Stuck

I’m stuck. Stuck on the edge of something.  I’m almost there, kind of…I just can’t quite get…make…oh, you know what I mean…

Do you ever feel so full of inspiration, so wonderfully on the right path…so close to fulfilling some feeling of being fulfilled  yet not quite able to put your finger on it.  Not quite able to get yourself over the line?  That’s how I’m feeling at the moment…a little stuck.

As soon as I get off pinterest…

Joining up to Pinterest doesn’t help.  My goodness.  That space is just too much.  And all of your wonderful blogs…dear me.  I really want to make Monday craft day, cook delightful muffins from nothing but air and a little stevia, dry body brush myself to beautiful, create a visually inspiring work place complete with vision wall in my dark and dreary study, study well being and nutrition, write an e-book, launch a website, paint my nails red, but an orange based red because a blue based red will just make the veins stand out…..I want to take the kids on a beach walk and wear gumboots, I want to move to France for a year, or Italy, or Bali…or Noosa!  I want to go to yoga, to make  a green smoothie and I want my hair to be longer…now!  I’m finding so many things I want to be yet I’m losing who I really am.  I’m too much Hare and not enough Tortoise.

Obstacles.  There are obstacles.  The internet is one of them.  Jeesh.  The black hole is what we should call it because you just pop online to check your emails and 45 minutes later you are signing up for an e-course in organic gardening!  And then there are the children.  Do I love them? Fiercely.  Would I change my situation? Not in a million years.  Would I like a little more time to focus on life beyond the circle of motherhood without being asked for a drink? Yes please…if such a place exists.

Time, money, ability to make a decision.  Disapproving looks from partners, cold rainy days, dairy intolerance, housework….the obstacles are plentiful, yet we find a way through.  We are good at that.  We look down the line, we prepare and we wait.  We are patience personified.  Because we know it will happen, one day…if we make it happen, one day.

I just need some order, some focus…but how?  How do we achieve that?  How do we prioritise our goals and our dreams and how do make room in our hectic, busy lives to nurture them and let them grow?

Is it just me?  I would love to hear from you…how do you declutter your mind and make room for what is truly important?

Love and light,

mamacino x

Finding the Goddess within…

When was the last time you got in touch with your inner Goddess (or God)? I’ve been hanging out with mine a little more frequently lately and I have to say…I like her, a lot.  

The Goddess at the bottom of my garden…

My inner Goddess has been in hiding for a while.  I’ve had glimpses of her…dancing with my children to live music at the summer night markets, diving under waves and swimming through cold and  salty water, drinking champagne with my girlfriends at busy city eateries, walking on the beach in Byron Bay watching the dolphins…My inner Goddess likes a good time, she thrives on inspiration and learning and trying new things.  I’m hoping, if I’m kind to her, she might appear more often…we’ll have to wait and see.

Things that bring out the Goddess in me..

I thought I’d share with you some of the things that have been inspiring me lately…they might resonate with you…they might not…but hopefully they will make you smile.

Food…

Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?  I LOVE food!  What I have learnt about food lately is to listen to my body when it comes to eating.  Slowly, I have been changing the way I eat to ensure I have a cleaner, healthier, more satisfying diet.  I have stopped eating processed foods, reduced my coffee and alcohol in take, gone easy on the meat, dairy and wheat and started getting as many fruits, vegetables, nuts, pulses, wholegrains and Superfoods in as I can.  I buy organic where I can and love going to the Farmer’s Market.  I am educating myself about food, cooking and nutrition and it has inspired me so much, I am considering making a career out of it!  My inner Goddess is loving this new attitude to health and wellbeing…she has rewarded me with glowing skin, a little weight loss and lots of energy.  Love it!

Here are some websites  I adore for their healthy approach to food – not saying you have to go all vegan or anything but check them out purely for their beauty and inspirational ideas…

My New Roots – I spend hours pouring over this website and have made lots of Sarah’s recipes…she is absolutely the Goddess of Healthy Eating!

My New Roots Banana Carrot Cake…SO good!

Earthsprout – Elenore from Earthsprout is a self confessed tree-hugging greenylicious Goddess of the raw food, vegan kind.  Now, I’m not saying you have to go raw, but if you sign up to her newsletter, you get a free download of her Basics Bible…truly inspiring reading for all Goddesses in search of a healthy and happy life!

Whole Promise – Beautiful food by a beautiful lady.  Sherilyn is a mum to two gorgeous boys and is wonderful at coming up with healthy recipes the whole family will love to eat.  I especially love the Brazil Nut Balls – Chocolately, orangey deliciousness!

“Eat food.  Mostly Plants.  Not too much” … Michael Pollan

Beauty…

Many people may not know this about me, but before having children, I was a Beauty and Day Spa Therapist.  I’ve long ago given up waxing legs but I do miss the holistic side of beauty and wellbeing.  Lately I have been inspired to clean out my bathroom cupboard and dispose of any chemical laden, artificial potions and replace them with natural products which are not only kinder to my body but also to the environment.  I’ve been dry body brushing, exfoliating with salt and honey and enjoying my new organic moisturiser from Mukti and natural deodorant from Miessence.  I’ve even started using organic sanitary products from TOM Organic (why spend a fortune putting organic food in one end, only to put toxic chemicals in the other?).  After three (rather large) babies…I may not ever have my bikini body back but the point is…a Goddess wouldn’t care!  I am accepting myself just the way I am and looking after myself on the outside is making me much, much prettier on the inside.

Natural New Age Mum – Sonia has some great ideas about a whole host of things but I love reading her advice on natural beauty…this article reminded me about how wonderful dry body brushing is for you and inspired me to start doing it daily (ok, and the anti-cellulite effect might have had something to do with it too…)

The Wellness Warrior – This website is inspiring, educational and full of tips for living a healthier, greener life…check it out!

A breath of fresh air…

I am lucky to live by the sea and seeing the ocean every day is really important to me.  Getting outside and immersing myself in nature keeps me calm, it helps me think, it gives me the head space I crave and the physical activity I need to sleep well.  I get my best and most hair-brained ideas while I’m out walking and often come home to greet my husband with that phrase that makes him run for cover – “hey…I’ve been thinking…”

My backyard…

Connection…

I am blessed with the best friends a girl could ask for.  Spending time with my girlfriends always brings out my passions, lifts my spirit and makes me feel good about myself.  They are all Goddesses for different reasons and the best thing about them is that they love to have fun!  Fun is underrated…there is nothing like letting your hair down to reveal your inner Goddess – practise daily!

The small things…

Yoga

Dangle-y earings

Real tea on rainy days

My jade ring, a present from my Mum…a Goddess in her own right

My beautiful children inspire me…to teach my daughters how to be a Goddess and my son how to treat one

Little Goddesses in the making…

Stimulating conversation…sharing opinions, thought, ideas…being challenged

Chai lattes

Art – especially the Mona Lisa though I try to channel Botticelli’s Venus…

Green Juice

My vegetable garden

Fresh flowers

Not doing housework

Books, books and more books

So, what brings out the Goddess in you?  Have you seen her lately?  She’s there, I promise…be kind to yourself and she will reward you for it!

Love and light,

mamacino x

Life’s too short for tea bags…

I have just brewed my very first ever pot of tea…I mean, I’ve certainly drunk plenty of tea in my time, but never loose leaf tea brewed in a tea pot….and guess what?  I like it!

Tea time…

My good friend keeps telling me...life’s too short for tea bags!  I’m a coffee drinker really, so I didn’t get it.  To me, tea was something you drank when you had already had too much coffee.  But since drastically reducing my coffee intake, I have rediscovered tea.  In the morning, I have hot water with lemon, at midday, I have my green tea – now freshly brewed in my special pot.  In the evenings I indulge in herbal elixirs to tempt me into a state quiet relaxation.  Now I can go through a whole day with little thought for coffee (I know…traitorous!) when before, I struggled to get past 9am!  Have I swapped one vice for another?  I don’t think so.  I think it’s about finding something that is an indulgence, a ritual…something for yourself.  Taking time to brew a pot of tea isn’t just about the tea…it’s so much more.

The pleasure of the pause.  Taking time out. ‘Me time’.  Recharging the batteries.  Whatever you want to call it, it is important, essential even that we get it.  Life is busy, we know that but I truly believe it is our own responsibility to take care of ourselves.  Taking the time to brew a pot of tea and then sit and sip it at leisure is something we are all worthy of.  Truly.  If you like tea, make sure to include this nurturing ritual in your day…if not, find something you do love…but lets stop all this ‘hiding in the toilet’ for a bit of peace and quiet.  That just sucks.

In fact, I’m so inspired…I’m going to dedicate the whole month to myself!  This month I aim to go slower, live more simply, do more that inspires me and lifts me up, surround myself with like minded people who will support me, and be happy.  I am very lucky to have the support of the 30 day Self Care Blueprint, an online Self Care Workshop to guide me… but even if you don’t…why not come along for the ride anyway…I think women make the world go round but imagine how awesome it would be if we were all happy, confident and living our best life.  Well, that would just be amazing.

So…what are you going to do for yourself today?  What is your favourite ritual or ‘time out’ activity?  Let us know…we LOVE to hear from you!

mamacino x

Is your body aTemple or a Playground?

If you were sitting in a cafe, sipping on a latte, and your body sat down beside you…what would it say to you?  Would it thank you for all the loving kindness you have shown it over the years or would it scowl at you and your coffee, and give you a piece of it’s mind?  What would your body look like?  Would it be glowing and radiant with health and vitality or would it be pale, tired and terribly overworked?  Being your body is a tough job…maybe it’s time we listened to what it’s trying to tell us.

But that is easier said than done, isn’t it?  We’re busy.  So busy.  We’re stressed.  We have to go to work, we have kids to look after.  We all know the excuses.  We are very good at putting everybody and everything before ourselves…but why?

My friend and I were talking about this last week as we shared some child free time over a decaf cappucino at our favourite cafe.  We know all the answers when it comes to improving our health through nutrition and lifestyle.  We could advise a friend…even write a book!  But when it comes to comitting to these much needed changes ourselves…we always fall short of the mark.

Is it laziness?  For change to occur, effort is required.  To exercise, to eat well, to get to bed before midnight…it’s not that easy.  Do we divert our attention by focusing on others and avoid concentrating on ourselves?  Are we afraid we will fail? I am guilty of berating myself for my misgivings on a daily basis.  That nagging,  negative voice that lives in your head…I shouldn’t have eaten all that bread, I’m  supposed to be going grain free…If I’d done more exercise I wouldn’t have to lay on the floor to do my jeans up (possibly with a coat hanger)….

Do we think we’re not worth the effort?  Looking after yourself takes time, it might take a little bit of money too…sometimes we see this as selfishness, especially if we’re not supported by loving family and friends who understand how important taking care of ourselves really is.  We need to respect ourselves for our own well being but also because we are role models.  I for one want my two daughters (and my son) to grow up with a healthy view of themselves and the ability to make choices that reflect what is best for them.  The bottom line is…if we don’t stay healthy and happy and well…we can’t take care of anyone else.

Look after yourself and you’ll be doing cart wheels…though I don’t recommend it if you have had babies…unless you have your ‘Tena Ladies’ on!

As I’m getting older, I’m starting to love myself more…I know, I know…it’s so cliche…but I appreciate my body now.  Goodness knows, it’s done amazing things.  It runs, it bends in all directions in the name of yoga, it has carried and given birth to three beautiful babies (a miracle I still can not comprehend!) and it has fed and nourished those babies independently for varying amounts of time.  It has completed two degrees and is considering a third.  It has kept working no matter how much I demand of it and has dragged itself out of bed every morning for 36 years regardless of how little sleep it has received (and it hasn’t always been because of night feeds and restless children…)

When I see the beautiful young women in my life, some who are mothers and many who are not, treating their bodies and themselves so carelessly, it makes me feel really sad (and old).  Smoking, alcohol, junk food, crazy work hours…it really concerns me .  I want to tell them…you are so special…you deserve better!

So, I will…

Whenever I question my girls about something they don’t think I noticed and they ask me how I knew…I always say…”because I’m a Mum, and Mum’s know everything”.  They are young enough that they believe me and this still works as an answer…and so in that spirit, I’m going to tell you…

You are so important, worthy, good, loved, beautiful, special, unique, amazing, wonderful, clever, fun, classy, gorgeous, funny, bright, sexy…so take care of yourself, you deserve it.  And I know, because I’m a Mum and Mums know everything.

Is your body a temple or a playground?  How do you feel about your own body?  What has it taught you over the years?

mamacino x