Finally an amazing non meat cafe!!
Okay, I'll be honest, I didn't expect there to be no bacon. My husband and I were looking for a hefty brekkie and thought to try this hidden gem. We knew their hot chocolate was amazing so the food can't be all the bad right?!
As soon as we started to read the menu, reality hit. No Bacon. But we continued and both ordered the Kokako Brekkie, creamy mushrooms and Avocado (who wouldn't have avocados for brekkie?) and two hot chocolates.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but meat was not missed in that meal!. It was super filling and so tasty that I didn't itch for some porky pig. Most/all items on the menu can be made gluten free and there is no meat in sight. Which just goes to show that it may not always be needed. The meal was big enough to take a break inbetween but statisfying enough to keep going.
Food aside, the service was great too and the hot chocolate. Tbe location is a bit hard to spot but once you know it's there, it will be hard not to step in to get a cuppa.
I would recommend this gem to anyone, herbivores and carnivores! The ambience sets off a very communal feeling where there is shared seating and the bar table is all connected to make it extra cosy.
Definitely give this place a go if you are in Grey Lynn, and check out their cute coffee beans in packets that look like birdies!!!
Its never too early to get a skincare routine organised and sticking to it will always be a win win situation. With that being said, sometimes your just too tired to do the full shabang.
Ive stuck to these products for sometime now so I can safely tell you how I feel about them.
In the daytime I keep it very simple and just go for the Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturiser and sometimes I use the Lipidol Facial Oil if im feeling a bit lack lustre. At night I try my best to stick to the routine to benefit my future self; Firstly Ive been loving the Lipidol Oil Face Cleanser, and takes off all forms of make up including waterproof mascara. Ive posted on it so if you want more to read click here.
Once in a week I do go in with a good exfoliator and the Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion is just right for me. Once a week is just enough since it is intense, but once scrub is all you will need.
A facial mask is something that can be easliy switchable, and at the moment The Body Shop Warming Mineral Mask is fillig the void. I must say this is a nice mask but I do prefer The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask for my skin but I might try other warming masks.
I then slather on the thinnest products first which is the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair which is awwwwwweeeesome. just a few drops will make your skin feel like heaven. The formula is nice and not tacky at all but still rich and velvety at the same time. Ive been using this for a year now and I has definitely helped in evening my skin tone and also on my acne scars. If I am very tired, I would just cleanse and use this serum and done!
Next I go in with the Lipidol Face Oil for some extra nourishment. A few drops will take you a long way. I havn't tried other face oil but lets see how good this is.
Lastly the Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream. This one is a winner for me, really creamy and not tacky. This one is working vey well with other products and since it is a natural active ingredients , its a keeper.
Summer will be here soon!!!
And since we prep the rest of our bodies; our nails should get the same treatment.
So far these are the colours that seem to grab my attention and I feel you can wear these with alot of outfits.
I seem to be gravitating towards Essie because the formula is always on point and true to colour ( don't you hate it when a mint green turns into a vommit green? not cool).
I never put a top coat because usually 2 coats is good enough and saves up on space.
I know there's a dark brown in there, but hey!! dark nails can still look nice in summer especially on toes and can be paired with a pretty nude to contrast. The rest are nice a bright, and my favourite at the moment is saturday night disco fever ( partially because of its' name)
As summer gets closer here i'll propably stock up on more colours to add to the stash,
What colours will you be grabbing?
Auckland Art Gallery is a must see if you are in Auckland, but this popular site has become more enjoyable for kids (and big kids, aka adults).
Olafur Eliasson is a Dutch Artist who has bought to Auckland the The cubic structural evolution project, inviting everyone to go crazy and build structures from white lego. Now everyone loves lego so its a great reason to not only visit the art gallery to soak up some culture but also be able to play lego in front of other adults (without being judged). The exhibition highlights the importance of decision making when it comes to urban planning. The taller structures are placed closest to the window for outsiders to see but also to stop people from destroying them, therefore allowing others to make the decision to deconstruct smaller features in order to build better or bigger ones; as you do when deciding how to improve or modernise a city,
The exhibition will run till 1st of march of 2015 so there is plenty of time for you to hop into this free event and spend an hour (or 2 or 3 or 4...).
Its a great way for kids to expand their imagination whilst learning to share that space with others around them.
There is more information about the artist and the exbition on the Art Gallery Website so if you fancy a read head on to the above.
As you can see, oil cleansers are becoming quite a thing in the beauty world and some strong brands are bringing out their offering fast. I have previously reviewed the Clinique Take the Day off cleasner and it was a pleaser. Since I was fresh out of that, Lipidol came along.
At $9.95, who wouldn't want a piece of this?!.
Lipidol is a brand by the makers of Bio oil and comes in a range of 6 products that are all oil based at are all priced at under $10. The Cleanser is pretty good for the price point and I tried it on normal make up and on make up with a heavier staying power, and successfully got rid of all traces of make up. It works just like any oil cleanser where the product is applied to dry skin and massaged into until you are satisfied that everything is removed. You can then Rinse off with warm water where it turns milky, and Done!
The Cleanser feels quite thin and not as strong as the Clinique one which is probably more concentrated in solid form but this is still effective (even on waterproof masscara, I know. Amazing)
I will easily be recommending this to my friends and family and also to those new to make up because like all oil cleansers, its very gentle on your face and doesn't leave you face feeling like a stretched piece of leather (like some soap cleansers).
I am also trying their over night face oil and Im thinking of getting the body cleanser too just to see how it works. Expect a review of both in the near future. But for now, dash to your nearest Farmers garb a bottle ( or two ) of what ever tickles your fancy.
When it came to choosing a place to spend our honeymoon, we knew we wanted to go to Fiji but deciding which resort was hard.
We checked for a few quotes and Intercontinental were fast at getting back to us so we booked!
We stayed in the Club Rooms which are in a seperate area of the resort and has a club room and adult swimming pool. We went during February so there were no kids around and quiet enough to have the pool to yourself (who would say no to that!)
The rooms were beautiful! Double the size of a standard hotel room, a plunge pool and an outdoor bathtub; definitely honeymoon worthy. Our stay included complementary afternoon high tea and cocktails in the evening with canapes, heaven. It is more pricey than other hotels in Fiji but it is worth it for the rooms and also for the privacy.
The service was amazing at the club rooms and they had amazing food at the buffet. The resort does have a seperate restaurant but wasn't open at the time, but theres plenty of options at the buffet and club rooms.
If your ever considering a romantic stay in Fiji, most definitely check out Intercontinental.
Bali. What can I say?!. What a beaut of a place.
We kicked things off at Nusa Dua and we stayed at the Sofitel. The hotel was quite new and they were going through some teething problems but nothing too serious. Their service was exceptional and can't be faulted. The weather stayed on our side too as it was 95% sunshine all day long (Wohoo!).
The second half of our trip was at the Sienna Villas in Seminyak, which is very different from Nusa Dua where everyone is on holiday time where as Seminyak is very active and very different to what I thought.
Overall a very active vacation but theres lots of food and ice cream to reward yourself with all the walking. For shopping, things are very cheap so go for it! I personally didn't buy too much because I probably can't use any of their summery clothes for another 6 months.
So instead of describing each experience Im going to leave you with photos of the places we went to and also the food (the good stuff) as there is alot to do in Bali and Its best to decide before you go there and plan it in such a way that you can cover 2 areas in 1 drive. And trust me when I say, don't do too many things in 1 day, it will make you hangry and no one likes a hangry person on holiday.
Sofitel Nusa Dua
Sofitel Nusa Dua
Sofitel Nusa Dua
Fish Spa ( a must do! very ticklish at first but you get used to it)
Kuta Beach
Luwak Tea Tasting
Uluwatu Temple, Ubud
Kachak Dance, Uluwatu Temple
Elephant rides at Bali Zoo
Saraswati Temple Ubud
Rice Paddies
Sofitel Nusa Dua
Sofitel Nusa Dua
