New Year - New Me

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Hey Guys,

It is officially 2016 and with that comes my attempt to make and keep my new years resolutions.  Usually I make little to no effort to keep them, however with 2016 promising to be a pretty massive adventure I thought I should make some attainable resolutions and in order for me to be held accountable I figured I should post it on here so that people can check up on me!!

I'm not sure if I will stick to these the whole year but I am going to be damned if I don't try! They encompass a variety of fitness, lifestyle and personal resolutions that I hope will help me be a better person throughout the year and in the years to come.  So, here are my resolutions.

1. Positivity

I want to be a more positive and understanding person who doesn't always vocalise my thoughts.  It is impossible to not have a nasty thought here and there, but I want to internalise these and by doing so hopefully stop having the negative thoughts all together.

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2. Openness and courage

With 2016 offering many a challenge and opportunity I want to be open to all these and be courageous to either say 'yes' to a scary opportunity or maybe just to approach someone at university and maybe even make a new friend out of it.

3. Fitness

I am hoping that in 2016 I will successfully complete the Kayla Itsines 'Bikini Body Guide.'  I am hoping to lose about 2-3kg over the year and maintain this.  I am not at all unhappy with myself but there is always room for improvement and I would love to tone and shape my body.

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4. Thankfulness and generosity

I'd love to be more vocal about my appreciation for the items that I have and not that the smaller things in life for granted.  I want to be more thankful and aware of what others do for me so that I can reciprocate and be more generous towards others.

5.  Maintain Friendships

I want to make the effort to maintain the friendships which I value.  With my friends all attending different universities I want to make the effort to see them and go out with them on a regular basis so that I am able to maintain the friendships which are so important to me. 

I hope that over 2016 I am able to fulfil these aspirations and resolutions so that I can become the best version of me there is.

Share with me your resolutions for this year as I would love to hear them.

Talk soon,

Emma Louise x

2015 - In Review

Hey Guys,

2015 is fast approaching its end - in fact it will end in t-minus 5 hours and 33 minutes as of right now.    Looking back 2015 was the best year yet, I know I don't have too many years under my belt but in a world through the eyes of a 17 year old - it was pretty damn good.  This is a no frills post, just an honest reflection of some of my poignant moments of 2015.

I'm just going to go on a bit of a 'review' of my year, so you can get an insight into how my year went but also so I can look back and remember why I loved 2015 so much.  It wasn't a smooth sail into 2015 and there were a couple bumps along the way, I lost a much loved family member this year which was something which really affected me and still continues todo so 9 or so months down the line.  The world goes round and doesn't stop for anyone so you have to pick yourself up and keep on going, and that is what I did.

2015 was my final year in secondary schooling,  I prepared to sit my trial exams which handed back a surprising and concerning result.  The trial exams did not reflect how I had developed through school or reflected the knowledge which I obtain, but none the less it again did not stop me as I powered through the year.  By the time I got to my HSC exams, I felt confident, prepared and ready to confront the final obstacle which stood between me and the beginning of the rest of my life.  I ended up being very successful in my results and cannot believe that I was able to achieve what I did, I do believe that it was through prayer, family support and dedication that I achieved my marks.

In between all the school work, I had manage the lose a few friends but I gained more than I lost.  I got rid of toxic people out of my life and focused on improving the relationships with those who I found to be important to me.  Those girls know who they are and I doubt they will read this but I would not have survived my final year without them.  Some I saw everyday and others I saw every now and again when they were free but they all were my rock and support, crying with me when I needed but more often than not laughing at a joke or semi-crying over our english texts - I don't think I can ever look at a copy of 'Mrs Dalloway' again without it making me want to cry!! But it is the friends that have stayed true and caring during the difficult time are the girls that I want to maintain in   my life post school as they are more than just a friend, they are my inspiration and they make me want to be a better person.

During 2015 I was able to make more choices about who I was and what I believe in, and it was this year that I chose to embrace my religion more and listen to what was being said at church and what my religion was really teaching.  I grew closer to my community and they offered a source of support during the year and I was also able to become more involved through becoming an Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Communion.

I also got a job which I am more than excited about as I will be able to earn my own source of income and start saving money for when I want to travel. Speaking of travel I was also lucky enough to travel to Hawaii, USA at the end of the year to relax and celebrate the hard work of 2015 and gave me the ability to reflect upon the highs and lows of 2015.

I am excited as to what 2016 will hold and the challenges and opportunities that are waiting for me.  I'll address resolutions in a separate post as I have quite an opinion on them but also some that I want to set myself because why not make 2016's motto 'New Year New Me' like I do every year - but actually stick to it this time.

I hope you enjoyed reading this but I'm really happy with the way 2015 is ending.  As one chapter draws to a close another one is just beginning to be written and I'm really excited about that prospect.

Don't party too hard tonight,
Emma Louise x

Top 10 Christmas Songs

Hey guys,

With the excitement of Christmas Day looming, I thought it would be only fitting share my favourite Christmas songs with you.

Christmas is a really exciting time of the year and I love all the festivities of this time and also remember the religious significance of the event.  To help me really get into the Christmas spirit I have Christmas Carol playing at home 95% of the time.  To be really honest I have been listening to them since about the start of November - it's bad I know, but I just love them too much to stop!!!

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So, here are my TOP 10 CHRISTMAS CAROLS

1. All I Want For Christmas - Mariah Carey
2. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
3. Do They Know It's Christmas - Bandaid
4. Merry Christmas Everyone - Shakin Stevens
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing - Celtic Women
6. Joy to the World - Pentatonix
7. Last Christmas - Wham!
8. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Mariah Carey
9. Mistletoe - Justin Bieber
10. Little Drummer Boy - Pentatonix

Let me know which ones you guys love from this list and any that I haven't included.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Love,
Emma Louise

Up Dimond Head I Go!

Hey Guys,

While over here in Waikiki, Hawaii I felt I needed to break the bad habit of eating lots and sitting around on the beach by going out in the early morning and hiking up Dimond Head, a well known Hawaiian volcano - DON'T WORRY, it is not active!

So, 5:30am, Riptide by Vance Joy played loudly through our hotel room as we prepared to get up and get prepared for the walk ahead.  We were on the road by 5:45 as we had to be at the to by 6:50 to see the sunrise - and as you will soon see in pictures, it was very much so worth the early rise and (i think) reasonable challenging walk.

The walk itself was not necessarily difficult but there were factors contributing - please note it is pretty much pitch black at 6:00am in the morning in Hawaii in combination with a very rocky and busy walking trail made for a difficult walk. There was also a bit of pressure to keep up a fast pace which meant I was very puffed very quickly and struggled with the roughly 100 stairs I had to climb to get to the top - HOWEVER - the view and sunrise made up for the exhausting walk!

This was the view as we arrived, and you can see the sun peeking over the horizon ready to start the warm day. Again, the weather is still beautiful, and fingers crossed it stays this way as I enter the second week of vacation which is more laying around on the beach.

Once the sun began to rise, I tried to channel my inner photographer and try my very best to get some good indi shots to post on instagram and obviously on the blog for you guys.

Tried my best to get a good panorama - and I'm pretty happy with the results

This is a great view out to the ocean

Here you can see the view of the mountains with the newly risen sun creating some beautiful lighting (great for the gram) 

And another shot just of the straight sunrise - pretty proud of my photography if I do say so myself!

Now, after this is all done it is still only 7:15am and the shops don't open until 9:30am which means not only am I starving as we didn't eat anything before hand, but we also have quite a bit of time to kill before our day really begins.  Once we made it back to Waikiki we hunted down a cute cafe where we found some healthy and yummy breakfast - were I HAD to take those tragic food shots we all secretly love haha!!!

We have currently re-located and are now at the Disney Resort which is amazing, very relaxing and it is nice to flash back to your childhood with all the Disney characters walking around.  

Only a few more days left here in Hawaii, and will most definitely utilise them by laying on the beach, stand-up paddle boarding and enjoy the fresh Hawaiian foods.

Talk to you guys soon,

Emma Louise xx

Perfect Beach Days

Hey Guys,

I have been in Hawaii for 5 days now and I have been loving every minute of it.  The weather is beautiful and is at a consistent 27 degrees everyday but feels about 30 degrees with the humidity! I couldn't ask for more perfect weather to start (and hopefully finish) my holiday with.

These first 5 days have been a lot of shopping, with us going to the outlet stores and Alo Moana to get some great sales.  My bank account is certainly crying at the moment but I just can't resist.  A lot of the high end brands have become very affordable with 30% of items already reduced over 50%.

As you can see - I couldn't resist!

I have bought some really fabulous pieces which I really love and can see myself wearing all the time in Australia!  I also splurged on some Victoria's Secret and PINK items because, who goes to America and NOT go any buy anything?  I purchased a fabulous pink and black polka dot robe which is so so so soft and I will never take it off once I get home and I also got myself some PINK Tracksuit pants which again are so comfortable and are LONG ENOUGH - something I have struggled to find in both Australia and Hawaii.

Alongside all this shopping I also have been spending time by the pool, lagoon and beach just relaxing, resting my feet and working on my tan (which mainly means I burn a bit :\).  I took the opportunity to take some scenic shots of Waikiki beach and lagoon because it was too beautiful not to capture on camera and share!  The water is a little bit cool which makes it hard to get in but once you are in it is fantastic, we have bought blow up ring so that we can float around, get some sun and not have to put in too much effort swimming!

 The beautiful view of Dimond Head Crater

 The man-made lagoon at the hotel - great to practice my stand-up paddle boarding skills

I obviously had to get a shot of me clearly enjoying the great weather and great view.  I am looking forward to a couple more days of shopping and enjoying the hotel amenities and beach before we move on the the other side of the Island to the DISNEY RESORT!! Yeah, I know I'm 17 and still want to go to Disney themed resorts - but can you really blame me!

I'll keep up to date with my adventures as I will be climbing Dimond Head tomorrow and doing some more relaxing.

Thanks for reading,
Emma Louise xx