Plover Wellbeing in Mornington, Victoria | Retail company

Plover Wellbeing

Locality: Mornington, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 5977 0718

Address: Shop D7 Peninsula Home, 1128-1132 Nepean Hwy 3931 Mornington, VIC, Australia

Website: http://plover.world

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25.01.2022 Well we made it warriors. After a gruelling 4-day window in which we woke every morning to greet ourselves with the recurring thought train what day is it? Friday?, followed by some rolling, quiet tears of the its not genre, we can finally reward ourselves with a positive response. Congratulations: you have awoken. And it is genuinely Friday this time. A day where you may allow yourself to throw in the towel at midday and do whatever you please as long as its within a 5...km radius and you havent used up your exercise hour already. A day where you may purchase a coffee from your local (unless your local is Plover because we remain closed, sorry team), but drinking it outdoors through a mask may be tricky. If you live where we do, surfing is out. Sorry for the misleading photo. If you live on the Surf Coast, Get Out There before Stage 4 balloons out to envelope you like unwelcome flatulence in a sunny homeschool dining room. If you are experiencing any of the above, especially the enclosed space flatulence, may we suggest a fragrant and infuriation-quelling solution? Commonfolk candies. Locally made by Fi (thats her plus family in the delightfully frustrating ode to lockdown-banned-surfing photo taken by the talented Danielle Trovato for Country Road.) Naturally scented soy candles with the sort of inspiring, affirming labels that make them a welcome self-calming device for those of us looking to hurl something - perhaps ourselves - towards an open window by 9.30am on any lockdown day that isnt a Friday. And a magic gift for friends experiencing the same Groundhog Day frustrations. Friday, we love you.

25.01.2022 Its Sunday in iso and you know what that means: emptying your cupboards of all collected items to separate - Australias Got Talent-style - the keepers from the do I really need 36 near identical golden bowls? Of course, this photo is not that. This photo is homage to the power of sound healing; the perfect meditation for people who wrestle with meditation. Its simple, really. You lie down. You listen to the singing bowls rolling smooth, perfect sounds around the room. Yo...u are meditating. The Hummingbird Connection is broadcasting a soundbath session at 7pm tonight in a programming move designed to move you away from the news and towards the calm. Hear, hear. Between now and then, we have many choices and thank you rain for exhausting yourself overnight we know precisely how you feel. Todays forecast sunshine is the perfect support partner for that other natural mood uplifter: getting out in the nature. Maybe even hugging a tree if your rain gear is intact and your self esteem unbothered by the curious glances of masked strangers. In news just in from the @dropbox blog (who knew?!) it turns out that hugging trees, stroking bark and inhaling nature smells are exceedingly calming for the nervous system not just saying that. A few hours of this meditative exploration reaps profound effects. Blood pressure coasts downward, sleep quality improves, and, more surprisingly, a group of participants who worked in urban corporate offices experienced an immune system boost. Given that our current urban corporate office is more the Goldfish In A Bowl closing in walls of the family home, who couldnt use some hug therapy of the grown in dirt variety? Bath soaking upon return promoted separately. @chmilitta

24.01.2022 Wednesday iso observations. Because who knew that there would be so many emotional stages to this thing over so many weeks with so many of us confined for so long? Observation 1: exactly none of us is looking as put-together as our cherished Kelsey in this image (although this knit can be yours if you would like to add snazzy dressing to your iso goals).... No. We are in a perpetual state of athleisure; or as we like to call them: day pyjamas. And there is nothing wrong with that and we will support you in that with further athleisure options in the second half of this For Better Or For Much Worse arranged marriage we have unwillingly entered into with the restrictive life partner communally known as Stage 4. Observation 2: drinking wine and yelling at American home renovation shows from bed is the new festival-going-until-dawn. Except that this activity tends to sputter out around 10pm. Honestly, what could be more satisfying than critiquing anothers interior design skills, particularly when that person is a) in an entirely different country; b) informed by a completely different design aesthetic to Australian Good Taste; and c) so wealthy as a result of their questionable design choices that they couldnt give two hoots about what some iso lunatic in Melbourne with a glass of wine and linen sheets is shouting at the TV (mostly NO! Do not paint the house blue!). Trust me: nothing. Highly recommend as an iso activity. Observation 3: on the unexpected benefits of an AFD (Alcohol Free Day - no judgment if this has not made it on to your iso schedule yet.) Look, its not an easy one to achieve in this Age of Homeschooling, but it is doable, swear. It turns out that not drinking really opens up your evenings for penning biting social commentary in private group texts, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp chats and Have I Forgotten A Platform? Recommend slightly less enthusiastically than wine + bed + Flip or Flop (the show, not the insomniac sleeping habits), but still satisfying. And you wake up feeling better. Mostly. Next week: how to write the perfect Im sorry about what I sent in iso text. @klo__photo

24.01.2022 Well this is pretty. And deep. Although ironically, shallow. We call this still life When Everything Is Receded and it is a reflection of our own current still lives. A place in which the days no longer have titles, just a new number assigned daily around 11am. A place where little things nominate themselves as causes for large celebration. Like spotting sandbars where youve never seen them so boldly out of the water before. Like discovering new streets in your 5km circle... - oh revelatory new ground! Like a hot beverage mid-morning and yes I will have another Ill take any stimulation I can find within the bounds of my home right now. Like what is found and felt in the unfilled minutes previously occupied by getting up and getting things done. Discomfort. Resignation. Relief? Who are we even going to be in 5 weeks time? Serious question because it seems that we snapped back to normal too quickly after that first lockdown and now weve been sent back to our rooms to take a longer, more resigned look at ourselves and just as soon as we get done marvelling at the sandbars maybe well emerge as altered humans. Too much? Probably. More likely well emerge as very hairy versions of our former selves with unusual hair styles and a distinct absence of ready for spring clothing. Keep looking at the sandbars, warriors, because everything else is taking on a strange new appearance and it looks very much like ugg boots at the supermarket. To the point where were not even taking photos of our amusing in-public footwear and sending them to our friends any more; those uggs are just How It Is. On the plus side, is it actually Monday? And does Monday even really contain the weight of the world any more? Stole this photo from my friend and long lost season ago netball teammate @libbbbyo and Im hoping she doesnt mind but I figure we loaned her the puddle out the front of our place for her kids to lie in over the weekend so were probably somewhat even in the Local Stretches Of Water Tradeoff stakes. May your uggs be firmly attached to your feet and your kids entertained by any means available, warriors. Put the kettle on, its just another iso day.

23.01.2022 Well this isnt so bad. We live where we do. The weekend was pretty spot-on weather-wise. It might be Monday but the weather is stunning and Weve Got This Yes We Do. We know a few things about getting through a week. Its Spring tomorrow and would you look at that: much of our home maintenance is already underway/done. Iso does have some benefits. Now all we need are some minor freedoms. Well take a spot of paddleboarding water sporting, thanks. And maybe a bit of a stretch... on our 5km radius. Would be nice to see some faces - even masked ones - that we havent seen for a while. And perhaps a trip to the shops? Could we be inching closer to that? Remember when nightly news stories had more gravity than woman fined for driving 10km to get toilet paper? We dont either. And 2019 us would be deeply amused to be dropped in front of a news bulletin calling people out for gathering with family and eating donuts from a destination one suburb beyond home. Weve watched all of the Netflix. Finished the internet. Were catching the sunshine and thinking: cmon numbers, throw us a bone here. Summer is coming. Perhaps as a mental exercise, we can adopt my new mantra for mental peace: we have time. Lots of it. Time to do little things at a steady pace. Todays activity: logging into the daily 30 minute FREE soundbath + meditation sessions being offered online by The Hummingbird Connection and Lisa Carlyle. Look, who will we be in a months time? Its anybodys guess. But for now, we have time. And sunshine. Giddy up, warriors. The week is calling us. And we will heed that call in athleisure with herbal tea in hand, yes we will. Thanks for the snap @klo_photo. Your 5km is not bad at all.

23.01.2022 What are we going to do with all of this sunshine No Seriously? We will not know ourselves we will be beside ourselves and it is Sunday so we will be soaking up the Vitamin D which is just as well and read on, warriors, because as usual were taking the long way home. If you live within 5km of a surf break Good News, you may now officially go there and surf for exercise whilst observing social distancing protocols - dont take it from us, take it from the people in the kno...w at @surfingvictoria. Which is big news for Mornington Peninsula Dads on their big day, and thank you fellas for packing the Ute and heading to the water a la @katherineandcamera style so that we may have time to harass the children into pulling together a homemade card or two because clearly this was something the school once took care of but Guess What we still are the school. Today, we are Sunday School and our homework is father stuff and if youre anything like me youve missed the deadline and the calendar reminder and the window for proper execution and now its all plain paper and grey lead and thought that counts. Still no word on our sport of choice - oh you elusive, glorious paddleboarding. Keep those paddles dry and pray for positive paddleboarding words from Dan Andrews today because clearly paddleboarding is what he will open his big, likely not all that freedom-unleashing speech with today. But back to the sunshine. According to our very in-the-know local naturopathic guru @carlawrenn, a big part of our very Victorian Covid problem is a lack of Vitamin D. As in we are largely Vitamin D deficient and what a non-surprise. This week, the nutritional world was abuzz with a study - see link in bio - which reported that upping Vitamin D intake vastly reduced the need for ICU admission in Covid patients in a Spain. The Fathers Day activity brief is now clear. Happy Dads Day sunshine to all the fathers and father figures out there. Got get yours. See more

21.01.2022 Fabulous Ploverhood teamster @brigittejarvis. Shes either posing in a sultry manner in iso dresses for the ages. Or delivering insanely good massage in the Plover rooms (clearly thats not a thing right now). Or delivering hysterical product testing clips. Alternately, shes exercising her acting chops in her own Insta feed. Even in lockdown, this woman is relentless in keeping us entertained and buoyant, bless her. Brigitte is also an incredibly empathetic soul. A woman wit...h her magical massage fingers on the pulse of the communitys current mood. And this week we definitely slipped into a mood. Communications slowed. Enthusiasm waxed and waned like a fast moving lunar cycle. We grew fatigued from not asking friends over the phone what are you doing this weekend? because rhetorical questions asked over a sustained period of weekmonths with no answer beyond nothing are inherently boring. For some of us, the lack of connection enthusiasm vim was a sign that we were slipping into deep acceptance of the status quo. For others, it may not be that simple. Sadness, anxiety and depression are very real beasts and theyre no easier - in fact they can be heavier - in iso. If this is you, then Brigittes heartfelt car talk message (see our stories) is for you. We implore you to reach out to those electronically around you if you are feeling flat. We encourage you to DM us if you dont feel comfortable reaching out to your people. We have large, empathetic ears and we have nothing else pressing to do. We promise to listen. You are not alone Photo by @klo__photo

21.01.2022 The Ploverhood: collective noun. A dazzling band of Plover individuals greater than the sum of their parts. Because what could be more productive than learning an unprecedented new skill (hello video editing) during iso? Learning an unprecedented new skill with video footage of the best darn team in wellbeing for company.... Thanks for the laughs and good times, Ploverhood. Halfway to chortling with you in person again Here we are...

21.01.2022 Before we move from this iso is new and Ill eat all of the cake and drink all of the wine if I want to and along to the next major phase, which from memory is Im sick of myself and I need to make some changes, I thought we might all indulge in a little side trip down Faces We Miss Right Now Lane. It might help ease us all through the realisation that it has only been a week since everything really truly shut down, and allow us to embrace the surrender required to lean i...n and let the weeks flow by like water in a river. Esoteric we suddenly are. Camilla (left) and Diana (right) are two of our absolute faves. Diana is practically welded to the yoga room in normal times (pah! What are they?!) putting the people through their intense Pilates paces and basically owning the barre. Fellow Pilates instructor Camilla and her Mum Gayle are also Plover weldees; daily almond chai, almond latte and protein balls no need to order, we got you Camilla Look I agree its too early in the iso life cycle for daily Zoom classes, but maybe thats just me and Im lagging behind the curve. You can jump on lessons with all of the Plover teachers - their Insta handles below for messages, info and lounge room class times. Go ahead without me; Ill see you in the internet Pilates room next week. Theres still some wine and cake and reminiscing to go in my standard iso running sheet. In which there is - not yet - any actual running. Exercise next week. Yearning for the Plover people this week. Thats how its going to go down. Diana: Allegro Barre and Mat Pilates Sharon: The Hummingbird Connection Sal: Studio Barre Pilates Amy: Community Midwife & Yoga with Amy Andrea: Andrea Murphy Acupuncture & Yoga

21.01.2022 And so...ice cream. Thats where we are today. Deep in the ice cream. Its the next logical phase to this thing. The weather is distinctly Warm Seasons Here We Come. Were at home. So at home. Ice cream. But not just any ice cream: healthy ice cream. But first, a story. About CAP Beauty. Who have been doing this wellbeing content thing for years now and with a level of cool and deep interest for the reader that is, frankly, inspirational and On A Pedestal and can we be ...them? Kerrilynn Pamer - the brains behind Cap Beauty - first ran an uber-cool fashion boutique in New Yorks East End. Which she then morphed into a highly selective, clean beauty spa and retail space when her own health led her to see wellbeing as the way. Cut to Covid and New Yorks intense dalliance with everyones least-favourite 2020 trend, and Kerrilynn didnt so much pivot as put all of her chips on red, cash in her New York life and head west, where she now focuses solely on bringing all of us the best in clean beauty, the people behind clean beauty, and From The Inside Out tips, recipes and supplements that feed clean beauty. Which is what this ice cream is. Healthy, make it at home, lick it and feel it love your insides ice cream that is good for soul and skin. Insane flavours like Matcha Mint and Coco-Chai. Link right here: https://www.capbeauty.com//th/high-vibrational-nice-cream. Recipes straight from Cap Beauty and headed for your belly. They will make everything better, promise. Even Monday. Even this Monday. All through the undeniable power of healthy ice cream. All praise to Kerrilynn and Cap Beauty Daily.

20.01.2022 Lets not pretend for a second that this is a bedside table in any world that I occupy. My bedside table is more teetering stack of earnest books whose deep insight will surely just seep into my brain the longer they stack there, and the greater the number of other books I teeter upon the already precarious stack. No, this is the bedside table of calm. Of slipping into pristine white sheets and quietly thumbing through an architectural magazine whilst not having communication... demanded by a single other human. This is a fanciful idea of bliss and it comes complete with several items which, though our own worlds be decidedly less minimalist hush than pictured here, are nonetheless mentally valuable amidst the detritus of real life. A cup of tea. A pillow. And some modern incense sending thin curly mesmerising plumes of scent into the air which are nothing like the did someone fill the curtains with cloying smoke dust incenses of days gone by. Plover has been an advocate and purveyor of modern incense for some time now, so we are thrilled to introduce a new local incense to our repertoire. Maho Sensory are Melbourne-based. They classify their incenses as a little magic. And the entire company was founded as homage to the founders mother, which is an accolade to which we are all for certain steering our parenting ships ultimately toward. But look apart from anything else, we are definitely at that point where we want to burn stuff. But we dont want to go outside - its not Friday fire pit oclock just yet - in fact we do not wish to even leave our beds to watch stuff burn. So this delish incense it is. Light it up. Feel the book wisdom subliminally enter our brains. And burn, babies, burn.

19.01.2022 Guys, stop the Instagram press and load up on holiday fantasies: there is a Plover Island. Who knew? Well, the people of the Clarence Valley in NSW, thats who. And its only taken us 4,753 August iso days to realise its existence, pin down the most divine photo - shot by @thetradieandhisladies - and exclaim remark rejoice at its wonderfulness here. What a revelation. What more could possibly happen this week? Is this magic?... No, but it is a day of the week hard to say which and does it even matter? High time to slip into something tropical, crank the heating to 28 and collectively imagine we are somewhere else. Plover Island, in fact. Where the cocktails are Cant Believe This Is Alcohol Free mocktails and the sun is always shining. Where the rice paper rolls never run out and the chai is the Best Anywhere. Where the people are next level friendly and if you want to have a little cry, were down with that too. Plover Island. Its where wed all rather be.

19.01.2022 The first experience on a Shakti Mat can be an interesting experience. It is, after all, a lightly padded mat adorned with arrays of rigid plastic spikes. OK, lets be honest: it hurts. A bit like missing your Plover flock; which is the second reason for posting this video from a time pre-Covid. Who among us doesnt want to marvel at the sight of @brigittejarvis clear-eyed face can I hear a resounding silence or is that just the away-from-my-crew loneliness echoing through m...y own head? Brigitte, the well-informed are hyper-aware, is both an actor/producer/director and a key beloved member of the Plover staff. Capable of delivering extraordinary massage. And of ably modelling activewear and reflexology mats whilst simultaneously perched on the smallest proportion of plastic spikes possible. Over time, we know that Brigitte would come to relish an end-of-day recline on a Shakti Mat. It would unwind any homeschooling tension held in her body. Use its pressure point ways to release knots and stress. She might even lie on it. Wearing nary but a sports bra. Over time, all things are possible. But its the first time on a Shakti thats the most confronting amusing. Take it away, @brigittejarvis.

17.01.2022 Its Wise Words Wednesday, where we tap into the wisdom of people far smarter than myself to bring you information of rich goodness that has not spilled from my semi-alert early morning brain. Today, Plovers in-house hormone expert and naturopath @janepincottnaturopath takes us shopping. In thongs, oh Spring yes, for organic produce from her 5km radius great local foods supplier @nourishbalnarring. Take it away, Jane...... I often get asked about the health value of buying organic. Theres no doubt it can be expensive. My advice is to prioritise your organic dollar. The Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen can be a good place to start. Some foods like strawberries can be heavily sprayed, while others like oranges are far less so. Work out what you can afford and prioritise. Support local business and producers where you can. And most importantly, make plants the basis of your diet. Here, here. Or is it Hear, hear? Either way; The Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen are retested and revised annually by @environmentalworkinggroup in America, with findings that are applicable worldwide. We have borrowed a copy of the lists from our friends at @algaecal because what we need at the produce store are visual reminders, not memory tests of the one man went to market and he bought.... variety. Especially on a fresh Spring Wednesday. Who has memory? Can anyone even recall anything from Monday? Not Necessary Because We Have Lists. Jane Pincott for the Make This Body Right win. Again.

16.01.2022 OK, so weve had some time to think about it scrap that weve had A Lot of time to think about it and the problem we have right now is that were just bored. Were all of the emotions one after the other anger frustration acceptance (is that an emotion it is now) calm agitation flatness exhaustion. Scant elation unfortunately. It turns out hoping for that particular emotion may have been setting our sights far too high and shelving it is the only option. But largely, were bo...red. This week it became Thursday before anything actually happened although some guy did get fined for driving 20km to get donuts and apparently this is a big enough event to make it to the 6 oclock news now. Which is how you know Im bored because Im actually watching the 6 oclock news after a multi-decade hiatus. Todays boredom alleviation suggestion is only for those engaged or bored enough to imagine themselves so. Win a wedding. An $82,000 wedding thanks to The Old Church Red Hill - which is where youll find all of the entry details. This Sunday is the closing date, with the winners announced a week later when it will be elation for them and could it be you? Yay for them/you and yes that is the maximum amount of elation I can muster right now. Im already married so you know what that means. Bored. Jokes. Love you, husband. Lockdown, not so much. Boredom tips for marrieds and singles coming right up. Todays tip: drive to your chosen one hour exercise. Its slightly less thrilling now that youre not running the gauntlet of a possible fine, but still.... Remember: its not the destination, its the journey. And dont bother to ask are we there yet? because when There is less than 5km away, yes we are.

16.01.2022 If theres one thing weve all become expert at since March with a short resumption of normal life in June its day drinking. Never before have our hot beverage routines been so critical to progressing through the days activities. Never before have those beverage requirements been so strictly home-based and self-baristad. Herbal teas. Its what were drinking. And if - like me - youve grown tired of your usual flavours and are seeking a new tea taste sensation, then Mayde ...Teas are your salvation. These teas are conjured in Byron Bay, and so naturally they are organic, sustainably sourced, blended with a conscious dash of Byron woo woo and flavour profiles both unique and health fortifying. Mixed with boiling water (is there any other way?) these teas deliver the sensation that you are not, in fact, bedecked in tracksuit pants in your Melbourne kitchen. But instead ethereally draped in linen, gazing out at the whale-punctuated Byron horizon and contemplating a little mask-free stroll to the lighthouse. Theyre that beautiful. And that stylishly-packaged that they are not out of the question - in fact they are very much in the question and the question is which of my cherished friends would appreciate this as a surprise thinking of your gift right now? Paired with a bestselling Made In Japan mug, of course. In short: Mayde Tea for the Make My Drinking Day win. That is all.

15.01.2022 Is it more important to be happy or to be right? And yes I know its deep for a Tuesday. And yes Im prepared to accept that podcasts as insomnia cures in the middle of the night are, yes, effective as a sleep aid but also, yes, perhaps a little too eerily subliminal. Its only Tuesday and yet the debates are raging. Which way should we go and who should we turn to? Last weeks ah well, what week is it? malaise has awoken and morphed into this weeks we want end of communi...ty sentence answers and we want them now rage. Rage is too strong. Maybe were just mildly agitated but the fact that our agitation only has the four walls of our homes to reverberate around is intensifying its effects. Like a ripple in a pond. Or a fart under a doona. Whatever; its not great. Were so close we can taste it but were not sure what it is. Is it fresh pond water, or stale doona air? This might be phone a friend week. Remember all the people we were going to catch up with when this whole 2020 Do Not Pass Go thing started? We were going to be reconnecting with old friends. We were going to be nestled into a sunny window seat reminiscing with people from good times past over a hot cacao. We have the window seat, the cacao, the phone and the time (for now). We can choose happy even if only for an hour chatting with an old friend. And even if they did manage to nick off to NSW at just the right moment leaving us stranded and Melbourne locked down alone here ELLA. Happy Tuesday. Key word: happy, warriors Photo by the inimitable Sally Goodall Photographer.

14.01.2022 Do you remember there was a time - a distant, dark time - when it was said that leggings were not pants? It was @miafreedman who put words to the charge in 2011, but before we get at Mia, times were different then. It was the period *cough* 10-15 years ago. Lululemon was a thing, but it was only a thing for exercise, or to and from exercise. Mias 2011 column was written on the back of at least five years of dubious leggings. The leggings of those days were not pants. You co...uld not respectfully slip your legs into the Lycra of 15-20 years ago and go about your day. For one thing, the colours and patterns and materials were just not there for you in the way they are today. Were talking flared pant legs. Shiny fabrics. Material that seemed to highlight...stuff. Olivia Newton John pulled it off in the last scene of Grease. But we were not Olivia. This was not a fairground. And high heels with leggings? Not for the weekly lap around the supermarket. That - need it be said - is still a no. But in 2017, Mia came out, wearing leggings, and admitted she was wrong. Or rather, times had evolved. She wrote that things had changed. Leggings definitely are now pants. She observed that she, her daughter and her mother in law had all recently gathered in leggings as pants. The people reading her column were all doing so from the comfort of leggings as pants. Chances are, were both leggings as pants right now. And why wouldnt we? Theyre comfortable. Theyre made for life and leisure. The fabrics of 2020 are right there with you and for you every step of your day. We would end this musing with an enjoiner to embrace the legging, but you already are. And these @nimbleactivewear 7/8 leggings and jacket only serve to prove how right you are. Leggings are pants, warriors. And we wouldnt fight it even if we werent wearing them Right Now.

14.01.2022 Well that was a winter weekend doozy with strong patches of Wasnt It Supposed To Be Raining Today. Look, we dont want to get all woo woo on you but weve had some serious time on our hands. Time that might previously have been spent at sports and activities including but not limited to Saturday shopping and alpine visiting but None Of That Is Happening This Year. Not only are they not happening for you, theyre not happening for anyone and absence of FOMO we love and embrac...e you. Could it be that the clear, starry skies above our very own backyards completely devoid of traffic noise were universally placed there to descend a sense of wonder upon us? Is the combination of unexpected winter sunshine and Nowhere To Be the greatest thing about 2020? Given the other things on offer in Our Year Of The Corona, that is likely true. This weekend and the one preceding it were the wind beneath our wings. The sunshine in our steps. The Can Someone DM Me Another Cliche Im Running Dry Here. And we will take those cliches and we will burst into this week and our enthusiasm from the residue of the weekends natural highs will undoubtedly see us through. Until at least 10am. From then on, we at least have coffee. And that new influencer prank hashtag on Tiktok where people are pretending to be influencers to record their husband wife partners reactions. Gold. Its Monday. Do whatever you need to. No judgment here because apart from anything else, we cant actually see you. And with this level of tracksuit pant and ugg boot wearing, thats a good thing. Whatever you have to wear reminisce upon consume do, warriors. Just remember: the weather forecast is probably lying to you. Phot cred: @Mande Farrelly

14.01.2022 I wanted to kick this post off with a picture of my first mask pimple - which, frankly, took longer than I thought it would to appear. But our Beauty Leader Guide Sage Goddess Daisy was not having it. I wonder what shell make of this picture of an actual tree in actual #Mornington. No, really it is. Although admit it: this tree is all of us right now.... But I digress. What Daisy is having is indecision. She knows you want to see her face: masked, unmasked, whatever. But question: what beauty wisdom do you want her to impart? Personally, a solution to the mask boil would be welcome. But maybe your greater concern is eyebrows that are now threatening to block your vision. Or how to apply the Eco Tan fake tan so that nobody would ever guess that youve been stuck in Melbourne, in winter, largely indoors, for five months. Except that we would guess because We See You Stuck Here With Us. Since this is the Lockdown Of New And Rapidly Compounding Skills, a question and answer thingy has been attempted in our stories. Are you bored enough to tell us and Daisy what video tutorials she should throw into the iPhone? Go on. What else are you going to do? Attempt a home wax?

13.01.2022 Things we can do on a Sunday: Part 1 Sadly, not rest our hair-free, self-tanned legs on a board in calm, sunny waters. The weather, the rules and a distinct lack of attention to self-grooming are against us there. We can, however, register our opposition to the AGL Gas plans to build an import gas terminal that will place our beloved Westernport waters at risk by discharging hundreds of thousands of chlorinated water, 7 degrees warmer than the existing waters of the bay..., back into the environment. Not surprisingly, most everyone who takes to those waters or walks upon her glorious shores opposes these plans - which are currently open to public comment. That includes our namesakes, the Plovers, who nest upon her sands but sadly lack the social media clout, mobile phones and opposable thumbs required to hold a device and tap out a submission. We have those things. And hairy legs, yes. But its the Tap Out A Message In Protest skills that are particularly useful today. Especially since Environment Victoria have created a brilliant tool that allows us to type in our key issues with the proposed plant and have it pop out as a fully-formed, paragraph-respecting submission to the current open-for-comment Environment Plan. Which really begs several questions: can they also facilitate remote leg waxing and self-tanning? And will they be developing a similar tool for those charged with writing coherent daily social media posts? Asking for a friend. But also being a friend to the bay and filling the form now. As can you. Link right here to the fancy submission-maker: https://environmentvictoria.org.au/build-submission-2/. And all praise to Environment Victoria. Doing what we can while seeking easy shortcuts is an apt theme for this Sunday. And do it we will, eco warriors. Self tanning not included but if you feel inspired, we say go for it. See more

12.01.2022 Wise Words Wednesday, aka A Welcome Break From My Stream Of Consciousness returns with Plovers in-house nutritionist, Mel The Nutrition Effect Sinclair, doing what she does best: nutritioning. With green juice. We miss that too. In proof that even nutritionists with green juice get the blues, Mel posted yesterday about her personal lockdown overwhelm. Subtext: just because were confined to home, doesnt mean were all house coats, afternoon breeziness and frivolity. Oh no.... Mels words are ripe with valid advice for us all, no matter how many or how few people in our households, no matter how much work we are doing or feel we should be doing, no matter how financially secure we are. Its hard. Go gently. And take it away, wise Mel: Wow its been a big couple of weeks. I have had to take my own advice as I was feeling the brink of overwhelm/burn out. Seems a bit counter-intuitive to feel burnt out when we are in Stage 4 and bound to our homes, but it shows you cant underestimate the power of emotions & not having your people around you on your health. Heres how I have/am turning my week around; Said no/come up with an alternative option to something that was causing me stress; With the warmer weather, brought back my morning juice. Currently watermelon, beetroot, collagen, greens & water; Had a weekend of going to bed at 9pm; Put down some things I have been working on, accepted I needed brain rest time AND the big one, have chosen to not beat myself up over it. Who can relate to this!? Left my computer charger where I was working on Friday, realised when I got home. DID NOT turn around and pick it up and instead took it as a sign from the universe to be off screens for the weekend; - Realised holy moly Im spinning on masculine energy and I need some feminine energy in the mix! Single Mumming, you are responsible for everything in the house and finances etc. You can get yourself into so much doing and not enough being. Total recipe for burnout; Mixed myself a flower essence remedy that uses Pink Fountain Triggerplant which is all about The Return of the Vital Force Such an effective way to help with the emotional stuff.

11.01.2022 Over these past few days of forced inactivity of the Cant Do It At Your House Therefore You Cant Do It variety, it has become apparent that doing nothing is actually very difficult. Even with winter. Even with blankets. Even with governmental imperative. Even with the internet. Perhaps our discomfort with doing nothing is contained right there within the name of the activity itself. Doing... Nothing Its a very hard thing to achieve without the aid of the vacation label, no matter how many times a day we encourage and reassure our agitated selves. So were proposing a name change. One that will bestow the sense of purpose commitment obligation to task that we seem to require in order to really get something done. Or in this case, in order to get nothing done and stay sane. Taking rest. As in youre not doing nothing, youre taking rest. As in what are you going to achieve today? Taking rest. As in essential activity for mental health especially in times of uncertainty; Taking rest. Matter of fact, Im taking it now.

11.01.2022 Paddleboarding, we feel like we no longer know you. This is an unfair weekend post. An image of what wed all rather be doing. Winter wetsuit + paddleboard + sunset + water. Well, well, well.... Not long now. Surely. Fingers crossed. Weve been good. Were under 100 today. And if youre from Vicco I dont need to explain how momentous that is. We can still put on the wetsuit, but word on the street is that boards of any description are infringement magnets until Stage 4 is purged from our water-seeking lives. Even when the water is within your 5km. Even though it makes no sense lets just get it done so that three weeks from now were out there again. Paddling. We can hardly wait.

09.01.2022 Quiet please, the boss ladies are resting. Taking rest. And its important. The Ploverhood is a band of strong women who run families households businesses teams work stations and - in a smart move which both requires consistent, caring effort, but also gives back in spades - friendships. Its the modern load covered in books and columns and podcasts and a tidal wave of woman-to-woman conversations daily. Women lift a lot. The physical tasks of running the things. The emotion...al tasks of forward planning, anticipating and keeping not just themselves, but everyone around them, together. No surprise then, that multiple women in the Ploverhood have confided that, actually, this lockdown is not so bad. They love their jobs, their businesses, their lives. But they are tired. Seriously tired. And they need a rest. And a few weeks forced rest....well it doesnt sound that bad. Its not that easy, either. Were wired to be wired. Weve busied ourselves to the point where rest prompts guilt. Rest is uncomfortable. And the internets do not help. Imploring us to use this time to pivot. To conquer something new. To emerge from this time new selves. Leaner, equipped with new skills, fronting the helm of a new enterprise, with a living space home maintenanced to iso perfection. Plover is here to say not so. And to applaud all the accomplished women weve seen over the past week and a half who are leaning in to rest. Proudly boasting of their couch-all-Sunday achievements. Rest is important. Rest is critical. No matter how uncomfortable it initially feels, we must embrace the rest. The time to do it may never present itself this compulsorily again. Plover, youre probably already aware, has some things that can help.

06.01.2022 Look I know were all currently occupied with intent internal gazing at our own numbers and last week of homeschooling before the holidays and how many days to go too many to count just yet but Have You Seen Europe? Yikes. Advertisements for the Christmas we can be having if we want to race out into the streets right now abound. But not us, warriors. We have our eyes on summer. We have come this far and we are strong. We taste the Spring air and we know the Aussie summer good... times are coming and we want in. So yes; this is a We Can Do It post. We want a summer where sitting on a beach - just sitting, not exercising if we dont feel like it - is a thing. We want sausages - vegan or otherwise - on a community barbie. We want decks and friends and laughter and gatherings even if they are reduced in number. We want the freedom to cross borders and roam. Not now. Not overseas. But within the grandiose surrounds of our Australian backyard. All of it. And we can do it. We are Victorians and we have the fortitude and weve built the resilience, not least of all through being Victorians over the past 6 months. We want the summer and were coming for it and were doing it by staying in and We Can For Just A Bit Longer. Because summer is coming. And weve never wanted a semi-normal summer more. Keep going. We can and we are

04.01.2022 Friday and we made it but didnt it feel against the odds at times? But here we are. Juice in hand. Feeling philosophical. Wondering what its all about. Is it about sitting quietly enough in this reduced version of our lives for long enough that some sort of epiphany will descend? Is it being subdued enough that the things which really matter will float noiselessly to the surface, redefining how we live on the other side of lockdown?... Or is it just the appreciation of the little things because we made it to another Friday and That Is The Only Current Prize? A knowing, empathetic nod to everyone who did this week extra tough. The people for whom the pressures are stacking upon stress, and for whom lockdown is an added psychological layer. It is empty and wilted to say Were All In This Together when you look around and others are emptying and wilting too. Buoying each other is harder here, now. Where everyone is shouldering their own stuff and the stuff of those around them and very little of it is uplifting stuff. Its hard stuff and its Just Get Through stuff. And its stuff with a finish line which seems to keep moving further away. Our good friend Jane McCann - The Middle Aged Goddess posted an apt quote a few days ago. And although we have an aversion to apt quotes, this one rung so true it warrants repeating. Yesterday is heavy. Put it down. In case youre wondering if you can not do the things this weekend and not do the things without guilt, you can. In case youre thinking that hustling through all of the minutes of the next two days is the only way there, its not. In case youre wondering if its OK to take rest, it is. And if youre wondering who will listen to your stuff, we will. Hand yesterday to us. DM us if youre in need of an ear. It may just make the weekend lighter. @our_photo_journal

02.01.2022 What is it? Its a bush growing out of a beach box and it is a metaphor for these confused times. No waxing, ladies. But mid-summer days in the middle of winter, yes you may have those. Just keep your pants on. And your masks. And dont bother driving to a beach more than 5km from your home because the police will be there and they will registration check you and we applaud them for this work because the sooner we are out of this August faux summer and into the real December ...deal WITHOUT MASKS the better. This is a Go Figure image that is evocative of our times. And in case youre wondering where Plover stands on all of this, we are standing with the sooner we can all be standing actual face-covering-free and shoulder-to-shoulder the better. So were for masks and for at home and for unwaxed bits. For now. Because we want to be free and free to be together when it really counts. And that would be summer. And if we have to do the work between now and then to eradicate this virus, then we say Lets Do It. Weve already sayonarad the ski season and winter escape to northern locations so what do we have to lose NOTHING. We know youre with us. So our new mission is to make the days between now and the day we can actually see your actual faces again as easy to get through as possible. Lets start by expecting nothing. Literally as little as possible. Of ourselves and you. Just make it through. Laughing where possible. Earnest at times. Dancing always. Plover loves you, babies.

02.01.2022 Hungry? Its obviously been a minute between Plover food shots, what with the kitchen so dormant and the Plover flock so nest-bound. But the girls have been cooking something up in preparation for our reopen oh yes they have. Were talking more vegan. More gluten free. More detox friendly. More pick me up and take me home for dinner.... Behold Thai Green Tofu Curry. Hold the ordering for now because October 27 cant come fast enough. Hold tight. Hold onto your hats and press your forks closely into your hot little anticipatory hands, when we come back were coming back tasty.

02.01.2022 Before this life-changing event - and no, Im not talking about the discovery of this superappealing (new adjective, behold) vegan sausage - there have been a couple of other worldwide, history shaping events. Have you stopped to wonder during this worldwide, history-shaping event - and no Im still not talking about the sausage - how people survived the Spanish Flu? The Great Depression? World War 1? World War 2? Because people did survive. Things were crap, But they did sur...vive. Mostly. And on the other side of the crap were some of the most productive, creative, artistically rich and fruitful years in human history. The Roaring 20s. The 1950s. People survived those historic calamities. And they didnt have mobile phones, a social safety net or these vegan sausages whose key life purpose is to amuse the living daylights out of whomever beholds them, no matter how many dayweekmonths theyve been in iso. And no matter how many more mystery lockdown days will follow. These sausages are why people are suspicious of vegans. Thats what I texted my closest vegan bosom buddy along with this image. I encourage you to choose your own punchline and send it to your friends. Youll be amazed at how much lighter and speedy lockdown subsequently feels. Our ancestors made it through. And they did it without these sausages. Just imagine what we can achieve on the other side of this WITH these sausages. The world is our imitation meat sausage, warriors. Couple more weeks. Maybe a month. Whatever. Walk in the Closed BBQ park. Iso-making image from @nazriahi

02.01.2022 Oh happy day. As we awake this morning to the type of wind that rules out a pleasant return to Our Paddling Grounds, we are at least internally rejoicing because this just in from Sup Vic.... Melbourne Stage 4 update: (Applies to current restrictions) SUP Vic have now received confirmation from DHHS (via email) with regards to water-based activities, which includes SUP, during this current lockdown period. That advice from DHHS is as follows:... "Under Stage 4 restrictions, people can paddle, swim, kayak, surf or canoe etc for exercise as long as they are not travelling more than 5km from their house to do it and not doing it for longer then the 1 hour permitted per day. This includes the time they take travelling to the activity and back. People should still should not travel further than they need to, and should go to the beach, park or waterway closest to their home." Key Points: - You must be within 5km of a park/beach/waterway - You must go to your nearest park/beach/waterway - No Carpooling - You can paddle with one other person (Social distancing of 1.5 meters must be maintained throughout). SUP Vics Facebook page is where you go to print out this marvellous moment in water-based announcement-making, laminate it and carry it as your licence to paddle. Thats our plan, anyway. Just as soon as this wind drops. Side thought: being blown out of The Heads and across to Tasmania is not currently without its What Are The Restrictions Like In Tassie appeal. Does a Bass Strait rescue break the 5km from home rule? Will we see pairs of Paddling Furiously Victorians making a wetsuitted break for the Apple Isle? Is the Launceston Life for me? These are the sorts of questions that only Day what day is it anyway in lockdown can spur. But at least we can be out there, warriors and well see you atop the board first not gale force day from now. Big thanks to Michele Creed for the hot tip

02.01.2022 Do you have northern hemisphere friends? If yes, for your own sanity do not check their feeds right now because mental wellbeing is everything and a northern heatwave is not helpful. Yoga is helpful. Even thinking you might maybe start an online yoga class next week is helpful. Lie to yourself. Or sign up to classes (hello The Hummingbird Connection I am coming for your online yin yoga I just need another week to really, at a cellular level, accept that this is us and we are ...homebound. So homebound.) Do not look at the feed of Plover good friend @twigprints, whose imagery I steal with some frequency because its so Plover. Put it down to Abs being a Melbourne girl originally, before Canada stole her from us. We like Canada. And England. And America. And France. But you can keep your pictures, northerners. We need to pretend like our current abundant-for-us-in-winter-but-still-pitiful sunshine is keeping us buoyant. That we havent collectively tapped into the Karen From Brighton inside and bemoaned the Walked It All Beforeness of our 5km radius. What stage is this? The whining stage? The Novelty Is Over And There Is No Light To Denote The End Yet stage? The Just You Wait Northerners Our Time Will Come And It Will Not Be Masked stage? In a tenuous segue to the delightful image featured with this post, staying afloat until our summer turn; that is our sole and soul mission, fellow Southerners. Wednesday warrior on.

01.01.2022 Rise and shine and stretch. Or just rise. Thats likely enough. Rise and walk. At some point. Maybe no rush. These Saturday activities are not going to space themselves. It has become apparent this week that purpose is an important pillar of sanity and internal peace and so cooking and online courses. Whos chopping and whos studying? Because those seem to be the big ones. And exercising. Gotta exercise. Thats the first rung on the first ladder to the wonky 45-storey treeho...use called My Sanity In Iso. Theres even a plaque nailed to the trunk at the bottom letting you know youve arrived. What am I talking about? I dont know. And its the same with phone conversations. It all peters out somewhere around the what are you doing this weekend? point. That is, if the wheels didnt already fall off and wobble away somewhere around what did you do today? Oh, you know, the usual. Walk. Online yoga class. Cooked some stuff. Studied some stuff. Tried to learn something new. OK, I watched a Netflix reality-based drama series but thats learning, right? At which point youre so bored with your own contribution to the conversation that you have to hang up before you inadvertently poison those around you. We cant Zoom because there is nothing to say and seeing each others faces while that happens just adds to the awkward. So Saturday lounge room yoga and Pilates, lets do those. Kelsey makes it look easy and it will give you both an hour of peace and a 2 second topic of conversation in the next phone call. Theres a win. Photo @klo__photo

01.01.2022 Apologies, those for whom homeschooling is not a life factor, for this is to be a homeschooling-based post but Man Have We Earned It. As we celebrate the last day of term - and no, champagne at 10am is not peaking early and yes, it is nobodys business but your own - let us take the opportunity to reflect upon the events of the past 6 months which have rendered us indentured personal assistants to our own children. I would like to say that this is a content idea sprung direct...ly from my highly agile brain, but the reality is agile brain who am I kidding in this 75th weekmonth of lockdown? A friend posted a dangerously similar meme to Facebook and the concept was so good it warrants further exploration. 8am: execute personal wake up reminders. Gently. Despite all appearances to the contrary, this is your day too, so start as you mean to finish: without tears. 8.15am: provide boardroom breakfast for all executive employees of Homeschooling At Mine. 8.50am: review diaries. Create master schedule of meetings for the day. Reschedule, cancel, rearrange, repeat throughout the day as directed. Facilitate all meetings. But discreetly because Get Out Mum I Dont Want Them To See You. 10.30: snacks for all. Not you. Not sitting. You may drink herbal tea whilst simultaneously decoding Year 3 maths and your childs psychological reluctance. With yet another Zoom meeting and another and a call to leave Room 1 to unpack the theory of relativity in Room 2. 11am: praise encouragement guidance vodka. No not that last one. Not sure how it slipped in. 11.45am reminder: There Is No Rest. 12.30: a la carte lunch. You are the cart. 2pm: are we there yet? Yes but no because all day on screens is a layer of Mum Guilt so heavy that only 16 texts to negotiate walk/bike partnerships will lift it. 3pm - 7pm: who? What? 7.30pm: do not speak to me I need a darkened room of solitude. That and a strong cup of journaling. Heres one we love. Designed to lead us away from the daily grind and back to I wish and I feel and I am. Journaling. Its almost as cathartic as ranting into Instagram every morning. We are there, warriors. Onward into the unchartered waters of At Home Holidays.

01.01.2022 Todays pandemic philosophy theme is community. The people who not only turn up, but show up, with eyes honest and heart true. Who share your values and walk with you on your path, even when theyre physically far away. Who hear your struggles and stand beside you. Who lend a shoulder and an ear and throw some back into it when required. Whose beliefs about life match your own. And whose celebration of your successes is unreserved and untainted. Who pick you up, super-humanl...y strengthened by the knowledge that you are there for them with matching spirit and reciprocated steadfastness. Our community is our foundation. The necessary bedrock for a fertile ground where truly good things can grow. If youre super-lucky, youll make several tribes in your lifetime. If youre lucky, youll make an extraordinary and life-making one. The people we gather and build around us are the most valuable things we will earn. And if we can stand up and honestly say these are my people. I am true to them, they to me, and together we rise then we are rich indeed. We may not be able to physically see our tribe at the moment, but they are there as sure as the bay meets the sand. And on account of the happiness comfort support heartswell they provide, we are wealthy beyond measure. The Plover flock tip their wings to you. We are currently poised and quiet. Well, quiet-ish. We wish you a golden weekend with your tribe far and near. And if we you everyone has to Zoom to be together then OK, well put on the hat and we will.