The Master Bedroom

Moving day is drawing closer and I've started putting together ideas for how I'd like to decorate our rooms (in an ideal world!).  This week I've been looking at ideas for the master bedroom.  I'd really like to aim for uncluttered surfaces with clean lines whilst keeping the room livable and cosy.  I'd like to use clever storage so everything has a home and can be tucked away to keep surfaces clutter free.  I think that this is really important for a bedroom to promote relaxation and comfort ready for a good nights sleep.

So, colour wise I'm really liking turquoise and yellow on a white background.  I've always liked white bed covers and I think yellow and turquoise will work really well together to add a splash of colour.  I'm planning to keep the walls white and use the colours as an accent so the result is not too intense.

Here are some examples I've found on Pinterest:

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At the moment our bedroom is a bit of a mis-match of hand me down furniture.  I'd like to replace the bed and get creative with some of our current pieces of furniture, doing a bit of sanding and re-painting - maybe white or yellow!  Exciting stuff :)

Watch this space for updates on the refurb!

Other rooms:  The Dressing Room

zzzz Nap Time Now zzzz

I've never been one of those people who can pretty much fall asleep anywhere, anytime (ahem, dad) however I do enjoy a good nap. No, I'm not 3, or 80, but no matter - nap time is good!  Mr H thinks I'm lazy, I think I'm a genius.

I remember going on an adult riding camp (horses) and spending all day riding (horses) accompanied with evenings spent at the pub (living the dream) started to take it's toll.  I soon discovered that a lunch time nap saw me happily through the afternoon activities and social time at the pub.  Sorted!

This started to become a recurring habit during my uni days where burning the candle at both ends was a way of life.  Starting to work full-time, quite frankly, messed up my routine.  Funnily enough I got the impression that my boss wouldn't be too keen on me curling up on the floor for a bit of afternoon shut eye.

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Nowadays, when I'm particularity tired, stressed or a bit under the weather my first port of call tends to be a snooze.  At the moment things are pretty full on at work, plus we're getting ready to move house, so to be fair I'm probably napping more than usual.  I've started to have a nap before a netball match and admit that I've walked home with the intention of going to the gym but succumbed to a nap instead.  At least for the hour I wasn't eating chocolate so that's gotta be good right?!  Plus don't you burn more calories when you're asleep?!

So what are the pros and cons of napping?

A quick nap can work wonders to pull you through a tiresome or sleep-deprived day and 45 minutes of shut eye has been shown to improve memory function.  Other advantages include relaxation, improved alertness, mood and performance.  However, if you suffer from insomnia napping during the day can make bad sleeping habits worse plus you may suffer from sleep inertia - feeling groggy and disorientated after a snooze.

Sorry but this was too cute! {Pinterest Source}

Make nap time work for you:

• I find optimal nap time tends to be mid-afternoon or straight after work.  Any later and your nap will be likely to interfere with your night-time sleeping.  
• I aim to nap between 30-45 minutes.  It sometime takes me 10 minutes to drop off but it's still nice to lie and do nothing.  Try not to nap for too long, the longer you nap the more likely you are to feel groggy afterwards.
• Create a peaceful, cool, dark environment with few distractions.  I use my eye mask to keep the light out :)
• Make sure you give yourself enough time to wake up properly post nap and ensure you wipe up any drool, sort bed hair etc before leaving the house....

Good luck and sweet dreams!

The Amateur Crafter {Guest Post for my little NZ friend}

So this is actually a guest post for my very good friend Anjali but I thought I'd  give you a snippet :)

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....Hi I'm Ellie from the Tales of a Wannabe Perfect Housewife blog.  In a nutshell I'm a happy go lucky, Pinterest and sport loving trainee accountant, newly-wed to a Welsh Chef (find out more about me here!).

I like to think of myself as a bit of a homemaker, but in reality I just like everything to be clean and tidy.  I openly can't cook (I leave that to my other half), avoid DIY projects and would rather buy something than make it.  BUT all that is about to change!

I have seen the light and been inspired to give crafting a go (technical name?!).  I am surrounded by crafty people (excuse the pun), including the lovely Anjali, and finally feel like I could enter (very cautiously) into their world of ric rac, bobbins and homemade wonders.  I now walk past shops looking at peg bags and instead of buying one I think to myself "I could totally make that" and get very excited rifling through boxes of thread at the local market.....

Read the rest of this guest post on Anjali's From L&P to English Tea blog here!

Enjoy!

Flat Tummy Diet Week 1

Well, week one is done and out the way!   So how did I get on?

Week 1:

Start weight: 150 lbs
Target weight: 133 lbs

Days in:  7
Current weight:  146 lbs
Weight loss so far:  4 lbs

Really pleased with this first week's weight loss.  I always find the first week tough as, although you've done the preparation, actually making the changes and seeing them through can be really difficult.  Plus there were the inevitable challenges, such as a family BBQ, which really test your willpower.  But getting past the initial few days without falling (too much) off the wagon is a real achievement.

Family BBQ

I admit that I haven't been 100% good (who can say no when the boss brings ice cream into the office?!) but I feel so much better in myself already - my clothes don't feel so tight, I'm not as bloated and uncomfortable and I'm enjoying my food more.  I've also found that I'm craving sweet foods less and don't seem to be as hungry as I thought I would be when faced with less calories.

Office Ice Cream!

But it's still early days and I've still got two weeks of 1,200 calories left before I raise this to a more maintainable number.  I'm aiming to get under 140 lbs by the end of the 21 days (>10 lbs lost) and will then re-evaluate for the remaining ~7 lbs.  Seeing photos from the weekend remind me that I'm not yet at the weight I'd like to be but I'm definitely feeling really motivated to keep up the diet!

What this space for next week's update!

How are you getting on?

Preparing for the Big Move

Just over 3 weeks to go before moving day!

They say that moving house is one of the most stressful experiences in life and no wonder - physically dismantling and moving yourself, your belongings and your life to a completely new home is a huge task!

Having not moved for over 3 1/2 years I've been reminding myself of hints and tips ready for moving day.  We're relatively lucky in the fact that we currently live in a rented 2 bed apartment and don't actually have a huge amount of furniture (although I'm sure there's more than I think!).  Plus the house we'll be moving into (also rented) will already have some key pieces of furniture and a working kitchen etc.  Plus has been decorated and is being professionally cleaned so should be ready for us to slot our lives straight into!

We have decided this time round to hire a removal company to do all the heavy lifting and wrapping of furniture.  They provide boxes for us to do our own packing, which I actually prefer, and also ensures that all our contents will be fully insured during the move.

To-do list:

• Gather quotes and book removal company
• Start to declutter rooms (I tend to do this quite regularly anyways but starting early will make life much easier!)
• Start collecting packing materials
• Run down food stores (especially freezer)
• Give notice (rented property)
• Think about whether any of your belongings need to go into storage
• Book time off work
• Recruit friends and family to help
• Make a list of utilities and contracts to contact (see list below)
• Send change of address cards/email
• Start dismantling and packing
• Arrange for a time to collect keys
• Meet the neighbours!

Check out these great moving lists and printables from Martha Stewart!

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Hints and tips:

• Pack room by room, keeping items for each room together and use coloured stickers to co-ordinate boxes to rooms
• Pack non-essential items first
• Pack a bag of essentials for each member of the family
• Organise a kitchen box of tea, coffee, biscuits etc + take-away menus 
• Avoid packing unwanted items (de-clutter)
• Use strong packing boxes!
• Ensure to keep important documents safe
• Don't overfill boxes, use smaller boxes for heavy items such as books
• Ensure you check items for damage post-move
• Remember to take meter readings at old and new home
• Have a designated area for non-essential boxes that can be unpacked later on

I also love the tips from I heart nap time.

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Who to contact:

• Insurance
• Gas
• Electricity 
• Water
• Financial companies (bank, loans, credit cards etc)
• Post Office - redirect post
• Electoral register
• Mobile phone provider
• Council tax
• Phone and internet providers
• Employer
• Car (DVLA, break down cover, insurance)
• Drivers licence
• Doctor, dentist and optician
• Subscriptions 
• TV license
• Non-essential organisations - gym membership, store loyalty cards etc

So wish us luck as we embark on preparing for our next big move!

I {heart} Netball! + Sports Beat 2013

I spent last weekend at a new local festival called Sports Beat and thought I'd use this opportunity to not only share the weekend's antics but also introduce you to the sport I love - netball!

I used to play netball at school and always loved it, then had a 10 year break as I went off to uni and started working life.  About a year after I moved back to Gloucestershire an old school friend got in touch and asked whether I'd be interested in joining her team, Upton Ladies. So off I went on a chilly evening in March to training and tried to remind myself how to play!

That was about three years ago and I've never looked back!  I love to play netball, I love to improve and learn new skills, I love keeping fit, but most of all I love the very special group of girls I have met along the way and now call close friends. The support and camaraderie on and off court is brilliant and, although admittedly netball politics can sometimes get in the way, ultimately we have formed a group of friends who are always there for eachother no matter what.

I now play for Upton in the Gloucestershire County Netball League and summer Fun League plus play a mixed netball fun league (boys n gals) on a Sunday and fill in for friend's teams as and when needed. Sometimes I can play netball up to 4 times a week.  I would play everyday if my body would let me!

Anyways, back to the festival!

This is the first year that Sports Beat has been held in Gloucester and it was great to see such a well put together event right on our doorstep!  The weekend consisted of different sporting events (inc. rugby 7s, netball and Iron Man type competitions) and a great line up of bands (including The Feeling who I love!).  It was lovely and sunny and as I chilled out on a picnic blanket drinking locally produced cider, watching Andy Murray in the men's Wimbledon final I thought to myself life really couldn't get any better!

It was hot.  Very, very hot.  Playing conditions were tough but we all persevered.  One team dropped out on the second day (but they had been camping for two nights plus been on a hen do!!) and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Between-match cider break

We also got to meet some of the England Netball Team, including captain Pamela Cookey!

We then proceeded to chill out on the grass in front on the main stage and enjoy the sunshine - some of the girls even got in the hot tub!  A few of us went back to watch the bands in the evenings and took our other halves along, Mr H got rather, um, merry having also been in the pub most of the afternoon!!!

All in all a fabulous weekend with the girls, and boys, and definitely one to look out for next year!

Flat Tummy Diet Day 1

See part 1: background and part 2: preparation.

Ok, so today is the day - My 21 days have started!

Just to recap for the next 21 days I will be using a combination of Kate Adams' Flat Tummy Diet Club and the My Fitness Pal app, used to track calorie consumption.  I will be aiming for a net count of 1200 calories per day (with exercise having a negative effect).  This is a dieting technique I have used before with success; however my downfall has been maintaining the effects long term.  Therefore, my plan is to complete my 21 days at 1200 calories before moving to a more maintainable daily consumption, making adjustments as necessary depending upon how much weight I can lose.

I'd like to use this opportunity to make a life-style change (without expecting results over night) and to look long-term at my relationship with food.  I'd also like to learn to cook home-made nutritious meals and keep to my 'happy weight' rather than yo-yo dieting.

My meal plan for today is pretty standard when I embark on my 21 days, it may not be the most exciting but this is what works for me and I plan to try to spice up my meal plans as I go along!

So here we go - day 1!

Start weight: 150 lbs
Target weight: 133 lbs

Days in:  0
Current weight:  150 lbs
Weight loss so far:  0 lbs

Breakfast:  Granola with raspberries (measured using Rosemary Conely's Portion Pots) with a couple of dessert spoons of natural yoghurt and a cup of tea = 308 calories

Lunch:  Salad made with ham, cous cous, cherry tomatoes and coleslaw = 211 calories

Dinner:  Breaded cod with mediterranean roasted vegetables = 396 calories

Snacks:  Skinny vanilla latte (Starbucks), small apple, cup of tea and Muller Lighter yoghurt = 254 calories

Exercise:  Walking = -56 calories

Net calories for the day:  87 calories remaining

Notes:  Felt really determined to eat well today and not fall at the first hurdle!  It's been nice and sunny which, in my opinion, makes eating yummy salads and fruit easier!  I did have a little treat this morning courtesy of Starbucks but I made sure I allowed for this in my calories and this won't be a daily occurrence! I didn't have any real planned exercise in today so I made sure I had a bit of a walk at lunchtime as well as my usual walk to work.  I ate dinner slightly later than usual which helped stop evening snacking.  I also drank loooaaads of water (partly due to the hot weather!).  All in all a good Flat Tummy day :)

How did you get on?

My next Flat Tummy post will be after the first 7 days and first weigh in!