So are you lot on to your second or third Christmas dinner yet? Need to say thank you to those family members who have slaved away for hours to cook that perfectly stuffed Turkey, roast those potatoes and sizzle those sprouts? Then Tesco has the perfect thank you gift, which should put a smile on everyone’s faces in time for 2014.
The supermarket giant has launched the #Big Thank You campaign, providing fun ways to say thank you for the little things that matter to you at Christmas, using short songs. (The Big Thank You videos can be watched and shared here.)
They’ve already had a whopping 200,000 views and shares between them and its not hard to see why… here’s one of our favourites, its the Instagram thank you…
Thank you’s are a changing and look set to go even more digital in 2014, so…
Tesco’s jumped on the band wagon, and decided to join the social media fun by providing a series of short YouTube videos for a fun way to share a thank you through entertaining songs.
With videos featuring a singing trio whose songs cover everything from Christmas socks to sprouts and cooking the dinner, the campaign has been running from Christmas day. There are 15 short clips which can be emailed, tweeted or posted to family and friends.
But what about tradition we hear you say…
It’s a traditional part of Christmas day to call friends and family and to say thanks for the gifts received, but this year we did it online more than ever. With over 90% of 16-24 year olds and 74% 25-44 years olds on social media, it’s clear that many of us will be spreading the Christmas cheer online.
Tesco has been emailing their millions of Clubcard customers the Big Thank You videos to offer their singing services, as well as sharing them through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.
This is all young people nonsense no?
And it’s not just youngsters who’ll be on social media during this festive period either, as 19% of 65-74 year olds are also online tweeting and posting. Tesco expect to see grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles all sharing the Big Thank You videos with relatives. And, with record numbers of us expecting to unwrap tablets – 60% of us have one our wish list** there will be a tuneful way to say thank you with your new gift.
Get sharing and Sing a song of Thank You’s! Thanks to Tesco!
The Big Thank You videos can be watched and shared here.
Have a happy and safe New Years everyone and bring on 2014!! x
So Snoochers, how many have you taken? I’m talking about selfies, come on now, don’t be shy we’ve all done it…those self-portraits taken on a mobile phone, which is then shared via social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc.
I’m not going to lie, selfies have happened in the weirdest of places, there was recently an article released about the rising population of people taking selfies at funerals! (Not cool people!) and popular personalities from Rihanna to Rosie H-W love taking pictures of themselves posing to model perfection, its even given way to the birth of new TV shows based around the Instagram lives of the rich and famous kids, who love to share pictures of themselves and their wealth!
Recent research by Superdrug of 2,000 women showed that half of all young women (18 to 24 years) admit to taking selfies, with one in ten admitting to taking them ‘all the time’, taking on average five minutes and 45 seconds to get the perfect “impromptu” shot.
62 per cent of the young women questioned said they used their selfie as their profile picture on social media. In the battle of the social media big three, Instagram is the top place for posting selfies with 30 per cent, 21 per cent post theirs on Facebook while 13 per cent use Twitter to publicise themselves.
If only they had selfies back in the day!
Now these are some interesting numbers, but get this…
While it takes on average five minutes and 45 seconds for young women to take the perfect photograph, it takes them a staggering 11 minutes before then to ensure their hair and makeup are perfect. But why is there all the fuss? Well, Superdrug’s Buying Director Simon Comins, may have the answer, he said: “The rise of mega pixel cameras on phones ensures that today’s young women want to look picture perfect and this means high definition makeup, flawless skin and artfully styled hair.”
So with this in mind, is it any wonder why we’ve seen a huge rise in the purchasing of make up to help us look “picture perfect” just for our very own selfie?!!
Superdrug reports sales of makeup primers have increased by 21 per cent so far in 2013. Other products highlighted as essential for selfies also on the rise including eyebrow pencils and volume boosting mascaras.
So whats the verdict?!
Well, these aren’t going to please everyone, some may say that the selfie is an arrogant, immature thing to do from people who want attention; whilst others may applaud it for giving people the confidence to step in front of the camera and feel beautiful enough to take a snap of themselves. Either way its proving to be big business particularly in the area of make up. So whether or not you decide a selfie is a perfect expression of how you’re feeling at that particular “moment in time” or not, remember…its all a bit of fun, right?
Well phone lovers, its probably the most exciting announcement you’ve heard all year, there is not one but TWO new iPhones coming our way. Yesterday in sunny Cupertino, California, Apple CEO Tim Cook took to the stage to announce the new technology coming from the ever so exciting giant. What he/they managed to do is bring Summer back into our lives with the colourful iPhone 5c and make us feel a little more futuristic with Apples new flagship phone the iPhone 5S.
So lets take a closer look shall we?
Say bye bye to the iPhone 5 as it will no longer be produced. Instead you’ll have a choice of five colours to start with, for this “bridging phone’s” plastic casing, which everyone has been anticipating and predicting!
Don’t be fooled by its looks, the iPhone 5c will end up being almost identical to the iPhone 5 in terms of its internal features, which for the more tech savvy amongst you will mean an A6 processor, 4-inch retina display and an 8 megapixel camera.
In terms of what is different from the iPhone 5, and better, you’ll find with the iPhone 5c, that it has a much larger battery (which means longer talk time!) and it also has a new HD Face time camera.
This new handset will set you back (out of contract) 16GB £469 and 32GB £549.
Next up, the biggy….
The iPhone 5s is really what everyone was waiting for with baited breath – with all its new features its hard to describe this in anyway other than a ‘mega-phone’ it really feels like Apple have upped its game once again and given the crowds what they want.
So remember its what’s on the inside that counts. First up you can expect a brand new camera called iSight, which boasts a new lens with an F2.2 aperture, new sensor and bigger pixels. Guess how good your Instagram pics are gonna be now?! And, no more password protecters, with this tech beauty, you’re going to feel like Tom Cruise in Minority Report as you get to grips with its fingerprint sensor!
In terms of speed, its new processors mean that with its A7 chip, the iPhone 5S will be twice as fast as the iPhone 5 and 5C. And here’s another bit of cool knowledge, the iPhone 5S has a 64-bit processor, which makes it 5x faster than the iPhone 5 and 56 x faster than the very first iPhone!! (We’ve come a long way baby…)
The battery will also be longer lasting giving you 2 more hours of talk time and 25 more hours of standby time.
And finally, say bye bye to the old colour iPhones, this new version is available in three colours including silver, gold and space grey.
Get some future tech for these prices (outside of contract) 16GB £549, 32GB £629, 64GB £709.
The Apple iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s will be available to buy in the UK from the 20th September.
But I can’t wait that long and neither can my current iPhone!
Don’t despair, we know the new iPhones look appealing, but for most of us, buying these are still a long way off, and we’re still having to struggle with the lesser lasting battery lives on our current iPhones. So fear not, we’ve found a solution …. introducing, the Juice Cube!
With prices around £24.95, this is an absolute life-saver for those who can’t do without their gadgets on the go; the Juice Cube has been designed to deliver power when needed. Simply charge the compact Cube and attach it to a phone, games console or MP3 player via a USB cable with the appropriate connector. A three-hour charge will deliver up to six hours of power for a 3G mobile phone, 13.2 hours for a 2G mobile phone, 60 hours for an MP3 player and 20 hours for a games console.
If you need to get your hands on one of these ASAP, then we’d recommend contacting www.johnlewis.com
Our travel writer Katrina Santos-Baron took a break from travelling to glamorous locations and instead spent the last week on a health trip that didn’t even require her to leave her home town! She shared her findings with Snoochie Boochies to show the benefits of tackling weight loss and healthy living through juicing, and more specifically the Alpha Step: 5 Day Reset.
Two months ago, I decided to go on a Weight Loss Challenge as I wanted to lose 5 kilos (11 lbs) that I gained over the last few months. I started it as I was coming into the realisation that married life is not an excuse to gain more inches around the waist! And I found along the way, that there’s more to life than just losing those ‘muffin tops’ I gained from a happy marriage *giggles* and fitting once again into my size 8 dresses, jeans and stylist’s clothes, what actually happened was that I rediscovered the beauty of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And who wouldn’t want to wake up with a flatter tummy?!
Looking back at my diet, I realised I was eating a lot of oily and processed foods, particularly when my husband and I had a few friends over from our native Philippines. (I was cooking a lot of Filipino delicacies, such as binagoongan, ginataang alimasag, sinigang, rice and all for 2 weeks – not to forget the deserts on top! – oh, good times). I applied the polite portion principle though. During this time, I noticed that my skin started to breakout and I almost gained what I just lost. Phew… So, being inspired by some of my fitness partners, I bought a juicer and I started juicing various produce.
I can officially announce that my juicer has been the busiest machine in my kitchen! I’ve been experimenting lots of different mixes, I find it de-stressing. My husband and I have moved on to replacing one meal with 1-2 cups of freshly made juice (mostly dinner) and this has been going on for few weeks now. Over this time, I noticed that I’ve lost 3 kilos and few cm off my waistline. Yahoooooo! Well that comes with also working out almost 5 days week, a holistic approach is the key!
I also noticed that with juicing, my skin got clearer with a pinkish glow effect, and I am more energetic especially when I do my usual fitness exercises.
Its not just me who has seen the benefits:
One of my friends who inspired me to start juicing also shared her juicing experience:
“I have been juicing on and off for almost a decade already. But seriously juiced (everyday) just this year. Our family doctor recommended a recipe to make us healthier and have glowing skin noticeable in just a week. So we tried it – it was great! We went back to it this year and I really noticed a big difference in my energy levels so continued my research (since that recipe tasted horrible) and found a whole heap of new recipes to try.
Since I started juicing, I noticed I got more energy and my skin was just glowing. There is that rosy pink glow to it. I can do so much more in the day than I used to. The energy is the most important change that I noticed. I became stronger. Also, I am a frustrated runner. My knees hurt everytime I tried to run, even for just a few seconds. But more recently I am able to do a minute of running, alternating with brisk walking then running again. I’m faster now. I’ve always known it has got to be the juicing. And just today, I discovered that cucumbers help lubricate your joints. I juice cucumber a lot, so now I know why all of a sudden I can run for a bit longer. I got hooked. And been sharing the benefits of juicing to my friends since.”
You can see why my friend is my juicing guru. We’ve been talking about different types of juicers (centrifugal vs masticating juicers and how we can’t wait to get our hands on Hurom HU-700), various juice mixes and health advice.
The Alpha Step: 5 Day Reset
As I got more serious about juicing I’ve started an Alpha Step: 5-day Reset. This means that I’ll be eating no food for a period of 3 days but instead, replacing all the meals with 100% fresh veggies and fruit juice every 3 hours up to 6 times a day and consuming 10-12 cups daily, then slowly introducing protein on Day 4 & 5 then back to eating clean and regular exercise.
Here’s a helpful quick-start article by Drew Canole about this – please click here. I don’t think I have the symptoms of poor digestion as mentioned in the article but I believe my body deserves a break from heavy food intake. Drew also stated that, “Alpha Step”…is the beginning step in any new workout regime or fitness goal. Okay, game.
So here’s my Alpha Step Diary:
The day before:
I started to read few articles and blogs about Alpha Step so that I get a clear understanding of what am I getting myself into. I got really excited, unfortunately, and planned my grocery shopping for the following day.
This is it. Day 1:
Weight: 57.7kgs
I had warm water with lemon as usual (let’s call this L-H20 and this is different from squeezing lemon on drinking water under room temperature; to cut the long story short, the difference is the water temperature)
I had a banana-kiwi smoothie for breakfast since bananas do not go in the juicer. I blended it well to ensure that it’s less thicker than a normal smoothie, almost close to the juice texture.
I quickly went to the shop nearby and picked few essentials
I’m glad I had a good 60-min cardio at the gym last Saturday as this programme prohibits excessive exercise / lifting weights for 5 days. I just did few squats at home.
I did the normal no.2 in the morning (sorry I had to write this in case this changes along the course)
Three hours later, I juiced 4 celery stalks, 4 carrots, 2 red apples, half beet root and a handful of spinach
My next juice was 4 big tomatoes and 2 small carrots – kinda sour…
I was drinking loads of water squeezed with lemon all day
I felt kinda dizzy, maybe that’s my body adjusting or I was just spending too much time infront of the computer, anyways, I kept on reminding myself – I can do it. Here’s my work desk with my juice (sorry it’s a bit cluttered, I usually clear it up after):
I really wanted to stuff my mouth with the leftover M&Ms.. Lol.. But I thought, it’s not worth it!
My husband picked me up to do grocery shopping and we spent nearly £85 on produce! Okay, this is not a cheap diet but I know it’s a good health investment.
I got a bit hungry so I made beetroot, carrot and cucumber juice – not my favourite mix so I had water with lemon immediately
This is the most challenging bit: cooking salmon and aglio e olio for my husbands dinner. Okay, okay, okay… I had to hold my breath and focus on my goal: detox to lose unwanted fats and be healthier. Fine.
Of course I had to go to the loo frequently due to the amount of liquids drank all day (not to do no.2 – just want to make it clear)
For the first time in months, I felt sleepy at 9:30pm and went to bed early.
Ain’t That Easy. Day 2:
Weight: 56.5 kilos – I already lost 1.2 kilos
I had the same in the morning: L-H20 plus banana and kiwi juice-like smoothie
I didn’t take any fiber supplement as advised and there wasn’t a change in my toilet routine, I was still able to do no.2 at around the same time (sorry, it’s gross but I have to include it)
I juiced greens for lunch: broccoli, bell pepper, granny smith apple, cucumber, celery and parsley.
The dizziness had gone and I felt energetic. However I am paranoid of the pimple-popping-detox-result. I’ve read few blogs and they’ve experienced severe breakouts during the juice fast. Thankfully, no red spots on my skin yet. I guess that’s because I’ve been juicing already and been avoiding greasy junk food prior to this.
The green juice made me full for the next few hours until late in the afternoon. I’ve been eating Juice Plus Chewables (made from real fruits and veggies in chewy form – it melts before it even goes down to the esophagus so I guess it’s okay).
Another challenge: I prepared roast chicken, potatoes with onions, red and yellow bell peppers for my husband’s dinner – now that made me hungry! I was okay the whole day until this came along! I thought it was going to be easy but it made me crave for hot food! The whole house smelled of roasted chicken and I realised this is not easy.
So I made a juice: half of a red bell pepper, 1 apple, 2 carrots and 2×1″ ginger. I don’t know what I was thinking – it really tasted awful. I only had few gulps and I had to bin it… I felt really bad, I hate wasting food!
To give myself a little treat, I made my one of my favourite mixes – beet, carrot and apple, my comfort juice (others call it the ‘Miracle Drink’) and went to bed at past 10ish
I’m Still Alive: Day 3:
Yes, I’m still alive! lol. The thought of ‘no food’ was a bit scary to begin with but thinking of all the benefits from juicing and upon reading the testimonials, obviously this plan is created for a nourishing detox and I woke up happier this morning. It’s the last day anyway and tomorrow I can insert egg whites in my diet, then fish the day after.
This morning, I weighed 56.1 (dropped almost 1 lbs), lost 2.6cm off my waistline and no breakouts – yahooooo!
After the usual L-H20, I had a smoothie made of 2 bananas and a cupful of strawberries for breakfast and that kept me full for hours (I’ve been drinking water with lemon in between as well)
Normal toilet routine – meaning my digestion is still good 🙂
Got a bit hungry so I prepared a juice made of 1 pack of asparagus, 2 tomatoes and 1 carrot.
At around half 5 in the afternoon, I made an orange juice (using 6 oranges). Did you know that oranges are good for the skin? That’s one beauty secret revealed!
I wanted to join my husband in the gym at around 7ish but I opted not too since the plan prohibits excessive exercise as I mentioned earlier. I also have loads of unfinished work to do anyways…
Like in the past two days, the most challenging bit comes when I prepare dinner for my husband. I cooked Spaghetti Bolognaise (another favourite). I thought to myself, “It’s okay, Kat. Few more days and you can eat a polite portion of SpagBol. You’ve come this far, so don’t give up”. Hope you don’t get me wrong, I’m not depriving myself – I’m detoxing just for 5-days!
For dinner, I made 1 beet root, 1 carrot, 1 apple, 1 cucumber, 4 celery stalks and handful of parsley.
Smiling on a Gloomy: Day 4:
I woke up on a gloomy and rainy morning but I feel lighter. I went to the bathroom and I weighed 55.3kgs (1.7 lbs lost) and dropped 1cm off my waistline. No breakouts on my skin apart from a dried tiny spot on my forehead (I had this before I started the Alpha Step!)
I had 4 boiled eggs whites on a empty stomach replacing one juice consumption. I was so excited to have egg whites. I seemed like I’ve never felt as excited as this about egg whites in my entire life! That was filling and I had a good burp (excuse me!).
Banana, strawberry and kiwi smoothie for brunch at 11:45
I realised my no.2 didn’t take place (I hadn’t taken any fibre supplement yet)
I made another green juice: 3 celery stalks, 1 cucumber, parsley, broccoli and 1 lemon. Tangy, tangy…
I had another 2 egg whites for dinner 🙂
I was sleepy at around 10ish but was watching a movie with my husband, so ended up staying awake until about midnight. I was a bit cheeky and tried one of his M&Ms..but apparently, I was surprised that I didn’t like the taste – I can sorta feel the green juice on my tongue mixed with chocolate, nasty. Anyway, at least it puts me off from getting another one.
I Survived! Day 5:
Last day of my Alpha Step. It’s so sunny outside so I wore my trainers and went for a quick walk around the neighborhood. But before that, I had 3 boiled egg whites for breakfast. I weighed 54.8kgs (1.3 kilos / 2.9 lbs lost) and dropped another 1cm off my waistline. I feel that my energy’s back to normal, actually I can run but I just thought maybe I’ll give it few more days.
After the walk, I grabbed a freshly made juice from a local juicing cafe. It’s called Sun Kissed made of mango, orange, pineapple and passion fruit It was so refreshing!
I was a bit stressed for missing out my normal morning toilet routine yesterday, glad it went back to normal today (see I told you, it has to be documented!)
For lunch, I juiced 3 apples and 2 carrots.
After hours and hours of writing reports, etc for work, my husband and I went to the gym at 6:30pm. I had a banana before (that’s not part of the programme, I just had one). My friend, was also there and we did 30-min cross training session, 30-min cycling session and spent 4-mins rowing.
For dinner, FINALLY!!!! Tadaaaaaa…….
Okay, it may not look that exciting for you but I was so looking forward to eating dinner with my husband. Since Monday, I was just having juice while he was eating the food I cooked. He had rice with this fish but I just had the fish meat (I seasoned this fish with tomatoes, shallots, spring onions, lemon, ginger, pinch of salt and pepper and little olive oil popped in the oven for 15 mins covered with foil then another 15 mins without – just in case you want to find out the recipe).
Very Happy!
My conclusion on the Alpha Step detox
That’s my Alpha Step experience, the first detox program that I’ve tried. I lost 3 kilos (6.61 lbs) and about 4cm off my waistline. I originally wanted to become skinnier, basically get my pre-married shape back but really beyond that, I did this because I want to be healthier (shredding off those unwanted ‘muffin tops’ is a BIG bonus, wink*… plus the glowing skin). Of course I won’t binge on food after fasting for 5 days. Slowly, I’ll go back to eating clean foods and will avoid junk food as much as possible.
If you are looking for a detox programme without losing the important nutrients needed by our body, I think this one is for you. Don’t worry about not having carbs, it’s just 5 days anyway! Just make sure you consult your doctor first especially if you are undergoing medication.
I suggest that before you do this, get a juicer and insert this juicing habit in your daily life. Try replacing one meal, preferably at night, with 1-2 cups of freshly made juice like what I’d been doing before this detox program (and will be doing after). Then see if you think you are ready for the Alpha Step. Otherwise, juice anyway. And keep juicing, baby!
Here are quick tips about juicing:
Have the right mindset. Be beautiful inside and out.
It ‘s really important that you connect with the people who are also into this. It’s helpful to follow blogs, Facebook pages and Instagram posts. I’ve downloaded ‘The Everything Juicing Book’ by Carole Jacobs and ‘The Funk Fresh Juice ebook’ by Jason Vale in my iBooks.
Get a good juicer. Currently, I am using an Electrolux centrifugal juicer since I didn’t really know what to get at first. Now, I’m saving up for a Hurom slow juicer (it’s about £360!). Also consider if it is easy-to-clean as you must clean your juicer every after use.
Make sure you wash your fruits and veggies properly, you’ll never know! Also it’s better to use a plastic chopping board instead of a wooden one. Do not chop meats using this chopping board – get a separate one for that.
Do not store produce in the fridge for long. They only last for few days. I know it will take you several trips to the grocery weekly but believe me, it’s all worth it. Plus you get to burn those extra fats by walking to the supermarket!
Be prepared for frequent toilet visit.
Even busy people can make this a healthy habit.
Juice greens! Juice those superfoods that you can’t eat – at least you can cover your nose when you drink!
Juice less fruits at night – they’re good during the day or before the work-out. How about a refreshing apple-carrot juice after a 5km run?
Drink your juice immediately, you don’t to lose those nutrients!
Drink warm water with lemon first thing in the morning – it alkalizes your body.
If you feel you haven’t juiced enough, try Juice Plus Chewables (I used to eat Haribo gummies whilst working, now I replaced it with these all-natural fruit and veggie chewies)
Get a juicing journal or save your juicing mixes in your iPhone notes. I like taking pictures too.
Try, experiment, enjoy!
Just think of your health, really. That’s about it. Benefits will follow 🙂
Snoochie Boochies 