Weight Loss (my thoughts)

Before I started this blog, I used to (and still do) read and follow a lot of others, mainly beauty and nail art ones. But if a blog topic catches my eye, then I tend to be drawn back for more.

((I find the subscribe by email option dead handy, as when I check my emails I can see at a glance what the topics of the day are. This is handy when your checking emails on your phoneJ ))

When I was searching through blogs I was looking for blogs about weight loss. It’s a personal issue of mine and one that I’ve been struggling and trying to deal with for the last few years (well all my life if I’m honest) I didn’t find many Irish bloggers to be discussing the topic ( I found 2, if you know of any I’d love to check them out.)

I found A LOT of American weight loss blogs and read a few but found that I couldn’t relate to them in the way that I had hoped. I was looking for someone of similar age, situation and with a connection that I felt I could relate too. I do like a story, although not a sob story!! (Xfactor can keep those.)

I was looking for some one I could encourage and egg on, check out their progress and think “if they can do it, so can I” It might sound a little silly, but I thought that there would be more people talking about this topic online or blogging about it.

I love in January when Operation Transformation goes live, these are real people publically battling with their demons, you’ve got to respect someone that will stand on a scales in front of the whole country. I think the Biggest Loser is amazing (UK,US and Oz ones) how they loose so much weight so quickly!! But I guess in that house all they do is exercise and calorie count.

Fat Families is another that I used to watch. It really highlights that children mirror their parents so when the parents say they don’t like vegetable, the children assume that they don’t either!!

"You are what you eat" was another that I used to tune in regularly for, (bar the poo dialysis)

Anything weight related on the TV and you can be sure that my sky box is set to record and on series link. You get to know these people and you can feel the emotions on weigh in days for them. I find them really motivating and addictive.

I just had a google of “Irish weight loss blogs” and beside finding one blog which stops mid 2011 and belong to an American lady who put Irish in her blog name! All that comes up are gimmicky diet suggestions, weight loss clinics who guarantee you’ll loose 5stone in 5 weeks and it’ll only cost you a kidney or articles from Irish newspapers with the breaking news that the majority of the country is overweight!

I must admit tho that I have been a sucker in the past for trying the latest thing with regards to weight loss.


You name it, I’ve probably tried it. Pills, patches, milkshakes, supplements, tea, gyms, personal trainers, point counting, salsa dancing, step aerobics, spinning. Well everything except The Cabbage Soup Diet because even the smell of cabbage makes me queasy!! YUK

But yes, My name is Vicki and I'm a  yo-yo dieter. Now its out there and I can't take it back.

What I’ve learned (the long and hard route was taken to this) is that “Eat less, Move more” is the key to success.

No body can do it for you, unfortunately. But when you work hard and see the results its worth it.

Nothing taste as good as slim feels.

Yes I’m talking in clichés, but that doesn’t make any of the above less true.

So I’ve decided that I’m going to be the person to blog about this and keep you posted on my efforts as I continue on my journey to loose weight and get out of the obese category.

I just want to be comfortable in my own skin, I don’t think that that’s a bad thing?

If any of you have tips, suggestions or know of inspiring blogs that I can check out, leave a comment or email me on happybubblegal@gmail.com

MUA nail constellation -LEO (*picture heavy post*)

MUA nail constellation -LEO

When I saw UK bloggers reviewing these nail art beads. I knew I had to have em! But we don't have a SuperDrug here :( boo hoo!! So I asked my cousin could she check her local Superdrug for me.. and guess what?? :):) I got 2 little beauties in the post. I was so excited, (see how easily pleased I am)

MUA nail constellation -LEO

So I had a pamper me day yesterday, and decided to try one of these out. My nails are still in bits from picking off my gelish/shellac french paint (awful it was and now I'm paying the price)
So I'm using OPI nail Envy the last 2 weeks to try and fix them.  So I started with 2 layers of Nail Envy, followed with 2 layers of my purple from my Halloween Jewel top set (using this colour A LOT lately)

Here are the cute beads, thease are called "Leo" The colours are stunning in this tiny bottle.
The purple with the green really go well together and just work, the colour "pops" too I think over my purple base.

MUA nail constellation -LEO

Heres the before pic.... I almost forgot to take one!! oops

before - see I almost forgot!!

Before

Before I began, I got out a little bowl to catch the sprinkles off the beads. I then painted one nail at a time with the purple, and shook the bottle over my nail, I then used a cuticle stick to move and push down the beads. This took me about 30 mins to do all 10 fingers.
I shook the bottle over each finger for my left hand and then for my right, I decided to use the excess that was in the bowl, so I again painted one nail at a time and dipped it into the bowl and then used the cuticle stick to push down.

Once I had all my fingers done, I sealed it over with Seche Vitae top coat.
I liked these so much that I took LOADS and LOADS of pics, the photos don't do the colours justice and everyone that I've been waving my hands in front of (I've been doing that a lot today!!) have admired them.

All 10 talons

They look good enough to eat and are so shiney. The only thing is my nails feel very thick and I'm very aware of them and the urge to pick them off is unreal!! I don't think my family and friends will thank me when they're picking lil beads out of their carpets and cars for the next few weeks. These really are teeny tiny beads!

I kept taking pics of these, so this post is mostly of photos, lots of em. Have you tried these? what did you think? I didnt manage to put the excess beads back into the bottle, but there's plenty more, so I'm not too worried on this occasion :)

Can't wait to try its sister next time :)

BOOK REVIEW: The House on Willow Street‏ by Cathy Kelly

CATHY KELLY - The House on Willow Street‏.
*pic from Easons.ie*

I mentioned the other day that I had read another book on my holidays. So I said I had better tell ye about it before I forget about it!! I dunno where my heads at lately!!

But anyhu, lets crack on shall we.

The blurb

Tess used to be happy with her lot: she lives in the idyllic Irish coastal village, Avalon, with her teenage son, Zach and nine-year-old Kitty, and works in the local antiques shop. Her only regret in life is that everything went so horribly wrong with her first love. Then her marriage falls apart and her first love returns to Avalon.

Suki, Tess’s sister, fled Ireland years ago to marry politician Kyle Richardon, but when Suki discovers that a biographer is planning to tell all, there is only one place she can go to ensure that her secrets stay hidden.

Danae is the village post mistress in Avalon and she’s worked very hard to make sure nobody knows where she came from or who she is… Her past is her business and that’s the way she would like to keep it.

In Galway, Mara sits with a smile glued to her face at a wedding; she only wants to ask the groom one thing: why did he tell her he loved her? Needing to put her past behind her, Mara packs up her life and gets ready for a fresh start.

Can these four women lay their pasts to rest? Or do they need to look back before they can begin to live for the future?

Are you a fan of Cathy Kelly? I am I must admit, I like the way she deals with serious issues throughout her books but puts a personal twist on them, so you can relate and almost live through it with the character, be it happiness, sadness, heartache, bereavement, illness, family issues etc.

There were a lot of different stories and issues going on in this book but the issue that stuck with me was domestic violence, it was fantastically detailed and outlined. I could feel the fear and the hatred pouring from the pages as I read. But it wasn’t heavy to read if that makes sense?

I don’t want to put you off reading this. You should.

I read this on my sun lounger in Spain, so it is a thoroughly enjoyable, easy, happy (for the most part read) and light book to read. I love the fluffy happily ever after kind of story, but I also like the characters to have a strong solid background and an obstacle in their way, there still needs to be something happening throughout for it to hold my attention.

Me being a nosey witch by nature. I love that you learn about the character in the present but it gives you glimpses into their past, so you know why they have put walls up and why certain subjects are touchy and also who went out with who and who doesn’t get on etc etc. ;life is in the detail and I love that Cathy Kelly takes all the time to let us get to know all the main characters properly.

I don’t want to spoil the book, as I think the blurb tells you enough to make you want to buy this book.

I was intrigued as to the secrets these women held and how they were connected but the ending was not really what I expected. I wanted more of the love story, so I made up my own after ending..(shush)

Have any of you read this? It’d be great to discuss a few bits about it.