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    • The cafes in Newcastle keep on coming, and frankly I ain't mad about it, though maybe my bank account is. Yesterday the newest addition to the cafe scene in Newcastle, Hamos, opened in Islington, and because I don't do much else with my time at the moment, I had to go and see what it was all about.

    For any local Novocastrians reading this, the cafe is located just passed the train station in Hamilton, on the opposite of the road, right on the corner of Fern Street. They have a nice and bright, pale blue sign to direct your way, so you can't miss them.

    The inside of the cafe is my aesthetic taste to a T, with it's clean, minimal, yet industrial look; also completely on trend right now. They've got you covered from breakfast to lunch and, of course, have coffee on hand, because what place offering food in Newcastle doesn't also have coffee, it's practically illegal not to here.

    To test them out I ordered myself a regular latte and the Zesty Chicken Bowl to takeaway; one great feature I love about the menu is that absolutely any item can be ordered as a takeaway, so for someone like me who enjoys getting out of the house and off the computer sometimes, but also not for extended periods of time because being alone for to long and drawing attention to myself makes me overly nervous, this is a massive thumbs up. That said though, there is plenty of seating inside, including a sneaky little comfy couch section tucked away in the back corner, so it would make the perfect place to meet someone for a catch up.

    First of all, the coffee is on point! I've only recently been able to graduate my tastebuds to lattes after only throwing back mochas for the last year or so, but I've been slowly trying lattes from all around, so I know when I find a latte that I like or not. I have to say the Hamos' lattes get a big 10/10 for me. I'm not a coffee by expert by any means, so frankly I have no idea what words or terms I should be using to describe how and why it's such good coffee; to me it just tasted damn fine and that's all I need to be sold. If you're a big coffee lover, I'd recommend giving them a go, and letting me know what you think. On to the food!

    I would describe the Zesty Chicken Salad as similar to a greek salad, but with chicken and no olives. If you love yourself some feta (like me) than you're going to love this. A generous amount of chicken, with a generous amount of feta, topped with some salady bits and a bit of balsamic, it was delicious and surprisingly filled me up quite well. All together my order came to around $17.50, which I thought was pretty good, and considering the good quality of what I got, I'd happily pay that again.

    So whether you're a Newcastle local looking to try something new, or simply like to be that trendy person who's all about the new best places to stuff your face in town, or may you're simply visiting Newcastle sometime, I would 100% recommend giving Hamos a try!



    And here's a little selfie of me before I went out yesterday that I shared on my Instastory and Snapchat, because why the hell not ;) P.S go follow me over on Instagram (@noiseinwonderland) and Snapchat (@amynalice)!

    Hamos
    Website
    Facebook
    Instagram


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    posted by . 3/9/17 . / / / /
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    posted by . 3/7/17 .


    Learning something new doesn't have to be a mammoth task, it doesn't have to be physically making something or learning quantum physics. Little facts, little nuggets of knowledge, bits of interesting trivia to add to my brain. I've been writing down something new that I've learnt each day in a notebook and as the end of February has rolled around I wanted to share with you all the little bits and pieces I've learnt.

    I feel like it never hurts to learn more bits and pieces about things, and you just never know what one discovery might lead you to find out next. I think it can be particularly helpful if you're struggling to find something you're passionate about, something you want to follow or build in life, or simply something to grab on to as a side hobby. Just wandering around the Internet and picking up random bits of knowledge about all the different parts of life just might lead you to that discovery.

    So far it's been super fun learning about random things, and while not every single fact may be 100% useful to my life as a whole, I still find joy in learning about it. Sometimes, while I may just write down a brief note about what I've learnt, if it really interests me I'll go off on an Internet tangent and spend more time researching and learning more. I'm excited at the idea that I might be able to pass on some new knowledge to all of you, and if this is something that interests you, jump on board and next month we can all share what we've learnt.

    1/2/2017 - Box Breathing: a navy seal technique
    2/2/2017 - biofuels: made from many byproduct and recycled oils
    3/2/2017 - 80/20 rule: you receive of 80% value from 20% of the activities you do
    4/2/2017 - Parkinson's Law: task seems more complex the longer you leave it
    5/2/2017 - Reticular Activation System: allows you to see what you focus your thoughts on
    6/2/2017 - Antartica is the largest desert in the world
    7/2/2017 - Antartica is the only continent without reptiles
    8/2/2017 - Antarctica has a water full that runs red
    9/2/2017 - you cannot work in Antartica unless you have your wisdom teeth and appendix removed
    10/2/2017 - Antartica has no time zone
    11/2/2017 - a flock of crows is called a murder
    12/2/2017 - Pteronophobia is the fear of being tickled by feathers
    13/2/2017 - when hippos are upset their sweat turns red
    14/2/2017 - Facebook Addiction Disorder is a recognised disorder
    15/2/2017 - Cherophobia is the fear of fun
    16/2/2017 - the average woman uses her height in lipstick every five years
    17/2/2017 - you cannot snore and dream at the same time
    18/2/2017 - brown eyers are blue underneath
    19/2/2017 - a blot of lightening is 6x hotter than the sun
    20/2/2017 - only 2% of the Earth's population naturally have green eyes
    21/2/2017 - children have more taste buds than adults
    22/2/2017 - eyes move every 50 seconds
    23/2/2017 - an ant's sense of smell is stronger than a dog;s
    24/2/2017 - snail's breathe through their feet
    26/2/2017 - a polar bear's fur is transparent not white
    27/2/2017 - smiling boosts your immune system
    28/2/2017 -1/3 of the world's languages are only spoken in Africa


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    posted by . 3/4/17 .


    Your beginnings gave me a great determination, and now that I think back to those moments I realise just how quickly you've said goodbye. While in some areas you were just another month, I feel that you brought me little progress .... maybe.

    The big thing for me this month was moving out of my one bedroom apartment where I lived by myself, and had been for around a year and a half, and moving into a three bedroom duplex with two friends of mine. I was ready and waiting for this change, and I've been so pleased with it. It was time for me to move back in with people I think, to give me some more social interaction and just improve my mental health.

    A new chapter in my educational career began as you came to a close, and it seems there is only positive things to come with that.

    But how did I feel...

    A lot of things that I really wanted to see progress haven't yet seem to come about. When I think of that it can fill me with self-doubt, and as the months roll on I consider packing it in and trying to find some normal 9 - 5 job that will fill the time, give me funds and give me something to talk about at parties. Because it starts off almost as a fun joke when people ask you what you've been up to or what you've been doing and you can only reply with not much. People can appreciate someone taking some time off for themselves. But it seems as 2017 continues to move forward, I find myself less and less reluctant to answer the small talk. I guess now I can actually say I'm completing a Masters, and when people hear you're getting educated they feel that's a sufficient answer to their question, but that's really only part of what I do.

    I say I do nothing, but you won't find me spending hours on the couch binge watching TV shows on Netflix (though it's tempting), I always manage to fill my days and to-do list to the point that I still get to the end of most days and feel I haven't completed enough because there's still some odds and ends I haven't checked off.

    As you can probably tell if you're reading this, I spend a lot of time working on my blog, more than probably anything else at the moment. I'm taking photos, writing, editing, answering emails, sending emails and keeping up with all the happenings on social media. I put the amount of hours into it that most people put into any job they have, but I can't call it my job because I really don't get paid yet, and it's certainly not anywhere near being able to sustain me financially. That has been the goal though, it's just taking a bit longer than I was mentally prepared for I think.

    So I don't feel I can tell people I'm a blogger; even when I do, I say it almost with a cringe because I don't feel anyone really takes that word seriously. I tell people I freelance write because I have in the past and I am constantly applying for freelance jobs, but if I'm being honest there's actually nothing much going on in that department either.

    Overall, while you've had some exciting moments and there's been some positive changes, I have to say I've haven't been to overly impressed with you. It's disheartening, but the only thing I can do is hope and work towards trying to make March something a little bit better.
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    posted by . 3/2/17 .


    As we become more and more aware of what is good or bad for our skin, and what ingredients and chemicals we should and shouldn't be putting on our face, people are choosing to reach for more natural skincare products, and I can completely understand that choice. Particularly if you have sensitive skin, products that are completely or mostly natural may be the best option for you. While I still use products that aren't completely natural, I did want to share some of my favourite natural ones in case you were in the market for some new skincare in this category, or were thinking about delving into the area.





    m a k e Soft Shampoo
    m a k e Soft Conditioner
    m a k e Soft Treatment

    This haircare range is full of good stuff to help replenish any dry, damaged, coarse and chemically treated hair (hello all my fellow coloured blondes). With ingredients including Vitamin B5, Argan Oil avocado oil and rosemary, m a k e offers a great product to naturally help bring your hair under control



    Biology Smart Skincare No 351; Skin Smoothing Body Buff
    Biology Smart Skincare No 353; Ultra Hydrate Body Butter

    From their bath essentials range, these Biology products are infused with ingredients like avocado and almond oils, sunflower oil and essential fatty acids which all help to heal and rejuvenate your skin. The Body Buff has very small granules in it, so you can feel that super light exfoliation as you rub it into your skin, and the Body Butter glides on and sinks in quickly to leave your skin feeling super smooth. Both products have a natural orange smell, with the body butter really reminding me of opening a bottle of orange vitamin C tablets and sticking your nose in to have a smell.




    Puretopia Refresh & Balance Facial Mist & Toner
    Akin Hydrating Mist Toner
    Swisse Deep Sea Hydrating Mist Toner

    Facial mists and toners are great for not only including in your daily skincare routine, but for having with you throughout the day to keep you refreshed, especially during any of the warmer months. Puretopia's Refresh & Balance Facial Mist & Toner contains aloe, witch hazel and vitamin C which combine to help soothe, purify, brighten and even out your skin. It's gentle nature also means it won't hurt your skin to consistently use it throughout the day. Akin's Hydrating Mist Toner uses coconut oil, green tea and chamomile to refresh and hydrate your skin while also helping to soothe and destress your facial area. Also available in bigger bottles, the Swisse Deep Sea Hydrating Mist Toner truely brings an Aussie flavour to skincare, containing deep sea minerals from Australia's Murray-Darling Basin. There's also some Vitamin B3 and aloe thrown in there to help tone and brighten your skin.


    Akin Cleansing Micellar Water
    Swisse Micellar Makeup Remover

    The use of micellar water has continued to grow over the last few years in the skincare community, and for good reason, offering a much gentler way to remove makeup and clean your face. The Akin Cleansing Micellar Water infuses coconut water, green tea, cucumber and lavender into a pH balanced and soap free formula that will soothe and refresh your skin, all while effectively removing any traces of makeup from your face after a long hard day of slaying the world. Another natural makeup removing option is the Swisse Micellar Makeup Remover, which also normally comes in a larger bottle. Enriched with cucumber, this product has no fragrance and is super gentle on sensitive skin.


    What are some of your favourite natural skincare products?
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