Refresh, Renew, Rejuvenate

The week just gone was a particularly busy and demanding one …. both socially and at work.  It started with a brilliant concert by the Foo Fighters on Sunday night – an awesome show, great energy and with great company.  But being Sunday night, the lateness meant that I was tired starting the work week, and really didn’t recover from Monday.

A friend and colleague had organized an outdoor cinema session for Wednesday night – although it was lovely to eat a picnic tea with friends before the movie, it added another late night to my week.  And to top it all off I had trouble sleeping …. Waking up at about 1am each night and then not able to get back to sleep until 4am or some nights not at all.

By Friday I was exhausted ….. I limped my way through the day.  Getting by on trying to stay in the present, trying to capture some quiet moments and to still my mind which seemed to be racing the whole week, both day and night.   I think that what frustrated me most was that I found it too easy to give in to thinking – after everything I’ve learnt in the last 12 months it seemed that I was helpless to the thoughts and emotions. 

In the weekend I sought refuge.  Time to sleep in and catch up on my sleep debt.  Time to spend with the family, to water the garden, to catch up with the washing, to thoroughly clean the kitchen putting away the accumulation of stuff dumped on the dining table over the last fortnight.  Time to catch up with some friends for dinner Saturday night, time to make a lazy cooked breakfast, time to talk with Nan and Grandad on Skype, time to go for a cross country jog with my daughter.  Time to go for a family bike ride, to take in the local community fair.  Even time to relax in a warm bath complete with salts.

At the end of this terrific weekend I feel like totally different person.  I feel I’ve refreshed my mind with peaceful moments of true presence/mindfulness.  I feel rejuvenated with plenty of sleep and without having to rush to a schedule the whole weekend.  My body feels strong and renewed with the physical activity we did – walks to the beach, bike rides through the neighborhood and even a short run with my daughter. 

Here’s to a great week ahead!

How do you relax after a long and stressful week?  I’d love you to share your thoughts, so send me a post or comment or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .   

Humility

I love the word humility and all it stands for, yet others almost fear it and interpret it synonymously with lack of self-confidence or timidity.  The dictionary defines humility as modesty, lacking pretence, not believing that you are superior to others. It has also been defined as having a clear perspective and respect for one's place in context.

 

I certainly don't adopt the meaning of humility as "meek" but there are those that confuse humility with timidity.  In Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow she poses that “humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance – it is the antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads to the derailment of some corporate heroes, as it does with the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It's about a quiet confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares. It's about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them. It's a lack of arrogance, not a lack of aggressiveness in the pursuit of achievement”.

Bruna also observes that, often, the higher people rise, the more they have accomplished, the more humble they are -- those who achieve the most brag the least. "True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes". (Edward Frederick Halifax). We have all come across people like that and feel admiration for them.

I am reading and listening on Youtube to the teaching of Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now and A New Earth.  His teaching of how to be present, and the fact that presence is the only reality resonates well with me and I will continue to enjoy being a student of Eckhart’s teachings.  Of humility, Eckhart says:

“In essence, you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone. True self-esteem and true humility arise out of that realization. In the eyes of the ego, self-esteem and humility are contradictory. In truth, they are one and the same.”

Being humble and being in a place where I am comfortable to be myself and not have to pretend to be anyone else, or act a certain way enhances my self-confidence, and opens a door to my higher self.  It’s a quality worth encouraging in ourselves and in others.

In a very unlikely place – it was in a book about hunting for shabby chic treasures in flea markets – I recently came across this wonderful piece on humility:

Humility is perpetual quietness of heart.  It is to never be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.  It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is trouble.

Do you value the attribute of humility?  I’d love you to share your thoughts, so send me a post or comment or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .   

Nothing New For a Year Challenge

I’ll let you in on a little secret – I love to set New Year’s Resolutions!  They aren’t gimmicks to me.  The New Year brings about a real chance to set goals for the year ahead, to determine something that I can really connect with and keep focus on throughout the year.  They’ve certainly worked for me over the last few years and when I have achieved the goals I set for myself I feel really proud.  Being able to achieve goals brings much satisfaction to my life and gives me the motivation to do it over and over ….. and so here I am again at the start of the New Year ready to make my resolutions for 2015.

 

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed connecting with a simpler approach to life in 2014, and I want to keep the momentum of this going.  During the year, as my radar detected stories from like-minded people in the press, I read about some particularly inspirational people doing some amazing things in the space of simplicity. 

Sasha Milne is a Perth mother-of-one who decided last Christmas Eve as she stood in a department store with a shopping cart full of items, surrounded by crying kids and stressed parents, that she really didn’t need all the ‘stuff’ she was about to purchase.   She decide then and there to not purchase anything new for 12 months.   In October 2014 she gave a presentation at a local Ted Talks event in Perth, which inspired me along with many others. 

The other inspirational story I picked up on last year was that of The Minimalists (Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Milburn) who came to Perth in October as part of their national (and international) tour.  They have turned their backs on consumerism and sold off most of their possessions to discover a new way of living that didn’t involve material things.  They found a new level of happiness and appreciation for life, and share their quest for a more meaningful life beyond excess with others via their blog www.theminimalists.com .

It is truly amazing what people can achieve when they set a vision and philosophy for how they will live life.  Natalie Isaacs of One Million Women is another person who holds a strong philosophy about life-style in relation to climate change and the simple things we can do in our everyday lives to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere.  By not disposing of items to the tip, but instead re-using, re-cycling, gifting, swapping or loaning we can prevent the wastage of materials and ensure that items have the maximum possible life-span, thus reducing the equivalent amount of CO2 emitted by the items if they were simply discarded to the tip.

Considering all three approaches to lifestyle and how I’d like them to shape my life, I’ve decided that for 2015 I will take up the challenge of not buying anything new for myself for 12 months and to limit anything new for my family – with a couple of exceptions being food, petrol and medicine.  I will make a huge effort to make home-made gifts or source gifts for people from recycled materials, or even quality second hand items or antiques.  I don’t expect this to be easy – it wouldn’t be a ‘challenge’ otherwise, and I’ll keep a track of progress in future blogs.

Here’s to a sensational, simplistic 2015!

Do you set yourself New Year resolutions and have you achieved success?  I’d love you to share your aspirations, so send me a post or comment below or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .   

Delicious Summer Fruits

Summer is without a doubt my favourite time of year.  Not only do I enjoy the warmer weather, but I also love summer food.  Meals are more assembled than cooked, and I love the delicious, fresh, crispness of raw foods.

Summer fruits seem to be full of sunshine.   Mangoes are a huge favourite in our family and they are getting more affordable by the season.  We’ve been enjoying them occasionally for breakfast or lunch.  According to the Australia Mango website (www.mangoes.net.au ) a 200g serve of ripe mango provides you with up to 3 times the recommended daily intake of Vitamins A and C.  They also contain more beta-carotene than any other fruit. Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant that assists with the growth and repair of cells, tissues and skin.

One of the ways we enjoy our ‘mango fandangoes’ is to eat them with banana, and topped with yoghurt and desiccated or shredded coconut.  What a delicious tropical treat!

We also love eating summer berries and cherries.  Berries are particularly beneficial to health in the following ways:

-          They keep you mentally sharp, as they contain anthocyanidins, which cross the blood-brain barrier and locate in learning and memory centres in the brain.

-          Berries have a low glycemic index, meaning that they release their sugar slowly and keep you feeling fuller for longer – the perfect fruit for those with diabetes who need to regulate sugar release to their bodies.

-          Flavanoid packed berries, such as blueberries and raspberries, may one day lead to more effective cancer-prevention strategies.

-          The antioxidants in berries can help your body fight oxidative stress caused by free radicals that can lead to illness. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help improve your health, protect your skin and hair, and prevent certain diseases. All fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, but nutrient-rich berries are some of the absolute best sources.

(Sources:  http://www.joybauer.com/food-articles/berries.aspx and http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition-pictures/amazing-health-benefits-of-berries.aspx )

I usually like to top breakfast cereal with berries, or have them with muslei and yoghurt.  I also like to make an apple and berry crumble – delicious served with vanilla ice cream.  And berries are also great just on their own, or to liven up a cheese board.

Which seasonal fruits are your favourite and how do you enjoy them?  I’d love you to share your recipes, so send me a post or comment below or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .   

Family Recipe Book

Each year we usually spend Christmas with my family in-law in Perth.  It’s a joyful, spirited and rather large event, with a growing number of members as children are born and partners are introduced.   We number about 30 people if we’re all present, and usually share the catering between us with a different host family arranging the lunch or dinner.  Having our two kids at these Christmas celebrations has been great fun – the family love to shower them with presents and affection.  Christmas is much more magical with kids around who are so enthusiastic about Santa’s visit and express their happiness and wonderment in such an uninhibited and pure way.

This year we are going to spend Christmas with my immediate family in Melbourne instead, and I’m so excited about it.  I haven’t spent Christmas with my Mum, Dad, sister and brother for over 10 years!  So, it’s definitely time to do it, particularly while the kids are young.  I’d love for my parents to relive the magic that Christmas brings, which they haven’t experienced since we were children.   

Because we’ll be away, I wanted to give extra special gifts for my family-in-law; gifts that were useful, thoughtful, creative and didn’t cost the earth – being so many people in number.    I found a terrific idea from Cath Armstrong who writes a magnificent blog that I follow called www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au .  Cath had some suggestions for home-made Christmas presents and one of these was to produce a family recipe book.  What a great idea!  With so many celebrations we have shared together over the years, we’ve been spoilt by all the wonderful dishes we’ve shared.  And we all have our favourities both to cook and to eat. 

 

Cath’s blog can be found here http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/2014/09/100-days-to-cheapskates-style-christmas.html .

Last weekend I requested recipes from all members of the family and I’m waiting in anticipation for these all to come in.  Will people share their secret recipes for some of the dishes I’ve requested of them?  I hope so!  My plan is to have the children create some pictures to include, which I’ll scan into the document so that the whole recipe collection can be printed and bound.   I might even put the individual sheet sleeves into a display folder if I can find some nice ones, to protect the pages from splashes when cooking.

I can’t wait to put it all together and see the finished product.  I hope the family enjoy them!

Do you have any home-made Christmas gifts you’re currently working on?  I’d love to hear your suggestions, so send me a post or comment below or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .   

All We Have Is This Moment

I took my eldest daughter to her first concert last night.  It was Katy Perry and both of us have been huge fans for over a year now.  We were so excited and the show didn’t disappoint.  There were dances, contortionists, lots of costume changes, conveyer belts, Katy flying, … it was a high energy performance and Katy’s voice was amazing.  The show had everything and was such a great party!

I’ve been inspired by Katy’s lyrics this year, particularly from her Prism album.  Even though she is quite provocative at times some of Katy’s lyrics are very profound and uplifting.  She sings a lot about being the best you can be, finding strength within and being positive.  One particular lyric that has resonated with me is:

“All we have is this moment.  Tomorrow’s unspoken, yesterday is history.”

This is so true.

So often I worry about the future – what do I have in my calendar coming up in the next month?  What have I done in the past that I could have done better?  Thinking and worrying about either of these things is really a waste of time and energy.  What can I effect right now?  That’s so much more important.  How can I make the most out of the moment I am in right now?  Being fully present in the current moment means that I’ll take time to notice all the small miracles that happen every day.

Like when my daughter and I sat down at the concert, one of the few to take their seats early, and realised that across the aisle were seated our previous neighbours!  In a stadium seating 15,000 people what are the odds?  There are no coincidences, only miracles –everything happens for a reason.

My youngest daughter is struggling with living in the moment.  She’s only 4 years old, but worries so much about things… actually she reminds me of me!  I didn’t have the easiest of childhoods, suffering from anxiety, and now I see a similar pattern playing out in my daughter.  It really breaks my heart.  I need to teach her to live in the moment, and not worry about the past or future.  It’s what got me through…. Although it took a hell of a long time.  I wish that my youngest can get over her anxiety much more quickly than I got over mine (only about 10 years!).

Katy’s Perry’s song “This Moment”  says…..

“Can you tell me who called a race?  Can anyone stay in one place?  And when you get to the finish line, will you wish for more time?  …….

“But you know who I think will win?  Are the ones who let love in.  Are they ones who take the time.”

Do you have something to share about being in the moment?  Or taking time to discover life’s small miracles that happen daily?  I’d love to hear your stories, so send me a post or comment below or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .   

Stop Grocery Shopping Eating Out Your Wallet!

How much do you spend on your weekly grocery shop for the family?  $100, $200 maybe even $300?  Do you feel as though your grocery shopping is eating through your wallet, leaving you with little to save at the end of a month?  What if I could show you a better way to shop, where you’re guaranteed to get on top of this often missed opportunity to really improve your budgeting, so that you have more money to save or to spend on what you really value.  And you won’t compromise on the quality of your meals – in fact they are more likely to improve!

I started shopping this way when I was on maternity leave with my second baby.  I had wanted to take a full 12 months off work and had to plan for the loss of income during this period, and really tighten the belt and make every dollar stretch.  This was the time that I learnt the most about budgeting… and I’ve made a real effort to maintain the principles now that I’m back at work again.  If we could live off a lower cost of living then, there’s no reason why we can’t do it now.

One book I read at the time gave me fantastic ideas for following the loss leader cycle of supermarket chains specials.  It detailed a method of looking through the catalogues that come in the post or can be found online.  Then start keeping a notebook to record each grocery item you regularly buy, the price and date.  It’s amazing how quickly you can go from not really taking any notice or remembering grocery item prices, to knowing prices and recognizing a decent special.  You may even be able to predict when a particular item is likely to be on special!

Another book I read was Cath Armstrong’s Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing.  Cath describes stacks of practical ways to save money on many facets of daily living.  Her blog is also full of ideas, recipes, crafts, gardening tips and other advice to help you meet your financial savings goals.  You can check it out here.

Now that I have two growing school-age children and I’m working full-time, I have very little time to go shopping.  So I have switched to ordering shopping on line and having it home delivered.  Through Coles Online, if I book a delivery for Wednesday it’s free of charge.  Wednesdays soon sell out though, so I need to make sure I order groceries on the prior Sunday. 

Not only am I able to get free delivery, I have also found that I save a LOT more money by sorting items by unit price and recognizing real value.  For the past year, I have found that my weekly grocery shopping is always less than $120 per week, and I often save $30 - $50 off usual prices!  This grocery shopping excludes fresh fruit and vegetables and meat, as I prefer to buy these from growers markets or our local Farmer Jacks which sells particularly good value local meat. 

This is the method I use for shopping:

1.        Don’t be brand loyal – buy what’s on special, the best value by unit price

2.       When buying an item like flour, sugar, rice etc I buy cheap store brands as they don’t involve a recipe and quality is just as good as name brands.

3.       During the week/fortnight make a list of items that are running out or low that I need to buy.  Have a plan in mind for the meals that my husband or I will cook over the next week, and add items for these meals to the list.

4.       Don’t be loyal to one supermarket … if not inconvenient shop for the week/fortnight where you get the most savings for the items on the list.

5.       Look through catalogues (in the letterbox or online) and check products and prices against my list so that I can determine where I’ll shop for the week/fortnight.

6.       If I’m going to physically shop, I mark the prices next to each item on my list (usually rounded to the nearest dollar) then add them up so I know how much to expect the shop to be.

7.       If I’m shopping online I’ll see the tally of the total value of the shop before I commit to buy.  If I’ve ordered something that’s stretching the budget I have the opportunity to remove it.

8.       I always sort the list of items online by their unit price so that I can easily see the best value.

 

I had intended this year to shop fortnightly, instead of weekly but I haven’t yet been able to make this discipline stick.  I do want to make an effort to do this though, and get out of the habit of a weekly shop, as I think the longer I stretch the shopping trip the more opportunity I’ll have to save.

My last two weekly shops have been ordered online with free delivery, been within budget and show considerable savings on usual prices:

 

Do you have some tips to share about your successful shopping strategies?  I’d love to hear them, so send me a post or comment below or you can email me at livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .