March Photo-A-Day Challenge

I have officially signed up for the March Photo-A-Day Challenge at Fat Mum Slim. You can go check out the hype over at her blog.

Hopefully you have seen all of my February Photo-A-Day pictures. I was pretty happy with how I went photography wise, but it was a bit of an experiment on how to show them every day....

 For this month I will try a new method and see how I go, below are links or information on how I will be posting my daily snaps over the month of March. I hope you can join in on the fun!

Alternatively, check back on Sundays for my weekly series of snaps!

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February Photo-A-Day - Days 21-29

Here are the final nine days of the February Photo A Day. Details can be found at Fat Mum Slim. 

Since this was my first month of Photo A Day, it was a little experimental on how I was to share my pictures for the month. Hopefully March will be a little more organised :)

Day 21 ♥ Fave Photo of Moi

Day 22 ♥ Where I Work

Day 23 ♥ My Cute Shoes

Day 24 ♥ My Bathroom Cabinet

Day 25 ♥ Green Baby Spinach

Day 26 ♥ City Night Lights

Day 27 ♥ Dinner I Ate Nom Nom

Day 28 ♥ Some Ka-Ching

Day 29 ♥ I'm re listening to the Millennium Trilogy

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Monday Delights - Episode One

I have to admit. I don't like Mondays. I have to trudge into work and wait another five days until my weekend... sigh...

Source: iheartrunwithscissors.com via Emilie on Pinterest

So I have decided to brighten up my Monday and hopefully yours too with a series of posts called Monday Delights!

Blossom Black Case - This is absolutely gorgeous and I want it so bad for my iPhone

Source: Uploaded by user via Emilie on Pinterest

How adorable is this coffee design, I wish I was talented enough to be able to create this

Source: cre-art-blog.hu via Emilie on Pinterest

A delightfully geeky wedding touch. Flowers in test tubes!

Source: utahbrideblog.com via Emilie on Pinterest

Just started watching Madmen over the weekend and I have to say I am loving it so far. Love the fashion style from that era and the girls are so beautiful <3

Source: tigerlillyquinn.blogspot.com via Emilie on Pinterest

Made this on Sunday night - Swapped cranberries for blueberries. Luckily the recipe made enough to eat for a few nights. Sinfully sweet and the perfect treat for a Monday night

Source: skinnytaste.com via skinnytaste on Pinterest

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Lazy Weekend, Coconut Prawns and Milly

My weekend has be SO lazy. Generally on the weekend I get up early, clean, tidy, grocery shop and cook. I have done almost nada of my regular weekend efforts. After a long exhausting week at work and just feeling generally out of sorts, I decided to break all my rules and veg out for two whole days!

Luckily it has been raining day and night over the weekend, so that eased the guilt. I played the Sims 3 (it's my thing, let it go), I watched my recorded episodes of the Martha Stewart show (again, let it go...) and I got to spend some quality time with my boy.

Last night I did get off my butt and try out the Skinny Taste coconut prawns (or shrimp for non-Aussies). We stocked up on prawns on our last trip to our coastal home town and I am constantly looking for new recipes to try, of course my first port of call is Skinny Taste.

If you want to try the recipe then click here to get the recipe from the skinnytaste website. 

They were a bit fiddly to prepare (peel prawns, flour - egg - crumbs, repeat) but they baked to perfection in my hot oven after 18 minutes. 

Because I was having a lazy Saturday, I went the easy way with vegetables, chopped carrots, frozen peas and crumbled feta. I also made the apricot sauce included in the recipe. 

The sauce wasn't really to our taste. It was way too tart and didn't really suit the meal. I am using what we didn't eat on toast for breakfast.

The prawns on the other hand, were absolutely brilliant and tasted so yum! I had about 6 and Josh inhaled the remaining 20!

Of course I have include some pictures I snapped of my sweet Milly. 

She is home alone for most of the week while Josh and I are at work and loves having us around on the weekend. 

She has so many toys and adores them all. I don't know if it is common knowledge but Burmese cats love to play fetch! She brings us her toys and waits for us to throw them for her... even though we have had her for the last 6 months I still find it hilarious :)

Hope everybody had a fantastic weekend xo

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What I ate Wednesday - Loving my veggies!

 I decided to jump on the bandwagon that is 'What I Ate Wednesday' and so be it below is my Wednesday eats!  

Breakfast - Necessary cappuccino and scrambled egg with tomato, mushroom and baby spinach on grainy toast.

Lunch/Snacks - I usually don't have a lot of time to sit and eat when I am working so I take snacky items. Popcorn, can of onion & tomato tuna and a handful of pistachios.

Dinner - I had to meet the boy in town after work so we ended up at Nandos for dinner. I got the Portuguese Chicken Paella. I only got the mild but it was pretty darn spicy all the same.

On the plus side you guys get to see me without my makeup on! Pretty awesome hey! I found a new app called Trollolol and it is so hilarious. I have been putting troll or derp faces (don't know the jargon) on everybody. My cat, the boy, the prime minister and it cracks me up every time.

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February 2012 BellaBox Review - A little bit of love ♥

Here is February's lineup from Bellabox, I have had a little time to try (and eat) the products. This month I recieved six items in my romance themed box and keep reading to see what I think...

Chocolate Hearts from The Chocolate Box

 Two chocolate hearts, yummy and a cute addition for Valentines.

Rose Lavender Hand n Nail Repair Creme from Sasy n Savy

Ok, so first I am going to say the sample was small, I had the squeeze the end of the tube to get any product out and it's only a 5mL tube! 

Second, while I like the rose and lavender frangrance, the card states that it is citrus? So what is the deal Bellabox? Overall the small amount of product that I could try was creamy and it did smell nice.

Eyeshadow Duo? by B by Bloom

The eyeshadow was meant to be a duo, other Bellabox reviews I have seen have duos. Why not me? The colour is pink sands. It is a subtle shimmer colour which is really good when you want a simple lid. But why?! Oh why did I not get a duo?!

Confetti Soap Rose in Perfect Pink by Star & Rose

What a sweet idea. I love it! It has a really subtle scent and it would be great to put in a pamper gift pack. I want to try it but it is just so beautiful!

Seventh Heaven Facebase by MeMeMe

Love this product! I have been using it for the past three days since I opened the box. It has a fresh citrus smell, it has a creamy consistency and creates a great base for my makeup.

Shimmer Wrap by Sparoma

Not an exciting product to be honest - just meh - I don't really understand the concept of body shimmer unless your are going to disco?

Overall Thoughts

 While it is really fun to recieve a box of beauty products in the mail every month sometime the products are just so underwhelming that I don't know why I keep my subscription. I liked the MeMeMe Facebase, Star & Rose Soap Rose and the B by Bloom Eyeshadow. So 3/6 products were good... I was disappointed confused why I recieved products that differred from what was stated on the card. I would have really liked the duo eyeshadow!

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Hungry Recipes - Vietnamese Rice Paper Wraps

Today I thought I would show you how super simple, fun and healthy rice paper rolls. I used chicken but you can use prawns if you like or tofu if you would prefer the vegetarian option. All are equally fantastic. This has been one of my favourite meals since I was in primary school and I ask for it every year for my birthday!

 

• 500g Chicken, diced (Prawns, whole or Tofu, diced)
• Spray oil
• 1 tsp of fresh or jarred ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp honey (more or less to taste)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (more or less to taste)
• 100g of dry vermicelli noodles
• rice paper sheets
• 2-4 carrots peeled and grated
• 1 or 2 handfuls of mint leaves
• bunch of chives
• Sweet chilli sauce (to serve for dipping sauce)

 Optional Extras

• thinly sliced capsicum
• bean sprouts

1. Get a bowl of very hot water and submerge your vermicelli noodles - they will take about 15 minutes to cook. They will thicken slightly and become slightly translucent. Once the noodles are cooked, drain to prevent overcooking.
2. Meanwhile, in a fry pan spray a little oil and add your garlic and ginger. Once fragrant add your chicken and cook for about 10-15 minutes until browned. Add your honey and soy sauce and mix until it slightly caramelises. Remove from heat.
3. Boil your kettle and fill a bowl with hot water. This is for your rice paper.

Two Options for Serving

1. Place all prepared ingredients in bowls/on platters. People can soak their rice papers, fill and roll their own wraps. I think this is the fun way of doing it!
2. Prepare all wraps with the prepared ingredients and your guests can tuck in at their leisure.

Enjoy!

Anybody reading this... Have you ever tried these? Let me know in the comments below!

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February Photo-A-Day - Days 13-20

Day 13 -  Blue

We watched the Change-Up. Pretty funny and raunchy. I liked it (Ryan Reynolds is so divine) but the boy didn't...

Day 14 - Heart

Stocking up early on winter clothes. Found a cute cardigan at Jay Jays.

Day 15 - Phone

My beloved phone, what could I do without you!

Day 16 - Something New

I am a self confessed magazine addict. I often pick up 2 or 3 in one shopping trip! I got Australia Good Food, Shop Til You Drop and Wedding DIY.

Day 17 - Time

I almost forget I have a clock on the wall, I always just look at my microwave for some reason...

Day 18 - Drink

Every day I have at least 3 glasses of lemon water. I love it! 

Day 19 - Something you hate to do
I hate packing and then unpacking the dishwasher! I have to admit it is a lot better than having a huge pile of dishes to wash up.

Day 20 - Handwriting

A cute thank you card I got in the post from my little sister. I overlayed the front just so you could see how cute it was. I think Georgia has had the same handwriting since she was in grade 2 hehe.

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February 2012 Glossy Box Review - Valentines Edition

The day before Valentines I recieved an adorable pink box in the mail and what did it contain?

The Valentine themed February Glossy Box. While I am not a die hard fan of pink - I do appreciate the hue around Valentines, because it is so darn sweet!

First thing I noticed when I opened the package was the adorable wrapping, silver ribbon and the heart sticker. The box was also chocker full of white and pink scrunched shredding which was cute.

There was five items in the box this month and two discount offers (which I won't use), without further ado, let's get cracking.

Proactiv - Deep Cleansing Wash - I used Proactiv a long time ago when I was trying to clear up my troublesome skin. The main active ingredient benzoyl peroxide was too harsh for my skin and caused a lot of dryness. I am a bit hestitant to use this product...

Lethal Lips - Lip Tattoos - What is with these silly lip tattoos, January's Bellabox had a set and now I get three in the Glossy Box. Sadly, this product is not for me.

e.l.f. Eyes - A really cute eyeshadow duo, the mauve colour has high pigment and stayed on my lids all day. I really liked this colour and goes well with my complexion. The highlight has quite sheer and shimmery. I will use this duo a lot me thinks...

Star and Rose - Floral Wonderland Emergency Nail Files - The design on the little files is so cute! They are a nice little product, if I had enough nail to file then I would be keeping them handy in my bag.

Adorn Mineral Cosmetics - Barely Blushing Loose Blush - I haven't used this blush yet, mainly because I am hopeless at loose powder (it just ends up everywhere!). It is a nice colour and would work well with my skin.

Little pack of sherbert 'Love Hearts'. My little valentines gift from the Glossy Box crew.

Overall Thoughts

The only product I really loved out of the five was the e.l.f. eyeshadow duo. The rest were just 'meh'. In the last few months of Glossy Box products they have never really sent me anything I have been interested in. Maybe re-trying my BeautyProfile online will help them choose better products for me.

I am having a hard time justifying why I need both Glossy Box and Bellabox. So one of these days I will have to decide which one I like better. Argh! Decisions.. Decisions.. :)

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Valentines Dinner ♥ Yummy Prawns with Fried Rice & Chocolate Bread Pudding

Sorry that this post is a few days late, going away for the weekend has just sent my weekly schedule out of wack. I was going to post this on Valentines night... that didn't happen.

But I must show you out Valentine's Dinner! It was simple and it was awesome.






Fried Rice is a favourite meal of ours and since I was not in the mood for cooking after a long day of work it was my go-to easy recipe for the night. I can pull together an epic Fried Rice in my sleep!

 




♥ 2 cups of dry rice - cook as per normal in your rice cooker/microwave/stove top and put it in a tray in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal
♥ 4 rashers of bacon - remove fat and chop up into teeny pieces
♥ bag of frozen asian vegetables
♥ 2-4 shallots chopped asian style (or any style)
♥ soy sauce
♥ 2-3 eggs - lightly beaten with a tiny splash of water
♥ spray oil
 

1. Heat a large wok to high heat and spray a little oil into the pan
2. Pour in your beaten eggs and roll around the wok to form an omelette, flip so it is browned on both sides. Remove from wok, roll and slice into strips
3. Fry your bacon in the wok until browned and crispy, add in your frozen vegetables
4. Stir fry your bacon and vegetables for approximately 5 minutes or you have cooked out any moisture in your wok
5. Add your rice a cup at a time, stirfry between cups. Once all your rice is in the wok, stir through your soy sauce (measure to your own taste - about 2-3 tablespoons)
6. Stir in your egg and shallots

Serving Suggestions 

♥ Marinate some prawns, chicken or even beef with soy sauce, chilli sauce and garlic - stirfry and serve atop your fried rice
♥ We always top our fried rice with peanuts and sweet chilli sauce

I chose to make Skinny Taste's Dark Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding, it was perfect for a valentines day dessert. Visit her blog for the recipe - I did make a few adjustments however... I used a french loaf rather than challan bread (couldn't find it at Woolies) and I doubled the chocolate from 30g to 60g (just because I wanted to). Still turned out a treat, twas really easy to make and it would be great for a dinner party because you can make it ahead of time.

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