The Mood Lifter

01/08/2025

At just 30 years old, my sister found a massive lump in her breast.
She was sent home with antibiotics. Not once, but twice. It wasn’t until after the second round that someone finally took her seriously. That’s when we got the news: breast cancer.

Our lives flipped upside down. But we stayed positive. So many women get diagnosed and go on to thrive. She would be one of them.

She faced it all! Chemotherapy that stole her hair, a mastectomy, radiotherapy, and the “radiotherapy tattoos” that marked her skin forever. It was brutal, but she made it through. Her markers came back clear. She was cancer free.

And then: joy. She found out she was pregnant. Life was finally going to begin again. This was just a bump in the road.

Six weeks after giving birth, I visited her in the Netherlands. I soaked up all the cuddles with my brand-new nephew. The night before I flew back to Australia, we had dinner at her house. She mentioned liver pain, a fear creeping back in. I told her not to worry until we knew more.

But it came back. Fast and furious.

Her belly swelled with fluid. Litres were drained daily. She couldn’t hold her baby. We feared the worst. Cancer had spread to her liver.

But Sandra was a fighter. She changed her diet, took every supplement that might help, and continued chemo and immunotherapy. Slowly, she came back. She started exercising. She even ran to raise money for cancer. You wouldn’t believe she was a cancer patient.

She was doing well. Blood markers were good again. She was living a full life, until three years later.

She caught COVID. The headache never went away. It was “probably long COVID". She did a scan just to make sure. Apparently the immunotherapy doesn't go through the blood brain barrier. The only spot for her cancer to spread was her brain. Multiple tumours in her brain.

I was pregnant with my son. I flew to the Netherlands the same week we found out. It changed everything. I was there for her brain surgery, something I’ll always be grateful for.

But nothing worked this time. They avoided brain radiotherapy for as long as possible due to her young age. But when they finally went ahead, we knew how bad it was. And it still didn’t work.
She started having seizures.

Watching her fade was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. She had been a go-getter, a mother, a runner, a survivor. Cancer stripped her down to someone unrecognisable. And then it took her.

I miss my sister every single day.
The pain of losing her is a weight I carry forever.

So please.
Donate. Support the fight.
Do it in memory of Sandra.

This August, I am taking part in Step Up to Breast Cancer to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. Please support me!

25/06/2025

🕊️ The Spiritual Meaning of Swallows

Swallows are more than just beautiful birds—they’re powerful spiritual messengers.

They symbolize new beginnings, arriving with spring to remind us that after every dark season, light returns.

Their loyalty in love (they mate for life!) represents devotion, soul connections, and returning to what truly matters.

As long-distance travellers, swallows embody freedom, resilience, and the courage to trust life’s journey—no matter how far it takes you.

In ancient times, sailors believed a swallow meant protection and safe passage, guiding you home through uncertain waters.

✨ A gentle reminder from the universe:
You’re being guided. You’re resilient. And brighter days are coming.

Thanks for your visit and sitting very still for me to take this photo 🥰

28/05/2025

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID KIT

📘Journal = emotional vent

💧Water bottle = hydration check

🥰Friend’s contact = connection

☀️5-min walk = nervous system reset

🃏Affirmation card = inner hype

These five easy tools can lift the mood in a few minutes

28/04/2025

Holiday Nils is such a vibe 😍

❤️

24/03/2025

KI, you're nothing short of amazing. We will definitely be back. So grateful I get to live in this country and that both my kids grow up surrounded by nature! 😍😍

19/03/2025

One year without you. It still feels unbearable and surreal. I miss my big sister so much 😭😭.

Jim Carrey once said: Grief is not just an emotion—it’s an unraveling, a space where something once lived but is now gone. It carves through you, leaving a hollow ache where love once resided.

In the beginning, it feels unbearable, like a wound that will never close. But over time, the raw edges begin to mend. The pain softens, but the imprint remains—a quiet reminder of what once was. The truth is, you never truly "move on." You move with it. The love you had does not disappear; it transforms. It lingers in the echoes of laughter, in the warmth of old memories, in the silent moments where you still reach for what is no longer there. And that’s okay.

Grief is not a burden to be hidden. It is not a weakness to be ashamed of. It is the deepest proof that love existed, that something beautiful once touched your life. So let yourself feel it. Let yourself mourn. Let yourself remember.

There is no timeline, no “right” way to grieve. Some days will be heavy, and some will feel lighter. Some moments will bring unexpected waves of sadness, while others will fill you with gratitude for the love you were lucky enough to experience.

Honor your grief, for it is sacred. It is a testament to the depth of your heart. And in time, through the pain, you will find healing—not because you have forgotten, but because you have learned how to carry both love and loss together.

15/03/2025

Happy one year anniversary to my husband 😍😍

The most eventful/challenging year we've been together, but wouldn't be able to do it with anyone else by my side.

(Also, can not wait to fit my rings again and for my back to look like that 🤣)

07/01/2025

My sweet loves 💙. Adjusting to life as a family of four has been a lot easier than expected. Seeing our son taking on the big brother role has been nothing short of amazing.
After two miscarriages and 3 years trying to conceive, our family is now complete. So bloody grateful 🥰.

26/11/2024

We can not wait to meet you! 😍
Only a few weeks/days left as a family of three. Your big brother cant wait to meet you.
Huge shout out to .lee.photography for always capturing the special moments in our lives 🥰.

03/11/2024

So blessed to be part of this mother's group! 🥰🥰 A 'surprise' baby shower for baby number two and filling up my freezer with post partum meals. Couldn't be more grateful 😍.
(Yes, it is meant to say ho baby 🤣)

19/09/2024

Dear me,

You're growing a human being while looking after a tiny toddler (aka bulldozer). It's okay if you don't have the energy to do a workout, it's okay if you don't have the household under control, it's okay that your son is getting a little more screen time to give yourself a minute, it's okay that meals aren't perfectly balanced with all the right macronutrients. He's not going to eat it all anyway.

Sincerely,

Me

#

27/08/2024

Parenthood can be so freaking tough some days. My son has a bug and is not sleeping properly = nobody in our household is sleeping properly 😵‍💫😵‍💫.
He's constantly screaming and throwing tantrums. I know he's uncomfortable. I know he's just not well... but it is so hard to deal with when you're trying to cope on little sleep and busy growing his little sibling.

He only finds comfort with me. I'm the one that makes his sore tummy better by just being in his presence and all he wants is to be held, but somehow I can only seem to find this overwhelming. I, myself, throw a little tantrum and find myself feeling guilty for being overwhelmed.

But then your "not-so-little-toddler" puts himself to bed while you sit next to him. Doesn't need any assistance from you. He just wants to hold your hand. In that moment you realise that parenthood is an absolute blessing. My presence is his comfort.

That little soul has taught me more about myself than I ever could. The good days out weigh the bad days. His little hands hug me tight when I'm grieving his auntie. His cuddles give me everything I need and more.
I am so blessed to be your mother 😘