I AM IN AWE OF THE MANY INCREDIBLE MUMS OUT THERE, DOING A FAB JOB OF RUNNING THEIR OWN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLDING DOWN THE FORT AT HOME. I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE ‘MET’ MANY OF THESE LADIES ONLINE AND CAN’T WAIT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME NEW FACES AND THEIR AWESOME ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVOURS.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED AND HAVE YOUR BUSINESS FEATURED, PLEASE SAY HELLO!  MELISSA@THEBESTNEST.CO.N

Some brands take luxe to a whole new level but in a quiet, understated way that leaves you wanting ALL the things.  Willow & Wolfe is name to remember, offering a carefully curated gift basket service that combines the innate pleasure of gifting with lustworthy goods and presentation that is second-to-none.  With some of my favorite brands on offer, think The Aromatherapy Co, Aden & Anais, Man O’ War wines, Schott Zwiesel glassware, Veuve Clicquot and Wellington Chocolate Factory, the selection is a veritable tour de force of the very best and most indulgent items to appeal to every taste and occasion.

Understanding that not every recipient has similar requirements, the Willow & Wolfe website also provides a very easy to navigate bespoke service, allowing you to carefully select each item, ensuring your gift is perfectly matched to the lucky recipient.

Before her 21 month old son Hunter was born, Willow & Wolfe owner Anna was a commercial litigator, working previously in both London and Auckland.  The desire to move on from the legal world took precedence after she and husband Brendan welcomed Hunter into the world, and Anna’s goal of running her own business came to fruition with the inception of Willow & Wolfe.  

Anna in her own words;

1.  How do you make family life and managing your business work?

I try my best to stick to (rough) set periods of time for work and non-work life. Otherwise, with working from home, it can get tempting for everything to merge into one and to not get out and do fun things with my little boy, Hunter.

My Father-in-law is great at coming over to take Hunter for an outing during the week as well so that I can set up work meetings etc in that time.

2.  When you’ve stepped into the SAHM role, it can be hard to shift gears and have your business goals recognised as worthy, viable and in tandem with the special work we do raising the babes. You’ve got to put what you want out there and dream big right?

Yeah definitely. Our friends and family have all been really supportive and have taken my Willow & Wolfe vision and work seriously. I think once people see how many hours, and how much love you put into your own business they really get behind you and do everything they can to encourage you.

3.  If someone was gifting YOU a Willow & Wolfe basket, which one would you choose? – I know which one I’m coveting!

Oooh, that’s tough. My husband refers to me as the ultimate consumer as I LOVE cool brands, good food, and sifting around markets etc. Choosing the products stocked by Willow & Wolfe is such fun and always feels a bit like I am shopping for myself. At the moment I would probably go for “Put Your Feet Up” for a bit of  winter pampering.    

{I would totally choose the Palatable Preserves, total sucker for yummy spreads on crackers……….and the wooden presentation box!!}

4.  At the end of a tough day how do you regroup?

Sit down for dinner with my husband and catch up on each other’s day. We are currently addicted to “Orange is the New Black” and we love to sneak in an episode of that where we can to switch off.

5.  What’s ahead for Willow & Wolfe?

We are blown away with how W&W is going but with being a new business the focus is definitely on continuing to grow our repeat customer base. It is exciting to see where things will head in the next 12 months.

Willow & Wolfe have such a special prize for one reader this week, head over to our Facebook page and comment on this week’s Say hello! post before Sunday 28th June at 10pm for the chance to win the gorgeous Put Your feet Up hamper featured in this post.

I AM IN AWE OF THE MANY INCREDIBLE MUMS OUT THERE, DOING A FAB JOB OF RUNNING THEIR OWN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES WHILST SIMULTANEOUSLY HOLDING DOWN THE FORT AT HOME. I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE ‘MET’ MANY OF THESE LADIES ONLINE AND CAN’T WAIT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME NEW FACES AND THEIR AWESOME ENTREPRENEURIAL ENDEAVOURS.  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INVOLVED AND HAVE YOUR BUSINESS FEATURED, PLEASE SAY HELLO!  MELISSA@THEBESTNEST.CO.NZ

Recognizing the need to make time for exercise and identifying the physical and mental benefits that exercise can bring was a turning point for me as a Mum.  I’ve always worked out on and off over the years, sometimes running, sometimes at a gym, always power walking.  This year I’ve begun my journey as a runner {you can read about that here}, setting myself a 10km target by 2016.  The thing is, running is lonely.  I’m not a hugely social person anyway, but I would often run past boot camps held at our local park and think that, maybe, that looked like a bit of fun.  Problem = small, blessed child.  The park is unfenced, and it’s not a mummy-and-me boot camp anyway so trying to work up a sweat whilst not losing a child just isn’t going to happen.  

Lucky for me, Rosie, owner and trainer at Fit Mama and Mummy to delicious Spencer and Hugo, invited me to come along and experience what her baby-friendly workout classes are like.  Of course I said yes, and headed to Oratia in Auckland to check it out.  

First impression; what a relief!  SO not like walking in to a gym for the first time.  In fact, I don’t think anyone actually noticed that I was new, the other ladies were busy pre-class just being Mummy’s.  Getting their little ones situated and happy, lunchboxes out, bikes in the door, toys out of the bag etc.  It instantly felt welcoming, relaxed, friendly and just, good I guess?  

When Nix is at full strength he’s a nutter.  This is a fact.  Luckily the hall is safe for little ones, I wasn’t anxious that he could get outside, in fact he was so interested in the other kids that the thought of escape probably didn’t even cross his mind.

The workout?  Oh my god.  As I said, I’ve been running this year, but mixing up my training is not something I do so I was sore for four days!  Rosie has the goods, her workout for us was the perfect combination of repetition and variation and the pain was definitely varied across ALL muscle groups lol.  I went back the next week to take some photos and was again impressed by a totally different class structure and workout plan.  Hopefully Nix will be fighting fit this week so I can join the ladies again this Thursday.

Let’s meet Rosie!

Tell us a little bit about Fit Mama;

After I had my first son, Spencer I struggled to find time and motivation to exercise, and I was lonely.  I tried joining a gym but it wasn’t social, it was expensive, and I still couldn’t find time to get there between feeds, naps and spending time with my husband. 

I started Fit Mama because I wanted mums in my community to have the opportunity to get fit, socialize with other mums and have fun without the stress of finding a babysitter.  Plus it was what I needed!  I began exercising regularly, socializing, losing weight and making friends with other mums, all at the same time.  Above all I felt like I had a place in my community and new purpose to my days.

I believe that Fit Mama allows you to a) be a positive, healthy role model to your children b) exercise alongside like-minded women c) do something for yourself and d) exercise at an affordable rate.

Fit Mama Group Fitness Classes are a fun way to workout.  Every session is different, you work hard without having to think too much about what you’re doing, and you can bring the kids along.  It’s win-win!  They are classes aimed at all fitness levels so literally anyone can do it.  I also offer Personal Training, personalized weight loss packages, home workout programs, nutrition consultations and support packages, because group classes aren’t for everyone.

Which came first, the business or the babes?

The concept came to me during my pregnancy with Spencer. I didn’t start anything until he was four months old while I coped with learning to be a mum and trying to work up the courage to get into it.  So I guess you could say they were born together!

How does the whole ‘take your kids to work’ thing work for you?

Having two boys to look after while trying to make sure everyone is getting a sweat up AND keep an eye on everyone else’s kids can be draining, but that’s the whole concept of the business….we’re all mums! My workplace is naturally an understanding and supportive environment.  We all watch and entertain each others babies and it just works.  Plus I’m pretty lucky to have well-behaved boys.

What inspires you to keep inspiring other women on their fitness journeys?

In a sense I’ve been lucky to be in the same boat as most of my clients – starting Fit Mama with a four month old I was losing baby weight and regaining my fitness.  I then reached my peak, got pregnant and am now back in the same game – losing baby weight and getting to the top of my fitness game.  I think (I hope!) that people are inspired by seeing change in me – because I’m just an everyday mum like them – I have the same daily pressures and frustrations, the same kind of commitments, the same sleepless nights!  I like to think that people see me and what I achieve and feel that there’s nothing in their way either.  

My biggest inspiration is my clients themselves.  I love knowing that I’m helping other mums to live a healthy balanced life; encouraging them to be positive healthy role models to their kids; challenging them in their fitness.  I love seeing massive leaps on fitness tests term after term after term.  I love getting to know each incredible mum that comes along to my classes, and the fact that every single week they manage to get out the door by 9, babies and toddlers in tow, and come and run around with the rest of us.

Let’s talk about motivation, what’s your secret to getting out of the door with those sneakers on – regularly?

Generally I’m great – I love heading out for a run.  It’s the only time I spend on my own with my own thoughts.  I make future plans for the business and my family, I dream, I sing!  I’m also really competitive and once I’m running, I’m pretty determined to beat my last time.  I’m really motivated to get my fitness back to where it was when I got pregnant in 2014.  On those days I really can’t be bothered?  My husband basically pushes me out the door!

We have such an amazing prize this week, Rosie and Fit Mama are giving away a term membership to one lucky reader!  That’s two classes per week for Term 3 valued at $230!  Head over to The Best Nest on Facebook and follow the instructions on the competition post.  Comp closes Sunday June 21st 10pm.