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20 Gorgeous Gifts for Mother’s Day

April 23, 2018 · 4 Comments

20 Gorgeous Gifts for Mother’s Day

I really didn’t think I could outdo last year’s Mother’s Day gift guide. It had so many beautiful gift ideas and you all loved it. But, I think this year I have just surpassed it. Just.

What’s so wonderful is that more people are finding the value in good quality, ethical, hand-made products instead of cheap stuff that ends up in landfill.

I also love supporting Aussie small businesses that are going against the grain and following their passion to create and provide us with unique and beautiful things.

I have been able to get some discount codes on a lot of these gifts for you and really appreciate working with these generous businesses to show you their wares.

I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!

♥ Waterfall Bamboo Cardigan

This stylish light-weight cardigan is so versatile. You can wear it in all different ways and it’s perfect for breastfeeding and maternity wear too. The waterfall cut is flattering for all body shapes and ideal for a minimalist wardrobe. You can even wear it back to front!

The cardy is ethically made from bamboo with a tiny bit of spandex so it’s super soft and comfortable to wear. Available in Indigo, Taupe and Black here.

Want to win one for Mother’s Day? Corryn is giving away five cardigans! Enter here.

♥ EverEscents Organic Hair Care Pack

EverEscents have some beautiful Mother’s Day gift packs for your mum! Each one has an organic shampoo, conditioner and hair treatment in a cute gift box and there are seven different varieties to suit every hair type.

Julia and her team at EverEscents has been handcrafting premium organic hair products on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland for over ten years. They are made with the high quality ingredients including plant extracts and pure essential oils. All EverEscents products are vegan friendly, cruelty fee and carbon neutral.

Check them out online here.

♥ MG Naturals Green Beauty Kit

Kailah at MG Naturals makes safe, nourishing, all natural makeup and her Green Beauty Kit is perfect for a Mother’s Day gift. You get a foundation, mineral powder, kabuki brush, concealer and a lip glaze.

As well as being natural and toxin free, MG Naturals makeup is vegan, organic, cruelty free and titanium dioxide free. It’s designed to be soothing, hydrating and nourishing and help your skin instead of harming.

I love this makeup – it feels beautiful on and you forget you are wearing it and it’s very affordable too.

Kailah gives you free shipping when you spend over $95 and 10% off subscriber’s first orders. Check it out online here.

♥ Ecology Skincare Pamper Pack

Crystal from Ecology Skincare has some gorgeous pamper packs for Mother’s Day this year. Use this pack like a mini day-spa experience at home!

Start by removing makeup with the Microfibre Makeup Removal Cloth, relax in a hot bath with the Replenishing Mineral Bath Salts, gentle cleanse your face with the Facial Konjac Sponge and finish off by massaging the Replenishing Day and Night Cream all over your face and body. Heaven!

Everything is packaged in a beautiful gift box and at a discounted price. Get the pamper packs from Crystal here.

♥ Camel Wood Bagel Diffuser

Simmi The Aromatherapist is my go-to person for all things aromatherapy. She has decades of experience in the industry and a beautiful connection and deep understanding of oils. Her bagel diffusers are a gorgeous gift for mums that love their essential oils.

There are a few different styles to choose from – dark wood, black, white and my favourite – this light camel wood colour. They are super stylish and are a feature piece of decor in themselves. The diffuser uses ultrasonic waves to diffuse oils, not heat and it shuts off as soon as the water runs out, so it’s super safe. Make sure you also check out her beautifully blended pure essential oils too.

Simmi is kindly offering all of us a free sample of her Love blend of essential oils (a very exquisite experience with pure rose oil) with every bagel diffuser. Just use the code: FREELOVE here.

♥ UFO Drum

For a really unique gift for Mum, check out these UFO drums from music therapist, Allison Davies.

Not just for making beautiful music, the UFO drums also have therapeutic benefits of meditation, mindfulness, relaxation, self-expression and vibrational realignment. The UFO drum is a modern tonal tank steel drum from the same family of instruments as the Tibetan bowls and bells.

You can play it with your hands or mallets. Each petal of the drum is specially tuned so that it will always sound harmonious. So even non-musical people can play it without any learning or practice!!

They are travel-friendly and light weight and available in three different version, each tuned to different musical keys – Full Moon, Sunrise and Sunset. Each drum comes with a carry bag, mallets and a soft stand.

Alli is so kindly giving us all an exclusive 10% discount and FREE shipping in Australia. Use the code: NNAMUFO until the 13th of May here.

♥ A Once Courageous Heart

Kylie Johnson is a hugely popular Brisbane artist and poet. I have one of her poetry books and it’s just divine.

A Once Courageous Heart features poems which are both whimsical and profound in their exploration of love, loss and hope, and all that it is to be human.

The book features a beautiful fabric cover and is printed on 100% recyclable unbleached paper. Truly something for a mindful moment with a cup of tea.

Get 10% off until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

Update: Currently out of stock at Biome Eco Stores, but you can purchase directly from Kylie here.

♥ Moisturising Body Bar from Lhami

I love these body bars from Natalie at Lhami for a gift that’s a bit different. It’s like bar of soap but it’s moisturiser! Cool, huh?

These lush body bars melt on contact with the skin and double as a massage bar and deodorant! Intensely nourishing, it has a base of shea butter, coconut butter and jojoba oil. There are two fragrances which feature 100% pure essential oils – Lime and Patchouli or May Chang. It also comes packaged without plastic in a reusable tin!

Get 10% off the body bars with the code: NNAM until the 13th of May here.

♥ Drop Scale

Technology that helps you cook! The new Drop Scale is taking Australia by storm. Connecting via bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad, this ingenious little scale makes cooking easier and fun.

Follow step by step instructions and weigh your ingredients as you go. It’s almost like having your mum on hand to help you cook because it will also give you suggestion for substitutions and scale the recipe according to how much of an ingredient you have.

There are hundreds of step-by-step easy, one-bowl recipes to access via the Drop Scale App (which is free!). You actually need to watch the video to really see how cool this scale is.

Mandy is kindly giving us all a massive 25% discount and free shipping until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM here.

♥ Urban Culinary Flowers Kit

How cool is this – a kit to make edible flowers! Of course you don’t have to eat them, you can just enjoy their beauty, but it’s so fun.

The kit comes with pots, labels, seed disks and an instruction and recipe booklet to grow cornflower, lavender, nasturtium, violas and dianthus.

Get it online here.

♥ SOLIDteknics Bigga Skillet

The amazing Aussie cookware that everyone is drooling over now has a 36cm bigga skillet. This deep pan is brilliant for things like curry, spaghetti, roasts, deep dish pizza, paella – the list goes on and you can even cook a cake in it!

These pans are designed to last for many generations, are made from seamless wrought iron and are non-toxic and non-stick.

Get 10% off the whole range until the 13th of May using the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

♥ Bee House

If your mum is a nature lover, she is going to adore this hand-made bee house!

These bee houses are special in so many ways. They are hand-made in Brisbane using recycled pallets and weed bamboo by a local Men’s Shed.

The bee house helps native bees find a safe, secure place to hang out and raise their young. Hang it outside in a sheltered spot and wait for the bees to come.

Get a 10% discount until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

♥ Her Gypsy Heart Perfume

Her Gypsy Heart roll-on organic perfume has a delicious floral scent with notes of rose, neroli and jasmine. It features pure essential oils and nourishing plant-based oils in a glass roller bottle. Heavenly!

Get it online here. For FREE shipping when you spend over $50, use the code: FREESHIP

♥ Jane’s Addiction Chocolates

You honestly didn’t think I wouldn’t have chocolates somewhere on this gift guide, did you? I am so excited about these gorgeous handmade chocolates from Jane’s Addiction. They are really something very special and exquisite.

Jane (a natural, new age mum from Perth) lovingly hand-makes organic, raw, vegan chocolate and infuses them with flower essences! Her special Nourish and Nurture gift box is for mums who are always giving to others and deserve some special love.

Each chocolate has a soft, raw caramel centre infused with essences of Goddess Grasstree, Leafless orchid and Pink Everlasting flower, all topped with edible 24k gold leaf. Divine!

Jane will post all over Australia with a cold pack so your choccies arrive in perfect condition. Check them out here and shoot Jane a Facebook message to order.

♥ Everlasting Lotus and Quartz Necklace

This gorgeous sterling silver lotus necklace has a clear quartz crystal and an extendable chain. Clear quartz is a powerful healing stone that protects against negativity, attunes to your higher self, and relieves pain.

Just one of the many beautiful and affordable pieces at Midsummer Star.

Use the code: TAKE10 for 10% off here and check out the sale category too.

♥ Macrame Mandala

I might have a slight obsession with mandalas and macrame so when I saw this I was instantly in love! It’s hand-made by Jessica at Wild Clove Co, an Aussie mum from Adelaide.

Jessica only uses 100% natural, unbleached organic cotton. This beautiful mandala wall hanging would look great in the bedroom, lounge or workspace. Get it online here.

♥ Recipes for Life’s Seasons Cook Book

I am a huge fan of the lovely Martyna Angell. Her recipes are delicious, healthy and wholesome. She has released a brand new cookbook – Recipe for Life’s Seasons just in time for Mother’s Day.

Martyna focuses on bio–individualism and all recipes emphasise seasonal whole foods with a focus on fresh fruit and vegetables. Get it here.

♥ Meditate Aromatherapy Candle

Fiona at Lemon Canary on the Gold Coast makes the most amazing aromatherapy candles. I love these one of a kind vintage jars she sources – imagine the history! Fiona has a whole range of candles and products with just 100% pure essential oils (I recommend those instead of the fragrance oils).

The Meditate blend is one of my favourites and has a luscious blend of cedarwood, lavender, lemon, frankincense & rosemary. Available in all different sizes and in other gorgeous blends as well. Also check out the gorgeous hampers.

There is FREE shipping in May with the code: LOVEYOUMUM here.

Under $13♥ Heart Tea Infuser

This gorgeous heart-shaped infuser from Mama Body Tea is great for mums who love their tea. I only ever use loose leaf tea now because so many tea bags contain plastic. It tastes better too!

Also check out the lush Mama Body Tea loose leaf blends. Get the infuser online here.

♥ Lil’ Bit Bee Flower Seed Bombs

Perfect for the nature lover, these seed bombs are balls of organic matter with flower seeds. Throw them anywhere you would like some colourful flowers to come up!

There are 6 seed bombs in a linen drawstring bag that will bloom into a stunning mix of organic annuals. They are designed to provide bees with a healthy habitat so they can collect pollen and nectar for the hive.

Get 10% off until the 13th of May with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here.

♥ Rustic Wooden Heart Frame

How gorgeous is this heart photo frame from Mes Homewares? It’s made of wood and cut rustically for a natural look.

Get it online here.

Want more?

Don’t give mum toxic perfumes that will harm her health! There are so many beautiful natural perfumes to choose from.

Check out some of my favourite books for Mum this Mothers’ Day.

See past year’s Mothers’ Day gift guides here.

Need some wrap?

Check out my eco-friendly gift wrap ideas.

Where to shop:

Biome Eco Store for all things good for the planet

Emporio Organico for a beautiful range of eco and luxe gifts

Flora and Fauna for all things natural, vegan and cruelty-free

The Clean Collective for non-toxic products for the family, baby and pregnancy

Lemon Canary for beautiful gifts like candles, crystals, oils and perfumes

Etsy for all things handmade, unique and beautiful

Midsummer Star for boho style silver jewellery

Dymocks for books, books and more books

Mother’s Day deals:

Get 10% off storewide at Biome Eco Store with the code: NNAM-MUM10 here. Expires 13th May.

Get 10% off all the Mother’s Day gifts at Flora and Fauna, use the code: LOVEMUM here. Expires 12th May.

Get 20% off Vapor Beauty with the code: LOVEMUM20 here.

Get 30% off Dear Addison jewellery with the code: DEAR30 here.

Get 30% off Pastiche jewellery with the code: MUM30 here.

Get 30% off and FREE shipping for KitchenAid stand mixers here.

{parts of this post are sponsored}

My Top 20 Mother’s Day Gifts

April 24, 2017 · 5 Comments

My Top 20 Mother’s Day Gifts

Mother’s Day is on Sunday May the 14th this year, so you only have a few more weeks to get organised.

If you have been wondering what on earth you are going to get your mum (or put on a wishlist for yourself), take a look at my top twenty gifts. I have hand-picked some amazing products to show you at a range of prices. They are either eco-friendly, recycled, natural, fair-trade, healthy or organic.

Let me know what you think!

♥ Prana Chai Gift Box

You have not really tasted chai tea until you have tried Prana’s chai tea. Trust me on this, I have tried a lot of chai tea! Prana Chai is hand made and blended in Melbourne from all natural ingredients and uses 100% Australian quality honey blended by hand with tea and whole spices. You make it on the stovetop by gently infusing it with your choice of milk and straining. Heaven!!

Their Mother’s Day gift box includes all you need to make a real chai – a cute little stainless steel stovetop pot, a strainer, a gorgeous Robert Gordon hug mug and a bag of Prana Chai tea. Plus a bonus gift until May 14th is a packet of Vanilla and Almond Porridge from The Wild (you can also make a chai porridge…. umm hello yes please).

Even better, the box is on sale with over$67 worth of goodies for just $42. Winning!

Get the Prana Chai Mother’s Day box online straight from the guys at Prana here.

♥ EverEscents Hair Care Pack

Julia and her husband Luke have been handcrafting their organic hair care range, EverEscents for over 10 years from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. They have some gorgeous gift packs for Mother’s Day which include an organic shampoo, conditioner and treatment. There are seven different varieties to choose from including the Bergamot range pictured and they all come in a lovely gift box or bag.

EverEscents is a premium salon quality, vegan range made with only the best possible ingredients including plant extracts and essential oils.

Check out their rave reviews and get the packs on sale here.

♥ Botica Bliss Bath Tea and Clay Mask

My friend Rebecca has bundled together her divine bath teas and clay masks for a budget-friendly Mother’s Day gift. For just $14, mum can feel like she’s having a day spa at home! You can also mix and match the various blends to get one that’s just perfect. All Botica Bliss products are 100% natural, vegan, cruelty free and handmade on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Get them here.

♥ Earthing Oz Yoga Mat

Do yoga and earth at the same time? Genius.

Laura at Earthing Oz has this new ‘Grounded Yoga Mat’ which is made from 100% eco friendly, recyclable materials. It is anti-skid and odourless. You just plug it into a power point with the switch off and do your thing – yoga, stretching or just relax.

Laura is giving us all a 10% discount on the Yoga Mat! Just use the code: SPECIAL here.

♥ Life Changing Food

The hottest cookbook for mums this Mother’s Day!! The gorgeous Jo Whitton from Quirky Cooking and chef, Fouad Kassab have joined forces to bring you this epic whole food cookbook. All recipes are gluten free and designed to be easy, nourishing, gut-friendly and full of flavour.

Life Changing Food is full of stunning photos and lots of tips and personal stories from Jo and Foo. Most of the recipes also include thermomix instructions.

Only available online here.

♥ Lhami Essential Oil Box

Natalie is a beautiful natural new age mum from the central coast of NSW and her Lhami range is one of my favourites. I adore this oils gift set she has on sale – a handmade wooden gift box with four of her signature 100% pure essential oil blends. They are Clarity, Relax, Refresh and Calm so you have a blend for every occasion. They are also delightful to use as a perfume.

Get it online from Natalie here.

♥ Papaya Coin Purse

These sweet little zip up purses are made from durable oil-cloth material and features Papaya artwork, contrast lining, zipper closure and lotus charm.

Get it online here.

♥ Bambu Bread Board

Anyone who makes their own bread can tell you how annoying all those crumbs are when you cut it! Well this Bambu bread board solves all your problems. Made from 100% organic, sustainably harvested bamboo, it has a pull out tray that catches the crumbs.

Get it here.

♥ Positivi-tea Hand Made Tea Cup

Made in Noosa, these beautiful tea cups are hand thrown on a potter’s wheel using fine white stoneware and a lead free glaze. Perfect for mums who love tea and puns!

Get it online here.

♥ Macrame and Crystal Wall Hanging

Flashback to the seventies! Macrame is cool again. I adore this wall hanging that’s been hand made on the Gold Coast. Featuring cotton cord that is 100% Australian grown and made and infused with a Tibetan quartz crystal, it hangs on a piece of hand collected driftwood.

The hangings are made to order and charged with high frequency Reiki and blessings. Divine!

Get it online here.

♥ Mad Millie Coconut Yoghurt Kit

Make up to 8 litres of your own coconut yoghurt with this Mad Millie kit. It’s a bit tricky to get right, but this kit makes it easy and will save you lots of dollars by making it yourself.

Get them online here.

♥ Lavender Heat Bag

These heat packs are made from natural cotton, organic lavender and wheat. The safe alternative to a hot water bottle to keep you snuggly this winter, help you sleep and soothe any aches and pains.

Get them online here.

♥ Mindfulness for Mothers Book

This beautiful book by Rebecca Ryan is designed to help mums create a sense of balance, awareness and calm for themselves and their children. It includes simple meditation exercises from 10-second tension breakers to 30 minute restorative sessions.

Get it online here.

♥ Cedar and Stone Perfume Powders

These adorable little pots of all natural, vegan perfume powder are from Aussie brand, Cedar and Stone. Pop the scented powder on your acupressure or pulse points for instant calm. They are made with pure essential oils and sandalwood powder in a portable little pot, perfect for your handbag. Available in Meditation, Dharma and Nirvana.

Get them online here.

♥ Pana Chocolate Gift Box

What you thought I was going to do a gift guide without chocolate??

Luckily Pana chocolate is healthy! Handmade in Melbourne, it’s organic, raw, vegan and delicious. Included in the recycled gift box (with free gift tag) are four varieties. All of their chocolate is gluten free, soy free, dairy free and refined sugar free. Yummo.

Get it online here.

Thinking of perfume this year?

Don’t gas your mum with nasty, toxic stuff! Choose something all natural from this list of the best natural perfumes.

Where to shop?

I love my partner stores – all run by amazing, ethical, passionate women making a difference.

Biome Eco Stores for all things good for the planet

Emporio Organico for a huge range of eco and lux gifts

Flora and Fauna for everything natural that is vegan and animal-cruelty free

Beautiful Because for the best range of natural beauty

Don’t forget to wrap your gift using something eco-friendly!

(parts of this post are sponsored)

Beautiful Gifts for Mother’s Day

April 17, 2016 · 1 Comment

Beautiful Gifts for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is coming up and I have some of the hottest gifts around for natural new age mums! Whatever you do, I hope you have a magical day with your family and soak up the love.

♥ Love You Mum Gift Pack from Happy Skincare

Aaron and Phoebe have put together a limited edition pack for Mother’s Day! This is one of my all time favourite skincare ranges – 100% natural, vegan and not tested on animals. In fact, I got my mum a set for Christmas and she loves it!

If you get in early, you also get the pack in a gorgeous fair-trade organic cotton toiletries bag. Sales from this bag help support Freeset and their mission to help the women trapped in Kolkata’s sex trade.

Get it here. 10% off with the code: NNAM

♥ Insulated Food Jar

Now that the weather is warming up, get Mum a stainless steel food jar. They are just the ticket for taking hot soups, casseroles or curries to work or out and about. No microwaves required or buying lunch out and spending a fortune! Biome have a great range available but I have this Thermos one pictured and LOVE it. It’s wide enough to use with a spoon straight out of the jar and it keeps food hot for hours.

Browse here.♥ Lavanila Natural Perfume Gift Box

This cute gift pack has 5 mini roller ball perfumes. With a base of Madagascan vanilla, these perfumes are all natural and contain 100% pure essential oils and natural botanicals. There is a scent for every mood! They are great for popping in the handbag too.

Get it here.

♥ Happy Mama book

My gorgeous friend Amy Taylor-Kabbaz just released her new book, Happy Mama! This book is the collected wisdom from Amy’s makeover from strung-out parent to happy, self-loving mum. Including interviews with working mums, psychologists, counsellors and spiritual leaders, it is full of practical and empowering advice that will help you change the way you feel about motherhood so the whole family can flourish.

Get it here.

♥ Mandala Platter

I am seriously lusting after this gorgeous mandala style platter from Maxwell and Williams. It’s on sale at the moment too – 30% off! It comes gift boxed…. I hope the family is reading this!!

Get it here.

♥ Bahen & Co Chocolate

Sublime!! This hand-crafted chocolate from Margaret River in WA is stone ground in small batches using vintage machinery. Bahen and Co support farmers, fair trade and ensure there are no children working on the cacao farms. There are no weird ingredients, flavours or additives. Choose from plain chocolate, salted Australian almond or chilli salt!

Check them out here.

What are you getting your mum (or yourself) for Mother’s Day??

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

April 15, 2015 · 129 Comments

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Mother’s Day is nearly upon is and I have a round up of amazing gifts for natural, new age mums!

You might want to email this link to drop a few hints or just spoil yourself!

What is on your wish list?

♥ Amazing Oils Works Pack. Beautifully relaxing and healing, this pack of natural magnesium products is great for all sorts of ailments from insomnia to back pain. I use the spray every day and the bath flakes are essential in my self-care routine.

♥ Baksana Bamboo Towel Set. Bamboo towels are so luxurious! They are also softer and more absorbent than cotton towels. This set is from Bamboo Village and includes a face cloth, hand towel and your choice of bath towel or bath sheet. There are 12 colours to choose from and organic dyes are used, so they are safe for sensitive skin.

♥ The Mindfulness Colouring Book. Adult colouring in is what all the cool kids are doing right now. It’s a lovely meditative, creative thing to do – guaranteed to quiet your mind and induce relaxation. Pair it with some awesome eco-friendly pencils.

♥ Natural Remedies Book. One of Australia’s top naturopaths, Mim Beim has written this comprehensive, practical and easy-to-use reference book. It outlines natural remedies to help with 200 common ailments including the common cold, burns, arthritis, premenstrual tension, infertility and menopause. It’s the bible for natural new age mums!

Happy Mother’s Day to you all! Enjoy the special day with your families and relish in the love!

(this post contains some sponsored content)

A natural, new age Mother’s Day gift guide

April 22, 2013 · 22 Comments

A natural, new age Mother’s Day gift guide

Mother’s Day is a time to show appreciation of our mums and all the wonderful things they do for us! Here are my favourite gift ideas for the natural, new age mum. Ladies, you might like to share this on Facebook or email to the appropriate loved ones!

♥ Cosima Skincare

Cosima Flawless Nourishing gift pack. I am a big fan of this range – I was lucky enough to win some from Facebook a while ago and totally loved how they made my skin feel. Angela is a Queensland mum who has created these natural products using certified organic ingredients of remarkable quality.

Flawless is a new line, full of anti-aging ingredients and is a natural alternative to Botox (much better than injecting yourself with toxins, I reckon!). It’s all backed up with clinical evidence, not false promises. Not tested on animals, recyclable packaging and manufactured in Australia – it ticks all my NNAM boxes.

You can get it online direct from Cosima.

♥ Pana Chocolate Gift Pack

It’s no secret I love chocolate and Pana is one of the best healthy chocolates around. Pana chocolate is handmade in Melbourne using raw, fair trade, certified organic ingredients. No sugar, soy, dairy. gluten, additives, preservatives, GMOs or animal products.

I totally love the packaging which is made in Australia with 100% recycled cardboard, soy based inks and recycled foil. Yeah, this company walks the talk!

Get it online here.

♥ DIY teacup candle.

I have seen this idea in so many places and I can’t wait to give them a go. It’s so easy and thrifty! Just pick yourself up a vintage tea cup from an op shop, some soy or beeswax and pure essential oils. Find out how to do it at Inhabitat.

♥ A maternal care pack.

For just $20, get Mum a charity gift from Act for Peace. The maternal care pack is for women in Pakistan who are not allowed out of their home and often give birth with untrained help. The pack goes towards midwives and safe birthing delivery kits as well as post and ante natal care.

You can help lower the maternal and child mortality rates in this country, which are among the highest in the world. Head to Karma Currency for the details. “Thank you for coming to provide us with the clinic and health care. You have done more for us than you will ever know.” – Yesmeen, Pakistan.

I hope this has given you a little inspiration for your mum or some ideas on what you can put on your wish list! However you like to celebrate, have a fabulous Mother’s Day and enjoy the precious time with your family.

How to stimulate your vagus nerve for better emotional and physical wellbeing

May 3, 2021 · 2 Comments

By Dr Carrie Rigoni, Chiropractor

The vagus nerve is the largest nerve in the body, and it is strongly connected to our health and vitality. Today I am sharing my tips for how to stimulate your vagus nerve for better emotional and physical wellbeing.

Mums are notoriously burnt out, I mean, being “on” 24/7 to ensure our kids are ok is a huge undertaking. Not to mention the sleep deprivation, postpartum nutrient depletion, and the juggle of the rest of our lives thrown in there too!

What I find in my practice is that many mums don’t even know about the vagus nerve and what it can do for their daily health. And me? Well it’s my favourite thing in the world. Firstly because it makes you feel SO GOOD when it’s working well, and secondly because it doesn’t take much to get it to start firing up for those good feels.

The vagus nerve

The vagus nerve runs from your brainstem, through your neck, thorax and abdomen, all the way to your pelvic floor. It has connections to every organ in the body, and supports the body with maintaining all those automatic processes such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and immune response.

But? For every one fibre that exits the brain and connects to an organ, there are nine fibres that send messages from organs up the vagus through to the brain, telling the brain what is going on in the body. So the vagus nerve is very much a sensory nerve, giving feedback about the state of the body (eg. inflammation, infections, stress).

This is important because the other important function of the vagus nerve is it’s ability to sense the environment. You know when you have a gut feeling that something doesn’t feel right? Or you feel uncomfortable around certain people but you can’t put your finger on it? That is your dear vagus nerve kicking in (and consider this my permission slip for you should listen to it).

In terms of maternal depletion and burn out, the vagus nerve plays a big role in keeping us out of a sympathetic dominant state, and back into a state of rest and healing. In fact, the easiest way to know whether your vagus nerve needs help or not is to consider how long it takes for you to get out of the stress response, if you can at all.

Vagal tone

Vagal tone refers to how well your vagus nerve is functioning.

If you have a quick stress response, maybe your child is running away from you towards a busy road, it is healthy and normal for your body to kick into gear and use the sympathetic nervous system to help you help your child.

The key in the process is having the vagus nerve kick in AFTERWARDS, to allow your body to come back to a calmer, lower-stress state. Ie the parasympathetic nervous system. A vagus nerve with high tone will do this process very easily (and you’ll notice the chill people who seem to calm down immediately), whereas a vagus nerve with low tone will struggle to kick in, leaving you in a stressed out state long after the incident has occurred.

This is an issue because we know chronic stress is no good for our overall health and wellbeing!

The link between the vagus nerve and maternal depletion

So we now know that the vagus nerve keeps us out of the chronic stress response. But what it also does it keep our immune system in check (especially the gut microbiome and gut-immune system), reduces our pain responses, keeps our inflammation in check and plays a big role in social engagement – eye contact, wanting to reach out to friends and family, wanting to have conversations with others.

Symptoms of a low-functioning vagus nerve include:

Chronic inflammation
Leaky gut
Food intolerances
Tired but wired
Depression and anxiety
Increased pain
Migraines and headaches
Unexplained weight gain
Feelings of isolation or wanting to isolate yourself from your support network
Insomnia
Feeling depleted and fatigued no matter what you do, what you eat, or how much sleep you get

How to stimulate your vagus nerve to help motherhood feel easier, happier and calmer

If you feel like the vagus nerve is struggling a bit, let’s look at what you can do to support it and start feeling like yourself again! You don’t have to do all of these, but choose a few that resonate most with you and commit to doing them daily.

Eat a low-inflammation diet where you can
- This supports your gut bacteria and decreases stress on the vagus nerve
Get sleep where you can
- Prioritise it, even if it feels selfish – it makes all the difference
Singing (loud) and dancing
- Turn the music up, and sing sing sing!
Gargling
- The quickest and easiest way to do this is in the shower
- Make sure you get that water right to the back of your throat – the key here is stimulating the gag response
Cold showers or dips in the ocean
Nasal breathing
- Take check and see if you breathe through your nose or your mouth
- Consciously seal your lips during the day to breathe exclusively through your nose
Weighted blankets
Eye exercise
- The vagus nerve is stimulated when our eyes look horizontal (ie the opposite of scrolling, which actually decreases our vagus nerve tone)
- Stand up, lift your chin a little and place your hands behind your head
- Keep your head still, move your eyes to the right and find something to hold your focus on
- When your vagus nerve kicks in, you will sigh, or yawn, or feel a calm wash over you
- Then move eyes to the other side and hold again

Doing one or two of these exercises daily will support your vagus nerve and having you feeling more regulated and (hopefully) less depleted. Please note there are some bigger things that affect the vagus nerve that I didn’t touch on in this blog, so if you feel nothing at all it’s likely something else is causing your vagus nerve to be inhibited (in this case it would be worth getting in touch with a practitioner who works with the vagus nerve).

You can also use these exercises in times of stress – for example if you feel like you can’t calm yourself down, or you can’t fall asleep – these exercises come in handy to bring yourself back into balance.

How is your vagus? Could it do with some love and attention?

About Carrie:

Dr Carrie Rigoni is a chiropractor for mums and babies in Perth WA. She works using Applied Kinesiology and Functional Neurology, and has a fondness for the vagus nerve. Her practice is full of children from newborns to teenagers, and mothers from preconception through pregnancy and into the postpartum period. However, absolutely everyone is welcome! She is passionate about educating parents on raising healthy children, and offers a number of online masterclasses (and one online course – Fearless Foodies – learn how introducing food influences your baby’s gut, hormones, brain, and indirectly their vagus nerve!).

Follow Carrie:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Reclaiming Motherhood

February 10, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Reclaiming Motherhood

by Anna Grillo

I came across the following quote the other day, and it got me thinking of my journey towards reclaiming motherhood.

I was adamant I wasn’t going to be a typical mother; a stay at home mum, who solely looked after her kids. What kind of life would that be – one that revolved around her children’s needs?

What about my needs? What about my important career? One that fuelled my sense of self worth? Who would I be without my regular feedback of external cues, where I sat on the organisation chart, without the yearly pay rises and bonuses that let me know who I was and where I was at?

These things were much more exciting, important, and priority in my mind.

Society had filled my subconscious with the ‘right’ way to do things – school, go to uni, get the job, climb the corporate ladder, live in the (right) suburbs, get married, have kids, send them to private school, keep climbing the ladder of success while collecting more, doing more, but never speaking up, never stopping, never deviating from the plan, don’t complain, be grateful, and keep going.

It didn’t matter that I had digestive, chronic fatigue, and menstruation issues.

It didn’t matter that I had no social life, too exhausted and drained to be bothered to show up and be present in my interactions.

In my mind, what mattered was that I ticked off the next thing on the list, and performed.

When it came time to start our family, my cycle suddenly had other ideas. I recognised that stress was actually a problem, and had to decide whether I was going to go for prevention rather than the cure.

In the secret whisperings of my heart, I knew there was something more.

Something that allowed me to create change for individuals and uplift and energise and have the courage to be who they truly were. And it needed to start with me.

So I decided to leave my corporate job and start on my journey of self discovery by studying Kinesiology.

On my last day of work, I found out I was pregnant.

I started studying, gestating myself as well as my daughter, until she physically joined us earth side.

What a journey – what joy, what bliss, the agony and the ecstasy. And once she arrived, something within me said slow down.

Of course I didn’t listen.

Because while I was transitioning to a lifestyle that was more aligned and attuned with my life purpose, I still had the stigma of what motherhood portrayed lingering in my subconscious.

I still felt as though I needed to do it all. To have a thriving business, to see clients straight away, fill my calendar, to push aside the time I could have used to recharge, regenerate, and renew myself, because that’s what successful women do right?

My addiction to stress and pleasing others was on overdrive.

I knew something had to change when sending my kids into the school system just didn’t resonate for them or myself at all.

I knew they would thrive being able to follow their own education and learning on their own terms.

Diving deep into homeschooling was an integral lesson to my hidden self saboteurs of measure of self worth against societal standards.

To give away perceived success to …. stay at home and be with my kids?

But my heart and soul would not be quiet.

It required me to change. As I read about home education philosophies, strongly entwined amongst the words was the reclamation of motherhood. The importance and significance of nourishing and nurturing small minds, as well as our own.

To slow down and to soften.

Knowing that I had to reprogram my thoughts and beliefs from the ground up, I invested in working through my addictions to stress, other people’s opinions, and ticking off the to do list.

And over time, things changed. I changed.

I stopped overthinking, worrying, and trying to prove myself.

I stopped comparing myself against ‘others’.

And I started dropping into my heart and listening to within. I started slowing down.

I became more confident speaking up on centering children. That we can’t talk about what is best for women without also looking at what is best for our children as well.

To be proud of the significance of the role we are here to play. How we shift and evolve as our children do as well.

The importance of mothers, and trusting the innate instinctual that we have to protect, grow, and nurture our children.

Even when it goes against western society’s norms.

It required total surrender, deep faith, trust in myself, kindness and compassion, as well as a shitload of courage.

Reclaiming motherhood has absolutely been a journey that I’ve been on. I’ve resisted daily with what society has viewed motherhood as, and what it means for me as a woman, how it’s portrayed in media and reflected throughout society, priming the subconscious where we feel we are constantly battling something unseen and not understood but deeply felt.

We turn the tables on what we are fed by our societal influences, and instead focus on what it is we truly want.

Becoming aware is the first step. What stories have you been sold about what motherhood is? What resonates, and what doesn’t?

The second step is connecting in with what the highest vision could be for you and your family. If you didn’t have to worry about time, money, or other people’s expectations, what do you know in your heart of hearts, is the best for your family?

What we focus on, we attract.

So I invite you to do an audit on what social cues you are currently receiving that may not be conducive to a harmonious family environment that you are truly craving. One that matches what your vision of motherhood is.

Motherhood by heart – connecting in with your heart frequency and listening to the whisperings within.

About Anna:

Anna Grillo is a Mindset Mentor, Soul Connector & Holistic Business Strategist, helping well-being practitioners and purpose driven professionals transform fear and doubt into unlimited peace, joy, and ease.

When she’s not home educating her kids, she combines her well-being experience as an EFT Practitioner, Kinesiologist, Spiritual Companion, Freedom From Self Sabotage Coach with over twenty years of corporate human resources, business strategy, and leadership development to support those who have the courage to realise the highest version of themselves so they can create a soul led location independent lifestyle.

Follow Anna:

True Self Website

True Self Facebook

True Self Instagram

My top 20 gift ideas for Christmas

November 5, 2018 · 2 Comments

My top 20 gift ideas for Christmas

It doesn’t feel that long ago that I was showing my favourite gifts for Christmas last year! I hope you love this year’s top 20 picks for Christmas as much as I do. Let me know what you think.

A huge shout out to my incredible sponsors and affiliate partners for giving us all some very nice discount codes to help with the Christmas shopping budget. Thank you!

Keep an eye out in the next few days for my kid’s Christmas gift guide too.

♥ Creation Diamond® Pendant

Anna and LJ are gorgeous sisters from Love is Your Compass and this year they have added a stunning pendant to their offerings. The Creation Diamond® is a sacred tool for harnessing intention as a daily ritual.

Consciously set an intention for the day, intuitively select a crystal to support that intention and then wear it close to your heart in the pendant that symbolises your diamond-shaped energy field. The Creation Diamond® pendant and chain is sterling silver and presented with your choice of three crystals in a gorgeous linen bag and gift box.

Get the the Creation Diamond® pendant here.

♥ MG Naturals Lipstick

If you are after a truly natural, high quality lipstick, Kailah at MG Naturals has you covered! These lippies are organic, vegan and specially formulated to be vibrantly pigmented & super nourishing for your lips.

All of the MG Naturals lipsticks contain absolutely no dyes or colourants and are made with pure mineral pigments – no added micas or titanium dioxide. Hand-crafted and poured in small batches to ensure purity and quality, there are six luscious shades to choose from.

Get MG Naturals Lipstick here.

♥ Loving Herself Whole Book

Loving Herself Whole by natural, new age mum Laura Gillett is a gorgeous little gift book for anyone wanting to connect further with their own spiritual journey.

The book is a collection of guided messages and insights into spiritual awakening, collected from Laura’s personal journals over the past decade. Laura has opened her heart and shared this wisdom with the intention of inspiring women, mothers, wives and daughters going through their own transformation.

It’s heartfelt, wise and poetic and both my daughter and I resonated strongly with many of the messages. A special, special gift.

Get Loving Herself Whole book here.

♥ EverEscents Organic Hair Care Pack

EverEscents have some great hair care gift packs for Christmas! There are seven variations to choose from to suit your hair type and all contain an organic shampoo, conditioner and deep treatment.

EverEscents have been making their salon quality certified organic products for over ten years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. They use only the absolute best natural ingredients including plant extracts and pure essential oils and everything is vegan friendly, cruelty fee and carbon neutral.

Get EverEscents Organic Hair Care Pack here.

♥ Shakti Head Pillow

I love my Shakti Mat! They are a perfect gift for the hard to buy for person. Shakti Mats now have a pillow which is designed for the head, neck and shoulders area but you can also use it under your legs or in the lower back area as well if you want! Use the pillow lying down, sitting in a chair or on the couch and with or without the shakti mat.

Ethically hand-made with organic cotton and recyclable non-toxic plastic, the Shakti Head Pillow works using acupressure points. It’s an easy, inexpensive way to relieve stress, release tight, sore muscles, increase circulation and improve sleep!

Get the Shakti Head Pillow here.

♥ Amazing Face Trio

Amazing Oils has just released their new range of skincare, Amazing Face Trio! I am a huge fan of their amazing magnesium moisturiser (it’s got new packaging) so I was keen to try out the new products.

I have been trialling them for a few weeks and I am hooked. It’s been formulated with top quality organic, bio-active ingredients like quandong, lilly pilly and kakadu plum (that also smell sublime!) The three-step system leaves my skin feeling so fresh, hydrated and soft and you only need to use the tiniest bit, so it’s very affordable.

The Amazing Face Trio pack includes a Face Off cleansing gel, Skin Food brightening serum and No More Bags eye cream. There are absolutely no nasties, sulphate or parabens and the range is cruelty free and made in Australia.

Get the Amazing Face Trio here.

♥ Wonderbag

The Wonderbag is the ultimate in eco-friendly cooking and makes a very unique gift. The Wonderbag slow cooks your food, electricity free!

All you do is bring your food to a boil, pop the pot into the Wonderbag, seal it up and let it do its thing. The heat-retention design will keep it slow-cooking for up eight hours, although most things only need one to two hours to cook.

It’s much safer than leaving appliances on all day and it will save you between 30 and 80% of the energy you usually use in cooking. I love that it’s portable too – perfect to take with you on picnics and barbeques.

When you are not using it to slow cook, you can also use it to keep food warm, cook rice, make yoghurt and proof bread and it’s insulation makes it a perfect cooler bag for drinks and food too.

Western Australian mum, Lisa, is the Aussie stockist of Wonderbag and has four beautiful designs to choose from. I do love the ocean blue though!

Get the Wonderbag here.

♥ Milk and Love Christmas Gift Box

Brisbane mum, Corryn from Milk and Love, has curated these gorgeous gift boxes ready for Christmas. They are great for new mums but anyone would love them!

Milk and Love is a gorgeous boutique store specialising in natural products for pregnancy, breastfeeding and babies.

There are a three Christmas boxes to choose from or you can create your own. This one featured includes a deluxe Turkish beach towel, a healing bath soak, coconut body butter, a beautiful journal, stainless steel reusable coffee cup and a reusable shopping bag.

Get Milk and Love Christmas Gift Boxes here.

♥ Waters Co Water Filter

I’ve had my Waters Co Water Filter for over five years now and I love it! As well as re-mineralising and ionising ordinary tap water, they filter out chlorine, chemicals, heavy metals, fluoride & bacteria.

The water tastes incredibly pure and fresh and it’s much more eco-friendly than buying bottled water!

Get your Waters Co Water Filter here.

♥ Glass Hand Drip Coffee Maker

I have seen these coffee makers in all the cool cafes! They would make an awesome gift for the coffee lover.

Made from glass and stainless steel, the hand drip coffee maker produces a beautiful eco-friendly coffee. The functional design includes a polished wood collar (with twine tie), stainless steel micro mesh filter and glass body.

Get the Glass Hand Drip Coffee Maker here. For 10% off use the code: NNAM-XMAS until the 18th of November!

♥ Soul Glass Water Bottle

Being eco-friendly has never been so stylish. I love all of the Soul Bottle prints but this gorgeous purple lotus, Just Breath is my favourite.

Completely plastic free, made from recycled glass and beautifully designed, these bottles are leak proof, vegan and carbon neutral too!

Get Soul Glass Water Bottles here.

♥ Vintage Jar Aromatherapy Candles

These candles are made with recycled, one of a kind vintage jars and filled with pure soy wax and 100% pure organic essential oils. Choose your size and essential oil blend and Gold Coast mum, Fiona will hand-pour it for you.

Get Vintage Jar Aromatherapy Candles here. FREE shipping on all orders over $50!

♥ Bokashi Composter

With an increased awareness of reducing the waste we send to landfill, many of us are thinking about practical solutions. Bokashi One are a small compact composting system you can use in the kitchen.

The Bokashi is great as an introduction to composting or if you have a lack of space for a big composting system. You get a Bokashi One Bucket and Bokashi One Mix which work together to transform your food waste into useful compost and liquid fertilizer, without the yucky smell!

Get the Bokashi Composter here.

♥ Sol Aromatherapy Diffuser

I love the glass and bamboo style of this aromatherapy diffuser. It has minimal plastic parts and will diffuse your essential oils without heat or chemicals.

Use it for fragrance, aromatherapy, humidifying, and negative air ionising for a continuous eight hours.

Get the Sol Aromatherapy Diffuser here. For 10% off until the 18th of November, use the code: NNAM-XMAS

♥ The Wild Offering Oracle Cards

With 52 beautifully illustrated cards, this oracle deck helps you to see yourself in a new light – the Divine Light of Self Love. Each card focuses on a different situation such as ambition, money, regrets, solitude, ageing, travel and truth.

You choose how to use the cards: as an oracle where the Divine guides you to a specific card; to carry or put on an altar as a reminder to reflect on an issue; or in any way you are drawn.

Get The Wild Offering Oracle Cards here.

♥ The Art of Self Love

This beautiful book by aromatherapist and mum, Kim Morrison shows you how to fall in love with taking care of yourself; mind, body and soul.

Kim draws on her own life experiences and wisdom to give us a step-by-step guide to help navigate the struggles of life with courage, grace, strength, and dignity.

Get The Art of Self Love here.

♥ Organic Cotton Straw Pouch

Keep your reusable straws and cutlery handy in this hand-made organic cotton pouch. I love this phases of the moon print by Amy Jade Creations. There is also a matching hanky!

Get the Organic Cotton Straw Pouch here.

Wrap

Christmas is such a wasteful time of year with so much packaging going to landfill. Check out my eco-friendly wrapping ideas to inspire you to have a more sustainable Christmas.

Want more?

20 Awesome Christmas Gifts for Kids

10 Must-Have Books for Christmas

Stocking Stuffer, Secret Santa Gifts under $30

10 Teacher Gifts under $30

How to choose safe, non-toxic toys for kids

The Best Natural Perfumes

All my gift guides

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How to find time for yourself when you are a busy mum

September 20, 2018 · 6 Comments

How to find time for yourself when you are a busy mum

We had a brilliant conversation in our Natural New Age Mums’ Facebook group the other day (email me to join!)

It was all about how to find time for yourself when you are a busy mum, how we find opportunities for self-care, how we ‘fill our bucket’ and try to maintain a healthy balance.

I guess the main message is this : you are important, your health, happiness and well-being is important. We don’t have to sacrifice all that to be a good mum. In fact, we are better mums when we do take time out to take care of ourselves.

Don’t forget that by taking time out for ourselves, we role model to our children all sorts of messages about self-worth, self-care, health and wellness and that joy and fun are important!

As someone who has been through burn out, I can’t stress how important it is to really find time to take care of yourself. If there is a piece of advice I could give to mums with small kids, it would be to entrench the habit of self-care early on.

If you get to the point of overwhelm, that’s too late! You might think you are doing okay but the stress can creep up on you slowly until one day you burn out. It’s so much better to incorporate self-care into your daily and weekly routine as a preventative strategy.

Here are some tips and advice from me (and some of my awesome community).

♥ Get Organised

A little time spent getting organised, setting up routines, minimising clutter and making up meal plans means you can use your time more efficiently and have some time left over for yourself. If you are constantly chasing your tail you will just get more overwhelmed and stressed!

♥ Make a List

I often have had unexpected kid-free time and panicked, wondering what exactly I should do to make the most of this precious time? Put things on your list that take from as little as five minutes up to two days so you always have a variety of things to choose from.

What exactly is it that you enjoy doing, what things make you happy, fulfilled and balanced? Are there activities that make you feel refreshed and re-energised?

What one person would think of as self-care or me-time can look totally different to someone else’s and your own definition can change from day to day as well! One day you might need brunch with a friend, another day you might need some quiet time reading a book. Even doing laundry might be just what you need to feel better that day. There are no rules!

♥ Focus on what really matters

Once you have kids, your time is not your own anymore! It helps to really focus on the important things in your life- like your health and happiness and your family – and allocate your time there. Don’t waste time doing things you hate, spending time with people you hate, doing things out of obligation or getting caught up in other people’s drama.

♥ Outsource

You can get back some of your time by letting someone else do some of your things. If there is something you really hate doing or never have time for, then try to outsource it. Mowing the lawn, washing the car, ironing! All these things can be outsourced. If the budget is tight, outsource to your kids or partner.

♥ Just Say No

Your health and happiness has to come first, so if you really don’t want to do something or you simply just know it will just add to your overwhelm, just say no. You don’t have to explain or make up excuses, you can simply say, “‘No, that’s not going to work for me.”

♥ Ask For Help

I know this seems so obvious, but are we good at asking for help? When things are getting crazy and you can’t cope anymore, reach out. It really does take a village to raise a child, so don’t be afraid to ask when things are getting tough.

♥ Share the childcare

As mums, we are often the ones doing the primary amount of childcare. It’s okay to share that! Your kids can still be happy when spending time with other people. In fact, it’s good for them to find a little independence.

Make a list of who can share the childcare with you. It might be your partner, parents, family, friends or a daycare centre. You might consider hiring an au pair or even a teenager to come over and watch the kids while you exercise or nap!

♥ Find joy in five minutes

Self-care doesn’t have to be a day-spa, a massage or a weekend away with the girls (although, hello, that’s awesome too). Self-care can also can look like regular, small amounts of time to do something relaxing or fun. Finding time to add in a yoga class every week can seem overwhelming, so start small.

Take five or ten minutes to sit and have a cup of tea, do some colouring, meditate, stand outside with your face in the sun, take a quick aromatherapy shower or do some stretches. This is where your list comes in handy!

♥ Use waiting time

If you have periods of time when you have to wait while the kids are at their activities, make use of it. Put the seat back in your car and meditate, sit on the grass to soak up the earth’s energy or do a brisk walk around the oval.

♥ Get up earlier

If it works for you, get up half an hour early and use that quiet time to do something for yourself. Have a cup of tea out in the garden, do some journalling or meet a friend for a walk.

♥ Schedule it in and prioritise

Schedule in your self-care. You might put a monthly catch up with friends, a fortnightly date with your partner and weekly solo hours in your diary.

When my kids were toddlers, I used to pop them in casual day-care for three hours once a week. It was such a sanity-saver. Set up a regular few hours every week where someone else takes the kids. Maybe Saturday mornings can become your time to spend on yourself. Stick to it and make it happen.

♥ Get to the park

Get out of the house and down to the park. You can do some exercise, read a book or just soak up the sun while the kids play. Sometimes just being outside can make you feel so much better and of course, earthing and fresh air also helps!

♥ Make use of play rooms

Make use of places that have child-minding or play rooms. My gym had free child-minding so it was was a great incentive to take an hour out of my day to look after myself – mentally and physically. IKEA has free child-minding and a cafe so you can grab a drink and a sit-down or do a spot of shopping in peace.

♥ Lower your standards

If you are a bit of a perfectionist, becoming a mum has never been a better time to let go. Accept that you are never going to have a show-room house – at least until the kids move it!

Soften and allow things to be less than perfect. It’s totally okay to have mess, to feed your kids muesli for dinner and wear wrinkly clothes. We are often our own harshest critics. Be okay with the imperfect messiness of motherhood.

♥ Go to bed early

Use that half an hour before you fall asleep to fill your cup and recharge. Give yourself a lush body scrub, do a guided meditation or just read a book. While social media can be great, it can also zap our energy and lead to anxiety. Create space in your life that is screen-free.

♥ Ditch the guilt

Self-care is not selfish! Don’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself or leaving the kids with someone else for a bit. It’s healthy for both mums and kids to spend a little time apart. And seriously, don’t ever feel guilty about using the TV as a babysitter sometimes.

Reframe how you talk about your self-care. “Mum is going out with friends to have a fun time!” Make it upbeat and positive. Leaving kids with their dad is not babysitting – it’s parenting!

♥ Encourage independence

It’s perfectly okay to tell the kids you are having quiet time and to not interrupt you (easier said than done, I know!) It’s a gentle way to introduce independence and show them that our needs are important too.

♥ Take advantage of nap times

Nap time isn’t always the best time to race around and do chores! Use it to have a nap yourself or do something you enjoy. The cleaning will be there later. If the kids fall asleep in the car, pop a meditation app on and lie back and enjoy the serenity!

♥ Single mums

Hats off to all the single mums. You are amazing! Self-care is even more important for you. The budget can be tight, so you might like to set up a bartering system with a group of friends. Swap childcare, make extra food and share it, ask for help. If you don’t have a network, find one – check out Meet Up to find people in your area.

♥ Working mums

Use your travel time and your lunch break (you are taking a lunch break aren’t you!!??) to squeeze in self-care. It might look like listening to your favourite podcast in the car or going for a walk in the park in your lunch break.

Resources:

The Art of Self Love

Buddhism for Mothers

Like Chocolate for Women

I hope these tips give you some ideas on how to find time for yourself when you are a busy mum.

I would love to hear from you! What are your tips and strategies for carving out time for yourself?

Share with us in the comments.

The Top Ten Must Have Books for Natural New Age Mums

July 1, 2015 · 7 Comments

The Top Ten Must Have Books for Natural New Age Mums

I am a massive book lover. Ever since I learnt to read, I have always had a book on the go.

We have such a great little library at home, covering all sorts of topics of interest to natural, new age mums! Actually the Natural New Age Dad can also be found reading up on them as well. The kids don’t let us go near bookshops anymore because we spend far too long in there!

I thought I would share the top ten books that I find invaluable. The ones I keep coming back to often and that I use as references throughout the website and our life! Books that have helped me learn more about being happy, healthy, and holistic.

♥ Healthy Home Healthy Family by Nicole Bijlsma

Building biologist, naturopath, acupuncturist and mum from Melbourne, Nicole Bijlsma shares with us her extensive research and knowledge in this book. Healthy Home Healthy Family covers everything you need to know about keeping your family safe at home including: electromagnetic fields and radiation; drinking water; allergens; mould; dust; pets; plants and pollens; chemicals in personal care and cleaning products; pesticides; our clothes, bedding and toys; cookware and building materials. You will be surprised at how many health problems can be caused by ‘sick building syndrome’.

♥Changing Habits Changing Lives

Nutritionist and Aussie mum Cyndi O’Meara has been sharing her healthy living message for 25 years! She is my go-to person for all things nutrition. Changing Habits, Changing Lives is one book that truly has changed my life.

With each chapter dedicated to small changes, healthy living becomes achievable and sustainable. I also love Cyndi’s down to earth, no BS approach. There’s a good reason why she has such a loyal following!

♥ The Chemical Maze Handbook

This book is simply a must-have for decoding all those labels! It’s quick and easy to use and doesn’t hurt your brain with too much advanced science info. Simply look up an additive or chemical via their numbers or name and Bill will tell you if it’s okay or not and the potential health hazards. Keep a copy in your handbag and become empowered to choose the best possible products for your family!

♥ Nourishing Traditions

Although this book is by an American author, the information remains relevant to us. Sally Fallon is a pioneer in the nourishing, traditional, real food movement. Over ten years ago she was dispelling the low-fat myth and urging us to eat animal fats and broth.

She also goes in to other diet myths like soy and helps us to understand how a traditional approach to food is one that is best for our health. Packed full of recipes, Nourishing Traditions is the well researched reference book for anyone who wants to adopt a real food way of life.

♥ Like Chocolate for Women

This is the ultimate self-care bible for women everywhere. Kim and Fleur cover so many topics including aromatherapy, ditching guilt, aging with grace, simple exercise, healthy meals and balancing hormones. Every time I read it, I pick up some new gem to take away. This book is so inspiring and insightful but at the same time presented in a loving, gentle, down to earth manner. One of the books I love to gift to my girlfriends!

♥ The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman

We stumbled across this book so many years ago and I still like to refer to it. If you feel like you are constantly butting heads with those you love, have a read of this book! When we work out how our family and ourselves express love via one of the “Five Love Languages” we can then be guided to deeply understand each other. This works not only with our spouses but also our children, our extended families and friends and those we work with. A truly easy to understand and implement concept that will bring more harmony to your relationships!

♥ The Coconut Oil Miracle

Written by qualified naturopath and nutritionist, Bruce Fife, this is one book that was also life-changing for us! We have embraced coconut oil with a passion and use it everywhere and everyhow! This book is your go-to guide with ideas, current research, recipes and detailed information on how coconut oil can be the best thing you have ever discovered for your health and wellbeing!

♥ Buddhism For Mothers

There is no denying motherhood comes with as many highs as it does lows. This beautiful book gently encourages us to become calmer and happier mothers through principles of Buddhism. Sarah applies the practices to the everyday challenges of being a mother and helps us to nurture ourselves to be the best we can be. A must-have for all mums.

♥ Wholefood Baking

Jude has attained the level of goddess in wellness circles! She truly is an inspirational woman and well ahead of her time. In this award-winning book, Jude shares her philosophy and information about nourishing ourselves with wholesome, organic food.

♥ Natural Remedies

Mim Beim is arguably Australia’s best known naturopath! With over 25 years of experience, she really is a leader in her field. In this book Mim has the natural remedies for over 200 common ailments and she firmly believes in diet and lifestyle before medication. This is a must-have reference book you will use over and over again – I do!

It was so hard to narrow this down to ten books! I tried to choose the most popular books by experts in their field to give you the most useful and reliable information. There are so many more I want to share with you though, so I think I will have to do a follow up!

I would love to know what you would add to my list! What is your top ten?