My New Toy - FitBit Charge HR

Hi All,

Very excited about this one. The novelty hasn't worn off 5 days on, I'm making myself walk the stairs (if I haven't had my watch signal to me that I have achieved my goal of 10,000 steps a day (default challenge)).  I know that my average heart rate is around 65, and when I hover/clean the house, I am burning more calories with a heart rate closer to 100.....  See guy's, it's not our imagination; doing chores around the house is tiring... (and we do deserve that glass of wine!)

I will blog more about what this watch does, but without reading too much in the form of instructions (actually it didn't come with any, you log on to a website to set it up) I have a great awareness of my sleeping (I even went back to bed yesterday with the excuse of only getting 6 hours of sleep with 8 episodes of restlessness) and steps, calories (I like knowing that I am burning these at night!) I have inputted my calorie intake, like to aim to cover 3 miles a day minimum, I like climbing the stairs instead of taking the escalator (not sure how long this novelty will last), altogether I am loving this watch. 

I have a negative though. The watch lasted 5 days from charging when new. I left my

charge (a funny shaped little lead that plugs in to your USB) when I went on holidays, so I am doing all this walking in the rain, with no record of my efforts. Do you think I could buy the lead anywhere, not a chance!  It is probably worth ordering a spare, but I can't find one easily in the usual places online.

Note to self, don't forget to charge your fitbit watch.

The initial display is the time.

The Fitbit Charge HR comes in purple or black, Small, Medium or Large.  I ordered small and it's perfect. Other similar models have interchangeable coloured straps.

I chose this model for the HR, heart rate monitor, and the fact it gives you the distance. Others give you calories burnt, but without your heart rate this is an estimate.

It also vibrates when you have a call, telling you who is calling, a great little extra that I like, but its taking some getting used to.  Saves me rummaging through my bag when I don't want to speak to that person (as it I would ever ignore anyone :-)).

So it synchronises wirelessly to my iphone.  Or you can sync manually to a PC. This is where you set up your profile as such with your height and weight etc. I sync to see my sleep pattern, can enter calories eaten. You can just add e.g. pizza... and it brings up a range for you to select from, from a few stores/restaurants etc. It's handy.


 The watch needs to be kept dry (this is hard when washing my hands) and you need to take it off at intervals (which could defeat the purpose), but I want to take it off, it does leave a mark.  It is supposed to be worn slightly further up the arm than a usual watch?!

The Charge can record targeted runs or workouts, just hold the button, and you'll start a targeted timed run. It can use your phone's GPS to map your specific route in the paired phone app, if you have a phone on you. If not, it'll just record distance, steps, calories, plus "active minutes."

So lots of information at the touch of a small button on the side of a small screen.  The display is clear and bright though.

Look at the spec on these, there are many different ones. This one is mid range at £119.99, which I purchased from M&S with my vouchers from joining Sky :-) so I only needed to pay £19.99, amazing bargain.

Excellent service. Ordered, got a text the day after next that my parcel was with Royal Mail.  For once I knew to be in when the postman came. Delivery was free over £50.

So have just recieved my text to say I'm only 2,000 steps from my target, so better get to it, bye bye!

http://www.marksandspencer.com/small-charge-clip-watch/p/p22426741

Emma Jane rating *****

What is the world coming to.......

So, one thing you will notice about me is I say what I think.  There is no point thinking

something over and over and never doing anything about it, it just ends up bugging you until it ruins your evening.....or worse!

This really gets on my nerves.  I'm not a feminist, I just know it is soooooooo hard carrying a baby, before I did of course it looked easy, but all the health stuff that comes with it, the sciatica, bad back, feeling dizzy/hot, and that is only a few of the standard things women suffer from. 

The shock of being on the train and seeing a huge women with clearly only weeks to go, if that was me my babies had already come along early....on a cramped train, standing, on a warm day, with people pretending to be asleep all around her.  She has had a long day of work like the rest of us, and I could guarantee needed to sit down 100% more than anyone else on the train, do I need to remind you, she is creating another HUMAN BEING! But it took me to ask people, and then only one person with his back to us stood up saying 'his wife wouldn't be happy if he didn't ' but at least he did. (I was also standing so couldn't oblige, but would have done straight away without thinking).

Why has the world come to this?  My Dad never would have dreamt of not offering a seat to a women, let alone a pregnant women.  I know its equal rights and everything but men still can't have babies, and so take it from me we go through a lot, we deserve a seat whilst expecting a baby (or more).   When men start having babies, then you have a right not to give up your seat with the knowledge! Women you should know better, what would you have felt like having to stand in those conditions.....and sorry if you have had to also. Thankfully I got this women a seat this time :-)

Bless her cotton socks

My Bella baby was all dressed in her baby grow to stop her attacking her stitches. 

All good from the vets, just try to make her slow down to let the redness reduce (very funny - bad enough telling a kid to slow down, but a lively 1 year old dog that hasn't a clue what I am saying, haha....)

How cute is she :-)  and still no barking in the vets whilst I held the spray (and there were some huge dogs present!).

Today has been a tired day

Hi All,

I'm not 100% sure how the hypnotherapy is going, unlike other hypnotherapy I have tried, these modules have not been waking me at the end, I normally go in to what seems like a sleep, and the next thing I hear is them counting you out of it, but with Hypnotic Tracks set your alarm!!

I haven't had many slots of 30 minutes to spare since my last blog on this, but I am totally honest every step of the way and currently I am sick of the same relaxation routine that takes most of the 30 minutes.  In fact on 2 occasions now I have been interrupted by delivery men for the neighbors (nothing excited arrived for me again today), and I had to pause the track, to return to only 4 sentences on the actual title of the track, the rest was the usual relaxation taking you in to the hypnotic state.

I also desperately want some music behind his voice, or waves, I don't like hearing people swallow etc.  I hate it when he turns off his recording device too, to pause.  I think there is a fault or something every time!

On the other side, although yet to give it the time it involves I noticed something funny, maybe a coincidence, or the fact I needed to remember not to feed my dog before her operation, but I felt I shouldn't be eating a couple of dinner times, like I forgotten about hospital or something that I shouldn't have eaten the day before for. Strange?!  I am yet to see....

I haven't been eating as much until today, and I have been so tired, felt worse after doing one of the modules (I was interrupted by the door bell), and have eaten very badly, and still am!

If this worked it would be amazing, even as a starting point as my motivation has been so weak.  I have always been able to lose some weight when I have wanted to.  So I will stick with this for as long as I can.

I have done each of these modules once with the exception of 5 and 9 so far.  These seem like a second stage but I have found little info on the correct way/order etc, just listen as much as you can is what the tracks say.

The tracks included;

1.Weigh loss - weight loss the natural way. Slow and gradual but sustained as you change your relationship to food.

2. Hypnotic gastric band - Save the considerable cost and intrusive surgery with your very own Hypnotic gastric band.

3. No more Binge eating - Enjoy your food, do not let your food enjoy you.

4. Goodbye sweet tooth - From now on enjoy a balanced relationship with food.

5. Forever Slim - You have done all the hard work and so now stay in shape with this track.

6. Enjoy Exercise - Make your exercise routine a way of life.  Make it a habit to look forward to.

7. Increased Energy - Tap in to a surge of emotional energy whenever your need to.

8. No more comfort eating - Eat to live, do not live to eat.

9. Relaxation and Confidence - This download will enable you to reach deep levels of relaxation and in so doing feel so much better about yourself.

10. Drink Less Alcohol - Enjoy drinking less and all the benefits that go with it.

Anyway, feeling grotty today so taken my Bulk Powders Complete Greens Drink, 3 scoops in 1 pint half water, half tomato juice as I can't stand the taste, its how I imagine my garden to taste somehow!! :-)  Bed shortly!

Will keep you posted on my progress.

www.hypnotictracks.com

www.bulkpowders.co.uk/complete-greens.html?dpc=ZPL10&msg=Get%2010%25%20off%20your%20first%20order%20with%20us&gclid=Cj0KEQjwuLKtBRDPicmJyvu_qZMBEiQAzlGN5ij_NgRt6sSlLqnsBpxBlc0NQ878Pl_JbSmsQRWTI3caAmuN8P8HAQ

The Newest Edition To Our Family

Oh wow, what was I thinking......  I have had cats in the past, hamsters, and rabbits.  But when my daughter’s hamster died I didn't want a pet that leaves us so soon.  My best friend had just got a tiny puppy, and actually I was one of those people whom always said if I got a dog, it would be a proper dog, a mans dog, not a rat, but I loved her and followed suit.  My garden wasn't big enough for anything bigger, and I worked.  Bella is now 1 year old, a PomChi, and the best and worst thing I have done!

 Wow it is like having another baby.  I wanted to do this for my daughter and I to share lovely walks and training, a companion as I know there will not be any siblings. Company for me.  I also need to realise after losing one of my baby twins, I couldn't keep everything clean, my daughter needed some germs.  But it turned in to something the opposite to what was planned.

I have spent £100's on dog behaviourists, tried everything people have suggested, stones in a bottle, puppy crèche (which she is great at), ignoring it, treats to distract, spray of water.  Nothing worked.  I sadly would have recently  let her go to a family that could work with her 24/7, but I'm so pleased my daughter begged me with tears not too.


Let me give you the correct context, at home she is amazing, the most intelligent little (won't say rat as she is bigger), fox!  She rings her bell to be let out to go for a toilet, rolls over, spins on her back legs, gives me a paw, she is gorgeous. She is always there, loving and fun, full of energy.  She could jog with me 3 miles and still not be worn out.  But the moment we stepped out the door she turned in to a beast.  She was awful.  People crossed the road when they saw us.  I was embarrassed and ran out of ideas.  I got so stressed walking.  If my daughter was with us I would end up shouting at her, I was going to stop walking her, one last try......


I brought a spray for £8 something, from Moles Country Stores.  I thought I was stupid as its air, but this was it.  PET CORRECTOR in a red bottle.  Something so simple meant so much!


On our walk the barking started the moment she saw a dog in the distance as usual, teeth showing, growling, it’s awful, she is so loud! I sprayed, and she literally left the floor in fright.  I used the spray again on seeing that behaviour again, but the 3rd time something changed, she looked at me first, and that was it, the start of something new :-) 
I'm so happy.


It’s still only 5 days on, but we don't spray at all anymore, I just raise the bottle.  She looks at me every time she sees a dog and I just show it and the moment we pass silently she gets so much love and a treat.  It’s amazing.  We even touch some noses (dog noses that is, oh and bums of course!), as long as she goes to them!!  I think people see the bottle also and give us more space or hold a dog that's off lead, all of that was so stressful to manage.  People just felt like making her face her fears when it was clear she was so scared she couldn't handle it. The best method of defense was attack for her!  She was protecting me too. I was going to look for a new home for Bella when she bit a small dog that wouldn't leave her alone, off lead, but I realise now she wasn't in the wrong, she was on lead and this dog wasn't taking her warning to leave her alone.


Having a dog is a science, I wasn't experienced in it, but we love Bella and things are looking up thanks to this spray. It is amazing, can't recommend it enough!!

Chocolate Addict

Hi all,

So, I admit it, I'm a chocolate addict and hope you will join me in my quest to beat this :-)

I have put on a stone in the last year and am determined to lose it.  I believe I suffer from candida (in addition to my endometriosis) but this is not recognised in the UK.  I crave sugar, have had joint pain recently, I am very food sensitive, am tired due to this reactivity, and am too busy to exercise.

As with us all, I have lots of emotional stuff going on and I know my eating is linked to this. My desire to eat is currently 'in charge' of me though and I don't like it.

I used to run and gym a few times a week.  I have battled many charity challenges, walking 40 miles starting at night over the hills of the South Downs, Great South Run.... Since I started my office job in October I haven't done any exercise. I'm getting desperate!  For some reason I can't motivate myself for the first time, even though I want to look and feel great.

So, I would have liked for you to have followed me on my quest to find chocolate anywhere in my house this morning, but as I work from home and am very committed to this flexibility, I couldn't spare the time, so I write now.  I literally raided every cupboard..... It doesn't help that I have this treat draw for my daughter, why shouldn't they have treats though??

So I am going to try some different things for all us ladies and gents that would like to lose some weight in a lifestyle sustainable way.  I may combine techniques as I don't want to miss bikini season altogether, but will try and identify what works.

I have done weight watchers in the past very successfully losing 3 stone, a stone under my goal as I couldn't stop losing, but I was young with no kids, but trying it now I literally can't survive on that little food, and I can't keep cooking a meal for me and another for my daughter, its bad enough finding the motivation to cook one meal when your tired.  But I do love cooking, and healthy cooking, so I need to make time to do the things I love. 

I am starting today with hypnotic tracks.com. It cost me £16 on Groupon and I can run 9 session of 30 minutes on my iPhone or PC etc for up to a year.  Will keep you posted with my progress and let you know more about the different sessions. 

My lovely coffee machine is broken-beware

Hi all, 

After singing its praises my De'Longhi Scultura Coffee Machine has stopped working.  The ON buttons now turns itself off after a few seconds and there is nothing I can do.  It seems like a fail safe mechanism or something similar that has gone wrong.  

I made the mistake of emailing the problem to John Lewis as it was at night, it took 2 days for a response.  This was just to confirm whether I wanted my money back or a replacement machine.  So I replied straight away, for a further 2 day response delay.  Then I was asked for a delivery date in the next email, I have to be in all day so couldn't fit this in until tomorrow. Another two days, then I'm told the delivery of the new one whilst on the same day, may be a different time. This seems insane.  I will let you know how smoothly this goes but I have been without my machine too long and I'm unhappy.

I had my girlie friends over on Friday and couldn't make them coffee, and my friend around Saturday for dinner, again no coffees. Not great as my broken John Lewis machine is sitting on the side only weeks old for all to see. 

Note to John Lewis, call a concerned customer back ASAP so it doesn't take over a week to sort an issue a customer shouldn't have to experience.

De'Longhi Scultura ECZ351 Coffee Machine, Grey

So my first review is my lovely new coffee machine…..

Nice and shiny, from John Lewis at £199.95.  Available in White, Grey or Champagne.  This is a ground coffee machine.

Beware though; this has been cheaper through online retailer Very for £159, and Argos, even Debenhams at £180, so shop around.  They are all sold out though the moment there is a promotion on this item.

First Impressions
Received very quickly with good communications. Free Delivery. I have some experience with an old De’Longhi coffee machine so in comparison this is a pleasure.  You can tell and good coffee machine from its ability to troth the milk, and I have lovely milk after practicing the art with this machine.
I don’t like the scoop/compressor for the coffee, either end of a plastic tool.  The tool is too flimsy and it feels as though it will break if you push the coffee down hard. (You will see in the picture I have removed the compressor from the old machine (its hard plastic).  On the old model this was fitted on to the machine for something to push up against, like in the coffee shops.  Disappointed it doesn’t have this.  I am also thus bound to lose the tool!

To point out that you NEED a few accompanying items if you are new to ground coffee machines;

Essential

A stainless steel jug from ebay for example.  If you like cappuccinos/latte’s, and will be making coffees for two, buy a bigger one than I did.  I worked around this by putting as much steam through the milk (3/4 full in the jug) and using that to fill the cappuccino cup, going back to troth the remaining milk, and which it did beautifully, and I spoon over the troth and sprinkle chocolate (as my treat).  I do half coffee, half milk, but it’s however you prefer it.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Frothing-Milk-Latte-Jug-600ML-Expresso-Stainless-Steel-Kitchen-Craft-Coffee-/400740947790?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5d4e05974e
This one is 600ml from China on ebay for only £5.25 free p&p

Mugs/Latte Glasses/Espresso Glasses
Whatever your taste in coffee, you can do it all with this machine.  I had cappuccino mugs kindly brought for me with nice saucers.  If you are going to make a nice coffee, present it nicely :-) I was lucky to get these ones as a gift.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Set-Of-1-2-3-Or-4-Price-Kensington-Script-Cappuccino-Cups-Saucers-250ml-/121676913503?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item1c54825b5f
£18.99 on ebay

     

Options

You can now buy;
1.Ground coffee,
2. Actual coffee beans and a grinder to do yourself,
3. Or this machine also takes pods (ESE) for when you are in a hurry!  

Frankly I brought this machine as I wasn’t too keen on the price of pods, but these are not the ones with added sugar or flavours etc, these costs me £3.58 for 14, this was decaf (which I also enjoy).  There are so many ground coffee options. I try whichever is on promo.  They give you a strength rating.  You can have dark or rich, sweet or intense, there is something to suit all tastes.You have three attachments, one for one person, a second will hold enough for two coffee’s, and the third is for the pod.  I will let you know how that goes as I haven’t tried pods yet, quite excited …..

The coffee machine has easy to use instructions, and is quite straight forward.  It is a socialising machine. It’s not a pod and go….. You need to be sitting around chatting in your kitchen as the process takes a bit of time and it’s this process you have to enjoy to have a ground coffee machine, and the benefits of the taste of this.   It can also save you literally £100’s.  I brought another bag of coffee today on promo for £3, this will last me a few months.  I don’t have coffee every day, but will use it more now I have a shiny up to date model.

Oh I found a great place to try wonderful coffee, delivered in 24 hours to your doorstep.  They really do have every taste you can imagine and I love the Las Vegas Espresso, described as Chocolate-dipped apple from Colombia.  You get to try a bag delivered for 99p. It does go up to £6.45 for 250g after, which is more expensive than the supermarkets, but the coffee is yummy.  Depends what value you put on a amazing coffee, and delivered to your doorstep too......
The flavours change all the time so keep going back.  Remember to cancel after your trial if you don't want another bag delivered every 7 or 14 days.  I cancelled no trouble.
https://www.pactcoffee.com/
https://www.pactcoffee.com/about
https://www.pactcoffee.com/coffees

Oh by the way this coffee machine was highly rated by the ‘Which’ magazine.

http://www.johnlewis.com/de'longhi-scultura-ecz351-coffee-machine/p757912

Hello

I'm very excited about my first blog. I have wanted to do this for years but have never had the time.  Hey I still don't have the time, but the difference is I'm putting my passion first...... My passion is that the consumer is heard, not negatively, but in a constructive way.  I will always give the supplier of that product or service the feedback, and the chance to provide a context and explanation.  Please do contact me if you would like me to review anything, its what I love to do :-)