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Ok so I lied it’s not on the daily but geez i get it alot, so much I have lost count. What is it, I hear you ask?

How do you juggle it all? I mean you have 3 kids, you homeschool, 2 businesses, a husband, 80 acre farm and life in general.

My response is simple. I DON’T!

As in I don’t juggle it all. Firstly I have learnt that throughout the day my priorities must constantly change, secondly I have created a community to help me do what I do including raising my 3 beautiful, but full on children and thirdly I have faith in something bigger than myself.

From the second I started TTK The Label (The Travelling Kimono) the so-called “Juggle” started. I fell pregnant 2 weeks before my first sourcing trip to Vietnam and I was so sick, literally bed ridden snacking on dried salted saladas, if you know – you know.

Then it basically snowballed from there. Every year I either worked or travelled with a newborn and a toddler and then a preg belly, and 2 toddlers. So I learnt quickly that if I wanted to be a present mum, run a successful business, maintain a strong relationship with my husband and still have a social life then I needed to accept that I can not do it all by myself. 

This is where shifting my priorities constantly through the day has stopped me from not having a mental breakdown. What do I mean by shifting my priorities?

Well I have so many things in my life that  I guess are non negotiables/priorities. You have heard it all before “we all have the same amount of hours in a day”. Well yes we do so it comes down to what do you prioritise. Because lets face it good old Motivation, she sure ain’t hanging around all the time so we need to be disciplined and prioritize the things we love and need in our life. For example Mondays are my work day that I head into the warehouse and my husband is home so I basically just prioritise me and business. But generally goes a little something like this.

• Wake up and Prioritise ‘My Coffee’ by letting the kids watch a cartoon or have the ipads. This means I can wake up and enjoy each sip. The kids are also pretty good and getting there own 1st brekkie. (we have 2-3 brekkies lol)

• I then Prioritise exercise. This is something i regularly do with my kids in tow. If I run they ride along side me or If I do hitt training they play/join in. The kids know this is my time so dont ask me for anything lol.

• We then Prioritise our health by having a nourishing brekky together generally in the Sun. Usually a protein smoothie or eggs and meat.

• Then its time to Prioritise the learning. This is generally around 9-9:30 and we do about 1.5 hours of school work. I chose to unschool my kids and they are thriving! plus I get to do so much with them every day and Im honestly so grateful.

• After school work if we are not heading out anywhere the kids are ready to get outside and entertain themselves so I get 1-2 hours of work done. I have learnt to work very much on the go. As in do it whenever the kids are happy ad playing. If they need me i shift straight back into prioritising them.

• Cleaning is also a big priority for me as I do not function well with mess. BUT I have learnt to do this as I can and spread in around everything throughout the day. I constantly remind myself that its ok if I have not cleaned. My husband also helps with this as he knows it stresses me out if it doesn’t get done.

• Once I have done the things above my kids are then my 100% priority. We are outside most of the day and I am present, this is something im very conscious of.

• After dinner and kids are in bed by 7pm, I prioritise my husband. We make a tea, talk and chill out. 

• I make sure I prioritise 8 hours of sleep. (yes its still broken, from kids)

I would like to add to the above by saying that my dad “pop” currently lives with us so if the kids go with him in the morning to feed the pigs and chooks or anything like that I see it as an opportunity to train solo or  do my social media posts.

So basically i shift my priorities from me (coffee, exercise, work) to the kids and life multiple times a day. I also am a big believer of making time for the people and things you love. I love my friends, live music and surfing. So we make these things happen. Both with the kids and also kid free.

My kids are so lucky to have amazing family and friends that love them and help us at the drop of a hat.

Nicki the other half of TTK is not only my sister (basically) but the best aunty my kids could ever ask for and if I have a meeting or deadline with work, Aunty Nicki to the rescue.

But guess what. If I have a day that I need to get work done or I feel overwhelmed with life in general, then I ask for help! And I receive it with love and gratitude. ( I also thank God for the strength to get through any tough/stressful times)

My biggest cheerleader in life and my business was my mum. She started a long battle with bowel cancer the year I got married in 2012 and sadly lost that battle in 2017. In the last few years I have never ever been so grateful for the seeds my mum sowed in me from a young age. I now see them all coming into fruition in so many ways. The biggest and most profound seed she sowed was faith in God. This is my rock, this is what makes me feel like nothing that enters my life is too hard because everything happens for you, not to you and if you put God first and walk in 100% faith well then nothing and I mean nothing can stop you.

The last thing I want to mention is that it all takes time and dedication. It took me over 10 years to get the where I am now in business. My words of wisdom to you dont underestimate the compound effect, in every area of your life and dont be afraid of being wrong. Be constantly open to learning and evolving every single day!