Weight Loss Wednesday - Update!

Hey My Loves,

WLW has been a little light on the ground recently but I wanted to let you know that it will be back in full swing next week.

I also wanted to let everyone know that our newest member of WLW Sophie is going in for her op today so we will be able to follower her weight loss once she has recovered! Good luck Sophie!

I am also looking for other new members so if you are doing slimming world, calorie counting, or any other diet icluding exercise based and would like to be involved please do get in touch. You would only need to do one post a month so it won't take lots of your time and it would be great to share and inspire others.

Have a great week.

Grace xoxo

To Date or not to Date.....that is the question!

For those of you who don't know I am single and am one of the many girls awaiting the arrival of their prince charming.....but my goodness he is taking his time!

I have been single for pretty much three years, over that time i've had the odd date or was seeing someone for a little while but nothing that became serious. 

Back in september last year I thought I would join a dating site and see what was out there! Well I lasted two and a half days as what was out there was far too scary for my liking! After receiving just under 300 messages in those two short days I was totally over whelmed and scared to say the least! Don't get me wrong there were a few nice ones but jeez the bad ones definitely over ruled!

It ranged from 19 year olds sending a simple "your hot" message to a 72 year old saying "hope I'm not too old!" ......well if you have to ask the question! It left me shuddering everytime I heard my phone beep and I ended up handing it over to my friend to siphon through the messages.

Well we are almost six months on from then and I am feeling like I could venture back out in to the world of dating (providing all those men have disappeared!), but my big question is how do you do it succesfully?

I am aware that this is many peoples question too so I have decided to take one for the team and set out on the quest to answer this question for all the singletons out there!
I am armed with the updated version of The Rules, I'm ready to set up my online dating profile and with that my Single Girl in the City series will be born!

So for dating tips, stories and I'm sure a few epic fails along the way stay tuned!

Wish me luck!

Grace xoxo

I LOVE ME #8

This weeks I love me challenge is to surround yourself with happiness!
Oh Just like that I hear you say....don't worry, it is easier than you think!

A simple human trait is to want to something in one go, unfortunately this isn't always realistic or even if it is it then proves difficult to be maintainable! But if you do things the way I suggest hopefully being surrounded by happiness will become slightly easier!

Good things come in little packages is how the saying goes and that is exactly how this challenge works! Happiness can be in a smell, a song, a photo.....absolutely anything! The idea is that by having small things such as a scented candle burning or a song playing will help to trigger the happy hormones to be released and that can only lead to feeling happy! See its easy peasy....

Here is this weeks I Love Me challenge video.....

Have a great week filled with lots of happiness!

Grace xoxo

I LOVE ME #7

This weeks I Love Me Challenge is a bit of a continuation from last weeks challenge! Last week I challenged you not to compare yourself to others so much, which I know is sometimes easier said than done. This week I'm challenging you to

Write your own story!

By this I don't mean go and write a book (of course unless you want to!), I mean don't try and copy someone else's story or try and be something / one you're not.

I love to read books by celebrities whether it be an autobiography or a self help book, but what can sometimes happen when we read these books is like I said last week, we start to compare ourselves to them. Now one major difference between most of us and celebrities is MONEY!! They normally have a huge amount and us...not so much. It means that when they need help they can afford to get the best of the best and quickly, where as we probably can't. But this in itself could be seen as a challenge, it means we have to be creative and use our heads a bit more to solve our own issues or problems, we need to reach out for help in different ways and places, it means we are writing our own stories and drawing from our own strength!

One really important thing when writing your own story is to take it one step at a time, don't write the ending before you get there! How do you know whats going to happen....and if you decide how somethings going to end you may skip by all the exciting things that could happen between now and then with out even knowing they were there!

Here's this weeks I Love Me Challenge video....

I hope you all have a Fabulous week

Grace xoxo

Valentines Nail Design #6

Hey My loves,

Well V Day is here and I am bringing you a quick and simple nail look that will take you less than a minute to do, so it's perfect if you are whisked off your feet on a last minute valentines date!

Here's how to get the look......

Step 1. Paint your nails with a base coat and base colour with an accent colour for your ring finger

Step 2. Apply a coat of top coat and then pop on an assortment of coloured nail gems. Apply another layer of top coat to all your nails and viola! 

Happy Valentines Day!

Stay gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Valentines Nail Design #5

Hey dolls,

Here is a valentines twist on a french manicure that's perfect for a Valentines rendezvous!

Here's how to get the look.....

Step 1. Appply a base coat and your base colour

Step 2. Apply your chosen colour to the tips of your nails

Step 3. Use a small ended dotting tool with a nail art paint to draw on the hearts, allow it to dry and pop on a top coat

For this design I have used OPI Matte Black and Shorts Story (pink).

There you go, easy peasy!

If you recreate this look I would love to see, please send me some pics to my Facebook or Twitter

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Valentines Nail Design #4

Hey Ladies,

I wanted to bring you a super girly Valentines Nail design, so here it is!

Here is how you get the look....

Step 1. Apply a base coat and then two coats of your base colour

Step 2. On your thumb use three different colours (including one glitter) and draw a heart, then continue to draw and outline using the different colours until you've covered the whole nail

Step 3. Use the glitter you have used on the thumb and paint an accent nail on your ring finger. Allow all the nails to dry for a moment and then apply a top coat.

For this look I have used OPI's Shorts Story for my base and OPI's Peru-b-Ruby, Spark De Triomphe and Barry M's Strawberry for the heart and ring finger.

If you do recreate this look I would love to see so please do send me over a pic to my Facebook or Twitter

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Valentines Nail Design #3

Hey Sweets,

Today I am bringing you another really easy and very cute Valentines Nail Design!

Here is how to get the look....

Step 1. Apply a base coat and then two coats of your chosen base colour

Step 2. Use a dotting tool and some white nail art paint and create the dotted lines, Vary the lengths.

Step 3. Using your dotting tool draw hearts at the end of the dotted lines, allow it to dry for a moment and apply a top coat.

This design could be done on all your nails like I have or you could just do an accent nail on your ring finger.

For this look I have used OPI's Danke-shiny Red as my base.

If you do recreate this look I would love to see, please send me some pics to my Facebook or Twitter

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Valentines Nail Design #2

Hey Lovelies,

Here is another Valentines Nail Design for you all

Here's how to get the look....

Step 1. Apply a base coat and then your base colour

Step 2. Use a nail art paint and a very fine brush to draw lines randomly

Step 3. Use a small ended dotting nail art tool and a Red nail varnish and draw on your hearts, place them as randomly or uniform as you like

For this look I have used OPI's Kyoto Pearl as my base colour and Danke-shiny Red for the hearts.

If you recreate this look I would love to see, please send me a pic to my Facebook or Twitter

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Hot To Trot Tuesday - Kelly Brook

This past week Kelly brook has been in the headlines thanks to Katie Price, someone who definitely wouldn't make it in to a HTT Tuesday post!

After pics from her swim wear line for New Look where released KP took to her blog and called her a, wait for it...... a "HEFFER"!!!! Seriously, words fail me!

I have always admired Kelly Brook and she is in my Thinspiration folder due to the fact that she is curvy and extremely beautiful and most of all confident and comfortable in her own body!
For this reason Kelly Brook is this weeks Hot To Trotee....

If this is what someone would call a heffer then once again words fail me!

We should all take a leaf out of Kelly's book and embrace our curves and revel in our natural beauty, Ok, maybe with a little help from a bb cream!! ;)

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Valentines Nail Design #1

Hey Sugars,

With Valentines Day just a few days away I have a few Valentines nail designs for you 

Here is the first one....

And here is how to get the look....

Step 1. Apply a base coat and your chosen base colour

Step 2. Use a small dotting nail art tool with your lightest accent colour and draw some hearts randomly placed

Step 3. Use your dotting tool to draw more hearts with your darkest colour

Step 4. Use the white to finish off the hearts, once its dried a little apply a top coat

For this design I have used Barry M's Strawberry for the base colour and then OPI's Strawberry Magerita (lighter pink) and Peru-b-ruby (darker pink). You could use any colour combo to create this look but as its Valentines I went with pinks!

If you recreate this look I would love to see, please send me a pic on Facebook or Twitter

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

Make Up Monday - Valentines Look

This weeks Make Up Monday is of course Valentines themed!

I have given a bit of a valentines twist to a smokey eye by using pinks and purples!

 As the eye look is quite strong I kept the blush to a rosy colour and a neutral pink gloss on the lips.

I used Pinks, Purples and Black all from Sleek palettes

To finish off the look I used some Urban Decay Demi Lashes (which I didn't know had lifted until I saw this pic!!)

Here's my tutorial video showing you how to get this look....

I hope you like this look and that you have a fabulous Valentines day!

Stay Gorgeous

Grace xoxo

I LOVE ME #6

This weeks challenge is about something that is fast becoming a common occurance in people serching for their dreams, whether it be their dream life, dream career, dream man, the list goes on.

One thing a lot of us do is compare ourselves to others! Sometimes we compare ourselves to celebrities, our friends, other family members or even random strangers we see walking down the street. We can be comparing oursleves because we think they look better, they have a better job, they have an amazing boyfriend, they are the Queen Bee of their social group, they have amazing things......But and this is a big but,  it's not always as it seems!
All you need to remember is .....

"There is no comparison"

The reason there is no comparison is that you are you, there is only one you and that one you is fabulous (whether you believe it or not!). 

In my experience we tend to naturally have Facebook, Twitter and Istagram as our go to when something good happens, we got a great job, bought some amazing shoes, got chatted up by a hottie.....I know I am one of these people, and It's human nataure to want to share (brag) about these things, but the majority of us don't go to these outlets when something negitve happens (unless of course its specifically for the eyes of the person thats caused the negitive thing to happen.....that's a whole different game!). This is what I mean by It's not always as it seems! Your friend on facebook may seem like she lives a high fying life full of amazing things but does she? She probably updates her status with the good and avoids the bad and if she's anything like the rest of us, meaning  #SMUG, she was probly trying to keep up with the jone's as she will have been comparing herself to some one else! Do you see what I mean?

Any way, with all my rambling I'm sure you get what I'm saying, now what you have to do is try and stop comparing yourself to others. The danger of doing this is you are simply setting yourself up for upset. Ask yourself, Do you want the same things they do? Are they really as happy as they make out? What do you really want to achieve?

When you think about these answers It will make it easier to just be you! It's fine to use these people for some inspiration but only if you can do that in a positive way! I have had to do this recently and I have started to give myself a break and just be me! I hope you do too!

Here's this weeks I LOVE ME Challenge Video....

Have a great week.

Grace xoxo

Weight Loss Wednesday - New Member!

Hi Lovlies,

I have been doing Weight Loss Wednesday for a while now, as you know I follow weight watchers but I was thinking the other day that I wanted to make this post more versitile and something that will reach out to people following all sorts of weight loss plans!

With this in mind I want to introduce the newest member of Weight Loss Wednesday......Sophie, here is her story......

Hi, My name is Sophie I'm 31 next month, been married to Simon for over 12 years and we have 3 children. I work part time as a Pensions Complaint Handler. To say I have always been massively overweight wouldn't be an exaggeration, when I started secondary school at 11 I was already a size 22-24 and just got bigger, I was a size 28 at 16 when I left school! My memories of school from an early age until I left involve regular weigh ins with the school nurse and visits to the Children's Hospital including a two week stay after my GCSE's to see if I could shift some weight under close supervision. It was a last ditch attempt and I lost a couple of pounds!

My mum passed away when I was 18 from weight related illness, I had been her main carer through out my teens. I had my first child 9 months later and slowly gained more weight, at my largest I was a size 32. I did at times try to take control and tried various diets including Weigh Watchers and tablets from the Doctors the most I ever lost was 16lbs, I would lose will power and slip into old habits.

When my youngest started nursery in 2008 I joined the gym and built up my cardio and swimming. I know I didn't have the eating side of things right so didn't lose a great amount. In Oct/Nov 2011 I had a really bad chest infection which went on for 10 weeks and led to me being referred to the hospital. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnoea and a lung condition. Around the same time I was diagnosed with inter-cranial hypertension (pressure on the brain). All these conditions could be improved or reversed all together with weight loss. It was then I spoke to my GP about surgery and she was happy to refer me to the Bariatric team as with the above conditions I now qualify for surgery. I first saw them in Feb 2012 and have seen various members of the team who have helped me lose over 4 stone. The key for me is not thinking of it as a diet but this is it for life. I have got my portions under control and if I want some cake or chocolate I can - just in moderation. I still go to the gym 4-5 times a week and should have my op in the next couple of months. 

One other thing that is a big motivator is I'd like to get to a healthy weight as my husband is in end stage kidney failure and has been on dialysis/the transplant waiting list for 3 yrs - his consultant agreed to test me as a possible donor if I can get to a healthy weight! He had an untreated infection as a child so his kidneys stopped growing - was amazing they lasted as long as they did!

I don't have a goal as such just to be happy and healthy, I want to see my children grow up and meet my grandchildren....I'll keep you posted!!!

I'm really looking forward to following Sophies story and I hope her story / journey will inspire and also give an insight to weight loss surgery. When I asked Sophie if she would be part of WLW she said she found it hard to find real life stories about having the band fitted and the ones she did find where based in the US so hopefully this will help people in a similar position.

If you have any questions feel free to comment below.

Also if you are following a weight loss plan and would like to be a member of WLW please get in touch for more info.

Grace xoxo

Hot To Trot Tuesday!

I wanted to start a new weekly post that will show case someone each week that I think is "Hot To Trot"!

It could be because they look Fabulous or because they have done something amazing......or maybe because I liked their outfit?!

This weeks Hot To Trotee is Beyonce, I only have one word for this woman.......AMAZING!
I absolutely love this lady and no matter what she does, she always does it with so much power and fabulosity. This past Sunday she performed at the half time show of the superbowl which was awesome!

Beyonce is stunningly beautiful and has a kick ass body to go with it....

And it gets better, she bought Destiny's Child back in to the mix!

Life is complete!! ;)

Beyonce, we salute you!

Stay gorgeous

Grace xoxo

P.S If you want to see the performance click here Superbowl.

I LOVE ME #5

This weeks I Love Me Challenge is to write yourself a Happiness Back Up Plan! This may sound a bit random but bear with me.....All will become clear!

The idea behind your Happiness Back Up plan is that you write it on a "good day". When you are in a positive state of mind you are more likely to have positive experiences, this includes positive thoughts.
Whilst you are in a positive state you should take advantage of it and write a list of things that you would LIKE to do, things that you imagine doing that would make you happy.

Once you have written your list keep it safe and on those days that you are feeling in a bit of a funk or down right moody dig it out and make yourself do something on the list! Now I know this may take some effort and will power as the bad mood bugs can make you want to do nothing but sit inside and eat your body weight in cake but you need to summon your inner fabulosity and acknowledge that you are pissed off, but you are not going to let it ruin another moment, glam yourself up (or at least brush your hair!), get outside and  do something on your list....and at the end of the day you may even have something to write and pop in your 2013 jar (see what I did there...nearly all the years challenges so far covered in one activity!! ;).

Hopefully by making yourself do something on your list you will start to feel a bit happier and in no time your bad mood will disappear! I know this won't always be as straight forward as I'm saying but if you persevere I promise it will start to work!

For more info take a look at my I Love Me Week #5 Challenge Video....

What things will be on your list? Please leave some in the comment box below or on my facebook or twitter.

I hope you have a great week

Grace xoxo