DISNEY BRIDE DIETS - How are we all doing? PART 2

[NatsyNoo]

Wow Yvonne, pampered indeed! Tasty dinner!

Emma, just emailed you my soup list...some of them look alright, all pretty easy and seemingly cheap

Am feeling a bit excited...just been looking at bits for our UK party...sent an email to view the venue we think we'll go with, it's £450 in a suite at AFC Bournemouth football club which includes £200 self-catering fee which I'm going to try and get them to bring down. Then looked at how to decorate it and think we're going to go with some cupcake stands with cupcakes in our colours in the middle which I think will look pretty funky. We already have all the stuff for a candy buffet and I think we'll get in a hog roast for dinner and I can get that for £3.50 a head with a local company, they cook it at their depot and deliver it so works for me as I haven't got to worry about giving them space etc. DJ I reckon I can sort for £250 and invites I will try get printed locally or on Vistaprint so I think that's it really. It's nice to have an idea in my head and will be better when we see the venue. We don't really want it in a legion/con club and hotels with catering makes it just too expensive so I don't really think we've much choice but it's a modern looking building pretty central so all good. Hope it's ok! Going to start ordering little bits, e.g. ribbon, organza, cupcake stands over coming months to spread the cost.

Emma, enjoy the film!

[Guest]

Sounds great Natalie!

Our weddings are going to be so similar I think! Lol. Gordon wants our at home party to be at rangers football club but im not so sure as we would need to bus everyone there and back. Not sure where else tho as I don't want anywhere too formal but I don't want just a pub either.

But wer having a candy Buffett and cup cakes as well but definelty not a roast... I just don't think I could stomach it! I mean I love my meat and don't have an issue with knowing where it comes from but it's the head that puts me off. I think it all stems from when I was younger and my dad went fishing and left a massive fish in the sink in the bathroom.. I got up for the loo in the
Middle of the night and all I seen was the bug eyes staring at me then he ate it the next night! I've never really been able to eat fish since! Lol

[NatsyNoo]

That's the beauty of mine though, it's already chopped up and delivered to us, no heads involved. I just think it's a great price!
Totally know what you mean about the party, looking forward to getting it booked!

[Watergirl]

Morning ladies

Nat - it was me that recommended the meals not Emz

Yvonne - sounds like you're well and truly prepped for the hols - bet you can't wait!

Emz - I had a quick look at C25k and found loads of people recommending tailoring it to how well you're doing. Lots of people find the pace too fast so struggle, but other people are happy to move on. You just have to be careful you don't find the next stage too hard and feel demotivated, that's all.

I'm pretty much taking today off. Too, too hard working from home. I'm sure for a week or so it's okay, but I am literally going stir crazy Need to at least get out of the house as some point today, as didn't leave it all yesterday.

So plan to have shower soon, then take dog, then maybe nip into town. Just realised that there is another Sainsbury for me to try for organic food, as still not sourced anywhere for chicken yet. Lovely the veg from the farm, but boy does it need some prep and when you're making everything from scratch it's an added hassle. Everything is literally filthy, so you have to wash it all down.

Have a good day everyone

[lady emz]

Morning All!

Nat - thanks for the soup recipes, chicken noodle sounds yummy! I will prob just leave out the oil to reduce the cals a bit, as you know my stomach is not good with oil anyway! Hog roast is a great idea, my friend is having one tomorrow after the dreaded paintballing! Much easier than cooking a BBQ for lots of people. Cupcakes are a great idea, Ive seen some on display at wedding shows and they are perfect for a reception. I also like cake pops, have you seen them? Mickey and Minnie head ones would be perfect for us all!

Liz - Hope you find some organic chicken. I can't find coconut oil anywhere but meeting my mum in town for her lunch break today so will look in our health shop. Where do you get yours from? I agree working from home is quite hard for a long period of time. Thanks fo rthe advice on C25k, I will see how I get on with week 4 but if I struggle just move back and start week 3 again, I won't skip anymore though as the transition weeks are coming up! Going to look into registering for the 5k race today as some incentive.

Yvonne - hope you find a venue for your UK party, we need to start looking too soon I guess!

This is the bouquet I found yesterday that really inspired me to have a colour scheme of bright pink, purple and bues, what do you think?



Then I like this shape for my flower girls but in different colours



And then maybe a madhatter cake in colours to match too



And I also found this cake topper!


Sorry for all the photos, got a bit excited! xxx

[Watergirl]

Aww Emz they're lovely! Love the colours, really vibrant and the cake and topper look amazing!

Think I got my coconut oil in local health shop, but I would have thought that you could get it in supermarkets these days, so maybe try a few? Bet Holland and Barratt would have it.

[alkel2730]

Hi everyone,

OOO a new thread, we CAN talk can’t we? Lol.

Sorry I haven’t been on for a couple of days I’ve just been so busy with gym, food prep and study, its annoying not having the time, especially in Dibb world as you miss so much don’t you? I have 5 pages to blumming go through! Argh! Anyway although I haven’t posted I’ve been trying my best to keep up, so I apologise for the epic post and if I miss owt.

Food stuff

Been eating well all week and trying to find time saving ways to cook all the veg. On Thursday my wonderful hubby cooked from scratch to give me a break from all the cooking. Bless him; he emailed me at work today asking if I wanted him to cook dinner for us that night to give me a rest on my birthday week! Lol. Of course I jumped at the chance and it gave me the opportunity to wash our gym stuff anyway and sit down which was ace. He cooked spaghetti bolognaise from scratch too. I made up a recipe the other day with the intention of making large batches of my sauce so that throughout the week I could just do quick meals and so I sent that to Alex not knowing if it would work but it did – I’m shocked! I used onions, tomatoes, pepper, garlic and basil and the whole thing was less than 120 for two days worth of sauce between us and no sugar or salt and all organic, I’m getting the hang of this cooking malarkey. Anyway Alex cooked it but following my instructions and it was delicious. Tell you what, how calorific is mince and pasta? ! Crikey! I had the smallest amount of weighed out brown pasta and it was 268 cals and the mince was 200 and that was only 125g! That’s mad. Luckily Alex didn’t use any oil and drained the mince fat over and over before drying it on kitchen roll before adding the sauce otherwise it would be much higher. That’s an occasional dish I think! Good thing about the sauce too is that after straining it, the left over tomatoes, onions, pepper and garlic makes an excellent salsa that Alex is going to use in sarnies instead of butter – win win eh? how economical are we?! Lol. Last night we had a red pepper, sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot soup which was actually in a carton from the Sainsbury’s so organic range, but the only reason I bought it was 1, we were running really late after work and the gym and 2, I wanted to taste it to see if I could recreate it at all. I can so totally recreate that! I wouldn’t add the pumpkin either as it was too overpowering and I can do it without the extra salt, sugar and tapioca (WTH?) so yesterday whilst in Sainsbury’s I bought:

1. A steamer
2. A slow cooker
3. A load of freezer containers to freeze casseroles, soups and sauces.

Seriously I am excited. Lol. I dunno you all get excited about Kindles, clothes and shoes and I get excited about slow cookers and steamers – how old am I? ! hehe. Actually they weren’t too bad, cost wise, both the cooker and the steamer were on offer and the steamer also has a rice compartment.
Anyway plan is to make soups, casseroles, stews and sauces that kind of thing on a weekend and then freeze them in portions for the week to save me time. During the week I will have steamed fresh veg some days but only stuff easy to prepare. Tonight we have the rest of our spag bol so looking forward to that.

Gym stuff

Have been to the gym every day this week. Did cardio Monday, Tues resistance and Wed and Thurs cardio. Weds session particularly was a killer and I was knackered after. I ran for 30 mins and when I got off my legs were like wobbling and I felt like I was on air, was funny. In the end I did 1hr10 mins cardio that day and felt it after as I was dripping wet. No aircon in our gym either so it does get hot at times. Trouble was come Thursday I was a bit tired, not achy just tired, and so I still ran and cycled but just a bit lower intensity and we didn’t stay quite as long as we finished later, so only did a 50 min session.

When I was in the gym on Wed a lady came in, which surprised me as she’s the first woman I’ve seen in the gym and also there isn’t normally anyone else in there. She was a big lady too and I remember thinking ‘good on you for doing this’. Obviously, I couldn’t really watch her as that’s weird and also I was on the treadmill and anyone will know who uses treadmills, if you turn your head you lose balance, but I could see her kind of out of the corner of my eye. Bless her she didn’t really have a clue what she was doing and just kept flitting from machine to machine, technique all wrong, too low weights, too low intensity and at times in serious danger of injuring herself. Anyway its not like I could say anything really is it but after when I was in the changing rooms I came out and she was there and we got chatting and it turns out she’s been going to that gym for a long time but had had a break the last few weeks, where is obviously when we’d joined and started. She was going on about fitness and then said ‘’obviously I’m no where near as fit as you are though I was watching you’’ first thought; creepy, 2nd thought: client. Lol. Anyway I was a little taken aback by the conversation partly cause she was getting changed in front of me but also I didn’t expect her to talk to me so much but whatever she’s doing it isn’t working and she needs help. You might be thinking that I’m being judgemental and it could be that she has already lost a lot of weight and this is the end result but no, I’ve seen her around, she’s always been that size so she’s doing something wrong somewhere. On the way out I asked her if she was coming on Thurs and she said yes so I was going to try and strike up a few conversations with her and see if I can help as she needs it and I need the practice but she never showed but if she comes again I’ll try. Nothing might come of it but hopefully I could give her some pointers, ya never know – ideal client, willing but doesn’t have the proper ‘tools’ I suppose to do it correctly. Actually having been in the gym for a good two weeks I’ve noticed some horrific techniques, especially oddly enough with biceps people swing the moves, no control but I don’t think you can really tell blokes can you? Lol.
I’m noticing such a change in my shape now that I have a program though and coupled with the organic whole foods I finally think after years of muddling through the confusing world of diet and exercise that I have a real understanding and a good balance and things are ticking over. Only trouble is I appear now to be too big for my gym clothes which is an ass as after slow cooker and steamer I’m skint!
Gym resistance training session today with Alex, Friday is normally a day off but I’m not doing any tomorrow instead to we’ve just shifted the training round a bit. This just means by teatime I won’t be able to move again! Lol.

Study

Going well, a lot to learn! The world of diet is mahoosive. I actually got a couple more course modules through today and I’ve been reading them but I’m gonna have a break today as I need to do some work – i.e. the one that pays the wage work! Lol. I also need to ring them as I have to do a case study project but I don’t know when and on what and I could do with getting that sorted. I’ve also decided to do a few more courses on nutrition and specialise on different areas of the topic but due to the costs involved they will have to wait until next year when we have started the classes. Alex is flying through his course though, he definitely knows his stuff when it comes to the theory, he’s passing every mock paper at near 100% but to be fair he does have a degree in it so he should be.

So that’s my life at the mo summarised – food, exercise and study!

I may or may not be on tomorrow with it being my birthday; Alex has a load of stuff planned which he won’t tell me, although I know he has bought organic filet beef! I’ve also invited my family round for strawberries, cream and bubbles (of the drinking kind) I don’t like strawberries and cream so that why I did that, lol. I bought them organic too so they could try it. What I want to know is how the hell did I get to 33? Seriously last time I checked I was 21, think someone is messing with my birth certificate.

Anyway, I’m waffling again, I’ll shut up now.

Tracey – no doughnuts for you! I know I covered most of this already but just to reiterate I think you are doing marvellously with the diet and exercise plan and hopefully in time the sleep will be sorted once you get back into a pattern. I’m using you to push me through the gym sessions now knowing what you are pressing makes me press harder and heavier! I’m so pleased to read that you feel your shape is gradually changing, I know what you mean. I reckon you were doing the tricep press right you know but hopefully the vid will help.


Natalie – Glad to hear you are still enjoying the gym. I know DLP would have been ace but I gotta say I agree with Matt – a trip now wouldn’t be sensible IMO with the wedding and honeymoon in Orlando, which is a BIG thing to save for. Speaking of which has your mum and your friend managed to sort their accommodation? UK party sounds cool too. That reminds me actually, I have to get our travel insurance sorted for the holiday next year, crikey must do that. Good luck with the song picking – agree with Liz, I spend ages picking mine out for the string quartet, including my Disney ones and I honestly didn’t pay an ounce of notice on the day, not the foggiest. They could have played anything. However as we had a videographer it did come out on that which was nice, but I wouldn’t worry too much, just go for what you like.

Kim – Good to hear you are getting back into the swing of things with the running and diet. I can help you if you like or you can do WW for a bit, let me know if you want my help and I’ll email you as I don’t want to bore everyone else and make this post longer than it needs to be! Might be best if you find it easier to follow WW, go for that for a bit and see how you get on and I’ll give you pointers along the way. You should deffo use your slow cooker and steamer! They are fab for veggies.

Liz – Oh I am so sorry to hear Dan isn’t enjoying it, I really do think it takes time to settle and I guess with his job being based on his talent he’s feeling the pressure a little more too to shine. Hopefully though he will settle and you can think about your next step if that’s moving etc. I hate mortgages! Lol. Hope if you have to move you can get that sorted quickly and easily. We are restricted where we can go cause of our loan to value but luckily this house has kept its value reasonably well which helps. It was on for 220k but was one of only 2 remaining on a new estate that had had a buyer chain fall down so we swooped in and took advantage and got it for 189k and we sold our first flat for 195 so after fees and stuff there was nothing left, we were broke when we moved in here! Luckily it came with carpets but we didn’t have things like lawn turf or appliances so for a while it was tight. I don’t like moving, am dredging moving all mum and dads stuff.

Thanks re the job stuff, it is crap. Well see if the new director and I get on, we’ve clashed in the past but I guess you never know. Thing is I don’t think I’ll actually see her much as she has a lot of staff but I just don’t want our work to change too much. I don’t know if it affects things like the database, my manager has a meeting yesterday about it and I’ll know more on Monday, hopefully.
Lol – my little buddy pregnant! That would be a turn up for the books at 55 and having gone through menopause. Hehe. No, I did think that though but for one of her kids (4 girls, 2 boys) but she says not so I don’t know. She says she will tell me in time, the plot thickens.
Good luck with the eBay business! You could be the next power seller at this rate. Hopefully you get some good money for your jewels too Golem.
Haven’t watched fish thing yet but will let you know, I have heard Sainsbury’s pole line caught is the best though so I’ve swapped to that for now.
Hope you enjoy your well earned rest day.

CONGRATULATIONS on being the BMs! Well, for the one you want to be one for, I bet you are so excited and yes, totally new goal! I keep waiting for my brother to get engaged as I reckon that will be my next best bet as a BM.

Funny you should say about the wedding planner as I would have I think at one time loved to have done that but I dunno now you know, I like organisation and helping people for their big day but I don’t know if it would feel a bit like a ground hog day for me to do it over and over again. Have you thought about doing that? I could do the diet and fitness for your brides!

Hi Emz, good on you with the running! Even better in your snazzy running trainers! I do all my workouts in my runners as I find them the comfiest and most lightweight.
I agree with Liz, 100% on the running. If you feel you can do more, do it. There are actually loads and loads of C25K programs out there and they all differ a bit so some will have you running more and some less. I ran it past Alex (no pun intended ) and he said if you feel you can skip a bit and do more then do it but don’t do it if you feel you are pushing yourself too much otherwise you’ll get disheartened and frustrated. He also said the C25K is generally to get people who don’t exercise at all, exercising, and it may be that you are fitter than those who just go from COUCH to 5k. Personally based on what you’ve said I think you are finding it suits you and you are excelling, you aren’t finding you are weaker week by week and you are finding there is more in you so go for it. Only you know you and if you can do more do it. I’m on a running program set to me by Alex on my cardio days and I skipped two weeks actually and I’m technically just starting week 5 now yet I’m only just starting week 3 of the program. That’s because I know I can do it and I have it in me but if I find it hard, I’ll drop it back down, see how you feel, experiment.

I haven’t had my teeth whitened – plan to though once I’ve paid off my laser eye surgery – but my parents have and regularly do and they say its fine and the sensitivity is normal. Is nice to have shiny white teeth though isn’t it? And what a bargain. Nails sound funky.

Yes, my parent’s house is in the same village as me. The village is on a hill and we live at the bottom of one side and they live at the other so it’s about a 15 min walk I’d say, but we tend to drive it. Handy though.
Good to hear you enjoyed the birthdays and you were quite good – so long as its calorie counted I wouldn’t worry, I’m all for the odd treat so long as it doesn’t take you over. I tend to snack on Alex’s nutty scones as they are sweet, low GI and now organic and 120 cals each and I do have at least one a day usually. He does the banana muffins now too and some oat cookies which I don’t actually like but everyone else seems to love them. Not a huge fan of oats, she says after having just bought organic porridge oats!
Ooo I would want to know about your sister too! I wonder what that is all about?
I haven’t ever been paintballing, too chicken as I reckon ill get hurt. Lol. Let us know how that goes.
If you can, deffo make your own soup fresh in your slow cooker and then freeze it in containers or keep fresh in the fridge for 2 days, shop bought soups have a lot of added rubbish in them, cals are low but they add lots of salt, sugar and additives which are unnecessary IMO and with your new organic lifestyle and good kitchen equipment I’d deffo have a go at doing it yourself.

We watched Limitless the other day, what’s unthinkable?

Wow, just seen the bouquets! They are beautiful! I say this so often but I adore bold colours like that I really think they add striking vibrancy to photos. You are going to have an amazing wedding! How many people are going now? I’m so excited for you, I bet you can’t wait!

I got coconut oil in Aldi actually of all places but I’d say the supermarkets have it too, will be with the Asian foods like with soy sauce that kind of thing I’d say. Be sparing though it’s calorific! I’m trying to do away with oil as much as possible but the flavoured oils add so much and the coconut oil I got was a spray so you can use it very sparingly. I also have a mesquite oil spray too for potatoes.

Yvonne – hahaha, you made me laugh with all your accident prone antics! What are you like? Sorry to hear about your TOM cramps, hope they sooth soon. Hope the hair goes well, are you sure you have greys and they aren’t just lighter hairs? You are too young for greys! Reminds me actually I must call that hair dresser for a cut. Exercise sounds great, aside from the injuries. Hope you haven’t broke your coccyx as there isn’t anything they can really do – not like they can plaster it is it? Lol. Took mine weeks to heal, months actually so I hope you haven’t. Only stopped me doing certain exercises though so you should be ok, squats are out though! Ouch.
Hope you have a nice 25 days off – I am beyond jealous!

Christ, did I make it to the end? ! Wowzers – did I miss anything vital? please tell me if I did as I skimmed.

Actually in the time it has taken me to write this Alex has brought me a small portion f his home made spag bol for lunch and he says he’s doing us an organic beef casserole in the slow cooker for tea, I could get used to this! Shame I don’t have a birthday every week.

Right better crack on with my work. Have a good weekend girls if I don’t get chance to get on. And I apologise in advance now if I come on tomorrow night as I may not be quite sober and I don't half talk some rubbish when tipsy! xxx

[Watergirl]

Hey Kel

Is it just me or does this sound quite funny,

"I tend to snack on Alex’s nutty scones" Sorry, so childish.

That sauce sounds lovely and even nicer with someone else making it for you. I always try and make anything like that, especially curries from scratch, as once you've done one you realise how easy it is. Sounds like you're getting well into the cooking malarky!
I too get excited about steamers and other such kitchen equipment. We decided to do Sunday cooking and freeze things, but haven't done it yet, as no room in the freezer with all of the food we ordered the other week. Think it might even last 3 weeks, so going to be a lot cheaper than our old Tesco shop.

You're exercising at crazy levels! Wish I lived near you and I'd come along. Be fab if that lady does end up a client. Like your softly softly approach.

Know what you mean about needing to do work that pays bills - I have resigned myself to the fact that I just can't from home, so doing nothing today. August is typically busy and I have a couple of jobs to tide me over. Then get back on track when I'm in the office. Studies sound like they're going well for Alex.
Good idea on straws and cream. I don't like them either. I do however like the bubbly! I've tried to like straws but can't. Strawberry icecream makes me want to hurl!

Dan is a bit better at work after he took my advice and went and spoke to his Manager. He is now sat with his Manager, so that whenever he does something that Dan doesn't understand he can show him and he also asked about courses, so hopefully they will send him on one.

I don't like moving either In fact I hate it. With Dad being in forces I've lived in about 30 diff places. I even remember going to one school for only 6 months. Since leaving home I've lived in 7 different places. I've done more moving in my life than most people and it stresses me out. I hate disorder and mess. Hope the move for your Parents is as stress free as possible. When will it actually happen?

Didn't realise your protege was 55! I always had it in my head that she was really young. No, a pregnancy is highly unlikely then.

Well enjoy your birthday dinner of steak! Couldn't agree more about pasta and mince - it's shocking. Meat is actually very high in fat, even chicken, so it's good that we're using better quality stuff and not so much.

Oh, you might want to look at this place for organic veg and meat, as well as other bits. You asked a while ago about local farms. This place is near us and I'm going to try it next. The one I've used it fab, they don't do chicken, which is disappointing. Plus I just want to try another to compare quality.
riverford/
They have farms in a few different places and are cheaper than most. Although my order won't be for a good few weeks till we've got through this stuff.

[NatsyNoo]

Wow, Kel, epic!

You sound like you're doing well on diet and exercise and study! I know about the cals in pasta and mince, shocking! Mince didn't shock me so much as I use extra lean beef steak mince so that's lower but the pasta is a humdinger, and it's my favourite but I'm doing well living without it midweek, makes me look forward to Saturdays all the more.

I'm coming round to no DLP, it was a fleeting idea which excited me but Matt said we can do something else instead, maybe in September, we're collecting tokens for free Thorpe Park tickets so might tie that in with London if we get them for our week off. We'll see anyway.

Gym is going really well, I really hope you wouldn't think I'm getting it all wrong like your lady. If I worked any harder I reckon I'd pass out, I walk out that gym sweating! Off again tonight alone this time, not sure how I feel but need to get used to it! Will do my usual 'routine' or what has become my routine - 20 mins treadmill at a steady pace, 10 mins crosstrainer on 'random' programme so lots of resistant sections and then 20 mins bike, again on random, so 50 mins cardio and the bike I'm working on level 4 right now which is really making my bum and leg muscles work so hoping for some toning going on there. As I lose more weight I'll adjust my routine to include abdo and arm toning exercise. Can't wait for the new air con to be installed and running, it's really warm in there just now.

Sorry Liz, get really confused with everyone posting, thanks for the meal recommendation though! I'd love to work from home but it's a pipe dream and you going stir crazy is I think the reality of it, do go out and get some fresh air my dear. And well done for rejoining WLR, hope it works for you!

Kel, no accommodation booked yet, they're waiting for flights really but with mum I'll be renting DVC points but haven't found any BCV/BWV ones yet so going to have to either take the 7 month risk or she'll have to settle elsewhere. She's so stuck in her ways though my mum and thinks the Epcot resorts are the be all and end all. She refuses AKL for some reason but I think when she gets there she'll see they'll all 5* so she should just be happy!

Emz, those bouquets are so cute, love them both, the BM shape one is lovely!
Going to speak to my cupcake friend later, I'm sure she'll accept
We're having a madhatter cake for our party here, sticking with midnight and silver so we're having those colours on it, really cute. How perfect is that cake topper for you!

Before I forget, Kel, HAPPY BIRTHDAY for tomorrow, have a wonderful day! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So off to gym later, then walking home, reckon I'll be home at about 6.30 or just after and I'll try to do my cleaning and shower while the oven is on.

Dad's going out tomorrow now so not going to see him/twinnies but need to go to Tesco and workstate is creeping up so may come in tomorrow, I'll know at the end of the day. Matt's' working late on Sunday now too so I'll have crispbakes for dinner, still low cal, got a couple of movies to watch, including Remember Me (Robert Pattinson) has anyone seen it? Also need to catch up on some Greys over the weekend and also some Kindle...nice and relaxing but the air festival is next weekend so will be much more busy!

Right, must go a loo, will check in again later! x

[alkel2730]

Hi Liz!

That is funny me snacking on Alex nutty scone. Tasty too, let me tell you.

Oh I totally forgot to ask you earlier so I'll ask you now before I forget! Bentley has a massive knot in his ruff and I cannot get it out and its getting bigger where he's scratching it. Normally he has lovley fur, really silky and smooth but having such a big lions type mane ruff around his head he does occasionally get knots there when they others clean him. Usually I can just snip them out or brush them out but this one is a corker and I can't get it! I've tried scissors and have only managed to get half of it as its so near his skin and after a while it must hurt as he pulls away - any ideas what we can do? We've decided to wait a week before resorting to a shave at the vets to see if I can tease it out but I thought I'd ask you and see if you have any suggestions? In the 5 years he's been on this planet with his long hair I've never been faced with a knot I can't get, and its very frustrating!

Daisy's birthday is on Sunday and then Lilly's is on the 15th Sept so I went on Zooplus last night and ordered some cool stuff. For Daisy I got a little weave house with a little window and doo which has a cushion o the bottom and the top as she loves her comfy beds and for Lilly I got her a new Catit track which is a rollercoaster track with a light up ball as we already have the S shaped one and its by a mile her favorite toy so I can't wait to get the next one. Have you ever used Zooplus? They are awesome, I ordered it last night and today its been given to Parcel force from Germany - how good is that?!

Oh I would LOVE that if you lived nearer to come exercising! I think you'd really like my gym too as its really quiet and relaxed. Move nearer! Get Dan a job in Manchester!

Speaking of Dan, great news on him talking to his boss and getting that support, I do hope he settles and he now enjoys it more.
Cripes you have moved a lot haven't you? I didn't realise your dad was in the forces but I knew you'd lived abroad so that makes sense. I've alctually lived in a few come to think of it, 14 different places - christ! That surprised me too Its only because I've been a student though and went to two unis so 6 of them are written off for that. The oder I get though the less I want to move so I totally understand. I didn't however change schools like you did and only started moving when I was older so that must have been hard I imagine.

Strawberries are RANK, its official. I've tried too, hate them. I'm trying to get to like onions at the moment and I seem to be ok if its in stuff but not on their own so I call that progress!

I looked at Riverford! I didn't realsie they were near you. I can't remember why I didn't go for them as I liked them, I'll go back and have a look now you've said.

Let me know how you get on with the cooking and freezing and what you cook and freeeze as I blame you entirely for my new cooking lifestyle you know!

Hi Natalie - I used extra lean organic mince and the cals were high! Its the fat content of mince I guess, but like Liz says its all high and there is much worse things we could eat thats for sure! Alex knocked our pasta don to 50g between us today and there was still quite a lot (smaller shapes) so thats a good calorie saving thing. I think we might try and go for turkey mince though as its the lowest cals and the leanest but they'd sold out the other day.

Forgot to say earlier actually, where in Sheffield are you going? You might get chance to get to Meadowhall which you'd enjoy. I live not far from Sheffield and we always go to Meadowhall for our big ore hoilday shops and such like, its lovely and they have a fab food court.

Its hard for me to say with your gym obviously but all I will say is watch your technique, mind you, you aren't doing resistance training are you so it probably doesn't matter as much as its the people doing the resistance that are getting it wrong. Bike, cross and treadmill are obvious luckily. Biggest thing though is switch up your routine, its important you change and challenge your body or it will just get used to it, thats why I do different sessions all week. Maybe do the same thing for a month and then change it a bit, keep your muscles guessing otherwise the benefit is not as good. Do you run the whole 20 mins on treadmill or interval? Always get to your limit and then do more, there is always mroe I'm finding.

Thanks for the b'day message. Must fly too I have to try and crack on with this trip report!