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

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