Scrumptious Saturday's #1 - Cookies & Cream Frozen Hot Chocolate

Introducing...Scrumptious Saturdays!

I will be posting one recipe that I have found throughout the week on every Saturday, although unfortunately I cannot make them all. :(. Most of them will feature chocolate and all of them will be to please a sweet-tooth.

So, for Scrumptious Saturday's #1, the recipe is -

Cookies & Cream Frozen Hot Chocolate!

For this recipe you will need:

• 225g Cookies and Cream Chocolate
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot chocolate mix (drinking chocolate will probably work too)
• 3 cups milk
• 6 cups ice cubes

Makes: 4 glasses

Method:

1. Melt chocolate in saucepan over medium heat, or in a microwave. Watch out  because the cookies will burn easily. 
2. Once it's melted, remove from heat and stir in hot chocolate mix and sugar. 
3. Add chocolate mix with milk and ice in a blender. Purée until combined. 
4. Pour into 4 glasses, and top with whatever you fancy, (toasted marshmallow, whipped cream, ice cream).

Mmmmm, I can't wait to try this one out!

Au Revoir xx

7 Things, Success!

7 days ago I made a post called 7 things in 7 days. You can find it here. In this post I made 7 goals which I will now do a wrap-up of!

1. Make a blog post every day.
I almost did this one! I missed Thursday, but I did try really hard and I will definitely keep making almost daily posts throughout December.

2. Do yoga 3 times this week.
Sadly, I did not achieve this. :(. To be honest, it was mainly because I forgot. I did yoga twice, but I really need to make an improvement of doing the things that make me feel good more often, as I get so caught up on spending the whole night on my laptop.

3. Do some exercise every day.
This one I didn't achieve. I'm sounding really lazy, aren't I? I promise it gets better. On Tuesday I did a workout, on Wednesday I did sit-ups and push-ups, though probably not enough. On Thursday I didn't do anything, oops! For Friday I played a netball game, and on Saturday I did some volleyball practice. I didn't do anything on Sunday or Monday either. I got 4/7 days and I'm really going to make more of an effort to up this result to a 7/7.

4. Help clean the house.
I have helped this the house a lot more than usual this week. I've put out and brought in quite a few loads of washing, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher most days, done poo-patrol for our adorable dog Bentley, and kept my room nice and tidy. I also helped clean the bathroom.

5. Do 30 minutes of homework each night.
I haven't had much homework at all over the last week. Most nights I didn't have any since it is getting to the end of the year, but I've done everything I was asked to do.

6. Practise piano every day.
I did practise on most days. That is a real improvement for me, and I am proud. I am still going to try harder over the rest of the term and holidays, but my piano lessons have finished for the year so I am kind of off the hook.

7. Do something nice for someone.
Today I gave my Secret Santa present! We did a Secret Santa in my friendship group at school, and I got a Secret Santa bath ballistic for my person! The name of it is perfect, right! I also did a mini piano concert for my Mum this week too, and she loves hearing my sister or me play.

Overall, the 7 Things for 7 days goal challenge was a success. Maybe I didn't complete all of my goals perfectly, but I still made an improvement on my usual lifestyle.

This quote is really cute and very true. Keep the inspiration coming and keep trying, and you will be able to do anything. 

Au Revoir xx

Current Music Favourites

There has been so many great new albums out lately! I am listening to so much at the moment, it's hard to decide what to listen to! This is all of my new music:

Little Mix: Salute

This album is really happy and sad and inspiring. Certain songs suit different moods, and my favourites have got to be Salute, Move, and Little Me. 

Katy Perry: Prism

This whole album is amazing! I love every song on it so much and they are all very inspiring and self-esteem lifting. My favourites are Ghost, Legendary Lovers, and Roar.

Miley Cyrus: Bangerz

I think Miley Cyrus is a very talented artist who can produce great music. It might not be for everyone but I love it. My favourite songs would be 4x4, Wrecking Ball, and FU. 

Justin Bieber's current songs

I am a huge Justin fan and I love his new music coming out every week. They are very different to his old style but still sound superb. I love recovery the best.

Ed Sheeran: I see Fire

This is such an inspiring and sad sounding song but it is beautiful. As usual the lyrics are so clever and cute and everyone's got to love this song!

James Blunt: Back to Bedlam, and Bonfire Heart

I've gotten back into James Blunt's old album Back to Bedlam, and I find it so wonderful to listen to. I love his style of music, and I also love his newer single Bonfire Heart. My favourites from Back to Bedlam are Stay the Night, You're Beautiful, and Wisemen. 

So that's what I am listening to at the moment, you should give these albums and songs a go, because the are great! 

Au Revoir xx

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Review

Yesterday I went to see The Hunger Game: Catching Fire at the cinema with my great friend Sheridan, from this blog. It was amazing!

It was really well made, I thought. The style that it was filmed in was great, there was awesome music, amazing actors, and the arena was really cool. 

One of the reasons I really liked Catching Fire was because it was scary, dramatic, and funny all at the same time. There was some quite scary bits which I don't want to spoil for anyone, but there was also a good mix of funniness too. It ended in a cliffhanger and it would have been quite confusing if you haven't read the books. I have read them, twice, and I would really recommend them. I thought the movie captured the second book perfectly. 

I would definitely recommend this movie, it was fantastic! I can't wait for the next movie!

Au Revoir!

Christmas Wish List Possibilities

Christmas is my favourite time of the year, I love giving the perfect present and everything is all so magical. I like to do everything I can to create Christmas spirit, and that includes making a wishlist. I definitely do not expect to get everything I put on it, it is simply for ideas.

My Christmas Wishlist:

Lush Products!
I love everything from Lush, and I am so excited to try their Christmas range!

New Make-up Brushes.
I'd like to start wearing make-up more often, so I will probably need some half-decent brushes.

Pin-up Board.
Just to display photos and reminders and inspiration things.

This is a great one from Kikki.K!

Stationery!
Anything from Kikki. K or Typo or any other stationary shop, I will just love!

Clothes.
I desperately need to expand my summer clothes wardrobe!

New Handbag.
All of my bags are really tiny and don't fit anything in them, so I do want a new one. Maybe like this one from Brandy Melville?

Pandora Beads.
I recently got a Pandora bracelet and I'm so excited by the whole array of beads that you can get!

Christmas spirit is in the air, the festivities are spreading, summer is almost here. I am enjoying the lead up to Christmas so much! What do you want for Christmas?

Au Revoir xx

DIY Headboard

Today I am doing a tutorial on how to make an upholstered headboard! It's a cheaper and more enjoyable way to spruce up your bedroom and keep yourself busy. 

You Will Need: 

• A piece of plywood to your measurements
• 4 pieces of wood (to use as a rim on your frame)
• 2 pieces of wood for legs
• Eggshell foam mattress cover
• Polyester batting
• Spray-on glue
• Self-Upholstery buttons
• A material of your choice
• Staple gun
• Scissors
• Marker
• Drill and Screws
• Needle and fishing line

1. You will need to make a frame. Get your piece of plywood cut to size when you buy it. We bought all of our wood from Mitre 10. Cut the 4 pieces of wood to fit around the edges of the plywood. Glue & Screw them to the right place. This will provide a better place to staple and will also add thickness to the 

headboard. 

2. Drill small holes where you wants your tufts to be. This is where your buttons will go after. 

3. Cut the foam to the right size. We used a Double Eggshell foam mattress topper from Target. Make two layers with the bumps of the bottom one facing up, and the bumps of the top one facing down. They should interlock and create a flat surface on the top. Glue each layer into place with the spray-on glue. 

4. Use a pin or the needle to stick through the holes on the bottom of the frame. The needle will come up through the foam and show you where your buttons will be. It is important to get them in the right place. Mark where they will be with your marker. 

5. Use your fingers to pull out circles of foam over the marks. Make the holes a tiny bit bigger than the size of the buttons. 

6. Cover your buttons with your fabric. Cut the batting to the size of your board, adding 30cm to every side, just to be safe. Add a couple of staples on each side at the back, to hold it in place. Thread a buttononto the needle with a 50cm peice of fishing line, double up the line to it becomes 25cm long. 

7. Now is when it gets a bit tricky. Measure your piece of material to about 30-40cm bigger than your board. I found it helpful to stand up the headboard on two chairs. Find the tuft hole which is closest to the middle, and put through the needle from the top. It must go through the batting, the hole in the foam, and the hole in the wood. Pull it tight from the back. Secure in place with a few staples, taking the line one way, stapling, and back the other way, stapling again. Repeat a few times until line is stable and wont slide away. 

8. Repeat with all the tufts, working from the centre to the edges. Secure well with staples each time. When folds and bumps appear, it is important to let them crease how they want, because it adds to the effect of the tufts. 

9. Now you have to secure the fabric at the back. Fold over the fabric and work the creases and folds along the edges into a position that you are happy with. Pull the material over the frame at the back and go crazy with staple gun. Really, don't be shy. Put in so many staples they are nearly touching each other. Go around every side and fold the corners like you would a present. If the batting gets in the way, feel free to cut it away at places, especially in the corners. 

10. You can cover the legs if desired, but I didn't. We put mount on the back of the headboard and drilled the legs into the mounts and through the fabric onto the bottom edge. Attach it to your bed, or even hand it from the wall without legs!

Headboards are so fun and enjoyable to make and the overall cost was just under AU$100. It's much cheaper than any bought upholstered headboard, and I found it a really valuable experience. Again, sorry for the crappy photos :/.

Au Revoir xx

Looking Forward to Summer

As we all know, summer is almost upon us! Sunny days, short shorts and swimming - yay! I'm looking forwards to so many things! 

1. Holidays! Nothing is better than holidays. Sleep in's, no homework, going away to cool places, and catching up with friends! Free time is something that I never have, so I try to make the most of it when I have it. I'll spend my holidays doing heaps of activities, like shopping, going to the beach or park, doing yoga, watching heaps of TV shows, and being arty-farty. I'm really looking forward to sleeping in and feeling relaxed, and actually having time to do fun stuff!

2. Justin Bieber Concert! I love Justin and always have. It is my dream come true to be able to go to his concert, and I am, in just over two weeks! The concert will be amazing and it will be so cool to be just metres from my favourite artist. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, I definitely cannot wait!

3. Swimming! I love swimming, especially when it's really hot. Lounging by the pool, splashing about with friends, or having a trip to the beach is really wonderful, and I enjoy it lots. My family has a pool in our backyard, and I'm looking forward to having many friends over for fun pool catch-ups! I love being able to dive in and wash away stress and anger, to feel rejuvenated and happy. I hope our crazy weather stays warm enough to do this often!

4. Christmas Shopping! I don't know about you, but making a list of ideas and buying for certain people is one of my favourite parts of Christmas! I relish the opportunity to find the perfect presents and wrap them beautifully. This year I am doing a Secret Santa within my friendship group to save money, but I am getting pressies for my closest friends. I'm so looking forward to wrapping them and giving the presents to my friends and family. 

5. Summer Clothing! As much as I adore wearing enormous hoodies and trackies, I also love summer clothing. I like to wear shorts and tank tops and T-shirts without having to worry about  getting cold, and I am crazy about the tanned skin and pretty bathers. (Not that my skin tans at all, but anyway). Dresses are so nice in summer too because you don't need tights! Woo! 

6. Renovations! My family is finally going to start getting rid of our crappy old kitchen! We are having a kitchen makeover, and this will be like a new, un-cluttered start to the new year. I can't wait!

7. Christmas! Everyone has to love Christmas! What I love about it is how it manages to bring people together, whether it is family, friends, or communities. I love the excitement in the air, the Christmas music and the tree, the festivities and fun that it brings. The food is always delicious, too. I just can't wait for the roast turkey and pavlova! The presents are great too, of course ;)!

8. The New Year! I am determined to make a change next year, and stick to my New Years Resolutions. I'm going to make an effort to be healthier and be more helpful and become a better person. I will make a post of resolutions when the time comes. 

~11 days until summer is here, and 11 days until I am almost truly happy. I will be truly happy in 17 days, the first day of the holidays! I'm am so excited for my favourite time of the year!~

Au Revoir xx

(P.S, I promise to start using all of my own photos soon!) 

Being Healthy

Hello!

How are we all?

As you might know, I am one of those people who are always talking about being healthy and trying to be healthier. Most of the time I fail, too. But I do want to share some of the things that I do to reach my own standards and stay happy and healthy :).

The first thing I do is to have a green smoothie every morning. I think I discovered the website called Simple Green Smoothies while reading a magazine, and I decided to try their 30 day challenge. You can find a link to it here. By the end of the challenge I was basically making up my own smoothies and using the ingredients that I love the most. I've finished the challenge now but still have a smoothie almost every single morning. I really enjoy having the smoothies.

Another thing I do is yoga. I'm not someone who can get up at 6.30 in the morning, so I only do it a few times a week, but I find it really beneficial. 

I am always trying to cut out certain aspects from my diet. It might be chocolate, or canteen food, or packaged food, but I almost always fail. I have some serious cravings for chocolate sometimes and replacements like almonds just won't do. I think it's good to try these things because it helps to achieve  better self control and it probably will make a difference in the long run. 

All year round I do some kind of sport but this isn't enough on most days. I do try to make an effort to do extra exercise but it is something I need to work on more. 

Next month I will do a post about a new fitness regime I'm going to try out. I (again), found this in a magazine and it's inspired me to live a healthier life. I believe a healthier life leads to a happier life. 

This quote completely sums it up.What I'm basically trying to get across is that people often take health or diets in the wrong way. They think: if I starve myself, or if I do more exercise then I will be healthy. But they don't get that it's to your own standard or needs and with a mixture of eating and exercise and that you achieve being healthy. 

Au Revoir xx

7 Things For 7 Days

Hello Everyone!

This post is about making and achieving 7 goals in 7 days. Normally I am really lazy and don't bother to do goal-making, but I'd love to get into the routine of it so I can push myself to try new things.

1. Make a blog post every day.
I'd like to do this because I'm normally very busy and find it hard to squeeze time in for blog posts, but I do love making them. I'll try my hardest to find time and make one every single day.

2. Do yoga at least 3 times this week.
I really like doing yoga, it's very calming and de-stressing. I will try to do this often throughout the week and fit it in with school, sport, and homework.

(I wish this was me, but it's not)

3. Do some exercise every day. 

Whether it be running, sport, or something else, I will do exercise every day. I want to improve my fitness level and this is definitely a good way to start.

4.  Help clean the house. 

I normally don't do that much to help my family, only a couple chores, so I really want to make an effort to do extras and without complaint. It would really help take some stress away from Mum and I want to be a more helpful person. 

5. Do at least 30 minutes of homework each night. 

I'm usually really slack when it comes to homework but it's report writing time and I want to get a better result than last term. 

6. Practise the piano every day. 

I don't really enjoy practising the piano but I like playing when I am in the mood. I'll try to make an effort to practise more commonly so I make the most of my lessons. 

7. Do something nice for someone.

I have no idea what this will be or how significant it will be, but I want to do something that will make someone's day, or help them in some way. Hopefully I'll even do multiple things.


I really hope I can achieve these things, and every goal I accomplish will take me one step closer to the lifestyle that I want. I'll do a Wrap Up next week on how I went, and maybe you can make some goals too!

Au Revoir xx

Dresser Transformation

Good Afternoon, 

How are we all?

So a while ago, before I made this blog, I found an old dresser in our shed. I'd been reading about furniture transformations on a blog called All Things Thrifty, which I happened to stumble across and fall in love with. I thought: Why not try and redo this dresser? It was my first time transforming a piece of furniture so I probably did lots of things wrong, but I'm going to tell you what I did anyway.

This was what the dresser originally looked like, although I had begun sanding when the photo was taken. I used an electric sander and wore a doctors mask-thing to stop any bits getting into my mouth and nose. After a while of sanding like this, we figured out how to unscrew the top hutch section making it much easier to sand, and decided not to put it back on afterwards. 

You can see the original wood colour in this photo.

The sanding took quite a long time, but after we sanded the whole thing, including drawers, it was done. The nooks and crannies were hard to get to, so we used normal sandpaper for that. The next thing to do was to prime the wood, using a wood primer. After that we chose our colour: Wild Goose (light grey), 400ml can, from Porters Paints. This is a very good paint shop, with a vintage theme. We had to use 3 coats of paint. The thinner the paint, the more even the colour will turn out. 

The dresser after 3 coats of paint.

What we did next was distress the dresser slightly. Using a fine sandpaper, we sanded the areas that would receive the most wear, such as edges and corners. I really liked the effect that it gave. Then came the drawers. After a quick coat of primer, we painted one of the drawers with purple paint. For the other two drawers, we cut our wallpapers to a rough size. We used 2 different wallpapers, also from Porters Paints. Using wallpaper paste, we stuck the wallpaper to the two drawers we were using. 

 One dry, we cut the excess wallpaper off with a craft knife. This can be a bit tricky but it turned out well in the end. We re-screwed in the knobs which I chose, brought the dresser inside, put some things on it, and viola! 

A couple months later, still looking gorgeous! (To my tastes, at least)

I am so proud of what I accomplished, and I really wanted to share it with you. It took a little time and effort but I love the outcome of the dresser, and loved the process of transforming it! You should try something like this too, you'll be surprised of what you can achieve! 

I hope you found this enjoyable, and sorry for the bad quality photos. :)

Au Revoir xx

25 Facts About Me

Hello friends!

How are you all?

I've seen this post on heaps of blogs, and videos, and I thought it might be good to let you know a bit more about me. Enjoy!

1. My full name is Madeline. 

2. I have a dog called Bentley (yes, after the car).

3. I really like drawing, especially people.

4. I was born in England, but I live in Australia.

5. I love to read. I love almost all genres, but my favourites types are fantasy, disaster, and soppy love story ones.

6. I have an obsession with chocolate, especially Kinda chocolate. 

7. My hair is a light brown/blonde colour and has natural streaks.

8. I play netball, basketball, volleyball, and I sail. I'm in my 6th year of netball.

9. My middle name is Rose.

10. I love animals. All of them. Even if there's one that others think is ugly, I will find it adorable and try to touch it. 

11.  I have a phobia of Spiders. Especially huntsman's, they are just so gross and hairy ugh. 

12. My favourite colour is Blue.

13. I really like to bake, and ice cakes.

14. I play the piano but I find it really time-consuming and boring. 

15. I find it really fun to redo furniture, (to sand and paint it) and I've redone a dresser that I just loooove now.

16. I don't wear much make-up but I really like wearing it if I do. I would like to start wearing it more often. 

17. I love shopping sooo much. I always spend way too much money though.

18. I like stationary and diaries and pretty things. 

19. I want a vintage typewriter really badly!

20. I've got braces, right now they are blue!

21. I love the TV shows The Block, Pretty Little Liars, and The Carrie Diaries.

22. I've got an older brother and an younger sister. 

23. I love to travel and have been to England twice, france, Singapore and a lot of places inside Australia. I would love to go to Greece.

24. I'd like to be an Interior Designer, Physiotherapist, or Writer when I grow up. 

25. My favourite dish is Lasagne, or Spaghetti Bolognese. 

So that's 25 random facts about me! I hope you found it enjoyable, so please let me know if you did by leaving a comment! I'm always happy to chat if you want :)

Au Revior xx

Hello!

Hi There!

So if anyone's reading this, welcome! I hope you like my blog so far, but its not much since this is my first post. I'm just a random 14 year old girl trying to blog and maybe failing, I dont know. I just thought it would be fun.

I like baking, crafty things, shopping, and trying to be healthy so that's basically what my blog will be about. I might even throw in some challenges or summaries or rants about random topics, but who knows? I have know idea where this will take me or what I will achieve through this, but please keep reading my posts as I can promise my life is not completely boring & dull. Maybe only a little.

Au Revior! Xo