Coral Jeans

These are my new favourite jeans ever! They're really comfy, fit perfectly and the colour is epic! I need to get back to Zara and buy them in every colour going.

Jeans, top; Zara: Cape; H&M: Necklace; Topshop: Shoes; French Sole

Staple Summer Outfit

Hello, how are your holidays going? Mine are half way through (ergh) but have been having fun hanging out with friends and getting my home life and classroom organised. Next week I'm off to Portugal with Ben, yay! I thought I'd share a summer staple outfit of mine, it's so comfy and can cross that awkward line of smart-casual. I love a nice thick legging as a change from jeans or trousers. Anyway, I'm going to bed now as I'm up for a run tomorrow and then off to the gym.
Check back tomorrow for my latest fitness (or lack of) update and another outfit post.

Shoes; French Sole: Leggings; Topshop: Scarf & shades; H&M: Leather jacket; Zara: Top& Bag; gift from my Mummy.

Mind Over Matter

So it's taken me a while to compose this post. If I'm honest. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to share this or not...it doesn't really show me at my best, but then I figured no, this is something I'm interested in at the moment and this blog is all about things I'm interested in.
So what could I be talking about? Taxidermy of small animals, my new chewing tobacco habit? Nope - being healthy! Feel free to bugger off and go and eat a burger or 3 now if you so wish, I won't be offended. Up until recently I'd have done the same. Then you make some new friends who are really healthy and look hella good for it, you put on a bit of extra weight and crop tops are still totally a thing and before you know it your Instagram and Pinterest feeds are full of fit girls, healthy recipes and fitness quotes! You're buying Women's Health and have cut out sugar and alcohol for a week!

And there in lies my main issue, I start all these things and then life gets in the way. I started going to bootcamp classes after work but then I had too much work to do after actual work so I didn't feel I could legitimately spend any time on me. I kept up my non-sugar diet for a whole week, including eating out, but it was the most stressful week of my life thanks to epic stress at work, so when I got to the weekend and I'd made it through I sodded it all off again and didn't start again. Then last week I decided to kick start it again. I've recently discovered Chloe Madeley's blog fitnessfondue.com and her Instagram and she looks amazing! I even downloaded her 12 week fitness plan, I got up at 5.30 to do my fasted cardio on Monday, ate my meals that day and came home and did my circuits from her plan. You may have seen this on my Instagram, I was so proud of myself, lol!

Then life hit again, otherwise known as prepping for parents' evening on Wednesday and I gave in. I gave in so bad I ate this for my dinner:

See when I give up, I really give up! I've had fuck all healthy food this week. Including this most delicious monster on Saturday night:

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm...drooling just thinking about it now. See my problem is I'm one of the lucky ones who's always been able to eat and drink what I want and be pretty sedentary and not put on any weight, only this means I'm not actually lucky, just lazy. Real lazy. And I'm also very used to working on no sleep, which is not conducive to healthy eating and exercising.
Since coming back to the UK to teach my life has become 100 per cent more stressful, it's become 100 per cent more exhausting and 100 per cent less fun if I'm honest. During the week that is - weekends are my fun time to be spent working (ergh), with my boyfriend and seeing my friends. The week is all about making sure everything is done to just keep treading water and not drown under the pressure that is teaching in the UK, so no real time for taking care of myself.
But surely taking care of yourself should be your main priority in life? And I think that's the conclusion I've come to in this very rambling post that you have been very nice to indulge me in reading.
So as of this week I've already prepped my lunches (well 3 outta 5), I'm not getting up early to do cardio tomorrow as I;m going to bed late, but I will do on Tuesday. I'm not going to jump straight into a hardcore 12 week plan in my final week of work as work always gets in the way. But what I am going to do is go for a run at least 3 times this week, eat healthily this week and then I've started to form a habit. I'm going to take it a week at a time and use my summer holiday to take time for me and hopefully by the time term starts again I'll have a new habit of eating healthily and exercising instead of staying up late, drinking and comfort eating. Watch this space!

See I've really prepped my lunches - turkey breast in herbs roasted in water, quinoa, spinach, sweetcorn and sweet pepper. Nom!

In Hiding

So last week we had the hottest day of the year in the UK. It was like being back in Japan without aircon. I also had the joy of a ridiculous allergic reaction that covered me from neck to ankle in a very unattractive rash (are rashes ever attractive?)! This meant whilst everyone else was in lovely sleeveless tops and skirts or dresses I was pulling out the trousers and lightweight shirts I'd bought in Japan, desperately trying to style out a rash and a heatwave...fun! I've had it for about 2 weeks now and it's finally on the way out, yay! Anyway, enough of my moaning. Here is what I wore at the weekend to cover up my diseased body (lol, eeew).

A good old maxi dress and shirt saved the day. Also had my new shoes on from Topshop but will have to get a pic of those soon, they're sooooooooooo awesome!

Dress; gift from friend: shirt; Zara: visor; H&M.

Fringe Benefits

Hello! Sorry I've been gone for so long. My job took over my life, I no longer had a life that wasn't related to my teaching, however the good news is I've finally pulled it off and qualified, yay! And with one week left before term ends and the summer begins...I'm starting to get my life back, including wearing nice things that I can post here. So thanks for sticking by me in this long, long absence!

I love the fringe and Navajo type print on this top, it's so perfect for summer! Also loving these jeans I got from my friend who didn't want them anymore! She's hella skinny so beyond chuffed I actually fit into them!

Shoes, top; Zara: jeans; gift: necklace; street seller in Cyprus.

Anniversary

My boyfriend and I celebrated our one year anniversary on Wednesday so we made sure we cleared our very busy work schedules so we could go to dinner. It was lovely and I was very lucky as he bought me several amazing presents that included clothing and a ring. It's so pretty! Anyway, this is what a wore; a skirt he also bought me! He's soooooo sweet. This skirt is a huge divergence away from what I would normally wear; for a start it's pink, then there's the length - ankle length is so not my scene, and it's all girly and satiny. However...I love it! It makes me feel like a princess and I was drawn straight to it when I saw it in H&M! I am definitely in love! But decided to dress it down a bit with my favourite white jumper from Topshop. Oh yeh, I chopped my hair off btw. This is it in it's wavy style. I keep having moments of love and loathing with it though. I think over all it's love...what do you guys think?

Skirt & necklace; H&M: shoes & jumper; Topshop

En Vie November

Just in case you missed it! Here's November's En Vie . I've just been putting the finishing touches to December's edition so I will let you know when it's time to take peek. Lots of trends you can buy for a friend for Christmas....or yourself! Some more outfit posts coming soon,

J xxx