Advice to my teenage self TAG

Hola :) I've asked for Miranda Hart's book - Is it just me? for christmas and the idea of the book is that she's giving her 18year old self some advice! I thought I'd do the same and came across this tag! It's not specific to being 18, that was just a couple years ago for me! So I'm aiming for Bryony aged 11-18! Enjoy :) 

3 makeup/fashion DOs for your teenage self - This one was super-duper hard!!! 
* Leave your hair naturally curly, it suits you and in a few years it will be more 'kinked' than curled! You'll be trying to make a curly, believe me. 

* Do wear mascara everyday! It seriously changes the way your face looks and stops you looking like you just rolled out of bed. It also frames your green eyes which you love in the future btw! 

* Uniform - Roll your school skirt up starting from year7. Below the knee lengths do not suit you and an older student will tell you so! She'll also unbutton your blazer and say you look silly! You know the length I mean though, no-one wants to see your 'Britney'!!! Do wear 2 pairs of tights even though mum says its a silly idea, they're warm, and shape your legs nicely. You will get comments on them ;) 


3 makeup/fashion DON'Ts for your teenage self -
* Don't buy them coloured jeans you only wore once! They weren't flattering and didn't suit you. Don't make the extra trip back to Primark to change the size, they weren't worth it! Pale yellow, Really????

* Don't attempt to dye your hair a darker brown, you're allergic to the dye and will swell up like an ugly hamster. Stay natural, at least until you go grey!! 

* Don't straighten your hair everyday, it causes a lot of damage and years to finally have healthy hair again! 

A deep and meaningful piece of advice for your teenage self - 
I know you worry about people looking at your birthmark and thinking negative things about you because of it. It's not important and in a few years time (when you're 18 to be exact) you will find someone who loves everything about you, including your birthmark, and he'll tell you this on many occasions! Not everyone is as immature and shallow as the boys at school and will like you for more than your popularity status, your willingness to 'link up' with them, the pictures of your arse cheeks on myspace (old school!!) and how you look. There are gentlemen out there, just wait a little longer. I promise you it's worth it <3 

1 tip for school - 
Remember the ONE time you & Emma were rebels and refused to take part in triple English one day and bunked off the last lesson? Yeah, don't spend it in the library!!!! Miss 
Oakley will see you after & won't believe you both had appointments!!! 

2007 - Still BFF <3 

1 tip for friends - 
You can't trust all your friends so don't take what some of them say too seriously. When you grow up a little and get more experience in the big bad world the silly little girls from school who lived and breathed drama will have nothing, and you'll be in university with the same amazing friends that you've grown up with and you'll be able to chuckle in their faces. It will be worth it!! It's not important to be popular, it's important to have a small group of friends who you really trust. You still have them amazing friends now :)  


1 tip for fun - 
Don't worry about what other people are thinking about you. Just have fun and enjoy being a teenager before you have to grow up!! Life's too short! Enjoy your friends, family & life. Keep smiling because I can tell you when you're nearly 21, you are a very happy girl!!!!! No more spoilers younger me ;) 


Merry Christmas Bloggers!! And a Happy New Year!!! :) 

Our romantic trip to Scotland!

I thought I'd write a more personal post for you on this winter evening!
 I currently have 'The power of love' by Gabrielle Aplin playing, eating a blueberry muffin and drinking a hot chocolate! I'm feeling very wintery! 

I spent the last weekend (Thursday - Monday) in Lossiemouth which is in North Scotland, very far north may I add!!! My boyfriend Harvey was posted up there with the RAF and I went to visit him.

It was a seriously lovely weekend and I was so pleased to see him after 6 weeks apart! The weather stayed nice for us and we just had a genuinely perfect weekend together! I thought I'd blog some of the photos we took & let you know what we got up to :)

Thursday:

I arrived at lunchtime where Harvey met me on the platform for a movie-like reunion! We went back to base for some lunch & 6weeks worth of cuddles! Harvey then had to work his last night shift of the week. He left at 4.15pm and I stayed in his room to chillax after my long day and 4am start. I wasn't expecting him back until at least 2am but when his squadron found out his 'Mrs' was here they sent him home at 11.00pm which was so amazing! We drank tea in bed like a little old couple and it was perfect!! 

Friday:

We had a little lie in after both squeezing into a single bed the night before and sleeping really badly! We then took a drive to Inverness, a town about 1hour 20min away from his base. We had booked a little hotel along the river with a 10 minute walk into town! We checked into the hotel at around 3pm and decided to stay in that night as it would be dark soon & we wanted some us time! We watched TV, had a bubblebath & just spent some much needed time together! When dinner time came we decided to be chubby and order a Dominos! Unsure of Hotel policy we thought we should sneak it in! We collected it from outside, hid it under Harveys coat and in we came. Of course there were lots of staff gathering at the reception having an evening chat, including the hotel chef, who saw the box poking out. Typical! We later realised there were cameras outside so they saw the whole thing anyway! DOH! We watched The Dark Knight Rises in bed, a film we both have a major weak spot for! Oh that Bane, yes please! We also watched John Bishops new DVD which has me laughing like a normal person and Harvey with tears streaming into his little cheek dimples! It's the little things... Then sleep took over us! 

The Lochness. 

<3 

Picture Perfect <3 

Saturday: 

We decided to go hunting. Not real hunting silly!! You can't go that far up north and not visit the LochNess!!! We drove there, it took about an hour! It was such a lovely drive with lots of scenery, plus the amazing singing & dancing (Ahem) of me in the car. Oh Harvey is a lucky chap! We ended up going passed the 'car-park' as we didn't realise it was literally a passing place on the side of the road! When we eventually found it we went down a small path that lead to a stone beach, silent and empty. It was perfect, like a picture on a postcard!! We walked along the beach, threw stones in the icy water, which my pinky finger tested btw! It was ridiculously cold! Then just sat talking, laughing & kissing on a rather cold log, my bottom wasn't happy but it was worth it! We drove back to Inverness where we parked our bottoms in bed with a cup of tea before going for a wander around the shops! We opted for a turkish restaurant for dinner! We enjoyed the food but my lamb was a bit too far on the spicy side! They also charged us £9 for a lemonade and a coke! Barbaric! Lovely evening out though! Then back to the hotel to watch some TV and have a hot bath. 

West Beach 

Cuddles <3 

                        Sunday: 

Being brave little love birds 

After a nasty wake up from Harveys chirpy bird alarm we got up and ready to check-out. We drove back to base which seemed to take half the time the journey there took! We changed into 'I don't care about them' shoes and headed off West beach. It was such a lovely day! Blue skies, lots of couples and families, lots of dogs, all walking and playing happily! Unfortunately the tide was in so we had to walk along the top of the beach in the long grass. The trails aren't set out its just a case of follow the grass that looks flat-ish! It was so much fun though, we ran, laughed, got lost, took photos, filmed ourselves being silly (including me hiding in a bush from Harvey when he thought I was stranded on top of a high ledge and went to find another way down for me. Hero or fool? Muahaha). We ended up walking around 6miles and the sea air really knocked us out!! It was so lovely though and we laughed the whole 6miles! It's little things like that that make you appreciate someone and how happy they make you. We walked all the way down the beach to the light house. It was so beautiful with the sun starting to go down around it. Very romantic. 

The light house in the sunset 

Monday:

Travelling home on Monday was both long winded and not wanted as I didn't want to leave Harvey! It started at 7.20am. The simplest way I can put this is to use a timeline. Yes, like I'm in primary school! 

7.20 - Harvey dropped me at Elgin station.

7.50 - Train to Inverness town.

9.15 - Bus to Inverness airport.

10.50 - Scheduled flight home.

11.15 - Find out flight is delayed.

12.30 - Board flight and get stuck sitting next to 2guys banging on about how they can't wait to buy a beer when we're in the air. 

2.00 - Plane lands at London Gatwick.

2.15 - Shuttle to south terminal/ Gatwick station.

2.53 - Train from Gatwick station to London Bridge.

3.30 - Underground from London bridge to East Finchley station.

4.15 - Dad picks me up and takes me home.

4.45 - Pick up my little car then drive to mums.

5.00 - Finally arrive home properly to be greeted loudly by Bobby & Bella!

Longest. Day. Ever!! 

It was well worth it though and I'll treasure these memories forever!! 

Thanks for reading :) 

New skincare regime - nspa - First impressions

 The nspa skin care range  

I've never been a big skin care person!!! But I am aware that my skin isn't in the best condition and now that I'm in my 20's (just!!) I feel its about time I start taking better care of it!

Someone said to my mum a while ago "you spend a lot of money on make up but nothing on skincare". Which is true, why buy expensive paint to put on a poorly plastered wall? (A builders comparative, I'm a builders daughter if you couldn't tell!) 

So I popped along to Asda and decided to pick up a few things from the nspa range. I was drawn because of the packaging! Pastel colours with a really simple design. It's a 4 step system with a few alternatives in each part. I got stage's 1,2 & 4. Stage 3 was either a mask or a facial oil, neither of which I'm a huge fan of!! 

I've only used the products twice so far but I'm impressed!! For the price I got them for and the feeling they gave my skin its a win win! 

npsa comes from the number1 UK Nirvana Spa! Oooh classy!! ;)

                                          

                                                          Stage 1 - Melting Cleansing Gel - 125ml - £6

I was a little confused about what the purpose of this part was! I put the gel onto my DRY face and massaged it in in circular motions. It was clear and sticky. What was the benefit to my skin? It wasn't until I wet my hands that the gel turned to a creamy, milky, bubbly consistency! It felt soft on my skin and washed off nicely, leaving my face feeling moisturised and clean. Definitely worth £6. Plus its a pretty coral/pink colour in the tube! 

Verdict: 8/10 - Purely because you can't use it on your eye make-up! 

Stage 2 - Hot Cloth Polish - With Muslin cloth - 150ml - £6

I was really looking forward to this one!! I love the Liz Earl Cleanse and polish but recently ran out. At £12.75 (100ml) I was keen to try a cheaper alternative. Enter nspa!! I love this! From other reviews I've read some people don't like it as much as the Liz Earl. The only thing I prefer with the Liz Earl was the quality of the Cloth provided, but when you can buy these cheaply in places like the body shop it isn't going to stop me from repeating this buy! It left my skin feeling soft and nourished, like I'd just covered it in good stuff!! I found it to be creamier than the Liz Earl which was just a thick lump on my hand. 

I'm very impressed with this one! 

Verdict: 9/10 - As good as, if not better than Liz Earl but the harsher material of the Muslin cloth let it down! 

Stage 3 - This stage was skipped by me!! I'm too lazy for face masks and get frustrated when it gets in my hair! The other alternative was a facial oil, which quite frankly scares me! I have combination skin so adding oil to it doesn't sound too hot! I may come around to the idea but for now I'll stick to what I've got. 

Verdict: N/A

Stage 4 - I ended up with 2 products from this part.

The Brightening Day cream with SPF15 - 50ml - £5

This comes in a little hand size bottle with a handy pump on the top!!! The pot would be a lovely size for travelling and fit nicely in handbags. Its comfortable to hold and the pump gives you the right amount of cream for your chops! It has a slight scent to it but nothing that I could see anyone finding offensive in their little noses. I'm really bad with scents but I'd say it has a very light citrus scent mixed with some floral notes. Again, very light!! It soaks in nicely and doesn't feel greasy.  

Verdict: 7/10 - I like it at the moment but want to use it for longer to make sure I like it and my skin absorbs it well! 

I then got the Night repair cream - 50ml - £5

This is a slightly peach cream in a tub, with a similar scent to the day cream (please don't make me describe it again!! And the day cream is just white) It's in a handy little pot that would again be perfect for travelling! I was half expecting it to take a little longer to soak in as its branded as a 'repair cream'. However it sunk in nicely and by morning my face felt like a bubbas bum! It's a nice scent to drift off to sleep too as well, not a heavy cloud that will keep me awake for longer with every sniff!

Verdict: 9/10 - I've never been one for night creams but I like this one!! It smells nice and left my skin feeling like a princess! It only lost a point as I worry tubs are less hygienic than a tube would be! (Finger dipping and all that). 

Overall I'm superduper impressed with the range!!! I'll keep trying them and may do an update later on!! In the mean time, feel free to read my other posts and comment below! 

Thank you for reading! Let me know if you try any of these products and what you think about them. 

xoxox

NOTD : China Glaze - the hunger games collection!

I'm one of those people who loves colourful nails, sometimes with added glitter!

But my nail colour depends on 2 things:
1. The occasion & of course the outfit I'm wearing at the occasion!
And 2. The season!

Spring: has to be pretty pastel colours to go with all the lovely flowers that bloom & the changing of the weather. I love the crisp feeling of spring when you're standing in the sun! It's somewhat of an oximoron!

Summer: bright colours with added glitter for evenings out or weekends away in the sun! I love the bright colours that emerge during the summer months (even if we don't get much sun in London!!) Having nails that stand out has a way of improving my mood!

Autumn: The time for nudes & darker colours. I'm not one for wearing dark colours but in autumn I actually enjoy toning down my clothes & nails to be more understated & classy. Nude nails go with everything and always look nice.

Winter: I love wearing deep reds & purples in winter! Glitter is a must for Christmas and I think it's totally worth the mission you have to trawl through when removing it after the Christmas period! Berry & wine colours are my favourite for winter this year so far!


So my nails of the moment are a nude! I'd say a nude with a pink tone & a slightly glossy finish! It's the colour 'dress me up' from the China Glaze hunger games collection! Someone instagrammed a picture of it & I had to have it!

I've never used China Glaze before but I'm very impressed! It's only taken one coat to give me a really nice creamy, glossy finish that is so appropriate for both university & work!

Have you tried any of the colours?

What China Glaze colours would you recommend? :)

Thanks for reading!

Bryony :)

Sick-day FOTD

I'm sure everyone knows how rubbish it feels to have a rotten cold! I'm the girl who complains from the second it hits until 3 seconds after its gone! Nothing makes me more miserable. So sometimes, you need a little chillaxation time. For me, that meant staying at home for a week straight, only leaving the house 2 times, once for milk and once for a cash machine! Antisocial I know! And we say men complain when they have the infamous 'Man flu' (that was said in a godlike, deep voice just in case you wanted to know!' Thank goodness I don't start uni until next week! 

Out of my 6 'sick days' so far I've only worn make-up for 2 of them. Obviously if I had work or university, or a life, I'd have worn it everyday. So I thought I'd show you my 'I'm sick but don't want people to see me with my human skin' make-up! Its quick, easy and somehow makes me feel a tad better about my icky self! 

So this is my charming sick face with minimal make up. A simple look but it goes a long way in making one feel better! 

I pinned my fringe back as it's now too long to wear down & £55 for a cut is not in my reach at this moment in time! It also keeps it from falling in my tissue when I'm blowing my sore little nose! (lovely image, I know!)

I've also taken a quick snap of my outfit today! Makes a change from my comfy tracksuit this week! Plain dark wash jeans with a comfy, slouchy pink knitted jumper from Dorothy Perkins! Easy and yet somehow stylish! I can feel the autumn weather already so why not begin dressing for it? I paired it with my white pallet pumps but these only lasted 20 minutes whilst I drove from dads house to mums, they have now been replaced with toasty, cosy bed socks! Don't judge! 

Onto the make-up....

On my face I decided that I wanted a little coverage plus colour to make me look less, well, dead and ghostly. I haven't used liquid foundation since the beginning of 2012 and I'm now using the Bare Minerals range! Love it! A review may follow if it is wanted! So I popped a bit of this on to give my face some life over the top of my concealer (pictured below).

I haven't worn bronzer in a while but it felt necessary somehow today! So on it went. Then a touch of pink blush to bring my cheeks back to normality. Both are from the ELF contouring blush and bronzing palette, which I would highly recommend!

Mascara is something that I refuse to leave the house without! My natural lashes aren't terrible but no where near the standard that I'd call 'fit for public viewing'. So on went a light coat of the Body Shops 'Big and curvy' mascara. It does what my lashes need and makes my eyes looks instantly more awake. What more do I want? Eye liner is the biggest thing I skip on days like these. Maybe it's laziness but I just don't bother when I'm not leaving the house. Anyone else do this?

I finished with a little lip butter by Korres in the colour 'Quince', a pretty raspberry colour that just brightens my face up that little bit more!
A little goes a long way in making me feel better!

What do you do to make yourself feel better? Feel free to comment below and thanks again for reading! :) 

Fitness:: Clothing and Apps!

As mentioned in a previous post, I have started jogging! 

Me, the chocolate loving coach potato who giggles at the way peoples faces jiggle when they run? Yes. So far I've been running for just under 3 weeks! So, how's it all going? 

Week One:

Mood: Deflated, grumpy, tired, sweaty, de-motivated & ready to give up! 

I started off my jogging journey on my own. I got dressed walked out my door and started running after about 3 minutes of walking. I wasn't timing myself but from the little clock in my head I'd guestimate that I was running about 30 seconds before wanting to collapse & hyperventilate! I carried on though and ended up running 4nights that week.... 

By the end of the week I was feeling so de-motivated as I wasn't getting any better! Jogging, but mostly walking, round the park I was seeing people running so easily and smoothly without panting like a giant dog in August heat and some were up to 30years older than me! 

I almost gave up after just a week... Then someone said to me "Jogging is mind over matter. If you think you can't do it, then you can't and won't. If you tell yourself you can, you'll progress and be running for longer and actually enjoying it."

So I took the advice.

Week Two:

Mood: Determined, excited, nervous.

My second week began after spending the majority of the weekend on google researching tips & tricks on how to be a good runner when you're absolutely useless. I came across a running program run by none other than the NHS! It's called 'Coach to 5k' and it basically does what the name says! It includes a running plan that gets you off the coach and running 5k in just 9weeks! AS IF I hear you say!! 

There are 9 weeks worth of FREE Podcasts on iTunes and they play you music, talk to you & tell you to keep going. The music is hard not to like and although I'd prefer to listen to my own I can bare the stuff they provide! Each week you run/walk for 20minutes, with a 5 minute brisk walk before & after. As the weeks progress you run for longer periods of time with shorter walking breaks between.

Week 1 is: Run for 60seconds, walk for 90seconds. 

I'm feeling much better this week than I did last week! 

Week Three:
Mood: Happy & raring to carry on with the program to see some results!

I have just begun week2 of the 'Couch to 5k' program which is run for 90seconds then walk for 2minutes ect...

I'm really enjoying this program and I feel like with time I'll actually be able to see a difference. I am off on a run after I finish this post and I even look forward to going out now as although the progress is slow, I am noticing a difference. 

Now onto the fun bit... Clothes & Shoes!! 

I've never been a fan of trainers but when I saw these Nike running shoes I fell in love! They are super comfy, literally like slippers! And the grip on the bottom is perfect for running, I tried spinning on the spot in them. It wasn't a pretty site. Running shoes can be expensive so I recommend going to a shop such as Sports direct to find the best deals! As you'll notice most of my running gear is from there as it's cheaper than the likes of JJB Sports. 

I just wear sports ankle socks with these, apparently they help your feet breathe... Whatever that means! 

Good grip to ensure your feet and ankles have sufficient support? CHECK

Ah, now we move onto the sexy running trousers! My boyfriend laughed at me when I said I couldn't go running in my Hollister trackies as they weren't fitted and would cause 'Drag'! I was good as science btw ;) I opted for the tighter spandex feeling trousers. They are also comfier than I expected and the ones I purchased, by Karramore are even practical! With reflective streaks down the sides and a pocket at the back, which my phone fits in perfectly might I add, they are a 10/10. They also have a zip up the ankle should you want them a little looser towards the bottom!

Sexy, practical, safe & comfy trousers?

CHECK

The sports bra is always something I've avoided! They aren't cute or sexy and they are very visible! Here are the main issues I had before buying one:

Do they come in proper sizes? Yes

Are they comfortable? Not at first, but neither was a normal bra the first time I wore it! After a minute or so it's fine.

Can you see your nipples through it? If it's cold, slightly. But no one looks at you when you're running. (I HOPE)

Do you need one even if you have smaller boobs? Yes, even small boobs can bounce around and become uncomfortable, especially in an ill fitted bra!

^^^^^ These are all my answers and are in no means professional! Convinced me to buy one though! ^^^^^

Boobage support? CHECK

With regards to tops, wear what you think is comfortable. I prefer more loose fitting tops with at least t-shirt sleeves. Currently I am using an old long sleeve Hollister top & Plain sports t-shirts that cost about £3 each, alternating depending on the weather. Any top will do, I just prefer mine to cover my bottom, as I do when wearing leggings! 

People laugh at me (and my lovely mum!) when we say we want to look good when exercising. They think it's something you do for your body not for other people. Which is true. But we'll argue the toss that exercise isn't exactly fun and in the beginning stages not very enjoyable. So if you feel like you look good it's one less thing to worry about! If you want to match your trainers to you t-shirt and your hair band then do it! It's your workout so whatever makes you feel comfortable. I even put 1 spritz of perfume on before I go out, just in case I'm working hard and Mr. Billy Orange (BO) decides to show his ugly face. No one wants people to think they smell rancid, including me!

So onto the apps on my iPhone that I use...


The first app I use is called 'Pedometer'. It's a free app that basically counts the steps you take in a session. It also records how many miles you do each session & how many calories you've burnt.
For a free app it is very good and I can't think of any other features that a paid step count could have! Why pay when you can get it free? Exactly!

The second app is called 'MapMyRun'. Again, it's free. Three cheers for that!! Its easy to use and it records your sessions on a map. You can save different routes to your profile and again it tells you the distance and calories burnt during your workout. Mine is set to running but if you fiddle with the settings you can change the activity to walking, dog walking, yoga, ect.
Using apps is a great way to track my progress as bits of paper would get lost & I'm useless at maths so having it all done for me at the click of a button is perfecto!

I think this has been long enough so I'll leave it there!!

Thanks for reading  xoxoxox

Tory Burch Shoe Bargain Look-a-like!

Hola fellow bloggers!! 

I've watched beauty videos on youtube for about 3 years now & I love nothing more than scrolling through my subscriptions box on my homepage! Many of the gurus I watch are American & continually tell me about Tory Burch shoes! 

So I thought 'what's the crack with this Burch chick?'

So after googling her I fell in love with many of her shoe designs!! But I absolutely refuse to pay over £100 for shoes! (Uggs are my only exception as I quite literally wear mine to death!!)

So I gave up on them...

Then I was browsing the clothes in Tesco, as you do!!! And I spotted the cutest shoes!!!! I jumped on them instantly! Now I have to add it took multiple trips to Tesco to get my size! Popular little shoes that they were! They come in Black & in a turquoise/blue colour! I opted for black. 

I love love love them! 

Let me give you the maths!!!!! 

Tory Burch Classic Reva Ballet flats = £170. 

Tesco F&F Buckle Ballerina Pumps = £12.50.

Appearance Difference = Marginal!!!!

Price Difference = Phenomenal!!!! 

Left: Tory Burch, Beautiful, stylish shoes.... With a price tag that's just not as beautiful!! 

(Images from the Tory Burch UK website.) 

Right: Tesco looky-likeys.... Just as cute & very well made may I add!!! But for so little pennies!!! 

(Top image - My own
Bottom image - from the Tesco website) 

The design on the top is so similar and if I saw some random lassy walking down the road in the Tesco ones I'd just think they were the £170!! 

I love a good bargain!! 

Any good places to find some bargains? Let me know :) 

BryonyLaura xoxoxox

Fitness and lifestyle!

Hello bloggers! I haven't posted in so long! Trying to get into it!

I'm having a little lady crisis with my self esteem at the moment! Mostly due to my weight, long story short, it's higher than I want it to be. I haven't weighed this much in nearly 4 years! Back then I could blame it on teen chub and crappy food at school, but what can my excuse now be?

This time last year I was 11lbs lighter, so needless to say, I'm on a diet! And I'm even going to do some exercise! Shocking I know! 

I'm not following any daft celeb diets, such as the apple diet, or baby food diet (come on! Seriously??) but I will be trying my absolute hardest to eat healthier day to day & change up my eating habits!

So far.....
1. Living with an Italian (my stepdad) we are partial to having a nice hot bowl of pasta regularly, more regularly than we should might I add! I enjoy my pasta and didn't want to cut it out completely. So I opted for replacing it with rice noodles! I enjoyed these and they were a 3 minute in the microwave jobby! So even better right! Except I can only find the fresh bags that have to be eaten within 3 days & can't be frozen... So that replacement kind of walked the plank! So if anyone does know any UK supermarkets that sell rice noodles raw? If that's what they are! Please comment below!

2. I tried to cut out all sweet things, ie: crisps, biscuit, sweets, cakes & chocolate. So unrealistic I know! I lasted about a week & I half then I cracked! The lady time came I was dying for some chocolate! I know not to mess with myself during certain times so of course I gave in! I still haven't had any crisps and only eaten chocolate on the weekends, on the whole! I avoided cupcakes for weeks which believe me, was awful!!! Until... I went to York for a night with my boyfriend and low and behold, there was a cupcake shop! Needless to say, I fell off the wagon, head first & kept falling until that whole cupcake, frosting and all was securely in my tummy. Ooops! 

So I'm resetting my goals! And making them more realistic!

3. I was originally using an app on my iPhone called 'MyFitnessPal'. Genius little app! Tells you how many calories you can eat and you tell it what you've eaten & it calculates how many you have left! Was great! For about 3 weeks! Then I started placement again and it was just a lot of extra work to search everything I'd eaten!

For example: whole meal bread-2 Slices, raspberry jam-2tsps, milk-semi skimmed-250ml. It was so much work! This app gives you brands and portion size and everything! Fine for when I'm a lazy cow at home, not so much when I'm working! So I gave up on that and now it keeps notifying me saying 'You may need some encouragement'. Pfffft!!

4. I haven't weighed myself in over a month and I don't intend to just yet!!
However I did start jogging this week so at some point I need to do a baseline weight, which I'm dreading! I should probably measure myself in inches too! I've wanted to jog for a while but I was always too lazy! Yes, I'm a couch potato :) and after the london marathon I was all set to do it! Then, to cut out a long dramatic story, I had heart palpitations and was scared out of it! After tests showed nothing was wrong I stopped worrying and took a bullet! A bullet in the form of buying trainers! Well, running shoes to be exact! I hate trainers! With a passion. No one looks good in trainers! But these shoes are so comfy and so easy to move in!! They're Nike and I couldn't even guess the name! £35 reduced to £25! I liked them straight away! I've been 3 times, each time running for maybe 1/4 - 1/2 of the time I'm out! I'm told it will get better! But we shall see!!

Ill do a more detailed post on my jogging experience once I'm more into it, perhaps I'll be a fan!! But perhaps not... We shall see! I'll also include any apps I use whilst out, because as an iPhone addict, my baby had to be involved! Haha...


Any tips on getting fit & toned down? The healthy way obviously! Let me know below :) and thanks for reading my ramble!!!!

Cheerio for now!

xoxox

BryonyBakes - Loveheart millionaire's shortbreads!

Millionaire's shortbread is one of Harveys favourite sweet treats! I decided to make him some for Valentines day and found this recipe online that makes adorable heart shaped cookies! Now I'm no baker and I'll admit that I often burn toast but I think these came out really well!!

So yummy <3

Ingredients... 

125g of softened butter

140g of plain flower (extra for dusting)

55g of caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

ready made caramel

Milk chocolate

white chocolate 

To make your dough you will need to:

1. Cream the butter & sugar with the vanilla extract until its fluffy.. I tried cheating by using an electric mixer. Trust me it doesn't work! An old fashioned wooden spoon is much easier!! Then add the flour and mix together to make a dough. If its a little dry add a tiny drop of milk! 

2. Wrap it in cling film (nasty stuff) & pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes...

... Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 170'C (150'C for fan ovens) & go paint your nails or eat some chocolate!!! I vote maltesors : ) 

3. Once your full of chocolate, or 10 minutes are up, whichever happens to come first, take the dough out of the fridge! Sprinkle some flour onto the worktop and start to roll the dough out! I done mine a little too thin so aim for about 3mm in thickness! Using a cute little heart shaped cookie cutter (Ebay, 79p!) start to cut out your biscuit shapes! The dough should make 36 biscuits but mine made more as it was thinner!

4. Lay the shapes onto some greaseproof paper and pop in the oven for 10 minutes! They come out looking golden, crunchy and delicious! Please refrain from eating them... Unless you have an uneven number! ; ) 

                                          

5. Using some ready made caramel smooth a generous amount onto a biscuit then sandwich another on top. 

Like this <<<<<<< : ) So tasty! 

Line them up on a tray so they look all cute and then leave for up to 30 minutes for the caramel to harden slightly, preferably in a cool room. My kitchen is pretty much as cold as outside so I was fine!! Haha... 

6. Melt some chocolate in a bowl, the recipe says dark and white but I know Harvey hates dark, as do I and of course I'll be helping him eat them! So dark was out and milk was in!! Melt them in separate bowls! Then using a spoon drizzle the chocolate along the lines of biscuits! Go as mad as you like! I ended up covered in drizzles of it but I'm not complaining! They look super cute when done. Leave them for a little while for the chocolate to reset...  Resist eating

them!

Whilst that hardens you get to lick the chocolate bowls!!! <3

7. I got these little boxes on Ebay! They come with a heart window and handle with a gift tag! I filled one up for my valentine to take home and enjoy! They look really cute and its a nice way to package them. 

Such a simple recipe and damn are these tasty!!!!! Perfect sweet treat for your sweetie :) I hope if you make them you enjoy them as much as we did! Thanks for reading and follow the blog for more! 

Link to the original recipe: http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/514904/loveheart-millionaires-shortbreads

xoxox

The snow!

It snowed in London over the weekend and was sooooo pretty! 

It's the first time I've driven in it however! I found it ok as long as I stuck to main roads. Last year my Lulu didn't move for a week due to the snow. This year she was as sociable as ever! :) Lulu is my car btw! 

My garden was full of it and almost completely untouched! With the exception of the scattered paw prints from next doors kittens Billy & Casper! It always looks so pretty though compared to its normal winter sadness.

Heres me in my all attractiveness!! ;)

I took the dogs for a walk with my good old mum today! We went to a manor near by and it was beautiful! The snow had started to melt so it was all crunchy but I find the noise under my wellies sort of therapeutic. Is that crazy?

I love getting to wear my hats in winter!!!!! 

The infamous Bobby & Bella... <3

These little darlings may be featured in my posts often as they never fail to make me smile! What better subject than one that makes you smile? I don't have an answer :) 

So here they are in an action shot wrestling in the snow... What they do best! Playfully of course!!!!

I love throwing snow balls and watching the confusion on their little faces when it disappears! So innocent. 

Bobby (Robert James) & I :) 

Corrrr he makes me look tiny! 

The snow is melting into slushy ice now. As beautiful as it is I'm hoping that's all until next winter... Perhaps I'll wish for a white christmas 2012! 

My hands and feet are numb enough for the rest of the year & I've never drunk so much hot chocolate.... But thank-you snow for gracing us with your presence and making London seem almost pure again! 

All in all it was a lovely walk and we ended up walking home to this gorgeous sun set! 

Good old snow for making the world seem a more glorious place... Even if it is just for a couple days! 

xoxox