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Things I’m Loving Lately – back from the dead!

Life has been flying past us. It’s crazy how quickly time is going by. I haven’t been blogging (obviously) and it makes me sad. I love writing my thoughts down, regardless whether people read them or not. Sometimes I dabble with the idea of just writing a diary now but again, time just gets away from me.

Anyway I thought I’d do an old school Anna The Apple blog…. Things I’m loving lately.

Puzzles

I recently got COVID and it was one of the things I thoroughly enjoyed just wrapping myself up in a blanket and doing (when my toddler allowed me if he was around). I can’t believe I managed to escape COVID for three years and then bang, we come back off holiday and all three of us test positive. I’d felt ill for more days than I would normally and kept waking up with a banging headache so I did a test… and straight away a thick line appeared. And for Kyle and Isaac too. Bad times! But the silver lining was discovering my love and addiction for puzzles.

I just find them so relaxing. The beginning where you’re sorting the pieces, then finding where they go. I just love it. I do it as a break from work or in the evenings when I get a chance, maybe watching a TV show as I go. I’ve so far completed two puzzles and I’m well on my way to a third.

Friarjacks Luxury Flapjack

Through Instagram I won a 2kg luxury Valentine’s Day flapjack and oh my goodness, let me tell you. It was INSANE.

Friarjacks Valentine’s Day flapjack

Chock-a-block full of chocolate, sweets and biscuits. It was so tasty! Kyle and I just ate our way through that thing in the week. It was dangerous to have on the side. But such a perfect afternoon snack with a cup of tea. I’ve since gone on their website and there are so many flavours I now want to try. Perfect present for a loved one who has a sweet tooth.

Naenka Bone Conduction Headphones Runner Pro

I was recently sent a pair of headphones for running from Naenka. They’re bone conduction headphones, so the sound come through your cheekbones rather than through your ears. They sit comfortable over your ears and round the back of your head and thankfully don’t bounce while I run.

They’re perfect for outdoor running when you want to pay attention to your surroundings but also listen to music as your ears are still able to hear external sounds around. This is key for me living in a city because it’s always so busy with pedestrians, cyclists and traffic. It can be dangerous to be fully immersed in the audio and so you’re not paying attention to the hazards around you.

I would say they’re best for music rather than podcasts though if you do live in a particularly loud and busy area because the sound isn’t as loud as it would be if it was a bud in your ear. It can be tricky to hear people talking compared to just listening to music. However in less busy areas where the traffic isn’t quite as heavy, it tends to be fine.

The battery life is great as well – over eight hours! So I don’t need to worry about charging them every other run. Amazingly they’re also waterproof so you can even use them swimming. That’s so cool!

Batch Cooking

I’m a huge fan of batch cooking to make our life easier in the future. This is especially true for Isaac. If I ever cook something for Kyle and I that I can also give to Isaac I just make larger portions so I can put some in little pots and pop in the freezer.

Every so often though I’ll make one big meal just for Isaac and I portion it all off for him. In the freezer I have so many little pots with things like pasta meals, chilli, cottage pie and now chicken pie.

I love doing this because it means in an evening when it’s Isaac’s dinner time I can just whip one out of the freezer, reheat and serve straight away rather than spending ages trying to think and prepare something for him.

Legacy of Hogwarts

I’ve also recently been loving playing the new Harry Potter game, Legacy of Hogwarts, on the Steam Deck (which is basically a handheld computer). Kyle’s playing his own version of the game on the PS5 which is fun as we can both discuss where we’re at and what we’re doing. It’s basically an open world role playing game.

I love open world game because it means you’re not restricted or forced to do certain levels/tasks. You can kind of free wheel it. This usually means I take ages though doing anything as I get distracted with side quests or exploring, but I love it. It’s available on most platforms I believe so well worth a look if you’re a Potter fan who enjoys gaming!

Edith and Blanche

For Isaac’s clothing we mostly use hand-me-downs from friends, peppered with Vinted and charity shop purchases. I’m a big fan of using second hand because for little ones they really aren’t wearing them for that long so the quality is still amazing. I don’t want to be spending a fortune and I want to be more sustainable in our purchases, so it works perfectly. When we do buy brand new items, we want them to be special and items that will last. This is why Edith and Blanche is our favourite children’s clothing (and toys) shop.

For Christmas, Isaac’s great grandmother, Ginny, sent us a voucher for their shop so we bought two items. Beautiful woolen rainbow dungarees and a pair of green trousers with patches on the knees. Both items look so cute and

And that’s my list! I really do need to get back into the groove of blogging… I’d love to do a recap of our Orlando holiday (which was amazing), my running and also a little Isaac update as he’s now 19 months old! But for now I’ll leave it there.

Do you buy second hand clothing?

Do you enjoy puzzles? Or what do you do to relax your brain and body?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent the headphones for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.**

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Why Dressing, Without Obligation, Helps You Look Cooler!

I won’t lie, I’m not into fashion and I wouldn’t say I’m stylish. However I do have my own kind of style, as everyone does. The preference of certain colours and types of clothes. I’d love to be more fashionable – one day maybe!

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How do you like to dress? What do you think inspired those tastes? For some, they dress mostly practicality, in simple, subtle clothing that is both supportive and comfortable to wear. For others, a sense of style they try to follow might come with them, such as a cool surfing hippie during the summer season, or having fun with autumnal flavor in the colder months.

Outside of common decency, there are no ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ methods of dress, only what you enjoy looking like, and how you enjoy presenting yourself to the world. For this reason it can be worthwhile to see just how much obligation dictates your fashion choices, and how you might be free of that to be more creative in your approach.

Conventional wisdom can be a good guide for many, for instance, balancing the jewelry worn on each side of your body can help keep your look unified – but if you prefer to just wear a ring, bracelet and earring on one side of your body and not the other, that’s completely up to you.

So, how else can becoming obligation-free help us? In this post, we hope to discuss all of that and more!

Most Clothes Can Be Integrated

It’s important to recognize that if the clothes fit you, or if they’re oversized or undersized for a fashionable purpose, then you can pretty much wear anything within (and sometimes without), reason. For instance, you might love the idea of wearing a slim top with bold cargo pants and boots, looking excellent, both graceful and strong at the same time. Conforming different styles into one is the essential of style.

Fashion As A Celebration Of Life

Having fun with fashion can be a tremendous use of your time, because what else is it supposed to be for? We’re certainly not going to test you. So, if part of your recreational style that day is to use a little face paint to enjoy a unique design, or if you wish to make alterations to your jeans, or if you’ve been planning your outfit for a particular event so you can showcase your cultural heritage, go for it! If you’re not having fun, you might be doing it wrong.

You Don’t Have To Fit One Theme

It’s good to challenge yourself from time to time. It might be that as a young girl, you felt like you couldn’t really identify within your feminine side, and were more than happy to act just as you were – you. Now that you’re older, it might be that pushing aside that prior taste and considering if feminine clothes are for you again, even if that just means wearing a summer dress with some cool boots, could be a fun challenge and to test your biases. If you’re not happy, that’s confirmation. If you like the fun challenge, that’s exploration. Not being afraid to keep testing yourself without artificial constraints can help you grow, and will give you plenty more options to be proud of.

With this advice, you’re sure to dress without obligation and look darn cool doing so.

Do you follow fashion trends?

Do you enjoy dressing up?

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Easy Ways To Stay Stylish All Year Around

If you know me well you know I’m probably not the most stylish person out there… I certainly don’t know my way around fashion or what’s “in”. But I do love tips to help me as a “style newbie”, so hopefully you’ll find this helpful too!

Is style important to you? If the answer is yes, then you might be wondering if there is something that you can do to stay stylish all year around. If this sounds like you, then it’s a good thing that you have come across this article. Down below, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the easy ways that you can remain stylish through every season of the year, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

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Choose The Right Accessories

Of course, one of the most important parts of remaining stylish is going to be choosing the right accessories. This might be something simple like a belt or a bag, or even a hat. It depends on your style, what the season is and so much more. You then need to look at jewelry as this is the queen of accessories. Would you rather go for a simple gold chains that is elegant and understated? Or, would you rather go a little more in your face with an arm full of bracelets? The choice is yours, so it will depend on your personal style.


Keep It Simple

Next, it’s important to make sure that you are opting for simple choices with your style. For instance, in summer, you can select a pair of denim shorts and a white tee. Believe it or not, an option like this is always going to be fashionable and help you gain the right type of attention. In winter, you can choose something like a longer winter jacket or coat, a scarf and a knitted jumper. 

Remember, style options like this don’t need to cost you a fortune either. It’s just a case of taking the time to find a seller with styles that you like. 

Watch The Trends 

Another way to stay in style is to make sure that you are keeping track of the latest trends. To do this, you might want to think about exploring fashion and style blogs that have all the info and choices that you need. Alternatively, you could explore social media for advice on the latest trends. There are even social media profiles dedicated to tracking the fashion choices of influencers as well as top celebrities. 

Timeless Choices 

Finally, you should make sure that you are exploring a few timeless options for your wardrobe. One example would be a leather jacket. Leather jackets look great and come in a variety of different styles. You can even get faux leather jackets that are ideal for animal lovers. There are other timeless choices too including white trainers and denim jackets for summer. 

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the ways that you can stay stylish all year around. It’s important that you manage to do this if style is important in your daily life. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you find a way to keep your style in tact in every month of the year. 

Do you think you’re stylish?

Do you follow trends and fashion?

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Running in the heat and our adidas haul

So this heatwave is fun, eh?

Makes running tough going, as I’m sure you’re aware. Ideally you want to get out early before the sun is in full beam. For us that’s quite hard because Isaac dictates our mornings. We wake up when he wakes up and this can be anywhere from 5am to 7am. Either Kyle or I can head out separately whenever or we can head out as a three with Isaac in the running buggy.

It really depends how the night has gone and what the weather is like. If it isn’t too hot I’ll run him to nursery (meaning I leave at 8am). If it’s too hot and Isaac has woken up very early we’ll head out at 6.30am or 7am. It’s a fun juggling act!

I’d love to be sure that Isaac is going to wake up at a certain time (7am would be amazing obviously) and get out and run before he wakes up. But that’s tough with the uncertainty and the fact that he’s usually still waking up 1-2 times a night, making it a tough ask to get up before he’s awake and lose that valuable sleep!

But anyway, the hot weather makes running hard work, with or without a small human! It’s important to hydrate (water and electrolytes), keep to the shade, not go out when the sun is at its strongest and to adjust your expectations for a run (i.e. don’t go out thinking you’re going to smash a speed session perfectly).

Wearing the right kit helps too. Something airy and not too heavy. As you probably know, I’m a big fan of adidas and have reviewed a variety of their clothing before. I was recently sent some more items and it’s perfect timing for the weather.

I was sent two sports bras and asides from being gorgeous, they’re perfect to just wear with shorts and avoid double layers.

The first sports bra is very simple, just plain black but I love how smooth the lines are. Fittingly, it’s called the Ultimate Bra. It’s very comfortable. It has a lovely cross-back as well which works perfectly with so many of my running tops.

As someone who has recently gone up a few cup sizes (thank you Isaac) I’ve been needing sports bra with more support now. Previously I could get away with sports bras that were basically crop tops, but now this is now the case! This sports bra is perfect for running. And because it’s so simple and chic looking, it means it looks quite nice to wear out with a pair of shorts.

The other sports bra, the International Women’s Day Allover Print Bra, couldn’t be more different in terms of aesthetics. It is loud and proud!

I like the longer fit. It looks great with a pair of shorts for a hot run. I love the mesh bits as well as the vibrant design. It has good support as well. It’s just so unique, I love it!

Also, trying to take photos in the clothing was fun work with Isaac wanting to be involved, haha! This was just after he’d pulled everything out of one of our drawers as well… chaos!

I also got a pair of trainers, the 3MC Shoes.

Perfect for walking Alfie or going out to meet friends. They’re casual but chic (can you say that about trainers?). They go with everything which is exactly what I want with trainers!

They’re a beautiful white so I really will need to look after them to make sure they stay that way! They’re lovely and comfortable as well.

Kyle was also sent a pair of trainers. They’re the Kaptir 2.0 Shoes.

We took a photo after a walk so they’re very slightly dusty!

His old shoes were pretty much falling apart so this was ideal. We both walk a lot – whether that’s walking Alfie, walking with the pram (invariably to get Isaac to nap!) or just a nice walk down to the beach, so the trainers are perfect for both of us. Kyle’s quite fussy with his trainers but he loved these. He’s got quite big feet but said they fit great and were really comfortable.

So we’re summer ready with items! As I always say, adidas is one of my favourite sportswear brand. It’s quality stuff and I can never fault them Their running items have always lasted me ages.

This weekend we’re off to Cardiff for a nice weekend away. We have the 10k Pizza Run which will be fun on the Sunday and plan to run beforehand to get in some more miles to make it a long run. We’re not taking Isaac which is bittersweet. I ummed and arred about leaving or taking him but in the end because it’s such a flying visit it seemed easier for everyone involved for him to stay at his Nana’s.

Hopefully the weather won’t be a scorcher like it was last weekend but we shall see. Either way I’ve got the kit ready to go!

Do you enjoy running in summer?

What’s your tip for keeping cool in the heat?

**Full Disclaimer: I was sent the items for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are my (and Kyle’s) own honest ones**

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My current training and new adidas clothes

What am I currently training for? Well, actually nothing right now!

I only have one race close on the horizon and that’s the Romsey 5 Mile Beer race which I love. Due to COVID, of course, it hasn’t been on for the past two years so I’m excited to do it again. It’s always a fun day.

But other than that I only have the New Forest Marathon planned for September and then the Portsmouth Coastal Marathon in December. There aren’t really any marathons nearby that I want to do and to be honest it’s probably a good thing to let me body rest for a bit. Obviously I’ll still be running but the long runs won’t be as long.

Running at the moment is just a way for me to refresh myself. Sleep has been tough going with an ill Isaac (all the nursery bugs…) and it’s been a little bit stressful. Running is my constant though and it helps energise me, chill me out and just blow out any bad moods. So it’s not so much training for any race but rather getting through harder times!

And I love that about running. It isn’t just exercise or trying to get PB’s. It’s just a significant part of my life that helps me be a better human, helps me feel better and keeps me sane.

My current week looks something like this: running Tuesdays and Thursdays (nursery commutes), parkrun on a Saturday and then a long run on Sunday, but probably nothing more than 15 miles. I also try to squeeze in two strength sessions a week and keep Mondays as a day of rest because it’s my day with Isaac.

Recently I got sent some adidas running clothes which are both perfect for summer training and also summer resting! I’m a BIG fan of leisurewear and to be honest would wear leggings every day if I could. And a hoodie, you cannot beat a hoodie for relaxing round the house in or popping to the shop in the evening when it’s cooler.

ADICOLOR CLASSICS TREFOIL HOODIE

Tho it’s a dangerous colour when you have both a dog and a baby, I love the cream of this adidas hoodie. I normally go for darker colours but as it’s summer I thought I’d branch out to be a bit brighter. Yes it’s summer but you can’t guarantee constant warm weather in the UK!

The hoodie is so soft and slightly oversized, which I love. Perfect for slouching around the house in or throwing on at the end of parkrun when it’s a bit nippy but you don’t want to bring a coat.

I also LOVE these leggings (Loungewear essentials high-waisted logo leggings in Black / Gold Metallic). They’re more loungewear leggings than running leggings but definitely good for the gym. They’re very flattering, don’t slip down and are nicely high-waisted. They’re thick enough to not be see-through as well when you bend over or squat. An essential requirement for leggings!

One thing I’ve been in big need of was another good fitting sports bra. Since having Isaac and breastfeeding my boobs are a lot bigger than they used to be. I never used to have to worry too much about high support while running or HIIT during workouts but now it’s definitely something I have to be wary of.

ADIDAS TLRD IMPACT TRAINING HIGH-SUPPORT BRA (White / Black)

This sports bra has good support for running and jumping. I feel nice and secure and get no back pain or discomfort. It holds everything down 😉 I like the white colour as well as I only have black heavy support sports bra at the moment but I have a lot of lighter tops. So it blends in perfectly.

I like the cross back as well. It’s a really nice design.

I also have a new summer running top which is super light-weight and airy. Perfect for those hotter runs!

AEROREADY DESIGNED 2 MOVE LOGO SPORT TANK TOP (Rose Tone / White)

I really like the colour as well (Rose Tone / White). Again normally I veer towards blacks and greys a lot of the time, so it’s a nice change to have a bit more colour in my running wardrobe.

Like I’ve said before, I really do love adidas and their sports clothing. Always good quality and lasts a long time. I’d rather pay a bit more money for items that last years then buy cheaper for things to stretch or rip soon after.

What’s your go-to sports brand?

Have you got any big races lined up?