Bloggers Biggest Loser and a Giveaway!

Hi guys linking up again with
 Amy and Vicki

My last two weeks have been up and down again but i really started focusing this past week and have managed  to drop about 4lbs yay! 

I have been making a real effort to keep a diary of everything i put in my mouth and keep myself accountable! it's hard but so helpful on those days you don't drop any weight and feel so disjointedness! you can look back and think well those gingerbread biscuits probably didn't help.

 I have also been trying to eat a BIG soup for lunch because i find it really helps me feel fuller longer plus i am being way more adventurous with the soup im eating, i used to be a heinz tomato or vegetable only kinda girl! but in the last couple of weeks i have had a carrot/swede/celariac soup and a sweet potato/carrot/parsnip soup, my next soup adventure looks like its set to be a roasted cauliflower/garlic and Shallot soup I can't wait!

couldn't get the bowl to look all perfect and fancy it was too yummy!

I mentioned the book that has really got me moving in this post

and
after ordering a paper copy for myself and one for my work colleague
 i managed to order one extra by accident so now here is your chance to win it!!!

a drive to Fanahammeren

Yesterday the boyfriend and I decided to take a quick drive

 to enjoy the beautiful clear blue skies.

Our goal was to drive into to Fana to see the area my boyfriend's family farm used to be

we decided seeing as the views were so beautiful to keep driving and visit the farm school he went to and in doing so we came across the most beautiful little place called

Fanahammeren

I am pretty sure we have decided if we ever get super rich we will be buying a koselig little house out here!

wishful thinking!

here are some photos to show you why.

Also me and my boyfriend attempted pictures in front of the beautiful skies but they failed lol

Happy Monday :)

one last thing it is my friend Alyssa's birthday today 

so i think you should all go and visit her blog :)

Do you know what really grinds my gears?

A lot of things!!

But 

I have decided to not write them all over my blog like i have been tempted to these past few weeks.

I feel like all i read at the moment is negative negative negative and it's starting to affect the way i am looking at things.

often i find myself moaning about something or worse listening to someone else moan about something and then agreeing with them before i catch myself and think first world problems much!

So 

I have decided to concentrate on some positive things from now on.

Like how happy i am to live in an AMAZING country with a job and a boyfriend i am madly in love with.

How happy i am to be connecting with a bunch of new ladies who i am sure will be firm friends soon enough.

and how happy i am to be working towards my fitness goals with a renewed energy!

I hope that this new found focus on the GOOD things in life will help me blog a bit more. I really want to start blogging about the place i live because it has been my dream country since i was a teenager and it hasn't disappointed me yet!

also i can't wait to start posting about all the progression we are making in the new apartment!

and many other fun things!

so look out blogger world! 

THERE IS A NEWER POSTIVER SELINA ON THE LOOSE!

Oh How Pinteresting - Kitchen Edition

I really didn't plan to link up today but the bf and I have been picking paint swatches for our new kitchen and i just felt super pinterest inspired.

As our apartment is tiny but blessed with BIG windows we are going with a very neutral cream/latte colour scheme.

in our kitchen the majority of the walls are lovely latte coloured panels but there is one wall which faces the window and i think just deserves to be a lovely accent colour. 

still pale but just a change of tone to make it feel a bit different.

These are the colour swatches we are looking at the two in the middle are a variation on our panels and the other two are the ones we are trying to decide between for an accent wall.

Source: Uploaded by user via Selina on Pinterest

what do you think??

I am completely love the pink but also think the soft blue would look so pretty and be so calming in the kitchen.

Here are some of my pinterest inspirations

Source: free-home-decorating-ideas.com via Selina on Pinterest

Source: hookedonhouses.net via Selina on Pinterest

Source: myhomeideas.com via Selina on Pinterest

Source: christinebauer.com via Alex on Pinterest

What do you guys think??

 I can't wait to share photos of how it all turns out!!




don't forget to link up with Michelle at The Vintage Apple

Bloggers Biggest Loser: Week 2

Ok so week one went well and i lost 4.3lbs wooo! 

But

then i had some university work to finish and it all went downhill from there :(

so now i am at 191lbs boohooo!! 

However

I have started work with a personal trainer and so i am feeling a lot more motivated to kick this weight loss in the arse!!!

while i was on my ignoring dieting and my blog hiatus aka last week! I had a revalation while out on date night!

Usually on date night the BF and i go out for a big dinner and ALWAYS include desert because i have a sweet tooth and i am treating myself.

I don't feel bad about this because we all need a little treat sometimes but i do feel bad about ending up buying  a huge expensive desert just for the sake of it after a big meal.

This time around we tried something new

TAPAS

it was the perfect way to not eat a ton but to have a lot of little bites of yummy food.

I had:

baby potatoes (boiled) with garlic and chilli
stuffed mushrooms (little ones)

bread and garlic mayo

and olives

not so bad really and for desert instead of going for a big gluttonus desert i shared this baby with my love

Cucumber and Lime sorbet, dark chocolate cake with port and Creme Caramel

I seriously think this was a brilliant choice because i got to try three different deserts but because we were sharing and the portions were like 2 bitsizes i didn't over indulge.

I remember commenting to my Boyfriend on the way home how nice it was to not feel so full i felt a bit sick but instead i felt satisfied.

I wanted to thank everyone on their lovely comments on the last blog posts i did and let you all know that at some point this week (ahem maybe tomorrow or thursday) i shall be giving away some awesome things including..

The Flat Tummy Club

Hey guys this is just a quick one to tell you about this new book i have been reading which in turn has inspired me so much i am getting ready to walk an hour to work!

 in the cold and possible rain people!!? 

this book must be doing something rightt!

the blurb says:

Depressed by her expanding waistline, Kate Adams set out to lose weight - and keep it off for good. Six months later and over two stone lighter she decided to share her experiences and set up the Flat Tummy Club. 

Now you too can become a member by following the foolproof Flat Tummy Club Diet:

1. Do the Flat Tummy Inquisition to work out where exactly your spare tyre comes from.

2. Beat the bloat and shed up to 7lbs in a week with the 7-day Jump Start.

3. Swap in the Top 20 Flat Tummy Foods to keep you on the straight and narrow-waisted.

4. Keep your flat tummy forever with tips to help you maintain your willpower when stress, holidays and work start getting in the way.

I say:

I haven't finished this book so far as i have only read week 1 of the plan it includes but i cannot tell you how inspired i feel by the first chapters 

(not even including the plan its self) 

The author knows her stuff 

and better yet when i'm reading it i don't feel like its all sciency jargon i don't understand.

 She talks about the need to tailor make a diet and not to just blindly follow a crazy one. 

she also talks about looking at the root of our  unhealthy and unhappy habits. 

after reading the first half of this book i woke up this morning at 6:30 

(usually i drag myself out of bed at 8) 

and have decided that to save the bybane money 

(another of my resolutions was to get debt free by 24) 

I am going to set off an hour and 15 mins before work and walk all the way to work!

so call me crazy, call me weird but check out this book -

 i downloaded it to my kindle and LOVED IT <3

also there us a website if you guys want to look a bit further into it

The Flat Tummy Club

also i forgot to mention yesterday but many of you found me anyways i am on MFP too

Bloggers Biggest Loser . Fitness Goals 2012

Hey Guys today i am linking up for..

and today we are talking about fitness goals of 2012!

Mine are the same as always although this year i feel focused! 

my goals are...

1. first and foremost lose weight, i have been trying for many years to slim down and get my body healthier but so far i have no succeeded it is often down to following impossible diets, a lack of will power and an overwhelming sweet tooth.

But this year i shall be following the

This isn't a crazy diet which makes you cut everything of joy out of your life, instead its a healthy and easy to follow plan! my colleague is on it and she has lost a lot of weight without starving her into a bag of bones!

My overall weight goal is to get to 125lbs

2. start running, i have tried running so many times but i just hate it!! this year however i really want to work on loving it! so i am trying the nike + walk to run program! and hopefully i will run a 5k this year instead of walk one like i did last time!

3. stick to my goals! plain and simple

yes it will!!!!

Date Night and NYE

The boyfriend and i decided that instead of venturing out into town on NYE, spend lots of money and getting crushed on the bybane home, 

we would do a Date night the evening before instead.

so i got all dressed up

inspired by a ballerina?

and off we went into town

<3 My Love

 to one of our favourite places to eat 

Taste of Indian,

it has gotten some pretty bad reviews in the past but i personally love it.

after dinner we went for a little stroll to enjoy some of the lights

picture is a bit rubbish :(

while we were walking i noticed this cute second hand shop which had a great quote on its ceiling.

I thought i would share it with you all.

New Years Eve wasn't the quite affair we had imagine cut to me and the BF getting in at 5am!

but i thought i would show you what i wore cus i felt awesome in it ;)

It's that time of year again

Time to make a lot of goals that will most likely be forgotten in a few weeks

but

 not this year, 

this year i am setting myself some reachable (i hope) 

sensible (i think) 

goals to achieve by January 2013

 ... that is if we make it that far ;)

1. Start and finish a quilt

My wonderful aunt got me this book for Christmas

and i have already got started on something 

2. Do much more knitting
i am such an old lady ;)
3.  Take photos everyday

now that i have a brand new camera i want to make the most of it and really work on my photography skills
4. Get more focused with my blog writing
sometimes i feel like i really just write any old rubbish and then fill in the rest of the week with random link ups, which although i do love them i kind of want to add a bit more original writing too.
5. Lose weight, get fit and healthy
this is of course a standard in almost everyone's new years resolutions, this year i am completely serious in wanting to make a change.

I will be discussing my goals later this week as part of the above weekly link up thing (yeah i know i said not as many link ups but i didn't say none at all!)

6. Get (mostly) debt free before i am 24
discounting my student loans as they will probably haunt me forever! i plan to be debt free by May this year, that way i can really work on saving towards my future.

7. Train for a 5k
hopefully i will be completing one with a colleague later this year.

8. Work on appreciating who i am and how i look
kind of says it all above.



So there it is 8 reasonable goals to start of my 2012


Happy New Year!!!