Competition Time - Subscribe for a chance to WIN

We are overwhelmed and feeling loved for all the amazing feedback we have received from our lovely readers of our blog and we just want to say...

THANK YOU....and WE THINK YOU ARE GREAT!

So it's COMPETITION TIME!!

We know that all women love to be spoilt so we are hoping we can spoil you a little.
We are giving away one Nude By Nature -  Bright, Nude & Cheeky Complexion Collection Kit valued at $120! (There are 8 different beautiful products in there).

All we ask you to do is subscribe to our blog (over on the right side) and follow us on either Facebook (click HERE) or Instagram. (search Made_for_mondays) for your chance to win.

Here's how to enter (every step must be completed):

1. Subscribe to our blog (over on the right)
2. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram or both.
3. Leave a comment on the bottom of this post telling us what you love so far or what you would love to see more of.
4. And if you share our "competition pic" on Instagram it will be an extra entry for you to win.

What you can win - 8 beautiful products:
- Airbrush mineral primer
- Natural mineral cover
- Mineral bronzer
- Mineral finishing veil
- Cream blush
- Lemon sugar lip scrub
- Mineral lip gloss
- Kabuki brush

The winner will be drawn at random next Monday 07th July, 2014 and announced on the blog.

Terms & Conditions

• Competition runs from Monday 30th June - Midnight Sunday 6th July, 2014
• Prize drawn at random by randomorg.com
• Prize valued at $120 plus postage costs
• Made for Mondays will cover the costs for tracked post with Australia Post
• Winner announced via blog post and email
• Prize posted within 7 days of claiming
• Prize will be posted with tracking but we will not hold responsibility if prize is misplaced by Australia Post and cannot be claimed for cash.

Good luck.  Have a great Monday and the rest will follow.

I have a wardrobe FULL of clothes BUT NOTHING TO WEAR!

We all fall prey to the age old problem – ‘I have a wardrobe full of clothes, but nothing to wear’.

Day in, day out we jump out of the shower and head to our wardrobes with hope in our heart that today THE perfect outfit will jump out at us.....but still nothing to wear!

 

I promise you when I say this – you DO have great outfits in your wardrobe, you just need to look at your clothing in a new light.

Last week I was talking to Dan (for a change) on Skype and we decided to get into her wardrobe and have a play around.   I took a dress Dan typically wears in summer and layered it up for the winter season both casually and a dressier option which gives her THREE DIFFERENT outfits from the one dress.

 

The summer dress waiting patiently for warmer weather.

For the casual outfit I made sure to lighten the dress by using grey marl, tan leather flat ankle boots and layer the dress so it appeared to look more like a skirt.

*TIP – A crop cardi or jacket is key when layering an outfit as it finishes at the waist (the smallest part of the torso).

 

 

A casual winter look.

To dress this bad boy up so Dan can look effortlessly amazing when her hubby takes her out for dinner (hint hint if he is reading this hehe), instead of using lots of necklaces I decided to bling the dress up with the sequined jacket. The jacket on its own was a little too much with the pattern of the dress and as it is a bomber style jacket, combined with the dress it wasn't overly flattering so I put the crop black jacket over the top which not only breaks up the sequins but it brings Dan in at the sides and as a result is far more flattering.  Teamed with full tights and heels to complete the look.

*TIP – When using a piece like the sequin jacket, keep everything else simple.

 

All dressed up for a night out.

So there you are ladies, Dan now has a dress she can throw on in summer, layer up in winter and glam up for a night out. 

What dresses do you have in your wardrobe that you thought you would only wear in summer? Pull out your dresses, your winter basics and a crop jacket or cardigan and you have a look you can wear  for the cooler months.  Let us know when you try it out. :)

You can follow Flick over at Wright Style on Facebook.  Click HERE to head over.

Inspired by little people & a chocolate milkshake even the big people will love

We are both extremely blessed to have our lives full of precious little ones and it is those little people that have inspired our post today.

Also, given that there are quite a few sales on at the moment (and who can't go past a good sale) Flick put together some beautiful little outfits on a budget and Danika is sharing a healthy Chocolate milkshake recipe for fussy little eaters....which also doubles as a whole meal and is great for breakfast.

Mix knit $15, Cotton On Kids Jean $20, Pumpkin Patch beanie $18, Target boots $21

Cotton On Kids cardi $10, Target skirt $7, Cotton On Kids tights $12.95, Target shoes $10

Target currently have a SALE on.  Here are a few of my favourite pics all $10 or under.

Shirt $7, Dress $10, Vest $10, Bomber jacket $10, Skirt $10

Jeans $10, Shirt $5, Jumper $10, Chinos $10, Cardi $10, Hoodie $7

Super Speedy Chocolate Breakfast Shake

{Dan} I have just discovered Alexx Stuart online (I'm probably a bit slow).  She has some amazing recipes that I am already starting to try out and I'm loving them.  

I have a 5 year old that is a pretty good eater but when it comes to breakfast time he is super fussy.

So when I saw the Super Speedy Chocolate Breakfast Shake by Alexx Stuart this morning I thought I would give it a try.  How could I go wrong given he loves chocolate (a little too much!!). And it sure beats giving in to the sugary cereals in the supermarket.  {Take a look at Alexx's blog to compare it to a popular children's drink that has been given the green light in school canteen's which is choc full of sugar.}

The verdict was that he drunk the lot....there were a few yums and he was very full.  My husband also enjoyed it and given he is a fussy breakfast eater too I think we are on to a winner.  

Recipe

1/2 c frozen berries or 1/2 banana

1 1/2 teaspoons cacao powder

2 teaspoons raw honey (you can use organic maple syrup, rice syrup..you can gradually reduce the amount of honey etc that you use as they get used to it)

150mls of your milk of choice.  Rice milk, nut milks, or an A2 milk if you prefer full dairy

50mls coconut cream

1 whole egg

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional - I didn't add it, only because it was one more thing I had to pull out of the cupboard)

**Alexx also suggests adding 1/2 avocado and a tablespoon of coconut oil (melted) to keep you fuller for longer.  I am definitely going to try it with the avocado tomorrow.

Directions

Stick it all in a high speed blender and whizz it until blended (about 15-20 seconds).  And you are done.

Tips - Next time I will probably add a little less milk to thicken it up, although if you add the avocado this should do that.  

Check out Alexx's full recipe HERE which is such a wholesome and nutrient rich alternative to the sugary drinks available in our supermarkets.

Here's the cheeky chops drinking his shake.

Grocery Shopping has never been more fun..and guess what?? Double Denim is your new friend.

{FLICK} I have never been a huge fan of grocery shopping and if someone else in the house would offer to do it I definitely wouldn't stand in their way.

Then about 2 years ago someone informed me that Coles has a clothing label called MIX and that they were crazy affordable and great quality...............wellllllllllll I couldn't grab my shopping list, car keys and grocery bags quick enough!! Needless to say the love affair has been going strong ever since. I now work my way through the shopping list like a champion because, you see, the quicker I get the groceries out of the way the more time I have to spend on more important things, like pretty clothing.

The thing I love about MIX - yep I have to write a list!

1. The sizes range from a 6 – 18, which isn't very common these days.

2. It is so easy to mix and match.

3. They are on trend without trying too hard or compromising quality.

4. They have EVERYTHING from womens casual, basics, denim, sportswear, sleepwear and accessories then they have mens clothing, boys, girls and bubs so no one misses out.

5. If it isn't stocked at a Coles near you there is always the online option AND its free shipping if you spend over $50 (which is very easy to do).

Here are a few "items" on my "shopping" list hehe.  And happy grocery shopping to YOU!

All MIX clothing can be purchased online HERE

So, MIX have just launched a new Denim range.  The quality is great and here's something that I bet you thought you wouldn't see in your lifetime (ha ha), yep double denim is back!!!  So it's time to get confident and go for it.

They are also running a competition where you can upload yourself wearing something from their new denim range and win a $5000 shopping spree.  So Danika and I thought we would get involved and enter their competition. You can also enter HERE.

I chose 2 items that I knew would look good on Danika (and that she liked of course) and she purchased them online for a total of $54 with free postage.  We then had a bit of fun styling it up and sent her on her Saturday morning routine.

We would love, love, love for you to vote for us if you have time.  Just click HERE.

We had better mention that by no means is this a paid for or sponsored post.  It's a little gem that Flick discovered whilst complaining about her weekly grocery shop :) and we wanted to show you how easy it is to shop, purchase online, wear and not break the bank.

BRIGHT Pink lipstick - can you tell she's not used to it!

The dress and knit jumper that we purchased online.

Nope it's Chai not coffee!

Spuds and corn honesty system.

MIX - Basket Stripe Jumper $25

MIX - Denim Drawstring Dress $29

Have a great Monday and the rest of the week will follow.

A lazy weekend and chocolate for breakfast

So we have taken inspiration from the long weekend that we just enjoyed and maybe we want to prolong it a little bit longer :) so we thought we would give you a couple of delicious breakfast ideas to try this weekend or to add to your week day repertoire of breakfast's. Along with some stylish ways to laze around in your sleepwear without getting caught in your old cat nighty that you really ought to throw in the bin.

{Dan} I wanted to give you two of my favourite brekky ideas that I am loving at the moment.

One of them is chocolate mousse, but it's made with cacao, avocado and honey to sweeten it.  There are quite a few different variations of Choc avo mousse online but I like Teresa Cutters recipe from The Healthy Chef.  Then I just add in whatever else I can find.  I suggest adding some granola, or toasted buckini's (buckwheat), frozen raspberries and some coconut flakes.  Or you can add any nuts like macadamia's, hazelnuts, blueberries, the list is endless.

Chocolate Mousse 

1/4 cup of honey (or your choice of the following: 4 fresh pitted dates, rice malt syrup, organic maple syrup, stevia)

2 ripe avocadoes

1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen chopped)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste, or pods from 1 fresh vanilla bean

1/3 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder

Pinch of sea salt and cinnamon to enhance flavour

Combine all the ingredients in a good high speed, powerful blender adding the honey first, followed by the avocado, vanilla and cacao. (Dan - I just throw all mine in together and blend)

Blend for about 30 seconds until smooth and creamy

Add a splash of water or coconut water to make a lighter mousse.

Spoon in to a bowl and allow to set in the fridge.

Then once set, you can add in all your favourite things.

Banana Pancakes with Raspberry Chia Pudding

This recipe is so SUPER quick and easy, healthy and delicious.  (Providing you make the chia pudding the night before).

Raspberry Chia Pudding

1x 270ml can of Coconut cream

3 x tablespoons of chia seeds

1 x tablesooon of coconut flakes

3 x tablespoons of rice malt syrup or raw honey or organic maple syrup

50g frozen raspberries

Place raspberries in a blender to puree - for about 5-10 seconds

Place all ingredients in to a jar, pop the lid on and shake like crazy

Place in the fridge overnight for breakfast the next morning.  It only takes about 3 hours to set.

Banana Pancakes

1 banana

1 egg

Mash banana with a fork on a plate or in a bowl.  Add in the egg and mix until well blended together.

Place coconut oil in a hot frying pan, pour mixture into hot pan to make  2 pancakes (1 pancake seems to just make a big mess).

Let cook for about 1-2 minutes on one side and then flip.  Let cook for approx another 1 minute. 

Flip on to plate and top with chia pudding, frozen berries and some coconut or drizzle some honey.  Add macadamia nuts, the options are endless.

*Tip - I can't stress enough how easy this recipe is, how delicious it is and with the chia pudding it fills you up until well after lunch.

And...here are some cosy winter warmer PJ options that we love at the moment.

Top and bottoms Mix Apparel, socks Peter Alexander

Nighties (L to R) Country Road, Peter Alexander, Joules UK

Green Maxi nightie - Mix Apparel, Pink Cardi and slippers - Peter Alexander

Top - Mix Apparel, Bottoms and gown Peter Alexander

All by Mix Apparel

Enjoy your weekend and remember to subscribe to the blog in the top right hand corner.

Tips on buying boots & shoes for winter.

{Dan} So I am not really a shoe person.  I don’t have rows and rows of shoes.  To be honest, I would prefer not to wear shoes at all if I didn't have to.

I recently gave my wardrobe a much needed clean out.  And while I proclaim to not be a shoe person (I honestly am not) I had a pile of shoes that almost covered the floor of the wardrobe.  

Most of them I haven’t worn in a few years but I didn’t want to throw them out or give them away.  There were heels from my corporate days, cowboy boots that were in style about 6 years ago, sandals with broken straps, shoes that I bought coz I thought they were cool and I never wore.  Oh and wedding heels which have been worn for about a total of 2 hrs because I got married on the beach with no shoes on but thought it polite to wear shoes in the restaurant :)  (you can’t throw away your wedding heels can you?)

Anyway, I need some new shoes for winter and I thought I should check with Flick on what I should get.  Considering my now current collection consists of 2 pairs of TOMS (which I can’t live without - I suggest you check out their story here and they are great for kids too). 1 pair of ballet flats which are TOMS too and a couple of pairs of running shoes (no I don’t run either) and a pair of Havaiana’s and sandals.  That’s it!!  

I wanted practicality because that fits in my lifestyle at the moment, I don’t really have much need for a nice heel unless I go out and lets face it, that is few and far between at the moment. ha ha!!

So Flick has put together some shoe ideas for us all.  Boots and flats were mostly on my radar because I wear a lot of jeans (hmmmm that’s another whole post on it’s own) and dresses this time of year.  My issue with boots is that I never know what length to get either.  Anyway, I hope this helps you out too if you are in the market for some new winter shoes.

{Flick} So when it comes to the most flattering length of boot to purchase this winter always go for knee length. There are some beautiful mid length boots about but unless you have legs that would give Elle Macpherson a run for her money, they are only going to make your legs look short.

What you want to achieve is nice long lines, so by the boot finishing at the knee it creates a longer line and gives the illusion of longer legs!!

Knee Length helps give the illusion of longer legs compared to the mid length boots on the right. 

Boots Left: Tony Bianco $239.95 / Right: Witchery $299.95 

*STYLE NOTE – If you are wanting longevity from your boots, opt for a more classic style that wont date after a season or 2.

Patterned  flats/sneakers are EVERYWHERE this season and are the easiest way to be comfy but still say – ‘These old things, pffft just something I threw on’. The trick is to keep the rest simple. You want to look effortlessly stylish, not like you have been up since 5am, had three coffees and got dressed in the dark, running out the door ha ha.

This Country Road ensemble is the perfect example.

Available from Country Road

Left to Right: Tony Bianco $139.95, Bensimon $90.00, Hunter $135, Seed $129.95, Jo Mercer $49.95

The dressy flats are my favourite this season. For one thing they are the perfect mix of comfort, luxe and style. Team these bad boys with a pair of skinny jeans and a patterned shirt and you’ve earned yourself serious style points or step into the office wearing these with a pencil skirt, stockings and a fine knit. You really can't go wrong.

Top left – right: Billini $59.95, Witchery $129.95, Country Road $129.95, Witchery $149.95

Bottom left – right: Seed $129.95, Kobe Husk $189.95, Nude $149.95, Mel Dreamed By... $49.95

 Let us know if there is anything you want to know about shoes, boots etc for Winter or your current season.

Simple & tasty meals are the best. Happy hump day.

Flick: Don't get me wrong, my cooking has definitely improved over the years but sometimes I just down right cant be bothered!!

Take the other day for instance, I was chatting with Dan and she was telling me about this delicious orange cake she had made for school lunches, I was really interested as Im trying this new thing where I don't let my fruit and veggies go to waste.  As a result I am cooking soups, muffins and whatever else I can muster up with my ingredients.  So I was interested in hearing more about the construction of Dans orange cake.  Then she mentioned.... ‘you just put it all in the blender’.  There was me thinking it was going to be some all day baking extravaganza.

We used to live together in Sydney and Dan would come home from work with her grocery bag of fresh fish and produce with the intent of making some yummy Thai dish of Salmon and crunchy apple salad and there was me standing there with my delicious combination of 3 ingredients....brussel sprouts, a can of tuna and soy sauce! (Dan: Gag!!) :)  Clearly, I like to keep it simple, but I am slowly evolving in to simple dishes that taste great.  So Dan has promised me this with our blog, simple, quick and all kinds of tasty. 

Dan: I used to love to cook, even entertain.  I loved planning and putting on dinner parties, loved going to dinner parties.  We even had a weekly cook up with our neighbours that meant a 3 course meal of something that we had never cooked before.  The meal plans were researched, thought out, involved and always so much fun.  Fast forward about 10 years and cooking dinner is mostly a chore.  However, I still like to sit down to a tasty meal and who doesn't love a dinner compliment from the husband and the culinary 5 year old!

So now I like to keep it tasty, try and keep it simple (with a relatively new bub) and for me at the moment I am trying to limit my carbs.  For no other reason than while I was pregnant I ate a lot of carbs.  So the meals you will see from me will most likely be low carb, healthy, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free (but not always).  Don't get me wrong, I still love all things decadent but just in moderation. :) I am also a sucker for a recipe, so I am not going to try and reinvent the wheel when there are so many amazing home cooks already creating such wonderful dishes so I will most likely share from them.

So keeping with the theme of being on the run this week and time being a huge factor I thought I would share this one with you.  I recently got given Luke & Scott's (from My Kitchen Rules) Clean Living cookbook.  I love it and I strongly recommend you go and buy it if you are interesting in a paleo diet with lots of fresh meals.  I also have been getting a lot of kale in my weekly delivered veggie box and I have been making a kale pesto that I found over at Donna Hay.  So I have used inspiration from one of Luke & Scott's dishes and mixed it with Donna Hays Kale Pesto and added a bunch of basil to the pesto for a fuller flavour.

Poached Tasmanian Salmon with Kale Pesto Zoodles

Donna Hays Kale Pesto

250g kale, stalks removed
¼ cup (40g) pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup (40g) finely grated pecorino, plus extra, to serve
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Cook the kale in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1 minute or until just wilted. Remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in cold water. Pat dry on absorbent paper. Place the kale, pine nuts, garlic, pecorino, lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small food processor and process until roughly chopped. Set aside.

Zoodles and Poached Salmon

4-5 large zucchini
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
Sea salt to taste
400g salmon fillets, skinless and bones removed.

If you don't have a vegetable noodle machine to make your zucchini noodles or zoodles (I don't) then you can peel it thinly with a potato peeler and then slice long ways very thinly to create your noodles.

Place the zoodles in salted boiling water and wait for the water to return to the boil and drain and rinse.  Place in a large bowl ready for the rest of the ingredients.

Place the Salmon fillets in a pot of already boiled water.  Place the lid on to keep the heat inside.  Remove the fish after 7 minutes depending on how well you want your fish done.

Drain the fish and flake it apart with a fork or fingers.

Place the kale pesto on the zoodles and toss through being careful not to crush up the zoodles (or they will become mushy)

Add the fish and toasted pine nuts.  Salt and pepper to taste.

And there you go.  Super healthy, tasty and quick.

Tips: 1. I add a bunch of basil to the kale pesto and blend with the kale, I just prefer the stronger flavour.  2. I try to buy Australian fish where I can, from Coles you will usually find Tasmanian Salmon. 3. You do not have to use zucchini noodles at all.  You can skip this step all together and use spaghetti or any other pasta that you prefer.

I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for the hair trick Flick!

Is it too early for Monday morning rhymes? :)

To kick off the week, we both had a chat and thought about what is it that seems to be missing in our lives and most peoples lives these days and it always seems to be time.  So we thought we would give you a few things that can help with your week and save you some time.  First up is a quick and simple hair style that looks great and is very easy to do.  

Flick: I don't know how many times I have looked in the mirror after sitting in the salon for 2 hours and loved my new do ‘Can you come and live with me?’ is usually the response I give when asked if I like it!

But then I get home and on with everyday life and I don’t know about anyone else but in my everyday life I don't usually have 2 hours to spend on my hair every morning and my hairdresser has politely declined the offer for food and board.

Here is a quick, easy and super stylish hair style that can be easily changed up with different accessories and finishes (sleek, volume, textured).

Step 1 – Pop hair back in a low ponytail.

Step 2 – Twist your hair around in your hand.

Step 3 – Once hair is twisted, wrap it around hairband and then secure in place with bobby

pins

You can add your own touch with accessories such as flowers, pins or a silk scarf.

Dan: I know for me, trying to do the school run, sort out a new baby and try and fit some exercise in at the beginning of the week starts my week off at full speed.  I usually race home from pilates early in the morning, feed those that are hungry, jump in the shower, slap on some make up, get dressed and then gather my wet hair up in my hands and throw a band around it (yep no comb)…sometimes it just “works” but most of the time it looks like a dogs breakfast..ha ha!! 

Since Flick sent me this hairstyle last week I have been doing it nearly every day and it is super easy.  I have to say when it comes to putting up my hair and styling it nicely I am quite challenged.  (I grew up with a mum as a hairdresser and she did my hair every day..such a good mum).  I have worn this style low, to the side and right up high over the past week.  Just be careful that you don’t pop it in the middle of the back of your head as it looks a little “mumsy”..a mistake I made on day one. :)

So rather than just pop your hair into a ponytail tomorrow, give this one a go, we would love to know how you went with it and if you felt a little more ‘special’ when you were out and about, come on, be honest, you checked yourself out in the mirror a few times didn’t you. :) 

Have a great Monday and the rest of the week will follow.