#10: Lately...
How to use AI to your advantage, why we're considering homeschooling, and I'm back on TikTok.
Most days, Sammy and I talk about getting a car. With three kiddos — six, four and 18 months — it’s a little absurd that we don’t have one.
A) I’m a dreamer. I like to think Melbourne is as much of a walking city as Paris. If I can walk everywhere there, I can walk everywhere here. Or catch the tram — although not really with a pram. I’m too worried cars won’t stop. And the small steps are impossible juggling Velzy and two cheeky rabbits on scooters.
B) I’d prefer to save the money. Every morning we see parking inspectors giving out tickets as we do school drop-off. Oh, bad luck. Except — that would likely be our bad luck if we had a car. We got ours towed a fair few times back in the day (Melbourne, most of our early 20s). Petrol. Rego. Insurance. Repayments. I’m sure there’s something else I’ve forgotten.
But Sammy and Ocean may or may not have popped into a car dealership over the weekend. I didn’t even realise they were gone. Velzy honey cakes was snoozing for her midday nap. I thought Sammy was downstairs with the boys. Turns out he and Ocean were off seeing a few Rangey Sports.
We’ve had one of our best financial years as consultants. And yet, half goes immediately on tax. Interest rates keep rising on our mortgage. Rent. School fees, kindergarten, childcare. HECS. Super. Insurance. The increasing cost of living and monthly expenses for a family of five — are high.
When did children’s haircuts become 113 dollars, each? And yet we still pay — because we value skill, and quality (and the boys' last three haircuts were disasters, so we're going to Sammy's hairdresser).
How do we make financial progress, with the accumulation of trying to make good choices daily? Safe cars…good education…spray-free berries. Even as entrepreneurs with multiple streams of revenue?
Because we aren’t really chasing wealth — deep down, we’re chasing freedom.
We were recently at Yiaga for my birthday. They had a last-minute group cancellation and asked a few couples on the waiting list if they’d be happy to dine together.
Oh, why not?!
It was such a fun day — our first having all three cubs at school/daycare/kinder.
Two business owners in their 50s sat across the table from Sammy and me. They'd put their three boys through one of the top private boys' schools in Melbourne. The dad had gone there himself. But upon reflection, they said they’d do it differently. Which is always interesting to hear, as we start to navigate our children’s education. When we asked how, they said they'd definitely go co-ed. They also found the footy culture often overpowering — and the school environment still very much homophobic. It’s sad to hear. Especially raising two boys.
Tennis, ballet, drama, skiing. Hehe the dream. And archery! (Atlas calling out from the other room.) They all love music — I can see Sammy DJing with the boys in Ibizaaaaa. Velzy on a billboard at Paris Opera à la Margot Robbie avec Chanel.
Sammy and I are really questioning the education path we always thought was best. A good school. A good college. Is this what Gen Alpha (and Velzy is almost Gen Beta) will want…or even need?
A reel recently popped up of a family who homeschool their children.
Their caption:
In an AI world these are the subjects we focus on: drama and performing arts, art, entrepreneurship, outdoor education, philosophy and debate, physical education, practical life skills.
It’s so good. I forwarded it to Sammy.
Could we…? The question has stayed with me.
Ironically though, I have an AI assistant.
His name is Claude. (Haha it's a good name, why change it).
Women using AI is still not widely talked about. And I don't think it's because we're resisting it (although some may) — it just doesn't speak to us.
Sammy has been using Chat for roughly two years. It never appealed to me.
An entrepreneur I follow in the Netherlands mentioned casually at the end of one of her posts that Claude was helping her because English isn't her first language. Hang on — we can be chic, live with intention and still use AI? I was intrigued.
The first time I asked Claude a question IT BLEW MY MIND.
Within days, I had converted Sammy. Although he still uses different AIs.
I was trying to explain AI to my sister-in-law recently, waiting for pizza to arrive at Ocean's birthday. This is the example I gave:
Sammy was in Officeworks with Velzy, looking for a box to pack our coffee machine for Tassie. Google era Sammy: search our coffee machine, click on the website, find the specific product, scroll down to see if they list dimensions. Match them against what's in front of him.
Instead, he asked Claude: what cardboard box at Officeworks best fits the Breville Oracle Jet? Boom. He had his answer in half a second.
No five steps. No website loading. No maths.
Claude is my editor. Which I think is très chic. It absolutely never writes for me. Instead of asking Sammy all my silly questions 'what do you think of…', 'should I delete this sentence', 'is this too repetitive' — I'll ask Claude. Instead of letting posts sit in drafts for weeks, I tighten and hit publish within 24 hours.
It’s helped me become a better writer. To make faster decisions. And to lean into ‘done is better than perfect’.
AI still isn't talked about enough. Especially amongst women. But it should be. Women should be at the forefront of AI, not catching up to it. If you're looking for a good place to start, read What women are actually using Claude for and Women are sleeping on AI and it’s going to cost them.
Of course you still need discernment, and to know what to do with all the available information. I wouldn't say prompts hold all the answers — curiosity does. I love asking questions. From lawyers in France to Ayurvedic doctors in India. I'm not afraid to say, I don’t understand. Repeatedly.
It's helped streamline my million-and-one thoughts. And I'm only just getting started. It doesn't replace art or creativity or imagination — it helps with the life/business admin so you can focus on dreaming big. AI = execution.
HIRE YOURSELF A CLAUDE PA mamas!!!!
I feel night and day to this time last year, when I was craving a slower season of life, feeling overwhelmed by small tasks very easily (deep in the four-month regression), with endless decision fatigue. Fast forward twelve months, and I feel energised. Focused and eager to learn new business skills. Whether it’s understanding AI systems and tools, or listening to founders speak with a similar vision and values. I feel almost nervous with excitement for what’s to come. Some seasons are slow, or messy and confusing, and some you just feel like yourself again. With a full nights sleep. With support. With routine even.
If only AI could fold and put away the avalanche of washing on our kitchen table…
I'm back on TikTok! It's been 18 months — a very intentional pause. I had to redownload the app (my bio still said Mama to Atlas & Ocean). I updated it to include Velzyyy.
Why? It was a fun era. I was wearing a lot of colour. Playing around with trends and sharing cute family moments I didn’t share anywhere else.
TikTok helped me do my makeup. I learnt new techniques such as where to place my blush lol. And the power of setting under your eyes.
My mum was recently in town, and we went straight to Mecca. She loves beauty and TikTok, and is always forwarding me videos. She will be telling me about the next Hourglass launch before I hear about it. She adores Rhode. And the Sleepy Girl Pocket Blush came home with me. LOVE.
I’ve missed this — my girlie side.
I'm really craving lightness again. A little silliness. Stay tuned.
Both boys are obsessed with Pokémon at the moment. Bulbasaur, Charizard, Onix, Jigglypuff.
Atlas casually asked: Mummy, can we go to Japan on the weekend? I’m going to catch all the cool Pokémon when we get to Japanese.
Of course, rabbit.
Let’s have a stop-over in Paris first.
Bisous, Saasha x
PS. Guess who’s on Substack? Sammy!!!! Read his first post here, #01: Open Tabs about all the things worth knowing this week. And give him a little subscribe.
PPS. We have a very special wedding coming up in the South of France. I’m slightly panicking, there is so much to do. We leave in less than a fortnight. I’ll share what I’m packing in next week’s post. I have my eye on this 2017 Lady Dior for summer, this black Versace one piece swimsuit, and this gorgeous Saint Laurent silk slip dress.
In case you missed it:
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Your writing, the range of subjects and your openness - looking forward to the next one x
Loved this post Saasha. While I cook banana pancakes for Saxon with a rambling to-do list next to me. Claude is blowing my mind too. It’s a tricky subject in the media world, but I’m so here for using it to streamline, understand, and optimise mundane tasks that take me away from writing, being creative and being a mom.