Mixtape #3

Hello lovelies,

Hope your week has been amazing so far!

If it hasn't been going very well, make tomorrow a good day. 
When you decide that you will have a good day, 99% of the time you will - and so will the people around you as happiness and positivity is contagious.

Here is a quick mix I threw together of some of the songs I have had on replay for the last week - is it just me who listens to songs on repeat until you don't like the song anymore? 

 Currently been working on a few exciting projects .. stay tuned



xo G
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Happiness isn't size specific





What do you think when you look in the mirror?

+ yuck I look disgusting..

+ there are a few things I'd change if I could, but oh well

+ I'm content with myself and know that there are more important things

+ wow I'm really really really incredibly good looking (if you get this reference we can be friends)

...

Sadly the majority of young - teenage girls fall into the first two categories.

Now i'm not saying that if you are happy with how you look there's something wrong with you and you should be like everyone else - definitely not. What I am saying is that more people should feel confident, empowered and embrace who they are. 

I also want to stress that I am not of the opinion that exercise is bad and you can't change anything about your body. Exercise is super important, however you should do it because you want to feel fit, strong and capable - not because you want the 'perfect bod' which is constantly shoved in our face - thank you very much to the media.

But girls, who says you have to listen to these messages? 
You can define beauty for yourselves. 
You can choose what you accept and what you challenge. 

...

Just thought I'd share a few of my favourite quotes to inspire you:

+ embrace and love your body, it's the most amazing thing you will ever own

+ you are imperfect permanently and inevitably flawed; and you are beautiful

+ every time you look in the mirror, think of something positive

+ to all the people who think you're fat ... you're the beautiful one. It's society that's ugly

+ warning: reflections in a mirror may be distorted by social constructed ideas of beauty

+ instead of focusing on what's missing, learn to appreciate what's already there












 Dress, ring + her fashion box
Canvas + love board
Bracelets + circular trend
Flower crown + chelsea's flower crowns

You are all beautiful - that's right I don't need to see your face to say that, because my definition of beauty is by the content of someone's character

xo G



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DIY succulent pots







About a week ago I arrived to a few large parcels - one of which were a box of succulents, pots, and plant holders! Ahh for those of you who don't know, I looooove plants - my room is full of them. They just make me happier!
Thank you so much to @suckersforsucculents for the plants - if you are looking for some small succulents and pouches to add some life to your house, definitely have a peak over at their instagram. 
Hope you enjoy this DIY.
Hopefully filming a Q&A for you all next weekend 
(comment any Q's below)..

xo G



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Organisation tips



'Urgh I have so much homework and it's so difficult. I can't do any of it. Been on instagram and facebook. It's 10.30pm and I haven't done anything yet. It's okay I'll get up early tomorrow morning. Couldn't be bothered to get up, will just try and do it in the car, on the way to school. Tonight I need to do homework from today, study, exercise, practice my instrument, write a blog post, catch up with the homework from yesterday, tidy my room, have a shower and make my lunch... oh and I have to walk home in the rain - fantastic :/'

Does this sound familiar? 

Feeling unmotivated, unorganised and falling behind in everything is literally my worst nightmare. But not to worry, I have some tips to get you motivated and on top of everything whether it's school, work, instruments, exercise, social media, driving or study!

...

When I say 'timetable' or 'planner' a lot of you think 'no that doesn't help me' or some of you might think 'I make them and never stick to them.' But please try it again and really make and effort to stick to it. Planners don't work unless you do!

...




Here are my top 3 tips for making a planner:

1. PRIORITISE
when I get home from school, I write out everything I need to do, then label them with 1 (most urgent) to 5 (not so important). This way, all the work due the next day can be completed first, followed by study, instrument practice and maybe some blogging.

2. USE COLOUR
I find colour super beneficial - highlight school work in one yellow, exercise in green, extra curricular activities in blue and so on. This way you can see approximately how much time you are spending on different tasks each afternoon.

3. CHECK OFF COMPLETED TASKS
there is a real sense of satisfaction in ticking or crossing of completed activities, it will also show you what remaining tasks remain for that day.


...



Okay moving onto distractions.

Now I know this is a major issue for a lot of people (including myself) so here are my top tips for removing distractions and focusing on the task at hand:

1.  PUT YOUR PHONE IN ANOTHER ROOM
I even find putting it at the other side of my room helps as I can work solidly for 30 minutes and then have a break and check it if I want to. If you want to stay off your phone for a longer amount of time, give it to someone in your family to keep until you have completed a certain number of tasks e.g. English homework, maths summaries and instrument practice.

2. SELF-CONTROL
For some of you who use computers for your school work, it's not a simple 'put it in the other room,' you actually need to set what you need write down what you need to do before you go on Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr etc. If you really have no self-control you can download apps - 'cold turkey' for mac and 'self control' for PC.

3. EXERCISE
Wait what? Yes that's right exercise is proven to help concentration. If I feel super distracted I do a quick Blogilates video and then sit back at my desk feeling refreshed!



Wow so many things to do ahhhh - but wait, I haven't finished this blog post quite yet :)

I know that a huge problem for some people is finding the motivation to do an assignment, exercise or maybe a blog post.



Top motivation quotes

+ you don't have to be great to start, but you need to start to be great

+ motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going

+ a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

+ if we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives

+ you have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose

+ trust yourself, you know more than you think you do

+ do something today that your future self will thank you for


Finally, my tips for managing school, work, social media, sport and any other things you are involved in!

1. BALANCE
spending hours per day on social media is maybe not the best use of your time - especially when you have other things to do. This doesn't mean you should never use it - just be sensible about how long you are spending on it.

2. PLAN AHEAD
In terms of organising your week, diaries and wall planners work well as it gives you an overview of what you have on. It's great to be involved in lots of activities but make sure you don't over-commit yourself + it's super important to have down time.


 3. SPEND TIME ON THINGS YOU ENJOY
Obviously you will have to do some things that you don't like but try and make them enjoyable by adding incentives, however do activities you enjoy as well. If you want to start a blog - start one, if you don't like blogging don't do it anymore, if you want to get fit just do it - there is actually nothing stopping you except yourself.

...

Hope these have helped - of course I have many more tips but these are my top ones. Feel free to send me an email (milkywayblogger@gmail.com) if you have an specific questions. 

If you have any tips I haven't mentioned comment below and you can help me as well as other readers :)

Much love
xo Georgia


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DIY fruit ice cubes

 

Hello!

Today I have a long overdue DIY for you (I say this everytime I do a DIY post ;)

These are perfect for a hot Summer's day to add a bit of flavour to your water.

You will need:
+ 2 ice cube trays
+ jug of water
+ selection of chopped up Summer fruits
+ chia seeds (optional)

I hope you enjoy this video - if you make these, please tag
@milkywayblogger #milkywayblog



Oh one other thing, the two gorgeous prints next to the 2015 diary are from 
Senna Jean Designs

You can find them on:
+ Instagram: @sennajeandesigns


+ Pinterest: senna jean designs 
+ Website: sennajean.com

I definitely recommend you have a look at their variety of prints, cards and calendars - perfect for adding some sparkle to your home. They also have free wallpapers + printables on their blog (can it get any better?!)


xo Georgia
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Healthy meal ideas, exercising tips + the importance of staying hydrated

Hello!

Can you believe it's February - we are already 1/12 through the year ;)
How are we all going with our New Year's Resolutions (or goals)? I have been pretty slack with a few of them..

I'm going to take a wild guess that one of your goals for 2015 was to be healthier in either what you eat, how you exercise, doing regular stretching or all three (like me)! 

Brooke and I had the idea to do a post all about healthy meal ideas, smoothie recipes, exercise ideas and stretching/ yoga routines to help you get back on track with your goals and find the motivation to keep it up!

You can find Brooke on:

+ Instagram: @broookereid

Why exercise?

We are told over and over again to exercise cause it's 'good for you' but what exactly does that mean? 
Here are some of the benefits of exercising:

 + improves health

+ reduces risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular

+ improves quality of life

+ reduces stress, anxiety and depression

+ improves memory

+ improves sleeping patterns

+ boosts mood

+ improves coordination

+ improves complextion

+ detoxifies body

+ boosts immune system

+ greater self confidence

+ feel strong, capable and energised

+ less likely to catch a cold

+ anti-aging effects

+ good for mind and soul

I could go on but I think you get the point. So if you were struggling to find a reason to go and exercise - there you go :) 

Remember that you don't need a new year, new week or new sunrise to start going after your goals - start now! If your goal is to be more organised, write a planner, if it is to exercise, do some burpies now. It doesn't matter what your goal is, just go for it. Make the most of every day and don't wait until 'tomorrow' to start living your life.

Types of exercise
 
I used to be one of those people who hated exercise full stop.
This was because I thought exercise meant running - which I'm beginning to enjoy a bit more. I decided to try out some new forms of exercise and realised that if I find physical activity that I enjoy, I am more likely to maintain it. 
Here are my top 5 types of exercise:

1. Pilates 
I'm sure a lot of you have heard of Cassey and her youtube channel known as Pop Pilates? For the past few months I have been doing her videos, following some of the calendar and challenges from her website. This is a great way to do exercise (and it's what got me to start enjoying exercise) as you can do it in your room, whenever suits you! I definitely recommend you attempt some of her videos - in fact I'm challenging you right now to do this super quick video - no need to thank me ;)

2. Team sport
If you feel unmotivated to keep exercise up, this is a great way to make sure you commit to a sport.It's also a nice time to meet new people!

3. Cycling
For a long time, I've been using a stationary bike, however a week ago I started bike riding again and really enjoyed it, so I might give that another go.

4. Stair runs
Near our house, we have some super long steps in a park which I will sometimes go and do before breakfast on a Saturday morning. It makes me feel super energised for the weekend ahead.

5. Jogging
I used to dislike running because I was  super unfit! Every time I'd go for a run I'd feel sick and so I never motivated to keep it up. I still can't run for a long amount of time, but through doing small amounts and building up, I am enjoying it more than I used to.

Staying hydrated

Superfood Smoothies from Williams-Sonoma

Several months ago, if I was asked how much I drink in a day, I would say '3 glasses of water a week...' Did you know that you should be drinking 8 a day?! At the moment I am aiming for 5 and that works well for me, and is a large improvement from a few months ago! A good method of drinking more water is infusing it as it tastes better. Play around with combos - my favourites are: 
cucumber & mint
lemon
berry 

I also have another little trick I use to make water more interesting 
(coming soon to MWB.. possibly a video)


HIIT Playlist
Bang Bang + Jessie J
Uptown Funk + Mark Ronson
Outside + Calvin Harris
It's time + Imagine Dragons
I love it + Icona Pop
Wasabi + Lee Harding  
Can't hold us + Macklemore
Geronimo + Sheppard
Timber + Pitbull
Maria + Green Day
Meal ideas
It's time to put away that slice of pizza and can of soft drink and start filling your body with fresh, healthy and nourshing foods!





Hehe these were a lot of fun to put together!
Here are some more ideas of actual meals I've had in the past few weeks:

 Fruit salad + Harley Quinn & Co print (prize for the upcoming giveaway)

 Fruit platter made using seasonal fruit
 
Salad Niçoise made from lettuce, tomato, tuna, egg, capsicum, 
carrot, cucumber & mustard lemon dressing



I hope you enjoyed this post - it was a lot of fun to put together!

If you would like a part 2 - comment below or on instagram and it can be arranged :)

Click here to view the other half of this collab on Brooke's blog!

xo G

P.S. Remember to enter my mega giveaway! So many exciting prizes to be won!
Details + FAQs on last post ..


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Wonderland

Do you ever wish you could fall into the pages of a book and live there for a while?

Oh how I do love Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!
The characters are so unique and special in their own way.


I've wanted to do an Alice in Wonderland themed shoot for a while now and I finally got around to doing it.
See if you can spot a few of the giveaway items!

Also, if you would like to know where anything is from, just ask in the comments box below.

There are so many beautiful quotes in AIWL, but my favourite would have to be
Alice: 'this is impossible!' 
Mad Hatter: 'only if you believe it is'










All my love,
G xo
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