Friday 14 October 2011

Black Opal Effect Mani!

Inspired by the wonderful manicures produced by the TraceFace Philes, in particular this post I decided to do a holographic strip over dark polish manicure.  I wasn't sure which strip polish to use but then remembered I'd picked up a lovely NYX polish in Purple Ave during my last trip to the Outlet village!  Although it looked lovely in the bottle, when I applied it over a pale colour it just didn't look as good.  But I think over a black polish it is absolutely stunning!


I applied 2 coats of a black polish I had to hand (in this instance a Rimmel black) and then a coat of Seche Vite to seal the colour.  I then applied 2 coats of the NYX followed by another coat of Seche Vite to give it real gloss and this is the result:


The polish on my pinky was a trial of another glitter polish!





It's really hard to convey properly in photographs (especially as I'm rubbish at taking them!) but the holographic particles catch the light beautifully and reflect different colours.  It really does give the effect of a black opal.  The NYX polish is similar to a bar glitter polish but the shapes are random which I think gives a great effect.  I can't stop admiring it and moving my fingers around to catch the light in different ways.


I think this is one of my favourite manis to date, but I'm tempted to take a leaf out of Tracy's book and top this off with a crackle polish, just to see how it works.  If I do, I'll let you know!

Thursday 13 October 2011

GALAXY Traditional Style Hot Chocolate



If there is one luxury in life I need, it's hot chocolate!  There is nothing like a comforting silky hot chocolate drink with squirty cream and marshmallows (or a flake.  Or both!  I've even had one with maltesers!)  It's my treat when I take the kids to a soft play centre, if I can fight them off the marshmallows and the chocolate!  It's my treat when I've had a stressful day, or been out throwing snowballs at the kids.  I mean building snowmen.  Anyway, you get the picture.  It's my go-to comforter and warmer upper!


So I really didn't need to be asked twice to review Galaxy's new Traditional Style Hot Chocolate!


This is a new product, which you make with milk instead of hot water.  I usually use instant hot chocolate, but these can be a bit thin.  I heated up some milk in a saucepan, tho I could have easily have popped a cup of milk in the microwave.  When it was close to boiling I poured the milk in the cup and added 4 heaped teaspoons of the hot chocolate powder, which resembled instant coffee granules, and stirred.  I know you don't really need telling how to make hot chocolate with milk instead of water but I just wanted to show how easy it was to heat up the milk and that it didn't really take any more time than boiling the kettle.  The granules dissolved instantly, something that I find a problem with instant hot chocolates.


OH MY GOODNESS THE TASTE!!!  You know those simply divine luxury hot chocolate drinks that you sometimes come across?  That's what it tasted like, rich, creamy, just the right level of sweetness and chocolatelyness!  I used 1% milk and was surprised at just how creamy and smooth the drink was with such a low fat milk, but you could just as easily use semi skimmed or full cream if you preferred an even creamier taste.


The RRP is £2.99 for a 300g tub.  So it's not going to make your cheapest cup of hot chocolate.  However, I'd keep this in the cupboard for those days when nothing but a bit of velvety luxury will do!!!


Galaxy are also doing a great promotion for charity at the moment.  Head to http://www.hotgalaxywarmheart.com/ and just by a single click you can help one of the two charities Galaxy is supporting, at no cost to you.


I was sent this product for the purpose of this review but the opinions expressed within this post are my own.

Sunday 9 October 2011

Would you like a bag with that?

Last week a new law came into effect here in Wales.   No longer can free bags be given when you make a purchase.  If you want a bag you have to pay at least 5p, usually with the proceeds going to charity.


In principle, I'm in favour.  They've been doing it on the Continent for years!!  That's why shops like Aldi and Lidl don't provide free bags.  It encourages you to reuse your shopping bags - providing you can remember them!  However, British bureaucracy being what it is, it just couldn't be that simple, could it?


Firstly, it's only in Wales.  That's great if you live in the middle of Wales.  If you live on the borders like I do, then you have to remember which country you are in when you go shopping!


Secondly, someone decided to make the law really complicated.  Semi packed foods can be sold in a bag.  However, you add a packaged food to that bag, you have to pay for it.  This means that when you go to McDonalds, you can have your fries in a free bag (they count as semi packaged).  You add a cheeseburger to that bag and you have to pay!


Thirdly, we now don't get green clubcard points when we shop at Tesco :(


So while I quite agree in cutting down the use of plastic bags, I do feel that it could have been put into practice in a better way.

Sunday 25 September 2011

tommee tippee NEW Sangenic® Wrap & Go


I was recently sent this product to review.

NEW Sangenic®Wrap & Go nappy wraps are:
  • anti-bacterial, killing 99% of germs on contact
  • infused with a fresh citrus scent to combat odour
Not only are the wraps hygienic and easy to use,but the NEW Sangenic®Wrap & Go dispenser fits neatly into a change bag, hand bag, or will clip onto your baby’s pram, pushchair or even your car door. So you’ll always have these hygienic wraps at your fingertips for your ultimate convenience!


The system consists of a little bucket with a handle and a roll of wraps.  The roll fits on a little prong in the bucket and the lid fits on top and can be used to wrap or unwrap the roll.  The wraps then fit thru the slot on the side.

I was impressed by the fresh scent of the wraps.  This is definitely a product you want in your changing bag if you are likely to have to carry around a dirty nappy for a while before you can get to a bin.  Normal nappy bags just don't stop the smell from escaping and I've quite frequently had a pongy bag or car.  The sangenic wraps are definitely good for keeping the smell all locked in.  They are also larger than the average nappy bag too so ideal if you have a toddler or maybe a disabled child in nappies.

The design is nice and bright and you should be able to detach the handles so you can hang the little bucket from your pushchair handle, tho I haven't quite worked that out yet.  Unfortunately the lid isn't brilliantly designed.  I found it quite often fell off and then the roll of wraps fell out and unwrapped themselves all over my bag.

The dispenser and 2 refills retail for £4.99 and 3 separate refills also retail for £4.99.  Each roll contains 15 wraps so it works out quite expensive and I would probably stick to my 89p for 100 bags for most nappy changes, but I would use these wraps for those instances when it's not possible to dispose of a dirty nappy straight away.

Hello, I'm Back!!!

Firstly I'd like to apologise for being away so long!  My personal life has been pretty hectic and I now find myself a single mother of 3 children under 5, one of whom has special needs.  But this means that more than ever I need something for myself and this should be it.  So (kids allowing) here's to a lot more posts and a busier blog!  Meanwhile, thanks for sticking with me during my hiatus.  You never know, I might even get the hang of scheduled posts :)

Monday 22 August 2011

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week #7





I have to say I was thrilled when I read the prompt at The Head's Office and couldn't wait to get writing!  Hopefully this will be a lighter piece than my previous two efforts.  I'm not going to tell you the prompt, see if you can work it out for yourself!

Bamboozled!!! 

Ceri stared at the canvas in disgust.  She'd completely foozled her attempt at painting the cat.  However much she tried to convey his smugness, all she'd managed was to make him look constipated!  Mind, it was hard to concentrate with the brabble from the twins in the background.  She wasn't sure what it was about this time, probably whether Dr Who or Chuck would be a better ally against an army of CIA robots.

She stood up with an air of determination.  "That's it!" she thought.  "I need a growlery for all my projects!  Somewhere I can hear myself think!"

Thursday 18 August 2011

Car Crash TV and Bitch Fights - What's the attraction?

Celebrity Big Brother got me thinking tonight - what is it that makes us watch something that is absolutely rubbish, or follow a bitch fight thread, or see what's gone off in a real car crash?

I first started thinking about this when a certain blogger got shot down in flames on a certain mum forum for the entrance she made, and as soon as I heard it was 'all kicking off' I had to go rushing over and read the entire thread to find out what was going off.

Tonight, I knew CBB was going to annoy me - but there's something compelling about watching something that's really awful.  As it turned out, it was a bit of a misnomer - 'Celebrity' Big Brother it ain't!  But that's beside the point.

What about you?  Are you a rubber necker?  Can you ignore a car crash?  Either the real kind or the TV kind?  Do you have to know all the details behind a twitter fight?  Or am I just nosey?

Lip gloss and baby wipes

Whilst trying to find a new name for my blog I came up with the name: Lip gloss and baby wipes, which for some reason sparked off a creative streak in me which lead to the story below.  I just wanted to convey why those 2 items are of such importance to a mother.  I'd love any feedback on my writing!  If you don't like it I won't plague you with anymore of it!!


Lip gloss and baby wipes.  She always had them around her somewhere.  The wipes to mop up the inevitable spills, mucky fingers, sick, blood or tea.  The lip gloss in an attempt to look like the yummy mummy she longed to be without drawing attention to the teeth she wished were straight and bright white instead of slightly crooked and stained.

Not that there was much chance of that happening.  3 pregnancies had taken their toll on her body and her belly sagged like an apron over her trousers.  No amount of dieting was ever going to get rid of that souvenir.  And she was certainly never going to be seen in a bikini again.  She had stretch marks on her stretch marks reaching up to her bust.  No, motherhood had left its indelible marks on her body and there wasn't much she could do about it now.

Magazines in the supermarket aisles taunted her: 'X lost all her baby weight 2 days after the baby was born!'  'See Y's post baby figure!'  "Sure", she grunted to herself.  "I could have looked like that if I didn't have a baby permanently attached to one boob while trying to chase after a demented toddler and cook tea for a grumpy husband.  I could have looked like that if all I had to do was worry about looking good!"

Her one solace was her nail polish and lip glosses.  Her husband had no idea of the amount of money she spent on make up but she was careful with her budget and that was her one indulgence, her treat to herself for whenever she was allowed some 'me time' - which was once in a blue moon.

She'd never been 'pretty'.  Cheap, ill advised NHS glasses and a natural lack of style had made sure of that.  But she loved pretty things.  Sparkle, glitter, glamour - secretly she longed for it all.  The gorgeous dresses in the magazines that fitted a size 0 model would never look right on her, but nail varnish would always look good, no matter what size she was.  And it made her smile to see a bit of glitter on her fingers.

She had a love/hate relationship with lip gloss.  She loved it and had hundreds and wouldn't go out the house without it.  But she hated how sticky it could feel and how, when the wind blew, her hair would stick to her lips and then leave a slimey trail across her glasses.  And she also hated the fact that it wouldn't come out of bed linen or off wall paper when the kids had got hold of it and decided to smear it everywhere!  But applying it made her feel more like a woman and less like a cow/chef/all purpose maid so she ensured she had some on her at all times.

Monday 15 August 2011

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week #6








The Head's Office has set a new challenge for this week with the prompt: …the sun shone but….  So here goes!  Please view the other entries at the above link as well.


The sun shone but the strong breeze coming off the sea was chilly and she wrapped her cardigan tighter around her.  The wind tossed her hair and blew it against her mouth, sticking to her lip gloss, but she didn't notice.  A dog ran up to her, panting, pressing its cold nose against her hand but ran off as it's owner whistled.  He gave her a puzzled glance as he passed her, wondering why this woman stood there at the same time every day, staring out to sea. A lone tear ran down her face as she turned and walked back to her car.

Deuce Beauties 100th Post Giveaway

The lovely Deuce Beauties is running an amazing giveaway with the chance to win a stash of OPI nail polishes, to celebrate her 100th post.  You can enter here.






I'm not sure I should really be sharing this with you as I have my eye on the Pirates set in particular, but it's such a fantastic giveaway it would be rude not to!  The giveaway is open internationally so fingers crossed!!!

Friday 12 August 2011

100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups Week #5



I've joined in with The Heads Office 100 Words Challenge for Grown Ups.  This is the 5th week but the 1st week I've joined in.  This was the prompt this week:



Panic

I clung to the floor like a fly to a window pane as I felt the familiar waves of panic wash over me.  The floor moved under me, as liquid as the sea, yet the people staring at me as they walked past seemed to have no idea that the ground beneath them was so unstable.  Blackness engulfed my soul like a suit covering every inch of me.  I barely heard the man who came up to me: 'Miss, are you ok?'  I heard a scream, then realised it was my own voice uttering the same word over and over.

What I Learnt Today - FREE OPI!! (kind of)

I read a fab post today at the lovely Diamond Solitaire about her latest OPI haul.  Apparently you can double up your Tesco Clubcard vouchers to spend online at Beauty Expert, including their stock of OPI nail polishes!

Being a nail polish freak, having recently been introduced to OPI (is it just me or are their bottles extra gorgeous?) and having nearly £60 of Clubcard vouchers stashed away I think I deserve to treat myself to some 'free' OPI polishes!  Of course they also stock other great beauty ranges but I'm really into my OPI at the minute (despite only owning one bottle!) so that's where it will be going!

Also, mucho gracio to the lovely missielizzie at her blog Me and My Shadow for her very helpful post about reclaiming lost clubcard vouchers as I found I had quite a few that had got mislaid!

Nails Inc Haul!!

I recently discovered nails inc and had a little spending spree on their website!  However, thanks to a discount code, the Lucky Dip and free gift I ended up with 14 nail polishes for less than £4.75 each - not bad for full size nails inc polishes!  I tried to photograph them all but some of the nudes didn't photograph very well but here you go anyway:







I'll try to come back and name all the different shades later.  The pink one in the middle is a much richer colour than it shows on this photo and actually looks better applied than on the bottle.  I've tried 5 of the colours already and am pretty happy with them, although one of the glitters peeled pretty quickly, but I'll do a blog on the individual colours later on.

I'm hoping to get better at photographing nail polish to give a better true representation, although photos never really show colours as well I think.

Only 9 more shades to get thru lol!

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Blog Makeover - Help Appreciated!!

Having now decided what direction to send my blog in I need to makeover my blog and I also feel it needs a new name.  This is where you come in!
I'm looking for a name to reflect my interest in beauty products, especially nail polish, and that I'm a mummy, without having 'beauty' or 'mummy' in the name!  Something along the lines of:

Nails and Nappies
Milk to Manicures
Lipstick and Pushchairs

You get the idea!

Please enter your suggestions in the comments box, and if I use your suggestion there might even be a little reward coming your way, probably in the form of a bottle of Nails Inc.

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions!

Tuesday 2 August 2011

I'd Do It All Again - Would You?

I've read alot of posts where women have been so traumatised by giving birth, for various reasons, that it's something that they remember with horror, and for some of them, the though of going through it again is more than they can deal with.  I also have friends who had such bad experiences that they were unable to bond with their children straight away.  And I know many have suffered Postnatal Depression as a result.  In fact the idea of enjoying childbirth is so alien to them that when I have mentioned it they've looked at me like I was mad!

But I love giving birth!  I'd do it again if I could but I really can't cope with having any more children.

Admittedly, Girl's birth wasn't the birth I'd planned.  She was late, so I was induced, because of the induction she had to be constantly monitored, she hated the monitors so moved away from them, ended up back to back with me and got stuck and had to be dragged out by a huge doctor!  Meanwhile I'd had an epidural.  So no, it wasn't the best birth experience and I couldn't think about it initially without crying, as I felt I'd failed her by being induced and having an epidural and needing an assisted birth.  But I loved the feeling when they placed her on my tummy and those precious first few days when she was so tiny and so new, this small bundle which needed so much care and attention but defined me as a mother and produced such a big feeling of love, more than I could have imagined.

After I had Girl I knew I had to do it again.  I couldn't wait to have another baby and when she was 11 months old I got pregnant again!  After 'failing' at my first birth I really wanted a 'natural' birth this time, no drugs, no assistance, nothing.

So with Boy, although I had several sweeps to set me off, I did it all naturally.  I used a birthing pool tho came out of the water to actually give birth, gas and air and no drugs.  I remember as he arrived saying 'I did it!  I did it myself!'  I had doubted my body's ability to do what should come naturally.  So I was delighted that I'd done it all by myself (so to speak!).

With Bug, I'd done it both ways so all I wanted was for her to be safely delivered.  So I was open to what I would need.  I didn't fancy a water birth again - no real reason except you can't wander around in a pool!  So I stuck with gas and air, had a shot of diamorphine, spent most of my labour hanging over the bed and delivered her with one push!  Of course, although the delivery was easy, the placenta got stuck so I ended up going off down to theatre to get it removed which sort of marred a 'perfect' delivery, but that's another story.

With the other 2 we'd known what we were expecting, but with Bug it really didn't matter so we didn't find out, and having my husband tell me she was a girl was a magical moment.

So although I'm not particularly keen to go through labour again, I love those first few days after the baby's born.  They are so small, so loveable, so dependent on you for everything.  I also seem to get a rush when I give birth so for the next few days I feel on top of the world.  I am never so happy and so bright - until the baby blues kick in.  Then I hit rock bottom.

It's not worth a pregnancy and having another kid just to experience those few days of absolute wonder and joy but I treasure the memories I have of those 3 times I've experienced it, and am extremely sad that some mothers have a much different experience.

What about you?  Would you do it all again if you could?  I would.

Saturday 30 July 2011

Finding My Niche - And a Giveaway! - *closed*

I've been neglecting my blog quite a bit lately, for several reasons, but a big reason is that I wasn't really sure where I was going with it.  But I think I may have found my niche and what I want to write about and am celebrating it with a small giveaway.

I love make-up and jewellery.  I think I mentioned in a post that I've been an Avon rep.  I just love all the prettiness, and making something pretty.  I've started making jewellery and hope to have my own business some day.  And I just love the new special effect nail polishes that are around.  Particularly the crackle ones!  I find myself talking about them to everyone.  So it kind of seemed natural that my blog should go down a beauty route.  So there you go - a mummy beauty blog!

Don't worry, its still going to be relevant to mummys!  I don't wear make-up every day and I'm rubbish at moisturisers and stuff.  I have to wait until the kids are in bed before I can paint my nails so quite often they're just plain.  Or chipped.  I'm kind of hoping that I'll be able to find the best easy make-up products for busy mums who only have time to throw on a bit of lippy and mascara before they go out!

I recently invested in a load of new eyeshadows from beauty uk who sell a gorgeous range of make-up products at a really good price.  My attention was caught by their good value Eye Shadow Palettes, 10 eye shadow colours for £3.99.  I ordered the Pastels palette but there was a slight mix up in my (large!) order and they sent the Twighlight palette of blues instead.  I contacted them by their very friendly twitter feed and straight away they sent me out the correct palette and told me to keep the other one!  I don't really wear blues so it's this 'freebie' that I'm offering as a giveaway!

Twighlight Eyeshadow Palette
I'm giving away a brand new beauty uk Twighlight Eye Shadow palette worth £3.99 (only to UK followers, sorry) and this is what you have to do:

  1. Become a follower of my blog, either via GFC or subscribing via email (mandatory)
  2. Follow me on twitter - @meetjosmith (mandatory)
Please leave me a comment saying you have completed the above 2 steps, along with your GFC name and twitter name.

You can gain an additional entry by tweeting the following:

I've entered to win a @beautyuktweets eyeshadow palette with @meetjosmith here: http://tinyurl.com/3oheqls

Please leave an additional comment after you have tweeted.  

The competition will remain open until midnight 8th August 2011 and a winner will be picked at random.

The competition is only open to UK residents.

The prize has been provided by me and I have received no incentive for this post.


***Update***

The winner was picked by random.org and the winner was:


kikicomp!!!

Congratulations

Saturday 23 July 2011

Red Hot World Buffet Leeds - Caribbean Food and Drink Festival

We've all been there.  You fancy a nice family meal out, but you want Indian but your other half would prefer Chinese.  Dad doesn't want any of that foreign muck but Mum wants to try something different.  Uncle Jeff will have a starter, main, sides and dessert and then insist on splitting the bill equally and somewhere there's a teenager who's just decided she's vegetarian!  By the time you've decided on where to eat its too late anyway, and nobody is quite happy.

So go visit the Red Hot World Buffet - problem solved!


I'd thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Nottingham restaurant with friends a couple of years ago, so when I was asked to check out the Caribbean Food and Drink Festival they are currently promoting and I realised I would be near Leeds I jumped at the opportunity!

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Red Hot World Buffet then basically it is a restaurant described as "A food lover's fantasy".  For a set price per person you can visit the buffet and help yourself to the wonderful selection of food on offer, as many times as you like.  There are starters, sides, mains and desserts, and the food is a variety of Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Mexican, Indian and English, although from 15th July - 14th August they are also offering Caribbean food.

I was supposed to be taking my husband with me, but he wasn't feeling very well so my sister-in-law came instead, who is a notoriously fussy eater.  She thought it was brilliant which I thought said a lot in itself!


The Leeds restaurant is in the style of an airport and we found ourselves sat next to the fusilage of an aeroplane which was a bit odd, and the first time we headed off to get food we got a bit lost as it is a massive restaurant and it isn't that clearly signed but we just headed in the direction from where people were coming with plates laden with food!  I was slightly bemused at being confronted with stacks of desserts as soon as I entered the buffet area but soon located the starters and, well, made a start!


The starters
We were quite impressed with the cute little dishes the salads came in!  There really is an incredible amount of choice!  The Leeds restaurant offers 200 dishes!  The salads were fresh and the onion bhajis (a particular favourite of mine) were hot, spicy and crispy.

Something I love about the Red Hot World Buffet is the opportunity to try something new.  I have always wanted to try sushi and mussels (tho not necessarily together) but have never wanted to order a full meal in case I didn't like them.  That evening I had mussels for the first time and loved them, and enjoyed several raw tuna sushi.  I will definitely be having them again!



Mussels, prawn crackers, won ton, jerk chicken...
As you can see I'm not a food photographer but the jerk chicken from the Caribbean section was just as it should be, the won ton was goregous and the Akai fish was yummy!

They are also offering 6 new cocktails during the Caribbean Food and Drink festival and I would thorough recommend trying the Jamaican Jig (I think!) - an alcoholic chocolate milkshake!  What more could a girl ask for?

More mussels, sushi, and Mexican
You can also ask for certain dishes to be cooked in front of you, but I wasn't that brave!

The meal was accompanied by a live band playing music on traditional Caribbean instruments including 50 gallon drums.  Unfortunately the music itself wasn't traditional Caribbean music but a mix of 80's and 90's stuff so it didn't quite sit right but it was pleasant enough.

Pudding!!!!
There was a ginormous selection of desserts presented in bite size little dishes - perfect for allowing you to have a small taste of lots of different things.  The Key Lime pie was divine and I also and panacotta for the first time which I will also be having again!

Ice cream!!!
I had a little bit of room left for some ice cream!  Again, a huge choice of flavours, served up on request, along with a selection of sauces and sweets to add to it.


The food was excellent, tasty, fresh and hot (except for the salads. obviously!)  The waiters were pleasant and helpful and I can't wait to go again!


The cost of the meal varies depending on the restaurant you visit, the day and the time but on a Saturday night in Leeds your entire meal will cost £14.99, half price for children under 10.  For such a huge selection of food and considering that covers your starters, mains, sides and desserts and you can eat as much as you want, I think it's a bargain!  Unfortunately there are only 6 restaurants so far, in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Nottingham.  However, if you are near one of these restaurants I fully recommend a visit.


Disclaimer:  The cost of the meal and drinks were complimentary for the purpose of this review but the opinions expressed within are my own and no further recompense was received.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

#MUMenTUM - The Tricks We Use

I've not made a #MUMenTUM post for a couple of weeks - probably because I was ashamed.  I've not had a very good couple of weeks - I've stalled, diet wise, but trying to give myself a kick up the bum.  So far I've lost 1 stone 5 1/2lbs which isn't bad but I've been hanging around the 1 stone 2-4lb mark for a few weeks now and it's time to get back onto losing weight.  So I thought I'd list some of the tricks I use to make sure the scales say what I want them to say, and the other methods we employ to have our cake and eat it!!

  1. Take as much off before you get on the scales.  Watch, glasses - you name it, it's coming off.
  2. Wee as much as possible before weigh in.  It's a well known fact that water retention will make you put on weight so try to wee away as much as possible before you get on those scales.  I have been known to go to the loo before I leave the house and as I arrive at Slimming World.  5 minutes away!
  3. Food that you eat after weigh in doesn't count.  Hence the huge bar of chocolate and 2 bottles of cider I've just downed (and that's just what I'm admitting to!)  Weigh in night is treat night and you've got all week to lose those pounds so stuff yourself (disclaimer - this is not a recommended diet tactic, it's just how normal people manage a diet!)
  4. Don't eat before weigh in.  Any meal is bound to add a couple of pounds!
  5. If you normally get weighed in jeans and think you may not have lost this week then go in a skirt or something else light weight.  Swapping jeans for a lightweight skirt or shorts or leggings is good for at least a pound!
So, those are my scales tactics for when I know I've had a bad week.  Come on,  admit it, we all have them.  So my question is - what tricks do you use?

Another disclaimer.  Please do not follow this blog in an attempt to lose weight.  Any weight loss will only be achieved by a calorie controlled diet and plenty of exercise!

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs

I love the 'Bones' series of books.  I've read all of them and was reading them before the series appeared.  I was delighted to find it had been made into a TV series but found the character of Temperance Brennan on TV to be quite different from the Temperance Brennan in the books.  For instance, the TV version appears to be on the Autistic Spectrum whereas the book version is an alcoholic (tho mostly on the wagon).  I find i have to separate the two characters and enjoy them separately as the 2 don't really relate.  They even have different family backgrounds.

Anyway, I always look forward to the new Bones book and Spider Bones was not a disappointment.  Again, graphic detail, bizarre twists and danger for the heroine herself.  Although I have to say, I did see the end twist coming, I thought the clues dropped were a bit heavy handed and rather obvious.

The best bit about the entire book is when a cop says to a suspect: "You claim to be smart.  Know all about DNA.  I'm sure you watch CSI and Law and Order.  Maybe Bones, but that may be over your head."  The sheer gall of referring to her own TV programme based on the Bones books took my breath away, made me laugh, re-read the sentence and enjoy the book even more that Ms Reichs felt comfortable making that reference!

So if you love the Bones series of books, if you love a good mystery, or if you are new to the books and enjoy CSI and similar dramas then get hold of this book.  The technicalities can sometimes bog you down but nothing can stop you enjoying this good read.

Friday 8 July 2011

How Do You Manage 60 Minutes a Day?

So the current advice I'm getting is that my kids should be getting 60 minutes of exercise a day.  My question is - How?!?!

I have a small house and the weather has been atrocious lately so they've been stuck inside.  I don't have the time or the energy to spend 60 minutes a day exercising - I've had M.E. so have to be careful about what I do - so am limited as to what I can do with them.

They're 3 and nearly 5 and the eldest starts school in September with the other being in nursery every day so hopefully they'll get a bit at school but what am I supposed to do in the school holidays?  I love the way one of the recommendations was take them to soft play!  Yes, I can really afford to take 2 kids to soft play every day for 6 weeks!  I'd be bankrupt!

So any ideas would be gratefully received - how do you make sure your kids get enough exercise every day?

Avon Eyeshadow - Why Did I Keep Buying Them?

I've been an Avon rep tho had to stop recently after Bug was born.  I love eyeshadows and kept buying all their new shades and quads but was vaguely aware that I wasn't quite happy with them, which is why I kept buying more.

After reading lots of beauty blogs I've finally worked out what the problem is - the eyeshadows are rubbish!  I believe the correct term is lack of pigmentation - the shades look fab in the palette but when you apply them there is hardly any colour.

I'm not very good at photos yet so can't show you what I mean but I think I'll be throwing away all my Avon eyeshadows and finding a replacement.  I know No 7s are quite good and have heard good things about Beauty UK but am open to any suggestions!

I thought I was just rubbish at applying them until I used one of my old No 7 eyeshadows and realized how much more colour I was getting!

Something else I noticed as a rep is that when taking photos of their products, they don't take photos of each of the different shades.  If you look closely all the pictures are exactly the same, and I defy anyone to make an eyeshadow break up in the same way.  Which means that the photos are not an accurate representation of the colours but have been shopped to make them look that colour.

I've always loved Avon products but have become a bit disillusioned lately.

Sunday 26 June 2011

MUMenTUM - Such a failure



Yep, that's how I feel.  A total failure.  I'll tell you why.

This week I put on 2lbs.  Totally expected as I didn't stick to the diet and ate donuts, chocolate, pastries etc.  So of course I put on 2lbs.  But I went to fat class anyway to try and get some encouragement.  And I did.  But there is one aspect of group slimming that I find very negative, and it's all in my head.

I have to be the best.

This isn't just a slimming thing.  It's a life thing.  I had to get As at school - I used to ask for spelling tests in primary school because it was something I was good at (and then wondered why the kids hated me).

Week after week I've had Slimmer of the Week, even Slimmer of the Month, which I felt a bit of a fraud having as I'm breast feeding which helps with the slimming.  I've now lost 1st 1.5lb in 10 weeks.  Averaged about 2lbs a week.  But on Wednesday a guy came to group, second week in, he's lost 10lbs.  Do you know how long it took me to lose 10lb??!!  And then my friend who I took to fat class, and I know has a much higher BMI than me, lost 8lbs in a first week.  Fantastic for her!  Really pleased for her.  But I've failed.  I'm not the best anymore.  People are going to overtake me on my weight loss journey.  I'm going to be going to fat class for ever and I'm always going to be fat.

I know I've hit my wall and I've got to push through it, and I am trying sooooo hard to get back on track and keep going.  Tell me I'm not mad and I'm not the only one to feel like this?

I've started and failed at so many diets, when I got to 1 stone I thought 'Yay, I can do this'.  Now all my negative thoughts about dieting have come back and I'm convinced I'll fail.  I have to get through this wall.  I'm not even back to pre-pregnancy weight.  Somehow, I've got to grit my teeth and get through it.

On the plus side there isn't any chocolate in the house anymore.  I've eaten it all.




Wednesday 22 June 2011

Breastfeeding - What They Never Prepare You For

Apparently it's Breastfeeding Awareness Week or some such thing.  Anyway this occurred to me earlier and it seemed rather apropo.  I love breastfeeding.  It's the best thing in the world for me.  But that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's drawbacks...

  • You will never know if you've gotten pregnant again because your periods don't return for ages anyway.
  • You will live in a bra for however long you choose to breastfeed for or sleep in a wet bed.  Seriously - the only time you will take it off is to have a shower.
  • Secluded spots will become no 1 on your priority list when deciding where  to go.  Unless you're the sort of person who doesn't mind flopping it out anywhere.
  • At some point you WILL end up feeding your baby in a public loo.  I defy you not to be in some restaurant/posh place where you really feel it is totally inappropriate to breastfeed.
  • Be prepared to one day end up soaking wet - your nipple pads have moved or are just full up.  And you just have to put up with smelling of milk for the rest of the day.
  • Somebody, someday, will get an unintended flash of your boob.  Can't be helped.
  • Your baby will feed like an angel at home but when you are out and need them to latch on and stay latched on else show your nipple to all and sundry, then is when they'll decided to play the hokey cokey - in, out, in, out, shake it all about!
  • Once your milk lets down, the baby doesn't have to put much effort into sucking - it tends to shoot out of its own accord.  This means either your baby will have a sudden choking fit as half a pint of milk pours down its throat or it will come off your boob and your milk will shoot halfway across the room and hit your unsuspecting toddler in the eye!
  • You will never look sexy.  Breastfeeding bras are not glamorous.
  • You will permanently have a one boob look.  See previous point!
  • Breastfeeding a teething baby hurts!
  • Your last breastfeed will make you cry.  Whatever the reason, nothing is more emotional and sad than stopping breastfeeding.
For all that - for me, it's the best thing in the world and I wouldn't change it for anything.  But I do wish I'd been warned!

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Ups and Downs of Slimming

I had a really positive post last week and I felt fantastic.  This week has not been so good.  I lost 2lbs last week, which was brilliant, but then set myself the large goal of 3.5lbs for this week which was not achieveable for me this time and the more I felt myself failing the more depressed I got and fell into a vicious spiral.

I've got bored with cooking.  I do every so often.  And I get so fed up of making 4 different lunches - something for baby, sandwiches for the kids, something for He Himself and then something for me so I've been living off Mugshots which, while low cal, are not the most filling of meals.  I also somehow managed to run out of fruit (the kids ate all the apples - grrrrr!) and I didn't have any cold meats in to bulk out my salads.  So I've been hungry and fed up and bored and as a result have had a catastrophic fail.  I'm really not looking forward to getting on the scales tomorrow.

You know how you have a goal in your head for where you want to be next?  Well mine has been to be into the next stone on my scales at home.  I should have reached that this week and I haven't so have felt like giving up.

So what am I going to do about it?  Well, I'm going to stuff the kids full of the donuts that are sitting around the kitchen, ignore the white pappy bread, write a meal plan, put some jacket potatoes in the oven for lunch and buy some fruit and cold meats.  Hopefully that will keep me going over the next few days and get me back on track.  I'm also going to go back to writing a food diary so hopefully my #MumenTum post next week will be a bit more cheerful!

Wednesday 8 June 2011

An Achievement I'm Proud Of

Today I got on the scales at Slimming World and I have finally reached my 1 stone target (and a bit).

I am soooo happy because I've done Slimming World many times before, and the diet works but I don't!  So I've never achieved a stone weight loss before, even tho I've always had at least 2 stone to lose.

When I first started going this time I was scared as I needed to lose 2 stone just to get to the overweight that I was before I got pregnant.  And never having lost a stone before I wasn't sure I could lose 2!  But somehow it's clicked this time (I've realised that Slimming World isn't magic, it's all about calorie control and as long as I keep that in mind I'm ok) and the weight is coming off!  Ok, breastfeeding is helping but I am so proud of myself and am prepared to keep on going!

Monday 30 May 2011

Gtech Germguard Power Sweeper Review



I was recently sent a Gtech Germguard Power Sweeper to review and I have to honestly say - 

I LOVE IT!!!

It's a fantastic product and is really helping me keep my home clean.  Why do I love it so much?

Firstly, it's great for cleaning the stairs.  It's cordless so you don't have to stop halfway and unplug it from the landing and plug it in in the hall.  Also, the long handle is detachable so it can easily be used handheld - sooo much easier than lugging your vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs.

Secondly, it's powerful!  I've had a handheld cleaner before and it was rubbish.  It didn't pick up anything.  With the Gtech, it picked up pretty much everything, as much as my regular vacuum cleaner, and I was shocked by the state of the tray and how much it had actually picked up.  I mean I had only vacuumed the day before but when I used the Gtech Floor Sweeper on my tiny living room this was the result:



The ultimate test for it was when my son got hold of some glitter which he spread all over my bedroom carpet.  The Gtech picked up all of the glitter very quickly, which I was really surprised at.  I didn't even have to go over it with my regular vacuum.

I also love the fact that with the Germguard sweeper not only am I picking up dirt off the floor, it is also cleaning with an antibacterial additive - very important for me as my 6 month old baby is now crawling.

The Gtech is rechargeable and one recharge will give you enough power to do living room, hall, stairs and landing and a bedroom.  It's lightweight, so brilliant for people who can't manage a regular vacuum cleaner.  The collecting tray is really easy to empty - you just slide it out, empty it, then slide it back in again.

It's never going to replace your regular vacuum cleaner because you will always need your crevice tools and the collection tray isn't very big so you are emptying it quite frequently.  However I keep mine upstairs to save me lugging my normal cleaner up and down the stairs every time.  It's also great for having a quick clean up during the week when you don't have time to get your big vacuum cleaner out.

The blurb for the product says:

Peace of mind cleaning with the SW18 Germguard our exclusive antibacterial material on machine touch points.
Germguard is a ‘silver ion’ antibacterial additive blended into the plastic during manufacture and exclusive to Gtech.
It kills over 99% of bacteria including MRSA, E.Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.
Effective across all floor types including pet hair removal and larger debris.
Additional features include patented edge cleaning wheel. Removable handle/visor for effective stair cleaning. Dynamic steering joint for ease of use and a low profile long reach for awkward under furniture cleaning. Easy to empty 0.5 litre bin.


The Germguard sweeper retails for about £45 but I think it is well worth the money as it is a high quality product.



I was sent the Gtech Germguard Power Sweeper for the purpose of this review but the opinions expressed within are my own.  

Saturday 28 May 2011

I'm a Foodaholic

Hello, my name is Jodie, and I'm a foodaholic...

I've had this post brewing for a while but then I read this wonderful post by Mummy from the Heart - I want to say goodbye and it inspired me to write about my own experiences.


As readers of my blog will know, I've recently joined Slimming World.  I've actually lost count of the number of times I've joined Slimming World or started a diet programme.  Every time I start a diet I can't wait until its over so I can go back to eating 'normally'.  But this time it's finally clicked that I can never go back to eating 'normally'.  Because what is 'normal' for me is unhealthy and not normal at all.  And if I want to be slim and healthy, I can never go back to that.  More importantly, it sets a really bad example for my kids.

I don't have a healthy relationship with food.  I hide what I eat from those I love, I eat to 'treat' myself, I eat to comfort myself, I eat to reward myself.  I binge eat.  I've been known to buy food from the supermarket and because for instance it comes in a pack of 12, I will eat all 12 rather than just the 1 or 2 I actually want because I don't want anybody else to find the evidence, and its easier to eat the 12 and hide the packaging in the bin than to hide the remaining 10.  This is not a healthy way to live!!

Somehow, somewhere, my brain seems to have made the connection this time that this way of eating is not normal, I will always be fat if I eat this way.  When I've lost the weight it will be ok to have the occasional chocolate bar or cake, but I will never, and should never, sit there in the evening and eat 2 cakes (because they came in a multipack of 2) and a 200g bar of Fruit & Nut.

Fortunately, thanks to still breastfeeding, I currently can get away with the odd treat, but when that slows down, to continue losing weight, I will have to cut out the synful snacks and concentrate on losing weight.  Yes it will be hard, and yes, I wish in someways it was an addiction like alcohol, because then I could give up cold turkey.  But I can't give up all food, I need it to live, so I have to learn to be moderate and not use food as my crutch.

For the first time since I lost weight for my wedding, I've lost a stone without having a week of maintaining or gaining  weight, so I'm hopeful that I might finally have got the hang of it - watch this space!

I have now added this blog post to the Mumentums linky!!



Wednesday 18 May 2011

Should I Interfere?

I have a parenting dilemma and am not entirely sure what to do!

Girl is 4 and a half, Boy is nearly 3 and although they love each other dearly and love to play together, their play is still punctuated by yelling, screaming and fighting!

Quite often they will be playing together in Girl's bedroom and all of a sudden there will be squeals or yells from Boy as his big sister either tries to make him do something, sits on him, or just takes something off him!  My natural instinct is to interefere but if I leave them he doesn't come running to me telling tales, unless she's really hurt him, and soon the squeals stop and he's laughing at her again.  He's a stocky lad so I doubt she could hurt him.

My dilemma is this: should I interfere as sometimes what she is doing is tantamount to bullying, or, as he doesn't feel the need to get me to interfere and will be playing again quite happily a few moments later, should I leave them to get on with it and accept that this is something they have to learn to work out and will be better people for it?

Any comments would be gratefully received!

PS:  To date there has been no actual damage to either child!

Monday 9 May 2011

Seriously Good Sauces - Butter Chicken Review

Curry is one of the staple dishes in our house.  The kids have been eating it from when they were babies and there is nothing me and himself like more than a good Indian!  I don't like anything too hot but I love a rich sauce.  So when I was offered the chance to review Seriously Good Indian Range of sauces I jumped at the chance!

The new Seriously Good Indian range comprises of four mouth-watering sauces based on authentic recipes inspired by Gordon Ramsay’s culinary trip to India in 2009.  As with the Seriously Good Italian range, the Indian sauces will be available all year round with at least 10p from the sale of every jar going to Comic Relief. Gordon does not get a penny from the range.  The sauces available include Royal Korma, Aromatic Masala, Butter Chicken and Spicy Red Curry.  I was sent the Butter Chicken to try.

I cooked it up very simply - fried off some onion, added some chicken and mushrooms and then poured in the Seriously Good Butter Chicken sauce and left it to cook for a while and then served it on a bed of rice.  I would have taken a picture but we scoffed the lot before I had a chance to!


I was impressed with the fact that it didn't stick to the pan or evaporate whilst cooking as some other brands of curry sauces I've tried have done.  Even when the dish had been simmering for 15 minutes or so it didn't seem to have reduced by much.  It also kept a glossy appearance, even after I had dished it up.


I thought it tasted really nice - spicy but not hot.  Himself didn't think it had much flavour, but he does like a hotter curry.  The children ate all of theirs which I think is review enough!


It was a really nice sauce to use and it's a great idea to be able to contribute to charity while cooking your dinner, but as the rrp is £1.99 I find it almost twice the price of my usual curry sauces so I probably wouldn't buy it unless it was on offer.  However if you regularly buy a branded curry sauce at a similar price it would definitely be worth paying a little extra as, to be fair, the quality does show.


I was sent a jar of Seriously Good Sauces Butter Chicken for the purposes of this review but the opinions expressed are my own.

Sunday 8 May 2011

TOMA Nails Tutti Frutti Collection Review



I love nail polish.  I've just sorted out my collection and although I was too scared to count all the bottles I have lots.  And I'm always looking for new brands to try.  Being a mother my ideal nail polish would dry quickly, last for ages and not smell (himself can't stand the smell of nail polish so I can only apply it when he's not in!).  Well 2 out of 3 ain't bad (I can feel a song coming on...)

There are 6 shades in the TOMA Tutti Frutti range: Blueberry Sorbet, Strawberries and Cream, Grape Sorbet, Mango Sorbet, Pistachio Cream and Tutti Frutti.  I was sent Mango Sorbet and Blueberry Sorbet to review.  The above picture is the press release picture but I found the colours to be alot darker than depicted.  Blueberry Sorbet is Blue and Mango Sorbet is Orange!


I tried the Blueberry Sorbet first.
Blueberry Sorbet
It applied easily and if I had applied it a bit thicker I could have gotten away with one coat but I didn't so applied two.  It dried very quickly but what I was really impressed with was how it lasted!  I didn't apply any top coat but it didn't really start to chip or wear until I'd been wearing it 5 days!  Which for me is excellent!  I find most polishes chip within the 2nd day of wear as I'm constantly getting my hands wet cleaning, wiping, washing up etc!  However, if you do go for this colour remember to put a base coat on!  I forgot and when I removed the nail polish I looked like a corpse as my nails were stained blue!  Ooops!


I then tried the Mango Sorbet, although I have to admit that personally, this is not my favourite colour of the collection.


Mango Sorbet




Please excuse my terrible application - I think it was late that night!  Again I used 2 coats but as you can see this colour is a little more transparent.  Like I said, not my favourite colour but I funked it up with a cracked effect nail polish and voila:


Giraffe Nails!!
I do apologise for the terrible photography - must do better Smith!


The nail polishes can be bought for £7.25 from www.madbeauty.com which is a little more than I would usually spend on a nail polish.  However, considering how long it lasts without chipping I would say this is a fair investment as you won't need to apply it quite so often!


I was sent the nail polishes for the purpose of this review but the opinions expressed within are my own.






Thursday 5 May 2011

Counting the Pennies

I’m trying to win an iPad 2 in the iSave, iWrite, iPad competition from PlayPennies.com!


We're all trying to save money somewhere aren't we?  Times are tough, fuel prices are going through the roof, and with it the cost of day to day living.  So how do we claw back a few pennies from the ever rising costs?

Of course we could go mad - make clothes out of bin bags (do you remember Blue Peter showing us how to make fancy dress clothes out of bin bags?!), eating every other day, going to bed when it gets dark - but honestly, most of the more extreme money saving ideas are impractical, especially if you have a family.  So I started thinking about the ways that I try to save money and maybe where I could improve.

The new fashion in impoverished times?

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about money saving is laundry.  I have a tumble dryer.  I use it.  But every time I do I think about all the money being used up in electricity when I could dry it on the line for free!  So mostly I do try and line dry my clothes.  But sometimes I have one of those weeks where to get outside with the laundry basket just seems an impossible task.  Or I get fed up of having wet clothes hanging everywhere.  So I compromise.  For every load I dry in the tumble dryer, I dry a load on the line.  It helps ease the guilt!  And at least I'm trying to save money.  It's not like I'm using the tumble dryer for every wash load.

Another place where I can easily waste money is food!  So often I go round the shops thinking 'ooh I'll have that, it looks tasty' and never get to cook with it.  One way round this I've found is not to be too ambitious.  I have 3 small children.  I am unlikely to find the time to prepare and cook salsify (let alone get them to eat it!) so is it really worth buying it because I've seen them cook it on Masterchef just to have it go limp in the fridge (or whatever salsify does when it gets old - I'm basing the limp on carrots.  And parsnips!).  Also meal plans are a great way of making sure you only buy the food you will need and cook for the week.  I'm hoping this way to throw away less food and therefore save myself some pennies.

Salsify - for those of you who thought I'd gone mad!

My third suggestion is to shop savvy.  I don't mean go around all the different supermarkets, though if you can, then do it.  But trailing 2 toddlers and a baby round Tesco's is bad enough let alone going to Aldi and Farmfoods and Lidl and Iceland...

Sorry, I digress!  Yes, shop savvy.  For instance, buy the cheap shop's own cereal - my kids can't tell the difference between Kelloggs Coco Pops and Tescos Chocolate Rice.  However to my mind it is a complete waste of money to buy cheap washing powder - it doesn't work as well and often I find myself washing things twice.  So I buy the more expensive brand, usually when it's on offer, which it is pretty often.  Yes, it is a bit more expensive, but better to have a product that works than one which doesn't work well.

I'm also trying to walk to school more.  When Boy starts nursery in September I will be going up there 3 times a day and at least one of those times I will have to walk, else we will be skint just getting the kids to school!  The way I see it is if I just walk to school twice a week at the minute to start off with, that's 2 trips saved, costing fuel and the environment.  Plus hopefully it will wear the kids out a bit more hee hee!!

So there you go - my money saving tips!  They aren't big but you know what the say: 'Count the pennies and the pounds will follow'!

Saturday 30 April 2011

Get Busy with the Fizzy!! - Sodastream Review



When I was offered the chance to review a Sodastream, I jumped at it!  I had fond memories of the Sodastream we had when I was a child - we weren't allowed fizzy pop much (too expensive I think, and bad for you!) but my mum loves gadgets so of course we had a Sodastream.  I couldn't wait to see if the new models still made the same rude noise that the old ones did, and which, as a child, I obviously found amusing!

If you've never come across a Sodastream, the idea is to be able to make fresh, carbonated drinks at home.  You fill a reusable bottle with tap water, place it in the Sodastream, press the button a few times which 'fizzes' the water and then add a concentrate for flavour.  The carbonate comes from a gas cylinder in the back of the machine.  When the cylinder is empty you take it to your nearest stockist to purchase a replacement.  The cylinders are £19.99, or £9.99 if you take your old cylinder back.

I received the 'World Without Bottles Jet' version of the Sodastream which retails at about £59.99.  It comes supplied with a gas cylinder and a reusable plastic bottle.  Each bottle has a average lifespan of 3 years and is BPA-free.  Hopefully by reusing bottles in a Sodastream, this should cut down on the number of bottles produced when buying fizzy drinks from a shop.  I also received 3 different flavours of concentrate to try with my Sodastream.


World Without Bottles Jet model
Fitting the gas cylinder into the Sodastream was very easy and thats all you need to do to set the machine up.  The plastic bottle is filled with water (and placed in the fridge beforehand for a really cold drink) and on the Jet model you push the green top of the drinks holder in, thus allowing you access to screw the water bottle into place.  Personally I find this a little bit awkward but maybe I'm just a bit cackhanded!  Then press and hold the grey button at the top down until it makes a raspberry sound and do this 3 times.  Of course, you can add more or less fizz as you require.  Then unscrew the bottle, add a cap full of concentrate, put the lid on the bottle and give it a slight shake to mix the concentrate and the water and then enjoy your fizzy drink!


What I love about the Sodastream is that you don't have bottles of pop in your fridge going flat - you make your fizzy drink when you want it so it is still really fizzy (and they are really really fizzy!)  Of course the kids love the noise it makes and the fact they can make their own fizzy pop.  The concentrates are between £2.99 - £3.99 depending on where you buy them from but you could just add squash or if you like sparkling water drink it as it is.  There is a huge range of concentrates, from cola, cream soda and tonic water, to sugar free and clear versions, through to energy drinks.


The one complaint I did have was that I found it quite hard to find concentrates to purchase in my area - I couldn't find them in Tesco or Sainsburys.  Maplin does stock the concentrates but unfortunately my Maplin didn't have any in stock.  In the end I ordered mine from Argos, who sell them for £2.99 and offer free delivery, so this is quite an easy option.  They don't stock the full range but enough for what I wanted.  You can also buy sample packs, and up until 15th May, Sodastream are offering 8 bottles for £20.


I would thoroughly recommend purchasing a Sodastream.  Its a great product, helps the environment, is fun to use and is quite a talking piece!


I received a Sodastream and 3 bottles of concentrate for the purpose of this review but the opinions expressed are my own.

Monday 11 April 2011

Better empty the fridge before I start my diet...

So as I've not lost any baby weight despite breastfeeding and none of my summer clothes are going to fit I've decided to bite the bullet and join Slimming World on Wednesday.  I've done it loads of times before and it does work, its me that doesn't! I get to 10lbs and get bored.  So my goal is to lose a stone and see how it goes from there.  My mum and sister are going so it will be nice to get out with them for a little bit and leave the kids behind!

Unfortunately I'm one of those who has a binge just before starting a diet!  Well there's all this lovely food in the kitchen and it will annoy me if I see it sitting there once I'm paying a diet club.  So I need to eat it all now so that its not there when I start.  And I might just have to have one last McDonalds before I start too!

I know it seems a bit silly eating junk before I start my diet but I want all my weight loss to show on the scales at fat class, not to lose a few lbs before I go and it not count lol!

My meals are mostly healthy but its the chocolate in the evenings that gets me!  And the odd can of lager or glass of wine.  I've not been putting on weight but I haven't been losing it, and I know it will go on again when I stop breastfeeding (which isn't going to happen any time soon by the looks of it!).

How do you prepare to diet...?