The dreaded play date....

I have noticed when my gorgeous 8 year old comes home from a play date or sleepover she is a little nightmare. Gone is the even-tempered, sweet, mummy-loving, angel and in it's place is a rude, bad tempered, sooky, little nutter.

Why????

My theory has two parts

1. The other mum must be treating them special 'Are you okay sweetie', 'Do you need a drink?', 'What do you want to eat' etc etc. It's like visiting royalty
2. The kid uses up all their goodness

Then they come home to me and they are treated like a normal 8yo again and I have to wait for their goodness to recharge.

What is your kid like when they return from a play date or sleep over?

Part 2 - How to look fit when you are not

I am sure you are all putting my last 10 faux fit tips into action. Now it's time to take it to the next level.

I received a couple of tips from some excellent readers and I have to share them too.

1. Dab a little deep heat behind your ears (Thank you Anne from Domesblissity). The scent of menthol screams that you have been working out. I also love that it sounds like a Beyonce scent 
2. Spray water on your armpits, chest, face and your crotch. It will look like you have been working up a sweat (Excellent advice Jodi~). I agree, nothing says healthy body like a sweaty crotch.
3. Wear a team shirt or hat as casual wear. Don't do both, it's too matchy-match and people will get suspicious. Try and get them from a local club. Around here we have the 'Moreton Bay Runner's club' this is a great shirt. Wear it to lunch with your girlfriends
4. When at this lunch with the girls, order whatever you like and tell them you are 'carb loading'. No one can argue with carb loading
5. Use a sports bag as a handbag and fill it full of high protein snacks. Anne suggested tins of tuna. Hmm Anne, I think you have done this before. This also makes you very popular with cats. Win/Win

It's school holidays, so I am going to be working these looks in the supermarket for the next week.

Davina and Goliath

I am pretty chuffed to be a finalist for the New Business of the Year in Redcliffe. I don't feel at all like I'll win, but I am looking forward to dressing up and having a great girls-night-out.

Last night, I decided to check out the other finalists.

Blooming Buds Flower shop. This is such a lovely shop across from the hospital. They do gorgeous arrangements and it's owned by a long time Redcliffe resident.
Michel's Patisserie Peninsula Fair. This franchise has recently opened. My girls love the mini-spinach rolls but aren't allowed to have them too often.
Seafood Town. I haven't been here because I don't eat seafood but what a gorgeous location on Woody Point. I know all the day trippers (and locals) love fish and chips on the beach and....

Mon Komo. This made me laugh out loud. This is an amazing new restaurant and apartments. The views are stunning, nice food and cocktails. I even reviewed them recently. I wonder if I was inadvertently their Mystery Shopper? If I was, then I completely stuffed myself. Mon Komo is also the venue for the awards. Uh-Ohh!

Good luck to all the finalists!!

Double pluggers, flip-flops, thongs, jandles...

I am a Queenslander and you can not possibly have too many colourful pairs of Havaianas. In the Spring cleaning of my shoe wardrobe, these are the ones that have made the cut and will be hanging around for another season.

My Spring flower

What is your go-to summer footwear?

PS: I am joining up for Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys

Helllooo....

I love you guys visiting, commenting and sharing. Are you a commenter or a lurker?

I would love to find out who YOU are. Please feel free to comment below. Share your blog, twitter, instagram, facebook page, whatever.

I would love the opportunity to return the favour.

edit: I am loving the new blogs I am finding. Thank you xx

What happens to naughty fairies...

On my travels during the week I came across this colourful, gaudy, cheap-as-chips bracelet and I couldn't resist it. I thought I could buy it as a gift for someone, anyone. But, later that day it made it onto my wrist.

It's made with colourful, little, skulls beads. I told my daughters that they are fairy princess skulls. When fairies are naughty they met their end and their delicate little skulls are made into bracelets for really cool people. I told them the green one was Tinkerbell. She is pretty naughty, it was bound to happen eventually.

Here is a vlog about nothing :).

I tried very hard not say 'ummm' every 2 seconds or play with my hair

Wow your guests with a cheats dessert

I am excited. I have a guest post at the awesome Veggiemama blog. Please drop by, visit and say hello.

http://www.theveggiemama.com/2012/09/guest-post-wow-your-guests-with-cheats.html

Sites that completely crack me up...

If I need a good laugh, some escapism or a WT..? moment, these are some of my go to sites:

Heavy Browsing
Alison and Diyva search the internet for questionable items of clothing. Not only do they find really unattractive pieces but their comments crack me up

Dog Shaming
Dogs embarrass their owners all the time and now it's time for the owners to get them back. The dogs even look embarrassed in the photos

Me Wanty
For the man that's difficult to buy for. I would like to order everything and hide them in my present cupboard. Just pick one and hand it out to any birthday boy

Damn you autocorrect
Apple must have a sense of humour. The auto corrects are so funny and inappropriate

Text from dog
I have always wanted to know what my dog is thinking. Now I know

Do you have any secret sites you escape to?

Shake It

Last night I went to a new dance class at Genesis Rothwell called Ikin Shake It.

I am not a dancer. I can pick up heavy objects, I can push big things and I can run far but this body has no rhythm. I wasn't going to let this get in the way of having a good time. I love dance classes. I love the loud music, I love the flashing lights, I love exercising when I feel like I am just having fun.

I dragged along two aunts and my cousin's girlfriend. We were really excited and made the effort to dress 'dancy'.  A girl can never wear too many sequins to the gym.

The instructor Anthony was so energetic and fun. He broke down the moves so even I could manage.

There are some sexy, sexy moves. If someone asked me a week ago if I would be grabbing my arse, gropping my breasts and pelvic thrusting with my aunts I would have have choked on my coffee. Lucky, we know how to have a great time.

45 minutes later, red laughing faces, wild sweaty hair and a few great dance moves in our pocket, it was time to head home for a G&T.

What a great addition to their timetable.

This gorgeous guy is Anthony Ikin, the creator and instructor

Image credit

Dear Anonymous

Thank you for your recent comments. You have made me tackle something that has been sitting on my to-do list...

My comment policy.

This blog is a happy place. I am happy for people to have a different opinion than mine and I'd love you to share them.

There are kind ways to express your thoughts.

I will delete any comments that are rude, offensive, insulting or inflammatory.

I will not respond to these comments.

I will also not allow anyone to be rude to any of my readers or commenters.

My home, my rules.

Have a great day,

Hello lover...

I have just spent a few days on Moreton Island. As you may already know, I was missing COFFEE!! I like to have a few cups as soon as I wake up. Bam, bam, bam.

When I got home I noticed my husband had installed this. A Nespresso capsule dispenser. Sometimes he is awesome.

PS: I am joining up for Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys

5 happy things and 5 annoying things

It isn't hard to come up with 5 happy things today.

1. I am on Tangalooma Island. Hanging out with great people, eating food and drinking champagne
2. Yesterday was a beautiful day. So, we took the boat to Lucinda Bay, anchored and watched the marine life come to us. I never knew turtles could swim so fast
3. I have been away from the computer for days. It feels like a week and I feel re-charged and inspired
4. I have lovely supportive family, friends and readers
5. I smell bacon and eggs cooking. I don't even eat bacon but it is one of the best smells in the world

5 annoying things....

1. Our water just cut out. When you know you can't use the toilet, then you really want to
2. Someone must have labelled my moisturizer wrong and it's really a peel of some sort. I have obvious scaly patches all over my face
3. I didn't pack any make up so I can't hide my scales
4. We are sharing a holiday apartment with sleepy heads. So I have to be really quiet (like I am hunting wabbits)
5. WE ARE OUT OF COFFEE!!!!

Have a great day!!

Linking up with IBOT

4 Great new beauty products under $20

Vlog time. I am sharing four great new products I have recently discovered. Even better, they are all under $20. Winning!

1. Garnier BB Cream. Miracle Skin Perfector for Oily & Combinations Skin $13.95. All-in-one B.B. Cream. Oil free. SPF 15. I have been using the light one and I really like it. I love the matt finish and it has nice coverage for daytime.
2. Garnier Dark Spot Corrector. Daily Unifying Moisturiser with Vitamin C $16.95. This corrects discolouration for even skintone. This feels great on and can be used day and night.
3. Sexy red nail polish from Butter Nail polish in Pillar Box Red. This is Free with Instyle Magazine October Issue. I love that this is from their 3 free range. Free from Formalldehyde, Toluene and DBP.
4. Makellos Eye Primer $12.95. Great colour and price and easy to use. I love their range of loose Shimmer powders too.

This is not a sponsored post. I have not received payment but I did receive the Garnier and Makellos products to try.

How to Mystery Shop a Blogger

I imagine you are wondering why anyone would need to "Mystery shop" a blogger. Well it happens. I am a finalist for the 'New Business of the Year' and one of the final stages is being Mystery shopped.

Yes, I drew this awesome picture. Feel free to use the image.

So, I have been waiting for the 'shopper'. I have had a few mistaken identities. That's cool. I thought it was done and dusted and I was impressed with how the company 'Mystery shopped' me. Until I received a call that went a little like this:

(Star Wars ring tone, ringing, ringing.....) 

Me:  Hello
AMS: (alleged mystery shopper): What are your open hours?
Me: Hi, well this is Rachel from Redcliffe Style, I am a blogger so my hours are varied. I seem to be open all the time
AMS: You are a blogger..um.....what do you write about?
Me: blah, blah, awesome stuff, blah, blah, me, me, beauty, fashion, reviews of products, restaurants etc life, me, me and me,
AMS: Are you objective in your reviews?
Me: Yes but kind.
AMS: Ok, thank you
Me: Err, can I help you with anything?
AMS: Not today. Good bye
Me: Ok, bye

I wonderer if this was my Mystery Shopper? It kinda lacked some mystery. Maybe it really was a genuine person but they were looking for a subjective blogger?

Anyhoo, If you are a mystery shopper and would like some tips on how to shop a blogger, here are a few suggestions:
1. First, try to give the blog a quick read
2. Maybe ask them how they would feel about reviewing a certain product
3. You could talk about advertising on the blog
4. You could comment on the blog and/or email them about something they have written asking for more info?

I have a heap of other suggestions too. If you are a mystery shopper trying to shop me, you can email me and ask :)


PS: Please note, as usual this is all written lightheartedly. 
PSS: I have actually been a mystery shopper and members of my family have been mystery shoppers. I get it :).
PSSS: Nasty anonymous comments will be deleted. Please comment under your own name.

Mon Komo

Last week I received a call asking if I would like to check out the new menu at Mon Komo. Being the greedy girl that I am, I said 'yes', started drooling, then phoned the second greediest girl I knew and invited her to join me. To protect her, I won't mention her name.

The first thing you notice about Mon Komo is the gorgeous setting. It's on the gorgeous Redcliffe Waterfront. The restaurant is beautifully furnished, light and airy. You feel like you could be holidaying on an exotic island.

My sister Kerrin (yeah, I lied and outed her) and I took our seats, ordered a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc each and started analysing the menu. I gave her orders:

1. You have to order something different to me
2. You have to let me try yours
3. Use your cutlery and
4. DO NOT EAT before I take photos. This was harder than it sounds

Entree
We decided to share the Turkish bread and grissini with hommus, eggplant kasundi, tussah and balsamic oil. Lucky the Grissini (bread sticks) were there because we could use them as swords to fight over the Eggplant Kasundi. This was amazing.

Mains
I ordered the Sweet pea risotto with Swiss shard, oyster mushroom, sweet potato, goats feta, lemon aioli. This was generous and well presented. I was happy that they catered for vegetarians. I personally don't like mushrooms but I am trying hard to train myself. I tried a few, pushed them aside and devoured the remaining dish.

Kerrin ordered Ricotta and prosciutto stuffed chicken breast with baked semi dried tomato polenta and beetroot oil. This looked amazing. I couldn't help myself and kept stealing bites of her polenta, roast beetroot and sauce. This was probably my highlight.

Dessert
Our awesome waiter, Ronald from the Netherlands, suggested we might like to look at the dessert menu. He could see we were weak, dazed from food and had passed the point of no return.

We split a Kahlua tiramisu with chocolate shards and coffee gelato. This was a great ending.

Then it was time to roll out of the restaurant and pick up the children from school. Back to reality.

I did not receive payment for this post. It appears that I can be bought with food but my opinions are honest and my own

Mon Komo Restaurant 
99 Marine Parade, Redcliffe
3284 6520
https://www.facebook.com/MKHotel

Hanging in my kitchen...

This is hanging in my kitchen. I found it tied to my front gate one day. It was left by my lovely aunt. She knows me so well.

It always makes me thirsty smile.

PS: I am joining up for Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys

W.E review and DVD giveaway

When I was offered the opportunity to review and host a giveaway for Roadshow on the movie W.E. I wasn't really sure. I knew it was directed by Madonna and this automatic placed it in my "eerrr, I don't know if I want to see it" pile.

I ended up watching it and was completely surprised. I would never had guessed that Madonna would be capable of the gorgeous, simplicity of this movie. Abbie Cornish is mesmerising on screen. I loved her never ending supply of simple, classic black and white outfits. In fact, I may or may not have worn black and white and wandered dreamily through museums for a few days after watching this movie.

Image credit
'Their affair ignited a scandal. Their passion brought down an empire.'

This also started off my new obsession with wanting to know everything about Wallis Simpson, King Edwards and their love affair. Ask me anything :)

GIVE AWAY 
If you would like the opportunity to own this movie, I have 5 copies to give away! All you have to do to enter is:

1. Leave a comment either here or on facebook telling me why you would like to win a copy of this DVD. The five most interesting comments will win.
2. Enter prior to 6am on 18 September 2012.

If you would like to 'like' Redcliffe Style on Facebook that would be cool but it's not an entry requirement.

W.E. is available to own on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download from 5 September 2012

I have not received payment to review or host a giveaway. All opinions are my own.

The day I almost found a grey hair!!

I am pretty lucky. I'll be 40 years old in February and I am quite proud of the fact I don't have any grey hairs or any fillings in my teeth. In fact, I might even be a little cocky about it.

Then my dear hairdresser pointed out that I did in fact have some. I doubted her and when I got home I went immediately to the mirror and started digging around. At first I thought it was a reflection of light on my shiny, shiny hair. Then I looked harder and I realised something was there. On closer inspection I came to the conclusion that it's probably a rare albino hair, I noticed a few other rare albino hairs too.

I am glad I got to the bottom of it, because when I thought it was grey. It really knocked my confidence and made me doubt myself. I don't know why but it did.

I still don't have any fillings. I will stay quietly cocky about this too.

Have you had any grey hairs yet? How did you feel?

I'm tired...

The insomnia fairy visited again last. I am operating on about two hours sleep.

A few things that seem way too hard today are

1. Getting the kids ready for school. Seriously, why do they need to go anyway? The only reason I am going to dig deep and get them there is because I hope to grab a quiet nap when they are out of the house

2. Operating the Nespresso. I looked at all the colorful capsules and wanted to cry. Why do they make it so complicated? Where is George Clooney?

3. Doing my hair. If you saw the photo yesterday. It's worse today. Short hair + sleeplessness night = friggin clown hair. It's definitely a hat day
4. Getting off the couch. My dog is licking my feet and I can't be bother telling her to stop.
5. Finding the remotes. The girls left the Disney channel on and a can't stretch that far to get the remote. Looks like I am stuck watching this by myself.

The art of hiding it. Great hat, big dark sunnies and red lipstick.

I want coffee!!!!!!

How to use Bitly.com

I have found the best way for me to share my blog posts is through Bitly.com.

After I have created my masterpiece, the first thing I do is go to Bitly to reduce the URL. This takes it

from this:   http://www.redcliffestyle.com/2012/09/inside-my-handbag.html
to this:   http://bit.ly/OMem0K

The three reasons I reduce it are:
1. It takes up less space in my tweets
2. It looks neat and consistent
3. Bitly keeps track of clicks (how many people have clicked on the shortened link)

Copy your link in your blog and then paste it in Bitly where it says Paste a link here

To share your link, click on the Facebook and twitter icons.

Then write a little something in the text box. Tick the twitter and/or facebook boxes and send it on. The new shortened URL is automatically attached to your text.

You can share as often as you like, but you need to amend the text a little each time.

And if you have trouble finding your links, just check in Search your Bitmarks, then Your shared bitmarks

Inside my Handbag

Yesterday I had to take a photo of the items in my handbag. These are the items that didn't make the cut...

1. Straw. It looks clean
2. String. I wonder how long this was in there. You think I would have noticed
3. Mini nail file
4. two bobby pins. One is white. If you see an albino with messy hair, tell them I found their bobby pin
5. A broken toothpick. This looks used, and I never use toothpicks when I am out. Who used this and put it in my bag? Kinda gross
6. Bank deposit record
7. Fantales wrapper. The 'Who am I' question is Paul Hogan
8. 2 fluffy little mints. Are you wondering if I ate them? I'll never tell
9. A tissue, obviously this looks used. Auugghh
10. A Dan Murphy receipt. What a surprise!

This is what did make the cut...

1. Car keys. These are to start my car
2. Pain killers tablets. People who run (well me at least) always have injuries. This week I have a sore joint in my big right toe
3. Fossil purse. It's actually old enough to be a fossil now
4. Perfume. Bvlgari of some sort. I bought this at a chemist until I can find one I really want. I can not be without perfume
5. Nikon camera remote. You never know when you want to take a selfie
6. Belkin mobile iPhone/iPad charger
7. Card holder. I really should put cards in this, but it's convenient as a lipstick mirror
8. Ralph Lauren Sunglasses. I should carry a case too but I prefer my glasses scratched up, it makes me look less pretentious
9. iPad. For blogging on the go
10. Image daily Defense 35+ sunscreen. Nicest sunscreen ever
11. Nature's care Paw Paw balm
12. Estee Lauder gloss, M.A.C Russian Red lipstick and Chanel Emoi lipgloss
13. Lens
14. Nikon D40
15. iPhone

No wonder my shoulders hurt. At least I can use the pain killers for it.

What's the worst or weirdest thing in your bag?

PS: I am joining up for Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys