Hello Everyone!
December is always one of my favorite months of the year, since there's a lot of exciting things going on. I also used to be someone who hated anything Christmas before December had even started, but now I love it! I've been very tempted to watch Christmas movies in November...very tempted!
While the festiveness always makes it such a fun month, there's also a tonne of non-Christmas related stuff to look forward to as well.


I'm looking forward to...

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

A little unknown fact for you, from the age of twelve to about fourteen I was obsessed with Star Wars. To be fair, I needed something to keep me occupied in between Harry Potter movies being released. But I still love it and the trailers look amazing! My awesome brother actually pre-booked us all tickets in October the day they got released. Cheers Bro.

2. New Tattoo

To my mother's comment "Another one?!" yes, I am getting inked again. I'm incredibly excited about getting this one done since I have been planning it for quite some time. I've had it specially designed and it's going to have a lot of meaning to my 2015 journey. It's going to my biggest one yet too, so let's hope IPhone games can keep me distracted from the needle!

3. Christmas Dinner

At my house this is the only day of the year we have a full course meal. My darling Mum always gets creative on dips to make and cheeses to serve. Then my Dad cranks up the BBQ, which for me means a seafood feast, including the only time of the year I get to eat scallops. This is followed by too many servings of dessert, and some supper with coffee. Of course, I have to help clean up the dishes, but you can't beat Christmas dinner!

4. Getting in the Christmas Spirit!

I blame Zoella entirely for my newfound love of Christmas. As well as the glorious food, there's something about the feeling of December that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. I think it's my favorite time of year now. Despite it being summer here in New Zealand, I will still be lighting a few scented candles and making hot drinks to get into the mood of it.

5. Blogmas

I actually wanted to participate in Blogmas last year, but I never got around to it. This year I am up for the challenge! I'm also excited to see other bloggers posting each day too. It will be great to put my organizational skills to the test. Should be fun!

6. Summer fruit
This is the best part of the year for fruit: raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cherries...our fridge will be stocked, along with vanilla ice cream in the freezer to make one of my favorite desserts ever!

7. Maze Runner: Scorch Trials DVD Release
Now I'm quite a big Maze Runner fan, love the books and the movies. I was super excited for this film to come out and I honestly think it was even better than the first. I can't wait to watch it again and try to pick up bits from the book. 

8. Hello, Summer  
It seems like we can't quite shake winter right now! While Spring has been lovely with all of the flowers coming out, I'm really looking forward to getting out in the sun more. I have too many cute outfits I can't wear until the weather warms up. Yeah, the struggle is real.


9. Turning 24
While this also completely terrifies me, I think my 24th year might be my best yet. My 23rd year was still pretty good, I ran a half-marathon, went to Hawaii, started blogging, and became a gym-bunny. But all of that only feels like the start. I now have a clearer vision of what I want in terms of a career and the lifestyle I need in order to be my best self. Bring it on, I say!

10. Celebrating Christmas on YouTube
Anyone else love watching vlogmas videos? I think Zoella is always my favorite to keep up with. Plus this year she's uploading a video onto her main channel everyday! I'm also excited to see my favorite Irish family, the Sacconejolys, celebrating with their two little ones. It's going to be a cuteness overload! Hopefully Dan and Phil will celebrate with Dilmas again this year too.

11. Ant Man DVD Release
As much as I love the original Avengers, I'm loving these new additions to the Marvel universe. I know everyone had their doubts about this movie because of the name, but boy were they wrong. There's such a great balance of humor and heart in this. Can't wait to see him with the other Avengers next year!

12. Socializing
Yup, even I'm surprised by this one. But since it's the month of birthdays, as well as Christmas, December means going out for dinner a lot, which is one of my favorite things to do. We are already booked in at my favorite Mexican place for my birthday, and Indian for my brother (My two favorites!) Plus I'm going out for pizza with my work mates as well. I'm fine with socializing if there's food involved, OK?



What are you most looking forward to in December? It's going to be a good month!
Happy Blogmas!
Steph x.

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November Favorites 2015

Hello Everyone! 

Time for another monthly favorites, and it's a bit of a mixed batch this month. 
I picked up a few new additions, as well as discovering some old favorites. My budget was starting to stretch a bit thin so I needed to do a bit of "Shop My Stash" which is still fun!

Maybelline Color Drama Lip Pencil "Nude Perfection"
I've really got into nude shades these past few months and this has been one of my favorite finds. I read a blog post that had it as a dupe for a Mac lipstick so I went out and bought it the next day. I've been pairing it with Tanya Burr's lip gloss "Lunch Date" which is a perfect match. Great for an everyday look!

Benefit Hello Flawless Powder in "Honey"
I've been using this one for a while now and I'm still so in love with it. It's by far the best powder I have ever used. It's probably a little thicker than most powders but it gives you such great coverage and makes your foundation look flawless.

Chi Chi Creamy Matte Liquid Lipsticks 
I've been raving about these on my blog a lot lately, but they have seriously become my favorite lip products. They're basically a 3-in-1 (stain, lipstick, gloss) with amazing pigmentation. For the price you pay ($22) you get amazing quality. Read my review here!

Zoella Beauty 
I was going to talk about just one of her products, but I can't pick a favorite! Her moisturizers (I tried Creamy Madly Dreamy and Candy Cream) are quite thick and leave your skin feeling so soft. Perfect for when you want to feel pampered! I've also been using her Foam Sweet Foam cleansing shower gel after the gym and it makes you feel refreshed and ready to go. I wrote a blog post on these if you want a more extended review.
 

Lush Snow Man Shower Jelly
This is one of the only Christmas products I feel in love with this year. I mostly bought it because the scent is incredible; it's really fresh with carrot and lemon. But the best part is that when I got home I realized it's actually the shape of a snow man! How cool is that! I would show you but he's kinda melted now...sorry Olaf. 

Taylor Swift Perfume Taylor
I bought this one years ago at duty-free when I was flying to Melbourne for my birthday. I had actually gone to Taylor's concert a few days earlier and there were promo girls there so I got to try some then. This has always been one of my favorite perfumes; the scent is so lovely and floral. I randomly picked it up again and have been wearing it all month!

Do you have a favorite pick from November? 

Until next time x.

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50+ Blogmas Post Ideas

Hello Everyone!
Who's excited about Blogmas this year? I am! I know it's going to be a lot of work, but I find blogging fun and I can't wait to follow a bunch of bloggers all month long.

The most daunting part of the event is definitely having enough to blog about. Sometimes I struggle to come up with my monthly posts (3 per week) let alone one each day! But in usual Steph fashion, I'm super prepared with a long list of blog post ideas for you if you ever feel stuck!

Christmas-related posts:

1. Create your own holiday hot drink and share the recipe

2. Favorite Christmas Movies and Why

3. My Favorite Things About Christmas

4. My Christmas Bucketlist

5. Christmas Day Outfit Ideas

6. Things you're grateful for this Christmas

7. Christmas hacks- ways to make the holidays easier

8. DIY: Make your own advent calendar

9. Christmas decorating

10. Creating New Christmas Traditions 

11. What Christmas means to you

12. You Favorite Christmas items from a brand (eg. Lush, The Body Shop) 

13. Christmas Makeup ideas 

14. Favorite Perfumes for Christmas Time

15. Christmas Baking

16. Your Christmas traditions

17. Christmas outfit ideas

18. DIY: Tree Decorations
19. Favorite Places to Shop at Christmas
20. Your Favorite Christmas Ornaments
21. Decorations Haul
22. Christmas Guilty Pleasures
23. How to Survive Christmas Shopping
24. Beating Blogger Burnout during Blogmas
25. Somewhere else in the world you like to spend Christmas
28. Healthy Holiday Treats
29. Winter Wonderland Photography Post
30. Take up a holiday project and document it

Non-Christmas posts:

31. Behind the scenes of your blog- organization and photos

32. My day on a plate

33. My top three bloggers and how they inspire me

34. A day in the life 

35. Makeup table tour

36. Winter Fashion you love 

37. Document a cozy night-in

38. Skincare essentials

39. Currently obsessed with...

40. Your 2016 Bucketlist

41. A Diary post of your day/week

42. How you made yourself proud this year

43. Favorite movies from 2015

44. Holiday Reading list

45. Create a December Photography Challenge

46. Shopping Haul

47. #LOVEMYSELF : Things you love about being you 

48. 2015 Music Playlist

49. 5 Things that made me happy today 

50. Bloggers you should follow this Blogmas 

51. Things I'm looking forward to in 2016
52. Favorite ways to stay creative
53. Rediscovering my love of...
54. Biggest blogging lessons of 2015
55. Current favorite song
56. TV show addictions of 2015
57. Things you probably didn't know about me

I hope that helps! Who's doing Blogmas this year?
Leave your links in the comments so I can follow along!
Steph x.

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Lush Empties!

Hello Everyone!

First of all, I would like to apologize for the state of these containers. They have been well-loved but it's left them in quite the state! I'm a huge Lushie and have rarely been disappointed in their products.
I noticed the other day that I'm building up quite the collection of empty pottles, so I thought before I take the pots back for recycling (free face mask, yay!) I would show you what I have been using and why I loved them >>

Hot Toddy Shower Gel
This was one of the Christmas items they released in July, which was perfect for us Kiwis because it meant that we got them in Winter. This shower gel was absolutely amazing on cold days because it has one of those festive comfort scents. And no wonder it smelt so good with ginger and cinnamon spices in it. I was disappointed when they didn't bring it back out in December...

Ultrabland Facial Cleanser 
This is still one of the best cleansers I have ever used. Again, this was perfect in winter because the formula is super thick and rich with honey so my makeup would come off easily. Now that it's warmer I've switched to a lighter one, but if you're looking for a gentle cleanser this one is great.


Ro's Argan Body Conditioner
I heard so many people raving about this when I first started watching YouTube, only my local Lush stopped selling it. But luckily I found this in a gift box so I could finally try it. And it was lovely! It's not as heavy as I expected (like Lush's King of Skin a.k.a the most luxurious bar ever!) but that just meant it was great for everyday use.

D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap
I definitely need to repurchase this one. It was super soft and moisturizing to use and I even recommended it to a friend and she loved it too. It has golden syrup, rosehip oil, cocoa butter and fresh strawberries to keep your skin feeling lovely afterwards. It makes the chore of shaving a lot more enjoyable. Highly recommend!

Imperialis Facial Moisturizer
This is probably my third time repurchasing this one. It's quite a good medium moisturizer, with it being light for the mornings but you could still happily use it at night too. It's quite gentle and refreshing, yet has tonnes of great ingredients to help your skin.

Snow-Showers Shower Jelly
This was another Christmas in July item (I think?) that I absolutely loved. I used this a lot on cold Sundays since the orange and champagne scent just lifted my mood and helped me relax. I know some people are put off by using shower jellies but they aren't that bad. I mean, you do drop them a few times in the shower but the oils are great and they smell so good!

Rub Rub Shower Scrub
Now that it's almost Summer I really need to go and buy this again. It smells so fresh and the salt is amazing for exfoliating after a long hot day. Plus, if you use it in your hair you'll get some crazy volume like you've been swimming at the beach!

Daddy-O Shampoo
This time last year I got my hair dyed blonde-ombre for my birthday (which turned out great!) and the color stayed for ages, which I think has a lot to do with using this shampoo. You only need a small amount so this bottle lasted me most of the year, and the lemon makes you hair look amazing. Definitely buying this again when I get my hair dyed soon. 

So those are my empty Lush products, all of which I loved and would highly recommend!

Are there any Lush products you can't live without?

Let me know! 

"Til next time x.

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How I'm getting ready for Blogmas!

 Hello Everyone!

Since this is my first year of serious blogging, it also means that this is my first year taking part in Blogmas! I'm quite excited about it, despite the pressure of getting a post up everyday. I'm quite notorious among my friends for being super organized when it comes to certain things, so this is my kind of fun. I'm also quite excited for Christmas this year and just being in the festive mood so that should come across on my posts too. Here's how I'm getting organized:

Write out 25 (or more) blog post ideas
I started out by just making a long list of possible posts to put up. I feel like it's a great idea to have a few backups just in case one doesn't come out the way you want it. I also made sure to make the most of any events I have coming up in December (several birthdays) as prompts for posts. If you're stuck for ideas, I'm going to be uploading a list of 50+ suggestions for you next week!

Assign a date for each post
You can use a calendar for this, or I just wrote out each day in my blog journal. It's so satisfying to see it all so organized! It's going to be great to be able to just look at the upcoming week and know what editing I have to do and what posts will be going up.


Start writing drafts 
This still feels like cheating, but I don't know how anyone would survive the month without doing it. And my life isn't exciting enough to just do a diary entry of each day. I've just started writing drafts for the posts that I can, since there will be times where I have to complete it all that day. I've written a D (for draft) by each listed post in my journal to keep track of which ones are in progress.

Take photos. Lots of them.
I'm talking bulk photo time! I have to restrain myself on a few while I wait for it to be appropriate to have Christmas decorations out. But since I don't want Blogmas on Hello, Steph to be a Christmas overload, I'm trying to take as many in November that I can. Having them at least edited will save you lots of time later.

Stay organized.
One thing I've been doing is going back to my post list and seeing which ones I still need to complete and which one's just need photos. With so many drafts floating around it's easy to lose track of everything. This is where list making skills come in handy. The more lists the better!

Are you guys doing Blogmas this year? Any tips for a newbie?

Leave your links in the comments for me to follow along!

Until next time x.

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Zoella Beauty Review

Hello Everyone!

So last week I posted my Feel Unique haul of a few YouTuber products and today I want to talk about my favorite ones! I've been dying to try Zoella Beauty for ages now and I was not disappointed.

Creamy Madly Dreamy Body Lotion
I wasn't sure about the scent as first, but now I am absolutely in love with it. If you have had a bad day, run yourself a bath with your favorite Lush bath bombs (or one of Zoe's bath products) then moisturize with this afterwards. I find the scent of this product really comforting and relaxing; it's guaranteed to make you feel better. Plus, it has quite a thick formula full of Vitamin E and Shea butter, so your skin will feel amazing afterwards.

Foam Sweet Foam Cleansing Shower Gel 
This shower gel does everything you hope it will do. It's refreshing, light and smells like a blueberry dream. I love using this after I've been to the gym or out for a run to feel nice and clean again. While I think it's perfect for the warmer months, you could just as easily use this is autumn/winter to help you wake up in the morning.

Candy Cream Softening Body Lotion 
This stuff most definitely softens your skin and makes it feel amazing. It's the perfect match for the above shower gel, since they share the same amazing blueberry scent. This is quite a thick moisturizer, but if you're like me and you spend time outside in the warm weather your skin could probably use a bit of love. Perfect for keeping your skin looking great during Spring and Summer.

I can't honestly decide which of these products is my favorite. You can tell Zoe put a lot of effort into her beauty range, packaging and all. They genuinely deliver on what they promise and are really affordable. I'm definitely going to have to go back and buy more to try!

Have you tried anything from Zoe's range? Let me know in the comments!  

Until next time x.

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Weekly Snaps Diary #3

Hello Everyone!

Gloomy days call for writing, lots of coffee and watching superhero movies!

Found my latest obsession last weekend, so I had to go out and buy more colors! I'm in love.

It's so nice to see bloggers in magazines lately! Really inspiring.

New favorite: Blueberries, Greek yogurt and chopped walnuts for a healthy dessert. And I remembered that I had chai powder so I made myself a makeshift latte. It always help me relax. 

Finally! Excuse me while I stay glued to my headphones for the next month. The best thing about living in New Zealand is the time difference means we got this a day earlier than everyone else!

This is me naturally waking up early so that I could listen to the new album. Does anyone else's dog sleep on your pillows and no where else?

Family night out! (kinda). It was my parents 34th wedding anniversary this weekend, but my Dad was out of town for a funeral so my brother and Me had dinner with my Mum instead. Most impressive Pad Thai ever!

It was a cold and windy Sunday so we went to the movies to see The Dressmaker. It definitely wasn't what we expected! But the cast was great so I still enjoyed it. I got a massive craving for a grilled pita so I made one with tuna, cheese, spinach and sweet chilli. So good!

Also loving Hailee's new EP! She was brave to release this the same day as 1D and Justin!


I know this week ended on a very tragic note, I hope everyone is safe and well!
#prayforparis

'Til next time x.

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My Fitness Bucketlist

Hello Everyone!

I've decided that since fitness is a very important part of my life, I want to include it more in my blog. This year I completed my first half-marathon, which was tough but makes you feel like you can do anything. So I thought it was time that I start working on some pretty big fitness goals. I'm also a massive lover of bucket-lists so why not combine the two?

Run a full marathon 

Might as well while I'm young, right? I told myself that my big challenge at 25 will be to run a marathon, and I intend on keeping that promise. There's two generations behind me that have done it, so it would mean a lot to be the next one to carry it on.

Run the Disney World Marathon

I don't think you could find a cooler run. You get to got through all four parks and everyone gets a Mickey medal! Then you can recover in Florida for a few days. I'm going to make this happen soon!
 

Climb the Great Wall of China

It has to be done, right? There's actually a marathon based around it which would be hard, but totally worth it. You would definitely earn bragging rights for doing it. Traveling and competing are a winning combo for me!

Climb the Haiku Stairs, Oahu, Hawaii

This one looks absolutely insane and potentially dangerous. So of course I want to do it. It's 4000 steps up and is the Oahu's most difficult hike. But the views look absolutely stunning so I know it will be worth it at the top. Hopefully my runners legs will help me get up this one. 

 

Compete in a Reebok Spartan Race 

When we were last in Hawaii, we came across this race at the Kualoa Ranch and it looked pretty insane. When I saw it at the time I thought there was no way I could do it. Now that I have really got into my training I have a lot more confidence and I reckon with the right team this would be awesome. It's probably the most bad-ass race ever, I mean, you get to jump over fire! Sign me up.

Climb to Machu Picchu 

It's about a three day hike but the sights look so stunning. This is something that's also on my Mum's bucketlist, so hopefully we can do this one together in the next few years!

Run the Avengers half-marathon

I mean, the have a night time pasta party! What better reason do you need? Oh, and I can dress as a super-hero and not be judged, hooray! Definitely going as Captain America.

Run the London marathon

Apart from New York and Boston, this is probably one of the iconic marathons. The sights would be amazing and a lot of it is for charity so it has to be done. 

Have a strong, fit body

Going to the gym and getting toned was never about getting skinny for me. Both sides of my family have quite stocky body shapes and don't really grow over six foot, so I have quite thick shoulders and thighs. But as I have been working hard I've noticed how much I love having a more muscular and strong body. Bring on the abs!

Conquer the pull-up 

I've already been practicing this one and getting better. My trainer has me using a bungee to help, but one day I would love to not even have to use it. Especially since I've come from having absolutely no upper body strength at all!

3 Minute Forearm Plank 

Probably going to be the longest three minutes of my life, but to be able to say that I can plank for that long would be awesome. I can clock about a minute at the moment so I need to do some hard work to get there! 

Show off my hard work  

I've had a couple of friends post their weight-loss success on Facebook and I think it's great! People work damn hard to get into shape. So to be able to post a picture showing off a few abs will feel great. I'd say in about a year I will be in my dream shape so it will be my turn then.

It's very ambitious, I know, but you have to work hard and dream big! 

What would be on your fitness bucketlist? 

Let me know! Pretty please? x.

Main Photo Credit: Instagram

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Review: Chi Chi Creamy Matte Liquid Lipsticks

Hello Everyone!

I'm not lying when I say that I might have just found my favorite lip product of all time. I was out trying to find some new lip glosses (any recommendations?) when I found these gems. It's my dream to have a lipstick that's also a stain, a gloss, it doesn't dry your lips out, AND the color stays on all day. Turns out dreams do come true! OK, that was cheesy...

Long lasting? This stuff will leave you with amazing color, even after eating! I tried and tested this. I only have to reapply this a couple of times during the day and it still looks amazing.

Non-drying and Moisturizing? Yup! I keep waiting for it to dry out within ten minutes like a lot of products, but it doesn't. Maybe after a few hours yes, but considering this is basically a lip stain and lipstick, that's still impressive. I found that since it's quite moisturizing it's super easy to reapply and you won't even need a mirror.

Vivid Colors? Chi Chi are pretty great when it comes to colors. These lipsticks in particular are amazingly pigmented and have a matte finish (while still being moisturizing). I went for quite bold shades when I bought these and they give such an amazing pop of color.

If you didn't need another reason to buy these, they also smell amazing! Kinda like the LipSmacker Sours you used to get as a kid? I love a bit of nostalgia. They're also very affordable ($22 NZD) which is something I love about Chi Chi as a brand. You get great quality without having to spend all your money on one product.

 I think this is the first beauty product that I have bought, and then gone back to buy more colors. My first purchase was Show Stopper (pink/berry), then I went for Sexy Lady (berry/red) and Crazy in Love (pink/nude). Here's their website if you're interested in checking out more colors. I think I might go for Drama Queen next!

If you can't find Chi Chi in your country I would honestly be happy to ship them for anyone wanting to try them. I have a feeling I will be using these as my go-to lip colors for quite a while! 

What's your current favorite lip product?  

Let me know in the comments!

'Til next time x.

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Beauty and Skincare Haul: feelunique

Hello Everyone!

 I've been doing really well with my fitness lately so I thought I would treat myself to some online shopping. I've been meaning to place an order on Feel Unique for a while now, especially since they can ship some brands that aren't available in New Zealand. I've been dying to try products from the Zoella Beauty range for ages now, especially since she has brought out new products. 

Anyway, here's what I bought:

Zoella Beauty Creamy Madly Dreamy Body Lotion
Firstly, can we talk about how gorgeous the packaging is? The rose gold writing is the perfect touch. I really needed a new body lotion and since this one has all the good stuff in it (Vitamin E, Aloe and Shea butter) I thought it would be perfect. It also smells incredible, almost like a comforting scent that helps you relax. I have a feeling that I will be repurchasing this!

Zoella Beauty Foam Sweet Foam Cleansing Shower Gel 
A girl can always use a new shower gel right? I'm currently running out of my Body Shop soap, and since this one is lovely and fruity it will be so nice to use now that the weather is getting warmer. I can't even explain how great the scent is...if you love blueberries this one's for you!


Zoella Beauty Candy Cream Softening Body Lotion
I know, I bought two body lotions. Please don't judge me. To be fair though, this one has little exfoliating beads in it so I probably won't use this one as much. I'm pretty sure this one has the same scent as the above shower gel, which makes me happy because it's so good. I love how bright and happy the packaging is too.

Fleur de Force Lip Gloss #30 Starlight 
I'm not the biggest fan of lip glosses, but I've recently decided to give them another go. Fleur has some really gorgeous colors, so I decided to go for this nice bright pink one. It's such a universal color for a lot of my lipsticks and I am bound to wear this  all through Spring and Summer.

Tanya Burr Cosmetics Lip Gloss Lunch Date
I'm saving my personal favorite until last. I was so blown away by the packaging of this one, it is honestly stunning. If I saw someone pull this out of their handbag I would think that it was quite expensive. The pigmentation is amazing and I can't wait to wear this one!

Freebies 
Who doesn't love free stuff? I was pretty happy to see that there was a free sample of the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, simple because Zoella has raved about it. I also got a Perfecting Concealer from Nude by Nature, which is useful considering I'm on the hunt for a new concealer.  

 Just as a side note, I would definitely recommend buying from Feel Unique. They quite often have sales or deals on (I actually got 3 for 2 on Zoella products!) and their shipping was really quick. Considering that I live close to the bottom of the world, I value this kind of service. Thanks guys!

Have you guys tried any YouTuber beauty products? Let me know if you have any favorites!

Until next time x. 

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The Disney Tag!

Hello Everyone!

I came across this tag on a few other blogs and thought it would be a bit of fun. I feel like I've gained a new love of Disney this year, which has probably come from watching Cinderella too many times. I found this tag harder than I thought since it's so hard to choose just one favorite! We all have this problem, right?

Favorite Disney movie
There's no way I can pick just one! But my top three are Tangled, Meet the Robinsons, and Cinderella (the 2015 live action).


Favorite Disney Character
This is a tough one! I love too many. I might have to go with Sully from Monsters Inc. since he has a special place in my heart. When I was about 10 I had to have surgery and the day I got home my Dad got a call saying we had won a competition and I got a Sully toy! It made me feel so much better.

Favorite Disney Princess
It has to be Rapunzel from Tangled. I love her spirit and excitement about things, plus she's not a typical princess. I feel like she would get along with everyone because she's so sweet.


Favorite Disney Sidekick
Definitely has to be Rapunzel's sidekick Pascal. Who wouldn't want a sassy little friend who can sit on your shoulder?


Favorite Disney Song
For some reason "A Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins seems to stand out for me. That movie definitely has the best soundtrack!

Which Disney character would be your best friend?
Bert from Mary Poppins would be pretty fun to have as a best friend! I feel like we would just go on adventures whenever we felt like it. He has a great imagination and always sees the bright side of things, I like being around people like him. I'm a bit like Mary too, so we would get on well.

Who would be your Disney pet?
This has to be Rajah, Jasmine's pet tiger in Aladdin. I always thought it was the coolest thing ever when I watched the movie and no one would ever mess with you.


Have you ever been to Disneyland? 
No, it's heart-breakingly far from New Zealand! But we have plans to visit LA next year so it looks like I will be there soon! I'm currently saving every penny I can to spend in the gift shops.

Who is your Disney alter-ego? 
I might have to say Cinderella. I would secretly love to get dressed up in a big twirly blue dress, and I think since I'm a quiet person people often take that as being rude. But I'm a lot kinder than you think!  

Who is your favorite Disney villain? 
Definitely Yzma from the Emperor's New Groove! Her and Kronk are flipping hilarious. I have to say though, as a kid I was definitely most scared of Cruella de Vil. She was terrifying! Still scares me today, to be honest.

Do you collect anything Disney?
I seem to have started a habit of buying a small plush toy in the different Disney stores that I visit. I got Pascal from the one in Times Square (coolest Disney store ever!) and this year I got Sven from Honolulu.

What Disney film would you star in if you could?
This is kind of cheating (it technically IS Disney) but I would definitely go with the Avengers. Although it would also be awesome to play Mary Poppins or Anna from Frozen.

How old were you when you watched your first Disney movie? 
I was four! I still remember going to the cinema to see Pocahontas with my Mum and next door neighbor. My Mum even let us pick a small toy to take home. I got a small Pocahontas figurine and I still have it today! She sits proudly on my bookshelf and it's probably one of my most prized possessions, because it's such a lovely memory.

What do you love about Disney?
I've always loved the magic of it and how they encourage you to use your imagination. I think we need as much light and goodness in this world that we can get, the more heroic princesses the better! And it's something adults can enjoy along with their children which is important.

Who is your favorite Disney couple?
Probably Rapunzel and Flynn. They're not your typical Princess and Prince Charming, and I love how they're so different from each other. She's very naive and will befriend anyone, where as he questions everything, but they kinda just let each other be. So cute!

Well, that was fun! Can you guys pick just ONE Disney film you love most? (Or a few favorites!)

Let me know in the comments!

'Til next time x. 

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Twitter - @MarvelSteph91

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Weekly Snaps Diary #2

Hello Everyone!

Chia seed peanut butter! Since when was this a thing? I love it! If you didn't know, Chia seeds give you great energy. Combine it with peanut butter and you have one happy gym girl. 

Spooky Week on DanandPhilGames! It's back for another year! I don't know why I love their YouTube gaming channel so much. Since New Zealand's effort in celebrating Halloween is pretty limited (Well, the Rugby World Cup final is on...) this is the only way I get to enjoy the festive season.

I finished #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso this week, and it was such a good read! She gives tonnes of great business advice, as well as sharing her life stories and how they made her who she is. I think it's the perfect book for a modern girl.

Art haul! I have a love of art supplies and stores, I find them just as calming as bookstores to be honest. I picked up a bunch of stuff to help me get into water color design, which I will be putting to good use in an exciting brand project I'm working on.

Anyone else love Mexican food after a hot day? We found a new place not far from home that just opened up so we thought it might be fun to give it a go. You have no idea how happy I am to it so close by! I also watched Jurassic World while I ate, so I had a nice relaxing Saturday night in.

GO ALL BLACKS!!! Back to back world cup win baby! Rugby means a lot to us Kiwi's, we're only a small country after all. Very proud of our boys and a big thank you for giving us all hope to achieve our dreams #proudkiwi

Not a bad week at all. How did you guys celebrate Halloween? 

Let me know in the comments!

Until next time x.

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October Book Challenge: Update and Reviews

Hello Everybody!

If you remember back to the start of the month, I wrote a post about my October Reading Challenge that I decided to undertake. Essentially, I set myself up to read one book per week during the month and...

I did it!
I pretty much stuck to the books on my list, except I swapped The Son of Neptune for The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire. Because, you know, it's Dan and Phil! I have to be in the right mood to read a Percy Jackson book for some reason. It was nice always having a book at hand again.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
 I really enjoyed reading this again. Actually, I think I liked it more this time around. I did forget how gruesome some of the chapters were though! The movie should be amazing. Emotional, but amazing.

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater 
I absolutely love these books! Maggie's transitions from character to character are perfect, and I find it almost feels like you're reading/watching a TV show. I have to say that Blue is one of my favorite female characters ever; she knows how to stand up for herself and be proud of who she is. I may have ordered the third book before I finished this one...


The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester
This was probably the book-by-a-YouTuber(s) I was looking forward to the most. These two were the ones who got me addicted to YouTube a couple years back. I have to say, they did an awesome job with this book! My favorite sections were the Fan Fictions and the BBC Radio 1 story. There's tonnes of random pages in between that made it such a fun read!  

#GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso
I have been wanting to read this for the longest time, and I'm so glad I finally did! Can I have Sophia as my best friend, please? This book was really inspiring, and I'm definitely at the right age to read it. Her story is definitely unique and she gives amazing advice to daring young girls (like us bloggers!) when it comes to creating our dream lives. Highly recommend!

What's your favorite book at the moment?

Until next time x.

Bloglovin' - MarvelSteph

Twitter - @MarvelSteph91

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