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FEMALE HORMONES 101

By / Alice Flannery

FEMALE HORMONES 101

Explore the fascinating realm of female hormones with Naturopath Alice Flannery. With this invaluable knowledge, we gain the power to nurture a deeper connection with ourselves, unlocking the potential to optimise our vitality and overall wellbeing. By learning to work in harmony with our bodies rather than in opposition, we embark on a journey towards enhanced health by embracing the unique intricacies of our feminine physiology.

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Lifestyle

MOLLY PARADICE

By / Molly Paradice

Moments with Molly

We sat down with Molly Paradice, committed HOUSE OF SCULPT member, a dedicated local jeweller and successful business owner. Molly shares her brand's underlying inspiration and sheds light on her artistic journey to create each individual piece. A potent reminder that we can always draw inspiration from nature and our surroundings if only we pause for a moment to appreciate them.

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@GEM_MER

By / GEMMA PLUNKETT

RECIPE: Eggplant Parmi

On a scale from vegemite toast to fifteen-course lockdown degustation this recipe sits on the left-hand side of the how-hard-is-it scale. It’s easy-ish with a couple of simple steps, some simmering, some layering and lots of silky, tomato-y eggplant goodness. It’s excellent for a dinner party and even better the next day for lunch. It takes a little bit of time, but most of that time is spent waiting (aka sipping wine) for glorious things to happen. Enjoy the process, don’t drink too much before your friends arrive and be prepared to soak up allll the compliments (and sauce at the bottom of your plate).  You’ll need: 2 large eggplants 2 tbsp salt Olive oil ½ brown onion 2 garlic cloves 2 tins Mutti polpa (or crushed tomatoes) Bunch of basil 500g mozzarella (the harder kind you use for pizza) Parm Regg Make it: Slice the eggplant into rounds about 2cm thick. Sit them in a colander in the sink, sprinkle with the salt, toss and leave it for about 45 mins (this ensures the eggplant has a custardy not rubbery texture). Once time’s up rinse the salt off and pat dry with a clean tea towel. Make a tomato sauce with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the chopped garlic in a saucepan on low. Once it starts to smell excellent add in the tomatoes and the onion (the whole piece as you’ll remove it later). Simmer it down and taste after 15 mins. Add a pinch of salt and/or sugar if it needs it. Grab a large cast iron skillet (or something you can use on the stove and in the oven) and heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once it’s quite hot add a few eggplant slices and fry till golden on each side. Continue this with all the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 190c In the same skillet add a ladle of tomato sauce, a layer of eggplant, a couple of slices of mozz, a little Parm and a couple of pieces of basil. Continue this till you’ve used all the eggplant and finish the top with a little extra cheese. Bake in the oven for 45 mins so it’s golden and bubbling. Let it rest for 10 mins before serving or alternatively dive right in and get third-degree burns on the roof of your mouth. I hope you’re feeling enlightened, hungry and less overwhelmed. You can catch more ramblings, dinner party tips, recipes and unsolicited advice by joining my newsletter here.

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THE WOMEN BEHIND SIP'ER

By / SIP'ER

THE WOMEN BEHIND SIP'ER

SIP’ER is the online version of your friendly neighbourhood bar. They’ve got an abundance of sips to recommend and damn good stories to go with them. Bree and Jenny have done the hard work so we all can sip, discover sip and repeat. YES PLEASE. 

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SARA HINI

By / Grace Crawford-Smith

5 TIPS FOR EMBODIED SEX

The key to embodied sex is losing all agendas, and instead setting an intention of staying in the present moment, in the sensations felt in our bodies. Sexologist Grace CS delves into how we can experience more embodied sex, and how Pilates can be a tool to help you get there. 

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Arabesque Cheesecake

By / Kristina Martin

Arabesque Cheesecake

She is beauty, she is grace, this cheesecake is the definition of indulgence, which is why we love it. The addition of goat’s cheese completely elevates the flavour and gives it this rich, ever so smooth, texture. We guarantee you will love this recipe… *Hot tip: this is a recipe you need to make a day before eating. Ingredients: 500g cream cheese 300g goats cheese (not in oil) 400g pouring cream 400g caster sugar 25g corn flour 3 whole eggs and 6 egg yolks 4 tsp vanilla paste Method:  Preheat the oven to 220C. Prepare a round cake tin, by buttering the bottom and sides, and line it with baking paper, with 5cm overhang. On medium speed, beat the cream cheese, goats cheese and vanilla paste together. While still beating, slowly pour in the cream and beat until combined. While still beating, pour in the sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes. Add in the cornflour and one at a time, add in the egg yolks. Beat for 1-2 minutes. One at a time, add in the whole eggs and beat for a further 5 minutes. The mixture will look like a thick pouring cream consistency. Pour into pan and bake for 30 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, turn your cake 180 degree clockwise, to get an even colour. After 30 minutes, it should be a dark caramel colour and if you touch the middle, it will feel wobbly. Turn the oven off and let it sit, cooling in the oven for 2 hours. Take out the oven and put in the fridge for 12 hours, to make sure it sets properly. This will improve the flavour and texture. Slice, serve and enjoy!

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Health

FEMALE HORMONES 101

By / Alice Flannery

FEMALE HORMONES 101

Explore the fascinating realm of female hormones with Naturopath Alice Flannery. With this invaluable knowledge, we gain the power to nurture a deeper connection with ourselves, unlocking the potential to optimise our vitality and overall wellbeing. By learning to work in harmony with our bodies rather than in opposition, we embark on a journey towards enhanced health by embracing the unique intricacies of our feminine physiology.

Read more
The Importance of Breath

By / Janis blums

The Importance of Breath

'Beyond Air: The Importance of Breath' is an excerpt from Janis Blum's upcoming e-book 'Understanding You from a Movement Perspective'.

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Movement

MOVE INTO MOTIVATION
MOVE INTO MOTIVATION

There is nothing more liberating than feeling in flow. You’re consistent with showing up for yourself and you’re oozing that get-it-done energy. Yet, on those other days, you'd rather schedule a saga of self-torment, agonising for hours (or even days) over not doing the thing, than actually just doing the goddamn thing.  Unfortunately, motivation isn't a knight in shining armour who'll swoop in on a white horse to rescue you from your inertia. Motivation has a strong aversion to the ‘I wanna be saved’ girlie. Instead, motivation builds quite an unbreakable bond with intentional action. Now, that is all well and good to understand but we know most of the friction in getting things done tends to occur at the starting line. The battle to show up at that initial point is undeniably the toughest part of the journey. So, what can you do when you find yourself stuck in a rut, struggling to take that first step towards moving your body? Find your why:Take some time to ask yourself, and even write down why you want to move your body. There is no wrong answer but it is important to delve into honest self inquiry. Eg. I want to move my body to feel strong. Great, why? Feeling strong makes me feel confident and in control. Perfect. Why? Because having autonomy over my body deepens my relationship with myself. Why? I feel I can trust myself to do what I know is best for me and my body. Bingo. Can’t argue with that.  There can be numerous reasons why we move. To feel strong, cultivate control, build longevity, ease anxiety, remain social, maintain health or stimulate creativity. When we know our why we can switch the narrative. We start to remember that we get to do this, not have to do this.  Schedule it in your diary:Motivation is a bit of a flake. One minute motivation is calling you 3-4 times a day. Next minute you don’t hear from them in weeks. If we have our movement scheduled it is much more likely that we will follow through regardless of motivations unreliable agenda.  When we make the time to move instead of finding time to move, we are more likely to show up for the person we desire to be. Every Sunday I write down what class, on which day and block out a designated time frame. I am constantly surprised how effective removing the decision can be. When we remove the decision we don’t wake up hoping to feel motivated, we wake up and move into intentional action.  Eliminate obstacles: It goes hand in hand with my above advice. Less decisions, less distractions.Putting the clothes out the night before is the secret sauce and I will stand by this until the day I die. While you’re at it, get the phone on airplane mode. If the clothes are out, the decision has been made, and if the phone is out of sight, let’s hope to god it’s out of mind.  Remember, you don't have to be saved by motivation; you can be empowered by action. Instead of turning away from hard moments, turn towards. It is not always going to feel easy in the moment but it does add up to something far greater and more meaningful in the long run. So, go ahead and make that first move, and let motivational momentum do the talking.  Love, Nicole x  Don't know where to begin? Try this gentle class to ease in. Wanting a little more, try me. 

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Dominique Elissa working out from home

By / Dominique Elissa

Why I love Pilates in the Cooler Months

Movement shouldn’t feel like a chore, it should be part of your lifestyle. By adapting your mindset, it becomes so much easier to stay motivated even in the colder months. Here are my 5 top reasons why I love Pilates, especially during Winter.

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everline imagery

By / Nicole Mitchell

How to transform your at-home workout

The perks of on-demand classes are endless. But sometimes it just doesn’t feel quite right? You might be thinking, how can I get it to feel as good as an in-studio class? We are going to share our best tips on getting that in-studio buzz right in your living room.

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Brigette Clark

By / Nicole & Sascha

5 BENEFITS OF PILATES

If you haven’t given pilates a shot yet then I want to know what rock you've been living under?! I'm kidding! – maybe.  You might be missing out on some yummy benefits for your body and mind.  While many people are familiar with the physical benefits of the workout – stronger core muscles, increased flexibility, better posture etc etc – fewer people know about its mental benefits, such as improved mood and anxiety relief.  Here are 5 reasons you should start Pilates today: Pilates improves your mood. The dynamic movements in Pilates can increase dopamine levels and boost endorphins which gives you that juicy buzz. Mundane day-to-day things just don't seem so... mundane! Pilates increases your flexibility. Pilates incorporates movement that can lengthen your muscles leading to more mobility. It will give you the ability to reach things in far away places and generally just feeling like you're walking on clouds.  Pilates corrects your posture. Pilates is great for correcting muscle imbalances and strengthening your core which can improve your posture.  Pilates elevates your energy levels. The breathing exercises that guide Pilates movements promote good circulation, improve lung capacity and enhance energy levels—helping to invigorate the mind, brain and body. WIN! Pilates builds muscle strength. The Pilates repertoire involves strengthening and aligning the entire body leading to greater strength particularly in the core and glutes. At HOUSE OF SCULPT we have tailored programs to benefit you and your goals. See all our programs here. START YOUR FREE TRIAL

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EVERLINE IMAGERY

By / Blake John Wood

Moment & Martini's w/ Blake John Wood

The most challenging aspect of working in this industry is probably the inconsistency of it all. Jobs can be few & far between at times, so you’ve got to hold yourself accountable and stay  proactive, all the while making time to be human above all else. 

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