Archive for April, 2011
Growing Good Vibrations
It may not look like it, but this soil is ripe with potential.
This is our vegie patch – my husband prepared the soil a couple of weekends ago, so this weekend it should be ready to receive, and start nurturing, some little baby plants.
We’re going to plant a few winter vegetables, and some herbs. Just a few for now, but we’ll build up our ‘collection’ over time.
We will, of course, be using the gardening recommendations of my very own gardening-recipe book, called I’m Hungry, Let’s Grow It!. (It’s a book I wrote for families, showing them how to grow organic fruits and vegetables, and then how to make two recipes with each featured plant. It’s been written for Australian gardening conditions, but can be applied to anywhere in the world.)
There really is nothing better than nipping out to the garden to snip off some fresh herbs to include with dinner, or to pull off green leaves to use in a salad or green smoothie. Definitely keeps up our ‘good vibrations’! Not only are you getting a shot of fresh air and soaking up all that beautiful outdoor energy, but you’re then consuming plants that contain vital life force. Remember this recent blog post, which featured a fantastic restaurant that had its own garden? Now you can do this for your very own ‘home restaurant’!
Growing your own can cost much less than buying produce from the shops, but I feel that the best part is the absolute freshness of the produce. No more slimy packets of half-used parsley sitting in the fridge when you have a parsley plant or two outside your back door! Do you have a few herbs or vegies in your garden at the moment? Let me know what you love to grow!
(If you don’t yet have anything growing, I do hope this blog has provided you with inspiration. If you feel overwhelmed, just start small. But definitely check out my book for even more tips, tools, knowledge and inspiration.)
Do It Gradually & You’ll Get There!
Hey! How are you? Did you have a good Easter break? I sure did!
I just wanted to start off your post-Easter life with a dash of inspiration, in the form of words from Abraham-Hicks. In this video, we’re advised that letting ourselves feel incrementally better is a very, very good technique for starting to manifest real change in our lives.
Stop being so impatient for change! It will most likely happen sooner if you just relax, let go and then look around you for things you can focus on that make you feel better (my tip: practise gratitude whenever you can, but in a light way, not a desperate way).
Sending you much love and inspiration, and belief in your ability to grow – and feel great!
PS Despite the above, remember that spectacular quantum leaps are also very possible, and happen all the time. But if you’re starting out and are wanting to build your faith in the law of attraction process, first get into the ‘gradual’ groove!
Gratitude Friday – 22 April 2011
Another week on this beautiful planet!
Here are five things/experiences for which I am very grateful this week:
- Ballarat’s breathtaking autumnal glory, with leaves turning the most glorious colours (see photo above).
- My extended family arriving safely as they traversed (nearly) the length of this country!
- Another week of fun school holidays, including a trip with my girls and nephew to the movie Hop. (Thank you also, Universe, for making that 2-hour car space available only one block from the movies!)
- Spending Good Friday with my family in Melbourne. So good to just hang out with them.
- A 75% off sale at our Angus & Robertson bookstore, which is soon due to close. I do wish the employees well, and hope that they can see that as one door closes, another opens.
Sending you lots of love over this Easter weekend!
For the Love of Luxury Part III
Have you experienced luxury today? If you haven’t, I hope that, by the time you’ve finished reading this post, you’ll be inspired to do so!
I love giving myself luxurious experiences. They just make life all the richer.
For more about this favourite topic of mine, see part I and part II in this series.
In those blogs you’ll see my philosophies on luxury – I believe that, while you don’t need luxuries to purely exist, they definitely allow us to appreciate a full experience of life here on Earth. I also believe that living well shouldn’t be considered a luxury.
And what about becoming blasé about luxuries, if we ‘overdo’ them? Well, I believe that we can choose to focus on and fully appreciate those things that could be considered luxuries (after all, the term ‘luxury’ is relative, and unique to each person), but we can also choose to leave spaces, to go ‘without luxuries’ for a little while and then find it easy to appreciate them when we allow them back into our lives.
I like doing a bit of both. Consciously noting and appreciating ‘everyday’ luxuries, and then allowing myself to experience ‘contrast’ by deliberately not having a few luxuries, and then allowing them back in. Back and forth, the flow of life.
For example, the Cath Kidston tissues in the above photo were a little gift from my four-year-old cousin. They seemed too pretty to use for just nose blowing, so I used them when I was putting on my make-up, to wipe make-up from my hands before washing them under the tap. Such a pretty way to start the day, and I was able to get a few uses out of each tissue, which extended the luxury!
The ‘old me’ would have been paralysed, not wanting to use and fully appreciate these gorgeous tissues because once they were used up they’d be ‘gone’ – but I now know that this is a lack mentality! Life really is too short not to use and really appreciate beautiful things. And remember the good old Law of Attraction? What you focus on, you bring about…
I thought I’d share a few of experiences or ‘things’ that I consider to be luxuries. My Things I Love list includes a lot of luxuries, but below is a list of a few luxury-specific goodies. I hope they inspire you.
- Hot showers (not great for the skin, but I do love them – I always make sure to rehydrate afterwards with a glass of water, and moisturise with coconut oil)
- Having my daughters sit on my lap for a cuddle and really appreciating that they’re still small enough to do that.
- Breathing in the aroma of my daughters’ freshly washed and dried hair.
- Going out to dinner and a movie with my husband.
- Aromatic baths by candlelight
- My Burleigh Calico plates (see, I really do use them!)
- Baci chocolates
- Sleeping in and then waking naturally
- Time out for a walk on my own, listening to inspirational audios on my MP3 player
- Full-body massages by a myotherapist
- Having someone else make dinner (thanks, darling)
- A whole day with nothing planned (who knows what adventures await?)
- Breakfast in bed
- Five-star hotels (check out Vicky Archer’s description of luxurious French hotels)
- Damask tablecloths and napkins
So, tell me. What do YOU consider to be a luxury? Even taking time out of your day to read enjoyable blogs can be considered a luxury! I do hope you’ve enjoyed this three-part series, and that it’s inspired you to create (and really appreciate) luxury in your life.
Big, luxurious blessings to you…
The Secrets to Money & Success
Sandy Forster is a pretty amazing person.
Just over 10 years ago, she was a single mum on welfare, and she was $100,000 in debt. Today, she’s a multimillionaire who’s positively changing the lives of many people around the world. All from her beautiful home on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia!
Sandy has written the wildly successful book called How to be Wildly Wealthy Fast (for more about this, see Recommended Products) and has inspired thousands of people. In fact, I was so inspired by her that I undertook my coach’s training with her, through her Inspired Spirit Coaching Academy!
Now (if you live in Australia, or want to make the journey to our fabulous country), you can see her in person at one of four live events around the nation. In these one-day events, she’s going to reveal, personally, how to attract money and success, including how to make your first million dollars. So if that interests you, you should definitely come!
Don’t worry if you’re cash-strapped. The events are very, very reasonably priced (like, AU$97 for a basic ticket), so if you live near the hosting cities, you have no excuses for not coming! I’ll be at one of the events, and have upgraded to the VIP ticket so that I get front-of-house seats, and lunch with Sandy! The events will be held in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and on the Sunshine Coast.
Because Sandy practises what she preaches (tithing), she is donating a portion of the profits to charities such as Opportunity International, which provides micro-financing for people in underprivileged countries who want to start a business. Isn’t that wonderful?
Just being in a room with positive, like-minded people is motivation enough for me – it’s wonderful to immerse yourself in that kind of energy as often as you can.
Gratitude Friday –15 April 2011
Well, this Gratitude Friday list is just a wee bit belated, due to our arriving home quite late on Friday from our two-day trip to ‘the big smoke’ (Melbourne).
What a week – so many gratefuls! So much time spent with loved ones.
Here are just five of my favourite gratefuls for this week…
- My aunt and four-year-old cousin coming to visit last weekend (the beautiful rose in the above photo is the one I placed in their bathroom), and us having loads of fun showing them around our new home and hometown.
- A fantastic teleseminar (called Help! My Body’s Talking to Me!) with the lovely Michelle Mayur, a talented healer.
- My aunt taking the children out to the park while I hosted the aforementioned teleseminar, ensuring we had a quiet house for the call!
- The girls and I seeing a fantastic, natural-health-focused dentist (and finding out that it will cost less than I thought to have my three mercury fillings replaced with resin fillings).
- Having breakfast with a dear, dear friend in Melbourne on Friday morning (thank you to Gran for watching the girls while I swanned off for brekkie).
I also appreciated that we had safe journeys to and from Melbourne, and that I got to spend really special time staying at my grandparents’ house. I really treasure the time I get to spend with them.
I just love school holidays, because life has a more relaxed pace, and I get to connect even more fully with my girls. They’re such a delight, and I am immensely enjoying watching them grow. I’m so lucky to be their mum.
See you soon!
PS Leave a grateful or two yourself in the comments, if the mood strikes you.
Fresh Food: From Garden to Plate
Do you grow your own food? Did you know that eating fresh, living food is a fantastic way to improve your health and therefore raise your vibration and attract ‘good stuff’?
Over at the fantastic Renegade Health Show, health crusader Kevin Gianni has found a fabulous restaurant that grows much of its own food in a garden right behind the restaurant (check out the video, above). Now that’s fresh, huh? No food miles. Love it.
Even if you don’t have a restaurant like this near you, why not consider your home garden as your own personal, organic, vibe-raising mecca – even if you only have room to grow herbs and a few salad greens? Honestly, there’s nothing better than tasting fresh food that’s just been picked. And knowing what amazing work it’s then doing in your body (and perhaps even for your soul).
I love that Kevin is showcasing inspirational places such as this forward-thinking restaurant. Go Kevin!
PS If you live in Australia and would like a clear, easy-to-use organic gardening and recipe book, check out my book called I’m Hungry, Let’s Grow It!. It’s a family guide, with growing instructions suitable for Australian conditions.
We Have a Winner!
Last week, I announced a competition to win a fantastic book called Spontaneous Healing, by Dr Andrew Weil.
We had many entries, and the decision was difficult (in fact, I needed to call on my husband to help) – but we’ve decided that the winner is Sylvia. I’ll be mailing Sylvia’s book to her this week.
Congratulations to Sylvia, and thank you to all who entered. I love giving gifts, so I have decided to have more giveaways of inspirational books. Keep checking here on the blog for details, or even better, sign up for my free monthly ezine, which will also announce these giveaways.
Gratitude Friday – 8 April 2011
Is it really Friday again… ALREADY?! Yup.
I love my life, and I have developed the habit of noticing all the wonderful people, experiences and ‘things’ that come into my life. I truly am blessed. I know that you are, too – it’s just a matter of noticing those blessings.
This, in turn, raises your vibration and brings in even more of ‘the good stuff’!
Here are just five of my gratefuls for this week:
- Absolutely stunning sunny autumnal weather.
- Seeing tree leaves turning red and yellow on our trip to school.
- Having a fantastic morning at a coffee-shop with a fellow life coach in Ballarat – the wonderful Susie Surtees.
- Reading in the big bed with my girls – I love connecting with them, snuggling and having fun!
- My beloved aunt and four-year-old cousin coming from Melbourne to stay with us for the weekend (the excitement level in this house is palpable).
I’m off to catch some shut-eye, in order to have lots of energy for the fun and activities of this weekend. I’m sending you lots of love, and wishes for blessings galore.
Help! My Body’s Talking to Me!
Ooh-wee! Have we got a fantastic free teleseminar for you this month. Next week I’ll be interviewing a fantastic healer called Michelle Mayur, and we’ll be discussing the fascinating connection between body, mind and emotion.
Michelle Mayur
Are you free this coming Monday, 11 April? That’s when this call will be taking place, live. If you can’t make it live, don’t worry, you can still sign up for this call, and receive a link to the MP3 recording of the teleseminar (you can then listen to the teleseminar later, at your leisure).
To discover more and to sign up for the call, head here:
http://www.richradiantreal.com/teleseminar-sign-up/
PS Michelle is generously offering you a free gift – but you need to register for the call!
Joanne's coaching was exactly what I needed to help me focus my precious time and money on finding work and making money! What I like most about Joanne’s coaching is that it's gentle, supportive and empathetic, rather than pushy and 'ra-ra-ra'”
...if there’s something that you’ve been putting off doing, because it’s so big and overwhelming, then by coaching with Joanne you'll definitely find a way to do it, to finally reach your goal.”
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