The Big Shoe Debate

When I was pregnant and I told people that I was expecting a boy I was always warned that having boys will mean having to buy many pairs of trousers and shoes.

3 boys later and I am now realising that they were true!! With the two oldest being in school and football mad shoes are not lasting very long, am when I say not long, I mean a term of 6 weeks if I am lucky!

Luckily their feet don`t seem to grow very quickly but within a few days of having a new pair of shoes they look like they have been dragged through a hedge backwards.

I have tried anti-scuff and super-tough shoes but nothing seems to be able to withstand the pounding my boys give them!!

Because of how quickly they go through shoes I`ve tried from top of the range shoes like Clark`s and bargain bucket school shoes and everything in between. I now loathe having to pay out £30 for a shoe that will last if I`m lucky 6 weeks.

After having many conversations with the mum`s in the school playground I am worried that I am being judged as a bad mum for by buying shoes at the cheaper end of the price scale but I really can`t afford £60 every 6 weeks....who honestly can??? I`ve had mum`s look at me in disgust when I say I don`t buy Clark`s shoes each time and some who sympathise with me as they are in the same boat.

Has anyone found a robust shoe that can take a pounding that doesn`t cost the earth?? HELP!!

This is after only 3 weeks!! A pair from M&S and a pair of Kangol boots xx

Fab Food Friday

Since my Slimming World journey began at the beginning of this year I have been overwhelmed with all the meal ideas on websites and in magazines. As I hadn`t been used to cooking the Slimming World way I didn`t know where to start!! I`m usually inspired by `real makes` that I see other bloggers on their SW journey create and ideas on Pintrest.

That`s where Fab Food Friday comes in!

#FFF is a new linky that myself and my close friend Emma at theprmummy have decided to create.

The weekly #FFF linky will be a place where you can share your Slimming World creations with the world.

We hope to create a community that gives other people on their SW journey some meal inspiration and maybe some much needed guidance along the way.

Tell us your ups and downs of cooking; the disasters, the successes and the mishap meals that turn out pretty darn good....and in return you`ll get honest feedback on your meals and maybe make some new friends along the way.

Starting this Friday 3rd April, and then each Friday after that the link will go live at 8am and close Wednesday at 8pm.

Fab Food Friday #1
Fab Food Friday #2
Fab Food Friday #3
Fab Food Friday #4


So grab yourself a cuppa and join on in. We hope to see you there and would love it if you could grab the badge below for your posts when linking up xx

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Top 5 Weight-Loss Tech That Wont Break The Bank

Since starting my healthy lifestyle kick last summer I have realised that there is a scarily large range of technology out there that can help you reach your final goal.

Sadly though not all of it is within the realistic price range for a SAHM.

I have seen some amazing and practical ideas which really help but also some weird ones too!!

Here are my 5 top relatively cheap or free ideas to help you loose weight that I have found so far...


1. MyFitnessPal  

This was one of the first things that I tried when I decided to try and loose some weight. It`a a free app for Android or for Iphone. You input your personal info like current weight and target weight. The app then calculates your calorie intake needed to help you loose weight. Each day you input the food you consume so it gives you an idea of what you`re actually eating.

You can also input your exercise activity level which then deducts your energy burnt from you calorie intake.

The app and web page are very clear and easy to navigate, a definite must have on your weight loss or fitness journey.

2. Fitbug Orb

The Fitbug Orb is a movement and sleep tracker with multiple wearing options...on your wrist like a watch, clipped to your bra strap, clipped to your collar or in your pocket. The orb uses an advanced 3 axis accelerometer which accurately measures your every movement. The Orb also measures your sleeping patterns.




The Orb links up to MyFitnessPal, so when you input your daily food intake to MyFitnessPal it transfers the info to the Orb homepage and visa-versa . The homepage which you can access either online or via the app on your phone/laptop/tablet shows your activity level in steps taken, kilometres covered, aerobic activity and how long you have slept. The Orb can also detect if you wake up in the night so accurately shows your sleeping patterns and total amount of time asleep.

This has to be one of my number 1 gadget at the moment. It looks stylish and funky whilst helping you to become healthier.

The only downside to it and its not really a true downside is that as I wore it all the time during last summer I got a fetching tan line on my wrist!

A upside to the Orb is that it tracks your sleep pattern so I can now prove to hubby that I have been up umpteen times in the night to the kids!!

Retailing at £49.95 its not too expensive and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.






3. Beets Blu Heartrate monitor


Beets Blu heart rate monitor does what is says on the tin!! It is a discreet heart rate monitor that you wear whilst exercising. It links up via bluetooth to your phone and is compatible with loads of exercise apps, check HERE to see if it is compatible with your device.

Whilst you are exercising the monitor which you wear around your chest, under your bra, sends real time data back to your phone which you can view whilst exercising or at a later time to evaluate. The Beets Blu website or app will help you to tailor your exercise routine to help you achieve your goals. It does this by showing you your optimum heart rate range for either weight loss or endurance.

When you first start to wear the monitor it does feel a bit weird but by the time I was mid way through my workout I completely forgot I was wearing it!


RRP is £29.95 from Amazon, order it here.


4. Runtastic

Runtastic is a free app for your phone; this app records your movement during exercise via GPS so it is very accurate. Calories burned, distance travelled, elevation, pace, speed and distance covered is calculated for you with a map of where you have been.

There is a huge range of activities to choose from including skiing, horse riding or even roller skating so you shouldn`t never be in the situation where you can`t record your exercise!!





5. Babies & Burpees

Babies & Burpees is a Facebook page, blog and Youtube channel set up by a mum, Jordan, who decided that she was fed up with tedious trips to the gym. Being a qualified personal trainer, pilates instructor and a pre/post natal expert she decided to start her own exercise community with FREE short and precise instructional exercise videos which can be done in the comfort of your own home.

I LOVE the idea of being able to do work outs at home as you can fit a quick one in whilst the baby naps and you dont have to get all dressed up like you do for the gym!!

Click to view her Youtube channel, blog page and Facebook page


I hope that this little list will help you reach your fitness goals without breaking the bank. XX

I received the Fitbug Orb and Beets Blu heart rate monitors in exchange for an honest review of the products.

Breakfast With The Easter Bunny

If you are fed up with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate at Easter then I have the solution for you!!

Instead of giving the kids an Easter egg, why not treat them to either breakfast or afternoon tea with the Easter Bunny??






Wyevale Garden Centres are offering you the opportunity to have either an amazing cooked breakfast or delicious afternoon tea in their homely tearooms along with Easter cookie decorating, colouring activities and a visit from the gift bearing Easter Bunny him/herself.

And with over 140 centres spanning the country you are sure to find a centre near you. Check HERE to find your nearest centre, and HERE to book your place.





Our Experience 


We were greeted by the lovely Gemma who showed us to our breakfast area; a section of seating away from the main area of the restaurant which was styled in an Easter and Alice In Wonderland theme. Pretty pastel coloured table decorations with hanging `eat me`, `drink me` and playing card bunting. A little table in the corner was decorated with spring flowers, giant tea cups and cute little rabbits and lambs.

`Alice` was our waitress for the morning and took our food and drink order, whilst we were waiting for our breakfast the kids were given colouring in and activity packs to do which went down very well.

Only a few minutes later our amazing breakfast was served. The children had scrambled eggs, baked beans, hash brown and toast. Us adults had a full English which was so tasty, the bacon was so thick and tasty and I loved the idea of the baked beans being served in a tea cup as not everyone likes there entire breakfast covered in baked bean sauce.

Once breakfast was over with it was time to decorate a shortbread Easter egg biscuit. Each child was provided with a selection of toppings with a massive piping tube of icing...the kids went a bit crazy with the piping tube!!

After the kids had decorated the biscuits to their liking (and eaten half of the toppings!!) the Easter Bunny made an appearance. S/he spent some time with each child allowing them to show off their creations and then returned with a basket full of goodies for each of them...a choice of stuffed teddy, a tub of chocolate eggs and a Lindt chocolate rabbit.

This whole Easter breakfast experience has been amazing from start to finish and definitely worth a lot more than £9.99 per child and £7.99 per adult for a full English and £3.99 for a coffee and pastry.

A huge thank you to Gemma and the team at the Wimborne centre for such a lovely experience..I loved it so much that I have booked in Ben`s 2nd birthday party at their soft play area in a few weeks!!

This is my honest review of Wyevale event services in exchange for a free Easter Breakfast experience for myself and family.

Weigh-In #10 and 1 stone lighter!!!

I cannot believe that I am writing this but I have actually lost 1 stone in weight!!

When I started Slimming World back on the 2nd of January I honestly didn`t think I would loose anything, let alone a stone!! I have always been the standing joke at work when it comes to having a naughty take-away for lunch; I was always the first person people asked because I almost always said yes. Also if any chocolates had been eaten I was always to blame even if I hadn`t been in the previous few days.


Not any more, I`m not the same person as I was at Christmas. Yes I still crave the naughty things in life, who doesn`t?? Now have the knowledge and will power to have only a small amount of the naughty instead of eating to excess and then feeling sick.

Hubby is loving it and said to me the other day that we haven`t eaten this healthy EVER! Plus I am starting to get more adventurous and trying new foods....like last week I tried Aldi`s Salmon Infusions in Red Thai flavour for the first time and they are gorgeous; I can`t get enough of them, amazing when before Christmas I would of never of gone near salmon.

I don`t see Slimming World as a `diet` now, more of a way of life and a lifestyle choice. We still get to have yummy family dinners but are making the healthier choice when making them.

If you are unsure if Slimming World is for you then must give it a go...it`s been the best thing I have ever done for me as a person as I am now much happier in the way I look and feel.

Week #10 Weigh-In

Starting Weight - 12st 5lb

Current Weight - 11st 4.5lb - loss of 3lbs

Loss to date - 1st 0.5lb

Target Weight - 10st

Normal Service To Resume Shortly!!

I have to give you guys a huge apology....I haven`t been around on the blog much for the last few months.
I seemed to lost my blog-jo, but I`m hoping its coming back!!

For a while I had a wobble in my blogging confidence. I felt that what I was writing wasn`t what people wanted to read, also my local blogging friends kept being offered amazing reviews and opportunities but I wasn`t which made me a little bitter. But now I have realised that I shouldn`t be writing to please other people; I need to write for myself and be true to myself, not be in it just for the perks!

Another reason for me being around less is that I have become worryingly addicted to crochet, all my spare time is being taken up with doing it. I would of never said that I could ever become addicted to a craft but I have. If I`m not working on one of my 5 works in progress then I am looking for new inspiration for my next project. I have to admit that I am loving it.

Just a few of my creations so far x

Normal service should resume in a few weeks as at the moment I am recovering from having my gallbladder removed 3 days ago. It had to be done and I`m glad its all over now, even though I feel like I`ve been hit by a truck. Because of this my slimming world journey has taken a slower pace as I haven`t felt like I wanted to anything since the op, I`m only eating because I know I have to to keep my energy up.

Nasty anaesthetist couldn`t find my vein :-(

Fingers crossed I`ll be back on plan by next week at the latest and hope that I haven`t done too much
damage to my weight.

See you soon xx

Slimming World Week #9

Today I went to an earlier weigh-in as I was passing after doing this weeks food shopping. Not being my normal evening group I was astounded as to how busy it was, I though our group was busy but there was a que a good 40 people deep waiting to get weighed, around the hall and out the door!! Just goes to show how popular the diet is.

This is week I kept to plan 99% of the time and went back to basics, I read the book from cover to cover again and filled up on speed foods till I was sick of the sight of them.

My perseverance paid of and today I had a loss of 3lbs!! Making a total loss so far of 11.5lbs since 2nd January.

Now the next few weeks is going to be either hit or miss as I am in hospital on Monday for surgery to have my gall bladder out. Exercise is a no no for at least 2-3 weeks after and I`ve been told that your appetite is greatly reduced in recovery. I`m just hoping to stick to plan as much as possible and just see what happens.

One of this weeks meals - Baked Eggs, lush!!

Weigh-In Week #9

Starting Weight - 12st 5lbs

Current Weight - 11st 7.5lbs - loss of 3lbs

Loss to date - 11.5lbs

Target Weight - 10st

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Tomato and Pepper

On Friday at my Slimming World club I was lucky enough to win the evenings food raffle which was all the ingredients to make Baked Eggs with Spinach, Tomato and Pepper from this months Slimming World magazine, page 34.

It is AMAZING!! You would never know that it was meat free, of course you can some meat if you want to. I think chicken would go lovely with this or even some bacon strips.

Unbelievably it is also FREE of syns!! I was honestly amazed at how tasty and satisfying this dish is.

Baked Eggs with Spinach, Pepper and Tomato

Serves 4
Ready in approx 40 minutes

Ingredients

400gm new potatoes, thickly sliced
Low calorie cooking spray
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 orange pepper, deseeded and cut into small chunks
400gm can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400gm can of chopped tomatoes with herbs
300ml passata
1-2 tbsp or Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
100gm spinach
4 medium eggs
handful of basil to garnish

Method

1. Boil the potatoes for approximately 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
2. Whist the potatoes are cooking spray and large frying pan with low calorie cooking spray. PLace over a medium heat. Add onion, garlic and peppers. Stir fry until softened.
3. Mix in the beans and cooked potatoes. Then add the tomatoes, passata and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Season well and simmer mixture for 10-12 minutes, or until sauce thickened.
4. Stir through the spinach and allow to wilt down. Make 4 shallow wells in the mixture and crack an egg into each well. Either cover pan with lid and allow eggs to cook or pace pan under a hot grill till eggs are cooked to your licking.
5. Garnish with a handful of basil leaves.
6. Enjoy

How amazing does this look??

Slimming World Week #8

Ooops, I forgot to post about my weigh-in on Friday!! I wasn`t very happy with the results so that`s probably why I didn`t jump on here.

This week I had a 1/5lb gain, not happy with that as I have been very good this week, but on a positive note midweek I did manage to run my first non-stop 5k ever!! And in under 40 minutes which I have been told is a respectable time.

Even if my weight isn`t going down at least my fitness is improving..I have been trying to run 5k non-stop for months now, never got past 3.5k before feeling like I was going to pass out. But on Wednesday I got to 3.5k and felt good so kept going, the last 0.5k was very hard as my legs had turned to lead. But I HAD to do it and with the help of theprmummy who was running next to me, she spurred me on to do it so thanks Emma xxxxx




This week I am going back to basics, read the book again from cover to cover and plan ahead. Lets see what happens this Friday.

I have cooked a new recipe from this months magazine, you must give it a go...its amazing!! click here to check it out.

Weigh-In Week #8

Starting Weight - 12st 5lb
Current Weight - 11st 10.5lb - gain 0.5lb

Total loss to date - 8.5lb

Target Weight - 10st

Girls Headband Crochet Pattern

Since starting to learn to crochet back at the start of the year I can`t get enough of learning new patterns to try. I have about 6 different pieces of work started at the moment but want more!!!!

There is a whole world of info out there to teach you from videos on how to learn to crochet on YouTube to complex and huge project patterns available to download from individual etsy sites.

My friend recently had a little girl so I decided to make her something rather than buy a present; now with 3 boys I don`t get much chance to be involved in anything girly or pink. So I have had a great time making this little beauty.

I researched patterns and videos and have made my own version of a few different patterns mashed together.

I hope you like it xx

Please feel free to let me know if I can make the pattern any easier for you to follow, this is my first pattern being written down so lots to learn xx

NB. This pattern is for a 4 dc wide headband, for a 5dc wide cast on 11, for a 6dc wide cast on 13 and so on if you want a wider headband.

Crochet hook size 5mm

ss - slip stitch
ch - chain
dc - double crochet
tc - triple crochet



HEADBAND

Cast on 9
dc into 5th stitch from the hook, ch1
dc into next but one stitch, ch1, repeat till last dc is in last chain stitch
ch 3, turn work clockwise
from now on dc 1 and chain 1 into the gap between each dc till at end of work
ch 3, turn clockwise
repeat till desired headband length has been achieved.




Make sure that the final row finishes at the opposite side to the starting yarn.





place the two edges of your work together and ss the two edges together, if done correctly your two ends of yarn should now be on the same side.

knot the two ends together and weave into edges to hide.

FLOWER

You can use any flower pattern you like but I used the following repeated twice with different sized hooks.

cast on 5
ss into 1st chain creating a ring
ch 4, 4 tc into centre of ring
ch 4, ss into ring
repeat for desired amounts of petals, I did 3 ( if you want more petals the initial chain numbers need to increased to accommodate the petals)
seal off flower with ss into back of work and secure

To secure flower to headband turn headband inside out and use the tails of the flower to stitch around the individual dcs.