Hello everyone!
Welcome to winter in the Southern Hemisphere and my June Favourites in 2016. Boy was this a very cold but productive month! We went to an incredible vegan dinner party in the forest, bought our wedding rings and did our best to stay warm! Shall we get cracking??
THE BEST OF JUNE:
1.) Book – ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ by Marie Kondo
In one of my previous post’s ‘Does It Bring You Joy?’ I outlined one of Marie Kondo’s methods for decluttering and thus my fascination for her and the topic began. For my birthday, Francis bought me her book and it wasn’t long before I finished it full of new ideas and minimalist inspiration! I could write all day about this book so I’ll keep it brief but let me just say it changed the way I view my living space and how I take care of my things. In particular, her chapter ‘Books To Keep: Those That Belong In The Hall Of Fame’ helped me tackle my last minimalistic ‘hurdle’ of hoarding books. You may find it strange that a book helped me declutter my book collection but I made a post Decluttering My Book Collection! outlining just how I did! Please read this book if you wish to live more simply!
2.) Website – Etsy
Okay Etsy isn’t really a monthly favourite rather than a lifelong favourite but it really helped me this month and in particular with our wedding planning so I have to credit it. First off, the store LoveStoryInvitations provided the most beautiful invitations at such a good price! Our theme is navy and white with a bohemian vibe so they came out exactly how I envisioned. The store HandMadeBloom sells fake fabric flower petals in the shapes of hearts in pretty much every colour. We bought 2, 100 piece bags from there and will use them to scatter all over the tables and keep with the colour theme. I would highly recommend using Etsy if you are getting married because not only will you save a lot of money but your wedding will be really unique and feature special handmade items.
3.) Game – Rise of the Tomb Raider
Would you believe I’ve played every Tomb Raider game ever made? Well I have! When the 11th one was released earlier this year I knew I had to get it! I began playing it late May/all of June and loved it just like I loved the others. The story is incredibly interesting but the graphics and amazing scenery is what drew me in. Lara navigates across Siberia searching for the lost city of Kitezh whilst trying to ensure her enemies don’t reach it first. There is so much to do and collect in this game that it can easily exceed 50 hours of gameplay. I would recommend getting it and playing the others whilst you’re at it! On a side-note, I play all of my games on Steam which is downloaded to my laptop and stores my games online. This allows me to be a minimalist gamer without the clutter!
4.) Accessory – Vegan Leather Backpack
Recently, I donated all of my old handbags and was given 2 vegan leather backpacks from my grandmother for my birthday. I received one in black (pictured ) and one in cream which is perfect as they are both neutral colours that will go with everything. I love how comfortable and roomy they are with plenty of space for my things. On the Groupon, they were actually advertised as vegan leather so I feel good showing off beautiful accessories like these that are also cruelty-free! I am getting so much use out of both these backpacks that I honestly think they are the perfect minimalist gifts!
5.) Home Decor – Aromatherapy Diffuser
My mum bought me this aromatherapy diffuser for my birthday and I use it several times a week! You simply fill the bowl with water, add a few drops of your favourite essential oils and watch the mist rise from the top. My diffuser comes with a function that changes the colours and turns itself off automatically. I love adding cinnamon or peppermint oil to it and breathing in the beautiful scents as it moves through our home. Definitely a gift I’ve been getting so much use out and one I highly recommend investing in!
6.) T.V Show – True Detective
As always, Francis and I are behind with shows that started a while ago but recently we were in the mood for a new one and having heard great things about True Detective, we decided to check it out. Needless to say, we were hooked pretty quickly! We are now up to Season 2 and the interesting thing about this show is that each season has completely new characters and a new story. Being a HBO show, it’s pretty full on regarding sex, drugs and violence so be prepared but the acting is incredible and the cases are gripping!
7.) ‘Start Where You Are – A Journal for Self-Exploration’ by Meera Lee-Patel
Recently I’ve resumed keeping a daily journal and it has done wonders for my soul! There are so many benefits to journaling including: reduced stress, achieving clarity, strengthening self-love, cultivating gratitude, increasing focus and more. The ‘Start Where You Are’ Journal by the incredibly talented and artistic Meera Lee-Patel is filled with inspiring quotes, mantras and journal prompts to allow you to dig deeper and further your self-exploration. I would highly recommend buying it and keeping a regular log of your thoughts, feelings and emotions. There is so much to gain from recording your life in this manner and you can track your life journey as you reflect on past entries.
8.) Memory – Best Moment of June 2016
Without a doubt, my favourite memory of June was attending my friend Jade’s vegan dinner party in the forest. Ever since the picnic we attended in May, I have spoken to the beautiful people pictured every single day in an Instagram group chat. We’ve all become so close and I consider them some of my dearest friends. Jade and her fiancè had recently moved into a new loft in the Dandenong Ranges so she threw a housewarming/vegan get-together and it was wonderful! We talked, laughed, hugged and ate the yummiest food. She now wants to make it a monthly thing so here’s to good times ahead! Lovely Jade also made a video of it! See below!
I hope you all enjoyed my June Favourites! Next month I will be doing the July 31 Day Blogging Challenge so I’ll be posting under a new topic every single day – stay tuned!
Peace & Love xoxo
Disclaimer: This post contains links to my Amazon Affiliate which helps fund my blog, I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own
It sounded like a wonderful month of June for you, Bec. Again achieving a lot of things, each of them making a positive difference in your life. I am so looking forward to decluttering my entire wardrobe and bookshelf after watching your video. The less we have, the less we worry about.
I really like the dark blue/navy and white theme for your wedding – it does bring out your personality and it is unique 🙂 Blue is actually my favourite colour, haha! Good luck with the July blogging challenge and maybe I will try to keep up. Keep being you and catch up soon x
Hi friend! June was a fun and productive month 🙂 thank you for the kind words! Let me know how you go with decluttering your possessions, it is such a freeing feeling! Oh yay blue is my favourite colour too, it always has been. That’s why I ordered Fresco in blue 😛 Looking forward to catching up! xx