Auckland: Big little City

We all know that we have some bias towards the city we grew up, some also do not have the best experiences and find new places to call home and be bias about. For me I will always love Auckland, it is where I have grown and become the person I am today, since I am feeling so happy I want to share with you a little snippet of what I love about Auckland.

Big little City

My Home

Z

Graduation

Hey peeps!

I have been so caught up in graduation that I have completely missed keeping you posted, well what can I say, if you ever get the chance to study and graduate do it! The whole process itself was surreal, I couldn't believe I had finally got up on stage and collected my degree. Almost four whole years it took me to acquire this piece of paper, saying that I completed the advance study in the management field. I think everyone will say that their graduation is different from anyone else's and it is! 

AUT winter graduation consisted of the graduates walking down Queen St at 9.30 am, it definitely gives you an ego boost when the main CBD street in Auckland City shuts partly down to allow you to walk up to the centre where the ceremony will be held. I walked with a friend that I had made at the beginning of my degree, we reminiscence about the days where we would meet up for coffee and discuss how we were going to complete an assignment or that we can't wait to graduate. It made it feel more special that I had someone who was experiencing the same thing along side me, we were definitely grinning like Cheshire cats. 

Once we arrived at Aotea Centre, we were greeted by our peers in a traditional Maori welcoming (I am pretty sure it was a welcome or at least an acknowledgement). Then we headed into the centre, I am pretty sure there was about 250 people who graduated along side me; it was surprising how many people were graduating and to think I may have walked pass these people everyday. The funny thing I experienced and I know a few of you will nod your heads in agreement, is when you walk up to the stage you feel like you are in a tunnel and all you can see is the chancellor in front of you. I was told by my friends that quite a few people were cheering for me but low and behold I heard nothing, I was that focused about not tripping I missed the cheering! 

Oh and what I wore to the graduation was a white dress from Cue and plain black flat boots that I picked up from number one shoes. As much as it would have been nice to wear heels, I knew I would not last the day in them if I did. There were some girls wearing 6 inch stellittos and you could see them wobbling as they walked over uneven ground.. maybe I am old fashion but that doesn't seem attractive to me.

Well there is my summary of one of my life changing events, I am now a graduate! ready to take on the world of employment. Stay tuned

Peace Out

Z 

Across the ditch a.k.a Australia

My Sydney Shopping Trip

So over the past week and a half I have been inhabiting Australia, I have been mostly in Sydney and for four days in Melbourne. Australia for me is like a second home that you visit on a yearly basis. My uncle and first cousins live there so I don't need to worry about accommodation while I am over there.

This time round I stayed with a friend for free in Wollongong which is south of Sydney about 1 1/2 give or take depending on what direction you are coming from.  

One of the beaches in Wollongong

Wollongong reminds me a little bit of Whangamata in New Zealand, a small town where people are friendly and the city just plods along. I was really impressed with the free bus service they had, it saved me a lot of money and it got me where I needed to go! I also watched my friend play in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament,it didn't take me too long to figure out the rules and seemed like a lot of fun, even when i did get smacked in the face with the Frisbee. If you are looking to get into a sport that is not to overwhelming I would recommend ultimate Frisbee, so check it out!

On a side note, Wollongong is a coastal town so there is plenty of beaches to surf and swim at. A bit of a sleepy town but I definitely got my r and r in.

Pancake Parlour in Melbourne, one word, AMAZING!

Now Melbourne, that is another story, the city is huge! It took us 90 minutes to get our hotel from the airport!! However there was so much to see, I went to the Melbourne National Museum and the Victoria National Gallery to see the Monet exhibition, Impressionism has always been my favourite type of art and the fact it was all based around Monet was pure heaven for me! I did go into the city for a night on the town, it was great, we ended up staying at one bar that played current and old school music; definitely had a few sing a longs to some old hits. Visually I did find that Melbourne was lacking something, maybe it was the mix of old and new buildings didn't seem to fit in my eyes, though the old buildings I saw there were very beautiful. Sadly to say I did not get a chance to hit the shops and see what kind of places Melbourne had to offer as my friend I went with did not like to shop, boo! annoying boys...

My carry on luggage for my trip back home!

With this holiday I did manage to travel quite a lot within Australia, I used the Sydney Railway to get around and found that they were spot on every time. I would recommend using the trains as you can get day, weekly and fortnightly passes, plus the trains go to most places; I took a train from South Sydney to North Sydney to see my Uncle and that in the end was 3 1/2 hours! For my domestic flight from Sydney to Melbourne and back I used Tiger Airways, overall, not impressed; both my flights were delayed and there service was appalling. To be honest though I guess that this was Murphy's law really about only just wanting to get the cheapest flight and mentally having to end up paying for it!

Other than that, I had a pretty fun holiday! Hanging with friends and family, getting a little bit of shopping in and overall just relaxing. Perfect! I hope this little review might interest you in visiting Australia or even just giving yourself a bit of a holiday, we all need it you know.

Some purchases before I even left Auckland, oh dear...

Peace Out

Z

Autumn Prep List

Picture from Pinterest

Hey Peeps,

While I am writing this blog it is a dreary wet day outside, the temperature has decreased rapidly in the last few days and I can definitely say Autumn is here. I don't know about you but I seem to discover when the season hits that I am ill prepared, there seems to be a lack of warm clothes that I have stored away or that the shoes I plan to wear are worn and won't protect my feet from the rain. So for my benefit and yours I am providing you with some ideas that will help you avoid being caught out in the rain or worst cold!

• You have to look fashionable when is comes to the seasons, even when two out of the four season has rain and snow! Some of these trends I am definitely going to follow for Autumn.
• Here is a great guide for someone who has to start from scratch when updating their Autumn wardrobe.
• I want to try and eat seasonally, so here what is in season for Autumn
• Also to make a good prep list you must find good recipes so that you can get into the groove of things!
• For all my New Zealanders I found this cool site dedicated to vegetables, it is surprising that many of us are uneducated about their benefits.

So here is my mini prep list for Autumn, I hope this has been helpful! If I find more interesting facts I will update this post.

Have an awesome week!

Peace Out

Z

R.I.P MERC

Hey Peeps,

I fell behind last week in Procrastination material, I did try on Sunday to get more one review done but to my dismay I just mentally wasn't prepared for it. On the 17th of April, I lost my beloved car MERC. Some of you may scratch your head and say "well it is just a car", but there is so much more to that, it was my first car I ever owned; brought with my own money. I had her coming up 6 years, she at times wasn't the most reliable car and could cost me a lot of money, but in the end she was sturdy and mine. I am fully aware I have a sentimental attachment to a car and yes it can be considered "strange" but why be normal anyway? The last week for me was of chaos and confusion, my experience with the insurance company was good until they somehow managed to not included me in the accident (shaking head). But hopefully all will be resolved,  though my car will be a write off and sold for scraps. When I was told this all I did was shudder, the visuals of my car being ripped to shreds for parts was just a little too painful.

However it was a good time to reflect on how long I had had the MERC and the memories I associated with it, there does come a time when we have to let go of things we cherish as they do not benefit us any longer. It is not to say the we will forget, but that there is a time and place for everything and something's do come to an end, whether it be a relationship, lease or experience. If you get the chance, think back to about something you had that made you happy and reflect; did I learn anything? has something similar in that come into my life? 99% you can say yes, because there are always new possibilities knocking at our door. Sometimes we just need that extra push to realise and accept them.

Lastly, yes I am alright...

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 10th April

My little snippet of Wellington

Happy Procrastination Day

How has everyone's week been? I am pretty proud of myself getting this written before the week is out, I have such a blast being in Wellington and visiting my friends, I never leave Wellington disappointed!! This week's material is based around my trip, so if you have any plans to go there I suggest to take a look at some of the places I will suggest..

• So this is the bag I took as luggage for 2 days, I am very proud to say that I fitted everything I needed; Country Road bags are extremely popular as luggage bags for short amounts of time. If you are ever in the market for one, I suggest looking at one of these! Mine was jam packed for my 2 day adventure, you never know what you might get up to and I like to be prepared.

My room at Ibis Wellington

• When I got in at 10.30 pm I was pretty happy to have such a comfy room as this, great size, comfortable bed and the reception on the television was perfect. The 24 hour reception was a bonus as I was worried that I might have to call a number to be let in! Overall I had a great experience at Ibis the staff were friendly and helpful, the rooms immaculately clean and the atmosphere very relaxing, but not to mention right in the middle of Wellington central!

• I confess when I go to any place I always go check out the shops, even if they have the same shops like Auckland. I ended up purchasing essentials which made feel very pleased with myself; I brought leggings from Glassons, two beanies from Cotton On, a pair of pajama pants from Cotton On Body and of course I hit the Lush they had! Lastly I got this really nice smelling candle from Ecoya which was sold in Stevens, I am starting to get back into burning scented candles, you just cannot beat a nice smelling room or even home!

So the weekend really consisted of me catching up with friends, eating fabulous food and shopping. What more could a girl ask for? If you are looking for a great breakfast or nice place to chill out I would recommend Olive, I went there on my last day for brunch and had a really nice Eggs Benedict. On a last note when you do go to Wellington (and you should) checkout Cuba St there is such life on this street, I saw a man get arrested and I also go preached to about how I need to be religious. So get among-est the quirkiness and I will see you all next week.

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 3rd April

Happy Procrastination Day

What a fantastic week! not that it has anything to do with it being a shorter working week (lies), there was a lot of news feed flying around that it has only taken me till now to sort out the good ones for you all. Also next week I will be heading to the capital of my country Wellington! So I plan to explore, take notes, create fun pictures and report back on findings just for you all.

• Even though I am only going for a weekend travelling can throw off your body, so I have been reading up on ways to keep happy and healthy while I am travelling.
• I found this website talking about really healthy tips for organic snacks 
• Though I am currently having for breakfast and up&go with fruit and I find that to be a substantial breakfast to start my day off
• The accommodation I have booked is under the Accor Hotel group, I recently have come to the realisation that travelling, whether it be small trips or large overhauls, being in a loyalty program certainly has it's benefits. The more you travel and get points the better the deals are, also I have discovered being on this program I automatically get cheaper standard rates, if that does not impress you then what would?!
• Also I stumbled across the top 10 dry shampoos by one of the blogs that I read, it is quite handy especially if you don't want to have to wash your hair every second day like I do!
• Lastly I found a great trick to making your legs smoother, I think I might try it before I head down to Wellington next week.

Thought some of you might appreciate this as much as I do, hehehe definitely a grin jerker.

Have a great weekend!

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 20th March

Hey Peeps,

So I am a bit late this week, however I have gathered some awesome content for you all! Scientific research mixed with beauty and life advice; keep you on your toes really.

• I could not believe it when I read this anti ageing is slowly becoming possible, kind of scary to a point don't you think?
• Also I have been researching different alternatives to deodorants as my under arms easily get irritated, this was definitely a good article to read up on.
• As I try my best to not use product used on animals, it was really exciting to hear that Europe is now making legislation to ban animal testing!
• Plus now I am getting excited for the Wicked if you don't know what it is I suggest you check it out!!
• I have booked my tickets to Wellington, I am off in the next few weeks to visit my very good friend, promise I will give you some info and pictures of the trip.

Lastly I brought two of these products, the Day Cream I was low on and wanted to try something new and the BB cream was an implosive buy and the fact it said that it has a matte finished drew me in. I will in the next couple of weeks right a review on how I found these products, so stay tuned.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 13th March

Photo from Pinterest

Happy Procrastination Wednesday

Yay! I am so happy I got the content this week. Felt like I had let you all down by not providing you all with a distraction for your Wednesday. So here is this weeks content:

• Last Friday was international womens day it is pretty cool what the day symbolises, New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote and this day just made me smile. Go Equality!
• Also check out my group pinboard it is dedicated to anything Kiwi
• Here is an interesting review on adrenal fatigue
• Also I read Gala Darlings beginners guide to palmistry it was amazing! definitely want to try it out on my friends
• I just noticed that today's date is the 13/03/13 there is a lot of three's in today's date, so I researched the meaning of the number 3.

Have a good read my friends and leave any comments, I would love to hear from you!

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 27th Feb

Picture from Pinterest

Happy Procrastination Wednesday!

So I have not be as dedicated to my procrastination material as I would have liked, it has been a busy week for me! I went to the Auckland Lantern Festival on Friday, it is always a magical place for me, I really love the unique lanterns that they show. Also I really love food too! It was a great time, friends, light and especially food like the stuffed pancakes... Have a wonderful week everyone, enjoy the company of your friends and have some fun!!

• I came across this article about this homeless man's honesty that it was so heart warming, go human beings!
• That brings me to the concept of how people view money
• Also in New Zealand summer is coming to an end (sad), so here are some tips for prepping your skin for the cold weather.
• Favourite song and video right now!

Peace out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 13th Feb

Happy Procrastination Wednesday

How is everyone's week going? Between the assignments and catching up on everything else I have neglected, it has already been a busy week! Do let me know how your week has been going I would love to hear from you all!!!!

• So since it is Valentines Day I thought I would put a spin on this classic read the best funny anti-valentines day quotes
• Though where did all this madness come? I really wanted to know who/what/when/where/why Valentines Day can into being?
• If you are a single boy here is a youtube clip that can help you with what girls are like.... 
• Oh and here is something you might find interesting on New Zealand history

Have a great week everyone!

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 6th Feb

Happy Procrastination Wednesday

Happy Waitangi Day everyone, or as some Kiwi's like to think New Zealand day. On this day the native people and British colonies signed an agreement known as the Treaty of Waitangi. I have attached this website if you are interested in the history about New Zealand! 

I hope everyone is having an awesome day, enjoy what I have found:

• Kris Carr really puts the emphasis on how to really say No
• Last week I put up a photo of what type of make up brushes there are, however I did find a better site that provided me with more valid information.
• I have to agree, having a beauty routine is important!
• If you are wanting to get into organics but not sure how to go about it, read this article.

Since Waitangi Day is a public holiday here I was enjoying the weather just a little too much, I will make up next week with some more interesting content.

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 30th Jan

Photo from Pinterest

Happy Procrastination Wednesday

How are you today? Here in New Zealand I had Monday off to celebrate my city's anniversary, Auckland Anniversary that is. We have been having amazing weather, which of course I have been talking full advantage of! Now that I am not working in my compulsory work placement I have found it a struggle to keep up with content, but never fear I am if not stubborn and there is still content for this week.. Just makes me think why do we procrastinate in our jobs when we are paid to complete tasks?

So onward and upwards here is my content for this week:

• Everyone sees social media as the forefront of positivity, but what if there is are some down falls that people do not take into consideration when they jump into this world. 
• I now drink lemon water, it is so yummy! it helps me consume more water everyday..as I am not the best at drinking my 8 glasses of water.
• Now, I came across this article about a proposal that I never expected, do out there proposal mean that there is a more likelihood that the person will say yes?
• I may be getting old, but this piece definitely reminds me that yes, yes I am getting older and might be starting to get stuck in my ways....but in a funny way.
• A man in New Zealand called Gareth Morgan has proposed that the government think about slowly eradicating domestic cats, as they supposedly destroying our native bird wildlife. However his accusations have holes in it and being a cat lover myself definitely did not see eye to eye on his declaration. So when I came across this article about how to turn Mr Morgan into a cat lover; I could not help but share it with all of you.

So my pretties enjoy the rest of your week, have a laugh.

Peace Out

Z

Procrastination Wednesday 23rd Jan

Photo from Pinterest

Happy Procrastination Wednesday

This week has been up and down for me, the good and the not so good! I haven't been able to work on my vlog yet, due to unforeseen restrictions. Nevertheless we all with continue on, after all isn't that what life is for? to challenge us in many ways. Keep up the good work my friends!

• This week I discovered a beauty website based in little old New Zealand that provides items such as Urban Decay and Elf! I watch a lot of beauty channels and lots of Gurus talk about these products. But since being on the other side of the world it is quite expensive, however this site is reasonable priced and is based locally, yes!!! So that where some of my paycheck will be going, Mucho Gusto. 
• I have noticed that my preference lately is Beauty & Fashion, but knowing me it will change sooner or later, however I found this article on shopping tips which were very handing indeed!
• Also who doesn't need more sparkle in their lives right now?!
• On the organisation note, this article about organising your beauty corner is perfect for the organiser in all of us.
• This brought me to attention about what not to write when describing yourself, it quite surprised me that people use a lot of these adjectives...
• For starters in beauty, look at this article on what type of brushes you should use when applying make-up; it is very educational.

So lovely's enjoy your week! Do let me know about any tips or tricks that you have come across..

Peace Out

Z

Stage One: The Move

Photo from GatorMoving

Stage One: The Move

Well as an experienced mover I can say that there are certain precautions everyone should take, below I have provided suggestions such as:

Always make sure you have the right amount of packaging

This is a vice a lot of people seem to fall on, you are either at one end of the spectrum. For me I end up having too many boxes that I do not know what to do with. It is important to make sure that you use packaging correctly. What I mean is packing the boxes full, using newspaper or bubble wrap to protect your fragile, not just throwing everything at random into a box. Find a method, my method consists of putting in a box items that will be arranged together; for example: from my side cabinet I put all the items into one box, however if there is spare room in the box, I put items from the other side cabinet to full it up. Overall it is just really important to use up all the room in your boxes, not only does it mean that you use less, but it could also save you money, depending on how your mover chargers.

Label everything!

It doesn't need to be anything fancy, you can just use a permanent marker and write on the boxes. That is what I do, I find it ends up being messy if I use post-it notes or quality stationary. The benefits of labeling is that when you are in your new destination you can put the boxes in the right room and it saves the unnecessary opening of all boxes to find where everything is. Plus if you have packed you boxes similar to I do, then you can easily put everything away in the place you want, making it more efficient!

Find a company or people that you can trust

The last piece of the puzzle is to when you everything is packed, you need to be secure in knowing whoever moves your stuff will be respectful and diligent. For the last few years I have had family move me, it was only last year that I used a company, which ended up being family related! If I had known this earlier then I would have used the company! If you are unsure where to hire a moving company, ask relatives (they can be a source of information!) also look in your local directory or Google local movers in your area. Research! see if there is feedback on their services, look at pricing and lastly do not rush into anything. Evaluate and decide what is the best choice for you! You do not want to book a company and the have to pull out because you found something better or family have offered to help.

Well then I move this weekend, so I will document how it goes and will let you know if there is anymore information I can provide.

Peace out

Z