Daily hair and makeup in quarantine 💃

It just feels better. Yes, there are days here and there where I don’t put any makeup on, but those are rare.

💋 I enjoy applying it - it’s like doing a colouring book for 10 minutes a day 😁 - very meditative!

💋 I get to use the items I already own. Makeup doesn’t last forever so why not use it up rather than throw it out one day.

💋 It enhances my looks, and it’s fun to perfect how I do it. At the moment I am using only a tiny bit of foundation on a brush I used to use more. But then I saw how French girls let their skin show through a bit.

💋 I feel happy with myself if there is an unexpected visitor because I feel prepared for the day.

But really I do it for me. I have a little capsule collection set up on my writing desk, because it gets good morning light. I put on an inspirational video or audio and listen away while I do my makeup. I really look forward to this part of my day!

Do you find applying makeup as enjoyable as I do? ☺️

Easy Quarantine Lunch

It’s lunch for one today, now that Paul has gone back to work.  I had omelette and a ‘salad’ (chopped up celery) and it is so tasty and filling.  I use one or two eggs, mixed with a little bit of cream and some salt.

Before I put that into a non-stick frying pan, I saute some veges in butter.  Today was red capsicum (bell pepper), fresh thyme from the garden and a few slices of mushroom.  Once all that is sizzling I pour the egg mixture over and then sprinkle grated cheese (mozzarella today, but tasty cheese other days) on one half.

I turn the pan off straight away and put a lid on it.  After a few minutes it’s ready to go and I fold the omelette in half (it ended up being quarters today) and serve… to myself :)

Having something fresh on the side makes the omelette so much more enjoyable too.  Today all I had was celery, but I also like cucumber and/or tomato with a crunch of black pepper.

I always like something sweet to end off a meal, and I discovered an old favourite (like decades old) when friends of ours with young children stayed at Christmas.  They left a few caramel dairy foods in the fridge and I thought I’d try them since they are gluten free and fairly healthy.  They were yum!

So I now have one of these (I like to mix up the flavours, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, banana, raspberry) or a square of dark chocolate.  Whichever one I have at lunchtime, I have the other after dinner.  Amazingly I don’t need dessert after breakfast!

[Sidenote: it’s a shame they are marketed at kids, they don’t feel like the chicest thing in my fridge, but they really do hit the spot for low calories, some protein, not too much sugar etc]

Plus, a coffee after that, either pod machine or instant Moccona, with cream or half-and-half.

Yummy lunch, pretty healthy really, and filling too.

[Second sidenote: I love to prechop the ingredients in little containers for a few days.  It makes my lunch prep nice and quick, and I can always add the remainder to a stir-fry or casserole at dinner.  They never go to waste.]

What’s your favourite go-to lunch at home?

Everything to Gain

Image: Arnel Hasanovic, Unsplash

There is an advertisement on television at the moment about the COVID-19 lockdown.  It's very effective, and the simple message, set against images of empty shops and cafes, sportsgrounds and public areas, is 'Don't think of all you're giving up, think of everything you're gaining.'

In the advertisement, it's to keep our spirits up when we're not allowed to do anything or go anywhere, but I also thought that it's a great quote to inspire us when we have a goal.

Imagine starting a new, healthier way of eating with this in mind.  Don't think of all you're giving up - wine aplenty, carbs for miles, fun, fun, fun - but all you're gaining - feeling more vibrant and healthy, looking better in your clothes, living longer.  Keeping this quote front and centre helps you look forward to chopping fresh vegetables and making nutritious meals.

Or when you're wanting to save money for your house deposit or to pay off your mortgage quicker.  You're not giving up shopping online every night and buying new clothes all the time, you're gaining a richer more secure future (and a less cluttered home.)

Or even the original intention: think of all you're gaining by how you are living at the moment.  It's huge. We are all giving up a lot, some more than others.  But it's all for the greater good and a better tomorrow.

I love being inspired by something I come across and it sparking off all sorts of new ideas.  Tell me your examples of what you are gaining too, please!

xx Fiona

~~

For more ideas on living well, positivity and style, you can browse my books and download free samples on Amazon:

The Paris Fantasy

 

Image: Jeff Frenette, Unsplash

I thought I'd start sharing favourite excerpts from my books every now and then.  Here is the first one - I hope you enjoy it!

xx Fiona

~~

I adore Paris and am inspired to be my best by living my own version of the idealistic French way of life.

For fun daydreams, I imagine myself in a parallel universe living in a chic apartment in Paris. Of course, I work somewhere fabulous; perhaps I am a magazine editor. On long weekends and holidays, I take the high-speed train down to my family home in Provence, naturellement.

It’s a total fantasy, but one that makes me happy to think about it. So what kinds of things can I imagine doing while I live there?

Sipping black coffee at my local café reading a book

Dressing in a ladylike yet sexy way

Wearing big sunglasses

Having the perfect capsule wardrobe

Eating simple and elegant meals that I put together with ease

Growing red geraniums in a terracotta pot

Planting fresh herbs in the garden and using them in salads

Playing Édith Piaf on my iPod

I brainstorm as many details of my fantasy life as possible, and it’s exciting to see how many of those things I can bring into my everyday life here in New Zealand. There are a lot! And it’s fun to add to my list over time as I think of ideas or see a detail in a movie that appeals.

(From ‘Day 24: How to love where you live’, ‘Thirty More Chic Days’)