Im a full time working Mum. oh, how i wish i had the luxury of staying home with my beautiful kids - they've both been at Kohanga (& now one at school) since they were about 6 months old. i honestly feel like i've missed out on so much! and prioritising them above work - at times - has failed me misrably. their Father and i have set up that they are with him every holidays (if all goes to plan - which it hasnt) but even that meant i didnt get any one on one time with them... without distraction! SO - now im coming up to a week leave - YAAAAAAHS - and it hit me... what the heck am i going to do with these gorgeous kids while im on leave... thats 5 days, of amazing 'PLEASE DONT GET BORED' mummy & kiddy time. so here's my top 5 ideas for 'what to do with your kids during the holidays' //  you ready?

 

LETS DO THIS!

Hi Lovers - its Nedell here today. i wanted to talk about something that's been playing on my mind for a really long time.. something im hoping we can discuss.

 

my children's dad and i have been parenting apart for the past 12 months. although NOW we communicate better, our kids are happier & we are finally doing whats best for them -

we drive eachother insane, have had a lot of disagreements, tears & yes - even laughs through this entire process.

 

i wanted to share with my single mama & papas out there some tips & tricks ive picked up to manage those co-parenting struggles! - hands up if you feel me*

 

so here's a few of my tips, tricks - *advice* that's worked for me. it may not work for you, & you may not even agree - but id love to discuss this with you guys. let me know your thoughts.

 

LETS GO!

Picture this -

 

you've finished a long hard day of work - or whatever it is that fills your day.

you pick up your children, they're being 'children' and testing your last peice of sanity.

 

your mind is focused on

and by the time you have a chance to catch your breath

it's so late you just want to shower and get into bed -

IF, of course, you remembered to eat as well.

 

ahhhh yes, we as Mothers often forget the importance of caring for ourselves

we're consumed by errands, work & family life

amongst friendships, relationships & extended family time.

 

some may think this is minimal in comparison to so many things in life we could improve

BUT our homes are somewhere we spend the majority of our time together.

we raise our children at home, it's their safe space

we probably made our children there

we relax there, we cry there

we build memories

let's get a little personal today and talk skin
I was staring at my counter the other night and thought
is this extreme? so i thought id share my skin care routine
and hopefully some ladies out there can help me feel a little at ease
because i dont think this is extreme at all - haha

Shall we then?

Hey Guys,

we wanted to turn things up a little bit and include a little something we may all be familiar with.

 

Summer is well and truly on its way here in New Zealand

and with the busy lifestyles of being a full time worker

and mother to two beautiful children each

it gets easy to forget that eating healthy & exercising is a nessesity.

 

so we want to tackle this mummy tummy issue once and for all

we are starting the Fat2Fit tea cleanse

and super you cleanse blend.

as well as ensuring we are clean eating

& incorporating daily exercise into our busy routines.

 

we'll give you a weekly over-view of how things are going

what we've been eating

tips & tricks we pick up

and how our lifestyle change is going.

 

we hope that together we can support eachother into a better, healthier future

for us, our children & other Mums fighting the struggle too -

 

So to start off - we've been walking Kaiti Hill here in gisborne

the kids love it & it was a nice way to end the weekend.

 

we'll be drinking water & herbal tea ONLY during the week

until our cleanse tea arrives

and cutting take aways out of our diet.

 

let us know what you have or will be doing to kick start your healthy you

 

- Stay Beautiful

 



So we figured we'd start a new segment and bring some era inspired makeup and fashion looks... Starting with the infamous 90s 

We personally love the 90s. The music - the crazy hairdos - the simplicity and the last glimpse of what life was like before everyone was attached to their devices. Hands up if you miss the good Ol times 

So let's get to it then... grunge.

So we're hugely artistic and like to put cute little personal touches around the home. We wanted to share some easy craft things we have in our homes with you guys and would love to hear and see your ideas too.. 

Shall we? 

Del made this Pallett headboard using.. Well, pallets lol and gave them a quick rustic look paint job then strung up some lantern lights from Typo. Cute right? 

Another cool idea is to use one of these to hold your perfumes or candles. 

There are so many things you can make or do in your home to put your own personal touches. As we get into summer we'll be doing more of this - hopefully you guys can share your ideas with us. 

- Stay Beautiful 

if you - like us - are a lover of cosmetic goodness

then you'll probably know all about Gerard Cosmetics

 

we finally got our hands on this lippy goodness

and it's one of those things that make you question

what you were doing with life before it.

 

I purchased a 3 pack for $25

a special they were running & i honestly should have gotten every single shade!

 

Gerard Cosmetics have a varitey of shades to choose from

but the 3 i purchased were:

 

1995 - a shade inspired from the 90's grunge phase. honestly, already my favourite lip shade. its described as not 'trendy' but a timeless expression of glam. i couldnt agree more

 

Dragon Berry - a purpley pink shade that pops on the lips. i thought id go for something a bit more vibrant.

 

Cherry Cordial - a very dark vampy shade and trending at the moment. im not really one for trends but im in total love with this shade. i find myself reaching for this regularly.

 

 

 

on a day to day basis im usually rocking the 1995

and it'll probably be the one i repurchase first - for real

 

 

 

two shades i also want to add to my collection are buttercup and French Toast.

im really feeling neutral nudes at the moment.

 

if you follow them on Instagram you'll keep updated with promo's they run

one of my fave things about insta!

 

do you own any Gerard Cosmetics products?

let us know in the comment section xo

 

- Stay Beautiful

 

 

 



I feel completely blessed to share this life I live with my amazing children and their cousins. 

So yes - today I thought I'd share one of the most treasured peices of my heart...

My children. 

For as long as I can remember, Sunday has been about family time adventures. 

My brother and sister are both living In Gisborne and today I got to spend my time with my baby loves. 

Kids are so simple. They love to play, to laugh and have attention spans of a gold fish!... In other words - you have to keep them active which works wonders for bedtime. 

I hope your guys family days are as magical as mine was  xx

 

And even better? 

Those moments in the madness where you can put your feet up and enjoy the sunshine 

Until next time

- stay beautiful 

Eyebrows are sisters - not twins

we all have that one good eyebrow and one wayward little poo!

but today i thought id share my quick

eyebrow tutorial..ish method

 

i use:

e.l.f eyebrow duo in medium

L'oreal eyebrow gel in medium

small angled brush

spoolie (or an old mascara wand will do)

 

Method:

1. using a spoolie - i brush my brows into place, this makes it easier to line the brows.

 

2. using the angled brush i apply the e.l.f product by lining the bottom and top of my eyebrow from about 1/3 of the way in

 

3. following the natural direction of my hairs, i fill in the eyebrow making sure to get any gaps i have in my eyebrows.

 

4. using the remaining product on the brush and small upward strokes i fill in the front of the eyebrow, this gives a more natural fade effect

 

5. to keep those bad boys in place i use the L'oreal gel.

 

 

 



So lovelies - today we wanted to chat to you guys about our current favourite Contour products - these are the few that we use. 

 

 

 

1. e.l.f complete coverage concealers in light & dark. 

They retail for something super inexpensive like $10 NZD or something. You can grab these at any Kmart that stocks e.l.f - I highly recommend these products, however - they are super oily and I always have to set really well with a powder but they move really well and the pallet comes in an assortment of colours.

 

2. MAC studio finish concealer duo in NC40/NC45. 

I'm usually NC30-NC35 so I use these as my contour colours. It's MAC - what more is there to say... Amazing! 

 

 

3. ACONTOUR. 

There is absolutely no faulting this pallet to us. One half of the other side sisters has super oily skin so powder contouring pallets is the absolute way to go. It has everything you need to bronze - contour - highlight - set your under eye concealer... Oh my goodness the possibilities are endless!! 

pick your's up at Farmers for $25 NZD

We'd love to hear what your favourite contour pallets are - what you use, what you would not recommend, let us know below 

- Stay Beautiful 

Lets get down to buisness -

who's heard of Frank Body Scrub?

 

This Coffee body scrub - if you follow on Instagram

is widely known and loved!

the creators of this amazing body scrub give advertising a run for their money!

they are witty - cute - and appeal to woman

what's even better... tadahhhh - this product lives up to it's expectations.

 

let's be Frank.. what is The Frank Effect?

 

you can purchase Frank online here

the origional body scrub is $14.95AUD

but it also comes in these amazing flavours - ahemm, i mean delicious formulations as well.

 

 

you can check them out on the website. they have something for everyone... like, EVERYONE!

i suffer from eczema and they do not irritate or inflame my skin, if anything - they sooth and clear it up!

 

you can also purchase the Frank body balm - its oily. it's not REALLY my thing, but it works wonders for your legs - so i use it if im wearing something short for a night out. the formulation doesnt completely agree with me but some of you may love it.

in my recent purchase of Frank - i found that they also now have face wash!

i've been using Frank on my face for so long

i just had to get it!

i havent been using it long enough to give a review

but i'll let you know

 

 

my favourite things to do with Frank?

what i really love to do is that it on my tattoos

 Frank sooths the skin and makes them appear more vibrant.

I especially love to frank my legs after shaving

and before a night out

I also use Frank to remove fake tan,

it helps with little nasties on the skin - Girl Problems!

and it leave you smelling AH-MAY-ZING!

 

 



tried and true. we are hard core Frank Body Scrub fans

it's almost summer and Frank does wonders on the skin in summer

has The Frank Effect gotten you too?

let us know below...

 

- Stay Beautiful

 

 

 



we all have that dress - you know the one, right? The little black dress purched up in the wardrobe that we pull out when we can't find anything to wear. 

Ahhhhhh, yes! The L.B.D 

Shall we discuss? We think so... 

So mine is this bad boy I purchased from Top Shop online 2 years ago. The double the split maxi dress. 

I'm 100% sure this isn't available anymore - but honestly, these investment peices never go out of style. 

The fabric is thick and soft and sits so well. I can wear it to dinner, to parties or events and dress it up or down depending on where you're going. 

I've worn this dress countless times and will team it with my Sass and Bide tail coat or recently Keepsake the Lable Cape 

I do not feel the need to update my LBD - why fix something that isn't broken, right? 

I'd love to know what your guys LBD's are - let me know in the comments your thoughts and suggestions x

- Stay Beautiful 

xo The Other Side ox 

Our first 'Getting to know' post is all about this Russian Aucklander

 

 

If you are one of his 2948 and growing BadWearsGood Instagram followers

than you know all about this stylish man!

 

this beard caught my eye!

im a sucker for a well groomed man with a beard.

 

 

we have been completly intrigued and in awe of his simplistic, effortless style

and needed to know more!

 

 

read on to see what the BadWearsGood style Guru had to say

 

 

 

Where does your style inspiration stem from:

The usual, I guess: movies, paintings, architecture, nature, random people... For instance, it's great to watch a film about 19th century England and notice that one of the gentlemen wears a very cool and unusual kind of a necktie, the ancestor of all the contemporary ties! Or to spot an old Asian lady on the bus, dressed in such a chaotic manner, that her scarlet plush cap, leopard pants and black patent leather shoes form (unintentionally, of course) an outrageous, but in a way perfect combination. I'll now sound very cheesy, but please bare with me! The idea for the outfit could show itself in all kinds of places, whether it is the lines of an art-deco building or the coat of a butterfly. The inspiration is all around. You just need to keep your eyes open.

 

The completion of the look, I think. If you've chosen one for today, stick with it. Don't pick your sky-blue sweater, if you've decided to go with black, grey, and white palette. Even if you like that sweater very much and think that it would be so nice and warm to wear it today, don't. 'Cos if you do, the next thing you know, you're putting those new green moccasins on just because they're so comfy. And then your fluffy brown scarf... And now it's all over the place. Those might be the coolest pieces, but they're from a different story. And you must stick with yours. Don't be that lady from the bus!

 

What are typical peices we would find in your wardrobe?

you've probably heard of Senso shoes

yes? well of course you have!

 

I remember when Jeffrey Campbell Lita's were all the rave

everyone had them, wanted them - made knock offs

but we'll rant about that another day...

 

i still have my black Lita's sitting in my closet

you know... for a rainy day

 

well now, we welcome the Rileys.

 

 

Okay so this bareMinerals Prime Time one has SPF 15 - love that! - and was (amongst other things) specifically made to combat excess oil. Need I say more. You can also purchase this on the bare minerals website it rrps for around $24 NZD. 

From one shiny disco ball to another lol 

My beautiful son turned 3 over the weekend. He's never had a big birthday party so we thought we'd do something extra special for him. He wanted a super hero party at home - taking advantage of our front lawn and living space (which I've wanted to do for a long time) and utilising things we already had around the house, I thought I'd share with everyone these inexpensive tips for home birthdays. 

We borrowed tables and chairs from the day care centre - hung pennant banners and balloons and hired a bouncy castle. 

Instead of fizzy drinks, we opted for cordial in this cute drink dispenser we scored from Kmart for $20 

We purchased these pop-corn boxes but I'd recommend if you had the time and resources - print them. There are so many websites with printable templates. 

on site i love for Printables is this one specifically for pop corn boxes

however there is a tonne out there if you Google ;)

Little children are so easily pleased. We ensured there were lots of snacks throughout the day and had a barbeque for them before birthday cake. They spent their time running a muck and entertaining themselves on the bouncy castle 

And my little Hulk loved his avengers birthday cake that my brother-in-law purchased for him. 

a place called The White House here in Gisborne

has a super talented girl who makes the most amazing cakes

He was so spoilt with gifts - it's so beautiful and heart warming to see your children happy. 

This was the most inexpensive - laid back - easiest birthday or party I have ever thrown. The clean up afterwards took less than an hour and all the children were exhausted from playing. 

I would love to hear your guys tips on home birthdays and DIY's you have to save on costs. 

Needless to say - thanks to my brother-in-law who afterwards took my children for the night - my best friend and I curled up for chats & treated ourselves to a bevvie. 

To celebrate being a mum. 

- Stay Beautiful

Xo The Other Side ox

I found my true love... MAKEUP GEEK

 

Wednesday reflections are all about the eyes baby.

i cannot recommend these products enough.

 

If you watch makeup tutorials on youtube then you've probably heard of makeup geek.

they are affordable, they are super creamy and pigmented and the creator Marlena really knows her stuff. you can find her on youtube Here!

 

So - i just had to know what all the fuss was about

i purchased these pretty neutral eyeshadow pans and a couple blushes

and the rest is history

 



 Peach Smoothie and Creme Brulee i will most definatly be purchasing again

i find that i use them almost daily - they are perfect transition shades

i also like to use them to blend out harsh lines in all makeup looks and they honestly make the world of difference. i dont know how i lived my makeup loving life without them.

 

sometimes i just pop both those shades all over the lid and in the crease and put on some winged liner just to add a little definition and colour. or i use Peach Smoothie in the crease and pop Creme Brulee in the outer corner. i dont know what it is about these shadows but they are second to none in our books!

 

 

so - i highly, highly - HIGHLY recommend Makeup Geek.

 

do you guys have any Makeup Geek favourites?

or have any thoughts on products we should try out?

let us know :)

 

- Stay Beautiful