Cook Your Way To A Healthy Smile

~ Healthy Eating ~

Two little words which I wish were as easy to adopt into daily life than they are to type.

I'm finding the whole "avoid naughty food" plan really hard right now.

Before I became pregnant I followed Slimming World and did so for a lot of years - I won't say I stuck to it religiously all of the time, but it helped me loose two and a half stone and I kept the basics at the back of my mind, following it without even thinking really, for years.

During my pregnancy though, I'll be honest, I totally took advantage of the fact that I was going to get bigger and I let all of those good eating habits fly out of the window.

And now, well, now I'm back at Slimming World with a good few stones to shift.

It's proving very hard though.

But with two little ones to look after now, healthy eating is so much more about weight loss, I need to keep the healthy habits going in our household to make sure my two little cuties are as healthy as they possibly can be.

And not only for the development of their bodies, but also to make sure their stunningly amazing smiles remain as bright, vibrant and beaming as ever.

Yep - that's right - their smiles.

simplyhealth recognise that whilst foods such as sugar can cause tooth decay and hinder a lovely smile, there are a whole host of foods which will actually benefit the development of strong healthy teeth, making a pretty smile healthier.

Which is very important to know - especially now - and to encourage me even more, simplyhealth very kindly sent me a box crammed full of some of these amazing organic superfoods from Abel & Cole...

And so, with the contents of this box I was challenged to create something in order to -

"Cook My Way To A Healthy Smile"

(I must add - the box was great by the way - I could really get used to having fresh food sent to me all of the time - it was packaged well and was really, really cold and fresh, ready to hit the fridge)

Now I'm not the most adventurous person when it comes to cooking...but thankfully I have my Hubby (A Blokes Eyeview) to help me out - he loves cooking and, unlike my efforts, he doesn't need to be glued to a cookbook in order to make something remotely edible.

And so we began...

~ Crab Fishcakes ~

~ We peeled, chopped and boiled the organic baking potatoes...

~ We added an onion to the mix and chopped it up with the celery before "frying"...

~ Meanwhile, the cheese was grated...

~ the cooked potatoes were drained and mashed up with a splash of organic milk (not pictured - oops - but also from Abel & Cole)...

~ Then we added the crab meat, onion and celery to the mash in a mixing bowl...

~ We mixed it all up before adding some of the cheese and two eggs (to help bind everything)...

~ We mixed well and then took small amounts and shaped into fishcake shapes (circles!)...

~ before frying on both sides until cooked...

We then enjoyed them with a large side salad including lots of Superfood Spinach.

I won't say they'd win any Masterchef awards or anything, but they were OK...and more importantly they contained a whole host of superfoods known for their teeth benefiting properties.

~ find more detailed information on everything I used here ~

https://www.simplyhealth.co.uk/sh/pages/healthy-you/six-superfoods-for-your-smile ~

Oh, and those apples, walnuts and hazelnuts hiding away in the box, well, I have to admit, they didn't make it into any kind of a recipe because I enjoyed nibbling them in front of the TV instead...

...well it certainly beats reaching for the chocolate now doesn't it...

Healthy Smiles all round

* collaborative post - box sent free of charge. Words & pictures all my own

Baby Baker Friday - Mama Mio, Pregnancy Skincare

So as you know, I decided that Friday's on the blog would be dedicated to my pregnancy and now, new mummy status.

I know it's not something everyone wants to read about but it is something that I really wanted to do - so I'm doing it - after all, being pregnant and having a beautiful new baby is a huge thing to be happening in my life and I really wanted to share bits and pieces of what is going on amongst these pages.

So here we go

~ Baby Baker Friday ~

Well, it's that time again - baby talk time

(which for me is pritty much the only talk my life consists of right now)

I'm loving every aspect of having a new little one in the house again, she is just perfect.

However, inbetween trying to remember what it is I need to do with her and my current obsession with Pretty Little Liars (I found out who "A" is a few days ago so I'm OK going public with my love for the show - I don't need to fear the spoilers now) my blog has suffered.

But now I've found that myself and Baby Baker are kind of slipping into our own little routine and I've finished all the six seasons of PLL so I'm hoping I can use my free time wisely, avoid any other distractions and begin popping out some more posts.

I mean I'm totally depriving the world of my ramblings if I don't sort myself out aren't I...

And so, with this post I thought I should let you in on some of the pritty brilliant products I have been treating my post-pregnancy body to.

I introduce you to Mama Mio.

You may already be aware of the fact that Baby Baker was six weeks old yesterday (time is flying!) and I received this little bundle of goodies back whilst I was still very heavily pregnant.

The package contained everything I could possibly need to keep my pregnant and new-mummy skin as soft, supple and moisturised as possible.

~ Hallelujah ~

I've been quite lucky throughout both of my pregnancies really in that I only developed a few clusters of quite tiny stretch marks which is something I can't grumble about at all.

But even so I'm still not overly happy with the state of my body at the moment.

I know I should give myself a bit of a break - in the grand scheme of things it has only been six weeks since I, not only had a baby, but had a baby through major surgery...

...but...

But I r-e-a-l-l-y can't wait to get back into a size 10 pair of jeans!

But it's not just the whole weight gain side of things that's changed, my skin, particularly the skin around my stomach area is really dry and quite rough to the touch...frankly, it's not pretty at all so I'm over the moon to have the opportunity to work my way through this lovely array of stomach softening lotions and potions.

I'm currently testing out the Tummy Rub Oil, the Goodbye Stretch Marks cream and The Tummy Rub Butter so I don't have full reviews on the end results of these but what I do know is that so far, they are fabulous.

Each product smells great and they actually really compliment each other on the skin.

Each one is packed full of organic ingredients - many of which are well known for their healing powers - exactly what my stretched out, horrible looking skin is calling out for.

They apply beautifully and sink into the skin straight away - even the oil is unique - an oil which isn't particularly oily on the skin - I love it - no oil slick clothing after using this one.

I've very much enjoyed using each of these and fingers crossed, they will help ward off and battle away the stretch marks that I do have as completely as they can...and (I'm holding out for miracles here!) hopefully, will help my body shrink back to normal.

One of the products I received which I have been using, and have been using a lot, particularly back when I was pregnant is "Lucky Legs".

The main pregnancy problem I suffered with was having huge, swollen feet - they were horrible and constantly looked as though they had been inflated with a bicycle pump.

And they constantly ached, were always tender and forever felt painful.

~ Oh how attractive ~

* Queue arrival of miracle cream *

Trust me - my legs did feel very lucky when this was introduced into their lives.

The stuff literally saved me at the end of my pregnancy and I really wish I had have known of it's existence all the way through the nine month period because it is blooming marvellous and I would have bought it by the lorry load.

After a bath I would lather it all over my lower legs, feet and ankles and then simply take ten minutes out for myself.

The cream began to work it's magic after only a few minutes, and the only way I can describe how it felt is to compare it to eating a really strong, airway clearing cough sweet - those that make your nose and chest feel as though they are really cold and stripped bare.

That's exactly how this cream made my legs feel - really cold and tingly but amazingly refreshed and eased.

It was a life saver and I love the stuff - I still lather it on now after a particularly busy day.

I can't recommend it enough and I know, from what I'm seeing so far, every pregnant lady everywhere really needs this whole Mama Mio collection at their disposal.

The results are speaking for themselves

* PR samples sent for review - words, opinions & pictures all my own

Baby Baker Friday - Bravado Nursing Bra's

So as you know, I decided that Friday's on the blog would be dedicated to my pregnancy and now, new mummy status.

I know it's not something everyone wants to read about but it is something that I really wanted to do - so I'm doing it - after all, being pregnant and having a beautiful new baby is a huge thing to be happening in my life and I really wanted to share bits and pieces of what is going on amongst these pages.

So here we go

~ Baby Baker Friday ~

So, before Baby Baker's birth, I had this whole huge list of ideas and things I really wanted to make happen once she was in the world.

One of the things situated right at the top of the list - something which was starred, underlined and highlighted - was the fact that I really wanted to breastfeed.

I was adamant that it would happen.

However, sometimes we simply must face facts that no matter what we do, even the best prepared for plans don't quite go how we would like.

And trust me, I was prepared as much as I could have been.

Yet it didn't matter one little bit.

~ Forget that I had kitted myself out with breast pads, nipple creams, maternity tops and even a breast pump.

~ Ignore that I had googled things, had read leaflets and had spoken with numerous health care professionals.

~ Push aside the fact that Baby Baker had managed to feed from me for her first 48 hours.

In the end none of it mattered at all because obviously, it was something that just wasn't meant to be in the long term.

And it wasn't meant to happen because of the pain.

Oh the horrible, horrendous pain - it caused lots of frustrated tears, some feelings of failure and all my nipples wanted to do was up and evacuate my body in a "too painful" protest.

Myself and the Hubby made the decision that evening that bottle feeding was the best way forward for us all.

And now Baby Baker is thriving, she is happy and we love our feeding-bonding time.

So everything turned out fantastic.

But as I said, before all of this, I had spent time getting myself all prepared.

I had all of these things - everything to help me on a boobie feeding journey - even right down to feeding appropriate undies...

Aren't the colours great - so much better than simple black or white
(how boring!)

These bras are by Bravado and are fabulously comfortable, sporty style bra tops.

Their seamless design has patented Silverbreeze technology incorporated within which makes them perfect for offering excellent support during low-impact activities such as walking or yoga.

The design of the bra is to obviously help make breastfeeding as easy and as fuss free as possible and I am in no doubt that they would do this perfectly...

~ they have a useful, easy to clip down front design...

~ they have a wide, very supportive, fully adjustable back fastening...

And just because it turned out that breastfeeding wasn't for me there was no way I was missing out on wearing these beauties that's for sure - and I haven't - I've had them both on numerous times, and do you know what, they have to be two of the most comfortable bras I have ever had the pleasure of wearing.

Soft, stretchy, supportive - brilliant.

Most importantly though, I found that they were absolutely perfect for my post-pregnancy sore, swollen, tender boobies.

The material of both bras was really soft to the touch and it felt just amazing - like silk - on my poorly skin.

Then there was the fact that the cups of both bras were quite structured and padded (my Hubby told me it looked as though they already had boobs in them!) and this factor helped me out again - it offered me a lot of support and coverage without any need for lots of uncomfortable underwiring being involved.

~ Fabulous ~

I am very much a fan of these bras and will definitely be wearing them as I begin my post-pregnancy fitness journey...

...that is, if I don't just wear them everyday instead...

Because I could quite literally wear them forever

* PR Samples sent for review - words & pictures all my own

Finding Fab Beauty Bits

A little while ago, with thanks to the power of "the blog" I discovered two pritty fab beauty products which I would otherwise never have even known about.

I was very kindly gifted both of these lovelies and just wanted to let everyone know how I got on with them.

The first item was from the brand Vinchy and is actually something I have had in my possession for quite a while now but, I'll be honest, I was a little reluctant to use it at first, simply because my skin colouring can be a tad awkward to match up to foundations, however, after trying this just once I really wish I'd braved it sooner.

The Vinchy Ideal Soleil BB Cream is great...

...and despite this "Natural Tan" shade not being a total spot on match for me, it's actually not too far off the mark to be honest and when mixed with my usual foundation it does the trick fantastically.

Now obviously with it being a BB Cream, the coverage isn't great for full on drama or anything, but if you're after a more toned down look with just a little bit of something on the skin, then this is great.

So as I said, I actually tend to use BB Creams mixed in with my regular foundation and I do this for two reasons:

1. The BB Cream helps to bulk out expensive foundations making them last longer
2. BB Creams really help to tone down coverage of foundation helping create an overall look which isn't too full on or heavy looking - the type of make up look I prefer.

And this little Vinchy product certainly didn't go letting me down that's for sure - it did just what I needed it to do.

Next up, is another great product, one by a brand I have actually already had the pleasure of discovering in the past (find post here).

Roger & Gallet sent me this fresh smelling Gingembre Rouge Energising Sorbet body lotion and I have absolutely loved using it.

For a start - well just look at it - "it" in all it's fabulous pinkness...

...a major point earner in my book as I do love nice packaging.

This body lotion is packed with fruity pomegranate oil which helps give it a really yummy scent - something else I absolutely love from my products - lots of fruitiness.

However, winning scent aside, I found the cream itself to be just as fabulous - it feels so hydrating and makes skin feel nourished and soft for hours after use.

I love this skin sorbet so much that I simply have to allow it to fall into the category as being one of my current favourite new beauty finds.

I'm certainly going to have some fabulous skin this winter that's for sure

* PR samples. Words & images all my own

Shopping In The City Of York - #ShopInYork

~ Yay ~

I'm back

I know, I know - it's taken me a while to get myself sorted but I'm finally here, working hard again to get this little blog of mine back in action.

I actually didn't realise quite how long I've been out of the loop, but it's now almost (gulp!) Christmas and I haven't really had anything even remotely festive on these pages as of yet have I?!

~ Scandalous ~

But today, well today I'm rectifying that a little bit.

I'm going to let you in on my very favourite place to go shopping, a place I know I will be visiting again soon to make a start on all of that ever important Christmas purchasing.

And that place is none other than the ever beautiful city of York.

I absolutely love York and it seems those lovely people at Rodgers Of York (situated just five minutes away from the centre within Monks Cross) totally understand my love for the city too.

I always jump at the chance to get myself inside of the beautiful city walls.

It has so much to offer and I'm pleased to admit that I've managed to find a fair few opportunities to take trips there in the past...

~ I have dined in the very fancy The Grand Hotel, stuffing my face with copious amount of fabulous afternoon tea goodness - the perfect place for adding a touch of class to any day trip out...

~ I have drooled over the fantasticness that is Betty's Tea Room and I even managed to spend a small fortune on an array of their lovely sweet Christmassy treats for family members last Christmas too...

~ I have popped in and out of the various museums within the city, allowing myself time to soak up some of the lovely York culture, really helping to add a different dimension to any shopping trip...

~ I have dined in some of the fabulous York eateries - the perfect way to refuel after a long, hard day trawling all of those fabulous shops...

But best of all I have simply loved, loved, LOVED getting inside all of the amazing shops York has to offer.

Yes, I realise that there are similar shops in other cities, many which are actually nearer to my home than those in York are, and yes, I know that many other cities do actually have more in the way of retail places than York does, but nothing quite matches up to York for me.

It is the sheer prettiness of the city which makes it stand out as "the best" for me I think - it certainly has something very few other places have.

For one, there is York's ever famous Shambles street which is not only packed with restaurants, shops and tourist attractions but it also has it's own interesting stories to tell. 

The Shambles is really quaint and very "olde worlde" really.

It is the kind of place you can't help but be swept away with, what with the years and years worth of history packed within all of it's amazing fifteenth century buildings.

It is so pretty.

And to prove my point even more, the street holds it's own award - Most Picturesque Street in the Country - so it seems everyone shares my views.

But if that wasn't enough, it has to be good when even my Husband likes going "Shambles Shopping" - that really does say a lot in York's favour trust me...

With York, I feel you not only get all of the shops and the pretty markets, but because everything just looks so nice it really helps to make being there feel a whole lot less stressful and a lot more fun and peaceful.

~ Perfect ~

York brings prettiness, quaintness and even a little magic to shopping sprees which will really help to make every aspect of festive-season preparation as lovely as possible.

Fabulous shopping? Visit York!

* written in collaboration with Rodgers Of York

Harrogate's Foodies Festival Does Christmas

Now I don't think I actually know a person who didn't get totally drawn in, hook line and sinker with the whole GBBO phenomenon recently - and to me that just shows how much we all love fantastic food.

All of those cakes, bakes and show-stoppers certainly made my Wednesday evenings that's for sure.

But why am I bringing this up now I hear you ask?

Well, all in good time...

First I want to refresh your memory a little to a brilliant event I attended in Harrogate a few months ago - the food-tastic Foodies Festival...

(see post here)

And what a fantastic day it was too.

So - a food festival, the GBBO - what on earth could I be wanting to bring to your attention today?

Well...

The Foodies Festival is happening all over again, and this time it has an amazing Christmasy theme.

Make a little note in your diaries food lovers - 11-13th December at Harrogate's International Centre

It's not to be missed, especially if the fabulous summer event was anything to go by - it was a really fun day out.

And I'm sure it will be again when I pop along myself in December.

So what's happening?

Well, there will be a whole host of fabulously famous chefs swapping their aprons for Christmas hats, cooking up delicious treats and sharing all of their tantalising yummy knowledge with everyone.

From The Clarendon Hotel's Lionel Strub to Jackie Kearney - MasterChef Finalist 2011 - there will be so many fun things to see, do and more importantly, to taste.

And now that Baby Baker is with us in the world, I shall be scoping out the Gin Cocktail Masterclass that's for sure and the Artisan Christmas Market is high up on my "must see" list too.

Add these to the Champagne Sky Bar the kiddie friendly Elf Cookery School and the endless list of other treats, it's a day I'm certainly looking forward to already.

But if that's not all (and now my GBBO reference should make sense!) this years Great British Bake Off Winner, and Leeds lady Nadiya Jamir Hussain will also be taking centre stage and making her Foodies Festival debut during the weekend...

Personally, I think she is fab and a very well deserved winner - I can't wait to meet her.

So how do you get there?

Well, tickets for the event are available right now from www.foodiesfestival.com ...

Advance tickets available from £9.50

Friday adult day ticket £10.00 (£8.00 concession)

Saturday or Sunday adult day ticket £13.00 (£11.00 concession)

3-day adult ticket £20.00 (£16.00 concession)


Friday VIP ticket £35.00

Saturday or Sunday VIP ticket £38.00

(Children under 12 years go free when accompanied by an adult)

~ H O W E V E R ~

Those lovely Foodies Festival people have given me not one but two pairs of tickets to give away to you lovely lot.

You can pop along, on a day of your choice, and enjoy a festive food filled day - absolutely free.

All you have to do is simply check out the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easy as that!

Two winners will be chosen at random on 8th December and will then have 24 hours to contact me regarding the day they would like to attend the festival
(so that I can let Foodies Festival know when to expect their guests!)

Good Luck & Happy Entering