alone, and I can hand-on-heart say I certainly didn’t.  I have all the happy snaps of family holidays, ‘firsts’ that my children experienced and fun social events where the world viewed my family as ‘perfect’.

So you can imagine the grenade you throw into your life when you need to smash this image and announce ‘well actually no, my perfect family is not perfect.’  What’s a perfect family anyway?  Many of you reading this will have faced this experience also.. the pressure of public perception. What will people think?  What will people say?

Being a single parent is tricky, no doubt.  For some people, this was not a choice but something they were thrown into without a say.  For me, it was a blessing despite the hard days of actually acting on our decision – him moving out, putting our house on the market, negotiating time with the kids and making this as easy as possible for them.

If you are in the hard stages right now, I write this to you with hindsight and experience.  Here is what I’ve learned:

• You made this decision for a reason, don’t forget that. I had a dawning moment weeks after my husband moved out… I felt lighter.  Yes, I had to dig through the trenches of doing the parenting thing largely on my own but I no longer had that other stress hanging over me.  I could let go of something that had caused me years of pain, like releasing a helium balloon.  I felt as light as that balloon and that kept me focused and moving forward.
• Keep yourself surrounded by people who you love, and who love you. It’s often these tough times that prove to you who your people really are.  My relationship with my parents became so much stronger because all of a sudden those walls came down and I didn’t have to pretend to be happy any more, because I realised I actually WAS happy.
• Even if you hate your ex, try try try to keep things civil and amicable for your children. Kids need to feel stable and loved.  Discussing issues about the kids with them as a united front will reinforce that they are your number one (and they can’t play you off against each other!)
• Be kind to yourself. If you’re sad, allow yourself to be sad.  If you’re angry, allow yourself to be angry.  Don’t feel shame in talking to people about your challenges, whether with a friend over coffee or visiting a professional.  Be real with your kids and let them know (at an age appropriate level) that you are feeling sad today and that lots of cuddles are welcome.  Kids can handle more than we give them credit for.

Now might be tough, but picture yourself a year from now.  Then a year after that.

Life is not set in stone, we are in control of our own happiness.  I hope that your journey can be as liberating as mine.

Want to get in touch with Megan from Key to Kids?

Click here to visit her website.

·         Being decisive

·         Constantly improving your knowledge and skill base

·         Being fair

·         Building your confidence

·         Having the right intend – that is your motivation is for all the right reasons.  

In every aspect of leadership the biggest message I can say is to lead by example.  As a business coach and leadership mentor, let me share a few examples of poor leadership and how you can improve your own leadership through leadership by example.

How to be an effective leader in business

Honesty.  I worked with a business owner who was in the habit of not refunding overpayments by customers.  Their invoicing system was a little confusing and often customers double paid.  His policy (which he shared with his staff) was ‘their bad luck; just keep it’.  This is not something I condoned.  He then came to me one day vehemently complaining that one of his staff has stolen from him.  That I do not condone either, but does one wonder why? 

Feet up.  It’s not uncommon for staff to become disgruntled when they are laden with work and look up to see the boss with his/her feet up on the desk, reclining back and reading the paper.  You might not be the first to arrive and last to leave, but you sure should give the impression you are most of the time.  I know you’re the boss, but if you’re going to sit around reading the paper, at the very least do that someplace else.  

Presentation.  People do judge books by their covers; it’s well known.  Be sure to be a quality leader by presenting yourself appropriately; in all ways.  What you say, what you write and what you wear.  Staff often emulate their bosses and somewhat copy them, so be sure to set the right example. 

Respect.  A prospective client said to me that her staff don’t respect her.  When she spoke to me about them, she complained, whinged and called them all somewhat unpleasant names.  Respect is earned and how you communicate with your team, your clients and others in the business will reflect in the respect (or otherwise) that you receive.  

Communication.  If you are looking for open and effective communication from those you are leading, then you need to start that ball rolling.  Keeping your team informed, in the loop and updated goes a long way to them firstly knowing what’s happening (and therefore able to perform their job) but also seeing how good communication happens. 

Keep Promises.  If you make a promise, then keep it.  Whether that be to a prospect, client, team member or supplier.  When your team see you not keeping promises, they trust you less and are less likely to follow.  

My view is that leaders are essentially teachers.  We teach through showing others how to do things best.  We should be demonstrating this, teaching this and reinforcing best practice.  If you are a leader in business, whether that be in a community group, Chamber, networking group, business or some other area – you have a responsibility and duty to lead well by example.  Be a poor leader and pretty soon you’ll be looking back and seeing that no one is following.  If you’d like to know more about my leadership mentoring visit my Leadership Mentor page.

• 1kg pumpkin, peeled and diced
• 200g quinoa
• 150g baby spinach
• 200g feta
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup flaked almonds, toasted
• 1 tbs cumin seeds, toasted and gently crushed
• ½ cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparation Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 30 min.

Method:

1. Add 400ml water to Micro Urban Large base. Add pumpkin into the large shielded colander. Cover and microwave at 900 watts for 18 minutes.
2. Remove from microwave. Set aside 2 cups of pumpkin for the muffins. Add remaining pumpkin into a bowl to cool.
3. Add quinoa into the water in the base of the Micro Urban Large. Cover with grain separator insert and grain cover and microwave at 900 watts for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
4. Add all ingredients into bowl with pumpkin and toss to combine.

Tupperware Must-Haves:

• Micro Urban Large.

Recipe Source : Tupperware Recipes Website

Enjoy!

• 4 eggs
• 250g coconut sugar
• 250g salted butter, melted
• 2 cups pumpkin, mashed
• 3 cups self-raising flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tbs cinnamon

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 20 min.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place the TupperChef TupCake forms onto a baking tray. Set aside.
3. Add eggs and sugar into a Thatsa Bowl Junior. Whisk to combine. Add oil and pumpkin puree. Continue to whisk until smooth. Fold through remaining ingredients.
4. Using a spoon, divide batter between the form cavities. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
5. Remove from oven. Unmold muffins and serve.

Tupperware Must-Haves:

• TupperChef TupCake
• Thatsa Bowl Junior

Recipe Source : Tupperware Recipes Website

Ummm Yummm!

Enjoy!

• 1 punnet raspberries
• 1 punnet blueberries
• 1 punnet blackberries
• 120ml vodka or gin
• 30ml lemon juice
• Prosecco
• To garnish: Ice

Preparation Time: 5 min.

Method:

1. Add ¼ of each berry punnet into two Clear Tumblers. Muddle with the end of a spatula.
2. Add the vodka/gin and lemon juice into the Extra Chef with paddle whisk attachment.
3. Place cover on Extra Chef, lock and pull cord until contents are well combined.
4. Place remaining berries and ice into the Clear Tumblers. Pour the contents of the Extra Chef into the glasses. Top with prosecco.
   

Tip: Use a sparkling rose or moscato for an extra pink cocktail!

Recipe Source : Tupperware Recipes Website

Tupperware Must-Haves:

• Clear Tumblers.
• Extra Chef

Enjoy!

I am so excited to share that Brisbane’s Bayside Runners and Walkers are hosting their amazing ‘Clothing and Accessory Exchange’ event again this year, in support of Redlands local community groups.

So why am I excited… because they have also offered to be an OFFICIAL DONATION COLLECTION POINT for our ‘World’s Longest Bra Chain’ world record attempt, collecting bras on the day!

This year’s event is taking place on Saturday, 16th March 2019, from 2pm – 4.30pm, at the Victoria Point Community Hall.

Tickets are just $25 at the door and you can take as little or as much as you like to donate and keep, on the day! Now that’s a bargain!

Creating a circular economy…

Not only do we love this event as we will collect soooo many bras, we will be grabbing loads of new(ish) items for our wardrobe for the bargain price of just $25, but we are also keeping perfectly good fashion, clothing and fabrics out of our landfill.

According to our friends at ragtrader.com.au, 6 tonne of clothing goes into Australian landfill EVERY 10 MINUTES! OMG People! This is outrageous!

Having collected bras for 9 years now, I can tell you that not one bra has even begun to break down during this time. Ok, except for the bras that #ladyhalo has gotten her teeth into. But still! Just because it isn’t plastic doesn’t mean it won’t live a long and destructive life when it comes to #motherearth. Just because it is pretty and lacey, doesn’t mean it won’t cause harm to our environment. We need to be more mindful friends of what we are throwing away, simply because we can’t fit into it, it is out of fashion or we ‘haven’t worn it in over 6 months’. Yes I have done that wardrobe cull myself. Many moons ago, before I became so aware of the damage textiles are doing to our earth.

So… if the idea of a bargain and supporting a worthy cause isn’t enough to clean out the closet. Then maybe the idea of those Lorna Jane pants you no longer fit into, going into the ground and remaining there for ever and a day, will be enough motivation to rally the gal pals and grab those bags of ‘donation items’, and head on down to join us on Saturday 16th March.

For more information click this link and RSVP to the Facebook event, so Megan and the team know to expect you. You can ask all your questions in this event. And of course don’t forget your bras. I will be there with my big bra basket, ready to hang your unwanted items ready for you to rummage.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO!

•  brown onion, cut into quarters
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 200g salmon
• 350g mixed white fish
• 250ml white wine
• 400g diced tin tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 4 tbs fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
• crusty bread

Method:

1. Place onion in the Turbo Chef; lock into positioned and pull the cord several times until diced. Crush in garlic using the Garlic Wonder.  Place onion and garlic into Micro Pressure Cooker.
2. Using the Chef Series Pro Serrated Utility Knife, chop tomatoes and place in Cooker.
3. Using the Chef Series Pro Filleting Knife and roughly chop salmon and fish into pieces. Place fish in Cooker along with white wine, tin tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, mix together.
4. Securely cover Cooker and microwave at 900 watts for 15 minutes. Leave Cooker to rest until the pressure indicator drops.
5. Uncover and ladle Stew into bowls, tops with olive oil, lemon zest and juice and parsley. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Tupper Tips

• Add mussels, prawns or calamari for an even fuller brodet.
• For maximum flavour, place fish, tomatoes and lemon juice/zest and marinate for at least 1 hour before cooking.

PREPARATION TIME

• 10 min.

COOKING TIME

• 20 min.

Tupperware Must-Haves:

• Turbo Chef
• Garlic Wonder
• Micro Pressure Cooker
• Chef Series Pro Serrated Utility Knife

Recipe Source: Tuppeware Recipes Website

Do you have broken Tupperware that needs replacing? CLICK HERE to activate Tupperwares lifetime guarantee.

Love your Tupperware? CLICK HERE to join Caryn’s Kitchen and keep up to date with all the latest Tupperware specials.

It’s the 1st of February and I am excited.

After 9 years of collecting bras and 3 years of study, today we launch the next phase of our Social Responsibility campaign, taking us one step closer to breaking the world record of the ‘world’s longest bra chain’ and achieving all our aligned, strategic objectives.

To those that have been donating bras and following our journey over the past 9 years… THANK YOU! Thank you for your unwavering support and belief in our project, raising much-needed funding for the McGrath Foundation’s ‘Curve Lurve’, Breast Care Nurses program.

These amazing individuals spend their days supporting our community by caring for those undergoing treatment and visiting schools, educating our children in how to live a healthy, cancer free life.

In addition to relaunching our website, we also launch our new Social Responsibility ‘Give to Grow’ campaign, bringing together my 20+ years entrepreneurial experience, including 9 years business coaching and consulting, and my passion for supporting a worthy cause.

So what is ‘Give to Grow’ all about?

Well, today life is tough.  The increase in numbers of vulnerable groups for so many different reasons is on the up. 

Thankfully, the number of people wanting to do something about it is also on the rise.  

It is one thing to want to help though.  And, yes there may be a solution.  Obviously plenty of passion, but not everyone knows how to go about it the right way. And that’s okay!

Through my experience, I have come to realise that to achieve great things you need to get the basics right. 

You need a balance between love and money to achieve all you desire, and I believe to achieve this balance you need to treat your organisation like a business.  You need to understand the numbers, be able to identify risks, and know how to plan for the long term, so you can sustain the support you receive from sponsors and donations. 

While I am passionate about working with small businesses, I am even more so when it comes to working with those that are trying to make a difference.  

This is why I have created the ‘Give to Grow’ Campaign.

Through your advertising investment we will be able to run FREE workshops, provide support, offer guidance and advice to those in our community that are working to support those in need. 

If you are a small business owner, located in SEQ or servicing the SEQ region, and you are passionate about supporting a worthy cause then maybe we have an opportunity for you.

‘Give to Grow’ is a social responsibility campaign

providing small businesses an opportunity to grow, while supporting our community, not-for-profits to THRIVE.

To find out more… simply CLICK HERE

I do hope you enjoy your time on our new website and find something of interest to share with your friends. The more exposure and awareness we have of our Social Responsibility projects, the more good we can all achieve together.

Much love and gratitude,

• 2 medium bananas
• 250g fruit of choice (mango, strawberry, kiwi, blackberry…)
• 75g sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Popsicle sticks

Method:

1. Place TupperChef Waffle Form on a baking tray and place three popsicle sticks into each waffle cavity.
2. Process all ingredients in the Extra Chef until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into TupperChef Waffle Form. Freeze for 2 hours or until set.
4. Remove from form and cut each waffle into two pops. Serve immediately.

Tupper Tips:

• Leftover pops can be stored in FreezerKeepers

Tupperware Must-Haves:

• TupperChef
• Extra Chef

Preparation Time

5 min + 2 min cooking time.

Recipe Source:  Tuppeware Recipes Website

These will surely cool you down this Summer!

Do you have broken Tupperware that needs replacing? CLICK HERE to activate Tupperwares lifetime guarantee.

Love your Tupperware? CLICK HERE to join Caryn’s Kitchen and keep up to date with all the latest Tupperware specials.

Regardless of which camp you are in, there are a few things you can do to ensure that the start of your year kicks off smoothly.

1. Be prepared. I’m talking about the material side of things.  Make sure you have your bags packs, your lunch boxes ready (and they know how to open them!) and your uniform washed and ironed.  There is nothing worse than starting a new week (and in this case a new year) chasing your tail.
2. Be positive. Even if you are feeling hesitant about a teacher, other children in your child’s class or the school in general, don’t let your child overhear you saying negative things.  This will easily influence your child – and who knows, those worries you have may not even materialise?
3. Be energised. If your child has been having late nights and LOTS of screen time on holidays, it’s time to start readjusting.  Be open and honest with your kids about why these habits need to change in order to be switched on for school.
4. Be explicit with routines. Now is the time to sit down together and work out what jobs need to be done each morning, what kind of food is ok for lunch boxes, when you will be able to fit in homework… the more organised you are with this stuff, the smoother your life will be.  Making a job chart (like facebook.com/kidschecklist/ ) will formalise this process and increase accountability and consistency each day.
5. Be emotionally available. If your child is feeling anxious about starting or returning to school listen to their concerns sympathetically.  Try and avoid telling them how to feel or what to say… remember it’s their journey to take.

The new year can be the perfect time to kickstart good habits and reassess things that weren’t working so well last year.

Wishing all school goers and their families a great start to 2019.

Megan

Want to hear more from Megan at Key to Kids?

CLICK HERE to visit her website and keep up to date with all her parent savvy tips.

Just sitting here updating the site and having a play online, and I came across this…

Back on 21st December 2002, a Singapore radio station rolled out 60km of bras after collecting for just 5 weeks!

Way to go Singapore!

Click here to read the article – http://singaporerecords.com/worlds-longest-bra-chain/

More and more businesses are coming on board to collect bras, becoming OFFICIAL DROP OFF POINTS.  Lots of love sharing via social media, which is spreading the word like wild fire! And even businesses offering to support through the donation of services, to help us get across the line.

And while this is all so amazing and all necessary to pull this off, we can’t forget WHY this is taking place.

For me (and clearly so many of you) the education of our kids, on how to live a healthy, happy, cancer free life is so very important.  Whether it is breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, brain cancer or any other of the vicious nasties that are out there, ensuring our kids have the right information, tools, support and even confidence to start a conversation with family members, is so very important.

Yes ‘cancer may be in the blood line’ but that doesn’t mean it is inevitable that we will all get cancer.  We have the power to change this, by choosing to live a healthy, conscious lifestyle.  

• Don’t smoke
• Don’t take drugs
• Don’t drink excessively
• Eat 8-10 servings of fruit & veg a day
• Take daily supplements
• Exercise daily
• Get a good nights sleep
• Have regular check ups
• Drink a minimum 2 litres of water a day
• Lots of positive self talk 
• Reduce chemicals in and around the home and throughout your day

Now while these are just a few of the obvious steps that we can all take to keep ourselves healthy and happy, there are so many more and this is why the work of the McGrath Foundation is so vital to our community!

The other point I’d like to make is that while we know that all of the above is HOW we can live a healthy life, how many of us actually DO the above on a regular basis?  Hhhmm let’s think about that!

So if the above seems like it would be a massive change in your daily life / routine, why don’t you just start with one… make a change TODAY and keep going until it becomes part of your normal routine.  Then add another… and so on.  

In the meantime, help me help our kids… it’s amazing how just a bra and a buck can make a difference*.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

* All donations over $2 receive a tax deductible receipt. 

Much love and gratitude,

Back for more clothing swapping fun are the super supportive (pun intended) Elle Chapman, Renita Paul and Michelle Vea Vea.

Donating bras?  Be sure to take advantage of these talented ladies joining us tomorrow and book yourself in for a professional fitting. 

The ladies are huge supporters of the world’s longest bra chain, world record attempt, collecting old bras as they go about their day-to-day lives, ensuring we are wearing the perfect fit bra for maximum comfort, support and shape.

RSVP here and book your bra fitting appointment ASAP!