My Winter Bucket List - Rest, Hybernate and Recouperate

I’m extremely lucky living in Brisbane because although it’s Winter, it’s still not unbearably cold. Our coolest months at most make you say “maybe I should wear jeans today” or “it might be cold enough for a jacket”. 

Only on days like today it rains a ridiculous amount and you can be pretty cold if you get caught up and wet in it. So while it’s a terribly gloomy day here in Brisbane, it has inspired me to pull together a Winter Bucket List! These are all the things I would love to do over the next 3 months this year.

Don’t let this list fool you into thinking I’m lazy because the point of this list is to give myself permission to slow down over Winter and chill out for once. I’m the kind of person who needs a reason and permission to do that and I really want to avoid burnout this year so this is the game plan to recoup and hibernate over the Winter.

I definitely need a hibernation and recoup after a busy first half of the year finishing my master’s degree (that final project was so much fun but nearly killed me), starting a new job (always a rewarding but exhausting task to get into the groove of a new role) and moving house (settling in has been great but I would love to spend some more time at home). 

Books I’ve Read Lately #3

By the time I have gotten around to writing this post, I could almost give you another 4 books that I’ve read even more recently. Let’s just say that you will also have to tune in to the next edition of this series to find out. 

BUT these 4 books I read lately were amazing and I needed to tell you all about them. We have a couple of mindset altering self help books (some of the best I have ever read), an autobiography and Elizabeth Gilbert’s latest best seller. Let’s get into it shall we…

How To Get Clear Skin - My Skincare Routine

I have been skincare mad recently – like 10x more into skincare than I am into makeup. I’ve been making it a priority to stick to my routine morning and night so I want to share with you the products that I have found that really work for my skin. 

Prepare yourself for a long list of products! But I think this will be quite helpful because know that I have tried and tested SOOO much skincare in my time and these are the absolute faves that I know actually work! So you can easily trust that any product on this list is high quality and I have well researched / trialled on my skin.

Watch me apply my skincare routine on camera here or keep reading for the written version…

How To Pick Yourself Up When You Feel Unmotivated

Alright, I’m here with a vulnerable and honest chat with you today…using my genuine real life examples. Let’s jump in shall we.. 

I feel like I’m generally a really positive, upbeat person and I think that comes across here on my blog. It’s something I do really try and do to help uplift you as the reader and it is genuinely how I am the majority of the time. Seriously, my optimism is usually my biggest downfall and I am way too positive about some situations. BUT I feel like this might come across at times like I’m in this constant state of happiness and you don’t really get to see the whole picture. I have down days and times where I lack inspiration, fall off the fitness bandwagon or am simply dealing with feeling a bit “meh”.

Usually it’s for no real reason and nothing in particular has made me feel this way and yet I can’t bring myself to write or exercise or, well, just be my usual happy self. These sorts of slumps come and go in waves (it always dooesss...always doessss). Okay but seriously, they come out of nowhere and for no reason and I know a lot of you will relate.

For me, my biggest trigger of these moods is when everything in my life starts to calm down and become perfect. When I’m so used to going 100% then suddenly I finish that huge project at work, complete all my University assessment for the year and successfully move house…I get hit with this sinking “what now” feeling. I’m so used to jumping from one thing to the next that I don’t know what to do with myself when I’ve stopped to slow down. I want to tell you that in most circumstances it’s totally normal and there is no point beating yourself up over it…it honestly just makes it worse.

Let’s Talk About Confidence - Heart to Heart

This year one of my resolutions was to ‘become more confident’, which is a very ambiguous goal to achieve because it makes you ask questions like “what is confidence?” and “how do you even measure confidence?” 

After having a conversation with the incredible life trainer (and my boyfriends sister), Carly Bell, we realised what a loaded topic “confidence” is – how it means different things to different people, how it can help or hinder your growth / success as a person and most important – how you view yourself and the world. So we decided to sit down and share with you our experience in confidence (or lack thereof) and the kinds of things we do to help us become more confident.

Some of them are things you might not have even thought of, some are embarrassing little funny stories and others are tips that seem obvious but you probably aren’t doing.

Please enjoy the heart to heart video below all about confidence. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in for a chat because it's a lengthy but worthwhile video to watch :)

Moving House Hacks From a Perfectionist

While you read this I will be right in the midst of moving day! Moving house can be a stressful time, especially if you are a perfectionist and can’t stand the thought of having a half moved in house for any longer than necessary. 

In between moving trucks, setting up electricity, making sure furniture matches and coordinating deliveries…preparation and organisation is key to keeping sane (especially as a perfectionist).

So I have compiled a list of moving house hacks that have helped me in preparation for this move and I promise will work for you as well. These may be things you had never even thought of, because some of them I hadn’t until I had to deal with them.

Let’s get into it…

Behind the Desk - Massive Life Updates! Moving! Job! Graduating Uni + More

I always feel like I’ve had a semi-quiet month but then I look back and I’m like woah hold up did I really do all those things?!

Yeah another one like that because this month I went to Sydney, attended THREE concerts, attended the YouTube creator day, have been a busy bee at work / with my own company and also having something HUGE in the works.

Not only that but I'll be moving this week and graduating University shortly - it's all happening.

So strap in because I’m going to fill you in on each of these awesome things going on...


Moving House
So the biggest thing currently going on in my life is that I am moving house. My boyfriend and I are really excited to get into the new place and set everything up. I'm going with a modern Scandinavian décor theme with light woods, creamy whites, variations of grey with pops of light pink and rose gold. I will definitely be keeping you updated with the progress and showing you awesome home / décor finds as I come across them and show you how I decorate the new place.

Exercise Doesn't Have to be Expensive: Get Fit Without Breaking The Bank

The health market has really taken off in recent years, and you can now buy all kinds of incredible products to help you on your journey to good health. From superfood powders to protein bars, top of the range blenders and juicers to make your own nutritious drinks and high end gyms containing every piece of fitness equipment you’d ever need. While many of these things can be great, it’s important to remember that actually- living healthily doesn’t have to cost much at all. Exercise especially in many cases can be free, as fabulous as a kitted out gym can be there are lots of other ways to get in shape.

Why You Should Take Yourself on Sushi Dates

I went through a stage towards the end of last year where I really wanted to boost my confidence. I found the thing that made me feel most confident was being independent and what worked best for me was spending time on my own doing my own thing.

My experience was the more I did on my own, the more capable I felt and this really boosted my confidence. It’s extremely empowering knowing that you don’t need anyone’s help to get things done and that you can make yourself happy.

Which is why I’m saying - you should take yourself on more sushi dates.

Not only because salmon is like…seriously good for you.

But because you should do the things that make you happy. You are in control of your own happiness so it is pretty much up to you…no actually, it is quite literally your RESPONSIBILITY to make sure you do the things that make you happy.

Off to the Races - A Sydney Trip Visual Diary

My boyfriend and I went down to Sydney for the weekend to attend the races that were on a couple of weeks ago (I also had a few business meetings).

Cocktails were had and bets were made.

Here is a visual diary of our trip...

Pink Clay Face Mask Tutorial and Review ♥ Sand And Sky

You guys know how much I have been LOVING my skincare lately and I’ve always been a fan of a good face mask.

Well…I found a face mask that I’m confident in saying is the best I have ever tried. I see such immediate and visible results from using this I had to make a video so that you could see for yourself the change in my skin on camera.

I’m getting back into the swing of YouTube videos so any support you could show me would be incredible; whether it’s a like or saying hi in the comments I love being able to interact with you on that level.

So let’s get into the video…

 

Which Central American Country Should I Visit?

Photo Credit

If you have never been to Central America before and you only have a short amount of time on
 your hands, you may only be able to visit one of the eight countries in the region. Deciding which
 one is the best option for you can be a tricky task which we are going to try and make a little bit 
easier in this article. So, let’s take a closer look at five of the possible options of countries you 
could visit in Central America.