Stacey's Say: shopping

Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

Tuesday, 15 September 2015

The Latest In Fitness Fashion

Some girls obsess about their OOTD's, whether their nails match with their bag and shoes or whether they have the right ratio of designer to high street labels. Me on the other hand...Im obsessed with gym clothes.

There really is some fantastic gym & fitness clothes out there this season. Whilst my closet isn't quite as big as Khloe Kardashians, I'm sure I could give her a good run for her money.....if I had her wallet that is.

I love the fact that high street are now venturing into fitness clothes. Im all for high tech clothes when needed but its been like a breath of fresh air recently. High street stores are now offering fantastic sportswear, all amazing designs, patterns and pushing the boundaries of the norm we've previously seen, no need to now spend £50.00 on a pair of running leggings and £50.00 on a sports bra. The High street are now doing it cheaper!

First up Boohoo.com

Top- £12.00

Leggings- £12.00

Fab designs and prints! For the girls who don't just want to blend into the background BOOHOO Sportswear is leading it for graphic prints this season. Ive tried a few pieces from Boohoo, although perhaps a little more research needs to go into getting their sizes right, I found I had to either go below or above my normal dress size.

Recently I purchased these.... there's only so much black lycra a girl can wear!

Top- £10.00 now down to £4.00
Leggings-£14.00 now down to £6.00

Leggings- £14.00 now down to £6.00

Bershka

In love with this place. I recently went on holiday to Fueteventura and spend quite a lot of time there, every time I go I have to do a spree as we don't have one in Newcastle anymore. They have just started doing a fitness line, and it is fabulous! Always the prettiest of colours, and flattering designs. Check out the coral/grey line they have out at the moment. Gorgeous and makes me feel slightly more girly when I'm Olympic weightlifting and sweating profusely.

Top £12.99
leggings £17.99

H&M

Another big brand on the high street with affordable sportswear, also they do Plus Sizes (this is major news). I know some women really struggle with finding sportswear as a lot of the brands only stock smaller sizes. So for the plus size ladies out there your answers have been called.

Haven't got round to purchasing this yet, but its on my list! I love a Co-Ord set.

Sports Bra- £9.99
Leggings- £19.99

Missguided

Good quality and a great clothes line. Another brand with great graphic prints and doing things a bit different.

Top-£12.00
Leggings- £14.00

Sports Bra-£12.00
Shorts-£12.00

Sports Bra-£10.00
Leggings-£16.00
Zip Hoodie- £22.00

Victoria Secret

I may not look like Candice Swanepoel but I can pretend to! Their Yoga pants are amazing and make your bum look great! Victoria Secret and the PINK range are always so comfortable, they don't ride up in awkward places and they make you feel a bit more confident! Also the VSX Sports Bra is the best I've ever tried, brilliant fit but also gives a bit of lift (you ladies know what I'm talking about) I have this one in 4 colours!

£30.00-£45.00 depending on design.

Primark

A good old essential Primark binge every now and again is needed. Primark bring out new lines all the time and their fitness range is expanding. Obviously fantastic for price, can't go wrong!

Hoodie- £8.00

Top- £4.00

Stace x

Trespass Triflex Sunglasses Review

Lets be honest quality sunglasses are a must, whether participating in Sports or not, everyone needs them...and protecting your eyes is vital to good health.

Trying to run in them or play sports is another thing though... and finding the perfect fit for your face and finding the right style for you can be a little tricky. As a former athlete training everyday in various conditions, Ive had countless bad experiences of running sunglasses in the past, ones which have stretched, buckled, scratched, put dents in my face, bounced all over and even slipped down my face and fallen off!

Thankfully Trespass have read my mind and asked me to review one of their most popular Sunglasses.

Just to give you a bit of background...Trespass are a well established company, specialising in outdoor products for hiking, walking, running, camping, skiing, cycling, golf and many more!

Their products are all high quality and long lasting, founded and based in Scotland they know a thing or two about extreme weather conditions!

Trespass have won the British Apparel Export Award 3 times, International Trade Award at the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce twice, Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards in 2009, Inducted to the Hall of Fame at The Entrepreneurial Exchange 2010 and Winners of the KPMG Scottish Leaders of the Year 2012, to name a few accolades in their trophy cabinet.

They were Official Providers of Casual Uniform for the Scotland Team at the Commonwealths 2014. Also have a Partnership with the British Children's Ski Team, BUCS Team GB Winter Team and the Ski & Snowboard Show in London every year.

This company screams quality and their Awards prove it.

The Triflex Sunglasses I was asked to review certainly lived up to my expectations.

I'm sure some of you are wondering how can I be so happy with one pair of sunglasses? Trust me it is a problem to find the right pair!

The Triflex Sunglasses are just what I needed for outdoor sports, my running and various activities. They are completely comfortable, so light that I didn't even feel them on my face. They have a UV 400 protection so I knew I would be protected against the bright sunlight and harmful rays. The sunglasses are designed so that sun rays don't get through the side of the glasses, another design bonus as others I've used haven't had this. They also have an adjustable nose pad so can be adapted to fit most people.

To my delight the sunglasses didn't slip once, bounce around or scratch my face. I didn't have to fiddle round with them like I have in the past with other brands and when I looked down they didn't fall off either. They certainly do what they promise and I can completely focus on my workouts whilst not being interrupted by sunglasses problems .

The Unisex Triflex sunglasses are very Modern looking, a little Sci-Fi infact, but I loved them! The bright white frame and the ice blue tint on the polycarbonate glasses is such a nice touch, but somehow when you look through them it's perfectly clear with no blue haze at all.

In my view they are perfect for all Sports and in particular Runners, Cricketers, Rowers, Cyclers, Hikers, Golfers and even people who like posing on the piste.

In conclusion....A must have in the Sports Bag.

Stace x

Joe and The Juice Review

This week saw the opening of Joe and The Juice Newcastle, which first opened up in Denmark and their Juice revolution quickly took over other Scandinavian countries such as Sweden, Switzerland, Norway. These countries are a little ahead of Britain in terms of they look after their health and wellbeing far more then us Brits! We are catching up.....slowly.

Me and my friend are really into health and fitness, we both work in the industry so this was the perfect place for us to have a catch up. The staff were helpful, but the only menu to look at was the huge one behind the till, which I found a bit daunting and I felt a little under pressure by 3 members of staff staring at me to make a decision. I said to one of the staff "ah I bet you get this all the time with people not being able to make decisions" He said "No not really"...Just me then...awkward. Because the menu is so big, and there's so much choice I was a bit overwhelmed and it was hard to make a decision, so I would of preferred it if there were a few menus dotted around on the tables. If you are going, have in mind what you would like. The decor is dark, Brooklyn NYC type, really stylish but you can hardly see the colour of your drink which doesn't help, but it is a very relaxed chilled out vibe and is perfect for getting away from the busy bodies. I apologise for the lack of picture quality but it is dark...think Hollister dark.

I love a green juice and went for the Bodyguard - Cucumber, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach and Apple. My friend had the Joe's Roots - Beetroot, Carrot and Ginger. Both were really lovely! They do Salads, Sandwiches, and Coffees too. All freshly prepared there and then, no pre packaged, artificial ingredients that I could see. My only criticism on their products was that they didn't have many protein choices, so a lot of their juices are high in sugar and carbohydrates, and when I asked if they had any vegetable protein powders to add to my drink, the only option was a chocolate one, I can't imagine that would taste very nice in a green juice. All they need to do is add some more vegetable protein powder options and it would be perfect.

This place is suitable for all dietary requirements, they cater for intolerances and allergies, vegans and vegetarians. A little odd on the location (placed in the women's section of John Lewis), I can imagine this place really taking off on a student campus or on the high street, I hope they advertise a lot so people find out about it. Saying all of that I would definitely go back and I'll be recommending people to try it out.

Stace x

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Pasta (Vegan & Gluten Free)

I love carbs! When I was a professional athlete a lot of my meals was based around Carbohydrates, but then over the years and a few appointments with various 'sports nutritionists' (I say that reluctantly) I was advised to avoid Carbs. Yes you heard, I was running 70miles a week had 2-3 training sessions a day and I was told to cut out Carbs. At the time I thought this was fine, because it's the professionals telling you this, it's their job to know their stuff and they said I could potentially run faster. DUMB. SO DUMB. Did it make any difference?...Yes... I had no energy for training, my training quality went down, I was cranky and on edge all the time and I didn't lose weight which I thought I would. There were no positive effects to me cutting carbs out of my diet.

Now I know everyone is different but when I cut carbs I stop losing weight, when I eat carbs I lose weight! No joke. There's a misconception that carbohdrates are the devil food and if you want to lose weight everyone needs to cut them out and eat high protein instead. Well I'm here to tell you this is complete and utter rubbish. One type of diet does not work for everyone. Every single human on this planet has different DNA and not everyone reacts the same to food.

Some people look at a Carb and put on 4 pounds, some people can eat anything they want and not gain an ounce, some people just have to look at sugar/ fat/ protein and put on weight and some people can eat as much chicken, eggs, steak and lose weight. There is no ONE diet.

Take for instance a few of my family- Dad can drink a couple of pints everyday, eat big Sunday Dinners and not gain anything but if he eats desserts or sweets he gains weight. My Mam has chocolate, coffee and cake most days and she's tiny...yes she runs, but if she has too many carbohydrates she puts on weight. My sister is the worst of them all (in a lovely way) she can eat anything and everything and she never puts on weight, downsizes her potions and little and has one less chocolate bar a day and she loses it instantly. You see everyone is different even blood relatives!

The various Sports Nutritionists I was working with didn't advice me as an Individual but rather as 'this is what works for most people'. So I now know that I will never respond to a high protein low carbohydrate diet, it simply doesn't work for me....but I know plenty of people it does work for. Books may tell you to eat this that and the other, but the bottom line is not all diets are suitable for everyone.

The number one rule I will tell you is Listen To Your Body.

The body is an amazing piece of equipment and it will tell you instantly if something is wrong.

When I eat gluten, wheat, milk, eggs, beef, lamb, cashews or yeast I immediately get headaches feel very tired, sick and generally unwell. Keep a food diary and record how you react to everything you eat. A long process I know but it is completely worth it.

Here's a beaut of a dish...Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Pasta. Because Carbs are amazing and fill us up and they don't make us fat.Well not me anyway....I once did Atkins and I put on weight, I stuck to it word for word and my weight went up! Hilarious. I was cranky, deprived and day dreamed about food all day. Now I eat Carbohdrates with every meal and I'm actually skinnier. I'm not talking about Carbohydrates from processed packaged rubbish, my carbohydrates are mostly from natural sources such potatoes,rice, various grains, oats, rice flour, fruit and vegetables and the pasta I use is rice pasta. I don't believe in one diet for all, and I'm sure there lots of people who react well to living on a high protein low carb diet. Not me though it just doesn't work. Since going Vegan I feel so much healthier, Im able to wake up much earlier and easier, I can concentrate more and I have more energy. When I don't eat this way I feel very unwell, its taken me a lot of trial and error over the years but I like to think that I've found the perfect diet for me.

If you are a carb concious then this sauce goes perfectly with courgetti :)

The ingredients in this are all so good for you and the basil fresh out the garden takes it to another the level. Please don't use dried it's not the same. The whole family has tried this and they've said it's the best pasta sauce they've had.....and they are all Bolognese lovers! If you prefer a more Arribiata style pasta sauce then add a little fresh chilli.

Ingredients (serves 2)

3 Whole Peppers (I used 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 orange)
250g Cherry Tomatoes (I used red, orange, purple)
Olive Oil
2 Whole Garlic Cloves
400ml Passata
1 Small White Onion
Handful Fresh Basil
Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Black Pepper
Himalayan Salt
Dried Oregano
160g of pasta (I used gluten free rice shell pasta)

Method

Put the Oven on 210 (electric) Cut the Peppers into large chunks, discard seeds and stalks. Place on baking tray with the Cherry Tomatoes, 2 crushed Garlic Cloves, drizzle with Olive Oil, sprinkle on Oregano, Black Pepper and Himalayan Salt and place in oven for 30mins.

Chop up the onion and fry off gently in olive oil, make sure the heat is low and take your time to caramelise them, this should take around 10mins.

Pasta can take around 15mins put that on now so its ready in time.

Once done place everything but the garlic in the pan with the cooked onion (if you like garlicky dishes put them in, I prefer the sauce without it) put the balsamic in and fry for one minute, after this put the fresh basil in and cook for another minute, turn off heat.

Take a blender and blend everything up into a smooth sauce, put back on a very low heat and add the Passata, turn up the heat for a couple of mins and serves over the cooked pasta. Add some fresh basil leaves on the top.

Enjoy

Stace x

Neal Yards- Lavender & Aloe Vera Deodorant Review

Recently at a Vegan Festival there was a Neals Yard stall, haven't never tried anything from Neals Yard before I decided to try a couple of their products as I had heard from others what wonderful stuff they do. All Vegan friendly and more natural ingredients really appeal to me. I was a little scared trying this product, a more natural deodorant had me thinking it would be less effective and I would end up being a little stinky at the end of the day. The lavender and Aloe Vera deodorant is a natural product ....gentle but effective, its smells absolutely wonderful, its free of preservatives and aluminium salts that block the pores and not to mention the bottle looks really pretty. The deodorant is naturally cleansing, contains organic essential oils from lavender, tea tree, ylang ylang, aloe vera and alpine moss extract which prevents bacteria growth.

I spend a lot of my day on my feet and with going to the gym or doing various exercise most days a deodorant is key for my everyday living! This kept me fresh all day and I never once had a whiff of stinky smells! Its one of my favourite products at the moment and I think this will definitely be apart of my kit in the long term. It has beat any other deodorants I've tried, which have all been chemical types, so this natural product really is a beauty wonder.

http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/bath-and-body/body/deodorant

Stace x

Buckwheat Porridge (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Porridge the fuel to keep us going through the day....but why oh why is it so temperamental?! Either it ends up too dry and turns into cement like mixture or its over runny and more like a oaty soup then a thick creamy dish.

Ive done a Buckwheat Porridge Recipe (which I absolutely love at the moment). Hopefully my method should mean that we will always end up with that creamy porridge with a perfect consistency.

Buckwheat Porridge (seves 2)

60 g Buckwheat
220ml dairy free milk (almond, coconut, soya)
100ml water

Toppings

Handful Blueberries
Hemp Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds
Flaxseeds
Pine Nuts

Method
Soak the buckwheat in water overnight, this softens it up for the morning and makes it so much quicker for when your in a rush! Drain the water off and place in a pan with the dairy free milk/water and gently simmer for 10mins, stir occasionally to make sure non of the mixture sticks to the pan. If the temperature is too high the liquid might evaporate quickly and you'll need to add more! After 10mins the buckwheat should absorb the liquid and expanded into a creamy mixture. If you find you do have a bit to much liquid left, turn the heat up slightly and stir to make sure the buckwheat doesn't catch and burn.
Take off the hob and split between 2 bowls and I tend to top mine with fresh blueberries, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds and pine nuts. No need for added sweetness the blueberries should give you enough!

Stace x

Yankee Candle Coconut Range

Coconut has got to be my all time favourite smell&flavour! From using Coconut in cooking with oil, cream, milk and water and making delicious recipes with it....to using it in my skincare with creams, hair products and body sprays....plus also using it as a fragrance in the home. I love it! It has a holiday vibe, and puts me in the chilled out mood. Which is why I'm so excited about Yankee Candles new Coconut Range!! These will fill the house full of happy holiday vibes while also looking really stylish too.

The range is available at www.VERY.co.uk for £23.00 each

No.1 Coconut & Sea Air
No.2 Coconut & Beach Flower
No.3 Coconut & Mandarin
No.4 Coconut & Lime
No.5 Coconut & Vanilla Bean
No.6 Coconut & Pineapple

Mount Purious- Body Hemp oil

A couple of weeks ago I went to the NE Vegan Festival at the Stadium of Light. Full of food and beauty stalls this is my idea of heaven. As I start my journey into Veganism I need to surround myself with as much information and awareness as possible. My reasons for becoming a Vegan are mainly health based after reading various books, journals, and watching documentaries I decided to make the switch. I don't feel deprived at all and Ive really never felt better. The ability to create dishes and try foods I've never heard of is one of my favourite hobbies, so I'm thoroughly enjoying becoming a Vegan.

One of the many stalls at the Vegan Fest were Mount Purious, a North East Organic Skincare company. All of their oils are 100% Pure and Certified, no GMO's, pesticides, insecticides are used and they are certified to COSMOS (Organic standard by the UK Soil Association). All vegan, cruelty free, unfiltered, unadulterated and truly raw.

This is just what I've been looking for, I put so much effort and thought into the food I eat, shouldn't I be doing this for what I put on my skin too? Chemicals are literally everywhere, I recommend every I know to read the book Clean by Dr. Alejandro Junger, it tell us about the toxins that surrounds us every single second of the day from the toothpaste we use, to the plastic cup we drink out of, the cleaning products we use and the western medicine prescribed to us.

Mount Purious range includes Argan Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Hemp Oil, Jojoba Oil, Rosehip Oil and loads more that I want to try! And since it's a North East company and I love helping local companies I will definitely be trying the different products.

I went for the Hemp Oil, as I was told by the guy running the stall ( Im pretty sure he was the owner) that Hemp Oil is great for dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. Since I've had eczema as a kid Ive always struggled to get rid of it so this all natural wonder product was perfect for me.

The Hemp Oil contains high levels of essential fatty acids, omega 3's and omega 6's and amino acids which our bodies need but struggle to product naturally, so we have to source it from elsewhere e.g food. The product is Hemp Oil and that is it. No added chemicals, or other oils or any other ingredients, just purely hemp oil bottled up.

The Oil is lovely, it doesn't smell like a Jo Malone shop.... but I didn't want it to, the oil smells earthy and of Hemp (shockingly)! I use Hemp a lot in the food I eat so I knew what sort of smell to expect. I would of been really disappointed with the natural hemp oil if it was covered with fake smelling chemicals. It does leave the body greasy to begin with but after about 5-10mins it sinks in and makes the skin feel wonderful and smooth. I did ask people if they could smell it on me and they said no, so don't panic and think you'll be smelling like a grass field. After using it for 2 weeks my Eczema has compltely cleared up! No western medicine used at all, and all provided by nature. This is music to my ears and just what Ive been looking for....thank you to the guy who recommended it to me!!

Stace x

Breakfast Banana Superfood Bread! (Vegan and Gluten Free)

Yes I know its a mouthful but this Breakfast Banana Superfood Bread really is packed with goodness to set you up for a busy day ahead. With the use of Bananas for Potassium and Carbohydrates; Mixed Linseeds for Fibre, Vitamins and Omega 3's, Coconut flour for Fibre and Minerals, Chia seeds for Protein, Magnesium and Antioxidants, Walnuts for Vitamin E, B6, Folate, Melatonin, Antioxidants, and Omega 3's. Then Cinnamon for Anti-inflammatories and more Antioxidants! This bread really is packed full of Superfoods. No need for added sugars from dates/agarve or anything else, the sweetness from the bananas is all it needs.

This recipe is great for when you don't know what to do with left over bananas, mine were really ripe and almost black and are perfect for baking with.
The bread is quite dense and shallow, so I cut mine in thirds and halved it length ways for slices, then I have mine with a little almond butter on the top.

Oh and it fills the house with such a lovely smell!!

Ingredients ( 3 servings)

3 Bananas
2 tablespoons Oats
1 tablespoon Mixed Linseeds (got mine from ALDI for a bargain)
1 tablespoon Coconut Flour
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
5 walnuts
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Method
Gas Mark 220, Blend all bananas in a large bowl and add the dry ingredients (apart from chia seeds) and blend till a smooth mix in, mix in the chia seeds and leave to set for 10mins for the mixture to absorb and the chia seeds to swell up.
If you like your bread with added crunch don't blend up the walnuts, crush them instead and pop them into the mixture at the end.

Place the mix in a tin loaf (use greaseproof paper to make sure the mixture doesn't stick) and bake for 25mins at 220, until the top looks golden.

Leave to cool before turning out and slicing, sometimes the bread can be a little fragile.
Keeps for 3 days

Tricolour Quinoa and Butternut Squash (Vegan & Gluten free)

Quinoa is a wonder ingredient! It's gluten free, high in protein, has all the essential amino acids you need, full of magnesium, iron and fibre..... it's a great alternative to rice and cous cous. Here's a lovely colourful recipe, chock-a-block full of flavour and made with Tricolour Quinoa (I got mine from ASDA).This was made up last week when it was cold and the constant rain had me feeling down in the dumps. It's a cosy pick me up, with little ingredients and the use of tamari (gluten free soy sauce alternative) its high in protein and full of vitamins to make you feel better. The other half who isn't a vegan at all loved it, and wanted more! So I'm making it again tonight.

Serves 2

Ingredients

150g Tricolour quinoa
1 butternut squash
1 Red onion
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
Large handful of red grapes
Olive oil
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
Paprika
Fresh thyme
Black pepper
Pink Himalayan salt

Method

Peel Butternut squash, discard seeds and chop into squares, place on baking tray, with the sliced red onion, drizzle olive oil over the top with a sprinkling of paprika, black pepper and little salt then roast for 30mins, after 20mins put in the red grapes in too (gas 200). Place the Quinoa in a pan with 400ml water and boil, once at boiling point reduce to a simmer for 20mins. Drain Quinoa, and put in the tamari sauce, wholegrain mustard, fresh thyme, black pepper and mix, then put the roasted butternut squash into the same pan and careful fold, making sure the squash cubes don't mush. Serve, and sprinkle some fresh thyme and black pepper on the top.