Thanks everyone for all your Sell Out entries thus far! Entries close this Tuesday 31 January at 9PM GMT, so if you've not checked out all the groovy prizes there's still time to do so. Here's the complete list:
Back with a new post tomorrow. With just words. No prizes, alas.
The prize:
One lucky winner will receive all eight volumes of Cardio Coach high intensity interval MP3 workout downloads. Ten runners up will each win a copy of Volume 2.
Available to readers from: Worldwide
What the heck is it?
Cardio Coach™ is a downloadable audio high intensity interval workout programme for any MP3 player and you can use it for just about any cardio activity - treadmill, elliptical, stepper, rower, cycling, jogging, walking). Cardio Coach has a patented levels and zone system which means you can make it work for you no matter your fitness level, from beginner to advanced.
Why I dig it
I'm dead chuffed that the Cardio Coach folks were up for a third appearance in the Sell Out. I'm still a huge fan and in the past year have introduced some of my Up & Running pals to the delights of Sexy Sean, as he's become known on the forums.
I remain a non-lover of cardio and Sexy Sean makes it sooo much easier to bear. I still can't describe it any better as I did way back in 2007:
.. a dude called Sean O'Malley with a rather sexy voice tells you exactly what to do; suitable for any piece of cardio equipment. When to go fast, when to go slow, when to stretch; it really does make the time go faster! I have conversations with Sean in my head. I hate you Sean. Oh we're almost there? Fine then. I'll do it. Only for you. Fetch me another bottle of water Sean. You're the best Sean. HIGHLY recommended.
To be in the running for the Cardio Coach prizes, simply leave a comment on this blog entry . If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Winners will be drawn at random. Click here to view terms and conditions of the Sell Out.
BONUS! If you don't win this time, all Dietgirl readers score a 25% discount off all workouts until 14 February. Just enter the code dietgirl at the checkout.
The prize:
One lucky winner will receive a month's supply of Total Greek Yogurt plus a 12-month subscription to Zest magazine, courtesy of the Total Greek Yogurt folks.
Available to readers from: UK only. Sorry!
What the heck is it?
Total Greek Yoghurt is delicious, thick, creamy yoghurt that leaves all other yoghurts whimpering in the aisles, cursing their inferiority. This of course is just my opinion... dinnae sue me, hen. Zest magazine is a leading UK health and fitness magazine.
The lucky winner of this prize can linger over their magazine while enjoying the following yoghurt bonanza:
- 2 x 500g tubs of 2%
- 2 x 500g tubs of 0%
- 4 x 0% Greek Yoghurt Split pot (blueberry, honey, tropical fruits and strawberry)
- 1 kilo Classic Greek Yoghurt
Whoever you are, lucky winner, I am SPEWING with jealousy already.
(Total lasts for ages in the fridge so the winner should be able to get through it all, otherwise they can share it with your pals. Or me!)
Why I dig it
If you've been reading awhile you'll have heard me bang on and on about this yoghurt. My Greek goddess friend Argy introduced us in 2005 and the love affair has been going strong ever since.
It's more versatile than Meryl Streep:
Total have just launched a new website with lots of recipes and useful info from their TOTAL Living Team, consisting of TV Chef Paul Merrett, nutritionist Martin Macdonald and Daybreak Fitness expert Dee Thresher. They’ll be hosting live Q&A sessions, providing video content, recipes, meal and exercise plans, news and competitions. You can check it out at totalgreekyoghurt.com
There is one Greek Yoghurt + Zest prize to be won, courtesy of TOTAL Greek Yoghurt. Simply leave a comment on this blog entry to enter. If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Winners will be drawn at random. UK entries only. Click here to view terms and conditions of the Sell Out.
The prize:
One lucky winner will receive a set of My Trainer Fitness 100 Calorie Workout cards, featuring the one and only Carla "MizFit" Birnberg.
Available to readers from: Worldwide.
What the heck is it?
My Trainer Fitness 100 Calorie Workouts are a nifty six-pack of cards, each with a workout on it that can be performed in under 20 minutes. Each is designed to facilitate a 100+ calorie burn with each workout, including periods for rest and recovery.
Why I dig it
This prize is kind of like the goodness of Carla distilled into a card. Among the many things I've learned from years of friendship (and haphazard podcasting) with this awesome woman is: when it comes to working out keep it simple. Rather than worrying if you're doing the right activity or have the right gear (guilty), just pick something and go for it. It doesn't have to be fancy - just consistent.
These cards a great example of this philopsphy. They don't require much space or equipment. You can use resistance bands and dumbells but can substitute heavy books or cans. Lots of the exercises are simply your own bodyweight. It's an efficient, straightforward workout in a highly portable format. And our Carla is right there on the cards showing you exactly what to do. I love it!
There is one set of My Trainer Fitness 100-Calorie Workout cards to be won. This prize is sponsored by me, and I'll post 'em to anywhere on the globe so everyone is welcome to enter!
Simply leave a comment on this blog entry to enter. If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Winners will be drawn at random. Click here to view terms and conditions of the Sell Out.
The prize:
One lucky winner will receive a £45 gift voucher to spend at Less Bounce, including free worldwide shipping.
Available to readers from: Worldwide
What the heck is it?
Less Bounce is an online sportswear retailer. It's where I purchased my first Enell scaffolding in 2004. I rocked up to my next Body Combat class and nearly wept for joy. Jumping kicks are much easier when you're not clutching your chest protectively!
Why I dig it
After those dark years of inadequate support, I'm evangelical about the joys of a good sports bra. I've yelled "GET A SPORTS BRA" at unrestrained chests on the telly so many times that Gareth now pre-empts, "Don't tell me. She should get a sports bra."
So, LessBounce is a UK company started by fitness instructor and personal trainer Selaine Saxby when she couldn't find a good sports bra locally. They stock a huge range of sports bras suitable for all sports for chests of all shapes and sizes. They've got good brands like Freya, Berlei, Champion, Triumph and Panache. As well as sports bras they stock swimwear, maternity bras, and sportswear! They have great customer service, a handy bra finder on the homepage and they ship worldwide.
I asked Selaine if she'd be up for donating a prize for a third year running and she was kind enough to do so. They really do cater to a wide range of sizes, so if you have boobs this one's for you!
There is one £45 Less Bounce voucher (including free worldwide shipping) to be won. Simply leave a comment on this blog entry to enter. If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Winners will be drawn at random. Click here to view terms and conditions of the Sell Out.
The prize: One winner will receive three months membership to Weight Loss Resources.
Available to readers from: UK only.
What the heck is it?
Weight Loss Resources is a set of online weight loss tools. Features include:
Why I dig it
Yep, it's the third year in a row I've given away this prize, but WLR is still one of my favourite tools. I like my mindful eating stuff but I'm a data nerd too. While I keep a Food/Mood journal on my Google Spreadsheet, I use WLR to check the nutritional balance of new recipes or to keep a closer eye on my intake now and then. I don't have any emotional attachment to numbers these days and I like balancing the mindful stuff with some good ol' data.
I've used WLR since 2004 and had found the interface a little dated in the last couple of years, but they recently did a major redesign and it rocks! It's so clean, well-organised and intuitive. It's a great site for UK folks and they offer a free one-day trial so you can have a good nose around - you can find out more at weightlossresources.co.uk.
There is one three-month Weight Loss Resources membership to be won. Simply leave a comment on this blog entry to enter. If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. UK residents only. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Winners will be drawn at random. Click here to view terms and conditions of the Sell Out.
The prize:
One $100 USD voucher for Cathe Downloads.
Available to readers from: Worldwide.
What the heck is it?
Cathe Friedrich has reigned as the home fitness queen since the days of VHS but she always moves with the times! Her entire 150+ workout catalogue in available digital format, so you can watch your downloads on any computer or video-enabled mobile device, such an iPhone.
Why do you dig it?
I'm a longtime Cathe fan and I like the convenience of the downloads - no fiddling with DVDs, great for travelling and no international shipping fees! I wrote a review of Cathe Downloads back in 2009, including a list of my favourite Cathe workouts. Since then I've become hooked on her new Low Impact Series which delivers a comprehensive butt kicking while being gentle on your joints. From interval training to spinning to yoga to step to circuits, I'm impressed at her creativity at coming up with so many ways to get the heart rate working without the knees protesting!
Nerdy aside
Cathe did an exercise class at the Fitbloggin conference last May. I can happily report that she makes you work just as hard in person as when trapped inside your computer. And she signed my paper plate. Swoon!
There is one $100 USD Cathe Downloads voucher to be won. Simply leave a comment on this blog entry to enter. If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. Winners will be drawn at random. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Click here to view the terms and conditions of the Sell out.
Disclosure: I'm a Cathe Downloads affiliate, so I receive a small commission on any purchases made from the Cathe Downloads links on this site.
The prize:
Ten winners will each receive one copy of Cooking For One, the latest offering from An Honest Kitchen, the e-magazine all about delicious, simply prepared seasonal food.
Available to readers from: Worldwide
What the heck is it?
An Honest Kitchen is the creation of nutritionist and writer Kathryn Elliott of Limes & Lycopene and food writer and photographer Lucinda Dodds of Nourish Me. The magazine is about, "real food that's good for you". Their trademark is easy, healthy recipes packed with flavour and made with easy-to-find ingredients. They also offer recipe variations and tips, all served in a totally accessible and non-pretentious way.
Why do you dig it?
The Cooking For One mini edition is fab. You get three tasty recipes with variations and ideas for leftover ingredients. Since it's meals for one they’ve also cut down on the washing up and found ways to minimise food waste. Next on my To Cook list is the Paprika Chicken with Rice and Vegetables which has a zesty picada on the side. I'd never heard of a picada before but it's a sauce type of thing with almonds, lemon zest, parsley and fresh tomato... yummo. As with all issues of An Honest Kitchen it's written in a friendly, non-jargony style and the photographs are lovely. You can check out Cooking For One and previous editions of the mag right here.
There are ten copies of An Honest Kitchen Cooking For One e-magazine to be won. Simply leave a comment on this blog entry to enter. If you're reading this post via an RSS feed, Facebook or Goodreads, you need to click through to the Dietgirl blog. Winners will be drawn at random. Entries close Tuesday 31 January 2012 at 9PM GMT. Click here to view the terms and conditions of the Sell out.
Brace yourselves! It's time for The Dietgirl 11th Birthday Sell Out, in which we once again temporarily ignore the No-commercial-stuff-unless-it's-pimping-my-own-wares Policy to give away a bunch of kick arse prizes to YOU, kind readers!
It's the same premise as 2009 and 2010 - I asked the creators of some products I love if they'd like to donate a prize to the Sell Out. As per last time:
We're not talking OMG Oprah Put A Car Under My Chair kind of prizes, but they are cracking wee things that I absolutely adore that I was highly tempted to keep for myself...
Best of all, most of these giveaways are open to readers from anywhere in the world. None of that crushing USA ONLY stuff around here! Well, a couple are UK Only but how often does the UK get to lord it over everyone since the Empire crumbled?
Each day for the next week I'll announce a prize so stay tuned!
Here's how to play along and the terms and conditions of the Sell Out:
Update: Check out the full range of prizes...
Disclosure: I've received no compensation or kickbacks for these prizes. They come to you courtesy of polite begging to the prize creators. As always on this site, I use Amazon affiliate links for any books mentioned, which means I get a small commission from any sales originating from the link.
I'll post the first prize shortly. Best of luck!
Today this blog turns the crusty age of eleven!
Huuuuge thanks to everyone who still reads this thing - from 2001 die-hards to kind strangers to family to friends to random googlers to lovely lurkers to bewildered colleagues... you RAWK!
. . .
I haven't made any 2012 resolutions aside from "wear lipstick more often". I'll be 35 this year - any day now my aging kissers will start disappearing into a thin line of disapproval. Gotta make the most of it while I can! ;)
In terms of health and fitness my project is "keep the mind attached to the body".
The plan of action is the same plan as 2011. It's a good, sensible, enjoyable plan, dagnabbit! I just have to stick to it when stressful stuff happens. As I said in September:
"I need to keep working on why my Mega Stress repsonse still seems to be... Stop Doing The Healthy Things."
In times of Mega Stress, that's when you need the Healthy Things the most. But nooo! I tend to abandon the meal planning, stop checking in with hunger levels/feelings before I eat, get slack with exercise. I don't write in the food diary because I don't want to acknowledge what I'm putting away. The mind and body disconnect. Instead of tuning in to the emotions I seem to go out of my way to tune out.
I'm in a stronger place than I was a year ago - when things get crappy I don't tend to slam my fist on the Self-Destruct button anymore... I just kinda tap on the Denial one. Ha ha. I will make progress this year. I seriously want to. My dodgy knee is not doing well with this extra poundage. I know from the first part of 2011 that I have a plan on which I can lose weight slowly, steadily and sanely.
I think it's just going to take practice. Everything I've read about emotional eating - from people as diverse as Geneen Roth to Jillan Michaels - all say in one way or another that eating mindfully is a habit that you have to keep working on. It takes practice to sit with crappy emotions instead of chomping them into oblivion. So I'm going to keep practicing and keep doing the monthly updates here, and let's see if we can keep the mind from wandering away from the ol' body!
Enough of my ramblings... be sure to come back tomorrow when the 11th Birthday Sell-Out begins! There is so much goodness to be won.
Please give a warm welcome to our guest correspondent Gareth, my husband and chief typo spotter. I roped him into telling you about his crazyass cycling plans for 2012. Take it away, Doc!
I've been into bikes since I was a little kid. Anything with two wheels, with or without an engine. I've been riding bicycles from the age of four and motorbikes from fourteen.
When we were weans a bike was a huge part of our lives. We spent days racing each other, jumping over piles of bricks, jumping over other kids like stuntmen and generally hooning around. Sometimes we'd cruise around in pairs like the Californian dudes in the TV show CHiPs. There was much less traffic on the roads back then today so our parents were a bit more relaxed about letting us roam free.
My brother and I raced motocross bikes as teenagers (thanks dad, it must have cost you a fortune!) and I started mountain biking when I sold my motocross bike to raise some funds for university. Mountain biking is brilliant fun and, as long as you don't crash too often, a good way of keeping fit. It's a pretty chilled out sport with ample opportunities for mucking about and jumping over things like the big kids we've all grown into. We're really lucky in Scotland as we have amongst others the 7Stanes mountain bike centres which provide blue, red and black trails with obstacles ranging from easy to deranged!
I slowly became interested in road riding through watching the Tour de France on ITV4. Shauna and I had also made some new friends (hello Gillian and Jason) who were big time cyclists. After a bit of dithering I bought a road bike, a Specialized Allez Sport. It's nothing fancy but after riding a mountain bike for years this thing felt so fast and responsive that I was an instant road riding convert!
Road cycling has its own distinctive culture which to the relative newcomer such as myself seems to be based upon the art of suffering! Suffering is big in road cycling, the ability and willingness to suffer is a badge of honour. Pro cyclists have perfected the art of pretending to suffer in order to dupe their rivals into an misplaced state of relaxation or will strive to appear strong and relaxed whilst feeling like their legs and lungs are on fire. These tactics are used in order to try and gain an advantage on the beautiful and iconic climbs and mountain passes in the Alps and the Pyrenees during the Tour de France.
The names of the mountains sound so evocative and, well, so French: Alpe d'Huez, Col de Tourmalet, Col de Madelaine, Mont Ventoux. Many iconic cycling battles have been won and lost on these mountains, amazing athletes have lived and died. Sometimes when I'd ride up Cleish Hill or up the street back to our house I'd pretend I was leaving Cadel Evans et al in my dust up the slopes of the Galibier! When I watched the Tour on the telly with Shauna I'd say, "I wouldn't mind a go at that!".
Unfortunately about two months ago Shauna called my bluff! I've been given the opportunity to ride in the Etape du Tour which allows mere mortals to ride a stage of the Tour de France a couple of days ahead of the Pros. Shauna dared me and I couldn't look like a chicken, could I?
So, I appear to be entered into Acte 1 of the 2012 Etape du Tour!
The route is 140km or 87 miles up four(!) mountains. Proper mountains. In the French Alps. We don't have Alps in Scotland. And it's never 40 degrees celcius in Scotland. And I've never ridden further than 70 miles in one day. And I didn't have to ride up any of the Alps when I rode 70 miles. And I was knackered. My legs were weak. I bonked.
Here's a picture of the stage:
You may have guessed that I'm feeling a bit apprehensive so Shauna kindly suggested that I contribute some blog posts to Dietgirl in order to keep myself accountable. After all, who'd want to explain that I skipped a training ride to all of her lovely readers!
So, if all goes according to plan I'll string together some incoherent ramblings over the next six months or so and let you know how I'm getting on.
Well I'd better get back on the spinning bike and get some miles in. Au revoir, a la prochaine!
Final monthly update on the 2011 New Year Goals.
It's January 6 and already 2011 feels so last year. Well. You know what I mean! Anyway, a quick wrap-up.
December review:
December highlights:
2011 highlights:
I wrote a post on my non-fat blog about the non-fat highlights, but here are the health/fitnessy ones:
2011 ended sedately - just me and Gareth and The Apartment on DVD, followed by the Edinburgh fireworks from the spare room window. We'd been looking forward to a New Year's Eve party but since we'd been miserable snot monsters over the Christmas period, we didn't want to subject our pals to the dregs of it. I think the quiet (and sober) night really helped and I woke up today feeling so much better.
A few weeks ago the most excellent Tor, an Up & Runner, told me she was doing the Loony Dook. I'd first read about the Dook in a 2004 Sunday Herald article called 100 Things To Do In Scotland Before You Die. I kept the clipping and it's been a tip top source of ideas for exploring the country ever since. From the article:
#53. Do the Loony Dook
In Pamplona, Spanish revellers drink all night before attempting to outrun death and a great big bull. In Scotland the closest we have is the Loony Dook - jumping into the freezing Firth of Forth from the boathouse steps in South Queensferry on New Year's Day. For your goose-pimpling efforts you get a towel, a t-shirt and a pipe band parade through the town*. And probably pneumonia.
* These days you get a swimming cap instead of a towel and t-shirt!
Tor is a very persuasive woman with special voodoo powers that somehow get you doing things you never thought you'd ever do, so I signed up too.
I'd felt so rubbish this past week I'd been thinking I might wuss out. I didn't help the cause by sleeping in til 9.30AM then laying there for another fifteen minutes pondering, should I get up? What will I wear? Why didn't I organise a fancy costume? Can I even get there in time? Icy water or toasty sleep?
(from thefreedictionary.com)
Then I thought about how I'd feel if I didn't go. I decided I'd feel like a wuss, and a great murky shadow of wussiness would be cast over my entire 2012. Did I really want to wuss up the year before I'd even got out of bed?
I threw on some trackies, a cycling top and my oldest trainers. I stuffed some Post-Dook clothes into my backpack and pulled a piece of tinsel from the Christmas tree to wrap around my hat to serve as a very rubbish costume.
Halfway across the Forth Road Bridge I realised I'd left my ticket at home. Cue rant at poor Gareth: "Just bloody FORGET IT. Turn the car around! 2012 stinks! This idea was STUPID anyway" etc etc. But we made it in time and the nice lady accepted my email-confirmation-on-phone as my ticket (thanks Tor for thinking of that, my brain was still snoozing!).
There were about 1000 Dookers and they'd made a lot of effort with their costumes (some great pics here). Zombies, nuns, pandas, Smurfs, men in bikinis, cowboys. Just like Halloween but with more shivering.
We all paraded down the South Queensferry high street, then down the steps onto the stony beach, then into the Firth of Forth with the beautiful Forth Rail Bridge as a backdrop.
As promised, the water really was bloody freezing. This seemed to surprise a nearby guy in tiny shorts and an Aussie flag tattoo who bellowed, "JOISUS CHROIST IT'S FARKIN FREEZIN!".
It was almost painful at first, then the legs went numb, then it became strangely thrilling. It was a gorgeous day - clear skies in January? What are the chances? And such a bonkers thing to do - setting an awesome tone for a new year.
Afterwards I found Gareth and discovered I'd stuffed two jackets and no trousers into my backpack, so we went straight home. Must sharpen organising skills in 2012.
Next stop was a hot shower followed by a bacon sarnie.
The Loony Dookers use the splash as a great excuse raise money for all sorts of charities. I'm making a donation to Fife Young Carers, a local charity that supports young carers throughout the region. They rule!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!
A copy of Jillian Michaels' new Extreme Shred and Shed DVD arrived in the post today! There was no name on the package so I'm wondering if the kind sender is somewhere out there? If you are, thank you gazillions for your generosity!
It was such a brilliant surprise and I am excited to give it a go. I'm a fool for new exercise DVDs and I love this title SHRED and SHED... it sounds very violent and/or hairy. The description is exercise mayhem: "This exciting fusion style workout blends everything from kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to yoga and weight training". Brace yourself!
Thank you again, whoever you are. You are a total legend :)
Hope you are well and your holiday plans are coming along folks, if you're into the festive thing. It's my first day of two weeks off and after surviving the busiest year of my working life wth barely a sniffle, today I've been struck down by a ball of snot and fever... *insert whinging here!*
Tonight I'll finally put up the crappy little two-foot £2 plastic "temporary measure" Christmas tree I bought when we moved in two years ago. Who am I kidding? Come January I reckon I should put the little fella back into the loft with all the tinsel and decorations still on to save time next December!
I'm doing monthly updates on my New Year Goals.
Here we go with the 11th installment for 2011. I hope you guys don't mind these monthly posts, but it helps keep me from wandering off!
November review:
Other November highlights:
December plans:
December highlight so far: Edinburgh Santa Run (Walk :))
The Great Crumpet Smackdown took place in a Weight Watchers meeting when I was about 13 years old. This was in the days before Points. Weight Watchers didn't let you eat just any old thing you fancied back then. It had to be on The List of Stuff You're Allowed To Eat.
One night after weigh-in we were sitting around in a circle airing our grievances and confessing our sins when a woman asked our lovely leader, "Why can't I have a crumpet?"
"Crumpets are not on the list."
"Why not? I read the nutritonal information on the packet. One crumpet is only 330 kilojoules (86 calories). That's less than a piece of bread. It doesn't make any sense!"
"They're not on the list!"
"We can have bread, bread rolls, pita bread, English muffins... but no crumpets. What's so wrong about a crumpet?"
"Because they're inevitably served dripping with butter! And/or honey!"
"But I don't HAVE butter or honey on my crumpet. I don't even have Weight Watchers Whipped Margarine! I have a plain, toasted crumpet with either banana or Vegemite."
"They're not on the list."
"WHY aren't they on the list?"
And on it went.
I remember being conflicted on the issue. Part of me thought, "Well hey, if it's not on the list, you know... we really should obey the list". But the teenager hitherto lacking a cause to rebel against was thinking, "Just let the woman eat her bloody crumpet!"
The incident was seared into my memory. One one of the first purchases I made as an independent householder was a packet of Golden Crumpets. I had them with butter AND honey and yes indeed, they were Golden Good. It was all downhill from there, as has been well documented on this blog.
I've wanted to bake my own crumpets since Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini blogged her Sourdough Crumpet recipe in January 2010. I bought some crumpet rings then promptly did nothing for 20 months. Then when Carla and I were coming up with our Five Fun Things for the podcast I decided it was time to give them a red hot go. Messing around with a sourdough starter was beyond my interest level so I went for a straightforward recipe from The Hairy Bikers (Edit: here's a video of them in crumpet action!). For those not in the know, The Hairy Bikers are two hairy blokes on the telly who ride around the countryside on motorbikes and cook things.
The crumpets were simple and satisfying to make. All that rising and waiting and rising and waiting was very soothing somehow. It was such a sweet feeling when I finally poured the batter into the crumpet rings and it went all bubbly like real live crumpets.
I ate the first one with doused with too much butter and eucalyptus honey as a two finger salute to the crumpet fascists of yesteryear. The rest were enjoyed more sensibly over the next few days. My favourite topping is a little butter and a scraping of Vegemite. Well worth the effort on a lazy Sunday if you like that sort of thing!
P.S. I posted about my crumpetry on the Up & Running forum and the wonderful Yvonne replied: "I never considered that they could be made. I assumed God just dropped them out of the sky ready made, like babies." Snortle!
If you want to call something Friday Link Feast, it helps to hit the Publish button on Friday!
My parents-in-law recently got an allotment. I'm not sure if that's a universal concept so here's a wee definition from allotment.org.uk:
"In the UK, allotments are small parcels of land rented to individuals usually for the purpose of growing food crops."
(See also Wikipedia for difference between an allotment and a community garden)
They put themselves on the waiting list about a year ago as they don't really have space for veggies in their own garden. Finally their number came up, and it turned out to be one big mofo of an allotment so there's plenty of room for Gareth and me to join in. We've always wanted pumpkins but don't have the space to give them a proper go - remember the micro pumpkins of 2009? I hope to grow a shitload of kale too.
But first, we must dig. The plot is absolutely choked with weeds. Layer upon tangled layer of weeds, about a foot deep. Like a giant stinky weed trifle. With occasional wooden planks, old potatoes, plastic bags and a 6-foot piece of guttering thrown in for flavour.
Edit: I totally want to try a kill mulch to snuff out the weeds, as suggested by the lovely Debbi!
I think it's going to be the ultimate metaphor. For lard-busting. For life.
It takes ages. It feels like you're getting nowhere. Just when you finish one bit you turn around and see metres and metres of un-dug space and you want to cry.
Some days you are in love with it. The pissweak November sun warming your brow; the promise of a sandwich at noon.
Some days you hate it with a passion. Surely we'll be done soon? It's only been twenty minutes.
Some days while you're wrestling with a particularly stubborn weed, some smart arse will shove a pile of grass down the back of your jeans.
Some days you can't stop smiling from the simple pleasure of hanging out with loved ones. Some days everyone gets on your nerves ("Can I just make a small suggestion?") and you long to whack them over the head with your garden fork.
But then you remember it needs time. And consistency. And there is pleasure to be had in the process. Just gotta keep on diggin'.
I'm doing monthly updates on my New Year Goals.
Late again! I could almost write you a Quarter of November review. Highlight of November thus far: seeing an episode of The Simpsons I'd never seen before! It was Homer of Seville, in which Homer develops the ability to sing opera after falling into an open grave, with sexy results.
October review
November plans
The Mothership has returned to her native planet and I'm feeling a little bereft. I miss our walks and long chats and her rosy pink cheeks after a half pint of Gareth's home-brewed stout. Sniff.
Last week I was suffering from total Ego DOMS, as contracted at Pilates class. We were doing stability ball bridges. Our instructor had us try a variation with no hands on the floor:
Credit: 101 Exercises
I immediately lost my balance and plonked to the ground. Ego damaged, I desperately wanted to show her that I could do it and wasn't a useless fatty*. So I got into bridge again, found my abs and got dead stable. I never knew I could be so strong and still... the hamstrings and abs were singing! I counted 2.5 minutes and the instructor was still down the front of the room assisting someone. Then she said "Okay, let's move on!" and I got all huffy as she'd not witnessed my amazing balancing glory! Then I just cracked up laughing at the ridiculous need for approval. I paid for it with three days of mega DOMS of the abs where laughter felt like being stabbed.
* One side-effect of regained poundage has been the occasional return of paranoia that instructors will think larger = rubbish. But at least these days when that kind of defensiveness pops up, I can observe it in a bemused I see what're you doing there kind of way, then move on. And channel it into a good abdominal workout!
I'm Shauna Reid, an Aussie writer living in Scotland. I lost 175lb over 5 years, maintained for 3, then let 50lb creep back. Current status: finding my way forward in a mindful, diet-free manner! More »
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What's New Pussycat?
