The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

http://www.slowyourhome.com/11  Today is the first of our hostful Q&A shows and Brooke is doing her best to answer three listener questions: How do I deal with the negative judgements (both internal and external) that come with slowing down and simplifying my life? How can I integrate outdoor play and exploration into every day life? What books have helped in your journey towards a slower, simpler life? Plus, Brooke may or may not go on a small rant about the personification of our stuff and why it’s harming our ability to let go.  Today's show format is a little different, and hopefully it’s something you enjoy. We certainly enjoyed sitting down and recording a full show together.  If you have any questions about slowing down or simplifying, we’d love to answer your question on our next Q&A show. Simply head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/qa and ask away.  In the meantime, enjoy the show!  Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://slowyourhome.com/10  In today’s show I sit down with the delightful Courtney Carver of Project 333 and Be More With Less. Aside from her work as a simplicity writer, Courtney is also a photographer, wife, mother and traveller. She also happens to live with a diagnosis of MS, which is something we talk about in our conversation today. Aside from talking about the benefits of a smaller wardrobe, we also dig into her decision to adopt minimalism after her MS diagnosis, how her husband and daughter reacted to the changes, and the weird place I like to keep my jeans.  As the founder of minimalist wardrobe challenge Project 333, Courtney has helped thousands of people experience the massive benefits of living with less stuff.  Fewer clothes means less stress, less waste, less clutter, less time standing in front of an overstuffed wardrobe while declaring we have nothing to wear. In essence, it's just another example of how we stand to benefit from simplifying and slowing right down, even when it feels counter-cultural to do so. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did!   Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://slowyourhome.com/9   Carl Honoré is one of the most well known advocates for the Slow Movement and the author of three books, including the international best-seller, ’In Praise of Slow’. He is also a celebrated TED speaker, traveller, father and husband.    In today’s conversation he and I dig in to what life was like for him and his family pre-slow and what first steps he took to create a slower, more mindful life. It’s a really interesting look at the pressures we all live under in today’s hectic, results-driven society and how any one of us can adopt the idea of ‘good slow’ into our lives.    Neither Carl nor I believe that busy and slow are mutually exclusive and its fascinating to talk to someone who so passionately advocates a slower way of life while living in a fast-paced city like London.      I hope you enjoy our conversation! Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://slowyourhome.com/8 - Today I chat to Katie Clemons, a pilot, writer, journal-maker, mother, wife and all-round lovely human.  We dig in to the time she and her husband spent living in Germany and the impact that had on her simple living ways, as well as the home they now live in - a tiny house inside an airplane hangar! It’s also fascinating to learn how Katie’s training as a pilot has impacted her life in very unexpected ways.    Enjoy!Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://slowyourhome.com/7 - Joshua Becker is a writer, a father, and a self-described regular suburban family man, only without the dog and the garage full of stuff. As the writer behind hugely successful blog, Becoming Minimalist, I’m quite certain you know a little about him. I know he’s been one of the biggest influences in my life as I worked to slow down and simplify and I know he has impacted hundreds of thousands of other people in similarly powerful ways.    In today’s episode we talk about what made him realise that the life he was living wasn’t fulfilling in the ways he expected it would be, as well as the impact blogs, Facebook, Instagram and the like are having on our expectations of what a “successful life” looks like.    I asked Joshua if he ever feels as though his work in encouraging people to simplify is actually adding to our anxiety - whether we now feel we need to keep up with a different, less materialistic but ultimately still aspirational set of Joneses - and his thoughts on this really fascinated me.    I hope you enjoy listening in to our chat about life, family, clutter and the new Joneses as much as I enjoyed taking part in it. Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://www.slowyourhome.com/6 - In this episode, I chat with Cybele Masterman of Blah Blah Magazine. Cybele is passionate about sustainable, simple living and creating a more mindful life for her young family. She is also killer with the DIY home and body care, and shares a recipe for a homemade, all-natural coffee body scrub that freaked Ben out.    During our chat we talk about the joys of slowing down and paying attention to our surroundings, the difference between mindless consumption and mindfully choosing what to bring in to our lives, and why I personally don’t think comic books are clutter.  Enjoy! *Audio Note: I’ve been having some ongoing issues with recording interviews, which are making guests’ audio a little fuzzy in places. Please know that I’m working to rectify this and I’ve done all I can to minimise the fuzz in today’s interview.*Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://slowyourhome.com/5 - When it comes to routine versus rhythm, it’s rhythm all the way for me.  In today’s show (another solo outing to round out our big launch week) I talk about the difference between rhythm and routine, and why I think it’s important to apply the friendlier notion of rhythm to our days. Shifting into a rhythmic approach has been one of the best changes I’ve made to my life over the past few years and I feel like I actually get more done (most days) than if I was to apply a regimented routine to my days. Later in the episode I also take a look at what my morning rhythm looks like at the moment, why I wake up at 4am and what I manage to get done before other members of my family wake up. I hope you’ve enjoyed the first week of the show as much as I have loved bringing it to you! After today’s episode I will be releasing a new podcast every Thursday morning (Australian time) so be sure to subscribe to the show and don’t miss out.Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover what slow living truly means and how it contrasts with our fast-paced lives. The discussion emphasizes intentionality and mindfulness, urging listeners to value quality experiences over consumerism. Explore the challenges and rewards of simplifying your life, from self-acceptance to enhanced clarity. Uncover practical tips for decluttering and fostering meaningful relationships, all while embracing the beauty of taking things slow. Grab your favorite drink and dive into the transformative power of living with intention!

http://slowyourhome.com/3 - We’re halfway through our epic launch week, and in this episode I get the opportunity to chat with Rebecca Shann, a writer, photographer, gardener and permaculture designer.  Bec is someone I connected with via Instagram a couple of years ago, as I was immediately drawn to both the incredible photos of her vegetable garden as well as her philosophy on living a simpler life. I knew we would hit it off immediately, even though this was the first time she and I have ever actually spoken! We talk about her journey from corporate, suburban life to living in a tiny home and running a thriving market garden, as well as the benefits of slowing down and paying attention.    Enjoy! Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

http://slowyourhome.com/1 - Welcome to the first episode of The Slow Home Podcast! In today's show we're going to spend a little time getting to know each other.  Learn about what lead me to discover and adopt a simpler way of life and gain some insight into what it's like to live with a minimalist.    Enjoy! Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.