2012 - the good the bad & the 'to do' in 2013

Whoooo so 2013 is almost upon us !

I for one am looking forward to next year

I love the 'fresh' feeling that comes with a new year & the idea that it's a new beginning 

Twenty twelve was ok, i felt like it didnt even happen lol it went so quick i could barely keep up, let alone get things done !

For now though, its all about twenty twelve & the year that was

the good...

- moving into our first home together 

- reaching the '2 year' mark with M

- learning to snowboard in NZ

- quitting the job i knew wasn't right for me 

(funnily enough the same one i thought was right for me this time last year)

- getting a job that isn't my dream job, but is perfect for right now

- getting the happiest, smartest & most beautiful puppy EVER

- being debt free

- seeing a few of our closest friends get engaged & being so so happy

the bad...

- wasting 6 months in the wrong job 

- dwelling on silly things that happened in the past 

the to-do's for 2013...

- save loads of money towards our Hawaii / Bora Bora / Tahiti holiday

- keeping my nails perfectly manicured, especially on my left hand (wink wink)

- incorporate clean eating into my diet

- walking nugget every day instead of a gym membership

- starting study & doing up the spare room as a home office

- having fun !

Yay for 2013

Can't wait to see what you hold

Happy New Years xx

A Life Update Feat. Mr. Nugget

So i have been a crappy blogger for the past few months 

There is no excuse except to say that life took over ! 

Ever since moving out of home in March this year i have missed the companionship of my dogs & have felt a little out of sorts without one around 

Well, i am beyond excited to announce the arrival of my very own puppy by the name of nugget (nugalicious, nugaboo, nug dawg, nugacino)

So prepare for the onslaught of photos ! 

He is a miniature dachshund crossed with a chihuahua 

and we are so in love with him

I want to get a DSLR so badly to take better picture of him 

He'll definitely be featuring heavily on the blog 

The clothes pile in my bedroom aka nugget mountain !

Thankyou for visiting 

xo

How's your self image ?

Ok so this post will be a little different to what i normally talk about

This post will be about self image

For the past month i have felt a bit 'down & out' i can't exactly pin point what it is that makes me feel like this but i know for sure i need to change it

Last night we had a family 'pre christmas' dinner as my brother in law & his girlfriend are going to the states for the holidays, it was so much fun...until it was time for photos

I can't tell you how much i HATE having photos of myself taken, i just never look good ! I know the photos wont turn out nice so i resist having them taken SO hard, which in turn makes me that annoying 'oh, i don't do photos' kind of girl ! Errrgh. I managed to have some taken but i havent even looked at them (& not sure i will), the feeling of such negativity towards myself put a dampener on my night

This morning i woke up & i realised i NEED to change this way of thinking, i need to give myself a reason to like myself, it sounds so conceited but if i don't i worry i'll become self destructive.

So this is where i'm reaching out...how do you get a positive self image ? What do you do to maintain it ? 

XO Lauren 

"... and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we  always strive to become better than we are."

Wardrobe Inspiration

I don't know about you, but recently i have been all kinds of obsessed with wardrobe organisation ! 

Perhaps because it's spring or maybe just because i have watched like 1,000,000 youtube videos about it. The latest was this one by Allthatglitters21 

I literally sit at my computer & drool over wardrobe organisation like this !! 

I decided it was time to overhaul our bedroom wardrobes (master bedroom & spare) 

I keep the boring stuff (pj's, socks, knickers etc) in a white Hemnes Chest of 8 Drawers from none other than Ikea !! The rest of my stuff is stored like this... 

Before: 

When we first moved in we hung our clothes on the single flimsy rod, only to have them all fall off about 15 minutes later 

M striped the inside of both closets, including the shelf, & repainted them with a scented pearl-based paint which really helped make it brighter.

After: 

This is what we replaced the guest wardrobe with ! Do you like it ?? 

Ahhh i love it & am so happy with the end result. M did a freaking fantastic job 

Our bedroom wardrobe is 2 hanging rails & 2 shelves for maximum storage

& If you're a creeper like me who enjoys looking at other people's wardrobes, the next bunch of photos are for you 

I love folded stuff !! 

Huggable Hangers are the bomb.com

Makeup storage courtesy of Officeworks 

Tidy tidy ! 

Sorting Lunch !

Hello there ! 

Does anyone else use their Sunday's getting themselves sorted for the rest of the week ?

I meal plan & generally get my lunches ready for work 

This afternoon i chopped up like a bench full of fruit & veggies

HTML Tables

What do you get up to on Sundays ?  

DIY: Stash & Store your Lush Soaps !

Hello Lovelies, 

This is my first attempt at a DIY video ! 
I personally LOVE reading posts about cool or creative things bloggers have come up with & have been wanting to try a DIY post myself. 

So i am super obsessed with Lush soaps, but they're always under the sink in paper &  plastic wrap, which is kind of a shame because they're so pretty !! After a but of thinking I came up with a great way to store them that keeps them protected from bathroom moisture but also shows them off.

This is how:

You will need: 

* Lush Soaps 

* Roll of Cling Wrap 

* A Glass Jar 

* A Knife (Cheese knives work best)

* A Chopping Board 

* A Pair of Scissors 

First, cut the blocks into smaller pieces. Lush always seems to sell their soap in weird or obscure shapes ?

Second, wrap the pieces in the cling wrap really tight 

Third, make a big pile of delicious Lush chunks & plop them all in a decorative glass jar to keep in you bathroom 

Here is it !! 

Please excuse my icky bathroom tiles, we're planning a renovation soon ! 
As you can see I like to 'group' things on shelves 

Hahahaha until next time 
x

Diagnosis

Hello there...

I feel like i haven't posted on here in forever !!

I've been a little MIA this month because i have been focused on my health 

Can i just say, health is the most important thing you have, look after yourself :)

So lately i have been getting an intense reaction to something that no one can work out . It started about 7 years ago, one night i randomly started having trouble breathing, my nose was completely blocked, my throat got tight, I started coughing a lot & and my lungs felt really constricted. I had NO idea what was going on, i thought i was dying !  

I walked around my parents house & tried sitting in the outside air...next minute all my symptoms went away & the whole attack disappeared. The entire reaction lasted about 15 minutes but was the scariest thing i'd ever experienced.

Since that night, I've only had the attack about 6 other times & have spent years researching my symptoms & tried every single thing to determine the trigger. 

The last thing left to try was an asthma challenge test, which came back negative :( 

I feel like i'm back at square 1 again, i wonder if i'll ever work out what it is i'm allergic too 

Have you ever had an allergic reaction ? What caused it ? 

50 Days Sugar Free - a recap

So i've recently finished the 50 days sugar free challenge 

Let me just say it was HARD !! There are so many things that have added sugar, one thing this challenge has definitely made me aware of. 

I had a hard time avoiding all sugar, so i focused mainly on avoiding obvious sugar (cake, lollies, soft drinks ect), there were a few nights where M cooked an amazing stir fry using a store bought packet sauce mix, which has a teeny bit of added sugar...how could i say no to that, it was satay too & delicious. Mhhhhm could go some of that right now  

Another thing i noticed myself doing was eating anything & everything (without sugar) just to satisfy my craving, which didn't work & left me feeling bloated & yuck, due to that downfall i didn't see myself loosing any weight, so after 30 days i allowed myself to have sugar !! I've kept track of how often i eat foods that contain sugar & it's sitting around once per day. 

I'm glad i attempted the 50 days sugar free challenge, but i wouldn't do it again. Completely restricting any one food group is never a good idea, as your body seems to panic a little & have withdrawals. 

I think i'll stick to the adage of 'everything in moderation' 

xx

Doing it Tough !

Hello,

You may have noticed my recent absence ?
I've been having a hard time at work, well it's not my work anymore as i resigned

Tuesday was my last day & to be honest, it couldn't have come soon enough. I've gone through so many emotions with this role, when i began i was ecstatic i was ready for it to become my career. After a few months there is just knew it wasn't for me & that i wanted out. I don't want to harp on about the negatives, rather i'm chalking it up to experience & moving on with my life

On the Vogue forums lately i've been reading the Unexpected Awesome things about your job thread. I feel like i am one of them now, before i resigned i got offered a job at the local council ! The hours, pay & people are great. I can't even begin to describe how excited i am to be in this position !

So expect to see A LOT more posts from me, life is good x

Life update

Hey you guys, it's ben a while huh ?


You might have been wondering where i've been ? Last Wednesday i jetted off to New Zealand for my first attempt at snowboarding EVER !! OMG you guys, it was amazing & i want to go back


I don't have any (flattering) photos of me on the slopes, but i do have a video, would that be lame to post ? Anyway here are some breathtaking shots of the scenary, we stayed in Wanaka.

I also got Instagram !! This app is the best, if you'd like to follow me my username is laurenyd :) be warned though, i am slightly obsessed & post alot !!


There are a few other things going on in my life, exciting happy things !! I can't wait to share & will definitely be doing another blog post about that in the coming days 


Hope you all are well
xx

50 Days No Sugar

Could you go for 50 days without sugar ? 

I've decided to challenge myself & try it ! If you'd like to register, there is still time ! It starts today & you can find all the info here ! I am super excited to try it & have so far survived breakfast ! 

The basic rules i'm following are: 

1. No processed sugar. Honey, Lactose & Fructose are ok  

2. Adding chia seeds to my diet 

3. Uping the exercise 

4. Checking food labels 

5. Switching everything to Wholegrain, rather than white

Not so challenging right ? 

I'd love to hear from you if you're taking part in the challenge too 

x

10 Winter Beauty Essentials

Hello Beautiful ! 
I have been a bad bad blogger lately, not sure what has been up but i am blaming it in work being crazy busy & me being too cold/lazy to get my Macbook out ! 


I have however been particularly interested in beauty products lately, i am notoriously bad for blasting the heater in my car, right on my face So here are 10 essential items to help you get through Winter. It's a hard season on your skin & occasionally you need a little extra 'something' to get you by...

10. Baby Shampoo This is a random addition to any Beauty Essentials list, it is important though. In winter our skin tends to be dryer so we apply more moisturiser, all the product that's left behind can end up on your make up brushes (ew right !) That's where baby shampoo makes it's play, this stuff is amazing for cleaning & conditioning both synthetic fibre & natural hair brushes.

9. Perfume  I love using a perfume in winter that remind me of the Spring / Summer, it's a great way to stay motivated & remind yourself that all those sheer tops & demin shorts in your closet will see the sun again ! My favorite for this is 'Believe' by Britney Spears, paired with 'With all my Heart' from Victoria's Secret. If i'm feeling like embracing winter, i love 'the one' by Dolce & Gabbana

8. Cornstarch  Sometime an extra 15 minutes of sleep is way more appealing than getting up earlier to wash your hair, especially for the long haired girls. I use pure cornstarch as i am a natural blonde, generally my hair isn't very oily so it only takes a little bit (this container will last me 1 year +) For girls with darker hair, try Powder Puff ! Dry shampoo's & powders are great for a quick fix, using it once a week is plenty but don't get too addicted though as it can lead to a dried out scalp (ouch!)

7. Peach Blush  I LOVE peach toned blush year round, especially in Winter. I haven't shown my face on my blog (yet) but once i do you'll notice i'm super pale, peach tones really brighten my skin & give the appearance of an awake & healthy complexion ! For Winter i like a peach toned blush with more pink undertones, so i make my own !! Combine Ambre D'or by Bourjoi & a well loved Dollymix powder blush from Mac on a blush brush, sweep over only the apples & higher bones of your cheek for a fresh peachy glow

6. Moisturising Beauty Bar Go Fresh Cucumber Beauty Cream Bar's are my savior ! I have combination skin so this is perfect to clean off my makeup without totally drying out my skin, it adds a touch of moisture to my skin. The cucumber smell helps you 'feel' clean as well as actually being clean ! In winter it's important to get all the extra product residue off your skin

5. Body Moisturiser  'Drenched in Pink' by Victoria's Secret is my go to body moisturiser. It's very rich & smells amazing !  It's important to keep your body moisturised so your skin doesn't dry out. I know when my legs get really dry i get mild Ezcma, which is super uncomfortable & can be easily prevented. The best time to moisutise is at night & after a shower, this gives your skin the longest time to absorb all the good stuff.

4. Rich Hand Cream   I am a bit of a germ-a-phob & i sneeze A LOT ! This results in washing my hands pretty regularly & them drying out ! When i use the bathrooms at work they only have air dryers which only adds to my problems ! I like to keep just the basic Priceline hand & nail cream on my for work / car & then at home i use the Sukin hand & nail cream after rinsing off the dishes or washing my hands heaps intensely (like after cutting an onion, ew) Both of these products sink into your skin really quickly & don't leave any residue

3. Lip Balm OMG ! As i said before i blast the car heater at my face & it takes a big toll on my face & especially lips ! I also don't drink enough water which is bad & you shouldn't do it to yourself ! As a result of these bad habits i have a near addiction to baby lips ! This stiff is the the bomb ! I love it on its own or over the top of a tint (such as Covergirl Outlast Lip Stain) Get some,  it will change your lips like overnight, so good !

2. Day & Night Face Cream For a night time skin fix, i love Novea Creme. It's such a rich product & works magic overnight on dried out skin, you really only need a little bit to feel the full effect. My favorite products for the daytime are oil-free moisture by Neutrogena & Daily Face by Sun Sense. SPF 30+ is super important, even in winter, it will help you look younger, thank me in 15 years

1. Water NUMBER 1 !  You seriously can not get enough water in winter, it rehydrates your skin, helps detox your body, keeps you feeling full & is just over all amazing for your skin.  I can not stress enough how much you should be guzzling water this winter, as a go-to i keep a little preshafruit bottle in my bag & a chilled glass bottle in my fridge. Go Fresh Cucumber Beauty Cream Bar's are my savior !

So these are my favorite things to survive winter ! I'd love to hear your favorites too 

x