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!

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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?

Spotlight On: Ariel's World

Recently I was contacted by Raylene from Ariel's World, asking if I'd like to try some of her candles and lip balm. After hitting up her website and reading some background on the company, I was excited to get involved. Raylene is a single Mum to gorgeous Ariel, a little girl with Down Syndrome. I loved reading her heartwarming story and was even more impressed when I saw that she donates part proceeds from sales of Ariel's World products to Down Syndrome NSW.

In the online shop, you'll find lip balms, candles and diffusers. There are two varieties of lip balm, three different diffuser fragrances and five different candles to choose from, as well as a set containing a Xmas Candle and Lip Balm! I was sent an Ariel Candle*, Ariel Candle Mojito*, Ariel's World Lip Treatment Balm* and a Candy Cane Lip Balm*. Keep reading for my thoughts!

Ariel Candle and Ariel Candle Mojito

I'm not the biggest user of candles; don't get me wrong, I don't dislike candles. In fact, quite the opposite! I enjoy having a candle burning and find it really relaxing, I just never seem to get around to lighting my candles! Well, that has to change. If trialling these candles has taught me anything, it's that I need to slow down, chill out, stop stressing and take the time to relax and enjoy life.

These gorgeous candles weigh 320g and have 60 hours of burn time. I'm still going with mine, so I can't verify that claim. I'd rather make them last and enjoy them over time than burn through them (literally!) too quickly. They are double wick candles and are individually handcrafted in Australia using soy wax. The wick is also eco-friendly as its made out of all natural fibres and doesn't contain any harmful metals such as lead.

The black one is the Ariel Candle, featuring the signature scent. It smells beautiful, and despite being concerned it may give me a headache, it doesn't. Here's the description of the fragrance:

"Our signature scent is in a soothing woody musky base of Patchouli, with notes of exquisite sweet floral Jasmine and sun ripened nectarines infused with the crisp tangyness of blackcurrant berries."

The name Ariel means Lioness Of God. The Archangel Ariel is all about protecting animals and the natural world. This candle honours Ariel, who was born into our natural world with Down Syndrome. The fragrance encompasses embracing the natural scents that empower your senses while protecting the environment. Generously, $5 from every candle sold is donated to the Down Syndrome Association and Lifestart Australia, which helps children living with disabilities.

The pretty silver one is the exciting Mojito Ariel candle! I can't pass up anything cocktail-themed, so I was thrilled to receive this zingy baby. For the innocent amongst you, a Mojito is a Cuban highball boozy delight drink that consists of white rum, lime juice, sugar, soda water and mint. Yum! Let's delve into the fragrance description of this candle....

"A fresh crisp scent with notes of herbaceous mint and lush, juicy lime. Rounded off with middle notes of herbal garden leaves, lavender and a deep floral base."

I love fresh, clean scents and I'm also a citrussy aroma kinda gal. I'm immediately drawn to anything that has the words lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, mandarin or tangerine on it. Despite the Mojito candle also having a strong floral base, I didn't find that it overpowered the lime. I really like burning this one to give my house a nice fresh fragrance, and as I mentioned earlier, the relaxing nature of candle-burning is something I appreciate and need to experience more often!

Ariel's World Lip Balms

"Ariel Lip Balm is nourishing and restorative thanks to bio active emollients. The sweet mixed berry and nectarine flavour makes lips even more kissable! $1 from every lip balm sold goes to Down Syndrome NSW."

Ariel's World lip balms come in lightweight plastic tubes with pull off/click on lids, and operate with a simple wind-up mechanism. You get 5g of product in each tube, and they are available in two varieties; the original Lip Treatment Balm and Candy Cane. The formula for both balms is nice and thin and really smooth to apply. The lip treatment appears white in the tube, with the Candy Cane balm appearing slightly yellow, but they both go on clear and leave my lips with a beautifully moisturised feel and glossy appearance.

Lip Treatment Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Shea Butter Liquid, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Fruit Olio Wax, Olive Squalene, Candelilla Wax, Vitamin E, Macadamia Wax, Flavour, Stevia.

Candy Cane Balm Ingredients: Coconut Oil. Cocoa Butter, Castor Seed Oil, Shea Butter Liquid, Candelilla Wax, Vitamin E, Flavour, Stevia.

I use the Candy Cane balm when I crave that minty/candy apple scent, and appreciate that it contains Stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener, instead of sugar. It's awesome for prepping lips before makeup, using straight after stepping out of the shower, and before going to bed at night. I love how soft and healthy it makes my lips feel. The original lip treatment is a fantastic, kid-friendly product that would be great for children, teens, men, women who aren't into fancy products and anyone wanting a basic, affordable, nice-feeling, effective lip balm. My nine year old son loves it and uses it before we leave for school and if we are going out on the weekends. His lips tend to get quite dry and it really nourishes and hydrates his lips quickly.

The lip balms are vegan and cruelty-free and handmade in Australia. They retail for only $8.50 a pop, with $1 being donated to the Down Syndrome charity.

I love that if you purchase an Ariel's World lip balm or candle it means you're supporting a great cause and helping make a difference for kids living with disabilities. If you're keen to read more about Ariel's journey, you can do that here.

Linking up once again to Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post, links are for information purposes only (I don't make any money if you purchase via the links in this post). Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Do any of these products take your fancy? Are you a candle person?

Lush 2016 Christmas Collection!

I can't believe it's December already! The last few months have flown by for me; one minute it was Halloween, then suddenly the festive season hits and there are Christmas Trees and sparkly decorations everywhere you look! I'm no Grinch though, I love Christmas for it means quality time with my family, great food and wine, and watching Mr 9 rip open his presents, which is probably my favourite part.

Lush have delivered again this year, with a bangin' collection of festive treats to get you in the party mood, if the eggnog alone isn't cutting it. I was kindly sent a bunch of fragrant goodies from the Lush 2016 Christmas Collection, so grab some Punch, unwrap a Candy Cane and get ready to add a few things to your shopping list!

Snow Angel Bath Melt*

'Blanket your bath in a flurry of white foam before revealing a shimmering golden glow. Treat your skin to a softening marzipan and floral scented soak.'

I used a white and gold Snow Angel during the last school holidays at our little Retreat, in the spa bath, and it was an amazingly relaxing experience. The fragrance is quite subtle though, so this is good if you don't like overpowering scents, but not so good if you like your Lush bath to pack a punch! This melt contains lots of fair trade cocoa butter to moisturise the skin, and Cassie Absolute, Rose Absolute and Benzoin Absolute as well as Gardenia extract to give a floral fragrance. The best part is getting out of the bath covered in shimmering gold glitter!

Peeping Santa Bubble Bar*

'Santa may use his dairy-free chocolate eyes to see who's been naughty or nice come Christmas, but, at this time of year, he also looks out for the perfect batch of hand-churned shea butter. Nipping over to Ghana, he visits the Ojoba women's cooperative, who crack and churn the shea pods into a rich, chocolatey butter. Blended with Fair Trade, organic cocoa butter, this indulgent combination is sandwiched between fragrant bergamot and geranium oils. Crumble under running water for sack loads of fruity bubbles.'

Yes that was a long quote, but I had to share the story behind the origins of Peeping Santa, as it highlights Lush's commitment to ethical practices. Not only are all Lush products cruelty-free, they also practice ethical buying, where they only buy from suppliers who provide a safe working environment, work to preserve endangered plants and animals and don't condone animal testing. So you can relax in the knowledge that if you pick up a Peeping Santa this Christmas, you're supporting a company that's actively working to preserve the planet!

Magic Wand Reusable Bubble Bar*

'Wave a magic wand over bath time. Snow fairies of all ages will love swishing this candy sweet magic wand around the bath to turn the water pink and create clouds of candy floss bubbles.'

If you don't 'get' the hype surrounding Lush products, then seriously, go get yourself a Magic Wand. This is a pink star, covered in silver glitter, perched on a stick (perfect for waving and casting love spells, lol) with a god-damn silver bow and bell on it. Then consider yourself converted. This is a reusable product too, you just have to leave it out to dry afterwards, so the fun quotient is multiplied. Lovers of cult favourite Snow Fairy will appreciate the sweet candy floss scent and pink fans will rejoice at the girly bubbles and pink water, although my nine year old son is also a superfan! This would make the perfect gift for Lush fans young and old, it's more fun than Lush FUN itself, I reckon!

Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub*

'Caster sugar for en pointe pouts.'

This is the most delicious smelling lip scrub, in my opinion even better than the bright red Lush Santa Baby Lip Scrub, which I absolutely love. Lip Scrubs are not a necessity for me because I use a lot of lip balm, instead they are purely a product I use for fun. The sweet caster sugar exfoliates your lips, leaving them soft and smooth, but for me Sugar Plum Fairy is all about the taste! The minute I smelled this at the Lush Rundle Mall Store Re-Opening Event I fell in love. It's a gorgeous purple lustre colour, contains sweet wild orange oil and organic jojoba oil and the dominant flavour is juicy blackcurrants. I'd highly recommend getting in-store and giving this a whiff!

Bubbly Shower Gel*

'A bucks fizz breakfast boost packed full of sweet orange oil and fresh grape juice to help your morning go off with a bang, or should that be pop.'

I don't know how Lush continually nail amazing scent creations, but the orange-hued Bubbly is another surefire winner for me! I love fruity, particularly citrusy aromas, and Bubbly is a delicious cocktail of lime oil, sweet wild orange oil, vine leaf infusion and fresh grape juice. This is quite the celebratory shower gel, lathering well and leaving me with soft and gorgeously-fragranced skin. If Christmas isn't the time for Bubbly, I don't know what is!

Christingle Body Conditioner*

'Invigorating peppermint oil and menthol crystals take your skin straight to the top of the tingles chart.'

If you like fresh, minty scents, you will love the pretty turquoise-hued Christingle. Body Conditioners take a little getting used to, and if you're new to the concept, here's how it works: basically, as a last step in the shower, smooth some conditioner onto your wet skin and rub it around, then simply rinse it off and be left with a beautifully soft, nourished and moisturised body! You can totally skip the body moisturiser, because you won't need it. I love this product! The invigorating scent comprising spearmint, grapefruit, organic jojoba and peppermint oils and murumuru and Fair Trade Shea Butters is crisp, fresh and uplifting and the formula is so hydrating. Tingly goodness!

You may also like Lush Adelaide Grand Opening Media Preview Event

Linking up with Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life, which goes live early Monday morning!

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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post, links are for information purposes only. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you done your Christmas shopping? I haven't even started!

LUSH 2016 Halloween Collection!*

BOO! Are you excited about Halloween? We normally don't celebrate Halloween here, but this year I have a list of family-friendly movies that I'll be forcing my family to watch with me! We're talking Casper, Coraline, Hotel Transylvania, Goosebumps and Corpse Bride. Bring it on!

Even more exciting though, is this years Halloween collection from Lush! They've put together a special spooky bunch of ghoulish new releases to celebrate Halloween, and I was kindly sent a selection. The Lush 2016 Halloween Collection is available now, in-store and online, but you can only get them until the big day, October 31. So if you see anything you like, make sure you pick it up before it's too late. Let's have a look at what's in the range!

Sparkly Pumpkin Bath Bomb*
The absolute star of the show, in my opinion, is this stunning Sparkly Pumpkin Bath Bomb. I love anything shiny, and this gold glittery pumpkin certainly delivers sparkles. This is meant to give your bath water a gold lustre and 'magical' bubbles, and is fragranced with orange flower absolute, blackcurrant, juniper berries and lime oil. This orange-hued beauty smells fresh and amazing!

Monsters' Ball Bath Bomb*
This is a pink bath bomb with blue ears (horns, maybe?) and one googly eye, right in the middle. The eye fell off my monster shortly after having his photo taken, which I thought was fantastic, because honestly, what's scarier than a monster with no eyes? {Edit - I think it may have fallen off before the photo actually, because I've put it back on sideways. LMAO.} This is a monster mash-up of neroli and lime oil, both of which have uplifting qualities, so I'll be popping my eyeless freak into the bath next time hubby gets me in a bad mood, which I'm sure won't take long.

Lord Of Misrule Bath Bomb*
The vibrant colour of this bomb is absolutely gorgeous! Unlike the fresh and fruity fragrance of the pumpkin and monster, this one smells earthy, spicy, and unsurprisingly, pretty much akin to the Lord Of Misrule Shower Cream (more on that next). In the mix is patchouli, black pepper oil, vanilla absolute and popping candy. Yes, popping candy! When added to the bath, the deep green, slightly turquoise outer shell dissolves to reveal a wine-coloured centre, then crackling candy! If you like this bomb, great news; it will also be available come Christmas time.

Lord Of Misrule Shower Cream*
This is billed as an 'intoxicatingly naughty concoction' (ooh-err!) and it smells pretty much the same as the bath bomb variant; spicy and earthy from the black peppercorn and patchouli. It's like Lush shower gel, but it's a cream, so obviously it's creamier upon application. I prefer the shower gels, but the creams are good for a change. The hilarious thing is, I bought a huge 500g bottle of this at the 50% off sale last Christmas, and the label had a very Halloween-appropriate typo. It read 'Shower Scream', instead of 'Shower Cream'. This still cracks me up. Click here if you want to read my post on that.

Fireside Soap*
This looks really pretty with the red, orange and yellow flame design and again smells beautiful, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm confused, and here's why. The blurb on the product label reads 'bring this fiery soap, reminiscent of traditional Christmas songs, into the soap and make your own Christmas wonderland.' WTF? I thought it was Halloween. I also don't know how you bring a soap into a soap, lol. Anyhoo, it's a Lush soap, and I'm a massive fan of Lush soaps and I will use this and enjoy it. Fragrances; vanilla absolute and rapeseed, coconut, clovebud and pimento berry oils.

Magic Wand Soap*
This circle of goodness is tangerine scented, and smells absolutely delightful. I can't get enough of citrusy, fruity aromas, and Magic Wand also contains orange oil, pomegranate molasses and coconut oil. Lush say this shares the fragrance with Angel's Delight soap, from previous seasons, so if you liked that one, you'll probably be keen on this.

Goth Fairy Shimmer Bar*
How cute is this little guy? I'm intrigued by this shimmer bar, as it's such a unique product! This Goth Fairy is designed to be stroked over the skin so that the enriching butters melt in and nourish, while at the same time, leave an alluring sparkle behind. This feels so lovely when you glide it on, and the glittery sparkles left on the skin are plentiful. It contains illipe and cupuacu butters to nourish and soften the skin and a hell-ton of iridescent lustre particles in gold, green, purple and silver. The fragrances in this shimmer bar are grapefruit, almond and bergamot.

I would have loved to try out more of this collection before posting, but our bathroom renovation was only completed yesterday. Hurray for that though! Since these products are only on sale until the end of October, I thought I'd do more of a feature than a review. Hope you found it helpful!

As always with Lush, products are vegetarian and haven't been tested on animals, packaging is recycled and raw materials are ethically sourced. So you can shop with your conscience intact!

You can check out the full Lush Halloween collection and shop online here.

Linking up to Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life, Life This Week at Denyse Whelan, Open Slather at One Mother Hen and Mummy Mondays at All Mum Said (both linked on my sidebar)!

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Disclaimer: All products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post, links are for information purposes only. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Do you celebrate Halloween? Are you a Trick Or Treater? Ever baked spiderweb cookies? Do you like scary movies? OK, I'm out of questions.