Crush It Magazine Sept 2020

ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2020

CRUSH IT

5 Steps To Manifest Your WILDEST

DREAMS -Rhi

Styling Your Home For Sale or Just Because -Sonja

When Do You Give Up -Maini

50 SHADES OF ENOUGH -ANITA

EMPOWERED

WOMEN -KYLIE

Magazine

WHY IS GUT HEALTH SO IMPORTANT -KRISTEN Orange NSW Wine & Food Guide -Carlah 7 TIPS TO PRACTISING SELF-CARE -JESSIE

A Thank You Note CRUSH IT MAGAZINE ABN 58 166 926 905

PHOTO CREDIT - Amanda Campeanu PUBLISHER - Leanne Taylor GRAPHIC DESIGNER - Annasophia Design ISBN 9780648385912 ENQUIRIES for Advertising or Editorial

crushitmag@gmail.com

We are published under copyright laws. Please do not reproduce any part of the magazine without permission as you will be breaching the law. If we feature articles from contributors, advertisers, interviews or editorials these are no necessarily the opinions or views of Crush It Magazine.

COPYRIGHT

Š Crush It Magazine 2020

Reproduction in whole or part of content within this publication without written permission from the publisher, including editorial, photography and design is strictly prohibited. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders and credit where required by law.

DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in the editorial content are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher. Information provided by contributors, advertisers, interviewees, and all source material, is understood to have been correct at the time of publication. Match My Ride Pty Ltd Š does not warranty the accuracy of information contained within this publication, nor any liability that may arise from any reliance on information provided within the publication.

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From The Editor W

hat a year it has been so far and it’s been tough! Personally, I have really taken this time of solitude to not just listen to my body but my mind. What was once important to me is no longer on my radar and I have found a new love for the simple things.

Following our writers on their socials has shown me that optimism is not lost and everyone is finding it difficult to navigate their journey at the moment. There will be good days and bad days and I have definitely had both. Finding your tribe to support you on your journey is vitally important.

We have your back, so follow our socials and find that encouragement you need day to day.

It’s easy to look at others and compare yourself but you never know the real story. That is why we keep it real at Crush It Mag. We know life is not a bed of roses and it can be bloody tough at times.

We love to hear from you so follow us on Insta @crushitmag Facebook @crushitmagazine or hit us up at the website www.crushitmag.com.au

Your Dreams Start Here X

As a police officer I saw this on a daily basis.

Human suffering at it’s worst. And pain so extreme I felt helpless and I wondered how they would endure it. We were always called to pick up the pieces of shattered lives that violence and drugs left behind. The fragility of humans is so close to the surface. Vulnerability in its rawest form was something I was privileged to see. To be that calm in someone’s storm or that protector from someone’s demons was something I will never forget. Life is a lesson for all of us and we can only do the best we know how to do at the time.

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CONTENT

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80 104 AS A PUBLISHER OF REAL CONTENT WE DO NOT EDIT OUR FEATURED WRITERS CONTRIBUTIONS, ANSWERS OR STORIES. IT IS THEIR OWN WRITING, THOUGHTS & OPINIONS IN OUR MAG 5

THE DARK SIDE OF THE THIN BLUE LINE

L E A N N E

T

TAY L O R

o an outsider, the Australian Police Service is a well-oiled machine responsible for maintaining law and order while looking brilliant in blue. However, looks can deceive.

After a memorable career, Leanne Taylor saw it all – deadly home invasions, underworld shootings and falling victim to a drug addict’s syringe. In her debut book, The Dark Side of the Thin Blue Line, Taylor shares the untold reality of her life in the police force and it’s nothing like we see on television. Taylor raises important issues about drug-related crime, mental illness, domestic violence

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and a fundamentally broken court structure. Taylor shares colourful stories while pulling no punches about the dark side of working in law enforcement.

The Dark Side of the Thin Blue Line is a fresh and gutsy behind-the-scenes look at the police force filled with action, drama, suspense and humour. A must read for cop buffs, true crime readers and anyone wanting to see what the world looks like through the windshield of a police car. The book will intrigue and entertain you as you gain a new appreciation for the job of a police officer.

$25.00 DELIVERED ( FREE POSTAGE ) GO TO

www.crushitmag.com.au/my-book 7

THE

5 Steps TO

MANIFESTING YOUR WILDEST

DREAMS!

Photo Credit : Amanda Campeanu 8

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- R hi

Hey homies!

L

Anyways, so I have always wanted a Siberian Husky of my own. I have had 2 in the past before Ariel but they weren’t *my* dogs. Wolves are my spirit animal and I have always loved husky ever I giggle every time someone asks me since I can remember, I love them so this, because it’s true. I do manifest much. some really cool things.

I decided one day to find a red and white We all do, it’s just whether we are puppy husky photo to put on my vision consciously aware of it or not. board. I also put the words “adopt don’t shop” next to it because I wanted a pure You know when you tell yourself things bred, siberian husky from a shelter not like, “more money goes out than it a breeder. comes in.” “No one loves me for who I am.” blah blah blah - and then things Sooooo many people told me that happen to prove your statement to be would be impossible! But I was true? That’s actually manifesting. However, determined to find her. that’s you doing it unconsciously - completely unaware that you are (Also random side note, when I was a choosing your reality even if it is neg- kid I always said if i had kids of my own ative. they would be named Ariel and Axel after car parts.)

So, before I tell you how to manifest epic things into your life, I want to So, my husband and I had moved into share with you one of my all time our new home, weeks later on Facebook favourite stories about how I manifested Shamroq Husky & Malamute Adoption my puppy, Ariel.

Shelter came up on my feed. They just had one of their reduced dogs named The reason I share this story is so I can Lilo (from Lilo & Stitch) have an unexgive you an example of the steps later pected litter of pups! on. Plus, it will leave you with your jaw on the floor going “NO FRIKKEN WAY!” ately within my signature program my clients have been asking me “Rhi, how the hell do you manifest so many epic things into your life”

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I was scrolling through the photos of the cute little pups, to see ONE red and white pup named Ariel after little mermaid. The funny thing about that was, at the time I had bright red hair and people called me Ariel.

I didn’t have any money, we just moved into our house but I took it as a huge sign and applied for the adoption of Ariel. Within a few days I got a call saying out of the 30+ people that applied for Ariel alone, I was the only one they called back. *insert crazy dancing on the spot here* They came to our home to inspect the yard to make sure it was suitable for a husky. Everything was approved. They told me that she was mine and I had 4 days to come up with $660 to pay for her. $660… How the heck am I going to get that together?!

I trusted, I would figure it out.

I wrote in my journal to the universe I wanted $660 for Ariel so she can come home with me.

THE. VERY. NEXT. DAY. I had someone call me and book a $700 package and wanted to pay in full. I had never ever spoken to this person before!

So the money cleared, I paid for Ariel and she is now almost 4 years old and still my favourite little girl in the whole world.

What’s even cooler, is when I realised her birthday is the 11th of November. 11.11 The symbol of 11.11 is a spiritual meaning of you are on the right path.

How cool is that right?!?!!

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I have plenty more of those stories, but let's get into the step on how you can manifest your wildest dreams!

1: Get Specific.

Don’t write down “I want more money” because I could hand you $1 and you would have more money.

Get really clear like I did. A red and white purebred husky pup. Think of your who, what, when, where & why. Why is so important. You want to know WHY you want this.

When you are connected to the why, the emotions are a lot stronger.

Which brings me to my next step.

2: Get clear on the emotions this will bring you.

Having a husky pup of my own was going to bring me so much love and joy. She still does.

“But Rhi, how will I know how it will make me feel. I haven’t had it before?”

I get this question a lot, but what is important to remember is you have felt all the feels before for different things. What do you think you will feel? Freedom? Achievement?

Love? Success? Tap into it.

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3: Believe that it’s possible.

People told me that I wouldn’t be able to get Ariel. That there is no way there is a dog with those specifics available. I trusted and believed in myself that there was. Imagine if I didn’t - I highly doubt she would have shown up.

So make sure you believe this is possible for you. Write some affirmations, listen to podcasts of success stories similar to show you it’s possible. Believing is vital to a manifestation.

4: Take inspired action.

You can’t expect a million dollars to drop in your account from watching Netflix 24/7. You gotta do the work! Your relationship with the universe/God is 50/50. You show up for your part, they show up for theirs.

Ask yourself daily, “What can I do today to get me towards my dream?”

I followed adoption pages, I applied, I set intentions, I did what was in power.

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5: The hardest part, releasing the how.

This is where so many people get caught up. They try and hold onto the control of how things manifest.

That the money has to come through their business account. Or they have to lose weight this certain way. I like to look at it as doors. Say there are 5 doors in front of you, and you decide it can only come through door 1 and not 2-5 then you have shut off 4 opportunities. The doors are the hows.

Be open to receiving your manifestation

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however it’s meant to. If I tried to control how the money came to me for Ariel, I may not have gotten her. I just told the universe I need $660 within 4 days. I didn’t say, “I need my mum to let me borrow it.” or “I need to sell my clothes online.” I just said this is what I want, this is when I want it, I am open to receiving it.

So, that’s my little secret!

I follow those exact steps every single time. This has manifested me to my husband, $16k in a week to get out of debt. My car, my house, SO MANY things. I could write a whole book on them.

I would love to know if you manifest anything from these steps! Follow me on my socials and tell me! These stories always make me so happy!

Love & hi-fives

Rhi

Insta = @rhiofficial Facebook = rhirhiofficial www.rhithistlethwaite.com

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WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THE FIRST PROPERTY YOU INSPECT IF IT FEELS RIGHT! N I C H O L A S

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C H A R L E S

W

ith over two decades of experience behind him, Nicholas attributes his highly successful career in the industry to his core values of transparency, trust and tenacity. An astute strategist and tenacious negotiator, Nicholas has a natural air for sales that’s underscored by his ability to really listen and deliver. His strong work ethic and thirst for knowledge have rewarded Nicholas with a reputation for achieving excellent results and maintaining lasting relationships with his clients.

Photo by Scott Graham

Nicholas is a licensed sales agent and accredited auctioneer who has lived and worked in the eastern suburbs for decades giving him exceptional insight and experience in the local market. His breadth of expertise covers the entire property spectrum from sales and management to coaching and auctioneering enabling him to provide specialist guidance with a personal touch. Committed to staying at the forefront of the industry he loves, Nicholas’s unwavering commitment and competitive drive make him a standout agent and an integral part of the team.

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t wasn’t that long ago that buyers were saying to me that they will wait until the market bottomed out; that was late 2018 - early 2019.

My advice to them at the time was that when you find the property that feels right for you, and you are ready to buy, just buy it, because “picking the bottom of the market” is a skill that no one has ever mastered. Sure, some people have been lucky, but in terms of a formula to use; it doesn’t exist. Why is that? Well, like any market, there are extraneous

circumstances that take place that no one Acan predict, like COVID-19. No one could have predicted that! The other factor that novice buyers didn’t take into account was that the slow-down was artificially manufactured by the regulator, APRA. They sucked the heat out of the market, so the fundamentals hadn’t changed, it was a policy change that took place.

No one could have predicted that either!

Photo by Tierra Mallorca

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k, so here we are at the beginning of 2020 and we are seeing all of the losses recouped with no signs of slowing down,

SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU ARE A FIRST HOME-BUYER LOOKING TO GET IN?

Another piece of advice I hear told to young first home buyers is this one; “don’t let the agent know you like it/are interested” Wow, arguably Well, the first piece of advice I can give you is make sure your pre-approved, the worst piece of advice I have ever heard. Why? Well, let’s just play then pick an area where you would this out. You walk into a property, like to live, research prices, go to open homes and be prepared to wait. and let’s say it ticks every box, and, you want to buy it. As agents, we However, if the first place you walk are trained to handle objections, so, into feels like somewhere you could the buyer starts throwing out all of live, and you will know it, then buy these objections, which the agent it. The amount of buyers I have met then recognizes and responds to, and over the years who have said to me, at the end of it, the buyer who has “we should have bought the first been told to play their cards close to place we saw, but we thought we their chest, says they will think about should look around for a bit longer” and sometimes these poor people are it. However, deep down inside they want it. The agent then meets another told that they shouldn’t buy the first buyer who inspects the property, thing they see! Wrong advice. takes a contract and buys it. The other party is then miffed that they were not told, to which the agent responds that they were told that you wanted to think about it. The agent has done the right thing by the owner, however, the advice given to the other buyers was flawed and outdated.

Photo by Philipp Berndt

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Photo by Gerd Altmann

So, here is my advice to all buyers out there.

I

f you walk into a property that you like, tell the agent you like it.

Ask for a contract and if they have access to a building and or strata report. Tell the agent that you are finance approved and ready to make an offer once you have done your due diligence with the contract, and if they could keep you informed of any offers that come in or if it is likely to sell prior to auction. Ask the agent what the process will be if there is a pre-auction offer, or if they receive an offer, by that I mean, will they be doing a “sealed bid” scenario or will they be disclosing offers to each contract holder (a mini auction). All of this is contrary to what us agents expect, however, it will put you in a position where

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the agent knows that you are ready to perform, and are keen. So, who do you think they are going to work with? The buyer that plays games, or the buyer that says they like it, and are ready to buy? Now, the first thing people will think is, wont the agent just make up another buyer, or offer, to push me up in price?

Maybe, although it’s illegal, but beyond your control, so let’s deal with what we can control. Just because you are being honest about your position, it doesn’t mean you have to spend every cent you have in order to own it. You have to make an offer at a level where you feel it represents value compared to other sales in the area, and also, it has to pass valuation from the bank also. If this property

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

is going to be a home for at least 5 – 10 years, then don’t quibble over 10k or 20k if it means you can own it that day. If you haven’t sold the property you are living in, and you want to buy first, my advice is not to do this unless you can well afford it, then put your property on the market, put a long settlement on the contract, with a special condition stating you are amenable to bring settlement forward when you have found a property, find a buyer for yours whilst actively being out there looking for the next place, and, bring the two together. It isn’t impossible, it is very doable, you just need to get the right agent working with you who has the experience to do this.

Nicholas Charles nicholasc@ppdre.com.au 0419 777 717 ww.ppdre.com.au

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STYLING YOUR Home FOR SALE S O N J A

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E L L I S A

D E S I G N S

Creating beautiful Interiors Hi readers, I have had many varied jobs over the past 29 years, from being a concreter to working at Police Headquarters as a secretary, working on Super-Yachts as a Stewardess and teaching. However, throughout this time I have always had a creative side bubbling away inside. I’ve always loved art, visiting art galleries, nature, photography, interior design, and watercolour painting. I love watching those home shows, such as Selling Homes Australia, Love It or List It - Canada, Your Home Made Perfect.

Having travelled extensively through working on super-yachts, I have been exposed to all sorts of interiors. Especially the luxury interiors of billionaire employees. From Arab Royalty to billionaire entrepreneurs. From working on Lord Howe Island, in the Mediterranean, South America, The Caribbean, Galapagos & Pacific Islands.

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

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Photo by Francesca Tosolini

I often thought of studying Interior Design, but a little voice inside my head said, “You’re not good enough! Look at how many other designers out there who are better than you”. However, I got to a stage in my life, where what I was doing was not bringing me joy. Also, many years of self-doubt have been crippling & getting in the way of me living my best life. I was at the stage of “I’ve had enough of this shit! “. Alas, a friend through my son’s school, who is a Psychologist kindly offered to take a group of us through an 8 Week Mindfulness Self Compassion Course.

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Well through this, I met an amazing lady who is a life coach, she asked me to write from a perspective of five years from now, what I am doing that brings me joy. So, from that, I wrote that I was working in a job I loved as an Interior Designer, with like-minded people, able to balance family & work life, earning a good income, travelling, in a choir and keeping fit, amongst other things.

Since then I enrolled in an interior design course through The Interior Design Institute, which meant I could study on-line

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

around family & work responsibilities.

I’ve since finished my Diploma and have set up my own business and hope to work in Home Staging/Styling and do consulting on the side. It is a leap of faith putting your work out there onto social media for all to see. However, over the years various friends and family have commented on how much they like my style, that it has given me the confidence to put it out there. Also, my husband said to me “not everyone is going to like your style, but there will be

people who do�, and I guess that is the same for every artist or designer.

Since I want to get into Home Staging, I thought I would share some tips for staging your home for sale. Using a Home Staging Company is a very popular choice for people these days wishing to sell their homes for a premium price.

Home Staging paints a picture of a lifestyle buyers could buy into. However, if you wish to give it a go yourself, here are a few tips to get you started;

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1. Emotional.

When staging your home, the key is to take out your emotional attachment and view the house as an investment. To achieve this, you should remove your personal touches that you’ve added to your home, and replace them with a more neutral palette that will appeal to the wider public.

2. Make Lists.

Clean & fix anything that needs to be fixed.

Make two lists, one for things that need to be cleaned and the other for things that need to be fixed. Make sure you go through each room and look up and around for cobwebs, mould, dust, and marks on the walls. Look for anything broken, such as wooden floorboards, or chipped paint & rotting wood. Buyers may think the house has not been looked after or maintained properly. They may also think of the extra cost & time associated with fixing little things. Employ trades to do these jobs, or fix yourself if you can.

3. Internet.

The best place to showcase your property is on the internet as this is where most buyers look for properties.

So be sure you use High Resolution photographs of your property that showcase your house in the best light, and entices potential buyers to see your house in person. Use a professional photographer if you can. If you are selling through a Real Estate Agent, then they can take professional photos for you.

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Photo by Francesca Tosolini

4. First Impressions.

The entrance to your house must look inviting, as a potential buyer may not wish to see inside if they don’t like the look of it. So, take a look around the outside of your house. Make sure no objects are lying around such as bikes, garbage bins, or equipment that could be stored in a shed or under the house.

Make sure there is a clear path to

your front door and that the lawns are mowed & the gardens are trimmed and de-weeded. Make sure your letterbox & house number is visible and in good condition, the front porch is clean, clutter-free & welcoming. Check your gutters, outdoor features & furniture for any damage.

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5. Paint.

8. De-Personalise.

Choose which rooms require a new paint job. A lick of paint can freshen up tired & scuffed walls. Use neutral colours, as some people don’t like bright colours. Also, dark colours can make a room look smaller, whereas lighter colours open up a room. You can use warm, neutral colours to add a sense of cosiness, or cool neutral colours work well in a coastal house for example.

Lots of knick-knacks, family photos, diplomas, and other personal items can distract a buyer from seeing the features you wish to show. Whether that be architectural features, such as a lovely fireplace mantel or a sense of space. That includes a clear entryway, no muddy shoes, or dumped backpacks.

You can store these items out of sight.

6. De-clutter.

A house can look a lot smaller than it is if it is full of clutter. By going through each room & taking out all non-essential items it can make the house appear much bigger & well looked after.

7. Fixtures and fittings.

An inexpensive and easy way to update & modernize your house is by changing your kitchen or bathroom handles, light fixtures, tap-ware & bench-tops, you can give your home a more modern, fresh look that is appealing to buyers.

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9. Fresh & Light.

Before any house viewing, windows should be opened up to allow fresh air through the home and stale air out. All blinds & curtains should be opened to make each room as bright as possible. If the view is into the neighbour’s house & you have privacy blinds that allow the light in, then just have these blinds down. If your house has pockets of darkness, add floor or table lamps.

10. Final touches. * House is thoroughly cleaned. * Appliances are polished. * All surfaces are dust-free. * Windows are sparkling clear and free of fingerprints.

- Place fresh flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit (such as green apples) on the dining table and or kitchen bench to add personality.

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

- Consider renting soft, neutral coloured furniture & accessories, such as rugs, to help with the overall look & feel of the space.

- Position furniture in the living room to promote conversation.

For example, put a 3-seater sofa facing 2 single armchairs. Or position furniture towards a focal point, such as an artwork on the wall or a fireplace.

- In the bedrooms, make sure linens are clean, fitted neatly & wrinkle-free. Think hotel room.

Source new bed linens & pillows if need be. Rent or purchase new table lamps. If you have a large master bedroom consider adding a comfortable armchair, side table, and floor lamp for a cosy reading nook.

Sonja Ellisa Designs FB = Sonja Ellisa Designs Insta= @sonjaellisadesigns

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EASTCOAST

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SURFBOARDS Based on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW ideally situated half way between Sydney and Newcastle smack bang on the coast, we live, breathe and love the surf.

It’s our passion and we want you to experience the feeling of being one with the ocean. Whether sitting on your board surrounded by mother nature’s vast sky, crystal blue sea and sand or riding the wave, it’s pure bliss and a feeling like no other. Just you and the ocean-it’s your time to just be you.

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The ECS team grew up in the water with a love for the sport. It’s this devotion and attention to detail that has seen us grow from humble beginnings shaping just a few boards to where we are today. Our Founder Ryan Briggs-is head shaper and constantly evolving with new techniques and technology providing quality shapes using only the best materials sourced locally and abroad.

Our CEO Clint Ledden is also hands on doing R&D, working the showroom and connecting with the local community to share his excitement for surfing with families from around the Central Coast.

Remember, surfing is a family sport that everyone can enjoy and there is nothing better than spending a few hours down the beach with your tribe.

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e have affordable options for everyone at ECS and we won’t be satisfied till you are on the right board. Our range includes high performance short boards, summer boards, classic mals and beginner soft boards. They are sold and surfed worldwide and team riders live locally on the Central Coast, USA and several riders based internationally.

Harry Maskell is one of our local legends and team riders. He also does R&D and makes sure our customers are satisfied with their board choice. That’s why we love you to drop in to our showroom so you can see and feel the boards first hand. We aren’t happy till you are, so come on in or give us a call so we can get you on the best affordable board. Let’s start your affection for the ocean and surfing today as it’s a life long love you can’t shake!

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Web: https://ecsboards-australia.com.au/ Insta: @ecsboards_australia Harry Maskell @harrymaskell Ikit Agudo @ikit_agudo John Mark Tokong @maramatokong Philmar Alipayo @chepoxz Hannah Finlay-Jones @hannnahf_j Facebook: @ecsboards1

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ECS showroom: https://ecsboards-australia.com.au/pages/showroom Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm Other times by appointment.

Address: 2/87 Gavenlock Road, Tuggerah, New South Wales 2259 Just off the M1, only 1 hour from both Sydney and Newcastle

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EMPOWERED

Women

K Y L I E

K

M O R T

ylie is a former secondary school teacher and VCE leader turned business entrepreneur, NLP practitioner and performance coach.

Kylie has been a professional academic tutor for over a decade and now shares her love of teaching and holistic mentoring to support students, businesses and individuals alike through her various coaching programs.

Her passion has always lay with the wellbeing and development of young people and she uses her qualifications, expertise and personal history of overcoming adversity, to connect with individuals and families; promoting strength, resilience and personal growth & supporting others on their intrinsic journey to be their best self.

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Kylie believes that every individual deserves the self-worth, confidence and strength to face personal choices and challenges with stability and make decisions that lead to positive outcomes and fulfilment.

Kylie’s key take away from over 20 years of teaching is that there is always more to learn and there is always more to teach, inspiring her to continue with the empowerment of both herself and others.

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About The Book

T

his inspirational collaboration of 15 empowered women showcases real life stories and lessons that will uplift, inspire and transform. Journeys of innate strength, resilience and growth that explore the overcoming of adversity.

particularly mothers with their daughters. Through my chapter the reader will be witnessing the journey to a happier, healthier perspective and through this, recognising how the mind can be fortified as a powerful resource.

It is a reimagining of what’s possible through positive mindset and constructive focus, offering insight into the rebuilding and redesigning of lives after vulnerability, disconnection and destructive forces.

Covering heartbreak, frustration, anxiety and isolation, through to courage, conviction, determination and triumph. It is a journey through the darkest of biographies to the heights of transformational success.

My particular contribution is focused on teenage parenting and my mission is to connect parents with their children, 40 Crush It Magazine

Who Should Read The Book: Women,

Mothers, Entrepreneurs

Book Benefits: Strength,

Inspiration, Personal Development

PURCHASE BOOK HERE

Adapt, Evolve, Overcome

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Excerpt

“…My ten-year-old body a tiny dishevelled figure like a broken doll. They said I would never recover; my brain so impacted that I would never awake. Yet I did. They said I would never walk again; the nerves in my spinal column so impaired that I would never stand. Yet I did. They said I would never finish school; my mind so inexplicably scrambled, I would never function autonomously. Yet I did.

Heartbreakingly, this story seems so characteristic of the quintessential narrative.

The child who overcomes all odds and succeeds.

Heartbreaking only

AUTHOR,

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About

because I know the next chapter and it couldn’t be further from the truth… ” “The important element to focus on, through the shifting sands of my perception, is the message. The message I can glean from the circumstances, the reactions and the emotions. The message I can pass on to those who need a light at the end of their own unique tunnel. A message that will glow with the inner fire of resilience and strength; a strength not born of empowering heights, but of dragging oneself through the sullied depths of despair and self-loathing.”

SPEAKER, EDUCATIONAL PERFORMANCE COACH

MENTOR,

Kylie is a former secondary school teacher and VCE leader turned business entrepreneur, NLP practitioner and performance coach.

PURCHASE BOOK HERE

M: 0407 105 029 www.kyliemort.com.au @kyliemort.mentor

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WHEN DO YOU GIVE UP M A I N I

L

H O M E R

ife can be tough at times, and it can be beautiful even when it’s tough. It all comes down to mindset.

In my 23 years business experience, there’s been plenty of times I’ve wanted to give up.

The thing is, no matter what you do or what you take on there are going to be times when it truly is hard. What’s important though is that you just keep pushing through.

So, when do you give up?

I say

NEVER.

It is important that you have the right mindset to be able to take on the good times as well as the bad, regardless of what you are wanting to achieve. No one who really made it has had it easy.

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here's a classic story in the book Think and Grow Rich of the guy who was two feet away from gold. The story goes that he bought a gold mining plot, and shortly after hit a stream of gold. EUREKA! He shouted. He closed down the mine and went home to his village to tell his friends and family about his find.

returning to his friends and family a “failure”. He just did not feel he could go on any more.

All of his friends and family were just as excited as he was, and all invested in the operation that would surely make them all RICH!

On the experts advice, the new owner ploughed ahead, and just two feet from where the first owner had quit, he hit a seam of gold that turned him into a multi-millionaire.

The man returned to the gold mine with all the latest equipment and started digging. Unfortunately though the tiny stream of gold he’d found, dried up almost instantly. The man didn’t quit just yet. He continued digging and digging, but was coming up with absolutely nothing. Feeling disheartened, and losing money hand over fist, the man started losing his confidence and certainty. He kept going for a little while longer though.

He sold his plot for a 10th of what he paid for it, and headed home. The new owner, fresh and excited had heard about the stream of gold the man had originally found. He called in an expert to survey the plot.

So, when do you give up?

I say

NEVER

If something doesn't work for you, know that it's just because the answer lies elsewhere. If something does not work out, then just do something different. If that doesn't work, do something different again, and you just keep going, until you find the After another month of finding way. nothing, and after he had been digging and digging for ages, he’d Walt Disney visited over 100 banks reached a point where he was before he got a loan to start Disney completely broke.

Land. Can you imagine if he'd quit earlier than that? What a loss that The man decided to “cut his losses” would be right? even though he knew it would mean

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So, I hope you can see already, why giving up is never the answer. If you have issues around mindset and believing in yourself, then this is what you fix up. If you need help getting your mindset clear and focussed so you can achieve your goal, then visit with a NLP Practitioner like me and get your negative emotions and limiting beliefs cleared out so you can keep pushing that much further.

Photo by Fernando Hernandez

With the right mindset, you'll know that the answer you want is only a few steps away.

You'll have the strength to keep pushing.

Pushing that little bit further and further until you reach your goal. You’ll then know in your heart and soul that you can and will do whatever it takes to make it and be saying…

“When do I give up?

NEVER!!!”

Maini Homer FOUNDER AND CEO TA L L P O P P I E S R I S I N G

www.mainihomer.com Insta: @tallpoppiesrising maini@mainihomer.com +61 435 866 422 Photo by Raul Varzar

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Orange

WINERIES

CARLAH

WALTON

O

We arrived at our gorgeous cottage within walking distance to town (more on this later!) and got ready for our first "taste of Orange". As it was the first weekend after Corona restrictions were lifted, I booked in for tastings at all the wineries we had time to visit as strict limits were in place and I'm glad I did. Orange was packed, and it was so lovely to see people had come The drive over the Blue Mountains is out and were supporting our country spectacular and around three and a towns and struggling tourism industry. half hours from Sydney. It's an easy Well done NSW!! drive and the countryside is just lovely now they've had some rain and it's not There are 59 wineries in Orange, and so brown! As we drove into Orange, I they're in clusters, so you can visit was struck by how gentrified it is. Lovely the four distinct wine trails for time old pubs, well-maintained federation efficiency's sake! What that means buildings (my partner laughs as all though, is that you won't be able to buildings built before 1970 are visit them all, so it's worth it to try to federation to me!), lovely parks, etc... plan your days.

So far so good.

K – so I've been going to the Hunter Valley for 20 years or so to taste my wine. I visit wineries in other countries and other states so I don't feel like I'm cheating on my beloved Hunter, so I took a deep breath, put on my big girl pants, and approached my visit to Orange, NSW as an exercise in diversity!

I'm going to list the wineries we visited in the order we visited.

taste wines from some of the cellar doors you can't get to is a visit to Ferment.

A great way to

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Photo by Tina Witherspoon

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FERMENT the Orange Wine Centre Our first night we headed 25m up the road to Ferment the Orange Wine Centre.

Now, Ferment (I'll shorten it for my word limit's sake!!) isn't a winery, but a wine tasting bar with 19 different cellar door wines for tasting, which costs $10 to help cover costs and is non-refundable. Owner Simon Forsyth estimates there are over 1000 wines to taste, so you could quite easily plonk yourself in their very sexy and moody tasting bar and never leave, but alas, with the restrictions tastings were limited to an hour, so we didn't quite get the full experience of relaxing and settling into a full-blown tasting.

What was great to see was that not only were the local wines on display but local beers, gin and cider – and cheese. You can't taste wine without cheese, or maybe that's just me!!! It's a pretty busy little hub, and I'll be interested to go back to visit when the restrictions are lifted, but I challenge you to go here and not walk away with a bottle or two. I had trouble choosing, but as they ship all over Australia, I can always order online (Think Kemeney's 20 years ago!!) Worth a visit to Ferment.

The staff are gorgeous, Simon has a really interesting story and the place has a very cool vibe. I loved it.

www.orangewinecentre.com.au 50 Crush It Magazine

Day one saw us on the Borenore Trail where we started at the winery the

furthest

away,

which it turns out is only 10-15 minutes out of town!

Photo by Cottonbro

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Amour wines – Cool Climate Elegance www.amourwines.com.au

So this was winery number one on our 2-day expedition. There is no cellar door for Amour Wines, so I felt incredibly honoured that winemaker and owner, Matt Eades, invited us to a tasting where the magic happens, where he produces his wine which is at his house.

Matt's philosophy is one of as little intervention as possible – hands-off winemaking. He has no pumps or machinery to stress the wines and uses traditional methods of production. Hand squeezing (not a very technical term!!), gravity, time, and taste. He has produced 3 outstanding wines, with more varietals on the way.

I'm not a chardonnay drinker as a rule, but drink his chardy I did! Crisp, citrusy, mild oak, and a beautiful straw colour – the hallmarks of a modern, cold climate chardonnay. He said you can cellar this beautiful drop until 2032 … my view is I might not be alive by then, so I'm going to drink mine now!!

His pinot noir was deliciously delicate, light, and very very easy to drink. Matt does a thing called "whole bunch" fermentation which means the whole bunch of grapes is thrown in, stalks, and all. This gives his reds a beautiful woody taste (again not a technical term!!) that's not derived from oak, so there's an earthiness about it I can't articulate. I do need to do a course!

The star of the day though was the shiraz. Oh my goodness, I may have had more than one glass of that! Blackcurrant, mocha, and spice

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on the nose. The palate shows layers of structure with blackberry/cherry tones woven into a lingering fine tannin finish. Cellar to 2032. I lifted that straight from the tasting notes because I can't describe it better myself except it was bloody awesome.

The mere fact his wine club is called "Lovers" was enough to get me interested, but the wine is sensational, and after only 6 years of his label, being named as a winemaker to watch by James Halliday is no mean feat. Keep your eyes out for these beauties, or do yourself a favour when in Orange, try to wangle your way into a tasting because these are seriously good. Cool climate elegance indeed.

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Photo by Martin Katler

Orange Mountain Wines Not only are the wines good here, but a tasting is worth it just to hear Terry Dolle (winemaker extraordinaire!!) present his lovely wines in his very unique fashion. On weekends his young son joins him and is a chip off the old block (pardon the pun!) as does the rest of his family in various capacities and I just love that it's a family operation. There is no pretension here about the wine and that was appealing to me too. Not a wine wanker word in sight!

The tour of the winery is really interesting, and Terry explains the process, so if you're new to wine tasting or are trying to understand it a bit more, Orange Mountain is a must.

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Photo by Orange Mountain Wines

www.orangemountain.com.au

I'm a Riesling girl, and the Riesling here is really good. There's been no fining, which simply means it hasn't been filtered with a fining agent as some winemakers believe it deprives the wine of its natural flavour and texture. It doesn't bother me either way, as long as it tastes good, which this does! But I digress! This Riesling is rich with citrus characters and has a mineral finish. Now, I don't know how to describe what a mineral finish is, but you know it when you taste it. The volcanic soils and high altitude of the Orange vineyards lend themselves to this characteristic in this region. This is a perfect match with spicy Asian food.

The Viognier is also lovely and is good for cellaring up to 10 years, but if you can't wait that long then it is pretty good right now! I'm not a fan of massively sweet whites, and this one is great as you have the aromas of musk, apricots, and pear but with the luxury of a spicy character that compliments the stone fruit as it's been in barrel for 12 months.

Yummy!!

for a while because if I loved it that much now, I can only imagine how good it's going to be then! Cedar and spicy vanilla characters with rich dark cherry, blackcurrant, and blackberry flavours. Bloody lovely.

The cellar door has indoor and outdoor seating and a real family atmosphere. I wish we had more time to enjoy it.

Named after his son, the 2019 Master Joshua Shiraz Viognier was sensational. It's for cellaring – a good 10-15 years so buy it and forget it

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Swinging Bridge Wines By the time we got to Swinging Bridge Wines, it was well after lunch and they were run off their feet, which was an excellent problem for them to have!! This place is really scenic. The drive-in through the vines is serene and quite spectacular. The outdoor tasting areas are really beautiful and normally you can grab a picnic basket and find yourself a picnic spot amongst the vines to enjoy with your new cellar door favourite wine. There are photo opportunities galore, so if you're booking try to sit outside.

The inside area for tasting is heated to toasty warm, so all bases are covered!

www.swingingbridge.com.au The family of the winemaker has been farming for 150 years, and we were lucky enough to grab a few minutes with Tom Ward on this busy day as he would rather be out amongst his vines than talking about his wines! He describes his wines aptly as approachable and drinkable, and the awarded 2013 Mrs. Payte n Chardonnay is sensational. White peach, vanilla, and beautiful acids could see you cellar this wine for a few years yet to get it at its best, but I don't know if I can wait that long! If you're after something a bit more "now", then you can't go past the Block D Chardy. For a Riesling girl, I'm enjoying a LOT of these cold climate Chardonnays, aren't I?

Photo by Sven Wilhelm

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Washington & Co (Whiskey Bar)

OK, so I don't drink whiskey. Well I did once, and it ended very badly and I haven't since (and we ALL have one of those stories!!) so after our delicious dinner (more on that later!) we were walking home and walked past this happening venue. Well, a good vibe coming out of the place, a couple of wines under our belts and we were like moths to a flame! Can I just say that apparently this place usually has live music and "goes off" as the "young people" say. Even without live music, the atmosphere was great. I think after being stuck at home for 2 months everyone was determined to have a great time, so who were we to not join in? The espresso martinis are something to behold. I've been told the selection of whiskeys is excellent, and the cocktail list was extensive, interesting, and exciting. I'd love to be able to go into fine detail, but you know, the day gets a bit hazy by now!!

Photo by Alem Sanchez

Photo by Adam Jaime

Photo by Daniel Norris

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Brangayne Of Orange Can I just say, this is my favourite cellar door story of our time in Orange. David Hoskins, whose family has owned and farmed the property since the 1930s, tells the story of how his grandparents farmed fruit until 1994 when his parents replanted grapes. The wine name of the vineyard is after his grandmother's favourite Wagener opera, Tristan and Isolde and Brangayne was Isolde's maid who prepares a love position for her. This is important because the proud family history is evident in every facet of the wine tasting. The signature wines are the Isolde Reserve Chardonnay and the Tristan Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz Merlot.

Producing wines from single vineyard grapes and not blending between sites allows them to express the true "terroir" of the region and specific vineyard. The cool climate provides an intensity of flavour and depth which is hard to match in warmer regions. Warmer climate wines are higher in sugar, and therefore alcohol and as a result, are a lot brasher. Cooler climate wines are a lot more elegant and linear and more subtle where the flavour of the grape is the star, not the alcohol. Brangayne produce only the best quality wines from the highest quality parcels of fruit. For this reason, Brangayne's production is limited to approximately 3000 cases per year.

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The pinot grigio is lovely, crisp with notes of crunchy pear and green apples and honeydew – I don't eat it, so I'll have to take their word for it! Whatever it is, it's delish. It has that minerality about it which takes away the sickly sweetness you get with some varieties, and that to me is sublime!

The Pinot Noir is drinkable right now but will develop with cellaring over the next 5-7 years. It has classic varietal flavours such as red cherry, plum, pepper, raspberry, and wild strawberry leaf and a long, elegant finish.

The signature Tristan Cab Sauv/Shiraz/Merlot has aromas of lots of berries and an earthiThe signature Isolde Chardonnay is heavier ness that conjures a night in front of an open fire with your big cheese (other half) and a than the others we've tried, but still has the signature chardonnay characteristics of white platter of cheeses! With 3 varietals in the peach, nectarine, citrus, and cashew nut. This blend I found this to be extremely interesting with a lot of layers, so the longer it's in your wine can be cellared up to 10 years which mouth, the more flavours are released which would see the mid-palate flavour and long balanced finish develop into a chardonnay leads to a fine, soft tannin finish. Just lovely. worth worshipping!

David is an excellent host and we loved our tasting here.

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Colmar Estate So, this could not have been an easier day for us. Across the road from Brangayne of Orange is Colmar Estate. The drive into Colmar through the vines makes you feel like this is going to be good. As you head through the vines towards the cellar door on the hill, the anticipation grows and as you arrive you're greeted with a quaint tasting room. It was chilly the day we were there (hello? Winter in Orange) and it was cold inside as well as out but with Covid 19 procedures in place, they had to spread the tables out which meant one table was right in front of the fireplace so it wasn't practical to have it on. I can imagine that in "normal times" this place would be heaving and the atmosphere a little less sterile, however, if you're a serious wine buff, it's more about the wine than the atmosphere, and it is here that Colmar excels.

Interestingly enough, this was the first place to offer us a sparkling wine, and considering the soils and elevation are perfect for sparkling I found that a little surprising. HOWEVER, what a sparkling it is and the owners of Colmar, Bill and Jane Shrapnel, have every right to gloat about these beauties.

The 2015 Chardonnay-Pinot Noir has won 6 gold medals and 2 silver at various shows and with good reason. This is an elegant, aperitif style, with fine bubbles, delicate citrusy aromas, and subtle complexity on the fine, long palate.

It's heavy on the chardonnay (68%) so has a fairly robust chardy taste, so if chardy is your thing, this is your sparkling!!

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Photo by Klara Kulikova

The 2017 Burt Rose Sparkling is a little more to my taste, but I like dry wines! I found this to be dry and semi-sweet which was really fresh and very drinkable. This would be because The Pinot Noir component provides a splash of pink to the colour (it's very pretty!) and the hints of strawberry on the nose translate to that subtle sweetness, while the fine acidity of Chardonnay gives it the "ping" which sparkling is loved for! The most important thing for me is that it's made using the MĂŠthode Traditionelle.

You don't have to have (or pay for!!) French champagne to experience the same outcome.

The 2017 Block 1 Pinot Noir I found to be lovely. I like peppery reds (even when they're not meant to be peppery, I like them that way!) and this Pinot Noir has light pepper, lots of red fruit/berries, and has a lot going on in one glass. Complex layers, bright flavours, and fine persistent tannins give it a long finish on the palate. This was my favourite.

Word of Mouth Wines – 1K High Vineyard This should be the last winery of the day on your itinerary. Either day or both days! Walking into WOM (shortened for my word count!!) is like walking into your lounge room. From the greeting by Peter, Deb, Duncan and Shane, to the beautiful communal timber tasting table inside with high leather chairs, to the comfortable lounges, ceramics, and wine displays, very cool wine-related merchandise, home-made and local produce as well as cool tunes and the fireplace inside. I don't know about you, but that reminds me of home. That was just the entrance! When you walk through past the beautiful timber counter to the "back yard" you're met with a lovely verandah – again with comfy furniture, then you walk down the stairs to a fantastic fire pit area with plenty of comfortable seating (romantic love seats and single seats too!) in clusters, or just start mingling with the neighbours!

There's a pet sheep which the kids LOVE as well as a lama and a couple of dogs. This place screams family-friendly (with plenty to keep the kids occupied so you can enjoy your wine) as well as "settle in for the afternoon to finish the day with great wines, excellent food, and great atmosphere". Each tasting is accompanied by a cheese platter which is from the local fromager, and their chutney which Peter makes. Trust me, you will not leave without a stock of this chutney – we came back the next day to buy more to last us until the next visit to Orange. Anyway, I digress!!

We came across some new varietals here that we didn't see anywhere else in Orange, and to be

honest, I haven't seen anywhere else at all! And a bonus for Vegans – ALL their wines are vegan friendly!

Peter Gibson, the winemaker, and owner, was the first to introduce Pinot Gris to the Orange area.

He is an artist by trade which is evident in his as he is an ideas man – and innovator, and he takes this into his winemaking.

The 2016 Petit Manseng was my standout of the tasting. Originating in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the southwest of France, this wine has fruit flavours ranging through a tropical spectrum, custard apple, pineapple, guava, lychees to quince with a slight gingery spiciness. It was super unusual, but delicious. That spiciness was a winner, and was so subtle it took me a minute or two to work out what it was because I wasn't expecting that in a white! Lucky for vegans because it's beautiful.

2019 Grunner Veltliner – the dark horse of the tasting. I've never heard of this Austrian varietal but I wish I had a bit sooner! You know how you smell a wine and you can immediately pick up at least one or two aromas or hints? Nup, not with this one – nada. That's what gets you in. THEN you taste it and there's a party in your mouth. It's fruity and spicy all at the same time. A lot going on with this white and a complexity I haven't found with many other varietals. It had hints of fruit, citrus, cinnamon, and nutmeg, but no one is dominant. Long finish and leaves you pleasantly scratching your head. While you pour another glass just to try to work it out.

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This is a well-oiled machine and by far the least boutique winery we visited. Ross Hill not only produces their excellent wines but the house wines for Fratelli Fresh and Sydney institution, Catalina. This directly correlates to their quality because neither brand would choose anything less for their label.

On approach, you'll notice the lovely blend of wood, stone, and steel in their cellar door – it is appealing. The outdoor area has a wall of chopped wood and tasting area which would be amazing in spring and the indoor area is quite large and bustling. The atmosphere was great as it was later in the day and people were having a great time.

You purchase your tasting for $10 for a straight tasting or the Flight and Tasting Plate which is $25 and includes a tasting plate with various morsels that are matched with the wine. Don't be like us and start it before you start tasting!! They have a lovely kitchen here, and a great lunch and tasting option.

The Pinnacle Sauvignon Blanc was light on the nose, not that big passionfruit aroma that we're used to with NZ Sauv Blancs, more along the lines of mandarin but there's a distinct minerality you can smell and taste.

As I've said before – I don't know how to articulate it further than that, but you know it when you smell it and taste it. Paired with olives it was really interesting. The saltiness of the olives cut through some of the sweetness, but this Sauv Blanc was one of the driest I've tasted and one I'd drink again – unlike most Sauv Blancs.

The Pinnacle Pinot Gris was my favourite white from Ross Hill. It was refreshing, citrusy / zesty with enough acidity to leave a lingering finish. It was paired with walnuts, and that

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added a creaminess to it which you don't get with the wine on its own. If you're a Pinot Gris fan, this is my pick.

Pinnacle Pinot Noir – this had an earthiness to it which, on top of the cherries and berries gave it a nice complexity. Enough going on in there to keep it interesting, and a long finish.

No spice like a lot of Pinot Noirs we've tried here, but that earthiness is a lovely balance to the sweetness. Cheese is a must with this lovely drop.

I'm a Shiraz girl through and through, and I've tried a lot of Shiraz in my time. What I love about it is the peppery spice, the rich berries and plums, the richness and depth of colour and the whole ceremony of drinking it. This was an unusual Shiraz for me as it had a white pepper finish rather than a black pepper finish (I wonder if anyone ever uses pink pepper. You heard it here first and I'm putting a patent on it) Of the two reds, this is my pick for sure.

The 2017 packs a punch. I picked up grapefruit and white peach immediately with a soft, creamy cashew nut mid-palate. It's a lovely texture and the layers are very distinct. The minerality and cool climate acidity give this a long finish, and I loved it.

Matthew Atallah Wines This was the "closing ceremony" of our Orange wine adventure – the pièce de résistance. We started with a Matt, and we finished with a Matt – neither have a cellar door, and both will do tastings by appointment which I didn't realise when I was organising all of this but swayed our tasting experience. Matt is an engaging, entertaining, incredibly knowledgeable wine non-wanker. He explained his winemaking processes in layman's terms for us and when we were tasting he walked us through each mouthful of the developing characteristics in each variety. It was a fabulous educational but entertaining and fun experience. Of course, it would've just been "fun" had the wines not been so seriously good.

Matt's signature varieties are Chardonnay (uuurgh) and Syrah (yaaaay!).

The 2018, still has the cashew notes, but is more melon and definitely has more hints of oak, which isn't to my taste, but if you're a chardy lover then that'll be right up your alley!

It finishes long crisp and clean with a hint of minerality, which for me (and I stress if you love chardonnay you'll LOVE this!) makes it much better, but the 2017 is my fave.

Onto the Syrah – NOW WE'RE TALKIN'. The 2017 Block 7 Syrah is a cracker. My insider's tip for this one? Swirl, swirl and swirl again. You'll be rewarded with a cacophony of flavours and aromas all at once without even taking a sip.

Dark red fruits, spice, chocolate, and pepper.

So it's entrée, main and dessert in a glass! The texture is a signature of Matt's wines, and this is certainly a signature wine for him. 2018 Block 7 Syrah is a different beast to the 2017 Syrah.

Matt's philosophy is that the taste of the wine is made in the soil, and once the grapes are picked he's the caretaker of that fruit. He certainly took great care of this fruit. Although young (of course!!) the potential for this vintage is enormous.

Not as much pepper, but more mulberry, spice and black plum, this syrah has a long and refined finish and will reward you after careful cellaring where the firm tannins will soften nicely.

As you may have garnered by now, chardy and I are not friends. However, Orange has put forward some exceptions to this general rule for me, and Matt's chardys fall into this category. Exceptions that are exceptional!

The Block a2 Chardonnays, both 2017 and 2018 will both cellar well if you look after them. They are both lightly filtered so they will develop beautifully with little interference.

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Accomodation We were caught short when our pre-booked accommodation cancelled as they'd double-booked, and I believe in signs. I found Cottage 79 on the interweb, rang and it was available, and I have to say I'm so glad things panned out that way. Orange has some lovely places to stay, but there's nothing like a cottage with a fireplace and cosy lounge, warm super king-size bed, full kitchen facilities, and within walking distance of the best bars and restaurants the town has to offer. Someone upstairs was looking after me!

Cottage 79 is a 2 bedroom cottage on Hill Street (79 Hill Street in fact) which has been lovingly restored to the most comfortable level – it's uber quaint. There's everything here you could need. On arrival, we were greeted with a bottle of Ross Hill red wine, fresh fruit,

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and a lovely note from the owners. There was milk in the fridge and a Toblerone (WINNING AT LIFE!!!) as well as all the kitchen appliances/utensils and stuff you need – salt, pepper, sugar, coffee, tea. The two bedrooms were both gorgeous – we had trouble choosing which one to stay in. As there's only one bathroom and the toilet is in the same area as the shower, I'd suggest this place is great for couples if you're really good friends or family. The house has a driveway for one car. It's 25 metres from Ferment – the Orange Wine Centre (which was super convenient bordering on dangerous), a 5-10 minute walk into town, and central to all the clusters of cellar doors. I'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

Food Due to this being the first weekend we were allowed out of our houses, a lot of the restaurants in town weren't open for dine in options, but one which was was Charred Kitchen and Grill. Now, it's quite a big place, and the tables were widely spaced out due to numbers being restricted, so it was a bit weird but I can imagine the atmosphere being amazing at full throttle. Regardless, the wine list was 87 pages long. So you'll need to enlist the help of the Sommelier David Collins for some suggestions. As for the food, it's really, seriously lovely.

The choices were so good we chose to do share plate entrees which consisted of Hummus with Turkish Sausage, Our Charred Flatbread, Pickled Chillies. The Hummus was beautifully smokey and garlicky and the Turkish sausage was just spicey enough to get the tastebuds tingling. Glorious. The house-made Puftaloons & Caviar with Dill Cream, Triple Smoked Salmon Roe, and Flying Fish Caviar was surprising to me. Now, I'm not a seafood lover so I was skeptical about the puftaloons (I have no idea what a puftaloon is, and roe and caviar and roe are seafood) but this dish was delicious.

For mains, we went with the signature dish which I can't pronounce but can describe which was like a beef soup but the theatre of the presentation was fabulous. The ingredients came out in a bowl, and the broth was poured over the top. The flavours were an explosion of earthy saltiness in perfect balance – just beautiful. The Slow Charred Lamb Rump marinated with burnt honey and rosemary served with goat's cheese, peas, pickled onions, and their home-made mint jelly was cooked to perfection and tasted exactly as it was written – seriously good food.

Photo by Sophie Mikat

Photo by Jenn Kosar

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Dessert was spectacular, I mean, the entrees and mains were beautiful, but the desserts were not only visually beautiful but sheer culinary brilliance. We had the Thornbrook Apple which was Yuzu, elderflower, yoghurt, and red toffee. The standout was the Caramel Corn which won our award for presentation of the night. It was cultured custard in the shape of corn cob, bergamot, peanuts, and candied popcorn. I cannot explain the taste of this other than amazing.

We found a local bakery called The Sugar Mill CafÊ which had the most beautiful pastries and sweets ‌ and pies!! Oh my god, the pies!! The coffee was lovely too. Other notable cafes we found were the hole in the wall coffee shop Crema on Lords which made the best coffee we tried and Factory Espresso which wins the Bacon and Egg Roll challenge.

Photo by Nathan Olga Serjantu

Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV

Photo by Nathan Dumlao

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IN CONCLUSION: Orange was a delicious, delightful experience and I can't wait to go back with a group of friends, although I feel like I made a new bunch of friends while I was there – it's just that sort of place. If you love the Hunter Valley, as I do, then you're going to love Orange and you better get there before it's overrun with tourists!! I think the secret's out though – so get there soon.

Photo by Cottonbro

The Little LUXE Travel Company P.O. Box 324 MOSMAN NSW 2088 Phone: +61 (0)414 053 844

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ The-Little-LUXE-TravelCompany-102589034456249/ Instagram: @thelittleluxetravelcompany

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Rebel

MEET THE WHO OWNED ME FOR

20 years

You only know what you know.

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__ -“Miss Anxiety”

Photo credit: Amy Caitlin

R

emember sitting in the back of your the searching for more, the needing parent’s car, thinking, how the fuck more, the pushing away, the pulling will I ever be able to drive a car? closer, the investigating, the jealousy, the comparing, the over-thinking to Remember watching your parents’ pay sickness, “WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME!!!”, for the shopping and thinking, “how will I the pain, oh the fucking pain of fighting ever have money to buy food or clothes or with your inner thoughts for so long, it a house, where do they get all their money hurts even thinking about it. from?”

The driver of all of this, my rebel; “Miss Remember seeing the ‘big school kids’ Anxiety”, was desperately trying to get hanging out, living their best lives and my attention. thinking, “I wonder if I will ever have friends and fun like that?”

She was desperately trying to help me.

But I only knew what I knew. Anxiety was Remember getting to high school and who I was, and all I knew. I was “Miss having the FEAR bomb explode into your Anxiety”. life, with thoughts of; “will I ever be liked?”, “will I ever be good enough?”, “will I ever be As I grew older, as I experienced more of good enough for someone?”, “will I ever like life, as I worked my way through chapters the person I have become?” in my life (very hard, anxious chapters), I became more aware and educated on Little did I know, back then, when I was how deeply my anxiety controlled me, growing up, for over 20 years, how much and how much I needed to learn more anxiety controlled me! Like, I mean, it was about why it was such a big part of my all I knew, without knowing. You know? life.

The tight chest, the sweaty palms, the intrusive thoughts, the overanalysing, the constant crying sessions, the search for validation, the panic attacks, the lack of sleep, the overeating, the under eating, the drug taking, the drinking, the attention seeking, the lying, the sadness, the loneliness, the self-doubt, the self-sabotage, the downward spiral into depression, the suicidal thoughts, the suicide attempt, the running away, the hiding away,

With a whole heap of determination, deep diving, resilience and honest ownership, I was able to see a new perspective on why “Miss Anxiety” was such a huge part of my life.

I was able to learn so much.

I was able to take back control.

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Photo credit: Amy Caitlin

“Miss Anxiety” was here to teach me. She was here to open my eyes. To force me to learn more about WHO I was. Learn more about the person who was hiding behind the rebel.

She forced me to STOP. Forced me to stop and get really HONEST about what’s truly important in life, and what it was, that I was most scared of.

She, “Miss Anxiety”, the rebel inside, has been the most important, most rewarding, most challenging relationship I have had, and will ever have.

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And so, a question I would love to share with you, which supported me, in getting to this point, this point of freedom and control that I now feel. A question I always ask, if the rebel ever raises her rebellious head, is; What is the deeper reason for this anxious feeling right now?

The moment you can get honest with the deeper why, is the moment you will be able to find the answers that will, (I know, as cliché as this is), set you FREE!

Photo credit: Amy Caitlin

L Photo credit: Amy Caitlin

Louise Fitzpatrick (Lou) Mental Health Motivator & Mum The Anxiety Project

www.theanxietyproject.com.au IG: @the.anxietyproject FB: www.facebook.com/the.anxi etyproject/ E: lou@theanxietyproject.com.au

ou Fitzpatrick is your go-2 Mental Health Motivator and founder at The Anxiety Project. She provides a relatable, motivating, no-bullshit and lived experience approach to Mental Health.

Lou spent over 20 years fighting her own mind shitstorm (anxiety, depression, feeling lost as f*ck, lonely, frustrated...and all the things) and has come out the other side, passionately sharing her journey and lessons with fellow anxiety sufferers who are completely over it!

Lou offers online lived-experience trainings to support mums through their mental health journeys. She focusses on sharing her unfiltered, unedited and entertaining snippets of her life and mental health journey through community engagement hanging out mostly on Instagram.

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50 Shades OF ENOUGH A N I TA VA N R O O Y E N

I sat down one day to make a list Because, I thought, it would assist Of every way I was afraid That I didn’t make the grade Why I wasn’t ‘the gun’ Why I couldn’t be fun Or find ‘the one’ Why I felt so damned… undone What started as a simple check-list Became the ultimate black-list Looking in the mirror at my own self-portrayal And seeing through the eyes of hatred and betrayal “You will never be enough” said the voice inside The words rang so true – no part of me cried The words were poison, and yet comforting and warm Because, you see, they were the norm Like arsenic sticking to your veins Until it’s all that remains

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So the check-list became an obsession Of 50 ways to feed depression So here I am, in my confession To share with you our… oppression Because every time the question asks Am I enough? It’s time to unmask There’s so many versions of the same damn question Repeating on us like… indigestion How on earth can we begin the decompression?

Our repossession With non-aggression Through self-expression Without the suppression For every transgression So that we can take possession Of our own facial… expression

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Is it really resting bitch face?

Or just the need for breathing space?

You see there are so many ways I’m not enough Only 50 seemed so tough But here it goes And in my prose There might be some gems to you to re-discover Like the sun coming out from heavy cloud cover Of ways that you too are insufficient The checklist makes it all efficient To find ways you fail to measure up I’m the champ, you’ll get the second cup The list is long, and so ingrained They all get through unrestrained Play along, tick them off, count them one by one Just like all those Facebook games – it’s just a bit of fun Every player wins here, in this toxic game of hate Big business is the real winner though, when we perpetuate Self-loathing and insecurity Self-love is hidden in obscurity There’s no money in that So much better if you feel fat…

So we asked ourselves…

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Am I sweet enough?

Petite enough?

Will you like me when we meet enough?

Am I rough and tough and strong enough?

Am I cool and hot and buff enough?

Am I loud and proud and bitch enough?

For you to think I’m rich enough?

My boobs, my bum, my lips, my thigh gap, tell me are they big enough?

So that I can feel Kardashian enough?

For my selfies to look pouty enough?

Am I in or outy-enough?

Am I quiet, sexy, thin enough?

Is my bleached tooth grin enough?

Am I white enough for tanning?

Am I enough-ness for your scanning Am I black enough to matter?

And my hair, should it sit flatter?

Am I young or old or fake enough?

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Tell me are you awake enough?

To see me in front of you Or am I not ‘out there’ enough for you?

Am I gay or straight or man enough?

Is my sculpted chest Tarzan enough?

Am I adventurous and crazy and wild enough?

To fit in and not to be reviled enough?

My clothes, my hair, my car do they match my fake swagger?

Am I tall and fun and cool enough… to avoid your pointed dagger?

Am I happy enough? Please say that I am!

All of this fakery can’t be a sham 78 Crush It Magazine

So what’s your score? Does it even matter?

When it’s all of this bullshit that we need to shatter All of these questions plaguing my head Until one brave day I finally said…

Enough.

www.anitavanrooyen.com www.instagram.com/confidencehackers www.facebook.com/groups/ConfidenceHackers Anita helps people that might be experiencing confidence challenges, which play out in different ways - shyness, limiting beliefs, ranting self-talk, harsh self-judgement, procrastination, mediocrity, social and generalised anxiety, burnout, and even trauma, grief and depression… which means they start tolerating living smaller lives, and safe, but unfulfilling jobs, relationships and well everything… So together we build resilience and sustainable, lasting confidence so that you can start living true to you and get to that place of functional selfishness.

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7 Top Tips for

PRACTISING SELF-CARE - Jessie Laute

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1. Sleep

e can allow ourselves to switch off and unplug from the world, let go of the day that has been and prepare for tomorrow. But I don’t need that much sleep? Oh yes you do J You may have become accustomed to less sleep or broken sleep or think if you sleep too early you will wake up early or in the middle of the night. Well these are patterns we can have formed maybe due to necessity at a certain period in our lives but we all need around 8 hours sleep a night to be able to fully recharge. To help you switch off and give yourself the chance to get the most replenishing night’s sleep try out some of these tips:

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Sleeping is my number one for self-care.

Really? Yes. This is so important and hence why I have put it first on the list.

When we sleep our body will take the time it needs to rest, repair and recharge for the day to come.

No screen time an hour before bed. Yes 1 hour. Switch off the TV, Phone, iPad, laptop anything that is stimulating your eyes/brain and taking concentration. Try to remove all of these devices from your bedroom as well, watching TV in bed is probably the biggest no as you then start to associate being in your bed with remaining awake and concentrating on something. Make your bedroom your sanctuary. If you can’t do without your phone try putting it away in a drawer so it isn’t within immediate reach.

Instead of screen time, try talking with a loved one or if you live alone, take some time to read a book, write in a journal which is also great for downloading what has happened during the day and help your mind to slow down, a great time also to make your to do list for the next day so you’ll feel more prepared. Meditate, take a relaxing bath before going to bed or have a hot cup of (caffeine free) tea.

Any of these will allow your body to start to unwind and prepare you for sleep. In addition, try some breathing, the 4-7-8 breath is great for promoting sleep. Start by exhaling completely, then breathe in for the count of 4, hold your breath for the count of 7, then exhale slowly through pursed lips to the count of 8. Repeat this for a few minutes and I guarantee it will help you dose off. If you struggle to hold for 7 or exhale for 8 then play with the numbers and build up to it, for example 4-5-6.

2. Boundaries -KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES AND ENFORCE THEM

This is so important. We can have so much contact with others throughout the day that we are exchanging energy constantly and when this is out of balance where we are always giving and not receiving, we can start to feel drained. Even more so if these energy exchanges/interactions are negative and deplete your energy therefore leaving you feeling not so good.

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now how to speak with people, work with people, support others without giving too much of yourself and being able to walk away when needed. How many times have you said yes to something when you actually wanted to say no? How did this make you feel? Have you agreed to attend an event that you have no interest in or that will be challenging for you to actually get to without causing stress for yourself? How much energy did you spend trying to get out of it, trying to find an excuse but end up going anyway after a lot of stress? How about when you have given your time to hear someone else complain consistently about the same topic and however far down the line you get, they are still repeating the same story without making any changes. Does this get boring?

Draining? Make you start to feel sadness, anger or resentment? These are all valid feelings but you can still have interactions with these people without getting this feeling. How? See my tips here below: Try saying NO. Yup, that simple. No is a complete sentence. Just saying no or even no thank you is enough. If you don’t want to do something and it feels wrong for you just say no. You don’t have to go to everything you’re invited to. You don’t have to do everything someone asks of you (unless it is part of your paid job of course) and you don’t have to agree with anyone else’s opinion. Your feelings, thoughts and opinions are all valid, honour them. It’s ok to put yourself and your needs first.

Reply with a suggestion. May I suggest we do this instead? Another time would suit me better.

I cannot help you with this, can I suggest

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you try xxxx. Now is not a good time for me.

Please can you put some time in my diary for us to talk about this. Thank you for thinking of me but this is not for me. Thank you but I need some time for me right now.

Take a breath before you respond. Pause, and if you can close your eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale. Repeat if needed. Now ask yourself, what is it I would like to do? What outcome would I like? Take another breath if needed and just pause for some calm and clarity before you respond. This will allow you to connect with your truth and allow you to respond with kindness and love but most of all your truth.

Give yourself space from the situation or person/ people and you will be able to gain some more perspective with a bit of distance. When we are in the middle of a situation or around it too much then our thoughts and judgement can become clouded.

3. Be Mindful OF WHAT YOU

ARE CONSUMING ON A DAILY BASIS (AND NOT JUST FOOD)

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es of course I will say be mindful of what you are putting in your body.

Eat a balanced and healthy diet paying attention to what your body needs. Stay hydrated and avoid an excess of anything, caffeine, sugar, fat, alcohol etc, you know what your body needs. But what about everything else you are consuming? Have you ever thought about the things you are absorbing through your eyes? Or hearing? What impact does it have on you to watch a horror film? Or read about horrendous crimes committed?

Or listen to an argument playing out? All of these will impact you on a deeper level, often without realising it. Ever read or watched something scary before going to bed? What did you dream about that night? I’m guessing not a relaxing beach holiday or your favourite crush ;) Try to filter as much of what you are consuming, ways to do this: Try to avoid any negative conversations / arguments / drama that surrounds you. Just walk away, especially if it’s not to do with you. Do you know those people who are full of negative chatter? Always complaining about a person, a place, a situation?

Yup, well you don’t need to hear it all the time. Just kindly excuse yourself and walk away because without even trying once you start to take in their negative chatter it will

Change the channel! If you’re watching something on the TV that is making you feel uncomfortable, sad, scared, change the channel.

Take a deep breath and let it go. You don’t need to make yourself watch the entire program if it’s giving you a bad reaction. Change the channel.

Stick to the headlines. I haven’t watched the news for about 4 years, this is a personal choice and I am not asking you to do this if you don’t wish to but maybe stick to the headlines. This way you still have an idea of what is happening and if you wish to know more about something you can choose to listen/read about it.

Personally, I haven’t missed out on anything news wise as I still get my information from actual conversations with people, random social media updates, the radio when I am in my car or news updates from TV’s in public places. I prefer this as I am more in control of what I am consuming and not getting caught up in any media hype or influence. I can always look up anything I wish to know more about.

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4. Mindfulness

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ractice mindfulness as much as you can. This means being present with everything you are doing. We can easily get caught thinking about what is going to happen, or stuck on repeat analysing something that has already happened. This means we are living in either the past or the future. What about the present, this moment we are in right now? Try to practice this as much as you can and the more you do it the easier it will become, just like strengthening any muscle, practice consistently. Try a few of these tips to help your mindful practice:

When you are brushing your teeth, try using your non-dominant hand, this will really make you focus on actually brushing your teeth and get you out of your head for a moment.

Enjoy and savour every sip of your coffee/tea. Take the cup, hold it with both hands, smell it, sip it, savour it and 84 Crush It Magazine

notice how it tastes, how it feels. Notice it warming your hands then your lips, mouth, all the way down to your stomach.

Be present with every sip of your drink.

For me a hot cup of tea is like a hug for my insides and I am always grateful for the feeling.

Breathe! You can’t get more present with yourself in this moment than to focus on your breath. Sit comfortably with your back supported, feet firmly on the ground. Close your eyes if it feels comfortable to do so and then breathe.

Just take some long, slow inhales deep into your belly and then let it go. As you do this, follow your breath all the way in from your nose down to your toes and out again. This will really help bring you out of your head and into your body and into a state of calm as well as grounding you in the present moment.

5. Stay In Your Own Lane -JUST DO YOU!

I

have talked about this a lot in my videos and social media posts but I can’t say it enough. Let go of comparisons and just focus on you! We can easily get distracted by what those around us are doing. What are others in our industry doing? Our peers? So, and so has just achieved this, or just posted this, look where they are, look at what they are doing? And it goes on and on, can you relate? So how about we just stop that and focus on what is happening in our own world?

Put all your energy into where you are and what you want to achieve. Comparing yourself to others will only give you a distorted perspective of your own reality because you will never know anyone else’s true story, only what they are willing to share. Just like no one will know yours if you don’t get on with what you’re doing! Stop comparing because we are all completely unique anyway! No two of us are the same, no one else can know what it’s like to be you, how you see the world, what you have experienced in your life. So just focus on that and creating your life how you want it to be.

Practice gratitude. This is a key daily practice for me that I encourage everyone to do. I like to start and finish my day with listing 5 things I am grateful for. It could be anything, from my car, the opportunities I have in my life, to my health and the meal I just ate. Take some time to do this in the morning or before bed (or both if you wish too!) Be grateful for what you have, where you are, who you are, what you have achieved and anything you can think of that you are grateful for in that moment. Focussing on this will allow you to appreciate more of what you have and less on those around you.

Celebrate your achievements! Are you ever a little hard on yourself? Have you achieved your goals and maybe thought, oh that could have been better, I wish this had happened, it took longer than expected…STOP THAT! Focus on the positives and celebrate them!

Celebrate every win, no matter how big or small and this positive energy will fuel you forward and keep your focus on you and not those around you.

If you don’t do you, no one will. Remember that, there is no one else out there like you and you need to embrace every quality you possess and own it. Just be you, whatever that looks like. No one else can.

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6.Do Something For Yourself Every Day

his is super important in my eyes.

We can often direct so much focus and attention externally we forget to focus on us and go within. You also need to feed your soul. What makes you happy?

What do you need in this moment? Connect to yourself, your inner child, your inner desires, tap in to that creative energy and do whatever you need to do for yourself for 1 hour each day. If you don’t think you have a full hour then start with whatever time you do have 15 mins maybe and build up from there. Reignite a passion or rediscover a lost skill. Take a nap if you want to! Whatever you need to do for yourself, dedicate some time to you each day. Here are a few suggestions: Practice a hobby. What do you like to do when you have free time? Play an instrument? Sing? Cook? Write? Choose something and spend a little time each day on that to feed your creative side and tap in to your inner child. Food for the soul.

Self-love. This could look like so many

things, give yourself a mani/pedi, book a massage, soak in the bath, or soak your feet in warm water with a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Use a face mask/ hair mask, massage your body in coconut oil to nourish your skin. Men this goes for you too! Nourish yourself!

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Take yourself out. Go to a museum, walk in the park, buy yourself a meal out at a place you love to eat. Or go for a coffee and sit there in the coffee shop to enjoy it and your own company. Don’t wait for someone else to be free to join you, do it for you just because you can.

Attend a class you love or something new you want to try. We may not be able to attend everything so freely right now but there are so many online options being adapted! Yoga, breathwork, pottery, cooking? There is so much out there you can do, what are you interested in? By trying something new you are expanding your knowledge and experience of the weird and wonderful world we live in.

What else are we here for but to live this life?

7. Breathe & Meditate

T

his is another crucial daily practice I cannot talk enough about. It took me a long time to be able to mediate but breathwork helped me and now I notice if I go a few days without either, I feel myself a little out of alignment and those around me might say ‘grumpy’!

There are so many ways to mediate, it doesn’t mean you need to sit cross legged and Om several times, you can mediate to music, do walking mediations, moving meditations. A good friend of mine would always say when he gets home from work he loves cooking so the whole process of preparing and cooking dinner was his daily meditation and chance to unwind, slow down & reconnect. I invite you to play with it and have fun. It doesn’t need to be serious and quiet, you may not be able to slow down your mind and eliminate all of your thoughts to gain insights and clarity all in one go. It takes practice, it takes commitment, it takes time. Go easy on yourself and just try whatever feels best for you. There are so many guided meditation apps and YouTube videos that you can just find one that you like. Some of you may prefer to follow a guided recording, others may prefer music to follow, or others just silence and focussing on your breathing. I have some recordings on my website and Instagram page you can access and there will be more coming but I encourage you just to try. We all need to start somewhere and then build on that.

If you can sit or lie for 5 minutes a day, just focus on your breathing, notice the thoughts in your head and allow them to be there without getting distracted, then that is a form of meditation. If you stick with it, you will not notice the thoughts eventually, and 5 minutes will turn in to 10, then 20 and before you know it you will be able to practice for 30 mins a day.

I hope you find these tips helpful and can try to implement a few or all of them. As always if you have any questions or want some support just reach out to me by text, email or social media at any time.

Have a fabulous day! - Jessie

Website: http://jessielaute.com/ LinkedIn: Jessie Laute Insta: @jessielaute | @phoenixbreathwork FB: @coachjessielaute @phoenixbreathwork

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DUMBELL WORKOUT KYLIE PT

Instructions:

Do this workout 3 to 4 sets, either 8-12 reps (for beginners) or 10-15 reps for (more advanced fitness level) with a 90 second rest between sets.

Don’t stress if don’t have a set of dumbells use x2 items from around the house that are of equal weight eg: x2 1 litre water bottles.

Warm Up

- for minimum 5 mins *Hip Thruster *Squat *Split Squat Rest *Overhead Tricep Extension *Lying Floor Chest Press *Bent Over Row Cool down stretches

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Hip Thruster:

(Perform this exercise either on a couch, ottoman or workout bench). Most of the work is done from the hips, not your lower back. Keep your abdominals tight throughout, shoulders blades on the couch, ottoman or bench.

Drive through your heels, extending your hips vertically keeping the dumbbell’s in place on your hips. Your weight being supported by your upper back and heels, squeeze glutes at the top.

Works your- glutes, back,

hamstrings and hips.

Spilt Squat:

Holding a dumbell in each hand, placing feet hip width apart, place your whole foot on the bench (couch or ottoman) ensure you knee, feet and hip are in line. Lower hips towards the floor.

Then drive through your front heel to top of lunge (do a static lunge if have weak knees/hips or poor stability) works your calve, glutes, hamstrings and quads. For those that an confident with the spilt squat add a bicep curl at the top.

Squat:

Standing with feet shoulder width apart holding a dumbell in each hand at your sides. With a straight back, squat ensure your knees don’t pass over your toes, slowly stand and repeat.

Works your- calves, glutes, ham

strings and quads.

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Bent Over Row:

Overhead Tricep Ext: Holding one or two dumbbells together between you hands above you head.

Bending from your elbows only (isolate upper arm) lower the weight behind you head then raise to straight arms. Keep core engaged and stance solid.

Works your shoulders & triceps.

Always maintain a safe back by arching or keep in a neutral spine throughout this exercise. Hinging forward at your hips with knees slightly bent (similar to a deadlift) holding dumbbells at your sides, pull in to your stomach at bellybutton, retracting shoulder blades, keeping elbows in.

Enjoy this fun, challenging dumbell workout.

Lying Floor Chest Press:

Lying on the floor hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with elbows bent and palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells straight up over your chest, arms, straight, then lower back to shoulder level and repeat.

Works your (chest & triceps).

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Special Note:

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SPECIAL LIMITED OFFER for Crush It Mag readers only,

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CHANGE YOUR MINDSET; CHANGE YOUR

LIFE

by Jimmy PT PART 2

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SKYROCKET YOUR METABOLISM:

E

verybody wants to be cut and have a carved out six-pack, but 99% of people will never get there.

Why? Because they have NO idea how to increase their motivation!

The fact is you MUST know how to increase you motivation if you want to get in shape. Otherwise, you’ll just end up giving up and failing to reach your goal.

Motivation is the fuel that you need to turn NEW behaviours into habits. Once you’ve turned a new behaviour into a HABIT, whether it’s lifting regularly, or eating more protein, or getting to sleep earlier, it becomes EASIER by the day. That’s because habits are things you do on “autopilot”. They require ZERO conscious brainpower.

And if you want to get shredded and get lean and live the life of your dreams, you have to slowly eliminate bad behaviours and turn a whole bunch of NEW behaviours into habits, and to do that, you need you motivation to be Sky-high at ALL times!

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SO HERE’S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO:

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

Write out at least 10 reasons why you want to get in shape?

Pick out the 3 most important reasons why you want to get in shape, and write out (by hand) on the page below WHY those reasons are important to you.

Real reasons that actually mean something to you, deep and meaningful personal reasons of why you want to be in shape!

If one of your reasons is that you want to look good naked so you can find an attractive partner, write out why? That’s important to you.

Did you get rejected in the past because of your body?

Are you tired of being afraid not being where you want to be with your body shape or health?

It is ok to feel this way it happens, it's ok and I want to help you. Be honest with yourself, be true to what you want, write it down every day and your behaviours will start to change because.

I know you don’t want to feel that pain any more and you don’t deserve to either!

If you want to get shredded just to prove it to yourself, write out why that matters to you.

Photo by Trent Szmolnik

Why do you need to prove it to yourself?

Where did you fail in the past? Whatever the reason, be honest, be real and write it down!

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STEP 3: Put the piece of paper with your 3 reasons on it somewhere you’ll see it every single day.

Put it on you fridge or put it on your bathroom mirror, put it where you will see it every day!

You need to remind yourself of these reasons every single day to keep your motivation sky-high or it will all seem too hard. You need to tie all of your daily behaviours BACK to those 3 reasons.

Every single decision you make today, tomorrow and from every day forward needs to tie back to those 3 reasons.

The #1 reason why most guys or girls fail to get in incredible shape in the first place is because when they have to give up their favourite fast food meal in favour of something healthier, all they think about is the “giving up” part.

They forget about WHY they want to get lose the unwanted body fat in the first place, and why that specific reason is MUCH more important than the short-term pleasure of eating some shitty junk food.

I know for a fact junk food and whatever is you eat that you shouldn’t be doesn’t make you happy, I know this for a fact.

You eat it and it is delicious and it is amazing and it is joyful and then 20 mins later you are ridden with guilt and frustration that you broke your diet and wasted an entire day. We are going to stop this from happening to you over and over again and it starts now!! Please do everything I am asking you to do in this FREE kick-start program, I promise you it will be worth it!

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WHY IS Gut Health SO IMPORTANT?

K R I S T E N

P A V E Z

Photo by Ellie Elien

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that money on supplements. It was at this time, that I was introduced to fermenting, and fermented foods and drinks, including Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kombucha, and Coconut Yoghurt.

I learned that these foods and drinks have such a wide variety of beneficial bacteria (probiotics), that if I included a little of these foods and drinks into my daily diet, that would help feed my gut the good bacteria that Photo by Stephanie White it needs to function. I also learned that these foods are not only a great t wasn’t until I had my two boys, source of probiotics, but also a great I was 30kg overweight, and I was source of prebiotics (which are like facing down the barrel of a diagnosis the fuel the probiotics need to function). of postnatal depression that I got interested in my gut health. This This got me excited for so many reasons. was in 2012, so gut health, wasn’t Firstly, probiotic supplements were as mainstream as it is now, and it so expensive, and unless I was taking took some lengthy researching to the correct strains, they weren’t find out how my gut health could going to work for my family, and be affecting my weight, my mood, secondly, I could create these my hormones and more superficially probiotic-rich foods and drinks at (but super important as a woman), home for my family, for a relatively my skin. small cost.

I

Once I found this out, I wanted to know how I could improve my gut health, and therefore, overall health.

Everything pointed towards including more probiotics in my diet, but with SO many different probiotic supplements on the market, which one was right for me and my family? Plus, we were a single income family at the time, and I couldn’t afford to spend all

It was eight years ago that I started to experiment with these various ferments, and to this day, our family enjoy them daily. I’ve taught thousands of people how to ferment in their own homes, and it never grows old seeing the look of satisfaction on people’s faces when they’ve created their delicious ferments for themselves and their families.

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Photo by Mariana Medvedeva

The doors to my

Online Fermenting Course

Photo by Milo Mcdowell

are opening again soon, so if anyone would like to learn more, they can find out here:

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UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUAL HEALTH, what does it mean?

- Fiona Djapouras

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t’s a term we often hear these days but what does spiritual health mean?

Spirituality can be a broad term that means different things to different people.

Spirituality can be associated with a specific religion but does not necessarily mean religion.

Whilst religion and prayer can be key components of spirituality, there are also broader concepts that impact your health.

The official definition of spirituality is ‘ the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things’. I like to look at it through the triad of

You may be riddled with regrets, filled with limiting beliefs such as ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’m never going to be successful’ or ‘I’m not worthy of …’ From this disempowered space, you make decisions and you continually get the same experiences over and over.

The poor spiritual health can be manifested as poor mental health. Or it can manifest itself as chronic pain. Do you know what that is? You’ve been to the chiropractor but no matter what they do, the pain doesn’t go away. Maybe there is an experience that happened in your life and it is the underlying reason for this mental or physical discomfort.

If we look after our mental health through what we say and what we think and we look after our physical health by what we eat and what we do, it makes sense that we look after our spiritual health too. That could be the way you feel and the energy you project. We are complete through these 3 frames.

At the root of most chronic physical, mental, and emotional illness is a wound of the spirit / soul.

Mind, Body, and Spirit.

They are all interrelated with benefits felt across all areas of the triad and on the flip side, causes and symptoms felt across each platform.

So from this space, I see spiritual health as the ability to have a spirit that feels fulfilled and content. You are guided by intuition; you feel that life is in flow and you experience gratitude for all that comes your way. Maybe it is easier to look at examples of poor spiritual health?

Here’s a bit more background on this concept and how everything is inter-related. We are energetic beings, made up of the same atoms as everything else around us. From this base, we know that what ‘wires together, fires together’.

At some point in your childhood, you experienced an event that created an enormous emotional reaction. Your response at that time, created a disruption in your energy field and that thought and emotion (wires and fires) together was enough to rewire your brain. So now you make decisions based on this experience. And often you don’t even realise this is occurring.

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The human psyche is phenomenal as people ‘manage’ to overcome a dis-empowered experience in their lives. This can be an effective coping strategy BUT to ‘heal’ these experiences is life-altering. Even if all the other areas of your life might be amazing, if your spiritual health isn’t optimum, then you will notice that you are not experiencing the wholeness of mind, body, and spirit health.

Maybe it is easier to look at what is good spiritual health? Good spiritual health is the feeling of peace and contentment that you carry around all day, regardless of what is happening around you. It is the feeling wholeness and the ability to ride through life at a high energetic vibration. Simultaneously, you may experience increased physical, social and emotional health.

I believe that people experience optimum life wholeness when each of these 3 areas are healthy and aligned. And only from this whole state, will you be able to live your life’s purpose. Your purpose is a master plan for your life. When we are experiencing poor spiritual health, we are disconnected from our purpose and we are severed from our well-being. It is the point of your existence and it is the intended result of your focus, determination, and intention.

This is you living your life on purpose.

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Are you feeling disempowered and disillusioned?

Energy healing works on the belief that when you are connected to your central source of energy, your creative ability is released and enhanced. In this space, you experience being in ‘flow’. In this space, you experience peace, harmony, happiness, fulfillment, contentment, and magic!

Most people fall into three categories where healing is concerned:

1. THE BEGINNER – never experienced

As a spiritual healer and integrative mindset coach, I come across these issues with every client. Healing can be needed on a mind, body, or spirit level and we work with whatever the needs are in the moment.

Whatever category you fit into love to support your awareness of what could be possible for you – so feel free to book in for a 30-minute free healing consultation session to customise the right healing package for you. If you and or someone you know in your network would like to explore healing, then feel free to pay forward this opportunity!

In love and light,

Fiona

healing before but open to exploring

2. THE INTERMEDIATE – experienced

some healing but realised that the odd one-off session is not the quick fix that they were after and realise they need to invest more time into their re-calibration

3. ADVANCED – well versed with a

cross-section of healing modalities but for whatever reason have not experienced the level of transformation that they were after or have been unable to sustain the change.

E: fiona@fionadjapouras.com W: https://www.fionadjapouras.com/ INSTA: fiona_djapouras FB: fionadjapouraslivinglifeonpurpose

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Fierce Female Founders FEMALE BIZ OWNERS SHAKING IT UP IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES

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n these ever-changing times, has it crossed your mind to try something new? Pick up a new skill or hobby?

This female-founded biz did just that.

Nancy Hsu, founder of blue wombat bondi, had long dreamt of starting a sustainable business and made that idea a reality, launching in July 2020.

Image Credit: Andy Allan

BLUE WOMBAT BONDI is an online, eco business based in Bondi, Australia, featuring a reusable and travel friendly cutlery set made of bamboo and coconut.

We asked Nancy to share a few thoughts on her new business‌

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Why did you start blue wombat bondi?

I was fortunate enough to travel to Taiwan earlier this year, just before major travel restrictions began, and whilst there I learned that Taiwan had put a ban on single use plastic such as plastic bags, straws and utensils. I carried around a reusable cutlery set and straw during my time there and loved how practical, safe and hygienic it was. When I returned to Australia, I decided to design my own set!

I’ve always wanted to start an eco-business to tackle the myth that it is difficult to be environmentally conscious, and provide support when sometimes people just simply don’t know where to start. I wanted to design and provide practical and stylish everyday use products to show how simple it is to integrate into our everyday lives, as well as contribute to improving the natural environment.

I also decided to launch blue wombat bondi with the cutlery set, as we journey through a time when not sharing is caring, providing a sustainable and practical alternative to communal or single use cutlery when returning to the office, school or when out and about. The handmade cutlery set includes all the essentials for every dining need whilst out and about, including reusable spoon, fork, knife, chopsticks, straw and straw cleaner, all in a compact pouch.

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How do you hope blue wombat bondi might make an impact in Australia and internationally?

As a business, we want to make an impact in our communities through our key values of: •

Caring for the natural environment: Our focus is providing everyday use, eco-friendly products to replace and reduce single use plastic, protecting our oceans and natural environment.

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Economic empowerment: We have chosen to work with artisans who are eco conscious as well as provide financial independence to women and rural farmers in developing regions.

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Giving back: We’ve committed to giving back 10% of our profits to Australian animal rescue and environmental organisations such as Bush Heritage Australia, Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) and ACT Wildlife.

Reusable and eco-friendly bamboo straw Image Credit: Nancy Hsu 106 Crush It Magazine

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What can we expect to come for blue wombat bondi?

You can expect to see more stylish and practical everyday use items to come, as well as be confident that our products will always be sustainably made and work to support economic empowerment.

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What have you learnt since starting your business?

Compact and reusable bamboo and coconut cutlery set Image Credit: Nancy Hsu

To celebrate all the wins, big or small, as I’ve gone through the journey of setting up and running a business. And most importantly, to be genuine and transparent with customers.

Online Shop: www.bluewombatbondi.com Instagram: @bluewombatbondi Facebook: @bluewombatbondi Compact and reusable bamboo and coconut cutlery set Image Credit: Nancy Hsu 107