Backyard Workout Essentials

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One of my favourite workouts is something I call a ‘backyard blitz’. This is one of the easiest workouts for me to fit into my schedule as I don’t have to leave my house, which saves me a lot of time and effort. It’s a combination of mild cardio and a lot of strength training, and it’s helped me gradually build up my strength and cardio ability as I work towards running again. I use a few small pieces of equipment for the routine, and I managed to put together a handy little at-home gym kit for under $50. Here it is –

I use the skipping rope for cardio, the 5kg dumbbell for various strength and toning exercises, the yoga mat for abdominal work, and the stretch bands to help me warm down at the end of my workout. All of these products are from KMart, and I’ve been really impressed with the quality and value for money of everything I’ve purchased so far. I highly recommend putting together a kit like this, it really makes “making time” for exercise that much easier when you don’t have to leave the house in order to give your body a great workout.
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Capsule Makeup Collection (Autumn)

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I watched quite a few of Melissa Alexandria’s videos during the week, and started feeling motivated to streamline my possessions. I feel like this change has been coming for some time now and I’ve kind of been doing it in a gradual manner over the past year or so (in small ways), but I think I’m going to be embracing minimalism a lot more moving forward. I decided to start by building a capsule makeup collection for Autumn, as it’s around the time that I start digging out some of the more cold-weather friendly shades (gimme those deep plum lips!). Here is what I put together for my Autumn capsule makeup collection –

Foundation – Givenchy Photo Perfexion Foundation in Perfect Ivory
Highlighter – YSL Touche Eclat in #1
Blush – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow
Eyeshadow – Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Shell
Event Eyeshadow – NARS Eye Duo in Kalahari
Eyeliner – Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Hustle
Eyebrow Pencil – Hourglass Brow Arch in Light Brunette
Mascara – Lancome Hypnose
Lip Product – Fresh Tinted Lip Conditioner in Rose
Standout Lip Product – Chanel Lipstick in Rivoli

Let me know if you choose to do something similar this season, because I’d love to know which products you decide fit into your capsule collection.

Posted in: autumn/winter, capsule, makeup, minimalism \ Tagged: , , , , ,

Thoughts of the Week…

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01) You may have noticed a bit of a lull in my posting lately, and it’s because I decided to take a week off. I am a big believer in listening to what your body (and brain) is telling you, and as I had absolutely no motivation to blog last week, I didn’t. It was quite refreshing.

02) We’re currently in the process of re-watching all of the Fast & Furious movies in anticipation for the seventh (and final film) coming out next week. The dialogue in the early movies was absolutely TERRIBLE, and I love it.

03) After realizing that the main character on The 100 used to play a character on Neighbours (back when I used to watch it religiously), I started watching old episodes on YouTube. It seems like I’ve gotten back into the show at the perfect time, as they’ve just celebrated 30 years and a lot of old favourites came back for a reunion. Harold Bishop 4 LIFE.

04) There is nothing this cat loves more than her favourite loafing box. Except maybe Fancy Feast.

05) How many of these books have YOU read? I got 38/100.

06) Sorkinisms – A Supercut

07) Fleetwood Mac are coming to Perth at the end of October, and I am seriously tempted to buy tickets. Someone buy them for me please!

08) I want one of these colouring books.

09) The X Files is officially returning for six episodes. I. AM. EXCITED.

10) My favourite video of the week? This one, of course.

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Planning An Overseas Holiday Pt 2.

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I’ve been spending a little bit of time planning our US trip (for the end of the year) lately, and I thought I’d share with you what I’ve been up to. The first thing I did after my first ‘broad scale’ planning session, was to write a step by step to-do list of all of the things I would need to plan. And here it is –

Finalize Travel Dates
Research Flight Costs
Solidify Budget
Research Accommodation
Select exact dates per city and research travel between cities
Write to-do list per city
Research to-do list items (cost etc.)
Check Visa requirements etc.
Research weather during travel times
Write packing list (general)
Organise housesitter etc.

So our travel dates have been mapped out, and we have a rough idea of how much our flights are going to cost. At this stage we’re tossing up between two airlines (mostly because Sebastian didn’t have a great experience with one of our options on his recent trip overseas), and once that’s been decided we can start looking at booking things officially. I solidified my own budget, and have a savings plan in place. I’m now at the stage where I’m researching accommodation. Did you know accommodation in New York City is ridiculously expensive? Well it is. I haven’t started looking at Washington DC just yet, but I’ve been told that it will be on-par with New York as far as accommodation and food pricing goes. At this stage, it’s looking like Distrikt Hotel will be the go for us in New York. We can get a 20% discount if we book early, BUT it’s a non-refundable booking, which is a huge downfall. Decisions, decisions.
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Autumn/Winter To Do List

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Because my Spring/Summer to-do list went so well (ha), I decided to write one up for Autumn/Winter as well. I LOVE winter, it’s my favourite season. I can’t wait for it to arrive – every cool(ish) morning or daytime temperature under 30 degrees celcius we have are giving me hope that it’ll be here soon.

– Make peppermint hot chocolate
– Perfect 3 new cookie recipes
– Go away for the weekend to celebrate Sebastian’s birthday
– Get a professional pedicure
– Paint the house
– Enjoy lazy Sunday mornings in bed and around the table (pots of tea, indulgent breakfast, books)
– Make big pots of soup every weekend
– Re-read ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy
– Buy a nice new winter coat
– Learn how to make a great curry from scratch
– Spend rainy weekend evenings playing board games with the family
– Invest in a good hydrating face mask (and use it weekly!)

So that’s my list for this year, I’ll check in mid-season to let you all know how I’m going. In the mean time, I’d love to hear what little things you love to do in Autumn/Winter to make the most of the cold weather, be sure to leave me some suggestions in the comments below!

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