5 Things Everyone Should Aim For This Year

Late to hop on the resolutions bandwagon? Or maybe your resolution plan isn’t panning out as smoothly as you thought it would?

It’s OKAY! It’s totally okay if resolutions aren’t your thing. You have your whole life to better your mind and soul, so not keeping up with resolutions is no biggie.

So don’t stress, be motivated and ambitious. Aim for these things if you’re still wanting to be inspired this year.

1. Find the time to spend with friends
And we mean true, true friends. Not the low-key bitchy ones you stuck around with in High School. Embrace your genuine pals and go for that brunch date that you’ve always been talking about.

2. Go on an adventure
This is a no-brainer. Whether you want to travel with some company or by yourself – go out and broaden your horizons!

3. Think positively about yourself
Everyday look in the mirror and tell yourself a positive affirmation. Hopefully in no time, your daily “You’re a stunner” and “You’re a warrior” affirmations will secure your confidence in yourself!

4. Save up your pennies
Just so you have it, you know? Try really hard to save some extra dollars and if you do the math – you’ll save enough money to pay for a months’ rent or even buy a ticket to your dream holiday?

5. Give back
In this day and age, we’re so blessed to have what we have. We have to be reminded that a lot of people in our community don’t have it as good. Aim to give back, whether that’s donating some garments that don’t fit you anymore, or volunteering at a shelter.

Feeling inspired this year? Check out these posts.

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Written by Gold Soul blogger Alissa Recil.
She is a design student and a freelance writer from Australia.
Follow her at Words By Femme.

LOOK FORWARD TO: The Winter Morning Commute

It’s important to kick off your day in a positive mood.

There’s no need to dread those cold and early morning starts to your day. It’s time to make your mornings something to look forward to.

How? Here are a few little things that we suggest you include in your Winter morning commute.

Grab yourself a warm Coffee to-go
There’s something so comforting about having a warm coffee cup in your hands. Every sip warms you up and warms the soul!

Listen to some chill new music
The winter morning commute gives you the perfect opportunity to discover new music. Who knows… maybe you’ll find a new favorite song to play on repeat?

Swap your phone scrolling with a book
Avoid reading on your phone screen so early in the morning. Your eyes won’t appreciate it and they’ll feel sore by the end of the day. Pick up a book instead and get lost in a story.

Bring out your favorite Winter accessories
Winter means winter fashion. It’s showing off the perfect coat that you’ve been dying to wear, it’s keeping your head warm with a beanie, it’s wrapping yourself in a scarf to keep cosy!

Motivation needed? Check these out.

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Shop at Gold Soul LA here!
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Written by Gold Soul blogger Alissa Recil.
She is a design student and a freelance writer from Australia.
Follow her at Words By Femme.

7 Photographs that make you want to travel

The travel bug. We’re bound to have caught it and sometimes it just gets the better of us.

We all have those days where we wish we were on vacay somewhere where we have no responsibilities and no bad vibes at all, right? We get that spontaneous travel feeling where adventure is on the top of our priority list and we sorta just roll with it.

Okay, yes, we realize that not everyone can just buy a ticket to their dream destination every time they get punched in the face with major travel lust. So what have we done? We’ve put together seven breathtaking photographs from all over the world, just to ease (or to make worse) your travelling blues. Enjoy and happy travels babes!

Click the images for source

So where are we off to next? Check out more travel inspo here!

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Printable Checklist for the perfect Summer Picnic!

What’s Summer without a picnic? Perfect weather, good food, even better company, laughs and just good times all round.

If you’re planning a Summer Picnic, make it the best one your guests have ever been to. Impress with the best selection of food and entertain the right way with the best mixture of activities and drinks.

Bring out your creative side! Picnics are the best chance to catch up with your nearest and dearest – whether that be your girl gang or your grandparents! There’s a tonne of choices that you can make to throw the perfect picnic to cater for everyone!

So where do you start? Ya girl has always got you covered.
Here’s a printable checklist for the perfect Summer picnic. Just click on the image below, then right click and save it to your computer. EASY AZ.

You can tweak this list as much as you want! Add the things you love to bring to a picnic! Pinterest is always a good place to browse for inspiration. It’s packed full of food and drink suggestions and ways you can glam up any Picnic party.

Have a peak at the Gold Soul store to see what you’ll be wearing to your perfect Summer Picnic. A cute romper? Bug-eyed sunnies? A flirty dress?

 

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Follow the Blogger – Alissa from Words By Femme

ROADTRIPPIN’ PLAYLIST

What says ‘the best Summer ever’ more than a roadtrip with your girl gang? What about a Summer roadtrip with your girl gang and the ultimate Summer roadtrip playlist to go with it?

You can just picture it. Cruising with the wind in your hair and your cheeks being kissed by the sun – there you are shouting the lyrics of your Summer anthem with your favorite people. Make this a Summer to remember with these tracks to blast while making memories!

You’ll find tracks to suit nearly everyone’s music taste. Whether you’re into up-beat indie tunes, pop tracks from then and now, chilled songs for chilled peeps, something with a sexy beat or something to sing to, you’re bound to find something you’ll make your 2015 Summer anthem.

Have Spotify? You can follow this playlist and listen to it non-stop. I dare you.

Wannabe – Spice Girls
Summer – Calvin Harris
T-Shirt Weather – Circa Waves
BBD – Azealia Banks
Anything Anything – DramaramaSugar – Maroon 5
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
Closing Time – Semisonic
XO – Beyonce
Paper Planes – M.I.A
Toothpaste Kissed – The Maccabees
All My Friends – Dylan Kelly
Rock & Roll – Eric Hutchinson
Best Song Ever – One Direction
We Found Love – Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
Worship – Years & Years
I’ll Be Fine – Saskwatch
Make It Mine – Jason Mraz
Yong Folks – Peter, Bjorn and John
Stay High – Tove Lo, Hippie Sabotage
Warrior – Nina Sublatti
No Control – One Direction
Single Ladies – Beyonce

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MUST-HAVE COFFEE TABLE BOOKS

If your living space doesn’t have that homely vibe that your looking for, I’ve got the solution.

Add some good coffee table books and bam – you’ve got that homely aesthetic. These books become conversation starters when guests come around, they act as interior decor and, the best thing is that you just put these books on a table and they look damn good just sitting there.

So what’s hot in the literary world I hear you asking?

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101 INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR JOURNEY
by Meredith Gatson

Whether you’re the adventurous kind, or you’re a hardworking nine-to-fiver, this book gives you that little bit of daily inspiration whenever you need it. Have this cute little book on your coffee table and no one will ever leave your house uninspired!

– Buy it here –

WHAT TO BAKE & HOW TO BAKE IT
by Jane Hornby

Deep down, everyone is a foodie and we can’t help it that we love food. If you’re looking for any sort of cookbook for your coffee table, look no further because this is the perfect one, especially if you’re a serious baker.

– Buy it here –

ALL THE BUILDINGS IN NEW YORK
by James Gulliver Jancock

If you like New York you’ll like this book. If you like buildings, you’ll like this book. If you like looking at really, really, really good drawings of places in New York, then you’ll love this book. Basically anyone will be impressed by this book.

– Buy it here –

PLACES TO GO PEOPLE TO SEE
by Kate Spade

With a book cover like this, you can’t resist having this in your house! This striking book will bring out the wanderlust in all of us with beautiful photographs of glamorous cities, inspirational quotes and life tips.

– Buy it here –

How to be a Tourist in your own City

Time to give your eyes a rest from staring at screens all day, get up and make your way into town because you’ve got some serious exploring to do.

Becoming a Tourist in your own city is an inexpensive way you can explore the nooks and cranny’s of your town and it’s a way you can find some pretty awesome hidden gems.

If you’ve got a day to yourself or if you’re looking for something to do with a friend, become a tourist in your own City for the day. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it can be inspiring and you’re bound to learn something new.

So how exactly so you become a Tourist in your own City I hear you asking? Well it’s simple – put aside your stresses, take a camera and explore.

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• Eat at a cafe that you’ve never been to
• Visit a vintage bookstore and look around
• Visit your city’s famous tourist attractions and appreciate them
• Attend the festivals that are on around the city
• Shop at the markets – you never know what you’ll find
• Don’t be ashamed of taking photos
• Look out for free events
• Grab a rug and your friends and have a picnic in a park
• Go on a Thrift Store crawl!
• Walk instead of taking a Taxi/Bus

 

Now you can put down your phone and shut down your computer. Get exploring and most importantly – have fun!

TAKE ME BACK: Coachella Fashion 2015

I think it’s fair to say that Coachella is THE place to be snapped for showing off your style and out shining everyone else.

As much as we loved the music and the performers, the rides and the dancing, the food and the celebrities – Coachella’s candid fashion show always turns heads.

Photo credit: style.com

Bandanas worn only by the badasses who dare to vibe with the tough bikie look.

Photo credit: style.com

It isn’t a music festival if we don’t see someone sporting a pair of space buns! Paired with a funky fanny pack, you’ve got yourself one on point ‘chella look.

Photo credit: ibtimes.com

White on white on white for days. Love it.

Photo credit: vogue.co.uk

You can’t go wrong with a crochet cut-out number and a chunky ass statement necklace. Chic and festival friendly.

Photo credit: harpersbazaar.com

Two things we love – edgy sunnies and a bit of mesh! Perfectly paired with this monochrome look.

What was your favorite Coachella look?

5 things to do in Sydney for FREE

So you’ve worked your butt off and saved up for a trip ‘down under’ to Australia and you find yourself with a day or two of free time on your hands. What do you do?

I’m an Aussie girl myself and I’ve grown up around Sydney for my whole life; it’s safe to say that it’s an amazing place. Surrounded by culture, beautiful weather and lovely people, Sydney is one of those places where you just want to go out and explore every inch of the city. So what do you do in iconic Sydney when you’re on a tight budget? Read on and I can reveal to you some of the best things to do for free in Sydney, Australia!

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Art appreciating

Sydney is home to some of the best Art Galleries and the best collections of art, where you can drench yourself in culture and take some time to really challenge your creative mind. Gain inspiration from the Museum of Contemporary Art while overlooking the Harbour, gaze at historical artworks at the Art Gallery of NSW and be delighted by the White Rabbit Gallery (and enjoy a few cheeky Dumplings after!).

Circular Quay is the place to be

Possibly the best place for all things tourist-y in Sydney; if you had only one day to spend in Sydney, Circular Quay is the best place to be. It has so many iconic tourist attractions to appreciate – the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, The Rocks and you can even take a ferry trip to another island.

Bondi Beach. Enough said.

Or just any beach in Australia, really. They’re all f***ing amazing.

Walk on the Harbour Bridge

No I’m not talking about the $200 Bridge Climb! I’m talking about the sidewalk that runs across the whole bridge and takes you to North Sydney that even people who have a fear of heights can do! You’ll come across breathtaking views of the Harbour, but just remember to take a bottle of water because it’s a long journey!

Browse the Markets

There are markets that run on Thursdays and Saturdays in lots of places around Sydney so you can’t miss them. Have a stroll around the Eveleigh markets or the markets at The Rocks and find something unique, original, creative and affordable.

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My question for you guys: Where are you from and where do you want to travel to?

4 obvious but helpful ways to safe money

So you want to save up a little extra money for that cheeky holiday you’re planning for the summer? Or you’re dreaming of finally owning your dream pair of designer shoes? We could all use a little bit of advice when it comes to money and babe, you got this. Here’s a reminder of a few little easy, obvious but helpful ways you can save some dollar billz… yo.

1. Hold off on the daily coffee

This may be hard to hear for coffee lovers, but you’ll be thanking yourself later! Think about it – if you grab a coffee every day, you might be already be spending double digits on hot beverages each week! Try brewing your own coffee at home and bringing it with you in a cute to-go mug, or if you just cannot resist a coffee from a barista, limit your cafe visits to 2 or 3 a week?

2. Don’t splurge on ‘wants’

Resist the thought! You don’t NEED those heels or that $200 pair of jeans! To make it easier, as weird as it sounds: don’t window shop so often. We always find ourselves “just looking” then somehow we’re at the checkout handing the sales assistant our money… oops! Think long term and use what you’re saving up for as incentive to save!

3. Shop around for sales

This goes hand in hand with the previous tip – if you do find yourself walking around at the mall and you need some new gear, take some time to look around for sales, deals and bargains. They’ll become your best friend.

4. Have 2 bank accounts

This one takes a little bit more effort, but so beneficial! Do yourself a favor and open up another bank account – have one for your daily spending on necessities and one for your savings. Make sure you manage these accounts regularly! Only put what you need into your daily spending account and put the rest in your savings account.