Throwback Thursday: Mama & Baby!


I know I haven't done a Throwback Thursday post in a while...this one is from when I was a baby at the beach with my mama! I think this was taken in Ireland...it looks quite cold anyway ;) 

I also uploaded a new Shape Up for Summer video today! If you'd like to listen to me ramble on about body confidence & my new little "personal trainer" then this one's for you!



I have been wearing my Fitbug for the past week now and I love it! You can purchase it in pink here. It's like your very own personal trainer as it tracks your steps, sleep & calories! Hopefully this will help keep me on track for Sorrento next month! 

xoxo
Anna

Beauty Tuesday: Getting Your Body Bikini Ready!


I was recently sent some products from the Nivea Q10 Firming skincare range to try out. Claiming to "firm the skin" or "reduce the appearance of cellulite/stretch marks" in 2 weeks/10 days (depending on the product) I thought I'd give them a whirl. Although I do eat pretty healthy, I've been quite lazy about exercise these past few months and have put it on the back-burner...however bikini season is upon us so this seemed like a good idea for me!

I remember when Nivea first came out with an "anti-cellulite" cream. I think I was maybe 15 or 16 when I bought my first bottle...used it for a day or two, then impatiently gave up when I saw no results. This time I was determined to properly put this product line to the test. So how did they do?

Nivea Q10 Firming Body Lotion
The first thing I tried was the body lotion. This claims to firm up your skin in 2 weeks but I noticed a difference instantly. I use this on my arms, legs & back after showering and it gives my skin a tight, firm feeling without being overly greasy or slippery! What I love about this stuff is how quickly it dries so I can get dressed straight away after applying it. 


Nivea Q10 Good-bye Cellulite Serum and Gel-Cream
These were the two products I was most curious to try as I was skeptical about whether or not they would actually work. They claim to reduce the appearance of cellulite in 10 days so I diligently used them day & night for the required time. Within about a week I could tell a difference. Granted, nothing like what a bit of strength training & exercise would have done but my legs & bum definitely felt firmer and even Jonathan said he could tell a difference! I use the gel-cream in the mornings after my shower all over my thighs and bum and the more concentrated serum on the same areas at night. The only reason I prefer to do this is because the serum takes a bit longer to absorb into my skin so I don't like the feel of that under jeans or leggings. When you apply these to your legs they feel a lot tighter and taut...obviously exercise and good diet are the only things that will completely eliminate cellulite but this definitely helps.


Nivea Q10 Firming Body Oil
After having two babies 19 months apart and at 3 months postpartum my tummy is in need of some TLC! So I have been slathering on Nivea Body Oil day and night in an attempt to fade the stretch marks around my bellybutton & improve my skin's elasticity. I use it both day & night all over my belly and although it's nowhere near perfect, flat or jiggle-free, my stretch marks have faded a lot! Also this stuff doesn't take forever to dry which can be a problem with most oils/body butters. I don't have a problem with it staining my clothes provided I wait a little while before getting dressed!


Nivea Q10 Firming Body Moisturiser
Lastly I have been using the body moisturiser which has a slightly richer formula. I apply this to the areas which need it most - for me that would be my feet, elbows & knees. Nivea have a guide at the back of their products which tells you exactly how much moisture it will give you, from light to rich. This makes it easy when deciding what to get in terms of what the different areas of your body needs! I like this one because it targets dry skin and keeps mine feeling super soft. I keep it on my bed-side table and apply it to my feet at night too!

Those are the products that have become part of my routine these past 3 weeks. Let me know what you think and if you have tried them before, or if they are something you would be interested in! I am definitely happy with the results after using the Nivea Q10 range. While they won't make you drop pounds or melt fat instantly I think they'll certainly to make your skin look and feel firmer and supple along-side sensible diet & moderate exercise! 

Watch my video review on the Nivea Q10 range here!



xoxo
Anna

Disclaimer: This blog post is sponsored by Nivea. All opinions are my own, as always :) 

Sweet Sunday: Snickers Cupcakes!


I don't know if these are necessarily a very summery recipe, however I was craving some Snickers Cupcakes so here they are! What makes these special is their yummy peanut filling and brown sugar frosting. Emilia loved the frosting but we quickly discovered that she's not a fan of peanuts! (She spat them all out while eating the Snickers on top...ha ha ha!)

To make the filling you will need:

6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 egg
2 and 1/2 Snickers bars, chopped up

To make the cupcakes you will need:

1 and 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract


Emilia wasn't in the best of moods to film a video today...it was very hot and I don't think she had much interest in being cooped up inside (I don't blame her!). All she wanted to do was sneak little bits of cupcake batter into her mouth when I wasn't looking!


To make the brown sugar frosting you will need:

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 Snickers bars, chopped up to garnish

This recipe bakes 18 cupcakes! To watch the video on how I made them, please see below:



I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe! Let me know if you try these out - you can tag me on Twitter, Instagram or FB


xoxo
Anna

What I Ate Wednesday {15.7.14}


Breakfast
I had a big bowl of Oat So Simple porridge (the original kind) with almond milk, strawberries, blueberries and a tablespoon of organic manuka honey. This was really good!! I also drank a pint of water with my Spatone iron supplement & a black coffee.


Mid Morning Snack
For a mid-morning snack I had a banana and a handful of almonds. I've really been craving nuts recently!


Lunch
We ate lunch outside as we've been so lucky with the beautiful weather lately! We had panini with mature cheddar & amazing ham that Jonathan buys from the butcher's! I got this bread fresh from the bakery and it's so good but the breadrolls are pretty huge! This was half of one that Jonathan and I shared. I also had some cherry tomatoes and another pint of water!


Afternoon Snack
In the afternoon I snacked on two rice-cakes with almond butter (my first time trying it!). If I'm honest I don't really get the hype about almond butter...I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and I do like it but I don't think it's all that different from peanut butter! I think this would be good with an apple or some celery too! I also had another coffee & sweetened it with some Truvia. 


Dinner
For dinner I made Jamie Oliver's Trapani Pasta with wholewheat tortiglioni. This is a family favourite...everybody loves it including Emilia! Jonathan asks for it almost every week and it's SO simple to make! It features a raw sauce of cherry tomatoes, parmesan, almonds, chilli, basil, anchovies & garlic...very easy and fresh for summer! You can find the recipe in Jamie's 30 Minute Meals cookbook.


Dessert
We'd been eating a lot of junk lately so I was craving something healthier for dessert! I made a fruit salad for everybody. Mine was with organic bio live yoghurt, some strawberries, half a banana and cinnamon for flavour. 


After dinner I also had another coffee with truvia. And that was it! I drank about 2L of water too. What did you eat today?! You can watch my video here:



xoxo
Anna

Beauty Tuesday: June Favourites 2014!


Here were my favourites for the month of June!

Skincare:
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex
Nivea Q10 Plus Firming Body Oil
Nivea Q10 Good-bye Cellulite Serum

Hair:
Sebastian Matte Putty

Nails:
Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Coconut

Fashion:
Orelia Hoops
Orelia Heart Studs
Orelia Hammered Rose Gold Bracelet

Candle:
Yankee Candle Fireside Treats

Watch my favourites video, featuring a surprise appearance from Jonathan and lots of gurgling from Eduardo here!



xoxo
Anna

Mommy Monday: 3 Month Postpartum / Baby Update!


Here is the belly at 3 months postpartum! I did lose more weight this month due to exclusively breastfeeding which I wasn't happy with, so I slowly tried to gain it back as I feel I'm my healthiest around the 115lb mark. I didn't change anything about my eating habits/non-existent workout routine though! It's all to do with the fact that breastfeeding burns an extra 500 calories a day...so it's hard sometimes to keep up with that! But I'm back to normal now and trying to maintain my weight. 


Eduardo at 3 months old! 

Height/Weight: No idea, sorry! He has definitely grown though as he's going up in clothing sizes!

Routine: His bedtime is around 8/9pm (we've been way off the normal routine with all the travelling lately though!) and he wakes around 6:30am/7am. He still cat-naps throughout the day but I've noticed he probably needs to start napping in his cot or somewhere quieter/away from noise. He will feed around 5 times a day.

Sleeping: At 2 months old, Eduardo started sleeping through the night. It was amazing!! And then we went to Ireland for a week...between sleeping in the same hotel room and breaking the normal routine, he's back to waking once a night again :( Boo! It was fun while it lasted though. Hopefully we'll get back to that again!

Eating/Feeding: Like I said above, he is still breastfeeding exclusively and probably feeds around 5 times a day.


Sizes: Eduardo is wearing all 3-6 months clothing now except for pants which are a mix of 0-3 and 3 months...he has rather short legs! He is still wearing size 3 nappies. 

Milestones: Eduardo now grabs onto things and reaches for his toys. He especially likes his teething rings/toys in particular. He just started teething this month and I can see the two bottom front teeth coming up!! He also loves to sit up...sometimes he will object to being anywhere other than sitting! I've noticed that he enjoys moving around and changing his surroundings a lot more, whereas before he was comfortable with just being in his swing or stroller, now he likes to mix it up between lying on his playmat, sitting in a bouncer chair and in his TrippTrapp (never for very long though!). 


Watch our 3 month baby/postpartum update here!



xoxo
Anna

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