Recovery Update: Smashing Goals*

15th July 2017

It’s been a while since I did an update on my journey through anorexia recovery and given that things are going well I thought it was an opportune time.

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of progress…I don’t know how, or what has suddenly changed inside my head but the goals that once seemed insurmountable are now well within my grasp.

The whole way through this I’ve had goals in my mind that I’ve wanted to achieve. To other people they might seem tiny, normal, everyday things that you wouldn’t even think twice about. To me and the way my illness manifests itself though they are huge and at times felt like they might never be tackled.

I’ve invested in a “positive mental attitude” approach to all meals and snacks. Instead of putting up a fight and resisting it I’ve decided to try and get excited and it’s such a liberating feeling. Looking forward to trying something new and not dreading it? How novel! It’s made normal chores like the food shop so much easier (and quicker) and I’m now regularly enjoying things like pizza, something that I love but would never had admitted to even a few weeks ago.

I’m also letting go of rules and ideals about what I eat. Meat is becoming a bigger part of my diet as the weeks go on- vegetarianism has always been an excuse for me up until recently I tied myself up in knots about whether I was avoiding meat for proper, founded reasons or if I was just looking for an excuse to exclude a food group. I’m not the biggest meat eater in the world and never have been but allowing myself chicken, pork, turkey, ham (and more) again has opened up so many new avenues for me and I’m excited to expand my culinary horizons more.

One other goal I had was to eat something I had baked myself. We all know that I love to bake but up until now it’s only ever been for other people. I decided to change that recently, I eased myself back in by making something healthy- carrot and pineapple muffins which were packed full of fresh ingredients, nuts and healthy oils and enjoyed them, both the making and the eating process.

Of course it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and the struggles are still very much there on a daily basis, especially around weight gain (why does it always feel so fast and so noticeable?) and often the amount of food I eat/what percentage is “good” food vs. “bad” food (although I don’t really believe there is any such definition) and there are many things I want to be doing right now that I just can’t and that frustrates me no end. But I’m more positive and happier than I’ve been in a good couple of years- both mentally and physically. I’ve made more progress in the last three months, co-incidentally since I met my boyfriend, than I made in the last twelve months put together. I’m on an intense but constructive course of therapy and I finally believe that a) I am capable of getting better and b) that for once I’ll be able to sustain good health when I get there.

I’m 30 years old. I can’t keep going through the up and down rollercoaster of recovery and relapse. I for once have things I want to achieve in life, and believe I can achieve. I’m developing my self worth and I’m bloody excited for the future.

I’ll pop in more sporadic updates as the journey progresses, it just felt like the right time to pour all of these thoughts out in to this very public space. All along my blog has been a sort of record of achievement and if nobody minds then I’d quite like to keep it that way.

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Casual to the Max(i)

14th July 2017

I love a good maxi dress although it occurred to me the other day that I only ever seem to wear them when I’m on holiday. With the recent good weather that made it feel like we were anywhere but the UK (humidity and flying ants aside) it seemed as good as time as any to re-unite myself with a Summer wardrobe favourite, especially as I had the chance to add a new dress to my collection recently.

Dress & Denim Jacket c/o Krisp Clothing | Converse: Schuh

I’m trying to build myself a good selection of wardrobe staples and I think this grey jersey maxi dress from Krisp Clothing’s basics range is an absolute steal at £14.99. It has potential to be dressed up as well as worn casually like I have here- teamed with my trusty Converse and new denim jacket this made the ideal ensemble for an early evening dinner date.

Krisp Clothing isn’t a website I’ve shopped with before so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I’m a creature of habit when it comes to buying clothes and don’t often branch out from a handful of shops. I’m impressed though, the quality of these pieces is great, especially at these kind of prices and they have a great range of both basic pieces and more trend led designs, perfect for keeping up to date on the latest fashions without breaking the bank.

I did suffer a (more than) slight crisis of confidence whilst wearing this dress…I think I mentioned before that I’m at that stange in recovery from anorexia that the weight gain becomes noticeable, both to myself and to other people and the elasticated waist only seemed to emphasise this in my eyes. After squashing down that negative train of thought with a good and hearty Italian dinner though I suddenly became thankful for that elastic and it’s forgiving nature as it made my blossoming food baby that bit more discreet.

I’ll definitely be re-visiting Krisp Clothing when I’m next in a position for a bit of a shop, there are a few more pieces from their basics range I’d like to pick up and they seem to have regular new arrivals and promotions which make it even more tempting.

Have you shopped with Krisp before? Which pieces would you pick out?

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The rise of WiFi: music festival connectivity*

13th July 2017

As WiFi has become a seemingly essential part of our lives it has become impossible to imagine a world where we don’t connect to the internet every day. These days there are very few places where we can’t connect to WiFi or use our mobile phones as a connected device, however festivals remain one of the few places where WiFi isn’t fully operational across a whole festival site for the entire event.

Festival organisers are seeking to change this and although there has been limited connectivity across festival sites in the past, full-connectivity from mobile devices is set to be a normal part of the festival experience. Together with KBR, specialist WiFi installers we explore what the festival industry is set to gain from staying connected, and how this industry can implement reliable WiFi infrastructures in the future.

(Photo by Aranxa Esteve on Unsplash)

Why have WiFi at a Festival?
Since the turn of the century the number of people attending music festivals has grown massively. From 2004 to 2013 the number of festivals 100 to 700. Alongside this, in 2014 alone festivals generated £3.1bn. Due to the market being so financially successful there is huge competition within the industry. What this means is that festival organisers need to establish a competitive edge and a USP — with this USP being WiFi.

For festival organisers investing in a WiFi connection is not a wasted cost- 90% of all festival goers are smartphone users making an event with free WiFi more appealing than one without. In an age where people regularly stay connected and share their plans and memories with each other via social media it is no surprise that WiFi for such popular events like festivals is becoming a must have for those who attend.

How are WiFi structures reliably implemented?
Because festivals usually take place in remote locations establishing a reliable WiFi connection is no easy task. In response there are a number of specialist companies that have been established in order to keep festival goers connected.
Of course, given the size of the site and the sheer number of people trying to connect to the WiFi network, at present it’s difficult to provide a festival-wide connection. This means that using the connection in your tent is still widely unavailable but WiFi hotspots are being created.
One of the most notable examples of these hotspots was the ‘WiFi cows’ that popped up across Glastonbury in 2014. These fibreglass cows acted as a 4G hotspot provided by EE, allowing festival-goers to get connected in true outrageous festival style. The WiFi structure also enabled contactless card payments across the festival’s 25 bars.
In the future, and as our dependence on digital grows it’s likely that festival WiFi will become even more widespread- eventually turning each site into a hotspot. You can use a service such as viasat internet plans to ensure you are always connected no matter how remote your location.

Is WiFi at a festival really beneficial?
As many celebrate the availability of WiFi at these events some people are questioning whether this new level of connectivity will detract from the overall festival experience. If attendees are too busy tweeting and posting about their experience are they truly experiencing it?

However the many benefits of WiFi outweigh this slight negative. WiFi not only helps promote a festival through attendee social coverage it also helps festival-goers stay connected with their friends at the event (potentially increasing safety) and those at home. Clearly festival WiFi is the way forwards and here to stay.

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Festival Fun with Essence

12th July 2017

Festivals are a real excuse to go wild with your makeup- not that I’ve been to any festivals in the last few years but that doesn’t mean I can’t embrace the spirit a bit and brighten up my look for the Summer. Especially not when you have a brand like Essence who not only excel at bright and bold products but also are so reasonably priced you won’t mind if you end up losing them in the inevitable mud bath of a camp site.

I was recently sent a selection of new and cult Essence products and I’ve popped together a little guide to some of my favourite festival essentials.

There were a few products in this selection I was especially excited for- that highlighter? I had such high hopes…and prismatic lipgloss is exactly what I’ve been craving in my lip product arsenal.

Coloured eyeliners are such an easy way to add a pop of colour to your look and Essence’s kajal range costs just £1 each. I’m loving the shade “beach bum” at the moment, it’s great for jazzing up my usually subtle every day makeup and for such a cheap product it applies, and lasts so well.

Waterproof mascara isn’t a product I’ve ever really rated but even I’ll concede it’s been incredibly useful lately with this crazy humid weather we’ve been experiencing here in the UK. I’m already a fan of Essence’s “all eyes on me mascara” so the waterproof version was never going to let me down. You really can’t beat a multi-effect mascara at just £2.

Essence nail products are one of the highlights of the entire brand in my opinion. I was particularly excited by the “out of space stories” polish with it’s amazing iridescent effect. The range also includes holographic and metallic polishes and I can’t wait to try them all.

Other highlights include these cut out manicure stencils. I’m hopeless at nail art so to have such a fool proof way to achieve it is great. This is a 51 piece set, amazing for £1 and the design potential is endless. Major motivation to a) grow my nails and b) actually paint them more often right there!

I have a real weak spot for prismatic effect makeup at the moment so both the lip gloss and highlighter were the products I was most desperate to try. The lipgloss in the shade “smile, sparkle, shine” is a gorgeous wet look baby pink with just enough prismatic effect to add a little something extra but still be wearable enough for every day.

The highlighter looks a bit daunting in it’s packaging with it’s bright and bold packaging, but applied with a light hand the shades blend together seamlessly to provide a gorgeous, prismatic glow. I’m really impressed with this, especially as it only costs £3.50- the quality and finish it provides would have you believe it’s from a much more high-end brand.

So there we have it. As ever Essence have bowled me over with their clever combination of high fashion makeup and crazy low prices.
This is a brand that really excites me, I’m always looking forward to seeing what they come out with next.

Available in selected Wilko stores and from Wilko.com . Products sent to me for blog consideration but opinions are my own. Let me know if you decide to give any of these a go or if you’ve discovered any gems lately.

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Globenfeld Men’s Chronograph Watch review & giveaway

10th July 2017

It’s always a bonus when the benefits that sometimes come with having a blog can be extended to your nearest and dearest. I was recently given the opportunity to receive a Men’s watch from Globenfeld which I took great pleasure in being able to give to my boyfriend who had not all that long ago made noises about wanting a watch.

Now, I’m no expert on Men’s watches, although my obsession with Women’s ones are well documented but between us we decided we’re a fan of this particular one. Big fans. So much of a fan that boyfriend has managed not to lose it yet- impressive with his track record!

It’s a chunky and weighty looking watch although actually it is quite light to wear thanks to the durable rubber strap. It makes a statement without being too in your face and also appears to be highly durable, although at present this hasn’t been truly tested (it’s only a matter of time, I’m telling you).

The attention to detail on this watch is great- from it’s textured dial to the illuminated hands and numerals. It also features a calendar and stop watch function which is something I had previously associated with only digital watches.

The watch also comes very well presented in it’s box meaning it’d make the perfect gift, as far as watches go it is reasonably priced at just under £70 (a significant reduction on the £375 RRP!) and comes with a 90 day money back guarantee- just in case.

Now the real perk of this particular blog post is that not only did I get to pass on a perk to my boyfriend, I also get to pass one along to a lucky reader. I have a second watch to giveaway and if you fancy your chances then just follow the simple entry steps below.

Win a Globenfeld Chrono Watch #1

Good Luck!