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smile

I find I sing better after a long day of laughterI'm more determined when my goals are not something I chase afterI'm kinder to others when I'm kinder to myselfnot kind as being selfish kind like taking care of my health I find little things that lighten up my world like flowers by a footpath or when my hair is nicely curledlike watered plantsand pretty art and genuine smiles on facesthe joy I have when going with my family and seeing new places not everyday like this I've now come to seesometim...

remind me

Driving through my childhood streetIt looks different when you're on the brink of 18 It seems like each corner just endlessly  Reminds me of who I used to be  Free  Can you remind me of who I'm supposed to be be  Over thinking to pass the timeTry on every mask shelved in my mindMaybe I'll findThe fun that I left behind  Our laughter flows through the windowTheir voices always felt like homeMy family We sing to the rhythm I had everything I need under the s...

morning motivations

The sun that cracks through my curtains each morning. The way it forms little rainbows across my bedroom walls. Snuggles with my cat. A warm and playful welcome into a new day as the smell of coffee brews in the kitchen.Opening a novel. As I read and turn the earthy scented pages, I fill my mind with knowledge and breathe in a sense of accomplishment before my day has really begun.Morning selfcare. I wash my face with a warm flannel, the steam cleansing my skin as I get dressed and smile at...

Finding my Fairy Tale ending

It's hard when you’re at school. Surrounded by some of the things you are trying to run away from. Trying time and time again to be better. To be the person you want to be. The person you know you should be, but constantly failing and not only letting yourself down, but the people who care about you.The fact that you keep breaking your own rules and morals, the less it affects you. Already knowing that the consequences of your decisions are inevitable. So starting from today. I will no lo...

Trapped in my own skin

So often I find myself letting everything around me influence my decisions; Instagram ‘Influencers’, lame tik tok trends, random celebrities I obese over for one minute who I think will one day fall in love with me. I tend to let things and people who aren’t even in my life affect the way my life will turn out. In real life situations I find myself allowing the actions of the people around me sway my decisions, despite the effect it could have on my health and family relationships. Co...

Apple crumble

🕒 Cook time: 30 minutes📝 Prepare time: 10 minutesINGREDIENTS:3-4 apples (peeled and cubed)100 gram of butter (melted)1/2 cup of flour1 /2 cup of rolled oats1/4 cup of brown sugar1 tsp of nutmeg, cinnamon or mixed spice...

Just an NZ teen trying to stay afloat

The world is changing so quickly in our present time. Evolving and moving at every minute. But what does this look like for an nz teen trying to stay a float?During quarantine I started noticing and observing things I didn’t before. How many hours I can spend watching YouTube, how many times I say the word ‘umm’ in a sentence, and how being stuck in my house can cause an unusual feeling of loneliness.  Some days I woke up feeling on top of the world. Filled with the motivation and dri...

The art of practicing gratitude

Practicing gratitude is a very powerful way of bringing positivity and goodness into your life, yet not many people have heard of it.So, what is gratitude, how do you practice it, and why is it important? For me it can simply be about being consciously being grateful for all the things that surround me, which could be people, items or places. Being appreciative of all the things my family and friends do for me. Being thankful to have everyday basic necessities, like food, water, shelte...

Being resilient while drowning in social media

Resilience, surely you have heard the word before? But what does it really mean for you?Staying strong and persevering through tough times can be hard. As teens we can let little things easily get to us and let it stop us from doing the things we want to do. Take social media for example. It can be an amazing platform to get yourself out there and express your true self. A place to be inspired and motivated to become the person you’ve always wanted to be. But it can also be physically and...

Easy orange coco bliss balls

🕒 Total time: 10mins + 30mins soak timeMakes approx. 10-12 ballsINGREDIENTS:10 dates1 cup ground almonds1/2 cup desiccated coconut, plus extra for rolling1 Tbsp cocoa powder1 Tbsp orange rind1 Tbsp orange juice...

What are your 2020 intentions?

As this year is quickly coming to an end and 2020 is right around the corner, we start thinking about creating clear goals for the new year. We often get blocked here, not knowing how to start and make the first step. Some prompts I like to use when creating my goals are: What do I want and what makes me happy?What do I do already that makes me happy?Why do they make me happy?What are some new things I want to try?How can I set out of my comfort zone?Would adding these things into my life affect...

I am who I am regardless, right?

I hang out with a group of people at lunch. A group I don’t usually hang out with. They give me the vibe that they want me there, but they also make me feel like I don’t belong. Other people make me feel like this too, so what is different about them. Is it the causal racist jokes or maybe the muffled laughter from the corner. Whatever, it’s nothing, right?They’re all so different from me, should I change who I am to please them? Yes. Smile, keep your head up, laugh when they do and...

Honey, lemon & ginger tea

What's your go-to drink when you're feeling under the weather?  I like to make myself a cup of hot lemon, honey and ginger drink, and curl up in bed.A super simple, and ridiculously easy drink to whip up, which tastes just as good when it’s cooled down (for those of you who don’t like hot drinks).INGREDIENTS: 1 Fresh Ginger Root1 Cinnamon Stick2-4 Whole Cloves½ Fresh Lemon1 tsp Honey...

The time to make change is now

We sit at home on the couch, flick on the news and see frightening images of our plastic polluted oceans, shocking new research on climate change and countries in desperate need of aid workers, food and water. We sit and watch horrified, but what do we do about it?New Zealand is known to be a clean green country and is ranked the 2nd most peaceful country on Earth this year. These are amazing achievements and something our country should be proud of. It shows the good we are capable of if we wor...

The creative life outside of the internet

The internet. A place where it is said that we spend more than 27% of our year on. Chatting in instagram group chats, binge watching your favourite tv series, and scrolling through your Facebook feed. But was is the point?  In July, I was given the opportunity to spend 5 weeks with 39 other girls on the picturesque Great Barrier Island. One challenge we had on the island was living the entirety of the experience without the internet or devices. Before leaving it sounded like it would be har...

Scones

🕒 Cook time: 10 minutes📝 Prepare time: 10 minutesMakes around 12 sconesINGREDIENTS:3 cups plain flour6 tsp baking powderPinch of salt50g butter, softened1 1/4 cup milkAdd 1/2 cup of sultanas/dates/cheese to flour, if you want...

Who am I?

People can struggle with identity for their whole lives. Trying to figure out why we were born the way we were, or what that even means. Some people turn to family and blood to learn about culture, whakapapa, their roots. Others look in the mirror, to what's in front of them and wonder why they look the way they do. They question the color of their skin, the size of their body or their sense of style. And some identify with their community. They surround themselves with people they can relate wi...

Finding your serenity with self-care

Being a teen can be stressful. Having to keep on top of your endless piles of homework, finding the time to study for extra curricular activities and still trying to maintain healthy mental well-being. Going into high school and teenage life, we develop overwhelming thoughts of self doubt and anxiety, and the levels of stress only developed and worsen as time goes on, especially when many teens haven't set up healthy well-being patterns or routines. I was lucky enough to have been introduce...

They're all around us

Since the recent events in our nation, I have been contemplating what it means to be a good leader. People paint a leader to be someone strong, assertive and domineering, and I'm sure you've all read the quotes about bossy girls having leadership skills, but really game changers are hiding all around us. To me a leader is someone who is inclusive and fair to others. Someone who is confident in themselves and what they believe. Someone who can be a helping hand and is willing to put others before...

Kiwi summer

Ahh. It’s that time of the year again. The time when the hot sun is leaving us and the nights are getting colder. No more times for windy beaches and ice cream sticky fingers. Now that school has begun, I have been looking back on what a summer it has been. Looking back to those good days and thinking, How do I keep the summer vibes and wellness alive? How when it is freezing outside, what can I do to live in all that joy all year round?  I have found that after the holidays, I get into t...

Simple fried rice

🕒 Cook time: 20 minutes📝 Prepare time: 10 minutesINGREDIENTS:1 cup rice2 Tablespoon oil1  onion, chopped1  carrot, diced2 celery stalkers, diced2 eggs, beaten½ cup of peas, defrostedSoy sauce...