Taking it off for Winter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently I was lucky enough to sponsor bikinis for the 'Taking it off for Winter' fashion show organized by The Answer Co in aid of an awesome charity!

 

It was a great success and the girls looked stunning, what do you think?

 

 

Check out The Answer Co's Facebook page for more info on them

 

Monday Motivation - Abs

 

How great would it be on the first day of Summer to arrive at the beach, take off your clothes to reveal a toned set of abs!

 

Here are some exercise to help you understand how your ab muscles work and how to get them engaged.

 

Ab Work & Muscle Map

 

The Plank Power Progression

 

 

 

Remember though, as good as the above exercises are, abs are made in the kitchen! Make sure you eat clean and only have cheat meals instead of cheat days. If you follow these simple principles you will be well on your way to achieving those ironing board abs.

Week 6: if I could be anything in the world

 

If I could be anything in the world I would be a MUCH better version of me! 

I would be a better:

-wife

-daughter

-granddaughter

-sister

-friend

-entrepreneur

-cook

-runner

-Christian

 

I would have more of these qualities:

-compassion

-kindness

-gentleness

-humility

-patience

-forgiveness

-sensitivity

-understanding

-slow to speak

-slow to anger 

I would have less of these qualities:

-resentment

-anger

-haste

-frustration

-impatient

-pride

-impulsive

-shy

-harsh

-ruthless

-stubborn

 

 

Link up with from mrs to mama to see what she would be x

 



Roxstar Model Search Photoshoot

 

 So the pics are in and WOW do they look amazing!

I am so proud at how well Hops and Ty did, they looked STUNNING in all the new bikinis.

I caught up with them to see how they felt the shoot went:

 

 

 

Holly Immelmann
How did you enjoy your first photoshoot as a Roxstar model?
The shoot was more fun than I thought it would be, it was great fun and a good experience as a first timer.

Was it fun modeling with your best friend?
I'm so happy I got to model with Ty. I couldn't have done it without her, she gave me such confidence and made the whole thing so much more comfortable for me and fun.

What do you think of the new Roxstar bikini range?
The bikinis are incredible. They are so comfortable and great quality with SUCH a wide variety.

Which is your favorite Roxstar bikini?
I like the Aztec lumo bikini best.

What do you think Roxstar represents?
I think Roxstar as a brand represents quality bikinis for all shapes and sizes and that you can look and feel beautiful in a bikini no matter what your body type is.

What was your best part of the shoot?
My best part of the shoot was when I got to do the photos on the beach with Ty. It was great fun. We just got to chat and laugh and be really natural and comfortable.

What was your worst part of the shoot?
Probably the beginning. I've never modeled before and found it super uncomfortable in the beginning and the white wall behind us wasn't the most flattering.

 

Tyla Gormley

How did you enjoy your first photoshoot as a Roxstar model?
I loved it! I think on the day I was quite nervous but when I look back now, I had so much fun and loved every minute of the shoot.

Was it fun modeling with your best friend?
It was awesome! Hops and I have grown up together and knowing I had my sisterly figure with me, definitely put me at ease and made me feel so comfortable. We have so many childhood pictures together, at least we have some grown-up ones too.

What do you think of the new Roxstar bikini range?
I love the variety of bikini's this summer. Every style had a great fit and I felt that there was a bikini for everyone. The colours are very bright, fun and fashion forward. It definitely got me excited for summer 2013!

Which is your favorite Roxstar bikini?
I had a few favourites I would have to say.... The blue and white stripe one that looks like a twist bikini but it's not.

What do you think Roxstar represents?
Roxstar represents a vibey, fun brand that is very affordable. It is always up-to-date with the latest trends and the style and variety of bikini's make it appealing and versatile to any age group and this is what makes Roxstar so unique.
What was your best part of the shoot?
My favorite part of the shoot was when we went to the beach. I felt more relaxed and not as nervous and self-conscious.

What was your worst part of the shoot?  
The individual shots in front of the white wall. I think knowing that a white background always makes you look bigger than you are, made me anxious and self-conscious.

Thanks to the amazing Vanilla Photography who never fails to impress! Look out for the pics on her blog soon x

 

 

July Recipe Challenge: Wk 5 Vegetarian

Potato and Leek Soup

 

 

Serves 4

2tbsn Butter

4 Large leeks, washed, halved and finely sliced

6 Potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1l Chicken Stock

1 Bay leaf

2 stalks of Thyme

Dijon & wholegrain mustard to taste (I add about 2tsp of each)

150ml (5.07 fluid ounces) Cream

Salt & pepper to taste

• In a pot, fry the leeks in the butter until they are soft. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme. Lower the heat and cover. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft and cooked.
• Remove the bay leaf and thyme. With a hand blender, puree the soup until thick and smooth.
• Return to the heat and add the cream and mustard and season to taste.
• Serve hot.

 

 

 

Verdict - absolutely delicious! I had tried this soup before and it didn't come out very nicely but this was a hit!

 

Link up with Perfect Lips and Purple Smiles to see what she cooked up this week.

 

 

A prince is born

 

On Monday morning the world learned that the Duchess of Cambridge had gone into labour! Not really a big fan of the royal family as im not to into politics and don't actually know what it is they do all do, I was rather surprised to find myself glued to the TV all day in anticipation for the birth.

 

Would it be a little prince or princess? My money was on princess and I was quite convinced it would be a girl.

 

After I long day on the couch watching closely so as not to miss the big moment, I was very disappointed when I went to bed and we hadn't had any news on the royal tot.

 

I woke up at 4:30am on Tuesday and the first thing I did was check Twitter for any news and true as bob I had just missed the announcement. at 8:30pm UK time the news was out, a prince had been born!

 

I was quite busy yesterday and didn't have much chance to watch Sky News for any updates so was delighted when I finally turned the TV on at 5pm to discover that the world had still not received their first glimpse of this little royalty.

 

We waited with baited breathe and were so thrilled when they walked through those doors to show off their new bundle of joy.

 

Congrats Will and Kate, maybe he bring you all the happiness in the world x  

 

July Recipe Challenge - wk 4 baked goods

Link up with Purple Lips and Perfect Smiles

 

 

Chicken mushroom leek phyllo rolls

 

1kg (2.2 pounds) chicken breasts / thighs, deboned and skin removed, cubed

300g (10.58 ounces) leeks, trimmed and washed then chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

500g (17.64 ounces) portabellini mushrooms, sliced

1tsp paprika

1tbsn lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

250ml (8.45 fluid ounces) fat free milk / chicken stock

1-2tbsn cornflour mixed with 2tbsn cold water

6-8 sheets Phyllo pastry

3tbsn oil for brushing

• Heat a large saucepan and add 1tbsn oil. Add the cubed chicken and saute until the chicken is white throughout and the edges start browning.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
• Add the leeks to the pot and allow to saute for one minute. Add the mushrooms and garlic and allow to cook until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
• Add the chicken back into the pot and season with the paprika, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Add the milk and the cornflour mix and allow the sauce to thicken.
• Keeping the phyllo covered with a moist tea-towel, use one at a time and brush some oil on the outer edges of the sheet. Fold the sheet in half so that it forms a double layer. Spoon some chicken mixture length ways onto the pastry (not too much as you don’t want the pastry to tear because it’s too full). Fold over the sides of the pastry and roll the pastry. Brush a bit of oil on the edge of the pastry and place the roll seal down on a greased baking tray.
• Bake the Phyllo rolls at 180°c for 10-15 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp.
• Serve right away with a side salad.

 

 

 

 

Verdict - very delicious but next time less paprika

Monday Motivation - Running

 

Running is an amazing form of exercise that's helps blitz calories and get you looking hot to trot for summer in NO time!

 

I am most certainly no expect on running and have only just started running again myself about 9 weeks ago, BUT I am totally addicted again and want to share my success and pit falls. 

 

When you start running after a long break without much cardio exercise, it is tough, really, REALLY tough! Every minute is painful and hard. It is easy to get de-motivated and ready to throw in the towel but I promise you if you stick with it you will soon see your fitness levels increasing and the minutes start to pass by faster.

I started running again by using the treadmill and walking for 2 minutes, running for 1.5 minutes for 60 minutes. I did this for 2 weeks. 3rd and 4th week I ran for 2.5 minutes, walked for 2 minutes. 5th and 6th week I ran for 3.5 minutes walked for 1.5 minute. Week 7 and 8 ran for 4 minutes and walked for 1 minute. After week 8 I slowly started cutting out my walking all together so I could run steadily for 60 minutes.

I now run 10km 3 times a week outdoors with a friend which brings me to my next point. My biggest advise would be to run with a friend. It helps to keep you committed, and is vital for safety if you're running outdoors. It is also great once you've built up your fitness abit to be able to chat away and catch up while you're working out.  

Its also great to enter running races to give you something to train towards. My first race was the Spar Ladies 10km, which was total chaos but lots of fun and then yesterday my friend and I ran the Total Sports Ladies Race 10km where I ran a PB of 54 minutes.

Some days you have good running days and some days you will have bad running days but no matter the day, just keep running x

 



67 Minutes for Mandela Day

 

 

Yesterday, 18 July, Nelson Mandela turned 95 years old. He is undoubtedly the most loved man in Africa who has changed our country forever. 

In honour of 67 minutes for Mandela Day, a friend organized an afternoon at Edith Benson Children's Home which I jumped at the opportunity to join. I had been wanting to volunteer at a children's home for so long but got so wrapped up in my busy life that I just never got around to making enquiries so when I received her email I immediately said yes!

 They have 60 children at the home ranging from 0-5years old. We had a tour of the home and then got to visit the children. They have 3 division, 0-18 months, 18-24 months and then 24months-5 years.

The 18-24 months was the first division we visited and it completely overwhelmed me how these little tots physically cry out for love and affection. As you walk in they come running up to you hugging your legs or with their arms out stretched wanting to be picked up. If you sit down you will have at least 2/3 children trying to sit on your lap. They are very precious and a lot of fun.

 

 

Next we visited the 24 months - 5 years and wow are they energetic! There was complete chaos with kids running around everywhere with balloons and face masks and plenty of sweets. All of them telling you 'happy birthday Madiba' which was so precious. They were on a complete sugar high celebrating Madiba's birthday. I found this age group quite overwhelming and hard to interact with.

 

Lastly we visited the 0-18 month division where I lost my heart a million times over. This is where I spent most of my time. These little sausages are tiny and completely dependent on their care givers. There was one little boy who stole my heart, he was between 4-8 weeks old and had been dropped off the day before by his parents. He was so tiny and helpless and I just couldn't understand how any parents could disown him. There was a set of twins boys who had been adopted by Danish parents and were being collected the following week, such a happy story where their little lives are going to be changed forever.

 

 

 

It was the most heart wrenching experience yet the most fulfilling. I have so much love to give a child and if I cant give that to my own child it is such a blessing to be able to give it to these little tots who so desperately need it! 

 

 

 

As Nelson Mandela says above, its always impossible until its done but imagine a world where every family adopted an orphan. Where every single child in the world had loving parents who changed their lives. What an amazing, happy world that would be x

belo sale!

Week 5: If I were to win the lottery, 5 Things I'd buy

 

 

If I won the lottery, let me just say that I would be totally delighted but totally overwhelmed too. Many times in the past I have had discussions with friends about if we were to win the lottery what we would do or buy, especially when living in London with the massive lotteries they have over there.

 

 

 

1 - Pay off all my family's debt

The first thing I would do is to pay off all of my family's debt like outstanding balances on houses or cars, credit cards etc. There must be no better feeling in the world than to live debt-free and to not have to pay massive bond or car repayments every month!

 

2 - Take my family and close friends on a world cruise

I love spending time with my family and friends so I would buy everyone a ticket for a cruise around this beautiful world of ours.

 

 

3 - I would buy my husband and I a BIG house

My husband and I had a 5 year plan when moving into our current home and that was that we would sell and buy a bigger home within 5 years. I would buy us a BIG house in Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate. We absolutely love it there so it would be great to buy our dream home for my hubby.

 

 

 

4 - I would give my maid and her family a big lump sum

Gloria is such a blessing to us and we are so lucky to be able to have her to come and clean for us. She has 3 daughters, all who are unemployed and Gloria who is 60 years old, supports the entire family. She is always so grateful every month for her salary and when we give her some of our old things so I would love to be able to bless her with more money than she has ever seen.

 

5 - Open a hair salon/nail bar/deli

My sister is an unbelievable hairdresser who would love to own her own salon one day. I have always had a passion for nails and have been thinking of opening a nail bar for a few years now. My mom is also desperate to get back into business and would love to own her own food deli so how awesome would it be to work with my darling sister and precious mom.

 

 



Link up with from mrs to mama to see what she had to say.

Fitness Friday

Remember what you want this weekend is FAR more important than what you think you need in that moment! Stay strong and stay focused and you'll be happy for it on Monday x 

July Recipe Challenge - Wk 3 pasta

 

 

This week I am cooking Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Ricotta and Pesto from Simply Delicious

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Ricotta and Pesto   

400g (14.11 ounces) cherry tomatoes

2tbsn Balsamic vinegar

1tbsn olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper
 

500g (17.64 ounces) pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti)

300g (10.58 ounces) Ricotta cheese, crumbled

4tbsn basil pesto thinned out with 2tsbn olive oil

• Pre-heat the oven to 220°c.
• Toss the cherry tomatoes with the vinegar, oil and seasonings and transfer to a roasting tray.
• Roast for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and the skin starts coming loose. Keep watching the tomatoes because the oven will be very hot and you don’t want them to burn.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain and combine with the tomatoes (and all their pan juices), ricotta and basil pesto.
• Serve with extra Ricotta and basil pesto.

 

 

 

Verdict: I am a devoted lover of pesto pasta but I must admit that I wasn't a fan of the ricotta cheese, I normally make it with feta and it is much tastier.

 

 

Remember to link up with purple lips and perfect smiles to see what she's cooking up this week x