Is Pot Banging really necessary?

Ah Sunday morning.. You're back. 

It's one of my favourite times of the week. A slow leisurely wake up, a cup of herbal tea on the back deck, watching the birds in the trees and listening to the toddlers play in the park. 

( and feeling the gentle breeze rustling the hairs on my legs.. ARRGGHH, gotta fit some time in for a wax) 😁

Sunday's are also sleep in days for the kids. Remember those days when partying all night and sleeping all day was cool? That's where they're at. My Mum used to bang pots and yell to wake us early, I just let mine sleep in. It's much less stressful. 

Yes they miss out on the sunrise, they spend their day off in bed, they rush around Monday morning trying to get organised for the working week.. Didn't we all? 

I often wonder if it's because I lived on the edge, lived full of adrenaline and rushing about,  that I appreciate the gentler things in life now. I actually enjoy the quiet. Savour the moments watching the sun peep through the early morning must. Relish in the hours of time I get first thing every morning, to walk, to stretch, to swim, to write. 

After all of these years, I'm my own boss. The clock doesn't own me, the scales don't own me. How I choose to spend my time on earth is my decision. How empowering is that? 

Have you ever stopped to think that the stress you place on yourself is unnecessary? That your reaction to any situation is within your control? What would your world be like if you chose to react gently, with peace or even not to react at all? 

My Mum used to bang pots together, we'd get out of bed angry and agitated, and so set the tone of the day. My kids get to sleep in in Sunday's, get to experience waking when the body has had enough sleep, they wake happy and willing to share their stories of adventure from the night before. We talk, we laugh. And we share a family bond. 

It makes life simpler, less stress, less animosity in the house. The energy of our home is calmer. And isn't that a lovely place to inhabit? 

Enjoy your Sunday, I'm off for a swim. 

Gorgeous, Fabulous, Completely Enough.

This afternoon, I'm sad.

I'm part of a number of social media groups that preach Wellness, Good Health and all things fabulous.  In the last hour, I've found myself comforting, online, a sad, lonely women in Central Victoria, because she is crumbling under the pressure of being enough.

Of feeling she is enough. Good enough, smart enough, thin enough, rich enough. All things enough. 

Her cry for help was heart breaking, she was confused and lonely and needed the opportunity to vent. I'm glad she did so on FB, as she was immediately answered by a number of people,  but imagine how much better this lady would feel if she could have been embraced by a physical hug, made a cup of tea, and been given the opportunity to talk over her feelings with a trusted friend instead?

The majority of people who responded also expressed similiar feelings. They were lost, lonely and struggling with their identity now that the children were growing. They expressed feelings of sadness, loneliness, lack of connection to community and spirit, lack of direction. 

What causes these feelings? Is it the internet, is it because we see all our friends posting successful status updates, or their children's award photos? It is because we actually have so much opportunity these days, we cannot choose what we want to do anymore?

Is it the fact there is so much money to be made in the diet, health and cosmetic surgery industry that we are being subjected to constant noise about needing to be perfect? I don't know, but it makes me sad.

You, right now, in your present state, looking just like you do this instant, are enough.

Your re-growth, your tuck shop lady arms, your baggy track pants are gorgeous. Your new gym gear, your soon to be visible six pack abs, your newly varnished toenails, are fabulous. 

Every single aspect of who you are, right this minute, and who you want to be, is enough. 

You are loved by those who matter. 

Your smile and sparkling eyes enchant everyone you've ever met. 

Your gentle spirit and unwavering faith in your children speaks volumes. 

Yes, i also prattle on about healthy living, and it's because I want you all to be the healthiest versions of yourselves that you can be. I want to be able to show you that by being active and raising your children to understand the effects of good food on their health and mental well being. That by living simply, eating real food, by nourishing your spirit and soul and loving yourself as you do those around you, you will be blessed with longevity. I want to inspire you to join me in making change in the lives of our children, and grandchildren, to allow them never having to deal with the effects of obesity, again. 

But most importantly, I want to say to each and every one of you today, you are never, ever alone. We, as women will stand beside you, to make tea, to lend a hand, an ear or a big heartfelt bear hug. 

If I can share with you the one thing that I have learned throughout this whole journey, it is that we are all enough. 

Message me on FitFabnfifty if you need to talk more. 

With a sprinkle of love, I give to thee...

As usual, any Saturday morning in Brisbane will see me meandering my way through the stalls at Carseldine Farmers Market. I love it. 

The fresh flowers, coffee, fruit and veges, freshly baked breads ( gluten free-winning! ), and paleo treats lead me to seriously believe this is my fave place in the city at the moment. 

I love talking to the stall holders, hearing their passion for their produce, it's like every strawberry, every garlic clove, every paleo fruit muesli contains a part of their heart and soul. 

We've all heard the old excuse that 'eating well is too expensive these days' but is that really true? 

You might pay $1 less per kilo for apples imported from the 'Land of Godknowswhere', but how old is this fruit before it even gets to your house? What chemicals have been sprayed in them to make them last, brighter, more palatable looking? 

I'm probably blessed because I have the ability to make the comparison between my local Fresh Food Supermarket in the Central Highlands, and my local Farmers Market in The City.  Without a doubt, the the fruit and veges I buy from the Market outlasts the supermarket fruit by days, sometimes weeks. 

The amount of fruit I throw away through spoilage far outweighs the extra cost of organic or market bought fruit. 

Shopping at markets also allows me the joy of sampling new foods, exotic fruits, and my new favourite cold pressed iced coffee. Luckily for me, it's only ever a sample, as I'm am 100% sure it could become a new addiction very quickly. 

Maybe it's the love, the care, the passion of the traders and suppliers that makes this food taste so damn good. Who knows? The organic ginger beer man told me it was nectar of the gods, I'm inclined to believe him. 

Byron Bay and all things beautiful

OMG, I'm in Byron Bay. The Mecca for all things beautiful, food, scenery, people... How ever am I going to survive these next few days?

Turned out, it is very easy to look after yourself here on holidays. Eat fresh, walk every chance you get. 

Hugo and I were easily walking 20000 steps every day, some of those were also up some very steep hills or steps leading to the headland. And I'm not about to fathom a guess how many of those steps were competed whilst doing and Irish Jig after a few pints of Guiness on St Patricks Day. 

Weighed today, not one kilo gained... Yay! I dunno why I'm even bothering to weigh these days. I'm now convinced it's the stress of the scales that make us heavier.. I avoid them as often as possible. 

Eat to nourish yourself, eat like you love yourself, eat like your life depends on it. 

It does.

Wisdom from my two favourite men...

Each morning, in my first waking hour, I quietly pour myself a cup of Irish Tea, and amidst the sanctuary of the garden deck, I plan my day. It's my morning ritual, some people meditate, I plan. I use that time, listening to the birds, whilst the rest of the world awakes, to think about my goals, both long term and daily, and plan my day accordingly.

Today, I had a huge office day planned. I hung out with my kids till they went to work, I made their breakfast, and another cup of tea. This is a pleasure I had been denied for so many years whilst they were small, and I was working full time. Now, I savour the 30 mins of catch up time in the morning. I showered, and gave myself a moisturising mask, said good morning to my online FB buddies. I dressed and headed to the office to start work. As the lights went out. No power. It appears that the Ergon Electical Planner's and my schedule don't match today. Damn. 

A power outage is sooo not on my list today. But, instead of getting agitated or anxious about it, as I would have 2 years ago, my first reaction was to think of a solution. How do I achieve all of my list today with this interruption? Aha. Luv a Coffee. One of my fave places in the Emerald City to escape the summer humidity. The tea is hot, the air con is high, and the people so super friendly. 

So here I sit, at my favourite coffee haunt, in the air conditioning, emailing, blogging, and watching the world go by.. Stuff like this happens in life all the time. All the best made plans go pear shaped. Your power goes out, figuratively speaking. The way around this is being solution focused. Keep your eyes on that goal, that desire, the reason you are working so hard. Your fave workout session is cancelled, go for a swim instead, keep your eye out for other options all the time. If there's not enough people to run the session, do a weight session or use the treadmill. If you're kids come down with an illness and you can't make the gym, do a body weight session at home. Google it.  It's not the end of the world, you don't need to drop your bundle nor fall off the wagon. Continue to  Proceed, as if success is inevitable. 

There's More than one way to skin a cat - quote of my Dads. I didn't really ever quite work out what making cat rugs ever had to do with the situation at hand, when I was younger and he was alive,  but over the years I've come to realise that he was right. If you want something bad enough, there are always ways to achieve that. Maybe not the main stream way, but there's always more than two ways of getting around a problem. 

Who would have ever thought that this single Mum of 5, would work her way to 180k a year job? Would be able to buy a half million dollar home, and finally find peace and security for the kids. Finally be able to have a man in her life that was supportive, honest, kind and faithful. Yep, more than one way to skin a cat. By working hard, keeping my eye out for opportunity and jumping at chances when they arose. By looking forward and being solution focused. 

'It's only a problem if money can't fix it'. This is my new fave quote. It was taught to me by the fabulous Hugo. I have come to have a new vision in life due to this, a new passion, a new confidence. For years and years, I've been so worried about never having the money, the back up, the financial freedom to take a risk, take a chance on a possibility, for fear of what ifs. Worried about squirrelling away what little money I had, rather than allowing and trusting the Universe to fully provide for me. 

Having had to endure the life changing experience of Chuck having a brain tumour at a very early age, makes this quote so incredibly relevant to me. Everything else does not matter. Nothing in the world is as important as having healthy children and people to love and that love you back.  No cars, no holidays, no jet skis, nothing. 

Recently when one of the kids was involved in a minor car accident, my first words were, is anyone hurt? Can money fix it? These simple words also calmed Bill down to a point where he realised that it's true. It's all repairable, replaceable, except health. He walked away without a scratch, the car did not. Although it saddens me to see the scratches and bumps on the car when I think about how hard I worked to buy that car, my very first new car ever, it's really not important. He is safe, he walked away uninjured. I may have worked hard for that car, and been so very proud of it, but that pales into insignifance when compared to the pride and love I feel for him. 

Now, I'm braver. More confident in my dealings. Able to stand up and say, "righto, let's have a go, what's the worst thing that can happen?" And it's been transformational. 

We, as women spend far too much of our time worrying about What If's. We are not predominantly risk takers. We plan, we budget, we struggle to keep it all together. Having to release all my imaginary worries has lifted my spirits, lightened my load and increased my confidence ten fold. It was much more difficult to release these than I imagined. I came to understand that it was my fear of being unstoppable that frightened me more. All these Louise Hays books I'd read, all the motivational memes, the Deepak Chopra quotes, the Secrets behind the Secret... They are all true. 

Bloody hell, I am actually unstoppable.... Even if Ergon have other ideas today.