Fitness: Benefits of Body Pump

Well, my Fitness Friday posts have fallen down the wayside a bit, so I thought it was about time for another post. Yes, it's not a Friday but close enough!

Today I thought I'd talk about my favourite gym class - Body Pump. It's a pretty hardcore class which scares a lot of people, so I wanted to explain some more about this class and girls lifting weights in general:

Now let's dispel some myths about lifting weights, ladies. Here are four points I think every woman should know:

1. Let's stop all this worry about getting bulky. Have you ever seen somebody get bulky by accident? No. If you want muscles, you can certainly get them, but it takes a lot of effort, exercise and precise dieting - you can't go to a few Body Pump classes and suddenly look manly. 

2. Want toned thighs? Well, I'm sure you know the answer is squats. But the 30 day squat challenge? Pointless if you aren't using some weight - it's simply not hard enough. Using a bar helps you think about your technique, depth and you can really feel the burn. Not only that, but you see the results much faster.

3. Lifting weights burns calories not only during the class, but for the rest of the day. Cardio doesn't do this; that's why you should start your gym sessions with weights and finish with cardio, as you will burn much more than the other way round.

4. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat - but it takes up less space. So even if the pounds aren't dropping off as much as you'd hoped, remember to keep a track of the inches too. 

So are you now thinking about doing more weights? If you are new to using weights, Body Pump is the perfect place to start. The instructors are really supportive and will ensure that you are using the right weight for your level and your technique is correct. Normally in the gym on my own, I couldn't lift weights for a whole hour, but the structure of the class means that the time passes much quicker. Each track focuses on a certain body part or move, such as squats, biceps or abs, ensuring that you get a complete full-body workout. The sets also change regularly, along with the music, meaning that you don't get bored from week to week. The instructor will also make sure that you regularly increase your weight, which means that you are constantly progressing. Overall, I never leave a class feeling unsatisfied and I really couldn't recommend it enough to anyone looking to boost their fitness regime. 

Do you enjoy reading my fitness posts? Let me know if you give Body Pump a go!

<3

xx

Queen of Hearts Fancy Dress

As you may have guessed by my heart-shaped shoe-clips DIY and Alice in Wonderland themed party post, I decided to dress up as the Queen of Hearts for my birthday. It's my birthday today so I'm looking forward to an evening of food, cocktails and champagne with my housemates to celebrate turning 21. However I wanted to share with you my look from the weekend as it's probably my favourite ever fancy dress costume. I'm pretty proud of the result and hope that you like it!

Dress: Jones and Jones (via Topshop.) Shoes: c/o Barratts. Shoe clips: DIY. Floral headband: DIY. Crown: DIY. Earrings: New Look. Ring: c/o Temp Sec.

Ever since I decided on the Queen of Hearts I had a very specific dress in mind - bright red, with a lace top and full-on tutu flared skirt to give a striking impression. It took me way longer than it should have done to realise that Jones and Jones are the experts for this look. When I discovered this beauty in the Topshop sale for just £27 including a student discount and free p&p, my search was over. I was worried that the puffy tutu wouldn't suit me and that it would be too short, but I was overjoyed with how it looks. I ordered a 10 after reading some reviews that the sizing was quite small and I was glad I did - it is slightly too big around the waist, and the shoulders and back gaped a little, but I don't think I could have managed to squeeze myself down a size! The height was short but not too indecent on me, but watch out taller ladies because a couple more inches would have made it quite inappropriate! I love the deep open back, lace overlay and focus on my waist - I even like my legs in these pictures, which for me is quite an accomplishment!

My legs are of course helped by the assistance of some heels. I wanted something sparkly yet comfortable and luckily I had these amazing shoes from Barratts already in my wardrobe. I added my custom DIY shoe clips, which I explained how to create here, as a key heart-themed accessory to the costume

The other key accessory to the Queen of Hearts theme was of course my crown. I created the floral headband earlier in the summer by simply wrapping some red paper roses from Hobbycraft around an old headband. I made the crown by using some pliers to wrap and shape gold wire on another headband and then adding some pearl hearts. I didn't think to take photos of this process, but I hope you understand what I mean!

Finally, I added a glitzy pearl necklace and some heart-shaped earrings and a ring. I curled my hair and added some simple make-up focusing on my bright red lips and nails and a simple heart shape below one eye. With such a showstopper of a dress and a crown, I wanted to keep the make-up simple and regal so my outfit didn't become too costume-y - it was my birthday party after all, not Halloween! I then had some great fun acting all moody and Queen-like in my garden for these snaps before the party kicked off.

So, what do you think? Do you feel inspired to try an Alice in Wonderland party or perhaps dress as the Queen of Hearts this Halloween? Please let me know your thoughts!

<3
xx

Alice in Wonderland Birthday Party

I have always been a massive fan of fancy dress and themed parties - people seem to either love them or hate them, and I am firmly in the former camp. Therefore for my 21st birthday party, I decided to host a Alice In Wonderland party. I went all out with themed food and decorations and I wanted to share my efforts with you today:

I baked two different batches of cupcakes using one of my favourite cookery books The Hummingbird Bakery: Cake Days. It has a great selection of fun, different and easy cupcake recipes for every occasion and season. I decided to bake Earl Grey cupcakes and some Strawberry Daiquiri cupcakes too. I was worried that the Earl Grey would be too bland as I find it to be quite a subtle tea, but I was pleased to be able to taste the tea in the buttercream frosting. I was excited to try out the Strawberry Daiquiri cupcakes, mainly thanks to the rum element involved in the recipe. However, although yummy, you couldn't taste the rum which is a shame for a pretty expensive ingredient, and the strawberries placed in the bottom of the bun cases created a very soggy bottom - Mary Berry would not have been very impressed!

I also baked some heart-shaped jam tarts and created some rum jelly limes. I was heavily influenced by Pinterest with all my party planning and you can see my inspiration board here. I create my own 'eat me' cake toppers and 'drink me' labels using John Tenniel's Victorian illustrations and cut up playing cards to top the remaining cakes. I printed famous quotes alongside illustrations to cover the walls, created card bunting and 'this way/that way' arrows to direct my guests to the house. Yes I really went all out!

I'd like to think that it was a successful party. I felt almost like a real grown up as my friends tasted my cakes and drank wine. Obviously this was somewhat balanced out by the amount of wine they consumed, the fact that everyone was in fancy dress and the various shots involved! Overall, it was nice to have a proper house party, a surprising rarity in my student life, and spend some quality time with some great people.

What do you think of my Alice in Wonderland themed party? Look out tomorrow for what I wore!

<3

xx