Tuesday 27 May 2014

London Travel Photo Dairy #1

Well hello there! How are you?
My blog has moved itself to the other side of the world and I am now in London Town (hehe the blog hasn't moved really, but I have).
I wanted to share with you a few snaps in travel diary form - be warned 'a few' means quite a lot in Sarah's world. I am already a lover of photography... add in being on holidays overseas and it picks up quite a bit!
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Anywho lets get on with it, hope you enjoy!
xoxo 


The streets are just beautiful here


Reunited with my bestest friend! 


Ahhh the mothership.... Primark, insanely massive and also cheap! 


The tube, making London very easy to get around


Quintessential 'suburbs' 


Lunch of a halloumi veggie burger and a tone of salad underneath it at a market stall  


Having my tour guide show me around her new home town 


Cutest boats selling foods 


Yep, just what it says! 


Seeing where time begins, such an odd concept to try to get my head around as time is such a used and normal thing! 


Just hanging out at the start of time!


The view from Greenwich over London 



The Cutty Sark in Greenwich, this boat we have the model of at home which my Grandfather made! 


Being a typical tourist 



The beautiful bridge on the boat back to the city centre


The escalators go FORVER here out from the Tube! 


With my bella Mumma at the start of the Bupa 10km run on my birthday! 


Hitting up some yoga stretching before we start tehehehe


St Pauls Cathedral 


The Shard 


London Eye


Big Ben

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Stay tuned for #2 and I'm sure #3, #4, #5 and so on haha! 
 I will also be doing other blog posts, I have some UK beauty that I am loving so I want to share, along with some foodie posts and of course I am off to Paris for a few days so ill have some amazing photos from there I'm sure! 
xoxo

Thursday 22 May 2014

Travel: My Must have Snacks


Hi there everyone! I am currently sitting at the international airport waiting to check in my suitcase to head overseas! Another post that I wanted to share with you all before I head off is what I have as my must have travel snacks for on the flights and also for whilst on holidays.
First up, what I pack in my suitcase to have whilst overseas!




Protein Bars: I have here some Luna and Quest Protein Bars which are just the best on the go snack when you are starving!! They are so tasty and super filling so I plan on throwing one into my bag when I'm out sightseeing for the day so that I have an option of something to eat when I am super tired and hungry and not wanting to spend a fourtune on a small and probably un-healthy snack!


Perfect fit protein: LINK! I am already an avid adder of protein to help to fill me up and keep my muscles toned, so having these on the go sachets are perfect! I plan to add these to coffee, smoothies or if I end up cooking at all throwing them in there too!


Essential Greens Powder: LINK! This is the perfect thing to add to smoothies or just to have in water first thing in the morning as it is filled with so many vitamins and minerals! I just decanted some into a smaller container to take away with me and I intend to have a teaspoon of it each morning with some water to get me going for the day! 


On Board Snacks!


Here are the things that I have in my carry on bag to have during my flight. Ive got some apples and ended up having the banana right before I left as it has a pretty strong scent so i didn't want my bag becoming a banana bag! I also have a few of my protein bars too! 


This is Himalayan salt and I am going to sprinkle this onto my food if I eat any of the plane food, along with also adding a little sprinkle to my water bottle. It is said that Himalayan Salt helps to stop you becoming de-hydrated which is often the case on long distance flights. 


Gastrolyte: LINK! Now it may seem strange that I'm taking these but they are perfect to keep you hydrated! I am someone who suffers from migraines and I've found these to be very helpful for me, so as staying hydrated is so important when travelling on long haul, especially for your skin so I plan to have a bottle of water with two of these in it! 


Raw Organic Chocolate: LINK! Ahhhh sweet sweet chocolate, this is for me to have instead of having sweets offered on the flight, so I still get that yummy treat but I'm not filling myself up with something that doesn't serve my body in the best way! 
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Too see some of these items on my iHerb page along with a coupon code for $10 off your first order! - HERE!
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So there we have it, what do you think? What food would you take on an overseas holiday? 

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Travel: A few last minute items

Is it just me or do you find yourself having a list as long as your arm of things you need to buy BEFORE an overseas trip!?
Hi there, welcome back to my dot on the inter webz! Today I wanted to show you a few quick snaps of some last minute things I grabbed the other day for my next adventure. Truthfully I probably didn't totally did really require these...but I'm all about making travel as easy as possible so you can better enjoy the wanderlust experience and not be bothering with 'where the heck did I put my iPhone charger?!' scramble as your getting onto the Metro or whilst standing in front of a magnificent view!
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I was at the shops on the weekend in the attempt to get in get out quick smart (never works that way for girls does it? Darn gruen transfer occurring!
(which is by the way one of my favourite marketing terms; the definition being - Gruen Transfer: 'In a shopping-mall design, the Gruen transfer is the moment when consumers enter a shopping mall and when surrounded by an intentionally confusing layout, lose track of their original intentions' Like when you go to get milk and come out with three pairs of new jeans....yeah that lol).
Anywho, I was walking to my car ready to go I promise and I was dragged into Typo...again totally not my fault! They have so many knick knacks that I just love puroozing through there (stationary addict right here). I found two items I thought would be well suited to come with me on my adventure and they were just too cute not to share!


Wanderlust Diary (only in stores but they have a bunch of cute ones online): LINK!
Pencil Case: LINK!


So a pencil case you say, Sarah do you plan on carrying around a bunch on pens or something? Well nope I don't, I am planning to use this as my cord bag. As we live in this world on not being able to last a day without some form of technology, be it phone or laptop or camera I have figured I am going to be requiring +5 different chargers! Having a set case for them all where they can live in a neat tied up fashion is going to suit me and my suitcase immensely! I am all about creating more space in that tiny suitcase to fill with the wonders I find whist away! (aka clothes) 


This notebook was just too perfect to not buy, even if I had no use for it; it was coming home with me! I actually did have a purpose for it. I use the Lorna Jane diary for my day to day planning and what not but it is just a tad too big/heavy and bulky for me to want to take away so I'm going to use this one to log my workouts, jot down flight times and anything else that tickles my fancy!



 
So they are some of the last minute buys I'm picking up - I leave in a few days so I would love to hear what your last minute flight/travel essentials are, my list is slowly but surly shortening; here's hoping I have nothing left on it by the time I step onto the plane!
xoxo

Sunday 18 May 2014

Overseas Trip: Packing List


PACKING LIST HERE!
Been traveling since 9 months old. Ima travel girl forever
Well hello there, how are you today?
I have a slightly different post today than usual as I am about to be off on an overseas holiday so I wanted to share with you some travel themed posts, with the first one to kick it off being a packing list!
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I feel like one of the hardest things when going overseas is knowing what to take with you, which is why I am sharing absolutely everything that I will be taking with me, so that if you are anything like me you will now have the ultimate packing list to use for your next holiday!
This packing list is targeting a 2-3 week holiday, in middle season weather
(think winter/spring or autumn/summer).  
 Personally the easiest way for me to sort out what I want to take is to split it up into each bag I'll be taking, such as my suitcase and carry on bag; then dividing everything into categories such as casual, dressy, clear zip bag (for the plane), fitness, technology and so on!
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I have created a PDF packing list for you so that if this looks like something of use to you, you can click on the link below to be taken to my generic list, which is everything I'm taking just not in as much detail so you can add your specifics (as in I've listed Jeans instead of the Zara Khaki Jeans that ill be taking).
PDF PACKING LIST
Let me know if you like it! I'm planning to have this PDF as my go to for most trips, and I added the Misc section so if your going on a summer holiday for example you can add in all your beach needs!
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Below I've explained a few of the items ill be taking and why.
Keep in mind I am a shopaholic so I do intend to buy some clothing overseas!

Outfit to wear on the Plane

I like to decide exactly what I'll wear on the plane journey as I want to be sure I'm comfortable! 13+ hours in a seat you need to make sure your happy in what your wearing!
Asics Runners - I tend to go for a sporty outfit for the plane out of comfort and so that I can wear my bulky shoes to give my suitcase some room!
Scarf - a must for travel in my opinion; you can cover yourself completely when you sleep, use it as a blanket and its dresses up almost any outfit

Neck Pillow - one of the only ways I can get sleep on a plane!

Slip on booties - to put on when going to sleep to help create that 'night time routine'


Camera Bag - I got a beautiful camera bag that doesn't look like a camera bag
(which is just what I wanted) from Etsy - HERE!
Protein Bars/Apples - I am big on bringing healthy snacks, I hate the feeling airplane food can often give you as your sitting for hours your body doesn't actually require too much food, light things like fruit is best for me

Water bottle (empty) - to then have filled up on the plane to ensure your drinking lots, staying hydrated is key to avoiding jet lag!

Tea Bags - I like camomile tea to help me get to sleep

Himalayan Salt - great to sprinkle over your food to ensure your absorbing your water

Vitamin E Spray - the BEST thing to spray throughout the flight to keep your skin hydrated!


Face Mask - as soon as i get onboard a long flight, I take off all my makeup with makeup wipes, then apply a clear face mask. This really helps to keep the skin hydrated and acts as a shield to keep your skin soft. Then at the end of the flight after spraying my face with the Vitamin E throughout I just use another makeup wipe and re-apply some makeup. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop - I love using a lip butter for a pop of bright colour on the lips and it can also double up as a cream cheek stain blush! 
Black heels - if you have a perfect pair of heels that you know you can walk in and be comfortable in, TAKE THEM! Nothing worse than getting to a place and buying new shoes and have horrible blisters and cuts on your feet (an experience I had walking through Times Square - ouch!) 


Food - I will also pack in my suitcase some extra food items such as:
Protein Bars - to throw into my bag when out exploring a city as a back up for that moment you get hangry and the only food available is $20 snack bars because your opposite the Eiffel Tower
Perfect Fit Protein sachets - perfect to add into hot drinks or smoothies for that extra boost to fill you up
Super greens powder - great first thing in the morning with some water to get your daily vitamins and minerals and give you an energy kick to get going! 
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And there we have it! What do you think? I hope this can be of use to someone at some point, where is your next destination going to be? I am forever dreaming of travelling, whats the top of your Wanderlust list at the moment?
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Speak soon!
xoxo  


All images taken from Pinterest 

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Recipe: Coconut Chicken and Salad


Hello there, welcome back! Today I have a recipe to share with you that I made last week and it was a hit! It was one of those throw it all together and hope it turns out ok and it did so I wanted to document it to remind myself to make it again!
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Coconut Chicken & Salad - Serves 4 people

Ingredients
500 Grams Chicken Strips
1/4 Cup Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
2 Handfuls Rocket
2 Handfuls Spinach
1/3 Cup Quinoa
(How to cook Quinoa HERE! )
1 Carrot
2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
1 Apple 
Drizzle of Pomegranate salad dressing



Method:
1: Get out two bowels and fill one with some egg whites and the other with the coconut flour
2: Coat the chicken strips in the egg whites with one hand and the coconut flour with the other hand and place onto a plate
3: Once all covered place into frying pan with olive oil on med to low heat and allow to cook, turning a few times (you don't want the heat too high otherwise it will burn the flour but not cook the chicken!)
4: While the chicken is cooking combine all the salad ingredients into a bowl - you can put anything into the salad you like but I personally find apple and pine nuts go together really well!
5: Cover the salad in dressing of choice - I am obsessed with pomegranate dressing at the moment!
6: Check the chicken is cooked by cutting on in half and making sure there is no sign of pink!
7: Serve up and enjoy!




So as you can see this recipe is SUPER easy and REALLY quick - what more could you want when asked to throw together a meal whilst starving! This is extremely healthy too, with the chicken providing protein and the salad full of vitamins and minerals; it will not only taste good but it will make you feel good too!
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Let me know if you go ahead and make this and what you think of it! I like to think of it as a cleaner/healthier version of chicken schnitzel! Coconut flour is becoming more readily available too, but if its not in your local grocery store check out a health store!
xoxo