Join us as we go from chaos to control...

Oh my God, something has happened.

I’m trying to stay calm. I’m taking deep, steadying breaths. I am calm. I am calm.

I HAVE JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY 20 YEAR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION IS ON IN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS.

Apparently it’s been on the boil all year. Had I known it was even a possibility I would have been straight on the plane to Thailand for affordable cosmetic surgery.

I kid (I’m not kidding).

I had a plan. I’ve been planning my attendance at my high school reunion with the same, psychotic, unnecessary hysteria I planned my wedding with. I was going to:

1. Have my teeth repaired and whitened;
2. Get a gorgeous, expensive and amazing haircut and colour that takes years off me;
3. Have all my stray hairs lasered;
4. Grow my nails longer and stronger;
5. Lose weight and tone up;
6. Eat healthier foods so I look healthy and happy;
7. Save up and buy an expensive outfit and matching shoes that don’t look like I’ve tried too hard. ‘Effortlessly chic’ is what I wanted people to whisper as I floated by;
8. Learn how to do my makeup properly.

Clearly this now wasn’t going to happen. I can’t afford 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 and I don’t have time for them either.

To add insult to injury I just got the worst haircut of my life from a random hairdresser I found at my local shopping centre. I look hideous and wherever that hairdresser is now I hope she has severe hay fever or an unsightly yet temporary facial rash.

Suffice to say I am at DEFCON 9. I am in a state of absolute panic.

Jo pauses to take some deep, steadying breaths…

Thank goodness we have the iVillage ‘Chaos to Control’ three month program kicking off to help get my life, and your life, in order. Over the next 12 weeks we will offer you advice on everything you need to do to shake up your life. Afterwards you’ll be a happy, healthier, more organised version of yourself, the self you’ve always wanted to be.

I’ve realised that I normally live in a constant state of chaos. Everything is done in a state of panic. What I was missing was control. I am in charge of my life, my food, my schedule, my health and that’s an important role, the MOST important role. The more attention I pay to controlling everything that is important to me, the more successful and enjoyable I find each and every day. It makes me feel happier, healthier, more confident, stronger and I even think I’m going to be able to walk into my high school reunion without doing a few shots first.

Well, maybe just one.

Lick, sip, suck!

No really, for the next few weeks if you see me eating a donut or snacking on chocolate SLAP IT OUT OF MY HAND. I absolutely have to look fabulous. I'm not normally so vain but it's my school reunion! Plus I should start being a little more healthy. I'm not getting any younger!

Join me in my journey from chaos to control...

MONTH ONE

WEEK 1

30 ways to lose weight and drop a dress size in 30 days

Did you know you can drop a dress size in just a month? It can be done by making some simple changes to your lifestyle that don't involve food deprivation and sweating it out in a gym. All you need to do is swap some of your food choices, walk more, get your beauty sleep and breathe baby, breathe.

Check out all of our simple tips here.

Top 30 spring foods for weight loss

Spring is the perfect time to over-haul your diet with some delicious fruits and vegetables in season and waiting to help you trim your waistline. Our favourites are delicious sugar snap peas, asparagus, strawberries and all those amazing stone fruits. You'll never go hungry.

Discover the best spring weight loss foods here.

WEEK 2

20 easy ways to cut calories

There are some simple, smart food swaps that you can use to cut calories. Also, with some small changes in your daily habits, you could save yourself hundreds of calories every single week, leaving you healthier and lighter.

Find our simple tips here

Ready to start exercising? No more excuses and stick with it!

We can all come up with a million excuses not to exercise. Sometimes we get started and have a great couple of weeks or months, only to abandon our efforts when the weather gets cold. Now that it's Spring there is no more time for excuses. Commit to improve your physical health today.

Find out how to start exercising and how to keep it up here.

WEEK 3

Our favourite motivating diet and fitness quotes

We all need help with staying motivated from to time. These motivating diet and fitness quotes will inspire you to take your fitness and health to the next level.

Read through all our amazing quotes here.

Home organising hacks

Do you think you don't have time to prioritise your health and fitness. Think again. With these brilliant home organising hacks you'll save yourself so much time you won't have any excuses left not to get in some time to exercise and cook healthy meals.

See all our amazing home organising hacks here.

WEEK 4

Playground workout you can do while the kids play

Our children get plenty of exercise. They are always running and playing and climbing. But what about us? Here is a brilliant workout you can do while the kids run around at the playground. Talk about multitasking.

Learn about our brilliant playground workout here.

9 ways to break the cycle of comfort eating

If we all ate only when we were hungry, we'd be set, but unfortunately for mums stress is a huge contributor to overeating. We reach for comfort foods like chocolate, lollies and even the kids leftovers. But it doesn't have to be this way. Break the cycle of comfort eating once and for all with these handy hints.

Read our full list of tips here.

MONTH TWO

Week 1

Make your kitchen diet-friendly

A diet-friendly kitchen is can make or break your healthy eating plans. You don't have to throw the food away and waste it. You can throw a party or give it away and then by the time Monday rolls around, start with a clean slate and NO TEMPTATION.

We can help you make your kitchen diet-friendly here.

30 days, 30 ways to organise your home

An organised home leads to an organised mind. Why not get your home in perfect shape along with your health. We have 30 brilliant ways to organise your home and they're not as difficult as you think.

Follow our amazing tips here.

Week 2

24 snacks under 300 calories

One of the key features of any successful healthy eating plan is snacking smart. When the sugar cravings hit have one of these delicious snacks ready to go and you'll be healthier and much fuller than you would be if you ate chocolate instead. Luckily, they are delicious.

See our amazing snacks here.

50 clever ways to organise your home

To change your life properly you need to change your environment. Nothing calms the mind more than a need and tidy home. Organise your things and you'll never waste time searching for things again. This will leave you with lots more time to do the things you want to do.

View our easy ways to organise your home here.

Week 3

30 minutes to a sleek physique

Exercise doesn't have to take hours each week. In just 30 minutes you can get results, as long as you exercise in the right way. Try this amazing workout you can do anywhere.

Follow our amazing workout here.

Healthy dinners for the whole family

There is no easier time to eat healthily than Spring. These amazing dinner recipes will help you improve your families health. You won't need to make a separate meal for you and your family. You children will love these dishes.

Discover our amazing recipes here.

Week 4

30 ways to get a better sleep

Getting a great night's sleep is the best beauty tip you can ever follow. Nothing can repair fatigue, puffiness and red eyes. A good night's sleep is even being promoted as a key element in treating mood disorders. The tip is to get as much shut eye as you can.

Follow our great sleeping tips here.

16 ways to boost your metabolism without really trying

Dieting and exercise is all you can do to maintain optimum health, right? Wrong. Increase your metabolism with our brilliant tips and burn calories while doing nothing much at all.

Check out our amazing metabolism boosters here.

MONTH THREE

Week 1

30 days, 30 ways to stress less

Stress can be a killer. It makes it hard to do even the simplest things but unfortunately with our crazy lives, it's here to stay. We need to take control of our stress levels and ensure we can reduce it quickly and effectively.

Learn our amazing stress less tips here.

How to stay slim and trim over Christmas

Christmas is not the time to diet, right? That doesn't have to mean you put on weight either. You can maintain your weight and health over the festive season with these simple steps.

Find out how here.

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4