My go-to recipe is just to chuck in a handful of spinach, a frozen banana, a spoonful of peanut butter (crunchy makes it delicious trust me!!!) and a handful of porridge oats. Whizz that up with a cup and a half of water and you're good to go!
Friday, March 13, 2015
Good Day Sunshine - My Go-To Smoothie Recipe
I am in love with smoothies lately. I used to make them with yoghurt and milk and all these other dairy products, but have found that my body responds best when it's just produce and water!
My go-to recipe is just to chuck in a handful of spinach, a frozen banana, a spoonful of peanut butter (crunchy makes it delicious trust me!!!) and a handful of porridge oats. Whizz that up with a cup and a half of water and you're good to go!
My go-to recipe is just to chuck in a handful of spinach, a frozen banana, a spoonful of peanut butter (crunchy makes it delicious trust me!!!) and a handful of porridge oats. Whizz that up with a cup and a half of water and you're good to go!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Day in the Life VII
1. Nourishing acai bowl after a morning workout :) I've never had one before and this one was topped with bananas, strawberries, nuts, granola and coconut and OH MY IT WAS GOOD!
2. Back to the grind - Uni catch ups with my squad
3. Nights out and a sleepover with lovely Alex
4. Taking a mental health day and doing all the things I love with all the people I love.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
I am the Flamingo: A Back to Uni Look
Another University year is almost upon us here in Australia (wow those 3 month holidays went fast!!) and I find myself with a changing style as the new school year begins. I don't want to re-acquaint myself entirely with last years Uni wears - I feel a revamping of my wardrobe (slowly slowly of course) is needed to match the classy and more mature young woman I'd like to be viewed at.
That doesn't mean throwing flair and creativity out the window - no no no!! I would say this fun flamingo pendant (from eQUIP) perfectly captures the combo I'm really striving for this year - classics that can be worn anywhere, with a pop of fun.
And to match that funky flamingo neckwear is THIS SheInside dress that happened to come in the mail today...I wonder how that happened hehe.
I know that a lot of people are either team SheInside or not, but personally I find that if you take the clothing for what it is - cheap - then you won't be disappointed. I've spoken about this online store before (here) and while the tracking and delivery can be a kind of mystery in that communication is sparce, I actually love the clothing. I've tried purchasing more formal going out pieces before, which have been hit and miss, but I find that with casual clothing the store is right on target. Hey, you get what you pay for, right?
Anywho, onto the 'lookbook' - an outfit I will most definitely be wearing to Uni this year.
That doesn't mean throwing flair and creativity out the window - no no no!! I would say this fun flamingo pendant (from eQUIP) perfectly captures the combo I'm really striving for this year - classics that can be worn anywhere, with a pop of fun.
And to match that funky flamingo neckwear is THIS SheInside dress that happened to come in the mail today...I wonder how that happened hehe.
I know that a lot of people are either team SheInside or not, but personally I find that if you take the clothing for what it is - cheap - then you won't be disappointed. I've spoken about this online store before (here) and while the tracking and delivery can be a kind of mystery in that communication is sparce, I actually love the clothing. I've tried purchasing more formal going out pieces before, which have been hit and miss, but I find that with casual clothing the store is right on target. Hey, you get what you pay for, right?
Anywho, onto the 'lookbook' - an outfit I will most definitely be wearing to Uni this year.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
How to be Happy 101
I started 2015 with a new diary (Lorna Jane 2015 Diary) and at the start of each month there is a double page spread with a full month calendar. I made it my aim to fill every single one of those days in January with something to do. I think I was under the impression that if I do something every day and remain busy, that I'll be full throttle in the zest of life and will therefore be happy.
Needless to say, by January 27th, I was pooped.
Not just tired, but sick. By forcing myself (no matter how much I wanted a rest) to go out day after day, work, see friends and family, make time for the beauty of the beach or the beat of the dance floor - I had managed to make myself mentally and physically exhausted.
I've realised that living each day to its full potential doesn't mean making yourself the busiest bee and traversing all over town. It doesn't make you happy, necessarily, to force yourself to put on a smile and see friends when in actual fact you'd much rather smile into a pillow. And I've learnt that staying home, cooking a meal, lying down and reading doesn't make you lazy.
February is a much more balanced month for me. And so I thought I'd share some ways (in this rather chatty post) of how to make the most of your life, your days, your time.
- Be excited about every day. 'Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day.'
- Drink water, eat healthily, work out (preferably with friends - make it a social event, but make sure muscles other than your tongue are working!!)
- Know that there is a time for work, rest, laughter, play, friends, family, food, love. You don't necessarily need to rush any of those, or sacrifice any, to get the rest.
- Treasure, and never EVER feel badly about taking time out for you. Write in a diary, read a book, take a bath, light a candle - do anything that fills your soul and your heart, not necessarily the hearts of everyone else. We all have something we love to do - a passion - and you need to make time or even set aside a whole day to pursue it and remind yourself how calm you can feel in your own body!
Ok, I think I've rambled enough for today, but I do hope this post has helped you. I'd love to hear your suggestions about how you stay happy and positive, and what things you'd add to my list!
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Vegan Restaurant! Earth to Table, Bondi Junction
You might not know this, but for 10 months now I've been a vegetarian (or pescatarian, rather - for health reasons which I won't discuss now). I'm planning quite a chatty post about my reasons for being a veggie, how I'm finding it, what I eat and points like that but at the end of the day I'm a firm believer in don't judge others for what they eat - pushing vegetarianism is NOT my main aim here, though I do believe it is a way of life more sustainable and altogether kinder for the animals.
This post, however, is about my adventure (well, adventure because last time I tried coming here with my friend we didn't think to look ahead of opening days, ahem...) to the popular vegan, dairy/sugar/wheat free restaurant, Earth to Table. The restaurant is only a 10 minute walk from the transport interchange, and super close to the shopping centre which makes it a lovely day out all around :D
I'll admit, having waited many weeks to try this place and after two attempts at coming, I was slightly underwhelmed when the food actually came out. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did! - buuuut I think I was expecting a little more from the delicious looking food.
Starting with drinks as we discussed possible meals, my friend Carmen slurped a healthful greens smoothie while I indulged my love of tea for a blue rose concoction - both lovely choices and we devoured them heartily!
Onto lunch...
Having just purchased a spiraliser for making 'noodles' (courgette noodles), I couldn't resist the zucchini pesto pasta with hazelnut "cheese" so that I could see how the professionals create such amazing flavour with raw zucchini - I'll be sharing my own recipe very soon for this dish!
Overall, I LOVED my 'pasta', and the fact that Carmen continued to scoot her fork over to my plate tells you what we both realised the minute her dish was set in front of her...it was not up to par considering the delicious array of food around us. Carmen opted for a falafel salad with zucchini hommous - unfortunately, that 'homes' turned into a sort of sauce which neither of us were expecting. Strike one. The falafel were altogether too hard and caused much strain when cutting them...strike two. And the salad was just...salad. Strike three.
The table opposite our was devouring a vegan shepherd's pie which Carmen and I both vow to try next time!
Dessert, however, did not disappoint. It was amazing. My only wish was that was more of it!!
A raw vegan raspberry and peach 'cheezecake' with coconut milk and a cashew base served as our lasting reminder of Earth to Table. It was delicious, but then again every cake/dessert option sounded amazing!
I would come to Earth to Table again. I probably would be more mindful of what I ordered, and might come for breakfast instead (their acai bowl and coconut nectar banana bread sounded incredible). A lovely foray into the world of raw veganism.
This post, however, is about my adventure (well, adventure because last time I tried coming here with my friend we didn't think to look ahead of opening days, ahem...) to the popular vegan, dairy/sugar/wheat free restaurant, Earth to Table. The restaurant is only a 10 minute walk from the transport interchange, and super close to the shopping centre which makes it a lovely day out all around :D
I'll admit, having waited many weeks to try this place and after two attempts at coming, I was slightly underwhelmed when the food actually came out. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it - I did! - buuuut I think I was expecting a little more from the delicious looking food.
Starting with drinks as we discussed possible meals, my friend Carmen slurped a healthful greens smoothie while I indulged my love of tea for a blue rose concoction - both lovely choices and we devoured them heartily!
Onto lunch...
Having just purchased a spiraliser for making 'noodles' (courgette noodles), I couldn't resist the zucchini pesto pasta with hazelnut "cheese" so that I could see how the professionals create such amazing flavour with raw zucchini - I'll be sharing my own recipe very soon for this dish!
Overall, I LOVED my 'pasta', and the fact that Carmen continued to scoot her fork over to my plate tells you what we both realised the minute her dish was set in front of her...it was not up to par considering the delicious array of food around us. Carmen opted for a falafel salad with zucchini hommous - unfortunately, that 'homes' turned into a sort of sauce which neither of us were expecting. Strike one. The falafel were altogether too hard and caused much strain when cutting them...strike two. And the salad was just...salad. Strike three.
The table opposite our was devouring a vegan shepherd's pie which Carmen and I both vow to try next time!
Dessert, however, did not disappoint. It was amazing. My only wish was that was more of it!!
A raw vegan raspberry and peach 'cheezecake' with coconut milk and a cashew base served as our lasting reminder of Earth to Table. It was delicious, but then again every cake/dessert option sounded amazing!
I would come to Earth to Table again. I probably would be more mindful of what I ordered, and might come for breakfast instead (their acai bowl and coconut nectar banana bread sounded incredible). A lovely foray into the world of raw veganism.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Baby's In Black
Something a little different today, and something I hope I will continue to post and get better at...an outfit post!
Fashion and the way style has changed not only within me personally but overall global trends, really fascinates me. Especially when older 90s styles resurface, and completely new trends work alongside them.
In this post, a 90s halter top shape compliments the fairly recent 'crop top' trend, yet the lace overlay on the black skirt keeps the look classy and polished for a night out. My tip when pairing a crop top is to balance lengths - i.e. opt for short when you want something fun and vivacious, and longer bottoms when the occasion calls for sophistication and grace.
Topped (or should I say bottomed!) off with a pair of classic black pumps - mine are from Forever New - the look is complete! Voila!
Fashion and the way style has changed not only within me personally but overall global trends, really fascinates me. Especially when older 90s styles resurface, and completely new trends work alongside them.
In this post, a 90s halter top shape compliments the fairly recent 'crop top' trend, yet the lace overlay on the black skirt keeps the look classy and polished for a night out. My tip when pairing a crop top is to balance lengths - i.e. opt for short when you want something fun and vivacious, and longer bottoms when the occasion calls for sophistication and grace.
Topped (or should I say bottomed!) off with a pair of classic black pumps - mine are from Forever New - the look is complete! Voila!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Queenstown Pt. 2 - Day by Day
Do you lovely readers ever keep a travel diary? I know, I know, photos have dates imprinted and memories don't fade quite so fast, but I absolutely adore reading back through old travel diaries, particularly ones from when I was around 10 years old and juuuuust started getting into the habit of keeping a diary.
Though I wrote a diary for my Queenstown trip, I thought keeping a photo journal day-by-day here for my own enjoyment and for you to see things to do in this part of New Zealand would be a good idea!
So here it goes:
Day 1
You've just come off a presumably long-ish flight, and you don't have too much energy to spend doing all the fun adventurous things you may have in store for later, so I would suggest exploring Lake Wakatipu and the streets of Queenstown is a good place to get your groundings. For dinner, head to Ferg Burger for delicious burgers (I got Bun Laden, a falafal burger which was huge and satisfying). I suggest heading to Ferg Burger early, though, as this place has a line well up to 2am. Later on, go and get yourself a Ferg Gelato - it just opened and it's next door to Ferg Burger, with flavours such as apple pie (with real pie crust - Yum!)
Day 2
Ok, so you've settled in and got rid of some inevitable jet-lag. It's time to explore.
Because there is limited amount of things to do within Queenstown itself (though you can spend a number of enjoyable days within this town), the hiring of a car (or a tarago named Earl in our case!) is fairly useful and an asset to your trip. We used Earl to drive to Milford Sound, a 4 hour trip away from Queenstown. I talked about this wonder in my last post, but I'd suggest a stop off at Te Anau, about 2.5hours from Queenstown, for dinner. There are a variety of restaurants near the lake - we went to an authentic Italian place which was quite lovely - or else we were just VERY hungry haha!
If you don't have a car at your disposal, however, there are bus tours which leave every day :)
Day 3
After that long adventurous day yesterday, it's time for exploring a touch closer to home (well, to Queenstown). This includes starting the day right with a breakfast by the lake, or if you're interested, a breakfast on T.S.S Earnslaw.
Then, when that leisurely breakfast is done, take yourself to the beautiful Arrowtown (which we actually ended up frequenting 3 times during our week stay in Queenstown!). An old mining town, with a Chinese settlement home and the most wonderful food in the Queenstown region, it is a beautiful town to walk through. Don't forget a stop off to the pub, The Fork and Tap, as well as to the Remarkable Sweet Shop to try some fudge.
Though I wrote a diary for my Queenstown trip, I thought keeping a photo journal day-by-day here for my own enjoyment and for you to see things to do in this part of New Zealand would be a good idea!
So here it goes:
Day 1
You've just come off a presumably long-ish flight, and you don't have too much energy to spend doing all the fun adventurous things you may have in store for later, so I would suggest exploring Lake Wakatipu and the streets of Queenstown is a good place to get your groundings. For dinner, head to Ferg Burger for delicious burgers (I got Bun Laden, a falafal burger which was huge and satisfying). I suggest heading to Ferg Burger early, though, as this place has a line well up to 2am. Later on, go and get yourself a Ferg Gelato - it just opened and it's next door to Ferg Burger, with flavours such as apple pie (with real pie crust - Yum!)
Day 2
Ok, so you've settled in and got rid of some inevitable jet-lag. It's time to explore.
Because there is limited amount of things to do within Queenstown itself (though you can spend a number of enjoyable days within this town), the hiring of a car (or a tarago named Earl in our case!) is fairly useful and an asset to your trip. We used Earl to drive to Milford Sound, a 4 hour trip away from Queenstown. I talked about this wonder in my last post, but I'd suggest a stop off at Te Anau, about 2.5hours from Queenstown, for dinner. There are a variety of restaurants near the lake - we went to an authentic Italian place which was quite lovely - or else we were just VERY hungry haha!
If you don't have a car at your disposal, however, there are bus tours which leave every day :)
Day 3
After that long adventurous day yesterday, it's time for exploring a touch closer to home (well, to Queenstown). This includes starting the day right with a breakfast by the lake, or if you're interested, a breakfast on T.S.S Earnslaw.
Then, when that leisurely breakfast is done, take yourself to the beautiful Arrowtown (which we actually ended up frequenting 3 times during our week stay in Queenstown!). An old mining town, with a Chinese settlement home and the most wonderful food in the Queenstown region, it is a beautiful town to walk through. Don't forget a stop off to the pub, The Fork and Tap, as well as to the Remarkable Sweet Shop to try some fudge.
Day 4
Over halfway into your trip! Day 4 is another exploring day, with a trip to Wanaka - not one of my favourite towns I must admit! But on the way we did see some gorgeous sheep!!
Cromwell is a must; a gorgeous almost theatre set-like mining town where you feel as if you've stepped back in time - incredible! On the way back to Queenstown, stop off in winery county and sample some wines, or else stop and befriend a cherry farmer - we were lucky enough to get invited inside the orchard to learn about how the cherries are picked, grown and sold! It pays to talk to the locals!!
No trip to Queenstown is complete, though, without a jet boat ride - there are many, from Lake Wakatipu to the Shotover River, we chose one through an old goldfield town called the Goldfields Jet. Exhilarating and fun!!!
Day 5
Today happened to be quite rainy for us, so we braved the weather and wandered through the beautiful Queenstown Botanical Gardens, which double as a golf course! On your way out of the gardens, stop off at what was arguably one of the best meals we had - Vudu Cafe, which was full of organic, homemade and delicious meals!! I got the haloumi burger and my oh my was it good!
We then went to visit relatives, but do as you please with this afternoon off! I would recommend the Boiler Room for cocktails later on in the evening, with cocktails such as Toblerone and standards as Mojitos - be wary that contiki tours do pass through every night!
We ended our night with a viewing of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, at the Reading Cinema, which was a lovely way to wind down the day.
Day 6
Just one more full day to go! We started our day off with a relaxing traipse through Glenorchy trail, followed by another track a little closer to Queenstown - definitely would recommend getting out there and finding some trails to explore and just get in touch with nature.
Racing back home, we boarded the infamous Queenstown gondola up to the Stratosfare buffet with views overlooking the lake, Queenstown, the paraglider and the brave bunny jumpers! A good spread, but limited for a vegetarian like me :/
Nevertheless, the best part of the gondola (apart from the ride up and down which I wish would've lasted longer) is the luge - a must-do as you ride on a toboggan down windy track hugging the mountain...the only scary bit it the ski lift up there!
Unfortunately, it's back to reality now, but this trip was amazing and I'm so grateful for all the opportunities and adventures I had! I hope this post has helped somewhat in showing you a little bit of everything Queenstown has to offer!
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