Cultivate Contentment

This episode has been sitting with me while I’ve been working on Back to Herself… not because I was trying to come up with something to say, but because I kept noticing this same feeling come up again and again in conversations. It’s that stage where nothing in your life looks wrong. Everything is working. Your days are full, your family is cared for, the farm is moving, and on paper it all makes...

This episode came from a season where everything just felt… full. Calving, sickness in the house, the boys starting football, in-laws away, building Back to Herself in the background. Nothing unusual on its own, but all sitting together at once. And in that, I started noticing something I think a lot of women experience, but don’t always name. How responsibility doesn’t just sit in your life… it s...

In this episode, I’m talking through something that’s been sitting with me lately — what it’s actually like raising three boys as they grow out of little kid years and into their own personalities. My oldest has just started high school. My middle son is nearly finished primary school. My youngest is nine and still soft in that way only nine-year-olds can be. And I’m realising that the picture I h...

Last week I attended a 900-person agriculture conference and found myself recognising so many familiar faces — people I only see because I chose to leave the farm and show up. It got me thinking about connection. How it doesn’t just happen. We have to choose it. In this episode, I reflect on the nerves of my first big conference, reconnecting with a woman I met five years ago, and how my view of w...

I recorded this episode because I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of life is made up of the days we barely notice. Not the big moments. Not the holidays or milestones or the things we plan and count down to. Just the ordinary days. The school runs. The washing. The late nights. The conversations we half-listen to because we’re already thinking about what’s next. This isn’t a new idea. I’ve h...

This episode has been circling for me for a while. Not in a neat, “this would make a good episode” kind of way — more in that nagging, tap-on-the-shoulder way where something just won’t let you go. I keep coming back to the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup” — and how often it gets used in conversations about motherhood. I know what people are trying to say when they use it. I know it usual...

This episode is a little different. I’m scrolling back through my camera roll from 2016 and talking out loud about what comes up. There’s no plan and no tidy storyline — just memories, moments, and the things I notice now that I didn’t have words for at the time. In 2016, life was full and heavy. I had young children, we were early into farm ownership, and most days were about getting through rath...

As a new year begins, there’s often a rush to set goals, make plans, and decide how this year will be different. But before we move forward, I wanted to pause. In this episode of Cultivate Contentment , I’m reflecting on the year just gone — not through the lens of achievement or failure, but through the lens of reality. What did this year actually ask of us? What didn’t happen, and why does that...

There are seasons where responsibility feels heavy. Unwanted, even. Like one more thing added to an already full plate. But sometimes, responsibility isn’t just something to get through — it’s the very thing that grows us. In this episode, I’m reflecting on how often growth doesn’t happen in the quiet, prepared, well-rested moments we imagine it will. Instead, it shows up right in the middle of ch...

When I first connected with Krysta on Instagram a couple of years ago, I had no idea we’d eventually sit down and record a conversation like this — two women on opposite sides of the world, somehow living through the same questions, tensions, and gut feelings. This episode is all about stepping out of the boxes we’ve put ourselves in, slowing down long enough to hear our own thoughts, and letting...

In this episode, Jess shares a heartfelt life update, reflecting on the challenges faced during the calving season, including personal health struggles and the impact of burnout. She discusses the importance of setting boundaries for mental and physical health, the transformative experience of attending retreats, and the journey towards finding clarity and alignment with her values. Jess emphasize...

I never thought I'd love this life as much as I do. And I also never expected it to feel so hard. In this episode, I open up about the emotional tug-of-war so many farm wives experience — the reality that you can love your life on the farm and still hate the parts of it that leave you feeling lonely, overlooked, and completely exhausted. I share what life looked like for us in the early years with...

Winter has arrived with a bang here on the farm—frosty mornings, short days, and that bone-deep cold that makes everything feel just a little bit harder. But this year, it feels a little easier than it has in the past. I think that’s because I’ve been paying attention to the small things—the simple comforts and routines that are helping me stay grounded and get through this season with a bit more...

Episode Summary: Winter is well and truly here on the farm, and while Stephen complains the second it gets cold, I actually love the slower pace, the warm mugs of coffee, and the chance to reflect. In this episode, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening on our dairy farm right now — from breeding season and weaning calves, to prepping our new block and making tough feed decisions...

Some days feel heavy — not because you’re doing life wrong, but simply because life is hard. And that’s something we don’t say often enough. In this episode, I’m talking honestly about what it means to sit in the hard seasons without guilt, pressure, or pretending. Whether it’s endless laundry, school holiday chaos, or just the daily grind of farm life, I want to remind you that you’re not failing...

Mother’s Day isn’t always the joyful, relaxing celebration it’s made out to be. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the pressure, disappointment, and hidden challenges so many of us mums quietly carry on a day that’s supposed to be “all about us.” Let’s be honest — the expectations are huge. We’re meant to feel appreciated and pampered, but often, it’s us mums who are still organising...

 In this episode of Cultivate Contentment , I’m opening up about a week that didn’t go to plan—and the truth about motivation. From a flooded bathroom and piles of laundry to the reality of slipping habits and cold dark mornings, I’m sharing why motivation alone doesn’t keep us going, and what I’m leaning on instead. If you’ve ever known what’s good for you but still couldn’t bring yourself to do...

Ever fall into bed at night thinking, "Where did the day even go?" I used to feel that way all the time. Between kids, cows, and the chaos of farm life, it felt impossible to get even a few moments to myself. But everything shifted when I started to really look at where my time was going—and in today’s episode, I’m walking you through the 3 effective steps I took to budget my time better and final...

If you’ve ever felt like your kids' rooms are a never-ending mess of toys, clothes, and random treasures—they are. And you’re definitely not alone. In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how I managed my boys’ rooms from the newborn stage right up to tweens. From overflowing ball pits and tractors in the lounge room, to gamer desks and drum kits taking over their bedrooms, this episode i...

In this episode, I sat down with Angie Armstrong—a woman whose journey from a small family farm in the rolling green hills of the Yarra Valley to the rugged outback has been nothing short of transformative. Fifteen years ago, a chance encounter between a city IT consultant and a fourth-generation Nyngan farmer set Angie on a path that would eventually see her trade the urban hustle for the challen...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where it feels like every decision—big or small—rests on your shoulders? That was me recently when my son was sick. From deciding whether to call the doctor, figuring out if he needed to stay home from school, juggling farm work, and keeping everything else running, it felt like every choice came with weight and consequence. It made me realize just how many dec...

Raising kids rurally comes with its own set of unique challenges—many of which I didn’t even think about before having kids! In this episode, I’m sharing the top three challenges I’ve faced as a rural mum and how I’ve managed to overcome them. From dealing with limited access to medical services, helping my kids navigate feelings of loneliness, to the never-ending battle with muddy boots and laund...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Hayley Grosser, a dedicated money mindset coach who helps farmers transform their relationship with money. We dove deep into how our beliefs about money can either hold us back or propel us toward abundant farm living. Hayley shared her personal journey—from her background in accounting and property valuation to starting a mixed farming oper...

Welcome back to another episode of Cultivate Contentment ! In this autumn update, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at life on our farm during this warm season. With unseasonably hot weather, we’ve been dealing with everything from calving challenges in the shed to balancing family life as a busy sports mum. We’re halfway through autumn calving, with almost 600 cows coming through the dairy eac...

The Break I Didn’t Plan, and the Lessons I Didn’t Expect Episode Summary: After an unplanned break from the podcast, I’m finally back, and today I want to fill you in on where I’ve been and what I’ve learned during my time away. Life got busy in all the best—and most unexpected—ways, and I found myself needing to step back and focus on my family, the farm, and my own well-being. In this episode, I...