This year I will be celebrating my 10th Mother’s Day.
Over the years I have learned a few things. How to approach Mother’s Day is one of them.
Last year there were tears.
I’m sure I could write volumes about what Mother’s Day is and isn’t but I will just leave you with this…
Don’t dwell on what Mother’s Day isn’t and be grateful for what it is…let it go, enjoy the ride.
Happy Mother’s Day Mums…you are amazing…
mamacino x
One of the things I love most about being a blogger is connecting with people, all over the world, who share my interests and get excited about communicating their message about health, love, well being and life in general.
Through mamacino, I have found an army of support, my soul sisters. A tribe of women that are encouraging, inspirational and well, just plain helpful. I wish I had known them when I was beginning my journey as a mother, it could have made a big difference to my experience.
Since I am focusing on well being this month, I thought I would introduce you to some of these beautiful souls because maybe, you might just find them inspirational too!
from pinterest…
Healing Hands.
Today, I would be honoured to introduce you to some amazing women doing wonderful things to help, heal and encourage mothers on their journey through life…
Alisha from Naughty Naturopath Mum and Essence Practitioner
Naturopath, Australian Bush Flower Essence Practitioner, World Traveller, Mother and all round Health Nut, Alisha’s blog Naughty Naturopath Mum is a wonderful resource for anyone wanting to inform themselves about alternative ways to create a healthier lifestyle. Alisha creates individual, personal blends of Australian Bush Flower Essences to help people achieve mental and physical balance.
“…In a nutshell, the essences provide energetic release of stored issues that may be blocking you from achieving emotional and physical balance. The body is always trying to reach a state of balance but due to living life with all it’s stresses and busyness, we sometimes carry the road blocks that prevent us from getting where we want to go”.
Alisha is extremely friendly and approachable so don’t hesitate to get in touch with her for more information, or drop by her facebook page just to say hi…she loves a chat!
Kelly from Dog Rose Healing
I love Kelly for her honest and open approach to everything. She is a voice of reason and is not scared of keeping it real! By her own admission, she is no Domestic Goddess but what she is, is amazing at what she does! Kelly is an Energist which means she is an ”enthusiast, believer and experiencer of my personal energy field and the energy fields of others”. Also a certified Emotional Freedom Technique Master Practitioner, Usui Reiki Practitioner, Australian Bush Flower Essence Practitioner, Kelly is definitely a wonderful person to have in your tribe!
Kelly discovered working with energies helped her heal and find solutions to problems she was experiencing herself…
“Working with energies, I was also able to make changes to many emotional issues of my own, including anxiety, post-natal depression, self-concepts, relationships, pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder, and relationship issues to name a few”.
If you are interested in EFT or finding out more about what our energy can tell you about yourself, visit Kelly at Dog Rose Healing or get in touch via her facebook page.
Robyn from Overcoming Overwhelm
I first met Robyn through her page on facebook, Overcoming Overwhelm.
Robyn is instantly warm, friendly and honest. She is someone to look towards for help and support – she knows everything and can always be counted on for a sensible, real and open opinion about any issue you might be having. In terms of a therapeutic approach, Roby specialises in Kinesiology. How can that help us? It’s best said in Robyn’s own words…
“I am a Complementary Therapist who’s passion is for helping mums successfully juggle family, work and self without sacrificing their health in the process. As a Kinesiologist, I can pinpoint and release issues before they ‘get on top of you’”.
You can also visit Robyn at her blog, Overcoming Overwhelm, where she publishes really helpful articles about life and how to live it to your full potential.
Megan from Megan Koufos, Connecting Families with Soul
Megan is just so delightful. She has a way of making you feel at peace no matter what chaos is running rampant in your life at the time! She is so caring, kind and calm, I sometimes wish I could rub up against her and catch some of her energy!
Megan’s work involves helping individuals and families find their soul connection…
“I am a Family Soul Mentor and Intuitive Child Whisperer who guides mothers to create soulfully connected, peaceful and calm families while embracing their own identity. Through using my spiritual and intuitive gifts, I guide mothers and children to reconnect with their angels and spirit guides, intuition and their souls plan and purpose to live soul nourishing lives on purpose with balance, meaning and joy”.
Wow! Head over to http://www.megankoufos.com/freebies to get your free gifts or, visit Megan on facebook!
So there you have it…some of my soul sisters! They are truly so approachable, friendly and helpful! don’t be shy, go introduce yourselves!
So, who is in your tribe? Who could you honestly not live without?
Love and light,
mamacino x
School Holidays.
Don’t you love them? Actually, I do love them…most of the time. However, spending every moment with three inquisitive, opinionated, hungry little people can be challenging, to say the least!
I sometimes feel myself getting flustered when I’m around my children all the time. I think it’s the noise, the talking, the questions…and the constant and persistent demands for something to eat or drink. It’s also the demands on your time…doing this when you really want to be doing that. Watching Cars when you really need to be starting dinner (or you know, poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick), playing Fish instead of getting the washing off the line before it rains or finding the lost piece of Lego while your cup of tea turns cold on the bench. I’m not even going to mention facebook.
As mums, we are always trying to do so many things at once, we have so many fingers in our spelt, organic apple pies.
It can be stressful.
And as we know, stress isn’t really conducive to creating a harmonious, happy and calm home…which we’re all striving for, aren’t we?
Recently, a quote from Eckhart Tolle caught my eye…
“Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there’…”
This resonated with me so loudly. This describes me perfectly. And so, it got me thinking about living in the moment, being present. Enjoying the ‘here’ and not thinking so much about the ‘there’.
from pinterest…
The gorgeous Brenda from Brenda Janschek Health & Lifestyle recently wrote about her lesson in accepting the ‘here’ and learning to enjoy it. I really related to what she had to say.
“…To breathe deeply when there is nothing I can do to change a situation. Accept the moment, embrace it, enjoy it, and experience it with my entire being and not worry about anything else.”
It was a moving post and you can read more of it here.
I’m not saying it’s easy, I’m not saying it will make for smooth sailing all of the time. I’m just saying it’s worth thinking about.
There is a lot of support now for Mums finding themselves living with stress, anxiety and emotional challenges. I am really fortunate to be connected with some amazing women doing wonderful things to help and support families and I can’t wait to introduce you to them so hang around…
How do you find space to breath amongst the chaos of family life? I would love to hear your tips…turning off the radio in the car works wonders for me! Sometimes it’s about the little things…please share your ideas with us…it might just make a mama’s day!
Love and Light,
mamacino x
My kids are pretty sceptical of anything that turns up on their plate with the word surprise in it’s title.
They know it usually means mum has cleaned out the fridge and is trying to use up whatever is left rolling around in the crisper…but this Quinoa and Vegetable Bake was a good surprise…for them because it tasted good and for me because they ate it!
Quick and Easy Quinoa Surprise
This recipe is so versatile, it’s not really even a recipe! This is how I made it but you could really use whatever you have in the fridge.
Makes 4 large or 12 small slices
Ingredients:
2 carrots, grated
Small piece of pumpkin, grated
Kernels from one cob of corn
A handful of parsley, chopped
1 cup of cooked quinoa
4 eggs, free range or organic
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season
A handful of grated parmesan to top with, if you like – optional
What to do:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except parmesan which you will sprinkle on top before cooking) and pour into a lined 20cm, square cake tin.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180C or until brown and set firm.
Allow to cool a little before slicing. Serve hot or cold with a favourite sauce.
Options:
Do you have unexpected surprise successes in the kitchen? If you do, share it here…we’d love to know! Would love to hear about any spectacular failures too…goodness knows, we all have them!
Happy Eating,
mamacino x
Fermenting food is all the rage at the moment and with good reason! As we begin to abandon processed, refined foods and step back to traditional ways of preparing whole ingredients, we are learning that the many benefits of fermentation are too good to ignore!
As you may know, we have been dairy free around here for quite some time. Having complicated gut issues to contend with, leaving dairy products out of our diet was important, mainly for Francesca, but also for Leonardo and myself.
As our health improves, I am starting to reintroduce a little dairy to our meals in very small steps. It might be a little goat cheese on a spelt pizza or some home made natural yoghurt in a smoothie. One thing I’m really enjoying is creamy Labne.
What on earth is lacto-fermentation?
Labne is a delicious, smooth and creamy cultured cheese made from yoghurt. The yoghurt goes through a process of lacto-fermentation to become labne.
As explained by Jude Blereau in her amazing book Wholefood for Children, Laco-fermentation encourages the growth of lactic acid-producing bacilli. As they proliferate, they produce lactic acid which is one of the oldest methods of preserving food.
As it’s all a bit new to me, I asked my wonderful friend and Naturopath extraordinaire Alisha from Naughty Naturopath Mum and Essence Practitioner for her take on how lacto-fermentation can make dairy products more easily digested and beneficial to the gut…here’s what she told me…
“Any fermented food is what is known as pre-digested. The natural enzymes involved in the fermentation process have already done most of the work for you. People who often suffer from dairy intolerance can often tolerate cultured forms of dairy due to the protein (cassein) being broken down into smaller particles so it can travel across the gut wall a lot easier than in it’s whole form.”
Are you convinced?
Unfortunately, labne is still off the list if you have a dairy allergy or serious intolerance but for the rest of us, it is a wonderful thing to add to your diet in moderation.
How to make Labne…
It’s easy! Simply place a sieve lined with a double piece of muslin (I use my nut milk bag!) over a bowl. Spoon about 500g of really good quality, natural, pot set yoghurt (organic is a good investment here – we make our own) on to the muslin and allow it to sit in the fridge for about 24 hours.
You will notice the yoghurt firms up beautifully and what you will be left with in the bowl underneath is whey.
DO NOT THROW THE WHEY AWAY!
Whey has many uses and can be really handy in the kitchen. Store it in a clean jar in the fridge. More about whey in a post to come soon!
How to eat Labne…
Labne can be used just like cream cheese or sour cream.
Have you tried making fermented foods at home? What’s your take on them? If you are as interested as I am, here are some links you might like to follow…
Naughty Naturpoath Mum and Essence Practioner’s series on Gut Health
Vanessa from Slow Heart Sing’s adventures at a Fermentation Workshop
Sherilyn from Whole Promise’s delicious fermented beets with orange and thyme
This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at HolisticSquid.com!
Get cultured!
mamacino x
Well, I just have to say…Hong Kong was AMAZING!
I feel so lucky that somehow, the planets aligned and gifted me a whole week to do what I love best…explore, travel, eat, socialise, learn about culture and drink cocktails!
This week was spent without my family, just my friend and I and my Mum when she wasn’t working (she lives in Hong Kong).
I have to admit, that I was trepidatious for along time about leaving the country without my kids. What if something happened while I was away and I couldn’t get back to them? What if they needed me? What if I needed THEM? I don’t really feel comfortable being away from my children but I knew they were in great hands with their Dad and it was time for me to step outside my comfort zone. I asked the universe to keep an eye on them just to be sure.
You know what? It was wonderful. I got to be just myself for a whole week. I got to go out for dinner and stay out late. I didn’t have to think past the next cocktail and I slept through every single night! I thought of my family often and I got a bit teary when we chatted on face time once or twice but I was fine. They were fine. It was all…better than fine.
And so here are my Hong Kong Highlights…
Temple Street Night Market
On our first night, we made our way, by train, to the Temple Street Markets. We had dinner at a restaurant (and I use that term loosely) called The Spicy Crab. It was authentic, delicious, colourful and yes, I stuck to the vegetarian dishes…loved sitting on the road to eat and the complimentary toilet paper serviettes!
Getting my greens in!
Colourful and busy…the streets of Kowloon.
The Big Buddha and Tai-O
The Big Buddha is something I have wanted to see for such a long time. To Climb those stairs and contemplate this miracle of a statue was awe inspiring.
Visiting Tai-O, Hong Kong’s last traditional fishing village was suggested to us by many people but not until we arrived did we understand just how magical this place was. With many houses still on stilts it was like travelling back in time with surprising modern gems hidden amongst the traditional market stalls…a fair trade, environmentally friendly, fashion forward clothing shop, a coffee shop with biblical inspiration displayed in it’s surrounds and a hair salon boasting the services of the hair dresser to Miss Hong Kong, 1975!
Streets of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is certainly a melting pot of different cultures and influences, a strong indication of it’s colourful history. We stayed in the Mid Levels area which is really very western with so many English, Australian and European ex-pats, you sometimes forget where you are! There are restaurants of every kind of cuisine and streets that would sit comfortably in Sicily or the suburbs of Paris. I loved it! I couldn’t keep my eyes still there was so many interesting things to note…the people, the food, the quirky street scapes…I can see why my mum loves it there so much!
Hong Kong Taxis…I’ll just say it was an experience and leave it at that!
We were treated to the most fabulous Champagne brunch at Totts by my gorgeous Mum. What a view!
The shopping…oh my, the shopping…
I know what you’re thinking…where is the food? Well, don’t worry! My beautiful friend, Bev has captured me eating my way around Hong Kong…but I really think my food journey deserves a post all of it’s own! Stay tuned!
Have you been to Hong Kong? Would you dare to travel overseas without your children? Tell me! I’d love to hear about your adventures!
Happy travelling!
mamacino x
Do you ever wonder how I keep so thoroughly on top of things in the kitchen?
Well, I don’t! Not always…but I do a good amount of the time. Plus, I have very realistic expectations!
Today I am guest posting on one of my favourite blogs Seek Act Love.
Fruit Salad…yummy yummy
Amy writes beautifully about her journey as a working Mum to two lovely little girls. Some posts are funny, some might strike a note with you and bring tears to your eyes. Her stories are so helpful and supportive of mums and women in general and always uplifting and inspiring.
Today, I am sharing my ideas for keeping it clean and green in the kitchen and I would just love it if you pop on over and take a look.
How to plan and stick to healthy meals…today on Seek, Act, Love.
Have a great day!
mamacino x
Family Holidays can make you or break you.
We have just spent two weeks on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. I can honestly say…we had a great holiday.
As Supermum Clare Dunphy (my role model) says when travelling with children…it’s not a holiday, it’s a business trip! And I couldn’t agree more. As a family, we do holidays well. We relax, we have fun and we go deep, deep into the zone. Maybe this is because we live at the beach and our life feels like one long holiday anyway!
Unfortunately, not everyone shares the same positive experience and let’s face it…travelling with small children can be fraught with stress, extreme fatigue and near marital collapse! Here are my tips on how to survive a family holiday…
1. Bring Food
It doesn’t matter if you are driving, flying or arriving by boat…bring your own lunch! Food on the go is less than ideal and if you can fill up hungry kids with healthy, low sugar snacks you will be well on the way to avoiding a melt down…and then you can stop for the really important stuff…like coffee.
2. Don’t share accommodation
Okay, this might ruffle feathers but you know it’s true! It’s wonderful to share your holiday with other families but everyone needs there own accommodation! You need to know at the end of the day you can take your ratty kids to bed, shut the door and retreat. This way you don’t have to worry about your baby waking up others, getting stuck with all of the cooking/cleaning/child minding duties or sharing the last piece of sticky fruit cake!
3. Take time to sort yourself out
On the day we arrive anywhere, we unpack and stock our fridge and pantry – we even make a loose meal plan which goes like this…sausages and salad, chicken and salad, steak and salad, hamburgers and salad…and when no one can face one more bbq, pasta with pesto. We usually eat our main meals at home and go out for treats like coffee, ice-creams and of course, the occasional cocktail!
4. Entertain the kids
There is no point expecting to sit undisturbed in the sun on your banana lounge reading your book for any length of time while you are on holidays with your kids. Accept this and avoid disappointment! Get in the pool, go for walks, play games and have fun…failing that, make a deal with your husband and get him to do it…promise whatever it takes to get that sleep in every other morning!
5. Go with the flow
This is so important. Relax, accept there are certain things you will have no control over. It rained every day except for two while we were away! A few days it was raining when we woke up and still raining when we went to bed! I was dangerously close to a princess attack over the weather but my positive thinking husband saved me on more than one occasion. So it’s not as good without the clear seas and blue skies, but you are still somewhere other than home so make the most of it. We spent hours reading, finding lovely cafes, walking in the rain (ok, I sat that one out) and even watching TV. Letting go of our initial expectations was hard but so worth it because we came home relaxed and recharged.
Do you have any tips for a successful family holiday? Have you ever had a disaster? I’d love to hear about it! Please let me know in the comments below!
Happy Holidays!
mamacino x
I was so honoured and delighted to be invited to contribute a post to Heart Mama’s Nourishing with Food series.
Heart Mama is a beautiful blog dedicated to the joys of nourishing our little ones. Zanni’s warmth comes through in her writing as she inspires us to continue to be the best mamas we can be.
In the post today, I am talking about how I use food to show my love and how my Italian heritage influences my cooking.
I have also included a delicious, yet simple recipe for my winning Potato and Herb Omlette.
I’d love you to pop over and take a look…I’m sure you will enjoy it!
You can find the post here
What is your idea of Nourishing food? Do you show your love through your cooking?
Happy Eating,
mamacino x
Some people comfort eat. I comfort read.
I always have a stack of books on my bedside table because I like to know what I’ll be reading next, it comforts me. I’m not fussy about the kinds of books I read and there will usually be a wide variety waiting for my attention…parenting books, books about food, maybe an autobiography or journal, some literature…usually Jane Austen. Over summer, I tend to succumb to the comfort read, that is, one of a handful of favourites that I like to reread, sometimes several times…at the moment it is Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes.
I am so thankful that my children have inherited my love of books and reading.
As a teacher, I think reading is just so important to a child’s development. As a mum, I find reading to be a wonderful opportunity to connect with your children. A quiet moment to sit together and share something. To learn something together, develop a bond and create a mutual understanding about something…ocean animals, ballet princesses or the importance of finding an agreeable husband, preferably in the possession of ten thousand a year and a house named Pemberley.
Recently I was asked if I would like to review a new children’s book by Mem Fox. Being a huge fan – especially of The Green Sheep, I jumped at the chance.
Good Night Sleep Tight written by Mem Fox and illustrated beautifully by Judy Horacek has become a firm favourite, especially with Leonardo, who is two. It is the story of two children, Bonnie and Ben, who are being coaxed into bed by their babysitter, Skinny Doug. Skinny Doug tells the nursery rhymes he has learnt from his own mother, to the joy and delight of the children.
The story has a predictable flow which is easily memorised by sleepy mothers required to recite the story at awkward times. The retelling of nursery rhymes give us an opportunity to revisit those that were popular in our own childhoods but may have been forgotten over the years. Nursery rhymes such as This Little Piggy and Star Light Star Bright are timeless and children delight in them as much now as they did in the past.
Do you share a love of reading with your children? what are your favourite comfort books…the ones you could read over and over again?
Happy reading!
mamacino x
