Christmas shoes| They Speak For Themselves

I honestly don't have to write too much about the shoes because let's face it they do speak for themselves! These are so beautiful, probably the most beautiful pair of shoes I own.

These pair of gold shoes are covered in small diamontes from the point of the toe to the tip of the heel. They sparkle in the day and night, and are brilliant as a statement piece.

The great thing about the shoes is that they are versatile in that you can wear them with jeans, skirts or dresses because of the style and the neutral tone. 

If you'd like to see a video of the shoes to see the sparkle head to my Instagram (@pureaccidentalbeauty). 

As you are probably wondering, these shoes are from next. I couldn't find the original shoes on the website though, so they may be sold out- I did find a similar pair in silver glitter though: http://www.next.co.uk/gl680s4#l39025gl6

Merry Christmas!

Love Claudia,

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Lush lush lush

As you know, lush is my weakness! There is nothing better for me, than to come home and use a bath bomb and relax into some sweet smelling soapy suds. 

I just wanted to share my recent favourites with you- ones that really made a difference to the cold windy evenings we've been having!

I finally got round to using this bad boy the other day- frozen bath bomb. Okay it doesn't look like much but when you pop it in the water, the smell and fizz just fill me full of excitement. With little specks of subtle glitter and a beautiful blue colour you can't be too disappointed with this bad boy! Especially if you love frozen the movie!

I do personally prefer a bit more bubbles but you can always mix a bubble bar with this to create more bubbles/ coverage! Haha 

Obviously got too excited to remember I was meant to be photographing this! Haha

I'm missing one more little red berry? Don't know where that went!

You could easily be put off by how much glitter there is on this one, but having had one myself, and my boyfriend has used this too- nor myself or him has had ridiculous amounts of glitter on us! Which is good because I reassured him it would be fine (not actually knowing of course!)

This one is a bubble bar which means you can use it more than once- by just breaking a piece off and running it under the tap. 

Anyway, as you can see it isn't too much to look at in the bath, some people may be put off by the fact it's a green bath. I'm not usually put off by colours for baths as long as they smell nice and don't look horrendous! Lol

I was pleasantly surprised by this one and was very happy with the amount of bubbles!

Love Claudia 

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Fireworks| Perfect Until..

This isn't a post I'd normally do but I thought it was something I can share you all on a more personal level rather than just always talking about beauty or style etc. Just like a conversation between two friends..

This was me on fireworks night, all snuggled in my big fluffy coat, makeup on (as I don't always get a chance to play with makeup due to work) and a plan to see the fireworks without going into town and trying to find somewhere to park and be constantly surrounded by people (it can get so busy!)

We (Ash and I) had the plan of watching the fireworks which were going to be on a boat at Poole quay, but instead of going to the front we went round the side, where some other docks were. 

We thought we'd make sausage sandwiches and bring snacks and coffee in a flask to sit and watch the fireworks on a blanket (to me this sounded an absolute delight!). 

So we packed up a cool bag with the food in and made our way down to the spot we had planned. There were barely anyone there which was great! So we sat down on the blanket with a great view and started our snacking!

We finished our food and cuddled up to keep warm. The boat was just about ready to start the fireworks. 

After about a minute of the display starting, I saw something move right by my feet. All I could see was this grey body and a tail. A rat! It had probably been there under a little crate the whole time but now it was running around near my feet. 

I can safely say both Ash and I jumped up and packed the rest of our food away quickly! So instead of being dazzled by amazing fireworks (which from what I could see were very beautiful) we were keeping a very close eye on our new friend that had joined us hiding under the crate! 

Well that's one way to ruin your fireworks night! 

Has anything like this happened to you before?

Hope you enjoyed this little chat!

Speak soon!

Love Claudia x

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Crossfit| 5 Months on (Update)

Hello everyone!

Oh my goodness I am so sorry this has been a long time coming. 

Sometimes life just gets busy. One minute you're trying to figure out where you can go on holiday (if you can afford it!) and what bikini to wear and the next you're trying to haul on a thick pair of tights and getting your cosy Parker out of the wardrobe. 

That's kinda how my life has been in the last few months- I'm basically trying to keep up! Very much like constantly being on a treadmill. TIREING. 

But even though I've felt like this, there has been one thing that has been fairly consistent in my life so far. That being Crossfit. 

I cannot tell you how much I'm enjoying it and for me, still being motivated after 5 months of starting is a major achievement. When I went to the gym or wanted to start running I kept saying to myself 'I'll go tomorrow' and never did. For some reason I've managed to keep going to Crossfit at least twice a week and at times 3. In all honesty though I'd like to go more! It's more that I don't finish work and then can't get there in time. (Sometimes it can take 40minutes to get to Crossfit in rush hour traffic). 

Can I just mention- 40minutes is actually quite far to go as well so the fact that I'm motivated to still go after work at least twice a week is still a pretty big deal to me. 

In regards to my body and strength I do think there have been some improvements. I am 100% more stronger than when I first started and have still a long way to go. I've notice I'm able to add more weight to the bar than before and perhaps can do more repetitions. 

My arms and stomach have become more toned although again this still has room for improvement. This will come in time- fitness is a journey and there is no way to rush through to the results. 

I still stick by what I've said in a previous blog and that is I would definitely recommend trying Crossfit. I know it seems intense and scary but it isn't as bad when you get into it and all the people I know who go there are super friendly and supportive. Baring in mind I didn't really know anyone who went before I started and had not done any weight lifting before - it was completely new. 

So anyway I thought this would be a nice update- I'll try and be more frequent with my posts. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

Love C xx

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Summer pick-ups| Mini Primark Haul

Hey you!
Hope you are okay?

Just wanted to let you know of the cute things you can pick up in Primark at the moment if you are off on your holidays soon!

I Love these bits! My favourite is the palm tree style bikini, because it reminds me of a mojito! haha

Both these bikini's are the same style, you can wear both with or without the halter neck strap which is great for when you're going for different looks and activities of course. The other great thing about these is you can potentially mix and match the top and bottoms as they go really well together.

To be honest I was quite skeptical of the shorts because A) I don't feel like shorts suit me a lot of the time as they are never quite the right length; forever feeling like I have no thighs or my butt cheek hangs out the bottom. B) They are colour.. Okay they aren't pink (which you can get, as well as other colours) but they are colour and to me, this is a big deal! I really like the fit, length and style of the shorts.. they just work.

The necklace is simple yet different which is what I love about it. The gold wrapped in white and blue string make it easy to pair with most outfits.

Okay I know I said the mojito bikini was my favourite but the shoes come in a close second! They are honestly so comfy! and they are really pretty too. I haven't owned a pair like these before, they really flatter my feet and I have quite wide unflattering feet.. so really that is a major bonus! haha.
What is even better is that this is Primark, so it is hardly going to break the bank!

Hope you enjoyed this mini haul and I'll speak soon!

Love C. xx

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Summer Ice Lolly| Healthy way to keep cool

Hello!

I've been really enjoying the weather we've been having in the UK recently, it's been absolutely gorgeous with longer, sunnier days. However when you're at home and trying to keep cool the thing that I know I'm always craving is an ice lolly! Now, personally I try to be healthy most of the time and will try and take the healthier option over the unhealthy option. To be honest though when I'm at home I rarely have shop bought ice cream or ice lollies. That's when I crave them!

So a month or so ago I was strolling through TK Maxx and saw a ice lolly mould, picked it up and thought I could make a variety of different lollies and potentially even make a cheeky alcoholic one for cheat days or for when I have friends over. So.. This this is an idea that I thought would be great to share with you guys and I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients

Ice Lolly Moulds

200g Melon and Grapes (more or less if you like)

200mls Coconut Water

2 Table Spoons Honey (for a sweeter taste)

(Blender)

I found that I had a small amount left over so if you have more moulds you can probably fill another one more, butI ended up drinking mine! Whoops!

So once you have weighed and measured out what you need, pop them in a blender all together and blend. Check the consistency and taste if you want to to add more fruit/coconut water/honey otherwise pour them into the moulds and place them in the freezer. To add a bit of fun to the lollies I added a couple grapes into the moulds, which turned out the be a great idea, I love frozen grapes!

Mine took more than a couple of hours to freeze so I ended up having them the next day- I would recommend doing this especially if you are putting a bit of alcohol in!

Hope this inspires you a bit this summer, this is so easy to mix up with different fruits so you can have endless fun making different flavours. :)

These were so refreshing and really tasty!

Love C. xx

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A little close for comfort in this pic but hey! haha

Rule your mind or it will rule you| Anxiety Chats

'Rule your mind or it will rule you'

This is a personal post for me, it isn't something I would normally want to share or even put up on the internet, to be honest I'm not sure if I'll actually post this but if I have and you're reading this, know this was a bit of a leap of faith for me. I feel uncomfortable right now...ok. Here we go.

From my experience this quote above is very true. The past few years have been very difficult and challenging for me. I know Anxiety and Depression has been somewhat highlighted in social media and especially on Youtube, with a lot of people coming forward with their experiences of it. I'm not personally sure if I will ever be able to share my full story with everyone, there are still things that I'm getting my head around and I am currently trying to get on top of them. However, I do think that anxiety leaves a 'dent' (if you will) that no matter how many times you try to tap it out, buff it out or ignore it; it is always going to be there.. niggling in the back of your mind, ready to pop back out and surprise you. You have to be strong to not let it get back on top of you.

I'm not saying that my experience is worse than anyone else's, as I know that anxiety can be a daily occurrence for some and luckily enough for me, this isn't the case anymore.. I still get anxious but I don't have panic attacks as often now. I've managed to gain some sort of 'rule' over my mind when it comes to going out in public and being in social situations. Again, there are things I need to work on to feel more confident in speaking to new people for example (I never know what to say, this just makes me feel awkward and then the situation turns awkward because of my behaviour- not actually because it was awkward.. you feel me??).. anyway.. When I first really started noticing my anxiety, I had already isolated and distanced myself away from my friends, from my family and my boyfriend. By the time I was actually kind of ready to maybe discuss things a little bit, my relationships had already melted away or weren't as good as they once were- meaning I felt very awkward talking to them about anything, let alone my issues. I felt so alone. Even though in reality my friends actually wanted to help, I just wouldn't let them.

I had never really seen this coming. Now I know what it feels like and how I react I know I've actually been dealing with anxiety for many many years. Its just at the time I was handling it.. sort of.. and to be honest was making the situation a lot worse, building this feeling up inside of me that was eventually going to explode as a MASSIVE panic attack that lasted months. This was so full on I felt like I couldn't live where I was living, I felt like I couldn't go to university or even go outside. My boyfriend by this point was ridiculously supportive and let me move in with him for a bit, supported me going to university (luckily we were in the same class for a little while so he helped me make sure I passed my exam). I am so glad I let him in, because I don't know where I would be right now or how I would be if he wasn't there.

What I'm trying to say is that if you feel like you are drowning and a cannot swim, it is always the best to share the problem to help keep you afloat. Even if you feel like the person won't understand (I'm pretty sure my boyfriend didn't understand but was very supportive non-the-less) it is worth sharing, getting support and advice. You never know if someone else is having the same issue.

I know this blogpost isn't really much of anything, but I feel good about getting a little bit off my chest. I guess I've never really addressed this properly to myself. Baby steps people, baby steps.

Love C. xx

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Lush| Green Bubbleroon

I normally go for things like 'The Comforter' or sweet smelling things from Lush when I have my baths, but this is something different.

I went into the shop looking for something I hadn't heard of before, something that was moisturising for the body but with bubbles.
I was recommended to try this.. 'Green Bubbleroon'. It smells forest-like and fresh! It has shea butter in which helps moisturise the skin and has some other great things in which creates bubbles too. I actually really like this as an alternative. It produces bubbles very quickly and I could feel how soft if was in my hands from just running it under the tap.

The great thing about this product (and with the majority of lush products) you can get more than one use out of this. I broke mine in half and even the half I did use, I didn't need a lot.

I would highly recommend giving this one a try!
Happy Sunday!

Love C. xx

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Stress!| Simple ways to chill out

Ok. Stress. We all have it. Some in different ways than others. We are all individual people who find different ways to soothe the anxieties than come with stress.

I have a few tips and tricks for soothing both the mind and body when it comes to stress, I feel, at the moment for me this is quite important to take the time to do this because lets face it- we all need a bit of time to ourselves or even time to just at least be distracted.

1. Have a bath- if you don't like baths...(*shocked faced*) have a shower. Put some soft or easy to listen to music on, whether you like spa music, yoga music or even a bit of Ben Howard. Let the water wash your cares away for however long you'd like to be in there for and for me- closing my eyes is a major help for relaxing. They get dry and tired after a long day and so its quite nice to have them just closed, not asleep.. just closed.

2. Go for a walk- or exercise. This can either be for distraction or just time to think about things, not to panic and stress over them- but to think theoretically about things and see if you can put a plan in place to help you feel less stressed.

3. Watching movies or videos or even reading a book. Again this is distracting, you can easily loose yourself in a film or enticing book and even start to enjoy yourself a little bit at a time where you're feeling overwhelmed with stress. My preference is comedy films or I do love to watch a bit of Disney. When it comes to Disney films, I'm a little bit like Peter Pan and won't grow up!

4. Yoga or meditation. I've done Yoga before, again this is exercise but it is more stretching and releasing the build up of toxins in the mind and body. Meditation is amazing, if you really get into it and put your all into focussing the mind you feel so refreshed. I use an app on my phone and headphones to help block out any noise or distractions.

5. Going out with friends. Thats if they aren't the ones who are stressing you out of course! Having your friends around you to support and help you through these stressful times is sometimes just as good or better than your family.

6. Obviously healthy eating is something I try to do, however there comes a time when chocolate or just general naughty food needs to be had. Not loads! But enough to just satisfy the edge of the craving or whatever. Food that tastes good releases endorphins which is the happy hormone. One bar of chocolate won't hurt!

Hope you're feeling less stressed out and know you are not alone!

Love C. xx

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Makeup, Food and Drinks| My Kind of Night

Makeup done- CHECK! Outfit chosen- CHECK!

Let date night commence... 

Beautiful weather...For ducks

Drinks...

Food and a natter.. I love this combination of food. Olives are yum and so are rolls with oil and balsamic! If your not an olive person, they say to keep trying to eat them until you like them. It is true! Although I don't like the really salty ones- but these were so good!

Outfit of the night was kept casual, although its Spring here in the UK it is cold and wet right now. This was warm enough but didn't shout 'its still winter!' haha.

Afterwards we popped over to 'Maitai', a classy yet lively bar and had some drinks. I decided to have the Elderflower cosmo (Mmm so good) and Ash had the 'James Bond' drink- it was very strong! Not one for me to be honest. But was a lovely night non-the-less.

Hows your weekend been? 

Love C. xx

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Motivation Sunday| For the week ahead

Just a little blogpost for this evening.

One to help you keep positive for the week that lies ahead.

I think it is really important to remind yourself how strong the human mind and body is. The body will do what the mind tells it, you just have to believe how strong the mind is to help you get your goals.
Whether it is to improve your goals in exercise, or if you have an interview you're nervous about.. whatever it is, you, as a human being, as the person you are is more than able to get those goals. Sometimes it may take longer than you'd hope but never give up- those who persist will get their goals.

Quote for the week ahead:

The mind is everything. What you think, you become

Hope you have a beautiful week.

Love C. xx

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Compliments| Why it is important to accept them

Compliments are gifts.

When someone gives you a really nice gift that you're not sure about, you accept it and say 'thank you' because that's what we've been told to do and what is acceptable, that is polite. You wouldn't say 'I'm sorry can you take this back because I don't like it'. Well, I mean some people would, but I think that the social norm is to accept the gift and be grateful- it's the thought that counts right?!

People refuse compliments like an unwanted gift.
They ignore, dismiss, argue, rebound it, question and devalue themselves.

Why is it so bad to accept a compliment?
I know I'm the same- I struggle to take a compliment.
But why?

Fear of being smug or feeling like you owe them, (like if someone buys you a gift and you feel like you have to buy them one back). Perhaps its low self esteem or false modesty. Or again is is a social norm to not accept compliments? Is it just women, because I would beg to differ?

My guess is that more than half of us do it. But by doing this we make the person giving us the compliment feel awkward and may not want to compliment you again. You make yourself feel rubbish because you can't accept that someone else see's differently to what you see.
So, in all honesty you're not doing anyone any favours. Not your friend/ partner/ mother, whoever and certainly not yourself.

Next time someone compliments you- just say 'Thank you' or 'That really means a lot'. Even if you don't particularly believe it, its still is heartwarming.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Can you take a compliment? Why/why not?


Until next time...

Love C. xx

P.s You have a beautiful smile, share it :)

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209 Seconds That Will Make You Question Your Entire Existance| Mind Blown

So Sunday's sometimes get me thinking, you know... when I'm sat in my PJ's with a cup of coffee and chocolate bar.. after watching Bambi (Sunday's are meant for Disney films!) naturally!

I was just scanning through Youtube, as you do, and stumbled on the channel 'BuzzFeedBlue'. I have seen this channel before, they show awesome videos on things that you possibly always questioned but never knew the answer, or just other cool experiments or tricks.

I want to share with you a video that has made me really think hard about.. well, my life.. human existance and just the universe in general.

If this is too much for a Sunday- I do apologise and pop back over here when you're feeling more in the mood and prepared for a video this intense!

Here's the video: Ready to blow your mind?

Let me know your thoughts on the matter?

Love C. xx

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Current Favourite Store| Oasis

Leather Poppy Foldover Clutch

Laser Cut Slipper

Utility Shirt Dress

Paloma Stripe Cotton

Notch Neck Blouse

Sleeveless Drape Cardi

I am absolutely loving Oasis fashion at the moment! They are killing it!

I've never really been into Oasis before, but recently I've stumbled onto their website and discovered their range and I am definitely impressed!

I chose a few of the items on their website to show you what sort of things I'm on about. There are many more that I like too. These looks are classic and easy to put on. I love the fact that these pieces are lightweight but could be layered with either jackets or blazers.
With the Sleeveless Drape Cardi, you could pop a long sleeve top underneath or wear it with shorts which I think would look super cute and I find it an exciting piece that could be worn lots of different ways.
I find these so suitable for Spring because you can add a bit of colour with the amazing range of prints or accessories that are available.

Also, I am super excited for the 'Loved by Mollie' range which is coming out soon! I love her style and am keen to see what sort of pieces she is loving.

Lets just say I'm excited for payday. I may have to add a few of these to my wardrobe as 'must -have staples'...

What's your favourite shop at the moment? Anything you're dying to get your hands on?

Love C. xx

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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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Not Feeling Good Enough| Comparison

As I was saying in one of my previous blogs, I'm on my own confidence journey. Sometimes I feel super confident and feel great about myself. Other times I just feel like rubbish, constantly comparing myself to other people, whether it be friends, family or even people on the street.

It is a terrible feeling, feeling like this- I wouldn't ever make someone else feel like this, so why do I do it to myself? I guess it is all part of being a normal human being but the pressure of our culture, mainly from social media, to be the best version of ourself can be destructive. This is so difficult to keep up with. If we aren't married by the time we're a certain age, if we haven't got a large amount of friends, or don't earn as much as others, if you choose not to have children or don't want to buy a house even though all your friends have, you feel like somehow you haven't quite 'made it' even though all of these things are mainly our own choice or just circumstance.

Having all these pressures and not meeting these standard, makes my inner critic go mental. So many thoughts of 'why can't I be like (so and so)', or 'I wish my life was more like (insert name)', tearing apart my self-esteem until I don't like myself very much and then just want to eat crisps and things that are bad for me.. mm chocolate..

This has been playing on my heart recently, not on a daily basis but on and off. Sometimes it is to do with not looking as good as I want to, not reaching my potential in work or my social life. But maybe I'm comparing myself to a benchmark that isn't me? This day and age blogs about beauty are super popular, as are the fashion blogs. I do feel like this does encourage comparison sometimes, like at times it makes me think 'that product is so expensive, but I could never afford something like that'. This just ends up rolling into comparison of how much I'm earning or just generally consuming information about other people that is almost this fantasy land of wishing I could be more like them. I can't be them, I'm me. That is just the way it is. There are things I can change whether it be trying to improve my workouts to improve my body or trying to get training for work to be able to earn more.
I think I've just got to keep reminding myself that. Yes, I will keep comparing myself to other people, but I also need to keep strong in my believes of changing my life and lifestyle to keep improving the way I want to. Maybe even try and turn that comparison into motivation. Instead of thinking, 'I wish', think 'I can'.

Sure, this won't happen over night.. it will be a constant struggle, probably for the rest of my life, because I'm sure that even the people that I compare myself to, will be comparing themselves to others and potentially even me.

I know this blogpost is a bit random and not really that helpful, but some of you may feel like you're in the same boat and feel reassured that you're not the only one?

Love C. xx

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How To| Get Self Confidence?!

I've got a chatty one for you this week my beauties, I hope you don't mind!

I'm not going to sit here and type about how easy it is to be self confident..because it is definitely not that easy.

Self-confidence is a personal journey for everyone. You'll find that many people take different paths, some people may get there quicker than others with a smoother ride and some people may take years and years with many twists and turns in the road. But, my dear friends, the end result is the same -we are all going to the same destination.

I found this really interesting that confidence is actually derived from the Latin word for 'with faith'. In this case it would be having faith in yourself and believing in yourself. I know we all have our up and down days where sometimes you just think negatively or feel like you can't be that girl or guy who is super confident (without being cocky), but when we have these days -it is okay, it is allowed.

Sometimes however, you've got to realise that you need to bite the bullet and try and change something in your life to make you feel more confident.

For me personally I am still on my own journey to self-confidence, I am nowhere near the confident woman I would like to be. But I have developed some confidence and I would like to share how I have got this far.

Fake it.

Try to think of someone who you feel inspired by or someone you think is really confident. Think about the way they stand and the way they hold themselves or the way they speak. There has been research to back up that your body actually changes the way your mind thinks. For example if you make yourself do a big cheesy smile or force a laugh out for 10 seconds, you'll find that you are happier as your brain releases endorphins. This works for good posture too. Stand up straight with your shoulders back, chest out and head up. You start feeling better and people will perceive you to be a more confident person.

If you're someone who you feels like you can't act like that or something is holding you back ask yourself why? The internal conversation you have inside and those thoughts that go with it can affect your feelings, if you're thinking positively you feel good, if you're thinking negatively you feel bad. Trying to ignore the bad thoughts and get into the right mindset. So for example, if you are walking into a party and you feel like everyone is looking at you or you don't know many people, try and turn the situation around. Ignore the negative thoughts and think about whether everyone is having fun or whether you're in a nice destination, pick up on those thoughts and make them great memories for you to look back on.

If you don't want to practice with people who are in your day-to-day life, practice when there is nothing at stake with someone you don't know. Take the opportunity to practice on a shop assistant or a waiter. These people are paid to be nice and helpful so they shouldn't say anything to make you feel negative and you can develop your confidence on them. Once you've done this to the point you feel comfortable just turn that confident person into the everyday person you are.

One last tip is to dress to impress and no I'm not talking about impressing other people I'm talking about impressing yourself. Wear the clothes that make you feel the most comfortable and make you feel yours sexiest or something that really shows off your silhouette. This will help you get into a positive mindset.

I hope this blogpost helps at least one person. If you want me to do another post like this another time it would be great to know in the comment section below. I would also strongly recommend that you give at least one person a compliment sometime this week, it would definitely brighten up someone else's day and you never know you might cheer someone up!

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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Hand & Nail Care| Sakare

I don't look after my hands like I should. Its mostly because I don't have time or because I'm too lazy (guilty!).
But when I do feel like my hands need a bit of rehab I use this stuff. I actually found this whilst pottering about in London a few months ago and tried some of the products of this range. I decided on this kit as there was a very good deal on it at the time, but I also tried some of the body scrubs which are amazing! I have never felt my skin softer....
Back to this product though, it is very good and I was amazed at how shiny my nails where after using this. They come in different scents too so if you aren't into fruity scents you can choose something else.

In this Sakare Nail Set you get an nail file, nail buffer, indulging hand and body lotion and cuticle oil.

The Passion fruit scent is delightful and I would highly recommend trying this out. I always feel like I have been totally pampered after using this and my nails look so much healthier. An additional perk is that if you are wondering past their shop in London then you can swap your old nail buffer for a new one for FREE!

Has anyone else used these products? What are your thoughts?

Love Claudia xx

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