Simplifying your own life is one thing, but we all know things start getting challenging when we bring our kids and family into the equation.  Today I chat with Denaye Barahona about all things to simplify your family. As a Clinical Social Worker with a specialty in Child and Family Practice and a Ph.D. in Child Development, Denaye is also the voice behind the information packed website simplefamilies.com  We dive into many topics in this episode as Denaye and I talk about simplifying your family in terms of clutter, letting go of difficult items, Denaye’s brilliant Toy Detox Program and the difference between open and closed toys, and not over scheduling our lives and our children’s lives.  We also chat about how kids learn from their parents, positive discipline in the household and the “first then” principal (works wonders), building confidence in our kids by stepping back and not hovering, and one of my favourites—family meal time. If you have difficulties with food and your little ones eating you might want to try how Denaye feeds her children.  Denaye is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to simplifying your family and this is an episode full of great tips and ideas touching on many different topics.  I hope you enjoy x  www.liveimmediately.com

050: Denaye Barahona - Simple Families

We often get in our own way by creating stories in our mind that aren’t true. We think we can’t do something before we have even tried. We push our dreams and desires, our life, to tomorrow. But that day never arrives.

The Live Immediately Podcast is about taking control of today. I have conversations with people who are living life on their own terms. We dive into those big moments that have pushed them through the fears and self-limiting beliefs that hold so many of us back.

I hope these stories encourage people to start today. Everyone’s journey will be different, but there will be no journey if we don’t begin. None of us have control of tomorrow, so why not do something you love and enjoy today?

Health & Fitness

You have that love of travel, always trying to grab every opportunity to get away and explore.  Travel is part of your DNA.  And then you start a family. You become a parent. You push that travelling spirit aside and try not to listen to it every time it starts to get a little restless.  In this episode I am chatting to a couple, Megan and Peter Richardson, who didn’t push their adventurous spirit aside, they embraced it with their young family.  Megan and Peter hopped on the plane for a yearlong family adventure through Europe and South East Asia with a 4 month old and a 2.5 year old. The majority of their planning for the trip happened while Megan was pregnant!  Megan and Peter hit the road on a budget. They were frugal and saved before their trip, and to save money while travelling, they saved on accommodation by house and pet sitting. They talk about how your travels are so much richer when you house and pet sit, than simply saving money.  We dive into their initial fears, how they overcame them, and moved from travelling being an idea or wish, to taking steps and planning their family adventure. And the big step of asking Peter’s boss for a year off.  Megan and Peter are a beautiful example, that our kids don’t stop us from doing things, as parents, we get in our own way.  Children are born with wonder. Lead them through an adventurous life.  I hope you enjoy x  www.liveimmediately.com

092: Megan & Peter - Family Adventures On A Budget

If you have a teenage girl, or a girl who will become a teenager, you definitely need to know about my beautifully fun guest today, Liv Phyland.  The majority of my guests are parents, as the majority of you are parents. And we all know that doing something new or creating change in your life, is even more challenging when you add children into the mix.  However, I wanted to chat to Liv today, because even though she isn’t a parent yet, Liv is such a wonderful role model for our young girls and is doing beautiful work through her Girls Who Glow workshops.  Liv talks about how teenagers are being influenced by social media, feeling like they need to be someone different to who they are. Through her workshops, Liv helps girls to find their inner glow. The cornerstones of these workshops are nutrition, exercise, body image, social media, healthy relationships and mental health.  Liv and I also chat about how a girl from the country finds herself as a presenter on channels 10’s music show “The Loop”. Being optimistic, saying yes, and learning as you go. Accepting who you are, being yourself, and owning it. The art of simply playing, dealing with self-doubt, and filling your day with things that make you happy.  Liv is beautifully intense, passionate about life, full of play, and helping our girls to navigate an emotional part of life by starting a conversation full of love.  I hope you enjoy x  www.liveimmediately.com

091: Liv Phyland - Helping Teenage Girls To Glow

What is the type of life you want to live?  How do you want to raise your kids?  What kind of community do you want to live in?  What do you truly value?  Have you ever sat down and spent the time to answer such questions? What do you think your answers would look like, and what changes would you need to make to the way you’re living now?  I sat down with Sophie Brunton, a mother of three, who has dedicated the time to answer these questions, and take the courageous step to make changes to her life.  After the initial idea two years ago, working through the ups and downs of change, Sophie and her family are about to relocate to the country town of Murwillumbah, 50 minutes north of Byron Bay, NSW, Australia.  And it is not just a tree change that Sophie was looking for, it was a community that shared her values, where the schools took a holistic view, a community of connection and generosity, an environment where her boys could evolve into men with love, care, and surrounded by nature.  Sophie and I dive deep into her philosophies around education, simple living and choosing family over things, parenting and Sophie’s deliberate choice to be a full-time mother, and technology.  I admire Sophie as she is making changes to her life that aligns with her values—changes that aren’t always easy but are worth trying.  I hope you enjoy x  www.liveimmediately.com

090: Sophie Brunton - Steiner education, parenting and a tree change

Who were you before kids?  It is an interesting question and one that I had never really thought about.  But what did you want to achieve before you became mum or dad? Are there aspirations, hobbies, or things you truly enjoyed, that you have stopped since becoming a parent?  Today I chat with the inspiring Lauren Branson, a fun mother of five and start-up business owner.  I am fascinated by how Lauren manages to run her business and five kids under eight, while still making time for herself.  There is often this parent’s guilt that we place on ourselves if we are spending time doing something for ourselves. But as I discuss with Lauren, you need to carve out time for yourself, so that you can look after others.  And even with five kids and a business, Lauren still manages to do this.  How? Lauren prioritise what is important and makes time for what she values.  Lauren is passionate about eating healthy and local food. Her business, Your Food Collective, is an online farmers market that connects busy parents to local growers.  And meal time with five kids was a hot topic on this episode, and Lauren explains how she is quite regimented when it comes to meal time. There are set times for meals with one option for everyone. Lauren explains that she needs to be strict like this so that she isn’t feeding little humans all day and has time to give to other areas of her life.  As you would expect, Lauren has learnt a lot since child number one—to enjoy and not sweat the small stuff, that stress doesn’t change the outcome, and that you need time each day for yourself.  I hope you enjoy x  www.liveimmediately.com

089: Lauren Branson - Five Kids, A Start-Up, And Creating Time For Yourself

“What screws us up the most is that picture of what we believe it should be, and we’re not open to what it could be—but what it could be, could be infinitely better.” Katie Dean  My guest this week is the courageous Katie Dean, and I love this chat with Katie as it is beautifully raw. Katie opens up about the challenges of being a solo Mumma and how she made the decision while being seven months pregnant and having a toddler.  Katie talks about living with a low level of panic, the importance of internal observation, getting out of your head and into your body, and to “check yourself before you wreck yourself”.  We also dive into the topic of fear and how you need to lean into fear to become brave, how there are no negative feeling, just uncomfortable ones, and the different, beautifully messy, phases of parenthood.  I hope you enjoy x  www.liveimmediately.com

050: Denaye Barahona - Simple Families

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