Fitness Friday| Weight Loss| Preparation & Planning

You rarely venture into anything new in life without first thinking about it. Remember back to when you started your blog, did you think about it before you started it? I bet you carefully thought about the name, what you wanted to say and what you wanted it too look like. Well if you are to start a healthier lifestyle, the same rule applies!

Success loves preparation! If you want your healthy lifestyle to be more than just a phase you need to plan and prepare throughout. This may sound like hard work, but as I always say; make small steps each day and they soon become habits.

Think about it. If you are not prepared for hunger you normally just grab something on the go. Be it a bag of crisps, chocolate bar or a shop bought sandwich. If you are prepared you will more than likely have a snack in your bag that is healthier, be it a homemade sandwich or wrap, nuts of fruit.

The same happens in the supermarket. If you are prepared, have planned your meals and have a list of ingredients you will more than likely only buy what is on the list which means your kitchen cupboards will be full of healthy food. However if you are unprepared you will venture into the supermarket and end up buying what ever takes your fancy, be it healthy or not.

I am not saying that you need to count calories, plan every single meal that you have and panic when you don’t have a pre-prepared snack, just become a little more prepared and it can make a big difference! Below are a couple of preparation tips.

• Plan your meals- One night a week flick through your favourite cookbooks for meals you can make. This means you will have meals for each night, reducing the likelihood of ordering takeaways.
• Stick to your shopping list- If you are too tempted by BOGOF offers then keep your head down and go directly to where your shopping list items will be found in the store. Do not browse every aisle in the supermarket… you will just buy more!
• Wake up 15 minutes earlier- This means you will have time to sit and have breakfast each morning, instead of grabbing a coffee and muffin from Starbucks!
• Keep a food diary- You can use a Diary, such as the Moleskin Wellness Journal*, a notepad or an app on your phone. Food diaries make you more accountable of what you put in your mouth. You will be surprised at what you actually eat when first starting a food diary!
• Prepare your lunch- A couple of nights a week get out your Tupperware and make up your lunches to take to work for the next couple of days. Lunch can be a meal that if bought on the go can have a million more calories that you would think. A sandwich bought from a shop can have around 400 calories in, add your crisps and cake to this and your lunch could amount to over 700 calories! By preparing your lunch in bulk you will have no excuse as you can simply grab it from the fridge before you leave in the morning!
• Keep and water bottle with you- If you struggle to get your 2 litres everyday, keep a 1 litre/750cl bottle on your desk or in your bag and sip it throughout the day. This saves you money and reduces the likelihood of grabbing a bottle of pop.
• Plan ahead when eating out- Most places have their menus online, and large chains even have the calories count on there. So if you are watching your waistline and don’t fancy splurging then check out the menu and plan your meal ahead. 
• Schedule in your workouts- Schedule in your workouts as if they were a meeting or dentist appointment. If you cancel a half an hour appointment to improve yourself then I’m sure you will feel guilty! Get your workouts written down in your diary!
• Set goals- Long term and short tem! Try aiming for so many inches lost by a wedding in the summer, or aim to take homemade lunches to work every day that week. If you have a goal you have something to concentrate your efforts on. Even better reward yourself after meeting goals… have a manicure, buy a new dress etc.

I hope these tips help you prepare for a healthier lifestyle. Tell me how you make sure you are prepared for a healthy week!

Presents for myself| A Sales Haul

 

So again this post is late compared to all you other organised bloggers, but I’m going to do it anyways as I wanted to share with you what I bought myself this Christmas. I say that they are presents because my Christmas money went towards them, and a lot of it is actually stuff that was on my Christmas list but Santa forgot to bring me… not that I’m complaining as it’s always nice to treat yourself. I say treat myself, more like spoil… my bank balance is not looking great and it is mainly down to this haul and too much champagne over the Christmas period!

Anyways onto my buys. I did not venture onto the busy high-street to buy the above… there is no way you would find me fighting other people in queue to get into a shop the day after Christmas… no I am not one of those crazies that you see on the news. I am in fact a smug shopper who purchased all of the above without breaking a sweat and from the comfort of my office. Before I go on to my buys I have a little confession… the majority of what I bought was not in the sales… whoops! But everything I bought I have been lusting after for some time, so that’s my justification!

Stylist Pick provided me with the Luz Black Metal Detail Wedge which are perfect for work… even if they are a little higher than I imaged. These were my sale buy with the biggest discount with nearly 50% off, full price £38 sale price £20.

Asos did have a pretty good sale in which I bought more items for work, the Arrow and Stud Detail Waist Belt and Black and Gold Pumps, again both had around 50% off. The belt I bought a size smaller than what I normally would seems I’ve lost some weight, but it’s still a little tight so I won’t be wearing it till next month I image.

Debenhams was where I splurged and bought everything I have been lusting after for some time. I bought my first EVER Mac lipstick…yes you heard me right. You can expect a review on it very soon, along with multiple reviews on the rest of the gorgeous beauty buys I got from Debenhams. I bought Urban Decays Naked Palette 2 so I now have both… yeah! The Benefit set was the only product with a little money off, not much but enough to justify buying it. I had wanted to buy the Primer but thought I’d be better to buy a smaller version to see it I liked it first before I splashed the cash, so thought this set was perfect.

Many of you will recognise my final buy the infamous beauty blogger favourite; Muji Drawers! I have like many of you been eager to buy these for a long time, especially after buying some rubbish makeup storage this time last year. I needed something big enough to fit everything it, and something chic so thought the Muji Drawers were perfect! I bought 3 of the two drawer sets, a 9 compartment organiser and a pen pot for all my brushes.

Did you buy anything in the sales? Leave your links and I will check them out. What do you think of my buys?

Burning a hole in my pocket| Haul

Well as the title suggest, I have been hauling my bum off recently, once while I was in Spain and the another last weekend, and lets just say I don’t really have the funds to be shopping like a crazy person. However as always, that never stops me! I have thankfully paid my overheads, so there will be no debt collectors on my doorstep, however I should be saving, not spending my money, but what is a girl to do. The items I have bought are needed… not urgently but still needed, so I’m not beating myself up too much.

My first haul was when I was in Spain on holiday. There was a few sales going on, and as I needed clothes for work I indulged and bought the blazer and two t-shirts above. Like many others I am obsessed with blazers, I have quite a little collection going on, and it’s still growing. I love how versatile they are, and how they instantly smarten up any outfit. This one is from Pull and Bear, which I’m not sure we have in the UK. It’s very high-street; key new styles mixed with essentials all at reasonable prices. The blazer was only 20 Euros, so a bargain really. My T-shirts like the blazer are bargains as well. They are both from Zara where there was a huge sale going on, which was more like a jumble sale; picture girls grabbing anything, clothes thrown everywhere, and girls trying things on in the middle of the shop. I got both t-shirts for 8 euros, and they should of been 45 euros collectively, so I was pretty pleased with that.

My second haul is from last Saturday, I only went into town for my bridesmaid dress fitting and to pick up a few things, but ended up with this lot and £120 down. Again, it is stuff I need, but maybe I shouldn’t of bought it all at once. I got the two bags from Tkmaxx, the large teal one is now my new work bag. I had been searching for one that was large enough for all my lunch and paperwork, as well as all the other crap I carry around, that was in a design I loved and would last me a while. This one turned out to be the winner, it’s teal coloured leather, has many pockets and compartments, zip fastening, and only cost me £60. The second more interesting bag is the clutch bag I am going to wear for my mums wedding. I needed a silver glittery one to match my shoes which I blogged about here, with it being only £15 I picked this one. The perfume again is from Tkmaxx, but thankfully my boyfriend was being a star and treated me. Overall I was pretty impressed with Tkmaxx, its not normally a place I shop, but it’s one of the few shops we have in Kendal so I don’t have much choice but to try it now.

The beauty products, are all form Boots, and I’m pleased to say they were discounted or on offer. However it seems that doesn’t stop me spend any less money, I just end up buying more! The Maybelline products were my best bargain as they had an offer on where all Maybelline products were 2 for £10, so I pretty much got an item free! I’ve never come across such a good offer before, and was hugely impressed. The 

Soap and Glory products are some that I have wanted to try for a while, and as it was buy one get one half price I indulged and added to my huge Soap and Glory collection at home. The Rimmel products were both reduced, the powder was just needed, and the primer is something I have been wanting to try. I have been struggling with my foundation recently; it hits about 3 o clock in the afternoon and my makeup has slid right off my face, so I’m going to try using a primer and see if it will help make my make up last at least till the end of the working day. I started with a cheap one, and if this doesn't work will venture into more expensive territory, but expect a review in a few weeks.

Have you been indulging recently? Did you take advantage of the Maybelline offer? Also if anyone has any primers they recommend let me know!

Topshop Nail Varnish| NOTD

A Week in pictures

* My last Festive feast :D Yummy Krispy Kreme doughnut*

* My adopted cat, tuna*

* Christmas mug, its has its own cosy :D*

* University work, multiple assignment and dissertation writing and mass highlighting*

* Mini haul from Primark*

So I have unfortunately been super busy with university work this past week, so I feel like my posts aren't really interesting, and my lovely followers deserve more than that, so please accept my apologies.

The story behind the photos;

I am meant to be starting my health kick this week, so this doughnut was one of my last treats. I am back onto a diet of smoothies for breakfast, chicken wraps or soup for lunch, and a healthy low carb dinner. I also need to up my exercise again, as I am feeling really unfit. 

Tuna meet the world, everyone meet Tuna! This is a cat that occasionally pops into our flat, he is extremely friendly and loves tuna (hence the name). I assume he has a home, as he has a collar and is well fed and groomed, but he just likes to pop by and say hello and give me some cuddles. He's a very welcome visitor. 

This is my new favourite mug that I received for Christmas, it has it's own cosy! Wow! I am a massive tea lover!

As I said previously I am extremely snowed under with university assignments at the moment. In my final year, and still manage to leave it till last minute... argh! So as of Friday I will be more free, although still having  the dreaded dissertation. 

This is my little treat that I bought after work. Total sum of £26.. bargain! Love Primark for some little gems every now and again. 

I hope you all had a great previous week, and have a good week.

In my dreams| Christmas Wishlist

So I have made a wishlist for Christmas for my family and friends, obviously within a suitable budget. But if money was no object for myself I would definitely be indulging in some of these beauties. 

Classic Chanel bag

Louis Vuitton luggage

Makeup brushes

Victoria Beckham dress

Hermes Birkin bag

Roberto Cavalli Jumper

Lancome

Glitter Louboutins

Jo Malone

Donna Karan Shearling Gilet

Cartier Watch

What designers would be under your dream Christmas tree?

Saturday's Haul

So I bought a few bits and bobs quickly after work. Pretty dumb of me I know, seems it was unbelievably busy, I was literally squeezing past people.

I am off out for tea tomorrow night with my friends. Its a yearly dinner we always have and its great to catch up with everyone. Plus because I haven't seen everyone in a while its always good to look nice and buy a new outfit. So that's what I did.

I bought a new dress in the sale at Dorothy Perkins. It was meant to be £30, but I got it for £17. I also got new House of Holland Tights from River Island for £12. I plan on wearing both these with a back blazer, black leather waist belt, and black patent platform shoes. I think I'm going to mix it up a little by accompanying  it with red shoulder bag. I will obviously post pictures of what I wear later in the week.

I also got some hair dye, as I have awful roots. Its a new one that I haven't tried before so I will do a quick review of it later. Then I got my staple face-wipes and a cheap moisturiser, along with Boots own faketan, again I will do a review later.

Finally I bought my mother an extra couple of Christmas presents and a ring to complete my outfit.

Did anyone else have a good shop this past weekend?