Monday, 30 March 2015

Easter Cards!

Easter Cards!



If you have been following my blog you will probably notice by now that I have a bit of a soft spot for making cards for loved ones such as my Valentine's Cards and Thank You Cards. I like the idea of taking the time to make something especially for someone you care for. In the world of texts and emails and all the rest I think there is nothing more special than a handmade card in the post! 
Easter Cards
Easter Cards

These cards took me no time at all to do and could be done while watching TV if you have a very busy schedule. 



I used yellow card and envelopes, Easter themed confetti which I got in a pound shop and some glue. 



Easter Cards


























Easter Cards
And there you go! Quick and easy but a touch more personal than a text!

I hope my simple cards give you inspiration to make Easter cards of your own! If you do make any Easter cards I would love to see them!! You can find me on Twitter at @PressedPowder

Thanks for reading!

Bobby x 

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week 3

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week 3 


Soap & Glory Scrub 'em and Leave 'em

My final Soap & Glory Body scrub was the Scrub 'em and Leave 'em. First off let's just recap on why I am doing this challenge to find the best body scrub. I am terribly dry legs which I need to tackle before the summer time. I was content last summer with just hiding them away under long skirts and trousers but this summer will be different as this year I am doing all the things that I have been putting off ( as you can see from my posts on driving and jogging ). 
Soap & Glory, Flake Away, Scrub em and Leave em and Sugar crush









The three scrubs I chose were Sugar Crush, Flake Away and Scrub 'em and Leave 'em.


Scrub em and Leave em
My poor legs are improving but they are still not summer ready! I really didn't realise how difficult it would be to get my legs in shape. Is anyone else having a tough time with their legs? Do you fear the bare leg season like I do?

Anyway we are coming to the end of this challenge with our final body scrub. This scrub had a light and gentle scent. If I had to describe the fragrance I would say it was shea butter with a little extra sweetness. 
The granules in this scrub seemed larger and more sugar like than any of the other products, It did a good jog at invigorating my skin however my legs are still a bit dry and so I think these scrubs are best used in conjunction with a moisturiser! 



As I have said with all the other scrubs do not use them with the shower running as all the lovely product will end up down the drain before you can get a good scrub ! 



I am having a hard time deciding which of the three products was my favourite! What do you think? Which was your favourite?   

My final post on this challenge will be a comparing post highlighting all the best qualities of each product and which one is my favourite and why!

Thanks so much for reading!

Love Bobby x



Friday, 6 March 2015

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week Two

Challenge One: Body Scrub: Week Two 

Soap & Glory Flake Away 

Soap and Glory Scrub

If you have been following my blog lately you will know that I a have been trying to tackle my dry legs and so I am going to set a number of challenges for myself to see if I can get my legs in tip top condition for the summer! My first challenge is explained here! So last week I tried out Soap and Glory Sugar Crush  and this week I have used the lovely Soap and Glory Flake Away!


Soap & Glory Flake Away

Soap & Glory Flake Away
Firstly I have to mention the witty comment on the lid of the scrub "It might be fine if her friends are flaky but a lady's legs should never be. Transform your scaly legs from reptilian to radiant!" I love reading the labels on Soap & Glory because they always give me a giggle.

So this scrub is described as Shea Butter, Sugar and Peach seed powder Spa Body Polish with skin sea salt, grapeseed and Almond oil. It smells divine! It has to be the best smelling scrub I have ever owned. The little beads in this scrub seemed to work just as well as the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush  if not slightly better.
Soap & Glory Flake Away

As I warned with Soap and Glory Sugar Crush  do not be tempted to use this scrub while the water is running in the shower as you will just wash all the lovely goodness of the scrub straight down the drain. It is much better to turn off the water completely, give your legs a good scrub and then rinse off.

This scrub will be very hard to beat! Next week I will be telling you my thoughts on Soap & Glory Scrub em' and leave em'.

What is your favourite scrub?

Thanks for reading!

Love Bobby  x


Thursday, 5 March 2015

Driving me crazy


Driving me Crazy

First driving lesson eight years late

First driving lesson


Sooo how did I manage to get myself in this situation again? The same way I put off jogging for five years- I also put off learning to drive... but try for the last eight years rather than five..

I am sure you guys are seeing a pattern by now. I am very good at avoiding things that make me nervous. I liked to think of it as self-preservation but I have realised now that I was the ostrich and my hand was firmly stuck in the sand.

This year was my year to stop avoiding and start doing. I am determined to make the most of 2015! So here I am- sweaty, butterflies in my stomach and a dry mouth waiting for the clock to tick by the final 15 minutes before my first ever driving lesson.

I don't know where my fear of driving came from but it hit me hard. Maybe it is all the effective advertisements on TV of the dangers of driving too fast etc but I suddenly lost all confidence in my ability to learn how to drive and drive safely. Did I trust my reactions if something was to suddenly go wrong?

Like jogging I know now that I just have to get out and do it. The more lessons I have the easier it will become. My friends and family have only been telling me this for nearly a decade - why it has only sunk in now I do not know!

Well the time has come - Wish me luck!

So I survived my first lesson. My instructor is such a nice man who chats away so much you hardly realise that you are driving. I guess I feel silly now that I have held on to this worry for so many years. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders now!

Is there anything you have been putting off for ages? Will you take the plunge and just go for it?

Bobby  x

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Challenge One : Week One : Body Scrub

Challenge One : Week One :  Body Scrub 

Week One- Soap and Glory Sugar Crush


Soap and Glory


So I have completed my first week of Challenge One. This is a challenge I set myself to try and get my legs looking and feeling smoother and boost my confidence in time for summer! Read more about it here!

I picked up these three different exfoliating scrubs in Boots as they had a 3 for 2 offer on. I had always wanted to try Soap and Glory exfoliating scrubs and so I decided to pick out three different types and compare them. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub 


Soap and Glory Sugar Crush

So first up was Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. I used this scrub all week every time I had a shower. 
Its description on the pot reads "with smashed brown sugar& sweet lime, almond &macadamia grains" - which for some reason or another reminds me of Mojitos ..yummmm. 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush
I took a little in my hand at a time and rubbed it in circular motions on my legs. The micro-beads were quick large and this helped to remove dry skin on my legs. 


I advise stepping out of the stream of water from the shower or even turning the shower off completely when using this exfoliator as otherwise it will all wash away down the drain too quickly. 

The first time I used it I noticed the very citrusy lime smell. I didn't mind it at first but after using it for a week I found that the smell wasn't my favourite but this is just a personal opinion.

Overall, after using this product for the past week I have started to notice a change in my legs, They are much smoother and not as dry. I am looking forward to trying out the next scrub now! 

This week I will be using Flake Away

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Thanks for reading.

Bobby x 

Sunday, 22 February 2015

Can un-sporty people become sporty ? Couch potato to full steam ahead.

Can un-sporty people become sporty ?

Couch potato to full steam ahead.



In my previous post here I told you guys for my first ever jogging experience and my desperation to get fit and healthy after years of a sedentary lifestyle. I asked the question- Can un-sporty people become sporty? I am still trying to find the answer to this one. 

I went out for my second ever jog yesterday, one day after my first ever jog and thought that since I got the first one over and done with the second one would be better. I was wrong! I didn't think it would be possible for my fitness to be worse than it was on the first day but it was. 

I am not letting this deter me from jogging. I am going to stick with it for at least a month before deciding whether or not it is for me. The way I see it, as a bookworm all my life, I have a rule when it comes to reading books. Even if I hate the opening page or first chapter I never give up on a book until at least a third of the way in. If it doesn't grab my attention by then I feel I gave it a chance, I will treat jogging the way I have treated new books. I won't give up until I have at least given it a chance! 

I was surfing the web last night reading up on the benefits of jogging and how people go for hour long jogs at a time and I have to say it sounds so appealing to be able to jog for a long length of time. Not only for health reasons but also just to have that time to yourself to think and problem solve or just reflect. I hope I can build myself up to that level but I feel like that's a level which you build yourself up to over years. 

At the moment it is still a couple of minutes brisk walking and then a couple of minutes running for me. My boyfriend offered to come out for a jog with me today but I am hesitant. He is super fit and does team sports and everything. I am embarrassed for him to see me all hot and bothered and out of breath. If anything he should be the person I should be least embarrassed in front of. We will have been together for seven years this March but even still is this the one thing I am not comfortable letting him help me with?  Am I being silly? 

Thanks for reading !

Let me know your thoughts on jogging.

Bobby x 

Saturday, 21 February 2015

Can un-sporty people become sporty?

Can un-sporty people become sporty?

A new jogging journey ahead?



Can un-sporty people become sporty? This thought came to me when I was chatting to a friend during the week. I have been talking about taking up jogging for about five years now and yet I never jogged a day in my life ... until today that is!

Jogging 

I have all the athletic clothes, the runners, weights, yoga mats, wii fit etc etc etc but I have never really exercised properly since the days of P.E, in school. 

I would consider myself as far from athletic as the north is from the south pole. The thought of any contact or team sports makes my stomach churn and the idea of rock climbing or even a bicycle ride makes me nervous. However I hear so much good things about exercise and the change it can have on your health and well being. 

I gave up alcohol since the 1st of January as a wrote about in a previous post, This made me feel like I was on a path to a new healthier self so when January came to an end I continued to remain alcohol free but also added in fizzy drinks free too. I have been taking extra care of what I am eating too by only have the occasional treat rather than lots of all the wrong things everyday! This is all great and I feel like I am on to something good -I am finally feeling more energetic after months of feeling dog tired but its just not enough, I want to be athletic and get in on benefits everyone has been raving about! But how does a lazy bookworm with a very sedentary lifestyle go from stationary to full steam ahead? 

Well I am about to find out! I went on my first ever jog today- after five years of talking I am finally doing

I lasted around ten minutes which was split between walking and jogging in intervals and then the skies opened and I was soaked by torrential rain! I am not taking this as an omen for my new jogging journey... 

I was shocked at how unfit I am and I'm not going to lie I was embarrassed for people to see me jog because the concept is so alien to me but as soon as I started to tell myself- no one is looking at you- they have much better things on their mind than a jogger with a big red face and panting frantically- I just got on with it. 

It was tough but so rewarding! For instance - I am definitely going to start referring to myself as a jogger now ! Only problem is will I be able to keep it up?

Any novice joggers out there with some tips or tricks? Or any veteran joggers with some wise words?

Thanks for reading! 

Bobby x