If you are like most people, finding the motivation to stay active over the cooler months can be challenging. Letʼs face it, who wants to go for a walk or run when itʼs dark or pelting down with rain? A simple bike ride can become a dangerous activity if you are cycling on slippery autumn leaves. Itʼs easy to make excuses and stay snuggled up in bed, but now isnʼt the time for your fitness goals to hibernate. It’s time to get creative and reassess your workouts and goals so they are seasonally appropriate. Staying active will help chase away those winter blues. Here are a few ideas to keep you on track: 1. Adopt The Attitude Of Gratitude Change your mind, change your attitude to gratitude. Winter is a important season for all living things. Farmers welcome the relief of rain. Deciduous trees are bare up top but below ground they are working frantically in preparation for spring growth. Embrace the change of seasons….summer bodies are made in winter! 2. Safety In Numbers You only need to read the headlines to know that itʼs a crazy world out there. With diminishing daylight hours now is the time to find a training partner. This is for your own safety and it makes you accountable. If you have arranged to meet someone at a specific time you are less inclined to cancel. Should you be short of training partners why not create a poster and display it at a local cafe or milk bar? Get friendly with your neighbour. Start a walking or running group…you may be surprised how many people turn up. Group exercise is a great way to cultivate new friendships within your local community I encourage you to get outdoors, inhale the fresh air and grab some Vitamin D! If you train outdoors dress appropriately and be prepared for inclement weather. Most people hide the very second grey clouds appear however, some of my most memorable and funniest experiences have involved training in the rain. To this very day I have yet to meet anyone that rusts and gosh it makes that hot shower afterwards feel amazing! Be sensible and take care. 3. Do Something Different Have you ever tried indoor rock climbing, a zumba class, pole dancing, circus training, aqua aerobics, nordic walking, martial arts or perhaps yoga? Why not register for an event? What is stopping you? Fitness should be fun! Find a teacher and an activity that inspires and makes you leap out of bed on cold mornings. Employ a qualified personal trainer and have a program written to your specific needs. Commit and pay for sessions in advance…who has money to burn? 4....

I just came third in a Thermomix “Dip Cook Off” Competition! It’s not every day you win a prize so I am a little bit chuffed. It involved cooking which gives me more reason to smile! To be honest, when I received the email from Thermomix last week abut the “Dip Cook Off Challenge” it was met with an eye roll. I immediately thought “here’s another thing on my list, how am I going to find the time”. I was chief taxi driver for the weekend as my husband was planning to be in Darwin…pt clients, a Thermomix demo, netball, football x 4 matches, tap dancing, a tap exam, dinner with friends, shopping and food preparation and, my 3 boys were in the middle of exams. Help! As it turned out there was a volcano in Indonesia so flights to Darwin were cancelled…with a little time to invest in some creative thought I pondered the “Dip Challenge”. I knew that the recipe would need to address my core philosophies, organic, simple, using readily available produce (home grown where possible), zero waste and maximum taste. The competition was always going to be tough so the recipe had to be original. Goodbye hummus! Each consultant had to bring a serving of their favourite dip (made in the Thermomix) to the Branch Meeting. The dip could come from a recipe book or, it could be a conversion. In my case, I MADE IT UP! Twenty-five consultants (harsh critics) had to taste test and rate all of the dips and only the Top 3 dips won a prize! I was still short on time so this is my made up recipe, it was pretty much invented as I progressed. If I had my chance again I’d add chilli to spice it up a bit…the red would also look fabulous against the orange & green. Roast carrot, almond & garlic pesto 7-8 medium sized whole organic carrots (washed only) 2 handfuls of organic almonds 5 organic macadamias Home grown garlic Olive Oil Drizzle of honey Roast above ingredients at 180 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender. Place above (cooled) ingredients into the Thermomix and combine with: One cup (approx) freshly picked home grown basil One cup (approx) freshly picked home grown parsley One cup of grated parmesan cheese Dash of olive oil Pulverise on speed 5 for 30-45 seconds or until desired consistency is reached…I like pesto crunchy. All my goals were achieved. Recipe was delicious and my kids were not happy with their tiny samples. I’ll be making another...