best of 2011

trip.

the maldives.

i never thought i would have the opportunity to travel to the maldives...

i'd only ever heard of the ritzy side with the expensive resorts and knew that was out of reach...

being able to live on a tiny island with the locals and volunteer in their schools was amazing...

the trips they take us on to totally deserted islands and the nights we got to spend at one of the most amazing resort islands were unforgettable!

restaurant moment.

a small dinner at my favourtie thai restaurant back home...

just my parents, my friend sarah, her mum and me...

obviously the food was excellent (it always is)...

and the company was great!

book.

i havent gotten round to much reading this year...

but i've just downloaded the nicholas sparks book 'the best of me' onto my smart phone...

im about a quarter of the way into the book and enjoying it so far!

night out.

my twenty-first birthday party ofcourse...

oh what a night!

for someone who had been planning this night for YEARS, it sure did not disappoint!

i was so happy to be surrounded by my close family and friends...

such a special night.

blog find of the year.

passports and prada.

i really just love reading blogs by people from other countries who have come to visit/live in australia...

the different takes they have on things...

and the way they appreciate the stuff i take for granted...

passports and prada is definately one of those blogs!

album of the year.

its not an album...

but...

the one song i have not been able to get out my head this year is...

tonight, tonight by hot chelle rae

new food.

discovering cooking vegan and vegetarian meals/snacks...

i made some really yummy frozen bannana chocolate snacks that were vegan and soooo yummy, though ive misplaced the receipe :(

also trying all the vegetarian foods on the menu at local restaurants, i'd never even thought to order them before i changed my eating habits earlier this year.

what's the best change you made to the place you live?

my black and white doona cover...

and black and white photos on the walls...

it gave my room a very different vibe to last year when everything was pink!

word or phrase.

"go mayhem"

cheering on my cheer team

:)

car ride.

driving to wollongong to stay with my sister before NSW state cheer...

i was soooo excited to see my sis and stay at her place and compete at my second cheer comp...

and i had plenty of glee music lined up to sing along with.

new person.

kahlia.

we met at the start of the year when she joined my cheer team...

and we've been friends since!

 BRING ON 2012!

don't forget to relive 2009 and 2010 aswell.

:)

xx

guide to life: eatwhatiwantatarian

you can label me as plenty of things:

daughter, student, cheerleader, brunette, girl, single etc. etc. etc.

but pleasssseee don't make me put a label on how and what i eat!

why on earth is what i put in MY mouth any of YOUR concern anyways!?!

pinterest

a few months ago i decided to try out what is commonly known as being 'vegetarian'...

at first i didn't tell anyone...

what if i didn't stick to it?

what if i missed meat too much?

what if someone asked why i wasn't eating meat?

what if someone had a problem with my choices?

ofcourse, eventually people noticed and the one question kept rolling in...

why???

pinterest

to be honest i can't even pinpoint exactly what it was that made me want to cut meat out of my diet...

maybe it was watching fish be killed in the maldives...

maybe i just thought it would help me be healthier...

maybe i wanted to save the animals...

i didn't eat much red meat before the change anyway...

this was just something i wanted to do for me - because i could!

pinterest

i won't lie and say i havent eaten meat since i changed my eating habits...

but i have avoided it as much as possible...

and maybe that doesn't really make me a vegetarian...

but so what!?!

i don't need the label...

the only time i even use the label is to answer to the people questioning the lack of meat on my plate anyway!

pinterest

i say eat the diet that makes you feel best...

don't worry about putting labels on it...

vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, omnivore, carnivore...

who cares!?!?!

find what works for you, what makes you happy and healthy...

and then tell anyone that questions that to mind their own business and worry about their own damn food!

:)

xx

it's the most beautiful time of year.

ive always said christmas is my favourite time of year...

and i've never tried to hide my appreciation for christmas carols...

i'll take them as old, new, classic or covers...

this year the christmas tune thats got me getting excited for december twentyfive...

justin beiber's new one: mistletoe...

go on take a listen, but don't blame me when it's stuck in your head!



what christmas song are you loving this year?

guide to life: thinspiration

as an avid browser of pinterest, one can't help but notice the abundance of 'thinspiration'...

that is, inspiration to be thin (or fit and healthy more accurately)...

and so i thought i would share with you here some of the things i have stumbled upon that inspire me to aim for a healthier life.

- the biggest loser -

american season 11

i LOVE this show...

and though it is not currently on tv in australia, i have taken to watching old seasons and past seasons from america...

its so inspiring to see someone who has let their health slip so considerably, put in the effort to turn it all around...

it may be unrealisitic to expect similiar results in weightloss, but if they can inspire just one person to get up and move it, then they are doing the world a huge favour...

i think its great when the australian series has its health classes and they actually teach lessons that are beneficial to not only the contenstants but also those watching at home...

i am currently about half way through watching the american season 11 that aired earlier this year and am soooo inspired by courtney and her always positive attitude towards improving her health.

courtney crozier.

- undressed skeleton -

now i'm interested to see what you all have to say about this one...

undressed skeleton is the tumblr of taralynn mcnitt...

it contains many before and after photos of taralynn having lost lots of weight, aswell as healthy receipes, eating plans, tips for losing weight, tips on how to eat out healthy or travel healthy and more...

i've seen many people on pinterest pin this particular photo of taralynn as inspiration...

ive also seen people comment on it and suggest that taralynn has an eating disorder and that aiming to be as thin as her is unhealthy...

i both agree and disagree with parts of this statement...

yes, she is very thin and that's not an ideal goal, people should be aiming for health rather then to be skin and bones...

however, if you go to the site and you read the advice, it is healthy advice...

there is even a section on eating disorders and how eating too little will harm your body...

i personally believe its a well put together and researched site that contains lots of useful tips for losing weight in a healty manner.

- noom -

i found noom about three weeks ago and its great...

its an app for your smart phone that allows you to log your daily food and excercise, as well as keep track of your weight...

i have the free version and find it great for reminding me to log my meals and think about what im putting into my mouth...

rather then counting exact calories like most programs expect, you give more of an estimate with noom and divide your foods into great, ok and bad foods...

obviously the aim is to eat mostly the great foods and a lil of the bad foods...

noom gives you a rating out of five each day based on how well you ate...

you can also log your weight and it will graph it for you so you can watch yourself losing the kilos...

i definately recommend it!

i would love to know what inspires you, or where you go for advice on healthy living!

:)

xx

guest post: stylesays

i'm very excited to announce that i am today sharing with you my first guest post...

jess from stylesays is here to help YOU with all that christmas shopping you've been meaning to get around to!

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Three Secrets to Holiday Shopping with StyleSays

The weather is changing, holiday movies are on repeat and the Christmas parties are just getting started. Hopefully Rinnie is like me and got through most of her holiday shopping already. If you’re still trying to finish, or just getting started, I’m here to help.

My name is Jess and I’m a recent college grad who grew up on a farm in the midwestern US. I’ve always been neurotic when it comes to Holiday gift giving. This has opened my eyes to a few different hints to skip the crowded malls, save a little money and time. I’m here to share what I’ve learned with you.

Full disclosure: this strange behavior eventually turned into a fashion site that I run with a couple friends called StyleSays. More to come on that in a sec.

3. Think Different

With so many options you should be bold, be unique and really make your friends+fam feel special. It can be hard to know where to start so StyleSays makes it easy by finding the best items from all of your favorite stores. You’re sure to find gifts that no one else has seen. And if you really want to be unique look for a handmade item from one of the many online marketplaces like Etsy.

2. Use Wish Lists

Wish hard enough and it may come true. Almost every site has a wishlist that makes organizing gift ideas a lot easier. But you need to have all of your wishlists in one place to really compare. StyleSays makes it easy to save your favorite items from all of your favorite sites so you can compare gifts and prices side-by-side. Shopping should be easy, right?

1. Free Returns

When you’re doing all your holiday shopping at the mall this isn’t a problem but if you’re buying online it’s mega important to find stores with friendly return policies.

Here are a few stores that have friendly return policies: ModCloth, Free People, Zappos and ShopBop. ASOS has great return policies for international shipping too.

Bonus! Treat yourself

Don’t end up with another pair of socks or a candle. Let people know you want that hot new Marc Jacobs bag or Jeffrey Campbell wedges. Make it easy on them and create a collection of all the things you want to see under the tree and then send that link around to all the Santas in your life. And guess what, you could win items from that Christmas List incase you don’t get everything you want.

StyleSays is playing Santa this year! Enter our Christmas List giveaway and you

could win an item from your list. It’s super easy to enter. 1) Make a Christmas List and 2) Share it with a few friends.

Thank you to Rinnie and her lovely readers!

Happy Holidays!

Jess

 

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thanks for the tips jess!

i've set up my stylesays account and it reminds me a lot pinterest but with a specific focus on fashion!

and if anyone else is interested in writing a guest post for momentary lapse of reality you can email me at:

that_girl18@hotmail.com

:)

xx



the truth of my addiction.

it started when i was young...

i don't know exactly when or how...

it wasn't something that i did because my friends did and certainly not because anyone in my family did...

i think it started with totalgirl and from there it spiralled out of control.

i am, of course, speaking of my addiction...

to buying magazines!

i can not control myself when i see that shiny cover with the bold print headings...

doesn't matter if it's cleo, cosmo, women's health, australian cheerleader, or a gossip mag...

i buy them all!

 

the proof...

that my friends is the amount of magazines i bought this year...

yep this year alone...

wayyyyy over 2 per month...

oh think of the $$$...

don't think i'll be able to keep that habit up after i start going blonde again in a few weeks!

are you a magazine lover???

please, someone out there tell me you have this addiction too???????

 :)

xx

get crazy, get wild ...

... let's party, get loud.

                                            - LMFAO.

because

THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES CAN FINALLY BEGIN!

me and sarah. my shirt reads: "be naughty, save santa the trip".

that's right...

it's december first...

and in my mind that means i can finally be open about just how damn excited  i am for the silly season...

let the carols be heard throughout the halls...

and set up the tree up folks...

santa isn't far away!!!

note: that white shit on the wall is fake snow - not spray paint!

ofcourse i had to celebrate this changing of the months (and seasons - first day of summer baby oohhhh yeaaahhhh!)...

and so i attentended...

the 2nd annual J4 christmas jamboree...

the what?

wellllllll, last year the friendly folk that live on floor J4 at my campus threw a lil xmas party and this year they decided to do it again, only difference being this year J4 is my floor!

sooooo basically what that means for me is a hella lotta cleaning is now a waitin for me :/

blurry phone photo: my loungeroom, with about a quarter of our guests for the night.

but it was a good night...

most put a least a lil effort into turning up in christmas attire...

and everyone made an effort to drink up...

then we headed on to the local pub, as you do on a wednesday night when you're uni students who have just finished classes for the year!!!

playing kings - box head.

oh, december...

you're my favourite!

:)

xx