Hi, Hello, Hey....

Source

...life has got in the way, not in a terrible way but one that means I can't find the time to complete the simplest of tasks. Added to that, I kinda feel like blogging the way people blog now is not really for me, I want it to be fun and random rather then the gorgeous, magazine-like blogs that are hitting the big-time at the moment. That's not to say that I don't adore those blogs, I just don't want to be one of those blogs. But I want to blog, just write down what's going on in my life as a journal, tracking the wedding, fitness, food with a bit of makeup thrown in for good measure.

So what's been going on:

- We're in the process of decorating again, we're onto the kitchen but it's not a big job so it's nice to be able to take our time and get the room as I want it.

- Wedding planning is slowly picking up pace. We're 14 months away and we've got the venue, church, cars and cake booked. I'm trying to get together a few designs of what I want for wedding stationary and sort out invites. We've also started collecting bits and pieces for the reception, bits and bobs for the tables, nice to try and collect as much of it ourselves.

- Wedding dress hunting - in 8 weeks time I will be heading up to my parents to start the hunt for The Dress. I'm really nervous as I've already tried one dress on and hated it and how I looked in it so this really puts me off but hopefully this time it will be better - I need to buy myself some new underwear!

- Fitness gains are slow and steady, I started off so well and made loads of progress quickly but things have slowed and I've taken my eye off the ball a bit. I'm still having a personal training session a week and trying to train myself 2/3 more times a week but I need to up it a bit if I want to see more changes. I'm thinking of starting a weekly fitness thing on here to track my progress, not sure what format this will take but I will work something out! I also want to branch out more into fitness, with some food, fitness wear, class reviews and anything else I can add to get the blog back up and running.

- Life with Ted pug is as fun as always, we go out on adventures to different places and explore - Ted Travels may become a thing on here soon.

Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of things over the coming weeks, time to get some posts scheduled before life takes over again. 

.

Life: January Roundup

I'm going to put it out there, I quite like January. Not only is it the month of my birth but I love that it seems like a fresh start, a time to make plans, set goals and have lots of things to look forward to throughout the year.

January has been filled with lots of happy moments, yummy food and lovely things. At the start of the month we spent a lot of time cooking and tidying the house, this is the year where I try to declutter a bit, our house isn't big enough for all my crap! My birthday mid-month saw me very spoilt with loads of lovely gifts, some bits from Charlotte Tilbury, a FittyLdn box and tickets to see Ellie Goulding in March!

In the gym, I've been working on building my strength and working on my pull ups - training was going really well, but I've been knocked out a little with an ear infection that has put my balance way out of whack - hello dizzy spells. A few weeks later and I'm feeling much better and can't wait to get back training!

Ted's been on lots of adventures this month, the biggest being when we headed to Richmond on the train. He wasn't too sure about the train at first but he soon settled, trying to say hello to everyone! We had a wander around Richmond park before stopping by Richmond Bridge to give our paws a rest.

This weekend, I headed to the Fresh & Fit Fest at The Hoxton in London. There were different workouts to try, talks by many influencial fitness people and lots of yummy food to sample & buy. I went to a Silent Disco, hosted by Misfit and run by Tally & Zanna from the #GirlGains, I knew it wasn't going to be just dancing with Tally writing the HIIT routine, it was hard but I loved it. Later on, I also tried out a Rave class by Gymbox- a dance routine, with glow sticks, on a mini trampoline. I loved it! Today, my arms and legs ache so much but I loved and am so tempted to try another class.

January was an awesome month and a great way to start off my year! I can't wait for the rest of 2016 now!

How was your January? xx

Blogger Bookclub - What Alice Forgot By Liane Moriarty

Alice is twenty-nine. She adores sleep, chocolate, and her ramshackle new house. She's newly engaged to the wonderful Nick and is pregnant with her first baby.

There's just one problem. All of that was ten years ago . . .

Do you ever wonder where you will be in 10years time? What if you were made to relive the last 10 years of your life, but you don't remember any of it? That's what happens when Alice hits her head at the gym, she wakes up thinking she is 29. The story follows Alice as she struggles to remember what has happened during those last 10 years, why she is divorcing her husband, how she is meant to look after her children (none of which she remembers) and discovers who she is now.

I liked the concept of the story but I feel there is too much going on around the story and not enough of the actual story. It jumps between Alice's story, Elisabeth's (Alice's Sisters) diary about her struggles with trying to have children and Frannie's (Alice's Granny) blog - it felt like these parts were put in to fill up the story.

It's not a book I would normally have reached for, I enjoyed it but it took ages to get into and when I finished a chapter, it didn't make me want to read the next chapter in a hurry - I had a few days off this book and it didn't bother me so I know it's not one that I would rush to recommend.

You can read what Leanne & Lorna thought of the book by heading over to their blogs.

Let me know if you read this!

Sarah xx

Life - A Weekend in Northern Ireland

Way back at the end of October, my family and I flew out to Northern Ireland to suprise my Grandma for her 80th birthday. I took it as an opportunity to practice some of my photography skills as well as documenting a fun weekend. I've been lucky enough to grow up spending time over there, exploring lots of different places and building happy memories. This trip was even more special as I got to share it with Andy and show him around all of my favourite places.

Mum & Dad hired a Ford Galaxy, we all bundled in and headed off. The first stop on our trip was to visit some of the filming locations for Game of Thrones. We stopped at Downhill Beach which is Dragonstone and walked along the beach.

From there we headed on to Portrush. I've not been here for years but it's exactly as I remember it. We parked up and walked along the East strand before heading back into town and down to the main harbour where we took lots of family selfies. From there we walked round to a pub to have a family dinner. After that it was back to the car to head over to Portstewart for ice cream at Morellis - this was always tradition on our last night over there in the summer.

The next day we all pilled back in the car and went to the Giant's Cause Way. We had several stops on the way, stopping at Portballintrae as well as view point to see Dunluce Castle. Finally we arrived at the Causeway and we wandered about, we headed out as far as we could on the stones before wandering back to the main site and popping into a little pub for some more food.

That night we were back on the plane heading home, shattered but it was well worth it to spend time with my family. Having just popped over for a weekend, I now really want to plan lots more adventures for 2016.

Any suggestions for weekends away would be great!

Blogger Bookclub - The Book of You by Claire Kendal

Another month and another book. This month's book was The Book of You by Claire Kendal. I'm not normally a thriller book fan, I wouldn't choose the book off the shelf unless someone recommends one to me so I was a little concerned I wouldn't enjoy the book.

The story follows Clarissa who becomes the focus of her colleague's, Rafe, affections. The book flits between 1st and 3rd person, some of the chapters focus on Clarissa and what Rafe is putting her through as she builds evidence to take to the police, while others are the story around her as she sits on the jury in a horrible trial, learning from this the sorts of evidence she needs before her story will be taken seriously.

Once I got my head around the change in person I really got stuck in and couldn't put it down, the more erratic Rafe's behaviour became, the more I could feel myself getting angry and frustrated, I  really grew to hate that character. 

I really enjoyed The Book of You when I didn't expect to! 

Check out the other girls in the book club to see what they thought!

Lorna - Leanne - Lizzie - Alyssia - Chloe

Christmas Gifts - Fit Food

Stocking fillers, usually made up up of tubes of smarties, bags of chocolate coins and, in my house, random trinkets from around the house! I always end up with stuff that I eat within hours and then feel guilty about it, so why not replace the trash with healthier options! 

You can't not have chocolate, a perfect replacement would be Green & Blacks Salted Caramel Thin, I love this, one square a day is my treat. 

For the nut butter addict in your life, you can't go wrong with a jar of the good stuff. Nuts 'n' More Toffee Crunch is amazing mixed into morning porridge or dolloped on pancakes, whilst Buff Bake Snickerdoodle is awesome straight out of the jar for a pick me up!

Finally, snacks on the go don't get much better then Quest Bars in their variety of flavours, heated up they are the food of gods. Propercorn help satisfy sweet or savoury craving, perfect for keeping you away from the crisps. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Chocolate Orange, well Bounce have that covered with their new Orange & Cacoa Bounce Balls, perfectly orangey and chocolatey, a great replacement!

Just a quick round up of food ideas for gifts, let me know which ones you would pick!

Blogger Bookclub - Techbitch by Lucy Skyes & Jo Piazza

I feel like I haven't actually sat down and read a whole book in forever, so when the opportunity came along to join a book club, I grabbed it with both hands!

This month’s book was the interestingly named Techbitch by Lucy Skyes & Jo Piazza.

Techbitch (Noun) someone who is a complete bitch in the technological world – Techbitch follows Imogen Tate, Glossy Magazine’s Editor, as she returns to work only to discover that her old assistant, Eve, has moved in and is transforming the magazine into an online version. As Imogen struggles to get to grips with the technology of her new world she has only one choice, to adapt or become extinct.

For my first book, it was so nice to sit down with some good old 'Chick-Lit', an easy read that I could just lose myself in. I felt that I could fully relate to having a person in my life who changes the goal posts, takes a lot of the credit for work I have completed and is just so incredibly two-faced! I grew to hate Eve's character and adore Imogen and I wanted to keep reading to find out how Eve would reach her demise!

Would I class it as a book that is well written? No, but then you don't pick up Heat magazine and expect it to be high-brow literature. If you're looking for something light and fluffy then this is a book for you.

Check out the other lovely ladies in the book club to find out their thoughts:

Lorna - Leanne - Lizzie - Alyssia - Chloe

Next month's book is  'The Book of You’by Claire Kendal.

Let me know what you think

xx

Christmas Gifts - Fitness Tech

Fitness technology is something that has exploded in the past 12 months; there are some many different options for all types of fitness fans. 

First up, lots, fitness trackers. Personally I adore my Fitbit Flex, I've had it a year and vary rarely leave the house without it. It tracks the basics of steps and general calories throughout the day, connecting to an app of my phone. From there the natural upgrade would be to the Fitbit Charge as it also tracks heart rate as well as displaying the time.

A cheaper option would be the Misfit Shine which is a bargain at £30. This is like the Fitbit flex as it tracks the basics and connects to an app, it would be perfect for someone new to fitness. One that I know is quite big but I've never tried is the Nike Fuel band where you earn points as a motivation depending on how active you are.

One thing I can't live without in the gym is music and I adore my wireless headphones, no more faffing about with trying to tuck the wires in my bra! These Beats by Dre are pretty pricey but perfect  in the gym, there are loads of other options as well so have a good look around for others in your price range.

Now, not technically 'Tech' but everyone needs a decent bag for storing all the tech and fitness wear in as well as a water bottle to keep you hydrated, I don't go anywhere without my Water Bobble, I have a 500ml for the gym and a 1L one for day to day, I aim to drink 3 of those a day! 

So there you are, some possible picks for the fitness fanatics in your life - which ones would you pick?

Christmas Gifts - Fitness Wear

People have been asking me what I want for Christmas since October and I really have no idea, but after watching 3 Xmas films in a row, baking an Xmas cake and watching loads of YouTube gift guides, I now feel suitably inspired to sit down and put together some lists.

First up, fitness wear. Over the past 10 weeks I've been training once a week with a trainer and then training myself a couple of times of week - it's going well and I'm developing quite an obsession with fitness wear, I'm developing quite a collection! Getting new gym wear is a real motivator so would make the perfect gift! 

My favourite place to shop is Active in Style, they have so many great brands from Lorna Jane to Running Bare, personally I adore anything from Onzie, I own two pairs of their booty holders and they suck you in and make you feel like you can lift anything!

Another good place to stop by is Sweaty Betty - they have gorgeous printed leggings, great slogan tops and some fantastic accessories! Plus they do gift cards so if you're not sure what someone would want then you can load one of these up and they can treat themselves!

Final stop would be Nike to grab some new trainers. I'm a bit of a trainer snob and only wear Nikes, I have 3 pairs in rotation and I adore them all because they are bright and add a pop of colour to my normally all black outfits. No one can ever have too many pairs of trainers, plus you can get some good deals on them if you visit outlet stores or keep an eye out on ASOS for them.

So there you have it, a few gift ideas for the fitness fanatics in your life, next up will be a fitness accessory gift guide - don't know when but keep your eyes peeled!

What do you think of my picks? Where else would you recommend for Fitness Gifts?! 

Hello November - October Round up & November To Do

 

Pictures from my instagram - _sarah.mc

October has been & gone faster then I realised, it's been a very busy time, especially as I've now been in my new job for 7 weeks now! I've not blogged because I just haven't wanted to, I've needed time for me to take in all the changes in my life and get my head around it.

So October was a fairly calm month until the very end - it included:

- Visits from friends

- Really getting into my routine with my PT

- A weekend visit to N.Ireland

- Making soup (it wasn't good!)

- Stocked up on candles at IKEA

- Fell in love with my foam roller

- Cooked lots of batches for lunch!

- Saw Hamlet

- Enjoyed lots of pug cuddles

- Taking lots of photos

November To Do:

- Cook something new

- Take fitness progress pictures

- Try a new recipe for lunch

- Try Zoats for breakfast

- Edit some photos

So just a quick round up of my month and looking forward to the coming months, once December is here life really gets a tad crazy with school (work) and family life!

How was your month?

X X

Boots Star Gift - Smashbox #SHAPEMATTERS 3 in 1 Contouring Palette

I know it's a tad early to even start thinking about it, what with it still being fairly warm as well as only being October but I had to share this deal with you!

Boots have just launched their Christmas shop, each week releasing a Star Gift which would make a great present for yourself or someone else - personally this weeks gift is something I wont be giving away!

From Smashbox you get the #Shapematters 3 in 1 Contouring Palette which includes:

- 9 award-winning Photo Op Eye Shadows (Vanilla, Totally Nude, Champagne, Stripped, Posh, Platinum, Sumatra, Aubergine, Blackout)

- 3 Contour Powders for most skin tones

- 1 Highlighter

- 2 best-selling Brow Tech Powders

- 1 Brow Tech Wax

- 1 double-ended Shadow/Brow Brush

- 1 full-size mirror

- 3 Interactive Get The Look Cards (Brow, Face, Eye)

According to Boots' website, this palette has been created with Sephora as is a multi-product palette.

Normally this will be £60, but until the 8th October it's only £30, a total bargain! 

So, head down to Boots or pick one, or two or even three up here online while you can - think I need to go and grab one!

What do you think, too early for Christmas? 

Nails - Minty Greens

L-R
Turquoise Gloss, Greenberry, Mint Candy Apple, Pool Party, Blossom Dandy

I know the seasons are changing and we are moving into Autumn but I still love minty greens, especially for on my toes - it's nice to have a pop of colour hidden away under socks. I've probably done a post similar to this before but I've had a few new additions over the last few months so I thought I would do an update.

Whenever I'm looking for a polish that will last I always reach for the Models Own Hypergel in Turquoise Gloss as I know it will still look good after a few days. Turquoise Gloss is definitely a very blue toned minty green but it looks really nice against my skin tone. For high shine I like to reach for Barry M Gelly in Greenberry which is more on the green end of the scale of minty-ness, a lovely fresh colour. 

For a pale green I tend to reach for Essie Mint Candy Apple, it's a cult favourite amoung bloggers but it isn't my favourite. it's a nice polish with a good finish but not one that I would rave about. Moving down to the most green toned end of the scale I've got a Topshop polish in Pool Party which is a really bright turquoisey/green - I love this for really sunny days although the finish isn't as long lasting as some of the other polishes.  

Finally we have my favourite of all the these - Essie Blossom Dandy. I picked this up when I thought I had lost my Mint Candy Apple and needed a replacement but couldn't find MCA in Boots or Superdrug. Blossom Dandy is the warmer cousin of  MCA. It is so much easier to wear then MCA, plus I could wear it all the time! 

Just a few of my favourites at the moment - I think it might be time for me to put these away and dig out my autumnal shades but for now I'm loving minty greens - what greens are you still loving? xx

Photography - Shoreditch, Spitalfields Market & Brick Lane

I've been working on my photography recently, something to fill my time with during the summer holidays and it's something I've wanted to learn about for a while. So I treated myself to a groupon voucher for a walking photography course, booked the course and waited for the date.

When the day arrived I made sure I had a fully charged camera with an empty memory card and headed into London. Trains were a bit of a mare that day so I turned up a little late but a quick e-mail to the tutor to let him know and they waited for me near Shoreditch station. He quickly went through what I was aiming to do and really encouraged us to look carefully before taking a picture. We had to play with what level we took the picture from, standing in different places, sitting on the side of the road - never did I think I would be sitting on a kerb in the middle of London.

We wandered then round to the market at Spitalfields where our tutor set us the challenge of asking if it was OK for us to take a picture of them working or their stand - this was really scary for someone like me who is normally very shy but I manned up and did and got some great pictures as well as feeling incredibly hungry around the food! A little bit of wandering around, he pushed us to take pictures of people without them really being aware, being 'natural'. We also worked on our people photography, finding nice places to stop and getting someone to pose, I ended up sitting on the step of a gorgeous house, it was slightly embarrassing as I hate having my picture taken! From here we walked round to find the graffiti! 

When we found a good spot filled with amazing art work - spent about 30mins here taking pictures before it was time to head home. Once I got home I hit up a bit of editing of the pictures, I took so many and I'm still working my way through editing, playing around with contrast and brightness - its great fun really and something I never thought I would have the courage to do!

So here are just a few of my edited pictures, some are my favourites, others are ones that work, but I've never put my work up on the Internet before for people to see so I would love some feedback! 

Let me know what you think!