March 2018 Favourites

I have nothing cutesie to say so let's jump in!:

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer:

This is an OG Beaty Guru favourite. We got most of their products and last year I saw a distrubutor sneak peeking it. No lies ES ESSPENSIVE at R220 for 11 grams BUT compared to Benefit Hoola mini of 4 grams at R215 and R400 and what for 8 grams full size it is a great price. 

It's a great neutral Bronzer That blends like a dream. They have launched 3 additional shades in the US and I am sure we will get them eventually as most of the Dischems are SOLD OUT. If you want it and see it, get yourself one because they go quickly.

DIY Colour booster Shampoo and Conditioner:

I while ago I coloured my hair pink again. I was scared of the fade because I had an events and a lot of social things happening. So I mixed up some of the colour (ReNew Perfect Colour in Pink Passion) with Shampoo and conditioner. A while ago I had issues with discoloured blond hair and toned it with the Sapphire Blue and conditioner.

Pick n Pay Real Clothing Track Suit:

Last winter I was looking for a nice Tracksuit and this year PnP is coming through for me. They come in Dark Grey, Light Grey, White, Black, Pink and Olive. Because of my hair colour (Pink doesn't really go with Olive and Pink on Pink is too Pink) I got a Black and Light Grey set. Tops and bottoms sold separate.

R50 Woolworths Stir Fry:

In my local Woolworths I found a bundle deal on egg noodles, julienne stir fry mix and Sweet and Sour sauce for R50. All I need to buy is what ever protein. Quick to make, healthy and delicious.

DIY Vitamin C Booster:

As per the previous post you can see I am having a Woolies moment. A few times I picked up an orange juice vitamin C booster. R16 for 100 ml started to get too bouj for me. I hacked it with Sir Juice, Nature's Choice Turmeric and Cayenne pepper. For 500ml I added 2 teaspoons of each. Though next time I will add less Cayenne because I'm not strong enough.

This it what I drink to shake the after lunch slump.

Candy Crush Saga:

Wow did you know your favourite Facebook procrastination game still is around? You know other than Farmville. (RIP Chocolate Milk Cows and your corn and tomato plants) I'm not hawking this app because not #spons. I have been enjoying it again. It doesn't consume my time as I always remember it doing. I'm at level 539. they designed some levels to be 'Super Hard' but I still enjoy it. I always remember some being 'Super Annoying'. Bonus points if you send invites to people who post that they don't want to be sent invites because they don't play games.

Used my creative SkIlLZz:

I found myself in different social settings this month. Usually as a social introvert it made me anxious. I dealt with it with my creative skills. Now I will not compete with Project Runway or audition for Master Chef or Bake Off but I can get by. It helps me manage with social interaction. THE WoRsT, rIgHt! Because I have things already (ingredients/ Pattern and fabric) I just add to use my skill to put it together. FREE.

Finally that's my things for Feb now go use your skillzzz!

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March 2017 Favourites

 

Hey! Here are my favourite things of the 3^rd month:

LA Girl Strobe Lite in 120 Watt:

This is their brightest, most sparkly one. I bought it just to test and I can't stop using it. It can be a mute splendour or you could add more and more to go full glazed doughnut. Yasss *in Jeffree Star Voice* 

Left: Applied once. Center: Like 3 coats Right: Phone photo

Garnier Ultimate Blends Bee Propolis Serum:

My hair has been screaming for hydration. So after I pat my hair dry I apply this. It cuts drying time of my hair in half and makes it more manageable.

Monochrome Fashion:

Because of my bright pink hair a.t.m. there is such a thing as too mush colour. When I had normal coloured hair, especially blonde, I'd wear pastels or jewel tones. Lately I've been loving grey with black accent pieces like a bag or a shoe.

Sunny Anderson's Dry Dredged Chicken wing Recipe:

On any day I LOVE Sunny Anderson. She is one of my KWEENS! She works hard, has an awesome dream car, has rescue cats and dogs and is an all round BAWSE on HER terms. She has a lot of 1-2-3 and nunya business recipes. This one is no exception.

Here is the recipe I like the dredge in. Instead of adding multiple spices I add some of those premix spices like chicken spice or BBQ spice. It's not the mess that happens when you make a coating with egg or buttermilk and you need bread crumbs.

For the real (wink wink) Buffalo wing experience, melt butter/ marge and add an equal part hot sauce. Tabasco is what I have. I also love this with the Chipolte Tabasco which is more spicy than hot. Toss the wings in that. Eat forever.

Follow Sunny on Instagram.

Fitbit:

Wow really Michellé? Only now.

Yes. I really started using the whole Fitbit and app to it's full this last month just as the Charge is starting to come apart (And is now off the market). I've been getting my active minutes up, as well as using the food log (though they don't have a South African Food Database I select the UK because it has more options for meals I cook at home).

Can't do the wearable fitness watch. Samsung Health is an app that counts steps as well as log similar data to Fitbit. The app is preloaded on most Samsungs also available in the Google App Store FREE!

Instagram:

No lies this app costs a lot of data but I cannot stop. I need the 'gram. I need to see a cat thatcosplays with food and The Dogist. I need to stalk Badkid Bebe and the Girl Gang. I need to watch Michelle Phan's stories. I need to see Nayeon serve new looks and dog stories (Stalker level: I know she foster failed a Staffordshire Bull Terrier Mix, Gooby Potato). I'm following 507 accounts on my personal. I have a problem. They have a new function to their bookmarks that you can make like Pinterest boards. Bookmark all mermaid hair.

Monday has become my New Year:

Imagine having 52 new starts to the year. Some only pushes reset once a year and most fail immediately. Imagine to be able to reset more than once. Monday has become my reset. If motivation fades by like Thursday there is a Monday to start again. Monday I make sure I drink enough water, work out a little and eat different with Meatless Monday.

Better late than never

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February 2017 Favourites

 

NYX Professional Stations in Clicks:

Image Via NYX

 

 

This is where it's at! If you have any NYX products on your wish list, this is the place to get it. Some Clicks stores don't really care to restock. Many a time the racks are barely stocked. (I'd like to think it's because the items are popular and not because the staff DGAF.)

With the full store, there is also a professional make up artist. The woman that was at the store was super knowledgeable about the products and assisted with great tips. Everything was fully stocked (Angels sing wearing Angel Veil) If you are into dupes their Lip Lingerie line is straight up competitors for the reality TV personality's over priced lipstick line. We even found dupes for MAC. I bought Stockholm and Castle

Follow NYX za on Insta and FB. Shop online At Clicks

Blow out:

I normally just let my hair air dry but when hair is an unusual colour there is a 100% chance that it will attract attention. My hair is type A1. My straightener is the cheapest one ever: the normal hair brush. You know those middle of the mall kiosks that sell shit you don't really need? The ones that scream in your face while you are having a conversation with someone? Once one that was selling over priced straighteners was like: It must take ages for you to straighten your hair? _uck off NO!

My point is my hair has no volume. When my hair is wet I take R1 size dollop of gel and work it in my roots (I use Revlon Flex Extreme hold styling gel) and spray Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray. I free dry it until damp then head in section by section with my big barrel drying brush. As soon as the section is dry I put in a big Velcro curler. Repeat on whole head. Spray with Perfect Touch Firm Hold hairspray (the green one). All the products are firm or extreme hold or else in minutes it will be flat.

Shoe City Wedge Platform booty Dasha:

I saw this shoe in January and it rolled out to my local Shoe City early Feb. As soon as I saw it I did not hesitate to buy it. This will be my new fancy shoe. I have been looking for a nice wedge for months so it's the shoe I've been waiting for. It's good with skirts, jeans, dresses. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY it feels comfortable. Now I won't run a half marathon yet but they don't murder my feet like high heels.

Cast iron grill:

Being a long time watcher of cooking game shows and food programs, as soon as I found out I'll have a gas cooker I so badly wanted a cast iron grill. And I can say that a year later it's probably one of the best things I bought.

It has two sides. A smooth and a grill. The grill I love for steaks or ribs and chicken. The smooth side for flapjacks and breakfast. It takes a hole pack of bacon and cooks it to perfection. When I make breakfast on it, it take half the time and I don't need two tiny pans.

Here and here is on Takealot.

Here and here on Yuppiechef

I bought mine at Checkers in the camping section.

Foodstate Thyroid Formula:

I don't really want to get real on my blog. I had issues and I don't really have the money to spend on the tests to find out what is wrong. So I got diagnosed by MOMmd and decided to self medicate. This stuff is bomb it you have hypothyroidism. If this stuff worked this well for me. I can't wait to try their other products

Here at Takealot

Here at Dischem

Pop Sockets:

I first saw Pop Sockets on Jenna Marbles' YouTube and found them in ZA. This made holding my phone easier. My hand feels more relaxed taking photos, texting and playing games. My Pop Socket is stuck on my case but it holds pretty well. They are available on their website or here is a list of retailers who stock them in store. (I bought mine at Pylones Mall of Africa)

Being with your Tribe:

Girl gang, tribe, squad. What ever you call it. It feels good to be with similar thinking people. I am a social introvert according this Buzzfeed quiz (Buzzfeed Quiz = truth of life). so even though I always question my social interactions (I usually have a play by play on all the stupid stuff I think I did for weeks afterwards) I still enjoy the company of strong independent women. Recently I got together with the women in my family for a dinner and spent a day with my best friend who was in the country for a vacation. It's always great to hear positive views on life.

Some social things wear my out. After most long interactions I feel like just scrolling through Pinterest or watching a Monster High movie from the safety of my bed . . . for a few days. But I feel that being with my group of people I don't feel all:

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Chooseday: I guess it happens

Two weeks ago I felt like I was crushing life. After cleaning the house, my husband and I went for lunch then some monthly grocery shopping. Half way through shopping, Fitbit let me know I nailed my step goal. Because of a few adjustments in my shopping my total was under R1500 of my estimate. I felt very good. Until I got into the car and realised my phone was gone.

So unreal and impossible. I thought I had misplaced it at the Wimpy but when my husband called it, it went to voicemail. I have never lost a phone. I'm always super vigilant. Thinking back, someone pick pocketed me. If they took it out of my handbag they would have taken my wallet too. I feel so violated that someone came into me personal space and stole from me, off me.

First I was angry that all my photos, videos and music was gone. Then that I have so many personal things on there. I never logged out of any of my apps. It's the number I do my banking on. I don't usually upgrade to a top phone and my sister convinced me to get a better phone. My contract amount doubled. So I'm paying for a phone that I don't even have. (I thought I'd just buy a new one but that is a R6700 phone, that pissed me off even more)

I blocked the sim and the phone got blacklisted but we all know there are low-lives who 'un-blacklist' phones for a living. Only now I see you can sign up to Samsung to delete all your things. That helps me a lot now.

Went to the police station and the first one made me feel like a criminal. I didn't know where to go in. Around a corner around another corner there is a sign that says “Customer service”. -_- The cop was too lazy to do the job so we had to go to another police station. He was a real shit head that was all “if the crime was committed in Cape Town you have to report it in cape town” yet it was committed only in the next suburb and “it would be too much work for him to do that paper work as it needs to be transfered“.

Now I don't even want to imagine if a rape victim had to deal in that place. It hurts my heart. For me it's a phone for them it's their body. No money can fix that.

I realise I should let it go into the universe and carry on with my life. No one got hurt or died. It just tarnished my view on life a bit. I always fight to see the other side of people. But now I'm like, was it the school children that pushed passed me? Was it the rude lady who brushed against me without saying excuse me? Was it the “helpful” poor old man that came close to say a till was open?

Ulg life.

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July Favourites 2014

My post have been slow as I have this wedding thing now. Here are some of my favourite things for July.

Beauty favourites:

Good stuff In Good Hands 2in1 Rooibos, Lemon grass & Ginger.

As the name states. . . it's good stuff. My sister got Raspberry body cream from them that absorbed so quickly. I immediately thought of them when I wanted to buy hand cream. I like Nivea's little blue tubs BUT hate the greasy, wet feeling on the palms of my hands. This stuff is just not the same.

Bonus: It's antiseptic. Perfect for germy work

Not so cool: That I forgot it at work and a co-worker decided she help her self to my hand cream . . . :-(

Get it at: I got mine at Pick'nPay but they have a section at Dischem as well.

Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo:

I bought the conditioner as well but the 'poo it what immensely impressed me. I have washed my hair since I was six. My fave 'poo's are TRESemmé Breakage Defence, Hands On B Blonde Silver Shampoo and when I now and then have my dry scalp moments I grab some good old Head and Shoulders from my sister.

This shampoo is next level. Have you every washed your hair with shampoo that you could put your hand through you hair JUST after you shampooed with NO conditioner? . . .

App Favourites:

My Fitness Pal:

It's a calorie counter but also measures your water intake and takes into account work outs. You can make yourself sick and beat yourself up and develop a mental illness with this app but I'm using it to make healthier food choices. It even calculates vitamin, fat, mineral and protein intake.

I upped my water intake and made better food choices and already lost 2 kgs in two weeks.

*PLEASE NOTE: I may have lost 2kg in two weeks but I've been using this app for 4 weeks. The first week I was awful. The second week I starved myself that also didn't work. I changed up my snacks and this week really started drinking water.

Download here

Battery Doctor:

Fitness Pal robbed my battery. Battery doctor kills apps. Problem solved.

Download here

Food favourites:

Slow cooked chicken:

Rotisserie chicken ain’t got nothing on this. My recipe is one whole chicken, Salt and pepper. Set oven to 100ºC. Salt an pepper the inside and outside of the chicken. Put in the oven and forget about is for 5 to 6 hours. Take it out of the oven. Enjoy.

Himalayan Pink Salt:

When you eat salt this is apparently the salt to have. It's has antioxidants. I used it on the chicken above. It has a little sweetness. And it's PINK.

Bought this at Checkers.

Living favourites:

Woolies Memory foam slippers:

Fuzzy and comfy. I always use to do the socks and slop thing for slippers (NOT OUTSIDE THE HOUSE tho') but my feet were never really warm. But these are amazing. It's got a short term memory or my feet are a shape they don’t want to forget.

Drinking more water:

Read what sweet Lauren has to say here and this woman's awesome experience here
Water bottle: BPA FREE Pure and Go Water bottle

Bonus: It awesome for your health

Not Cool: Peeing so much in the winter.


What's your secret to peeing in winter?

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Domo arigato Mr Roboto: Samsung S3 mini

I'm not always up to speed with the latest cell phones and gadgets. It just gets too expensive to buy the latest and greatest that will be outdated in a few weeks. When I do buy Tech I choose something I know will last. I still have my same old phone while other people paid a ridiculous price for a few phones. No thanks. My budget is more important than trying to keep up with the Jones. Jones must mind their own business if they want to mock me.

My last upgrade I got a Samsung S3 mini. I love Android. He is so cute. I know that that's no basis to get a phone on but I know a few things about Linux and Open Source. This is being written on OpenOffice and I only use Firefox.

Here are my apps I just had to download.

Of couse the obligatory Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. No big surprise there. Those are my top Social networking sites. I know new social networks get started everyday that people claim are better and ya know maybe they are but these are the three that are just sticking. All of my accounts are interconnected. It's where I connect with my people and where I share my stuff.

Pinterest: Finally I have a good enough phone for this app to work!! I don't necessarily pin and browse on it but when I pinned a recipe or a pattern I can just go on my phone and recall that info in the shop. Brilliant.

PaintUp: I wanted to download an app that I could draw on. I enjoy doodling and this takes it to the next level. You can save your doodle or Paint it up. This is what I do when I can't sleep. I also use my master pieces as back grounds for my phone.

PhotoGrid: I really like using this app because is so easy to use. You pick the photos you want to gird up and shake your phone to change up the types of girds. On a recent update they added stickers. Unfortunately you have to upload them separately. I downloaded Rage Comics (I just love derps) and Doodle. Now shake shake shake!!!

My Bar Free: I love cocktails. Probably making them more than drinking. There was a reason why I always got good marks for 'Drinks' in Hotel and Catering. This is an awesome app where you mark all the spirits and ingredients and it tells you what drinks you can make from the official IBA drinks as well as a few classic extras.

 

Ymail: My personal email is yahoo. I always procrastinated with stuff with my email. It just helped me get more organised.

Pou: This is my only little game app. It's a pet rock Tamagotchi type game. You feed it and can buy it clothes. It's not a very demanding creature. Very low maintenance. But with in this game it has games where you can win that world's coins. Games like bubble puzzle, a matching game and all types of other mini games. Great to get your mind thinking.

Another  two are ConverterPad and an add free Kitchen Timer

And that sums up of what I downloaded on my phone for now. What apps have you downloaded on your phone? Am I the only one that's unnaturally attached to old cellphones?

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