You Buy Fashion Online. You Get Nothing. You Love It.

Are you hooked on shopping online? Do online purchases warm the cockles of your heart? Well get hooked on this. 

Since the devastating collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building in Bangladesh, which killed over 1,100 people - we've all been shocked. And hopefully we've all started questioning: how is it possible for a t-shirt to be made and sold for $5? Who makes that garment? What is the effect of our purchase on who made it? 

Instead of wetting our pants with the excitement of bargain fashion - think big picture. Who are we hurting for a quick fashion hit? 

Conceived by three digital media students from the "Digital Harvard" - Hyper Island as a reaction to the collapse, The Rana Plaza looks like a fashion store website - but the clothes and accessories don't really exist. Instead the payments are going to help ActionAid Australia with human rights programs around the world. 

Pretty cool, huh?

Make a purchase from this online store - and you'll be helping others in the process. This experience pushes for better and safer conditions for garment workers in their own countries.

KMART and Target have became the first Australian retailers to sign onto an accord to improve safety in their factories.  But this weekend 140 female garment workers fell sick at their factory outside Bangladesh's capital Dhaka after apparently drinking contaminated water, the second such incident of its kind in two weeks. Officials confirmed the workers were making garments for western labels.

Of Bangladesh’s two million garment industry workers, 85% are women and girls. Most earn the legal minimum wage of just 0.16 Australian dollars per hour. Factory workers are routinely harassed and bullied in their workplaces and denied their legal rights such as overtime, paid leave, childcare, and safe working conditions.

Catherine Esposito of ActionAid Australia said that boycotting fashion brands was not the answer - as it could lead to job losses and even more hardship for workers around the world. 

Yo Mama! An Interview with Marie Jenkins of Kosmea

 

You, me and the rest of the world know I love trying new beauty products. I love playing with lotions and potions, cosmetics, you name it. I am a willing guinea pig. Except for that one time I went for a bikini wax at a cosmetics training school - I almost screamed at the girl and walked away sporting a whole bunch of bruises for the cheap experience of having her rip the wax the wrong way. Never went back there!

So this week I talk to an Australian beauty pro, Marie Jenkins of Kosmea. The natural skincare products are not only beautiful to use, they smell good enough to eat (trust me, this cleanser I want to squirt in my mouth every time I use it) and give natural benefits to balance the skin. Winning! 

Marie lives and breathes her products, which is testament to how much passion and research goes into the range. Let's talk to Marie! 

PMM: You founded Kosmea - how did that come about?

MJ: As a teenager I always made my own skin care products, natural skin care products. One day I was making up a recipe for a mask and the mask called for rosehips so I decided to go for a drive to the local rose nursery. They gave me a copy of an article on rosehip oil and from that moment on - I think I'd call it my entrepreneurial seizure - I thought, "Wow, what a fantastic product." So I forgot all about picking my rosehips and decided to go home and research into the rosehip oil and find out where you could get it from. And then I convinced my husband at the time to sell the family car and to buy the first drum of rosehip oil.

When business first started, your whole family was involved. A few years down the track - how have things changed?

My children have all worked in the business from the first shipment of oil arrived. But I have always encouraged my children to go after their dreams and their passions and so my two older children are pursuing their own creative endeavours, one with photography and the other in fashion design. My youngest daughter Olivia is very much like me and has a natural entrepreneurial spirit. She has joined me in the business for the past three years.

In the early days, your son was 5 when Kosmea began, and your daughter was 18 months - how did you manage the juggle of parenting with forging a new brand?

My daughter was 10, my son five and my youngest 18 months old so with great difficulty at times, it was never an easy road as often something had to give. I think my children gained so much from being a part of the business from such an early age; seeing me work hard and pursuing my passion has in a sense rubbed off on all of them making them very hard working, passionate advocates of natural skincare and the environment. They have also their own unique talents and I encourage them to go out into the world and pursue their dreams! The most important thing for me has always been learning to switch off from my business because I live and breathe Kosmea and it’s not really work as I love what I do and I am passionate about it.

I struggle with taking time out to look after myself as a working mum, got any tips to share with me?

You have to make sure you nourish your body from the inside out through a largely organic diet and exercise; you should always find time to nourish your soul, whether that be a yoga class, a walk on the beach, meditation or reading a book. Kosmea is the ancient Greek word for bringing into balance and harmony, so for me it has always been important to ensure my life is balanced through a holistic approach.

I'm a busy mum, you're a busy mum, how can Kosmea change my beauty regime?

Kosmea’s Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil is the one must have product for everyone regardless of your stage in life. Bursting with essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, rose hip oil is a healing oil that has the unique ability to deeply nourish and balance all skin types. It has such a wide range of usages, for every skin concern such as lines, wrinkles, acne and burns and even soothing eczema and rosacea, it can be used all over the face including the eye area.

The philosophy of Kosmea is 'beauty as nature intended' - how does this carry over into your everyday life?

As I mentioned above nourishing the body and the soul is a lifestyle and something that is just a natural part of my everyday life.

State of mind is also very important and to know why things happen to you and just go with them. Meditation and the yoga way of life is a very big part of who I am and that just goes hand in hand with beauty as nature intended. You tend to see the beauty in everything when you practice this in your everyday life.

What's your favourite part of your working day?

Kosmea will be 20 years this September and every day is as diverse and exciting as it was in the early days. I have a wonderful team of people around me so coming in to the office and being met by people who share my passion and energy is probably my favourite part of the working day. What makes me get out of bed in the morning is having a chosen career that I love. What I especially love is that I have impacted and touched so many peoples skin with our fantastic natural and organic skincare products based on rose hip oil.

Worst bit? 

Saying goodbye to a team member that has been a valuable part of the Kosmea team. So when people leave or when I have to tell someone that they do not fit the team is another one. Also disciplining team members is a pet hate of mine.

What's your favourite product from Kosmea?

Our Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil will always be near and dear to my heart but I simply adore the Radiance 24/7 Youth Boost as anti-oxidant rich elixir!

How do your children influence your business now?

Olivia the youngest plays an integral role in the Kosmea business, she will one day in the very near future run the company, but for now she heads up the marketing and sales side of the business. Even though Josh and Carla are now following their own dreams they still have some input to the business as they have grown up with the brand.

Can you share any secret beauty tips? (ie how can I get rid of these vertical frown lines??)

Yes sure! First of all try to keep frowning to a bare minimum, second apply the rosehip oil/Radiance 24/7 twice a day and follow with the Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising serum daily is a good start. Also keep an eye on your water intake, diet, lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, plenty of sleep and limit your stress levels.

Find Kosmea here

Follow Kosmea on Facebook here

Tweet Kosmea here

This is the ninth interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them weekly. 

Yo Mama! An Interview with Michelle Shearer

A couple of years ago I came across a wonderful group called MamaBake. MamaBake hinges on the idea of women, mamas, banding together to bake - big batch baking - and produce meals en masse to free up time in each mamas diary. 

I know myself when mealtime hits I lack inspiration - and fumble to throw things together (unless I've got spare time, and that's like hunting for hen's teeth in a foxes den). 

A catalyst for change, MamaBake is the revisiting of real community and real-life support. Founder, Michelle Shearer is one of those funny, intelligent women that you find yourself drawn to. She's real - no pretenses, which is utterly charming in itself. 

This week I talk to her and find out more about MamaBake and why it's important to us mamas. 

PMM: MamaBake is an inclusive revolutionary group for mamas - particularly in a time when we're struggling for community. MamaBake was birthed three years ago - how was it conceived?

MS: It was conceived when my good friend Bec (who I went to school with back in England. We found each other again after she spotted a photo of mine on Facebook that looked alot like a place near where she lived.  We were both living in Australia and just up the road from each other.  So 20 years on, we're still best buddies.) came to school with a lasagne for me to take home for dinner.  I didn't have to cook a meal that evening so went surfing instead and it all felt incredibly liberating.  I immediately wanted to reciprocate and started to think around the concept of how we could get this feeling for every mum.  From there the group, big batch sharing concept of MamaBake was born.

Tell us why MamaBake is important.

MamaBake is important because the job of mothering is vital to a healthy society and that to do that job well we need community.  It is not a job that we are meant to do alone and we are not meant to be doing absolutely everything alone either.  No wonder depression rates are what they are in mothers.  The way we are doing it now is just not cutting it and we have to find other ways that supports women when they have children.  MamaBake provides tight knit community to mums, it lightens her domestic load and it demonstrates the power of her community to her children - so we leave a lasting legacy of togetherness for the future generations.

Running an online community is busy work. Running an online community AND a real life community is totally demanding. How do you manage the juggle?

I take windows of opportunity.  Karen runs MamaBake with me so we work together managing things and juggle between us but yes, it is demanding.

What's a normal day look like for you?

Best case: get up and go for a surf

Sometimes: get up run on the beach, swim across the lake and get home before the kids are up

Usually: get up put the parrots out, feed the chickens and said parrots. Make breakfasts for everyone, coffee.

The rest of the day is a combo of the following:

beach/work/bake/bed.

What's the best bit of your job?

Day to day: I love the banter on Facebook.  I sit here like Mutley sometimes snorting and exhaling loudly like an old smoker, alone. Ah dear.  I love reading and learning of new groups popping up and how MamaBake has impacted on them and seeing MamaBake grow and people taking that first step towards change for the better. I have some very special friendships that have come about as a result of MamaBake too and I value that very much.

Do your children cook?

Oh yes they love to get knee deep in whatever I'm doing.  

Sometimes if I work late, or I'm stupidly tired, I just can't muster the ability to make anything for dinner beyond toasted sandwiches and some veggies on the side. Do you ever get stuck for a meal?

I would say about half my week is me getting stuck for a meal and involves me opening the fridge, closing the fridge, wondering, frowning and walking away - repeat cycle.  I have the odd day where I'm inspired but mostly meh...(hence MamaBake!)

Do you ever get to take time out for yourself?

Yes I do but I have to claim it when the opportunity arises or it gets lost in a swamp of to-dos and dirty dishes.  If I do get time I like to surf, swim across the lake or walk across the headlands with my camera or a musty old book.

What's coming up next for Michelle Shearer?

Well, that all depends on our Pozible campaign...  I certainly hope to be building vaster in-real-life MamaBake communities for mothers across the world.

Join MamaBake here. 

Check out more MamaBake here. 

Read the MamaBake manifesto here.

And have fun at the MamaBake Facebook community here. 

Please support The Mother's Revolution here at Pozible. Seeking funding for spreading the MamaBake vibe even further around the world. 

This is the seventh interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them weekly. 

Yo Mama! An Interview with Beci Orpin

I've renamed Beci Orpin - Beci Awesome.

Matt and I spent a joyful afternoon together, lying on the bed (don't get any ideas), reading her new book 'Find and Keep'. It's full to overflowing with colour, inspiration, and pure joy. I keep it by my bedside because as soon as I look at it, it buoys me. It's like happiness in print.

I've long been an avid fan of Beci Awesome. Since her Princess Tina days, when I'd avidly await her new releases, to recently when I met her at a flower bombing class at The School and rushed over to her and introduced myself (I am SUCH a nerd burger). I was so thrilled to be breathing in the same air as her. In a non-creepy way.

Beci is one of those rare creatures that constantly creates - and wins with her colourful and enchanting ways - plus she's super humble. And to add to that she has an equally awesome sister, Emily.

So without further ado, let's get down to why we're here - let's talk hear from the woman herself.

PMM: Beci Orpin.

Beci Orpin: YES hello!

In your book 'Find and Keep' you thank your parents for encouraging a creative childhood. Tell us about what growing up in the Orpin household was like.

Well actually I grew up across two different households for most of the time, as my parents got divorced when I was three and my sister (this is her) was one. We used to live with my mum during the week and spend weekends at dad's house. We lived in a commune with my mum for a while and that was super fun. She was all feminist theory and no TV and whole foods, but my dad let us occasionally eat junk food and Hubba Bubba and hire as many beta videos as we wanted. I think it was a good balance. In between both of them they read us lots of books, took us to lots of different classes (classical ballet, jazz ballet, flute, improv theatre, basket weaving, judo) and took us on fun holidays and outings. And of course they always encouraged us to do stuff, rather than sit on the couch.I think that was a biggie in how we both turned out.

 
You have two sons - how do you manage to keep active boys active, and your professional life thriving?

Honestly it's a constant struggle, but i have i've learnt a few tricks with boys (might apply to all kids but I have only had boys so I'm not sure) - keep them fed and take them out for a run - just like a puppy. My boys also thrive if you are able to give them one on one attention - which can be hard when you work from home and are an obsessive compulsive email-checker. But I find if I do the one-on-one thing, whether it be a bit of Lego building or reading books or drawing or talking about their day then that keeps them happy. I have also learnt that it's unfair to expect them to amuse themselves while I work. Neither of us ends up happy doing that. So I hang out with them when they get home from school and until after dinner and bed is done, and then go back to work when they sleep.

It was hard going to develop this kind of working routine for a while but now I am quite used to it, and even look forward to my night time sessions - it's really quiet and free from distractions. It almost disguises itself as "me time"! And it won't be like that forever. In the not-too-distant future they will be thinking I am completely uncool, so I'm going to lap up their demanding-ness while it's still happening.


Colour is so much a part of the Beci Orpin we know and love. Does it apply to all facets of your life?

YES for sure. Even without me noticing I find myself obsessing over what colour plates should go on that green table cloth, or an arrangement of scraps of colour paper on my desk. It can be quiet distracting really.


What's your favourite part of your job?

Without wanting to sound too sucky - almost every part. I do really like the beginnings of projects, getting all the bits together and experimenting. Subsequently I can suck at finishing things. I get it done eventually though. And variety. I like that I get to work on lots of different things.


And the best part of your day?

After we drop the kids off, Raph and I usually get coffee together. Even if it's just take-away we can talk in the car (his work is just around the corner). We are so busy independently, and Raph often works nights and weekends, and goes to bed early, so it can be hard to see each other aside from the daily routine. So coffee feels like a nice treat. I feel lucky we get to do things like that.

Do your children love creating too?

Ari definitely has the drawing gene - he creates literally hundreds of drawings without any prompting from me, or he is always asking to do painting or make something. Tyke is a bit older now (almost 10) and interested in different things - but he is creative in other ways - like writing stories, and of course Lego/minecraft creations. His mind is far more technical than mine will ever be.


How do you re-charge your batteries? What's time out look like for you?

I do have to work a lot so my "me" time has to be pretty well planned. I see a personal trainer once a week and have been doing that for almost three years - I never thought I would love exercise as much as I do! So much that this year i'm also doing bootcamp with some school mums! But the ultimate me time is riding my bike - I love it because it can fit into my day - I can ride to meetings and it feels like a bit of meditation on the way. We also go on a family holiday every year. That has become a pretty important ritual to us all now.


Juggling work and parenting is a crazy, crazy thing. What's your best tip to share?

YES IT IS. There are no tricks - it's hard work that's for sure. My tip is allocate kid time and working time and try not to overlap the both. As I said I try and hang out with my kids when they get home, and if I can't or need to go somewhere at night I tell them in advance so they don't get bummed out too much when I can't be there. Routine is kind of important to us - especially Monday to Friday - knowing what is going on in advance makes everything easier for everyone. Being organised is good too - but actually we are pretty crap at that. I can see how it would make our working/kid life much easier though. Getting organised is deinftely on my "to do" list.


What's coming up next for Beci Orpin?

Another crazy year - just how I like it. I'm working on one or two new books (can't say what or with whom just yet), and I have an exhibition planned for April with the amazing Kat Macleod, and a few other exhibitions later in the year too. Raph and I are also working on a new project for him - an exciting one which should launch in June. I'm trying to squeeze in bit more blogging, but most likely I will be wasting time on Instagram, Pinterest and Etsy instead. And then of course freelance work and my other usual follies.

In my dreams we will renovate our house this year - we even have the plans drawn up - but I think we will be too busy with everything else. So I might have to blow all our budget on a HUGE 40th birthday party (or series of parties). Yes that birthday is happening for me this year too! At first I was scared of it, but now I'm all BRING ON THE 40! Can't wait!

• Beci's book 'Find and Keep' is published by Hardie Grant and available in good bookstores or here.
• Check out Beci's website here and her blog here
• Raph runs Melbourne-based Taco Truck. Follow on Facebook (I do, and I don't even live there, I'm just living vicariously).

Want even more good news? The very good folk at Hardie Grant - together with Beci are kindly giving away three very awesome copies of 'Find and Keep'. 

To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post, and tell me why you need 'Find and Keep' in your life. 


Terms and conditions: 
- Open to Australian residents only.  
- Entries are open from Monday 4th March - closing Sunday 10th March 2013 at midnight. Three winners will be announced on Monday 11th March.
- One entry per person
- If you have trouble leaving a comment on my blog, please try a different browser. If problems persist, please let me know.
- You must leave your email address on your comment. I'm not Sherlock Holmes.


This is the sixth interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them weekly. 

images courtesy of Beci's website and via Save the Children website.

Yo Mama! An Interview with Jayne Hughes

Back when I first had babies, many, many years ago, I went hunting for eco-friendly solutions for parenting problems. What I came up with was Ecobabe - a family-owned online store chocked to the brim with quality products with minimal impact upon the planet. I was pretty chuffed with this discovery - and frequented the online aisles perusing the goods. 

Over the last few years I've been fortunate enough to get to know the brains behind Ecobabe, Sydney-based Jayne Hughes. An intelligent, quick-witted broad who's devoted to her family - and dedicated to her business, she's fast become an inspiration in small business. 

Today I'm sharing an interview with Jayne, to give you an in on her daily life. Let's go!

PMM: How did Ecobabe start?

JH: I started ecobabe nearly 7 years ago when my big girl Olivia was 14 months old. I knew that I didn't want to go back to the sort of work I'd been doing before having children and I had this insane notion that I could start a business that would bring the same financial stability to our home as I could if I worked at a full time job outside of the home. I look back at those early business plans and wince, my bank manager must have laughed his head off when I left his office!

My first experience of internet shopping was the purchase of modern cloth nappies, I became quite obsessed about cloth nappies, natural fibres, chemical free products and eco-sensitive lifestyles and I discovered that there was a gap in the Australian online market and that I could be the eco-warrior to fill this gap.


How do you find working online VS working in an office? What are the pros and cons?

I love working online, although Facebook and blogs can become massive black holes that eat away at my valuable time, under the guise of 'research'. Fortunately I have to take my big girl to school each day so this gets me out of pjs and keeps me out of tracky dack mode and I'm generally dressed at my desk with a hot tea in hand by 9am like most busy worker bees. The big pro for me is the flexibility that working online and from home gives me. I am responsible for my time, I can work when and where I want, so if it's a stunning morning I will pop down to the beach for a walk after school drop off, or I can work remotely - my parents live in Far North Queensland, just over the Daintree River on an isolated beach so I will often pack up the kids and my iPad and head to Queensland for a couple of weeks where I work for a few hours in the morning while Mum looks after the girls and then I join them once my morning chores are complete.

The major con is that working from home, I get distracted by the domestic front, the kitchen and particularly the fridge... and laundry are unfortunately my greatest distractions. Unfortunately for my husband and family I don't touch housework on a working day :) I do see and talk to a lot of people during my workday so I don't experience the isolation that many work from homers can feel.


Working online can wind up being a 24 hour gig. How do you manage that while parenting two daughters?

In the early years of ecobabe I used to work at night and on the weekend because during the day I was very busy parenting 2 children. This worked well for me at the time. As my children have grown up, they're now aged 5 and 8yrs, I've clawed back most of my nights and weekends and try to keep ecobabe within business hours purely so that we can function as a family. My husband and I are massive nerds though, we both have an ipad and phone plugged in on each side of our bed and the first thing I do after morning bed snuggle cuddles with the 5yr old is check my site and check what orders have come in overnight. Because even though I've been sleeping I have customers who don't ever seem to sleep. There's a lot of midnight breastfeeding shopping that goes on out there!

What's the best part of your day?

The best part of my day is the wakeup cuddles I have with my 5 year old, every morning she comes thumping through the house to crawl into our big bed for cuddles. She's seriously the best snuggle cuddler on the planet.


Workwise, the best part of my day is the cup of tea after all orders are packed and the Australia Post courier has left each day. That's when I allow myself 10mins of personal time on Facebook or to read an awesome blog.

Retail is hard in Australia right now - how do you keep motivated?

I had some motivational issues mid this year when the market was really tough for me. I just couldn't see an end to the negativity in the market, so we went to Bali for a couple of weeks, forgot about everything on our plate and amazingly since we've been back things have improved - starting with my attitude. I am now very proud to be a business that has survived the GFC and have a very positive outlook for the future of ecobabe and online retail.

What do you do to treat yourself?

Where do I start? That lovely glass of wine at 6pm is a pretty good treat. I love a good girls weekend, that's my ultimate treat - sorry husbandos. My daily treat is good music and good candles or Nag Champa incense in my office. A good hot cup of tea is a regular treat. Yoga is another treat, the peace, the quiet, the listening to my body, to my breath, that is a delicious treat in itself. Another treat is a good book, I love reading a good book and always have a pile ready to go on my dressing table. I'm currently reading "Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner, a good book gets me off the couch and in bed at a reasonable hour each night.

Any tips on how to manage the work-family juggle?

I'm not the right person to answer this question, my family will tell you that the only way to get me out of work mode is to get me out of the house, so we tend to get out of the city for a weekend away quite regularly. I think the best way to manage the work-family juggle is to give everything 100%, when it's work time - give it your 100% and when it's family time give it the 100% it deserves and when it's you time give it 100%, tune out all the other demands and give yourself 100% to what you're doing, we call this "setting yourself up for success" in our house which basically means remove all the distractions or obstacles before you do something and then you can do it properly. Children don't understand multi-tasking, they want you 100%, they don't want a parent absently answering their questions about life death and the universe while you're busy scrolling through FB on your phone :(

What's coming up next for Jayne Hughes?

2013 will be a year of big change, my youngest starts school and I will have 5 childless days each week. I have some big plans for ecobabe and I'm personally really enthused about retail and the 'eco-friendly' market, what was once a quite niche market is becoming more and more mainstream and there are great opportunities for me personally and for my business www.ecobabe.com.au out there now. Oh and I bought a 'luxury travel in Thailand' magazine in the newsagent this morning, I think a trip to Thailand is definitely coming up next winter.

Be sure to check out Ecobabe here. It's not only baby/parenting products, but a vast array of awesome things that can help you live a lighter life. 
And hear more from Jayne on the Ecobabe Facebook page here. 


This is the fifth interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them weekly. 

Ten Achievable Steps To Turning New Year's Resolutions into a Reality:: Vashti Whitfield

Like I said yesterday, I am sharing with you Vashti's inspirational tips for making your resolutions stick. 

In the past I've not made resolutions for the fact that two days later, I forget, or I lapse, or I just can't be bothered - so I ditched them. After reading Vashti's tips - it seems more realistic and achievable, and I think I can start 2013 a-fresh with some ideas on how to live a better, happier life. 

Over to Vashti:

It’s that time of year where way too much of the good stuff over the silly season has guilted us into making a series of New Year’s resolutions declaring that this, yes this, will be our year of big change.

This year I will dump my annoying boyfriend for someone more deserving of me; I will give up sugar, wheat, dairy, drinking, smoking and anything that doesn’t honour my body; I promise to actually use my gym membership more than twice and I will pay off all my debt and start investing wisely, as in no more shoes, Net A Porter ‘whoops, I just pressed buy’ moments and certainly no more leaving my credit card behind the bar!

The first step to actually turning this year around is to acknowledge the fact that if we are here, at the beginning of yet another New Year, with yet more of the same old resolutions, then clearly something in our approach is just NOT working.

It will take a little bit of time and a lot of thinking, but if you are really serious and 100 per cent willing to back yourself and really go for it this year, follow my top ten achievable steps to ensure that you get as much out of 2013 as you hoped for.

Step 1/

Create a list of all the key areas that make up your life from career, health and money to relationships, family and wellbeing. Don’t leave anything out.

Step 2/

Now give each area a mark out of ten in terms of how happy you are with that particular area, one being the absolute lowest and ten being super fantastic.

Step 3/

Go back over each area and ask yourself these questions. “What really got in the way of me making this happen last year?” and “How did I sabotage this for myself/what excuse did I have for not doing it last year?” Read back over what you have written and have a serious conversation with yourself as to whether you are finally willing to let the excuses go and start moving forward.

Step 4/

Take each area, one at a time, and write a couple of lines about how you would like it to look and feel a year from now. Be as detailed and specific as possible. Manifesting is a process that many avoid and yet done effectively can be the one constant that keeps you focused on your outcomes.

Step 5/

A year is a long time, so take each area and define four specific and measurable, time based goals to work towards. These need to be goals that really inspire you and that when achieved will have considerable impact on your life. Work backwards and create one year, six months, three months and one month goals for each area. Now commit these goals to your calendar.

Step 6/

Map out specific steps and actions, like when you will go the gym, when you will have done your tax return or handed in your notice etc. and then put them in your diary/calendar. Once you reach three months, be sure to acknowledge what you have achieved and then repeat the process to begin working towards your six month goal.

Step 7/

Schedule and commit to weekly reviews of where you are at with your goals and then structure what specific actions need to be completed that week and put them in your diary/calendar. Use lists, Post It notes, reminders and any resources needed to ensure you follow through on your commitments.

Step 8/

There is nothing like a weekly check in with someone that knows your plan and is willing to support you sticking to it. So look at how to create the support structures around you to help you stay on track, who and what would be good for this?

Step 9/

Write a letter to yourself, reminding yourself why achieving these goals and ultimately the specific changes in your life, will make such a difference. Be sure to acknowledge to yourself what will be hard about the process and list the excuses or situations you are likely to create to try and sabotage yourself, but equally, remind yourself that you know you can actually make all this happen this year and that when you look back on this time, in your future you will be incredibly proud that you finally made it all happen.

Step 10/

Last but not least, write a description of what your life will look like at the end of the year with all your goals achieved. Write it in present tense and with as much detail as possible. Now take this fabulous vision of how life will look and put it somewhere that you can see it everyday, knowing that if you don’t have a clear focus on where you want to be, you will end up in exactly the same place this time next year!

Note to self: You get one life, so make this the year that you really commit to yourself and go for it!

For more from Vashti Whitfield - and for even more inspirational tips - check out her blog 

Maybe McQueen. 

 images via Pink Wallpaper

Yo Mama! An Interview with Vashti Whitfield

A few months ago I read an article about an inspiring woman, and her equally inspiring husband - it was a beautiful story of love and devotion. It was one of those stories that stayed with me - it struck a real chord and I remember being profoundly affected.

This beautiful couple had two gorgeous small children; the beautiful wife, Vashti Whitfield enjoyed a successful career as a professional life coach/facilitator, and her handsome husband, Andy Whitfield, was hitting his stride with his own successful acting career.  

Fast-forward a couple of months - and I received an email asking if I'd be interested in having Vashti on my blog. Well - that's a no-brainer. Of course I'd love to have her on my blog. I was ecstatic!

Vashti is a woman you want on your side. I can imagine sitting with her and chatting into the wee hours about life, kids, parenting - whatever. She's a positive powerhouse and I can't wait to hear more from her in the coming months.  

I could think of no better way to launch into the New Year than with Vashti. Let's go!

PMM: Vashti - as a wife and as a mother, you've been through so much sadness - how do you keep refreshing yourself?

VW: I have always looked at life with a sense that there is just so much possibility out there. Whilst there have been, and still are, times that I feel extraordinarily challenged, I always come around to the fact that there is something wonderful to be had and shared and that is what inspires me and guides me to take and make my next move. I also make sure that I keep hitting my personal  'refresh' button, which often isn't until one of my wheels has fallen off, but I am learning to read the signs a little quicker. So along with being a mummy and the many aspects of my work, I absolutely make sure that I exercise, ride my motorbike, run with the wind in my hair, watch a movie by myself with Andy as my imaginary friend and anything that washes away the build up and pressures that the current chapter of my life and I place on myself.

After losing Andy, what made you keep moving forward? 

Losing Andy who was such a young, beautiful and open man, gave me this tremendous determination to be as creative, authentic and passionate as I could possibly be - as a woman, a mummy and someone capable that could use her force to make a difference however big or small. Losing him created this daily conversation with myself about being privileged enough to have my life and to be here now, and that I must make the most of that with every minute I have! This is what keeps me moving forward, along with the fact that I feel like he is always around and can see right through me when I am not following through or stepping up in the way he would expect of me. On top of all that, I have two little beautiful kids who no longer have their dad, which makes it even more important for me to keep moving forward and ensure their needs are met. There are ups and downs and both are honoured equally so as to ensure we all get the chance to process our grief.

You have two children - how do you manage the juggle of working mum?

I squeeze as much as possible in the time available to me. I invest in time for myself as I find I am not capable of being effective in my work or being a 'nice' mummy if I don't get the space to think. One of the tricky things about grief is that it can just creep up and take a hold of you, so making alone time is critical for me. I also have always worked for myself, which whilst it comes with great responsibility, also gives me the flexibility to manage my time and the motivation to create great work that supports my family and feeds my soul. The truth, however, is that sometimes I just want to buckle under the weight of it all and often finding myself taking many deep breaths after having to cancel clients to collect a sick child from school, knowing that I am the breadwinner and the one who will be up all night with them, trying hard to be clear and fresh faced the next day. But just like popping a baby out, in the moment you think "I can't do this" you find your real power and centre and from nowhere comes the stuff you are really made of.

What is your advice for turning New Year's Resolutions into a reality? I never stick by mine - so I don't make them anymore. Can you turn me around?

The issue with New Year’s Resolutions is that we generally declare them as a reaction to the things we didn't achieve last year that we feel we need to change. The reality is that we usually need to take a step back and address why we are in our current situation in the first place. The first step is to reflect on what structures exist in our lives that have stopped us or will stop us and then is the time to declare the realistic, inspiring and tangible goal like resolution that has some accountability, some strategy and a clear fail safe plan to bring it to life. The truth is a takes a bit of work and a whole lot of honesty, but once you can front up to that, anything is possible.

What's the best bit of your day?

I love the mornings. If I can rise before the kids, drink a delicious coffee, write for a while, ride my bike to the beach do a quick soft sand run and be home just as the kids are waking, my day is made! Paying a baby sitter for 90 minutes for me is worth every cent and then getting to make their brekkie, packed lunch and a quick play before school and everyone is happy!

Maybe McQueen seems to be a hub of honesty and inspiration. Grief can be exceptionally hard personally - do you find sharing with your community helps? 

I, to my own detriment sometimes, have always worn my heart on my sleeve. My need to verbalise my thoughts and feelings has always led me to share a little more openly than most, which certainly gives a platform for others to explore and share their own journeys. Grief is something that is usually incredibly private and yet until I began communicating about it, I felt completely suffocated by it. During my husband's illness we made a documentary about the journey and just as it was being interviewed for it, you resisted the idea of sharing your thoughts and feelings, but once you had let go of everything through talking about it, anything and everything seems possible, lighter and brighter. Sharing your own experience not only allows others to process their own lives but externalises thoughts and feelings that once let loose, become more about possibility and new beginnings than just a sad and finite ending. 

What's next for Vashti Whitfield?

Losing my beautiful friend and partner in crime has really taught me that time is of the essence and whilst being in the moment is key, creating and taking action towards the life you want is paramount. So for me 2013 is about turning my blog Maybe McQueen into a place that is to only a platform for cathartic sharing but more of hub for much, much more! There will be video blogs, books, master classes and a real marriage between my work, my passions and how I voice that out there in the world. There will also be the release of a documentary about Andy called ‘Be Here Now’ next year, so keep your eyes peeled for that. You never know, you may even see me hosting a bare all talk show in the USA if I manifest hard enough! Anything is possible.

Check out Vashti's blog - Maybe McQueen. 

Andy and Vashti have made a feature documentary 'Be Here Now' about Andy's journey. You can follow the progress and support the making of here.  

Tomorrow I'll share Vashti's Ten Achievable Steps to Turning New Year's Resolutions into a Reality.


This is the fourth interview in my Yo Mama! series. Interviews with creative working mamas. Look out for them weekly. 

Guest Post: With Nat Kringoudis

Today on PottyMouthMama I have a guest post - which is not something I ordinarily do. But during the four years I have been blogging, I have had the great fortune of meeting some truly inspiring women. Women that I wanted to share with the rest of the world. To shout about from the rooftops. 

Well this is my rooftop, and today Nat Kringoudis is guest posting. Nat is the brains and the beauty behind The Pagoda Tree and Fertile Body, Heart & Soul. 

I've known Nat for over two years. She's the type of woman who very politely takes life by the scruff of its neck - and makes it better. That means it's positive and bright. I can't say enough good things about Nat - she's like a bright nurturing beacon of light.  

Nat juggles her incredibly busy work life with life as the mum of two gloriously beautiful babes. The below post has been written by Nat. 

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This time last year, I fell pregnant. Something many women find themselves doing at some point in their life, but equally it's no mean feat.   As a natural fertility specialist, I know that some women’s journeys to pregnancy can be more difficult than other women's. Another thing I know is babies.  I know how to make them, I know how to keep them in until they are well baked and then I know how to get them out when my patients are ready to have their babies. I practice this everyday in my clinic.

However nine months later, I was in for a shock when I experienced nothing short of a horrendous 18 hour labour, drug free (just saying), which ended in an emergency c-section.  Again, something I know many women have been through, but certainly not something I would have chosen if I had been given an option.  This birth didn't go to my plan. I couldn't control it. This took some coming to terms with. It was a good lesson for me as a health professional, not one I wanted to have to learn but I took it on board. 

Just as the dust was settling and I was finally getting my life back into gear post cesarean and I was coming out of the haze of new mum-hood, I got a phone call that would change our family's life. My son was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  I can’t remember much from that day. This was not how I'd envisaged this working out for us.

As a health educator and blogger, I’m yet to share my story on the world wide web.  Now a few months have passed, I've got more of our story to tell. Initially I was wary to share.  I wanted others to see my son Geordie for who he is rather than 'Geordie with CF'. You see, we very quickly learnt that people don’t know anything good in regards to CF. They know that people with CF suffer, they are sick and in the past they very often died at a young age. I also wanted the chance to prove to people (and perhaps even to myself) that that would not be my son's experience.  I needed time to show others (and again, prove to myself) that I could hopefully keep him well.  Not to be delusional about the reality of CF, I realised the challenges that the future would hold for us, but I would use all my might to scurry through every crevice of my brain and use all the tools I had.  The 11 years I devoted to studying health care was for a cause.  It seems, this is what I had studied for.

I’m no stranger to CF. My best friend of 20 years has a son with CF. Two best friends, two boys with CF – what are the chances?  This question I have asked myself a thousand times.  What are the chances?  With 3000 people living in Australia with CF, how is it that my high school bestie and I could both find ourselves here?  Most people's reaction is – ‘you’re so lucky you have each other.’  I agree, whilst I am so lucky to have her - this reality has been the hardest thing to come to terms with because the biggest risk to a child with CF, is actually being around another child with CF.   It means that our two sons shouldn’t really play together.   How do we do play dates?  How do I cope with limited time together?  I’m still learning to come to terms with it and it’s hard.  Really hard.  What about our dreams of taking them on a flight together to Disney land?   

 The first few weeks left my heart dark and heavy, like somebody had dropped a blanket over it.  Every time I felt like I had my head around it, I’d be punched in the face again as if somebody was saying “oh no you don’t – get back to feeling sorry for yourself.”  Thing is – that ain’t me.  Soon after, I couldn’t face it any longer.  I took charge and I took it real good.  We had to move on and get going with the job of making sure Geordie is a healthy boy.  

See, Geordie picked the right family or should I say, he was given to us as a gift.  Whatever way you look at it, I had lessons to learn and still do.  I learnt I’m a control freak – yup!  Who knew, right?  Granted, he has a bloody determined mother with a head harder than rodeo bull and a really level headed easy-going daddy.  He’s way lucky.  He also has a sister with a love for him that is larger than life itself.

Prior to having children, I would wonder what they were going to look and be like.  Every parent dreams of their ‘perfect’ child, or rather, they want their child to be perfect.  When I received the CF news there was a moment where all of this ‘what about...’ flashed in front of me like a broken neon sign that is shorting out.  I thought to myself  ‘this isn’t what I imagined, somebody let me out of this silly dream.’   When Geordie was diagnosed, so many messages streamed through saying “I’m so sorry to hear about Geordie” like he was gone and we were in mourning – and this broke my heart to say the least.  Reality was, there was nothing to be ‘sorry’ about (and I know these messages were sent with the best intentions), he was still Geordie and frankly nothing about him had changed.  I took it upon myself to make sure people understood the positives, that there was hope and that my Geordie had a big, bright future.  I understood that people didn’t quite know what to say to us, and that sometimes, silence is ok.  That’s a big deal coming from this chatterbox.  We didn’t need words, we just needed to know that we had support – thankfully, we had plenty of that. 

We’ve been lucky.  Geordie is going great guns.  He’s gaining weight at a rapid rate, and he is well, and this alone lifts the weight off my shoulders (not literally!).   Research in CF has come along in leaps and bounds and the future looks so bright for kids with CF. The big thing with CF is that you don’t know what you’ve been dealt.  Nobody can tell you how ‘well’ or ‘sick’ your child will be, and there are so many factors that go in the mix – genetics, environment, lifestyle and luck I’m sure.  The things I can’t control – I’m letting go of, but those that I can I’m going all the way.  I’m blessed with knowledge and I’m blessed with my perfect son.  I truly feel lucky.

Someday we will all go to Disney land – it might be on separate flights, but we will get there and we will have the time of our lives, together.  Geordie has already taught me that life is for the living – we will be making every day count for the rest of our long, long lives.
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Nat is currently finishing work on her upcoming e-book on priming your body for fertility, with tips and tricks for a wellness overhaul, including over 25 recipes for building a fertile body. I'll keep you posted when it comes out.

image: the beautiful image of Nat with baby Geordie is courtesy of Nat