Monthly Link Roundup

Brrr, how is everyone surviving winter so far? I’m a summer girl myself, so I’m very much looking forward to the warmer weather! Since we’re in the middle of packing I’ve avoided making any big purchases but couldn’t help but buy a cheap $15 heater from Kmart to keep our bedroom warm in the evenings. I hope that you’re all staying warm and enjoy this month’s link roundup!

Monthly Link Roundup

Currently getting my fix of new and old favourites before leaving Perth 🙁

I’m so happy that plastic bags are finally being banned from major supermarkets in Western Australia and many smaller retailers are following suit! I have quite a few canvas bags myself but admit to being lazy and forgetful from time to time, so having to pay for a bag each time will definitely get me in the habit of bringing them with me on my next shop. Here’s the perfect funny gift canvas bag for the sassy person in your life!

Every now and then, I have to watch this TED talk to remind myself on The Magic of Not Giving a Fuck.

I’ve been thinking about making some felt flowers for a while now and after a lot of research finally bought the Sizzix Big Shot. Does anyone else have this and if so, what dies would you recommend?

Who else is excited for the next installment of this movie series!?

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

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Monthly Link Roundup

Not sure what to get up to in rainy and cold Perth at the moment? What about jumping in a giant white ball pit in the Winter Fest Dome or checking out the various art installations around Perth? You can check out more things to see and do here!

A reminder (and some inspiration) that all full-time bloggers have to start from somewhere!

Sooo obsessed with this delicious honeycake! I really want to try the pandan version but it’s sold out everytime!

As I mentioned in a previous post, we’ll be moving interstate in a few short weeks so I’ve been busy decluttering and packing. It can get pretty overwhelming at times and there’s the overwhelming temptation to chuck everything in boxes to deal with it later. Don’t do that! The best time to declutter is before a move and here are some articles that I’ve found that have really helped me to decide what to get rid of and what to pack for the move!

An adorable pom-pom photo frame DIY? Yes please!

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

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It’s July! And a Quick Update!

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

 

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Monthly Link Roundup

Hey there! As I’m getting back into the blogging mode, I thought it would be great to kick off my monthly link roundup series again! Hopefully it will be a fun way to wrap up each month and share interesting finds or things that I’m currently loving. You can check out my first ever (and only!) monthly link roundup here!

Monthly Link Roundup

As someone who is trying to be more environmentally conscious and reduce how much waste I produce, I recently purchased my husband and I our very own Keep Cups! I bought 2 medium sized cups from their new cork edition range in Almond and Thermal, and have been loving using these! These are great to have in the car on the way to work as I don’t have to worry about coffee splashing everywhere when driving.

Something must be in the air, as everyone around me seems to be popping out babies! For baby shower gifts, I usually like to give something fun as well as practical. I’m not a mum so this article about 12 Practical Baby Shower Gifts was a lifesaver!

Currently reading this monster of a book!

Spending waaaay too much time playing Harvest Land on my tablet … don’t blame me if you get addicted as well!

I recently dusted off my neglected sewing machine and hauled myself to an Absolute Beginners sewing course. Shout out to Kelly who was an amazing (and patient) teacher! Beginner courses are run monthly across 3 afternoon’s at Kelly’s home studio.

One of my favourite Instagram feeds <3

Apparently I was using my sheet masks all wrong! Here are 6 mistakes you might be doing and how to fix them!

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

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My Word for 2018

For the last few years, I have been following Ali Edward’s One Little Word project to choose a word to shape my year. Following the death of my dad last year and the negative toll it took on me, I wanted to focus on myself this year.

So this year, my word for 2018 is Me.

My 2018 Goals

I want to improve my mental health. I have always been a glass half empty type of person and the grief, stress and anxiety that followed my dad’s death last year hit me hard. I felt particularly let down by various people and was disappointed by their lack of support. Simple decision making became difficult and at times, I felt as if I was drowning. I’m fortunate that I had the support of my husband during that time and I also sought professional counselling. While I no longer need counselling, I will be actively removing and reducing things that have a negative impact on my mental health.

I want to improving my physical health. Exercise makes me happy and nothing beats that feeling of accomplishment following a great gym session! This year I intend on joining my local gym and putting some simple fitness goals in place to tone up and increase my overall fitness.

I want to say no more often. I am, by nature, a people pleaser and often find myself saying yes more often than I should. While I enjoy helping people out, I have often found myself trying to juggle and do too much, by saying yes too often. This year, I plan on being more assertive and saying “no” more often.

That’s it! Do you have a word for 2018 and what are your goals?

Marie xo

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Forever In My Heart

It has been over a year since I posted my last blog post and since my dad passed away.

The past year has flown by and it has been the most difficult time of my life. The raw grief has simmered to a dull ache but in quieter moments, mostly when I’m alone, it comes back in full force and it feels like my heart is breaking all over again.

Growing up, I had a tumultuous relationship with my parents and fought with them all the time over every little issue. I was always angry and wanted to break out of the small square box they placed me in. My parents had strict rules and set ideas about who I should be and what I should do with my life. It was difficult for me to see their point of view and I moved out as soon as I could. Being independent and not relying on anyone for help is a big part of who I am and I was determined to show them that I could do it on my own.

Moving out and spending a year interstate helped. I learnt what it was really like to be independent. I learnt how to maximise each paycheck and got a better understanding of what it meant to ‘be an adult’. And boy, was there a lot of cleaning involved! It was an eye opener and the distance helped to repair the relationship I had with my parents. Despite all the fights and tears over the years, I knew that I could always count on them if I needed their help.

When I returned back to Perth we had developed an easy relationship but I only really saw them on birthday’s and other special occasions. I was always busy working, studying and trying to pick up the pieces of when I had left Perth. Time seemed to fly by but I always thought there would be time later on to develop a closer relationship with my parents. Time to get to know them as individuals. Time to learn about what they were like growing up. Time to give them grandchildren to play with.

When my dad passed away suddenly last year, I grieved not only for my dad as I knew him but also for the time that I’ll never have to really get to know him and see him as a grandfather to my future children. His death took the whole family by surprise and affected us all in different ways. I alternated between anger, regret and grief. The past year has been difficult for me but I am extremely grateful to the few individuals that have supported me during this time. Without them, I would have been lost.

If there is anything that I can take away from this experience, it is that life really is too short. Cherish the time you have with your loved ones and live every day like it is your last day.

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On Celebrating 10 Years Together

Last week, my husband and I celebrated 10 years of being together. Ten years seems like such a long time, but I can honestly say that it’s flown by and it almost seems like we met yesterday. Although our relationship isn’t perfect by any means, I’ve enjoyed our time together and I look forward to growing old with my best friend by my side. He is the sun in my sky and I am so fortunate to have him in my life.

As we celebrate this milestone together, it made me reflect on the things that I believe made our relationship work so well. I’m no relationship expert by any means and every couple will be different, however I do believe that relationships shouldn’t be that hard. While hard, conscious work is involved, the relationship itself shouldn’t be that much hard work. Here are 10 things that I’d like to share that got us through our 10 years together, and hopefully another 10 years to come!

Celebrating 10 Years as a Couple

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I hate arguing in general but arguments over petty things are even worse! When we first moved in together, we used to have lots of small arguments over really mundane things like who did the dishes last. In the big scheme of things it didn’t really matter and a good question to ask yourself is, will it matter in 2, 3, 4 years time? If not, then it’s not worth your time!

2. Don’t go to bed angry. This is an oldie but a goodie. In the 10 years that we’ve been together, I can only remember 1 time when we went to bed angry. I woke up uncertain about where we stood with one another but was relieved when we quickly made up the next morning. I don’t like being angry or upset at my husband and see no point with dragging out a fight. If it’s not resolved quickly, we always work on making amends before going to bed.

3. Be grateful for each other. I feel very fortunate to have my husband in my life and I know that it wouldn’t be as bright, fun or interesting without him. For that, I am grateful and try to consciously infuse that in every interaction we have with one another.

4. Have fun together! Relationships don’t have to be serious all the time. My husband and I enjoy date nights out together, trying out new activities like skateboarding (!) or exploring new places. At home, you’ll probably find us on the couch talking and laughing with one another. We have plenty of inside jokes and quirky things that we like to do as a couple, which makes our relationship both interesting and fun!

5. Support each other. While you may not necessarily agree with one another all the time, it’s important to support and have each other’s back. Throughout the course of your relationship you may meet people who, for one reason or another, try to drive a wedge between yourselves or look forward to seeing your relationship fail. Don’t let them. As my husband and I say, “It’s us against the world!”.

6. Make sure to get some alone time. As close as we are, my husband and I always make sure to schedule in “me time” for ourselves. It’s a time for us to decompress, spend time doing what we want to do and recharge. Although I love spending time and hanging out with my husband, I also need time apart to do my own thing. It certainly doesn’t mean that I love him any less, in fact it brings me closer to him. As they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”.

7. Have your own hobbies and interests. While my husband and I share mutual interests, we also have our own separate hobbies and interests. My husband loves tinkering around with remote control cars whereas I love to play with paper. Being in a relationship doesn’t mean that you stop doing what you loved doing previously. If anything, it’s even more important that you hold onto it.

8. Don’t forget your friends! In the past, I’ve spent all of my time with ex-boyfriends and completely neglected my friends. Fortunately most of my friends understood but understandably, I lost a few friends along the way as well. While it’s natural to want to spend as much time as possible with that special person in your life, it’s also important to realise that your friends are also important. Spending time with your friends, with and without your significant other, is important to having a healthy relationship.

9. Communicate. It’s important to continuously talk and check in with one another to make sure that you’re both heading in the right direction together. When I first met my husband, we were still in uni and figuring out what we were going to do. We weren’t quite sure who we were yet or what we wanted to do with our lives. At times I wasn’t sure if we were going in the same direction but throughout it all we talked and made time for important conversations. My husband and I have always been honest and upfront with each other, and I definitely believe this is one of the key reasons why we’re still together today.

10. Know who you are. Last but not least, know who you are and don’t settle for less. Throughout your relationship you’ll need to compromise from time to time, or make tough decisions. However, you won’t be able to do this properly if you don’t have a sense of who you are and what you stand for. To have a healthy relationship, it’s important to take time to get to know yourself and be comfortable in your own company.

Happy 10 years, my sweet husband of mine and here’s to (at least) another 10!

Marie xo

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Monthly Beauty Picks: February

This year I’m picking a number of makeup and beauty products at the start of each month and the challenge will be to use these consistently for the month. In this way, I’ll get to use up my existing makeup and beauty products without getting bored!

Since it’s Summer here in Perth, I’ve chosen lighter makeup products so that my face can breathe during the day and doesn’t get too oily. I’ve swapped out my foundation for a BB cream and swapped my powder eyeshadows for cream eyeshadows. It’s been a while since I last used my cream eyeshadows and I’d forgotten how simple and quick they were to use! The benefit of all this has been less time spent in the morning getting ready, so big yay for that!

Due to the heat, I’ve also chosen more skincare products then I normally would have. My skin gets really dry, so I like to put as much moisture on it to soak up overnight while I’m sleeping. Looking back at the products I’ve chosen this month, there’s definitely a lean towards Korean products. I picked up the majority of these while I was in South Korea but you can purchase these online as well. When it comes to beauty and skincare, the Koreans really know what their doing!

My February Beauty Picks

  • Face spray: Urban Decay Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray
  • Body spray: The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Mist
  • Foundation: Garnier BB Cream in Medium
  • Concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind
  • Powder: Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
  • Blush: MUG Smitten
  • Eyeshadow primer: Urban Decay Anti-aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion
  • Eyeshadows: Etude House Bling Bling Eye Sticks
  • Eyeliner: Daiso Eye Liner Pencil in Dark Brown
  • Mascara: Too Faced Better than Sex
  • Lipgloss: Tony Moly Mini Peach Lip Balm
  • Tinted lipsticks: Tony Moly Neon Yellow and Neon Red
  • Night face cream: Garnier Sakura White
  • Face oil: Tarte Maracuja Oil
  • Serums: Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule and Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Anti-Wrinkle Serum

If you’re playing along, do please let me know! I would love to hear what your February beauty picks are!

Marie xo

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Breakfast Buffet at Atrium, Crown Metropol

To celebrate Chinese New Year this year, my husband’s side of the family decided to do something different and we went to enjoy a long, leisurely breakfast buffet at Atrium. Atrium is located inside the newly renovated Crown Metropol Perth lobby and there is plenty of free parking on-site. In honour of Chinese New Year, there was a gorgeous, sparkly tree with Chinese lanterns that immediately helped to set the mood and I was excited to see more decorations inside the restaurant.

In the past, I’ve only had the dinner buffet at Atrium so I was eager to check out their breakfast buffet. In terms of the selection, I was quite impressed and there was a wide range of Western hot dishes (e.g. eggs, chipolatas, quiches, bacon, hashbrowns), Asian hot dishes (e.g. noodles, fried rice, curry, tempura vegetables), dim sum, soup and congee, breads, cold meat and cheese, fresh fruit, cereal, yoghurt, sweets and juice available.

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so I naturally gravitated towards the savoury stations and indulged in smoked salmon, hash browns, fried mushrooms, noodles, curry and dim sum. I particularly enjoyed the congee station and filled my bowl with delicious condiments that I normally wouldn’t otherwise make at home! To finish things off, I had to try the mini waffles and topped them with whipped cream and fruit, with a generous drizzle of maple syrup over the top. It was a perfect end to a delicious 1.5 hour long buffet!

Throughout the service, staff were efficient and friendly, clearing away dirty dishes and offering top ups of tea and coffee. The breakfast buffet runs from 6.30am – 10.30am, however we arrived around 9am which gave us more than enough time to enjoy ourselves. At 9am it was still relatively quiet and we didn’t have to queue for any food but it started to get busy around 10am, with many hotel guests starting to come down. For a quieter and more relaxed experience, I would recommend coming earlier although it didn’t impact us too much as were winding down the last half hour.

Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend a visit if you haven’t been before!

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Monthly Link Roundup

As we wrap up January (already!), I wanted to introduce you to my new monthly link roundup blog series! I thought it’d be a fun way to wrap up each month and share interesting finds from the world wide web over the past month. So without further ado, here is my January monthly link roundup!

Monthly Link Roundup

Given the current state of affairs in the US right now, here’s an interesting interview with Rachel who’s an activist currently living in New York City.

Still haven’t found a diary or calendar yet for 2017? Geeky Posh has rounded up 20 free printables to help you get organised, stat!

Loving my new necklace!

Looking for a reading challenge? Check out Popsugar’s 2017 Reading Challenge!

The most adorable DIY sprinkles ever.

Thinking about travelling this year? Adventurous Kate has listed her 12 top destinations – one for each month of the year!

If you’re lucky enough to be in Singapore right now for Chinese New Year, here is a list of 18 most delicious Chinese New Year snacks for 2017.

These homemade beeswax candles would be a perfect rainy day project!

One of my favourite instagram feeds <3

Enjoy the rest of your week lovelies!

Marie xo

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