Featured

Thursday, 7 May 2015

The Greatest Love of All - The Whitney Houston Show + GIVEAWAY


In a tribute to a woman who has long been an icon of pop music and vocal ability, The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show celebrates Whitney Houston's most loved songs with the breathtaking voice of South African singer Belinda Davids (pictured above).

No matter how old you are, I think regardless everyone will know at least one song of hers. Probably something you love to karaoke too, although of course we can't hit those high notes like the beloved Whitney herself. 

Unfortunately for myself I couldn't see the great Whitney Houston herself in show but we have the next closest thing coming around. I have no doubt in my mind that this show will be a moving one in both the dancing and touching your heart for Whitney. 

The 2 ½ hour concert and stage show spans Houston’s 29 year career and includes hits How Will I Know, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Didn't We Almost Have It All, I'm Every Woman, Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Step by Step and I Will Always Love You.


The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show with the glamorous Belinda Davids singing live on centre stage is not only a brilliant tribute but a spectacular concert experience with a full band, dancers and theatrical effects.

Davids, born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, began performing professionally at the age of 14. Her four octave vocal range allows her the ability to sing any genre but her musical heart has always been R&B.

Her musical inspirations as a child were Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Michael Jackson and the one artist whom she still, to this day, honours in every show she performs, Whitney Houston.

The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show comes to Melbourne in May 2015 following sell-out tours to Dubai, New Zealand, Canada, the US and South Africa.


SEASON DETAILS
VENUE             Athenaeum Theatre
ADDRESS        188 Collins St, Melbourne
DATE               Friday 15 May to Saturday 23 May 2015 
TICKETS        Ticketek 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au
WEBSITE        www.thegreatestloveofall.com.au
PRICES:          Tickets from $49.90



Two lucky readers will be able to win a double pass to head out for a night to remember.
Tickets are valid for the Melbourne performance only on opening night, Friday 15th May at 8pm. 

Simply enter below via the rafflecopter form for your chance to win.

Giveaway closes: 12th May at midnight.
Winner is to contact back within 24hrs otherwise may occur.

www.thegreatestloveofall.com.au

**Tickets have been kindly provided for this giveaway in return for its promotion here.

Saturday, 2 May 2015

Remington Blow Dry In A Box [REVIEW]


Remington is a brand we all know. It's a brand that holds its spot for most of us being your first hair tool. Remington always have been reasonable in pricing in my opinion.

In time for Mother's Day, Remington has a key item of theirs that would appeal to a lot of us Mumma's out there.

Blow drying my hair has never been something I am good at. I have very thick and easily knotted hair that I don't even bother with attempting to dry with the hair dryer simply because I'm too lazy after my showers.

Generally most of the time I am a night time shower-er as I go to gym late nights so obviously need to show after that. Every second day I will wash my hair and because it's so thick it will take forever to naturally air dry so it was time for me to start looking for an option that would be somewhat easy and quick for me to dry my hair at night time so I don't have to be going to sleep on wet hair.

I have always wanted to be able to whip my hair into that silk luscious and healthy looking TV commercial looking locks but the thought of trying to blow dry my hair was too painful to think about for very long so I never gave this a shot at home.



I was kindly gifted a Remington Blow Dry In A Box (RRP $69.95) this Mother's Day to put to the test. This kit is a limited edition gift pack which contains a powerful 2300-watt dryer, radial brush and salon professional styling products from the hair care range Osmo, containing everyones favourite Argan Oil.
You'll also find two (2) sectional clips as well as extra goodies.

Remington Blow Dry In A Box comes with literally everything you will need to achieve that salon blow dry. In the comfort of your own home you can get some DIY pampering in.

Due to the fact my hair is so thick I needed to do lots of different smaller sections to be able to get my whole head of hair dried completely. First time using the blow dryer with the radial brush I was getting my arms and hands all tangled with one another. The directions said to have the brush underneath the hair and blow dryer on top to blow dry, well that didn't seem to work for me. The other way round works best for me - hairbrush on top and blow dryer going underneath, place your radial hair brush onto the top of the hair and then slowly run the radial brush down the hair following along with the blow dryer.

Majority of my hair after 2-3 strokes of the blow dryer going over it was dry but if there was some patches I would run the blow dryer by itself over it to get it all.


The Remington 2300-watt dryer is a pinky purple colour with 3 buttons in the hand held area.
First button for the cool air to come out. Second button had three (3) selections where you change the heat intensity of the dryer. Third button is for the dryer speed.
Be careful with the middle (second button) as the last one is very hot.

A soft plastic glove like cover encases the hair dryer and provides a better grip for when in use. Roughly around 40cm in height and being of a medium weight this hair dryer is good sizing to use.
 



I'm still learning the knack of how to do an overall good salon looking blow dry but for now I have to say thank you to Remington for allowing me to have all the tools I need to achieve that look. Practice makes perfect right.
After blow drying just like in the salons I'll run the hair straightener over the top of it for a complete all over well nourished straight hair look. 
www.remington-products.com.au

Product was provided for consideration in return for its promotion here. All opinions are my own. 

Thursday, 30 April 2015

The Healthy Chef - Cold Pressed Organic Wheatgrass Juice Powder REVIEW


When you hear Wheatgrass, actually maybe just the word grass you really need to have a good think about how you will digest it but Wheatgrass is such a fantastic thing with so many benefits for you. For me I have been into looking after my wellness for quite some time so anything that helps my body for the better I am into and will give anything a try once.


Why Wheatgrass?

One of the most nutritionally dense greens on earth, wheatgrass helps to alkalise the body, boost metabolism and plays an important role in digestive wellness. Power-packed with naturally occurring nutrients, wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, beta carotene, vitamin C, B complex vitamins, amino acids, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

Why The Healthy Chef Wheatgrass?

Firstly, The Healthy Chef are the first in Australia to release this product in early March 2015 so you won't be getting this anywhere else just yet. 

“Made from sustainably grown wheatgrass, our product is nutritionally dense and packed with organic goodness. To enjoy, simply mix with water and add a squeeze of lemon or add to your favourite juice, protein shake or smoothie,” says Teresa.

Whilst many wheatgrass powders are made from the whole dried leaf, The Healthy Chef product is made from pure, cold-pressed juice - just like you get in a juice bar - so it’s more concentrated and nutritionally powerful. The end result is highly bioavailable and many times more concentrated in nutrients than whole leaf grass powders.

The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder is gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and has no added sugar, fillers or preservatives. It is an all-natural, plantbased supplement made from 100% certified organic cold-pressed wheatgrass juice powder.

The benefits of The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder include:
  • Supports Digestion
  • Supports Detoxification
  • Boosts Metabolism
  • High in Chlorophyll
  • Alkaline
  • Natural anti-inflammatory helping nourish a dewy complexion.

The warmer months are creeping up on us and that means the naughty colds and influenza will be hanging around for their next victims so it's super important to start looking after your wellness and doing as much now as you can to ensure you aren't caught out getting ill. 

I took The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder mainly for the benefits of boosting my metabolism as I am training my butt off to get my weight down. I would start my day with having a Green Smoothie that contained The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder with some kale, ice, coconut water, chia seeds and away I go. 



The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder has a real grass like scent and taste to it, not that I have ate grass before but it was one of those cases where it tastes like it smells. A freshly cut lawn is exactly what wafts on the nose with this one. 








The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder is a lot less pungent on the taste buds in comparison to others out there that I have tried. Although I am still not too keen on having it with just water - as per my own preferences but you can add a little lemon juice to the water to take away the strong taste or add it into your smoothies like myself. 




The Healthy Chef Cold Pressed Wheatgrass Juice Powder comes in a 200g zip lock pouch that should give you 80 serves if you are using the 2.5g serve. This wheatgrass is best kept living in the fridge for optimal freshness.  

Monday, 27 April 2015

The Scales Are Not Your Friend [Wellness Post]


By now you will know that I am a person who has always been into health, wellness and fitness. My blog will always take quotes or have posts solely dedicated to health, wellness or fitness. 
Last year around this time you will have seen me crack down a little to get some excess weight off.. In which I am glad to see 20kgs has been dropped of this Mumma! There is still plenty more to come off but for now I am happy with where I am heading. 

If you follow me on social media then you'll see lots of foodie pictures, gym selfies etc 
Every day I go into the gym I will take a gym selfie simply because I am loving the way I am looking and loving these positive changes that are happening in my body through my healthier lifestyle. 


Recently I put myself into the Maxine's Shape Up Challenge and it isn't exactly working out for me. 
Not that I am giving up and calling the quits but it's just not my sort of lifestyle. I am not as strict on myself as I should be when it comes to eating, which is a flaw and I know I need to work on but the thing with Maxine's Shape Up Challenge is with the meal plans - I'm a big fruit and vegetable lover. 
I like an array of foods not just having an apple as a piece of fruit, I cram a million different fruits into a morning smoothie or have every color in the rainbow on my plate for vegetables. I like being able to have pastas and eat muesli for breakfast so that's where I was like this challenge isn't working for me. 

Obviously the menu plan and workout plans provided by Maxine's Shape Up Challenge are for base and to use as a guide. Eventually I do want to be on those 'hardcore' diets like was in the meal plan but for now it's not me and how I do clean eating diets. 

Lately I have been jumping on the scales and not seeing any movement on the numbers which was really ticking me off because I have been training practically every day lately and have really stepped up the 'beast mode' in my workouts BUT I have noticed massive differences in my body when I look in the mirror and in my clothing with how lose they are so it really goes to show that the scales are not your friend.


I usually train at night time because this is when it suits me best. I'll get home from work, relax with Niah for a little bit then it's time to start making dinner, have dinner, bath Niah, put Niah to bed and I'm usually out the door within 20 minutes of getting her down to go to the gym. 
As much as I would like to go to the gym in the mornings I wouldn't get to see Niah for that hour and a half that we are usually up together so I'd prefer to just train when she is in bed asleep and I'm not giving up any of my time with her. 

People have started making comments saying 'Your insane' in both good and bad ways. My response to both comments:
Good: Thank you, I know. My motivation drive is just so up there at the moment and in order to get the body I want then I need to be as committed as I am.
Bad: No, it's not a bad thing that I train everyday - I'm not running myself down. I know my body's limits and if I feel like I need a break to rest my body then I will, I'm not stupid. If I don't feel sore or tired then why should I have a rest? 

Like for instance last night I was feeling sore, my arms were hurting and same as my calves so I took the night off from gym and gave myself some DIY pampering, now I'm recovered and ready to go again. 


One thing that has been such a massive change for me though is not looking at gym as a thing to do on my list and having to think about going to gym in sometimes a contemplating way. 
Going to the gym daily now is just habit, it's routine and something I just do now. 

Focus on your own grind and things will fall into place. You just to need to soldier on and give your all into what you want. 'Nothing changes nothing' Find that motivation within yourself and go do it! 
Don't let others who can't keep up with you try to bring you down because they're not on your level. Sometimes I wish I could transfer some of my positive energy and motivation to them so they know how rewarding it feels but then I think, No - I did this own my own, I wanted this and went out and got it so they need to find that themselves as well. 
The ones who are strong enough will stay in it and keep at it but those who aren't will fall back and quit and need starting again. Don't quit - don't give up on yourself. 

I'll finish off this post with saying 'Happiness Lives Here'.
You may have seen this in my hashtag's on social media along with many tags along the lines of happiness and positiveness. Well, that's whats happening in my life right now. I am happy with where I am at, I'm the key to what my future holds and how my life will pan out. 

Follow my IG account where I might rub off with some motivation: @njtblogger
xx 

Working Mumma [LIFE POST]


I realized that it has been ages since I have given a 'journal' like entry where I just ramble on about my life and yadda yadda. Who knows if anyone actually wants too or does but ya know, it's my blog so I feel I should be known a little better.

At current I have returned to work. It was a hard decision and believe me I would love to be a stay at home Mum with Niah all the day but it was time to move forward. I was waiting for that moment that I could see Niah didn't need me around as much anymore and wanted to be out with the kids socialising, keeping busy and being occupied with new things so it was time for me to pull the big girl pants on.

I have been back at work for about nearly a month now with my minimum of days being 4 but recently I have been working 5-5.5 days. My original plan was to go back to work part time with a maximum of 3-4 days but things have just picked up so quickly that I'm back practically working full-time.
I will work one day on a weekend and the rest of my days are during the week with having normally a two day break during the week and one weekend day off, which works for me as we never really do much during the weekends and I like to have days off in the week as it's quite if we hit the shops or I need to run errands.

Being back at work means I can stop having the fridge as my best friend and snacking constantly because I am bored at home. I can get my eating properly on control like my training is. Luckily the team at work are like minded with trying to eat healthy so I am not tempted by take out Fridays or such. Coffee will or should I say has become my addiction again as work has a coffee machine. (As per my coffee selfies below haha)


Niah is going to the beautiful and state of the art (I would call it) childcare centre. It's a natural centre that has everything wooden which is something I really love about it. Its brand new and has just opened up in the area I reside in so getting into this centre was a breeze luckily as we got their at the beginning, no doubt when word gets around about the centre it will be a centre that is hard to get into.

This childcare centre has its own dining room - kids will go into here within group lots of 4 from each room so the children get to mingle with all other aged room children. This is a great way for them to see siblings, other family members or friends outside of the centre that may be in the same childcare centre as them.
A reason why they have this dining room as well is so that children don't have to pack up what they are doing in their room and go when lunch is served. They can go off when they are ready to eat (within a given time period that the meals are being served) and don't need to come back and start there playing adventures all over again.

Niah on her way into care
Niah is a bit of a fussy eater so it will hopefully be a positive thing in that she will see other kids eating foods that she wouldn't normally have at home when she sticks her nose up to it and encourage her to eat a variety of foods. Every time I have gone in to collect Niah from daycare I'm told by the room carers that Niah ate what was on today's food menu which is brilliant to hear.

Not only is there, their own dining room but they have a little library where if the children aren't sleeping they will be taken to do some quiet reading as they don't believe children should be forced to lay down and rest if that's not what they want to do.

A parents room is also a feature at this centre and gives you a place to get your child settled should they become overwhelmed or very unsettled as you are dropping them into childcare. This room also features all the information/communication pieces for parents as well.

Being back at work has been hard to be away from Niah most days. Niah has finally adjusted properly and settled into daycare with no tears when I leave after four (4) daycare sessions which is good because it doesn't make me feel as bad for leaving her.

I'm happy to be able to move forward in life and start getting our future under way not that I'm back at work.
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