After all, what we wear not only surrounds and protects us, it enhances our features and expresses our personality.

I have to admit though, getting dressed for the day can become confusing and burdensome especially when one minute you are at a netball game or trudging around a hilly golf course, and the next at a dinner with your girlfriends in a gorgeous Sydney restaurant …

The change of season also throws me and I find a closet clean-out clears the decks for the new season and breathes fresh air into my wardrobe, allowing space for some new and necessary pieces.

Cue Sydney personal shopper and stylist extraordinaire, FiFi!

The time and money saved by hiring a stylist at least once a year is invaluable to me and this is why…

– They help cull your wardrobe of clothes which no longer serve you (pass these on to friends, family and/or charity).
 
– They are experts in optimising and transforming what already exists in your wardrobe. 

– They make an inventory of items you need to buy which makes getting dressed each day effortless, allowing you to get the most out of your wardrobe, and they know exactly where to get them from no matter what budget.
 
– They save money on new purchases and wrong purchases which never see the light of day #guilty #guilty #guilty
 
– They save you the the agony of looking through racks of clothes when you have kids to pick up from school in an hour! 
 
– They help you feel confident every time you step out the door.

– They give back time in your day because getting dressed each morning and looking chic becomes quick and effortless.

Our shopping session consisted of FiFi finding all the missing pieces to make getting ready for any occasion, effortless.

According to FiFi I’m ready and set for at least the next 7-8 Winters with the perfect pieces she found for me.

The whole experience was such a pleasure with FiFi doing the research and pounding the pavement first, then organising all the clothes for me in the dressing rooms of the different stores to try on.

Now I couldn’t be happier or more excited to get dressed each day.

Quite the ultimate act of self-care, because I’m totallyworth it ❤

A personal style session with FiFi would make a fab Mother’s Day gift don’t you think?

So below I am sharing three, 3 in 1 looks FiFi styled together for me, to showcase the versatility of some new and specific items I invested in. Look out for FiFi’s style tips below.

3 Ways with Black Leather Leggings

FiFi Style Tip: Black leather leggings add an edge for your look but are still a classic versatile black piece. For casual day time in the week toss on a big slouchy sweater white sneakers and an easy bucket bag. For wintery weekends it’s about wearing these leggings with a big parka, a simple knit, white sneakers and a tote. For evening add heels, a chic sophisticated wrap shirt plus grab a clutch ! Done !

3 Ways with Dark Denim Flares

FiFi Style Tip: A great new addition to your wardrobe are these dark denim high waist flares from Country Road, they are just so versatile. Not as casual as jeans but not boring black pants. They fill a gap in your wardrobe. For casual day time wear with a long brown cardigan, crisp white tee and sneakers. Add a tan bag to tie it in all and tone together. For a more dressed up day time look or a casual dinner toss over a check blazer with the tee and grab a small chic bag. For evening these jeans look fabulous with a simple black top, heels and a clutch. Add earrings.

3 Ways with Animal Print Dress

FiFi Style Tip: A long covered up dress is a a great piece for winter. It will take you from day to evening. It should have long sleeves, and go for a longer length. It should be over the knee. for a sophisticated day look try with long boots and a leather jacket. For casual weekends toss over a sweater and add boots and a big tote bag. For lunch or dinner add gold sandals and a chic designer bag.

Can’t really hide it, but I’m as happy as a pig in mud!

So tell me, what do you think of these looks? Do you have a fave?

Follow FiFi on instagram where she shares so many of her fab finds from luxe to less, and also keep an eye on my instagram too. FiFi and I discussed the possibility of doing a regular, fun Friday Fashion post series with looks for the different occasions I’ve got coming up …! 

Bren x

Grab your FREE copy of my 'CALM YOUR CORTISOL' recipe book to soothe your cortisol and start your journey to high energy, fast metabolism, and feeling like yourself again!

When I’m not cooking, cleaning, raising my family, running them all over town or running my business, I love playing dress up!

Note: All the looks in this post are by Shop With FiFi who breathed life into the old clothes in my wardrobe.

Here’s a Sass & Bide dress I picked up on sale a few years ago teamed with my very old, gold Missoni for Target to wear to a “no stilettos allowed” 50th birthday party I’m going to on Saturday night!

Even if it’s just to follow my son during a round of golf, or on the sidelines of my daughter’s netball game, and certainly when I’m out to lunch with my girlfriends, or on a (rare) dinner date with the hubby, I like to feel confident, chic and effortless in whatever I’ve thrown together.

FiFi foraged around and threw together this cosy, comfy yet chic casual look for Winter

Teamed with this old Witchery jacket for when I’m standing at Heffron Netball Courts, otherwise known as the coldest place on earth, watching my daughter in the Winter time. FiFi tip: Jean cuffs should hit the top of the boot!

But usually at the start of a new season, I’m like a deer in headlights staring at my wardrobe, and I know it sounds like #firstworldproblems, but I almost dread getting dressed for the day.

There’s just too many clothes all crammed in together and I don’t  have time to rifle through so I make do with the Same.Old.Looks #boring

Know the feeling?

A wardrobe detox and styling session is up there as one of my favourite forms of self-care, I’m always left feeling refreshed, fulfilled, confident and so good that I’ve treated myself to something fun.

The other option for the “no stilettos” 50th birthday party on Saturday night, but I might save this one for a dinner date with hubby.

It’s had been a couple years since my last wardrobe detox, and desperate to pare down to basics, streamline and style, I remembered a super-lovely and super- stylish lady I’d met at a friends birthday drinks who was a personal stylist and shopper, and that was FiFi from Shop with FiFi and The FiFi Report.

I highly recommend following FiFi on instagram for all her current fashion tips from ‘luxe to less’. 

So I got FiFi around to unlock some of the dark secrets of my wardrobe on a search-and-destroy mission and a mercy dash to search-and-accessorise and we’re going to follow this up with a shopping spree too (blog post to come).

“I want you to love your wardrobe and get dressed effortlessly and easily in the morning’ – FiFi

And that’s what FiFi has done for me.

Personal shopper/stylist, FiFi totally understood my lifestyle required mainly casual looks and she was determined to style looks for me she was certain I’d wear

Two garbage bags full later and endless looks styled to fit my brief, I’m strutting my stuff down the street as though I’m Naomi Campbell ?That’s truly how good I feel!

Below are a few more looks I love ….

I can’t wait for  Stage 2, when FiFi takes me shopping for a few missing items which will just make getting dressed each day even more effortless.

Do you have a favourite look FiFi put together for me? Let me know in the comments! 

You can follow FiFi at Shop With FiFi here.

Bren x

Grab your FREE copy of my 'CALM YOUR CORTISOL' recipe book to soothe your cortisol and start your journey to high energy, fast metabolism, and feeling like yourself again!

We need to understand that by looking after ourselves we feel more valued and we create a deeper sense of connection to ourselves, our families and the world.  

There are many simple ways we can take a break from the demands of the day and some of my personal favourites are:

• exercising
• committing to at least 15 minutes of quiet time each day,
• asking for help (hard one!)
• catching up with girlfriends frequently

While it may not be an obvious choice, fashion is another one of my favourite and fun methods of self-care! After all, what we wear not only surrounds and protects us, enhances our features and expresses our personality.

I have to admit though, getting dressed for the day can become confusing and burdensome especially when one minute you are at a netball game or on the sidelines of a 50 over cricket game, and the next at a dinner with your girlfriends in a gorgeous Sydney restaurant. The change of season also throws me and I find a closet clean-out clears the decks for the new season and breathes fresh air into my wardrobe, allowing space for some new and necessary pieces.

Cue stylists, Jocaliving, dynamic duo extraordinaire, besties and mums, inspiring women everywhere to put their best foot forward. The time and money saved by hiring a stylist twice a year (summer and winter) is invaluable to me and this is why…

• they help me cull my wardrobe of clothes which no longer serve me (these end up with friends and family or St Vincent de Paul)
• they are experts in optimising and transforming what already exists in my wardrobe by styling endless fresh looks to take me from rugby to rooftop bar
• they make an inventory of items I need to buy which  make dressing easier and allow me to get the most out of my wardrobe
• they save me money on new purchases
• they save me the agony of looking through racks of clothes when I have kids to pick up from school in an hour! 
• they help me feel confident every time I step out the door

Make sure you take a look at Jocaliving’s special offers at the end of this post

Below I document my two sessions with Jocaliving.

Part 1: Culling and Styling with what was already in my wardrobe

I had a specific brief for my wardrobe cull/styling session. I needed to focus on casual but smart winter looks to take me from shopping, to lunch with the girls, and the sidelines of my kids sport. I had dinner with the hubby that night so the last look was for that purpose : )

Here are 10 of my favourite looks from our session. I’ve been wearing these looks TO DEATH!  You will notice Jocaliving rotated and mixed and matched lots of my clothes and accessories, which means with just some simple tweaks, I stay feeling fresh in all my different looks. I also love that I can just go to my photos on my phone for reference if I’m ever feeling stuck to get dressed.

Here’s another comfortable and adaptable look which the girls styled live on Facebook on the day of our session.

Part 2: Filling in the Gaps with a Shopping Styling Session

During our ‘cull and style’ home session, Jocaliving made a list of missing items which I needed to make my wardrobe gel, allowing more flexibility to use more of what was already in there. Things like jewellery, belts, shoes and bags were the crucial missing elements. Plus, some staples which are on the Jocaliving (JL) ‘MUST HAVE’ winter staples list (find out how to get a copy of this cheat sheet below!). I also wanted some dressier looks to take me to events, book launches, or out to lunch and dinner. I am madly in love with all the pieces they found, all on sale I might add, and all I can see myself wearing for years on end.

Here are just a few of the looks they threw together for me.

Look 1: I love this grey knit dress, it can be worn a bit more casual with the boots and cross over bag for lunch, or dressed up with the heel and clutch for night. I’m thinking I might wear this to an evening event I’m attending for my husbands work at the Art Gallery of NSW.

Look 2: Also on their ‘JL MUST HAVES’ is this  long vest and waxy black jeans. I just popped on a warm knit with cut out shoulders underneath (you can see the jumper better in Look 6) and voila, ready for lunch with the girls, or a cook book launch or event.

Look 3: “JL MUST HAVE” winter knit with gold necklace (which is actually a belt- love the versatility!) and nude heels. I’ll wear this one with a long sleeve underneath, it’s great that I can wear it both ways. I’ll throw my black cape over this one and off to dinner I’ll go!

Look 4: I love this look and I’m planning on wearing it to a food product evening event in the city next week. Notice the necklace, leather jacket from my casual looks and waxy black jeans make an appearance again.

Look 5: Crisp white and neutrals are lovely in winter, teamed with my leather jacket for warmth, I’d take this one out to breakfast with the flats (can’t stop wearing them!), or lunch with the heels. Love my new ‘JL MUST HAVE’ crossover bag and white jeans.

Look 6: “JC MUST HAVE’ black knit dress with earrings, rope belt, bag and heels, throw on my charcoal or black cape and I’m ready for dinner with my man!

Look 7: A repeat of the white jeans and cross over bag, teamed with new top and denim jacket. Can be made casual or dressy depending on bag and shoe. Must say, this is probably better for early Winter, or warmer Winter’s day, or the cusp of Winter and Spring.

Look 8: I’m dressing up again with “JC MUST HAVE’ knitted jumper (I love a cut out), teamed with a skirt we found at a bargain price.  I’ll throw a cape or coat over my shoulders again before heading out for the night.

So, whaddya think?

Now for the exciting special offers!!! Yes, you can have both!

Special Offer #1:

In the comments below, let me know your favourite look from Part 2, and head over to Jocaliving and like their instagram page, to receive a FREE copy of the Jocaliving ‘MUST HAVE WINTER STAPLES’ cheat-sheet which they created especially and exclusively for followers and fans of this page.

Special Offer #2:

Jo and Carolyne from Jocaliving have kindly offered the first 5 women who email me, a personal home and cull styling session OR shopping styling session for 25% off the full price! They are already worth their weight in gold at $400 for a day, but $300 is just ridiculous to have these gals come in and sort you out and make dressing for each day a breeze! You can email me at brenda@brendajanschek.com

NB: This offer is only for those who are Sydney based and live a maximum of 20 kms from the CBD.

Good luck!

Bren x

In recent years I’ve thrown myself back into work mode, which for me has meant more videos, public appearances, events and meetings with clients. Getting dressed for the day however can become confusing and burdensome especially when one minute you are at swimming lessons or on the sidelines of a 50 over cricket game, and the next at a cookbook launch in a gorgeous Sydney restaurant. I know lots of women feel this way.

Do you have wardrobe full of clothes but nothing to wear?

Cue Dijanna Mulhearn fashion educator and stylist extraordinaire from Wardrobe 101. What I love about Dijanna is that she all about sustainable and ethicial fashion, asking us to buy less, but buy well, consider where the clothes we buy comes from, who’s making them, and how we can stop our clothes from ending up in landfill.

She has ordered me to STOP BUYING CLOTHES and managed to completely revive my wardrobe by creating an endless amount (and I mean endless!) of looks from what already existed in there. Whether you have a lot of clothes or just a few, Dijanna’s flair is for creating numerous looks from one single piece which can take you from day to night, from rugby to a rooftop bar!

On a high since our session, I have worn one of Dijanna’s ensemble creations every day, and they haven’t gone unnoticed. I feel great stepping out and feeling good about how I am presenting myself to the world. You just can’t put a price on that.

Below I share some of my favourite looks from our session, I wish I could show you all of them but there are too many to post.(love having the photos on my phone to permanently refer back to by the way.) My brief to Dijanna was to focus on casual wear which is my main struggle, but t I also wanted a corporate look, day to night options and to revisit some very old, but still beautiful pieces I was unsure how to wear.
In the pictures notice the repetition of clothing items, and accessories, so clever and I would never have considered it. (Excuse the messy room and amateur photos, we were very focused on moving the session along between snaps and have no idea why my head and feet became cut off when I uploaded the photos to my blog)

Oh, and make sure you take a look at the special offer at the end!

Here we go……

When Dijanna walked I was wearing this black dress “just for home” so we started with a super casual look for the beach

Then jazzed the beach look up a little…

Then a little more..

Ending on what turned out to probably be my favourite look of the day using some wedges which were given to me a few years ago (and never worn0 and necklaces also never worn. I’m totally going to wear this for evening drinks at the beach with the girls! It’s so ” me”.

Moving on, she managed to breath new life into my old Camilla top by pairing it with some forgotten Country Road pants and bag from a Byron Bay market stall bought 4years ago which Dijanna fell in love with and showed me how it could also be worn reversible.

She ramped the same look up with my Leona Edmiston wedges and Belinda Pieris bag. Lunch with the girls perhaps?

Add a Zimmerman top from a recent Winter purchase for a daytime summer look

Change the pants to Missoni for Target  that have literally haven’t seen the light of day for two years! Teamed with my old red Rachel Ruddick bag for a burst of fun.

Would never have thought to put my gold Country Road singlet circa 2005 with this waist-banded Dotti skirt for an everyday look..

Let along throwing on some heels and a bag for a day to night look.

Dotti skirt used next for a whole new casual look based around some green earrings I love.

And so thrilled to say hello to this Vivienne Tam top again which I purchased 20 years ago on a shopping spree in LA. Such a gorgeous piece in an amazing fuchsia colour.

And my vintage beaded Temperly top gets a look in teamed with my Dotti skirt, again. I think I might wear this look for a 50th birthday party on Saturday night, the dress code is cocktail.

Next, corporate done three ways…those strappy heels are so old it’s embarrassing, can’t believe they still work!

Added my sequins Gorman bolero and different heels..

Swapped for Target (yes Target!) tux blazer

And back to casual again with my Missoni for Target (again!) dress, Mimco shoes from factory outlet and Rachel Ruddick bag

In the three hour session we seriously got a gazillion looks done and had loads of fun. Dijanna’s passion definitely shone through!

I’d love to hear your favourite look in the comments!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS!!!

The first 5 people to email Dijanna with “BJ Health” in the subject box, will receive
a 3 hour personal styling values at $420 for only $380 PLUS a signed copy of one of her bestselling books – Wardrobe 101 or Wardrobe 101 for Mums.

Best Christmas present to yourself – EVER!!

Terms and Conditions: This offer applies to Sydney applicants only.

Best of luck!

Dijanna from Wardrobe 101 was sent on a journey to unlock some of the dark secrets of my wardrobe with the only half tongue-in-cheek warning that there might be more work in there than she bargained for. It was as much a search-and-destroy mission as it was a mercy dash to search-and-accessorise! It’s not that bad, really, but many of my clothes had ceased being an inspiration, and that needed to change. Or the clothes had to! The equation was pretty clear.

Sure enough, when I returned not five minutes later, it was to a heap of clothes that resembled the detritus of the fashion world and the early stages of a bonfire much more than it did a well-maintained treasure. So I guess I didn’t disappoint her .. or maybe I did!

In any case, after explaining why these clothes were headed to the great clothes rack in the sky (which you can see in the video), she softened the blow with some kind words for a cropped black jacket which had survived the cull due to its versatility. Dijanna showed me three easy and gorgeous ways to style it that will see me off to a casual lunch with girlfriends, a more formal meeting with a corporate client, or a movie opening at the Verona.

You can check the outfits out below, but in the meantime, see what was ditched and why.

While Dijanna was working her magic, I had snuck into the kitchen to whizz her up Quirky Cooking’s ‘My Favourite Green Smoothie’. It’s actually my second favourite smoothie, beaten to the no.1 ranking by the Coconut Chai Green Smoothie from her new cookbook (which is one of the prizes in this big giveaway!). It’s a great breakfast option for Dijanna and her family (and quick!), and I’m hoping she will add it into her growing repetoire of nourishing, yet snappy family meals.

Here’s how to make this delicious green smoothie…

GIVEAWAY (This giveaway is closed and winner has been contacted)

I’ve decided to run a fantastic giveaway which includes five amazing prizes valued at over $400!!! Entry details below.

Food versus fashion giveaway includes:

<1 x Wardrobe 101 sustainable eco-friendly T-shirt, making it easier to make smart fashion choices without compromising the planet. It is 100% organic. Value $145.

1 x Chasing Issy one off necklace. Value $120.

1 x Quirky Cooking cookbook that contains over 130 healthy, mouth-watering recipes catering to a broad spectrum of specialist diets. Value $50.

1 x case of Natural Raw C coconut water. Low in sugar and super delish. Value $40

1 x copy of Wardrobe 101, a go-to manual to create your perfect core wardrobe.  Value $34.95

3 simple steps to enter for your chance to win all these prizes:

Firstly like the Facebook pages of:

Wardrobe 101
Chasing Issy
Quirky Cooking
Natural Raw C 
Brenda Janschek Health and Lifestyle

And then sign up to my free newsletter here.

Finally, leave a comment in this blog telling me which cropped jacket outfit  is your favourite (1, 2 or 3) and why.

Terms and conditions:

* This giveaway runs until midnight, 6th of August 2014.
* The winner will be chosen randomly.
* This competition is open to Australian residents only.
* The winner will be announced by email.

Best of luck everyone!

Bren x

PS: Did anyone notice I’m wearing the same shoes and bag in each picture. She’s a clever gal that Dijanna!

As a mumpreneur, my focus had shifted to more immediately necessary  things – raising my family, preparing meals, after school activities and events, creating and building my business. You know how it goes. I used to love fashion, my clothes, and getting dressed for the day. When did it get so hard? Where did that girl go? I miss her.

It was time to call in the expert. Lucky for me my bestie is Dijanna Mulhearn from Wardrobe 101. She is no stranger to my frenzied texts the night before an event desperately seeking styling advice. So we struck a deal: in exchange for her fashion education, Dijanna asked me to show her the easy way to good health through food.

It struck me that if Dijanna and I were having this food/fashion struggle, then possibly you might be too. And when I asked you the question on Facebook, it your replies confirmed my suspicion. It seems to be a universal issue.

So this post is the first in a fun series exploring some easy fashion and food fixes, and allows us to remember that it’s healthy to indulge in a bit of self care and self love.

Click on the video as we set up our challenge – Dijanna shares a quick fashion tip and gets a taste of a delicious quick snack for her efforts. (We’ll work on video length and blurriness factor for the next ones!)

You can find the full recipe for Brenda’s Brekky Ball here

Dijanna’s fussy eater 7yr old not only loved Brenda’s Brekky Ball, but shared some with his mates who have sent an order through for some more 🙂

What are your fashion/food woes? We’d love to hear from you and address your stresses!

In the next installment of Food versus Fashion, Dijanna finds a little gem in my wardrobe and proceeds to show me how easy it is to create three different looks with this single piece. And I’ll make sure I supply here with an ultra-tasty, supercharged smoothie to send her on her way to face another busy day without a stop off at McDonalds!

Look out for an awesome giveaway coming up in the following weeks and we’d love it if you shared this post to help other mums in the same boat.

Bren x

I recently had lunch with a couple of my besties, Dijanna Mulhearn, director of Wardrobe 101, and Dena Danis, designer for fashion label Constantina and Louise.

The three of us over-40 mums were desperately trying to find the answer to perfect balance, and wondering why on earth we had chosen the relentless slog & risk of entrepreneurship?

Hadn’t we all felt satisfied and fulfilled in our roles as mums and homemakers?

We agreed that running our own business’ left us feeling stressed out, flat out, crazy, insanely imbalanced, and much had been sacrificed in the form of family, self-care, friendships and downtime.

Why then?

The answer came quickly that day as we came to the excited realisation that we do what we do because we feel compelled to do it. Each of us is answering our individual calling, what we feel to be a divine purpose that embodies us and spurs us on.

As theologian Frederick Beuchner is quoted as saying, “True vocation joins self and service.” He defines vocation as “the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”

And, strangely, it feels like we are going with the flow…..the flow of what life wants us to do.

So having a calling doesn’t mean it’s easy to follow. And who knows if we’ve chosen the right expression for our calling?  We all trust, however, that we will ultimately be led there.

Perhaps the confusion my friends and I are feeling is because the pendulum has swung with too much force in this different direction?

And as we realise that honouring our calling also means being clear about our core values, we are starting to feel the pendulum slowly swing back to equilibrium.

For me, that means back to my family, integrity, connection, to gratitude, communication, health, friendship and peace.

Do you have a calling? I’d love to hear what it is.

Bren x