Feeling good...

Hey lovely people!

So I had my weigh in last Saturday and I lost 6lbs!!! Delighted is an understatement.

However, last weekend was also my first challenge in terms of occasions and well I'm happy to report that I was on my best behaviour. It was my nieces 5th birthday and there was all sorts of goodies available to eat as well as beers etc for the adults... I had 1 very small slice of cake and that was it.

Proud!!!

Then on the Sunday it was the baptism of our best friends new baby and there was cake, a massive buffet and lots of alcohol. I drank water with ice all day and have 4 mini spring rolls. While everybody around about me were sitting with wine and plates full of delicious looking food, I kept my focus on my goals and how rubbish I would feel if I slipped... So I abstained!

I've never felt this in control of my life before. I know it sounds utterly ridiculous as it's only a diet to most people... But I have never felt more determined and more committed to this journey. I have continued to go out walking with my husband and my dogs every night... regardless of the weather or my excruciatingly sore blisters and I am pushing myself every night to walk further and faster... And believe it or not I am seriously enjoying myself. 

Anyway, I hope that you are all having a wonderful week.

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

Weekly Roundup...

Hey lovely people,

So tomorrow is my weigh in day and I am feeling optimistic. I have seriously tried sooooo hard this week and I  have thought about and planned everything I've eaten. As well as this I have made a real effort to go out a walk every day... Something that I must admit I'm guilty of doing far too little of. My job as a photographer is 30% standing and moving and 70% sitting and editing so I find that most of my day is spent in front of the computer. But I have pushed myself to move around a lot more on an hourly basis as well as having my little evening walks.

So let me just share with you some of the meals I have eaten this week:

Don't they look delish... Here are their pro-points values (remember my points allowance may be bigger than yours so you can have more or less dependent on your allowance):

Porridge (45g) with semi-skimmed milk (213ml) & raspberries (handful) = 8 Pro Points

Spicy Vegetable Cous Cous (150g) with spinach & sliced cucumber = 5 Pro Points

Spinach (plateful - I really love spinach... lol) with salt & pepper = 0 Pro Points

Fresh Tortiglioni (250g) with a spicy tomato sauce (75g) with spinach = 14 Pro Points

Banana (1 med) & Raspberry (handful) Smoothie (Juice 150ml) & ice = 3 Pro Points (330ml glass)

Chicken (165g) & rice noodle (200g) & sweetcorn (100g) stir-fry (soy sauce added) = 14 Pro Points

These are just some of the meals I ate this week and they were all super filling and tasty, which just proves you don't have to eat food that tastes like cardboard when you're on a diet.

I hope that any of you who are on this same journey have had a really good week and you are feeling positive and healthy and I will report back with the outcome of my weigh in tomorrow morning,

Wish me luck...

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

What A Difference A Day Makes...

Hey lovely people!

So after such a positive start to the week yesterday I have woken up today feeling pretty ill. I've been battling with a chest infection for the last few weeks and I've had some good days (like yesterday) and some not so good days... like today! 

Not only that but the effects of yesterdays mammoth swim have taken their toll on my unfit body and I am currently walking a bit like a robot... Lol!

However... the good thing about feeling rubbish (certainly in my case) is that I am repulsed by greasy, unhealthy foods and more inclined to fill my body with "good-for-me" foods and drinks like soups, vegetables and water. I also started my day with a lovely steaming bowl of porridge with a handful of raspberries which actually managed to make me feel better by just looking at it.

Anyway, I'm going to keep this brief and just say that despite feeling really rubbish I'm still 100% dedicated to keeping on my plan. This is the biggest difference in the way I feel this time around. There was never really an end goal... But I know now that I have something I want to work towards and that fact just makes this entire journey that little bit easier!

I hope everybody on this same journey are feeling positive and have their end goal in sight!

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

It's been a good start to the week!

Hey lovely people! 

So it's Monday morning and instead of the usual Monday blues I normally suffer from, I made a conscientious effort to get into the proper frame of mind and get some exercise done. 

Before I done that though, I drank a little pro-biotic yoghurt drink. Now I know there's a lot of people who don't see the benefits in these drinks, but I suffer from Immune Deficiency and I often take antibiotics which strip my body of any good bacteria already there. Therefore these little drinks are great for keeping my good bacteria all topped up. 

So after that my cousin and I headed to our local leisure centre and went for a swim. It is my absolute favourite exercise, not only because it's low impact but also because I am (for some weird reason) a really strong swimmer. It's something I done a lot as a child and I think it's really been beneficial to me as an adult. Anyway, my cousin and I had lots to chat about and before I knew it we had swam up and down the pool for a solid hour without stopping. 

I'm telling you... The minute I stepped out that pool my legs felt like jelly! It's amazing how you don't really feel the effects of the exercise you're actually putting your body through when you're in the pool. That's why I love it. It is such a low impact sport, which is kinda perfect for people like me with sore joints that often prohibit me from doing regular workouts or even walking long distances. 

When I came home I logged my activity on my weight watchers tracker and couldn't believe that my exercise had amounted to 25 pro points! Now, I don't intend on using these extra points... but how amazing is that? For a 1 hour swim! AMAZING! 

Now is it just me, or does anybody else ever feel absolutely famished after swimming? My stomach is always growling when I come out the pool and this is where you have to be careful. Any other time I would quite happily go home and have a cheese and ham sandwich with mayo, a wee coffee and chocolate cake to congratulate myself on my swim... LOL! Not this time!!! I came home and had a banana and raspberry smoothie with a bowl of porridge. It was delish! :)

So it's now half past 1 in the afternoon and I'm feeling a little bit peckish so I am going to have some cous cous with spinach... and my mouth is literally watering at the thought of it. :)

I hope you all have a fabulous day lovelies. And remember... If you are undertaking a new diet or fitness plan in your own lives YOU CAN DO IT!!! :) Always think positive and PLAN PLAN PLAN your meals. It is the best advice I have ever been given!

Take care lovelies. 

xxx

It's A Weighty Issue! Part 2

Hey lovely people,

So this is my first update since I told you all I was starting my diet, and I wish it was more of a positive report.

I started the Juice plus diet which is basically 2 powdered shakes each day, 1 main meal and all the fruit & veg you want. Sounds simple? Well not so much. The list of foods you're not allowed just boarder on insane for me, especially the no wheat or gluten part. :(

I can give up chocolate and crisps quite easily, but asking me to cut out bread and pasta, well that's not so easy.

So basically, despite eating way more healthily, and cutting out junk food, chocolate, crisps etc, I am still the same weight I was when I started.

Freaking disheartened is an understatement. I'm now at the point where I'm wondering whether or not to continue on with this particular diet. I have had success with Weight Watchers in the past and so I'm wondering if this is the best idea for me. At least this way I can still eat normal food.

What do you think? I would love other peoples opinions on this subject. I am more than dedicated to losing weight, but realistically I need a plan that will work on a budget.

Take care lovelies. x

May Instagram Photo Challenge

Hey lovely people,

So it is now June!!! Does that mean it's summer??? I don't know... I always associate the month of June with being the start of the summer... and it's my favourite month of the year because it's my birthday month! :) Yayyyyy!

So anyway, this past month of May I took part once again in an Instagram photo challenge brought to us once again by the fab Alice at www.supergorgeous.co.uk. She has a fabulous little beauty blog so get yourself over there and check her out... and follow her twitter and instagram too. :)

But anyway, I took part in my 2nd monthly photo challenge and I've got to say, not only has it been fun taking my pics, but it has been super great to discover all of these fab new instagrammers to follow. I'm a big fan of pretty images and my newsfeed is literally now absolutely jampacked with amazing photographs ranging from fashion to flowers, makeup to food, landscapes to animals. :D It is just my absolute favourite place to be now, and I have fallen away from most of my other social sites because of how much I am enjoying Instagram. If you think I would enjoy your page then by all means let me know! :D

So anyway, here are my submissions in their entirety for May:

So if you want to partake in this months challenge then please get yourself over to Instagram and follow the founder of this specific challenge, the lovely +Alice M (Alice from Supergorgeous)... and while you're over there give me a little follow on Instagram - my username is @onceuponapic_danni. :)

Take care lovelies. x

Snap Happy Tuesday - L.O.V.E

Hey there lovely people!

So it's Tuesday again and I thought I would share some more of my favourite images with you, this time incorporating the theme of L.O.V.E!

This can be interpreted in many ways, some more obvious than others, but regardless of how it is shown, I find that these are always the most touching images. Tell me if you agree with me.

Two sets of families sharing in a special day with a special little girl...

A big brother looking out for his new little brother...

A mum adoring her gorgeous little boy on his special day...

A man being passionate about his favourite football team...

An affectionate hug between cousins who don't see each other often enough...

A family coming together to create a memory that can be saved forever...

So there you are... L.O.V.E shown in several different ways through photographs. Whether it's for a special event or just to watch your favourite sports team, love can be demonstrated and shared in photographs in all different ways, shapes and forms... that's what makes my job all the more interesting. 

Take care lovelies. x

Healthy Recipes

Hey lovely people, 

So in keeping with my new healthy approach to eating... and well... life... I have decided to share a couple of my favourite healthy recipes along with the cost of the ingredients. I feel that we are all encouraged to live healthier lives and eat more fruit and vegetables. However, I find that it is often overlooked that eating better often costs us double the price of a standard weekly shop, so sometimes it's not that people don't want to, it's just that they can't afford to eat better.

On that note, these recipes will not only be healthy, but cost effective. 

Warm Quinoa Salad with Grilled Halloumi

(serves 3)

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 small red onion, sliced

1 large roasted pepper from a jar, thickly sliced, or a handful of ready-roasted sliced peppers

200g quinoa

500ml vegetable stock

small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

zest and juice 1 lemon

large pinch sugar

250g pack halloumi cheese, cut into 6 sliced

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a medium saucepan. Cook the onion and pepper for a few mins, then add the quinoa and cook for a further 3 mins. Add the stock, cover and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 mins or until soft, then stir through half the parsley. Heat the grill.

2. Meanwhile, mix the lemon zest and juice with the remaining parsley and oil, and a large pinch of sugar and salt. Grill the halloumi until both sides are golden and crisp. Serve the salad with the grilled halloumi and the dressing poured over everything.

Asda

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil - £1.50 (250ml)

Sliced Red Onions - £0.50 - 225g

Roasted Red Peppers - £1.40 - 480g

Great Scot Scot Quinoa - £2.18 - 300g

Vegetable Stock Cubes - £0.40 - 120g

Parsley - £0.70 - 31g

Lemons - £0.30 - each

La Doria Fine Sea Salt - £0.50 - 500g

Halloumi - £2.00 - 250g

Total Cost - £9.48

Cost per person - £3.16

I think you'll agree that £3.16 for a delicious, healthy meal isn't asking too much. I've used Asda for purchasing the ingredients, but by all means check your own local supermarket. 

So you've wolfed down that delicious meal, now you want to wash it down with a delicious and super healthy smoothie.

Mango & Banana Smoothie

(makes 1 litre)

Ingredients

1 medium mango

1 banana

500ml orange juice

4 ice cubes

1. Cut the mango down either side of the flat stone, then peel and cut the flesh into chunks.

2. Peel and chop the banana.

3. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender, then process until smooth and thick. Keep in the fridge and use the day you make it.

Asda

Large Mango - £0.75

Banana - £0.68

Orange Juice Smooth - £1.00

The Ice Co Ice Crush - £1.00

Total Cost - £3.43

Cost Per 250ml serving - £0.85

So there you are my lovely readers. Two delicious and cost effective recipes to help you become a healthier and happier person. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!

Take care lovelies. x

Bourjois Instant Dry - Full Review

Hey lovely people!

So time for another little review. This is a product that I have had on my radar for a few weeks. I went scouring the internet, after smudging my newly painted nails for the millionth time, and in my frustration I found this little beauty on ASOS. 

I don't know if any of you are like me, but I change my nail polish 2-3 times a week, and I have a job, dogs to look after, a house to maintain and a husband to keep so I don't really have the time nor the inclination to wait for my nails to dry before moving!

So anyway, I discovered this little beauty, promising wonderful things in the realm of instantly dry nails and I felt super excited to give it a try. It did not disappoint. 

It is a 9ml bottle of wonder and delight, making the process of painting your nails all the more fun and interesting. All it takes is a single drop from the fabulous little dropper provided in the lid of the bottle. Just one single drop on top of your polish will, I found, dry (not harden) in about 20 seconds. 

It really is quite ingenious... and makes simple tasks like getting dressed and doing the dishes a much easier feat to achieve! You can get this little beauty at ASOS for the bargain price of £5.99... and what a price to pay for finally being able to say goodbye to smudged nails???

Hope you enjoyed this post lovelies and seriously hope, if you're a nail polish addict like me, that you will purchase this fab little life saver. You will not be sorry!!!

Take care lovelies. x

It's A Weighty Issue!

Hey lovely people,

So I recently made a decision to lose weight. This is an ever-present thought in the back of my head, due to being really overweight for quite some time now. But as serious as I thought I was being each of the other times, I didn't realise until recently that this wasn't actually the case. I often convince myself that I am absolutely well and truly determined to shift the load, but when it comes down to actually doing it, I never rise to the occasion. 

This time is different! I have not only signed up for the Juice Plus diet, but I've made a commitment with my husband that we will lose weight together.

The thing that got the ball rolling in the first place??? Lying in my bed at night and imagining my poor husband having to arrange my funeral!

Now, let me be clear. I am very overweight, however I have several visits with my doctor keeping checks on things, and other than that I am perfectly healthy. I have no ailments or disorders, and have healthy BP and cholesterol levels. I drink water by the gallon, and have a relatively healthy diet (except for the amount I eat) and so there are no immediate threats of death. But for some reason... since I was a little girl, I have always had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me I won't live past 30. I honestly don't know why, but it's a substantially heavy feeling I've always had. So being 28 and turning 29 this year, you can imagine the feeling of impending doom I am currently experiencing, and therefore this is a last ditch attempt to get myself into shape, so as to not tempt fate any more.

On that note, as mentioned before I've started the Juice Plus diet. I won't bore you all with the details but if you want to know more then just click here. The sole purpose of mentioning it though is my way of committing fully. I've committed my money and not i've committed my word to you all. I will make a point of updating you on my journey every week, whether i've lost or gained and hopefully you will enjoy being a part of this little junction in my life. 

Before I finish, I'd just like to say for the record that I don't believe that happiness can solely be found in being thin or skinny. I am a very happily married woman, and I know for sure that my husband still loves and adores me and would find me attractive at any size. This change in my life is solely for me, and nobody else... So please don't go changing yourself for the sake of somebody else. 

Take care lovelies. x

TGIF!

Hey there lovely people,

It's that beautiful time of the week where my hubby comes home to me for 2 whole days and we get to relax and unwind, go shopping, play with our dogs and all that general loveliness. 

This week has been a quiet one with not a lot on, so I've had some time to relax and catch up on some of my fave things, some of which are included in this weeks list, so without further hesitation here we go:

1. An old TV fave!

So I started watching this show when it first aired on tv and I got hooked... and for one reason or another I ended up watching it half way through season 1 and then forgot all about it. Until this week! I watched it from start to finish due to the wonder and delight of Sky On Demand and I remembered why I loved it. Even my hubby loved it. He has always had a thing for country music (passed on to him from his grandparents) and he and I both agreed that if we were American, we would be country music enthusiasts. Lol! So if you haven't watched this already, get your behinds in gear and get it done. It is quite literally fabulous!!!

2. Good Food!

So I actually have a post coming up that explains why this healthy food is part of my diet now, but in short, this week I have been enjoying eating super healthily. I've cut out wheat & gluten and all sorts of other things from my diet and I've been eating loads of fruit and vegetables and it's been delicious. Don't get me wrong, I am a big bread girl, and that has seriously been difficult to cut out, but needs must... and it's better for me in the long run (still trying to convince myself of this fact).

3. Flowers (surprise, surprise)

These were 2 very quick snaps I took of my freshly bloomed tulips and carnations yesterday. How beautiful are they??? I know I post images of my flowers a lot, but I seriously think they are some of the most beautiful sights in the world. I always feel better about my home when I have fresh flowers dotted all over the place. They give me a sense of calm and well being and they truly make me a happier person. 

4. Photography

Cindy Crawford - Vogue Jan 1990

Claudia Schiffer - Vogue May 1991

Emma Stone - Vogue Aug 2012

Kate Moss - Vogue June 2013

Kate Moss - Vogue Sept 2010

Scarlett Johansson - Vogue Oct 2006

This week, and more than I usually do, I've been admiring the work of some of my favourite photographers. I've been thinking about how I would like to decorate my home studio as right now it is very plain and boring, and I've been thinking about having some of my favourite photographers images blown up and put on my walls as inspiration. These are some of my favourite images by the ever so talented Patrick Demarchelier, the renowned French fashion photographer. These have been taken directly from his Vogue archive, and you should all know by now how much I adore Vogue magazine!!!

5. Blog Of The Week

http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/blog/

I am absolutely loving this blog this week my lovelies. I've recently started a health kick and I discovered these fab ladies on Instagram. This blog is filled to the brim with brilliant recipe ideas and the most beautiful images of deliciously healthy food. I seriously recommend you go take a look. You will be hooked instantly! Get following them on Instagram too, because let me tell you, there is nothing more pleasant than gorgeous photographs of delicious and healthy food popping up on your news-feed when you're hungry... it will encourage you to stay on track and not reach for the chocolate cake!

So that's my faves this week. It's a good mix of things for a change, as the previous weeks have been a little beauty heavy, and that is certainly not the type of blog I aimed to create when I started, so I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it! 

Take care lovelies. x

Look back at my April Photo Challenge

Hey lovely people!

So as you know I took part in an instagram photo challenge for the 1st time this month, and as much as I intended to share each post with you everyday, it just did not happen. So on that basis, here are my submissions in their entirety for the April Instagram Challenge.

Look out for my May submissions, and feel free to take part yourself. Here is the May challenge:

Hopefully you will all get involved this month and you will enjoy it as much as I have. Remember to use the hashtag #supergorgeousmay on every one of your photos so we can all enjoy them.

Take care lovelies. x

Snap Happy Tuesday - Family Candids

Hey lovely people!

I wanted to share some of my more candid shots with you all today. Ordinarily, in my job, most of the scenarios in my photo-shoots are posed and carefully thought out. However, now and again, when I take my camera out and randomly shoot my friends and family, an amazing thing happens. Memories are caught on camera. Moments are recorded forever, without the situation being staged and pre-meditated. 

These are just some of those moments:

My cousin Carrie and her nephew Deri at his recent christening.

My cousin Yvette (left) and sister Joanne (right) on our last Ladies Night in Newcastle.

My niece Lily-Rose on my nephew Olly's 1st Birthday last year.

My nephew Olly on his first birthday.

My sister Aimee, having a "selfie" moment during a photo-shoot.

My husband looking all serious during a recent game of pool with friends.

All very different images, all taken under different circumstances, but all equally as fun and interesting as you would like a photo to be. Remember, it doesn't always have to be all smiles and poses to make a photo a good one. I love these images more than the majority of my posed ones. 

Take care lovelies. x

Monday Wishlist - Feeling All Nautical!

Hey lovely people!

Happy Monday to you all. I have had a busy morning cleaning up what can only be described as a nuclear blast that specifically hit my kitchen over the weekend. Why is it that when I cook dinners, the kitchen is left at least relatively clean and organised, but when my husband so much as makes a slice of toast, it's left looking like a bulldozer has just crashed through the walls!!! It's honestly unbelievable... and baffles me no end. 

Anyway, went off on a tangent there. Today's post is another of my wishlists. I've been trying to figure out what to wear to an up and coming family event, and this particular mood-board is my latest inspiration. 

1.  Navy Maxi Dress - Your's Clothing - £38
2. Espadrille Wedge Shoes - Simply Be - £35
3. White Structured Tote Bag - Your's Clothing - £16
4. Michael Kors Sunglasses - Simply Be - £87
5. Marc Jacobs Daisy - Simply Be - £74
6. Droplet Earrings - Your's Clothing - £5
7. Charm Stretch Bracelet - Simply Be - £11
8. Long Red Bubble Necklace - Simply Be - £15
9. Ciate Nail Polish - ASOS - £7

I'm really loving this combination of colours at the moment, and the dress in particular because it is a navy blue as opposed to a lighter shade, will still cover all the lumps and bumps and flatter my fuller figure.

So what do you think? Are you enjoying this particular trend at the moment like me? Do you think I would be better trying something a bit different... i.e. pastels or more neutral tones? Let me know your opinions. 

Take care lovelies. x