Truth Is God's Word

Truth is not what I say it is, and not what you think it is. Truth is what God's word says it is. ~John Hagee

Lord Make Us Willing

Lord, where we are wrong, make us willing to change; where we are right, make us easy to live with. ~Peter Marshall

Continuous Prayer Works

Continuous prayer should come to Christians as naturally as playing, eating, or drinking. ~Donnie Alexander (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Slendertone Challenge: Week 1

After a lot of wondering whether to invest in a Slendertone belt, fate answered my question when I was recently invited to take part in a Slendertone 30 day challenge! 

First things first, here is what the Slendertone Abs belt looks like:

This is the belt I am reviewing, but there are cheaper alternatives on Amazon. 

From the horse's mouth (aka. website): 

"Slendertone Abs Female delivers targeted muscle toning, designed to help achieve deep muscle training. Slendertone Abs Female stimulates all the abdominal muscles, not just the superficial fibres, by activating the core muscles which are essential for your core stability, posture and defining your shape.  Slendertone Abs can be used without any physical activity or while doing physical activity. Slendertone's patented 3 electrode arrangement ensures optimal recruitment of all abdominal muscles, ensuring the entire abdominal musculature, including the deep internal oblique and transversus abdominus muscles and the more superficial rectus abdominus and external obliques.  The medical grade pads ensure the stimulation is spread over the pad area evenly, allowing a more comfortable workout"

So, when I want to use the belt, I stick the three pads to my stomach, fasten the belt tightly and then begin one of the programmes. To make the 'workout' my own, I have added my own step which is sucking my tummy in almost continually for the 25 minutes with the hope that if the Slendertone is zapping my tummy while its at its flattest, it will freeze in that position over continued use... I have no idea if this will affect the end result and I realise I probably sound a bit mad, but hey ho! 

To begin a session, you use the up arrows on the remote to increase the intensity of the electric signals being passed to your stomach muscles. This belt goes from 0-150. For my first few sessions, I didn't venture past 25, which felt like a tickling sensation. After my 7th use, I'm now up to 65 and it's more like a vibrating, slight pinching sensation. It isn't exactly pleasant, but it's not painful. I can't see myself venturing anywhere near the 150 mark! The sensations come in waves and aren't constant, mimicking the effect sit-ups have on your muscles. Slendertone claim 20 minutes is the equivalent of doing 120 sit-ups! 

I haven't felt any after-effects such as achey muscles yet, like you would if you were doing crunches. I hope this doesn't mean I'm not on a high enough setting, but I will keep trying to increase this! Sometimes a bit of next-day-pain is useful to know that your muscles have been working.

Obviously I can't report any visible difference after week 1, but I can tell you that Slendertone fits much more seamlessly into my routine (sitting on the sofa watching telly) than any other toning attempts I've made in the past, which all require me to leave the sofa and even exert some effort. Not cool. It's nice to feel that I'm being proactive about my physique and posture without actually doing anything! 

I have high hopes for my 30-day challenge. Slendertone sounds like the ultimate lazy girl's answer to a flatter stomach. I just hope it isn't too good to be true! You know I'll tell it like it is, freebie or no freebie, so stay tuned to hear more about my progress over the coming weeks! 

Have you tried Slendertone products before? If so, how did you get on and do you have any advice to share with a newbie like me?

♥

An Expression Of Worship

For the Christian, worship is co-extensive with life. Life is already an expression of worship. ~Ravi Zacharias

Stripes & Specs

Hi hi! 

I'm going to keep this brief as I am watching the final of Celebrity Big Bro! I hate finales of things... I like getting into routines! Although I was ecstatic to see that Pan Am is returning to BBC2 tomorrow night, so I can reprise that routine now!

Before I was the pyjama-clad couch potato I am right now, I was wearing this:

(Jacket, skirt - Topshop, Hobbs t-shirt - Charity Shop, Russell & Bromley loafers - Charity Shop)

(Glasses - Specsavers 'Jackie')

(Necklace - c/o Me & Zena)

This adorable cat ears ring was sent to me by Cheap Frills. My finger is marginally too fat for it so I was going to put it on a necklace, but I did wear it today and my blood circulation was actually fine. So I shall probably continue to wear it every day. Ever. It's just amazing! And only £7 on the site!

Right, I'm going to get back to my telly fest now!

Hope you guys have a scrumptious weekend! Wrap up warm, UK-ers!

♥

Obeying God Shortens

Each act of obedience shortens the distance to any miracle you are pursuing.
~Dr. Mike Murdock

Where Great Blessings Reside

Some of your greatest blessings come with patience.
~Warren Wiersbe

Remember Your Character

Remember that your character is the sum total of your habits.
~Pastor Rick Warren

TOTAL FAVE: No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara

I got this mascara for christmas with the big No7 beauty box that Alex bought me. I've never tried a No7 mascara before and am actually overwhelmed by this one! 

I had been using one of the new Eyeko mascaras for a while and in hindsight can see that it was not good for me at all. It just made my lashes clump up into spikes and was such a mission to remove (literally like glue) that I actually lost a lot of lashes using it. 

So I was feeling pretty down about the lash sitch until this little beaut came into my life - No7's Exceptional Definition. I had only seen the mascara as a little bonus to the christmas present (I mainly wanted it for the Protect and Perfect skin creams)! It makes me look like I have SO many lashes. Nice long, thick ones at that!

The brush has many nifty features to it. One side has a long combed brush, and the other has much shorter and closer together 'teeth'. I assume this means one side is for the top lashes and the smaller side is for the bottom lashes. On the end of the brush theres a spiky nobbly bobbly bit (as we call it in the industry) which is perfect for getting the little lashes in the corners of the eye! 

Without:

After one application:

After a second application:

I use the classic 'wiggle' mascara technique to separate the lashes, and I am so happy with the end result. Non-clumpy, thick and curvy lashes. Every day.

Boots are doing their £5 off No7 offer at the moment, so if you are pondering what to spend it on, I highly recommend this product*! They're doing 3 for 2 on No7 on the website, too, if you'd rather buy online! 

Thank you, No7, for giving me eyelashes again!!

Right, I've said eyelashes so many times it has lost all meaning (don't you just hate that?) so I shall close here! 

Have you tried this mascara? What did you think?

<3

* - If you don't have a £5 off No7 voucher, make sure you have a little look near the self service machines in Boots. They get printed off with any receipt over £5 and people just leave them there all the time! A great chance to get a free voucher or pick up some extra ones. Call me skanky, but who's the one rolling in beauty bargains?! ;)

Forgive The Person

Forgive the person who badly hurt you long ago and also the stranger who stepped on your toe in the grocery store. ~Joyce Meyer

Positive Minds Produce

Positive minds full of faith and hope produce positive lives.
~Joyce Meyer

Sleepy Sunday

Eurghh, I had an evening nap and now my brain is fried. It always seems like such a good idea at the time! Anyway, it's just as well I'm feeling incoherent as I have basically nothing to report. Oh, I had some lovely steak for dinner, if that counts? Oh actually I do want to rave about my new nail polish, so scroll down for that! 

This is what I wore to work yesterday:

(cardi & boots - Topshop, tee & jeans - Primark, cat hair - Roxy)

I bought the infamous OPI Rainbow Connection polish that I featured in this post. Emma told me about this American seller on eBay that sells them for less than a tenner including shipping, so I was all over it! It only took a week to arrive and I am smitten. I am going to redo my nails with it and get some better photos, these were just very quick snaps. It only took about 3 coats to get a pretty much opaque explosion of glitter! It's amazing stuff.

Also, tune in to Channel 4 at 8pm tomorrow if you want to see me on the new series of SuperScrimpers! Some of you may have caught the adverts on telly already... They got me to demonstrate some tips I've featured on the blog in the past, including a whole bunch of nail art stuff which I think will be on tomorrow's show. Let the cringe countdown commence!! 

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend! 

<3

Your Focus Is Your Master

Your focus is the master you have chosen for yourself.
~Dr. Mike Murdock

The Secret Of Excellence

The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free. ~Chuck Swindoll
(Romans 12:1-2)

The Impact Of Attitude

Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.
~Chuck Swindoll

Review: OPI 'I Juggle... Men!'

I was recently sent a sample of this OPI polish by HQhair. I hadn't heard about the website before they contacted me, so I was surprised to see that they offer a lot more than just hair products - eg. skincare, fragrance and nail polish! They also offer free shipping - something that always makes me happy.

So, the nail polish I was sent was 'I Juggle... Men' - an iridescent shimmery polish with blue and pink microglitter in it from last year's Femme de Cirque collection. It's a very subtle polish, and works well as a topcoat as it is so glossy and quick-drying. It was hard to photograph, as the glitter is so tiny, but here's what it looks like, and here's how it looks through the lens of someone with a decent camera!

This was my base colour - Misty Grey by Models Own.

(Not my tidiest manicure ever, I now realise!)

Excuse the strange angles, I was desperately trying to get my cam to pick up the glitter! So, the above images show what 3 coats of the glitter looks like. Be careful to let the layers dry fully before applying the next, as I rushed it a bit and experienced some shrinkage the next day. 

I think this polish would be great for people that work in jobs where crazy nail art might not be appropriate, but you want to jazz up a simple manicure subtly. I like my glitter a bit more dramatic, but I will certainly keep using it as a topcoat-with-a-twist because it's amazing for that purpose. 

HQhair stock loads of OPI polishes and products, and it's definitely worth bookmarking if you're an OPI fan because the shipping is free worldwide, unlike the £4 charge on the OPI website! This particular product has unfortunately sold out* on the HQhair website, but to make up for it, they have kindly provided us with 10% off all items in the 'Nails' section of the site using the exclusive code 'GEMHQHAIR' (valid until 25/1/12). Enjoy! 

Do you have a favourite OPI polish? And do let me know if you buy something nice from HQhair!

xo

 * 'I Juggle Men' can be bought here on Amazon for £9.

Life's Greatest Pleasure

It is the greatest pleasure of living to win souls to Christ.
~D.L. Moody

O&FOTD. Catchy?

Today my friend Emily and I went back to University for the first time since July to (very belatedly) collect our work. We were told most of it had been 'destroyed' but luckily all of our stuff was still there. One of my old tutors told me my dissertation was the only First given on my course, and had been double-marked by someone from Central St. Martins, so I was super chuffed! After this, we were then going to go to Rochester Castle, but we opted to save it for a sunny day and head to the bright lights of Bluewater instead!

The 'outfit of the day':

(Hobbs t-shirt and black desert boots: charity shop, jacket and jeggings: H&M, skirt: Topshop)

This was my 'face of the day'. I have been trialling a little pot of Clinique Even Better foundation based on some Twitter recommendations. I am finding it quite a nice change from the matte finish of Estee Lauder Double Wear, but I did get a sample of Clinique's Repairwear foundation today too as anti-ageing is a bit of a concern for me these days! Most depressing sentence OF ALL TIME. Anyway, I am also wearing a little swipe of the Bourjois chocolate bronzer to warm things up a bit. As much as you can when your skin is doing an impression of Casper at all times. Constant Casper. That would be an awesome name for a new brand to rival Nicola Roberts' Dainty Doll range for the pale and interesting! I have finally found my calling!!!

As for my incredibly exciting haul... I bought two hairbrushes in Boots and a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Okay, two. Bank balance: happy. Waistline: constant turmoil, but some things never change! Although I AM pondering buying a Slendertone, so watch this space. Any of you tried it?

That's all, folks! I'm off to organise my wardrobe, wash up and then watch episode 2 of the new series of Sherlock. We've only just got into it but have had a marathon of it for the past week. It is amazing!

Back tomorrow!

<3

Make Someone's Day

What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you.
~Dr. Mike Murdock
(Ephesians 6:8)

Tuesday Tip: Valentines Tea Bags & Sugar!

I subscribe to a fantastic DIY blog called Funky Time, and couldn't not share this incredibly cute DIY Sibylle has just posted. As the title suggests, the tutorial is about making little heart shaped teabags. She also goes the extra mile by painting hearts on sugar cubes with food colouring! GENIUS. 

I'm all for the little ideas that require a bit of effort and zero funds, so this tutorial is ideal. See the tutorial in all its glory here! 

I mean SERIOUSLY, how genius is this idea?! It just makes me think of all the other things you could do with teabags, scissors and thread... I'm thinking cat shaped teabags! 

Now I just need to get my boyfriend into drinking tea before Feb 14th (or quickly get a new boyfriend*) and that's my little love token sorted! 

Have you got any crafty valentines ideas to share for the financially challenged?

<3

* - jkjk

Must I Go To Church?

On the most elementary level, you do not have to go to church to be a Christian. You do not have to go home to be married either. But in both cases if you do not, you will have a very poor relationship.
~R. Kent Hughes

God's Creative Pattern Book

In God's pattern book of nature we can trace many valuable lessons.
~Dennis Fisher (Romans 1:20)

God's Secret Agents

Every day can be exciting if we see ourselves as God's secret agents, waiting to sprinkle a little salt on all the lives we encounter. ~Joyce Meyer

Caturday

Evening, all! 

I am braving pneumonia by coming out from under my leopard print throw to type this post! It's SO freezing here in Canterbury!

So, I found out the other day I've been nominated for an award in Company Magazine's style blog awards, along with some of my favourite bloggers! I am beyond excited because Company is my favourite magazine, so to think they've had a peruse of my blog is like a prize in itself! My category is 'Best 'what-I-wore-today' blog', and you can also vote for my blog in the 'Blog I love the most' category. I don't expect to win a thing, but it is just lovely to be involved. Vote for all of your faves here!

Anyway, I decided on a bit of cat-tastic layering today. I don't like wearing high-necked t-shirts on their own these days as they look a bit weird on me, but layering with a collared top seems to make all the difference! 

I am wearing my new skater skirt from Topshop. It was only £15 (even less with my discount!) and is just sooo flattering. It creates the impression of a flat tummy and a junky trunk, which is pretty much the silhouette du jour, so I'm all for it. Working in a shop, I do find it funny how women these days ask 'does my bum look big in this?' and want the answer to be yes! Hopefully bingo wings will be the next body trend and I can finally quit this 9-5 lark and become a supermodel! 

The t-shirt is from eBay (here's a similar one), layered with my scallop collar Topshop dress. The necklace is Primark and the boots are Topshop. 

I've had an okay day. One of those days where you hope to get loooaaads done and end up doing bugger all. Well maybe I'm being too harsh on myself, I did manage to knock a whole pint of squash onto a plug adaptor, hairdryer, phone charger and GHD's this morning! I don't know if any of it has survived yet as I'm too scared to plug any of it in. I also did a 4 hour shift at work and cooked a lovely Lasagne for dinner. Now it's time to send some emails, watch Big Brother and eat jelly babies. 

Hope you're having a lovely weekend! 

♥

A Perfect Fit For The Kingdom

Think not that you are limited
Because of what you cannot do,
But think instead of all you have
The talents God has given you.
~Dennis De Haan

Why Are You Shocked?

If you can disappoint yourself as much as you love yourself and you still manage to disappoint yourself then why are you shocked when other people that you love disappoint you?
~T.D. Jakes

It's Crunch Time

When it's crunch time, the quitters crumble, but the champions just flex.
~Donnie Alexander

Thinking Of Others

Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves. ~Pastor Rick Warren

2 Minute Review: H&M Duo Nail Polish

Seeing as I'm away at the minute, I figured doing a video review of this product would be better than faffing about with uploading photos and trying to get the right lighting, etc!

The drying time was great. The polish is really pigmented so two thin coats is all you need for a fast-drying and opaque finish. I had just touched up a chip before filming, hence the smudge ;)

This product isn't available on the H&M Website, which is fine because I wouldn't recommend shopping on it anyway, but it is available in store if you want to try it out for yourself! 

Have you tried H&M's Duo Nail Polish? What do you make of it?

xo

Waiting On God

Waiting on God when making a decision, is an underrated, but truly invaluable resource. ~Donnie Alexander
(Psalm 27:14)