Yearly Archives: 2012

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Finally admitting to my Heathrow Injection

December 30, 2012 12:46 pm , 2 Comments ,
heathrowinjection

I’m definitely feeling chunkier than when I first arrived in London. It’s the pub life, takeaways, nights out, lunches out, Christmas, and of course my own laziness that has me noticing my clothes are feeling tighter. I also feel awful inside, lethargic, grumpy, unexcited, it’s emotionally depressing! Sure, I enjoy the glass of wine and the gorgeous, creamy pasta at the time, but then I’m annoyed at myself all week because all my clothes don’t look as good as they used to.

So starting January 1st I am joining Leah and a crowd of thousands for the Whole30 to reset my body and my mind. I’ve been dying to start all week, but decided with New Years Eve looming there was no point and I would just be setting myself up to fail.

However this weekend I have headed in the right direction; my supermarket shop contained only lean protein, eggs, fruit, vegetables, herbal teas and a few nuts (that they allow) to keep me going. I also went through my pantry and fridge and threw out anything not allowed, as they suggested, because looking at that food all month would just drive me mental! It wasn’t too much, and one of my flatmates took a few bits too – we’re not wasting.

I’m not going to measure my progress through weighing myself or taking body measurements – I’m simply going to take before and after photos and base it on my clothing fitting better (like they used to!).

This morning I also went for a 5km run (+jog +walk – because I can’t just run 5kms with no training) around Greenwich. It was beautiful, and now sitting here on my couch drinking water, eating a nectarine and watching my favourite man (JamieO) on TV I feel very chuffed with myself and the aching in my legs is actually a welcomed sensation.

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Officially an official bridesmaid

December 14, 2012 12:39 pm , 1 Comment ,

As I touched on in my previous post, one of my beautiful younger sisters is getting married! They’re still deciding on the official date, but it is more than likely going to fall in November next year. I received an email from her a couple of days ago asking if I would officially be her number one bridesmaid. Of course I said yes. I nearly replied saying I’d already decided I was one, and told people how excited I was to be a bridesmaid for the first time but thought it better not to steal her moment.

She’s told me the theme is a teal, country wedding. Which will be beautiful as it will be going into summer in November in New Zealand and it’s a very good excuse for a visit home. I’ve been asked to find bridesmaids dresses here for my youngest sister and I as there is far more choice so I will be all over that come summer in June. I’ve even started a Pinterest board of teal, country wedding inspiration to help with any bridesmaid duties I may have. Unfortunately I wont be able to plan or organise too much from here, but I can bombard her Facebook wall with pretty wedding centre pieces and cakes.

Being in the wedding party also means I need to give the body a complete overhaul. So starting January (because seriously, there is way too much mulled wine around asking to be drunk pre-Christmas) it’s all on!

The toughest task though will be finding a date to take. I have less than 12 months to find a man, keep him entertained and madly into me, then convince him he’d absolutely love to fly to New Zealand and meet all my family together at once at my sister’s wedding. How could he resist?!

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A foodie map

December 6, 2012 2:13 pm , Leave a Comment ,

A colleague of mine sent me a map today. A food map. It’s a map of foodie goodness and recommended spots based on the London underground map created by Chris.

I have set myself the goal of dining/drinking at 40 of the places before Christmas 2013. My count to date: one. Burger & Lobster. Check! I can tell you, it was amazing. As the name states; you pick a burger or a lobster. I picked the latter and was not disappointed at all. With a cocktail in one hand, a lobster claw in the other and a classy plastic bib to protect my dress, I was as happy as a pig in mud.

Click to enlarge.

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It’s gunna be a cracker!

December 6, 2012 12:12 pm , Leave a Comment ,

I’m off to church tonight for the second time this week. What the hell, right?! No, I’ve not had a calling from the big man upstairs… London just like to use their churches for what I deem to be their greatest characteristic. Their high ceilings and lack of interior walls; which makes music bounce around in that baby like nowhere else.

On Monday night I went to see Benjamin Gibbard (previously of Death Cab for Cutie) sing in Union Chapel with a colleague of mine. For £20 I think it was the best value for money concert I have ever been to. A freezing cold Monday night with his soulful voice and a hot cup of tea (no alcohol is allowed in churches) in a small church venue. It was amazing. His voice far exceeded my expectations.

Tonight I’m off with one of my flatmates to Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church to see our other flatmate sing Christmas carols and a few pop and musical hits with his choir. I’m really looking forward to hearing the carols as all of London seems to be on crack with Christmas fever. I think with the cold weather affecting your daily mood, you need the injection of Christmas lights, decorations and tunes.

Plus with the light, sprinkle of snow we experienced yesterday I am beyond excited at the possiblity of a white Christmas!

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Poor neglected blog

November 25, 2012 11:47 am , 2 Comments ,

I am still alive, and I’m not sitting at home in my pyjamas, sipping tea and refusing to participate in all things London.

I’m out there, doing shit. At the detriment of my blog.

It’s been roughly a month since my last post; so rather than divulge into every tiny detail of every day I’m going to be super lazy (and also because I have limited time and my male flatmates are insisting I head out to the pub to drink beer and watch Chelsea [football, yes, this is something new to me] v Man City with them – perfect example of “doing shit”) and post a sumarised list of events. I like lists, I know other people like reading lists. Plus the guys think I’m doing my hair to go out. We all win.

  • Spent a weekend in Istanbul, you MUST go. ALL of you. I want to go back, so if you book a ticket, please book me one too. The food, the markets, the mosques, the people (except that one guy that grabbed my ass on the tram), the warmth! It’s beautiful.
  • I went on a severely boozy blind date. He was a nice guy (from what I remember), a whole decade older, and totally at a different stage in his life to me. It wasn’t going to work – but there was no awkwardness, thankfully.
  • I finally got my highlights re-done and my hair cut!
  • I was invited by Mr & Mrs Q to a fireworks show in a massive paddock on the coldest night ever. It was lovely though.
  • I went to my first movie here in London, Skyfall, seemed appropriate.
  • I’ve been to my first live musical, Les Miserables. I think my expectations were HUGE. The cast did not sing loud enough for my liking, which meant I couldn’t sing a long too. It was still a beautiful and moving story.
  • We’ve had numerous people leave my work – which is worrying and made me re-list myself with my recruitment agencies. Purely for the fact I don’t want to be left in the lurch should the company crumble. It’s also meant lots of boozy leaving drinks events.
  • I experienced my first homesick day on Friday when my younger sister rang to say she was ENGAGED. So thrilled for her and my future brother-in-law. They’ve been together nearly seven years, so we knew it was coming!
  • I also got some superbly amazing news from my bestie, SHE’S MOVING HERE! Well not to London, but to Nottingham. In February!! So happy to have her so much closer.
  • So if you throw in a few dinners out and a few long lunches with friends – she’s been a fairly hectic month and this next month is not looking any less busy!

I will try and make more effort in the next few weeks leading up to Christmas. But first I need to experience my first live football match (in a pub, I will go to an actual match soon enough) with a bunch of rowdy British men. Also another win.

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