Sophie Lowe | A Little Lifestyle Blog: Lifestyle Posts

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Review // Juicytox UK

As you well know, I have documented my weight loss journey for a while now. I am not one to follow fad diets, I believe in healthy eating and moving more – it is the only thing that has ever worked for me. However, when I was approached by Juicytox and asked if I wanted to give juicing a go I couldn’t refuse. Juicing is something that a lot of people have been talking about recently, it is not only the perfect detox but also the new ‘kickstart’ to your weightloss journey. Juicytox is a Sussex run business providing a 4 day detox. The juices are freshly made with ingredients such as, Celery, Spinach, Kale, Cucumber, Apple, Lemon, Beetroot, Carrot, Orange and Ginger. You drink these regularly throughout the day, as well as completing your day with a nice cup of detox tea.

Your day is as follows:

8am Hot lemon water

10am Green

1pm Orange

4pm Green

7pm Beetroot

9pm Detox tea

You also must drink 2ltrs of lemon water throughout the day.

If you’re a food addict like me, you will find it hard. However, it usually is mind over matter and if you are stubborn and persevere you will reap the rewards! You have a mixture of green, orange and red juice. Orange was by far my favourite and I looked forward to 1pm. I am a big water drinker and always carry around a large pink sports bottle that I fill up throughout the day, so making sure I drunk enough water was not a problem for me. If this is a problem for you, a tip I have picked up along the way is to buy a litre bottle of Evian and write the times of the day on there ie. 9am 10am 11am – make yourself drink the water up to the time of day. Giving yourself a challenge is a great way to ensure you do it – who wants to lose to a water bottle!?!?

I am a food lover, and I find nothing more satisfying than having a munch on my favourite foods. I am also a gym bunny, going to the gym around 4 times a week. Taking part in Juicytox’s 4 day detox meant I had to give this up. Going to the gym is not advised by Juicytox as your energy levels will be expectantly lower. However naughty old me did still go the gym (I’m an addict, oops). However, I took my level down and listened to my body. I found that this didn’t cause me too many problems – yes, my energy levels were slightly lower than usual but I had no problems finishing an hours workout.

Now for the results...

Everyone’s body is completely different, and the way it works is completely malleable to your lifestyle. I am quite an active person, I walk everywhere and am always on my feet. This did mean I found Juicytox particularly hard. This however was soon outweighed when I began to see results.

I have a big problem with lactose and white carbs. I swell up to the size of a balloon and look like I am 7 months pregnant (not attractive). In my daily diet I try to stay away from these food groups – but who can resist a bread roll and a bar of choccy sometimes? Juicytox reduced my bloating by 100% - My belly was finally flat!! I was very impressed with these results.

In terms of measurements, over the 4 days I lost a total of just under 6lbs – a great loss. All together this equated to 1 inch around my belly and just under an inch around my waist. However, about a week later I did find that I put these back on very quickly. I wasn’t surprised by this however, as even though I do live a reasonably healthy lifestyle, I deprived my body of food and as soon as I gave it what it wanted it grabbed a hold! The most important benefits it beheld however for me personally, did not lie in the weightloss. Though weightloss is a huge component to juicing, it is the cleansing and detoxifying experience that lies at its forefront. These benefits were shown from not only my decreased bloating but my skin as well. I have never had problem skin only the odd spot. However, I did find my complexion had brightened up and any blemishes/spots I did have were clearing nicely. This is supported my Juicytox who state that weight isn’t the only benefit of a juicing detox. Juicytox claims that those who have completed Juicytox experience:

- Weight loss

- Improved energy levels

- Felt less sluggish

- Concentration levels were better

- Healthier hair and nails

- Stronger immune system

- Skin felt better

- More determined

I must say, I agree with all of the benefits and I experienced them all to some extent. Especially determination: like I said, it is mind of matter, and if you can prove to yourself that you can do it; you really can do anything! I was very impressed by many aspects of Juicytox.. I would do the detox again, only if it was prior to going on holiday or an event in which I wanted to look good. I would also do it if I had over indulged – over Christmas time for example. Having an outcome to reach for and a target to look forward to would make it a lot easier.

I still do love my food, and though my affair with Juicytox was 4 days long it was a successful one. Have you tried juicing before?

Fancy having a juicy affair?

Tweet them: @juicytox

Find them online: www.juicytox.co.uk

Email them: juicytox@live.co.uk

Sophie Lowe xx

How I Lost 20lbs || Updated Weight Loss Story

How I Lost 20lbs // My Updated Weight Loss Story

I thought I would mark my return with a little update on my weight loss story/journey. It is an ongoing journey for me, sometimes one I enjoy and other times I loathe. Though weight is an increasingly sensitive and negatively transcribed subject, it is one I approach with honesty.

I will start from the beginning. Like most, I started off with the intention to lose a bit of weight. Through school I had been carrying my 'puppy fat' for a little bit too long, and holding on to the hope that I would grow a little taller. That never happened, and no, I never grew out of the 'puppy fat' stage. Your teens is the most difficult time of your life, emotionally and physically you are experiencing changes that you don't understand. You are getting emotional about silly things, you are coming into the 'important' parts of your education, you are perhaps getting your first boyfriend... and things seem to be in just one chaotic cycle of emotions. That's OK! I would however, like to point out that as I have grown older I look back, and think about how hard it must be to be a parent of a teenage daughter. Keeping up with the constant cyclone of emotions is pretty daunting to me!!

However, in my early teens, I never really batted an eyelid about my weight. I would come home from school, snack on unhealthy food, and just slob out on the sofa. I am not one for sports, I HATE competitive sport and would do anything to avoid it. I knew my eating habits were bad, I was quite aware of that. Though, I would like to point out that my weight gain/chubbyness was completely my own fault and my own doing. I was a sneaky eater, I would eat in private and hide it from others, often lying about what i'd eaten that day. It was when I reached 15/16 that I realized this had to stop. It was the summer of 2009, the year of my GCSE's, the summer of my prom and the summer that I went on holiday with a friend. I was shocked by the pictures from this holiday especially, and now, I despise looking back on my prom pictures. It was a lovely day, and at the time, I felt fine and completely confident. The pictures however told a different story:

It was at this fragile age that I began to feel conscious about my weight, knowing that I wasn't perhaps as 'skinny' as my friends. Though, I must say I was never unhappy or had extreme insecurity issues. The thing I love about myself, and I pride myself on is my positive attitude - I would define myself as a pretty well-rounded self confident women. Yes, I have my problems, but weight was never at the forefront of them. I did however have a will to change my body. During this time, I really had no idea how to go about it. I wasn't aware of online communities or blogs, like tumblr that we have now. It was simple, I just cut down on my snacks.

When school came back around I made the decision to start jogging every morning. I remember distinctly waking up at silly o'clock and running for 10 minutes - I was rubbish. I have a complete love-hate relationship with running, and back then it was completely hate. Unsurprisingly, it didn't last very long. I was trying to force myself in to exercise and the more I forced, the more I hated. It was tough. I didn't know what path to take, but I carried on eating healthy. The pounds did come off slowly, but the difference wasnt significant.

I hate to admit it, but one thing that did spark the beginning of my weightloss was something that most girls will experience one way or another - the heartbreak diet. Now, I was usually the one to run to food for comfort, but this time it was completely different. I lost a few pounds, I saw a difference and so did my friends. It was this summer I decided to join the gym with two of my friends. I can categorically say it was one of the BEST decisions I ever made. I learn't so much during that summer, I lost 10lbs and I loved my body.

Then, Uni came around. I was victim to the freshers 15. I put my hands up and take complete blame for it - it was the food. I know most people link a lot of boozy nights out with weightgain, but I am not a huge drinker myself. Living by myself for the first time, I took a lazy attitude to food. Id stick things in the oven, and munch away - bacon sandwiches were my weakness, and chicken nuggets were my dinners. I am so ashamed to admit it - but you learn from these bumps in the road. I remember my boyfriend coming to visit, and we were going out on a night out. I tried on around 10 dresses, with only one of them fitting me. I burst into tears, I think it took Jack by surprise!! Again, I had another realization that things had to change, my hard work over the summer had been completely destroyed and I was feeling my lowest. The next 6 months were very much the same, yoyo-ing between weight and not dedicating myself. I wasn't able to make that commitment. Yep, I went to the gym every so often, but I couldn't commit. My relationship with food was atrocious, I'd eat hardly anything one day, and i'd binge the next. It was a very dangerous thing to do.

However, something changed in my second year a uni. I lived further away and walked to my lectures everyday. Having a nice kitchen (not crappy student halls), I was more inclined to cook meals. I also started working in a pub, which really brought structure to my day. I would eat three meals a day, which were mainly meat and veg. I would go to a gym class at uni 3 times a week and things really kicked off. I was losing weight, my jeans were getting looser and I loved it. Of course, it wasn't all easy, I would have days where I would binge, and I still do. In fact, I had one last night. I love my food and I would never fully deprive myself, I just had to learn how to make the right choices.

It is now a year from then and although I am a few pounds heavier than last year, I am happy. I go to gym classes 4 times a week Monday-Thursday and make the conscious effort to eat three meals a day. It is not always easy, my schedule is very busy and I am always up and about. But by PLANNING ahead, I do manage to get by. I am off to Thailand in the summer and I do plan on losing a little more, and toning up so I am 100% happy. I have never been a skinny girl, and I will never be the ultimate girl figure. But I am me, and, to be honest, I love my curves. Here are some up to date pictures of me -

Sophie xx

Returning with the 3 C's

Chance

Choice

Change

The 3 C's, trivial to some, but everything to me.

The halt in my blogging journey was mirrored by a halt in my life, my outlook and my motivation. It has been 6 months, but those 6 months have completely been the most vital and significant in my life so far. I took a chance in controlling my choices which provided CHANGE. A change for a better, confident and more healthy me.

I have finally worked out who I am, what I want and where I want to be. I feel and look the healthiest I have ever felt - this is a huge breakthrough. My relationship with Jack still as strong as ever, but I have found a new love for myself. Fitness and health now takes huge precedence in my life, I take in to account my calories, my workouts, my nutrition and put my health first every single time.

I feel I have a new lease of life, and a new outlook where I am extremely optimistic.

Motivation, self love and worth is all I needed to find, and well, I found it. I have been thinking about making this blog post for a while, I have written it numerous times only to find myself deleting it over again. Trying to make you understand why I abandoned you all for months is so hard but I hope I have explained myself well. Below I am going to include a picture of myself, a picture that is my trophy, or the cover photo for this new, healthy chapter of my life.

So, as with life, I want to bring these 3 C's back in to my blogging world. One that had to be paused in order for its development. After all, my blog is my outlet and a way of expressing myself. To be outing myself as a pessimistic and unhealthily comfortable woman is something that doesn't lend well to commitment or satisfaction for both parties.

Those of you who have followed and read my blog from the start, I will be adapting it to not merely beauty and lifestyle but also food, health and fitness. It is something I am passionate about and something I would love to pass on to you guys. A healthy body is a healthy mind.

So here I am Sophisiticates I return with a vengeance, stronger and more powerful than ever!

I still love you all so much

5 Things that keep me Smiling!

Hallooo There!,

So, today has been one of those days where I have been feelings pretty "blaaa". Blaaa is the only way to describe it! I wasn't feeling particularly great or on form this morning, i've got essays in for next week and im just generally a little bit stressed out!

Nevertheless, I thought it would be a good idea to let you guys know, 5 things that keep me smiling when im feeling "blaaa".

1. Jack! Jack is the #1 reason I smile most of the time. He will always keep me giggling!

2. Phonecalls home ! I am quite a home bird so it is extremely easy for me to get a little homesick from time to time. A phonecall home will just sort me out in a second, and have me smiling! I love finding out what my family have been up to, and it also means that its closer to the time when I can come and visit home again!

3. Revenge! (The TV show... not actual revenge, revenge is never sweet!) Jack and I have been watching revenge, and everytime I have to refrain myself from watching it until we are together again! I am only in the middle of season 1 and I am already on the edge of my seat. I really dont know how they manage to carry it on onto two seasons! Flabagasted! It is SUCH a good show, and I really enjoy watching it at the moment.

4. Funny YouTube videos! Those of you who know emma (check out my vlog channel), you'll know that we have been having a giggle over youtube videos recently. Our search history is hilarious, ranging from "funny people falling over" and "the best proposal ever". For me, people falling over, or tripping over is just the funniest thing EVER. I think it's because of the threat of the "awkward" laughter that makes you laugh more! If you're in need of a giggle - YouTube people falling over!

5. Just a chin-wag! I could talk for England, and I LOVE having those random chats/chin wags over a cuppa about nothing in particular! They are usually the funniest chats too! I find that if I lock myself away in my room all day, I end up doing nothing which ultimately makes me feel worse. So I try my best to have a lil chin wag - even if it is over blogger - to make me smile :D

The Friend Tag

Hallooo There!

Here we have it, The Friend Tag. Feauturing my friend Emma!
Check it out :D

My Top 5 Winter Warmers

It's that time of year again, people call it Autumn, but it really feels like its on the verge of a bitter winter! The clocks have gone back, its getting dark in the day - and you're just feeling let down that the summer promised was not as expected.

However, I am here to pick you up out of this ditch and give you my TOP 5 winter warmers - what I love during the winter - food, clothes and general!

General

1.
Its closer to CHRISTMAS! Christmas is my favourite time of year and my Mum and I always run down to the garden centre to see the new stock! We first went a couple of weeks ago, this seems strange as it is october!!! But we left feeling all jittery and christmassy!

2.
Hot water bottles - Yes i know hot water bottles can be used all throughout the year. But in winter
it really lives up to its purpose! I like to warm it up and put it in my bed about 15 minutes before I go up to sleep! It's like your cosying up on a radiator!

3.
Shops - When winter hits, the shops go crazy with their christmas festivities - talking santa's and
polar bears everywhere you look!

4.
Candles - Lighting a christmas/winter yankee candle feels so much more exciting then lighting a yankee candle on any other type of day. Christmas cookie is my ultimate favourite! Its so nice to be cosey by the flickering candles while outside is dark and merky - move moment!

5.
Duvet - Who am I kidding? My duvet is my best friend throughout the whole year. But in winter it
just seems to satisfy me that little bit more! There is nothing better than turning yourself into a
cacoon/crepe/wrap and surround yourself with cosey lovliness.

Food

1.
Winter food means one thing - CHRISTMAS DINNER! The most exciting meal of the year.
Christmas day is the one day of year where you can eat until you feel sick and not feel guilty.
Pigs in blankets, stuffing, roasties, parsnips.... mouth it dribbling while I write this!

2.
White Chocolate hot chocolate - "options" do a sachet of white chocolate hot chocolate. You can add it straight to hot water or hot milk. I warm milk up in the microwave and stir in one sachet.
Heaven in a glass! Perfect for those chilly winter evenings! As a plus, the sachets are also catered to those of you who are watching your weight and contain less calories.

3.
Turkey Soup - every year after christmas, my Mum makes a turkey soup out of the turkey left over. We only have this once a year, and my anticipation for it grows significantly as we get closer to December/January. It is SOOO yummy! Soup as a whole is just perfect for winter, warming your insides!

4.
Chocolate - I find that the winter season offers a perfect excuse to eat chocolate. Like I have said previously, christmas day offers the perfect day for chocolate galore! We only ever get that much chocolate at christmas - selection boxes!

5.
Casserole - You can't go wrong with a good ol' casserole or stew. If you're anything like my Mum you leave them to stew for hours and hours. It fills the house with the most beautiful scent leaving you almost gagging for the dinner. A casserole really warms you up and we call it in our family "winter food" or "rainy food". If you don't quite fancy cooking a casserole yourself, how about try Heinz's range - "the BIG soup" - they have versions of casseroles and stews in a pot you can stick
in the microwave.

Clothes

1.
The Fleecy PJ's from Primark - I bought my first pair of these a couple of weeks ago. Safe to
say, I LIVE in them. You have probably seen them in my blog - but are leapord print trousers with a black fleecy long sleeved top with a leapord print bow. They are SO comfy and cosey. I would wear them every day if I could.

2.
Tights and boots - with shorts, skirts or dresses, tights and boots are just an awesome fashion piece.
Warm and cosey, but remaining stylish and on trend - tights and boots allow you to flaunt you
summer clothing without getting a sniffly nose!

3.
Winter Coat - It's always so exciting when you go shopping for your new winter coat. There are so
many options this year! I am loving the fur lined hoods and cuffs! We all end up wearing this coat everyday so it is really important you get the one you LOVE.

4.
Cosey socks - whether it's knee high socks or fuzzy slipper socks, socks in the winter really do not
let you down. I wear knee high socks with my boots and fold the top over - I love the look this gives. Anytime I am in the house, I will wear either slipper socks or slippers - I have some shaped like a cat from primark (£4) - so cosey!

5.
Dressing Gown - In the winter I find myself putting my dressing gown over my clothes! Nothing drowning yourself in all its fluffiness!

I have noticed that there are a lot of references to sleeping here! - duvet, dressing gown, pj's, slippers! Winter is definately a lazy season for me, I love cosying up in front of the fire with a nice book!

What are your favourite winter warmers?

You're Boyfriend and University : How to Cope

Hi Guys!

This post has been long awaited and I have finally found a spare hour to write, edit and publish it for you guys.

During the summer, I had a lot of questions about my boyfriend. Asking me if he was at the same university, how far away he lived and how long we have been together. I also had many people worrying about going to university and leaving their boyfriends at home. I feel that right now is the perfect time of year to publish this post. I am now in week 6 of teaching, assessments are beginning and the feelings of missing home is kicking in.

So, with no further ado I am going to answer these questions for you.

1. How long have you and Jack been together?

Jack and I have been together for over a year now, we met in the summer of 2011 on holiday.

2. Does Jack go to the same university as you?

No, Jack has a job back at home and doesn't attend uni. This was hard for me at first, as we had met in July and I was off to uni in September. This gave me only 2 months to spend with him before I moved an hour away. Most people judged this, and told me I was making the wrong decision getting into a relationship, merely because of the time. However, I refused to listen. My heart rules my head, and most of the time they work in sync - this is a perfect example of that.

3. How often do you see eachother?

Last year, we timed it that we would see eachother every 2 weeks. I would go home one week, then two weeks later he would come and visit. However, this year we have been seeing eachother almost every week. Which is lovely! I guess the upside for me is that I only live an hour away, therefore, the train is less than £20 and it only takes an hour to drive. If I went to a university a bit further away, this would probabaly become a problem.

4. Have you found it hard? Isn't there loads of temptation at uni, especially freshers week?

There have been periods where I have found it difficult, and these are the times when I am homesick, stressed about uni work or feeling ill. However, I feel that although Jack is an hour away, I wouldn't have been able to get through uni without him. He is always there to phone when I need an outsiders perspective, and would always come and visit if I needed him desperately.
Temptation wise; personally, no. Freshers week for me was a week to make friends, have fun and settle in. It wasn't, like some people, to get absolutely wasted and meet loads of boys. Maybe I had that attitude because I was in a relationship, but the close friends I have made at uni also had that attitude - you are drawn to people like yourselves. To be honest, I have said, and I still say that if I ever get to the point when I have feelings of "temptation" that is when I should end the relationship. I personally feel like you shouldnt be in a relationship if you can picture yourself with someone else.

5. What is your secret?

The key to having a boyfriend and coping long distance is EFFORT. Aslong as you both WANT to see eachother, and keep up the same amount of EFFORT, on both sides, things will be fine. Of course, its not going to be a walk in the park everyday of the year but it is the bad times that make the good times better, right?

Instagram

1. Shelly legs on a beach in Brighton
2. Tiger at chessington world of adventures
3. Lovely new nails inc. colour!
4. Lazy day by the pool

Birthdays and Anniversary's

Hi guys!

I have finally caught a moment to myself, and thought I should update you on what has been going on in my life! I am currently sitting on my bed, in a towel waiting for my hair to get out of that "dripping wet" stage so I can get on with drying it! Talking of hair, I have been thinking, very seriously, about jumping on the ombre bandwagon, if not then returning to a mousy brown. Recently, as many of you "manufactured" blondes can understand, my hair has started to take a canary yellowish shade of colour. I am getting fed up of having a lemon or a bail of straw on my head and think its time to return to my roots - quite literally. I would LOVE to know what you guys think, please advise me!

This week marks a very special week which im sure my title "Birthdays and Anniversary's"gives away. It is my boyfriends birthday tomorrow, and his mums was yesterday so we are heading out for a meal this evening. I am sooo excited to give Jack his present, which I can't share with you guys just yet due to prying eyes! But tomorrow, I shall let you know!

Thursday also marks Jack and I's first year together as a couple. (Aww). I know to some more mature bloggers this may seem like a miniscule amount of time, which it does in comparison to 30 years of marriage. However, for me it is an achievement. A post is coming up about our year together, and the trials and tribulations in a relationship - not that I am an expert or anything! It has been a difficult year for us as, as you know, it was my first year of university. It felt like I was being dragged away from him when we were in the perfect "honeymoon" period. I am quite aware that university times are creeping up on us quickly. So I am going to schedule a post especially for those off to uni and leaving their beloved at home - I know I would have loved to have some guidance on this.

As a quick extra I wanted to say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all my readers who have just recieved their a-level results - I wish you all the best at university!

Thanks for checking in!

Bloggers Go Skinny - My Weight Story

On my blogger travels, I came across Sophia and Sandra's blog, "Bloggers Go Skinny". Here, they provide us with their weight stories and new, fresh ways to looks at food and excercise. This was exactly what I needed to get me started on my journey to a healthier life. Go and check them out!!
They talk about using the app - "My fitness app", I have downloaded this and made my own profile with the username - "sophiee123456789" (Sorry for the long winded approach). Do feel free to add me on this app, and we can help each other.

Before starting, I think its appropriate to let my readers into my private life to some extent and share my weight story with you. However, I know weight remains to be a sensitive topic to many people, including me, so I am going to approach it in the most sensitive way as I can.

My Measurements -

BMI - 24.5

Weight - 69kg

Height - 5'6

Waist - 31"

Thigh - 18"

Hips - 41"

My BMI falls just inside the "healthy weight" area, and naturally, I want to get this lower (20 - 22). I know this means I am not overweight, but I know that I have lots of room to lose a bit and live a healthier life. My goals weight is 57kg so that is over 10kg which is about 1 stone to lose. I know I will feel happier within myself after losing this stone.

Throughout my life I have always been the girl who has been a little bit bigger than everyone else. I wouldnt say I was "the fat one", i'd say I was more the "chubby" or "puppy-fat" one. My brother is naturally skinny, it is obvious he will eat a lot more than me (at least 2 mcdonalds a week) and remain very skinny. Of course, this has had its effect on me. I have yo-yo dieted continuously throughout my teenage years and my weight has ranged from 10.1 st - 11.2st. I am now at the higher end of that bracket and I am unhappy with it.

Losing weight is about making that decision and sticking to it. Now, I'm sure I have made that decision, and with you guys checking up on me (please) i'll know that I HAVE to do it, and won't want to let you down. Im sure the "my fitness pal" app will become my best friend.

Lets do this together.

Lastly, a HUGE thankyou to those at Blogger's go Skinny for encouraging not only me, but many other bloggers to begin this journey.

Here we go!!

50 Shades of Disappointment

Like every other teenager/woman (I hope no children) around the world, I have been religiously reading the 50 Shades trilogy. There was so much talk surrounding the novels that, as an English student it seemed both a sin and a blessing that I should read it. As I was going on holiday I seized the opportunity to begin the books, knowing I would have time to enjoy them without the worry of reading lists and university books.

Firstly, I want to point out how many women I saw reading this book around the pool. Every other person had the book in hand and it seemed like our Moroccan hotel was under the 50 shades spell. The novels fall into the genre of "erotica", naturally, as an erotic novel it is part of a niche audience so it is a suprise that it became so popular so quickly. However, as humans, we love something thats naughty and a little bit different.

I must say, the first book was a huge disapointment to me. I was hooked on the first few chapters where I found myself falling for Christian Grey until the contract came into question (HUGE TURN OFF!). Following Anatasia's loss of innocence, it seemed only to be about the sex and the contract that followed. I do understand that the first books purpose is to establish this unusual relationship between Grey and Ana and to establish the rules of the contract. However, I felt the novel lacked clarity in terms of the character development and narrative. I did actually find myself skimming past the "sex" bits just so I could find a narrative.

Beginning the second book, "50 shades darker", I was surprised to see a turn in the narrative and found that it was a lot more interesting and captivating. As I delved deeper into Grey former life I became hooked by the book and couldnt put it down. I am not writing this review to ruin your experience of reading so I won't give anything away. NEVERTHELESS, the last 2 paragraphs were SO exciting I think it made me scream on the plane home!

So, the last book...
I was left on such a high and cliff-hanger ending that I had to begin it almost immediately. And again, the novel was capitavating including all elements of story reading I love - excitement, narrative, character development. It was almost as if the little love story I had playing around my head was beginning to fall into place and I actually found myself missing the characters when I wasn't reading the book.
However, with the sudden twist in narrative at the end of the novel, I found it to be a very disapointing end to a great trilogy. I didnt feel the novel should have ended there, yet there was a hint that the story of Ana and Christian will continue. So this may not be the end - who knows!

Im hoping that the movie will open many doors to this ending, as I felt it left me a bit downhearted and at a dead end,

I know many of you guys will have read this, so i'd love for your opinions!

Morocco

Hi Guys!

So I have been in England for 2 weeks now, finally settling back into the routine of cloudy skys and work.
As you know, I spent a week in July in Agadir, Morocco with my wonderful boyfriend. I had the most perfect time and promised I would share some pictures with you. (Coming up - be patient!)

We stayed in Riu Tikida Dunas (check it out) - and honestly, I couldn't fault it. The staff were charming and the food was of variety and plentiful. There were 2 HUGE freshwater pools, which made the hot days more bareable. It looked like we were in a tropical paradise!

On the shopping front - we were warned before we went of persistent street sellers. This was evident, but as soon as we said a firm "no" they moved on (suprising!). The rep informed us that there were over 2,000 shops in Agadir yet only 1 that had fixed government prices. So, to avoid the haggling we went there. Of course, it provided us with brilliant replicas (Im partial for a replica sometimes). I bought a large longchamp copy for 297 dirhams. There are 13 dirhams to a pound - so do the maths - I think Jack got so annoyed at me because I kept asking how much things were. Maths has never been my strong point!
I also managed to nab myself a prada (cough cough) teddy compact mirror - so cute and perfect for my bag! A ralph lauren (cough again) cable knit sweater was also in the bag by the time I left.

I was aware before I went out to Morocco of what they call "liquid gold" - Argen oil. I decided to buy a small bottle of pure cosmetic argen oil and have been using it in my hair. (Blog post coming up). I am yet to try it on my skin but word on the street is - it makes a perfect moisterising tool! Let me know if any of you have tried argen oil.

1 of the pools in Riu Tikida Dunas

Jack and I

Strawberry Daquiri

One of my fave dresses.

Matalan - £20

Another one of my fave dresses

Matalan - £18

I have only been back 2 weeks, but can't wait to go away again!

Has anyone else been to Morocco?

Updates

Hellooo ! Thought I would update you a little on myself and the things I have been doing. I have been a bit lacking in the blog department recently but hope to improve on this once I am back from holiday!

I have had an extremely busy and exciting last 2 weeks -

I picked up the keys to my new house that I am sharing at uni - I love it and it surpassed all expectations.

It was my birthday! Ive finalyl stepped out of the sugarcoated age of 18 into the dull 19 years. I had an absolutely brilliant day and celebrated it just perfectly. My boyfriend took me on an amazing surprise up to London for lunch and We Will Rock You. We spent most of the day in convent garden, shopping , watching the entertainers, eating and drinking. Then making our way to the theatre we stumbled upon the Chariots of Fire re-release premiere - All very exciting if you ask me!
We Will Rock You is a fantastic show, and it never fails to amaze me how talented a group of individuals can be.

Today, I have been recovering from a birthday night out with all of my friends. As usual, it was a MAD one and we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

Monday, I am heading off on holiday to Morocco - so there will be no blog posts next week! However, I hope to upload a huge one full of holiday antics and pictures!

I hope you are all well

Weekly Wednesday #2

New Twitter Account

I have created a new twitter account, especially dedicated to my blog.

Please Follow!

@SOPHisticateXX

It's Date Night!

Over the past few weeks, with exams and moving out of University, my boyfriend and I haven't been able to spend quality time with eachother. It is also our 10 month anniversary which provided us with an legit excuse to go out and celebrate. Last night, we booked a table at a lovely local restaurant. We both managed to grab a lift from a friend so we were able to order a cheeky bottle of pinot!

The place we chose was called "Piccolino" which serves beautiful italian food. My boyfriend and I are extremely large fans of italian food, it seems whenever we go out for a meal it involves italian. Nevertheless we had a special and memorable evening together. It was SO lovely to spend this time with him, and made me realise just how lucky I am!

We started off our meal by sharing a garlic, tomato and basil flat bread which was served on an impressive raised platformed plate. Of course, we polished that off pretty quickly. It was gorgeous! We then decided to order the same - bone in sirloin steak (medium-welldone). However Jack had peppercorn sauce while I had garlic and parsely butter. When our lovely waitress bought the plate over a look of shock came over us - the steak was the size of my head! And in actuality, that is extremely large! We had to take a photo :

It was served with 2 beautiful grilled flat mushrooms and tomato with a side of chips. The steak was cooked perfectly and was very succulent and juicy. I'd definately reccomend steak on the bone for that extra juice!

After the epic steak, we were presented with the desert menu. There were so many things that tempted our fancy but the large steak had completely satisfied our hunger. However, we decided that we HAD to try the chocolate, caramel fondant with vanilla ice cream. We shared the load, and my god! It was just beautiful - melt in the mouth warm chocolate pudding. The caramel also added a slightly different flavour to the dish and was such a complement to the taste buds.

Then, it was cocktail time! We made our way downstairs to the bar and ordered a cosmopolitan cocktail. We watched as our barmen put in the shots and shook the ice - very impressive! The cocktail was very strong - just how I like it! Of course, Jack was unimaginative and stuck with a pint of beer. Which, evidently, suited him perfectly.

We had such a perfect evening together. Jack and I are very "foody" people and we always judge the food with precision. We had visited this restaurent earlier in the year, but this visit had well and truely exceeded our expectations. It was a great oppurtunity to celebrate the many things we had overcome and enjoyed in our first 10 months of being together.

Body of a God - shame its a Buddha!

Today, I finally plucked up the courage and enthusiasm to head to the gym - a scary thought after leaving it so long! I strolled in all guns blazing ready to run like the wind on that treadmill. As always, I overestimated my running ability and promised myself I would run 5k. Now, for someone who hasnt particularly ran in quite a long time (guilty!) this is a ridiculous task. However, I am the kind of person who, when I put my mind to something, I HAVE to do it. Alas! I ran 5k (just about) in 32 minutes. I know I know, nothing in comparison to others - but to me, thats a huge achivement.

I then went onto weight training and got myself onto the power plate! Have you ever tried the powerplate?
It's supposed to improve your workout by around 10% - without feeling like you have done more.
I LOVE the powerplate. Its vibrates like a crazy electric toothbrush which makes your muscles contract twice as much. I do the plank, push ups and tricep dips on the plate as these are the area's I want to target most of all!

I am just writing this post as I wait to attend my first appointment at the beauty clinic for electrolysis permanent hair removal. This is something I will go into in more depth after the experience and a few sessions when I start seeing results.

Wish me luck!

One Lovely Blog Award

It was lovely to see a comment from the lovely Laura at All Made up Beauty Blog, who has so very kindly nominated me for the 'one lovely blog award'. Huge thankyou's to you for thinking of me! :) xx

The Rules

1. Post the award image to your blog
2. Link the person who awarded you
3. Post 7 random things about yourself
4. Nominate other blogs

7 Things About me

1. I am completely obsessed with keeping up with the kardashians.
2. I have played Marty in Grease the musical.
3. My cat is one of my best friends.
4. I am the LUCKIEST girl alive with my family and boyfriend
5. I met my boy on holiday last year - turns out he lives down my road
6. Because of #5 I am a firm believer in fate.
7. I really want to visit Dubai