Mission: Beach Body is a go!

Hello my Lovelies,

Hope you have had a great day!

Is anybody else on a diet for 2013? Has it been your resolution? 

So, today I was thinking to myself how was I going to measure how much weight I had lost whilst on this diet seen as I don't own a pair of scales. My mother has banned them from our bathroom! I don't blame her really, there's nothing worse than stepping on the scales and noticing your heart dropping in disappointment rather than the pounds! 

The wonderful lady, Victoria Beckham, once famously said to ignore the scales and the size label in your clothing! And if it bothers you so much, don't weigh yourself & cut the label out as we have many other troubles we have to face every single day and your body shape and confidence shouldn't be a part of that! What a lady! So, since I heard that many years ago I've just learnt to accept my body shape and haven't weighed myself since. As long as I feel great and I like the way I look in the mirror that's all that matters!

So, I have decided to take pictures of myself at the end of every month to see if I can notice any changes, like inch losses! Here are my first pictures at the start of my diet. 

 

My problem areas are my middle as I have ribs that pertrude outwards but I have a right little podgey belly going on atm and it's not cool! But I have noticed I still have slight definition on my stomach from the last time I was in shape so I know my goal isn't far away!

As you can see I have a smaller upper body compared to my lower. I would love to tone up my legs and make them thinner but that isn't my focus point as I never get my legs out anyway. So I'm concentrating on one area in particular and hoping the rest will just follow. I'm really worried about losing my bum! It's my favourite asset and I really want to keep it!

I know I'm not massive but I just want to tone up my stomach so I look smokin' in a bikini! You can probably see for yourself the podgey bits that I hold around the top of my ribs and my lower stomach - ew! Plus, I have small but chubby hips which is seriously annoying. I want to get my hourglass figure back on form! I'll keep posting at the end of each month with my progress. Can't wait to share this journey with you guys :) Hopefully, it will inspire you to do the same! 

Hopeful

xxx

Mission: Beach Body is a go!

Afternoon Lovelies,

I thought I would give you an update on how my diet is going so far.
I couldn't be happier. I'm seriously proud of myself for sticking to healthy foods and having absolutely no sugar, diary, wheat and caffeine - which is a big step as its a complete change in my usual diet.

I'm now on my fourth day and things are going really well, however, I did have a slip up last night. I ended up going on a spontaneous night out, which was absolutely brill, but wasn't good on behalf of my diet. In fairness I was really good for most of the night and sticking to vodka, soda and fresh lime/lemon and I surprisingly enjoyed it. But I'm such a sucker for peer pressure and cheap offers. Jagerbombs were only £1.50 and I was out with some old friends who I hadn't been out with in a long time, so I gave in. Silly Hope! I'm feeling a bit delicate today, plus, feeling guilty about my indulge in something as trivial as alcohol.

I'm not going to let this stop me though! At the end of the day I am a 20 year old student and I am bound to go out a few times and have a drink but as long as I stick to the rest of the diet and exercise regularly, hopefully, it shouldn't make much difference. Just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean I can't have fun right?!
I'm still 100% motivated and haven't fallen short yet and I plan to keep it that way :)

If you guys have Pinterest check out my Thinspiration board to see what I'm looking at to keep motivated!

Hopeful
xxx

Be Happy...

Happy Tuesday Lovelies!

Hope you're all having a great day so far. I'm spending mine doing my Dissertation - Hooray!

This morning I was doing my usual re-pinning & finding my inspiration on Pinterest and I came across this image. 

I have fallen in love with it. It was one of those things I seen & read and it's made my day feel a whole lot brighter, because, I simply couldn't agree more!

Hope it does the same for you! I just had to share it!

Go and be happy Lovelies,

Hopeful

xxx

Motivational Monday #8

Evening Lovelies,

I know my Motivational Monday is later than usual so I apologise. Although, surely it's never too late in the day to feel motivated?

So, I believe my first protocol of this post is to let you guys know if I achieved any of the things I said I was going to do at the end of last Monday's post.

1) I have written at least 2,000 words of my Dissertation and started looking into my Methodology.
So, I'm sorry to start this on a negative but I haven't written 2,000 words of my Dissertation but I did do the nest best thing and went to my tutor in hope for some direction and inspiration. That's exactly what I got! I have a whole new direction for my Dissertation and I can't wait to get started. So, looks like I've found some new motivation and I PROMISE I will have at least 2,000 if not more by next Monday post.


 - I have started my next PR assignment, and (hopefully) written at least half.
Again, I haven't started this either. I have been terrible with Uni work at the moment but now I know what I need to do for my Dissertation I can balance my work a lot easier.

 - I had a much needed weekend in and spent next to zero pounds to concentrate on my Uni work.
There's positives and negatives to this one. I didn't end up staying in but I didn't spend any money which was fab! I did a lot of research in the daytime on Saturday and then ended up going round to my friends in the evening for a night on the Karaoke - Great night!

 - I sent at least 3 nice, random tweets to followers or not followers to make their day.
Yay! This is the one statement I stuck too and did with great success. I came across a couple of bloggers of the last week and their blogs really inspired me so I just had to let them know & I got some really awesome feedback.

 - I will post a much longer and more motivational blog post.
Well, I'll let you guys judge this one for yourselves!

Now, onto the motivating!

I seen this image this morning on Facebook and I knew I wanted to include it in my blog today.

It's funny because usually when I see things like this on Facebook I tend to scroll past for some reason this morning I didn't. I read it. As soon as I had finished I smiled! A genuine, happy, 'I can do this' kind of smile and it really set me up for the rest of the day. No matter what happens in your life, whether yearly, monthly or daily you can always come out stronger and a much better person. There is always a chance to be yourself. Even when things don't go your way or things get screwed up - remember there's always a chance. The chance to change everything. As long as you remain yourself you will have nothing to worry about. So, start your day tomorrow with a smile and the knowing that you are you, regardless!

Moving on from that point - I thought this image was perfect to accompany it. We definitely choose who we want to be, I agree with that so much! And even the bad stuff make you who you are today. Which when you look at it in the grand scheme of things is pretty awesome! Just thinking about all the bad and crappy stuff that happens in your life and that all those make you into a much better person - just imagine how amazing you are when you combine all those bad things but all the incredible things that you have done. You sound like a pretty awesome person! So, with this in mind there should be nothing that stops you from doing anything! Especially following your dreams. Make yourself a better version of you. Make yourself happy. Make sure you do whatever you want to do! No matter what it is just do it. Follow your dreams and don't ever give up. You can do this!

An example of how I'm following my dreams and on the journey to making myself into a better version of me. If you see my previous blog, you will see that I have started my diet and exercise regime this week and everything's going good so far! This is something I have wanted to do for a long time and I finally feel like I am in the right frame of mind to do it. I can't wait to get fully into it and achieve the body I want in time for my girls holiday in June. All you need is a bit of courage and ambition, and you're good to go! Do something unexpected or even just something you have wanted to do for a long time. I can promise you it will automatically make you happy just by making the decision to do something.

Hope you've all had a fab Monday :) & that this Motivational Monday post was better and longer than last weeks. I'm now off to do some exercise, woo!

Hopeful
xxx

Mission: Beach Body is a go!

Good Morning Lovelies!

Hope you have all had a great weekend :) I had a really lovely, not planned weekend. I was planning a nice, quiet weekend and stay in but ended up going round to my friends house for an evening of jolliness and Karaoke - it was such a good night!

Back to the point of this blog.

It's official. I have finally started my Beach Body mission. I'm on a strict diet and exercise regime in order to be fit and ready for my holidays this summer - and for once, I'm really excited about losing weight!

If you're anything like me the thought of going on a diet and exercising is a effort in itself without actually doing anything. I dread going on diets because I love food too much! And I'm pretty lazy when it comes to exercising. 

Over the past few years, from when I was around 15/16 I started to become obsessed with the way I looked and how much I weighed. As a child I was always very chubby and was often bullied over it so when  I got old enough, and therefore cared enough, I decided to change it. I started exercising a lot - like 5 times a week for an hour or more each time as the gym at school was easy to use and free! I also started eating less. Don't worry I didn't end up going too far & I wasn't silly about it, but when you're younger things like that are so easy because they are easy to do. Like I said, the gym was free! and I got regular dinner money so I could only spend what I had and opted for smaller portions or sometimes just a bottle of water and a small sandwich, actually I remember most of the time only having a cookie and a bottle of water for my lunch during school. So I ended up losing a lot of weight. I went from being a size 12/14 to a 8/10, the jibes and name calling stopped and I became very confident, but, my obsession began to escalate. I then left school and went off to college and my whole world was turned upside down. There was no longer a gym available, a free on that is, and the canteen was full of hashbrowns, chips and boys! I then became very relaxed but stayed the same size for a long time during college, I didn't lose anymore but I didn't really gain anything either even though my eating habits changed. I honestly couldn't tell you the point where I started to gain weight or when I noticed I had. But I gained weight, gained a dress size and gained a boyfriend. 

I got into a relationship and became very happy, which meant I became even more comfortable! I noticed I had gained weight during my relationship but never really cared too much. I used to say it a lot but never do anything about it! My boyfriend still fancied me and told me how gorgeous, beautiful, amazing I looked on a regular basis so I didn't need to obsess about it as much as my younger self. Then, as relationships do, it came to an end and I then went into mass self loathing. Noticed every bit of weight gain, every lump and bump and how I really wasn't the person I thought I was. So, here I am! I am still very confident and the older I have got I have realised just how much I love my body and my body shape but now I'm ready to get back into the whole exercise and diet thing. I'm really excited about this journey and I know I will get back to the girl I used to be! I just want to lose inches and tone up. I don't believe in weighing myself. I know I have demons about my weight and always will do so why would I fuel that? All I'm bothered about it how I feel about myself. How I feel when I look in the mirror. How I feel when I put my favourite dresses on. How I feel when I walk down the street. How I feel around other people.

I'm ready! Let's get started!

I started my diet yesterday and so far so good. Ok, so I felt very hungry by around 3ish. I reckon the first few days will be about getting to know how hungry I get and how much I need to snack between meals but I can't wait to get into it. I'm on the Juice Plus diet and I've only heard amazing things about it! For the first 4-6 weeks I am to drink a shake for Breakfast and Lunch, have healthy snacks in between and a healthy Dinner. Plus, regular exercise! I'm going to blog about my highs & lows, my successes and failures and hopefully I'll be able to show off my end result in a gorgeous, hot, sunny country, in a bikini and drinking a cocktail!

This is the Juice Plus shake! They come in two different flavours - Vanilla and Chocolate. I did ask for a mixture in my order but unfortunately only got Vanilla but its fine and I'm still going to stick to it.

 

There are a variety of different drinks that can be mixed with it. I have chosen the Alpro Soya Hazelnut drink - It makes the shake rather sweet so it is pretty easy to drink and get down you in the mornings. I would be lying if I said it tasted amazing but I reckon its just a taste that I will get used to.

I'm looking forward to getting started and blogging about my progress throughout!

Wish me luck Lovelies! :)

Hopeful

xxx

Recent Purchases...

Hello Lovelies,

I realised this morning that I haven't done a beauty/fashion post for a while so you guys are in for a treat!

This blog post is going to be dedicated to my most recent purchases that I have made since Christmas - so a whole months worth of shopping! How exciting! I hope you guys like some of the stuff I have accumulated over the last few weeks - I certainly do!

Here goes!

The first purchase I wanted to show you was this stunning black midi dress from MissGuided. I absolutely adore MissGuided! I think I must own at least 5 of their bodycon, midi dresses. The fit is perfect and suits my body shape down to the ground. So, when I was searching for a new black number I came across this one and knew I had to have it. The dress is called Ebrel Mesh Waist Midi Dress and retails at an amazing £14.99 - bargain! The waist is completely made of mesh and at first I thought it would look a bit daring but in actual fact it is super flattering. I get size S/M because even though I have a slightly larger bum/thighs, I also have a tiny waist/tummy and with the fabric being stretchy the dress fits like a glove! I would recommend any dresses by MissGuided! They are super affordable, look great on and their service is impeccable. If you're not already, make sure you follow them on Twitter and like their page on Facebook because they are fantastic with customer service and put up a lot of competitions and interactive posts for everyone to get involved in. Can't speak highly enough of this brand. 

Ebrel Mesh Midi Dress - £14.99

My next purch I would like to show you is my gorgeous Kimono from the one and only Matalan! I know right? Matalan! I spotted this in the store a while back and was hinting to my mum forever about getting it me for Christmas. Alas, she didn't which meant I had the fun of going out and getting it myself. Just a spur of the moment thing I went onto their online website just for a quick look on Boxing Day and low and behold, it was in the SALE! I was ecstatic! So ecstatic that I had to order it there and then. The original retail price was around £16 and I think I got it for around £10/12 - Again, BARGAIN! It is the comfiest thing I have ever worn and its perfect to throw on over a dress on a night out rather than carrying a coat around with you. The best thing about it as well is that it is perfect for your holidays - I can't wait to wear mine over a bikni to the beach or with a dress at an evening time to keep the chill off. The Kimono has a lovely, vintage feel to it and has elements of vevet throughout the patterns. The only criticism of this is that the fringing gets caught very easily because they are looped - nightmare when driving! 

Matalan Kimono - Sale - £12/10

I think this is my favourite purchase out of everything! I have wore it pretty much everyday since I got it. Again, this was something I spotted a while ago and just had to have! So, as soon as Christmas came around and I got a bit of money I went out and got this bad boy! Every time I wear it I always get compliments about how fab it looks on and everyone is always shocked when I say its from Primark... Oh sorry, did I forget to mention that part? Yep, you heard me correct! It's from the one and only Primark at a reasonable price of £25. It's literally my fashion must have and I think everyone should have one. Its super stylish, again has a lovely, vintage feel to it but with a funky edge with the style and gold zips. It really brightens up a plain outfit and can be transferred from a winter essential to a spring essential very easily. The only problem with this is the sizing. I'm usually a size 10 but I had to get a 12 as the arms are very short & tight. My friend who has it too also had to go up a size or two.

Primark Jacket - £25

Who doesn't like a bit of sparkle in their life? I certainly do! This cardigan was a must have when I seen it. It is perfect to perk up any dull winters outfit with its touch of glitz! I believe this cardigan was around £8-£12 (sorry, I am terrible with keeping track of my spending) again from the wonderful Primark. It's so lovely and warm on and doesn't itch at all which is a huge bonus for me! It comes with gorgeous grey, sheer fabric lining on the neckline and pockets as well as the beautiful woven silver thread. This is a favourite of mine, again, the only problem is that the arms are too long for me :( I have to roll the sleeves up!

Primark Cardigan - Between £8-12

Another one of those pieces of clothing you see in a shop and you just have to have! Just me? I hope not! This gorgeous cardigan is from Miss Selfridge and is called Black Chiffon Extreme Cardigan and retails at £36! A little bit more pricey compared to the other purchases of mine but like I said, I had to have it! Simple! It also comes in a gorgeous grey which is the next purchase I plan to make. I have been after a plain, black cardigan for a while just to throw on under my coat to make sure I'm too cold in the winter months so when I seen this, it was right up my street but with a unique twist - which is what I love! The entire back and rest of the length of cardigan is chiffon so it covers you up to keep the cold off but still allows everyone to see what fabulous outfit you have on that day! Again, the sizes are a bit small on the arms so I had to get the size 12 and just roll the sleeves up - just feels much comfier and that I can actually move freely.

Black Chiffon Extreme cardigan - £36

This next purchase was a rather spur of the moment, impulse kind of purchase! It was literally a see, grab, pay, out of the door kind of moment. I've seen a lot of fringing emerging at the moment so I think it's going to be quite a big trend for Spring/Summer 2013 especially for festival season! This top just caught my eye as it's rather simple and would pretty awesome with disco pants/shiny leggings and heels on a night out or with denim shorts on holiday. This top was a steal at £7 from Primark! I haven't had chance to wear it yet as it has been too cold to go out in a teeny vest top. I'm quite flat chested (gutting, I know!) so it kind of hangs off me at the moment but once I have my boob job I reckon I'll be wearing it a lot more!

Primark Fringe Vest Top - £7

I adore this peplum top! I wear it with everything! Jeans, pencil skirts, trousers you name it! It's such a classic piece and like I said goes with pretty much everything. I like the lace detailing of this top as it makes it a little different from the peplum tops I have seen around. Peplum has been a huge trend over the last few months & I can't imagine the trend dying down in Spring/Summer. The peplum detailing is super fun and flirty and will fit perfectly in the spring/summer months that are up and coming. As well as being super stylish and can be dressed up or down. This top was another steal at £6 from Primark. It is rather see-through so I always wear a black boob-tube underneath to bring the outfit altogether.

Primark Peplum Lace Top - £6

I seriously couldn't live without pencil skirts! They are my ultimate fashion must have and my wardrobe would not be complete without them. I already had this skirt in black to begin with so when I discovered they did them in other colours I was straight in there making my purchases. I got a couple of Topshop gift cards for Christmas so was able to purchase the two without spending a penny of my actual money - result! These skirts are from Topshop and retail at £20 - A pretty decent price for Topshop and the fabric they are made out of. They are called Double Layer because that's what they literally are. They're lovely & thick so perfect for the colder weather! I love these skirts as they are extremely flattering and are super stretchy so they would suit anyone!

Topshop Double Layer Pencil Skirts - £20

THE LOVE OF MY LIFE! 

My Jeffery Campbells! Low and behold their extreme beauty! Please excuse the fact that they are a bit messy as since I've got them I have wore them every time I've been out. I got them from the Office Sale! The Mary High Heel should have been £100 but I got them for an amazing £50. They are easily the comfiest pair of high heels I have owned and I absolutely adore them. I'm not kidding when I say I have an emotional attachment to all my shoes! I just love them!

Mary High Heel - Was £100 reduced to £50

The beautiful Special Bow Wedge from Office retail at £70 but the lucky girl that I am only got them for £21! I know right? I was so pleased! I work at Office as a sales assistant and over Christmas as a reward for all our hard work we got a double discount which meant I got 70% off these lovelies! Bargain of the century! These are also extremely comfy and would recommend them to everyone :) 

      

Special Bow Wedge - £70

Of course, more shoes! Another pair from the wonderful Office! These gorgeous things are called Extravaganza Loafer and retail at £65 but again of course because I work there I got some lovely discount. I was desperate for new work shoes and these are perfect! They are quite a narrow fitting but once you stretch them out they are super comfy and I can't wait to rock them to work with some buttoned up blouses and eyeliner flicks! 

Extravaganza Loafer - £65

A women essential - Underwear! I have this unwritten rule that no matter where I go I always have to wear nice underwear. Weird I know but it's something I've always done. So, when I seen this absolutely gorgeous underwear set I just had to make a purchase. I am a huge sucker for buying underwear. The amount of bras & knickers I buy over a period of time is ridiculous. I'm obsessed! This set is from H&M and fits perfectly. The price range varies depending on what style you want. But the bra was £12.99 and the underwear was £6.99 which in my eyes is rather reasonable for a matching set and a perfect fit. Plus, they've got plenty of padding so there is hope for us smaller busted ladies yet!

H&M- Varying prices

Oh look at that! More underwear! I have bought a lot more than this but I didn't want my blog to be mistaken for some sort of pornography site ha! The pastel, lace yellow bra was again from H&M but was at a much more reasonable price of £9.99. Again, the fit is perfect and really gives you a good boost! The polka dot one was in the sale from ASDA for £3 - Bargain! I also got a black and peach lace bra from the same place for the same price. At that price how could I possibly say no!

                           

Yellow H&M - £9.99

Polka Dot ASDA - £3

My final fashion purchase is my gorgeous black, studded handbag from, yes you guessed it, Primark! This bag is part of the Primark Limited Edition collection so only so many of each product has been put into the stores and once it's gone its gone! I think this bag cost we £15-18? Still, a pretty decent bargain! From the outside it looks like it isn't very big in size but it fits everything I need everyday in. Including my notepad for University, make-up and other women essentials - Perfect!

Primark Studded Black Bag - £15-18

Hope you like my recent purchases Lovelies, I know I do! I'm looking forward to wearing each and every one of them :)

Hopeful

xxx

The Impossible

Good Evening Lovelies,

Yay, its the weekend!! Hope you've all had a fantastic Friday night :) Please make sure you're all safe in the snow, we don't want any accidents!

I am currently lay in bed after coming in from an evening at the cinema. A usual and regular occurrence in the week for myself and my group of friends, however, this cinema trip was something else. I went to see the The Impossible which is all about the horrendous tragedy that hit South East Asia on Boxing day 2004, the Tsunami, which took thousands of peoples lives. This film reveals the incredible, true story of a family who not only survived, but, found the courage to look & eventually find one another when the odds were against them. I have never been so moved by one film. I'm currently lay in bed, unable to sleep as I keep thinking about this film and how lucky that family were. How lucky I am.

If you haven't managed to see this film yet then you MUST! There was no way I could have simply watched this film, forgotten about it and gone to sleep tonight. I knew I had to come home and tell as many people as possible to go and watch it. Here is the video to the trailer -  make sure you watch this and then get yourself down to the cinema asap!

Basically, the title of this film speaks for itself. The Impossible. This film simply not only challenges the odds but completely defines and breaks them. When a freak accident or tragedy happens, like the Tsunami of 2004, you're expecting the worst case scenario. Even when you hear of survivors, your beliefs are still shattered and shocked at the fact that this has just happened and you can't even begin to imagine what it must be like out there. Well, you want to know? Watch the film. This film not only gives a completely realistic insight into the goings on during that time, but allows you to place yourself into the shoes of the characters and really empathise with what they went through. You can even imagine you and your family in this situation and how you would be fighting for survival, just to be able to see your family one last time. Not only does it do that. 

This film restores hope. 

This film restores belief. 

You end up subconsciously realising just how lucky you truly are. How lucky you are to be surrounded by the people you love and how important family mean. This film, this family, this story brings the true meaning of life and how you need to treasure every single precious moment and person in it before it is too late. I have never felt this emotionally attached to a film, apart from My Sisters Keeper, I literally cried from beginning to end. The story and the way it has been told is incredible & extremely powerful. I could watch it over and over again because it not only illustrates the importance of life and family. It simply shows how if you belief, have faith and hope anything IS possible. Even the word impossible has the word possible in it!

Just like the end of the trailer says;

Nothing is more Powerful than the Human Spirit!

Hopeful

xxx

Instagram #4

Here are some of my most recent Instagram pics, hope you enjoy Lovelies :)

Sparkly nails using Barry M nail polish

Homemade cocktails with my bestie, Emma! Yummy Cosmopolitan & Sex on the Beach

Apple Martini's :D

My best friend Bradshaw... What an absolute machine (excuse the pun!)

Treated myself to some goodies!

Possible tattoo idea?

Me & My Face! Ready for cocktails & catch ups with some old friends

Maroon & gold glitter nails

Posin' 'ell

So proud of my claw machine skills! Minnie & Mickey<3

Smirnoff Vodka, Cherry sours & Coke - Smirnoff Igloo cocktail!

Hopeful

xxx