How to Spot a Hipster

A while back I was trying to explain to my mum what a hipster was. Definitions are too mainstream. Hipsters can’t be defined because then they would fit into a category, and thus be too mainstream. It got me thinking of a few distinctive traits that may help you distinguish Hipsters from the rest, should you ever need to explain the term to your mum. I asked my willing friend Hayley T to assist.

Raw Tropical Cheesecake - Gluten Free & Vegan

I eat dessert every single day. I can't help it, that's just how I roll. Luckily over the years I have experimented with a number of raw desserts which not only satisfy my sweet tooth, but are choc full (see what I did there?) of goodness and are guilt free.

Most raw cheesecake recipes will call for you to soak the nuts and seeds for at least 6 hours prior. As much as this is a pain in the ass, trust me, I have tried skipping this step and the results are shit, so learn from my mistakes and soak those nuts!

Feel free to have this cheesecake for dessert, as a snack or even for brekky! Just don't eat the whole thing in one sitting.

Weekend Snapshot

Kick ass manis

amazing but hard workout at Barre

Awesome brekky with my boo at Piccolos

Celebrating Hosko's Hens - I wish I could claim her looking this incredible was due to my makeup skills, but you have all seen what a glamazon she is!

Pre-hens festivities

The calm before the storm 

#Chinning. noun, def: The act of opening up ones chin by an impromptu and unsteady performance of the worm. May occur after consuming one too many drinks and is sometimes accompanied by a slight concussion 

Don't try this at home kids!

DIY Superfood Protein Powder – Vegan Friendly + Gluten & Sugar Free

The Pres and I usually start our day with a smoothie in a jar and I regularly add a few scoops of protein powder to keep us going until lunchtime. Once I started to run low I was considering which powder to buy next.

Most protein powders are full of synthetic ingredients and weird additives, which really don’t go hand in hand with the way I try to eat, so I looked into the raw/vegan alternatives. I liked what I saw until I saw the price - $70 for a kilo, not unreasonable, but it got me thinking about making my own. I have most of the ingredients on hand anyway, and it’s great to know exactly what’s going into it.

Yes, to initially buy the ingredients it is costly, but if you already use or are starting to incorporate superfoods into your diet, then it’s a no brainer. After crunching the numbers (having a bean counter for a boyfriend really does have its perks) it works out to only $42 per kilo! Not only that, but the ingredients have multitudes of other uses, so you will definitely get your money’s worth.

Check out my recipe and the nutritional info of each of the ingredients, but feel free to play around with the quantities and other superfoods you may have on hand:

Spirulina 

• 70% Protein & all essential amino acids
• More than double the protein of meat
• Same amount of vitamin B12 as raw liver to increase energy

Chia Seeds 

I have previously raved about the benefits of chia here, but here’s a few more stats:

• 8 x more omega 3 than salmon
• 3 x more iron than spinach
• 5 x more calcium than milk
• High in protein, calcium & magnesium

Maca Powder 

I will be doing another post on Maca in the coming weeks, but in the meantime:

• Increases strength
• High in protein
• Boosts mood
• Promotes healthier hair and skin
• Balances hormones & is known as a “natural Viagra”

Raw Cacao Powder 

• Natural stimulant for slow release energy
• Packed with flavonoids that help prevent heart disease
• Helps assist the brain with learning and memory
• It’s chocolate in its purest form. You had me at chocolate.

Hemp Powder 

Please note currently it is illegal to sell Hemp Seeds for human consumption in Australia, even though it comes from a different plant than marijuana. Hemp seeds are sold for external use only in Australia.

• A single serve contains 100% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of magnesium
• 240% RDI Manganese
• 50% RDI Protein
• 45% RDI Zinc
• High in Omega 3 & Omega 6

Linseed/Flax 

• High in Omega 3 fatty acids to lower cholesterol, decrease inflammation, relieve PMS symptoms, decrease allergic responses, decrease water retention and improve skin

Shake it up and add a scoop to your smoothie. Enjoy!

Note - I have been buying these ingredients for a long time and have done my research to get the best value for money. Online is the way to go, and after comparing all of the sites that ship to Australia, Forest Superfoods is by far the best value, with free express delivery when you spend over $70. Check them out - forestsuperfoods.com.au.

Pumpkin Bread - Gluten & Fructose Free

I usually do our food shop for the week on Saturday, so come Friday all that’s left in the fridge is a mismatch of wilted veggies. I’m trying to get into the habit of not wasting food after reading some pretty shocking statistics on Foodwise:

• Each year Australians send 4 million tonnes of food to landfill. That’s $8 billion worth of fresh food, leftovers, packaged and long life products, drinks, frozen food and takeaways
• Up to 40% of the average Australian household bin is food. That means around $1,000 worth of food is thrown away every year per household – enough to feed the average household for over a month
• Australians discard up to 20% of the food they purchase. That equates to 1 out of every 5 bags of groceries
• An estimated 20-40% of fruit and vegetables are rejected before they reach shop shelves, mostly because they don’t match supermarkets and consumers high cosmetic standards
• When food rots without air in landfill, it gives off a greenhouse gas called methane, which is 25 times more carbon dioxide than that which comes out of your car exhaust.

Scary stuff. By no means am I a full hippy, I still wear a bra, shave my legs and get a takeaway long mach everyday, but I think it’s the little changes that we can all make along the way that end up making a big difference. Having grown up on a farm, The Pres has a huge appreciation for mother nature, and we are both making more of an effort to be more aware about doing our bit for the environment and where we can we reuse and recycle. Peace n love n shit.

How To Look Good in Photos

Can you hear that ticking sound in the distance? It’s usually me bombing a photo. Sometimes involuntary. Probably around the 3+ vodkas mark. I like to think of it as next-level “Smize-ing”. When you have a group of 10 absolutely stunning friends, it’s always fun to look at a group photo and be the only one bombing, and thus ruining the entire photo.

Opening your eyes: you're doing it wrong

I Heart 90's. And sleazy eyes

Is that a wink? hell no! it's a bomb!

Poor guy never even saw it coming...

Note to self: if you find yourself in a group photo situation, being visible is important

As is holding still

It can happen to anyone. We call this one "The Onion"

If, like me you have a sleaze eye that like to catch you unawares if there is a camera nearby then help is on its way…..

Erica Serena is one of Perth’s most talented wedding and portrait photographers, having fallen in love with photography in high school and over 14 years later is one of the best in the biz! We met through our first jobs when she first started out, and was naturally the best person for me to ask for advice on how to lift my photo game.

Clean Eating Watermelon, Lime & Mint Sorbet

This stuff is the bomb. when the weather is hot and sticky, and your boyfriend has an aversion to using aircon, I see no other option than to cool down with a bowl of this sorbet. Watermelon is in season and super cheap at the moment ($1.50 a kilo) and this is yummy, easy and healthy.

Remove the skin and roughly chop your watermelon into cubes and freeze for at least a few hours.
Wipe the sweat out your eyes and crawl to the kitchen, where you will put the melon, a few sprigs of mint and a squeeze of lime juice into a food processor or high powered blender and blend until you have the consistency of sorbet. Feel free to add a dash of coconut oil or some stevia if you like, then kick back, put your feet up and enjoy!

The Best Routes in Perth, pun intended....

What a magnificent and wonderful place Perth is. How lucky are we to live somewhere with some of the most stunning beaches in the world, (mostly) beautiful weather and an ever-changing landscape? There’s a minority of people who love to diss old P-Town for being over-priced and behind the times, among other things; however it will only ever be what you make of it, so stop whining and get amongst it!

One of my favourite things to do on the weekend when the weather is spectacular is catch up with a girlfriend for a walk, some goss and a coffee, so I have put together a list of my favourite running/walking tracks and the best places nearby to stop for a well-deserved long mach.

CENTRAL

Start/finish: Resort Drive, Burswood
Total Distance: 7km
Café Suggestion: Toast
(mid-point of the route),
60 Royal Street East Perth

Start/Finish: Cnr of Mount/Cliff St, Kings Park (alternating between Mount St & Jacobs ladder a few times on each)
Or do a lap of the inside of the park, as per the yellow track on the map
Total Distance: varies, but I aim to do both at least 3 times each
Café Suggestion: Gordon Street Garage, 16 Gordon Street West Perth

Splurge vs Save: Cleansing

Since graduating as a Beauty Therapist and Makeup Artist over 10 years ago, along with two of my besties, Eli & Lisa, the 3 of us have gone down very different paths within the industry. Along the way we have waxed, peeled, injected, applied, sprayed and tested a ridiculous amount of products and treatments. We have learned best through trial and error, and can definitely look back and laugh (and cringe) at many of our mishaps along the way. Notable mentions include:

• One of us volunteering to be the model for one of our waxing classes and ending up losing her pants, her pubic hair and her dignity whilst kneeling on all fours on a table in front of a class of 15 students
• Accidentally piercing a rubber glove to one of our ears 
• Applying a chemical peel that produced Freddy Kruger-like results for the week following
• Deciding on a whim to have our lips injected with filler the night before my 21st party
• Spending hundreds of dollars and the better part of a Saturday applying hair extensions that were to last months, only for them to start falling out after one wash

I love to share my tips and tricks with my friends, and don’t believe you have to spend a fortune to look good. In this ongoing series, I want to share the products that won’t cost the earth, and why you should use some of those savings to invest in better quality products in other areas of your routine.

DIYIYD (Do it Yourself if You Dare): Chevron Canvas

My obsession for all things chevron continues…I was inspired by a canvas of messy chevron lines in an interesting colour palette that I saw on Etsy, until I spotted the price. $1,600. 

Say it with me now: HELL TO THE NO! 

The Inspiration

I thought it would be ridiculously easy to recreate, especially because the lines are purposely messy, and I already had everything I needed to make it.

Woo Hoo! Over 1,000 Views!

No one is more surprised than me that Grazie Bella cracked over 1,000 views in its first week of sharing it with people! To say thanks, here's a photo of me in my birthday suit...

Happy Birthday To The Pres!

 

Some of you know him as Link, Linkle, Linky Dink, Fraggers, The Pres. I know him as my love, my bestie and a walking contradiction - a guy who loves big cities, but the country will always have his heart. a guy who has to have the latest apple product, but refuses to use a microwave, dishwasher or heater. A guy who drives a Mercedes, but also looks damn fine driving a tractor. He turns 29 today, so show him some love!

They say opposites attract, and you intrigue me to no end baby. Hope you have a wonderful day xx

Flawsome: Learning to Accept the Good, the Bad & the Fugly

I have a fivehead. That’s not a typo. Demonstrated above, a fivehead is when you have a forehead so big you can fit five fingers on it. Both my parents have big foreheads, so I didn’t even stand a chance. A high school boyfriend once told me I had a forehead “like a skateboard ramp”. True story. Soul=Destroyed.

Running: My Must Haves

As previously mentioned, my dad is a serial marathon runner. My brother and I refer to his running shorts as “Spinning Around Shorts”, or “SAS” due to their uncanny resemblance to Kylie’s hot-pants. Are you an offensively high-cut pair with built-in jocks? Consider yourself owned by my dad. Think you will just be worn during a run? Well I’m gonna have to stop you there, because you’re wrong.

Dad considers his running shorts to be a trans-seasonal wardrobe essential, almost as if he may need to drop whatever he may be doing at the time, to go for a run. This look is best accessorised preferably with no shirt and no worries, and if you have ever been to my parents’ house, chances are you have seen him in this get up. It appears to be a popular outfit choice for watering the garden while drinking a beer, meeting a boyfriend for the first time or when guests pop over for a coffee. In his defense he has a dynamite pair of pins without an ounce of fat, which I could only dream of having. If you've got it, flaunt it.

Supermarket Superfoods

When you are trying to eat cleaner it can get damn confusing and expensive. What the F is mesquite powder and why does it cost $25? While many superfoods and healthy ingredients work out cheaper to buy online, your local Coles or Woolies (or IGA for my bumpkins, holler!) now stock a pretty decent range of items that I regularly have on hand in my pantry.

The majority of our food shopping is done in the “safe zones” aka the outer perimeter of the supermarket where the fresh stuff is – Fruit & veg, meat, cold food. I am always armed with a shopping list so my time spent in the supermarket is kept to a minimum. Busy shop + confined spaces + kids throwing tanties = my idea of hell.

Below is a list of ingredients I will usually have on hand in my kitchen and where in the supermarket to find them: