Goals – Hello Marie

It’s July! And a Quick Update!

05/07/2018 No Comments

I’m sure you’re all aware, but guys, it’s July already! Where has the time gone? I feel like just yesterday we were enjoying Summer and now the weather has turned and we’ve officially hit the half year mark! While I’ve been taking this year relatively easy and focusing on myself, I’ve still been keeping myself busy and wanted to reflect on how the first half of the year has been so far.

I joined a gym. One of my goals this year was to improve my physical health, so I decided to join my local gym for 3 months. My focus was to increase my upper body strength and build up my cardio again. It took a few weeks to get into a routine but I was soon hitting the gym 2-3 times a week and mixing it up with a few exercise classes as well. As part of my membership, I received a complimentary health assessment and list of exercises tailored towards my fitness goals. I had a really good mix of strength based and cardio exercises, and what surprised me the most was how much fun I had using the machines.

I quit my job. Having been at my new workplace for just over a year, I was miserable and after an incident at work, I decided to quit my job. It wasn’t a decision I came to lightly, however with the support and encouragement of my husband we both decided that it was the best thing to do for my mental health. I’m well aware that not many people have the luxury to do so, and I’m very fortunate that we’re in a position where my husband can (and is happy to) support the both of us.

We’re moving! My husband was fortunate to get a better job opportunity over east, so we’ll be moving in a few short weeks to a small country town that sits on the border between New South Wales and Victoria. So while I haven’t been working, I’ve been busy getting our affairs in order and organising our entire move. Although we’ll both be moving away from both of our families, we are both very excited for our upcoming adventure and looking forward to seeing where this move may take us!

Instagram and blogging. In the past few months, I’ve slowly been getting back onto the Instagram and blogging scene, and I’ve really been enjoying it! The break from Instagram was actually a blessing in disguise, as I was starting to get obsessed with the number of followers I had. Now, I’m more focused on putting up fun photos to share and interacting with people! I’ve met some lovely people over Instagram and am amazed that I can communicate with someone half way across the world! Blogging wise, as I’m easing back into it, I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. However I’m focusing on putting out regular weekly blog posts as a start.

So that’s really the key updates I wanted to share! How has the first half of the year gone for you? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

Marie xo

Goals

Monthly Beauty Picks: January

10/01/2017 No Comments

Last year, I embarked on a No New Makeup Challenge and I’m proud to say that I managed to finish the year without buying any new makeup! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be and I had a lot of fun using up my stash. This year, I won’t be doing a total ban but I’m still inspired to use up my existing makeup and beauty products. While getting support from others online doing similar challenges last year, I stumbled across Project Pan.

For those of you who don’t know what Project Pan is, it’s when you focus on using up a certain number of products or hit ‘pan’ on your products like eyeshadows or blushes. I don’t know about you, but I’m addicted to blushes and I have way more than I could use in a lifetime! Some people like to hit pan on a minimum number of products before buying new products, or use up a product completely before replacing it with something similar. Like all personal challenges, you can put your own personal spin on it and so this year, I’ll be doing a monthly ‘Project Pan’ of sorts.

One of the downfalls of those doing Project Pan is the boredom of using the same number of products everyday and many people seem to give up long before they hit pan. Look I get it, variety is the spice of life and it can take forever to hit pan on that itty bitty eyeshadow! So keeping this in mind, I’ll be picking a selection of makeup and beauty products at the start of each month and the challenge will be to use these consistently for a month. I know this will take me longer to hit pan on my products but it means that I get to rotate my products and get a bit of variety as well.

My January Beauty Picks

Masks: Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask, Etude House Snail & From Nature Multi Effect Collagen Honey Mask
Hand cream: Nature Republic in Peach
Face spray: Urban Decay Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
Primer: Bare Minerals Prime Time in Medium
Foundation: Loreal True Match in Golden Natural
Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind
Powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
Blush: Benefit Bene Tint
Eyeshadow primer: Urban Decay Anti-aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Eyeshadows: MUG Peach Smoothie, MUG Shimma Shimma & Em Cosmetics Vulnerable
Eyeliner: Daiso Eye Liner Pencil in Dark Brown
Mascara: Too Faced Better than Sex
Tinted lipstick: Benefit Bene Balm
Perfume: Benefit Laugh with Me

I’ve popped most of these products in a smaller makeup bag, so their all in the same, easy to grab place. I might use other products during the month, depending on the occasion or if I want to dress things up a bit more but the aim will be to stick to using these products throughout the month. If you’re playing along, do please let me know! I would love to hear what your January beauty picks are!

Marie xo

Goals

My Word for 2017

05/01/2017 No Comments

Last year I was inspired by Ali Edwards’ One Little Word project to choose the word Simplify to shape my year. It was a great word for me and brought me back to the basics as I decluttered physically and digitally, made do with the things I had, prioritised what was important to me and did more creative things. But as important as Simplify was to me last year, I knew I wanted to take a different direction this year.

So this year, my word for 2017 is Create.

While I’ve always had creative goals and projects, I’ve never put them first and they are often pushed to the side as other priorities take precedence. This year, I wanted to put it first and explore my creative self. With Create in the back of my mind, here are my 2017 goals.

My 2017 Goals

I want to put my creativity first. This will be a tough goal for me as I balance this between work and study commitments, however I’m determined to put my creative goals first. This means re-framing my creative work as being just as important as work and study, and setting aside time to make it happen.

I want to explore and challenge my creative self. I’ve always known that I loved creating things and playing with paper and stationery but I don’t feel like I’ve found ‘my thing’ yet. I’m not sure if I ever will but I’m taking this year as an opportunity to explore my creative self. I want to try new things, perhaps take a class or 2, and continue scrapbooking, lettering and knitting. Who knows, I might actually learn how to use my sewing machine!

I want to focus on my blog. Last year the blog started out great but it fizzled out in the second half of the year. This year, I want to focus on my blog and I intend to post every Tuesday and Thursday. The content is obviously important, however my main aim this year for the blog will be posting regularly and consistently. I’m using the monthly part of my 2017 Muji planner to map out a rough editorial calendar and I’m hoping that having a physical calendar to look at will keep me on track.

I want to collaborate with other people. Last year, I spent a lot of time building my Instagram presence and I think that it’s such a great platform for bringing people all over the world together. I’ve been fortunate to get to know some of these amazing people better and I would love to do some collaborations on Instagram and on my blog.

I want to learn basic photo editing skills. I’ll admit, I suck at editing my photos! While I love the writing aspect of my blog, I don’t have much patience for taking and editing photos because I just don’t really know what I’m doing. At times it can be a slow and frustrating process and it’s one of the reasons that’s been preventing me from posting more often. The only way I can get around this is by learning some basic photo editing skills to make the process a bit easier. Out of all of my goals, this is the one that I’m least looking forward to but will probably have the most impact for me.

That’s it! Do you have a word for 2017 and what are your goals?

Marie xo

Goals

Bonjour! Learning French

19/05/2016 No Comments

Before I visit a new country, I like to learn as much as I can about the people, culture and its customs. If I’m visiting a non-English speaking country, I also like to learn some of the language as well. Prior to visiting South Korea for the first time I learned Hangeul, which is the Korean alphabet, along with some basic vocabulary and common phrases. I was nowhere near fluent when I arrived but it helped me to feel less like a tourist and immerse myself in the culture. This year, I’m really excited to share that my husband and I will be heading to Europe for the very first time for our proper honeymoon! We haven’t confirmed all the details yet but we’re definitely visiting France, so I’m trying to learn a bit of French before I go.

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After searching and checking out a few different resources, I found a free app called Duolingo. It’s a fun app that’s structured like a game, where each topic is a level that needs to be passed before you can ‘level up’. As you finish each topic you earn ‘lingots’, which you can save up to purchase fun items or bonus topics from their store. Topics range in increasing difficulty from Basics 1, Basics 2, Phrases, Food and Animals, all the way through to Economics, Sports and Spiritual. But what I really like about this app and what’s been bringing me back each time is how fun it is!

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Within each topic, there are a series of mini lessons and each lesson has a variety of different methods to help you learn and keep things interesting. There are pictures to match with phrases, sentences to translate, sentences with missing words to be filled in, word pairs to match up and many more. The other interesting aspect of this app is that it focuses on repetition. Anyone who’s tried to learn a new language would know that if you don’t use it, you lose it and underneath each topic there is a ‘strength bar’ that keeps track of how long since you’ve completed the topic. The goal is to keep the bars full and regular reminders are sent from the app to keep practicing!

The only thing that I don’t like about this app is that you need to complete each topic before moving onto the next one but I suppose that’s the whole point of it. Other than that, I really like this app and wanted to share it with anyone who’s thinking of learning French or any other European language. Au revoir!

Goals

No New Clothing Challenge Update

10/05/2016 No Comments

In line with my one word this year, simplify, I’ve embarked on a no new clothing and makeup challenge! When I started this challenge earlier this year, most people scoffed at the idea but I’m pleased to say that it’s been really easy to stick too. So here’s an update on how my no new clothing challenge has being going!

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(Almost) No New Clothes

The basic premise of this challenge is a pretty simple one – no new clothing including secondhand or swaps. Unfortunately, almost immediately after starting this challenge, I had to break it! On one unfortunate day, I arrived at work to discover that I had a sizable hole about the size of a 50 cent coin in the back of my skirt! Fortunately for me, the underwear I was wearing that day closely matched the colour of my skirt but I was still pretty mortified. Because of the challenge, I hesitated and wondered if I could get away with hiding the hole in my skirt by sitting down all day. However, common sense prevailed and I was able to buy a similar looking skirt. I’m pleased to report that since this incident, I haven’t bought any new clothes!

Work In Progress Wardrobe

Part of the reason why I took on this challenge was because I wanted to have a wardrobe full of clothes that I loved. Last year, I was buying new clothes almost every month but I’d often find myself going through my clothes wondering what to wear! At the start of the challenge, I did an initial cull and donated quite a few items. I got rid of things that I hadn’t worn in a long time or that just wasn’t my style anymore. It was such a great feeling and I’m hoping to get rid of more clothes as the year goes on. To help me, I’ve turned all of my hangers backwards to see what I haven’t worn. I’m enjoying the challenge of wearing items that I haven’t worn yet and am interested to see what hangers don’t get turned around. It’s almost halfway through the year now and I’ve probably worn about 40% of my wardrobe.

Breaking Bad Habits

I’ve never been a big shopper but working in the city meant that lunchtimes were often spent wandering around the stores and buying an item here or there. At home, I’d get bored and spend my time checking out online stores and doing the same thing. It wasn’t necessarily bad but when I look back at it, I think of all the wasted money, time and effort that could’ve been spent elsewhere! I suppose my priorities have changed as well. Nowadays I try to be more conscious when I’m buying something and spend more time doing things that I like rather than mindlessly trying to find the next best deal. It’s also helped that I’ve unsubscribed to a lot of stores because trust me when I say that there’s always going to be another big sale!

Looking Ahead

Hopefully, by the end of the year I’ll have a wardrobe full of clothes that I love and items that I wear all the time. Now that I’m getting older I find myself gravitating towards classic pieces rather than flashy seasonal items. I also want to be more conscious of the things that I buy and put my hard earned money, time and effort towards things that actually matter to me. That’s not to say that I’m not looking forward to the end of the challenge but it’s great to shake things up a bit every now and then!

PS Check out my no new makeup challenge update!

Goals

Quarterly Goal Check In

05/04/2016 No Comments

I’m amazed at how quickly time seems to be flying by!

If this month is any indication, the rest of the year is going to zoom by before I know it. I started the year with 4 key goals and I wanted to reflect on how well I’ve been going so far. Looking back on things helps me to keep on track and gives me motivation to keep on going.

1. Declutter – so far, so good. I’ve managed to reduce my personal inbox from a crazy 1000+ emails down to about 100. Unsubscribing from a lot of retail spam and newsletters helped a lot. I have 4 email accounts though for various reasons and want to get that down to 2. I also went on a de-cluttering frenzy around the house and donated quite a few things. It felt so liberating and the next project is tackling our junk room!

2. Making Do – I’ve stayed pretty true to my one word for this year, simplify, and haven’t really bought anything that I don’t need. The no new makeup challenge has been pretty easy to do and I’m enjoying using up what I’ve got. I’ve fallen off the wagon for my no new clothing challenge though but more on that in another post!

3. Prioritise – I started off the year really well but I’ve slipped back into old habits. Nothing too bad, a few TV episodes here and there, but I’ll need to pull my socks up if I’m going to balance work/study/blogging/life! I’ve been great at getting out of the house more, going to city events, the beach and cafes with family and friends. I’ve also read 11/50 books for my reading challenge this year.

4. Create – by far my greatest success yet has been learning how to knit and I’ve knitted 2 scarfs so far! Their far from perfect but I absolutely adore them. It was quite awkward to start with and I had to re-teach myself how to knit in a faster and more economical way but I’ve been loving this process of creating something from nothing. I usually knit when I’m watching something so I don’t feel as bad, ha! Scrapbooking wise, I finally finished scrapping an old trip to South East Asia, and started putting in a few pages of my 365 diary for 2015. Haven’t touched the sewing machine yet or really started learning French, so we’ll see.

Not a bad start to the year so far. Just need to keep the momentum going!

Goals

No New Makeup Challenge Update

15/03/2016 No Comments

In line with my one word this year, simplify, I’m embarking on a no new clothing and makeup challenge.

We’re now into March and so far, so good! The first thing I did was unsubscribe from a whole bunch of makeup Youtube channels and the second was unsubscribing from any makeup email lists. So not only am I resisting any temptation to buy things, I’ve also given myself more time to focus on other things and decluttering my inbox. Double yay! There’s something also so intrinsically satisfying in using something up until it’s finished rather than buying new things all the time and having a few open and unfinished bottles/jars laying around.

To be honest there’s not too much more I can update you on (unless I fall off the bandwagon). Things are going well and I haven’t bought anything I shouldn’t have, so I thought I’d provide an update every few months and also give you a rundown of what I’ve been loving these past few months.

With Summer in full swing, the last few months have been pretty hot. The day’s average around 27 – 30 degrees and around 15 degrees at night. I love the heat but it can be quite drying for the skin, so I’ve been focusing on moisturising and keeping things light. Starting clockwise from the left, I’ve been using non-stop this Summer:

Makeup Geek Blushes – when the blushes first came out, I bought 3 different colours to try out. I loved them so much that I bought the 9 blush bundle special when it was in stock late last year. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like Makeup Geek offer the bundle anymore but it’s still worth checking out as it’s a great quality product for a great price. My current go to blushes this Summer are Bliss, Smitten and Spellbound.

Benefit Benebalm – truth be told, I fell in love with the packaging long before I fell in love with the product! When I found out that it was a tinted lipgloss, I was sold! I’m not a big fan of lipsticks so this sheer, rose tinted lipbalm is perfect for me. It smells like roses and is so smooth to put on. I’ve worn it almost everyday since I’ve purchased it and will definitely be repurchasing this once my makeup ban is over!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 – this lipbalm has been the perfect accompaniment to Summer for me as it’s brought new life to my chapped lips and prevents my lips from getting sunburnt. It smells great, like sugar actually, and a little goes a long way.

Aesop Rind Concentrate Body Balm – sadly, I’ve almost used this all up but it was fantastic while it lasted! It’s a mix of orange rind, pink grapefruit and lemon rind, which smells absolutely amazing! It applies lightly on the skin and absorbs quickly. The citrus smells are perfect for Summer.

Natio Daily Defence Face Moisturiser SPF 50+ – I actually stole this from my husband and have been using this almost exclusively for myself! I’m fanatical about applying SPF on my face before leaving the house and I’ve been using this under my foundation. For a moisturiser that has such a high SPF, it’s surprisingly light, scent free and absorbs quickly. Three big ticks from me!

Etude House Moistfull Collagen Emulsion – Etude House is one of my favourite Korean makeup brands so I thought I’d check out their skincare range when I went to South Korea last year. I picked up a few items from their Moistfull Collagen range and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this cream. It contains particles of collagen water and Baobab water to assist with moisture retention and firmness. Since it doesn’t have SPF, I mainly use this as a night cream and I love how my skin feels so smooth and soft the next morning.

Macaron Eyes Eyeshadow Kit – I usually gravitate towards the same 2 eyeshadows everyday so I’ve been trying to rotate my eyeshadow palettes to get some good use out of them. I picked up this eyeshadow kit from a pharmacy in Singapore and it contains light shimmery neutrals that I’ve been using for daily wear. The pigmentation isn’t great but I don’t mind as I only use it to lightly highlight my lids before putting my eyeliner on. I’m also a sucker for the packaging!

The majority of the above links are affiliate links that at no extra cost to you, will earn me a small commission should you choose to click and purchase any items. Thanks for your support!

What products have you been loving this Summer?

Goals

No New Clothing and Makeup Challenge

14/01/2016 No Comments

So in line with my one word, simplify, this year I’ve decided to take on a no new clothes and makeup challenge!

Late last year I had a moment and wondered why on earth was I continuing to spend so much time online and in stores, spending my hard earned money on clothes that I didn’t need or love? At home, I took a good look at my overflowing cupboards and drawers and saw that I had more than enough to get me by for any occasion that might be thrown my way.

I had a quick jump online and was pleasantly surprised to see that this was a thing and many other people had actually done this challenge. I took stock of all the makeup I have and thought that I might as well include it in the challenge as well! Below is about half of what I own, not as much as I’ve seen others have but more than enough to last me many, many years.

I’m really excited to do this and see how far I can go with it. Everyone I’ve told so far thinks it’s crazy but I think it’s definitely doable.

I’m hoping that this challenge will 1) free up my time 2) save money 3) make me appreciate and get use out of what I have 4) help me to cull my wardrobe into pieces that I love and 5) stop “collecting” more makeup and use what I have. I also want to stop the mindless click and buy mentality that I’ve cultivated.

So onto a few rules:

I’ve donated some clothes and plan to do this throughout the year. I’ve turned my hangers backwards to help me figure out what I haven’t worn.
No new clothes means no buying any clothes – firsthand, secondhand or swaps!
This includes underwear, accessories and bags.
I can fix or mend clothes (that should be interesting!) if I need too.
No new makeup includes everything except lotions that I use and run out of on a regular basis.
This includes nail polish and perfume.

This is my biggest challenge of the year and I’m excited to check in with updates as the year progresses.

Goals

Happy New Year and My Word for 2016

12/01/2016 No Comments

For the last few years Ali Edwards has been running a project called One Little Word, where she chooses a word to shape her year. It’s such a simple yet powerful thing to do and this year I’ve decided to jump on the bandwagon.

Leading up to Christmas last year and reflecting on the amazing but crazy year that I’ve had, I knew immediately that my one word for this year would be simplify.

Last year my now husband and I worked long hours, studied hard, sat for exams, planned not one but two weddings and went on our honeymoon. In between we laughed, cried, fought, made up and tried to remember to breathe amidst the whirlwind of it all. Needless to say we are very much looking forward to taking a step back, to enjoy life and being a newly married couple.

So here are my goals for 2016:

Declutter – a quick look around our house and we just have so much stuff and clutter everywhere. This year I’ll be taking a good look at everything and only keeping the things that we love. It’s going to be difficult but any unwanted items will be donated or thrown out. I’ll also be doing a digital declutter and clearing out old folders, consolidating photos and removing apps that aren’t necessary or adding value anymore.
Make do – this year I am committing to a no new clothing AND makeup challenge this year! Everyone I’ve told so far has said that I’m crazy and that it’s not possible … so we will see! Along the same lines, I also want to make do and resist buying (or accepting) things that we just don’t need – I love how this goal is linked to the first one.
Prioritise – even though I am so busy, I waste the majority of my valuable spare time watching too many YouTube videos and TV episodes. This year, I want to switch off more and spend my time doing things rather than being behind a screen. I want to get out of the house more, catch up with friends, and see more of this beautiful state that I live in. I also want to read more and am hoping to read 50 books this year.
Create – I think I will always have some sort of creative goal on my list. Last year I had learning how to use my sewing machine, which obviously failed miserably, so it’s back on the list this year along with knitting, French and/or German and scrapping old trips. I also hope that this blog can be more of a creative outlet for me and I want to keep writing.

Here’s to a more meaningful and creative year!

Goals

10 Creative Goals for the Year

10/01/2015 No Comments

With the start of the new year, I wanted to give myself some broad creative oriented goals to stretch myself and make sure I set some time aside to do something fun. So without further ado, here are some things I would like to achieve by the end of the year:

Learn how to use my sewing machine
Complete a sewing project
Finish decorating the house
Take a watercolour painting class
Keep writing!
Put artwork and photos on the walls
Visit the art gallery
Read 12 books
Scrapbook an old holiday
Take more photos

Here’s to a creative year ahead!