My friend, Chris Owen, has joined our “A Word with” series. I asked Chris about how her business Pink Apple got started, what keeps her organised so she can focus on that business, what she does when she’s not working, recipes that shorten time in the kitchen and even what her shoe collection looks like. So here’s a Word with Chris Owen…
The last 20 years of my previous career as a nurse were spent working with couples adjusting to new parenthood or coping with the traumas of IVF while grieving their infertility. Both situations are extraordinarily stressful and impact on couples not just individuals. In the meantime, my husband and I were continuing to learn how to be married and happy. While we’re still learning, it’s now 37 years so I guess we’ve got some practice under our belts!! So for me when I studied education and counselling, relationships were really where my interests lay. Hence why Pink Apple is focused on delivering resources to help couples have better and satisfying relationships.
Those who know me know I’m a shocking gadget queen!!! I loves me the occasional toy!!!! So there’s no question that my iPhone, iPad, and Outlook on my desktop, all synchronise using Google Sync. And thanks to wireless and Google I don’t even have to do anything but enter appointments into one of them! LOVE it! Hated the heavy diary I used to lug around and struggled to sync the Palm Pilot I used to own!!
I’ve already confessed to my gadget fetish so I can smugly say I have about 8 pairs of shoes. But it’s not quite as frugal as it sounds. Walking hospital corridors for all those years has meant my feet are ruined and constantly painful. So I have shoes and orthotics to manage that. None of the shoes are pretty and none have a heel any more. Sigh! But even at my worst it was only ever about 20 pairs. My hubby thought that was an outrageous number, so I had to enlighten him about some women I know!!
The hardest thing about getting organised is overcoming that voice in my head that says “but I might need that”. With Angela’s help I’m a lot more ruthless and I’ve got much better at throwing something out if I bring something in. I also have more regular decluttering sessions in which I can actually be much more ruthless. I once helped my sister declutter her kitchen when she was about to move house. She’s never forgiven me for insisting that her “stupid fondue thingy” would never come back into fashion again!
After all these years of waiting for children to grow and leave home, my husband and I at last got to start travelling earlier this year. And oh dear! The travel bug has well and truly bitten us. My dream travel location has always been Ireland. I’ve always felt my ancestors calling me from there. On our trip, we toured around Ireland for a couple of weeks, and there’s no doubt we’ll go back again to that magical place! However, I also discovered Paris! Need I say more?
One of my favourite throw-together meals uses stuff that we have in our pantries and fridges. It’s essentially a flavoured Baked Potato without the oven!
Get a clean non-green potato per person (Or is it just me that finds the occasional potato gone green in the pantry?). Gather any of these ingredients or anything you wish to substitute.
- Canned salmon
- Canned baked beans
- Butter/margarine
- Garlic butter
- Pesto
- Sour cream
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Tomato
- Lettuce
- Coleslaw
- Thin sliced capsicum (raw or from jar of fire-roasted)
- Sliced beetroot
- Grated carrot/zucchini
- Mushroom
- Canned corn
- Seeded mustard
- Cooked bacon pieces (if you want to cook then chop and do in a bowl in microwave with some paper towel under and over)
- And of course salt and pepper as desired.
Pierce potato with a skewer a few times and cook whole in the microwave. They take somewhere between 1-4 mins per potato, depending on size and density/waxiness so do them one minute at a time and pierce to check! When cooked cut through the centre and divide again (as many times as you wish) then place on a plate/ in pasta bowl and add any ingredients as desired.
Chris Owen of Pink Apple is a Relationship Coach/Advisor to people who fear that their relationship might not stand the test of time. She helps them become skilled and confident at avoiding old destructive relationship behaviours.
She’s Melbourne-based but hangs out on the internet a lot! You can subscribe to her blog or follow her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/Chris.PinkApple
