Fitness Moments | Expectations

I've learnt this week that expectations can be dangerous things.
Last week I missed my weigh in, so this week was two weeks of loss.
I stuck to plan for weight watchers and wasn't over my calories. I did lots of activity and even joined and used the gym.
I was expecting to lose at least four pounds but I told myself I would be happy with three or more.
I just got weighed in (in fact I'm waiting for class to start) and I lost one and a half.
Now the logical part or my brain is tellin me that it's still a loss and I should be happy.
The part of me that placed that three pound minimum expectation, is really upset with just one and a half.

What I've learnt from this is that I shouldn't  tell myself I'd only be happy with X amount of loss. As long as I'm losing, I should be happy.

I'll work on that for next week.

Start weight: 185lbs
Current weight: 163.5lbs
Lost so Far: 21.5lbs

Fitness Moments| Getting Active

Hi Guys,

As you may know, if you've read previous posts of mine. I'm on a health kick at the moment, and I'm trying to lose a bunch of weight to get down to my goal of 112lbs. So far I've lost 20lbs, and I'm eager to keep it up.

I have health problems (Postural Orthistatic Tachycardia Syndrome), and in the past, I've always been wary of exercising, because I collapse enough as it is, without increasing my heart rate voluntarily. However, my doctors have told me in the past that I need to get exercise, and my mum who works in the health profession as well, has also encouraged me to work out. So I've been doing some workouts, at home.

I downloaded an app to my tablet called 7. It's a challenge to do a 7 minute workout every day for 7 months. Now, because of my health, I can't always manage to do it everyday, but I do try and get one circuit done as often as I can.

I'm extremely fortunate to live near the beach, so as often as I can, I'll go for a walk with my brother, sister or my parents (I'm not allowed out on my own, because I collapse too often and without warning, and sometimes wind up unconscious).

I've recently purchased a FitBit One, and can I just say, I love it. I managed to get it cheaper, because I found one on an Amazon warehouse deal. I was thrilled, because I'd wanted one for a while, and then they announced that FitBit now linked with weight watchers, and I wanted one even more.

I love that it gives you goals each day, because it motivates me to reach them, so I do more activity. The other night, I had collapsed and couldn't stand up, so I was finding ways of reaching my calorie burning goals, without having to stand up. 

Now, I really want to step up my weight loss even more, so I've been discussing it with my mum, and I've decided that I'm going to join the gym. It's only a five minute drive from our house, and my parents are both members, so even though I always need someone with me, I'll definitely have someone to go with.

I'm excited to be joining, and can't wait to see the weight continue to drop off.

One other thing that excites me about joining the gym, is that it's giving me an excuse to buy some gym clothes, and I love buying new clothes.

So I decided to take a look at Fabletics. It's a sister company of JustFab, which I've used in the past to buy some very nice boots. It's co-founded by Kate Hudson, and there are some really nice workout clothes on there. The best part is, you can get your first outfit for just £22!

If you want to check it out, you can follow the link below.

http://www.fabletics.co.uk/invite/messylittlemoments/

I'll definitely be getting my workout clothes from them, and I've already seen at least three different outfits that I want! Eek, I shall have to narrow it down.

Current Weight | 165lbs Goal | 112lbs | Lost So Far | 20lbs

Health Moments | Losing Weight 10 Simple Tips

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I've written anything here, so I was thinking today about what I could write about, and I decided to write about something that's really relevant to me right now, and that's losing weight.

For a while now I've been gaining weight, yo-yo dieting and generally feeling unhappy about how I look. When I was 17 I was a UK size 6-8, and at 5'2 that was my ideal weight/size. I was happy with the size I was. However, it didn't stay that way.

When I was 16 I was diagnosed with an illness called Postural Orthistatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and very quickly I went from being an active person, walking to and from college five days a week, to not being able to stand up without collapsing to the floor.

I got into treatment, and now my condition is controlled. I still collapse, a lot. I still have symptoms every day. I get tired easily, I get headaches, chest pain, dizzy spells, and collapse without any warning several times each week. However, I now have some good days as well. I can have a whole day when I don't collapse, it's just a really unpredictable illness. I may even write a blog post about it someday.

Long story short, though, is that since my diagnosis I started getting way less active. My heart rate goes fast, I get tired and I just stopped doing really any exercise, even though my doctors told me I should try and do some each week.

I started gaining weight, eating more junk food, and before I knew it, I'm now 22 and weighing in at 13st 3lbs (185lbs). I was wearing a size 16 and I was not happy at all with how I looked.

In the past, I've dipped in and out of different diets, but I always end up giving up pretty quickly. Back at the start of September, I decided that I wasn't going to keep on giving up. I was going to do it this time.

I started off by challenging myself to doing 30 Days of Fitness. For the whole of September I was going to eat better, drink more water and do more exercise. I stuck to my calorie goal everyday. I exercised as much as my health allowed me to. Then when the month was nearing an end, to stop myself from losing motivation, I joined weight watchers with my mum and sister.

Since the beginning of September, I've gone from 13st 3 lbs (185lbs) to 12st 1.5lbs (169.5lbs). I've lost 15.5lbs in less than two months! I've dropped a dress size, and I'm excited to keep going. 

So, I wanted to share what I've been doing, because dieting and losing weight can be confusing. Trying to work out what you should be doing, or what diet to follow can be tough, so I just wanted to share what's worked for me, because it really is simple.

Images from freedigitalphotos.net

1. Track what you eat (I use My Fitness Pal)
2. Make smart choices (eat healthier, brown rice instead of white, whole wheat pasta instead of white, lean cuts of meat).
3. Be aware of portion sizes! Don't guess, weigh what you eat and track it.
4. Don't go over your calorie allowance, but don't under eat either.
5. Snack less, and if you do need to snack, pick lower calorie options, or halve the portion size of something higher in calories. Really need a chocolate fix? Cut the bar in half, or better still, quarter it.
6. Move more. Try taking the stairs instead of the lift. Park further away from your destination. Jog on the spot during TV adverts.
7. Try and fit in a few workouts a week. (When my health allows, I try and do 3-4 30 minute workouts each week).
8. Weigh yourself each week. Whether you join a slimming club (like I have with weight watchers) or you're doing it alone. Weigh yourself in each week, and keep a check on it. On My Fitness Pal you can log your weight each week.
9. Reward yourself. Set goals and when you meet them, reward yourself. For every pound I lose, I save a pound in the bank. When I hit goal weight, I'm treating myself to a dress from ModCloth.
10. Lose with a friend. Having someone on the journey with you is great motivation. So don't do it alone, lose with a friend or family member, or connect with people trying to accomplish what you're trying to accomplish.

It's all simple stuff, but it's what's been working for me. I'm currently following the Healthy and Filling plan at weight watchers, and at the same time I track my calories so that I don't overdo the portion sizes, and it's working for me.

I'm not feeling hungry, I don't feel like I'm dieting, and I'm losing the weight at a good and healthy pace.

So there you have it, that's what I'm doing to lose weight. My goal is to get to 8st (112lbs) and back into a size 8. I have a long way to go, but I'm excited about getting there.

Thrift Moments | Thrift Haul #2

Hi Guys,
I went out to my local charity shops again, and I found some really great thrifty things. I'm really pleased with what I got, so I thought I'd do another thrift haul.

6 Books

£2.70

Detailed Blouse

£3

Black & Gray Top

£2.50

Burgundy & Black Polka Dot Dress

£5

Turquoise Dress

£5

Floral Print Dress

£3

Blue T-Shirt

£2

Black & Turqoiuse Checked Skirt

50p

1920s Style Green & White Dress

50p

Floral Print Heels

£2.50

Buttons

£1

Items: 16
Total Cost: £27.70

Food Moments | Cheese, Mushroom and Kale Fritatta

Hi Guys,

This morning I decided to try something a little different for my breakfast, so I was looking around Pintrest for ideas, when I stumbled upon the idea of making a fritatta. I decided to experiment a little with the flavors, mostly just using what I had in the fridge, and ended up with this recipe which I thought I'd share with you all, because I really liked how it turned out.

I want to make a quick apology for my measurements in this post, because I didn't really weigh anything out, so it's rough measurements. The recipe made 12 mini fritatta's in a cupcake tin.

What You'll Need

• 4 Eggs
• 1/4 cups of milk (I used semi-skimmed)
• A handful of kale
• 10 mushrooms
• Approximately 50g of cheese (I used mature cheddar)
• Oil
• Salt

Method

Preheat your oven to gas mark 4 (350 F)

Start by chopping the mushrooms and the kale. Make sure it's finely chopped. Then grate the cheese and set all of these ingredients aside for now.

Take four eggs and crack them into a bowl, then add the milk and salt. Add the chopped vegetables and the cheese and mix it together until it's all combined.

Use the oil to grease each section of your cupcake or muffin tin. Make sure you get an even coating.

Divide the mixture into the tin and then put it in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Thrift Moments | Thirft Store Haul

Hi all,
A few days ago, my sister and I headed into our local village, and went to a few of the charity shops, which is one of my favorite things to do. I love thrifting and finding bargains, and I found a few on my last trip, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Black & White Checked Wool Skirt

£2.50

 Pale Pink Lace Detaled Top

£2.00

Pale Blue Floral Print Dress

£3.00

Blue Blouse

£2.50

White Butterfly, Bird & Floral Print Shift Dress

£5

Floral Print Fan

£1

2x Old Maps

50p each

Book

70p

Lavender Scent Draw Liners

£2

Metal Bookmark

50p

Items | 11

Total Cost | £20.20

Fashion Moments | My Current Obsession

Hi guys,

I wanted to write up a post about my current fashion obsession. I go to my local charity shops, and browse ebay a lot, because I love finding cool items at bargain prices.

Recently there's been one thing that I'm particularly obsessed with finding, and that is floral printed dresses, preferably with collars. Vintage is better, but vintage looking works well too. There are usually a few of these styles of dresses in charity shops, and I can't get enough of them.

There's something I absolutely adore about this style. I love the delicate collars, the loose fitting dresses, and the way I can style them to be casual or dressy.

One thing I love to do, is wear a dress like one of these, with some black biker-ish style boots, and do a heavy black eyeliner with it. Giving the feminine dress a bit more of a rocker style to it. I love mixing these two things.

Things I Look For

• Collars (especially lace or crochet)
• Covered buttons (covered with the fabric of the dress)
• Good quality
• Vintage or vintage style
• Pale floral prints on either a dark or light background

What are some of the things you're loving when it comes to fashion? If you go to charity shops or thrift store, what do you look for? Let me know in the comments.

Beauty Moments | June Birchbox

Hi Guys,

Recently I received my second Birchbox. If you don't know what a birchbox is, I'll tell you a little about it. Basically, a birchbox is a subscription service, where for £12.95 each month you get sent a box containing sample sized products of great brands. I'm fairly new to birchbox, but from the two I've had, it also seems like you get at least one full sized product with each box as well, but like I said, I've only ever had two boxes, so I don't know if that always happens.

Anyway, on to my June birchbox.

Products

1. Beauty Blender + Blender Cleanser Solid | Full Sized | £26
2. O.P.I Nail Lacquer - The Brazil Collection | Sample | £11.95
3. Caudalie Vinoperfect SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid | Sample | £38
4. Naobay Body Radiance Lotion | Sample | £14
5. TheBalm Cosmetics How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Creeam | Sample | £26 for Palette
6. Birchbox Brazil Inspired Keyring

Thoughts

O.P.I Nail Lacquer

+ The Color

+ Sample size is good

+ Two coats provides great coverage

- Grainy feel to the finish

Would I buy it? No.

For me the grainy finish is enough to put me off.

Beauty Blender

+ Blends my make-up really well

+ Handy cleanser to keep it clean

- Price

Would I buy it? No.

I'm glad I got the full sized product here, because it is handy and I do like it, but I think the price is too high for what it is.

Caudalie Vinoperfect SPF15 Day Perfecting Fluid

+ You only need a small amount each time

+ Good sample size

+ Feels nice on my skin

+ Brightens & Evens my skintone

+ Makes my make-up go on smoother

+ SPF 15 

- Price

Would I buy it? No.

Unfortunately, however much I love this product £38 is just too high a price for me to be able to afford. It is, however a fantastic product, and if I could afford it, I'd get it.

Naobay Body Radiance Lotion

+ Spreads really well

+ Absorbs quickly

+ Non-Greasy Feel

+ Smells amazing (Lemon scent)

+ Leaves my skin really soft

+ Organic

Would I buy it? Yes.

I loved this product, so I would definitely buy the full sized version.

TheBalm Cosmetics How 'Bout Them Apples? Cheek & Lip Cream (Color: Pie)

+ Works well as lip & cheek product

+ Blends nicely

+ Nice color for summer

+ Easy to apply

+ Nice packaging

+ Color lasts a long time

+Feels nice on skin

- A little dry on lips

Would I buy it? Yes

I think it's great to have a product that works really well as a lip and cheek product. I don't tend to like blushers on me, but when I tried this one out, I really liked the look and feel of it. So I would definitely buy the full palette.

Birchbox Brazil Inspired Keyring

This was a little lifestyle extra, and it's a really nice, bright keyring. 

Verdict

Overall I was really pleased with my June birchbox. There were some great products, including some which I will be buying in the future. The sample sizes were all really good, and I liked the little lifestyle extra.

Best Products | Naobay Body Radiance Lotion

Worst Product | O.P.I Nail Lacquer

If you got the June birchbox, let me know what you thought of it in the comments below.

Online Moments | Mason Jar Lamp

Hi Guys,

So today I was randomly using stumble upon to find some awesome stuff online, and I found something that I absolutely loved, so I wanted to share it with you all.

It's a craft project from Crafts Unleashed and I adore it. I love mason jar crafts and this is one of the best ideas I've seen around.

It's completely customizable in terms of what you put inside the jar and which lamp shade you use, but if I were to make one, which I'd love to, I have to say I think I'd do it exactly like this, because I love coffee and so for me, this is kind of perfect.

Music Moments | Covers

Hi Guys,

I wanted to write up something about some songs that I've been loving recently, and then I realised that a lot of what I've been obsessing over, are all covers of other songs, all of which I prefer the cover to the original version.

Dreams by Bastille and Gabrielle Aplin

I've heart a lot of different versions of this song, and I've liked a lot of them as well, however nothing can really beat this version for me. There's something so pure about Gabrielle Aplin's voice, which just works perfectly for this song, and the lead singer of Bastille, Dan Smith, has an incredible voice. This is definitely the kind of song I can happily hit repeat on several times in a row.

What Would You Do by Bastille

Bastille again. When I first heart this song, I knew I recognised it but I couldn't place where I knew it from, so I did a quick google search and found the original. A version I hadn't heard it a really long time, and I was immediately struck by how amazingly Bastille had interpreted the song. It's definitely one of my favourites.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Greg Laswell

I cannot tell you how much I love this song. I haven't ever heard someone take this song and make it something so drastically different.

Cyndi Laupers version is fun and upbeat, and it's really cheesy. Fun to dance around to and sing along with, but cheesy.

This version makes it seem like an entirely different song, and it flaws me every time I listen to it. His voice is stunning and this is truly one of my all time favourite songs.

You Are my Sunshine by The Civil Wars

I adore The Civil Wars, and this is one of my favourite songs of theirs. I love the chill that this song sends through me, and the simplicity of the guitar backing and vocals.

I've always liked this song, but this version takes it to a whole new level.

I Kissed a Girl by William Fitzsimmons

Let me start by saying that I don't like the Katy Perry version of this song, and yet when I heard this version I was astounded. There's something about this guys voice which is so easy to listen to, and he makes this song his own in a truly wonderful way.

Skinny Love by Birdy

Probably quite an obvious choice considering how phenomenally popular this song was when it was released, but it had to make it onto my list, because it's an amazing version of the song. I love Birdy's voice and this song showcases it beautifully.

So those are some of the covers that I have been loving recently. If you think I've missed any fantastic covers, please let me know in comments. I'm always interested in finding new music, and discovering new versions of songs.

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Introducing | Messy Little Moments

Hi everybody,

My name is Hannah and I'm a 22 year old blogger and author from the UK. I've been blogging for a few years now, but up until now I've primarily been blogging about books.

Books are a huge part of my life. I love them. I read a tonne, I buy a tonne of books, I blog about books and I write books.

I started up The Book Tower a few years ago. It's a blog where I review all of the books I read. Take part in read-a-thons, blog tours, author interviews and a bunch of other bookish stuff, and I love it.

I also write books, which I publish through Kindle Direct Publishing, and you can find out about those books over at The Book Tower.

Recently I've been thinking about doing something new, not to replace my book blog, because I will definitely still be just as active over there, but I wanted to do something separate to that blog.

The reasoning behind this, is because my life isn't just books. I love them, but that isn't the only thing I love. Life is a bunch of messy little moments that can't be shoved into the same box. 

I keep finding myself wanting to talk about other things, which don't fit in with what I'm doing over at The Book Tower. That's where this blog comes in.

Rather than being a specialized blog about just one thing, Messy Little Moments will be a collection of posts about a range of different things that I want to talk about.

This will include; music, TV, movies, beauty, fashion, charity shop/thrift finds, health and anything else I feel like talking about.

I'm really excited to be doing this, and I hope you'll enjoy the content I post.

Until next time,

Hannah