Flying feet, my new running shoes

Flying feet, my new running shoes

28/02/2013

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I was lucky enough to be asked to do a review of running shoes from sportshoes.com and having done sport my whole life and now having a little one to run around after it's great to find that little bit of time to myself to keep fit, especially in the New Year. I can't remember the last time I have a new pair of gym/running shoes, my last pair are a good few years old and I was in a real need of an upgrade.

I decided to try the Nike Lady Free Advantage 3.0 and my order was delivered super quick and the shoes fitted perfectly. They are literally the lightest sport shoes I have ever had and have been designed with female athletes in mind and use the new barefoot technology to design ultra-light shoes with super-flexiable support, breathability and multi-surface traction.

In all the years I trained for sport (I represented South Africa in Judo) I have never had such comfortable and responsive trainers, I really feel like I have been missing something. They have been designed to offer the most natural fit I have felt and it does feel like your running barefoot but with cushioning and flexibility. The flex grooves along the sole allow the foot to move in any direction and improve balance and it also has no-sew construction for even more comfort. I have road and gym tested these and I highly recommend them.

Please note I have not been paid to do this review, this is my opinion and I always strive to do honest reviews.

All images taken by Me (Laura)

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Little Lucky Charms

Little Lucky Charms

27/02/2013

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Do you have something you carry with you all the time? A little trinket, keep sake, ring? I have two lucky charms as I call them that I never leave the house without, neither cost a lot of money but I wear them on a daily basis. The necklace my mother bought for me about 8 years ago, it's from my hometown of Cape Town and reminds me of home, I love all the little jewels and wooden beads. My other lucky charm is my heart chakra bracelet, I wear this to remind me of all the people I love and to keep being compassionate.

My heart chakra

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Byron Bay Giveaway and Review

Byron Bay Giveaway and Review

26/02/2013

53 comments

The lovely people at Byron Bay Cookies were kind enough to send over a little goodie pack of very yummy cookies, which were gobbled up with my zealous in our house. They are so yummy, chunky and filling and have an amazing range from indulgent treats to gluten free and healthier fruit packed cookies. What I loved about Byron Bay cookies is that they care about what they do, all the cookies are approved by the Vegetarian society and their Gluten free are registered with Coeliac UK, they also contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and use only free-range eggs. They are also committed to sourcing ingredients within 50miles of their UK bakehouse and use only sustainable palm oil, the even offer their employees cash incentives to use pedal power  to get to work! Nothing however is compromised when it comes to taste and there really is something for everyone.

Here are our Favourites

Mine was the Reduced Fat Fig and Pecan and also the Gluten-free Sticky Date - they both felt wholesome, not too sweet and packed with good things

John who has a bit of a sweet tooth really enjoyed the award winning Triple Choc Fudge as well as the Strawberries and Clotted Cream which he said reminded him of his childhood.

Little Mr A couldn't resist the Dotty cookie which I think not only catches the eyes of children but also adults.

Byron Bay cookies can be found  at  many good independent cafes, coffeeshops and selected health food stores. They also produce a box of gluten-free mini bites which can be found at large Sainsburys stores.

We are also offering two readers a selection box each Byron Bay cookies, it super easy to enter and the competition ends on the 5th March


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

24/02/2013

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Serene Style

Serene Style

22/02/2013

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So I have been lucky enough to be asked to review two Religion Clothing tee's from Serene Order - a very cool and trendy store based in the Midlands but has an amazing online shop as well, stocking some great brands from the very well-known to new labels, as they don't necessarily follow trends but also try to make them. They cater for Men, Women and Kids, with labels such as Dior, Pretty Little Dress Company and Paul Smith Kids. The delivery was fast and I loved the effort that went into the packaging, I always think this is important when you are dealing with online customers, just because you don't see them face to face it's still important to make a good first impression. Religion clothing has been around since the 90's making individual and homemade clothing on a small scale, using some interesting dying techniques and accessories, which can still be seen in their clothes today even though they now manufacture on a larger (but not to large) scale. I like the quirky, original and rock and roll feel to the items which goes well with my personality. These tee's are great for summer, dressing up or down and have a unique feel to them.

Top - Religion, Skirt - Warehouse, Creepers - Barratts, Hat - Norse Projects

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Winter Sun Fun

Winter Sun Fun

21/02/2013

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Summer seems so long ago, the feeling of natural warmth a distant memory, but saying that we go out everyday no matter what the weather so when it is sunny it can be such a delight and with a recent spell of sunshine over what is usually rainy Wales made us smile, especially since it was Johns day off which meant some good family outings. The first place we decided to brave was the seaside, Penarth to be exact. First we had a lovely meal at the Ocho bar and then a walk through the park down to the pier. Little Mr A loved that the pier had been cornered off as they are doing restoration work and he told us he needed to go home to fetch his hammer and ladder as he wanted to help. On the walk back from the pier, we took a different root through the park looking at all the wooden owl and animal carvings and playing hide and seek. 

Little Mr A rocking his Parker

It's great to see the blue sky again

The two boys on the Pier

Our second sunny day was equally full of adventure as we explored a country park that we would otherwise over look - Barry Sidings. It has some great waterfalls, a fishing lake, picnic tables, a play area and some country and mountain walks -what more could you ask for. Little Mr A had to take his toolbox with him and we collected pine cones and sticks to put inside of it. We found some good sticks to make swords from and little Mr A loved running around trying to get us. Even though it was still bitterly cold we have enjoyed seeing blue sky.

Collecting pine cones in the toolbox

Sword stick fun

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Vintage Fashion Night

Vintage Fashion Night

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So we had a rare night out in Cardiff on Sunday in aid of Charity, as we love to support anything that combines charity and fashion, which is exactly what Couture for Change did in aid of the Stroke Association. The event was held downstairs at the Walkabout and it made a really good venue as there was enough space for stalls, the vintage boutiques, DJ and catwalk. Unfortunately we arrived a little late as it took a while to get little Mr A to settle and I never leave him with the grandparents in the evening unless he is tucked up and fast asleep. We arrived just before 9pm, just in time to watch the Burlesque act which was really good but as the act went on the security felt they had to stop it, which was disappointing, I mean it's a bar and we are all adults. We did get to watch the Hobo's vintage fashion show, which showcased some great outfits. Pennylane vintage stall was also there selling some great accessories and clothes, I saw a pair of brogues I fell in love with except they were far too big.
After the show they had some great live music, which was nice and chilled and we had a drink and enjoyed browsing the stalls. We were also given some really cute lush goodie bags filled with lush and body shop samples and sweets. After the show we went for a drink at the Bunkhouse which is my new favourite bar in Cardiff, I love the shabby chic interior and big beds to lounge on and chat over a local cider. A great night all round.

Hobo vintage fashion

Couture for change

A Severn Cider in the Bunkhouse

Parasols inside at the Bunkhouse

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I like to move it move it

I like to move it move it

19/02/2013

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We had such an amazing evening out on friday as we did our first family trip to the Theatre to see Madagascar Live in Cardiff, I had taken  little Mr A to the cinema and a few puppet shows but we have never gone to a full scale production with John in tow. We were so excited, in fact during the day I didn't know what to do with myself so we planned a little trip to Bristol Aquarium first, which meant little Mr A had a good sleep on the way back to Cardiff and he was ready for his first big night out.

Aquarium fun

Before the show we had a quick jacket potato fill us up with energy and made our way over to MotorPoint Area, the place was buzzing with excitement, children and parents all waiting for the show to start. Mr A kept shouting at the curtains to open as I had been telling him we were going to see a zebra, lion, hippo and Giraffe. Our seats were great, three rows from the front in the centre and Mr A spent most of his time either on my lap or Johns as he wanted to make sure he didn't miss a thing.

The Show 

Madagascar Live was a very small but talented cast with all the principals being from America. They al had amazing voices and the production level was extremely high with amazing sets than ran smoothly from one scene to another. It was so fun and colourful and a wonderful show not only for children but for anyone who is a fan of the film. The cast portrayed the characters of Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe, Marty the zebra and Gloria the hippo so well and it was not hard to get lost in the fun and imagination of it all. We also loved the penguins with their smart plotting escape antics and of course King Julian the king of the Lemurs - I think everyone in the audience had been waiting for him to see "I like to move it move it" which of course me and little Mr A stood up and danced too with huge smiles on our face.

Little Mr A Fixated

I can honestly say that little Mr A was mesmerised the whole time and we really didn't want the show to end and as soon as it did we wanted to come and watch it again - a real pleasure for the whole family. Cannot give enough praise to the professionalism of the cast, it truly was an enjoyable night out.
Madagascar Live is currently touring the UK and you can find more information about dates and shows at www.madlive.co.uk

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Blazer Love

Blazer Love

18/02/2013

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Ever since I started this blog I have had a love affair with blazers, although not the budget to keep buying one every season. I try to re-invent and up-cycle my clothes by adding studs, fabric, beads and accessories but this year I really do need to get a new addition to my wardrobe as my older ones have now seen their best days, except for two vintage ones I own that appear to be timeless in quality and style.

I think the reason why I love blazers is because they are so versatile, you can dress them up or down, wear it to work or out on the town. You can be very feminine or rock the tom-boy look, they are also very stylish and chic and can show off your figure really well and can be very slimming in appearance. I love how the Parisians add stylish twists to the blazer by wearing on the shoulder (as above) or layering and adding big snoods in winter and they always look effortlessly chic, especially when the blazer is tailored towards your shape. Blazers are a great international favourite on the street style scene with European elegance on the streets of Milan to browsing quirky boutique shops in Berlin to a day at the races in Ascot to having a bite to eat at a trendy bar in Brooklyn and having a well cut blazer to me is the same as having a great pair of jeans - it never really ages and it always looks on trend. It's also a popular choice at the big fashion events of the year such as New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week which is on right now.

Being on a budget but still wanting to be on trend I have picked my favourite from New Looks Blazers range, which I am really impressed with as they have a range of styles and cuts for any shape and size and some interesting twists on original designs such as the Contrast trim boyfriend suit blazer - I love the black collar on this one. They also have a few on sale from as little as £9!

Only Boyfriend Blazer £37.99

Yumi Polka Dot crop blazer £44.99

Red Crepe Roll blazer £24.99

Grey Contrast trim boyfriend Suit blazer £34.99

Blue contrast trim blazer was £27.99 Now £9!

My Alex and Co blazer has seen better days

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Getting closer to our dream kitchen

Getting closer to our dream kitchen

17/02/2013

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So the lovely people at Amara asked us to choose an item from their wonderful life style online store to review and we jumped at the chance as we recently sold our house and are renting while looking for a new home. The move has filled us with ideas of a dreamy country inspired kitchen and I have been on a search for a bread bin for about a year now without any luck until I noticed the beautiful Garden Trading vintage style bread bin Amara stocked and new immediately that it would fit with the rest of our kitchenware. Even though we don't know what our new house will look like, the kitchen to us really is the heart of the home and is central to our living so we are edging that little bit closer to our dream look with this new addition. It's so solid and well made (we are very critical about these things) and I love the shutter blue/green shade, I'm sure my bread is going to be happy in here.

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A little like Love

A little like Love

15/02/2013

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Some beautiful Roses from John

So we decided to have a low key Valentines day this year, as we had just come back from our short break in the Wye Valley, which was sort of a Valentines break, but we still made an effort and didn't spend much money in showing each other we cared. The day started with a beautiful bouquet of white roses from John and a lovely Card and in return little Mr A and I had made him a card. John had to go to work but it was a beautiful winter day and me and little Mr A went for a wonderful mountain walk, which really tired him out so by the time John came home he was asleep which meant we could enjoy the nice mushroom filled pasta I made with and a South African bottle of Red wine, after which we had a nice relaxing time watching the very funny Rom Com - "going the distance"
It's wasn't and extravagant day but it was great to spend quality time with both of the boys.

Our night

Amazing tall trees on our mountain walk

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