Hello Gorgeous – so nice to meet you!!!

Let me introduce myself… Officially I am Em Ehlers but most people tend to just call me Olive nowadays. And I am totally cool with that! I am a Life and Health Coach in training here in sunny Perth (Australia). I am also a public speaker and workshop facilitator on all things green – from living plastic free, to kids activities and eco DIY solutions around the home.

Putting it bluntly… I love all things wellness, eco and creative.

I also love my family which is made up of my gorgeous husband (Mark), two dogs (Allen and Pug), two fish (Uday and Latif) and the most recent addition to the household our adorable daughter, Lucy.

Becoming Better: My Story

As cheesy as it sounds; I am on a journey. After many, many years of complaining about myself and the direction I was going I decided this year that I would stop complaining and change course. I will be well. I will be green. I will be fulfilled. I will be kind. I will be happy.

And… most importantly… I will share with the world exactly how I achieve all those things! Warts and all. Revelations and meltdowns. Kick-starts and setbacks. That’s right… this little blog is effectively my anecdotal travel journal through the ups and downs of becoming better. Not perfect… I have no interest in shooting for that star… just better.

I have always struggled with anxiety issues, depression, panic attacks, drinking too much, exercising too little and basically being a bit down on myself. In the past this has led me to give up on my dreams, sometimes not honour my intentions and not allow myself to shine as bright as I know I can.

When I – in a moment of brave vulnerability – shared how I felt on my Instagram account I was amazed at the response. SO many people felt the same way! People that I thought were perfect and ‘had it all together’. And people emailed me similar sentiments about myself. That is what made me decide on my path change  to become a Life Coach and to live a life that I will be proud to look back on.

SO… I am currently my own case study. I am willing to share the ups and downs of my life-recovery, the knowledge I gather throughout my health and wellness studies and all the ways I change my habits to live a simple, eco life.

Photo courtesy of White Tulip Photography

My Mission

To inspire you to be gorgeously green.

Whether you are sick of feeling shit, are looking for a crafty upcycling project for a rainy day or just want a few tips on how to be a conscious consumer I hope my story helps you achieve that.

Treasure yourself. Treasure the planet.

Be gorgeously green.

So there I am. Warts and all… my past,  my dreams and my future. If you want to connect with me I am always happy to hear from readers, bloggers, companies, organisations and any other genre that you fall under. Hell… if you want to just say hi, go for it! For my contact details click here.

And if that’s not enough!…

Here are 20 trivial but nonetheless vital snippets about me;

1. I am obsessed with Dr Seuss; his view of the world was colourful and kind. I am well on my way to owning every book he has written.
2. All of my toes are exactly the same length.
3. My favorite movies are; The Intouchables, Good Will Hunting, Ruby Sparks, Into the Sticks, How to Train your Dragon and The Kings Speech.
4. I love writing lists. 
5. I get asked once a week if I am a swimmer because I have very broad shoulders. I used to absolutely hate them and my friends had/have a field day teasing me about them. They took particular glee during the Surf Life Saving Championships in the Gold Coast where a million people said to me “so you are obviously here for the Surf Life Saving”. But hey… I’ve learnt to love ‘em!
6. I cannot resist Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs.
7. I was teased in Year 8 (at the ripe old age of 12) when I revealed my celebrity crush was Anthony Hopkins.
8. My favorite place in the world is Ubud (the mountain region of Bali).
9. I lived on the Gold Coast for 2 years. Moving over there was the second best decision i’ve ever made. Moving back was the first.
10. I name all my houseplants. Currently I have Atoul, Modoc, Jessica, Wangari, Timothy, Philippe, Mohandis and Rapunzel.
11. I love folk music and have a secret obsession with Australian Hip Hop.
12. I wrote my first eco ‘novel’ when I was 6. It was called “The Snail that Lost his Shell” and it followed a snail who could only find a littered glue lid to replace his shell.
13. I am terrified of flying. I am talking hyperventilation and completely non-discreet public meltdowns. My husband refuses to fly with me because it is too embarrassing.
14. I collect old things and animal figurines.
15. Back in 1990 I was a 4 year old, living in England and our house was broken into and ransacked. The police officers came and while they were surveying the scene I came up and whispered “I know who did this”. Thinking I had seen something sordid they (along with my parents) asked me to tell them what I meant. “Here, I’ll show you” I said as I ran towards the kitchen. I went to the bottom cupboard and flung the doors open and gestured dramatically towards the newly organised cupboard. “Saddam Hussein has come to my beautiful country and he has stolen my Bakewell Tarts!” My very embarrassed mum had to explain that she had recently rearranged the cupboards and moved my favorite Bakewell Tarts to a higher, less Emily-prone location.
16. I am terrible at putting together clothes. Terrible.
17. I am OCD about my cupboards.
18. I have a weird and whacky job history including mushroom picker, dolphin photographer and Aquaduck tour-guide to name a few.
19. I believe everyone should volunteer at least once a year.
20. I find it very hard to stay still.