My thoughts on Christmas eating And why you shouldn’t feel guilty

If there is one thing that annoys me at Christmas time, it's girls worrying so much about the amount of food they are eating and what it will do to their figure. Girls...let me tell you something, let yourself go at Christmas and regret nothing.

I am a tad guilty of this myself, I won't lie. I do find myself feeling bad after overeating at Christmas, but it is all about balance. For me, I still go to the gym over the Christmas period. I will have Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day off, as the gym generally isn't open, but it just helps me keep my guilt at bay (even though it is obscene that we all feel guilty about eating crap in the festive period). Although, this year I will be in Cornwall, and I have no idea whether there will be any gyms out in the middle of nowhere.

All you have to remember is that you don't eat like this all 365 days of the year, and eating like this for one week of the year is not going to have a huge impact on your body, in the long term. Yes, you will probably feel bloated, and look a couple months pregnant after your Christmas dinner, but so what, everyone will, embrace it! Your whole years progress you've made in the gym won't go to waste just because of one week, please remember that.

So basically, this is a blog post reminding you all to eat whatever the hell you want at Christmas, and just enjoy it. After all, what would Christmas be without all the mince pies, Quality Street, chocolate coins and Christmas cake?!

This will be my last post of 2017, so have the most amazing Christmas, and you’ll hear from me in 2018, with all my ‘new year new me’ bullshit...

Another Festive Look With FalseEyelashes.co.uk

I couldn't resist creating another Christmas look using another set of beautiful lashes sent to me by the lovely guys over at falseeylashes.co.uk! I opted for more of a traditional festive red lip, with wispie lashes and a classic winged liner. These lashes are my go-to for nights out, they're so light but make any eye look gorgeous.

Christmas Party Makeup Inspo w/ FalseEyelashes.co.uk

It's December, which can only mean one thing....festive makeup! I don't know whether anyone has any Christmas parties coming up, but nonetheless, I teamed up with FalseEyelashes.co.uk to bring you a festive makeup look which I think is perfect for the party season. 

They have such a huge range of eyelashes on their site at a discounted price, and they offer Free UK delivery which is such a huge bonus. Their site boasts products from Violet Voss, Ardell, Red Cherry, Eyelure and so many more. I've ordered from them many times and can not fault their service or products. 

For this look I used the beautiful Violet Voss Just Slayin' lashes, which are limited edition, and I bloody adore them. I usually go for more natural styles, but if you can't wear dramatic lashes at Christmas, then when can you?! 

I paired them with a silver and black cut crease, which has not yet been perfected, I know, and far beyond my makeup comfort-zone. I bought this gorgeous silver glitter eyeshadow stick from Topshop last year in their Christmas sale, and truly never thought I would have a use for it, but it's come in handy now! For my skin I wanted a flawless base, so used my heaviest foundation, Illamasqua Skin Base (which I highly recommend by the way), and used my Sleek Contour Kit and Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer to create a heavy contour and bright under eye highlight. 

Of course, no look is complete without bold brows, so as per usual, my trusty Anastasia Dipbrow turned my brows from nonexistent to insta-friendly. I always feel that when you have dramatic eyes you should keep the lips a little more natural, although I am also a firm believer in there being no rules with makeup. My Tanya Burr Cosmetics gloss in 'Aurora' was the perfect natural colour, and honestly, I don't remember the last time I wore lip gloss, but I am digging it with this look. 

I wish I could be one of those girls who was bothered to wear falsies everyday, but I am far too lazy for that. I'd love to know if you guys have a favourite pair of lashes? Please let me know as I am desperate to try out some more from the guys at False Eyelashes. 

Maybe Dresses In Winter Aren't So Terrible...

Dresses in winter is something which if suggested to me a year ago, I would've simply laughed at. I am one of those people who just wants to be warm in winter, even if I end up looking like the Michelin man, or like I am wearing my duvet. However, this year I have been massively on the hunt for a good jumper dress, to widen my winter wardrobe, and I am so bloody glad I did!

It took me a while to find the right dress, as someone with quite a wide frame, if something doesn't hug my figure it can make me look like a huge tent, and jumper dresses do tend to be quite shapeless, or alternatively be completely bodycon, neither of which I wanted for a casual day-dress. After making about 5 online orders for various jumper dresses, from various companies, and having an array of issues (mainly them not covering my butt, which as a 5ft 7 girl I didn't think would be an issue?), I've finally found the one.  

Knitted Dress - £22.00

Boots (similar) - £25.00

Scarf (similar) - £19.00

Belt - £8.00

I'm all up for recommendations of other good jumper dresses guys, so hit me up with them please!

The Autumn Jacket of Dreams

Anyone who knows me will know I have an extensive coat/jacket collection, half of which I don't wear and are quite frankly are not needed. However, I cannot stop myself from buying more when the seasons change, and this mustard baby is perhaps my most favourite in a while. I have been lusting after it for ages since seeing the beautiful Em Sheldon wearing it over on Instagram, and it had been out of stock for a while, which just made me want it so much more. When it came back into stock I had to grab it up, and boy am I glad I did.

It's by no means a warm Autumn jacket, but it is perfect for the start of the season where the weather is a little chilly but you can 100% get away with just a jacket and a scarf still. I doubt it will make it much further than the end of November with me, but it has been my favourite companion for October.

Cue even more posey photos *now*.

Missguided Mustard Biker Jacket - £35.00

Bershka Jumpsuit - £25.99

Converse - £55

My apologies this was not a very wordy post, but how much can one say about a beautiful, mustard, suede jacket? (I mean...quite a lot but I didn't want to bore you all) I'm sure I will be sharing many more Autumnal jacket/coat purchases with you soon...

Getting Into Fitness? Things to Look For In Your Gymwear

We have all made fashion mistakes before, but making mistakes with your gymwear is not something you want to do, especially when it comes to leggings (see through leggings - not the one). I popped together my top tips of things to look for in your gym clothes if you're just getting into fitness.

 Sports Bras

Sports bras are serious business in fitness, and you have to protect those bosoms. If you're like me and aren't blessed with breasts (wow what a phrase) then this probably isn't too much of an issue, but if you have a larger bust you have to make sure you are buying the right support for your boobies. If you're running, make sure you pick up a high-impact bra - generally the hideous ones, but they do the job. The best place to grab sports bras is 100% Victorias Secret. If you don't want to splurge quite so much however, H&M do decent ones too. 

Underwear

This might sound stupid but I'm just going to brush on it quickly. Thongs are best for the gym. You can't see them through your leggings, and as grim as it sounds (we are all ladies here...), they're already halfway up your butt so you won't have to keep pulling out your wedgied M&S briefs after squatting. Also, avoid lacey pants and opt for no VPL thongs, if you're bothered by panty-lines that is!

Leggings

No one wants a camel-toe, but just an advanced warning, the majority of beautiful gym leggings will give you one. My Gymshark Seamless leggings give me the worst camel-toe, to the point where my mother has told me I must only wear them with long tops, but I love them and will wear them anyway (free the camel-toe!). But if you're someone who truly cares about that sort of thing, I highly recommend going into a store and trying on your leggings before you buy them. Opting for non-seamless leggings are less likely to give you the dreaded toe. Also, I'd definitely recommend high-waisted leggings over low-rise ones, as they tend to stay up, leaving you not having to pause your run to hoist up your leggings. They're also great if you have a little jiggle in the tummy area (don't we all?). My final top tip for shopping all things gym leggings, is to squat in the mirror to test out the candidates - if you wouldn't want your nan to see what you're seeing in the mirror, then don't buy them.

Tops

A top that flies up and hits you in the face when you are doing burpees in the middle of the activities hall is not the one - trust me, been there done that, was embarrassing as hell. I always recommend baggier tops for relaxing activities such as yoga, pilates and general stretching. If you're planning to do high impact classes, or running, I'd suggest buying tighter tops that aren't going to hit you and be generally annoying. Saying this though, again I'd say tops are something you should try on, as you don't want to have to keep pulling them down if they're rising up. I buy most of my tops from Forever 21, H&M and Gymshark.

Trainers

I have to admit, when I began my fitness journey, looking into different types of trainers and which styles would be best for my type of workout, was not something I did. However, saying this, I do immensely regret this, and before buying your trainers I urge you to take some time to figure out what sort of exercise you are going to be doing. If you're simply going to the gym I don't think it matters too much, but if you want to start running, it is so important to buy running trainers, as they support your feet in all the right places. If you have a little more money to spend, I'd recommend going into a store where they track the way in which your feet move when you run, and they then suggest an appropriate trainer for your feet. I believe that the Nike store on Oxford Street does this, but I'm sure there are many more shops that do too. 

I think that is all the advice I have to give when it comes to buying activewear, but if you have any other top tips then please share them in the comments. Just remember that the most important thing is that you have to be comfortable in what you are wearing, and most importantly, it should make you feel confident in the gym!

Losing Sight of Your Goals and Why It's Ok...

We all have goals and dreams that we want to achieve, and it's so common to sometimes put these to the back of our minds, and lose focus on these goals. Since I moved home from University in August, I've truly fallen off the 'healthy eating' bandwagon, and I am really noticing a difference in not only the appearance of my body, but also in my energy levels. I've put on a small amount of weight, and my body fat percentage has increased as well, so I know it is unfortunately not all muscle, as I like to convince myself. Although I have my moments where I feel really down about the fact I have taken one step forward and two steps back in my health and fitness journey, I realise that it is so important to not let this get you down, and sabotage any future progress from being made. Sometimes it is ok to lose focus on your goals, and you just need to take a few steps to get back on track.

Here are a few things I like to do when I have lost sight of my goals.

1) Figure Out Why

Realising the things, or even events, that have made you lose track is really important, as you can use this as an opportunity to not only learn from your mistakes, but also to identify at what point things started to go wrong for you. For me, as mentioned, the reason I fell off track was because I moved back home with my parents. After spending three years on my own and cooking my own nutritious meals, moving back home where I ate whatever my parents cooked and had in the house, things slowly went bad. I stayed pretty focussed on the gym, so the choice of food was the only true issue.

2) Write a Plan of Action!

So for me, this meant writing a food plan, alongside my usual workout plan for the week. Not only this, but also taking charge of the weekly shop, and picking all the dinners for my household. Food was my real downfall when I moved back home as my parents aren't one for healthy food, whereas at University I was eating off of healthy protein, less processed food, and generally balanced meals. My house at the moment is stocked up to the brim with crisps, biscuits, chocolate and sweets, and these are my absolute weakness. I liked to only have a couple of treats in my house when I lived on my own, as it allowed me to remain balanced and not binge.

3) Prevent A Repetition

Yes, you can attempt to prevent losing focus again, although as I've mentioned there is nothing wrong with this happening. For me, I just like to have prevention methods in place to stop myself from going off track again, as I know how it affects me mentally. In this case I have simply tried to track my calories again, as this means I will not binge, and also I am begining to buy my own dinners, now that I have a job. Being in the office also means I cannot be snacking all day, so I think that this will be a good prevention for me. 

I guess I just wanted to write this post to remind you that it's ok to lose focus sometimes, and not just in terms of health and fitness, but in other walks too. Sometimes you just need to take some time to readjust to new situations. Especially in terms of fitness, you have to remember that falling off track for a month or two isn't going to completely eliminate all progress you have made so far. Achieving your 'dream body' is not a steady journey, rather one that takes many ups and downs, so just view this period of lost focus as a chance to pick yourself back up, and work harder than you were before.

Autumn Trend: Statement Red

A statement red is arguably the biggest trend this season, and for those of you, like me, who like to stick to less...should I say 'daring' colours, this is perhaps not the news you were after. However, I've been slowly integrating this gorgeous colour into my wardrobe, and accessories are definitely the easiest way to do so. I pulled together an outfit which I have been loving wearing, and I have to say, this statement red is growing on me.

Miss Selfridge Boots - £29

Daring Top - £12

Topshop Joni Jeans - £36

H&M Bag - £34.99

ASOS Necklace - £6 

Here are some more red accessories I have been lusting over:

ASOS ASHDEN Suede Studded Boots - £60

Glamorous Red Vinyl Effect Pointed Heeled Ankle Boots - £45

Monki Vinyl Chain Bag - £20

Topshop Mini Ring Backpack - £22


Have you picked up anything from the red trend?

What I Eat In A Day #2

Hey kids, welcome back to another What I Eat In A Day, where I reveal that I actually have a very boring diet. I've included calories/macros for each meal, but I don't particularly count them myself.

Breakfast - Protein Smoothie - 334 Kcal, 28g Protein, 23g Carbs, 14g Fat.

Cinnamon Swirl Protein

1 tsp Chia Seeds

1 tbsp Peanut Butter (or as much as you like...)

Half a Frozen Banana

Almond Milk

I actually love having porridge for breakfast, but on days where I am feeling a little heavier I like to have a protein smoothie. This one actually tastes divine and fills me up till lunch time.

Lunch - 429 kcal, 28.8g Protein, 37g Carbs, 19g Fat.

Heck Sausages

Reduced Sugar Spaghetti Hoops

Whilst I haven't been working, lunch has been a little less practical...and messy....and unhealthy. I am a massive fan of sausages (no innuendos please), and Heck sausages have amazing macros. I buy the 97% pork ones, which are 269 calories per 2 sausages, with 22g of protein. As I am a massive kid I am a sucker for Spaghetti Hoops so I enjoy eating these with my sausages. I tend to buy the reduced sugar ones, just because it's insane how much sugar goes into these things. At just under 160 calories, these are a yes in my books!

Snacks - Barbeque Popchips -  71 Kcal, 1g Protein, 11g Carbs, 2.6g Fat

Special K Dark Chocolate Chewy - 97 Kcal, 1.1g Protein, 14g Carbs, 3.4g Fat

In all honesty I've really been trying to cut down on the amount I snack, but if I fancy anything sweet I will always grab a Special K bar if I have one.

Dinner - Lean Machines Cod Parcel - 346 Kcal, 39g Protein, 35g Carbs, 3g Fat. 

I won't include the full recipe for this, but honestly you need to buy the Lean Machines book and try out some of their recipes. They're all actually super easy and I haven't had one I didn't enjoy, as of yet. The cod parcels are a little smelly, as you can imagine, but they taste great. Its simply, Cod, Tomato Puree, Cannellini Beans, Tomatoes, Onion and a bit of Garlic. Unfortunately, stupid me forgot to take a recipe of the finished product, but you get the jist of things. 

Total: 1227 Kcal (Most days I eat a LOT more than this, please be aware...)

So that's another day on my plate, it's not the most interesting at all, but I'm always curious what other people eat...

4 Things To Know Before Going To University

With most University's freshers starting soon, or even having started already, I just wanted to give you all three tips which I think are invaluable to every new student. A couple of these I wish I knew before I started.

1) It goes way too quickly.

I sound like such an oldie when I talk about time going quickly. but those three years of my life went by in a flash. It seems like yesterday that I was moving into my halls and meeting these five strangers that I would be living with for the next year. Do not take this time for granted like I did, it goes incredibly fast, and once you graduate, lets just say - life is not as fun as it is was when you were a student. 

2) You wont make friends if you just sit at home. 

This is possibly the most valuable advice I could give to any new students: sitting on your butt doing nothing and keeping to yourself will make your time at University miserable and lonely. You will probably be the person crying, even into Spring term, about how much you miss home, and trust me, that is not fun. I'm not by any means suggesting that you go out on a bender every single night (although equally as fun), but just make sure you put yourself out there and at least talk to those you live with. University is a chance to reinvent yourself, and I most certainly took this opportunity to reinvent myself as someone much more confident than what I was. 

3) You probably won't stay in contact with your 'current best friends'

As much as it sucks to think about, University life is so much of a bubble that if you're anything like me, and you're living away from home, you're probably going to quickly fall out of touch with your best friends from home. It's only natural, and when you graduate you will probably rekindle those friendships, or even in the holidays, but whilst you're there, you will probably slightly forget about each other. You will be surrounded by new people everyday, living with new people, sitting in lectures with potential new friends, and you'll end up making a strong support group at University. I'm not saying you will never talk to your 'home friends' again, but just giving you a heads up, it's not as easy to stay in touch and remain 'best friends' as you may think.

4) University is not a walk in the park.

Yes, Uni is a lot of fun and games, and you will try so many new things, meet so many new people, and generally have the best time of your life. But let me tell you one thing, I have never ever been so stressed in my life, and at times, as lonely, than I was at University. Not because I had no friends, as I had the best friends anyone could ask for, but because at times you just feel a little isolated, with everyone having lectures at different times, and obviously being away from your loved ones (hence point 2!). Stress was a major killer for me, and I can not express how important it is to do your reading before it gets to exam time. I never took this advice and every year I was stressed out of my mind, drinking more coffee than I care to admit. Not only this, but managing your time is such a difficult task, and something you will come away with having perfected. Let's take one of my 'typical final year' days for example. I'd wake up, go to lectures, want to socialise with my housemates, need to go to the gym, and also some days have work. Learning to manage all this alongside completing assignments is a struggle, but you will nail it eventually.

Those are my four main things to know for those of you who have started University this September, or who are off in the next few weeks. Please embrace every opportunity that is thrown your way, get out and meet new people, try new things, because this experience will go so quickly and you don't want to have any regrets when you leave Uni. Also, don't take these points too seriously, obviously they are based on my experience.

Gift Ideas for Hard To Shop For People #AD

There are always some people in your life who are impossible to buy gifts for, for me, it's my Dad. I swear, every Christmas or Birthday it's a massive struggle to decide what to get him because he's one of those people who says "just get me a card" - wow, helpful. Anyway, the lovely people at Uncommon Goods reached out to me to collaborate with them on a post, and I just think I might have found the best website for gifts for hard to shop for people.

They not only do the most beautiful handcrafted items, but also offer many personalised gifts, such as this Personalized Hearts Four-Across Game which I am so tempted to order for my Mum and Dad's anniversary - how cute is it?! It would definitely make a gorgeous wedding present as well. Uncommon Goods even have a whole section on their gifts page for anniversary presents, which you can check out here. I think there's just something so thoughtful about personalised gifts, as it's not something you've just walked into a shop and picked off the shelf. You can see more personalised items on this page. 

Another item which hugely intrigued me was the Himalayan Salt Tequila Glasses, which are beautifully handmade. This would be the perfect gift for any drinker, and I would most certainly love them on display in my kitchen. Not only are they made from natural materials, but they are obviously gorgeous in colour. When I eventually buy my own home I am most definitely ordering these to keep on display on my bar cart, goals. 

Lastly, I cannot write this post and not share this item with you, it's a Wine and Beverage Dispensing Tote Bag - how bloody cool! I'd be so chuffed if one of my friends picked this up for me as a gift *promise I'm not hinting at anyone*. 

I urge you all to check out more unique gift ideas from Uncommon Goods, especially if you are having a hard time coming up with gift ideas for your friends or relatives. Not only is everything on their website absolutely gorgeous, but with every purchase made, Uncommon Goods donates $1 to one of their four non-profit organizations (which you can choose!). The organizations range from anti-sexual violence to rainforest protection. Since they started this Better to Give program 12 years ago, they've donated over $1Million to charities around the world, which I think is amazing. So not only are you making someone happy with a thoughtful gift, but you're doing something good at the same time.

Happy gift buying!