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!

New Year Update #4

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!

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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?

5 Breakfast Ideas

I find breakfast one of the hardest meals of the day, am I right? I can never decide what to eat..So here are a few ideas to get you started.

Graze Breakfast Variety Box

I went on the Graze website for the first time since last month, last week and they have so many new boxes available. It's definitely worth checking out. One box is the Breakfast Variety Box. You get four different breakfasts for £3.99 and that's including delivery. There are different types and a few flavours for each, such as granolas, porridges and mueslis. I think that this would be perfect for a busy person, something to have for early mornings at the office. 

Muesli
The great thing about muesli is that it is something that is so versatile, you can take and add so easily and use ingredients that can add so much flavour to make it a bit less bland. It is also so easy to make a jar of your own, like this one that I made as part of my Mum's Christmas present.

Poached Eggs and Asparagus

Doesn't this just look great? This is something I've been meaning to try for a while as I really want to try poached eggs and it would be so yummy with asparagus!

Fruit and Yoghurt Bowls

I've known about these for a while and I know you're probably thinking that surely this is exactly what it says on the tin and obviously it is but some of the ones I've seen are so pretty and colourful. Plus these make a good start to the day for you. There's something so great about fruit when it is so fresh and it tastes perfect!

Dip 'n' Share Eggs

I am absolutely desperate to try these, you would certainly need a huge appetite and several people to share it with, or maybe make a mini one for yourself! It would be perfect for brunch and it's surprisingly full of relatively healthy ingredients, only chorizo which is not so healthy! 

New Year Update #3

It's been a seriously long week, do you not think or is it just me?

It's been a much better week, I'm feeling tonnes better, (or I was till today), and I even bought a dress a size smaller than I thought I would and the other one I bought is a bit on the big side! Do you know how amazing that feels?

I've worked 6 days this week and looking back on it I can't even think of what to share! Typical!

It was my Mum and Sister's birthday yesterday, (yes my sister was born on my mums birthday), so I made them a cake (naturally) and I'm pretty proud of this!

I also made brownies to take into work, they were gone in a matter of minutes.

I finally have a bit more time off this week to get caught up on everything so I will hopefully have more to share with you!

Juicytox Juice Cleanse Review

You may have read my new year update #2 and may have noticed that I was still being a little negative about, well, everything. I mentioned that I did the Juicytox Juice Cleanse. It is an amazing company and you can check out their Facebook Page for all their testimonials, all of which are great. 

I personally felt that the customer service received from Rob was 100%. Now the job that I'm in means that I always have to give excellent customer service, retail problems! So I do appreciate it when I receive it!

This was a 4 day juice cleanse that involved drinking 4 juices a day, as well as a ginger shot and chamomile tea, plus at least 2 litres of water.

8am - ginger shot

10am - green juice - spinach, celery, kale, cucumber, apple and lemon

1pm - orange juice - carrot, lemon, orange, apple and ginger

4pm - green juice - spinach, celery, kale, cucumber, apple and lemon

7pm - red juice - beetroot, apple, kale, carrot and celery

1 hour before bed - chamomile tea

I won't give you a day by day account of what happened because each day was basically the same, an emotional nightmare. Now what my experience was like should definitely not put you off doing your own juice cleanse. 4 days is a long time to go without solid food, which is obviously where I struggled. 

If you already lead a relatively healthy lifestyle then this is something I would recommend doing.

Something I really had to bear in mind over the 4 days was that everyone is different and everyone's body will react to the juice cleanse differently and it just so happened that I got on with it badly!

I would consider doing it again but only if it was for a day or two...actually probably only a day!

For now, I've kept eating healthy and going to the gym. For me, that's enough for the time being. Baby steps!

This Girl Can

This Girl Can. This Girl Can. This Girl Can.

I mean just reading that, does that make you a little motivated? Does it make you think I can do this? Because we can. Now watch this and tell me that it doesn't make you inspired? That it doesn't make you want to get out there and do everything you wish to do?

I will rarely post spontaneously, and I will rarely post twice a day, and I apologise (I actually really don't) if you hate when people post twice a day but this is way too good to wait. 

I know you enjoyed that video, and if you didn't please explain how you couldn't! If you read my post earlier today, or if you didn't read it below, then you will see that I have in fact lost weight this week but I am still struggling a little to be positive. 

Well I've found my motivation, I have found the one thing that I know will get me motivated everyday. Whenever I feel myself doubting what I am doing or reaching for that bar of chocolate, I will watch this and I will instantly feel positive again. 

This video instantly made me smile, because we can do it, and we will get there, no matter how long it takes. 

All I ask is that you share this post with your friends and family and all your lovely followers to tell them that they can, they just can.

Because This Girl CAN. And This Girl WILL.

New Year Update #2

Last week I told you I was doing something exciting during the week. I wouldn't exactly call it exciting anymore, more like a really tough 4 days that I probably wouldn't do again. 

I did a cleanse for 4 days and while I was really hoping to lose more - I lose 2 lbs in total. There were definitely mood swings and really, really low points. If you have the determination to do it then you should definitely go for it. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased that I lost some weight but I'm not sure it was worth doing it all that. I've dug out my gym kit and I'm just going to get down the gym more often. I mean if I take my gym stuff to work then I have no choice but to go after!!

I've also cleared out all my good so there is only healthy ingredients left. It's a good start right?

I also did a Tesco order of tonnes of veg! I'm feeling way more positive now.

It also helps when you get friends telling you that you look better!

Baby steps!

Is anyone else struggling? or do you have any good motivation for me?

New Year Update #1

I’d be seriously lying to you if I told you that I started off the year with tonnes of exercise and healthy food. This has not been the case. I am lacking some serious motivation, I even weighed myself and I’ve written down everything that I’ve done and eaten but something isn’t clicking.

Is anyone else having this problem? Or is it just me?

If anyone has some great motivation blog posts or even some tips, please please PLEASE send them my way.

There’s something mentally stopping me from getting up and sorting it out. Don’t get me wrong, every other aspect of my life is sorted, thought about, planned out, you name it, i’ve done it. It’s just losing weight that has me stumped.

I’m desperate to shift this weight, so why can’t I get down the gym? I’m sat here writing when I can be at the gym. 

On another note, I do have something exciting happening from Wednesday to Saturday which you will find out all about next week. Don’t worry it’s 100% health related, I’m not giving up on myself! So all that motivation you’re going to send my way will be much appreciated as it’s going to be a tough 4 days. Apologies to anyone who has to be around me!

Day Zero Challenge

Happy New Year you beauts!

I got my inspiration from this blog post here. This Day Zero Challenge is to do 101 things in 1001 days, roughly 2.75 years. That's plenty of time right? I'm going to be doing a mixture of personal goals and fun things that I want to achieve. I'm going to be doing this instead of doing my New Years Resolutions, even though a lot of these are things I want to do this year, it's just a bit nicer to have projects that I can keep going for longer. 

Start: 01/01/2015

Finish: 28/09/2017

Key:

Incomplete

In progress

Completed

Personal:
1. Write 5 Letters to 5 people who changed my life
2. Write a personal mission statement
3. Cook a roast dinner for my family
4. Keep up a savings jar
5. Make a uni scrapbook
6. Write bad memories on a piece of paper then burn it
7. Completely rewrite my CV
8. Go to the spa
9. Do something different for a holiday
10. Go to a concert
11. Go to the Theatre
12. Find 50 things that make me happy 
13. Keep a "my day in six words" diary for a month
14. Create an inspiration board
15. Create a photo collage
16. Create an inspiration book
17. Create a memory jar
18. Sort out my pinterest
19. Sort out my emails
20. Keep my car cleaner (it's white so it gets dirty so quickly)


Purchases:
21. Get a new Phone
22. Throw away all my underwear and start again
23. Throw away all my makeup brushes and buy new ones
24. Buy a Camera
25. Buy a pair of heels (I threw all mine out)
26. Buy completely new bed sheets

Health and Fitness:
27. Do the couch to 5k running plan
28. Do a 30x30 challenge (30 minutes of physical activity for 30 days)
29. Detox January - no alcohol, no bread, no dairy
30. No alcohol for 1 month 
31. Track my progress - take a picture of myself on the 1st of each month
32. Lose 3 Stone
33. Get myself a good workout regime
34. Write a meal plan and actually stick to it for 1 month
35. Find a skincare regime that works for me
36. Get to a healthy BMI

Sell, save and earn:
37. Create a strict budget and stick to it for 4 weeks
38. Make a product to sell on Etsy
39. Only make birthday presents for my family for a year
40. No paying for meals out for a month
41. Save £100 in 1 month (this is hard for me)
42. Do my weekly shop in £20
43. Create a budget and stick to it
44. Get out of debt

Style and beauty:
45. Buy myself an expensive dress when I lose 3 stone (over £50)
46. Get a manicure
47. Get a facial
48. Get a massage
49. Declutter my wardrobe/chest of drawers
50. Get a hair cut (I NEVER ever get my hair cut)
51. Get a spray tan

Travelling and Exploring:
52. Visit my sister at her Uni in Nottingham
53. Visit Paris
54. Stay in a B + B
55. Visit Ireland
56. Go for Brunch
57. Go to a festival
58. Write a travelling bucket list

Career:
59. Get promoted to key holder
60. Get promoted to supervisor

Blogging:
61. Join postcrossing and send 5 postcards around the world
62. Do another blog challenge
63. Reach 30,000 hits on my blog
64. Go to at least 2 blogger events a year
65. Write a weekly post about weight loss in January (January 2015)
66. Improve on my photos
67. Learn HTML
68. Advertise on another blog
69. Design my own advert
70. Get my own Business Cards

Fun:
71. Apply to the GBBO
72. Visit a Zoo
73. Visit an Aquarium
74. Attend the Spring Good Food Show
75. Attend Eat Well Good Food Show
76. Go to the cinema 10 times
77. Read a book my mum or dad recommends to me - Gone Girl
78. Make a playlist of my favourite songs
79. Write a letter to myself to be opened when the 1001 days is over
80. Take a picture for each letter of the alphabet
81. Open a cookbook to a random page and make that recipe
82. Take a photo of the same place for every month for a year
83. Turn the previous challenge into a calendar
84. Make at least 10 things I've pinned on pinterest
85. Write a cookbook
86. Walk around Salisbury Cathedral
87. Learn to knit
88. Bake a Giant Cookie
89. Buy someone my favourite book
90. Bake a Christmas Cake
91. Restore a piece of furniture
92. Have a picnic in the park
93. Go on the London Eye at night
94. Make a Baked Alaska
95. Host a dinner party

Charity:
96. Raise money for Mind Charity
97. Do Race For Life
98. Send a care package to my sisters
99. Donate some clothes to charity
100. Start a yearly donation

101. Write a new list for the next 1001 days

What do you think of all this?

And again, here's to the new year, there's no looking back now...

December Degustabox

Hello everyone! I’ve had a bad week already and it’s only Tuesday, however today my second Degustabox arrived, how exciting is that! It seems like only a few weeks ago that I received my first degustabox and it was, or one of, the most exciting things I’ve received in the post!

I loved the surprise element of it and here’s my post on the November box in case you missed it!

My favourite thing in the box would have to be the fajita flavour shots, I ate fajitas all of last week…I’m excited to try the chutney as well but I’m taking that home for Christmas!

So here is what I got in my December box…

First up is Oats+Chia from The Chia Co. At first I was quite disappointed but I’ve just read a bit more about it and I’m quite interested in seeing how it tastes! This is a blend of wholegrain oats, chia, fruits and coconut oil. Then you just add water to get a smooth and creamy texture. Sounds good so far right? It also says that chia seed offers the highest combined plant source of omega-3, fibre and protein and is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Fun fact eh?

Next up is Pukka Herbs, in other words green tea with lemon! I got way too excited by this. It’s another brand of green tea that I get to try and my all time favourite is when it’s got lemon in it as well. Stay tuned!

The next 3 products are Bahlsen Choco Leibniz, Eisburg Alcohol Free Wine and Bonne Maman Orange Marmalade. All of which will be taken home for Christmas to share with my family.

When I first opened the box I was greeted by a large bag of salt and vinegar Popchips, personally these have nothing on the Kettle Chips I got last month but I’ll give these a chance as I haven’t had this flavour before!

Third to last (saving the best till last of course), are 4 cans of Gloworm mixer drinks. These come in some of the most intriguing flavours, Raspberry and Orris for Vodka, Cucumber and Apple for Gin, Pear, Spice and Lime for Rum and Ginger and Lemongrass for Bourbon. I only drink vodka so I might have to give a couple to my parents for them to mix or just have more with vodka! This is the first mixer of its kind, which are specifically blended to compliment a selection of spirits. They are sugar-free (IT’S A MIRACLE), they also have a lower caffeine content.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find another product from Kent’s Kitchen, the fajita flavour shots I was talking about are from Kent’s Kitchen and in this box I got a “Meal Kit” for Madras curry. Are they trying to set my mouth on fire?! I’m excited to try it though, a new kind of cooking that I haven’t tried before so it will be a nice new experience.

So last up is my favourite by far, Frylight Infuse Chilli oil. This is a way of getting the oil you need without pouring out too much. It comes in a little spray bottle, which is handy and can be used for all sorts of pan-fried or roasted food. It adds a great spicy kick, which is good for me, as I love having a spicy kick to food. Something that they pointed out on the information sheet in the box is that because it is controllable, you can custom flavour the heat level for each member of the family!

This month I paid £12.99 for the box, and for all of the products, they retail at £25.75, which is pretty good going by my standards! This means I paid half of what these products retailed for and that makes me very happy!

How great is this months box? Have I tempted you to buy your own Degustabox yet?

Northern Tea Gift Ideas

I’ve teamed up with the guys over at Northern Teas to bring you some great gift ideas, or you might even want to treat yourself. Obviously we all want to feel fresh as we start the New Year and green tea is without a doubt the way to go. You can use green tea instead of detox teas and get plenty of the same benefits.

These green teas are calorie free and are tasty and excellent quality. They are so much better than the ones you get in the supermarket. The ones that I got sent are Ti Quan Yin, Japanese Sencha Fukujyu and Japanese Gyokuro,

Ti Quan Yin

This is a fine quality Chinese Oolong green tea that originates from southern china, and the leaves are rolled tightly into little balls. It takes 3 to 5 minutes for the tea to brew, which is pretty average for green tea. It is a pleasant, aromatic and refined tea. It is one that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Sencha Fukujyu

This is also known as Green Spider Leg, because of the look of the tealeaves. It has a sweet, grassy taste but it is a smooth texture. It originates in China but is processed Japanese style. It has a short brew time of 2 to 3 minutes. The leaves are neat, flat green and stalks, flecked with hints of yellow. Indulge in a cup of this at the end of the day, I know I will be.

Japanese Gyokuro

This is a variety of Ryokucha, it is picked during the first round of harvest and shaded from the sun for some time before the harvest. This gives a delightful flavour with a very delicate, pale liquor. This again takes 2 to 3 minutes to brew, and it also has neat, flat green leaves and stalks, flecked with hints of yellow. It has sweet, mild and a very smooth flavour with a pale yellow liquor. This should also be indulged at the end of the day, looks like I’ll be alternating between this and Sencha Fukujyu.

Prices vary from £4.50 to £7.50 for 50g of these teas. This is due to the origin of the teas and the quality, so it’s worth the money! These are a fantastic Christmas present, don’t forget to get your tea strainers as all the teas are loose and I’d also recommend getting a teapot to make it that little bit more special!

PS. Don't forget all views are my own, and we all know how much I love green tea so you know it's the truth!