It’s been tough, I have to admit. On many levels, it’s been a difficult year. I wasn’t prepared for what having 2 young children to care for, plus a business to grow would mean, and I certainly wasn’t prepared for the level of sleep deprivation this gorgeous little guy brought with him. I’ve learned the hard way that lack of good sleep affects your ability to think clearly and rationally, let alone the negative impact it can have on your health and energy levels.
“I could rule the world… if only I could just get a good night’s sleep!”
I now fully comprehend the frustration behind these words, spoken by a fellow mama. So heartbreakingly true!
As a result, we are in the process of getting the balance back and making some necessary adjustments to our work and home life. We can finally see the light ahead, and it’s a good feeling. We have big dreams for this little business of ours, but the difference now is that we are more realistic about how and when these ideas can be brought to fruition. We are focusing on all the good things that we have to look forward to. A 40th birthday celebration (oh my!), a wedding anniversary, a first birthday and a house full of family for Christmas.
I’m also doing my bit to expand my outlook and re-kindle the little spark within by taking an online blogging course with this talented lady. One of our first assignments is to blog about what inspires us…
I took these photos of Sophie with her strawberry plant a couple of weeks ago and shared them on our Facebook page (far less daunting these days than blogging). She was so delighted and proud of that big red strawberry and how it tasted – a delicious reward for her efforts in watering and caring for the plant. Something so simple, yet I realised the images represent so much more. That little girl inspires me to keep going, to keep growing our business with as much care and attention as I can possibly muster and to keep spreading our message far and wide.
I love when she wants to help me in the kitchen and puts on her little pink apron in her eagerness (even though it takes twice as long, with twice the mess!) I love that she thinks ‘treats’ are what you make at home – that you have to go to the effort to bake biscuits or muffins instead of simply opening a packet. It makes my heart happy that she loves bircher muesli for breakfast and that she doesn’t know what a commercial cereal box looks like. I love that she asks ‘what’s for dinner?’ early in the day and will always say ‘dee-licious’ to my response even if when finally put in front of her she pushes it away (like a typical 3 year old!) I love that she watches me do my exercises and gets out her tiny little hand weights to join in, or perform her version of a particular exercise or stretch (or even show me how it’s done!) I love that natural fun exercise is a part of her lifestyle and something she takes great delight in.
For all these reasons and more, i’m inspired to continue doing as much as I can to shape this little girl’s positive attitude to food, exercise and body image and to ensure that she never has to go through the same anxieties I did growing up. I want to equip her with the tools and knowledge she needs to be prepared to handle the convoluted messages that our society will inevitably throw at her. And you know what? If we can inspire others in the process, then so much the better.
So, join me in this space as I bring you many more regular updates, thoughts, recipes, interviews and much more from our world of food and fitness. To balance things out a little, Pascal will even pop in from time to time to bring his perspective, too!
