Spring Sunday in Akaroa

It's finally starting to feel like spring! Last weekend, in particular, was lovely and warm. We decided to take advantage of the weather and made last minute plans to go to Akaroa. Akaroa's about an hours drive from Christchurch. It is a very popular tourist destination due to it's French atmosphere, beautiful views, and dolphin attractions.
I've only been to Akaroa twice before this, and only really stayed long enough to eat some fish and chips for lunch and do a little bit of swimming. But because we have our student with us we decided to splurge a little bit and do a few more tourist-y things.

We started out walking through the town, checking out places to eat and admiring the harbour. It was fish and chips that we settled on for lunch.

 After lunch we drove up one of the hills to get a better view of the town.

Later that afternoon, we booked a 2 hour cruise around the harbor with the promise of seeing some Hecters dolphins. I had thought this would be quite slow (in other words boring) until we spotted some dolphins, but I was very wrong. The whole trip was extremely beautiful and interesting, I would definitely recommend this to someone from out of town!

Almost immediately after we moved further out of the harbor a pair of dolphins came right up to the boat. We were very lucky to be right at the front, so we had the best view. Over the course of about 15 minutes 4 or 5 dolphins approached the boat. They were much smaller than I thought, as Hecters dolphins are the smallest in the world. 

This was the only photo I got of them, and its very second rate.

The rest of the cruise was less eventful, my family and I used this time to go through the many photos we had taken.

Once we arrived back in Akaroa we rushed of to the Giant's House, another famous Akaroa attraction. The gardens there are filled with amazing sculptures and mosaics. (The photos from The Giant's House are taken by my Dad)

I was pleasantly surprised with this trip, and think it's definitely worth while to come and visit. One thing I will say, though, is due to the towns small size Akaroa is more of a day/weekend trip.

I'm now preparing for a trip to Queenstown next weekend, which will be very jam packed. If you have any good recommendations for things to do down south let me know!

Amesmames xx

Hanmer + Kaikoura

Hanmer Springs is one of my favourite places. It has happy, almost christmas-y vibes, and amazing views from everywhere in the town. I take every opportunity I can to head up there, whether its just going to the pools for a day, or staying for the weekend. We wanted to show our exchange student some more of New Zealand, so we skipped a few days of school, last week and stayed at a holiday home in Hanmer Springs Village for the weekend. (These photos are a collection from my whole family - some are taken of phones, some on cameras)

We arrived Thursday evening, settled in to our little chalet, and started making plans for the following day. I'm naturally an early riser, so I woke up in time to see the sunrise and take some snaps of the surroundings.

Expecting rain in the afternoon we tried to fit in as much as possible in the morning, starting with a walk up conical hill.

We made it to the top despite the very muddy track, and were rewarded with amazing views of the town and snowy mountains. The weather was far better than we imagined, lovely and warm.

I, as per usual, made everyone take photos of me.

The rest of the day was spent exploring town and at the pools. Because we were showing our student around we got to do a lot of tourist activities we would normally skip like mini golf and limo cruiser rides. I didn't take many photos for the rest of the trip as I started to feel quite sick and decided to relax.

The next day we packed up and headed to Kaikoura. I have driven through Kaikoura on my way to Marlborough Sounds, but have never stayed, so the only thing I knew about Kaikoura is that you can go whale watching (which is on my bucket list). I had no idea it was so beautiful. The snow-capped mountains and rocky beaches were absolutely stunning, along with the Kaikoura Peninsula, which we explored for a few hours that afternoon.

The weather turned just as we were heading back to the car, so we spent the rest of the evening in the motel room and I had an early night, still feeling quite sick.

The next morning was fairly slow, we were in no rush to head back. Breakfast was at the Beach House Cafe, which was a bit of a treat for our last day. We had a lot of stops on the drive home due to the road works, and spent a lot of time enjoying the stone beaches.

The trip couldn't have come at a better time, I normally feel quite stressed and unmotivated at this time of year, stuck in a winter slump. But I've come back refreshed and ready for my exam study. Luckily for me we have a few more trips planned while we still have our student, so there's no chance of me becoming completely overwhelmed!

Amesmames xx

Popflex Activewear

Popflex is an active wear brand created by youtube, pilates instructor Cassey Ho, also known as Blogilates. I've been following Cassey on social media ever since I first got into pop pilates two years ago. I'm obsessed with the positive attitude and message she spreads.
Cassey came out with her first range in popflex in January last year and since then has had two more releases. They are all stunningly beautiful and creative.

I was lucky enough to win a $100 voucher for the online popflex store on an instagram giveaway, and went on a mini spree. I only bought 3 items, and so far am impressed with the beauty and quality.

I went in with a game plan, one bra, one pair of leggings, and one top. I didn't quite stick to it, swapping a top for shorts, but I am very proud of myself for not spending any extra money. The wishing star capri's were a must for me. As soon as I saw the sheer paneling and criss-cross pattern around the calf I was a goner. I decided to be brave and go for the dark bloom pattern instead my preferred plain black, which I do not regret. The pattern is gorgeous, but I expected nothing less from Cassey Ho. I had a little bit of trouble ordering these leggings. When they first arrived they were too small and I had to send them all the way back to America to exchange for a bigger size. The fit of the next size up was far better. The quality of these leggings is insane; they are incredibly stretchy and slimming, the fabric doesn't go sheer when stretched, and the material is super soft. The only down side for me is they tend to slip down when doing more intense activities. They work very well for pilates.

Once again I was a little bit brave, purchasing the fly away run shorts in the dark bloom pattern. These are also beautiful. The fabric layers sheer, and opaque in a butterfly wing-like style. On the website they recommend wearing booty shorts underneath, which I think is definitely necessary as the shorts are very loose.

Last, but definitely not least, the set the bar bra in night. This is my favourite item out of the three. One thing Cassey stressed was how hard her team had worked to produce the bra cups for all her sports bras. I wasn't confident that the bra would be as good as she said. When I put the bra on, though, I nearly cried. The support of this bra is AMAZING! No matter what crazy moves I do my boobs are kept in place, barely bouncing at all. I am a very happy customer. If you would like to see the bra in action check out my Instagram.

I am pretty stoked with the quality and beauty of each of these items. I'm already planning my next wee haul. I'd love to know what you think of the popflex activewear if you've tried any.

Amesmames xx

The Liebster Award

One of my favourite teen bloggers, Peyton, who I met over Instagram has nominated me for the Liebster award.  Peyton is a lifestyle blogger from America who writes about life with a chronic illness. Reading her blog, Patience and Pajamas has made me a lot more aware of issues I had never considered before. Check out Peyton's blog and instagram, and give her some love!

The Liebster award is a tag made by bloggers which gives bloggers the opportunity to share about yourself, and introduce readers to some other very cool bloggers! First I'll share 11 facts about me, then I'll answer 11 questions from Peyton, and then I'll leave 11 questions for anyone else who wants to do the Liebster award. (I'm doing 11 of everything because that is what Peyton did, I'm sure you could do more or less if you wanted)

11 facts about me:

1. I have five siblings, one brother and four sisters

2. I'm a major home body, and plan to never move out of Christchurch

3. I cried watching Finding Dory

4. I am the only redhead in my family, everyone else has brown hair.

5. When I was 14 I only dreamed in cartoon

6. I've never been further out of New Zealand than Australia

7. If I could have any superpower, I would fly

8. I've never broken a bone

9. I play the piano, and the flute

10. I love planning, and am already planning my birthday party... for April next year

11. I'm scared of needles

11 questions from Peyton:

1. Where were you when you decided to start your blog?

This was a while ago, so I'm not actually 100% sure. I think I was at home, but I had been considering starting a blog for a long time before that.

2. What is one thing you wish you could say to every reader who lands on your site?

You will never find satisfaction in material things

3. If you could instantly become fluent in any language, which language would you choose?

I think I would choose either French or Italian. I've been learning French for almost 4 years, and am going on an exchange trip to Geneva, Switzerland at the end of this year, so being fluent would be incredibly helpful.

If I didn't choose French I would choose Italian because I think it's a beautiful language and I love European languages.

4. Picture your dream home: is it big or small?

My dream home is reasonably big because I want to have a big family

5. If you could only access one of the following for the rest of your life which would you choose: Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter?

Definitely Instagram! I live on Instagram.

6. Stripes or polka dots?

I'm a stripes kinda gal for sure

7. Who is your biggest inspiration?

I don't think I have just one, in terms of life I aspire to be like Christ, but my blog goals is Morgan of Morgan Alice Beauty . She is simply the cutest!

8. What is your favourite movie of all time?

This is going to make me sound like such a little kid, but my favourite movie is Rio.

9. What are your feelings on rain? Dislike? Indifference? 

I love I'm tucked up in bed or cosy in the lounge and it is pouring with rain outside. When the rain is very heavy it makes me feel comfortable and happy. But I hate the wet smell just before it rains, I have never liked it.

10. Do you follow professional sports? Which is your favourite?

I'm not a big sport person, but I do enjoy watching the Rugby with my Dad.

11. What is your favourite dessert?

Cheesecake, it's my guilty pleasure and biggest weakness when it comes to my sugar-free diet.

11 Questions for Nominees:

1. Why did you start your blog?

2. Have ever wanted to shut your blog down, and why?

3. Where is your dream holiday destination?

4. Sunrise or Sunset?

5. What is your biggest pet peeve?

6. Who is your Instagram goals?

7. What is your biggest regret?

8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

9. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

10.  What is one thing you could never live without?

11. What is your favourite lolly?

I'm nominating anyone who wants to do the Liebster award! I think it's a really cool tag, and so I'm leaving it with you.
If you do decide to accept the Leibster Award be sure to:
1. Explain what the award is
2. Share 11 facts about yourself
3. Answer 11 questions from whoever nominated you (me)
4. Leave 11 questions for those you nominate
5. Nominate your favourite bloggers!

Amesmames xx

A Day at Sumner Beach

Sumner is one of my favourite places in Christchurch, I love the cheerful atmosphere. I'm always nagging my family to go on a walk at Sumner in the evenings. Being the planner that I am, I had organised everything and been looking forward to going for the past couple of days.

 I generally only go in summer, on mild nights, and it's normally packed! Because of the freezing temperatures and the high tide it was much less busy than I'm used to which was really nice.

  Me and my sisters wandered down the beach and headed to the fish and chip store when I spotted this cute, pink building and made everybody stop....

... And made them take photos of me.

 We then headed back down to the beach to eat our chips. It was short lived, as we were swarmed by seagulls and had to run a hide behind a rock.

Little trips like this are such mood boosters. It's so calm and peaceful, I found myself totally relaxed, which is incredibly rare for me. I found the week going so much faster when I had something to look forward to.

Outfit Details:
Pom Pom Beanie - Cotton On (similar style here)
Peplum Top - Glassons (similar style here)
Skinny Jeans - Cotton On
Shoulder Bag - Laura Jones

Amesmames xx

Winter Walks

 Last Monday was one of the nicest days we've had in a long time, it was so lovely and warm. So I did what any teenage girl would do, I dragged my brother out for a walk - which turned into more of a photo shoot. He wasn't impressed, but I couldn't let the chance pass me by!

It is winter now, my least favourite time of year. As much as I love cozy days wrapped up in blankets watching tv and playing board games, the reality of winter for me is stressful projects, tests, long and slow days at school, and a general lack of motivation. The truth is I've been very lazy and, I wouldn't say depressed, but low and lonely. I've been saying I'm too busy to do housework and homework, and then just going on my phone in all my spare time. So I'm making a huge effort to nip it in the bud, by doing little things like going on walks, face timing friends, and getting off technology more often.

Although I'm doing a lot better attitude wise, I'm still counting down the days until the school holidays. Two weeks and four days to go! I'm keeping myself going by planning holiday activities and blog posts. If anyone has any cheap ideas for Christchurch in winter I'm all ears!

Outfit Details:
Rib Knit Sweater - $70, H&M
Boyfriend Jeans - $50, Cotton on
Black Ankle Boots - $80, Number One Shoes
Ring - $30, Ore Jewellery
Leather Jacket - Glassons

Amesmames xx