Nourish & Flow Hub

Daydream amongst a sea of olive trees

Slow days, warm food and cosy nights.. autumn has arrived🍁

Bye bye September, hello October 🍁

One thing I've learnt that has made becoming a mother for the second time round much easier is that the things that you used to do to get ready for the day become THE day when you have a small baby to take care of.

Getting everyone washed and dressed
Preparing and eating nourishing meals
Basic home tasks like shopping, laundry, dishes and making the bed
Supporting little ones to be calm and centred (something that is easily disregarded or goes unnoticed)

Anything beyond that becomes a bonus and something to celebrate. These days getting two kids out the door for a walk to the park feels like an achievement! And for now that's enough.

Our March baby became an April baby and our little Easter bunny! Welcome to the world Dionysia Sofia. One week old today 🌼

Thank you and for supporting us as we grew into a family of four 💓

We are enjoying the cosy newborn bubble a bit longer as we get used to being parents of two and Eleni to being a big sister

Enjoying the last few weeks of pregnancy and the first spring sunshine ☀️ not long till we meet our little one! I'm still feeling really good in my body, focusing on nourishment and gentle yoga (it also helps that it's not 35+ degrees like my third trimester last time around) but I'm getting impatient and can't wait to hold our baby 💕

One of the first moments with my two girls I'm sure to remember. Feeling sweet kicks on the inside with my first babe fast asleep on my belly 💕

It's taken till now to find the time to share but here are some of the seasonal produce based meals we have been enjoying this month to nourish our family.

Sadly, March is a bit bleak when it comes to fruits! Citrus is still available but I find them less tasty than earlier in the winter and strawberries are coming in but it's not really the season yet.

Bananas from Crete are a year round go to for us and dried fruits and jams (usually made by my mother in law) are a good fall back during seasons when fruits are less abundant.

On the vegetable front not much has changed since February and I'm starting to get bored of the cruciferous veggies of winter (broccoli cauliflower cabbage etc) and craving the fresher tastes of spring as well as the warmer weather and activities that go along with that.

Yesterday was καθαρά Δευτέρα aka "clean Monday which for me always feels like the signal of spring truly arriving 🌼 it's the first time this year we ate outside in the garden and I could see the apricot tree full of buds and starting to blossom.

It feels much more like the start of a new chapter than the new year did this year and I'm looking forward to making some lifestyle changes over the next few months after 6 months of devotion to our newborn.

I'm especially ready to get back to some hobbies and self care that nourish me and give me energy. As the old saying goes.. there's no point pouring from an empty cup 😉

This season of life for me has been all about finding the small moments of joy amongst the overwhelm and chaos. A time of reconnecting with childhood memories and the little Amy from back then whilst nurturing the similar but different babe I have in my arms today.

I'm not a woman who has totally melted into motherhood bliss. Neither have I sank into complete despair and grief for my pre-baby life. Probably like the majority of mothers I have oscillated between the two on a daily and even hourly basis. Feeling heart exploding love and joy but also fist curling frustration and soul hollowing loneliness.

Matrescence is a complex emotional landscape that's for sure but somehow that makes me feel like I'm really alive and sensing the expansiveness of being human. Something that is becoming rare in this artificial digital based society we find ourselves in where we can so easily numb out and lose ourselves in image and information.

Yes I've found myself there in this season too.. Frantic Google searches in the middle of the night, tracking baby sleep in an app hoping for explanations or solutions and following other mothers online who are curating an image that feeds my "ideal mother" fantasy and is really just another way of avoiding the reality of what is.

And the same me is out walking in Mount Lycabettus with my daughter sleeping on my chest, feeling inspired by the spring wildflowers then coming home and dancing with her in the kitchen as I make a hot drink and settle down to nurse her on the sofa.

Appreciating and holding onto these moments is what keeps me going through the more challenging times. Reminding myself that just as the earth is constantly moving through different seasons, so are we and none of this is permanent and one day will be a cherished memory or a funny story to tell 🌺

March is here and spring is in the air 🌺 actually to this British gal it feels more like summer already! I love taking every opportunity to walk in nature at this time of year whether it's in the mountains, by the sea or in the park.

Walking is my main exercise alongside yoga and in this season my body feels so good doing that. Balanced hormones, easy weight maintenance, steady appetite and lots of energy. I’m sure in another season this will change but for now it’s working for us.

Here it is our nourishing seasonal food rotation for February! It's based on what's in season here in Greece so this might be different depending on where you are.

I'll be using this myself as the foundation of our meals throughout this month. On top of this will be fresh or dried fruits paired with nuts or cheese for snacks plus plenty of milky hot drinks with honey because I love a bit of comfort in the winter ☕

We also try to buy fish once a week either sardines for the omega-3 or white fish. I keep it simple and just bake in the oven and serve with lemon and olive oil plus one of the seasonal side salads and fresh bread.