Chocolate inspired Cupcakes

Oh cupcakes! I think I would already have abs if it wasn’t for cupcakes. But what would life be without cake! Let’s be realistic I’m never going to give up cake and chocolate. I really need to get going with finding the perfect healthy cupcake recipe… however I doubt it will ever come close to a fluffy, soft, spongy cupcake.

As everyone knows my love of baking and cupcakes, my birthday presents this year obviously reflected this. I received a gorgeous big heavy mixing bowl, the beautiful cake stand above, multiple molds and tools as well as a cupcake book full of exciting recipes. I think one of the things I love most above cupcakes is how versatile they can be; any flavour, any combination; any toppings!

For my birthday last month the theme was cupcakes and champagne… perfection! So I spent most of the Saturday morning baking about 40 cupcakes. I hadn’t yet received my cupcake book so came up with some flavours of my own; Malteser, Oreo and Rolo. You can see them all above. They were all super simple to make but very tasty. To make them I used my simple vanilla cupcake recipe and then did the following;

Malteser Cupcake

Bash up a load of Mastesers into medium sized chunks. Mix this Malteser dust into the cake mixture. Bake the cakes as normal, then ice them with vanilla icing once cool. To finish top the cupcake with a Malteser.

Oreo Cupcake

Bake the cake  as normal, the magic happens with the icing in this cake. Bash up mini Oreos into a thin dust… make sure there are no large chunks otherwise the icing doesn’t come out of the icing tube. Once you have your Oreo dust mix into buttercream icing and pipe it onto the top of your cakes. To finish top the cakes with a mini Oreo. These cupcakes were the biggest hit with my guests.

Rolo Cupcakes

Part bake your cake mixture then after 10 minute bring the cakes out of the oven and gently push a mini rolo into the centre of each of them. Place the cakes back into the oven to finishing baking. Once cool, ice with buttercream icing. To finish top with a mini Rolo and if you have  it drizzle with caramel sauce.

What is your favourite cupcake flavour? Tell me some interesting recipes and I’ll give them a go!

Check out Jennifer's gorgeous, cute and fun lifestyle blog Infinitely Charming. Full of beauty, crafts, fitness, life and more; all with Jennifer's humorous edge on top... what's not to love.

What Every Man Should Know Before A Cosmetic Procedure

Think only women obsess over their looks? Think again. With more men opting to go under the knife, it’s important to separate fact from fiction.

What Every Man Should Know Before a Cosmetic Procedure

For years, women and their looks have been under the microscope, scrutinized at every turn. Men seemingly escaped the pressure said to age like a fine wine. However, more men are turning to cosmetic surgery to regain their youthful looks. Before the first cut, know what’s true and what’s false.

Myth #1 – Men only get surgery on their bodies; they don’t mess with their faces.

False. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2011, the top five male cosmetic procedures were:

1. Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty) – 62,000 procedures
2. Eye Lid Surgery – 29,000 procedures
3. Liposuction – 23,000 procedures
4. Breast Reduction – 20,000 procedures
5. Facelift – 11,000 procedures

Only 317 pectoral implants were performed in 2011. Chin implants are also on the rise with a 76% increase from 2010 to 2011. It seems “rugged” is no longer a good look for men.

Myth #2 - To get rid of man “boobs”, just lose weight.

False. Enlarged breast tissue in men actually has a medical name. It’s known as gynecomastia. And losing weight isn’t always the answer to get rid of them. Even with weight loss, male breast reduction is often needed to return breast tissue back to its natural appearance. Weight gain is one reason for it, but it can also be caused by genetics, hormones, and medications. While a man having breasts can be embarrassing, it isn’t physically harmful.

Myth #3 – Men who receive plastic surgery are vain.

There will always be those who seek cosmetic surgery for vanity reasons, but not all men opt for procedures just for their looks. There are several medical reasons for cosmetic surgery. For example, while gynecomastia itself is not an issue, it may be a catalyst for an underlying medical issue such as cirrhosis or testicular cancer. Rhinoplasty may be necessary if a man has a broken nose and the bones don’t mend correctly, causing breathing issues. Men with a deviated septum may also need rhinoplasty as part of a sinus procedure.

Myth #4 – For a man, any plastic/cosmetic surgeon will do.

This myth can be dangerous. As with any other surgical procedure, time and care should be paid to who is going to be doing the work. Some men are notorious for just getting the least expensive item as long as it is functional. Men, this is not an area you want to skimp on. Find out how much your insurance will cover and be prepared for anything else out of pocket.
It is also important to know what type of training your surgeon has received. A board certified doctor is best to have, but be sure to know what they are truly certified in. Some surgeons may be certified in another specialty and ended up in plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgeons are not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Be sure to look for a board certified plastic surgeon. There is a difference. Ask questions and don’t assume. You wouldn’t have a board certified orthopedic perform surgery on your liver would you?

Citations:

Dr. Simopoulos is a cosmetic surgeon based in Beverly Hills. You will find more information about laser body sculpting on his website.

Fitness Friday| Healthy Snacking| Fun Fruit

A foodie post for you all today. I’m really trying to make significant changes to my diet at the moment and have found that if I plan and prepare my meals then I am more likely to eat healthier. I decided that my diet needs to change as my fitness regime is pretty much there now, as in I am loving exercising and have to do it 5/6 times a week otherwise I go stir crazy. I pretty much hate my rest days and when I injured my leg the other day my first thought was “ oh no, I won’t be able to workout” I pretty much panicked. I know that I am going to have to rest it so that it recovers quickly, but my days feel incomplete if I haven’t worked out.

My diet on the other hand needs to improve, I still give into my cravings which is ok every now and again but not all the time. I need to eat less processed food and less sugar. So the snacks I am sharing with you above are perfect! Yes they do have sugar in them due to the fruit and little amount of chocolate spread, but they are a healthier alternative to chocolate bars or cake.

The snacks are super easy to make for the Banana Bites all you need it Nutella and a banana… these remind me of banana and Nutella crepes that I used to live on when I lived in France. You simply slice the banana then spread the Nutella onto one piece of banana and top with a second to make a little Banana Sandwich.

For the Apple Chunks you need Peanut Butter, desiccated coconut and an apple. Slice an apple and chop off the end so they are flat, this gives you an area for coat with peanut butter. After spreading on the peanut butter sprinkle desiccated coconut on top. The Apple Chunks are great to prepare for the next day in the office. I tend to have half in the morning and half in the afternoon. The Banana Bites I have in the evening if I’m craving something sweet.

Snacking is very important if you are trying to watch your weight as having a healthy snack between your meals can help reduce the amount you eat during your meals, it ensures that you don’t over eat as you are never hungry. If you prepare a healthy snack and have one to hand you are less likely to grab something unhealthy on the move. You should always have some fruit of nuts in your bag to ensure you don’t grab a bag of crisps or chocolate bar while at the train station etc. A healthy snack that is made up of complex carbs, protein and health fats increases your energy levels for a longer period of time than a sugary snack does. This will ensure that you don’t have the 3 o clock slump in the afternoon.

Nutritional value (approx..)

Banana Bites - Calories-205 carbs- 27g Fat-6g Protein-3g

Apple Chunks - Calories- 225 Carbs-27g Fat- 12g Protein-0g

Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Cantara from Gym Bags and Glad Rags. If you enjoy my fitness post you will fall in love with her blog. She is a stunner with a great blog!

Turning 24| My Birthday Celebrations

This week was my birthday…. possibly one of my most favourite days in the year. Although it has always been special, it used to have the shine taken off it as it was always in the middle of exam and assignment hand-in time. However now I have finished university I think that my birthday is perfectly placed in the year. It is kind of halfway through the year, so not near Christmas and New Year and overlooked or during the summer so is favoured for Summer Holidays.

I am currently snuggled up on the couch nursing a tiny hangover after celebrating my 24th birthday last night with my boyfriend and closest friends. Matt and I spent Saturday morning baking and cooking ready for everyone to arrive. I made three flavours of cupcake; Oreo, Malteser and Rolo, you can see pictures of my handy work above. Matt made homemade pizzas and potato wedges for dinner… a big carb dinner, perfect to line our stomachs for all the fizzy cocktails.

After getting glammed up, my friends and I all sat around and played the usual drinking games, before heading off into town for more cocktails and some dancing. I haven’t been out partying in my new hometown much and it’s definitely a big change from my old favourite drinking establishments in Newcastle, but we made the most of it. It was actually great to go out to places that weren’t full of idiots and posers. To be able to go out and not worry about what you look like, but rather go out let your hair down and dance like a loon with your friends. We stayed out until closing time, then went back to our apartment and made more pizzas and caught up with The Voice before all passing out. Overall it was a perfect night and a great way to celebrate my birthday. So thank-you to all my gorgeous friends for travelling hundred of miles to visit me, my family for all the love you share with me and my boy for spoiling me like he does everyday.

What’s your preferred way to spend your birthday? A night with the girls, a dinner with family or a weeks worth of celebrations like me (might as well make the most of it!)

Don't forget to check out my blogger of the week Rhiannon from The Barbelle. If you enjoy my fitness and health posts you will love her blog. It is crammed full of fitspiration!

Share the love| Meet my Sponsors

 

You may have noticed a few new faces on my blog this month; over there in my side bar or their little faces on the bottom on my posts, yes I have started to offer sponsorship. I decided to start offering sponsor spots on my blog after receiving a bit of demand, and I am so glad I have. It feels great to share the love every single day and be able to share some amazing blogs with you all. I only offer 4 spots each month so that I can give each sponsor a special week full of attention. If you are interested in a spot for May check out my Advertising Page.

For my first month of sponsorship I could not have wished for a more wonderful bunch of girls. I am honoured that they chose my blog to advertise on. Below you can find out more about the beauties on my side bar.

Hi, I'm Cantara. I'm on a mission to improve my body, my sense of style & my skills with a make up brush. I'll be blogging about my progress on shaping up and slimming down, tips & tricks on how to live a healthy lifestyle, recipes, workouts, meal plans, as well as OOTD's, new buys and beauty loves. Join me if you want to get fitter, look stylish & be beautified too! :)

Blog- http://www.gymbagsandgladrags.com

Bloglovin'- http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4650549/gymbags-and-gladrags

Twitter- https://twitter.com/GymBagsGladRags

Hello Cotton- http://www.hellocotton.com/mypage/gymbagsandgladrags

Pinterest- https://pinterest.com/gymbagsgladrags/

 

Hi! I'm Natalia and Natalia Beauty Blog is my creative outlet where I combine my love of writing and beauty. I've always loved sharing reviews of my favourite beauty products and have recently got a lot more interested in fashion too, I love writing up the posts and photographing the clothes. I'm also very interested fitness as you'll be able to see on my Tumblr, but I intend on doing lots more fitness-related posts on my blog soon soon as it's become a big part of my life. Last but not least I am a bit of a literature nut, so don't be surprised to see a good old review of the latest book I've been reading! I really hope you stop by say hello, and maybe even stay for my and my blog's journey.xx

Blog- http://www.nataliabeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: @nataliabeauty_

Instagram: @nataliabeauty_

Bloglovin- http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4798895/natalia-beauty-blog

Tumblr: nataliaxbarbara.tumblr.com

 

Hi! I’m Anna, im in my 20's (just!) and i live in a cottage in the beautiful but damp Cumbrian countryside with my husband and our two dogs, Disgy & Elsa. On The Dressing Table evolved from a long-running love affair with all things beauty. 

My first love was high-end cosmetics and over the years i have built up my knowledge and collection as well as training to be a professional make up artist, and in October last year i decided to write a blog to share some of things i have picked up along the way. 

I am always on the look out for a good, affordable dupes of my high end favourites so i feature products from a range of budgets.

On my blog you will find a mix of honest product reviews, both good and bad, hauls, make-up and hair tutorials and a bit of general life stuff as and when things happen that i think you might be interested in! One of my other loves is photography so i am slightly obsessed with Instagram - on there you will see a mix of beauty-related pictures along with the gorgeous scenery i am lucky enough to be surrounded by, as well as my two pups who i think you will agree are pretty cute! 

I love to have a chat on Twitter too so feel free to pop over and say hi or ask me any questions.

Blog- http://onthedressingtable.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter- @OTDTblog

Instagram-onthedressingtable

Bloglovin- http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4163425

Pinterest-Onthedressingtable

 

" Hi everyone, I'm Vicki and my blog is A Life of Geekery.

I started my blog a little over 6 months ago to give me some focus whilst I battled through some tough health problems. Things haven't been easy but it's been a massive help to be able to escape in to my own little blogging world whenever I like. I write about food, gadgets, lifestyle and general day to day happenings. 

My favourite things about blogging are the lovely comments I get from my readers and when people send me photos of the yummy food they've whipped up from my recipes- I'll never stop getting excited about that! You'll find me on twitter most of the time so if you have any questions or just want to say hello I'm @vickihigham."

Blog-http://alifeofgeekery.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: twitter.com/vickihigham

Bloglovin: www.bloglovin.com/alifeofgeekery

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/vickihigham/

Be sure to give them all a read, I guarantee that you won’t regret it. They cover a wide range of topics between them so you'll definitely find a blog you love! Let me know which one’s you love, or if one is already your favourite!

Birthday Wish List

 

Red Bag //Phone Case // Jeans // Lamp // Lipstick // Cook Book // Water Bottle // Mac // Bowl //

Door Matt //Camera Bag // Blue Bag

Did you know that it's my Birthday in 13 days time! My birthday and I have a funny old relationship. Obviously I love the day as it's a day all about me, and I can behave like the princess that I think I am for the day, however at the same time I get anxious about it. Ever since I woke up on my 20th birthday and cried because I was no longer a teenager the feeling that I was growing old and time is flying by too quickly looms around on my birthday.

This year I will be 24 years old and to me that is a proper adult age! I remember when I was a little girl and I imagined my life as a 24 year old and it doesn't look much like it does at the moment. I imagined that I would be living in my own swish apartment in a city some where, working hard all day in my fancy office then partying all night in cocktails bars. I imaged that I was well into my career, had a fancy car and dreamy man.

When I was 10 these dreams were realistic as 24 was a million miles away. However 24 is now just around the corner and although I am not where I dreamt I would be when I was a little girl I am very thankful and happy where I currently am on my life's path. The only thing I have that I imaged I would have is my dreamy man and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have him for what he puts up with from me! Even though I am just starting out in my career, I work hard, am gaining results for the company I work for, have a lot of responsibility, am appreciated and enjoy it. I don't yet own a swish apartment but the one I am renting is pretty damn gorgeous and even though it's not in the city it has the most gorgeous views which are a lot nicer than the rooftops I would probably look out over in a city!

I have to keep telling myself that 24 is not old!That I am still young and there is time to do the things I want to. Life does not have to pan out the way I imagined it would, as long as I grab the opportunities that come my way with both hands then I will be happy. I should never settle and should always be planning my next adventure.

I plan on spending my birthday with the biggest love in my life and will be celebrating with plenty of champagne at the weekend with my closest friends. I haven't asked for much, as I am quite picky and hard to buy for (apparently) but above is a selection of a few of the things I am hoping for or will be spending my birthday money on. Most is stuff I need; new house stuff, clothes that actually fit me, cute workout gear. The bags and lipstick are merely things I love!

They say that time flies when you are having fun, which must mean that my life is everything it should be and more, but am I the only weird one who worries that time goes by too quickly? How you you feel about growing another year older? 

Don’t forget to check out my blogger of the week Vicki and her amazing lifestyle blog A Life Of Geekery, full of food, crafts, beauty and life. Her photos are truly gorgeous and I love her recipes!

Easter Weekend and a new home

With the sun shining, the none existent snow and blue skies you would think that spring had arrived here in the Lake District. Technically it has but the fact that I am still wearing my penguin mittens and bobble hat everyday makes the long spring afternoons feel a million miles away. Fingers crossed that April brings us temperatures above 2c!

I've had a very busy few days as this weekend was moving in day for me. Finally my boyfriend Matt has landed himself a job on the better side of the country (sorry you Eastern readers) and after nine long months of a long distance relationship we will finally be living in the same place. To make me even happier we have the most gorgeous apartment in town with spectacular views over the river.

So far so good with the moving in process; we even managed to construct a bed together with no arguments! Although our own bed which he constructed without my supervision did collapse at 6 in the morning with us both on it, so one minor mishap! We had our first visitors yesterday and our second lot today, I think our location makes us very popular for those wanting to visit the lakes… how convenient of us! We currently don't have all the furniture we need so expect a lot of interior design inspired posts coming up. I may even film a flat tour once everything is out of boxes and looks a bit more like home.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend with your family and treat yourself to some chocolate eggs! What are your plans for the weekend? 

Advertise on Outside Beauty, Inside Health

 

You may have seen me on Twitter talking about how I am now offering advertisement on my blog, or even noticed the little advertising page underneath my bio on the right hand side.

I know there is a bit of controversy about bloggers offering advertisement on their blogs, but to be honest I see no problem in making a little bit of money from something that we all put our heart, souls, time and effort into. I decided to offer advertising after receiving a number of emails asking if they could advertise one my blog, so if the demand is there I thought why not!

I am however only offering 4 advert spots a month as I don’t want my blog to be over cluttered, and personally I never look at all the adverts on other peoples blogs, so I want to make sure that your money is not wasted and that everyone will check out your blog or shop. The fewer adverts, the more likely that someone will check yours out! I want to make sure your advert is worth the money and it won’t get lost amongst 20 other adverts on the same page. Plus is means I can give each of my sponsors a separate weeks worth of love and attention!

If you are interested in advertising on my blog, please check out my advertising page. For this month only I am offer 50% off, so it will only cost you £4! There are only 3 spots left, so be sure to let me know.

What are your opinions about advertising on blogs? Is it something you offer, or have thought about? Or do you regularly advertise on other peoples blogs? I would love to know your thoughts!

Nutella Melt Cupcakes

 

It seems to becoming a bit of a habit of mine these baking posts. I do actually post quite often, as we have a weekly “Cake Day” at work. I also come from a long line of cake bakers. My mum bakes, my Nana bakes, my Great Grandma bakes and my Grampy bakes. There is very rarely a time when there isn’t cake around in one of my family member’s homes… which is of course very homely but not great for the waist line! Hence the mountains of running I now do!

On Friday night I came in from work and had the urge to bake. So Friday night I took over the kitchen, turned the music up and came up with the idea of Nutella Melt Cupcakes. I had a jar in the cupboard and thought it would be a great addition to my usual vanilla cupcakes.

I wanted to have a Nutella melting middle and was unsure how to go about this. I decided to make the cake mix, place that in the Cupcake moulds then add a dollop of Nutella in the middle and finally another spoonful of cake mix. This turns out not to be the answer. As you can see from pictures above the Nutella sunk to the bottom of the cakes. They are still yummy, but a little messy to eat! Next time I will be adding the Nutella to the cake after its been baked, either by scooping out the top and adding the Nutella before topping with icing, or try piping the Nutella into the middle. Anyways here’s my recipe for a simple vanilla cupcake, which you can alter as you wish!

You will need(makes 12 small, or 6 large cupcakes like above) ;

Cake Mix- 110g butter, 110g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 1tsp vanilla extract, 110g self-raising flour, 1-2 tbsp milk

Buttercream Icing- 140g butter, 280g icing sugar, 1-2 tbsp milk

Preheat your oven to 180c/ Gas 4 and line your muffin tin with paper cases. Cream your butter and sugar together in a bowl until smooth and pale. Beat in the eggs gradually and stir in the vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour, adding a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. Now bake in the oven for 10-15 minute of until they are golden-brown on the top and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

For your icing, beat the bitter in a large bowl until soft, then add half the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Now add the remaining icing sugar with one tbsp of milk, add more milk if necessary. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want to make the above cake, mix a coupe of tbsp of Nutella into your icing sugar.

If you want to make the Nutella melt cake above, before icing your cakes, scoop out the top of them, as you would when making butterfly cakes and place the Nutella into the hole on the top of the cake. Then ice your cakes as you would normally.

What do you think of my Nutella Melt Cupcakes? Do you love Nutella as much as I do?

Baba Ganoush Canteen Kendal| The Perfect Brunch

 

Bottom Image from www. Baba-Ganoush.co.uk

Now that my boyfriend Matt is finally moving to live in the same town of me, we finally have the opportunity to discover some new eateries, and our first stop was Baba Ganoush. If you are from the Lake District in Cumbria you will of probably heard of this spot. If not, when you visit Kendal you have to put this on your list of places to go.

Baba Ganoush is a canteen and food shop hidden down a little side street in the market town of Kendal, Cumbria. Matt and I visited the canteen on Saturday morning at around 11 and the place was already filling up quickly. We were greeted by a smiley, friendly member of staff (always great) and told to take which ever table we fancied. Menu’s were already on the table so you could start making your choices right away. The place has various specials boards scattered around which are filled with soups, main dinners, platters and cakes.

As it was brunch time, Matt went for the Fish Finger sandwich on granary bread (all the bread used in the spot is fresh from the famous Staff of Life bakery next door) and I was rather greedy and went for a soup and hot sandwich. The food arrived very promptly and was delicious. You get plenty of filling for your money, and you can tell that the ingredients are of the highest quality and the fresh bread just makes the food even more homely.

The canteen is a rather small place with around 12-15 tables, and it was full of a variety of ages, from old dears having their tea and cake, to groups of friends having hangover breakfast and families on days out stopping for lunch. Matt and I have already planned our second visit for a hangover breakfast of pancakes with syrup, butter and bacon for me, and scrambled egg with chorizo on toast for Matt.

If you have visited the Lake District of Kendal, where are your favourite places to eat? Or in your own home town, let me know where to eat in case I make a visit!

Easter Egg Brownies| So Naughty but So Nice

 

I have been meaning to try this recipe for a little while after my best friend Sarah shared it with me, and after seeing Becky form Milk Bubble Tea bake her Creme Egg Cupcakes I had major cake envy and spent last night baking these naughty treats above.

The original recipe is for Cadbury Creme Egg Brownies and it has circulated various food blogs over the run up to Easter, but as members of my family do not like Creme Eggs my boyfriend suggested we made Cadbury Caramel Egg Brownies as well. The mixture of gooey brownies with the Caramel or creme egg filling is just divine!

You will need;

185g unsalted butter, 185g chocolate, 85g plain flour, 40g cocoa powder, 3 large eggs, 275g golden caster sugar, 3 Cadbury Creme eggs cut in half, 3 Cadbury Caramel Eggs cut in half. 

Preheat your oven to 160C and grease a 20cm square baking tin. Melt the butter and chocolate together. Break your eggs into a large bowl and tip in the golden caster sugar. Beat them together for a good 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture looks thick, creamy, pale and double its original volume.  Pour the cooler chocolate mixture onto the eggy mouse, and gently fold together.Sieve the cocoa power and flour onto the top of the mixture, then gently fold it in. Pour the mixture into your baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.

Take your tin out of the oven after 15 minutes and gently press the Cadbury Creme and Caramel Egg halves into the mix. Space them evenly apart and don’t push them too far in otherwise they will sink. Put the tin back into the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until when poking a skewer into the mixture it comes out clean. Leave to cool before removing from the tin and cutting into squares.

A little Easter treat for yourself and a fun way to make your chocolate brownies a bit more interesting! Do you think you will give them ago? What is your favourite Easter treat?

Fitness Friday| Weight Loss| Preparation & Planning

You rarely venture into anything new in life without first thinking about it. Remember back to when you started your blog, did you think about it before you started it? I bet you carefully thought about the name, what you wanted to say and what you wanted it too look like. Well if you are to start a healthier lifestyle, the same rule applies!

Success loves preparation! If you want your healthy lifestyle to be more than just a phase you need to plan and prepare throughout. This may sound like hard work, but as I always say; make small steps each day and they soon become habits.

Think about it. If you are not prepared for hunger you normally just grab something on the go. Be it a bag of crisps, chocolate bar or a shop bought sandwich. If you are prepared you will more than likely have a snack in your bag that is healthier, be it a homemade sandwich or wrap, nuts of fruit.

The same happens in the supermarket. If you are prepared, have planned your meals and have a list of ingredients you will more than likely only buy what is on the list which means your kitchen cupboards will be full of healthy food. However if you are unprepared you will venture into the supermarket and end up buying what ever takes your fancy, be it healthy or not.

I am not saying that you need to count calories, plan every single meal that you have and panic when you don’t have a pre-prepared snack, just become a little more prepared and it can make a big difference! Below are a couple of preparation tips.

• Plan your meals- One night a week flick through your favourite cookbooks for meals you can make. This means you will have meals for each night, reducing the likelihood of ordering takeaways.
• Stick to your shopping list- If you are too tempted by BOGOF offers then keep your head down and go directly to where your shopping list items will be found in the store. Do not browse every aisle in the supermarket… you will just buy more!
• Wake up 15 minutes earlier- This means you will have time to sit and have breakfast each morning, instead of grabbing a coffee and muffin from Starbucks!
• Keep a food diary- You can use a Diary, such as the Moleskin Wellness Journal*, a notepad or an app on your phone. Food diaries make you more accountable of what you put in your mouth. You will be surprised at what you actually eat when first starting a food diary!
• Prepare your lunch- A couple of nights a week get out your Tupperware and make up your lunches to take to work for the next couple of days. Lunch can be a meal that if bought on the go can have a million more calories that you would think. A sandwich bought from a shop can have around 400 calories in, add your crisps and cake to this and your lunch could amount to over 700 calories! By preparing your lunch in bulk you will have no excuse as you can simply grab it from the fridge before you leave in the morning!
• Keep and water bottle with you- If you struggle to get your 2 litres everyday, keep a 1 litre/750cl bottle on your desk or in your bag and sip it throughout the day. This saves you money and reduces the likelihood of grabbing a bottle of pop.
• Plan ahead when eating out- Most places have their menus online, and large chains even have the calories count on there. So if you are watching your waistline and don’t fancy splurging then check out the menu and plan your meal ahead. 
• Schedule in your workouts- Schedule in your workouts as if they were a meeting or dentist appointment. If you cancel a half an hour appointment to improve yourself then I’m sure you will feel guilty! Get your workouts written down in your diary!
• Set goals- Long term and short tem! Try aiming for so many inches lost by a wedding in the summer, or aim to take homemade lunches to work every day that week. If you have a goal you have something to concentrate your efforts on. Even better reward yourself after meeting goals… have a manicure, buy a new dress etc.

I hope these tips help you prepare for a healthier lifestyle. Tell me how you make sure you are prepared for a healthy week!

Goodbye Google Reader| Where else can you find me

 

I assume you all know already that Google Reader is no more come July, so whether you use it to read blogs currently or not I’m sure it will have a huge impact on some people’s blogging. The major worry for many bloggers is that Google Friend Connect (GFC) may also disappear as a consequence. So before we all loose touch with each other how about we connect on different platforms and adapt to new ways to catching up with our favourite blogs. I have demonstrated below the other social media platforms that I am alive and well on, if you would like to follow me. I obviously don’t want to loose contact with you so please, please, please leave your social media links in a comment below and I will follow you all… lets share the love!

Bloglovin’

Bloglovin’ has had a very busy day as bloggers scramble to add their favourite blogs asap. I have seen such a huge increase over today that my blog has become number 33 in the Up and Coming Personal blogs… made my day! It seems to be the platform of choice for many.

Follow me here.

 

Twitter

Twitter is actually one of my favourite platform for reading blog posts, as it is instant and I am always on it. Yes you have to click through to a persons blog and everything isn’t in one place, but I very often favour peoples tweets then go through them at a later date to check out their recent posts.

Follow me here.

 

YouTube

Not so much of a blog following platform but still a social media platform. I am very new to YouTube and am slowly but surely working on it, so if you fancy checking out my videos and subscribing then go ahead.

Subscribe to my channel here.

 

Pinterest

A very different and interesting platform. I could spend hours looking at all the pretty and inspirational picture on Pinterest. It is great for fitness motivation also. I really need to work on my boards but plan on doing so soon.

Follow me here.

 

Hello Cotton

This is a relatively new platform for me, and rivals Bloglovin’ It allows you to follow your favourite blogs all in one place, but is a bit more magazine like than Bloglovin’, which appeals to many.

Follow me here.

 

She Said Beauty

A completely new platform for me, I literally signed up a few minutes ago, so I’m unsure to what it is like, but first impressions are good. Like Hello cotton is is a bit more magazine like with different sections etc. I also allows you to add all your social media widgets which i like

Follow me here.

 

Google+

This again is completely new to me, I have played around with it in the past but I find it quite hard to navigate and am a bit unsure of it. This is the platform that Google wans us to all start using but its yet to take off in the way that they had hoped.

Add me to your circle here.

 

Which one is your favourite platform for keeping in touch? Please leave your social media links in the box below and I will follow you all on all of the sites. I need to make sure that I do not loose touch with my favourite bloggers!