Last minute inspiration: Lindt Christmas Chocolate Teddy Bear

Can we talk for a sec? We can?! Marvelous. I know how stressful the week before Christmas is. The boss is chasing you to wrap up those last minute projects even though you have mentally checked out already, the shops are a nightmare, the house is covered in glitter, the post office lost your etsy order, and you could really do with an extra nights sleep. You’re also living in a constant cycle of sugar high-sugar crash, lather rinse repeat, from the endless supply of festive sweets. Sadly, this post won’t help with that last problem.

If you’re like me and you hang out for Easter because it means Turkish Delight eggs and Lindt bunnies, then you’re gonna love this. I can’t help with the Turkish Delight eggs, but Lindt are doing a Christmas Teddy Bearthis year and it’s just like the bunny but cuter. He’s a handsome gold bear with a red bow and a red heart tied around his neck – so dashing (and delicious). In added-bonus news, I spotted him on sale in Target on the weekend for $5 (normally $5.49). That’s not many gold coins for 100g of beautiful, creamy Lindt milk chocolate. Grab one to go in every stocking next weekend. I did. Everyone gets a bear! You get a bear! And you get a bear! And you get a beaaaar!

If you want a bit of a variety with your chocolate bears (it is the spice of life, after all) Lindt have also produced a mini set of 5 baby bears, a little block of mini bars that have interchangeable heads and bottoms to keep you amused while you eat (they kinda remind me of those old Cadbury Furry Friends, but way better) and then a set of baby bears that are like kinder chocolate – milk on the outside and filled with creamy white goodness.

Eats – Sokyo at The Darling (which is at The Star)

A few weeks ago I was privileged enough to be invited to tour the new spa, aptly named The Spa, at The Darling, the new hotel complex at The Star (the old Star City…confused yet?) Hooley dooley that is one amazeballs spa, but I’ll tell you about that some other time. We also got invited down to Sokyo for some tasty noms, and Sokyo has now gone to the top of my ‘seriously, when you’re in Sydney you must eat here’ list.

The entrance

The idea of the Sokyo Dining Room is that you tell your server your budget and any dietary restrictions and they create a personalised tasting menu so that you get to experience all that ex-Nobu chef Chase Kojima has to offer (who, fyi, is only a year older than me – seriously feeling like an underachiever right now). In reality I didn’t eat in the Sokyo Dining Room, rather I ate at Sokyo Lounge, the slightly more casual but no less mind-blowing entree to the main meal. The lounge is cruisey and chilled, with a huge bar down the middle, quirky blythe doll artwork on the walls and ceiling, and an impressive cocktail menu. They also serve ‘bar food’ off the main menu, and I was in Japanese food heaven – spicy tuna mini rolls, ocean trout nigiri, lamb in maple miso, sashimi, green tea ice cream with red bean paste, oh my!

Green Tea Ice Cream with Red Bean Paste and Crunchy Puffed Rice

I didn’t sample the cocktail menu on my visit (it was the middle of the work day) but I did enjoy a Karate Kid from the mocktail menu – watermelon, pineapple, agave, tonic, and a cucumber slice. Possibly the most refreshing summer drink ever, and one I will be attempting to recreate for upcoming Christmas parties. The mocktails were $9, and the regular cocktails run around the $18 mark – fairly standard fare for a nice Sydney establishment.

Karate Kid Mocktail

Will I be visiting again? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes. Did I spend a lot of time admiring the perfect red lipstick of all the cocktail waitresses? Yes. If Sokyo wasn’t a 10/10 before, the perfect red pouts put me over the edge.

Blythe doll artwork on the walls

Sokyo is at street level, so you can watch passing foot traffic from the lounges

Disclaimer: Stuff That I Bought was a guest of Sokyo – for more details, see our disclosure policy

…About the leopard print shorts…

Funny story about the leopard print shorts…

I was going to the gym a couple of weeks ago to see my trainer and have our weekly session. I had errands to run first so I was packing my gym bag (in a hurry, because I was running late as usual) and as I was about to leave I spotted my t-shirt on the bed. ‘Oops’ I thought, ‘don’t wanna forget that! Lucky save’. Smug pat on back for not forgetting shirt. Well done, me.

Cut to me in the gym getting dressed and I don’t have pants.
(more…)

Aveeno Ultra-Calming – for irritated skin

A post by Shay

I have pretty horrible skin, you know. On my body and on my face. Besides the whole oily-combination thing, I have lived with this condition called eczema for my entire life. If you don’t have it you may not know that it’s a form of hereditary, allergy-sensitive dermatitis. In a nutshell that means my skin goes whacky and develops some pretty awful rashes over certain things in the environment that set me off.

In my particular case, this is JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

Dry air, moist air, hot weather, cold weather, dust mites, animal hair, dust particles, pollen, grass – I could seriously go on forever.

Unfortunately in recent years the eczema has spread to parts of my face, and it’s something I have really struggled with treating.

But don’t despair, this is a good news story people! There is a happy ending!

I’m very happy to let you know that Aveeno Active Naturals have come to my rescue and saved me from itchy, blotchy and irritated skin with their Ultra-Calming range.
(more…)