½ cup 100% Peanut Butter 2 tbsp Peanut Butter Powder by @macr0mike 1 cup Oats 5 large Medjool Dates, presoaked in Ÿ cup Boiling Water Ÿ cup Almond Meal Ÿ dried Cranberries 1 tsp coconut oil 1 tbsp Manuka Honey or Maple Syrup Ÿ tsp vanilla essence
Method đ
Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture can rolled out into bliss balls. If you like them really smooth, blitz oats into a flour first.
Roll into 10 large bliss balls or 20 small ones. Allow to set in fridge then store in a glass jar or container in the fridge.
Enjoy đ . Thanks to my girl @wyldefolkstudio_ for taking these snaps đˇ and letting your adorable pup âTeddyâ (swipe đđź) join me in the kitchen.
I made a little promise to myself  when I was pregnant with my second child. I would do my best to try give my second baby a bottle from 6 weeks if I could breastfeed. The reason behind this is because Cruz (my first child), still to this day has never taken a bottle. I tried so many brands but he was just never interested. All he wanted was the boobies! That wasn’t to much of an issue to me back then as I had him home with me for the 10months of his life. However when he went to day care he would refuse my EDM or formula. I could never really pop out for to longer periods either as he would want to be fed. Cruz was not great on solids either. So he needed my breastmilk to nourish him.
I actually cannot believe I am typing the last blog of the Alice In Pregnancyland series. (for now haha) I remember chatting To Tahlia about collaborating with me for the #bumpstyle shoots and now here we are at 37 nearly 38 weeks finishing off the bump series. I have really loved building a friendship with Tahlia from @wyldefolkstudio_Â while we did the photoshoots she is such a kind hearted person. I now have a friendship for life with her. Not to mention how blessed I was to collaborate with so many gorgeous labels and maternity brands. throughout the 9 months. A huge thank you to everyone that followed the series and continued to send through such beautiful feedback. Big Love to you all.
Pregnancy Emotions
The last few weeks I have been on a emotional roller coaster. I have been so excited to meet the little one, I have had mum guilt with my one on one time with Cruzie, I have cried happy tears and I have cried god knows what tears. To me having a good cry really does help me just let it all out, breathe and then let it go. All these new emotions feel like it’s my heart is expanding and I am ready to meet our new little one now.
I finished up work at 36 weeks. Best decision as I was going to work to 37 weeks, the heaviness of nursing and being on my feet got to me a little. So I am so glad to be on maternity leave. It feels so different not having to go to work again.Â
I have been making the most of my time with Cruzie too. I have been taking him to singing and reading at the library, reading and extra snuggles at night time, park hangs and babycino dates. I am loving being off work with him again.Â
Everyone has been asking how Cruzie has been? Does he know? I think he knows a change is coming. He won’t let anyone rub my belly but David, he pushes their hand away or pulls my top down. We brought him a little dolly and he has been kissing it, changing its nappy, pushing it around in a pram. It’s so cute to watch. I think he will be a great big brother.Â
I keep telling myself that I need to slow down as my body is tired, but its true “nesting” is a real thing. I keep thinking of new things to do and clean. I forget to rest and I am on the go all day. Then I have the worse braxton hicks and back ache in the evening. So I should listen to all the advice and just put my feet up. Haha easier said than done though. Plus entertaining my little man. He sleeps well in the afternoon so I should just lay down then and watch some Offspring on tv. Maybe tomorrow? haha.
I went and seen my midwife for a 36 week scan and check up. The cheeky bubbas legs are sitting frog legged but the head is right down there. I keep thinking in my head that the baby will be here early because Cruz came early but I shouldn’t get my hopes up. I discussed my birth plan and what I wanted. My birth plan is to have a natural birth, hopefully not be on the monitor like last time, have a bath or hot shower, use essential oils and just have David in there. David is my rock and he really did help me through the breathing techniques last time. I do still feel anxious about the birth experience and labour but I am just trying not to think about it, what will be will be.
Pregnancy Eating.
With eating I have been a bit all over the place.
I wake up so hungry and have to eat before I go for a walk. For breakfast I normally have smoothies or protein pancakes. Thats its the I just swap it up between the two.
Then for snacks I have almonds, nuts, apple or a bliss ball. Sipping on so much raspberry leaf tea to ha.
Lunch is lots of greens and a source of protein or a chia sourdough with cheese, figs and cucumber sandwich or the same combo on rice cakes.
I am obsessed with Bolognese at the moment with zoodles (zucchini pasta), I am addicted love it. I also love white fish or salmon with greens for dinner, I have gone off all brown rice and sweet potato probably because my belly already fills so fall at night.
Cravings – organic milk chocolate from Flannerys Health Shop … YUM!!!!
Pregnancy Exercise
Walking 30-45minutes around the block (filled with hills) but very slowly as I get pelvic pressure. I put my podcast on and enjoy the metime I love it. Makes me feel better. I love doing about 20-40 push ups daily on the kitchen bench and 20 squats on the shower too. About 3 times a week I use my little 2kg weights and do a little arm workout too. If I have having an exhausting day I just don’t exercise at all. Maybe just do a stretch. The last week I have really slowed down, but thats okay, my body needs the rest.
Pregnancy Style
So besides loose boho styles and a few tight comfortable maternity dresses I have been living in maternity leggings and a jumper. Argh so comfy. I do love dressing up the bump, but I feel my wardrobe has become very limited and don’t really want to add to it till the baby is here.Â
For this #bumpstye shoot I wore a dress I purchased for a hens day a few months back. Its called the FAWN WRAP DRESS and I brought it from the @theselfstyler online. Guess what they just restocked it too. You can buy it HERE. Its perfect to take you through your pregnancy journey and will be great for breastfeeding too. Its not actually a maternity dress but it should be its so comfortable.
Tahlia and I decided for the last bump photoshoot we would find a beautiful spot with long grass (secret location) and invite David and Cruz to come along for some family photos. We had a lovely afternoon watching the sunset and Tahlia came with her family too, so nice. I hope you all enjoy the photos.
This weeks #showtherealyou girl, is someone I have been fan girling over for a while now. Her name is Tahlia Aubusson. If you are not already following her then you should as I know you will fall in love with her as much as I have.
Tahlia runs her Instagram account @housewifestyle and a beautifully, raw, written lifestyle and motherhood blog.
Tahlia is a loving wife to her husband, a gorgeous mumma to her beautiful daughter Ambria, a singer, a self proclaimed for house and fashion, a writer and a photographer. I believe she is also one of the most kind hearted people I follow on social media. She has the most beautiful photos on her Instagram page but her words of honesty truly touch so many hearts.
Put your feet up, make a cup of hot cocoa and take 10 minutes to know the gorgeous Tahlia Aubusson AKA @housewifestyle…
Favourite Hot drink?
Hot chocolate, sadly I am not a coffee drinker.
Who is the Real Tahlia Aubusson?
I am in my element at home, i am such a homebody. I love rainy days where I can get all cosy inside and watch a movie with my husband and daughter Ambria. My true passion is singing and song writing, another reason I love being at home, this is what I do in my spare time. I consider myself quite funny and I’m always the one to make my friends laugh, I absolutely not not care if I make a fool of myself in fact ill do it just to make other people happy, I am down to earth, easy to talk to and genuinely just want to help and connect with others. I am all about uplifting other women and have absolutely zero tolerance for any individual who tries to intimidate or discredit another person, if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say anything to me at all. I have the most beautiful marriage and I am so blessed to truly live each day with my soul mate, James, he is 100% my best friend whom I love indefinitely. I am fiercely loyal to the beautiful people in my life, once you are in my circle I will support you and defend you no questions asked. I LOVE being a mother and can honestly say I haven’t had one day that I haven’t absolutely loved being Ambrias mother. I hate the gym but I love competitive team sports! Up until I had Ambria I had played rep soccer all my life, I also used to dance and sing professionally in stage shows across NSW. My life now revolves around raising a beautiful human being and immersing myself in my work and passions in my spare time. I have a successful home beauty business which I open 2 days a week (Monday & Tuesday) and I am thankfully booked out in advance. I love having those 2 days to work hard to be able to contribute financially to my family whilst still having the rest of the week free to be with my daughter. If I was to describe myself I would say I am arty, I love my photography, styling, fashion and music, I am a softie, though sometimes I can be head strong I will easily cry. I am happy with the simple life and it will always be enough despite me wanting to always grow and improve I am so thankful for the life I already have, I am a huge animal lover and have 2 dogs, I love food way to much and I’m constantly at war with myself over the amount of my chocolate consumption. I am happy, grateful, fun and honest and believe everything in balance, except maybe chocolate.
Could you please share a day in the life of Tahlia?
Our average day starts by me being woken up from Ambrias chattering in her cot, its the best and sweetest alarm clock ever. We always start the day by playing, ill chase her up the hall to change her nappy, we will put music on and have a dance around while I make her breakfast. We always go daily to buy fresh ingredients for dinner, after our grocery shop we will go for a walk to meet friends at the park for morning tea, I luckily have lots of friends with toddlers so we are always having play dates, I always park on the opposite end of town so i have to walk to get groceries, to the park and then back to the car. During the week Ambria has lots of different activities, kindy gym, swimming, mothers group and now she has also started 2 days of day care and ballet. On the days she has day care I work from home doing my singing, recording, blogging and the good old house work… someone has to do it, I have also started dedicating one of those days to doing something relaxing for myself like getting a massage. Afternoons james will come home and spend time playing with Ambria, we will usually cook dinner as a family and 50% of the week we have friends over for dinner, our home is the hub to all my friends.
What drove you to start your Instagram account @housewifestyle
I love fashion, photography and styling so wanted a place where I could showcase my passions and use it as an artistic outlet. I wanted to connect and form friendships with other mothers to benefit from their experiences. I also wanted to build a platform for me to share my upcoming music. I believe having these social media platforms has helped me maintain my passions and identity since becoming a mum.
What do you think attracts women to your social media platforms?
My page is full of prettiness but my captions and words are full of heart. I love being able to showcase a visually beautiful page that gives people and insight to who I am whilst maintaining a rateable and very real aspect through sharing real feelings and experiences that make people laugh or cry. I try to always respond to every single enquiry or comment for a more personal connection and have made beautiful friendships along the way by doing so.
What advice would you give people wanting to start a blog?
Only do it because you enjoy it, make it for you before you make it for someone else. I started this journey because its an outlet for me, I enjoy the calmness I get when writing and the excitement I get when taking photos, I love it! A following will come naturally with persistence, creative content, heartfelt or interesting words and passion. Dont give in to gimmicks and want quick success, you wont build a genuine community by doing so, be patient, be yourself and just enjoy doing your own thing.
Favourite Quote or Mantra to live by?
â Be yourself, people don’t have to like you and you don’t have to careâ I love this because since my early teenage years I’ve had more stones thrown at me than a witch in the 17th century! I let it hurt me so badly that for many years I had no clue who I was, who I wanted to be, what I was doing wrong or why I was a target, now as an adult I know the answer to all of those things, I am confident and content with who I am and I don’t apologise for it, i embrace it and share it with others, if they are not accepting I truly do not care.
What is something you practice daily in relation to self love?
When getting dressed I’ve stopped picking apart my body, I now focus on how my outfit looks, not my size or figure, I actively tell myself positive things and don’t focus on my flaws. I buy clothing that is flattering on me and makes me feel good,I learnt what style suits my shape and accept the way I am. I am constantly reminding myself of whats important in life and prioritise what matters. every night I will finish my day with gratitude, no matter how stressed I am ill lay in bed and think about all the things I love about my life, all the things that make me happy, whats important and whats not important and very quickly the things that had been niggling at me making me feel insecure and quickly become insignificant.
How often do you move your body?
Ill be honest here, this could use a little work. I try to go for a walk most days and will do small home work outs while Ambria sleeps, it makes me feel so energised on the days that I do make moving a priority and if you are an anxiety sufferer like myself its so important to make some form of exercise a part of your daily routine.
Favourite items of clothing in your wardrobe?
Can I say two?? I cant decide!!!! Id have to say my flowy elegant Zimmermann dresses and my casual comfy Spell Designs dresses! All are my favourites lol.
Favourite Mumlife moment you wish to share?
How on earth do you pick a favourite mum life moment. There have been so many that have filled my heart with so much love that i never knew existed. From her first smile, first steps, first hug, her crazy dance moves and bursting laughing its hard to pick one favourite but one thing that makes us smile and laugh every single day is when james comes home from work he will yell from the door âFee Fi Fo Fum I smell the blood of an Aubussonâ and Ambria will squeal and run with excitement, james and Ambie will wrestle and tickle for half an hour of huge giggles, its the highlight of my day.
A mumlife moment where you have felt overwhelmed?
For me this was probably before Ambria was even born. I suffered multiple miscarriages and recently shared my personal story about this on my blog. I guess my whole pregnancy with Ambria was a very stressful time for me and I had many moments where I cried hysterically from fear and anxiety. I am so blessed that she has been a dream baby, allowing me to heal and have a beautiful transition into motherhood letting go of sadness.
Do you make time for a date night? If so what do you get up to?
Luckily James and I get to have an uninterrupted evening together most nights, when Ambria goes to bed at 7.30 we will always sit down and have dinner together and talk, usually followed by watching an episode from a series we are hooked by. We actually prefer doing things as a family on the weekends but every so often my mother will take Ambie for the night and we will get dressed up and go out for a nice dinner just the 2 of us. Most weekends we have all out friends over for a get together, whilst we are not alone its still adult time we enjoy together and of course we still ALWAYS have a snuggle at night!
My emotions in the past 4 weeks have recently been pretty stable. David and I have been really good and although I am feeling really tired, my body is just getting on with it and handling it. There is one thing that is pulling on my heart strings a little though, is that I am going to have to share my time between Cruzie and this new Bub. I hope I don’t hurt his feelings to much, when I have a screaming baby and I can’t put him to bed like I normally do. I am truly treasuring those cuddles to sleep in his room every night at the moment. Sometimes laying there a little longer to just enjoy my one on one time with him. I also get emotional thinking about having to leave Cruz at home while I go and stay in hospital to have the Bub as well. My heart does feel completely full thinking about the first time Cruz gets to meet his baby brother or sister though. He is so sweet with his baby cousin Arliah, always blowing her kisses and patting her gently and smiling. Makes me smile so much.
Pregnancy Exercise.
So the last 4 weeks I have just been walking for 30-45minutes everyday. I feel it’s getting harder and harder to push the pram up and down the hills with a growing bump.
I have been doing yoga a little but not as much. Maybe once or twice a week. I do love the feeling after yoga, it’s just the motivation to get the mat out and do it at home while Cruzie sleeps.
I have also been doing some lite weights from the @grace_powerfit POWERFIT E BOOK. I am currently using the MY POWERFUL PREGNANCY PROGRAM ebook to help guide me, depending on my strength and energy everyday I tailor it to suit me. My veins in my leg and pelvis can feel more heavier on some days than others, so I just take each day as it comes with my workouts.
I love doing squats, so I make sure I do 20-25 a day in the shower and I do 20 push ups on the kitchen bench too.
XO THREE ACTIVE WEAR @xothreeactive for more details on the maternity and breastfeeding active wear pictured above. My little arm candy I use as daily motivation, to move my body in some way each day. Bracelet by Fit & Style
@fitandstyle_ for the motivational #fitnessbracelets Pregnancy Eating.
Okay, so eating. Well I think I am doing okay! I haven’t been eating as much as I usually do as I get that full feeling super fast with my bump growing. I have been having my Bulletproof coffee smoothie (filled with lots of good fats and frozen banana) every morning with my @ponoprobiotics in them. The recipe is on my Instagram if you would like it.
PONO PROBIOTICS – Coconut and Manuka Honey
For snacks I usually just eat rice cakes and peanut butter or just a apple or a quest protein bar (maybe once a week), or rumbles paleo bars are good too.
Lunch is either a organic salad + tuna quinoa wrap OR tuna + sweet potato + broccoli OR EGGS + sauerkraut + sourdough + spinach.
Dinner has either been salmon or white fish with steam veggies or homemade sweet potato chips. I have also been digging homemade spaghetti bowl.
We just finished Easter so I totally smashed an Easter bunny over Easter too. I normally eat my raw chocolate most nights, but on Easter Saturday and Sunday I totally ate Easter choccie. #noregrets
My healthy chocolate bunny đ°đŤđ
I had all of my glucose tolerance tests finally competed and all came back negative so I am completely over the moon with that too.
Pregnancy Style.
So my style during these four weeks is all about maternity clothing and Kmart stretching skirts with a t shirt knotted on top. The pre pregnancy wardrobe is getting used less and less. I have been loving the simplicity of my wardrobe as I have to think less about it as I wear the same clothes often now. Unless I have an event or something on.
With my work uniform I have been using the mini bump belt to add a bit of stretch to my work pants. It’s by Fertile Mind. It is amazing, stops the restrictiveness across your belly. I love it. They have different sizes for different stages of your pregnancy! #lifesaver
Belly Belt by @fertilemindWithout the belly belt! Ouch!I had my gorgeous friends hens during this thing so I brought a nice boho flowing dress from The Self Styler for that occasion which I felt great in.
@theselfstyler Fawn wrap dress, available in other prints online. Hair by Emma @c_ba_hair
For this #bumpstyle photoshoot with the talented Tahlia @wyldefolkstudio we thought we would do something a little different. All I was wearing was white lace.
We collaborated with @littlebairn a business that provides organic and all natural skin products for mother & baby, to bring you a milk bath maternity photoshoot. Boy did I love doing this. One and a half hours of pampering bliss. Although for Tahlia is was more challenging, watching our little babes and climbing the bath all the while shooting me in the bath.
A special thank you to Amy from Daisy & Co Flowers for providing the stunning flower crown.
Thank you again for tuning in to this weeks blog. I truly appreciate you reading and commenting on all the pieces. Plus you have all been so supportive and provided great advice during this pregnancy and my journey through motherhood.
Big Love Alice xoxo
Photoshoot by @wyldefolkstudio_Flower Crown by @daisyandcoflowersBath and Skin Products By @littlebairn Lace, milk and blooms – maternity milk bath photography đż Loving my Cruzie snuggles đđźđśđź
This weeks #showtherealyou feature is the gorgeous founder of “The Fit Mummy Project”, Mrs Kimberley Smith, AKA @kimmyfitsmith. Kimberley provides other mummas with complete wellness and fitness guide, which preaches beauty, fitness, happiness, health and self love. Kimmy is a mumma of two gorgeous girls, her girls also share the same big smile as their mum (it totally infectious).
Kimberley is an absolute goddess, I know you are going to love this interview with her. She certainly inspires me to live a life of simplicity, promote self love and to be at peace with my body. She just radiates positive energy.
Please put your feet up, sip on a cup tea and enjoy this weeks #showtherealyou…
MRS KIMBERLEY SMITH
Favourite hot drink?
Iâm obsessed with Pukka Teas at the moment. I have so many favourites. I am loving the Liquorice and Cinnamon blend for a sweet treat after a meal and the Relax Blend to help me unwind at night time.
Actually – what am I saying – I LOVE coffee! Iâm trying to cut down at the moment to give my adrenals some much needed rest, but coffee just makes everything more fun!
Can you tell me who the REAL Kimmy Smith is?
Kimberley Smith – Image by Julia Wheeler Photography
Oh gosh! Big question. I am still trying to figure this one out myself. I think that I am pretty authentic – what you see is what you get with me. But in saying that, I have had so many labels over my lifetime, I was a corporate lawyer, I was a professional Netballer (I played netball for the NSW Swifts and was a member of the Australian Diamonds Netball Squad),I was a business owner and most recently I am a Mum. A large part of the last two years for me is trying to strip back those labels and re-discover who I am without having to pigeon hole myself.
I think that the real âmeâ is the person I am being when I feel happiest. At that is when Ryan and I are together and playing with our girls. I have never felt more myself than when I am with my girls. Being a mother is the most beautiful and challenging thing I have ever done. I have two daughters. Allegra is 4 years old. She is a beautiful little girl who is just so kind and caring. And so mature! She is such a Mum already! She has 10 dolls who are all her âchildrenâ and she takes care of them every day. Samara is my youngest who is almost 2. She is just pure cheekiness. I love the spark in her – itâs a real challenge to let her have the freedom she needs to cultivate that spark and at the same time stop her from causing some serious damage – both to herself and to everything we own!
My husband is Ryan (we started dating in high school!! I wanted to go out for 3 months so we would be considered a “serious couple”! 17 years later – I think we are pretty serious!). We were married in 2008 and I just feel so lucky to have him.
So family is super important to me, but there is also this huge part of me that is always asking for more. To me, that âmoreâ is my health and my work.
I need to take care of myself. I am getting better and better at really listening to my body and giving it what it needs. I spent a huge part of my life (I am 34, so I would say I spent close to 32 years) just pushing my body. Demanding that it perform day in and day out. Always asking it to work harder. Now I am at a point where I donât want to push myself so much anymore. I want to be able to honour my body and live in a more cyclic way. Taking rest when I need it and working hard when I am feeling energised and vibrant. So being healthy and taking care of my health on all levels (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) is a huge part of the âreal meâ.
My work is also a huge part of the âreal meâ. I am so passionate about what I do. Becoming a Mum was the most inspiring and emotional moment of my life. They say that when a baby is born, so too is the mother. And that is what I felt like. The moment Allegra was born, so too was the mother in me. And I have been growing into this role for the last 4 years. I think when Allegra was little, I really tried to pretend that nothing in my life had changed, except for the fact that now I had a baby. So I pushed myself to get my fitness back. I pushed and deprived myself to get my âbody backâ and I worked myself into the ground trying to prove a point. I wanted to prove to myself more than anyone else that I could still do it all, even with no sleep and even less energy.
When I was pregnant with Samara, I just knew that I didnât want to treat my body that way again. I didnât want to feel so depleted. I wanted to stop valuing myself by how much I could âdoâ. I wanted to realise that my own wellbeing was worth prioritising.
So I began to really stop and think about how I really wanted to feel. About the type of life I wanted to create. And about how I could begin to accept the fact that everything about my life had in fact changed.
Initially how I wanted to feel was beautiful, fit and strong. Those three words became the start of the Fit Mummy Project which is my complete online guide to post natal fitness and wellbeing. I wanted to help to show other Mummas that we can create the exact type of life we want for ourselves and for our families. That we shouldnât try to get our âbodies backâ, but instead, we should be creating beautiful, fit and strong new bodies.
I wanted to create this community of fit, strong, healthy and happy Mummas that are really taking control of their health and happiness.
Tell me about a day in the life of Kimmy?
No day is really the same for me! So this was my Monday last week which is probably more like a typical day for me.
6:30AM Wake and do my morning routine which I call my 3 Mâs.
Meditation. I do a 10-15 minute guided meditation. I love the app Insight Timer as it has so many free guided meditations. So I will chose a morning meditation and listen to that in bed with my headphones in.
Movement. I do around 10-15 minutes of movement. Normally this is a short yoga flow to wake my body up and stretch out and tightness that has accumulated over night.
Motivation. I read a little bit and do a little writing. My morning journalling always includes:
Setting my intention for the day.
Listing my Core Desired Feelings.
Listing 3 things I am grateful for today.
Setting 3 mini-goals for the day.
7:15AM The girls normally wake around this time. So I make them breaky and quickly sneak out and grab a coffee before my husband leaves for work!
7:30 – 9AM Normally the girls play and I just eat my breaky and just try to get the house organised for the day.
9AM Drop Allegra to Kindy. She goes to Kindy two days a week.
9:30AM Mums and Bubs. I train around 6 beautiful Mummies at my house. Itâs a bit chaotic, but I think that they really enjoy it. We have around 6 Mummies and sometimes up to 8 babies. I have a baby sitter who comes and minds the babies. I focus on a mix of toning Barre style exercises, strength work and a little hit of fitness at the end of each session.
10:45AM Iâll take Samara to the shops and park and get our groceries for the week and she can have a little play. Maybe a sneaky second coffee.
1PM I have lunch with Samara at home and put her to bed.
1-4PM As soon as I put Samara to bed I do 20 minutes of guided meditation. And then I try and get as much work done as possible during this time! I am pretty disciplined when it comes to my work. I donât get distracted easily. I listen to brain.fm which is binaural beats that help your brain to be uber efficient. They help me to get into that flow state. If I can achieve the 3 things I set out for myself that day, I will also try to do around 15 minutes of Barre style toning workout.
4PM We walk to pick Leggy up from kindy.
4:30PM The girls and I play. Or sometimes they are happy playing together without me and I do a little reading or have a cup of tea for as long as they are happy playing without me. Which is normally around 4 minutes max!
6:00PM Start getting dinner ready. Do the whole dinner + bath routine.
7:30PM Start getting my and Ryanâs dinner ready. Ryan generally gets home around this time.
8:30PM Samara goes to bed! Exhale! We watch a bit of TV. I am loving Big Little Lies at the moment!
9:30PM Leggy generally falls asleep around this time. I have a cup of tea and do a little night time routine of yin style yoga stretches and rubbing essential oils on my temples and wrists to start to wind down.
10PM Bed. I try to read a bit of my book. I normally get one page done and then Iâm fast asleep!
What drove you to create your Instagram account/business @kimmysmithfit?
I guess for all the reasons I mentioned above. But also because, to me, Motherhood is a time of huge change. Our bodies change, our work arrangements change, our relationship with our partners change and often our values change. Many women take the view that amongst all of this change, they should try to feel and pretend like nothing has changed. They should get their body back straight away. They should exercise the same way that they used to, they should have the same values and push themselves to work as hard as they used to and achieve as much as they used to.
I want to help women to understand that this is an incredible time for growth. I want to empower women to begin to step into their strength and femininity. To step into their roles of mothers and begin to create an amazing life. Not try to get their old life back, or their old body back, but to create a beautiful, fit and strong new body and a happy and healthy new life as a family and mother.
What do you think attracts women to your site?
Motherhood is an incredibly demanding time. It is easy to lose our sense of self amongst all the obligation. In some ways those early days of motherhood are like the perfect storm.
We are sleep deprived, our bodies are exhausted from the process of giving birth and growing a whole human. Our bodies also still look around 6 months pregnant which doesnât do wonder for our self esteem. We have all this change going on around us, we have huge expectations of what motherhood should be like and we have zero time to really reflect on all the changes that have occurred. We also have all this mother guilt seeping into everything we do.
I try to speak really openly and honestly about the difficulties of motherhood but also about the joys of motherhood. It is an amazing time and I feel so special and privileged to be able to raise my girls. Sometimes we feel guilty saying how awesome it is to be a Mum. We feel like we are showing off. But I think itâs great!
When I am writing about a challenge I have faced during my journey as a Mum, I always try to include a takeaway. Something practical that each woman can take away and incorporate into her own life.
At the most basic level, this is often a workout that they can do in their living room or at the local park. A simple series of exercises designed specifically for the post natal body that will help her to feel better about her body, shift some energy and hopefully get into a better mental state.
But I also want to help to open women up to a whole new level of self enquiry. Finding exactly what it is that makes her happy and then having the self-worth to go out and make that happen.
What is your favourite quote or mantra?
I have so many. I am constantly saying little quotes mantras to myself.
I constantly say to myself âI am loveâ We always have a choice, to act out of love or to act out of fear. Fear sounds really dramatic, but it can be as simple as gossiping about someone because it makes us feel included. It can be as simple as keeping an argument going because we are too ashamed to admit we are wrong. It can be something like not ever taking a break because you are scared of what will happen if you arenât always âdoingâ. So this helps me to come back to myself and chose to act in a more kind and loving way.
Not that I get it perfect, I often am acting from a place of fear. The work one is a huge one for me!
How important is it to you that you find the time to move your body?
You know what Iâm going to say here right!! Super important! Movement is one of the most simple things you can do to feel good. Moving your body, even if just for ten minutes a day can have such a significant impact on your mental health and your emotional health. And if you are after physical results, it really does just take 10 minutes a day of consistent exercise.
Consistency is the key.
I think we have been duped into believing that movement needs to be really complicated or hard core. It doesnât. The best movement for you is what you enjoy. The Fit Mummy Project and my website seek to take away all the excuses that normally come up for Mums. Lack of time, lack of motivation, not sure what to do, not sure where to start, no equipment, no energy.
Whilst we are recovering from birth (which for most women is generally a 6 month period although we normally only give our bodies 6 weeks!) there are definitely some forms of exercise that arenât good for our bodies. The postnatal period isnât a time to prove a point or push our bodies to the extreme. It is a time to honour the incredible job our bodies did to bring a child into this world. That is why I always recommend to see a Womenâs Health Physio who can assess your beautifully unique body and help you to learn what exercise will be best for you during that postnatal period.
Can you tell us a little more about The Fit Mummy Project?
The Fit Mummy Project is the complete online guide to post natal fitness and wellbeing. It is broken down into two guides, the Exercise Guide and the Nourish Guide.
The Exercise Guide helps Mums to return to exercise in a safe and positive way. It contains over 50 post natal exercises with step by step instructions as well as over 20 safe and really effective post natal workouts. You can start the workouts from as early as 48 hours after a natural birth and then progress all the way to around 18 months post partum. There is heaps of great info from Womenâs Health Physio Lyz Evans on pelvic floor and core repair as well as a lot of great tips on how to return to exercise in a way that is going to energise you rather than exhaust you.
The Nourish Guide is a recipe and wellbeing book rolled into one. It is all about taking really good care of your health in a very simple way. It has over 40 simple healthy recipes that Mums can make really quickly and with pretty basic ingredients. It also has tips for surviving and thriving as a Modern Mum. Little life hacks such as meditation for the modern Mum, dealing with sleep deprivation, how to stop competition with your partner over who is more tired!
The Fit Mummy Project is the Guide that I wanted after I had my girls, and I couldnât find exactly what I was after.
Hello Monday Active for post-natal activewear that makes you feel effortlessly chic.
What advice would you give to other people out there wanting to start a blog/Instagram page?
If you are setting it up to grow into something more than a hobby then I would really recommend being crystal clear on your âwhy, how and whoâ.
Why is it important to you to share this message? Why are you so passionate about this topic? How do you want to feel when you are writing and sharing? How do you want others to feel when they are reading your words. Who do you want to read your stuff? Who do you want to touch or inspire with your words?
This will help you to become very clear on the type of messages your share and it will also help you to be authentic and consistent.
I think that starting a blog / instagram page is a really empowering process. It is like starting a micro-business. You can test things out, see what resonates and what doesnât. You can find your voice and really start to develop your message. The more I write, the clearer I get on exactly what my message is.
Also, I think that it is important to remember that online relationships are just like real relationships. You need to give them time and you need to be respectful.
Oh and one other thing – donât compare yourself! You can definitely get a lot of inspiration from the people and accounts you admire, you can respect the work that they have done, but if you start constantly comparing yourself you are going to lose all the joy you get out of creating and sharing your work.
What is something you practice every single day?
Yoga and meditation. I do some form of yoga and meditation every single day. I can feel myself becoming more and more the person I have always wanted to be and it because of my yoga and meditation practice. Some days are amazing and I feel such a shift in my happiness and my stress levels. Other days arenât so good. I spend my whole meditation thinking of things I have to do. But I think it all counts – it all adds up.
What does self love mean to you?
I think it means a lot of things. I think that the precursor to self love is self acceptance. Being able to accept our whole self. The good and the bad. Our light and our shadow. Once we can accept all of ourself, then we can being to really show ourselves the love and respect that we deserve.
To me a few of the things that self loves means include slowing down enough so that I can hear the messages my body is sending me. As women, I believe we have a deep intuition. We know deep down exactly what it is we need, but often, we are so busy achieving and getting things done, that we donât ever stop and listen. When I slow down, I realise what it is that I truly need right in that moment. Self love is also then hearing those messages and then valuing yourself enough to follow through. So self-love might mean realising that you need rest, and then valuing yourself enough to cancel a night out, or say no to an opportunity so that you can give yourself exactly what you are craving.
Perfect date night with your man?
We donât get too many date nights! We had a night away by ourselves earlier in the year. It was our first night by ourselves in 3 years, so that was pretty special. Iâd do that again for sure! But not too soon, I miss the girls too much! Such a shocker.
Can you share with us a perfect #mumlife moment you have had with your gorgeous girls?
The other day they both refused to have a nap. I was exhausted, so I took them both upstairs and we lay in my bed together and watched Beauty and the Beast. Allegra loves gentle tickles and Samara was tickling her leg. I would have bottled that moment if I could have. Seeing them be kind and loving toward each other just makes me feel like we must be doing something right.
One struggle you would like to share as a mumma with others?
Oh gosh, so many. My biggest struggle was probably finding my sense of self as a Mum. I felt really lost after I had Samara. I think I finally realised that I was a full on Mum. I spent a lot of time really discovering what it was that I needed to feel happy and fulfilled as a woman and as a mother. And then I spent a lot more time trying to find the balance between taking care of myself and taking really good care of my girls.
Day to day the biggest thing I struggle with is being present for them. I am working on putting in place better boundaries so Iâm not constantly âmashingâ.
P.S. Mashing is a term created by Jacqui Lewis in the book Mothersâ Mind Cleanse. Itâs an amazing read and when she refers to mashing she means when you try to multi-task but actually you just lack presence and awareness in everything you do.
What did you have for dinner last night?
Chickpea fritters and a super simple salad of rocket, feta, walnuts and avocado. Plus a few little treats! A glass of RosĂŠ and some raw chocolate brownie! Amazing!
Thank you so much for sharing Kimmy! I look forward to what you have in store in the near future. Want to get to know the gorgeous Kimmy a little more?
I am so grateful tohave Mrs Tahlia Fiedler as my first #showtherealyou feature for 2017. Tahlia and I crossed pathes a few years ago as we went to the same gym, but we never bonded closely to we had our little babes. I always love being surrounded by Tahlia’s positive energy and creatitivity. You can see it rubs of on her beautiful little girl Sunny too. Tahlia is a woman that preaches living a grateful happy life. I feel she sees the light in most things.
Besides being a busy mumma to Summer, a wife to Jesse, Tahlia is Wedding Coordinator three days a week and she runs not just one but three beautiful Instagram pages filled with stunning images you will love looking at in your daily feed.
So I introduce if you aren’t already following her on one of her accounts … “Tahlia Fiedler”
Favourite cold drink?
This is a hard choice its definitely a tie between Kombucha and iced latte. I generally drink about 3 Kombuchas a week. When I first started drinking Kombucha I found it tasted very vinegary but I think I have definitely got used to the unusual taste. My favourite flavour is hibiscus or blueberry. However when I am working I can’t go past an ice latte ( 2 shots of coffee, vanilla almond milk – when possible and lots of ice ).
Can you tell me who the REAL Tahlia Fiedler is?
Behind all the beautiful Instagram photos is just a every day regular mum. I grew up on Brisbane bayside with my beautiful mamma who raised me all by herself along with help from my wonderful grandparents.
When I was 14 years old I met Jesse and instantly fell head of heels for him ( I totally adored him and he wasn’t even interested in me – haha) . After a couple of months of teenage flirting he eventually decided to ask me out over msn. We have been inseparable ever since. I remember my grandpa used to pick me up from school and ask who’s that wooly haired boy ( Jesse had a big fluffy blonde hair ) and I would reply ” just a friend”. The rest is history, Jesse asked me to marry him at “Schoolies” when we travelled to Fiji together and we got married a couple years later.
As a teenager I worked in cafes and restaurants before receiving a scholarship to a hospitality and event management school. Once I finished my scholarship I went into working in hotels around Brisbane. After a few years of working in hotels I landed my current job of wedding coordinator which is what I am doing still to this day! Its so amazing being apart of someones special day. I was I was to sum myself up in 3 words It would be – determined, hard working and a little bit shy.
Tell me about a day in the life of Tahlia Fiedler?
Every day is just so different but heres a little overview of what my days look like when I am off work… because work days a pretty well just filled with work haha.
4am – Alarm goes off
5am- HIIT 1 Hr Muay Thai Class
6.30am- Get home and shower
7am- Sunny wakes up for cuddles and generally we start our day with music and a little boogie –
7.30am- We make breakfast together, sometimes we have smoothies, oats or eggs.
8am- Shower or bath and get ready for the day ahead.
9am-10am- I normally use the beautiful morning light on my days off to shoot some pics of Summer while she plays for my Instagram content. Summer used to rep for a lot of gorgeous handmade/ Aussie brands. Since I have gone back to work part time I have really cut back on the amount of companies I take on because….. photographing a toddler is hard work.
10am-12pm- I normally head out to my local fruit barn every Monday to do our grocery shopping. We save so much money by shopping at our local fruit barn. I used to go to the produce market every Saturday but now I am working I can’t make it there. The fruit barn we go to even has a sweet little juice bar attached that makes the yummiest smoothies ( snack time summer and I love banana and cocoa smoothies ). We also grab our meat for the week from the butcher next door. Its a great way to avoid buying pre packaged food as we only need to go to the main shops to buy things like paper towel and cleaning products.
12pm- Summer goes down for a little nap, which allows me plenty of time to put the groceries away. I will also prep her lunch and plan our meals for the week. We have a thermomix which we invested in before I had Summer and its really amazing it has helped so much with giving us variety to our meals.
1pm- Summer wakes for lunch
2pm- We might go visit my mamma or grandparents. We may go for a swim or play some games in Summers room.
3-4pm- Jesse gets home and we normally take our puppy Luna for a walk.
4pm-5pm- I might have photo session booked in and I normally photograph between 4-5pm at the moment.
6pm- We all have dinner together before the bath and bed routine starts.
7.30pm- Summers goes to bed and I usually will unwind by watching some Kardashians, Creative Live ( photography tutorials ), editing photos or weaving some wall hangings before heading to sleep by 9/10pm.
What drove you to create your Instagram account/business? I know you have three now, superwoman staying on top of them all girl!
Each of my accounts was inspired and came about differently. My personal account @thefiedlerfolk_ has become a place where I can share the beauty of motherhood. Its a place where I can share my style and fashion inspiration for mostly Sunny but sometimes I will post a sneaky pic of myself. I share sneak peeks into our adventures, our home and sometime our meals. I take pride in creating beautiful photos and capturing the beautiful parts of our days together.
@willowandthewoolves is a project I started a couple of months after having Summer. I get a lot of creative inspiration off Pinterest and found woven wall hangings kept popping up so I started making a couple for our home. They received such a great response from family and friends that I decided to open up a shop. I now spend my evenings weaving up a storm while watching TV I find it very calming. It has also given me so much joy creating unique pieces for peoples homes.
@wyldefolkstudio_ has been a long time coming. Photography is something I have been passionate about for a very long time. I had my first photoshoot with Studio 4 Photography back when I was 17 years old and I have had about 6 sessions with them since. it is so special to be able to look back at photos and love what you see, having professional photos taken is such a treat. Its my goal to have a professional photo shoot each year as a family. I hope that I can shoot families and make them feel as special as I do when Studio 4 captures my family There is something so special about about capturing peoples memories. I am so happy I have come out of my shell and opened up to photographing people other than my own family. I can’t thank everyone enough for the amount of support and love people have shown towards my work so far. A big thank you to you Alice for collaborating with me each month and allowing me to photography you.
Oh honey stop it, I love our catch ups!! You are too kind Tahlia! Xx
What do you think attracts women to your site?
I think the majority of my followers are generally mums who share similar values and interests. I share a lot of baby/ toddler fashion inspiration, healthy natural living and snippets of our home life.
What is your favourite quote or mantra?
“A Sunday well spent brings a week of content” Jesse and I get one day off together with our crazy work schedules so we are big believers of spending that day together doing something fun, adventurous, or productive. We love going on road trips to beaches, flower fields, or Byron Bay. If we are not out adventuring we are at home working on our little home.
How often do you find the time to move your body?
I work out 3x a week at HIIT. I love doing Muay Thai kickboxing and I am so happy I have found an exercise I really enjoy. I also love walking along the waterfront near our house.
Favourite activewear?
Lululemon definitely has the most comfy active wear. I own one pair of their tights and they are my absolute favourite luxe buy, every time I put them on a feel so confident and happy. I Also love love love Cotton On Body at the moment. Cotton on have such a cute range of active wear that’s great quality and really affordable.
Favourite clothing brand for your little babe Summer?
I love cocao and banana smoothies I just toss in the below ingredients (different amounts of each every time because I am a bad recipe follower:
– 1 x banana
– approx 1/2 cup of almond milk
– 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
– 1 spoonful of cocao powder
– 1 spoonful of LSA
– 1 spoonful of pumpkin seeds
– Ice
– Blend
Your ultimate date night with Jesse your husband?
We are super grateful when my mum watches summer and we go on a date night. Its normally something really casual like a movie or dinner. Coming from a Restaurant background I love trying new cafes and restaurants. I have even written a few cafe blog posts on my blog recently.
What advice would you give to other people out there wanting to start a blog/Instagram business?
I would say just be yourself, write about things you are passionate about and that make you happy. Having an Instagram business can be super time consuming definitely schedule in time to work on your business and time manage. You don’t want to miss quality time with your family, its super easy to get stuck on your phone for longer than you planned.
You are a mumma to the gorgeous little Summer who is beautiful by the way. Just like her mumma. Can you please tell us about one of your favourite #mumlifemoments? I’m sure there are so many!
hehe I am not sure which one to share. I can say Summer rolled off the bed one time when she was about 6months months old. We have a low bed but I still completely panicked and called the ambulance ( crazy over protective first time mum over here ) They paramedics were so lovely and took her for hospital for monitoring. The mum guilt still haunts me to this day.
Could you share one of your struggles as a mumma?
I really struggled like a lot of other mums to breastfeed. ‘I had bleeding, cracked nipples and a very bad case of mastitis but came through in the end as I was very determined to breastfeed. I was lucky enough to be able to feed Summer for nearly 18 months I have only just weaned her off the last couple of weeks.
Favourite meal to cook for Summer?
Summer eats the same meals as Jesse and I each night but at the moment she is loving my Thai Basil Chilli Chicken with rice. She also loves corn on the cob.
You recently started sharing your photography hobby with the world! Might I add you are so talented girl! You have your own style and I admire your work as you make it your own? How long have you loved photography or is it something completely new for you?
Its something I have loved for a really long time however since having
Summer it has definitely encouraged me to pursue it more from a professional side. Last year I was lucky enough to save for a professional camera and a couple of lenses. I have been working really hard the last few months to put together a portfolio of work. My style is very light and bright. I love clear, soft natural light.
I am overwhelmed with the response to my work so far and my heart just bursts with happiness when I people love the photos I have captured of them. It’s a really rewarding job.
Thank you for tuning into this weeks #showtherealyou feature. If you would love to share who the real you is with myself and others I would love to hear from you. aliceinhealthyland@hotmail.com xx
When Cruz was 6 months I decided I would do a little #selflovephotoshoot when I was 10months postpartum. So now Cruz is 10 months, here they are. During the last 4 months I have been working on a little self love project with myself. To teach myself to be proud of my body and its achievements. I no longer want to waste my breath on self hate chat in the mirror. Instead I will preach love. The rules of the photoshoot was to no make up, just a little lipstick, just a home camera  job (nothing fancy), no photoshop or filters. I have nourished my body with good foods, moved my body in some way everyday since the birth and rest when I need too. So hey why not be super proud of my body and my son.
I contacted Robyn from @yummy_mummy_lingerie to be apart of the shoot as I absolutely love her underwear she sells. It’s comfortable, its fits my new mum shape and I feel good in it. She has been wonderful and so supportive of my mum journey. I think its only fair that I share some love in return and tell you all about the woman behind  Yummy Mummy Lingerie?
Why did you decide to start Yummy Mummy Lingerie?
Hubby and I decided to become foster carers in 2013 so I gave up my career in health to become a full time mum, but knew Iâd need to find a family friendly business to work in as well. We had tried for many years to have a family and had only been blessed with one son, who is the light of our lives. We decided that we would like to grow our family and we knew that there were so many little ones needing a loving home so we decided to embark on the fostering journey.
It was a serious commitment to make, as caring for a baby would mean that one of us would need to give up our current career and be home to care for bub and allow for the vital bonding to occur. However, once bub settled in with our family and I had time to think about work again, I starting looking for opportunities. The first day I looked for an online businesses to buy I found what I was looking for in Yummy Mummy Lingerie.
It was meant to be! I just loved the idea of offering beautiful and practical maternity lingerie to new mums and mums-to-be in a super convenient way and helping make their pregnancy and breastfeeding experience as comfortable as possible. We were lucky enough to be able to purchase the business and now I happily work from home doing something I love, whilst being able to be there for my boys.
Best selling product on the website?
My best selling range at the moment would definitely be the Cadenshae Maternity Activewear range. The best selling style in this range for Yummy Mummy Lingerie is the Ultimate Nursing Bra which is designed for larger busted mamas. They have literally been running out the door J
The other range that sells really well is Cantaloop. They are really great quality and super comfortable as they are seamless. They are also well priced which makes them in reach for the many mums who hesitate or are unable to spend too much money on themselves.
What is the most common question you get asked  by women when buying underwear?
Itâs more of a statement than a question but the most common thing I hear from my customers isâ âI am not sure what size I amâ. This is not surprising is it as our bodies are undergoing the most amazing transformation J Â So donât be worried if you donât know â you are not alone J My response is to ask a few simple questions so that we can work out together what size would be best for them now and some styles that would suit that particular mums needs.
aliceinhealthyland 