Motivated Mummy Magazine - May Edition 2016

M AY 2016

M otivated M ummy

FEATURING : EMMA DAVIDSON

I AM A CULT SURVIVOR

CARTEL FLOW ERS

IN THIS ISSUE

Contents NOV 2015

MAY 2016

ON THE COVER

p. 17

p. p. 4 9 Emma ?The Gecko?Davidson

mummy must haves

FEATURES Dream outside your confines and rewrite your limits. p. 4 6 Questions to save you from your Marketing Plan p. 9

p.p.

88

I am a cult survivor

p. 13

Cartel Flowers

p. 17

Secret Mumma's Business

p. 20

Scribble to School

p. 24 Page | 2

Publication Information

business

Editor - Claire Mansell

p. 20

Cover- Emma Davidson

p. 13

Contributors :

NOV 2015 Ling Wong Claire Ashman

travel

p. 27

Amanda Kereama Honey Mejia Lauren Watson Lahnee Pavlovich Ellen Jackson

p. 26

Alison Kleinert If you would like to contribute to the MM Magazine or if you have an advertising enquiry please contact Claire.

nourish me

p. 36 p. 37

Please note: Links in this magazine maybe connected to affiliate programs.

All rights are Reserved.

Copyright 2016 Motivated Mummy Pty Ltd Page | 3

DREAM OUTSIDE YOURCONFINES AND REWRITE YOURLIMITS Written by : Emma ?The Gecko?Davidson

My journey as an ent r/solo/mumpreneur st art ed in very early 2010.

Up until the end of 2009 I had been working in a wonderful social enterprise. I loved my job and got to work on a variety of projects based around social inclusion. My main role was to coordinate the kerbside collection of garden waste across our County by contract of the local authority. Unfortunately after over 4 years of our enterprise piloting and growing the scheme across the county the local authority put out the service to tender and a large company won the contract. This required my position to be TUPE?ed to said large organisation. All of the social inclusion and aspects of my job I loved were removed. In all honesty all my duties were removed.

I was heavily pregnant. As they didn?t have any office space in our area they set up a porta cabin at the back of a HGV garage. They made no pretence of my worth and I was given very little actual duties to carry out. There was no running water or facilities at the cabin and I had to cross the busy yard and navigate the garage to get to the toilet! My husband was livid on my behalf, but I was determined to see it out as long as possible as I wanted as much of my maternity leave with my baby as possible. I stuck it out till about 2 weeks before my son was born. My son was born on the 5th of January 2010. When he was just 6 weeks old we were invited to a dinner party of a friend who had recently gone self-employed. She was loving it, her creative juices were flowing and she wore her new freedom with deep felt happiness, I was jealous!

Time for a rewrit e I left the dinner party and told my husband again how much I dreaded the thought of going back to work. A feeling all too familiar for so many new mums. My beautiful husband told me to do it, go for it! I was a bit dumbfounded, ?don?t be stupid what would I do?? ?What do you want to do?? was his reply. Well I was torn between wanting to just be a mum and wanting to go back to my old job! Neither were an option, my old job didn?t exist and I knew as much as I loved being a Mum I needed to work, it was fuel for my brain ? don?t judge me, we?re all wired differently. My husband told me that I was the artist, I was holding the paint brush I could create what I wanted. So I started to pinpoint what I wanted to do, mixed with what I thought there was a market for, then I contacted some old colleagues and got some market research done and slowly I drew a picture of what I wanted to do. I would set up as a freelance Project and Event Manager, specialising in community and third sector work. I was still very much unclear and petrified of making the leap from being employed to self-employed, however I had need not of worried! Just one month after the dinner party when my son was scarcely 3 months old I was called into the porta cabin and made redundant, it was March 2010,.

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Fast forward to June 2012. I had been freelance for 2 years and on the whole I had loved it. I had worked on such a wonderful variety of projects; from a social inclusion project helping teenagers where they got a Q&A with Tinchy Stryder, to writing cultural inclusion and diversity projects for a small community. However it had become very stressful. My son had suffered with a bad chest and been hospitalised and although not serious he needed me and it was difficult.

Being freelance there was nobody to stand in for me and I had an obligation not to let my clients down and also those on their projects. The stress was taking its toll and causing significant anxiety.

When in June I went on my honeymoon it became apparent to my husband just how much it was taking its toll I was dreading going home.

We were in rural Turkey watching families working together, the atmosphere was relaxed and I realised that was what I wanted. It was in that short week that again I turned my whole life in a different direction. We talked nonstop and realised we wanted a third (and final) child (we already had a daughter).

Rewrit ing t he rewrit e Ever since I have known my husband he has been frustrated by the lack of choice of men?s clothes on the market and it?s been a long standing joke that I would design him clothes just for him. When we had my son I too became frustrated at how dull and boring boys clothes were. We had talked more about creating clothes that bridged this gap more seriously, but it was still something that felt unattainable a pie in the sky dream. That week we broke it down and looked at exactly why we couldn?t do it. Between us we had a lot of the skill sets needed, my husband is a very talented graphic designer. I had wanted to be a clothes designer since I was 6 years old, when we broke it down I could hardly believe through excitement that this could happen! We went home from our honeymoon and started putting things in motion.

We knew we had a lot to learn, but that coincided with having another child so we decided it would be more of a hobby than anything whilst we finish building our little family. That?s what we did.

Another quick skip forward, it?s March 2016. 6 years since I was made redundant from that dingy little dreary port a cabin and I am cofounder of Gecko Clothing a pretty awesome, award winning, kids clothing brand. I am a children?s clothes designer. Easy it has not been, but rewarding, exciting and magical yes! We create clothes that are fun and colourful, eco-friendly and unisex. I get to involve new passions into Gecko regularly. I work with my husband and all our kids put regular input. I sit and talk to my son about what he likes, or doesn?t about his clothes. Even our youngest son, now 2 inputs.

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Are your dreams confined by societ y?

My message? Life is scary and fear holds us back more than we ever realise. It keeps us in line living what is socially normal. We are executors of our own destiny. I am lucky my husband challenged me when I needed challenging, would I have made the changes otherwise? I don?t know. Look at what you want from life, not what life expects from you.

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M ummy must haves Heart in a B ox Busy Mama Heart Box is ideal for all of us. As mums we work 24/7 and a little Love and Pamper goes a long way! Treat your bestie!

Glam Affair M ineral Eyeliner An eyeliner made from online natural ingredients?.

WOW! NO need to worry about the sensitivity to hard ingredients. Jojoba seed oil and grapefruit extracts provide a refreshing option.

L ike a B oss Travel M ug WE all need one of these?? Everyday ?Like a Boss? , even though know one else knows it Mums are the BOSS anyway!! Great gift for mumpreneurs!

I neke Australia - Earrings Handcrafted beautiful clay earring, elegant and subtle. Gorgeous for all occasions.

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6 QUESTIONS TO SAVE YOU FROM YOURMARKETING PLAN WRITTEN BY: LING WONG

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A coaching client was nearing the end of her intensive program. We were at the stage to design a marketing plan for the next 6 months so she can cut the busywork and do what truly matters.

Then she added? ?but I don?t know what I want in 6 months!?

I told her, she had exactly told me what she wanted ? to gain a solid footing! The next question is ? what does she need to know and what skills She is an experienced coach using a particular does she need to acquire, in order to get there. method. However, she has been ?selling? the We created a plan to help her get a solid footing method in a very generalized manner without by knowing her market better, refining her offers much focus. and gaining more confidence through working with As a result, she had only been doing some more clients. workshops here and there for anyone and ?Progress? doesn?t have to look like having 30 everyone who walked into the door, and never clients or making $15k a month. For my client, been able to funnel many of the participants into having a solid offering, getting great private clients and charge a premium for her word-of-mouth, and gaining the confidence to build services. out her business is the exact progress she needs.

Her pre-session assignment was to write Her plan takes into account her pace and where down where she wants to be in 6 ? 12 months. she is at right now.

She came to the call empty-handed.

It is designed to help her test her process and She felt paralyzed. She had these ideas that her build her confidence, while generating an income goal ?should? look a certain way ? like, get 30 and getting testimonials by having a ?pilot coaching clients, have a full practice, launch a program? with a slightly lower price point (rather blockbuster program, or earn $50k. than giving away her services to people who may She couldn?t wrap her head around any of those. not be committed to doing the work.)

Not to mention whenever she thought of the We mapped out her activities for the upcoming 6 ?how?she froze. months with HER in mind ? in what way can she So I asked her, ?what would you like to see best utilize her strengths to attract new clients? happen in YOU being in your business in the next Where are her ideal clients, and how is she going 6 months?? to communicate her relevance to them in a way that is congruent with her personality?

She told me she wanted to get a better sense of her ideal clients and the market. She wanted to Finding marketing activities and promotional gain more confidence by testing out her unique venues that are congruent with her personality process on her newfound niche and clarity. She turns out to be very important for this client who is wanted to know that she has a solid footing. an introvert and does a lot better in private Page | 10

conversations than in groups.

First, we acknowledged that there is absolutely nothing wrong with her that the typical ?networking?event is not her cup of tea, even though she has found her groove in conducting small group workshops.

Then we mapped out how she can put herself in the path of her ideal clients using her strength (in this case, maybe a workshop) and quickly funnel them into one-on-one conversations that lead to the sales of her private program.

I n a nutshell, here are the components she needs to put in place for the next few months: ONE Conduct conversations with those in her target market, which will inform the creation of her pilot program.

TW O Create her pilot program (and set a cap or deadline for the special pricing to end.)

THREE

FIVE Craft 1 to 3 signature talks to funnel potential clients into enrollment conversations.

SIX Sell her 1:1 pilot program during the enrollment conversations.

L ing is an I ntuitive B rainiac.

Through her unique blend of Business + Marketing coaching with a Mindset + Psychic Twist, she helps the multi-talented and multi-passionate maverick solo-entrepreneurs distill ALL their big ideas into ONE cohesive Message, nail the WORDS that sell and design a Plan to cut the busywork and do what matters, through her intuitive yet rigorous iterative process born out of her Harvard Design School training and 10 years of experience in the online marketing industry.

Ling helps her clients optimize the space between individuality + originality vs. "tried-and-true" marketing so they can express their WHY unapologetically and profitably without reinventing the wheel.

Find Ling and grab her free "How to Find YOUR Winning Formula" Training Series here.

Brush up on her enrollment conversation skills.

FOUR Find local venues to conduct workshops or online ?partners? (e.g. trade associations) through which she can offer a teleseminar or webinar.

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Lynx Accessories, was born in Cali, Colombia in 2005 with the mission to spread positive energy and to empower woman trough the design of conscious, meaningful jewelry and accessories with high quality standards. By carefully selecting the materials to ensure durability, all their products are 24K Gold finished or Silver combined with different natural crystals- stones as Agatha, Quartz, amethyst, Swarovski among others.

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I AM A CULT SURVIVOR Written by : Claire Ashman

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What motivated me to write my book?

My book is a little different than what you?d usually see on the shelves of the bookstore, I talk about a subject people generally shy away from?. ?Cults?.You see, I?m a cult survivor. Not just from one cult, but two.

To give you a little background, I was brought up on a small farm in country Victoria, Australia.

Although we were close to schools and town, Mum chose to completely isolate us by home-schooling us. She was religiously Catholic so we grew up without television; magazines; papers; regular music and most importantly, friends. We went out twice a week for piano lessons and church. This was a church that harkened back to the 1940?s in hierarchy and language, the service was completely in Latin.

Needless to say I and my siblings grew up very socially awkward, na誰ve, lacking self esteem and confidence, therefore finding it quite difficult to make friends. Due to all this I thought my only safe choice was to marry and so I did at 18, to a man who was quite a bit older than myself. I erroneously thought I?d escaped my strict upbringing and set about attempting to be ?normal?.

Just as my eldest child settled into his first year of schooling my husband threw my world upside down by announcing he wanted to sell our house and move us all from the city to live interstate in a community he had heard about. A religious community that revolved around self sufficiency and beliefs of the world ending in the year 2000. I didn?t want to go and desperately dug

my heels in but was eventually forced to join my husband due to having no way of supporting myself, no family support and the fear of being a single mother. After spending almost 10 years in this cult, where the leader was eventually jailed for paedophilia, our family was evicted because I began asking too many questions. Myself and my 8 children were so happy to see the back of that place, we?d longed for years to move. Once settled into our new home in the nearby town, I began to rebuild our lives from scratch. Here I was at 36 years old, my children aged 16 down to 2 and I was starting our lives all over again.

My marriage had ended too. So began 8 years of solo parenting and playing catch up together; movies; music; fashion; books and making new friends. All the while me questioning all my beliefs whilst providing a stable life for my children.

For the first year out of the cult I didn?t want to talk about it openly because I felt so humiliated and embarrassed to find myself lacking in so many areas, I felt like I?d been left behind by the world. But it became increasingly harder to just leave out 10 years of one?s life. So little by little I would bring my experience into conversation to gauge people?s reactions.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that rather than shun me, which is what I had expected, people were eager to hear my story! When I asked why, their response was that my story showed resilience in difficult times; determination to create a new life for myself and my children; positivity and creativity in various circumstances.

Many who heard parts of my story urged me to write a book about my experiences.

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So I began to write. I had no experience in how to write a book but being a logical girl, began with chronological bullet points which I expanded on. At first I found it difficult to write but then over time it became easier and my thoughts just seemed to pour out onto the paper. Not just my story though, I suddenly found I was hit with all sorts of new revelations about my life.

Connect with Claire

I began to understand how my upbringing and lack of questioning as a teenager had influenced my choices as a young woman. My unworthiness issues causing me to have low standards for myself and the men in my life. As the word count grew so did my enlightenment. I started to feel empowered and began making changes to improve my life. My thirst for personal development became more than an interest. Bit by bit I was determined to overcome my past and create a brand new future for our family.

I also came to realise that the wider community is quite ignorant about the prevalence of cults in our society. It has become my mission to speak out about this in order to bring about a new awareness and for members of society to be able to better assist cult members to escape their situation. I?m hoping this will be an inspiration to other women and have already been asked to speak about my experiences at a future TEDx event.

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BUSINESS FEATURE: CARTEL FLOWERS

Written by: Amanda Kereama Page | 17

W hy did you st art your business?

So?. Fast forward the few months of hard work and late nights working around bub?s sleeping schedules that it took to get all our ideas into action and a final product in our hands -we launched Cartel Flowers on Instagram just over a month ago in early March and the response and demand for our product has been incredible.

Cartel Flowers was an idea my hubby and I jointly came up with and brought to life after many a discussion of how much we wanted to work for ourselves but we just needed a great idea. Two lovers of minimal and monochrome we wanted to create a beautiful box to hold incredibly beautiful flowers and something that When developing our overall product and Australia hadn?t seen before. offering - we felt it was time that spending $100+ Our goal was to introduce ?the new luxury in dollars on the usual bunch of flowers that you flowers?to the market. During the long process of need your own vase for and lasted only a week designing our box and coming up with our was well overdue for a refresh and we feel branding (Cartel was inspired by our son?s name Cartel Flowers brings a fun and special edge to Carter) I threw out there to my husband ?why the market with our box filled with 30+ premium don?t be offer personalisation on the box!?? We roses and personalised just for you. did some research and determined that this was definitely an Australian first and as far as we are We have found our boxes to be extremely popular for a wide range of bridal and wedding aware worldwide too! occasions, birthdays, birth announcements and of This element of personalising a box of flowers not course amongst the romantics to say I love you only creates the most special gift for the recipient and to celebrate an anniversary. We are but it also means that once the flowers have currently delivering in Victoria only but will be lived their long life the recipient is left with a expanding to Sydney soon to meet demand and beautiful box with their name or a sweet have already began working on some exciting sentiment on it that they can upcycle and keep projects in sunny (and humid!) Brisbane. for decoration or storage etc. It?s also worth noting that after a long process of sourcing the perfect roses ? the roses used in our Cartel boxes are premium imported roses and will last a lot longer than others you might have received (with the correct flower care of course).

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Cartel and hope that it includes continued popularity of our product and with any luck a bit more sleep! Starting your own business whilst being a Mum of a busy 14month old definitely brings with it its own set of challenges, but for now I am extremely grateful to being working on something I am passionate about and doing so with my incredible and clever husband. It?s also such a nice feeling to know that our product is being chosen to play such a big part in peoples very special day and we love seeing that Instagram post with a personalised Cartel Flowers box front and centre on a wedding day, at a milestone birthday or alongside a newborn baby etc ? that definitely makes all the hard work worth it!

Connect wtih Cartel F lowers

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SECRET MUMMA'S BUSINESS Written by Honey Mejia Credit: Photography by fotographEY

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Motherhood ? Where to begin.

I was someone who often commented to friends that the day I started a family would be the day I had reached a certain stage in my career and life. I had been busy climbing the corporate ladder within known advertising & marketing agencies for the best part of 10+ years, having been fortunate to have worked on some pretty amazing brands at a director level, when I discovered I was pregnant. 34 and engaged. Not too bad I guess. My initial thought was ?Oh no! Agency life is not family-friendly. How will I balance an agency career with a child when a standard work day would be 10-15 hours??. I panicked and told myself I would return to work after four months. Boy was I wrong! Once my son, Henry, was born, my goodness ? I couldn?t imagine returning after only four months. He was so precious and I just wanted to spend every moment with him. Six months in, into being a new mummy I told myself ?Stay home with him for as long as you can?but in the back of my mind I was pulling hairs knowing that returning into the workforce after 12, 18 months would not be easy as I?d need to find an agency where work hours were 9 ? 5, which is unrealistic in the industry.

This is when a lucky break happened! A friend?s wife had launched a business, they approached me asking if I would handle their branding, advertising & marketing for them. YES! YES! YES! Within a month of taking them on as my first client, I got approached by a few more brands to, yes, you got it? take them on as clients too!

Hooray! Immediately I knew I could REALLY turn this into something. AN AGENCY. And that?s precisely what I did! I quickly registered the business name, secured its domain, and started on my own branding and marketing. I hired one person on a freelance basis which quickly turned permanent. 4 weeks later I had 3 contract

clients. This grew as more brands reached out to take on my Agency, POP UP COMMUNICATIONS, services as we?ve become known for ELEVATING BRANDS across all platforms in Branding, Advertising, Marketing & Design.

Now, six months into the start-up, we are a team of 4 and looking at hiring a further 3. Best yet, everyone works from home. Who would?ve thought. An agency with a difference! With all the technology in the world, why not, provided they were equally as motivated and experienced. As my clients increased along with the work, I am now looking into an office space BUT with the flexibility for staffers to work from home.

That lucky break I received, I could not be more grateful as it allowed me to make an ever-niggling idea to go out on my own for years to actually happen, and where I can continue to see my son grow during his early years. One thing about motherhood, it has certainly shown me that I am STRONGERand more MOTIVATED than I ever thought I was. It further taught me that I always had what it took to go out there to create THE agency that I was wanting to work for, once my family began.

Connect with POP UP Communications

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Top 5 Tips on Branding one Create a distinctive brand identity ? how you want to be perceived by your target audience in both design and company value

two What is your brand style ? your business personality

three What is your business objective or its intention ? it?s mission, benefits and features of products and/ or services

four What is your brand message ? who, what, where and when are you delivering and communicating it to

five BE CONSISTENT! Page | 22

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SCRIBBLE TO SCHOOL Written by Lauren Watson

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I?ve always wanted to own my own business, that was my only long term career goal, but I wasn?t really sure what I wanted to own. I?d always had an interest in sewing but my sewing skills are mediocre at best and after a few disastrous attempts at clothing, I knew this was not going to work!! As I lamented and thought about what I was going to do, I was given a truly valuable piece of advice: use the skills you already have.

deadlines of university assignments!

However, once I finished studying and the haze of having a newborn wore off, I realised how much studying had made me a far better educator. I had become fiercely passionate not only about the care and wellbeing of children but the high quality education all children should have access to. So from being a Preschool At 16, I left school and began studying childcare teacher, to becoming a mum, it was clear that my through TAFE. By 17.5, I had all the certificates I business was going to be child related. needed to be employed with a centre but had to wait until I was 18 to legally work in one.

During my University studies, I became really Fast forward and I was so fortunate to be interested in children?s literacy. There seemed to employed by an extremely high quality centre, be a gap between the early years (0-5 years) that I believe kick started my career and and Prep for children?s knowledge, skills and subsequent passion for children?s learning and expectations. From recognising letters and sounds development. Over the years, I have graduated to sight words! I created Scribble to School for with a Primary Education degree, worked in this reason. Scribble to School is a school Sydney, Canberra, Auckland and now Brisbane readiness program that focuses on building early (from a Teacher, Director, right through to literacy skills for children aged 3-6 years. It gives recruiting teachers) and each and every centre them opportunities to explore and learn and arm that I have worked in has shaped the educator I them with prior knowledge so when they get to have become today. In 2013, there were some school they can feel confident and eager to national policy and regulation changes which learn. meant that if I wanted to continue working in the Preschool Room, I would need to re-enrol in University and complete 8 subjects over 2 years, which I did. I was horrified at the thought of training again- assignments, working full time (at the time) how would I cope?! In 2014, a spanner was thrown into the works and our beautiful daughter Frankie was born, however I couldn?t stop studying (as I was on a scholarship). It was an extremely difficult time in my life, one which should have been solely focused on our daughter but was marred by the constant Page | 25

Everything I offer is through play. This is something I think, in the industry, has been misconstrued by some. Learning through Play, is not a free for all, it doesn?t mean children run wild and do whatever they want, because they are ?playing?.

My role as an educator is to set up highly educational experiences that look appealing, provoke curiosity, foster learning and I am the guide. I take great pride in the experiences that I offer children. The aim of Scribble to School is to allow children to gain exposure to literacy and all that this entails: talking and listening, reading and writing. We build on the seven strands of literacy to build a strong foundation, these are: learning to listen, time to talk, music, movement and memory, storytime, learning about print, tuning into sound and moving into writing. Many of the experiences (if not all) cross over into another developmental area, from problem solving and developing cognitive skills to fine motor needed for pencil grip and cutting. We might use a story or text as the basis of another play experience or set up our dolls out with career dolls and see where children lead the play script!

We also only offer 11 spaces per class; we do this so each child is able to learn in a small, positive learning environment, to build their confidence and skills. Scribble to School is built to compliment the Early Years programs (EYLF and QKLG) but also assist children, who may not attend formal care, or find large groups of children overwhelming. The children, at Scribble to School, come first. Always.

At Scribble to School, I am extremely passionate about providing children with skills that will help them through life and create a belief that learning is fun.

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood), Bachelor of Teaching (Primary Education), full QLD Teachers Registration, a Blue Card (working with children check) and 13 years? experience teaching preschool aged children.

We also support and foster letter and sound development (phonics) through the Letterland program. Letterland is an imaginary place where the letters come to life. It is a multisensory program and mostly taught through song.

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The benefits of a night away from the kids is no S ecret Written by : Lahnee Pavlovich (That Mum Lady)

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You know that saying about the three birds and the stone? Well my husband and I flipped it on its head recently ticking off three things we wanted to celebrate, in one beautiful treehouse named after the Bower Bird.

Every parent dreams of having a night without the kids but many don?t realise just how important it truly is ? for your health, your sanity, your relationship!

So recently my husband and I bit the bullet, asked grandma to babysit our daughter for the night and set off to Secrets on the Lake in Montville, Sunshine Coast. It is actually where we were married four years ago and we absolutely love it there. The owners, Aldy and George treat you like family coming to stay at their house, and really, that?s what you are doing!

This trip was the first time we had been back since our 2012 nuptials and we were celebrating not only a night to ourselves and an early wedding anniversary, but also having a bit of a babymoon before our newest addition to the family joins us in September.

We arrived in the early afternoon and made our way up the long driveway to the reception area in the main house. The delicious smells of lunch cooking wafted through to greet us as we entered the grand wooden building. The main house is also home to the newly renovated Secrets CafĂŠ and Art Gallery. After admiring the dĂŠcor and making a wish in George?s famous handcrafted cedar wood Wishing Chair, Aldy greeted us with a smile, checked us in and we were taken to our treehouse, The Bower, with a breakfast hamper and fresh cooked scones for afternoon tea.

Settling in is so easy here. It?s quiet (a rarity for parents!), all you hear is the sweet sounds of the trees blowing in the wind, the twigs cracking under a birds claw and the rhythmic hum of the insects. The treehouse itself, which you enter after wandering along a hand carved wooden footbridge, is simply magnificent. Ours was a Luxury Treehouse complete with spa bath, double shower, expansive balcony with love swing and BBQ, self-contained kitchen, cosy queen size bed and a view looking out over the gardens, Baroon Pocket Dam in the not so far away distance. I should mention here that nearly everything at Secrets is hand carved by George and his son Rob from the most beautiful woods something that needs to be seen to be truly appreciated.

For us, this night away was for relaxing and enjoying each other?s company, so after hanging out in the treehouse for a while we set off on a walk to discover the breathtaking gardens sprawled across the property which stretches right down to the Dam. The gardens are where we were married and they looked just as stunning as they did on that day - so rustic, yet colourful, vibrant and full of life. The grass couldn?t be greener and the Boat House stands proud among it all.

If we wanted to, we could have taken a kayak out for a paddle on the Dam but sitting on the love swing watching the rippling water was more to our pace. We stayed down here until sunset before heading back to The Bower for the first of many spas. And with a spa bath like this one, looking out over the gardens through tall glass windows, surrounded by candles and more of Page | 28

that hand crafted wooden goodness, how could you not have more than just one soak.

There is an option to buy a BBQ hamper and cook your own dinner on the deck but we decided to head into Montville for a delicious dinner at the Montville Bar & Grill before a full night?s sleep (heaven!).

The next morning, our alarm clock was the sun rising up behind the trees and the sound of the birds chirping outside our windows. Fresh croissants were waiting for us by the front door and with coffees in hand we took our breakfast hamper out to the deck to enjoy?.. with about six kookaburras.

Fast Facts: Where: Secrets on the Lake, Narrows Rd, Montville Price: From $215 per night Contact: www. secretsonthelake.com.au

You can get quite up close and personal with the wildlife here as we discovered the moment my husband took a bite of his croissant and one of the Kookaburras swept in and grabbed it right from his hand! Later that morning we also spotted a tree snake sliding along the walkway.

Kookaburras?and snakes aside, it was beautiful and the entire night away was exactly what we needed to relax, reconnect and recoup before heading back down the hill to our wonderful daughter and reality.

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I mportance of D ate Night: A recent survey found that 45%of couples ?rarely?have date nights. A mere 18%said they manage to go out once a month. And the reason why? They say it?s a luxury. BUT I beg to differ. I say it?s a necessity and here?s why: 1. It 's an opport unit y for romance As parents, the word romance becomes almost taboo. If you?ve read mummy blogger Constance Hall?s piece on ?parent sex?and had a giggle then you know what I?m talking about. Pre kids, sex and intimacy was a frequent thing. After kids, it?s a ?let?s do it quickly while the kids are watching tv?kind of thing. But it shouldn?t be. Romance, intimacy, even simple cuddling should be things you do with your partner on a regular basis. That?s why having a date night is so important ? it reminds you that you are a COUPLE. Not just parents.

2. You can connect again Most of our time as parents is spent doing things ? shopping, lunches, working, kid?s sports, the list goes on. Date night is a chance to just be. You don?t need to do anything if you don?t want to. You can set aside your to-do list and simply sit, talk, drink a glass of wine and reconnect to each other as people.

3. The kids benefit from ot her adult influences If you are worried about your children, don?t be! So long as they are being looked after by a responsible adult, they are actually benefiting from that little break from you too.

When young people have the opportunity to develop strong bonds with people other than their parents, they become more accomplished and they?re exposed to new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things. Plus, they get the chance to connect with other family members and friends and let?s be honest ? they are probably a little spoilt during their night away too.

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S eeing through a child? s eyes at S ea World Written by : Lahnee Pavlovich (That Mum Lady)

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There is no doubt that theme parks and kids go hand in hand. So when it came to an impromptu night away for our little family, Sea World and the Sea World Resort seemed like the perfect picks.

Kids love theme parks! They love the sights, the sounds, the smells?. But when you have an 11 month old, there are some things you need to consider when choosing what theme park to visit. She is too small for a lot of the rides, but she does love colours, sounds and animals which made Sea World a great option for us.

We packed up the car, drove the two or so hours from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast and checked in at the Sea World Resort.

We only had a night to spare so we wanted to be nice and close to the park and what better way to do that than staying pretty much on site!

Plus this resort is like kids heaven!

balcony overlooking the beautiful Broadwater.

And let me tell you - it is well worth the extra money if you can spare it! The room was open plan with contemporary dĂŠcor and a very comfortable king sized bed. The bathroom was spacious and airy with a large enough bathtub that bub and I could both enjoy a bubble bath while watching Mr Maker on the television overlooking the tub. Slats opened up to the main room too letting in plenty of light and air. It was so relaxing and the staff were happy to set up a portacot for us at no extra charge so bub had her very own bed and her very own view out the glass sliding doors too.

After our bags were set down, bub was changed and we freshened up, it was off to Sea World! We had our tickets ready, pram packed and everyone was quite excited. It had been a while since myself or my husband had visited the park and it?s always that little bit more exciting There is a kids club, massive water park area when you are introducing your little one to all the complete with a Sponge Bob Square Pants new sights. themed pool, a Sponge Bob Splash Dash and We opted to start on the Monorail which took us Light Show in the evenings, there are animal right from the resort to the entrance of Sea encounters and character meetings, a Dolphin World. From there it was on to watch the Jet skis Discovery show and all the restaurants are family in Jet Stunt Extreme (one for the hubby!) before friendly so you never feel on edge about wandering around the park stopping to look at bringing your little one out to dine. anything and everything and taking plenty of There is also plenty for mum and dad such as a photos with the many statues. gym, free Wi-Fi, massage and beauty salon and Bub had her very first, then second and third water sports. ride on the Carrousel which she loved and even When it comes to choosing a room, there are so went for a ?spin? on the Jellyfish Frenzy. many options ranging in price and purpose. For Unfortunately we missed the Dora the Explorer us, we like to travel in style so we opted for the show but we did get to see the Teenage Mutant Broadwater Executive Room with its own private Ninja Turtles ? Turtle Power Show which was Page | 32 pretty cool! TURTLE POWER!

Leaving Nickelodeon Land it was on to touch the Rays at Ray Reef, an incredible experience for the whole family, watch the snorkelers in Shark Bay, see the Penguin Feeding and to try and catch a glimpse of the Polar Bear. By this stage, bub was asleep and our legs were getting pretty heavy too so we opted for ice cream at Castaway Bay, giggling as we watched teams try their best to soak each other armed with over eighty water cannons on the Battle Boats ride.

A great night?s sleep later, a buffet breakfast at the Shoreline Restaurant with literally everything you could possibly need or want to start your day and it was back to Sea World for the Dolphin Discovery show, a presentation that provides a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of a Dolphin training session while shedding light on the remarkable work of the Sea World Research & Rescue Foundation. Bub absolutely loved watching the dolphins up close and seeing them perform their tricks for the crowd.

It was at this point we felt extra glad that we Overall, it was the perfect night away for our had chosen to stay at Sea World Resort. It was a little family. Close, exciting, kid friendly and quick walk up the ramp and voila?we were back educational too. and headed to the room for a rest before dinner (and another sneaky bath ? this time without bub!).

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Fast Facts: Where: Sea World Resort and Water Park Contact: seaworldresort.com.au Cost: From $142pp ? see website for more details Family friendly rating: 10/10 L ahnee P avlovich That M um L ady

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M ummy B ook Club #ificanshecan A beautifully inspiring book of women entrepreneurs who give you insight to their journey?..but not just that?.. they also give you some great tips to help you along the way. These women are amazing and so genuine. They all started from an idea. Great read and includes stories from the Co-Founder of Canva and Frank Body.

Playing Big: Find your voice, your vision and make things happen by Tara Mohr.

Reviewed by Ellen Jackson, Potential Psychology ?

Playing Big doesn?t come from working more, pushing harder or finding confidence. It comes from listening to the most powerful and secure part of you, not the voice of self-doubt?Tara Mohr, Playing Big. As a coaching psychologist I am very aware that as women we undersell ourselves, so the premise of ?Playing Big?? practical tools to help women trust their instincts, identify and pursue their calling and take bold action ? really appealed. There were certainly some points of inspiration in this book; the chapter on fear was an interesting take on what holds us back and I loved the practical tips and exercises at the end of each chapter. As a psychologist ?Playing Big? left me a little cold with a mish-mash of psychological concepts thrown in and rarely attributed to their origins but on the whole this is a readable book on an important topic.

Ellen Jackson is a coaching psychologist at Potential Psychology Services.

She blogs at www.potential.com.au, shares tips for well being on Facebook, runs online coaching courses at www.findyourgroovehq.com and talks self development Page | 35 books with Dani Newman from Seeker Lover Mother at Bibliotherapy.

Handpicked baby boutique. All natural essentials and gorgeous baby shower gifts.

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Nourish M e

Written by : Alison Kleinert Page | 37

D arling Alchemy S pring R enewal Cleanse Begin exploring Ayurveda by indulging in these recipes. This cleanse is designed to give our system a reboot while also building a stronger, more balanced digestion. These recipes can be enjoyed all season long. First thing in the morning have 16 oz of hot water. Also, drink hot water through out the day. Triphala is an Ayurvedic herb that I highly recommend you take during the cleanse. It improves digestion & removes toxins.

Have the A.M. Tonic and Chia Seed Pudding in the morning. Adding the cacao nibs is decadent. You can have the pudding plain for the cleanse but no guilt with the nibs, you deserve to eat this way.

The Ayurvedic Smoothie can be had whenever you are hungry during the cleanse.

Darling Kichadi, Steamed Salad & Quinoa Soup can all be eaten for lunch & dinner. The Kichadi is very easy to make especially if you measure the spices first. Make a big batch at the beginning of your cleanse. It is especially tasty with the tahini. Next time you make the Kichadi you will know if you like more spices or less. You will soon not even need to measure out the spices, as you gain confidence in the kitchen you will become your own alchemist.

End your day with the P.M.Tonic, it is very good for sleep. I would also recommend an epsom salt bath & oil massage at night.

Begin exploring Ayurveda by incorporating these recipes into your daily alchemy. You can begin Spring with truly a fresh start.

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M eal P lan You can mix & match any of these recipes to your liking for the cleanse.

- Ayurvedic Smoothie - Chia Pudding - Darling Kichadi with Tahini - Quinoa Vegetable Soup - Steamed Salad & Rice Bowl w/ Ayurvedic Dressing

AM Tonic: Turmeric + Ginger + Maple Syrup + Apple Cider Vinegar (optional) PM Tonic: Turmeric + Nut Milk + Honey + Coconut Oil + Pinch Cinnamon + Ginger

S hopping P lan FATS

- Frozen Mango

FRESH HERBS

- Vanilla Extract

- Ghee or Coconut Oil

- Banana

- Cilantro

SPICES

VEGETABLES

NUT MILKS

- Fresh Ginger Root

- Coconut or Almond

- Turmeric (Root or Powder)

- Kale

Special Ingredients-optional

PULSES & GRAINS - Basmati Rice - Yellow Split Peas/Lentils - Quinoa - Chia Seeds FRUITS - Lemons or Limes - 6 Apples

- Asparagus - Carrots - Shredded Red Cabbage - Broccoli - Frozen Peas - Garlic

- Broth - Maple Syrup, Honey or

- Cinnamon - Cumin Seeds and Powder - Fennel Seeds - Cloves

Coconut Sugar

- Coriander Powder

- Apple Cider Vinegar

- Bay Leaf

- Tahini

- Salt & Pepper Page | 39

Ayurvedic Smoothie 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup almond milk + 1/2 banana + 1/2 apple + 1/2 cup frozen mango + 1/2 tsp chia seeds Blend ingredients & Enjoy.

Sometimes I add some coconut flakes to the smoothie or on top.

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AM Tonic - Tumeric Ginger Elixir 1/4 tsp Turmeric (Root or Powder) + 1/4 tsp Ginger (powder or freshly grated) + 1/2 tsp Maple Syrup + 1/4 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)

Pour boiling water over and strain the ingredients or mix very well.

Naomi Campbell swears by drinking Apple Cider Vinegar every morning and she looks good!

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Chia Pudding 1/2 cup chia seeds + 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk + 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract + pinch of cinnamon + 1 TB coconut sugar or maple syrup

Combine the chia seeds and almond milk. Add vanilla extract, sugar or syrup and cinnamon.

Set aside for 5 minutes. Add more nut milk until you reach your desired consistency.

You can add 1 tsp maca root powder, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, and/or strawberries if you want it to be truly spectacular.

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Darling Kichadi with Tahini & Lime 2 TB Ghee + 1/2 tsp each of cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, ground cumin, sea salt + 1/4 tsp ground cloves + 1 bay leaf + 1 big slice of ginger + 2 minced garlic cloves + 1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice + 1/4 cup uncooked red lentil or yellow split peas + 1/2 cup frozen peas + 3 cups broth + Lime + Fresh Cilantro + 1 tsp Coconut Oil + Tahini

In a large pot, heat ghee with the cumin seeds for a minute. Add the rest of the spices, ginger & garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the rice, lentils, peas & broth. Bring to boil & reduce heat to simmer. It will take about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf & ginger slice. Top with Lime, Fresh Cilantro, Coconut Oil & Tahini.

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Steamed Salad & Rice Bowl Kale + Red Cabbage + Carrots + Asparagus + Cooked Rice + Dressing + Cilantro + Salt & Pepper De stem, chop and steam Kale with 2 tablespoons of water in a covered frying pan for 10 minutes.

Add carrot, red cabbage, asparagus & steam additional 5 minutes.

Dressing: Juice 1/2 lemon + olive oil (same amount) + 1 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp cumin + 1 tsp coriander+ 1/2 tsp fennel + salt + pepper. Mix well. You can add 1/2 avocado.

Put cooked rice in bowl & top with steamed veggies. Dress and add cilantro.

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Quinoa Vegetable Soup Ghee + Chopped Vegetables (Broccoli, Carrots, Kale) + Spices (1 TB Coriander, 1 TB Cumin) + ½cup Quinoa + 2 cups water or broth + Fresh Cilantro + Lemon or Lime + Pink Salt

Saute Vegetables with Ghee or Coconut Oil and add Cumin and Coriander powder and Salt. Add water/broth & Quinoa and bring to a boil until Quinoa Sprouts. Squeeze lemon and add cilantro & salt to taste. Put a little ghee on top.

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PM Tonic: Turmeric Milk 1/4 tsp Turmeric + Nut Milk + 1/4 tsp Honey + 1/4 tsp Coconut Oil + Pinch Cinnamon + 1/4 tsp Ginger

Boil Nut milk and add ingredients. Blend & Enjoy.

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I?m Alison Kleinert. My life and wellbeing transformed as soon as I discovered Ayurveda and became passionate to share this way of living with my family, friends, and YOU. I studied under Dr. Naina Marballi to get certified as an Holistic Wellness Practitioner specializing in Ayurvedic Nutrition.

So I began Darling Alchemy to teach women how to cultivate an Ayurvedic lifestyle so that they can be in control of their health and feel gorgeous, sexy and fully ALIVE. Ayurveda is your own fountain of youth and I would love to be your guide. If you are interested in a healthier way to live, I will be reaching out to share how we could work together to curate your own Ayurvedic blueprint!

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