Image from http://food.libertine.au.com/

Having driven past a few times on previous weekends, seeing signs spouting promises of artisan bread, fresh fruit & vegies, free range eggs and organic produce, I finally woke up early enough to check out The Farmers Market on Manning in Bentley (just across the road from Curtin University) this morning with my mama.

My first time at a farmers market, what glee!

The markets are teeming with activity and everyone there seems relaxed and happy, my kinda place. There are cute little stalls throughout & pups galore (excellent).

Cardboard boxes are the go with no plastic bags to be seen. We try some organic lemon & garlic kalamata olives from a farm in York and end up buying some… so tasty! And at a similar price you’d pay in the supermarket.

Stalls noted include… flower / plants, organic tea, honey, curry puffs (!?!!), organic+vegetarian cheese (this place was going off because they were offering free cheese samples), chutney & sauces, raw juice, fudge, cakes, as well as the fruit, vegies, fresh meat, free range eggs etc.

The prices seemed exceptionally reasonable, I bought a bunch of organic kale for $2.50 & an organic kiwi fruit for $0.80. They will both make an excellent smoothie for me later!

Highlight of the morning would be seeing a tiny Italian boy with a huge loaf of artisan olive & sun-dried tomato bread that was about 1/3 the size of him, nibbling all over it, so cute!

The setting is fantastic, on the green grass under the shady pine trees next to the Aboriginal music college on Manning Road.

I’ll definitely be going back, I want to eat more local & organic foods and this is a wonderful way to support our local industries and farmers.

If you live South of the River, give it a go! I think you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did 🙂

Location

Clontarf Campus
Manning Road
Bentley, Western Australia

Time

8.00am – 1.00pm Saturday

Be well,

xoxo

After a fairly intense past 6 months with little extra funds to ‘treat myself’, I got back into it Today with an hour long massage at my old fave, the Cove Spa (previously The Beauty Cove Day Spa) in South Perth.

At this moment, to me, Cove Spa is unparalleled. That being said, once I find a good thing I tend to stick with it! So this may be a biased opinion & I will be doing much more further investigation (hard life!) to see if I can find more wonderful places in Perth to get my pamper on!

I chose the standard 60 minute relaxation massage (at the princely sum of $105) to help combat the stress acquired from starting a new job & am so, so, so glad I did!

Here’s why:

♥ Comfy slippers, not all spas can say they have these but luckily this one can! So good to pad around in comfy slip ons.

♥ Free cups of tea! YAY! However, the water jug didn’t have any lemon slices in it, which it usually does. Lemon water is tasty. That’s my only gripe so I think they’re doing pretty fantastic!

♥ Expert masseuse. I was reluctant to venture away from my usual therapist Kate, but the girl I had (Sam) was just as good & really friendly! She made me feel comfortable & possesses magical hands.

♥ Aromatherapy! I was surprised when she asked me to inhale deeply three times (you lie with your head face down into a hole in the table), wonderful essential oils sent me that little bit further into relaxation, it was a really special touch that I loved and didn’t expect.

♥ Sam was really thorough, massaging onto my bottom (how proper!) a bit as there is a lot of tension held here for most of us due to sitting at computers all day long. Not for the shy I suppose, but excellent as part of a full body tension release.

♥ No pressure to leave the lounge area. I lazed around for about 20 minutes reading magazines and at no point felt rushed, which is how you want to feel after such a relaxing experience!

♥ Afterwards I felt so great and at peace with the world, which is how I always feel after a massage at Cove Spa. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true!

Highly recommended, once again.

Be well,

xoxo

Acrylic Nail Salons in the Eastern ‘Burbs.

I love having acrylic nails. I can’t help it. I am addicted to the shiny, neat way my hands look when they’re just done.

Due to domestic downsizing, I went without them for a year and I eventually learnt that I am simply not disciplined enough to sit in front of telly, dutifully filing, shaping, buffing and coating all ten of those little suckers when I can pay someone else to do it in half the time.

So around Christmastime, in a fit of desperation, I had a full set of French acrylics back on. Being an acrylic aficionada, I was significantly underwhelmed with the result (at a service that shall remain nameless). So began the searching for a decent salon that would tick all the boxes.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with acrylic nails, acrylics are mixed by a nail technician from powder to create an acrylic material which adheres to your natural nail, making it very tough and durable. Depending on your nail growth, the acrylic takes about 3-4 weeks to grow to the point where your nails need to be “rebalanced” or in-filled.

“Permanent French” refers to creating a “French” manicured-look by using a white powder for the tip, then a pink powder for the nail bed. Typically, nail technicians should have appropriate qualifications, and of course, you should aim to check that out.

Over the coming months, I will be road testing a few nail salons in the eastern metro area and then rating them according to five categories: service, technique (of the technician and tools used), the finished nail form (whether a natural look is created through the ratio of pink and white, the shape and the thickness of finished nails), time, cost, plus an overall star rating, out of 5

Now remember, this is based on my opinion and how I like my nails to look; your requirements may be different but hopefully this will give you some hints about where and what to try.

For the purposes of our road-test, I will be having French in-fills, every 4 weeks. (All in the name of science!)

Fantasy Nails

Shop 6, 1010 Beaufort St, Bedford.

What I had done: Permanent French acrylic refills, after 4 weeks’ growth.

Having been for a great, cheap pedicure at Fantasy Nails, I was hopeful that their acrylics would also fit the bill. I wasn’t disappointed. They actually seem to know something about nail health. The lovely tech noticed the red area below my old acrylic and commented that the nail bed had been damaged through the last tech filing too thin. (Needless to say, this was not at Fantasy Nails). This has left a line, visible through the new acrylic and that has to grow out. I thought this was just an unfortunate side-effect since I’d had this before and no one else had ever spotted it. Colour me impressed.

Service

I made an appointment for late on a Thursday afternoon, although you can just walk in. If they’re busy, you may need to wait. The atmosphere is friendly, but efficient. Sure, chatter away, if you like, or not. It’s not a requirement. I didn’t make any new BFFs but I was treated respectfully and with a smile.
Nail form

Perfect ratio of white to pink – the white started just slightly lower than it would on my natural nail so they will continue to look balanced for at least two weeks. Nails were shaped square-round, as requested – smooth with no sharp corners. Thickness was the only aspect that let the form down – I prefer my nails reed-thin and this takes more time – a couple of nails look a bit chunky when looking laterally, down the nail. But from the top (and particularly when waving the little darlings around), the form is spot on.

Technique

I thought I’d seen it all until my nail tech used the end of a tip to cut into the drying white acrylic to create the curve. The result is a very clean line between the white and the pink, following the natural curve and shape of your finger. Electric drills are used, along with emery boards and buffers. The big surprise was the buffing paste. Ordinarily, I have a gel coat over the acrylic to create a shiny, wet look. My tech advised me that the gel overcoat isn’t necessary and instead, used a pink buffing paste which gave the acrylic a far more natural sheen. The buffed finish is looks glossy and smart.

Time

Woah! Super-quick. I was in and out in 45 minutes.

Cost

Not the cheapest refills at $55 + $5 for one tip but worth it for the finish.

Overall rating

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (4.5)

Fantasy Nails also operates in Subi and Booragoon. Also give the pedicure a go (the chairs are brill!).

Article by Bron: I am 39, married and a full-time health professional. Like most busy women, I work way too hard and struggle to make my own health a priority. But I’m beginning to understand that wellbeing is all about having a rich, full and balanced life. (It is possible to love food, drink good wine and feel healthy – it’s called “living”!). One area I’m passionate about is how our psychological and emotional health interconnects with our physical health, particularly the role of stress. So I really look forward to writing about the stuff that I’m curious about, or battle with, and hope that it answers questions for you too 🙂
Bron x
PS Oh, and at this age, I’m also learning that gravity wins, no matter what!

Miss Liv @ Disco Cantito!

The new year has well and truly started, the first weeks have flown by already!

I’m sure you’ve made a few resolutions about getting and keeping fit in the new year. It’s one of the best resolutions, helping not only with our appearance, but health, mind and body as well. Unfortunately, life gets busy and the idea of getting hot and sweaty, running nowhere on a treadmill with countless others is hardly a motivational one.

Staying interested is the key to keeping up the new regime and sticking to that new year’s resolution. So this year, why don’t you try something new to keep you feeling good about you?

Disco Cantito, run by Isobel Lyall in North Perth and Victoria Park has a very different approach to staying in shape.

They’re a non-profit organisation that work mainly with children to teach them through playing. While most classes are for children, the hidden gem is in their adult classes.

Run during the day on Wednesdays in Victoria Park and on Saturdays in North Perth, there are classes in hula hooping, aerials and acrobatics. You continuously improve on the previous weeks progress as your muscles and confidence develop. The great thing is, you don’t realise the magnitude of your work out until the next day, and the day after that…(!)

If you’re looking to increase your upper body strength, the aerials class is the perfect work out, it works on all the muscles that support the back and shoulders. It’s also a great option for people who find they slouch, or who slave over a computer during the week. Being a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday desk jockey, my posture was terrible and even after three classes there was a very noticeable difference. It’s easy to put aside the time when you see the kinds of tricks you can do on the trapeze. Learning to climb up and down the silks like P!nk did in her latest tour is another bonus. It’s worth going down to check out the classes, even just for a look. Casual rates are available for courses, but I’m sure once you’ve tried it you’ll be hooked (like me) on Disco Cantito!

DATE: Term 1 Commences February 9

TIME: 10.00am – 4.30pm

LOCATION: North Perth Classes @ The Chapel Space, 117 Angove St North Perth
Vic Park Classes @ Leisure Life Centre, Kent St, East Victoria Park

COST: Varies depending on the course

BOOKING: Call Isobel on 0408 626 941.

WHAT TO WEAR: Comfortable clothes, bring a water bottle.

MORE INFORMATION: Check out Disco Cantito on Facebook or email disco.cantito@gmail.com

Review by Liv Bambola ♥

Treatments undertaken on: 10th, 17th, 24th November 2009

Aside from the obvious rewards of being on the Baskin Robbins email subscriber list which entitles me to one free icecream scoop per year, this is absolutely the most rewarding subscriber list I have found myself on: Ella Express.

I’ve long been an Ella Bache user, but in recent times have found it to be a little expensive for the contents of my purse. This is more a reflection on my own personal financial situation, but that is a can of worms that is best left unopened. Let’s just say that being on this particular database has been a lifesaver and a joy.

So anyway, back to the whole Microdermabrasion thing. Every so often, I’d get an email from Ella Express with some kind of special they are advertising. This could be a Napoloeon makeover session, waxing deal, facial special, whatever. All good and I’ve taken them up on a number of these. I’d been thinking about trying micro for a while but it was unfortunately out of my price range given that they advise you do them in a series of sessions.

Then I got the email: Half price microdermabrasion for the month of November. Hurrah! I promptly booked in for 3 sessions, each costing $60.

The first session was interesting as I’d never had the procedure done and didn’t quite know what to expect. Firstly she cleansed my skin, did the microdermabrasion, then popped on a soothing mask for about 15mins before removing and moisturising. It took about an hour, was quite relaxing and the beautician explained everything well. She also did a skin analysis under the black light and showed me my problem spots and what I could do about them. I was very happy with the result and my skin felt very smooth, clean and even had a glow to it.

The second and third sessions were done by a different beautician who did all the above with the only difference being that while the soothing mask was on, I was given a very lovely hand massage. This was a nice touch! Who would have thought a hand massage could be so relaxing?

The salon itself, was well-presented. The music was fine, your typical relaxation cds I guess and the room smelled all essential oil-like, which I love. The lighting was perfectly dimmed and the bed very comfy, to the point where I could have just rolled over and snoozed the rest of the day away. I don’t think that’s allowed though.

The whole experience was very positive from my perspective, my skin tone visibly improved after 3 sessions and I am eagerly awaiting the next email I receive alerting me to this half-price deal again. As much as I was very pleased with the experience and result, it still remains out of my price range for the time being, but hope that this won’t always be the case.

Editors note: I have personally viewed Sheridan’s skin & it indeed, was glowing after her treatment sessions! I was very impressed & am extremely keen to try this procedure myself – Annette

Sheridan is an enterprising lass who runs music quizzes around Perth, check out “The One Thing Quiz” for more details!

Essential details:

Floreat Forum WA
Floreat Forum Floreat, Western Australia 6014

Phone: +61 8 9284 9777

email: floreat@ellaexpress.com.au

Opening hours:

Mon – Wed & Fri: 9.00 am – 5.30 pm
Thursday: 9.00 am – 9.00 pm
Saturday: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm

Ella Bache products are available online at StrawberryNET!