What is your typical day – morning, noon and night?
My typical day starts with making breakfast for my girls – my 18-year-old looks after himself now. This is still a novelty because for the past seven years I’ve been working on breakfast radio, so was long gone when they
I used to get up at 4.30am every day but now I’m up later and have to contend with the traffic. I drop off my girls to their schools on my way to work. I have a quick chat with workmates about what’s happening that day, then I’m on air nationwide on Coast between 10am-3pm. I collect my youngest from school and then the hard work really begins!
Homework, catching up on chores and emails, then preparing dinner (I cook most nights at our place). After everyone’s fed, it’s time to get the smallest member of the family to bed around 8pm, then it’s finally time to relax – which I do with Netflix, a book, or some social media, unless I have a function on. Rinse and repeat!
When are you at your busiest?
So 3-7pm is the busiest time of the day for me. But I’m pretty busy all day long.
Is your job and/or family life busy and/or stressful?
It's always very busy (I like it that way) and only occasionally stressful. I try to take things day-by-day, and this helps me to avoid too much stress. Women in the 21st century are doing so much paid and unpaid work and the mental load this creates is not recognised. Most women I know feel responsible for everybody else and find it hard to switch off.
What do you do to relieve stress/alleviate busy-ness?
Not nearly enough – I really don’t like to delegate or take enforced “me” time. I do try to have a facial once a month, however, and get my hair done every seven weeks. I also love to catch up with my girlfriends as much as I can – this is incredibly important for me and I wouldn’t get by without them.
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Advertise with NZME.What do you do to ensure you have “me” time?
As above, plus the occasional spa treatment and some quiet time in the evenings.
What wellness routines do you follow?
I don’t have an exercise routine – the usual excuse, not enough time… After my youngest daughter Zoe was born, I went on a big fitness thing but I’m really bad with exercise at the moment.
I had breast cancer 18 months ago and since then I’ve really embraced the morning green smoothie. My family thinks they look disgusting but they are actually really nice and it’s great to know you’ve go so much of your fruit and vegetable requirements sorted so early in the day. They are made with kale and spinach, plus half a banana, blueberries, mango and a seed blend and they are very sweet and tasty.
When I get to work I make sure I have seven almonds (no particular reason for there being seven) and this plus the smoothie make me feel better about the glass of wine I have every night.
Do you enjoy a visit to a spa?
I do love spas in general, and especially enjoy having a massage. My daughter bought me a spa voucher recently and I had a Thai/deep tissue massage. I found out what I’d been missing. There were a few times I wanted to yell because it was so painful, but I didn’t! I would love to have the time for regular spa treatments.
I am heading to Rotorua later in the year and will visit the Polynesian Spa. I really want to try their Signature Mud Wrap, which is meant to be incredibly good for the skin.
Do you have a mantra you live by and what is it?
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Advertise with NZME.The mantra I live by is engraved on a ring I wear. It says, “This too shall pass”. It allows me to really savour the good moments and get through the hard times; to be aware that everything is temporary and live in the now. It sounds like a bit of a cliché but there’s a lot of truth in it.
For more information on Polynesian Spa click here.
