My top five healthy meal swaps

Cereal

I am such a big fan of cereal so swapping all the naughty cereals for a healthy option in the morning was really hard for me. I realised it was all about portion size and eating something that was going to keep me full in till lunch.

I've been really enjoying porridge, I buy the sachets and have been experimenting with the different flavours as well as adding my own fruit and nuts. Its great because I can easily manage my portion control and its super tasty!

Weetabix and fruit is also another favourite of mine at the moment, I have always loved Weetabix and it definitely gives me loads of energy in the morning! I top it with some of my favourite fruits, its so great and refreshing for the morning and also really quick to make!

Lunch options

I have been mixing up my lunch options to try and cut out unneeded fats and sugars but also feel full! I have been experimenting with home - made soups which I have found really filling, also if i'm fancying something lighter Crisp bread with Dairylea and cucumber!

SNACK time

I don't know about you but for me there's always that time of day when you feel like you need to grab something naughty, sugar, chocolate or savoury. My enemy is chocolate, so instead of grabbing a small bar, or some sweets I have been trading them in for cereal bars or a yogurt. Some cereal bars can be quite high in sugar, but if it keeps the chocolate at bay I'm happy! Muller have some really great yogurt options at the moment which are great for a treat after dinner, my favourite is Muller Light strawberry cheesecake :) 

Eating out

It can be really hard to eat out and eat healthy. There are so many temptations around, especially with the massive increase in restaurants and takeaways being right on our doorstep. I recently went to Las Iguanas, I enjoyed a delicious meal and kept reasonably healthy. I usually begrudge buying a salad when i'm out for food but this mango, pecan and goats cheese salad was so tasty. I had some bread and olives as a side along with some re-fried beans and I didn't feel cheated at all. Avoid the places you know you will be tempted to eat bad, but don't forget to have a treat every now and again.

Go Vege

I was a vegetarian for about  four years when I was younger so I already really enjoy vegetarian food. Try swapping meat in your meals for Quorn and see the difference. Its not only lower in fat but full of protein and can be frozen to stay fresh! I swap meat for a Vege alternative as often as I can and find this really helps with keeping fit and healthy!

(Halloumi Burger)

What do you do to keep fit & healthy?

What healthy swaps have you made to your lifestyle?

:)

Tasty Prawn Bhuna

You will need

Fresh or Pre-Cooked Prawns

1 Tsp Cumin

2 Tsp Coriander

1 Tsp Mustard

1/2 Tsp Chili

3 Tbsp oil

1 Onion

1 Tsp ginger

2 Garlic cloves

100g tomato/ Passata

Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan, add Onions, Ginger and Garlic, stir and fry for 4-5 minutes until golden brown

Add Cumin, Coriander, Mustard, Chili and stir in

Add Passata or Tomatoes to make a thick paste

Add your prawns, if you don't like prawns try adding chicken or lamb

Finally, add 125mls of boiled water and simmer for up to 60 mins. If necessary, add vegetable stock to thicken

Serve with rice and enjoy

:)

Home Ideas Scrapbook

After making a photo scrapbook, which I really enjoyed, I decided to take Scrap-booking to the next level and scrapbook my home ideas. Although I already do this on Pinterest, I thought it would be great to have a visual right in front of me for inspiration. I already collect every shop magazine going so I thought why not do something useful with them!?

I picked up loads of home magazines, George Home, John Lewis, M & S, Next home and collaborated all the ideas I liked. I ripped all sorts of things out that I liked and stuck them all onto a A3 piece of card. I collaborated everything from colour schemes to pillows I liked and have found this so helpful when buying new things as I can vision the finished look of the rooms.

I now have a wedding scrapbook, photo scrapbook and home scrapbook!

:)

New home finds, Bath Races & Coffee

I have always been a lover of up cycling, old fashioned and vintage items – Anything old & quirky I usually love. Charity shops are one of my favourite places to find great new things, especially on a budget. This week I picked up an adorable wicker basket, I have wanted one since my visit to wells. I just vision doing a Saturday morning shopping trip with it, buying groceries and flowers. I loved this one as it wasn't too big, I’m yet to make it look pretty but I think I might just attach a bow too it. I also picked up this great Cabinet for the kitchen, it’s a really nice wood so I’m undecided yet whether I will paint it or not but I’m going to put jars and plates on it and maybe even hang some cups from the bottom! It was such a bargain and it will add a really country feel to the kitchen or dining room.

We went to the Bath races Friday night for my grandparent’s birthday! I absolutely loved it! The weather was great, despite being a little windy on Lansdown and we managed to come home with over £100 between us. It was the first race of the season and I haven’t been in years but I can’t wait to go again in the summer! My only advice would be to take a cardigan or jacket as although the sun was shining it was still a bit chilly in the evening!

I love any excuse for a cup of tea in a coffee shop and with our wedding nearing its great to sit down somewhere different and chat about our ideas and our to do list. I have decided to carry a small notebook with me from now on, with a list, and get organised as I can no longer carry everything around in my head – the list is too long! Of course, I had to have a Coffee #1 welsh cake for brain power !!

:)

Bath shopping, Lovely weather & Cute finds

Last week I visited one of my favourite places, BATH :) Not only is this where I was born but I have also been lucky enough to live here for a few years here and there and I still have plenty of family and friends here that keep me going back :)

The occasion was prom dress shopping for one of my younger cousins, however, along the way we popped into some great shops & cafe's and I even came home with some more Rose Tea:)

The weather recently has been so beautiful that we were fortunate enough to sit outside with our tea and cake. We chose to go to The Bertinet Bakery by the train station, they have a whole array of cafes and eateries here which is part of the new development and they are so lovely! We all had the ' Salted Caramel Brownie' which I have to say was one of my favourite brownies to date, plus I am LOVING Salted Caramel at the moment! We were given our food and drink on cute takeaway plates and cups, it was really quirky and sweet!

We popped into two tea shops, Whittard's The Tea House Emporium. I loved Whittard's new Alice in Wonderland collection. The range of tea pots cups and saucers were so pretty and subtle I almost caved in and bought them! The Tea House Emporium was great also, they had the biggest range of tea I have ever seen crammed into such a tiny shop! Having fallen in love with Brew haha's Rose tea, I had to grab some from here to see how it compared!

Another adorable find was in one of my favourite shops in Bath, 'There is nothing Nutella and a spoon can't fix' I hadn't heard this quote before, but completely agree with it! Although it was £14.95 I think it would have been great for a gift for someone, but unfortunately I couldn't justify the splurge on myself! Maybe someone will buy it for me!?

Have you ever been to Bath?

What's your favourite shop?

Fun weekend on a budget - Spring edition

So now that spring feels like its finally here I thought I would write another ' Fun things to do on a budget' but related to this time of the year :)

Spring & Summer are great for budget fun because, weather depending, you can make the most of so many FREE places around the country. 

Picnic

Grab a blanket, pack some yummy nibbles and some drink and get to your local park or field and relax. My favourite place to do this is parade gardens in Bath, you pay a small fee to get in, but the grounds are up kept and you have great views of Bath! Don't forget to take a hoody or cardigan, its not summer just yet!

Explore the city, on a bike?

I know that cities are starting to get the Electric bikes that you can cycle around on, for a small fee. This is a really cheap way of getting around, avoiding car parking costs and just great fun! Take some food and drink with you and pitch up somewhere nice, perfect afternoon!

Do some gardening

Get a sunny spring afternoon and do some gardening! Not only will you have a pretty garden, but it is really therapeutic and you might even catch the sun!:)

Bike riding

Not only a great way to get fit, but also explore the country! As long as you have a tyre pump and water the world is your oyster. Stop of at a country pub along the way, what more could you ask for?

Garden Party

The evenings are lighter, its starting to get slightly warmer, why not host a garden party with friends or family? Cook up some bulk food, pasta , pizza even a BBQ,grab some garden games, cover your garden in fairy lights and make some memories!

What budget things do you like to do in the spring?
:)

April, Health Kick update & re-joining the gym

So far -9lbs and feeling great.

The first month was a blast, weight was dropping off every week and I was managing to stay clear of bad foods. The following month was harder as I started to plateau and Easter, well that's another story. I have managed to still maintain the weight I have lost but still feel I have a bit more to loose before I am happy! 

April has meant a new goal, starting back at the gym, after plateauing with my weight I came to the realisation that I would have to start back at the gym if I wanted to keep loosing weight healthily. Although at first I was skeptical I am now really enjoying the feeling of exercise again! I am aiming to tone up and do lots of cardio to burn some extra calories. So far with my healthy eating I am getting plenty of energy for the gym but the hard part will be fitting it around my shifts, nurse problems! So far, I am feeling positive!

Do you have any tips for living and healthy life style and getting fit & toned!?

A day in Wells...

Easter weekend has never been extremely important to me; it was mainly about eating copious amounts of chocolate eggs and roast dinner. This year I was lucky enough to have the whole Easter Bank holiday weekend off. As well as visiting family and friends I decided to have a few day trips out, one being in Wells.

Wells is a small, quaint town in the Mendip district of Somerset. Well known for its beautiful Cathedral, and its appearance in Hot fuzz, it has to be one of my favourite places to visit on a nice day. Saturday happens to be Market day and the town is filled with an abundance of local farmers, craftsmen and food stools. You can potter around at your leisure, trying food samples, having a gander among the craft and homemade goodies and even grab some hot fresh food or a drink.

As well as Market day Wells also has a great selection of independent shops and cafes, with a few big brands thrown in the mix too you have a great variety to choose from. I personally love the charity shops in Wells, there are so many your guaranteed to find a bargain!

Don’t forget to visit the town’s main attraction, Wells Cathedral. Visually beautiful inside and out, with mountains of history and character it is a must see. The river running just beside it is great too, you can walk along side it and you may even catch a glimpse of the resident swans. The cafe beside does the best Welsh Rarebit if you have time you must have some!!

I want to live here ^^ <3 

Grandma's Chunky Veg soup - slow cooker

I know its spring, and we should be eating salads and jacket potatoes, but I couldn't resist sharing this Chunky vegetable soup recipe. Although soup is traditionally a winter food, this soup is so fresh and tasty it really could be eaten any time of year! Its super full of goodness too!

Enjoy :)

You will need

50g butter

2 Carrots, chopped

1 Onion, chopped

2 Celery sticks, chopped

1 Parsnip, chopped

1 Potato, chopped

1 Leek, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp chopped Parsley

200ml hot vegetable or chicken stock

Salt and Pepper to season

Heat the butter in a sauce pan and fry off the onions

Add 200mls of stock to your slow cooker

Add all your chopped veg into the slow cooker

Once onions are golden and soft also add them to the slow cooker

Heat for 4-6 hours

When cooked, use a potato masher to mash a little of the soup, leaving a little of the rough texture

Eat warm

Feedback and suggestions welcome!

:)

LUSH Easter Goodies

I’m a sucker for LUSH’s seasonal goodies and couldn't help myself when I popped in the other day. They had a really lovely selection of Easter treats, Hoppity Boppity, Somewhere over the Rainbow and Immaculate Eggception  are just a few from this lovely collection. I picked up the ‘Golden egg’ and the ‘fluffy egg’ for myself.

 The Golden egg is simply beautiful, it is an egg shaped Bath bomb melt covered in gold glitter (and I mean COVERED). Not only does it look amazing but it smells pretty good too, Toffee and cocoa to be precise, I can’t wait to have a bubble bath with this! J

I also purchased the Fluffy egg. It’s more like their traditional bath bombs but again egg shaped for the Easter period. I thought as I’m trying to lay of the chocolate this Easter I would treat myself to something better than a Chocolate egg, can you get much better than a pink egg that smells of Candyfloss? Super excited to try both of them!

Grab some before Easter is over!

Happy April and Happy Easter!