tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18144942187424713542024-02-07T14:47:20.204+00:00Chatterbox Max Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-37682852609865719682018-10-14T19:00:00.000+01:002018-10-14T19:00:02.236+01:00Five Random Facts About Me <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />Although I’ve had my blog for over 2 years, I've felt
like I disappearing in the middle of such amazing blogs and felt a
bit lost, however after having a slight break I now feel ready to get back into
it and really focus on my content. <br />As I have had a slight break
and also now really wanting to get into the world that is blogging, I
thought I’d share a few random facts about me!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Francis is actually my middle name
and yes it is spelt the boy’s way!<br />I have pretty much gone
through life saying this sentence after I tell someone my middle
name as I also have to spell it out to people!<br /><br />
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am a short arse! I stand at a
very proud (and short) 4ft11. My height really use to bother me and
I always dreamt of having lovely long legs but over the years, apart
from really not giving a damn what others think, I’ve accepted my
height because really there’s nothing I can do about it!<br /><br />
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I love Reality TV – I can HEAR
the eye rolls Haha!<br />When it comes to Reality TV I watch pretty
much everything, Geordie Shore, Jersey Shore, Anything Kardashian's,
Total Bella's, All variations of Teen Mom, Catfish, Celeb
Jungle....you get the gist!! I could literally just watch said shows all day....and I know I'm not the only one!<br /><br />
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have a fear of falling.<br />By
this I don’t mean falling over on the floor after a few Pornstar
Martinis on a Friday night! I hate flying and elevators for this
reason.<br />I have this fear that the plane is actually going to drop
out of the sky or an elevator is just going to drop to the ground,
yes it's as horrendous to feel like this as it is to read. <br /><br />5. Now including Disney on here
wouldn't be a random fact because all you have to do is look at my
Twitter and Instagram to see how much I love it! However I do also
love Horror films. I have watched so many Horror films it's crazy,
my favourite being Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the original and also
the remake. Along with my love for Horror films I also love
Halloween! My ultimate dream would be to visit Salem, Massachusetts
in October (not necessarily on Halloween because I can imagine it's
crazy busy!) </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br />So there you have it, 5 very random facts
about me! If you have also created a similar post, let me know in
the comments below. <br /><br />Maxine x
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-41481494446790086682018-03-17T09:00:00.000+00:002018-03-17T09:00:18.779+00:00Money Saving Tips <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDbGp_sQHWfn0qT6-OifcQbhPfs0lLiz9M3X1OoyWFoDJBi_PuHwLycOHAWZLasdP-S21f3IyzR8BdK_gMH1p17Cm7dfhv0D_4DGeSJBmQmhTj777j8HJd2p6kE8DmRC4pZzOtjHNKSxw/s1600/20180311_102450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDbGp_sQHWfn0qT6-OifcQbhPfs0lLiz9M3X1OoyWFoDJBi_PuHwLycOHAWZLasdP-S21f3IyzR8BdK_gMH1p17Cm7dfhv0D_4DGeSJBmQmhTj777j8HJd2p6kE8DmRC4pZzOtjHNKSxw/s400/20180311_102450.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is quite a long
post so grab a cuppa and get comfy!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I’m no ‘expert’
but in the last 5 years we have done some serious saving! We’ve
saved for a house deposit and also a wedding…so I thought I’d
share some of the tips that seem to have helped us as I know in this
day and age it seems impossible to save for house deposits especially
but don’t give up!<br />
Also these are just a few tips and ideas,
there are so many so maybe I'll follow up with more in the near
future.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Set a (realistic)
amount</u>Whether you’re saving for a big event such as a house
deposit or a wedding or you are just saving to pay any credit card
bills, maybe that nice holiday you keep pricing up? It’s always
best to set a realistic amount you can save weekly/monthly. <br />
To
get an idea of how much you think you could save, take into account
all of the things you have come out of your account i.e. phone bills,
gym membership, Netflix, Spotify etc etc. <br />
Then look at the figure
you are left with, also remember you still want to ‘live’ a
little so you don’t want to put the whole lot into savings and end
up with nothing.<br />
So maybe start by putting half into a savings
account and see how you get on.<br />
Now talking about savings
accounts, there are so many! If I’m completely honest I just opened
an online savers on the Lloyds mobile banking app as it’s so easy
to transfer money to and from, now I know this isn’t beneficial in
the way that I’m not making a lot if anything on interest but for
me I just wanted somewhere I can separate my savings. <br />
If this is
something you are wanting to look into I’d recommend looking on
Money Supermarket as this is the money man Martin Lewis’ website
and he’s brilliant at things like this!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Memberships/Subscriptions
– do you need them?</u>Everyone has at least one direct debit,
whether it be for the mortgage, car finance, phone contract etc
however most of us are guilty of having those direct debits to things
that we really don’t need!<br />
If you have these whether it be gym
membership or Netflix, think to yourself, do you need them? Now I can
hear people gasping at the suggestion to get rid of their Netflix
subscription but if it’s something you only watch every now and
then is it really worth paying for? When was the last time you went
to the gym? Or used that music app?<br />
If you have a service you are
paying for but you really don’t use, it might be time to cancel! If
you have doubts and think ‘Yes but I think I’ll use it in 5
months time’ well that’s fine there’s nothing to stop you from
signing back up but just think of the money you could save over the
month and year – it all helps!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Change (the money
kind!)</u><br />
By this I don’t mean you need to change personally!
What I am referring to are those pennies which sit in your
purse/wallet until the end of time. <br />
Start collecting those in a
tin or money pot. We have a Celebrations tin (no chocolates in there
obvs!) and we collect 1p’s, 2p’s and 5p’s. Anytime we have
change we just throw it in the tin and at the end of the month we
s
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is quite a long
post so grab a cuppa and get comfy!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I’m no ‘expert’
but in the last 5 years we have done some serious saving! We’ve
saved for a house deposit and also a wedding…so I thought I’d
share some of the tips that seem to have helped us as I know in this
day and age it seems impossible to save for house deposits especially
but don’t give up!<br />
Also these are just a few tips and ideas,
there are so many so maybe I'll follow up with more in the near
future.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Set a (realistic)
amount</u>Whether you’re saving for a big event such as a house
deposit or a wedding or you are just saving to pay any credit card
bills, maybe that nice holiday you keep pricing up? It’s always
best to set a realistic amount you can save weekly/monthly. <br />
To
get an idea of how much you think you could save, take into account
all of the things you have come out of your account i.e. phone bills,
gym membership, Netflix, Spotify etc etc. <br />
Then look at the figure
you are left with, also remember you still want to ‘live’ a
little so you don’t want to put the whole lot into savings and end
up with nothing.<br />
So maybe start by putting half into a savings
account and see how you get on.<br />
Now talking about savings
accounts, there are so many! If I’m completely honest I just opened
an online savers on the Lloyds mobile banking app as it’s so easy
to transfer money to and from, now I know this isn’t beneficial in
the way that I’m not making a lot if anything on interest but for
me I just wanted somewhere I can separate my savings. <br />
If this is
something you are wanting to look into I’d recommend looking on
Money Supermarket as this is the money man Martin Lewis’ website
and he’s brilliant at things like this!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Memberships/Subscriptions
– do you need them?</u>Everyone has at least one direct debit,
whether it be for the mortgage, car finance, phone contract etc
however most of us are guilty of having those direct debits to things
that we really don’t need!<br />
If you have these whether it be gym
membership or Netflix, think to yourself, do you need them? Now I can
hear people gasping at the suggestion to get rid of their Netflix
subscription but if it’s something you only watch every now and
then is it really worth paying for? When was the last time you went
to the gym? Or used that music app?<br />
If you have a service you are
paying for but you really don’t use, it might be time to cancel! If
you have doubts and think ‘Yes but I think I’ll use it in 5
months time’ well that’s fine there’s nothing to stop you from
signing back up but just think of the money you could save over the
month and year – it all helps!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Change (the money
kind!)</u><br />
By this I don’t mean you need to change personally!
What I am referring to are those pennies which sit in your
purse/wallet until the end of time. <br />
Start collecting those in a
tin or money pot. We have a Celebrations tin (no chocolates in there
obvs!) and we collect 1p’s, 2p’s and 5p’s. Anytime we have
change we just throw it in the tin and at the end of the month we
sort it into those plastic money bags (you can get these from the
bank) <br />
You’ll be surprised how much you’ll end up with over a
few months. Also if you let people know you are saving those you tend
to find people are happy to get rid of loose change and will throw it
your way! Start this and see how much you have after 6 months, then
go and take to the bank and bank the cash! It’s such an easy way to
save just that little extra.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Anything and
Everything else</u>Do you go out a lot? And by out I don’t
necessarily mean ‘out out’ but just an odd Costa trip here and a
cheeky Nando’s there…? (I’ve never been to Nando’s so not
sure I’m qualified to use that phrase!) It might be worth planning
to only have say 2 days a month where you do these sort of things,
you’d be amazed how much you save! This does come back to the part
above where I mentioned you obviously don’t want to give up
absolutely everything and be miserable but just cutting out a couple
of lunch dates will help.<br />
The same for Takeaways, these all add up
so maybe start having them as a once a month treat? You could always
make it fun and make your own takeaways, there are loads of recipes
on the internet for home-made Kebabs, Chinese, Pizza’s.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Whether you are saving
for a house deposit or that dream holiday I hope these tips have been
of help! If you have any more tips to save money share them in the
comments below to help others even more.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me know if you are
using any of these saving tips and if it’s helping.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Maxine
x</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-38127914648676400752018-03-12T19:00:00.000+00:002018-03-12T19:00:49.717+00:00Plans and Goals for 2018<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcdgg5C39HylRCNDSKAd0F-4gWALIvofVsVSgecCK9A1Ge_tnRr5CAJI5MkHdnQTx7B-97YT_lHQk4F0D_blNf2XppUI8iM6msePSKb9LlyR3QWgWDjycYa8-vCCssj-Q_3cm-_MiSEsG/s1600/20180311_101410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcdgg5C39HylRCNDSKAd0F-4gWALIvofVsVSgecCK9A1Ge_tnRr5CAJI5MkHdnQTx7B-97YT_lHQk4F0D_blNf2XppUI8iM6msePSKb9LlyR3QWgWDjycYa8-vCCssj-Q_3cm-_MiSEsG/s400/20180311_101410.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A VERY Belated Happy
New Year Everyone!
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am so excited for
this year! I just feel like it’s going to be a good one.<br />
The
main reason obviously being because I get married in 2 months –
AHHHH! But also I just have a good feeling about it! <br />
I feel like
there’s so much going on and when speaking to a few other people
it’s the same for them too. <br />
<br />
So apart from the big day and
then 2 weeks in Disney World for our Honeymoon which I am just as
excited about (obvs!)<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’m also going to the
Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea in June at the Kensington Hotel, I
have had this booked for way over a year so looking forward to this
of course!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Something I am
definitely going to do this year is go to more shows, both musicals
and concerts.<br />
Nottingham has a beautiful theatre and amazing shows
so I want to take advantage of this and go as many times as I can.
I'd also like to visit other cities theatres and halls to see shows.
<br />
<br />
We are decorating our living room – complete change!<br />
It
hasn’t been done since we moved in what with said wedding getting
booked so I can’t wait to get it done – Pinterest addict here!!
<br />
We then plan to do the rest of the house through the year, I’m
looking forward to seeing how it all looks after the revamp. I'll be
posting progress photos over on Instagram so make sure you're
following to see the before and afters. (Instagram - maxinefrancis89)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>I
also have a few goals this year, one being to read 50 books (EEEK!)
and the other is to watch all of the TV series I have on my list
which I want to see….there is a lot!! Wish me luck! <br />
<br />
Blog
goals are something I've set this year too, I'll list these below for
you to see and if you can help me reach these that'd be so
amazing!<br />
These are goals I hope to achieve by the end of the year
and yes I know numbers aren't everything but let's face it, to have
people follow you knowing they've chosen to look at your content is a
good feeling! <br />
<br />
Twitter followers – 5,000<br />
Instagram
followers – 2,000<br />
Total blog views – 50,000
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'd also love to meet
bloggers this year and attend more meet ups and events.
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
So
it’s safe to say I have a pretty big year ahead and I’m so
excited!<br />
<br />
Do you have any big plans this year? Maybe you’re
getting married too?! <br />
<br />
Maxine x</div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A VERY Belated Happy
New Year Everyone!
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am so excited for
this year! I just feel like it’s going to be a good one.<br />
The
main reason obviously being because I get married in 2 months –
AHHHH! But also I just have a good feeling about it! <br />
I feel like
there’s so much going on and when speaking to a few other people
it’s the same for them too. <br />
<br />
So apart from the big day and
then 2 weeks in Disney World for our Honeymoon which I am just as
excited about (obvs!) <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’m also going to the
Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea in June at the Kensington Hotel, I
have had this booked for way over a year so looking forward to this
of course!</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Something I am
definitely going to do this year is go to more shows, both musicals
and concerts.<br />
Nottingham has a beautiful theatre and amazing shows
so I want to take advantage of this and go as many times as I can.
I'd also like to visit other cities theatres and halls to see shows.
<br />
<br />
We are decorating our living room – complete change!<br />
It
hasn’t been done since we moved in what with said wedding getting
booked so I can’t wait to get it done – Pinterest addict here!!
<br />
We then plan to do the rest of the house through the year, I’m
looking forward to seeing how it all looks after the revamp. I'll be
posting progress photos over on Instagram so make sure you're
following to see the before and afters. (Instagram - maxinefrancis89)</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>I
also have a few goals this year, one being to read 50 books (EEEK!)
and the other is to watch all of the TV series I have on my list
which I want to see….there is a lot!! Wish me luck! <br />
<br />
Blog
goals are something I've set this year too, I'll list these below for
you to see and if you can help me reach these that'd be so
amazing!<br />
These are goals I hope to achieve by the end of the year
and yes I know numbers aren't everything but let's face it, to have
people follow you knowing they've chosen to look at your content is a
good feeling! <br />
<br />
Twitter followers – 5,000<br />
Instagram
followers – 2,000<br />
Total blog views – 50,000
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'd also love to meet
bloggers this year and attend more meet ups and events.
</div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
So
it’s safe to say I have a pretty big year ahead and I’m so
excited!<br />
<br />
Do you have any big plans this year? Maybe you’re
getting married too?! <br />
<br />
Maxine x<br />
<br />
<br />
(<i>The amazing diary in my photo is from B&M!) </i></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><i></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-76629591109244074582018-02-09T08:00:00.000+00:002018-03-11T10:53:06.829+00:00Revolucion De Cuba Nottingham - Bottomless Brunch Review <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWfWHDPldWomghC5_4zYa6YYZ4Q54NcN6Ff2olOucu3gpo-v8g5YHI1dRiISTlimje9C0bRfsTTh8l1w5KufHjqpiPyR-iIGj7G2Krufj9rrs4MXit_rXeZiBBT0a999PSw5tVNXHv0I6/s1600/20180204_124759%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWfWHDPldWomghC5_4zYa6YYZ4Q54NcN6Ff2olOucu3gpo-v8g5YHI1dRiISTlimje9C0bRfsTTh8l1w5KufHjqpiPyR-iIGj7G2Krufj9rrs4MXit_rXeZiBBT0a999PSw5tVNXHv0I6/s320/20180204_124759%255B1%255D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I was recently invited
to try out the new Bottomless Brunch at Revolucion De Cuba in
Nottingham. I have loved Rev De Cuba since it opened a couple
of years ago and literally from when it opened as I happened to be
out on a Christmas meal when we came across opening night! <br />
It’s
always a great atmosphere, whether you’re going during the day for
food and a few cocktails or if you are there during the evening on a
night out (out). </div>
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<br />
<br />
The Bottomless Brunch, which I have to say
is the best idea ever, is Saturday's and Sunday's until 2pm and is £25 per person and for this you choose one
of the meals off of the Brunch menu and you then have unlimited
prosecco, Mahou beer is also an option (If you're not a fan of prosecco or cocktails) and various selected cocktails for the two
hour slot of the brunch. </div>
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<br />
I have been to Rev De Cuba
Nottingham a few times both during the day and at night, the service
is always brilliant. We arrived for our booking and as soon as we
were seated the prosecco was being poured…my kind of service! <br />
It
was also really nice to meet Ashley the Sales Manager who came over
to discuss the brunch and also introduce himself. <br />
<br />
After looking at the
menu and changing my mind numerous times because everything sounded
so good, I finally decided on the Cubano Benedict. Richard (the Fiancé) went for
the Full Grilled Breakfast. </div>
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<br />
The Cubano Benedict was amazing and
something I would definitely have again. It was sourdough toast topped with roast pork, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce with crispy patatas on the side - YUM!<br />
The Full Grilled Breakfast, which I had slight food envy when it arrived, consisted of streaky bacon, smoked sausage, tomato, mushroom, fried egg and toast.<br />
All of the choices sounded amazing so we'll definitely be going back. </div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As well as the prosecco
I also decided to have one of the selected cocktails…why not?!<br />
Mojito’s are
included in the brunch and they also have different flavours,
Raspberry, Strawberry and Passionfruit.<br />
Now, being a huge fan of
Pornstar Martini’s I had to go with the Passionfruit.<br />
I can
confirm this was a good choice! It was really refreshing and full of
flavour. </div>
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So if you are planning a catch up or just somewhere for nice food and drinks with friends or family I would highly recommend the Bottomless Brunch at Revolucion De Cuba Nottingham.</div>
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I am not sure if this is something available at all Revolucion De Cuba's so it's definitely worth checking with your closest restaurant. </div>
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I'd also like to give a mention to our waitress Betty who was lovely and really looked after us....she also kept the prosecco topped up! </div>
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<em>Maxine x </em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-41933914254709473262017-10-23T20:05:00.000+01:002017-10-23T20:06:29.936+01:00Leatherface - Film Review <div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
love horror films, especially the classics such as Nightmare on Elm
Street, Halloween, Friday the 13<sup>th</sup> etc. So when I saw they
were releasing another Texas Chainsaw Massacre I couldn’t wait!
<br />
Although Leatherface isn’t a sequel or a remake, it’s
actually a prequel based on him growing up and how he became the
serial killer we know him as. <br />
<br />
I’m just going to start by
saying I thought it was brilliant! I read a few reviews which didn’t
rate it as highly but I thought there was just the right amount of
gore and suspense required to make a good horror film. The whole
cast, which includes Stephen Dorf and Lili Taylor, were great, each
character was played really well and kept the suspense going right
until the very end. </div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you're a fan of the classics I'd definitely recommend.<br />
<br />
So a brief description of the film….Four
teens escape a mental asylum taking a nurse who they have kidnapped
with them. They embark on a murderous road trip with the Sherriff of
the town pursuing them along the way. One of the teens in particular
is a disturbed youngster and the events that take place during the
rampage mould him into the infamous serial killer we know him to be
today, Leatherface.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me know if you have
seen this film and your thoughts.<br />
Also with Halloween just around
the corner, which films do you like to watch around this spooky
holiday?
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Maxine x
</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike><br /></strike>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(I do not own the image used in this blog post, no copyright intended) </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-75542050731902815542017-10-11T07:00:00.000+01:002017-10-11T08:14:36.294+01:00Wedding Post #2 Saying Yes To The Dress!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Of course we all know your wedding day is about the commitment between you and your soon to be husband/wife but we also know another huge thing about the day is THE DRESS!<br />
<br />
The wedding dress is the first thing you think of when planning your big day (I'm not speaking for everyone but it's got to be 99%!)<br />
Those memories you have of being a little girl and pretending to be wearing a wedding dress is finally happening, you probably already know the style, colour, shape you want to go for.<br />
It's one of the biggest<i>, </i>if not the biggest, decision and purchase you'll make. Not just because of the price but it's something you will always remember wearing and be reminded of wearing when you look back at your happy day.<br />
<br />
Wedding dress shopping for me was exciting but also quite overwhelming.<br />
I tried on so many styles and if there's one thing I have noticed from shopping for myself and also speaking to others, it's that the style you think you're going to like and will suit you the most isn't what you end up falling in love with!<br />
<br />
I wanted to share with you some tips and things to think about when picking your dream dress to help you also have that amazing experience and hopefully not be too overwhelming!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Budget</u></b><br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>The main thing you need to consider when you start looking for your dress is the budget.<br />
You need to be realistic and also remember just because it's £10,000 doesn't mean it's the best and most expensive looking!<br />
The dress I chose was the least expensive of the ones I tried on and it actually looks more expensive than some of the ones which were nearly £1,000 more!<br />
(Once the wedding has taken place, I'll post photo's and reveal the price!)<br />
When discussing your budget also take into consideration any alterations which may be required, depending on the alterations these can be anything between £50 - £300 (possibly more) so if you have a budget of say £2000 and the dress you fall in love with is £2100 you may think it's only £100 more but you may require £200 of alterations.<br />
It really is a personal choice and how much you are wanting to spend, as I say just because someone has spent £10,000 doesn't mean it's the best dress!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Style/Shape</u></b><br />
Princess? Fishtail? A-Line? Short?<br />
There are so many styles and shapes of dresses. You probably already know which style you are wanting to go for whether it be the big Princess ballgown or a simple fitted A Line dress.<br />
If I had any tips I would suggest you also try other styles, even the ones you thought you wouldn't like or you thought wouldn't suit you. You might be surprised and end up falling in love with one you wouldn't in a million years think you would!<br />
Make the most of your appointment and remember you're the bride to be and also the customer so any dress you see try it, see what it's like and if you don't like it you just move on to the next one.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Colour</u></b><br />
Now you are probably thinking 'Why are you even talking about the colour? White obviously!'<br />
Yes, most brides will choose either White or Ivory.<br />
However, it's becoming quite popular to go for a different colour. Brides are now steering towards the 'non traditional' aspect (myself included!) and not choosing the white or ivory dresses.<br />
The most popular colour when not choosing white/ivory is blush!<br />
Blush is a lovely subtle romantic colour which is fast becoming a popular choice amongst bride to be's.<br />
When shopping for a dress I also saw red, ice blue, peach, gold and quite a few others.<br />
So if you are wanting to choose another colour, don't worry there are quite a few options out there!<br />
Also if you find a dress you like and it's white/ivory in the shop, ask the bridal consultant whether it does come in any other colour, you will more than likely find they have the white/ivory in for trying on but it does come in different colours.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Entourage</u></b>If you are currently planning your big day you more than likely have seen the popular TV show 'Say Yes To The Dress' (I love it!) and you see them take about 600 people with them and surprise surprise they don't impress everyone!<br />
Keep your group small when going to try on dresses, only take the people who's opinions matter and not just because Auntie Joyce will be so upset if you don't take her with you.<br />
At the end of the day the final decision is yours but it's always nice to have someone with you who can let you know whether they are blown away or doesn't think it's the right style.<br />
People have different opinions and so if you take too many people you'll never please everyone and therefore you'll never make a decision. Remember - IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU!!<br />
<br />
<b><u>Finally....</u></b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The last things I can think are, don't rush into a decision and don't feel pressured into making a quick decision. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You are in control, if you aren't sure then you can have time to think. Whether that be popping for a quick coffee to discuss the dresses you've tried or even leaving it a week or two and then returning.<br />
I had been to two different bridal shops in one day and after 3 hours of trying dresses I just felt defeated, I had tried on pretty much every style and shape. I decided to come away and go back the following week, this helped so much! As I realised there were two dresses I really liked and going back to just try those two on again was so much easier than trying and comparing to around 30 others!<br />
<br />
<br />
If you are currently planning your wedding, Congratulations!<br />
I hope some or all of the above help to make your wedding dress shopping a little less overwhelming.<br />
<br />
Let me know in the comments below if your wedding is coming up.<br />
<br />
Maxine x </div>
<b></b><u></u><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-50937150475124727132017-09-13T21:12:00.001+01:002017-09-13T21:12:53.772+01:00Wedding Post #1 - Everything About The Big Day So Far...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I came back to blogging I knew I wanted to do Wedding posts!<br />Not just to share with everyone our big day but also to look back on in years to come at the highs and lows of planning your big day.<br />In the posts I want to share my plans, well maybe not EVERYTHING but as much as possible and also post any tips I can to help plan your special day. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">So this first post I'm just going to through what we have planned so far. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><u>The Date</u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Our big day is going to be Saturday 5th May 2018 (8 months to go!) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><u>Venue</u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We are having our whole day in one venue! This is something we definitely wanted to do to save having multiple trips and just for ease. <br />Our venue is a very nice Doubletree by Hilton hotel, it has a separate ceremony room and we have gone for the biggest room for the Wedding Breakfast (first meal as a married couple) and evening reception. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We have someone coming to decorate the rooms for us, this post will be going up after the wedding with details of who is doing this for us and also a review with lots of photos! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><u>Dress</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm obviously not going to go into too much detail with this one but I ordered my dress last November! I will definitely be doing a post on wedding dress shopping, I found it extremely overwhelming and I can imagine I'm not the only Bride to Be who has felt this. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">My fitting is January....I know!! Flipping January, straight after Christmas! To be honest I was going to be having a no crap eating Christmas this year anyway but this just makes me not want to eat junk at all over the festive period....I just keep reminding myself 'It's only this Christmas!' Needless to say I will still be having the odd tipple. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I have to say a special thank you here (I'll obviously also be doing something more nearer the time) to my lovely mum who is buying my wedding dress, I didn't know this until I said 'Yes to the dress' ! </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Photographer</u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">After looking online and going to wedding fayres we finally decided on a photographer who we think is going to brill, this will be another post after the wedding of the photographer, a review and photos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Cake</u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's obviously way too early to have a cake yet but we already know what we're having....cupcakes! <br />I just thought cakes are not cheap and I've been to so many weddings and they have the cake cut up for people to take and it hardly gets touched!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So we're having cupcakes made by my lovely mother in law to be who is fab at baking and then we're going to have cupcake boxes made so everyone can take them home. <br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><u>Suits & Rings </u></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We are hiring suits and these are going to be a light grey colour - love it! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I've never seen Richard in a suit (and we've been together 11 and a half years! so I'm not going with him for the fitting as I want to save this for the day. The rings are the next thing on the list to get, we've seen a few we like when walking past jewelers but need to go in and have a proper look and try on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Transport</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I searched and searched on the internet for a wedding car, now my absolute dream wedding car would be the 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 'Eleanor' I did actually find someone who has this as a chauffeur car however at around £300-£400 an hour I wasn't prepared to spend that much! Especially as it's only the one trip and it's only approx. 20 minutes! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Therefore I found a local wedding car hire company who has done me a fantastic deal, it's one guy who only has the one car so for no extra cost he's picking up my mum and the bridesmaids and taken them to the venue first at no extra cost. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I think for now I'm going to leave the post here, don't worry I'll be covering everything in posts every other Wednesday (as much as I can!) leading up to the big day including our Disneymoon and also the Hen Weekend!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Don't forget to follow me over on Twitter and Instagram.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you have your big day planned and coming up let me know in the comments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Also if you are also posting about your wedding and sharing tips, let me know and I'll check it out! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Maxine x </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-15347027501394457592017-09-03T19:00:00.000+01:002017-09-03T19:00:16.621+01:00I'm Back!<br />
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Well hellooooo there! I am back! <br />
This feels kinda surreal writing a post and exciting too! I've had somewhat of a break from the 'blog scene' and I'm back and ready to take my blog to the next level. <br />
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I wanted my first post to let you know why I stepped away and what has made me come back.<br />
So, when I look at the time I started blogging I can see where it went wrong! If you look at my first posts you'll see I had intentions of being a beauty blogger and I was going to write about new products and reviews, however when I really think about it, I'm not a beauty blogger and I felt like I was being false. Although I do wear make up, I don't have a make up routine and wear highlighters and contour, I literally wear a foundation and mascara when I'm going to work and when going out I'll use my Urban Decay Smokey Palette (That I DO obsess over!) and I have 'nicer' products but still nothing that requires technique! (I do wish I could make my make up look as flawless as those who are amazing with the skills!) I know beauty doesn't just cover make up so don't get me wrong I may from to time feature a product whether it be a new mascara or body lotion or a face cream etc but as the main point of my blog I started in the complete wrong direction and I don't mind being honest about it, I think it was mainly because there is a lot of amazing beauty bloggers and so I thought maybe that's what people prefer when reading blogs. However in the time I haven't been posting I've still been reading different blogs and different styles and it hit me that actually your blog is YOUR blog, it doesn't matter if the most popular ones are beauty inspired it's about YOU.<br />
Which brings me to why I wanted to give it another go and this time I'm really determind to have a blog that I'm proud of and can look at and be like 'Yep, that's me'<br />
So as I say yes I may include a few posts of beauty products but my main style of blog I will have is a Lifestyle, as the name tells you I am a chatterbox! So the idea of having more chatty posts is something I look forward to.<br />
Also I love movies and mainly horror! Therefore I'm currently thinking of ways I can incorporate this into my blog, I think the main thing will be maybe reviews of horror movies I watch, whether it be new releases or something I come across on Netflix etc <br />
To be honest I am a huge movie fan in general. <br />
One of my main loves that I am hoping to include is Disney - yes I see you rolling your eyes and thinking 'Really?! but Disney is for kids!' Bish, I am going to Disney World next year for my Honeymoon! <br />
This also brings to me another topic I will be featuring and that's Wedding's! I am marrying my best friend May 2018 and I couldn't be more excited! So I'll be posting an update of our plans and also any tips I can share to help other future brides! (This one I really look forward to) <br />
I'm also hoping to do a few travel style posts, mainly things to do in Nottingham and places to visit especially the Christmas Market! <br />
I just have so much planned and I look forward to sharing it with you. <br />
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So yeah, without making this post too long I just wanted to give an idea of where I am hoping my blog to go and see what happens! I'm very excited but also a little nervous, I know there are a lot of amazing bloggers out there and I am a tiny little fish in a great big blogging ocean but I'm excited to get back into the scene properly and meet more lovely people. I have to say that's another reason I wanted to get back into blogging - the lovely people you get to meet. <br />
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I'd just like to say a huge thank you to Amy (AlohaAmy) for making my blog header, it's absolutely amazing and I love it!<br />Go give Amy a follow on Twitter @alohaamyg and check out her amazing blog <a href="http://www.alohaamy.co.uk/">www.alohaamy.co.uk</a> <br />
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Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@Chatterboxmax) and Instagram (maxinefrancis89) although to be honest I think people are a bit fed of Instagram at the moment, including me! But I still post on there and I'm using the Instastories more now too. <br />
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Come say Hi over on Twitter or leave a comment below.<br />I'm also on Bloglovin' so give that button to the right a click to make sure you see when I next post. <br />
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Maxine x </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-76571858996390378252016-06-13T20:49:00.000+01:002016-06-13T20:49:15.316+01:00April Book Review: The Reflections of Snow White - David Meredith <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The story starts on the Eve Princess Raven's Wedding - Snow White's daughter - it's going to be a joyous occasion with the Princess marrying Prince Edel from the next Kingdom. Snow White has everything, a beautiful castle, a loving daughter - but there's one thing missing - her Prince Charming. <br /><br />Whilst the castle is being set for the Wedding, Snow White ventures to a part of the castle she hasn't been to for a while. During this time she comes across the Enchanted Mirror. <br />The Mirror shows her that she's able to get through the grieving of losing Charming by revisiting her younger years and when she first met her Charming. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But can Snow White trust a mirror that once served her infamous evil Step Mother? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was very kindly sent a copy of this book by the Author, David Meredith. <br />I'd describe the book as an adult fairytale and by that I mean it's a lot darker and more serious than the well known fairytale classic. <br />It's a book I enjoyed very much and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fantasy romance novel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You can purchase <em>The Reflections of Snow White</em> on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflections-Queen-Snow-White-ebook/dp/B00FLF4JAG" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-20868937485072585902016-05-13T12:26:00.000+01:002016-05-13T12:33:00.439+01:00March Book Review: The Teacher - Katerina Diamond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">'A Lesson you'll never forget'</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The summary of this book says 'Not for the faint hearted' and it definitely doesn't exaggerate. <br />It isn't your standard explicit, obscene graphic content, it goes a little further than that which is why it's a definite page turner. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br />The main story is the mystery killer who targets a headmaster of a school but at first it's thought to be suicide. It then comes to light sadistic acts had taken part in the past and someone wants revenge. People who were involved are targeted one by one and murdered in quite gory and painstaking ways. <br />We also get to know other characters who are involved, such as the detectives who are trying to track down the killer and also the 'victims' families.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The story skips between different characters involvements and also goes to the past to unravel the story of the acts which took place. <br /><br />If I'm being honest it did take me a couple of chapters to get into the book and warm to the characters as they also have their own personal issues but as soon as I was hooked I couldn't stop reading. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The characters I felt kept the book interesting and compelling are the two disastrous put together detectives DS Miles and DS Grey. They could actually have their own book with their own life stories! <br /><br />This is the first book from Katerina Diamond and I really enjoyed it. <br /><br />You can buy your copy of The Teacher on Amazon in paperback and Kindle edition <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teacher-Katerina-Diamond/dp/0008168156" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you have read this book, let me know what you thought. <br /><br />Make sure to follow Katerina on Twitter - @TheVenomousPen</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-37609377638861497832016-04-17T14:54:00.002+01:002016-04-17T14:54:33.082+01:00The 90s Tag! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0UNhb_rcCAHPF_G_hO_R_WLJBcOa2afriQnqFpqSD9FoNRwNfb3G0cipWO6TLlj2NkJe6lLjFVBOvOAv8PvnIhMl34MWPd5Auk0wx974iY44sQ-2pEijbzOR4LCcy-JMUpCUIQ_2zl1L/s1600/90s+tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0UNhb_rcCAHPF_G_hO_R_WLJBcOa2afriQnqFpqSD9FoNRwNfb3G0cipWO6TLlj2NkJe6lLjFVBOvOAv8PvnIhMl34MWPd5Auk0wx974iY44sQ-2pEijbzOR4LCcy-JMUpCUIQ_2zl1L/s400/90s+tag.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was tagged by the lovely <a href="http://www.underlandtowonderland.com/2016_03_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Danielle from Underland to Wonderland</a> to feature a 90s Tag!<br />I love that I grew up in the 90s (I was born in 1989),it was such a brilliant decade to have a childhood. So many iconic things from the 90s - movies, clothes, music, games. <br /><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>1. Favourite Disney Film?<br /></strong>Beauty and The Beast of course! <br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>2. Favourite Music Artist?<br /></strong>Ah there were so many! I loved the boybands - Backstreet Boys / NSync / 911 and of course the best girl group ever - Spice Girls!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>3. Favourite Game? (Board game / School game)<br /></strong>I loved playing Payday with my younger sister, we'd sit and play for hours. <br />School games...Hand clapping games or 'What time is it Mr Wolf?' </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>4. Favourite Sweets?<br /></strong>Where do I start?! Gobstoppers, Ring Pop, Chewits, Cola Cubes, Double Dip, Flumps, Flying Saucers, so many!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>5. Favourite McDonald's Happy Meal Toy?<br /></strong>I can't actually remember any of them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>6. Favourite Book?<br /></strong>Harry Potter obviously but I love reading so there were so many!<br /><br /><strong>7. Favourite Clothing Store?<br /></strong>Tammy Girl and MK One! (Memories of 90s fashion)<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>8. Favourite TV Show?<br /></strong>The 90s definitely had the best TV Shows! Kenan & Kel, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Sister Sister, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Moesha, Playdays, Zzzap!, Art Attack, Are You Afraid of The Dark? Hey Arnold, Rugrats....loadssss!<br /><br /><strong>9. What Show Would You Watch After School?</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">See above! LOL<br /></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana;">10. What Was Your Favourite 90s Game Show?</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Crystal Maze, Fort Boyard, Fun House!<br /><br /><strong>11. Did You Own a Virtual Pet?<br /></strong>Tamagotchi :)<br /><br /><strong>12. Favourite Video Game and System To Play On?<br /></strong>My first game console was SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) so obviously Mario Brothers (Original!) but for the most of the 90s I had a PlayStation One and loved Crash Bandicoot and Driver.<br /><br /><strong>13. Weirdest Fashion Trend?<br /></strong>The whole of the 90s was pretty much a weird fashion trend haha! but saying that it's all coming back into fashion now.<br /><br /><strong>14. Favourite Toys?<br /></strong>Barbie's obviously! but 90s toys - Polly Pocket - I actually can't think of any others!<br /><br /><strong>15. Favourite Nickelodeon Show?<br /></strong>I think I covered this on favourite tv show!<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I tag my younger sister Ellie who's over at <a href="http://elliekathleens.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ellie Kathleen</a>.<br />plus anyone else who'd like to share their 90s memories! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I hope you've enjoyed this post, thank you Danielle for tagging me I really enjoyed reminiscing on the 90s!<br /><br /><em>Maxine x </em> </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-68247580250120789512016-04-03T21:59:00.003+01:002016-04-07T13:21:27.700+01:0010 Lovely Touches For Your Office/Home Desk <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whether you have an office desk at a company you work for or work from home it's always nice to add those touches which don't keep reminding you that you are yet to win the lottery so you don't have to work at all and can just sit on a beach with a cocktail...maybe one day! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">There are some really nice things you can buy for your desk and I have to admit I have a little obsession when it comes to browsing the web for stationary items. With the majority of people likely to read this being fellow bloggers who will more than likely have their own desk I wanted to share some of these with you :)</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.paperchase.co.uk/stationery/filing-storage/all-filing-storage/birds-black-metal-desk-box.html" target="_blank">Paperchase Black Bird Metal Desk Box</a> - £10 (currently on sale)<br /><a href="http://www.wilko.com/pens-and-pencils/wilko-pens-glitter-gel-5pk/invt/0349368" target="_blank">Wilko Glitter Gel Pens</a> - £1.25 pack of 5<br /><a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/radley-fleet-street-a5-wiro-notebook/p2319193" target="_blank">Radley A5 Notebook</a> - £12</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Post--2028P-Notes-Cube-Sheets/dp/B000I5ZIUY/ref=sr_1_24/280-0095215-5889275?ie=UTF8&qid=1459714497&sr=8-24&keywords=pink+stationery" target="_blank">Pink Post It Notes</a> - £6.09<br /><a href="http://www.paperchase.co.uk/rose-gold-paperclips.html" target="_blank">Paperchase Rose Gold Paperclips</a> - £2.50 pack of 200<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hollow-Flower-Pattern-Pencil-Organizer/dp/B00EZB744K/ref=sr_1_109?ie=UTF8&qid=1459715206&sr=8-109&keywords=stationary" target="_blank">Light Blue Pen/Pencil Holder</a> - £2.50<br /><a href="http://www.paperchase.co.uk/bloom-copper-stapler.html" target="_blank">Paperchase Rose Gold Stapler</a> - £25<br /><a href="http://www.paperchase.co.uk/bloom-copper-hole-punch.html" target="_blank">Paperchase Rose Gold Hole Punch</a> - £29<br /><a href="http://www.disneystore.co.uk/minnie-mouse-pencils-set/mp/93089/1000266/" target="_blank">Minnie Mouse Pencil Set</a> - £4.95<br /><a href="http://www.disneystore.co.uk/minnie-mouse-designer-journal/mp/93117/1000268/" target="_blank">Minnie Mouse Journal</a> - £14.95</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Let me know if you'll be purchasing any of these lovely items or which are your favourite. </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Maxine x </span></em><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Prices correct at time of posting. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-46010595251518976932016-03-20T20:18:00.000+00:002016-03-20T20:18:15.120+00:00My Favourite Disney Vloggers <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Whether you know me personally or follow me on Twitter or Instagram you will know my love for everything Disney.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I pretty much eat, sleep and breath Disney (other fanatics out there will understand)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">My ultimate dream came true when myself and my Fiancé went to Disney World for two weeks May 2012 - way too long ago! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We loved it that much we're planning to go back next year for hopefully our Disneymoon (that is obviously a Honeymoon at Disney) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Whilst waiting for this to happen there's nothing I love more than watching Disney vlogs and seeing other people's happiness at 'The happiest place on Earth'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">As I've watched pretty much all of the following people's vlogs and actually built a friendship and spoken to most of them on social media - mainly Twitter - I knew I wanted to post their channels on my blog so everyone can share the happiness :-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Please go check out their channels and subscribe :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>Their channel names below are linked to their YouTube. </em></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCglPgtk6eOBdo32NxJ9biqQ" target="_blank">Get Binky</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/1704kirsty" target="_blank">Hakz</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEucarQRlFRmBVJ5SyX5CA" target="_blank">Krispy Smore</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnF4ABClpMvPJaqOYJT5vpQ" target="_blank">Nadolny Nearly In Focus</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCut2v2WZPkmR1lfl0YQBvGg" target="_blank">Spoonful Of Sugar</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/thatsoundsfunvideos" target="_blank">That Sounds Fun</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TJsVlogs" target="_blank">Tom and Sophie</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1WpM_NM4zR1836aQsARU4w" target="_blank">Will and Lelly</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/xelliesrambling" target="_blank">Ellie Steadman</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/SeeYaReelSoon" target="_blank">See Ya Reel Soon</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7w5qSY8wWRr1RFQs2413JQ" target="_blank">Natalie and Jamie</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbuUiqjdOXG75GGdb49j1g" target="_blank">Molly Buck</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/OnceUponADreem" target="_blank">Disney at Heart</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/Lilmisschickas" target="_blank">Lil Miss Chickas</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/DoubleYourDose" target="_blank">The Disney Double Dose</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTimTracker" target="_blank">The Tim Tracker</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJ8J8ZFoTST9P-0J9JsRHQ" target="_blank">Happiest Vlogs on Earth</a> </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC28UZfrSl4UoKJOMUWr2rbw" target="_blank">Ears 2 You</a></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make sure to also follow them on Twitter, you'll find their Twitter details in the 'About Me' page on their channels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If there are any Disney vlog channels you are subscribed to which aren't featured above, let me know in the comments below as I'm always looking out for more channels to subscribe to!</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">See Ya Real Soon!</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-68239887268586356972016-03-13T21:52:00.000+00:002016-03-13T21:52:45.663+00:00February Book Review: Trust In Me - Sophie McKenzie <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigthdU5e0hC5flwf_iTzesd-TCLateB9JcANoEizxmMEtPVpAmUyRyjG3dWhpDoZckLeyYuaeLK7E04uio9BVOB4HJtQ-IFNTBIqFF0NqR-I-hF1wgLT2lYyylOjXYk0Wy9fNcJpXtZiDp/s1600/IMAG0393_1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigthdU5e0hC5flwf_iTzesd-TCLateB9JcANoEizxmMEtPVpAmUyRyjG3dWhpDoZckLeyYuaeLK7E04uio9BVOB4HJtQ-IFNTBIqFF0NqR-I-hF1wgLT2lYyylOjXYk0Wy9fNcJpXtZiDp/s400/IMAG0393_1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Julia has always been the friend that Livy turns to when life is difficult, they've always told each other everything....or so Livy thought.<br />But when Julia is found dead in her home, Livy cannot accept that her best friend chose to end her own life. Doubt sets in straight away and Livy sets out to prove that Julia was in fact murdered. Little does she realise that digging into her best friends private life will cause her to question everything she thought she knew about Julia and the truth that Livy discovers can tear her own life apart. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Trust In Me is the first book by Sophie McKenzie I have read and I loved it, I was totally absorbed and never wanted to stop reading every page was exciting and I always wanted to know what happened next. This genre of book is definitely my favourite, always leaving you guessing until you reach the end and this one was probably <em>the most shocking twist</em>. Sometimes you read books and maybe half way through you have guessed what's going to happen but I definitely didn't see what was coming with this one, every time I thought I had sussed it something else happened that I wasn't expecting!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I really enjoyed the characters and although you never really meet Julia because it starts with her being found in her home you feel her presence in the book which is really clever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone, even if you're not a thriller/mystery novel reader I can guarantee you'd enjoy the suspense of every page. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll also be checking out Sophie McKenzie's other books, if they are anything like this than they are bound to be brilliant. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Have you read this book? I'd love to know what you thought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Maybe you're going to purchase this book based on this review? Let me know! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can purchase this book on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-Me-Sophie-McKenzie/dp/1471111768" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or at other leading book stores.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's also available to download to your kindle. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Check out Sophie McKenzie on Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/sophiemckenzieauthor">www.facebook.com/sophiemckenzieauthor</a>) or follow her over on Twitter (@sophiemckenzie_ ) </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-11731308025268452262016-02-11T18:00:00.000+00:002016-02-11T18:00:03.287+00:00Radisson Blu Edwardian New Providence Wharf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZnjr7VC2hiChetHy_EYIaPYREQlqufeyalUOAL5xliRAJRgDedaobTjE0LayPoyczRYyxt20erAgWLlZ11zcV-gg_QQwZZkZEVLCwRPv776eQhWvQVEtJH-9tDKOmmrz32vWhSM0CcTK/s1600/IMAG0365-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZnjr7VC2hiChetHy_EYIaPYREQlqufeyalUOAL5xliRAJRgDedaobTjE0LayPoyczRYyxt20erAgWLlZ11zcV-gg_QQwZZkZEVLCwRPv776eQhWvQVEtJH-9tDKOmmrz32vWhSM0CcTK/s400/IMAG0365-01.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For Christmas I bought my Fiancé tickets to see David Haye at the O2 Arena in London. We hadn't been to the O2 before and so I wanted to make a weekend of it and book a hotel to stay the night. <br />I searched on the internet for hotels near the arena and came across Radisson Blu Edwardian which is just across the river from the O2 - perfect! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I actually booked through LateRooms.com as it was a lot cheaper, because of the location you can imagine it's in the higher price range. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">After happily booking I wanted to look at a possible upgrade and maybe added extras to the room so I gave the hotel a call direct. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I spoke to the lovely Cleo who I informed the night was a Christmas present but it was also our 10th anniversary last month upon doing this Cleo confirmed they could add rose petals on the bed and a swan towel origami which I was really pleased about, I then asked about upgrades and after discussing options I upgraded to a river view room - I was not expecting the view we had! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">When we arrived at the hotel we were really impressed with the location, I can imagine in the Summer sitting by the river with a cocktail is even better!.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">The reception was lovely and the staff are all very friendly. What's even better is there is a sweet cart you can help yourself to! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-y9GlKb5oGZhF3C21ZnU7SLWoChMP95vvj-lNJR3hzxQQxHyLgPdY-CvK-SlHEG8duJpgYuSoLPU_VfyS_RKuORDvrUSTH88ufVgdRxAoGlVapYd1zIRU72TQvhFtHB7V6hnyuPRcIJc/s1600/IMAG0362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-y9GlKb5oGZhF3C21ZnU7SLWoChMP95vvj-lNJR3hzxQQxHyLgPdY-CvK-SlHEG8duJpgYuSoLPU_VfyS_RKuORDvrUSTH88ufVgdRxAoGlVapYd1zIRU72TQvhFtHB7V6hnyuPRcIJc/s320/IMAG0362.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After checking in very swiftly we made our way to our room, I was very excited to see what the upgrade had to offer and wasn't expecting to how amazing it was when I opened the door....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The view of the O2 arena from our window was amazing, we were both totally blown away. The rose petals and swan origami towels on the bed was a lovely touch and they had also put chocolate covered strawberries (definitely a winner with me) and a lovely card on the side for us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">They really made it feel that extra bit special.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The bathroom was also very impressive and with a great view, although if you do happen to stay here please remember it's not privacy glass if you do take a bath! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">One thing I didn't do was take a photo of the shower which was one of those with the giant flat shower heads and was amazing! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMy9lkd1vDKVp4HqLwcFLpUy745VoFW1ldB-gijietrJf9GGK0BMjfL9_b8-xrKujosePaeOv6GKHdAMdoSRIr5CiPGLgBad2cTF7nvuODxdf5SwUAX_Yvh7_zjX33J0vjmRnjbSw0WBo/s1600/IMG_20160116_231450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMy9lkd1vDKVp4HqLwcFLpUy745VoFW1ldB-gijietrJf9GGK0BMjfL9_b8-xrKujosePaeOv6GKHdAMdoSRIr5CiPGLgBad2cTF7nvuODxdf5SwUAX_Yvh7_zjX33J0vjmRnjbSw0WBo/s320/IMG_20160116_231450.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The view of the O2 was even more breathtaking at night when it's all lit up and reflecting over the Thames. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We also had breakfast which was lovely, it was a buffet breakfast although if you wanted to you could fill out the breakfast card in your room to order room service for the morning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Typically I didn't take photos (I was too excited to get tucked in) but I had pancakes with maple syrup, strawberries and bacon which was delicious. There was also full English breakfast, meats, cereals, A la carte menu to order things like eggs benedict, pancakes etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Overall I'd highly recommend anyone to stay here whether it be for an event at the O2 or a romantic getaway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">We will definitely be returning and I look forward to it already. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you'd like to book a night you can check out their website <a href="http://www.radissonblu-edwardian.com/london-hotel-gb-e14-9jb/gbcanary" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: x-small;"><em>Maxine x </em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: x-small;">Don't forget to follow my blog on Bloglovin' </span></em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-88263413232294467042016-02-09T09:00:00.000+00:002016-02-09T09:00:00.138+00:00Valentine's Date Night <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have to admit I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day as I don't think people should just use that day to tell each other they love them, it should be said all year round :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But that said we do still get each other a card and go for a nice meal - any excuse to get dressed up!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've browsed the net for hours looking for outfits which are somewhat related to Valentine's Day and below are my top picks. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTZuWTHXpJcJfMzFE21Xsbs_9PP1Ww0UhjODAde6IHNEdLtPc-25WTjtTf5pu8TCOUw9Bg9R_uzALSzUYdgp_cLBeOiXupBjKg2_1q6O9viF0eI_rn_1hTsO3ewuFMLOreScBgTlu_5GV/s1600/valentines.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTZuWTHXpJcJfMzFE21Xsbs_9PP1Ww0UhjODAde6IHNEdLtPc-25WTjtTf5pu8TCOUw9Bg9R_uzALSzUYdgp_cLBeOiXupBjKg2_1q6O9viF0eI_rn_1hTsO3ewuFMLOreScBgTlu_5GV/s400/valentines.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/bodycon-dresses/lola-mini-bodycon-lip-dress/invt/azz10585" target="_blank">Boohoo Mini Bodycon Lips Dress</a> - £10</div>
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2. <a href="http://www.argento.co.uk/en/Pandora-Sparkling-Heart-Ring/m-50211.aspx" target="_blank">Pandora Heart Ring</a> - £55</div>
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3. <a href="http://www.annsummers.com/lingerie/lingerie-shop-by-category/lingerie-shop-by-category-nightwear/lena-teddy/LENA-TEDDY.html?dwvar_LENA-TEDDY_color=112&dwvar_LENA-TEDDY_size=102#start=9" target="_blank">Ann Summers Pink/Black Teddy</a>- £25</div>
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4.<a href="http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/new-in-accessories/evelyn-love-heart-earrings/invt/dzz88519" target="_blank"> Boohoo Love Heart Earrings</a> - £4</div>
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5. <a href="http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/new-in-accessories/lucy-heart-clasp-glitter-clutch-bag/invt/dzz86841" target="_blank">Boohoo Pink Glitter Heart Clasp Clutch bag</a> - £14 </div>
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6. <a href="http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/shoes-430/heels-458/reese-feather-sandals-5119788?bi=40&ps=20" target="_blank">Topshop Fluffy Sandals</a> - £50 </div>
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7. <a href="http://www.boohoo.com/restofworld/lingerie+nightwear/sally-slinky-contrast-lace-night-dress/invt/nzz99975" target="_blank">Boohoo Slinky Red Lace Night Dress</a> - £10</div>
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8. <a href="http://www.argento.co.uk/en/Pandora-Heart-Maze-Charm/m-54807.aspx" target="_blank">Pandora Heart Charm</a> - £25 </div>
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9. <a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/product/view-all-dresses-2523253/showcase-pink-bardot-bodycon-dress-5270795?bi=20&ps=20" target="_blank">Dorothy Perkins Pink Bardot Dress</a> - £55</div>
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10. <a href="https://www.net-a-porter.com/gb/en/product/364311?cm_mmc=polyvoreUK-desktop-_-cpc-_-pumps-_-https://www.net-a-porter.com/product/364311" target="_blank">Charlotte Olympia Suede Heart Shoes</a> - £445</div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Happy Valentine's Day</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-75317919213253273732016-02-08T08:30:00.000+00:002016-02-08T08:30:12.322+00:00January Book Review - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDfKPT63UmzEU2ckDeCj82ebVQRZvAa-DBiY49ld0RHpDY5X3nDS8cLc5Mr_pOPTCBmnQsbP3H_mHW7ABaDSdJidLGKXFPHOl6LUf4QoRqCh1GeDaxAzv7qiBYxuxjy0XTMKzH6Tv18Ov/s1600/IMAG0370_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDfKPT63UmzEU2ckDeCj82ebVQRZvAa-DBiY49ld0RHpDY5X3nDS8cLc5Mr_pOPTCBmnQsbP3H_mHW7ABaDSdJidLGKXFPHOl6LUf4QoRqCh1GeDaxAzv7qiBYxuxjy0XTMKzH6Tv18Ov/s400/IMAG0370_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each month I'm going to do a book review, I absolutely love reading and getting lost in a book, falling in love with the characters and story. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">This month I decided to choose a book genre that I don't usually read as I'm more of a Crime, Mystery, Murder Detective book fan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So choosing Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell was totally out of my comfort zone when it comes to reading. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However, I'm so glad I did choose it as I loved it from the first page to the last. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Eleanor & Park is about two teenagers who meet on the school bus, Eleanor is the new (awkward) girl at school and Park is the slightly popular half korean boy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's a book which will remind you of those awkward times at school when you had your first crush and possible love. Both characters have a lot going on in their complicated family lives which brings them closer together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What I loved the most about the book is how real it seemed, there were no far fetched romantic events, in fact the two characters are like chalk and cheese which makes them perfect for each other. What happens in both of their lives is something that has/will be happening in many peoples lives that you can actually relate to the characters and that's what made me fall in love with them even more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With the book being set in the 80's there aren't any smartphones or laptops they communicate via landline, mix tapes and conversations face to face which is quite refreshing to read. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'd recommend Eleanor & Park to everyone, even if like me you're not a fan of romance books and would prefer a good murder mystery, because you can relate to the characters and it's very realistic it makes it a book for pretty much everyone to read. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll definitely be checking out Rainbow Rowell's other books. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm looking forward to my next book review for February, make sure to follow me on Bloglovin' so you don't miss it and if there's a book you'd recommend I read and review please let me know :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-73637162137446174682016-02-07T15:45:00.000+00:002016-02-07T15:45:12.404+00:00January Fitness Diary - Week Four <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8n388fwPd3HMNY5f0eMsgrdyKq8ERoy5D15nnRld8e8LwimufumbxYDibFR18qvRTU51fIjAWwlcJ6urNtR82e_bcVjmpSvs0rMLbhMzsrv0Rn_kBxFH0QuNVCQpcXCLbU6n12930_zgx/s1600/cooltext160687810615993.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="51" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8n388fwPd3HMNY5f0eMsgrdyKq8ERoy5D15nnRld8e8LwimufumbxYDibFR18qvRTU51fIjAWwlcJ6urNtR82e_bcVjmpSvs0rMLbhMzsrv0Rn_kBxFH0QuNVCQpcXCLbU6n12930_zgx/s320/cooltext160687810615993.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this is my final post of the 'My Fitness Plan' series. I'd recommend anyone doing this, whether it be on a blog or just in a diary. It gives you the chance to keep a track of what you're eating and see if there are any improvements you can make. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'd also highly recommend downloading the 'Youfood' app, it's basically like Instagram but just for food. So it's great to also use that to keep track of meals and you can get some great recipe ideas from other people. It's clever in the way that because you're sharing your meals you want them to look good and not post anything unhealthy so it makes you want to eat better foods to show it off!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Monday 25th January </span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Porridge Oats with semi skimmed milk and a sliced banana</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Mediterranean flavoured tuna on wholemeal bread, Dairylea dunkers and a toffee flavoured muller light yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Chinese style rice with tandoori salmon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Banana and 2 Satsumas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - 0 glasses of water but two cups of green tea with lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tuesday 26th January</span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Porridge oats with semi skimmed milk and a sliced banana with almonds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Spicy Mexican rice, Melon pieces, Banana and custard muller light yogurt and diarylea dunkers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Chicken en croute with vegetables</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - 2 Satsumas and a banana</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - 2 cups of green tea with lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Exercise - surprisingly I did do a bit of a exercise and it was a 15 minute HIT workout. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wednesday 27th January</span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Porridge with semi skimmed milk and blueberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Chicken rice, dairylea dunkers and crabsticks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Spaghetti Bolognese </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Banana and 2 Satsumas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - 1 cup of green tea with lemon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Thursday 28th January</span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Two Weetabix with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Mexican flavoured tuna on wholemeal bread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Stuffed peppers with tempura bassa fish and pasta</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - half a slice of pork pie, fruit pot</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><u>Friday 29th January</u></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Two Weetabix with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Mexican flavoured tuna on wholemeal bread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Southern Fried Chicken and Chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Banana and 2 satsumas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Saturday 30th January</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Vegetarian sausage sandwich with ketchup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - packet of mini cheddars (not the healthiest or best lunch!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Salmon with soy and ginger sauce and supernoodles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - no fruit today :(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><u>Sunday 31st January</u></span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm so annoyed I forgot to take photos on this day and can't remember what I had :( </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I think from doing this diary I've learnt that I definitely need to do more exercise, I'm thinking of joining back at the gym and do a few classes as I did enjoy it before. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Let me know if you have been keeping a fitness diary and how you're getting on. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin'</span></em></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-51871259915551306402016-01-30T10:00:00.000+00:002016-01-30T10:00:29.377+00:00Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn-oDPCuhhVEmspEFAouHsPPmzlfrucyyMveWMh7n_5pRkTiVJGYvhTjTnpcTD-HA_rfxLOBQbzRB9CjjDMvSL2bZQL4PG86KDktUeRQOrkVDkqhxkpIBj0vLyl34F97sAwPs78uqbU3_/s1600/garnier.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVn-oDPCuhhVEmspEFAouHsPPmzlfrucyyMveWMh7n_5pRkTiVJGYvhTjTnpcTD-HA_rfxLOBQbzRB9CjjDMvSL2bZQL4PG86KDktUeRQOrkVDkqhxkpIBj0vLyl34F97sAwPs78uqbU3_/s400/garnier.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm always wanting to try new products especially skincare. I have quite dry sensitive skin especially on my face so anything that's going to help I'm willing to give it a go. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I saw the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water in Boots a few weeks ago and thought I'd give it a try but because my skin is quite sensitive I'm still weary of what I try to make sure I don't call any irritation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With this being a cleansing water it doesn't have any chemicals or perfume so is perfect if like me you do have sensitive skin. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Before writing a review I always like to try a product for a couple of weeks to get a real feel of the product so I can give an honest opinion. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My first impression of the cleansing water was how light it feels when using it to remove make up and generally cleanse. You can actually feel the make up being removed and going onto the cotton pad. When finished my skin felt so soft and fresh I was really happy with it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've been using it morning and night and can tell a difference with my skin, it doesn't feel as dry anymore and that's something I'm really happy about as I can get quite embarrassed if I do have any dry patches. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It also removes eye make up and really well, even waterproof mascara! and because it's so easy to use, there's no excuse of not removing make up after a night out ;-) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'd definitely recommend Garnier Cleansing Water, let me know in the comments if you do try it or if you already use it and love it as much as I do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x<br />Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin'</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">All opinions are my own. </span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-81466891843916986752016-01-29T08:30:00.000+00:002016-01-29T08:30:02.303+00:00January Fitness Diary - Week Three <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week Three of My Fitness Plan and I'm slowly losing motivation already but it's really annoying me, I've been considering going back to the gym again and maybe starting to do classes in the morning before work. I did start a 10 minute HIT cardio programme which is fun but I feel like I need that extra push. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm really enjoying the 'Youfood' app, actually I'm becoming a bit addicted to browsing people's food diaries and looking for new recipe ideas! It's also clever because you really want to impress everyone with what you're eating so I haven't wanted to eat boring foods as I don't want to post a photo of that so I've been trying new things and making my food look yummy :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><u>Monday 18th January</u><em>I had the day off work so it's fair to say I didn't stick to any plan! In fact I pretty much ate anything in sight, as much as I'm embarrassed to admit. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Sausage sandwich with tomato sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Not much of a lunch as I just snacked on everything!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Pizza *Monkey covering eyes emoji* </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - I am loving flavoured sparkling water at the moment and Morrison's do 5 bottles for £1.50 - bargain! So I had one bottle today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Everything! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><u>Tuesday 19th January</u></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Back on track!</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Muller light strawberry yogurt with porridge oats and blueberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Mushroom rice with sweetcorn and peppers, Dairylea dunkers and a satsuma</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Two Slimming World sausages (from Iceland), veg and a Yorkshire pudding</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - 1 bottle of flavoured sparkling water and 1 glass of water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Banana, satsuma and grapes</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wednesday 20th January </span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Muller light Strawberry yogurt with porridge oats</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Cous Cous with sweetcorn, chickpeas, peppers, sultanas and seafood sticks </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Homemade lasagne with plum tomatoes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - 1 bottle of flavoured sparkling water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snacks - 2 satsumas, banana and Dairylea dunkers</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Thursday 21st January </span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Peanut butter on wholemeal bread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Leftover homemade lasagne</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Italian chicken and tomato soup with a slice of wholemeal bread</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - 2 glasses </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - 2 satsumas, banana, grapes and a Muller corner banana chocolate flakes yogurt. </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Friday 22nd January</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Peanut butter on wholemeal bread </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Leftover Italian chicken and tomato soup</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Chicken burger with Supernoodles and extra light mayo</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water - 1 glass </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - banana, satsuma. Carrot sticks with sweet chilli hummus. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2 glasses of wine (It's Friday!!)</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Saturday 23rd January </span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Costa coffee - Caramel Cappuccino</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - I won brunch and cocktails for 2 on Twitter at Revolucion De Cuba in Nottingham and it was amazing! I had a breakfast burrito which was stuffed with cheese, chorizo, jalapenos and mushrooms. The cocktails I chose was an Espresso Rumtini which was nice but couldn't have more than one, they're quite sickly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Italian Chicken and tomato soup with a portion of pasta. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - No water today just coffee and cocktails!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - still had my banana and satsuma :-) </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sunday 24th January</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Sausage sandwich on wholemeal bread with tomato sauce </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - I didn't have lunch, I was too busy being lazy on the settee watching American Idol :-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Coq Au Vin with Yorshire puddings</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - scotch pancakes with maple syrup. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So that was my third week, typing this out is showing me that I'm already starting to slack, these diaries are a really good idea to keep yourself updated and show where you need to improve. Mine is that I need to do more exercising, especially if I want to reach my weight goal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank you to all who are following my fitness plan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you'd like to see the photos of all my meals you can add me on Youfood, my username on there is MaxineFrancis89</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x <br />Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin' </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Let's chat fitness - <a href="mailto:maxinesanders8922@gmail.com">maxinesanders8922</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">@gmail.com</a></span></em></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-17804167362893524162016-01-21T07:00:00.000+00:002016-01-28T20:20:29.339+00:00January Fitness Diary - Week Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8heMZ6FIF-GN4vNHERmapYjAp3enQ4UOI8yPuSk9Qa9hbM-Bj6CBCiBpB9NZufy-gTlMQtarISryVvDSJbbjhneN6RUHKsJDuN5SinpG0aGMev92UOFYQOrkEbgnhJNJj-Z1_UUoXTIj/s1600/cooltext160687810615993.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="63" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8heMZ6FIF-GN4vNHERmapYjAp3enQ4UOI8yPuSk9Qa9hbM-Bj6CBCiBpB9NZufy-gTlMQtarISryVvDSJbbjhneN6RUHKsJDuN5SinpG0aGMev92UOFYQOrkEbgnhJNJj-Z1_UUoXTIj/s400/cooltext160687810615993.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, week two of my fitness diary. I lost 4lb last week which I was very impressed with, considering the lack of exercise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Before I go on and show my meals, exercise etc I will say I didn't have a great week and didn't do any exercise :-( I'm really struggling to get my motivation back, I think it might be the cold evenings (even though I do my exercise at home!) there's just nothing more I want to do when I get home from work in the evening than put my PJ's on and snuggle up on the settee. If there's anything you use to get your motivation going which you think might help, please let me know! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Something I did forget to mention in my previous post is Slendertoxtea that I'm using along side my plan, you can see my post <a href="http://chatterboxmax.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/slendertox-tea-detox-and-cleansing-tea.html" target="_blank">here</a> of Slendertoxtea. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I've also started to use an app on my phone called 'You Food'. It's very similar to Instagram but is used as a food diary. You can follow other uses and like their photos, it's good for giving you ideas if you're stuck on what to have for dinners etc. I'd recommend this app to keep track of what you're eating so you can see if there's any improvements you can make but also help others. </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Monday 11th January 2016</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Breakfast - 2 Weetabix with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Lunch - small tin of beans with sausages (best sausages ever in those tins) and a slice of wholemeal bread</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dinner - Italian Chicken and Tomato Soup with Pasta</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Water - 1 glass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Snacks - 2 satsumas and a banana, carrot sticks and humus.</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Tuesday 12th January 2016</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Breakfast - 2 Weetabix with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Lunch - Mushroom cous cous mixed with tuna flakes. <br /><br />Dinner - Steak with a fried egg, mushrooms, corn on the cob, new potatoes and tomatoes (ah-mazing!!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Water - 1 glass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Snacks - Satsuma, banana, dairylea dunkers (5.5 syns for the dunkers for anyone following Slimming World)</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Wednesday 13th January 2016</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Breakfast - Strawberry Mullerlight yogurt with porridge oats and blueberries</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Lunch - Mushroom rice (Tilda microwave) with sweetcorn and peppers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dinner - Wholeweat noodles with soy & ginger salmon </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Water - 3 glasses (good day!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Snacks - Satsuma, banana, grapes and dairylea dunkers. </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Thursday 14th January 2016</span></u><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "verdana";">I had such a bad day at work :-( I didn't have any lunch and only ate a banana and tub of grapes after my breakfast until 7pm when I finally got home. </span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Breakfast - Strawberry Mullerlight yogurt with porridge oats and blueberries. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Lunch - Nothing :(</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dinner - Corned Beef and Tomato sandwich (on white bread!! ahh!!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Water - 2 glasses</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Snacks - Banana and tub of grapes</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "verdana";">Friday 15th January 2016</span></u><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "verdana";">I was at a meeting in the morning and then I had the afternoon off work and the start to a long weekend :) So I was slightly naughty from today until Monday! </span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Breakfast - 2 slices of wholemeal bread with peanut butter<br /><em>My obsession with peanut butter is ridiculous! </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Lunch - Costa Coffee with a mushroom toastie (Yum!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Dinner - Southern Fried Chicken burger with Supernoodles (ah I feel guilty just typing that!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Water - 0 glasses</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Snacks - No fruit today! Flapjack from Costa, Rolo yogurt (the best yogurts ever!!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Saturday we travelled down to London as we stayed over and went to the O2 so it definitely wasn't part of the fitness plan, a McDonald's may have been involved! ;-) and maybe a Starbucks too and a Chiquitos later :-D </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Sunday we had buffet breakfast at the hotel which included pancakes with maple syrup ;-) and then we had a lovely Roast Dinner at the in-laws. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">It's always good to remember that yes it's great for you to be healthy and make sure you're eating the right foods and correct portions but having a 'naughty' day every now and then isn't going to hurt anyone, you can't restrict yourself too much or you'll get to the point where it either becomes an obsession or you just start to hate dieting because it seems more of a chore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is one of the reasons I enjoy the Slimming World plan because you really don't feel like you're on a diet, there are no serious restrictions it's just all about meal planning and making sure you are eating the right amount of fruit and veg. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you're doing a diet/fitness plan let me know how you're getting on! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><a href="mailto:maxinesanders8922@gmail.com">maxinesanders8922@gmail.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">or tweet me @chatterboxmax</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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<u></u><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-80910936261212527302016-01-16T10:00:00.000+00:002016-01-16T10:00:19.150+00:00Slendertox Tea | Detox and Cleansing Tea<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLkfgEVcGVnlwic5iE5LxErwY943QxGewI7Bc0CT5aA8GFXN6PSr_UrvUjaqI3mPCHjlr-9fJDnJOyurPFFaG2Jg131W2yas4-jZfIqcZHuhsOBF3bLijBlQ7jnY4I_ssaX3I0qmK3VvJ/s1600/slender.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLkfgEVcGVnlwic5iE5LxErwY943QxGewI7Bc0CT5aA8GFXN6PSr_UrvUjaqI3mPCHjlr-9fJDnJOyurPFFaG2Jg131W2yas4-jZfIqcZHuhsOBF3bLijBlQ7jnY4I_ssaX3I0qmK3VvJ/s400/slender.png" width="268" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last month I took part in my first Bloggers Hangout chat and</span> it was brilliant! I've always said one of the reasons I started blogging was to get to meet and chat to new people and I've already got to know so many lovely bloggers, can't wait for my first meet up!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, part of this chat were a few lovely brands and one of those brands was <em>Slendertoxtea</em>. I'd heard about Detox Tea's and always wanted to try them so when I received the Day and Night Tea Tox I was <em>very excited</em>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Slendertoxtea are a health supplements company who provide <em>natural healthy</em> products to assist you in a healthy balanced lifestyle. Their Slendertoxtea is <em>100% herbal and organic. </em> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm already a fan of green tea and fruity teas so I had a slight idea of what they may taste like, they have quite an 'earthy' taste to them which is obviously the natural ingredients and flavours very much like green tea. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Daytox Tea is designed to give you that <em>extra boost</em> for the day so you have this first thing in the morning with your breakfast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where as the Sleeptox Tea is to help you relax by bedtime and also assist to prevent bloating. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I can suffer from bloating like a lot of people and after using this for a few days I have started to notice a difference which I'm delighted about, as for those who do suffer from bloating know it can be quite embarrassing and something we obviously don't want! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I still have a week left of the tea's to finish the course but I am confident to say I would purchase another set of Daytox and Sleeptox.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's something I'd like to continue using as part of my fitness plan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Although the tea's are designed to help your system and promote healthy change it is suggested to use them with a detox plan or with your fitness/diet plan to really get the full benefits. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Slendertoxtea also provide a range of shakes, coffee's and powders. I'd like to try the coffee range as I do love a cup of coffee in the morning!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My overall opinion is that <em>I'd recommend</em> anyone to try the Slendertoxtea and give it a go to see if it can assist you with your fitness or healthy eating plan. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To purchase any of the Slendertoxtea range visit the website <a href="http://www.slendertoxtea.co.uk/shop" target="_blank">here.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They ship worldwide so everyone can order :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You can also follow Slendertoxtea on Twitter to keep up to date with their products - @Slendertoxtea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Let me know in the comments below if you do purchase anything from the Slendertoxtea range. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><em>Maxine x<br />All opinions are my own and I always give an honest review of products. <br />Slendertoxtea very kindly gifted me the product. </em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Don't forget to keep up to date with all my posts over on Bloglovin' </span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-86990836054768224322016-01-14T18:00:00.000+00:002016-01-14T20:53:26.403+00:00Adult Therapeutic Colouring Books - Do They Really Work? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVguD25SyMGvrEgRbFPKs7vTmD0K0Rmii9Jr68n09NftBE_c8n2_ZfNC15Zlk-yO377GIvqFFklAl-5IWDpwx0TCnFHQ-u5HuIrBrXXWzVrJ4FuK61gvL9Fm1yAgpfLzjXdXfbXgOjikj0/s1600/IMAG0360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVguD25SyMGvrEgRbFPKs7vTmD0K0Rmii9Jr68n09NftBE_c8n2_ZfNC15Zlk-yO377GIvqFFklAl-5IWDpwx0TCnFHQ-u5HuIrBrXXWzVrJ4FuK61gvL9Fm1yAgpfLzjXdXfbXgOjikj0/s400/IMAG0360.jpg" width="223" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was nothing more I loved when I was younger than getting a jumbo colouring book and new colouring pencils. I could spend hours colouring in all of the pictures and always felt accomplished when completing the whole book!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when I saw these 'Adult Therapeutic Colouring Books' I was quite excited but also intrigued. Are they going to just be another 'trend' where everyone buys them because they're everywhere or do they actually help you to relax? Because obviously when you're a child and using colouring books you're not using them to relax it was just fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was given one of the colouring books to me as a gift which I was really pleased about as I had thought about purchasing one a few times, I ordered some new colouring pencils (cue the big kid) and was quite excited when they arrived! So I sat with a cup of tea, feet up on the settee in my pyjamas and chose a design to colour. I have a Winter Wonderland themed book and the pictures are beautiful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I chose one of the more intricate designs and away I went, carefully selecting which colour I wanted to use for each part, concentrating so I don't go out the lines(!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now at this point you may be thinking, but it's just a colouring book?! It's for children!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But...I was so relaxed and felt chilled out which is amazing considering it is seen as something you'd just do as a child. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd highly recommend anyone getting one of these and just spending half an hour where ever you can with a cup of tea or coffee on the settee or in bed! It really does make you feel more relaxed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can buy loads of different themes of colouring books, I have my eye on the Harry Potter one! <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10/277-8276216-4408303?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=adult+colouring+books&sprefix=adult+colo%2Caps%2C191" target="_blank">Amazon</a> is a great place to check out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Keep an eye on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maxinefrancis89/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> where I'll be posting a picture of my 'master piece' once I've finished it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me know if you have one of these books or will be purchasing one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-260325313790560352016-01-12T08:00:00.000+00:002016-01-12T08:00:07.093+00:00January Fitness Diary - Week One <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Following on from my previous post I'm going to be doing a weekly fitness diary throughout January (depending how it goes I might carry it on throughout February until I reach my goal, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As mentioned in my Fitness Plan post I am following the <em>Slimming World</em> programme and also the <em>Insanity Workout</em> to help me reach my fitness goals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the diaries I'll be showing you what I've eaten throughout the day and also what exercise if any I have done. I hope by doing this I can help inspire you to join in and kick start the motivation! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Monday 4th January 2016</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Now Mondays can be a bit wobbly as it's food shopping day so it might be that we haven't got much 'healthy' food in the cupboards and also this was day one of the plan and the first shopping trip after Christmas which meant all we had was pretty much chocolate and rubbish! </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>But I didn't do too bad....considering</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast - a bowl of golden nuggets cereal with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lunch - Cheese and tomato sandwich with a banana (not too bad)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner - King Prawn stir fry with basmati rice</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water - 1 glass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snacks - 2 Satsumas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exercise - None :-( </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Tuesday 5th January 2016</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast - Strawberry Muller light yogurt with porridge oats and blueberries</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lunch - Mexican rice with tuna and crab sticks</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner - Ham and Mushroom Omelette</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water - 1 glass (need to improve on this) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snacks - Banana and 2 Satsumas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exercise - Cardio Circuit Insanity Workout</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Wednesday 6th January 2016</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast - Same as Tuesday</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lunch - Mushroom rice with sweet corn and peppers</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner - Italian Chicken and Tomato soup Slimming World recipe (you can find it <a href="http://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/recipes/italian-chicken-and-tomato-soup.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water - 2 glasses (getting better!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snacks - Same as Tuesday plus carrot sticks and sweet chilli homous from Morrison's) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exercise - None because I pulled every muscle in my body including those I didn't know existed from yesterday! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Thursday 7th January 2016</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast - Same and Tuesday and Wednesday (I get into a routine) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lunch - Leftover Italian Chicken and Tomato soup (always make extra!) with 2 slices of whole meal bread. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner - Breaded Chicken with chow mein flavour Super Noodles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not the healthiest option but had a rubbish and long day at work! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water - 1 glass (slacking again)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snacks - Same as Wednesday</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exercise - Still injured = none! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Friday 8th January 2016</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Breakfast - 2 Weetabix with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lunch - King prawn, basil and Tomato pasta salad from M&S - best pasta salad ever! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dinner - BBQ shredded duck with noodles </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water - 2 glasses (back on it)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Snacks - Same as above</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exercise - it's Friday!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><u>Saturday 9th January 2016</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Porridge with Honey (from Costa!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - Italian Chicken and tomato soup (Made another batch!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Thai Food - Egg Noodles. Very similar to a Chow Mein but not greasy, it's cooked with fish oil so a lot healthier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - None (oops)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Banana, Grapes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Exercise - None</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Also had a few diet cokes with vodka with the meal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><u>Sunday 10th January 2016</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breakfast - Weetabix with semi skimmed milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lunch - More Italian Chicken and tomato soup (I'm afraid I may turn into an Italian chicken soon! haha)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Dinner - Now it's a lazy Sunday as always and we were suppose to have steak but ended up just having Nacho's (Face covering monkey emoji) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Water - One Glass</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Snacks - Didn't really have snacks today</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Exercise - None </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">You may notice my food can be a bit repetitive but I'm one of those people who end up in a routine and find it a little easier just have the same type of meals - I'm not very creative when it comes to cooking! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Making these food diaries is also great for me to look at and see what I can improve, at the moment I definitely need to get my arse in to gear, do more exercise and drink more water. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If your diet is something you think needs looking at it's definitely worth keeping a food diary so you can see where to improve and maybe change a few things. </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Maxine x </span></em></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00877752675923502007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814494218742471354.post-50760347670547420192016-01-08T08:00:00.000+00:002016-01-08T08:00:24.217+00:00My Fitness Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's fair to say the most common thing people think about when entering a New Year is Fitness. There's always the thought of wanting to lose weight ready for that bikini on the beach or just improving your fitness in general. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Losing weight is all down to what you're <em>eating and exercise</em>. There are so many things out there to help you along your journey from exercise DVD's to waist trainers <em>(I'd love to try one of these!).</em> Different plans suit different people, what others find really helpful some people may find they don't work for them so you really need to make it about yourself and not just follow something because it's <em>trend</em> or your mates are doing it, you could be wasting your time and money. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm definitely one of those people who wants to lose weight and improve my fitness and I'm also one of those people who say this every January! I do enjoy setting goals for myself and working to achieve them so I'm actually looking forward to this <em>fitness journey</em>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I thought I'd share the tools I'm going to be using for my fitness plan especially for those who are maybe new at this and not sure where to start, also if there are any questions you'd like to ask about any of the tools I'm using I'll leave details below of where you can contact me and I'd love to help if I can! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So as I mentioned above one of the main things to losing weight/improving fitness is what you're eating and <em>not eating will not work</em>! Actually if you eat the right foods, <em>the more you eat the more weight you'll lose</em> (I know!!) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To do this I follow the Slimming World plan and personally I find it amazing. Again this is one of those things where it may not suit everyone so it's a trial and error thing, if you haven't followed a diet plan like this it may be best if you try a few out like Weight Watchers and find out which you prefer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Just a quick overview of Slimming World, they work on 'Syns'. You can have 5-15 syns daily but not everything has Syns, for example Fruit, Vegetables, Meat, Fish are all free so you can eat them until your hearts content but a chocolate bar could be anywhere from 6-9 syns! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you're interested in Slimming World visit their website, there are loads of tips and also recipes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Second main thing to lose weight/improving fitness is exercise, this is the part where a lot of people, including myself, need that motivation! So this is the best part to set a goal for yourself, maybe join a gym, go to a few classes a week, start going swimming, join a running club, join a dance class...there are endless things to do and it can be really fun...honest! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now obviously I haven't done a lot of exercise so far as I've just started my plan but I am back on the Insanity workout, you may of heard of this or seen it advertise, it is literally <em>insane</em>! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When I see these exercise DVD's advertise and those really enthusiastic people appear <em>ripped abs</em>, <em>flat stomachs</em>, <em>toned arms</em> and they want you to join them...I think ok I really don't think you are looking like that because of this DVD...however that was before I started Insanity (I'm starting to sound like one those people!) I can't <em>recommend Insanity</em> enough, it's so worth the money and if you follow the calendar plan that comes with it you will notice the difference in 60 days! It's definitely the most effective at-home exercise regime I've done (and trust me when I say I have done so many of the exercise DVD's!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm also hoping to get back into running but at the moment I'm still in hibernation and I'm definitely not one of those people who go out in the cold and dark to run!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Just a few other things I'd recommend;</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pinterest - brilliant for workout ideas and recipes etc</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Instagram - #slimmingworld is great as people post their meals and progress, you can also join in and help others gain motivation</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Twitter - search for the fitness pages even if it's those who post motivational quotes, it all helps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Slendertoxtea - I've recently been sent this and will be using with my fitness plan, I've always wanted to try the detoxes so I'm looking forward to seeing how it works, there'll be a separate post for this :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So there you have it, my fitness plan. I hope this <em>inspires you</em> enough to get your motivation started and maybe join in with any of the above. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll be posting weekly updates through January (every Sunday) with my food diary and what exercises I have done that week so make sure you follow me on Bloglovin and Twitter! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you'd like to be crazy like me and start Insanity you can purchase it <a href="https://www.beachbody.co.uk/product/fitness-training/insanity-workout.do" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Let's chat fitness! Let me know your goals and keep me updated on your journey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Email - <a href="mailto:maxinesanders8922@gmail.com">maxinesanders8922@gmail.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twitter - </span>@<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chatterboxmax </span><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maxine x <br />Don't miss a post, follow me on Bloglovin'! </span></em></div>
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<em>All opinions are my own. <span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></em></div>
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