The Tortoise with Brooke McAlary

http://www.slowyourhome.com/21 In today's episode I chat with Kelly Exeter - a writer, business-owner, full-time employee, mum, wife and fellow simplicity-seeker. She and I are also ridiculously, remarkably alike in terms of personality and the circumstances that led us to pursue a slower, simpler life.  In this conversation we talk about the anxiety and depression that forced her to slow down, wh...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/20 As usual, the first show of the month is a hostful episode!  I’m always excited to share these conversations, but one of the questions we try to answer today had me talking in circles. And while I did my best trying to articulate my thoughts on what is a really complex topic, I'm not sure I did a good job.  Let me know what you think after you listen to us try to ans...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/19   In this episode I chat with Rhonda Hetzel, the much-loved godmother of slow, simple living in both Australia and around the world. Rhonda is the author of two hugely popular books on creating a slower, simpler home and has an incredible amount of wisdom to share. We look at her personal journey and talk about those first years as she started to shift her family's l...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/18 How does a comic book collector (and I’m talking serious collector with thousands of comics, DVDs and action figures) become a minimalist? And what causes such a big change?  Today I chat with Jeff Sandquist, ex-chiropractor and comic book collector, and present-day writer, speaker and wanderer, about the journey he’s taken over the past 2 years.  Jeff used to be a l...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/17 In today’s episode I chat with Kristen Ottaway, a health and well being advocate based in Brisbane.  When I initially contacted Kristen to appear on the show, she questioned whether her life was actually slow or simple enough to qualify, but as you’ll see during our conversation, she has made huge changes over the past few years and is now living a significantly slow...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/16 In today’s episode I sat down to talk with Eric Zimmer - the man behind one of my favourite podcasts, The One You Feed .  Eric was such a delightful, insightful person to talk to, and while Ben gives me grief for saying this too often, I genuinely could have sat and chatted with him for hours.  We talk about his podcast and the stunning parable that gives the show it...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/15 It’s time for another hostful episode!  Ben and I have a ridiculous amount of fun recording these host-only episodes and I really love the opportunity to answer listener questions in a relaxed, non-posturing kind of way.  We inadvertently themed today's three questions around other people. Or more specifically, how to approach slow, simple living while living with an...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/14 Much like ‘mindfulness’, ’neuroplasticity’ is a buzz word we’re seeing more and more of in the health/wellness world. And this makes my guest today incredibly happy.   Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist, health writer, TedX speaker, surfer, Kiwi and mum, and is thrilled that people are starting to pay attention to what’s happening in our brains. In today’s episode,...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/13 Today’s guest is such a delight. Nina Nelson is a mum, writer and entrepreneur who happened to live with her family (of six!) in a converted school bus. We chat about a whole lot of things, including the pressure that simple living can put on people to maintain a certain way of life, the process she went through to cull her family's belongings before moving into the...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/12   One of the biggest questions I have of the minimalism movement is a somewhat unexpected one: What happens to the world’s economies if we all stopped buying stuff?  Like it or not, many of the planet’s economies are built, at least in part, on ever-growing levels consumption, so it makes sense that a decrease in buying stuff would have a big impact on things like we...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/11  Today is the first of our hostful Q&A shows and Brooke is doing her best to answer three listener questions: How do I deal with the negative judgements (both internal and external) that come with slowing down and simplifying my life? How can I integrate outdoor play and exploration into every day life? What books have helped in your journey towards a slower, simpler...

http://slowyourhome.com/10  In today’s show I sit down with the delightful Courtney Carver of Project 333  and Be More With Less . Aside from her work as a simplicity writer, Courtney is also a photographer, wife, mother and traveller. She also happens to live with a diagnosis of MS, which is something we talk about in our conversation today. Aside from talking about the benefits of a smaller ward...

http://slowyourhome.com/9   Carl Honoré is one of the most well known advocates for the Slow Movement and the author of three books, including the international best-seller, ’In Praise of Slow’. He is also a celebrated TED speaker, traveller, father and husband.    In today’s conversation he and I dig in to what life was like for him and his family pre-slow and what first steps he took to create a...

http://slowyourhome.com/8 - Today I chat to Katie Clemons, a pilot, writer, journal-maker, mother, wife and all-round lovely human.  We dig in to the time she and her husband spent living in Germany and the impact that had on her simple living ways, as well as the home they now live in - a tiny house inside an airplane hangar! It’s also fascinating to learn how Katie’s training as a pilot has impa...

http://slowyourhome.com/7 - Joshua Becker is a writer, a father, and a self-described regular suburban family man, only without the dog and the garage full of stuff. As the writer behind hugely successful blog, Becoming Minimalist, I’m quite certain you know a little about him. I know he’s been one of the biggest influences in my life as I worked to slow down and simplify and I know he has impacte...

http://www.slowyourhome.com/6  - In this episode, I chat with Cybele Masterman of Blah Blah Magazine. Cybele is passionate about sustainable, simple living and creating a more mindful life for her young family. She is also killer with the DIY home and body care, and shares a recipe for a homemade, all-natural coffee body scrub that freaked Ben out.    During our chat we talk about the joys of slow...

http://slowyourhome.com/5 - When it comes to routine versus rhythm, it’s rhythm all the way for me.  In today’s show (another solo outing to round out our big launch week) I talk about the difference between rhythm and routine, and why I think it’s important to apply the friendlier notion of rhythm to our days. Shifting into a rhythmic approach has been one of the best changes I’ve made to my life...

http://slowyourhome.com/4 - Episode 4 of our massive launch week, and this episode is a solo show. Just me, you, my mic and some thoughts on slow living.  In this episode I dig in to what I mean when I talk about slow living. That is, what do proponents of slow living actually do differently, what is important and what isn’t important. I also round out the show with a list of 9 massive benefits of...

http://slowyourhome.com/3 - We’re halfway through our epic launch week, and in this episode I get the opportunity to chat with Rebecca Shann, a writer, photographer, gardener and permaculture designer.  Bec is someone I connected with via Instagram a couple of years ago, as I was immediately drawn to both the incredible photos of her vegetable garden as well as her philosophy on living a simpler l...

http://slowyourhome.com/1  - Welcome to the first episode of The Slow Home Podcast! In today's show we're going to spend a little time getting to know each other.  Learn about what lead me to discover and adopt a simpler way of life and gain some insight into what it's like to live with a minimalist.    Enjoy!  Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/lis...

http://slowyourhome.com/2  - Today I chat with Joel Zaslofsky, one of the most interesting, organised humans I have ever met. Joel is a spreadsheet aficionado who uses his data wrangling skills not to bore himself to sleep but instead to create a richer, more vibrant life. He is a huge advocate for the process known as 'experience curating' and we get into it in today's show.  We also dig in to Jo...