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Thursday 26 July 2012

Top 10 - A fresh and healthy lifestyle.

  


{Exercise can be fun}

My favourite summer snack would have to be a freshly prepared fruit salad. I've made quite a few this summer. A fruit salad can be a combination of fruits and even some juice, as many types of fruit as you like or as little as you like. I choose to create ones with my favourite fruits - Strawberries, Bananas, Kiwi and Clementines :)

Freezing Natrual Yoghurt or fruit juices to make ice lollies is a healthy summery treat, great for your children and good for them too.

Everybody loves to look good for the summer, but why not look good all year around?

MY TOP 10 TIPS FOR STAYING HEALTHY

1. - Healthier/Diet Versions - I prefer to buy diet lemonade and healthier choices meals or ingredients, sometimes vegetarian ingredients can be a lot healthier too. If I can get a healthier version for a similar price why not? [Light choices are the healthier versions in my store]
I prefer the taste of diet coke anyway but here is an example of the calorie difference from diet drinks to non-diet drinks, some even taste the same.
Diet Coke - 1 calorie per can on average
Coke Cola - 40 calories per can on average

2. - Do not skip meals, starve yourself or yo yo dieting - these can all mess up your metabolism and slow it down so you gain weight quicker. They can also make you gain weight quicker as your body needs the fuel and energy, if you starve it for a while and not give it what it needs, when you do eventually eat your body will store it as fat because it doesn't know when it will be eating again.

3. - Keep hydrated - Drinking enough water is essential, if you don't drink enough it can affect your skin and mood, you are also more at risk to getting ill. Water helps transport oxygen through your cells and helps keep your body at the correct temperature. It also helps remove waste and clean your organs. Kidney stones are a common illness people get when dehydrated.

4. - Snacks - It is alright to snack, sometimes it is even better for you, depending on your daily routine. But swap your unhealthy snacks for something healthier. Natural Yoghurt, fruit or even some chopped up vegetables.

5. - Portion Size - This is key, so many people eat healthy and are even or diets but can't seem to loose weight or even putting it on. It doesn't always matter the food you eat, it has a lot to do with how much you eat.

6. - Slow down - Research has shown if you slow down your eating and don't watch TV etc. whilst eating, concentrate more on what you are doing and enjoying what you are eating, that you enjoy it better, feel fuller quicker and are a lot more satisfied with what you have eaten.

7. - Exercise - I know some people cringe when they hear the work 'exercise', it doesn't have to be bad or expensive. House cleaning or mowing the lawn can burn between 100-300 calories per hour. I personally love my cross trainer - you can choose the strength of the walk etc. It might cost a bit to start with but worth its money as it is a one off payment, unlike the gym. I also prefer this form of exercise because when I go for a run people can see me, if I went to a gym, people would see me. But I can do mine in the comfort of my own home and play the Xbox at the same time shhh! :) Zumba is very popular at the moment and you can go along with friends which would be an added bonus. Maybe even dance classes or just walking your dog.
There is a fabulous chart listed HERE which is very useful.

8. - Sleep - Not getting enough sleep is bad for your body too. As well as getting too much sleep. The recommended night time sleep should be between 6 to 8 hours, everybody is different though. Try not to nap during the day either. If you start to feel tired in the daytime maybe do a few exercises it will soon revitalise your body and restore energy.

9. - Alcohol - I currently do not drink. I am not going to bore you or nag anyone who does that is there choice entirely. But a female’s daily recommended allowance is 2-3 units and a male's is 3-4 units. It is great to have a detox once in a while though; it can make a big difference in your energy levels and your skin.

10. - De-stress - It isn't healthy for you to be stressed out. Take some time to do something calming and relaxing for you. Whether it be reading a book, writing your worries down, meditating or maybe just lighting a few candles. Pushing yourself is not good for your mental health - a problem shared is a problem halved.
I am always available to email if you need to talk to someone in confidence, I don't judge. I work full time so if I don't reply straight away I'm not ignoring you. 



So what is your favourite summer treat?
Please feel free to post a comment and share any tips or healthy routines you stick to or just to say hello :)

Monday 23 July 2012

The Hot Sun & Hair Grips.


{Always up for new ideas for some makes}

I've been having a go at making my own hair grips/slides. These are my very first ones so don't be too hard on me ;) 
Ed's first one is the one with the cream button in the middle :)
I will be trying some other ideas out for a variety.
Puff Flower button hair grips, Painted Shell Hair grip, Natrual Shell Hair grip and a button hair grip.

Also took Arnie for a quick walk yesterday and said hello to my folks. There is always some Red-kites flying over my families garden.
Photos: Andy enjoying his ice-cream, needed on a hot day and Ed chilling out in the shade, on the Trampoline.

I have just come back from a cycle, a nice shower and chill out time...

Sunday 22 July 2012

Scrappin' Card



Morning all. Everybody including myself seemed to like the card I made for Janet and I had a wedding reception to go to last night, so I decided to make them an 8' x 8' card / Scrapbook Page for them in a similar way.

Backing Paper - Takeaway Bag with 1x Wild Asparagus stamp by My Mind's Eye
2x Backing Papers from Wellington 12' x 12' Paper Pack
Stamps - 2x Jasper stamps by Kanban
Promarkers: Cocoa, Caramel, Cool Grey 2, Cool Grey 4 and Almond
Text - Congratulations stamp and Papermania AlphaMinis Foam Alphabet Stickers
Embellishments - Card Candi, Flowers and Ribbon
1 Photo

I think on my big day that I would like my crafty friends to create me something like this, then I could keep them all in an album as a keepsake of the day :)
I better get my non crafty friends into crafting then and quick hehe :)
I'm glad they have a wonderful day and that the sun stayed shining for them.

Thursday 19 July 2012

Yorkshire Weekend.


{Friday 13th - Sunday 15th July 2012. Ate way too much}

Janet, Ed's Mum, loved her Birthday card. We headed up to Yorkshire to visit her lovely, new, huge house for the first time last weekend, we got to see Tilly and Beanie again too!
The picture of the stunning view is Janet's View from her house and the water pump also outside.

We left late Friday for the long drive north. Motorway weather was very chop and change. One minute the ground was covered in water and falling from the sky. The next totally dry and hadn't rained at all. Very odd.

We arrived around 10pm, Janet shown us around her new house, complete with a creepy cellar, nobody ever goes down and a creepy attic nobody ever enters either, baring in mind it was Friday the 13th in the middle of nowhere. creepy. hehe. She opened her present and card. She also adore candles, especially Yankee Candles!


Before arriving in Yorkshire we had searched the net for craft shops there. As I do. Just love visiting new craft shops. I'm like a child in a candy store.
Early Saturday morning, after fixing the broadband; that two engineers and lots of phone calls to the company couldn't fix. To find out all that was wrong was one of the cables was plugged into the wrong socket, that the engineer had fitted himself. Hmm. I do sometimes wonder what service we pay for on things.

Driving around she shown us her local shops and other places she goes to regularly, as we drove past. Then I saw The Range. Right now I have to hang my head in shame as I shouted. YOU HAVE A RANGE HERE! Yes over excitement. After getting excited she said that we would stop off there on the way home.
We entered Doncaster, parked up and off we walked to find Which Craft? After getting excited over the products on display, seeing what they stocked. All I came out with was some liquid pearls.
Downstairs in The Corn Exchange was a huge Indoor Market. With so many different butchers, fish and bread displays. Mostly independent companies. But they were all so friendly and also recommended some of there competition. We got some bread rolls and Shredded beef for lunchtime and White chocolate and lemon cheesecake for dessert. I even picked up some fresh Turkish delight to bring back for my dad.
We grabbed lots of other stuff for brunch the next morning. The stall we got the Bacon from didn't have any duck eggs so he went outside to see if the other guy he knew did was outside on the Market. Which he was, so he came back inside told us where he was a took us straight to him. So kind of him!
Janet spotted a wool shop outside, so she had to stop by in there!

At the Range I may have spend more than my purse Ed's Wallet had liked! hehe
3 Packs of Kanban Stamps, 20 Spectrum Noirs, 3 Packs of papers and some white card later, we left the shop. We had to come back for some ink pads and happened to of bought 20 more pens on our second visit, so that I could do some crafting back at the house.

Lizzie, Ed's sister popped over that day to join us for the cheesecake and TV, when Ed's other sister Chesca came over with her husband. We all went for a lovely meal that evening a local pub/restaurant, which was very filling and couldn't fit in dessert.

In the Morning, Lizzie had to go to work but Chesca and her husband came over for Brunch. I've never seen so much food between the 5 of us.
Bacon, Duck Eggs, 3 types of sausages, Toast, Black pudding, Pastries and Juices. It didn't all get eaten but it was very nice what we had. Not a fan of black pudding myself though or different types of sausages.

Headed Home to ours.
Home at last. Nice weekend. Bought and ate way too much. Was fun. Now for a nice, healthy, clean start.

Thursday 12 July 2012

Brown Elegance Card

{Make some matching paper by recycling}

Hunting high and low for some paper to match the dress image I coloured in and embellishments.
Maybe I should have thought about it before colouring the dress!

I've been keeping a takeaway bag for a tester to decorate. If you are a crafter you might be like me in the sense that anything might be useful to use one day, hehe
It is good to recycle.
Decided I could use this as a backing paper even though it was a little crumpled, I liked the crumpled look, but you could always iron it out if you wanted.
Being a bit plain I decided to jazz it up with some stamps. I used some text and a crackle effect stamp from My Minds eye clear stamps, Wild Asparagus set and a black Momento ink pad.
The strip layered behind the dress is part of the handle on the takeaway bag. The backing is from the face of the bag.

Simple. Effective and elegant was the look I was going for.

Backing Paper - Takeaway Bag with 2x Wild Asparagus stamps by My Mind's Eye
Stamp - Jasper Dress stamp by Kanban
Promarkers: Cocoa, Caramel and Dusky Pink
Text - Happy Birthday from Cavendish Ladies stampset by Kanban
Papermania AlphaMinis Foam Alphabet Stickers
Embellishments - Card Candi

Sunday 8 July 2012

Weekend of Early July

{Weekend in Pictures, 6-8th July}
FRIDAY
- First ever candle lit bath. Bath with Bubbles. 15 Tea lights. How I love candles...
- Evening walk by the Church
- Saw a pigeon sat on his own, fluffing his feathers, waiting for a mate. Waited a little longer and saw them snuggling into each other, eyes closed. Beautiful sight.

SATURDAY
- Trip out to shopping Centre.
- Ate at Nando's for the first time! Yes I know, where have we been. Pleasant meal, would go there again. No room for pudding though.
- Into the Krispy Kreme shop. A whole shop dedicated to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts! Bought a novelty tin with doughnuts. I know they are not exactly that healthy but it would have been rude not to as you got the tin! :) Doughnuts for later consumption.
- Home for a snuggle and to watch 50 First dates.
- Late night hair dying with Ed's help - he didn't do a bad job.

SUNDAY
- Went for a drive
- Picked up Andy and Arnie
- Took Arnie to a large hill, with a windmill and barn. He loved the run off the lead but came back when he wanted. Hey atleast he came back, right? hehe.
The state of our car after Arnie had maltered in it. Looks like another job to do.
- Sitting reading and commenting on other peoples blogs and look at that - Posting too!

Hoping to have an evening of Smash booking, what are you all up to?

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Honesty and Acceptance


{Honesty and Acceptance do they go together?}

An important message.
I've always tried to not to judge anyone. For who they are, what they believe and what they enjoy. I feel everyone has a right to be open, honest and be accepted. So what if someone has more money than you, less money even, so what if someone has an illness or disability, so what if they believe in a god different to you or none at all. I feel we all have a right to believe what we want to believe and be accepted for it. 
It hurts me to see young children pushed out from a crowd or changing what they say to make them sound 'better.' If someone doesn't accept you for who you are then you don't need them around you. Embrace who you are, love who you are. Cinderella you SHALL go to the ball, you deserve it as much as anyone else.

Backing Paper - Me to you Bear - Especially for you paper pack
Digi Stamp - Cinders by Saturated Canary
Promarkers: Hair - Primrose, Buttercup
Skin, Cheeks, Lips - Oatmeal, Sunkissed Pink, Pale Pink
Dress - Tea Green, Denim Blue
Pumpkin - Vanilla, Honeycomb, Pear Green
Mouse - Cool Grey 2, Pale Pink
Embellishments - Netting, Pearling, Ribbon/Lace and Shoe Charm
Badge - Printed Text