Just breathe...

"Breath. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure" - Oprah

I attended a girlfriend's mothers funeral today. It broke my heart to see her pain losing her mother. The ceremony reminded me of what is important in life, a little adjustment to keep me on track. Take a minute this weekend to remind yourself of what is important in your life. Take a minute to breathe and let go. Take a minute to be grateful. I know I will be.

Time for Ourselves

"Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away"

Barbara De Angels

Take some time out this weekend to just sit still. This could be anywhere, even on the toilet! Just as long as you have five minutes of solitude with no interruptions. At this time, try to think of nothing and concentrate on your breathing. Just five minutes!

Tough times

I was sitting in the park yesterday with a lovely friend who I have met through school. Her family have had a hard year with several illnesses diagnosed with her three children. As she was explaining to me about the side effects of medicine, the treatments, the counselling and the affect this has on the family, I sat back and admired her.

I told my friend that I admired the way she has taken all of this on board and the way she has approached her life as is now with so many curve balls. She told me that what keeps her grounded is how grateful she is for her family and her husband. It was just beautiful.

How easy is it to complain about how hard our life is today? It may well be a tough day but in that moment of feeling down and trodden, think of one thing you may be grateful for and hold onto that thought.

I can guarantee your frown will turn into a smile and your energy will shift. It may be the difference between having a bad day to having a better day.

Friday's Thought of the Day

" The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for" - Maureen Dowd

Take this thought with you today and really think about the consequence of your choices. Mothers deserve the best in life - do not settle for anything less.

The best gift a prem mum can give to her baby - Kangaroo Care

As mentioned in my book "Miracle Beginnings", I found the most precious time with my premmie babies was in the quiet moments of kangaroo care. To hold my precious babies skin to skin and feel their tiny heartbeat was a piece of heaven.

Emotionally, it gave me a sense of bonding, that I was missing as their mother. Physically, it was obvious how much my babies enjoyed our sessions. Oxygen levels would increase, Heart rate levels would stabalise, Body Temperture would be perfect and in that moment, they would be functioning as a normal baby.

I truly hope midwives are encouraging mothers with premmie babies to kangaroo hug every day. There were days when I thought it would not be possible with all the wires, complications, and tests. However, I was always hopeful and persistent with the midwives to let me have at least 20 minutes of Kangaroo Care time with my babies.

As a mother of a prem, its the best gift you can give your baby.

Mother Meltdown

Early this week, I had a mother meltdown infront of our kids school. You know the kind!

It was Monday morning and all the kids were tired from a huge weekend of socialising. When we arrived at my daughter's school, she was reluctant to get out of the car. I got out of the car and gently asked her to get on with it and go to school. She started crying telling me she was tired and did not feel like it. I was so frustrated. I looked up at another mother who smiled at me reassuring. I then proceeded to push (gently) Hanna into the car and for us all to breathe.

I drove off (in a furious rush) and dropped the other two kids to school. On my way back, I dropped Han off to school and walked her into the classroom.

The next day I bumped into the mother who had smiled at me the previous day. I went up to her and thanked her for her reassurance. I told her it was just one of those mornings. Her reply was to remember that no emotion remains the same and that as mothers, we have all been in the same place.

It was lovely to connect with another mother who was not passing judgement. At the end of the day, we all understand each other. We just need to let each other know that some days its ok to have a mother meltdown of any kind!

Fresh Air

I have been walking these past few weeks for exercise, however, also realised how much I love the fresh air! We all walk for exercise to shape up for summer, but there is so much more to it then just the physical benefit.

Breathing fresh air is a pleasure we take for granted. Just try it and see what happens....your thoughts will be clearer, your energy will increase and you hormones will be happy. Even if you can go for 10 minutes, it is better than nothing at all.

If I could only help one mother....

I remember when writing my book that I worked with a mission and that was to help at least one mother through her depression, hard times, battle or whatever you would like to name it.

It's funny, I never really set out to sell millions of books. My intention was always to be honest and open about my experience with the return result being able to help other women do the same.

I could not care less if the book was selling really well in bookshops. What I do care about is how it affects women when they read it.

For example, today, a reader told me she has booked herself into seeing professional helpto sort through her post natal depression. When she read Miracle Beginnings, she felt as though I was speaking to her and she could relate to every word written.

This is when I feel most proud! It is life changing. I am so proud of the women who choose to change their lives by seeking professional help. I can promise you it will make your world a whole different place to live in.

Five years on...

Last Friday our boy Kye turned five years old. It felt like five minutes ago I was sitting day in and day out next to his humidicrib. In a blink of an eye, our tiny baby is now a five year old with a huge personality.

I remember the conversation with the specialist when Kye was born that it would take at least five years for him to catch up in all areas of his life - physically and mentally. I always kept this in the back of mind especially when he took his first step to walk at 23 months. In just the past few months, Kye's life has fallen into place. He can now write his name, he is starting to read and his height has shot up like a beanstalk. He still has no body fat (he use to turn purple in the water up until last year!) and he is still tiny in features.

When Kye was born, it was so hard to visualise the future ahead. However, I tried everyday to be positive and know that it was all going to be ok. I am so grateful that we are through the dark tunnel of uncertainty and on the road to developing a great life for Kye.

Where have I been....

I am back! I have had 3 weeks off from my busy life and it has been a great break. I recently sold one of my businesses with my business partner, just before school holidays. It was perfect timing to be at home with the kids. We also snuck away to the Blue Mountains to escape the rat race of Sydney and hang out together infront of an open fire.

I am really looking forward to creating a new empire with my business partner to help women become the best they can be. It will work in with Miracle Beginnings and celebrate women from all aspects of life. We kick off tomorrow with our first meeting to set our plan in stone. Watch this space.

For the meantime, I am enjoying taking my time to take it easy. The house has never been so organised! All of a sudden I had time to enjoy nesting. It has also been great to hang out with the kids and just be.

It has been a reminder of what is needed in my life.

I am back now and keen to continue with Miracle Beginnings and blogging away!

xx

Loving Fridays my child free day!

I love my kids more than life itself, however..........by the end of the week, it's time for a break! I am lucky enough that my wonderful mother in law collects all three kids from school on a Friday, which leaves me a full day to get "Stuff" done!

I love Fridays, as I know, this is my one day that I can catch up on the week and get organised for the week approaching.

I do the grocery shopping, exercise, work in the office, tidy up my desk, get on top of the household duties, work on finances, plan in advance and basically get organised. I also sneak in time to watch Oprah, chat on the phone, go for a quick pedicure and have a cuppa on the balcony in peace! A great way to start the weekend x

Family Values

A family tradition that has been passed on through the generations in my family is always sitting at the table to share a meal. As kids, Mum and Dad always insisted on sitting with the family in the evening with no tv on or in the background. When I met Scott, his family would more often than not eat dinner infront of the telly or have it on as part of the conversation. To be in his enviornment was a treat for me to sit and eat infront of the telly!

In this photo, we are on holidays with my family enjoying a home cooked meal of gnocchi - made the true Italian way!

As we have created our own family, we sit down with the kids every night at the dinner table to share our evening meal. Even when the kids were babies, we would always sit them at the table to include them in the tradition. Even when the kids would only sit still for five minutes, we would still enjoy the time at the table.

Lukas adores sitting at the table with the family. He loves eating, sharing, tasting and talking. All at the age of three. I love that this value is already instilled in his life.

Just this week, I was speaking with a mum of five who was serving me in a shop. I was asking what her secret was to ensure there is a special bond between the family as the kids grow. Her advice was they always had dinner together as a family around the table. She explained that now the kids are older, there are boyfriends, girlfriends and housemates all joining in on the tradition. You could see the pride in her eyes as she was telling me all the details. It made us both a little teary as we both understood the true meaning of the conversation.

Up to early?

Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 6.30am to pound the pavement! The husband was gently encouraging me whilst I whinged the whole time I was tying up my shoes and putting on my beanie.

I decided to get up in the mornings to go for my run. It is a great way to start the day and then I know the task of exercise is done for the day. All great in theory! Why do I start these ideas in the middle of winter????????????

I plugged in my ipod, pumped up PINK and went off. To my surprise, it was busy out there at that time of the morning. The builders had already started hammering (with their bum cracks on display - cold!!), people were off to work, people were exercising and dogs were being walked.

I actually surprised myself and started to enjoy the early morning freshness and the sound of silence. I forgot about being so cold and feeling tired. I found a spring in my step and powered for 20 minutes.

Let's just hope I remember this wonderful moment for the inspiration I will need to get out of bed tomorrow!

The best give a Mum can give herself

I read an article recently about what the best gift a mum can give herself and the writer suggested 'Boundaries".....what an AHA moment.

With boundaries we can get in control of lives and step off the mouse wheel. As mum's we are constantly busy with every part of our children's lives, the husband's needs, the running of the house, keeping up with social engagements, nurturing friendships, exercising, cooking dinner, working a full time/part time job and trying to look our best everyday. At some point, we need to put on the breaks and STOP!

Boundaries are the answer. When I really think about it, we are in control of our busyness. We make the choices to fit it all in. I battle with boundaries all the time. However, I have created a sign to hang up on the fridge to remind me that Boundaries is the gift I give to myself every day!

Girls Weekend Away

Need I say more! We had a fab time away in Avalon with 8 amazing women who all have their own stories through life. Loved every minute! I returned a happier woman after shopping, eating, drinking bubbles, dancing, laughing and chatting till late hours of the night. A must for every woman, especially mothers. Time out is required to get through the next stage of life with patience and gratitude!

Rainy days - look out for the rainbow

The weather in Sydney has been unbelievable. Rainy days seem to be endless. Although, I do enjoy the excuse to stay indoors and eat yummy food.

I have had an interesting week with my own rainy days, however, have been lucky enough to start to see some rainbows.

Firstly, after all the emotional stress and concern for Hanna, we have seen a break through. She is an amazing kid that understands so much more than she should for her wise age of 7. This strength has pulled her through the challenge of anxiety. Hanna discussed her homework from her "Can Do Kids" session this week and I had to hold back my tears of pride. She beamed with confidence whilst explaining her achievements. A beautiful rainbow, the best of all.

Then, Scott and I had some challenges with growth of his business and finding the balance with family and work. I found it really hard to express myself, so decided to ignore him for a few days (PLUS, I was menstrual!)....lucky enough we know each other too well and gave each other space. The rainbow appeared last night when we sat down with a bottle of red wine, a delicious cheese platter and eyeballed each other with the truth. It's amazing what communication can do!

I also found myself at the end of a crap week with my health.....I stuck to the plan of looking after me and guess what, another rainbow. I am starting to feel back to normal with energy!

I am looking forward to a weekend of rainy days and just relaxing with friends and family x

Your body does not lie, not even to yourself!

You know when you think you are coping with all that happens in life and all of sudden there is a physical reminder that you may not be as on top of things as you think you are......

Well, last week I developed a cold sore. Never had one in my life! All of sudden this growth appeared on my lip. I ran into the chemist to ask what it was and how could I get rid of it. The lady smiled and handed over the cream with a gentle reminder to take it easy and relax a little.

I thought it was from my cold, which it may be, but the more I read about these ugly things, the more I am realising that my immune is low and I could be a little stressed.

Why does it take a mammoth growth on my lip to stop me in my tracks?? Because I was not taking any notice of any other signs. This week I will get myself back on track by taking lots of vitamins, juicing organic fruits, eating lots of healthy food and getting lots of sleep. OK, and a week free of champagne.

It better work!!

Relaaaaaax!

I read a quote today in the Sunday paper it read something like this "Its time to relax when you feel like you don't have time to relax".......this weekend we have done nothing but relax! With our social calender chock a block until August, we savoured every moment of doing nothing all weekend.

We baked cookies, read papers, played board games, worked on art, listened to music, watched dvds, I had half an hour to myself in a hot bath and just chilled on the lounge. As Sunday evening approaches I feel like I have been on a weekend retreat.

Note to myself - schedule in off time for weekends. We all benefit from just hanging out and relaxing. Especially leading into yet another busy week!

Cold days & Comfort Food

It has changed seasons in a day as we embark on the winter, cold months. I am looking forward to the colder months as they somehow give me permission to enjoy comfort foods whilst rugged up on the lounge with a glass of red wine.

A comfort food of mine, which I recently discovered is Macaroni & Cheese. Noooooo, not from a packet, made from scratch with fresh ingredients and lots of love. Next time you feel like a quick meal or some comfort food, whip up this great recipe. It tastes even better with a glass of red wine looking out through a window at a rainy day.....

1.5 cups macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
250ml milk
80g cheddar cheese grated
a dollop of mustard, salt and pepper

For topping you will need - breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of fresh parsley and extra teaspoon of melted butter

Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender. Melt butter on low hear, stir in flour and milk until thicken. Stir in cheese, mustard, salt and pepper. Place part of the macaroni in oven proof dish and pour over cheese sauce. Add another layer of macaroni and another layer of cheese sauce. Mix breadcrumbs, parsley and extra butter, place on top of mixture. Cook for 20 mins in moderate oven and enjoy!

Chilli Crab Off

We had a crab off this weekend with fab friends. Out of the three couples there are three wannabe chef's who love to cook. Our mission was to bring to the table the best Chilli Crab Recipe. Oh my, they were delicious!!! We stuffed ourselves to the brim and we were covered in chilli, crab, shell and coriander.

It was such a great way to share a saturday night. We had 7 kids between us all having a ball whilst the adults drank champagne and dived into the divine feast. No need for a restaurant, babysitting or being out in the cold. We had it all! The best part was the friendships we have made with our friends. We feel extremely blessed to be surrounded by like-minded fabulous people who love chilli crab!

Today has been one of those days,,,,

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Today has been one of those days. I have not stopped since the minute I woke up this morning until now.....its amazing how a glass of wine can bring you back down to earth and calm the nerves. I found this photo today and just loved the playfulness of it. It reminds me to stop, breath, breath again and then keep going. It reminds me to not take life to serious. To laugh out loud and to just take a chill pill.


I am off to have another glass of wine ..... and recite "tomorrow is another day!!!"

Mother of Nine Kids - what's is her secret to her sanity?

I recently read an article about a woman who has nine children, yes, nine! And all 18 months apart.

As you would expect, this women has to be extremely organised with the day to day operations of the house, the kids, schooling, meals, activities and everything else you can imagine. Very busy woman!

However, her secret to her sanity is forcing herself to have one hour to herself everyday. In this time, she would choose to either go for a walk, read a magazine with a cuppa, go get her nails done, sleep or just do nothing at all. The key is that she does not do anything for anyone else in that hour, does not respond to emails or phone messages, pay bills, sort the washing or cook dinner. This one hour of her day keeps her going each day. At the beginning of each day she decides when the hour will be and sticks to it - nothing gets in her way.

If you ask me, this is fantastic advice...if a mother of nine can spare an hour a day for herself, we have no excuses to not give this to ourselves.

Three months and counting...

My girlfriend just recently found herself in hospital at 25 weeks pregnant and has been instructed to lay on her back for the next three months until her baby arrives. Its a tough gig!

She lives in LA, which is a little hard for me to visit at the moment, so we have committed to weekly phone calls. It brings back so many memories of when I was in for hospital for all that time. It felt like it would never end.

It truly does make you appreciate the miracle of pregnancy and having babies. It is easy to take for granted that you are pregnant for 9 months, you have a baby and you go home. However, it is becoming far more less common for this to happen in a perfect order.

The lesson I learnt when I was faced with my challenges of pregnancy and babies was that if I could make it through, I would be able to take on and break through anything. It has become a mantra of my being.

A Star is born

Kye started at NIDA last weekend. He was jumping out of his skin. Watch this space, who knows what is going to come out this experience.......all I know is that this little man is going to be something big in everyway!

Connection with Women...

Yesterday, I found myself sitting outside a door. Inside the door was my Hanna with a group of kids talking about their feelings and fears. Outside of the door was a mum who felt sick in her stomach from anxiety and fear just praying Hanna would love the session and want to stick it out for the next 6 weeks.

I was fortunate enought to find myself chatting with two other mum's who are going through the same stage with their son and daughter. We all clicked and related with what we had to share. I felt an instant sense of relief that it was all going to be ok. It was so lovely to connect with these two women on a level that is so hard to understand. We explained how we have looked at ourselves as mothers to understand what has happened to make our children have this level of anxeity. It always comes back to mother guilt. Fortunately, we all agreed, that we had tried so many ways to help them and that we are doing the best we can by introducing to a group of kids who feel the same way. It was reassuring.

The best part....Han ran out with a huge sense of relief. She gave me a big hug and told me she loved the session and cant wait to go back next week. Neither can I!

Parenting is a hard gig!

Gosh, we have had an interesting week......just when you think life is settling down a little as we move away from the baby stage with Lukas turning 3 yesterday, we had a huge challenge arrive as we enter the stage of our daughter growing up.

Parenting just keeps you on your toes constantly. You can never become complacent. I am always learning, reading, watching, asking and receiving information on how to support my children the best way possible through their years of growing into young adults.

Hanna has recently started to experience high anxiety with her school work, all through pressure which has placed on herself. She is experiencing sleepless nights, mild panic attacks, lots of tears, sick in the tummy and fear of failure. It is such a young age to feel all these feelings.

I sat down with her last week and we wrote an open heart felt letter to her teacher explaining her feelings. We also created a worry box for both of us to write down our worries of the day and place in the box to chat about at bed time. And we wrote affirmations which are stuck on her mirror to remind her everyday how wonderful she is.

I was also fortunate enough to find a Kids Anxiety Group called "Can Do Kids" which runs for 8 weeks and helps kids understand their fears/anxiety and they coach them on how to handle it all in their own way. As you can tell, I was on a mission to help Hanna in any was possible as it broke my heart to see her this way.

All of sudden she changed from a bubbly little girl with no worries in the world to a seven year old who has placed too much pressure on herself and worries about everything.

My role as her mum is to help her discover that we can balance her feelings and emotion to make her embrace the world as a seven year old little girl. To look back at this time, when Han is a teenager taking on challenges in life and know that she learnt the skill at this time, will be very rewarding and I will know that my role as her mum has been fulfilled.

Running off Easter Eggs

As you may know I am not a lover of exercise. I have been on a mission since last year to enjoy it and accept that exercise needs to be in my life whether I like or not. Last year I met my wonderful trainer Col (one our experts on Miracle Beginnings website) who put together a program for weights and cardio which I could do indoors to not allow excuses of not being able to find time. I loved it! I worked out 5 days a week. My arms toned up, my bum gained shape and the muffin top was slowing disappearing and then Christmas came along. I stopped. I lost motivation.

Since then I have been on and off with no commitment. I started yoga about 7 weeks ago and absolutely love it, however, felt that I needed to add another element to my exercising to get fit and toned. Whilst thinking about what my plan may be, Easter came along!!! I am not a great fan of chocolate. If I had a choice of cheese or chocolate, I would gooble a cheese platter all to myself.

So why am I addicted to the easter eggs that are not even mine! Its because they are there staring at me in the cupboard everyday!! So my exercise plan needed to get a move on before I turned into an easter egg!

I asked for advice from my husband (the fitness professional) and he suggested incorporating more yoga, a circuit using my own body weight and to take up running. Well, I laughed out loud, I have never even contemplating running. But he assured me its the quickest way to get results.

So I started running!!! I could not walk the for three days after my first run and let me clarify I am not running kilometres. I walk/run. However, after a few times, I am actually enjoying it. I am running more and to a further distance.

The only thing now is I need a running bra before my boobs cause damage! They get in the way, they bounce around everywhere and flop out all over the place. Not a pretty sight but at least I am trying and working off the easter eggs!!!

Lukas turning 3

I cant believe Lu is 3 next week. Time has flown from the moment he was born. He has never really been a baby, as he was determined from a baby to keep up with his brother and sister. He will not allow us to treat him any different and god help us if we do, he let's us know about it.

He is so excited about turning three and lets everyone know that he wants a kitchen, a motorbike and a rocketship for his birthday.

I know I have said it before, but I honestly look a Lu everyday and thank god for allowing me to have a full term baby who has taught me so much in his three years of life. He brings so much joy to our family. It is unimaginable to think of him not being here with us.

Girls Night Out

On Friday night I went out for a long overdue night out with my closest friends. What a night! Upon waking the next day, my stomach muscles were aching as well as my head from the laughter and champagne from the night.

I always feel re-energised from spending time with the girls. We all need the break from kids, husbands, work and life. By meeting together to share a meal, a boogie and bottles of champagne we solve the problems of the world.

Never let your girlfriends slide, that is your true girlfriends. They will always be there for you through thick and thin. Just remember to nurture your friendships as they need maintaining through love, care and honesty.

Cant wait for the next catch up in a few months xx

Celebrations All Round..

We have had a wonderful weekend with the surprise engagement of my brother to his german chicky babe on the weekend! Although, I knew all about the surprise and was in on the act.

I whisked Pam off for the afternoon at Aveda Day Spa in Paddington for some serious girlie time whilst my brother prepared for the evening celebrations. Pam had absolutely no idea! I delivered her to my brother who was waiting by the hired yacht and they sailed off into the sunset.

Today we met them for lunch as they returned to shore. It was just wonderful, such a special day for them. Not having a sister and Pam being the only child, I am so excited to have a new sister in the family. Pam is so much fun especially after a few wines and understanding her german accent!

Phil and Me

Last night my gorgeous friend Phil invited herself over to cook me a delicious dinner and adult chit chat. Very much needed when the husband is away.

Phil cooked up a storm serving barramundi with kaffir lime coconut sauce and ginger infused kumara mash. I was in charge of wine and dessert, easy option!

We chatted until 1am this morning, listening to each other's stuff that is happening in our life. I am so lucky to have met this special lady as we are on the same wavelength, totally understand each other and are always honest.

This is us in Las Vegas last year attending a Women's Conference at the Venetian Hotel. I think we had been up the night before talking till very late as we both look a little tired!

Phil is a super woman who I admire. Surround yourself with women like this and it will make a huge difference to your life!

The husband is off to London....

The husband flew off to London today (as you do!). He is will be a key note speaker at the largest European Fitness Conference & Expo this weekend. Kye and I were very lucky to join him this time two years ago. I often reflect on that trip away as we were very lucky to travel overseas with the husband for work and to have special time with Kye one on one.

This is a photo of Kye overlooking the park in Paris. We popped over there for the weekend. Kye had an absolute ball and loved all of our attention. It was like a special treat for him after his rough start to life.

After dropping off the husband to the airport today, Kye cried all the way home. He just wanted to be on that plane with him and experience it all again. I secretly felt the same!

Oh well, back to cooking dinner and washing down the three kids.......a women's day never ends!

Woman Warrior

Have you ever met a Woman Warrior? A woman who takes control of her life, gets on a mission, creates an awesome life after life changing challenges and who loves life to the maximum! If not, you need to meet someone like this, as they are infectious in the best way possible.

This is a photo of Colleen, a Woman Warrior and I (Kye snuck in for the photo) at dinner a few weeks ago. If you are familiar with our website, you would recognise her face from our Experts page, as Colleen helps our readers with exercise, wellness and everything else!

For our members, you would have heard Colleen's amazing, inspiring story from our audio program. I need say no more.

It's funny this old life of ours. It throws us curve balls to test us. Col has had her fair share of lessons that she has had to work through in her lifetime thus far. The best part is that she has come through the other side and created the best life possible. Such an inspiration to us all.

I was also fortunate to meet her gorgeous son Koen just a few weeks ago. He is a product of her love, commitment, belief and determination. He is a great kid with an awesome mum who made a decision to get on with life in a positive way which has impacted Koen in the best way possible.

I am so grateful Col has turned up in my life, she is a true blessing.

How do we fit in our time when we are soooo busy!

My life seems to be really busy at the moment. Not sure what it is - whether I am missing laying by the pool on holidays last week and can't keep up with the Sydney pace, which I easily forgot about whilst away in QLD. Or is because the kids need more of me and I am juggling business, motherhood, wife, friendships and at the bottom of the list, me!

My saving grace has been my commitment to Yoga. I decided at the beginning of this year, I was on a mission to achieve ultimate well being this year. One of my challenges was finding time for to attend yoga once a week.

Once Lu was off at school, I committed to one day a week for 1.5 hours to attend Iyengar Yoga. Our specialist for yoga on the Miracle Beginnings website is my teacher. From the moment I started, I knew this was the right time for me to immerse myself in the practice of yoga. I have tried more than a dozen times to find the right teachings, the right teacher, the right class, but it never really worked for me.

It all has to do with timing. I was ready.

There are times when my yoga day arrives and I can think of 100 things I should be doing on that day. However, I tell myself to get stuffed and that we are off to Yoga. Once I am there, I forget about the outside world. I am even starting to do Yoga at home, can you believe it!!

My message is that we are all so bloody busy being busy. If we just find a little room for ourselves to commit to something we love, it will work. We are busy anyway, the world can wait, emails and phone calls can wait, the kids and husband can wait, because guess what, they will all be there waiting for you when you walk back in the door. The difference being is that you will feel fulfillment because you did something for yourself!

Helping other women

Whilst I was away I received a gorgeous text from a friend who had recommended my book to a new mum with a premmie baby. The feedback was priceless. The new mum loved the book and passed on her thanks for having a guideline to get her through her difficult time. I just love hearing this feedback, as this is the reason why I wrote the book.

A well deserved break!

We have just arrived home from a well deserved break from Salt, Kingscliff. It was a great time away with the kids. The weather was amazing as was the time away from computers, emails an and mobiles. The days would roll into one with our biggest decision being which pool we were going to swim in first.

Now I am back on deck feeling rejuvenated and refreshed! Ready to get stuck back into it, well at least after the Easter weekend!

20 Year School Reunion......

Tonight I will be attending my 20 year school reunion!!!!!!!!! It has been 20 years since we were at school in Year 10. I went to an all girls school, which means tonight will be a room filled with women from all walks of life. Luckily, I am going with my two old school friends who are still very close to me. We are little nervous, not sure what to expect! Will let you know how I go xx

Homemade Face Masks - simple recipes to make tonight

Tonight, you need to lock yourself in the bathroom and smother your face in one of these gorgeous face masks. Lie in a hot bath. Read a magazine or a great book and chill for a minimum of 15 minutes!

Avo and Honey mask
A classic recipe for dry skin. Mash the avocado in a bowl, then stir in honey.Apply to skin and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse face with a cool washcloth.

Natural exfoliant
Mix a tiny amount of brown sugar with olive oil in your palm. Once it turns into a paste, massage into your face.

Banana Mask for wrinkles
Mash 1/4 banana until very creamy and apply on face and leave for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water, then use cold water to close the pores

ENJOY!

Stand in your Power

I was recently reading about an amazing woman who inspiring in many ways. One of her mantra's is to encourage women to "stand in your power".

I love this! It means stand strong in your strength to make clear decisions in your life. We can apply this in every area of our lives. The only tricky part is that we need to believe in our power.

When we peel back the layers, we need to find our inner strength and belief to really back ourselves. You have nothing to lose, give it a go, really believe in your strength, stand in your power and make the best choices possible for a great life!

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Do you know this great song called "Proud" - the main line is "what have you done today to make you feel proud?". It's a woman's anthem about doing something for yourself each day that you are proud of.....whath is your "something" that you have done today.....mine, laying on the day bed reading the papers in the sun with a cup of peppermint tea. If you have not enjoyed something for yourself today, you still have time.....go for it!!

Flash Back....

Last Tuesday night, I flicked on the telly just for a few minutes to sit down and relax. Greys Anatomy was on, a show I had heard of but was yet to watch.

To my surprise, there was a scene with the arrival of a 30 week premmie and she was placed in Special Care. The baby was so tiny, so tiny that is actually frightened me to see a baby so small. Then I remembered that Kye was the same size.

The story line was beautiful. Due to complications, the baby was about to take her last breath and the male doctor held her close to his chest so she would not be alone. In an instant the baby's heartbeat started to stabilise as did her oxygen levels. Another doctor came over and told the male doctor that he was practicing Kangaroo Care. She suggested he take of his shirt and hold the baby close to his heart for her to survive.

This is what I am doing with Kye in the middle photo. Whenever we would practice Kangaroo Care, his oxygen levels and heartbeat would be perfect. I would sit there for hours on end.

Visitors peering in through the glass windows of Special Care would often do a double take to see if I was really holding a baby.

I wrote about how important Kangaroo Care is for prem babies in my book. But you know what, it was just as important for me, as a mum of a prem. I was able to hold my baby just for that moment and I was able to help him survive. It gave me purpose when on most days I felt like I had none.

Lu is off and running

Just had to show this photo...Lukas started at his school yesterday! Huge moment for the family. I feel lost without him. So proud of our little man xxx

Never done

".....never done" womens work in the house!
I took the kids to the Power House Museum last weekend and just loved this section. They have dedicated an exhibition of housework from early 1900's up until today. I love another sign that was at the entrance it read "Housework is only noticed when it is not done! We dedicated this exhibition to the women who are always cleaning!".

What is Your Purpose?

We all need a purpose in life! Before I had children, I thought my purpose was to cook for 1000's of people through my catering business. When I was cooking, creating, running the business, I was in my element and there were days I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real, I was living my dream that I had created.

But then, it all changed. The force of the change came so quickly that I was confused! It happened when I was away in Italy (of course it did, where else would you rather this happen). I had travelled o/s with my parents and Hanna who was 19mths old. Scott had just changed careers and it was impossible for him to get away. It was the first time I had a holiday with no communication from my catering business. It was the first time I had let go.

I was on a boat sailing through Lake Como and I just felt a decision had been made for me. I kept it to myself and thought about it for the rest of my trip.

When I arrived home, I sat Scott down and explained what had happened. I told him that being with Hanna full time for 2 weeks was the most amazing experience ever and I wanted that every day of my life. I told him I was ready to sell my catering business and become a full time mother.

Well, the surprise on Scott's face was priceless. Here I was telling him I wanted to be a full time mother, when I had worked my arse off for years building this business against all odds and it became my sole purpose.

From this moment, I just knew that my purpose was to be with my children especially when they were so young. I did not want to work full time and try and even balance that act, as for me, it was not working.

The lesson, listen to your gut instinct!

After this conversation with Scott, we put the business on the market and eight months later I was pregnant with Kye. The day we exchanged contracts with the new owners was the night I found myself just 28 weeks pregnant in the toilet surrounded by blood (the story is in my book).

The timing of me letting go of my business was the most amazing crossroad of my life, because that night I started the journey of Kye's premature birth and the long windy road to recovery. I would have had a nervous breakdown trying to juggle business and the journey of Kye.

It was only two years ago that I found myself a business which operated one day a week, as it was time to find something for me. However, I was very clear on the boundaries, working from home, one day a week, minimal work.

As a woman, we need something other than our children's lives whether it be working a few days per week, running a small business or committing to a hobby/interest that we love. But as a woman, we also need to know that our babies need us and that within itself is a purpose and a full time job to be proud of!

Holding Hands...

I love this photo. Lukas is holding my hand on our way to the airport last month. Look how gorgeous his hand is....he was holding on for his security and comfort. He tends to do this more often than Han and Kye, I love it. We have a very special connection.

Lukas seems so much more mature than his ripe old age of 2.

He always opens the door when I get home and helps me carry in shopping or bags from the car. At a bbq recently, he helped himself to the buffet and served me a plate full of food. He was so proud of himself, as was I! He is always with me and makes sure I am ok in his beautiful way. Come to think of it, I tend to hold his hand for my own comfort.

Lukas has been such a wonderful influence in my life thus far. I can't wait to see what the years develop and watch him succeed in life. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to conceive when all the odds were against us.

Valentines Day

Last night I received a gorgeous surprise at my front door.

The husband is away at the moment for business. I really miss him when he is gone and count the days to when he will be back.

As we have been together for nearly 19 years, Valentines Day has changed since the early years of going to restaurants, flowers, chocolates and stuffed toys. We progressed to cards, home cooked dinners and remembering that the meaning of Valentines Day should be in our marriage every day not just that one particular event!

So, when I found a gorgeous red box at my front door step I screamed and questioned "who has sent this?".

Scott had arranged for 12 long stemmed yellow roses (my fav colour), chocolates and bottle of Bayleys to be delivered in sexy red box with a gorgeous card. He never ceases to amaze me!

When I spoke to him last night to thank him, he explained that the gift means so much more than Valentines Day ...... and it does. I just feel very thankful that we are still Valentines after all these years.

The Brady Bunch

My sister in law recently gave me the box set of the Brady Bunch, on favourite of mine from when I was a kid. I remember watching the Brady Bunch every night before dinner and wishing I could be in their family.

Now I am watching the show from a different perspective - I want Alice living with me full time!!!!!

Can you imagine life with a full time cleaner, cook and second hand around the house? This allows Carol Brady to look after her children with 100% attention, love her husband and always be around for him, go shopping, lunching with friends and enjoy her hobby of sewing. No wonder she was always a happy wife with no complaints or stress in her day to day life.

Realistically, most of us can not Alice living with us on a full time basis BUT we can organise a little bit of Alice every week or fortnight to help us with the day to day life of being a mother.

The one area I really dislike is cleaning!!! I would rather cook for 1000 people then clean my house. I am house proud and love to decorate, but to scrub a toilet does not bring me the same pleasure.

So for years I have had a housekeeper clean my house every fortnight. There have been times when we did not have the extra money, so I would place her on on hold until we had the extra funds.

The day that our house is cleaned is always a happy day in our house. I love walking into a clean house knowing it has been cleaned properly! For me to maintain the cleanliness is bearable as I know it will be cleaned again in a fortnight.

I encourage you to give it a go. Just make sure the cleaner can clean better than you otherwise you feel like you are wasting your money as you could do it yourself! Start with once a month and then gradually book every fortnight. I would rather cut back on take away, coffees, spending to save for my weekly clean. As this gives me so much more pleasure and sanity!

WICKED

We have a star to be in our family - Kye!
Kye adores musicals, dressing up and acting out all characters. One minute he is Cinderella, the next he is Superman.
For Christmas, Scott surprised Kye and I with tickets to WICKED. We were so excited.

It was a fabulous day. The three of us had a ball and it was so lovely to spend time with Kye on his own. When the show started, he did not move one inch until the show was finished, except of course to buy a wicked glowing glass during the break! He was enthralled with the stage, the costumes, the songs, the story and the actors. During the first half, he asked if I could ask Glenda (the good witch) if he could go on stage!!

Kye has taught us so much in his early years of life. One of the biggest life lessons he has taught us thus far is to be confident with what you love to do and don;t let anyone stop you from doing so!

I cant wait to see Kye on Broadway and for our family to be sitting in the front row applauding his performance. How lucky is he to have found his path in life at such a young age as there are so many adults still trying to sort out what path to take.

Growing before my eyes

We have just returned from a very special family holiday. It was priceless. Scott and I watched in amazement at the development and growth of Han, Kye and Lu in just a week of being together with no interruptions.

Time is flying by so quickly and in amongst the busyness of being busy we often do not have the time to watch the growth of our kids. Sure, we see them grow in height and other physical aspects, but to watch them grow emotionally and achieve milestones is an awesome experience.

A family holiday is a must for every family. It does not have to be an expensive trip. It just has to be time together. Your kids will thrive on the excitement and love the time together.

A tip = try and lock in a holiday once a quarter for a weekend or a week. If you are too busy and can not get away, start to adjust your priorities, remember, your family is your foundation of life.

Reward yourself

This is my baby, well, toddler, well nearly 3 year old Lukas! He is so cute I could eat him!!!

We just found out that Lukas has been accepted to attend our children's school and he starts at the end of February. Our school is a wonderful place of learning, however, the only requirement they do have is that children start from the age of three and attend five mornings a week.

When Hanna started at three years of age, I was reluctant to send her as I felt it was too much for her. However, when I observed how much fun she was having, I questioned my reluctance was based on what I thought not what she needed.

Then Kye started at three and I was ready for him to go five mornings a week. He was ready to explore and needed other people in his life beside Scott and I.

Now, its Lukas time to attend school. He is starting a few months short of turning three years old, but my big boy is more ready than any of his siblings. He is already walking around the house with his school bag and asks if he is going to school "today". He even decided to become toilet trained in 2 days because he knew this was the deal to be able to go to school.

As he is my last baby, I am hesitant in cutting the umbilical cord, but know that it is the right decision for Lukas. He is going to have a ball!

A girlfriend asked me yesterday how I planned to celebrate on the day that Lukas starts school. I was not sure what she meant, so I asked her. She explained that I should book in a massage or a treatment to celebrate the last child going off to school. She went on to tell me that I have done a wonderful job raising all three kids to this point and now its time to let them go and congratulate myself on the hard work involved.

Now, who would have thought of it this way! I was so impressed and thanked her for her wisdom and encouragement to celebrate the past 7 years of raising kids and entering the exciting new phase of our lives.

If you have a child starting school this year, take on this advice as well and book yourself in for a treat! We all deserve it.

What will 2010 bring....

Welcome to 2010! This is Scott and I on the veranda of our holiday house down the South Coast on New Years Eve. The sunset is magic. I like to think it is glowing over us with good luck, happiness and health for the year ahead.

The beginning of the year is always a great time to sit down and set goals for what you really want to achieve out of your life. For mum's, it is time to become a little selfish and do something for you. Whether this is committing to exercise, taking a long bath once a week, going for a manicure once a month, starting yoga, trying meditation or booking yourself time to be with yourself once a week to have a coffee and read a magazine.

We all seem to busy to ever do anything that feels indulgent or selfish, but the secret is that everyone including ourselves benefit from taking time out to re-energise. The kids can wait, the house can wait, the husband can wait and the bloody mobile phone and emails can wait.

Make a pact with yourself right now to do the one thing you love to do once a week and stick to it!

I am very excited to watching Miracle Beginnings evolve into what the vision has been all along to help women get through their tough times through premature births as well as the women who have lost their spark and need reigniting. We have huge plans to bring joy, wisdom, laughter and confidence into your life this year.....hold on and enjoy the ride!!