31 March 2013

Things That Make You Go Oooooo (March 2013)


Is it just me or does this year seem to be going really quickly!? I can't believe we're already going into April, March has just been one crazy blur for me but I got so much done and organised that hopefully I can start doing more fun stuff soon. I feel like March has been all about re-organisation and re-evaluation so hopefully some you'll find some of these links as useful as I did.

 Spring Cleaning (aka editing your mess of a closet) - I've tried to cut WAY down on my clothing items and have donated/sold over half of my wardrobe and even though I did feel kinda bad getting rid of a few things I can honestly say I don't miss them, these are some great tips on how to cut down on your clothes and how to store them and keep them looking at their best to!

 The Ultimate Guide To Looking Good On Spring Break

 100 Beautiful Quotes To Inspire Your Life - Write them on you walls, mirrors, phone anyway you can think of so that every time you feel unsure of yourself you have something to make your day that litle bit more bright.


 How To Stop Bacterial Breakouts - I'm a bit of a clean freak as it is but now I'm being extra diligent with keeping things clean (especially my phone!) after seeing this.

 Embrace Your Inner Life Coach: 5 Meaningful Ways To Help Others

 Easy Ways To Save Time - Simple tips but very effective, I make lists for everything and always try to cross at least one thing off them a day.


 8 Skills You Need When Running Your Own Business - I love this it's so true and there's some great advice for those of us struggling with running our own little empires.

 How To Find Fashion Blogger Sponsorship Programs

 Candid Thoughts On Sponsors And Courtesy Items - Some interesting thoughts here, I think sponsorship is a great thing however as tempting as it is I think it's very important to keep your integrity and be true to yourself and don't sell yourself short.


 How To Walk Forward To Your Dreams - This is such a sweet story and I absolutely love this idea, I'm definitely going to be trying this out.

 Perfection and Imperfection

 10 Simple Things to Make You Happier At Home - Your environment can have a big effect on your mood so this is a great way of restoring a bit of peace and harmony to your home.


 Juicing vs Blending - Some great info for anyone wanting to up their daily intake of fruits and vegetablea as you guys know I'm addicted to smoothies and although we have a juicer I definitely favour my blender.

 Emma's Fitness Story

 My Exercise History - Such a great story and something I can totally relate to, if you're looking for some inspiration for getting healthy then give this a read!


 R2D2 Heels - I am in LOVE with these shoes, this would make an awesome project and they get bonus nerd points for flashy lights!

 Gold Honey Bear Vase D.I.Y.

 Adventure Time Finn Plushie Brooch - This is such an adorable tutorial from my super talent friend and awesome plushie maker Violet.


 Boggle is Worried About You - If you suffer from depression or have a friend that does and struggle for advice then give this a read, it's a very open and honest read with some really helpful points.

 13 Awesome Photos That Will Make You Happy To Be Alive

 The Zen of Dogs - Dogs are amazing creatures and they definitely bring a lot of joy to our lives, this is a great read, so very sweet and makes me realise just how much my pooch means to me.








Love & Snowdrops
Cate
xoxo

20 March 2013

My Beauty Diary: Sheet Mask Review


My Beauty Diary is a popular sheet mask brand in Asia which I stumbled across on one of my many visits to Watson's in Thailand and has become well known in Thailand as the must have sheet mask. I absolutely love using sheet masks and usually treat myself to one once a week to give my skin a quick nutrient boost and although these masks are pretty inexpensive I was lucky to get them on special offer (buy one get one free) so ended up bringing several boxes back to the UK with me to try out.


I love the packaging of these masks, they're super adorable and to my surprise each box contains 2 individually sealed sheet masks. There are many different types of masks available for a whole different selection of skin problems but Watson's only had these 4 for sale: Black Pearl, Hyaluronic Acid, Cooling and Bulgarian White Rose.


It's important to wash your face and remove all traces of make-up before you use your sheet mask. One of the things I love most about sheet masks is that they aren't too messy and you don't have to wash your face again after you're done you can just let your face soak in all those moisturising benefits, I often use these masks on long haul flights to keep my skin hydrated and fresh.


Sheet masks aren't the most flattering things to wear but is any face mask? Some sheet masks can dry out quite quickly but I found the My Beauty Diary masks kept moist for a long while. It's suggested that you leave the masks on for around 10 minutes but I tend to keep the masks on my face till they start to dry out then use the mask to wipe any excess off my face before disposing it.


My favourite masks from this collection are the Hyaluronic Acid and Black Pearl, I've been suffering from really dry skin lately and there isn't much that has been able to soothe it apart from these masks which have really hydrated and soothed my skin and unlike some of the other masks I've tried, which just give your skin a quick boost, the benefits of these seem to last a good week till I use my next one.


My Beauty Diary are definitely one of the better quality sheet masks I've used so I will definitely be buying them again. Have any of you guys tried them out and if so what is your favourite? Be sure to let me know in the comments!


Love & Cupcakes
Cate
xoxo

Honey Banana Oat Muffins


Being healthy has been my main goal this month and as much as I love snacking on some fruit I also love me some cake to. Muffins can be a great way to start your day but all that sugar and fat can end up making you feel quite sluggish so created this healthy muffin recipe using bananas and honey as a natural sugar and oats and seeds to keep you feeling more satisfied and full.


Ingredients

  • 1 + 1/2 Cups of self-raising flour
  • 1 Cup porrige oats
  • 1/2 Cup honey
  • 1 Tsp baking powder
  • 1 Egg white (keep the yolk for a hair mask)
  • 3/4 Cup rice milk
  • 1/4 Cup rice bran oil
  • 1/2 Cup chopped nuts or sunflower seeds
  • 2 - 3 Mashed bananas
  • A pinch of salt

(Makes 10)

♥ Preheat an over to 200°c and line a muffin tray with baking cases.

♥ Mix together the mashed bananas, honey, rice milk, rice bran oil, egg white and add a pinch of salt.

♥ Into the mixture add the baking powder, flour, oats and nuts and mix thoroughly.

♥ Place 1 - 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the baking cases.

♥ Cook the muffins in the pre-heated oven for 20 - 30 minutes until cooked throughout and golden brown.

♥ Once cooked remove the muffins from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.

♥ Eat and enjoy!


Good Luck
Cate
xoxo


15 March 2013

Inspirational Quotes #36

"True beauty always has something a little strange about it. The flaws in something are sometimes the most beautiful bits. The perfect Barbie doll that has the huge inflatable lips, boobs redone to look all perfect: I don't think that's very interesting."
- Daphne Guinness

10 March 2013

It's All About Smoothies!


At the beginning of this year much to my horror my precious coffee machine which has been with me for the past decade and a half broke down and was no longer producing that smooth, silky, strong coffee I needed to start my day. That coffee machine pretty much got me through all the major moments in my life I have no idea how I would have survived University without it and I was all set to go out and buy a new one till I realised that a similar model would cost me near to £200 which is ridiculous considering I bought mine for £30! Feeling a little resigned I was all set to start my day on instant coffee when I saw my old smoothie maker sitting on a shelf in the garage (which has been with me almost as long as my coffee maker) so I pulled it out of retirement and have since found a whole new love for smoothies!


If you've been following me on Twitter and Instagram lately will know that I'm pretty much obsessed with my smoothie making and that I can't start my day without that fruity burst of healthy goodness and to my absolute joy lots of you have been joining in on the smoothie fun to and sharing your tips, tricks and recipes.


A lot of people seem to think that smoothie making is expensive and yes while fresh produce can be expensive you don't have to spend a fortune to make something delicious. Frozen fruit can be found in most supermarkets for pretty cheap, I get a bag of mixed frozen berries from Morrisons for £2 and that will last me at least a week. Be sure to check the bargain tables to as you can pick up some pretty great items for cheap, remember it doesn't have to look pretty to go into a smoothie, a couple of bruised bananas won't kill you although I would suggest you throw the mouldy stuff away!


I love my smoothies ice cold so I nearly always use frozen fruit and to save myself time in the mornings I often cut up all the vegetables and fruit I want to use the night before put it in a bag and stick it in the freezer so it's ready for morning. Another tip if your fresh fruit and vegetables are looking like they're going off is to cut them up, add a bit of lemon or lime juice and freeze them, it'll save you so much money and cut down on waste, I often buy "ripe" fruit for cheap then cut them up and put them in "daily bags" to freeze.


Simple Green Smoothies has become one of my best resources for recipes, their daily posts on Instagram and weekly newsletters have me so inspired and I love seeing what new ingredients I can add into my smoothies, I almost always stick exclusively to fruit but thanks to them I've been adding some vegetables into the mix and I have to admit they taste pretty damn good.


So I've switched my possibly unhealthy coffee habit to a nice healthy smoothie obsession and despite the lack of caffeine in my system I'm feeling even more awake and energised from all the healthy goodness, so I fully recommend you guys all go out and invest in a blender as smoothies are an awesome way to start your day!


Fun & Fruits
Cate
xoxo

06 March 2013

A Brand New Storenvy


With all the craziness that has been my life lately I completely forgot to tell you guys I've opened a new shop on Storenvy. This might not be new news for those of you who follow me on Twitter or Tumblr as I actually opened the store late last year but I thought after gaining my first few sales it deserved a formal introduction into the world.


In the past people have asked me if there is an alternative website to buy my handmade goodies on which doesn't require a sign up and I'm happy to say that Storenvy is that alternative and if that wasn't great news enough you can also purchase items directly from my Storenvy shop via my Facebook page


Prices are listed in USD which is great news for my US customers as it means you'll be able to shop in your own currency with no conversion fees and Storenvy is not just limited to selling handmade items I will be offering other items there to, such as headbandsstationary and more.


I also made the decision, as Storenvy doesn't charge fees like Etsy does, that all the money made from this shop will go into an account for Thailand. My family in Thailand are very important to me and as the kids are growing up and my grandparents are getting older I want to do my part to help out so I feel like this is one of the ways I can support them.


Over the coming months I'm hoping I can grow and improve my Storenvy shop and make is as much of a success as my Etsy is, that being said I won't be leaving Etsy just yet I will still be offering all my handmade items for sale there as well as supporting my fellow Etisans.

Are any of you guys on Storenvy? Be sure to comment below and link me to your favourite shops!

Cupcakes & Bunnies
Cate
xoxo