Check out all the treats in my photos below:

Such a bargain at £165!

My favourite: red & cream YSL necklace. Hopefully Rob reads this blog post!

Don’t just take my word for it – go down there (when you have a spare 3 hours) and try things on. Might be better to do it on a weekday, as Sunday was absolutely crammed. The lady serving seemed to be on her own at that point, but did a great job of getting around to every customer and was more than happy for people to ask to see items.

Also, best not to take a boyfriend (unless he’s paying!), as he’ll be in for a long wait!

Rob moved into a new flat this weekend, so I finally have a nice space to cook and take photos of what I’m doing in a lovely light and open kitchen. All those Saturdays and Sundays when the football is on, I can now play around with recipes. Just call me Delia, except without the Norwich FC infatuation.

A while ago Charli Cohen (fashion and fitness blogger) posted a recipe for some healthy protein blueberry muffins on her blog and I finally found time to whip some up like the domestic goddess that I am. Charli’s recipe suggested using apple sauce, which didn’t appeal to me so I chose not to use it. I also decided to use coconut flour instead of plain flour, as it’s what I try to bake with all the time now. I’ve made a few other adjustments too, so hopefully it still works!

Here’s how I got on…

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour

2 scoops Blueberry Super Protein

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup rolled oats

2 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 water

200g fresh blueberries

Mix all of the dry ingredients together first (not including the fresh blueberries) and then add the whisked eggs and water to the mixture. Once completed, fold the fresh blueberries into the mixture and voila! It really is as simple as that. Check me out being all Gwyneth Paltrow on a delightful Monday afternoon!

Put the mixture into large cake cases (or you can use those snazzy tulip muffin cases) and put them into the oven while you relax with a cup of peppermint tea! Bake your muffins at 350F (175C) for around 25-30mins and wait for the magic to happen. Unless you want to eat them before they’re cooked, I suggest NOT opening the oven to smell them, as it’s so damn good.

As far as cooked fruit goes, blueberries are by far the best for me. So sweet and juicy!

I have to admit, I was expecting to take them out of the oven and see some glorious smooth, dome topped muffins, but then I realised that these are homemade and not from Pret. I’m so chuffed with the outcome and as you can see, Rob was too. He insisted on getting every single bit of muffin out of that cake case! They were the perfect texture and just the right amount of sweetness. I’m looking forward to having one for pudding after my lunch tomorrow. Yes, lunch pudding IS a thing.

Obviously I needed some inspiration whilst writing this blog post… maybe two cake cases full of inspiration. Ooops!  Let me know if you try making these and if you have any suggestions for the recipe – I’m always up for knowing how to make things even healthier, but keeping them just as tasty.

Happy Muffin Making! x

Obviously, me being me, I went and used up that one shopping token on the very first day. You can’t blame me though, these Nike Air Max 90s are the coolest trainers I’ve seen in a long time… well since my last pair of awesome Nike trainers (picked by my boyfriend – very impressive) in September. The muted tones mean I can wear them with just about anything – very handy, as I had a small backpack to squeeze four days worth of clothes into for this weekend. No space for extra shoes! Anyway, enough babbling, check out my sexy feet below…

I’m a pro at getting round the boyfriend:

Rob and I are trying to save money at the moment, so he wasn’t too impressed that I’d gone out and bought these. I won him over though with a loving text…

… Oh and I wasn’t lying about how much they were, I was just very fortunate to get discount from a friend that works at ASOS! Rob isn’t actually as mean as he sounds here – I just had to cut some of his message! If anything, he’s jealous of my amazing trainers.

Excited as ever, I wore them the very next day and here’s the outfit I opted for:

Trainers - Nike/ASOS

Jeans - Topshop

Crop Top - American Apparel

Belt – Vintage

Nail Varnish - Topshop and Sinful Colours 

Hopefully May hurries the hell up so I can start spending again in June. Look out for a couple of naughty ‘oops I spent more money’ posts in the meantime though!

I met Chloe when she was about 16 at one of my questionable choices of an ex-boyfriend’s BBQs. Think skinnier jeans and more hairspray than any girl you know… yep, that’s it. Aaaaaanyway, I didn’t know much about Chloe then and still don’t now, but from following her on Twitter and Instagram it’s clear she’s taking the modelling world by storm and is one to watch. She’s very easy on the eye, so watching isn’t a hard job!

Check out the video here and enjoy:

1. House of Holland Tie-Dye Dungarees – £230

Henry Holland is known for his youthful aesthetic, and slightly ‘out-there’ style. His London-based label House of Holland’s recent collection include these silk dungarees featuring an all-over tie-dye design, button-through front and lace inserts to the sides and waist for a feminine touch. Perfect for a Summer day’s stroll in the park with white Superga trainers and a pair of frilly socks.

Available to buy here

2. Superga 2750 Cotu Classic – £45

I’m sure a lot of you already have a pair of these pumps, but if you don’t, get them now as you’ll be needing them for all those Summer walks… and to go with the cute HoH dungarees of course!

Available to buy here

3. Art Youth Society rings – from $230

The creative jewellery collective from NYC are the go-to place for simple gold symbol rings. I love all of their styles, especially diamond symbol ring – perfect for a jewellery fiend like me! Here’s a bit about the collective in their own words: ”Whether feeling festive or sexy, playful or laid back, we have created a ring to match your mood. With over 20 styles of chic heart, diamond, and other geometric-shaped rings, Ays Yuva by Art Youth Society was born out of the desire to create rings that are whimsical and sophisticated yet timeless and truly wearable.”

Also, check out these cool images from the collective:

Available to buy here

4. Senso Cadena I Black Strappy Heeled Shoes – £135

In need of a pair of sexy black heels? These are the ones. That’s pretty much all you need to know… oh and that they come in white too.

Available to buy here

5. Babar meets Soulland Sweater – $145

This is the best jumper I’ve seen from Opening Ceremony! Well, the best jumper I’ve seen, since I got my OC initial jumper last year. I love Babar and spent a lot of my childhood wishing I could be part of his adventures! Now I can… kind of? By wearing a jumper? Like William’s Wish Wellingtons, right? Nope. Ok ignore me.

Available to buy here

HAPPY SHOPPING! x

I’ve never been to watch the Virgin London Marathon before, but I’m so happy I did, as Rob and I had a great day out supporting one of my best friends, Chloe. I didn’t realise the effect of seeing her run would have on me – cue emotional wreck! It’s so inspiring to not only see someone putting their body through that and running on the day, but also knowing how hard she trained in the months leading up to it and raising over £2,000 for Unicef.

Chloe completed the marathon in 4.11 hours – such an amazing achievement!

I’ve watched the marathon on TV for a few years, and even though I sit there blubbering at the emotional and amazing stories, it never quite got me as excited and tempted as seeing it for real did. I’m not surprised they don’t open the ballot for next year’s marathon for another week; after watching I think everyone would want to get their running shoes on and start training for next year! I thought my want to do it might have died down this morning, but I woke up wanting to enter and run it right now.

I really want to earn one of these!

My boyfriend (Rob McGarr, Men’s Running Magazine) recently did a feature for Shortlist magazine about how running is something absolutely anyone can take up and enjoy, whether or not you fancy running a marathon. I’ve been a bit naughty and have stolen a little extract of the article to help any of you (me included) who want to know what some experts say about running:

If someone held a gun to your head and said, “Get a bit fitter in the next five minutes or i’ll pull the trigger,” what would you do? You wouldn’t say, “hold on a minute while i download this app that helped my mate lose 4lb last year” or ask your tormentor to accompany you to Fitness First for a tour. You’d run. Because it’s the most basic, primary, ancient and tested form of exercise.

“Humans are designed to run,” says Nick Anderson, international elite athletics coach and director of running with Us (runningwithus.com). “millions of years ago, we were designed to leave the cave and run around. It’s the most natural form of exercise and is fantastic for muscular strength, bone health, cardiovascular strength and improving the condition of your heart.”

Running comes with a host of other benefits, says former royal marines physical instructor and personal trainer Sean Lerwill (seanlerwill.com). “It teaches you the ability to push yourself, physically and mentally. It leads to sleeping better which, in turn, helps your concentration and self-esteem. It also lowers stress levels and helps you put everything into perspective, which results in better decision-making.” Anderson sees the evidence of this in many of the runners he coaches. “it gives you so much more everyday energy. running provides a healthy focus in life and makes you more positive. the result is a far happier and more productive individual.”

On the contrary to what these experts have said, running does still get a bit of a bad rap – mainly to do with all the pounding and impact it has on your legs and from the injuries we hear people talk of. Yes, there are risks associated with running, like there are risks associated with any sport, but to make the statement that it is “bad for you” seems a bit naïve.

The thing people don’t take into account with running is that it does not have to beat up your body. It can actually strengthen the tissue, the bones, and the tendons if proper rest and adaptation are allowed. Let’s face it: running stresses the tissues. But, if given time to rebuild, those tissues actually become stronger. The key is moderation, rest, recovery, sensibility.

With my knees and joints being so dodgy (see post), I’m not sure if it’s the smartest thing I’ve thought about, but I’m really very tempted to give it a go!

Thursday 11th May FINALLY came around after a lot of ‘I’m SOOOOOOOOOOO excited!’ messages exchanged between Fi and I. Off we went to the Royal Opera House, as excited as the Mad Hatter on speed.

Fi had already seen the ballet, but only on TV, so this was kind of new for both of us. I can tell you now that this was without a doubt one of the best ballets I’ve ever seen and I’ll tell you why…

Everything from the lighting, to the set, to the projections and the wonderland creatures’ movements were perfection. I’m going to try not to spoil it for anyone that is going to see it, but I really want to tell you so much. The White Rabbit displays each rabbity twitch and hop so well, as does the Tortoise with his very low and slow walk. There are lots of little surprises throughout, which made the audience giggle or gasp.

Talking of giggling, that was one of the best things about the performance – the way they managed to keep a humorous tone throughout, something that a lot of people wouldn’t think a ballet would be capable of.

Introducing the new JML Flamingo Hoover – just £9.99 from Robert Dyas

One thing to look out for is the Caterpillar, definitely one of mine and a lot of other people’s favourite characters. Not only was Eric Underwoods’s dancing beautiful in the way he moved his body, but the detail in the costume was what caught my eye. When the caterpillar made an entrance in all his glory, it was the pointe shoes that caught my eye. I just Googled to get an image and actually found this little blurb about them on the RoH website:

It’s one of the best-loved scenes in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: the meeting of Alice and the hookah smoking Caterpillar. After his solo, backed by Arabian princesses, the caterpillar departs the stage with parasol in hand, followed by a trail of legs in perfect unison. 16 legs with 16 feet, all wearing the most beautiful, royal blue, crystal-encrusted pointe shoes. It’s a moment audiences love but behind it lies a huge amount of effort.

Each blue shoe belongs to one of eight dancers: either members of The Royal Ballet Company or Royal Ballet School students. Each individual pair is prepared by one of the two members of staff working in the Ballet Shoe Room. Jane and Máire first have to fit the shoes, before dying them an exact shade of royal blue. Blue ribbons are then attached before each shoe is hand-encrusted with 365 crystals. It takes about a day to prepare each pair of shoes, and these are just 8 of the thousands (approximately 11,000) pairs of pointes Jane and Máire have to make sure are available to the Company throughout the Season.

Pointe shoes hand-encrusted with 365 crystals

Fi and I spent the train journey home discussing these pointe shoes and how we want a pair hanging in our bedrooms. When I used to danced I dreamt of dancing in shoes like these – the kind of shoes that the audience notice the moment you step on stage.

All of the characters played their part to perfection, with another of my favourites being The Queen of Hearts, who received the loudest applause for her performance. She was mean but funny, beautiful but horrible and got the whole Royal Opera House laughing for her brilliant dance with the male card dancers – go and watch it and you’ll see what I mean.

The Queen of Hearts walked up steps whilst on pointe. WOW.

Hopefully this blog post will make you all want to buy tickets the next time it comes around. I know I’ll be going again. Check out some more images from the performance below. SO GOOD!

Alice and her wonderland friends.

Did you know that flamingos have group sex. Google it. It’s true.

P.S. Keep an eye out for the little hedgehogs too! x

1. Acne Lila Nude Boots – £450

I’m not sure how I missed these when they were on the runway last year, but fortunately the lovely Charli Cohen (fitness and fashion blogger) put a photo up on Intsagram of the black version, making me fall in love and keep the photo open on my computer all day. I absolutely LOVE these nude ones with their glittery rubber heel. They’d look so cute in the sunshine with some denim cut offs and a simple loose tee. These are the boots of my Summer dreams – PLEASE can I have them! … not really too sure who I’m asking.

Available to buy here 

2. Zara layered printed shorts – £19.99

I really am cutting down on my shopping habits… BUT I might have accidentally bought these cute little aztec print Zara shorts last week in preparation for my holiday to Ibiza. I should probably point out that my holiday isn’t until June, but it’s good to be prepared, right?!

Available to buy here

3. Moshulu Kingfisher desert boots in pistachio – £69.99

We have a little family flat down in St David’s in Pembrokeshire and other than an old fashion style sweet shop, it doesn’t really have much to offer in the way of shopping. Well, that’s what I thought… until my Mum was flicking through Moshulu’s brochure and my eyes were drawn to these amazing pistachio desert boots. I thought Moshulu only catered for women over the age of 50 (no offence)… either they got it wrong with these boots or I’m dressing like a 60 year old these days! I mentioned liking them and then the next thing I know my Dad bought me a pair. So so kind of him, especially as he hates anything to do with shops/clothes/shoes.

Available to buy here

4. & Other Stories Clutch with gold sides – £95

This is the chic black clutch that dreams are made of… kind of! I love everything about this bag – the cylindrical shape, the top gold bar, the gold chain and the popper fastening. Use it with the strop to glam up a daytime outfit, and as a clutch for your evening out.

Available to buy here

5. & Other Stories open back dress – £55

I’m having a bit of a & Other Stories Appreciation Week, this week. Love this 60′s style sleeveless dress with it’s open buttoned back. I can imagine Alexa Chung wearing this with a pair of loafers to complete the look. I also love how they’ve style the model with her hair in a bun. Very cute!

 Available to buy here

HAPPY SHOPPING! x

As my friends know, I’m always the one loaded with a ring on every finger (if not more), with earrings, chains and bracelets to go with it. Today is a prime example of my love for jewellery. Check out how I’ve styled it all below.

Trousers – Zara

Jumper – New Look

Boots – Topshop

Grey tee underneath – Whistles

Necklaces – Catbird, Links of London & Antique from Nicholas Meffan Jewellers

Bracelets – Links of London charm bracelets, Nicholas Meffan Jewellers

Rings – Laura Gravestock, Topshop, Catbird

Handchain – Catbird

Watch – 28th May

Girls sometimes assume that they can only manage a press up when doing ‘girl press ups’ (knees on the floor) or that by doing a few press ups they’ll wake up looking like Jodie Marsh the next day… I’m talking about the muscly-baby-oiled -Jodie-Marsh, not the belted-boob-outfit-Jodie-Marsh! It’s like when Yorkie tried the whole ‘Yorkies aren’t for girls’ crap. Psshhhh whatever Yorkie.

Anyway, boobs aside, press ups are great, not just for your chest, but your shoulders, abs and triceps also get a workout. And what’s not to like about an exercise that’s free… no fancy weights or ridiculously expensive membership to Equinox gym are necessary!

Drop down and gimme 20 NOW.

I found some interesting info on our good old press up friend on WebMD – check it out below:

What kind of benefits? If you’re thinking the push-up is the best upper body exercise, many fitness experts agree. But, personal trainer Jessica Bottesch tells WebMD, the push-up benefits many muscle groups body-wide.

“The primary movers [the major muscle groups that produce the motion of a push-up] are the chest and tricep. However, if you look at the form your body takes during the perfect push-up, you’re typically suspended from your toes all the way to your neck, so in reality, every muscle between your shoulders and your toes is engaged,” says Bottesch, co-owner of Empower Personal Training in Durham, N.C. This includes the all important core muscles of the trunk, as well as the abdominals, legs and hips, she says.

And for women, Bottesch tells WebMD, the push-up has an extra benefit.
“A push-up is considered a resistance exercise, so in addition to muscle strengthening, you also get bone-building effects. It can be as effective as working out with weights,” says Bottesch.

To find out more about the perfect press up technique check out Livestrong.com

Download the 100 pushups app here

So whether you download the app or just add a few into your next workout, remember that press ups are awesome. I’ll let you know when I can finally manage 100 in a row… see you next year!