Doing something - Foundation 18

Image from Etsy

I have always wanted to help others. I have an awareness of those less fortunate and every so often a cause that helps others grabs my attention. I sponsored my first World Vision child about 15 years ago. It’s a small contribution but I take comfort in knowing I do something.

One cause that has really grabbed my attention is Cate Bolt’s Foundation 18. I have mentioned Cate Bolt before, to say I admire her work is a severe understatement. She first got my attention on twitter with her sharp wit, she is a special soul. She is bright and oozes awareness. And then on top of that she is sincere and compassionate and so very inspiring. I have much to learn from Cate. In a post on her personal website she wrote that she flew herself to Bali on her first trip outside of Australia and gave herself 16 days to "establish, furnish, staff and populate an orphanage". She does not muck around. She achieved that. Read this post, it will rip your heart out and make you want to smack yourself across the face with it for not being aware of this earlier. I did.

 Image by Cate Bolt

I showed my son Foundation 18's Ringdikit project. He understood that these beautiful girls would be living on the street, without a fridge full of food or even a bed to sleep on. No school, no parents. He was touched and offered to contribute ALL his pocket money each month. We negotiatied and agreed on half of his monthly pocket money. What a good egg. He may complain about school some days but knowing that there are kids much younger than him living on the street without the choice of going to school made him think. I love that Cate raises that kind of awareness, we need more like her.

Leading up to my birthday I decided this month I would endeavour to contribute more to the Ringdikit project. For the month of March all proceeds from the sales of my eBook will be contributed to Foundation 18. $5 that will get you a copy of my eBook The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum, and feed a family on Cate’s project enough rice for an entire week. A WEEK OF RICE. How could you not want to spend $5 for that? And if you don’t want or need my eBook please head over and make a small donation to Foundation 18, they will appreciate it tremendously. 

If you want to raise awareness with your little ones why not get them involved. You can subscribe for monthly payments of $10, such a small contribution goes such a long way. Ringdikit relies heavily on the kindness of others, I don't know about you but I take comfort in knowing my kindness helps another, even if only a little. I doubt we truly have any idea just how much.

Doing our bit this Christmas

This time of year is crazy, people rushing about madly to try and get ready for the festive season. I hate people asking me 'Are you ready for Christmas?’ Am I ever ready? I won't even start about getting ‘ready’ until Christmas Eve. The truth is, Christmas for me is not about madly buying gifts for weeks before or stressing myself out over 'being ready', it is all about family. The highlight of my year is our family dinner on Christmas Eve, and that is Christmas pretty much wrapped up for me. Yes sure I enjoy seeing my child's face when he opens his presents, however I see that face all year round when he receives treats in the form of other things, not just gifts. I just don't enjoy the mad rush that comes with the lead up to Christmas. And don't even get me started on the shopping mall. Ugh.

That aside, every year at this time my boys and I like to contribute to a worthy cause. We like to teach our son to appreciate the amazing opportunities we have in life by giving to others. He, off his own back, donates half of his pocket money each month to Cate Bolt's orphanage in Bali. I didn't ask him to, he offered. In fact he wanted to donate ALL of this pocket money. We also sponsor a child and he takes great pride in the little letters and reports we receive from our child. School aside, I think the best teaching when it comes to compassion starts at home. My husband shares this philosophy and we actively seek out ways to help others when we can.

So this Christmas we decided to donate half of all my eBook sales to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal. I was driving to work one day and this little face on a billboard got my attention and it made my mind up - this would be our contribution this year. It will be a small contribution, my eBook only sells for $4.95 and I am no JK Rowlings, however it will be a contribution no less. The Smith Family is an organisation that helps Australia's disadvantaged kids get the most out of their education, so every small bit counts. So if were thinking of buying a copy of my eBook, now would be an opportune time. Or perhaps you might want to gift a hard working friend who could do with some messages of self-love for Christmas. Either way, you will be doing you or your friend, and The Smith Family a big favour. I did initially say I would donate half of the sales from a specific day last week, however I will donate half of the sales from the day it was released, 5 December, through Christmas Eve.

If you would rather make a contribution directly to The Smith Family Christmas Appeal please visit their website. What a perfect time of year to help those that need it most.

For the record, I buy all my gifts on Christmas Eve. You will find me begrudgingly racing through the mall (I hate being inside the mall on a perfectly nice summers day) come Saturday. I won't notice you, I will be too busy making the shopping trip as painless as I possibly can so I can get back outside in the sunshine. They need more windows in shopping malls.

The photographer and an interview - the week that was.

I have had an AMAZING week! As you know my eBook The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum was released last Monday. On the same day I received an email from the editor of an online UK magazine called WorkingMums asking if I would like to be interviewed. The same day as my eBook release! I had to read the email a few times to make sure it wasn't spam, I was very nicely surprised. So of course I had no trouble answering questions, but then I needed a photo. Cue Flossy Photography. If you have purchased a copy of my eBook no doubt you would have noticed the beautiful images it contains. Flossy is one of these naturally artistic types who sees beauty in the most unassuming places and things. And then she has a firecracker of a daughter who naturally has become her little muse. If you have not checked out her craft yet please head over to her blog.

Like a true artist, Flossy brought her camera, a flashy flash, tripod and a bag full of tricks into the office after I told her I was after a Mariah Carey soft lens look. Minus the flowing locks and butterfly bling. Flossy set up her camera, smoke and mirrors and off she went. Now I have to tell you I have known Flossy for over three years and we have no problem communicating. We share a similar sense of humour and opinions on most things. But to be standing there in front of the camera trying to look natural is not easy for me. I am not sure what Flossy's trick is, but she had me feeling very comfortable within minutes and while she proclaimed to be trying out the lighting and angles etc, she was busy snapping away as I was awkwardly talking and flicking my hair about, as you do. This is what she sent me:

Hair fluffing and lip gloss smudging. And this one:

She was 'testing the lighting' here. Yes she was.

I am a huge fan of spontaneous shots and very few photos I take of my family are posed or set up, I love to catch them in a natural moment when they are least expecting it. Flossy shares this philosophy. Funny enough, I loved the spontaneous shots the most and was trying to work out how I could use one for the interview. Alas I went for a more professional me and chose this one:

So here is the interview if you would like to have a read. My husband was so excited and kept asking when it was going to be published. I was playing it low key, as you do.

If you are in the Perth area and are after a photographer for pet, baby, family or individual photographs I urge you to contact Flossy. She is a talented young lass with a keen eye for authentic beauty. You can also find Flossy on twitter and Facebook.

Share & inspire!

Grateful for adventure!

This week has been quite an adventure for me! First eBook released, first guest blog post, first interview. I have felt such a huge wave of accomplishment and have felt exceedingly proud (although humble) of myself for seeing something through to its final stage. I wrote an eBook. And I launced it. I am still pinching myself four days later. I actually did it.

When the very first sale came through not long after I launched my eBook on Monday morning, I swear I did a little dance around the house. Not because I made $4.95 minus some 42c on fees, but because someone, SOME ONE, wanted to read my words. I can't explain how that feels. It's just, amazing. So you can imagine my delight when ten people bought it, and then 15. And since then I have stopped counting as I am astounded people are interested in what I have written, not as I don't think it is worth reading, but it's me we're talking about, little old me.

Continuing on from this astonishment I have received the kindest of words in emails from readers and friends and fellow bloggers, offering feedback on my eBook. I just can't thank everyone enough for their support. The support and ongoing encouragement has only heightened my excitement - there are some truly generous and kind souls out there!

So while I initially kicked myself for not pursuing my love of writing earlier ie when I left high school, I know now timing is everything. The passion has always been there but the drive and circumstances were not ready. Now they are ready. I am writing and I love it. I am driven, I am determined, and I am loving it. And if my eBook sales stopped at one I would have been just as excited that one person, one person, was interested in my words. To know I have inspired at least one person has made me a very grateful soul.

I have loved Maxabella loves' grateful posts since I first started blogging. I look forward to Friday and I love thinking about my gratitude throughout the week and what has made me smile in deep appreciation. I am never short on gratitude however this week my recently rediscovered passion puts quite the spring in my step.

What are you grateful for this week? What has put a spring in your step?

Please pop over to Maxabella loves and check out some other grateful bloggers. Say hello to one that stands out for you. 

We Heart Life

Good morning friendly readers! I have had such a wonderful response to my eBook, I am truly astounded (and rapt) at the reaction and feedback I have received so far. I was emailed and asked to be interviewed for an online UK magazine and was completely bowled over! When I told my husband he looked at me wide-eyed and asked "So what is this eBook about then?" I love it when he pays attention. Needless to say I was jumping around the house after the very first purchase, absolutely amazed at the generousity of people and a little humble over the fact that someone wants to read what I have to say. I am still amazed people read my blog!

During this whole eBook process I have had Stacey at Veggie Mama hold my hand and offer to help me without me even asking and Deb from Home Life Simplified has been sharing my eBook left, right and centre (and I know my facebook reader increase this week is in huge part due to her, thanks Deb). Other friendly bloggers like Sonia from Love, Life and Hiccups, Flossy from Flossy Photography,  Naomi from Seven Cherubs and Kel from Natsukashii have been kindly retweeting my eBook tweets. And Jayne from Jagger Files has not only shared it on facebook but she has written a lovely little post mentioning my eBook. Just lovely.

And one particularly friendly and helpful little lass by the name of Sass, yeah you know the one, the genius behind my eBook design, has kindly offered me the opportunity to write my very first guest post. Another jump around the abode moment! Well I am an excitable creature. So today I wrote my first ever guest post for We Heart Life. We Heart Life is a beautifully, inspiring blog aimed at women. It is based in Australia and is written by Australian women. I love it! The design is just gorgeous and there are some truly amazing and inspiring writers contributing. We all know how much I love to be inspired. So I suggest you go check it out, not just my post but all the wonderfully inspiring posts.

The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum eBook

Several years ago I started to realise I needed to fine tune this working mum gig. I was finding myself too frequently exhausted and struggling to get through the million tasks that is required of a working mum. I was becoming resentful for my choice to work and knew that I had to do something.

I started out focusing on small areas by establishing boundaries and setting up a solid routine. It didn't take a lot of effort or a lot of time, however until I made an active decision to make those adjustments I was blind to my own power in gaining control over my day-to-day life.

I have compiled a series of no-nonsense tips and would love to share them with you in my very first eBook, The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum. It isn't rocket science and I am not the first working mum to work it out, but I feel sometimes we all need a little reminding. And especially when it comes to loving ourselves and giving ourselves the attention we deserve within a hectic working mum lifestyle.

The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum isn't only for the working mum, it is a practical guide for any mum that finds herself on a path of self-development and is keen on practicing frequent acts of self-love. It is compiled of 40 pages of text, beautiful images by Flossy Photography and a lovely design by MooZoo Designs. Not only is my eBook full of sensible tips it provides the reader with an easy-to-read layout. I have provided you with two testimonials written by Stacey of Veggie Mama and Debra of Home Life Simplified as seen below.

To purchase your very own copy of The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum for $4.95 please click on the link below. Following purchase via Paypal you will instantly receive your individual download link, the eBook downloads in PDF format. If you have any problems receving your downloaded copy please contact me via email cakecrumbsbeachsand@gmail.com.

I hope it inspires you to make relevant changes to your busy life and that it contains something useful for you. I welcome feedback via my email.

Testimonials

Tired? Busy? Frazzled? A lot of mums are. Peggy has made the decision that as a mum, she doesn't want to be, nor needs to be these things. With a few conscious choices and a huge dollop of being kind to herself, she is striking a balance between work and family that is getting that much more successful every day. Her self-love philosophy colours all her decisions (I'm particularly fond of the one where she gives herself permission to be in her PJs occasionally and just BE), and that in turn filters into the many compartments in her life where people are relying on her. With excellent, practical advice dispensed with humour and humility, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how to start making life work better, not just mums. But as mums, we're often the ones that need it most!

Stacey Roberts - Veggie Mama

"The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum" is a great read for any mother really. It offers practical suggestions for managing day to day life so you can take care of yourself, your work life and your family. One great point she shares is her son not taking part in outside school activities since he already spends so much time at school and after school care. She prioritises their time together over the "should" of others' expectations of what is usual for a young boy's Saturday schedule of sports activities. I love Peggy's "get real" talk, my favourite example of which is "cut the drama" in chapter four when she talks about ridding your life of everyone else's drama. One of the best sections of this eBook is the one tackling mother guilt for working mothers - Peggy shares the ways she balances her work with still being there for her son. Such a great eBook I am sure many mothers will gain both fabulous tips and perspective!

Debra Dane - Home Life Simplified

The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum eBook

As a working mum for the past decade I realised that I had to make some changes to my daily life. I often found myself tired, frazzled and resentful of my choice to work after having a child. It isn’t an easy choice and although I sometimes wish I could do things differently the truth is, at this point, I can’t. So rather than continue on fumbling my way through the craziness that often comes with working fulltime and managing a family and household, I decided to take a step back and assess my lifestyle.

The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum is a compiled guide of common sense tips that have worked for me. Aside from the obvious routine and self-discipline, I have discovered that as a high-functioning individual running a business, working fulltime and managing a family, I need to practice self-love. At times when I am in need of love and attention, I give it to myself. I have managed to establish a sensible balance and have set up some boundaries that enable me to remain grounded and somewhat sane.

I am not a health professional, I am a mum who is living the busy life of a working mum. I have spent the better part of the last decade working out what fits in with my working mum lifestyle and have actively made a choice to make life less hectic for me wherever I can. And now I share my suggestions and tips with you.

The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum is not just for the working mum, my common sense suggestions can assist any mum. And let’s face it, the stay-at-home mum faces the same issues as the working mum, in a different environment.

The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum will be available for purchase and download tomorrow. The first ten people to comment here will receive a free copy after its release. So go ahead, let me know what small changes you have made in your day-to-day life that have made a huge change to you as a mum.

Grateful for the kindness of fellow bloggers

I have previously written about the awesome community I have found myself in the middle of in the blogosphere. There are some seriously generous and kindhearted folk out there! I have discovered that if you want help or advice, all you have to do is ask.

I have been harping on about my very first eBook for the past few weeks (or months?) now. The support from my fellow bloggers has been amazing, just amazing. I have had an offer from two lovely ladies to read my eBook prior to launch and even write testimonials. I am rapt, their generosity is just refreshing. I am sure Stacey from Veggie Mama and Deb from Home Life Simplified may be regretting offering to help since I am now badgering them to no end, but I am a happy little blogger. And soon to be eBook author.

Furthermore, I have been eagerly trying to find information online about writing articles and how to find writing work. After brief contact with Sarah of Ah, the Possibilities on twitter and Facebook last week I decided to email her and ask her a few questions, knowing she is a freelance writer. She very kindly, and promptly, answered my questions and gave me some very useful tips. Full of kindness and generosity.

Grateful for the community I find myself in and for the other bloggers in it.

Speaking of other bloggers, why not hop over to Maxabella loves and read some other grateful posts. 

 {image source: Pinterest}

The Working Mum's Self-Love Manifesto

You may have noticed my excitement recently over my upcoming eBook. I have dreamed of writing a book since I was a young girl, and although I still intend to write and hopefully publish a paperback some day, I am currently working on an eBook.

To give you some idea on what my eBook is about, here is a sneak peek.

I created this manifesto as a general guide for the basis of my eBook, which is all about self-love for the working mum. Without giving away too much of the context (which I think is now fairly obvious) I wanted to share this with you. If you click on the image you can see it enlarged. I will be providing a printable in the near future.

So, what do you, my reader, think of it? Does it mean anything to you? Do you find it easy to read, is it relatable?

Not only am I excited about creating my very own manifesto, I received some images for my eBook today from the fabulously talented Flossy from Flossy Photography. 

Elated is the best way to describe my mood right now. eBook launch is forthcoming!