A Day In the Life Of Me!

Paddleboarding Fun this summer

2022-09-04T14:27:00.006+01:00

Paddleboarding fun at the lake

This summer has been so much fun, we have been paddleboarding most weekends, after work and as often as possible. I was lucky enough to win a paddleboard about 5 years ago in one of my competitions, think it was with Vodafone. Last autumn I managed to get my Fiance Tony onto the board, even though he cannot swim! he wears a life jacket and since that first paddle around the lagoons in Llanberis, he is addicted.

Tony enjoying a summers evening on his board

Llanberis Lake is great for beginners, it has a lovely lagoon which is sheltered from the wind, we only live around 20 minutes away and we just love Llanberis as its where Snowdon is and there just the most amaazing views as you can see below:

Below is a video of Llanberis lake, with Snowdon and other mountains in the viewpoint.

This is the video of my first ever paddleboard, around 5 years ago! i feel i have improved alot since then

Amazon has all kinds of paddleboards here my boards above are Irocker boards and my favourite is here, i also recently got an attachement to screw in for my cuppa tea, my go pro and a self stick. A wet dry back as shown is a good idea too, take your phone etc on board with you.

Kit Kat Prize - 10k road trip

2022-09-04T13:00:00.003+01:00

Summer 2023 - Dream trip to Canada - Dream Prize Competition

Canada Road trip time!! its my 50th birthday in June 2023 and after 7/8 years of entering as many competitions as i could, i finally won my dream prize, a £10,000 road trip with Kit Kat!!

Now i am a competition nutcase, i enter them all the time, my friends and family think i am a little crazy but they love my wins as i am good at sharing. i saw this competition coming up early this year and decided it would be a great opportunity to take my sons on a road trip to route 66 with it as we had been saving up. So i asked them to buy the promotional kit kats like the example here:

I would keep the receipts safe and then i could enter the competition. The rules were you could enter twice daily so each day i would go and buy kit kats! all types of flavours and then enter the competition. I started entering on around the 15th January, i didnt manage to enter every day as thats way too much chocolate but i gave it a good go as this was too good a prize to miss out on, i literally willed myself to win! there were 3 parts to this competition, you could either win a lucky bar like the wonka type win, find a winning pack, of you could win by entering the weekly draws and there is also a late draw which is still current and ends 31.12.22 (so if you can find a promtional pack, quick go enter yourself)

ON the 28th February, i got an email whilst at work as per below:

I was pretty in shock and wasnt sure if it was fake as due to lack of internet it had not downloaded properly and looked a bit scammy. Anyway i clicked on the link to add my details and it all looked fine. i had to upload the copies to receipts and barcode of chocolate bars, so i was super glad i had kept them all! how awful if i had won and not bought the actual item.

Sometime later, i received an email to confirm my win and since then i have been planning on what to do with it. The Route 66 was temporarily off the plate as a few days before it was confirmed, my son was given his start date for the Navy, this meant he may not get any leave before the end date of the prize to be taken which is December 2023.

So the next plan was for my Fiance Tony and I to go to Canada in an RV Camper and tour the Candadian Rockies, so next June thats what we will be doing and its perfectly timed as next June, its my 50th birthday so how better to enjoy it. So excited.

So please follow this blog to see the planning of the trip, the actual trip, and hopefully will be adding a vlog of it all if i can figure it out how to do it.

So to all of you who want to win that dream prize, i advise you to keep going, go enter and just remember, "you cannot win it if you aint in it"

Visit my Instagram now

Baking Banana Bread The Easy Way

2020-07-05T20:20:00.004+01:00

I have not really made the best effort to bake for a long time. I used to love it when I had more time and the kids were small, but now they are all grown up and half moved out and I work full time I just don't get the enjoyment or relaxation I used to out of it.

Whilst in lockdown I realised all those bananas i was ordering to keep us healthy each week were going off and getting wasted and I had no idea why! so I decided I needed to do something with them, we had tried bananas and custard one night after dinner, which kind of worked but realised I needed a cake, desperately.

I was going through my Facebook feed one afternoon and saw on my slow cooking group a brilliant receipe for the normal oven. This was a super quick and easy to prepare receipe and i like easy, so decided to bake it. I had about 5 bananas that were pretty ripe and the rest of the ingredients in my cupboards and it was amazing the whole family enjoyed it.

Here is the recipe below and honestly its just delicious so do give it a try.

Banana Bread Ingredients

100g butter

2 Eggs

125g Caster Sugar

225g self raising flour ( I use supreme sponge)

2 tbsp of milk

2 drops of almond essence

3 medium ripe bananas

Golden syrup to pour on top if you wish

Method

Throw all these ingredients into your mixing bowl but do sieve the flour to make it lighter. I use a kitchen aid mixer so I just set it on high for a few minutes till I can see its all mixed together. Then I pour it into a silicon loaf tin and put on a baking tray then put into a heated oven on 190 for a fab oven. I put some oven heatproof paper over the top for first 30 minutes to keep from burning then leave it for another 30 minutes and voila you have one delicious banana cake - put on a cooling tray for 15 mind or so and drizzle some golden syrup over the top before you serve.

Banana Bread

Enjoying Snowdonia in the Spring - Snow in North wales

2016-03-30T17:48:00.001+01:00

Enjoying Snowdonia in the Spring

We are very lucky to live in such a beautiful area, enjoying lakes, mountains and beautiful beaches all year round. This easter holidays we have gone on some amazing walks and the picture below is one my son took while walking up to Llyn Idwal (lake Idwal) in Snowdonia, its beautiful whatever the weather as you can see below, the snow and brrrr cold

This is the view of Cwm Idwal in the Glyderau mountains of Snowdonia. It is named after Prince Idwal Foel, a grandson of Rhodri Mawr, one of the ancient Kings of Wales - funnily enough if you zoom in on this photo you can actually see Anglesey right in the background and probably my house if you have extra zoom!

here are some more pictures of the day, it was fab, a nice hot cuppa tea from our flasks helped keep us warm.

We often take walks up to the lake, here are some Autumn photos

This summer we hope to get past the huge lake and go right up and over the mounain, with a picnic. i was lucky enough to win some amazing walking boots from mountain warehouse

After spending 4 hours in the deep snow, rain and walking, my feet came home dry and confortable, such amazing boots, am very pleased with them.

We also have an idea to attempt Ben Nevis at some point, we enjoy Snowdonia and have walked up Snowdon quite a few times over the years, think we are ready for a challenge.

This is a photo of us a few years ago enjoying the summit of Snowdon and beautiful views

My Under active Thyroid hypothyroidism - Giving up on Levothyroxene and trying out Natural Dessicated Thyroid

2015-07-21T22:43:00.000+01:00

My Under active Thyroid hypothyroidism - Giving up on Levothyroxene and trying out Natural Dessicated Thyroid

I am sure there are plenty of us out there who have been feeling lethargic, achy and just downright depressed? i know that I was, luckily my mum had already been diagnosed with an under active thyroid and was on levothyroxene so when I saw my doctor, my mum had asked me to get my thyroid checked, they said it was normal, so I went on my way still feeling down, tired, achy etc. 6 month later I went back, had some more bloods done and finally my TSH level was borderline, so my doctor started me off on 25mg of levothyoxene, i came home with some leaflets explaining my thyroid (not that I understood any of it) I started taking my pills everyday which was quite a feat as my memory is atrocious lol anyway 3 months later felt bad again, went for more blood and was put up to 50mg, always trusting my doctor was right i didnt question anything and just took my pills.
Roll on 3 years later, i was feeling awful but had started to google my symptoms, I found websites such as http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ which had lots of resources from a different treatment instead of leveothyroxene (T4) to vitamins that should be taken and checking iron, vit d and vit b12 levels to make sure they are optimal. I found out that levo (T4 is actually a storage hormone, our body's are meant to convert the T4 into t3 but it doesnt always work that way and nowadays most labs will not test your T3 so you wont have any idea its not working. My labs only test T4 and TSH so i couldnt find out. I alo found other like minded people all in the same boat as me that were suffering the same symptoms but doctors were telling them they had chronic fatigue, depression etc

I was feeling lousy at this point, tired at 4pm, heavy weight on me, couldnt do anything, couldnt remember things, lost my words, couldnt plan, found it hard to sleep, couldnt wake up etc so the doctor did my bloods, told me i may have chronic fatigue! I just assumed i needed a higher dose of levo. I received my bloods back and my iron was pretty low, ferritin being 11 - so my doctor prescribed iron pills to be taken daily. i had a print out of my blood and brought them home to study (1st rule of getting yourself better, get a copy of your bloods) I was told my thryoid levels were fine but i didnt feel FINE.

my natural Dessicated thryoid tablets called Thiroyd from Greater Pharma in Thailand this is made from desiccated porcine (pig) thyroid glands which contain Thyroxine (T4), T3, T2, T1 and Calcitonin.

In the meantime, I had been a bit adventurous and ordered myself some NDT natural Dessicated Thryoid, its been around for a long time, way before thyroxene was made and given out to us. i had read up on google and joined some great online support groups, this being my favourite https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOUKandEurope/ there are groups for every country so if you are not europe or the uk please search for FTPO on facebook and join one. I realised I could take my health into my own hands and that the doctor just did not have the information and enough training to see my fatigue etc was connected to my thyroid. the day I got home from the doctors I stopped levothyroxone and started taking my NDT, i started with 1 grain, I split it into half and took one in the morning and one in the afternoon, i realised i needed to make sure my iron, b12 and vit d were at optimal levels, not in doctors ranges when they say they are fine as their ranges are huge, you can be right at the bottom of the range and they will say you are normal!? anyway i checked my b12 and realised it was 266, optimal is at least 800-900, in countries such as Japan they treat you as low as 500 but here in the uk, as long as you are above 150 they dont think you need help, yet the symptoms of low b12 are lack of energy, lack of motorskills, brainfog etc so quite scary and everyone should get this checked if they fill tired, confused etc. So i went online and ordered myself some B12 pills, i made sure they had Methylcobalamin in instead of Cyanocobalamin as they are a better form of b12 and easier/quicker to absorb. I also started taking my iron pills along with a vitamin c pill to help absorb. Another thing i learnt was that if you have a thyroid problem you are more likely to suffer from low stomach acid this in turn stops you absorbing vitamins very well, so even if like me you eat alot of greens and red meat, you still wont be absorbing all the goodness you need. Something to help that is apple cider vinegar a spoonful in a glass of water a day will really help absorbtion levels.I now take 1 pill every day, luckily b12 is water soluble so you cannot overdose on them. i will get to 800 and lower my doseage. Also adrenals and cortisol play an important role in taking NDT, we have all probably stressed out levels out, a 24 hour saliva test only available privately should help give you those results so you can work on them

these are the vitamin b12 pills that i am taking visit amazon to buy

By day 3 on NDT I realised at 8pm that I hadnt felt my usual fatigue and was feeling rather fab! yeah!! wow its a miracle i thought. by 10 day i was feeling a little tired again, so i upped my dose to 1 and a half grains, spilt into 1 in the morning and half in the afternoon, i felt better immediately. This carried on and i upped again to 2 grains on day 21. i continued this way and ended up on 3 grains but felt a little achy, tired again and a slightly fast heartbeat so have gone back down to 2 and a half grains where i will stay for a while. i may be at my optimal level but i may also be suffering from my low iron which is taking its time to come up, last bloods i was 23. i have since ordered some better iron pills, easier on the digestion, stomach etc less constipation. They are called Bluebonnet Chelated iron and are very popular.
So I am now on day 95, still on 2 and a half grains, just had my first thyroid bloods done at my doctors, i had warned him that my TSH maybe surpressed as I had stopped levo and started on NDT, he didnt really think it was a good idea but asked me how i felt, i said i felt amazing! so much better, i gave him a list of symptoms i had on levo and i showed him how much better they were, most have gone completely. He was very supportive, even tried to prescribe NDT to me himself but couldnt find it on his system, i know a few people that get if off the NHS - the american Armour and Nature Thyroid can both be prescribed if you find a doctor in the know, along with the synthetic version of T3 which can also be of benefit, as long as you can find the doctor that has an open mind.

my results were
T4 - 11 (new range of 7-17)
T3 - 6.4 (3.5-6.5)
TSH - 0.15

I was very happy with those, all in range and my tsh supressed, the lowest its been, the last result on levo was 1.9

Here is the chart I showed my doctor, showing all the symptoms I had on levo and how they have improved:

levo	NDT after 70 days
Hard to sleep, awake till 3am	Sleep before midnight usually
Miserable/depressed	happy
Hated waking up, felt so tired, 11am ish	Wake up like a lark by 8.30am
Woke up with anxiety	Wake up happy ready for the day
Exhausted in chair by 4pm, felt like heavy lead	No exhaustion, keep going till bed time
Couldn’t lose weight/lost some with lots of excerise but couldn’t lose the last stone. Body fat at 40%	Losing it by the pound a week without exercise, body fat down to 37%, no diet or exercise needed
Forgetful, couldn’t think of words	Having normal conversations again
Couldn’t plan ahead, dreaded planning or thought of planning	Planned my friends 40^th, my own party and others
Hated leaving the house	Love going out and want to be out
Skin all dry	Skin so much softer
Periods really heavy and painful	Still heavy but less painful
Psychotic rages, angry at a drop of a hat,	Happy, chilled and haven’t flipped since NDT
No sexdrive	Its back!!
Aches and pains	No aches and pains
Bleak outlook	Positive outlook
Bloated a lot – stomach sticking out, wind causing problems	No bloating, tummy has gone down, less wind
Cold extremities, feet and hands freezing	Warm warm warm! Temp is 37.1 in mouth all day – yeah!
Restless legs syndrome	Legs have been fine, no restlessness as yet
Some Blurred vision	Eyesight fine

So 95 days and I feel good, i still have my ups and downs, but my temperature is a steady 37.1 and i feel so much warmer, i wake up when my alarm goes off, i go to sleep alot earlier, i dont flag half way through the day and i want to go out and do things whereas i hated leaving the house on levo. i feel levo turned me into a psychotic fat zombie, now i feel good, have even lost 7lbs not doing a silly diet or any keepfit dvd's. I am happy and would never touch levothyroxene again.

I hope that my story can help others find their way, maybe question your doctor a littl, visit some groups, find support from others in the same boat and give you some hope that there is a better way and you maybe able to get that normal life you are craving!

some handy tips

get a print out of your bloods - or write them down with ranges
get iron, b12 and vit d tested, optimal levels are ferritin 80, b12 800 and vit d 50, if lower then supplement, they all have symptoms similar to hyperthyroidism, lethargic, brainfog etc
ask you doctor for t3 or NDT if levo isnt working for you, worth a try
if you are really not feeling well on levo and nothing has worked so far, ask to be referred to an endo at your local hospital, if that hasnt worked, think about trying NDT
dont be afraid to try something new, if you have been ill for 20 years on levo, then try NDT
when starting NDT raise slow and take it easy, some signs of being lethargic, achy etc can come back but sometimes its because you are on too high a dose, don't be agfraid to drop down a grain to see if you feel better
if you have been prescribed NDT by a doctor, be careful that he doesnt leave you on too low a dose, you need to raise by half a grain every 2 weeks ish.
remember that you are not alone, millions of people suffer this condition every day, there is hope ok x
if you have haven not been able to get iron, b12 and vit d tested, tell doc, you are tired, lethargic, confused and cannot remember things, that should speed it along
if the doctor says you are depressed, dont listen to him you know that you are only depressed because you are too tired and panicky to actually accomplish anything!
no you havent got chronic fatigue and yes its your thyroid - even if the doc does not agree lol

please visit the below links for more info

Dosing NDT - http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/natural-thyroid-101/
Stop the Thryroid Madness - http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/
Uk and Europe Thyroid support group https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOUKandEurope/?ref=bookmarks
Getting your ducks in a row http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ducks-in-a-row/
NDT not working, try these http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/mistakes-patients-make/
which brand of NDT, compare here http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/armour-vs-other-brands/
adrenals and cortisol http://www.tiredthyroid.com/hc.html
adrenal stress test http://www.smartnutrition.co.uk/health-tests/adrenal-stress-test/
more adrenal help http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/adrenal-info/
private adrenal and thyroid tests http://www.thyroiduk.org.uk/tuk/testing/genova.html
levothyroxene side affects http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineSideEffects.aspx?condition=Thyroid+problems&medicine=Levothyroxine+sodium&preparation=Levothyroxine+sodium+100microgram+tablets
B12 info, which is best http://www.dadamo.com/B2blogs/blogs/index.php/2004/02/07/cyanocobalamin-versus-methylcobalamin?blog=27
stop the thyroid madness facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StoptheThyroidMadness?fref=nf

Handy FTPO groups

FTPO Thyroid Topics - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOThyroid/
FTPO Adrenals - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOAdrenals/
FTPO T3 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOT3Discussion/
FTPO Without a Thyroid - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOWithoutAThyroid/
FTPO Gluten & Gut Issues - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOGluten/
FTPO Hypo Children - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOCHILDRENS/
FTPO Sex Hormones -https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOSexHormonesRealGroup/
FTPO Canada - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOCanada/
FTPO UK & Europe - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOUKandEurope/
FTPO Australia - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOAustralia/
FTPO Chat - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOofficialCHATGROUP/
FTPO Spanish - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOSpanish/
FTPO Lyme Disease - https://www.facebook.com/groups/FTPOLymeDisease/

a really good book to buy is Stop the Thyroid Madness: A Patient Revolution Against Decades of Inferior Treatment, its a great read with lots of handy tips

Disclaimer - I am not a doctor, this story is my own personal mission to get myself well, please do not take anything i have said as FACT and please if you are going down the NDT route, read up, explore and read again.

Running and the Couch to 5K program

2015-02-03T17:14:00.000+00:00

my latest keep fit craze is the Couch to 5k, i started this last year as i have always wanted to run a full 5k without stopping. i used to run in school but hitting my teens and starting smoking really stopped that. so i bought myself some running gear and a phone arm band to hold my phone and downloaded some apps to help me.

my favourite couch to 5k app so far is Run Double Couch to 5k which is available here http://www.rundouble.com/home its for android and Iphone users - I am currently using the android version on my LG G2 phone. I then bought one of thes fab Tune armbands to hold my phone in, slightly higher price than a bargain on ebay but great quality comfort and usage. please visit AMAZON for more phone choices

some pics from the rundouble app

example 1 - my run history

example 2 - a detailed breakdown of my run, the map of it and all my times. handy to look back on and see how well you are doing.

you can do all kinds of runs with the free app, timed, distances, intervals etc. i am currently up to week 5 but have just started running with a friend and we do some interval running, an example would be 5 mins walk to warm up, then 2 mins run, 2 mins walk, repeat the run/walk 6 times then cool down walk for 5 mins. you can also leave it open ended and keep walking. it also lets you listen to your music and dims it while it gives you run and stop instructions, its also possible to use your camera, take phone calls and text while doing a run.

This app will sync with Myfitnesspal and Facebook, which in turn then syncs to my fitbit flex. i have just pre-ordered the new fitbit charge HR as it has a heart rate monitor connected for more accurate calorie burn. available from Amazon

so even if you are a beginner like me or a pro wanting to run more than 5k (there is a 10k app too) get out there and have some fun. i have taken some fab photos while i run

Competitions & Giveaways to enter this week - 23rd october 2014 #win #halloween

2014-10-23T16:26:00.000+01:00

This weeks interesting competitions - Halloween and more....

win an iPad Air worth £399 A halloween creative competition here for children aged between five and 16 are being urged to enter our Children’s Halloween Art Competition run in conjunction with the Merrywalks Centre in Stroud and O2.
To enter, simply draw, paint or create a collage a Halloween theme on A4 or A3 paper and drop it into the 'spooky postbox' in the O2 shop at unit 35, Merrywalks by 5pm on Wednesday, October 29. Click here for link and details

win a NutriBullet Pro 900 and pack of NutriBullet SuperFoods Instagram has a great competition click here for details and link. Follow @TheNutriBullet on Instagram. Post a photo on Instagram that is Halloween themed and related to The NutriBullet (either by using a NutriBullet Product in the image or a drink or smoothie that could potentially be made in The NutriBullet). Tag your photo with #NBbloodyblast. open to legal residents of the United Kingdom, the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. ends October 31, 2014

Win a family ticket to LaplandUK including an overnight stay, breakfast and dinner at a nearby 4 star hotel! with @DayTripFinder Enter now

there are over 300 ASOS vouchers to giveaway from £10 to £100 and we’ll be picking winners every week. To be in the weekly prize draw just get 5 of your friends to click on your link. here is mine www.switchtowitch.com/WA001021 watch a few videos and then get entered to win various prizes weekly. 16+. UK. Monthly/Weekly draw opens 24.09.14 - closes 16.12.14. Must share link to enter. click here to enter

Win a Pressure Pro - worth £129.99!

We're giving you the chance to win a Win a Pressure Pro pressure cooker with 10-in-1 Smart Steam technology worth £129.99 absolutely FREE! To enter, simply follow the link to like us at Facebook.com/ThaneUK, then enter your email! click here to enter

Win An iPad Mini 2 with Stoke Contests

win a Google Chromebook with Stoke Contests

if anyone has a Halloween competition they would like added here, please email me or tweet me (@tamalyn1)or comment below x

30 Day Shred - results - Before and after

2014-03-29T17:31:00.000+00:00

Unfortunately I havent been so great at fasting for the last few weeks on the 5.2 diet, had a few days in Amsterdam and nights out drinking and a case of flu, but I have tried to keep up with the dvd's and my results I think speak for themselves. The weight loss in these 2 pictures is 1 lb so i didn't actually lose anything but it just shows that losing inchs can be just as good as losing weight. Hope this helps anyone that starts the 30 day shred vd's and actually puts weight on like i did!

I will now be order these dvd's so i can do a bit of everything to tone up as i lose more weight and get some abs!!

Jillian Michaels Triple DVD Boxed Set (Feat. Ripped in 30, Killer Buns and Thighs, Extreme Shed and Shred)

and this one

Jillian Michaels - The Collection [DVD]

I still have level 3 to finish so my new routine will be

mondays - 30 day shred level 1
tuesdays - no more troublezones
wendesday - 30 day shred level 2
thursday - 6 week 6 pack
friday - 30 day shred - level 3
saturday - ripped in 30
sunday - rest day

If i don't feel like finishing a dvd i will stop, some days i feel fitter than others, but most are 25 minutes long at the most so plenty of time in the day to do them and fit it with the busiest lifestyle

Testing out my new Fitbit Flex on the 5.2 diet plus the 30 day shred

2014-02-24T17:01:00.000+00:00

I received my new fitbit flex today currently £67 on Amazon.co.uk and $96 on Amazon.com
they come in a few different colours and there are a few different type of trackers but i went for the wrist one so i can sleep, run and just wear it constantly without realizing it.

this is a list of a few things it does,

Tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and active minutes
Log food, weight, and more on Fitbit’s website or apps
Monitors how long and how well you sleep
Wakes you (not your partner) with a silent wake alarm
LED lights show how your day is stacking up against your goal
Set goals, view progress, and earn badges
Share and compete with friends throughout the day
Syncs automatically with select mobile devices and to your computer
Free iPhone and Android App
Instantly launch your Fitbit app by tapping your device with your NFC-enabled Android phone
Easy-to-wear, slim, comfortable wristband
Available in two stylish colors – black and slate
Accessory bands allow you to personalise your Flex
Wear all day and night - even in the shower
Rechargeable battery

it will also sync with the myfitnesspal app on the pc and your phone so it keeps track of all your food and exercise intake. so for the next few weeks along with the 30 day shred and my 5.2 diet we shal see how good it is!

30 Day Shred - plus the 5.2 diet! my diary

2014-02-23T14:21:00.001+00:00

I thought since i am trying to lose weight i would also try and get fit, so someone recommended me this 30 Day Shred dvd which is only £5.00 at amazon.co.uk and $8.68 on amazon.com

there are 3 levels to do, so start with level 1 and move up every 10 days, i am on day 3 of level 1 and i was aching yesterday as i am totally unfit lol my aim is to do this everyday and i will post a before and after picture up so you can see how i have done, remember i am incorporating the 5.2 diet with it too as i hope to lose weight and tone up at the same time.

Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred [DVD]

I like the way jillian helps by talking and giving encouragement all the way through, there is also an easier way and a hard way and you can follow which way you want, so there's no overdoing it. my legs ached after day 1 and day 2 they were even worse but i have woken up on day 3 ready to go! i will keep you all updated on how it goes - any tips or questions please post

The 5.2 Diet my story

2014-02-23T13:36:00.002+00:00

well i have decided to start the 5.2 diet, i seem to have acquired 2 extra stone in the last year or so since giving up smoking and finding out i have an under-active thyroid.
my mum has the same problem and has had some amazing results with it losing over a stone in a matter of weeks.

my start weight after xmas was 11 stone 11 pounds, which is the heaviest i have ever been, considering i was 9 stone when i was 9 months pregnant with my first child 19 years ago it feels pretty upsetting to have gone up 2 dress sizes to a size 14 aghhhh

now i have been fasting for 5 weeks and after weighing myself on friday morning i was 11 stone 3 pounds!! very pleased with my results - I have lost 7 pounds since christmas and at least 5 of them were during the 5.2 diet how fab!!

the whole idea of the 5.2 diet is that you can eat whatever you like (within reason) on normal days and then on a fast day you only eat 500 calories or less, now its pretty hard to do at first and it took me a few tries to actually get it under 500 calories and even now i try and fail as i love food so much, but i dont give up i just try again the next day.

The 5:2 Diet Book: Feast for 5 Days a Week and Fast for just 2 to Lose Weight, Boost Your Brain and Transform Your Health

To help me along i joined a group on facebook - The 5.2 diet facebook Group its really helpful and supportive and has handy recipes and tips to help keep you going.

The Fast Diet: The Secret of Intermittent Fasting - Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer

I plan to carry on and hope that by july i will fit into my size 12 bikini and all my summer clothes - any questions or tips please comment x

my cruise on the Oriana with P&O it was fab

2013-12-19T16:19:00.000+00:00

this will be updated with all the fab details of my cruise to the Canary Islands on the fab P&O boat Oriana

My new Facebook page

2013-05-04T16:35:00.000+01:00

I thought I would learn how to make up my own facebook page today, I have seen others do it, so knew it couldn't be that hard. I would link it to this blog so it gets a wider audience.

heres what I did.
First I actually googled this term "making a facebook company page for a blog" as i had sort of figured out what to do but hit a bump on this page here
http://www.facebook.com/pages/create/
I was not sure what box to choose, was I a brand or a company or an artist etc lol, anyway I managed to find this very helpful page
http://prothemedesign.com/how-to/a-bloggers-guide-to-creating-a-facebook-fan-page/
I followed their instructions and I now have this facebook page up and running.
http://www.facebook.com/tamalynsday
all very exciting!!

I welcome all my followers to come and like my page, I hope to post family days out, interesting stories and fabulous competitions to enter and anything exciting that I win will be posted too.

Time flying, Children off to Further Education, Losing weight & Keeping fit

2013-04-23T19:15:00.001+01:00

Too Busy for my Blog

well lately I have been too busy for my blog, I have been entering competitions a lot, spending time with my children sorting out my daughters University finance, accommodation, etc and my sons 6th form stuff - need to apply for EMA and he has an interview for college tomorrow for Electrical Engineering level 3 Btec. My youngest son has had to make his GCSE choices too which has been hard as hes in all the special lessons so needs a little extra help with study. hes finally chosen History & Geography because he loves them (i had a word with the teachers and they will help him) and Engineering Btec level 1.

They are all 2 years apart in school which has been great so far but very stressful when it comes to leaving school and choosing university and getting student finance etc ha ha

My daughter has chosen Liverpool John Moore's University and the course is Applied Sports Psychology - she has done the btec level 2 & 3 sports in school and she just needs to get a C in Psychology A level to get onto the course, which we are hoping she gets!! I am currently saving up and buying bits and bobs for her Uni room so if anyone has any tips, please post them in comments. so far I have 2 bath towels, 2 flannels and a cutlery set, my daughter bought herself a posh cheese grater - she has no sense at all

The University itself looks great, its all been redone and cost millions and seemed very high tech inside. we met some of the current students so we could chat and my daughter asked lots of questions. her accommodation is a 5 minute walk away so will be very handy for town, shopping and the nightlife etc. Am actually quite jealous :(

i started the 28 day at DW Sports today, its my nearest gym and its pretty expensive but they are doing a deal where you pay £28 for 28 days off peak and peak time so pretty good as I still haven't decided if I want to join for 6 months at a time, seems a lot of money and i could get lazy and change my mind!!
Its my school reunion on the 22nd June so since I stopped smoking 17 months ago and have put in a little bit of weight (over a stone) i thought i would try and get fit and lose some of that extra weight, my ideal weight would be 10 stone, this is needed so I get fit lovely into this stunning Faye dress by Erdem worth £825

I won it in the
London Fashion Week competition with Emerald Street.

Its fab! but I will be needing a slimmer stomach before I can look good in it, or miracle knickers ha ha but seriously its the most amazing dress ever, Its something I would look at from afar but never actually dream of owning! this is the amazing world of entering competitions.

Its also my 40th Birthday on the 26th June and the local fun run 5K raising money for the local school and other causes so I will be in severe training for the next 28 days!!

Today I met my friend Helen and spent 20 minutes on the cross trainer, 10 mins on the running machine and 10 mins on the rowing machine, then a lovely swim a relaxing gossip in the jacuzzi lol

I have also been using my exercise ball to do some crunch's and any abs exercises i find on the Internet, YouTube is pretty good - try some of these if you feel the need:

Kathy Smith Flat Abs Workout - You Tube
10 Minute Ab Workout on the Stability Ball with Laura London Fitness - You Tube

Ball Ab-Busters! ★ Best Abs workout with stability Ball

I still haven't found the best way to exercise that i can actually stick to for longer than a week - think I maybe just very lazy to be honest

Glasses Direct + Sunglasses Shop Giveaway

2013-03-30T12:26:00.003+00:00

The Sunglasses Shop and Glasses Direct have come together to offer a very special competition prize. You could win a pair of Prada sunglasses (RRP £215) and a pair of glasses of your choice from Glasses Direct!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please visit the original blog for more info on the competition HERE

blog

2013-03-18T22:13:00.002+00:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Slow cooker - joint of beef, pork and lamb - easy & quick recipes

2013-03-15T21:36:00.000+00:00

I bought a slow cooker a couple of years ago, I didn't really use it but tried out a few recipes and kind of left it alone. These days I literally use it every few days. I have cooked the most amazing things in it and I don't use recipes these days I just throw the meat and veg and stock in and leave it and 8 hours later I have a tasty casserole!

easy sunday dinner roasts! - fast, tasty and so easy to make

Beef for Sunday Dinner
A cheap joint of beef from a supermarket or butchers, I put this in the slow cooker, throw a few squirts of golden syrup over it, paste some english mustard around the sides and put on the lid and leave it for 8 hours on low or 4/5 hours on high. leave to cool slightly before carving

Lamb in redcurrant sauce
Leg of Lamb or any Lamb joint, some nice fresh redcurrant sauce or any jar, put the lamb in the slow cooker, add the redcurrant sauce on top, close lid and leave it cook. low for 8 hours and high for 4/5 hours. leave to cool slightly before carving

Pork sunday dinner
Cheap joint of pork - any kind. throw it in the slow cooker, add some apple sauce - home-made or a jar, just a couple of tablespoons and close lid, cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4/5 hours. leave to cool slightly before carving

now these days its very easy to buy slow cooking sauces, eg Schwartz Slow Cookers Chicken Curry, I have tried a chicken curry one where you just add some chicken, onion, spinach and add the sauce which tasted lovely, I have also followed recipes such as a slow-cooked duck l'orange, which was absolutely amazing! I also make up the odd casserole, i put any meat in for example: chicken fillets/pork loin steaks/pork chops/chicken thighs/legs etc, then add chopped onions, mushrooms, any vegetables i can find, fill it up with water, add some chicken stock or beef stock and leave it cook on low for 8 hours. tastes amazing.

you can literally do whatever you like with it, so play around, make it up as you go along. Very handy for going to work in the morning, you could prepare it all the night before, leave in a bag in the fridge, add to slow cooker in the morning, leave it all day on low for at least 8 hours, a lovely dinner ready when you get home. Most of my meals serve 5.

any questions please ask, i am not a professional cook but can try and help lol

slow-cooking sauces are readily available at Tesco, Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury's

My Book Reviews - My favourite Zombie Books

2013-03-04T11:56:00.002+00:00

My Book reviews on good reads

Sanctuary: Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse by Joshua Jared Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i really enjoyed this book, it was a fab zombie tale and i couldnt put it down. cannot wait to read more from this writer.

View all my reviews

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End by Manel Loureiro

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

great book, fast paced, i read it in one night as i couldnt put it down! great zombie book it thats the genre you like. i also loved the fact it was based in spain.

View all my reviews

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

loved it, i wanted to read it after i saw they have made a movie, i had a gist of the story from the trailers at the cinema and it was as good as i had hoped and thank god it didnt make me cry like the notebook!! great writing as usual, fab storyline and cannot wait to read some more books by nicholas sparks

View all my reviews

White Flag of the Dead by Joseph Talluto

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

best zombie series ever!

View all my reviews

The Remaining by D.J. Molles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

a great series, i enjoyed reading them and read all 3 in less than a week. it was a good take on the zombie genre - a man in a bunker all prepared for the end of the world, but was he? the zombies are fast and very dangerous in this book, it kept me on the end of my seat, am now awaiting book 4!!

View all my reviews

The Undead Situation by Eloise J. Knapp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

one of the first zombie books i have read, it kept me on the edge of my seat and i stayed up all night reading it, it really quite scared me. thanks to this book i have since read countless zombie novels but this is in my top 10 of favourite zombie tales

View all my reviews

Competitions

2013-02-23T13:16:00.006+00:00

Some of my favourite purchase competitions currently running:

Ends 18/09/2022 - Patchs Cider,

win 95 x £70 Patch Plant voucher codes,2,660 x £35 Patch Plant voucher codes.

Opens on 09.05.2022 To enter online , purchase any Inch’s product, then scan the promotion QR code (found on point of sale materials and targeted social media) or visit www.inchscider.co.uk/patch and follow the on screen instructions (enter name, email address and Date of Birth) and upload a picture of your can, pint or pack of Inch’s. 1 entry per person per day, limited by email address. enter here

Latest Asda Compeitions, some are purchase only, please read the terms and conditions for each one - enter here

Giveaway - 2 uncorrected Proof copy Books - Competition

2013-02-21T15:34:00.001+00:00

2 fab uncorrected proof copy books to give away to one lucky winner - UK only

I recently recieved these lovely books, unfortunately I already have them in my collection, so thought it would be nice to offer them as a prize so someone else can enjoy them.

Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce

Publication Date: 3 Jan 2013

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthem-Jackson-Dawes-Celia-Bryce/dp/1408827115

Megan Bright and Jackson Dawes are two teenagers who first meet each other on the hospital ward where they are both being treated for cancer. Megan is scared and worried about her illness, but Jackson seems to be an old hand, having been on the ward for ages. And everybody loves Jackson! He is a whirlwind of life and energy, warmth and sparkle. Megan will need to borrow some of Jackson's extraordinary optimism to face her and Jackson's future. A moving story of first love and a remarkably powerful debut novel.

The Disgrace of Kitty Grey of Mary hooper -

Publication Date: 9 May 2013

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Disgrace-Kitty-Grey-Mary-Hooper/dp/1408827611

Kitty is living a happy, carefree life as a dairymaid in the countryside. The grand family she is employed by looks after her well, and she loves her trade, caring for the gentle cows and working in the cool, calm dairy. And then, of course, there is Will, the river man who she thinks is very fond of her, and indeed she is of him. Surely he will ask her to marry him soon?

Then one day disaster strikes: Will disappears. Kitty is first worried and then furious. She fears that Will has only been leading her on all this time, and has now gone to London to make his fortune, forgetting about her completely. So when Kitty is asked to go to London to pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice, the latest novel by the very fashionable Jane Austen, Kitty leaps at the chance to track down Will. But Kitty has no idea how vast London is, and how careful she must be. It is barely a moment before eagle-eyed pickpockets have spotted the country-born-and-bred Kitty and relieved her of her money and belongings. Dauntingly fast, she has lost her only means of returning home and must face the terrifying prospect of stealing in order to survive - and of being named a thief . . .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013 - kids, life and a power plate!

2013-01-30T11:52:00.001+00:00

Welcome to 2013 - kids, life and my new power plate!

Life has been pretty busy since Xmas, i have my 3 teenagers who are all planning their futures, my daughter is busy applying for universities for a Sports Psychology degree - i am busy wondering how much it will all cost
my son is applying for college and 6th form for engineering level 3, Physics and something else and i am wondering which one would be best for him
my youngest sons is about to choose his options! now that's a hard one too as hes not quite up with his peers and he wants to do history and geography GCSE's aghhh

me? well i am busy trying to keep fit, i seem to have put on a stone in weight since the summer and it could either be the non-smoking (14 months and counting) or my under active thyroid that i seem to have, i just started a low dose of thyroxine so am hoping that helps. so today the 30th Jan i weigh 11 stone 3 pounds!! - thats a first i only weighed 9 stone exactly when i was 9 months pregnant with my first child lol a little scary!

I started the gym at DW sports fitness 12 days special and that was fun but its finished now and i cannot really afford £28 a month off peak which is a shame as i would love to go on the treadmill every day. i would run locally but i live in a very hilly part of wales and i hate running uphill ha ha actually downhill is not good either. i did start the NHS's couch to 5K as my post here describes but its the hills that stopped it, they are everywhere. An ideal prize for me would be to win a treadmill! heres hoping... ha ha

So after reading reveal and seeing all those glamorous bodies, i decided to buy myself a power plate, now all the famous people are trying it and i have found numerous exercises i could do on it, apparently just 10 minutes on it is equivalent to 60 minutes normal exercise - i know that it may seem a really lazy way to exercise but at least i will be in the nice and warm, visit back soon as i will be posting the results of my trial very soon

if you get stuck with yours, please visit these youtube videos for some ideas
power plate part 1
power plate part 2
Tone those abs!
and for that man in your life so he doesnt feel let out,
build a 6 pack! :)

Now if you are looking to lose some weight, get fit or even give up those smokes finally, then please visit the brilliant Get Fit Feel Epic campaign from Moneysupermarket.com. they have a handy calculator which will tell you how much money you could save if you give up smoking and cut down on drinking, eating fast food etc. Maybe this will help in your struggle like me to lose those pounds and feel a bit fitter!
The Zip tracks your steps, distance and calories burned and syncs it with your computer or Smartphone. You can monitor your fitness, challenge friends to compare progress and cheer each other on as well as exporting your data into other apps like My Fitness Pal that you may already be using.
The Aria tracks weight, % body fat and BMI allowing you to sync it with your computer or Smartphone. The scales automatically recognise up to eight users, allows you to see trends in your weight loss by using visual aids such as graphs, set weight loss goals and manage calories, plus they’re sleek and stylish to boot!

They also have a fab competition on their blog / to win a Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker, worth £49.99 and Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scales, worth £99.99 and i am entering with this blog post!! wish me luck

Latest Competitions

2012-11-04T14:11:00.002+00:00

I am currently not holding any competitions but here are some of my favourite competitions that are being held at the moment

200 follower MAC lipstick & Models Own giveaway! Open for UK & international followers ENDS 3RD Feb 2012

win a kids white cabin bed - Contest Ends February 28, 2013 at 12:00 pm

Halloween 2012 - Party and Dressing up time

2012-11-01T22:24:00.002+00:00

So this year, my friend Zoe asked if we could go out on Halloween, now i normally answer the door to trick or treaters and help my kids into their costumes and take them to some kind of party or castle or event of some kind. But my friend celebrates Halloween by going out for a drink as she lost her dear best friend a few years back and her birthday was on Halloween, so now she celebrates it without her, so what could i say?? hell yeah i am going out lol !!

Its half term this year and i am still tired from being at Alton Towers the day before and also from the weekend before in Portugal celebrating my daughters 18th. But life goes on and things need to be done!
My friend Julie is also coming along and my boyfriend Tony and whoever else we can find mad enough. We have decided to to go the local nightclub that is doing a Zombies V Vampire night. I am dressing up as a witch, my boyfriend as a Zombie, Zoe as a Vampire, her sister as a mad person eating zombie and Julie - well shes too scared to dress up lol

Me and my cat Jasper, his eyes are scarier than me lol

I got dressed up as above and get the sweets ready for the trick or treaters, i accidently scare a little girl at my door as i stepped into the light, bless her she ran away screaming to her mum ha ha

My daughter Natalie, a zombie school girl - all her own makeup, pretty impressed!

My boyfriend Tony, the Zombie

we used the fake blood, baby powder in hair, some latex glue stuff that made good scrapes and cuts and we slashed his shirt and added blood and gravy browning lol

Me as the wicked witch of the West

i just painted my face green and added the costume lol

Zombie Tony and my mate Julie

Julie and Me

Caz - so lifelike!! scary zombie lol

Zombie Tony and Vampire Zoe

Official Embassy Night Club Photo - From Left to right: Julie, Tony, Me, Zoe & Caz

We visited a few pubs on the way to the club and my boyfriend even visited the local garage to get some cash out of the machine - people putting their petrol in had a right laugh at him lol

as you can see we had a fab time, the only downer on the night is that the club shut at 2am, whats with that? lol i was still rearing to go.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone, see you all next year.........

Our Stay at the Alton Towers Resort! Park & waterpark Spash Zone

2012-11-01T15:46:00.002+00:00

I recently won a visit to the Alton Towers Hotel with tickets to the park and splash zone!! this was a weetabix competition on face book ( a vote one) the kids were pretty excited, as was i lol
we got there early Sunday evening, checked in really easily, all the staff were lovely and polite! very impressed. The atmosphere was child friendly and very Alton Towers with the music etc. The lift even had music which added some fun to the experience. we loved out room, unfortunately we hadn't bothered with a themed room but ours was basic but comfy. all the beds are silent night ones so very comfy. we had a king size bed and bunk beds, the boys argued for the top bunk but luckily we stayed 2 nights so one night each guys lol

we got changed and ran downstairs so we could go watch the entertainment. we decided to order some cocktails so with my daughter being newly 18 and having ID we made her go order the drinks lol, she got asked for her ID and was very nervous bless her lol
we got some kind of vampire cocktail which was lovely, i ended up with a sligjtly blue tongue tho lol

the live band was really impressive, they were all dressed up Halloween style and played/sang the latest songs live. we really enjoyed it all. so off to bed, get ready for our early morning, alarm is set for 7.30am!!

we are up with the alarm, straight for breakfast, which was lovely, a selection of cereals, fruits, pastries, juices, hot drinks and cooked breakfast, yummy. we stuffed ourselves and then ran upstairs to get ready for a day in the park.

the monorail to get there was fun, we manged to get in and on 13 without any queues as we were there really early. the kids then ran around deciding what rides to go on, we went on all the water rides, which were great fun and we got pretty wet, i loved the fact you can shoot people with water while they are on the rides, so we did that alot.

we got pretty tired at about 2pm, so we went back to our rooms, got changed and decided to to go the spashzone for a bit, we had 2 day tickets for both so thought we would go back to the park later in the evening as it was open till 9pm. the water park was pretty good, the boys loved it, we didn't see them much other than the occasional queue for the slides. there was a nice outdoor Jacuzzi which was lovely so myself and my daughter just relaxed in there.

about 5pm we went back to our room to get ready for our evening in the park - now it was getting dark and the park looked amazing with all the lights etc. the kids went on Oblivion and a few other rides. i took my son to the Ice Age 4d show which was fab, i just love these and it was fun how it snowed for us etc.

we left the park at about 8.30 tired and hungry, went back to our rooms to change then went down for dinner (i had booked a table at the restaurant) we had the most amazing food there, i had slow cooked duck with a stirfry and it had the most amazing sauce, best duck ever! Natalie had salmon linguine, which was lovely too and Paul had chicken wraps which arrived in a box type plate. Matty boring as usual had a burger lol

we were so tired after our day at the park that we went straight to bed and fell asleep before 11pm ha ha

Above is the picture we had taken at the aquarium as we went in, i think its pretty snazzy. they also had them at the IceAge 4d show with a snow background but unfortunately our pic was not very good.

next morning we worked a little slower, getting up at 7.45, wondering down fro breakfast and then coming back to bed for half an hour. so tired etc we had to check out by 10am so by 9.30 we were packed and leaving our room, ready for another day at the park. checking out was a breeze but this time as we were so late leaving, the queue fro the monorail was awful! silly us decided to walk to the park - i wouldn't recommend this as its really far lol the kids wanted to go on the spinning mouse ride - the queue for that was horrendous too!

luckily the next ride we wanted to go on we had a fast track for, compliments of the hotel so it was perfect as that queue would have been very long too!! we finally managed to get Paul on a ride, hes 14 and pretty nervous at new things so this was great, i loved 13, its a rollercoaster with a little twist at the end, cannot wait to go on it again.

As you can see by the pic above, my son Matty is a bit of a poser and knew exactly where the camera was, i got this as a keyring so i can always remember it ha ha

We got quite bored of the queues and decided to go back to the water park for the afternoon before our long drive home back to Wales. We had a great time, my tips would be to wear comfy shoes, make sure you go the ride your really want to go on first before the queues get huge and maybe get some fast tracks for rides if you can. Also take alot of money as its all pretty expensive!

My Daughters 18th Birthday Trip to Portugal - Albufeira Strip!!

2012-10-26T18:11:00.003+01:00

What a blast, i took my daughter her 8 friends ranging from 16-17 and my sister on a long weekend to Albufeira, Portugal for an 18th birthday celebration.
Now i thought i was mad cos to be honest, the thought of taking 9 teenagers anywhere was pretty scary lol but it all worked out great. they all behaved amazingly and no arguments between them at all!
so we all left wales on the Thursday afternoon, we had a minibus all booked to pick us up, we managed to only take 3 big suitcases and we all had hand luggage. quite impressive, think we had 3 hairdryers and 2 straighteners between us all and about 20 pairs of shoes ha ha

We got to Manchester airport with plenty of time to spare, checked in our 3 suitcases and went to make our way though security, i was a little nervous at losing one of them so we had a headcount game, well we tried but it seems teenagers cannot count to 11 lol or remember a simple number.

Managed to upset a guy in the queue when one of the girls came over to stand next to me after i called her, he accused her of pushing in lol i told him straight that she didn't push in and that he was being silly. this got him all riled up and he started shouting at us. OOps lol

so hand luggage going through security and one of the girls has left her liquids in her suitcase so she gets it checked then they test the liquids lol what fun.

finally we are all through and the girls are off looking at the duty free, we all go get some sandwiches and drinks etc for the plane, i find the meal deals in Boots to be a bargain for the aeroplane. a bottle of water costs about 3 euros on the plane so definitely a saving buying before u fly! i go off to look at the sunglasses and it seems they have quite a few in the sale, and they are pretty good prices. i just cannot choose a pair tho and end up with some Siena ones that cost me £25, they are pretty nice and definitely do the job so....

then we all go looking for our gate, which is the worst part about flying Ryanair, as if u don't get to your gate quick enough you could end up at the back of the queue and get a crap seat on the plane on your one. So one of us keeps an eye on the TV and finally our flight pops up at gate 54 i think it was, we all walk really fast to our gate and we get to board the plane really quickly. we get 4 rows between us and the flight isn't full so my sister and i get a 3 seater to ourselves. NICE.

so we settle in on our flight, its not bad, 3 hours pass by pretty quick and before we know it we have landed! whoop Alburfeira here we come!!

our mini bus is waiting for us as we get through security, i booked it with resorthoppa online and It was a bargain, got 2 minibuses to pick us up and take us to the resort which is about 40 minutes drive away.

We get to the hotel about 11.30pm ish check in pretty easily, go to our rooms sort out beds, unpack a little and its straight out to party!!!!! think we got home at 4am lol

next day is spent by the pool, its not great but the kids are jumping in and out of the pool, oh to be 17 again lol those were the days

Little Black Dress Night - 2nd night out

2nd day is much better, girls are in the pool, sunbathing and my sister and i visit the beach!

Natalie's 18th Birthday, 3rd night out

4th night out is more sedate, we dress up but don't start drinking till later and we get home before 3am! fab lol

oh and here is myself as little red riding hood, dont i look cute?

so what a fab time we had!! great place to celebrate a birthday, stag due, hen night etc cannot wait to go back. We partied every night till 5am ish

unfortunately arriving home after all that drinking and dancing was quite a shock to our bodies, i could hardly walk from blisters from all that dancing and i felt like i had hit a truck my hangover was so bad. am just glad i didn't have to get up early and go to work the next day lol