Hello all my lovely followers,
This is just a quick note to tell you have I have now moved!
My new website is a work in progress so please bare with me but for now all my posts are over there so you won't miss out on anything I've previously written.
It is now http://adelesmith.co.uk
Please check it out and let me know what you think.
I also have a new email address, adelesmithblog@gmail.com so send me any thoughts or hints and tips which will get me up and running even sooner!
Much Love,
Adele x
Hello!
10 February 2015
January Degustabox - The Healthy Box
It’s that time of the month again…where my Degustabox arrives! This is my third box from the company and it surprises me every time. It’s one of my favourite times of the month now!
What I love is that some of the products can be used as ingredients to make some amazing food.
1. Alfa One Rice Bran Oil - £2
I loved that I got this purely because it can be used as your standard olive oil, such as for frying or roasting! To make it better it is nutritionally well balance and high in natural antioxidants, some of which has been shown to reduce cholesterol absorption, great huh?
2. Koko Dairy Free Original - £1.39
I’m yet to use this one but it was sent with a great recipe for pancakes seeing as pancake day is coming up! It contains less calories than skimmed milk, 0% cholesterol and is 100% allergen free. Apparently it tastes very similar to cow’s milk and doesn’t curdle in tea or coffee which is great!
3. Kabuto Noodles - £2
This is essentially an instant snack and is a combination of authentic Asian flavours and quality ingredients. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of this and found it quite unappetising.
4. Sukrin Bread Mix - £5
When I found this I was certainly intrigued and I noticed you could use the mix to make a whole range of foods such as bread (duh!), tortilla wraps or scones. I opted for bread as I thought I would enjoy this most and I did. This is a gluten-free mix with only 1g of carbs per slice, um hand me some more please?! It is also free from wheat, egg, sugar, yeast and soya. You also only need to use water to bind so you don’t need anything extra.
5. Finn Crisp - £1.20
This is actually something my Mum always has in the cupboard so they must be good. I would probably have mine with feta cheese and some tomatoes and salad. Yum! It is rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and as it is baked with sourdough, it’s low in fat with a distinctive tangy flavour.
6. Magners Light - £1.25
I was also intrigued by this, alcohol with low calories? Send me more! There is only 103 calories per bottle and the Orchard Berries flavour is delicious.
7. Little Miracles - £1.49 each
This is a brand that I was already aware of. These were 2 new flavours I hadn’t tried before so it was good to try them and they were the perfect pick-me-up. They are non-carbonated, refreshingly light and contain only 90 calories per bottle. They also have no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners. Essentially these are a tea based drink with added fruit flavours!
8. Mornflake - £1.50 each
I can’t say that I’m a massive fan of porridge but these were almost enjoyable. The great thing is that they come with either a little pot of golden syrup or nutella. My favourite would have to be the nutella one, who doesn’t love nutella?!
9. Haywards Piccalilli - £1.89
I’m yet to try this but I wouldn’t be so keen on it if it’s on its own. It came with 2 recipe cards which sound better! I’ll keep you all posted.
The last product was a special gift which was Clipper Green Tea with Lemon. Eek, more green tea!
So, all together the products total came to £20.71 so a saving of £8 seeing as I paid £12.99 for the box.
It was another great box this month and I cannot wait for this months box!
9 February 2015
Hello all you lovely people! I know it’s been a whole week since I last posted and I’ve been slightly MIA (however you can follow me on twitter to keep up).
So I’ve recently gotten 3 exciting new things which I’ve been using to help with my fitness.
I got a Fitbit which my entire family now swear by, we all have one and now me and my sister have weekly competitions! If you are even considering getting one then you definitely should, I can’t recommend it enough. It definitely gets you motivated and keeps you active throughout the day.
I also now have Charlotte Crosby’s (the one from Geordie Shore) 3 Minute Belly Blitz DVD. I absolutely love it. It’s so much better doing rounds of 3 minutes and you realise that you can do so much more than you think. I’ve loved doing it and I find it’s much better than going to the gym.
Lastly, I have a beautiful new Nike tshirt which I’ve been wearing for working out. It makes working out much better because I want to be able to wear it!
So that’s my week wrapped up. I’m back in the head space to be writing again so expect much more this week!
1 February 2015
I literally can't believe that it's February already, where has the last month gone? I always feel like I haven't achieved very much, so I'm going to start this month by getting things done. January always seems like the month where you're in limbo a little bit, a bit lost that it's the start of the new year.
However, I got a lot done on my to do list and I can now get down to serious business. Making way for the more important things now the "admin" is out of the way so to speak!
You will probably have read my Day Zero Challenge post from the beginning of the year. It's something that I'm making my way through until over half way through 2017. But I feel like I've already ticked off a substantial amount in January already, so here is what I have done so far:
- Write a personal mission statement
- Keep a "my day in six words" diary for a month
- Sort out my pinterest
- No alcohol for one month
- Declutter my wardrobe/chest of drawers
- Write a travelling bucket list
- Write a weekly weight loss post in January
- Write a letter to myself to be opened at the end of 1001 days
That's already 8/101 done, which may not seem like a lot but since I have over two and a half years to complete the challenge, this is actually a fair amount! I have a few more that I want to get through in the next month or so, meaning I'll be back with an update soon enough.
Don't forget to check out my original post here.
31 January 2015
For me this year (or in October to be exact), I managed to bag myself an absolute bargain of a new diary insert for my Filofax. It's the first year I didn't get a Filofax brand insert.
This one is by Paperchase and it came with the nicest dividers as well as note paper and address paper too. I think this was around the £8 mark so it was an absolute steal for me.
Diary:
First of all I have my diary insert. I mainly use this to keep track of my work hours and any personal appointments. This way when I look back, I know what I did and when!
Addresses:
This is mainly of family! They've got to be kept somewhere and this seems the most fitting place.
Notes:
This is quite an important section for me. It keeps all the little things I need to remember. I write down ideas, blog posts and all things important.
Planner Supplies:
This has a whole section of it's own. I have a pile of to-do list inserts in there to keep track of the million and one things I need to do. I also have the insert of page markers and post its. This isn't the original post its on here as I used them all up. So I kept the dashboard and put new markers to colour code my work days by when I'm getting paid so it's easier for me to work out. Then I use the post its to note down anything important about that week.
I like to be crazy organised and I like to be able to refer to what I've done recently. Some may think it's a bit much but if I don't then I feel a bit lost!
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
This one is by Paperchase and it came with the nicest dividers as well as note paper and address paper too. I think this was around the £8 mark so it was an absolute steal for me.
Diary:
First of all I have my diary insert. I mainly use this to keep track of my work hours and any personal appointments. This way when I look back, I know what I did and when!
Addresses:
This is mainly of family! They've got to be kept somewhere and this seems the most fitting place.
Notes:
This is quite an important section for me. It keeps all the little things I need to remember. I write down ideas, blog posts and all things important.
Planner Supplies:
This has a whole section of it's own. I have a pile of to-do list inserts in there to keep track of the million and one things I need to do. I also have the insert of page markers and post its. This isn't the original post its on here as I used them all up. So I kept the dashboard and put new markers to colour code my work days by when I'm getting paid so it's easier for me to work out. Then I use the post its to note down anything important about that week.
I like to be crazy organised and I like to be able to refer to what I've done recently. Some may think it's a bit much but if I don't then I feel a bit lost!
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
30 January 2015
I’m just going to start by saying how much I love going to the zoo. I’ve never been one for animals but ever since we got dogs I’ve been a lot more open to the idea of them! We went to New York Zoo a while back which was great, they had baby snow leopards that had just been born which was really cute!
Longleat Safari Park has to be my favourite hands down though. We did the safari in my car and I was a little bit concerned that the monkeys would attack my car but fortunately they didn’t!
Giraffe Selfie anyone?
I’ve been to a few others recently but this year I’d quite like to go to ZSL London Zoo and also London Aquarium!
29 January 2015
I technically don't have a desk, more of a window sill and a drawer that I keep extra bits in that I don't use as much. So I'm imagining if I really had a desk (fyi it would be white with some drawers...!).
Weekly planner - so I can see what I'm doing that day or week
Notebook - a pretty one, typically A5 sized
Pen pot - with a whole load of pens of all colours, my writing needs to be pretty!
Ringbinder folder - also in a pretty design holding my editorial calendar and blogging goals
Jar of washi tape - I have so many that it seemed better to keep them all in a jar and it's much prettier that way
Scrapbook - I'd like to have room for my scrapbook so that I can look at it when I want and also add to it all the time
That's what I would have as my desk staples, if I had a desk obviously.
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Weekly planner - so I can see what I'm doing that day or week
Notebook - a pretty one, typically A5 sized
Pen pot - with a whole load of pens of all colours, my writing needs to be pretty!
Ringbinder folder - also in a pretty design holding my editorial calendar and blogging goals
Jar of washi tape - I have so many that it seemed better to keep them all in a jar and it's much prettier that way
Scrapbook - I'd like to have room for my scrapbook so that I can look at it when I want and also add to it all the time
That's what I would have as my desk staples, if I had a desk obviously.
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
28 January 2015
When I visited the Good Food Show last November I picked up one of these spice kits from Bit Spicy to make an Indonesian Korma. My Mum and I tested basically every sample they had and bought a selection for my Dad but I wanted one for myself and I love a good korma.
It's relatively easy to make but it does take some time. I'm not going to go through the whole method with you but you would need approximately 2 hours to make it and you cook the chicken separately then add it to the sauce.
The flavour of this korma is like no korma I've had before! It's not mild at all and has a very good kick of spice to it and it has a more yellow colour than your normal curry. I had mine with chicken but it also suggests prawns which I would love to try!
As I was browsing their website I noticed they do spices for other foods as well, not just curry so I'm keen to try their Mexican range, we all love some good fajitas now don't we!
I'm going to the Good Food Eat Well Show in a few weeks so hopefully they will be there again so I can pick up a few more spice packs!
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
It's relatively easy to make but it does take some time. I'm not going to go through the whole method with you but you would need approximately 2 hours to make it and you cook the chicken separately then add it to the sauce.
The flavour of this korma is like no korma I've had before! It's not mild at all and has a very good kick of spice to it and it has a more yellow colour than your normal curry. I had mine with chicken but it also suggests prawns which I would love to try!
As I was browsing their website I noticed they do spices for other foods as well, not just curry so I'm keen to try their Mexican range, we all love some good fajitas now don't we!
I'm going to the Good Food Eat Well Show in a few weeks so hopefully they will be there again so I can pick up a few more spice packs!
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
27 January 2015
So it still so happens that I'm quite behind the times and I still have an iPhone 4.
However, it still does the job which is most important.
I only have 2 pages on my phone. Obviously I have apps like Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, to keep updated with what's going on with family, friends and other blogs. Also who can resist a bit of Snapchat now and again?
The first page is pretty much full of your standard Apple apps but a lot of them have been put under one category, purely because I don't use them enough. I know you're probably wondering where the music is and it's there but I use my iPod because it has four times the amount of storage.
The second page is pretty much miscellaneous, including Bloglovin' and Pinterest, what my lunch break is made up of!
I also recently downloaded 2 photo prints apple, one of which gives you 500 free prints a year and you just pay postage which is pretty cheap compared to some photo websites. The other is called Polabox, where you can print photos as polaroids at 35p a photo or you can also get photo strips, at £6.45 for 5 strips of 5 photos.
I also have static to keep track of followers on various social media platforms. Plus Timehop because I like seeing how far I've come in a year. And lastly C25K, so I can get off my ass and workout!
That's what's on my phone, what's on yours?
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
However, it still does the job which is most important.
I only have 2 pages on my phone. Obviously I have apps like Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, to keep updated with what's going on with family, friends and other blogs. Also who can resist a bit of Snapchat now and again?
The first page is pretty much full of your standard Apple apps but a lot of them have been put under one category, purely because I don't use them enough. I know you're probably wondering where the music is and it's there but I use my iPod because it has four times the amount of storage.
The second page is pretty much miscellaneous, including Bloglovin' and Pinterest, what my lunch break is made up of!
I also recently downloaded 2 photo prints apple, one of which gives you 500 free prints a year and you just pay postage which is pretty cheap compared to some photo websites. The other is called Polabox, where you can print photos as polaroids at 35p a photo or you can also get photo strips, at £6.45 for 5 strips of 5 photos.
I also have static to keep track of followers on various social media platforms. Plus Timehop because I like seeing how far I've come in a year. And lastly C25K, so I can get off my ass and workout!
That's what's on my phone, what's on yours?
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
26 January 2015
Hello everyone! I cannot believe that it's the end of January already. I really don't know where the time has gone, it's crazy.
I've kept up my 2lb weight loss and maintained that which is good for me. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things now that I have more than 1 day off a week.
I've seen a change in my diet, for the better of course, it helps taking one day at a time as opposed to a week or a month.
I am getting there but unfortunately I have to battle with the thoughts that are telling me it's ok to eat unhealthy food when I know full well that it isn't. Everyone assumes this is easy but being an emotional eater, it's harder than anything I've had to do.
This will actually be my last new year update because I didn't want to carry it on past January. So I'm going to start a new series, one that I can carry on for a lot longer than a few weeks or for the length of the alphabet!
I'm going to do my first post on it next week but I haven't decided how often it will be yet! You'll have to wait and see!
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
I've kept up my 2lb weight loss and maintained that which is good for me. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things now that I have more than 1 day off a week.
I've seen a change in my diet, for the better of course, it helps taking one day at a time as opposed to a week or a month.
I am getting there but unfortunately I have to battle with the thoughts that are telling me it's ok to eat unhealthy food when I know full well that it isn't. Everyone assumes this is easy but being an emotional eater, it's harder than anything I've had to do.
This will actually be my last new year update because I didn't want to carry it on past January. So I'm going to start a new series, one that I can carry on for a lot longer than a few weeks or for the length of the alphabet!
I'm going to do my first post on it next week but I haven't decided how often it will be yet! You'll have to wait and see!
Bloglovin' | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Tips for Getting Organised
1. Get yourself a Diary, Notebook and a Pen
I definitely rely on all of these things. My diary normally keeps all of my personal things such as work times and little notes on what to do. Although occasionally I will write down a note on a blog post I want to do. I use the notebook to draft all of my blog posts before I type them up. There's something satisfying about putting a pen to paper.
2. A Ringbinder Folder with Dividers
I keep a folder with my blogging goals in and also an editorial calendar in. I use the editorial calendar to plan my blog posts so that I know what I need to do. I like having my blogging goals there so I can remind myself what I want to achieve this year.
3. Expandable Folders
I have 3 of these, each with a different purpose. One keeps all of my personal documents that I need to keep, one keeps old pictures, posters and odd little bits and the last keeps all my blogging inspiration, so I have articles on different topics and a silly amount of recipes.
4. A Weekly Planner
This is more for personal use, again including work hours, meal plans, shopping lists and mini to do lists. I don't use this as often as I should but I'm going to start!
This is what I consider the most important things I need to get organised, a lot you could do electronically if you prefer, by setting up several calendars each with different purposes. But I really like putting it down on paper.
How do you keep organised?
25 January 2015
I was nominated for this award by Viola whose at A Piece of Viola. I was pretty surprised when she nominated me! A pleasant surprise though.
Rules for this award
- Thank the person who nominated you and add their link to your blog
- List the award rules so your nominees will know what to do.
- State 7 things about yourself.
- Nominate other bloggers.
- Contact your nominees and provide a link to your post.
- Display the award logo (button) on your blog, whether on your sidebar or about page, or special award page.
7 facts about me
- I’m 22 this year, but I'm definitely not going to be feeling it. Sorry Taylor Swift.
- I love green tea.
- I do love a good boy band. One Direction in particular.
- I love trashy TV. All those British Reality TV shows? Yeah I've seen them.
- I have an amazing sense of direction.
- I'm sort of obsessed with notebooks, I have around 20 that are waiting to be used...
- I really really love going to the Zoo
My nominees
Emma Luxton - Essays And Wine
Rebecca - Brunette Lifestyle
Hannah - Hannah Delacour
I don't normally go for all these award things, but I think it's nice to know that someone appreciates what you've been blogging about and that it has helped them in some kind of way! So for that, Thank you Viola!
Emma Luxton - Essays And Wine
Rebecca - Brunette Lifestyle
Hannah - Hannah Delacour
I don't normally go for all these award things, but I think it's nice to know that someone appreciates what you've been blogging about and that it has helped them in some kind of way! So for that, Thank you Viola!
Fitness Wish List
There are several things that I've wanted for a while now which I think would make my journey so much easier. If only money wasn't an issue eh?!
Fitbit
In pink obviously. I don't think I need to even explain this one! I know people that have them and they have only said good things about them. I think it's great that it's so much easier to keep track of all your goals. Next payday maybe!
Head Gym Bag
Again, in pink. We're going really old school here, and why not? I remember my Mum using one of these when I was younger and I think they're pretty great, so I want one now!
Sports Bottle
Don't you just love the VS range? I feel like this sports bottle is fitting too! I'm going to visit the one in London next weekend so I may pick up a few treats for myself.
NutriBullet
I've heard some good reviews about NutriBullet and my mum also got one for Christmas which she uses nearly everyday so now I want one for myself!
Charlotte Crosby 3 Minute Belly Blitz
I've only ever heard good things about this DVD, and I'm dying to get my own copy. It's all about the little steps and 3 minutes of a workout seems more manageable!
What are your fitness must haves?
Fitbit
In pink obviously. I don't think I need to even explain this one! I know people that have them and they have only said good things about them. I think it's great that it's so much easier to keep track of all your goals. Next payday maybe!
Head Gym Bag
Again, in pink. We're going really old school here, and why not? I remember my Mum using one of these when I was younger and I think they're pretty great, so I want one now!
Sports Bottle
Don't you just love the VS range? I feel like this sports bottle is fitting too! I'm going to visit the one in London next weekend so I may pick up a few treats for myself.
NutriBullet
I've heard some good reviews about NutriBullet and my mum also got one for Christmas which she uses nearly everyday so now I want one for myself!
Charlotte Crosby 3 Minute Belly Blitz
I've only ever heard good things about this DVD, and I'm dying to get my own copy. It's all about the little steps and 3 minutes of a workout seems more manageable!
What are your fitness must haves?
23 January 2015
I just want to apologise for not doing one for X, I tried very hard to think of one and the best I could come up with was X-ray and I’ve never had to have one but I didn't want to waste a whole blog post on that, if you have any other suggestions for X please let me know!
Onto Y, this year I want to say yes to a lot more things. I’m always so hesitant and I find myself saying no a lot. I want this all to change! I do find myself a lot busier these days and I obviously do need time for myself, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do any writing…but there are still things that I know I could say yes to, so here’s to say yes more.
22 January 2015
"If you were on Come Dine With Me, What would your menu be?"
This is always a question that is in the back of my mind, and until now I haven't been able to decide what I would do.
Starter:
A Duck salad would be great as it is complex with the cooking of the duck and light enough for a starter. This is a roasted duck and watermelon salad with toasted cashew nuts and the picture is literally mouthwatering! By the looks of it, this is an asian inspired dish and looking at the ingredients I can see why, there are all kinds of flavours involved.
One thing that caught my eye was the dressing, it's definitely one I'd like to incorporate into other dishes.
Main:
I think this is the course that I struggled with deciding on the most. I thought fish would be most suitable but I really think I would go for chicken.
The dish I have in mind is chargrilled chicken breasts on linguine with a chilli and garlic salsa puttanesca. What a mouthful! (see what I did there...)
I would most definitely make my own pasta to make this simple dish more impressive. These simple bunch of ingredients all come together to make such a delicious, comforting dish. If I had something like this put in front of me, I'd think it looked pretty good.
I'd perhaps make the pasta so it would have spinach in it, not only would it add a lot more colour to the plate - no on likes a plate of beige food - but it would also add flavour (slightly) and a whole lot of added nutrients.
Dessert:
I wouldn't necessarily call this a winning menu but if I put this 3 course meal on the table to my best standard, then for me I would be happy and rather proud of myself.
I haven't given loads away about each of the meals, purely because I want to eventually make each of them to share with you all.
What would you have as your Come Dine With Me menu?
21 January 2015
Over the weekend it was my mum and sister's birthdays. I don't mean to blow my own trumpet but I was pretty pleased with the presents I put together.
For my mum I got one of the new season Chanel nail varnishes (Exception to be exact) and some walnut whips, all her favourites.
For my sister, she got one of the Fujifilm Instax Cameras for Christmas, so I put together a little make-shift scrapbook kit for her. I bought a notebook with blank pages, and relatively small, a bit smaller than A5, to fit the photos in. I then got a nice blue pen to add a note about the time the photo was taken. And of course some washi tape to stick the photo down. The great thing about wash tape is that it doesn't ruin the paper and that way my sister can take out the photos if she wants to use them for something else.
We went to The Charter Restaurant in Salisbury for their birthday lunch. I just can't resist sharing this beautiful food with you!
On another note, I'm going to work on my own scrapbook soon. I ordered some photos from the free prints app on iPhone and I'm waiting for them to be delivered so I will give you an update when they do!
For my mum I got one of the new season Chanel nail varnishes (Exception to be exact) and some walnut whips, all her favourites.
For my sister, she got one of the Fujifilm Instax Cameras for Christmas, so I put together a little make-shift scrapbook kit for her. I bought a notebook with blank pages, and relatively small, a bit smaller than A5, to fit the photos in. I then got a nice blue pen to add a note about the time the photo was taken. And of course some washi tape to stick the photo down. The great thing about wash tape is that it doesn't ruin the paper and that way my sister can take out the photos if she wants to use them for something else.
We went to The Charter Restaurant in Salisbury for their birthday lunch. I just can't resist sharing this beautiful food with you!
On another note, I'm going to work on my own scrapbook soon. I ordered some photos from the free prints app on iPhone and I'm waiting for them to be delivered so I will give you an update when they do!
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