Beauty On A Budget

Tomorrow I start my new series of tutorials on YouTube and I am so excited! After getting my Kmart fix the other day I realised I wanted to share with my viewers a range of looks that can be created for less than $20 and that look just a good as looks that have been created with high end cosmetics.

This series is quite close to my heart as I have been there and at times are still at the stage where I can't afford to splash out on that $50 eyeshadow palette or that $25 lipstick. So a lot of the time I will go and get a similar product for a quarter of the price and it works just as well as the high end cosmetics and even the ones you get from Priceline or Big W.

I want to show that even if you are low income you can still look good for a quarter of the price and this is why I've created this series.

Every Tuesday I will be posting a new tutorial starting with a brown smokey eye look, and showing my viewers what can be done with a small amount of products. I will be purchasing my products from our local Kmart store and letting you know what the prices etc as well as my initial thoughts on the products.

I hope you all enjoy this series, as I am having fun creating them and hopefully I can teach you something as well.

Until next time

Take care

Kate

Let's get a little bit personal

It's been a crap of a week and it isn't even over yet. I've been trying to get inspired, write a post that is positive, like a review or share a recipe or something like that but I've had writers block. So I thought instead of open up a little, stop hiding behind the mask I have created for myself, the makeup and the false smiles and let it go.

It probably sounds trivial to some, or first world problems but so much has happened that bottling up won't help me and I can only say so much before I feel like I am a broken record, a whinger and a whiner. I don't want to lay my problems on my friends because they have lives and problems of their own and it seems pretty stupid and insignificant as to what I have going on in my life compared to theirs. So I'll just get straight into it.

My week started off with a good friend having to have emergency surgery so I was worried about her, then I had an inspection to prepare for, which was freaking me out, because for me inspections have alway triggered my anxiety and this one was no different. It did however become the highlight of my week though as I passed with flying colours and awesome feedback from my landlords. Then my boyfriend dropped a bombshell. He wanted to put our a relationship on hold while he sorted himself out. I can understand that and just want him to be happy, but it's killing me inside. He was the first person since my ex who I have been able to relate to on so many levels and I have fallen in love with him. There I said it, I've fallen in love with him. That's what has made it so hard. He's the first person I've allowed myself to fall in love with since I broke up with my ex fiancé 6 years ago. I'm fine during the day when I can keep myself busy and my mind on other things, but the night is a different matter, I feel lost and alone, missing the constant texts and conversations we've had during the day and the sweet good nights that became a nightly thing, wishing he was beside me, as I hold his pillow tight. Songs I hear trigger memories and remind of what I have lost, even if it is temporarily, this putting our relationship on hold will either make us or break us, and I am praying my hardest that the distance and time apart makes the heart grow fonder. 

I have decided to use this time to work on myself, start going to the gym, achieve the results I want and get to the size I want to be, allow myself to gain more self confidence and focus on what's important, my kids and myself. It will be a journey, but it's obviously one that I need to make, and this is the sign I need to show me what I need to do for myself and for my kids. It's going to be hard though. However I know I won't be doing it alone.

So that's pretty much what's been happening, why I've been so quiet, what's been going on in my head and life. I'm not doing this for the attention, I'm writing this to get it off my chest, so that it's not eating me up. Anyways, I'm heading off now so until next time, take care x

Trying to get some organisation back in my life.

I have something to admit...I'm not the world's most organised person. In fact I have a lot of trouble getting organised and sticking with routines and having a place for everything and everything in its place. But I intend to change that and I am starting now!

I read some posts regarding Bullet Journals on Facebook recently and thought I would give it a try. The idea of a bullet journal is that instead of using a regular diary and having an extensive to do list etc you can plan ahead using the future log and monthly log as well as plan your day in the daily log, keeping you accountable though out the day. To find out more about Bullet Journals, click here: http://youtu.be/fm15cmYU0IM

I also need to find some ways to keep my house organised. At the moment I am living in a constant state of chaos and it is not good for my health or my happiness. I get overwhelmed at the ampunt of cleaning and organising there is to be done, and feel like I am fighting a losing battle. The feeling of being overwhelmed and lost means that I can't concerntrate on getting it clean and organised because I know within hours it will be in the same state as before. Today I am going to overcome this problem, this feeling of being lost and overwhelmed and start fresh. I am going to follow the Konmari  method to the letter and work hard at it instead of doing it for just a couple of days then not continuing.

What is the Konmari method? It was founded by an organiser in Japan called Marie Kondo and has become quite popular in the past couple of years. You focus on different categories as written in the boom and thank your objects for how they served you. You feel and hold each object to see if it sparks joy and if it doesn't you thank it for its service and get rid of it.

You can find the book on Amazon in either book form or for your kindle. Read the book first and then start with the method.

So today's Konmari category is one that I dread...clothes.

At the moment while I am trying to lose weight and get fit I am still quite a big girl and have a lot of clothes that are not getting worn because I have either 

A) lost enough weight for them not to fit anymore 

Or

B) I'm at an in between size where one is too tight and the other is too loose.

 I have clothes I have received  from my mum that she has grown out of (as she has lost a load of weight) and also clothes that I have purchased either 2nd hand or brand new because I wanted something nice to wear or because it was on special etc. These have started piling up until they can't fit in the drawers anymore and are just getting shoved here or there because there is no room for them. And what's the point of having clothes if you are not going to wear them? Hence why I am starting the Konmari method today.

Update:

I have finished sorting my clothes and have now put them all away. In totally I under up with 4 bags for donation and 1/3 of what I used to own. 

This was before.

This is after I filled 4 garbage bags of donations

And here are three of the bags for donation.

My remaining clothes have been folded and put away Konmari style. I won't try to explain it but there is a great tutorial video here: http://youtu.be/eHdi2y1XATQ

Anyway that's all for today. Tomorrow I will start on category 2: books. This one should be fun (not) as I still have boxes of books that I haven't unpacked yet...hope you all stay safe and have an awesome day!

Kate xo

This Mumma Has Curves is now on Facebook!

Morning everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I now have a Facebook page going on Facebook where you can find updates, videos and giveaways! 

I will be starting my first giveaway this week and when the page reaches 50 lickers I will be giving away a free set of Jamberry nail wraps! 

You can find the page here: https://www.facebook.com/Thismummahascurves/

Make sure you invite your friends to join in to and as soon as it hits 50 likes the giveaway will start! 

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Take care

Kate xo

Big things are coming!!

I'm a bit excited. Recently a friend suggested I sell the things I make as a small hobby business and I have decided to do just that! I plan this week to start making items for my new handmade business venture and start selling homage housewares! My first project will be placemats and microwave bowl covers as well as some table wreaths that will match the placemats. You can keep up to date on what I have in stock on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Kates-Homemade-Housewares-679556078813679/

I plan to start putting items up as of this Friday and will have a grand opening next Monday where there will be special offers and discounts. I'll keep you all updated with photos of the items I have made and plan to make :) 

I'm off to the gym now, so until next time

Take care

Kate xo

First day at the gym!

Wow! I'm feeling pumped! Just finished my first gym session and can't wait to go back tomorrow! Here is the pre gym photo as promise! Not the best I know but it's a start!

I get my program tomorrow but here's what I did today:

15 minutes on the stationary bike, this equaled 5.26km and a burn of 90 calories. My heart rate got up to 130z

10 minutes on the cross trainer which equaled 1.5km and my heart rate got to to 151.

20 reps on the overhead press at 23kg

15 reps on the chest press at 25kg

40 sit-ups

10 squats

30 min in the sauna (didn't realise I had to turn it on so 15 min of that was just sitting in there without it turned on lol

Sauna selfie lol

Overall I had a great workout and can't wait until tomorrow to have another one! 

Until next time!

Kate

New year, new me

Hey all. I know the new year, new me deal is like over a month late but better late then never hey? Today I made a major decision in how I was going to change myself this year for the better. Those who know me, know that I have struggled with my weight for close to 4 years now, having gone from a size 18 to a size 24-26 in a matter of months due to  the medication I am on. I have had enough of this, as trying to find clothing that I like is hard and make my love of op shopping harder cause all the nice clothes are for size 18 and lower. It has also created health problems for me, as I suffer from back problems due to the excess weight, and basically I just want to get myself to a healthy and manageable weight.

I've tried many things- smoothies for breakfast and lunch, yoghurt for breakfast and salad for lunch and dinner, walking (I walk every day, one of the perks of not having a license) and protein shakes. But I want to take it up a notch, so today I joined a gym. I start my program on Monday and plan to go Monday-Friday, depending on work hours so that I can start working towards my goal weight of a healthy 85kg. My first goal though is to lose 20kg by the 31sr of May, my 33rd birthday. 

I will be going back on the Rapid Loss, working to tone my body and lose weight, start eating healthier and cut out soft drinks to begin with (this will be a hard one as I practically live on soft drink but I know I can do it!) and start looking after myself.

And I want you all to join me! I will keep you updated, starting with the lovely before photo on Monday, and then go from there.

Anyways it's time for me to get my beauty sleep so until next time,

Peace out ✌🏻

Kate