The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.

James Bryce once said "The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it"

If this is true then in my opinion The Twelve Step Warrior is worth a life.

Never have I read a book that has taken me on such an emotional roller coaster quite as much as The Twelve Step Warrior - tears, heartbreak, a giggle at a very brilliant insult and finally left me in overwhelming awe of Pete.

The Twelve Step Warrior is a very personal journey through Pete's life and his battle against addiction, an honest account where Pete shows true courage and comes out the other side. This book is an inspiration and I truly believe it will save lives.

Well done Pete for all you have achieved and everything you will achieve in the future.

You can check out The Twelve Step Warrior on Facebook; buy your self a copy from Amazon  and while your at it check out http://peterskillen.com/

LittleMissMoffett

xx

Avocado, Mint and Feta Salad

I made this salad when I went to my friend Tara's for our Steak night - something we do every six ish weeks - we always have a lovely time, eat steak, drink wine and watch a ridiculously girly film!!

For this salad you will need - this made enough for 4 servings as an accompaniment to a meal but could serve 2 as a main meal. -

Lambs Lettuce - a bag of
Feta - 100g
1 ripe avocado
a handful of mint
seeds - I added a handful or 2 of roasted mixed seeds
half red onion
2 limes - the zest and the juice
a few glugs of olive oil

In a large mixing bowl add the olive oil, lime zest and juice to make the dressing. Cut the avocado down the middle cutting round the stone, pop out the stone, skin the avocado and chop up the flesh into cubes and place in the salad bowl. Chop the mint leaves, onion and feta and add to the bowl. Add the lambs lettuce. Toss the salad well so everything is coated with the dressing. Sprinkle over the seeds and its ready to serve.(I also added some dried chilli flakes - a little spice and touch of red looks great against the white of the feta and gives a bit of a kick against the zesty lime and creamy feta)

Stunning Salad
TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xx

Seafood Medley

...Quick, Easy, Healthy and Delicious

This is perfect for when you haven't got a lot of time but want to fix yourself (and those around you) a delicious meal.

You will need for 3 people (2 adults and a small person)

a couple of glugs of olive oil
300g of Seafood Selection
2 cloves of garlic - crush it under the knife and chop up a bit)
1 red onion
couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 stock cube
a glug of white wine
juice of half a lemon
2-3 handfuls of spinach
2-3 tablespoons of low fat creme fraiche
optional: red chilli (de-seeded and finely chopped)

A super duper onion chopping tip: pop the onion in the freezer for 10minutes before you chop it saves the onion tears running down your face

Heat the oil in a non stick pan add the garlic and onion (if you are adding chilli pop this in the pan at this stage) and cook for 5 minutes on a mid heat until soft. Add the stock cube (crumble it straight in the pan), the wine, lemon juice and seafood. Stirring occasionally let the wine and stock reduce down - no longer than 7 minutes (make sure the seafood is cooked thoroughly) - add the tomatoes, stir through the creme fraiche and add the spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Serve immediately - this goes well over pasta or served with crusty bread.

Yummy in your tummy!

TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xx

Dukan Dessert - Lemon and Lime Mousse

This refreshing dessert is easy to make, tasty and ticks the Dukan box!
You can eat this dessert from Phase 2 - Cruise.

You will need for 4 good sized portions - I made enough to fill the 4 pots pictured and a bit leftover -
3 unwaxed lemons
3 eggs (seperate the yolk and white)
2 limes
3 tablespoons sweetner
3 tablespoons of cornflour
500ml skimmed milk

What you need to do -
Remove the zest from one of the lemons and one of the limes. Squeeze all three lemons and the lime.

Put the lemon and lime zest and juice in a saucepan and add the egg yolks and sweetener. Combine the ingredients and stir in the cornflour, mixing it gradually.

Heat up the mixture, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. Let it thicken and then add the milk, little by little. Stir well and let it thicken some more. Remove from the heat and leave to cool down.

Whisk the egg whites until very firm (this always takes a bit longer than you think - looking at 6-8 minutes with an electric whisk) and gently fold them into the lemon and lime mixture. Pour into glasses/ramekins or as I have glass jars and pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Delicious.
TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xx

Cruise Recipe - Basa with Mushroom Gratin

To make 4 servings you will need
4 Basa Fillets (any fish really)
bunch of thyme
2 onions (I used red)
4 cloves
2 bay leaves
400ml low salt chicken stock
250g mushrooms (I used Chestnut)
3 garlic cloves
200ml creme fraiche (3% fat)
2 handfuls of low fat hard cheese
Salt and Pepper

Heat some water in a casserole dish and place the fish in it along with the thyme, one of the onions studded with the cloves, the bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes at Gas Mark 4.

Pour 200ml of the stock into a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper and cook until tender.


Take the Basa out of the casserole dish - remove the skin and any bones.


Put the garlic in with the mushrooms. Stir, turn the heat off and cover the pan with a lid then leave the mushrooms to soak up the flavours.

In a non stick frying pan, gently cook the other finely chopped onion until softened then pour in the remaining 200ml of stock. Leave to simmer over a gentle hear until all the water has evaporated.

Heat the frying pan again with the mushrooms, add the onion and flaked Basa, stir, and then stir in the creme fraiche. Pour the mixture into a gratin dish if you have one or a casserole dish, scatter over the cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

I will post some more delicious recipes very soon

TTFN
LittleMissMoffett
xxx

Cruise Control

First things first never was i so happy to shop for, prepare and cook veggies - after a successful 4 days on the Attack Phase it was time to get some veggies back into my diet and start the cruise phase..

The cruise phase is the second phase and is is made up of alternating a rhythm of pure protein days and protein and vegetable days to help you achieve your target weight. A healthy weight loss is about 2lbs a week - this is going to vary really from person to person depending on the individual - however to some 2lbs is going to seem quite slow when compared to how much you lost in the Attack Phase. Also 2lbs a week for some will be too much - I know my loss rate will be slower than that because I don't want to lose too much too soon so I am happy to be on the Cruise Phase for as long as I need to be.

While I was on the Attack Phase I worked out my PP/PV rhythm - there are many combinations and this depends on how much you want to lose. Different paramaters have to be taken into account including age, digestion, how much you want to lose, how much exercise you will do and how much you like meat and vegetables. Rhythms vary - there are two common rhythms and two less common ones.

The two common rhythms:

5 PP/5 PV - this is a strong rhythm and requires unswerving motivation - 5 days without veg hmmm - this one was not for me

1 PP/ 1 PV this is probably the easier option producing good results but without the frustration of 5/5

Veggies

The less common rhythms

2 PP/5 PV - less common and less intense - is suited to those who are more vulnerable, fragile and old or those who dont have too much to lose

2PP and 5 normal days - 2 days of PP and 5 days without any particular diet but avoiding excess.

I initially have gone for 1PP to 1 PV which has proved to work well for me, however I have got to be honest I have treated myself a couple of times to a nice drink but without drinking to excess but I have been making proper meals, eating well and the bad habits have gone - which for me was one of my main aims.

During the two weeks I went to Strawberry Fields Festival but made a deal with myself - two days before I went PP, while I was there the food I ate was good stuff and kept the carbs and fats to a minimum and yes I did drink....but I knew I was going to and as soon as I got back I hit the ground running with a PP day and got back on the Cruise.

During the two weeks of Cruise I have lost a total of 0.5kg (1lb) - which doesn't seem much but I am happy with this and considering I went away for the weekend I am very happy. I have only been to the gym to do weights twice during the cruise, I have started back on Spin and of course I'm still going to Pilates and am pleased to say that I haven't lost any of my oomph on the Spin bike which I was a bit worried about.

Back to the veggies - not all veggies can be eaten - When you look at the vegetables listed in more detail you will see that many of these 28 vegetables have a large number of varieties that will give you a much wider choice than you might have first thought. There are three vegetables on the list, carrots, beetroot, and artichokes which you need to be careful when eating as their high sugar content might impact on your weight loss so you need to restrict these to one serving per week each.

Artichokes (Globe not Jerusalem)
Asparagus
Aubergine
Beetroot
Broccoli*
Cabbage* 

Carrots
Celery and Celeriac
Chicory
Courgettes (aka Zucchini)
Cucumber
Fennel
French Beans/String Beans/Runner Beans/Mangetout
Leeks
Mushrooms ( all varieties including White Button, Shiitake, Oyster and Portabella)
Onions (Red, White, Salad or Spring)
Palm Hearts
Peppers
Pumpkins, Squashes and Marrows
Radishes
Salad Leaves (Of any sort including all types of Lettuce, Rocket and Watercress)
Sorrel
Soya Beans
Spinach
Swede
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Turnips

Some of the delicious meals I made during the Cruise Phase include Basa and Mushroom Gratin; Bolognaise in Baked Butternut Squash; Aubergine Lasagne - pictures and recipes to follow this week.

As of next week I am going to change my rhythm to 5 days PV/ and 2 days PP and see how I get on with that.....updates to follow soon!! 

TTFN

LittleMissMoffett

xx

*Broccoli and Cabbage are both a member of the Cole family and this allows you to eat a very wide variety of vegetables such as cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, red cabbage, white cabbage, collard greens, kale and brussel sprouts. 

It's Time to Attack!!

Everyone's plan has to start with the Attack Phase. The Attack Phase can last up to 10days, the length of the attack phase depends on your current weight and your goal weight and a few other details, this can be determined by the 'true weight calculator' which gives you an accurate target weight. 

During the Attack Phase you eat predominantly protein-rich foods that are also reasonably low in fat. The main purpose of the Attack Phase is to introduce (or in my case reintroduce) good eating habits. This phase for most is the phase with the biggest weight loss - as time goes by you will lose weight at a more stable pace. Good news - during this phase, you can eat as much as you want in any combination and at any time of day (as long as the foods are from the list).

The Kiddies Picnic - resistance wasn't futile!

Last Sunday I took myself off to the shops to stock up on foods from the "allowed" list so I could start 4 days of Attack on last Monday. I didn't know how I was going to feel during the 4 days but just one day in I felt healthier and more energised (this will vary from person to person some people feel tired initially during the first few days) so I carried on for the full four days. I made sure I stuck with the rules (see below) and ate at regular intervals when I felt hungry - one of the worst things a dieter can do is skip a meal. .

Now I'm not saying its completely plain sailing you will get cravings - you are fighting old eating habits, addictions to sugar etc - for me it was post meals when I usually went for a square of chocolate - I overcame this by adding a little sweetener and orange zest to the Oat Bran Gallettes that are allowed. You may also find you feel constipated/don't go to the loo for a couple of the days - this happened to me but without feeling uncomfortable - don't worry its only for a few days and can be helped by ensuring you consume the oatbran allowance and plenty of water.

Going on a picnic with Luke and my friends daughter for me was my proudest moment - I made myself a little Dukan Picnic (Chicken with Curried Yoghurt; Prawns with lime and chilli and a fat free flavoured (not fruit) youghurt) and lots of water - this while the kiddies had fresh fruit; homemade pizza; cucumber; crisps; sparkling grape juice and my favourite French Fancies - I didn't pinch a crumb and honestly didn't want to I thought I might but nope I did well.

My Dukan Picnic

My Attack Results

I weighed myself on Monday and weighed in at 57.9kg, after 4 days I weighed in at 56.9kg (I weighed myself at the same time of day in similar clothing), I was very happy to see I had lost a 1kg which for me is fantastic I have tried before but actually really struggle to drop weight.

After 4 days on Attack its now time to start the Cruise Phase - I can honestly say I have never been so excited about being able to eat vegetables!

 

 The Attack Rules

So the rules I mentioned

Top Tip - these MUST be followed

Eat as much as you want as long as it is on the allowed foods list.

One important habit that you need to establish from day one is proper water intake. Avoiding dehydration and overworking your kidneys is crucial on a high protein diet like this. Be sure to drink over 1.5 litres per day.

Oat bran is a very important ingredient of the Dukan Diet and introduced as soon as the Attack Phase. You should incorporate 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day in any form you like - as porridge, with yoghurt, in muffins or pancakes.

One food unrelated rule is to introduce exercise in the form of a 20 minute walk each day. Many dieters will be happy to hear that at the same time more extensive exercise is discouraged in this phase. (I pulled back from my usual exercise regime and just went for walks - although I did go out for more than 20minutes as i felt full of energy and took snacks and water with me - and did 2 Pilates classes during this Phase)

If after first 5 days you are not seeing any further weight loss proceed to the Cruise Phase even if you planned your attack for longer.

It’s absolutely essential that you stick to this diet precisely. It's suggested by Dr Dukan that just one tiny lapse will be like putting a needle in a balloon – all the benefits will instantly disappear and you’ll need to start all over again. The advice: don’t cheat at all.

So I am a few days into my Cruise Phase updates to follow soon!

TTFN

LittleMissMoffett

xx

The Dukan Diet and LittleMissMoffett

Recently I was starting to feel at the heavier end of my happy weight range - now don't get me wrong I am in no way saying I am overweight but I believe each and everyone one has a range in which we are happy in and I was starting to feel at the heavier end of mine. Now I am a healthy and active person but I was aware that I had slipped into a few bad habits - something sweet after eating, eating cereal for dinner followed by reaching for something sweet, grabbing the sweet food instead of taking the time to make a healthy snack/meal - so I decided something had to be done to break this cycle I found myself in!!

A couple of weeks ago I read a really good article on the Dukan Diet which caught my attention - the food looked good, the phases manageable and easy to follow and for me because of the flexibility in what you can eat while following the diet was a key for me - I am not a dieter I have only dieted once in my life and that was to lose the weight I gained after I had Luke nearly 10 years ago.

So what is The Dukan Diet?

The Dukan Diet is a diet that is taking the world by storm, it is a high protein, low carbohydrate weight loss plan developed by French physician Dr Pierre Dukan. The diet has been dubbed as "just another fad diet" and "the new Atkins", however there are several benefits aside from having a sound scientific basis, it is composed of numerous components that make it extremely dieter friendly.

The benefits of the diet that sold it to me LittleMissMoffett the foodie who grazes through the day:

 Eat Real Food

 Eat as Much as I want

 Eat "Naughty" foods

 Maintain My Weight Forever on the Dukan Diet

The Dukan Diet is made up of Four Phases and will help you lose and stabilise weight, promising that True Weight is reached and that your True Weight is a realistic weight that can be attained and most imprortantly maintained

Phase 1 - ATTACK - The Attack phase consists of pure protein and creates a kick start to the diet. During the Attack phase you can eat from a list of foods that produce immediate and noticeable weight loss

Phase 2 - CRUISE - The Cruise phase adds 32 vegetables and will take you to your True Weight. Weight will now come off gradually and steadily by alternating Pure Protein (PP) and Protein + Vegetable (PV) days. The length of this phase is based on a schedule for each pound you want to lose.

Phase 3 - CONSOLIDATION - During this phase you are at your most vulnerabl, as the body has a tendenacncy to quickly regain lost pounds. This phase is designed to prevent the rebound effect by gradually returning previously forbidden foods and allows for two celebration meals per week. This phase follows a strict timeline - 5 days per every pound lost in the Cruise phase - so for example if you lost 5lbs in Phase 2 you will be on Phase 3 for 25 days.

Phase 4 - PERMANENT STABILIZATION - This phase is the rest of your life. You have learned how to eat and have developed a pattern to follow. In addition to keep your new weight and body three simple but non negotiable rules MUST be followed:

1. Consume 3 tbls of oat bran per day

2. choose to take the stairs whenever possible

3. Have a Pure Protein Thursday

The first thing I did was use the calculator to calculate how much I wanted to lose and the way to do it (i.e how long I should follow each stage for...).  Now rather than sign up for the online Daily Dukan Coaching for approx £55 I purchased the Dukan Diet Plan and used information on the internet to work out my eating plan and further my understanding. After the reading and research I made my listed and off I went to the shops to purchase and stock on up on a wide range of delicious food to see me through the Attack Phase.

My next post will be a diary of how I got on with the Attack Phase (including some pictures of the meals I made....)

TTFN

LittleMissMoffett xx

Nice and Light Potato Salad

A nice veggie side that is perfect for alfresco dining; a BBQ or dinner indoors.

Personally I'm not being a massive fan of mayonnaise, and the reason I was making the potato salad isn't either, so I kept the salad nice and light using fromage frais.

Nice and Light Potato Salad

You will need:
6tbls extra virgin olive oil 
juice of a lemon 

250g fromage frais

500g baby new potatoes

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

a handful of fresh chives, chopped

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water for 20ish minutes until they are tender. Drain well. While the potatoes are doing there thing you can make the dressing. To make the dressing mix the olive oil, lemon and fromage frais together. When the potatoes are cool enough mix with the dressing, add the herbs and season to your/your guests taste. 

Enjoy!! xx

Drinks on a "Summers" evening!

Dressing to pop out for a few drinks on a Summers Evening should be the easiest thing in the world well until the summer becomes what feels like non stop rain and mugginess. Now I'm not going to start moaning about the weather after all this is Blighty and we should be used to the mixed bag of weather we get, however it threw me last week as I couldn't decide what to wear - I was very tempted to go out in wellies and rock the festival look instead I opted for the Smart Casual look.    

Smart Casual dress code is confusing as people interpret "casual" as wear what you like, this is a misconception as smart casual has certain rules that need to be taken into consideration when choosing what to wear. 

Following a few basic rules listed below and you will always look appropriate and smart without being over the top formal.

Smart Casual Do's for the ladies

- mid length dress- trousers- jewellry- accessories- blazer or cardigan - shawl/pashmina- clutch bag-shoes- ballerina flats- jeans (dark; no rips/tears)- skirt

Smart Casual Don'ts for the ladies

- Flip flops- t-shirt- slogans or logos on the top
- large tote bag
- evening gown
- sportswear

In the end I went with my skinny jeans, nude court shoes with flare heel; kingfisher sleeveless top and nude jacket thrown on top and my absolute favorite red clutch bag (i would love to tell you where its from however it was a birthday present for my 30th last year!!).

I love the jacket so much I'm going to order it in red to throw over my outfit for a wedding I am going to in September (yes I know already have my outfit purchased!!)

Anyway the evening was tip top - fun, laughs and PlayStation dancing was had!!

LittleMissMoffett xx

Rainbow Slaw!!

I found a version Rainbow Slaw on Pinterest a couple of months ago, I made it as per the recipe...and  Ithought it was delicious however with having a small person raw onion doesn't always go down well - apart from that though he loved it. Brilliant i thought a great way to get some of the good stuff down him without any persuasion (he is a foodie like me but sometimes the refusal to eat the veg occurs!!)

Rainbow Slaw is a colourful fresh and vibrant coleslaw that goes well with all sorts of things - I have had it with chicken, fish, red meat and I have also taken it as my contribution to a Raw Vegan evening.


It is super easy to make, needs just four kinds of vegetables, a grater and ten minutes (just don't go crazy with the grater no one wants grated knuckles). It goes well with Sweet Tahini Dressing or if your feeling naughty bind with mayonnaise.

So off you pop and grab a red cabbage, a white cabbage, 3 carrots and a cucumber, your grater and make the slaw!! Only 200 calories per generous serving - and packed with nutrients (not with the mayo)

Grate half of each cabbage, all the carrots and cucumber and mix in a large bowl. For the dressing mix 2tbl of tahini, 2tbl cider vinegar and 2tbl of honey and juice of a small lemon - mix well. Mix the dressing and slaw and serve straight away.

If you want to make ahead of time keep the dressing and slaw and seperate until ready to eat.

Enjoy!!

Time for Afternoon Tea in the garden!


The 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna, is often credited with creating afternoon tea in the 1840's. Dinner was not served until 830/900 and with this the Duchess often became hungry. She secretly ordered a small meal of bread, butter and other niceties such as cakes, tarts and biscuits. When exposed her habit caught on and became popular and eventually known as "afternoon tea".....


Fast forward 170 years and Little Miss Moffett hosts a small afternoon tea as part of a belated Father's Day present for Dad (he got other pressies too)! The star of the show, ahem I mean Afternoon Tea was the giant French Fancy I made.


French Fancy


You will need

Inside the French Fancy

300g self raising flour
300g caster sugar
300g butter
6 medium eggs
2 tsps baking powder
3 tsps vanilla essence
100g icing sugar
50g butter
Ready to Roll icing (i cheated this time!!)
apricot jam


Line an 8" square tin and preheat the oven Gas Mark 4. Cream the sugar and butter together (really beat it ideally with an electric whisk), add the eggs two at a time and beat again - with each addition of the eggs add a little flour - add the rest of the flour, the baking powder and the vanilla essence. Beat until all ingredients are well combined.


Pour the mix straight into the tin and bake for 40-45mins (test with a skewer if it comes out clean the cake is baked), turn out the cakes after 15mins and let the cake cool on a wire rack.


With a bread knife chop the large sponge into two small 4" squares (the left over sponge can be used for making mini square cupcakes), add apricot jam and pop one square on top of the other. Add a thin layer of buttercream with a pallet knife round the whole cake and pop in the fridge. (leave enough to make the dome) After 20mins take out and smooth the buttercream with a smoother. 


Take 250g of icing and a handful of icing sugar. Dust the work surface and rolling pin with icing sugar and knead the icing until its softer and ready to roll. Roll the icing out until its 5mm thick and carefully place on top of the cake, smooth out and trim the edges up. Make a dome with the leftover buttercream and pop on top of the cake and roll out a bit more icing (use the leftovers) and cover the dome.


Ready to serve with a nice cup of Britains finest, followed by a WI baked scone, fresh strawberries and Cornish clotted cream.

  Legs Everywhere....

A few weeks ago I was walking back to work from lunchtime Pilates and I'm not entirely sure I could believe my eyes as four pairs of model legs in the back of a truck drove by....not thinking anymore of it I put them to the back of my mind until today well low and behold there were legs in the flower beds in the park. 


Armed with my camera phone and my inquisitive nature I wandered into the park....

Loughborough, the town where I live, is celebrating their role in hosting Team GB. The council asked art students at Loughborough University School of the Arts to create a striking installation for the town's Britain in Bloom entry that captured the essence of the Olympics.

Three students took up the challenge and chose synchronised swimming as their inspiration.  They created a series of two metre high swimmers legs that when installed appear to emerge from the flower beds, as though a pool of water.


Entitled ‘Synch or Swim’, the sculptures represent the grace, artistry and athleticism of the Great Britain synchronized swimming team. They are made of Jesmonite, an advanced form of acrylic resin and are finished with masonry paint.

Garlic Mushrooms

Luke and I grabbed a bag of mushrooms as you do at the local market on Saturday and made a quick and easy dish for our dinner on Monday.

To serve a yummy mummy and a 9 year old you will need mushrooms (we used 8 medium sized mushrooms); half a red onion; a few glugs of olive oil (poured for the count of 6); two garlic cloves sliced; black pepper and 4 counts of cream; rocket; focaccia bread and Parmesan)

Turn on the oven to GM6; mix in a bowl the oil, garlic and black pepper. Pop in the focaccia. Chop the onion into chunks and halve the mushrooms. Throw them in a small roasting tin and pour over the oil. Pop in the oven for 25 mins then pour over the cream and cook for a further 3 minutes.

Chop up the focaccia and onto the plate; serve up the mushrooms and onion; top with rocket, parmesan and black pepper and serve.

This is Luke my wonderful gorgeous boy. The picture was taken on one of my favourite days  of 2011 at Splendour Festival in Nottingham at Wollaton Hall. 

Luke enjoying the music, food and bright blue body paint (this was taken before he decorated us both with the paint!!)

Mindfulness is a mind-body approach to well-being that can help you change the way you think about experiences and reduce stress and anxiety.

Today I attended a taster session on Mindfulness and really benefited from it. I am like most of us yummy mummy's a busy woman and even when we make "me time" I'm pretty sure we are still busy while relaxing - I know I am...the taster session I attended today made me realise just how beneficial it is to take some time - even 1 minute out of our day to pay attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. It helps us to become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we're better able to manage them.

A great website to read and learn more about Mindfulness is  www.bemindful.co.uk 


Treat yourself to learning about Mindfulness and taking just a few minutes everyday to become more aware of your thoughts and manage them better.

Hey there, so here it is my very first blog.... 


I work at a local education establishment and you can pretty much wear what you want as long as your presentable - me I like to opt for the "casual smart" look - I like to be comfortable at work without looking sloppy, dressing in the right way for me is the difference between a good days work and an unproductive day by being too casual (don't get me wrong a dress down day happens)


Today I opted for a lovely zebra patterned dress from H&M - I removed the fabric belt it came with and nipped it in with a gorgeous hot pink belt - teamed with pink ballet pumps (not seen) The Zebra Dress  I found in the sale for an absolute steal and the jacket was a bargain at £14,00 from H&M's Divided Range.


The outfit was both comfortable especially in the sticky heat today and for carrying on into the evening for after work drinks at one of my favourite local bars www.orangetree.co.uk