Tag: tips

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Lifestyle

Weekend Friday Favourites

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Weekend Friday Favourites

I hope your weekend’s going okay! I’m patiently counting down the days until life returns to a new normal of being allowed outside. Spain’s extended the current lockdown until 26th April. I’m hoping the weather’s not sunny skies everyday. I understand the lockdown whys but lots of sad puppy dog faces looking out the window on sunny days. Okay, rainy, cold, windy days too.

Anyway, this weeks Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye this week after a little break.

PopSugar Fitness

As much as I love Tone It Up, Studio Tone Up App, when it comes to cardio, I need more for my substitute run days. YouTube read my mind suggesting PopSugar Fitness! I’ve been having so much fun doing their free kickboxing and dance classes. I’m like a stick insect body rolling, I’m picking up the steps and I genuinely look forward to my classes. Classes are anything from 10-50 minutes. They also have a wide selection of HIIT, Zumba, toning and strengthening. One of my favourites, 30-Minute Latin Dance Workout with Nicole Steen when I discovered it 2 weeks about had about 5.2 million views. It’s currently at 8.1 million views! So much energy and positivity! The kickboxing class, 40-Minute Boxing and Kickboxing Workout with Christa DiPaolo fly by. I’m enjoying Deja Riley’s classes as well as others by Nicole Steen’s and Christa DiPaolo. The cherry on the top, they’re all free!!! To save my neighbours ears I put 2 yoga mats down which also help me get a better rhythm. My trainers squeak and catch on the floor tripping me up and putting me off count. Blame the tools! My ‘stomping’ puts me off and I think the neighbours will ring the doorbell asking me to stop.

Moisturising Cotton Gloves

If you have small hands, these are fine. Larger hands or longer fingers they might not fit

Leave it to my washing machine to have a breakdown in a lockdown. I’m waiting for the landlord to replace it. He’s been ill, so I understand the wait. The weather’s been windy, cold and rainy and I’m hand washing practically everything. I get bad hands in the winter anyway. Throw in hand washing they’re chapped and cut to F. I’ll put my hands up and say I forget most nights to do this. Continue reading “Weekend Friday Favourites” →

Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Recycle Less: Netflix and Linen

by natjtan2 Comments on Recycle Less: Netflix and Linen

While this Recycle Less is about all things linen, it’s also a reminder to myself why I’m recycling less. Or trying too. As I’ve mentioned many times animals, nature are 2 things I care very deeply about. We as humans tend to discard nature by keeping up with the Joneses.

I started watching on Netflix, Broken. A documentary looking at the true price of things we buy. Not in any particular order and I did leave it by the wayside for Korean dramas. Just saying. The one that made an imprint was Makeup Mayhem. The episode focusing how people’s need to have the latest beauty products fuels counterfeit goods. What shocked me more was the amount of waste. Watching the legit independent beauty brand ColourPop’s production line I was amazed by the amount of plastic packaging for just one pot of eye shadow. This is just an independent label. It blew my mind how much say an established beauty house uses plastic, what’s sold, what’s not, what’s discarded. The the amount of plastic and transport involved in counterfeit goods. Even the amount of plastic at the Port of Los Angeles! 5.5 million containers go through that port every year. Imagine the plastic inside! I also started watching Deadly Dresser episode looking into fast furniture of the furniture industry such as Ikea. I only watched 3 minutes but seeing the trees cut down illegally from National Forests in Eastern Europe for is enough for me to say no more cheap furniture. Thankfully the Ikea products in the house are lasting (I also think this is down to assembly. Yes a nod to P!). I’ve read forest wardens are being killed in the last primeval forests of Easter Europe by illegal loggers. Ikea has been taken to court for purchasing illegal primeval forest land in Romania. I know people need furniture and not everybody can spend money on items that will last as they need something now. It’s a huge mess, it’s complicated and I don’t see a way out.

H&M Home Linen Cushion Covers

I’m not sure how to continue this post after that. Little steps can make big steps cooperatively. I guess I didn’t need to replace the cushion covers. They were about 4-5 years old and I wanted a change which I didn’t realise until out shopping. Excuses! In perhaps the worst place to recycle less I was in H&M Home. I came across a tan/light brown 100% linen cushion cover that said NAT over here! Long story short, linen is a great alternative to polyester or nylon cushion covers. Easy to recycle at the Continue reading “Recycle Less: Netflix and Linen” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Beauty Finds: DIY Sugar Exfoliator

by natjtan2 Comments on Beauty Finds: DIY Sugar Exfoliator

While I’m a huge natural skincare junkie, I know in the back of my mind I can do without buying as many products. I can save on plastic and money. One such product is facial, lip and body exfoliators or scrubs. Today I’m re-sharing my go to exfoliating ingredient, sugar!

I used to use this sugar scrub a lot before wanting to try out coffee and other sugar scrubs. It’s really easy: Continue reading “Beauty Finds: DIY Sugar Exfoliator” →

Beauty and Skin Care, Lifestyle, Recycle Less

Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 1

by natjtan5 Comments on Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 1

I’ve been reducing or trying to reduce my plastic waste for the past few years. Somethings are easier than others to replace with non plastic. Hair products aren’t going to to be anytime soon unless part 2 of The Hair Care Bars do a miracle on this girl’s fine wavy stubborn hair.

A friend recommended Lush hair bars. She’s also on a plastic freer journey. I should have taken my own advise from my last trip to Lush. Lush is a I like concept brand, the products just don’t do it for me. My hair however wasn’t fairing well from Freshly Cosmetics duo, it was that time of the month making me feeling a little down with I need a boost (with shopping. I always say shopping is modern day hunting. The thrill of the chase hunting down items adrenalin low key pumping) so I was okay lets try Lush hair bars to see if they’ll revitalise my hair. Something I’m working this year is to listen to my intuition more. So many times I’ve gone against that voice, not listened and I should have. That and not buying unwanted things, saving pennies. 

Anyways, my hair time is fine, oily easily damaged. You’d think not colouring it, no heat treatment, eating as healthy as I can, all the hair foods and taking brewers yeast tablets my hair would be in okay condition. Nope. I blame pollution! And the wrong products. Continue reading “Beauty Finds: Hair Care Bars Part 1” →

Fitness, Inspiration, Thought

How Climbing Helps Me Run Obstacle Races Stronger And Confident

by natjtanLeave a Comment on How Climbing Helps Me Run Obstacle Races Stronger And Confident

I ran my first obstacle race or OCR this year and my first ocr in over a year last month. If there’s 2 things I took away from it was 1, climbing gives you an edge in ocrs and 2, if you want something done, do it yourself as you’re the only one 99% of the time who’ll rescue you.

I didn’t train for this ocr, The Maori Race. Previously I’d upped my gym training which is a bit of everything: functional, all directions, HITT, bodyweight, kettlebells, dumbbells, suspension training, ‘animal’ movement and nearer the time working on my burpees. Everything but machines! I signed up last minute and I haven’t been up on my burpees either. Usually it’s 30 ‘Crossfit’ chest touches the floor burpees for every obstacle you can’t do. Most months they’re in my workouts, but only 3 x 10. Ever since I started indoor bouldering and climbing ocrs have kinda fallen by the wayside. Getting to the locations is another reason. I could hire a car, but the sign up fees seem to increase every year making it expensive. Knowing how tired I’ll be afterwards or injured like 2 years ago  completing the course on a twisted ankle, I prefer not to drive myself there. 

Basically all I did for training was my usual own workouts, Tone It Up Studio Tone Up workouts and climbing. I couldn’t believe the difference climbing made! The last ocr I did was the same course and I had noticed a difference last year from climbing. This year I was amazed Continue reading “How Climbing Helps Me Run Obstacle Races Stronger And Confident” →