DISCOVERING DUBROVNIK: Croatia Photo Diary

Hi everyone!

As you may or may not know, I have just recently taken a week long trip to Croatia! We stayed in a city called Dubrovnik and we actually stayed inside the city walls, which means that the steps to get to our apartment were INSANE (108 of them to be exact). But it was definitely worth it! I was hoping to squeeze all the photos into one blog post, however, considering that there are over 50 here I think I'm going to have to split it up. These are photos from my first 3 days in Dubrovnik, I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Day One mostly consisted of us wandering around and seeing what Dubrovnik had to offer. We got into Dubrovnik old town for about 1:30pm and it was packed with people! We later found out that two cruise ships had docked that day and that's why it was so busy! Dubrovnik is such a beautiful place and it's definitely worth a visit. Despite there being 1000s of tourists there every day due to interrailing and cruise ships and what not, the old town charm is still apparent and it's beauty hasn't been spoilt by tourism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Day Two was a little bit more eventful. We took the Cable Car up to the top of Mount Srd in the morning and early afternoon. After checking out the best views of Dubrovnik and wandering round the Imperial War Museum at the top of the mountain, we had lunch and cocktails at a place called Restaurant Panorama. Quite possibly the best view I have ever had whilst drinking cocktails. We then had a chilled afternoon sunbathing on the harbour (yes, people actually do that and swim in it too!) before we braved the 2km trek around the mighty wall. So 2km doesn't sound that bad, but it is by no means a flat walk, there are over 500 steps to climb AND you have to do it in an insane heat. My tip is to climb the wall first thing in the morning or before it closes in the evening for the best chance of shade.

 

 

 

 

Day Three was just a touch more chilled. We woke up early and headed out on a 3 hour Game of Thrones walking tour and this was INCREDIBLE. The guide was so knowledgeable about both Dubrovnik and the show and gave us little extra facts about the TV show you wouldn't get anywhere else. I would highly recommend doing one of these if you ever head to Dubrovnik. We don't have that many photos of this tour as we don't want to spoil it. Well, that and the fact that we had to take on the walls FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO DAYS. Argh. Then we chilled at night time in a place called Buza Bar, this is also known as the secret bar or hidden bar. There's a hole in the wall and you come out on the side of the cliff and voila! A bar right on the sea

So there you go! The first 3 days of my adventure in Croatia! I'm sorry there's not more to show, but there will be very soon! Travel posts are my all time favourite to write and read and I love sharing my experiences with you guys. Stay tuned for part 2 of this instalment where I'll be heading to other former Yugoslavian countries too!
If you can't wait for the next one, take a look at my previous travel diaries as well:

Paris: Day One, Day Two, Day Three
Prague
London

Until next time!
CJ x

What's in my suitcase?

Hello everybody!
Seriously exciting blogpost today because I am off on my summer holiday in a matter of hours! I'm so excited to have a whole new, albeit short, adventure. If there's two things I love - it's blogging and organisation. I also have a massive interest in watching or reading people's 'What's in my suitcase/carry on/travel makeup bag' videos and blogs. So what better holiday prep than to show you all what I'm bringing along with me! If the items mentioned are still available I will link them for you. Also, I will not be including makeup in this post because I was thinking of doing it as a separate post so comment down below if you'd like to see that.

Clothes

Lightweight dresses - American Apparel (left), Brandy Melville (right)

 
Playsuits
(Left to right) Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters, New Look

 
Bikinis (obviously) - Green, Coral (similar)

 
Crop tops - Grey, Bardot, High neck

 
T-shirts - Striped, White, Grey

 
Cotton trousers, blue patterned shorts, grey patterned shorts

 
Maxi skirt

 
Levis shorts

 
Evening shorts

 
Jumper (just in case in the evenings)

Leather sandals/flip flops

Trainers

 
Hat (preferably straw)
 
Sunglasses

Backpack (link shown in black)
 
Beach Towel

Toiletries

 
Shampoo and conditioner (both Aussie)
Body wash and body scrub (both Soap and Glory
 

 
Sun-tan lotion (Piz buin), After sun (Hawaiian tropic), Body moisturiser (Soap and Glory), Mini razor (Gilette Venus) and Deodorant (Sure) 

 Pouffe, contact lens solution, body spray and toothbrush (Slim sonic)



 

Hand sanitizer, hand cream, foot cream (all soap and glory), blister patches (compeed)



 

Hair care

Dry shampoo (Batiste), root lift spray (dove), beach spray (Mark Hill), Hair oil (Garnier), Hairbrush (Tangle Teezer)

 Skincare
Micellar water, Facial cleanser, Toner, Eye cream, Facial Mist, Lip balm, Tea tree night cream, Moisturising night cream

 
 
 
 

Miscellaneous

Hair straightener (if required)
Hair dryer (again, if required - we're staying in an airbnb which does not provide one)
Phone charger
Travel guide
Book
Plug adapter

 

 

Phew! I think more preparation went into this blogpost than any other I have ever done. I hope you appreciate all my hard work here! I'm so sorry that not everything is linked, some things I picked up last year and others have sold out :( I hope this helped you to remember what you need to pack for your summer holidays! The only things which aren't pictured are underwear, socks, pyjamas and toothpaste - all of which are essential! Let me know if you think I missed anything or if there's any item that you can't go traveling without

Happy travels

CJ x

 

FITNESS DIARIES NO. 16

Hola,
Coming off of a bad week with zero weight loss, I am determined this week. I've decided to work out pretty much every day so let's see how it goes! I'm heading to London on Saturday so obviously that will be my cheat day, but I'm going to wear my pedometer and do a lot of walking so I'll keep track of that.
Monday
Breakfast: Coffee and Apple and Grapes
Lunch: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs
Snack: Nutella and Strawberries on wholemeal toast.
             1/3 portion chips and mayonaise
Dinner: 3 chicken drumsticks w/o skin, roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash, cauliflower and broccoli
Workout: Intense cardio session - 20 mins running, 15 mins cycling, 15 mins elliptical, 10 mins stepper
Net calories: 1410 food - 500 exercise = 910
Macros: 98g protein, 113g carbohydrates, 64g fat

Tuesday
Breakfast: Coffee and Onken fat-free strawberry yogurt
Lunch: Chicken, spinach and green pepper with wholemeal pasta and tomato and olive sauce
Snack: Breakfast brunch bar
Dinner: Sweet chilli salmon, brown rice and broccoli
Snack: Peach green tea
Workout: 45 minute spinning class and 15 minute run
Net calories: 1265 food - 500 exercise = 765
Macros: 86g protein, 159g carbs, 32g fat

Wednesday
Breakfast: Coffee and Quaker Cinnamon Porridge
Lunch: (same as yesterday)
Snack: 2 pieces wholemeal toast and nutella
Dinner: Grilled haddock, baked beans and green cabbage
Snack: Watermelon, 1/2 box graze strawberries and cream granola topper
Workout: 30 minutes elliptical and back/chest day including chest flies, tricep extensions, dumbbell rows, bicep curl and press, reverse fly, lateral raises and one-legged military press.
Net calories: 1298 food - 250 exercise = 1048
Macros: 91g protein, 168g carbs, 27g fat

Thursday
Breakfast: Coffee and Quaker Apple and Blueberry Porridge with added cinnamon
Lunch: Smoked salmon 2 scrambled eggs, 2 small pieces wholemeal toast
Dinner: Chicken Tikka Bhuna, boiled rice, 1/3 naan bread
Workout: 5 mins elliptical, 20 mins treadmill. Bicep and tricep workout
Net calories: 1237 food - 250 exercise = 987
Macros: 69g protein, 134g carbs, 42g fat

Friday
Breakfast: Same as yesterday
Lunch: Same as yesterday
Dinner: Sausage and pepperoni pizza, bacon cheese sticks
Workout: 45 minute high impact legs, bums and tums class
Net calories: 1545 food - 400 exercise = 1145
Macros: 69g protein, 169g carbs, 61g fat

Saturday (Cheat day)
Breakfast: Pret a Manger: Tomato and Mozzarella Croissant and skinny latte
Lunch: Hot dog with sauerkraut and tater tots
Dinner: Southern fried chicken wrap, cheese and onion squares:
Snacks: Dried mango chunks. 2 macaroons
Workout: 11 hours walking in London
Net calories: 1501 food - 542 exercise = 959
Macros: 39g protein, 194g carbs, 62g fat (oooooooops)

Sunday
Breakfast: Coffee and Quaker cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch: Sweet chilli chicken noodle salad, skips crisps and summer fruits oasis
Dinner: Lean burger, salad and sweet chilli sensations
Snacks: 2 macroons
Net calories: 1017
Macros: 46g protein, 116g carbs, 41g fat

Overview:
Fastest mile: 10 mins 9 seconds (-22 seconds)
Weight loss: -1 lb
Total weight loss: -5lbs

Look at my cheat meal omg
This week was pretty mixed in terms of food, some days and meals were great! My macros were good, especially how low my fat intake was. I'm a serious carboholic and I feel like without carbs, I just don't have any energy at all so it's hard to keep those down. One thing I'm not happy about is the fact that Saturday didn't have my only cheat meal, I had a pizza on Friday night which is my absolute favourite! I am really happy with my workouts. I feel like I really gave it my all this week, I did have to drop my cardio in the middle of the week because I was suffering from shin splints. But it was really good to feel a difference from my strength training, even if the aftermath of leg day was a bit extreme!
I am hoping to try to keep these blogs going while I'm on my holiday too! Hope your journeys are going well as always
CJ x

THE FITNESS DIARIES NO. 15

Morning all,
This week I've been really stuck with the weight loss. I understand it's not all about the number and I'm not going to lose weight every week but I'm just stuck at the same number and it's really demotivating when you aren't seeing all your hard work pay off. Unfortunately, I can't have a cheat day for TWO WHOLE WEEKS now due to my Chicken and Waffles on Saturday and it was my Grandma's birthday on Monday so we went out for tapas. I have no idea how I'll manage without a cheat day, give me strength.
Workout count:
1 x Leg session - 5 minute elliptical warm up, 20 minute run, 10 minute stairmaster. 3 x 12 calf raises, 3 x 12 hip abductors, 3 x 12 hip adductors, 3 x 15 squats, 4 x 15 walking lunges, 4 x 15 jump squats
1 x arm session - 5 minute elliptical warm up, 25  minute run. 3 sets of 10 reps of the following: Chest flies, Lying tricep extensions, Squat curl and press, Dumbbell row, Reverse flies, Lateral raises
Breakfast:
Coffee and strawberry slim fast
Coffee and sultana, raisin, cranberry and apple oatmeal x 2
Coffee and Onken strawberry fat free yogurt x 2
Coffee and Raspberries
Coffee and a breakfast bar

Lunch:
1/2 tin baked beans on 2 pieces wholemeal toast with strawberries
Smoked salmon on toast (NO cream cheese)
Green pepper and spring onion omelette with raspberries
Chicken, tomato and basil pasta
Pate on toast
Tuna and red onion melt on wholemeal bread
Chicken Tikka salad

Dinner:
Tapas - pescado blanco frito, honey chorizo, paella, calamares AND 1/2 piece red velvet cake :(
Grilled chicken, vegetables and wholemeal pasta with sundried tomato pesto
Grilled chicken, tomato pesto pasta, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots
BBQ - 1 x burger, 1 x beef kebab, potato salad (THREE CIDERS - oops!)
Leftover BBQ - 1 x burger, mixed vegetables
ANOTHER burger (sorry)
Beef satay kebabs, sweet potato and butternut squash

Snacks:
Mango chunks
Peach iced lemonade (costa)
Alpen light lemon drizzle bar
Sweet chilli and sour cream crisps
1 glass dr pepper
Pineapple chunks
2 glasses coca cola
Mango chunks


Water: 2 litres a day

Fastest Mile: 10 minutes 31 seconds (-26 seconds from last week!) 

Overview: Ok, so as you can see I said at the start of the week I wasn't having any cheat days, then I had tapas for my Grandma's birthday, a BBQ and two days of left over burgers after that BBQ so I'm already not off to a good start as far as food goes. Furthermore, after my BBQ on Thursday, my friends left me with FOUR OPEN BOTTLES OF COKE (this is an OCD nightmare) so I had to attempt to get rid of some of them by having 1 glass a day (2 in total).

Weight loss: 0lbs

Total weight loss: -4lbs

As you can see, despite my cardio getting faster and feeling stronger during strength training, YOU CAN'T OUT EXERCISE A BAD DIET. This week hasn't been disastrous, but it hasn't been my finest as far as eating goes. The drinking, BBQs and coca cola really hasn't helped and I honestly regret it because I probably would have lost weight without them. Oh well, every new day is a new start.
Check out previous weeks here:
Number 14
Number 13
CJ x

New In Beauty: June 2015

Clinique anti-blemish solutions 3 step system. Everyone's heard of this by now, it's infamous. Clinique's 3 step program for problem skin. Mine was a little freebie from when my mum bought a load of makeup from there a few months ago. I think the only difference between this one and the one that the sell in store is that I got a little bar of soap, instead of a foaming cleanser. But the steps are the same. 1. Cleanse your face with the cleanser. 2. Exfoliate with the clarifying lotion (feels more like a toner but I'm guessing there are miniscule beads in there). 3. Moisturise with the all-over clearing treatment. Honestly, this stuff has rescued my skin. I think it really does work to help clear and clarify everything and I'd say that it works best for those in their early to mid twenties who maybe have a few blemishes here and there. I notice a difference when I stop using this and then start again. I will definitely be repurchasing these items and keeping them in my skincare routine
I'm afraid I can't find the mini set that I have ( but I think you can get it from airports) so here's the separate products:
Cleansing Bar
Clarifying Lotion
Clearing Moisturiser

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. Oh my god, this stuff s incredible and I'm so glad I found it. Whilst in Paris (if you didn't know I was check this out) I walked into Sephora on the Champs Elysee, whilst I was mesmorised by the fact it was a Sephora. I was a tad underwhelmed, at first I thought it was just like the one in Prague where pretty much everything was available in the UK. But not in Paris. I found the Too Faced counter. And as Ben was getting a tad bored, I chose just one thing from there. And oh my am I glad I chose this. . It volumises, it lengthens, it blackens, it does everything. I would say it's just as good if not better than Benefit's They're Real. I am considering writing a blogpost comparing the two with pros and cons, if you want to see it, let me know! I previously thought you couldn't get Too Faced makeup in the UK, HOWEVER, Debenhams have recently launched it. So beware, there will be a Too Faced haul coming this way.
Link here

MAC 129 Powder Brush. I have needed a new powder brush for so long and this really does the trick. It has the perfect consistency in bristles and is really soft, it's easy to apply powder with. The brush itself isn't too big or too small and it doesn't hold an insane amount of powder after its use. It also washes really well.
Link here

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus. After a good few months without my favourite powder when I went back to it I fell in love all over again. And EVERYONE commented on how good my base looked once I had this back in my life. It's so good, applied in the right areas it gives perfect coverage to your skin, and mattifies but also doesn't take away the dewiness. Just apply in T-zone, chin, upper lip and apples of the cheeks instead of all over. I also think MAC powders have a really good colour variety

MAC Lipstick in Brave. This was an impromptu purchase when I was out getting my other MAC stuff. I hadn't bought myself a lipstick since September and the last one I got was for Christmas! Sooooo I thought I needed a treat. This is a satin finish and I would consider it to be in the same family as Velvet Teddy, Honeylove, Kinda Sexy and you get me. Such a nice nude/pink colour

MAC Lipstick in Plumful. Unlike Brave, this wasn't an impromptu purchase, in fact, I've been after it for ages. It is such a nice May colour! It's a pinky purple colour, a lustre finish so it just glides on. It doesn't have the staying power of Rebel or anything like that, but that's not what you need in Spring. Just a lovely wash of colour. If you want me to do an updated MAC lipstick collection let me know. I'm currently on 16 so just comment below if you're interested.

Essie Nail Polish in Cute as a Button. Oh Essie nail polish, you have my heart. My collection is growing fast and I couldn't resist this one. It reminds me of a slightly watermelon pink (albeit not the actual watermelon colour from Essie). It's a reddish pink but not too bright. Just beautiful for May and June.
Link here (there's a free gift when you buy 3 Essie products from boots!)

Maybelline Superstay 7 Day Nail Polish in Uptown Blue. I realised my obsession with Essie was a bit much (and also a bit expensive) so I purchased a drugstore polish on a whim. I have to say, I was so impressed with this Maybelline one! One coat gave enough colour and a good consistency, although it didn't last 7 days (I wasn't expecting it to), it did last a good 3 without chipping
Link here

Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Oil. This is the Sleek Restorer one. I am a real sucker for a good hair oil, I love how soft and nourished this one makes my hair feel. It smells amazing, it feels great on the hair and you can use it in 3 different ways. I think you can use it on wet hair before drying, dry hair before styling and after styling too.
Link here

The Body Shop Illuminating Moisturiser. I was using the Garnier Moisture Match illuminating moisturiser but purchased this one when the Body Shop was doing a 3 for 2 and I couldn't decide what to get as my third item! I do love this, it leaves your skin with a subtle pink glow (different from the Garnier one which leaves a yellow glow). Still haven't decided which one I prefer but I might compare and contrast them in a future blogpost.
Link here

St Tropez Tan Booster. Oh my gosh I love this stuff. You can use it on your natural tan or your St Tropez tan and it just prolongs the tan for an extra few days. So if you're like me, and can't be bothered applying fake tan every day or every other day, just use this stuff and it lasts up to 3 days longer!
Link here (currently 1/3 off at boots!)

Not extremely exciting, but there are a good few new purchases on here! I've tried to keep my reviews as unbiased as possible, if you would like to know more about any of these products, just leave a comment below! I'll speak to you in my next one.
CJ x

THE FITNESS DIARIES NO. 14

Hello!
So as you know from my previous blogpost, I have completely cut my diet. Limited myself to 1200 calories, 45g sugar, 40g fat - just gone for it. I've been fuelling my body with the nutrients it's desired and I am feeling so much better for it! My runs are the fastest they've been in a year, my workouts are more varied, my endurance is stronger, my sleep is better. And this all comes from the way you fuel your body, basically. As mentioned before there is going to be a MASSIVE shake up on here. I'm not going for a half-hearted attempt anymore, you are going to read about every time I eat or move, and I'm not sugar coating anything (*emotional sigh*)

Workout count:
1 x Leg and cardio - 20 minutes treadmill, 10 minutes bike, 10 minutes stepper. 3 x 12 reps of adductor and abductor. 4 x 25 reps of calf raises. 3 x 16 sets of normal, plie and narrow squats with 5lbs weight. 2 x 16 walking lunges with 2 lbs weight.
1 x Arms and cardio - cardio as above. 3 x 16 reps bicep curls. 3 x 16 reps tricep extensions. 3 x 12 hammer curls. 3 x 12 skull crushers
1 x  Cardio hour. 30 min spinning class and 30 min run
1 x Fat burn session (consisting of weighted squats, wall sits, sprints, burpees, panks, dumbbell rows, walking planks push ups) and 1 x Abs Class (Jackknives, reverse crunches, bicycle crunches and spider planks)

Breakfast:
Onken Fat-Free strawberry yogurt with graze's strawberries and cream granola topper and raspberries on the side (411 calories)
Nakd banana crunch bar and strawberries
Onken Fat-Free strawberry yogurt
Nakd banana crunch and coffee x2
Sultana, raisin, cranberry and apple oatmeal x 2

Lunch:
Heinz cream of tomato with a hint of basil soup and 2 pieces wholemeal dry toast (314 calories) x 2
Turkey bacon and scrambled eggs, with carrot sticks and hummus
Light cheese and green tomato chutney toastie with carrot sticks and hummus
1/2 can baked beans on 2 pieces wholemeal toast with side of honeydew melon
2 eggs scrambled, 2 pieces toast and 1/3 can baked beans
Prawn mayo sandwich on wholemeal bread with apple and grapes on the side

Dinner:
Grilled chicken with spinach and broccoli
Grilled seabass with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
Slimming world chicken wings with Moroccan couscous
Grilled salmon with left over Moroccan couscous and broccoli
Salmon parcel with baked sweet potato and broccoli
*Cheat meal* 1 piece fried chicken, 1 waffle, bacon, maple syrup and mango juice
1 nandos chicken pitta with mash

Snacks:
Graze lemon and poppyseed slice (my faaaaaaavourite)
Nakd banana crunch bar
Hartley's sugar free strawberry jelly
1 bottle Dr Pepper (sorry. not sorry)
Graze herby bread basket
6 strawberries
Muller light toffee yogurt
2 x Kopparberg strawberry and lime
1 can cherry dr pepper
6 Tuc biscuits

Water: 2 litres a day every day

Weight loss:  - 1lb

Total weight loss (2 weeks): - 4lb

Motivation of the week: Nikki Blackketter

Overview: I did want to lose at least 2 lbs, if not 3 in order to be at my short term goal weight for my holiday. I'm not disappointed with only losing 1 lb this week and I'm absolutely putting it down to the poor choices I made in the snack department towards the end of the week (cough, cough the 2 kopparbergs and dr peppers). I've been keeping track of my calories and I have almost always been under my calorie goal of 1200 except on the days I had the kopparbergs. Point for next week: no alcohol at all.

Thanks for following my new and improved weight loss journey, of course it's not all about the number on the scale but the way my body improves. After I realised I'd gained this weight, it made sense to me why my miles hadn't been as fast; it was taking me nearly 2 minutes to run a mile and this time last year it took me 9 and a half. However, this week I managed to get it down to 10 mins 57 seconds which is the lowest it's been since October! Therefore, the scale was my second biggest achievement of the week.
If you missed last week's, here's a link - Fitness Diaries no. 13
Catch you next time!
CJ x

THE FITNESS DIARIES NO. 13

OK, so first of all, I want to apologise for my absence over the past MONTH. I could give you a million excuses about exams, illness, whatever. But this blog isn't for excuses, this blog is for fitness.
I would just like to say that over the course of writing the fitness diaries, I did not have a perfect diet and exercise routine, but instead I was working on making improvements, which I did. However, although my diet wasn't necessarily a high calorie, high fat one, it did contain a lot of sugar, and that's not good for your body.
Exams are the absolute WORST THINGS for anyone trying to lose weight or tone up, because you just don't have time to work out. I'm not one to cover up the truth, so here it goes. For four weeks I literally just sat in bed or at my desk, barely moved for entire days and ate. A LOT. Once a week, my boyfriend and I would have our Game of Thrones pizza nights, order a Papa John's and obviously, watch Game of Thrones. I honestly hardly even walked anywhere.
Now, because I've never been one for weighing myself, I didn't see the problem with my weight ... until I weighed myself. Finding out I'm around 20 lbs heavier than where I would like to be is shit. I just stood there and stared at the number thinking that if I didn't move, or tried again, it would go down (it didn't).
So now is the time to make a change I thought. I went into my cupboards and threw out EVERYTHING which wasn't good for me, and then went shopping. I stocked up on high protein, low fat foods, green, leafy veg, fruits and that's it. Cut out half of my carbohydrates, half of my sugar, and half of my fat.
Then I set a target of burning 500 calories a day (or more if I'm only doing 5 workouts a week). First couple of days went better than expected, I was headed to spinning classes, going on runs, doing at home workouts all to get to that glorious number. The sad thing is, I could tell in myself that I'd gained weight just from how heavy I felt when running, it really hit home hard.
AND THEN, the abdomen pain hit. This is still undiagnosed but it basically put a stop to everything. I had to leave the gym early, I couldn't eat anything, it was awful. I'm currently awaiting results from a blood test so hopefully it's sorted out soon.
Starting my new lifestyle on Monday, I was 3 lbs lighter by Friday, and now it's Monday again, I'm still at that weight. I really wanted lose at least 12 by the time I go on my summer holidays (which is three weeks away!!!) Although it's not looking likely with the intensity of my workouts at the moment, I'm going to give it my best shot, and as long as the number's going down, that's good.
Thanks for listening to my ramble this week, hopefully there'll be better news and better results next week!
CJ x