Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Chai Heaven with Rawr Chai tea

As my sister and I are both tea lovers, we were very excited to get our hands on some Rawr chai tea. Handmade in Perth, the Rawr chai tea comprises of a concoction of ceylon tea leaves, chai spices and coconut sugar. It also contains no gluten, dairy and nuts and is 100% honey free. The brewing instructions recommend using soy milk for the best flavour making it vegan friendly as well.

Chai lattes from cafes can be a hit or miss depending on your preferences. They vary from sugary syrup based ones, to mild and milky or strong and spicy. I personally prefer the flavour and strength from chai lattes brewed from tea leaves but also slightly sweetened which I find chai tea lattes generally lack. Following the clear brewing instructions yielded a delicious chai latte with the perfect proportion of chai spice to match the hint of sweetness from the coconut sugar. With my ideal flavour profile, this Rawr Chai will have to be a staple!

Of course I couldn't resist having some fun and 'spiced' up my morning oatmeal by infusing it with the Rawr chai tea before topping it with a sweet, chai spiced poached pear to accompany my freshly brewed chai latte. Chai on chai on chai! I think I'm obsessed with this porridge combo now as its spicy, creamy, sweet flavours complement each other so well.

Oh so creamy chai infused oats, sweet chai spiced poached pear and a freshly brewed chai latte

They also have a new range called Rawr fusion for 'bold, unique latte flavours' which sounds rather enticing. I'm thinking some chai infused baking will have to happen very soon.

So tell me, have you tried Rawr Chai? How do you like your chai lattes? Would you try chai infused oatmeal?

Serena

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Everyday Skincare Essentials

Hello everybody!

Today I wanted to talk about some amazing products that I've been using, loving and repurchasing. Last year for my birthday, I was lucky enough to receive some products from Kora Organics. I had always wanted to try this brand for a number of reasons: firstly, because I have always liked Miranda Kerr and her holistic lifestyle, secondly, because the products are all Australian Certified Organic, which I think is great, and thirdly because have you seen the packaging?! Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a sucker for beautiful packaging, and have been known to purchase things based purely on their packaging.




I have been using the Cream Cleanser ($39.95), Calming Lavender Mist ($39.95), and the Soothing Day and Night Cream ($59.95) as part of my everyday skincare routine for both morning and night, and have been absolutely loving it. The cleanser is both hydrating and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and very clean. The mist is so refreshing, and I like the lavender scent as well! I used to often get little spots on my forehead, but I've had no skin trouble at all since using these products. These three products are geared towards those with more sensitive/dry/ normal skin types, and they feel really gentle and hydrating on my skin. I think it's very important to choose the products that best suit your skin type in order to get the most effective results.

Another thing I love about all the Kora products is that they contain Noni Extract, which is a really great antioxidant that helps to protect the skin against damage from free radicals, as well as many other benefits. I also really love the scent of all these products! They have a beautiful floral, herb, sort of scent (I'm sorry, I'm terrible at describing scents) which I really like! Very light and feminine :)





I keep the Hand Cream ($39.95) and Vitamin Enhanced Lip Balm ($24.95) on my desk because they look so aesthetic, and also because I like to have them within reach throughout the day. The hand cream smells quite similar to the facial cream and cleanser, which might not be for everyone if you don't like that more herbal sort of scent. It doesn't leave a greasy finish, and is very light and hydrating. The lip balm is completely unscented and is VERY hydrating. I have extremely dry skin, especially my lips, and this lip balm has been so helpful for this winter!

Kora Organics have recently launched a new Noni Glow face oil and body oil, which I think I may have to try! I do love a good body oil, especially in these winter months!

Have a lovely day!

xo Sara




Monday, July 10, 2017

How I spent my 4th of July

Hello everybody,

Been a little absent lately, as it's been quite busy for me! After exams, I was sick and then I had surgery on the 4th of July. Nothing major, but something that I've been needing to get sorted for a few years now! I got a septoplasty and turbinectomy to free up my left nasal passage. Looking forward to finally being able to breathe properly!

I spent the few days before my surgery trying to find blog posts and vlogs to see what the process and recovery would be like, and found there's not a whole lot of blog posts around. YouTube did have some great videos though. I suppose it's difficult as the experience would be very different for everyone, depending on your surgeon, the hospital and of course your pain tolerance and the way your body heals.

My surgery only took 30 minutes, finishing at 1:30pm, and I stayed overnight at the hospital. Unfortunately, the narcotics (I assume) that they used really affected me, and I was quite sick for most of the afternoon. Sleeping upright with a bandage under your nose is not the most comfortable, but better to get all that gross stuff out!

It has been almost a week now, and I've been very lucky with my recovery in that I have not had any swelling or bruising, and I haven't needed to take any painkillers whatsoever. Doing the nasal rinse was pretty awkward and gross at first, but it is so satisfying now to clean out my nose haha! At this current stage I don't even need the bandage anymore and can breathe through my nose, though it is still blocked and runny. Next week I will get my splints removed and everything will be back to normal again! Actually, it will be even better because I will finally be able to breathe!

I don't really have any photos because they wouldn't be very aesthetic, so here is a photo of my breakfast when I was in hospital. I had been fasting since the night before and hadn't eaten dinner because I was so nauseous, so I had to order extra food!