Giving up the slug

So it's January and I've been a slug. A big, fat, lazy, smelly, slug queen. 

I'm sure a lot of you out there can relate this time of year? I know it's a cliché to make the news years resolution to go to the gym more and be healthier. I hate it when I tell people that I've started back at the gym because I know exactly what they're thinking when I do "oh right, she'll have quit by February" it's true that we all have that judgement when we hear people say "new year, new me" but I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to positively change. Even if you fall off the bandwagon, you had the best intentions for yourself and you have the power to change if you really want to (this is starting to sound like a quitter's speech, bare with me) 

I didn't want to say that I failed myself, so I didn't make it my New Years resolution to go to the gym more or be healthier (sly cop out I know). The reason that I started back at the gym was because I started to hate my body. Now that is a very serious thing to say, I had low self esteem but I didn't necessarily have a serious body image problem that effected my life as a lot of girls unfortunately do. I have always felt very comfortable in my body, pretty and sometimes even sexy, but recently that confidence has gone.

It's safe to say that I've had a very indulgent couple of months. I've had a series of 21st birthday parties (including my own) which resulted in drinking, drinking, and more drinking, meals left right and centre, weekends away, takeaways, you name it, I have treated myself more than any person should and what's worse is that I did all of this with absolutely no exercise. Not even a walk to the shops, I drove to work and back everyday where I sat at a desk, snacking and letting my body fester, and when I wasn't working, I was eating and/or drinking, lazing around like a sloth. I was just beginning to realise that I had put on a bit of weight, oh and then Christmas came. Well that intensified the situation, nights out, meals meals and more meals, quality street, buffets everywhere, chocolates in everything, "oh so and so has bought us some sweets in cos it's Christmas", the bloody Christmas wine raffle at work, and let's not leave out the monstrosity that was Christmas dinner (not to mention the mini buffet me and my boyfriend had that evening). Going back to work after the festive period, my skin was disgusting and my work trousers were noticeably tight. That was the moment I realised. I have had enough. The slug queen would like give up the throne please. 

I've started back at the gym, doing an actual routine and not just going on the treadmill for 15 minutes and then calling it a day. I've also started doing yoga at home (I'm sure a lot of you have heard of yoga with Adriene on YouTube, but if not I would highly recommend you check out her channel) 

I honestly do feel fantastic. I admit I'm still not in the best of shape yet, but I'm confident that I'll get back to the place where I loved my body in good time. Don't be scared of being a January gym girl, you're not alone and you have the ability to keep going and not give up. 

Lots of love and good luck!

Check out my motivation board on Pinterest for tips and fun workout routines -

http://pinterest.com/clavcakes/motivation/

Gone Girl - The book/film experience

*Don't read for spoilers*

So I went to go and see the film adaptation of Gone Girl a few weeks ago with my friend Jade, we had both spent the last month reading it and we were both hooked on the story. Once we had both finished it, we were buzzing to see the film because the story is incredible and we were both so interested in how they had adapted it for the screen. 

I thought this film was really good, it was really well filmed and the actors were great. I think Rosamund Pike was a brilliant Amy Dunne, purely for those crazy eyes! For me, in the opening scene when she turns around and you see her eyes, she looks terrifying! she's got that psychotic look about her that fits so well. (I also have big love for Ben Affleck <3)

I do think that they missed a lot of things out of the film that were included in the book. I understand that to fit it all into one movie that yes they would have to cut a lot out, but it does annoy you from having read the book to being like "ooh that didn't happen like that" or "oh no but they've missed out that part" it is a little frustrating especially when it's a book that you really loved. 

For my friend, this was the first time that she had read a book before seeing the film version and then going to see it afterwards. She came out really annoyed that they had changed so much and left so much out. For me, this has happened a few times so I was expecting as much. It does annoy me but I understand that they can't physically put every little detail into a film without them making it into a TV series or something, which my friend suggested would have been better for this book. 

It did get me thinking about all of the movies this year that have come out in the cinema that have been based on books. It's got to the point where you see a trailer at the cinema for a film and you can tell which ones are book adaptations just from a snippet of it. It makes me kind of sad that it seems like movie producers don't have any good fresh ideas coming in so they just take a book and turn it into a film. You do also get that annoyance that if you're a big fan of the book, you know that they will never do it justice to how you read it and how you felt it.

I had this recently when I went to see the book thief which is my favourite book of all time. I loved this book so much that I knew they wouldn't portray it in the way that I fully imagined it and how I took the story. On the other hand, I think they did do a great job and that it was a very good film, but the film never quite compares to your experience with the story.

What do you think about film adaptations of books? What's your favourite or least favourite? Also if you've read/been to see gone girl, let me know what you thought of it. I feel missing without the book to read now I've finished it! Such a good read 

Happy Sundays to all! xx

Naan Bread Pizza

This little tasty treat was a totally spontaneous cooking experiment that ended up being so nice that i had to share. Using things that you probably have lying around in the kitchen now, i created these really quick, simple, naan bread pizzas.

Ingredients - for two naan bread pizzas

• 2 Garlic and Coriander Naan Breads (or whatever flavour takes your fancy)
• 2 Salad Tomatoes
• 1 Garlic Clove (as a guideline, i used lazy garlic as that's just what we had in the kitchen but feel free to use more or less depending on how you like it)
• Cooked chorizo slices
• Cubed chesse (I used extra strong chedder but again, feel free to use whatever cheese you prefer. I think mozzarella would be gorgeous with this)
• Salt
• Pepper 
• Olive oil

Method

Okay so you want to start by making the tomato sauce to put onto the naan bread. Simply chop up the tomatoes into small-ish chunks, add into a pan with the garlic, a glug of olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper and a little bit of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Once you feel the sauce is ready, spread on top of the naan breads. Then add the chorizo slices and cubes of cheese as you wish, you could get creative here and add any other toppings that you like to make it a bit different. Cooked peppers, cooked chicken pieces, mushrooms, etc. would be lovely with this. 

Once the naan breads are prepared, pop them under the grill for about 5 minutes until cooked. That is literally the whole process, they are so easy to make and they taste incredible! The naan bread flavour mixed with the tangy tomato is a gorgeous combination.

You can make so many variations of this recipe and you can also have it as a side to a lot of meals. When i made this, i had some leftover tomato sauce so i cooked it with some chicken which also tasted gorgeous.

Give it a try! 

Pinterest Picks

My name is Lauren, and i'm addicted to Pinterest.

I think Pinterest is the main source of blame for my procrastination, it is always my go-to app on my phone when i'm bored, i can spend a ridiculous amount of time on it. I thought i would do a feature where i share my loved pins of the week (since i always have some to share!)

• Firstly, yes i have started a christmas board already! Even though i'm sure some would agree i'm late to the party here judging by all the stuff I've come across on Pinterest. I adore these Grinchkabobs, i think they're so cute and a nice healthy snack too. I can't wait to make these at christmas, i think my little nieces will love them - pinned on my 'Jingle Bells' board
• Secondly i came across this great guide to contouring your face for different face shapes. I thought this was great as there are loads of help guides on pinterest but obviously not everyone has the same face shape so a lot of them aren't as helpful for everyone. I found this really interesting - pinned on my 'Make Up' board
• Thirdly i just fell in love with this look, the jacket is stunning even though i'm not sure i'd be brave enough to pull it off! I am now desperate to find a lovely embellished jacket to pair with a fedora - pinned on my 'Style' board
• Fourthly i saw this little butterfly-tea-bag-holder-whatever-the-heck-they-are-called-things and thought it was adorable! I so want to make some! Think they'd be lovely for a tea party or something sweet like that - pinned to my 'Ideas' board
• Lastly, oh my god this lady is incredibly talented! The make up here is something i could never pull off and i think it looks fantastic for Halloween. I've been scouring Pinterest for Halloween ideas and this one really caught my eye (too cheesy?) I won't be attempting to recreate it but thought i'd share it because i thought it was amazingly done - pinned to my 'Fancy Dress' board

Are you as obsessed with Pinterest as me? Let me know if there's any boards that i should check out!

My Week

I am feeling like a big, fat, lazy sloth. I have worn my pyjama shirt all day, I slept in my make up last night because I came home drunk, and I've spent the majority of the day reading. I've had a weekend full of mini golf, drinking wine, reading, and mooching, it's been great. Now I'm chilled watching breakfast at tiffanies and reading Elle (Anne Hathaway's spread is stunning)

In other news...

•   I am going to PARIS! For my 21st birthday I am finally going to see Paris, I've always wanted to go and I am ridiculously excited for a mini break there

•   I am getting a new car! I feel like a bit of a spoilt brat this month with all these new expensive things, believe me, this isn't my general lifestyle. Paris and a new car are lovely one offs that just happened to happen at the same time, but I am getting rid of my sad little KA and getting a gorgeous cream mini one. I've been out in it for a test drive and picking it up in a few weeks, extremely exciting!

•   Nicole Scherzinger's new misguided line is gorgeous! I'm particularly in love with this dress

•   With Halloween just weeks away I've been constantly pinning outfit ideas. I've been back and forth with the idea of a scary clown, scarecrow, or ventriloquist doll. Decisions, decisions. There are some incredibly talented people out there that have inspired my fancy dress board.

•   Horrendously late to the party with this one but I'm obsessed with the book Gone Girl.  Me and my best friend are both reading at the same time (and trying to get through it quick so that we can go see it at the cinema this week!) but I'm on part two of the book now, for those who have read it, you'll know this is where it starts getting goooooood. I am so so hooked, I can't wait to finish it.

I hope you all had a lovely week and are ready for Monday! (Is there such a thing?) I'm going to try and do weekly catchup posts as they're posts that I enjoy reading the most. I hope you enjoy listening to me chat about crap.

Lots of love

Boots Budget Bits

Is there such a thing as going into boots for just one item? I'm starting to think that even if you have good intentions to go through with this, it's just not possible.

So my recent trip to boots to get shampoo ended up in a mini splurge. I bought a few things on the cheap so thought i would share.

Rimmel - Brow This Way Eyebrow Kit - £.399
I love this little kit! It comes with a tiny combing brush, a double ended angle brush to fill in your brows, a wax and powder. The kit comes in two shades and i opted for the lighter of the two, it is just the right colour to match my beasty brows. It's also a fantastic little size for you to just pop in your bag, really impressed by this little kit.

Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in 'Peach Melba' - £1.99
This is honestly my go-to blusher, I have repurchased this time and time again. The gorgeous peachy colour is lovely and warm but not too much on the cheeks, it's a lovely matte blusher that's the perfect every day colour to dab on and at £1.99 you can't not at least try it!

Barry M Matte Nail Paint in 'Crush' - £3.99
I'm not a massive fan of matte finish nail polishes, i think they can look great depending on the colour but i tend to avoid them. However, i couldn't resist this gorgeous dark maroon colour from Barry M. I thought it was a great autumnal (i didn't believe that this was a word but have been proved wrong) colour and again at such a cheap price i had to get it. I do have a lot of faith in Barry M nail polishes also, they always serve me right.

Seventeen Define and Conqour Contour Kit - £4.99
This was a very impulsive 'yeah why not' purchase. I simply don't have enough contouring products, i always use my staple 'Hoola' by Benefit and i'm very stuck in my ways. I thought i would dip my toes into the contouring pool and branch out a little to try something new. Seventeen are a brand that have pleasantly surprised me, this little baby does not disappoint in that area. The packaging is lovely and sleek for starters, feels more expensive than it is! The kit comes with a highlighting and contouring powder, I've only used a few times but gives a lovely natural looking contour.

All this for just under £15, i thought that wasn't too bad considering the little goodies that i got. It's so easy to get carried away in Boots! Let me know what budget buys you've picked up in boots recently

Spring Nails

I realise that we're nearing the end of spring and I'm ridiculously late to the party but after going through my recent purchases of pastel nail polishes, I decided I would do a spring nails post to show off what I've been wearing recently. These are my favourite colours at the minute and I think they're perfect for spring as they're light, bright and girly.

Matte Nails by Topship in 'Heartbreaker' - £6

This is a gorgeous pastel pink (that randomly reminds me of tubby custard!) it is a matte finish colour which I love the look of however the matte finish doesn't last very long if I'm honest. It is still a gorgeous colour though regardless and one that makes me feel very girly when I wear it,

Nails by Topshop in 'Buff' - £5

I really love the topshop nail polishes, they've got a lovely range of pastel colours for a not so ridiculous price. This is a lovely light baby blue colour that is really sweet and looks really cute on the nails. I think it's a very easy to wear, everyday colour.

Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint by Barry M in 'Lychee' - £3.99
This is a great nude colour that I love the look of for spring. The Barry m gelly polishes are great I have to say, I've got quite a few shades and they're so long lasting which is fantastic. I have quite a few nudes beige colours in my nail polish collection however I think this one is my favourite.

Colour Riche Les Blancs by Loreal in 851 ‘Nouvelle Vague’ - £4.99

The Les blances range of nail polishes by Loreal are so sweet and lovely, they have four pastel shades; purple, yellow, pink and green, I limited myself to one when I was shopping in boots and it was a toss up between this and their yellow shade but the purple one won. What did it for me was the lovely lavendery look of it, it also reminds me of Parma violets (I think of the weirdest comparisons) a perfect colour for spring

I hope you enjoyed looking my little spring collection, I've seen quite a few posts like this and thought it was a fun idea to show off. Let me know if you've tried any of the above and how you got on with them, what are your favourite spring polishes?