A bucket list for your dirty thirties

 
• Kick a bad habit
• Visit a new continent
• Go on a road trip with the girls 
• Learn to drive a new mode of transport
• Grow something you can eat
• Organise your life 
• Read a classic novel
• Do something that scares you
• Be stylish wear something to turn heads your not dead yet
• Volunteer 
• Get fit for life last chance to strengthen them bones
• Win a medal 
• Scrapbook the best things you did in the last 30 years 
• Learn to play that instrument
• Spend time with the children in your family
• Travel Alone
• Fly 1st class
• Host a Christmas party
• Make videos and save them
• Get the car you always wanted 

I'm a massive fan of lists and bucket lists I have done since I was 16 I have saved and I still write one for every year and I make my daughter do this too!! I may not complete all of them but some years I have last year was the worst year I think I've ever had and when I looked back at my list at the end of the year id actually completed 11/12 things on there. So to achieve the things I needed I had to sacrifice other stuff that year like holidays and going places. So I am making up for all that this year!!

 

PS this isn't my bucket list it was just some ideas for anyone interested in making one.

 

Mines 150+ of a list =)

Healthy snacks for healthier snackers

Healthy snacks for evening snackers

My downfall in my life of fitness in 2017 is snacking at night.

The last couple of years of clean eating and weight training I sort of had this under control. 

Since Christmas and a spiralling month of chocolate wine and chaos plus a few other personal life changes I just can't knock the habit off. 

So this weekend when I did my food shop I planned beforehand what snacks I can get to help me switch from chocolate and biscuits to something more healthier. 

• Pre-chop and prepare carrots and celery and store in Tupperware in the fridge ready to eat
• Nuts, raisins, dates, coconut chips - a mixed selection in a tub and saved where the biscuits usually are!
• Make some energy balls to shove in my mouth instead of a custard cream before I go to the gym 
• Pomegranate seeds - pre picked, I found these a good alternative to haribo, These are my absolute fave!
• Olives and a cocktail stick 
• Chopped up fruit prepared and ready to snack on - apples, kiwis, grapes, pineapple
• Chocolate cornflake buns - I need chocolate right so some little spoonfuls of cheap made buns with chocolate on gotta be better then say a snickers bar right? 
• Kale chips 
• Skyr yoghurt
• A spoonful of peanut butter or chocolate spread if needs must!  
• and finally don't snack at all - #lifegoals

The key is to prepare these snacks so you can walk in the kitchen and grab. Have willpower and try these alternatives at your next food shop. Don't buy the chocolate and biscuits, unless you have to like I do [hubby and kid wont allow otherwise], so store them in a different cupboard if you do. This way your routine of fridge and snack cupboard opening every time you walk in the kitchen will be met with new choices! 

Same goes for work, lunches, canteens and venders. Avoid them, take your own snacks, buy some little containers and always make sure you have something just in case and this will stop that walk to the vender. I also make sure I don't have any change on me and one better forget all sources of bank cards and money then I have to starve if I'm craving something naughty!! 

30 things to do before your 30

• Fire a gun
• Smoke a fag
• Drink till u pass out
• Stay up all night talking with the bf
• Write a story
• Tell someone you hate to fuck off
• Eat something you have never tried
• Organise your belongings 
• Stop drinking fizzy pop
• Set up a pension plan
• Learn something new
• Buy some stocks/invest
• Make friends with someone new
• Try out a new hobby 
• Go out once a week with friends
• Get a tattoo/piercing
• Make a family tree 
• Have sex outdoors
• Do something you haven't done before
• Overcome your worst fear
• Write someone a letter and post it 
• Make a bucket list 
• Buy something you shouldn't 
• Make a photo album of the best things you did before you turned 30
• Improve your wine knowledge
• Book a trip you've been putting off
• Buy a new sex toy
• Say no to everyone for a day
• Say yes to everyone for a week 

Beauty Sample Reviews for Hair & Body

I just wanted to write about a couple of samples I got in a women's health magazine this week.

The first was this l'oreal elvive extraordianry clay shampoo and conditioner

I had to write about it because my gosh it's amazing!! My hair hasn't felt soft in a long time and I didn't even have to put any argan oil on after if blow dried it.

Woke up this morning and it's really shiny and thick feeling I'm that impressed I'm going to buy the bottles from shop later. (UPDATE!! 1 year on nearly and I still use the clay shampoo its amazing!!!)

I also tried this garnier ultimate blends body lotion and although my skin feels deliciously soft and smells divine I'm really sticky and it claimed I could put on my clothes straight after where I am now 20 minutes later still thinking about pulling on my skinny jeans.... But lovely product it's kind of glowy which I like. But yeah I'm even sticky on my arms still.

Smoothie Bowl for Breakfast

I have been making smoothie bowls for a while now since I got my new blender at Christmas and replaced my winter porridge with a cold refreshing dish!!

Basically you can use what every you have in the fridge but a few of my faves are:

Banana
Spinach
Honey
Almond Milk
Chia Seeds
Peanut Butter

Skyr Protein Yoghurt
Banana
Frozen blueberries an raspberries

I then top these with homemade granola and fresh fruit.

They are so filling so they put me on until lunchtime always. If I don't fancy it for breakfast I take it to work in the blender container and eat it for lunch as a yoghurt or it makes a good sweet dessert if your craving something after tea.

You can what ever you like there are so many variations.

I enjoy a few dates chucked in too or you can protein powder for consumption after a workout. 

I've also been eating an orange diced up for breakfast and feel like its helped my skin clear up much quicker too.

All my breakfast is washed down with a hot water and lemon juice -  a morning ritual I am addicted too.


 

Sweet potato brownies

I've just made my first batch of sweet potato brownies and I can't believe how nice they are. They have made my house smell amazingly good and they look like the chocolatiest gooiest most divine brownies I have ever made!!!

They include all natural ingredients too it's very hard to believe!! 

At only 125 calories a slice you would be a fool not to give it a go!! 

Booty building Workout - Tammy Hembrow my #WCW

SO my friend got me following Tammy Hembrow on Instagram recently and I totally stalked her back to 2013.......... Slight exaggeration maybe 2014 though!!

I just became obsessed. I was gifted with her booty building programme and i'm addicted to working out again. Its available to buy at www.tammyhembrow.org


I love it when im in this mode, when I want something I go for it. I love getting gym addicted cos its the only way I will go and commit to going.

Easter came and left me rolling swear to god March literally killed me off I broke down about where I went wrong and it was the loss of our coach combo,  2 weekends away, and the Easter bunny. Its all their faults. I literally fell off the band wagon and couldn't get back on!!
I've done this a few times now I seem to do it every 3 months or so but I always get back on it and at the time I feel like I've lost my way and all the work I put it in as disappeared. But now it only takes me a week to get back in the game and I feel great again so I know its in their somewhere I just have to refuel it

Having inspirations and motivations like Tammy Hembrow are what get me back on it!  I'm currently following her programme and have switched up my diet a bit eating less fruit at dinner and more high protein meals.

I'm not sure how this is going yet ill give it a month and report back. I've eaten less sugar, biscuits and chocolate and my skins recovering from all this too. I was a total wreck! Very unlike me!!

Some key workouts have been these:

Weighted Squats

Bulgarian Lunges

Fire Hydrants with Ankle Weights

I'm a year on nearly from when I first started in the gym and love my body so much more. I never really cared what size I was I was generally lucky with what I could eat and not have to do much but now I feel so much healthier and feel better in my clothes too as well as being reght hard na too LOL

A real view of the Plusnet Yorkshire Half Marathon - Sheffield 10/04/2016

I am extremely proud of myself for competing and completing the Sheffield Half Marathon 2016.

I'm even prouder now its over because it wasn't the hardest mentalist thing I've had to do!

I didn't train as well as I could have and the more I knew I should be running the less I would run. That's how I roll unfortunately. I felt like quitting and not even doing it at one point because it made me hate running.

The week before especially! I had done some Bulgarian lunges in the gym and wrecked my muscles! I tried to go for a run to town and back and couldn't make it as my legs were in pure agony I thought id ruined my chances for sure. So I didn't run or even try and then just went for the 13.1 mile on the day.

Setting off I was great I had some bad tunes to go with and was enjoying it and the sites and the people. but I kept wanting to cry like really wanting to cry and I am not a crier. it was so emotional and so weird.

The 5 mile hill wasn't as bad as I thought I hadn't even realised id done it when it was over. The king of the hill even wasn't that bad. Lucky for me every run I do I always start  on a massive hill and I think that helped me in training. I seem to run better up hill than down anyway, my legs don't like down hill running. 

The next 3 mile was ok however it was getting hotter and hotter and we was up in the countryside at this point.

Between mile 8 and 9 I wanted to call an ambulance I hated my life and couldn't believe what I was trying to do.

then we hit the supporters in Dore cheering us on and that cheered me up loads, someone gave me a jelly bean and it changed my life!! That little bean gave me so much energy I was on a sugar low 10 mins after haha

Mile 10, 11 and 12 were awful, I was struggling so bad and slowed down loads, I kept eating jelly babies which were great for some reason! I don't even like them. they seem to give u a whizz for a bit!

Last stretch of half mile back into peace gardens I started to walk I was done in. some guy said 'come on hun love last half mile' we can do this and so I did.

I ran to the finish line and wanted to cry - I fuckin did it man, don't ever let me do something so stupid ever again.

then me mates like are we doing it next year im like yeah why not - what a douche

I got my medal and got it engraved with the wrong time, I wish I had some of my granddads medals he was a runner and now I have an interest in seeing what he ran and how far and where etc I cant ask him anymore and that's sad. I used to go on yew lane and cheer him on and throw wet sponges at people and give them water with my nan, maybe that's where it started for me.

I ran with a minion too he was there at the start and there at the end - humans are so strong he wore a suit that WOULD HAVE MELTED YOU and he did it, you see so many people that you wouldn't think could do something like that and they do it so why cant you do it.

its all in the mind - that's your worst enemy

I saw people collapsed in the street at mile 11ish and I thought oh my god that's me i'm going to die and not even gonna make it to the end - i'm not even joking I have heart difficulties a lot and that's the end of me when that starts. I cant breathe and I mentally die inside. but once I saw people with medics round them I thought that was my end too., I also wouldn't let people come and watch me in case I came back in the ambulance..........

that's why I wanted to cry anyway because all them thoughts and negative feelings were wrong - #icangirls but ive survived and ive crossed it off my bucket list. maybe ill do it again maybe I won't

The bestestest quickest way to lose weight

I swear that drinking a cup of hot water with half a lemon squeezed in, first thing in the morning and last thing at night is the best detox, bloating, fat loss remedy I have ever ever done.

For the last 2 years I have drank this and when u forget about it or go a month without it I start getting bloated again. Then I remember that I haven't been drinking it and really should so I work it back into my day and walla I feel the muscles coming back out!!

I promise it's amazing and if your not drinking it you obviously aren't in it for yourself! What have you got to lose! 

I even just googled it and a million and one reasons to drink this shit came up so its not just me and my opinion it's on google and that's fact 😜

Instagram

https://instagram.com/p/BBeqrkKpMAD/ 

Healthy flourless Banana Pancakes

The most delicious healthy way to eat your pancakes! So much tastier and fluffier and fill you up much more than normal.

With just 2 ingredients - a banana and 2 eggs

Mash up the banana in a bowl and add the two eggs then give it a good mix up until it's all mushed and mixed together. I did add a sprinkle of bicarbonate soda, just because.

Then heat up your frying pan with coconut oil or olive oil or whatever you prefer then add the mix! I like to try and keep them small and thick but it doesn't always happen. I haven't mastered beautiful foodie pics yet I just know it makes good fuckin pancakes an a picture or two helps the sell!! 

Cook them slow and long on a low heat don't rush them because that's what I always do and end up with a heaped pile of pancake!! What I've just discovered whilst cooking the third pancake was this. Add the mix to the pan and cook slowly until formed and browned around five mins then take your frying pan and shove under the grill for two mins as you would an omelette (well its how I do mine) then once it's set its so much easier to flip and it will for sure keep its shape u like my pancake one and two haha but I didn't mind it all Tasted the same. 

 (real life pics - not 10 attempts to make them look pretty - that's not me)

Once done I added fruit and a drizzle of honey!

Add whatever you like at the end - chocolate spread, peanut butter, cinnamon there all amazing!! 

After several more attempts at these trying to make perfect pancakes I decided to add a sprinkle of oats to the mixture and they were the best pancakes ever and perfect for snapping too haha so that's what I do now add a handful of oats!!

My top ten in Brussels

This weekend we visited Brussels for my bro's 30th birthday and our annual kid free trip!

 

 

THE HOME OF THE WAFFLE

- Sufurens little café was the best place for waffles

 

We randomly chose Brussels because flights were cheap and before the news announced Isis was all shacked up there but we're not scared and so on we went!

It was nothing like what i thought it would be but we had the bestest time getting cultured and eating waffles man 🍻

 

My top ten anyway

0. The smell of panos when we got off the train

1. Hard Rock Cafe 

2. Paul's cafe for lunch, coffees or cakes

3. Arc de triumph on a clear day

4. Brussels cinema experience watched hail ceaser

5. The Belgium Beer

6. Suferens - waffles for breakfast

7. Mathilde chocolate shop

8. Beer bike bar 

9. The grasshopper toy shop

10. Grand place square at night 

11. The lady owner of the flower market stall on a Sunday was my fave

 

The Parc at night was full of drug dealers and we thought we was gonna get jumped no lie!! In the daylight it was a different place!

The cinema experience was bizarre really enjoyed the experience! We watched Hail Ceaser, really weird film to make it an even weirder experience haha 


The comic strip tour, looking for street art and comics on the side of the buildings was also nice to do as the weather was grand we had time to stroll and explore properly

The square at night was fabulous all lit up, Everyone was just so nice

 

This was in the finance district near the comic museum, which we hunted down and refused to pay the admission when we got there !

 

We stayed at Motel one which was a very good choice with great location, price and made our stay, breakfast was amazing too

My French came in really handy as that's the language weirdly.

Make sure you go, its a beaut city with plenty to do for everyone.

Go there