Last week was a week full off surprises! I celebrated my Birthday and was spoiled rotten by my lovely friends, family and readers. Thank you to everyone who sent me sweet little messages, emails and e-cards; I felt very loved. You are all amazing! If that wasn’t enough to make my week, my beautiful roommate was kind enough to bake me a delicious double chocolate fudge cake (pictured above) and bring me breakfast in bed the morning after a few too many cocktails! Exams and assignments are finally under wraps and it’s time to relax and soak up what is left of the sunshine before the Australian Winter hits full force. I hope you all had a great week too! Becky xo

I don’t know about you guys but I love nothing more than finding an amazing new iPhone app. to play around with. After going through and deleting a bunch of unused and impulse app. buys I thought it would be fun to share my favourites. To be honest I have a lot of favourites, but instead of boring you all senseless with a huge list I decided to narrow it down to my top 10, across various categories. What are your favourite apps? Feel free to share them in the comments, I’d love to hear them!

MUSIC APPS:

SONGKICK

If like myself you love going to a gig, concert of show then Songkick is definitely the right app for you. Songkick syncs with your Facebook music “likes” as well as your iTunes account and creates a calendar of events based upon such bands/artists tour dates and gigs. So handy! This App is my now not-so-serect secret to keeping on track of my favourite bands.

PRICE: Free

SHAZAM

The first moment I discovered and used Shazam I was amazed! Shazam allows you determine the title and artist of a song playing simply by recording a few seconds of sound. The App also allows you to directly purchase that song on Itunes after recording. Which is really handy at those times where you find yourself in love with a song but have no clue who it’s by. I used to scroll down lyrics on my legs to Google before this App I discovered this App!

PRICE: Free for a limited amount of recordings per month or $7.49AU for lifetime subscription.

SOCIAL APPS.

BLOGLOVIN:

Bloglovin is my got to app for keeping track of the many blogs I read both on the go. The app has a really pretty yet  functional userface that it super easy to use.

PRICE: Free.

ORGANIZATION APPS.

TAPTODO:

Taptodo is my go-to organisational app. Tadtodo is linked to your Google account and allows you to make an interactive to-do list and daily schedule. It’s really easy to use and free to download.

PRICE: Free

HEALTH/FITNESS APPS.

EASY DIET DIARY:

Easy Diet Diary is what I use almost everyday to keep track of my calorie intake and exercise. The feature I like best of all is that you can upload foods/drinks you consume that aren’t already listed and add all the nutritional details from the packaging. The app. also allows you to record weight loss in accordance  to your BMI and daily food and exercise by mapping it nicely on a graph.

PRICE: Free.

PERIOD TRACKER LITE:

A easy way of keeping track of your monthly cycle. Easy to use and free to download.

PRICE: Free

RUNKEEPER:

RunKeeper is what I use to keep rack of not only how long I have ran but how many calories I have burn and how far I have gone. The best free running app. I have tried and a great way to keep track of progress and fitness goals.

PRICE: Free

PHOTOGRAPHY APPS.

CAMERA+:

Out all all the camera/photography apps. I have tried Camera+ is my favourite. The apps allows you to not only zoom and focus whilst taking the picture but edit for clarity, crop, add borders as well as add numerous special effects.

PRICE: $0.99

HOW2EDIT:

How to edit isn’t just another camera app. rather a pocket guide to combining majority of the  popular photography apps. on the market to create some amazing results and effects. The app. has a bunch of tutorials, is easy to follow and a great way to turn your everyday pics into something special. Such a unique idea and definitely worth the $5.49 in my opinion.

Price: $5.49

OTHER APPS.

COCOPPA: Cocoppa has to be the cutest app on the market! Cocoppa allows you to change the standard iPhone app icons to adorable Kawaii styled icons. You also have the option of uploading your own designs for personal use or sharing. Can’t wait to make a set of my own!

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.

The weeks just seem to by flying by and it’s hard to believe it’s June already! My past week, like the previous was a pretty slow one with a lot of work and study and not too much else. The highlight of my week had to be the arrival of my new iMac! It was something I had been wanting to buy for a while and after working a lot of overtime and saving my cash I finally caved and bought it. I must say I’m in love! Being about to view my work on Illustrator & Photoshop on the one screen without flicking between two is amazing. But enough about my geeky new purchase. This week my work colleges and I decided to spice up Friday Night Cocktails and head to the local comedy club instead. I must say best $20 I have ever spent. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time. The next morning we spent (freezing) at the beach and enjoying some amazing dutch pancakes. I hope you all had a more exiting week than I did! Becky xo

Many of you have probably heard a phrase similar to the following “As a Uni student you want 3 things; good grades, money and a social life, but unfortunately you can only choose 2″. Well as a full time Uni Student with a full time job and a fairly active social life I am here to tell you that finding balance between all 3 can be done. Yep that’s right, there’s no need to settle for just two! I however, would be lying if I said it’s an easy task. Chances are at times you will feel tired and overextended but with enough planning and dedication finding balance can be achieved quiet effectively and with minimal stress. So how do I go about juggling my everyday life whilst staying sane? Well, here are a few tips and tricks that work for me and may work for you too. Feel free to share any of your own in the comments section I’d love to hear them!

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF PHYSICALLY & EMOTIONALLY:

In order to run at your full potential you need to take care of yourself. This is of the upmost importance. After all how can you expect your body/mind to do what you want it to do if you don’t take care of it? Because of this you need to make sure you get enough sleep, eat well, exercise regularly and drink plenty of water. Stay away from sugary snacks and energy drinks. Ultimately these so-called “pick me ups” only lead to a sugar high than crash, which is a definite no-no when you need to stay alert and productive throughout the entire day. Keeping a busy schedule can be tough on your body both physically and mentally but when you combine this pressure along with the lack of exercise and a poor diet chances are your immune system is going to take a beating and you’ll wind up sick. Just think about how many people do you see in finals sniffling, coughing and sneezing!

MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF EACH DAY:

This goes hand in hand with maintaining a healthy, relatively stress-free state of mind. In order to keep everyday stresses at bay and be at your full potential you need to make time for yourself to relax. Even if it’s only for 20 minutes, be sure to do it! Each morning when I wake up I spend 20 minutes drinking my coffee and reading a magazine or the paper. A nice bubble bath or a run with my dog also does the trick. It really surprising how a little “Me-Time” can change your entire attitude and give you a clearer (and often calmer) perspective. Which ultimately aids in productivity.

BE ORGANISED IN THE MORNING. EVEN IF THAT MEANS HALF AN HOUR LESS SLEEP:

Starting your day off rushing around makes for a stressful day. Plus chances are if your are rushing about you are going to forget about something important. One trick I learnt from my Mum is to set my clock forward 10-15 minutes and organise myself around that time (not the actual time). Running that little bit ahead of schedule will allow you to account for any unforeseen circumstances, such as having to drive back home to grab something you forgot, that annoying traffic on the highway and that extra few minutes you needed to touch up your hair or make up (superficial I know!). Also, if like myself you struggle with motivation in the morning you may benefit from organising yourself the night before. I like to iron my clothing, pack my bag, find my keys and lay out everything I need for the following day the night before. This way when I wake up all I have to worry about is having a shower, getting dressed and heading out. Easy. Plus nothing ruins a morning more than having to turn the house upside-down searching for keys, USB’s or a credit cards. We have all been there!

BECOME A PRO AT SCHEDULING: 

If you have a lot to do and want to ensure it all gets done you will need a schedule of some sort. My favourite way to keep track of my Uni schedule is with my iPhone with an App called Pocket Schedule. You can download the Free version or purchase the Full version for just 99 cents. Taptodo however is what I use as my all round planner. Taptodo is linked to your Google account and allows you to create an interactive to-do list that is not only linked to your Google Account but to your email as well. I normally use these 2 apps in combination with my trusty scribble pad/journal, but what works for you may be entirely different than what does for me. It’s trial and error really. I was going to go into more detail about the do’s and dont’s of creating a schedule but my Hawaiian Penpal and fellow Blogger; Jess from Jess Classy  beat me to it! You can her lovely guide here. It’s definitely worth a read if you find scheduling a little daunting.

IF POSSIBLE, KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE:

As much as I’d like to say otherwise there’s only a limited amount of hours in a day, which means only so much can be done. No matter how organised you are. This is when multitasking comes in handy. If I have a whole bunch of stuff on my plate I like to combinine tasks or “kill two birds with one stone”.  This may mean combining coffee with a friend with a beach walk (Exercise + Social) or reading over my notes on the train on the way home form work/Uni. If you get creative with your scheduling you may find that you do in fact have more time than you originally thought.

LEARN TO PRIORITISE &  SAY “NO” WHEN YOU NEED TO:

This was probably the hardest lessen I had to learn. As sad as it may be, when you have a lot on your plate you are not going to be able to please everyone. If disappointing a friend by not attending her party means passing an exam or getting that extra shift to pay for your rego then don’t feel guilty. It’s all about priorities and chances are if you explain to your friend why you aren’t attending and organise an alternative she’ll forgive you.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP & KNOW YOUR LIMITS:

If you are finding your busy schedule to be too much there’s no shame in asking for help or slowing down. Most Universities have services or people you can speak to  who will help you out when it comes to managing your studies or dealing with stress.  I will admit to being more than slightly adverse when it comes to asking for help but having utilised such services (after a lot of nagging from a friend!) I was able to rearrange my classes to fit in perfectly with my working schedule and undertake a class online to save time. So I will assure you that if you are struggling with keeping up with your studies or fitting everything in visiting Uni Services it’s worth swallowing your pride for. Remember your physical and mental health is far more important than anything else and there’s no shame in slowing down or asking for help.

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

This past week as been a super busy one and to be honest I have spent majority of my spare time behind the computer screen working on assignments and not the fun stuff; mainly web coding (sigh!). However, one non-code related assignment which I quiet enjoyed required me create a flyer for a pet food company. Instead of using stock images I thought it would be fun to have a little photo shoot with my cat and dog (If my neighbours didn’t think I was strange already they sure do now!). You can see a few of the images above. If you follow me on Instagram chances are you’ve already seen them. I’d post the final result (the flyer) but my Uni frowns upon that until the semester is over. Other than a bunch of study I enjoyed a mojito with some old high school friends and found the cutest little cafe and indulged in some fluffy scones. I hope you all had a productive week like I did! Becky xox

Today I would like to introduce you to my latest style icon Martine Haanschoten. Martine is a Fashion/Lifestyle Blogger from the Netherlands. Martine self titled blog is definitely worth a look and if you are anything like myself you will find yourself emerged in her day to day life, craving a good trip away and suffering with some major hair envy! Below are a few of my favourite looks featured on Martine’s LookBook. What do you think?

Are there any fashion bloggers you are finding particularly inspiring at the moment? Becky xo

As a single student, working full time and living with roommates I will admit that when it comes to money the only time I really stress is when my savings are looking low and my car decides stop working. Having said this my third roommate has decided to move interstate with her boyfriend. Now not only are my other roommate and I going to miss her like crazy we are left with the decision as to whether or not to find someone to take her spot or tighten our belts. As all our friends are either not in a financial position to move out of home or are already in a place they love, we are looking at the possibility of a stranger moving in with us. Having had some really bad experiences living with people we didn’t know we are strongly leaning towards turning the third bedroom into a home gym and  splitting the rent 50/50. This will require some planning and cut backs on our part. Yep that means some dreaded budgeting. Wanting to take things seriously I started evaluating my spending and I was very surprised. After double checking the figures I was shocked to learn that my everyday activities were costing me a whole lot of cash. In fact I was spending over 11 THOUSAND dollars a year without even realising. I never really thought I lived extravagantly until I really looked into my spending. It was a real eye opener. If you have never evaluated your spending I really suggest you do so. You may be left suprised like I was. So how was I burning 11 thousand dollars of my cash each year you may ask? Well, here’s the breakdown:

Cafe Coffee: Getting up at 5am everyday and not being in bed until after 11pm most days, often leaves me tired and heading to my local coffee shop for a pick me up. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with this until I worked out how much my coffee addiction was actually costing me. On average I  buy 1.5 cups of coffee a day. Each cup costs me $5, taking into account that my 10th is free (I’m a really loyal customer, as you can tell haha) I am spending an average of $48 a week just on coffee. That’s almost two and a half grand a year. Which is insane and could pay for an annual trip to Thailand!

My solution: Take a flask of  home-brewed coffee with me each day and learn to love the free instant at work.

Brunch dates and bought work lunches: It’s tempting to meet the girls for brunch and indulge in a $20 (vegetarian) eggs benny or hit the sushi bar for lunch every second day but when you work it these “little” indulgences are super expensive and end up costing me around $80 a week or $4,160 a year!

My Solution: Opt for the raisin bread ($4.00) at brunch and start taking lunch to work. Easy.

Friday Night Cocktails: Since I started my job Friday Night Cocktails have always been a weekly occurrence. As I usually spend the weekend working (I work one weekend on, one off) or catching up on study I only have one cocktail, two at the most which doesn’t seem like a huge expense.  However, with each cocktail at $15 a pop and a taxi ride home (I never drink and drive, even if I think I’m under) Friday night drinks were costing me around $50 a week or $2,600 a year.

My Solution: I really didn’t want to give up my Friday nights, so instead I talked to a workmate (also a friend) about my new budget and we decided to alternate weeks as designated driver. This will ultimately save us both on taxi fare as well as drink costs every second week. Win-Win.

Online Shopping: I am an online shopping addict and my purchases are so regular that both my courier and mailman know my name by heart and often joke “Oh looks like ASOS had a sale again!” while delivering my latest silver plastic clad package. Upon looking through my debit card history I worked out through the past 6 months my online spending averaged $60.00 a week, which works out to be around $3,120 a year! If I am completely honest with myself about 50% of my purchases I either end up hating, don’t fit right or I forget about them and end up finding them months later at the back of my cupboard with tagged still attached.

My Solution: Follow my own advice and cut costs where I can when it comes to online shopping. But more importantly stop any impulse buys and limit myself to just $100 a month on online purchases. My wardrobe is seriously bursting as is and I don’t need anything else.

So there you have it “little” ways I was blowing over 11 grand a year with frivolous spending and you could be too! Do you have any tips and tricks for budgeting or saving cash? Becky xo

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Just to set things straight I am not getting married! But my best friend of 18 years is! I remember as 6 year olds cutting out pics from mum’s Vogue of our ideal wedding dresses and grooms! Well my Bestie’s big day is fast approaching and as a student saving for her (and her future husband’s) first home money is tight. Like most brides B wants things things to be perfect and her wedding dress is no exception BUT $4,000 for a dream dress sadly isn’t feasible. After a chat with our recently newlywed friend we decided to search for cheap wedding dresses online. Ebay was the first place we searched, but I guess a lot of other soon to be brides had the same idea as bidding got pretty intense and she keep getting out bid. That’s when we decided to search online and discovered that some online stores have gorgeous wedding dresses for under $200 and with a bit of altering the these dresses are a budget friendly way of finding the perfect dress. Here are the two she is tossing up between, both astonishingly under $150!

Dress 1. Dress 2. 

Do you have any budget friendly Wedding tips? I’d love to hear them! Becky xo

Today’s style icon is Annika from The Pineneedle Collective. Annika blogs about 3 of my favourite things; fashion, DIY and Science. Yep you read that right; Science. As a former science major I find Annika’s science posts and experiments fascinating and in a way they bring back a sense of nostalgia. Annika answers questions like; How does hair dye work and How is Fairy Floss possible in a light hearted yet informative manner which is often accompanied by a cute outfit. If you haven’t read The Pineneedle Collective before I assure you it’s worth the click. I am always left feeling inspired after visiting!

Are there any Bloggers whose style you find particularly inspiring? Becky xo