Happy new year :)

 

Happy new year chic friends!

I hope you had a lovely Christmas day and New Year's too. For Christmas we were guests at my Aunty’s, with fifteen of us in total. It was a fun, relaxed day, and I think everyone slept well that night 😂

 

We celebrated our 'New Year's Eve' on the 1st not the 31st, since Paul worked on the 1st and had the 2nd and the 3rd off. He was one of the few at the gym on the morning of the 1st bright eyed and bushy tailed 🤣

On the 31st it was just another night for us, no drinks and an early bed-time. I wondered what all the yahooing and noise was, and it was the public fireworks display and people up the road enjoying the party!

Our 1st of January new year's eve was fun too, with champagne, nice steak, and the new Dua Lipa concert (at the Royal Albert Hall in London with the symphony orchestra) on YouTube. Life is good :)

I hope you had a wonderful new year’s no matter what day you celebrated, and whether it was at home or out!

 

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My theme for the year

 

From what I've read online, a lot of people are looking to get healthier this year, get their lives in balance, and stress less.

My thoughts are similar, I want to embody a relaxed vacation feeling year-round so something around this will be my focus.

While still getting things done, of course!

 

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I took the photo below just after 6am when I got up on a mild and summery Hawke's Bay day this week, just because the sky was so pretty. I love all the blues and greens together from the sky to the agapanthus, and the paddock and apple orchard too.

The cows in our paddock belong to our neighbours. These lady cows are so pretty, eight of them, in a speckly black and white pattern. They are very quiet, barely a peep out of them. And they were all very busy eating the grass even at this early hour. Breakfast time I guess!

 

 

It feels so fresh and new to be on the other side of Christmas, even though I enjoy all the festivities of December. I still have my Christmas tree up and will enjoy the twinkling lights for another week or so.

I’ve also been spending some time writing, which feels soooo good.

Happy new year to you, chic friend, and thank you for being here with me.

Here’s to farewelling 2024 and welcoming in 2025!

xx Fiona

Merry Christmas!

 

Hello chic friends, and happy Christmas eve to you!

 

Isn't this such a gorgeous venue for a Christmas party we went to last week? How stunning is the tree 😍 It was REALLY tall. I had Christmas tree envy! 🤣

A beautifully cooked beef Sirloin was on the menu, and everyone brought extras. We took a Greek salad (with fresh oregano from our herb garden), and I baked a lemon yoghurt cake (using fresh lemons from our tree).

Everything was delicious 😊

And afterwards we played The Christmas Present Game which was so fun (also called 'White Elephant' or 'Dirty Santa').

 

We came home with a pretty candle set, a bag of sweets, and a nice bottle of wine. (I am giving the sweets away haha, I don't need the temptation 😮)

It was such a nice evening!

I hope you’ve enjoyed some nice outings too. 

 

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Can you see my little Christmas elf on the sofa? Her ears camouflage her amongst the cushion points 🤣🤣

I thought for the last few days leading up to Christmas I’d share excerpts from ‘A Chic and Simple Christmas’. Just a few inspiration pieces in case you’re feeling a bit stressed and heavy.

 

Today I am here with a reminder to be extra gentle with yourself:

“With December being such a busy time of year, sometimes the best thing you can think of doing is hibernating away, enjoying cozy early nights and snuggling at home with a box set, so why not? Practicing exquisite self-care and recognizing when you are feeling a little burnt out will help you keep up your festive joie de vivre.

Personally, some years I go out more and some years less. I just go with what I feel like doing at the time and follow my desires. This practice never fails me; in fact, the times when I do go off the rails is when I ignore my inner requests for peace and quiet. Honor your own voice just as much as you would honor your loved ones."

 

 

"Moving your body will help you feel well and cope with any seasonal stress too. I’ve never been a fan of exercise but even I can admit when I’m wrong; and I don’t actually count my walks as exercise either, they are my serenity-preservers. I go at a moderate pace and walk anywhere from twenty to sixty minutes, depending on the day. I might walk from home or work and I might walk in exercise gear or my normal outfit (I do change my shoes though).

A walk loosens up my muscles and settles any creakiness and I feel so good when I arrive back, plus I get to listen to something inspiring on my iPod (that’s really the main attraction for me). Currently I have a Christmas song playlist which, when set on random, intersperses with my podcasts which is quite fun. Hello to Fifi’s Holiday Season Radio Show!”

This Christmas feels like one of my ‘less’ years. However you are handling things, I hope you too have been enjoying the leadup to Christmas 😊

 

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And just in time for the big day, I want to share my top tips for a fun and relaxing Christmas Day (from Chapter 5 of 'A Chic and Simple Christmas'):

🎄 Make a plan for the day – what you’ll wear, how you will be around relatives who trigger you, what you will eat and drink and not eat and drink.

🎄 Keep your mystique. Listen more than you talk, ask questions of others and enjoy the chic feeling of not letting it all hang out. Be positive, and resist the urge to complain or gossip. If others do, either smile noncommittally until you can escape, or change the subject if you can.

🎄 Be prepared for food pushers. If you are offered something to eat or drink that you don’t want, say, ‘thank you, that sounds lovely, I’m good now but I might try some later on’ or ‘how delicious, I’ll be sure to try that soon, thank you’.

🎄 Watch out for self-sabotage, old patterns and old habits coming up. It’s only because they are familiar to you, it doesn’t mean you have to follow them. When confronted with snacks and sweets that you don’t really want to indulge in, tell yourself, ‘in the past I ate those, but now I prefer to be chic and enjoy my Christmas dinner’. Then sip elegantly on your sparkling mineral water.

🎄 Be extra gentle with yourself – Christmas Day can be highly charged and it doesn’t have to be. I have a couple of mantras that I repeat to myself (quietly or silently) when I’m anxious. They are ‘all is well’ and ‘I am safe today and always’. They are both very soothing.

🎄 Take a group photo on Christmas day. It’s fun to see these change year by year, and as much as everyone will grumble about having to get into place and that they hate having their photo taken, they will love receiving a copy. Be the person who makes this happen – be the bossy one!

🎄 Keep it simple on Christmas Day – uphold traditions that you enjoy and skip the rest without guilt.

🎄 Don’t stress about family niggles. Let others be who they are, maintain your own boundaries politely, and simply keep away from those who trigger you.

 

 

I hope you have a lovely Christmas Day!

 

xx Fiona

 

 

 

(My Amazon links are affiliate which means I may earn a small commission when you purchase, but at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it if you choose to use my links :)

A southern hemisphere Christmas

 

Hello chic friends!

 

Tuesday this week was lovely and summery for my mum's birthday lunch - I wore black linen. I don't often wear black but I love it in the summer with gold jewellery.

Little Daphne dog didn't get to come with us but how cute is she? My sweet princess 🥰

 

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Christmas touches in my living room 😍

I love having a YouTube background music video playing on our little tv. This tv I bought so we could watch movies outside in the summer, and it happily sits anywhere giving me joy!

The video playing is part of a Lofi background music playlist I made as something a bit different to the soft jazz Christmas music I usually listen to, but it's still Christmassy ❤️

 

 

I hope your December is going well! I am imagining I am on Christmas vacation for the whole of December, so I can feel peaceful and relaxed as well as getting things done.

Some days it works well! Others... well, I'm only human 🤣

How about you? Are you avoiding stress? Enjoying your December?

 

 

 

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I've been getting a light tan laying out ten minutes each side every couple of days, and the doggies always join me.

Daphne and Chloe love the heat, and Micky pictured here comes too, but he prefers to relax in the shade. Such a cutie, and sun-smart as well!

He'd be the one at the beach in a big floppy hat and white linen caftan, very mysterious in oversized sunglasses 🤣

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Final days for my big book sale

 

And my once-a-year book sale is almost over. In 48 hours time prices will go back to normal. Until then all my books are US$3.99 on Amazon. Paperbacks are on sale too, with the prices varying due to printing costs being different for each one.

I hope you take this chance to stock up on any titles you don't have yet. It's always nice to have some new reading material going into the holiday season 😊

You can find all my books at my Amazon affiliate link here.

And I have a 50% off coupon code for my eStore, valid on anything in the store including audiobooks and even my author course.

Use the code HALFPRICEHAPPINESS in my eStore ❤️

Happy reading, and thank you for being a reader of my books!

xx Fiona

Christmas begins, and my chic and slim tricks

My book 'A Chic and Simple Christmas', pictured on our dining table :)

 

Greetings chic friends!

 

Last weekend I put up my simple Christmas decorations. I went for a classic combo of red and gold, with a wool-effect tartan ribbon on the tree.

Our living room is a dark, moody space, ideal for daytime lights on the tree. I’ve decided it is the perfect Christmas grotto!

 

Fun movie on Netflix

 

And this week I listened to a cute Christmas audiobook called 'Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel' on Spotify (here on Amazon and it looks to be US$1.10 on Kindle at the moment), and have been watching Christmas movies too like the one above.

I loved it! It made me want to read more classic literature :)

Why not take the time to get into the festive spirit with your favourite things, I’ve decided 😊

Other years I’ve started early, but it feels nice to start on the first of December this year. I like to switch things up for myself.

How about you? Are you doing Christmassy things? Please tell me your favourite books and movies too 🎄

 

‘A Chic and Simple Christmas’ is available on Kindle, in paperback, and on Audible here Amazon  (the audiobook is 99c with a free trial of Audible).

Plus you can listen to it free on Spotify if you have Spotify Premium.

 

 

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Coffee and cake out with my aunty and mum on a sunny summery day 😊

 

 

A long time ago, in my bid for healthy lifestyle habits, I decided to 'always choose small' when it came to buying drinks out.

The slightly bigger size is always better value, and 'good value' is one of my values (😂) But then I made it just what I do, so I always buy size small (as with my coffee here).

I also have a chic rule for myself, and that is to eat half of whatever treat I'm having. I am not denying myself completely - and I don't eat cake every day - but whenever I do have cake or a sweet treat out with coffee, I cut it in half first.

It's actually really easy to do because I've decided to already, plus when I cut it in half before starting to eat, there is no edging over until it's all gone 🤣

I ask for a small bag or takeaway box, and one very happy husband has the other half with his after-dinner coffee that night.

In the photo above is a delicious gluten-free carrot cake at Cafe on Tennyson in Napier. It's so nice I can't try anything else when I go there. I have to have the carrot cake! The cream cheese icing is yum too.

 

 

Day 27. 'Use the 'le half' technique' in my book 'Thirty Slim Days' details both of these chic habits in more detail.

 

And, 'Thirty Slim Days' is on special for US$3.99 instead of US$9.99 on Kindle at the moment (only for one week more though!) The paperback is reduced too, as part of my big once-a-year book sale. It's US$13.99 down from US$20.99.

For an Amazon alternative the eBook is 50% off in my eStore here.
Just use the code HALFPRICEHAPPINESS

 

 Please let me know your favourite tips when it comes to leading a healthy balanced lifestyle without feeling deprived. I always love little tricks, or in French ‘trucs’ as Anne Barone in her wonderful ‘Chic and Slim’ books calls them.

 

xx Fiona

 

PS.My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission if you use them to shop with Amazon, but the price doesn't change for you. Thank you if you choose to use any of my Amazon links :)

Once-a-year book sale now on!

 

Good morning from my home office 😊

 

I always wear my glasses while I'm on my computer or reading, but I've not taken a photo of them on. So here I am!

They are Ray Ban frames and I love the colour of them. The arms are a slightly darker, opaque brown. I like how they aren't heavy looking on my face.

Of course, most people don't see them, but I do!

And knowing my prescription now, I have bought a couple of inexpensive pairs so I can have one pair in my lady basket, and another in my handbag. Luckily both my eyes require the same number (1.75). Although, if they were different I would probably still be fine, because I have a pair of 2.5s and they still work well.

Do you wear reading glasses? It's quite fun to try a new look and be a little outrageous with them, especially with the cheapie ones. I ordered some 'Oprah style' reading glasses off Amazon and they are fun to wear. A bit glam 😍

(They are these ones here - one pair in the three -pack had a wobbly lens but Amazon was quick to refund).

 

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And I'm excited to announce that my once-a-year book sale is now on. It will run for the next two weeks, and all my books are now US$3.99 on Amazon. Paperbacks are on sale too, but the prices vary due to printing costs being different for each one.

 

 

I hope you take this chance to stock up on any titles you don't have yet. It's always nice to have some new reading material going into the holiday season 😊

 

 

 

You can find all my books on Amazon here or click on any of the photos to go directly to the books shown.

 

 

 

And I have a 50% off coupon code for my eStore, valid on anything in the store including audiobooks and even my author course.

Use the code HALFPRICEHAPPINESS in my eStore here ❤️

 

Happy reading, and thank you for being a happy reader of my books. I've shared a few of my favourite reviews here. I'm so grateful for anyone who takes the time to write a review online ❤️ Thank you if you already have!

 

xx Fiona

PS. My Amazon links are affiliate which means I may receive a small commission, but at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it if you choose to use my links!

Creating free fun, growing your own food, and spring sunshine

 

Hello chic friends!

 

Paul and I took advantage of his new job's roster earlier this week (he works weekdays and weekends, in various mixes) to have a picnic on the beach on a sunny Tuesday.

We planned to eat lunch at home and go for a walk along the beach, but then thought 'Why not take our lunch with us?' We had a chicken and avocado salad each, and fruit and yoghurt for afters, and a can of Coke each for a fun touch. All brought from home! It was yummier, healthier, and far less expensive than buying lunch out.

And we still had a nice time. Even though most people are at work on a Tuesday, there were people around - holidaymakers, retirees walking, and teens sunning themselves on the beach, probably exam time with days off.

 

I love making the most of where we live and creating free outings like this. I sort of count our lunch as free even though we bought the groceries :) Plus, some of the salad ingredients were free since they were grown on our property - the cos lettuce, parsley, and avocado components!

I just love living a simple, low-cost lifestyle. To me it’s as enjoyable as spending lots, and you don't need to kill yourself in a job you hate to pay for it all.

This is especially pertinent to us since Paul was made redundant from his job earlier in the year. He has now found a new job and he absolutely loves it, working at the cellar door for one of our local wineries.

He is in his element, and meets the nicest people too - a lot of overseas tourists who are interesting to chat with and hear about where they are from. Even though he is the one pouring the wine, not drinking it, he still has a blast.

Do you live near an area of natural beauty that you can take a picnic too? I didn't take photos of our picnic because it wasn't one of those staged Instagram-worthy affairs, but we did dine with cloth napkins from our plastic lunch boxes! 

 

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Just look at these beautiful roses at my mum's when I visited during the week. Her friend Ann brought them from her garden. I always love pinks/blush/pale yellow/peach shades together.
 

 

 

I took the three doggies with me which I haven't done for a while since mum adopted a new rescue cat Minnie who is about a year old.

Turns out Minnie can hold her own. She stalked the dogs and at one stage was chasing one of them around the garden. So funny 😂 I had to rescue Chloe dog from the cat!

Minnie cat was VERY happy to see me drive off with my three idiots. She much prefers a quiet, dog-free home. She even followed us out to the car to make sure we all left: 'Don't let the door hit you on the way out!' 🤣

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On a bright, sunny day I picked spinach (for smoothies) and cos lettuce for salads. I also spent some time tidying up and watering our vegetable garden.

 

 

It’s a petite space but provides us with yummy goodness 🥬🥒🫑

In addition to spinach and lettuce, there are cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and little orange bell peppers already growing but not ready yet, and yesterday I added in dwarf beans for the first time. They are long round green beans which I love. The plant grows in a small bush instead of climbing so I’m told. I can’t imagine how a tiny plant grows long beans but I will find out soon enough with any luck!

 

I am not a huge gardener, even though it is very satisfying. My ideal garden looks good but is easy-care 😁

But I do love picking fresh vegetables for our lunchtime salads. Cos lettuce is my favourite because the bugs don’t seem to eat it the same as mesclun, which I only seemed to grow for the birds and white butterflies - there was never any left for me!

I hope you’ve had a lovely week. Today it has dawned a cool, calm Sunday here and we had rain overnight. I have a relaxing day of writing, coffee, and pottering planned. Just bliss!

 

xx Fiona

 

 

PS. Check out my newest book if you haven't already!

 

 

 

Financially Chic Vol. 2 is all about living a fabulous life on little cash. Find out how to create a 'rich lady lifestyle' for yourself. Switch up your mindset to live 'beyond your means'!

 

🌺 Read it on Kindle and in paperback here on Amazon, and find the audiobook wherever you listen to your audiobooks. You can ask your local public library to order in the paperback or eAudiobook too!

🌺 eBooks and eAudiobooks are in available in my eStore here.

🌺 Listen to the audiobook free on Spotify if you have Spotify Premium.

(My Amazon links are affiliate, but it doesn't change the price for you. Thank you if you choose to use my Amazon link!)

Chic style on a budget, and a new interview

 

Hello chic friends!

Paul and I went to a special event last weekend: a gorgeous local winery called Craggy Range's 'Deep Purple' annual wine club day.

Thankfully it was a beautiful day for all the people who travelled from out of town to attend.

Strolling among the vines, glass of wine in hand was a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon!

Of course, I wouldn't be found holding a glass of wine at 11am every Saturday, but once a year is okay, surely?

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I am thrilled to share with you a podcast interview I recorded, with the delightful Jessica DeBry on her inspiring ‘The Author Entrepreneur Podcast’. You can listen to it here or wherever you listen to your podcasts by searching for my name 'fiona ferris'.

 

 

I had such a great conversation with Jessica. She has a beautiful way of interviewing, and I didn’t even feel ‘that’ nervous 😊 Because it is nerve-wracking talking on a podcast, or maybe it’s just me!

I hope you enjoy our chat, and it’s especially for you if you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book. Please let me know what you think of it once you’ve had a listen!

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I am currently re-recording the audiobook of ‘100 Ways to be That Girl’ myself due to overwhelming feedback that very few listeners actually enjoyed the narrator I chose. This was when I was just starting out in audiobooks and thought a professional narrator would be the best choice.

 

 

I chose her from a small group I’d selected, and she wasn’t cheap either (fair enough too, I was happy to pay, but it turns out you’d rather hear me narrate my books). Oh well, lesson learned! But I wanted to let you know a new version is on its way 😊

 

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This week I’m up to my final reader question for the Q&A series to celebrate the release of my newest book ‘Financially Chic Vol. 2’.

“My question is about looking chic without spending a fortune. I do love the idea of a circular economy but I don’t actually enjoy looking at the thrift stores. In the area where I live there are several stores, but the clothes are not my taste. I would like some suggestions on how to dress in a stylish manner without having to resort to a whole new wardrobe.”

I am also not someone who enjoys thrifting clothes. When I was younger I did, and I also bought thrifted fabric (even curtains!) to sew my own clothes with.

I also like to dress well without spending a lot of money. My favourite way to do this is by the classic high-low mix where you combine less expensive pieces with costlier pieces. Even my ‘costly’ clothing pieces aren’t expensive though. Where I do like to spend a little more money is on a bag or pair of sunglasses, but even then, one of my favourite pairs of sunglasses cost $15.

I think it’s about how you put outfits together more than the price of them, and also how you groom yourself, your posture, and confidence too (real or acting-as-if). When I take the time to blow-dry my hair and paint my nails (both these things cost nothing, only a little time), I feel amazing, and I do think it makes what I’m wearing look better.

I would always shop my own closet first, browsing Pinterest for ideas, or even just thinking ‘What would my capsule collection look like if I made one from my closet?’ In addition, when I clear out even a few pieces that bring me down (bad colour on me, uncomfortable fabric etc), the other pieces left in there look better.

Sometimes I’ll take everything out of my wardrobe and have just my chic and simple capsule collection hanging. It looks like a boutique! And makes the clothes I’ve used look more appealing.

I hope this has been helpful, and I also hope you have enjoyed this little Q&A series! And please feel free to add your tips if you have something to say 😊

xx Fiona

You can read Financially Chic Vol. 2 at my affiliate Amazon link here.