The Sparkle Pod
The Sparkle Pod aims to sprinkle a little bit of everything; from sparkle and sunshine to your daily grind and rigmaroles. We hope you enjoy the Move it Mama podcast.
2024
Episode 22
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.
Episode 21
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
Episode 20
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!
Episode 19
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.
Episode 18
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.
Episode 17
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.
Episode 16
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!
Episode 15
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
Episode 14
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
Episode 13
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.
Episode 12
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.
Episode 11
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!
Episode 10
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
Episode 9
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.
Episode 7
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.
Episode 6
We're a day late, did you notice?! Were we missed? :) Today's episode has been inspired by the Facebook post Leece did on Friday 16th February. In this post she talked about a few of the strategies she's recently adopted, in a bid to sort her hormones. While you guys will more or less know Leece has been on this journey (if you've ever listened to us, whether on social media, the podcast or in workouts), however over the past six months or so Leece has been on a bigger mission, very invested in learning a lot more about her hormones and today opens up a little more about this. This episode comes with a bit of a warning as we discuss themes such as intermittent fasting and themes around weight loss, etc. Please take what we discuss with 'a grain of salt', as what we are doing today is talking to Leece's experience and sharing that - we are not experts offering advice. We hope you enjoy our chat and we hope you trust our judgement in sharing this with you. Thanks to Leece for her courage and vulnerability in opening up on quite a sensitive, tricky subject.
Episode 5
It's fair to say that after we get together with a room full of Move it Mama members our energy is renewed. It is just something else, to be in a room surrounded by people who workout with us - who are there on the other side of the screen each and every day. On the flip side, we know that such events aren't for everyone, but even still, we appreciate you ALL - whether you come or not, whether you're a member or not. Thank you to everyone who supports this amazing platform - without you, it simply wouldn't be. In today's episode we can't help but debrief the weekend that was - getting ourselves to Wellington, hosting the boot camp and the party and everything that came with that. Including more plane stories (tame), returning home to the family and determining fiction from non fiction (lol). A lot of waffle coming your way, should you dare... thank you to you all.
Episode 4
For today's episode Leece has recently returned from a few days in Wellington with family. Naturally we discuss what this encompassed and how it is that we remember people. Clue: we remember people for how they make us feel and for who they are - our memories don't seem to be based around someone's looks. Somehow we then take this story of loss to our musings on diet culture and other motivation for exercise and movement. Movement doesn't have to be high intensity and extreme muscle soreness - we are firm advocates for finding something that you can enjoy (or even tolerate) and taking things slowly. Listen on in for some inspiration to getting exercising and hopefully even finding some motivation to exercise that doesn't revolve strictly on what the scales say or what's in the mirror. SOUL CONNECTION pals... sweat.
Episode 3
So when we put it out to social media for topics to discuss on the podcast, this one stuck out. It went something like this - 'mum rage, and why do we feel like housekeepers and maids for our family?'. When this hit the inbox we knew we had to talk about it because quite frankly depending on the time of the month, this is an issue for us too (perhaps Jess more than zen-like-Leece these days!). We know we mention ebbs and flows a lot but when it comes to mum rage AND those feelings of being the housekeeper etc., on some days the rage is managed and the housemaid resentment isn't there, on others, it's peaking (ebbs and flows). It's such a tough one, and while we don't possibly have anything helpful to say, we do have a lot to say (lol) - so, listen on in. Leece also shares some useful titbits on what she does to 'manage rage' - perhaps useful for some listeners. We *naturally* wrap this text up in some yummy coffee and food chat, relationship and book chat. The podcast mentioned in the sparkle spreader is referenced at the bottom of this description. Thank you for all of your podcast love guys - it means so much to us to see you listening every week and hear back from you!
Podcast recommendation - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZjWWtfk4cZ52ZR8DJYcby?si=c237d2b4c14a442e
Episode 2
Happy podcast day! Excited to be here. In today's episode we answer a few questions from the DMs. We had a tricky one come through which was: how do I ignore diet culture when I really need to lose weight? In answering this question we somehow find ourselves talking simultaneously about habits to help cement regular exercise, but also swing back to diet culture and what we can do to silence it (can we even? I don't think so). While we certainly don't have the answers and our chat takes a lot of twists and turns, we hope that somewhere in here there's something useful. Please know that we come from a place of encouragement and support and a) if you have weight loss goals they are valid and b) it's okay if you're in an exercise/health funk and it just isn't a priority or c) you'd prefer no reference or air time to weight loss at all (we'd therefore recommend not listening). It's a tricky subject but we understand people like to hear our thoughts, so, listen on unless it's bit of a triggering chat. Eventually, we circle back to pre-Christmas, with Leece taking to socials to talk about giving to the kids at Christmas and parameters around that, and naturally, we go to the kids and phone use; how and what she's navigating there. Again, as per the diet culture and weight loss chat, know that we are only sharing our personal experiences and lifestyles and come with no judgement if what you do is different! Thanks for listening. Love being back on the pod!
Episode 1
We're back!! And what fun it is to be back on the mics for 2024! Two thousand and twenty four, or is it, twenty twenty four - which side are you on!? We start the podcast year by sitting side by side at our parents place recording our first episode of 2024. It was so fun to be together in the flesh after what has been nearly a year working apart. We were so lucky to have Leece in Christchurch in the New Year and so privileged to, as a result, see many of our community in person - what a total thrill. There are a few awkward spots in here - one: questioning the definition of a multiple orgasm lol and two: Jess scrambling for a sparkle spreader forgetting her sister sitting in the flesh right across from her. Other than awks moments we're full of chat, from our 'ins and outs' for 2024, Leece's new home, a brush over some goals for the year (that we'll revisit next week), and all sorts of other average chat. We love bringing you the podcast and are so excited for a new year. If ever you have any suggestions on what you might like us to chat about/chat to on the pod, please reach out to us any which way. Happy new year! Leece & Jess xx
2023
Episode 50
The Sparkle Pod often ends up almost resembling some kind of big rocket fuel concoction, made up of all sorts that leaves you feeling, hmm... with a spring in your step? With sore cheeks from lolling? Feeling squeamish or perhaps better about yourself? Haha. However it leaves you, we are so grateful for your downloads, comments, DMs and love. I feel we say it often but it *really* does mean the absolute world to us that this podcast does something for you. That you keep coming back to us and that each week the sparkle spreads that little bit wider with a few new listeners getting us in their earholes every week. So, thank you. Today we are prompted to dive further into 'the ick' territory, all the while taking various tangents such as social media and our authentic selves, the week that was and Leece's ACTUAL LIST of prospect 'notches'. We will be AWOL for a few weeks but look to resume episodes in early January, so until then, we wish you a safe and happy holiday period. Be kind to yourselves and we can't wait to bring you more of everything in 2024! Love and best wishes from us to you xx
Episode 49
Hello guys! You're in for an assortment today with Leece hosting sissy Hobbs on the pod (for those that don't know, that's our sister in law/our brother's wife, Sarah). In today's episode they cover off an array of subjects, from Sarah's fertility journey and parenting one child, to schooling, oat milk coffee rigmaroles, supermarket trolley debate, book reviews and more. How fun to get Sarah back on the podcast - we hope you enjoy it. Hobbsy, thanks for your time - always a hoot.
Episode 48
Many of you enjoyed (or squirmed) your way through our shower chat and also got a laugh out of the six fish 'ick' chat. Today, we continue in the same vein. We're already into school holidays for Leece so we begin with some insight into what she's termed her 'systems in place' for the next little while. Today, we otherwise hit a bit of everything - from six fish and safe to the current icks between ourselves and our partners - both from our side and theirs - (does anyone know the penis 'helicopter' thing and or pick their teeth with an earring? LOL) - to spray tans and other conundrums of the past week. We otherwise want to thank you for your votes to our podcast towards the NZ podcast awards. We so appreciate your support and encouragement to this podcast; it really does mean the world.
Episode 47
Last weeks chat had some of you shook. Messages such as, 'nothing that goes on the bottom goes near the face', and so on. In short, MUCH of our listenership fronting up and feeding back some very divided routines and habits when it comes to shower etiquette. Isn't life funny? We connect with each other on so many levels (connection being one of the greatest feelings in the world), yet beneath the surface, particularly in the confines of our own homes, many of us are doing things very differently!! We dissect this more today - it absolutely needed more air time. A listener also asked us about peeing in the shower - before you listen, we apologise in advance if this gives you the ick (lol). Aside from the monumental topic that is showering, we chat a bit about Leece and her kids, how on earth she gets into bed by 745pm when she's got four big boys at home and otherwise a bit of an update on all things. Thanks so much for your podcast awards votes and for listening. Can this episode get us to 200,000 downloads? Go you good thing. (& sorry about Jess saying 'kakite apopo' at the finish, which is totally the wrong word, how completely and utterly embarrassing!!)
Episode 46
Another Wednesday, another Sparkly Pod - you sure can count on the Move it Mama podcast to hit the big topics hard. In today's episode Leece has a moment in bed moaning to Dan about her hormone fluctuations, that have her pose the question: what do I do to look after you? What do we do to look after each other (i.e., our partners), given life can be tough for all of us, hormones or no hormones!? After dissecting this a little and Jess being somewhat unconvinced about the entire subject (lol), we move onto the topic of shower etiquette. Think: washing your face with the same cloth you wash your bottom with. Is this kosher!? Is this the way? Or are we doing it wrong? Let's chat and send us your DMs. Following on, it's a mash up of rigmaroles and musings about life, kids, live workouts and so on. Thanks again for being here.
Episode 45
A bit on this week, from why Santa is already present in the shopping malls of the Sunshine Coast, what's giving Leece the ick and what kind of assumptions Jess is putting upon random strangers just trying to take a romantic stroll. As always, it's great to be here. Today's theme is a bit like the story of the grinch that stole Christmas - there's lots we might feel we need or want in this life but at the end of the day what we really need and what matters most - is each other (and our health would be good too, come to think of it). We travel through what was unknown territory at intro time, only to journey via multiple tangents including the above and otherwise also touching on rigmaroles such as cup day, camping, our latest challenge (not quite as rigmarole-y), the podcast awards and the over the top pace of life (major rigmarole). Vote for us! We are beyond grateful.
Episode 44
Hello guys, available to your ears once more. This weeks episode is a mixture; from the outset we're very pleased with ourselves for aligning to our introduction LOL. First off, Leece asks the big question, "how often do you wash your bras?", after which we get into the nitty-gritty, current rigmaroles of *shock horror*, parenting . We deep dive into the new phase for Leece with her eldest son - how that's showing up and what the day to day struggles are. In chatting about this we also answer a listener question regarding what to do when your parenting boundaries differ to that of your children's friends' parents. Naturally we don't have any answers but we do our best to mull this one over. We briefly round things up in listing a few 'life hacks' or things we (mostly Leece) do to help us feel our best on any given day, and of course get well and truly carried away over our kids (damn them lol joax) in a bid to spread our sparkle. Love and thanks! X
Episode 43
Hello! A mix of things to climb into those pretty little earholes today - including our mother's voice!! So, welcome to the roundup of our musings from the past week, namely what we're listening to, learning and so on. Jess is on a semi-podcast buzz at the moment and discovered what she thought was an insightful episode of 'Diary of a CEO' (Steven Bartlett) with 'The Junk Food Doctor'. It's super interesting, but also pretty disappointing in ways, to learn the reality of the food industry. While eye-opening, we think it's important to listen with an open mind because we don't want people to listen to it and feel as if what they're doing is inferior. After dissecting that somewhat, naturally we move onto topics like the grass being greener, the all blacks, dealing with the public if you're someone like Sam Cane, Matthew Perry <3, motherhood and our recent kid related trials and tribulations. We also have mum spectating our recording process this week, which started off quite hopeful - thinking maybe we'd officially crack her but alas - we quickly realised we weren't going to get much out of her (donkey ears lol). Enjoy the waffle xx
Episode 42
Hello beautiful listeners, we hope you're having a good week so far. Our second recording for the week and here we are. A frustrated and flat Jess who is dealing with quite a bit of shit at the moment - excuse the pun - that we take a bit of a deep dive into (and also push it to the side a bit because, perspective). We're talking about those tricky, prickly situations whereby you and your partner might find yourselves on totally different pages in relation to big ticket life decisions. The trials and tribulations if you will with regards to marriage and living life with a partner, off the back of which Jess asks: HOW do we get ourselves on the same page when things almost want to push you in opposite directions!? Add to that a fair amount of Taylor Swift chat (sorry), finding a stray grey pube (a long one), poo handling and once again, the realities of motivating yourself to regularly exercise. We also ask that you keep an eye on our socials for when the time comes that we need your help with the podcast awards - we'll put our best foot forward no matter our chances! Thanks so much for supporting and encouraging us, we really do appreciate it no end! See you next time.
Episode 41
Hello! Well, look at us sneaking in a second episode again, aye!? Just for you! Okay okay it's definitely for us, too, LOL. We're back to waffle into your ear holes about absolutely not much. Today's episode is our weekly catch up and to be honest doesn't cover that much but I'm sure you might get a recipe out of it at the very least. We're debriefing the week that was including Dan's trip (Leece's husband) back home, what that entailed - specifically in the kitchen - a bit about the work-mum-life balance and pull and all sorts of other mindless waffle in between. Thanks for your support when we asked you to leave reviews to the pod. We are so grateful for your support! (and please leave one if you haven't yet!!).
Episode 40
Hey guys, welcome back. Over the past year or so you'd have heard Jess talk about a client who enlisted her help in getting police college fit. This week, we introduce you to Kathie. In just a few days Kathie will find herself at police college, where she will spend more or less the next four months away from her home (and family) to become a cop. We know some of you have been following along with Kathie's progress and have been interested in her career change journey, and today we hear it straight from the horse's mouth. So, listen on to hear Kathie's story, from starting out her career in the male-dominated construction industry to raising three children, deciding to go to police college and absolutely NOT taking her phone to the loo (say what?!). Thank you so much Kathie, for opening up to us and for your time. We hope you guys enjoy this chat!
Episode 39
Hello! This felt overdue but that's because we're recording TODAY. Jess was sick a few days which threw out our schedules a bit but we're here. Last week Leece shared her very Professor-esq 'findings' on a podcast with Dr. Mindy Pelz (referenced in the show notes of our last episode), and this week we dissect that a little more. Fast forward a week and Jess has listened to the episode mentioned and subsequently shares her thoughts, and we otherwise share further musings around the subject in general and other feedback we've received since mentioning it. On the way we can't help but talk about our current work-life situation we find ourselves in, specifically with Leece now being three hours away and the implications of that. AND, unbeknownst to one another we find we're both balls deep in the Netflix 'Beckham' documentary, which is an absolute eye-opener and a bloody good watch (even from someone like Jess who watches very little sport). Thanks for being here guys. Always grateful for your support.
The other book mentioned by Jess -"This Changes Everything - the honest guide to menopause and peri-menopause" - by Niki Bezzant
Episode 38
This podcast episode comes with a warning as we take a deep dive into nutrition, specifically around a book Leece is reading called 'Fast like a girl' by Mindy Pelz. If you suffer from any mental health conditions, especially eating disorders, body dysmorphia and poor body image, please consider whether you'd like to listen to this. To be honest, we're often reluctant to chat too much about diets and food 'fads', fasting included, because on the whole you know how we feel about 'diet culture' and all that entails. But because we are always open and honest with our community, we also don't want to shy away from this chat, if only to risk being misconstrued or taken in the wrong light. So, today's chat is largely focused on Leece's experience with this book (and an accompanying podcast), therefore where that leaves her today (and why), and all that's going on for her in terms of what she's learning through this process (let us caveat once again that Leece is on a journey to 'sorting' her hormones and isn't advocating for a life of guilt, restriction, diets, etc.). We chat a bit about the period disc, Taylor Swift, motherhood (mostly Jess just has a moment of weakness and moans for a bit) and we visit sparkle spread city before making our departure. So, take from this what you will, and most of all, please know that we come from a place of simply sharing in our experiences, as opposed to trying to make you do as we do. To each their own, as we all know. Thank you for listening.
Episode 37
It's 6am in Queensland at the time of recording this weeks episode and both of us are quite proud of our understated tones lol. You know, as per the intro of this episode, when we meet our members or community in person it is the absolute best thing. It means so much to us and your messages about listening to our podcast feel just as good. Thank you for being here - we really mean that. In today's chat we're touching base on a number of topics from hormones to pilates, period discs and men being the superior sex (jokes). It seems periods are getting a fair amount of air time of late, but hey we're all about normalising this chat anyway because WHY ISN'T IT NORMALISED ALREADY!? Moral of the story though: don't pop your moon cup cherry at a family (or any) wedding.
Episode 36
Sometimes we get messages asking for more than one podcast a week. This is absolutely something we'd love to do but also sometimes life won't allow it. BUT, where we can, SURPRISEEEEEE - we're here for a bonus. In today's episode we're discussing feedback on The MIA Tampon, we try a new segment where we've either 'had it' or would 'hit it', and we revisit Leece's pocket money/kids palaver. How we get to 55 minutes in and still feel the need to chat is beyond us but hey, we love it and hope you do, too. Enjoy!
Episode 35
How much we love and adore Sarah Wallace and her gorgeous family is no secret - and we are excited to welcome her back to the pod. In June of this year, having pretty much never battled a flu, Sarah was knocked for six (an understatement) by what would become pneumonia and septicemia. She was very, very sick and it's been a slow and steady return to health for Sarah and the family, as their little family grows. With son Brando now 4.5 and twin girls Cosette and Sienna now 2.5, the Wallace's feel like they're coming out the other side of some very challenging and demanding years. In today's episode we go through life in the '09, recovering from sickness and what that's looked like, and of course how to better our mince. Thanks Sarah, we are so grateful for your time and love having you in the Move it Mama community. Thanks to you, our listeners, for being here.
Episode 34
Hello guys! Welcome back. It seems the end of last weeks pod left some of us shook lol. This week, things are little less shook-y. We chat about the week that has been, naturally a bit about fart etiquette, sheet cleaning and coffee (of course), and we also dissect our latest survey a little bit too. Towards the end we are discussing parenting because we all know what an absolute trip that sh*t is and more often than not that trip needs dissecting too. Thank you for being here and for your constant support and encouragement.
Episode 33
This episode needs to come with a few warnings because things really took a turn or two. A bit to do with body hair and bodily functions and a bit to do with a lost tampon and a fair bit in between. So today's episode is actually our second recording of the week; the first one didn't make the cut and today's efforts we believe to be better, although perhaps in many cases, "TMI". But you know us by now and I'm sure you'll come to expect a bit of "TMI" from time to time. We chat lots of topics today but mostly just debrief with an update on life, food, and what's keeping us and our community humble. Thank you so much for your encouragement to our weekly podcast - we are so grateful you're here.
Episode 32
As you'll no doubt know, Leece has always been one to wear her heart on her sleeve. One of those, "what you see is *definitely* what you get" sorts. So in today's episode we go into depth about her latest post to social media, the one where she has made 10 different vows to herself, concluding at number 10: 'Love my body. Love my mind. Love myself'. This vow something we know our community can relate to and would also like to be doing more of. Today, we go into detail about these commitments, particularly regarding Leece's admission to feeling the pressure to maintain a certain standard when it comes to her image and body. Following that we talk a bit about what we've learned (and are learning) from our parents; specifically around a few of the bigger life lessons or life mottos we've grown up with and been raised by, how they have helped us today and what we think about them. We hope you enjoy our chat xx
Episode 31
Hello, we're back. This week we sought some inspo from the DMs at the last minute, so, in a bid to talk about things other than poo and coffee we end up talking about... poo and coffee. No but after a fair bit of intro chat - which I'm sure you've come to expect - we get into a few different pieces. On what it is that keeps us regularly toileting (poo again, sorry), what we do or think about talking body positive in front of our kids and how to get your kid to sleep in their own bed, by themselves. A few topics dotted about the place and in the mix a brief Tom Sainsbury debrief (Jess went to see Tom and was wildly embarrassed but the story isn't that funny lol). With a bit to cover and not enough time we'll be back next week to no doubt chew the fat some more. And a note from Leece - she was reluctant to air this one because she thinks she's always moaning. Let it be known that this is often our catch up in many ways and therefore, we might moan. We are also not very good at pretending to be anyone other than who we are so, here we bloody well are!!! Thank you for being here!
Episode 30
We've bitten off a little more than we can chew today. We begin feeling very excited about our new and agreed upon podcast structure, only to learn as the minutes go by that our structure won't really cut it. LOL - listen on to find out why. We're chatting today sans wardrobes (and sans Char sorry - she'll be here soon!) - and so apologise for the slightly more echoey tone. It's amazing right, the power of clothing draped from the humble hanger. Anyway, in today's episode we discuss our current ebbs and flows - what's not going so well and what's going a little better - only to then, somehow, end up talking about love languages and questioning how the heck they're supposed to help anything. There's also quite a bit of chat in here around Leece's caffeine restrictions and in going through the motions, we quickly learn we could talk for hours on this topic and that some of you will not care about it in the slightest. Sorry about that - but in any case - thanks for being here!
Episode 29
Hello! Well we promised a bonus episode after our unplanned hiatus last week so here we are (we also promised Char but shh don't tell anyone she'll be on the mic next week). In this episode Leece answers some of the common questions she gets about being a mum to four boys. Well, about being a mum, period, but then also more specifically about the logistics of having four kids ~ four boys ~ and everything that comes with that. So after a little yarn at the start of the episode around dating multiple men at once (lol), we move onto answering Leece's questions about life and wrangling the Four Little (not so little anymore) Fongs. We hope you enjoy our bonus yarn! X
Episode 28
Hello! Absence makes the heart grow fonder, no!? Sorry for being MIA for a minute there but naturally, we're back. This week we're waffling away on all sorts - from the dreaded post office trip, supermarket embarrassment and the niggle that is the morning coffee (read, poo) LOL. Sorry if we are TMI, but you'll likely come to expect that to some extent won't you. Thank you for listening and downloading. When or if ever we miss a Sparkle Pod we feel it in our souls; always fun to chinwag and always fun to get your feedback and verbal nods (we can see them!). See you soon!
Episode 27
Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than you. So a few things sparked today's conversation, but for the most part, it's the really kind comments here or there that often have us feeling the need to remind people that social media is not real. OK so to some extent it is REAL - there's a real person behind that profile - but we can forget that it's often very highly curated and very carefully thought out. We like to think we are exactly the same in person as we are online - in terms of people; what you see is what you get - that when we meet we are who you expect us to be. But from an image perspective, social media is curated - it's filtered, our best angles, lighting - and it becomes so easy to put people on pedestals. So today we just wanted to take this topic and dissect it. Who knows if it makes sense but we hope you enjoy it regardless. Leece also revisits the mile high club story to recall and fill us in on whether in fact this was a dream. Listen on in to find out LOL. Thank you for being with us - please leave us a review if you have time!
Episode 26
Every now and then the overwhelm feels huge - we know you relate. Whether it's housework, your job, motherhood, whatever. We start today's chat with a bit of a debrief on that - shout out to the mental load, small gestures and lowering our expectations a bit. We discuss - once again - how when we're busy, the first thing to go is exercise. Why do we do this to ourselves, even when we know it's one of the best things for us? Do we choose sleep, or do we choose exercise? We take a turn to social media; raising our children in this online world and how the heck we'll navigate that. Leece also gets into some very perplexing mile high club-esq story telling that is worth plugging in for guys. SH*T GETS LOOSE. Love you for listening - as always!
Episode 25
Hey guys, we're back with some really "tuneful" singing and lots of waffly chat. Are you excited? Same, lol. In this weeks episode we're chewing the fat on all sorts from our song of the moment (a smidge anti-climatic given Jess's mic issue that we didn't know was an issue until post-record), to motherhood, discipline to exercise (yes, again - what can we say? We're passionate), the cost of living, the current supermarket experience and that point at bedtime where someone decides they want to chat (bedtime isn't code for "bedtime" FYI lol). We hope you enjoy our catch up - love you for being here. (Sorry about the lack of mic quality from Jess; we didn't realise her mic wasn't on until we were done!!)
Tunes referenced: Green green grass - George Ezra
Until I found You (with Em Beihold) - Stephen Sanchez, Em Beihold.
Episode 24
This chat comes with a trigger warning as we take a deep dive into eating disorders and eating disorder recovery. Today we're excited to introduce our guest, Kristie Amadio, an eating disorder survivor and now Founder and CEO of Recovered Living, a Christchurch based not-for-profit residential facility for eating disorder recovery. A year or so ago we were introduced to Kristie’s Ted Talk where she pulled out some quite outrageous facts about eating disorders and how hard it can be to get help. In today's episode we hear a bit about Kristie's story - about living with an eating disorder for 14 years and what it now means to be 'recovered', as well as about the newly opened (just 8 weeks old) Recovered Living in North Canterbury. In this chat we also answer some of your questions, such as how to prevent eating disorders in kids and at what point do we/does someone need help. Kristie's story may be confronting for many so this episode comes with a warning. A huge thanks to Kristie for sharing her story. We hope you enjoy this episode.
Episode 23
Hello! The Sparkle Pod brings you an assortment of waffle this week. From the scrunch bum tight conundrum to Leece's aversion to movie quotations and the story of when Jess was somewhat unintentionally sending AND POSTING (semi) nudes. It's all go today and after a week off from the Pod (sorry and thanks for your understanding), we're thrilled to be here. And, off the back of Jess's closing story, we'd love to hear from you if you guys have ever had a social media 'user error' or anything of the sort (send them to us for us to share for a lol - anonymously of course). We'd love to get mail from you - thank you as always for being here.
Episode 22
Leece and Jess are answering some DMs today. We start with a question about balancing the load between you and your spouse when it comes to things around the home and with kids. A topic we know is relatable for many in our audience and potentially a challenge for many of us - or perhaps even something you often find has its ebbs and flows or is a work in progress. We then move on to fit-tech (aka the 'fit bit') and the often ambitious (or perhaps even glorified) goal around hitting 10,000 steps a day. What do we think of this? Listen to find out - and also hear our stories around whacky hair day, dusty skirtings, maggot facts and other such rubbish.
Episode 21
Hello! In today's episode we're inspired to revisit Jess's history with body dysmorphia. A few things have instigated this chat but mostly it's due to the messages we've been getting reminding us of just how prevalent body dysmorphia is (and all other types of 'issues' along these lines). First of all, we're so happy that many of our members have joined Move it Mama and have now managed to foster a really positive relationship with their bodies and with exercise - by shifting their focus a little and focusing on how they feel - when it comes to food and exercise. This is a hard gig, but today Jess felt she had some pointers on what actually helped her through the process. From learning to shift her focus and accepting flaws, to learning how exercise and food are mutually exclusive. Naturally, let us caveat the fact we aren't professionals and if you believe you need help, there IS help available (we're always available via the DMs as a listening ear). We also have a really great guest coming on the pod in the coming weeks who is hugely inspiring in this space and we look forward to bringing her wisdom to you. If you make it to the end of the pod you're in for a treat with Leece's story around the purchasing of lube and our mother's surprise vibrator find. You're welcome, LOL.
Episode 20
Let's go back to circa 2021 and CAVEAT the fact that Jess sang the WRONG song at the end of this pod and she's really shame about it and goodness knows we find live video easier than the pod sometimes lol. In today's episode we go off on so many tangents - which is quite fun - so thank you for the questions that popped into our inboxes! We chat many things; we start with answering the question 'should we be quitting sugar', and move on to questions around reestablishing exercise post sickness/routine change/heading into winter, parenting wins and fails and GOSH even skincare routines. We aren't professionals on much (any lol) of this stuff and only speak from personal experience, so - naturally - please take from our chat what you will. We absolutely love bringing you the weekly podcast and thank you again for being with us today. If ever you'd like us to chat about something in particular or would like to make guest suggestions, hit us up anytime via any avenue! With love x
Episode 19
HELLO! We're back - Leece and Jess chewing the fat for the first time in what feels a little too long. Oftentimes we're busy and so this weekly catch up is food for the soul for the both of us. Thank you for being invested in our podcast and for all of your supportive and encouraging words towards us/it. We appreciate it so much. A few musings today starting with what's going on in and around our lives, and moving on to some quick-fire but thought provoking questions, like what we're currently looking forward to, how we might be misunderstood and what if any motto we're trying to live our lives by. Gets a bit deep there in spots but hey such is life - you know what to expect by now :) WITH LOVE.
Episode 18
Danni Carr has a passion for self improvement and self preservation. After years of touring and partying with musician husband Ash Grunwald, the excessive binging started to take its toll and Danni (and Ash) decided enough was enough. When a good friend of Danni's said she was going to take 12 months off drinking, both Danni and Ash didn't hesitate in joining in. What started as a 12 month commitment in 2017 has now turned into 5+ years and Danni has never looked back. Now the host of the podcast How I Quit Alcohol, Danni is a certified life coach, breath work and meditation teacher, and is currently writing a book with Ash about alcohol. Both are passionate about helping other people break the cycle with alcohol and rebuild confidence to start a new life from the inside out. I have followed Danni for some time and, given my experience in giving up alcohol, I really wanted to dig deep into not only how Danni quit alcohol but also why. I enjoyed speaking with Danni so much but have (quite typically) over analysed and lost sleep over how I conducted myself here and sort of wish I had been different... nonetheless I really hope you enjoy it. I'm always here if anyone wants to chat, Leece xx
Episode 17
Well that was a first! Just sitting in my wardrobe recording a podcast on my own! Recently, I was lucky enough to record a conversation with a lady called Danni Carr. Danni has a popular podcast herself called How I Quit Alcohol. After talking with her, I (typically) overanalysed my chat and didn't love how I conducted it. Once it was finished, it was a typical case of 'oh how I wish I could do that again and do it better and differently!'. Anyway, I thought it would be cool to share with you firstly, why I have quit alcohol. A little segway, some may say! I've always been very open and honest about what is going on in my life, and feel the need to share my story in a little more detail. From being a consistent Friday night wine drinker to suddenly hanging up my glass, a lot of people have been interested in my 'why'. I really hope you enjoy this episode - in now way would I ever judge anyone for drinking alcohol; this is just my story. Hit me up if you ever need any help with wanting to quit, too - always here for you! Leece x
Episode 16
Off the back of a school Mother's Day service today's podcast starts off with some beautiful song lyrics and a dusty eye. It's no surprise to those that listen to The Sparkle Pod that, like many, we grapple with some aspects of motherhood. Regardless of ANY of this we are so blessed and privileged, not only to have become mother's, but also to still have our mother around - which is where the dusty eyes come in at the start of today's chat. We begin with our current motherhood musings and go onto Leece's first experience at a sound bath - something she attended on her own last weekend - and something that, to Leece's surprise, wasn't actually a bunch of women lying around bathing while listening to music. There's also mention of a podcast episode to come where Leece talks sobriety with a woman she's followed on Instagram for a while - an episode that'll be with you soon. Thank you for listening to us, as always, and keep an eye out on social media for our little Mother's Day promo coming your way (we'd be so grateful for your thoughts on this one!!).
Episode 15
Jess is out of action this week with snot and the rest of it all up in her grill, so in today's podcast we have both Leece and Char in full chinwag status. Leece pulled super-sub Char into her Cambridge wardrobe tonight for a quick Q&A about her first year as a parent. Topics covered include, but are not limited to (lol): the moment Char met Tommy, sleep deprivation, the balancing act between parents and the joy our children bring. This is an episode full of candid and heartfelt conversation, as Char opens up about the challenges she's faced, lessons learned, and the moments of joy that have made it all worthwhile. Whether you're a new mum yourself or just curious about Char's motherhood trip to date, this is full of wisdom, inspiration, and relatability. So tune in, and thanks again for being here. (There was a little delay between Char and Leece towards the second half of this episode; we apologise). X
Episode 14
HELLO! Thank you for your patience as we took a pretty unexpected week off. A bit happening in the Move it Mama world and life itself so we appreciate the fact you stand by us and support us even while we do a podcast no-show. We hope not to have to do that in the not too distant future. We're back for now and in today's episode it's Leece and Jess chewing the fat on all things life; what the current struggles are or as per our intro, our current 'rigmaroles'. We find life to be hard sometimes and even though we know we are privileged and blessed in many, many ways, we still believe in finding those things that bring us joy and happiness in the day to day. Today we discuss this, along with many other tangents along the way - finishing up with the big old question, "is the worm from the snake family"? (is that not the 'big old question' you were expecting? Neither, lol). Thank you to our listeners for always being a big pillar of support and for encouraging everything that is The Sparkle Pod. With love, xx
Episode 13
We're back again - this time with Char, too. In today's episode we waffle along on a considerable amount of tangents - we know this doesn't surprise you. Included in the tangents are: Jess's podcast find and her newfound insecurities (although very much piggy backing off last week sorry definitely sorry), Leece's first two week synopsis of being an Aussie resident and the Twigg family update such as a new living situation and the working mom life. Oh and a lot of Pepsi v Coke references, the horror that is the ballet flat and more. Thank you for being here - who loves The Sparkle Pod? We'd love you to leave us a review. Thanks for listening babes.
Episode 12
Last week we thought we might have a few weeks off from recording but alas, we're here. Today's episode is basically the equivalent of a Facetime call between Leece and Jess, dissecting the ins and outs of what's happened over the past week - for the most part including Leece's move to the Sunshine Coast (via the Gold Coast). And just by way of warning, Leece fell asleep when listening back to this so just in case - happy snoozing. On the day of recording Leece is on day three and it really feels like it's been a month. Sadly it hasn't but also - we do know how quickly time can go because we've discussed that a few times in the past (lol) - and so there's hope. Join us for a chat about the move, what's been happening over the past couple of days, and what trials and tribulations we're dealing with in the day to day. We hope to be back next week - perhaps with a smidge more zest and vigour - however hope you enjoy our catch up.
Episode 11
This could be our last episode before a potential 2-3 week hiatus but we'll see how we go. It's 3 more sleeps 'til Leece and the other five Fongs fly from CHCH to the Sunshine Coast where they'll be taking residence for about 6 months. It'll be a little haywire few weeks as they adjust to life over there so it MAY be that our pod takes a short break. However we won't be going anywhere - on the whole - and of course will continue delivering our weekly podcast to our amazing community. We bloody love it and we love that you love it, too. Today's episode is a little all over the show - a bit about breaking down barriers to exercise after Leece completed Loaded in her nightie this morning and some chat around her move to Australia in just a few days - the excitement, emotion and guilt surrounding the adventure. Thank you for listening to our chat - look out on our social media for any news on the podcast but we'll be back as soon as we're able. Love you and leave you.
Episode 10
Anna's been listening in on a few of our latest episodes and couldn't help but suggest we continue on with our poo chat - however his time with a bit more direction and a focus! So in today's episode we welcome back our pelvic health guru, Anna, to discuss all things poo. What makes a good poo, what variability in your poo means i.e, mini babies versus chicken nuggets (gross visual I know), what to do when your poo doesn't work for you, why a sudoku book (or your phone) and a squatty potty might be deemed useful resources, and why all of this poo chat is even important in the first place. We understand this conversation might be a little off-putting, and so highly recommend choosing to do something other than sitting down for your lunch while listening (although it isn't descriptive the whole way through)! But - what may sound a little gruesome for your ear holes is absolutely worth the listen in order to debunk the world of poo and for us to strive for a better, healthier self. Thanks to Anna - always such a helpful and giving resource to the Move it Mama world (and listeners, we promise to rid the poo topic from hereon-in - as much as possible lol). Thanks again for being here.
Episode 9
Ainslie Maura Speedy aka Ains, our darling Te Kuiti based girl who teaches Monday night yoga for Move it Mama. Leece met Ainslie about 4.5 years ago at a speaking event in Otorohanga. Fast forward a few years to two weekends ago where we all got to meet and spend time with Ains during the weekend of the Move it Mama party. What a blessing. Ainslie is the epitome of warm - a self-proclaimed old soul with some very wise words. Having been a runner in her teens and into her twenties, Ainslie developed orthorexia - for many years leading an obsessive lifestyle of under-eating and over-exercising. This caused her to lose her period for about 7 years, and a plethora of health issues. In this episode we discuss this, what it looked like for her, how she managed to climb her way out of it and get to a place of recovery and what part yoga had to play in this. This is a really thought provoking listen and we hope you enjoy our musings and chat. A pleasure to have you on Ains - only a year or so late to the party.
Episode 8
You know one of our most fun things to do is to prepare this podcast, and yet despite receiving really positive feedback from various angles, every week we are just as anxious to publish our waffle in case it isn't worthy. BUT - we do also learn with every week that passes that our waffle means something to you, and that you appreciate it for what it is - and for that we thank you. It was time for a decent debrief (or debunk?) today - all things Move it Mama party and the auction, and a big chat around International Women's Day. A day that crept up on us without any warning and that the day before made us go, "being a woman sucks". Now we don't believe this to our core but we felt it at that moment, and hopefully you can empathise with what we're saying and not take us for a bunch of ungrateful, ignorant a-holes. We just think some days it's bloody hard work being a woman and you likely know by now that we're not very good at keeping our inner feelings to ourselves. Sorry about that Dora (that's mum's American name). Thank you for all of your support to Move it Mama. We hope you enjoy this weeks episode of The Sparkle Pod!
Episode 7
You're in for a treat with Leaky's seductive intro today guys - a bit of a different take on things from Lisa, Leece or 'leaky', as you'll soon come to know. It feels as though most of our episodes come with a warning and today's no exception - THIS IS WAFFLY. In today's episode we're chewing the fat on everything going on in life - the ins and outs of the Move it Mama silent auction, Leece's aversion to the name Lisa (lol), a bit about the Move it Mama party, more poo talk (sorry) and a few sparkle spreaders. A reminder today that the Move it Mama silent auction is LIVE and you can bid on some amazing items until 9pm this Friday! Go get 'em tigers. Love you and thank you for being here.
Episode 6
HI GUYS. Welcome back to the pod. Thank you so much for your downloads on last weeks episode - one thing's for sure, we all like (or love) a bit of poo talk (and a bit of the other stuff too lol), and as it turns out, we can all relate! In today's episode we bring you the lovely Anna Thompson. Anna is the Invercargill based pelvic health physio who has helped us create our newest programme - the 12 week postpartum & core rehabilitation programme, currently being delivered by Jess. There's a bit of talk here around Anna's fascination with the pelvis - why and how she began specialising in pelvic health, why she does what she does and why she loves it. We talk a bit about her history from her uni days in Dunedin to working in the East of London and now her soon to be open new venture, Health Down South. There's a lot covered in this episode, as well as a fair bit about why she backs Move it Mama and the general ins and outs of the postpartum and core rehabilitation programme. As always we ask the hard hitting questions like WHY VAGINAS, and Anna answers them with zest and vigour!! Loved this chat - thank you Anna for your generosity and time.
Episode 5
A word of warning that from about minute 35 this podcast is not suited to small ears!!! Getting Sam on the pod has been something we've wanted to do for a while. Sam is quite easily - in our view - one of our favourite Dads. You might know Sam's face from the tele - the Travelling Weatherman, Celebrity Treasure Island, Police Ten7 and so on - and your ear holes may also find his voice familiar, what with his role in presenting the Coast Breakfast radio, 5 days every week. Husband to Sarah (adore), father to three and now a before and after pic sensation / dad bod no longer, today we chat to Sam about dad life, the life of an entertainer, the juggle, and his recent physical transformation - what got him there, what's changed, and why he's rocking the best version of himself across all facets of life. You'll also find out a bit about his wayward touchy feely hands and his poo regime - the type of chat we love a little too much lol. Happy listening and a reminder to turn the volume down somewhere along the line if necessary. Thanks so much for your time Sammy!
Episode 4
In today's episode we're talking about regular exercise. First of all, why do we even care about regular exercise, and can we learn to regularly exercise without simply focusing on what we see - or don't see - in the mirror? For years we've been told to exercise to manage our weight but there are just so many other physical and mental benefits that come as a result of regularly moving - that thankfully these days are being talked about a lot more. So today we chat about our three major tips to cementing regular exercise. This isn't rocket science, but that's kind of the point. And a major point to add - you are A LOT more than what you look like. Let's keep it simple. We hope you enjoy this one; this is obviously a big passion of ours and we are hopeful our chat can inspire in some way. Thanks for listening (& apologies in advance for Leece's lack of tech and not so crisp sound in this one).
Episode 3
Most days we feel some level of overwhelm. Whether it's both the physical and mental to do list combined or just the frankly relentless stimulation that comes with day to day life - most days, we experience periods of complete and utter overwhelm (and we know we're not the only ones). In today's episode we're inspired by a quote on the calendar on Leece's wall. At this time of year especially, we're inundated with all sorts of information about habits, ways to make it 'your year', endless self-improvement strategies, guidelines and so on. So how can we deal with this overwhelm, and HOW on EARTH do we STOP observing and comparing ourselves to others when we can now do this so easily and frequently, through social media? We don't have the answers by any means but in today's episode we enjoy taking a moment to reflect on what we're feeling, how we're dealing, and what we might be able to do to combat these feelings or habits that are in most cases not actually at all helpful, but in fact, somewhat harmful. We hope you enjoy being back with us - thank you for listening and downloading The Sparkle Pod. If you're not yet a member, Leece reckons you should join us, 'cos Move it Mama is amazing - LOL. X
Episode 2
It's a real privilege to introduce you to Vic and Soph, co-founders of The Curve - an investing education platform getting women investment savvy. I have spent the past 6-12 months following The Curve social media finding myself more and more fascinated and curious in their conversations - all sorts of conversations surrounding finance, money, investing, stocks and more. Vic and Soph bring an endearing and captivating dynamic to the table in terms of delivering their content in a fun and interesting way that leaves you wanting to learn more. With a sold out online intensive course on all things investing and money, a new weekly podcast produced in association with Audi, as well as their original podcast, Raising the Curve, Vic and Soph are crushing it in this world of finance - breaking down barriers and pushing more and more women every day to become 'investment savvy'. We are about as green as it gets when it comes to investing and finance (likely pretty obvious in this chat lol) and there currently seems no better business to follow if you find yourself wanting to INVEST in yourself (loves a pun). This feels a timely conversation for the start of a new year where inflation is sky high and being better informed on all things to do with money can only pay dividends (so punny). We hope you enjoy our chat - thanks so much Vic and Soph for your time.
You can follow The Curve on Instagram @thecurve__ or learn more about the business on their website www.thecurve.co.nz.
Episode 1, 2023
Welcome back! Here we are, January 2023 - basically April, as you may well know lol. In today's episode we're a full sister house - Leece, Jess and Char back to the mic to kick of our 2023 Sparkle Pod season. We missed you! We kind of hope a few of you have missed us too LOL. It'll perhaps come as no surprise that we're kicking off 2023 with a detour to waffle city - sticking to our knitting some may say. A bit of a debrief of all sorts in today's episode, from what's floating our boats and what's tickling our fancies, to pet peeves, no more alcohol and so on. Buckle in - we're excited to be here.
2022
EPISODE 69
Group Zoom meets The Sparkle Pod. In today's episode - the last of 2022 - Leece hosts the whole Move it Mama team! We've got Leece, Ainslie, Kirst, Sarah, Char, Jess AND Leece all on the pod! We're going through a (not so) quick fire Q&A to finish our year with all of us at the mic - a fun way to finish things off! We go from karaoke songs to holiday destinations and lots of the really important stuff in between - hall passes, drink orders, movies and greatest fears. We wanted to finish the year with some light hearted chat from all of us and we really hope you enjoy it. We want to thank you so much for having us in your ear holes this year. The Sparkle Pod is without a doubt one of our absolute favourite things to do each and every week and we are so grateful you enjoy listening to our chat, whether that be just between ourselves or with a guest on board. We will be back to our mics come mid January and already feel excited to kick off 2023 with an even bigger and better Sparkle Pod. Thank you! Please note that as we're a full team based all around the country, this isn't our best audio or connection.
EPISODE 68
Welcome back to your sparkly pod. Wait 'til you hear Leece's intro, shut the front door! In today's episode we're back to chewing the fat - Leece and Jess are discussing their current trials and tribulations when it comes to parenting, mindset and challenging the mindset, the alcohol debate and a bit in between. Sometimes we feel like we're broken records with some of these chats, but we also know that a lot of you benefit from sharing in these conversations - if only to lightly entertain you while cleaning the house or driving from a to b. Thank you for your downloads this year; it means so much to us. We'll be back for a full house finale of sorts next week before we call it a day on The Sparkle Pod 2022! X
EPISODE 67
A last minute tech malfunction sees just Jess and Char on the pod today. It's always a weird feeling when we don't have Leece with us; a weird sort of pressure to have good chat for the fear of missing the sparkly energy at the helm. Some things are just better when they come in a three, you know!?!? Women supporting women and all that. Anyway, in today's episode we're on the waffle train - from our Move it Mama challenges and how they're going, to the excitement of a new year (and the four month phenomenon), what we're looking forward to, family in town, Christmas plans, coffee and wine conundrums and so on and so forth. We hope you enjoy our convo and we look forward to Leece having some bangin' new intro for our next episode. Missed you LJ! And thanks sparkle podders - as always, we're grateful.
EPISODE 66
We're back with a guest - and not just any guest! We're so excited to get to share this chat with you. From her on screen love story in the first series of The Bachelor NZ, to author, mother, singer, podcaster, business woman and more, we feel really grateful to bring Matilda to The Sparkle Pod. We left this conversation feeling so happy, warm and refreshed, all of which Matoots really is - happy, warm and refreshing. From Jess and Matilda's London meet-cute feat diamante eyelashes to digging her way out of both body image issues and people pleasing, life on social media, rage as a mother and more, we find ourselves pretty hooked on this chat and as though it could've gone on for hours. We hope you enjoy our conversation and a special thanks to Matilda - for giving us your time. It was a real thrill.
EPISODE 65
We had a guest lined up this week who ended up having to postpone so here we are - Leece and Jess back on the mics. In today's episode we dissect a few bits and pieces - whether or not all aeroplane pilots are in fact hot, how to keep the chat going when the rare date night occurs, all things mum life struggle street, as well as learning to empathise with people in the fact we all have different priorities, interests and so on. We have ALL started from the beginning, and we can ALL learn new habits. And we still do strongly believe everyone can benefit from regular exercise whether they like it or not - regardless of priorities!! Thanks for listening to us and supporting our podcast - we bloody love ya for it.
EPISODE 64
Things got off to a rocky start when we realise that in fact, not all is well in Halswell. With the Halswell wifi not playing ball, today's episode sees just Leece and Char waffling it out - something that's never been done before. Fair to say it was strange to start with but think perhaps we found our groove and managed alright. So join us as we delve into all sorts - habits, finding joy and dreaming of future travel plans, as we take a trip down memory lane with Char having just spent six weeks abroad. As well as hearing about how Leece recently set some 8 year old boys straight about using the word 'gay' and books that need to be read to our babes. Hope you love being with us!
EPISODE 63
Take me down to waffle city where the gals talk shit and the listeners lol silly, wowowowwww take me hoooome. OK so a slight exaggeration on the LOL part there but in short, we're on the debrief train today. Talking all sorts of crap really (for want of a better word) from a debrief on Cup Day in Christchurch to some of the latest social media rants we've come across - one by Lewis Capaldi on his aversion to exercise and the other by Jameela Jamil and the claims that 'Heroin Chic is back' - and in and around that some other bits like lacking empathy for those who like different things, such as a 5am gym class (two hour round trip) or even high heels. Thanks for joining us for our chat - we appreciate you always.
EPISODE 62
To say we're excited is an understatement! Both to be back bringing you the podcast and to be back with a belter of a guest. Brodie really needs no introduction but for those who have been living under rocks: she's the all-round media boss. A broadcaster, radio and television presenter, podcaster, dancer, savage physical event beast and, and, and, and. What a privilege it is to have Brodie on The Sparkle Pod; we've low key stalked Brodie for some time now. As major fans of all of Brodie's work, including but not limited to, The Jo Bro Show, The Girls Uninterrupted and Kiwi Yarns Podcasts, her contribution to (and runner up accolade) Dancing with the Stars and so on. Thank you Brodie for allowing us to disrupt your dedicated silent day, for taking a bit of a turn into life on social media and for always making us laugh whether you know it or not! We hope you guys enjoy this chat as much as we did!
EPISODE 61
Well, here we are off the back of a few fun guests to The Sparkle Pod so naturally, we thought it was high time we took the road back to waffle city. We love waffle city - it's quite frankly like therapy. We trust you see it that way too (ha)!! In today's episode it's Leece and Jess and we're taking a deep dive into some very hot topics. Whether to tan twice in 9 days, whether to give in to a trifecta of McDonalds burgers and why it's way cooler - in Leece's view - to dress up as Catboy than Elsa (no disrespect). Wishing any school moms out there a happy start to the school holidays and thinking of anyone battling ill health (as per our intro). Oh and please join us in all-round applause for you, our listeners, and getting us to 100,000 downloads. COOL AYE! Love and sparkle xx
EPISODE 60
A few years ago Leece was interviewed on the radio by Sam Wallace, Toni Street and Laura McGoldrick. At that time, Leece naturally took to social media to stalk this nice man she had 'met' on the radio (she already knew Toni and Laura - she wasn't being dodgy LOL). In the thick of the stalk she found (and sort of fell in love with) his wife Sarah, whom Sam had mentioned might be a little interested in Move it Mama. Fast forward a few years to today and Sarah has now been in Move it Mama about 18 months, since the birth of her twin girls Sienna and Cosette (who followed Sam and Sarah's now 3.5 year old son Brando). We only got the chance to meet Sarah in the flesh a few months ago and when we did, it was warm, natural and amazing. In today's episode we talk to Sarah about how and when she met Sam, her transition to motherhood and being a mum of twins and how she stays sane (hello exercise) - with a few tangents along the way, like skipping periods and frothing over a mid week tipple. Sarah, thank you - it means so much you took the time to chat with us and we love having your presence in our life. And thanks to you guys, our sparkle pod listeners, for downloading and listening to our chats each week. We appreciate you!
EPISODE 59
What a BUZZ that was. We had Kendal do our makeup in July for our annual Move it Mama party and our first meeting felt a very long time in the making - we had always hoped our paths would cross and when they did, we loved our time with her so much! Kendal has started two of her own businesses - By Kendal - beauty therapy and makeup artistry - and The Glow Cloth - a machine washable and reusable makeup remover, now stocked around NZ. In today's episode we take a deep dive into Kendal's life; how she has built these two businesses (and in doing so, a community) to be the successes they are today. Kendal's story is one of hard work, dedication, ambition, persistence and self-belief. We know many of you will be inspired by Kendal and will love listening to her chat. A huge thanks to Kenny for giving up her time and coming on our little podcast - we LOVED IT! Enjoy xx (PS Char and Jess shared a mic in this episode so Char is a little quiet - we apologise for the tech niggle)
EPISODE 58
Hello! Every time we bring you Deb Buckley, in whatever way, shape or form, you want more, so, it's about time she came back to the pod! We're so grateful to Deb for her time, as we appreciate her thoughts and musings so much and know that you do, too. In today's episode we naturally hone in on a few topics - routine and discipline, resilience, tolerances and mindful, planned eating (among some other bits). We know there are some little gold nuggets in here and are confident you'll take one or two things away from this conversation. There is so much we could talk about and we could quite frankly keep going and going - especially with the fresh perspective and insight Deb brings to a lot of our chat. Thank you for being with us, as always, and thank you so much Deb for your time.
EPISODE 57
Hello! What a thrill to have Char back in the wardrobe today. We're feeling very fortunate to have Char with us in Christchurch at the moment - and for a few weeks to come - and you better believe we're looking to make the most of it/her! That starts with Char returning to the sparkle pod mic. So in today's episode we cross off a few of the big ticket items (a little bit of irony in that statement, you'll soon find). Stuff like the growth mindset, the absence of alcohol, all things PMS, Char's travel plans and living out her New York dream. and a bit about learning to love ourselves off the back of a recent 'reel' Jess put to Instagram. Our chat takes a lot of tangents as we're sure you can appreciate (and which by now you'll likely know to expect), including the smooth vs crunchy peanut butter debate and adopting a growth mindset. Settle in fam - away we go on the big tickets. Thanks for being here, as always.
EPISODE 56
Hello! Welcome back to The Sparkle Pod. Well we promised a trip to waffle city and boy oh boy have we delivered. LOL! A few tangents taken today; from Leece's burnt nostril saga to the ebbs and flows of mum life, meeting Move it Mama's in real life and the thrill of it, and both of us finding ourselves in Amsterdam (albeit on separate occasions) trying marijuana for the first time (not our finest moments). We weren't actually going to post this episode today because we battle our silly inner self-doubt voice, however we've been assured first hand by our doting listeners that you want to get amongst it. SO! We hope you enjoy our little chat today and thank you again for supporting us - it means so much.
EPISODE 55
Hello! We're really excited to bring Sarah back to the sparkle pod. It's coincidentally been one year since we last had our sister in law Hobbsie on the mic and we know many of our members and followers have felt really invested in her journey. Especially now that she's a permanent fixture on the workout timetable, too! In today's episode we chat to Sarah about where she's at now; a return to work (within Move it Mama and outside of MIM), mum life, and what she's learnt over the last year in terms of living with her grief, including strategies and tools she finds most helpful. A special little shout out to our niece Sophia who would have been three this time last week - we love you and think of you often. Thanks for being with us sissy Hobbs - and we hope you guys enjoy (TW: infant loss, infertility).
EPISODE 54
Welcome back! We need to "caveat" this one first up by making it known that as soon as we hopped off the recording we were over-analysing and dissecting every word. It's a tough one to explain but with every podcast episode we worry a lot about whether our chat is worthy and we also don't want to offend or exclude. So, please take our chat with a big grain of salt because we aren't experts; we're chatting about our own lives and experiences and we only aim to somewhat entertain/provoke thought. In this episode I host Leece through a (relatively) quick-fire Q&A. We go from the rigmarole that is "Fong-Yip", to wedding anniversaries and marriage tips, to favourite meals and mince, and confusing the loss of ones virginity. Don't judge us, but laugh with us, for this one okay? To each their own, you do you, and all that jazz. Thanks for listening!
EPISODE 53
This is an exciting episode for us. Our latest guest is someone you've perhaps heard references to in previous episodes of The Sparkle Pod. We felt Jess Poff's story was absolutely worthy of a deep dive. An inspiring and uplifting tale from someone who at 32 years old hadn't ever exercised, but now, regularly exercises 5x a week, initiated by a meet-cute with Leece 5+ years ago. We felt Jess's story would be relatable to many. Someone who grew up without a very sporty bone and found herself as a mother of young children feeling that something was amiss. A stranger at her local coffee haunt complimented her when heavily pregnant - that stranger was Leece. From there, Jess did what many of our members do. Sit on the sideline a while, watch closely a while, and then finally found herself doing her first workout in her jeans. So, listen in for the story - of how Jess built these habits, what impact these habits have had on her life, and how Jess believes - as we do, too - that anyone can do it. Thanks for listening!
EPISODE 52
We all have barriers to exercise. Things that get in the way of regularly exercising, whether it be our work, our families, our finances, sleep deprivation - there are many. Are we making mountains out of molehills? Can we overcome them? In today's episode we (Leece and Jess) dissect the biggest barriers to exercise - well, those we come across the most. They're no secret and we will have all come up against these barriers at some point in our lives, if not still, and even most days. So what can we do to overcome them? Why should we even bother overcoming them anyway? (do you really want us to answer that? Lol). But you know - it's a big topic. We all lead different lifestyles, exist with different privileges (there's that word again), and yet despite this, the major barriers for most of us are the same. We'd love to know your thoughts on this one, and once again thank you so much for listening to your Sparkly Pod!
EPISODE 51
Can you bloody believe it! You probably can because we've talked your earholes off - we can, too, to be fair. What a thrill and a total treat to have produced a year's worth of The Sparkle Pod. Thank you for your thousands of downloads, for your emails, messages and boosts of support and encouragement. We had a few ideas presented to us on how to celebrate our first podcast birthday (thank you) - and ran with the idea of going through our highlights. Three each from Leece, Jess and Char. Episodes, moments, lols, etc. It was a fun gig to revisit the lols especially but also the more serious conversations we've had on this podcast. From the bottom of our hearts thank you for supporting this sparkly little hustle of ours. We appreciate and value your loyalty so much. If you listen to this and have your own thoughts, write to us, or better yet, leave us a review (one way to stroke our ego - as you'll find out - though won't be surprised about - towards the end of this episode!). Thanks so much xx
EPISODE 50
Hello Sparkly Pods! Leece and Jess are back today - Char wrapped up in a slightly under the weather Tommy situation and unable to tend to the mic. BUT DID YOU KNOW! Next week we celebrate The Sparkle Pods 1st birthday! 50 episodes later and here we are. We're so grateful for the tens of thousands of downloads, the emails we receive about how much you relate to what we say, and all of the all round goodness TSP brings. Thank you! In today's episode we dissect a hot topic Jess spoke about last week on Instagram. It raised a LOT of chat and a lot of interesting chat at that. Stemming from Jess's experience with seeing a therapist in Sydney, when dealing with disordered eating, and why she didn't trust or relate to her - and how this might translate to the 'fitness' world, and what barriers we come up against when motivating people to exercise (or on the flip side, why perhaps we won't always be everyone's cup of tea - much to our non-thick-skinned nature) LOL. Thank you for listening. We so appreciate you, and hope you enjoy this week's episode.
EPISODE 49
We're back from an unexpected hiatus. Welcome once again to The Sparkle Pod! In today's episode the sissy's are sat next to each other, hovering around the one mic (no problem no problem), but happy as Larry to debrief the recent weeks. From the Party of the Year aka the Move it Mama birthday party, to Char's three week stint in the garden city, and all peaks and pits in between. Our biggest pod critic is our mother and for this episode she was sat just metres away. It was a high pressure situation not to stuff things up in front of her so what did we do? Stuffed things up right from the intro. Sorry mom! Thank you guys for listening and being so loyal to our chat! Big love x
EPISODE 48
In today's episode of The Sparkle Pod, we're back together and taking it down to waffle city again. Excuse our slightly dodgy connection at times; it makes no sense for that to happen when we're in the same city but alas, technology. So there's a lot of chat today - from the ultimate cafe breakfast order (unexpected tangent out the gate), the whereabouts and logistics of the first kiss, an update on Leece's trip to Fiji, the downside to social media and lots more. We're excited this week to be spending time with each other and we just cannot WAIT to spend time with our community in the flesh this Saturday night! We know many of you would love to be coming that can't, but hope one day we have a Move it Mama party that we can ALL attend! Thank you again for listening to the pod - we appreciate you all.
EPISODE 47
Hello! Leece is MIA today. Growing up we always felt an extra sense of safety and confidence when we had Leece around. Her sparkly, outgoing and for the most part extroverted ways really helped Char and I with our desire to hide under tables on our birthday. Well, we hope we do the podcast justice today with Leece taking time out in Fiji; we're feeling the heat! In today's episode we discuss Char's return to exercise off the back of an email we received from an avid podcast listener. Thank you for sending us these sorts of suggestions as they do get us gas bagging about topics that, like this one, should really get more air time. Remember, we're all different. We experience a different pregnancy, a different birth, labour, postpartum and more! The 'six week check' isn't going to mean exercise for all of us is resumed, and above all, a women's health physiotherapist is highly recommended. Please consider this when listening to our chat and know that we speak only from our experiences in this area. THANK YOU for trusting in us and thank you for all of your support to The Sparkle Pod.
EPISODE 46
It's been a long time coming as we've wanted to have Kirst on the pod for a while. Kirst has been a dear friend of ours for years now; give or take 20 years, ever since her and her dad (John, who you'll get to know if you listen lol), first walked into the Wellington city gym and its reception was manned by a fresh faced Lisa Mizzi (now Fong!). When asked to come on the pod Kirst suggested she had nothing interesting to say - she was wrong. Her story is an interesting one, having moved with her family from South Africa to NZ at the very impressionable age of 15. Today we talk a lot about this; adjusting to a new culture and schooling environment, having to 'start again', just why she went to the gym with her dad, as well as meeting her husband and their pretty challenging journey to becoming parents to two beautiful girls (TW - miscarriage). As you can probably anticipate, today's stories take many a turn, and it was just such a pleasure to hear Kirst talk about these experiences as well as learn things about her we didn't know much about. Kirst, thank you for opening up and thank you for being such a great friend and support of ours. We hope you - our community - enjoy getting to know our friend Kirst, especially those of you who now workout with her! Thanks again for listening.
EPISODE 45
We talk a lot of garbage today (no feedback please mum). But in all honesty, it's fun to get back in the wardrobe each week and reconnect with the sissy's. We caught up today to debrief on Leece's alcohol free situation. Many of our community, members and friends have been invested in this 'journey' of Leece's - for want of a better word - so today we digest the long weekend that was. Along the way there are many tangents; identifying self-doubt as female, Char and her mom life cliches, and Jess and her hasty delete of Instagram. Leece explains the no alcohol thing and where that went over the last few days and perhaps where it left off. It sounds very self-indulgent but it seems as though we came to our mics a little grumpy today but left a lot more jovial - so, sorry for the mood swings that might be obvious to your ears, but thank you all the same for being invested in our chat and for being with us - our community. Adore x
EPISODE 44
Hiiiii guyssss! Well, THANK YOU first and foremost for the downloads on our last pod. Did you guys like it? Certainly a story, wasn't it. We'd love you to leave us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts - be our guests! THIS WEEK we're talking relationships. We aren't professionals, nor are we coming from the perfect experience by any means, BUT, it's something we (mostly Leece - due to her open book nature!) are asked about quite a bit. And isn't it just always helpful to hear other people/friends discuss relationships? Even if just food for thought? We hope you enjoy it. Our musings, our thoughts, our considerations to the ebbs and the flows and life as we know it. The new mom is here, too. The three of us in our wardrobes and straight into your ear holes. As always, we are so grateful to you, our listeners and community. The sissy's xx
EPISODE 43
Wow wow wow. Here we go. The title speaks for itself doesn't it? We thought we were excited to get deep into this chat but quickly establish we aren't enjoying it that much LOL. Feels a little fresh still, but what a story, and what an entrance. Introducing Tom Bruce Twigg - "what a fking ride", says mama Char. Tommy is now nearly four weeks old and in today's episode, we're going into every nook and cranny of Char's birth story. Please be warned about the nature of this chat being very raw and open, so we want you to make sure you're prepared in that sense should you take a listen. All births are different, all babies are different, and lo and behold, so are we - the world wouldn't be quite the same if we weren't! Thank you so much to Char for opening up about this; we know many of our listeners would love to hear Char's story. To our community, thank you also for being so supportive to Char (and our family) during this time - it is absolutely amazing to be on the receiving end of. All our love and thanks again! L, J, C x
EPISODE 42
In today's episode of The Sparkle Pod we're excited to be joined by Sophie Dunn of Nourish and Nurture. Sophie is a mother of three and ex-lawyer turned qualified nutritional therapy practitioner. Together, we hone in on postnatal depletion; what it is, how we can identify if we're postnatally depleted, what we can do about it and the steps we can take to improving our health and wellbeing. We know too well that postnatal depletion is very common - we know we've both suffered with it to some degree ourselves - but we also know that we don't have to walk around feeling like crap and instead, we can take control and take action. Thank you so much Sophie for chatting to us about this really important issue and also for opening up about your own experience. We know many of our listeners will relate to this chat and hope that if anything, it gives you food for thought. Thanks again for listening! L & J.
Sophie is contactable at https://www.nourishandnurture.co.nz/contact or @nourishandnurturebysophie
EPISODE 41
Honestly, it was just a real thrill to have our littlest sister - and newest mom Char - back in the wardrobe. In today's episode we chat a little on Char's birth - but mostly just to say that the full story is coming (should anyone love a birth story umm hello yes please hurry up). Otherwise, it's a brief baby introduction, and general waffle-city content for your listening pleasure. It was pretty fun to hear Char talk about her adjustment to mom-hood, the overall mood in the Twigg household, and not to forget the other rigmaroles and sparkly bits within our current day to days. As we know, we're all battling out this life together, hour by hour, day by day; a major battle at the forefront today is Jess' confession to providing average chat - not ideal when in podcast mode. Listen at your own risk lol. Thanks again Sparkle Podders, LYSM!
EPISODE 40
Can we preface this episode by saying - we take a while to warm up. Turns out that perhaps our little hiatus didn't work as well as we hoped because we're a little pushed for mojo at the start of this! However, we're here and for whatever it's worth, we're on some rampage of a mixed bag kinda debrief. From Char and Tommy (though that story will be left for her to tell when she's next available), the love of an aunty, a trip to Cambridge, mum guilt and the day to day challenges in balancing the juggle, as well as all sorts of other bits and pieces. Not forgetting the bit about our most recent Move it Mama news... want to workout with us off Facebook? We've now got you covered and we're excited. We love you for listening to us and thank you for all your downloads. Leece & Jess x
EPISODE 39
Hey Sparkle Podders! In today's pod, we were met with a last minute guest appearance from someone who had planned to be AWOL - your host, Lisa Fong, lol - which meant our pre-planned Twin Chat had a little more direction from the older, wiser, equipped-with-a-much-better-memory, sissy. Such fun. A bit of a catch up intertwined with Jess and Char answering some of the most common questions they get as twins. A few lols in there, including the time Jess forgot Char's birthday, Char having a fat face, and Char's all-round aversion to the - for some - staple leather jacket. Leece's sound is a bit pitchy today, for which we apologise, but we otherwise hope you enjoy our chat. We do allude to chatting this time next week however will actually be taking a break from the Pod over the NZ school holidays. We hope you understand - thanks so much for listening to us!
EPISODE 38
Jess hosted the sissy's today, just for shits and giggles. No, not really, Leece was on day four of Covid and we thought we'd save on her energy output. And guess what? Char's on maternity leave! In today's episode of The Sparkle Pod we catch up on all things Char - the impending birth, baby, lifestyle shift, etc. Leece and Covid and, speaking of a lifestyle shift - the no alcohol update. Naturally we turn to a million and one tangents along the way and somehow finish with a bit of a rant on exercise through pregnancy and postpartum. Apologies in advance for the tissue that kept getting shoved up Leece's nose. We hope you enjoy our chatter today. A reminder that we really are so grateful for your downloads every week!
EPISODE 37
Over the last week, you may or may not know that Leece has made a commitment to do six weeks alcohol free. We know - to some this is no big deal (in which case don't listen lol). But to Leece, it is. It's been a gradual revelation that alcohol, over the past year or two, probably hasn't been making her feel her best. And, if anyone's ever listened to Leece harp on before about ANYTHING, we know she strives to do things every day that allow her to feel her best (hence, Move it Mama exists). Passionate about living life feeling on top of her game - after periods of lacking sparkle and pizazz - the alcohol is going (for now... or forever? We'll have to wait and see). But one thing we know for sure, is that in this life, we ebb and we flow; and we know that while embarking on this 'journey' (for want of a better word), Leece is not alone. In today's episode, we dissect this bit by bit - the motivation, the why, and other associated musings. A little bit of chat ensues, mostly to do with Char and her impending birth (no birth stories; just a little G up for those due to birth in this current world, which includes our dear sister), and a few sparkle spreaders to tie us over (cue the roasted veges with a sprinkling of melted honey - no mince today guys). Thank you - as ever - for listening.
EPISODE 36
We love Deb Buckley, oh boy do we love Deb Buckley. What started as a Leece-and-Deb meet-cute in a Christchurch car park is now a woman that the three of us get to call a friend and a mentor. In today's episode of The Sparkle Pod, Leece and Jess chat to Deb about all sorts. From her role in shaping leaders as the CEO of the New Zealand Institute of Management & Leadership, to raising her two children by the two values of grace and gratitude, navigating multiple miscarriages (TW), and her learnings in the area of neuroscience - i.e., what we can do to try and stay motivated to regularly exercise and how we can perhaps even better the relationship with our partner, i.e., STOP WATCHING ROM COMS *note to self* (among other very gold nuggets lol). Deb, thank you so much for all that you are and all that you do. We loved having you on TSP and are very grateful to have you in our corner.
EPISODE 35
In today's episode Leece and Jess talk all things International Women's Day. For some reason the talk takes a loooong tangent down the path of the duties and their split within our separate households - but what else do we expect? The Sparkle Pod is where we sometimes come to vent, LOL. We hope you, our dear listener, nod your head along with us from time to time. International Women's Day and what it symbolises is a big topic and perhaps we didn't tackle this with the skillset or knowledge it deserves, however we hope you can enjoy this for what it was - a little light hearted chat about the day itself, where we currently feel we are, and the trials and tribulations of life. Love you guys - thank you - as ever - for listening.
EPISODE 34
Well, should any trio of siblings/friends, find themselves in their respective wardrobes connected with a mic, things are surely expected to get a smidge waffly. For that, we apologise. So today on the pod... not much tbh. In all seriousness, a catch up between the three of us that takes a few turns - a little on body image, thick thighs and comparison, but above all, acceptance, and a bit of insight into our current 'issues', cue, house shame - plus other random chat lols. Char so very inappropriately flashed us/the wardrobe a few times, FYI, so we ended up discussing boobs for too long again (sorry, mum). Thank you for downloading us and getting us in your earholes - we appreciate you. Do something nice for yourself today; you deserve it.
EPISODE 33
Today's guest is someone we feel blessed to have in our lives; a best friend of the twins for 30 odd years and a big Move it Mama support. Bridge is a spiritual, soul seeking mama (a few weeks away from being mama to two), a self-proclaimed perfectionist and Founder of The Yoga Travel Co., and is to the very core, a vibrant, spirited, vivacious and intelligent friend of ours. Our chat on The Sparkle Pod takes a bit of a journey through Bridge's life and story from battling with an eating disorder at 16, strategies she now calls upon to manage her inner critic and confidence, and a 'calling' to India where she first discovered yoga and went onto establishing her business, the Yoga Travel Co. Bridge was our yoga teacher at the Move it Mama Getaway in 2020 and our community totally adored her. We know you will too. Thanks B, we love you - L & J x
EPISODE 32
The first episode of Ask Leece went LIVE last week, and with the launch of Move it Mama's new 'talk show' (lol), has come lots of questions. One of which went, in summary, like this: "Do you weigh yourself? I do, weekly, and my mood is affected dependent on the number". We felt this was a big question, but also one that many of us might be interested in discussing. We don't have the answers, and we aren't experts. What we talk about here are our experiences, our thoughts around regularly stepping on scales, and things we might otherwise be able to do that make us feel good about ourselves. Because after all, that's one of the main reasons Move it Mama exists; to help people to feel GOOD. We hope you enjoy this episode, and please take what we say with a big grain of rock salt as, to each their own. Love, Leece and Jess (PS, feel free to leave feedback/a review on Spotify or Apple; eternally grateful!)
Episode 31
Here we go again. The Sparkle Pod is back with a vengeance - of waffle. It's a hard gig getting the three of us on a call really, so here we go... a debrief of sorts, from a synopsis of the past few months, an update on Char's pregnancy, and lots of other stuff like sagging boobs and why next week is basically May. Don't you love a joke that keeps on giving? So do we (hopefully it's even a smidge relatable to you, our lovely listener). In other news, we're just feeling excited to bring The Sparkle Pod back to life after a couple of months off. Feel free to submit topics or guest ideas to us; happy to chat to those of interest and about things you want discussed! Here's to a happy, healthy 2022. For those interested in the recipe Jess talks to at the end of the episode, here it is - https://www.fooddolls.com/the-best-slow-cooker-chili/. Jess used a dash of a Barkers chipotle sauce in replacement of the chipotle peppers mentioned in the recipe. That way, it had a bit of a chipotle vibe and also suited the kids.
Season 1, 2021
EPISODE 1
Welcome to the very first episode of The Sparkle Pod!
In this episode, From The Beginning, we set the tone for things to come. We talk to you about the business, how Leece created the internet sensation that is Move it Mama, why we don’t cry over spilt milk, and what makes us three sissy’s a little bit different! We hope you enjoy it.
EPISODE 2
In this episode, Char Opens Up! It's been a wild few months in the lead up to her wife's olympic campaign (she's coming home with gold, baby!). While we had Char in Christchurch for a 48 hour stint (in an attempt to spy her wife through the MIQ fence) we decided to chat to her about her 'journey' in life to date (for want of a better word). From being mistaken for boy and girl twins to finding her wife, tune in for more on Char.
EPISODE 3
It's been a big few weeks at Move it Mama "HQ" so Leece and Jess sat down for a bit of a debrief. Join them for some very lighthearted waffle (think chic-lit... possibly!?) about all sorts. From current daily challenges to what's happening in the inboxes and how many cycles the washing goes through before it's hung out. Also some musings about what we do to stay committed to exercise (reminder: your scales need to be taken to the dump). And remember you've been warned: welcome to waffle city.
EPISODE 4
Lockdown Lowdown Ep1: Do we need an excuse to get waffling? No. But a NZ Lockdown is bound to do it. In this episode Leece and Jess ask each other a few off-the-cuff, not-very-important questions you definitely don't need to know the answer to, at the off chance the banter might gift you a lol. Especially for those looking for a way to very carefully invest their time! Our love goes out to everyone in NZ affected by this lockdown, but also our friends overseas, too. We'll hope to bring you more of these low-key-lockdown chats over the next few days.
EPISODE 5
Lockdown Lowdown Ep2: And we're back. Day 2 of NZ Lockdown (or day whatever, wherever you may be). We promised a daily chinwag, so here we deliver. Join Leece, Jess and Char (yay!) for quite possibly 30 very boring minutes. Or, y'know... maybe our daydreaming of tropical holiday destinations and other nostalgic chat will get you inspired. Or asleep. Either which way, a day nap is always a good idea. And, we're in Lockdown, why wouldn't you get us in your ears? Today's theme: Cold Hard Facts (such as, sweet or SOUR? Lol).
EPISODE 6
Lockdown Lowdown Ep3: Cindy dropping bombs at 3pm with NZ's Lockdown 2.0 set to continue. Therefore, we shall continue. Coming to you with hunched backs and tootsie pins and needles straight from the wardrobe, with some Friday arvo bants. Leece and Jess talk about some favourite, meaningful quotes; both their interpretations of them and also how they can be applied to daily life right now, in the midst of some pretty crazy times for everyone. Again, our hearts go out to everyone affected by these unsettling and pretty stressful times. Move it Mama is here; an amazingly inspiring and uplifting community connected through exercise.
EPISODE 7
Interrupting Lockdown Lowdown Listening with a VERY SPECIAL GUEST to The Sparkle Pod. Leece, Jess and Char are joined by Olympic Gold medallist and (quite conveniently) Char's phenomenal wifey, Emma Twigg. What a total honour. We feel nothing short of blessed to have had Emma open up to us; sharing stories from the many, many ups and downs of her ~20 years in rowing, her journey through four Olympic campaigns and what she believes contributed to her gold medal success aka burning that ****** forest down in Tokyo. Please note: the excitement levels from the lockdown wardrobes were high and therefore, this episode contains some swearing. Sorry about that - blame the naively confident guests. We hope you enjoy this episode and we want to thank Emma for opening up to us in such a candid manner.
EPISODE 8
Cindy dropping bombs at 3pm with NZ's Lockdown 2.0 set to continue. Therefore, we shall continue. Coming to you with hunched backs and tootsie pins and needles straight from the wardrobe, with some Friday arvo bants. Leece and Jess talk about some favourite, meaningful quotes; both their interpretations of them and also how they can be applied to daily life right now, in the midst of some pretty crazy times for everyone. Again, our hearts go out to everyone affected by these unsettling and pretty stressful times. Move it Mama is here; an amazingly inspiring and uplifting community connected through exercise.
EPISODE 9
Leece has told the story of Move it Mama and its creation a few times now, but what about life before Move it Mama? In this episode, Leece is hosted by Jess where a picture is painted of life as Lisa Mizzi. From childhood memories and family dynamics growing up, to life decisions on finishing school, meeting husband Dan in London and moving home, "settling down" and becoming a mother. If ever you've admired Leece's eyelashes, we can confirm; they've been that way all her life and you bet your bottom dollar were put to full use the night she met her now husband. Between crushed dreams of being part-time pro-netball player/part-time sports broadcaster and cutting her time working on "Hamo" short to surprise her not-that-surprised family, listen on in for more.
EPISODE 10
The tables have turned (again). Today Leece hosts Jess to talk a bit about the "Jess story". We find these episodes tough; keeping to a bit of a time limit so we don't put you to sleep too soon, but also giving certain stories enough air time (and consequently missing out a lot... who knows, maybe these episodes come back to the pod with sequels etc.). Anyway! Listen in for a bit about Jess; shattered childhood dreams of running Bunta's Butchery, climbing her way out of disordered eating and exercise addiction ("for want of a better phrase"), the competition - or lack there of - between her and Char and how and why she got into personal training. For those totally invested in the "sparkle spreader"; we forgot again!!!! Baby steps at this podcasting gig, aye. Thanks for listening!
EPISODE 11
What a total privilege it was for us to sit down and chat to Kelly (Augustine by Kelly Coe) today. WOW! We now feel super inspired - for many different reasons - but now just wish we were sitting next to each other with a glass of wine, a bowl of chips and some beautiful clothes on LOL. My question is: can you listen to this conversation and NOT feel the need to dress up a little tomorrow? Shall we? Even in Lockdown? You're on. We're so thrilled to speak to Kelly about all things Augustine (and the more fun personal stuff, too); a super inspiring story from a woman we so highly respect and now totally adore (well we kind of did already). Thanks so much Kelly for joining us on The Sparkle Pod! We hope everyone loves this episode as much as we did. Especially because it took us many hours to record because it turns out that although Kelly runs a pretty bloody successful partly-online business, technology isn't a strong suit, LOL. (Please bear with us on these lockdown episodes as our connection wasn't 100%, and a slight echo will pop in and out of this recording)
EPISODE 12
It's Friday theeeen! Hello Sparkle Podders. The three sissy's are back to answer some of the DMs that came in off the back of a request for podcast ideas. We received some awesome suggestions, some of which may be put towards their own individual episodes. Otherwise, some of those shorter to address questions are answered right here. Join us for some light-hearted chat about a bit of all sorts; from unforgettable travelling escapades (say no to drugs okay), to 'how to keep the romance alive' (sorry, mum) and a bit about our own nutrition 'philosophy' (our way of life, not an attempt to give unqualified advice), and go-to supermarket snacks. You'd have thought we could have kept this one under 30 minutes but sorry, we get carried away when in the three respective wardrobes. Again, please bear with any tech mishaps (mostly Char on super loud today), while we're locked away in Level 4. Stay strong and once again, we hope you enjoy.
EPISODE 13
Here we go again. After a few days away from the pod we resume the lockdown lowdown. We've been receiving messages every day about how you're enjoying our podcasts - even the waffly ones much like today's - so thank you for listening. Today Leece and Jess are back to their respective wardrobes answering a few more questions, but in summary the conversation turns to insecurities, things they're not very good at and what keeps them up at night. FYI the episode begins with a discussion about over analysing things, which we've done to death with this episode itself, so a heads up if you're not in the market for some mindless waffle, please don't listen to this LOL. Once again, thank you for joining us on The Sparkle Pod - it means a lot.
EPISODE 14
It's been a few days between wardrobe back injuries so here we are. We decided to get back to the mics with some Lockdown musings just to voice a few things that have been stirring our pots lately. From our latest insecurities and rigmaroles to some context on Move it Mama's 4 week challenge (a challenge for members commencing today), and why we've been reluctant to ever do any sort of a challenge at all. Tune in for what we hope is some easy listening chinwag for your Monday and don't try to say you weren't warned; we're officially back in Waffle City (we play to our strengths what can we say). Thanks so much for listening and please leave us a review on Apple if you fancy - forever grateful.
EPISODE 15
Hey again, Sparkle Podders. We have an exciting episode with a very fun guest coming up for you; but unfortunately we need to re-do our recording (the tech thrills). So while we wait for that... here we go again. A very low-key wardrobe session between Leece and Jess to keep you company for your Friday should you need it. Today's episode was recorded on Australia's R u OK? day and it ended up going down quite a deep road (unintentional!) discussing not just the nature of R u OK? Day, but mental health on the whole and the sort of 'middle ground' we've come to know. Please know we speak only from our own feelings and experience regarding mental health (not from a professional standpoint) and naturally the nature of this conversation could be triggering to some. As per, today's Sparkle Spreader went a little haywire so hold on tight should you like to finish with a LOL. Once again, thank you for listening!
EPISODE 16
Strap yourselves in guys and gals... the wardrobe chat goes mortal. No stones left unturned! From how we create this podcast (very tech savvy we know), our nemesis exercises, how much work we do for Move it Mama; also whether it's the only exercise we do and MOST importantly, HOW TO MAKE GOOD MINCE! So, without further ado, we're back to the cupboard answering some very D&M DM (lol) questions. And let it be known that with every intention of keeping this one quick... it isn't. Love you and thanks for listening!
EPISODE 17
Hello! Our longest hiatus from The Sparkle Pod yet. Sorry! But we're back. And yes Leece does let out a sizeable yawn mid-chat but hey, that's beside the point. In this episode we're freshly back from our fleeting Wellington getaway celebrating Jess and Char's birthday. So if you fancy coming along on our reminiscent reaccount of our little getaway; what we did, who we saw and how we're feeling, get us in your earholes (and yawn away because we won't hear you). Thanks as always for listening. We'll be back soon - much quicker than we were this time!
EPISODE 18
Hello! We promised we'd be back quickly and bosch, here we are. In today's episode we're talking about starting again. Learning to accept and embrace exercise as a lifestyle, the barriers and obstacles that can get in the way, the power of exercise, and a bit about Move it Mama's back to basics sessions. We hope this episode inspires you somehow. Whether a regular exerciser or someone who hasn't exercised for a long time; we ALL start somewhere, and we believe our back to basics sessions are often just the ticket. We hope you enjoy today's episode, and thank you again for encouraging and inspiring us to spread more sparkle via The Sparkle Pod.
EPISODE 19
We recorded with Laura a month or so ago; her world was a bit different then. Her professional cricket player husband was home, there was little chance of a midweek wine, and she could go about Auckland as she pleased without any Covid restrictions. Today, she was recording her radio show within the confines of her home, her parents were in her level 3 bubble to help ease the lockdown lows (and juggle the working-mum life with a nearly 4 year old and 7 month old), and hubby Martin Guptill was away in Dubai (which should actually have been Pakistan) with NZ cricket. What a privilege to chat to Laura (or Lazzy Lou as we quickly allowed ourselves to jump to nickname status); about all things working in the media, being the wife of a professional cricketer, working mum of two, and everything in between, such as ironing pillow cases, the filet-o-fish and weekly Friday night parties at her 93 year old grandmothers' (thanks for the invite, Laz). We feel we only just scratched the surface and could honestly have chatted for at least another hour. Thanks so much Laura Louise McGoldrick-Guptill! We hope you enjoy our chat. (For anyone who may find it triggering: in this episode we briefly discuss having multiple children/having a sibling for our babies).
EPISODE 20
In this episode of The Sparkle Pod we bring you a discussion on relationships, something neither of us are at all qualified in (lol). Leece posted to her social channels on Sunday about her relationship; the ebbs and flows of life in this sort of a partnership. It was popular with the Move it Mama readership and having received various questions and suggestions to talk about this on the pod, here we go (wish us luck!). Might we add, to each their own/different strokes for different folks and all that - but the nature of today's conversation is around little things, actions, habits, behaviours, efforts etc., that have helped Leece with maintaining a happy marriage (so far... let's hope this one doesn't come back to bite her), and working through the lows, lulls and difficult, foggy times. Thanks for listening!
EPISODE 21
Hey Sparkly Pods. We've taken a hint from the DM requests today and in this episode we discuss Jess's birth stories. Well, it took a turn. A little on an unexpected tangent at the beginning we end up taking things right back to the beginning. When, where and how Jess and her husband Dor met, the significance of a missing sock, how and when they decided to have baby one (Nina) and baby two (Beau), how Nina and Beau both came into the world, and by mistake, the rigmarole of a booze poo (sorry... well, not really). We hope you enjoy our chat! TW: Please note this episode does discuss conception, birth, labour and siblings.
EPISODE 22
We say this every time (when blessed to chat to someone other than ourselves LOL) - but honestly, WHAT A PRIVILEGE. For the record, we confirmed Toni to come on The Sparkle Pod before we knew she was publishing a book - but what a book at that (Leece finished it in a matter of hours). With an incredible story, we were so stoked to speak to Toni today; a woman we've both admired for many years. In this episode we discuss Toni's book, Lost and Found, and naturally a bit about being a mother, meeting her husband, juggling a belter career, surrogacy, grief, loss and tequila (not in any particular order, though she is in lockdown after all). We wish we had about ten more hours of recording time as we barely touched the surface with Tones/Streety, but we really hope you enjoy this episode (our long distance call is a little pitchy but completely fine for the most part). Enjoy!
EPISODE 23
In today's episode we tackle a topic we kind of have no idea how to tackle LOL. A little cryptic isn't it? But, having been asked to discuss this we thought we had to give it a go. So: why are we so vulnerable when it comes to negative feedback? Why are we so anxious? What can the way in which we respond to feedback tell us about ourselves? Today's episode is centred around this subject, and a little more... something we are in no way, shape or form, able to give any specific answers or draw conclusions on, but nonetheless something we felt the need to chat about. Join us for a chinwag - we hope you enjoy our musings (and if you don't... please don't give us feedback :p JOKES!). Leece & Jess x
EPISODE 24
Today we talk to Sarah Percy, a registered dietician with over 20 years clinical experience. Can we just "caveat" (lol) that we LOVE Sarah and have had the privilege of speaking to her a few times before, within the Move it Mama member group. It's pretty exciting to now share her with The Sparkle Pod. Today's chat is a Q&A style conversation between Leece, Jess and Sarah that takes many, many turns - as you can only imagine - what with nutrition being a huge, complex topic, with many different 'facets'. We hope to get Sarah back on the Pod to answer the billion other questions we know we all have. Today however, we talk a bit about Sarah's philosophy on nutrition, some small nutrition hacks, how much nutrition can effect our mental health and a word of advice for anyone who might be finding this part of their life tiresome and difficult to navigate. Apologies for the quality of the call; it's a little pitchy - you'll be getting used to this but we will sort it out so bear with us. We hope you enjoy!
EPISODE 25
A little something different on the pod today! First of all, Jess is playing host to a friend of hers, Ana. Ana is one of those friends you walk away from feeling revitalised, inspired and motivated. The owner of a new business venture (created in lockdown 2020) and mother of soon to be three, Ana has a lot on her plate. We discuss her pathway into property investing (including selling a side hustle organic tampon business at the age of 25), buying five houses in five years (and then five houses in one year!), and dealing with the likes of Tall Poppy Syndrome and death threats in her DMs (there's never a valid excuse). With a work ethic that can only be described as inspiring with some pretty crazy albeit clearly effective lifestyle habits, Ana is nothing but a powerhouse and we love watching her business grow. Thank you Ana, for coming on The Sparkle Pod. A total thrill. We hope you enjoy! X
EPISODE 26
Hello! Well it's been a while since we've had Char on the pod so that's a treat for our ears. Today's episode is a bit of a catch up-debrief situation but also has a focus on Leece's experience over the past year or so in exercising to her cycle. What kind of adjustments she's made, why she has made them and overall how she's tracking with it. We're speaking solely from experience today; not from a professional standpoint or attempting to give advice, so please bear that in mind. We'll soon be following this episode up with a focused hormone chat (with a guest speaker we're super excited to introduce you to)... so watch this space. Thanks for catching up with the sissy's!
EPISODE 27
Welcome baaaack. Another week another hoot of a convo; a follow on from last week where Leece was talking about exercising to her cycle. This week we had the pleasure of chatting to the amazing "@yourmonthly" (that's her Instagram handle), dietician and women's health expert, Sara. Sara's passion lies in teaching women about female sex hormones and the role they play in our health and our lives, and in learning to celebrate our periods rather than will them away. We LOVED this chat and as per many conversations we've had lately, felt we could have talked for a lot longer. A massive topic; who knows, we might be back for more. Listen in for Sara's thoughts on Leece's 'journey' with her periods, all things PMS and plenty more thought provoking chatter.
EPISODE 28
We were so lucky to get the chance to speak to Matt Chisholm - TV host (Survivor, Treasure Island, Sunday, Country Calendar), father/husband (to a rockstar MIM member), and now author. Leece read Matt's new book 'Imposter' in about two days. A very relatable, very real tale of Matt's life and career, and within it, a lot about his struggles with mental health and imposter syndrome. Naturally these topics drove a lot of our conversation in this episode, but honestly, we have absolutely barely even scratched the surface. What an eloquent man and a man we felt we could listen to for hours. Thank you so much Matt, for being our first lad on the pod! We hope you enjoy.
EPISODE 29
We had a great little email come through about a comment Leece had made in the past about our habits and mindset around sugar. So, in today's episode, we discuss our thoughts on the topic of sugar (based off the email); things we are mindful about (when it comes to diet in general), a little about our mindset and basically our day to day approach when it comes not only to sugar but striving for a 'balanced diet'. We start by asking: is sugar the "problem", or are we?! Though as you will know - if you've ever listened to us before - we're all for a balanced diet and that includes sugar, too. But, we're also BIG on habits that make us feel good, so today's episode is basically one preeeetty long (soz hehe) chat about our 'strategies' on eating well. We hope you enjoy the waffle (and let us remind you these are just our thoughts - we aren't qualified in dietetics or nutrition). An ending note too, that just because we talk about our way of eating and how it makes us feel good, our approach isn't going to suit everyone or be aligned to everyone. YOU DO YOU! X
EPISODE 30
We had a meeting this year during which a wise man said, "you should be doing a podcast". Fast forward a few days, Episode 1 of The Sparkle Pod was released. While we may not have had it perfect, those that know us know perfect isn't our style. So here we are rounding out 2021 with Episode 30. Over 40,000 downloads, many very special Sparkle Pod regulars and blessed to have had many episodes sat pretty amongst Apple's top charts. How cool! To say we're proud is an understatement. Thank you to our guests who have blessed us with their stories. Thank you to you, our community, for tuning in and pressing play. We are so appreciative! For a bit of light-hearted chatter, the three of us answer some semi quick-fire questions to round out the year (cue, waffle city). Thanks for caring (or not caring but still listening) about what we have to say! We really love you! Leece, Jess & Char x