Stephanie.

Day 5

it is important to treat yourself at all times of the year but i think around the holiday season it is especially important. we tend to get wrapped up in finding the perfect gift for our loved ones and in the stress of Christmas, that we forget to look after ourselves.

so this year i have decided to treat myself and really take notice of my selfcare in hope of not getting overwhelmed with Christmas stress.

i have come up with 5 ways that i am going to treat myself this Christmas:

1. Gifting to Myself

i am going to gift to myself, these may be big things or small things but either way they are going to make me feel good and happy. people will probably say it is selfish to buy for yourself during the holiday season but i disagree, i think it is important to involve yourself in the present buying especially when you know there are things no one else would be able to buy you.

these gifts to yourself don't necessarily need to be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree, you can enjoy them from the day you purchase them or you can save them until Christmas day.

here is some things i have gifted to myself this Christmas:

Lano Lips Coconutter Cracker - $19.95 AUD

the day Mecca released all the holiday collections for this year, i did a beauty present buying spree and couldn't leave myself out, so that's basically how i ended up with this gift to myself.

i am really enjoying hand creams at the moment especially since my hands are always so dry as we transition between seasons so i just knew i would really use and enjoy this gift. i also have never tried the Lanolips lip ointment before so i am also looking forward to trying that.

Prene Bag s XS Neoprene Crossbody/Tote Bag in Black - $99.95 AUD

i actually pre-ordered this bag on the 31st of October and it still hasn't arrived.. but they have promised delivery before Christmas so Merry Christmas to me. who doesn't love a new handbag really!! i have the full sized version of this bag and am really looking forward to using the XS size on a daily basis plus the best thing about these Prene Bags is you literally can't ruin them!

The Body Shop Festive Sack of Vanilla Marshmallow Delights - $30.00 AUD

i actually went into The Body Shop last week with full intentions of buying gifts for others but they had 20% storewide so i couldn't pass up the opportunity to gift myself something from their Christmas range! this vanilla marshmallow pack and scent is divine!

Kikki K Porcelain Travel Cup: Your Story - $13.96 AUD

as a ploy to be more environmentally friendly next year i decided what better way to start then by gifting myself a travel coffee mug from the wonderful Kikki K. they have the cutest stuff so i definitely couldn't resist.

2. Self Care

i think self care is extremely important, so another way i am going to treat myself this Christmas is by taking some time out for myself, whether that is to relax with a cup of tea and some movies or with an elaborate skincare routine and some face masks.

the holiday period is always a stressful time and generally a over indulgent time, for me this is usually when my skin decides to break out. so this year i am going to take the time to really take care of my skin and listen to what it is telling me.

some of face masks that i love to use that are not only beneficial to my skin but also help me relax are:

GlamGlow #Multitasking Mask Treatment Set - $57.00 AUD

this is a great set because it has masks that cover a range of different skin issues, it also provides you with a guide with which masks to use where to achieve a certain skincare goal.

(this mask set is also particularly good for a girls night, just an FYI)

Ole Henriksen Cold Plunge Mask - $48.00 AUD

as we are in summer here in Australia this mask will come in handy especially on a hot day. i love that this mask is nice and relaxing to wear, it gives the skin a cool sensation when on but it also shows immediate results once removed. the mask is designed to reduce pores and tighten the skin. i also like to paint this mask on with a clean foundation brush for that extra sense of luxe.

Skin Republic Bubble Purifying + Charcoal Face Mask - $7.99 AUD

Skin Republic have a great range of sheet masks, the Bubble Purifying and Charcoal mask is definitely one of my favourites. sheet masks are an easy way to give yourself a little bit of self care and downtime, they are quick and easy and majority of the time don't need to washed off. these are perfect for the busy holiday period.

3. Stress Free

i am going to try hard to treat myself to a stress free Christmas this year. i always find myself stressing about if the presents i have bought are good enough, about that last minute gift, about my Christmas day schedule and about spending enough time with at each place.

so this year i am going to try my hardest to have a stress free Christmas and i am going to do this by:

being prepared (write out a list of all the presents i need to buy and tick them off as i get them)
double check your gift list against someone else in your families make sure you haven't missed anyone or bought the same present
get it done early (try and beat the rush, have all your shopping done and ordered two weeks before Christmas)
wrap them early (wrap as you buy or dedicated a few hours on a sunday morning to wrap everything you currently have so you know its done, don't wait until your shopping is finished)
make a plan (work out how your Christmas day is going to flow and where you need to be at what time)
don't rush (if things don't go to plan, don't worry. people won't mind if you are running late)
enjoy the moment (a lot of the time Christmas is spent rushed and worrying so take a step back and enjoy your gifts and the company).

4. Relax
relaxing is something i generally don't do on the lead up to Christmas, so this year i am going to treat myself to relaxing.

i am going to relax on the thought of my presents and i am going to know that they are going to be loved and who cares if they aren't; it's the thought that counts right?!
i am going to relax on rushing and take my time to enjoy the moment and enjoy the few days surrounding Christmas.
i am going to take some time out to watch my favourite Christmas movies and really enjoy them.
i am going to take some time to relax and do a puzzle; i find this super relaxing and really enjoy doing them.

there is no need for the holidays to be a time where you can't relax, if you are organised and prepared then realistically there is no need to stress and be pushed for time.

5. Indulge

the last way i am going to treat myself this Christmas is by indulging. i am going to indulge over food, on family time and on the festive spirit. i am not going to worry about what i am eating and how bad the Christmas treats are for me. Christmas only happens once a year so why worry about what you are consuming! it is a time of enjoyment and festivity and quite frankly the only time of the year where all the best foods are available all at once! so i am definitely going to treat myself to indulging and not worry about a single thing.

i really hope this blog post has helped you realise that you should be treating yourself this Christmas and that it is totally okay to do so! i hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and holiday period!
i would also love to know what you are gifting yourself so please share!!

xxx

instagram: @lifebyssblog

email: lifebyssblog@gmail.com

December 17, 2018 No comments

December 16, 2018 No comments

Day 3

there is nothing quite like Christmas baking!

Christmas is definitely my favourite time of the year to bake some goodies and share them amongst friends and family.

shortbread is something i have been making since i was a little kid, mum and i would cut the shortbread into Christmas shapes and decorate them with green and red icing.

i decided this year i wanted to recreate my childhood shortbread cookies and share it with you.

Christmas Shortbread

Prep: 2 hours Cook: 20 minutes Makes: 20 cookies (depending on cutter size)

Ingredients
200g unsalted butter (chopped)
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1 1/2 cup Plain Flour
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
**whatever you choose to decorate with** (i chose Dr Oetker designer icing in white and some icing sugar)

Method

Step 1 - Process butter, sugar, flours and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor, stopping and scraping down sides with a spatula, if needed, until dough just comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently to combine.

Step 2 - Divide dough in half. Shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until just firm.

Step 3 - Preheat oven to 170C/150C fan-forced. Grease 2-3 large baking trays. Line with baking paper.

Step 4 - Roll out 1 portion of dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Using your preferred cookie cutter, cut 8 cookies from dough. Repeat with cookie cutter, re-rolling and cutting dough trimmings. Place cookie shapes, 2cm apart, on 2 prepared trays.
Step 5 - Bake, 1 tray at a time, for 10 minutes or until just firm to touch, but not browned. Leave cookies to stand on tray for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6 - once completely cooled, decorate as you wish. (i chose to decorate with some pre-made icing by Dr Oetker and some Christmas themed sprinkles)

i really enjoyed baking these Christmas treats and hope you will too, send me some pics of your creations if you end up using this recipe :)

**sorry they are decorated so terribly i had to rush them**

xxx

instagram: @lifebyssblog

email: lifebyssblog@gmail.com

December 15, 2018 No comments

December 14, 2018 No comments

Day 1

firstly i can't believe its December, secondly i can't believe its almost Christmas and thirdly welcome back to another year of 12 days of Christmas!!

i really enjoyed doing my 12 days of blog posts in the lead up to Christmas last year so here i am back again!

i wasn't sure where to start for day 1 but i decided it was only necessary i did a November beauty favourites post especially after the amount of new beauty products i picked up in over the course of the month.

if you are up to date with me on instagram and on here, you would know that we just got back from our cruise to New Zealand. we spent a few days in Sydney before we left on the cruise and that's where i picked up a ginormous amount of new makeup and beauty products.

1. Nars Climax Mascara in Explicit Black

i had been using a tester of this mascara for a little while before i decided to take the plunge and pick up the full sized product but i am really glad i did. i am really impressed with this mascara, it is super light on the lashes and fans them out nicely. i like that my lashes never look or feel clumpy when i use this mascara. it also makes my lashes look longer and overall they feel fuller. this mascara also never smudges and stays put the entire day, at this point i can't fault it!

2. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear 24hr Foundation in 005
this foundation was on my wishlist for an extremely long time, i had been watching my favourite beauty gurus use it for months. so of course the first thing i did when i got to Sephora was buy it (we don't have Sephora in the city i live in, so i normally spend my life savings when i get the chance to visit a Sephora store). i picked up the shade 005 which is a near perfect match! so far, i am loving the coverage and finish of this foundation. i feel as if it gives my skin an airbrush finish and i like that its not super matte. the longevity of this foundation is really good, i wore it on a 35 degree day all day in Sydney and it didn't move at all. highly recommending this one!!

3. Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
my new favourite bronzer!!! i literally have not put this down since i got it. the shade and pigment in this bronzer is perfect, it is extremely buildable but also has the right amount subtleness if you only want a light bronze. i really like how this bronzer sits on my skin, its not too ashy and not too warm. i really think its great for the cooler months, through autumn and winter. i would probably use the regular chocolate bronzer for summer when i really want to be bronzed but otherwise this bronzer is definitely a must buy especially if you are fair skinned like me!

4. Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
my fiance bought this for me for our anniversary, i had been waiting to receive it for months so i was super excited to finally use it. of course, like all Too Faced palettes it lived up to my expectations! i love the shade range in this palette, it is really versatile. i can see myself using it during summer but also during winter and autumn. the pigment is amazing; Too Faced always produce the most pigmented shadows. i literally can't fault this palette, i really love the fact it is entirely matte and how usable the colour range is.

xxx

instagram: @lifebyssblog

email: lifebyssblog@gmail.com

December 13, 2018 No comments

November 30, 2018 No comments

DAY 3: SEA DAY (Sunday 04/11/2018)

Ovation of the Seas from the North Star

we are officially home from holiday, i can quite easily say i am VERY depressed about this. it went way too quickly but nonetheless this holiday was AMAZING and the Ovation of the Seas and New Zealand lived up to all my expectations.

my partner also proposed to me before we got on the cruise so that made it extra special. it was truely incredible but i will share a separate post about that! :)

i thought i would break down the holiday posts this time around and instead of doing one for post of the entire trip. i have decided to do one 'sea day' blog post and one 'port day' blog post, sharing in detail what a typical day at sea and in port would look like.

typically i like to be a little more active on a sea day and unlike many, i like to get up early and make the most of the day.

time tends to get away from you whilst you are cruising through the vast ocean, so i like to try and get as much in as i can in the morning and relax in the afternoon.

this particular sea day started of with breakfast in the dining room buffet. we went to the dining room buffet most mornings, it is a lot nicer/better then going to the windjammer (huge buffet). you still get table service for your tea and coffee and can ask for extra things like fried eggs etc that normally aren't in the buffet.

after breakfast we tended to head back to the room and finish getting ready for the rest of the day. i would then browse the cruise compass (the daily schedule of events happening on board) to see if the was anything i would like to do. this sea day we had a few things booked and planned so i didn't have to do much planning.

Good morning world - Coffee was NEEDED

Northstar at it's reach of 90m above sea level

we grabbed a coffee and headed up to deck 14 where we waited on the sun lounges for our turn on the North Star. the North Star is a capsule that suspends 90m above sea level, offering some pretty amazing views over the boat and the ocean. we jumped on the North Star at our booked time of 10.30; bookings for this are essential and it is definitely worth booking before you arrive on the ship via the cruise planner.

the North Star is a must do and super worth it especially if are someone who likes to take photos (i think i took a good hundred).

View from the Northstar

once we were done on the North Star, we walked around on the outside levels of the ship. it was a particularly sunny and surprisingly warm day. the back of the ship, holds the Flow Rider (a simulated surfing ride type thing) and the iFly (pretty much simulated sky diving), both are always great entertainment. we watched people participate on both of these whilst enjoy the sunshine.

View from the Northstar- it was such a nice day!

lunch time rolled round and lucky for us, we had a reservation at Jamie's Italian.

the layout and decor of Jamie's was really nice and perfectly situated on the ship.

before i tell you what we had to eat, let me just say it was the best meal i had on the ship by far!!! so yummy!!

i started off with a bruschetta for entree as well as a anti-pasta platter of cold meats and cheese that we shared. my main course was a tagliatelle bolognese, i can't even describe to you how good this was. the sauce was amazing and no doubt it was almost better then my nonnas!! (and that is saying alot)

for dessert, i finished with a tiramisu which once again has to be up there with one of the best i have ever had. i definitely have no complaints about this dining experience and i wish we went back a second time round. if you are going on the Ovation then definitely add this to your list of things to do.

after lunch, we headed for a spot of shopping. we ventured into Michael Kors where i picked out a nice black coin purse. it was on sale and an absolute bargain so i just couldn't resist. (i wish i bought more stuff from the shops on board because the prices are ALOT better then what they are here in Australia)

as we finished looking around the shops i realised i was going into a full blown food coma, so it was only necessary that we headed to the Two70 lounge to relax whilst we looked over the ocean. the Two70 was one of my favourite venues to hang out, it has 180 degree views of the ocean due to its floor to ceiling glass windows and a lot of comfy chairs.

we sat back and relaxed whilst sipping on some strawberry daiquiri's. i read a bit of 'Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine' and we enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon.

Royal Theatre

we attended our set dinner reservation at 5.30pm with our waiters Ge and Donna and enjoyed a nice 3 course meal. i can promise you that these 3 course meals every night definitely didn't do a lot for my waistline.

the night was finished off with a show in the Royal Theatre called Live Long Legs. i like attending the shows each night as there are always something different.

once the show was over, it was bedtime which was well and truly deserved.

i hope you enjoyed this little insight into our holiday

xxx

instagram: @lifebyssblog

email: lifebyssblog@gmail.com

the bumper cars onboard - we did this on another day but it was SO much fun!

November 22, 2018 No comments

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