Being a Big Kid| Why it is good to be childish sometimes

Sometimes I look back at the things I used to do as a kid and think 'oh my gosh, that would be so fun to be able to do still'. Obviously as we grow older, we have to grow up in our behaviour too, or so society thinks we should. At times life can get a bit stressful and we just want to take a step back from the moment and do things that make us, chill out, relax, or even be a bit silly. Obviously there is a time and a place for these sorts of things, of course you can't be at work and say 'hey guys, look at me!' and do a cartwheel down the hallway. Well.. you could if your job was a gymnast or something, but generally it's a no no!

Sometimes I think about how fun it would be to have an adult version of soft play. How cool would that be?! Please tell me I'm not the only one? I would definitely pay to be able to play on bouncy steps and run through some rolling pins, then crawl through a tunnel and slide down a massive slide that turns out that you come out of a snakes mouth! I'm sorry but that's just the way I feel. It's the big kid inside of me that makes me want to go and play on something like that.

Who else still goes on the swing when the park is empty? Sometimes I feel like I can't or shouldn't (obviously I don't go into the playground if theres a sign that says 'under 8 years only' or whatever) but sometimes when there is no one around, yes, I do just go in for a swing or to have a go on some apparatus- okay it's been a while but I think its good to do it sometimes. Again, when the timings right. You don't want to be hogging the swing with a 5 year old waiting in the wings behind you! Thats just mean.

Life can get stressful, jobs can get stressful, especially with certain jobs that are so serious all the time. It can become a bit of a burden. These childish things are a way of relaxing and feeling there is not a care in the world for a few minutes at least. Colouring in can be relaxing, Ash and I did this at Nandos a month or so ago. We found it so funny that we were doing it but it was really nice and fun. Another thing that I'm sure a lot of people do but sometimes won't admit, is dancing in your room on your own. The other day, I thought of a year a few years ago with great memories and times where I felt happy, with little care or just generally a time that was good for me. I went onto Spotify and typed in, for example '2008 hits' and clicked on the playlist option. The music reminded me of times where I felt free, a little silly and childish and also happy. I danced around the room for a good hour or so. It was so much fun and brightened my mood (also a great calorie burner!).

My point is, obviously chose your timing, but give in to your inner child and do things that make you happy, laugh and smile because life is too short to be an adult all the time!

Let me in on what you do to be a big kid!

Love C. xx

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Too busy to workout| quick workouts

Although I'm trying to live my life in a healthier way, trying to exercise more can at times feel like there isn't enough time to do it.

Well, I'm going to share with you a couple little exercises I do when there is no time- whilst doing your everyday activities.

1) Waiting for a bath to run. I usually try and hold a squat for as long as possible or even put on my favourite tune and hold it for the entire song. That way I can try and distract myself by singing along and potentially even doing a little dance in the squat position- this is not only exercise but a happy hormone booster! 

2) Same principle, waiting for the kettle to boil for your tea- do some squats, one legged or two. You could even do arm exercises. While its boiling, put both arms out at a 90 degree angle and draw tiny circles with your arms. WARNING. This is a killer but so good!

3) Watching a kick-ass episode of vampire diaries or your favourite television show? During ad breaks I sometimes sit on the floor and do as many crunches or sit ups as possible. Have a break when the programme comes back on then the next break try holding a few planks for as long as possible.

4) Cooking prep can take usually between 10-20minutes. Why not multi-task and do some butt squeezes/clenches whilst doing it? Hold the squeeze/ clench for 5 seconds pulse for 10 and repeat. Have a minute break when necessary. 

5) At times, when I'm waiting for the toaster, for pasta to cook or if I just need to keep an eye on the meal then I will hold onto the counter and lift one leg at a time behind as high as possible pulsing the leg up for as long as possible and then swap legs over. Great butt,quad and lower back workout.

These are just five little exercises I try to do if I haven't been able to get to the gym or am feeling like I want to burn a few extra calories. I particularly love the squat whilst waiting for a bath- music makes the experience more enjoyable and then you have a relaxing bath afterwards. 

Do you have any quirky little exercises you do during the day when you have no time for the gym?

I know sometimes I feel a bit silly doing these things but it's just totally worth doing, especially if you're like me and you feel guilty for not going to the gym. 

Hope this helps some of you and maybe gives a little inspiration?!

P.S: Here's what the last blogpost's outfit looked like...

Love C. 

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Fitness| Yoga app

As you may or may not have seen recently, I have been really trying to get into fitness and keep motivated. More often than not, I seem to be working out from home- which has turned out to be great, and I seem to have stuck to this better than going to the gym 4 days a week.

Today I wanted to share with you an app that I have been loving recently, an app for Yoga. Yoga is meant to strengthen the body and mind, whilst also focussing on breathing and flexibility. There is even some evidence to suggest that Yoga can help with high blood pressure, heart disease, aches or problems with lower back pain and can even help with depression and stress.

I've been finding this app great as it not only talks you through the positions but you can even go through the catelogue of positions if you get stuck. From using this app for the past week and a half I can already see improvements in my flexibility and mental wellbeing.

I have found that as a new starter to Yoga this is perfect because they have beginners videos to follow, and then once you feel ready you can progress onto the more advanced videos. They also 

have expert videos for those of you who are more familiar with Yoga and would like more of a challenge. No only this but if you need to organise what class you want to do and when, there is a calendar to keep you on track with your class schedule. 

This app is for iPhones, iPads and iPad mini's only and costs around £2.99. However, I am never one to spend money on an app- this is the first time and I must admit it does seem worth it so far in my opinion. Mainly because I don't have to pay £5 a session to go to Yoga, I can do it when I want and where I want. Simple!

For those of you who haven't tried Yoga, it is hard but so worth doing. I would highly recommend trying it, even if it isn't with this app.

To preview the app click here

Let me know how you feel about Yoga and if you would consider this app?

Love Claudia xxx

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Spa Getaway| Macdonald Hotel and Resorts Lymington

My best friend and I had some major catching up to do and hadn't seen each other in 6 months, so we had the brilliant idea of going onto Wowcher and finding a deal to have a one night stay at a spa.

We found this one at Macdonald Hotel and Resorts which included one nights stay, a 30 minute treatment in the spa, use of the leisure facilities, a three course meal, free wifi and a full English breakfast in the morning.

There were several treatments to choose from, my friend chose the back, shoulder and neck massage and I chose to have the 'Sole delight grooming for feet'. Both were very enjoyable and relaxing treatments. Mine consisted of laying down on the bed (below) and having my feet and up to my knees, exfoliated, massaged, left in a mask, and massaged again. All the products used were Elemis products and it was so lovely. While my feet were in a mask for 5 minutes I had a scalp massage too.

My legs and feet were so soft and I started to feel so relaxed.

Afterwards we decided to have a bit of lunch and then have a little walk around the grounds.. it was so COLD!

For the rest of the day we went to the pool, had a nice swim and went in the steam room.

(I wasn't able to take my own photo of the pool, this is from their website)

The three course meal was delightful and I have to admit I think I had the best cheesecake ever, it was honeycomb and Oh MY... it was so good! There is a picture of it on my Instagram :) (Link below).

Our stay was really great and I would totally recommend this to anyone who wants to have a girly weekend or a couples getaway. I'm looking forward to hopefully doing this again some time.

Love Claudia xx
(Disclaimer: this is not to show off or make me any better than anyone else, this is purely to share with you to enjoy).


Check out that cheese cake ;):
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Wild Food Cafe | Review

 So, on Wednesday 12th November I found myself in London with my boyfriend Ashley, for our anniversary. Normally we'd find wherever looked fairly pleasant to go to eat and settle for that. However, for some reason we felt like being healthy and was drawn to a quirky little cafe called 'Wild Food Cafe' near Covent Garden which serve fresh raw ingredients, specialising in vegan and vegetarian nosh!

 Inside is a very laid-back and unique atmosphere where the eating area is open planned. This is so that you can see the kitchen while your meal being prepared, which personally I think is a nice touch. The tables are minimal and shared with other customers so you have to grab a seat when you can. Even so, it was nice to just sit down after strolling through the shops and getting to look out onto the quaint little street down below.

We ordered our drinks and both decided to have the 'Vibrant Green' juice. It came out looking gorgeous with the pretty flower petals on top, and my goodness it tasted gorgeous too! This juice had only nutritious fruit and veg in:

Apple, Celery, Cucumber, Spinach, Parsley, Lemon, Ginger. 

Lovely!

We ordered our food and it came out pretty quick. I had 'The Wild Burger' which consisted of a shiitake, raw olive and dulse burger in wholemeal wheatbread served with sweet potato wedges and a side salad. Ash had the 'Wild Falafel' organic pistachio, olive and coriander superfood falafel balls with hummus and baba-ganoush, spouted quinoa tabouleh, red pepper dressing and tahini sauce. As we both wanted to try each others we shared each dish.

The burger is a great alternative if you aren't a meat-eater or if, like me, you like to try out foods you haven't eaten before. The sweet potato wedges were lush, some of the best I've ever had- and that's a statement!

I love falafel's, and let me tell you- Wild Food Cafe do it SOOO well! It was so tasty and would actually return just for that!

Have you ever been to the 'Wild Food Cafe'? Where would you recommend next time?

Check out the website: http://wildfoodcafe.com/

Love Claudia xxx