The Sandalwood Connection

24/09/2025

Hello my local peeps! It’s time for the 2025 School Mango Drive Fundraiser and if you wish, you’re welcome to place an order. 🤩

🥭🙌🥭🙌🥭🙌🥭

🥭 Details on the image attached - 7kg tray for $30
🥭 Comment on this post to place your order
🥭 I’ll be in touch mid-October with bank details and payment will confirm your order
🥭 Delivery will be November - date to be advised once the mangos are grown and picked

23/09/2025

What an educational whirlwind the last two days have been. 🤩

From USQ to Redcliffe, and after four years of Zoom meetings, I finally met my mentor, Emma Sternberg, and participated in her advanced kinesiology workshop.

Woahhhhh, so good and I’m back home with a few more tools in my kitbag to offer in clinic. 😊

🧡 Shaylene
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PS Sybella thinks my slapped up breakfast is far from impressive. 🤣

19/09/2025

I’m no poster child for ‘sitting down to eat breakfast’ but I do make sure I eat within 30 minutes of waking every day (to reduce stress hormones 🤪 and symptoms) … even if that’s a little protein and unprocessed carbs snack followed by a protein brekkie later on. 🙌

It’s Saturday and we’re heading out to the carnival parade shortly but today, we’re all dining together 🥰 - I am actually sitting on my butt - for breakfast. Winning 😜

May you have a filling breakfast and a great day! 😎 I have to run now … the parade won’t wait. 🌸🌺🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒💃🕺👯🎶

🧡 Shaylene
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13/09/2025

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and with no immediate obligations, I planned to enjoy a luxurious sleep in. 😴 It didn’t happen. 😜

Hey, that’s ok; this week I’ve caught some divine sunrises while heading down the range. And the rain yesterday afternoon was cleansing and quite refreshing. ☔️

Here’s a snap of yesterday’s sunrise… it wasn’t the brightest, clearest morning but it’s still humbling to drive down a mountain as the sun rises in front of you. ☀️

Back in the classroom this week for a little more education, on the tools for the practical and even enough Spring sunshine to unexpectedly get a little ‘pink’. Oops 😬

When life offers you opportunities, my loves, grab it with both hands. Do it scared. Become fearless. Live this life and trust yourself. You’ve got this and you’re definitely worth it. 🤩

🧡 Shaylene
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08/09/2025

My 30+ year love affair with this place, as a student and an educator, continues. 😍

Week 1, of trimester 3, kicked off today and the UniSQ Toowoomba students in MGT1101 Human Capabilities for Business (aka ‘be a wholesome, valuable, contributing member of the workplace and not an entitled dickhead’ 🤭) get all of me for two hours each Monday. Lucky souls. 🤩 They promised me that they’ll be back next week. 🙌

Anyway, I’ll be back for them next Monday plus check out my lunch from the refectory. 😋 I think this is going to be the best lunch I’ll have all week.

🧡 Shaylene
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07/09/2025

To all the dads, here and those who’ve passed, in the various roles parenting presents. 💙

🧡 Shaylene
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02/09/2025

There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food. Food is simply food … a fuel source for your body and brain.

⬆️ Today’s brekkie is NOT the best choice though for fueling my body as it is purely carbohydrates (bread 🍞 banana 🍌 jam 🍓) which will swiftly convert to sugar. This means I’ll have an energy burst followed by a stunning energy slump. 😣

That slump will then have me looking for a quick ‘pick me up’ which is usually more carbohydrates as they convert to energy quickly and have you feeling human again i.e. chocolate, caffeine, crackers, etc. You know the story. 😜 And the roller coaster 🎢 of destabilised blood sugar levels continues all day, you feel yuck, you’re exhausted and hangry, caffeine doesn’t ‘do anything’ and you can’t wait for the day to be over so you can go to bed. 😴 Sound familiar???

So why did I choose to do this to myself today, you ask? 🤨 Good question!

I have woken this morning feeling like crap. Hello head cold 🤧 and I wanted comfort food and my body needed instant energy. Simple. 🤷‍♀️

With the instant fuel source activated I’ve been able to address what I’ve needed to this morning and started on a holistic health regime to boost my immune system so I’ll kick this virus swiftly. That done, I’ll now prepare quality, nutrient dense food for when the slump comes so I don’t need to frantically find something to eat when nothing is appealing. You know those moments you open the fridge and there’s ‘NOTHING TO EAT’. 🤦‍♀️ Or rather, nothing of interest. 🫤

So, the moral of the story is you choose to fuel ⛽️ your body for the way you need it to function. Instant hit of energy (processed carbs) to use asap - remember what is not used will be stored as fat cells - or slow release energy for longer term cellular energy access and blood sugar stability which then avoids the roller coaster of energy (and mood) highs and lows.

Food is food … choose to fuel yourself to meet your needs. 🤗

🧡 Shaylene
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31/08/2025

31/08/2025

This ⬆️⬆️⬆️

This is the life I’ve created and you can make it happen for you, too. Find your passion, do the work and let your magic flow. 🙌

🧡 Shaylene
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27/08/2025

In a full and busy life, with work and family, I thoroughly relish the peaceful moments. ☮️ These moments can still be loud and chaotic but somehow they are warm, loving and soothing at the same time. Magical. 🦄

🧡 Shaylene
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26/08/2025

Who knew that cauliflower, onion, garlic and chicken stock can literally cause a party in your mouth? 😳😋

A decadent creamy sauce (that DOES NOT taste like cauliflower) to delight the tastebuds for dinner tonight. Balancing out these complex carbs with bacon, for the protein, more veggies with zucchini and because the kids are looking for pasta with their carbonara sauce, GF spirals.

Spectacular 🙌

🧡 Shaylene
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👩‍🍳

(Recipe - Skinnymixers Healthy Carbonara Sauce)

24/08/2025

Ever wondered why your eyes might leak a little when squeezed by someone you love? 🫶 Here’s why. 😌

🧡 Shaylene
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