Who am I ?
DAYS DOWN UNDER
Growing up in Australia, I spent a lot of time outside in the sun and the fresh air. Cell phones were not invented and tv time was limited. We used our imaginations and played outside all day during the summer. Cooking and baking was a big part of our day!
My mother and grandmother were great cooks and fabulous at entertaining: from table setting to planning and pulling it all together. We used to sit at the top of the stairs and watch their guests come in looking fabulously elegant .
The next day, Mum would always leave a small sweet treat for the four of us, my favourite being the mint chocolate thins. Eating and cooking have always been a huge part of my life.
I used to watch my grandmother and mother cook and they would teach me too. I learnt by example.
My mother threw great dinner parties and always made us wonderful birthday parties. My love of entertaining comes from her and my love of food from my Dad. My Mum loved to cook but she was not a great eater.
My Dad, on the other hand, loved to eat and his memories of places visited were defined by the food he ate there!
And so my first ever badge earned as a Brownie was my cooking badge and I remember perfecting the chocolate butterfly cupcake recipe!
MY LOVE FOR ALL THINGS FOOD
I was never a chubby child but as I hit puberty, I was always on one diet or another. In fact, I remember my parents, my sister and I did some weird diet where we only ate fruit for the first three days!! I always exercised as it was instilled in us from a young age to move our bodies. Not surprisingly, I love to cook, bake and entertain. There is nothing more exciting for me to plan a dinner party and watch it as it falls into place.
I love having the house smell of freshly baked bread, cookies or muffins. There is something special and warm having people in your home congregating in the kitchen. My kids have seen me entertain the masses during the Holiday season and cook all the food myself and now I am watching them become decent cooks too.
MY PATH
I am a high school teacher by training and a children's book author. I never in a million years thought that I would be a triplet mother but hey life throws unexpected turns and it has turned into the biggest blessing of my life. My path since the kids has been incredibly busy and with my family in Australia my help was minimal so I learnt how to do a lot on my own while my husband had to travel for work.
There were many years where I was on autopilot and just going to get everything done and take the kids here and there. But after awhile, this took a toll on me, my skin and my body.
The past few years, I have become aware that my body is simply not like it was years ago. After having a triplet pregnancy, there will always be proof of that incredible feat in the extra skin on my stomach!
I am learning to accept this and many other things I cannot change as part of who I am: a mother, wife, friend, lover, baker amongst many other things. So, I have learnt that instead of obsessing about that pesky number on the scale going up one week and down the next, that I am better off concentrating on what I actually put IN my body. Which led me to discover that it is just as important what I put ON my body as well!
Healthy mind and healthy body is all connected. We cannot be the best version of ourselves and we cannot be much help to others if we have a tired body and a tired mind. I try to eat:
- Clean - meaning less processed foods, more fresh produce
- No refined sugars on a regular basis
- Regular exercise and stretching to keep my body in great shape
- Squeezing in a morning walk before everyone is up is great for my sanity and is great exercise
And so for the past eight years through my own choice I became a pescatarian, I eat a little fish and some eggs but no chicken and meat and I feel much lighter for it. For me, it also started to become a visual thing and I really do not miss meat but I still make it for my family. My baking has turned towards some incredible vegan desserts that taste great but without all the processed, bleached ingredients we really should not be eating a lot of.
I understand now the connection between a healthy gut and our skin and and decided if I am eliminating alot of the toxins in my food , then I should be eliminating toxins in my personal care products too.
TODAY
Unfortunately, I lost both my parents over the past eight years. My dad was a successful criminal lawyer and always healthy. In fact, I do not remember my dad ever being sick. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with a stage 4 GBM, brain tumour and within 14 weeks my beloved father was gone. His last meal included a piece of lemon pound anniversary cake and I can still see the faint smile on his face.
My mother passed away three short years after my dad in her sleep, so once again we were thrown into a maelstrom of grief and disbelief and had to find a way to go on without our beautiful mother.
After my parents died, healthy really became a top priority and really got me thinking about what we put on our bodies and breathe in the air is just as important as what we eat.
This new love of mine found my way into my health and wellness business, where I teach others to understand this concept of healthy living from the inside out. I make my living now by simply educating people on this and showing others how to shop for a healthier alternative to products that they are already using and then showing them how they can do the same virtually and globally.
With this website, I bring to you:
- My passion for life
- My love for traveling
- My love for baking and cooking
- My new positive awesome badass me
- My newfound awareness of healthy living from the inside out
I am truly grateful for the life I am leading today and hope that my parents are watching over me proud of what I am accomplishing.
If you are tired of going in circles and would like to make change, contact me and let me help you get off the wheel once and for all and help you transform your life into the awesome person you can be!
I hope you enjoy my page and I look forward to connecting with you all.