One Month to HOLIDAY Countdown!

I was going for a walk on my lunch break today and as I walked past the airport I saw the planes  soaring into the clouds, and I realised that we are leaving for our own holiday in only one month!!! EEP!

A plane coming in to land at Sydney Airport

 

In 30 days we fly out to Indonesia for a week of sun-bathing (with sun-screen on because I'm not silly....... and because I am pale as hell and don't suit blisters), swimming, enjoying cocktails and fresh fruit on the beach, and soaking up some beautiful culture! As I mentioned in a previous post, this is one of the things I had planned to do for this year that I can (very soon) cross off my list.. YAY!

 

So when we booked this holiday, I said to myself: "Erin, you're going to be a good girl this year, you're taking your health seriously for once, and you're going to go to the gym as many times a week as possible and become some sort of beach goddess in Seminyak."  -That lasted about 2 months... which is pretty good for me! Unfortunately during this time frame, my back - which has been a douche for a while now - started to give me  a little trouble. I ignored it for a little while, then when the pain became ridiculously unbearable I took myself off to the chiropractor in stead of the gym.

I still maintain that it was a great move on my behalf, as they found a few underlying issues there that could easily have become chronic issues had I not addressed them sooner.
Needless to say, my gym routine went out the window for a while as I was healing myself and re-learning how to stand.
Unfortunately for me though, I am now attempting to get back into a routine I had easily created months ago, and now seem to not be able to get back into: be up at 4:30am to be at the gym for a 5am start.... ughhhh. It's even more hideous written down!
This morning was my first day back at it, and I am feeling amazing! But I really did struggle when my alarm went off at 4:30.. I may have even gotten up to turn it off then crawled back into bed with my phone snuggled sweetly under my arm... But only for a minute! Then I realised how important it was for me to get up, so I did! (wonder of wonders!) - it didn't help that Domino was meow-ing constantly from the minute my alarm went off.



Our stunning villa in Seminyak

So I am trying to set myself a little goal of going to the gym as many mornings as I can until we go, doing yoga as many evenings as possible, and going for a walk in my lunch break when I can also - all in the hopes of being able to put on a bikini in Bali and feel confident when I get to that amazing pool (above).

Have you ever tried to set yourself a ridiculous goal such as this one? Are you a self-saboteur as well? What's your workout routine like?



 

A few reasons why I love Lush..

I went into my local Lush store today, and I always forget just how amazing it is in there! The customer service alone is worth the trip.
Here's why:

• I walked in, was greeted warmly & even recognised by staff
• She allowed me to walk around and smell things until I was ready to be approached
• I was listened to attentively, and felt like every minor concern I brought up was completely understood.... even while I explained my dislike of one mask simply because the texture put me off..
• I was offered a bunch of products for every concern, and the few I picked out were tested on my hands first - probably the most lovely part - she brought me over to the sink, where she began rinsing and lathering one hand, then setting a mask on the other - so that I could feel and smell them.
• I was given a free sample of one product I was unsure about, and when I bought all of my goodies, she invited me to a VIP night to test out their new range of scents. YAY!

That is basically a repeat of every time I've ever been into that store!
The best part of going into Lush is that I always walk out feeling so much better about myself than when I walked in!

If you've not heard of Lush, check out their products here. Most of their products are vegan, and nothing in their store has been tested on animals.

Some of the bits and pieces I picked up :)

Some masks, a spot treatment, toner, cleanser, perfume, exfoliant & glitter bar!

My favourite cleanser:

Fresh Farmacy

A new mask!

A little sample of Angels on Bare Skin

Official Day One of the 30 Day Yoga Challenge!

Getting ready to yoga!

Tonight my lovely boyfriend decided that after a couple of days watching me yoga it up at home, he thinks he would like to challenge along with me! Isn't that nice? Although it does mean that I had to start from day one again so that we could do it together from the beginning, I didn't mind, because it can only benefit me, right? :-)

Basic update: my shoulders and arms are a little sore from all this downward dog-ing, but my back is feeling amazing! 

The tension after a work day seems to release - which is amazing - and leaves me feeling relaxed and ready for bed :) 

Overall: Feeling amazing, and happy to continue on for the rest of the 29 days ahead! 

Tip: Don't push anything that doesn't feel right. Relax into the poses and concentrate on your breath.

 

Are you Yoga-ing too?

30 Days of Yoga Challenge

 

Hullo there! Mid-week boredom has spurred a challenge!!!!


So.... I am not the fittest person in the world, and I would never claim to be, but since I hurt my back a few weeks ago and haven't been able to get to the gym, what was left of my fitness has only declined..
The last week I have been attempting to go for a walk every day on my lunch break, not only to get out of the office for a little while and get some much needed vitamin d, but also to get my body moving since I haven't done much of that the past month..
As I am sure I have mentioned before, I am a procrastinator.. and I have been procrastinating about going to yoga for probably years now. I get ready to go to a class, then I find an excuse not to go - my yoga mat has a tear, I don't have my sports bra, my shirt sits funny today... etc etc until I finally have convinced myself that it would definitely be a bad idea to go today.. bad karma or something.
So I have decided to try and make myself accountable for actually doing it! Because I have been told that yoga will help to strengthen my back and neck and hopefully correct some of the damage I have done through years of poor posture. So I have decided to do a yoga "challenge" of sorts. I have videos to use through the week, and there is a class locally for me to go to on weekends to make sure I am doing everything correctly. I have attended a class here and there, so it is not completely foreign to me, but still a challenge is a challenge, and I am sure it will feel it.
So basically, the rules are: 1. Do yoga every day for 30 days. Got it? Good :) I'm not into setting crazy rules that I cant live by though, so if there is a day when I reeeeaaaally can't get it done, the I will have to do it twice the next day.. Morning and night. Fun!
Wish me luck, or join in for the fun!



Let me know if you've ever tried a challenge like this one, or if you're interested in trying it out with me! It would be great to know I am not the only ridiculous one out there.