Life After The Dress {Episode 16} Megan Wait

In this series I interview married women of all ages and from all walks of life and ask them real questions about their lives now, after all the glitter and sparkle of their wedding day is over. If you'd like to read more about the series and meet the other ladies I have interviewed, click here.

Today's interview is with Megan, who blogs over at The Sun House:

Megan is a newlywed like me and has a lovely blog where she writes about her and her husbands adventures with their pups. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and get ready to be inspired.

x

Q1: Please introduce yourself (age, of both yourself and your husband, where do you live, what do you do & how long have you been married for?)

Hi there, my name is Megan, and besides being an editor by day, I am also a blogger at The Sun House. I live in a house on Sun street, with my husband of just over a year (12 October for the win). His name is Flip. Our garden needs a bit of tending. We also have three dogs.

Flip is three years my senior, an old man of 29 ;) He owns his own logistics company. 

Q2: Which Disney character do you feel sums you up to a ‘T’?

Oh, uhm, I think the girl from Tangled might be my best bet. She is feisty, cooky, has an insatiable desire for adventure, even though she gets more than she has bargained for, but in the end, she is still a girl, and vulnerable at that. I like that she isn’t your typical, helpless Princess. She’s free-spirited and independent. Or Merida from Brave. Oh wait, I just saw that it doesn’t have to be a princess. I’m definitely Gus Gus from Cinderella. Haha. I love food. And used to love fine wine. 

Q3: How did you and your hubby meet?

We met through mutual friends at a braai. He fancied the crap out of me and I was entirely oblivious, because I fancied someone else. But then one day, he sent me a Facebook message: “I think you are hot and awesome, this is all for now.”I didn’t even reply. I was a bit flabbergasted.Three weeks later, I got another message: “Would you go on a date with me?” We saw each other a couple of times in between and this didn’t come up once. It was really so funny. He suggested a movie, I said no. Then he suggested dinner and he took me to a sushi restaurant. I never had sushi prior to this – now I’m hooked. 

I officially fell for him when one evening I told he could not come over because I was colouring my hair and when I got to my room, the whole bed was spread in white and red roses. My roommate sneaked it in. He officially fell for me when I stuck a fork in his leg. 

Q4: Was your wedding everything you hoped it would be? Would you go back and change anything? Do you have any advice for brides-to-be?

Our wedding was the most humbling event of my life. As soon as I put on my dress, I became a nervous wreck. I was in pieces, but I refused to take any calming stuff, because I wanted to live and feel every part of our day. I loved every minute of it. Our wedding was also very intimate, with only 60 guests. This, to me, made it all the more personal.

If I could change anything, it would probably be the fact that I walked down the aisle very fast, which I didn’t even realise. I was also so nervous that I couldn’t keep looking at Flip as I was walking down. I would want that moment over.

My advice to brides-to-be would be that if your mother wants to be part of your wedding day, let her. It’s just as an important day to her as it is to you. My mother practically took over all the décor planning and I couldn’t be happier about it. It relieved me of so much stress to know that she was there and that she helped me in every way she could.

Q5: Has ‘life after the dress’ been as you imagined it would be? 

Yes, it is. There were some serious changes in the dynamics of our relationship. But one thing I can say is that everyone’s telling the truth when they say that being married is the best thing ever. 

Q6: What have you learnt about yourself since being married?

Surprisingly, I learnt that I am an uncompromising brat. Under Construction

Q7: If you could describe your marriage in 3 words, what would they be?

Wow, this is really difficult. I would describe it as ‘perfectly us’.

Q8: Do you have any pearls of wisdom you would like to share with my readers about being married? Perhaps something some wise person once told you, or something you’ve learnt the hard way?

The best thing in life is to love and be loved in return. But sometimes it will be hard work and other times it will be smooth sailing. If you have a fight, listen first, understand, respect your spouse’s feelings and talk it out.This might sound like a newlywed speaking here, but find something about your spouse that will make you fall in love with them every day.

You can find Meg at the following places:

• Blog: TheSunHouse
• Instagram: @waitingformeg
• Twitter: @waitingformeg
• Facebook: TheSunHouse
• Pinterest: waitingformeg

I hope you have been enjoying this series as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

If you would like to be featured here on the blog, you can drop me an email using the contact form above or leave me a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Introducing the Banting Blondes...What is the Banting Diet and why should you be following it too.

View fullsize

Photo by Claire Thomson Photography

For the past few months I have been following this seemingly odd diet/eating program called the Banting Diet. The bottom line is high fat, Low carbs.  This way of thinking isn't new, with past diet trends like the Atkins and the Paleo Diet.

I am guilty of the 'eat all the fat' mindset that most people enter into when they first hear about this eating plan. I went cream cheese crazy for the first week, but have since been trying to increase my veggie intake so that I can keep the 4kg's I have lost so far. And I am happy to report that I have had no problems keeping the weight off, even when I slip off track every now and again. 

I am not working out as nearly as hard as I used to (it's  terribly cold and dark here in Korea) but I am amazed at the changes in my body that have come about from this eating plan. I have never been one to diet, and in the past have simply upped my exercise to combat flabbier areas, but the changes I have seen and felt so far in my body have been so dramatic that I am going to be 'Banting' for a long time to come! 

So for those of you who have yet to hear about the latest diet craze to hit South Africa, let me introduce to you two ladies (one of them being my sister) who are taking South Africa by storm. Don't they make Banting look sexy?!

Photo by Claire Thomson Photography

1. Who are the Banting Blondes?

We are! Two girls who have been friends since high school and have always been a massive part of each others lives while still pursuing our individual goals and dreams - together every step of the way! Roxane Hayward is a proudly South African actress, model and singer working in South Africa and London, and Julia Pietersma is a passionate pilates instructor currently working in London - both physically demanding careers where being in shape and healthy is a top priority! This Banting journey of ours started when we both moved to London in May 2014 - inspired by the incredible Tim Noakes book 'Real Meal Revolution' and all the success stories we had heard. We became super creative with our meals and treats in order to make this lifestyle change a bit of an easier transition, and through doing this, created some incredibly delicious recipes that we thought we just HAD to share with other banters out there! Pancakes, Nutella, cinnamon buns, low carb bread, but to name a few. It started as an Instagram page and then grew to a Facebook page with nearly 5000 followers in just over a month! It's growing everyday and we are loving the journey.

2. What exactly is Banting/The Banting diet?

We like to look at Banting as a change in lifestyle rather then a 'diet' - ewww, we hate that word! Banting is known to be a Low Carbohydrate, High Fat eating plan - but we stress wherever we can that it is, in fact, a 'No Sugar, Low Carbohydrate, Moderate Protein, High Fat and SUPER High Vegetable' eating regime. Yip! You heard right! NO sugar. Sounds impossible, but it is not! There are so many delicious meals and treats you can make using healthier, lower carbohydrate substitutes - and that is what we share with you on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Banting also cancels out any processed, synthetic or refined foods from your diet, leaving you healthy and glowing from the inside out!

3. What makes it different from Paleo?

They are actually very similar in theory and both extremely healthy ways of eating. Differences would be that Paleo says absolutely no dairy, whereas Banting you are allowed dairy in moderation. Paleo doesn't limit you on your daily fruit intake, but Banting does. Other differences would be that with Paleo you are still allowed sweeteners such as agave, coconut sap, honey and maple syrup - all sweeteners which are not allowed while Banting (honey in moderation). Reason being, these foods are still relatively high in carbs and therefore going to spike up your sugar levels, causing your pancreas to release insulin - insulin being the fat producing hormone; no thanks! Banting is also safe for diabetics whereas we wouldn't recommend Paleo if your sugar levels are already high.

4. What can I eat? What can’t I eat?

That is quite an extensive question, haha. Simple answer and without going into too much detail would be that you have to avoid anything and everything that is toxic to your body (processed, refined or synthetic) which includes sugar, margarine, artificial sweeteners, soya etc. You'll also have to cut out anything that is high in carbohydrates which includes all grains, legumes, fruit juices and starchy vegetables like potatoes, peanuts and peas. Instead, you would want to fill your plate with food that nourishes your beautiful body. This includes green leafy vegetables and other vegetables grown above the ground. You can also eat 80g of protein with each meal. And lets not forget the fat! Mmmm...nuts, seeds, animal fats, coconut oil, butter and olive oil are all things that will help keep your body, tummy and mind fully and satisfied. Sweet tooth? You are allowed fruit in moderation as well as natural sweeteners such as xylitol, stivia and erythritol. If you want the full list, we recommend going to www.realmealrevolution.com/real-food-lists

5. Why is it good for me?

Where do we begin! Firstly, lets not forget that your body is a machine and in order for it to run smoothly, you need to give it the correct fuel. i.e. don't fill your diesel 4X4 with petrol and wonder why it breaks. Blondes talking cars hey? Yip, we're that cool. But seriously, with Banting you are only filling your body with nutritious basic foods that our bodies were designed to process. You are eating actual FOOD, no more 'food like products' and the benefits that go with doing that are insane! Hold onto your seats cause here is a list of just a FEW of those benefits (if you want to find out the rest, you'll have to start Banting!) - increased energy levels, clear skin, healthy nails and hair, stronger immune system, no carb or sugar cravings, and of course (the one everyone wants to hear about) weight loss!

6. So what you’re saying is I can stuff myself silly with cream cheese and still loose weight?

Haha, well not exactly. That is where a lot of people go wrong with banting. They read 'Low Carb, High Fat' but all they see is 'HIGH FAT! HIGH FAT! HIGH FAT!'. They forget that this eating plan includes tons of vegetables and moderate protein. The fat is permitted and included in order to keep you satisfied and sustained for longer until your next meal. So yes, eat your cream cheese, but have some steamed spinach or broccoli with it. Don't overeat, don't snack, only eat when hungry and focus on the nutrition that is going into your body.

7. And eggs? I see that you're allowed to eat as many as you like. Wouldn't that increase my cholesterol?

This is actually a really interesting question, which calls for a super interesting answer. Time to put our brunette wigs on... haha. Firstly, cholesterol isn't all bad. Our bodies naturally produce it, because without cholesterol, we would die - gasp! There are two types of cholesterol in your body - the bad kind known as LDL (which can clog your arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes) and the good kind known as HDL (which actually removes LDL and sends to back to the liver to be processed). BUT, there are two subtypes of LDL:Small, Dense LDL (ewww) and Large LDL (yay). 

Recent studies have shown that it is the Small, Dense LDL that you want to watch out for and try lower. Saturated fats (such as eggs, coconut oil, animal fats and butter - all which are 100% from nature and 100% yay while banting) increase the Large LDL and HDL cholesterol and decrease the Small, Dense LDL. So eat your eggs, make sure they are free range and organic, but also don't get stuck in a pattern of eating the same thing every day (seperate from the cholesterol issue).

You're body is designed to be a hunter gatherer and graze on different food types that it can find for that season. So mix things up a little and give your body a change up every now and then. This is a very concise answer on quite a detailed subject, so if you'd like some more info and would like to do your own research, make sure you do this by searching 'Small Dence LDL Cholesterol, Saturated Fats'.

8. Isn’t it expensive? What if I live somewhere that I can’t get hold of the ‘good’ foods easily? Are there things I can substitute?

You'll definitely be able to get hold of the correct food easily. That's because they are all food types that are in their most basic form - no processing and no specific commercial products. So no need to stress about that! It can be expensive if you are eating tons of the expensive fats such as avocados, nuts, cheeses and coconut oil, but you shouldn't be eating TONS of these in any case - only enough to satisfy you. Another tip is when you go to your local butcher to buy your grass-fed meat, ask for the fattier off-cuts - these will be cheaper and are perfect for your high fat banting meals! Also, don't forget the most important ingredient - vegetables! If you are banting correctly, this should be a large part of your eating plan; something which is relatively inexpensive. As you body goes into ketosis you will find that you don't need to eat as much as you used too. The fat helps you body feel sustained for long periods of time, so we find that we're only having to eat two meals a day - another factor that saves on money (and time) big time!

8. Do I need to exercise too?

Definitely! Exercise is a must if you are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. It starts in the kitchen, but it ends in your sweat pants! And you'll want to show off your sexy new banting bum in those yoga tights you've been hiding at the back of your cupboard. Exercise is the cheapest, most underused anti-depressant, so get moving! Find something you enjoy like yoga, pilates, kickboxing, surfing, dancing, or even ping-pong!

9.  Where can I find recipes and inspiration so I don’t get bored?

You came to the right place! Follow us on our Instagram page @thebantingblondes and our Facebook page 'The Banting Blondes'. We post tasty and delicious Banting friendly recipes, meal ideas, health tips and motivational quotes. We also answer any questions you might have whenever we know the answer! 

***TheBantingBlondes have recently launched an incredible E-Book packed full of all their recipes posted on their Facebook page, as well as loads more! Click here to order one for yourself!

10. What is your favourite thing about Banting?

Photo by Claire Thomson Photography

Oooo, we have so many favourite things! But if we had to pick just one it would be this - because you are having to cook your meals, treats and yummy eats from scratch, rather than just buy already-made, store-bought products, it forces you to become more creative and experiment cooking with ingredients that you would never normally look twice at, like coconut flour and flaxseeds for example. Therefore, you create and try out recipes that are delicious, guilt-free and packed with nutrients and goodness. So come and join us on this Banting journey! We have a cheesecake in the oven and it serves 8 people - who's joining us for tea? ;)

You can find The BantingBlondes at the following places:

Facebook

Instagram 

Buy their E-Book

And for those of you here in South Korea, I am going to be using the #BantingInKorea hashtag when I post recipes that I have made right here in Korea, using local ingredients that I have been able to find here. I hope you'll join me in this journey to a healthier you!

Shadow our Korean Jindo puppy

World, meet Shadow, our +-2 month old black and tan rescue Jindo puppy. We think he is a Jindo from what we can found out on Google (Rotweillers and German Shepards are extremely uncommon here in Korea) so this seems like the most likely option considering his colouring.

Farmboy and I found Shadow 3 weeks ago wondering around a dark road, late at night and narrowing avoiding oncoming traffic. He had no sign of any owners, so we picked him up and took him for the night with no intentions of keeping him. We have since found out that his owner had to go to the military and aren't sure whether he was being sold for food (eating dog meat it is an age old tradition here in Korea) or whether he was destined for a life chained up outside a kennel.

Jindo dogs originate from Jindo Island, a small island off the West Coast of South Korea. Jindos were bred for hunting and are most well known for their fierce loyalty and brave nature. Mainland Koreans keep Jindos as watch dogs, and all of the ones we have seen are chained up outside their homes. We have only ever seen 4 or 5 Jindos being taken for a walk by their owners in the 2.5 years we have lived in Korea. Space is a big issue here in Korea, and that is why when Koreans choose to have dogs as pets they favor the small breeds, like Chihuahuas, Toy Pomeranians, Maltese Poodles and Pekingese. 

Jindo's grow to a medium size, similar to the a Border Collie . We don't think Shadow's original owner would have been as uncaring as we was if he was a pure Jindo pup, so depending on what mix he is he might be smaller (or maybe even larger!) than a sheep dog. Jindos come in 6 different colours. White, Yellow or Brown, Black & Tan, Grey, Tiger Brindle and solid Black. White and Yellow are the most prized and popular colours.

As I have spent the past 3 weeks scouring the internet for information on this unusual breed, I thought I'd share some facts with you about them:

1. They are pretty much housebroken automatically - We just though Shadow was super smart II'm sure everyone thinks this about their dog), having only pooped in the house on the first night we had him and then only peed once or twice since then if we ignored his winning in the early hours of the morning.

2. They are super-clean. Like most northern breeds, they have self-cleaning coats. Dirt just falls right off, and they are super fastidious about the condition of their fur and groom themselves like cats. They also have no doggy odor. 

3. They are aloof with strangers. Jindos are incredibly loyal and loving to the people they know and love, not just their owners. But a correct Jindo temperament means that they will ignore or avoid attention from strangers - Because of this we are trying to socialise Shadow as much as possible with our friends so that he gets used to being petted and stroked by people. We have also read that Jindos only bond with one owner in their life, I'm not sure just how true this is, but it has been the most consistent thing Korean friends have mentioned to us when we tell them we think he is a Jindo. 

4. They are quiet. Some dogs yap or bark for attention. A socialised Jindo only occasionally barks when he feels it is absolutely necessary - Shadow only has barked a total of 5 times since we found him.

5. They are wonderful guard dogs. They have a strong sense of territory and will work very hard to maintain borders and to protect their families. 

6. They are incredibly intelligent. This dog was bred to think for themselves. They have very strong problem-solving capabilities, and if left in a backyard 24/7 will find a way to entertain themselves and escape. Also, they are so smart and independent that although they pick up obedience commands very quickly, they don't always listen. Similar to cats. But on the other hand, they are super-submissive to their owners. A harsh word can bring them quivering to their bellies. In that sense, they are a soft breed that needs very positive training techniques. 

7. They are very quiet and calm inside the house. As puppies they can be destructive like any other breed, if not excercised enough, but as adults, you hardly notice they are there until they come by to check up on you. They don't even like to go on furniture. This is a common trait  with fellow Jindo owners. You invite them to sit on the sofa with you, but once you're done petting them, they prefer to be laying next to your feet.  So the upholstery stays clean. - We gave Shadow all kinds of blankets and pillows, and yet he prefers to sleep on the floor

8. They are the best independent hunting dogs. They were made to hunt their prey in difficult terrain. They will range over large territories in pursuit of game. This is part of the reason why they are known for "wandering" if not kept indoors - This is why we are okay with keeping him inside our apartment during the day when we are away at work. We make sure to walk him twice a day and play with him whenever we are home, and so far so good. 

*Thanks to The Jindo Project for the above information.

However, having a dog in Korea is not ideal. It's not ideal for any dog to be kept inside alone all day. But we are making it work. We are very lucky that so far we haven't had a problem with any barking, and so have had no complaining from our neighbours. This has been a big problem for a lot of our friends who have dogs here in Korea. And the fact that we are now 'tied' down, and can't just jet off for holidays has been something else to consider. Luckily we have a car here in Korea, so we are able to take him with us when we go away for the weekends (we usually camp and so have had no issues so far with accommodation...click here for more posts on camping in Korea).

The last hurdle we have had to deal with is the cost of taking him back with us to South Africa when we leave Korea in 2016. It costs A LOT to take a dog to SA (they have to go into quarantine, they need blood work sent back and forth to Korea and SA, the cost of the flight alone is ridiculous...we're talking thousands of $US). But, to us he is worth it, and we are simply going to make it work. We had never planned on having any pets in Korea, we knew the costs and the apartment living situation wouldn't be good for any animal, but Shadow came into our lives the night before our two year wedding anniversary. And well, he just feels right. 

So please bear with me as I flood Instagram and Facebook with images of #ShadowTheJindo. I'm sure the puppy pictures will once again make way to stationery and other pretty things, but for now I hope you can understand that with a blogger and photographer mom, he is going to be one photographed pooch!

Introducing Joie D'vivre Artisan Camera & Binocular Sling Belts {GIVEAWAY}

Today I want to introduce you to Joie D'Vivre, artisan camera and binocular slings manufactured in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Established in 2012, Joie d’ Vivre prides itself on the quality of their products, with individual attention given to each sling. Each sling is made from leather of the highest quality and the slings are finished with a protective solution to prevent everyday marks.

Being proudly South African, most of the fabrics have been carefully selected from local fabric houses and many have been sourced from offcuts, old clothing and interior items. Plain leather, Beaded and Nguni Hide options are also available

The camera slings fit a wide variety of cameras ranging from DSLRs & vintage film cameras to large Polaroid cameras. Joie d’ Vivre (meaning a strong love or enthusiasm for life in French) was established in 2012 by Courtney Jade Thatcher. A love for photography, fashion and a strong enthusiast of diversity may have inspired the brand, however a clear gap in the market is what motivated Courtney to develop the idea further into a product that can cater to almost any market within the sphere of photography. By personalizing the very tool used to represent yourself in society, we provide the opportunity to express yourself further. Young or old, conservative or liberal, celebrating the individual is the goal of Joie d’ Vivre.

Joie d'Vivre is giving away three of these beautiful straps to three lucky CityGirlSearching Readers. All you have to do is enter using the giveaway widget below. It's a very simple giveaway with very few steps. If you have any problems using the entry system please pop me a message by email or comment here on the blog.

You can gain an extra entry by sharing this giveaway on Facebook and Instagram. Just make sure to tag both @CityGirlSearching & @Joiedvivresa for Facebook shares, and @RoxyHutton & @Joiedvivrecamera for Instagram so we can track your entries.

This giveaway is only open to South African readers. Entries close at midnight on the 26th October. 

Here is a small selection of the designs that you can win:

Good luck! 

New stock in my stationery store

I've just updated my stationery store (click here to start shopping) with lots of pretty new things. I've added new notebooks, pens, gift bags and tippex tape. For my South African readers I am no longer shipping to South Africa, as the postal service in SA is just too unreliable. If you would like to place an order, I will be home in January for 3 weeks and can bring your items with me in my suitcase. If we can arrange a convenient pick up place in Jhb or Durban/Pietermaritzburg then there will be no delivery costs whatsoever. 

For the rest of my readers shipping is as usual and your package will arrive within 2 weeks (I've already had happy customers receive their goodies in Australia, Canada, China and the US!).

Happy Shopping!

The Hanji Paper Festival in Wonju

A few weekends ago we headed up to Gangwon Province in the north of Korea to see the Hanji Festival in Wonju. It was a rather far drive to make, but we were rewarded with a rather pleasant festival experience as there were very few people, unlike the rest of the festivals we have been to so far (Fall Leaves in Naejangsan and the Spring Flowers in Gwangyang). 

Hanji  literally means “the paper of Korea”. The main material is the fibrous skin of the mulberry. Hanji is not simply paper, as it is used in a variety of ways. Each different way has a different name according to its use.

"The manufacturing process of Korean paper is complicated, slow and laborious. The dry mulberry is cut after the frost has arrived and is peeled off after steaming. It is immersed in water for one day and, after being dried under sunlight, the bark is peeled off, steamed again inside an iron pot and immersed in caustic soda. The steamed bark is smashed inside a stone mortar after the water has been squeezed out. Then it is rinsed in water after being placed inside a wrapper. The washed mulberry is mixed with water and a natural adhesive. Next, the fibres are strained through a bamboo screen, which is shaken back and forth to create a crisscross pattern of fibres. The pulp is then dried by stacking it on a wooden panel and placed in the sun, completing the process." Korea Tourism

It was really interesting seeing how the paper is made, and seeing all the different ways it's used. A lot of the lanterns here in Korea are made with Hanji. The festival was over a 4 days, so even though it's over now you might want to visit next year (see info on how to get there at the end if his post).

This was also our first weekend away with our new puppy, Shadow (full post to come on him soon) and it was a rather interesting learning experience being around other people and lots of noise while carrying a new puppy. 

How to Get There:

151, Hanjigongwon-gil, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do
강원도 원주시 한지공원길 151 (무실동)

-From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus bound for Wonju.
-From Wonju Intercity Bus Terminal, take a taxi to Hanji Theme Park.
OR
Take bus 2-1 at the bus stop located across from Wonju Intercity Bus Terminal.
Get off at Youth Center (청소년수련관). Walk 10min toward Hanji Theme Park.
 

5 Tips for the Perfect Blog

Here are my top 5 tips for the perfect blog. 

I spend a lot of time devouring blogs, and these are the elements that make up my favourite sites, which you can use to help your blog stand out from the crowd.

There are so many more I'd like to include, but here are my top 5 to help you get started.

---

1. Clear and Concise Header graphic/image

I want to know what your blog is about from the moment I land on your site. If I have to dig around to find out what is is you actually blog about then I am more likely to loose interest and move on. I really like looking at blogs that are clean and free from clutter. Images and photographs are really important to me too, and so the image quality of blogs plays a huge role in my overall impression of the blog. This doesn't mean you have to have a fancy camera (click here for styling photographs from your blog using just your phone).

Try and take your own photographs and only use images from other blogs and Pinterest if you can cite the original source for the image...it's not really fair to use someone else's hard work on your blog without giving full credit (click here for more help in citing image sources). In the end it's much easier and safer to just take your own photographs for your blog. Don't worry if they don't look that great at first...practice makes perfect!

Back to the header.

-Your header could be a photograph with your tag line (a sentence that sums up what your blog is about).

-It could be your logo.

-It could be a graphic which incorporates all the things you like blogging about in an image or text form.

-Or it could be simply your blog name, and the rest of your blog could be summed up in a graphic in your side bar.

Take a moment to ask your friends or a family member the question that if they stumbled across your site, would they know what it is you blog about. If they're not sure then haul out your notebook and get brainstorming. I don't like very large headers that take up too much space on a blog, so I suggest trying to keep them their height small enough so that visitors are able to still see the first section of your latest blog post.

2. An About Page

Your readers want to know about you. They want to know who you are, where you are and what it is you do and blog about. Click here for an excellent resource on writing the perfect 'about page'. Help them feel connected to you by including a few fun and interesting facts about you.

Make sure your About Page is in an obvious place on your blog. Either in your menu bar at the top of your blog, or somewhere in your sidebar. Make it easy for your readers to find out more about you.

3. White Space

Keep your blog clean.

If you have a background image or pattern, make sure it isn't too distracting and that it doesn't take away from your blogs content. If you have a quick look at Pinterest, it's very likely that a lot of the most popular pins are products/items/rooms with a white or very light background. This helps your blog post images pop and draws your readers focus to what's really important...your content.

4. Image Size

Keep your blog image size consistent. This helps ensure your blog has a clean and well organized feel to it from the moment your readers arrive. You can use free online image re-size sites like PicMonkey or set your preferences before hand when exporting your images from Lightroom/Photoshop or Blogstomp.

It helps to know your blogs actual width (in Blogger you go to template>customize>adjust widths). Most PC computer displays are set at 1024 x 788.

My blog width is set to 1000 pixels so that my blog can be viewed on most screens without having to scroll sideways. You should be able to see the entire width of my blog on most computers and laptops. The exception is mobile devices, for which my blog automatically adjusts (mobile responsive) so that you can view the site by scrolling up and down and not having to scroll across to read the content.

My images are all formatted to be 650 pixels wide using my favourite image re size program, Blogstomp. You can also manually adjust your image sizes on your computer, but it's such a pain to do it for each photograph. As I shoot in raw, my photographs are HUGE and so Blogstomp takes care of all the heavy lifting, reducing my images from 4250 pixels wide to 650pixels. This is also important because if your readers are looking at your your blog from a slow internet connection, your pictures won't take forever to load. There's nothing worse than coming across a blog and having to wait for ages for the images to load. A lot of my readership is in South Africa, and I know just how poor the connection speed is there, and so I try to accommodate and make my pictures smaller and easier to load on their computers and mobile devices.

5. Clear Social Media Buttons

Make sure you have clear ways for your readers to follow you. This means displaying your social media links at the top of your blog, and then possibly underneath each blog post. This makes it much easier for readers to follow along and and be notified when you post something new. Make it as easy as possible for them to be able to contact you (via email or any of your social platforms).

Pin it now for later! Hover over the image below to start pinning.

---

Do you have any other tips you'd like to share? Please pop me a comment below, I love hearing from you!

Where to see the Fall Foliage in Korea this year.

Typically, mid-October into early November is the peak time to see the leaves turning here in Korea. Just as wonderful as the spring blossoms (click here) the Autumn/Fall foliage is breathtaking. For us South Africans, we just don't get sights like this back home. The trees turn of course, but it's just nothing like the sea of red and yellow that greets you here in Korea.

The four best mountains to see the Autumn colours are Naejangsan (내장산) just outside of the town of Jeongeup, Jirisan (지리산) which is close to Namwon, Seoraksan (석악산) in Gangwon Province and Gwanaksan (관악산) which is closer to Seoul. 

Last year we only made it to Naejangsan (pictured below) and this year I hope to make it to Jirisan. As with many outdoor activities here in Korea, be prepared for the crowds! We were stuck on a bus for 2 hours making our way to Naejangsan, due to the hoards of people and cars, and eventually jumped off the bus and decided to walk the 5km road from the base of the mountain to the actual main viewing. It was a logistical nightmare. But, as long as you know it's going to be chaos and you are prepared for that, you will be rewarded with stunning sights.

Seoul Iris Park

At the end of June a friend and I went off in search of the Iris Park in Seoul. I had read that the Irises usually cover the park in an array of beautiful coloured blooms from May to June. But, we had arrived too late and were only able to spot one or two flowers hidden among the rest of the greenery of Changpawon Park.

There are 130 species of Irises in the park, as well as a Medicinal Botanical Garden. The park also has a wetland in the middle of it with a wooden deck from which you can see lotuses and other aquatic plants. The par itself isn't very big, but there are lots of shady grass areas and benches to enjoy a picnic lunch on. It was well worth the visit, and I am making sure to get there next year to see all the flowers in full bloom.

The park is open from 07h00 - 20h00.

How to get there

How to get there : Dobongsan Station (Subway Line 1, 7) Exit 2.

Walk out of Exit 2 and cross the main road, walking away from the subway line. The park will be in front of you.

Source

#DiyDaysinKorea {second meetup}

A few weekends ago I organised the second #DIYDaysInKorea get together for crafty ladies here in South Korea. 

It was such a nice opportunity to spend time together, without spending a whole lot of money but while still having fun.  There was good food, delicious Pimms cocktails, laughs and a whole lot of DIYing (not too much from my end, I like to think my DIY part comes in taking the photographs!).

We even have a Pinterest board for us to share ideas and inspire one another, we're cool like that. If you're here in Korea and you'd like to join in the next time we get together (it will be sometime in November), join our Facebook group (click here), we'd love to have you!

If you would like to join our next meetup just pop on over to our Facebook group, we will be getting together sometime in November. 

Introducing...The Beauty Wolf

There are millions of beauty bloggers out there, some producing high quality reviews, and others that are just a bit sad to look it. I have developed quite an interest in graphic design lately, and when I stumbled across The Beauty Wolf's blog you'll understand why I fell in love; and why you will too.

I love finding blogs that are unique, that set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd, especially those that do so unpretentiously. These are the kind f bloggers that inspire me to blog, that inspire me to keep producing content, and to keep doing so in my own 'voice' and style.

This is what you get when you pair the already gorgeous packaging of South Korea beauty products with a keen eye for detail and design...Introducing The Beauty Wolf:

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL PUDDING AQUA SHAKING BB REVIEW

SULWHASOO CONCENTRATED GINSENG RENEWING CREAM REVIEW

SO I WROTE A THING

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL DINOPLATZ CINEMA CITY MULTI CC REVIEW

TONY MOLY MY LOVE CURE BALM REVIEW

TO COOL FOR SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL BB FOUNDATION LUNCH BOX REVIEW

ELISHA COY MILK CACAO BLACK SUGAR SCRUB REVIEW

HOLIKA HOLIKA FACE 2 CHANGE LIQUID ROLLER BB REIVEW

Coco, the wonder woman behind The Beauty Wolf, is an American born graphic designer who currently lives in Montreal, Canada with her husband and little girl. You can find her work here:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Please let me know of any other great beauty blogs that you love reading. I'm always on the lookout for new blogs to peruse!

Celebrating Two Years of Marriage #farmboyandcitygirl

Today marks Farmboy and my two year wedding anniversary. And to celebrate I'm going to go a little wedding crazy and post a whole bunch of photographs from our special day in September 2012.

We were married on Farmboys family dairy farm in Creighton, KZN South Africa in a large stone barn, and then had our reception in the cow shed. It was the most perfect day. Here are a few of my favourite photographs taken by our photographer Jacki Bruniquel. 

You can read about our wedding (including all the small details like our hand made wooden tables, stationery, sourced vintage cutlery, my hair and makeup and everything else by clicking here).  

Roasted Chickpeas {recipe}

A friend introduced me to this hearty & healthy snack a few weeks ago, and since then I have been trying to perfect my own version. Chickpeas, also called Garbanzo beans, are high in protein as well as being low GI, as a snack they keep you feeling fuller for longer, helping to keep hunger pangs at bay. They are also said to lower cholesterol, so all in all a very good addition to your diet. As with most legumes they are higher in carbs, so don't eat a whole bowl by yourself, sharing is caring!

I have only ever used chickpeas to make hummus, and even then I would cheat by using the can variety, which saves the hours of soaking that goes into the dry ones. Here in Korea it can be rather difficult getting your hands on anything that is not a staple of the Korean diet, and as far as I can tell, my Korean co workers have never heard of chickpeas. I did however find a 1kg bag of them at the Asia Mart, opposite the Jeonju Bus Terminal for W6 000. 

You need to preferably soak chickpeas overnight to soften. If you don't have time to leave them overnight, they can be boiled on the stove too. Boiling on the stove will still take about 2 hours to soften. Click here for more ways to cook them without soaking overnight. 

After soaking, discard the water (you will notice it has a brownish tinge to it) and place the beans in a large bowl. Now you add your choice of seasoning. 

To roast the chickpeas you need oil and your choice of seasoning spices. I used Grapeseed oil as we didn't have any olive oil. I then used salt & blackpepper, Ina Paarmans Chicken spice (we stocked up on Ina Paarmans and other seasonings when we came over from South Africa), Robertsons Salt & Vinegar and celery salt. Combine the oil and spices with the chickpeas, rolling them around until coated.

Then pop them on a roasting pan, and roast on a high heat for about 30 minutes. Make sure to keep checking on the oven so they don't burn. I used a sheet of tin foil to cover my baking tray to avoid the clean up that usually follows roasting.

Remove from the oven and enjoy. They are best enjoyed straight out of the oven while still warm.

Happy Friday

Source

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope you have a *sweet* day and a fun filled weekend ahead.

Tomorrow is the second #DIYDaysInKorea meet up. I'm looking forward to baking this afternoon and seeing all the wonderful ladies who are coming along to share a Saturday afternoon with creativity, good company and as always...good food. 
 

WishTrend Korean Beauty Products with Free Worldwide Shipping

WishTrend is a Korean online beauty store which stocks some of Korea's most loved products. One of my favourite items they stock is the Klairs Illuminating BB cream (you can read my full review by clicking here) which I just love and which is still a firm favourite in my foundation routine. 

WishTrend is currently offering a selection of their best products with FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING!

Now you can get your hands on some of the products that help Korean women look so young and vibrant, well into their fifties, sixties and even seventies! That was the first thing I noticed about the women here, everyone looks so young! The older ladies especially, have the most beautiful skin (a few have surgery to thank for that) but for the most part women learn to really take care of their skin from a very early age. 

Here are the products I have my eye on.

This serum claims to brighten the skin, help heal scars, remove blackheads, and tighten pores. From what I've read on other Korean beauty blogs this little brown bottle delivers on it's promises and I going to be purchasing some for myself very soon.

Click here to order.

I haven't done too much research into these eye lash curlers, but I mean really, how cute and nifty are they? The wand is heated up so that when you brush it through your lashes, each lash is curled and the heat locks the curl in place, meaning luscious long and curly lashes, for much much longer. Besides, the white and gold one just looks so fancy, it belongs in my makeup bag.

Click here to order.

You can read my full review of this BB cream by clicking here. 

This is a slightly more unusual product. A powder spot treatment by Enca. It comes in a small, travel-friendly bottle (15ml)  and a little really does go a long way with this product and so the 15ml will last you for quite a while. You apply the powder to the offending area using a cotton bud or leave overnight and let the active ingredients do their thing. Seems to work remarkable from the blogger reviews I have seen, and need to get my hands on a bottle soon. 

Click here to order.

Do any of these products sounds like something you'd like to try? Wishtrend is also throwing in extra sample sizes of the Klairs Gentle Black Sugar Scrub with all orders if you use the following code: WISHGIFTSEP2014

Happy shopping everyone!

Disclosure: Financial compensation was not received for this post. Opinions expressed here are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission should you make a purchase using one of the links.

DIY Gold Animal Fridge Magnets #DiyDaysinKorea

Welcome to the next instalment in my #DIYDaysInKorea series. These posts are about making beautiful things for your home (whether that home is in South Korea or South Africa, or any where else in the world).

If you are based here in Korea and would like to join one of my DIY days (we are having our second meetup this weekend...click here to see what went on at the last we had in June) you can pop on over to the Facebook group for more information.  It's a wonderful place to meet new friends and spend an afternoon.

I hope you enjoy this series and that you leave feeling inspired.

x

---

DIY Gold Animal Fridge Magnets

What you need

-plastic animals (I found these at my local Daiso here in Korea)

-can of spray paint (I found this gold one at my local DC Mart)

-saw/sharp knife to cut your animals in half

-heavy duty magnets (I found these small round ones at a local stationery store here in Korea)

-super glue

-drill to bore holes in the plastic (we bought our drill online through Gmarket...click here for the link))

Directions

Using your saw or sharp knife, cut your animals in half. Try to keep cutting as straight as possible to ensure your magnet will be flush against the fridge when you're done.

Use a drill bit that is the same or a similar size to your magents. This is where I would suggest round magnets as then inserting the magnets is much easier if the hole is the same shape.

Then spray paint your animals in your desired colour. I found gold spray paint the the local DC Mart here in my small town in Korea. Leave to dry overnight.

Finally super glue your magnets into the back of your animals and leave to dry.

Here are some photographs of my magnets on the fridge. They are the perfect thing for holding up snail mail packges from friends (like this one from Nadia) and of course my favourite free monthly printable calendar from HappinessIs.

Introducing Innisfree, my new favourite Korean Skincare & Makeup brand

Lately I have been spending more and more time wondering down the aisles of Innisfree, one of Korea's most loved skincare and makeup brands. Innisfree  is known for being South Korea's first all-natural brand, and is one  of the few Korean brands that use organic ingredients certified by France's ECOCERT organization. 

I have just found them on Instagram, and wanted to share their beautiful feed with you. You can follow along here @innisfreeofficial. 

A friend and I spent a rather unhealthy amount of time (and money!) at Innisfree yesterday, and I can't wait to share my reviews of these new products with you.

Here Is what I picked up this weekend: 

Have you tried anything from Innsifree? Any recommendations on products your love? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

Stationery Store Special

I've got an exciting special coming up on all items in my stationery store!

The offer will only be available to my blog subscribers so make sure you sign up by clicking here, you don't want to miss out on this one!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Jeju Island over the Chuseok holiday

This past weekend was a wonderful 5 days for those of us teaching English here in Korea. It was the Korean Thanksgiving, Chuseok, a time when Korean families get together to celebrate. Many Korean people visit their ancestral home towns, escaping the big cities to spend time with grandparents and other family members.

Farmboy and I headed off to Jeju Island with two friends for 4 days of camping and exploring. It was our second time on the island (we visited Jeju back in 2010 when my mom came to visit us here when we were living in Korea the first time) and it was such fun to revisit the places we explored together, and take photographs in the same spots. Back in 2010 Farmboy and I had only recently started dating so it was a special time to look back on our first holiday memories together.

These photographs were taken by Storm, my stylist and partner in crime to the styled shoots I have been doing lately. I will have my photographs up in the next few weeks once I get to editing them. Storm has a great eye, you should pop onto Instagram (@StormRossSa) and follow along in her journey here in Korea.

Malaysia Travel Guide and The Perhentian Islands

Farmboy and I visited Malaysia in August last year (2013).  You may be thinking of heading there soon (or sometime in the future) so to help you plan your trip, I have put together a travel guide for the places we visited, as well as some tips from our stay. Please keep in mind that my husband and I may travel very differently to you, and have different likes and preferences for things. I prefer the more luxurious path, while Farmboy would stay in a hammock for the entire trip if he could. So we plan accordingly, and of course, try to stick to the budget. 

Malaysia is predominantly a muslim country, this is something to keep in mind for a few reasons. Alcohol is very expensive there, and in some places forbidden. Also, try and research which national or religious holidays are happening during your trip. This may seem obvious to some people, but it was something I had never thought to research. We were there over Ramadan and were staying on the Perhentian Islands at the time. The island we were on basically shut down for the week and we could only find a handful of places to eat at. Bear that in mind when making your final bookings.

We spent 8 days in Malaysia. After landing in Kuala Lumpur, we headed straight to the Perhentian Islands by overnight bus and spent the rest of our trip there.

Perhentian Kecil

The Perhentian Islands are made up of 2 islands, Kecil & Besar. Besar is the more family friendly island, and Kecil is the livelier island made up of backpackers and part goers. We spent 5 nights on Perhentian Kecil in a range of accommodations. We weren't able to find any places to book online and so had to join the hoards of people on the first boat in who had to walk up and down the beach in search of a place to stay. We were envious of the French couple who whipped out their booking confirmation on the boat, and then proceeded to amble their way to the only fancy looking resort on the island. We were insanely jealous, as the rest us on the boat kept eyeing up the competition to see who would make it off the boat first in search of a room for the night. This is why we now try to book at least 60% of our accommodation before hand. From Kuala Lumpur you can take an overnight bus to Kuala Besut which is where you then catch a small boat to the Perhentian Islands. Once on the islands there are plenty of taxi boats that you can take to get from one island to the other for about US$15 one way if needed.

We caught an 8 hour overnight bus from Putra Station to Kuala Besut (-+US$20 pp) which stopped at the port at about 4am. We found out later that AirAsia has numerous cheap flights from KL - Khota Bharu, from there it's an hour taxi ride to the port at Khuala Besut.

From the port it's a 45 minute boat ride in a small, fiberglass boat (watch your belongings...everything gets wet!). The speedboats take you just short of the shore, from where you take a mini 'taxi' boat to the beach. It's completely unnecessary, but unavoidable as the main boat won't stop any closer to the shore. It's a cheap transfer (about US$2 a person) but still very annoying. From there it's a short wade ashore through knee-deep water with your bags (keep that in mind when packing!). When leaving the islands, there is a jetty from which you leave from, which makes things easier for the return trip.

Kecil Island is small enough to explore in one day. There are 2 main beaches, Long Beach (usually where you are dropped off by the boat) which houses all the backpackers and night life. And then Coral Bay. Coral Bay is the place to go for spectacular sunsets, slightly cheaper prices, and small private beach coves. The snorkeling is better at Coral Bay, but the swimming is better on Long Beach. It's only a 15 minute walk through the Jungle from one side to the other.

I highly recommend staying at Ewans Place (click here for his facebook page). His was the only restaurant open during Ramadan and he was so helpful in organising us a last minute room, after a few pleads and batting of eyelids. The rooms are simple, but clean and more than adequate. Nothing fancy, but they are situated in the middle of the island, away from all the noise of Long Beach. 

While both Kecil & Besut Island share the same diving sites, the dive operations on Perhentian Kecil are slightly cheaper than those on Perhentian Besar. Daytime dives can be as cheap as US$25 each depending on the company and distance to the site; night dives cost around US$40. We don't have our diving licenses, but packed our own snorkels and goggles from Korea so we have the freedom to snorkel wherever we want to.

Khota Bharu

After our stay on the Perhentians we headed back to the mainland port of Kuala Besut and caught a taxi to the airport at Khota Bharu. We had booked flights using the AirAsia app on our iPhones (having our iPhones with us has been a life saver on many a trip, their GPS location mapping and the apps for booking hotels and flights with the click of a few buttons have made traveling so easy). There were 4 of us to share a taxi (about $20 for the hour long trip but you can haggle the price). Once we got to Khota Bharu we had some time to kill and headed to the main market in the town square. It was such an interesting experience, well worth a stop at.

A FEW TIPS

• If you're short on time, look to see if you can find cheap local flights on sites like AirAsia (this has saved us so much time and we have been able to book flights for reasonable prices). Download the AirAisa app, it's super easy to use. For Malaysia we booked our internal flights for about $120 last minute for two people from Khota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur
• When booking flights be sure of what is included in your flight booking, especially with Air Asia. We booked flights for Malaysia for really cheap, and then only after booking did we realise that we could only take carry on luggage (which was restricted to 7kg's a person, and they were super strict at the airport, weighing all our bags including my big camera bag).
• Take your smart phone with you. We didn't have data, although we were told that sim cards were readily available and pretty cheap. But we were able to jump on some free wifi in cafes. The GPS function on our iPhones was an absolute life saver, as it functions in helping you navigate, even when not connected to wifi.
• Jot down your expenses, this helps you stay on track. We took only cash for our 2 week trip and writing what we spent where helped us to stay within the budget 
• Download the Orbitz and Hotels.com apps on your phone. By booking through the app you usually can get good discounts discount and can book last minute. When we were there in 2013 there were no places on Perhentian that you could book online, but this might have changed by now.
• Visa Requirements: For South African/UK/US/Canada/New Zealand/Australia passport holders, no visa is required for 90 days. You need to have a passport that is valid for 6 months after your departure date, so if you arrive on the 1st of the month and leave on the 30th of the month, the passport should be valid for 6 months from the 30th of the month.  If you passport is not fully valid your airline may not allow you to board and the immigration authority will not permit you to land in Malaysia.
• Pack a sense of humour. You will get lost. You will fight with your husband/boy friend/friends. You will get sick at least once and you will have an amazing holiday all the same. 

Is there anything I've left of the list? Any places you'd recommend in Malaysia? Or any tips you think should be included here, pop me a comment below. 

If you have any questions about our trip feel free to leave me a comment below and I'll get back to you soon.

Happy travels!

[This is the second travel guide I have done, click here to see my guide to Vietnam]