Year: 2012
We’re in December, and it’s the time when present shopping urgency starts to ramp up! Today we have a mixed bag of ideas for you to help you get that list ticked off. Do you have some other suggestions? Please comment below, and let us know what’s on your list – for yourself and others! [hr] […]
Buying gifts for the women in your life is either the easiest thing (most women think so!) or the hardest thing (I’m sure the men would agree) to buy at Christmas. Today I want to offer you some ideas and inspiration – plus I will be directing you to some wonderful websites with many other […]
With Christmas rapidly approaching (yes as of the date of publication there are only 61 days to go!) we are focusing on making Christmas as convenient and streamlined as possible. Thus, I have decided to write a series of posts highlighting some gift ideas for a variety of people in your life. I will also […]
I was recently honoured to be on of the finalists at this year’s Telstra SA Business Women of the Year awards. It was a thrill to be one of 3 finalists in the Marie Claire Young Business Women’s category, along with the winner Carmel Siciliano of Stile Interiors, and finalist Amy Van Dyk of ABT Advance […]
High performance environments are stressful workplaces, to say the least. When results are king, mediocrity is disdained and failure intolerable. Some employees burn out in the struggle to consistently meet the high expectations typical of these environments. Meanwhile, the individuals who thrive in these environments have intense ambition–and are always on the lookout for greener […]
Apps have become a huge part of my business. I use all sorts of apps for various aspects of my daily routine and I’m not sure I could survive without them. I am able to have apps on various mobile devices and even on my desktop and they all save me time and allow me to work […]
In the workplace, a total of 3.2 days per worker are lost each year through workplace stress*, so it’s important that business leaders are mindful of work/life balance for the optimum mental wellbeing of their employees, and the creation of a healthy workplace. Mental wellbeing in the workplace continues to be a major issue for […]
You work hard to find your best employees, so don’t let them get away! Use these tips to keep your star performers happy and motivated. Jane was a successful senior executive working for a large insurance company. She was the person that you wanted to have when things did not go well. Everybody loved her […]
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with work. It defines us, it gives purpose. Without it we are in trouble; and yet it can be so difficult to control. As a barrister in the North-east of England for fifteen years I thrived on the adrenaline, the camaraderie, the clients and – yes, okay – […]
Is there really such a thing as work/life balance? I don’t know. What I do know is that a balance is usually between two things that are quite different to each other. Some would have it that it’s a balance between opposites. If that was the case, then we should rename work/life balance the death/life […]
Perhaps you’ve heard this story. Imagine you’re sitting in a class. It’s one of those big classrooms, with tiered seating, able to accommodate hundreds of students. The class is assembled in eager expectation; what will the professor do today? At exactly 8 o’clock, he strides in and without acknowledging the classes’ presence, reaches under the lectern and produces a […]
While researching my personal effectiveness program, and looking at the issues that make it hard for us to manage our time, I stumbled across a fairly lengthy – but very intriguing – research report about how stress impacts our ability to think and act. Sustained stress can have a lasting, dulling effect on our intellect […]
How to play with time, and make time work for us! There are only 24 hours in any given day for everyone. It is how we choose to use those hours, which draws the line between the procrastinators and those who manage their time wisely. Instead of stressing yourself out, there are some simple ways […]
Over a coffee recently, a group of my friends was discussing a new “what the heck am I doing?” trend emerging among our cohort of working parents. The topic was sparked by one super busy-professional-mother-of-young-children friend who was continually interrupted by her not-so-subtle vibrating iPhone. Did I mention that she, like the rest of us […]
Anxiety in its many forms is very common in today’s society and it can become extremely debilitating. I suffered from anxiety after the birth of my daughter but have managed to control it to the point where it only impacts upon me in a very minor way. I achieved this by taking the following steps: […]
Following on from ‘On Having It All – Part 1’, Abbie discusses some ideas for the future of work life balance and how we can move this debate forward. [hr] Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article ‘Why Women Still Can’t Have It All’, has certainly stirred a now bubbling work life balance pot. From her perspective “the women who have managed […]
I was thrilled to be featured in the Sunday Mail article ‘Work. Life, Family And All That’, written by Genevieve Meegan (along with a gorgeous photo of myself and my daughter Harper, left). I was in very good company, sharing the page with Gale Edwards, Christine Zeitz, Suzy Reintals, Natasha Scott-Despoja and Antoinette Jones. The article […]
A beautiful quote which we can all take to heart. From Gwyneth’s interview with Harper’s Bazaar. You can also visit Gwyneth Paltrow’s website www.goop.com
Work related employee expenses are almost unavoidable in terms of running a business better, the act of keeping on top of piles of crumpled receipts, reimbursing, tracking and approving employee spending is a complicated and time-consuming task. We know it’s complicated and we like to make being an employer easy, so we made it easy […]
Let’s get honest here, most of us treat our family and friends better than we do ourselves and many of us spend most of our day beating ourselves up with a big stick and flood our minds with negative thoughts about how we feel not good enough or feel we ‘ should have’ done better. […]
Wouldn’t that be great? Here are some of my favourite tips to maximise your time for best results (so that you have more time to enjoy doing the things you love!) 1. Delegate more. No matter how multi-skilled and efficient you know yourself to be, there are some things that you’re doing that someone else around […]
Ok, so that title makes me sound a little bit like a shopping addict, which I’m not. I don’t shop all that much online but when I do I love it! Why do I love online shopping? It goes hand in hand which what I love about being a personal concierge – saving time! Online […]
For my birthday Tim treated us to dinner and a night at the movies. We decided to go and see The Hunger Games, even though I had really wanted to read the book by Suzanne Collins beforehand – it’s just a general life policy I have to try to read the book before the film! However, this wasn’t […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Rachael Bermingham from Rachael Bermingham Books. Often we are so caught up in our busy lives we don’t take a step back to see what is going well and how we might improve. Our Balance Beam profiles aim is to inspire you to […]
When one of my Consultants left after 7 years I was excited for her. She was taking a big leap of faith and pursuing one of her life long dreams of becoming a paramedic. It was at her farewell when it hit me how important it is to reward staff on a random, yet regular […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Magda D’Abaco from iBare Giftware in Victoria. We have had such great feedback to our ‘Balance Beam’ posts. It is wonderful to have an insight into what other organisation’s are doing and be inspired to think more about what we can do. Do you […]
My grandmother’s wisdom has taught me many things. Her sayings will be with me forever. “Your family is the most important relationship in your life” “If you make one good friend in your life, you’ve done well.” Both have held true, and I live by them. But there is another that she has said more […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Kim Tyrer from Galafrey Wines in Western Australia. We have had such great feedback to our ‘Balance Beam’ posts. It is wonderful to have an insight into what other organisation’s are doing and be inspired to think more about what we […]
If you’re a busy mum, or anyone, you might think it’s impossible to take care of your teeth, between the kids, work, and school, when do you have time for proper dental hygiene? You brush your teeth in the morning, but that’s about it. Fortunately, there are ways for you to take advantage of your […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Christie Rigg from Wealth By Design. We have had such great feedback to our ‘Balance Beam’ posts. It is wonderful to have an insight into what other organisation’s are doing and be inspired to think more about what we can do. Do you […]
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Crows Foundation Ladies Luncheon. The room was full of energetic, happy, generous women; it was a wonderful afternoon. The lunch was chock full of action, including an auction, a Liza Emanuele fashion parade, and a silent auction (which we were proud to contribute to). The highlight for me however, was […]
I sit at my desk, iPad to my left, laptop in front of me, and a large monitor to my right. My iPhone is also at the ready, next to my physical notebook. Yes, I’m a bit of a gadget geek. I love testing out new software, having the latest Microsoft Office suite or trying […]
Last year was my first Mother’s Day. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I think I was just looking forward to breakfast in bed or some chocolates or a nice lunch out (incidentally I was given a great book by Adelaide author Jane Paech, A Family in Paris). I got something even better. What I felt […]
As the guest blogger for Lifestyle Elements today I wanted to touch on time management with an etiquette spin and under this umbrella there is one of the most commonly asked questions I get: What time is on time to arrive for a meeting? There is a saying I love “On time is late” and […]
I’m always interested when I hear women talking about how little time they have for the everyday things … especially themselves! Of course, I come from an era when women always had time! Although I do remember my mother rushing around to organise the house for when my father got home; she used to go […]
We all have them. Or, if we don’t, we should get busy getting some. Yes, those crazy life goals where, on the one hand, you don’t believe will ever come true, and on the other hand, secretly can’t wait for! Yes, you know, those goals. I have them. Do you? My first goal is to […]
I don’t know about you, but after a busy day, I just don’t have the energy to spend a few more hours preparing dinner. Today we’re all so frantic dashing between family, work, keeping up with our blogs and social media profiles, and trying to keep fit and healthy, that cooking tends to take a […]
This post is inspired by Lana’s blog Dear sixteen-year-old me at Mamamia which features the book ‘Dear Me: More letters to my Sixteen year old self’. Dear Sixteen Year Old Abbie, I know you worry, a lot (“that’s an understatement”, I hear you say). I just want to say that worrying is a real waste of time. The […]
How so you ask? Let me explain. Now I know the girls will get this straight away, but guys, this can relate to you as well. Shoes come in so many different shapes, sizes, colours, and designs. They can be pointy, wide, long, or short, high-heeled or flat, boots or shoes, etc. Some will look […]
1. Adelaide to Naracoorte Adelaide to Keith Keith to Padthaway Padthaway to Naracoorte Adelaide is full of tours and picture perfect scenerywhere memories are made. You can visit the Adelaide Central Market, which is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This market is the largest produce market in the Southern Hemisphere. This wonder is sure to take […]
I recently read a great post and video blog, ‘Why Setting Boundaries Is Key On The Road To Job Happiness’ by Jenn Korducki Krenn of the website Dream Champs. It immediately resonated with me and reminded me of my earlier working life. How many of you have experienced the situation of sitting at your desk until 6, […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Tanya Titman from Consolid8. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life […]
Take this test to see how much of a Pro you are at juggling: Could you cook dinner, supervise homework, do a set of squats, clean the kitchen benches and have a phone conversation? Could you drive, listen to a business webinar, put your makeup on at traffic lights and do your pelvic floor exercises? […]
Money has been at the forefront of many people’s minds over the past few years with job instability, changes in tax, and decreasing pay cheques etc. It is understandable that the change in the economy has not passed without leaving a negative effect on our financial mindsets. However, I would like to instil the confidence to accept […]
Everyone has had one of those days – where you feel like you didn’t get anything accomplished at work. I’ve been there myself. You went to work, you talked to people, you wrote emails but you didn’t really get anything finished. Why? Here’s a list of ways to rethink your workday so you’re more productive: […]
At the start of the year Tim and I were advised that the office space that we utilised was no longer going to be available. It wasn’t a complete surprise, and in one sense it seemed like perfect timing, as we were actually moving house the following week. However, one of the main reasons we were moving was […]
“So, what types of things do you do?” This is a common question for a personal concierge and a difficult one to answer as the list is extremely long and extremely varied. In an effort to answer the question, here are 4 more ideas for how you might choose to use your personal concierge. 1. […]
A recent survey reported in The Herald Sun shows that 40 per cent of non-working mums feel stigmatised for staying at home and 58 per cent of working mothers feel labelled as not taking parenting seriously. In the last ten years, more and more mums are returning to work earlier. 10% return to work in […]
We have been fortunate enough to receive coverage via a number of media outlets and blogs over recent times. In case you have missed these, here are the links below. You can also see all our media coverage since we started in 2004 by clicking here. Lifestyle Elements launches Corporate Concierge Service In-Business Magazine […]
It’s about now that your new year’s resolution to be healthy is wearing off and the realisation hits that you can’t maintain this healthy lifestyle and do all the other things you want or need to do. This whole idea of becoming healthy, losing weight, looking nicely tight and toned, eating right and quitting various […]
Some of my concierge colleagues recently shared an article from the Sunday Herald Sun entitled ‘Experts warn of the perils of outsourcing your life’. “The perils of outsourcing? Really?” (For those of you who are Modern Family fans, picture Cam saying “Really Mitchell? Really?”). I ask you to please refer below for the definition of […]
Corporate Concierge services are still a very new concept in Australia and New Zealand. Many people view it as a luxury and can’t understand why they would offer a Corporate Concierge service in their organisation. We have had such positive responses from the organisations we have worked for that we wanted to share with you 5 […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Rod Sherwin from Tap4Health. This post is another great example of how you can incorporate different work life balance initiatives into your organisation, in particular from the perspective of someone working a full-time job and growing their own business aswell. Would like your organisation […]
Triggers. We all have them. Whether they stem from a new relationship, a certain food, a distinct smell, a conversation, or even a TV program, they exist to show us that we may still have some healing to do in our lives. Our emotional wellbeing plays a huge role in determining the state of our […]
“If you want to be an effective leader, start leading the way with regular breaks. “ This quote comes from the blog post ‘Take A Break! Bad Things Rarely Happen” by Tristan White, CEO of the Physio Co. which also happens to be one of Australia’s Top 20 Places to Work. It’s the final line in the […]
I often hear stay-at-home mothers saying they can never find time to exercise and often feel guilty that they can’t maintain their pre-baby exercise routine. Between breastfeeding, nappy changing and getting dinner ready, some parents struggle to even have a shower let alone get to the gym. Exercising whilst at home is possible; the answer […]
Do you Procrastinate? Based on some figures, it is estimated that as much as 95 % of the people are prone to procrastination. Amongst them, 20 % of them are chronic procrastinators. How is procrastination affecting your rewards and profits? Your plans for the Year, quarter? Procrastination is about putting off a task which we […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Kailah Shannon from Coffee Secrets. Once again we provide you with a fabulous insight into an organisation implementing work life balance initiatives. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life balance inside and outside your business. I hope you enjoy […]
On New Year’s Eve the clock struck midnight. Firework displays lit the sky. Celebrations with family and friends were in full swing and you may have even had your midnight kiss from that special someone. 2012 kicked in and with it comes the excitement of newness and dreams. You make your New Year’s Resolutions with […]
How do you feel when you hear the word DELEGATION? Does it make you chest tighten? Did you clench your hands just a little? I bet that many of you thought to yourself, “yes, that’s all well and good for small tasks and admin tasks, but there are just some tasks that only I can […]
I have just come across the concept of being a ‘serious’ individual on Emma Isaac’s blog ‘300kms in 30 Days’. Emma is the CEO of Business Chicks, and writes about Rowena Szeszeran-McEvoy (who has been on the BRW Rich List) and her concept of being a ‘serious individual’. Emma’s blog is about exercise and her taking the challenge […]
The vision of working at home in your PJ’s with fluffy slippers may be what pops into your head at first with the occasional break to watch Oprah. However in reality working from home is more demanding of you as an individual than any role where you have the support and guidance of co-workers. Is […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Susanne Thiebe from LessMess. We regularly place our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you to seek greater work life balance inside and […]
The number of organisations utilising the services of a Corporate Concierge is still relatively low in Australia. In fact it is quite difficult to get real data on organisations who have implemented a concierge service. “That’s because we don’t need corporate concierge services!” I hear you say. In America however, many organisations are starting to realise […]
I’ve been making to-do lists for as long as I can remember. Work stuff, personal stuff, blog stuff…you name it…I’ve made a to-do list about it. But I understand that not everyone does this and it may not come as easily to others. So I’m going to give you some of my list-making secrets. It’s […]
Even as a child, I can recall lying on the floor in agony until the pain subsided, the doctors always put it down to a rumbling appendix or a lazy bowel. As I got older I was diagnosed with IBS, by my GP, even though I didn’t meet a large majority of the criteria, thus […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Janene Samuel from Gametag. We are getting a great response from our readers to these profiles where we place our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is […]
Frantic? Can’t possibly take anything out of your schedule? Modern life is flat out, and that’s that. Or is it? Have a look through the following ‘types’ of busy (adapted from Soul Sisters Empowerment Groups), and see if you can identify your own style. ‘Badge-of-honour’ Busy Being busy equals being significant. Keeping your schedule jam-packed […]
I was inspired to write this post after reading Gretchen Rubin’s interview with Rachel Bertsche on her blog The Happiness Project. In the post Gretchen asks Rachel a number of questions around happiness, one being ‘Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you’ve found very helpful?’ Rachel’s answer was the inspiration for this post today – “These […]
Better organisation is often a popular New Year’s resolution. I have to admit it wasn’t high on my priority list until we moved house last week, and now I am focused on clearing clutter, keeping the house streamlined, and being able to put my fingers on whatever it is that I am wanting. This is […]
As a personal trainer and an exercise lover, I’m often asked what is the best exercise option. Here is my research to date… I have Stepped into Life (great if the sun is shining, but not if the sun shines too much and you have run away kids), had a work out in 30 minutes […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, our first from South Australia, brought to you by Stephan Knoll from Barossa Fine Foods. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire you […]
I work part time from home, which has it’s positives and certainly it’s challenges. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the differences between working full time and part time. I’ve come to realise it’s not just about the physical hours you put in, there is a mental or ‘thinking’ component that has to be considered. My biggest challenge as a […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Amanda Tallent from Bennetts Boots Wide Calf Boots. It provides a great insight into the work life balance issues of organisations with seasonal staff. We will be regularly placing our focus on organisations from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe who […]
You have probably heard of this huge word ‘Gratitude’ a millions of times but maybe felt like me at times that it must be just a big ra ra and didn’t really have an effect on our lives. Boy was I wrong when I started to look into this a bit more…… The first thing we […]
This week’s post was inspired by the following stop-motion video, which I discovered via mamamia.com.au. Please take the time to watch it. It is beautiful. Here is the story of the video: “After organizing our bookshelf almost a year ago (http://youtu.be/zhRT-PM7vpA), my wife and I (Sean Ohlenkamp) decided to take it to the next level. We […]
Summer is the season filled with abundant energy, long days and sunshine. This is the most yang time of year. Summer is about expansion, growth, activity and creativity. Long hot days and balmy nights – it is the season of abundance. The energy is rising and expanding providing us with endless expressions of power and […]
Welcome to our latest ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile, brought to you by Katrina Nelson and Lisa Nisbet from Spot The Dog Walker. How are you been enjoying our ‘Balance Beam’ series so far? We would love to hear from you. It is great each week to read about what different organisations are doing around Australia and […]
By the title of this blog post it may not be surprising to know that it is currently 12:15am and I have been lying in bed for an hour and a half and I can’t fall asleep! So, instead of thinking about moving house (we move this Friday!) and business and blog posts, I thought […]
Stuff We’re increasingly surrounded by the stuff. Stuff to be sorted in the kitchen cupboards, in the wardrobes, on the desk, stuff to be done tomorrow, next week, by the end of the year, ad infinitum. And if truth were told, a great deal of this stuff in our lives is not absolutely essential and could in […]
As I started thinking about what I have been reading on the web this week, I realised, due to the fact that we are still at the start of January, and a lot of people have returned to work, that we have been bombarded with a lot of 2011 Top Lists. So, what better way […]
Prior to 1969, an impossible thought was landing on the moon and mankind achieved that feat. So with the utmost respect achieving balance in your life in 2011 is absolutely possible. And the good news is that you don’t need to be a NASA rocket scientist, you just need to have a plan and remain […]
Welcome to our first ‘Balance Beam’ work life balance profile for 2012, brought to you by Rebecca Bastiaensz from Forage Cereal. We have had a lot of positive response to our Balance Beam series, and look forward to presenting you many more organisations who are implementing work life balance initiatives into their organisation. Our aim is to inspire […]
Yes, I’m actually writing a blog post about Giggle & Hoot! And no, 12 months ago I had no idea who Jimmy Giggle & Hoot The Owl were! For those who don’t have kids or grandkids, or who are reading this blog post outside of Australia, Giggle & Hoot are TV presenters on the ABC’s […]
I thought I would recap our posts from 2011, highlighting some of the more popular ones, and some of my favourites. I would love to hear your thoughts, and if you think any others should be added to the list, please let me know! Please leave your comments below. 2011’s Most Popular Posts Lessons […]
You may have read my previous post Lessons from Grief and Suicide about the death of my brother Max. I had an amazing response to that post and one friend sent me through the following blog post – The Lost Tale from the Roadburn Cafe by Melanie Safka. I particularly enjoyed this article by Lucy Cornes (wife […]
Happy New Year! For many of us weight loss is our number one New Years resolution. I myself would like to drop a few (or more than a few!) kilos this year. Therefore, I thought our next guest blog post may be a nice bit of inspiration for anyone who is looking to achieve their ideal […]