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.

•  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.

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.

What a fun afternoon the inaugural 2017 Spring Clothing Exchange turned out to be.

What started out as a quirky event for people to come along and drop off their old bras, for the world record attempt, has now morphed into its own strategic initiative within the world record project.

Before I began planning this event I had never heard of ‘circular economies’ before.  I have obviously heard of recycling, repurposing and re-using items, clothing etc but the more I planned, the more I researched and the more I spoke to people the more I have learned about the world of ‘circular economies’ and the more I am hooked!

Thank you to everyone that supported, volunteered and participated in our first Clothing Exchange event.  The new friendships that have been forged and the ideas that have developed are truly incredible and I can’t wait to share them all with you.

To check out all the fun, thanks to the talented Steph Beausaert, CLICK HERE >> 

Not sure what to bring to the Spring Clothing Exchange???

It doesn’t have to be JUST the labels I’ve listed… think more price range. So maybe not your Chanel, as you may not get a fair exchange. 

Here are a few suggestions, of items you could bring along…as long as they are in good condition still, they will be welcome.

1. Race day dresses (can’t be seen wearing them more than once or twice)

For more information, you can visit the official 2017 Spring Clothing Exchange event page too (there is a link to grab a ticket on there also).

www.mylifemystyle.com.au

Organic Cotton is a great place to have an impact. While most people consider cotton to be a very natural fabric, the surprising thing is that the production process of conventional cotton-growing is one of the most chemically intensive farming operations in the world. A mere 2.4% of the world’s arable land is planted with cotton yet cotton crops account for 24% of the world’s insecticide market and 11% of global pesticides sales, making cotton the most pesticide-intensive crop grown on the planet while wreaking serious havoc on the soil, water, and air.

Organic cotton is from original plants, meaning plants that are not genetically modified and that have been planted chemical and pesticides free. The cotton is then subsequently spun, woven, processed and packed following strict guidelines explicitly restricting the use of hazardous chemicals. Organic cotton production is much less likely to contribute to many environmental issues, including global warming, than conventionally grown cotton. In addition, less energy is used and more water is conserved compared to conventional cotton production.

Focus on The Impact

There is little doubt that organic farming is not the most efficient farming system in the short term. It is harder, slower, more labor-intensive and more complex overall. But for the sake of life everywhere, organic farming should be celebrated and supported at every opportunity.

Organic cotton can justifiably be considered the most skin-friendly, breathable, and most harmless natural fiber. With conventionally grown cotton being widely sought after, just think how soothing and comfortable organic cotton can be. If you are thinking of finding one thing that can make a positive impact on the environment and your health, organic cotton may well be your answer.

iKotton designs organic cotton undergarments that are kind to your skin and gentle on the planet.  At iKotton we believe every body is beautiful and embracing your body image is an important thing. iKotton‘s products accentuate the natural body contours through designs and cuts that are not restrictive or uncomfortable.

Visit the iKotton website to learn more and subscribe to our newsletter to get a 10% discount.

iKotton Team

You all know how important cancer prevention is to me.

Unfortunately last December suicide prevention became just as important and for all the wrong reasons 2 too many times.

If you are feeling like there is no hope… pick up the phone and call SOMEONE… ANYONE!!!

If you know someone that is struggling CALL THEM NOW!!!

A phone call can save a life. – Lifeline are 24/7 13 11 14

Ollie & Eve Spring 2013 Collection was launched on September 1st at

 www.facebook.com/OllieandEveHandbagsandAccessories/  

jump on over for a squiz…

Ten things to start doing now and never stop…

1. Be the best you can be.  Forget the mistakes of the past, and press on to the achievements and lessons of today.  Give so much time to your own self-improvement that you have no time to criticize others, and live with the notion that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that you can be.

2. Walk comfortably in your own shoes.  If you don’t follow the path others want you to follow they might become irritated. Don’t worry about it ~let them be.  It’s their problem, not yours.  Focus on your inner callings, and keep paving your own path.  Remember that it is more useful to be aware of a single strength or weakness in yourself than to be aware of a thousand strengths and weaknesses in others.

3. Embrace your difficulties.  After each difficulty you faced in the past was overcome, you became stronger and more able to meet the ones you face today.  Likewise, the difficulties you face today are preparing you for the challenges of tomorrow.  The events you bring upon yourself as you journey forward, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary steps in order to learn what you need to know to reach the places you’ve chosen to go.

4. Maintain full accountability for every aspect of your life.  When you think problems you have are someone else’s fault, you will solve none of them in your lifetime.  Do not allow yourself to be limited by your beliefs.  In the end you will achieve what your mind believes.  Start realizing that this is not a dress rehearsal.  If you’re not learning and improving yourself by taking responsibility for everything you have in your life, then your dreams and desires will stay fantasies.

5. Give it all you’ve got.  You get what you put in.  The amount of effort you give determines the amount of joy you receive.  If your life doesn’t please you, do something about it.  Take action, change things.  Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask, but you have to take action to get it.  If you can, fly.  But if you can’t fly, run.  If you can’t run, walk.  If you can’t walk, crawl.  No matter how you do it, move forward.

6. Keep taking deep breaths.  Don’t allow yourself to be crippled by stress and anger.  Everything is only as it is.  There’s no reason to let it destroy you.  Breathe in, breathe out.  Relax.  Let every moment be what it’s going to be.  What’s meant to be will come your way, what’s not will fall away.

7. Hold on to your humility.  All self-misery has its roots in self-pity, and all self-pity is rooted in taking life too seriously.  If you take everything too seriously, especially yourself, you’ll wind up fearing every new step you take.  Loosen up and laugh it off if you can – especially when things don’t go as planned.  People with a good sense of humour have a better sense of life.

8. Cherish those who have proven their love and capture memories as often as you can.  It’s a lot easier for someone to be nice to you on a beautiful day when the sun is shining, but in a heavy storm is where you learn who truly cares.  That’s why you need to pay attention to who was there for you when no one else was.  Because the people who stood beside you through your darkest nights, are the ones worth spending your brightest days with. Life can change in a second and it’s only when you loose someone that the importance of capturing those closest to you in photographs becomes your life line – don’t wait till it’s too late.

9. Exercise your talents to give back.  Do so whenever you can, simply because you can.  And when you get tired, remember all those people who can’t do what you can do.  Think about what they would be willing to give to have the abilities you have right now – a simple gift you take for granted.  Then strive harder just for them.

10. Evolve. Just because you liked something at one point in time doesn’t mean you are required to always like it.  You can change your mind.  You don’t have to pretend to like something as an act of loyalty to who you are as a person, based solely on who you once were as a person.  To be sincerely loyal to yourself is to allow yourself the freedom to grow, change and challenge who you ARE and what you THINK at any given moment in time.

Surround yourself with the people you love and the people who believe in you

Luv Connie from Connie’s Magic Moments – Custom Photography

www.conniesmagicmoments.com

Hope you’ve had a fabulous Easter filled with laughter.

My Simple Life

Clean out your closets – less clutter equals less stress.

My Simple Life

Discuss important issues only when you’re rested and have plenty of time.