Valentine’s Day date ideas

Hi everyone!

The love month is almost upon us and this year I want to actively take part in it. In previous years it was just an annoying day that I even regretting waking up to. And I would just go to bed early so that life could resume on the 15^th! But this year I’m ALL up in it!!

So then for my first post today I’m going to take on some date ideas. I hope you guys don’t think that I’m too pale and indoorsy but I can be pretty boring so these ideas are remaining plain and simple.

The oldie but a goodie

-          Dinner Date. Which girl does not like dressing up to go to fancy restaurant? So this is definitely at the top of my list because it’s simple and needs minimal planning. Seeing that we all work on that day it gives you something to look forward to. Like your Cinderella transformation build up.

-          Movie Date. I recommend this for people who aren’t big talkers or big celebrators. You want to acknowledge that it’s love day but you don’t want to do the look into my eyes routine. Then a good romcom or comedy is the order of the day and cute little walk afterwards.

-          I’ll cook Date. This is the one I would avoid because of my below average cooking skills but if you’re a wiz in the kitchen then it’s the perfect day to reveal your super powers. If you’ve been together forever you can always try new recipes together or surprise each other with your creations.

-          Drinks on you Date. Some people just like to let their hair down and be young and free again. So this date has everything – you dress up, dust your dancing shoes off, style your hair, dig in the archives for your clutch and you’re good to go. There’s nothing that can replace the freedom dancing gives you!

-          Weekend Away Date. I think there’s nothing better than getting away from your day to day activities and just enjoying the weekend away and try new things. Whether it’s hiking, wine-tasting or going to the beach. Somewhere close though. You don’t want to spend Valentine’s Day on the road. Some people even prefer the road. It gives them time to talk and some stuck with you time.

Dates to Try

-          Invite an old couple. Recently I was listening to friend talk about how affectionate her parents are to each other and immediately I thought that I would just love to listen to their stories and life lessons. They might help to add more years to your love life! Who better to learn from than people who've got it figured out?

-          Indoor Picnic. Living in a routine is okay but I think there’s nothing better than breaking out of it. So for fun you can set up the living room of your house into a picnic spot. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg but super cute and I would definitely give an A+ for the creativity.

-          Horseback riding. Lol, also not a fan of horses but it’s out of the norm and super spontaneous.

-          Hot Air Balloon. This has been on bucket list ever since I saw one on TV. I’m super scared of heights but I would totally take a sedative to enjoy it. LOL, kidding!

-          Carnivals. I know these are seasonal but if you can drive to one I’d definitely be in for some fun rides and Mickey Mouse ears and candy floss. Who’s with me?

-          Small town sightseeing. I live next to this small town up in the mountains that has wild horses and they have these old town style houses and cute chapels. I always say I would go there just for pancakes. I love that place. Do you know any other cute small towns?

Of course there’s a whole other list of things to do on Valentine’s Day and I hope you guys have cool stuff lined up!!

Care to share your plans?

Give Love,

2016 Blog Goals

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone’s been having a good January. I think despite having a rough start entering into 2016 I can say that things are looking up. And not things around me though. Work is more stressful and I’m still struggling to get my study things ready and this post has helped but now that I’m starting to reach the end of my resources but I finally feel ready to start the year.

It’s so odd. A couple of weeks ago I was just so worried about unknown events and also afraid to regret decisions I haven’t even made. Talking to someone really helped. I also think that sometimes we just have to realize that we are where we need to be.

So 2016 goals are very important because this year I seriously want to turn over a new leaf rather than find a piece of white space on a page that’s been scribbled on to death. So today I’ll be sharing my goals with you.

1.        Youtube.  My channel is my top priority this year. I enjoy talking. Writing helps me when I’m sad or in need of a ‘way out’ when I feel stuck or when I need to recharge. But talking is my thang! Hopefully in addition to this I’ll be able to talk to more people too. Being shy is such a b-word.

2.       Photography. Trust me I take no pride in publishing not-so-amazing photos on my blog but I promised myself that I would do what I can until I find another plan. And it hasn’t been easy. My town is small and everyone basically keeps to themselves so it’s very hard to find creative people. Trust me – there is nothing worse than that for a person like me.

3.       Collaborations. I need to definitely give this a try. I love learning from people and bloggers are my favourite kinds of people so I would love to just interact more, share ideas and get more involved with other parts of the world.

4.       Twitter chats. I think people think I don’t want to participate but I literally have no time in the middle of the week especially on Wednesdays and Thursdays which is when the bulk of them take place. I hope this year I find some sort of balance and make new friends!

5.       Self. Blogging for me was all about fashion. I also enjoyed venturing into lifestyle but I fear the bigger it gets the less of myself I’m likely to share. I want us all to learn from each other’s life experiences. My lifestyle posts are so therapeutic for me and I found that after I share something or set it free I feel a huge burden lifted. I hope that I will do more this year with new challenges that might be in store for me. I have accepted a long time ago that life isn't smooth but it is blessed and without challenges there's no advancement and I'm looking forward to that advancement!

Thank you reading! Thank you for all your support!

Let's make history this year! 

Love,

First Online Shopping Experience

Hi everyone!!

If you’re like me and you are terrified of shopping online I’m currently talking to you! I was first introduced to the world of online shopping by my good friend Stacey! So far I’ve only shopped on Takealot.com and it’s so funny how I didn’t just test the waters with a small purchase but probably one of the most expensive things I own.

So based on that amazing first experience I’ve decided to help out other people especially with online shopping phobia who are extra terrified of online shopping! After this you’ll need me to talk about how to stop shopping online!

I’ll be using Takealot.com as a demonstration because I had the best first experience there.

1.        Create an account/register with the site where you want to shop. In that way you have a profile and you won’t have to keep providing the same details. You’ll need to have an e-mail address and they will communicate with you in the address you provided.

2.       Then you can shop away.

I knew I wanted a Canon DSLR so navigating through the site was a breeze. Plus they had a huge Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale!!

3.       After adding it to my cart you will now proceed to where you want it delivered.

If your work place is secure I’ll recommend you get it sent there because chances are it will get delivered during the day if you’re on the standard delivery option.

4.       Shipping

 This is where you choose how you want it delivered. If it’s urgent you can choose the overnight option which will obviously cost you extra. I chose the standard delivery option because it was free! Estimated day of delivery will be given to you after you’ve selected your courier method.

5.       Payment Details.

I think in earlier years you could only use a credit card here but now I had to option to deposit it physically at the bank or use internet banking which I think accommodate most of the working class. I chose InstantEFT that will link you to your bank where you can enter your details and make the payment to Takealot.com.

6.       If there are any changes with your purchase they will let you know via your e-mail/phone.

7.       When your order has arrived the delivery man will call you to collect it at the address you provided.

Best surprise was that my order came a day early just in time for my birthday! I was just so excited! 

To be quite honest after this process all doubts I’ve ever had about online shopping fell away. I think South Africa’s online market is growing so quickly therefore you can’t afford to get left behind!!

Get the best online shopping experience at Takealot.com!

Can you recommend online shops to try next?

A Winning Attitude

Hi everyone!

So as you know I’ve been struggling to get into the 2016 mojo but I think I’m finally making some effort to sort my life out. So on Monday I just woke with a brand new attitude and I was ready to kick butt! Then the horror settled in. It just felt like everything that happened was just geared to get me down. So long story short – I applied to study a new course this year and it turned out that I did not submit something that was very crucial to them accepting me. So because I did not have it I had to call my old university (which was such an exhausting exercise) and change all my passwords and get those documents certified and e-mail them to a friend who will submit them for me. The process was almost bone breaking.

There was only one moment where it all just felt like it was too much where I got my colleague to help me. It just felt like my good attitude was hanging on a very thin thread.

So now that the ship seems stable, looking back, I could’ve easily given up and just thought that seeing that the odds are stacked against me so early in the morning – I’ll just give up. But the more I just tried other alternatives and pushed forward, the burden appeared to be lighter and easier to handle. But if I had the same exhausted attitude from last week I would’ve folded in that very first crisis.

So here’s how to build not only a positive attitude but an enduring positive attitude.

Realizing the need to build

So I’m not a hopeless optimist so I have to build my positivity and speak it into my life in order for me to have it. I have to tell myself that tomorrow will be a good day. I won’t snooze my alarm, I’ll actually wake up in time for my morning run, smile more, etc. In that way you’re giving yourself a small advantage over people who decide that their Mondays will be bad and the week will be long. If there’s a huge workload ahead of you – plan ahead so that you can tackle it faster and more effectively.

The need to maintain

A positive attitude needs a lot of effort to stay afloat. So when one door hits you, open another even if this other goes through a bunch of other doors. When everything starts going wrong at the same time my first instinct is to open a window and throw my positivity out because I need to go into battle mode. But reminding myself that I’ve had a good morning and that things are not that bad I can calm myself down and look for other options that can help my situation.

Ask for help

I can tell you now – I prefer doing everything myself and I’m sure some of you do too. So asking for help is almost the most difficult thing to do but you’ll be surprised how much faster you can solve the problem. With my current crisis I’ve asked my colleague to help me and she just happen to know someone who can submit my documents for me. All it’s going to take is an e-mail. But if I did not say anything I would have had to travel for 6 hours to submit my documents myself.

Surround yourself with calm people

Not to calm though. I almost can’t stand it when a person is so calm that they don’t understand the urgency of a problem. So my mom is a person who’s always asking: “So what can we do now?” rather than Relax/Don’t Worry. Omw, my 2 most hated words on this earth!! So she helps me stay calm and take a step back to re-evaluate everything clearly and then gives me a chance to make a decision from there. That gives me so much peace.

Appreciate a good night’s rest

I know this is sometimes impractical but after I’ve had a heavy day the best gift I can give myself is an early night. Before I do that I just prepare for the next day so that I don’t drag that day’s issues into the next day. I make sure everything is set and I know the work I’ll be doing. It just gives you a chance! A whole week depressed because of a Monday is really a precious week wasted.

Keep your chin up!

Love

Pastels & Platforms

Happy Monday!

So as of late everything I buy is geared towards comfort. As much as I love the whole bodycon skirt look but every now and again the body has got to breathe! 

So now I look for comfortable yet stylish pieces like this beautiful shift dress from MrPrice. The shoes are from Fashion Express and by far one of my most worn platforms because of the comfort!

Cloudy Days

Hi everyone!

You know this week needed such a lot of effort to get through. I've never been through a back-to-work period before and man-oh-man it was hard. And the heatwave has been blazin' hard too! But then yesterday we were blessed with the most amazing cool weather. And that was just the best end to my week. 

So when it's cloudy all I can think of is knits and socks! So then I thought of this pairing featuring this soft maxi that I recently got from MrPrice. This skirt is so versatile and can also be worn during hot days with a cute crop top. So this is how I would pair it for cloudy days.

I hope you guys had a good Friday! Thank you for visiting!

xx

5 things Preventing you from Starting 2016

Hi everyone!

I feel like I woke up in 2016 and went straight to work. I know a lot of people who only start next week and the week after that even in our own building as I walk up to my office every day before 8. So yesterday when I was watching Happily Never After I just decided to switch off the TV and go clean my room and after half of it was packed away I realized that I haven’t stepped into this awesome New Year.

Here are my observations in my life and I think that if you have the same we might be in the same boat.

1.       I don’t have a 2016 calendar or diary.

That was like the first obvious thing. Normally I create my own calendar because I want it to fit in with my room decor. I normally don’t use a diary but this year has a lot of things going on so scheduling will be a huge part of my life. So not having one indicates that I have not been adapting to a new schedule or new planning.

2.       I haven’t started running

I do not identify with new years resolutions so when my jeans started not fitting me anymore I decided to start running just before Christmas and then into the new year and I still haven’t started. Worst part is that my running gear has been set aside but every day when my alarm goes off, my only basic instinct to switch it off without guilt or feeling like I ruined my plans.

3.       My sleeping routine is off track

In order to adjust back to my work routine I need to be in bed by 9 and asleep atleast by 10. I haven’t been able to do that even when I was tired on Monday night. That’s a huge concern because it does sort of determine if I’ll make it through working hours the next day – learnt that all through last year!!

4.       I don’t have social plans.

That doesn’t worry me as much, but it is indicating that I don’t have something to look forward to. So this is not the same as not having social events to go to but more of that they are there but I’m trying to get out of them so that I’m not with people. I’ve been isolating myself a lot lately and I'm really worried about it and it is also indicative of not having started the New Year off right.

5.       Adapting

This is very vague but affects so many things that sort of doesn’t bother you that much - before you really think about it. For example I haven’t adapted that I’m now a second year in training at work. So our training contracts are 3 years long and just yesterday someone said: “Can you believe there’s 24 months left?” And that really took the wind out of my tummy because I didn’t realize it till she mentioned it. For me this week was another week at the office. Or when my other friend told me that there are 10 weeks left before our first test for the course we enrolled for this year. And not a single thought as entered my mind about that course that I’ll be paying for. It started to feel more like I'm sleepwalking and haven't really stepped into this awesome new year.

Actually now as I’m writing this it’s helping me identify my own issues and things that I need to work on which is why I love my blog so much. I think internalizing it was also starting to give me a headache but now that it is out I can start working on it and so can you!!

Am I the only one that feels this way?

Love,

Work:: Pastels & Wide Leg

Hi everyone!

I've been at work for 2 days and I'm already so drained. Today my focus was much better though because Monday really made me feel numb. So it's one of my goals to be a consistent blogger this year which is so funny to me because I also have the extra weight of also studying part-time this year.

So here's my thing. God has given us the gift of seasons so now when I get home just before six the sun is still shining oh-so-bright outside so I try to take my pictures in the sunlight but then I think that the light is too sharp and in the opposite light I look too dark so now I will show you guys both versions until a better solution comes along!!

I had to run around at the office today so I chose this powerful yet feminine combo! 

Does this look like a person who's ready for 2016?

Lol!!

Love,

xx

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year!!!

I'm so blessed to start this year off on a good note. In the last week I've been feeling so negative. Mainly about my career and also my family life. I really try to remain positive but as we all might know it takes up a lot of energy to keep it up. But waking up in a New Year I just really woke up with the hope that God controls my life and that He has goo things in store for me. And that every time there's a no its because it's not yet time or something better will come along. I really believe that.

So my foundation this year is really to have hope. What is life without it? But also to have goals and to work hard each and everyday. 

So step one is to take time and take in some fresh air!

And Enjoy 2016!!!

Mr Price dress, Rage shoes, thrifted hat

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Love,