Ruby's Starting Over (Again!)

[rubyeskimo]

If you're run down (I have been for two weeks) do gentle exercise but don't overdo it. Maybe up your veggies a bit

I LOVE wedding fayres!!!! What sort of flowers are you thinking?

xxxx.

Yeah I won't push too hard tonight, but still get a bit of sweat on and I've got some carrot sticks to munch on.

I'm not too sure really but want some autumnal colours like deep reds, oranges and I love tulips. I have seen a very nice autumnal bouquet that's tulips and roses with some green bits in there (can you tell I don't have a clue!) so will take that along and see what they all think.

We went to the national wedding show in Olympia in February and it was intense. The goodie bags were pretty good and there were a lot of good deals and offers (especially on dresses). We only went to stalk a photographer that we'd seen previously and they ended up giving us a voucher for £200 off. That meant we could get their top priced package for the price of their medium one which was bang on our budget. I'm going to the North West one in Manchester in October with my maid of honor, mainly because she's recently engaged and starting to plan so I want to expose her to ALL THE THINGS before she makes some solid plans. Plus we're going to look at dresses...

 

[dominoes]

Yeah I won't push too hard tonight, but still get a bit of sweat on and I've got some carrot sticks to munch on.

I'm not too sure really but want some autumnal colours like deep reds, oranges and I love tulips. I have seen a very nice autumnal bouquet that's tulips and roses with some green bits in there (can you tell I don't have a clue!) so will take that along and see what they all think.

We went to the national wedding show in Olympia in February and it was intense. The goodie bags were pretty good and there were a lot of good deals and offers (especially on dresses). We only went to stalk a photographer that we'd seen previously and they ended up giving us a voucher for £200 off. That meant we could get their top priced package for the price of their medium one which was bang on our budget. I'm going to the North West one in Manchester in October with my maid of honor, mainly because she's recently engaged and starting to plan so I want to expose her to ALL THE THINGS before she makes some solid plans. Plus we're going to look at dresses...

Oh my god, that sounds so exciting! I want to get married too!

 

[Mrscush]

I was at the wedding show in Feb too and DID order my dress-despite protesting beforehand that I absolutely under no circumstances was I going to a)find one, b) order it. I did both!! Was fab to have a scout about.

I'm meeting my florist again in two weeks. Honestly-no one could have been more vague than me when it came to talking about what I wanted and she just 'got it', so have fun picking your blooms! Xx

 

[JessyG24]

Yeah I won't push too hard tonight, but still get a bit of sweat on and I've got some carrot sticks to munch on. I'm not too sure really but want some autumnal colours like deep reds, oranges and I love tulips. I have seen a very nice autumnal bouquet that's tulips and roses with some green bits in there (can you tell I don't have a clue!) so will take that along and see what they all think. We went to the national wedding show in Olympia in February and it was intense. The goodie bags were pretty good and there were a lot of good deals and offers (especially on dresses). We only went to stalk a photographer that we'd seen previously and they ended up giving us a voucher for £200 off. That meant we could get their top priced package for the price of their medium one which was bang on our budget. I'm going to the North West one in Manchester in October with my maid of honor, mainly because she's recently engaged and starting to plan so I want to expose her to ALL THE THINGS before she makes some solid plans. Plus we're going to look at dresses...

Did you have a good time at the gym class?

Hehe I have no idea about flowers either! I think seasonal flowers are a good choice though as colour more likely to be in line with your theme and they are cheaper, or so I have heard.

That's fab about the photographer! might need to do that ourselves

And eek I'm going to that too with my fiancé and mother in law! Going on the Sunday! aw you'll have a lovely time with your moh

Ooh that's super exciting! Any idea what you're looking for? xx

 

[rubyeskimo]

Did you have a good time at the gym class?

Hehe I have no idea about flowers either! I think seasonal flowers are a good choice though as colour more likely to be in line with your theme and they are cheaper, or so I have heard.

That's fab about the photographer! might need to do that ourselves

And eek I'm going to that too with my fiancé and mother in law! Going on the Sunday! aw you'll have a lovely time with your moh

Ooh that's super exciting! Any idea what you're looking for? xx

Had to go and rescue OH from work on Friday as he did his back in, so no exercise for me as we were at the minor injuries unit waiting for a prescription.

Spoke to a really nice florist yesterday who was one of the recommended suppliers for our venue and she really understood what we wanted. In fact the display she had on her stand was pretty much exactly what I had in mind! Going to make an appointment for a consultation with her at the beginning of October and see what she comes up with. The prices don't seem too bad so we'll have to wait and see.

Dress wise I have seen 2 that I really like; either a lace tea length dress or an a-line floor length with lace 3/4 sleeves. Haven't tried anything on, but I know I don't want strapless or a mermaid / drop waisted dress because those things just don't suit me. Might try and go with my mum in a couple of weeks to have a browse, so that if I find a bargain at either the wedding show or the warehouse, I can just snap it up and not feel guilty that my mum hasn't been there to see me try anything on. Have you got an idea about what dress you want?

 

[rubyeskimo]

Morning everyone! I've lost 0.5lbs last week which wasn't too bad considering I didn't exercise! Still stuck to my "100 healthy days" motto over the weekend so I'm pleased about that. Didn't really do much Saturday and ended up going to 3 wedding fairs yesterday! One was at a hotel quite near to our venue, but I had such difficulty in their car park (it involved a ridiculously steep slope and crashing into another car while I still had the handbrake on) that I won't be recommending it to any of our guests to stay in. The car's fine by the way, just cosmetic damage but it was still pretty scary! Was so stressed after that we ended up going to the carvery and I stuck to the meat and veg, ignoring the gorgeous yorkshire puddings and stuffing. Need to go food shopping tonight but have planned (kind of by accident) to have a veggie week, so green days all the way!

Day 12 - Green

Breakfast - Bran flakes, banana, apple

Lunch - Batchelor's golden rice with salad (mixed leaves, tomatoes, peppers, red onion)

Dinner - Carrot, kidney and cumin burgers, topped with cheese and salad

Snacks - Banana, 2 clementines, melon, grapes, weetabix oaty bar


HEA - 28g cheddar / milk in tea
HEB - 30g bran flakes / weetabix oaty bar
Syns - 0
Exercise - None

Should say that I tried porridge made with water over the weekend and it wasn't too bad. I mixed a dollop of ff natural yogurt in as well (with some chopped apple, banana and cinnamon) and I didn't miss the milk. Will definitely be trying it like that again when it gets colder.

 

[rubyeskimo]

Morning everyone! I've been having some rather strange dreams recently which are causing me to wake up countless times during the night. This means that I'm ridiculously tired in the mornings, so much so that I almost fell asleep waiting the 2 minutes it took my porridge to cook! Just got to try and power through though as I have my 6 month review this afternoon and hopefully will find out if they want to give me a permanent contract, so I have to be on the ball!

Day 13 - Green

Breakfast - Porridge made with water, ff natural yogurt, mixed berries, cinnamon

Lunch - Kidney bean and carrot burgers, mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes

Dinner - Dhal (lentils, onions), spinach, cauliflower, rice

Snacks - banana, 2 clementines, apple, weetabix oaty bar


HEA - ? / ?
HEB - 35g Oats / Weetabix oaty bar
Syns - 0
Exercise - 45 minutes cardio bootcamp

Might have a cool glass of milk with some choc shot for my HEA today (and to use a few syns as well).

 

[JessyG24]

Ooh those burgers sound yum! Recipe please

Good luck with your review xxxx

 

[rubyeskimo]

Ooh those burgers sound yum! Recipe please

Good luck with your review xxxx

They really are and so simple too:

Rinse a can of kidney beans and then put in a saucepan, cover with water and boil away for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, finely chop an onion, grate a carrot and then fry off in some frylite with a teaspoon of cumin. Once the kidney beans have boiled, drain and mash as fine or as chunky as you like. Add the carrot / onion / cumin mix to the beans, mix together and then portion off into burgers (the mix makes about 4) and fry lightly on each side for a few minutes. Et voila! Can't take credit for the recipe (it's from a girl called jack's blog) but they are lovely and sweet and great for SW!

 

[dominoes]

They really are and so simple too:

Rinse a can of kidney beans and then put in a saucepan, cover with water and boil away for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, finely chop an onion, grate a carrot and then fry off in some frylite with a teaspoon of cumin. Once the kidney beans have boiled, drain and mash as fine or as chunky as you like. Add the carrot / onion / cumin mix to the beans, mix together and then portion off into burgers (the mix makes about 4) and fry lightly on each side for a few minutes. Et voila! Can't take credit for the recipe (it's from a girl called jack's blog) but they are lovely and sweet and great for SW!

I made these the other night with potato wedges (fry light and paprika) and they're great! Fed my housemate as well but we were thinking they need something else in them - any ideas for additions?

 

[rubyeskimo]

I made these the other night with potato wedges (fry light and paprika) and they're great! Fed my housemate as well but we were thinking they need something else in them - any ideas for additions?

I had potato wedges with them in the end as well last night. Maybe add some feta? I love it in courgette frittas because it's slightly salty and yet cheesy and would offset the sweetness from the carrot / cumin mixture. Or to bulk them out a bit more you could add some rice or quinoa which would go a bit crunchy when you fry them off? Might have to add an egg to bind it together though if adding more starchy things.

 

[dominoes]

Ooh feta's a good idea. I might add some courgette with the carrot too…

 

[rubyeskimo]

I keep meaning to try out a similar thing with blackeye beans and beetroot. Had them in Las Iguanas a while ago and they were delicious (and no doubt cooked in oil and had loads of naughty things added) so will be adding them to the meal plan next week.

 

[rubyeskimo]

Morning everyone. Not feeling good today. Review yesterday was pointless and I'm no where closer to finding out if I'll have a job next year or not. I mentioned it at least 3 times and both managers just stared at each other and kept saying I need to always think about development opportunities, which could be code for "start looking for a new job". Then OH's department is going into a consultation period, the result of which is the week before Christmas (brilliant timing there guys) and it will either mean OH is out of a job, or he'll be relocated and we'll have to move. So now I'm in a bit of a funk and I don't know how to snap out of it. OH did surprise me with a bunch of roses last night as I ranted on the phone to him on the way home!

Anyway, I'm going to try and remain positive (while scouring the jobsites today).

Day 14 - Green

Breakfast - Porridge (made with water), blueberries, honey

Lunch - Mixed leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, cottage cheese

Dinner - SW Homity Pie (potatoes, peas, leeks, onion, cheese, stock, eggs), Linda McCartney red onion sausages

Snacks - Apple, banana, 2 clementines, weetabix oaty bar


HEA - 28g cheddar / 28g cheddar
HEB - 35g porridge oats / weetabix oaty bar
Syns - 1
Exercise - 45 minutes cardio bootcamp

Didn't get a chance to exercise last night as I was too drained from my long day and I didn't get home till almost 8pm. Determined to do some tonight, in between cleaning the flat due to letting agent inspection tomorrow! Hope you're all having a good hump day.

 

[dominoes]

Morning everyone. Not feeling good today. Review yesterday was pointless and I'm no where closer to finding out if I'll have a job next year or not. I mentioned it at least 3 times and both managers just stared at each other and kept saying I need to always think about development opportunities, which could be code for "start looking for a new job". Then OH's department is going into a consultation period, the result of which is the week before Christmas (brilliant timing there guys) and it will either mean OH is out of a job, or he'll be relocated and we'll have to move. So now I'm in a bit of a funk and I don't know how to snap out of it. OH did surprise me with a bunch of roses last night as I ranted on the phone to him on the way home!

Anyway, I'm going to try and remain positive (while scouring the jobsites today).

Day 14 - Green

Breakfast - Porridge (made with water), blueberries, honey

Lunch - Mixed leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, cottage cheese

Dinner - SW Homity Pie (potatoes, peas, leeks, onion, cheese, stock, eggs), Linda McCartney red onion sausages

Snacks - Apple, banana, 2 clementines, weetabix oaty bar


HEA - 28g cheddar / 28g cheddar
HEB - 35g porridge oats / weetabix oaty bar
Syns - 1
Exercise - 45 minutes cardio bootcamp

Didn't get a chance to exercise last night as I was too drained from my long day and I didn't get home till almost 8pm. Determined to do some tonight, in between cleaning the flat due to letting agent inspection tomorrow! Hope you're all having a good hump day.

Oh hon, that's terrible! Hope it all works out for you both! There seems to be a lot of this about at the moment.

That homity pie sounds great though! Enjoy!

 

[JessyG24]

They really are and so simple too: Rinse a can of kidney beans and then put in a saucepan, cover with water and boil away for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, finely chop an onion, grate a carrot and then fry off in some frylite with a teaspoon of cumin. Once the kidney beans have boiled, drain and mash as fine or as chunky as you like. Add the carrot / onion / cumin mix to the beans, mix together and then portion off into burgers (the mix makes about 4) and fry lightly on each side for a few minutes. Et voila! Can't take credit for the recipe (it's from a girl called jack's blog) but they are lovely and sweet and great for SW!

Thanks chick will try making these! xxxx

 

[JessyG24]

Urgh how annoying. There really isn't enough respect given to employees in some places. You should have a clear idea about what's happening - it's only fair! And with your OH too!

If it helps James and I were in a similar situation a few months ago and it has all worked out for the best. I think ultimately things always do.

xxxx

 

[rubyeskimo]

Oh hon, that's terrible! Hope it all works out for you both! There seems to be a lot of this about at the moment.

That homity pie sounds great though! Enjoy!

Thanks, going to try and not think about it for now and then try and get the ball rolling at my next supervision in October.

Homity pie was lovely and comforting, and probably the best one I've made so far! The recipe is supposed to be for 4 people but we ended up scoffing the lot between the two of us over the course of the evening. It's practically a meal in itself so you don't need to have anything else with it really.

 

[rubyeskimo]

Urgh how annoying. There really isn't enough respect given to employees in some places. You should have a clear idea about what's happening - it's only fair! And with your OH too!

If it helps James and I were in a similar situation a few months ago and it has all worked out for the best. I think ultimately things always do.

xxxx

Thanks Jessy. We both work in the public sector and these things happen all the time so I'm trying not to worry but I am a bit of a natural born worrier really! Glad things worked out for you guys, hopefully they'll work out for us too.

 

[rubyeskimo]

So it's Thursday and I'm 15% of the way through my 100 Healthy Days challenge. So far I have stuck to plan for the entire time (and done a little bit of exercise) and I feel pretty good. I can definitely notice that I've lost weight now, I just need to give it a little extra push to start toning up.

I WILL EXERCISE TONIGHT. No excuses, I got into work early so I can leave early and get a fast train home and then just jump into workout mode before collapsing on the sofa. Looking forward to my week off in a couple of weeks because I can exercise in the morning and then go for a lovely walk in the afternoon (if the weather's ok that is).

Day 15 - Green

Breakfast - Porridge made with water (HEB), blueberries, honey

Lunch - Cucumber and celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cottage cheese, apple

Dinner - HM Leek and potato soup, cheese on toast

Snacks - banana, 2 clementines, weetabix oaty bar, mullerlight choc and orange


HEA - 28g cheese
HEB - 35g oats / slice of toast
Syns - 5.5
Exercise - 45 minutes cardio boot camp

Thinking about it, I might actually make some potato skins to go with my soup rather than cheese on toast: I can get more veg into the meal that way. We'll see how I feel after the exercise.