Move it Mama - The Sparkle Pod

Today we're excited to introduce our friend Mack Dewar to the podcast. We met Mack in around 2021 when he started doing quite a bit of work for Move it Mama. Over the past three years we have watched him go from kind of being into running to this year completing a 3:14 Christchurch marathon, all the while documenting the journey via YouTube, TikTok (@maccadewar) and Instagram (@mackdewar). Mack was a massive inspiration to Jess's trip back into running and particularly to completing the Christchurch marathon herself. What started as a tool to help with some mental health struggles in 2020 is now a huge life passion holding a significant power for Mack and his health. In today's episode we bounce around many topics including but not limited to: learning to run, lessons in his first (4:29) marathon, slowing down and letting go of your ego, tips for beginners or anyone wanting to improve, lessons along the way and where to from here. We know not everyone is into running or aspires to be a 'runner', but Mack's story is reassuring of the power of exercise on ones mental and physical health. We hope you enjoy our conversation.

A few things to mull our little minds over today. From the perplexing use of the thumbs up emoji to furries, weekend shenanigans, lessons in sport, Mo Gawdet and more. As we started recording this morning it really felt like it had been more than a week since we had our last lacklustre debrief, which pretty much sums up life doesn't it and the speed at which it passes us by. The Mo Gawdat and Alice Law episode we refer to is on the 'Exhibit A' podcast and linked for you below. It's so worth a listen; his attitude and his work is inspiring and it gave us both a really good dose of perspective - we know not everyone needs this - but it was a great chat. Thank you for being here, as always. We'll report back with Leece's blood volume findings lol. Podcast is here - https://open.spotify.com/episode/19BSVv5STJD8MQVVPALYjs?si=b1d2654b95a441d4

Hello hello. For anyone that doesn't know Sarah, she's our sister in law - our brothers wife - and among other things, a Move it Mama trainer. She has a love of books (not just reading them but discussing them post-workout, too), a real creative flair, a sense of humour like no other and is a busy ass working mum to Stan and angel girl Sophia. Sarah lost Sophia nearly five years ago and discusses this quite a bit in today's episode (TW: baby loss). She talks candidly about life at the minute (lol), from meeting our brother, their move from Wanaka to Geraldine, our brother's hip operation and what's been going on, the juggle of three jobs and more. It's been a busy time and we know lots of you love Hobbsy's chat, so trust you'll enjoy hearing more from her. We love you Hobbsy, thanks for the bants!

This episode comes with a warning - it feels necessary because we feel we fall a bit flat. Not that every episode needs to be lol worthy, but this one is a bit like two old ducks having a tough old time on the parenting front who very much needed to fester somewhat into their issues. So join us if you dare (lol) for the debrief on life - the current trials and tribulations involving the kids and husbands, social media and kids with phones in general (*quivering in our boots as to how to handle*), dealing with the icy aftermath with your partner following a barney, knowing when you're 'done' having kids and naturally a bit about food, specifically pies. Thanks for listening to our sub-par banter and we hope you'll join us again after this (!).

Hello guys. Our fun new guest today is Fraser Grut - the man with a dream. His dream? To film the dreams of 10,000 people before he 'croaks it'. We found Fraser on Instagram a while ago and have really loved watching his work and his story come to life. His passion is in dreams and now, he's travelling the world meeting with all sorts of people from the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Jackasses Stevo, Terry Crews, Stan Walker, Mick Fanning, Elmo and plenty more - from all walks of life, all across the globe. It is impossible to talk with Fraser and not smile - his energy is infectious and we just love the platform he's building. Today we talk to Fraser about his mission in depth; how it started, how it works, what's funding it, his wife Jayde's support, what the plan is from here and what's coming next. We were so lucky to sit down with Fraser in amongst a pretty hectic calendar centred on dreams and before he flies to LA for some very important bookings. Fraser, thank you. To our sparkle pod pals - we hope you enjoy this chat as much as we did. Oh and Fraser's chip flavour is going to leave you shook but don't judge him lol.

Hey guys! Well if you're not interested in marathon chat then this podcast isn't for you. In today's chat we are day one post Jess's marathon and so naturally, the marathon debrief is what's taking place. Leece hosts Jess as if she's a special guest lol and we dissect everything surrounding the race. The week leading up to it, the shoe debacle, the outfit, sleep drama, the ins and outs of the run and how that panned out, the support and by default the peaks and pits. A big thank you from Jess to the outstanding Move it Mama community for being so encouraging and supportive of this whole event! Thanks for listening. X

It's been nearly three years since we last had Kelly Coe on the podcast and what a total THRILL it was to have her back. On both occasions we've sat down to chat to Kelly, we have both been left thinking, 'hmm, must relax and be more like Kelly'. Kelly is so many things - driven, charismatic, creative, intelligent, inspiring and motivated - and it is an absolute privilege to have her back on the podcast. Augustine and all that the brand encompasses is much more than just clothing. In this episode Kelly talks about all sorts from the present school holiday logistics/the juggle, the current struggles or challenges being in business, where she believes her strengths are, what she likes to do for exercise (she runs but she also likes an at-home workout lol), and lo-and-behold her thoughts on ready salted chips (and more). We just loved chatting to Kelly again and know you will love to hear more from her. Thank you Kelly and thank you to you for your downloads, listens and DMs!

The weekend debrief is a fun way for us to start the week and we know you guys are enjoying it too, so thank you for your downloads, listens and DMs! A bit to catch up on today from a Monday morning strengths assessment (Jess doesn't like self-reflection), to pre-marathon nerves, whether Leece will have the fifth baby and more. There isn't much more to say except we'll once again be back on Wednesday with a very special guest.

Hello guys, welcome back! This week we're joined by our dear friend Kirst. For anyone that doesn't know, Kirst takes a couple of workouts every week in Move it Mama and has done for some time now. We have been friends for a fairly long while and it's our pleasure to bring her back to the pod! In this episode we start off with the nitty gritty, mulling over the most important stuff, including being STANDING for the morning coffee (shook) and what the average day in Kirst's world looks like. We answer more listener questions around things like dealing with a grieving partner, how her husband Piers proposed, sleeping in separate beds (not a listener q), and training for a half marathon. And just for the record, Kirsten's favourite chip flavour is 'salted'. Yep, shook.

Happy day-of-the-waffly-pod Monday! We're here for a vulnerable time not a lol time. That's the phrase, right? It is today :p In this episode we are just riding the waves of all things Move it Mama. We are extremely blessed in our lives - across our family life, personal life, work life and beyond - but every now and then we have a wobble. We're hopeful that in sharing this we are okay to do so, and that perhaps it can just serve as a reminder that no matter someone's situation, there can still be some inner fights, stresses and battles that might be bubbling under the surface. In addition to mulling over the woes of the day, we discuss the weekend, what went on and a bit about the marathon journey. We hope you enjoy the waffle and see you Wednesday.

It sure is a good day when sissy Char comes to play! Today we welcome Char back to the podcast for the first time in a long time. Weirdly our podcast artwork has Char's mug on it and while that was the intention, in listening to our conversation you'll find out more as to why Char is a no-show and what it is that takes up her days. In this episode we chat all things mom life; the juggling of balls as a working mom, the hard parts of that, the good parts, and a bit about what it is Char actually does; being wife to an Olympian, soon off to her FIFTH Olympics! (GOAT), and plenty of other important chat such as (yep you guessed it) - chip flavours (IN. SHOCK. tbh this episode is worth listening to for this alone lol), coffee and what's bringing Char joy. We hope you enjoy our chat and we hope we can bring Char to the podcast more regularly in the coming year!

We thought we had nothing to chat about and started this podcast like two flat pancakes. Turns out, talking to our mics from the Sunny Coast and the '03 of NZ - knowing we've got you at the other end - perks us up, and what do you know? An hour of chat later. Today we go from dance monkey, to booze and Easter plans, to the power of exercise (AGAIN) particularly when it comes to confidence; chip and chocolate chat, and little pockets of waffle in between. We recorded this pre-Easter (which will become apparent) in prep for a Monday off work, so, we hope you can relax and enjoy the bants. See you Wednesday xx

We are so proud to introduce Sonja Courtis to The Sparkle Pod. Sonja is a local Christchurch woman working as an empowerment coach. Having been to Sonja for a number of appointments, Leece can confirm - Sonja can be a bit of a miracle worker. With the loss of her 15 year old brother to suicide when she was 17, Sonja was propelled into the world of psychology and learning about everything in and around the subject. Whilst studying and working with a life coach herself, Sonja discovered the practice of tapping and beyond that, ultimately discovered a huge passion and desire to help people find a place where they can truly love themselves. She unpicks past trauma (defining trauma in this pod) - opens 'pandoras box' if you will, and digs deep to discover hidden truths - with the overall aim to help people heal and become healthier. Sonja's mission is around simply helping us to live life authentically and wholeheartedly, and learn to be at one with ourselves. Sonja's approach is a holistic one and she shares a HUGE amount of amazing knowledge and intel with us in this chat. We really think you'll love this conversation - we felt we could have talked with Sonja for hours. Keep your mind and heart open and enjoy. Any questions or feedback, we'd love to hear from you. If you're interested in contacting Sonja you can do so via her website www.sonjacourtis.com Feedback can be sent to either of us - lisa@moveitmama.co.nz; jess@moveitmama.co.nz

Hey pals, welcome to your sparkly pod. In recent weeks, this episode has become a post-weekend debrief however, our confession from the start is that while this is a debrief it is not post-weekend (lol). With Leece away for a few days with the family to the Gold Coast, we recorded this a few days prior to its release. We thought it would be a bit of fun to answer some haphazard, random questions and see where they took us. Well, they take us to a few places. We tell stories of unusual jobs we've had - Leece at a library makes no sense (*slight trigger warning here re suicide*), weird nicknames and their context (that we're sure couldn't fly today), what we wish we knew 10 years ago, what we think happens when we die and whether we're happy with how we spend our time. Some big topics amongst the waffle and subsequently a lot of story telling here with some random ass stories. We hope you enjoy the banter! Thank you for being here.

It's funny the way you grow up side by side with your 'baby cousin' who suddenly also becomes an adult and is very much no longer a 'baby'. Arguably perhaps an adult before us, when she became a mother at 21 - considered quite a young age some 15 years ago. Our cousin Amanda - born when Leece was 6 and Jess 2 and a bit - was the third (of 4) born to our dearest aunty and uncle, and who's family played a huge role in our childhoods. Every holiday, birthday and even menial celebration was an excuse for us to get together; our cousins (and family) are what made our childhood so special. At 20, Amanda and her then boyfriend of 5 years, Troy, found themselves pregnant. By the time Matilda was born, having sat her hairdressing exams with morning sickness, Amanda finished her apprenticeship and opened her at-home salon. Think: a rinse in the kitchen sink and a cut and colour between breast feeds. Fast forward to today - three kids, Matilda 15, Chloe 12 and Brooklyn 7 - a relationship with Troy now spanning 20 years - and a beautiful and massively successful hair salon in Aotea, Wellington. We think Amanda's story is one of hard work, resilience, passion, intelligence, dedication, courage and integrity. It's been a privilege to grow up alongside Amanda (and her two beautiful sisters and brother), and witness what she has made of Le Garage Hairdressing. We hope you enjoy her story.

Hey guys! Another bonus ep! Who are we :) welcome to the week and hello Monday (for those of you listening fresh!). In today's episode we're dissecting the weekend that was and can you believe it involves NO tidying - kinda taxi'ing kids instead so same same. Leece's weekend was busy, Jess's less so, but to summarise today - lots of chat; from being a people pleaser, to the husbands birthday and a bad dream, to kids sport and running, lessens in gratitude, and how wonderfully complex the flavour of a chip is. Can you guys write in on this? Some potentially polarising conversation there. See you again on Wednesday!

We bring you a guest this week and a very special one at that. Joining us on The Sparkle Pod today is Jana - a long time Move it Mama member and friend. The Jana we chat to on the podcast today is a changed version to the Jana that joined Move it Mama back in 2018. With two kids, at the time aged 2 and 4, Jana was diagnosed with an aggressive form of nodular melanoma (skin cancer). Today she tells her story; getting her skin checked, pushing and questioning specialists for further assessment (something somewhat uncharacteristic of Jana), going through a drug trial, what she did to soldier on, showing up for her family and the things she's learned from this experience. It is a real privilege for us to have Jana share her story on the podcast and if there's one takeaway from today, it's to get your skin checked. Thank you so much Jana for stepping way out of your comfort zone, and for your bravery and courage. We are big fans <3

SURPRISE! What do we have here then, you say! Well, on this weeks Wednesday episode of the Sparkle Pod we're bringing you a very special guest, so before that, here we are. Settle in for your waffly, all over the place, slightly emotional, post weekend debrief. To sum it up - running, kids, TIDYING, parenting, TIDYING, live workout confessions, TIDYING, social media, Dr Chatterjee, food, FOMO and more. We look forward to bringing you our guest this Wednesday. For now, settle in with your cuppa and/or mops! Love from us. X

In today's episode we haphazardly take a tangent to discussing GLOVES. Fortunately that's not actual gloves but an acronym (not a mnemonic?) for some health and wellness measures and one that we think works really well. Gloves stands for: gratitude, love, outside, vegetables, exercise and sleep. Nothing new, but reassuring and helpful nonetheless. Amongst this chat we discuss a few bits, including what happened over the weekend, kid and husband quirks and this week's Open Week. We talk about exercise and whether we still should, during periods of lacking sleep - hard to answer, and somewhat individual, but naturally we agree on our answer. Remember to exercise, if you have the ability - it's more powerful than we realise (go easy). With love - Leece & Jess.

Last weeks episode created quite a bit of chat, particularly in Leece's DMs. Thank you for your support to the podcast and specifically for your feedback on that episode. Quite honestly we feel a need to tread very carefully when it comes to these sorts of topics - they're sensitive, for many reasons - and we don't want anyone to listen to our chat and think they're doing it all wrong (or anything along those lines). Regardless, thank you, we're grateful... even IF, we moan a lot today :p lots of chatter about the intricacies of MOM LIFE, the demands, the washing, the bags, the bickering, etc etc. Just know that regardless, once again, we're grateful! Included in the chatter are some fart revelations (sorry), what we're manifesting (a healer update) and the weekend debrief (thank you for the prompt Leece). Thanks for being here. Another week, another waffle. PS Leece is annoying in this, from Lisa.