Oh Sugar, Sugar (Free)

Don't run away, I promise I'll try not to get all preachy! Hear me out though, we all know that sugar isn't really the best thing for us, so when we have the chance to remove it from our diet, why not try?

That was my thinking anyway, which is why I now have no sugar in my coffee. You heard me, no sugar. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the easiest thing to do, cause I love my sugar. But I've been slowly cutting down anyway. I mean I used to have 3 sugars with chocolate powder in my coffee, then it was just the 3 sugars, then it was 2, then 1, then artificial sweetener, until finally I just stopped adding anything sugary to it. Mind you, I still have a heck of a lot of milk, but that's more about temperature than anything.

It wasn't a conscious thing, I didn't set out to try and remove sugar from my mornings all together, it kind of just happened. But I'm getting used to coffee with no sweetness, and now I can finally taste the actual coffee. Delicious.

So, I guess that is one more thing off my 'healthy lifestyle' check list. Not that I have an actual list. Although, that would be a good idea...

Until next time!

Love

J xx

Day 4 - Smoothilicious

Is that even a word? No, I didn't think so. Oh well.

Getting back to my point! I've started having a mango smoothie in the morning (when I remember) instead of my regular coffee. I want to try and cut down my caffeine intake as much as I can, while still having a nice healthy filling breakfast. My basic smoothie was a few frozen mango chunks, some yoghurt and milk and throwing it all in the blender and hoping for the best.

Today, however, I went a little mental... I made a detour on my way home from work and headed into Bushy Park to grab some fresh fruit and vegies. I arrived home with a tonne of bananas, 2 mangoes, 2 leeks, chia seeds, 2 bunches of fresh beetroot, 2 massive bulbs of garlic and a whole bag of spinach, all for around $50!

Anyway, I portioned up all of my delicious fruit (not all the bananas though), laid it neatly on backing trays covered in baking paper and popped them in the freezer. I also cut up a few kiwi fruits I had left over, cause I didn't want them to go to waste. 



Once all of that was cleaned up, I headed off to Knox, in search of more information about protein powder. I'd heard about it, and a few friends have it either before or after their work outs, but I just wasn't sure if it was for me. I ended up speaking to a lovely young lady at the Go Vita store, who was full of knowledge and really helped me make a decision. I walked out with my very first lot of protein! 

Thought while I was at Knox, I might as well grab a couple of other things, like some coconut water, pineapples, and milk, then I was on my way home to make my first protein smoothie.

Look guys, I'm not going to lie, I made up the recipe for my smoothie tonight, out of thin air, and I cannot remember the quantities for anything. That being said it was delicious and contained:

Banana
Mango
Pineapple
Yoghurt
Milk 
Ice

I just blitzed it until smooth! How easy is that!?!?!?


I'll be trying a few new recipes/flavour ideas for smoothies soon, and I'll let you all know how I go!

For now, it's bed time, I have a doctors appointment in the morning, then it's grocery shopping with my honey.

Love,

J xx

Day 1 - Positive Change

In light of my decision to make my lifestyle that of a healthy one, I thought I would put all of my base line measurements here, where I can't lie. 

So, here they are:

Leg: 70cm
Calf: 51cm
Bust: 123cm
Hip: 132cm
Waist: 110cm
Upper Arm: 43.5cm

I'll try and track my measurements once a week.

On another note, I woke up super early to go to the gym this morning. I was dreading waking up so early, but in the end it was so worth it. I was there just before six and did a short workout before having a quick shower and getting ready for work. 

On the plus side, I also arrived early at work and was able to get a lot of work done!

Tonight, went to my very first Body Attack class as well. It was great! So full on, but the teacher/instructor was really supportive and enthusiastic, and I managed to make it through the whole class. I nearly gave up, but stuck it out, and I'm really proud of myself.

Back to it tomorrow morning, let's hope I can keep this up!

Love,

J xx

I Can Smell A Change In The Air

Ah, the sun is out, the birds are chirping, Summer is on it's way! Which means it's time for me to hide indoors somewhere with air-conditioning. My body and heat, just aren't friends. I have nosebleeds every day, I chafe, I sweat, I hate it. Seriously. I hate Summer. I am not afraid to say it;

I HATE SUMMER!

Bring on Winter or Autumn or Spring. Any of them, as long as they aren't Summer.

Anyway, Summer has nothing to do with this post, just thought I would tell everyone of my dislike for Summer.

So, as many of you know, I have an amazing best friend Alex, who features here and on my YouTube channel. Well, Alex has become a bit of a gym junkie the past couple of months, and mentioned her want for a 'gym buddy' when we were cooking the other night. 

Hmmm, me, go to the gym? Well, stranger things have happened!

We had a bit of a chat, about the benefits of going to the gym, and how fun it would be, and how motivating we would be for each other. We were looking at all of the classes available,  and though it took me a minute, I've decided to take that positive step forward in my life, and get healthy!  

Here is my before shot (shudder)

I'm meeting with one of the trainers from the gym tonight, to discuss membership options, and what might be suitable for me. Then hopefully, I can sign up for 12 months, and kick my lazy butt into gear! I've never really been excited about being active, but right now, I am anxious to leave work and head straight to the gym. I mean, I even packed my brand new gym gear (thank you Kmart!) and my runners. 

I just feel like it's the right time to make a change. I'm feeling better about myself more now than ever before, I'm in a really good place in my relationship, I love my job, the only thing I'm not 100% in love with is my body. 

The state of my body is entirely my fault. I can't blame my mother for feeding me crap, or my friends for being bad influences, I make my own choices, I decide what to eat and when to exercise. Still, it's kinda difficult going from a sedentary lifestyle, to one of constant movement. But, it's much easier taking little steps.

I've already started to change some of my bad habits. This morning, I had stevia in my coffee, instead of sugar. It tasted exactly the same, but without the empty calories. Which is handy. 

I also went for a walk during my lunch break, then did sit ups and my planks. My abs hurt, but it is so worth it. I already feel more energetic and full of life!

So, stay tuned for me making a fool out of myself as the gym, and remember, if I can do it, you can do it!

Love,

J xx

Crafternoon - Frosted Windows

At my house, we have quite a few windows. Which of course means spending quite a bit of money on window dressings. Or does it?

I recently came across an interesting idea, for creating a cheap alternative to curtains or blinds, but still allowing you the beautiful sunlight. Contact Paper,

Yes, the very contact you would cover books with, also works really well as a window treatment. I originally saw it here, and couldn't wait to go home and try it out for myself!

So, $3 and a combined total of 12 hours later, I am so happy with the results! It took a bit of dedication but once I worked out optimum placement for the pieces, everything else worked out like  a charm. I even remembered to take a few photos for you!

Start off with a stencil...


Then start tracing... Remember to draw on the paper side of the contact, not the shiny side.


Then start cutting. Trust me, you're going to want someone to help with this, two hands (with scissors) are better than one.



Chose your window, and make sure you clean it really well. The cleaner the window, the better the contact will stick.



Start sticking!


It's time consuming, but so worth it in the end. I love the overall look! I left a gap at the top and the bottom of the window, as I liked the look of it. It took about 80 separate shapes to do the one window, so make sure you cut out plenty of shapes. 

Now, on to the next project...

Love,

J xx

Lovely Liptember

What is Liptember you ask?

"Liptember is a campaign raising funds and awareness for women’s mental health during the month of September.
All funds raised during the month of September are donated to the CENTRE FOR WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH and LIFELINE.
Liptember sell official Liptember lipsticks throughout participating retailers with proceeds donated to the campaign.
Women register online and seek sponsorship from family, friends and co-workers for committing to wear the Liptember Lipstick throughout the month of September." - https://www.liptember.com.au/

So, here I am, asking for your sponsorship. The link to my page is at the bottom of this post, and every donation is important, no matter how small. I'll be wearing fabulous shades of lipstick throughout the whole month of September, and telling anyone who has ears, why it's important they donate. You can follow my lovely lips on my instagram (http://instagram.com/spades200789). 

Mental health is important to every body, no matter of gender, or race.

Did you know that Women are more likely than men to experience anxiety disorders (18% compared with 11%) and affective disorders (7.1% compared with 5.3%)? Or that One in five recent mothers will experience a mild, moderate or severe form of post-natal depression?1

Want to learn more about mental health? Head on over to http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mental-illness/facts-and-stats 

Please help me reach my goal, and raise awareness and funds for Womens Mental Health, love you long time!

https://www.liptember.com.au/jayde-taulien

Love,

J xx

 1) http://www.mindframe-media.info/for-media/reporting-mental-illness/facts-and-stats#Gender

Cupcakes & Corsetry

Wow have I missed you guys!

I've been up to my eyeballs in projects, from DIY'ing my house, to adventuring the local markets. 
Anyway, you're probably wondering why I've titled this post Cupcakes & Corsetry? Well, let me tell you...

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away...

Nah, just kidding! I've been invited to participate in a photo shoot, and the theme is Cupcakes, and Corsetry. Kinda self explainatory really, but I'm super excited!

I've been buying new things for my makeup kit, like a new large travel case: 

I'm also looking to buy a couple of DIY pallets, so I can depot some of my eyeshadows, and make up my own specialised pallets, but I'll get to that soon enough.

I'm so excited for this photoshoot! Dan and I have been hanging out on Wednesday nights, trialling a few makeup looks. The theme for the shoot is pretty awesome, and as long as it includes corsets, or cupcakes, we have free reign! I might even end up modelling... goodie.

Now, onto the adventures at the local market! Alex, Nick, Justin and I went to the Dandy market on Sunday a couple of weeks ago, we were originally just going to have a look around. But we ended up leaving with a boot full of goodies! Justin and I ended up buying quite a few books, to add to our ever growing collection (so many books, we now have 5 bookcases full, and need to buy another one...), I bought a couple Stuart Macbride novels, and Justin bought a few fantasy novels (can't remember which ones).

Then we thought we might as well have a look at the fresh fruit and vegies while we're here. Boy was that fun! I bought a fortnight's worth of vegies for under $40! The produce is all great quality, and really fresh. 

Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to write a few more posts soon, to bring all my beautiful readers up to speed with my wonderful life recently.

Much love,

J xx

Belgrave Lantern Parade 2014

Turns out there are fun things you can do in the hills around here, one of them is the annual Lantern Parade!

I went this year (even attempted to make my own lantern...) with my brother, sister in law and their kids. Thankfully it wasn't overly cold in the hills when we went, and we all had a pretty good night. 
Just thought I would share some snaps I took on the night. Apologies if they're blurry, it can be hard to take photos when you're looking after a 6 yeah old.

Enjoy...

It was a fairly long night, but I think that's mainly because we had to wait so long to get dinner (note to self, just make dinner when you get home, it's easier than waiting 10,000hrs for pizza). I'm thinking I might go next year, so I guess I best start thinking of a new lantern idea!

Love,

J xx

I HAVE A LISP?!?!

You know how when you talk, you hear your internal voice? It's always like 'my voice is so manly' or 'I sound so nasally'. Well, that's what I thought anyway. Until I actually head my recorded voice last week. 
Alex and I were filming a couple of things for my YouTube channel, and listening to the playback I realised I have a lisp. 

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME?!!? Apparently everyone has realised I have a lisp, but never thought to mention it to me. I had no idea! 

I mean, I know why I have a lisp, but I've never noticed that I actually have one. I'm not sure how I feel about having it, I'm sure I'll be fine, but for the moment, I'm sort of on the fence. There goes my chance for a career in radio!

Is there something that you've never noticed? Like a gap in your teeth, or slightly crooked eyebrows (the horror!)? Let me know in the comments below!

I think I will embrace my lisp, and start deliberately saying words with the letter S... Silly sally saw snakes swim slowly.

Talk sssssoon!

Jayde xx

'New' Fashion - Pastel Goth

Did you know there was a fashion style called Pastel Goth? No? Neither did I.
I heard the term while watching one of my favourite YouTubers Grav3yardgirl talking about Forever 21. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I headed over to Google and went about searching! According to Wiki:

"Seapunk, Pastel Grunge, and Pastel Goth are all sub genres or variations of the Pastel Grunge movement. Pastel Grunge is Soft Grunge with an emphasis on pastel colors. Someone who dresses in the Pastel Grunge style will dress more akin to the look of Baby Spice and the late 1990s. Pastel Goth is a version of Soft Grunge with more of a bent towards the gothic aspects of the fashion. Pastel Goths often wear spiked garters, and hair clips featuring skeleton hands or eyeballs on them. Seapunk, is the Soft Grunge variant that has received the largest amount of press. Seapunk is a Soft Grunge/Pastel Grunge subset that focuses on the usage of aquatic related colors and imagery. It is also common in Seapunk to use poor quality pixel based graphic or bitmap images that appear to be taken from a late 1990s GeoCities page."

Confused? So was I! Never fear, Google Images to the rescue!









A bit odd, but kinda cute, don't you think? Soft sweet pastel colours, with the hard edge of goth spikes and black. Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!

I love so many of the elements from this style. I love pastel colours, as well as black and spikes. I've never thought to wear them together though... I think I may have to give this a try! During my recent crafternoon, I DIY'd a couple of items with spikes, so I think the spike and flower headband is worth a try. 

I already have some faded pink in my hair, and I was actually thinking about redoing it, so this is the perfect chance to add some pastel fabulousness to it! Speaking of hair...

 

Oh God, if only I could get away with this! Pretty sure I'd never be allowed to have my hair down at work, ever again. Or I could just buy wigs... But really, does anyone actually want to wear wigs?

Anyway, just a quick one today.

Talk soon, 

Love, J xx