I am planning to share a few more savoury recipes on Wholefood Simply then I have previously. However, I am currently happily tied up with all things baby so I have called on the ever beautiful Sonia from Sonia Styling to share her tips on getting ready when the mornings are frantic (my world right now) and her favourite go-to dinner, Pad Thai, delicious!
Sonia Bavistock is the founder and editor of Sonia Styling.
Sonia is also a total chatterbox and chronic over-sharer, which kind of makes this whole blogging caper the perfect fit for her. And she openly admits to being more than a tad obsessed with leopard print.
Her blog, Sonia Styling is a go-to resource for accessible fashion and beauty tips, simple hair tutorials, home decorating inspiration, health and wellbeing information plus so much more.
Sonia Styling is about life and style with sparkle.
This girl is dedicated and delightful and her online space is every bit as gorgeous as she is.
Without further ado, here’s Sonia, her tips and her delicious recipe!
Looking Great Amongst The Chaos!
No matter your stage in life, I think it’s safe to say we’re all busy.
Especially women.
We’ve all got so much on our plates, there never seems to be much room left for ourselves. And this is never more evident than during the morning routine.
How many times has your toast gone cold? Or your coffee? And how many times have you forgotten to brush your hair? Or slick on some lipstick before rushing out the door?
Too many times to count? Yep, thought so! Me too.
While some may say feeling good starts from within {and I do agree with that} I also think that if you walk out the door looking good, that contributes to feeling confident and ready to handle anything the day might throw at you.
I’m fairly low key when it comes to my everyday hair, fashion and beauty so I’ve come up with a few tips and tricks to help streamline my morning routine and have me looking and feeling fab in no time at all.
So with all that in mind, here are my top 5 tips for getting ready (and feeling good) in a hurry:
1. Have a uniform
I’m not talking about the kids’ school uniform here, but rather a failsafe outfit you can throw together quickly that is both easy and stylish.
When the weather is cool, my favourite combo is jeans, a relaxed fit tee and a tailored blazer. Jeans and a tee may seem rather simple, but it’s the addition of the blazer that really takes it up a notch and adds a polished touch. Finish with a great pair of flats and you are good to go.
In the warmer weather, opt for a dress. It’s an instant outfit and requires little else other than a pair of sandals. Go for the length that suits you and the activities of the day ahead. A wardrobe full of dresses means you’ll never be without an outfit and yes, you can blame me when you add another one to your collection!
2. Limit your makeup products
If you only have a few minutes to pop on some makeup before heading out the door, then you want to limit the amount of products you use – and make them work overtime for you.
Use a BB Cream to act as your moisturiser and (light coverage) foundation. Follow this with mascara to open up and define your eyes. Pop on a bit of blush to add colour to your cheeks and swipe on some lipstick or tinted lip balm to finish.
If you have an extra minute, fill in your eyebrows. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of great brows – they really do make all the difference. To save time on a daily basis, have them professionally shaped and tinted once a month or so.
Bonus tip: use your lipstick as a crème blush. Just dab a tiny bit onto your cheeks and gently rub in with your fingertips. You’ll never have to search for an extra blush to match your lipstick collection this way!
3. Nail your hair routine
I absolutely hate washing and styling my own hair – it takes forever! So I like to break it down into two manageable sessions: I wash my hair and lightly dry my hair at night and then finish my styling in the morning.
I also find it useful to have a few go-to hairstyles that I can use when my hair isn’t cooperating and looks less than fab. For me, it’s a high ponytail and a ballerina bun. Or a beanie if things are particularly dire.
You really can’t go wrong with a ponytail, bun or – if you’ve got the skills – a braid. It makes you look like you’ve gone to a bit of effort when in reality you’ve only spent a couple of minutes doing your hair.
4. Make accessories your friend
The best way to jazz up a simple outfit or distract from tired eyes? Accessories!
Invest in a collection of beautiful scarves, statement necklaces and a great pair of sunglasses. None of these items have to cost the earth (think Colette, Forever New, Sussan and Sportsgirl) but they can go a long way in giving an outfit a bit of a lift.
By pairing a scarf with your jeans/tee/blazer combo, you’re adding another layer to the outfit and increasing the style stakes. Same deal by adding a statement necklace to a simple dress. It takes your outfit to another level with minimal effort.
5. Organise your wardrobe
My theory when it comes to my wardrobe is: ‘if I can’t see it, I won’t wear it’.
I share my walk-in-wardrobe with my husband so space is at premium. This means I regularly cull my wardrobe each season, only keeping items I love, feel good in and wear regularly.
I also hang/fold my clothes in colour order. It not only makes my wardrobe nice to look at, but also makes it easy to grab whatever item it is I want to wear because I know exactly where it is.
Having an organised wardrobe makes getting ready each day so much quicker and easier.
My favourite recipe: Pad Thai
We love to spend Friday nights at home – it’s such a relaxing way to finish a busy week.
I will go to the markets during the day and grab some fresh ingredients to make a delicious meal that’s way better than take away. We’ll cook it together and open up a bottle of wine to share while we talk about the week that was and the weekend ahead.
A firm favourite in our house is this easy and delicious Pad Thai recipe…
Sonia’s Pad Thai
- 440g pork mince
- 12 prawns
- 4 tsp vegetable oil*
- 250g dried rice stick noodles
- 1 tbsp soy sauce*
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 limes
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 4 tsp fish sauce
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4cm piece of ginger
- 4 spring onions
- 100g bean sprouts
- ½ cup chopped roasted peanuts**
- medium bunch of coriander
Crush garlic, slice spring onions thinly, peel and grate ginger, chop coriander roughly.
Squeeze juice from half the limes and cut the remainder into wedges for garnishing.
Place noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Heat a frying pan or wok on high. Add half the oil and stir fry the prawns until they are pink and cooked through. Remove from the pan, set aside and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir fry the pork mince, garlic and ginger until meat is browned and cooked through. Add the sauces and lime juice and continue cooking, stirring to combine.
Add noodles, bean sprouts, spring onions, peanuts and half the coriander and toss gently for 2-3 minutes.
To serve, pile noodle mixture into bowls and top with prawns.
Sprinkle coriander over the top and garnish with extra lime wedges.
*you can sub the vegetable oil with coconut or macadamia oil and the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos.
**to make this nut free sub the peanuts with toasted sunflower seeds.
Want to know more about this gorgeous girl? You can follow her journey at any or all of the below. Thanks for stopping by Sonia! We loved having you over. x
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