WHY I LOVE COCONUT OIL & 5 GREAT WAYS TO USE IT EVERY DAY

Coconut oil is something I use everyday because the health benefits of this multi-use oil are so many! So today I thought I would share my top 5 ways to use it daily in your self-care practice.

1. I love to use coconut oil to cook and bake with as it can withstand high temperatures, and I often add it to my breakfast porridge or smoothie. 

2. I use it in the shower and bath as it nourishes the skin! its also great to shave with... 

3. I use it when massaging and moisturising my skin.

4. It works wonders as a hair- and face mask.

5. And I love to use as a carrier oil for essential oils...

Hope this inspires you to start using this wonderful oil. Have a great week!

Lots of love

This week I want to share a very simple breathing exercise called Nadi Shodana or Alternate nostril breathing. Check out the video above!

Lots of love 

Take some time this week to do something lovely for yourself. Here are my 5 top lovely things to do for you to feel good. 

1. Flex your self-love muscle and write down 5 things you love and appreciate about yourself.

2. Buy yourself a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers, just for being you...

3. Plan to get up 30 min earlier tomorrow to enjoy a delicious breakfast and listen to an inspiring podcast or feel good tunes before the rest of the world wakes up. 

4. Stop whatever you're doing and have a good stretch. Take a few deep breaths to calm and centre yourself.

5. Olalla by Blanco White has being playing on repeat all week. Take a break from whatever it is your doing, hit play here and dance around the room before continuing your day. 

Wishing you a lovely week ;)

Lots of love

"Mama's gonna go have some me-time" has often been a sentenced uttered to my son whenever I've needed a moment to myself or I'm heading out the door. I do however know that the word me-time can have some negative associations - its somehow perceived as selfish. But Me-time doesn't mean Me First, it means Me also...

Life with kids can be busy, chaotic, stressful and exhausting at times, but it's really all about how we feel within ourselves and how we deal with those moments, that determine how we experience them. If we're feeling frustrated, exhausted and stressed, the everyday tasks of motherhood can certainly feel a lot harder.

I believe that when we take some time to tune-in, nourish, nurture and re-charge (however that may be for you), we can experience feeling more relaxed, present and happy within ourselves, and in turn have more to give back to those we love. A happy mama usually makes for a happy family...

So we all know that me-time is important, but how do we create the time for it in our busy everyday lives, and most importantly, deal with that mama guilt we all know too well... Here are 3 of my 3 top tips: 

1. DEALING WITH MAMA GUILT

It certainly isn't easy to walk out the door or spend some time doing something for yourself when your toddler is tugging at your leg, begging you to stay and play with him. So I think we first need to know what we need to do for ourselves to feel re-charged and happy, and then remind ourselves that it's in everyones best interest that you do take some time to yourself (while your kids are in the safe hands of someone they love and trust). 

Personally, I have really struggled with the mama guilt so my husband and I have had many talks on the importance of re-charging our batteries and that quality is always better than quantity. Spending 2 hours playing with my son, actually being present and relaxed, laughing and having fun, is much better for him (and me) than 3-4 hours where im constantly in my head, distracted and trying to multitask...

2. RE-THINK WHAT ME-TIME MEANS...

Although some days the idea of escaping to a retreat in Bali or a spending a whole day at the spa is very tempting, I do believe that its much more about taking MOMENTS out of our day for me-time. Waking up 15 minutes before you need to so you can have a long shower and enjoy a cup of tea in peace can do wonders. Also be mindful of how you spend your time. If you have 10 minutes to spare while your waiting for something or someone, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths instead of mindlessly scrolling social media. Shift your focus on what me-time is and take short moments to yourself throughout your day.

3. PRIORITISE

Look at your schedule and all the things you're saying yes to doing. In the end of the day, it's all about prioritising and sometimes you need to say no to something else so that you can say yes to yourself. 

I hope this inspires you to prioritise some much deserved me.time and to get creative and start creating moments of me-time throughout your day. 

 Lots of love

After a long day on my feet, having a long soak in the bath is my favourite self-care ritual. However if you don't have a bathtub or want to do something simple and lovely for yourself, try a luxurious (but very simple) foot bath! Its a perfect way to de-stress after a long day and lets be honest, our feet do so much for us and we hardly ever pay them any attention.  

For this foot bath I used:

A bowl filled with warm/hot water

2 tbs of pink Himalayan salt (but epsom salt and sea salt are great too)

1tbs of coconut oil

A few slices of lemon

3-4 drops of peppermint and lavender essential oil

A few fresh flowers and dried lavender petals in to make it feel extra luxurious and inviting. 

After soaking them, dry your feet and give yourself a loving foot massage. There is an acupressure point called KI1 located under the soles of your feet. Add some pressure here to help ground and relax you. 

Breathe, relax and show your feet some much deserved love.

Lots of love

3 SIMPLE YOGA POSES FOR RELAXATION & SLEEP

There are so many different types of yoga practices. Personally I have always loved the gentler types like yin- and restorative yoga because it helps me balance out my busy everyday life by tuning in to myself and finding my inner calm. 

Today I want to share with you 3 super simple yoga poses that are great to in the evening before bed or whenever you need to de-stress. Yoga should never be painful so don't do anything that doesn't feel right to you. Remember to breathe, be present and kind to yourself when practicing it. 

CAT/COW:

This is really two poses combined and they blend perfectly together.

Start this pose by standing on all fours with your knees directly under your hips and your hands directly under your shoulders (called the neutral table top position). Engage your core stomach muscles and as you inhale, go into CAT pose by slowly tucking your tailbone and belly in, and gently arching your back. Your neck follows naturally so you look in towards your stomach. Imagine the movement starting at your tailbone, travelling naturally up the spine and ending at the top of your head. 

As you exhale, we go into COW pose. Gently tilt your pelvis, push your heart forward and up, lifting your gaze to look straight ahead. Push your shoulders away from your ears. Take your time and engage your whole body. Repeat 3-5 times.

I love this pose because it can help stretch and strengthen your back, massage your internal organs and reduce stress.  

CHILD'S POSE:  

Walk your hands a little in front of you and widen the distance between your knees. On the next exhale, push back with your hands and send your sitting bones back to kiss your heals. Let your chest melt down and rest your forehead on your mat, relaxing your arms. You can put a pillow between your legs here if you feel any discomfort. Take a few deep breaths in child's pose.  

Child's pose is a gentle resting pose that stretches the hips, thighs and legs while calming the mind and relieving stress and tension.

I like to end with a short meditation. 

My husband took these photos at the beach last summer. When I'm surrounded by toys in the living room I like to close my eyes and imagine I'm right back there. Yoga doesn't need to be about fancy headstands or practiced in a luxurious resort to feel good! Sometimes its just about taking a few minutes to tune in to yourself and find your calm.

Wishing you a relaxing evening and great night sleep tonight. 

Namaste. 

A mantra is a word, sentence or phrase that you repeat to yourself frequently. We use them a lot in yoga and meditation as it can help you stay in the present moment and shift your focus to how you want to think or feel. They're also great for training your mind to be more positive, confident and calm.

I like to use them as little reminders of how I want feel that day and in moments of stress or frustration. Like today when my toddler had his second mini meltdown before 7am and refused to put on his shoes... It was just one of those mornings where I needed to take a deep breath and remind myself to keep calm and just relax.

Mantras are only words so for them to actually have an impact, you need to say them with intention, feel it in your heart and even try to visualise whatever it is you want to feel. I simply close my eyes, breathe and repeat my mantra while imagining that I see myself however I want to feel or be. The more often you do it, the more you believe it!

So today I want to share with you a few of my favourite mantras; 

Whenever I feel anxious and like I need to control everything, I use the mantra;  "When I let go, I let love in"

When I don't feel like I'm doing or being enough; "I am doing my best and we are all learning"  or "I have enough, I do enough, I am enough" 

When I can't seem to stop thinking ahead and just be present; "Life is happening now, enjoy it"

And when I catch myself being negative or complaining, I like to remind myself of the quote I once read; "Did you have a bad day, or just a bad 5 minutes that you milked all day?"

 So pick your favourite quote or phrase (or use one of mine if you're stuck for ideas) and make it your own mantra. Write it down and place it somewhere (like the fridge, your mirror or workspace) where you can easily see it everyday and be reminded to think or say it out loud.

You are amazing, always enough and the best mama to your child(ren). In the everyday chaos that sometimes is motherhood, I think we all need a daily reminder. 

Lots of love

I am all for any excuse to celebrate love and take some time to do something lovely for yourself and/or the one you love.

Anyone who knows me knows that chocolate is my weakness and I love to bake. So this morning I carved some me-time out of my busy schedule to make a quick and simple chocolate mousse that I decorated with dried edible lavender and rose petals, to surprise my boys with tomorrow.

I'm also throwing a dinner party on Saturday so now dessert is done too, yeay! 

It's all about balance so this weeks tip is to make or buy yourself and the one(s) you love, something yummy!

Wishing you a day full of love and happiness. 

P.S. Got a few questions about what recipe I used and it was a super quick and simple one by a Norwegian baker. But whenever I want to indulge in some delicious (but also nutritious) treats, I love love love Deliciously Ella. Check her out if you haven't already!

3 ESSENTIAL OILS FOR RELAXATION

I have been using essential oils for a few years now in everything from homemade cleaning products to massage oil. But my favourite time to use them is in the evening when I need to relax...

So a little self-care tip for whenever you need to relax and unwind is to put a few drops of Lavender, Bergamot or Chamomile essential oil in the bath water, on the floor of your shower or in a diffuser. You can also dilute them in water and spray around the room or on your pillow before bed. Ahh I can feel my shoulders relaxing as I'm typing.

Choose whichever one you like the best, in my experience its usually the one I need the most. You can buy single or ready blended oils for different uses depending on how you want to feel. (Just remember to follow the instructions on how to use them because they are strong!) I've also come across a few Etsy shops that sell ready diluted room and body sprays!

Take care, Lots of love

5 HEALTHY MORNING HABITS FOR A CALM & HAPPY MAMA

Creating my own morning routine has ultimately transformed the way I feel and go about my day. This used to be me: Snooze, drag myself out of bed, rush around like a crazy person, run out the door a little half put together and feeling like I was somehow behind on everything all day... (this got a little worse after having my son...).

So about a year ago I created my own personal morning routine - a fixed set of positive habits that help me start my day feeling focused, present, calm and happy, and I want to share them with you! It requires a bit of self-discipline, but its oh so worth it.

We are all different and need to find what works for ourselves. But here are my 5 top healthy habits for a calm and happy mama who's ready to take on the day!

1. Get up 20-30 min before you need to (with no snoozing). I have always been a snoozer... but the past year I have forced myself to get up the moment the alarm goes off so that I can have a some me-time. Simple things like taking an extra long shower, do my makeup and put on "nice" clothes (not half dirty sweatpants) or simply enjoying a cup of coffee in peace before the rest of the world wakes up, makes me feel like a person.

2. Re-hydrate first thing in the morning. Our bodies have been hard at work cleansing our system while we've been asleep so I always drink a large glass of water with freshly squeezed lemon juice to re-hydrate and cleanse my body. 

3. No technology for the first hour of the day! It's so easy to reach for our phones and start checking our social media and emails the minute we're awake. But we're really only filling our minds with other things going on in the world before I've even had a chance to check-in with myself. So my 3rd tip is to be present with your family and to tune in to yourself first. The rest of the world can wait...

4. Close your eyes and focus on your breath for a few minutes. Ask yourself: how am I feeling today? Focus on 3 things you are grateful for. 

5. Movement. I personally don't like to exercise early in the morning (I'm always amazed at those who manage to squeeze in a spinning class first thing), but its just not for me... However doing some gentle yoga stretching or going for a short walk in the fresh air helps clear my head and get focused. 

I hope you find these tips helpful! 

Take care, lots of love