Welcome to NALA’S DEN!

Hey there, I’m Natalie Franćeska, a mother and children’s book author. I’ve created Nala’s Den as a sacred space to share ideas on navigating the wild and wonderful world of motherhood.

Nala’s Den symbolises our home, and as with the connection to nature, a den is a safe space for a lion and its cubs – a place of warmth, nurturing and growth. Of building connected families and raising happy, confident kiddos that are free to be themselves, be curious and explore the direction that their hearts take.

As a child I was known by the nickname Nala – from The Lion King. She was the lifelong friend of Simba and was not only a strong little cub, but was also pretty sassy, which I’m told is where the likeness arose from! As Nala grew and developed into a lioness, she was known as a fearless and loyal friend. Later as a Queen, she went on to have children, encouraging them to take care of themselves – guiding and raising her kids to be confident and ready to go out into the world.

I’ve always loved The Lion King story and the powerful lessons of the great Circle of Life – illustrating the connection to all of our lives from the start to the end and back again. Now as a mama to a beautiful boy myself, it seems fitting that I carry my childhood name into creating a space to follow in Nala’s footsteps and bring gentle words and sound advice to my community of mamas, friends and carers. Also, whilst celebrating this beautiful full circle connection between young and old.

This blog contains resources and inspiration to help families along the parenting journey and also focuses on our wellbeing and mind. Like finding time for mindfulness and self compassion on the run, so we are well-equipped with practices we can develop and share with our children. As encouraging little ones and parents alike to navigate the magic within brings greater happiness to ourselves and everyone around us.

Family is at the heart of what I share with you through Nala’s Den and my personal connection to my roots shines through in the stories here. My heritage lies between Australia and Croatia, and as a kid I spent many summers swimming in the clear blue waters along the rugged Dalmatian coast with my family. I grew up forming a deep appreciation for mother nature and its beauty, the powers of the sea and its ability to calm our minds, souls and all that surrounds us. This further developed into a fascination with harnessing the power of the mind as I embarked into the highly competitive tennis world as a junior and learnt first-hand how our state of mind and the game are intrinsically linked. I eventually experienced burnout in my teens which ended this dream, but this experience led me to becoming a certified NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner and Coach in 2019.

NLP is a complex model of understanding how perception creates experience. With a focus on the conscious and subconscious mental processes to assist in creating behavioural changes and emotional states. It provides practical ways in which you can alter the way you think, and approach your life. I take these learnings into my daily life as a mother and share practical tips in the wellbeing and parenting sections of my blog of how to better nurture ourselves inside and out.

Alongside this and having spent the past 10 years in the construction industry, pursuing the connection between people, spaces and the designed world, it seemed natural to incorporate a ‘Build-Her’ section to the blog. I’ve been fortunate to be able to bring creative solutions to light through my work, collaborating on projects with an environmental performance objective and focusing on making conscious choices for the natural/built world. In this section you’ll find inspiring ‘Build-Her’ UP stories and a few good DIY ideas for around the home.

So from me to you, this is my heartfelt expression along this journey of motherhood and everything in between. This is where you’ll find stories, resources and proven tips that work!

I truly believe that the future of our world lies in our children. The wisdom and folklore passed down from my beloved grandmothers and shared with generations has been weaved in my latest children’s picture book, MY GRANDMA IS LIKE THE SEA, building upon this foundation.