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Enjoying a simple life

 Hello friends!

My friend Tanya and I meet for lunch every month, and we take turns going to each other's house. Whoever is driving picks up sushi on the way there.

And the person whose house it's at gets to provide the sweet. This was at my house, and I made peanut butter cookies. They are so easy and so good!

The recipe is so simple I can remember it (I've made them three times so far).

1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Preheat oven to moderate (180/350) and line a baking tray with baking paper. I give it a quick spray with olive oil from a can too.

Mix all ingredients together and spoon out/roll into small balls (maybe the size of a walnut) and then flatten them on the lined tray with a fork.

I play around with the sugar quantity, using less sometimes than others (about 1/4 to a 1/3 less), and also different types of sugar to use bits and pieces up. This batch had raw sugar, brown sugar, and normal sugar!

I've also done slightly bigger cookies sometimes and smaller others - all up this recipe makes 16-20 cookies I've found.

Bake for ten minutes for lovely chewy cookies that are caramelised around the edges.

No they're not healthy, but they are delicious. I only bake for guests, it's not a rule but just the way things turn out. That way it's a treat for me as well as nice to provide home baking.

Also, I like to give them away fresh on the day or the day after. I gave my mum a little bag of them and thankfully my husband Paul helped consume them too!

If you try making them, let me know!

The day Tanya came around it was sunny and warm, a beautiful autumn day. So sunny that we had to pull the shade down a little. Which is a good problem to have when it's this close to winter!

 

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I love going for my walks each morning once it's warm enough. I usually go about 8am. First Paul and I take the doggies for a walk, then I go for a walk by myself with an audiobook playing on my excellent AliExpress headphone headband which is still going strong at least a year later.

I have three pairs of leggings and four tops so I always have fresh walking gear available. And I bought a pair of leather New Balance shoes just for my walking. Fabric sneakers, no matter how fancy, just get so wet in the grass and I'd get back home with damp socks!

If it's not cool enough for my sleeveless jacket, I take my belt bag to put my phone in.

It is SUCH a nice part of my day and if I don't go for a walk I really miss it. It's only about 30-40 minutes long, depending on how fast I walk.

At this time of year I get to admire the late autumn beauty around me, and it's lovely and fresh being outside. Plus, the sunlight is meant to be very helpful to your brain happiness early in the day. Or helps you sleep better at night. Something good anyway! I choose to believe it all 😊

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Late autumn goodness in our fruit bowl 😋

 

Persimmons, oranges, mandarins, feijoas and gold kiwifruit. All except the kiwifruit are homegrown (some given to me and some grown here).

Each day for our lunch ‘pudding’ I put together fresh fruit, plain Greek yoghurt, and a sprinkled topping of sliced almonds and shredded/roasted coconut.

It’s such a delicious sweet to round out lunch!

When we don’t have such a free bounty I love a crispy apple chopped up with the yoghurt and almonds.

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I’m wishing you a lovely week. It’s Monday here, King’s Birthday, so it’s a public holiday. Today’s plan is to clean the house this morning, and have a lovely relaxing afternoon, enjoying our refreshed abode!

See you next time 😊

xx Fiona

 

PS.  If you would like to receive this newsletter by email (via Substack at no charge), please go here to Substack and sign up :)

A Lovely Weekend

 

Hello friends,

Greetings from my favourite place in the world - home! It’s been beautiful here and doesn’t feel like Autumn at all, well just maybe a little bit 🍂🍁

I hope you have a chance to step outside for some vitamin D too.

On Friday night Paul and I had a celebratory dinner at home - we met at a bar 22 years ago to the day 🥰 My sister and I were single and decided to go out for a drink together, and Paul was with his friends watching a rugby game. And the rest is history :)

Champagne was on ice at our place and it was delicious! Usually it’s Prosecco, lol!

 

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I spent a delightful hour or so finishing up this book on a cozy Sunday afternoon. It was so good, and I had tears in my eyes at the end. Always the mark of a good romcom book!

It was 5/5 stars for sure. It had a quirky premise and even got very tense (would they survive?? It was superbly written from that point of view). Two people have a drunken one-night stand on a houseboat and wake up in the morning floating away in the sea with no land in sight because they didn’t tie the boat up properly.

I mean, you’ve got to admit it, that is a unique story outline. I thought they’d have to survive otherwise it would be a terrible romance, but there are bits I didn't guess, and twists at the end which keep you interested. All in all a very satisfying ending!

 

 

I've read all the authors other books too and they are fab as well. Have you read this author before? It's here on Amazon (affiliate link), or get it from the library!

And please, tell me what you're reading at the moment if you'd recommend it.

To accompany my relaxing reading time I had a background music video playing softly on the television, imagining myself sitting on that terrace in Paris.

Plus coffee, dark chocolate, and a bliss ball.

Sunday perfection 😍

(Paul was at work so it was just me and the pets).

I hope you had a lovely weekend too!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find all my links at fionaferris.com: where to read or listen to my books, podcast interviews, even my Dior relaxing music playlist on Spotify. It’s all there!

 

 

Living well at home

Hello friends!

I love how setting the table nicely makes even a simple dinner feel more special (here we are having spaghetti bolognese).

My essentials are:

✨ Candles (I am using tealights in my faux Baccarat candlesticks tonight)

✨ Jazz playing on the bluetooth speaker

✨ Sparkling water alongside the wine

✨ A side salad sprinkled with Parmesan cheese

✨ My homesewn coasters for a nice feel when you put your glass down :)

It's so nice to create a restaurant atmosphere at home, it really doesn't cost anything extra (unlike dining out), and you get the satisfaction and pleasure of using items you already own.

Don't get me wrong, I love going out for a special meal or when we are travelling, but wow prices have gone up a lot. And I know it's hard to make a dollar in the restaurant business too, I don't doubt that. It's just how things are right now :0

But when you are working on strengthening your own personal economy, creating a beautiful dining experience for yourself is a great start.

Another thing I like to do is make my own eating-out favourites at home. I make fish and chips from fresh fish seasoned and cooked in the air fryer, with the chips made from fresh potatoes chopped into wedges, sprayed with olive oil and baked in the oven. YUM!

Something like this is a necessity for me since I'm celiac and have to be gluten-free, but it's actually such a delicious upgrade and far healthier too.

Are you an eat-at-the-table fan?

Also, let me know your favourite fakeaway meal to make at home :) I also love making my own pizzas (I have made the bases before but have been buying gluten-free bases lately), bunless burger and fries.

(This makes me look like I have homemade fast food all the time but they are only on the menu every so often! Mostly we do a roast with tons of veggies, meatloaf, curry, chicken and vegetables etc.)

And, please let me know how you like to make dining at home more special! 

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I bought myself a new, inexpensive wreath for our front door. I love having a Christmas wreath up during the holiday season and always feel so sad taking it down.

I had a thought that seasonal wreaths must be a thing, and they are! I ordered this 'autumn wreath' online and it makes me so happy every time I see it.

I already have plans to find a winter wreath (since we have winter in the middle of the year in the southern hemisphere), and a spring wreath when I need it too.

I know it's not really a necessity, but it really lifts my spirits. And switching them out every three months or so means I won't get bored with them either. Such fun!

This one was from Temu for $15. Don't judge!

I heard the phrase 'fast fashion worn slow' a while back and it's exactly how I approach things. I might buy something inexpensive, but my purchases are always carefully considered ('will I enjoy this for a long time or will it be clutter and junk in five minutes' 😂)

I decided that my autumn wreath is the former! Of course I did 🤣

I hope you had a lovely weekend (and maybe you're still in the middle of it). It's Sunday night here, and we're tucked in cozy with the fire going. Doggies are happily sprawled, 'sunbathing' their tummies, and it’s dinner time soon.

Life is good, I hope it is for you too whatever you are doing!

See you next week :)

xx Fiona

 

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PS. Check out my book '100 Ways to Live a Luxurious Life on a Budget' if you like the ideas in this post! It is quick-to-read, packed with inspiring ideas, and also my most consistently popular book with almost 800 reviews on Amazon (and an average 4.6 rating out of 5 stars).

It is not the kind of book that will give you discount codes or which places to go to to get a bargain. What you will find is all my secrets how I have created a luxurious life for myself, even though I value thrift and simplicity. You can create any kind of reality for yourself too, and it can happen in an instant with a shift in mindset. Sounds airy fairy but I am fully about the practical as well.

I always say to have your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. It has served me well so far! Happy reading :) Please let me know what you think of it!

 

 

[My Amazon links are affiliate, which means I may earn a small commission but at no extra cost to you. I appreciate it if you choose to use my links!]

A fresh new month

 Hello friends!

It’s been a lovely cozy week for me here at home in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. Autumn weather has rolled in, with sunshine one day, rain the next. Whether it’s spring or autumn, the transitional seasons always seem to have unsettled weather!

I know a lot of people don’t like to ‘talk about the weather’, but I love it as a topic. Perhaps not so much as small talk, but I just find weather endlessly fascinating.

(It was sunny when I went for a walk on the day above. The vineyards on our street are always lovely to stroll past - at the moment the grapes have long been harvested and the leaves are turning yellow).

I'm also really enjoying putting different outfits and colourways together to embrace our incoming autumn. I haven't done a proper wardrobe refresh switching things around yet but I'm looking forward to doing it soon.

Whether you are coming into spring or autumn, have you organised your new season looks yet? Am I the only one not done...?

 

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And, are you ready to step into your rich-lady lifestyle? Haha, I say 'rich lady' tongue-in-cheek, but I really do love the visual this phrase inspires.

When Financially Chic Vol. 2 was released seven months ago, inflation was high. But it seems that instead of things easing, there may be more clouds gathering on the horizon.

When I find myself getting all wound up and worried, I stop and focus on what I can control: my own little world and my own personal economy.

In this book I outline changes I made to improve our financial situation in spite of what was happening around us, and in recent times I've done more - no more Spotify Premium for a while, shopping my closet, and using our local public library more (you can ask your library to order my books in too, in paperback or audiobook).

I always like to keep my mindset happy too, it helps me cope with unsettling times better.

 

 

For today, I wanted to share a mindset shift from this book; it’s in Chapter 3. Elevate Your Mindset.

“You want to learn how to make it fun to be frugal – I promise this is not an oxymoron. And if the word frugal has negative connotations for you, choose another: careful, savvy, economical, prudent, unwasteful, canny, sparing, or meticulous. I like the thought of being exquisite with money, or elegant with money. Doesn’t financial elegance have a nice ring to it? Imagine choosing to be financially elegant as your new mindset?

Know that you can ‘live beyond your means’ and it all starts with your mindset. I remember how good it felt when I flicked the switch and viewed money as fun and easy instead of stressful and scary. I felt more in control of my destiny and it was such a soothing feeling. It was also exciting, because I felt empowered and emboldened. I was the one driving the bus now!”

If you don’t like how you feel about money and finances, find a way you’d rather be and step into that. It sounds airy fairy, but in my experience doing this truly changes how you show up, and in turn changes decisions you make. It’s fun too, who wouldn’t want to practice being someone new!

(Here’s the link for Financially Chic Vol. 2 if you don't have it yet. It’s ‘affiliate’ which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase; I appreciate it if you choose to use my link!)

 

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If there is one thing the doggies LOVE, it's going in the car. (Above, Daphne in front, and below, Chloe). And even better if the window is down so they can get a better look around and feel the wind in their fur.Lucky they are both short enough that it's not a safety hazard.

 

 

 

Even standing up on their hind legs with front paws on the arm rest they couldn't topple out.It's cute how they get so excited for a drive!If you have dog(s) are they car fanatics too?

 

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Wishing you a lovely weekend, and that you get a chance to rest and maybe even do something creative. I’ll see you next week!

xx Fiona

PS. You can find all my books, audiobooks, and other social media channels here on my Linktree :)

 

PPS. I've also just started publishing my weekly newsletter on Substack, so you can read it there too, and subscribe (it's free) to have my newsletter sent to your Inbox.

 

See this post on Substack :)

Autumn showers and autumn style

 

Greetings from a rainy week! I had to stand under the carport so Paul could take a photo of me :) I love my autumn toned outfit with navy and green paired with leopard.

 

I hope you had a lovely Easter if you celebrate it. Paul worked a few of the days and I've been writing, and on Monday we had 'Easter lunch for three' with my mum at home.

 

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I've been so enjoying going for my pre-breakfast walk each day with an audiobook playing (between showers).

At the moment I'm listening to Molly the Maid's 3rd book - The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose. I really love the narrator!

Have you found that you can get hooked on narrator's voices and enjoy a book series more because of them? And seek out other books they've narrated? I do 😊

I really hope you are hooked on my audiobooks too! haha, please don't tell me if you find my voice horrible 😂 But I welcome constructive feedback... 😮 if you're kind about it of course!

 

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I am migrating my email newsletter list over to Substack, so the next email you receive from me may look a little different. Just to let you know!

 

Wishing you a fab week and that you are keeping safe and well :)

 

With warm regards,

Fiona x

Make your own sunshine

Micky and me - why do dogs never look at the camera?
Or is it just my dogs???

 

 

Hello chic friends!

 

The day we took these photos was bright, sunny and warm, as you can see. But today, when I was thinking about this post, it was grey and cold, and soon after I came back from my walk, it started raining lightly. But I was so happy in my mind that it gave me the idea to write about being making your own sunshine, even if it's cloudy outside. It didn't matter to me that the skies were grey and it was chilly, because I felt good in myself and excited about my day's plans.

 

And you might find this extra impressive when you hear that my day's plans were to start my taxes and get them done early. I know! What kind a freak am I, haha. But that was one of the things that was making me feel so good - being ahead of the game.

 

Yes, I love being self-employed as an author, but it does mean all the admin falls on me, not an employer. I have to make sure I put money aside for tax, and get all my paperwork in on time too. Usually I'm pretty good at getting all the information for our accountant together, but last year I wasn't. Last year I left it until only a few months before the deadline, and that few months also included giving my accountant enough time to do her part.

 

It was stressful! So this year I decided I was going to do my taxes as soon as I received the email go-ahead from my accountant, and that came in yesterday. My lofty plan is to have it all wrapped up within a few days and emailed back to her by Easter, which is this weekend!

 

This ambitious plan makes me feel good, and I know I will feel even better once my taxes are in. So 'being ahead' is one way that I make my own sunshine. Nothing feels better than being organised - there are no horrible surprises! I forget sometimes and let things slide, but it always feels better to be on top of things.

 

 

 

Perfection across the bay

 

 

Other ways in which I make my own sunshine?

 

🌞 Thinking of all the goodness around, instead of the scary things in the world.

 

🌞 Watching cheery movies and tv series (we are enjoying Running Point with Kate Hudson on Netflix at the moment).

 

🌞 Reading feelgood books (I just finished We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes and it was so good!)

 

🌞 Getting dressed for the day, putting on a little bit of makeup, and freshly washed and blow-dried hair is the best pick-me-up ever! Plus perfume of course :)

 

🌞 Being a little bit silly, playing with the doggies, and just goofing around in general - it's a real tonic! Gets me out of my head and into my body, which feels so much better than the other way around.

 

 

Please tell me, what do you like to do to lighten up when you feel a bit heavy and stressed? And if you need to borrow some of my ideas, please go right ahead :)

 

Paul and Micky :)

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Beautiful autumn sunrise at our place 🧡💜💗💛

 

Who is ready for a new season (whether it's spring or autumn for you)? It's fun to think about 'new' outfit combinations (shop my closet) and creating a capsule collection.

Also for what goals I might want to focus on in the next three months. I always think a nature season is the perfect length of time to make changes or bring new things in.

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Out at the supermarket I saw the loveliest flowers, so happy and colourful!

 

 

I read in a magazine article this weekend that the lady interviewed cited 'wearing colour' as one way that she got dopamine hits for herself and I thought that was so true.

 

 

Wearing happy colours makes me feel good too. And viewing gorgeous flowers does the same.

 

 Enjoy the display! Who can't love bright yellow, hot pink and orange together 💛💖🧡

 

 

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Sweet Micky is going to be 14 in a few months, and he really is such a good advertisement for 'clean living' because he doesn't look a day over 10 😊

He loves going for walks, especially at the beach or in the city, and would walk for miles if you did. He is always reluctant to get back into the car after an outing because it means the walk is over!

He is my brother's dog and came to live with us 2.5 years ago when he moved overseas. Micky has fitted in so well with Daphne and Chloe and is totally now their big brother. And he has such a friendly, relaxed nature; you can see it in his eyes.

He is half Jack Russell Terrier, half Shih Tzu. My brother reckons that makes him a Jack Sh!t 🤣

He really is an ageless boy, so full of happiness and zing.

A funny thing: when he was an only dog he wasn't that food focused. At his place there would always be a bowl of dog biscuits next to his water bowl to graze from.

Now that he lives with two other dogs he has turned into a dog who wants food all the time, and we daren't leave a bowl of biscuits out. Competition! And he is always keen for his breakfast, lunchtime biscuit, and dinner! Not to mention stray pieces of carrot, apple, and broccoli stalk. He's a healthy boy 😍

Are all dogs food-mad? Let me know about yours 😊

Have a happy week!
xx Fiona

 

PS. If you would like an Amazon alternative, all my eBooks and audiobooks are available in my eStore. You can view everything here! 

 

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