Sherlock Review

Oh, Hey There Ladies and Gents! 

Do you know how excited I am? I don't think you do... I am beyond thrilled to be reviewing Sherlock for you today.  I have been absolutely obsessed with this show lately and I can't wait to let you in on all the different reasons why this show is so enthralling! Also, just before I get into the review, if you haven't seen already, today I posted my first ever YouTube video and I am so happy with the response already but if you haven't seen it be sure to pop on over and check it out! I would love to hear your thoughts! Now lets get onto the review shall we. 

My partner and I started watching Sherlock around the beginning of June I believe and unfortunately it didn't take us long to get through the three seasons.  However, because the trailer for the fourth season has just come out I thought it was only fitting that I tell you what I thought of the first three! First of all can I say, I am a Cumberbitch, and I am proud to say it. haha No, but in all seriousness, I am a massive fan of Benedict Cumberbatch.  I think he is an absolutely phenomenal actor and suits the roll of Sherlock so well. Also the chemistry on screen between Sherlock (aka Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (aka Martin Freeman) is beyond perfect. They make the perfect team and I really can't think of better actors to have in the series.  Although they can pull off the serious scenes, they also make the funny scenes important too.  You aren't left sitting there awkwardly watching the TV waiting for the scene to pass, it all ties into the story line.  I'm not going to lie to you, there is one thing that I don't like about this show and that is the fact that there just isn't enough of it.  Honestly, there are only three episodes in a season.  Granted the episodes are hour long episodes but that's not nearly enough. I definitely wasn't happy with the lack of episodes but I am so excited for the next season.  The main thing that I absolutely love about this show is that even though it uses a high level of intelligence as Sherlock is made to be a genius basically, everything is explained so you know what's going on too.  Instead of sitting there having to try and figure out how Sherlock realised that that person had been to three towns in the past two days by just loking at her it actually explains it to you in a really well done way which makes the show a pleasure to watch.    

If I had to choose my favourite character in the show it would easily be Sherlock however Watson is a close second.  I truly can't put it into words how great I think this show is.  I have recommended it to absolutely everyone I know and I'm going to recommend it to you too! The acting is phenomenal, the humour is witty and well done without being cheesy and each story line is fantastic in it's own way.  If I had to choose my favourite episode I think it would have to be Watson and Mary's wedding when Sherlock spends a significant amount of time saying his speech but it leads into them solving a mystery which I won't go into too much depth just in case you haven't seen it.  In all honesty though, if you haven't seen this show you definitely have to watch it because it truly is one of the best I have ever seen. I would put it in the top three TV shows I have ever seen and I have seen a few so that is saying something! 

I really hope you enjoyed this blog.  If you have seen Sherlock and love it as much as I do, let me know in the comments! Let me know what TV show you are watching right now, I'd love to hear from you! I hope you are all having a wonderful day and have an even better week!! Don't forget to head on over and check out my first video, I'd love for you to subscribe and tune in for many more to come!! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Anne xoxo

Pokemon Go vs PIIT28 - Which Is Better For Your Health?

Hey there champs! 

How are you all? You may have noticed that last week I didn't post a blog and although I am very sorry for that I am so excited to tell you that I am completely set up to film now, I just have to film and edit and I will start rolling out YouTube videos!! So if YouTube is your preferred platform head on over and Subscribe so that you don't miss any! So as you may have guessed, I have spent the last week roaming around hunting for decor to put in my filming room to make it look pretty and I am so happy with the result.  Not also did I hunt for decor though, I also spent a good chunk of my time hunting for Pokemon.. Yes, you heard me. Pokemon.  If you have been living under a rock for the last week or just aren't interested in technology at all, you may have been wondering why there have been so many people - young and old - roaming the streets while being fixated on their phones and that my friends is because of the new Pokemon Go game that was released almost two weeks ago now. I am a little late to the bandwagon to be posting about this but I still wanted to chat to you about it because I have been loving it and I want to tell you why! So bare with me, this will be fun I promise! Also, if you haven't already guessed, the title for this post is a joke, I am not going to try and tell you that a game is better for you than an actual workout plan but this game does have it's benefits so keep reading and lets chat! 

As a child I never really got into Pokemon, it wasn't one of the shows I watched growing up, purely because it first came out in the late 90's and I was still really young but I definitely knew what it was.  So when my partner downloaded this game on the Wednesday after it came out in Australia I thought it would be some silly kids game that he would get bored with in no time flat, but I was so wrong.  We went out for lunch on the Thursday and spent a good hour after eating roaming around the park hunting and I soon got really jealous that I didn't have it.   So as you could imagine, as soon as we were home and in range of the wifi I downloaded it and I haven't looked back since. Because we both work, last week we spent 6 nights after work out and about searching for Pokemon for at least an hour. Last Tuesday we were hunting from 9.30pm to after midnight, now you might think that is insane, and I am inclined to agree considering how cold those nights were but when you rock up to a park at 9 O'clock on a Friday night and there is at least 20 other people - kids and parents - there playing the same game as you all watching their phones intently you get a weird happy feeling.  It truly is amazing to see so many people connecting through one game.  

Now also, can we just talk about the health factor though? For the last few weeks my partner and I have been going for weekly 5km walks every Thursday to get out of the house and get some exercise.  My partner doesn't like exercise very much so when he turned to me on the Friday after the game came out and asked if I wanted to go for a walk you could assume I was a bit shocked but definitely happy.  Since then I don't think we have spent an entire day inside, we are either out before we work or at night after we finish.  In total the games says I have walked over 40km's in two weeks, I would say we have walked at least 30km's in two weeks and that is impressive.  I am not complaining at all, I love night walks and getting out and about and it's been really good for my stress levels! There are a few glitches with the game that unfortunately we all have to put up with until they fix them (hopefully it won't take too long).  So if you get annoyed easily just keep in mind that this game is in the first two weeks of being released and has millions of people trying to play it so don't get too upset when the servers go down or the game freezes halfway through trying to catch a Pokemon you haven't caught before because I can assure you that it has happened to all of us and it truly is devastating.  

For example the Snorlax you see above was the second one I spotted but the first one I caught. Annoying right? You bet ya! 

That late Tuesday night I was talking about earlier, just as we were heading home the Snorlax showed up on our nearby section and you bet we had to hunt him, When we found him I decided it would be a good idea to notify the group I was in on facebook so they could potentially get him too.  Half way through my screenshot my game froze and I had to restart it.. Guess what happened when I logged back in? Yep, he was gone.. I was so angry, I drove home in a huff and declared I wouldn't be playing again but here I sit telling you now just how fun it is.  I guess that could be because a few days after that incident I woke up, checked my game and this handsome Snorlax was at the foot of my bed so I was can't complain.  Truly this little game has actually been a benefit in my life, although my work motivation has decreased my health and fitness is getting better without me really having to try, I am less stressed and am having so much fun going on late night adventures with my partner.  I couldn't be happier (except for when the game glitches). I really do recommend it to everyone, young or old.  I've seen so many parents reconnect with their teenage children because they are driving them around to hit Pokestops and Gyms, I can't praise it enough. 

Anyway, now that I have talked your ear off I think I might leave it there! Let me know in the comments if you have been playing and if you have what is your favourite Pokemon? Also what team are you on? I hope you are all having a wonderful week and stay tuned for my upcoming videos!! If you have any preferred videos let me know so I can add them to my list! Thank you guys so much for being the perfect bunch of people  that you are! Your support means the world to me! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Anne xoxo

June Favourites!!

Hi Everybody!! 

How are you? I don't know why but I always find myself writing these at night after my partner has gone to bed, it's so relaxing and lovely to just sit down and type away! I'm sorry I've been so slack with my blog lately but I'm up to date with Pretty Little Liars now so hopefully I can get them up in time from now on, or until I get obsessed with another TV show? Any suggestions? haha

Anyhoo, I absolutely love doing favourites posts and am so excited today to be writing this because for once I have a wide selection for you from makeup to YouTubers and even TV shows so stick around if you want to find out what I have been loving through June!! 

As always I'll start with my beauty products and this month I didn't have a lot.  I really just stuck with my staples but a few did stand out for me and they were the Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade 1995 which I wrote a review on recently and you can find that here.  The polka dot brush set from BH Cosmetics, the Urban Decay de-slick makeup setting spray and a Dermal lip balm that I received in my Bella Box this month. I have been wearing the Lipstick every chance I get, it is the most perfect nude shade and the formular is to die for.  It isn't drying on the lips but it doesn't smudge at all.  I wore it the other day at work for over 8 hours with no smudging at all, it truly is flawless.  I would recommend these to anyone.  Next is the brush set, I bought this a few months ago now and I'm shocked I haven't put it in a favourites post yet.  I have been using it non stop.  It just has the perfect selection of brushes, from a fan brush to a powder brush, even a flat liner brush.  The only brush missing in my opinion is a Spooley but that's not a big deal.  These brushes are so soft, easy to clean and don't shed at all.  The case is also very compact so it's super easy to travel with! I have also been loving the Urban Decay setting spray, although I haven't really been needing it as it's not hot here in Australia and I haven't been sweating there have been days when I really wanted to make sure my makeup stayed in place and this product really came through for me and did exactly what it promises to do and I couldn't ask any more than that.  Lastly in beauty which I guess it's kinda more skin care is the Dermal Lip Balm which I only received in the last week of June but I thought really deserved a mention because lately I have been having really dry lips because Winter..duh but this product within a few hours fixed them right up and had them feeling supple and refreshed.  I truly couldn't believe the result.  I have been using it for the past two weeks straight and would recommend it to anyone with dry lips, especially in Winter.  Although it isn't a beauty item, I also had to add in the gorgeous retro looking clock that I picked up from Typo a couple weeks ago when I was there, I love how cute it is and the rose gold suits what is going to be my filming room so well! Honestly though, look how freakin' cute it is! 

Next we have my YouTuber of the Month and that is Fabulous Hannah, I have been absolutely in love with her videos lately, and when I found out she was only 17 I was so surprised. I truly thought she was around my age which is the 21 mark, she is so mature and well presented and her channel is super elegant, I have so much respect for her! Please if you haven't already go check her out! She is also very funny and easy to watch, her videos always keep me smiling! 

This next favourite of mine is going to be a shocker.... It's Pretty Little Liars, yep you guessed it.  I am addicted! In the beginning of May I started the first season... please don't hate me, I hadn't watched it at all previously but I soon got hooked, it didn't take long at all.  It took a little to really get into the story line, I found myself getting a little annoyed toward the end of the second season because it was getting really repetitive but by the mid season three I was back into it ten fold.  I would have to say my favourite season would have to be end of season five and season six.  I love the new aspect of them being five years older and all the different challenges they face with A.D and the personal lives.  My favourite female character is by far Spencer, I relate to her so well and fell in love with her character very quickly. Favourite male character would definitely be Caleb, he is literally the perfect boyfriend and have a super great story/personality in general. I am so excited for the next episode tomorrow! If anyone is interested in chatting about PLL please feel free to message me, I would love to chat! Question of the day is, who is your otp from PLL?

 

Through June I have been loving and still am loving these two amazing songs - 7 Years by Lukas Graham and Budapest by George Ezra.  Both of these men have incredible voices in my opinion.  George Ezra has such a mature voice and I could listen to both of these songs day in day out, I find them so relaxing and soothing even.  Let me know what songs you have been loving? 

Lastly I have been absolutely obsessed with the game Future Fight made by Marvel! This is literally the best Marvel game I have ever seen! The graphics are great as far as phone games go.  It is so in depth, there is never a moment that you can't do something, you are forever ranking characters and moving your way through the missions.  Characters get added every so often and different skins for different characters get added occasionally with updates. It is definitely one of my favourite things to do when I have some free time.  You can also team up with some missions, so my partner and I often spend time together playing which is super fun.  He is leveled higher than I am so its super satisfying when I get a higher score than he does haha. Have you played this game? Are you a massive Marvel fan too?

Anyway guys and gals, I think I have wasted enough of your time for now! I hope you enjoyed this post? Let me know in the comments if you enjoy monthly favourites posts because I definitely do and I really want to move onto posting favourites videos on my channel so let me know your opinions please! I hope you guys have a wonderful day and a super lovely week!! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Ann xoxo

'What's For Dinner' - Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats

Hey Guys and Gals,

How are you all? I hope you are all having a wonderful week and aren't working too hard! Looking forward to the weekend I bet, unless you are like me and unfortunately have to work the weekend. Oh well, it's worth it right? haha 

I'm back again today to bring to you another 'What's For Dinner', and I am so super excited for this one because it was so fun to make! I found this recipe on Pinterest and am bloody in love! I love making really creative things for dinner and you will find that almost everything vegetarian has the most flavour, especially Mexican! So here are the Zucchini Burrito Boats I made for dinner a few nights ago! Hope you enjoy.

Ingredients, You Will Need:
4 Large Zucchinis
1 can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
1 cup cooked Brown Rice
1 cup Salsa (use you preferred level of spiciness)
1 Red Capsicum, Cored and Diced
1/2 Red Onion, Diced
1/2 cup Corn Kernels
1 Jalapeno, Cored and Diced (optional)
1 tbls + 1 tsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 cup fresh Coriander, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 cup Shredded Cheese

This delicious meal is probably the easiest to make. First you will want to grease a casserole dish and set it aside.  Slice each Zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon hollow out the centre of each Zucchini.  Lightly brush the tops with the 1 tsp of Olive Oil then place them skin side down in the casserole dish.

Next place the tbls of Oil in a large pan on medium heat.  Add the onion and peppers and cook for 2-3minutes.  Add the Rice, Corn and Beans along with the Salsa, Chilli Powder and Cumin.  Stir everything together and continue to cook for about 5 minutes then remove the pan from the heat and set aside.  

Preheat your oven to 204 degrees celsius then stir in 1/4 cup Coriander and the salt to taste into the filling.  Spoon the filling into each of the Zucchini halves until they are all full.  Sprinkle each half with cheese then arrange them in the dish and cover with foil and bake in the oven for 25minutes.  When finished remove the foil and set them in the oven to broil, cooking them for a further 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.  Allow them to cool for 5-10minutes then top with fresh Coriander and serve. 

As I have said, these are so fun and so simple to make, anyone can make them without messing up, and they taste fantastic! As for the ingredients, if you are a huge spice fan you will have most of these ingredients in your pantry, however saying that I did have to go and buy most of the ingredients seen here apart from the Zucchinis, Cheese and Capsicums.  I also chose to use white rice instead of brown and decided to cut out the Jalapeno because I don't do hot very well. So if I was going to estimate how much it would cost to buy the entirety of the ingredients I would say easily under $60 although most of you may think that is dear, I made 8 halves and had two left over so depending on how many you eat, these may last you two days.  Also most people have spices and veggies on hand so this could be a very cheap meal for you if you have already purchased most of the spices.  I have also heard lots of good reports on black beans saying they are a wonderful source of protein and fiber which is a massive plus when you are eating vegetarian.  I will say though, I don't like the taste of Coriander, it is a very acquired taste in my opinion so if you are like me, I would recommend you reach for something more like Parsley or Basil. All in all though this is an incredibly delicious meal and is definitely being added into my fortnightly meal plan as a staple meal! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I loved cooking it! Also I am so close to starting YouTube it's getting scary and I am so excited to continue my 'What's For' segment over there too! I received a lot of bowls and cute kitchenware today that I am excited to use in my upcoming cooking videos!! They are just so damn cute! Once again guys, Thank you so much for tuning in and if you have any questions don't hesitate to leave them in the comments!! 

Until Next Time 

BrittanieDe-Ann xoxo

PIIT28 Update

Hey PIITSTERS!

Left - After April PIIT       Right - After May No PIIT

Even if you aren't a PIITSTER I still want to think of you as someone from the PIIT or Blogilates community! If you are here you are probably looking for advice, support or just want to hear my story and I'm happy with that.

How are you all? I hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Now I want to start this off very honestly and tell you that I only did PIIT four times during the month of May and have been getting back into a routine through June, and I am okay with that because I took time out to work on my mental and emotional health while still thinking about my physical health.  No, I don't have any mental health issues, but I do get overly stressed and anxious a lot of the time if I feel pressured to do something and that is how I was feeling when I was doing my PIIT, so I decided to take a break. Like I said, I've been back into it now for a few weeks and I couldn't be more excited. Anyway, today's post is going to be about my second month of PIIT and my month of working on me, I hope you stick around til the end!

I just want you to take a second to read the message above.  It took me a long, long time to realise this.  I spent years hating my body, ridiculing myself and telling myself I wasn't worth loving.  Now, I definitely still have bad days and I am no where near where I aim to be but I am undoubtedly on my journey.  

Toward the end of April I found myself getting bored with PIIT, I didn't want to put the effort in and I could feel myself slipping from the workout routine I was in.  The only real workout I looked forward to wad the STRONGER workout and that's because it was something different.  I had a lot of extra stress at the time and as I have said, I don't deal well with stress at all, but since then I have realised that it's okay to not deal all the time and take some time out for you. So when May rolled around and Cassey brought out PIIT 2.0 I wasn't sure it I wanted to buy it.  One, I didn't have the money at the time and two I didn't think I was quite ready to move on to higher intensity workouts, so I took a week off to think about it.  In that week I went to Brisbane and watched an Iron Maiden concert and I also met up with a friend that I hadn't met before.  It was a fun week.  At the end of that week I felt happy, I felt relaxed, so that week off soon turned into a fortnight, which at the time I was a bit bummed about but right now I see it was the right thing to do.  My mind was cluttered, I felt pressured to do the workouts, it wasn't fun anymore and I had turned it into a chore.  So during this week I decided I would take the rest of the month to work on my emotional and mental health and try and learn how to combat stress and my negative thoughts about my body image.  I may have stopped workouts but I never stopped being conscious about what I was putting into my body.  I also found myself wanting to workout a few times, so I did and it felt wonderful, but I didn't get angry at myself when I didn't continue the next day.  I won't lie to you, I had days when I would see other people on Instagram who had started PIIT at the same time as me excelling and I was very jealous that I had fallen off the band wagon but it didn't take long for me to realise that this wasn't a bad thing and it was something that I very much needed.  We all need to understand that falling off isn't the bad thing, not getting back on is.  

So when June rolled around I started again - at the beginning - but this time I talked my partner into starting with me and can I just tell you, it was the best thing I ever did because not only do you have a support system you also have competition.  Healthy competition of course but you also have butt loads of fun when you are working out with someone you care about.  You learn to laugh at yourself and push yourself to that point just before you break.  It's a very uplifting feeling.  This time though, when I began I made a promise to myself that I would never get angry at myself and if I needed a day off for whatever reason I would give it, as long as I got back into it.  So now after a month, my partner and I have been going for weekly 5km walks, doing PIIT 4-5 times a week and we have been making healthy life choices.  Every now and then we will take a day off either because we are sore or we just need a break but we don't push ourselves til we break.  During last month for the first time in my entire life I looked in the mirror and truly thought to myself 'damn girl you look fine!'. I have even been searching for bathing suits online which is a huge step for me.  Of course I still have some of those days where I'm not happy with my body but I am so determined right now to become healthy and comfortable in my own skin.  I am even looking forward to beach weather which is an absolute first for me so that's a plus! We plan to continue with PIIT for another month and see where we are fitness wise and maybe step it up to PIIT 2.0 but we aren't rushing.  I really want to make this a huge lifestyle change and that takes time so I am going to give it. 

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as you enjoyed my last PIIT post, it currently has the most views of all my posts sitting at over 1400 which is absolutely incredible! Thank you all so much! If you have any questions at all, please leave them in the comments, I would love to hear from you! If you have a similar story to mine let me know! If you just need to chat, please feel free to message me on Facebook or Instagram, I'd love to chat to you! And lastly, if you would like to purchase PIIT please just click this link! If you haven't read my first review feel free to read it here, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the program also? Did it work for you?? 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Ann xoxo

'What's For' - MY BIRTHDAY!!

Hello There Guys and Gals! 

I hope you are all having a super splendid day! As I'm writing this it's moving into the last hours of my 21st Birthday and I can honestly say I had a lovely day! It wasn't filled with partying and booze but it was filled with laughs, family, friends, baking and presents. haha By the time I post this it probably won't be my birthday anymore in Australia but because it will be in other countries I'm going to ask you all to do one thing for me on my birthday please.  Will you, for me, take a moment and head to the comment section and let me know where you are from? I have been wondering for a while now where my readers are from and I'd love to get to know a little bit about each of you. So please, take a moment now if you wish. 

Now that I've told you it's my birthday lets get onto the good bits.  I just wanted to run you through the incredible gifts I received and the yummy looking cake I specifically made for myself for my blog.  Doesn't it look delicious (and sickeningly sweet).

First, the cake.  I decided about a week ago I wanted to go all out for my birthday cake so I thought about the most extravagant cake I could make and decided on that.  It took a while but eventually I came up with a triple layered cake with a red velvet layer, a chocolate layer and a vanilla layer.  But that's not all, between those layers are vanilla icing, chocolate icing and whipped cream. Getting sick yet? haha Lastly I thought it would be a lovely idea to finish it off with some chocolate icing with maltesers and crushed flake on top.  It truly is the most outstanding cake I have ever attempted, and I think I succeeded! If you don't want to know how I made this beauty feel free to move on to the next segment but for those of you with an epic sweet tooth, keep reading.  

It was actually super simple to make but definitely time consuming.  Firstly, I purchased each cake along with some cream, flake bites and maltesers, the remaining ingredients I had in my fridge.  Last night I baked two of the cakes - following the direction on the back of the packaging - so that they would be cool and wouldn't take up my entire day today.  I also decided it would be a good idea to whip the cream as I wanted it to be set enough so it wouldn't slide around when I was trying to place it on the cakes today. When that was finished I placed it all in the fridge over night to cool.  Today when I got home from work I baked the last cake and started to put this masterpiece together.  I won't lie, because I'm not a professional it was difficult to get each cake halved perfectly but I tried! from the bottom of the cake up the layers are red velvet, cream, red velvet, cream, chocolate, chocolate icing, chocolate, cream, vanilla, vanilla icing, vanilla, chocolate icing, maltesers and flake.  So as you can see, I put a layer of cream between each cake but a layer of icing between the chocolate and vanilla.. Now that I have totally confused you and said 'layers' about twenty times I think it's time to quote Shrek... Ogres are like onions. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers... Sorry, it's late and it's been in my head all day, so basically my cake and ogres are similar. Moving on to the gifts...  

I was super spoiled this year and received so many presents from all the wonderful people I have in my life.  My beautiful Parent's bought me the absolutely gorgeous Ruby Necklace that goes with the matching Ruby earrings that my Aunt bought me, I couldn't be more grateful, this set is so so perfect, I actually cried when I received it.  Next is the photo frame, key rings and locket necklace my Sister bought me.  The locket has a snippet of my horses main in it which I think is so special, I miss my horse all the time and this is truly the most perfect gift to have! Moving onto the picture on the right, from my bosses I received the electric blanket and the cutest little vintage refillable perfume bottle. The perfume bottle is so gorgeous, it's something that I would never think to buy for myself but I absolutely adore it now that I have it.  As for the Electric blanket, I hadn't stopped talking about them to my boss so he thought it would be appropriate to buy me one which is so nice and I'm so thankful because they are absolutely lovely to have.  

My partner went above and beyond this birthday and bought me so many incredible gifts and apparently there are more coming in the mail so I'll have to tell you about them another time.  But today he surprised me with a Nutribullet which I have been dying to get for a while now but I'm too cheap to buy it.  He also bought me a heated throw, which once again is super lovely to own.  He may have splurged and bought me season two and three of Once upon a Time which I love and season six of Pretty Little Liars which I'm currently watching right now, and I'm addicted so I don't mind. The last thing he bought me was the cake turntable which came in super handy today and hopefully will get quite a work out in the future! I can't thank everyone enough for making today so special but I certainly will try! 

Thankyou so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.  Let me know in the comments if you like this type of blog? I in no way intend to brag I just thought it might be fun to share with you what I received! I hope you all have a lovely week and I'll talk to you all very soon! I have so many blogs up my sleeve just waiting to be posted and I'm excited about all of them! I'm also so close to having my filming room set up so stay tuned for videos soon!! 

Until Next Time

BrittanieDe-Ann xoxo