A Christmas Holiday to NSW

So much has happened in the past month, Christmas, New Years and... My brother got engaged! Congradulations brother, good on you. All while this has been going on we were in NSW.
 If you follow me on Instagram, you will see I have been away for the past couple of weeks , that is where we have been, and if you don't follow me on Insta you should (you can find the link to my page just under the blog header or here).

Anyway, it all started about a week before Christmas...
The day we headed to the airport, we decided to take a friend to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary just outside of brisbane. If you have been here, let me know what you think about it in the comments. If you don know, it is a small koala sanctuary which also houses many other Australian animals such as: the platypus, wombats, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, birds of all kinds, echidnas, snakes and cassowaries... it is a lovely place, all the animals seem well looked after and were really active when we visited. Well, a koala can only be so active. The sanctuary also offers tours and you are able to take a pictures holding a koala. This place is were many celebrities such as Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have been to hold a koala while in Australia. If you didn't know, you can only hold a koala in the state of Queensland.

Tasmanian Devil, can you spot him?

They must have known I was coming

Do you know what a cassowary is?
They are viscious and I suggest you
avoid one as much as possible.
I AM NOT JOKING!

Hello Mr Koala

After the sanctuary we decided to have lunch/afternoon tea at South bank and while we where there went on The Wheel of Brisbane. Lovely panoramic views, we were only expecting to go around like twice but it just kept going round. In the end I think we went around about 8 times, maybe.

We headed to the airport after this to catch a plane to Newcastle, NSW. In Newcastle we stayed with some family, which was lovely. So While in New South Wales, just before Christmas we went down to Sydney for a few days. It was great :) I have decided to put the Sydney stay in a different post, just to shorten each a little other wise you may get sick of reading. so That is what is happening.

We got back to Newcastle and stayed the rest of the trip with our family. We had a realxed Christmas, nothing too fancy because I already got my Christmas present. Over the rest of the holiday we did many things such as:

Walk along the Anzac Memorial Bridge. This beautiful walk was covered with information about the wars and people from the towm who went to war. It had lovely 360 degree views over the ocean, beaches and town, as seen below.

We went kayaking a few times in some of the many rivers in the area. This was the first time I had ever been kayaking and I think I have found a favourite activity. I also learnt in this time I realy need to do some arm workouts becasue apparently I have zero muscle.
On New years eve we had a barbecue and then went to watch the fireworks, which were beautiful, and had a beach day at Fingal Bay on New Years. The days we were able to o these things, were the only few real summer days we had while we were away. By real summer I mean the sun was out, skies clear and didn't need a light jacket, in other words the best days. After the beach on New years day we went to Nelsons Bay for lucnh and then a gorgeous lookout.

We visited the vineyards, cheese factories and chocolate factories in the Hinter Valley, which was great. I love going out there, even just for the views. I of course bought so much good chocolate from the factories, in particular this dark chocolate bar with bits of home made honeycomb in it. Yum. I think my favourite place was probably the Audrey Wilkinson Winery because it was just so beautiful. It is a the top of a hill, in a gorgeous building surrounded by the most beautiful scenery. It even has a helicopter pad and you can hold weddings there. 

The night before we left my Dad, Cousin, Uncle and I drove into Sydney one last time to watch the Liverpool and Australian legends match, it was lots of fun and Liverpool won, WOOHOO! It was a good game, good night, great atmosphere, bad chips and an overall good time. I love events like this, when everyone gets involved, like concerts or other sporting events. 

So This is mostly what we got up to while away, all lovely ways to enjoy northern NSW. Other than that we went shopping, stayed at home, spent time with the family visited a small small towns, spent time at home in the pool and ate.

Are there any particular things you guys want me to write about?  I'm just curious,I have a few planned so far.

Don't forget to follow on Instagram, pinterest and Bloglovin'

I hope you have a wonderful day/night..

TTFN

Mads xx

ANZAC BISCUITS

Today I was baking up a storm in the kitchen and doing a bit of house tidying when I thought, it has been a long time since my last post and I should share with you all how to make Anzac biscuits.
So that is what I am going to do.

Equipment/ Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/4 cup of oats
• 1 & 1/4 cup of Plain Flour
• 1 & 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 1 cup of Shredded Coconut
• 150g of Batter
• 1 & 1/4 table spoons of Golden Syrup
• 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate Soda
• 2 Table Spoons of Boiling Water
• Large Spoon'
• Large Bowl
• Small Saucepan 
• Measuring cups ad spoons
• Kettle
• 
  

Method:

1. Put on some of you favourite music
2. Wash your hands.
3. Collect equipment and ingredients
4. Pre heat oven to 140 degrees celsius.
5. Combine oats, flour sugar and coconut in a large bowl.

6. boil some water in a kettle.
7.Combine butter and golden syrup in a saucepan on low heat until butter is melted.

 8. Mix water and bicarb together then stir into butter and golden syrup.

9. Make a little hole in the centre of the flour, coconut and sugar mix. i.e well. Then pour the butter and golden syrup mixture into the dry ingredients.

10. Mix it together well, make sure you can't see any flour. It may be crumbly.

11. Prepare a tray, cover an oven proof tray with baking paper and if you think you need to lightly grease it with some spray oil or butter.

13. Using your hands, take about a spoon full of the mix, roll it into a ball and then squish it down a little on the tray.

14. Cook in the oven for around 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

15. let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes so they cool and set.

NOW ENJOY :)

My mum and I often make a mix of these, shortbread and sugar cookies to give to our family. We usually wrap them up in some cellophane with some ribbon tied around the top and wah lah, a cute home made present for those you love that look great and taste even better. 

Can you believe there are only 28 days until Christmas, that's less than a month! Are you all as excited as I am? Let me know if you love Anzac Biscuits as much as my family and I, if you have tried them before or if you are going to give them a go. Don't forget if you try them out to let me know in the comments or tag me in a photo on Instagram, you can find my social media links under the header, or my common username is Bloggermads. 

Are there any particular things you guys want me to write about?  I'm just curious.

Did I metion there are currently 516 of you on Bloglovin'

I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day/night.

TTFN

Mads xx

Happiness Is Important

Happiness is important, in my opinion it is one of the most important aspect of life.  I know today many people can struggle with this and I wish they didn't have to. Seeing people smile gives makes me happy and it certainly helps make life a little easier. I have been able to notice a difference in my everyday lifestyle after making some changes. I am not here to tell you exactly how to always be happy, or that you have to always be happy, but I have a few tips and tricks which helped me and I hope help you.

 My advice for those thinking about making a change because they are not happy or would just like to is  DO IT! I was so unsure about making changes because change can be hard, it is different and I kept thinking "What if I don't like it?", "What if it isn't as good", "What if people there don't like me", "What if...", "What if..." and I was thinking quite negatively. My mum reminded me "The biggest risk is not taking the risk at all." and that it couldn't get much worse than it is so I might as well give it a go. 

Your mindset affects everything, If you are thinking the experience will be negative it most likely will be, I know sometimes it can be hard sometimes to switch to positive thinking about some things but it helps. Often if you have to do things eg. school, work, etc. then you might as well find a way to do it positively, for me it was moving because the place I was at wasn't where I wanted to be and wasn't offering the opportunities and classes I needed for my future and my development. Remember happiness is the most important part of life, if you aren't happy where you are you make a move, you aren't a tree. You don't need to wait for someone else to move you or take the first step. I encourage you to make the step.

At the moment I have just made a few changes, they have really paid off and made a huge difference on my perspective, mindset and confidence. A few changes I made include starting a new school because I was completely miserable at my old one and taking part in a course called Miss ART, or ART your life with Catie Kirke. This program was absolutely amazing and is coming to Melbourne.

The Miss Art Program is amazing and there are variations of the course, which include some for guys too. It covers a variety of topics such as self confidence, becoming who you want to be, understanding feelings and much more. We even had a hair and make up day too.

If you are interested head to the ART Your Life website HERE! 

Here are 15 ways I cheer myself up when I am feeling down and you could try:

1. Focus on what you are grateful for, this could be family, friends, a pet, an experience, my home, that I have a bog with readers/followers, etc. I love visiting this place, so looking at a picture makes me smile :) 

2.  Make or think about a goal, short or long term.
3. I enjoy makeup, so experimenting with some new styles or learning a new technique is good.
4. Get dressed up in your fanciest clothes and feel fabulous!
5. Smile at your self in the mirror, don't stop until the smile becomes real.
6. Do some exercise! 5 star jumps, push-ups, squats; get those endorphin's pumping!
7. Start a hobby, try something new or continue with something you enjoy.
8. Bake or cook, try a healthier options. Chocolate is good sometimes but fresh, fruity or healthy foods make your body feel better.
9. Stick to a new years resolution or start a new one.
10. Clean your room or house.
11. Get outside, plant some plants, go for a swim or run through some sprinklers.
12. Call a friend, have a chat to someone, talk about whats bothering you or not. Sometimes just general conversations can help.
13. Go out, walk around town or the city. have lunch out or something. Try not to stay cooped up by yourself; surround yourself with people, especially ones who you care about and who care about you.
14. Have a bath with some nice bath salts or something, relax. A cup of tea usually helps here as well.
15. Watch a movie, listen to music, read a book. The tip here is don't make things worse; watch a happy comedy, listen to boppy, happy music and don't read a sad book. 

If I have missed anything let me know in the comments below :)

I also wanted to remind you that it is okay to be sad sometimes, just wanting one day at home is okay too. If your are feeling like this all the time though maybe a change is needed, 

I am obviously not a professional in this area but am speaking from personal experiences. If you need help or would like to talk to someone, there is always someone there for you. A friends, family member, teacher if you are in school, or various services such as peoples help line that care and will listen and help you.  There are many people and services available for you and don't forget it. Everything will turn out okay. 

Sorry for getting serious here, I know sometimes this isn't the most entertaining read but I feel it is important. 

A joke to perk up this post now: 

Q: Where did Napoleon keep his armies?

A: In his sleevies. 

I know, hilarious. Actually the amount my mum and I laughed at this is unbelievable... 

GUESS WHAT?!?!? THERE ARE NOW 500+ OF YOU ALL!

This is so amazing, I didn't really think people would read or pay attention to this blog, I just did it for the fun. So thank you :) It means a lot you come and read, it is something that makes me very happy. Also did you all notice the new header I made, the other did have much colour and though it isn't very bright colours it is something. Not bad for a first time I reckon. 

What makes you happy? 

Are there any particular things you guys want me to write about?  I'm just curious.

I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day/night.

TTFN

Mads xx

Liebster Award #3

Hey Guys,

How you all doing? As you may have noticed by looking at the title, I have been nominated by to do the Liebster Award again by the wonderful Amy from Amy's Makeup Place. Thank you for the nomination =)

The rules for this are as follows:

1. Link back to the person who nominated you
2. Answer 10 questions that the person who nominated you gave
3. Nominated 10 bloggers (or blogs) who have fewer than 200 followers and give them 11 questions of your choice to answer.
4. Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog with a link back to your post.

My Questions from Amy Are:

1. What is your favourite Drugstore make up brand?

Maybelline is definitely my favourite; actually a large majority of my products are Maybelline.

2. Are you a Samsung or IPhone girl?

I am a Samsung kind of girl I find it is just so much more versatile, has so much more ability and you get more for your money.

3. What is your current favourite song?

My current favourite song is Colour by Halsey from her new album Badlands

4. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grow up?

When I was younger I wanted to be a vet or zoo keeper, but now I am not sure.

5. Will you still be blogging in 5 year's time?

I would like to be, I am planning of travelling and would like to use this blog to document my experiences for others and to use as a kind of journal for myself in the future.

6. Are you a tea or coffee person?

At the moment I am a tea kind of person, in my pantry I have so many different types and flavours.

7. What was the last film you watched and did you enjoy it?

The last film I watched was actually Nanny McPhee... Probably isn't my favourite movie but I am not going to diss Nanny McPhee. 

8. What do you prefer Snapchat or Instagram?

I prefer to use Instagram, I don't why...

 p.s. If you would like to follow me on Instagram my user name is @Bloggermads or you can click on this link 

9. Are you happy with your life at the moment?

At the moment I have just made a few changes, they have really paid off and made a huge difference on my perspective, mindset and confidence. A few changes I made include starting a new school because I was completely miserable at my old one and taking part in a course called Miss ART, or ART your life with Catie Kirke. This program was absolutely amazing and is coming to Melbourne. I was actually planning on doing a separate post about this program and its benefits.

 My advice for those thinking about making a change because they are not happy or would just like to is  DO IT! I was so unsure about making changes because change can be hard, it is different and I kept thinking "What if I don't like it?", "What if it isn't as good", "What if people there don't like me", "What if...", "What if..." and I was thinking quite negatively. My mum reminded me "The biggest risk is not taking the risk at all." and that it couldn't get much worse than it is so I might as well give it a go. 

Your mindset affects everything, If you are thinking the experience will be negative it most likely will be, I know sometimes it can be hard sometimes to switch to positive thinking about some things but it helps. Often if you have to do things eg. school, work, etc. then you might as well find a way to do it positively, for me it was moving because the place I was at wasn't where I wanted to be and wasn't offering the opportunities and classes I needed for my future and my development. Remember happiness is the most important part of life, if you aren't happy where you are you make a move, you aren't a tree. You don't need to wait for someone else to move you or take the first step. I encourage you to make the step.

Wow, this answer was longer than expected. Yes I am Happy, but I still have goals and ambitions I am working towards which is a good thing. 

My questions to nominees:

1.  What is your favourite makeup brand? 
2. If you could go anywhere tomorrow, where would you instantly go?
3. When did you start blogging and what made you start? 
4. If you could talk to a younger version of yourself what advice would you give?
5. What is one make up item you couldn't live without?
6. What was the last song you listened to?
7. .Do you have a hidden talent? If so, what is it? 
8. Books or Movies?  I f so, which one specifically?
9. Where is your favourite place to eat out? 
10. What is on the top of your current beauty wish list?

And I Nominate: 

• Carmen from Forever Hibernating
• Sarai from Sarai's Outlet
• Sarah  from Sarah CC Bence
• Lauren from Listen Lauren 
• Evangeline from Enavgeline Louise
• Franzi from Franzi Gilbert
• Steph from Looking for Steph 
• Shannon-Grace from Bubbles and Fresh
• Meg from Frizzy Teapot
• Millie Jessica from Milliejessica

That is the end of this post, hope you all enjoyed and discovered some new amazing blogs.

Are there any particular things you guys want me to write about?  I'm just curious.

Did you know there are 450+ of you all on Bloglovin'? That is so AMAZING!

I hope you have a wonderful day/night.

TTFN

Mads xx

More Maybelline Makeup

HEY ALL,

A couple of weeks ago I lased out a bit at the Maybelline Priceline 50% off sale, so I thought I should probably share with you all. I haven't done this sooner because I didn't want to bombard you with posts, so I wait until my last Friday favs were over and my travel post. Now I am late posting.

Anyway, let’s get started:

First is the Maybelline Brow Mascara in Light, I actually love this product. Brush your brows then brush this through and it’s like BAM, instantly and evenly filled. I have to say it is easier then pencil and quicker than powder for me.

Second is the Baby Skin pore Erase Primer; I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting to try this out. I love it, I had been using a primer which I thought was quite light and did a good job; Baby Skin is so much better. It is smooth, light and works well. I am happy with it.

Third is the Lash Sensation Mascara, I really needed a new mascara and I am happy with. However it can be clumpy sometimes, I use a clean wand to just brush it through a few times because my eye lashes just clump together in one spot then make it look like I have bare patches in other spots. Once brushed through looks really good though.

Fourth is the precision liner, it is so easy to use because it is just a fine texter. My liner has never been so precise and if I want a thinker line just colour it in. 

Fifth is the Colour Drama lip pencils in the shade Fab Orange I had a Gatsby party and really needed a good red, this was perfect. It is a red orange, and is super smooth; it lasted most of the night too.

Sixth is this gorgeous pink lipstick from in the shade Peach Poppy, it is so smooth and creamy and is really cute. The photo does make it look darker and closer to a bright 
coral rather than a soft peach.

seventh is the blush stick in the shade Pink Fever. This was actually an accident I was looking at it with the intent of putting it back because I had a fair few things already and I don't know what happened but I came home and it was in my shopping bag so... Oh well, no complaints. I really wanted to try a blush stick as I only have powder and so it worked out well.I quite enjoy it because it blends and softens really well to look natural and yeah.

That is the end of my scores at the Maybelline Priceline 50% off sale, I saved so much. 

Did anyone else score some good stuff at the sale? Do you or have you owned any of these products and what did you think? Let me know in the comments below

Are there any particular things you guys want me to write about?  I'm just curious.

I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day/night.

TTFN

Mads xx

Exploring Uluru

G'day All, I'm Back from my little trip! Well, I have actually been back for a week but have had so much stuff to catch up on because I was away. I think that's all over now though, luckily... So if you follow me on Instagram, read the title or looked at the picture above you would know I recently visited Uluru (aka Airs Rock) in central Australia.
I had a great time with my dad and some friends. We actually went with a friend from overseas and I don't think he knew how big Uluru is... We told him we were going to see a rock and was like "Okay..." you could sort of tell he was thinking like 'A rock? Seriously? There is heaps of those here'.

First we went to Alice Springs, a town about 4 hours away from Uluru I think, we met some friends there and visited a few places like Simpsons Gap and the Desert Park.

There were these gorgeous little flowers all over the Desert Park

But I wanted to go swimming in the gravel @Simpsons Gap

Its okay, we found some water

 The first day I was a little worried it was going to be hot. I only took one pair of shorts and they didn't exactly match all my tops. The next day on the way to the rock it was cold again, so it was good I took something a bit warmer, by the time we got there it was quite late in the afternoon and we could have gone to the sunset viewing are but I don't think anyone could be bothered; so we just unpacked and made some spag bol for dinner. 

The First Sight

The following morning was the perfect weather, it was actually amazing. Sunny skies, slight cool wind, about a 27 degree Celsius day. Lovely. So we drove to Airs Rock and I think what could have been a 5 minute trip took like 30 minutes. Not because we were driving excessively slowly but because the roads are like all over the place, you think you're heading straight to the rock and then you end up driving away. Then you think you're going to end up arriving at the left side but take a turn and drive all the way to the left. I just don't get it...  All of the roads in this area were like this. 

by the time we got there, it was mid-morning. The place was packed, there were so many people and that's when I noticed... The gate to climb it was open. OPEN. So obviously we had to do it, while reading the info signs about the climb and stuff, I saw the major thing saying 'People have been seriously injured or died attempting this walk, know it is at your own risk' or something similar. The great idea suddenly shrank to something a little bit worrying, how many people have actually read this because there were young kids climbing it... Oh well, I will just stay where I am comfortable, I told myself. About 30m up after a few slips due to lack of grip on my shoes and unexpectedly steep slopes, I decided I would cling to some rock which comes up to your chest; sort of acting like a hand rail. Turns out I am not a fan of heights when I don't have anything like a harness on. Give me a harness, anchor and rope and I'm usually pretty good. I can assure you I am never going pro as a free climber. The others continued a little but also didn't get to the chain, which takes you to the top. 

   




Once we reached the safe ground again we went for a walk around the base which was lovely. There were free guided tours but we missed them, so that was unfortunate. We then drove around to the fa side of the rock at a sunrise viewing are; I thought it was great there because you can get the Olgas and Uluru in one Photo. Again, even the walkway was unnecessarily long. 

Afterwards we drove to the Olgas viewing point, we pre made lunch and just ate it here. I warn you there are flies. Unfortunately we didn't walk around the Olgas because we needed more time but everyone we spoke to said it was fantastic.

We went to the sunset viewing area, along with about 100 other people, sat out some chairs and ate some chips. It was absolutely beautiful.  I was planning to take a photo from the same spot every 10 minutes but my phone died so this is the result.

The next day we drove back to Alice Springs and it started raining, our friend was so surprised the desert was cold and we; good timing I guess. We left from Alice a day later. 

It was a great little trip and totally suggest if you get the chance to visit Uluru (aka Airs Rock) 

I am thinking about showing you my Maybelline Priceline sale haul, anyone interested?

Are there any particular things you guys want me to write about?  I'm just curious.

I hope you enjoyed and have a wonderful day/night.

TTFN

Mads xx

Last Friday Favourites- August Edition

Hey Everyone,
I hope you are all well; I have actually pre-typed this post so that when I'm away I am able to post it on time if I have reception/internet while I'm gone. So I hope I can do so. 
Can you all believe it is already the end of August? I can't and I don't know if it's a good or bad thing yet.
Anyway let's start my Last Friday Favourites of August.

1. Music Favs of the month as usual...

• The new BADLANDS album by Halsey, I love the songs on there, she is an amazing artist
• Cool For The Summer by Demi Lovato.

• Hey Violets, 'I Can Feel It EP, I know this was release like a month ago, but I just got it and love it. 

• 5 Seconds of Summer- Jet Black Heart and Fly Away from their new coming album Sounds Good, Feels Good. I am looking extremely forward to this next album.

2. My new Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, I got this from the Priceline Sale last week, it is actually one of many things I got... Maybe I'll do a makeup haul post when I get back if anyone wants and some reviews?

3. Also from this haul I finally got BABY SKIN PRIMER!!! Ahhhh I have wanted to try this for so long and have been patiently waiting for I don't even know how long. 

4. Since I had such great results with the tea tree face wash for The Body Shop and it is their 25th birthday for the range, so therefore they had larger bottle sizes I went and got a bottle of the Tee Tree Facial Toner and Blemish Eraser. I can honestly say that these are some of the best face products I have used on my skin, they are working wonders.

5. Along with these products I have been using The Body Shop face buffer, it is like a light exfoliation and just makes your face feel extra clean afterwards. 

I will post my travel blog post when I get home, but am still posting on Instagram while away. I can't wait to share with you all my adventures!

Have an amazing day/night

TTFN

Mads xx

P.S. There are 365 of you!!! THANK YOU