Introducing Go-To service for Mums - McGrath Estate Agents

I would like to introduce you to our second business within our Mums Go-to Directory.  It is my aim to create a go-to directory of recommended and endorsed businesses that help to make your life easier - no more searching for the right service - we will list it for you.

With 2013 approaching, I was speaking with Jason Featon, my Real Estate Agent in the Eastern Suburbs. We discussed what to avoid when buying and selling property in the Eastern Suburbs for 2013. Jason comments that ‘It is all about timing.’

’One of the first things your agent should consider is if the timing is right for you and secondly, is the timing right for your demographic to organise the best strategy for you and your property.

A simple consideration is school holidays. Is your target buyer demographic young families? If so, then you should work around the school holidays. If your  buyer demographic is  mainly young singles and  as a  family you can utilise this time by going away during the marketing period of the home to minimise the inconvenience of cleaning the and setting up, along with taking the family out a couple of times each week to show the home to perspective buyers.

Other consideration for 2013 is the Federal Election. Looking at previous years around the month of a federal election, the property market slows in the Eastern Suburbs. If possible, ensure the main part of the campaign for your property does not land in the middle of the election.

One other holiday period to think about is Public holidays. This can be a concern if your demographic is young professionals as they commonly organise their holidays around the public holidays to maximise their time off during the year.

These are some of the factors to consider for 2013 by utilising timing around you and your particular demographic of potential buyers. This is key to a successful result because if buying or selling, your success will be based on your competition and putting your property ahead of the rest.’

If you like to know more about this or any other property related questions feel free to contact Jason Featon on 0404 805 471 or jasonfeaton@mcgrath.com.au

Jason Featon

McGrath Estate Agents

Licensed Residential Sales Agent

M   0404 805 471

D   02 8622 4517

E   jasonfeaton@mcgrath.com.au

Testimonial from a young family that sold their home through Jason 

'We would highly recommend using Jason as a sales agent. From the outset Jason has proven himself to be a highly skilled and effective agent. In our first meeting it was evident that Jason had considerable knowledge of the area and of the market. His advice and direction has been 100% correct throughout this process.

During the sale Jason was professional and easy to deal with. He was always available to us and made sure that we were kept up to date with the progress of the campaign at all times. This professional nature is a credit to Jason as he was able to deal with all the potential buyers and was able to get the best possible outcome for us using his skills.

Jason more than impressed us with his knowledge, skill and enthusiasm. It wasn’t just during our sale that Jason helped us, he was available with invaluable advice as we were looking for our next property.

We would not hesitate to use Jason as a sales agent again and would strongly recommend to anyone thinking of selling to use Jason.'

Elleni Daniels & David Matheson

Mum of the Moment - Meet Jasmin

Without our wonderful mums and bubs Body Beyond Baby just would not be.  Each month we like to celebrate your achievements and recognise the hard work that you put into your training and life as a mum.  This month we would like you to meet our Mum of the Moment for November - Jasmin.  You may recognise Jasmin as one of our joint winners of the 12 Week Winter Challenge.

Jas was nominated for Mum of the Moment by a number of other Body Beyond Baby mums who wanted to thank her for her support and motivation during the current 8 week challenge.  This comment from Jade says it all,  ’Jas, your food ideas, logs of your runs & home work outs, motivational posts & questions about what we're all up to have been great. I've followed your recipes, gone for runs because you've managed to squeeze them in & looked at how I could get more out of my challenge because of all your involvement. We don't know each other & we've only trained together a few times in the Saturday sessions, but its been nice to feel like we're all one big group doing this together - you get my vote.’

 

As a thank you to our Mum of the Moment and a congratulations for all of her hard work, Jas will receive a voucher for Plenty Kitchen and Tableware in Bondi Junction.  

Meet Jasmin

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hi! My name is Jasmin and I am delighted to receive the Mum of the Moment award (actually I'm stunned!)  I am the Mum to Layla (2 1/2 yrs old) and wife to Daniel. We live in Queens Park having both grown up in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. When I am not training or looking after Layla, I work part time as the Industrial Relations Manager for GrainCorp here in Sydney.

What made you decide to join your second Body Beyond Baby challenge - Find Your Summer Body?

I decided to join this challenge after the amazing success I had on the Watch Your Winter Waistline Winter Challenge. I lost just under 12kg in 12 weeks and apart from the weight loss, I can truly say that I found myself. Having struggled with my weight my entire life despite diets and trainers, I felt like I had finally found something that worked in a supportive environment of mums and now great friends. Continuing onto my second challenge felt like a 'no brainer'! I was on a roll and wanted to see how far I could go. At the end of the winter challenge, I was not only below my goal weight but lower than I could ever remember weighing.

What has been your Body Beyond Baby highlight so far?

My highlight would be my 15kg weight loss and the doors (physically, emotionally and mentally) it has opened. I feel like a new person, with new drive and purpose.

What has been your greatest challenge?

I can honestly say that going grain free, sugar free and training 6 days a week has not been my challenge. My greatest challenge has been actually accepting the change. When I look in the mirror, I often see the same person. It is only when I put on my old (fat) clothes do I realise actually how far I have come. For some reason I always imagined that losing the weight would make me a different person. In reality it has made me a better person - a better Mum, wife, sister, friend and daughter.

Tell us about your Stampede experience?

I am the first to admit that I don't like getting dirty or hurt so when the opportunity to run The Stampede arose, my hands were firmly by my side. However, having seen how much fun the girls who did Tough Bloke Challenge had, and wondering whether I could complete such a course, I decided to dedicate myself to the experience and use it as a training goal. I trained each Sunday for the preceding 8 weeks in addition to my 4-5 training sessions each week. I added a 5km run to my program (until now I have never been able to run but it was, and continues to me a goal) as well as training to complete the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge run in the days before the Stampede.

On the day of the Stampede, I was pumped. I was so proud of the effort I had put in and that I had arrived at the start line in great physical condition. The race itself tested me physically and mentally. When I saw the end of the 5km challenge approaching, I dug deep and realised that I was actually enjoying the experience and coping with the physical demands. As a result I decided to join the group and push on to the 10km course. The second half really challenged me physically and mentally. Having the girls in orange around me kept me going. Having Amy’s support throughout the course kept me going and on track. When I saw the finish line and the final mud crawl I was so excited. To have my husband watch me and cheer me on made me feel so proud. To be able to stand at the end of the challenge muddy, scratched, bruised and still smiling is a true testament that anything is possible! I had many thoughts while I was running, about all the things in life I have considered to be too hard and how if I could do this then maybe those things were also obtainable. I have to admit, I am an over achiever and hate to fail. If I commit to something, I do it 150%. Training and the Stampede was no different.

What has been your family’s reaction to your new fitness regime?

They are delighted. They have watched and supported me over the years as I tried all different things. I had my first gym membership at 14 years of age and despite all of my efforts, I have been overweight for as long as I can remember. Overall, they are happy to see me happy and that I have been able to overcome the burden of weight in the process.

How do you feel when you receive such supportive comments from mums you hardly know?

Now I am blushing!  One of the reasons I really got into making this life change was because I too was inspired by a former work colleague in Brisbane who changed her diet and exercise with amazing results. She inspired me to ensure Layla ate well and that I set a positive example for her.

This comment reminds me of why I consider myself a member of the Body Beyond Baby community. I have run and exercised with countless groups, but Body Beyond Baby has brought a different dimension. I consider my training with the group to be about my physical and mental health too. I love seeing my new training friends and building new relationships in person and on facebook. Having such an amazing group of friends as a support network keeps me going. I can only hope that my journey continues to inspire others and in turn they also provide further inspiration to other Mums.

8) Do you have anything else to add?

Lately, people stop me to ask how I lost the weight. What I like to tell them is that I have been on a long journey. There have been ups and downs, success and failure. Despite the experience, I feel that I have finally found something that works. Everyone is different and their journey will be different. Overall, I came to realise that I had been in an abusive relationship with food for all of my life. Despite the love I showed these foods, all they did was treat me badly. So, I gained the courage to break up with my bad habits and started a new life. There is no looking back for me now. All I have to decide is what my next challenge will be.

A huge thanks to Jen for her friendship, support, guidance, motivation and energy. I have met many trainers but not many who are passionate about bigger issues and run such a professional business. The Body Beyond Baby model appeals to me on so many levels - professionally, morally, physically and emotionally.  I am proud to be a member and hope to inspire others to join my journey. Without the BBB Mum Community, the benefits and support would not be the same. I look forward to celebrating at the end of year party with you all – my new friends and motivation xxx.

Mum of the Moment is proudly sponsored by

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Body Beyond Baby does The Stampede

It's towards the end of the year that many of us including myself begin to reflect on the year that has been.  There may be things we look back on and wish they had gone differently - it is important to remember that everything that happens to us in life is there for a reason, to allow ourselves to experience everything we face whether it feels good or bad and to know it is part of our journey.

Many of us will look back on 2012 and feel good about the things we have done, the experiences we have had and what we have achieved.  For me, yesterday was an amazing example of something I am very proud to be a part of.  We took a team of 30 mums to take part in The Stampede - a 5 or 10k obstacle course. We had been training on a Sunday morning for the last 8 weeks and it all came together in an event that lasted around 2hours.  At the start of the race our team was split about 70/30 in favour of the 5km BUT as we approached the 5km mark the buzz about the team was that they wanted to charge on and finish the 10km.  Any evidence of being registered for the 5km was removed and they charged on ahead taking the 10km fork in the road ready to face another, totally unexpected 5km's of mud, obstacles and FUN!!!

The course was harder for some than others but the sense of being a team, working together to overcome every obstacle that was put in front of us was awesome - watching people choose to wait for others when they could have gone charging ahead and having a team of 30 all waiting at the finish line until every single person had completed so we could all cross together was very cool.  I am so proud of each and every one of you and would like to thank you for making what I do every single day such an amazing experience.

Body Beyond Baby is about creating communities of mums that come together to support each other through health and fitness.  I am extremely privileged to be surrounded by a group of wonderful mums who are all looking out for each other.  Yesterday was a display of what you are doing for each other on a daily basis - from supporting each other within your training, sharing healthy recipes, bouncing child related issues off each other and offering support through the friendships you have made and carrying this outside of your weekly training.  I get so excited when I hear of you organising the men in your life to look after your children (and the children of dads that aren't around for any reason)so that you can all take some mummy time out for exercise or any other reason.  

I learn more about each of you every day and would like to thank you for being such inspiring, motivated and caring women and I LOVE having you as part of my world.  

Now here's a few pics from yesterday

More pics to come......