the tortoise & the hare

Latest Episodes:

The Great Outdoors: Part 1 - A Slow Experiment Feb 27, 2018

Show notes

Let the experimenting begin! Yep, the #slowhomeexperiment is back for 2018, kicking off this month and happening every second month hereafter. March is all about the great outdoors, and the experiment is to prioritise spending time outside every single day. Brooke and Ben are aiming for 60 minutes a day, but if you’d like to play along, find an amount of time that works for you and try sticking to it. The aim is to keep it simple but consistent, and to pop outside time a little higher up your to-do list than normal, even on the days when it seems too hard.

We all know at a deep level that spending time in nature is good for us, and Brooke talks about some of the symptoms of “too much inside time” that she notices in her family: irritability, excess energy, feeling cabin fever-y and craving that delicious buzz of tiredness that can only come from spending a day outdoors. Sound familiar?

The guys are going in with an open mind as to what they’ll get out of the experiment, but also research shows that spending more time outside in nature has a massive impact of many areas of your life, from mental and physical health to emotional wellbeing, as well as performance in school and work. They talk about some different ways you can try to incorporate outside time, from the big to the small, as well as some ways to feel the benefits even on the days when getting outside is literally impossible.

Stay tuned for the experiment episodes for the rest of the month, where Brooke and Ben will report back on their outside time, as well as diving in deep to some of the benefits and research that’s been done. If you’re playing along, don’t forget to share how you’re going over on Instagram using the hashtag #slowhomeexperiment!

To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/227/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Secrets of Professional Organisers with Kirsty Farrugia Feb 21, 2018

Show notes

In today’s episode Brooke chats to the delightful Kirsty Farrugia, founder of Feels Like Home professional organising, and co-host of the podcast The Art of Decluttering. This conversation put to bed a few misconceptions Brooke had about professional organisers, as Kirsty really brings warmth and vulnerability when talking about her job, and the full spectrum of relationships between stuff and people that she deals with in her daily life.

They talk about the misconception of decluttering as the solution to every problem, when really it’s often just the first step in a long process of creating change in your life. Kirsty also talks about how she gets started with her clients, and the questions she invites them to ask as they sit in the mess and start to deal with it. Just like Brooke talks about the importance of knowing your ‘why’, when it comes to decluttering, having a vision for your home and your life in it makes the process much easier.

Wonderfully, Kirsty reveals that she is in fact not a naturally organised person, and that it was only after she married an “uber-organised” man that she started to change her ways. This means that she can really connect and empathise with her clients, as she too has felt overwhelmed in her own home and has done the hard work to make changes. She talks about the idea of grace, and of the benefits of letting go and giving yourself permission to live the life you want to live, not a life dictated by the things around you. It’s a big, honest, vulnerable chat that definitely peels back a couple of onion layers around decluttering and professional organising, and we owe a big thanks to Kirsty for sharing so openly.

To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/226/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

Brooke and Ben also announce the first Slow Experiment of 2018 and encourage you to join in. You can find out more at http://www.slowyourhome.com/nature

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Rachel Jonat on the Joy of Doing Nothing Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

Three-time guest Rachel Jonat of The Minimalist Mom is back! This week brings some real-talk to the topics of slow living as a family, as we catch up on the changes in Rachel and her family’s life since she was last on the show, as well as talk about her new book, The Joy of Doing Nothing. In episode 30, Rachel and her family had just moved to Vancouver from the Isle of Man, and she and Brooke talked about the ways city living and slow living tied in together. In episode 93, the talk turned more specifically to kids and slow living. In today's episode they flip the script entirely, as Rachel and her family have moved away from the city to a small town to live a life with their priorities at the centre.

The decision to sell their condo in Vancouver and buy a house in a small town in the mountains of BC was a well-thought-out one that aligned with the needs of Rachel’s family (and especially her eldest son, who has additional needs), and also her and her husband’s values. She and Brooke talk about the reality of making this decision, what led up to it, and how the change in location has impacted their lives.

Rachel talks about the shift in pace from city to small-town living, which, given her new book, The Joy of Doing Nothing, is utterly relevant. She was working on the book right before she and her husband made the decision to leave Vancouver, and felt inspired by what she was writing about to try and find a life that gave her the time and space she wanted. The book is about slowing down and simplifying, but rather than being about stuff, it focuses on simple, actionable ways to create quiet time for yourself to really unplug and just be. It’s not an extreme approach in any sense, but it definitely taps into that fear so many of us have of not being entertained, distracted or scheduled, and encourages us to hit reset a little more often.

To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/225/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Welcome to the great experiment of 2018 Feb 07, 2018

Show notes

It’s good to be back! Welcome to the first new show of 2018, a week late and all the better for it (thanks for your patience with and understanding of the delay!). Today’s episode is a hostful, recorded all the way from the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and it sees Brooke and Ben catch up on everything that’s happened since they last recorded a podcast almost 2 months ago.

First up they talk about the head, heart and hard work that went into selling their house, moving out, saying goodbye and getting on that plane. The amount of energy and emotion involved caught them by surprise, and at times Ben found himself in a really stressful place, potentially taking tilting a little too far. Luckily, Brooke’s planning and organisation gave this busy time intention and focus, and they got through to the other side.

They then dive in to talk about the specifics of what went down, including the garage giveaway, having a super slow New Year’s Eve, the emotions involved with leaving their house (and garden) for the final time, packing and the difficulty of saying goodbye (especially to their dog).

All in all it’s been a big few weeks, but never once have the guys questioned whether they were doing the right thing or not. Two days in to their big adventure and they really are living in the unknown, doing the experiment. Which brings us to the experiment episodes - they’re back! They’ll be happening every second month, and the first one will kick off in March, so stay tuned.

To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/222/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Sarah Wilson on sucking at meditation (and doing it anyway) - Summer Series Jan 24, 2018

Show notes

Hello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did!

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Today Brooke chats with the wonderful, challenging, inspiring author Sarah Wilson. Sarah is someone Brooke has admired for years - not only for the work she’s done to promote the notion of drastically cutting sugar in our diets, preventing food waste, and her more recent work in mental health awareness - but also the way she goes about that work. She is honest and open, prepared to stand for something regardless of whether people agree with her, and she’s also funny and smart and good at not taking herself too seriously.

In this conversation Brooke and Sarah talk about her new book, ‘first we make the beast beautiful: a new story about anxiety’ and dive deep into how Sarah slows down in order to both strengthen herself against anxiety’s harmful side, and simultaneously go deeper into it.

They talk about the discomfort of true reflection and Sarah’s growing boredom with shallow conversations and external grasping (and why cocktail parties are the worst example of this!) as well as the idea that it’s not necessary or even helpful to slow down simply for the sake of slowing down, but rather aiming to slow down in order to be or do something meaningful.

As an avid bush walker, Sarah talks about why she chooses to head off into the bush every second weekend (more if possible) and what the rhythm and solitude of solo hiking provides her that other exercises can’t. Sarah shares her cure for insomnia and why one of her two major tenets of slow-ness is to simply walk. She also introduces Brooke to the French idea of ‘flâner’, an urban wandering, and why sometimes it’s enough to simply walk through our own neighbourhood, noticing, paying attention, watching people and observing the comings and goings that surround us.

They also talk about meditation and why it’s the second key tenet of slow-ness for Sarah, and why it’s not only OK to suck at meditation, but why it’s actually incredibly useful to be bad at it.

This is a cracker of an episode, packed with loads of inspiration. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss185 for the full blog post, including links to Sarah's books, website and other resources mentioned in today's show, and in the meantime, enjoy!

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Tim Silverwood on circularity and saying no to plastic - Summer Series Jan 17, 2018

Show notes

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Tim Silverwood is one of Brooke’s environmental role models. He maintains that he’s just an ordinary guy who somehow found himself at the forefront of environmental activism in Australia, but his passion and knowledge means that while he may be an ordinary guy, the impact he’s having on the growing environmental movement in Australia is anything but ordinary. As one of the founders of Take 3 for the Sea and a powerful voice in the movement away from single-use plastics, Tim is having a massive impact both in Australia and around the world.

In today’s episode Tim and Brooke talk about the Plastic-Free July campaign and why it’s so important, but they also go back to the catalyst for Tim’s shift to environmentalism. Perhaps not surprisingly, Tim’s passion for protecting the ocean started in his passion for the waves and like so many people now heavily invested in protecting our wild spaces, Tim was a surfer who used his love of the ocean to drive changes in his own life.

They also talk about the importance of small steps, and why Tim believes it’s the only way to convert the apathetic in to the passionate, but also why these small steps are only the first part of creating global change.

One of the beautiful themes that keeps emerging in Brooke and Tim’s conversation is the idea of connection - both to each other and the environment we all live in - and Tim specifically talks about the ways in which we’re all connected to the health of the oceans. It’s far too easy to think the issue of plastic pollution isn’t one we’re part of, and Tim gets very passionate as he talks about the different ways our actions can have an impact - both positive and negative.

They also talk about the problematic issue of recycling and why so much of what we think of as ‘good recycling’ is actually exacerbating the problem, and why the circular economy and circular design is the way of the future.

To read more, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss184 for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Rebecca Sullivan wants you to embrace your inner granny - Summer Series Jan 10, 2018

Show notes

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In today’s episode Brooke sits down to chat with Rebecca Sullivan - founder of the ‘granny skills’ movement, serial entrepreneur, food lover and sustainability advocate. In what can only be described as an utterly delightful conversation, Brooke and Rebecca talk about traditions, heritage and the importance of intergenerational connection, as well as how to make the perfect blush for less than $1.

After coming to the realisation that she was completely removed from the process of creating and growing her own food (something to do with cheese and maggots in a small Italian town) Rebecca began the process of educating herself. From that realisation has grown a career of incredible depth and breadth, covering food, traditional skills, agriculture, creating natural homemade products and recently a pilot program that placed grandparents in local schools. This program saw older people teaching kids traditional skills around cooking and woodworking, which not only had an incredibly positive impact on the kids, but the older teachers as well.

Brooke and Rebecca talk about the importance of failure, and the liberation that comes once we accept and even embrace our own screw-ups. As a keen balcony gardener, Rebecca also shares her hottest hits for container growing, including some native edibles that are the most likely to survive some light-to-moderate neglect.

To read more, head over to INSERT LINK HERE (NOT SURE WHAT THE URL WILL BE?) for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Annie Raser-Rowland on the art of Frugal Hedonism - Summer Series Jan 03, 2018

Show notes

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Have you ever had a conversation that changes your entire outlook on the world? One that shifts your worldview in monumental ways? That challenges and invites you to think about your choices in terms that are entirely different? In today's episode, Brooke chats with the utterly wonderful Annie Raser-Rowland, co-author of The Art of Frugal Hedonism and experiences one of those conversations.

Annie and Brooke speak about the book and all that it covers: life and pleasure and scarcity and ego and many other things. Nailing the art of frugal hedonism is about considering things, but also feeling them. Life is experienced, explored, meaningful, soaked up and revelled in. The book is full of practical (and more whimsical) ways you can live a joyful, hedonistic life on a low budget, and Annie’s way with words (as evident in the episode) means it’s an absolutely delightful read.

This is a super inspiring episode, and we hope after listening you feel excited about experiencing things, paying attention, giving yourself space and time to spend afternoons immersed in cloud-watching or 10 minutes eating an apple in the sun.

To read more, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss182 for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Katy Bowman talks barefoot walking and couchless living - Summer Series Dec 27, 2017

Show notes

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In today’s poggie Brooke speaks with Katy Bowman, a biomechanist, founder of Nutritious Movement and all-round activity advocate, about the curse of convenience in modern life and what it is costing us in terms of movement, the food we eat, our health, our relationships and the larger structure of our society in general.

They also talk about the infiltration of technology into the lives of both adults and kids, as well as some really practical ways of lessening the impact technology has on our days, and how to deal with the inevitable complaints from kids (and maybe some adults) when they’re forced outside. They also talk about the massive benefits of spending more time outdoors and why Katy is lobbying for outdoor exposure to be classified as a nutrient.

Katy shares her family’s journey towards minimalism and why it began with letting go of their couch, and how the root of their simplification lies in a desire for more movement rather than less stuff.

Enjoy!

To read more, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss181 for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Top 10 of 2017 Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

It’s the last (new) episode of the year! Today’s hostful was going to be a “year-in-review” type affair, but Brooke is officially sick of talking about their plans, and so instead it’s a wrap up of Brooke and Ben’s favourite things from 2017!

There are mixed emotions in the McAlary house as they finish the school year and start to have that nostalgic appreciation for a place you know you’re going to be leaving soon. So they kick things off light, starting with their favourite TV shows, small details and movies of the year. Brooke and Ben end up sharing the same favourite movie as it was the only time they went to the movies this year - together, without the kids, in the middle of the day. “It felt strangely wrong but awesome at the same time”, said Ben of the experience.

They then move onto their favourite new destinations, books (featuring a suspicious amount of Stephen King, no surprises there) and discovery of the year. Then it’s on to favourite album, new podcast, meal and last of all, favourite experience of 2017. They both feel incredibly fortunate for all the great things that have happened this year, and also talk a little bit about the intention or feeling they might like to try and cultivate in the new year.

And that is that! Thank you so much for listening this year, buying the books, and supporting us in any way. We truly feel so grateful to be part of this growing slow community. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays, and hope you can soak in the downtime. We’ll be back next week with the summer series, and with new podcasts on the 1st February. Until then, have a great few weeks!

To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/221/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.

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And thanks so much for listening!

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Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/

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