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Fundraiser for the Sarah Gapp Cause.
This world record attempt is aimed to raise $30,000 for a young victim of severe stroke.

This is a highly worthy event and we will be attending! I hope as many of you as possible can make it down, take part in a fun pilates class, help break a world record and raise money to help Sarah on her recovery! x

Sarah before and after her tragic stroke.

Brisbane Law Student, Sarah Gapp, had a severe stroke in her brainstem only weeks after her 21st birthday. She had to have 60% of her cerebellum removed and was left with a condition called Locked in Syndrome, a tragic condition that leaves her perfectly aware mind unable to communicate with her body.

Only 1 in 100,000 people ever come out of locked in syndrome. Sarah’s will and determination has seen her defy the odds and regain some speech and movement.
With little support from the medical system Sarah desperately needs funds to learn to swallow and to walk, two things we take for granted every day.

Help LIVe Pilates raise $30,000 for Sarah by joining us from 9am-12pm to break the largest pilates class world record on the 23rd October. Be part of a community bringing hope to a true Aussie battler.
100% of funds raised go to helping Sarah.

Former Perth Lord Mayor and current Perth Councillor Candidate, Chas Hopkins, supports the Sarah Gapp Cause and community fitness. Mr Hopkins will be officially opening the event and will present the Perth community’s fundraising efforts to Sarah on the day.

For more details phone 9367 4299

Register today and be one of 1000 participants to break the current official world record of 862 for the world’s largest pilates class.

Register at http://www.livepilates.com.au/community/. Every participant receives a Gift Bag on the day!

Will you be making your way down this Sunday?

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Thoughtful birthday present definition; the act of finding the perfect balance between sentimental, exciting and budget pleasing gifts. Or an alternative definition; an extremely difficult task. However, last night I was lucky enough to bear witness to my friend Amy completing this difficult task and presenting me the perfect birthday present- an Indian cooking class at Latasha’s Kitchen.

If you are anything like me, a lover of Indian food with the desire to replicate the authentic mouth watering smells in your kitchen, yet after reading the long and intricate essay that is the recipe you decide a store bought paste isn’t really that bad…. then this cooking class is for you! Whilst the ingredient lists are on the unique, longer side and you may not have the spices waiting on your spice shelf next to the oregano and cinnamon, it’s nothing that quick trip down to Liquorice in Claremont, Kakulas Bros in Northbridge or if you’re game an Indian supermarket, can’t quickly and cheaply solve.

And believe me, using the authentic and unique ingredients makes a huge difference both to the final taste and the satisfaction you will receive when the aromas are wafting around your kitchen (and your housemate or boyfriend start to linger in the curries’ vicinity like an impatient cat waiting to be fed).

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At 6.00pm we were greeted by Latasha herself, a passionate and knowledgeable Indian woman, with a huge and contagious smile on her face (probably from eating amazing food all day!). After the five of us were led into the back kitchen the class commenced and Latasha constructed 5 delicious meals in front of our eyes. From the toasting and grinding of aromatic spices, the adding of what seemed like buckets full of vibrant (very hot) fresh chilli’s, that unmistakable smell of sautéing onion, garlic and ginger taunting our senses and being introduced to new ingredients (one of which smelt like socks worn with your oldest but most favourite boots all day) I was taught the secrets of Indian cooking.

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It is now safe to say I will never purchase a store bought curry paste again (unless it’s a freshly made one that can be purchased in store at Latasha’s Kitchen of course). There was so much love that went into Latasha’s family, home-style recipes and the demonstration flew by as she made us laugh with her stories from her younger days in India. At the end of the class we sat down, now sporting Latasha’s huge smile on our faces, with our thali of curries, saffron rice and eggplant pickle. The curries were spicy, rich and delicious and I was surprised at how healthy the cooking methods and ingredients were, no greasy, oil laden curries here!

I would highly recommend the vegetarian cooking class at Latasha’s kitchen, I left with an impressive amount of Indian cuisine knowledge and a very full stomach! However I must unfortunately highlight two downsides. Firstly all friends and family have begun requesting that I replicate the delicious meals Latasha created and inviting themselves to dinner and secondly you must wait for 3 hours in the mouth-watering smelling kitchen as the food cooks before you get to taste the food, but believe me it is well worth the wait.

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(Left to right: South Indian Sambhar, Eggplant Kasaundi, Butternut Pumpkin Masala, Mix Vegetable Pal Khari and Saffron Rice)

Where: Latashas Kitchen, 745 Newcastle St Leederville
What: Vegetarian Indian cooking class
How much: $130 for a night of learning to prepare (then devour) a vegetarian feast!
More details: http://www.latashaskitchen.com.au/

Review by future Indian dinner-party queen, Jade Jurewicz (http://jadescinnamon.tumblr.com

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I remember my first pimple fondly. Year 7, it was time for our yearly school picture and my best friend at the time had also broken out with one on the day of the photo. We both laughed, unaware of the imminent cascade of hormones about to wreak their havoc on our bodies (and skin).

Throughout high school I suffered from moderate-severe acne that would serve to crush most of my confidence. Although hormones played a large part, I failed to realise that eating mini pizzas, a bag of chips, 5 packets of wizz fizz and 3 glasses of soft drink each day was not doing my skin any favours. Not to mention my non-existant exercise routine and penchant for spending hours in front of the computer completing Dawson’s Creek quizzes.

Fast forward to now (10 years later!) and my skin has mostly settled down. However I have some persistant mild acne on the chin that almost never goes away, and any zit that pops up takes forever to heal. No amount of products have been able to get rid of it.

WHATS A GAL TO DO? In my quest for clear skin, I decided to look inside for the answers and see a naturopath who specialises in the treatment of acne, Brooke from mi:skn.

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The consultation starts with an extremely comprehensive question/discussion session incorporating many aspects of your current/past health and lifestyle. Things such as diet, stress levels, skin type, menstrual cycle (for the ladies!) and many more are examined, all of which can help paint a picture of your internal health and point towards some corrective remedies.

The most interesting part of the session was a zinc test (zinc is super important for pimple/wound healing and general health!), which involves swirling some clear liquid around in your mouth for 10 seconds. If it tastes absolutely horrible – you’re in luck! Your zinc levels are adequate. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t taste anything, which means… you guessed it, very zinc deficient.

Brooke prescribed me some vitamin c and zinc powder which should help to remedy this, and we’ll test my levels again in a few weeks time.

I was also prescribed a couple of other natural medicines to take that should help my skin on its way to being pimple free.

It’s not just about supplements though, personal lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise also play a huge role. I’ve been advised to cut down on sugars, carbs and grains, which is VERY hard for me, and dose up on vegetarian proteins and fresh veggies.

I will keep you all updated on my hopefully successful journey to clearer skin! Oh and I forgot to mention, Brooke has wonderful skin and she says that wasn’t always the case, which makes it very easy to believe that she knows what she’s talking about.

mi:skin is located in Highgate.

For bookings and extra information call: 0414 277 761 or Email: clinic@miskn.com

Tell me, have you ever seen a naturopath for your skin or a naturopath in general?

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: My initial consultation was provided to me for review, however any supplements and additional consults are coming out of my own pocket. The complementary nature of the consult in no way affects my review.

Be well,

xoxo

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Being Spanish, and suitably hairy (as my lineage implies) I am always on the look out for new and less painful forms of hair removal, and ever since I first heard about the exotic art of Threading, it has intrigued me. So whilst browsing through the Browne’s Every Woman Expo in Perth last weekend I took full advantage of the free demonstration being offered by Zubia’s Threading!

Now, before I start my review I have a little confession. This is hard to admit on a beauty and wellness website, but it’s vital to showcase just how good this treatment is. *deep breath* I haven’t waxed, plucked or touched by eyebrows for six months. *shudder* This was not a pretty sight.  

Being in the middle of an expo and in a line of about five other ladies, the environment was not really conducive to a soothing and relaxing mood that one normally expects from salons. However, I assume this would be very different when having an appointment in store. 

Sitting down in the chair, my technician went straight to work on cleaning up the tops of my brows, this I barely felt and was over in less than 2 mins. The next bit was a tad odd. In order to thread the arches, you’re required to place one hand above the top of your brow and one hand over your eye and pull the skin tight while your unwanted hairs are removed, just as quick and almost as painless as the tops!  

I was up out of the chair less than ten minutes later and completely overjoyed with my new brows, the technician not only removed all unwanted hair but completely reshaped them and opened my eyes up. There was absolutely no redness and I was ready to go! This was the most quick and pleasant hair removal experience I have ever had!

My new threaded brows!

“Threading uses a pure cotton thread that is twisted and skilfully manipulated to gently lift the hair off the follicle. The pain is far less than waxing and provides a more accurate shape. Unlike waxing, where you often find Houdini hair that dodge elimination, not a stray hair remains and you are left with a perfectly shaped brow.” – Scoop Magazine.

The main Pro’s I found with Threading as opposed to waxing and plucking are;

♥ Much, much, much, much, much less pain – the best I can describe is it’s like a light scratching/tickling
♥ Very, very, very, very, very minimal to no redness – YAY NO REDNESS!!!
♥ Superior lines and smoother contours – I’m guessing this is due to the thread being able to create a smoother line and more accurate shape 
♥ Super quick – I hadn’t had my brows done in 6 months and it still took less than 10 mins!
♥ The $19 price tag is pretty attractive too. 

Zubia’s Threading is located all over Perth and both walk-in and appointments are welcome, head to their website for all locations.

Review by L, your ultimate style icon and resident cat lady.

Be well,

xoxo