As you may have already read on here and over on twitter I'm moving house soon which is a fresh start for me. When I'm settled I want to include exercise into my daily routine. There isn't a gym close to my house and I don't want to be running on my own, in the dark, in a dodgy area of Newport so I'm looking for great ways to stay in shape at home and on a budget. I want to spend money furnishing the house and not on equipment.

Aside from eating a healthy and balanced diet which I plan on doing, you also need regular exercise in order to live a healthy lifestyle and as I become older health is more important to me that losing weight. I will be focusing more on activity than counting calories. I know I'm going to need to invest a small amount in some kit (I already have an exercise bike, yay!) but literally nothing else so here are some of my ideas of what to get, please let me know if you have any suggestions:

Damart recently asked me if I wanted to style something from their collection and they very kindly sent me this smart tweed coat which is rather chic. It's traditionally a brand aimed at mature women but they have plenty of classic items that would suit people of any age. The plus side of buying items from stores aimed at a different age group means you're less likely to spot someone wearing the same thing as you. Items will be a little more timeless and last more than one season like this trench coat. Another plus point about companies aimed at a wider age group is a wider range of sizes. Damart stock clothes in sizes 10-26. I normally have issues buying coats because I like to size up so can wear layers underneath and a lot of brands only stock up to a size 16 which means I can't.





Have you ever shopped at Damart before? If you want to take a look at other bloggers wearing Damart head over to their Pinterest board.

You may have already seen my big news on twitter but I'm telling you all again anyway because I'm so excited... I'm moving in with my boyfriend in about six weeks time. It's a big step for me, I'm more than a little nervous about not seeing my family all the time and moving to another town but I'm already getting carried away with home decor ideas. I've got a Pinterest board on the go for all the things I want to get for the house. The rent isn't too high so it won't stop me saving for my own home like I mentioned in a previous post (this one will be rented) but it's going to be such a big adventure for me. I can't wait!

I've never lived with a partner before and I can't say my experience of sharing a house at university was amazing so I've been trying to think of ways of keeping the peace and not losing any of the excitement from our relationship. I'm definitely going to try and do the following things:



Have you got any co-habiting tips for me?

Calling all musicians, photographers, film makers and food lovers. Samsung and Sky1 need you for an exciting project! ‘Launching People’ is a new programme to help launch people’s potential through technology, whatever their stage in life. With the hope that  people with a  passion, ambition and a hungry mind, will have a launch pad for their bright ideas and change their lives in a positive way.

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

Launching People is an exciting new mentorship programme that seeks to find undiscovered British talents in film, music, food, and photography. They want to invite people with drive and fresh, innovative ideas to team up with Britain’s brightest and Samsung’s best technology, and take part in a documentary series that could launch their career. Sounds good, right? There are so many talented food bloggers and fashion bloggers blow me away with their photography skills so I hope I see some of you guys on this programme.

THE MENTORS

Film: Idris Elba, award winning actor, producer, and DJ
“I want a story that’s inspiring.”

Music: Paloma Faith, singer-songwriter,performer and actress
“I’m really looking for something we’ve not seen in a British artist before.”

Food: Gizzi Erskine, leading pop up chef and food writer
“The simple ideas can be the best.”

Photography: Rankin, world famous portrait and fashion photographer
“I want to know what they do that’s different, that’s interesting.”

 

HOW PEOPLE YOU GET INVOLVED?

To apply you need to make a 2-minute video all about you and your ambition. This is your chance to show off your passion, your personality, and your project idea, to get the attention of the mentors. Then they just need an image and a bit of copy and you’re good to go. You can find out more and upload your submission at: LaunchingPeople.co.uk

UP FOR GRABS

Two opportunities for everyone:
1. The mentors will select four candidates with whom they’ll work one-to-one. The chosen protégés will spend 2-3 weeks together, working closely with their mentors in a house fully furnished with Samsung’s latest technology on their personal projects, building towards a grand launch event and making their ideas and ambitions a reality.
2. And the public will get to vote for one winner in each category to receive £500 for personal tuition and Samsung technology up to the value of £2000.

I wish all the entrants the best of luck and if you upload a video entry do let me know so I can check it out.

I recently teamed up with some fabulous British bloggers to offer a huge giveaway. That's over now but it seemed a shame not to not to do something with them again as they were all such a pleasure to collaborate with and some of them are close friends. We've decided to keep our name the 'Brit Pack' and all create a post with the same theme, on the same day once a month. This months theme was an obvious choice and we have gone for 'Valentine's'.

I don't have anything heart print as I like to wear mainly darks and block colours but I certainly have enough heart accessories so this was a perfect time to get them out. I must apologise for the messy background and arm in the mirror, the storms have put a stop to any outdoor photos.The heart fairy lights were only £3 in Primark even even though I've got a set of fairy lights in my room already I couldn't resist them. You can never have too many fairy lights, right?

Davina McCall will be ‘going the extra mile’ this Sport Relief by taking on the BT Sport Relief Challenge: Davina - Beyond Breaking Point, a seven day ordeal which will see the 46-year-old attempt to run, swim and cycle over 500 miles from Edinburgh to London - entirely under her own steam. I'm 26 and haven't had any kids and have a way less demanding job so I am in awe of how she is going to do all of this.


Starting in Edinburgh on Saturday 8th February and finishing in London on Friday 14th February, Davina will battle saddle sores as she spends over 47 hours peddling; conquer a life-long fear of open water swimming and burn over 10,000 calories per day as she expends every last ounce of energy to reach London.


You can access to Davina’s journey with exclusive up to date photos, videos & facts on the website: Davina's BT Sport Relief Challenge

She is going to need loads of encouragement to tackle this challenge so you can tweet support to Davina by  using the hashtag #Davina.

Davina will also be the voice of BT’s Speaking Clock from Monday 27th January until the 23rd March, during which BT will donate 10p to Sport Relief for every call made to the BT Speaking Clock from a BT landline.

If that wasn’t enough, BT is also declaring Thursday 13th February ‘Dial for Davina’ day, where BT will kindly donate 1p to Sport Relief for every call made from a BT home phone line, BT business line as well as every call made from a BT payphone.




£30 can pay for six young people, living with a disability in the UK, to take part in a sporting activity and every £50 raised could pay for a young girl, living in the slums of Kenya, to complete an apprenticeship programme. Davina needs the public’s support to keep her going as she goes Beyond Breaking Point. Sponsor Davina at sportrelief.com/davina
If you want to take part in your own Sport Relef challenge head to http://www.sportrelief.com/ where you can pledge to run, swim or cycle to raise money for the charity.Why not get in shape and raise some money for charity at the same time?

I've spoken about how I'm trying to save for a house in a previous post and now I'm really trying to make an effort to save money which means buying less clothes. Buying less clothes doesn't mean that I have to look dull or not sport latest trends it means I need to dig a little deeper into my wardrobe and be inventive.

As I've mentioned on here previously I've made the big decision to start saving to buy my own home. I love living at home with my family but I really don't want to be living at home much past the age of 30 and want to give my mum the opportunity to downsize and enjoy herself with the proceeds from selling the house. There is no 'Bank of Mum and Dad' for me to fall back on, no inheritance I can spend and I really don't earn a vast wage so it's going to be quite the struggle but hopefully worth the long wait.

I've got two options open to me when it comes to searching for my first home. I can either opt for a terraced house in the Valleys with plenty of space and room to make a profit if I make a few improvements or I can opt for a smaller property, a flat in Cardiff or Newport. Living in the Valleys and not a city really doesn't bother me if there is a train station in the town and the idea of space and spare rooms appeals to me. A more modern flat would need a lot less work and would mean I'm closer to friends so I've a lot of thinking to do.

I've found a few buildings I wouldn't mind living in with a bit of character and I've already made a Pinterest board to get a few ideas together for some interior inspiration. I've also started reading blogs such as this journal because I really don't know the first thing about dressing a home . If you know of any blogs about homes and saving tips then please leave me some links.

• Mortgage arrangement fee - This can be up to £1000 or added to your mortgage.
  
  
• Valuation fee - This is the fee lenders charge for a valuation to check the property exists and that it also offers sufficient security for the loan. This can be about £300.
  
  
• Legal fees - I'm looking at about £500, maybe more for this.
  
  
• Stamp duty - I might get out of this one as a flat or house in my area would be under £125,000 and therefore exempt.
  
  
• Surveys - Definitely going to need one of these to check if the house I want to buy is sound. This will set me back another couple of hundred pounds.
  
  
• Removal costs - I don't have much to move and have access to a van, one thing I don't need to worry about. 

• House repairs - There's bound to be a leaky sink, painting and other odd jobs to do. Going to need at least £500 for paint, carpet and other bits that need refreshing.

I also need to think about essential extras: light bulbs, lamp shades, toilet brush, washing up bowl, door mats, extension leads etc I will be moving in from my family home and not a rented home so I have none of these things.I've got a separate savings fund for these items and I'm picking up things as I go along and storing them in the garage for the day I get my own place.I've already amassed quite the kitchenware selection from charity shops and I treated myself to some lovely Le Creuset items with vouchers I was given recently.



I'm aiming to get as much furniture as I can from Freecycle and local auctions to keep costs down and I like the shabby, antique kind of look more than sleek lines so  I'm happy to paint any furniture I can find and have it a little mismatched until I can replace it with my own new items.

Any homeowners have some tips for me? What have I forgotten and what are the major pitfalls?

*collaborative post

Shirts can make me look a little bulky but I really couldn't resist this puppy print one from Monki. It fits perfectly, has a lovely silky feeling and was only £20. I've always been a bit hesitant about wearing shirts and blouses as a bigger woman, gaping is so annoying right? I've been sizing up and tucking them into skirts or wearing them under dresses so they don't drown me.



The lovely necklace was a gift from Sarah and I thought it worked well popping out under my collar with this outfit. I always wear quite small items of jewellery so I had fun wearing such a bold piece.

I thought the outfit looked a little sombre so I added a splash of colour with my new Maybelline lipstick. I can highly recommend the Super Stay 24 hour range. It stays in place, is easy to apply and has a lovely nourishing lip balm to seal the colour in.

The picture below is pretty much what I want to recreate this weekend. I plan on hanging out with Sookie as much as I can, catching up on The Bridge on iPlayer, making pancakes for breakfast and relaxing. Hope you all have something lovely planned.

At the end of January I attended the first Blogger Bake Club at Gwdihw in Cardiff and had a lovely afternoon. Who doesn't like a chat accompanied by a cup of tea and slice of cake? I'm going to try and persuade you to come to the next event because I think it's a great idea.

On the weekend I hosted a dinner party for the first time and got to try out the Foodelity service which I highly recommend. Take a look at my other blog Where Are My Knees? for more details, been posting over there a lot recently. Here is a snaps of one of the tasty dishes I rustled up: