Fruit & Yoghurt Biscuit Trifle in a Jar. Healthy, Happy Lunch Boxes.

This recipes was my favourite of the three I demonstrated with the help of amazing little chef volunteers at the Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show this year.

All the fruit & Yoghurt Biscuit Trifles at the show where made with stunning local produce from Jeffers Market if your on the Sunshine Coast or visit this way ever - you NEED to go and check out Jeffers!

I love this recipe so much and I wanted to demonstrate just how easy and simple it can be to make something AMAZING and healthy for the lunch box that kids really will demolish and better yet can even make themselves for their own lunchbox the night before! Oh yeah! Less work for us mums!!

And one of the greatest things about this recipe is you can use whatever fruit is in season right now, whatever fruit is on special or locally grown and beautiful and whatever fruit your kids like and each child can make theirs with their favourites!

What you need

• A nice clean jar with a good sealing lid.
• Yoghurt of choice. I like Maleny dairies, Jalna, Qld Yoghurt and Five AM. (Not paid to say that). For all the ones made at the show and the one pictured here I used Maleny Dairies yoghurt.
• Assorted fresh fruit, think things like blueberries, strawberries, rock melon, kiwi fruit, watermelon, passionfruit, pineapple, paw paw grapes and whatever is in season and tastes great in your area.
• A nice healthy biscuit. Homemade is best or look for one that is gluten free and refined sugar free.
• Spoon to pack with it!

Method

• Prepare all the fruit you will be using.
• Make sure jar is squeaky clean.
• Get the kids to assemble a generous layer of yoghurt.
• Top with lashing of beautiful fresh fruit.
• Place biscuit in a paper bag and smash until it resembles crumbles.
• Sprinkle biscuit crumbs on top.
• Seal and pack with an ice pack for an exciting morning tea!

Simple. Delicious, Budget Friendly, Healthy.

And irresistible!

Notes

• For dairy free use coconut yoghurt or soy yoghurt.
• You can either create just like this OR do it in layers like a real trifle, starting with a biscuit base, then yoghurt, then fruit, then biscuit, then yoghurt then fruit etc.
  
  Check out my NEW FB page Healthy, Happy Lunch Boxes for HEAPS of lunch box inspiration and ideas.
  
  Bek xoxo

Silverbeet and Kale Feta Rolls - Healthy, Happy Lunch boxes

Silverbeet and Kale Feta Rolls

I love packing my kids full of greens.
Right from babies I have got them growing their own in our garden and in pots, greens are just so versatile in cooking and so incredibly jam packed full of nutrients. In face when you look at eating styles and trends there is always one constant in them all!
Eat more green leafy things!!

Paleo, Vegan, Raw, Low Carb, Michelle Bridges 12 week boot camps they all seem to agree green leafy things are especially good for humans!
So as a mum I have always given my two girls lots of greens and found so many delicious and clever ways to feed them to them! Because, lets face it too not too many toddlers are going to eat a pile of lightly steemed spinach quite joyously?

My little Violet as a wee thing with a silverbeet she helped grow that was not so wee!

One of my kids FAVE ways to get a big greens fix and a recipe that I LOVE to make for LUNCHBOXES is this super easy and cheap to make,

Silverbeet and Kale Feta Rolls.
Why Kale?
I know it has become trendy of late and sometimes you might think oh kale this and kale that....BUT it is for a very good reason!
Kale is a sensational power vegetable and was in fact a very popular vegetable in the middle ages and is a popular food source in many, many parts of the world. During World War II it was also in the Dig for Victory initiative in the UK because of its nutrient content, where everyone was encouraged to grow it in there gardens.
Kale is extremely good for you and is a source of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, copper, vitamin B6, and rich in calcium and according to *Mind, Body Green has more iron per calorie than beef.
It is also a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin and has other properties which are said to have anti cancer and DNA repair in cells properties.and the combination with fresh basil and a great Parmesan and feta is beautiful.
Kale (Brassica Oleracea) is a green leafy vegetable considered to be one of the highest in nutrients with many health benefits including it is said, to have anti – cancer effects so it is well worth tracking down or growing your own.
It is also a "cousin" to other nutrient rich veggie super heros like broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, savoy, collard.
There are many varieties available now including beautiful pruprle leafed types and it is also excellent in things like juicing, green smoothies, all kinds of fresh salads, spinach and kale cheesey scrambled eggs and often made into kale “chips”.
I also put it fresh, shredded very finely in my kids salad wraps, coleslaw.
(Note; if you have diagnosed thyroid issues always lightly cook it first before eating - even in smoothies, just steam then cool and freeze in portions, check with your naturopath for more information.)

It is also extremely EASY to grow!
Look out for organic seeds or seedlings and grow it in a really nice sunny spot (at least 6 hours), in good compost rich soil with plenty of organic matter and good drainage. Water deeply once established to promote a healthy root system and feed with diluted seasol once a week as a baby and then every 2 weeks once established. Harvest as a whole plant or just the leaves you need as you need them.
Grow them amongst marigolds, chives, spring onions, sage, thyme for companion planting.
If your worried you will plant and "forget" and they will die, plant a pot near your front door, amongst your flowers, somewhere were you will see them everyday and remember to water them.
I know for me I love taking 5 minutes of peace in the garden of an afternoon or early morning to have a cup of tea and water, it is actually very relaxing!

Grow things and get the kids growing things from babies

Silverbeet and Kale Feta Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh silverbeet finely chopped and firmly packed in (or 1 pkt frozen spinach, thawed and drained well will also work fine)
• 1 cup fresh kale, washed and finely chopped. (You can find in Coles and Woolies now or farmers markets and places like Jeffers market on the Sunshine Coast.)
• 3/4 of a 250g pkt feta cheese. (You can use less if you find feta too salty for your palate or more see notes).
• ¾ cup grated cheese.
• 2 sheets puff pastry ( I use butter puff pastry or wholegrain when I can find it and sometimes gluten free puff pastry)

Method

• Pre heat oven to approximately 180`c.
• Combine spinach, kale, feta and grated cheese together.
• Semi defrost pastry sheets.
• Cut each pastry sheets in half to make two long rectangle.
• Line each one down one side with a long strip of the mixture. 
• Pinch the two sides of pastry together right along both sides to make it an enclosed ‘parcel’ or roll over on to itself to make a roll shape.
• Chop up into desired sizing rolls.
• Brush top of pastry with milk.
• Bake them in the oven on baking paper until golden and pastry is visibly cooked.
• Serve hot with fresh salad

Notes

• For a more ‘adult’ version you can add lightly sautéed onion, chilli or spring onion.
• Perfect for school lunch boxes.
• Freeze rolls before cooking for ready to go meals and lunches
• Adjust the amount of feta to you and your kids taste buds. Use a lot less if you generally find it too salty and more if you like a strong feta flavour. I find in general kids do not like a too strong feta flavour but rather just a hint of feta so I often will use 3/4 of a packet, depending on the amount of greens. I would suggest the first few time you make the recipe to tweak to make it with a 3/4 packet and then tweak if needed the next time. I prefer to use a Australian hard feta and just crumble it.

Toddler Tips

• Make them half the size again so they are handy toddler sized sausage rolls.
• Serve with a toddler friendly salad of things like cheese cubes, avocado cubes, cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, capsicum slices and carrot sticks.

For more Healthy, Happy Lunch Box IDEAS please LIKE my new FACEBOOK page!!

>>> HEALTHY, HAPPY LUNCHBOXES
Happy Cooking!

Bek xoxo

Recipe and writing (c)RebeccaMugridge2012

I Will Do More. Getting active in fun ways in 2015

Dream it. Do it. Do more. I will do.
DO - it's a rather powerful word isn't it?

"Do or do not, there is no try." Yoda

The more you do, the more you can do, so the more you do."
The Pram Diet Book, Random House.

As 2014 is coming to a close and 2015 is just around the corner we are on the brink of that exciting time of year when we seem to find extra enthusiasm and determination. We set goals and dreams, we often start out the new year wanting to be healthier, fitter and often slimmer!
We think wistfully about sports and dancing done in youth, and ones we would love to try.

We plan on fun runs and marathons in the year ahead, we might decide to take up a sport or active hobby, climb certain mountains, run 5k, beat our own running times  - even compete in a sport.

The Australian Institute of Sport has long been a very highly regarded and respected institution and one I really respect; sport and being active is something I personally am very passionate about and think should be heavily encouraged for all children and also parents and adults too, as sport increases our physical activity level in a fun way and makes us healthier people.

Exercise improves your health, helps prevent disease, helps you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, boosts mood, reduces stress, helps ease and prevent depression and has a very important link to reduced Post Natal Depression and also easing PND symptoms. For me exercise was key to getting through and then over my PND, and also boosting my self esteem and confidence and general overall happiness - something so important for us mums.

I also loved the way exercise empowered me and gave me goals and challenged me. I was so proud that I was able to go from not exercising at all, to walking my pram around the block to eventually jogging with the pram 8 km a day! And lost over 30 kilo's in the process.

We all have it in us to be active and find ways of doing it that are fun, exciting and challenging to us.

"DO: MORE is a philosophy, a rallying cry for those who want to devour life and all that it brings. It is a motivator for the doers of this world and a reminder to us all that we should maximize every moment, commit to those things that move us and pursue our passions with an unrelenting hunger."

 The I will do campaign is a new and exciting way to help Australians achieve their fitness goals through the help of the Australian Institute of Sports and Rexona sports ambassadors.
In this campaign everyday Australians will have access to information and articles written by the AIS normally only reserved for professional athletes.

Next year, for me, I will do more by trying a sports class like either tap dancing or ballroom dancing, or maybe go back to my past love of boxing and taekwondo. Something fun, active, challenging and just for me!
I am planning on pushing myself to do more and have fun doing it too and with tools and tips like the I will do campaign I am sure I will get there!

What is your fitness goals for next year?
What is something you would love to do? Or have done?
Is there a sport you would like to try? Maybe you would love to do a fun run!


Live Well. Be Active. Eat Beautiful, Stay Calm. Be Happy.

Bek XX

**This is a sponsored post**

Finding Calm in a Busy, Modern Life

Finding Calm in A Busy, Modern Life.

When parenthood hits you are in a bubble of bliss. You have your new baby, life is a miracle full of love and all is good in the world.
And then, as it does, life starts to get busy. Babies grow and life becomes a bustle of rushing around.

I don’t know about your family life but my day to day can get pretty hectic!

Kids to get ready for school and kindy, lunch boxes to make, hair to do, uniforms to have ready, sibling fights to negotiate, then there is after school sports and activities, work schedules, housework, dinners to organise, meals to plan, shopping to do, appointments, events and then throw in some life events, accidents, unexpected hiccups and the odd illness or day care bug and of course the blog to look after and write and is it any wonder that life can get a little stressful? 
Stress as we know (and hear in the media) can be very harmful to our bodies.
Stress activates the body’s sympathetic nervous system and our inbuilt fight or flee response.
It is a very powerful design and does of course serve us well in times of emergency however activating this as often as we do in our stressful, busy modern lives can be very detrimental to our health.
In fact many experts now say we can eat as healthy as we like and exercise well but if we are not also making reducing stress an equal priority we can still get serious health issues.  

So as a busy mum when the new year clicked over to 2014 I decided my word for the year was going to be CALM…..
My mind, my body and my health had to start taking some priority if I was going to be healthy and happy and a great role model to my kids. I needed to bring some quiet, some peace, plenty of time outs and self nurturing and as much relaxation as possible into my day to day life. I needed more CALM.

So how do we get more calm into our busy lives?

Here are some of my TOP TIPS for blessing our lives with more beautiful calm.

• Get organised. Yes, it really does work. Have a calendar (I have two) plan out each day and major events/appointments/sporting activities/school dates/bill due dates/fee due dates/birthdays/banking reminders. Have it somewhere visible that you see all the time and use it as the great tool it is. If you’re a blogger you could even have one just for your blog and what you need to do/post and when.
• Have an organised space in the home for all the kids activities. I have a rack with containers for school (including bags), kindy, ballet, swimming, gymnastics etc. It makes life so much smoother to know everything for each activity is right in its spot when you need it and always has that organised home to go to. I find it also empowers the kids to look after their own stuff and also know where to put it each day.
• Bake it Sundays. This cuts out so much stress! Each Sunday I spend quite a few hours baking muffins, biscuits, quiches, sausage rolls or pies type things and then freeze them for the busy school/kindy week ahead. I can then take out what I need as needed for lunchboxes.
  I also try and make a few dinner options for “those night” things like a cannelloni, quiche, and lasagne, bolognaise sauce that I can freeze for any easy meal during the week.
• Mummy Time. Oh yeah, we soooo need it!! This can be as simple as an Epsom salt bath for 10 minutes, reading a book somewhere quiet, a walk on the beach, a gym session, yoga class, art class, dance class, a run around the block, catching a chai with girlfriends, making jewellery, painting, going to the cinema by yourself (and it’s not Disney), doing laps at the local pool, even cooking to music in an empty house – whatever makes you feel relaxed and full of JOY.
• De-Clutter – it’s amazing how much better you feel when you declutter! One of my favourite books, “Does this clutter make my but look big” helped changed my life and inspired me to de clutter my life! Yes, I am still not perfect and yes I have ornaments and things and occasionally some clutter creeps in here and there but every so often we have a family culling and it always feel wonderful!
• Insure what matters in your life.
  This can take a MASSIVE chunk of worry off your shoulders.
  Imagine rushing about your morning routine, kids in the car ready to go to where they need to go and you head down the road and the unimaginable happens someone goes right through that stop sign and hits you. You and your kids are all ok but your car, is a write off. What would you do? Who would you call? How when you still get the kids to where they needed to go, not just today but every day? You never realise how much you rely on your car for everything until you can’t.
  Trust me, I have had this exact thing happen and you guessed it, we were not insured and the other driver at fault’s insurance company only paid out the lowest market value they could find on the internet for our car. Not taking into consideration work or improvements (it was a 4 wd with accessories) and they took forever and a day too.
  We have more than enough on our plates already so take some stress away from the occasion, take out comprehensive car insurance and make sure what you do have is actually the right kind of cover and really will give you full peace of mind.
• Have regular health and dental check ups. Yes, it might seem boring but when they find and treat things early on – it works out so much better (and cheaper) in the long run!
  This year I got both my kids well known to our local dentist, they have had check ups and cleans and talks with him about the importance of brushing, plus he gave them barbie toothbrushes which as you can imagine went down rather well!
• Get on top of that paperwork. Did I hear you groan? Or maybe you are one of those super ocd organised people that I wish I was!! Yes, it can be heavy going but really a draw, cupboard overflowing with folders or a filing cupboard you just thing eergh about is not aiding to your new zeness! If you can afford to (and need to) hire a bookkeeper! Or make a day once a month to go through it all and keep it organised and filed and shred what you don’t need and if its not glossy – turn into super urber useful garden compost J
• Be Prepared. Some might laugh that know me well but yes, I like to be prepared! I have an extensive first aid kit in the car, one for the pram and one at home. In my boot I will have an umbrella, torch, mini tool kit, rope, 2 towels, change of clothes for both kids (including undies), spare thongs for everyone, money for a phone call, picnic blanket, bottles of water, non-perishable emergency snacks for the kids, wipes, sanitiser, even a toilet roll! Just In Case. Haha
  Yes, I guess it is a little dorky maybe even OCD of me ( I am a little bit) but you would not believe how many times over the years it has come in handy! And not just for me, sometimes for other people I have helped!
• Teach Your Kids Your Phone Number & Address. Easy to overlook put this is a really simple thing that could be very important if they ever got lost.
• Tee up Emergency Parent Pick Up Friends. Ever had that day when something happened and you couldn’t get to the school in time to collect your kids? Or needed to drop them off too early?
  A really great idea is to form a small network with some parents you trust that live near you where you can swap each other’s details and organise to be a drop off/pick up back up option when something important comes up. This really will REALLY reduce stress in your life. There is such relief in knowing if you get stuck, can’t get away from work, your car breaks down, an appointment runs over or is too early that you have someone you can call who can help!

Of course there are many more things you can do to reduce stress in day to day life, these are just a few that I have found really help me. Would love you to leave any tips you too have below as well for everyone!

Live well. Eat Beautiful. Stay Calm. Be Happy.

Bek XXX

This post is sponsored by Youi

Kale, Basil & Macadamia Pesto Roulades

Kale, Basil & Macadamia Pesto Roulades
Delicious canapé, snack, school lunch or dinner party entree with the goodness of kale.

I LOVE pesto and I love changing it up and making it lots of different ways, one of my current favourite ways is using some beautiful, healthy kale in it, being one of my all time favourite vegetables to grow and eat for family health.

This recipe using the kale, basil and macadamia pesto in tasty egg roulades was featured in Sunshine Coast publication  WHY Fitness magazine, in their Christmas issue as a perfect delicious canape that is healthy too!

Ingredients
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves {pesto}
• 1 cup fresh kale leaves {pesto}
• ½ cup macadamia nuts {pesto}
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan {pesto}
• ½ cup olive oil {pesto}
• 4 free range eggs
• 200 g feta cheese (as needed)
• Pink Himalayan salt
• Toothpicks

Method
• To make the pesto: in a blender or processor blitz the macadamias, kale, basil, parmesan, a pinch of himalyan salt and olive together to make a smooth but still textured pesto.
• Whisk the eggs together in a bowl.
• Heat a frying pan with some olive oil, swirl the olive oil so the pan is well covered.
• Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan so it makes a large and thin omelette. Depending on the size of your frying pan you may need to make 2.
• Flip to make sure it is cooked and nice and golden on both sides.
• Carefully remove from heat and drain on paper towel.
• Cut the omelette into long rectangular strips about 2 cm wide.
• Spread each strip with the pesto and crumble feta over the top.
• Roll up into swirl shapes and cut off at desired thickness, you should get 3 -5 swirls per strip depending on your omelette size. You can also cut the now rolled segments in half width wise again to make them nice and thin.
• Skewer with a toothpick.
• Serve.

Notes
• Kale is a sensational power vegetable and the combination with fresh basil and a great Parmesan and feta is beautiful.
• This is a beautiful, healthy, gluten free canapé perfect for entertaining.
• Make a nice big batch of the pesto as it can also be thrown through really lovely pasta, on crackers, in wraps, in muffins and OK I'll admit it, I love pesto and if I make some or buy a great one I just have to eat it!
• Kale (Brassica Oleracea) is a green leafy vegetable considered to be one of the highest in nutrients with many health benefits including it is said, to have anti – cancer effects so it is well worth tracking down or growing your own. There are many varieties available and it is also excellent in things like juicing, green smoothies, all kinds of fresh salads, spinach and kale feta sausage rolls, spinach and kale cheesey scrambled eggs and often made into kale “chips”. I also put it fresh, shredded in my kids wraps.

Not a new thing kale was in fact a very popular vegetable in the middle ages and is a popular food source in many parts of the world. During World War II it was also in the Dig for Victory imitative in the UK because of its nutrient content, where everyone was encouraged to grow it in there gardens.
• Kale is extremely good for you and is a source of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, and rich in calcium.
It is also a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin and has other properties which are said to have anti cancer and DNA repair in cells properties.
• Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is also a fantastic fresh and healthy ingredient, with potent antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties.
(c)rebeccamugridge2013

Bek XX

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Detox your home or business with Plants

Plants make us happy and make our environments indoor and outdoor healthier and less toxic.

Landscaping and use of plants, including indoors in homes, in bistro settings, courtyards, foyers, restaurants and entrances has become very in-trend and for good reason. Not only does it add to the ambiance, create freshness and give a sense of style and is actually proven to improve air quality too.

The research by NASA dating back from the 1970's shows that in as little as 24 hours as much as 87% of indoor pollutants are removed. Air pollutants that can come off paint, furniture, upholstery, carpet, building materials, air conditioning, paper and cardboard products, packaging, plastics even electronics.
The recommended ratio by NASA is 15 good sized specimen in around a 6 inch pot per 170 Sq m.
It is a combination of the plant leaves, roots and also soil bacteria that play a crucial role in removing toxins.

Image Source

Research by the US EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.

What air is effected ?
Quoted definition from the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
“The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) defines indoor air as air within a building occupied for at least one hour by people of varying states of health. This can include the office, classroom, transport facility, shopping centre, hospital and home. Indoor air quality can be defined as the totality of attributes of indoor air that affect a person's health and well being.”

The air inside our homes and office’s can contain a cocktail of toxins, many we wouldn’t be aware of and can come from commonly found sources in our homes, work places even in our children’s classrooms and bedrooms.
With recent figures estimating average Australians spending as much as 90% of their time indoors the quality of the air in our indoor spaces because something we need to look at carefully.

While good ventilation plays a big part in reducing effects studies show that certain indoor plants are extremely effective at removing indoor air pollution.

Research first done by NASA and in particular Dr Bill Wolverton, Senior Research Scientist at NASA’s John C Stennis space station proved that certain indoor plants are extremely effective at reducing and even completely removing certain very harmful toxins from air in confined spaces. While this research was originally intended for space it became apparent that it was applicable to our homes and office building 

environments. 

Image Source

5 dangerous toxins commonly found that are able to be treated by indoor plants

Formaldehyde
Carpet, cleaning products, fire retardants, furniture, paper products, ply wood, particle board, pressed wood, some grocery shopping bags, waxed paper, foam insulation and natural gas.
Benzene
Detergents, inks and dyes, plastics, Petroleum products, rubber,  synthetic fibres, pharmaceuticals, paints, oils and  tobacco smoke.
Trichloroethylene
Adhesives, dry cleaning, inks, dyes, lacquers, paints, varnishes and metal degreasing
Xylene
Rubber, printing, leather, paints and varnishes
Tolyene
Silicone sealants, leather, paint thinners, disinfectants, adhesives, printing, lacquers and disinfectants.

Pollutants also dealt with by plants either by degradation or elimination include metals, pesticides, explosives and even crude oil

There are so many different ways to add some plant design features to a business and a lot will depend on how much light the area has, what look you are interested in, whether plants can be rotated and how much maintenance you are willing to take on.

Structurally, architectural looking plants can make dramatic entrances and features.
Things like large matching pots with plants that make a bold colour statement at an entrance or in a row, massed plantings of different grasses and foliage contrast plants in an area and the use of large visually beautiful pots planted with dramatic plants as features.
Think plants with lines like dracenas, grasses, grass trees, pineapples, aloe’s, grasses, yukka’s, succulents.

A very stylish feature is currently the vertical gardens, a wall of succulents, herbs or flowering plants. Very space effective and gives an absolute wow factor. There are many designs available for this kind of garden including pallet gardens.

Image Credit

The use of water holding planting devices like the EzyGrow which not only holds its water but reuses and makes it available to the plants are perfect for small courtyards, units, outdoor eating settings.

Image Source

A tropical themed dense planting around entrances, stairways always looks fantastic and tropical looking plantings with a water feature can completely transform an area and invite people to feel relaxed.

Image Source

Topiaries of suitable citrus trees are always a classic, though they must have full sun, perfect if you have an open courtyard, outdoor eating area or for an entranceway. Pots and planters of herbs and annual flowers make a beautiful addition to outdoor eating areas if it is exposed to sunlight. As do the fantastic colour flare of bougainvilleas, that can also be shaped. 

Use plants to add colour.

So many plants have fantastic colour, in their flowers and foliage.
Combine with coloured pots and use matching coloured or contrasting coloured plants, even follow a colour theme you already have in your business or home to give a stylish look.
Mass planting of the same or similar plants always gives a great effect; consider a row or a grouping.

Indoors dark green, leafy plants make their dazzling appearance and give a lush feel.
Large indoor plants can also be used to subtlety divide areas and provide screening and private alcoves or to disguise less attractive areas.

And to create a hidden oasis feel, adding huge impact to atmosphere.

Peace Lily Image Credit

A touch of lush green has been said to have soothing, calming effects on an atmosphere making indoor plants a great investment for businesses, waiting rooms, homes and working environments. Including office areas.

Ficus Image Source

Some great indoor choices would be: Peace Lily - Spathiphyllum ( hardy and very beautiful)
Bamboo Palm - Chamaedorea Seifrizii, Golden Pothos - Epipremnum Auereum (poisonous if eaten, but fantastic for trailing and in hanging baskets, very beautiful). Elephants Ear-Philodendron Domesiticum. English Ivy - Hedera Helix (Trailing and good for hanging baskets).
Spider Plant - Cholorphytum Comosum (Hardy can also be grown in hanging baskets). Aglaonema
Dracena Marginata (can be toxic to dogs and cats – very striking looking)
Boston Fern - Nephrolepsis Exaltata ( Great for a hanging baskets if limited in space-hardier than they look!)
Ficus Benjamina ( Very hardy and an attractive tree like plant)
Mother in Laws Tongue Plant - Sansevieria Trifasciata and popular cultivar Sansevieria Laurentii (Very hardy and architectural looking but can be toxic to dogs and cats)
Areca Palm-  Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens, Dwarf Date Palm - Phoenix Roebelenii, Phalenopsis Orchid Sp. Anthiriums.

Depending on the situation and light levels, it is a great idea to have indoor plants that can be rotated with others that are in a better lit position to keep healthy plants on display, as even indoor plants do need some light. This will also ensure that your plants are always fresh looking and healthy.

For the non green thumbs who want plants with minimum of care, cast iron plant, mother in laws tongue, Spider plants, Peace Lily’s, English Ivy, Ficus and certain Palm’s are beautiful and very hardy.

General growing tips and notes for plants in houses and business situations

• Ensure plenty of light wherever possible, keep near windows, under skylights, outdoors but also watch that they don’t burn too, keep adjusting is possible until you find great positioning for your plants or rotate.
•  Use good quality potting mix, always. This is one thing you should never scrimp on with plants in pots.
• Water regularly, don’t forget to water them but don’t drown them either. You can always feel the soil, a few cm down to see how dry or wet it is and a lot of plants will visually wilt when thirsty.
• Put them out in the rain if possible every so often, they will love it, (just don’t leave them out there when the sun comes out if they are indoor varieties.)
• Use pots with good drainage and saucers or pot feet. It is important for plant health to have good air circulation around their roots. There are planter systems available like EZY Grow that actually store the water in them as well so there is no mess on the ground, a great feature for eateries.
• Along with a slow release, fertilise with Seasol or similar on a regular basis to ensure they are healthy and happy. Just check the proximity to people eating and try and fertilise on a day when no-one will be there or ask your local nursery for plant feeding options that would suit your situation.
• Where you are very limited with natural light try having a couple of plants and rotate outside ones with the inside ones regularly so you are always putting a fresh plant in the spot, most plants will take 2-3 days indoors without light.
• When buying plants look for a nice healthy looking specimen that is pretty stable in its pot. Check it over for pests and diseases, a quick look should reveal any bugs, slugs, badly eaten leaves or fluffy white mealy bugs around the stem and under leaves.
• Ask the nursery person if it needs re-potting any time soon when you buy it, a pot bound plant will not be happy for long.
• Consider multi plantings. Plants do better when grouped together and it looks aesthetically beautiful too so even if you have limited space, try putting a few together.
  

Copyright RebeccaMugridge2013
Rebecca is a qualified Horticulturalist with over 15 years experience and a love affair with plants, gardening, nature and cooking.
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Find Your Passion For You

Find your Passion for you!

As mums one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the tools to live a healthy, happy, and positive life and the best way of doing this? Is by living one, ourselves…

‘’Because: a healthy, happy mum means a healthy, happy home.’’

To be a mother is to truly, wholly and selflessly love another.
More than you ever thought possible.

To be a mother is to hold the hopes and dreams of your children forever in your heart.

Shedding a silent tear that they never see, in a moment that stays with you forever and they forget in an instant.
Feeling their pain like it happened to you, marvelling at their wonder as they discover the world around them, feeling their joy as they discover things in life that brings to them moments of pure uninhibited happiness.

It is feeling so deep that you truly are at the centre of another’s whole world; you are being a source of comfort and safety. Healing the hurts; drying the tears, easing the pain and being that rainbow of love amongst the unpredictable weather of life that is being their ‘mum’.
That knowing, that something is wrong in a quick glance.

For every tear and tantrum there is a beautiful giggle and a smile that touches you deep inside your heart. For every exhausting night there is a cuddle and a look that makes you want to cry with love. You can find yourself being surprised, shocked and left speechless more times than you thought possible and feeling pure delight, immense pride, overwhelming happiness, exhausting responsibility, pushed limits, joyous laughter, anxious worrying and wonderment all at the same time
You can feel so tired, exhausted and mostly unthanked but you've never felt more fulfilled, wanted and full of love.

It is the indescribable moment of complete and pure, timeless happiness that is that special unexpected hug- when time could easily stop.

As mums we gladly give all of ourselves for our family. We endlessly put ourselves last.

We often juggle so many balls at once.
Multi-tasking, balancing the work/life/family act, it’s so easy to let a few things slip to make it work and unfortunately one that is allowed to slip through so often, for so many of us is our own health and happiness.

And the things is if you are not healthy you cannot be truly happy and if your not happy you cannot be truly healthy either. You need both.

You only need to talk to those who are ill or have gone through illness or injury to realise just how important your health is and just how much we take it for granted.
How much we have to lose.

We need  to see how important we are before burnout. We need to accept we are not invincible.
Burning out can happen to any of us.
Crashing from exhaustion, losing a sense of self, feeling frustration, sadness or even anger at our reflection in the mirror, comparing ourself to others and making ourselves feel miserable. Stressing out of every little thing, worrying too much, eating our emotions, going without, neglecting ourselves...
Prolonged stress we know leaves us vulnerable to illness, stress in fact is one of the most dangerous causes of so many scary things that can happen to us and our health.

We need to sit down and really think about how important our health and happiness really is. Look at those little faces and really think, if I don't take care of me and I burn out how will I take care of them? We already make our kids and our family's health and happiness a priority - but what about ourselves? 

We are at the heart of our families, we care, nurture, teach, nurse. We entertain, advise, guide, feed, comfort, and love. 

We love unconditionally and give all of ourselves without a second thought, and we love doing it, glowing fiercely with love and pride.

What we don’t do anyway near often enough is shine some of that love and support on ourselves.

Our family is so very important to us and we are so important to our family. So we need to start being important to ourselves too.

Sometimes it can all seem to big, too hard to find our happy, healthy vibrant place and this is why support and inspiration is so very important.

That is why I am such a strong advocate for all forms of support for women and mums, for taking time out for yourself, joining networking and socialising groups, support groups; for having a hobby or passion on the side that is just for you, for scheduling in some time in your day to go for a walk, even if it is with the kids as well, it is getting you out into that fresh air with the benefits of exercise to our bodies; or for taking a yoga class once a week if you can or finding a gym you like with a creche or a mums fitness group.

Why I am an advocate for doing things that make you feel nice like wearing the dress you like when you go out - even if it is only to the supermarket and to wear some lipstick if it makes you feel pretty or your favourite earrings, it's why I think it is a great idea to pack yourself a lunchbox too - not just the kids for the day ahead, why I think you should occasionally buy yourself a bunch of fresh flowers for your home, just because they make you feel happy, why I think every food shop you do should include one special item that is just for you and your health and absolutely why I shared my very personal story and my burnout after having my first baby in my book, The Pram Diet and why I am just so in love with...  

Nourished 

by the very inspiring Kirri White and Corona Brady

If there was ever a present that you should treat yourself too that could make a hug positive impact in your life or were able to pick for yourself from your loved ones - this would be an incredible one.

An investment in YOU.

To find out about this amazing program and how it can help you, support and inspire you to find your passion for YOU and become your most vibrant self click HERE

Beginning on October 1st, Nourished is a completely unique offering – combining the latest nutritional advice and holistic health practices with life coaching, neuroscience and eating psychology.

Nourished is a Loving Approach to Mind & Body Health and provides all all the tools you need to incorporate healthy choices for your mind and body into your daily routine (or your money back!).

Co-creator Kirri is a certified life coach with a Masters in Psychology, an eating disorder survivor, and proud mamma to three glowing young girls.
Kirri helps women reclaim their lives and celebrate their worth, combining science-based therapies with the wisdom of the heart.

Main body and opening text (c)RebeccaMugridge2013

Healthy, Happy Mums book - Coming Soon