Things are resuming on the work front in some way as I prepped to do a few shoots this week, but I’m doing it all from home so the WFH wardrobe continues. I’ve been embracing lots of warm woolly knits this week as the temperatures dipped in Sydney, so my main concern was to rug up. I was happy to pull out a few of my fave woollen pieces for this very occasion, and you just can’t beat being ultra cosy while working. Here’s what I wore this week.
Prepping for a shoot (as you can see by the fact Grace is playing with my clothes rail in the background!) and I was all about this tracksuit set by Bec and Bridge. I love the fact that this jumper and pants are so comfy but the beautiful green shade and the chic silhouette made me feel like I was all dressed up.
Credits: Jumper and pants, Bec and Bridge
Working another co-ord set, this time loose pants and a matching jumper. The beauty in matching sets is that both things can be worn separately and also incorporated with other pieces in your wardrobe. This is another take on ‘tracksuit but not a tracksuit’ comfort dressing and it’s quickly becoming my fave WFH look.
Credits: Top and pants, Bec and Bridge
The one thing I love about activewear nowadays is that you can go straight from a run to the rest of your day without missing a beat. Case in point: this jacket and leggings by P.E Nation. I wore this around the house during a busy day looking after the girls and I still felt like I had on a fashion look.
When I’m looking for a no-brainer look I always team something white with denim. It could be a tee when it’s warm and a jumper in cooler weather but it always works. I’ve been wearing this distressed Ksubi pair a fair bit and this week, I paired it with this knit by Bec and Bridge. It’s a comfortable outfit combination that basically allows me to get dressed on auto-pilot.
Credits: Jumper, Bec and Bridge; Jeans (similar style here), Ksubi
It’s all about getting back to basics right now and as a result it’s the simplest things that are bringing a little brightness into my days. I’ve been embracing cooking, spending time with my family and also ensuring I’m incorporating some exercise during the day which has made another week of being in iso just that little bit better.
My slow cooker
I know I might be late to the party on this but I recently got a slow cooker and it has been amazing! I got one by Russell Hobbs and it has been such a great addition to the kitchen. It’s made getting a yummy dinner on the table easier and quicker in amongst home schooling and running my business, as I can quickly pop something on in the morning and by the evening it’s ready to go.
Australian Women’s Weekly slow cooker recipe book
To accompany my new favourite appliance I had to enlist the help of this great cook book. It features so many great recipes and so far I have tried making Mexican pulled pork, Hungarian goulash, Thai chicken curry and my husband’s favourite – American ribs. Can’t praise this book highly enough as cooking at home for almost every meal has meant needing to have plenty of dinner inspiration at the ready and this doesn’t disappoint.
The Last Dance
This docuseries featuring Michael Jordan and the 90s Chicago Bulls is consistently topping Netflix’s list of most watched shows so we decided to check it out and it has quickly become a fave in our house. I was a huge fan of MJ as a little girl in the 90s as my brother used to watch all the Chicago Bulls games when we were kids and it has been great to relive all those moments and check back with some of the iconic players of the era.
Horse riding with my girls
Even during isolation we have been luckily enough to be able to ride and exercise our ponies. It’s so amazing to get out in the fresh air and be with these incredible animals. It’s one of the things I absolutely love doing with my girls, and it’s nice to see that they’ve also developed a love of horses.
Exercising during the week
Every weekday morning I try and get out of the house by myself for a run and some exercise. My husband and I tag team—he goes first and then, when he comes back to be with the kids, I head out. It’s only for about 40 minutes but it’s a great way to start the day. I also mix it up with Fit For Dreams Zoom classes, especially when it’s raining.
As I’m slowly getting used to working from home, I’ve been experimenting with my looks a lot more to change things up. It’s nice to be able to tap into my love of fashion to help bring some brightness into my day. It’s also the number one way to get me in the right frame of mind for work — if I feel like I’m dressed for an ordinary day in the office then I find I’ll get in the zone a lot easier. So, here’s what my wardrobe looked like this week.
I spoke about these jeans recently and they’ve become a staple of my WFH wardrobe. One of the best things about working from home is the dress code changes according to my mood so ripped jeans are totally a thing in the office! I’ve paired this with a great little black knit with 3/4 sleeves from Bec and Bridge and it’s just an easy combination that I keep coming back to.
Credits: Top, Bec and Bridge; Jeans (similar here), Ksubi
I can still get away with wearing a slip dress at home with the temperatures in Sydney so I took the opportunity to rock this colourful number. Love the pattern and colours and it’s an easy outfit option that makes getting dressed in the morning so much easier. If I’m feeling a little cold I’ll just pop on a cardi or a light jacket on top and I’m set.
A matching set is such a good iso wardrobe option because it’s a great shortcut to looking polished, but doesn’t compromise on comfort. I love the khaki shade of this top and pants combination from Bondi Born, and both can be worn separately too which ticks the versatility box. Also this set is made from a super soft lyocell, and when worn in the form of wide leg pants and a relaxed shirt, it basically feels like I’m wearing pyjamas the entire day — no complaints about that!
I was in the mood for something a bit dressier so I decided on this Camilla and Marc dress. The cut-outs and ruching detail gives a pretty finish, while the billowy sleeves add an on trend touch. I can see myself really getting a lot of wear from this dress because it’s the kind of thing that’s comfortable but looks so gorgeous on.
My beauty routine during isolation has become quite pared back and I’ve found myself gravitating towards the same products. I’ve been focusing on the basics and trying to hit reset on a few things — if I’m going to be at home for awhile, I figured I may as well take advantage of it. My focus has been on nourishing hair, skin and nails (the building blocks of any beauty look) and really giving them a big nourishing boost. Hopefully by the time things go back to normal they’ll all be in top condition and stronger and healthier than they were pre-isolation. Here are some of my current favourites.
Vida Glow Marine Collagen
I’ve always believed that if you start with a good foundation for your beauty look then everything else will just sit better and the result is a nicer finish. I’m currently taking Vida Glow marine collagen supplements twice a day and I can definitely see the difference in my hair, skin and nails. It’s a really easy thing to incorporate into my routine as I just mix a sachet with water and drink.
Nivea Rich Nourishing 48hr Body Cream
I’ve tried a range of body moisturisers but this is without a doubt my favourite. I like it because it’s unfussy and does what it’s supposed to which is essentially to nourish and moisturise my skin. It’s got a great consistency, smells really nice and I lather it on and walk away with skin that feels great. It’s also the easiest thing in the world to get as it’s stocked so widely.
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails
I’m trying to give my nails a break from nail polish to restore them. With events and race days on pause for awhile I figured it was the ideal time to avoid polish and just leave my nails be for awhile. Wearing nail polish so often can really take a toll so I’m using this Sally Hansen nail hardener to try and make them strong again.
If it wasn’t a regular feature of your weekly wardrobe before, then I’m betting it will be now. For me, jeans have become quite the iso style staple and I’m in my favourite pair a few times a week, whether it’s working from home or ducking out for a quick grocery shop. I’ve been in the market for a denim update so I decided to chat to stylist Jess Pecoraro about all things jeans. While Jess and I would normally be working together on looks for big events and race days, right now, I’m choosing to tap into her fashion expertise for my at-home wardrobe for the next little while.
So I decided to share our latest video call above, because who doesn’t want free wardrobe advice from a professional? Here we chat about the super affordable brand doing an amazing version of the current must-have style, to how to store denim and the one style she and I aren’t so in love with anymore…
With a successful career as a fashion designer, with the likes of Naomi Watts and Kim Cattrall wearing pieces from her eponymous label, Stephanie decided to follow a different path, one that would allow her to follow her passion for food. Having studied at the Le Cordon Bleu and a brief stint in catering, she decided to start her blog, The Hostess. The hugely successful site is now where Stephanie is able to share her love of food with the world. From her favourite recipes to helpful entertaining tips, Stephanie’s aim is to make cooking and hosting friends and family a fun, exciting and enjoyable experience.
With all of us now having to self-isolate, and with more time spent at home, it means we’re all getting very acquainted with our kitchens and cooking is on the cards every night. To help make getting dinner on the table nightly an easier but also tastier exercise, I turned to Stephanie to share her top tips for quick, easy cooking that will still impress.
Get organised at the start of the week
“Thinking of a new dish to cook every night for the family can be a challenge. Make no mistake that cooking and the time it takes to get a meal on the table is not a quick fix. I always say the only way to combat this is to be organised. At the beginning of each week take the time to sit down and work out your menu for the week ahead, you can be ahead in what you need to buy which will give you more time to do other things rather than continuously go to the market to pick up food.”
Stock your freezer
“I always have a few things in the freezer that I can easily take out and defrost. If you can make two of something and freeze the other you can have a cheat day!”
Set a time limit
“When thinking of meals to cook, choose weekly dinners that can be prepped and cooked in around 30-45 minutes. More involved recipes should be for the weekend or when you can take your time and enjoy the cooking process.”
“Focus on experimenting with salsas and sauces that can add flavour quickly and using lots of fresh herbs. Fish tacos are a great way to get the kids to eat fish, make a simplified version for them then spice yours up with a quick salsa and cabbage slaw. I always have meatballs in my freezer and the kids love them with pasta but I like to add black olives and chopped parsley to mine and have a rocket and fennel salad.”
Stock up on the basics
“Have a pantry stocked with the basics such as oils, vinegar, dried herbs, spices, nuts, grains, beans and pasta. Look to these pantry staples for inspiration. Other great ways to simplify your cooking is to gravitate to recipes that can be cooked in one pot or meals with 5 ingredients, it takes the pressure off and they are quick and easy to pull together.”
Have go-to weekly dinner options
“Some of my favourite weekly dinners are fish tacos with fresh salsa, meatballs in tomato sauce, beef stroganoff, roasted veggie bowl with freekeh, seared salmon nicoise and beef burgers with homemade pickles. We love to have a BBQ which is very simple but I always make great sides of salad and veg to keep it interesting. I like to focus of fresh produce and home cooked simplicity.”
Another week in the home office and I’ve taken to doing complete looks on some days ie wearing proper shoes as it just helps me get into work mode. I’ve also taken to reworking my activewear and popping on some brights to mix things up a bit. I’m embracing the comfy WFH pant more and more, while I’ve still managed to make blazers very much a part of my work from home wardrobe (they’re a great for “I’ve got a video call in five minutes and need to look decent” scenarios). All in all, I’m trying to have fun with my outfits which helps give my days a little normality, as it’s definitely something that I would always have done pre-isolation.
A little injection of brightness always helps me feel energised. We’ve had some warm days in Sydney this week so I opted for this yellow dress by S/W/F. I’ve really been loving my Aje chainlink necklace, it’s so easy to work back with several of my outfits.
This is one of my fave office looks as it’s comfortable but looks polished at the same time—perfect for video calls. I can’t praise these white Uniqlo t-shirts enough. They hold their shape well and are a great staple to have as they’re so reasonably priced. I popped on this longline jacket by Manning Cartell just because and these Bottega Venetta heels because I just felt like doing a complete look.
I saw a friend do this look on her Instagram Stories and loved it (thanks, Jess!). I’ve been really getting into this new activewear set by Camilla and Marc as it looks really polished and is unbelievably comfortable too. The shirt just helps it feel a little more like a fashion look and helped me rework these pieces in a different way.
Credits: Crop and bike shorts, Camilla and Marc; Shirt (similar here), Anna Quan; Headphones, Huawei FreeBuds
I’ve been getting a lot of use from this long sleeved Bec & Bridge knit. It’s a great autumnal shade and I love the thumb holes in the sleeves which gives it an interesting design element. I’m all about comfy WFH pants and this white pair, also by Bec and Bridge, ticks all the boxes. Also loving these mules by Seed—they’re priced well and go with so many things.
If iso life has you feeling like you’re spending a helluva lot of time in the kitchen trying to prep meals then you’re not alone. So why not just make it easier by cooking once but eating twice? These recipes by nutritionist Michele Chevalley Hedge are nutritioust, delicious and best of all, can be eaten for dinner and lunch. Because less time cooking is something we all could use right now.
Meatballs with ragu and zoodles
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME: 25 MINS COOKING TIME: 35 MINS
1 kg tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 brown onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano leaves
1/4 bunch basil, leaves picked
4 zucchini, spiralised
1 tablespoon
balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
TURKEY MEATBALLS
400 g turkey mince
400 g chicken thigh mince (it’s important you use thigh meat as it stops the meatballs from drying out)
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Spread out the tomatoes on the prepared tray and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until soft and collapsed. Allow to cool slightly, then purée until smooth.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook for a few minutes or until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and thyme.
Add the stock, oregano, most of the basil (leaving a few leaves to garnish) and the puréed tomato and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, to make the meatballs, combine the turkey and chicken mince, oregano, parsley, olives, garlic and parmesan in a bowl. Add the egg and then the rice breadcrumbs, ensuring everything is evenly mixed.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Roll the mince mixture into golf ball–sized balls and place on the prepared tray. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place the meatballs in the oven and reduce the temperature to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, briefly blanch the zoodles until tender.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Stir through the meatballs and season to taste.
Divide the zoodles among four bowls and serve with the meatballs and ragu on top.
CHANGE UP THE PROTEIN: Omit the turkey mince and use 800 g chicken mince, or try a mix of half pork and half beef mince. Lamb is good too. In fact, any mince will do!
FOR CARB-LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS: Serve with pasta.
Chicken and Cauliflower bake with creamy tahini sauce
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINS COOKING TIME: 30 MINS
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine the olive oil and ground coriander in a bowl.
Remove and reserve half the mixture. Add the chicken to the remaining spiced oil in the bowl and toss to coat well, then set aside to marinate.
Use your hands to coat the cauliflower in the reserved spiced oil. Spread it out on the prepared tray, taking care not to overcrowd it, and roast for 10 minutes. Stir the cauliflower and add the chicken to the tray. Roast for another 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Meanwhile, to make the tahini sauce, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork or stick blender until smooth and creamy.
Serve the roast chicken and cauliflower on a bed of rocket or spinach, topped with the tahini sauce and parsley.
GO VEGETARIAN: Use almonds or GMO-free firm tofu for protein, roasting just as you would the chicken, reducing the roasting time accordingly.
NIX THE TAHINI: Replace the tahini with a soft goat’s cheese or feta, or plain full fat Greek style yoghurt.
FOR CARB-LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS: Serve with quinoa or brown rice, or add a serve of legumes, such as lentils or chickpeas.
Scrumptious fish cakes
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINS COOKING TIME: 15 MINS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 avocado
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
lime wedges, to serve
sweet chilli sauce (preferably low sugar), to taste
FISHCAKES
700 g firm white fish fillets (such as flathead, snapper, whiting or dory), skin and bones removed, roughly diced
2 tablespoons coconut cream
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons green curry paste
1 bunch coriander, stems and leaves chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
2 spring onions, white part
only, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Steps
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease eight holes of a standard muffin tin with the olive oil.
To make the fishcakes, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a medium coarse texture.
Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared muffin holes, filling them only three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm and cooked through. Rest on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, mash the avocado flesh and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the fishcakes with the mashed avocado, lime wedges and sweet chilli sauce.
MAKE IT A NEW MEAL: Turn these muffins into meatballs and toss through konjac noodles dressed in sesame oil and lime juice.
FOR CARB-LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS: Make the patties bigger and serve on wholegrain buns as burgers.
Now how to turn dinner into lunch…
(Clockwise from top)
Tahini chicken salad
Make a salad with the roast chicken and cauli above – just add a green leaf of your choice, 1/4 tin drained chickpeas, some diced red capsicum and thinly sliced red onion, then drizzle over the tahini sauce as a dressing.
Fishcake salad
Serve the fishcakes above with a rocket, tomato and cucumber salad dressed with olive oil and your favourite vinegar.
Meatball salad bowl
Take the turkey meatballs above and transform them into a salad bowl by adding cooked brown rice and fresh greens, and seasoning with olive oil, salt and pepper. Sprinkle some flaxseeds on top and you’re ready to go!
If there’s one wardrobe staple that’s guaranteed to be getting plenty of use right now it’s pyjamas. With plenty of time at home, there’s no doubt we’re probably spending a little more time in them, so why not make them fun to wear? I know pjs aren’t the most exciting thing to buy, not compared to a great bag or beautiful pair of shoes, but there is something about having a pretty and cosy pair of pyjamas that makes going to bed, or just relaxing around the house that much nicer. I know for me, I’m really appreciating the small things that can make a day in isolation that much better and a luxe pair of pyjamas is definitely a nice little treat amongst the craziness right now.
If your current sleep wear situation needs a little update then you’ll be happy to hear there are so many great sets available right now. I think it’s always nice to have a chic pair of pyjamas up your sleeve, it just makes lounging around that little bit more stylish—and if there’s one thing that’s important right now, it’s finding a way to make even the simplest of daily activities feel that little more special. So, prepare to cosy up in these…
I’ve discovered very quickly that during this time of self-isolation it’s the little things that matter. Without the distractions and busyness of life, I’ve grown to appreciate that often it’s the simplest of acts which make the days all the better. In our house we’ve learned to embrace fun new activities as a family, started new rituals and tried to find a different groove. Here’s what’s currently helping me to get through another week in iso.
Puzzles
My girls love them and they have got me hooked too. We try and do ones that the whole family can enjoy so we can all work on one together.
Ozark on Netflix
It’s always so great when I find a new series on Netflix that I can binge watch with Luke after the girls are down. We’re currently watching Ozark. Only a few episodes in but loving it.
Take away once (or twice) a week
At the moment I’m cooking kids’ and adults’ meals three times a day, which is a lot more than I usually would be doing. So it’s a welcome break to order in. As a family we usually would go out for dinner once or twice a week so now we make that a take away night from our favourite local restaurants.
Pancake Sunday
This ritual has become a real thing in our house. My girls ask if it’s Pancake Sunday every day!
Long family bush walks
Being indoors for such a long time has meant that we really savour the times we’re out and about a lot more. We’ve got a trail that we like to do that’s pretty quiet and secluded so it’s a nice way to get a dose of fresh air and some exercise, let the girls stretch their legs a bit but maintain social distancing at the same time.
What’s currently helping you get through the week?
