the tortoise & the hare

Latest Episodes:

Plastic: Say No to the Big 4 Jun 16, 2017

Show notes

Last year Ben and Brooke tried their hand at Plastic Free July. They tried to cut their use of plastics to zero for a full month, alongside tens of thousands of other counter-cultural, environmentally-minded souls. And… it was a bit of a bust.

The truth is that they were vastly unprepared. They hadn’t really thought through their daily needs or systems, and hadn’t gathered the required replacements for many of their plastics, which meant they were left high and dry when time came to go food shopping. Or buying takeaway. Or grabbing a coffee. Or living, really.

Over the next four Mondays they’re going to take a deep dive in to the issue of excessive plastic use and what small changes you can make - starting today - to reduce plastic use over time. In part this series is timed to coincide with Plastic Free July, but also because there is an emerging desire for change that wasn’t apparent even this time last year. Mostly people are just overwhelmed and confused by where to begin, and that’s where this series comes in.

Today Ben and Brooke offer you some simple ideas to stop using the Big 4 single use plastics altogether, with just a few easy swaps and a couple of habit changes. This includes saying no to:

drinking straws
takeaway coffee cups
plastic water bottles
plastic shopping bags

In today’s show they offer reusable solutions to each of these products, as well as ideas on how to re-train your brain to remember to use them!

There’s a great list of resources and links over at http://www.slowyourhome.com/170 as well as the full blog post so be sure to head over there.

Enjoy!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50 ways to (seriously) reduce your food waste Jun 14, 2017

Show notes

Just so you know straight off the bat, today’s episode is BIG. It’s packed full of practical tips and it moves prettttty fast. But it’s valuable, practical and, even better, it’s going to help you have a positive impact on the planet and your bank balance.

Big talk, eh? But this is a big show. In a little under an hour Ben and Brooke offer you 50 ways to reduce food waste in your own home, and it’s quite literally packed full of things you can do today. OK, probably not all of them today, but there is at least one idea in this episode for you to apply today. Guaranteed. And there’s no purchase of backyard chickens necessary.

Ben’s got some astonishing stats to share in this episode, but needless to say, the level of food waste in Australia alone is eye-wateringly high. And given what we know about food security in the developing world, and even many communities in our own backyard, it’s truly devastating to think about. And while some of this waste is a result of systems put in place by massive supermarket chains both in Australia and globally, a lot of it is not. Much of the food we waste in Australia is wasted in our own homes, and it’s this waste that we want to focus on in this big ol’ pogpast episode.

So dive in to the collective, crowdsourced wisdom of this episode, and head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/169 for the full list of tips Ben and Brooke cover today, as well as a list of resources and links that might be helpful in your own experiments in cutting back on food waste.

Enjoy!

This poggie is sponsored by ettitude - makers of ethical, organic bamboo bed linen (and now pyjamas!). Head over to http://www.ettitude.com.au/slowhome and use the offer code "sleepbetter" to get 10% off your first order.

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meditation Basics - Present Moment Awareness Jun 11, 2017

Show notes

Today is the third and final episode in our meditation basics series and Kevin Janks is back for one final, insightful meditation mini-workshop.

In today’s workshop Kevin talks us through the notion of present moment awareness. That is, what it looks like to practice living specifically and solely in the present moment, by training ourselves to pay attention to each of our senses, one at a time. He talks us through the following ideas and then leads you through a brief guided meditation where you’ll have the opportunity to practice what you’ve learnt:

This practise is all about being in the moment, simply because our senses are only ever in the moment (you can't be touching something yesterday).
By noticing what’s actually happening in our lives right now, we can liberate ourselves from the state of constant 'rehearse and replay' that at times dominates our lives.
With practice, it quickly becomes quite easy to draw joy and love from even the most basic of events, like feeling the sun against your skin or observing a bird flying through the sky.
Take time each day to simply observe your senses. Noticing sights and sounds are great to do whilst walking or commuting. Really observe the tastes of the food you are eating and begin exploring the depth of senses that surround us at any given time.

Enjoy today’s final workshop from Kevin, and if you’d like to download the meditation-only playlist from the last three weeks you can head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/168 and listen any time you’d like!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The little things are the big things, with Helen Hayward Jun 07, 2017

Show notes

In this episode Brooke chats with Helen Hayward - an author, freelance writer and psychotherapist who lives on a beautiful old property in Hobart and embraces a slow family life in almost every way. And while Helen’s most recent book, ‘A Slow Childhood: Notes on Thoughtful Parenting’ is, obviously, about parenting and raising a family, so much of what Helen and Brooke speak about in today’s poggie applies well beyond motherhood and parenting.

They talk a lot about what it means to live an examined life, and why, as they’ve both discovered over the past years, the little things really are the big things. And they also talk about the realities of encouraging (or keeping) older kids engaged with the idea of a slower, simpler life, as well as the benefits of boredom (or non-stimulation, as Helen calls it).

Brooke also raises one of her favourite bug-bears: the myth of work-life balance and Helen discusses why she’s not even sure long-term balance is a possibility. It's an unusually disarming and honest conversation that will give you lots to think about - parent or not.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/167 for the full blog post and links to all the resources mentioned in today's episode.

Enjoy!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meditation Basics - Emotions Jun 04, 2017

Show notes

Kevin Janks is back this week with the second mini-meditation workshop, and this week he’s helping you focusing on your emotions.

In today’s mini workshop, Kevin he talks through the physical sensations of our emotions - where we feel things like love or anger or anxiety in our bodies - and how to begin to notice the thought commentary that comes along with those feelings, as being distinct from the sensations themselves. He also talks about the following ideas:

Just like we are not our thoughts, we are also not our emotions
Emotions (feelings) are made up of bodily sensations and usually accompanied by thought patterns/stories
By distinguishing between the sensations (emotion) and thoughts, and observing 'us' as distinct from it all, our lives can change as we begin to take apart their power over us.
No longer will we identify with "being an angry/sad/frustrated/etc person
Rather, we can simply observe these emotions as they pass through us.
In everyday life, begin to observe the emotions that pass through you. Start to identify the inevitable patterns that they follow, and again practice seeing them as transient.

Take a listen to the episode below and I’d love to encourage you to practice this brief guided meditation every day this week before we move on to explore the idea of present moment awareness next Monday.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/166 for the full blog post, and enjoy!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10 things you might not know about us... May 31, 2017

Show notes

When Brooke and Ben had a last minute interview cancellation earlier this week, they thought it might be a good opportunity to do another hostful, but this time spend it digging a little deeper in to the parts of them you may not know about. Parts that might surprise you (or not) and parts they’re a little hesitant to share.

They talk about secret habits and vain concerns. They dive in to little-shared talents and personality traits. They disclose some rather embarrassing admissions about farm-based gaming apps and also share their thoughts and reasons for using social media the way they do (and the way they don’t).

So take a listen as Ben and Brooke reveal 10 things you may not know about them, including…

What’s Ben’s dirty little secret?
Which of them was addicted to My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic?
Just how successful is Jackrabbit.FM?
Has Brooke or Ben has recorded an album?

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/165 for the full post, and enjoy!

====

If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meditation Basics - Thoughts May 28, 2017

Show notes

Brooke has invited Kevin Janks from Centred Meditation back for the next three Monday shows, and together they’ve designed three mini-meditation workshops for you. These workshops go back to the basics of meditation, with each episode focusing on one key topic, that, over time, will allow you to create a well-rounded meditation practice. The three weeks will cover:

thoughts
emotions
present moment awareness

Each episode will begin with a brief introduction from Kevin on the topic we’re exploring, followed by a short guided meditation centred on the week’s topic, allowing you to put in to practice what you’ve learnt.

The focus of this week’s workshop is thoughts and these are the key takeaways from today’s mini-meditation lesson:

We are not our thoughts, even though we’re the ones who make them up (which is really more reason not to take them too seriously!).
We have a choice as to how we interact with our thoughts.
In everyday life, start to notice the thoughts passing through your mind, without trying to change or wish them away. Just notice their transient nature and how they are not you.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/164 for the full blog post, and enjoy!

====

If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tsh Oxenreider on slow living as a wandering homebody May 24, 2017

Show notes

The last time Tsh Oxenreider appeared on the poggie, she and her family had just returned to the States after a year-long, round-the-world adventure. In the 18 months since, Tsh has turned her family’s adventure in to a beautiful new book called ‘At Home in the World’ where she talks about the paradox of being a wandering homebody - someone who feels at home on the road but also yearns for the deep roots of community.

In today’s episode Brooke and Tsh talk about that tension, and the freedom she discovered when she embraced both sides of her personality - the homebody and the wanderer - and why she is now happy to be deep in a home phase of life as she and her husband renovate an old house in a small Texas town.

They also talk about community and what it means to Tsh. Her definition, “A place where we know, and are known,” leads them to the topic of finding community in a new place. How can you cultivate community in a place you’re new to? And also, how can you feel part of a community if you’re only going to be there for a few weeks?

Brooke also takes the opportunity to ask Tsh one of the questions she’s asked most commonly: how to encourage older kids (tweens and teens, specifically) to embrace a simpler way of life. Tsh’s eldest daughter is now 12, so it’s helpful to hear her views on how best to encourage simplicity in kids that age, while also accepting that there will be tension on occasion.

Such a great, wide-ranging conversation that may have you both yearning for adventure and completely content with life at home.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/163 for the full blog post, and enjoy!

====

If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Start the day with gentleness May 21, 2017

Show notes

A couple of weeks ago Brooke came across an article on parent.co talking about the benefits of starting a day with gentleness and decided that she really wanted to talk about it on the poggie. And while she is a big advocate for a little bit of slow in the morning, knows that many other people - both parents and non-parents alike - find the advice frustrating. There’s already so much to do in the mornings, so many pieces of the puzzle to fit together, that adding “start the day with gentleness” often feels a stretch too far.

What the article suggests, and what Brooke has found to be true time and time again, is that if we think we don’t have time for a moment of slow in the morning, then we really don’t have time for a meltdown. Taking even just a few minutes to greet our kids with a cuddle, asking how they slept, letting them wake at the pace they need, means they’re far more likely to start the day feeling secure and happy, and less likely to feel overwhelmed or overstimulated right off the bat.

Brooke and Ben also talk about the different things you can do for yourself in order to start the day a little slower, and why it so often leads us to be more efficient, more pleasant to be around and more positive in general. Ben also tells Brooke that he’d prefer she didn’t actually talk to him in the morning, so that’s a nice thing to learn on a podcast.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/162 for the full blog post, links to the articles and this week’s take away action.

Enjoy!

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advice to my 18-year-old self... May 17, 2017

Show notes

It's hostful time again on the podcast and this time (as always) the questions are SOLID.

Brooke and Ben have fun answering your questions, including these gems:

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you think the role of your job/career fits into ones life, if it doesn't link specifically with your 'why'.
What are some strategies to manage the paper that builds up so that it does not become overwhelming clutter? How do you manage filing things that need to be kept, and dealing with the rest?
What advice would you give your 18 year old self?
How do I throw away gifts without the giftee noticing next time they visit?!

Brooke has a lot of fun answering the 18 year old question (pink hair?!) and there's a good mix of practical and heart-felt advice to be had.

Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/161 for links and the full blog post, and in the meantime - ENJOY!

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If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially.

And thanks so much for listening!

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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