C is for....

....CRAFTS!

When looking around for decorations to go in my room, I decided I wanted one of those cool letters with the lights in, but I didn't want to pay the prices for one. Also, I don't need any more fairy lights in my room, so I ended up deciding against getting one.

Until I walked past Hobbycraft and saw through the window a display of wooden letters and numbers, and an array of paints, sprays, and paper to decorate them....why not make one myself? Firstly, no more fairy lights, I certainly have enough! Secondly, it's couldn't be hard to make one, and it's a fun thing to so on a Saturday afternoon.

I picked up the following items:

                         - Wooden letter 'C' - £3

                         - Copper coloured spray paint - £3 . 99

                         - Stick on gems - £1 . 50

I spent less than a tenner on the materials, and it took a very short amount of time to make. The sunshine helped the paint to dry within seconds of spraying it on.

Spray the paint on, let it dry, stick the gems on, done!

So that's it, and now it is sitting pretty on my shelf (surrounded by fairy lights of course!).

My new room!

After years of mismatching furniture and a lack of money in the back to replace it, I have finally gotten round to creating the bedroom space I have always wanted!

Last weekend, I ventured down to IKEA, and as a couple of my friends will know, I've been planning and meaning to go to the shop and actually buy something more than just things I really don't need (like tea lights, Mum!). I've been planning how I wanted to have my bedroom for a long time, spending countless hours browsing the IKEA website, and Pinterest for inspiration.

So here it it, the result of my long awaited bedroom renovation....and I'm so excited by it!

Before.

After a lick of paint.

New furniture!

My little beauty spot.

Storage sweet storage.

Where I will be spending most of my spare time...

Although I am super happy with my new room, I am slightly sad that I no longer have an excuse to visit IKEA. I'll just have to pretend I'm shopping for an entire house next time I go!

The 30 Day Yoga Challenge

The 30 day yoga challenge? 30 days committed to doing yoga for around 10-20 minutes every day? Was I up for it? Well looking at the list of "30 day challenges" I have pinned to my wall and realising that I gave up on all of them after day 4, it seems like I'm probably going to quit this one as well. It's worth a try.

Yep, all those 30 day challenges that I gave up on!

Seven years ago, I broke my back a little when I was skiing. Something which I didn't realise I'd done until 2 and 1/2 years later after experiencing constant pain. Unfortunately, as I left it so long before doing anything, the break healed up and left me with a slight deformity in my spine and I have been in constant pain ever since. I have been seeing a physiotherapist monthly for the last 2 years and last week was discharged from their care as they decided that the movement and strength in my spine had made a positive difference and I was able to manage my pain better.

This injury means I find it difficult to do certain exercises as my spine is incredibly stiff and has a lot less movement in it than it should have. Things like arching my back ever so slightly forward, is near on impossible for me to do.

I've always been very active and flexible, but over the last 7 years, my body has stiffened up quite a lot and I've needed to get more movement in it. Things like yoga, are difficult for me to do properly, but I wanted to give it a proper go. I've been to and tried a couple of different yoga/pilates classes and DVDs but gave up on them quickly because a) they didn't feel right for me, b) lack of money to continuously pay for classes, c) lack of effort.

When I heard about the 30 day yoga challenge, I thought I'd give it a go.

I first heard about it in someone's YouTube vlog, so checked out the website - DoYouYoga.com "Free Online Video Yoga Classes For 30 Days. Sent Directly To Your Email Inbox" - sounded great! All I had to do was enter my email address. Within the space of a minute, my first yoga class was in my inbox!

I was pleasantly surprised at how the yoga teacher, Erin Motz, ran her sessions. She didn't power through the classes like the DVDs do, thinking that you're already a yoga expert and therefore need no time to inhale and exhale. She took her time and made it more of a laid-back approach.

My first yoga session done and I hadn't stressed out because I hadn't exhaled the inhale I took at the start yet!

Day 2 and I was still as happy as I was on day 1. I didn't feel like I was rushing the moves or pushing myself too hard for someone who was only starting out.

I was so happy with the way my back was holding up throughout the sessions and didn't feel like I was doing something I shouldn't.

I think this is going to be something that I will get past day 4 on and hopefully make it to day 30!

So this is where I say GO AND TRY IT! You don't have to have done any yoga before to do this so anyone can give it a go. You don't have to be super flexible, because I'm not anymore, although, I am hoping this will bring it all back to me! I'm only on day 3 so why don't you join me in committing to 30 days of exercise and yoga!

Namaste xx

P.S. I'll let you know when/if I make it past day 4!!

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

Now that summer has officially arrived in England (albeit probably for just a week or so), it is time to dig out the sun loungers and grab everybody for a summer garden party.

If you're like me and don't drink alcohol, or you just fancy something that isn't going to contribute to the morning hangover, then this is the perfect thirst quencher! 

Ingredients: 

- 3 cups of still or sparkling water

- 1 cup of strawberries

- 1 and 1/2 cups of lemon juice

- up to 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar

What to do:

1. Chop up your strawberries and put them into a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Blend until the strawberries have been made into a purée.

2. In a pitcher or a large "drink serving" jug, pour in the water and remaining lemon juice.

3. With a fine sieve, pour the strawberry purée in it and push through with a spoon, into the pitcher. This will take out most of the seeds however, some will escape through.

4. Mix it together and gradually add the sugar. If you are using sparkling water, take extra care when adding the sugar as it may fizz over the top.

5. Stir it all together until all of the sugar has dissolved. You don't have to add all of the sugar. Taste it as you go along and stop with the sugar when you feel it tastes right.

6. Put your lemonade into a glass, add some ice and decorate with a strawberry, some lemon and a straw. You can add a couple of mint leaves as well if you'd like.

7. Sit back and enjoy!

If you want to make this drink alcoholic, you can add some vodka! Chin-chin.

Charlotte x