I'm very excited, I'm hosting my very own Instagram giveaway this week. It's a selection of Forever Living Products samples and two full size products in a small green organza bag. It can be found @twitchsmum on Instagram. More information about the products can be found at www.a4aforever.myforever.biz/store #giveaway #aloe #FLP #prize #a4aforever #foreverlivingproducts #free #travelsize #handbagsize
Image source - www.broomsticker.co.uk This awesome wall sticker is available from the website above for £13.99 in a variety of colours. This would be a brilliant motivational tool. I think I will purchase one and stick it on the wall in my hall. It would therefore be the first thing I saw when I came downstairs each morning. This would potentially encourage me to put my favourite planning tools to good use and, of course, to act on those plans. With those thoughts in my mind, I'm off to find my Moleskine to complete my plan for tomorrow. Source : www.100happydays.com After seeing all the #100happydays posts on Instagram and Facebook I thought I would investigate. I found the source, the website and have signed up for the challenge, 100 consecutive days of happiness. As I am also going to participate in the 5x50 challenge, it seems an ideal combination. There is not much point making improvements in my health if I am not going to enjoy it. My challenge starts today. My daughter is busy preparing for a dance festival which means I get to work on the costumes. As I find the repetitive nature of sewing beads and sequins on to costumes very calming, I love putting aside a few afternoons and evenings where I can just sit down with a needle, thread and pots of sparkles and sew. This is a photo of some beautiful sequins on raw white silk which will form part of my daughter's new tutu. #day1 #100happydays #tutu #beads #sequins Image source www.5x50.org.uk I think this challenge may be just the thing to act as a platform to encourage me to make positive changes in my lifestyle. I did manage to complete the challenge in 2012 and not being a natural runner, I did notice a significant improvement in my exercise tolerance. As a bonus, I lost a bit of weight too. So this new challenge starts on Sunday, Mothering Sunday, 50 days to fit! Two days to think about it and register. #5x50 I have recently started reading The Gargoyle and I'm hooked. It started me thinking about my favourite novels. I've not studied English beyond 'O' level so my choices are novels that have had an impact on me and left a temporary void on their completion.These are the books that I give 5* to on Goodreads. In no particular order..... 1. Destiny by Sally Beauman I read this book over 20 years ago. I can't recall the story but I can still remember finishing it (if that makes sense). 2. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 3. The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas What an end this novel has! 4. Shantaram by Gregory Roberts 5. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth This list is subject to change at short notice and completion of the next novel!! I have a problem with tea - I drink too much of it and when I stop drinking it completely I get withdrawal symptoms from the caffeine. I intend to slowly reduce my intake but at the moment I feel that I need an alternative hot drink. Having seen Teapigs tea temples in a few shops over the last few months, this is where I have decided to start. I have purchased a box of Super Fruit. The ingredients are hibiscus, elderberries, currants, black currants, natural flavouring, cranberries and blueberries. The tea temples are biodegradable and actually quite beautiful. The smell as the 'tea' steeps in hot water is divine and I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. I have previously found that deliciously scented fruit teas have always failed to live up to their wonderful smell and I have always been disappointed with the taste. This was not the case for the Teapig tea. So, overall I'm very pleased with my purchase but will continue on my hunt for the perfect alternative to a cuppa. However, I will keep a box of Teapigs Super Fruit in my cupboard for the time being. #caffeinewithdrawal #teapigs #superfruit Found time to pop into my local health food store on my way home and decided to try an Ombar Coco Mylk. 'Organic raw chocolate with coconut cream for an extra creamy taste with bio live cultures' This bar contained 58% cocoa solids which is not as high as I was aiming for but a good introduction for my taste buds as I've always found dark chocolate quite bitter. Well, I was very pleased with my purchase and could taste the coconut. The chocolate was delicious with no bitterness and one rectangle was enough. This bar is going to last me all week and so it's been hidden away in the cupboard to stop anyone finding it and eating it on my behalf! Image source - http://www.allparenting.com/my-table/articles/968131/superfoods-raw-chocolate A couple of meta - analyses published in 2012 suggested that eating raw chocolate reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. It was also reported to lower insulin resistance and blood pressure. The closer chocolate is to it's natural raw state, the higher it's nutritional value. It is suggested that it is consumed in smaller amounts spread throughout the day to gain maximum benefit rather like you would take supplements. A detailed discussion is available at the website below. http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/chocolate-can-be-good-for-you-at-the-right-dose However, there are always two sides to every story. It is also suggested that raw chocolate contains many chemicals that are detrimental to the human body and mind. When consumed regularly, many consider it to be a toxin and it's bitter taste is an indicator of this fact. This is very eloquently discussed in the following article. http://www.holistichelp.net/blog/is-raw-cacao-really-healthy/ So, where do I sit between these two arguments. My first task is to try some and I'll take it from there. A little bit of a random post but I spent so long doing this, I thought I'd write about it. A new pair of Bloch Serenade pointe shoes for my daughter to break in and me to darn. Curved needle and Anchor Mercer Crochet thread at the ready. I have used a chain stitch before but having used both, I personally prefer a blanket stitch. I don't knot the thread. I start towards the middle of the area to be darned and take the thread under the satin, taking a couple of tiny back stitches on the way to my starting point. I then stitch a row of back stitches around the area I wish to darn and then work round and round towards the centre. When my thread runs out, I run the thread under the satin again and take a couple of back stitches to secure it. This area will be darned over anyway so these stitches are not visible. The blanket stitch appears to stand up to the wear of regular pointe work as can be seen in the bottom photo. #pointeshoes #bloch #darn #ballet Image source - www.therawchocolatecompany.com Over the next week or so, I plan to make small changes to my diet with a view to preparing for, starting ( and completing ) a Clean 9 cleanse. www.a4aforever.myforever.biz/nutrilean One of my major problems is my caffeine addiction which kicks in every time I go abroad. Tea just doesn't taste the same as it does at home so I tend not to drink it and pay for it with a rather nasty headache for a day or two. So if I decide not to drink tea, I could take it a step further and stop drinking milk. If I'm going to do that, why not try and spend the 9 day cleanse without any dairy produce? Could be a bit of a problem as I love cheese! Having done some research this evening, it appears there are many reasons why I should avoid milk and dairy, I'm not going to go into them in detail but there are some recurring themes. 1. Milk contains hormones, antibiotics and pesticides 2. Milk is a poor source of dietary calcium 3. 75% of people are lactose intolerant 4. Dairy consumption is linked to a number of diseases 5. Cow's milk is an ideal food source for calves, not humans However, whilst I was searching I did find a fascinating article regarding a pilot study involving a small number of normal weight obese women who ate 100gm of dark chocolate (70% cocoa) a day. Within a week the researchers noted improved markers of cardiovascular health including a reduction in belly fat. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/article/dark-chocolate-supplementation-one-week-results-reduced-abdominal Tomorrow, I shall pop into my local health food shop and see what I can find. Give up dairy........take up raw chocolate Sounds like a great motto to me 🍫 |
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