Tanning myself the right way

If I had white or really really fair hair I would dead set look like an albino person.

I'm not joking, my skin is sooo white! I refer to myself as 'glow in the dark' sometimes I feel so fluorescent! lol

But never fear, self tan is here to save the day!!

My skin doesn't tan when I spend hours in the sun, I burn! I get really really red and then go ghostly white again, but I'm OK with this. I'd much rather have ghostly white, pure skin then brown, wrinkly skin riddled with melanomas!

A friend of mine encouraged me to self tan a while a go and at first I was skeptical thinking that I'd come out looking like tandoori chicken but I got up the courage and tried it anyway.

So far I've only been able to tan my legs successfully and haven't ventured onto other parts of my body (it's hard to reach your back when you live alone! Any tips how to get around this??)

Anyhow, my swear-by tanning product is this:

Sugar Baby "Sun-believeable" Instant Self Tanning Mousse 

It's a mousse style product that is dark when it goes on so you know exactly where you have applied and more importantly, where you haven't! Once you rub it in it will pretty much look like the colour it will when its dry so you know what to expect (none of this over night wait time to find out you've missed a big noticeable spot come morning time!)

It doesn't have a really strong stench of fake tan, its more a coconutty smell that only lasts until your next shower! Its also got aloe vera in it so your legs feel so silky and smooth!

I love this product so much! I usually do two applications before a party or event where I want my legs to look golden and I don't feel so ghostly anymore!

I did my legs this morning because I am frocking up for the Races this weekend. I'll do another application either tomorrow night or Saturday morning before the event!

This was after one application this morning!

This was two days ago before I'd tanned! Pretty neat difference hey?!!

So simple! And safe! No laying out in the sun at all! Plus, I usually pay around $15 for a bottle of fake tan from my local chemist which I think is pretty reasonable since this bottle lasts me a while!

Do you fake tan? Any awesome tips? My best tip (even though on the bottle it says not to do this) is to make sure your legs are shaved then apply moisturiser, wait for it to dry then add your fake tan. I feel like it spreads better and soaks in nicely.

Realisation

Happy Monday friends!!!

I hope you have had an awesome weekend wherever you may be in the world! Mine was amaze-balls!

I travelled down to Victoria on Friday afternoon to spend a weekend with my entire extended family at my Uncle's 50th birthday bash! It was the best weekend that I've had in a while! I love spending quality time with my family, I am a true believer that people come and go but family is forever.

My extended family with my Uncle. We got commemorative jumpers made so we could surprise my uncle with a slogan printed on it about the party! We were like a flash mob, I loved it!! 

After about 600km of traveling over the weekend I had plenty of time to 'get inside my own head' to think a few things over.

I've come to a realisation or even a 'revelation' about my outlook on body image, fitness and health. I've decided to give myself a break from mentally beating myself up about my body image.

I don't eat junk often at all. In fact, I have no bad food in my house at all so it is rare that I splurge. I'm over obsessing about the thought that I am suppose to be so skinny and I am accepting the fact that I am no model and don't need to have bones sticking out to look good.

Plus, I believe moderation is good for everything (except water, I think we should drink more of that!) and if I have a slip up and eat a chocolate once a week, I don't need to mentally punish myself. If you don't eat it everyday, its OK.

Source

I think exercising is awesome and more people should do it more often but there is no need to punish ourselves if we couldn't get to the gym for an hour session one day, a 4km walk around the neighbourhood is better than an hour on the couch, its still exercise after all and calories are still getting burnt.

I wish there was more emphasis around the world about accepting who we are. Yes, we all want to look like Jen Hawkins and have long, slender bodies with no fat content, but the reality is that we can't all be like this and thats OK.

I'm OK with it, I am going to continue to exercise and eat healthy, organic foods that nourish my body but I will not punish myself for being a normal size 10 woman.

Ahhh, it feels good to vent about it! Sorry for the rant peeps! I hope you all have similar outlooks, but its OK if you don't! Drop me a comment with your thoughts!

Have a great day! x

Get on your bike!

I have been a big, fat, lazy frump over the last 3 weeks and its time to get off my butt and do some exercise!

My biggest problem is the uni holidays! I love them, but my exercise regime does not.

I live away from my home town for university and am a member of an awesome gym (Anytime Fitness) that I love to bits and I make the most of my gym membership when I am here in Wagga for the uni term.

Sadly, my little old home town located in the bush does not have an Anytime Fitness gym, nor does it have a decent gym that I am willing to use. Our town has been protesting and petitioning for a decent up-grade to our local gym for a long time but nothing changes and sadly I do not feel comfortable paying $9.60 EVERY session I go to the gym when the machines are old and half don't work properly! (Okay, my little rant is over now.)

Anyway, I'm determined to not rely so heavily on my gym for a source of exercise while I am at uni now. It turns out that when I do get home again I fall apart at the seams and get so depressed that I can't sweat it up at the gym like i would in Wagga so I end up doing nothing... nothing!!!!!! 

This is totally unacceptable in my books, especially with summer looming in on us at a fast pace!

Today I did a jog/run for around 3km outside in the fresh air. I must admit, it was a lot tougher than in the comfort of my gym on the cross trainer (why is that??) but none-the-less it felt great!

Join in on the fun over at Katrina Chambers blog and post your pics of your exercise for the day with the tag #exerciseshot on Instagram and Twitter :)

I've been dying to get outdoors but my motivation has been poisoning me to think other wise.

I've also been dying to get a new push bike so I can spend even more time exercising without the feeling of really exercising!

I love to cycle. When I was in Europe I think my love for it grew and I have been in love with this bike for about a year now and I think this Christmas I will give it to myself as a gift!

What do you think?

I'm in love. It also comes in pink (which I adore being one of my fave colours) but I think I like this minty green colour best. I love this colour and its a little more subtle than the pink.

The bike is called the Suede City women's bike by Giant and it is a little pricey (like $499!) Sounds a lot, but I've test ridden this beauty and it is nice!!!! You can even use the straps on the back to attach a basket for the shopping! haha I love it!

I'll add it to the Chrissie wish list (which is starting to get a little long now! lol More posts about that soon!)

Have fun, get exercising! ;)

Mid Week Ramblings

Is it windy at your house? Its windy here at mine. I've been hearing on the weather news all day that we should be expecting huge gusts of wind and some rain and I think its starting to set in down here, eek!

How is your week going so far?

Mine is going very quickly! Probably because this week I am having to cram in a million little "to-do" jobs in order to get assignments completed and then uni life can simmer down again!

I donned my "farm girl" boots today (some of my new bloggy-follower-friends might not know that I am a farm girl!) Born and bred in a remote country town, my family owns a big farm on the Darling river and I love being a county girl.

Its hard, because I often feel a bit torn between my life as a graphic design student (which tends to pull me to the big cities and the love of all things "city" i.e. shopping, shoes and good eateries lol) and my love for farming and the rural scene.

Today I had to make up a stencil for an assignment at uni. It could say anything we wanted, we just had to make it and and take a photo of it. I decided to use a bit of hessian to spray paint mine on and put a statement about farming.

I feel like farming is a bit mis-understood sometimes and overlooked as an old, dying field that is of no importance to the modern day. I totally disagree. I feel pretty passionate about farming in all regards and feel strongly that without it, we as a population could not eat or wear clothes among other things!

We depend on farming so much today and I think it is so important to support this. Farming is definitely  a big part of our present and future and I thank all of the hard working farmers out there brining us beef, lamb, chicken, veggies, cotton, fruit and sooo much more. Its a tough life for a farmer and is definitely a thankless job.

Unfortunately I can't show you the finished product (only the stencil above) as I have been trying to upload the pics of it for over an hour now with no success.... GRRR!

Ok, my little "farm girl" spiel is over now!! lol Enjoy the rest of your week! xx

Weekend Wrap Up!

This last weekend just past was a BIG one!

For starters it was my last weekend of the university holidays (boooo *sad face*) and Saturday night was the night for the big football/netball presentation night for my boyfriend and close friends footy and netball club (according to my boyfriend it is "the biggest night of the year" lol).

I was a big night! A big, fun, tonnes-of-dancing-and-drinking kind of night! I loved getting all "dolled up" for the occasion and spending time with my close friends.

I even got to fake tan my legs (the first fake tan of the warmer seasons!! lol My poor legs needed it BAD! They were a little ghostly to say the least!)

Here are some happy snaps of my outfit and the lippy I chose to wear! (See my last post for details!)

I went for the coral lippy (a little more subtle with my outfit - it doesn't look as bright in this picture as it did on the night. I still love the colour though!)

Unfortunately I have my jacket on in these pics so you can't see my dress fully but you get the idea :)

My sister did my hair in a Lauren Conrad inspired up-do for the evening and I loved it! I don't often wear my hair up when I go out so it was a nice change! 

Sunday was a late start (maybe a tad too much wine the night before, cough!) and of course it was Fathers Day!! My family celebrated by having a BBQ lunch with my aunt, uncle and their three kids plus my Pop and my mum and Dad of course. We ate soooo much food and I made some yummy dessert treats for after (mini pavlovas and cream brandy baskets with fruit!)

Today I had to drive 500kms back to the Riverina to start uni again for term 4! I am hoping to smash the next 7 weeks so I can get this uni year wrapped up, then I only have one more year to go and I can graduate!!! Fingers crossed I can put my head down and bum up!

How was your weekend?!