Sunday 2 October 2016

Five Things To Get You Motivated

Having one of those times where you need a bit of a motivation boost? Me too. And the start of a new month is a good-a-reason as any to make a change or reconsider your goals, or give yourself a little kick up the backside to stop procrastinating. Whatever it is, these are the five things I've been doing lately that have a made a huge improvement to my motivation, and could for you too. 


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Sunday 18 September 2016

Ticking Things Off From My 5 Year Plan

Recently I did something I never really do, I read back over some of my older blog posts and guess what, it totally inspired me. It's easy to forget sometimes, or get caught up in your 'of the moment' mentality to forget about where you've been and what you've achieved, and actually it was so nice to sit and relive some experiences, put myself back in the shoes of yesteryear and so on. This lead me to reading back over my Five Year Life Plan, written pretty much a year ago exactly, and I am amazed I am that I've been able to turn some of those plans into a reality. 

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Sunday 11 September 2016

Why September Is The Perfect #UpgradeSeason

I read an incredibly interesting article recently that, along with the head space I was in at the time, encouraged me to treat September as a new start, just like you would as a kid, when September signals the start of a new school year.

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Sunday 4 September 2016

Birthday Treats at Bourne and Hollingsworth

If you're looking for a good birthday spot for either yourself or a (female) loved one, I'd highly recommend Bourne & Hollingsworth in Farringdon. Having been twice, once for a boozy birthday brunch, and most recently for a birthday dinner, it's an ideal birthday treat!



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Sunday 28 August 2016

My Fitness Journey and The Benefits of Working Out

I started working out properly in 2014, when I'd had enough of waiting for things to happen and instead woke up to the realisation that you have to make things happen for yourself if you want to see a change. I know right, light bulb moment. But since then I've ridden high on the wave of regular exercise, and the low of getting into bad habits when other aspects of life take over. As with anything, it's a journey, but persistence is certainly key to get yourself out the other end of a slump!


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Sunday 21 August 2016

Flowers For A Fiver at Columbia Road Flower Market

When your mum comes down to London for the weekend, there are much worse things you can do than take her to Columbia Road Flower Market, that's for sure. Every type of seasonal flower you could imagine lines the streets and it's a feast for all the senses. 


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Flowers For A Fiver at Columbia Road Flower Market

When your mum comes down to London for the weekend, there are much worse things you can do than take her to Columbia Road Flower Market, that's for sure. Every type of seasonal flower you could imagine lines the streets and it's a feast for all the senses. 

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Sunday 14 August 2016

Why I Need To Pick Up My Phone More

This weekend I did something I haven't actually done in a long time, I used my mobile to actually phone and speak to people other than my mum!


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Sunday 7 August 2016

How To Get Into Good Routines

It shouldn't come as any surprise that when you get into good routines your productivity, efficiency and mood can improve dramatically. Good routines cause good habits and good habits ultimately make you feel better, and give a sense of purpose. 


Getting into good routines are actually not hard to do, all you really need to do is focus on what you want and make sure you prioritise that over other things to make it possible. They require dedication and commitment in the first stages, but after a while routines become habits that you want to keep up because they offer a benefit, whether it's getting into a good sleeping pattern, going to the gym, or how you spend time at the weekends. 

I know personally that when I fall out of good routines it becomes a slippery slope into a bit of a free for all, and can mean that I start throwing the baby out with the bath water for want of a better phrase. It doesn't breed good habits and I end up becoming rather unproductive, which is never ideal. 

For me, the best routine is fitness related as that's something I'm passionate about and I do completely by myself so there is nobody else to motivate me to do it, and it has a knock on impact on several other bits in my life, from what time I go to bed, what I can do in the evenings etc. It's not always easy but it's certainly worth it. The routine I'm working to at the moment means that I go to the gym twice after work and three times before work during a five day week, and then if I want to, I go for a run on the weekends, but I don't pressure myself as my weekends are when I allow myself to have the most fun, let my hair down and make up for the fact that I usually have an early bed time during the week. 

It's a routine I've been able to stick to for a couple of months now and it's had such a positive impact on my life, I'm really enjoying it. So much so I don't really even think about it anymore, I just know what I have to do when and get on with it almost autonomously. 

If you was to get into a good routine, regardless of what it's for, there are several things you need to consider. 

1. It takes time
Sticking to a routine requires dedication as I've said and it does not happen over night, you really need to apply yourself and focus, nobody said this stuff was easy!

2. Try different routines out until you find one that works for you
For routines to become habits they need to fit with your lifestyle, you can't force yourself to do something that doesn't fit as it won't last, try different routines out over a few weeks and see what sticks.

3. Consider what you need a routine for
There's no point in having a routine and not know why you're doing it. Is it because you're always really tired so you're trying to sort out your sleeping pattern, so your routine is all geared around that, or is it fitness or food related? Whatever it is, just be clear as to what you're trying to achieve and don't loose sight of that focus. 

4. Commit to it
Especially at the start of trying to initiate a routine you really need to commit to it. No talking yourself out of it, or letting yourself have a day off for no reason, choosing to go to the pub instead of the gym. Nope. You want to achieve something, you need to commit to it until it becomes habit and you want to do it rather than not do it. Once you're there, you can do other things and bend some rules, because you'll have the commitment to do what needs to be done regardless and know how it impacts your lifestyle. 

5. Focus on the benefits and enjoy it
Routines become habits and help motivate you and make you more productive because that's what you want. If you don't want that, don't bother, but if you do remember it's a choice and you should enjoy it. It's not a punishment to go to bed early if that's what you want to do, celebrate it, get excited about it and enjoy it. Remember and recognise the feeling of having a good nights sleep, and how productive and happy you are as a result, or when you do a good workout, or whatever it is. Notice these improvements, give yourself a pat on the back and repeat it as necessary to make it a habit!
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Sunday 31 July 2016

Eating Habits - Clean vs Unclean

They say you are what you eat, and I am certainly a believer on the impact food has on your mood and behaviour, but kicking bad habits can be hard, and you can see people jumping from one extreme to the other. Now we're at the point where there is a backlash on clean eating, so where do we actually draw the line? 


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Thursday 28 July 2016

Lunch in the Ivy Cafe, Marylebone

Do you ever sit there wondering where to go for a girls birthday lunch, or dinner spot? Well if you've got a bit of cash to splash and you want spend it on a simple or well executed food, then you should check out the Ivy Cafe, Marylebone.



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Sunday 24 July 2016

Why I Read To Relieve A Stressful Week

Today I've woken up feeling really positive, and after what can only be described as a stressful week, I've spent a bit of time looking back at what triggered my stress, and how I've finally woken up on Sunday feeling ready to face the world again. 


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Sunday 17 July 2016

Fit Bits: Fitness Pole Dancing

I'm so happy to be bringing my Fit Bits section back, it's been a while and it's actually one of the bits of my blog I enjoy writing and testing out the most. I miss giving new workouts a go, so one of the things I challenged myself with recently was to put that plan into action, so here I am trying my hand at a taster session of Pole Dancing. The verdicts in and I enjoyed it! 



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Thursday 14 July 2016

Afternoon Tea at W Hotel

How would you feel about afternoon tea at W Hotel in Leicester Square? If you aren't already chomping at the bit, the following post will get you salivating for sure! 


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Sunday 10 July 2016

How To Motivate An Unmotivated Mind

I've been feeling really motivated over the last month or so, but as I was giving myself a bit of a pep-talk, I wondered if you guys may find this useful too. 


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Wednesday 6 July 2016

July's Blog Based #30daychallenge

OK so June has come and gone, and I've gotten to grips with spending a bit of time focusing on me, trying new things, taking control of my health a bit more, and generally giving myself a bit of an MOT, but now it's July, and I'm turning my attentions to my blog. 



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Sunday 3 July 2016

Making My 29th Year The Happiest Yet

As you may have guessed from the title, I have just turned 29 and when I blew out my candles on various cakes over the weekend, I made a pact with myself that this would be my happiest year yet. 

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Sunday 26 June 2016

Why A Week In The Countryside Is So Worth It

This week I did something I never usually do. I took a whole week off work and didn't actually go away anywhere. Well, I went home for a few days, but I mean I didn't leave the country, but it felt so nice to have a couple of days, relaxing and just working on me. 


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Sunday 19 June 2016

Who Knew Duvet Dining Would Be So Much Fun?!

Have you ever sat there and wondered how great it would be to act like a kid, create your own duvet fort and sit back and relax, whilst dining on delicious food and drinking whatever you fancy? Of course you have, why wouldn't you and how awesome was it that TK Maxx toured a pop up #DuvetDining event round the UK so we could do just that?



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Sunday 12 June 2016

Junkyard Golf - London, Shoreditch

Have you ever wanted to play crazy golf amongst loads of junk? Of course you have, who hasn't, I expect that's why the Junkyard Golf pop up in Liverpool Street is doing so well at the moment. 



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Sunday 5 June 2016

Just Do It - June's 30 Day Challenge

May is now behind us, it's officially summertime (not that you could actually tell right now) and my second 30 day challenge is complete, so now it's on to the next one and I've got a really clear focus of what I want to achieve. 


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Sunday 29 May 2016

Friends, Birthdays and Too Much Love

The past few weeks have been full of birthday celebrations, which has meant it's been pretty hectic, and I've been jumping from one event to the next but it's also meant I've had the chance to spend my time with some of my favourite people in the world and it's been amazing.



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Sunday 22 May 2016

The Importance Of Taking Time For Myself

Today has been the day I've been looking forward to for weeks, because I have absolutely no plans, apart from chilling out and I am so ready to just chill out, unwind and give myself some much needed R&R.



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Monday 16 May 2016

Buda, Buda, Buda Pest - Four Girls, One Trip

If ever you need to go on holiday to completely let your hair down, throw out the rule book and not throw all your money away with it, I would definitely recommend going to Budapest! I went with three friends recently and had such a blast that I have been recommending it to everyone I've spoken to, and now I want to show you why, so grab a cuppa and see for yourself.

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Sunday 8 May 2016

Why I'm Dying To Get Outta Here!

OK, so the title may be a slight exaggeration but I do feel desperate for a holiday, and thank goodness I have one. I 'ummed' and 'ahhed' about what post to write today, but rather than force out some content which perhaps didn't feel quite fitting, I chose to focus on the here and now, and that is me, wine in hand (don't judge) sitting down and taking stock of how much has happened this year, whilst totally letting my hair down in a new city.


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Monday 2 May 2016

How I'm Making The Most of the Bank Holiday

Does anyone else feel like this Bank Holiday has just crept up out of nowhere? I don't know whether its because everything is so busy that we just didn't realise, or maybe the fact that its been snowing in the UK this week has something to do with us not realising its now the 1st of May! Either way, it wasn't until answering the usual 'what are your plans for the Bank Holiday?' question that I realised I didn’t actually have any. Usually this would totally freak me out, but what has transpired is a fab weekend of lots of opportunities; who knew not making plans didn't mean you would end up doing nothing, but that you'd make the most of opportunities that presented themselves? 



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Sunday 24 April 2016

Getting My Strength and Motivation Back

For the first time in a long while, I'm starting to feel like I've regained my strength in the gym and it feels so good. I am still annoyed with myself that I took eye off what made me feel happy and good and let my unmotivated days take over from my motivated days, which meant that slowly and surely, I stopped working out, sometimes for weeks on end, but finally I am back on the right track.

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Sunday 17 April 2016

What Do I Look Like? Mini Life Crisis

Is it possible to feel like you're having a bit of a mini life crisis just before you turn 29? I ask the question rhetorically because I know it is, I feel like me and some of my mates have been living through one recently and I just need a moment to reflect on it.


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Sunday 10 April 2016

Admitting To My Secret Sugar Eating Behaviour

I need to hold my hands up, I am a secret eater. Well, I say secret, but that might not be true, I am a constant sugar craving addict, and as with all addicts, even if you think you're hiding it, you're probably not. I was having a conversation with some friends the other day and we were wetting ourselves over the lengths we go to, just to get a sugar fix. So in the sense of full disclosure, I thought I'd share some with you. 


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Sunday 3 April 2016

Changing My Life, 30 Days At A Time

Have you ever read anything that has totally inspired you to give something a go, right then and there? Tbh it's a rhetorical question as I'm sure most people are inspired by some form of written word, whether it's a motivational quote, a book or even an article. Mine was the latter, and actually the main reason I purchased last months Elle magazine, because on the cover was a header saying "Change your life in 30 days". 


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Sunday 20 March 2016

Why It's Important To Go With Your Gut

OK, so this may sound like a weird title for a blog, and you may or may not be surprised to learn this isn't a post about digestive health. Instead this post is off the back of several conversations I've had with friends, family and even the butcher over the last few weeks, about going with your gut instinct. Blocking out the noise that's all around you and finding the answer within yourself (or at the bottom of a bottle of Champagne).

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Sunday 13 March 2016

Chilling Out With My Fave Movies

This weekend I had such a chilled movie binge and I totally loved it. I did have plans initially, but I'm so glad I took the time to myself. Popcorn, candles and time to think was just what I needed.


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Sunday 6 March 2016

Why It's Important to Make Your Own Success

I've learnt something recently which I want to share with you guys, it's OK to say what you want and work with people to make it happen. There have been a lot of instances, both professionally and personally where I've witnessed people sitting back hoping people will realise what they want, and getting frustrated when they don't, but it's time to stop.


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Sunday 28 February 2016

Completing Fit Feb

A month ago I told you guys I was getting back on the fitness flex after what had become an extended hiatus. The good news I did, and thought I'd update you on how I got on and how it felt.



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Sunday 21 February 2016

Well Read: Healthy Books

I've been doing a lot of reading again this month, but rather than novels its been cookery and lifestyle books that I've had a taste for. As you know food and lifestyle are just as important, if not more so than fitness when it comes to improving your health and fitness. So, this month I've been pawing over these books to arm myself with the knowledge and motivation to keep going when I feel like falling off the wagon. 

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Sunday 14 February 2016

Should I Pay Off Debt Now Or Later?

This wasn't actually my planned post for this week, but money has been massively on my mind this week (as I crawl towards pay day) and it's actually the thing I wanted to spend today talking about. 

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Sunday 7 February 2016

5 Tips On How To Get A Good Nights Sleep

OK, OK, I know everyone actually goes to sleep, but the difference in just sleeping and having a good nights sleep is huge, and I'm so glad I've got myself back into good habits again, as not getting a good nights sleep is one of the most disruptive things ever!


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Sunday 31 January 2016

Fit Feb 2016 - Let's Do This

I am so glad that January is now behind us, I'm so over all the ups and down, inner turmoil and self imposed restrictions we put on ourselves, February is what it's all about for me.




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Sunday 24 January 2016

The Best Project You'll Ever Work On Is You

Do you ever have one of those times when you just want to shake things up a bit? I'm definitely in that frame of mind at the moment, and it's got me really excited about what the future could hold and feeling motivated to achieve. 



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Sunday 17 January 2016

Shaking Off The FOMO

I think being an only child predisposes me to always feeling like I'm missing out (FOMO). Even then I used to sit at the top of the stairs when my parents had sent me to bed, just in case I was missing out on something, and now, although I don't sit at the top of stairs, I do get the 'ohhhhhh, I wish I was with you' hankering, even when it's not something I'd actually want to do. 


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Sunday 10 January 2016

Smoothie's For Breakfast From Now On

I got a Nutri-Bullet for Christmas and I can't tell you how much I love it.  I have been eating eggs for breakfast for as long as I can remember and I was just so sick off them, that I wanted to break it up and the smoothies I've been making each morning have been the answer to those prayers! 


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Sunday 3 January 2016

New Year New You or Same Old Me?

New Years generally splits people into two camps: the New Year New Me group, where the dawn of 2016 heralds fresh starts, new goals and changing of old habits and then those who feel no different and are happy with how they are. 


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