Chatty March Update

March 25, 2019March 24, 201912 Comments

The first quarter of 2019 is almost over. I wanted to do a catch up post and check in with you all and update you on how things have been going. I figured the easiest way is to divide the post into categories and write a few points under each. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Work

I started my admin job in November 2018 and I’m four months in now. I am definitely a lot busier than I was before but I am starting to finetune my routine and get to grips with everything. I have been tired lately but I put that down to a combination of working hard, starting a new job right before summer and this summer being so warm. I am here for the cooler weather!
I’ve got my first proper lot of time off since October coming up in April around Easter which I’m excited for. I plan on taking it easy, catching up on my Goodreads target and going through my wardrobe and clearing out clothes I don’t wear.

Blogging/Social Media

At the start of year I mentioned I would be blogging less. I have still been keeping active by commenting on other people’s posts and reading blogs and I’m finding one post a week is working at the moment. It’s enough to keep me inspired without feeling pressured to churn out content.
Instagram is my favourite social media and it’s where I’m the most me. I was thinking about my habits recently and how I tend to use the platform. I post a few pictures a week and I tend to gravitate more towards posting on my feed than uploading to my stories. I use stories for quick in the moment pictures I can still look back on as well as polls and sharing any thoughts I want to get out.
In my bullet journal I am tracking my Instagram followers to see how much they increase throughout 2019. I don’t have a goal or get obsessed with numbers but I’m curious to see the change.

Beauty

My lipstick ban is going well, I haven’t been tempted to buy any new shades at all and it’s surprisingly easy. I am enjoying using what I’ve already got.
The makeup low buy is also going well. This year I have bought a MAC pigment in Melon, some eyeshadows from Colourpop, a Zoeva makeup brush and Kevyn Aucoin’s Sculpting Powder in Light – I’ve been wanting to try contouring for a while now and know this powder is well loved.

Personal

I’m not feeling great with the way I look lately, I don’t know whether it’s the heat making me feel sluggish or having more of a sit down job but I feel the heaviest I have in a while. I nearly always take my own lunch to work instead of buying it but I’m not walking around as much as I was.
I stopped taking the contraceptive pill in December 2018. I have been keeping notes over the past few months and seeing if there are any noticeable changes in case I decide to write a post about my experience taking it and coming off. I’m not adverse to going back on the pill in future and I stopped taking it because I’m single, not for health reasons.
I have been in a pretty good place so far in 2019. I have a mood tracker in my bullet journal and the amount of days I’ve had that have been difficult or I’ve felt nervous/anxious, sad or angry have been outweighed by good days. I still write down one positive thing about each day and keep monthly gratitude pages in my journal as well.

Exercise/Diet

I want to take the stairs more at work if I don’t have anything to carry instead of using the lift. 90% of the time I walk down the stairs but going up is harder. Over time it will get easier and be beneficial.
I aim to use the exercycle to cycle 10km three times a week and I would like to get back into yoga. Yoga always makes me feel calm and is good exercise that doesn’t make you sweat but you can see the benefits if you keep up with it. I will try and aim to do yoga once at the weekend in addition to the cycling.
Beginning April 1st I want to consume less sugary treats. Over summer I had more sugary drinks than usual and I want to cut them out too.

2019 Goals Progress

The lipstick ban is going well.
I haven’t made any recipes from my cookbooks but I have made a list of ones I’d be interested in making – maybe I’ll get to one during my time off.
I am a few books behind on my Goodreads goal but it’s still doable.
I have only driven once this year and my goal is to drive at least twice a month. I’m still finding it hard to feel comfortable and pick things up.

Thank you for reading – I hope you are all keeping well! Let me know you’re doing and how you’re finding 2019!

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Redhead Rambles #32

September 7, 2018September 6, 201820 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to ‘Redhead Rambles’. The series does what it says on the tin, it is a redhead (me) rambling about her week. I share what I’ve been up to each week, how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been listening to or watching. Occasionally I will my share favourite blog posts and links I’ve found useful or interesting.

The weather last Friday was absolutely stunning!
I tidied my room, rearranged my desk and got rid of some clutter.
Saturday marked the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere and I created a simple, pretty makeup look which I shared on Instagram.
On Saturday afternoon mum and I went into town. I had a craving for Burger King and then we looked in a couple of shops. I bought a pair of pyjama pants, a shirt and some earrings.
After being in town I went for a drive in a new spot that enables me to go straight for a decent amount of time and there’s also a couple of roundabouts which is good to start getting used to those. I drove my car and I didn’t panic this time.
I was very tired on Saturday night and Sunday night. (Not sure why).
My nail split at work on Monday and I had to pull a chunk of it off. Luckily it wasn’t too far down and didn’t hurt.
Mum cut my fringe and it always takes a week or so after it’s cut before I like how it looks again.
On Monday evening I ordered two things from ASOS – this dress and this scarf. I saw the dress in one of Fleur De Force’s recent videos and I commented on a photo of her wearing it on Instagram saying how pretty it looked. The scarf was a bit of an impulse buy but I really like the red-pink colour of it. A couple of my other scarves are dark so the colour will pop against black clothing. Coincidentally both items are from Miss Selfridge which is a brand I have never purchased from before.
On Tuesday I texted a school friend for her birthday and we both agreed to catch up soon.
I entered Rachael’s 500K Views Giveaway. Rachael is one of my favourite bloggers, not only is she beautiful and creates stunning makeup looks, she is a machine at finishing up products and is one of the hardest working bloggers.
On Wednesday I felt like sparkle so I wore Fuchsia Fusion by NYX from their Cosmic Metals range on my lips. I’m still adamant this is the prettiest lip colour I’ve ever seen!
I sang along to some of my favourite Delta Goodrem tracks and caught up with YouTube videos on Wednesday evening.
Thursday I spent chilling, and most of the day consisted of reading. I finished an eBook and started my next novel.
I joined Goodreads. My challenge to read 50 books in a year ended last Friday (I managed 45 books btw) and I want to try recording what I read on the site so myself and others can see what I enjoy or what I don’t finish. It’ll take a bit of learning to get used to how the site works but it’s an easy way to track things.
Thursday’s dinner was Chicken Kiev with boiled potatoes. I don’t have Chicken Kiev very often but I do enjoy garlic and felt like one when I saw them in the supermarket a couple of days earlier.

What I’ve been listening to:

My ‘good vibes :)’ playlist on iTunes – This playlist contains songs that I never get tired of listening to and songs that always make me happy.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #31

August 31, 2018August 30, 201810 Comments

It’s been a relatively quiet week compared to some others so this post may not be as long.
I drove my mum’s car on Friday and it felt more natural. The steering is heavier as her car is bigger than mine and there’s more resistance when I use the pedals. By more resistance I mean you have to push the pedals harder to make them work which I like. I may have also found a new spot to try driving in.
I cleaned the oven – good daughter points!
After cleaning the oven my nails were in need of filing from all the scrubbing. The following day I painted them using The I’s Have It by OPI.
I had a small YouTube binge watch of fellow blogger, Lora’s channel. *CLICK HERE* to visit her blog.
On Saturday afternoon I was reading an ebook on the couch with a blanket and Halo came and sat with me.
I created a bookshelf page in my Bullet Journal and added in titles of books I want to read in the future. Currently I have a bulleted list of books to read and the page is full. I thought I’d try a more creative version and see which I like better. I took inspiration from this image on Pinterest:

On Tuesday morning I woke up with a horrible headache but thankfully it went away shortly after I got to work.
That night my aunt came for a visit.
As part of working at the library I go out and visit a few schools with the mobile library (where we take books to children) and the weather wasn’t the best. It could have been worse but it was very grey and windy. I went out with someone I hadn’t gone with before and it was nice to chat to her and get to know her better.
I tried the new raspberry lemonade energy drink from V and while it was nice I don’t know that I’d buy it again and it doesn’t taste as good as raspberry lemonade with lemonade and raspberry cordial. I seldom have energy drinks btw.
Thursday was dull, grey weather too but not as much rain.
Also on Thursday I had a lazy day. I didn’t sleep in (for a change) but I stayed in my pyjamas, read and watched the complete first season of Unforgotten. Series two started in New Zealand last week and I rented series one from work earlier this week in case there were any overlapping storylines. The stories are powerful and expertly interwoven. SO GOOD!

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #30

August 24, 2018August 23, 20189 Comments

Last Friday’s driving practice was worse than the week before, I got very anxious again and just didn’t feel comfortable. My mum thinks it has something to do with how small my car is and any slight turn of the steering wheel moves the car. This week I will try practicing in her car to see if I find it any better.
After the drive I wasn’t in a very good mood and just wanted to be left alone so I did some blog post prep and listened to music.
On Saturday I woke up in a better mood. I made myself garlic bread for lunch which was yummy.
On Sunday I wore a new pair of glasses to work for the first time (my purple pair).
After work on Sunday I walked to Dunkin’ Donuts and met up with one of my old work colleagues. I had a hot chocolate, a Bavarian Kreme donut and a Strawberry Frosted donut. It was so nice to see her and just talk and laugh.
I really loved Monday’s makeup look. I went for a peachy lip colour and peach blush and actually wore highlighter and blush together, normally I wear one or the other but my cheeks looked so glowy and pretty!
At work we have a coffee cart and the lady accidentally made the wrong size coffee and she asked me if I wanted it for free. I’m not a huge coffee drinker but it was delicious. I had a Flat White with soy milk.
The weather has been better this week than predicted which is always useful for trips to the supermarket meaning you don’t get rained on.
On Tuesday I wore my black glasses to work for the first time after wearing the purple ones for two days. I don’t know whether to have one pair for work or not. I might just alternate between the two and wear which pair my mood is feeling on the day.
I felt a little flat after work on Wednesday. One of the lifts is broken at work so it means taking the stairs and while it’s good exercise it tires me out going up six flights of stairs multiple times a day.
Because I was so tired on Wednesday I had such a good sleep that night and woke up on Thursday feeling refreshed. I got called into work and again loved my makeup look. I went for a pink/mauve colours and shimmer.
Thursday marked one year since I started my job at the library. I was gifted a small bottle of wine and a handwritten note.
After work mum and I picked up fish and chips for dinner and the chips were especially tasty! Can’t beat a hot chip!
After dinner I washed my makeup brushes and partly cleaned the oven.
I downloaded the eBook of Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher and started reading it on Thursday night.

What I’ve been listening to:

Ariana Grande – Sweetener – I have such an adoration for Ariana’s voice and her new album is catchy.

Madonna – Celebration – I’m not the biggest Madonna fan (don’t shoot me) but after seeing so many people sharing their favourite tracks when it was her birthday last week I felt like listening to this compilation album.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #29

August 17, 2018August 16, 20186 Comments

My practice drive last Friday panicked me. I didn’t feel as comfortable this time and couldn’t find my flow. The carpark I’ve been going to doesn’t give me a chance to drive in a straight line for very long so I can’t get up much speed and I have to turn a lot which is making me feel disjointed. Next time I’m going to try driving down and around my street.
I cleaned during my days off. I washed makeup brushes, changed my sheets, vacuumed half the house and also did some personal grooming; plucked my eyebrows and shaved my legs.
I placed my second xoBeauty order. If you didn’t know xoBeauty is New Zealand YouTuber Shaaanxo’s brand. My order shipped on Monday and arrived Tuesday, which is awesome service! Because I spent over $50 I got free shipping. I purchased an eye brush, a face brush, and three lip colours. If you want to see what I got let me know and let me know whether you’d prefer a blog post or Instagram image/Instagram story.
The internet has been much better this week which convinces me even more it was the bad weather that made it play up.
In last week’s Redhead Rambles I mentioned I had some new page ideas for my bullet journal. I have made a page for my car with important dates relating to insurance and registration and also a petrol tracker to see how often I buy petrol and how much I spend. The other page is for orders I make online. I write the date I placed the order, what the item is and there’s a column I tick when the item is sent and another column I tick when I receive the order. I decorated with a little bit of washi tape which I want to start using more in my journal. Question for other journallers out there, does the acid from washi tape leave marks on pages?
I made two trips back to the optician to get the earpieces on my glasses readjusted. After wearing them for a couple of days I noticed they were slipping down and I had to keep pushing them up. I’m still wearing the new pairs for half of the day and wearing my old pair at work until I’m properly used to the new lenses.
I tried MAC’s See Sheer and like Hug Me it applies more pigmented on me than it appears in swatches online.
On Wednesday it marked 8 years since I joined Twitter. One of my very first tweets was from Dannii Minogue. I tweeted her an image of that tweet and she liked the image and replied. Love her!
I got called into work on Thursday.
I researched a whole bunch of books for my to be read list. I’ve nearly crossed them all off my current list and I’m excited to add new authors to the list as well.
My favourite YouTube videos this week include a Zara and ASOS Haul from In the Frow and What’s In My Suitcase from Lily Pebbles.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #28

August 10, 2018August 10, 201817 Comments

I had leftover pizza and garlic bread from Dominos last Friday for lunch and I don’t know what it is but leftovers always taste so good!
I placed an order on White Fox Boutique for two white crop tees. The tees are a collaboration with Kiwi beauty guru Shaaanxo and while everything looked nice I wanted these most. The order arrived on Thursday and the crop tees are everything I wanted them to be!
On Saturday I made myself and omelette for breakfast before placing another clothing order. This time it was Glassons who I have ordered from lots of times before. In this order I picked up basics like tank tops, a pair of leggings and a shirt. My Glassons order arrived on Monday and I am always impressed by their shipping. I will have a haul up next week sharing what I bought from Glassons and White Fox Boutique and what the items look like on.
Saturday afternoon was spent on the couch reading Still Me by Jojo Moyes.
On Sunday I tried some new makeup and was impressed with everything. MAC’s Soft and Gentle is amazing!
Claire Richards announced her solo album ‘My Wildest Dreams’ and I instantly pre-ordered a personalised copy. I also stayed up a bit later to listen to the premiere of her debut single on BBC Radio 2.
I had Subway for lunch on Monday; three pepper chicken.
Dannii Minogue answered my question during a Twitter Q&A.
The weather has been mostly wet and dull and the internet has been cutting in and out all week. I wouldn’t be surprised if the internet problem is weather related.
I shared a post all about my breakup and what happened that led to it. Writing it felt good and I feel like it will help me move on and I’m not carrying this secret around because my blogging friends now know what happened. All the comments have been kind and supportive so thank you! *CLICK HERE* to read about the break up.
I got some new page ideas for my bullet journal so I might try and implement those over the next couple of weeks. Looking at inspiration also made me want pens and stationery, in particular a set of pastel fineliners from Staedtler.
I picked up my new glasses on Thursday! I shared photos of both pairs over on my Instagram if you want to take a look!
Thursday afternoon was spent blogging, reading and catching up on a few bits and bobs at home.

What I’ve been listening to:

Claire Richards – On My Own – Claire is one of my top five favourite vocalists and as the lead singer of my favourite band Steps she has had a very successful career. For the first time after 20 years in the business she is going solo and releasing her own album away from the band. I’m expecting heartfelt, catchy lyrics with a powerhouse vocal and the first single doesn’t disappoint!

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #27

August 3, 2018August 2, 201812 Comments

My mood was low on my days off. I felt angry and sad and confused and didn’t feel like talking. I don’t always know how my mood will be from one day to the next but I am feeling more positive this week and think I know what I need to do to keep it positive.
I finally figured out how to set the clock in my car after my practice drive last Friday. It had been stuck on 12:00 for weeks and was bugging me.
Mum and I tried to go for another drive on Saturday but all the car parks we could think of had cars in them.
I painted my nails using Glow Your Own Way by Essie.
On Sunday at work I got a compliment on my lipstick (After Dark by Urban Decay) and my hair.
July 29th was #NationalLipstickDay and MAC were giving away Hug Me or See Sheer with purchases over $40. I placed online orders with two different places so actually got both shades free. I purchased the Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle for myself and a couple of bits for my 1,000 follower giveaway! Both orders arrived on Thursday and I shared swatches of the lipsticks and Soft & Gentle on Instagram stories.
On Monday my Beauty Bay order arrived. This also contains giveaway products so I haven’t shared the contents of it.
I tried the strawberry face mist from The Body Shop and it smells delicious! The mist isn’t overly wet which is good because you can control how much comes out but you’ll need to use more sprays if you like extra hydration and moisture.
Kaily shared *THIS VIDEO* of her Mid-Year Makeup Declutter. She’s donating as many products as she can as well which is awesome!
My annual leave at work for Shania Twain’s concert in December got approved.
I got a free hot chocolate given to me at work on Tuesday.
When I arrived home on Tuesday after work Halo was curled up in her little cat bed. That’s the first time I’ve seen her use it.
I started reading Still Me by Jojo Moyes.
My mum has been sick which is always horrible as it’s not a normal cough and stuffy nose she gets, it goes straight to her chest and makes her breathless.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #26

July 27, 2018July 26, 201814 Comments

I painted my nails using Tiramisu For Two by OPI.
I took out car insurance and went for my first drive last Friday. I did loops around a car park and didn’t go faster than 20km but mum said I did well for my first time.
I had a lazy Saturday afternoon, watched some videos and didn’t do much else.
Work on Sunday wasn’t very busy but it’s nice to be able to catch up and get the library looking nice and tidy for the upcoming week.
Halo has been very cuddly, she likes it when I wear my dressing gown and wants to cuddle in to keep warm.
On Monday I witnessed an incident at work and while it was a little scary it hasn’t affected me.
After work on Monday I went for another look in Specsavers and came up with a shortlist of four black frames which I posted on Instagram. The feedback was much appreciated and I will now reveal my favourite pairs were 2 and 3 (going down vertically). See image *HERE*.
I wanted mum’s opinion on my shortlisted pairs so on Tuesday we went to Specsavers again and I actually ended up choosing a completely different black pair. I’d seen the pair I chose online but hadn’t been able to find them in store until Tuesday but straight away they felt like the right choice. I also decided on a second pair of glasses that are more dainty if I don’t want to wear black frames. I went for light purple with a similar shape to the pair I have now but bigger lenses. There isn’t a picture of the light purple pair online but I can show you the black pair.

I’ve been enjoying wearing my Opal highlighter by Becca this week, I wore it on Tuesday and Wednesday and it gives such a pretty shimmer to the cheeks.
Mum made pizza for dinner on Wednesday night which as always was delicious!
I read *THIS* blog post about getting over breakups on In the Frow and tweeted the lovely Victoria afterwards letting her know my situation briefly and that I enjoyed her post. She replied back saying she hopes I’m okay which was super sweet.
On Thursday I had an eye exam so my glasses will be fitted with the correct lenses. My last exam was two years ago and I want to make sure I can see properly if I’m going to be driving.
The weather on Thursday was weird, it would rain then come out sunny and it was cold. Only one more month of winter to go!
On Thursday afternoon I planned some blog posts, read and chilled out – that’s what days off are for.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #25

July 20, 2018July 20, 201818 Comments

On Friday my brother and I went into town in my car. He likes the car and enjoyed his drive.
I went into Specsavers to try on some of the glasses from Kylie Minogue’s range. Most of the frames didn’t suit me but I had fun.
On Friday after being in town my brother and I had curry for lunch, it’s one of our traditions. I had butter chicken and a cheese and garlic naan – the naan was especially tasty!
I was tired on Friday afternoon but I didn’t have a nap. I read and cleaned some of my makeup brushes.
My brother went home on Saturday and I wasn’t in the best mood. Again I felt tired and just wanted to keep to myself.
I started reading Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I finished the book on Wednesday.
I purchased a mini Vanilla pigment from MAC for $10. Vanilla is a shade I’ve had my eye on for a while and at that price it’s a steal. It’s second hand but barely used.
I also made my very first Beauty Bay order. I’ve heard other bloggers mention the site before and I’ve browsed it myself but nothing caught my eye until this week. I am keeping the items a secret as I bought them for the upcoming blog giveaway for when I hit 1,000 followers.
I watched *THIS* video by Jim Chapman about mental health. I’m sharing in case it helps someone. There are useful links in the description box too.
On Wednesday I put petrol in my car for the first time.
On Thursday I went back to Specsavers. I even curled my hair and did nice makeup for the second visit! This time my focus was on black frames. I’ve worn purple for years and while I love them there’s something about black that looks sophisticated. There’s two frames I like the look of, the top pair is Kylie Minogue and the bottom pair is by Alex Perry.

What I’ve been listening to:

Kylie Minogue – Golden – I’m always in a Kylie mood!

Shania Twain – Come On Over and Now – It’s less than 5 months until I get to see Shania and I’m so excited! My brother and I played my old Come On Over cassette in my car when we were in town and I got ready to Now on Thursday.

How was your week?

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Redhead Rambles #24

July 13, 2018July 12, 201810 Comments

In my last Redhead Rambles I talked about an unpleasant doctor’s visit. Last Friday I still wasn’t better so I got an appointment with a different doctor. I got prescribed antibiotics and prednisone to help with my breathing (I am an asthmatic). Health is so important and whatever it is, it can benefit to get a second opinion if it gives you peace of mind and helps you get well again.
I only started getting my tastebuds back last week as well so after my visit to the doctor I was naughty and had a pie for lunch! It was mince and cheese (my favourite) and it was SO GOOD!
At the weekend Mum and I went for a test drive in my neighbours little Nissan hatchback and I decided to buy the car. They have owned the car for 10 years and never had trouble so we know it’s reliable and it was a good price as well.
Sunday evening I spent browsing the Mecca Maxima website after hearing about it from a work colleague. There are lots of brands I’d love to try but the prices aren’t the most affordable…
On Monday I officially bought the car, handed over the money and changed the ownership into my name. I am excited and slightly nervous but it gives me something to focus on and look forward to achieving.
I made a small online order from The Body Shop. I don’t think I’ve purchased anything from The Body Shop so far this year. My order arrived on Wednesday and I got a Strawberry Smoothing Face Mist, an Early Harvest Raspberry body butter and something for my blog giveaway when I reach 1,000 followers.
Children are off school this week and next so work has been busy and the supermarket was pretty manic too. Mum and I do our weekly shop on a Tuesday after I finish work and we still managed to get everything we needed which was good.
My brother came down to stay on Thursday. He bought donuts from Krispy Kreme with him; Vanilla Slice and Apple Custard Crumble. We also had fish and chips for dinner on Thursday evening!

How was your week?

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