love the gym (learning to)

via Pinterest

I will start this post with a caveat. I have never been a gym person. Nor do I think I ever will become a gym person. But I am learning to enjoy getting fit and at the moment, that involves a gym. 

I reluctantly joined a gym that is located less than 3 minutes from my place of work (one of the draw cards - in addition to a sweet deal that was too good to refuse!) In the past, I would join a gym, go maybe once a week and end up trying to work my way out of the membership because I found myself on the couch more nights than at the gym. 

One of the main factors that is getting me off my butt and into the gym is the fact that my wedding date that is fast approaching (5 months and counting!) I don't have some massive weight loss target or anything crazy, but I just want to tone up and feel fit, happy and healthy on the day. 

In an effort to get a head start, I have been seeing a personal trainer twice a week, however this has dropped back to one session a week due to daylight savings. It gets dark around 5pm now and it's far too dangerous to be out in the park when it's pitch black. Enter: gym membership. 

On the plus side, my gym is relatively quiet - the most I've seen is maybe 5 or 6 people at the gym at any one time. The muscle-men are always downstairs near the weights, pumping iron and looking at themselves in the mirror. Perfect, because I don't want to be anywhere near them! I pop straight upstairs and jump on the treadmill for 30/40mins, followed by 20mins on the bike. With iPod blasting and a few game shows to watch on the tele, the time flies and my workout is done. 

I am trying to get my cardio fitness up. I've never enjoyed running, but I desperately want to be able to run - it looks so effortless and clearly, it's a great way to tone up and get fit. But I find it the most awkward and uncoordinated thing in the world. But I'm trying to turn that around. I'm slowly building up my running on the treadmill. Nothing like running in real life, but it's a start. 

I am really good at talking myself out of going to the gym. "I'm too tired", "I need to go to the shops", "I just want a quiet night" - but when I found these words of inspiration, I realised how insignificant those excuses are. I'll leave work on time, my workout will be finished by the time I would normally start packing up my desk. I'll sweat it out, listen to some of my favourite tunes, clear my head and re-energise. After all, it's only 4% of my day. 

~ love tips 
Please share your fitness tips with me - I need all the help I can get!

~ love new music 
Always on the lookout for new music to keep my pace going on the treadmill! Currently I'm loving Prince! 

love eyebrows

via our vanity

I've been in rehab. Brow rehab. It's taken me about 2 years, but I have finally quit plucking! 

I'd had enough of my thin, un-even brows and decided it was time to do something about it so I paid a visit to the girls at Benefit Brow Bar. After years of over-plucking, I had made quite a mess of my poor little brows. 

The Benefit girls explained the issues I had with my brows in their current state (thin, un-even, too far apart) and showed me the brow shape that I needed to work towards. They tidied them up and sent me on my way with strict instructions NO PLUCKING. I had to come back in 4 weeks and show them the progress... 

It didn't happen overnight, but I am happy to say that brow rehab was one of the best things I ever did! I now have fuller, thicker brows that frame my face and enhance my eyes. I love my brows! 

These days, I maintain them with threading every 4 weeks. I'm not going to lie, threading hurts me just as much as waxing (but I do have sensitive skin so it goes red and ouch-ey). I love the result from threading and I have found a really great lady that does a damn fine job in Bondi Junction!

I also get my brows tinted every 4 weeks (2 shades darker than my hair colour) and I turn to my brow zings set from Benefit, which is brilliant for closing the gaps in between tints. 

~ love these tricks

speed brow and brow zings from Benefit 

~ love tidy brows

Waxing - Benefit Brow Bar

Threading - Catwalk Hair and Beauty

love coffee

Flat White @ Flat White

I've always been a "one a day" coffee drinker. Flat White. Soy. The stronger the better. 
But I went off coffee for about 2 years. Major withdrawals - yes, followed by a long and pleasant love affair with tea (and tea cups). 

Like every addict, I eventually got back on it. In London of all places. Not exactly the coffee capital of the world. But I was lucky, as I knew where to get my hit as soon as the cravings hit. Soho. 

Many years ago, I visited this coffee shop called Flat White. 
Best. Coffee. In. London.
One cup and I was hooked. Again. 

I tried to fight it, but I could't resist. I Googled "best coffee in London". Found some other options closer to home. My daily grind was from Coffee Plant - always cranking dance music despite the time of day. Excellent coffee. Always a few crazy characters in there that probably haven't been home yet. 

Another great spot was Kensington Square Kitchen. I had great coffee and a brilliant hangover cure breakfast there too.

Now I'm back home in Sydney, I had the opportunity to acquaint myself with a few new cafes that popped up while I was away. I mentioned some of my favourites here, but there is an ever-growing number of new cafes that open in Bondi. It's my mission to try them all, one weekend at a time.

But from Monday to Friday my need for a caffeine hit actually gets me out of bed and off to work! Our office was given a Nespresso machine at Christmas and although I was reluctant to get on board at first, I've actually jumped ship. After trial and error, I've finally found my match in those little pods of goodness. While I know the coffee purists wouldn't approve, I'm going with it - mostly because I resent paying anything over $3.50 for a coffee (don't penalise me because I can't drink normal milk and have to opt for soy). 


~ love London
best coffee in London via Time Out

~ new coffee love
Double Roasters, Marrickville 
Bondi Picnic, Bondi 

love a list

via real simple

I am a list maker. It helps clear my brain. Puts all those thoughts on paper to make room for other activity.

I write work lists, trying to prioritise. I write shopping lists, to make a nice dinner. I write clothes wish lists, in an attempt to fill my wardrobe with the classic and most versatile items that will mix and match with everything I already own. I have a home list, of things that need attention and things that we need to fix. Restaurants to try, makeup to buy, places to visit, people to call, appointments to make, the lists go on and on.

I know there are people that write lists just to cross things out. I might be one of those people!? Hmmm no, I really think I need them to clear my thoughts, otherwise I forget!!

love breakfast

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day"

It is also my favourite meal of the day! Love breakfast. There is something truly exciting about waking up to break-the-fast! For me it is also a necessity, as I really cannot function without food in my tummy. Especially in the morning.

Most mornings I have cereal, some kind of homemade combo of puffed rice, millett, corn flakes, shredded coconut, LSA, chia seeds with rice milk and some blueberries on top. But I've been switching things up a bit lately.

The 'cold morning' foods have hit the supermarket - two of which I love - crumpets and porridge. I've been trying out Quinoa flakes and making myself porridge. It's the perfect comfort food - warming, milky and sweet (with stevia or honey added).

It's hard to beat a hot crunchy crumpet topped with honey or vegemite - (or maybe one of each!) I really want to try and make my own one day. I have this Bill Granger book and having been meaning to make this recipe for crumpets and blackberry butter, it looks delicious.

I've also been loving toast with almond spread, I'm currently coveting this almond and chia spread. I sprinkle the top with a bit of cinnamon and it's delish!

Weekends are all about going out for breakfast, the cafes around my 'hood are spilling over with people tucking into eggs & bacon and getting their morning caffine hit. Some of my local favourites include Luigi's and Harry's - both offer delicious breakfast options and excellent coffee.

~ love to try (these are on my To Do list)
Cafe Zohara
The Favourite Child

~ love coffee (probably worth it's own post)
HTB prefers Harry's or Organic Republic
I also like Gusto, Earth Food Store and new discovery Bru Coffee 

~ love something sweet
Roy's do the most amazing mixed berry muffins, the texture is dense but moist and the top is crunchy! Sooooo good.
HTB loves the Pain au chocolat from Organic Republic

love sunshine

via Favim

Growing up, my Mum was pedantic about getting us to apply sunscreen every single time we went out into the sun to protect our fair skin. It used to annoy the hell out of me!

In my early twenties I used to go out into the sun and bake myself, the browner the better. I remember getting so burnt on my shoulders that it blistered. Yeeoowwwcchhh. But these days, I am much more careful and I know my Mum was right when she told us "you'll thank me when you're older".

I have incorporated daily sunscreen into my regime for a while now and it's not as painful as it seemed when I was a teenager. As I get older I have noticed the early signs of sun damage on my face and a lot of it is irreversible (that is unless you have lots of money to throw at laser treatments and the like...)

Living by the beach, it's part of our routine to go for a quick dip on the weekends before breakfast. But I always apply sunscreen before we leave the house. And I hassle HTB about putting it on too!

I avoid prolonged sun exposure and can't stand the idea of spending an entire day at the beach baking myself in the sun. Funny how things change, isn't it.

While Summer is well and truly behind us, I can't deny myself the opportunity to sit out in our backyard on a nice sunny morning with the paper and a hot cuppa, letting the sun warm my back.

~ love these sunscreen-ers

Basil Bangs - Chaplin Stripe - I so want one of these for Summer 2012!

To Save Face from Mecca Cosmetica - apply everyday under your moisturiser. It's non-greasy, is absorbed quickly and doesn't leave your face shiny.

love your skin

As a teenager, my skin flared with spots around the age of 16 and I battled to keep it under control until I went onto some pretty hardcore medication called Roaccutane. While my skin got worse before it got better, it was the only thing that worked for me. I lived virtually zit-free for a decade until I hit my late twenties. I went through some stressful and and difficult changes in my life and it all came out in the form of the delightful and most unattractive, adult acne.

While all this bad stuff was happening, I couldn't understand why I had been hit with the ugly stick. Why me - again? What have I done to deserve this? So I started to look at alternative medicine. I figured there must be another way to get it under control - other than taking the Pill, taking drugs, applying all these lotions and potions. So I started seeing a Chinese herbalist and acupuncturist. I found the whole process really interesting and it made me think a lot about my body, what I put into it, how it functions and how I can help myself by changing eating habits, etc. I also had to take some pretty disgusting herbs and it was like a big detox, but somehow I felt like it was doing me good. 

After a year, I had seen some improvement but I still had nasty breakouts. I decided that I had given this holistic approach a red-hot crack, but it just wasn't working. I knew that I had explored all the options and tried the natural approach. So I was at peace when I decided to go and see my GP, ask for a referral to a Dermatologist and go back on Roaccutane. I have to say, I was quite hesitant to start with but I knew I had to do this for myself. It was affecting my self confidence, I hated the way I looked, I was embarrassed to see anyone.

After 9 months of treatment, I have completed the course and I am cured! I haven't had a breakout in over 6 months (touch wood), my skin is consistently clear and I am so thrilled with the results. Finally, at the ripe old age of 30, I can say that I am pretty darn happy with the way my skin looks.

I have spent a lot of time, money and effort on my skin over the years. But I have realised how important it is to love your skin. No, it's not always perfect - I still bare the scars which serve as a constant reminder. But I am so grateful that finally, I can wake up every morning and a feel confident - my skin is clear.

~ love some help 

all about acne