#01 Weekly Wishlist

I've definitely got health on the brain seeing as my latest post was talking about finding motivation and achieving some fitness goals and now most of the items on my first Weekly Wishlist are all health related.....

I thought I'd start doing a Weekly Wishlist because I always see so much I want to buy! I'm notoriously bad with my money and I'm an incredibly impulsive person so I've always got huge lists in my head on what to splurge my money on when payday comes around (it's so close this month as well! Getting dangerous..!) 
Maybe my unhealthy shopping habit will come up with a few items that you'd be interested in too? 
Not much passes beneath my radar so would be rather lovely to think I could introduce people to some new brands or products.
I'll also be doing a monthly 'Tried and Tested' post which reviews what products I've finally caved into and bought - I may be impulsive but I do like to do a bit of solid research and hear actual people's opinions on items before I buy them. 

Take a look at what I've been lusting all this week:

The Lumie Bodyclock - £59.95

I did mention this product as being on my wishlist in my last post. I've read loads of different magazine reviews that describe it as being a really gentle way to wake up so that definitely piqued my interest. I've always found that I wake up much earlier in a light room so it's obviously a mode of waking up that I should respond too - and if I can get myself in a routine of waking up earlier then that will be a goal achieved!
I picked out the Lumie Bodyclock Starter 30 refurbished clock as on the website it describes it as being "the perfect first wake-up light", and it also remains one of the cheapest. It is expensive considering I can just keep using my phone as an alarm so I think if I eventually do splash the cash I will get the cheaper one just to see how effective it is and if I like it. If I don't I'll give it to my Mum who's notorious for not setting alarms and sleeping in.
I have also wanted to buy a proper alarm clock recently as I just don't quite trust my phone to remember to wake me up every morning - anyone else ever feel like this?
On the official Lumie website the clock is currently on sale at £44.95, but you can also get it from Boots, Amazon and John Lewis where it remains slightly more expensive. It has lots of gold star reviews on all these websites which is nice & reassuring!

A Bosu Ball 

I love these things and have used them before - like an aerobics ball cut in half these are awesome for balancing and engage your core like nothing else. Some of the exercises on Kayla's BBG workout in the later weeks require use of a

BOSU ball so I will definitely be investing in some point but I have been wanting one for a few months now.
They usually come in blue but I rather like the snazzy pink one and are available in loads of online stores. I think I'll get the pink one from Amazon but if you want the blue then I would recommend getting it from Fitness Superstore as it seems to be considerably cheaper then some of the Amazon options.


Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are a pretty necessary piece of kit that can work wonders for your legs and thighs, and I did have a rather fetching purple one somewhere but in between commuting between Manchester and Scotland and moving flat it seems to have got lost. You can get some lovely ones from Bodyism (whose books do some great resistance workout exercises using them!) but I would recommend having a look on Amazon again for something a bit cheaper. I wouldn't pay 12 quid for what's effectively a larger, tough, rubber band. 

Water Infuser Bottles & Water Filtering Bottles

Now this is when things get confusing as I can't quite make up my mind as to which one I want to get.
As I mentioned before in my last blog post I feel the water up here is quite gunky so I wanted to get a water filter, however that does me no good for work so I'm thinking about investing in a water filtering bottle. As I was researching them I also came across bottles where you can infuse fruit flavours - unless it's ice cold I really hate the taste of water so I'm an avid squash drinker - hopefully a fruity infusion can help me kick the habit of a lifetime?
I'll pop up the contenders and if you've used one before then leave me a comment and help me make up my mind!

The Aqua Zinger
This one looks great and I've seen it reviewed on a few blogs. Seems to do the job well and infuse your water with hints of fruit. I think I'd go for the blue colour.

The Citrus Zinger
Like the Aqua Zinger except this one is designed for oranges and lemons - it has a neat little citrus press on the bottom which allows the juice to go into your water without the fleshy bits and pips getting involved too. Orange would be my colour of choice.

Puregadgets Fruit Infusing Water Bottle
I really like the bright colours on these and clear fruit compartments. Will make your water look even juicier (although chances are the water will probs end up going murky and might not look so appetising.) The perils of photoshop - where even water bottles are made to look good.

Fruit Infusing Water Bottle (sold by Wimports)
Pretty much the same as the others except it has a more rounded, metallic top. Hey - they all do the same job so my choice is pretty much going to be down to which I think looks best. I am going to be staring at it on my desk all day!

Bopple - normal or sport?!
This is just a simple water filter bottle but I've seen them everywhere - even my niece has one! Seem like a really nice simple bottle and I like the colours they use. My only concern is they seem quite thin - would they get scrunched like a normal water bottle does? I'd want it to maintain it's shape. I also can't decide whether I like the sport one best or the normal.....

Such a tough decision....maybe I'm looking into this far too much...
All are available via Amazon anyway. 
And finally....

Fountain Beauty Supplements

Another product where I just can't quite decide which one to try! They all look so good and I've fallen head over heels in love with the branding. Any product that has that chemistry/apothecary look to it I am happy to try!
I think a round was sent to all the big beauty bloggers recently as reviews all suddenly popped up on their pages and there's also been a whole heap of magazine mentions (all of which you can view on the Fountain webpage.)
The product seemed to do well with lots of the reviewers liking it, and saying they've kept on using it. My main reasons to try include trying to calm down inflammations on my skin (breakouts, eczema) and also to see if it can try and help reduce my skin hypersensitivity. I love nothing more than trying new products and unfortunately my skin's just screaming out stop to me recently and reacts to the littlest thing - even products it's been happy with before. To start with I therefore think I'll try the Extra Strength Beauty Molecule and maybe next month give the Super Green Molecule a go - according to Stylist Magazine who recently featured it on their 'style list' each serving has the equivalent of eating six bowls of spinach!Now I like spinach but who has time to eat six bowls? If this potion can help me then all I can say is...

I bet you like that Futurama reference

Anyway, I think that's more than enough to be getting along with. If you've tried any of the products listed then please let me know what you think - you may persuade me that it's a product I actually need more than just want - or you may stop me from wasting my money on something that doesn't actually work!

Hope you liked it,

T x

Woman, 22 - Seeking Mindfulness & Motivation

Well, I’ll admit that it’s been a slow week and I haven’t quite found my motivation yet – although I have taken a few baby sets in (hopefully) the right direction.

Judging by last nights chocolate biscuit heist my snacking is definitely out of control – however I think I can probably link this to not drinking enough water during the day at work. When I got home boy was I thirsty and promptly went on a binge– the problem is that I had ran out of squash at work and I find the water here tastes kind of off and when you look at the surface of it it looks kinda gunky.

Maybe time to invest in a water filter?

I had also promised myself that I would start the Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide (BBG) programme yesterday but despite my legs aching horrifically and my fuel band blinking at me repeatedly I just couldn’t quite lift myself off the sofa to do so.

Even worse – I’m starting to sleep in later and later despite going to bed at around the same time every night (11pm-ish) and it’s a real struggle getting up in the mornings.

 Stomach like this please! Picture from Kayla Itsines instagram - make sure you follow her!

My motivation and self control really is at an all time low so I think it’s time to bite the bullet and start trying to build it up – bit by bit.

Here’s my plan:

Wish me luck, see you at 6am

Tx

Bark in the Park - the Green Park Pug Meet

Those closest to me will know the love that I have for Pugs .
I follow a whole host of Pug Instagram's, window shop online for what I would buy for my fantasy pug, squeal and make a big deal whenever I see a real one 'in the wild' and I'm constantly annoying my mother by sticking my phone under her nose at break times with yet another picture or video of a cute little snuffly pug. 

Being quite an avid follower of the pug community I had started to hear about 'pug meets' and, luckily, my recent trip to London just happened to coincide with one held in London's Green Park. I joined the group page and asked if I could come along as I was hoping to ask some owners some questions about being a pug owner and the responsibilities involved - I like to be prepared and have already read quite a lot of literature about pugs, but the best way to really prepare yourself for becoming a pug momma is to ask the owners about their experiences.

Now, I will admit that come the day my shyness did overcome me so I mostly spent my time photographing the pugs (with my new Canon 1200d) and sneaking a few pats and cuddles in rather than quizzing owners.

I had also been accompanied by my mum and I always revert back to schoolgirl shyness in her presence ESPECIALLY when she's prodding and making really loud remarks to 'go and socialise!' It just all becomes way too cringey and exasperating and while I would be FINE normally the remarks just tip me over the edge and send me straight into my shell to hide.
It's awful.

That said, I still had a brilliant time and I was happy enough just getting to spend some time with some actual real life pugs!
They were so hard to photograph as they were all whizzing around like rockets and I was still trying to get the hang of my flashy new camera, but they were all so delightful with their tongues hanging out and all bashing into each other.

I love pugs because although yes, they are quite ugly dogs they are also full of so much character. They really are the clowns of the canine world and are known to be a super-sociable, happy and amiable breed. 
My current concerns about getting a dog are the costs involved - especially as pugs are known to have a series of genetic defects that insurance won't likely cover,however, seeing them all playing happily together really confirmed to me that it would all be worth it and that I am definitely ready to make that commitment.

I adore animals and have had several pets so far in my lifetime, and I definitely have a lifestyle that would suit a demanding breed such as a pug. I wouldn't be prepared to take on an animal if I was not able to provide it with the love, care, attention and security they need and a condition for me being able to get one is that I pass my driving test so that it can commute with me, a condition which has actually given me a great incentive for getting on with my lessons and studying hard! Whenever I feel like i'm really struggling with a driving lesson I can picture my little pug sitting in the back of my car barking at things from the window. Honestly, I can't wait.

Looking dapper in a bow tie - bow ties are cool

Alongside pugs I also adore huskies but I think for the time being a pug would be the right breed for me (and probably more than enough to handle - I'll probably end up with the naughtiest, cheekiest pug from the pack) but maybe later on in a few years I can expand my pack and also get a husky dog.
I think husky dogs are absolutely gorgeous, and I love how similar they are to wolves. When I finally get my husky I can live out my Westeros fantasies - striding past Winterfell with my direwolf in tow (probably just striding up Selkirk Hill whilst getting soaked with the Border mists.)

Anyway - back to Green Park.
After quite a stormy morning that had a real downpour of torrential rain the weather cleared up and turned into a glorious sunny day just in time for the meet up in the afternoon.
Not knowing London terribly well I was a bit nervous whilst getting the tube in case I wouldn't be able to find the group, but as soon as I got off I started seeing owners with their pugs making their way through the park. My Mum had insisted on stopping for a quick hotdog along the way which I tried to gobble down before we got to the meeting point but I still had a bit left when we got there - probably explaining why a few pugs immediately came running up to me! (I wasn't complaining.)


All the pugs seemed so happy and were all playing together nicely, none seemed at all put off by the large number of people there or the other dogs and got stuck in as soon as they were let off their leads.
It was great to see pugs of all different ages there too with some energetic younger puglets running alongside some slightly heavier older chaps.
One of the pugs that really stood out for me, and proved to be the inspiration for my eventual first choice name for my pug, was a cheeky fella who spent his afternoon racing after a football that was being kicked around for him.
It was his obvious joy and love of the game, as well as the start of the World Cup, that has helped me settle on the name Pirlo for my puggy (when I get him).

Yes, he will be named after the Italian team captain, and I will be teaching Pirlo Pug all manner of ball tricks to help him live up to his name too.

Anyway I am fully aware that I am rambling on now (a bad habit that I am hoping to curb as I blog more!) so I will leave you with some more pictures, and a video from the day. 
Apologies for the quality of the video - I took it on my phone rather than my camera and it was crystal clear until I uploaded it to youtube - I'm afraid my technical capabilities aren't quite there to improve it yet! Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

Have you been to a pug meet or have a pug? I would love to hear from you if you have any advice or entertaining (or horror!) stories!

Pugs & Kisses (Sorry - couldn't resist!)

T x

Tired out from a hard day's play!

Starting to form a gang

Smelled something questionable?

Back in Business...!

Picture Credit - thirtytwohundred.tumblr

First of all, I need to apologise – I’ve been really really terrible.

Not only have I not been blogging, but I’ve also not been running so after a successful few weeks of weight loss where I managed to lose a stone I am now back to square one and as fat as ever*

Previous efforts of
food prep by @tamsinkr

All I can say that work has been really really busy for me – and I’ve been feeling ashamed of my lack of effort.

*I’m not really ‘fat’, but I am fat for me. This is not a result of society’s perceptions of beauty – this is me knowing that I’m a good stone heavier than I have ever been in my life and a lot more jiggly then previously. Growing up I never had weight issues because I was doing enough exercise to keep me in check (and also just didn’t care – when you’re locked in a boarding school you’re going to eat what you’re offered) but as the years have gone by, I have done less and less and eaten more and more so it’s time to get my portion control back and get fit again.

New leggings - motivation via new fitness clobber! by @tamsinkr

Since Centreparcs I’ve really fallen off the wagon and had like a two month free-for-all binge so this is me taking back control. I am pledging to blog at least bi-weekly as a way to keep myself on track – make myself answerable to my blog and all that. Let’s hope it works. Not only is my body a mess, but my head and skin is a mess too – I feel tired, grouchy and unmotivated, and quite unbalanced emotionally too. I’ve been snapping all over the shop. Plus my skin that was finally clearing is also in a state too from all the sugar consumption.
Time to toughen up.

I’m moving out of my beautiful flat next week (sob!) and then I’m off to London for ten days where I will be staying at my sisters palatial flat. Her building has its own gym AND swimming pool so I’m going to try and treat my time there as a kind of fitness and diet ‘retreat’ and hopefully kick off my weight loss – as well as focusing on getting a routine in place while I’m enjoying my down time away from work.

Wish me luck!

T