If you’re like me you’re panicking a bit, and don’t know what your going to get your loved ones for Mother’s Day, you’re going to find this bunch of  beautiful items handy because you can buy them all online for your mum, grandmother or you can hint for yourself if anyone happens asks : )

MY FAVOURITE GIFT IDEAS FOR MOTHER’S DAY

HOME

S’well Calacatta Gold 500 ml Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle

Gosh I’d feel special and blingy getting one of these water bottles! My current one is old and quite smashed up…hint, hint! (they have lots of gorgeous finishes to choose from).

Betty Bossi Veggie Twister

Gives you vegetable spaghetti in seconds!

Hemp Organic Cotton Sheet Sets

I would adore a set of these beautiful, natural hemp organic cotton blend sheets to sink into every night.  

Mandy Rose Beeswax Candles

I love these beautiful Australian made 100% natural candles which purify the air and invigorate the body.

SELF CARE

Wheatbags Love Eye Mask – Rainforest Clouds

When your brain senses pure darkness, it signals the production of the melatonin which is the sleep chemical, vastly improving your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.

I love these ones because they are locally and ethically made and the watercolour prints are so lovely.

Non-toxic Nail Polish

So many gorgeous colours to choose from! I’m thinking the Coral Blush, Impeachment, The Future is Female or Narcissist. Just.Can’t. Choose!

Salt by Hendrix Body Glow

A gorgeous bath oil to leave your skin bronzed, glowing and radiant. Extremely hydrating and offers an abundance of vitamins and minerals. Suitable for day and night. Divine!

Body Brush

A body brush is a must have to ensure we are draining the lymphatic system, detoxifying, exfoliating every day. The natural bristles in this beechwood bath brush are perfect for massaging the skin and stimulating  blood circulation. I do love an extra long handle to get to those hard-to-reach areas.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated liquids made of aromatic compounds from plants. The best essential oils are typically steam-distilled and 100 percent pure.

Sensation – This is going to be my gift to myself. I only had a sample of this scent and OMG, it’s just so me. It combines fragrant, feminine essential oils that are uplifting and refreshing. Diffusing it made me want to curl up on the lounge with a good romance novel and escape. It’s currently my fave. 

Stress Away Roll- On

This can be bought singularly but also comes in the Premium Starter Kit (below). Not only do I use it as a toxic free perfume, but while I’m swanning around smelling great, ‘stress away’ is also helping me feel relaxed, calming my nerves and gives me a deep, restful sleep when I apply it at bedtime.

Premium Starter Kit

In every way possible it’s important to create healing environments in our body, and essential oils are one way to help do this.The essential oils in this starter kit are just so beautiful and soothing. They
evoke relaxation and a positive feeling, which promotes healing in the body. Isn’t that what every mum wants?  Add a few drops of lavender for a relaxing bath, diffuse some peppermint to create a sense of calm or ‘purification’ to detoxify the air, ‘francincense’ is perfect for meditation or to promote a beautiful complexion. Note: the ‘Stress Away Roll On’ mentioned above comes with this kit.

You can email me directly to learn more about this or any Young Living products.

What are you hoping to receive this Mother’s Day?

Don’t forget to treat yourself too. I always like to do that because it reduces the expectation and potential disappointment of not getting exactly what you wanted (we’ve all been there!). 

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!