"Moeloco" Dream Crazy

Most of you know I'm all for a good cause and a strong believer in helping those in need, where you can and when you can; whether it be through donations, volunteering or fundraising. I've previously written a post about my work with Oz Harvest and my joy of volunteering with them, which you can read here. 

So, when I heard about a new social enterprise in Australia, here in Sydney, that recently started I just knew I had to share this with you and support this local inspiring organisation. So what did I do? Well, in true Jo style, I went direct to the source! 

I contacted Kathy Wong, the Founder and CEO (Chief Energy Officer) of Moeloco - Good 4 Your Sole. I was lucky enough to ask her some questions but before I get into those, let me share a little of Moeloco with you. They design thongs (aka flip flops) with inspirational words on the sole of them so when you're walking in them on the beach the words are imprinted into the sand leaving lovely messages behind you for others to see, smile and be inspired by.

However, what I truly love about Moeloco is that it has gone one step further; they have built the foundation of parallel giving. What does this mean? It simply means that for every pair of Moeloco thong purchased, Moeloco will provide a pair of school shoes to a child in India as part of The Hope Foundation. Simple! You buy a pair and a child receives a pair of shoes - It's a win/win situation for everyone. 

There are over 300 million children without shoes and just by providing these children with a pair of shoes means that you'll assist them with attending school; it's amazing how a pair of shoes can help and encourage a child with attending school. Something that we, Australians, take for granted everyday. I remember when I attended school, there was never a thought about not attending because I didn't have shoes but for these children, it matters.

As I mentioned above I was very lucky to have the opportunity to ask Kathy a few questions about Moeloco:


WHAT DOES "MOELOCO" MEAN?

Moeloco is a combination of two words used to create its name. "Moe" is derived from the Hawaiian word Moehani, meaning "dream" and "loco" is latin for "crazy". Dream Crazy!

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PUT INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES ONTO THE THONGS/FLIP FLOPS?

There were a few reasons. I wanted a product that was something everyone easily recognised and had mass market appeal on a global scale (Dream Crazy). I knew that for me to have a maximum social impact I need to sell lots of product and I felt the flip flop could allow me to do this.

In Australia, the average Aussie has 5 pairs of flip flops. The shoes are also a great vehicle for my story. Here we are in western countries never thinking about shoes; its a given. We just have them, however, in India there are children who will never wear, have or own a pair of shoes in their life and some are dying from the consequences of not having shoes. 

Flip flops usually conjure up positive, good times, holidays, relaxation, the beach and this is a very different, almost polar opposite meaning for these children. From a creative perspective it's a wonderful surface area to work with for inspirational quotes. Moeloco is about inspiring people to chase those seemingly impossible big dreams and in doing so they will naturally make a difference as they affect others with their energy.

HOW DO THE CHILDREN RECEIVE THEIR SHOES?

Hope Foundation makes the decision of which areas of care they feel need the shoes the most at the time we are donating. Moeloco are also jointly being as fair as possible and distributing the shoes over several groups at a time.

WHAT'S ONE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE YOU LIVE BY AND WHY?

"Be the change you want to see in the world." Because it's only that which will create change. It's the only difference between a change-maker and one who just thinks about change. The change-maker thinks and then does.

AS YOU "DREAM (BIG) CRAZY", WHERE DO YOU HOPE MOELOCO WILL BE IN 5-10 YEARS?

I hope Moeloco has global communities everywhere that have inspired people to start their own projects to create positive change in the world. We have to eliminate poverty by creating further opportunities that teach people how to rise above poverty through education. 

I'd like to personally thank Kathy for her time and inspiring change into this world. You can find out more about Moeloco by visiting their website www.moeloco.com and you'll be able to purchase a pair of inspiring thongs (they will forever be thongs to me) for yourself and at the same time a pair of shoes to a child in India. 

Jo xo

Note - This is not a sponsored post and nor was I rewarded. I simply believe in good causes.

Business Chicks & Rachel Zoe

It has been a little while since posting anything to my site; I've been busy in the last week catching up with friends, going to the SoulFest festival last Saturday, catching some sun at the beach, lunching in Surry Hills at Rustic Pearl and trying the amazing food  Centennial Hotel on Sunday! Love weekends!

Today I had the pleasure of hearing the fabulous Rachel Zoe guest speak for Business Chicks. Taking a small step back, I've had a great opportunity to help Business Chicks out with their Sydney events. I've joined their "crew" team that is mostly made up of young girls (and guys) wanting first hand experience in event management so many are either still studying or have just finished and need to gain hands on work experience in the field. I think this is a great opportunity for them.

For me, it's mainly two reasons, given that I do have a full time job in a polar opposite world; 1) I wanted to do something completely different, network and meet new people (OK, maybe that's three reasons into one!) and 2) I love the speakers that Business Chicks has and wanted the opportunity to hear them speak and meet them. So, I figured, I would ask and the lovely Zoe came back to me saying "YES".

Business Chicks runs so smoothly and like clockwork but without the feeling of being rushed or stressed. All the Business Chicks staff are genuinely so lovely, friendly and patient. They are always happy and are able to explain exactly what needs to be done and always with a smile - I would have to say, it would have to be a great team to be working in; very supportive and fun at the same time. 

The "crew" team working together to get the room set up quickly. 

The perks of "crewing" with Business Chicks so far has been meeting different people, seeing and meeting the guest speakers, getting the opportunity to see how things are run in the background and how quickly an event can come together under a small amount of time, and for me, the experience to do something completely different and I'm absolutely enjoying every minute of it.

Back to Rachel Zoe; a stylist, editor and designer in the fashion world and what an amazing life she lives. Originally from New York and now based in LA, Rachel Zoe made a name for herself amongst Hollywood's A list and first hand brought back her love of the vintage era of the 1960's and 1970's. Now a fashion icon to the world, she kindly graced us with her presence on how she handles her love of her career, being a mum to two beautiful boys and a stunning wife to a man she loves and trust with all her heart, Roger. Her and Roger have been together for 23 years (AMAZING! Especially in Hollywood) and being business partners it means that they are together every minute of the day so they had to learn to shut down (from work) and spend quality time together.

Being a mum is something Rachel spoke passionately about and it was clear that it was the best decision she had made. Rachel loves children and it was always clear to her and Roger that she had to be a mother; she was called the "baby whisperer". However, initially, it was difficult for Rachel to get her head around how and when; but since having her children she said "(it) changes everything but for the best possible way".

Rachel's career success comes from being honest and trustworthy and having staff who project these qualities sits high in her world. She loves to nurture people and help them move into something they want to do with their career and she'll provide that support to them as long as they are honest and trustworthy. These two qualities truly resonates with me and it's something that doesn't always happen in the corporate world - corporate politics creep up and people (adults) begin to play games that aren't necessary.

Rachel Zoe on stage.

High Tea menu

The pretty lolly table for the high tea event

Rachel is a down-to-earth person who keeps it real and honest with her friends and family. Listening to her speak today showed the passion she has for her career and really loves what she does but to also listen and hear about the love she has for her family was a side that I respected as it's the real Rachel Zoe.

To Business Chicks, thank you for giving me the opportunity to be involved with you gals. I have an awesome time crewing with you and look forward to many more crewing dates! If you're interested in crewing with Business Chicks, I honestly recommend that you contact them.

Jo x

Andrea's Amazing Wish

I was honoured to a special night with my stunning friend, Sharon Melhem, who had invited me to attend a special Make-A-Wish Australia event fittingly held at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). The event, Andrea's Amazing Wish, was in honour of Andrea Alzened, a beautiful 9 years old girl who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Make-A-Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions to provide hope, inspiration and strength. The power of the wish encourages children to continue fighting and provides them with hope to achieve a dream. Andrea's dream was to be a professional artist where she could have people come and see her work.

Andrea loves art and when she is "doing her artwork it gets her excited and happy and she forgets that she is feeling sick". When Andrea was diagnosed with this horrible disease her mother, Tamar, had enrolled her into art lessons to help her through her treatments. It definitely worked - during her treatments, Andrea would paint, draw and sculpt and loose herself into a pain-free world where she is able to be creative and forget about the reality of what she is going through.

Through the amazing efforts and work of Make-A-Wish, the MCA was truly onboard with this wish and had offered to showcase Andrea's art pieces. Andrea is the youngest person to have her artworks displayed at the MCA, an achievement she and her family would be so proud of and be the envy of many artists, and her artwork is absolutely amazing for someone so young; a natural talent.

Not only did the MCA help Andrea achieve her wish, but Google also heard about Andrea and had commissioned her to create a "Google Doodle" which they will have displayed in their office here in Sydney, Australia. To take it another step further, Sass and Bide has enlarged one of Andrea's painting and is displaying it in their Brisbane office and provided a beautiful treat to Andrea and her sister by custom making dresses for them to wear on the opening night of Andrea's art exhibition. 

On this night, Andrea became an official artist; she kindly offered two of her art pieces to be auctioned off and with the money raised, she donated it to Make-A-Wish so that they can continue providing wishes for other children. This is a beautiful and selfless act I've seen and experience; not only has Andrea gone, and still is, going through so much with her treatments, but she is still willing to give to help others. For a 9 years old girl, she has a very big heart. 

Currently the stats show that approximately 2,000 children around Australia are diagnosed with a life-threatning medical condition and Make-A-Wish have granted 500 wishes, so there is so much more to grant and more funds are needed to help grant these wishes. I encourage you to donate today and help make wishes like Andrea come true.

To help raise awareness and much needed funds to make these wishes come true, Sharon Melhem founded Shine & Dine, an annual fundraiser in support of Make-A-Wish Foundation. Her amazing work and dedication has helped Make-A-Wish provide more wishes to these children and their families, giving them hope, strength and joy. It provides them with a goal to aim for and for a moment, helps them forget about the reality they are currently going through.

The annual Shine & Dine is set for next year and is schedule for 5 June 2015. Mark this special occasion into your calendar and come support an amazing event and have a fabulous night. I'll be there and I hope to see you there!

To Make-A-Wish Foundation - personally, I'd like to say, what an amazing job you do and the power of a wish you provide goes beyond what a child dreams of. Keep up with the great work!

To Sharon - you have a massive heart that goes around the universe. The annual Shine & Dine event you organise, the support you provide and the energy you create is truly amazing. You are a beautiful person both inside and outside and I am so lucky to call you my friend.

Jo x

I Love Food!

On Saturday I was volunteering for OzHarvest at Eveleigh Markets, one of my favourite farmer markets here in Sydney and I had a very interesting discussion with one of the other volunteers. Phil and I were the only two on Saturday for the afternoon shift and although we have worked together before, this was the first time we've really had a opportunity to get to know each other outside of volunteering. This is what I love about volunteering, the joy of meeting new people and hearing about their lives.

I found out that by trade, Phil was a professional baker. He now focuses and works with people on food safety but still continues to bake and cook beautiful real food for family and friends (I'm waiting for my invite!). We had an interesting discussion about the current food fads such as the benefits of coconut (milk, cream, water), chia seeds, going dairy free, following the paleo diet and so on. I mean, how did the world survive without coconut previously? Firstly, my disclaimer, I'm not against these food fads and/or diets, I do respect them for what they are and how it has helped many people who are wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. I, myself, have tried and tested some of these fads. 

We did both agree that, although these food fads are encouraging positive health for many people, we both enjoy real food. The real test question, "are you a margarine or butter person?" Butter, butter, butter! Butter all the way for me and the reason is because I know it's real natural food, not something that is man made. Did you know that margarine is black and that food colouring is used to make it similar to butter! Ewwww!

I had recently read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled "Is Camel Milk the New Superfood?" It states that it's already popular in North America, the Middle East and Asia and had been known as a health tonic with the health conscious claiming that it can help "a range of disorders including diabetes, autism, digestive problems and food allergies." If this is the new superfood, I guess we'll be seeing, camel milk ice cream, cheese, labnah, yoghurt etc. Something to keep an eye out for in 2015!

For me, food, like most things in life, should be consumed in moderation. Minimise the amount of processed food consumed but don't give up on the things you enjoy. If you're anything like me, I love ice cream and this is the one thing that I cannot (or I should say, will not) give up but obviously, don't eat so much of it. Well, personally, I would if I could! I believe that fresh organic food is best for you but again, don't kick yourself if you can't get organic. Not everything in my cupboard or fridge is organic. There are weeks where I'm not able to get to the farmers markets and the most convenient shop on the way home for me is an IGA.

I am a supporter of fresh and local which is why I do encourage shopping at your local farmers markets and supporting local businesses. Plus, just try it, when you eat fresh and local, the taste is so much more than something that has been frozen and shipped in from another country.

I'm not a food critic but my social life does revolve around food from popular venues, small hole in the wall places, recent pop-ups and street festivals showcasing local talents. Trying new venues and trying different types and styles of food and drinks is a pleasure I enjoy and I'm lucky that many of my friends also enjoy it as well. Sydney has really grown up when it comes to food and I would have to say it's one of the most amazing cities in the world where you'll get a stunning harbour, lushes beaches and fabulous food and drinks. We sure are on the map for amazing local food and drinks.

Summer is here and I encourage you to get out there and try our amazing cafes, restaurants, pop-ups, farmers markets, local street festivals and many more. I'm always on the look out for something new to try and experience; if there is somewhere you love and think I'll love it too (I probably will), let me know and I'll go try it out. I'd love to hear where what your favourite food or drink is and favourite place to eat. I may join you! 

Happy eating!

Jo x

Volunteering & Eveleigh Markets

Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2014

Spent my morning taking in the sights and sounds of Eveleigh Markets located at Redfern where the Carriageworks are located. It's a stunning community farmers market held every Saturday from 8am - 1pm, where you'll find the most amazing local, fresh, organic and artisan produce including beautiful flowers on offer. 

This is one of my most favourite farmers markets to come to every Saturday where I can taste many of the delicious food; including, steak sandwiches, cupcakes, organic breads, muesli, fudge, coffee and many many more! Other than tasting the many variety of food, I also do my weekly food shop here as I know that the produce is local, fresh and I'm supporting the local community.

Early start at Eveleigh.  Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2014.

Beautiful fresh flowers at Eveleigh. Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2014

Today was a special day at Eveleigh; I spent my morning volunteering for OzHarvest, a charity close to my heart and a charity that I believe in very much. OzHarvest is essentially a perishable food rescue organisation collecting quality excess food from many food providers including supermarkets, farmers markets, major events such as The City to Surf, and cafes to name a few; it is then delivered to over 500 charities to provide a nourish meal to those in need. 

Photo Credit: OzHarvest

I've been volunteering for OzHavest for a few years now and every moment has been fun and enjoyable. There are so many events to volunteer at and it's provided me with the opportunities to attend many events (The CEO Cook-Off, The Good Food Month, The Yoga Festival in Bondi) that I wouldn't normally attend and also meet many talented and fun chefs.

Why do I volunteer? Well, I find it so rewarding; a reward that money can't buy! The feeling you get when volunteering is indescribable; you just have to spend time doing something that is not for you and you'll know what I mean. Every time I've volunteered I've walk away feeling so good about myself and knowing that I have been helping (feed) someone more than me.  I'm lucky that I earn an income where I'm able to purchase food and provide myself a nourishing meal; there are many people out there, children to adults, young to old, who don't receive a meal and don't have the funds to provide for themselves so this is where OzHarvest truly helps and supports them. 

Another positive aspect of volunteering is the wonderful people I have met along the way. I've been fortunate to meet other volunteers and have made fabulous friendships, the OzHarvest staff, many of the providers such as the providers as Eveleigh Markets, many celebrity chefs and the most amazing experience is meeting the general public and speak to them about OzHarvest, what we do and why I believe and support them. 

Taylor Square Christmas Markets 2013.    Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2013

CEO Cook-Off at Carriageworks 2014.   Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2014.

Think.Eat.Save. 2014 @ Martin Place.  Photo Credit: Dreams & Sparkle 2014.

If you don't already, I encourage you to volunteer. You can find out more about OzHarvest, by clicking on the links, or find an organisation that is close to your heart, means a lot to you and you support because when it's something you believe in and something you're passionate about, it's not a chore, it's a desire to want to spend time helping.

I would love to hear about your own volunteering experiences and who you support. Please let me know by leaving a comment.  If you're exploring Eveleigh Markets, come find me at the OzHarvest stand; I would love to meet you!

Happy volunteering!

Jo x