Lisa, Author at Conversations through the middle

Project 365 – week ending 2 February 2013

February 2, 2013

Dot walking Jerry – why does she never walk her own dog?

Ben in front and Jerry behind – looking after the neighbours dogs for a couple of days

What remains of the Roman gate in Colchester, the Balkan Gate

A glorious blue sky, you wouldn’t know it was freezing would you?

My job is so glam – washer woman for the day, all in the name of journalism

One of the more aesthetically pleasing street lights in Colchester

I hadn’t noticed this church until recently – not that I walk around with
my eyes shut or anything!

Kiwiherb organic remedies for winter ills – giveaway

February 1, 2013

With the forever changing weather – snow, rain, wind and (thank heavens) sun, it’s no wonder we feel under the weather at times, coughing and spluttering our way through to spring. Never fear, 40s Chic has come to the rescue with our latest giveaway, designed to get you through this tough spell in one of the most natural ways possible.

Thanks to the guys at Kiwiherbs we have a few herbal lovelies to help soothe your cough, boost your immune system and banish dry lips (the chapped look just doesn’t work).

First up from our terrific trio is Marshmallow & Mullein Syrup. This herbal blend works for both dry and wet coughs, including the chest congestion and phlegm that often go with them, relieving inflammation and irritation in the respiratory tract.

Organic and 100 per cent natural, this remedy helps in the breakdown of catarrh, it also tackles the awful wheezing and tightness in your chest that often accompany a cough, as well as fighting infection.

The syrup, which also contains manuka honey, organic apple juice and natural flavourings, is suitable for children and adults, and can be taken diluted in water or straight from the spoon.

If your lips could do with a bit of TLC then pucker up and try this organic Calendula Ointment. The high strength formulation is gentle on the skin and hydrating, thanks to the beeswax and organic sunflower oil it contains. It is effective in kissing goodbye to chapped lips, and can also be used on cuts, grazes, eczema and blisters.

Calendula has long been a skin saviour in herbal circles, thanks to its potent healing ability – it improves blood flow to wounds and encourages the body’s natural healing processes. It is antiseptic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, and is gentle enough to use on children.

Antiviral Echinacea boosts your immune system and let’s face it, we could all do with a boost now and then. Take it to ward of colds and flu, or if you’re unlucky enough to be suffering already, then try it to help fight infection and hopefully, have you feeling better in no time. Kiwiherb’s Organic Echinacea Root Extract could also be for you if you’re stressed or anxious, as these negative emotions can also lower your immune defences.

For your chance to win this great prize, simply:

1) Follow 40s Chic through GFC (you will find the link in the sidebar to the right)
2) Like the 40s Chic Facebook page (again, you can do this through the link in the right hand sidebar
3) Leave me a comment below and also tell me you have followed and liked.

Go on, what are you waiting for?

For more information about Kiwiherb take a look at their website at www.kiwiherb.co.uk

(One entry per person; please leave a twitter or blog address, or some other way to contact you, but not telephone numbers and preferably not email; UK giveaway only – sorry; entrants should be over 18 years old; one entry per person; the giveaway closes on 21 February and the winner will be chosen at random through random.org. Any questions just let me know).

Inspiration and weight loss goals

January 28, 2013

These are my favourite jeans. Why, I hear you ask, is she showing us a pair of Levis? Good question. It’s because they don’t fit, and haven’t done for quite a few years. But they will. Again.

I have been following the Jenny Craig diet for several months now and I’m proud to say I have lost half a stone, a bit more even. (Bear in mind those months included a holiday in Austria, Christmas and New Year, and a yoga retreat in Morocco and you will understand perhaps why I’m so proud of myself.)

I also earned a number of useful weight loss tips from my counsellor at Jenny Craig, who has supported me the entire time I’ve been working with them. These include drinking around two litres of water a day, which helps reduce bloating and fluid retention, so helping shed those pounds. She has also helped me see the importance of portion sizes, which has been reinforced by the meals themselves. They are so much smaller than I was used to eating, but I have compensated with huge portions of vegetables, and gradually, I’ve gotten used to this.

The psychological help has also been very important to me – talking through the various scenarios that have me reaching for the biscuit packet have helped me identify my triggers (emotional and boredom by the way). All in all, I’ve found the Jenny Craig diet system – the ready meals, eating plan and personal support – very helpful. However, a girl can’t live on Jenny Craig meals alone, and now it’s time to spread my wings and move on. Yes, I’m now doing it for myself, to paraphrase an 80s pop song.

They provided the inspiration and now I will provide the perspiration – physically and metaphorically. This weight loss lark is now down to me, so armed with my vision of portion sizes and masses of veg, I’m ready to meet the challenge head on. And next time you see those jeans they will be on me.

My helpful (hopefully) tips:

Water is boring and drinking two litres of water a day can be difficult, so I have found that drinking herbal teas is one way to make sure I get my two litres worth. Mint tea (I love a spearmint peppermint mix) is good for the digestion, while I have heard that Fennel tea dulls the appetite – and it tastes of aniseed, which I love.

Don’t try and fool yourself by serving your meals on a smaller plate – I tried and it doesn’t work, you just know it’s a trick. Use whatever plate you would usually use, but increase the portion of the plate given over to vegetables and decrease the space for the rest of your meal.

Eat regularly – if you don’t you will just end up famished and reaching for everything to hand, biscuits, crisps, the lot.

Don’t be hard on yourself. Nobody is perfect and if you slip up it’s no big deal in the great scheme of things, just pick up where you left off and don’t worry about it.

Project 365 – my weekly round-up

January 27, 2013

I’m going to go with a weekly 365 round-up from now on as sometimes it’s difficult to find the time to upload every day. Going from left to right and top to bottom this week in my life shows:

Dot having fun in the snow the day school was closed. Unfortunately this only happened on Monday and she had to trek to school in the snow for the rest of the week – which you can imagine didn’t go down well.

A snowy scene into the distance as Spice and I headed cross country.

Spice, the little man himself, enjoying the snow.

Homemade soup – yum. Tasty and warming, even if I did put too much pasta in it. This soup lasted for ages and fed Dot and I for quite a few days, in Dot’s case, sometimes twice a day (she loved it.) I’m not a cook so I’m very proud of this, especially as I didn’t follow a recipe but made it up as I went along.

The view across the fields taken from the wood where the dog and I love to walk. All the rain has made the wood very difficult to get through due to the mud and mulch, but the snow and cold hardened it all up so we took advantage and enjoyed a leisurely two-hour stroll.

Another view through the wood, honestly it is so beautiful in the snow that I could take photos of it all day. It’s the white against the bare branches that creates the fairytale look, a bit Narnia-like.

My Christmas poinsettia still looking great. I’m hoping it will stay healthy and last until next Christmas…