3 unremarkable healthy eating goals

being a vegetarian living with a meat eater, finding a healthy balanced diet that makes us both happy is quite a task. in order to share the same food at mealtimes, we tend to have a handful of meals that we fall back on time and time again. 3 things i just love to supplement these meals with are:

- greek yogurt. i just can't get enough of it. it makes a great desert to cleanse the palette and settle the stomach.

- soup. i love to throw loads of veggies in a pot and mix it up. it's a great way to use up leftovers and sneak in those veggies you need every day.

- pancakes. throw some soft brown sugar and cinnamon into the batter for an extra yummy breakfast, lunch or dinner.

on the other hand, there are some things i love a bit too much. i love the meat substitute "quorn", and i believe it is low in fat, but i don't like the idea of relying on one manufacturer so highly. pizza is a favourite in my house, but the deliciousness is always followed by the guilt - all that cheese cannot be good for anyone! all in all - food is a struggle. the challenge of setting 3 goals for healthy eating (set over at sometimes sweet) is something i cannot allow myself to put off any longer. my goals are:

1} cook something new from my quorn cookbook to kick start my enjoyment of food. "meat" balls in a blue cheese sauce sound delish!

2} cut down on the pizza, maybe by having half a portion and using a side salad to fill up my plate.

3} have another look at organic. the benefits of eating fresh, chemical free food are obvious, but now i've heard that organic food can help you lose weight and live longer. the extra cost of organic produce is a big turn off when times are tight, however food that makes you feel better has got to be worth every penny.

check back to find out how i've got on with these goals next week.

{em} x

3 unRemarkable fitness goals - in review

as a motivator i promised myself i would revisit my goals a week after i make them to see how i've done. today i feel happy enough with my progress in my fitness goals. to recap:

1} find a great app on my phone to track my workouts. i tried out a few apps, and my favourite by far was Endomondo. the app has a nice clean interface which i use to enter my work outs as i do them. the website shows the stats on progress. just enough to be interesting, not too much to be overwhelming.

2} learn how to stretch and warm up properly. my feet and ankles have been a big hold back to my running this year. i've been feeling like if i knew how to warm them up better i could avoid such problems. on monday I joined in at a new class at the gym, WillPower & Grace (not a very clever name if you ask me!). this is all based on the idea of barefoot exercise and i really enjoyed my first session. i wonder if regularly using these techniques could strengthen my ankles.

3} aim to fit a swim into my workout routine every week. ok - i haven't managed any swimming this week, it's been so sad and rainy recently i haven't been able to face getting any wetter!

2 out of 3 ain't bad! tomorrow i hope to tackle the topic of healthy eating - eek! pizza is my weakspot!

{em} x

"project" project - embroidery

hiya. today i have that sunday night feeling, even though it's monday already. i'm so so sad i'm back to work tomorrow. these last few days have gone so quickly considering i've hardly left the house!

before i head off to bed, i wanted to share with you a quick snap of the progress i've made on the "rosie and bear" pattern from my bustle and sew magazine. at $2.50 a month i'd say the subscription is really worth it, even if you only make one thing.

so far i've only done the easy bits, choosing the colours was my favourite task. i hope you can make out the little girl and her bear sitting atop the pile of books. i'm a bit nervous about sewing bear's fur, the original is so cute and realistic, i hope my version can live upto it! i'm planning on finishing this off during the evenings this week, but we'll see how much life gets in the way.

i hope you are enjoying some projects of your own.

{em} x

"project" project - scrapbooking

i only really see myself as a dabbler in the scrapbooking world. i have all the supplies but lack the time or the space to be at all productive. the time and effort it takes getting out all the materials doesn't seem worth it for a free hour here or there. however for my long weekend, i have allowed myself the indulgence of getting supplies out and leaving them out. two days surrounded by lovely papers and glue sticks and i only managed to pop out 4 pages! i'm obviously not as fast as i used to be, but i like to think it's quality, not quantity that matters.

i hope you're enjoying your weekend too whether it is a long or a short one.

{em} x

fill in the blanks {on my "project" project} friday

part of my "project" project was to put some extra time into my blog. today's first task was no task at all. i love to play along with fill in the blanks friday, so here goes!

1} people always tell me i look like my sister. which i suppose isn't very unusual. however the fact that i look the same age as her is! at 26 i'm not supposed to need to carry my ID with me, or convince people that i'm really the older sister. i suppose when i'm 40 i'll be pleased to look 8 years younger, but at the moment it's just annoying!

2} friends don't let friends down. one of my pet hates is when people commit to things, and then drop out. it's lame!

3} a sunny day is perfect for sunbathing with a book, walking a rescue dog and having lunch in a pub beer garden.

4} my favourite accessory is my hat(s). my hat collection is starting to take over my flat, but i just can't get enough. there's no occasion that there isn't a perfect hat for.

5} if i could afford it i would dedicate my life to caring for abandoned rabbits. both my bunnies are rescued, but there are so many more that i could love if i had the time and the space.

6} the cure for boredom is the internet. honestly i could surf the web for hours. if you know where to look, it's jam packed with inspiration from things to make to places to go. with all these ideas there's never any time to be bored.

7} i am currently "in like" with the little bird's nest in the cigarette-butt-bin-thing by my building's front door. A little peek through the gap reveals half a dozen hungry beaks waiting to be fed. mummy blue-tit flies in and out every few minutes with some snacks to regurgitate! not the cleverest of places to build your heavily flammable home though. (note to self - do not google the word "tit" without preparing yourself for some shocking images)

prompts are from http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/

{em} x

my "project" project

thanks to the planets aligning or some such luck, i have a whole 5 day weekend now. with no plans whatsoever i have decided to delve into a "project" project. my plan is to indulge a few hours of every day to some of my favourite projects. some ideas i have are for:

• get out my sewing machine
• scrapbook some photos from my florida holiday
• finally use my bustle and sew subscription to do some embroidery
• plan and write some blog posts (and cross fingers for no more blogger meltdowns)
• cuddle up with a good book
• practice some yoga

the more it rains, the better excuse i will have to stay indoors and have fun. i do have a few chores to do as well, but that's not nearly as fun to plan or to blog about.

{em} x

3 unremarkable fitness goals

sometimes sweet is one of my favourite blogs. i love "tattoo tuesdays" posts and reading about sweet little henry. recently i've been really inspired by the "8 weeks to a better you" feature, although i'm kinda picking it up in the middle, this post really made me think. this year, fitness has been a big focus area for me. the fella and i agreed to try not to let ourselves go, just because we are "young and in love" and i could use a boost in both body and soul.

so here are my 3 goals to a fitter me:

1} find a great app on my phone to track my workouts.

2} learn how to stretch and warm up properly.

3} aim to fit a swim into my workout routine every week.

wow - i feel like a better me already!

{em} x