The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

Hello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did! ==== Tim Silverwood is one of Brooke’s environmental role models. He maintains that he’s just an ordinary guy who somehow found himself at the forefront of environmental activism in Australia, but his passion and knowledge means that while he may be an ordinary guy, the impact he’s having on the growing environmental movement in Australia is anything but ordinary. As one of the founders of Take 3 for the Sea and a powerful voice in the movement away from single-use plastics, Tim is having a massive impact both in Australia and around the world. In today’s episode Tim and Brooke talk about the Plastic-Free July campaign and why it’s so important, but they also go back to the catalyst for Tim’s shift to environmentalism. Perhaps not surprisingly, Tim’s passion for protecting the ocean started in his passion for the waves and like so many people now heavily invested in protecting our wild spaces, Tim was a surfer who used his love of the ocean to drive changes in his own life. They also talk about the importance of small steps, and why Tim believes it’s the only way to convert the apathetic in to the passionate, but also why these small steps are only the first part of creating global change. One of the beautiful themes that keeps emerging in Brooke and Tim’s conversation is the idea of connection - both to each other and the environment we all live in - and Tim specifically talks about the ways in which we’re all connected to the health of the oceans. It’s far too easy to think the issue of plastic pollution isn’t one we’re part of, and Tim gets very passionate as he talks about the different ways our actions can have an impact - both positive and negative. They also talk about the problematic issue of recycling and why so much of what we think of as ‘good recycling’ is actually exacerbating the problem, and why the circular economy and circular design is the way of the future. To read more, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss184 for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did! ==== In today’s episode Brooke sits down to chat with Rebecca Sullivan - founder of the ‘granny skills’ movement, serial entrepreneur, food lover and sustainability advocate. In what can only be described as an utterly delightful conversation, Brooke and Rebecca talk about traditions, heritage and the importance of intergenerational connection, as well as how to make the perfect blush for less than $1. After coming to the realisation that she was completely removed from the process of creating and growing her own food (something to do with cheese and maggots in a small Italian town) Rebecca began the process of educating herself. From that realisation has grown a career of incredible depth and breadth, covering food, traditional skills, agriculture, creating natural homemade products and recently a pilot program that placed grandparents in local schools. This program saw older people teaching kids traditional skills around cooking and woodworking, which not only had an incredibly positive impact on the kids, but the older teachers as well. Brooke and Rebecca talk about the importance of failure, and the liberation that comes once we accept and even embrace our own screw-ups. As a keen balcony gardener, Rebecca also shares her hottest hits for container growing, including some native edibles that are the most likely to survive some light-to-moderate neglect. To read more, head over to INSERT LINK HERE (NOT SURE WHAT THE URL WILL BE?) for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did! ==== Have you ever had a conversation that changes your entire outlook on the world? One that shifts your worldview in monumental ways? That challenges and invites you to think about your choices in terms that are entirely different? In today's episode, Brooke chats with the utterly wonderful Annie Raser-Rowland, co-author of The Art of Frugal Hedonism and experiences one of those conversations. Annie and Brooke speak about the book and all that it covers: life and pleasure and scarcity and ego and many other things. Nailing the art of frugal hedonism is about considering things, but also feeling them. Life is experienced, explored, meaningful, soaked up and revelled in. The book is full of practical (and more whimsical) ways you can live a joyful, hedonistic life on a low budget, and Annie’s way with words (as evident in the episode) means it’s an absolutely delightful read. This is a super inspiring episode, and we hope after listening you feel excited about experiencing things, paying attention, giving yourself space and time to spend afternoons immersed in cloud-watching or 10 minutes eating an apple in the sun. To read more, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss182 for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did! ==== In today’s poggie Brooke speaks with Katy Bowman, a biomechanist, founder of Nutritious Movement and all-round activity advocate, about the curse of convenience in modern life and what it is costing us in terms of movement, the food we eat, our health, our relationships and the larger structure of our society in general. They also talk about the infiltration of technology into the lives of both adults and kids, as well as some really practical ways of lessening the impact technology has on our days, and how to deal with the inevitable complaints from kids (and maybe some adults) when they’re forced outside. They also talk about the massive benefits of spending more time outdoors and why Katy is lobbying for outdoor exposure to be classified as a nutrient. Katy shares her family’s journey towards minimalism and why it began with letting go of their couch, and how the root of their simplification lies in a desire for more movement rather than less stuff. Enjoy! To read more, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/ss181 for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the last (new) episode of the year! Today’s hostful was going to be a “year-in-review” type affair, but Brooke is officially sick of talking about their plans, and so instead it’s a wrap up of Brooke and Ben’s favourite things from 2017!  There are mixed emotions in the McAlary house as they finish the school year and start to have that nostalgic appreciation for a place you know you’re going to be leaving soon. So they kick things off light, starting with their favourite TV shows, small details and movies of the year. Brooke and Ben end up sharing the same favourite movie as it was the only time they went to the movies this year - together, without the kids, in the middle of the day. “It felt strangely wrong but awesome at the same time”, said Ben of the experience. They then move onto their favourite new destinations, books (featuring a suspicious amount of Stephen King, no surprises there) and discovery of the year. Then it’s on to favourite album, new podcast, meal and last of all, favourite experience of 2017. They both feel incredibly fortunate for all the great things that have happened this year, and also talk a little bit about the intention or feeling they might like to try and cultivate in the new year. And that is that! Thank you so much for listening this year, buying the books, and supporting us in any way. We truly feel so grateful to be part of this growing slow community. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays, and hope you can soak in the downtime. We’ll be back next week with the summer series, and with new podcasts on the 1st February. Until then, have a great few weeks! To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/221/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben loves goals, Brooke doesn’t. Will they be able to find a way around this and continue in life, love and podcasts? You’ll have to listen to find out! Like florals to spring are goals and New Year’s resolutions to the end of the year. Today Brooke and Ben talk about their recent discovery that Ben is way more goal oriented than Brooke. Like a lot more. The nature of Ben’s work is project-based, with distinct start and end dates - he’s used to end-points and moving on to the next thing, both professionally and personally. Whether it’s learning a new song on the guitar or painting the front fence, Ben feels like his life is like this, and Brooke feels like hers is not. Brooke’s natural tendency is not to be goal-oriented at all. While she does need structure and to-do lists to tame her “panster” ways, goals actually make her feel claustrophobic. As soon as a goal is down on paper, no matter how SMART it is, she instantly wants to rebel against it, a habit that’s potentially formed from years of feeling shame around not finishing things that she started. She does semi-regularly sit down and partake in a big-picture brain dump or epic mind-map making session, but even those will be forgotten about and discovered a year later (often, interestingly, with many of the things having taken place, even without the piece of paper in sight!). Unsurprisingly, Brooke is also not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, but more about the actions and the doing. However, both Brooke and Ben agree that one of the downsides of not setting goals is not celebrating success enough. It’s a work in progress for them - actually stopping to take it in, reflect on what you’ve done and celebrate how far you’ve come, and what you’ve achieved. This also ties back to mindfulness for Brooke, who can see that being more present allows her to really pause and soak in the details of things. The key takeaway for this week? It’s ok to not be a goal setter, but maybe try being a little more mindful of what it is you’re working towards. And maybe try experimenting with thinking of a couple of short, medium and long-term goals and writing them down in the Notes app in your phone (Ben’s location of choice). Think about something that extends you personally or professionally, or maybe make a mindmap or do a brain dump, and then look at the end game. What is it that you’re working towards? Once it’s time to turn that bullet point into a satisfying tick, take a moment (or a glass of something bubbly) to celebrate your success. Are you a goal-setter? If so, tell us how you do it, we’d love to hear. Also if anyone really knows what SMART stands for, feel free to get in touch. To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/220/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Brooke talks to the awesome Cait Flanders, mindful money extraordinaire, author and slow living advocate. The last time Cait was on the show was way back in episode 22 in 2015, so the two had a bit to catch up on! Excitingly, Cait’s first book The Year Of Less is about to be released (on 16th January 2018). Brooke has read the book and absolutely loved it. At first glance it might seem to be about a girl who stopped shopping for a year, but it’s actually about so much more. Cait did complete a year-long shopping ban from 2014-2015, and while the book is about that, the ban also provides a framework for her to talk about a lot of other things - drinking, relationships, money (of course) and more. The book is deeply personal and honest, so a lot of excavation was involved in the writing. Cait speaks about the writing process (including self-imposed isolation and extended Airbnb stays) as well as the feeling of finishing her biggest creative project to date. Brooke also asked Cait about the year of slow experiments she’s undertaken in 2017. Cait explained the motivation behind them - that she felt overwhelmed by the classic #newyearnewme self-improvement messages, knowing she’d have a lot of work to do in the new year with her book. But at the same time there were some small changes she wanted to make - things she wanted more or less of in her life. And so the year-long project was born, featuring all the fun of trying something new without the pressure of a challenge. Every month (bar two) had a theme, and rather than setting goals she created intentions, which meant more room for fluidity and flexibility and less feeling bad for not ticking a certain box every day. She kicked off with slow mornings in January, and in a beautiful act of synchronicity, is finishing in December with experimenting with slow evenings. Her favourite experiments were the slow travel and slow food (no surprises there!). Throughout the year Cait realised that anything that makes you stop and think about what it is that you’re doing, in whatever aspect of your life, is a good thing. She and Brooke talk more about that in terms of being overwhelmed with choice, feelings of FOMO, changing slowly, being compassionate and asking for help when we need it. Cait’s overall goal with her book was to encourage people to pause and think about what’s going on when they feel the need to consume more or binge on whatever it is - shopping, drinking, eating, social media etc. And this mindfulness really permeates throughout all her work, and the way she lives her life. Yay for Cait! To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/219/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Slow by name, slow by nature is the topic for this Monday episode. After last week’s Facebook Live hostful and the end of the very first Live Life Simply online retreat, Brooke and Ben felt like they were hearing a lot of people come to the realisation that they’d been trying to rush their way to slow as quickly as possible, and that it wasn’t going to work. So they thought it was time to address this paradoxical approach to slowing down and remind us all (including themselves!) that the only way to do it really is slowly. Slow living has been packaged and sold as a solution to all of the problems we face in our modern world, but people are coming to understand and accept that living a slow life is a slow process, not a quick fix. If you’re living a life of “I’ll be happy when”s (I’ll be happy when I have less stuff, when I’ve paid off my credit card, when I’ve got a weekend with nothing on) it’s hard to appreciate and be present for those moments in between. There’s nothing wrong with having these things in mind to aim for, but it’s important to remember to live life along the way and not get caught up looking at the end goal. It really is all about the journey, not the destination. Brooke and Ben talk about the realisation that working towards slow living doesn’t mean everything is done slowly, but rather understanding that change comes slowly. It also means accepting that backsliding and failure and frustration are all part of the process too, and that actively softening into the things that we’re resisting can help us be present with where we are, let our experiences deepen and allow ourselves a little compassion. The take-away from this week is to ask yourself what is something that is bringing you stress or rigidity in your life right now? Maybe it’s a few things - write them down, then just choose one and ask what would it look like if you softened into the process, understand that changes take time and keep slowly working towards it? Let us know what that looks like for you - we’d love to hear how you’re softening into slow, especially at this time of year. To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/218/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming to you live from Facebook, this week’s hostful episode sees Brooke and Ben talk all things life updates, travel, 2018 plans and more. First big piece of news? They’ve sold their house! Exciting times, especially after a hectic few weeks that saw a couple of episodes missed. Brooke and Ben talk about this, and the fact that it really was a time of intense tilting (almost horizontally, according to Ben!), very much a “going fast to go slow” period. Brooke remembers when these times used to make her feel like a “slow imposter”, but now she’s able to recognise and become intentional when life gets hectic, and especially when it returns to a more sustainable pace (January and February are looking super slow for these guys). They come back to the idea of long term balance versus the illusive everyday balance, and working towards the big picture rather than stressing out everyday over the unattainable. Mindset also comes into it, and remembering that you’re choosing to be busy, maybe in order to come back to slow a little later. Plus, Brooke highlights the non-negotiables of sleep, meditation and good food that help her get through more stressful times. As for the pogpast, there are some exciting changes on the horizon for 2018! The last episode of the year will come out on the 21st December, and then from there we’ll move into the Summer Series, which will see the favourite or most popular episodes of the year re-released for 5 weeks throughout January. Then from February, the podcast will go back to being only one episode per week. This reflects Brooke and Ben’s aim to simplify life while they’re on the road, and focusing on doing less, better. 2018 will also see the return of the experiment episodes! Brooke and Ben are excited to be doing these again, and know a lot of listeners have missed them too. At the moment the plan is to alternate between one month of an experiment and then one month of interview episodes, which will also include live recordings and loads of great guests from the book tour happening in mid next year. Apart from these updates, Brooke and Ben also answer live questions around the idea of a slow:fast ratio, how to host guests and still stay slow, balancing home and work life and staying in the present moment, waste and travelling, fears around next year and the plans for the trip so far. To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/217/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the 27th of November, and if anyone listening is already on holidays, Brooke and Ben salute you. It’s one month til Christmas, and the craziness/silliness/festiveness has well and truly begun. This is the last episode in the Slow Holidays Monday series, and in the spirit of trying to find pockets of slow in these full and exciting weeks, today Brooke and Ben talk about the importance of holiday traditions. They both agree that traditions are really important, especially at this time of year. However they acknowledge that traditions change and evolve over time, and that there’s no need to stick to something that doesn’t serve you. Ben challenges Brooke about a couple of their holiday traditions (e.g. getting a real Christmas tree every year and decorating the house with what he terms “clutter”, much to Brooke’s objection) and asks if they still align to their values. Brooke maintains that she still values fun, and that the most important part of these traditions (and this time of year) is spending quality time with friends and family. The joy of hanging out with their kids on the first weekend in December, going to get a tree and then listening to The Beach Boys while decorating is what matters, not necessarily the tree and decorations themselves. It’s testing, but Ben puts it out there that it’s good at this time of year to question why we partake in certain holiday traditions. This week’s action? Look at what you do at this time of year and the traditions you love, and why you love them. See if there are any traditions that need to evolve and start having those conversations. What small shifts can you start to make to ensure your traditions sit comfortably with your values? And most importantly, don’t forget to embrace the fun and soften into the season. Head over to http://slowyourhome.com/216/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the blog post. PS Keep listening all the way to the end for some blooper gold. ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.