I’ve spent years wanting to be fit & healthy – searching for the motivation to push my body to be the best it can be. I have always started well, and shortly after something has ‘cropped up’ and gotten in the way of my goals. And I have (pretty easily, given up) All a fault of my own of course.

I am getting married to my amazing partner next March, if this wasn’t a perfect motivator nothing would be. So I set off to work, I put everything into place. My eating, some time off work to exercise and what turns out to be my important & favourite element – One on One personal training with Sheree at ONE Body & Soul. I was getting serious!

At first when a made my first appointment with Sheree I was scared! 10 months after the birth of my gorgeous daughter, Evie and I had done nothing other than the odd walk around the block a few times. I remember walking to her gym and asking her to ‘be nice’ to me. I wont lie and say she was nice but it was worth all the pain and sweat and tears. After, I felt fantastic! I have had a few hurdles since starting my healthy journey – including past body injuries which have made some training hard, (this is normally where I would pack it in) but Sheree has taken the time and helped me through them all, working around and on my issues to help improve them.

Sheree is wonderful, she listens to my body and knows how far to push me, she listens to me and always creates fun workouts for me to follow. She knows her stuff, and is one passionate lady. I find myself consistently bettering myself and improving my limits. It really hasn’t taken long to see a difference.

Today I happened to sit down and ask Sheree a few questions to share with you all in the hope it inspires someone out there to add an extra step into looking after themselves. I have just finished another PT session, and I sit here all sweaty, inspired, excited, felling lighter and above all happier as I share some secrets from the awesome Sheree.

What advice do you have for those who know they need to get active but don’t make it a priority? :

Our bodies need maintenance, and care for it to run well just like a car. Why wait for a doctor to tell you your ill before something is done about it?. We have the same body for our whole lives, and only one of them. It is so important to do your best to look after it inside and out before it starts to deteriorate and break down.

What different types of training do you provide at ONE body & soul?:

I train my clients in a time efficient and money wise manner. All exercises usually incorporate many muscles at a time giving people High Intensity Interval Training. I also love to educate people to be able to train without the assistance of a trainer. I will always exaggerate that it is possible to exercise on holiday or somewhere without equipment. My classes involve boxing, kettlebells, and cross training and body weighted high cardio sessions. No only do I train my clients but I am passionate about food aswell. I will assist a client in every way shape or form to help them understand and grasp the weightlossepidemic.

How often do you suggest we incorporate exercise for optimal wellbeing?:

Certainly the more you do – the better results you will receive. One day a week is better than none, but I recommend doing ‘something’ at least once every few days. There is always lots of incidental times where exercise can be performed, if your dressed ready its always a bonus. For example when your waiting for your kids doing a sport, have a walk around an oval.

Have you got any good diet tips?:

Write everything down that you eat, this can sometimes surprise you! Listen to your bodies energy and tiredness. There is always a pattern and there is always room to improve.

Sheree has been living in Geraldton for the past 8 years and has 3 beautiful children. She has been working as a personal trainer for the past 5 years. She has a passion for many disciplines of fitness. Triathlons and weights are her love. She has completed in two Half ironman races in 2015. She manages to run her business from home in Drummond Cove, look after her three kids and train for those big events herself with the help of her husband who is a local police officer.

For those of you who are interested Sheree is running a Bootcamp Mondays at 6pm and Wednesdays and Fridays at 5.45am. She also has some spaces left for Personal Training and Small Group PT classes. JUST DO IT!

So for now I will keep working hard towards my goals. And I will update you in a few months.

Can you believe it’s Christmas Eve already!?

A beautiful client and I were chatting about Christmas this week, and how time flies by these days. She had asked her 18 year old son if he also noticed that this year had gone unusually fast or if it could differ with age. He too agreed it was flying by. – We came to the conclusion technology plays a huge part in taking up a lot of ‘our time’ – especially with social media. We also seem to be spending a lot of time improving oneself (hobbies, wellness, extra study) – we don’t tend to leave ourselves a lot of time to just sit and think, contemplate, relax & just be.

Which lead me to think more about my little girl, Evie. She turned one at the start of December! Where did that time go? In what seems like the blink of an eye (which could have just as well been with the lack of sleep over the year) she now looks up at me with the most beautiful knowing eyes, one tooth and little more hair than 12 months ago.

We need to savour these moments, and capture all we can before the next tooth arrives and so on. To add to my ‘To do list :’ Book a family photoshoot with Luxe & Fox Photography.

I popped into Andrea’s studio a few weeks ago, a divine little historic cottage (next to The Quiet Life Coffee Shop) on Marine Terrace which showcases her amazing fine art photography from wedding, engagement, babies & families and even corporate shoots! Anything and Everything. They established in 2013.

Before I go on, if you haven’t seen any of their work jump on their website now http://luxefox.com/ and check them out. They also have a facebook page. I am in ore of their work. They capture each moment with a combination of perfection, honesty & depth. Truly beautiful, a reflection of their amazing passion for photography.

I have also booked Luxe & Fox for our wedding in March next year. I didn’t realise just how professional these guys were until I received the paperwork package to complete in preparation of the wedding with questions that I hadn’t even thought about before! They are super organised and really easy to deal with.

So now I’m feeling a lot more confident in myself, I can’t wait to get some professional photos of my little family for the first time. My baby girl has the most perfect smile and my husband to be – well he always looks good. I will update you with these photos I promise.

Before I sign off, I want to thank you, Geraldton, and our amazing friends and family for your incredible support in 2015. We are so humbled in the inspiring feedback we receive on a daily basis. This is what lights our spark to go above and beyond and continue to provide the service Indah is so passionate about.

To our amazing team. We are so grateful for the job you do. Indah is a reflection of you all and you should be so proud. Have a safe, enjoyable and most importantly RELAXING Christmas break.

Warm regards, Tess.

I love this time of the year. The craziness of Christmas has hit Geraldton, and the daily pace is quickly picking up.

I have been busy in Northgate Shopping Centre since the start of December at our pretty little stall selling Gift Vouchers and a range of our beautiful gifts ready for Christmas. It’s our very own slice of Indah smack bang in the middle of the shopping centre. What a massive change from the quietness and calmness of Indah, but in an enjoyable way. We can be as loud as we want, (we can secretly sing along to the carols playing in Sanity) and catch up with some familiar faces, have a chat and show off our unique gifts to help see some things crossed off the Christmas lists.

If you didn’t read a couple of blogs ago I mentioned I had started my amazing health journey with the very clever Sheree at ONE Body & Soul, I must admit I was concerned the ‘craziness of Christmas’ was going to get in the way of my regime and health kick…

TARTS & CO to the rescue!

Have you met the beautiful Hannah Nardi? Hannah is the miracle (hard) worker that has clearly put all her heart, soul and tastebuds into her home grown business of food. Not just any food, loads of healthy wholesome goodness!

Last week I was floating through their website as my friend Lisa had told me how delicious their Kale Pesto was when I stumbled across all the other wonderful things they do!

Tarts do Tea

December Wholesome Box

Nourish Bags….. YUMMMMMMM! & lots more

It was my answer to healthy eating in my busiest most challenging month of the year.

So I got a bit excited and ordered a few of everything online. And I’m so glad I did – that same AFTERNOON I had a beautiful BIG box of delicious food delivered to my door! This included breakfast, lunch and dinner (including snacks) for 3 days! 3 jars of amazing condiments (exclusive to Tarts & Co).

They do everything – and so well. Every item was oozing with love and passion which made it taste even better! What an absolute credit to Hannah and her team. The attention to detail from her marketing to the combinations of wholesome good food is incredible.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for someone who loves good food, or is a little heath conscious a gift voucher from these guys is the way to go.

We are already 2 weeks deep in December – and I’m so proud to say I’m healthier than I was in November – winning! Thanks Hannah for the answer & amazing food (those Breakfast jars! Delicious!) We have also locked Hannah and her team in to cater at our wedding in March and we cannot wait to try her Fish Tacos!

Oh and Pontoon Store on Marine Terrace stock Tarts & Co Lunches daily. Another good reason to give them a visit too.

Xxx

Tess

Tarts & Co Catering

Specialising in boutique style catering & a personalised service.

www.tartsandcocatering.com.au

I’m sure you don’t leave it too long between visits but if you haven’t taken yourself down to Finity Concept lately do yourself a favour!

I popped in and was lucky enough to watch the very accomplished Darren wave his magic wand throughout the store carefully positioning all the new, unique goodies throughout. It was a joy to watch his enthusiasm and excitement for everything ‘Finity Concept’.

I have two beautiful nephews who I love to spoil when I can, Darren’s gorgeous Mum, Lorretta showed me their range of toy cars. These aren’t your average ‘toy car’ though they are something really special. They are like nothing I’ve ever seen before, hand crafted to perfection and shiner than a brass button. They have outdone themselves down there this year. The beautiful old building is stocked with something for you, and your daughter, and you, and your husband, and you… if you get my drift (just in time for Christmas)

Did you know, Finity was established all the way back in 2007? It was the first of a new generation of retail in the West End precinct, they nurture their vision of creating a unique shopping experience in Geraldton from every aspect – the individually selected products they offer, to the amazing service and knowledge they supply.

I LOVE popping in for help with my ‘latest fashion’ and the best part about the experience, they are happy to tell me what DOESENT look good, as well as obviously what does. I will admit – I know enough about fashion as Darren knows about facials, so I tend to leave it in their hands. Its loads of fun too trying on all the new fashions. I love walking out with numerous new numbers & I respect being told what should be put back on the shelf.

When you walk through the entrance (if you can get past the interesting window displays) you will find a wonderful selection of National and International fashion labels for women; Camilla and Marc, Morrison, Mela Purdie, Joseph Ribkoff, Custom Made, Nobody Denim, amazing shoes from Italy and Spain, the most divine leather bags and wallets and beautiful artisan jewellery. A boutique selection of Perfumes from France and Italy, the most amazing candles from Voluspa, beautiful soaps from Florence … there’s so much… AND their giftware encompasses everything from a sideboard to a pot brush!

“So Darren, tell me a little about you?”

“I’m passionate about my business; I strive to always give it my best. I focus on quality and good design, I’m a two bob snob I can’t stand fakes. I have a secret (well not now) I have a thing for bags.. I’ve got too many it’s a worry! My dogs Ruby and Rufus; Italian greyhounds they are the perfect pet. My partner Peter is my soul mate.”

If you haven’t met Darren, or any of the beautiful friendly, caring ladies at Finity, Loretta, Sandy or Sue then get in there. You will be glad you did and I am pretty certain you won’t be leaving empty handed!

Much love, Tess x

Do you ever feel that no matter how well you look after your skin, you still feel that it needs an extra, super-duper deep clean?

Yes, you cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise religiously and even treat yourself to a face mask every now and then, but it feels like there is still more that could be done to it.

Well, let me tell you about Indah’s Microhydrabrasion.

Our Microhydrabrasion is a treatment like none other available at Indah. Using our Microhydrasion machine, which I usually describe to clients as a vacuum cleaner for the skin, we are able to rid your skin of the layer of dead skin cells which like to call the surface of your skin home.

Our experienced therapists choose a diamond tip from 5 varying levels of abrasiveness, depending on your skin type and concerns. This first part of the Micro treatment is an intense “dry exfoliation” which buffs off those pesky dead skin cells, using the vacuum to suck them right off your skin. After this portion of the treatment your skin will be feeling super smooth, but after the “hydro” part, it will be feeling as soft as silk.

The “hydro” section is what sets this exfoliating treatment apart from other deep cleansing treatments. Purified water flushes your pores and is then sucked back out, along with dirt, grime and any other impurities that have been making themselves at home in your pores.

This treatment is great for any skin to give it that extra deep clean, but especially for anyone concerned with congestion, dull, lifeless skin, ageing, hyper-pigmentation or scarring.

Microhydrabrasion also allows your masks, serums and moisturisers to better penetrate the deeper layers of your skin, instead of just hydrating that dead cell layer.

A lot of new clients that we have experiencing the Microhydrabrasion for the first time are often concerned that this treatment will be uncomfortable or even painful, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! The majority of Microhydrabrasion clients we see actually doze off during their treatment (and the remainder tend to be in a deep comatose state!)- this is very much a non-invasive treatment that is really quite relaxing.

I’d have to say that the worst part about having a Microhydrabrasion is that you just want your skin to feel as amazing as it does after your treatment all of the time. This is one of the reasons why we have discounted prices if you purchase a package of 3, 6 or 10 treatments. Our Therapists will be able to advise you of a treatment schedule that will best suit your needs and concerns.

I would strongly advise anyone who feels their skin needs a kick up the backside to get it back its best, to give us a call and book in a Microhydrabrasion ASAP. I very much doubt that it will be a decision you’ll regret!

‘The Microhydrabrasion was not what I had expected. I was a little apprehensive at first as I had heard they were a bit rough but it was very gentle and my skin feels amazing! Very smooth, the cleanest its ever been!’ Lizzy D – West End

We have some exciting news to share with all of our beautiful clients…

You may or may not have noticed on your recent Indah visits, two of our therapists have either had an enormous lunch, are trying to smuggle basketballs under their uniforms or are possibly growing tiny humans.

Well, we are very happy to announce that in a few short months Indah will be welcoming two new, very tiny members to our Indah Family! That’s right, we have not just one, but two of our amazing therapists expecting brand new bundles of joy!

Our lovely ladies, Mel and Sophie will both be welcoming their new bubbas sometime in December.

Now we know that Sophie will be having a perfect little princess, but Mel has chosen to give us all a surprise as to whether she is having a girl or boy (for the record, my guess is another Indah girl).

We are all looking forward to getting some lovely newborn cuddles in the near future. And it’s now very clear that there is surely something in the water here at Indah with the amount of babies we have welcomed in the last couple of years!

So you’ve now got permission to congratulate Mel and Sophie on your next visit without the worry that they just have rather impressive food babies!

We will be sure to keep you posted on news of their arrivals!

You may or may not have heard of the amazing wonder-juice that is CABALA Juice, but the benefits of consuming it are astounding.

Firstly, I know you’re wondering what CABALA means. It is Carrot- Apple-Beetroot-Apple-Lemon-Apple Juice. (That was my first question too!)

Now let me tell you some of the benefits of this ancient formula…

Carrots are extremely high in beta-carotene which is known to aid vision, is a fantastic antioxidant, and also assists the liver in flushing out toxins. Cholesterol can be lowered through consuming carrots as well as helping to regulate the body’s blood sugars and lowering the risk of heart disease.

Apples are a wonderful immune booster and are packed with cholesterol lowering fibre- this fibre also aids and soothes the digestion process. Pectin is also present in apple which helps to remove toxins from the intestines. Having three different coloured apples increases the diversity of colours consumed in your day, which is always important in a balanced diet and each have their own benefits.

Another immune system booster is beetroot as it is a great source of vitamin C. Beetroot helps detoxify the liver and gall bladder and can also aid prevent constipation. Beetroot can also improve blood flow and oxygenation of areas of the body that are lacking.

Now for the lemons – lemons are super detoxifying and are a wonderful liver cleanser. Lemons also have the ability to rid the body of drug residues that build up within the body. As well as being a great source of vitamin C, lemons also help prevent premature ageing with their antioxidant properties.

Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the benefits of CABALA juice. Each ingredient provides so much more, but I really don’t want to bore you with them all!

Having CABALA juice daily can provide you with vast improvements throughout your body and what’s even better is that it is absolutely delicious! Obviously if you can get your hands on organic produce to make it the benefits will be even greater, but if not you will still reap the rewards.

Below I have provided the quantities of the ingredients. So off you go now, go get juicing!

2kg carrots2 red apples1 beetroot2 green apples1 lemon – skin and all2 gold apples

Put all the ingredients through a juicer (not a blender!)

This will make approximately 2L of delicious juice.

On the 13th of June the Midwest Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the 20th annual MWCCI Business Excellence Awards. Indah had been anonymously nominated in the Best Customer Service by a Business category and were successful in becoming finalists for the award. A few of the Indah team got all frocked up ready to see if we were going to be the big winners!

All of us at Indah take enormous pride in the level of service we provide to our guests, and Tess certainly keeps us all in check in terms of keeping our customer service at the very best it can be. In saying this, the businesses we were up against for the much coveted Best Customer Service award were definitely stiff competition for us!

As always, the MWCCI did a fantastic job at making the evening a great success. We all enjoyed a delicious three course meal (FYI- the beef cheeks were AMAZING!!) and a few beverages all whilst witnessing the great businesses in the Midwest region win awards for their business success.

Finally, it was our category. I’m certain our whole table collectively held their breath as we waited for the winner to be announced…

Indah Health + Beauty Spa!!

We all followed Tess up onto the stage to graciously accept our award and then have a photo with the trophy, which now has pride of place in Indah’s reception area. The formalities of the evening wound up not long after our win and we were able to dance the night away with all the other nominees and winners.

All of us would like to say a massive ‘THANK YOU!’ to whoever the lovely person that nominated us was, we are very grateful that you went out of your way to nominate Indah.

And well done to our wonderful team at Indah, your dedication to providing exceptional customer service has not gone unnoticed and we now have another shiny trophy to add to our growing collection!

The Honey Detox Treatment is the newest item to be added to Indah’s Treatment Menu. Combining the many benefits of raw honey with unique massage movements, this 60 minute treatment helps to swiftly rid the body of the many toxins that build up whilst we are out living our lives.

Honey has been used for its anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, dating all the way back to ancient times. Honey has also been used for centuries by just about every culture around the world for skin care or medicinal purposes.

This treatment originates from Russia and, similar to reflexology, has a way of stimulating the reflexive zones of the body’s internal organs. In turn this allows the body to expel toxins that may have built up, leaving it restored and revived. Detoxification leads to your body being able to function to its full potential and also helps with your energy levels.

Last week I was the lucky little guinea pig that got to try out the Honey Detox Treatment with one of Indah’s wonderful Beauty Therapists, Jess – and now I’m here to report back to you all on what you can expect when you come in for one yourself…

So, when I went in for my treatment I didn’t really have any idea of what I was in for. All I knew was that it involved honey and special massage movements. I can tell you now that it was a wonderfully relaxing treatment to have done, with lots of soothing heat and very rhythmic movements.

Starting with warm heat pads applied to my back and some gentle stretches, I was already off in my own little happy place. Then came the honey. It was a strange, yet soothing, feeling having honey drizzled all over my back!

The massage movements that followed were not your typical massage movements, they were faster paced and repetitive, yet still rather relaxing. The honey feels sticky (of course!) and as the treatment wore on it felt tackier and stickier and towards the end it wasn’t feeling quite as soothing as the start. As I was nearing the end of my tolerance of the sticky feeling Jess stopped the massage movements and placed a lovely warm towel on my back and removed the honey.

*I should note that before commencing the treatment I was asked to inform Jess if the stickiness became unbearable. Personally I didn’t have any issues, but everyone has different tolerance levels.

The warm heat pads were placed back on and I was treated to an amazing foot massage to finish off my fantastic treatment. I was feeling pretty sleepy and relaxed straight afterwards.

Now, the next day was a different story…

Being a detoxifying treatment, the toxins that are built up in your system are going to be released, and they then have to come out of your body. For this reason it is extremely important to drink plenty of water both before, but especially after having a treatment of the nature done. Doing this helps to flush the toxins out of your body so if you haven’t had enough fluids when having a detoxifying treatment, you can sometimes be left feeling like you’ve been hit by a bus.

I had not consumed enough water.

I know, I know. I should most definitely know better. But I will certainly be drinking bucket loads of water before and after my next Honey Detox Treatment as I was told too!

A couple of days after the treatment I felt like a new person! I have had more energy and my skin has been glowing. I tend to be rather prone to that bloaty feeling towards the end of the day and I have noticed that has been relieved as well.

So apart from those couple of days feeling not so wonderful (which was my own doing) the whole experience has been great. And the results I noticed certainly speak for themselves!

I wholeheartedly recommend you try the Honey Detox Treatment. Even more so to anyone that is feeling sluggish and a bit flat, which honestly, at this time of year with the change of seasons and flu season rearing its ugly head, is just about everybody!

Having started working at Indah around 3 months ago, Hayley is one of our newer Senior Beauty Therapists. Hayley has been in the industry for 3 years and has worked in Geraldton for this time. Her favourite part about being part of the Indah family is the peace and relaxation the whole Indah experience brings to its guests.

Hayley was born in Geraldton, but over the years has lived in Narembeen and Kalbarri and, lucky for us, has gravitated back to good old Geraldton again. Having lived in small towns, she loves that there is a variety of things to do in Geraldton, yet it also a lot quieter than city life.

Since starting work at Indah, Hayley is loving learning about our organic and natural products and how fantastic their results are. Her favourite treatment to preform would have to be the Spa Pedicure, however she is thoroughly enjoying learning all the treatments Indah has to offer.

The true romantic that she is, Hayley’s ideal holiday destination is Paris, the ‘City of Love’. She has just recently experienced Canada over their winter and would absolutely love to go back to see what to see what their summer is like too.

When Hayley is away from work she is all about creating. From invitations, to hair pieces or just things for her house, she adores being able to feed her creative side as a hobby.

I personally have had a few treatments with Hayley since she joined us at Indah and they are second to none! Particularly her pedicures, it’s no wonder they’re her fave thing to do!

Be sure to book in a lovely relaxing treatment with Hayley as soon as you can!

Way back when I was a young child I never really understood why Mums needed to have their own special day to be celebrated.

Didn’t they get enough joy out of just being a mum? We were good kids the majority of the time, we said thanks when she did things for us, mostly did as we were told. Another question I had back then was, “Why isn’t there a Kid’s Day?”

At the time I thought us kids were getting the raw deal. Now, not so much!

Now that I am a mum myself, I know firsthand how much really goes into this job title of ‘Mum”. My days consist of being a carer, a cleaner, a nurse, a cook, a personal stylist, a hairdresser, a playmate, and that’s just before lunchtime! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but it can be hard work! And now I know why mums need a day just to hear that they are appreciated.

I remember one year, I was in my teens, and I had bought mum one of the usual Mother’s Day presents. You know the ones – slippers, purse, choccies, dressing gown, foot spa – the things that mums like. I may, or may not, have wrapped it, and I did not get a card to go with my spectacular gift.

Well, my mother was a little (read: a lot) disappointed at my efforts.

I distinctly remember Mum saying “Next year, even if you can’t get a card, just write something on some paper and if you can’t find any paper, just grab some toilet paper and write on that!” I still didn’t understand what the big deal was, but I did make sure from then on I always made the effort of getting a card to go with mum’s gifts.

On that day I could not understand what the big deal was.

Now I do.

Mum’s do all these things for their children, not for the recognition or praise, but because they love them. In saying that though, it is still nice to hear that the things you do are appreciated. That’s why we have mother’s day -because it is so easy to forget.

So this Mother’s Day be sure to let your mum know exactly what she means to you and how much you love her, because that’s all she really wants for Mother’s day. (Although a lovely, thoughtful gift wouldn’t go astray either!)

Happy Mother’s Day to my Mumma and also to all the wonderful Mums out there. You’re doing an outstanding job!

As you all know, I have been busy planning my wedding. Well, that day has now come and gone and it was absolutey amazing!

The weather had been rather dismal the whole week leading up to the big day and, as we were to be married on Pages Beach, a teeny, tiny amount of worry started to creep in as the week progressed.

Our “back-up” plan was to just hope for the best, and luckily the stars aligned and we were given the most glorious weather for the day.

Unfortunately though, with all the rain that Geraldton had received, a lake had formed in the middle of the beach. So the night before the wedding my fella and his Groomsmen decided they would dig a trench to drain the lake back to the ocean. Myself, and I’m pretty sure everyone who knew what they were trying to do, thought they were crazy, but their trench-digging worked! The lake was still there, but significantly smaller leaving us a perfect spot to have our ceremony.

After all that, I’m very happy to say that all of the drama happened the day before and not on the day, which turned out even more beautiful and relaxed than I ever could have imagined!

Highlights of the day:

Our gorgeous little Flower Girl. She was utterly adorable!

The picnic we managed to squeeze in in between the ceremony and reception. It was lovely just to stop and soak it all in with our bridal party.

Our first dance. The lead up to the polished, refined finished product was a test in my fella’s patience as he taught me to dance. I also loved that our guests kept asking how long it took me to teach Jay to dance!

The speeches. They were so heartfelt and beautiful, we are very lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Last, but certainly not least, marrying my best friend. He really is pretty great!

The entire day and night were just amazing. I wouldn’t change a thing, except possibly eating a bit more food on the night, everybody said it was delicious though!

Now that the wedding is all done and dusted I have a whole lot more time on my hands, which means you should be reading a whole lot more from me over the coming months!

*On an unrelated note, I wanted to update you all on my Oil Pulling challenge I set for myself… I managed to do it every day for a week, then it became every couple of days, and now it is once a week. I did notice that my teeth looked whiter and definitely shinier when pulling regularly, although I did struggle to find 20 minutes of the day when to allocate to not being able to talk! I hope you guys were more disciplined in it than I was!

It’s coming up to that time of year again. That day where we all show our mum’s just how much they mean to us and how appreciated they truly are. Mother’s Day!

We here at Indah, have put together some lovely treats for you to spoil your wonderful mum. Not only do we have some amazing packages to choose from, we have also thrown together an even more amazing prize package you could win for mum. And with the help of a few fantastic businesses of Geraldton, this is a prize any mum would adore to win!

So firstly, let me tell you about the special packages we have put together just for mums. We have “From Head to Toe”, aka an hour of heaven! Mum will get a beautiful Sodashi facial as well as relaxing with a Soothing Mint Foot Treatment.

If you think mum would prefer something a little longer, there is the “Pure Indulgence” and I have to say, the name is pretty accurate! Mum will be treated to an hour-long Sodashi facial, a Soothing Mint Foot treatment and Mini Pedicure. If neither of these sound like mum to you, there are of course many other treatments to choose from.

Before we get to the competition details I also want to make mention of the fact that Indah will be donating $2 from every gift voucher sold in the lead up to Mother’s Day to The National Breast Cancer Foundation. So not only will you be showing your Mum just how much she means to you, but you will also be helping to fund much needed research into the cancer that, at this time, one in eight women will be diagnosed with in their lifetime.

Now let me tell you all about our enviable prize package and how you can have a chance of winning for your mum…

For starters, there is a $200 voucher from The Provincial. Mum can enjoy an evening of mouth-watering food, delicious cocktails and music with her faves. Then there is a $200 voucher for Finity Concept and a $200 voucher for Pontoon Store. Mum will love adding some new things to her wardrobe in these stores!

As if that isn’t enough, Mum could also receive a $200 Cut Loose hair design voucher to pamper herself with. And no Indah Health+Beauty Spa prize is complete without something from us, so we’ve thrown in a $200 voucher to complete this luxurious prize. That’s a total of $1000 you could win for your mum, cementing your spot as “Favourite Child”!

The best part is that it is super simple to be in the draw to win this for your deserving mother. All you need to do is purchase a gift voucher* between now and the 8th of May and then hope for your name to get drawn out on the 9th of May. Easy as that! And if you’re really lucky, mum may even take you along to dinner with her.

So ensure you get into Indah to get mum the perfect gift, and also the chance to win her an extra present to give to her on Mother’s Day!

*voucher must be minimum $50 or equivalent

Teachers. What on earth would we do without them? They help to mould the future generations, they look after our kids for a considerable amount of the working week and do their best to educate them. Yes, they do get fantastic breaks throughout the year, but I can assure you, they are certainly well deserved! Anyone who has a loved one that is a teacher will understand why.

My almost-husband is a teacher, a high school one. He is up and at work well before the students arrive and there long after that final bell rings and his holidays are always partly filled with planning the following terms classes. I have thought so many times about how amazing it would be to have 12 weeks of holidays a year, but those thoughts are always immediately followed with how much I would loathe having to control a class of 20-30 kids the remaining 40 weeks of the year!

I know for my fella, and I am sure most teachers, there is so, so much more to being a teacher than just teaching. They look out for signs of students not being able to cope, this could be in school or in their home life, and then take the necessary measures to ensure the student will be looked after. They deal with parents- concerned parents, unhappy parents, angry parents and of course the proud ones too. They do their very best to ensure their students are learning the things they need to. And they try their very best to keep your kids safe whilst they are in their care.

School holidays are coming up shortly and Indah would like to offer some well-deserved relaxation to the teachers in the Geraldton community. So during the upcoming holidays, any teachers that book in a luxurious facial will receive a beautiful Soothing Mint Foot Treatment for FREE. And fellas, if you’re thinking ‘aren’t facials for the lady-folk?’ you are mistaken! We have the super-manly Man Maintenance Facial for you to enjoy along with your foot treatment.

Recently, I treated my almost-husband to a treatment and he had some lovely things to say about it…

“I had the Man Maintenance Facial, it was great! It’s been a busy start to the year for me, so to be able to go into Indah and put my feet up for a little while was exactly what my body and brain needed. Being a guy, it can be a bit intimidating going into a day spa, but the girls at Indah are always welcoming and professional. The products they used on me smelt great too, sort of woody scents, not too girly. Thanks girls, I’ll be back.”

So calling all teachers, come and book yourself in for some you-time these school holidays – you will feel so much better for it!

You may have heard people talk about oil pulling and all of the amazing health benefits people get from doing it regularly.

So, what exactly is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient Indian practice used to clean to teeth and gums using cold-pressed vegetable-based oil. Basically you put 2 teaspoons of oil (coconut, sesame or olive) into your mouth and just swish it around in there for 20 minutes. The timing is everything, as this allows sufficient time for the oil to break through bacteria and plaque, but not long for you to start reabsorbing all the yucky stuff that’s left in the oil by the end.

Once you have swished and swirled that oil around for 20 minutes you need to spit it out. Do not swallow! I repeat, DO NOT SWALLOW! As this oil now has all the horrible bacteria and plaque that was hanging around in your mouth in it, and that’s certainly something you do not want to be ingesting. Spit it into a bin, not the sink, otherwise it may clog up your plumbing. Rinse your mouth with warm water and give your teeth a thorough brushing too (preferably with an organic toothpaste) to be sure you have killed off any extra bacteria lurking around.

Now, how does it actually work?

Well, oil is able to cut through toxins and plaque without disturbing the teeth or gums, so it gives a really intense clean. An added bonus is that it actually whitens your teeth naturally too, so those pearly whites will be a shining!

Your mouth is the perfect gateway for toxins to make their way into your body, so killing them off before they have a chance to spread throughout your body keeps you one step ahead of those nasty, illness and disease causing germs. Other benefits that have been reported are an improvement with arthritis, headaches, skin conditions, hormonal imbalances and much more. Plus it helps keep your breath smelling fresh.

And I know what you are going to ask next… have I tried it myself?

In the interest of being able to write this blog, I have. I set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes, took a swig of organic unrefined coconut oil and began swishing at the very time I starting writing this blog.

Being a first timer, I found I had to really concentrate on not swallowing any of the oil, but I’m sure the more you do it, the easier it becomes. I would suggest for first timers to have something to keep your mind off what you are doing, I found the time went by quite quickly as I was absorbed in typing, but if I were just watching the time tick by I may not have reached 20 minutes! Again, I am sure this becomes easier the more you do it. And what a great excuse to go and grab a trashy magazine and have a break for 20 minutes!

So, have I noticed any difference in my teeth?

They definitely feel smoother and do seems to look shinier, but I assume it takes more than one go to see the real benefits. So, in saying that, I will now pledge that I, Bonnie from Indah, will oil pull every single day until Easter, which is about 3 weeks from now. After that I promise I will report back to you all about it went and how white and shiny my teeth are!

In the meantime, I urge you to give it a go as well; you’ve got nothing to lose!

Sophie is one of our wonderful Senior Beauty Therapists here at Indah and has been with us for 18 months.

A lot of you may not know, but Sophie was actually THE original Spa Assistant at Indah when we first opened our doors. That was way back when she was just starting her Diploma of Beauty Therapy training. Since then Sophie has had a break from Indah, but happily in 2013 she joined us again as a fully qualified Beauty Therapist.

Sophie has always had a fascination with the human body, which is what led her to the beauty industry and learning all the ins and outs of how our bodies work. It’s no wonder now, that massage is one of Sophie’s favourite treatments to perform at work. The satisfaction she gets from helping to relieve pain from injuries or every day wear-and-tear is immeasurable.

Microhydrobrasion is Sophie’s go-to treatment to have when she gets the chance to relax. She loves that immediate squeaky clean feel she gets and the healthy glow she sports for the weeks afterwards.

Sophie believes that overall wellbeing is the result of looking after your body from the inside out. Think about what you are putting in and onto your body – what are you fueling your body with?

The day that Sophie wins the lottery she will set off and travel the world, starting with diving in the oceans off Hawaii. This being the case, it’s not surprising her favourite thing about living in Geraldton would have to be the beaches. We really are a bit spoilt here in that regard!

So if you haven’t yet met the amazing Sophie, get onto treating yourself to a massage, or any treatment for that matter, with her. I speak from first-hand experience when I say that her massages are most definitely the bomb!

What do you use to wash your body when you have a shower? Soap, body wash or whatever is in there at the time?

Have you ever had a look to see what you are actually rubbing all over your skin? If you haven’t you may be in for a shock when you realise how many nasty chemicals are hidden in your daily wash.

Corrynne’s Natural Soaps are handmade soaps, which are made right here in WA, are free of those hidden nasties like animal fats, sodium lauryl sulphate and propylene glycol. Their soaps are made from coconut, palm oil, olive oil, herbs, Australian and French clays and essential oils.

Now before you start thinking about all of the orang-utans that are losing their homes due to palm oil production, you will be relieved to know that the folks at Corrynne’s care about the environment immensely. And because of this they choose to only use sustainably produced palm oil through the GreenPalm programme. For every tonne of palm oil Corrynne’s purchases, they pay a premium which goes to palm oil producers that are part of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, who operate under strict guidelines ensuring the environment is looked after. So all those orang-utans will hopefully have their habitats preserved to years to come.

My favourite thing about Corrynne’s soaps is that they smell absolutely divine. My personal faves are Orchard Blossom, Peach & Orange and Coconut & French White Clay, and with others like West Indian Lime & Patchouli, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus & Sandalwood and Rose & Geranium to choose from, there is a scent to please everybody. I often have a whole heap in a pretty dish in the bathroom so that it always smells heavenly in there!

As well as their gorgeous soaps, Corrynne’s also have a wonderful range of bath and body products on offer. These include amazing scrubs and moisturisers that are available to purchase at Indah. I have my eye on the Cooks Hand Scrub for those times after peeling and cutting onions and garlic. There’s nothing worse than smelling your dinner on your hands, and with the lemon, lime, tea tree and eucalyptus oils present, those odors should never be a problem anymore.

So next time you’re in the market for some new bath and shower body products, give Corrynne’s a try, you won’t be disappointed!

So, how many of you headed to Sacred Fig Retreats’ Open Day at Indah last week?

If you did, you would have been lucky enough to try the absolutely dreamy Raw Carrot Cake they had to offer. If you didn’t manage to get there, never fear, because the lovely Rhonda has given me permission to share the recipe with you all today!

Sacred Fig’s Raw Carrot Cake Serves 10-12

Cake

12 pitted dates

1 cup raw walnuts

1 large carrot, coarsely grated (approx. 2½ cups)

½ cup shredded coconut

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Cashew Cream Icing

1 cup raw cashews

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Juice of ½ a lemon

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup raw walnuts to serve

Method

Line the base and sides of a 20cm round spring-form cake tin with baking paper.Put the dates and walnuts into food processor and give a quick pulse. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the carrot, coconut, spices and salt and combine with wooden spoon.Spoon the mixture into the tin and press it down firmly. This makes the base of the cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours,To prepare the icing: put the cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon juice, salt and ¼ cup of water into food processor. Blend until smooth. Note: this could take up to 10 minutes. Once smooth, add the coconut oil and blend to combine.Keeping the cake in the tin, spread icing over with a spatula. Place cake in freezer for 2 hours.Preheat oven to 180o Spread walnuts over a tray lined with baking paper. Place in oven for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately wrap the hot walnuts in a clean tea towel. Give them a good rub to remove the skin. Crush walnuts using a mortar and pestle.Take cake out of freezer and remove from tin. Leave cake to thaw for 10 minutes. Use a hot, sharp knife to cut cake into slices.Sprinkle each slice with the crushed walnuts and set aside for an additional 15 minutes before serving.

This is actually really very simple to make as the food processor does all the hard work for you.

Next time you have to bring along something for a morning tea, give this a try. It’s a sure way to impress, it’s delicious and it’s healthy! Winning!!

Attention anyone who may be having a baby in the near or distant future, or anyone that knows somebody that might.

Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM is now available in Geraldton! Melissa Ayling is a certified Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM Practitioner and has bought her knowledge of the program to Geraldton and its surrounds and is looking forward to educating parents-to-be on the birthing experience.

So, what exactly is Hypnobirthing?

Hypnobirthing is a program designed for mothers -to-be and their birth companions that aim to give you the confidence and knowledge to be able to make the birth experience a positive one.

As much as everybody says that “once you have your beautiful baby you won’t remember any of your labour and birth”, I don’t really believe this to be true. Yes, while it’s true that now you have your little bundle of joy, your birth experience may be pushed to the furthest corner of your sleep deprived mind, I don’t think you ever truly forget. So wouldn’t it be wonderful to look back and not think of trauma and stress, but rather of a fearless and empowering time in your life?

Hypnobirthing provides you with the tools to be able to do this. Through breathing, relaxation, visualisation and self-hypnosis techniques the birthing process can be a calm and relaxed experience and also give you a greater sense of control over whatever situation may arise.

Of course, there may be the need for medical interventions or a caesarean birth. In these instances self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques are still beneficial in the lead up, during and after your baby is born.

You all know that a couple of months ago, Indah’s Tess just gave birth to beautiful Evie. Tess had a lot of success with hypnobirthing techniques to get her through a rather long and drawn out labour and birth. This is what Tess had to say about her experience…

“Being a first time mum, I was relieved to be introduced to Melissa’s Hypnobirthing classes from a friend and was very excited to be one of her first clients. The hypnobirthing approach to pregnancy, birth and beyond prepared me for the choices I had to make thoughout my experience and took the fear associated with birth away completely. Hypnobirthing made me a confident mum throughout pregnancy and I believe it’s responsible for my positive, drug-free birth experience. We now have a perfect little hypnobirthing baby girl!”

I can tell you, little Evie is one calm and content little poppet, which can likely be attributed by the way she came into the world. So, not only are the hypnobirthing techniques beneficial to get you through labour, but far beyond that, well into the challenges of new parenthood.

Melissa offers group or private classes ideally at around the 20-30 week mar of pregnancy, although if you are further along there are still other options to learn hypnobirthing. All classes are structured so that your support partner can, and is encouraged, to attend.

Melissa is holding a (FREE!!) Information Session on Sunday February 22nd. There you will be able to learn a little more about what hypnobirthing entails PLUS you get treated to a yummy afternoon tea from the team at Flowvitality and if that’s not enough, you could also win a course of Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM classes with Melissa, a luxurious Pregnancy Massage from Indah and much more!

Bookings are essential though, so head to Melissa’s website – hypnobirthinggeraldton.com.au to secure your spot.

If you would like some more information about Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM, get in contact with Melissa on 0438 643 348 or melissa@hypnobirthinggeraldton.com.au or go and have a squiz at her website.

Call me crazy, but learning a little bit about Hypnobirthing AustraliaTM kind of makes me want to have another baby just to try it out! Not just yet though, I’ve got a wedding dress to fit into first!

Once upon a time there were three sisters. One day, the sisters had a wonderful idea, something that Geraldton had not seen before. The idea was to develop a business that delivered unique, high quality gift hampers that were anything but boring – a present that anyone would absolutely love to receive. They decided to work together to make it happen. So off the sisters went, sourcing the very best products that could fulfill their dreams.

That is how Wild Poppy Gift Bundles was born. Those three sisters are Laura, Tessa and Katrina Franceschi and they all are super excited to see all of their ideas coming to life in the form of their immaculately presented Bundles.

Imagine receiving a gift that is so beautifully packaged that it gives you a little twinge of sadness to open it up, for all that prettiness will be undone. But only for that moment, because what lies inside is, unbelievably, even better!

The contents of each lovingly created Bundle, are products that are a little bit special, not things you can just buy at any old place. Sourcing items from Aussie up-and-comers, the girls have spent hours upon hours searching for the perfect pieces for each different Bundle. One thing that sets the Bundles apart from other gift hampers is that there is a limited number of each different Bundle available, with each being individually stamped when it is packed up.

Wild Poppy currently have Baby Bundles – Girl, Boy or Neutral – available. As well as another created especially for your lover for Valentine’s Day helping to set you up for a romantic picnic dinner whilst you enjoy the sunset. In this package is The Apona beach blanket by Island Gypsy that has the special feature of repelling Grass and sand. No more bringing half of the beach home with you!

You will also find a bottle of fine French Champagne complete with a stopper and two glasses, a gorgeous handcrafted wooden cheeseboard and knife and a dish for some succulent strawberries. Plus the box all of this arrives in doubles as a table for your romantic evening! And no Valentine’s pressie is complete without some flowers!

How great does that sound?! I know I would be stoked to receive something as lovely as this (hint, hint!) and super jealous of anyone who does!

Laura, Tess and Katrina will be bringing out various other Bundles so stay updated by visiting them at Wild Poppy Gift Bundles on Facebook and Instagram. Support the newest addition to Geraldton’s growing local businesses!

Oh, and fingers crossed someone that loves you sends you a Bundle of goodness in the not too distant future!

The festive holidays are now well and truly over. So sadly that means chocolate is no longer seen as one of the food groups anymore…

Are you are having trouble getting out of the unhealthy food habits that the majority of us seem to gain over the Christmas period? We may be able to give you the boost out of the seemingly bottomless pit of delicious, yet potentially damaging tendencies. Not to mention that this is all done without the also potentially damaging effects of meal replacements, calorie counting or fad diets.

It can be so easy to forget about what we should be eating as opposed to what we actually are.

UltraLite could be the gentle kick up the derrière that you need! UltraLite is more than a weightloss program, it is more like a re-education for yourself on what and how much we should really be filling our bodies with.

Using a careful balance of carbohydrate and protein, as well as portion sizes, is the main idea behind UltraLite. Although the best part is that you are preparing and eating all real foods. That means no pre-prepared meals, no shakes and no supplements. This also means that this program is sustainable after you have reached your goal as you have been re-taught a healthy way of living.

Simone is our UltraLite Consultant here at Indah and she has already helped many people get back on the right track of healthy living. The programs range from a 3 week Detox all the way up to the 10 week Weight Loss.

During your initial consultation Simone will be able to help to choose the right one for your goals and your lifestyle. Your initial consultation is no obligation and free of charge, so you have nothing to lose!

Oh, except those bad habits and excess weight of course!

So if you need to get out of that post-Christmas funk you’re in, then get onto the phone to us right now! 9921 3344, we’re looking forward to your call!

This week sees Indah’s exceptional Spa Assistant Brooke leave us as she starts the next exciting chapter – University!

Brookey has been a part of the Indah family for over 2 years and, over this time has become a valued team member who will be sorely missed.

Brooke started out working at Indah after school and in the school holidays way back when she was a Student at Nagle, but before that Brooke was a regular and loyal client at Indah. After finishing Year 12 all of us at Indah were very happy that Brooke had decided to have a Gap Year and would be our full time Spa Assistant!

Over the last year, Brooke has grown from a quiet girl into an amazing, confident young woman. Her attention to detail in every aspect of her role is outstanding and her willingness to do her very best at everything she attempts is something that will see her succeed at anything she sets her mind to.

Brookey and I shared many moments together before she had her driver’s licence. Living nearby, I would often give her a lift home on Saturdays after work, and had many, many chats. I remember how determined she was when she was in the lead up to exams and how she was absolutely set on getting into Uni to study Psychology. Her hard work paid off!

Now with the bit of life experience she has gained through her Gap Year, I have no doubt she will do so well.

So little Brookey, I know all of us are going to miss your cheerful demeanour around the spa, but happy knowing you will be spreading your happy, positive outlook on the lucky souls that get to spend their days with you down in Perth. Keep being true to yourself and remember balance is the key!

Sadly, we have also had to farewell one of our fantastic Senior Beauty Therapists, Holly this week as well. Holly is happy to be focusing on her family life for the time being. Always a tough decision to make, but maybe later on down the track she will don her Indah khaki greens again and be with us once more!

We wish Brooke and Holly all the best for the future!

The day of luuurrve is just around the corner again! February 14th, Valentine’s Day, is the day to show that special person in your life just how much they mean to you.

What will you be doing for your lover this year?

Will this be your first Valentine’s Day together? Or maybe it’s been decades that you have been an item…

Working at Indah, I am always blown away at the amount of people that come in searching for THE perfect gift to show their love, no matter how long they have been together. It’s beautiful, and I love helping to choose the perfect treatment!

In a world where every time you turn on the news there are stories that leave you feeling so sad, isn’t it lovely to know that on this one day so many people all around the world are feeling the love?

I used to always be that person that said “Urggh! Why do we need a specific day to say ‘I love you’?” but somewhere along the way I have changed my tune and become more of a romantic. Maybe we should be looking at Valentine’s Day more ‘glass half full’, than ‘glass half empty’? While I still think that all year round we should be sharing the love, why shouldn’t we have one special day designated to show your person that they are your person?

So this year, instead of being that person that just has a whine about Valentine’s Day being a waste of time, use it to remind your lover that you do indeed love them, even on Valentine’s Day as well as every other day too!

Spread that love around!!

Sunday February 8th. Go to that date in your diary and scribble “Sacred Fig at Indah”. You won’t want to be missing out on this day!

Remember our friends over at Sacred Fig Wellness Retreats? Well they have organised a day out at Indah to give you all a little taste of what you will be experiencing when you attend their amazing retreats.

Sacred Fig’s Perth based fitness instructor Sheree will be joining us for some morning fitness at ApexPark (the park right out the front of Indah). There are two classes, commencing at 9am and 11am (bookings essential), what a wonderful way to start off your Sunday of rest and put you in good stead for the day!

At 10am Indah will open its gates…

As you walk through those familiar gates you will be treated to some tasty raw delights as well as a sample of organic probiotics. Head on in, where there will be beautiful hand and arm massages on offer.

You then have the chance to participate in a short, guided meditation inspired by Rae Smith of The Meditation Circle in Geraldton, combined with the benefits of sound healing which will help to quiet and calm your mind and body.

There will be gift bags filled with all sorts of goodies including a voucher from the lovely team over at Flowvitality and of course a voucher for you to use on you next visit to Indah. There are limited numbers of goodie bags though, so be sure to get there early!

All that sounds like a pretty great way to spend some of your Sunday, right?

What if I told you that it won’t cost you a thing… even better?

Well, what if just by coming along you will go in the draw to win a luscious Zen Package from Indah worth $160?

That would just be the cherry on top of that delicious raw cake, wouldn’t it?!

So lock this event into your busy weekend!

If you’d like to attend one of the fitness classes please phone Indah on 9921 3344 or Sacred Fig on 0428 516 335 to secure your spot.

Otherwise just head on down between 10am and 12.30pm to have a squiz at what Sacred Fig has on offer.

I’ll see you there!

Hello again!

Well hasn’t the beginning of 2015 just sped by! Halfway through January, when did that happen?!

I trust that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and the start of the New Year has treated you well.

Apologies for the extended time since the last post, like I said, I really don’t know how that time flew by so quickly! My little family has been busy-busy in Perth, visiting rellies, sneaking in a bit of retail therapy and soaking up the beautiful weather. We are back home now and slowly getting back into real life.

So what has happened Indah-wise since I last posted…

Well, the biggest news is that Indah’s Mumma Tess welcomed their beautiful little girl Evie into the world early in December. Mum, Dad and gorgeous Evie are all settling in just fine.

Enormous congratulations to the winner of The Ultimate Abrolhos Experience, Noeleen Toomey! I think I speak for most of Geraldton when I say that I am green with envy! We hope that you enjoy your much coveted prize.

All of Indah’s hard working staff had a lovely break over the Christmas period. A few snuck out of town for some relaxation, while others spent time with family and friends in Geraldton. Everyone is feeling re-energised after their well deserved time off!

To all of the people who were lucky enough to receive an Indah gift voucher for Christmas, we are looking forward to treating you to some much needed rejuvenation in the coming months. And to those whose loved ones didn’t get the hint – there’s no better time than the present to spoil yourself!

In the meantime, I will be keeping you updated more regularly on all things Indah. 2015 is looking to be another big year for us!

Raw tasty treats are all the rage at the moment and I have sampled a few different things recently and every time I find something that is particularly delicious I like to attempt to make it myself at home. Just this week I tasted a raw lemon slice that was just divine!

So of course, I then went home and scoured the interwebs for something that resembled what I had just eaten. Not finding exactly what I was looking for, I decided to just do a bit of trial and error and I have come away with a winner! So of course now I will share this recipe of scrumptiousness with you…

Raw Lemon Slice

Base

15 medjool dates pitted5 dried figs1½ cups mixed raw nuts (I used hazelnuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts)2 Tbsp. coconut oil meltedTopping2 cups desiccated coconut2 lemons zested and juiced½ an avocado3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

Method

Place dates and figs into a bowl and cover with boiling water, soak for 10 minutes.

Place nuts into food processor and blitz until they are roughly chopped.

Strain soaked dates and figs and add to processor with coconut oil. Blitz until the mixture comes together as a sort of dough.

Press mixture into a slice tin lined with clingwrap, place into freezer whilst preparing the topping.

Place coconut into blender jug, blitz until the coconut becomes a creamy consistency (this can take a few minutes)

Add the lemon zest and juice, avocado and maple syrup and blitz until combined. Now if you taste the mixture at this point you will notice it is rather sour, don’t add more syrup! It balances out the sweetness of the base and gives it the zing it needs.

Spread the lemon mixture over the base and return to the freezer for 2-3 hours until set.

Once set cut into squares and either store in the fridge or, if you’re like me, in the freezer so you won’t be tempted to just keep eating it!

Enjoy!

I have a quick little visualisation activity for you all to do right now, it won’t take long…

Close your eyes. Now picture yourself aboard one of the largest sea vessels operating out of Geraldton, cruising out to sea to visit some of Australia’s most spectacular Islands just 70kms off our coastline.

You will bear witness to superb wildlife, both in the sea, on land and in the skies, which all call this place home. The rich history of the area will not only overwhelm you, but leave you feeling a sense of wonderment that this place is so close to home.

You will eat some of the freshest seafood that you ever will eat in your life and have your own Deluxe Stateroom with Ensuite to retire to, ensuring you are refreshed for the next day’s adventures which may include diving, snorkelling and fishing.

Sounds pretty great, right?

The Eco Abrolhos is that very sea vessel, and you can experience all of this and a whole lot more aboard her.

As you all know, a 5 Day Abrolhos Island Tour aboard the Eco Abrolhos is included as part of Indah’s Christmas Competition Package. I know you’re all dying to know what this is all about, so I’ve been lucky enough to have a chat to Jay Cox of Eco Abrolhos to suss out this amazing prize!

The team on the Eco Abrolhos have been living on and working around the Abrolhos Islands for more than 30 years, so have an extensive knowledge of the 122 islands and all they have to offer.

This tour will showcase everything the Abrolhos islands are famous for – wildlife, snorkelling, the history and fishing to name just a few.

All of your meals are provided whilst aboard Eco Abrolhos, prepared fresh by the on-board professional chef, including seafood that has been caught during your days at sea. Can’t get much fresher than that!

Tours of Latitude and Pelsart Pearl Farms will show you exactly where your beautiful Abrolhos pearls come from, along with the long process of farming pearls. You will also get an insight into the cryfishing industry as these two islands are shared by both crayfishermen and the pearl farmers.

If weather permits you may also get the opportunity to snorkel or dive the Batavia which was wrecked on her maiden voyage over 400 years ago. If not, there will be plenty of other wonderful opportunities for snorkelling and diving over the 5 days.

Beach and island walks, bird watching or a spot of fishing if you’re that way inclined will ensure you have a chance to relax and unwind.

Jay and the team have a great respect and understanding of the balanced eco system that is the Abrolhos Islands and are very committed to ensuring it is conserved for generations to come. There should be no evidence, bar the footprints of tourists, left behind whilst treading lightly and being aware of how you treat this delicate environment.

For the first time, Eco Abrolhos are offering an Abrolhos Island tour to see in the New Year this December.

So if you’re feeling a little frazzled after the craziness that is the festive season, why not treat yourself to a well-earned break! This tour will depart on December 28th, returning after seeing in 2015 in style and class on January 1st. An amazing Christmas gift for someone special perhaps?!

If you would like to book a tour or learn more about the tours that are available, as well as dates, head over to ecoabrolhos.com.au or give Jay and the team a call on 99645101.

Now I’m off to add an Abrolhos Island Tour to my (rapidly expanding!)Christmas list!

Allysa has been one of Indah’s amazing Spa Assistants for the last 18 months, and today is the day we say farewell, as she leaves Geraldton.

Having just graduated from Year 12, Allysa is off to University in the New Year, hoping to study Nursing.

Since starting as Spa Assistant at Indah last year, Allysa has worked tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring the days run smoothly. She certainly makes all of the Beauty Therapists jobs a whole lot easier and everything is always done with a smile on her face.

Allysa is looking forward to indulging in plenty of retail therapy whilst in Perth, and also adapting to the busy city living that Perth has to offer. Being the little songbird that she is, I’m sure she will be loving the wide range of entertainment available in the city.

There is plenty that Allysa is going to miss about Geraldton and Indah…

All of us girls for a start! She has found her whole Indah experience to be a very positive one, in particular the amount of support and care that we all have for each other. We all have each other’s back all of the time.

She will also miss her friends that she has gone through Primary and High School with and her Teachers that have given Allysa a myriad of memories since she moved to Australia, that she will cherish for years to come.

And also the luxury that we have here in Geraldton of only ever having to drive a maximum of 15 minutes to get anywhere in town!

Once Allysa finishes her Uni degree she hopes to work as a Registered Nurse, hopefully travelling and working in hospitals all over the globe. Then one day in the far off future, she may even come back and settle down in Geraldton.

On behalf of our wonderful Indah Family, we would love to wish Allysa all the very best for her next, super exciting chapter. We will all miss your kind, relaxed nature and your singing in the Indah kitchen!

Take care and have an absolute blast!

This is the name of my new favourite, go-to recipe book. This is also the gift that the majority of my family will be receiving from me for Christmas this year – that’s how much I am loving this collection of mouth-watering goodness!

Cook Eat Love is a cookbook put together to raise money for the amazing Midwest Charity Begins at Home Inc. and includes recipes from their sponsors, volunteers, committee members, the charity’s recipients, as well as the general Midwest community.

If you haven’t heard about this wonderful local charity, let me enlighten you…

Midwest Charity Begins at Home Inc. has been raising funds for those suffering from cancer or serious illness within the Midwest community. Their annual Gala Event as well as various fundraising events help to alleviate the financial burden which often goes hand-in-hand with illness. Through generous sponsors, volunteers and the community, they have raised over 1 million dollars since starting out in 2008.

I had a chance to have a chat to Lisa Pirrottina, who is on the 2014 Midwest Charity Begins at Home committee and was the driving force behind Cook Eat Love, about this beautiful compilation.

Lisa is just astounded and humbled by the response from the Geraldton community to Cook Eat Love. Being able to involve the whole community in the collaboration process was the main reason for putting this book together.

But this is not just a book full of delectable recipes, it also has some brilliant images showcasing the Midwest Region and all of its beauty as well. This really does make it so much more than just a cookbook, it’s more like a little piece of the Midwest that you can keep in your kitchen and draw on any time you need a little inspiration.

For all you die-hard Thermomix lovers out there, there is even a whole section dedicated to Thermo recipes, as well as sections on Seafood, Dips and Desserts among others. The one recipe I am most looking forward to testing out is the Panko Scallops on Warm Indian Potato Salad by Chef Kelly Dickinson of Culinary HQ, it sounds absolutely delicious!

I did try to count up all of the contributors to Cook Eat Love, but there is just far too many that I kept losing count and eventually gave up in frustration, so let’s just say there are a lot! There’s even a yummy Crayfish Mornay recipe from Nanna Indah definitely worth trying.

So where can you purchase Cook Eat Love? Cuisine on Marine, Culinary HQ, Flowvitality,Ivy Vibe, Kalbarri Fresh, Mitchell & Brown, Roma Gifts and Gourmet and Stirling Lotto Agency all have this book available for $30, all of which goes directly to Midwest Charity Begins at Home Inc. If you’re like me though, and are buying this for everyone you know, you can get 4 for $100. Be quick though, there are only a limited number available!

We should all be so proud of this incredible community that we are a part of, as this book is a real reflection of just that.

Well done to Lisa Pirrottina, Midwest Charity Begins at Home Inc. and everyone that has helped to make Cook Eat Love such a beautiful book, and the best part is that it’s all for such a worthwhile cause.

All of you know the calm, serene, quiet atmosphere that is Indah Health+Beauty Spa, right?

Well, last weekend was the Indah Christmas Party, and let me tell you, it was anything but calm, serene or quiet!

We all managed to sneak out of the Spa a little earlier than usual on Saturday to head down to the Fisherman’s Wharf and jump aboard Grandpa Indah’s boat, The Zelindo, for an evening on the ocean.

As we cruised around, we were all feeling a little bit fancy! Grandpa, or should I say, Captain Indah, anchored us up opposite the Yacht Club where we could have some drinks and nibbles to celebrate another successful year at Indah.

To help with the celebrations, Eminence Organics had kindly provided us with some beautiful champers to congratulate us all on a wonderful year. Simone and Holly had also organised an impressive spread of yummy snacks to enjoy as well.

(Sidenote: glacé cherries wrapped in bacon – A South African delicacy = DELICIOUS!)

Stacey stood in for Santa (who was apparently a little busy) to hand out the Secret Santa presents. We all ended up with some lovely gifts, and by the end it wasn’t really a secret who bought each gift. Tip for next year girls – Make sure you put the recipient’s name on the pressie!

As well as a celebration, this was also a farewell to our gorgeous Spa Assistant Allysa, who is headed off to Uni in Perth next month. We will all miss her bubbly antics around the Spa and wish her the very best in her next chapter.

As the evening drew to a close, we headed back to the wharf. Some chose to head back home to bed, while others continued the celebrations on until the wee hours, but it’s fair to say each and every one of us had a great time!

We really are a very lucky bunch to call Indah our workplace!

Thanks Tess and Mat!

Some of you may remember this face! Jess was Indah’s Spa Assistant for 18 months before she set off to the big smoke to gain her Beauty Therapy qualifications. Well, Jess has now finished her studies and missed us all so much that she just had to continue her Indah journey!

Jess is gradually being moulded into a wonderful Indah Therapist, currently specialising in Manicures, Pedicures and waxing, all of which she loves to do. Full Body Exfoliations are her absolute favourite treatment to have done when she gets to treat herself, especially the Eminence Pear and Apple Sugar Scrub!

Seeing the difference a little relaxation can have on a super stressed client is where Jess’ passion for health and wellbeing stemmed from. That, and seeing the fantastic results organic products can have on any concern without the use of harsh chemicals on their skin.

After living in Perth while finishing her studies, Jess has come to appreciate the ease of living back in Geraldton and only having to drive a few minutes to get anywhere in town. She has hopes to see some of the world in the future, first stop being Italy to experience all the amazing food and wine they have to offer.

Jess is loving being part of the Indah Family again and looking forward to looking after all her guests at Indah. Make sure you keep an eye out for our newest Indah star!

It’s that time of year again!! If you’re anything like I am, you’re probably trying to work out what to buy for the zillion people you have on your Christmas list! Well I am here to help you!

What’s the greatest reason to buy someone a gift at Christmas?

Is it the joy that you see on your loved ones face as they peel back the festively wrapped present?

Well, yes…

Is it the time and thought you get to put into every person’s individual gift?

Yes, that’s fun too…

Or is it because you may have a chance at winning an amazing prize for yourself and one of your loved ones?

Now that last one sounds like a pretty fantastic reason to buy Christmas presents for everyone you know!!

This year Indah has upped the ante on Christmas competitions and has put together, along with a couple of local businesses, the most mind-blowing prize package we have ever had! And Indah has had some great ones in the past!

Imagine yourself cruising aboard the Eco Abrolhos charter boat for five days in a deluxe room. On board you will experience some delicious food and discover the beauty of the Abrolhos Islands and all they have to offer.

Not only do you get a wonderful experience aboard the Eco, you will recieve a stunning Abrolhos Pearl from Latitude Gallery, plus a $2000 Voucher to have an exquisite piece of jewellery designed especially for you.

And if that’s still not enough for you, Indah is also throwing in an Abrolhos Escape Spa package for two as well!

How do I win this utterly amazing prize? I’m hearing you scream!

Easy peasy! All you have to do is buy a gift voucher from Indah between now and 12pm Christmas Eve and you will get an entry into the draw. And the more vouchers you purchase, the more entries you will receive. Indah gift vouchers for all this Christmas!

So there you have it, Christmas list – DONE! We look forward to seeing you Christmas shopping at Indah!

As a lot of you may know, “Mum and Dad Indah” aka Tess and Mat are getting ready to welcome a new addition to the Indah family. This will be Tess’ last “official” week at work before she goes into super-nesting mode at home before Baby Indah arrives.

It’s been wonderful to watch Tess go through all the different stages of her pregnancy…

First there was the very un-fun task of trying to appear normal whilst feeling nauseous all day. Then, once everyone knew, came the cravings! She’s lucky to have had Brooke, Indah’s amazing Spa Assistant, whose newest position at Indah was Chief of Fulfilling Cravings.

This job involved running over to Northgate at a moment’s notice to pick up anything from a Vegemite Scroll, to a Tuna Wrap, to pregnancy vitamins!

Then came the moment of realisation that she would need to have a bigger uniform made. This stage seemed to linger a little while, which I can totally understand. Really, pregnant or not, no one ever wants to have to get bigger clothes!

All the usual followed – aches and pains, strange dreams and indigestion. The fun stuff!

During this time, Tess has managed put everything into place so that once she heads off into motherhood Indah will keep rolling along as smoothly as it always has been. Luckily she has an amazing tea, all willing and ready to hold down the fort while the two of them settle into being parents.

So Tess and Mat, I know I speak for the whole Indah Family when I say that we wish for a safe (and hopefully swift!) delivery of Baby Indah and that you cherish each moment with your tiny precious bundle!

We all can’t wait to see its squishy little face!

Pia Boschetti is the owner and founder of Latitude Gallery in Geraldton and has a huge passion for creating beautiful jewellery. Wait, no, jewellery is not the right word. The designs that come out of Latitude Gallery are more than just jewellery; they are unique, they are stunning and can really only be described as pieces of art.

Abrolhos pearls, which Pia herself has farmed, are what Latitude Gallery are most famous for, although their range has steadily been evolving to include diamonds and other precious stones.

As you browse through the vast selection of pieces in store, you will notice that each and every creation is one-of-a-kind. What really sets Latitude Gallery apart from the rest, is that here, Pia and the other on-site jewellers can actually create a custom made piece for any occasion, be it an engagement, a wedding, a birthday or just because. Personally, I know when I am looking for something and have a clear picture in my mind of what I’d like, I usually never find exactly what I am looking for, so this definitely solves that problem!

Latitude Gallery can also help with any day-to-day jewellery maintenance such as repairs or rhodium plating, also offering same day service. No more waiting a whole week or even longer to get your precious jewels back where they belong!

The gallery not only has all of these beautiful pieces of jewellery, they also showcase some of Geraldton’s local artists as well. This makes it a wonderful place to bring visitors to Geraldton and they may even be lucky enough to see the jewellers in action creating something amazing!

Pia and Latitude Gallery have generously donated a magnificent Abrolhos pearl, along with a $2000 Latitude Gallery voucher to create your very own unique piece, to Indah. This will be part of our Ultimate Abrolhos Experience that we will be giving away on Christmas Eve. All you need to do to be in the running is purchase a gift voucher between now and 12pm on Christmas Eve. Easy!

So with Christmas just around the corner, why not think about a one-of-a-kind treasure from Pia and the team at Latitude Gallery for your loved one. They will be sure to create something exquisite!

Now I just hope that my fella is reading this! Hint hint!

Oh and FYI, Latitude Gallery is located at 169 Marine Terrace Geraldton and can be reached on 9964 6601 or just head on over to:

The last few weeks I have really struggled with getting these blogs written, not because I don’t love and enjoy writing them, I am! It’s because I am in the midst of wedding planning! So every time I sit down at my laptop and try to focus and concentrate, it takes everything ounce of self-control I have not to jump onto the web and Google something ridiculous like “beach wedding ideas” or “beach wedding flower ideas” or ‘blue and peach beach wedding flower ideas”.

In saying all of that, rather than spend this blog writing session jumping back and forth from this document to Pinterest, I’ll share a little of my, I mean our, plans!

Let me paint you a word picture…

“It will be a beautiful afternoon in April next year. The howling wind will have died down. The sun will be shining, but not too hot, and the sky will be dotted with several fluffy, marshmallow-looking clouds. All of my nearest and dearest will be eagerly awaiting my arrival, chatting quietly about what is to come.

As the perfectly timed sun makes it way out from behind one of the marshmallow clouds, out will walk my stunning Maid of Honour holding my adorable little girl’s hand. They will walk across the sand towards the shoreline, Little A gently tossing rose petals along the aisle. As I then walk out, the collective intake of my guests’ breath will be audible. There I am, the beautiful, relaxed, carefree Bride.”

Then I’ll most likely trip over a rogue piece of seaweed and face plant into the sand…

I am most definitely not the Bride who has been planning out my wedding since I was a little girl. I’m the Bride hoping I will be able to get a dress in time because we’ve decided to plan a wedding in 6 months’ time!

My biggest hope for our wedding is that we have our loved ones there to share it with; that we have enough food so no one needs to get a feed on their way home and that everyone enjoys themselves.

What I don’t want is to get lost in all of the details and forget what a wedding is really actually about. It’s not about the flowers, or the dress, or even just the Bride. This day is about two people declaring our love for each other in front of the people that mean the most to them. This is what I need to remember when I get all wrapped up in the minor details.

So, even if I do face plant as I walk down the aisle, as long as my fella is there to brush the sand off my face, our wedding day will still be the happiest I could ask for.

Now that this post is done I’m off to Google “blue and peach bohemian beach wedding flower ideas” and see if anything new pops up!

A couple of weekends ago, three of our Senior Beauty Therapists were lucky enough to head down to Perth for the weekend to further their massage skill with a Discover Massage Australia course. Stacey, Simone and Nicole bundled snugly into the backseat of Nanna and Grandpa Indah’s Kluger, Grandpa cranked his Tony Joe White CD, and off they went for a weekend of learning and a little bit of fun as well.

Saturday was day one of the course and the three girls eagerly set off to the venue. Here they learnt a lot about remedying common ailments such as tennis elbow, shin splints and torn muscles, as well as plenty of new deep tissue massage techniques. All of the students had the opportunity to be the masseuse as well as the client, helping them to grasp the feeling of all the new techniques they were learning. Each time someone found an interesting knot or tight spot, the whole class was able to have a feel of the area giving them all an even wider knowledge.

That evening Stacey and Nicole treated themselves to a night at the casino while Nicole spent some time with family that live in Perth.

On Sunday morning they started day two of the course. After putting their heart and soul into their practice on day one, everyone in the class was feeling a little tender. It’s safe to say Sunday was a whole lot gentler, yet still intense with knowledge.

After a full on weekend of massage the girls headed back to Geraldton, and lucky for them, they got to listen to Tony Joe White the whole way home! The three of them are very excited to put everything they learnt into practice at Indah, so you may notice a few new techniques incorporated into your massage on your next visit.

Just a couple of weeks ago it was my Grandpa’s birthday, and not just any old birthday, his 70th– a huge milestone! So being the good grand-daughter that I am, I went and found him a present, complete with a card that had “SEVENTY” emblazoned across the front of it. Feeling very proud of myself for being so organised, I called my dad to let him know and it turns out that the big milestone birthday was actually Grandpa’s 80th… oops!

I honestly could not believe that he and my Nanna, who has her birthday is coming up in February, were turning 80! So when I phoned Nanna to give her the heads up that I sent the wrong number card, she shared with me a few of her secrets.

Firstly, they both have always had a well- balanced diet, barely any processed foods, the odd treat here and there but nothing excessive. Really, we all know what we should be eating, but it’s sometimes hard to remember when there are so many quick, easy, but not always healthy options on the market.

Nanna then mentioned the fact that they exercise regularly. They are both members of a gym and part of a weekly walking group plus they are always pottering about in the garden when they are home. They are very active retirees, which I think really does contribute to how healthy they are.

Another thing, which Nanna didn’t actually mention to me, but I honestly think is a factor, is that they take a break at least a couple of times a year. As long as I can remember they have been heading off to Sydney or Melbourne to see exhibitions and shows and doing the touristy things. These breaks give them something to look forward to, plus travelling and seeing new places no matter what your age, will always enrich your life.

Obviously everyone’s circumstances are different, from their health, to whatever life has thrown at them over the years. Some of it may be luck, but there are usually ways we can help ourselves as well. These are just the things that have got my grandparents to the grand old age of 80 and I can only hope that when I am their age I am doing as well as they are!

I will also mention that Grandpa was stoked to get a card that said he was 10 years younger! Now, the big dilemma is whether I send Nanna a card that says ‘70’ or ‘80’…

Hands up anyone who has ever felt they need a timeout from the stress that everyday life brings. I know my hand is up straight in the air right now and I’m thinking a lot of yours are too! Well you and I are in luck, because Indah would like to introduce you to Sacred Fig Wellness Retreats. Sacred Fig’s founder Rhonda, is providing a retreat unlike any other, that will leave your mind, body and soul feeling like you don’t quite need that timeout anymore!

Combining the power of meditation (which I have mentioned before), healthy eating, yoga and various body therapies; the retreats leave your body feeling like the slate has been wiped clean. With Broome, Guilderton and Thailand as the locations of these getaways, you will feel like you’ve had a mini holiday without the “holiday hangover” to have to deal with at the end of it. Instead you will be left feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and re-energised.

Personally, I am saving up all my baby-free time owing to me to get away on one of these! I have my fingers crossed for Broome! Head over to sacredfigretreats.com.au to have a gander at all the beautiful retreats on offer for 2015.

Now, I mentioned Rhonda from Sacred Fig above, and I know you’re all just dying to know if that is the same Rhonda that spread her wings and left the Indah nest not that long ago. Well it most certainly is! Sacred Fig is her new baby now, and she is having great success with it.

As well as starting this new venture, Rhonda has been learning extensively through The Institute of Women on spiritual empowerment and freeing yourself emotionally. Basically, this is getting rid of all the baggage -past and present- that can be holding you back in life. Rhonda is now qualified to help others unblock their inner-barriers, ones they may not even be aware of. These could be phobias or issues stemming back generations.

Indah’s Mumma Tess has recently had some help from Rhonda with her enormous phobia of spiders. One night in her heavily pregnant state, she barricaded herself and her dog Biff into her room to escape the giant huntsman spider that she had seen in her house. After the spider kept her hostage overnight, she called Rhonda to “fix” her! Amazingly, Tess’ fear of spiders is gone. She even bragged to me that she just casually brushed one off her shoulder a couple of days later! This was a woman who literally taped up the crack under her door to escape a spider and now she could be best buddies with one!

If that isn’t a success story for Rhonda then I don’t know what is! If you think you could benefit from some emotional freedom then you can get in contact with Rhonda through sacredfigretreats.com.au or on 0428 516 335.

Until next time!

Katrina is Indah’s newest member and is settling into the family just right! As Indah’s new receptionist, her caring and helpful nature will make you feel right at ease before you head to your blissful treatment. Having recently moved back from Cairns, Katrina is enjoying getting back into the Geraldton life. When you can’t find Katrina at Indah she is likely to be getting her dose of vitamin D at the beach with her gorgeous doggy Dexter. She also loves a good at-home facial every now and then, complete with a luxurious face mask.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a passion for Katrina , this includes using natural skin care products and eating raw whenever she can. She is loving the Microhydrobrasion Facial at Indah, especially since no harsh chemicals are used and the results are astounding.

Katrina is looking forward to meeting all of Indah’s lovely guests and giving them the best possible start to their Spa Journey.

Stacey is Indah’s amazing Spa Manager and has been a part of the Indah family since the very beginning, which will be five years in December. With eight years experience in the Health and Beauty industry, Stacey has a vast knowledge of all things spa related, from the best products for your skin, to the optimum time between waxes, she will always do her best to help.

Indah’s Hot Stone massage is one of Stacey’s favourite treatments to perform and if you are lucky enough to have had one from her you’ll know she is absolutely wonderful at giving them! Another of her favourites is anything waxing, and this may just be because she loves to have a chat but being a great multi-tasker, she still does a super thorough job.

When Stacey is lucky enough to be on the receiving end, she loves a good foot massage, more specifically Reflexology, which targets any areas of your body causing you grief through certain points on your feet. If there’s any chance she can sneak into the detox box before having her Reflexology done, this will make for one happy and relaxed Stacey!

Stacey’s all-time favourite product right now is Zuii’s new Eyebrow Definer for its amazing capability to give natural looking yet super defined brows, and the bonus is that it is so easy to apply.

Over the last few years Stacey has been fortunate enough to travel to Canada, not once but twice and this is still her dream holiday destination. But if she were to win Lotto, the plan would be to set off and explore Australia, to see and experience all that is right on our doorstep. That’s after paying off her mortgage of course!

Stacey’s passion for health and beauty is clear to anyone who has ever encountered her at Indah and she believes that overall wellness is so important, as we only get one body to live in, so we’d better take good care of it.

Have you ever had that shock when you look at yourself in the mirror, not just a glance, but a really good look at what your skin looks like close up? I certainly know I have and it was a little bit terrifying! Where once there was skin as soft and clear as a baby’s, there are now blotchy patches of darker pigment, and the beginnings of some scary little lines happening around my eyes. Now, as easy as it would be to just not look at myself that closely, burying my head in the sand about these skin concerns is most definitely not going to fix them! The amazing people of Sodashi must have been reading my horrified thoughts, because they have just brought out the Samadara Ultimate Age-Defying Elixir to complement their Samadara Ultimate Age-Defying Crème and Eye Crème. It is every bit as magical and luxurious as it sounds! In its pretty little box are also Rose Quartz Crystals which are to be used to massage this liquid heaven into your skin, boosting the results. That’s right, you have been ordered to take a little bit of time to give yourself a lovely face massage!

As it goes on, it feels like silk being gently draped over your face, and as it is massaged in with the crystals, I like to imagine the fine lines are being ironed out of my skin. I do tend to have quite a good imagination, although you really do start to notice a difference from the first application, skin feels a little firmer, a little clearer and a little smoother. So imagine how it will look after using it for longer!

One of the best parts about this product is, as with all Sodashi products, that there is not an artificial fragrance, chemical or preservative in sight! What you will find is Camellia and Jasmine to improve the texture of your skin, White Tea to boost your skins collagen and elastin production and Arnica and Neroli to help reduce any puffiness. All of the beautiful ingredients combine to provide its lovely subtle scent.

So if looking at your skin is a little terrifying, I would wholeheartedly recommend giving this Elixir a go. I’ll be using mine every night, so I’ll forgive you if next time you see me you don’t recognize me because I’ll be looking like a young spring chicken again!

Breathe in. Breathe out. Jaw clenched tight, shoulders feeling like they are sitting somewhere near your ears, the uncontrollable urge to bite the head off the next person to merely glance in your direction; we’ve all been there, you are STRESSED!! Now you know what you need to do, but seriously, who has the time to relax? “Life is busy, there is work, kids, families, finances, dramas to worry about” I hear you say. Well I say, are those things going to still be there, doing the same things even if you stop, switch off and reset for five minutes? Relaxation is so important for both your physical and emotional wellbeing. Once you have taken some time to relax, your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease and your cortisol (stress hormone) levels will lower in your body. You will also have the capacity to think a lot more clearly and your attention span and focus will improve. Another positive is that you will also be less likely to have a complete emotional meltdown at an absolutely inappropriate time… never a pretty sight!

So how do I do this “relaxation” you ask? First of all you need to just !!STOP!! Good. That’s the hardest part done. Now the next part of relaxing is completely individual, it could be going for a run or blasting your favourite tunes on your iPod or indulging in a massage, whatever floats your boat, though if you have major time restrictions, meditation is a fast and effective way to relax.

Now if you’ve ever tried to meditate before, you’ll know that it does take a little bit of practice to be able to stop thinking about all the mundane things that pop into your head. My personal faves are “What am I going to make for dinner?”, “Did I turn of the iron this morning?” or “I wonder how much longer I have left of this meditating business?” The key is to stop and refocus whenever you feel your mind wander.

I have created a simple 5 minute meditation guide for you, should you be inclined to give it a go (and you absolutely should!)

Bonnie’s Super Simple 5 Step 5 Minute Meditation

Firstly, find a comfortable, preferably quiet place to begin your meditation. For the best results you should be sitting either on the ground or in a chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground, unsurprisingly this is called “grounding” yourself.Next, you need to set a timer, I like to just use the one on my phone, but any old timer will do. This way you don’t need to be thinking “I wonder how long I have left?” because your timer will let you know when your time is up.Have a look at your posture, your back should be straight yet relaxed, no tensing up.Now close your eyes and focus on your breathing and nothing else. Try to make your breaths deep and regular. Your biggest obstacle in meditation is your mind, so whenever you notice your thoughts wandering, just bring your focus back to your breaths.That’s it! Keep at it until your timer goes off. Also know that your first attempts at meditating will likely consist of constantly stopping to bring your attention back to your breathing. This is normal and will definitely get easier the more you do it.

So off you go now, go and get your meditation on! Say it with me “Breathe iiiin… Breathe ouuut…”

Anyone who has had a luxurious treatment at Indah and has tried Indah’s Bliss Balls would have to agree they are AMAZING!! I know I’ve snuck my fair share in since being back at work! These delicious beauties are lovingly made by Indah’s own Nanna Jan, and she even goes the extra effort to deliver them straight to the Spa. I managed to wrangle the recipe out of her to share with you all…

Indah’s Bliss Balls

Ingredients: 20 fresh whole dates 1 cup raw almonds 1 cup raw cashews 2 tsp. cacao 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste Raw shredded coconut

Method: Soak fresh dates in water for 15 minutes, drain well. In a food processer blend all nuts, cacao powder and vanilla bean paste. Remove pips from dates and add to food processor. Blend well. (If it seems a little dry add a few teaspoons of water or coconut oil) Roll mixture into small balls and roll in coconut.

Keep refrigerated… while they last!

Enjoy!

So we should probably put a face to the words I will be spilling onto your computer screen! I am Bonnie and I have been a part of the Indah Family since its birth in 2009. You could say I was one of the midwives to the birth – I wasn’t there for the conception, but I was there, along with the rest of the wonderful team, helping to make sure this fresh new baby business was brought into the world with the very best chances of success.

But unlike a midwife, who wishes the parents well, sends them on their way and maybe bumps into them now and then around town, I was privileged enough to be a part of Indah and am proud to have seen it thrive.

In these 5 years I went on to become manager at Indah which was an amazing opportunity for me to grow professionally, I loved it! Indah had become such an enormous part of my life, so last year when I left to give birth to my own real life human baby, I knew I would be back.

Now my darling girl Asha is 11 months old and now far too busy wreaking havoc on the house and terrorising the dog to notice that mummy is not with her constantly (sob!), so it seemed like a good time to get back into doing what I love. I have been back for 3 weeks now and I have to say, it is amazing using my brain again. As I type this Playschool is my background noise, along with “Yook!” (Asha talk for “look!”) every 10 seconds, so being around adults is a refreshing change!

This blog is such an exciting new adventure for Indah and for me too. I hope to provide you with all the happenings in the Organic and Natural Beauty world, plus all of the latest and greatest goings on in the Relaxation and Wellbeing world too. I’ll also throw in some tales from my own experiences along the way, as well as features from some of the other Indah family members.

I hope you all enjoy it!

Way back in the year 2009 Indah health and beauty spa was born! Since that day we have become Geraldton’s premier day spa. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, the ambient relaxing atmosphere and our passion for the organic lifestyle. We hope to share these things and more in our fantastic new blog! So watch this space.

We are eager to deliver you helpful information on:

Organics – the how, what, why, where and who on all things organic! Relaxation – from what treatments will benefit ‘you’ most, to why you even need it.Skin Care – we will be keeping you up to date with the latest in organic skin care.Recipes – from the secret “Indah Recipe Book” from Great Nanna Indah, we will bring you delicious, healthy recipes.Wellbeing – from the top of your head, to the tips of your toes, plus everything in between-inside and out. All of your being needs to be looked after; we’ll help show you how.Plus much, much more!

So, come and join us on this new element of Indah, you’re sure to learn something new!