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:

Babe Brag: Hayley Hoskin

 I was completely chuffed when Hayley (aka Hosko) took time out of her busy schedule of being a High School English teacher, dancing for JMDC, and planning her nuptials to Joshua, which are just around the corner, and agreed to let me grill her on her health and fitness routine and other musings.

  

DIYIYD (Do it Yourself if You Dare): Geometric Tray

I had a wooden tray given to me years ago that was gathering dust in the cupboard and was screaming for a makeover. Given my current obsession for all things gold, geometric and chevron print, I was inspired to take this boring little tray to the next level. I knew I didn't want to spend much on this project, so thought the easiest way to recreate the look I had in mind was to get creative with some tape and acrylic paints. On a steamy Saturday I headed to Spotlight and bought a tube of metallic gold and matte white acrylic paints for $3.50 each (I didn't even use half of these), so the total cost of the project is around $3, what a score! Here's what you'll need:

• Wooden Tray (or tray of any kind, melamine, plastic, acrylic)
• 2 colours of acrylic paint
• tape (preferably painters tape, but I only had the smooth opaque plastic kind and it worked fine, just make sure you press it down really tight when you are doing your initial design)
• scissors
• paint brush + paint sponge

Weekend Snapshot

* Making pumpkin bread * helping a friend pack to move house, but spending the majority of time listening to hip hop and dancing like tools/laughing * Heading to Riot & Spotlight to stock up on craft supplies for a few projects * Cracking open my "Vegas Baby" savings jar and being pleasantly surprised to find $31, about $21 more than expected * Using said funds to buy coffees for me and the President and read mags, talk about finical priorities! * Exploring an abandoned lot nearby and admiring the cool graffiti * Forcing myself to go for a run * Watching the sky show from the end of our street #luckybastards * Filling my outdoor beanbag given to me for Christmas by my folks, sitting under the mulberry tree reading a book and sipping on a homemade iced chai

Superfood of The Month: Chia Seeds

Don’t be mistaken!, these poppy-seed-looking mo fo’s are a nutritional powerhouse, typically containing approximately 20% protein, 35% good fats (including a 65% omega 3 fatty acid) and 25% dietary fibre.

Easily digested and packed full of nutrients including vitamins A, B, D, E, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium. They fill you up (with the addition of liquid they swell to 17 times their original size) and slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.

If you are a vegetarian, feeling a bit, ahem, backed up in the bowel department or are simply wanting to start including superfoods into your diet, then BAM! Chia Seeds are where it’s at.

Chia has no flavour, so are easy to incorporate into both sweet and savoury dishes, and can even be used as an egg replacement in baking (soak 1 Tbsp chia in 3 Tbsp water for 15mins = 1 “egg”).

My Fave ways to use them?

Berry Jam – put roughly 2 cups of raspberries, strawberries or any berry mix into a blender/food processor

I Heart New York - What to see & do in NYC

There are only a few days left in this beautiful city we have called home for the last month, sob! I have loved every single freezing cold thing about this place, however I am looking forward to getting back to my friends, family and routine back in sunny Perth. I'm bracing for quite a change from the minus 30 degrees celsius wind chill that the polar vortex has brought through, into the 44 degree weather waiting for us a home.

I wanted to put together a must-do list for anyone coming to New York City that's not your stock standard Times Square/Empire State touristy stuff, although these attractions are wonderful, I wanted to share some of the places to go that you may have not heard of that you can do in between the main attractions.

See
The High Line - A free public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets of Manhattans West Side with stunning views over the Hudson River and the city. A photographers dream! grab a coffee and stroll across it on a fresh winter morning.
Runs from Gansevort St in the Meatpacking District to West 34th St
www.thehighline.org