What's In My Bag?

A couple of years ago I used to have a different handbag for almost every outfit and was always misplacing my keys, purse and everything else, but as I've got older I've narrowed it down to two, a black bag and a brown bag. Sorted.

Since blogging I have become a lot more organised and I know where pretty much everything is and now that I have just two bags it's a lot easier to sort out what I need to take with me. Now of course some of these products do change depending on the weather, where I'm going and what I'm doing but here is a look in to the general bits and bobs that you would find in my handbag if you were to sneak a peak.

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The Essentials

So first of all I won't be going anywhere without my keys. Now these are just my house keys and for the purpose of a nice photo I removed my three photo keyrings, my cuddly unicorn and turtle key ring and my work keys. I have so many keyrings as they are all special to me and also because it makes finding my keys much easier.

Second is my purse, of course this is another must as without it I won't be going very far. When it comes to my purses I like them to be bright and have lots of different pockets so I was extremely happy when I was able to buy this Ralph Lauren one for just £30.

Right! I cannot state just how important it is to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially when you're on the go. When I don't drink enough I get headaches and feel yucky which is why I always carry a bottle with me.

Eating regularly is also important and for me I like it to be something healthy and enjoyable which is why I love these nakd bars. I always make sure that I have one to eat in my bag as I get rather peckish when I'm out and if I don't eat I get very grumpy and begin to feel nauseous. 

I've always loved taking photos but since becoming a blogger I find it essential to have some form of camera in my hand at all times and well lets face it, iPhone cameras aren't the best and their storage is a joke which is why I like to take my Samsung digital camera with me wherever I go. It takes lovely photos whilst being small and light enough to go in most my bags. 

Now I never used to keep a hairbrush in my bag but as my hairs got longer it needs brushing that little bit more often especially on windy days so I now make sure I have a one in my bag at all times. This no tangles is my favourite as it gets the knots out quick and easy without damaging your hair.

Garlic, onion, salami.. possibly three of my favourite foods that seem to be in most of the meals I eat which is why I would be lost without my chewing gum. Garlic breath? No thanks!

Finally, after probably far to many years, I decided it was time to keep a pen with me at all times and now I don't know how I ever managed without one. Perhaps I should have listened to my Mum sooner.

My Makeup Bag

Being a girl the contents of my make up bag changes regularly but for me there are some things that are just a must. First is lipstick, an item which I am never without. My current favourite is Mac Cosmo as it goes with everything and keeps my lips looking hydrated all day. However, on some days my lips need that extra bit of moisture which is why I have Vaseline in almost every bag and coat pocket. Cocoa butter is my favourite! 

Next is my Rimmel bronzer and Elizabeth Arden blusher brush. I have used Rimmels bronzer since I have worn makeup and I love it just as much now as I did then. It's the perfect colour for me and I love that it's not to sparkly so it always looks natural making it suitable to be worn on bare skin and on top of foundation.

Since blogging I have started taking much better care of my skin and now I cannot be without a hand lotion and nail file. This particular hand lotion is by Molton Brown, it's a fantastic product and the bottle is just the size for my makeup bag.

Now I don't know about you, but I cannot think of anything worse than smelling which is why I take a miniature perfume with me wherever I go. At the minute I have been using this bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy as it has such a lovely spring/summer scent.

Last but not least are bobbles and hair grips just because you never know when you're going to need them. I always make sure I have two bobbles and then just a few grips for any unruly pieces of hair.

This makeup bag is the perfect size for my things and was just £8 from next.

If We're Lucky

Living in England sunshine is not guaranteed, not even in summer, but on those days we're lucky enough to have even a minute of sun I will be there with my sunglasses! These ones are by Ralph Lauren and are probably my favourite as I don't think you can beat a tortoise shell frame.

What things do you keep in your bag?

Clean Eat Oat Cookies #JTH

How yummy do these look? Not only do they look and taste good they're also super healthy too with a very quick, simple and cheap recipe.

I love to bake cakes and cookies but when I'm trying to be healthy I tend not to as I'm guaranteed to eat the majority of them, so this recipe not only lets me bake but it also satisfies my sweet tooth and allows me to eat the whole batch without feeling guilty!

You will need...

1 Banana

Rolled Oats

Handblender or Normal Blender

 Optional, but seriously scrumptious...

Honey

Cinnamon

Raisins

Ginger Root

Unhealthy but oops...

I added too much ginger so used some galaxy chocolate to sweeten them up.

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#step 1

Blend one banana and then add enough oats so that the mixture sticks together and isn't runny

#step 2

I halved by mixture and added a drop of honey, half a teaspoon of cinnamon and a handful of raisins to one and then added honey and just over half a teaspoon of grated ginger root to the other (was slightly too strong even for me so would advise using less)

#step 3

Add heaped tablespoons of the mixture to a greased or non stick tray and flatten. Bake in the oven till lightly golden and hard(ish) to the touch. Approx 15/20 minutes gas mark 6/7.

This recipe is so quick and easy and leaves you with delicious chewy cookies, which don't taste like banana by the way. I always have these ingredients in meaning I can bake them whenever I fancy. Other ingredients I have added include blueberries, raspberries and dark choc chips, but cinnamon and raisins are by far my favourite.

What flavour do you think I should try next?

Super Easy Egg Muffins #JTH

You have to try these! They're so easy to make and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, hot or cold. Personally I like eating them the next day when they've been in the fridge over night, but they still taste just as good when they're fresh out the oven. 

The best thing about these egg muffins, apart from how easy they are to make, is the fact you can personalise them and experiment with them as much as you like by adding peppers, ham, tomatoes, herbs, bacon, salt, pepper, cheese, anything you want really. You also then get to choose how healthy they're going to be based on the ingredients you add.

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So, here is the recipe for ten egg muffins:

#1 Pre-heat the oven. Approx 180 degrees, gas mark 6/7.

#2 Whisk 5 eggs

#3 Add your chosen ingredients, or save to top.

#4 Pour your mixture into the cake tins, approx 3/4 of the way up (If your tray isn't non-stick, you may need to lightly grease with either margerine, olive/sunflower oil or fry light spray.

#5 Top with chosen ingredients.

#6 Cook in the oven for around 20-30minutes until risen, golden and no longer runny in the middle.

#7 ENJOY.

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I love the fact I can make these the day before and create lots of different flavours. It means that I can keep healthy without having to compromise on taste. On this particular picture I have mixed my eggs with pepper and sage then topped them with mature cheddar. I enjoyed four of these with some chips for brunch and then saved the rest for my lunch the next day.

What flavour muffins would you make?

Clean Eat Pancakes #JTH

Yesterday I realised it had been a month since I did my post my post on health and fitness. Oops. I think that shows how healthy I've been. But not to worry, its a new day and best of all it's Pancake Day.

Now I love Pancakes, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you my Five Step Clean Eat Pancake Recipe and to kick off the start of my clean eating. This recipe is quick, simple, healthy and delicious and I'm proud to say it's my own.

For The Pancakes You Will Need -

1 Medium Banana

2 Medium Egg Whites

Tablespoon of Honey (Optional)

You Will Also Need -

A Hand Blender (you can use a fork but it will be harder)

A Frying Pan

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil/Sunflower Oil

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Step One - Cut 1/2 of the banana into chunks ready to blend and add the egg whites.

(Opptional - slice the remaining to top)

Step Two - Blend the egg whites and banana until smooth.

Step Three - Heat the oil in the pan then pour in the mixture. Leave until the bottom goes brown.

Step Four - Place the pan under the grill to cook the top of the pancake until golden.

Step Five - Transfer on to a plate and top. I tend to go for the remaining banana slices and honey but you could try anything... Blueberries and strawberries taste delicious with it.

I would love to hear from you if you choose to make these pancakes and also if you upload a picture to Instagram, use the hashtag #thateverydaygirlxo so I can check them out!

ENJOY!

What will you be topping your pancakes with today?

The Start Of My Journey To Health #JTH.

In recent years I have grown to love all things exercise. I enjoy treadmills, bikes, dancing and most definitely weights. Ladies, lifting will not make you look like a man. However, no amount of exercise will make up for a bad diet, a healthy diet really is what makes or breaks your progress.

When I use the word diet I'm not talking of these fad diets, I mean a healthy lifestyle. A life where your diet fuels your body, gives you energy, clears your skin and makes you feel and look good, a diet filled with nutrients. Fruit, veg, protein, good fats, good carbs.. All things good! Not all carbs and fat are bad, in fact our body needs them in order to build muscle and burn fat.

Now I've never been what people would call fat, but I was what I call skinny fat. I was never bigger than a size 6-8 but I wasn't toned, I wasn't fit and I definitely wasn't healthy. I would skip breakfast and live on the same foods, sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, pizza, chips, macaroni cheese etc. I used to love these foods and now I don't even really like them. I never had any energy, my skin was bad and I was never full. Then I slowly introduced breakfast and starting eating a bigger variety of foods that were healthier during the week and going to the gym and doing cardio but I still loved chocolate and pizza at the weekends. Looking back I can't believe I ever lived like that! At the time I didn't hate how my body looked, but then I suddenly did and I also felt bad for what I was doing to it! 

I decided to start eating clean. Clean eating is having natural foods that haven't been processed so you still eat food (not juices and shakes etc), you still eat fats, and carbs but just the good ones. This sort of eating is also known as the Caveman Diet. They lived without packaged food, think fresh meat, fish and poultry, fruit, veg, nuts, eggs, potatoes etc and so can we in theory, it's easier said than done. I also slowed down on the cardio and focused on toning up and building muscle which definitely made much bigger changes to my body than cardio ever could, I'm talking nice booty and toned legs! 

Here's the part I'm going to struggle to tell you. I became obsessed with my routine (I'm kind of OCD  about things) that if I even ate the tiniest bit of food that wasn't healthy or skipped a gym session, I would feel so angry with myself that I'd cry, and that's no way to live. It had stopped being about being healthy and had become about being thin for my holiday. I'd never been body confident and I thought being thin would help but it didn't, looking back now I most of all miss the way my body felt on the inside, how much energy and strength I had.

After my holiday, I stopped eating like this and slipped back into my old ways a bit. As you can imagine avoiding all treats is not easy. At first I was really angry with myself but at least now I know what I really want. Yes, I want to eat clean again and be healthy but I also want to enjoy my life and not miss out on things, like that delicious slice of birthday cake, so here is me making a declaration to start doing that and I hope that sharing my journey to health and happiness with you will help me turn my life around and along the way help some of you. Keep your eye out for the hashtag #JTH for blog posts relating to my Journey To Health.

I have no qualifications in nutrition or fitness so anything I share is purely personal research, however I will never encourage bag habits. We all deserve to feel good on this inside and outside and enjoy everything in moderation.

Who's joining me on this journey?