Cocobella Ambassador Ella has got to have one of the happiest and brightest Instagram feeds around, featuring breathtaking beach views and luscious and healthy snack inspo. We chatted to Ella about the inspiration behind our 5 favourite photos in her feed:
Just by looking at this, we can almost feel the salty NSW ocean breeze on our skin! What are your 5 essentials for a day at the beach?
Pompom Wilderness
This photo was taken by one of my best friends, Sam. We had just parked our cars and walked along the headland (dying of heat and a little annoyed we hadn’t brought our swimmers!). We saw this rock and decided it was a pretty cool place for a photo.
My essentials for a day at the beach include: sun cream, a bottle of water, watermelon and two spoons (a favourite of mine and Sam’s!), a good book and an umbrella. I never know how people can lay in the sun for hours on end without some shade! My days at the beach have been crazily improved with my trusty umbrella.
One word: YUM! What is your absolute favourite smoothie bowl? (We know this is a tricky one!)
Pompom Wilderness
This photo was taken the day after my final piece of HSC Major Work was submitted. I remember waking up and thinking, ‘this morning I am going to make the best smoothie bowl as a treat!’, it was delicious!
However, my absolute favourite smoothie bowl would have to be my Berry, Banana and Peanut Butter Bowl.
To make:
Ingredients
2 frozen bananas
1 cup of mixed frozen berries
1 tbsp. PB2 powder
¾ cup of Cocobella Straight Up coconut water, and
Method
Blend all ingredients until creamy and delicious, spoon it into a bowl, take a generous spoonful of smooth peanut butter and twirl it in. You can also add some rice puffs and fruit if you want to, but sometimes simple is best!
We got some serious wanderlust staring at this photo. That view! What is your #1 local beachside destination to visit?
Pompom Wilderness
This photo was taken on a day when my mum and I had been in the city, it was so busy and we both got headaches. In a bid to escape the craziness (which we normally love), we drove to Bondi and sat on a sidewalk bench overlooking this amazing view! In front of us were lines of tourists taking the same photo. Although we live in Sydney, my mum and I slipped in amongst the crowd and pretended we were on holiday too!
My number one local beachside destination would have to be Shelly Beach in Manly. Not only are there some super pretty shells to find (hence the name ‘Shelly’!), there is also an awesome café that serves delicious smoothies, sweet potato fries and salads. I would 10/10 recommend!
This snap makes us want to hit the kitchen ASAP! Aside from cooking, what do you like get up to with your friends at the weekend for fun?
Pompom Wilderness
I was just driving home from an appointment in Mosman when I decided to visit the lovely girls at my favorite bulk food shop, Scoop Wholefoods. I picked up a good variety of dried fruits – I couldn’t wait to get home and make a smoothie bowl for lunch. As you can see, I got a little off track and next thing I knew, I had this laying all over the bench in front of me. Lets just say I lost more fruit to the floor then there were in the jars. Whoops!
On the weekends (and between study) my friends and I love to meet up for brunch and stay in the café for hours chatting away. Now that we are 18 we have also started to enjoy buying the odd (pricey!!) cocktail here and there… it sounds very mature but most of the time I’m just trying to not spill it! Another thing my friends and I love to do in summer is catch up for picnics – there is a lovely bush reserve and lake near our house and we like to pack a big lunch and head there. Another favourite activity is to explore a local market – Kiribilli and Glebe are my personal preferences.
Prompt: Such a lovely fresh snap of you Ella, would you mind sharing your top 5 tips for staying relaxed and happy?
Pompom Wilderness
This photo was taken on the day of my 18th birthday and is one of my fondest memories to date.
I had just transformed an old pair of men’s overalls into something a little bit less ‘man-ly’, and decided to pair it with a new hat from my parents. After I had finished breakfast, I was sitting on the front balcony and my brother secretly snapped this photo of me! I feel like it perfectly sums up a lovely day.
My top 5 tips for staying relaxed and happy are:
- Have a shower.
Sometimes when I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, I find a shower is a great way to refresh my system. Try it next time your feeling less than average – your entire mental state will shift.
- Eat breakfast.
I don’t understand how people can skip breakfast, I would honestly not make it out of the house without it. Staying relaxed and happy has a lot to do with not being ‘hanrgy’. How do you avoid being ‘hangry’? Eat a nice big breaky and your energy levels will sky rocket before the day even begins.
- Write in a journal.
Sometimes the best thing you can do to clear your head is write everything down. I know that for me, when I get anxious or down I write/scribble/draw my feelings and a lot of the time I come away feeling a lot more calm.
- Get out of the house.
When I’ve been at home studying all day, I find it much easier to loose my calm. A simple solution I have found that works is just getting out of the environment for a while. Perhaps that means taking a drive and getting a take away chai, or maybe just leaving the room and sitting outside in the fresh air. No matter what, I always find getting outside of the house super helpful for keeping your spirits high.
- Do something you love.
For me this is taking time each morning to make a nourishing breakfast, style the photograph and edit it. For my brother its playing soccer, and for my little sister its running after her pet chickens. Whatever it is, if you put aside even just a few minutes a day to do something you truly love, your mood will lift and you are sure to come away feeling relaxed and happy.
