Hello Everyone!
I feel like we got pretty spoiled for blockbuster movies this year. I love going to the cinema and it's been great having something new to look forward to each month. Here are the movies released this year that I loved most:

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
You have no idea how excited I was when this was finally released. They did changed quite a few scenes that were in the book, but I found that they made sense for a film adaptation. With the action scenes they managed keep the intensity of the book and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Bring on The Death Cure!

Cinderella
Oh, I do love a good Disney movie. I think the idea of live-action Disney is really cool and they pulled this one off really well. I loved that they explained more of the story of Cinderella, especially her evil step-mother and why she was so cruel to her. Can we please talk about her dress?

Avengers: Age of Ultron
There was no way I was leaving this one off my list. I thought this film was even cooler than the first and the action was on another level. In terms of villains, Ultron is pretty up there and James Spader was incredible.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
Anyone else not ready for this series to end? It was a pretty epic conclusion and they kept in a lot of my favorite moments from the book. It was all worth the heartbreaking moments. Josh Hutcherson was absolutely amazing at playing a broken Peeta. He's definitely going to get an Oscar one day, for sure. 

Jurassic World 
I know this one got mixed reviews, but I actually really enjoyed it! Yes, there were times when things got a bit over-the-top, but in terms of being entertaining and having a good cast, it did pretty good. And they get props for making me actually like Raptors.

The Martian
This wasn't my usual Saturday night movie, but I thought it was fantastic. It was the perfect balance of space, thrill, humor and Matt Damon-awesomeness. It's one of those movies that makes you forget where you are and you end up getting quite attached to the main character. I may have shed a tear or two...

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
If you didn't know, I'm a bit of a Star Wars geek. I was so excited to see this and it did not disappoint! The film didn't stray too far from the originals, yet every new addition made sense and the whole film flowed really well. A big thank-you goes to my brother for pre-booking us all tickets before they all sold out months prior to the movie's actual release.

Ant Man
 Marvel did such a good job with this one. I get really annoyed when people hear the title of this film and go "Really? Ant Man? Lame." Only because this movie and its main characters are actually pretty awesome and the humor makes it such a fun watch. I can't wait to see Paul Rudd among the Avengers.

It's a very Blockbuster list, I know, but these are the kinds of movies I grew up with and I love 'em!
 Do you have a favorite movie from 2015?

Steph x.

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Baking Birthday Brownies

Hello Everyone! 

So yesterday was my brothers birthday, and since I know how much he loves home baking I decided to make my favorite brownies for him. I've been using this recipe for years and I always go back to it. It's all thanks to the ever-amazing Jamie Oliver and all of the credit goes to him. Here's the recipe on his website for you. 

It's a super easy method and is reasonably quick to make. They usually don't last too long in our house, so I always have to be quick to have some for myself!

I have cut down on the butter for this recipe (-50g), just out of personal preference. I also used milk chocolate instead of dark since it's a special occasion and Whittacker's milk chocolate is still my favorite ever. Even Nigella Lawson loves it! If you do use milk chocolate, make sure to reduce how much sugar you put in otherwise it may be quite sweet.

Ingredients:

200 g unsalted butter
200 g good-quality dark (or milk) chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken
80 g cocoa powder, sifted
65 g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
360 g caster sugar
4 large eggs 

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F

Line a 24cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper

Place a saucepan with a couple inches of water on the stove, over a medium heat and let it reach a simmer

While you wait, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl

 

In a heat-proof bowl over the simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together

Once melted, remove from the heat and add your dry ingredients bowl to the chocolate/butter mix. Stir together until well combined

Beat in the eggs until the mixture is silky

Place into your baking tin and bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes (you want them to still be gooey in the middle)

Cool and enjoy! 

I accidentally cooked them for slightly too long, but they were still delicious! 

What do you like to bake for your family and friends?

Steph x.

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My Favorite Things About Christmas

 Hello Everyone!

I can't believe it's only a week until Christmas! It's been a busy month so December has just flown by. In all of the hustle, it's nice to pause and remember why this is my favorite time of year. After a hectic shopping trip yesterday, this is especially important!
Here are my favorite things about Christmas:

Putting up our Christmas tree
This is usually when it starts to feel like Christmas to me. Since we've collected our tree decorations over the years it also brings back a lot of great memories. My personal favorite is a Santa that we got in the most amazing Christmas shop in Boston, which helps us remember our trip last year.


Christmas movies
Christmas Eve in my family usually means baking in the kitchen and Christmas movies on the TV. New Zealand is pretty terrible for putting Christmas movies on, so we usually end up watching the same DVDs every year. The Grinch and the Polar Express are must-haves!

Chocolate Oranges!
 I blame British YouTubers entirely for my addiction to these. I'm not sure how many I bought and ate last year, but it was a lot for sure. They're just so good! If you have never tried one, it's like someone has made an orange entirely out of chocolate. With the segments, orange flavor, and the stalk in the middle as the best part!

Christmas food
This has a lot to do with our family traditions, like making a big brunch with sparkling grape juice and having a BBQ dinner. Even though they deny it, my Mum and her sister have a friendly competition over who brings what food every year. Believe me when I say that no one goes hungry! Its always my favorite meal of the year.


Surprise Gifts
We are terrible in my family for telling each other what we want for Christmas, so we usually know what we are getting. Which is what makes sneaking a few extra gifts under the tree so fun!

Online Festiveness  
This is a recent favorite of mine, and Christmas doesn't feel the same without it anymore. Thanks to Vlogmas on YouTube, I feel like I have a pretty good idea about what it's like to celebrate Christmas in the UK. It's also hard to watch Zoella in full festive-mode and not feel happy about this time of year! Bless her.

What are your favorite parts of Christmas? 

Let me know in the comments!

Steph x.

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Coconut Lane Haul + Discount!

Hello Everyone!

Coconut Lane is a relatively new brand that have brought out some really cool designs. They make everything from prints to jewelry, and even Christmas cards. It took me a while to pick out what I wanted to buy because everything is so cute! I'm keeping an eye on them, because I have a feeling they will bring out even more awesome stuff. Check out their website here (Note: If you love Mean Girls, they have some great stuff for you!)

Moon and Star Necklace

Necklaces are the pieces of jewelry I tend to wear most, so when I saw this I couldn't resist buying it. It's very cute and understated, which is exactly my style. I was really happy that they had the longer chain for it as well, which looks lovely over a casual tee or a dress. I know I will get a lot of use out of this one. 

Arrow Ring 

I've been wearing rings more and more on a daily basis now, and I have a feeling I will be reaching for this one quite a lot. I love that you can adjust the size of it too, so you can wear it on any finger you like. I'm trying to wear more gold jewelry too, but you can get this in silver or rose gold as well!

Stay Classy Wall Art  

For an aspiring #GIRLBOSS, I thought this would be a perfect addition to my room. It pretty much sums up my attitude to life at the moment! You can buy these both framed or just the print. This is definitely going behind my desk somewhere so I can see it while I work. 

Discount time!
If you like anything on the website, then just use the code "marvelsteph20" to get 20% off! Their shipping is really fast, even if you live at the bottom of the world like me!

Do you guys have a favorite online shop? Let me know!
Steph x.

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Our Christmas Traditions

Hello Everybody!

One of the reasons I love this time of year is carrying on the same Christmas traditions I've had since my childhood. I think some of my happiest memories have come from Christmas time with family. I love hearing about the ways people celebrate, so I thought I would share mine! 

A Big Christmas Brunch

Complete with pancakes, home-made hash browns, eggs any way, mushrooms and everything else you could think of to get you through Christmas day. Kid's wine (sparkling grape juice) is an absolute must, and have to be served in wine glasses for the fun of it. We have it every single year with at brunch and we usually end up fighting over who gets the last of the bottle. And of course we get the Christmas crackers out too. It's the best breakfast of the year!

Christmas Eve Shopping

This is something my Mum has done since she was a little girl and so every year we battle the crowds to fulfill this tradition. There's always last-minute supplies that we need and it just doesn't feel the same if we aren't rushing around the day before Christmas!

Watching the Toronto Santa Parade

My brother and I used to get up every Christmas morning to watch this on TV. I think my parents were grateful that it gave them a bit of a sleep-in! We don't have anything like this in New Zealand so it was always fun seeing the different floats. Nowadays it plays at 3am so we have to record it, but it's worth it.

New Clothes For The Big Day

Since Christmas day is always a family affair and my Mum goes all-out on food, we go out and buy a completely new outfit for the day too. This is another one of my Mum's traditions passed down and it makes the day feel special. It always feels great putting on brand new clothes too.

Christmas Baking

Even though it's summer, it's not Christmas without some baking! We usually put together our favorite recipes and give a big basket to my Granddad as a present, which he loves. This year I'm going to bake and decorate my first ginger bread house, should be fun!

Watching The Polar Express and The Grinch on Christmas Eve  

We starting doing this a few years ago and it just became a new tradition for us. Some of the time we just have it on in the background while we finish some food prep for the next day or do some baking. They're two of my favorite Christmas movies and even though I've watched them countless times, they always make me feel festive.

What's your favorite Christmas tradition?

Steph x.

The Liebster Award Q&A

Hello Everyone!

I was tagged by the lovely Amy over on her blog to do the Liebster Award tag. This is designed to help everyone get to know up and coming bloggers by answering questions, then tagging some else to do the same. This was actually a lot of fun to do, so thank you Amy! Don't forget to go and have a read of the original post she tagged me in.

Here are the guide-lines: 
 1. Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions the nominator has given you.
3. Tag 11 bloggers who have less than 1000 readers.
4. Think of 11 questions to ask the bloggers you have nominated.
5. Let them know you've nominated them through social media or their blog.

Let the Q&A begin!

1. Why did you start blogging? 
When I saw so many bloggers/YouTubers having fun creating stuff I knew I really wanted to give it a go myself. I'm a really creative person, so I thought blogging would be a fun hobby to have. I didn't know it would turn into a career choice, but that's life!

2. Name 3 makeup must-haves you can't live without.
Ahhh, pencil eyeliner, Rimmel BB Cream, and life really isn't worth living without a red lipstick is it?

3. If you could have dinner with one YouTuber who would it be and why? 
This is cruel. I feel like I would have the best time with Zoella, because she seems so easy to get along with and we have very similar interests. We would probably end up talking about Lush and her pug Nala the whole time! My next choices would be Jonathan Joly, FunForLouis, or Danisnotonfire.

4. Where is your favorite place to go when you're feeling down? 
If I need to get out of the house, I would say a book store or the gym. But if I'm feeling anxious I love just being in my room where I can put my music on and chill all by myself.

5. Name one thing on your bucketlist. 
I think visiting Rome is still number one on my list, it has been ever since I first started studying Classical History in high school. The day I'm standing in front of the Colosseum will make me feel like I've completed that part of my life.

6. 2015 is nearly over, name one thing you would changed if you could. 
I'm not really a regretful person, so this is a tough question. Maybe quitting my job earlier since I was so miserable. But it was all a lesson well learned!

7. Mascara or foundation?
Foundation for sure! Couldn't live without it.

8. What's your favorite color?
Blue! It's part of the reason I'm in love with Hawaii, with the beautiful blue water you're greeted with. It's heaven.

9. What Netflix series do you like the most?
Confession: I don't have Netflix. But I really want to start watching Daredevil, it looks incredible. I just watch a lot of Chuck and The Flash.

10. If you could be any animal what would you be?
Definitely a jaguar or any kind of big cat. I'd have to be something strong and a bit of a bad-ass.

11. Where do you see yourself this time next year?
Hopefully making a name for myself as a blogger and designer. Still working hard at the gym and staying healthy. I just want to keep having fun creating content and seeing where it takes me.

I nominate these lovely bloggers:
Geek Gets Glam
simplysara
She Who Lives
Missamrunaway
Madolynthinks 
With Love, Celeste
Emma-Raeburn  
Sarah
Teatime with Naomi
Written By Hannah
oohsimplething
 
 Here are my questions:
1. What is something unexpected you have learned from blogging?
2. If you could only ever use one brand of makeup, which brand would you pick?
3. What was your favorite movie from 2015?
4. If you had to be stuck in a lift with anyone, who would it be?
5. Who is your favorite Disney character?
6. What class would you love to take at Hogwarts?
7. Which brand would you love to work with on your blog?
8. If you could relive any moment in 2015, what would it be?
9. Do you prefer red, pink, or nude lip colors the most?
10. Who is your current celebrity crush?
11. If you had no fear, what is one thing you would give a go? 

I can't wait to read your answers! Don't forget to let me know what you complete the tag. 

Steph x.

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How I Stay Healthy - Even in the festive season!

 Hello Everybody!

It's no lie that this is the time of year when healthy eating usually goes out the window. Last year I tried Terry's Chocolate Orange for the first time and grew an unhealthy addiction to them (don't we all, though?) Thankfully they stopped selling them after New Year, so I had no choice but to stop eating them.

My eating habits have changed a lot this year and I definitely give a lot of thought into what I'm eating. I also became some-what of a gym-bunny which has given me a whole new appreciation of my body, so eating right makes all the difference. Yeah, I'm that annoying healthy friend now...

Here are some of my habits and hacks for you that really work: 

Drink a cup of green tea after dinner
This is something that has become a habit for me and it's almost a comfort thing to help me relax before bed. Green tea has great antioxidants, it boosts your metabolism, and it can even strengthen tooth enamel! If you don't like the flavor, then why not try one with added fruit? My favorite has strawberry in it!

Always have a glass of water or drink bottle with you. Always
This is such a great habit to get in to. Since I work from home most of the time I always keep a large glass of water at my desk with me and I refill it throughout the day. Life is always easier when you're hydrated!
 

Eat dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth
It's guaranteed that every night after dinner I feel like chocolate. Every night. And since dark chocolate is actually good for you in smaller doses, it's a win-win! Make sure you go for a 70-80% cocoa one, and don't worry about the bitter taste, you get used to it quickly. Now normal chocolate is too sweet for me! But I still eat it anyway...

Find cafes with healthier options 
If you're anything like me, your weekend will not be complete without venturing to a coffee shop. If you're trying to cut a few tempting cakes out of your diet, try find cafes that offer gluten-free and paleo options. Eating cleaner foods really does make a difference and you feel so much better. Seriously, don't knock raw chocolate cheesecake until you have tried it! Do some research and give it a go.

Make sure you have 5 or more serves of fruit and veg a day

This is by far one of the easiest ways to make you eat healthier. Stick to the fruit and veg you love and incorporate them into your diet as much as you can. Smoothies are great for getting a few more serves in everyday, just be careful of how much fruit you eat since they can have a tonne of natural sugar in them! Just a few extras here and there will make a difference.

Note: If you put spinach in your smoothie you get all the nutrients without even tasting it! 


Less carbs, more protein
Don't get me wrong, I ain't afraid of no bread or pizza (you'll never take those away from me!) But when it comes to my everyday meals, I find it healthier to replace my carbs with protein to keep me full. For example, I have a protein smoothie after the gym, a tuna pita bread sandwich for lunch, some kind of beans or grains with dinner, and Greek yogurt with fruit as a dessert. Then pizza on weekends, of course! 

All the Super-foods!  
Yes, I am one of these weird people who puts maca powder and LSA into my smoothies. But super-foods are great! Add some blueberries to your breakfast or have quinoa with your lunch to get crazy energy. When you eat the right stuff your body will thank you. 

The thing about healthy eating is that it only takes a little while for cravings to go away. The less I've eaten sugar and junky foods, the less I crave it! I wouldn't ever recommend going cold turkey, but making gradual and healthier choices really does make a difference.

I hope this helps!

Steph x. 

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