My favourite ways to de-stress!

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you'll know that I've had the week (or fortnight even) from hell after some b*tch reversed into my car and wrote it off - mix this with being the week before payday, barely seeing the fella as he's been working so much and a couple of late shifts at work - it's safe to say that a glass of wine was called upon a couple of times. There's a quote that says "Stress is directly related to how out-of-control we feel" and that's been a huge problem this week - I like being organised, knowing what I'm doing and this week I've not been able to be in control of anything as I had to spend a few days without a car and even after I received a courtesy, I couldn't control how long it took to check it, write it off and I'm still waiting to find out how much money my settlement will be.

Plus despite having left Nottingham over a year ago, I've also felt SUPER home sick the last week or so - particularly Friday night and over the weekend as I was on my own pretty much from Friday-Sunday and a planned few drinks was cancelled when Nick had to work late (which happens a little to regularly!) My mind gets to thinking and sometimes it makes me worse and even more upset so I have to come up with things to keep me busy or distract my brain.

I have of course managed to attempt to get through the last couple of weeks (despite the little argument I had with the guy from my car insurance company today!) and I feel so much better than I did and I think it's down to a few things that I've done that have perked me up or have even been something to look forward too.. (It's very similar to my Winter Weekend Post I did last year, but either may give you a few ideas..)

1) Early night and pamper session! 

Perfect if you have a night on your own and just want to take 5 minutes to breath and relax.. Nick's worked quite a few nights the last couple of weeks so a couple of evenings I found myself in bed by half 8 with a hot chocolate, cosy jumper and PJs, Miranda (or something funny) on the TV with my skincare routine and a nice bottle of nail polish. Just having an hour or so to spend on yourself and relax after a hellish day works wonders and can make you wake up in a totally different mood! 

2) Go to the gym! 

Believe me, the Thursday after it happened was all I could look forward too. I knew I had a Personal Training session in the morning with Hot Yoga in the evening - I went into the PT session first thing in a shit mood and felt like I really couldn't be bothered but after smashing the rowing machine and putting all my anger and stress into throwing weights about, I came out of it feeling like a different person - I felt a bit more motivated and like a weight had almost been lifted and not that I just wanted to sit at home and be a mardy cow all day on my own. Plus the hot yoga ensured I had the best night sleep that I'd had all week. 

3) Go for a walk 

Like going to the gym, the action of walking can reduce stress and anger but just being out in nature (I visited the Attingham Park Harvest Festival in Shrewsbury!) in the beaming sun put a smile on my face.. Looking around the gardens and just hearing the kids play or smelling the food and drinks available at the festival was lovely. It felt good to be outside too and not cooped up like I had been without a car. Spending the morning walking around Attingham Park with Nick was a brilliant way to spend out rare time together. 

4) Bake! 

I LOVE baking and cooking and anyone who I've ever worked with knows how much I bake cakes and anything else I can fatten people up with. I spent a couple of evenings before the Macmillan Coffee morning baking and decorating cakes. I always find it quite theroputic and it's a good way to keep your mind busy - plus, the cake always helps everything anyway ;) 

5) Text or call a friend
I always think about the people who I no longer live in Nottingham with and wonder what they're up to so the other night I text one of my girlies just saying "hey" and seeing how they are etc and just a few texts back and forth and a super quick catch up reminds you that people will still be there for you when you feel pants, even if it's just a quick text message.

I hope these may come in handy or sit at the back of your mind if you're feeling a bit down - I'd like to think any of my friends or anyone who knows me knows I'm just at the end of a phone and always ready with a glass of wine and/or cake in hand! Tweet me links to similar posts to give me ideas in the future - which I'm sure I'll need at some point ;)

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Autumn Lip-spiration!

I've never been a lipstick person unless I go out at night until I started my new job and now I can't leave the house without a colour on! I just feel that lipstick or a lip product makes the face and finishes off a make up look and I've loved trying out new products and new looks so with my favourite time of year coming up, I'm looking forward to wearing an Autumn lip!

First up is the Milani Lipstick in Cabaret Blend (40) and LA Lip Paint in Daring (may be wrong, can't work out the name!) which I picked up last time I visited Cabella in Nottingham which are perfect either together or separately. The Lip Paint is quite purple but it's great for over a lipstick as it lasts such a long time and feels really moisturising or on it's own to add a bit of colour to a plain outfit.

The second combo I've been loving is the No7 Lip Crayon in Plum underneath the No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Berry Shine. The lipliner makes the look a bit darker than the lipstick alone would so it helps take it from Summer to Autumn/Winter.

The easiest and super-quick lip is the No7 Matte Lip Crayon in Raspberry Red. There are only 2 shades of the No7 Matte Crayon but the Raspberry Red has a lovely brown tone to it.

Finally, a favourite from last year is back again - the Rimmel 107! Zolla's favourite and one of the easiest lipsticks to wear on it's own. This also goes nicely with the Rimmel Apocolips in Across the Universe or the Revlon Colourstay in Parisian Passion!

Rather excited that it's Autumn and can't wait to wear darker lips and nails for work and day to day, and even get the flat a bit more cosy ready for the dark and cold nights! Be sure to link me to your Autumn related posts :)

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Fitness Update: Personal Training Sessions, Breakfast and Walking Around All Day!

It's been months since I wrote a post about my fitness... partly because my fitness went out the window as you may have guessed after my last post, especially in the run up to my holiday and partly because my new job is limiting how much time I spend in the gym!

However now I have a dress to get into for the Black tie ball I'm organising, I couldn't bare looking in the mirror anymore and after months of debating, I finally got a personal trainer at my gym so I could get myself back into shape and motivated again and even though I'm only about 3 and half weeks in, I already feel a world of difference and know I should've done it months ago when I first thought about it.

I've never in my life had a PT session before but in my gym I'd seen one of the Fitness Advisors, Sasha, had started her own business and had become a personal trainer (if you're in Shropshire, take a look at her website here). Now there was a female Personal Trainer, I messaged her and before I knew it was back in the gym after 3 weeks of staying well clear - not having a clue what I was letting myself in for.

(Stolen from Sasha's Instagram!) 

After the general measuring how fat my arse is and doing all the stats and having a natter we got on with the first session and it's safe to say I worked harder than I EVER thought I could - I literally smiled the whole way through and found myself feeling so determined and so much more motivated than I've ever felt. I was actually excited for the next week and after 4 sessions (the second of which was spent mainly trying not to be sick - actually one of the best feelings!) with Sasha as well as 4 or 5 sessions in the gym on my own following my personalised programme, I can see a difference already! I have muscle building on my arms (which I'm way too overexcited about but I don't care) and I've already been adding KG's to the weights I'm lifting so it's definitely something I'm going to carry on with as it's just the best way I've found to keep on track and feel actually excited to go to the gym!

Hashtag Sweaty! 

With the PT sessions, I've been keeping a food diary which has also been a huge help in keeping me inline which has been more than tricky as I've been away a few times or been out for the odd day here and there so it's been about keeping focussed while out and about and making sure meals in the evenings as well as lunch are as healthy as possible - despite the odd treat size chocolate bar or the odd pudding every now and then, for the first time I'm actually taking time to have a read at whats in the food I'm buying - particularly if I'm grabbing a sandwich from work etc. I've finally got onto the breakfast bandwagon for the first time since I was a kid and I now can't go to work without breakfast whether it be just a Weetabix or a banana smoothie, or eggs on toast! This is definitely helped with the not eating too much at lunch as well.

The absolute gem of my new fitness/health routine is that I've changed jobs at the end of July and I've gone from sitting in an office on my arse on my own all day where I ate SO much and snacked all day long out of boredom to a job where I'm on my feet on the shop floor all day so there's no time for snacking whatsoever and I'm walking on average 5-7 miles a day. The skirt I wore on my first day is far too big and I'm back in my size 14 jeans for the first time since before last Christmas.

This is the first time in a year where I'm not drinking YourTea Teatox and I'm not taking any type of slimming tablets - it's taking longer to get there but it feels better; like I'm not cheating and that I'm doing it through sheer handwork in the gym and determination and you know what, I bloody love it! So much has changed - everything from my body and how I look, to my mood and how I feel; I feel generally happier day to day and with more energy to go to the gym after work!

After 4 weeks and 4 days of hard work and eating healthy (the majority of the time), this is the progress: 

Body Fat: 2.7% Loss 

Waist: 8cm Loss 

Hips/arse: 1cm Loss 

Arms: 1cm Loss 

Thighs: 1cm Gain 

Water mass: 2.4% Gain 

So yeah, little rambley post as I thought a fitness one was well overdue plus will help me keep track of how I'm doing ;)

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Review: Seche Vite Top Coat

First blog in bloody weeks - really need to get back into it so chosen my favourite product at the moment to have a little ramble about - apologies that it's another nail product as my last post was a review on nail product but I can't not write about it! :)

2 people recommended the Seche Vite Topcoat (which I'd never heard of before!) as I kept moaning that since having my acrylics taken off my nail polish doesn't stay put longer than I've left the room I put it on in as my nails are such a state! Plus now working as a beauty gal in Boots means that I can't have scrappy looking nails.

I finally caved and paid the £9 price tag (kinda ouch for a topcoat) but I'd not even put it on one whole hand that night and I knew it was the best money I could spend and it's a new beauty-must-have that I'll be repurchasing for life.

I normally don't use a topcoat and if I do it's just a bog-standard Sally Hansen one but it's safe to say that this has changed my nail routine. The shine it leaves is just dreamy and it makes nail polish stay on and pretty much untouched for days but my ultimate favourite bonus is that it dries nail polish SO much quicker. I'd repurchase purely for this quality as I never have the patience to sit for hours while they dry. I also think it helps the growth and strength of nails too even if it doesn't state it anywhere as I've been using it for a couple of weeks and my nails currently look amazing and finally long enough to put a nice gel polish on!

I'd never heard of Seche Vite whether it be colour polishes or treatments and I'd never seen it before as it's in the nail accessory section of Boots rather than the beauty section but if you struggle to keep your nail polish shiny and in one piece with no chips, I couldn't recommend this enough! Definitely worth the price.

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