Fighting Fit with Sweaty Betty

I’m really excited to be able to start getting fit again, after years of being too unwell to exercise followed by a broken foot and dodgy back I’m itching to get back out there. Part of the recovery from my surgery involves exercise, to strengthen my core muscles to help reduce the risk of the problem happening again and again.

My consultant recommended two main exercises to me- pilates and cycling and these are the two I’m going to pursue the most, but it time I plan to add in some yoga, gentle jogging and well, whatever else takes my fancy! I already walk everywhere which is a start, I suppose, after a few weeks off my feet.

Anyway, with new exercise adventures comes a need for new exercise gear and my shop of choice for this is Sweaty Betty, especially for the cycling and pilates.

I’ve put together a little wishlist of the kit I’d buy if I had an endless budget. As it stands, I don’t and I’ll probably be making do with a decent sports bra as a starting point, like the Upbeat Padded Bra featured above.

For cycling I’m thinking that a decent, streamlined top (I’ve picked the acceleration cycle top) plus waterproof trousers and a jacket are pretty sensible. I never used to believe in waterproofs…as a care free teenage cylist I didn’’t much care if I got soaked to the skin but these days I guess I’ve grown up and I really don’t fancy getting to my destination resembling a drowned rat.

Pilates wise you can’t go wrong with some comfortable leggings and a pretty camisole. Again, I must be growing up as I used to rock up at the gym wearing whatever I found that look vaguely suitable. I currently have my eye on the fabulously patterned Chandrasana leggings and this shell pink yoga cami.

I can’t wait to get back out there, I just need to start working on building up the perfect kit, and with a Birthday coming up in a couple of months I’ll be starting with Sweaty Betty.

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January Degustabox review

Food is one of my three favourite F words. For that reason you’ll find it features quite frequently on my social media channels (see icons in the sidebar) and from time to time it filters through on to my blog as well.
I was offered a trial of  Degustabox a monthly food box; most bloggers get excited by a beauty box subscription, for me it’s the foodie equivalent. Each month you get a box of 10-15 surprise products, most of which are new to the market…it costs less than half of the retail value. The subscription costs £12.99 a month including p&p which really is quite a bargain- in my box one of the products alone retailed at £4! I of course took up the offer and shortly the January box arrived at my door.
You can see full details of January’s Box here but here are my thoughts of the products that arrived:
Go! Kombucha China White tea certainly looked interesting. I consider myself adventerous when it comes to food- there isn’t much I won’t try, however when it comes to drinks I’m a bit of a scaredy cat and try as I might I couldn’t bring myself to try this. I’m sure Kombucha is lovely stuff, but I don’t think it is for me.
Quinola Express Pearl & Black was the perfect base for lunch time salads. Using half a sachet at a time I first tried it warm with chicken and some finely chopped salad vegetables and then the next day I had it cold, straight from the packet, this time with some tofu and raw vegetables. I’m a big fan of this and will be adding it to my food shop from time to time.
Dorset Cereals Berry Granola was fantastic. I’ve featured the brand on the blog before and I’ve made it quite clear I loved it. This has kept me snacking for a few days now, I don’t like cereals with milk but give me a bowl of this and an episode of Breaking Bad and I’m good.
Goody Good Stuff make good sweets. Fact. I first tried them a couple of years ago and they’ve replaced my beloved Haribo as my gummy sweet of choice. I prefer the idea of sweets without gelatin despite no longer being a vegetarian and these are also all natural and free of many allergens. I was sent the tropical fruit and sour mix & match, I’m a lover of sour sweets and these were brilliant- they didn’t let my tastebuds down.
Amys Kitchen is another brand I was previously familiar with and buy where possible. I hadn’t try their chunky tomato soup before- I’m not a fan of tomato soup, I think I’ll be passing this on to my Dad who does like tomato but I can vouch for Amys soups in general.
Maggi’s range of flavourings for chicken are brilliant. Such a quick and easy way to jazz up and otherwise fairly boring meal. Again, I haven’t tried these yet- I’ve been off my feet and not able to cook but I am really looking forward to trying the sticky BBQ variety.
Jules Destrooper make good biscuits, they really do. It may or may not have escaped my twitter followers notice but I am a bit of a biscuit addict. These didn’t last long at all and will be repurchased asap.
Zico make coconut water. My previous experiences of coconut water have not been positive so I was hesitant to try this. After mustering up some courage I took a sip and can confirm I’m still not the hugest of fans, but with it’s chocolate flavouring I could drink this again.
Last but not least was the Garofalo pasta, I don’t eat much pasta but this looks incredibly tasty. Again it hasn’t been sampled yet, but I think I’ll be rusting up some kind of spaghetti feast as soon as possible.
So, there are my thoughts on my first ever Degusta Box. Despite not liking some of the products personally I still highly recommend it to any foodie out there. I loved the element of surprise and it was a good excuse to try new things. I’m looking forward to trying more in the future!
Have you ever subscribed to Degusta Box? How did you find it worked for you?

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Posted in food, review

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It’s Not Me

You know that feeling when you’ve been searching for something for what feels like forever and then you find the perfect match? That’s exactly what happened with this denim dress, I’ve been after one for probably three years and had given up hope of finding one that matched the image in my head. The ones I’d previously tried were mostly too short, often too decorated but mostly they just weren’t me.
I found this one by accident. Another detour in to Primark to pick up some socks I’d seen for my best friend led to me walking past the sale rack. I picked up this dress without much hope and proceeded to try it on. A mere £5 later and the rest is history, I finally have *that* dress.
You’ll have to excuse the shoes, they are usually reserved for work but at the time I took these pictures I couldn’t bend far enough to get any other kind of shoe on my feet. Anyway, they kind of worked with my over all 90’s look…massive hoop earrings (un-pictured) but included.
Dress: Primark | Tee: Topshop | Loafers: Kate Kanzier
Another thing I’ve been searching for is the perfect pouch for keeping in my handbag, something to store all those little bits and pieces that seem to run away the second you need them in. I’d seen a lot of twitter activity around East London brand Its Not Me Its You and instantly began browsing. I was lucky enough to end up in contact with the lovely Billi which resulted in myself being sent the selection above. Included in this parcel of joy was THE perfect handbag pouch, a pencil case with the cutest slogan ever and a fabulous travel card holder. All made to the highest standard and manufactured right here in England.
Everything by this brand is sheer genius- check out the Mean Girls inspired iPhone 5 case or these sound words of advice.
I’m pretty sure a large portion of my future earnings will be going on more brilliance from Its Not Me Its You and I’m willing to bet I won’t be alone in this.

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Put a Ring on It

I do love me a statement ring. I’m in the process of shopping (well, window shopping) for new ones as most of mine were bought whilst I was underweight and my fingers have obviously grown. During this search I stumbled upon NOWSEEN, a relatively new online jewellery retailer and their stunning selection of finger bling.
As seen at Proenza Schouler at NYFW the statement ring is going nowhere fast and it’s brilliant to be able to get hold of some at a non-designer price. Most of the rings pictured above are from the Magma collection and cost £30 which was a surprise to me as they look far more expensive! My personal favourite a sterling silver ring with lemon quartz but each one is stunning and I am thinking that perhaps come April a few of these (as well as a couple more pieces from the site) will be making their way on to my birthday list.
I don’t know why I’ve suddenly become more involved with jewellery but I think I may have found my little niche for my blog. I’m still a tights loving shoe hoader who has far too many clothes, but jewellery…it’s just got me.
Which ring would you go for?

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Long Live The Queen!

With London Fashion Week in full swing I thought this might be a good time to share this infographic about one of my favourite British Designers from the people at Daniel Footwear’s blog. I’m one of life’s nosy people and I love to find out as much as I can about how they got to where they currently are in their life. The particular person in focus right now is none other that Vivienne Westwood- creator of the cult orb jewellery and some seriously fabulous shoes just for starters.

Daniel-Footwear-Vivienne-Westwood-Infographic

Which Fashion Designer would you love to know more about? Vivienne Westwood has always held the most intrigue for me, she seems like such an eclectic personality and I find that fascinating.

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Posted in fashion

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