A Veggie Garden Made Easy

Lee Sullivan from The Urban Veggie Patch

Are you like us buy herbs from Coles have ambitions to grow them then they die a horrible death on your window sill? That’s what NHM Mumma Lee Sullivan was like ‘a black thumb’ til she turned it all around and is now an extraordinary proud veggie patch owner.

A bit about Lee…

I have a degree in psychology but am a full time mum to my almost 4 year old son at the moment. When my son was born, I became really interested in clean living and minimizing toxins. After a bit of research, I had some big concerns about how the food we buy in grocery stores is grown, what is on it and where it comes from. That gave me the push I needed to start my own garden.

When I started growing, I was a first time mum and my son was about 1. I definitely felt like gardening saved me in a way - I had lost myself a little in that all-encompassing first year of being a mum. Growing my own food became a great passion, a huge learning experience and gave me something of my own. It played a huge role in me finding myself again.

There is really no downside to growing your own food. It benefits everyone - you, your family, your neighbours and the earth. I wholeheartedly believe we were born to have our hands in the soil, grow our own food and that everyone should be doing it. It's not hard, you just need to start!" Thanks to Humans Who Grow Food features stories of home gardeners and farmers across borders and cultures. 

Follow Lee here Instagram.com/urbanveggiepatch and listen to how you can get started with your Veggie Patch below

How would you feel about your kids eating fresh veggies that they'd grown themselves with your help? How would you feel about halving your grocery list and your children experiencing first hand what it's like to pick their food from their own garden?

THINGS I NEVER THOUGHT I'D DO AS A MUM

Becci from The Tea Collective has a highly successful tea brand. She swore she'd never have mashed banana in her key board and that she'd maintain her nails and hair to perfection but we all have a laugh about how our standards have dropped since the reality of mum life have set in.

So we were going to be these Mother’s that could do it all and our kids would never wear Disney costumes as normal clothes. How we’ve failed in all areas with Becci Fowler from the Tea Collective to win a High Tea at the Tea Collective go here.

BEC'S CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE FOR 2019

Christmas gift buying can be rather stressful. Our practical and well researched Bec Tansey has made it easy for you this year, both sexes covered and a variation of ages.

Christmas gift buying can be rather stressful. Our practical and well researched Bec Tansey has made it easy for you this year, both sexes covered and a variation of ages. For more NHM Newcaslte Hunter Mumma goodness go here. NHM Newcastle Hunter Mummas are proudly sponsored by The Little Unicorn Early Education Centres, Locally Owned, Child Focused, enrol now.

KID FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS

Here are some top tips to make your Christmas a little bit smoother with wee children.

1. Avoid low hanging decorations, they will end up somewhere else rather than on the tree

2. Big baubles! Don’t pop up decorations that could be choking hazards

3. If in doubt pop your tree up on a table

4. Do you shopping online or get a relative to do it for you and leave the gifts at their house til it’s almost time for Santa .. it takes a village etc etc

5. Keep the candy high or you may find it all over the house or in your child’s hair, bed, wardrobe etc

6. Get shared gifts to keep the cost down

7. Use your child’s craft from daycare to decorate the tree and house

8. What a brilliant time of year to get your babes to behave ie. ‘you better be good for Santa’

9. What a brilliant time of year to get your babes to bed early ie. ‘you better go to bed or Santa won’t come’

10. What a brilliant time of year to drink wine randomly at any time of day. The washing’s lying all over the house, there are no groceries? Cheers to Prosecco!

Mumma Start Up

So you've decided to ditch the boss and start up your own business? YEY that's super exciting well done you! Listen to this episode before you do it or if you already have for tips and tricks to avoid things going pear shaped. Plus you can win a Trade Mark Package from Baker Love Lawyers.

So you've decided to ditch the boss and start up your own business? YEY that's super exciting well done you! Listen to this episode before you do it or if you already have for tips and tricks to avoid things going pear shaped. Plus you can win a Trade Mark Package from Baker Love Lawyers.

Mumma Writes, How to Make it as a Writer

Are you a writer or have ambitions to set your blog on fire, unlike ours which is not really on fire. It sparks up from time to time but we wouldn’t say it’s inspiring. Growing up I had so many friends who wanted to make a living out of being novelists or as writers but few make it. In this digital age of many magazines scaling down and papers taking on less staff Mumma Laura Jackel has managed to forge a career for herself as a writer, find out how below. She’s also the host of the brilliant Oversubscribed Podcast listen to that here.

Whether you want to make a living out of writing articles, a blog or from your instagram or you want to write a novel being a writer is hard work.

Laura Jackel visited a sex club in Sydney on a wiring assignment for Mamamia

Oh! And her big break came when she pitched a story about a first hand experience at an exclusive Sydney sex club. What was that like? Find out here.

Wine time, Water Play and more.. why you should head to the Lake this weekend

Photo by Daria Shevtsova

Mummas it’s actually good to get out of the house with the kids isn’t it? Even though it takes 7 million years to pack the bags and get everything ready once you do it feels so much better and there’s so much on at the Lake this weekend it’s the perfect opportunity to do just that!

Marmong Point Sailing Club are offering Free water sports for kids! Your family can enjoy watching boats zooooom past in the Superboat Championships and the Jet Ski Racing.

ALSO WINE MUMMAS the Food and Wine Festival is on from 12pm-8pm There are wine and beer tastings, cooking demonstrations, food trucks, and entertainment for the whole family. There will be shuttle buses running to and from the event, for more information visit the Facebook page. Hosted by Tangerine Events.

There are also two pop-up licenced bars either end of the Warners Bay from 10am - 3pm 

And the Warners Bay Markets are also on Saturday and Sunday 9am - 4pm . Warners Bay will also come alive with fashion, art, handmade products, food stalls, live entertainment and live broadcast of the Superboat racing. Hosted by Warners Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Mum Guilt - the biggest ailment

Mum guilt is a huge thing these days. It comes from so many different places too. Society, media, health professionals, family, friends and of course yourself. Being such a hot topic, we interviewed Em from The Jacaranda Centre to get her advice on how to deal with it. Sadly mum guilt can often become shame and this can be really dangerous, particularly to your mental health.

Have a think about your own life. Do you end up putting an excessive amount of pressure on yourself to be there for everyone? In my own life I know I definitely do. If I'm at work, I'm guilty that I'm not spending time at home with my kids that aren't at school full time yet. If I'm at home and playing with the kids, I'm guilty because I should be studying or doing housework. If I'm out seeing friends, I'm guilty because I should be using the limited time I have to be doing all of the above. The list goes on. But, if I turn all this around and actually think about things, this is how it can also go.

I'm at work - great! I'm furthering my career and bringing in money for our family

I'm spending time with the kids - I'm building memories and the kids are happy!

I'm studying - good job mum, your career prospects are looking brighter already

I'm out seeing friends - much needed me time ensures that I am looking after myself which leads to a happier mum and therefore happier family

In my opinion, life should be all about balance. And when I say balance, each day won't always be balanced of course. But try to add a little bit of each category that is relevant to you into your week. And please please please, try to be kind to yourself and stop feeling the dreaded mum guilt. If you asked your kids what they thought of you, I'm sure they would be much kinder!

HOW TO HOLIDAY WITH KIDS

Remember those holidays where you’d go and sit by the pool and sip cocktails and read books.. yeah nah that’s probably not your reality now Mumma with a few babes in tow but that doesn’t mean you need to give up on travel, you just need to do it differently, for a while at least.

What are some things to be mindful of when you're contemplating family travel? Which areas of Thailand and Bali are 'more kid friendly'? What about holidays that let you have a bit of time to yourself and also some time to reconnect with your partner while the kids enjoy great experiences of their own? Ashley from Helloworld Hunter Travel Group the Hunter's biggest locally owned and operated travel specialists, joins us to answer all those questions plus you can win a holiday to the Anchorage at Port Stephens to celebrate NHM working with Newcastle and the Hunter’s biggest, locally owned travel specials go here to enter.

Ok so you've mastered holidays solo or just you and your partner but the art of a good family holiday is a completely new ball game! What are the best destinations here and OS? What are some things to be mindful of when you're contemplating family travel?

HOW TO BE A CALM MUM

You may have seen them, these beautiful calm mums? Their voices remain steady under stress and they don't seem to snap as quickly. We are bringing in an expert of calm to make us better at it! Cveta Jovanoska head's up The Yoga Loft in Newcastle. She's going to teach you how to recognise triggers that may lead you to snap then see if you can observe them, move through the anger, remain calm, come out the other side, then take a measured response to whatever has happened.

You may have seen them, these beautiful calm mums? Their voices remain steady under stress and they don't seem to snap as quickly. We are bringing in an expert of calm to make us better at it!Cveta Jovanoska head's up The Yoga Loft in Newcastle.

THE SUPERCARS AND NHM

The Coates Hire Newcastle 500 will return, 22 – 24 November 2019, to crown the next Virgin Australia Supercars Champion and we’re super excited about partnering with them again this year to give you the opportunity to win a pass for your family. You can enter here.

This year they want to cater even better to families brining along their tribes so they’ll have an amazing new Supercars SuperKids Zone. The Zone will be a fully fenced and secure area, designed exclusively for parents and little people to relax, play, and test their racing abilities.

We can’t wait to enjoy the Supercars with you in 2019!

SAIL AWAY WITH NHM

Do you ever just want to get away from it all? Even now it’s a beautiful sunny afternoon in Newie but here I am tapping away working super hard to bring you a couple of very exciting travel episodes of NHM- I GOT IT FROM MY MUMMA.

The next two weeks will see us take you on an incredible journey of Luxe Family Holidays and Budget Family Holidays giving you advice on the best options for your family and possible destinations and ideas you hadn’t thought of previously.

To celebrate our collaboration between Helloworld Hunter Travel Group and NHM Newcastle Hunter Mummas they’re giving away a Luxe stay at The Anchorage Port Stephens. Go here to enter.

Boasting 180 degree ocean views, Hotel Anchorage Port Stephens provides luxurious accommodation overlooking the marina. This upmarket resort boasts an expansive pool terrace and is within a six-minute walk of the quaint little Port Stephens Shell Museum. Furnished balconies with breathtaking pool and marina views are standard features in each room and suite, as are smart TVs, a minibar, and comfy reading chairs. Suites add additional living space and unique stand-alone baths with separate showers. A full-service world-class spa ensures guests are not just well looked after, but pampered and spoilt too. Other luxuries include well-equipped gym, and free on-site parking. Dining at Hotel Anchorage Port Stephens is bound to be memorable. Premium seafood dishes are served at The Wild Herring, all-day dining at The Gallery Kitchen with pool and ocean views, and Hemingway's bar for hot coffee's and refreshing after-dinner drinks. Conroy Park, within a ten-minute walk of Hotel Anchorage Port Stephens, is the perfect destination for a picnic, with Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, a seven-minute drive away.

The right amount of kids

The most common question I get asked is, 'how did you find the change from 2 to 3 kids?' To be honest the question throws me because in my opinion each families coping mechanisms are different. Each family has different stresses, different set ups in place to make life easier or a bit more challenging. For instance, when my littlest came along, on paper it seemed like a scary prospect, having a husband who was working away and a 3 and 1 year old already at home. However, looking back, I wasn't working, didn't have a huge amount of money stresses, had a car that was super easy to navigate a few kids, prams etc. and had my mum living downstairs from us always on hand to help out or throw a load of washing on for me.

Now, my kiddos are 7, 5 and 4 (plus my partners son who is 7) and life is manic! The kids side of things is pretty easy, I'm pretty blessed to have kids that are fantastic at entertaining themselves when they need to. But now, I'm working full time, plus my side hustle, studying and racing around between various sporting and social commitments that the kids have. Our life is crazy sometimes, I wouldn't have it any other way of course, but it's no walk in the park.

So now when I'm asked about how it is with three kids, I like to throw the question back at the person and ask about their situation. Do you have support at home or outside of the home? Are you working? Don't be as concerned about the close proximity in age that your children will be, think more about external factors instead.

And if you're pregnant, good luck! I love my children dearly, but I'm pretty pleased that my child rearing days are over!

Missing the z's

Don't you think as a mum that one of the most asked questions you get is, 'do you have a good sleeper?' The issue of sleeping occupies so many of us when our kids are young, I think I pretty much became obsessed with how much each of my kids was sleeping. I remember when my oldest (now 7) was a baby. He started off beautifully, very textbook, then at around 5 months he wasn't so great, yes I know now that was the 5 month sleep regression. I absolutely freaked out and went to numerous health nurses. It was probably only around 2 months of this before he bounced back and was my perfect sleeper again, but it felt like forever. I was weighing so much pressure on myself to be the perfect mum (I thought this existed).

My next child, was and still is a brilliant sleeper. The only girl in our family, I think she tires herself out so much throughout the day that she just drops at night, never wakes up and never refuses sleep.

Fast forward another year and boy was I in for a rude shock. I thought I had motherhood nailed by now and just knew I'd have another great sleeper. Wrong! My littlest man came along and to cope I did everything deemed 'wrong'. Fed him to sleep, co-slept you name it. Its called 'managing'. Very quickly I was taught a lesson about never judging others and their methods. Motherhood is about doing the best you can.

Why Your Middle Child Might Be Set for Greatness

I was the youngest and ‘spoilt’ my older brother got love before any of us and my middle brother has always complained that he got ‘forgotten’ however new research has shown that’s not the case that that the middle child may end up being the campion of the family. 

Research points to; their ability to negotiate, they’re risk takers and creative, they’re less likely to break under pressure and they have an entrepreneurial spirit. 

So to anyone out there who is stuck in the middle or any of your middle children who complain about being forgotten the research is in, you’re amazing you just need to embrace it. 

Mumma is going back to school

Bec and Will, her youngest

What happens when you decide to go back to study? Our Bec did just that recently and got 80% on her recent exam. She didn’t want to pump up her own tyres by I’m happy to do that for her because she’s truely amazing.

Listen to her top tips on making it work below, Cozi Family Organiser was one of them, download it for free to sort out your life. Other advice included working on assessments before she’d done all the coursework and getting the children to bed at a reasonable time.

Ok so maybe you went to school then possibly University or Tafe but what happens shock horror when you decide to go BACK to study after you've had kids. Whether it's a short course, a University Degree or Tafe Bec shares her experience to help you tackle that difficult but often rewarding time in a Mummas life.

Manifest Your Best Life and Let Your Past Go with Jackie Gillies

Jackie Gillies; businesswoman, Psychic Medium, television personality, philanthropist, wife, and a proud role model for positive body image will help you manifest the life you want.

So we know Jackie we’ve met her a few times and she is the real deal. She has overcome a lot in her life to be the shining woman that she is today and honestly he does shine, being in her presence is so cool. She’s present, directed in her attention and what she says and let’s into her consciousness and she’s such an inspiration.

Do you experience anxiety? Lean how to release it plus how to work through your past and come out the other side happier and healthier. In the Podcast below we examine these topics and more.

Jackie's Live in Newcastle for her Shine It Up! live show, she's also the author of Shine it Up: Inspirational True Story by Jackie Gillies for more on Jackie go here.

Jackie Gillies; businesswoman, Psychic Medium, television personality, philanthropist, wife, and a proud role model for positive body image will help you manifest the life you want. Do you experience anxiety? Lean how to release it plus how to work through your past and come out the other side happier and healthier.

How many is right?

The most common question I get asked is, 'how did you find the change from 2 to 3 kids?' To be honest the question throws me because in my opinion each families coping mechanisms are different. Each family has different stresses, different set ups in place to make life easier or a bit more challenging. For instance, when my littlest came along, on paper it seemed like a scary prospect, having a husband who was working away and a 3 and 1 year old already at home. However, looking back, I wasn't working, didn't have a huge amount of money stresses, had a car that was super easy to navigate a few kids, prams etc. and had my mum living downstairs from us always on hand to help out or throw a load of washing on for me.

Now, my kiddos are 7, 5 and 4 (plus my partners son who is 7) and life is manic! The kids side of things is pretty easy, I'm pretty blessed to have kids that are fantastic at entertaining themselves when they need to. But now, I'm working full time, plus my side hustle, studying and racing around between various sporting and social commitments that the kids have. Our life is crazy sometimes, I wouldn't have it any other way of course, but it's no walk in the park.

So now when I'm asked about how it is with three kids, I like to throw the question back at the person and ask about their situation. Do you have support at home or outside of the home? Are you working? Don't be as concerned about the close proximity in age that your children will be, think more about external factors instead.

And if you're pregnant, good luck! I love my children dearly, but I'm pretty pleased that my child rearing days are over!

My Baby's Off To School

It seemed like just yesterday that you were sleeping side by side with your tiny little human and now they're off to school or a few years away!

Bec’s second child Gracie is off to school so we thought we’d investigate all you need to know about starting school.

What school should you choose private or public? What indicators should you see emotionally and communication wise what show you they're ready to deal with a school environment? What about counting to then and knowing their alphabet, where should they be academically? If you child has formed strong bonds with friends is it a better idea to keep that bond and send them to the same school or can you send your child in a different direction?

Hear advice from two mums who've experienced all this and more Aland and Laura from the Oversubscribed Podcast and Alexander McGrath School Readiness Expert from our Sponsor The Little Unicorn Early Education Centres.

It seemed like just yesterday that you were sleeping side by side with your tiny little human and now they're off to school or a few years away! What school should you choose private or public? What indicators should you see emotionally and communication wise what show you they're ready to deal with a school environment?

Get Your $200 Active Kids Voucher

So you’re involved in 765 million extra curricular activities like us and your budget is stretched to the limit the NSW are going to help out the with the Active Kids Rebate. If you want to apply for it go here.

It’s all kept pretty broad for kids from 4-18 and you can claim most activities.