GIVEAWAY: WIN NudeHerbs Tonics!

 

Hi guys! Just a quick post today to let you know I'm currently running a GIVEAWAY on Instagram where you can WIN one of two cases of NudeHerbs herbal and floral tonic drinks! This is an Australia-wide Giveaway, and there will be TWO winners, who will each win a mixed flavour case of drinks!

NudeHerbs are naturally hand-brewed tonics made from primarily organic herbs and flowers. They're plant-based with natural fruity flavours and no added sugar. These naturally brewed herbal tonics are a healthy alternative to juices that contain 4-5 times less sugar.

PRIZES

There will be TWO Winners, with each Winner receiving a Case of NudeHerbs drinks!

~ 2 x Mixed NudeHerbs Drinks Cases (valued at $78 each)

Each Case contains 12 bottles comprising...
~ 3 x Cleanse (lemon, lime and ginger flavour)
~ 3 x Beauty (pomegranate and raspberry flavour)
~ 3 x Focus (peach and pineapple flavour)
~ 3 x Relax (tropical mango flavour)

Entering is easy! Head over to my foodie Instagram account @imhungrymax and get your entry in!

Direct link to Giveaway here

This Giveaway is open to Australian residents only and will run until 11:59pm 16 February 2023. Total prize value $156. Two Winners will be picked using a random number generator and announced on the Instagram Giveaway post and DMed from @imhungrymax within 24 hours. (Please beware of scammers - I will never ask for credit card details or for you to click on a link to claim the prize. Report and block scammers.) Prizes will be sent directly from NudeHerbs. GOOD LUCK!

15 Ways To Cheer Yourself Up

Not everyone is susceptible to feelings of depression, but for those of us who do get the sads, I've put together fifteen ways to cheer yourself up. Have a read through and pick out what resonates with you and please leave your own suggestions in the comments below. I want to know what you do to combat the Winter (or any season of the year) Blues!

1. Chat with a friend on Messenger. I'm not big on phone calls, but I'm always happier after discussing my problems with a friend on Messenger. Whether you're after advice, compassion or just someone to listen to what you're going through, letting people, even if it's just one special person, know how you feel will lighten your burden and make you feel better. Just don't pick your dickhead friend, they're only good for laughing at on pub trivia night.

I made these!

Tiny Teddies at the Pool!

2. Get cooking! Put on an apron and try baking a cake you've never made before, or decorating some cupcakes to a theme! This will distract you and get your brain to engage full-on panic mode as it encounters an insurmountable task. Imagine the sense of achievement though, if you do pull off the impossible and produce a masterpiece! Not to mention the delicious cake you'll get to eat. If you fail, now is the perfect time to audition for the next season of Nailed It!

3 Grab a tube of BBQ Pringles and Netflix-binge your favourite show. I say BBQ Pringles because those are the best kind. Don't argue with me on this. Now I would be going a comedy, such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Good Place or Santa Clarita Diet. You can check out my Netflix Recommendations here and here. It goes without saying, you're going to want to give 13 Reasons Why a miss.

This stuff is the best!

4. Enjoy some 'me' time. Have a pampering afternoon with your favourite products. When I have a shower and use my Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub it immediately brightens my mood. The title is a piss-take of an iconic 80's movie and it smells like pancakes with maple syrup, how can you go wrong? (not sponsored). My other mood brighteners are Oh Deer Sugar Rose & Passionfruit Shower Moose (pictured above) and Natura Siberica Oblepikha & Honey Body Scrub. Keep in mind jasmine, peppermint and orange fragrances are known for their mood lifting properties. I love citrus scents in particular!

Surely this effort deserves an award?

5. Get creative! Get out in nature and snap some photographs. Try scrapbooking to a theme, eg travel, or scrap your precious family memories. Make an inspirational vision board! Write down your thoughts in a journal. Paint something! Enjoy makeup? Google themes, eg Halloween makeup and go crazy seeing what looks you can create! Have fun. Look at my terrible effort in the above photo and laugh, knowing you could 100% do better.

6. Exercise. Hit the treadmill at the gym or go for a walk. Dance to your favourite song or put on a workout DVD and follow along. The important thing is to move! We've all read about exercise releasing endorphins that inhibit your perception of pain and trigger positive emotions and a feeling of well-being. Use this to your advantage! Choose a type of exercise you enjoy, get happy naturally and improve your health while you're at it!

Family fun with board games

7. Have kids? Take some time to play with them. It's so easy to get caught up in work and not give your kids the time they deserve. Trust me, they'll be thrilled you're spending time with them, so get out the UNO cards, unbox the Monopoly board or fire up the Playstation and just play. No interruptions. Seeing them happy will make you happy and the important things will become clear in no time.

Sally Hansen Color Therapy polish in Pampered In Pink*

Sally Hansen polish in Back To The Fuchsia*

8. Paint your fingernails a bright, cheery colour. Forget goth black, deep plum or boring khaki, coat your talons with your brightest, boldest, most fun colour to trick your brain into thinking you're happy! Some of my go-to mood-lifting shades include turquoise, azure blue and fuchsia. Colours can actually affect our mood, so you can even try yellow for energy or orange for enthusiasm. Or go all out and paint each nail a different colour to show off a rainbow of neon hues!

9. Clean the house. Bear with me on this one! Tidying up your home in and of itself is not the most fun you can have with your pants on, you're absolutely right! But remember the feeling you get afterwards? When your house is clean and tidy, and everything has been put away? That's the feeling we're going for here. I feel amazing when I've cleaned up. I feel a sense of achievement and everything is just sort of better. Try it!

Watch some DVDs or hit up your local cinema!

10. See a movie. I'm a huge movie fan, so this one's a no-brainer for me. What better way to take your mind off things than to escape into a world of make believe for a few hours? Hit up your local cinema, grab some hot buttered popcorn and get ready for big screen action/romance/laughs or if you're into horror, may I suggest Hereditary, which is out now! Check out my movie review of it.

11. List your unwanted goods on eBay. Sorting through everything will certainly keep you busy, as will photographing and writing up your listings! Other advantages are a tidier, less cluttered house and the extra coin you'll make when stuff sells. You can also use the opportunity to get rid of things that may be holding you back. Out with the old, in with the new, making a fresh start and all that jazz!

Having a (Monster's) Ball* with a Lush bath

12. Enjoy a hot bubblebath. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put on a face mask and relax in a tub of scented bubbles. Go all out and light some candles, too, while you're at it. If you have kids, put hubby in charge and lock the door, for the love of God. Throw away the key!* (*Don't actually throw away the key, you may need to get out of the bathroom at some point).

Mecca Maxima Haul, Exhibit A: I have no defence, your Honour.

13. Go shopping. Treat yourself to an online haul. Better yet, get out of the house and wander around your local mall for the afternoon. Snap up a bargain or two! We all have our favourite shops; mine are Typo, Kikki K, Lush, Priceline, Mecca Maxima (this one's dangerous!), Kmart (aah, that's better), the list goes on. Photographic evidence of how dangerous Mecca Maxima is above.

14. Just treat yourself. Whether it be with a new hairstyle, a massage or a manicure and/or pedicure, put yourself first for once. You're worth it!

The Rustic Fig Cafe

Dolcetti Espresso Bar, delicious icecream*

15. Meet a friend for coffee or enjoy a meal at your favourite restaurant with your partner. It's also exciting to try the menu at a place you've never been to before. Order champagne and savour the taste of delicious gourmet creations. Don't forget to indulge with dessert! That piece of lemon meringue pie will not eat itself! Great conversation with loved ones whilst enjoying the finer things in life really can't be beat! For a little foodie inspiration, check out my drool-worthy Instagram account @imhungrymax

Do the thing that makes you happy! Watch your favourite YouTuber's videos. Cut recipes out of magazines and make a recipe folder. Meditate. Go on Instagram. Take a yoga class. Listen to your favourite band play their most iconic songs. Watch 80's movies. Redecorate your home. Enter competitions. Find your happy and do it!

Reach out and talk to your friends and family, your Doctor, Health Care Professional or LifeLine (13 11 14). Remember there are people who can help. You are not alone.

You may be interested in Top 7 Beauty Purchase Regrets!

Linking up with Open Slather, Life This Week and Mummy Mondays Link Ups!

Don't miss a post!

Like Max The Unicorn on Facebook

Follow my Beauty Instagram @shinyglitterbug

Follow my Foodie Instagram @imhungrymax

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Follow me on Twitter @ShinyGlitterBug

Subscribe via email (right sidebar)

Disclaimer: Products marked * were gifted for editorial consideration. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

What do you do to cheer yourself up?

REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: 'The Busy Mum's Guide To Weight Loss' Book!

Hi guys! In exciting news, I'm running yet another Giveaway! I'm thrilled to be collaborating with The Healthy Mummy, because even though I am a Mummy, I'm not always terribly Healthy. Do you know what else I am? Busy! And I imagine a lot of you are also busy Mums who would love some help losing weight and becoming healthier, because we have a habit of putting ourselves last, which isn't good for anyone in the long run. Which brings me to 'The Busy Mum's Guide To Weight Loss', an inspirational and well-written book packed full of healthy recipes and featuring 'the ultimate 28 day plan' for weight loss.

This glossy cookbook contains over 100 simple and budget-friendly healthy recipes including options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks.

Breakfast options include Choc-Oat Granola, Salmon Rosti, Oat & Cinnamon Pancakes and Breakfast Quinoa Salad.

Lunch options include Easy Pizza Wraps, Autumn Minestrone and the Chargrilled Capsicum, Olive & Cheese Toasted Sandwich.

Dinner options include delicious recipes like Beef, Ginger & Miso Stir-Fry, Fish & Veggie Kebabs, Mexican Lasagne and Loaded Sweet Potato Fries.

Some Snacks to whip up include Spinach & Feta Puffs, Lemon & Coconut Bliss Balls, Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies and Carrot and Avocado Handrolls.

And there are yummy Drinks such as the Sneaky Snickers Smoothie, Mint Chocolate Sundae Smoothie and the Banana Boost Smoothie.

There's also an exercise section at the back which details easy exercises you can do at home. I love the appealing recipes in this book and when I flick through and look at the gorgeous food photos I just want to have a crack at all of them! There are weekly meal plans with shopping lists to make your weight loss journey super simple and there's a wide variety of dishes to suit all tastes. A lot of them don't even seem like you could lose weight eating them (hello Cherry Choc Slice and Choc Mint Creams!).

I made the BLT Pita Melts, check out how they turned out below! I can tell you they were delicious, and so easy to make, too!

BLT Pita Melts from The Busy Mum's Guide To Weight Loss book

I'd recommend The Busy Mum's Guide To Weight Loss to anyone looking to drop some kilos whilst still eating delicious meals that won't break the bank. And of course it's perfect for busy Mums who don't have the time to stuff around with complicated recipes, and just want a reliable, healthy eating plan and exercises they can do at home.

This book is available in-store at Big W, Target, Kmart and online at Dymocks, Booktopia, Amazon and QBD. Or you can WIN yourself a copy in my....

GIVEAWAY!!

WIN 'The Busy Mum's Guide To Weight Loss' Book!

And now for the exciting part! You can WIN your own copy of this beautiful book over on my foodie Instagram account @imhungrymax - entering couldn't be easier! Just follow I'm Hungry Max and The Healthy Mummy then tag a friend in the comments. That's it! Go forth to the Gram and enter now!

CLICK HERE to be taken to the Giveaway!

Linking up with the Lovin' Life Linky!

You may be interested in Lakes Bar Launch Party!

Don't miss a post!

Like Max The Unicorn on Facebook

Follow my Beauty Instagram @shinyglitterbug

Follow my Foodie Instagram @imhungrymax

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Follow me on Twitter @ShinyGlitterBug

Subscribe via email (right sidebar)

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of the book for review purposes and a supermarket voucher to purchase ingredients to make the dish featured here. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Do you watch what you eat? What's your favourite healthy snack?

Taking Stock

After a full week of migraines last week, I have been forced to take stock, and look at my health. I definitely haven't been looking after myself lately, from the late nights, to the unhealthy eating and generally putting my health and well-being last. The only thing I'm really successful at is drinking lots of water, because I love iced water and go through a lot of glasses every day. So I finally listened to my body on the weekend, and got a lot of sleep, ate smaller, healthier meals, exercised, and cut out my bad habit of eating chocolate or lollies late at night. I already feel so much better and haven't had a migraine since I made these changes. I'm so glad I took stock and prioritized my health and I'll be continuing these new habits, because it feels so good to be pain-free and have more energy. Here's a quick look at what I got up to last week!

Monday we saw THOR: RAGNAROK at our local cinema and OMG, it's so good, you guys! It's really funny and entertaining, and probably my favourite Thor movie thus far! We went to Nando's for dinner beforehand, here's some of the food we ate!

Speaking of food, I finally started a foodie-themed Instagram account called @ImHungryMax so that I don't have to post meals all through my beauty/lifestyle Instagram account. I've been meaning to do this for a while, so I was excited to finally set it up. To establish myself, I've begun posting #latergrams with the exception of a few pics, just to get some content up. I would love some more followers if you're keen! 

I also painted my nails blue to cheer myself up in the midst of some hot weather. This is Bestival Blue from the Rimmel Rita Ora range. So pretty!

My cat spent all of Wednesday vomiting, and of course this was when the car was getting fixed for three days, so I had no way of taking her to the vet. Thankfully she was better by the next day, but thanks Pumpkin for tasking me with cleaning up after you for a full day whilst I had a migraine.

Thursday I went to town and met my husband for lunch. It was good to get out and I actually felt slightly better probably because I was walking around. I had Chinese and he had a laksa which, as usual, ended up all over his business shirt. Haha. Above is the cappuccino and carrot cake I also had that day.

Friday I felt like migrainey death, with absolutely no energy, and slept for three hours after dropping off my son at school. I had planned on cleaning the house for the weekend, but could barely walk from one room to the next. And this is what made me realize I really needed to listen to my body and start looking after myself. It's about time!

Linking up with Life This Week, Open Slather and Mummy Mondays.

Don't miss a post!

Like Max The Unicorn on Facebook

Follow me on Instagram @shinyglitterbug

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Follow me on Twitter @ShinyGlitterBug

Subscribe via email (right sidebar)

How do you make sure you're looking after yourself?

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Stay Lean Tea Detox Pack!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my Stay Lean Tea Detox Pack Giveaway in collaboration with Stay Lean Tea! I'm so happy with the response and I greatly appreciate the support of you guys, my Subscribers. The prize up for grabs was the 14 Day Detox Program, comprising the Lean Burner Pack and the Lean Cleanse Pack, together valued at $45!

For future giveaways, please make sure you're subscribed (you have to click the link in your email to finalise the process) as it was a mandatory entry yet some people weren't subscribed, so their entries were invalid. I do verify the entries! 

Anyway, Rafflecopter has spoken and it's ....

Congratulations to the WINNER......

KEVIN KELLY!

I hope you enjoy your Tea Detox Kevin! Let us know how you go! Kevin has been emailed.

Keep reading Max The Unicorn for more Giveaways in the future. :)

Don't miss a post!

Like Max The Unicorn on Facebook

Follow me on Instagram @shinyglitterbug

Follow on Bloglovin'

Follow me on Twitter @ShinyGlitterBug

Subscribe via email (right sidebar)

REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: Stay Lean Tea 14 Day Detox Program!*

Hi guys! Stay Lean Tea Australia kindly sent me a detox pack to trial recently, and now that I'm finished I thought I'd tell you how it went. In addition, there's a Giveaway you can enter to win your own detox pack, so keep reading!

Stay Lean Tea Australia are a 100% organic detox tea company. They source their tea blends globally, only use organic and natural ingredients but don't include laxatives in their tea, unlike a lot of other detox teas on the market. There are two products in the 14 Day Detox Program*; the 14 Day Lean Burner and the 14 Day Lean Cleanse. There's nothing complicated about this detox either, for those of us who are time-poor or just struggle with detailed instructions! All you do is drink one cup of Lean Burner tea every morning for 14 days, and drink one cup of the Lean Cleanse tea every second day in the afternoon, for the same 14 day period. Consequently, you get 14 pyramid teabags in the Burner pack and 7 pyramid teabags in the Cleanse pack. Easy, right?

The Lean Burner tea helps to suppress the appetite and boost the metabolism. The ingredients are:

Longjing Green Leaf, Pu'erh Tea Leaf, Oolong Leaf, Lotus Leaf, Lemon Grass, Dandelion Leaf, Goji Berry.

I really enjoyed drinking these teas. I'm not much of a tea or coffee drinker normally, but do gravitate towards coffee if given the choice. I enjoyed this comforting and relaxing blend, and soon found myself looking forward to my morning cuppa. As someone who can easily become stressed and get overwhelmed, this really opened my eyes to how relaxing a hot cup of tea can be! I also love the flavour of the Lean Burner. I felt no need to add milk, and just drank this black, with a Natvia sweetener tablet (a 100% natural sugar substitute). I think this suppressed my appetite a bit, as I wasn't eating as much during the day, but I'm not sure if my metabolism was boosted as well.

The Lean Cleanse is designed to clean the digestive tract and speed up the detoxification process. The ingredients are:

Chamomile, Chrysanthemum, Rose Flower, Lavender, Roselle, Lemon Grass, Longjing Green Leaf.

This herbal blend of antioxidant-rich ingredients was probably my second favourite of the two (lol), because honestly, it tastes a bit like you're drinking a garden. Take a look at the ingredients and you'll see why. But that's just my opinion, I'm sure some people will love the floral flavour. We're all different, right? The liquid itself, once the tea has been steeped, comes out a slightly pinky-purple colour, which is pretty! The good news for me was that I only drank half as many as the yummy Burner blend, because this was to be taken only every second day. I lost about 1.5 kilos during my detox, but at this time I was also eating pretty healthy for a change! So it may have been due to my healthy diet, the detox program or a combination of the two, I can't really say. Nonetheless, I'm happy with any weight loss, of course! Results will vary from person to person, which brings me to the........

GIVEAWAY!

Stay Lean Tea have kindly provided a 14 Day Detox Program pack (worth $45) for one of my subscribers! The Winner will receive the 14 Day Lean Burner pack plus the 14 Day Lean Cleanse pack.

It's easy to enter, just follow the prompts in the Rafflecopter widget below. Please note you must be a Max The Unicorn email subscriber and visit the Stay Lean Tea website to enter. There are optional tasks, each getting you more entries and thus chances to win. After you subscribe, remember to click the link in your email to complete the subscription process, otherwise it doesn't count! Have fun and Good Luck!

Please Note: There was a technical problem with my last Giveaway, and if you ticked the box to subscribe, it unfortunately didn't automatically subscribe you to my posts! Apparently Rafflecopter doesn't support my email service, FeedBurner and I can't add emails individually like Rafflecopter suggested. I've changed the form, so please subscribe via the right sidebar and click confirm in the email you get. Sorry for the mix-up!

~ This giveaway is open to Australian residents only, and runs from 9/3/16 - 11:59pm 16/3/16 (Adelaide, SA time).
~ The winner will be notified via email and given 3 days to reply, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.
~ Standard postage is included in the prize.
~ Winner must provide their Australian postal address for prize delivery.
~ Winner will be announced here on the blog and on the Max The Unicorn Facebook page.

Don't miss a post!

Like Max The Unicorn on Facebook

Follow on BlogLovin'

Follow me on Twitter @ShinyGlitterBug

Subscribe via email (right sidebar)

Disclaimer: These products were provided for editorial consideration. Links in this post are for information purposes and are not affiliate links. This review is my honest opinion.



a Rafflecopter giveaway