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WELLNESS
You see here, what I’m trying to point out is that not every mother has the same postpartum journey and it’s all about adapting to a new lifestyle because really that’s what being a parent is about - adapting while also making sure that we find that time to look after yourself, because you matter too.
I’ve always been a big believe in treating everyone with kindness because you never know what type of day they’re having and although other people may not share that same life philosophy, I honestly don’t give a shit. I’m incredibly considerate of other peoples feelings, however I don’t think that me smiling at a stranger as I walk past them is going to make their day any worse.
When I do actually get some time to listen to one, it’s either quick burst type of episode or if I have some time in the car while Coopy sleeps at school pick up, I have the opportunity to listen to a little bit of a longer one (IYKYK). I like to use my time wisely, so if I’m going to dedicate my ears to a podcast, I want it to be bullshit and fluff free, straight to the point and full of goodness that I can take away from it. Yes, I devour myself in self development podcasts because it’s what I like to use my quiet listening time for (coz again, as parents there’s not too much of that).
When I started to hear from the crew that they were not only sticking to their workouts, but they were loving them, it meant that these 15 minute workouts were actually making a difference. Call them “micro workouts” if you will, a workout is a workout. SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING.
I’ve learnt over the years as a busy parent that if you want to read, you need to make time to do it.
These days, I keep a book in my car for in case Coop falls asleep while we wait for the kids to finish school or I arrive early for something in my schedule (which is always because I’m always early for everything), next to my bed (which is the one that gets read the least, LOL) and on the couch in case Coop falls asleep on me there. Pretty much everything depends on Coop falling asleep if I want to read.
As humans, but especially as women, we often prioritise other people’s wants and needs before our own – we show them love and respect, hype them up when needing encouragement, respect their boundaries, and give compliments freely. But why is it so hard to show that same love and respect to ourselves?
If you struggle with the concept of self love, and are constantly putting evvvveryone else at the top of your to-do list, with you-time right at the very bottom, living in the land of “maybe one day, if I get time”, then these tips are for you!
I love exercise. I love it because it makes me feel good, I love it because it helps me focus and I love it even more because it helped me get through some of the hardest times in my life, including being a single parent.I have always been into sport and exercise, but that doesn’t mean i’ve always done it.
I fell into my partying ways to cope with my mental illness. Goodbye active lifestyle, unless you call dancing on the podiums with gosh knows how many double blacks under my belt “active”.
About two months ago, I finally discovered podcasts. Until then it had just been that purple icon on my phone that I had moved into the 'useless shit' folder on my phone, but after starting to fall into the depths of anxiety again, I knew that I needed to find something new to add to my daily routine that would help me and even more so, LEARN from.
PARENTHOOD
When it comes to judgement, there are so many parts of motherhood that we keep to ourselves because of it. I have read many books in my time and this is one method of self-care that I do for myself (when I can anyway!) and learn so many things from all the ones I make time for, however when I picked up Conscious Motherhood, unlike any other book that I’ve ever read, I felt completely seen, heard and understood from the first paragraph.
Since having my own kids, going to the beach became less relaxing with each visit, purely because it wasn’t just a chuck-your-togs-on-let’s-go type thing, it was a plan-ahead-pack-the-entire-house type event and although I’ve managed to nail the beach prep now (only took me 11 years but we’re here), it’s been important to find beaches that make going to the beach a fun and mostly relaxing experience for the entire family!
Just like when I read a book, I love the books that I read to the kids to have a great message within the words. Whether it’s about kindness, mental health, confidence, bullying or even a book that encourages the kids to use their imaginations, books are absolutely bloody wonderful.
They also opens of incredible and impactful conversations too.
What if I told you fatigue wasn’t a normal part of motherhood?
Or that the idea of ‘mum brain’ is a stereotype that wrongly sets mums up to believe motherhood equals chronically fatigued.
What if I told you that lack of sleep might not be the reason you feel exhausted or burnt out?
It’s clear from day one of motherhood that it won’t be a piece of cake, but when do we ‘make the call’ between ‘normal’ and ‘depleted’.
Kristy is The Sleep Teacher and is certified in both infant and child sleep training. She is a mother to 3 amazing little girls and knows all too well how debilitating sleep deprivation can be. I asked Kristy if she had any tips for us as mothers of toddlers who haven’t really slept since they were born, so she’s here to help us stop dreading bed time and share some tips to help with getting our toddlers to sleep (maybe, finally, LOL).
Recently I fell into the depths of the amazon and once you start digging, you’d be amazed at the wonders you find. When I say amazon, I mean the website that sells basically everything if you search for it.
For some reason since having Cooper, yes I do manage to see those changes and I do struggle to feel confident in certain outfits and I do struggle especially with choosing a bikini for the summer season.
When he was born, the newest style of swimmers I saw were the high waisted ones where everything could be tucked in and thought that would help, yet I still chose to sit on the sand avoid all water activities at that stage, saying I had to look after the baby.
I think that as a parent who has shared care of two of my other beautiful legends, I never pictured myself putting Coop in daycare because I know how fast the time goes when they’re little and I didn’t want to miss out on any of it, however when work was piling up and I felt myself sliding down that slippery slope of mental health, I knew that I’d be making the best decision for both Coop and myself too.
LIFESTYLE
We recently had the absolute pleasure of staying at Vacanza Co - Burleigh Beach and honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever need to search for another place to stay when we head there in the future because as a family of 5, it was absolute perfection. If you are like us and love the type of getaway where you can park the car in the garage and leave it there for the rest of your stay (coz why would you want to leave Burleigh? I sure as shit don’t).
I am the type of person who could having the worst day ever, at home in my trackies, crying, couch rotting and hanging by a thread but if someone texts me saying “wanna go to lunch?” I’ll be dressed, composed and ready to go within twenty minutes, including the kids.
I love to eat and I love to experience new spots from rinky dinky (our word for fancy) to pubs (especially if there’s a playground). Lunch is my favourite meal and I love getting out of the house for it when I can.
As someone who works for themselves, I understand how important support for small Aussie businesses is around this time of year (and all throughout the year!).
The businesses listed below are ones that the kids and I absolutely LOVE and use ourselves (none of this is sponsored btw, I would legally have to tell you if it was!).
I bloody love lunch and what I love even more, is a top notch lunch with friends or my partner (when we can find someone to watch the little legends!). It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I like to enjoy it.