Mummy & Moose
clapping, napping and yapping our way through the day

Time to begin again, again. My Slimming World update.

I look pretty happy in this photo, don’t I?

Well, the truth is that I was happy. I had just joined Slimming World and I had decided that I was going to do something positive for myself and try to switch to a healthier lifestyle. Years of ignoring what I had been putting into my mouth had taken their toll and that it was time to make a change.

I didn’t have a weight target in mind. It wasn’t really about weight. I do of course want to look my best. However, I have found that since turning 30 my worries about what others see when they look at me have diminished at a pretty stealthy rate!

For me, my focus was on my health.

I already knew that 2 litres of cola each day and a penchant for drive thru food was costing me an arm and a leg. My habits needed to change. For my health and my purse!

So, the planets aligned and off to Slimming World I went. Determined that I was about to commit properly to something which would improve my life.

Fast forward nearly 6 months. Drum roll please..

..I AM THE SAME WEIGHT I WAS WHEN I STARTED THIS!

To say that I am not where I thought I would be by now is something of an understatement. I cannot pretend I’m not disappointed. I’d imagined I would be at least 3 stone down by now. Admittedly I am amused by it all too. But…

I was supposed to feel more like me

Because that’s it in a nutshell. I don’t really know the person I have become. She is certainly not who I was or who I imagined I would be. Maybe that’s just what nearly 40 feels like? Does 40 feel like giving up?

The fact of the matter is that I was ready to give up. On Slimming World. On myself.

Slimming world works. I know it works. I have seen the numbers in my book going downwards each week when I was making an effort to stick to it. The problem isn’t Slimming World. The problem is me. I have been sabotaging my own lifestyle. I wish I could say why but it’s not going to be that simple, is it?

I got a phone call on Friday night. It was my local chinese takeaway calling ME to let me know that their loyalty discount was ending that weekend and did I want to order food so I could use my discount? I shit you not. My takeaway phones me. That’s a problem.

Did I order food? Obviously I did. I enjoyed it too.

Actually though, I deserve better. So, today I will take a deep breath and walk through those doors into group. I will set aside a couple of hours for me. When I get home I’ll curl up with a cuppa and my Slimming World books and I will read through them again.

I will treat myself like a friend.

Hopefully this time around I will be able to make better choices. In a few months time maybe I will start to see a change. Not just in my body but my health too. Who knows. I will try to give myself a chance though. Wish me luck!

Living Arrows Week 24 2019

“You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth”

Moose had an inset day on Friday so he was home for an extra day. Yay! Of course I had nothing planned for us to do and it turned out that my car was still in the garage while they waited on a part for it anyway. So, I had to get a bit inventive.

We ended up having a pretty good day. Cakes were baked (with minimal input from me) and LEGO was played with and we managed to shoehorn in a movie with popcorn – not to mention the epic battle sequence Moose and I sat down to draw.

Moose likes to make up Superheroes and draw them having a battle. We don’t call it violence <ahem> it’s “action”…

 

 

Living Arrows

 

 

 

 

Ad | A nod to the 90’s with Walkers and Girl Power!

This a sponsored post. All opinions remain my own.

Let’s make something abundantly clear, I was not the Spice Girls biggest fan. The idea of Geri et al turning up on my doorstep would not fill me with happy thoughts. They would probably only be there to have a word with me about the ceremonial burning of their debut CD on a small fire in 1997 anyway. The CD belonged to one of my sisters and frankly, they had it coming. There are only so many times you can expect someone to put up with Wannabe at top volume after all.

Grrl power

I did buy into girl power though. There was a very definite influx in the 1990s of strong female voices in music and as a teenager at the time I absolutely loved it. There was a mass of them to choose from too. I still adore many. Shirley Manson, the lead singer of Garbage is definitely who I would choose to share a bag of Walkers crisps with even now. Shirley embodied everything that teenage me wanted to be in life. Not only could she write beautifully, she looked fierce, spoke out for what she believed in and she didn’t care what you thought.

There was so much female forward music in the 1990’s though. Gwen Stefani to Missy Elliot, Lauren Hill to Courtney Love ..and of course, Alanis Morissette was God. I mean she literally was God. In the movie, Dogma.

via GIPHY

 

Superwomen

There were kind of a lot of Superhuman females on our screens in the 90’s too. This was the decade which brought us Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed and of course, Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Buffy Summers was a happy go lucky cheerleader who also happened to be the Slayer, protector of the Hellmouth and the World. Leader of the Scooby-Gang, with a tragic love life. She’s a big sister and orphan, and has the entire weight of the world on her shoulders. Buffy is one of the best examples of how a woman is not defined by the length of her skirt or the twirl of her hair. It’s her actions, day in and day out that prove her worth.

The Spice Girls are back!

Nowadays my sisters have their own families to annoy but it was nonetheless amusing to see The Spice Girls pop up on a Walkers crisps advert last night during the final of BGT. The Ad was pretty funny too! We loved the Mum.

The advert opens with a presenter reporting outside what appears to be a regular semi-detached house, announcing that the ‘number 1 Spice Girls Fan has won a VIP tour ticket’. As the girls appear on screen rushing towards the house, what was initially thought of as a regular home, turns out to be a shrine to Spice Girls. Memorabilia is scattered across the walls and the super fan eagerly awaits their arrival, Walkers crisps in hand.

Flash forward to inside the house, and following a friendly exchange of words, Baby Spice turns to the super fan, hand outstretched for a Walkers crisp, which is where it all begins. As the fan swerves her advances, viewers including Googlebox’s Malone family and Walkers aficionado Gary Lineker, watch on as the action unfolds. Determined not to give up his mouth-watering crisps, the final scene sees the girls’ car screech away from Dev, with the VIP ticket back in their hands.

WALKERS SPICE GIRLS

Luckily for Walkers fans, this means the title of “best ever fan” could still theirs.

Out of the many hilarious and over the top submissions that were entered into Walkers’ Best Ever Fan Challenge in the week leading up to the ad premier, one lucky fan will take the title thanks to Dev’s misstep.

Fans were asked to post a Spice Girls related snapshot from back in the day, or to create something new and share on their social channel of choice, tagging @Walkers_Crisps and hashtagging #BestEverFan. The prize? Four VIP tickets to the Spice Girls concert on Wednesday 15th June; an exclusive meet and greet with the girls, plus 5* accommodation and travel – it’s the ultimate prize for the best ever fan.

But fret not there are other exciting prizes for those that don’t win the golden package, including 2 pairs of standard tickets to the Spice Girls concert and a range of Spice Girls merchandise.

Were you a Spice Girls fan in the 1990’s? I would love to know which 90’s star you would share a bag of Walkers crisps with? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Fathers day Gifts 2019 | Ad – gifted

Items within this post were gifted to me in exchange for inclusion. All opinions remain my own

 

Fathers day is just weeks away now and if you are anything like me you will (still) need ideas on what to buy that special man in your life.

Whether he is outdoorsy or a complete couch potato, carry on reading to find some great ideas on what to buy him.

For the tech lover

Powerful, quick and accurate. The Ring RTC1000 Rapid Digital Tyre Inflator inflates a 13″ tyre from flat to 35psi in under 2 mins. Flat design remains stable when inflating. Features include a quick-set dial, large backlit digital screen and a bright, integrated LED light. Powered directly from a vehicles 12V socket with the attached 3m power cable. Specially designed compartment on back of unit stores the 0.5m airline. Supplied with case, 3 piece adaptor set and spare valve caps.

Another fabulous gift for a Dad who loves cars (a DWLC)  has to be a dashcam. The NextBase 422GW Dash cam which is Alexa compatible is a top points scorer then, surely?

Voice call and message on the move using the world’s first 1440p Dash Cam with Alexa built-in. Use Alexa to play music, find parking, control smart home devices and talk directly to your Dash Cam. Emergency SOS will alert the emergency services to your location in the event of an accident. Intelligent Parking Mode records any bump or physical movement on the vehicle when left unattended.

A great choice for the safety conscious, tech loving Dad is the NEOS smart home camera. Really affordable at just £20, the Neos SmartCam is a clever little home camera that is compact in size and features live streaming in 1080p full HD, night vision, 8x digital zoom as well as motion and sound detection with in-app alerts and 2-way audio.

For the tea drinker

Dad needs his own mug for his cuppa and this beautifully illustrated ‘Wild at Heart’ mug made from fine bone china produced by Royal Worcester would make a lovely gift or perfect addition to your kitchen. This mug has a different image on the front and back and a third image on the inner rim.

The beautifully designed box contains four of their best-selling organic, vegan and fair trade chocolate bars.  Using only the best organic, Ecuadorian, fair trade cacao, Ombar’s Gift Box shows off the dark and rich tones of chocolate, in its purest form.  The box contains 1 x Coco Mylk bar, 1 x Coconut 60%, 1 x 72% Cacao and 1 x 90% Cacao bar! Perfect with a cuppa!

For Dads who aren’t big drinkers, Woodstars 1% may be the perfect choice. Harvested from the rainforests of Brazil where it grows wild, açai berry is first macerated in alcohol for twelve weeks to release all of its natural colour and flavours, then blended by Woodstar’s Master Liquoriste in the Cognac region of France with blackcurrants, berries, botanicals, and cocoa. A light-bodied drink with deep complexity and a deliciously dry finish, this is a perfect low-alcohol alternative – yet best enjoyed in a wine glass.

 

 

 

How to Stay on Track With Your Slimming Efforts

Body positivity is a wonderful thing, and we ladies should love our figures regardless of the size. However, if you have made the decision to lose a few pounds, you’ll know how tricky it can be to stay on track.

There are some clever little tricks that can help you to stick with your healthy eating plan. Here are just a few to help you.

Staying focused with your slimming

  • If it’s deprivation, it won’t work in the long-term. There’s no point in going on an extreme diet. Sure, you’ll lose the weight to begin with, but because you’ll feel deprived of all the foods you love, you’re likely to slip back into your old eating habits quickly. Plan what you’re going to eat in advance, and make sure it’s delicious, low-fat food. Remember, it’s a long-term lifestyle change, not a short-term fix.

 

  • Take up exercise. Exercise on its own won’t make you weigh less However, building muscle means you’ll be burning more calories, which is never a bad thing. You’ll also get the adrenalin rush of working out; another great benefit. Do an activity that you find enjoyable. There’s no point going on a five-mile run if you loathe every step of it.

 

  • Eat regularly. Feeling hungry is horrible. Those familiar mid-afternoon tummy-rumbles can swiftly derail your healthy eating plans! Keep some tasty low-fat snacks close to hand. A rice-cake with a smear of nut butter provides a hit of energy, and is pretty filling too.

 

  • Don’t ban foods. You can guarantee that if you try to ban your favourite unhealthy treat, you’ll only crave it all the more. Keep it on your eating plan, but eat less of it. For example, if you’ve got a major ice-cream weakness, have a small scoop with some berries as a treat, instead of an entire bowl with chocolate sauce on top.

 

  • Distract yourself. Don’t mooch around at home, as this will inevitably lead you to wander to the fridge. Instead, get out of the house. Go for a walk. Take the kids out somewhere and do a fun activity together. See some friends. Whatever you do, just make sure it stops you from brooding over food!

 

  • Give yourself a reward. Humans are hardwired to love rewards for good behaviour. Set yourself a target weight-loss (realistic, of course – don’t be brutal to your body), then, when you hit it, treat yourself to something. Don’t make it food, though. Instead, buy that eyeshadow palette you’ve been hankering after for a while, or a new perfume from a site like Copycat Fragrances.

 

  • Eat high-fibre foods. Aim to eat foods that are really high in fibre. Fibre’s not only great for your health, but it really fills you up. Good sources of fibre include: lentils, beans, brown rice, oats, peas and wholewheat pasta.

 

  • Keep track. As you’re getting started (and adjusting to your healthy-eating plan), use an app like MyFitnessPal to keep track of how much you’re eating during the day. It’s an effective way to stop yourself from snacking too much.

This is a collaborative post