Diploma in Personal Nutrition

Trying to do new things this years and be healthier, decided to do a nutrition course (Diploma Introduction to Personal Nutrition) . As I have done other courses with the Shaw Academy the personal nutrition course seemed good (you can get discounts for their courses on places like groupon and wowcher), it was very well organised and had lots of information, plus interactive challenges each week like drinking more water and eating more fruit and veg (via twitter or facebook). You watch the live webinar (8 live & 2 recorded in total over 4 weeks), if you miss a session they record them and put them on their site 24 hours later. The advantage of attending the webinar live is you can ask questions and get answers (you can also email them) I really enjoyed this course, even happier I finished my final exams with a Distinction :)


I have just started a completely different course in Mobile Web Development, its 4 weeks I'll see how I get on :)

Shamrock Coaster

With St Patrick's Day approaching on the 17th March here's a quick shamrock coaster to make. I can't guarantee it will bring you luck (I hope it will) but it's quick and easy to make :)

INSTRUCTIONS: Chain 76.  Chain 3 to turn this will count as first treble crochet(UK)/ double crochet(USA) of first row.  Treble crochet(UK)/ double crochet(USA) in 5th chain from hook. Treble crochet(UK)/ double crochet(USA) in next 2 chains to complete bottom right solid square of row 1.  Continue following pattern for first row reading pattern right to left.  After  completing first row, chain 3 to turn to start next row.  Continue following pattern until all rows are  complete.  At end of row 25 fasten off

My Little Home Box

I am late in posting this as I have had many Internet problems hopefully they have been solved now.
My second box from "My Little Box" arrived. It's so exciting opening it to find what goodies were inside. I am not missing my yarn buying at all and seem to be making more and designing/ writing up more patterns.
The theme this month is "Home" the box itself has a pretty illustration on it. There's a sticker inside the packing for your front door with a "Don't forget" list also with cute illustrations of keys, phone travel card and lipstick!
Opening the box, you find everything is neatly tied with a ribbon, there was a blue frame with a double sized card inside with illustrater Kanako's drawings, very nice (frame and print £6.00). 
I love the small drawstring fabric bag it has little lip sticks and beauty items printed on it, inside it contained three beauty items. Mine were Noxidoxi Mask and Peel, a skin reviving mask and face scrub (this is a V.large 40gm sample rrp full size 50gms = €20.00)  Polaar Genuine Lapland Hand Cream which is highly concentrated with an arctic berries extract (This was a full sized product approx. €16.90) and from My Little Boxes own brand beauty range My Little Beauty Early Morning Perfecting Face Cream (This was full sized product approx .€10.00) 
I added the euro prices but most items are available outside of France, except My Little Boxes own beauty range which is currently available only in France.
We have used the handcream so far which was very good, the smell is mild but a I find it a bit sour (so my fav. shea butter handcream from L'Occitance is not been replaced yet) but I will use it.
The other lifestyle item was a linen type cushion cover (rrp. £10.00), I can't find a fabric/ wash label on the cover so not sure what is the fabric content. One side is cream with little triangles, the other side is blue with white polka dots, but with the opening down the middle on the blue side (I would use the blue side), I think I will upcycle it a little, maybe just add some nice buttons, I feel it needs something, I will play :)
Overall it was a nice box of items, not as good as last months box, but I will not be cancelling yet. 
I need March's box now :)

Happy Valentines Day

This morning I hung out my Ogham Grà Love panel in the garden on one of the giant yucca plants (I did not harm the plant), as it's Valentines Day! I decided to join the celebrations in my own way! it was sunny but very cold out there ( Grà means love in Irish Gaelic, Ogham is a old Celtic script the pattern from my e-book Ogham Love Charts)


I hope everyone is having a good Valentines Day even the single people like me. I found a super bargain in the supermarket last week a reduced price (in the bargain section, I love finding bargains) for £1.99, a super cute large jammy dodger tin (a UK biscuit I ate as a child very tasty but sweet) I love tins, great for buttons, sewing needles and all the little things you want to keep tidy and neatly hidden away. This tin even had little packs of tiny jammy dodgers inside eekk!! As they have strawberry jam in them do you think I could count them as one of my 5 a day fruits & veg?
 

Just a reminder if you want the free "Valentines Heart 2016" pdf via Ravelry or Loveknitting please download it in the next 4 days as from Friday it's $1.50. I am doing another limited time free pattern soon for St Patricks Day, so to keep informed follow this blog, the facebook page or join the ravelry group.
Plus a note to fellow bloggers (blogger and blogspot) recently you may have seen your followers disappear this is because google are only allowing gmail or google+ account holders to follow  blogger/ blogspot blogs, they have removed those followers from twitter, openID and a few other sites :(

Birchbox February

My 2nd birchbox arrived, I was so excited as I did not expect it yet. It was a pretty box with "shine bright like a diamond in gold" printed in gold on it. I saw on their website there were three different colour boxes this month, I am happy with this colour. Sadly I don't find a diamond necklace in my box :( there was one placed randomly in one box this month. I saw a lucky person had found it on Instagram.
When I opened the box everything was in a bag again, I like these bags prefect for projects.
I knew about two of the products that were in this months box from emails. The first was birchboxes own brand LOC newly launched product - one and done shadow stick. We were sent an email at the end of January, with a choice of two colours "perfect cents" a gold/ copper colour and "champagne problems" a silver colour. I chose the perfect cents and I am really glad I did, its a really nice pale gold/ cooper that is not to shiny, a soft eye shadow pencil that is waterproof I love this, great for a contact lense wearer like me and it did work as I had to go to work this week in the nasty windy wet storms. I wore it to test it out, loved the colour too (the shadow stick is £8.00 a full sized product was sent). The second item was a tapered powder brush by Spectrum Collections (£7.99 full sized product sent) a super soft brush that looks pretty also, very happy with this brush. The other samples I received were  
Ayres Body Butter in Patagonia (Patagonia is a blend of jasmine, lavender, ylang-ylang, and fir) info on their site said " paraben-free formula contains a signature blend of natural plant emollients, herbal extracts, and vitamins to soothe and moisturise skin. Vitamin E protects skin from free radical damage, while shea butter sinks in for lasting hydration" (£19.50 for 191gms, sample size was 28gms) When I tried this cream out at first the smell reminded me of a strong designer men's aftershave, but after about an hour the smell was not so strong and changed to something I really liked (earthy, clean smell) and my skin liked it also very hydrating.  
Korres Milk Proteins 3-in-1 Cleanser (£15.00 for 200mls sample sent was 16mls) this does what it said on the tube, cleanses, tones, and removes eye make-up quick and easy to use. 
Lumiere d'Hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect (£20.00 for 200mls sample size 30mls) the site blurb saids "Strengthening, repairing, de tangling, great at taming flyway ends as well as nourishing and protecting, it's a brilliant all-rounder. It's also 100% Vegan, gluten-free, sulphate-free and paraben-free" You wash hair and spray on this leave-in conditioner, or like me in-between washes spray on, it was excellent for detanging my hair, which is long and wavy so tangles easily. I really really loved the fact it untanged my hair :) 
and the last sample I received was BioNike DEFENCE XAGE ULTIMATE RICH Lifting Remodelling Balm (£27.00 for 50mls sample was tiny 3.5mls) this was a light cream very hydrating but did not feel like a balm. Very small sample but seems like a very nice product.
So I am again very happy with my box :) 


Note: If you want £5.00 worth of points with your first box email me (or use the contact form on the right) for a link, I currently also have a code for 50% off the first box which can be used with the link - just put the code in the promo code box before ordering.  So that's half price for the 1st box and £5.00 in points, don't forgot to review the products when you get them and that's up to another £5.00 worth of points to spend in their shop.

Chia seeds, water and vegetables

Back at the start of January I blogged some of my "New Year's Resolutions", so this is an update on my No.4 Healthy eating. I decided to do a nutrition course, it started last week and has 10 sessions over 4 weeks, its an online course where you attend live (or you can watch the recording the later if you can not attend) by Shaw Academy and is very interesting (they do good deals for their courses on Groupon)  it has people attending from all over the world. I have done other courses with them and they have been very good.
Last week the challenge was to drink 8 glasses of water a day, this was easy I am always drinking water (although I lost my water bottle and had to buy water when I was out n about :( This week's task is eating fruit and vegetable, not just eating them but to eat a rainbow of colours in fruit and veg. I am good with eating fruit and veg, but my rainbow needs more green veg so that's my own challenge this week.
Plus at last my chia seeds arrived and they were worth the wait, I am still experimenting but thought I would share my first almond milk, honey and chia seeds breakfast with banana, almond flakes and a tiny sprinkling of bee pollen. So yummy!!
Just whats needed for a day of designing and crafting.
 

Valentines Heart Pattern 2016

With Valentines coming quickly I just added a new pdf pattern "Valentines Heart 2016" to ravelry and loveknitting/ lovecrochet's sites 
To keep the love the it's currently free, very quick to make, recommended for intermediate filet crocheters (includes increasing) but beginners used to following symbol charts could easily follow charts.

Suggested thread cotton size 10
PDF - Includes basic instructions
Filet crochet chart
Symbol chart
Duel pattern uses both UK and USA terms

Use to make coasters, doily's, motifs for bags & clothes, to decorate a card, let me know what you use the pattern to make. Plus remember if you download from ravelry please give the pattern a like :)
Have a play and make not just in white but red or pink :)