Whats New
This Month?
New content is released each week and will be updated below. But don't worry, all of the info still lives in the Vault section for you to refer back to anytime! Release schedule:
Simplify - First week of the month
Nourish - Second week of the month
Enjoy - Third week of the month
Celebrate - Fourth week of the month
Simplify
Say NO December!
I’m calling it.
The SIMPLEST WAY to SIMPLIFY December is to learn boundaries and how to say no.
Can we just recognise that our desire to please can often go into overdrive in December?
We can feel responsible for getting everything done and done RIGHT and not missing out on a thing.
But here’s what’s going to happen - you will be a burnt out mess by New Years or even Boxing Day. Ditch the martyrdom story that you must be rung out by the time the festivities are over. Take care of you. Simplify the whole damn thing!
Give yourself full permission to say no this December to simplify and streamline your life.
Examples:
- Kon Mari your social life - does an invitation spark joy? No? Then say no thanks!
- Have family that get into drama at Christmas time? Create healthy boundaries that involve a side serve of No! I am not available for this conversation right now.
- Believe there’s an expectation that you should be drinking and indulging at every social occasion? Don’t want to? No thank you!
- Kids want presents that don’t align with your values? Then it’s as simple as No!
Here’s what we forget (and have covered before in this Membership) - No is a complete sentence on it’s own.
There’s doesn’t need to be justification.
You matter MOST this holiday season. Take care of you, experiment with saying no and creating healthy boundaries and see how different everything feels.
You’ve got this.
Your December - Your CHOICE!
Lisa x
Nourish
Let’s party!
This Christmas season meal plan is designed to give you some prep-ahead meals that can feed your family at this busy time or be taken along to gatherings to share with others. Your hero protein is a Honey Mustard Glazed Ham – a classic Christmas dish.
And if endless leftover ham sandwiches aren’t your thing, you can easily use leftover ham in a range of recipes (just sub for bacon) over the next few days.
This December, along with your meal plan, we have a special treat for you!
We’ve collated all the very best Small Steps recipes for your Festive Table all in one handy place. Something for every occasion - you are completely taken care of this holiday period.
Oh and of course there are gorgeous new recipes!
Share which recipes you might prepare and what is making it on to your Festive Table.
With so much love and deep gratitude for our amazing Katherine McCoy for stunning recipes all year - what a gift she has!
Happy eating!
December New Recipes
No Posts Found.
Enjoy
Enjoy the Holidays
In 2019 I became a solo-parent. This has seen many things change and it’s meant I’ve been very intentional with my time. There is no one else to get the kids (or me!) moving on a weekend to do something adventurous and fun.
So when it comes to holiday time, whether you have kids or not, I wonder if you are intentional with your time? This doesn’t mean maxing out every minute! Far from it. If we always feel like there’s so much to do, then we’ll always feel like we can’t stop.
Getting intentional and having a plan means more enjoyment (and I can’t even believe I’m saying this because I was the QUEEN of spontaneity. But you know what I’ve found? It’s easier to be spontaneous when it’s not your every day reality!
Here’s the other thing - when planning my summer break this year, I am getting intentional with what I need in order for me to ENJOY it!
So as well as getting the kids to write a list of all the things they’d like to do, creating a calendar together and planning playdates in advance - I will also be factoring in PJ days, outsourcing children days, school holiday program days, cooking days, catch ups with my friends, reading mornings and all the other delicious things I love.
We can make things work for us. It’s all about getting conscious around how we spend our time.
Don’t you think?
How about this festive season you stay committed to enjoying yourself. What might that look like?
Is it comfortable for you to prioritise what you need?
Can you find a way to communicate this to your family?
We’ve attached a School Holidays Activity Ideas list to help you out.
But this year - I want you to think about what you love doing. What’s on your list this holiday season?
Much love,
Lisa x
Celebrate
December Outstanding Member - Veronica Pollard
The Small Steps Community is NOTHING without the contributions of it’s members.
And one brilliant cheerleader and commenter is Veronica Pollard. A Small Stepper for over a year now, the team have noticed her comments on posts. Thanks so much for being a part of the community.
Bonus Week
The Story of 2019
You guys - we made it!
Here we are at the end of 2019. A year of small and big steps. A year of learning. A year of highs and lows. All the things.
Life is always happening but I hope that by the end of this year you recognise the extraordinary amount of choice that is available to you and that you live from that place more often.
Your life is a reflection of your habits and this Membership was created to help you shift those habits one at a time.
Can you name any habits you have changed this year?
Any new mantras you live by?
Any positive shifts you have made?
Next year we are mixing things up a little … I’ll be sharing more about that with you soon. But think - themes for each month. We are creating a stunning pathway for you to follow to bring more of the tips, recipes and mindset shifts into your life.
Because every time you make even a small change - you are changing your life. And that is a super powerful thing.
Well done for everything that you have accomplished in 2019. You are EXACTLY where you are meant to be.
And that is the focus for this week. Often we can be looking back on a year and see all the things we DIDN’T ACHIEVE - the things that didn’t change - the weight that didn’t shift and on and on we go.
You can CHOOSE the story of this year for yourself! So choose an empowering one. We naturally go down the negative route. We so often are our own worst enemies.
In your final Small Step for the year - write out the story of 2019 (share it if you like) that celebrates where you are right now - it celebrates the path you have walked this year - it finds the lessons in the hard stuff and allows you to proudly stand behind everything that did or didn’t happen.
Mine might look like - 2019 was the year that so much changed and I was forced to let go. It was tough in many ways but allowed me to see myself as a resilient person who can navigate tricky waters. In 2019 I am proud that in the darkness I found the light.
So go on - interpret your year in a powerful way - create a story that serves you!
Much love
Lisa x