The Jumpsuit

The sun is setting a lot later which means that Summer is just around the corner. Summer has always been my favourite season - I love the longer days, the warmth and the smell of it (I'm strange). And of course I love the fashion. To be quite honest I don't own a lot of Winter clothing (I'll be working on that next Winter) so that's also another reason why Summer my favourite season; a lot of my clothes are short sleeved tops, tanks, skirts and jumpsuits. The jumpsuit or playsuit is my absolute favourite piece of clothing. They are so easy dress up and you can go from day to night depending on how you accessorise.

If you take a peak into my wardrobe you'll see that I love bright colours and prints. Here are some of my favourite jumpsuits:

Cooper St Digital Mosaic Jumpsuit

Cooper St Painted Love Jumpsuit

Maurie & Eve Valentine Playsuit

Seduce Diamond Girl Jumpsuit

Seduce Star Gazer Playsuit

Tallow Semara Playsuit

Ready To Pop!

36 weeks pregnant

In two and a half weeks time, we will be welcoming the arrival of our precious baby girl. As each day draws closer I get a little bit more excited but definitely a lot more anxious and nervous.

My first pregnancy journey hasn't been the way I thought pregnancy would be (like in the movies); constantly running to the toilet to vomit - thankfully I had none of that! However there were some hiccups along the way but nothing too serious or frightening. I wanted to reflect on this wonderful time and share a little bit about what my first time was like.

The common question people obviously asked were what cravings I had - potatoes. I craved french fries, potato chips and mash potatoes. As trimester three drew closer it became milk. I never really liked milk a lot and avoided drinking it as it never sat well with my stomach but now I find myself drinking up to three glasses a day. 

Although I had no vomiting in the first trimester I was nauseous and I slept a lot! The peak of my pregnancy was the second trimester where I had lots of energy and I was still able to walk and exercise without getting puffed out too quickly. The third trimester saw the return of nausea and constant napping. 

When my little bump finally turned into big belly it was a lot more difficult to do simple tasks - walking up a flight of stairs, squatting down to pick something up and getting back up quickly, getting in and out of the car and not bumping the steering wheel, rolling from either the left/right side to the other in bed, getting out of bed, bending over to pat the doggies, cooking, tying my shoes, get close enough to the mirror to do my makeup. You get the point!

Having said that there are so many good things about being pregnant, apart from it being the most amazing thing you'll ever do by carrying this baby and bringing life into the world.

I can't wait to start this amazing new chapter in my life.

Rosehip Oil

I love the way my skin looks and feels after my cleansing regime. I do feel quite lucky that I have clear skin and am not prone to breakouts because I know not all of us are in the same boat. I recently discovered Rosehip Oil and wanted to share some information on it. I use Sukin Certified Organic Rosehip Oil and I also swear by the Sukin brand for skincare.

What is Rosehip Oil?

Rosehip Oil comes from the “hip” of the rose, which is the seed pod or fruit of the rose that occurs after the rose petals fall off. This oil is extremely beneficial for the skin. Rosehip oil contains many nutrients including:

• Vitamin A – also known as topical trans retinoic acid, this can help with oily skin, skin that is dehydrated from sun exposure, fine lines, wrinkles, and an uneven skin tone.
• Linoleic acid – helps to preserve the cell’s natural barrier to the environment and is vital for the structure of cell membranes. This is an omega 6 fatty acid.
• Oleic acid – an omega 9 fatty acid, this helps to create supple and moist skin and improve overall skin condition.
• Linolenic acid – this is an omega 3 fatty acid and it may help to improve skin conditions by softening and moisturising the skin. It is also important for the structure of cell membranes.
• Lycopene – this is an antioxidant and it protects the skin from free radical damage, reducing the risk of premature ageing.
• Beta-carotene – a source of pro vitamin A and an antioxidant to help improve the appearance of sun damaged skin. It can also help to prevent the signs of ageing.
• Vitamin C – this is an antioxidant that protects against free radical damage. It also plays a role in the formation of collagen.

Rose Hip Oil is a very rich source of essential fatty acids – in fact; it is 80 percent fatty acids. These are vital for regenerating skin cells, and repairing skin tissue.

Benefits of Rosehip Oil:

• scarring
• stretch marks
• scarring from psoriasis
• scarring from eczema
• hyper-pigmentation
• dermatitis
• fine lines and wrinkles
• burns
• acne scarring
• chickenpox scarring
• skin damage caused by sun exposure
• skin elasticity and resilience
• dry skin
• skin tone
• premature ageing

Who can use Rosehip Oil and how is it used?

Rosehip oil can be used by anyone of any age. Because it has balancing properties, it can be used by both dry and oily skins, and it allows the skin to breathe. All skin types can benefit from rosehip oil.

Ideally, rosehip oil should be used daily before damage is done to the skin. Used as a preventative measure, rosehip oil can help reduce premature ageing. If you already suffer from things such as pigmentation, wrinkling, etc, rosehip oil applied daily can help to reverse the damage and make the skin appear healthier.

---

Now more than ever I'm very aware of the damage and negative effects prolonged sun exposure can have on your skin and I'm taking care of mine a lot better now. I wear SPF 30+ sunscreen everyday, even in Winter and as it starts to warm up I will most likely step it up to SPF50.

Honestly, most of us love a bit of sun-baking but I strongly advise against hours upon hours of frying yourself - unless you want to look like a leather-skinned weirdo. Like the Jersey Shore cast I was all about the GTL - Gym Tan Laundry (not so much laundry when I lived at home with mummy) but now that I'm no longer a crazy party animal - I thought to myself 'what is the point of eating healthy and working out if I'm going to be damaging my skin by frying it for hours in the sun?' Sure you'll have sexy muscles but then your skin will look disgusting in years to come.

If you want to start taking better care of your skin, you can start by:

1. Drinking more water
2. Wearing sunscreen (even if it's not sunny) + avoiding prolonged sun exposure
3. Eating the right foods
4. Cleansing and moisturising
5. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep every night

Source: Natural Therapy Pages

Curried Chicken With Rice

Indian food is one of my favourite cuisines. It is just amazingly flavourful and the spices are delicious. I'm not very good at handling chilli so I prefer my Indian mild so I use Korma paste in this dish.

It's a really simple and quick recipe - just under 30 minutes. I love the sweetness of the sultanas and crunch in the apples. It's yummy!

Curried Chicken With Rice
Makes 4

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken breast
• 3 tablespoons Korma pasta
• 500g cooked Basmati rice
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 8 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Dice onion, cut apple into 2cm pieces and tomatoes in half
2. Chop chicken and coat with Korma pasta
3. In a frying pan - cook onions with olive oil until slightly brown
4. Add in chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until golden
5. Stir in rice until coated in paste
6. Add apple, tomatoes and sultanas

Notes:

• Optional - serve with natural yoghurt
• Using uncooked rice - start cooking the rice first and then start your prep