The LC Issue

My Pinteresting Fortnight (2)

2012-03-05T08:30:00.000Z

I missed last week's Pinterest post, so here's what I've been pinning over the past two weeks!

Delicious Foods

Random Loves

The Wish List...

Fashion Loves

Hair & Beauty

For the Home

To see all of my re-pins in more detail, then visit my boards on Pinterest!

Wardrobe Peek: My 23rd Birthday Daytime Outfit

2012-03-03T08:30:00.000Z

For my 23rd birthday, the amazing @ultimatecoddy took me shopping, and I had the wear the clothes ASAP! Here's what I got, along with some old favourites and other gifts...

Black sheer blouse: New Look
Black Vest Top: Primark
Skinny jeans: New Look


Wedge Boots: Jonathon James (More info here!)

See how the blouse drapes at the back - love!

Bracelets: Birthday present!
Ring: H Samuel (old birthday present!)
Watch: Swatch
Bracelet: Pandora

Earrings: Birthday present!

Wardrobe Peek: 23rd Birthday Night Out

2012-03-01T08:30:00.002Z

On Saturday, I partied the night away with some of my best friends in good old Cleethorpes in celebration of my 23rd birthday!


Dress: ASOS (old) Belt: New Look (old) Tights: Primark

Boots: Internacionale (old)

Bangles: Primark
Wristband: Help for Heroes
Ring: Oasis
Watch: Swatch
Bracelet: Pandora
Nail Varnish: Technic 'Pretty Pastels' in Lollipop

Earrings: Primark

I always feel like I need to buy something new for a night out or a special occasion, but sometimes you forget what great pieces you have hanging in your wardrobe - I love it when this happens!

One for the Gleeks: IS BACK!

2012-03-01T08:00:00.000Z

HURRAY! It feels like it has been soooo long since Glee was on our screens, and now it is back!

I have seen many updates on Facebook about the episodes that have already been broadcast in America - and trying to avoid them! - and it looks like we are in for a good second half of the series; wedding anyone? *Wink!*

Unfortunately, I am going to miss tonight's episode since I am having some long overdue time with Mother (Gala Bingo better be ready for us!) but I promise I will catch up so I can join in with the chat ready for next week.

And, because this awesome programme is back, that only means one thing..... the return of 'One for the Gleeks!' For those of you who may not have seen these posts before, every week - on a Thursday - I pick a character and post their best quotes (oh, there are some brilliant one liners!), and you can see them here.

In the meantime, Happy Gleeking!

Like A Kid in a Sweet Shop

2012-02-29T08:30:00.000Z

I was sat at work yesterday morning, checking my emails like usual when I came across something quite peculiar but, at the same time, very intriguing...

The Fat Duck, the renowned restaurant owned and run by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, is launching a unique experience; people who reserve a table at his restaurant will be invited into a virtual world, complete with a fantasy sweet shop.

Starting from next month, diners will be sent an invitation to the make-believe world, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, where they can view his menu in a revolutionary way. Heston said he wanted to make his guests excited for their time at the restaurant and so, created this animated sweet shop to showcase his one-of-a-kind dishes which will the be served at The Fat Duck, to build up that "kid in a sweet shop" feeling of anticipation. For more information, you HAVE to watch the video below

Like A Kid In A Sweet Shop. from The Neighbourhood on Vimeo.

I think Heston Blumenthal is absolutely fascinating; my mother always says she doesn't like his television shows "because you can't make what he does", which is true, but the innovation involved in his creations is mind blowing! I think this new venture is brilliant and just shows how much he is thinking about his customers and everything that entails; he is creating a whole new dining experience. I only hope that more companies follow suit!

Zumba in the Club: Carnival!

2012-02-28T08:30:00.000Z

As I've mentioned a few times now, the last Friday night of the month is when Cleethorpes' 'Zumba in the Club' takes place, and the theme for February was Carnival!

I had been looking forward to this for weeks; zumba-ing in a night club for fun just seems like a perfect combination. Unfortunately I missed the first event (January's) but when I heard that the theme was going to be Carnival for February, I made sure that I was there! There's just something about the word 'carnival' and the thought of one taking place that just puts you in a good mood. Personally, the Latin/Samba inspired party songs are my favourite, so this was just another reason why I had to go!

The biggest challenge though - despite it sounding like fun - was what to wear? 'Carnival' brings thoughts of ladies in sparkly bikinis with giant, brightly-coloured feather headdresses (there's no way I'd be caught dressed like that down Cleethorpes' seafront - especially in February!) Originally I found this playsuit, which I absolutely loved, but it wasn't right for me sadly, and I had a look online too to see what else I could find, but in the end, I settled for this....

Top: ASOS (old)

Jeans: New Look

Bangles, Hairgrip (right-middle picture) and Earrings (right-bottom picture): New Look

Feathered Headband (used as a wrist band): Primark

Butterfly Ring: A street stall in Tenerife (from seven years ago!)

P.S The image was taken after the event, hence the knackered look!

My top is from ASOS and I bought it about three/four years ago - I felt that the bright colour and ruffle across the shoulder would be great for this fun theme. I really struggled with what to wear on the bottom; I didn't feel like wearing shorts like I had originally planned (too cold!), and I couldn't find a sequin skirt ANYWHERE in Grimsby! So I opted for bright jeans which I knew I would wear again in the summer. Admittedly, this wasn't the comfiest option, but these jeans are 'super-soft', and they really are!

While shopping in New Look, I saw that jewellery was Buy One, Get One Free, and they had plenty of bright, feathered pieces to choose from which was ideal, and then I found a perfect headband from Primark which I used as a wristband. Teamed with a ring I bought while on holiday with my parents in Tenerife when I was 16, my outfit was complete!

Looking back now, I do wish I had 'gone for it' a bit more, but I had left this until last minute and so I was stuck with what the shops of Grimsby had to offer... but I think it worked...

The event itself took place at The Pier, a local night club which has recently been fully refurbished. The people who know this establishment, know that it had a baaaad reputation so I have been reluctant to go in there for fear that it was exactly the same. However, I was genuinely surprised! New carpets and wooden flooring (no more heels sticking to the floor ladies!), new paint, new bar area and new seating! Since this was a special event, I have yet to see what the place is like on a night out, but I am definitely more willing to go in there and give it a try now!

Stretching is very important!

At 6:30pm, 'Zumba in the Club' finally got underway - que the whoops!

Zumba Instructor, Rachel Blood.

"Zumba!"

The event cost £5 and it lasted two hours; definitely worth it! Everybody was pumped, laughing, dancing the night away - and the whole time, you're exercising! What more could you ask for? It was a fab night and I can't wait for next month - the theme is 'West End Musicals! Ideas please?!

P.S. You can view info about Zumba with Rachel on Facebook and see some of her classes on Youtube! The video was sourced from here!

Another year older...

2012-02-27T08:30:00.000Z

... another year wiser; this is definitely something that I can say is true! I have learned so much over the past year about many things - from all different areas of life - and they are lessons I will keep with me forever. I have to be honest, this has been a year of ups and downs, but the downs have been minor in comparison the amazing ups, and this weekend's festivities were the perfect way to say hello to the age of 23!

My presents: Cath Kidston scrapbook and notebook, Pandora charm, my beautiful top from Lipsy (in the bag!), Benefit moisturiser and perfume, lovely bracelet and earrings, a photo frame and chocolate! Thanks everyone! x

It started on the Friday when I danced the night away at 'Zumba in the Club' - Carnival Night! It was fantastic; the music, the costumes, the atmosphere... I can't wait for next month's event - more info coming tomorrow!

Saturday I was absolutely spoiled; the amazing @ultimatecoddy took me shopping and bought some lovely pieces of clothing for me. I have already worn some of these so keep an eye out for some outfit posts coming soon!

We then attended another girl's birthday party, the one and only Brandy! (@ultimatecoddy's lovely dog.) A birthday party was held in her honour - complete with pass the parcel, a buffet and jelly and ice-cream! - and I also received some lovely presents from the family. Unfortunately I had to leave a little early as I needed to get ready for a good old-fashioned night out with the girls!

Sunday, my actual birthday, was quite relaxed; Coddy and myself went to our local for lunch and then treated ourselves to a car clean (with surprisingly good results!) - rock 'n' roll! But the real treat was in the evening when we went to a local restaurant; the service was great, the little touches like warm plates were there and, most importantly, the food was delicious! I also got to wear my beautiful new art-deco inspired top (which you will see more of in my outfit posts!)

As I said on Friday, I have been quiet recently when it comes to posting but I am going to be back in full swing as from... now! I hope you all had a lovely weekend, whatever you were up to!

Let the countdown begin!

2012-02-24T08:30:00.000Z

Hello everyone!

Sorry for being a bit slow on the blogging front this week, I really don't know where the past few days have gone?! It seems like only yesterday I was posting about Pinterest and BOOM! Now it's Friday! I have had a lot on my mind lately BUT I will be back to my usual tweeting and blogging self as of next week, I promise!

Influence Floral Tie Playsuit -
New Look £19.99

I have been busy preparing my outfit ready for 'Zumba in the Club' - carnival night! I am so excited about this but it has been such a palaver! I bought this beauty of a playsuit from New Look on Monday; I thought the bright pink and green against the navy fabric was perfect but unfortunately, I found the shorts too baggy on my legs and it didn't look quite like I hoped it would, so it had to go back... It is such a shame too because I would easy wear this in the summer with some bright pink show stopping heels and a green bag to match (it's all about colour blocking, you know!)

So my search continued over several lunch hours, but alas, I have my outfit! As well as keeping the carnival theme in mind, I had to think of the practicalities too, i.e. I need to be able to zumba in what I wear! I will do a post about my ensemble and the event itself in a couple of days time, but here's a little preview...

think bright!

Now, I may be a bit quiet over the next few days as well as this weekend, it is my birthday! I am not really a big 'celebrate-my-birthday' person but I do have lots planned with the girls and @ultimatecoddy so I have lots to look forward to. And I am very excited about my upcoming blog posts too so, as always, keep an eye out for those!

In the meantime, I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Song Crush: Born to Die

2012-02-21T08:30:00.000Z

Lana Del Rey is everywhere at the minute, and it easy to see why with her haunting voice, unique sound and stunning looks.

After releasing mega-successful 'Videogames' in October 2011, she released this beauty of a song; the title track of her new album. I have heard this briefly in the past but Sunday was the first time I listened to it properly - oh, how I wished I'd given it more of a chance earlier, it gives me chills! Now I can't wait to listen to her whole album; I have a feeling it will be Adele's '21' all over again!

If you haven't heard this yet, then where have you been?! Here's my song crush of the moment, 'Born to Doe' by Lana Del Rey.

My Pinteresting Week

2012-02-20T08:30:00.000Z

Apologies for my lack of posts this past week; bingo with mother, goodbye drinks for another colleague, shopping and more bingo and visiting my Nanna and friends have kept me pretty occupied! I have a lot of blog posts to catch up on too but, on the plus side, I have been pinning!
Here's just some of what I have found so far...

Too right!

Shoe Love!

I LOVE looking at the Art Deco Jewellery...

How's this for 'stressed dessert?'

Fashion Loves

Hair & Beauty

For the home

Favourite Places...

On my wishlist...

For the original sources of these pins, and for the rest of my pinboards, follow me on Pinterest!

Nail Trend: Pale and Sparkly!

2012-02-15T08:30:00.000Z

Neglected!

Out of the whole 14 month life of The LC Issue, this the first time that I have written a post about nails. This is because I seriously neglect them! Although, I don't know why I do? I don't bite them and they seem to grow pretty quickly, I enjoy painting my nails and admiring all the different colours and finishes, but for some reason I don't seem to paint them very often unless I have a reason to, like a special occasion or a night out (in which case, it is a necessity!) But, I have decided that from here onwards, I am going to make more of an effort and look after my nails.

So when browsing Glamour, Cosmo, Company and various blogs, there is one trend that is being raved about... pastels! A favourite of S/S12, there is no doubt that it is going to be everywhere! Luckily my lack of exciting colours in my nailcare basket meant that I could give the powder pink shade a try, but - as you will see below - I've added a hint of sparkle.

For Christmas I received a nail kit created by Gok Wan from Dan's family's Secret Santa; I had used it briefly at Christmas, but this was the time to really give it a go. Within the shiny pink clutch bag was a nail file, orange sticks, hand balm and nail and cuticle oil. I started by filing my nails, using the oil and rubbing in the hand balm. One of the problems I do have with my nails is that they can become dry and split on occasions, but as soon as I used the oil and let it soak in and dry, I could instantly tell the difference; my nails felt more nourished!

The contents of the kit!

Nail and Cuticle Oil applied with a pipette.

Moisture added!

You don't need as much handcream as this; it smells nice and it kept my hands soft all night!

Once the preparation was complete, I coated my nails in a pale pink nail varnish - just a cheap one that I got as a part of a manicure set - and let it dry before applying another coat. This in itself was a lovely nail colour and I would have been very happy to have added a third and left it at that. However, the glistening snow of late inspired me and I added a coat of Barry M's Pink Iridescent (shade 264 - which I've owned for YEARS!) to make them sparkle.

Cheap and cheerful!

After two coats

Barry M Pink Iridescent

I love glittery polish, especially during winter time, and this Christmas had some beautiful shades, so I thought what better way to say goodbye to Winter and hello to Spring (although it doesn't feel like it just yet) than to combine the two trends together?

I am definitely going to invest in some new polishes; which brands and shades are your favourites?

P.S. I painted my nails on Saturday night and by Monday, they had chipped! Do you know of any good top coat polished?!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T08:30:00.000Z

Whether you're single and having a good time or loved up with your partner, I just wanted to wish all of you lovely readers a very Happy Valentine's Day - I know I've said this before but I really do appreciate all of your support with this blog and so, I hope you all have a wonderful day! x

*Image sourced from Shutterstock*

New Look... New Love!

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000Z

I love reading magazines; there's something about picking up a publication, reading the features and admiring the pages that I can't get enough of - even the free ones that you pick up at shop checkouts! When I was speaking at East Coast Media's Industry Week, I was asked: "Do you think print is dead?" My answer.... NO!

How can it be? Yes, circulations may be decreasing and e-versions may be becoming more popular, but - in my opinion - there will always be a place in the market for print for the people like me who enjoy setting aside an evening, lunch time or even just a few minutes in the day to browse page upon page of fashion, food, travel, homes, games, music... anything! As long as technology and social media are embraced, I think the print industry is safe.

And this is something that Company Magazine has done. On Saturday evening when I was shopping for chocolate and coca-cola (sugar overload!), I came across Company on the magazine rack and saw that it has had a revamp. Being completely honest, I am not a regular reader of this publication, but this new look (and the price of £1!) tempted me and so I bought it.

The new look Company mag - February 2012 issue.

The first thing I noticed - the new paper; gone are the glossy covers and welcomed are the matt finishes. This is something that a lot of publications are doing (including the magazines I write for which introduced matt covers back in September!) and it really does convey an unconventional, modern feel. I also personally think it makes the colours pop!

Lots of 'handwritten' text

I love how bright the colours on the new paper!

Throughout my diploma and degree, we were always taught to use serif fonts for print and sans-serif for online, but long gone are those rules too! Modern web design is all about 'hand-written' fonts and this has been incorporated into Company's new look; the first sign of print/web collaboration. This is highlighted by the use of #twittertrends which feature throughout the magazine - brilliant idea!

#TwitterTrends!

One of my favourite parts is the illustrations; I think they're so interesting to look at! There's something so appealing about fashion drawings but I'm not quite sure what it is; the originality, the creativity... whatever it is, I think it's a great move! I also LOVE the landscape images and some of the page designs - very contemporary.

I really like this style of page design.

LOVE the landscape pages!

It is always very risky to give your brand a makeover; what if your audience don't like it? What if it's not recognisable? But sometimes, it is necessary, especially when you have a lot of competitors not only from rival titles but from new platforms i.e online. You need to be cutting edge whilst still catering to your loyal readers as well as embrace the challenges you face.

In my personal opinion, Company have done just that. It's like the editor, Victoria White, said in her letter: "If we launched a new women's mag today, this is how it would look", and if (or when!) I am able to launch The LC Issue magazine, I would want the design to be blog-inspired just like this.

Helloooo Pinterest!

2012-02-12T08:30:00.000Z

I've seen Pinterest pop up on Twitter and Facebook a lot recently and I always wondered what it was. Usually I avoid networking sites (other than Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook of course!) as, sometimes, I do not know what to do with them or how to use them to their full potential, and they get brushed aside...

But this time, I was very curious so I requested an invite. Luckily, the lovely Jai'me Jan sent me one and now I am ready to pin!

As you can tell, I have yet to get into this properly, but I can tell I am going to like it; it's like looking at endless moodboards of your favourite interests - I can't wait to get this up and running!

So, if you're on Pinterest, please feel free to follow me or leave your address so I can follow you lovely people!

Oh, and while you're at it, why not follow me on Bloglovin' and Twitter too? *ahem, shameless promotion!*

A Story of an Office Romance

2012-02-10T08:30:00.000Z

One of the warnings we have all heard about at some point in our life is 'do not fall for someone that you work with'; it can be awkward, you'll get bored of each other - it is said that half of all workplace relationships end within three months... Luckily, this has not been the case for me.

Statistics say that approximately 70% of people have had relations with a colleague, and one in five instances end in marriage. Nearly 20 months ago, I started working at my publishing house where I met Daniel - the IT man (as he was introduced to me) - who, nine months later, became my boyfriend - and I couldn't be happier!

Myself and @UltimateCoddy our friends' joint hen and stag do - another Walton's Romance!

At first we were both seeing other people, speaking to each other when we crossed in the office, but then towards the end of 2010 we started going out to get lunch together - let the colleague teasing begin! We received the "What's going on then?", "You and Daniel going for lunch again, hey?" - the usual - but we were just friends, so we carried on as normal.

But by the end of the year, I found myself single, and then a couple of months later in early 2011, Daniel did too so we starting 'hanging out' after work - in secret of course (well, secret to our workmates anyway) and it was so exciting! A few weeks later, we became 'public' and, to my relief, everybody was so happy for us! "We knew this would happen", "It's about time", "FINALLY!" - the best things I could ask to hear!

Six months later, I moved into Dan's flat and now we are about to celebrate our first Valentine's Day together followed by our first anniversary next month - I never would have thought that my first job in journalism would lead to this!

However, today will be the last day that myself and @ultimatecoddy are an office couple as, come Monday, he will be starting his very exciting new job as a Web Developer at a marketing firm in Hull - we've survived the negative statistics! Why has this relationship worked? Well, we're both very determined people who only want the best for each other - and if that means moving onto bigger and better things at different establishments, then so be it! We have fun together, have lots in common, we were very good friends to begin with and that has grown into an amazing relationship... am I sounding too soppy?

Of course, it is going to be a bit strange not working together anymore; I'll have to walk to work by myself, occupy myself at dinner and then explain my day at work to him, but on the other hand, this is such an exiting time in our lives. It has worked for Angelina and Brad, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, Beyonce and Jay-Z... I have a good feeling that this will work for us too!

I know this is a bit early, but since this is quite a loved up post (ahh!), I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!

Song Crush: Every Teardrop is a Waterfall

2012-02-09T08:30:00.000Z

I know this song has been out for a while now, but this is one of those instances where you love a song, stop listening to it for a while, hear it again after a few months and re-fall in love with it!

I'm a not a big Coldplay fan - I like some of their songs but have never made an effort to buy an album - but this song in particular just makes me feel so good - I would LOVE to see this performed live! So, for today's mega quick post, here's the song I'm playing on repeat at the minute.

Video sourced from here.

Party Time!

2012-02-07T08:30:00.000Z

It's time to celebrate! Well, it will be at the end of the month because... A.) It's my birthday! And B.) our zumba instructor will be hosting her second Zumba Party Night at Cleethorpes Pier!

These events are held on the last Friday of every month; unfortunately I missed January's (which was the first) but, from looking at the Facebook pics, it was a fab night. Each month, the party has a theme - January's was all about D-I-S-C-O and February's theme will be... CARNIVAL!

My Carnival Collage!
All images sourced from Shutterstock

I think this will be a great theme; it just screams fun! The music, the dancing, the atmosphere all tied together with feathers, sequins and bright colours! Now, obviously, I will not be walking round Cleethorpes' Seafront in a jewelled bikini with a giant head dress, but I found some clothing that would get me into the carnival mood!

Ayesha Sequin Strappy Teal Top
£6 from boohoo

John Zack Sequin Wave Dress
£34.99 (was £44.99) from New Look

ASOS Revive Mini Skirt in Feather
£50 from ASOS

Keeley Black Feather Dress
£10 from boohoo

LOVE this outfit!
(Even though the top isn't very 'carnival'!)
Klarina Premium Sequin Fitted Mini Skirt
£25.99 from missguided

Multi Chain Vest Necklace
£50 from Topshop


How Perfect? Feather Wing Ear Cuff £15 from Topshop

Johnny Loves Rosie Feather Clip
£15 (was £39) from ASOS

If you have any samba party inspired ideas for an outfit, then please let me know!

*Please note: The images above are all sourced from the retailers' website*

The Life and Times of Soloman Grundy...

2012-02-06T08:30:00.000Z

.... well, almost! Like most people around the country, I spent my Sunday playing in the snow; I have been waiting for weather like this ever since 2010's epic snow falls melted away, and it finally arrived, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Myself and 'Dave' in 2010!

During these snow days, myself and @ultimatecoddy built Dave, a 5ft snowman that lived in our workplace's car park - we were so proud of him! And so, as soon as we saw a couple of inches had settled on the ground, we decided to make Dave 2.0.

Everything was going to plan; we built up his base, rolled up the mid section, created a head and even filled him out with extra snow. We gave him pauperie eyes, mouth and 'buttons', stick arms, a carrot nose and dressed him in an old scarf - he was perfect! After a few obligatory photographs, we left him in our front garden, smiling away at the world. Then, they came along......

Kids.

Kids who ran into the garden, knocked his head and body off and kicked him to bits - we knew it was inevitably going to happen, but not so soon...

So, in honour of his short existence, we have named Dave 2.0 Soloman Grundy, just like the rhyme... only our snowman's life was much, much shorter!

The beginning...

...rolling the body...

...sculpting the body...

...adding the head...

...almost knocking it off!

Padded out...

A scarf all the way from Rome, pauperie eyes and adding the carrot nose...

Adding some gloves...

Dave 2.0 is complete!

@ultimatecoddy getting a picture

What was to become known as 'Soloman Grundy'

Family photo!

The final chapter... just ten short minutes later.

Roll on Winter 2012/2013!

Five weeks down...

2012-02-04T08:30:00.000Z

...and I have been non-stop! January definitely feels like it has been a looong month, but at the same time, I have been involved in some amazing projects and I have some great ventures in the pipeline too!

It all started after New Year when I had some exciting offers in regards to this blog, beginning with the TLC Plan from Activia. I never actually said this in my posts but I would just like to thank the brand and pr company for asking me to take part in this. Four weeks after their first email, my whole outlook on eating has changed and most definitely for the better, so thank you! And a massive thank you to every one who read, commented on and liked my posts; as always, your support is GREATLY appreciated! I have some more very exciting plans coming up in the near future too which involves some entertainment reviews and interviews, so keep your eyes peeled for those!

Another highlight of my month, which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, is my talk at East Coast Media's Media Industry Week! My tutor from my journalism degree, @rosereiki, asked me to go back to my old stomping ground to give a talk to the students about my time at the Grimsby Institute, my work experience and my career now - the same talks that I was attending just a few years ago! I was incredibly nervous; I had an hour to fill (and I am definitely NOT a confident public speaker) but luckily, I feel like it all went OK and I hope the students that attended enjoyed it. It was a very weird experience, to be completely honest, but at the same time I'm very pleased that I said yes and did this!

January has been a fantastic month for Mr Ultimate Coddy too - he's only gone and got himself a fab new job! I first met Daniel when I started working at Walton's - he was the Web Developer and IT Man - and, after a few lunch times walking around the near-by shopping centre together, we started going out and the rest is history! Now he's going to a great company so he can further his talents as a brilliant web designer - I'm so proud. Of course, it will be a bit strange not working with him any more, but I really am so happy for him, and I will see him every night when he comes home from work anyway... He has also promised to write another guest post for me, and from the sounds of it, it's not to be missed!

And how are everyone's New Year's Resolutions coming along anyway? Have you given up yet?

I will admit, I haven't stuck to mine like I probably should; I haven't been to the gym with @ultimatecoddy in a couple of weeks, I have been a little bit naughty with my new diet this week too and my finances haven't quite gone to plan but I really don't consider this giving up. I am not sat here thinking 'Yeah, this is over, I give up' - I've slipped slightly but I want to get back on track. On the bright side, I am still loving my new camera and can't wait for more opportunities to showcase what it can do!

If you have been following my posts over the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed that I've bombarded this blog with TLC Plan updates, but now that it is over all will be returning to normal as from Monday.

Thanks for reading!

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part Seven

2012-02-01T08:30:00.000Z

My Top 10 Dishes from the TLC Plan

As I mentioned in my last post, one of the most impressive parts of the TLC Plan - for me - was the meals. I made so many new dishes that I never had before and found that I really, really liked them; so much so that I can't wait to continue making them now the plan is over! For my last post in this series, I wanted to show you all my favourites, so here are my top 10 dishes from the TLC Plan.

10. Veggie Fajitas

I love wraps but I am not a fan of peppers, salsa or sour cream, so mine usually consist of fried chicken (with a bit of paprika if you're lucky!), lettuce, cheese and mayonnaise. But the Activia version suggests frying onions and mushrooms in fajita seasoning (I used BBQ flavour) and laying it on a warmed-up wrap with lettuce and cheese... surprisingly good!

9. Toast with Peanut Butter and Banana

Another favourite part of the diet for me was the breakfasts, and this one is easy to make and very filling. Simply toast a slice of wholemeal bread, spoon on some peanut butter and put slices of banana on top! I'm not a fan of peanut butter by itself (I find it too sickly), but the bananas make it that little bit more sweet.

8. Fruit Smoothie

This snack contains one of my favourite Activia products; the pouring yoghurt. This is great with muesli for breakfast instead of milk too, but in this instance you blend it with strawberries, bananas and blueberries for a few seconds and your delicious smoothie is ready!

7. Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

This is one of the dishes that I never would have thought about making, but it was on the menu during my second week and I'm so pleased I chose it! OK, I admit, the recipe does suggest turkey and the sauce comes ready made in a packet, and all you have to do is add it to cooked chicken and green pepper and serve with rice, but I was incredibly impressed with the finished result!

6. Lower-fat Sponge Cake

The only negative about this dish is that the recipe on the TLC Plan website says to use plain flour, not self-raising, and so the cake did not rise! However, it tasted absolutely delicious and the icing, which was made from lemon curd, soft cheese and fromage frais (*cough* vanilla pouring yoghurt because I couldn't find fromage frais *cough*) was beautiful too.

5. BLT Bagel

Bagels are another food which I wouldn't have bothered with before the plan, but now I love them! For this breakfast simply toast a bagel, cook a piece of lean bacon, cut up lettuce and tomato and put it all together! The healthiest

4. Veggie Pizza

What I like about this dinner is that it is so much fun to make! Shop-bought pizza bases topped with a tomato and basil sauce, mozzarella, red onion and mushrooms and cooked for around 20 minutes... so good!

3. Sandwiches

There are two variations within the plan; the first is the Chicken and Avo Sandwich (minus the avocado for me!), and the second is the Veggie Club Sandwich, or in other words cheese and salad. But what is great about these beasts is that you make them with not two, but three slices of wholemeal bread! Myself and @ultimatecoddy liked them so much we named them the 'awesomewiches!'

2. Creamy Garlic Mushrooms

I love garlic mushrooms as a starter, so when I saw this on the plan I really wanted to try and make it. Finely chop garlic cloves and onion, fry with chopped mushrooms, add vegetable stock and leave to simmer, then finally add creme fraiche. In the meantime, cook some spaghetti and, when all is ready, serve! Delicious.

1. Sultana, Hazelnut and Oat Cookies

I love baking, so when I saw this option I had to choose it. However, I was slightly skeptical about adding sultanas (not a massive fan) and baking with wholemeal flour and brown sugar... but BOY was I wrong! These cake-like delights were just that, delightful - I was genuinely so surprised by them! And because they're lower fat and healthier, I can make them all of the time! *Wink!*

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part Six

2012-01-30T08:30:00.000Z

MISSION COMPLETE!

That's it folks, the TLC Plan is OVER! For the past two weeks, this plan has taken over my life - and my blog - and now the time has come to look back over the past 14 days and reflect...

The items of the Activia range that I bought.

For those of you who missed this post or do not know much about it, the TLC Plan is a diet which you follow for two weeks in order to give your tummy some 'TLC'. You sign up to the TLC website for free, answer a few questions and then you have your plan set out in front of you and ready to view at anytime online. For each day, you have a breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks meal suggestion, but you have the option to change what is given, as well as some fitness and general health tips.

I was asked to take part in this and trust me, I was more than happy to go along with it! Like many people, I had over indulged in chocolates, drink and roast dinners over Christmas and I could definitely feel it in my stomach. My other reason for doing this was that it would be a big challenge; I have NEVER been on a diet or eating plan before. Because I'm at work 9-to-5 and then either come home to blog or to go to zumba, I just usually make something quick for dinner or, as the case is sometimes, order a takeaway and I knew that this plan would mean getting out of this comfort zone, so I thought BRING IT ON!

After a ridiculous shopping trip in preparation for this (I really didn't realise how little myself and @ultimatecoddy actually keep in the cupboards!), I started the plan on 16th January and it ended last night. You can see my first week's plan here and week number two's here.

Healthy homemade lemon cake anyone?

So, how did it go?

Overall, I am very pleased with not only how good the plan is but also how well I stuck to it. Admittedly, I did miss the odd snack and one dinner (thanks to Mother taking me to Gala Bingo!), but I really did try my best to keep to the plan and measurements given, and use the right ingredients - hence the massive shopping list!

One of the parts which I found really impressive are the breakfasts. As I have said before, I am one of those people who either munch on a couple of cereal bars, have a quick slice of toast (unless Dan makes me bowl of porridge) or just skip it. This plan, however, has introduced me to a number of tasty but so easy to prepare breakfasts such as the wholemeal breakfast biscuits topped with yoghurt, toast with peanut butter and a banana and the BLT bagel! I am so determined to carry on eating these breakfasts now that the plan is over.

Creamy garlic mushrooms -
one of my faves!

I was also majorly impressed with some of the dinners too, for instance I LOVE creamy garlic mushrooms but have never attempted to make it (I wouldn't know where to start?!), but this plan has introduced me to creme fraiche and now I will be more than happy to make this as a starter and a main! I have been able to experiment with new ingredients that normally I wouldn't consider, and because of this I have found new foods that I like and want to continue making and eating in the future.

When first getting ready to take part in this, one of the most daunting aspects was the amount of preparation involved; I knew that a lot of my time would be spent in the kitchen getting the meals ready. Luckily, I enjoy cooking and once I had started and followed the recipes, everything was fine! If your lifestyle is like mine, you just have to bear in mind that not only are you preparing the breakfast, you are also getting your morning snack and lunch ready to take to work, and then you have your afternoon snack followed by dinner to make along with any preparation for the morning. So, my advice for anybody considering this plan is to make sure you have the time, or can make the time, to do this properly and you will definitely feel better for it.

Even the Danone Activia products has really impressed me! I am not a big yoghurt eater (I much prefer puddings or chocolate after a meal!) but the fat-free yoghurts, pouring yoghurts and Intensely Creamy yoghurts in particular are delicious! So much so that I have already bought my next set of each...

Of course, the Activia brand is famous for it's 'Tummy TLC' ethos and this is the main objective of the plan; to make your stomach feel better. But does it work?

I'd say so. I genuinely do not feel bloated like I used to; I can eat until I'm full but it does not make me feel sick. I am getting fuller more easily and therefore I'm not eating as much; I weighed myself on the Wii Fit yesterday and, to my delight, it said that in the last two weeks I have lost three pounds! RESULT!

Plenty of healthy, filling meals.

I have mentioned previously on this blog that I LOVE a takeaway and, since week one, I have been changing my mind about whether to have a pizza platter, a curry or McDonalds to celebrate the end of this challenge. But, over the past two days, I have come to realise that I don't actually want one! I don't like the thought of eating something 'stodgy' and, being perfectly honest, it makes me feel bloated just thinking about it - a sure sign that my eating habits have changed for the better; it's quite exciting!

I really have learned a lot about eating healthily through taking part in this and I am so determined to carry on making these meals and live a healthier lifestyle; it just shows what a bit of food education can do. As I said above, you really need to make sure you have the time and patience to do the plan, but if you do give this a go, you definitely won't be disappointed. I genuinely didn't know what to expect when agreeing to do this and I am so impressed and surprised by it - I really do recommend Danone Activia's TLC Plan.

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part Five

2012-01-29T13:38:00.001Z

Well everybody, today is the FINAL day of my TLC Plan - I can't believe it is here! After all of the planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning, the 14 days are (very nearly) over; all I have left is my lunch, dinner and afternoon snack. Tomorrow I will publish my thoughts on how the diet has gone as a whole, but for today, here is Week Two's meal plan.

Day Eight

Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Banana on Toast - I enjoyed this breakfast so much last week that I chose it again to start this week!

Snack: Sultana, Hazelnut and Oat Cookies - Click here to see my thoughts on these (*Hint* they're delicious!)

Lunch: Tomato with a Bagel - Very filling and satisfying.

Snack: Hummus with Sugar Snap Peas - Nice and easy, only I used carrots instead of peas.

Dinner: Penne Pasta with Pesto and Broccoli - Although this was alright, I think I'd prefer it as a Summer meal.

Day Nine

Breakfast: Toast with Jam - A simple, classic breakfast teamed with a yoghurt; you can't go wrong!

Snack: Sultana, Hazelnut and Oat Cookies.

Lunch: Italian Pasta Tricolour Salad - I had this a couple of times last week and I think it's a simple, and most definitely healthy, lunch. Cook pasta, mix it with green pesto and serve with rocket, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella... simple!

Snack: Cheesy Tomato Toast

Dinner: Turkey in Black Bean Sauce - This is another one of my big surprises of the plan; again, I was so impressed with this meal! This is the first time I have tried to make this, and I used chicken instead of Turkey, but it was very easy to make and I really did enjoy eating this. And the Vanilla Intensely Creamy yoghurts are beautiful!

Day 10

Breakfast: BLT Bagel - Considering I have never really given bagels a chance, they have been one of my favourite foods on this plan. A wholemeal bagel, toasted, with lean bacon, lettuce and tomato and a tiny bit of mayo; the healthiest, but still tasty, bacon butty you'll find!

Snack: Banana and Mixed Berry Smoothie - delicious.

Lunch: Veggie Club Sandwich - I really love these sandwiches! Last week I had the Chicken version, but this one consists of cheese, red onion, lettuce, tomato and cucumber in between three slices of wholemeal bread.

Snack: Strawberries with Dark Chocolate - such a treat!

Dinner: Gnocchi with Chicken - I have never tried gnocchi before but have always wanted to, and I am so pleased this has given me the chance! I will admit, I did think it was pasta until I bought it and realised it is, in fact, Italian potato dumlings... They are very weird little things but I like them, and the tomato and chicken accompaniment was delicous too.

Day 11

Breakfast: Muesli with Blueberries with Pouring Yoghurt

Snack: Snackpot with Walnuts - a slight change here; I had hazelnuts instead of walnuts as I had some left over from the cookies... but it's OK because they're rich in Vitamin E!

Lunch: Chicken and Avo sandwich - Again, I left out the avacado like last week, but it is still one awesome sandwich!

Snack: Tzatziki, breadticks and veggies - I admit it, I missed this snack, but that is because the lovely @andyandem came round for...

Dinner: Veggie Pizza - Yes! Homemade pizza again (minus the peppers) along with a side salad.

Day 12

Breakfast: Muesli with Pouring Yoghurt and Blueberries - Blueberries are a superfood, so why not make the most of them?

Snack: Tasty Salad Bowl - Unfortunately I had to give this a miss as I forgot to put it in the fridge at work and so, by 11am, it tasted a bit... awful!

Lunch: Roast Chicken Pasta Salad - The picture above looks different to the recipe; cook chicken and pasta and mix them both together with some tomato pesto and it's done!

Snack: Cheesy Tomato Toast

Dinner: Broccoli and Walnut Tagliatelle - I'm not quite sure what happened here; on my list (which I written to plan my shopping trip), I had Veggie Fajitas down as Friday's meal... but I'm not complaining because I do LOVE those fajitas!

Day 13

Breakfast: Traditional Cooked Breakfast

Snack: Snackpot with Almonds - again, I had hazelnuts instead!

Lunch: Tomato Soup with a Bagel

Snack: Fresh Summer Fruits - always a delight!

Dinner: Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta - still so impressed with this meal!

Day 14

Breakfast: Banana Pancakes - I was a little bit experimental with this meal; I used wholemeal self-raising flour (genuine mistake!) to make the batter and, for the topping, I used a forest fruits yoghurt instead of rhubarb like the recipe suggests, but it was still lovely.

Snack: Snackpot and Peanut Butter Toast - A little bit filling for a snack but I like it!

Lunch: Veggie Club Sandwich - I am going to make this as soon as I have finished writing this post...

Snack: Hummus with Sugar Snap Peas - Again, I used carrot instead of sugar snap peas.

Dinner: Gnocchi with Chicken - I'm looking forward to this!

As I said above, tomorrow I will be rounding-up this experience as a whole; I am quite surprised with what I've found! If you have liked any of my TLC posts and are considering doing this plan, then you'll definitely have to check out tomorrow's post!

Now... it's time to make sandwiches!

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part Four

2012-01-27T08:30:00.000Z

I love a bit of baking. My Grandad always made excellent cakes and tarts; they were my absolute favourite when I was growing up and the taste and textures were perfect every time - I always thought he could have his own cake shop! And, even though this may sound a *bit* big-headed, I sometimes like to think I have some of his talent...

Saying that, my last baking attempt didn't quite work out right (I knew that plain flour wouldn't make this cake rise!) but on Sunday I put my baking hat back on and made the TLC Plan's Sultana, Hazelnut and Oat Cookies - I NEVER expected them to be good as they were!

Creaming the margarine and brown sugar.

Adding the sultanas and hazelnuts after mixing in one beaten egg and the semi-skimmed milk.

Ready to fold in the wholemeal self-raising flour.

Coating the mixture in rolled oats after rolling it into balls.

Hey presto!

Flattening them down ready for baking.

And voila! Absolutely amazing cookies!

I will admit, I was a little skeptical of these at first; I much prefer chocolate in my biscuits rather than raisins and I had never tried baking with wholemeal flour and brown sugar before, so I was unsure of what they would taste like. However, to my delight, I had nothing to worry about because these were absolutely delicious!

Because self-raising flour was used (I'm still baffled as to why it was used in this recipe and not the lemon cake's?!), they were really soft and spongy - not hard like cookies from a packet - which I really liked. They were also really moist and were so tasty; it's a shame I only had this snack three times on my plan!

The only negative, although it isn't really, which hasn't got anything to do with the recipe or ingredients, is that I made the dough balls waaayyyy too big so the mixture didn't make 30 cookies like it should, but I'm not complaining because it meant I got to eat bigger cookies...

And, even the Graphics Department at Walton's HQ liked them! Another success for Danone Activia's TLC Plan!

Cowie does LA: Part Three!

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000Z

So after spending a brilliant morning at Hollywood Boulevard (I loved the buzz!) and then Griffith Observatory and walking up the the legendary Hollywood sign, day four was spent in the sunshine walking from Santa Monica to Venice Beach, and then sadly this was the end of our trip (but not before one last trip to Rodeo drive!) So here are the last few pictures from this AMAZING trip.

My feet compared to Will Smith's!

Walk of Fame!

More shopping...

On the way up to the Hollywood sign!

There it is!

Griffith Observatory - we also came back at night; the view of the city was beautiful!

Santa Monica Pier.

On the beach!

Venice Beach.

The group back at Universal City for our last night; we celebrated with a meal at the Hard Rock Cafe!

This is most definitely a place I MUST get back to.

Cowie does LA: Part Two!

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000Z

Once we had recovered from the excitement that was Universal Studios, we were ready to explore the rest of LA, starting with its Mexican heritage; we travelled to Union Station and had a look round a quaint Mexican market before heading to Long Beach (not what I expected!) and finally back to... wait for it fashionistas... Rodeo Drive! Yes - Chanel, Gucci, Dior, Harry Winston and even the boutique which Julia Roberts was thrown out of in 'Pretty Woman'. Day three then consisted of a trip to Hollywood Boulevard...

Avila Adobe

The Mexican market (but we were a bit early!)

Lovely little shops at Long Beach!

Long Beach Harbour

Rodeo Drive

The boutique I mentioned above.

A Turtle Sundae from the California Kitchen!

Day three: Hollywood & Vine Station

Hollywood Boulevard!

We were there at Oscar time!

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part Three

2012-01-23T08:30:00.001Z

Well, the first week of the TLC Plan is over! I still have one week left but the first seven days have flown by. Being completely honest, most of this has been a success, but there has been some instances where I have had to be a bit flexible with the meals...But never mind that, here is how I got on during week one.

Day One

Breakfast: Peanut Butter and Banana on Toast with a Yoghurt - I am not a massive fan of peanut butter (unless it is a small amount smothered in chocolate) but this was quite filling and I am definitely looking forward to having this again.

Snack: Healthy Dippers and Homemade Salsa - You can see how I prepared this here, and I definitely enjoyed the dippers. The salsa, however, not so much. The smell (for me) was too strong; maybe it was because I didn't use lime juice or chilli so the garlic and onion was too pungent? So I decided to give the dip a miss...

Lunch: Chicken Caesar Salad - Love this. The recipe does say to make your own croutons by frying small cubes of baguette, but I left this out. The reduced fat Caesar salad sauce from Asda I used is delicious! I'm more than happy to carry on eating this after the plan has ended.

Snack: Cheesy Tomato Toast - Can't go wrong with this! Soft cheese on toast is most definitely a favourite snack of mine, and tomatoes are just a fresh addition.

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas - I think this is going to be my biggest surprise; I didn't think they would be so good! I used BBQ seasoning for the mushrooms (which I have never tried before) and it tasted great! I didn't have salsa or guacamole in my wraps, but as I said, delicious!

Day Two

Breakfast: Wholegrain cereal biscuits with yoghurt - The recipe suggests, for the biscuit topping, a fig yoghurt and a fig, but I chose to stick with a strawberry yoghurt and some fruit, and again, another great breakfast!

Snack: Snackpot with Walnuts - Unfortunately the supermarket didn't have any snackpots when I went (and still didn't on Friday!) so I opted for a fat-free cherry yoghurt with nuts; just an easy snack for when I'm sat at my desk.

Lunch: Italian Pasta Tricolour Salad - There was something I didn't quite like about this meal; I am not a big fan of rocket and the recipe said to mix lemon juice with the pesto before pouring it over the dish, and I am not a big fan of lemon juice on foods either (unless it is a dessert - I don't know why?!) So when I tried this again on Saturday, I made a little change, but the details of this are further down below...

Snack: Strawberries with Dark Chocolate - YES! What I had been waiting for! Despite a little mishap with the dark chocolate at first (I burnt it in the microwave), the second attempt was much better thanks to @ultimatecoddy. I used Divine's 70% chocolate which is lovely, and with the strawberries, it really was divine!

Dinner: Veggie Pizza - It was fun making this homemade pizza. I didn't include peppers and so just stuck to mushrooms, mozarella and onion, and this has definitely inspired myself and Daniel to make our own pizzas more often.

Day Three

Breakfast: Muesli with Blueberries and Activia Pouring Yoghurt - exactly what it says and is a nice zesty start to the day. This will be lovely in summer.

Snack: Snackpot with Almonds - again!

Lunch: Wholemeal Bagel with Tomato Soup - such a filling lunch, and so satisfying too. The recipe suggests spreading low-fat soft cheese on the bagel, and so do I!

Snack: I was supposed to have a tasty salad bowl, but I had to go to zumba straight after work and then started to make Spaghetti Bolognese when I got home. So I have to admit I did miss this snack...

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese - I do like cooking, so it was nice making this from scratch instead of using sauce from a jar. The only thing I did differently was not include red wine, but it was still fine.

Day Four

Breakfast: Reduced Fat/Sugar Beans on Toast with a Yoghurt - I do like this classic breakfast, but I don't usually have it before work so it was a nice change. I had a yoghurt afterwards too but I found this a bit too sweet, so I think I'd quite like to stick to just the beans on toast.

Snack: Snackpot with almonds - again!

Lunch: Chicken Caesar Salad - I was definitely looking forward to this!

Snack: Lower-fat sponge cake - In some ways this was a success, but at the same time it was a bit of a disaster! The recipe says to use plain flour, but because of this my cake didn't rise! You are supposed to be able to cut it in half so that you can put the homemade cream (yummy!) in between layers, but there was no way I could do that with mine! I also couldn't find Fromage Frais ANYWHERE! So I used a little bit of the Activia Vanilla Pouring Yoghurt, and as a result, my cream was too runny. However, the sponge and the cream tasted amazing!

Doesn't quite look like the image above, does it?

Dinner: This was my biggest slip to date... I went off plan! My mother treated me to a session at Gala Bingo which started at 7pm and so I didn't have time to make the garlic mushroom pasta dish. Instead I had a little hotdog (that's bad, I know!)

Day Five:

Breakfast: Cream Cheese and Strawberry Wholemeal Bagel with a Yoghurt - another favourite breakfast.

Snack: Lower-fat sponge cake - still delicious despite its appearance!

Lunch: Ham, Cheese and Tomato Melt - again, just a couple of changes due to the lack of foods available in the supermarket on a Sunday afternoon. Instead of ham, I used bacon (with the fat taken off), and instead of a panini, I used a wholemeal sub but I still grilled it.

Snack: Peanuts and Raisins - Just a few from a packet; nice and easy.

Dinner: Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta - I made this instead of the Pesto Penne dish as I love creamy mushrooms and was slightly gutted that I missed it on Thursday. This was my first time cooking with Creme Fraiche and I would rate this as a favourite and a complete success.

Day Six

Breakfast: Traditional Cooked Breakfast - The image above shows toast and sausages, but all the recipe includes is bacon, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes and eggs, and then a yoghurt for after. Even so, this is enough to keep you full until lunchtime.

Snack: Lower-fat sponge cake - again!

Lunch: Italian Pasta Tricolour Salad - I made a slight change to the recipe this time; I mixed the pesto with the pasta straight after cooking and served the dish warm. I also left the lemon juice out and it was much more to my taste!

Snack: Healthy Dippers - as above, minus the homemade salsa.

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas - just as good as the first try!

Day Seven

Breakfast: Muesli with Summer Berries and Activia Pouring Yoghurt

Snack: Hummus with carrot sticks - I first tried hummus only recently and I really liked it, so I am pleased that it cropped up in the plan. However, I usually dip bread sticks into mine, not carrot sticks...

Lunch: Chicken and Avocado Sandwich - I was surprised to see this sandwich requires three slices of bread, not two! Although I'm not complaining because I love bread. I did leave the avocado out; again, not a fan!

Snack: Sultana, Hazelnut and Oat Cookies - Absolutely beautiful! These are made with brown sugar and wholemeal self-raising flour and they are fanstastic, especially with a glass of milk; it's a shame I only have three cookies in my plan...

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese - I had this instead of garlic mushrooms because of the menu change earlier on in the week and I definitely felt like this one was much better than the first. My tip - drain some of the water from the chopped tomatoes and don't use as much beef stock so the sauce isn't too watery!

I know I have slightly gone off plan in a couple of instances, but over all I feel like I have already learned a lot about eating habits, healthier alternatives and just cooking in general. I really do feel like my stomach feels better too.

Next week I have a few new dishes to try; I am looking forward to trying gnocchi for the first time and making turkey in black bean sauce, as well as a pancake breakfast on day 14. Let's do this!

Cowie does LA: Part One!

2012-01-22T08:30:00.000Z

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that on Sunday nights I get waaayyy too excited about Desperate Housewives (Look out tonight tweeps!) I absolutely LOVE that programme; I've seen every episode since it very first began - and without cheating by watching them online first too! I am absolutely gutted that the show is coming to an end once this series has finished (first Ugly Betty, now this! What can I watch now?!) but luckily, I have very fond memories of being on Wisteria Lane itself, even if it was for only a few minutes!

In February 2009, I went on a trip to LA with East Coast Media and had an absolutely brilliant time - the atmosphere, its rich movie heritage; you genuinely won't find another place on earth like it! On our first full day there we were graced with rain, so we changed the schedule and headed to Universal Studios, and what a fantastic day it was. Because of the weather, there was hardly anybody there (meaning no queues for the rides!) and by early afternoon the sun had come out - it was perfect!

There are some absolutely brilliant rides, as anyone who is lucky enough to have been there will know, but I have to say that my favourite part was the Studio Tour; travelling around the TV and film sets was fascinating and so entertaining, especially when we crossed the bridge that broke, got stuck in an underground station when an earthquake and flash flood hit and was almost attacked by Normal Bates at the Bates Motel (yes, I did scream very loudly when he almost got me with a knife!) When setting off on the tour, the operator said that we would also be visiting Wisteria Lane and I almost died! And now every time Desperate Housewives is on, I have to say 'I've been there!'

So, here are just a few of the pictures I took during my day at Universal Studios, LA.

On the way there...

On the way up to Universal City

Yum!

We made it!

The rainy view

Me and Matt Damon!

Demonstrating a flood

The 'lake' that Susan Myers drove into in Desperate Housewives! The water separated and we crossed it.

In the 'subway' during an 'earthquake' which led to a flood.

Wisteria Lane!

Edie Britt's Home.

'War of the Worlds'

One of my all time favourite rides!

Jurassic Park!

Of course, this really is just a small snippet of what we did at the theme park; there is Terminator 3D, Backdraft, The Mummy ride, character parades - I could go on! So if you liked this, then look out for even more pictures from my trip to LA - coming soon!

What would you do for five quid?

2012-01-21T08:30:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago while at work, a website was brought to my attention - www.fivesquids.co.uk - a site where people can post their services which they will do for literally a fiver!

I had a quick glance and there are some very, shall we say interesting, services to say the least. For instance, if you would like someone to write something on their boobs, break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend or 'act as your decoy' for £5, then this is the site for you!

Of course, there are some 'less random' options, such as business help, dream interpretations and writing services - I suppose this website lends any freelancers a helping hand and gets their services out there which is great! But it is still entertaining to see what some people are proposing to do in the 'Fun & Bizarre' category...

And then this got me thinking, what would you do for £5? If you needed just a little bit of extra cash or just wanted to promote your business, what would be your service?

I think I'd have to go for something like 'I will provide a list of holiday destinations for £5.' I know it's not very 'creative' but I can't wait to book a holiday this year, and I love looking through holiday brochures at all different destinations - cities, beach holidays, skiing holidays... yep, this would be my service! Admittedly, I would end up wanting to go on all of the holidays myself - I'd just have to add them to my list!

"It's oh... so quiet...shh!"

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000Z

Well, it's not really because I have been absolutely manic over the past few days, and it looks set to continue too! But this is why I may be a little bit quiet over the next week or so - but don't worry, because this won't last long!

As you all know from previous posts, I am taking part in the Danone Activia TLC Plan and there is a LOT of cooking involved - it's a good job I do actually like cooking! So this is what is taking up most of my time at the minute (apart from zumba-ing and gym, of course!) I am getting up early to prepare my snacks and dinner for the day and to eat breakfast (I'm really loving my options!), and then coming home after work and making tea, doing any more preparations if possible. This really is time consuming, and I knew it would be, but I really do think this will be so beneficial for me - I am making food from scratch and not opting for the quick, easy options. This can only be a good thing! I am currently on Day 4 and so far, Day One and Two were brilliant, but I will admit I slacked slightly on Day Three... but that story is still to come along with lots of pictures of my meals - so make sure you keep an eye out for those!

And, I now have only one week left before my talk at East Coast Media - I must get rehearsing for this! I'm still so nervous about it but *fingers crossed!* all will be fine! But, as soon as this is over, I can get back to blogging - woohoo!

I have some very interesting posts planned and, believe it or not, they are not fitness focused either! (Ok, some of them are...) So, please bear with me and I will be back soon...

Thank you!

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part 2

2012-01-17T08:30:00.000Z

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that there is some preparation involved with the making of the meals and snacks - it's not just a case of eating a few yoghurts you know! So I wanted to give you a bit of an insight.

Screen shot from my plan showing the recipe for my mid-morning snack.

My mid-morning snack for day one was healthy dippers and salsa - all made from scratch, of course. As you can see from the image above, you are given a list of ingredients and a step by step guide to making to foods. These healthy dippers feeds four people, so I adjusted the ingredient amounts to cater for just me.

I used one small potato and cut it into wedges before coating them lightly in sunflower oil and cooking them for 25 minutes. For the salsa, I chopped up three tomatoes, one-quarter of a red onion, one garlic clove and added lemon juice (because unfortunately the shop had no limes left!) I have to admit that @ultimatecoddy chopped them up further; I struggle when finely chopping foods! I also left out the chilli as I am not a big fan of spicy foods.

Coating the wedges in oil...

placing them in the oven...

De-seeding the tomatoes for the salsa...

Cooked potatoes!

Slicing the onion...

The salsa, minus the juice, thanks to @ultimatecoddy's fine chopping!

I am finding it easiest to prepare all of this the night before as I have breakfast and dinner to make in the morning. I think a big part of this plan is to be organised and manage your time effectively, especially if you have a busy lifestyle. Going through each meal of the 14 day plan, writing out all the ingredients then narrowing it down into one shopping list was definitely a big help before starting this - if you're going to do this, then make sure you are going to do it properly!

*The TLC Plan from Activia: Part 1

2012-01-16T08:30:00.000Z

It most definitely feels like fitness is taking over this blog at the minute; I've been eating better (but still having the odd cheat mwahaha!), exercising more and just generally taking a greater interest in the subject - I'm very eager to take a look at Cosmo' new fitness mag, has anybody seen it yet?

Anyway, with this in mind, you can imagine my delight when I was asked to give the Danone Activia TLC Plan a go! I have never been on an eating plan, but when I was presented with this challenge I really wanted to give this a try. I'd seen the adverts on telly and always thought I should try and eat more good foods like yoghurts since, usually, my diet consists of heavy foods like bread, pasta and foods that fill you up - I want that not-bloated feeling!

A screenshot showing my plan's homepage - 1 day to go!

I signed up to the site, which is free, two days ago just to have a look at what was to come. Firstly you have to answer a few questions so that the plan will be more suited to you, for example, I stated that I didn't each fish and my days were mainly spent sitting at a desk, and then you have a 14 day plan which includes exercise suggestions and tips to keep you motivated. However, you are given the chance to change your meals just in case you don't like what you have been given, so the plan is very flexible.

Screenshot showing my plan for Day One - Breakfast, two snacks, lunch, dinner and tips!

My next step was to come up with a shopping list which, to be honest, took me around four hours to organise; I didn't realise how little foods we actually kept in the house! We always buy our salad vegetables (iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions) and possibly a bunch of bananas or a bag of satsumas, but yesterday afternoon I spent a good hour-and-a-half in the supermarket looking for nuts, all different types of seasonings, more vegetables, cheeses and a lot of wholemeal goods - do you know how hard it is to find wholemeal bagels and spaghetti? (This, along with the prices of what I bought compared to those of the market, really got me thinking, but that is a whooole other blog post..) But alas, I found most of what was on my list (I couldn't find it all), and I also *purchased the Danone Activia products, so I'm ready to go!

*The Activia products suggested in my plan

I will admit that when first looking at the plan online I did feel quite overwhelmed; there really is so much food preparation involved and I'm the sort of girl who likes to have those extra 15 minutes in bed in the morning, but I am determined to get up and do this! Besides, waking up that little bit earlier to make sure I have my breakfast and prepare foods ready for the rest of the day can only be a good thing - I am actually really looking forward to doing this, and I'm hoping it motivates me to carry this on after the two weeks are over!

So, make sure you keep an eye out for future posts in this series as I will be sharing my progress - keep your fingers crossed for me!

Just a catch up...

2012-01-14T08:30:00.000Z

Hello everybody, how are you all? Are you well? How has the New Year been treating you? I'm sorry I've been a bit quiet recently on Twitter and here; my posts have been quick, video ones (albeit fun posts - especially this one!), but it's because I've had a bit of a weird week to say the least... But at the same time, I have some great things to talk about in this little diary!

My talk... publicised!
(Screen shot taken from here.)

Firstly, I am proud to say that, on 24th January, I will speaking at East Coast Media's Creative & Media Industry Week! (Argh!) This is such a big deal for me; for those who haven't seen some of my older posts, I was a student at East Coast Media - firstly for my National Diploma in Journalism followed by my Degree, totalling five years - and I graduated from there in 2010 with the Student of the Year Award (Boff, I know!) And now, because I have been working as a Features Writer for the past 18 months, I have been invited back to speak to the students about my time at the college and how I got into my job - I'm so nervous! I have never given a public speech or presentation before (one outside of my education anyway!) but I have some good ideas so *fingers crossed* all will be fine!

Secondly, you may have seen in recent posts that I have a 'get fit' resolution... Last week didn't quite go to plan; despite zumba-ing a lot and going to the gym with @ultimatecoddy for circuits, and eating a lot better by not having any crisps or chocolate (apart from our designated cheat day...) my weight still stayed the same! I don't need or want to lose a lot of weight, but just the bit I have put on over the festive period. This week, however, I only zumba'd twice, went to the gym once but still ate better (sort of!) and I have lost six pounds in five days - go figure?! I'm not quite sure how that has worked but I like it, so I think I'm going to stick with it!

My mission...
(Screen shot taken from here.)

And this brings me nicely onto point number three... I am going to be taking part in a very exciting trial! I have been asked to give the Danone Activia 14 day 'TLC Plan' a try; this is going to be very interesting as I have never set myself a strict eating plan before! I think we've all seen the TLC adverts with Martine McCutcheon and, after scooping Nutella out of the jar just now (sshhh!), I definitely feel like my tummy could have a bit of tender, loving care, so keep an eye out for these posts coming very soon - bring on the challenge!

But for now, I am going to have a lazy Saturday, do a bit of thinking and get myself psyched up for my new diet. Now, wheres my Nutella.... (joke!)

Song Crush: Got 2 Luv U

2012-01-12T08:30:00.000Z

I've heard Sean Paul's new song a couple of times on the radio and didn't really think too much of it - it was OK, nothing special. But then, we learned a new dance at Zumba last Wednesday and it was to this, and now I really like it! (Well, Alexis' part really...)

So naturally, after dancing to it for a second week, I came home and searched for the song so I can listen to it over, and over, and over again. But when I did, I discovered that I really like the styling in this video! I love Alexis' black outfit - the LBD with feathered waistcoast (WANT!) - as well as the first two girls' outfits - the nude shorts and bra-top set and the gold dress with black mesh back and arms - I really like it!

The only things I don't like about this:
1. The spelling: 'Got 2 Luv U' - Why it couldn't be spelled out I don't know, I thought we were all passed this text talk now?
2. The blatant advertising - It's appearing in too many music videos for my liking. (*Ahem* JLo!)

But other than that, I quite like it! Well, it's definitely growing on me anyway... I'm pretty sure that if this happens to come on during our next night out, we will be partnering up and busting out the moves on the dancefloor!

Oh, to be a kid again...

2012-01-11T08:30:00.000Z

This post started as a bit of nostalgia after recently having a few conversations about being kid, but after looking this up and being ecstatic with what I have found, I think this may have to be a series!

If you grew up in the 90s, then you will love this post! I do, and I can't wait to post about even more!

Video 1 sourced from here, video 2 sourced from here, video 3 sourced from here, video 4 sourced from here, videos 5 and 6 sourced from here.

Zumba 2 for the Wii

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000Z

So the first week of the New Year has been and gone... how has it been for everybody? Mine's been very productive; I'm back at work and have been giving my fitness resolution a good try - so far, so good!

I have had no chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sweets or crisps, apart from Friday which is my designated cheat day (so it's allowed!), and my takeaway on Wednesday consisted of a grilled chicken kebab - not the usual pizza platter or Chicken Supreme calzone (oh, how I want one so badly!) so I'm very pleased with my eating habits at the minute - although they obviously could be better....

Exercise wise, I've done a HARD session in the gym with @ultimatecoddy which consisted of a number of circuits - I think my muscles have only just recoverd - and we jogged there too. I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to going again, but next time I'll work harder as I'll know what to expect... I've also done zumba four times, ranging from a 45 minute workout to one and a quarter hours - much more than the single 60 minute session per week I was doing all last year! However, three of the zumba sessions have been on the Wii thanks the new 'Zumba 2' game which I received at Christmas.

Giving the game a go!

I purchased the first zumba game last year but I didn't find it particularly inspiring - I much preferred the buzz of the class - so it was left on my shelf to get dusty. I think this was because I was used to the more modern songs from our sessions which, for me, were a lot more motivating. But now, after trying out version 2, I can definitely see the benefits of having, and actually doing, this game at home.

What first caught my attention was the graphics; they are so much better, and long gone are the figures dancing in front of a bright pink background and welcomed are the zumba professionals in settings such as a LA rooftop, NY club and Miami yacht! The points system is also a lot better in my opinion; the bar across the bottom is replaced with five stars which are achieved once you have received enough 'Nice!', 'Hot!' and 'Zumba!' comments. These appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.

LA Rooftop...

... and zumba-ing on top of it!

Miami Yacht...

Add caption

... and the New York club!

The songs are a lot more contemporary this time and some of the artists featured are Pitbull ( I love 'Pause'!) and Nicole Scherzinger (which I have yet to try) as well as the 'We Speak No Americano' song. Of course, there are the more traditional Latin inspired songs as well as some Bollywood, Swing and Hip Hop ones; I just find the soundtrack and dances a lot more entertaining.

Progress Tracker

In the main menu, you are given the option of a single song, a class - either short, medium or long in length - 'Learn the Steps' or having a look at your progress on the 'Progress Tracker'; this shows your weight (which is entered along with your height when you create your profile to start), time spent on the game, your accuracy and calories burned, so it really is easy to keep on top of your progress.

As I said, I definitely find this version so much more fun and beneficial, and the tracking system makes you want to keep playing - the idea of the game! However, I would say that if you have not been to a zumba class then you will definitely need to try the 'Learn the Steps' tool; I haven't tried this yet so I can't give an opinion. Also, you can earn trophies along the way - just for fun!

As a whole, I really enjoyed this and found it is a big improvement on the first version. This is most definitely going to remain a firm fixture on my fitness plan!

What... no work experience?

2012-01-07T08:30:00.000Z

While at work on Thursday (5th), I received a press release from the Forum of Private Business and I was actually quite surprised by what I saw.

"Forum warns Government over plans to ditch school work experience"

Now, I don't usually get very political on this blog, but I am siding with the Forum on this one. Apparently, the Government has proposed to cut compulsory work experience and its funding in schools, and I really do not see what this will achieve?

I did work experience at Barratts Shoes when I was 15 (in Year 10 at secondary school) and I feel it did me the world of good on so many levels. I was incredibly shy at school, and I really don't know why, but I've always been the sort of person to apply myself to whatever I do, so when I chose this work experience I was incredibly nervous but ready to tackle it. My week consisted of dusting shelves, hoovering at the end of the day, collecting shoes from the stockroom, observing the sales staff and even had a go at selling shoes myself to the customers. All of the people were lovely and I was feeling quite sad when the time came for me to leave; I really felt like I had achieved something.

Then, to my delight, the manager asked if I would go back when I was 16 and work as a Saturday girl! I was so proud; not only had I completed something that seemed so nerve-wracking to me but I had been offered a job! So of course, I took it, returned when I was 16 and worked there for a very happy three and a half years before, unfortunately, the shop closed. My confidence really grew as I served more and more customers and faced more and more problems, and I truly valued my wages at the end of each month. I learned to balance my time between my college work and part-time job, and I just grew as a person. Best of all, I made some excellent friends that I still remain close with today.

And this is why I'm baffled as to why the Government would propose this? Surely, in an age were there are over 1 million unemployed young people, either because of lack of job opportunities or just laziness, a taste of what life is like after school can only be a good thing - what will inspire them after their GCSEs? It's hard enough trying to figure out what you want to do when you leave school, but just a week of work experience could give them an idea at least. And who knows where just one week could lead?...

School years come to an end so quickly, so how will these pupils know if they are ready for the working world? Ok, there are some young people who may take this on themselves and find their own work experience in the field they think they'd like to work in, but for others who may be shy, the government may be taking away a valuable lesson.

The Forum's Head of Campaigns, Jane Bennett, said: “Our training and skills panel research shows our members already believe young people in the UK are largely unprepared for the workplace. New starters frequently arrive with few or no basic skills, and need guidance on even simple things such as appropriate dress code and punctuality – the very basics of a work ethic. Business owners also frequently point out that young people are taught no first aid or health and safety skills, and together these types of inadequacies make them very resource intensive." (Taken from the press release.)

As I said, I don't usually get very political on this blog and I have yet to see the Government's reasoning for this, but I am interested to see what you all think. Maybe I have these thoughts because I happen to have had a very good experience; for me, this worked and I believe it can work for many others too.

My New Toy!

2012-01-05T08:30:00.000Z

You may have seen me mention this already, but for Christmas, the amazing @ultimatecoddy got me a new digital camera, and I have been dying to try it out ever since! I love looking at the photographs on other people's blogs and would really like to improve my photography skills; this new camera has LOADS of different settings and features and, just from playing with it quick, it looked very promising.

My last camera really wasn't very good at all; it was very temperamental, it took what felt like ages to take a picture and, although it had lasted me a long time, I just generally didn't bother to take many photos - but that's all about to change! On Monday (2nd January), myself and Dan took his lovely dog Brandy on a walk along the quiet end of Cleethopes beach, so I took my new toy along to see what it could do...

The 'quiet end' as I call it

Testing out the macro

Landscape

Brandy!

Had to be done!

Brandy scaring the seagulls

Me!

Trying out the macro again

Not sure what happened here...

Daniel looking like Badly Drawn Boy!

The camera is the Panasonic Lumix F535, it:

Has an Intelligent Auto mode (iA), which is absolutely brilliant. It could detect whether I was taking a picture of a landscape or a person, and even turned on Macro when I needed it!
Has all the usual modes (28 in total) from portrait, landscape, sport, firework, night time, sun and snow variations to options suitable for taking pictures of food, pets, babies and even aerial photos!
Can remove red-eye, has face detection, a stabiliser, self-timer and various flash settings
Can take panorama images and can focus on up to 11 items in one image
Has changeable white balance, shutter speed,
Has extra sensitivity settings and burst photography options
Has a transformation option to stretch or 'slimline' the image and a soft skin option to airbrush (how brilliant!)
Is 16 megapixels and has an 8x zoom
Can also upload images straight to Facebook and videos to Youtube, but I haven't tried this out...

But, considering I don't know an awful lot about cameras and I know I still need to have a lot of practice ant photographing, I'm so excited about this! If anybody has any special tips or advice, then please let me know!

Wardrobe Peek: New Year's Eve

2012-01-04T08:30:00.000Z

I'm on a roll with these outfit posts, and there will be another one coming up in the next few days *fingers crossed!*

Last year, I spent New Year's Eve with some friends and had a lovely night - it was best New Year's Eve I think I've ever had! My chosen outfit for this occasion was a dressy/casual look; you can see it below!

Top: Black lace three-quarter sleeve top from ASOS (old)

Cardigan: Black with sequin and bead embellishments from Matalan

Skirt: Black jersey tube skirt from New Look - £7.99

Tights: Black 15 denier (two layers!) from Primark - £3.50

Shoes: Internacionale (old)
Jewellery: Left: Help for Heroes wristband, Ring from Oasis (old). Right: Pandora Bracelet, Watch from Swatch (old)

P.S. You can see how I did my make-up here!

Wardrobe Peek: Work's Christmas Party

2012-01-03T08:30:00.000Z

A little under two weeks ago was our work's Christmas party; what an afternoon (and night!) that was! Unfortunately this was the first day of my awful cold and I was too busy sneezing and trying to cover up my red nose with concealer so I dont have many photos, but I do have a couple to showcase my outfit!

As a whole

The beading detail on my top.

My chosen jewellery

Top: Sea Shell Cable Top from www.newlook.com - £18.89

Skirt: Black Jersey Tube Skirt from New Look - £7.99

Tights: 15 Denier (two layers!) from Primark - £3.50

Shoes: Internacionale (old)

Jewellery: Left: Help for Heroes wristband, Pilgrim ring. Right: Ring (old), Pandora Bracelet, Watch from Swatch (old)

Song Crush: Till the World Ends

2012-01-02T08:30:00.000Z

One of my highlights of 2011 was going to see the amazing Ms. Spears in concert (for the third time!) in Sheffield in November, and lately I have been playing this song on repeat just purely because I love it. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying it is one of my most favourite songs of all time!

Image sourced from here.

I love the lyrics:

"See the sunlight, we ain't stopping,

keep on dancing till the world ends.

If you feel it, let it happen,

keep on dancing till the world ends."

I think there is a lovely little message behind this; it's a good light-hearted song which makes me want to dance - just have fun and love life until the world ends!

...Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T08:30:00.000Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Image sourced from Shutterstock.

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I sat at home on New Year's Eve night writing and publishing my New Year's Resolutions - time really does fly by!

In my last post, I wrote about 2011; what happened, what didn't happen, how my resolutions played out, so of course, this post is going to be all about 2012 and my P.O.A to make this year even better.

So, without further ado, here are my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Make The LC Issue even bigger and better!

This blog is my most favourite hobby that I have ever had; I love coming home from work and being able to type away about whatever I feel like writing, and I love that you lovely people take the time to have a look - it really does mean so much to me! Although I did have a bit of a slump in the summer, in September this blog had a revamp (thanks to Daniel!) and the posts haven't stopped since and I can genuinely see The LC Issue growing and becoming more successful before my eyes; it is so exciting! So, in 2012, my resolution is to continue blogging, diversify my posts (for example, include more people) and to enhance the photography on my blog (see point 3), and I will see where The LC Issue leads to next...

2. Take the next step in my career

I know this was a resolution last year, but I never want to stop progressing when it comes to my job - and you should never stop being your best, no matter what time of year it is! I am gaining more and more confidence in my work - trying new feature ideas, making more contacts, standing up for myself in the workplace - and I want to continue this and put all of what I have learned so far into practice. Last year I was promoted to Deputy Editor at my publishing company and I will continue to work my absolute hardest to make sure I reach the next stage - whatever that may be!

3. Take more photos

Yes, another repeat from 2011's list but, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, I failed. But, the wonderful @ultimatecoddy bought me an amazing new camera which looks so promising - I really think I will be able to develop my photography skills with this one! So, the first part of this resolution is to take more photos for my blog (rather than just on my phone's camera), making them more 'arty' if you like and just better visually, and the second part is to take more photos in general. I am the person who always has a camera on them but never takes any photos - I have a great feeling about this year and want to document as much as possible!

4. Get Fit!

Such a cliche I know, but both myself and Daniel are going to work hard at this one. Over the last few months, since moving in together, we have been in that happy place which means we eat more food than we probably should and become lazy when it comes to exercise... so this is going to change! I am going to continue with my weekly zumba class, ACTUALLY play zumba on the wii when at home (another Christmas gift) and want to try a second zumba class - zumba toning, possibly in a few months time. When the weather gets warmer (and days become longer), I'd like to try running too, and I'm going to cut back on sweets and chocolate - this is going to be the tough one!

5. Plan my finances
This is already taking shape - woohoo! I have never been bad with money; never been in debt or in my overdraft and never had a major amount on my credit, but I already have a P.O.A in place for January and February which means that, fingers crossed, my credit card will be paid off by beginning of March and I will be debt free (apart form student loans) - and what a great feeling it is knowing that! And it will be good timing too as I have big plans for this year - a new car, a holiday, finishing decorating the house and possibly an iPad... I just need to stick to it!

And that's it! Even though these are 'New Year's Resolutions', I honestly believe that you should try your best and make and necessary changes to your lifestyle (if you want to) - whatever they may be - at any time of year - why put off until later what you can do now? However, I personally feel the 'New Year, New You' frame of mind is a great starting point, so here's to 2012!

And of course, good luck for all of your resolutions too!

Goodbye 2011...

2011-12-31T08:30:00.000Z

Is it just me or has this year flown by?! I can't believe it has been a year since I was last making these posts; so much has changed! This has definitely been another fantastic year like 2010 but for very different reasons, and I think a lot of this can relate to my 2011 New Year's Resolutions.

Although I can proudly stay that I actually stuck to some of resolutions (hurray!), some of them did not play out like I had hoped... but there is always next year! For a quick look back at 2011, here's how well my resolution's went:

1. Taking the next step in my career

Well, I got promoted so I think you can say I succeeded! In October I was given more responsibility and a higher position within the company; it has definitely been a challenge and have learned a lot so far, but I am still learning and am very proud of what I have achieved to date.
Verdict: SUCCESS!

2. Dance, Dance, Dance!

Another success! After beginning the year with my Strictly Come Dancing fitness DVD, I quickly moved onto zumba and haven't looked back since. I continued with classes throughout the whole year, took part in a couple of charity events and am ready to start classes again on Wednesday.
Verdict: SUCCESS!

3. The Personal Life

I was very vague about this in my resolutions post, mainly because I wasn't sure what I wanted from this, I just knew something had to change. But the good news is I've had some great time with brilliant friends over the past 12 months and I am now very happy being the girlfriend of @ultimatecoddy - I'm one very lucky lady! I genuinely feel like this year has been the best yet when it comes to my personal life and Daniel has played a big part in that; this is most definitely the happiest I think I have ever been!
Verdict: MASSIVE SUCCESS!

4. The LC Issue

What can I say, 2011 has been absolutely incredible for The LC Issue; this is my baby and I'm so proud to see it grow! I did have a slow point during the summer but, since September, this blog has become more successful and it surprises me still that people take the time to read my posts; I really am so incredibly grateful! So, again, a massive THANK YOU to all of my followers and visitors.
Verdict: ANOTHER MASSIVE SUCCESS!

5. More Pictures!

Sadly, I have to admit that I failed at this resolution. I always carried my digital camera on me but it really was crap (very temperamental!) and my iPhone 3GS camera isn't great - my only saviour was instagram! Still, I failed to take loads of photos over the year like I had hoped to, but I have a feeling that in 2012 this will change.... (see tomorrow's post! *wink!*)
Verdict: FAIL!

6. Go and see a psychic

Unfortunately another unsuccessful resolution. I did start to look this up at the beginning of the year but that's as far as this goal went. Although, after becoming more happier with my life, I felt like I didn't need to visit one, so I think that I wanted to visit a psychic to find answers that I didn't need, but I just didn't know it yet (are you still with me?!) Don't get me wrong, I still am intrigued to see what would be said, but this isn't something that I feel is urgent; perhaps I will give it a go one day...
Verdict: FAIL!

And that's it, my 2011 in a nutshell! This has been a very interesting year (mainly of highs!), but I am definitely ready to tackle 2012 and make even more things happen for me - bring it on!

What I Got For Christmas

2011-12-29T08:30:00.000Z

As I mentioned in my previous post, I really have been spoiled this year so I wanted to share some of my presents with you all, and I would just like take this time to say a massive thank you to everyone for their gifts and cards, and I hope that everyone had a lovely Christmas!

Lucky me!

My Filofax and ace new camera fully charged ready for
lots of blogging and memories!

Lots of goodies for my sweet tooth!

My 'Nightmare Before Christmas' 3D poster, Baileys,
cocktail glass, Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii, perfume,
House of Fraser voucher and body smellies!

My 'Goonies Never Say Die' T-Shirt from
Truffle Shuffle!

My 'cod' fish Pandora charm for my first Coddy Christmas!
(taken with my ace new camera!)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T13:59:00.001Z

This Christmas has most definitely been my best... ever! I may have had my cold but I have enjoyed every single minute. I really have been so spoiled by the amazing @ultimatecoddy, had lots of food and drink with some great company - perfect!

Me and Brandy on Christmas Day (excuse
the bad picture of me!)

I had been looking forward to this Christmas for such a long time because it is mine and Daniel's first Christmas together, and it certainly did not disappoint. Christmas Eve was spent watching 'Muppet Christmas Carol' (love it!), delivering the last presents and having a lazy night in front of the telly with a tin of Roses.

Since Christmas Day, we have been non-stop! We started by opening presents; I have an amazing new camera which will be great for blogging (there's no stopping me now!), a lovely new charm for my Pandora and lots more goodies - but all that's coming up in my next post *wink!* We visited Dan's family and had a delicious meal with my family at a restaurant in Cleethorpes on Christmas Day. Although, for some reason, they played a New Year's Eve CD, complete with bell chimes, New Years Shouts and Auld Land Syne - baffling?! We then finished the day by visiting friends.

My presents for @ultimatecoddy -
wrapped in a Spiderman comic!

Boxing Day was spent seeing more of @ultimatecoddy's family who are visiting, drinking and playing board games (Don't Panic! and Absolute Balderdash) - you can't beat a good family board game! And the fun didn't stop there; yesterday, we saw more family and played the QI board game (a very good game!) with drinks, and tonight we're all going for a curry - can't wait!

So as you can see, I have been very busy over the past few days - hence my lack of blog posts - but this is what Christmas is all about; eating great food, drinking too much, catching up with people and just having fun; I know I am very lucky to have a lot of time off at this time of year and I haven't, and won't, take a single moment of it for granted.

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T18:16:00.000Z

Hi everybody,

Well, to fill you in after my last post - our work's Christmas meal was fantastic; the food was lovely, the company was great, everybody was merry (I was definitely feeling it yesterday!); such a fun way to end the work year! Unfortunately, Thursday morning I woke up with the beginnings of a cold which only got worse as the day and night went on, and now it just feels so much worse. I spent all day Friday in my pajamas (partly nursing a hangover, partly nursing my cold!) and today is not much better - it hurts to move but at least I have left the house! AND there is no way I am letting this spoil my Christmas!

@ultimatecoddy has been brilliant and now we can spend the rest of Christmas Eve night tucked up watching festive telly. Tomorrow, after opening the presents - and it looks like Daniel has really spoiled me, I'm a very lucky girl! - we will be making the rounds to family and friends before going for a Christmas meal with my family, and returning to our flat to have a cosy Christmas night - sounds perfect and I can't wait! I've been very excited about our first Christmas together for a long time!

So, this blog post is my last one until after Boxing Day when, fingers crossed, I'll be feeling much better for New Years! After my little diary (I don't know where all of that came from to be honest!) I just really wanted to say a very merry Christmas to you all and I really do you hope you all have a wonderful time!

Lots of love from Lindsay x

One for the Gleeks: On a break!

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000Z

Hello everyone!

Well, what a week it has been! After blogging like mad in the run up to The LC Issue's 1st birthday, I've become a bit stuck so I'm taking this time to write a bit about what I've been doing (for anybody that might be slightly interested?)

Firstly, I'd just like to say that, since 'Glee' is now on a break, I have decided to put my 'One for the Gleeks' posts on hold until the series returns... I hope it's back soon! Whenever American series do this, I always forget what has happened in the first half - which isn't good! Although, to be fair, it is easy enough to catch up on, but I'd much prefer it if they ran straight through... But don't forget, you can view all of my previous 'OFTG' posts right here!

Secondly, I'm so excited for Christmas! I managed to get the majority of my presents bought at the end of November and the rest within the next couple of weeks, so luckily I haven't been running around like a headless chicken this year! Because I was so excited too, I wrapped them all up pretty much straight away so I've had lots of presents to look at for the last few weeks - ahh! Buying and giving gifts is defnitely my favourite part of the festive season - along with decorations and chocolate of course. I have spent the last couple of weeks catching up on Christmas films - 'Elf' (love it!) and 'Miracle on 34th Street' which I had never seen before but absolutely loved. There's something about black and white films that make you feel festive...

Anyway, today it is our Christmas lunch; I will be out of the Walton's Office from 12:30pm and will not be back until 4th January - I completely appreciate how lucky we are to have a Christmas break like this, and that we are able to have our work's Christmas do with all the staff at a nice restaurant (and pub this year!) during the day, leaving plenty of time for drinks at night - so I apologise now if I leave any hungover tweets on Friday...

One thing I do need to do ASAP is catch up on follow-up posts that I keep forgetting to do! If you follow this blog on a regular basis, then you may have remembered some posts I wrote back in September/October about a friend's wedding, and I needed some help picking an outfit. Well, obviously the wedding has now been and long gone and I still haven't written about my chosen outfit! The reason for this... I don't have a picture of me that I like for it! I have seen one from somebody else, however, so as soon as I remember to get this, the post will be up!

I'm also going to be looking back at the past year, mainly on the success of my New Year's resolution (or lack of in some cases!), so there is that to look forward to as well. And I'm very sure there are plenty of festive posts to come too - only four more sleeps!

I will try to blog as much as I can over the festive period, however I may drink too much pink wine and consume my body weight in chocolate and therefore I won't be able to move, let alone think - I can't wait!

Cowie and Savage do New York: Part Two!

2011-12-20T08:30:00.000Z

Continuing on from yesterday's post - here's Part Two of our New York trip from April 2010!

The Manhattan skyline at night - on the ferry to Staten Island

Day three: subway to Coney Island

On the beach!

Some of the group at the New York Aquarium

Then we went back to the city and to
the Empire State Building!

Times Square at night!

Meal at the Hard Rock Cafe - Times Square

Love!

Day 4: Wall Street = Gold!

Shopping!

Day five: Tiffany's!

F.A.O Schwartz!

Savage liked the babies...

I liked the polar bears!

Muppets!

Toys, toys and more toys!

A hot dog form the street - had to be done!

The closest I'll get to being a Gossip Girl...

Central Park

The view from the coach on the way home...

New York... I will definitely see you again soon!

Cowie and Savage do New York: Part One!

2011-12-19T08:30:00.000Z

On Wednesday (14th), myself and a very god friend of mine, Miss Emily Savage went to see a film I've been dying to see - New Year's Eve! I saw the trailer a few weeks ago and just thought it looked like a fun, girly movie - and it was just that!

Nothing too serious, a few laughs, some sad parts and a whooole lot of romance which all comes together nicely over the night of New Years Eve. I'm not usually a fan of this particular night (as I've said before, I don't really see the big deal), but this actually got me looking forward to this year's celebrations. Even though this film obviously isn't for everybody, I loved it, and if you like fun, girly, easy films - then you'll love it too!

But one of my favourite parts of this is that it takes place in New York - possibly my most favourite place in the whole world! In April 2010, myself and Emily went to the Big Apple on a uni trip with East Coast Media and the whole week was fantastic - I genuinely didn't want to come home! So, as we sat there, getting excited saying 'I've been there!' as we spotted all the places we had visited, it had me reminiscing about our time there and I wanted to share just a few (of the MANY) photos I took on the trip.

Because there were so many, I've had to split this into two parts, and so to get us started, here's a few pics from our first couple of days...

The must-do shot - on the plane as we arrived

Where we stayed!

As you can see, no expense spared!

"Follow that cab!"

Going for a walk on the first day -
at Grand Central Station

Rockefeller

Times Squre

My favourite place!

American cuisine - I love it!

Savage and myself in the queue for the ferry to Liberty Island
- with Twizzlers!

Part of the group on the island

Me and the Manhattan skyline

There she is!

Holding up the skyline...


Had to be done!

One week and counting...

2011-12-17T08:30:00.000Z

Presents are all bought and wrapped, some have been delivered, cards have been given out, office party outfit is chosen, only seven days left on the advent calendar...

Christmas is nearly here! Excited much?

That is all.

Happy Freakin' Birthday!

2011-12-15T08:30:00.000Z

To my blog which is one today! That's right, a whole year of the LC Issue - and it has flown by!

Image sourced from Shutterstock

It all started back in December 2010 when, after several failed attempts at maintaining a blog, I decided to revamp my old LC Issue, and over the past 12 months it has grown and developed into the blog you see before you today - I'm very proud!

There has been some ups and downs - ups being posts which have received great feedback, and downs being slacking slightly a bit earlier on in the year - but I stuck to my plan and now I have reached a first anniversary... and another milestone too..

This post, the one you are reading now, is my 100th! I know that's probably not a large amount in a year compared to some blogs but, about three weeks ago, I set myself a mission and declared it on twitter that I would publish my centenary post on my blog's first birthday. So, over the past few weeks, I have worked really hard to write posts on a daily basis to make sure I achieved this mission, and here we are!

I just wanted to take this time to say a massive THANK YOU to everybody who has read, commented, shared, contributed to and followed this blog, it really does mean so much to me! I love what I do and I am so determined to continue this blog and make it even bigger and better.

So, here's to another year, and many more to come!

One for the Gleeks: Mr Schue!

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000Z

There is one character that I could focus on today, the day of my blog's first birthday... Mr Schue! There's always been something special about this man - and he proved it when he took his shirt off in series two for the Rocky Horror episode - hello! (You all know what I'm talking about!)

So, as a treat on this special day, today's One for the Gleeks post is all about Will Schuester...

Jacob: How do you respond to a recent post on my blog saying your glee club song selections sound like they come from a drag queen’s iPod?
Will: Well I try to do something for everybody—25% show tunes, 25% hip hop, 25% classic rock....
Jacob: 100% gay.
(I know this isn't exactly a Will quote - but it's one of my favourites!)

Will: There's no joy in these kids. That's why every one of them has a Myspace page.

Will: Let's just get crazy! So we’re really crazy rolling around in the hay, ha ha, as I was just in some hay earlier tonight. Hey, and I rode a bull and I was thinking of you.

Rachel: Everybody hates me.
Will: You think Glee Club is going to change that?

Will: Being a boy band did wonders for my love life... we started doing it once a week.

Will: Who can tell us what an anthem is?
Brittany: The bottom of an ant's pant.
Will: So close.

Will: My father always said you'd become a man when you bought your first house. I'm not sure what he meant though because he burned ours down during a drunken fight with mom.

Will: I don’t like the way she’s looking at me. Ah, I shouldn’t have sung this song to her. Crap, she looks crazy right now.

Puck: Mr. Schue, can we do that new Cee-Lo song, Forget You?
Will: Uhhh....No. Come on guys! There's GOT to be a Journey song we haven't done yet.

Then...

Rachel: Mr. Schuester, I want to do something upbeat and a little more glamourous and with a really good dance beat.
Will: No. But I have good news! I found a Journey song we haven't done yet!

Jacob: Did you know there's a section on my blog begging you to stop rapping?
Will: Wait, kids don't like it when I rap?

And, for one week only, my one of my favourite Schue songs!

Video sourced from here!

And don't forget, all of my previous 'One for the Gleeks' posts can be found here!

Lincolnshire in Focus: Christmas 2011

2011-12-12T08:30:00.000Z

Well, after a slight delay at the printers, this month's Lincolnshire in Focus is back, and it looks absolutely fantastic! This issue is, of course, all about Christmas - home decorations, festive foods and gift ideas - but there are also features about wedding fairs, the NHS Choose and Book scheme, an 'Ask the Vet' column form the Dog's Trust and a festive feature from the NSPCC, to name a few!

Also, we have some fab giveaways for Downton Abbey Series 2 on DVD, five pairs of Monster Slippers, five Drinks Lab Homebrew Kits, Thea Skincare and four copies of 'Images of Lincolnshire Farming' by Alan Stennett - you can enter all of these for free, and view the whole magazine, online at www.lincolnshireinfocus.co.uk

But for now, here's just a sneak peek...

Feature by Charlotte Nicklin

Gifts including Magners Specials, The Body Shop,
Divine Chocolate and Uncle Henry's vintage presents!

Lincolnshire Personalities: Simon and Tim Jones
of Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese

Feature by Charlotte Nicklin

Left: Feature by Charlotte Nicklin, Right: Feature by myself!

Feature by myself

Left: Feature Supplied, Middle: Feature by Charlotte Nicklin,
Right: 'Ask the Vet' by the Dog's Trust

Song Crush!: Dedication to my Ex

2011-12-10T08:30:00.001Z

This is just a quick post today to say how much I love this song!

I first heard it in the car whilst coming back from Brigg on a work appointment and have heard it on the radio a couple of times since, and each time I love it even more! It just makes you want to dance and is so catchy, but not an irritating catchy - I can't stop listening to it!

So, here it is, my song crush of the moment: Dedication to my Ex by Lloyd featuring Andre 3000.

Festive Finds 2011: Our Christmas Tree!

2011-12-09T08:30:00.000Z

That time is here now, the time to out up and decorate our Christmas trees, yes! This year is mine and @ultimatecoddy's first Christmas together so it's all very exciting, and last night we put up our tree with our Christmas Playlist on in the background and our cups of tea - or mug of delicious hazelnut hot chocolate in my case - so it was all very festive in our household!

But of course, there were a lot of decisions and discussions involved before we got to this point... Do we get a real tree or an artificial one? What size do we get? What colour decorations do we have? And what do we put on the top of the tree? Luckily, we have very similar tastes and love a traditional Christmas, so we chose red and gold decorations with a star to sit on the top branch.

The only thing we did think differently on was the tree itself; my family usually opt for a fake tree (mainly because my Sandy would knock it over so she could look out the window!) but Daniel is a real tree enthusiast, so this year we chose the latter... and I am so happy we did!

@ultimatecoddy with our tree!

Doesn't it look fantastic, even without the decorations! My mum mentioned a place just outside of Grimsby called the Brocklesby Estate, so I had a look on the world wide web and found that, not only do they have an extensive selection of real trees, but they also deliver - bonus! Our tree, which is 8ft, cost £34 and an extra £10 for delivery - absolute bargain! Especially for the quality too; it's so green and moist - you can tell it's only been recently cut - and it smells so Christmassy (that wonderful pine smell) and is so full, so no sparse-looking branches for us! The delivery came first thing in the morning, on time - what more could you ask for? I am so impressed with this service - if you still need a tree and are in the Grimsby area, then I'd definitely recommend the Brocklesby Estate!

Me, adding some trimmings!

So, straight after work, we rushed home and immediately started dressing the tree. Lights were first, which cost £4.50 for 80 lights from Asda, followed by red beaded garlands and tinsel (I had to be talked into this too but I am pleased I gave in, and each strand cost about 80p from Asda!). Then came lots of baubles and ornaments which, again, were mostly packs from Asda which I bought last year. As well as a mixture of gold and red baubles, in a variety of sizes, we have red hanging jewels and glittery droplets and red and gold glittery snowflakes. Next came the star; a large gold one that cost approximately £4.99 from B&Q - we had been hunting for ages for the right one, and was the last one so it must have been fate!

The finishing touch!

But my favourite part is mine and Daniel's special ornament; a transparent bell with white snowflakes printed on it and a silver bell inside - lovely! This was Daniel's idea; he said we should buy a special bauble for every year we are together (ahhh, I know!) so we found this one in Past Times (one of my favourite shops!) and it only cost £4.20 thanks to a disount and I think it is absolutely perfect!

Not the best picture, but our special ornament...

... and on the tree!

The finished product!

So that's our tree! All together, it didn't cost a lot at all thanks to our fab find and cheap and cheerful decorations from Asda but it looks fantastic - I can't stop looking at it! If you've still got some bits and bobs to buy to decorate your home, then don't eliminate the 'cheap' because you think they might not be suitable, you may just be surprised!

One for the Gleeks!: Sue

2011-12-08T08:30:00.000Z

Apologies for missing last week's One for the Gleek's post, but I am making up for it big time this week by focusing on one of the most brilliant characters in modern television. I am of course talking about the one and only... Sue Sylvester!

I know I've already used this image, but it's a good one!

After last week's episode, which saw Sue steal Bieste's potential first love (ahh!) away from her and lose the election, and with her hilarious 'Booty Call' list, she seems like the perfect candidate for this week's post!

The writers for Glee have given Jane Lynch some fantastic one-liners over the past three years, so much so that they have me laughing out loud - literally! If I have missed out any of her best quotes, then please feel free to comment and leave yours below, but for now, here are my favourite Sue Sylvester quotes:

Sue: I heard. And I am literally horny with fear.

Sue: William, I'm devastated, positively horny with grief. As a going-away present, here's a spray bottle of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter; keep the head merkin looking buttery fresh.

Will: Sue, you pulled the alarm. Everything was going fine.
Sue: You know, William, that's what one Hubert Humphrey said back in 1968 at the start of the Democratic National Convention. But then hippies put acid in everyone's bourbon, and when an updraft revealed Lady Bird Johnson's tramp stamp and tattoos above her ovaries, Mayor Richard J. Daley became so incensed with sexual rage that he punched his own wife in the face and spent the next hour screaming, "Sex party!" into the microphones of all three major networks.
Will: Okay, I'm pretty sure none of that actually happened.

Sue: By the power invested in me by a website, I hereby pronounce you Sue and Sue. You may kiss yourself.

Sue: It’s like Madonna once said: I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay. I’m pretty sure she stole that line from one Sue Sylvester.

Sue: If this nation wants to impress its future Chinese overlords, we need to get our priorities straight.

Will: I thought you hated the holidays.
Sue: No, I just hate you.

Sue: Becky, go into the glove box of my car and get me tear gas. Then get me Gloria Allred.

Sue: Bring it on, William. I am reasonably confident that you’ll be adding revenge to the long list of things you’re no good at. Right next to being married, running a high-school glee club, and finding a hairstyle that doesn’t make you look like a lesbian.

Sue: Why would someone assume I'm a Friend of Ellen just because I'm manish and I have short hair and I only wear track suits and I coach a girls' sport and I married myself?

Sue: I'm gonna take your house, your car, your extensive collection of vests. I mean, seriously, Will—you wear more vests than the cast of Blossom.

Sue: If your students wanna praise God, I suggest they enroll in Sweet Holy Mother of God Academy on St. Jesus Street.

Sue: (To Emma) I realise you're only half orangutan, but I'm still very allergic to your lustrous ginger mane.

Sue: Know what has no expiration date, voters? My rage.

Sue: Get ready for the ride of your life, Will Schuester. You’re about to board the Sue Sylvester express. Destination? Horror.

Sue: You don't go in that canon and this routine will be all boom, boom and no pow. And that, Brittany, is so 2008 and... late.

Sue: All I want is one day a year where I’m not visually assaulted by uglies and fatties. Seriously, Ohio, these retinas need a day off. So here’s the dream: Friday after Christmas, which I have off, if you’re hideous, stay at home.

Sue: Honey Badger I am lactating with rage!

Sue: It's a Britney Spears sex riot!

And of course...

Sue: And that's how Sue sees it.

Festive Finds 2011: My Top 5 Party Foods!

2011-12-07T08:30:00.000Z

I love party food! So much so that myself and @ultimatecoddy sometimes buy salt & vinegar swirls, cheese puffs, chocolate fingers and breadsticks just for a lazy night in (probably more than we should...)

We've all seen those Iceland adverts... yum!

Anyway, picking at food over drinks with friends is a great way to celebrate the festive season and, as a girl who loves her food, I have picked out my Top 5 varieties for those seasonal parties!

5. CRAZY FOR CRISPS!

Although technically not a 'crisp', you can't beat a tub of pringles at Christmas - my mum usually buys three flavours that we demolish over the period from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day. At this time of year, Pringles have some fab flavours, such as Thai sweet Chilli, Curry and Texas BBQ, but you can't beat the original flavours. Then you also have the option of salt and vinegar swirls, bacon rashers, onion rings, potato rings and cheesy puffs - and the supermarket varieties are so cheap, bargain!

Anyone for a sausage roll?

4. MENTAL FOR ORIENTAL!

It is only over the past year or so that I have ventured into foreign foods, other than chicken fried rice and sweet and sour chicken of course! I am now a korma fan, will eat chow mein and even vegetable spring rolls and onion bahjis - I know, going wild! Supermarkets have such a wide choice of oriental foods to choose from, hoisin duck Christmas trees (how cute!) and curried chicken skewers to samosas and mini kebabs! Plenty of choice, whatever peoples' tastes...

3. FOOD TO GO!

Everybody loves a takeaway once in a while, and now there are so many mini versions for us to feast on. Mini hotdogs, southern fried chicken and little steak cheese burgers are favourites, but have you tried mini beef wellingtons? Or what about tiny portions of fish and chips? No, neither have I?! These options are definitely on my 'to try' list...

2. TUCKING INTO TRADITIONAL

Breadsticks with dips, vegetables to dip into hummus, salted and roasted nuts, sandwiches cut into triangles, mini quiches - staples of any buffet that are perfect for any time of the year! Why not get a bit creative and give your plates a festive name? Homemade foods and table decorations will add a special, personal touch to your buffet.

1. SWEETS FOR A SWEET!

Very cute!

My absolute favourite - cakes! Fondants with gooey chocolate oozing out from the middle, Irish cream cakes, mini eclairs, tiny cheesecakes, yule logs... I could go on, and on, and on! For those of you who do not have as much as a sweet tooth as me (I would finish these plates off in minutes!), the small portions will be just the right amount for you! Of course, we can't forget the humble cupcake either; these little delights have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years, and I am very sure that there will be plenty of festively-decorated flavours to choose from this Christmas!

Dance Diary: Month 11 and a week...

2011-12-06T08:30:00.000Z

So then... who remembers these posts? I *vaguely* remember setting myself a couple of New Year's Resolutions waaay back in January; one was to get back into dancing and another was to blog on a regular basis.

In January, starting the resolution...

Good news is, I have stuck to both of these! The bad part is, I did not continue a feature I started called 'Dance Diary' which combines the two; in fact, the last entry I made was Month 8 and a bit..., and Month 2 and a half... before that (whoops!)

But, now that it is coming to the end of the year, we begin to think about the past 12 months - what we've achieved, what we haven't done, what has changed, what has stayed the same - so this feels like the perfect time to bring this 'feature' to a close (if you like...)

So, how has this dancing resolution played out over 2011? Well, as I mentioned above, I have continued dancing for the WHOLE year and it all started with the 'Strictly Diary'. For Christmas, I received the 'Strictly Come Dancing: Strictly Fit, Dance Fit' fitness DVD and regularly carried out the dance workouts. It was a lot of fun and, after a few attempts, I really felt myself getting a grasp of the moves and improving - I'm starting to wonder why I didn't carry this on? Probably because the dances do become a bit repetitive; the DVD could benefit from a few more routines in my opinion...

But, come February, I had found another dance hobby to keep me occupied and fit - Zumba! Myself and a couple of friends began classes on a Wednesday and LOVED it! We all had a great laugh whilst getting fit - what could be better?! The moves are great fun to do (especially on a dancefloor on a Saturday night...) and you REALLY work hard, to the point where we had stitches after 20 minutes, and I still attend the same class to this day - a whole 10 months later!

Just like many other fans of this fitness craze, I rushed out to buy the Zumba game for the Wii - admittedly, I only went on this game a handful of times, and it now sits on my bookshelf - but it is there for when I need it! I am also the owner 'Just Dance 2' which again has a place on a shelf, so I think it is safe to say this part of the resolution is not my strongest...

At the Zumbathon in June

Another great part of this resolution is that I have taken part in TWO charity events this year thanks to Zumba with Rachel (Cleethorpes); a sponsored zumbathon in June in aid of Help for Heroes and Wish Upon A Star - which I managed to raise over £100 for so THANK YOU to everyone who sponsored me! - and another non-sponsored zumbathon in November for Children in Need, both making me realise how fortunate I am to have found Zumba!

So, that's it for this year's 2011 Dance Diary (it doesn't feel right saying that!), but, I can say, that this hobby will definitely be continuing in 2012!

Beyonce: I am yours...

2011-12-05T08:30:00.000Z

How fabulous was Beyonce last night?! The live singing, the dancing, the costumes - it's hard to fault Mrs Jay-Z; she's so unoffensive but yet still has an edge, is so talented but makes singing and dancing look so effortless (of course, that's obviously not the case...)

Image sourced from Shutterstock

I used to love Destiny's Child; I think that 'Bills, Bills, Bills' was the first R&B song that I bought, and I purchased all of their albums thereafter, continuing with Beyonce's solo albums after hearing the AMAZING 'Crazy in Love' - I don't think I could ever get bored of that song!

But, for me, I really started to appreciate Beyonce as an incredible performer (on a different level to most other solo female artists) after watching 'Beyonce: I am yours...' with my good friend (and fellow Beyonce fan!) Miss Bynoe. I love the way the show starts, a calm segment filled with her heart-felt slow songs, which then evolves into a fun-filled second half featuring a fab look back at her early career with Destiny's Child up until the release of her (then) new album - just brilliant!

For any of you who, like me, loved last night's special on ITV, then you should check out this DVD if you haven't already! Here are some of my favourite clips:

Videos sourced from here and here!

I heart Art Deco

2011-12-02T08:30:00.000Z

I really, really do. I love the embellishments, scalloped edges, geometric shapes, pretty beading, both the rich and pastel shades - I'd even go as far as saying it is my favourite era, the one I'd go back to if I had a time machine...

I am so happy that this jazz age is making a comeback into fashion (it features in Gucci's S/S '12 collection as well as others) and I can't wait to fill my wardrobe (and home!) with Art Deco inspired goodies (as soon as I come into some money that is!)

But for now, here are just a few flapper-inspired pieces I've seen that will kickstart the Twenties trend.

Scalloped Embellished Cape - £45, ASOS

Art Deco Beaded Bolero - £124.90, Mango

Charleston Art Deco Bracelet by Queens & Bowl
£169.75 - notonthehighstreet.com

Vintage Crystal Drop Earrings by Queens & Bowl
£130.25, notonthehighstreet.com

Art Deco Comb by Queens & Bowl
£175.25, notonthehighstreet.com

Feather Cape - £129, Ted Baker at ASOS

Vintage Beaded Dress - £55
Love Label at Littlewoods

Peacock Embellished Bodycon dress -
£150, by Dress Up Topshop

Cabaret Feather Bando - £12, very.co.uk

Snake Panel clutch - £7.99, New Look

Boxy Crochet Cross Body Bag - £15.99, New Look

Light Pink Beaded Flapper Skirt - £40, River Island

Pink Sleeveless Embellished Tank Top - £45, River Island

As I said above, this is just a selection of the Art Deco inspired pieces I have seen whilst browsing the internet, and I am VERY interested to see what else is yet to come!

Guest Blog: I am Batman.

2011-11-30T08:30:00.000Z

You may have noticed that a certain someone keeps cropping up on my posts - a Mr @ultimatecoddy, my web designing, superhero obsessed, MMA fighting boyfriend. He has been very supportive over the past few months while I've put in some serious time blogging, and now he has agreed to give this a go himself and has written a guest blog post. So, without further ado, here is Daniel and his thoughts on the new XBox game Batman: Arkham City....

I AM BATMAN.

OK, here is my attempt at a guest blog for the incredible LC Issue. As an avid follower (well @lindsaycowie is my girlfriend),I've noticed a heavy bias towards all things girly (shoes and such - thiscomment may not make the final edit).

I know there are some who may appreciate a more masculineblog. So what to write about? Well my life over the past couple of weeks hasbeen spent immersed in a world of digital justice. I'm talking video games ofcourse, more specifically Batman: Arkham City.

Is it good? That depends if you enjoy showing evil-doers theerror of their ways with a well placed boot or fist? I do ….. very much itturns out. This game sends you into the dark vision of DC Comics Universe in atotally captivating way. The landscapes and character designs are a far cryfrom early camp 60s television shows, dark and with the promise of danger roundever corner. The game play makes you feel like the Dark Knight himself.

I hidin a cupboard for thirty minutes waiting for @lindsaycowie to come home, so Icould see if it was possible to subdue her with a 'Baterang' I made fromcardboard, then I realised she was at a Zumba class. After I got the feelingback in my limbs, I crawled over to my Xbox (game available on otherconsoles, I read you had to say this), to continue the fight. The controls areeasy to master; within minutes you are dropping from conveniently placedgargoyles and sending criminals to sleep in a way which only a life timededicated to martial arts training, after witnessing the murder of your parentsand swearing revenge on every criminal everywhere, can.

Should you get this game? YES but warn your immediate familythat they may become victim to some serious superhero vengeance, and beprepared to lose hours of our life in front of the TV.

So my first venture into blogging is complete; if this getssome views and maybe a comment (?!?!?), then maybe the great LC issue willallow me to write for them again, I promise it will be awesome!

Festive Finds 2011: The Wedge

2011-11-29T08:30:00.000Z

I have found that, when it comes to wedges, people either love or hate them; I am most definitely a fan! I love the way they look and I find them more comfortable than some heels - ideal for those festive nights out! Currently, there are some absolutely fab wedges available in shops and online, and below I have listed just a few of my favourites...

Gem wedge ankle boot - Dark Purple
River island, £100

...and in Black

Birthday Suit - Black suede/jewelled
Office, £85

Nippy - Black microfibre/beaded
Office, £90

Suede snake platform wedge - Black
New Look, £29.99

...and in Red

Irregular Choice, Motherly Love -
ASOS, £85 (was £115)

Zafirs suede look wedge ankle boot - Grey
missguided, £35.99

...and in Nude.

Last Christmas...

2011-11-28T08:30:00.000Z

Now the festive season is practically upon us, it has had me thinking about last year. It was my first Christmas where I didn't work in retail, and therefore I had more than just Christmas day off work, and it was my first holiday away from home (well, I was in my little flat!), so it was definitely one to remember.

From the incredible snowfall,which led to the creation of one AMAZING snowman, to my first, very-own Christmas tree, here are just a couple of pictures from my Christmas, last year.

Mine and @ultimatecoddy's snowman - Dave...

... we built him in our work's car park one lunchtime!

My first, very-own Christmas tree

Festive candles - like this picture.