Thursday 1 September 2016

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 

Wednesday 11 May 2016

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.


 

Friday 29 April 2016

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!! 

Wednesday 27 April 2016

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

Sunday 17 April 2016

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


Monday 4 April 2016

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 😜


Saturday 2 April 2016

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!!



Monday 14 March 2016

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 

Monday 29 February 2016

Runners knee - solution

I've had bad knees since I started running and I limp after a run for a couple of days too.

I've been really dreading a marathon because of the pain I'm in and genuinely think I may quit running once I've completed it.

Someone told me about some cartledge tablets I should take to ease the issues so I went online to search for them and they was like £20 which I didn't really want to spend. So when I was in the supermarket I found some in morrisons for £10 which weren't bad but then found asda had their own brand for just £3 so thought I'd give them a try.

Chrondroitin was the tablet I needed it helps maintain healthy joints and contributes to the formation of bones and tissue including cartledge. I've been taking them for two weeks and it feel so much better already. I did the 11 mile run on Sunday so had one Sunday and one Monday and by Tuesday it wasn't has bad at all so think they have definitely helped and will definitely carry on taking them whilst I'm training. 

Joint health multivitamins and minerals food supplement with Glucosamine sulphate, chondroitin and msm. 


Half marathon training

I love the stages i go through on a long run I don't know if everyone goes through the same!!

Yesterday I did my longest run yet 11 miles and I am crippled today! I've been running for over a year now but my longest run to date was 8 miles. 

I'm 6 weeks away from my first half marathon in Sheffield and knew I needed to up my game as training hasn't been going as well I liked. 

I got up yesterday with intention of running 8-9 miles but I smashed that thank fully but can no longer walk and I ache all over!! 

I finished my run and walked up the street home, texted the hubby to get the bath running and entered the house poured a glass of water opened a bag of midget gems and sat on the kitchen floor in pure agony!! I'm not out of shape I'm active 5/6 times per week so I'm not unfit but it was testing if you can call it anything. 

Mile one - Oooh it's cold
Mile two - maybe I'll just do 4 miles 
Mile three - hit a hill and smashed it
Mile 4 - I'm half way there I can so do this
Mile 5 - I'm forest gump I can run forever 
Mile 6 - god could I turn around and run home right now to make it twelve miles 
Mile 7 - my abs hurt shall I stop at that house for a drink and a toilet break
Mile 8 - I'm gonna go the long way home cos I'm feeling good
Mile 9- why did I do this to myself my feet are blistering 
Mile 10 - I'm gonna call home and get picked up 
Mile 11 - u fucking idiot what are you doing 
0.2 miles - The walk home I looked like I'd shit my pants 

The mental thought process of running alone makes me laugh I go through so many stages of how I need to go home or how I feel amazing and could run forever - I'm well proud I did this it's a great achievement for me. The way to do it is be so far away from home the only thing you can do is run home and finish the race! 

Thursday 11 February 2016

Soup da loop

So my blogs turning a bit foody cos I like da food

I'm a shit cooker to be honest cos I like to read a recipe that I like the sound of and then just make my own version with my own ingredients and own measurements. I could never bring a book out cos I'm a chuck it in and see how much lands in pan!! Not helpful to people who are genuinely interested in trying haha

But this is my chat and no cunt reads it so I'll give thee a Yorkshire version of whatever I make and be brave and just use your instinct and go with the flow!!

Soups one of me faves and my homemade soup is 😍😍😍 ask me husband 😁

Courgette and onion soup 
2 courgettes chopped/sliced as fine as possible
2 onions chopped as above 

Stew the onions in some butter on a pan 
Add the courgettes and do same 
Add a pint of chicken stock and a splash of milk salt and pepper
Simmer for an hour and add any stale bread or bread crusts you got in cupboard just rip them up and wack them on for ten mins and walla it's a surprise and I hope you will love it's so good for you!!

Butternut squash soup

Butternut squash
Sweet potatoes x2 
Onion
Garlic clove 

I quartered a squash and shoved it in oven with two sweet potatoes as they are  for about an hour on gas mark 5.

About ten mins before the hour chop the onion and garlic and add to pan with a knob of butter to sweat out then add a pint of chicken stock, bring to the boil then add the Squash and potatoes for another ten mins before blending, seasoning and eating. I also added a sprinkle of paprika for good measure 😀

Homemade granola recipe

Today I had a pop at making some home made granola 



With lent starting I have to give up my annual choice of chocolate and biscuits these things are my worst enemy!! To avoid failing this I make batches of flapjack and energy balls to give me something to munch when I'm craving something. 

I've gotten a little bored of my healthy version of flapjack so decided to try something else to snack on as well as try for breakfast ideas etc

The recipe and method of my choice was adapted from deliciously Ella without the weighing!! 

A handful of pecans (or any nut u desire)
A smaller handful of almonds

Pulse these together in a blender
Then Add 
a handful of seed mix - pumpkin and sunflower I used 
Handful of oats 
A Sprinkle of flaxseed 

Then melt in a pan few teaspoons of honey a good spoon of coconut oil and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 

The syrup is then poured over the granola mix and mixed together. 

Spread out on a baking tray before walking in the oven on gas mark 4 for 45 mins continually mixing up every 5-10 min to stop any burning 

Once finished and cooled add a hand full of raisins then store in an airtight tin 



Muchos Gracias
It's proper beaut




Sunday 7 February 2016

Guilt free caramel sauce using 2 ingredients

It's took me thirty years to try a date. I don't think I've ever eaten one in my whole life until yesterday.

 Couple of months ago I came across the energy ball recipe so bought some dates to try and was amazed at how nice they were and such a good replacement for sugar and chocolate. I make batches of energy balls every couple of week and the recipe is somewhere on my blog. 

So yesterday I was making my balls 😳 and I just ate a date whole and it was yum!! Where have I been living all this time!!  I started searching other date recipes and came acros the caramel sauce. 

So checking I had the 2 ingredients it required I have it a whirl!! 


16 pitted dates 
Half a cup of almond milk 
That's it!!


So I blended up the dates which just became a sticky mess then added a bit of milk then whizzed it again before adding a bit more milk and so on until I got the consistency that I wanted 


The end result!! It's amazing!! U can also add vanilla or a sprinkle of sea salt which I'll defo try next time but give it a whizz you'll be suprised!! 

Even my daughter ate we had ginger cake and ice cream with this dribbled over it and she never guessed!! 🙌🏽


Sunday 31 January 2016

Losing the Christmas layer

So today is the 1st February and this weekend is the first time since Christmas that I feel like I'm back in shape.

After two weeks of food indulgence and not working out (cos it's Christmas) I felt disgusting and wobbly and like I was going to have to start my journey all over again. 




My fitness journey started in May 2015 it took 3 months to shape my body and see some muscle definition. I continued from there and drove the workout sessions into my daily routines and made sure I was active 5 or 6 times a week. So I've worked pretty hard all year long. 

Then Christmas came and I just wanted to fully relax and enjoy it so I did just that!! 



Around came the 4th January and I was totally ready to get back on it, I was fed up of eating and being lazy and tired and getting fat!! Actually my thing is I can eat eat eat and not see any change until two weeks later it's like boing here I am!! I have a fat delay 😏

Anyway After Christmas I started an evening class at college with my friends which fell on a Wednesday. Well Wednesday's was our boxfit class at fitness garage with combo and this class was the cherry on top for my physique. So Having missed this class for 6 weeks my stomach as lost its shape it's now a roll!! Knowing this I worked extra hard on my days in the gym, upped my running game again and made sure I never missed the Saturday box sesh. 



Well this paid off and today I am feeling good again I'm not as wobbly and my arms and abs are aching (I live for that feeling). 




So all in all its took me four weeks to get back to feeling good and toned again where as two weeks ago I thought this was a never ending journey!! 



I recommend some high intensity boxfit classes as they do wonders for the whole body. The circuits mix the whole thing up and makes you fell hard as fuck after 😂

Glitter roots and grey hair

So I don't know what 2016 as done to me but I'm recapturing a bit of my youth with new hairstyles, dungarees and glitter!! Having seen the trend on Instagram the last few month me and Katie decided to give it a go at the next party we went too and we loved it!!



We bought some cheap ass gel from supermarket and some glitter mixed it up in a glass and then painted it into each other's roots we then sprinkled on some table confetti we found and pressed them slightly to stick to the gel and walla!!!! Hair ready!!! How easy!! We loved it and felt about 14 again we added some 90s rnb playlist to the background and we was off with no diggity hahah


Anyway the camera snob and her iPhone 6 camera which is for some reason a million times better than my iPhone 5 got plenty of pics as ya do and we got some great responses!

Coming home from the party we gave our heads a little brush off whilst outside and it literally just came out!! Which was great cos we was planning on sleeping in balaclavas or somet to save the bedsheets from being ruined!! Another quick knock off before entering the house it was easy peasy to remove. No mess anywhere except my mates driveway haha

I was expecting to be covered in glitter for a week but no issues!! Give it a go it changed my life 🚬

 

Monday 11 January 2016

Lifestyle Changes in the New Year

New year New you

Not for me

Id like to think I made the lifestyle changes I needed last year so 2016 for me is about maintaining that level of eating healthy and plenty of exercise and enjoying it too.

I'm in the gym, running, boxing or walking at least 5 days a week and I'm happy with that it keeps my weight maintained and I can still eat what I want when I want and I don't feel guilty. I enjoy the social side of it too and having friends doing the same is key to the motivation.

I have started college this term and I've been doing an extra boxing class but not as much weights in the gym and I can tell. My body feels a tad wobblier for missing the gym. However I am in the best shape I have ever been in and I understand now how whatever size you are you can still feel fat and really 'fat' isn't the right word its the toning of your body that makes you feel this way. This is why I love lifting weights so much because my body feels much leaner and I can eat a massive Christmas dinner and desserts and starters and chocolates and champagne and still bust a six pack out over all that food.

Its taken me 6 months to be able to be happy with the lifestyle but it as totally paid off.

I started my fitness journey in May 2015 I did start running before that though. It took about 3 months before I saw an outcome of hitting the gym every day and lifting but it came. You have to persevere and do it only for yourself not anybody else.

I don't use any protein powders or any gimmicky items they sell nowadays because that's all it is a gimmick. There are natural alternatives to it all and I believe there just a placebo to people.

Anyone can do it you just have to put the time in and change your routine for you.