New Year = New Fitness goals - Juicing, Plant food eating, & more.

Hi Happy New Year -- can you believe it is 2017!

I know this time of year everyone is doing their new years resolutions, generally jumping on the healthy eating & more exercise band wagon. 

As per most people I have enjoyed my xmas time off and this has resulted in eating of cheese and chocolates. (which is usually limit or don't buy at all). Therefore it is time now to get back to me "normal" diet and routine. However this time I am tweaking a little.

I always eat well in regards salads and "proper" dinners. As due to my allergy it is always better for me to cook and prepare myself in house. 

This time I am going to follow the Plant Food Eating plan, Which is basically, nothing animal produced (vegan in essence). But the plan is for health reasons and not ethics, it also explains in the first few weeks to ease yourself into it, and that slip ups will happen.

At the moment my partner is still at home, so we will be following this together, which is always better to motivate each other and stick to it. 

I sat down yesterday at the kitchen table with my books and wrote up a meal plan and shopping list, I dont know why but I find this so therapeutic, as well as the planning and preparing of the lunches and juices for breakfast the evening before, making my mornings so much easier.

Today we bought the food, I expected the first week to be more expensive, but this was due to buying the dried pulses and spices that I didn't have, but now I have them it will just be a veg shop as such weekly. Today I spent £30 on the "normal" shopping, and £15 on the dried and long lasting foods. This is really good for me, as I usually spend at least £50 a week, even with my meal planning and usual choices. 

Linking with the intake of fruit and vegetables, I shall be juicing for my breakfast and I am currently undertaking the mammoth research of which new juicer / blender to purchase, as my old one is on its way out. 

I am not doing this for weight loss as such, however I did this morning weigh myself and take measurements, more to see how this compares. 

I am going to also actively do more exercise, I would like to do at least 30 mins 3 times a week.

I would love your thoughts and comments, on what I can try, or even which blender is best.

Speak Soon

Nic 

Allergy and Free From show - Liverpool

Hi everyone I have just had it confirmed I shall be attending the Allergy and Free From Show again this year.

http://www.allergyshow.co.uk/liverpool

I cannot wait to see some new brands and discover some new products, and to work with and meet some of my favorite brands again.

This is the time if anyone would like to arrange a meet up or any promotional work as I am already planning my diary and event commitments,

Hope too see some of you soon

Nicola

Mid week – Tesco mini shop.

Well this is a first, I had a day off today and this was full of errands, including Dentist, Hospital and Letting agent appointments.

The house needed a quick stock up on a few things.

I like to go to the big supermarket when I get chance mid-week and in the middle of the day as everywhere is a lot quieter.

I get to have a browse around the clothes and offers in peace without trolleys going into my heels.

Also this helped me see some of the special offers on items I actually wanted to buy.

Here are the images:

Household:

I like the house to be clean and hygienic, I also like it to smell fresh. I had run out of own brand antibacterial spray and wipes. I then saw the Dettol range on offer and this was double the size of the usual spray I get for 5p more. Also the wipes. I wanted the citrus fresh for a change. Also as well as my candles I like the fragrance stands in most rooms to keep them smelling fresh. Therefore I bought fresh cotton. I am getting a new car this week and got the matching car scent too.

Food:

Gluten free purchases, Bagels, pasta, sliced white bread and very yummy looking cookies.

Beauty:

I this week ran out of primer and my make-up doesn't last all day without it, this was on offer with all other Nivea items. Therefore I stocked up on essentials at the same time.

I do like Tesco big stores as they have a clothes section as well as a nice home wares section. Today I saw a nice wall clock and cute pillows. As well as useful and practical holders for in my bathroom. I think I shall save next months and get them. Just to help the living room and bathroom feel finished.

Speak soon

Nicola

Autumn - Winter 2014 Home Comforts:

As the nights draw in an the weather starts to change this is when I find a change in the weather really changes my mood. I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I will share to try and help the transition from summer to Autumn / Winter.

Clothes: I am always cold! even in the summer I am reaching for jumpers and cardigans, which means that I will have plenty of supplies around. But this also means If I'm cold in the summer how cold do I feel in the winter. This year when I bought some new clothes I also purchased long sleeve jersey T-shirts. They are ideal for layering up under blouses and jumpers to take away the chill. Also I love my boots, so simple to pair up with jeans and more stylish than pulling on my trainers.

Bedding: So far this year I am holding off turning the heating on. I have however found that swapping out the cotton bedding, and swapping for a jersey material really does help keep me warm. Even with the same tog duvet it does take away the chill. The only problem is trying to get up and out of bed is even harder as its snuggly and warm.

Food: This is when the slow cooker appears out of the cupboard and the stews, casseroles and other yummies start to be eaten. I am trying at present to be very conscious about the amount of wheat and flour I am having in my diet. Putting lots of meat and vegetables with a controlled mix of herbs and spices is a good way for this. All of the contents are known, and it makes it a lot cheaper making them at home. I make too much and batch it up and freeze for lunches and teas another day. I have asked for a certain chefs cook book for xmas about comfort food :-)

Relaxing: You all know I love my candles, but this is when I love to light one and sit by the soft glow. It helps me to feel relaxed and at ease. I have recently been loving my unscented candles. Or one particular candle that I purchased at my place of work. However I have just taken on a new part time role that I am going to love, which will involve selling candles!! ideal job for me I think :-)

There are 2 bad things about this time of the year and I am really not looking forwards to them over the next few weeks. I don't like the dark at the best of time however right now is worse. Due to the fact of I don't like people coming to my door when they are unexpected, and I am scared of masks and items that cover the face such as face paint and prosthetics. Therefore Halloween is not a good time at all for me. Therefore this year will as per every year involve, being home on the top floor, with the curtains closed and TV and music on so loud that I cannot hear the door. Im not a scrooge, I usually leave a sign out and a bag of sweets for people to take.

My other worse fear are fireworks, I hate the loud noises, and how you do not know when you expect them to go off. I jump out of my skin, and I hate the noise. Again this is a night where there curtains are closed and the TV is on. One thing with fireworks are they don't just go off on 5th of November, sometimes the weekend before, or after, and then random nights between then and new year.

What helps you to feel better at this time of the year? I would love to know as I may try them.

Speak soon

Nic

Yorkshire Wildlife Park: Part 1:

Yorkshire Wildlife Park:

Part 1:

This week I went to the wildlife park with my family. I was very excited to spend some time with my family outside. 

On arrival the park once passing the new shop and entrance area we went for lunch. We went to the newly refurbished safari cafe. This was clean, bright and unusually quiet. The menu was varied and had lots of yummy sounding food. With members on staff on hand and knowledgeable about their products. The items were reasonably priced an example was £6.95 for a large portion of quiche and salad. The food arrived quickly and freshly prepared. With large portions and good quality food this was a pleasant surprise from usual burgers and such food.

Then we went into the park fully, We bought the kids the guidebooks which had lots of facts about the animals. Great for when you don't know the answers to the million and one questions they may ask. Also there is a quiz in there to keep them occupied throughout the park.

We did go midweek however it was during the summer holidays, and also one of the special event safari nights. The car park was busy, but once you have entered the park due to the vastness the park didn't feel busy. With no ques to see the animals. 

The children's play areas were busy and the indoor one was very hard to find seats, but this did not cause any issues for the children to play.

I love to walk around the lions to see the landscaping and waterfalls.

As always went to my favourite section: South American Viva to see my Capybara Martha.

This visit the giraffes were outside and I got to see the recent addition to the gang.

I cannot wait to go later this week to see the new Polar bear and stay for the evening to experience the safari night.

Speak soon

Nicola

Days Out: The Deep (Hull)

This week the weather did not look to great on my day off and therefore we opted for an indoor activity. This week was not half term so we ventured off to The Deep. This was about a 1 hour drive.

When we arrived we realised the car park was quite full and maybe other people had thought of the same plan. We went inside to be greeted by a que of about 15 minutes for tickets. This was ok as it was warm and dry.

Once you get your tickets to got up to the third floor as then the experience works its way back down to ground level. 

There are lots of things to see, including many species of fish, sharks, rays and now the Penguins.

There we a lot of school groups and general families in but due to the size of the attraction it did not feel crowded. The only place people were queuing to see were the newly arrived penguins, however with a large viewing window and everyone being considerate there was only a 2 minute wait.

The whole attraction is wheelchair and pushchair friendly with ramps and lifts where needed. 

After you have seen the whole attraction. This took us about 1.5 hours. You can either choose to go back to the top in the glass lift, or walk back up the stairs (glass viewing all the way up). We waked leisurely back up the stairs and kept stopping on the many benches along the way to see the large glass tank. In my opinion this was much better than a 30 second lift ride with 12 other people.

We did not eat at the deep on this visit, but from a previous trip the food was varied and there were healthy options. Including Gluten Free and Vegetarian choices. It was not the cheapest of menus but it never usually is at a tourist attraction.

I would recommend the deep and I shall be going back again. They do have electric car charging points. But not suitable for Zoe as they were an old connection type. Therefore we had to go to a services on the way home to fulfill this need.

Speak soon, as I have lots of days out planned!

Nic x

http://www.thedeep.co.uk/

5 Things of the week:

5 things:

I have recently been quite busy and have seen this idea from one of the lovely bloggers I follow. So here are 5 things I have done this week.

1: I have this week had a change at work in my day job, as my manager was off on her holidays leaving me in charge. Meaning a few later nights at work and more than usual on my mind in the day. Needless to say as a result I have been enjoying coming home, having tea and relaxing on the sofa with the TV. 

2: Communication, I have realised that sometimes people have things going on in their life and it is very appreciated when you can be a shoulder to lean on in a harder time. Of course I'm not going to name names, or discuss private matters. But I know I appreciate people who can be there when you need them. Hopefully they feel the same when they need me.

3: This week we have tackled the jungle that was the garden. Now I had mowed the grass about 4 weeks ago but due to other commitments had not done this again since. Well thats not a good idea as it took me twice as long as is still not finished. I shall today (as the sun is shining) go out and finish the garden this morning. As due to the bank holiday weekend I would like to go outside.

4: Food: after a few weeks of not eating very well I think I may be back on track. I have been trying really hard to eat fruit and vegetables. I have been feeling much better now that I have been eating correctly. I had not realised how much of an difference it made to you. I felt sluggish and tired all of the time. I think it has given me a wake up call to look after myself a little more.

5: Planning: I am trying to make plans rather than just float around on my day off and have nothing to show for time. I am currently trying to have trips out and plan a holiday for the summer. I hate it when my partner comes in from work and says so what have you done today? and my answer is .. nothing. No wonder days and months fly by, But its not a good thing to have nothing to show for it. What do you do with your time off?

Days out : Wigfield Farm

Days out: Wigfield Farm

We went for a quick stop at a local farm, we were aiming just to pop by for some food on route to another location. But then we stopped and had a wander around. 

We ate in the cafeteria, the food was simple and just what we needed, I had a Jacket potato and Andy had homemade pie and mash.

There were a number of smaller animal enclosures, including fish, reptiles and members of the rodent family. Then outside there were larger animals including cattle, goats and pigs. Then finally around the corner were the alpacas and ponies.

All around were logos for Barnsley College, I am assuming there is some affiliation and maybe this is where the animal care courses are run? 

The Meerkats keeping warm.

The entry was £3 each and there was the option to by feed for the animals. I would suggest this is a good place for a stop off and a walk around for up to an hour. I had seen an outdoor children's play area.

The smiley Alpaca. 

I would suggest popping by on the way to somewhere else around the Barnsley/ Rotherham area. But that there is not enough to do there for a long period of time.

@WigfieldFarm

10 Things you didn't know about me:

10 Things about me: (and 2 you probably did)

Where do I live:

I live in Doncaster, South Yorkshire

How old am I:

I am 27 (just)

Where did I go to school:

I went to school in Doncaster and University at Staffordshire (stafford campus)

Where do I work:

I am a warehouse manager at an online furniture company based in Doncaster. I also have my own photography business that covers weddings, studio photography and corporate photography.

What car do I drive:

I answered this in a recent blog: I drive a 100% electric Renault Zoe

http://nicolasnewthings.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/have-you-met-zoe-i-love-her-very-much.html

Are you in a relationship:

Yes I am married and have been for around 5 years, I went to 6th form and university with my husband so we have been together for what seems like forever.

What is your favourite food:

I have to be careful with what I eat as I am coeliac, I love Chinese food but I cannot just go to the chinese as usual and have to make it at home which takes away the sparkle. Therefore my safe favourite is a good steak and chips - (http://nicolasnewthings.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/about-me-im-coeliac-and-what-that-means.html)

What is your favourite beauty product:

May favourite thing ever is perfume, I love love love, D&G the one. I would safely say this is what I always smell of.

What is your favourite home product:

I love candles, At present my favourite is my Partylite jar in Iced Snowberrys. It has a very fresh and clean smell, which is not too overpowering. 

What is your favourite electronic:

This is a though one for me as I do love my gadgets. From my I-pad, to my phone (nexus 4), to my car, to my camera and lenses and many more things besides. I would class myself as a gadget lover. 

I think ..... the award goes to ...... my Canon 650D (and the lenses to match of course)

Where is your favourite place you have visited:

I have been very lucky to have visited a number of countries. The best holiday I have been on as a whole was one big surprise by my husband. It was kind of a late honeymoon but I knew nothing of the location for nearly 2 years. We went to Singapore via a stop off in Dubai. This was amazing and the country is so beautiful to visit. I don't understand how many people just stop off here and never leave the airport. I would love to go back again, we spent 10 days here and we did not see everything.

Who are your favourite bloggers:

I do have a few, from the famous to the not so famous.

I do love Tanya Burr and her style and the way she is so effortless. Also I love Louise - Sprinkle of glitter and how down to earth and real she is.

I also love to read from http://wonderfullyrandom.blogspot.co.uk/ this is one of my school friends Kiri. She has a lovely baby son and she is a very keen baker she always shares something insightful.

And my home and beauty go to guru: http://lucyywrites01.blogspot.co.uk/

This girl is Coeliac like me and loves to bake, she knows home style and is a beauty guru. I have on many occasions direct messaged her with beauty problems and she always responds to me.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know me more.

Speak soon

Nicola 

x

About Me: Im Coeliac and what that means

About me: Im coeliac,

Right, so this is not going to be anything heavy but a brief explanation.

Not many people know but I am Coeliac. This is an illness that affects mainly the stomach and intestines. This illness is an allergy to Wheat and/or Gluten. Such as you would find in cakes, bread and pizzas.

I found out when I was 16 that I had this illness after many years going backwards and forwards to the doctors with stomach issues.

Oh the fondness of going to school wearing a size 10 trousers knowing in by bag was either a size 16 or maternity trousers ready for the afternoon. I used to literally swell up and look around 6 months pregnant at school.

After the diagnosis it appeared to be quite simple of how to stop the illness. Or so you would think. Cut out the things that contain wheat. Well there are more than you think, start with the obviously yummy foods, cakes, pizza and sandwiches. But then you get to Gravy, Vinegar and frozen chips that you wouldn't think of. You then become one of those people in the supermarket spending 30 minutes on each isle reading the back of the packets.

10 years ago being coeliac or wheat intolerant wasn't heard of. There were no free from sections in supermarkets and I had to get my food on prescription. Also because it was on prescription it was generally nasty. One good thing about more people having this illness now, or even choosing to go on a wheat free diet, is that now there are many more products on the shelves.

Yes not everything is great, and the bread is nasty but its a million miles from before.

Im guessing I'm spoilt as I had 16 years of yummy fluffy cakes and bread. Not the bread I have now which is stodgy, and has a sandy texture.

Well where am I now, I generally know the products, how to cook them and which to avoid. I do sometimes have a ‘naughty’ meal but I have to sum up in my mind if it will be worth the consequences. I have to be honest, my downfall is usually chocolate fudge cake.

I do get very bored of going out for a meal and always having a salad no dressing, or a jacket potato.

Over the next year I would like to find out more about new products that I have not used as I would love to be able to be 100% wheat and gluten free all of the time. But there are just so many products that just are not there or not up to scratch.

Anyone out there that has a great recipe or product that you have found I would love to know!