Can we just take a second to note that this little nugget is almost six months old! You hear people say that they can't imagine life without their pups and it's 100% true. I don't know what I would do now without my fluffy ball of cheekiness. 

Back to the topic at hand, you know when life gets busy and you suddenly realize it's time to step back and look at things. I'm definitely guilty of saying "There's never enough time in the day." 

Uh oh, that makes me an adult doesn't it?

Says the same girl that almost cried at the Christopher Robin trailer this morning. Never mind, I'm still safe. 

But seriously, life moves waaay too fast and it's time to make some priorities. I'm talking about the fun stuff, the times you remember five years later. 

Taking Enzo on adventures
Now that our little spoodle is getting bigger, it's always fun to take him to new places. Sometimes he still gets scared and will jump into my arms (which I secretly love) but I really want to focus on getting his confidence up. While his bones are growing and we can't take him far yet, I'm gonna come up with some adventures that I know will make our little family happy.


Going through my Pinterest boards
I've spent the last three days going through one of my boards and putting them into categories. It's a bloody good time for someone like me who finds it so satisfying. Although I realized there were 2500 pins to go through, but oh well! It's been time well spent and I'm planning on doing the same for more boards too.


Writing a goals list for the day + setting a reward for when I do
I was actually watching Cherry Wallis on YouTube (love that girl) and someone asked her in a Q&A how she stayed organized, and this is what she said. I'm starting to think I need to have a list on my phone or a whole notebook dedicated to my daily goals. Things like cooking meal prep or getting a new blog up. I always need a good list to keep me on track, so this is a great habit to start.


Working on my recipe book
Or just trying new recipes in general. I love to cook, and to bake, and to eat. Especially the eating part. I always go through phases on being inspired, then end up focusing on something else for a while. But I would love to start trying a new recipe a week and trying to perfect the ones I have already come up with.


Making Memories with loved ones
Even if it's just taking our dinner to eat at the beach or going out for ice cream. I wanna make sure we don't get to comfortable and forget to have fun when we can. I'm really lucky that Steve and I have the same days off so we always have that chance of doing something together.


DIY Projects
Taking it back to Pinterest, who else wants to live more creatively? I used to love spending my Sundays getting stuck into a project. I wanna stick cool patches on a jean jacket and make old frames new again for a photo collage. I'm definitely gonna be setting some stuff up because it can be so fun!

I know there are never enough hours in the day, but it's all about making priorities and doing things that make you happy. Hopefully I can come back to this post and remind myself to slow down and make time. 

BTW, does anyone want a six month puppy update? 

Have a great week everyone! 

Steph x. 

Five Achievable Goals This Week

Happy Monday!

It's a new week full of so many opportunities and a chance to make it better than the last. I started compiling a list in my head of goals I wanted to set myself. Not the take over the world and build an empire type ones, but little things that help me conquer the day. 

I would feel lost without a notebook full of goals written down, even if I only complete a few of them. Sometimes you have to start small. 

Keep up with that never-ending pile of washing

I'll admit it. I've gone to work on Friday morning with wet trousers on because I hadn't been bothered to put the washing out in time. Why do I do it to myself? I tend to be awesome at the start of the week then get lazy once busy days take over. Not this time! 

Smash 18.5 and have the most fun I can

I can't believe the CrossFit Open has already reached it's final week! Four workouts have been posted for the worldwide CF community and it's the fifth and final one. The first three were awesome and I felt so good conquering them. We won't talk about 18.4. It beat me but I got it back. I am excited/anxious for Friday night to see what the final workout is!

Have a Thai food date night with Steve

There's the cutest container/food truck that's started a few streets over and every time I drive past I say to myself "I NEED to try that soon!" And since Steve and I try to take advantage of any date-night we can, it's a perfect match. I'm ready to eat my weight in pad-thai once again. 

Post three times this week

Blogging while you're working full-time, taking care of a puppy, and keeping a healthy relationship is hard yo. I need to be more focused, better organized, and have more fun with what I'm posting. 

Meal Prep: Make a Chickpea and Potato Curry 

Some days I struggle to figure out what to make for my meals, but this week I have a major craving for a nice hot veggie stew! I'm already planning how to slow cook everything and hopefully it's gonna taste as good as I imagine it will. 

What are some goals you're gonna set yourself this week?

Steph x. 

How I Will Become A Badass Cook In 2018

I have a confession to make. 

In the past week I have watched Julie/Julia on Netflix almost everyday. Sometimes twice if there was nothing else I wanted to see. 

And I could still watch it ten times over again. 

It's one of those feel good movies, and how can you ever go wrong with the queen that is Meryl Streep? With the other main themes being two of my life loves (food and blogging) I find myself obsessed with this film. But the best part is that I am feeling so inspired. To eat, to cook, to blog, and to pick up more cook books. 

If you have never devoted two hours in your day to see the film, the gist of it is simple: Julie Powell decides to take Julia Child's most famous work and cook every recipe in a year and blog about it. In doing so she becomes a better person, and of course, she learns to master the art of French Cooking. We also follow Julia Child, the founder of modern-day cooking, through her days in Paris and how her cookbook masterpiece almost never was. Between her obsession with food and her adorable relationship with her husband Paul (played by Stanley Tucci) she may be my new favorite historical figure. 

Okay Steph, what does this have to do with the title of your post?

Of all the things I am obsessed with about this film, and there are many, it's about what happens when you make the time and energy to learn how to cook. And I mean cook like a goddess. Trying recipes that scare you or learning a new skill that the average cook won't know. I for one would love to master making my own hollandaise sauce that I can make on a Sunday over perfectly poached eggs. Or making Julia Child's famous Beef Bourguignon over a garlicky mash potato for when the in-laws visit. I want to be that mom that knows how to cook anything, the house always smells great around dinner time and all the neighbor kids want to come over for dinner. I don't even eat meat and yet I want to be able to cook it phenomenally well. 

My point is this: Julie and Julia have inspired me to be a better cook. 

Question is how will I go about doing it? That's easy, you take Julia Child's most famous piece of advice: "Learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun." 

I will aim to try a new recipe every week of the year. Through cook books, Pinterest, or other blogs.

I will pick recipes that scare me a little and teach me a new skill. 

I will go back to basics and learn the proper ways to cook and the science behind it. 

Cooking has always been a passion of mine for years and that's a good enough reason to learn as much as I can. 

Who's looking forward to lots of foodie posts in 2018?

Steph x. 

New Year, New Fitness Goals!

Deepest apologies for the dirty mirror, I just don't often take pictures of myself I like. 

I'm always so in love with that new year feeling. Looking back on what I was able to achieve in 2017 (my first full year of CrossFit) makes me feel pretty proud. I hit some awesome weights, kept my cardio up, made it to the top three in the in-house competition, and it helped me complete a Spartan Race. And that was all with torn knee cartilage.

A fitness journey is exactly that: a journey. There's always bumps in the road and that's okay. If everything went perfectly would we ever learn? So this year I am going to keep trying, keep enjoying the process, and work hard at whatever is put in front of me.

My heavy lifting goals to check off by the end of 2018:

100kg Back Squat

70kg Clean

35kg Snatch

120kg Deadlift

70kg Clean and Jerk

CrossFit can be intense at the best of times and I think the hustle of it all can be hard to keep up with. All through December I struggled to stay motivated, and it's not like me to skip a class. It's also been hard this holiday season too because the class schedule has changed to just one at 9am. I don't get any time off work, so it's impossible to go to a class if I wanted to. But in just another week I can get back into the routine I've grown to love (just not the 5am wake up call.)

There's still so much to learn with CrossFit and so many firsts I still have to achieve. My first muscle up, first toes to bar, strict hand stand push ups, pistol squats, and mastering the hand stand walk. What a badass I will be! 

I think we all need to remind ourselves that fitness should be fun. Make it a challenge but enjoy the process every step of the way. That's gonna be my biggest goal coming into 2018, have fun with my fitness again. 

What are your fitness goals for 2018?

Steph x. 

Habits I Want To Stick To In 2018

Whenever it comes to resolutions or the old "New Year, New Me" mantra, I've been known to struggle. 

I exercise regularly, try to eat as clean as I can (well, as much as possible on a budget) and I try to be a nice person to my friends, family and co-workers. And as I sat down looking at the few days left of 2017 I started to wonder who I wanted to be in the coming year. 

I like myself just fine. I mean, I'm far from perfect and I have plenty of weak moments on the daily. But in terms of new?  I'm not pressuring myself to have my sh*t together every minute of the day. I like who am. 

I don't need to be new, but I CAN be better. And to do that, I need to start small.

Put dishes straight into the dishwasher

I know I used to get this from my Mum five times a day, but now that I'm in charge of my own home I'm realizing that maybe she had a point. Even after a single day, dishes just mount up and slowly take over your kitchen. Doing a little bit at a time works wonders, because no one likes dealing with dirty dishes, right?

Arrive at work BEFORE I start, not ten minutes fashionably late

A common trait that runs in my family and one day I'm probably going to get into real trouble for it. I think we all have that thought of "I'm not leaving until the last minute possible" or "Don't worry, you have plenty of time." And then you once again have to stroll into work like you're meant to be ten minutes late. Oops. I'll do better next time. I hope.

Make a blog calendar at the start of each month

Because I LOVE working with notebooks, and I LOVE visualizing all my ideas for posts.
2018 will be the year my blog stays on track and will return to regular programming.

Drink 3 litres of water a day and keep to a schedule

Anyone else get to three in the afternoon and realize how dehydrated you feel because oh crap you've had ten cups of coffee today but absolutely no water?! Same. What I should do is keep to this.

7am: 500ml
9am: 500ml
11am: 500ml
1pm: 500ml
3pm: 500ml
6pm: 500ml
8pm: 500ml
9pm: 500ml

You get it? I know when the best times for me to drink water are, so I gotta hit that schedule.

Spend more time in my garden 

Can you believe I'm actually growing baby tomatoes and chili right now? Me! The girl who couldn't keep a single succulent alive now has a flourishing garden. Let's keep this green thumb business going, shall we?

Plan Instagram pics for the week so I can stay consistent

I am so terrible at keeping my content up during the week. My Saturday food adventures with Mum provide the best stuff, but if I don't keep my mind on ideas I forget to follow through. Going have a notebook for this one!

Put only good karma out into the universe

The most important habit to stick to a lesson I won't forget. At my family Christmas I snuck away some of my Mum's tequila and boy was she mad! That same day I saw that the breeder of Tibetan terriers we are looking at have a litter of pups coming in February. I, of course, emailed straight away and the response made me feel like I was going to miss out and all because of the bad karma I had set out the night before. I'm a believer in what goes around comes around, so that is going to be my main 2018 focus. Do the right thing, be kind, help people, and stay positive.



What habits will you be sticking to in 2018?
Steph x.

My December Bucket-List 2017

It's finally my favorite time of the year! 

December for me has always been filled with birthday celebrations (there's four of us this year) as well as the excitement of Christmas getting closer. And I can't forget about all of the vlogmas videos we will all try to keep up and (and fail like always because there's so many!) and get inspired by.

I haven't always been the type of person to go nuts for Christmas, but since I've started my blog and watched Zoella turn her house into winter wonderland, I'm ready for everything December has to offer: advent calendars (aka chocolate for breakfast) making ginger bread cookies, and a Christmas carol playlist on Spotify. 

Since Steve and I are in our first home for the holiday season and it feels like a new chapter in my life, so I wanted to make this December extra special. I wrote out this list back in October when I made the decision to do Blogmas, and it made me so excited for this month to come around. I think that if you have a list of goals ready to go, it will make you go out and do all the fun stuff you've always wanted to do.

Buy our first Christmas tree together

Try new recipes all month long

Make my own hot cinnamon rolls for breakfast

Send out Christmas cards

Celebrate our one year anniversary 

Make a crockpot hot chocolate

Buy a new party dress

Have a picnic in the summer sun

Take a picture to commemorate our first Christmas in the house

Put fairy-lights everywhere

Make a Christmas playlist

Wear something that sparkles

Have a pajama day

Buy our Christmas stockings 

Start new traditions with Steve

Make fun plans for New Years

What fun things are you planning this December?
Steph x.

My Realistic 2017 Bucket List

Who doesn't love a good bucket-list, especially at the start of a new year! It's currently summer for us at the bottom of the world, which makes it the perfect time to get outside and have fun. I decided to put "Realistic" in the title because as much as I would love to tour the world and buy a dog, my budget for the year doesn't quite stretch that far. But it doesn't mean I can't plan some awesome activities closer to home and make the most of our trip to Hawaii in August. I'm pretty lucky to live in New Zealand where there are plenty of the opportunities for adventures. All of which will be documented on my blog of course!

Go on road trips

Try paddle-boarding in Hawaii

Eat at IHOP

Start an adventure fund

Have a Star Wars game night

Go on a zoo date

Finish a Spartan Race

Go skiing 

Take cute photo-booth pics 

Participate in the Mud Run 

Watch the sunrise at the beach

Go paint-balling 

Spend a day at hot pools

Start my own recipe book 

Start a memories album

Watch fireworks on Waikiki beach

Read 30 books

Have a Mexican food night with friends

Go rock-climbing

Go for a nature walk & take lots of pictures

Get my 10th tattoo

Go zip-lining 

I think these are definitely achievable! I might try ticking off a few each month and review my list throughout the year. I'm really looking forward to all the fun memories coming in the next twelve months.

What's on your 2017 bucket-list? 

Steph x.

2017 Blogging Goals + Ways To Acheive Them!

Happy New Year!

It's time to sit down, get out one of my many notebooks and plan some awesome goals for 2017. I definitely learned a lot about blogging and networking last year, so I'm confident about getting better. My little blog has so far to go but I'm enjoying every step along the way. I like to write down monthly goals and have them somewhere visible for me to remember. But I can look back on this post at the end of the year and see how well I've done.
Last year I braved some photo-shoots at my gym, collaborated with two of my favorite bloggers Lucy & Kelly, and got my page views close to 50,000 (which seems like A LOT to me, so crazy!) I'm very excited to work hard and see where 2017 takes me and my little space on the internet.



New Layout

One thing I have learned from the beginning of my blogging days is to never under-estimate the power of a fresh look. I try and update my blog every six months to keep it fun and I fall back in love with it. I'm still really happy with the theme I have now, but I really want to change it's layout. I would like for my posts to be easier to read, so I'm planning on changing to a grid system rather than just scrolling. I'm looking forward to making some changes!



Post on Instagram everyday & reach 1000 followers

 I'm still loving this platform at the moment, despite never being able to decide on a theme. I love sharing my favorite healthy foods and fitness updates. I've had a great response from them this year and I want to keep building on that in 2017. I posted on Instagram almost everyday through October and it helped me grow my numbers. If I can keep up that consistency throughout the year it will really help me reach my goals. It will also be quite a fun photography challenge.


More book & fandom posts

  I think the only rule to blogging should be to stick to what you love writing about. I really have enjoyed getting into the fitness/motivation side of my blog, but I mustn't forget my other passions. A goal for this coming year is to write more about what books I'm loving (and read more too!) with book reviews, favorite quotes etc. As well as embracing my nerdy side with more posts on my favorite TV shows and what movies I'm geeking out about. I love reading them from other bloggers, so why not do it more myself?


Regular Health/Fitness Posts

It's really fun for me to go on about my life as a fitness addict, runner, and healthy food enthusiast. I came out with quite a few posts like this in 2016 and you guys really seemed to enjoy it. I want to make sure I'm writing something health-related once a week at least to share my motivation. There are so many topics that I have yet to have seen being talked about. They say you should write posts you would want to read, right? I'll be your healthy best-friend getting you through the New Year!


Hit 1000 Bloglovin' followers

When this day finally comes I am throwing a party and all of you are invited. Some of the bloggers I idolize are beyond the 1K mark and I feel like that's my major milestone I want to aim for. Growing a following isn't easy, but I know the lovely people I have following me are genuine. I see them in the comment section each week and chat to them on Twitter. That's the kind of community I would love to build, so hopefully 2017 will bring some more blogging friends too. 



So, how am I reaching these goals in 2017? 

Networking! Engaging with other bloggers and having real chats is what has helped me build some amazing friendships so far. You end up supporting one another and that's what our blogging community should be all about. Chat to others who have the same interests as you then check out each other's blogs. It's a win-win!

Post the highest quality content I can, regardless of the schedule I set for myself.
It's easy to get wrapped up in having to post something on certain days, and it makes me rush them instead of taking the time to get it right. Some of my favorite bloggers only post once a week, but I adore every word anyway. Always quality over quantity.


Set a promotional schedule and stick to it.
Twitter is a bloggers best-friend when it comes to growing your readership. Taking the time to schedule tweets everyday can get incredibly tedious, but it really does pay off. I've been getting better at keeping to certain times, but if I want to gain more views then I have to be consistent. I've got a list of times written down and set above my desk ready for me to follow when I open buffer.



If you would like to support me, you'll find me on Instagram, Twitter and Bloglovin'!
If there's anything that you would like to see from me, or any tips on getting fitter/healthier this year, feel free to let me know in the comments.
What are some of your own goals for 2017?
Steph x.

November Goals: Blogmas & A New Me!

Hello, Everyone!

What a month it's been! Good, bad, and absolutely heart-breaking, but I think I've come out the other side stronger than ever. I struggled a little with my blog in October with inspiration and getting views. It was probably a point where some may have given up, but not me! I am determined to keep going and always improve my blog in any ways that I can. I have some personal goals I want to share with you this month as well. I absolutely love this time of year, so I'm planning on making the most of it.

Embracing my blonde-ness 

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know that I recently went from brunette to blonde in one day. I've been wanting to do it all year and the time was finally right. All I can say is that I love it! I feel like a brand new person with all new confidence. Almost like I'm becoming my braver alter-ego (she's an absolute bad-ass.) It sounds cliche, but I really want to have fun with my new look and not take life for granted. I need to take more risks, be more honest and upfront. Hell, I might even ask the guy I like if he feels the same. I'm almost halfway to age 30 now (oh god) so I need to be a little more reckless while I still can. I've been using this confidence more lately and it has definitely paid off already!

Fitness is my passion, so I'm going to use it

I've been thinking a lot about how I want my blog to grow and what my "thing" is that sets me apart. You should always write about things that you love because it always comes through clearly in your writing. I'm all about the health & fitness side of life lately and I really want to put out more posts about it. I'm talking my favorite workout moves, recipes I'm using, accessories to try out, favorite clothing items, etc. I'll still be writing about my journal love-affair, geeky stuff, and life lessons. But expect a lot more fitness posts in the near future!

Getting ready for Blogmas!

I love this time of year! Christmas is so much bigger in the UK than NZ, so to get festive with other bloggers makes me get into the spirit of it all. Last year I made my first attempt at Blogmas and it was only successful because I spent November prepping for it. I'm not sure if I will aim to blog for the whole month (it takes the fun away from posting) but I really want to add in extra Christmas posts to my usual schedule. I'm already planning some good ones so get ready!

More book posts

I'm slowly getting back into reading and I've even picked up some exciting books lately. Book blogs are some of my favorite to read and I love writing about my bookworm side. It would definitely help me to get more reading done if I go back to the reading challenges I used to post! Keep your eyes peeled for some coming soon.


Kick my anxiety to the curb 

In keeping with the "New Me" theme of November, I've been trying really hard lately to stop over-thinking everything and just doing it. So far nothing has gone wrong (touch wood) and I've had nothing to worry about. One thing that makes my anxiety worse is tip-toeing around a subject with someone. This month I am going to work on being more straight-forward, asking for what I want instead of just hoping, and train my brain to stop the worrying before it starts. Who knows where it might lead!

What are some of your November goals?
Steph x.


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October Fitness Update + My Current Goals

Hello, Everyone!

October seemed to be quite the uneventful month in terms of fitness for me. Although it did bring some personal best results that make me feel like supergirl! Spartan race training has been underway and I'm already improving on some of the challenges I'm setting myself. Unfortunately I am still trainer-less and have been thinking a lot about how I can get a little guidance. I have researched other gyms, crossfit classes I can take, and have been writing out my own programs. I've even inquired about a boxing gym for extra workout time soon! I'm still unsure of which way to go, but hopefully November will be the month I get it all sorted.

Favorite Exercise This Month: Russian Twists

I have once again started my pursuit of abs/flat stomach and this has exercise has really been helping me feel more toned on my sides. I usually do them with a 10kg dumbbell (better grip) and go for 30 reps. It really gets you burning and on my third set I always have to really push the last few reps. It's a great exercise to chuck in at the end of your workout and I'm feeling the results after only a few weeks! 

 

 Since I don't have much to update you on, I thought that I would also include some fitness goals that I have set myself recently. I always work so much harder when I have a number/weight to work towards and it's so rewarding when I finally reach it.

November Goals:

Tone those legs! 

For the longest while my arms have been my sore spot and I've concentrated on getting them toned up. I'm definitely getting happy with them now (hard work pays off yall!) but now my legs are getting me a little self-conscious. And I'm a lover of shorts, so that just can't happen. I've been sneaking in a few leg exercises into my arm routine and really going hard on the leg days I have twice a week. I found a Heidi Somers inner thigh workout that I have been loving (and left me sore for about a week.) Lot's of sumo squats, lunges, Bulgarian split squats, and leg press sessions for me!

10 pull-ups with no help

This is something that I have been slowly chipping away at for a while now, and I am still so determined to get to that magical number ten! I usually enjoy attempting these at the gym too since it makes me feel a tab bit bad-ass. The plan is to add one more on to my number per week. I can currently do 5, but next week I'm gonna go for 6. I'll let you know how it goes.

Leg Press twice my body weight

 The one thing that has surprised me about my body since getting into fitness is how strong my legs are. I may struggle to do 50kg deadlifts, but you make me do hip-thrusts with it and I will make it look like air! I've started using the leg press again and I've found that I can increase the weights a lot quicker than normal. I can currently do 80kgs, but being able to get to 120kgs would be the Wonder Woman dream. I've always had thick thighs, so they have to be good for something! (other than it making me closer to being a mermaid, of course.)
Update: I successfully completed this one! I managed 8 reps of it too. Next stop 150kgs!

Bench Press 20kgs

This has been a little devil amongst my workout routine for sometime now. Instead of walking past the bench and going straight to the weight rack, I've been trying to make it my mission to master the thing. So far I've been able to up my weight from 5kg to 10kg, which felt like such a big achievement for me. I'm going to keep working at it and see if I can't increase it again soon. It ain't gonna beat me!


Squat 80kgs 

It's the best feeling ever when you walk into the gym and your beloved squat rack is available. I love that hunk of metal. Which means that in order to be the Queen of Squats, I want/need to be pushing myself harder to rack up more weights. My personal best was 65kgs, but that was a while ago and I have been working on building it up again. Imagine if I can get to 100!? Not if - when.


Run 10kms in under an hour

The other week, my Mum and me participated in an 11km fun run and we did our best time yet of one hour and 13mins. We were over the moon! Since the running season has started, we have another event coming up soon that's only 10km. Our goal is to keep a good pace and make it to that finish line before the hour ticks over! Can we do it? Of course! If not, we will get it next time.


What are some of your fitness goals you want to achieve?
Steph x.

October Goals 2016

Hello, Everyone!
September was such a great month for me, and not just for the portion of it that I was in Seattle/Hawaii. I've been super-productive and motivated with my blog, as well as my gym training. I'm feeling really good about the rest of the year and what I can still achieve in that time. Is it weird that I'm already excited for Christmas? Anyway, here's my monthly goals I've set for October:

Bake lots of Halloween goodies!

Celebrating any kind of holiday means food, food, and more food. I am getting so excited for this time of year, and to celebrate I am going to be baking up a storm and sharing lots of yummy recipes on my blog! I know I'm usually a health-nut, but everyone deserves a treat every now and again.

 

Participate in Twitter chats again

Late last year, I got really good at these chats and would do a couple per week. Then Day Lights Saving ruined everything by making times impossible for me to wake up for. I really love the #TheGirlGang chat, but 5am is asking a lot from a girl. There have been a few more changes now, so hopefully I can start making chats again and talk to you guys more!

Launch my advertising packages 

I'm still very much second-guessing myself on this one. I really want to offer advertising for other bloggers/businesses and do my best to help them grow. I will be offering different kinds of support, and by them buying a spot, they will be support me too! I'm only holding back for the time being because I want to get my numbers up a bit more to have a better chance at success. What do you guys think? Should I just launch it?
 

Use Pinterest more to grow my blog 

I'm a huge lover of Pinterest and can't go a day without scrolling through photos of smoothie bowls, or my dream room decor. I've heard a lot of bloggers talking about how they have used the site to grow their blog and it's time I learned how too! Any platform can be valuable, especially one that I enjoy using myself.

Get more creative with blog photos 

Is anyone else getting bored with flat-lays? Don't get me wrong, I still think they're beautiful. But I'm not as enthusiastic about them as I used to be. I still feel like I haven't found my blog photography style and I'm just trying anything that takes my fancy at the time. This month I want to get inspired and try new ways of capturing a blog post, that will also help me have fun with it again.

Post on Instagram everyday 

While I was holiday, I got into a really great routine of posting all the time and it really helped my numbers. It also helped me have more fun with shooting photos again. Since getting home I've managed to keep posting everyday, and I'm determined to continue doing it through October as well! You can follow me here.

Dye my hair blonde 

A year or two back, I had blonde put in my hair to try it out over the summer (and loved it!) so, this month I am going with a full head of foils and getting a whole new look done. It's been a goal of mine all year, but with saving for my holiday it had to wait. I am all booked in for it and I can't wait to see how it comes out!




I hope you all had a great September too. What are some of your goals for October?
Steph x.

Disneyland Bucket list: How did I do?

I think making a bucket list for every exciting place you travel to is such a brilliant idea. It lets you get the most out of your time and your goals for the trip are more meaningful. I made a Disneyland Bucket list before heading away, and after reading Paige's Disneyland Paris Bucket list Revisited post on her blog, I thought it would be cool to share mine too! She got up to some awesome stuff, so make sure you go check out it out.

My day at Disneyland was full of fun with my family. It made us all feel young and we all laughed so hard going on rides together. It's a day that I will never forget and hopefully I can go back soon to explore more of what Disney has to offer. Especially when the new Star Wars park opens!

Here's how I did on my list! 

Buy a pair of Minnie ears and wear them the whole day

Done! After a little exploring we stopped for coffee on Main Street and planned what to do next. We walked passed a little store selling clothing and I found my fluffy pair of ears. I probably should have waited to see some other designs, but I love the classic pair. Didn't take them off until we went to bed! I actually almost lost them on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but luckily we were sitting at the front!

Eat a Mickey-shaped churro (or two) 

One thing's for sure, Disney make the best churros! I never found one shaped like Mickey Mouse, but I did eat a normal one during the parade. It was delicious and crispy; really craving one now!

Ride the Tea Cups with my Mum 

This has to be one of my favorite memories of the day. All four of us piled into a cup and my Dad spun it so fast that we were all cracking up laughing. It definitely felt like something out of Alice and Wonderland. I'll never forget going on this ride and sharing the experience with my family. 

Touch Snow White's Apple & hear the Witches' laugh

Yup, this was spooky! I didn't touch this one myself, but I did dare my brother to go do it and it was quite the surprise. We also stood outside the ride and waited for the Evil Queen to appear in the window. She's so scary!

Get my hands on Dole Whip from the Tiki Room

Sadly this was one that I didn't achieve that day. Every time we walked past, there were huge cues and they weren't letting people inside the Tiki Room for a while. I decided to give it a miss, but I will definitely go back and try my luck again next time.

Explore Cinderella's Castle

I have to admit that seeing this iconic castle for the first time was a little surreal. I never got to look inside because no one else in my family was very interested, but it's something I may have to take my Mum along to on our next visit.

Ride Splash Mountain (and get soaked) 

We had really bad timing for this one, especially since it's such a popular ride. We first came across it around lunch time, but all I could think about was food (of course.) Then it was late-afternoon when the weather was cooling down, so I didn't want to aggravate my fading cold by getting wet. I'm disappointed we didn't make this one, but at least now we know to get our timing right!

Take a picture in front of the castle

Done! And I even wore my Minnie ears for it too. The castle was a lot smaller than I was expecting, but still so magical to see it in real life. I can only imagine what it must have been like when the park first opened.

Stay and watch the fireworks show

This was the most magical experience of the whole day. We were lucky to get a great view of the castle and it was honestly better than I expected. Shooting stars, the best Disney songs (See the Light from Tangled!) and light projections on Main Street to include everyone. I got emotional watching it and I can't wait to bring my own children to see it someday!

Yell "Andy's coming!" at Toy Story characters and see f they fall down

It was actually really hard to spot Disney characters throughout the day. I only saw the Mad Hatter and Alice, plus Aladdin and Jasmine (who looked just like the animated character!) and finally Goofy. I never managed to spot the Toy Story characters, but I might use the Disney app and track them down next time. I'm dying to see if this works!

Make a wish in Snow White's well 

This one was tricky to find actually, and by the time we did find it, they had roped off the area for the parade :( I was really looking forward to doing this and from what I saw of the little area it was so cute! On our quest to see if we could get through, we did wander through Pixie Hollow, and that was really cool to see. Not a total loss after all!

Visit the Star Wars Launch Bay & check out the props

Tomorrowland was the first part pf the park that we explored, mainly because my family is all mad on Star Wars (myself included.) Launch Bay was such a cool exhibit and they had full costumes and models from the actual movies. It's also where you can meet certain characters and I had the coolest experience meeting Kylo Ren!

Overall I think I did pretty well! Next time I will know all the tricks, like hitting the busy rides while everyone is at the parades. I am itching to go back already and tick off the rest of my bucket list! 

What would be on your Disney list? 

Steph x.

My September Goals

I've seen a lot of inspiring bloggers sharing their enthusiasm for a new month and it's really got me feeling great too. Being on holiday has also made me think about what I'd like to achieve once I'm back home again. Sometimes it's hard to see what's holding you back, and it's only when your normal routine changes that you see the problems. But since it's a new month and I'm all about being the best version of myself, I thought it was time to set some new goals!

It's going to be Spring in New Zealand this month, and so there's going to be no better time than September to have a little life re-vamp. It's well over-due and I'm excited about making some changes. 

Create a Spring LookBook 

Fashion hasn't always been my thing, but I do like to have fun with it. Being on holiday has definitely inspired me to try new styles and I've made a couple of purchases to help with that. I always feel motivated to work hard when I have a killer outfit on, so I thought it would be a fun idea to create a lookbook for spring! I'll spend some time this month going through my closet and picking out outfits that make me feel amazing. It's time to have a bit more fun with fashion!

De-Clutter and Re-Vamp my room

It's become clear to me lately that my room is getting far too messy for me to think clearly. I don't work well with busy environments, and with my room being quite small it poses a challenge. But I've decided to dig into some spring cleaning and really get rid of some of the stuff I don't need/use. I also want to re-vamp my work area so that I'm excited to sit down and write everyday. I'm sure I can get plenty of inspiration on Pinterest for that one! Having a calm and positive space to work in can do wonders for your productivity.

Start my Spartan Race training

I'm officially a year out from competing in my first Spartan Race, which if you don't know is a challenging obstacle course over about 13km. It's run by Reebok and is possibly the most bad-ass race event on earth! It's my goal for 2017 to complete one and become a Spartan, so I need to sit down and create a training plan that will get me through the race. It's gonna require a lot of upper-body strength and endurance. Once my trainer is back from holiday, I'm going to get him to help me through what I need to do. I always need goals and this one should be great motivation!

Build my community

I've been trying hard lately to build my blog and Instagram, with some success. Engaging with other bloggers is one of the best things about this community and I really want to do more of it. This month I'm going to be going on commenting sprees everyday and trying to discover new blogs that I connect with. Hopefully it can help my little corner of the internet get a little bigger and maybe even make some more blogging friends (because you guys are the best!) 

Work as hard as I can for my goals

Because you don't get what you want in life by sitting around and wishing for it! Every single person that I idolize has worked super-hard to get where they are and that's the only way forward for me. It's amazing to see other bloggers being courageous and making things happen for themselves. It reminds me that I surround myself with the right people! I always get the feeling that I'm not working as hard as I can and that there's room for me to improve. My goal this month is to make a habit of working as hard as I can, so there's no chance of disappointing myself. Even if things don't work out, as least I did my best.



What are some of your goals for September?
Steph x.

July Goals 2016

Hello, Everyone! 

Last month I wrote my June Goals and it was really great to have them written down for me to look back on. Going through them at the end of the month made me proud that I achieved at least half of them, which is pretty great to me! Since it was fun sharing those goals with you guys, I thought I would do it again for this month! 

Self-care 

I think my head got too jumbled last month and I found myself being torn different ways based on what other people thought. It's also the pressures of having a career and all my friends already having babies with their partners (which is still super-lovely, but it can weigh on a girl.) 

So, this July I have decided to find ways to shake off all of that pressure and concentrate on being the happiest/most awesome version of myself. I will write down everything that makes me happy and have more of that in my day. And I'm going to put together a big plan of my dream life (vision board maybe?) and work super hard on getting that for myself. Taking care of you should be a top priority and I have definitely let that slip lately. 

Learn about nutrition 

When you combine my love of food with my passion for fitness, you get a fascination with nutrition! Lately I've been dying to learn more about how foods work with, or against, your body and see more of the science side of it. I'm not sure yet if I should go back to university to study it, because five years was enough for me. But for now, I will endeavor to learn as much as I can about nutrition and concentrate on how it helps in physical performance. 

Work on my Instagram game 

For the most of June I fell out of love with my Instagram, but towards the end of the month I got my inspiration back and now I love it! I've been trying to post every other day and also find new Instagrammers to follow, particularly fitness/foodies. This July I am going to work hard on my photos and get more creative with them. I've had really great responses lately with a lot of my health & fitness pics, so I will keep going with those since they're my favorite anyway. You can follow me here if you don't already : ) 

Build better gym recovery habits 

I have been really bad at making sure I stretch and roll out my muscles at the end of each work out. It's never been a habit I made time for and it's recently come back to bite me. I have most definitely learned my lesson now and it's time I made muscle recovery a real habit. After getting my first sports massage, I got told to roll out my shoulders every night before bed, and both before and after a workout. So far it's kept the pain away, and as much as it can be annoying to do at night time because I just want to jump into bed, it's the only way for me to get the most out of my workouts. Happy body, happy life!

Read more books!  

 Earlier in the year I was getting through about a book per week and my TBR pile finally got a dent in it. I don't know why it happened, but I just lost interest in reading. Which is ok! We all have our reading slumps, it's perfectly normal. But I do want to try and get out of that this month, so I can start reading some of the awesome books waiting for me on my shelf. I did a post a while back called How to Spend More Time Reading, so I'm gonna take my own advice and get through more books in July.



Nothing too exciting with my goals, but it's important to build healthy habits. I'm determined to be productive this month and work hard on making every part of my life the best it can be.

What are your goals for July?
Steph x.

June Goals 2016

Hurray, it's a new month!
Happy June everyone. We are officially half-way through the year now (don't worry, I'm freaking out too.) But that doesn't mean we can't make the rest of 2016 awesome and productive. Starting with June, I really want to step everything up and give 110% to my blog and other projects. I love setting goals and making a conscious effort to work towards them. Let's make the second half of 2016 even better than the first!

Better blog growth

You know that annoying time when you feel like your blog or Twitter numbers are stagnating? I think throughout May I haven't concentrated enough on growth, and as a result everything came to a bit of a standstill. It's time to get better at my social media management and see if I can grow my community. I've made some amazing blogging friends lately and would love to make some more. 

Daily blogging  

If you haven't seen over the past few days, I've been posting daily blogs! Just stuff about my everyday life: my workouts, my diet, and everything in between. I would love to keep this up throughout June and see how it goes. I'm enjoying it so far and it's certainly keeping me busy. Make sure you guys let me know what you think of them!

Finally get some money in savings

I have a really exciting trip planned for August-September that includes going to the likes of Disneyland and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter *internal screaming* And I'm obviously planning on hitting the gift shops hard. I really need to buckle down and concentrate on building up my savings account again. I'm also planning on getting a few more tattoos done when I get back. Best to start good saving habits now!

Create and stick to a daily routine 

I don't know about you guys, but I'm usually most productive when I am on a schedule. With starting to daily blog now, I really need to set a routine in stone that I can stick to. I always write down a to-do list the night before, but I think it's time I create a blogging schedule to help me be more productive.

Step it up at the gym

One lesson that I have taken away from my workouts in May, is that your body is capable of more than you think. I feel like I improved a lot more this month because I stepped away from my usual routine. Just trying to lift an extra 5kgs or fitting in an extra set of cardio exercises can really make a difference to how satisfied you feel with your workout. It's time I worked even harder and see what my body can achieve!

Be braver

I think this was one of my New Year 2016 goals and it's something I've been taking baby steps with. Just stuff like making conversation (helping with my social anxiety) and even wearing a crop top to the gym. I remembered that quote that goes "Fortune favors the bold" and I think it's absolutely true. Through June and the rest of the year, I am going to make a habit of being brave. Sometimes just for the fun of it, or because I need to. The braver the better.


Let's tackle the rest of 2016 like it's our best year yet!

What are your goals for June? 

Steph x.

My 2016 Blogging Goals

Hello Everyone!

If you read my previous 2015 post, you'll know that this was quite the turn-around year for me. I was pretty lost at the end of 2014 with what I wanted to do with my life (quarter life crisis suck!) but thankfully I have now found my feet and I'm definitely on a the right path. I can't explain how much I have loved blogging this year and what it means to me now. So with 2015 being an awkward self-discovery year, that means 2016 will be my time to really kick things up and see what I can do.

In 2016, I will...

Step up my photography game
I've always loved taking photos and one of the best parts of blogging is being creative with how I can visualize my post. I'm also a massive lover of Instagram and have been having a lot more fun uploading this December. I want to get even better and keep putting out content that I'm proud of.

How will I achieve this: Stay inspired by others and experiment with new ways to take photos. Also, make more of an effort to upload onto Instagram more.

Launch my brand/designs

This is something that has been a work-in-progress for a while now and it's something I'm really passionate about doing. One important thing I learned about myself in 2015 was that I need to be my own boss. I simply can't live my life on another person's terms. No, thank you! I've always been a creative person, so owning a small creative business is my dream. It's a good thing I come from a family of entrepreneurs!

How will I achieve this: Keep working on designs and stay inspired. Get the hang of InDesign and launch my designs when I feel proud and ready. 

Make blogging friends

This is a big one for me. Because A) I don't make friends easily, and B) Bloggers are some of the best people and I would love to have some buddies! I see a core group on Twitter all the time and would love to be a part of that. Thanks to #GirlGang hopefully that will change!

How will I achieve this: Be more interactive on Social Media and participate in blogger chats every week. Make the effort to talk to people, Steph! 

Let my little blog grow!

In 2016, I would love to have 500 followers. This still seems like a gigantic number to me, but you gotta aim high right? As much as numbers don't mean a lot if you are proud of your content, it would just be awesome to interact with more people and to get more feedback. It would be amazing to be able to start working with brands too.

How will I achieve this: Continue to work hard on my blog, be smart about self-promotion, and be more interactive on other blogs. Most importantly, continue to write about what I want to write about, not what I think I should.

Vlogging?

 I watch and admire a lot of YouTubers and there's a part of me that really wants to give this a go. It would be fun to be able to watch days back when I'm older too. I may not upload my vlogs for a while, but I can have a bit of fun in the meantime while I get on my feet.

How will I achieve this: I will start filming the odd day and practice editing. I want to spend the year getting my confidence up too.

Teach myself HTML 

I feel like this is a great advantage to any blogger. I've seen quite a few designs or blog layouts, and say to myself "I wish I could do that!" Well, I do love a good challenge and this would be great to learn.

How will I achieve this: Use the internet as your teacher! There are plenty of basic tutorials available for beginners that are completely free. Just practice and have a bit of fun with it. 

Be braver. 

As much as I'm getting better at this, being bold doesn't always come naturally to me. I mean, I will rock a red lipstick anywhere, but being bold socially and trying new things can be hard. I will overcome these fears in 2016 and see where it takes me!

How will I achieve this: I will say yes to doing more things, or make more adventures happen myself. I will also ignore that part of my brain that likes to comment "What will people think?" and just be bold about talking to people.

Every single one of these goals are completely achievable, and mostly by just taking small steps everyday. I always see people working on these awesome projects, so 2016 is going to be my year to join them! 

What's your biggest goal for 2016? 

Steph x.