Preparing for the trip

1. ​​Lay out everyone’s outfit for the next morning, including yours!

2. Shower and pack the entire car the night before.

3. Drink a lot of water the day before because there won’t be a lot of H20 consumption the following day.

4. Wake up, get yourself dressed, finalise the packing of the car if anything is left, and eat your brekkie. I recommend two hard boiled eggs. Quick, easy, healthy and no clean up!

5. Brew your hot bevie (I choose coffee on the way down and bone broth in the way home). In all honesty, I didn’t really drink the coffee. I only took mini sips when I felt like I needed it. 

6. Go to the toilet before you leave. Force out a poo with gusto, but don’t give yourself hemorrhoids. This is paramount if you’re like me and competitive... who stops?
Pansies, that’s who. 

7. Wake up the baby. Change their nappy, give them a BIG feed and load them in the car to fall back asleep. Be sure your rear facing mirror is set up so you can check them safely while driving. 

8. Last thing to do is wake the toddler. Put them on the potty, put a nappy on in case of emergencies, and then place your toddler straight in the car. 

En Route

First leg: Quiet time, if at all possible. Maybe they will both go back to sleep, maybe one will. Give your toddler brekkie in the car. Give them something that’s not messy, easy to eat and yum. Something that says please eat this quietly AF because your baby sibling is sleeping.
I opted for a probiotic coconut yogurt squeeze pouch which worked a treat.

In the two front cup holders, I have my hot bevie and my reusable water bottle. I also have an extra, clean pacifier on hand. The water bottle is more of a novelty really as I don’t drink much of anything when I’m doing these long haul drives. It’s there in case I need it, but mainly it’s there for my toddler. 

The food bag is well organised and on the front seat. It's loaded with things like:
Carrots, cucumber, crackers, nuts, berries, sandwich (quartered), popcorn, prunes, apple, and banana
 
The activity bag is also well organised and located in the front seat: 
- Old phone on airplane mode, for looking at photos only 
- Colouring book + crayons
- Sticker books
- Toy phone
- Dinosaurs 
- Board books ( and interactive ones, like Spot)
- Plush toys 
- IPad

Car charger / car play ON for maps and Spotify jam sessions. Be sure to have your playlists set in advance. Have your kid’s list ready and your preferred playlists + podcasts as well for if/when they sleep. 

Personal TIP: When you stop, stop somewhere nice! Get a good feed, take your time to finally drink something or have a proper coffee. I’m all about saving money, but I treat myself to a good feed on these types of breaks. 

I find that taking the kids to a park during the break just adds A LOT more time and builds their resistance to getting back into the car tenfold. Who wants to get back in a mini straight jacket car seat after a romp on the swings? I sure as hell wouldn’t. Having said that, if I’m driving with someone else, then I’d entertain a park stop or Maccas coffee/playground refresher. 

Good luck, and safe driving!

EMK x

1. Janod Walker
This unique walker includes 30 colorful blocks, an abacus, rubber grip wheels and a sturdy base (which is a must, especially for those littles who are learning to walk)! It's a timeless piece that can be used for years and years.

2. Linen cooler bag
These linen cooler bags come in the cutest patterns and designs and are from Biome. They are PVC-free, phthalate-free and lead safe inside and out! The linen is raw and uncoated as well. These are just super stylish and a wonderful alternative to plastic or paper bags. 
HOT TIP: BIOME is opening in MELBOURNE this December  


3. Natural soap animals
How cute are these?!! Anything that makes bath time even more fun is a win in my books! These adorable soaps are handmade in Victoria, palm oil free, plastic and chemical free.

4. Cuddle + Kind stuffed animals
These dolls are so darn cute and come in two sizes. For every doll sold, Cuddle + Kind give 10 meals to children in need. And, it gets better! Currently they're running a special that is offering 15% off the dolls, plus double your impact... that's 20 meals!

Since September 2015, Cuddle + Kind have provided 8 million meals for children in need. 
HOT TIP: If you join their mailing list, you get free shipping on your first order!

5. Natural crayons
These Honeysticks crayons are great for small hands (larger version available too), and are handmade from 100% pure New Zealand beeswax. They are free from paraffins and toxic ingredients as well.

​Wooden Toys
Everything from Janod is out of this world amazing in my opinion. My toddler is almost three and still loves this butterfly stacking puzzle. I love that it's so well made that our newborn will be able to play with it too, many years later. The Janod calendar also makes a great gift for a kid learning the days of the week, numbers and moods. It covers all the bases and it's one of my favourite rituals my toddler and I do each morning.

Love Mae Bamboo Dinnerware 
If you follow me on Instagram, then you'd be no stranger to these Love Mae bamboo divided plate sets. These trays were paramount in making my life easier when it was feeding time in our home. I loved being able to see the fruit, protein and carbs at a glance.

If you're looking for something a little larger (for older children), then check out these adorable plate sets.  Want more? Love Mae's lunch boxes are toxic-free, dishwasher safe and 100% recyclable as well. If you love their designs, but aren't in the market for dinnerware, check out their wall decals which are so colourful and fun.
HOT TIP: They are having some great sales on at the moment

Hope this list helped inspire you a bit!
EMK x 

​​Here is a quick and easy list of goodies that are great for stocking stuffers, mates or colleagues this Christmas.

Everything here is super affordable, and there is nothing on this list over $45.
​
These gifts celebrate either low waste, mindful consumerism or green beauty. 

1. Ethique bar shampoo
I've been using this shampoo for three weeks now, and I'm obsessed! It's plastic free, comes in recyclable packing and the results are fab. I chose the sweet and spicy one for added volume. It's a little pricey for bar shampoo, but it seems like it's going to last forever at the rate I'm going.


2. Stainless steel razor 
Say goodbye to plastic, and hello to the last razor you'll ever buy! These are made to last a lifetime. 


3. Lavender Pouch
The scent of sleep natural sleep pouch. 100% natural, and who doesn't want a better night sleep? 


4. Grants of Australia bamboo toothbrushes
The best, most ergonomic brushes I've found to date. When you are done with it, snap the bristles off and through it in your compost or garden bed. I like to use the handles to make herb labels in my backyard!


5. Ere Perez colour pot
This is a blush and a lip balm in one. I love how versatile it is and the colour suits in all four seasons.
​

6.  Stainless steel straws 
​I love these straws so much. They are easy to clean (make sure you get the cleaning brush), and affordable. I drink more when drinking out of a straw, so they are super handy in the hot  summer months. I love drinking my cold smoothies through these as well, and it's obviously nice that they are not single use plastic! 

​Hope this list comes in handy. Remember to be mindful this silly season!
Happy shopping!

​EMK x

I love reading to my daughter! She just turned two and a half, and we probably read to her about one hour a day. She has a mountain of books, loves "reading" and playing on her own, but she particularly loves when we read to her. She's even memorised a lot of the words from her books and recites them randomly throughout the day.

My Recommended Books for Toddlers Aged 2-3 Years
(Boys and Girls)

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas, Aaron Blabey
Beautiful Oops, Barney Saltzberg
Oi Frog, Kes Gray
Pig The Pug, Aaron Blabey
Each Peach Pear Plum, Janet and Allan Ahlberg  
Once Upon a Potty, Alona Frankel
The Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
The Grouchy Ladybug, Eric Carle 
Let's Sign Baby, Kelly Ault
We're Going On a Bear Hunt, Michael Rosen
Guess How Much I Love You, Sam McBratney
Pout Pout Fish, Deborah Diesen
The Very Cranky Bear, Nick Bland
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, Mem Fox
First 100 Words, Roger Priddy
Where is the Green Sheep, Mem Fox
On the Night You Were Born, Nancy Tillman
The Wishing Tree, Nancy Tillman
I'd Know You Anywhere, Nancy Tillman
Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You, Nancy Tillman

FUN FACT: We are part of the 1000 books before school program, which is really neat. You log the books you've read to your child online, and every 100 books they get a badge.

Going to the library, checking the books out, reading and logging them has become a fun little exercise for us to do together.

Hope you enjoy this list. Comment below with your favourite titles!
​EMK x 

​
Eating well from day dot
It's important to replenish your body from the inside out. Growing a human and then giving birth is no small feat, no matter how you delivered your child. Drinking a lot of water, eating well-balanced colourful foods and getting rest are crucial to your recovery. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in getting back to your old self quick smart. It offers a complete guide as to how you can rebuild your health and reclaim your energy. It's appropriate for mums of newborns, toddlers or young children which I really appreciated.  

I stayed in private hospital, so I was given a menu each day for the following day. I choose the vegetarian option most days, selected the seasonal vegetables and would add a side salad. I ate when I was hungry and I listened to my body. 

Make FIBRE your friend:
I'd have 3-4 prunes each day to help keep things moving. It's very normal for things to be sluggish after giving birth because being idle slows the gut down. And after having a baby we are typically more idle because we are exhausted, sore from labour, etc. Eating well and moving (slow walks) will help your gut/bowels to work more efficiently. 

All hospitals also have things like metamucil to help you out, so don't be shy and ask for some if you are concerned (especially if you had to get stitches, ouch).

Get bub OUT of your room
This one will no doubt divide the crowd! I had the basinet in our room for two nights only with both newborns. Listening to the coos, baby meconium sharts and fidgeting drove me absolutely insane. Get bub into their own room ASAP, and you'll sleep better. 

We also didn't have a monitor for either child because I knew I'd be glued to it non-stop. Taking a step away and allowing some space was the best thing for me in my own personal experience. 

Get yourself a Haakaa breast pump:
My sweet friend Lisa gave me her Haakaa, and man this thing has been a lifesaver. It's  silicone pump that suctions on the breast you're not feeding from, and it catches all your let down milk! SO ingenious, really. I was getting 30-50ml by just sitting there and feeding off the opposite boob. You can keep the milk fresh in the fridge for three days, you can freeze it for 3 months or deep freeze will last 6 months. I typically gave the extra milk to Riley which she throughly enjoyed. 
​
Accept help graciously:
If you have it, utilise it! We don't typically have help because our families live in Melbourne and California. This time around we had both sets of parents up visiting, and a brief but wonderful visit from aunties, uncles and cousins. It's has been amazing to sleep in and know that my toddler has been fed breakfast, read to and so well looked after. 

Remember there is no award for having your shit together and you don't have anything to prove to anyone. When people come over, ask them to make YOU a tea, ask them to tidy up, let them hold the baby while you have a shower. If you have a toddler, ask family or friends to take the toddler out for a few hours while you sleep. It takes a village to raise a mother. 
​
Focus on the positives
It's easy to feel overwhelmed, whether you are home with one, two or more. Women get especially emotional around the time of their milk coming in and it's common to experience what's called the baby blues. Try to focus on the tasks in front of you rather then the big picture. For example: right now I'm feeding my baby and then putting them down for a sleep -VS- this feed is taking so long... I'm never going to be able to get dinner started at a reasonable hour... and then bath time will be stuffed and the whole evening routine is going to be horrible. 

Focus on the things that make you happy and spark joy. It's a slippery slope when we are new parents; navigating a new family dynamic and a new postpartum body too. A gratitude journal is a great place to start if this concept feels forced or foreign to you. Simply keep a journal by your bed, and when you wake up, write down three things you are grateful for. 

For Mum

1. Nipple cream.
This is a must! So many people carry on and on about the birth and recovery, but rarely talk about the struggles (and pains) of breastfeeding. My milk came in on day 2/3 (crazy fast!) and nipple cream was a savior for me. Remember to only use a little bit, as you don't want to unnecessarily clog the pores and cause mastitis. 

2. TOM Organic Maternity pads.
These are made of ACO organic cotton, extra long, hypoallergenic and cruelty free.

3. Black underwear, sized up!
​I bought a three pack of black BONDS undies, 2 sizes bigger than I normally wear. Black because it's forgiving with stains, and sizing up for obvious comfort and to have room for your maternity pads or ice packs to help the labia recover. I plan on putting my TOM organic maternity pads in the freezer to make my own recovery inserts.

4. My Eco Store chapsick. 
Labour can really dry out your lips because of all the mouth breathing/panting. 

5. Toiletries.
Shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, hair brush, hair ties, natural deodorant, dry shampoo, bamboo face cloth, oil cleanser and moisturising facial serum. The basics... duh! 

5. No fuss make up routine.
For me this means my organic BB cream, and my natural mascara and my highlighter to help make me look a little less tired.  

6. Cosy, breastfeeding friendly loungewear.
Highly recommend packing some cosy, baggy, nursing friendly loungewear. And don't forget your thick socks and/or slippers for hygiene reasons! 

7. Nursing tanks.
I'm no fashionista, and no surprise here, that didn't change after giving birth. I lived in these cute and easy nursing tanks, paired with my recovery shorts, maternity jeans and a simple something over the top like a cardigan or duster kimono.  

8.  Reusable water bottle.
I've heard so many nurses say the plastic hospital water jugs are a big no-no and not to use them. All the more reason to bring your own.

9. Your phone charger.

10. TENS machine for natural pain relief. 

11. Bamboobies: these are reusable, washable nursing pads made of bamboo rayon velour with an absorbent inner cotton layer. After my first childbirth, I purchased the single use Advent nursing pads, but there weren't very breathable and not great for the environment either. I got two packs of the heavy, overnight Bamboobies and I'm so excited to give them a go! 

MISC

1. Essential oil diffuser and oils (if you're into that).

2. Journal/ diary.
My husband and I both wrote handwritten love letters to our daughter on the night she was born a few hours after she came into the world. I also wrote in my journal about my birth experience and jotted down things I really wanted to remember while it was fresh in the forefront of my mind.

3. Baby journal and a pen or pencil.
This is great idea because sleep deprivation is a thing! It's important to document the baby's pee and poo movements as well as feeding, and from which breast. The last thing you need to be doing in your postnatal fog is trying to remember all that information! Having a journal on your nightstand is a great way to document everything in a stress free way, and anyone can do it for you. Your partner, a visitor or even the midwife can jot it down if your hands are full or you are having a much needed nap. 

4. Snacks for post-recovery.
You might give birth when the hospital kitchen is closed! Good things to bring are nuts, trail mix, apples, bananas, homemade banana bread (if you're organised), kombucha, sparkling water, etc.

5. Vitamins and supplements. ​

Annndddd, that's a wrap!
What did I forget?
Tell me what you MUST have in your hospital bag below in the comments!
​
EMK

1. A calm and peaceful labour, but an ACTIVE birth
My first birth was surprisingly good, but I was not as active as I had imagined. An "active birth" is described as a birth where the mother moves about freely and finds comfortable positions for labour and delivery. My bub was posterior for part of my labour, which means we were rubbing spine to spine, and this was quite uncomfortable. I had imagined that I'd be walking up and down the hospital hallways and bouncing on the birth ball like the energizer bunny. In reality, I was in the shower for a long time during my early labour, and then I put on my TENS machine and spent a significant amount of time in bed, switching from my right to left side. Bouncing on the ball and rolling my hips around on all fours didn't give me the relief I was hoping for, so I kept listening to my body and just moved into positions that offered the most relief. If you want to know more about an active birth, then I highly recommend this book. 

* I am manifesting a calm and peaceful labour where I am an active and moving to my heart's content.


2. A drug free labour 
My aim is always to have as natural a childbirth as possible, and this mean little to no intervention. I believe in letting my body lead the way, and my mantra this birth is "pain with purpose."

* I am manifesting a labour where I trust my body implicitly and let her do what she was made to do, without the aid of synthetic drugs.


3. A natural birth
Also known as a vaginal birth. I had a vaginal birth with my firstborn, and I would like to avoid the major surgery of a c-section at all costs. 

* I am manifesting that my baby enter the world, head first through my birth canal and will ring out the most beautiful song upon her first breath. 


4. No stitches 
I had to push for an hour in my first labour, and when the time came to get bub out because she was getting distressed, my doctor told me he wanted to do a half centimeter episiotomy. I was hoping to avoid this, but at the time it was the right decision and I was happy with the result. 

* I am manifesting a quicker labour with time to stretch and grow, allowing my body and skin to move in such a way that I don't need stitches after the delivery. 
​

5. Successful latching for breastfeeding 
I had success with breastfeeding in my first birth, but I was thankful to be in hospital for five days under the care of the midwives. Breastfeeding was harder than I imagined and their support was invaluable to me.

* I am manifesting a big cuddle with my vernix covered baby as it's laid upon my chest, naked and burrowing for my breast with a successful and fervent latch. 

What were some of your manifestations or goals for your labour and delivery?
​Tell me in the comments below.

​EMK x

We have been in our new home for one week, and are nearly sorted, unpacked and organised. I've had to allow a bit of grace because we are also attempting to nest and prepare for this new bub simultaneously (#noteasy). It was a mammoth week that saw us move over three days with two different moving companies. 

We only had one small bin of garbage (red lid for you NSW folk), and a large recycling bin FULL when the time came to leave, and that included all our waste from the week, not simply "moving house" rubbish. ​

Here are a few tips to help you achieve a low-waste move:

​1. Keep your moving boxes

We kept all of our moving boxes from our previous move from QLD to NSW, and we only needed to purchase one heavy duty cardboard box for our kitchen pots and pans! We utilised the boxes we already had, suitcases, travel bags, carry on baggage and the like. We were able to borrow a van and use our cars as well for smaller items. 

2. Hire moving boxes:

There are a lot of companies out there now that offer easy to use, stackable moving boxes. Movers like this option because they are compact and stack well. Companies like Boomerang Box (servicing Sydney and surrounding suburbs) will accept your online order, deliver your boxes, and then pick them up after your move is finished. For instance, you can hire 25 large boxes, one moving dollie, one marker, free labels and free zip ties for $119 for a week (and its $33 for each additional week). 

If you don't have boxes already, and need cardboard boxes from Bunnings for example, their boxes run you $4-$20 EACH, depending on the size. A few other companies are Koala Box (Sydney and surrounds) and Eco Move (Melbourne).

​

3. Use biodegradable or composting padding 
Bunnings sells biodegradable bubble wrap, I had no idea. Also, if you get the right kind of soft plastics, you can recycle them at your nearest RedCycle, or keep them for your next move. We also used beach towels and sheets to help with extra padding since they needed to be packed anyway. Newspaper is always an oldie but goodie for your fragile items. 

4. Have a garage sale
This one requires a bit of effort, but it is a great way to pre-lighten the load and add a few bills to the back pocket. 

5. Organise a hard rubbish pick up and donate to charity 
Do as best you can to eliminate the waste in the house as efficiently as possible. This means recycling properly, and not simply purging everything into your garbage headed for landfill out of laziness. Plan ahead if you can and organise a hard rubbish pick up with your council. You'll probably be surprised how many things people will actually take before the council even arrives to dispose of your belongings. If things are in good nick, drive them to the local charity drop box, Vinnies or Salvos. It always feels to good to give to those in need, especially if you have some decent things that are able to be passed on.

Hope that helped, and that none of you have to move house soon, because man it SUCKS!
Any questions at all, just pop them below!

EMK x 

The first time I’d ever heard of eating one’s placenta was many years ago when I was trying to fall pregnant myself. I stumbled across Jennifer Stano who had quite a social media following and was expecting her first child. From memory, I loved her pregnancy style, and followed her in the hopes of getting some helpful dress-the-bump tips.

A video popped up on my Instagram one morning, and the still was of Jennifer and her husband. She had delivered her baby, and she’d had a little boy. The video caught my attention because she was in a hospital but had a kitchen blender in front of her. Perplexed and curious, I proceeded to watch her make a placenta smoothie and with a chunk of her raw placenta, fresh berries and some other ingredients. The video was about the smoothie and getting her husband to drink it, which he did. When I saw this video I was absolutely appalled! Why on earth would you make your husband do that? Shock value? How ridiculous. And what was the point of a placenta smoothie in the first place? I couldn’t help but think it was a grab for attention at the time, and I shook my head, chalking it up to wanting likes and dropped jaws.

Fast forward a few years to when I finally had a bun in the oven and my world shifts. It’s funny how pregnancy makes you pull out all the stops and really look after yourself for the sake of your baby. I was at the end of my third trimester living in Melbourne and a girlfriend of mine had mentioned that she had her placenta encapsulated. I was thrilled to have someone close to me that I could actually talk to about the experience. After all, when it comes to matters such as these, we need to peel back all the layers of assumptions, fear, and disgust that stem from ignorance.

She told me about her great experience with Anna Papadakis from Opening To Life and I called her immediately. Anna is a birth attendant, birth educator, body centered therapist and trainer. She started placenta encapsulation in 2012, and now it's a core part of her practice.

I confessed to Anna that I didn’t know much about the process, how it worked, or anything for that matter. I hadn't even read the website yet, but I was close to giving birth and keen as mustard to learn more. I also alluded to the fact that I’d heard consuming the placenta was good for a mother’s recovery, and that was something I desperately wanted to know more about.

Anna and I spoke on the phone at length about the process, the placenta itself and how sacred it is. I don’t mean that in a spiritual way (although it is pretty magical), but I personally feel that it's such a misunderstood organ. So if you're at all like me, and curious about this process, I find it easiest to break it down into two categories, the WHY and the HOW of consuming your placenta.

​WHY?
As a soon to be new mum, I was quite worried about postnatal depression, commonly referred to as PND. The idea of PND being a dark horse that doesn't discriminate really spooked me. I'd spoken to a midwife who mentioned that I might be at risk for a few reasons, in particular due to our lack of support and absence of family from either side due to our move up to Queensland when our baby would be a mere 7 weeks old. My husband's family live in Melbourne and my family live in California, and I knew I'd particularly struggle when my parents had to say goodbye to their only child and their first grandchild.
​
In the same way that you commit to eating well and getting rest for the sake of your unborn baby, I committed to making my recovery the smoothest it could be, and that started by working from the inside out.

Anna went over a few key benefits, which were:
- Increasing our iron levels, which will help to combat fatigue, give you more energy, and therefore less depression. It's often difficult to absorb iron from supplements. You ingest crazy high does and the excess is expelled via black poop (if you've ever been on these supplements, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about)! However, when it's your own iron, it's much easier to absorb. 

- Some research shows that increasing Vitamin B6 combats post natal depression and helps to regulate mental process and mood.
- The placenta contains high levels of Oxytocin, which is commonly referred to as the "love drug." Increasing the levels of this hormone increases your sense of wellbeing and happiness.
- The placenta also contains Lactogen which has been shown to help increase breast milk supply.

Click here to read about more benefits and how/why they work.

I highly recommend that you read some testimonials to get a feel for what people are saying about the process.

It's a great place to begin if this is something you're weighting up.
​
​Have you ever had your placenta encapsulated?
Would you consider having it done? Tell me in the comments below.
​
EMK x ​