the tortoise & the hare

Latest Episodes:

Hands-free living with Rachel Macy Stafford Nov 18, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/36

When people used to ask Rachel Macy Stafford just how she managed to fit so much into her life, she took it as a compliment. But as her world began crashing down around her, she realised just how much ‘having it all’ was actually costing her.

In today’s episode I ask Rachel about the moment she realised things needed to change and how giving just 10 minutes of undistracted time to her family was enough to turn things around.

We also talk about people pleasing and the modern day myth that busyness equals success.

This show is full of big moments of realness - just like Rachel’s writing - and there’s a lot in this conversation that I’ve been revisiting over the past couple of weeks.

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The psychology of slow with Linda Esposito Nov 11, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/35

Linda Esposito is a psychotherapist who’s passionate about helping stressed out, sleep deprived adults, angry teens and their frustrated parents.

When I sat down with her recently we wound up talking about depression, social media, the power of disconnecting and the importance of routine.

We also chat about the work she does with mindfulness, how we can learn to better manage our stress and why she’s determined to reduce the 46+ million Xanax prescriptions written each year in the US.

It’s really interesting to get an insight into the clinical research into living a slower, simpler, more mindful life because so often it feels like the slow movement has been co-opted by commercial brands and turned into a trend. Talking about the real world benefits of it with someone who sees the result daily was fascinating.

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Small changes and green smoothies with Jen Hansard Nov 04, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/34

Sometimes I’ll have a conversation with a guest that leaves me feeling like I’ve spent an hour chatting with a friend, and today’s episode with Jen Hansard - one half of the dynamic Simple Green Smoothies duo - is one of them.

Jen and I talk about the massive success of Simple Green Smoothies and the brand new book (out today!) but we also talk about the health crises that started it all.

Like a lot of us, Jen was addicted to coffee and getting by on a diet high in processed food. Her energy was flagging and she found herself and family constantly sick. It wasn’t until she was forced to make big changes to her family’s diet that she really recognised the impact our food has on our health and well being. The Simple Green Smoothies movement grew from there and now the girls are rockstars of wellness.

But we also talk about balance and being realistic in the changes we make, why there's always room for Pizza Fridays, the importance of community and Jen’s favourite smoothie recipe. I also share my non-recipe for a go-to breakfast smoothie that looks disgusting but tastes amazing. (And now I’m hungry.)

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joshua Becker Returns! Nov 02, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/33

This is a special bonus episode of the show, featuring a chat I recently had with Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist.

Joshua and his wife have just launched The Hope Effect - a charity designed to revolutionise orphan care.

To be honest, I had no real idea of the difficult and damaging environment many young orphaned children are brought up in, and once I heard Joshua's reasons and the plan behind The Hope Effect, I absolutely had to share it with you.

Today we talk about the work of The Hope Effect, what made them decide to start a charity (which is a story of great generosity in itself) and how you can get involved this holiday season.

Take a listen, check out The Hope Effect and share this episode with your friends and family.

Enjoy!

PS. If you'd like to take part in fundraising for Homes for the Holidays, head here and contribute to the campaign! Try giving the gift of hope this holiday season.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's the best part of slow living? SHP032 Oct 28, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/32

This week it’s hostful time, where we do our best to answer your listener questions. This week Ben even sings. It’s a beautiful thing.

Fortunately though, this was our first time recording with a two-mic set up (we’re so professional) so Ben’s mic is a little quiet. We’ve done our best to shift the levels around and it should be fine but if things sound a little different, that’s why.

We spend this week’s episode answering a handful of great questions straight from you, including:

- How can I find support and guidance in my local area, particularly from those looking to live a similarly slow, simple life?
- Can you give us an insight into your daily life?
- Any tips for the upcoming holidays, especially the social engagements with friends and colleagues?
- What have you found to be the biggest advantage or the most rewarding aspect of slow living?
- Can you suggest some other podcasts in a similar vein to the Slow Home Podcast?

It’s a great group of questions and I think we've got some good answers for you, in amongst the singing and general silliness.

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lox-tox living with Alexx Stuart - SHP031 Oct 21, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/31

Everyone’s path to a simpler life unfolds differently, but as I’ve been interviewing guests for the podcast and talking to more and more people about their stories, it’s becoming clear that there are common points in most tellings. Common realisations as we strip away the excess, the clutter, the stress and the stuff.

One of the most common is the desire to simplify the food we eat and the products we use, simply because of the impact they’re having on our well being. It’s so often that we come to un

Today I chat with Alexx Stuart, low-tox living expert, about the changes we can make to our food and many of our everyday products, and the impact these changes can have on our well being.

We look at the first steps anyone can take to make the shift towards a low-tox life, and also talk about guilt and how to move past the fear of being “too far gone” to make any significant changes.

It’s an information-packed episode with loads of resources for you to check out after, so be sure to head over here to check out the show notes, including links to Alexx’s upcoming ecourse, as well as her recommended books and documentaries.

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx

====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Simple city living with Rachel Jonat - SHP030 Oct 14, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/30

Many people dream of making the shift from hectic city life to somewhere slower paced, and I can’t help but feel this has become the expected move for those adopting a simpler life.

But it totally doesn’t need to be the case. Today I chat with Rachel Jonat who has just moved her family of five from The Isle of Man (a relatively small and remote island in the Irish Sea) back to inner-city Vancouver, and life is just as, if not more simple now.

Cities have a whole lot going for them when it comes to slow living, and today we talk about the benefits of living in a city as opposed to a small community.

Rachel and I also talk about minimalism-lite and how it plays out with three young boys, why she loves over-the-top birthday parties and what her world-champion rowing career taught her about living a non-conventional life.

There was lots for me to think about after this conversation - particularly about things like fear, failure, experimenting and honesty - and I really hope you get as much from it as I did!

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx
====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tsh Oxenreider on slow travel and why you're never really ready - SHP029 Oct 07, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/29

Travel has been a part of my life for a really long time, so chatting with this week's guest, Tsh Oxenreider, was such a joy.

Tsh has just returned home after a year-long round the world trip with her husband and 3 kids and - not surprisingly - we spend a good chunk of today's episode talking about it.

We chat about the different types of long-term travel - both slow travel and ‘hurry up and see all the sights’ travel - as well as how to make it work with a family. We look at packing, toys and the things that surprised her most about being on the road for such a long time, and we also talk about the different parenting styles they encountered along the way.

Honestly, this episode gave Ben and I a big dose of itchy feet, so be warned that you may just find yourself perusing airline deals later today. (Not that we did anything of the sort, of course. Ahem.)

Enjoy!

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

And thanks so much for listening! xx
====

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding time for slow living - SHP028 Sep 30, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/28

Time for another hostful episode and today Ben and I are answering two really excellent listener questions.

The first is from a busy mum who is trying to find time to live a slow life - in spite of the constraints of family, work and life.

The second question is about how best to establish a social network of like-minded people, while not alienating old friends whose lifestyle might be significantly different to our own.

These are such cracking questions and we go back and forth a lot with both, as neither of them has an answer as such. Like so much of slow and simple living, it’s about what works for you rather than what works for ‘everyone’ (whoever ‘everyone’ is).

I’m also loathe to give a one size fits all answer, because they’re so dissatisfying to me. I love that there’s more than one way to approach these issues and endlessly differing points of view.

Enjoy our chat, and don't forget to head over to the Facebook page if you have a question you'd like answered on an upcoming hostful episode.

Also, if you haven't yet subscribed to the show be sure to head over to the iTunes store and subscribe or leave us a rating/review. Doing so helps others discover the show and spread the idea of slow living even further!

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jules Clancy on (fast) slow food Sep 23, 2015

Show notes

http://www.slowyourhome.com/27

Is there such a thing as fast slow food? Today’s guest, Jules Clancy of The Stone Soup believes there is, and she’s made it her mission to create and share recipes that are healthy, tasty, fast, easy and have just 5 ingredients.

In today’s episode we talk about how to create simple, easy meals, but we also look at the impact minimalism has had on Jules’ life, beyond the culinary simplicity she practices. We dig in to her love of experimentation and also look at how decluttering lead to quitting her job and leaving the corporate world.

As the mum of a toddler, Jules has some excellent insight into dealing with the dreaded fussy eating stage and gives some tips on how to avoid the whole ‘make two dinners every night’ issue. She also talks about meal planning, getting the most out of your time in the kitchen and what staples she always has on hand - for those nights it’s really too hard to cook.

I absolutely loved this conversation (despite the horrible delay we had to contend with - please excuse any crappy audio!) and came away re-energised to try new things in the kitchen and put in an extra 30 minutes prep time on a Sunday, to set ourselves up well for the week ahead.

Enjoy!

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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