I want to be an old lady like K

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while, even though I'm currently not working, I seem to have been caught up in so much stuff. It's like I have so much going on in my head and a few days ago I just had to stop, think and reflect...

I'm always thinking about what I want.  For example I'm constantly thinking about losing my pregnancy weight,  my wrinkles, buying a new phone...the list is just endless.  When did I turn into such a materialistic, vein cow? I know this has been the case for a long time, even with my career I was super competitive, I was never happy, I always wanted more.   The thing is, I have rarely met someone that is happy with what they have or how they look...actually I have never met someone that is grateful for what they have.  I'm in my 30's and I still can't accept that I don't have a wash board stomach! I look in the mirror and I don't see  what my mum, husband and friends see, I see faults and count my grey hairs ( I have 6). 

The media is constantly going on about how teenagers have an unhealthy attitude about themselves and their image.  Actually I have met women and men (in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even in their 60s) that still have an unhealthy attitude about their image..when does it end?

Today I dropped off my little boy at his Tennis club and the lady  (K) that lived next door said hello to me.  She was in her 80s, she was cheerful and sweet.  I decided to talk to her for a bit.  I found out that her husband had passed away six weeks ago. She had three boys that she and her husband had raised in their family home.  Now her husband was gone, her boys had left home and she was living alone in her big five bedroom house and her house was going up for sale. She was so accepting but for that moment I was petrified.  All the things I take for granted my parents, my husband, my children , family friends..one day I'm going to wake up and I may also be in the same situation as K.  The problem is I don't think I'd be as brave or as cheerful as K.  I'd have regrets about the years of my life that I have wasted beating myself up about the slice of cake I ate or my stretch marks.

Life is short so don't be harsh on yourself, you may be young today but before you know it you will be an old person. Do you want to be that old person that is sad and bitter or do you want to be like K?  Thank you K, I hope that one day I'm as accepting as you are  and have wonderful memories like you.  Be grateful for what you have, some people act like they have a perfect life but in reality no one does. Stop comparing yourself, enjoy being you and create more fabulous memories, take on challenges and begin new adventures. Do nice things for other people and be positive about all the good things in your life.  All easier said than done but try.

Love,

Minoushe xx 

A review of my new best friend…Sorry Diego

I'd never replace you Diego!

I’m being completely honest when I say I always want a quick fix.  I eat the wrong food and diet for two days and want results.  I sometimes fall asleep with my makeup on and then I’m horrified when my skin suffers.  I don’t think I have changed much since my teens and twenties, except that I have noticed that I’m not getting away with it as much.

So last month I came across a gadget called a Magnitone.  It claimed to empty out pores and tone your skin.  I suppose it was like an electric toothbrush but for the face.   Now being the sort of person that wants quick results, I thought I’d give it ago. After all it promised results in just seven days.  So I ordered the ‘Full Monty’ Magnitone (after of course convincing my husband that I really needed it in my life and I would definitely use it!) even though it was more expensive than the ‘Barefaced’ Magnitone.  I went for this particular model because you could also use it on your body and feet.

Easy to use

When I got it through the post, I was impressed with the packaging and I loved the fact the Magnitone was a bright colour.  It really stood out on my dressing table which meant that I would be less likely to misplace it (I have a very annoying habit of losing things).  I loved the fact that it had a USB charger meaning that I could use my iphone plug to charge it or just simply plug it into my computer to charge which is great for traveling. Getting the Magnitone through the post made me remember the time when I was 13 and I had four friends stay over. As they were all sitting round the table having breakfast, my mum came along with a parcel she had received, she told us she had ordered a face massager to tone her face. As she was opening the box she informed us the importance of looking after our skin. As mum pulled out her new face massager from the box and started to massage her face, I felt my heart sink and my face turn a beetroot colour.  My friends couldn’t stop laughing as my mother rubbed this phallic looking object over her face, while she called us dirty mined! Thankfully the Magnitone looks nothing like that!

I don’t really read instruction booklets and found that the Magnitone was idiot proof.  You press a button and off you go! Initially I charged it for 24 hours and decided that I would use it once a day just before bedtime. So I did my usual and washed my face to remove my eye makeup and added some cleanser and used the magnitone (toning setting) and worked around my face and neck, it was so quick it only took a minute and there was a beeper every 20 seconds to remind you to move to the next area of your face and automatically stopped after a minute. 

Stands out on my messy dresser

Results

After the first couple of uses my face definitely felt smoother, after one week my pores on my nose and chin were definitely much smaller.  The real test came when I saw my mum.  My mum (also my backbone and my critical friend) took one look at me and said “your skin looks good, what are you using?  Whatever it is I want one!”.  I was  pleasantly shocked as my mum normally tells me that I need to look after my skin and is the first person to point out if she doesn’t like what I’m wearing, if I look bloated, etc (she has a way with words).  

It’s been two weeks since I have started using the magnitone , its only added one minute to my bedtime routine and my husband is impressed that I’m still using it.  I love it and just like I won’t be going back to using a normal tooth brush, I won’t be giving up my Magnitone…It's a great investment for a busy mum. 

No...We are not going back!

Things to remember when using the Magnitone…

     1. you only need to use it once a day. Night is better as it’s when you have the most grime on your face! 

     2. Don’t press hard on your face just glide in circular motions. Remember you are not scrubbing your face. 

     3. Wash the head after each use 

     4. Replace the head every three months 

     5. Don’t use it on your eye area. 

     6. It’s waterproof

What makes the Magnitone special?

Unlike many similar looking products on the market the Magnitone doesn’t work like them (a scrubber). It uses a combination of pulsed vibrations and sonic oscillations that wobbles the dirt out of the pores, tones and boosts micro-circulation (Magnitone.co.uk).

Even though I love my Magnitone, if I could improve it I would...

1. have a light that would come on to notify me if I’m pressing too hard on my skin/face, just like I have on my electric toothbrush, when I add too much pressure on my teeth a red light comes on.

2. have it come in red, the barefaced Magnitones come in many different colours.  The Full Monty only comes in grey or teal.  I love strong colours especially red…

If you have any questions about the magnitone, just send me an e-mail and remember also eating well is key to looking good!

I need to remember to get one for my mum before she comes over and nicks mine!

Speak soon,

Minoushe xxx

P.s If Magnitone is reading this please send me a red one! 

Carve a pumpkin and nail it...

It's been a while so I thought I'd ease myself back into blogging with pumpkin carving. Before I begin I just want to say thank you to those that have e-mailed for advise or help, it's always such a pleasure to hear from you. <3




To carve a pumpkin you will need the following;

A pumpkin;
A curving tool kit ( see pic for tools);
Kitchen roll (it gets messy);
A stencil ( you can buy or download these);
Sticky tape;
Led tea lights (far safer than the real thing);
A puppy to eat the mess caused on the floor (optional);
Patience 

Step one:
Begin by chopping off the bottom of the pumpkin. This is far better as the lid normally tends to shrivel and go mouldy.

Step two:
Scoop the inside of the pumpkin out till it is hollow. Make sure you do this properly as if the inside is too thick the design won't work well.

Step three:
Tape your stencil onto your pumpkin, this can be a bit fiddly.

Step four:
Using the stick thing and/or the roller with jagged edges to go over the outline of the stencil (this takes a bit of time).














Step five:
Remove the stencil and you should end up with an outline of the picture.

Step six:
Use the saw tool to cut out the perforated edges.

Step seven:

Rinse, dry your pumpkin and display with your with the Led tea lights.Tip: so your pumpkin lasts longer store it in a bucket of water.

Click below for free pumpkin stencils

http://www.pumpkinpile.com/patterns.php

Stretch marks can be an utter pain...See my review of Viridian's Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil

So I'm 30 weeks pregnant and to be honest I feel like a hippo. I can feel my belly getting bigger and bigger, which is great in a way because it means the little guy in there is growing. However one thing comes to mind is stretch marks!

Stretch marks affect a lot of people (men and women). Before I had my son I was lucky enough to have never suffered from them, however within the last few days of my pregnancy they appeared all over my tummy. I'll be honest I didn't take it well. I tried creams, lasers and even wanted a tummy tuck (which I was told I wasn't a suitable candidate for). At the time I just obsessed with them and wished that I had tried to prevent them. 7 years later they have really faded and I'm paranoid about them returning. I have met many people that have been bothered by stretch marks and I suppose many of us don't think about preventing them until we get them. 

Just over four weeks ago I was given the opportunity to review a few products by Viridian. 

One product in particular really stood out and that was the "Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil".  I thought this is definitely worth a go and was also safe to use when pregnant.  I read the instructions, the oil was to be applied morning and night. Initially I thought this was going to be messy, but the oil came in a bottle with a pump, which meant that I could dispense it without making a mess.  So I started in the evening after my shower. I was so pleasantly surprised that when I applied the oil it was absorbed into my skin straight away and I could wear my clothes almost immediately, which was proving very handy in the morning! I didn't need tons of it either and as I applied it the annoying itch I had on belly disappeared, It was soothing and actually helped my sleep.

Before using the Viridian Skin Repair Oil, I was using coconut oil which was really messy and wasn't getting absorbed into my skin as well. I next looked at the ingredients and did a bit of research and found that the Viridian oil contained 'Rosehip fruit oil'. Rosehip oil contains a natural derivative of vitamin A which is safe to use during pregnancy. The more research I did about this stuff the more I found out it was hailed as a beauty miracle. It renews damaged skin and fights wrinkles and stretch marks. It's seems to be the beauty secret to the likes of Kate Middleton, Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow. So if it's good enough for them it's definitely good enough for us!

It's been a crazy few weeks for me, dealing with a poorly child and getting my house ready to be attacked by builders and living in a dusty house without any ceilings. Most of my beauty rituals have gone out of the window but I have religiously stuck to applying the oil to my belly.  I haven't given up mainly because the relief I have been getting from my belly itchiness, how soft my belly has felt and the ease and the lack of mess in applying the oil.

I love the fact that Viridian is Organic and made without the use of synthetic fragrances or colourings and is an ethical company. I also love the fact that a little of the Skin Repair Oil goes a long way.

I have been using the oil for just over four weeks now and I'm still stretch mark free even though I have exploded! My Bump is huge.  I must admit I'm very fussy with my creams and on my face I use Creme de la Mer.  I am a cream snob so for me personally I have been very impressed with the oil and will continue go use it after pregnancy.

  
Viridian Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil costs £15.76 for 100ml 
http://www.viridian-nutrition.com/shop/Ultimate-Beauty-Skin-Repair-Topical-Oil-P598.aspx

If you have any questions about Viridian skin repair oil, pregnancy or stretch marks, just Tweet or e-mail me!

Speak soon,

Minoushe xx

Paleo Banana and Dark Chocolate Bread....Yummy

You know when you have had a week of Just eating all the junk in the world? Well I'm having one of those weeks and its not like I can say, ok I'm on a diet from Monday because being pregnant means that I shouldn't really go on my mad diets (which funnily enough I miss). I'm  feeling constantly hungry and every time I eat I get this horrible heartburn.

 

Yesterday morning I didn't feel too well and I stupidly skipped breakfast and by lunch time I was starving! I made myself a cheese and jam sandwich...Yep you read correctly and as I consumed the whole thing in a couple of minutes, I didn't feel in control of my body anymore...I needed this control back and eating sugary things is just not good for me or baby, so I decided to make a some paleo banana and dark chocolate bread. At least if I then have a sugar craving I could have something that has healthy ingredients in it. So here goes...

First preheat the oven at 170 degrees and grease and line a load tin with baking paper. You will need the following ingredients

300 g of almond flour

1 tsp. of baking powder

A pinch of salt

1 cup and a little bit extra of dark chocolate chips ( I used a bar of 85% green and blacks dark chocolate and chopped it up)

2  eggs (from the fridge)

2 very ripe bananas (chopped)

1/4 of agave syrup (you can use honey too)

1 tsp. of orange juice

 

 

 

Beat the eggs for a couple of minutes with an electric whisk and add the bananas, agave and orange juice and whisk till well combined. Next add the 1/2 the almond flour,  baking powder and salt and mix till well combined, then add the rest of the almond flour and combine well. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips and put the mixture in the loaf tin. Sprinkle on top a few more chocolate chips and bake in the oven for around 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if it's ready. When ready remove from the oven and leave to completely cool on a wire rack!

Cut a slice and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee!  

Lastly, this appraisal I received last Sunday made my heart melt ...

 

 

 

Speak soon, Love,

 

Minoushe xx

 

Amazing liquid that promises results! UPDATE

For the last month I have stuck to this water challenge as best as possible. It's not been easy seeming that I don't particularly like the taste of water but the results have been worth it.

Here’s why…

Initially I had a few spotty outbreaks, but shortly afterwards my face became clear and smooth. I was getting quite a few compliments about my complexion.

I have always been lucky in that I didn't really suffer from cellulite but pregnancy seemed to have changed this... When I increased my water intake to between 1.5 to 2 litres daily I noticed within a week that my cellulite had started to go - result!

I also wasn't feeling as hungry as I normally was which was good news for me. I felt much more in control of my hunger pangs.

With regards to being pregnant I noticed that increasing my water intake had a positive effect on my constant heartburn and constipation! (Something else you only find out about when you get pregnant).

So have I got used to drinking more water? Yes but I'm still needing to remind myself. The benefits have definitely been worth it and aiming for 1.5 to 2 liters a day makes a huge difference. One handy thing I started doing was when eating out or in coffee shops, I was ordering tap water along side my coffees, teas and meals. I also noticed that I found it easier to drink water that wasn't freezing cold.

Now the challenge is to keep it going!

Speak soon,

Minoushe xx

Pregnancy can be hard!

Quote of the week: Mummy I’m glad the baby will use my old cot because I’ll get to lie in my bed knowing I was the first to fart in it!

Let's put it this way nothing really works out how you planned it to and if it did life would be boring. I know I haven't posted in a long time not because I have had ‘writers block’ but because thinking back to my first pregnancy experience was difficult.  I remember it very clearly and what I remember most of all is how it was nothing like I imagined!

I have a 7 year old and you would think that if I was having another one I would have had it four years ago??? Well wrong..I did always have the intention to but I think my first time round of being pregnant was a shock and to be honest not a lot of mums like to admit it but I will. I found it tough! I found being pregnant really hard. How my body changed was a shock..instead of craving cucumber I craved pizza and chocolate milk. I ended up gaining six stone or what I prefer to say I gained a 12 year old!

Friends looked at me worryingly and held their breath every time I waddled down the corridor..the students I taught wanted me to sit down as they were terrified I'd go into early labour..the PE department referred to me as 'the Unit'. I was constantly asked if I was having twins (trust me I wanted to slap those insensitive idiots silly).

Looking back I can see I made a huge mistake when I found out I was pregnant I wanted everyone to notice I was pregnant so I naively ate and ate..when I was 12 weeks pregnant I looked like I was 25 weeks pregnant. I retained so much water I had to take my wedding rings off..I remember remarking to my husband that my wedding ring didn't fit but it didn't matter anymore whether I was taken or not because I was clearly off limits

After the birth of my little boy I did something I should have never done I decided to try on my pre-pregnancy jeans and I was heart broken when I found that they didn't even fit through my foot.. It was awful, I felt so down..I became invisible to the opposite sex and instead of doors being held for me they were just slammed in my face.  Don't get me wrong it's not that I wanted every man staring at me but its nice to get a compliment (from a man or woman).  Instead of enjoying my beautiful little boy, I felt alone, I felt like I had lost my identity. Feeling like this made me feel guilty and I suppose it’s only now I feel ready to have another one.

Some women have wonderful experiences of pregnancy but it’s ok if you are not one of them! I’m not only dedicating this post to all mummies that found it difficult but also to those who will want to be mums in the future.  It’s important to realise whatever you experience, it’s ok...I guarantee you won’t be the only one.

Here are my do’s and don’ts when pregnant…

1. Do join a pregnancy yoga class. It’s great to talking to other people in the same position as you and the stretching helps with all the back pain.
2. Do get a pregnancy pillow.  It will help you and your partner get some sleep at night.
3. Do get some cream to massage into your belly and body.  

   

   
   
4. Do drink lots of water.
5. Do eat lots of fruit and vegetables, if you are not that keen make a smoothie!

   

   
   
6. If you crave something like pizza or cheesecake, have it but don’t go crazy.

   

   
   
7. Do join the NCT and if this is your 2nd baby, they do a refresher course.
8. Don’t google all your symptoms, trust me it can scare the living daylights out of you. Speak to a midwife instead.
9. Do go to a baby show, you get lots of freebies and you can get an idea of all the new products out there.

   

   
   
10. Don’t compare bumps, remember everyone is different!
11. Don’t eat for two! You will probably need to eat more but don’t go crazy.
12. If you are feeling really down, don’t ignore the signs, speak to your GP or midwife. They will provide you with support.

Much Love,

Minoushe xx