Exercises To Get Fit!

Happy Sunday!

We all need to get up, off our backsides :) Yeah, off that couch. Once we get home and be more active. Sounds too much of a chore? Here are four basic exercises to help tighten that core and give you a complete workout in your living room. Dumbbells not needed, sports bra not required, and there's no reason not to get an amazing workout in the house. Twenty reps of each exercise and you're good to go. A proper whole body workout!

1. The Pull Up Walk
- This pike move works every muscle in your arms down to your calves. Start in the press-up position, both hands on the floor, arms straight, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your legs straight and knees locked, walk your feet in as far as you can towards your hands, stop for a beat, then reverse by walking your hands away until you're back in the press-up position.
- This is one rep. Remember to keep your tummy pulled in throughout.

2. The side Plank
- This side plank is another good one for tightening your tummy muscles but also gives your shoulders and back a good work out.
- Lie on your right side with your ankles, knees, hips and shoulders in line with each other and your right elbow on the floor under your right shoulder, hips lifted off the floor, weight supported on your foot and forearm .
- Dip your hips down towards the floor before raising them back to the start position; this is one rep. Do the same number of reps on each side.

3. The Lie-Down, Stand-Up
- Yep, that's the actual name.. but don't be fooled! This move is super effective. It strengthens your bottom and legs, as well as your core.
- Lie on your back with your arms lying flat on the floor at your sides.
- Extend your arms back behind your head, then throw them forwards, using the momentum to lift your body to a half-kneeling position before standing up straight.Try not to touch the floor throughout and to get up lying back down again, arms extended. This is one rep in one smooth movement.

4. The T- Press
- This is a classic yoga move that really targets your core and tummy muscles.
- Start in the press-up position with your feet shoulder-width apart,hands under your shoulders.
- Perform a press-up and, as your arms straighten, pivot on your feet and lift your left arm until it's  pointing straight up and your chest is facing left.
- Pause for a count of two seconds and then, with control, reverse the move until you're in the press-up  position again. This is one rep.  Do the same number of reps on each side.

I hope you find these four exercises helpful. It is sure to make you feel ten times better about yourself, without getting a gym membership!

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

A Delicious Vegan Chilli.. Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

Today is Armistice Day, and if there is anyone who doesn't know what that is, it's the day when the war came to an end, World War one. On the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. So every year we in the UK celebrate our veterans who gave their life for our safety! We wear poppies (a flower!) from the 1st day of November 'till the 11th to remember our loved ones fighting for our country. In the USA it is celebrated as Veterans day. So cheers to everyone who had a loved one in the armed forces and lost their life. We will never forget you! And for those brave and still doing it for their country, we love you xx

Today I want to share a favorite recipe of mine, a vegan chilli. Although I am not a vegan, but some days it's meat free in our house and a vegan chilli is delicious. You can eat it with rice or mash and I promise the meat will not be missed! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
175g/6oz green lentils
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red and 1 green pepper, stalk and seeds removed, and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
300ml/½ pint vegetable stock
100g/4oz frozen peas
175g/6oz mushrooms, wiped and quartered
1 courgette, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can kidney beans, drained

Instructions:
1. Place the green lentils in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion and garlic together with the chilli and cumin, about ten minutes or until the onions are soft.
3. Add the peppers, carrots and drained green lentils and cook for five minutes, stirring all the time. Add the tomatoes, purée, stock and peas, bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are tender (about 30 minutes). Add the mushrooms and courgettes and simmer for five minutes more. Season to taste.
4. Add the cooked kidney beans and simmer for five more minutes.
5. Serve with cooked rice.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Recommended: 5 Luscious Mascaras!

Happy Thursday!

Everybody loves a good Mascara. Unless you're sporting some gorgeous fake eyelashes which is really not my thing. The glue goes everywhere, the lashes, well, it's always too big for my eyes and I have to clip them to size so fake eyelashes, well I give them a miss. I do love a good mascara though. Always looking for the best!

Often I'm in the shop and there is so much choice for mascaras, and it's not like you can try them all out there you only have two eyes ;) So I always ask friends, girls hanging around - what's their best mascara?

I have managed to make a list of a couple of the best mascaras around, that promise to give you big fat lashes and they do a pretty damn good job.. Applause!!

Some are a bit pricey but even if it costs a bit, you could use it for a good 3 months so it works out a bargain! I'll start with some of the more expensive ones and go down to the cheaper ones but they all work a treat for whatever your budget!

1. Nars Audacious Mascara for 20 pounds . The brush sports shorter bristles as well as longer ones , which help catch every single eyelash . It lengthens rather than fattens but gives a very clean finish .

2. Lancome Hypnose Volume-A-Porter at 22 pounds . It separates the lashes beautifully , the result is huge fanned out glossy lashes that don't smudge . Great buy !

3. Max Factor Velvet Volume False Lash effect Mascara is an affordable 11.99 ( pounds ) I personally love Max Factor and this comes in a velvety mousse formula and turns the lashes big and supple . Very good natural look !

4. Maybelline The Colossal Chaotic Lash is only 7.99 ( pounds ) It doesn't immediately give you the fat lash look , it needs to be layered up but it does eventually deliver the large spidery lashes it promised .

5. Mua Extreme Curl Mascara is a very cheap 3.99 ( pounds ) shapes lashes beautifully from root to tip , and although you need to build up layers it's a very good buy for that price . I always keep one in my bag to top up my lashes on the go :)

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Six Make-up Essentials For Your Beauty Bag!

Happy Monday!

Today is the eve of polling day in the USA, I hope everyone exercised their right to vote because if you haven't, every other idiot from down your street has. Hopefully Trump will triumph, because what can Hillary do, that a democrat hasn't had a chance to do in the last eight years? Now a new party needs to show how America can become great again. I look forward to it. The fact that Hillary supposes that just because she is a female she can get all the female votes is sexist, degrading and very presumptuous.
Okay, now I want to blog about six make up essentials for your beauty bag no girl could be without.

1. A great foundation! After cleaning and moisturizing your face, apply foundation. It's quicker and easier using a sponge or a brush. Dab on with your fingers and blend gently. The best foundation I recommend is MAC Mineralize Satin Finish Foundation.

2. A super concealer, and Rimmel Recover Anti-fatigue concealer is a winner. Concealer is the only way to get rid of dark circles. First apply an eye cream after a couple of minutes use your ring finger to dab on the concealer. Allow it to be absorbed into the skin and then blend. The key is light pressure. If you rub too hard, you rub the product off.

3. A glide on eyeliner. Eyes are sensitive and don't take kindly to us slathering them with make-up. Always use a soft pencil that glides on without any pressure or tugging. I recommend Lancome La Crayon Khol Eyeliner.

4. A clump free mascara. Curl your lashes first then use your mascara. Clinique Long Pretty Lashes mascara is one of the best.

5. A good flattering eyeshadow. Some eye shadows barely show up. They need to have good pigmentation. Use a soft eye shadow brush to sweep shadow across the lids, blending into and just above the creases. Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Mosaic Eye Shadow is my winner!

6. A perfect lipstick. I generally prefer matte lipsticks, make sure you keep your lips moisturized so your lipstick goes on smoothly an doesn't show-up cracks and un-eveness! Use a shade that you love and feel comfortable with. If you like the Nudes Bobbi Brown has an awesome range but if you are going for a cheaper but good value lipstick, look no further than MUA which has awesome colors for fall/autumn.

Hope you enjoyed my awesome six must have's for a beauty bag!

Keep smiling and have a great day.

Love & Peace.

Layer-up November Outfit Recommendation!

Happy 5th of November, Bonfire Night!

If you are out celebrating, stay safe. It's spectacular to see fireworks, even bigger than 31st Dec (New Year's Eve!) Candy apples, Guys everywhere. Kids collecting money for the Guy, the atmosphere is warm and fun and if there are already a few drunk leery men stumbling around with the effects of starting the party too early, there is somebody around to guide him home! The fireworks are loud and what a nice day to end the party if California Chrome wins at the Breeders Cup in Santa Anita, 12:35 AM The Witching hour just after midnight. Good luck if you are on it. Now I only need to make sure I've got my seat nice and early with good views!

If everyone sounds in a partying mood let us stop and say a prayer for Freddy Tylicki an incredibly talented jockey who came down in a 4 way pile up at Kempton this last Monday. He was not as fortunate to walk away from it like the other 3. Freddy now has to face a different life but not a bad one. He is a positive person and will pull through with the support and love of his family, friends & fans. Please donate to the Injured Jockey Fund to help out. You can find details on the net! Thanks.

November is the time to layer up! Enjoy this outfit selection!

1. Rip Hayden Jeans / 85 dollars / Topshop.com
2. Chic dot tights / 34 dollars / Revolve.com
3. Croche patchwork black blouse / 16 dollars / Rosegal.com
4. White t shirt / 9.99 pounds / Mango.com
5. Belt trench coat / 40 AUD / Yoins.com
6. Sport socks / 5 pounds / Monki.com
7. Platform boots / 40 dollars / Hm.com

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

Thursday's Spicy Chicken Wraps!

Happy Thursday,

Today's landmark ruling by the High Court that MPs must get a vote before article 50 is triggered was the best news I have heard in a long time. After all only 52% of people voted to leave in England, what about the wishes of the other 48% in England and Scotland, Ireland who voted to stay in the European Union. At last something good begins to happen as the year draws to a close. To me it looks like with 48% in England, Scotland & Ireland voting to stay the majority voice echoes stay. Seems to me like what with Honey G, Brexit, the elections of 2010 & 2015 maybe the British people need to be banned from voting. The pound now has fallen so low with exchange costs the same as a euro, what a tragedy!
To end with a beautiful quote from Summer Sanders which I love, ''To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It's not about winning and losing, it's about everyday hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It's about embracing the pain that you'll experience at the end of the race and not being afraid. I think people think too hard and get afraid of a certain challenge.''

Here is a delicious recipe for a spicy chicken & avocado wraps!

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast (approx 180g), thinly sliced at an angle
generous squeeze juice ½ lime
½ tsp mild chilli powder
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 seeded wraps
1 avocado, halved and stoned
1 roasted red pepper from a jar, sliced
a few sprigs coriander, chopped

Instructions:
1. Mix the chicken with the lime juice, chilli powder and garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan then fry the chicken for a couple of mins – it will cook very quickly so keep an eye on it. Meanwhile, warm the wraps following the pack instructions or, if you have a gas hob, heat them over the flame to slightly char them. Do not let them dry out or they are difficult to roll.
3. Squash half an avocado onto each wrap, add the peppers to the pan to warm them through then pile onto the wraps with the chicken, and sprinkle over the coriander. Roll up, cut in half and eat with your fingers.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.

A Delicious Vanilla Almond Breakfast Bowl!

Happy Tuesday!

I remember there's a saying, ''A pinch and a punch for the first of the month.'' So it's the first of November. Yes, that quick. There's 54 days to Christmas and I just can't wait for 2016 to finish. It's like 2016 is a small clip of news footage you see in the beginning of a post apocalyptic movie, explaining how the world went to shit! Hm, did David Bowie hold it all together?

But we all still need to eat healthily and always hope good common sense overrules the idiots who want war, unrest, death, poverty, sanctions, homelessness, weapons! I particularly love the Instagram post of Justin Theroux which he put up today, ''F**k all the things.'' I don't know about the Brad Pitt thing but yes, he was a fool dumping Jen so f**k Pitt too!

Now a nice healthy breakfast bowl recipe to start the day off with good nutrients and vitamins for energy and focus to the day ahead. Enjoy, because a cup of coffee isn't enough!

Vanilla almond breakfast bowl (contains nuts)

Ingredients:
For porridge:
50g jumbo porridge oat
200ml unsweetened almond milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp low-fat natural yogurt
25g chia seeds
For toppings:
150g punnet blueberry
25g almond, slivered or flaked
clear honey, to taste

Instructions:
1. Mix all the porridge ingredients in a bowl and leave to soak for at least 20 mins. Once the oats have softened, stir through half the blueberries. If the porridge is too dry, add a little water.
2. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls and top each with the remaining berries, almonds and honey.

Have an awesome day and keep smiling!

Love & Peace.