NIKE JUVENATE TRAINERS

I had to share one of the most beautiful purchases I (well technically not me) have made this year and it may surprise some of you! I have recently got back into the gym. I used to go all the time when I was at uni, but since graduating, life has kind of got in the way and I lost my mojo with it...so I knew something had to be done!

Now, I absolutely love fashion...I love looking good and I love feeling like I look good too! So what's better than incorporating fashion into fitness, to give that extra boost of motivation to get your butt into gear! I haven't bought new trainers for myself in around 5/6 years, so it was about high time I got some new ones and this time I wanted super cute and colourful trainers that could be worn outside of the gym (my last ones were purely practical).

When I walked past the 'Nike Juvenate Teal Retro' trainers I knew I just had to have them! They were exactly what I was looking for and I instantly fell in love with the teal/mint colour. I felt really naughty, but I asked the shop assistant if they had them in a size 5 and said to myself 'if they have them, then it is meant to be' (pretty silly when I was 99.9% sure they'd have them) and of course they did! Before I knew it, I was at the checkout and my boyf was buying them for me - it all happened very quickly, but boy oh boy am I glad it did! They honestly are the most beautiful trainers I have ever owned.

One thing you should know about me, is that I am all about comfort...if I am not comfortable, then I'm not going to be happy and this rule most definitely applies to my feet! I have to say, these are quite possibly THE comfiest shoes known to man. They have a memory foam feel to them and they are very light and airy - it feels like you aren't wearing any shoes! The stretch like material allows them to slip on so easy that it puts Cinderella to shame! As they are so light, they are great for any kind of exercise - running, walking, jogging and of course weight lifting as well. The flat nature makes them perfect for squats and lunges (no more excuses now) and the stretchy mesh material allows for a perfect fit!

I love to wear them, even when I am just pottering about and running errands, because they look so darn good! The colour of them stands out so nicely that they pair perfectly with some black jeans and a sweater - they definitely tie an outfit together!

I would massively recommend buying the 'Nike Juvenate' trainers (especially in teal) for anyone who is looking to buy or upgrade their current trainers. I can't stress enough how comfortable they are and how perfect they are for exercise. As they look so good, they definitely encourage you to work out! They retail at around £70 - I know that is a little pricey but investing in good quality trainers saves you a lot of pain in the future! 

Now, until you go buy them I shall make you super jealous with some photos...

Much Love

MIDWEEK BREAKFAST - SUPER SMOOTHIE

It is a well known fact that I am not really a breakfast person. The last thing I think of when I open my eyes is food - I have never been a massive fan of breakfast and I don't think I ever will be! It is not ideal, because as I am sure you all know breakfast is THE most important meal of the day!

Since starting a new, full time job, I have realised just how important it is to feed my body in the morning! It is such a dilemma because I love my sleep - I slam my snooze button about 5 times in the morning before I rise and my only goal of the morning is to squeeze in as much sleep as possible. This proves difficult to have a healthy, nutritious breakfast and only leaves the options of grabbing something ready made, which is most likely full of sugar and other questionable ingredients! 

I got into juicing and smoothie making about a year and a half ago and when the idea clicked that I could chuck a bunch of things into the bullet and it would create a nutritious and tasty meal, my breakfast woes were over. 

I often find that a smoothie keeps me going longer than a juice. If I am using the nutribullet as a meal then I will do something thicker, like a smoothie, but as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack I will do a juice - so I thought I would share with you this delicious breakfast smoothie recipe that keeps me going at work for hours!

You will need:

1 banana

1 handful of blueberries

1 handful of strawberries (around 5/6 strawberries)

3 tablespoons of 0% fat greek yogurt (you can use full fat I just prefer fat free)

1 tablespoon of porridge oats

1 teaspoon of Nutriblast Superboost 

Chuck it in the nutribullet and away you go!!!

What smoothies do you enjoy?

Much love

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK - MERIDIAN ALMOND BUTTER

This week's product of the week is completely different to what I normally do...and by that I mean it is not a beauty related product at all. 

Now, to start us off, as I child I pretty much lived off of peanut butter. Any chance I would get, I would stuff my face with the thing! You can imagine my dismay, when I found out that it wasn't the healthiest thing in the world!

I am constantly on the look out for healthy replacements for foods that I love, so after some hefty research, I finally found the BEST replacement for peanut butter ever.

Meridian nut butters pride themselves on being 99.5% pure nuts (with the 0.5% being a tiny bit of salt). The nuts are roasted in the oven and them somehow crushed and made into a smooth butter. After my immense research, I decided to go for the almond butter, as almonds are lower in saturated fat than other nut alternatives and they also are high in both fibre and calcium and of course high in protein. I am not gonna lie, I was a little unsure when I purchased the almond butter, as I didn't know if I would like it, as I had never really had almonds before...but my my my it was incredible!! I can not describe to you how happy I was that it was genuinely so delicious. In fact, I think it has a better taste than regular peanut butters. The butter itself is really smooth in consistency (I bought smooth not crunchy) and it is really, well nutty. It is so great to know that you can eat something knowing it is purely what it says it is and it doesn't have any of the added rubbish that other products have.

I will always pick almond butter over peanut butter now, and meridian nut butter over any other brand. I now buy myself a 1kg pot as I eat it so much and so it is way better value! If I am not having it on toast or a ryvita, I like to chop up various fruits such as bananas and apples with maybe some celery as well to dip into the almond butter. I find it can be a really satisfying and healthy snack and is great after the gym or when my blood sugar levels tend to drop around 3pm and I lose all hope and concentration!

I would massively recommend checking out the meridian nut butters and especially the almond butter itself...it is just so darn tasty that it is not worth missing out on.


Have you had almond butter? What do you eat it with?


Much love

SATURDAY AFTERNOONS

I thought I would share today how I spent my Saturday afternoon. I love going to cafes, sandwich shops or tea rooms...I am an absolute sucker for them. Wherever I go, I have to stop for a tea or a coffee somewhere...it is just a must!

Anyway, quite recently I found a hidden gem of a tea room, quite local to where I live and I have already been there a couple of times since (I actually mentioned it in my post about my birthday weekend here), but I went there today and I thought I would share my trip with you. The cafe in question, is called 'The Drawing Room' and it is located in Locksbottom which is a small village/town just outside of South London. 

We shared a pot of tea for two, which came in the the most charming, bone china teacups with the matching teapot. To eat, I had a delicious hummus and roasted vegetable panini, which came with a side salad and the greatest homemade coleslaw I have EVER had! My boyfriend had a bacon, brie and mushroom toasted baguette, that I also had a sneaky taste of and was incredible too!! I loved how the food was presented, it came on a beautiful floral china tray and the side salad and coleslaw were served in little teacups! Absolutely delightful! 

The tea room itself is really cute and quaint with the walls covered in picture frames and pretty mirrors. The table and chairs are all wooden and antiquey looking, which give a really cosy feel to the place (even in the blazing sunshine). It also has seating outside, which is always a plus. The staff that work there are really kind, and nothing is too much trouble.

Now just look how amazing those cakes look...I am definitely going in for the kill next time and having a great big slice of Victoria Sponge!

It is unlikely that many of you would be able to go if you aren't local to the South London/Kent area, but if you are, I massively recommend it. I love reading posts like these and seeing how other people spend their days, so I thought I would do the same. 

Have any of you been somewhere similar, or to the Drawing Room itself?

Much love, 

A PASSION FOR NATURAL

I am really excited to be writing this post, because I think I have found a new brand that is going to become one of my skincare favourites.

Passion for Natural is a relatively new brand that prides itself on being, paraben and SLS free, 100% organic and manufactured in the UK using the healthiest leaves from the aloe vera plant. It is developed with natural betaine sources, which have the ability to support skin regeneration and elasticity. The combination of ingredients in the products are designed to soothe and heavily moisturise dry and irritated skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Now, as someone who suffers from psoriasis, which is a chronic skin condition leaving you with dry and irritated skin (I am going to write a more detailed post on this), I was really intrigued to try products from this range, as I am constantly on the look out for products that will soothe my skin. I love aloe vera, I find it very soothing and comforting and most importantly, I am absolutely obsessed with the smell. It leaves me feeling incredibly clean and fresh and most of the products I tend to buy are aloe vera based, so I was really pleased to try the following products.

Aloe Vera Moisturising Mist - I am absolutely and utterly obsessed with this product and it is on my 'constant re-purchase'. The mist itself was designed to deliver aloe vera to your skin in a 'refreshing and quickly absorbed' way, that doesn't require any rubbing in. It is like they designed this product specifically for me. As I mentioned above, I constantly suffer from dry and irritated skin and this has been a godsend during one of my bad psoriasis flare ups. I have found that it instantly hydrates me, leaving my skin feeling refreshed and soothed, relieving any itch or irritation. As it is easily sprayed on and doesn't require any rubbing in, it is quick and easily accessible for me and I don't have to stand there for ages with sticky moisturiser lathered all over my body. I would massively recommend this product to anyone with a skin condition or for people who suffer from dry skin.

Aloe Vera Lip Butter - I love trying new lip products. There is nothing worse than having dry, chapped lips, so I am constantly applying lip balms. The consistency of the product is really smooth and has a very noticble aloe vera scent - which I love. I have found that it has done wonders for my lips so far and has left them feeling really hydrated and soft.

Aloe Vera Body Scrub - I often find that exfoliators and body scrubs can really irritate my skin, so I am really fussy when it comes to trying and buying new ones. Considering I had such good results with the above products, I thought I would give it a go. This product also contains walnut shell which allows it to be extra hydrating and has been designed to have an easy rinse formula. I rub it onto my skin in a circular motion whilst I am in the shower and then gently wash it all off - I only ever use a body scrub twice a week maximum to prevent any irritation. I have to say, it is incredibly gentle. The exfoliant beads are soft enough to not cause any irritation, but still have the ability to leave my skin feeling radiant and glowing. It has been a perfect pre-moisturising product and really compliments the moisturising mist!

I would really recommend these products and have loved using them...keep and eye our for part two of my review. 

Much love

**All opinions in this post are my own, however I was very kindly gifted the products by Passion for Natural

DOMESTIC GODESS ISSUE 1 - BAKING BREAD

Hello Ladies (and Gents if you are out there), I hope your Monday wasn't too much of a drag...only three more days until Friday!

I have decided to try this new issue to my blog and it is going to feature my attempts at being a complete domestic goddess. Yesterday, I decided to really push the boat out and bake a fresh loaf of bread. I just thought to myself...there really is nothing better on a Sunday afternoon, than filling the house with the smell of fresh bread! I love fresh bread, it is such a comfort food for me. 

I've made bread from scratch before, but I kind of cheated this time, as I already had a packet mix with the yeast in it, but I thought I would share with you just how easy it is to be domesticated.  Whether you are having a dinner party and want to make your own fresh dinner rolls, or you are having guests to stay and want them to wake up to the smell of fresh bread...it really is super easy.

I used the 'Wrights - Mixed Grain' bread mix and all you need with it is; 300ml of luke warm water and a greased loaf tin (or greased baking tray if you are making rolls). All you have to do is, pour the flour mix into a bowl and add the water. I used a wooden spoon to mix it together at first, and then I tipped it onto a floured surface to knead it for about 5minutes, until is was stretchy and dough like. Then I placed the dough into my greased loaf tin, covered it in cling film and left it to prove for 30-40 minutes. I put mine on a plate in my airing cupboard, as I get the best results in there, but you can just put your oven on and leave it to prove above. After this, I put it in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees) and baked it for 30 minutes. You know it is ready when you knock lightly on top and it is hard and crunchy.

Slice and serve to family, friends and guests...or just enjoy it all to yourself!!

Have any of you tried making bread?

Much love

MY LITTLE BOX OF FUN!!

The end of the weekend rolls around too quickly for my liking, and the cloud of Monday morning is already looming over me. At least it is Sunday and I get to write my 'Product of the Week' post. This week, my 'product of the week' is a little different, as I am not technically discussing one product, but oh well, here it goes... 

My Saturday morning started off with me dragging myself to the gym pretty early (no lie in for me), but the situation was made so much better when I got home to a package. Now, there really is nothing more exciting than getting a delivery, and considering I knew what was inside the box, I really couldn't hold my excitement.

As it was my Birthday last week, I thought I would be a little cheeky and treat myself to the Selfridges 'Summer Beauty Box'. It is pretty self explanatory, but basically it is a box full of beauty gifts and goodies that all beauty bloggers would absolutely love, you even get a massive makeup bag as well to keep everything in. I was really drawn to it, not just because it was a complete bargain (has a combined value for £176 all for £40), but because you get to try various products that you might not necessarily think to buy yourself. It includes really high profile brands such as Nars and Clarins along with some up and coming brands too! It's a great way to mix high-street with high-end. It is very similar to glossy box and birch box, except you don't subscribe and they only do around two boxes a year. 

This years Summer beauty box included:

-  STARSKIN Instaglam foam peel perfect

-  STARSKIN After Party Brightening

-  RIBBAND Ribband Sorbet
-  JAMES READ Day Tan SPF 15
-  EYEKO Fat Eyeliner
-  NAILS INC Gel Nail Varning Pink
-  ILLAMASQUA Lipstick Luster
-  NARS Mini Orgasm Lipgloss
-  RODIAL Dragons Blood Sculpting Gel
-  URBAN DECAY Setting Spray
-  CAUDELIE Grape Water
-  TANGLE TEEZER Original Blue
-  CLARINS Eau des Jardins Smoothing Body Cream
-  ALPHABET BAGS Makeup Bag

I haven't had time to use any of the products yet, but I have used the Clarins body cream and the Urban Decay setting spay in the past and have really loved them both, so I'm really pleased they were included. I am a massive fan of Nars, so I'm really excited to try their lipgloss, but I am also really looking forward to trying the Starskin products as I have never heard of them before and I love trying new things.

Unfortunately, the beauty box is sold out at the moment, but I have put the link here for you to keep checking back to see if it goes back in stock (as it often does). If you are a fan of glossy boxes and birch boxes then you will absolutely love this and it's exclusive to Selfridges, which makes it super exciting. I would really recommend you should treat yourself to it if it comes back in stock, as it is great value for money and it is a great way to try new products.

Did any of you get the Selfridges Beauty box, what did you think?

Much love