Last Push

11 weeks ago I started a journey of rediscovery. Of self-fulfillment. Of growth...

NAH!! I just wanted to look better in my bikini pictures than I did on my last holiday!!

I've been up and down with my gym routine. I'd say for 6 weeks I was quite the gym bunny, going every other day for about 50-60 minutes. Then over half term the boyf was back for a visit, so that was 2 weeks of heavy eating and no gym whatsoever. At first I thought the fornight off hadn't put me back at all... oh how I was wrong!!

I didn't put on any weight according to the scales, but my clothes told me otherwise! So I was back onto 3 gyms sessions a week, then adding in some Blogilates (LOVE IT! GOOGLE IT!).

For the past week I have cut out bread, pasta and rice from my diet - just to see if it does make a difference to my shape. So far I'd say that yes it has! I've purchased a 'Magic Bullet' juicer (review to come), so a lot of my meals are smoothie or soup based. I don't feel cranky or hangry from the last of wheaty foods, although I'm certainly craving them!

4 days until my holiday... I know it will all be worth it. Personally, I do not see the harm in controlling what goes into your body if you have a goal in mind (the holiday). I know I'll be eating and drinking a lot more for 10 days, although probably will be sweating most of my body weight off (Bali and Singapore is VERY hot and humid I've been told!).

But you know what... once I'm back I'm going to indulge in all the things I enjoy again... bbq pizza, carbonara, chinese takea-away... I need to stop, I'm dribbling!!!!

Stay safe

Miss B x

Skin Story

It was dawned on me, that I am nearly out of my 30's, and as I sit here typing, I can smell the strong aroma of tea tree oil that I have carefully dabbed around my nose to dry out some teenager-y spots! Ya know how your mum always tells you "spots aren't just for your teenage years!".... she was right!

As a teen, I fortunately wasn't plagued by acne, but I did have those irritating bumps under my skin which never really turned into anything, but were really sensitive and just huge! They'd take residence on my forehead, sides of my nose, tip of my nose, chin and if I was really lucky, above my lips. T-Zone pretty much! If I'm really honest, I didn't do an awful lot to get rid of or prevent breakouts in my early teens - camera phones weren't a thing, so other than very occasional digital or disposable camera shots, I didn't really worry about astethics. It was more when other people began to comment that I became self-conscious.

My first face wash was from the tea-tree line at the Body Shop. I didn't use it regually, I didn't moisturise or exfoliate. I just whacked that on in the shower and then slathered my face in Rimmel's cover-up stick concealer... as did most of the girls in my year group!

It wasn't until I was about 19 and at university (and the invention of Facebook, therefore my face being visible online!) that I properly looked into skincare!

My god-mother has always been a beauty counter regular, so she took me to Clarins for a 'consultation'. At this point my skin was still bumpy but greasy. (yuck!). So I was suggested to use the 'Gentle Foaming Cleanser with cottonseed'. I remember feeling after about 2 weeks of using this every evening (I wasn't wearing a lot of make up then) my skin began to clear up dramatically! I wasn't using a moisturiser at this point as I felt my skin was greasy enough and had no dry patches (oh how little I knew!)

By about 23, as with most products, my skin outgrew the Gentle Foaming Cleaner. My skin now was less greasy and a bit more 'normal', and felt that the foamer was drying me out. Clarins by this point had brought out their 'Daily Energiser' range, which was touted as being aimed at younger skin. So, after another chat to the Clarins lady, I came away with the "Daily Energiser Cleansing Gel". The gel formula felt great! It melted away the more makeup that I now wearing, and still kept my skin clear. For a brief while, Clarins made a Daily Energiser Gel Cream Moisturiser, which I loved! It came in those fancy glass jars. I felt like it plumped and smoothed out my skin, and the gel formlua felt very light. I repurchased about 6 months later, however the formula had been changed to straight cream moisturiser, which was really heavy and broke my out within a couple of hours! 

I still use this cleanser five years later. The only changes I've noticed are that if I use this in the morning, my skin will feel very tight makeup won't really sit on my skin very nicely, so I was my face at night with this. I couple this with the Soap and Glory "Daily Youth 6-in-1 Multi-Active Moisture Lotion" after washing my face. I tried TONNES of moisturisers! If they didn't break me out, it felt like wearing a facemask all day. I've also been using the St Ives facescrub for spot prone skin.

Some say I'm a creature of habit for now continually using the same products on my face - I say it's trusting what I put on my face! Case in point - tried out a sample of the Clarins Pure Melt Cleanser over half term... I now have 5 breakouts and a stubbord dry patch between my eyes!

Miss B x

Gym bunny

I have started going to my local gym!

I am one of those January statistics, 'new year, new me' type ladies. Although technically I signed up on the 31st December! 

Really my intention is not to look as round in the middle as I did while I was in Malta last summer. I don't need to loose weight. At 5ft and 56.5kg my BMI is fine, it's more vanity I guess... and fitting more comfortably into those cute denim dungarees I bought from Topshop at the end of last year.



Topshop Petite Moto Denim Dungarees.
http://bit.ly/1ll9rIS

With my membership I was offered an initial induction and then every 4 weeks I'll have a refresher. In the induction I was given a routine that'll help tone my midsection hopefully. The routine goes as follows

5 minutes on the treadmill SPEED 5/6 INCLINE 3 max.
Pull ups on the straps at different angles 3 reps of 10.
Squats from sitting 4 reps of 10.

Then 4 reps of 10
Reverse Crunch, V Sits, Plank to forearms, Plank ball roll (pushing a medicine ball off a wall), Toe Touches (Feet in the air, touch a medicine ball to your toes).

I then finish with 5 minutes on the bike, but sometimes I'll leave that, as I have a big hill to walk up to get home!

So far I'm managing 3 times a week for the last fortnight, usually as soon as I'm in from work around 5/530, so it's just starting to get a bit busier.

Fingers crossed I start to get the same enthusiasm as this woman!

K x

Where you been gurl?

I'm not going to attempt with the false apologies for lack of effort into maintaining (or let's be honest, starting!) this blog... I'm a teacher... effort goes into work, eating and living!

But, now that I am into more of a routine in my job, and find myself watching 2/3 episodes of breaking bad a night, I figured I probably have more time now!!

Long story short here is how the last year went...

• Completed NQT year in year 3 with a 'good' (over the moon!). On paper the level of the children's progress was not great, but the difference I saw in the attitutude towards eachother, towards me, and their confidence in their learning was massive in my opinion, and sometimes, that's more important.
• I went to Malta with the boyf over the summer... bliss!! We stayed in St Julians, went boating around Gozo, got drenched in a monsoon over the sealife park, drank a lot, ate a lot, played cards a lot!
• Started the new academic year as a part time music teacher (yay!) and a part time nursery teacher (boo!). To say I was shocked at the EYFS job is an understatement! I cried! LOTS!!! I had no experience in Nursery, not even a fleeting visit! So that was eye opening! But more on that to come!
• Christmas concerts and nativities are out of the way. As are the obligitory 'kiddie flu's'. I'm still working my way through the Christmas chocolate... however have joined the gym!
• The boyf now lives in Singapore (boooooooo!!!!) but that does mean I am going to visit him in a few weeks time (yaaaaay!)

So that's my long turned to short but actually quite long wrap up of the last year!! Don't punish me if this is the last you hear of me for another year!!!

K xx

Look - Porchester Square

This time for my visit to Nails Inc at Bluewater I went for a more subtle hue, Porchester Square. The technician described it as a 'greige', I'd say more of a very light purple/grey colour. I'm not a pinks and reds kinda gal but I did want something more simple than the dark purple and glitter of last time.

I was told I have very strong nails, woop woop the healthy eating pays off! I do have very weak skin above my nails though so all that buffing to get my old gels off and then the acetone on top really SMARTED!! They're still a bit tender now after getting out the shower, but that's the price I'll pay for gorgeous nails once again!

Very happy!

Life - Ferrero Rocher ice cream

Any lucky teacher will know that when Christmas comes around, so do the boxes of chocolates! The main majority of coco-concoction I received were Ferrero Rocher. 

I was also very lucky to receive an ice cream maker from my family for Christmas so made Ferrero Rocher ice cream for NYE.

The recipe is a mixture of the basic vanilla recipe that comes with the ice cream maker and I broke up  8 chocolates into the  mixture before adding it to the machine. 

24 hours (minimum) before make the ice cream I put the freezer bowl in my freezer.

The mixture was very simple.

240ml whole milk and 100g granulated sugar are mixed together until the sugar has dissolved - I had to put my finger into the bottom of the bowl to check a couple of times.

Then add 360ml of double cream (EVERYWHERE sells either 300ml or 600ml tubs of cream! So annoying when you need 360ml!) and 1-2tsp of vanilla extract - I used 2 and it had the perfect amount of vanilla taste).

Whisk all together then with the freezer bowl in the machine and lid on, turn on the machine and pour the mixture in through the hatch.

I left it churning for about 20 minutes then turned everything off. At this point I think you could definitely serve the ice cream, it's like a Mr Whippy! I however put it straight into a tub and into the freezer.

The churning didn't break up my bit of chocolate but did mix in the chocolate spread stuff so that gave the ice cream the hint of hazlenut, but still had Ferrero chunks.

It went down VERY well!! Fantastic gifts turned into scrumptiousness!!

Products

Swan Ice Cream maker http://bit.ly/1DaXY2g

Kenwood Hand mixer http://bit.ly/141eYfi

Life - Telly Tuesday Chrismas Spesh

It being the week following the festive period one must divulge ones sentiments towards this years Christmas televisiual offerings! (is that upper crust enough??) 

Downton is not full of guns, blood and fisticuffs (apart from the war episode, or the one where Lord G whacks Richard E. Grant, or the various shooting jaunts! Ok there's a fair amount of it!), but what it does provide is a chance to imagine yourself decked out in 1920's charm using wit and charisma to get yourself through any situation - if only that could work in the modern world!

The episode begins with the Crawley's visiting Rose and her new hubs plus the Sinderby's in a bloomin' castle! Must remember to Google that pad! One word out of the snobbish Butlers mouth and I knew Thomas was going to get involved! I was not expecting Lord Sinderby to lash out at our boy though, I had hoped that would lead to another example of the Crawley's standing up for they own, but that came in the form of acting as protective hen towards Branson.

I adore the look that wafts across Lady Mary's face when a new potential one night stand appears! Quite the modern woman stuck in the wrong era! Loving her hair - although too drastic for me! 

The Bates' predicament is quite the doozy! My bets are that it was infact some complete dark horse who pushed the rotten scoundrel... Hughes?

Speaking of, I was shreiking with sheer joy when Carson proposed!! That is romance and needs to be bottled and sold... that'll buy them every B&B in Thirsk if they wanted it!

I'm still ploughing on through Made In Chelsea (Season 3). Current views.

• Who is Lucy, when will she be leaving and will Jamie just slap her already?
• Millie and Rosie vs Victoria aka 'dog-gate'... best ever! "Herbie doesn't like other dogs'"
• Season 3 Francis has gone strange! They obv tried to change his image away from 'suit man' but now the hippy cardi's over the shirt, unshaven on a skateboard look, pining over Sophia and awkwardly flitting his eyes around when he doesn't know how to respond to something makes for cringe viewing!