Number Ten gets 10/10!....(a personal review of a very impressionable place)

As part of our mini-moon my husband and I embarked on a 5 hour road trip from sunny St. Andrews on the east coast of Scotland to the even sunnier Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. This trip was somewhat spectacular with every corner a new and enchanting surprise. The scenery was even more breathtaking than we remembered and the drive itself would definitely be in our 'top ten drives of the world' book (if we ever got round to writing one!).  

The Cullins, Isle of Skye, Scotland

As we neared our accommodation for the next few nights not only was our breath taken but we were also left speechless.....This was the sight we were greeted by:

Number Ten, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye

Number Ten on the Isle of Skye really does live up to its 'Luxurious Island Retreat' name. The views from the property are second to none and the attention to detail that has went in to making this holiday haven a success is out of this world. Diana and Alan have done a fabulous job of creating a space for two which feels like a million miles away from the rest of the world. They greet you on arrival with a drink of your choice and then walk you round your new home for the next few days. A welcome basket of wine, beers, egg, fresh bread and chocolate (but to name a few) also awaits you.  The living space itself boosts a wood burning fire, an enormous bath tub and sizable bed with sumptuous sheets. There is also a great space out front for you to eat and drink out doors as you watch the sunset. 

The hospitality provided by Diana and Alan makes a great impression and they are more than happy to help you with whatever you need. They even offered to taxi us to the world renowned Three Chimneys restaurant one evening which was well received! 

Not only is this sanctuary a home away from home but there is also a wonderful art gallery on site. Diana (the owner and artist) produces some of the most beautiful paintings and prints of the Isle of Skye landscapes and seascapes. This gallery is worth a visit in itself! 

To conclude, I would have to say that Number Ten is one of the most relaxing hideaways on earth and we wish we could have spent even more time there. Unfortunately our trip only lasted a few days, but we will definitely be back! And for now....we have our very own piece of heaven as a reminder hanging right above our fireplace!.....

'Above the Clouds' by Diana Mackie
http://www.diana-mackie.co.uk

To Blog or not to Blog? That is the Question?.....

After a very busy summer at home in Scotland (getting married and just generally having a blast with all of my family and friends) I have finally returned back to normality to the place I now call home: Louisville. I am now fully settled in to married life and instead of spending our weekends wedding planning we are organizing our honeymoon and house hunting instead. Things haven't got less hectic, the items on the 'to-do list' have just been replaced with new ones. With a lot of 'extra stuff'' still going on and a new full time job just around the corner I recently wondered if I there is still a place in my life for blogging?

Then.....I read this wonderful article (found here) all about the reasons to write a blog and how it impacts positively on your life. My question was quickly answered with a resounding YES! To summarize the article, writing a blog helps you to;

1. Become a better writer

2. Deepen your thinking

3. Live life more intentionally

4. Develop healthier habits (i.e discipline, devotion, commitment)

5. Meet new people

6. Inspire others

7. Develop a more well rounded mindset

8. Remember key life events and keep a personal journal

9. Become more confident

10. Learn from others

Overall, writing a blog changes your life in some way or another. It becomes less about you writing the story and more about the story writing and changing you. If you are considering writing a blog I would highly recommend it. I can't believe that for a short time there I considered giving it up! Maybe one day when I have little kiddos to care for but until then.....I will certainly be making time (and so should you).

White Teeth? Naturally....

Looking for a natural way to get sparkling white teeth? look no further! This is a true tried and tested method which I have been using for just over a week now, and guess what? It really does work. So, how did I learn about this natural approach to teeth whitening I hear you ask? Well let me tell you: over the past few months I have been experimenting vigorously with a range of products, trying desperately to get myself looking and feeling my ultimate best for my up and coming wedding! My friend, is a huge advocate for using natural products instead of chemically enhanced and luckily for me she sent me some in the post for my bday! I LOVED them (esp the gooey seaweed face mask) anyway, since then, and thanks to her, I have been seeking out more and more new ways of enhancing my own beauty..naturally.

I have tried everything from egg in my hair to rubbing banana peels on my face (which btw works like a charm!) and my most recent discovery...yup strawberries to whiten teeth! Apparently, Catherine Zeta Jones swears by it...have you seen her teeth?! So if you are looking for super sparkly whites then this is what to do:

You need 1 strawberry and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Crush the strawberry to a pulp, then mix with the baking soda until blended. Use a soft toothbrush to spread the mixture onto your teeth. Leave on for 5 minutes, then brush thoroughly with toothpaste to remove the berry?baking soda mix. Rinse. (A little floss will help get rid of any strawberry seeds.) Apply once per week. 

If you don't believe me then here are my (genuine) results.....

And if you still don't believe me then check out this article http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/09/27/whiten-your-teeth-with-strawberries.aspx

These are my Obsessions......

Obsession: the state of being obsessed with someone or something

Recently I have found myself obsessing over a few simple things in life that give me great pleasure. These simple pleasures can some times be far more gratifying than anything big. I always believe you should appreciate the small things and when you connect the dots between your little joys, life seems fuller and more satisfying each and every day. 

1. Paper Fans! How can you not love these?...the colours, the shape, their ability to brighten up even the dullest of settings. I recently hung a bunch of these in the corner of my office and they immediately made me smile. I look at them now every day and I instantly feel lifted! Perfect for hanging outdoors too for an instant WOW at any outdoor event.....

                                     

2. Bow- utiful! Love. Love. Love all things with bows on them at the moment. Hair accessories, shoes, rings, earrings, clothes...you name it. Fashion is the ultimate form of expression and you can never go wrong with a bow. Super cute and super stylish. 

                                    

 3. Vintage Tea Sets. What more can I say: uber retro and uber useful. I recently treated myself to my very own china tea set (something I have wanted for quite some time now) and man did I feel amazing when it arrived. The perfect way to host any tea party or gathering with the girls. Feel like Audrey Hepburn every time you drink tea...enough said.

Burn Baby Burn!.....

Down here in Louisville the weather is really heating up and that makes running outside far more miserable. 31 Celsius combined with 80% humidity is NOT my idea of fun! It is def time to take the workouts indoors. In my search to find the best fat burning treadmill workout I came across this one from www.toneitup.com. This workout is definitely not for the faint hearted but it sure does what it says on the tin: burn fat! So the next time you hear yourself say 'it's way too hot to work out, i'd much rather sit in an air-cond cafe eating ice cream' then pick up your phone (for workout tunes obvs) and head for the gym. There are NO EXCUSES!  

'The Lady Gaga of Wedding Invitations'.......

.......according to 'Beyond the Big Day'. This was the quote that really caught my attention when browsing for unique wedding invitation ideas. I thought to myself 'Wow, I want to have the Lady Gaga of wedding invitations for my wedding' and so it began. I immediately contacted Karen at http://www.weddingteatowels.co.uk/ and she got to work on designing our wedding tea towel invites straight away! Karen was so helpful from beginning to end and the whole ordering process was extremely straight forward and simple. You basically choose a design, pick a colour, decide on how many you need and choose which wording you want printed on it. Karen is also very accommodating when it comes to working with you to create your perfect design. For example, we are getting married in a barn and wanted this to be on our tea towel. We also wanted a tractor and highland cows, so we got it! She added theses drawings in especially for us so our invite was bespoke and personalized. We are absolutely delighted with the result and have had many compliments on them. People are amazed at how 'awesome' an idea this is and have never seen anything like it before. They have truly set the stage for what is set to be a fabulous, fun filled day! Karen, we can't THANK YOU enough. 

Crazy about Chia......

C/O www.uschia.com

Ch-Ch-Ch- Chia! If you haven't heard about it, I am sure you will soon. It is the next super food that everyone from Oprah to Miley Cyrus are raving about, and the good news is it is now available to buy right here in the US! Up until about 9 months ago I had never heard of Chia seeds and had certainly never tried any. Then...I met the lovely Zack Pennington (CEO) and partner Jacy Cruz who are the founders of the vastly expanding company US Chia. Both Zack and Jacy are Chia lovers and they were the ones  responsible for getting me started with this latest 'craze'.

The thing is, Chia is not a craze like a bunch of these other super foods out there. In fact, you would be 'crazy' not to be eating it. Adding Chia to your diet by sprinkling some on your salads, in your yogurt or on top of your morning oats has an unbelievable amount of health benefits including: feeling fuller longer, promoting weight loss, fighting belly fat, full of fibre, improve heart health, glowing skin, hair and nails,  packed with protein and full of Omega 3! These are just a few. It does not get the name 'Super food' for nothing.

Luckily for all of us Chia is now readily available here in the US. Up until recently Chia was only grown in South America and imported onto our shelves. Thanks to Zack, Jacy and the gang from US Chia it is now being grown right here in Florida and other parts of the country. We can now get Chia faster, cheaper and more nutritional than ever! To get your own Chia log on to their website at www.uschia.com and start reaping the benefits today!

Bucket List Before Baby....

Sooo...this one has been playing on my mind a lot this week and thought that there is probably a plethora of couples out there having the exact same feelings as my soon to be husband and I.

It all started 5 nights ago when we were both laying in bed after a very busy and extremely enjoyable Saturday; the morning was spent (slowly) eating 'Whole wheat banana pancakes' followed by a drive to the park (in our convertible) to play what turned out to be a very short game of tennis before packing it in to go home and sit in the blazing sun with a large cold wine and turkey baguettes. In the evening we attended a VIP  'Thunder over Louisville' fireworks party down town, where we proceeded to drink copious amounts of alcohol and eat yet more turkey baguettes (thanks to Subway's tasty but not so healthy catering).

By the time we got home that evening we were not only exhausted but extremely overwhelmed with contentment and satisfaction.  And furthermore, we were extremely excited about the long lie in we were going to have the following day! As I lay there smiling (albeit a fuzzy head) I casually mumbled, though half asleep....'God, imagine we had a baby right now!'. At which point my fiance's ears perked up and simply replied..'I know'.

As our wedding day fast approaches we are both very well aware of our lives having the potential to dramatically change in the very near future. As much as we are both excited about the prospect of being parents one day we are also having far too much fun and adventure to even think about giving it all up. We also want to spend a decent amount of time as husband and wife first before we have to share each other with another. I know some people say, that there is never really a right time and are you ever really ready? but we are both 100% sure that we want to bring children into this world when we are ready to give them our 100% attention and focus. They surely deserve that.

However, sometimes things don't always go to plan but for the sake of plan making we have made ours and are sticking to it.....this conscious decision we feel with not only benefit us in the long run but also benefit our children when we come to having them. We, as parents, will be more financially ready, emotionally ready and more whole/complete as an individual. This will enable us to raise our kids in the best possible way with no regrets about all things we wish we could have done before we had them. Kids change everything; they are the best gift you could ever ask for so why not give them the gift of you in return? You can only give the gift of you when you are ready to give yourself over.

All this deep, philosophical conversation got us thinking that night about all the things we want to do before we have our first baby. We decided there and then to start making a 'Bucket List Before Baby'...this included things like: road trips, adventure hikes, buying a fun car, spending all day in bed (at least 10 times), finishing studies, securing well paid jobs, running marathons, volunteering, writing books, spending 2 weeks on the beach, spending our well earned money on really expensive shoes that we have never before been able to afford!...the list is endless. From that night on we made a pact to start planning for an unplanned future and begin ticking these items off the list, as no doubt time will fly like it always does and our first little bundle of joy will begin it's own adventure into the unknown. (FYI I hope they too make a bucket list one day) :))))

Having the same thoughts? Whats on your 'Bucket List Before Baby'?

10 Days of Real Food....

c/o www.100daysofrealfood.com

Yeahhhh, I have just completed my '10 Days of Real Food Pledge!!'. What a beneficial and educational challenge this has been. Not only have I learned so many new things about food and nutrition but I feel way less bloated, have lots more energy and my skin is glowing like never before (I did also lose 4lb in 10 days which is a little bonus to top it off).

For those of you who want to give yourself a kick start into eating more natural/real and clean foods then I would highly recommend signing yourself up for the 100 Days of Real Food 10 Day Pledge. Whether it is to lose weight, feel better or to simply eat more naturally I guarantee this will give you the little boost you have been looking for.

Before my '10 Day Pledge' I considered myself to be quite a healthy eater but what I didn't know was that just a few items in my diet were responsible for my added weight and a bloated stomach. I am sure they were probably reaping havoc on my insides too! My one can of diet coke a day rule is gone, my Friday night bag of chips is gone and the only grains I now eat are 100% whole wheat. I also try and stick to alternatives such as beans or sweet potato if I want a side with my dinner. By excluding just a few items and making small changes you can make a big difference to your health. Processed/ refined foods should be avoided as these are the foods that your body finds hard to process and therefore stores as fat. Stick with these rules and you will notice a difference to your health in no time!

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe people can be 100% good, 100% percent of the time but I do think it important to follow the 80/20% rule when it comes to eating: 'According to the rule, you must choose healthy foods 80 percent of the time. Because you eat healthy the majority of the time, you are allowed to indulge in a few favorite treats 20 percent of the time'. I like to have a cheat day one day per week. This doesn't mean spending the whole day binging on chips and chocolate but it does allow you to be a little bit more relaxed: have a slice of cake with your coffee or make a homemade pizza. Cheat days make it easier to stay focused and make you feel like you are still living!

What you waiting for,,,,sign up now and GO CLEAN!

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/take-the-10-day-pledge

Handmade with True Love.....

I have recently been on a mission to find an alternative 'guestbook' for my guests to leave their 'mark' at our wedding. I didn't want a traditional guest book that people would write their warm wishes in as I feel that these are too often looked at once after your big day and put in the back of a cupboard there after. I saw this fabulous idea on Pinterest of a 'balloon thumbprint guest book'...the idea is that guests would dab their thumb onto a colourful ink pad and then print it on to the picture above to make it look like the bride and groom are holding strings of balloons! The picture can then be framed and displayed in your home as a constant reminder of a wonderful day with family and friends. I completely fell in love with this as balloons are going to feature hugely at our wedding. I knew this was perfect but what I didn't like was the huge price tag that they were selling for....So....I made my own! It was VERY EASY to do and I would encourage all those with time on their hands to do the same. You can too often be ripped off with these things that can easily be made yourself. I simply bought a clip art from the internet of a bride and groom and then created a page on MS Word with added lines/writing. I then took the document in to Staples and had them print it on onto a large poster all for the small price of $10!!! Not only is it a bargain but it was handmade with true love! (Hoping to start selling these on Etsy in the very near future so watch this space).