Helllooo! Hope you are having a tremendous Sunday so far and have had a lovely week. This week has been pretty good for me and has featured a little shopping including the bits and pieces pictured above. I feel like I must have bought half of H&M as their tops and leggings are so good for me and my pregnant shape right now. I also discovered cacao mint bounce balls (heaven!), got some organic decaf coffee to start making cold brew again, red raspberry leaf tea to start drinking as it’s good in later pregnancy, 90% Lindt chocolate, fresh cherries, Neal’s Yard Honey and Orange Face Scrub and Benefit eye liner.
Eat’s wise it’s been quite an indulgent week!
Eat
Mini cakes from the OPR bloggers event I attended mid week
Margarita pizza from Head of Steam in Durham (FYI they do the best pizzas!)
Yesterday mornings breakfast from Olive and Bean, scrambled eggs on toast
I have eaten out a fair bit this week and tested a few more indulgent recipes and although I certainly don’t feel guilty for it, I can feel the effects of too much rich sweet food. I have balanced it out with my usual healthy eats of course!
Feta and avocado salad from M&S
Sausage and kale hash with fried egg
Nectarines, porridge oats and double cream
Chickpea and tahini salad
Chocolate cherry beetroot smoothie with cacao nibs, pistachios and dried cranberries
Move
Workouts this week:
- Monday: Gym: 10 minutes step machine, 10 minutes bike, weights for 10 minutes and then my pelvic tilt exercises
- Tuesday: Yoga and walking
- Wednesday: walking round town and shops
- Thursday: 10 minutes step machine, 10 minutes bike, weights for 10 minutes and then my pelvic tilt exercises // grocery shopping // walking around the park
- Friday: walking round town
- Saturday: walking round town
- Sunday: Rest
I’m definitely counting things like walking round the shops, doing groceries and cleaning as workouts. That might sound daft, but seriously at this stage of pregnancy (and with this heat) they are counting as exercise for me, I am tired after them! Grocery shopping is especially tough when I’m on my own as I have to carry bags from the car into the flat and up the stairs. As long as I’m not sat on my arse all day I’m happy at whatever form movement might take.
Wear
Gold necklaces: Oasis and Topshop // purple long length vest: H&M // black maxi skirt: H&M, gold sandals: Primark
As I said I went a bit crazy in H&M this week, their basics are just perfect for me right now and so much cheaper than other maternity wear. I feel like I’m just starting to figure out the most flattering and comfortable combo of clothes, this kind of outfit being one of them. I definitely prefer tops that hug my bump instead of looser fitting ones which make me feel like I’m wearing a tent!
Love
Watermelon, oh my word I could eat this stuff by the cart load right now! Also…
My maternity photoshoot! Looking forward to sharing some of the pics // the OPR bloggers and brands event I attended on Wednesday, it was great to meet so many local bloggers and be able to meet a couple in person after reading their blogs for ages, looking forward to working with them all in the future // the baby’s cot is here and all set up! // hitting the 10 weeks to go mark, can’t believe the baby will be arriving so soon! // catching up with my Mam and Dad over a strawberry lime cooler in Costa // recipe testing some fabulous recipes // cake! // walking in the rain to cool off
Link
- My big summer healthy living bundle giveaway! Thanks to all of you that have entered so far!
- Halloumi and peach salad with walnuts and basil recipe
- How to develop your own fitness plan
- Something for the weekend: Homemade clay face mask
- Stay healthy in the sun with the sunburn map – this really is an excellent resource for avoiding sunburn
- Raspberry ripple buckwheat porridge via My New Roots
- 5 tips for staying balanced in pregnancy via The Chalkboard Mag
- Is kale stuffing up your hormones? via Nat Kringoudis
- 15 food facts you need to forget via Brit + Co
What have you been loving this week? If you are in the UK how have you been managing the hot weather? What forms of movement would you count as exercise?
I bought a watermelon on my way home on Friday and it was the best idea ever, so delicious! I am really struggling with the heat, we have an extremely hot house, and it’s just so uncomfortable right now, we are struggling to sleep as it’s so hot in the night.
I’ve been sleeping with the windows wide open, luckily that’s enough to keep cool and sleep, can’t imagine how hot it’s been in London!
Ah that watermelon looks delicious! Love the look of those mini cakes, delicious! I’m intrigued by the new Bounce ball, a woman in a health shop was extolling its greatness the other day but I haven’t yet been able to find them.
Oh you definitely have to try them, they are so good!
Haha so much of this post reflects what I am loving at the moment too! We just got back from Thailand today where I went crazy at H&M (we don’t have one in NZ) and Topshop and at least two times a day I would stop at a watermelon vendor to buy freshly cut watermelon to snack on for $1 a pop :-) Back to work tomorrow and I just made your salad in a jar – excited to have lunch tomorrow! Got to have something to look forward to on the first day back at work. And you should definitely be counting housework as a workout too! Count down is on!
That sounds lovely! I love raiding shops we don’t have here when I’m abroad although I can’t imagine a place not having H&M. You aren’t wrong about the count down, quite scary how little time is left!
Love the outfit! I always think tight tops look great on mums-to-be! Oh gawd I think just existing is enough in this heat hahaha, I keep hoping that a pool will magically appear in my garden sometime soon (no luck as yet!) – a girl can dream ;) have a great Sunday!
Haha, I could do with a pool as well, it’s summers like this when we could do with more outdoor pools in the UK!
I think you are right- keeping active is much more important that a 30 minute workout anyway- so if you are walking, doing housework etc then you are doing much more for your health than flopping on the sofa. This heat is tough- must be harder with your bump keeping you warm too
I have been making iced tea in my new jug (or just using a teabag in a glass) as sometimes something with flavour seems more refreshing than plain water.
I’m definitely going to make a start on the iced tea this week. I had some at the weekend and it was lovely. I’m going to make up that raspberry leaf tea as iced I think :-)
I could definitely eat some of that watermelon right now. Sadly I’ve been eating most of a large watermelon for breakfast every day this week, so I’ve probably more than fulfilled my watermelon quotient already ;) That’s my main way of dealing with the heat as well – eating lots of hydrating fruits – but I’m still struggling, and I don’t even have pregnancy to deal with on top of that! It’s not even the heat so much as the humidity: there just isn’t any air around.
xxx
I know what you mean, last night from about tea time was awful and I thought they said it would rain!
Woohoo finally catching up on your posts! :) I have been eating soooo much watermelon in this heat! I’ve had tonsillitis this week so I’ve had a fever too and it’s just been unbearable! I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see the rain when it did decide to come down and also I have noticed it is a little warmer here than Newcastle..seems I got accustomed to the breeze there ha!
These days I definitely count any form of movement from shopping to hoovering as exercise. I used to be terrible for it and think I was having a bad exercise day if I hadn’t been to the gym but they definitely count now..it’s not all about the gym at all and I’m glad I’m in that mindset now because it means I don’t have to go and kill myself in the gym everyday and enjoy the pleasures of walking around and taking in scenery more often when I don’t feel like it :)
You look gorgeous as always…your bump is getting so big! Love it! :) xx
Oh no, hope you are feeling better! I can’t imagine how hot it must be further down south. I think that seeing exercise in that way is pretty transformational, the gym is great but so are plenty of other things :-) I know I feel massive! I think it’s just genetics that I’m so big, my Mam was pretty big with me as well. Oh well only 1 weeks left to go now!
That pizza looks amazing! I definitely need to track down the mint chocolate bounce ball. x
Oh I think you’ll like those bounce balls, they are fabulous!
I have been loving some detox canned drink to cool down , not sure there is anything detoxing in it but there is not fake sugars just sparkling water, fruit juice and vitamins ! Where did you get the decaf organic coffee from , I have struggled to find organic decaf by Swiss water method.
Also been eating far too many homemade ice lollies…:)
I got the coffee from a little cafe in Newcastle, not sure where else you could get it, Amazon maybe? It’s the best coffee ever and like you say it’s the best version of organic decaf with that processing :-)
You look lovely Laura, positively glowing! Pregnancy obviously really suits you. :-) My sister was born at the end of July in one of the hottest summers in the 80s, my mum said it was murder being that hot all the time!
Oh thank you Zoe that’s lovely of you to say! Yep the heat is challenging at times but so far I’m managing as best I can!
I’ve just discovered H&M for fitness wear (I know, so behind the pack). Cheap and looks so funky! Must not go crazy…
And yeah watermelon is just a staple in our house. Ben hates the stuff (errr how??) but I can eat just slice after slice. So tasty.
I’m ok with the heat at the moment but Alfie, our dog, is struggling bless him. He gets so hot at night.
I think I’ll end up going mental in H&M after the baby is born and my body is more normal (for me) sized, I am so in need of work out wear! Hope Alfie is ok, I know it’s hard for pets.
I need to find that bounce ball – I haven’t seen these once, but I love chocolate and mint together. Yum!
I’ve just ordered a pack of 12 from the website they are that good!
Wow a busy week, full of loads of tasty eats, I love the look of the cakes in the top photo, yum!!
Oh those cakes were amazing! Pretty good job they were little ones, I still think I would have wanted to eat them all if they had been full size!
My back is being a bitch again so I am only able to walk right now but i am actually loving my daily hour long power walks especially in this weather its glorious!