Thursday 29 August 2013

Let's Chat Thursday!

If we were meeting tonight for dinner and a couple of drinks (alcoholic, of course)....

I would tell you all about my struggles to lead a healthy lifestyle at the moment. Meh.

I would tell you that I have finally seen Miley Cyrus' VMA performance with Robin Thicke...WTF.

Seriously hilarious reactions !
Source

I would tell you that I have re-ignited my addiction to juice, courtesy of Tropicana 50. (Review coming on these soon)

Oh and Doritios, let's not even get started on those.

i'm addicted to doritos- and that's who i am
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I would show you this funny meme I found earlier, and we would laugh (hopefully, please don't leave me hanging). Normally I'm not about the cat memes but...


Funny Meme for @Heather Creswell Creswell Kubala
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I would tell you that I have had a slight headache all day...and it wont shift.

I would tell you that I had the most delicious breakfast after my workout this morning.

Mango, Blackberries + Greek Yoghurt.


Yes, my workout went alright, thank you very much for asking. But I have definitely lost a bit of endurance lately, and I am a little frustrated about it.

We would discuss how your day was, and then I would tell you that although my day didn't go to plan...I had planned to study in the sun...it was still a successful day and I am glad I made the most of it!

Maybe you would comment on my lip colour, why thank you! and yes it is new (only £2, what a bargain).



I would tell you that I have been loving adding pops of colour to my wardrobe and make-up lately, and that I have been trying to make the most of summer. Got to catch it before I realise I am kicking leaves, wearing a jumper and calling the season "Autumn".

things i love about fall
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If we were chatting today/tonight, what would we be talking about?

Oh and this happened last night!


...and I probably wont be using the other sachet in the twin-pack. It's the Garnier Pure Self-Heating Sauna Mask, and although my skin felt great last night...today it is swimming in a pool of oil! Not good :-(  (I might be doing a review on it, but I am not sure yet).

xo Thanks for Reading xo

Wednesday 28 August 2013

It's Wednesday...Again?

So it's that day of the week again, where we get together to share our recent eats. In my case I am going to share my favourite things I've been eating recently. Literally that bank holiday at the beginning of the week as thrown me completely. So it got to tea-time yesterday and I was taking a photo of my meal, because it looked good and then I remembered that tomorrow/today is WIAW. Which is one of my favourite blogger link-ups that I like taking part in, and then I suddenly had to come up with a spin on things. Genuinely forgetting about taking pictures hasn't happened to me in a while.

But I don't know about you, but I either can't stop taking photos of my eats or it becomes a chore and it seems like a hassle suddenly? Lately though I just seem to be more interested in the eating that I entirely forget the photographing part.

I may start doing daily uploads in some form or way of my every mouthful or slurpful. Ok, so slurpful isn't a word but you guys get the idea. I'm hoping to get snappy happy! So stay tuned to my instagram and twitter accounts.

Moving on to my recent "favourite" eats.

Peas and Crayons

 An Old Favourite.

I found these when I was shopping with my mom the other day. And this flavour is amazing : D


Porridge, Berries and Nutella.

Love this combination at the moment. Can't wait for the temperature to lower, this will be even more comforting!

Chicken Jalfrezi.

Although I have had better, this hit the spot when I was craving it Thursday night.

Prawn Cocktail Jacket, with cheese, Salad and salad cream.

This has been a monthly favourite of mine, and I have really been craving prawns lately. I reckon I could probably eat them everyday,


Chopped Mango and (full-fat) Greek Yoghurt.

What can I say? Mango will always be a favourite : D

Loved wearing my colour block shorts yesterday, it was great weather for it!

Is anyone else mango obsessed/crazy? I sure am, I think I mention it every other post ha ha.

Have you re-discovered any old favourites recently?

Thanks to the lovely Jenn for hosting : D

xo Thanks for Reading xo

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Letting Myself Off the Hook

I think it's time I let myself off the hook, indefinitely. For the past two months I have been moping, unproductive and generally sulky. Obviously not all day everyday, that would be ridiculous but if I am honest I haven't felt 'consistently' amazing for weeks now. Don't get me wrong I have my days where I am in a great mood, but then I look in the mirror or dwell on the past, and bam my day is ruined. That's because it reminds me that I haven't been doing my best, or putting in the work that I should have. And I am the only one that should accept responsibility.

I am the one who said yes to every takeaway, because no-one forced a burger down my throat. You just never here of that happening do you?! No, that doesn't happen - well not to me anyways. I made every decision and there's no denying  that . I never shun responsibility, not any more and especially not over my eating!

But I really need to decide some things, and soon. I need to make my decisions concise and particular. I have never been a one foot in kind-of-a-girl and it has never ever worked for me to go halfway in on anything.

I feel like I need to completely do a overall. Not cutting any food groups out, but definitely cutting out fast food and junk food. Yesterday was my last day of eating poorly and today will be a new day where I continue on with life (the healthy way).

Basically, you will be seeing a lot of healthy looking snacks and meals here on this little old blog of mine. I need to make it a priority and put in the effort. There will be no more dwelling and only doing. I feel at the moment like this decision has never been more of a priority. I feel like I have to one of those times in life, where you can either make progress and mover forward, or slide on back to where you came from. One guess on which one I'd prefer.

But like I've said, I have been getting frustrated because the things that came so easy to me a few months ago is no longer easy. At all. And that's is what annoys me. Why can things be going so well and be found so easy at one point, and the next thing you know, your struggling? How is it even possible? One minute it's so easy to resist bad food, and then the next thing you know that's all you are craving. I realise it happens to all of us and certainly the best of us. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating or annoying.

It has also been 4 and a half weeks since I last weighed in, and I am openly admitting that I now really terrified to actually do it, which is why I am not going to put pressure on myself to do so. When I feel like weighing in I will. End of.

From here on out I am hopefully going to do weekly and maybe mid-weekly, possibly daily updates. How I am feeling and what I have been doing.

So wish me luck :-D Fingers cross.

xo Thanks for Reading xo

Does anybody else feel like this, or has felt like this recently?

What are some of the things you find helpful during these times?

Monday 26 August 2013

FMM #21

Questions and Answers


friend makin mondays

Thanks to Kenlie for Hosting :-D

1.  What is a typical weekday like for you?  

At the moment I have to make up my own schedule, which for me isn't all that good. I am someone who likes a schedule and who likes to make plans. So, I am definitely both looking forward to my new Uni schedule when I go back in a few weeks. But a typical at Uni schedule for me is; go to mandatory classes, make appointments with lecturers, run errands and spend time with friends whilst managing my homework!

In a way I can't wait for next year, when I become an official adult thrust into the world of work, but on the other hand it is all happening so quick and I just know that I'll soon be graduating *scary thoughts*.

2.  Name one song that never fails to make you happy and one song that you always listen to when you’re sad.

Hmm... I seem to always smile when 'Bruises' by Train comes on. I love that song. And a song that I listen to when I am sad... strangely enough growing up it was either 'Eminem' or my favourite songs from 'Musicals'. I realise that that's a strange mixture.

3.  Did you watch the VMA’s last night? 

No, but I usually catch award shows like that on repeat or catch up, because some bits never fail to make me cringe, especially the presenters.

4.  Share at least two that you possess. 

I'm quite a good cook when I put the effort in! I just get lazy when it comes down to it, but I do hope to start "properly" cooking again and sharing the recipes and my attempts on this blog.
And a second one...I like to think I am good at sport. I have always been competitive and competed regularly at school.

5.  Share one thing that you wish you had the confidence to do.

Start a YouTube channel. I have really been considering this as another creative outlet lately! 

6. Tell us about one insecurity that people might be surprised that you have. 

Well... I am really insecure about talking in front of a group of people. Mainly because in my head I think they are judging me and laughing at me, but that's mainly my 'social anxiety' issues!

7.  If you could be the CEO of any company, which one would you choose to lead?

It would probably have to be either a publishing company, a magazine or a fashion company. Wow that took me no time to answer!

8. List at least three hobbies that make you happy.

*Running + Walking.
*Reading.
*Cooking/Baking.

9.  Is there someone in your life that you wish you could say “I love you” to?  

Yes :-D

10.  Share one cool thing that happened over the weekend. 

I spent some time hanging out and meeting new people, and nowadays I feel like that's something I can do that's actually very cool. Because a year ago that probably wouldn't have happened.


xo Thanks for Reading xo

Bank Holiday

First of all, Happy MIMM guys!

Over here in the U.K it's a bank holiday. So, I will probably just be having a chilled day. Who knows where the day will lead. Not too many plans, but I will have to ask my mom what we are upto, because usually we do do something on bank holidays.

When I am working they will probably mean more and be a bigger deal. But at the moment it's just another day. I am sure that will change come next year! Meh...but for now I am just going to recap about my weekend, which I enjoyed but I got so caught up in having a good time I didn't even think about taking photos! So apologies for that, but most of my weekend was spent studying, anyways, so I think we all know what that looks like. It was boring but necessary and I got done some of what I wanted to get done. So, yeah.

But my weekend was spent at a friends, back over near my uni town and we just hung out and I met knew people and generally had a really good time. It was low key but just what I needed. Some girly company and some of my favourite alcohol and take out! Just what the doctor had ordered, because I have been feeling meh and not as motivated as I have been throughout the summer. Ehh... everyone has there ups and downs, its natural and that's what I try and tell myself.

Not really been feeling my best, but I know what I can do to get me there and as I keep saying at the the moment I feel like I am just floating. Not super strict, but I am also not sinking. Anyways, I drove both there and back on the motorway (freeway), by myself and so that was definitely another learning experience.

But heres what I want to focus on this week is as follows:
1. Eating better (no takeout and limited junk).
2. Enjoying life and the little things in life especially.
3. Getting my sweat on! Pack in as much as I can and do what I want, as long as I am moving.
4. Job search - apply for as many jobs as possible. I "will" get one!
5. Get some work done towards my uni assignments.

Before I go and get on with my day, here's some of my favourite and uplifting quotes!

uplifting quotes
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Life isn’t always easy. No matter how positive you are, how many smiles you spread, or how many uplifting quotes you share there will always be what seems to be just an down-and-out bad day. But, from those bad days you’ll come to learn, love, and appreciate even more the best days of your life.
Source

Kurt Vonnegut
Source

I think that's enough to be getting on with for now :-D Thanks to our lovely Host, Katie, go check her out if you haven't already!

xo Thanks for Reading xo

Sunday 25 August 2013

Review: Muller Bio Yoghurt

I am so sceptical when it comes to probiotics. I mean do they really work? Do they make us think they are really working, when really they are not? Are they just a roost to mess with our heads, so people in head office can have a chuckle? Ok maybe I am going to far, but the other day while shopping I came across a brand I hadn't seen before, and decided to give them a whirl. I figured they're a pound for six, why not? So, I picked up both Vanilla and Raspberry. My mom isn't a fan of vanilla tasting things, so I knew she'd appreciate the fruity flavour. 

First of all the taste test. And I have got to say they passed. It's a strong flavour without becoming sickly, which I liked very much.


Sorry about the missing bottles, I totally thought I had already taken photos. Turns out I hadn't!


Secondly, the consistency test. Now when it comes to texture and consistency with food and drink items, you guys know I am a bit of a freak and am sadly one of those people who sometimes likes food based on texture and consistency. For me it is all part of the package.




Thirdly, and this is a big one! I do think it is actually doing something. Or it could be a combination of all the things I have been trying to do and remembering to do. Including taking a tablet pro-biotic I got a while back and have been using on and off for the past few months. 




Who knows all I can say is that it's tasty and I think it could be kind-of helping. I know what a lame review right, but it's the best I have. If you have digestive issues I would definitely give them a go. Maybe for a month? Everyday, or if you aren't in the mood for a yoghurt, maybe try every other day. That's what I am going to try and do. 

But at the moment I am trying new things again and seeing if I can give my diet a positive makeover. It's really over due and so there may be a few more reviews on the blog from here on out :-D

xo Thanks for Reading xo

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Tuesday Eats "WIAW"

Hey guys, my eats yesterday were very in between. To me personally I achieved the best "balance" I have in days. I even got some veggies in, which I haven't really been getting in since I left Uni. So it will be really nice to get back, if only for that reason, and to get back I can't wait. I feel like since I have been back I have made things, but I haven't really created or "batched" cooked like I do weekly at Uni. And to be honest I have missed that! But it's nearly fall/autumn, which is one of my favourite times of the year to cook because it brings with it hot, comfort food. Hmmm, hmmm, I am licking my lips as I type ha ha.

Yesterday morning I decided I couldn't waste the morning inside and decided to get outside nice and "early" (10:40 am), and go for a walk! It was beautiful and definitely something I have been missing from my routine for the past few months. Sure my cardio on the treadmill is higher intensity, but for me you just can't beat a good walk. And it ended up setting up the rest of the day for me pretty nicely.
You know it's nice outside when you've got your sunnies on :D

Tuesday's Eats.


Breakfast.

Lunch = Leftover half of sandwich from yesterday :D
The Cutest, Smallest Apple ever.
Dinner from a bag.


Has anyone else tried these? They are so easy to have for a fast and simple dinner, and they pack a tonne of flavour!
I added broccoli, sprouts and shredded green beans, topped with cheese. Looks weird but tastes good.

*P.S - There was also an unpictured Iced Soya Latte before dinner, and a cereal bar  and small beer after dinner.

Favourite Random Meals of the Last Week.




Oh and look what I found...

Check out this crisp guys!

Ever tried a meal from a bag?

Who's looking forward to fall/autumn cooking?

Thanks to Jenn for hosting this shindig, if you haven't already be sure to go over and check out her post and everyone else's!

xo Thanks for reading xo

Monday 19 August 2013

FMM #20

friend makin mondays



I haven't partaken in FMM for a while, but I really like the topic today so I am going to make time to write up this blog post :-D Thanks to our wonderful host, you should definitely go over and check out the questions and maybe even have a go at answering them yourself!


School Days

1.  What was your favourite subject in school?
I had quite a few to be honest (geek alert)! I think my favourite was P.E (sport), followed by German, English , Science and Maths :-D Told you I was a nerd!

2. Did you attend elementary school and high school in the same town?
Errm... I am english and so our school system works a little differently. But yes, other than changing primary school (5-11) when I was 7, my primary school and secondary school (11-16) were actually on the same stretch of road.

3. Are you still friends with anyone that you met during school?
Yep, my best friend I met at "high school", and I also keep in contact with some of my friends from primary, secondary but mainly "college" (16-18).

4. What activities were you involved in as a student?
Hmm.. like I said I liked my sport. So any time a sporting opportunity reared I signed up for it.

5. Did you bring your lunch, or did you get it at school?
I did both, depending on if my mom had any money to give me each day for my dinner in town. But I remember in primary that I went through a stage where I didn't like sandwiches and also wasn't keen on school dinners.

6. Did you enjoy shopping for clothing and school supplies? 
I did and still do. I need to go shopping for new supplies at the end of summer for my last year of university. #excitedmuch.

7. Name a song or a band that reminds you of high school.
Hmm... not sure I had a main favourite. But it is definitely the time I started becoming really into the band "The Arctic Monkeys", and I finally have tickets and am going to their gig on Halloween this year, which both me and my sister are super excited for!

8. Did you like school?
I definitely did, and as I approach the final year of my education for the forseeable future it does sadden me. I have spent the last 15 years learning and it will be hard (though wonderful) to not be learning and studying next year.

9. How long have you been out of school? *See Q) 8.

10. What did you like most about school?  What did you dislike most about school?
Most Liked: Friends, the routine, playing sports. Most disliked: "The Cliques" (I wasn't really part of a group and so floated between many kinds of friends), remembering Homework (I was seriously terrible!).

xo Thanks for reading xo

It's Easy To Forget

It's easy to forget how great our lives are. Our lives become busy and we neglect to see the good that comes of each day. So for a week I am going to commit to writing down the peak and pit of my day. I am hoping it shows how great the peaks are in comparison with the pits. In fact I am sure of it, but lately I have got too caught up in me and how I feel to enjoy the beauty of each day. And so I am using everything I remember from CBT to help myself again.

Anyways, with that said it wasn't a bad weekend. In fact I am going to start the peak and pit right now.

Peak: Going out for a friend's birthday and dancing the night away (after one too many drinks :-D).
Pit: Feeling exhausted and my stomach playing up (these two will probably crop up a lot :-[ )

There we have it the peak and pit of my weekend, and the peak definitely outweighs the pit!

So, without further ado I am going to share some pictures with you from my lazy but fun weekend.

First of all I got to wear my new dress that I showed in a previous blog.




Hmm... was just going through my photos and I haven't got a full length picture. Well, that's a fail! But the verdict on the shoes was I love love love them.

The Cocktails!

Mine was the Strawberry Daiquiri, but it doesn't look too good there!

Hangover Breakfast :D

Delicious and hit the spot.

One of the best hangover breakfasts I have ever had.

Definitely head over to our hosts Katie's Blog to show her some love :D 

Anyone else go out and have a great time over the weekend?

Does anyone have a favourite hangover breakfast?

xo Thanks for reading xo

Sunday 18 August 2013

Update: Mid-August

On Friday morning, I seriously considered getting on the scale and peaking at the number. Like I said I "considered" it, but I didn't follow through. On this blog I have mentioned my "funny feelings" many times, and when I feel like something isn't meant to be I steer clear. I am definitely a person who goes off how they feel, and the way I choose to live my life is no exception. Don't get me wrong many would class me, and even I would class myself as a very level headed person, with spontaneity definitely not being my strong suit. But like I said on Friday I had a sneaky feeling creeping in my belly that warned me that to even entertain the thought of stepping on those tables.

All my life I have struggled and sometimes failed to find balance, and sometimes I have lost myself in the attempt to try and always maintain a certain balance. At the moment this battle is definitely taking its toll, and its time to stop letting myself down once again. I need to go food shopping tomorrow to cook a few meals, and get in all the fruit and veggies I can. It's time to start only eating takeaways and fast food occasionally again, and swap the bad snacks of crisps and chocolate for the better snacks of crackers (possibly), fruit and veggie sticks. It just has to be done now, and I owe it to myself.

I need to get out for walks if I don't want to "workout". I need to stop putting off applying for jobs. I need to get the reading I need to get done done. Because if I am honest time is running out, and feeling this way is not helping anything. I need to be my own person and stand on my own two feet. I keep remembering what I learnt from my CBT sessions, and I keep saving myself. But I keep questioning how many times I can do this in such a short space of time.

I am sure it will get better, but the "how" and "when" is still up to me, and sometimes I have to remind myself of that.

And it's time to let the past couple of months stay in the past!

xo Thanks for reading xo

Thursday 15 August 2013

I Did It...

What did I do I here you ask? Well yesterday and the day before that I conquered the motorway (or the freeway depending on where you are from). I am so proud of myself for having the courage, putting my anxiety to one side and just going for it. I'm not kidding anyone if I said it was a breeze, pretty far from it. But I gave it a go and went for it, and because of that I was rewarded. (Ok, so I did have to take some Kalms and yes I asked my best friend to come with me. Mainly for moral support!). But I did it!

My Uni town is beautiful and so different from where I grew up. It's only a small town, but it's enough and has everything you need. I just enjoy the greenery of the town and the beautiful, easy to access parks. Where we live we are literally a couple of minutes from Pittville Park, and as we have become used to the area we have explored different routes to walk (and hopefully run soon). I love being able to walk a couple of minutes, and either go for a walk/run or go to the local leisure centre up the road, to either swim or use their other facilities.

On our walk yesterday I managed to take a few pictures to show you, and there's also some pictures on the motorway

On Our Walk.












We decided to go for a walk before heading to the library and then into town for lunch. It was good to get some exercise and fresh air, as it felt like all I'd been doing the day before was driving and eating. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it gave me great experience and was a big learning curve, but I felt like I hadn't got much done and after being very stationary for quite a bit, it was good to get out!

I love that there's lots of greenery in the photos :-D

Driving Back.

Or as I like to call it, "tackling the beast again".














Ha ha Alex was taking the photos as my passenger, and it shows you just how much I was concentrating because I didn't even notice this :-D



What are your first experiences going on the motorway/freeway?

Does the area you live in provide you with a good place to go walking? That's definitely one of the things I miss when I'm not there.

xo Thanks for Reading xo