Hi all!
Welcome to my September Favourites! Yay! We finally made it to spring and boy did life start to get busy! My sister returned from Taiwan, I went on a hens getaway with my best friend and the wedding preparations were in full swing! Plus, the sun was finally out and the flowers were blooming, which meant more opportunities for outside adventures. Let’s not delay. Here are my favourites for the month!
THE BEST OF SEPTEMBER:
1.) T.V Show – Stranger Things
Wow, this show is insanely gripping! Francis and I blew through the first season in September and are now hanging for the second. What I love about Stranger Things is how it reminds me of a Stephen King novel. Set in 1983 Hawkins, Indiana, the show revolves around a young boy named Will who goes missing after a Dungeons & Dragons game with his friends. The small town begins looking for him, only to discover the corrupt government is covering up a science experiment gone wrong. Filled with supernatural and science fiction themes, this story unleashes eerie creatures, telekinetic characters and insane plot twists.
2.) Activity – Escape Rooms!
For Christmas last year, Francis and I were given a RedBalloon voucher for a scenic cruise around Phillip Island. However, after our traumatic ‘boat incident’ in Cairns, we exchanged it for an Escape Room experience, which we finally used in September. What is an Escape Room? Basically you get to choose a themed room (we chose ‘Abduction at the Graveyard’) and you are given 60 minutes to solve a mystery. Francis and I found ourselves in a dark, creepy room with only flashlights to begin with. There was a light switch on the wall but it was enclosed in a locked case, which required a key. Once we located the key and turned on the light, we had an hour to solve puzzles, open doors, write on our whiteboard & search through books. We had to ask for a couple of clues but I’m proud to say we solved the mystery right on time. Literally as the buzzer sounded, I unlocked the final combination on the creepy coffin. It was such a fun thing to do with somebody else. Afterwards, we dressed up in silly detective wear and took photos. I highly recommend trying one out as it’s a really fun activity. You get to embody Sherlock Holmes for an hour!
3.) Book – Adventures For Your Soul by Shannon Kaiser
This book was truly amazing and inspirational. Right from the start, Shannon states that this book is not about self-love or finding happiness but rather, it’s a ‘mental makeover’ designed to remove the barriers that stop us from living life to the fullest. There are 21 chapters, each targeting a specific hindrance that gets in the way of creating a joyful & contented existence. Shannon highlights how we settle because we think it’s the best we can get and how we cling to choices, believing them to be permanent. She discusses how we cheat on our future with our past, allowing our fears to decide our fate. I will continue reading books on self-development because as I always say, a journey of growth is never ending. I highly recommend this book!
4.) Blog – A Spoonful of Nature
I absolutely love this blog! I discovered it through WordPress and binge read the entire thing over the course of a week. Anna is a talented & creative vegan photographer from Barcelona, who loves being surrounded by nature. She writes inspirational posts, captures incredible images, sells a vegan cookbook (which I own) and even creates her own monthly magazines! Her love of the sun, sea and earth is infectious. It makes you want to get out and start exploring! With winter being over now, I recommend checking out this blog and getting excited about the warmer weather. Anna is so friendly, responding to all comments and suggestions. She revealed just recently that she is moving to Sydney for a year!
5.) Home Decor – Succulent from The Artist’s Garden
On September 17th, Francis and I drove to Fitzroy for Vegan Day Out. We were given a map from the Cruelty-Free Shop, filled with discounts & places to score lots of plant based goodies. It was a beautiful sunny day, so we looked in The Artists Garden, which is a Plant Nursery I’ve wanted to check out for a while. At the back was a shed containing rows and rows of cacti and succulents. I bought the one above because it was unique, beautiful and very easy to maintain. What I love about succulents is they are incredibly durable and don’t require much attention. I love seeing it on our windowsill; its white pattern symbolising frost. I plan to decorate our future home with more of them.
6.) Movie – Whiplash
Whiplash came out in 2014, however, we only watched it for the first time last month. It really was as good as everybody said it was! The story revolves around talented drummer, Andrew Neiman, who aspires to be one of the greatest musicians in history. He is a student at a prestigious music school in New York, practicing until he is quite literally shedding blood, sweat and tears. Famed conductor, Terence Fletcher, recognises his drive and invites him into the studio band, where Andrew is berated, slapped and abused by his teacher for not being in tempo. The acting is superb and the tension building is incredible. You’ll find yourself gasping in shock. Do yourself a favour and watch it if you haven’t already!
7.) Food – Goji Berries
In the last month, I’ve really been into Goji Berries! Every morning, I sprinkle a handful on my oats, which enhances the taste and provides me with lots of extra nutrients. Goji Berries are high in Vitamin A, Iron, Protein, Fibre & Vitamin C. They also have high levels of antioxidants. You can eat them on their own or add them to things. They are quite popular in trail mixes, which can be bought or made.
8.) Memory – Best Moment of September 2016
I already blogged this experience (see Up In The Mountains/Bachelorette Getaway! – Photo Diary) but the best moment of September 2016 was, without a doubt, my bachelorette weekend organised by my best friend. We spent a few days in Halls Gap, three hours out of Melbourne. On Day 2, we woke up at 3 am, hiking for two hours in complete darkness (using our phone torches to guide the way) up to The Pinnacle. At 6:15, we were the only two people up there to watch the sun rise. It was the most incredible thing. I’ll never forget the fun and laughter we shared. I am so blessed to have her as my best friend.
Thank you so much for reading! September was magical. I’ll see you next month, which will no doubt be crazy as I am getting married! Stay tuned for more!
Peace & Love xoxo
Disclaimer: This post contains links to my Amazon Affiliate which helps fund my blog, I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own
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