{Naked Mum}

I am proud to say that I am April's Naked Mum of the Month.

Do pop on over to Kate's blog, 'The Naked Mum', to see my post, and of course the accompanying 'naked' photo!! I am wearing nothing except my @Specsdirect2u Tom Ford glasses ;-)

Thank you to Kate for inviting me to participate and to my sister, @the_grey_house, for taking the photo.

and what a story it will be x {image source}

{Highs and Lows of 2012}

Kate  over at Kate on Thin Ice has started a great blog hop meme-thing  asking what our highs and lows of 2012 were.

So here are my answers to her all important questions...

1. What was your happiest event?

There have been a few big events this year for the Glasgow Mummy family. One of the happiest was my little sister's wedding, and in the run up to the wedding there was an amazing circus-themed hen party. Others include my daughter's first birthday party where we hosted an afternoon tea party at the house. There was also my son's 3rd birthday, one of my best friend's weddings, attending the Scottish Fashion Awards and even some of the smallest of things have been the happiest of days... such as taking the kids to the local park after what felt like weeks of bad weather.

2. What was the saddest thing to happen?

Saying goodbye to one of my best friends who emigrated to Australia in October. I miss you guys so much.

3. What was the most unlikely thing to happen that actually went ahead and did?

Hmmm... this is the question that I've found to be the toughest, and have left it last to complete.

There were a lot of things that at the start of 2012 I thought were unlikely. I saw in the New Year as a newly single mum with two screaming, ill babies (I'm so grateful to Becky who came over with her husband to keep me company that night). I had no idea how the year would pan out and at the time I thought I'd never be happy. But here I am, smiling and feeling very positive about 2013. What a difference a year makes... 

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4. Who let you down?

I'd probably say I've let myself down at times. I wish I was more assertive and a bit stronger for dealing with difficult situations. I've come through a lot, but I think I've still got a way to go.

5. Who supported you?

My friends have been amazing...old & new, real & virtual... and my best friend, who just also happens to be my sister.

6. Tell us one thing you learned.

I can't do it all. It's much harder as a single mummy than I thought it was going to be.

7. Tell us one thing that made you laugh.

I laugh a lot. Sometimes at the littlest of things. This weekend I had my sister and her husband staying with us, and what a laugh it was. One word for you Ali... gestunken!! (You had to be there!!)

8. Tell us one thing that made you cry.

As well as the laughter this year, there has been a lot of tears. Sometimes over big things, and others over sad movies or songs. Tears were also shed in the back of a police van...!!

9. Tell us three things your child or children did to make you feel proud.

My children amaze me every day & I'm so proud of them!

My daughter is learning new words and constantly surprises me with little phrases that she's picked up. The other day she said 'love you mummy' for the first time and I was a very proud parent!

We knew at the start of the year that my son needed glasses to help correct a squint. More recently he has been a super star and has adapted so quickly to wearing his new specs and has been an angel at his check-up appointments.

Both my children are very polite - they say please and thank you (littlest needs prompted still) and just this afternoon, after a friend had visited with her kids, my son said to her daughter as they were leaving (without prompting) - 'thank you for coming to play with me'. That made me proud :-)

10. Tell us one thing that made you proud of yourself.

In May I ran my first ever race, and I properly jumped in at the deep end with a half marathon! I completed the race in 2 hours 12 minutes - I'm really proud of my efforts and we (my sister, her colleague and I) managed to raise a whopping £4500 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

11. Tell us one challenge you overcame.

I guess one of the challenges I faced was to maintain my new figure. After a dramatic weight loss at the end of 2011, was it possible to keep the weight off?? I'm pleased to say that yes, I'm still a size 10. Although I have put on a stone over the year, but I actually think I was too skinny at one point. If I can lose 7 lbs again I'll be very happy.

There have also been parenting things that I perceived as challenges, such as ditching the baby bottles, but it was actually much easier than I thought. Next challenge is to get the toddler to ditch his dummy!!

12. Tell us three things you would like to change about your life in 2013.

I've been giving much thought to my New Years resolutions these past few days.

One is that I'd like to get more organised. This is mainly to do with food - meal planning & cooking from scratch. But also includes planning ahead with friends and family for play dates, visits etc.

Another is that I'd like to bake more regularly with the kids. Ideally once a week, but I think I'll aim for fortnightly to start with.

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My final thing would be that I'd like to make further progress with my 35 at 35 list. So far I've ticked off 7 items on my list, but I've still a lot to do!! I already have one item lined up for January, and hopefully another for the springtime. Watch this space!!

Anyone can take part, and Kate has already tagged a multitude of bloggers - some of whom I would have tagged. So if you would like to be tagged, please let me know.

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{And the beat goes on}

So, here's my #groovingmums update for Kate's Getting your groove back blog hop.


This week has been a bit 'bleugh'... can't think of a better word to describe it, sorry! I've now completed my three treats that I had lined up for achieving and maintaining my weight loss (cupcake masterclass, spa visit with a friend and personal shopping trip). I kinda feel like I've not got anything much to look forward to and despite the weight loss and feeling a bit better within myself things still aren't brilliant and I'm not sure if I have my groove back or not... 


However, I suppose there is Christmas next month which I'm very excited about as my toddler seems to be starting to understand about Christmas, probably due to him being at nursery. I've also got my 30th birthday in January which I need to start planning... thinking of having a party at the house but not totally sure yet. My to-do-list just keeps getting bigger and bigger!


This week I've only managed one run on Sunday with the running club girls and I did 7 miles! A new personal best, so I'm pleased with my achievement. *mentally ticks off one of the challenges from last week!* I'm sure that by May 2012 I'll be able to run the half marathon as planned... I might even do it in a decent time!

Healthy eating wise I've been so-so. I've indulged in quite a few cakes... had a massive scone at garden centre with hubby and the kids at the weekend (it was yum though!) and I also had one delivered to the house from Sponge which was delicious! I've not weighed myself so I'm not sure if I'm still at my target weight or not... got my personal trainer this week so I'll find out then :-/

I've continued with my painting and decorating at the house. I'm actually just back from B&Q where I was getting some more supplies as I plan to do some more painting tonight once the kiddies are in bed!

I have been enjoying my new wardrobe and I've been making an effort to mix n'match with my new clothes and wear things that are a little bit different for me.

On Saturday night I was at a friend's new house for a housewarming party. Hubby stayed to babysit the kids so I went along on my own. I was a bit nervous... I wasn't sure if I was going to know anyone there and I was feeling rather self conscious despite my amazing new clothes. I wore my skinny jeans, orange pussy bow blouse and my leopard print boots and I got a few nice comments about my shoes which made me feel more confident. Aside from my friend who's house it was, I knew one other person there, but I had a fab night and met some lovely people... There was no dancing though so I failed on Kate's challenge from last week (unless dancing about in the kitchen with the kids counts??... maybe the neighbours can vouch for me!).

In terms of Kate's other challenges, I have shared a favourite, but sad, poem in my Poetry blog post and I also took part in Kate Takes 5 listography blog hop which was harder than I thought it would be!

Yesterday I did some baking with the toddler (he licked the bowl - does that count!), and my hubby took the cakes to his work today for his staff. I was practicing my recipe for my Christmas cupcakes for the neighbours.... vanilla sponge with a gingerbread frosting... although I used pink spotty cupcake cases and heart decorations whereas my Christmas ones will be a bit different. I got a text from hubby to say that one of his staff members said my cakes were 'the nicest she's ever had' and 'well done you, everyone loves them'. So I was very pleased with that... success!

I packaged the cakes in the cupcake boxes I shared in my fabulous finds post

Here are the challenges set by Kate for this week:

1. Winter Warmth – how can you treat yourself to something that keeps you warm in this wintry weather. A new hat, scarf or pair of gloves? A pampering session involving heat? A hot chocolate every night for a week? Whatever warmth means to you. 

2. Money – is it time you thought about your finances? This will mean different things to different people. Do you have debts to sort out? Do you need advice on benefits? Is it worth joining an credit union as a way to build up savings and with access to credit? Is it time you set a budget for Christmas and stuck to it? It is absolutely up to you how you interpret this one. 

3. Art – How much do you know about art? Would you like to share a favourite painting with us and tell us why it appeals to you? Do you create things yourself that you would like to promote? Would you like to learn more about art and how might you do that?

4. Blogging Fun – How about taking part in Magpie Monday where bloggers celebrate bargain pre-owned finds whether located in charity shops, car boot sales, Christmas fairs, Ebay or whatever? You will find details with the lovely Liz over on the Me and My Shadow blog.

Perhaps this is the excuse I needed to buy a gorgeous hat I've spotted in a local gift shop? ;-)

Catch up with me next week to see how I got on...

{Grooving, or not as the case may be...}

I'm linking up again this week with Kate on Thin Ice for her weekly #groovingmums Blog Hop. This is week #6 already, and we're now into November... where has the time gone? Grab the badge that features above and check out Kate's blog if you fancy joining in.

I've had a bit of a mixed week if I'm honest.

My dad was here last week which was lovely to catch up with him and his wife. My son adored having his granddad around - we went to the garden centre and you could here my son shouting at the top of his voice from all corners of the store... 'Granddad, where are you?'. My sister also came down for one night and we had a mini-celebration for my dad's 60th (which is actually in November, but we won't see him again until April). I enjoyed being the hostess (I used to love hosting dinner parties b.c.) and I prepared a few nibbles for our friends & family which went down a storm (big thanks to my friend Claire for the inspiration for all the canapes). We also had a day trawling round some fabric shops and I'm feeling inspired to get the sewing machine out to make some curtains for the house (watch this space!). My sister has already made a cushion amongst other things with the fabric she purchased (she's child-free so can get things done much quicker than me!).

Some nibbles.... healthy-ish!!

On Thursday after my dad left I had a 'Keeping in Touch' day at my work. I'm due to start back in January, but had a day of training organised. I have to admit it was nice being back, even though I spent the afternoon reading Standard Operating Procedures! I wore my new Gok Wan dress (size 10!) and got a few nice comments about my new slim figure.

At work.... 

I also had a lovely night away in a 5 star hotel with a friend. We had a day of pampering at the spa followed by a lovely dinner that we got all dressed up for...

Dressed up for dinner in my new Wallis spotty dress

For Halloween on Monday I took the kiddies in their pirate outfits to visit granny & grandpa and they had a lovely day. My sister-in-law also came along with her two little ones so my son had great fun playing with his older cousin.

Last night, my friend Becky and I went to a flower arranging course. It was a one-off 2 hour course at a local florist and I had a great time and learnt loads. I'll do a separate blog post on this, but here is a quick photo of my creation:

However, here are the negatives (thought I'd start with the positive, up-beat bit!)...

Sticking to the healthy eating has been difficult now that Maria, my personal trainer, has said I can ditch the food diary. I've had too many nice cakes with my dad when he was here followed by a weekend of indulgence... must try harder this week.

I've also not been feeling great. I've had a bit of a cold and my tummy has been a bit sore too. I've been a bit of an idiot when it came to my Crohn's medication. With my weight loss I should have really reduced the dose of my medication, so I've technically been taking an overdose and I've been getting some not-so-nice side effects! My own fault really. My dose has now been lowered, but it's going to take a wee while for things to settle out. 

I've also not been doing much exercise... partly because I've been too busy and partly because I've been feeling a bit rubbish. I'm finding it difficult to go out running in the evenings now as it's so dark and it's not really safe to go on my own. I would go in the morning before hubby & the kids get up, but again it's too dark. I'm finding it really tricky to keep to the exercise plan at the moment and I'm feeling sluggish and a bit bleugh...

I feel like all I do is go round and round the house picking up stuff all the time and don't actually get anything done... dirty nappies, messy clothes, toys, more toys and even more toys...

Here's hoping the week picks up!

{Weight Loss Inspiration}

I've reached my target weight, and my personal trainer has now featured me on her list of success stories on her website! Here are the before and after pics:

3 July 2011

3 July 2011

11 Oct 2011

I have achieved the following results:

• lost 6 inches from my waist
• lost 5.75 inches from my hips
• my body fat % has dropped 11%
• lost 33lbs (however I've lost in total 3 stone since having had baby 5.5 months ago)
• dropped from a size 16 to a size 10

All in just 3.5 months!!

The key has been to eat healthily, no crazy diets, and to do a bit of exercise.

A number of people have asked how I've done it, so I want to share with you some of the tips I've learned from Maria.

• Keep a food & exercise diary, and be honest with yourself
• Eat little and often
• Watch portion sizes
• Have something to eat as soon as you wake up in the morning to get your metabolism going
• Choose the healthy option where possible
• Limit bread, pasta & potato intake (I had no bread or pasta to start with)
• Choose wholemeal where possible (brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholewheat noodles, seeded brown bread)
• Avoid or limit bananas (as far as I'm aware they slow metabolism - not sure if this is true or not. This is the only fruit that I've been told to avoid)
• Avoid or limit red meat 
• Eat lots of fresh fruit & vegetables
• Eat lots of fish
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day (I struggle with this one!)
• Avoid Coke & Diet Coke
• Avoid alcohol (I'll have a soda & lime when out)

Here's what I would eat in a typical day:

7am - couple of spoons of low fat natural yoghurt

8.30/9am - museli (one with nuts and seeds rather than dried fruit e.g. Jordans Nut & Seed) with skimmed milk & lots of blueberries & raspberries or porridge

10.30am - snack (handful almonds; crudites & hummus; oatcake, fruit salad, yoghurt & berries; sugar snap peas or handful popcorn)

12 noon - vegetable soup; chicken, tuna or prawn salad (with salad leaves, beetroot, pine nuts, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and drizzle of dressing); ryvita & cottage cheese or Food Doctor pitta bread with chicken and salad

3pm - another snack

5pm - fish with lots of vegetables; chicken stir fry with brown rice/noodles or homemade chicken curry (tomato based sauce) with brown rice

8pm - another snack

If I'm feeling hungry at any point I'll grab a handful of Food Doctor seeds or Munchy Seeds or a handful of cherry tomatoes or sugar snap peas.

I still have the occasional cake (there is no point trying to cut out everything 'bad' - it's got to be a realistic diet so that you can stick to it), I'll also still eat chocolate occasionally (80% cocoa dark chocolate and I'll only have 2 squares) and if I do have a take away then I will have a chicken kebab (salad, no sauce!).

In addition to the healthy eating I've been exercising approximately 5 times a week. I've joined Maria's running club which meet on a Sunday morning and I've started a Pilates class too which is a Monday night. In addition to this I do a Davina workout DVD at the house (Davina's are the only DVDs that my personal trainer recommends by the way). I've also been trying to do a run when I can, but at the moment it's becoming difficult as the nights are getting really dark, as are the mornings! To start with I went out for brisk walks with the kids in the buggy and I'm now able to run (I did 5.37 miles this morning at running club, and before August I had never really run before).

Davina Fit DVD

Hope this is helpful? Any questions, do let me know.

{Groove on}

I'm linking up again this week with Kate on Thin Ice for her Getting Your Groove Back Blog Hop.  Week #3 already!!

So, what have I done this week to get into the groove...?

I had my most enjoyable breakfast of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs & toasted pitta bread on Wednesday last week and thoroughly loved every bite, despite having to make it myself! I actually had it for brunch rather than breakfast - hope that still counts!? By the time I had been to the supermarket to get the salmon and eggs it was too late for breakfast! I also went to Aberdeen for the weekend to stay with my sister and her boyfriend, and get this - I was made smoked salmon, poached eggs & toast for brunch on Saturday... so I've had my special breakfast twice this week!!

Whilst I was in Aberdeen, my sister took my photograph in her home studio. So, here I am in my size 10, yep you read correctly...size 10 jeans! I can't believe that I was a size 16 just three months ago. I'm uber chuffed with myself. Excuse the pose...I'm not good in front of a camera and didn't know where to look etc!!

I've not been great with the healthy eating this week... I indulged in a bag of Jelly Belly's whilst watching X Factor (they were good!! - the jelly beans, not the X Factor contestants!!). I also had a banoffee pie... oops!! Oh I'm forgetting, I also had a few bits of dark chocolate, on a number of occasions!! I'm dreading my weigh in today (it's at lunchtime!).

I continued with my running though. I didn't make it to running club on Sunday as I was in Aberdeen but my sister and I did a 4.67 mile run on Friday night (I know this because I track my runs using a fancy app on my phone!). I did however get poked in the bum (!!) by a drunk teenager as I ran past him. I suppose that's going to happen when you go running at 9pm on a Friday night! I've also been to Pilates this week and I'm really enjoying it. 

My friend Becky has also kindly booked me onto a flower arranging course. As far as I'm aware it's a one-off 2 hour course at a local florist. I thoroughly enjoyed the cupcake course I went on and due to other commitments these days I can't really attend regular night classes so a one-off course suits me perfectly. So I'm looking forward to learning some much needed flower arranging skills. I'm rubbish when it comes to flowers and end up just plonking them in a vase and they are typically left there until they wither and die!

Another course I would love to do is the Jane Means gift wrapping course...however at £110 it's a bit pricey for a day workshop.

I do really enjoy being creative and so this week I took some time to indulge in my hobby and I made my first free printable to share with my blog readers. It's a Halloween design that could be used for stickers, cupcake toppers or gift tags. I could have spent hours playing about with Illustrator and Photoshop. I wish I had the time to do a digital design course but unfortunately I don't think it's viable.

I'm looking forward to the week ahead...

Let's get grooving ladies :-)

{Get Into The Groove}

I'm linking up again this week with Kate on Thin Ice for her Getting Your Groove Back Blog Hop.

So, what have I done this week to get into the groove...?

I had a lovely Dermalogica facial on Tuesday night last week. It was bliss and I thoroughly enjoyed the me-time. I also treated myself to some new face cleansing gel (my hubby had used my travel size one that was in the shower as a shampoo!!).

On the social front I've also been a busy bee. I went to the Glasgow School of Art Master of Design Textile fashion show on Thursday night and on Friday night the hubby and I went to a charity event hosted by my personal trainer Maria. She has raised in the region of £13,000 for Parkinson's Scotland over a couple of events - the main one being that she ran 50 miles to celebrate her 50th birthday! I hope I can be half as fit as she is when I'm 50. I was a little nervous going to both events... I used to be able to walk into a room not knowing anyone and be confident to make small talk but I'm lacking in confidence these days. It's creeping back, but I've still a long way to go. I had bought myself a new black dress to wear to the charity 'do... I'm very self conscious about my upper arms (they were a bit flabby, less so now, and my skin tone is awful - I'm all red & blotchy and I've got a mark which I think is from my Vit B12 injections) and I rarely have them on show (only in the swimming pool or on holiday) so my new dress was perfect. I love when the autumn/winter ranges come into the shops as the dresses tend to have sleeves!

Black spot mesh ponte dress from Wallis

I've been keeping up with my running and really enjoyed my Sunday morning run with Maria's running club that I joined (all money raised by the club through fees goes to charity). Last night I also started a new Pilates class that Maria's daughter teaches. Thankfully the new gym gear that I had ordered from Nike arrived on Monday morning so I was feeling good in my new leggings & top.

Kate has set a few tasks for this post...

The first is to do with breakfast.

"Breakfast Time – Do you rush breakfast? Do you eat things because the family do even though you might prefer something else? Do you skip breakfast altogether? This week, I want you to do something different for one breakfast this week. Add some fruit to your cereal, have a croissant, indulge in smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, have some warming porridge, whatever does it for you. What is your all-time favourite breakfast? Tell us about it this week and then make sure you have it during the next 7 days."

I've been eating muesli every day for breakfast for the past 3 months. My muesli of choice is Jordan's Nut & Seed. I've heard that not all muesli's are healthy but I am allowed to eat a small portion of muesli as long as it is one with nuts and seeds rather than dried fruits. I love smoked salmon and Kate's suggestion of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs is perfect. It's healthy and I am going to have this for breakfast one morning this week. I'll have to add this to my to-do-list and make sure I get some smoked salmon at the supermarket! Yum - looking forward to it already.

Here's the next task:

"Spin Doctor – Women are great at putting themselves down. This week, I want you to pretend you are your own spin doctor or public relations expert. Include in your blog post a word, a sentence, a paragraph or a whole post about what is just fabulous about you."

Kate is right, it's all too easy to put yourself down... At the running club this week the two ladies that I were running with thought I was a model and they really were not keen to be running alongside me, a leggy blonde. I have to admit that I do look pretty amazing now (feel a bit big headed writing that!) because I'm making more of an effort... I've lost weight, been drinking lots of water and my skin is glowing, and I've invested in a few new items of clothing. I've got lots more energy and I feel good. My confidence and self belief are still to catch up though. I'm sure I'll get there eventually, in the meantime I'll keep working on getting my groove on!

Love

Believe

{Getting Your Groove Back Tuesday}

Kate on Thin Ice has started a new Blog Hop/Linky/Meme called "Getting Your Groove Back"...

I've been working on getting my groove back for about 3 months now. I decided enough was enough and it was time to make some changes. Out with the slummy mummy (no energy, lack of confidence, negative thinking...) and in with the yummy mummy (or at least somewhere in-between)!

Two questions have been set this week...

1. What song would be best to play a lot whilst attempting to get your groove back?

Kate's song choice is Revival by Annie Lennox. Funnily enough, my song choice is also Annie Lennox! I've got a jogging playlist on my phone and the one song that gets me to up the pace a bit is Annie Lennox 'Little Bird'. Think the image of Demi Moore's amazing body in Striptease when she dances about to this song must give me a boost of motivation!!

2. What can you do to make your body feel better this week?

Here's what I've been doing to get my groove back...

Diet & Exercise...

I have hired a personal trainer and lost a considerable amount of the post-baby flab. I was 13 stone 10lbs after my daughter was born 5 months ago, and I now weigh a trim 11 stone 1lb. My trainer Maria would like me to get to the 11 stone mark, so I have 2lbs left to lose. We've also been keeping track of my body fat % which has dropped dramatically from 39% to 29% (target is 25%). I feel great, have a lot more energy and it hasn't felt like hard work. My advice - ditch the diet, eat regularly, choose the healthy option, drink plenty of water and do a bit of exercise. It's been an expensive way for me to get in shape but I'm very glad I did it as Maria has given me the motivation that I so badly needed. The key now is to get a bit more toned. I'll get some better before and after photos soon (Maria wants to feature me on her website) but here are a quick few:

3rd July 2011

23 Aug 2011

My Wardrobe (or lack of!)...

I've booked myself in for a session with a Personal Shopper for November. It's a complimentary service at House of Fraser and I'm very much looking forward to it. At the moment I have one pair of jeans that fit me well and I also bought an amazing dress from M&S (in a size 10... a first for me!), which I am yet to have an occasion to wear it to, but I couldn't resist it!! The majority of my wardrobe is ill-fitting, shabby & worn out. One item that I am very happy with is my new glasses which I purchased fairly recently - I love them.

On Saturday I did a 1 hour power shop in my local shopping centre and bought some new boots, a new belt (size small!!), a new little black dress, a grey tunic/dress and some new underwear... What a difference it's made having some clothes that actually fit properly.

Socialising & Me-Time...

Last week I had my hair coloured & cut all ready for the weekend as I had a big Saturday night out planned with my girlies! My first in a long, long time! We had a lovely dinner out (I chose the healthy options for started and main, but did indulge in some sticky toffee pudding - yum!). I also had a lovely Sunday morning with the girls at Blysthwood Square Hotel for a cupcake masterclass with Naked Bakes.

This evening I have booked myself in for a lovely relaxing facial... heaven! I've also got a night out on Friday planned with hubby... a chance to wear one of my new dresses!

Good luck to the other mummies that are also working on getting their groove back...