Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Good ol' fashion gif filled confessions

Haven't done one of these in a hot minute... and you know what? I like gifs.

More Coffee Less Talky

When I discover the song I am jamming to is One Direction..

When KC doesn't want dessert but wants a bite of mine?

When I polish off a bottle of baileys in 3 days...

Then KC buys me another (bigger) bottle of baileys.

When KC brings up something American that I legit can't wrap my head around (like politics and the different parties and the different people running may or may not become president see I can't even explain what I don't understand).

When I waste like 8 hours (3 days in a row) watching makeup videos on youtube....

When Ulta doesn't send me my free samples what the shit, Ulta.

When the alarm goes off at 5am on a Monday

KC has been voicing his dislike of the new superman vs batman or whatever it is called, and he refuses to watch it (but will watch red letter media talk all about it, like I swear he spends more time on things he hates than things he likes, like he's a comment section reader, know what I mean?), I won't see it in the movies, but I was gonna wait for DVD. So KC asks 'are you gonna go see that?' and I say 'I'll watch it on DVD' so KC says 'guess what, HUGE SPOILER haha'. Me:

On that note, happy Wednesday all, and to all a good night. Or whatever.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Training for Tuesday; need the magical secret to eat right

Last month, I talked about how I basically tricked myself into working out everyday. Yay me.

The reason for this was to build the habit, make it part of my routine, like brushing my teeth. It wasn't to turn into a gym fanatic and lose a bunch of weight. It was to just get up and do something, anything at all, because anything is better than nothing. I wanted to get away from the 'well, I missed Monday so there goes my week' or 'I screwed up the first of the month, so there goes March'.

I got up to 47 days before I took a day off. That sounds way more awesome than it is, some days I walked on the treadmill or did 5 minutes of yoga. But again, something was better than nothing. I took a Friday off because I knew that KC would make me workout on Saturday - not 'make me' but he wouldn't let me skip. Then, Sunday I'd run with my bestie. The weekends used to be my hardest because I'd never want to do anything, now they are the 2 days that are absolutely guaranteed, nothing stops those workouts.

I took one day off the following week, but then last week I accidentally took 3 days off in a row. I took one, then another, then another and I was so afraid I was letting my lazy self take back over, but then Saturday rolled around and I was good. I don't want that to happen again. That's how it spirals into a month or two off. But I think as long as I stick with Friday as my 'off day', I have got this habit thing down. I still get up the same time on Fridays and go to work (super busy on Fridays) but it keeps my body used to the early alarm.

The thing is, when people say something to me about working out in the morning, and how do I do it because they just can't.. well, I have nothing. Honestly, there is no secret. I just get up, I just do it. I do things that make my life easier, but nothing is going to magically make me bounce out of bed ready to workout. I always want to stay in bed, I always want to be lazy. Always. I just ignore that. Once I'm up, I'm up. All I have to do is get to the standing up part, and I'm good to go. Some days I don't do much, and some days I am just simply not feeling it. But I still get up.

^ that was one of those days.

I know that doesn't help people who want the easy fix, or the secret that will suddenly make them a morning person. I wasn't a morning person when I started working out many years ago, but now I am. I made myself that way.

I want to be healthy. I want my heart to be strong, I want my body to be strong. I want to live as long as possible and be totally fit and happy when I'm much, much older. Heart disease is scary. I want to do all I can to avoid it. I also want to lose a bit of weight. Exercise helps me sleep, it is my therapy.

It's like picking up a cigarette - why would you do that when you know the consequences? Why would you lay out without sunscreen, when you know you can get skin cancer? I don't do those things because I care about my heart, my lungs, my body, my life, too much to willingly put any of it in danger. I want to take care of my body.

That's what gets me out of bed in the morning.  Exercise is so much more than weight loss.

So. When I look for that easy fix, the magical secret that will make me eat better, I am disappointed because it doesn't exist. I ask for help, and people tell me nicely what works for them, but it's the same thing I say about the mornings - you just have to do it, you just have to want it more than the other option. It really is that simple. There is no secret, no magical action that will make me put the bad food down and enjoy the healthy rabbit food.

So why then, can I logically look at the benefits of exercise and just do it, but I cannot do the same for food? Why doesn't that rationale not work for eating? I mean, I'm not eating McDonalds every day, but it's a miracle if I make it through one day without anything 'bad'. Chips, fries, chocolate, candy, milkshakes, pizza, ice cream, etc etc etc. The list goes on forever and ever. Why don't I care about my body or life when it comes to food? I need that secret, the magical ingredient that will make me enjoy salads more than jellybeans.

But I know there is no secret. I know I have to start small, I have to want it more than I want the bad food. I know I feel better when I eat better. If I know all of this, why don't I just do it?

I know all this. But putting into action? How? My scale does not define me, it is how I feel and how my clothes fit, I know that, so there is no need to tell me. But when you feel like crap and nothing fits, well you can be unhappy with the number on the scale, simple as that. And I am. Very unhappy with the scale, the way my clothes fit, the way I feel and the way I look. Something needs to change but I just don't know how to put the damn chips down because they taste so good.

This post really doesn't have much of a point, I'm afraid. I'm just rambling. I'm putting it out there, like I did with my snaps, that I have to get my eating under control. I know there is no secret, I just have to do it. I don't know how I am going to do it, or what is suddenly going to change, but I hope something does.

But if you have any secrets.... help a girl out.

Linking up with Alyssa and Tracy.


How do you make yourself eat better?

Friday, March 25, 2016

Favourites Lately

It's been two shakes since I shared some favourites, so these have been accumulating for a little bit. Linking up with Amanda.

Favourite song.

This is the lunge track in body pump and for some reason I freaking love it. It seriously does pump me up. Weird song title, but whatever.

Favourite Album

Yes, this differs to the above. I randomly came across a Savage Garden song the other week and ever since have been jamming to their music again like it's 2000 or something. No shame in my game.

Favourite drink

On St Paddy's, we had a little shindig at work and we had lots of Irish drinks. Now, we all know I don't like Guinness, but it had been yeeeeeaaaars since I had a baileys, so I decided to taste it again. Holy mother of all that is delicoius in the world. Lotta baileys, little splash of milk = delicious. In fact, so delicious I drank a whole bottle in less than 3 days. Oh yes, go ahead and judge on that one.

Meanwhile, how amazing does this baileys cookies and cream look?

But I am being good because hello my cruise is in less than 3 months, and I haven't had any chocolate, lollies, chips, etc since Sunday (i.e. when my baileys ran out).

So let's pretend this recipe below looks as good as the one above. We have an extra jar of this salsa at home so I keep meaning to make this Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas - it only uses 4 ingredients. Easy peasy, my kind of meal.

Favourite movie

KC and I saw Deadpool, which was funny but very adult-y. It had Inara Morena Baccarin in it, and I think she is fabulous. Megan and I saw Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which was ridiculous and silly but of course I freaking adored it. Finally, KC and I watched this 'mockumentary' called What We Do In The Shadows. It's a bit out there, but was very very funny.

Favourite makeup thingys

I am not a fan of the word (or meaning) 'dupe' but I do like a good drugstore product so I loved this buzzfeed article that my friend Sara shared with me. It has 19 'insanely good makeup dupes that will save you tons of money'. I actually own a few of them already, and might have purchased a few of them earlier this week don't judge me.

Another makeup thingy that 'bout blew my mind was Jaelan's post about everyday highlighting & contouring in 2 minutes. I don't watch a lot of makeup videos on youtube (except when I waste 8 hours doing so) and it's mostly because I just can't translate what I see on a video into something my brain/hands can understand, and do what they do. I don't know if there is something wrong with me or if I am missing something, but no matter how hard I try, my makeup never looks like theirs. But Jaelan's post was actually easy to understand and I also might have bought the product she used, so go check it out.

Unlike the eyeshadow I just can't seem to master......

Favourite Funnies

Brittany shared this buzzfeed article and it made me laugh all the laughs, and I promptly sent it to KC.

That's all folks. Have a fabulous weekend!

PS. I am not off work today. Lame. In Australia, we have Good Friday off and we have Easter Monday. Which means 4 day weekend. What the shit, America?

Monday, March 21, 2016

A-Z of Australia

I thought this would be a fun way to share a bit about Australia.

A is for Australia
Greatest country / continent / island in the world! Pronounced by most as something along the lines of 'Straylya'.

B is for bindi
No, not that Bindi. Bindis are these little burr type things that are basically in every single patch of grass and the reason no Australian is stupid enough to walk on their front lawn barefoot. Oh hells no. The worst part is that you cannot see them in the grass, this is the best photo I could find of them.

C is for chips.
As in what you all call fries, but they are very rarely thin shoestring fries, they are normally fat and delicious. Or chips, as in what you call chips or as I say: chippieeees.

D is for drop bears
I don't know who made this up, but it wasn't a very nice thing to do. The number one thing I get asked is how did I survive with all the deadly animals etc etc, but that is normally followed with something about drop bears. Sorry to disappoint you, but they are not real!

E is for Esky
Which is what you all call coolers. Esky is just a brand, and technically I guess we call them coolers as well, but I have never in my life heard someone refer to it as anything other than an esky.
F is for fairy floss.
That's what you lot call cotton candy. Isn't our name way better?

G is for Great Barrier Reef
You've probably heard of this. It's the biggest coral reef in the world. It's actually the biggest living thing in the world and is visible from space (or so I'm told). It's 2300km long, which is just under 1500 miles.

H is for Harbour Bridge
It is the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge in the world and the tallest steel arch bridge. There are 6-8 lanes for traffic, plus train tracks, plus a bicycle path, and a pedestrian path. It was opened in 1932. Oh, and you can climb it.

I is for I Still Call Australia Home
Because I do. Also, it's a song.

J is for Jacaranda
Which is a purple tree. What is cooler than a purple tree?

K is for kookaburra
Kookaburras (pronounced exactly like it looks, kook-a-burra) calls sound like human laughter. Kind of. It's a very unique sound that you have to hear in real life. Or, I guess you could go on youtube.

L is for L plates (and P plates)
Every state is different, but as far as I know, all of them have this in common: L plates for learner drivers, P plates for provisional drivers (meaning they are new to getting their license).

M is for Mozzie
Which is short for mosquito. Because we really like to shorten things, you guys.

N is for No Worries
While we still say 'you're welcome' and the like, no worries is definitely a part of (dare I say it) every Australian's vocabulary. When I was a teenager, saying 'nurries' was popular, like smooshing the two together. Nurries also means something else that I suggest you do not google.

O is for Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a performing arts centre. It actually has multiple venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world. The venues host over 1,500 performances each year attended by over 1.2 million people. I'll tell you a secret, I think it's kind of ugly.

P is for prawns
Prawns and shrimp are different things. As far as I know, you can get shrimp at home, but it's not as popular as in the US. We eat prawns. We rarely put them on the barbeque -which, yes, we do call barbie. So at least that part was true, thanks Paul Hogan. Also, yes, we do spell it with a q for some odd reason.

Q is for Queen!
I love the Queen, and the Royal family. In fact, I love all the royals, even Denmark's (because she's our princess, you see). But we'll just chat about the English lot for now. I'm not gonna lie, I don't know too much about which powers she does or does not have, though I do know that she is represented by a governor general. Also, Australia doesn't pay any money to the Queen (or any of the family members) unless she is in Australia or acting as Queen of Australia abroad.

R is for Rugby
Which I know nothing about. Sorry. My favourite thing to tell people when they ask about the differences between our footballs is 'I'm still a girl'. While there are some women who know lots about sports and enjoy them, I'm not one of them, regardless of which country I'm in. I'll watch it, but I don't know anything about it. Here's a picture anyway.

S is for State of Origin.
Which is when NSW plays QLD in one of our football thingys. It's pretty serious, people go nuts over it. If you are in NSW and you're wearing maroon, you better be in the airport flying to QLD. Go the Blues!

T is for Tooheys
Which is a hell of a lot better - and more popular - than Fosters. I used to work in a bar (or 3) and Tooheys is very popular, along with VB (which is above on the NSW side of the origin picture). Extra dry is very popular as well. Well, I mean these things were popular like 8 years ago what do I even know anymore. But at least you'll know not to order a Fosters if you go to a bar, k?

U is for Uluru
Also known as Ayers Rock. We are hopefully going there next year and I am SO excited. Basically, it's a very, very big rock. It's also sacred (so no climbing!), and apparently 700 million years old.

V is for Victoria
I was born in Victoria, it's where my family still lives - except for my mum, we moved to NSW when I was like 2. I love NSW and of course it's better than all the other states (in my biased opinion), but I will always love Victoria more. I call myself 'Victorian' at home and there is a slight difference to my accent than a normal Sydney-sider's. Also, we say a few words differently than the rest of Australia, because we are weird like that. Also, fun fact, NSW peeps call us Victorians 'Mexicans' because we're south of the border. I'm sure the Queenslanders call the NSW people the same. We're an odd bunch.

W is for Waltzing Matilda.
Most Aussies know the words to this song over our anthem.

X is for 4 X
Because I can't think of anything else. It's the Queenslander's beer. There's a joke that it's XXXX because they can't spell beer. Well I didn't say it was a good joke, did I.

Y is for Yanks
Which is what most of us think most of you are called. Which apparently is not true. See, we all get things wrong, don't we?

Z is for Zed
As in, that's how we pronounce that letter. You say 'zee', we say 'zed'.

Monday, March 14, 2016

Packing for Europe - 2 Weeks in the Summer - Carry On Only


Nope, not going to Europe. But when I did, I posted my 'practice' packing post with 25 items and 50+ outfits, but I never followed up with what I actually packed. I knew I didn't need (or want) 50 outfits, so I scaled it down quite a bit, and I wanted to share in case anyone needs any help packing. Plus I just really like packing posts, okay?

So here is what I packed for 2 weeks in Paris, Rome & Dublin.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click, I make like 2 cents, so thank you! Not included but packed: makeup, hair tools, pajamas, tights, underwear, etc. Most of my actual items were old or sold out, so I tried to find something similar. I also brought 2 necklaces but didn't include those in the list.

A note about the shoes - I think I brought the perfect shoes. I'm not a heels-while-travelling-girl, and those flats are dressy enough for me. I know sneakers aren't cute but we walked SO much, they were so worth it. I also wore my crocs with dresses and they are very comfortable. Not winning any fashion awards over here, but comfort is more important to me.

I also bought a couple of things while I was over there - I always do! shopaholic over here - and I included those in the packing list just to show exactly what I wore (noted with an asterisk). I absolutely would have been fine with only what I brought though, I just really like to shop. I obviously didn't need 4 scarves in the summer, but they are an easy way to mix up an outfit (especially in Dublin where it was 'cold' to me). We also did laundry once as there was a laundromat right down the street from our hotel.

I didn't get the best 'outfit photos' but I thought it would be more fun to show the actual photos / outfits than to recreate them. I especially didn't get good photos of my maxi dress, but I did wear it twice. I also only have one photo with my grey cardigan, but that thing came almost everywhere with me - it fits in my crossbody bag and you never know when it will get cold (I did the same thing with the same cardigan in Disney).

There was also an outfit that was completely not photographed, but I included it in my 'just-add-body' outfits (got that fabulous term from Gina). I don't exactly have regrets like I did with NYC, but I probably didn't need to bring both my rain coat and my denim jacket. It's not like I ran out of room though, so it wasn't the end of the world.

Anyway, what I love most about packing posts is seeing what other people can fit in their bags. I see lots of posts about 10 items = 20 outfits, which I of course love, but I have more items than outfits. I might have only worn something once, but I don't mind because it shows that you can overpack (hooray!) while still using a carry on only. High fives all round y'all.

Honestly, I don't think I could do the whole carry on thing without the ebags mother lode weekender bags. These bags are so amazing, I love them! They are so worth the (very reasonable) cost and this is not sponsored I promise, I just love them. I didn't have to extend the bag once (which means I should have shopped more), it gets heavy when wearing for several hours but so does a small crossbody bag. KC was able to carry them both so they mustn't be that bad.

Meanwhile, can you guess which one is mine? Ha!

Most importantly, they fit perfectly in all the overhead bins (we flew American Airlines, Aer Lingus and EasyJet FYI). Which is a win in my book.

So, anyone need carry on only packing help? I'm at your service! Okay, I mean I'm happy to help.