Healthy Smoothie Recipe

Since starting the 30 day challenge I've learnt of so many healthy recipes. Cooking was never really something I enjoyed but now that I'm seeing a health benefit, I love it! 

I'm not really a morning person so in the mornings I like everything ready to go - quick and easy. I discovered this delicious and healthy smoothie recipe by chucking in a few ingredients I had sitting at home and turns out it's so amazing and simple!!

Let's Talk Money

It's the kind of thing we don't like talking about but all know we have to face the music at some point in our lives...and no I'm not talking about that overdue dentist appointment, I'm talking about our finances and becoming financially independent.

Knowing your money and having the tools to save for a rainy day is important and the longer you put it off, the harder it gets. Setting attainable goals by a certain date is a non-confronting way to start getting on top of your finances.

There are so many resources out there to help you with a multitude of nifty topics. Some examples are, getting out of nasty credit card debt, how to set a budget and how to slow down or stop your shopping habit. I want to share some with you that really helped me with sorting out my finances.

1. Sugar Mamma TV 

I came across Canna Campbell's Youtube channel a couple of weeks ago and I've already watched every single one of her videos. Financial adviser and founder of SASS Financial, Canna is a power woman, teaching others to become financially independent. Her videos are relatable, everyday situations - I really encourage you to check out her channel.

2. www.moneysmart.gov.au
This website has a lot of information- kind of a one stop shop. Once you start searching you'll find there are a lot of helpful topics to manage your day today finances. There's also  quite a bit of information on borrowing, investing and scams.

3. Track My Goals
This application is actually part of the Money Smart website and has been created my ASIC. It's user friendly and motivating for tracking my savings goals, shows you where you're at and how much to go in order to reach your goal.

4. ASX Online Courses
If you're interested in investing or just want to learn what it's all about, the Australian Securities Exchange is the place to go. There have quite a few different short courses that are helpful for a base knowledge of certain topics such as investing in shares.

These are just a few examples but there are many out there - even searching on You Tube is a great resource, especially for those who learn visually.
I hope this encourages you all to take control of your finances and at least gives you an idea of resources you can tap into for some key information.

The 30 Day Challenge

I'm an all or nothing kind of person...you're either all in 100% or not at all!

The beginning of this week marked my start to the 30 day challenge. What's the 30 day challenge you ask? How does a no carb, no sugar, no dairy, no caffeine, no alcohol diet sound? Talk about intense...it's been a tough four days what with no coffee to pick me up! But there is some sense to my madness.

Meeting PR Queen Roxy Jacenko

What a great week it's been!!! 

After completing my Accounting exam for uni last week, I treated myself to an extra long weekend with a couple of days off work. 

Monday was a relaxed day spent exploring the best bits of our fabulous city of Sydney and capturing inspiring photos for our wall at home. 

 

Speaking of inspiring, Tuesday was a day I was really looking forward to!! To be honest I was a little nervous but terribly excited to hear from the PR guru herself...Roxy Jacenko!

Special Date

Plan of Attack

D.I.Y. Print Collage

Having moved into a new house early this year, only now are we adding the final homely touches. Our walls are looking a tad bare so adding a print collage is next on the agenda. There are so many small businesses creating some awesome decorative wall prints and I've found some of the best.

Current Skincare Routine

 

It's taken me a long time to find the perfect mix of suitable products and I can safely say these are the ones that keep my skin looking it's best and I'd recommend to anyone with oily, breakout prone skin.

 

Throughout school my skin was always a combination type, with no breakout issues. Fast forward six years after high school and my skin started breaking out often and became very oily. This change may have had something to do with all the different products I was testing out so I decided to keep it simple and stick to the basics and this method has worked for my skin over the past couple of years.

 

Removing makeup is such an important part to any skincare routine and should be done before going to bed. Your skin needs time to breath and wearing makeup overnight can block pores and cause more breakouts. My all time favourite makeup remover is the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micelle Solution because this seriously feels like water and it removes all traces of makeup on the skin - it's amazing!

 

 Finding the perfect cleanser for sensitive skin has been the hardest on my skincare journey but I have found the answer in Perricone MD's Hypoallergenic Gentle Cleanser. Dr Perricone is a Dermatologist, using clinically proven formulas to help achieve clear, beautiful skin. Along with cleanser I use the Clarisonic Mia 2 at night for a deep clean, while still being gentle on my sensitive skin. The clarisonic really clears out the pores, removes dead skin and keeps my skin looking bright and radiant.

 

At night after cleansing, my skin can sometimes feel a tad dry and to put some moisture back in I use the Chanel Le Lift Crème Fine. This is the most luxurious face cream I've ever tried! It's pricey but totally worth the money.

 

Let's face it, even with all these miracle products I still do get breakouts and sometimes if I catch it early I can stop them before taking over my face (bit of an exaggeration I know but they're no fun!). When I see even the slightest sign of a pimple I dab the amazing Mario Badescu drying lotion and like magic the pimple is gone by morning. With a blend of Calamine and Salicylic Acid it dries pimples out overnight.

 

I generally only rinse my face with water in the morning as my skin can get irritated if I cleanse too often. After rinsing and patting dry, I always apply some Origins ginzing refreshing eye cream to brighten up those dark circles. With Coffee Bean and Panax Ginseng, this eye cream gives skin an instant lift and Magnolia Bark adds light to help fade dark spots. It a nice refreshing pick me up in the mornings.

 

In Australia, we can face some harsh sunny days so it's important to protect your skin by using an SPF moisturiser. The Neutrogena deep wrinkle daily moisturiser with SPF15 is the perfect daily protection as it's not oily and soaks into the skin very quickly. If your skin is dry and you need more moisture, try using a serum first.

 

I would recommend these products as they have definitely transformed my skin, but keep in mind your skin type and what is best for you.

 

Let me know what your holy grail skin care products are?

Bar Cart Styling

A fully stocked bar cart was an essential when we moved into our new place and I'm happy with how it's turned out. There are no rules to styling your own bar cart, just add your favourites, a bit of colour and it's bound to become a feature item in your home. I picked this white and blue cart up from believe it or not, The Reject Shop. It was a little while ago but you can find a couple of bar carts here and here. 

I like to keep fresh limes, lemons or flowers to add a pop of colour to my bar cart and the fruit can actually be put to good use in cocktails! 

If you own some pretty glasses you want to show off, add these to your bar cart rather than hiding in your cupboard. Check out these gorgeous, coloured tumblers.

Decorate the surrounding wall with quirky prints and quotes or add as a backdrop as I've done. Find some of my favourites here. 

 

Keep your spirit stash stocked to celebrate the weekend with a cocktail or two with friends. My favs are a classic Gin & tonic and a celebratory glass of Champagne.

 

Lanterns were the perfect finishing touch to my bar cart bringing coloured light to the focal point of my lounge room. Find some cute lanterns here.

 

Enjoy styling and remember there are no rules!

March Favourites

I was channeling my inner Barbie this month with pink obviously my favourite colour in March. Some classic goodies as well as some new favourites I've been loving! 

Coming close to the end of a bottle of Chanel Chance I had to quickly purchase a new one. It's my signature scent, great for day or night and lasts for hours. I always keep a little sample size in my purse for touch ups during the day. 

Too Faced is one of my favourite makeup brands - they just get it right everytime and this product is no exception. There's a reason the new tinted Beauty Balm was sold out in stores! For starters it melts into the skin like butter, doesn't look like you're wearing makeup, has light coverage and a glowy finish. My colour is Vanilla Glow and I love this beauty balm for a light everyday base.  

Another beautiful makeup product I've been wearing so often this month is the Mac pigment in tan. This is a colour that matches so many skin tones and is so versatile. What I mean is wear it dry with a neutral brown in the crease for an everyday, wearable look and wet your brush before applying to achieve a foil metallic night time look. 

Flushed pink cheeks is naturally perfect for a 'no makeup' makeup look. Benefits Posie Tint cheek and lip tint gives a poppy pink stain to both the lips and cheeks. I mainly use on the apples of my cheeks after foundation and before powder for a natural pink flush.

So has anyone ever noticed how good Zara's handbags are?! They're usually hiding under the racks of clothes in a corner but you can find some real gems! I get a lot of compliments on my Zara bags and everyone always sounds so surprised to hear where I've purchased them from. Recently I picked up this black purse with gold detailing, perfect for work. The structured look is great and can be worn on the wrist or over the shoulder with the long strap. I love it! 

Costume jewellery has changed over the years and I've recently rediscovered this pretty necklace I bought so long ago. I like the length and the colour works well with so many outfits as either a pop of colour against black and white or contrasting against an aqua blue. So pretty! 

Hope you've all had a fab long weekend and Easter! 

French Interior Styling

Recently we've been looking at changing up our interior styling of the house by adding a few more pieces of furniture. I really love the look of French styling and have been checking Pinterest for some inspiration ideas. Turns out, you don't have to spend a fortune to transform your home and by adding small, significant touches can update the look. 

I'm planning to add a nice French dress chair to the bedroom for that real boudoir feel without having to purchase a whole house of furniture. By displaying your favourite perfumes on a pretty tray acts as a decorative item and adds to the french look and feel. 

Fur can add to the decor by giving another texture to the room. Pinterest show some great examples of picture walls and saves space if you do have a lot of photo frames, while adding colour to the walls. I love the look and scent of candles everywhere in my house which gives a homely, intimate feeling. 

By adding small lux pieces to your home can really change up the look and feel. Also don't be afraid to mix metals and add different textures to the home. 

Keep an eye out on Instagram for the finished product. @stylebydarcie 

Inside my Bathroom Cabinet

 

I like to trial products always in search of one worthy of 'holy grail' status. This means I'm constantly switching things up, but there are always staple products I have to keep handy in my cabinet.

 

Being sun safe is very important to me so I've always got a stash of sun cream on hand. Since I have sensitive skin, I've been loving the Banana Boat Sensitive Skin SPF50+ body cream and for the face La-roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Extreme Fluid. It's fragrance free, paraben free and doesn't clog my pores like some sun creams can do. Of course Reef After Sun Repair Gel to keep my skin chilled after being out in the harsh sun.

 

Because I like to keep my skin protected from the sun, I prefer to fake tan every so often. I haven't found one that I love yet but am using up what I've got before buying anything new.

 

My daily skincare regime consists of makeup removal with Bioderma micelle solution. It's so gentle like removing makeup with water! Next, cleansing with Pericone MD Hypoallergenic Gentle Cleanser with the Clarisonic Mia 2 and toning with Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner. This one isn't my favourite as it's a little harsh on my skin. For brightening under eye circles I apply Origins Ginzing eye cream and to fight any spots that pop up, Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.

 

As a beauty junkie with a lot of products, I'm always changing up my routine but do stick to a couple of essential products that really work well for my skin.

 

What are your holy grail products?

Monthly Roundup

I know I've been MIA over the last week - it's been a crazy start to 2015 that's for sure, so I thought I'd let you guys know what I've been up to over the last month. 

Let's start with the biggest and most exciting, which is that my best friend got married! I can't believe it's come and gone so quickly but all the activities leading up to and the day itself was just epic. Being part of their big day was so special and memorable and I'm very happy for the two of them. 

University life started for me this year and really in the last month I've been trying to adjust to this new adventure while still leaving time to spend with friends, family and of course all while working full time. I think it's always going to be moving and changing but so far I'm enjoying what I'm learning. 

Early last year I started running for exercise and quickly became addicted. Addicted to beating previous times and distance goals I'd set for myself. About a year on and a few milestones under my belt, I've decided to take it to the next level and start training for the half marathon in May. It's going to be hard but I enjoy a challenge! 

One of my New Years resolutions was to focus a little more on my blog and start to build on what I started in 2014. I want to reach my audience with relevant and interesting content - I'm welcoming all feedback on what you'd like to see more or less of moving forward! 

Currently Coveting

 

Alright I think I'm a tad ahead of myself but I swear it'll be Winter before we know it! As a lover of neutrals, Winter fashion is the perfect canvas for me to go black, white and grey crazy. With the warmer clothes out in stores, there are some really beautiful pieces I've been eyeing. Here are my coveted items currently: 

 

1. Country Road Block Faux Fur Scarf

 

2. Wittner Bait Boots

 

3. Prada Saffiano Leather Tote 

 

4. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette Color Coded Eye Shadow - Fallen Angel

 

5. Country Road Detailed Cape 

  

Hope you're all having a fab weekend!

What's In My Purse

 

I'm known to carry around everything and the kitchen sink with me on a daily basis! I guess, I just like to come equipped for any situation that may arise. Here's an insight into what's inside my daytime purse. 

1. iPhone 

My number one essential and the source to all my creativity. I love searching the internet for inspiration, taking photos of my day and of course my slight obsession with Instagram.

2. Wallet & coin purse

Just the general bits and bobs in here: licence, credit cards, loyalty cards, money (if I'm lucky)and bandaids.

3. Diary & note pad

I'm such a note taker, list maker and organiser. I like to keep my diary up to date with upcoming events, assignment due dates etc. And I keep a blank note book to jot down any brilliant ideas for posts or shopping lists. 

4. Copious amounts of lip products 

Can you blame a girl for wanting options!?

5. Sunnies

A must for keeping that harsh Sydney sun out of your eyes while driving. Love a big pair of sunglasses! 

6. Hand cream & mints 

I always keep some hand cream and mints in my purse ~ cracked, dry hands and bad breath just isn't cute! 

7. Perfume & body mist 

I usually keep at least one of these in my bag to re-spritz during the day. I love the sweet floral body mists from Victoria's Secret. 

8. Hair clip

A must during Summer! No matter how much effort I put into my hair, during those warmer months I always end up sweeping it off my face and into an up-do by the end of the day. 

9. Tampons

You never know when you or a friend may need one of these suckers! 

10. House & car keys

Well duh..gets me around and in my house at the end of the day : ) 

11. Neurofen

For that unwelcome headache or when 'that time of month' cramps arise. 

12. Handbag butler

This cute little device allows you to hang your handbag off a restaurant table, rather than putting it on the dirty floor, which I'm sure a lot of us are guilty of.

Let me know what your daily handbag essentials are! 

Managing Your Time

Do you find it hard fitting all your 'to dos' in the one day? Feel like you're trying to accomplish too much with not enough time? Here are my top 10 tips I use to manage my daily/weekly/monthly activities and get everything I wish to, accomplished! 

1. Spend time planning and organising - it will be time well spent 

2. Write a to do list for the week and cross off as completed

3. Set reminders in your phone for daily tasks

4. Set priorities to work out which tasks to focus on first 

5. Don't be afraid to ask for help from your family/friends 

6. Learn to multitask where possible - 'kill two birds with one stone'

7. Avoid procrastination - get that boring and long task out of the way first and foremost 

8. Be flexible - prepare for things to change, it's inevitable 

9. Celebrate successes of completing large ticket items 

10. Take time out for yourself - this will ensure your body has time to relax and recharge 

Just remember....

Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Welcome 2015

So here we are 2015! Things are looking positive and I'm excited for what's to come. To be honest I hadn't really thought about my resolutions until now because I'm always setting goals for myself and starting a new year usually isn't any different. But there are a number of goals I'd like to accomplish for myself in 2015. It's going to be a big year for me but I enjoy a challenge! 

1. Be more positive

I wouldn't say I'm a negative person but I think being positive can help to attract good vibes in your life. I think I just need to start looking at the better side of things that happen a little more in 2015 to attract some positive vibes my way! 

2. Successfully finish my certificate of Management at MGSM 

I start university this month and I'm looking forward to the challenge, learning new skills and meeting new people. To begin studying an MBA I will need to complete the certificate of management successfully and I hope to do so in 2015.

3. Lose weight

I know this is something we all say at the beginning of a new year and usually fizzles out after a couple of months. When I do eat healthy, I feel better about myself and this is something I plan to continue throughout 2015.

4. Run a half marathon

My dad has always been a big runner and I never thought I would ever enjoy it as much as I do now. I started going for runs at the beginning of 2014 and now have a 'City to Surf', 'Tough Mudder', a couple of smaller runs under my belt and am still going. I've registered for the 'Sydney Herald Half Marathon' in May and am going to smash it - cannot wait!

5. Perfect my blog and grow my audience

Starting my blog was one of the best decisions I've made. It's the perfect creative outlet for me and a medium that I've written personally, saving all my favourite memories. I enjoy reaching out to like minded people and I plan to reach out to a lot more people in 2015. I'd also love to focus a little more on the look and feel of my blog and really perfect it to where I'm happy with how it looks. 

Well those are my new year resolutions for 2015! What are yours?