I honestly forgot I had even wrote any resolutions for 2021. 

Go Vegan - ✓ Yep

In what was a snap decision on my part, I decided to join Veganuary, the go vegan in January challenge. Even though I gave Josh zero warning of my participation, he went to the grocery store and bought vegan alternatives to any sauces and cheeses that I had still been eating. I had only been drinking plant based mylks, and using vegan butter for at least a year or so before that which made the transition in our home pantry relatively straightforward. 

Buy Our First Home - ✓ Oh Yeah

Hello! Surprise, it's almost the end of January and I have indeed been thinking very hard about what I want to achieve for the year. I've also been reading a lot about how people hate resolutions or whatever. How it limits you and you should be creating goals all year long.
Which is annoying, because of course I do that. I don't just write this list and then think of things throughout the year and go "Well I suppose that will have to wait until 2020." No! Surely no one does this. Well someone probably does. Nevertheless, I've got a whole variety of goals here that I want to remember and work towards. I think creating this yearly post helps hold me accountable. Plus I'm still riding on the high of achieving so many that I set for myself last year.
ONwards!

Read 20 Books

Outrageous. But I have finally set aside time for myself to read. It's a bit ridiculous really because there's definitely free time in there where I'm just scrolling on my phone. So I have decided to switch a lot of that time reading actual books. I've created a book challenge on Goodreads, so go ahead and check that out. Friend me if you like and I can follow your progress too! I'm currently rereading the Harry Potter series, and am about to start the final book! I'm a big fan if you weren't aware.  Anyway, I know that I am on the right track with this goal, and I think I can keep it up!

Continue Attending Lissome (Crossfit)

Spoiler, I paid for the year upfront which saved me a lot of money. So I'm 100% locked in and have to exercise each week, or I might as well have flushed that money down the toilet. That aside, I am loving it! I want to continue going at least 4 days a week. It's hard work for sure, and I have to get up pretty early (5:20am!) but it's worth it. Ask me again mid Winter of course. I'm sure the motivation will falter during then.

Don't Take (Too Much) Unpaid Work

Have a peek into the life of a small-time Instagrammer. Hello! A lot of the time people who want you to work with them, want you to do it for free. But I am putting my foot down! Near the end of 2018, I dropped a day from my full-time job at a clothing boutique, becoming part-time due to the fact that I just had so much to do on my two days off. Working from home that much during your days off unsurprisingly does not allow for very much downtime. Leaving me to become very stressed and worn out all the time. Content creation is fun but that doesn't mean that it doesn't take time. It can also be a lot of work. 
Look it's very easy to accidentally take on too much free work. One second you're excited over a receiving a free gift pack from your favourite brand, the next minute you're having to create 2-3 pieces of content for them to be due over the next month. Times that by 3 or 4 and then include doing this on your day off and not getting paid for it. My free time and mental health are too important for that. THANK YOU NEXT 

Tidy My Entire Home KonMari Style

I'm nailing this reading challenge, and I'm halfway through Marie Kondo's book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" and I'm hooked. After binge-watching her new Netflix show along with the rest of the world, I knew that my life could become better, more wholesome and definitely tidier if I just followed her methods. Call me easily convinced (I am) but it sounds like exactly what I'm after. Her whole process revolves around only keeping objects and items in your life that spark joy. 
As someone who definitely has too much stuff, I am ready to get started discarding the joyless junk from my life. But literally, when I'm finished with this post I will be starting on my wardrobe. Overall I want to get rid of everything that doesn't spark joy, tidy what is left and then maintain it. 

Shop Even More Mindfully

While I had set a similar goal for myself last year, I definitely think it is one that is continuous. Not just a "Well I shopped smart in 2018, so that's done and dusted". I think we accumulate so many items without even realising it, and then we just hang onto them for some reason. As a blogger, I get sent a lot of items as well and even if they don't necessarily spark joy for me long term, I still tend to hang onto them. I'd love to put more thought into every purchase, is this something that I will have and want to wear/use long term? Is it worth the money, is this just a fad item? I also would like to stop putting money into the space that we are living in as I would say it is sufficiently decorated and it's not our long long term home.  

Get Our Savings Under Control with the Barefoot Investor

Boom, another book! This book, The Barefoot Investor well it has like a million 5 star reviews and it is very deserving of this praise. Author Scott Pape is helping Australians get themselves out of debt and their money under control. Now I'm pretty good with my money. I like to shop but I am very organised. I sat down and read this book and realised I need to have more of a long term outlook on my money. I took down all the advice and have set it into action. Josh and I have combined our finances, a big step that seems to have shocked a lot of people, but it's going well so far and I have faith it will continue to do so.

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Well well! Reading back over my list of goals for the year I'd have to say I am pretty happy with them! Getting my life under control, allowing myself to have more free time not working, and reading more. Not accumulating my home with unnecessary items. I'd say that I'm keen to get started, but I already have!
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Twenty Eighteen is coming to a close, in what has been another very eventful but fast-paced year. As my 26th year of life, I feel I've again learnt a lot and have finally enacted some positive changes that do appear to be sticking. 
So without further ado, I will be sharing with you how I fared at my 2018 Resolutions. With a glance back at my 2017 goals at the end, as sometimes it can take longer than a year to really get your life in order. 

Go to the Gym at Least 3 Times a Week ✓

Two weeks before my 26th birthday, which falls in November. I joined a local women's CrossFit gym called Lissome. If you follow me on Instagram, you will surely see me talk about it all the time on stories, often sharing pictures and videos from my classes. There are various reasons why it took me so long to finally sign up to Lissome, effort and cost are two but in the end, it has been the best decision I have made all year. 
I have been going at least 4 or 5 times each week, and enjoying every bit! In a way that I never did when I was attending BodyPump classes on my own of a morning. The motivation is not even comparable, and I wake up every morning (rather early) excited to go and exercise! 

Read More (12 Books) ✓

I'm unsure if I've read 12 books, but the overall goal was to read more and to hopefully start reading in my lunch breaks which I have! I'm currently rereading the Harry Potter series, and I have read a few bits and pieces throughout the year as well. 
So while I am unsure of the number, I know that I'm on track and sure to continue. 

Start a Skincare Regimen + Stick to it ✓

I think what makes a Skincare Regimen good and one that you will stick to is one that is not too difficult or much effort. I always remove my makeup before bed, a great first step. Then I alternate between using this amazing resurfacing toner after cleansing with my Avene Cleanance gel which I love! I also have a few products from The Ordinary that I use. This is of a night time. In the morning after the gym, I use a cleanser and then I always moisturise. Simple but effective. 

Shop Smarter (Especially with Clothes) ✓

I'm definitely shopping smarter than I used to. I am focusing on having one style aesthetic, which the book "The Curated Closet" definitely helped me with. Creating a Pinterest board that matches that style to give you inspiration and then trying to only shop items that match that style. 
It's actually harder than you would think, but it does stop you from doing as much unnecessary shopping. So that is definitely a plus.

Spend Less Time on My Phone ✓

My phone is a big part of my downtime and two jobs, which makes this a bit tough. But overall my phone usage time is down! The new built-in app on iPhone "Screen Time" has been telling me every week that my usage is down from the week before. Reading during my lunch breaks instead of browsing social media, definitely contributes to that. In fact, every time I choose to read, I'm likely reading during a time I would have generally used to be on my phone. 

Start Planning & Book A Holiday 𐄂

Probably the most disappointing of all of these goals to have failed but there you have it. This is still ultimately one of my main plans but life just didn't have this in the cards for me this year. I do have a small getaway in Melbourne coming up shortly, but that is all. In the meantime, I guess I will just keep saving!
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Special Mention - Some Goals from 2017

In the past, I haven't been as successful at the goals I've set for myself as I was this year. But here are two goals from last year that I'm nailing!
 - Manage a Sleeping Routine & Wake Up Earlier ✓ After joining Lissome, this has become a breeze! For probably the first time in my life. I've generally got a 10pm bedtime and 5.25am wakeup, or 7am when I'm not headed to the gym. 
- Stop Eating Meat ✓ I continued to nail this goal for another year, eating vegetarian is a breeze. 
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How have you gone with the goals you have set for yourself in 2018? I'd love to hear! I better start brainstorming some goals for 2019, so stay tuned for that blog post as well!
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Hey everyone! I recently did a little interview with HUNTERhunter, a great local online publication. They're basically my first stop when I want to find cool new places around my city! Especially cafes and restaurants, because there are so many.
I had a fun chat with Alicia about what I get up to with my blogging, what it's like to work at Scout by Abicus and where I love to get my coffee.

Read the Interview Here!

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  I work full time Sunday to Thursday at a fashion boutique around the corner from my house. I'm lucky enough to work a job that aligns itself a bit with my daily passions. I enjoy my day job, I really do. I also enjoy being a blogger/instagrammer. 
What started as just a hobby has now become a proper second job. I also am a Community Marketer for Bumble Australia. So that's two side jobs on top of my regular full time job.  Juggling them is not easy at all. If you've been watching my instagram stories you would have seen that I've had to stop stuffing around after I get home of an evening, and actually spend time working on my other jobs. 
If this is what I want to do, then I need to put the effort in.  But it's not just about having enough time. There's 168 Hours in a week. Take away 49 for sleeping, and another 45 for my day job, that leaves 74 hours left to work with. Which seems like it would be enough but it's not that easy. 

It’s New Years Eve, I’m writing this as I sit in our cute beach Airbnb in Stanwell Park. Thinking that this is such a great way to begin 2018. Friends and drinks and good times all around.

Let me just start off by saying, 2017 was a bit crazy but overall really great. I had a good time and I'm looking forward to whatever 2018 wants to throw my way.
 I did pretty poorly with this year's resolutions but I sort of have an excuse. I started off the year after having quit one of my two jobs. I was looking at 2017 as a time I would be working 3 days a week in a casual position at my current job. But I was actually given a full time position in May. Which threw some of my resolutions off as I thought I would have more time. 
Anyway, have a read. See how I went and read whatever my excuses are for why I didn't do what I wanted to. 

I made it one of my new year's resolutions this year to finally become a full and proper vegetarian. I rarely ate meat as it was and I've always been a lover of animals, so it just made sense to finally make the commitment and give up meat for good.
Now I'm vegetarian, and not vegan so I still eat milk, cheese, eggs and other "animal products". That said I always drink soy milk, and only have that in the house. I believe every little bit counts. I just wanted to share my experience so far on going meat free.