Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

What a summer it's been!  I've finally had a chance to chill out and look back at everything that has happened this season. I may have had the best summer of my life...

I spent two days at Hyde Park's British Summer Time and went to Wireless and V Festival. I saw so many of my favourite artists (my favourites being Taylor Swift, The Who and Stereophonics!) and discovered new ones (Charli XCX is by far my new fave!). I had such a great time regardless of the music and that's all down to the people I shared those moments with. It's also prompted me to purchase a weekend ticket to V Festival next year, whoops! (There's currently a discount on weekend tickets so head over to their website now). I'm hoping to go to Glastonbury and Download as well in 2016! 

I've lost myself in some great books, my favourites being Paper Towns and The Book Thief. If you haven't read either I suggest you do so! I was such a terrible reader before and would read maybe one book a year, if that. One of my friends, who is an aspiring writer, helped me rediscover the joy of reading (by letting me read the first drafts of his new book series. Trust me, it's going to be a hit!). I'm currently on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee which I need to finish soon so I can read Go Set a Watchman! 

Discovering my own style was another one of my highlights. What's better than feeling pretty and confident? Nothing! My wardrobe is all pastel, pastel, pastel! Please, fashion gurus, don't make me hide away my pastels for AW15! 

What about the amazing weather we've had? Although it's pretty bleak outside today, we've had some beautiful sunny days. I bought my dream car this year (a baby blue convertible Beetle, like the one on 90210!) so I spent a lot of my time cruising around with my friends, top down at sunset, singing our favourite songs. It's the little things like that that mean the most. We might even be lucky enough to get some more sun in the next few weeks! 

I don't know about you though, but I'm definitely ready for over-sized jumpers, hot chocolate, dark evenings and the best holiday of all time, Halloween! I cannot wait for Autumn!

Bootea 14 Day Detox Bundle

 A few months ago I discovered Bootea, a detox tea which claims to help you lose weight in as little as 14 days. Now, I know what you're thinking; how can that be possible? How can that be healthy? Well, I thought I'd give it a go for myself to see what the results would be for me. I chose to order the Bootea 14 Day Detox Bundle to try out all of their products in one hit, with hopes of seeing the best results.

Maybe I should give you a little background info on why I did the detox. I had been slacking at the gym and was beginning to feel as if I wasn't progressing. My eating habits grew worse, my workouts became shorter and my sleeping pattern was appalling. I needed a kick up the arse but needed a head start. That's where Bootea comes in. I needed to learn to cut down my portions and switch my glasses of wine and cups of coffee for something a little healthier.

*Before you read the following, please remember that these are my own personal views and experiences using these products and that I do not promote, nor agree with fad/extreme dieting. I am doing this for my health and wellbeing and do not believe that I can lose a significant amount of weight in a short space of time*

Bootea Daytime Detox

First thing in the morning, as soon as my alarm goes off, I jump out of bed (ok, more like crawl aimlessly whilst silently sobbing...) and rush down to the kitchen to pop the kettle on. Goodbye milky coffee, hello healthy! I look forward to having my morning Bootea brew each day now and I'll continue to drink it for the foreseeable future. The tea helps start your metabolism first thing in the morning, whilst providing your body with a digestive cleanse and suppressing your appetite. I like to reuse teabags where possible so I was delighted to know I could get two strong cups of tea from just one bag. You only get 14 teabags in the pouch so don't waste them! I strongly believe that the daytime detox is responsible for the majority of my success in this experiment! If you aren't keen on green tea, don't worry! This tea has a lovely taste to it, no where near as dull as a cup of green tea!

Bootea Little Oats

 Bootea have created a portion of healthy oats, full of protein and fibre, to kick start your day. It is incredibly easy to make, just add a little hot water and mix! This porridge is extremely creamy, so there is no need to add milk. It tastes delicious, but there is nothing stopping you from adding your own toppings! I covered mine in raspberries and golden syrup on several occasions. I ate the oats first thing in the morning, alongside my cup of Bootea Morning Tea obviously, and I was energised and full until midday! At only 148 calories per pack, this breakfast is bound to help you achieve your fitness goals.

Bootea Shake

This was my absolute favourite part of the bundle! This comes with a handy shaker so that you can have your drink on the go. The shake satisfied my hunger in between lunch and dinner and I made sure I drank it at least half an hour before heading to the gym (unless it was a rest day, then I took it to the movies with me!). I felt I could go 2-3 hours without eating anything as it was incredibly filling! The shake is full of natural ingredients and plenty of vitamins to keep energy levels up and to stop cravings for naughty food! The shake is so nice that the only problem I had with it is that I craved it ALL DAY until I finally allowed myself to have it. Proves how strong my willpower is though, clearly!

Bootea Nightime Cleanse

This part of the detox usually has everyone talking. So to start, yes, it does induce a laxative effect, but how strong the effect is is obviously down to each individual as all of our bodies function differently.  However, I do recommend that the first time you try the nighttime cleanse, ensure it's the night before a day off or something so that you can see how well your body reacts to it. Other than that, there are really no downsides. The tea cleanses your digestive system as you sleep, which left me feeling light and refreshed in the morning.  I noticed that I was less bloated in the mornings too, which was a huge plus for me as I'm so self conscious about my tummy! The tea itself has an acquired taste, but it's not horrendous.

Overall results

After two weeks on the cleanse, along with a healthy diet, plenty of sleep, water and exercise, I can honestly say I think this detox did me a world of good. I don't weigh myself so I can't guarantee I've lost weight, but I feel that my clothes fit a little better now! I think the main benefit for me is how I felt during and after the detox, which was fantastic! I think I'll leave it a short while before I go through this detox again, as it does take a lot of willpower, but it definitely helped me kick start my new healthy lifestyle. Like I've said before, I don't think it's healthy to think that this detox will help you drop a tonne of weight in just two weeks, but it clearly does good for your insides. 

Head over to www.bootea.com to order your own bundle! 

Guess who's back

I've decided to come back to blogging after a long, unexplained hiatus. I needed a break from blogging to focus on the most important things in life, such as my physical and mental health and my relationships with the people around me.

I no longer spend hours in bed, watching Netflix, feeling sorry for myself (although I haven't said goodbye to my Netflix account just yet!). I've joined the gym and spend the majority of my time there. My family have joined too, which means I can spend more time with them whilst we help each other achieve our fitness goals. Working out relieves so much of my stress; I always feel a thousand times better after hitting the gym.

I've also finished a course of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help me manage my anxiety. The techniques I've learned have vastly improved my life. Therapy helped me gain the courage to stop taking anti-depressants and although it was a difficult time, I feel better for going through with the treatment. I may touch upon this in a future post as I think it's really important to talk about.

Improving my mental health means I've been more interested in going out with friends more. My relationships with friends and family have drastically improved and I spend a lot more time with my loved ones now. I think that's the most important change I have made so far.

I've decided to make some changes to my blog too. I've changed the design (thanks Pipdig!) and I'm going to focus more on things that I enjoy, rather than what's "fashionable" in the blogosphere. I'm excited to start writing about books, movies, music, traveling, etc, as well as sticking to the beauty aspect of my blog. I want my blog to finally represent me as a person instead of me as just another blogger!

I hope I can engage more readers with a wider variety of topics. If there are any topics you'd like to see me write about, feel free to tell me!

Thanks to all who have already welcomed me back! I can't wait to get back into the swing of things.

PS; share your blogs and twitter handles with me below!