The Body Confidence Series - Week 5

So week five is here and we are making our way through the series pretty quickly. Summer is fast approaching and I am determined to wear a bikini on the beach this year. As mentioned in last weeks post I was in Manchester up until Tuesday. I spent the rest of the week trying to get back into the swing of things. I was so sleep deprived when I got home and feel like I am only recovering now. I was also on holiday mode as it is the bank holiday here in Ireland . This week I am determined to get back on track and am actually craving working out, especially after all of those Easter eggs yesterday. Who else is guilty?

Even though I am so motivated to get back on track, I am remaining sensible as I don't want to over do it and cause an injury. I learnt this the hard way. I love working out so much but can go a bit over board once I get into it especially on squats which caused me to further injure my knee.  As we all know stretching is so important. I think its even more important if you have an injury as it helps to strengthen the muscle but don't quote me on that one. Doing gentle stretches in the past has helped to strengthen my own knee injury and has helped with my flexibility and mobility. I plan on doing gentle stretches every morning when I first wake up as it will help to make my body feel fit and healthy as well as putting me in the right mindset ready for the day ahead. I will also do stretches before and after every workout.

I don't know about you but I find it really hard to stick to a workout if I don't have a plan. The same goes if I get a little to over ambitious so this week its all about doing the very best I can everyday and not being to hard on myself if I don't achieve all that I had planed as long as I wake up the next day and work out harder than I did the day before. 

Mindset 

I am really happy with where my mindset is at the moment. I have been working really hard lately to be positive and happy every day and believe me sometimes it isn't that easy. But the more you work at it the easier it will become and your whole life will change for the better. 

Inner Beauty

My diet this past week has been so bad. It started when I was in Manchester right up until today. I know its Easter and you're aloud to indulge a little bit but boy did I take full advantage and yes I seriously regret it now. Sometimes I feel when having a binge like that really motivates you to get back on track as quickly as you can and never wanting to look at chocolate again.  This week I really want to improve my diet insuring that I am getting enough of the right nutrients, vitamins, fruits and veggies. 

Outer Beauty

My workout plan for this week is from tomorrow to Saturday and then on Saturday I will make a new plan increasing my workouts from Sunday to the Saturday after that. So every morning will consist of a five minute stretching routine.Followed by twenty minutes using my weighted hula hoop. I will then do the '30 Day Ab Challenge' along with the '30 Day Squat Challenge'. These are both free apps on your iPhone or Android. I completed both of these last summer and found them brilliant. Later in the day I will go for a walk for one hour every second day and on the other day I will do the '5K Runner app' which prepares you for running 5K. After I do this I will also do my own at home 'ab circuit'. I will finish my routine with stretches from Rosanna Davison's Pilates at home DVD. I'll keep you all posted on how everything goes. 

Yours stylishly 

Kerrie x  

Galway Fashion Trail | Spring Summer 2016

What I Wore  

The day of madness finally arrived and I awoke with a strong feeling of optimism and excitement. Today was obviously going to be a good one. True to form I was running late dashing through Galway in crazy traffic but thankfully arrived on time. The 'Sport Luxe' trend is huge at the moment and is a trend that I really love. Its stylish while still very comfortable perfect for such a busy and fun day that I had in store. Soft grey hues and creams are really popular colours this spring and I can't get enough of leather trousers.

 A couple of weeks ago I attended New Look's Spring Summer Press Event where they kindly gifted me a gift voucher which I could spend on anything I wanted in store. I decided on this Cameo Rose waterfall jacket and Parisian print top. My leather pants are also from New Look but I got them last year, you can shop a similar pair here. No sports luxe trend is complete without stylish trainers and I wouldn't be a fashion blogger without a pair of adidas Superstar Originals. 

These trainers have sold out every where in Ireland and apparently are hard to get in store but if  you would like to get a pair for yourself Lifestyle Sports will order them for you free of charge if you go into the store and ask them. The staff were so helpful when I got mine. I opted for simple paired back make up and my hair styled in the 'lived in ponytail look'  for Galway's unpredictable weather.  

BMW Bloggers Breakfast

The day began with blogger's breakfast at  Colm Quinn's BMW Garage. I was kindly invited by Sinead and Saibh from ITWBN.ie and Galway Now Magazine along with 20 other lucky bloggers from all over Ireland. One thing I have learnt when attending any event organised by Into The West Blogger Network and Galway Now Magazine is that they never fail to disappoint, both teams are extremely hard working and you never know what to expect which always makes the event so much fun and so exciting.

 I was nervous when I arrived but was soon but to ease when I met two new bloggers, Cloda and Shona. We were greeted by the manager of the garage before going inside to meet everyone else. It was so lovely to meet new bloggers as well as catching up with the ones I already knew. We had major blogger chats and took hundreds of selfies with all of the most luxurious cars you could ever dream off. We were then spoiled to the most amazing breakfast buffet. We  had so much choice from smoothies, fruit salad, croissant's, granola, yogurt, coconut water, salmon and cream cheese. You name it they had it. They also had the coolest coffee machine in the world that choose a car for you to match your coffee! 

We spent about two hours in Colm Quinn's BMW Garage chatting to the staff about our dream cars, and catching up with Saibh, Sinead and  the team from Galway Now Magazine. Once everyone had finished breakfast we were given goody bags as if we weren't spoiled enough and then chauffeured by any car of our choice to start the fashion trail. Of course I choose the white BMW 1 Series   as it has always been my dream car! 

My dream car! 

  The Shows 

Arriving in style! 

We kicked of our show schedule with the warmest welcome and beautiful catwalk presentation from Don't Call Me Dear . Newly revamped and recently launched their very own 'Style Studio' where you can book an appointment for individual styling by your very own personal stylist or with friends or family if you have a certain occasion in mind. Don't Call Me Dear focuses on really pretty and classy occasion wear with the fashion show presenting delicate  blushes to rich golds, perfect for mother of the bride.

Catching up with Ruth and Mags 

Show No. 2 took place in Willow. One of my favourite boutiques in Galway. This boutique carries designer brands such as Ted Baker, Guess, Vera Moda, Vila and much more. This boutique is also the perfect place for wardrobe staples as well as dressy occasion wear and accessories. The fashion show featured one of a kind Irish jewelry designer Natasha Heaslip .

Next up was Choice Boutique  with its Chanel inspired interior design it is the perfect location for the more mature lady to get every day essential pieces along with elegant occasion wear. Caithriona King Designs  were styled effortlessly with each outfit show cased in the fashion show. 

The Kilkenny Shop is all about supporting Irish Designs. Their fashion show consisted of floral and transitional pieces perfect for spring/summer in Ireland. Ti Tighe  designs were styled with each outfit really showing what both outlets had to offer.

Pia  is an other favourite of mine. I couldn't help but gasp at every single outfit in the show. From beautiful girly pastels to sophisticated gowns with feather details. I was blown away by all they had to offer. Vivienne Martin jewelry was styled with Pia's beautiful collection which really finished off each look and was a real eye catcher. The interiors in this store are fresh and chic which I love. 

The Treasure Chest is really a precious gem within the city center and is one of Galway's most established businesses. It's very unique with its Irish style shop on the ground floor selling crafts and souvenirs, its second floor show casing its elegant and sophisticated fashion and at Christmas it has its very own winter wonderland on the third floor. During the fashion show Suzie Mahony show cased her beautiful designs. Perfect for wedding's and ladies day at the races. 

Gosh Shoes held the next fashion show. Showing off there unique and quirky shoes suitable for all ages. Gosh collaborated with The Hat Shop  which is located in the Corbett Court Shopping Centre . 

Last stop was Colette Latchford Boutique. This is one of the longest standing store's open in Galway. The staff are so kind and very welcoming. There collection is aimed at an older age group but they really do have a beautiful collection especially for spring/summer. They collaborated with Brid O'Driscoll. 

    The Highlights 

There were so many highlights from #galwayfashiontrail I really couldn't put it all into one post. As you can see it was such a busy day, but thinking back on the event and all of the amazing shows there are a few things that come to mind...

Meeting new bloggers and catching up with the ones who I already know and have now become friends is always a breathe of fresh air. Its so fun spending a day with like-minded people. 

Getting chauffeured in the most luxurious BMW's I have ever imagined in a convoy with the lads from Colm Quinn's BMW Garage. It really brought that extra bit of excitement to the day.

Being super busy running around checking out the best of what Galway had to offer. 

Finishing the day with cocktails and canapes in the VIP area of The Skeff. The staff were all so welcoming and helpful from the moment we arrived and even went out of their way to make sure our phones were fully charged. All that you did did not go unnoticed. This goes for everyone who got involved on the day from Sinead and Saibh from ITWBN.ie, the team at Galway Now Magazine and Golden Egg Productions, to the models from Catwalk Modelling Agency who made sure we got the perfect photo and Inglot Galway who did a flawless job at applying the models make up.To all the boutiques who put so much work in each and every fashion show. And last but by no means least a big Thank you to the team at Colm Quinn's BMW Garage for being so kind, for yummy breakfast and for bringing such a buzz and excitement to the day. 

I really can't wait until #galwayfashiontrail A/W 

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x  

The Body Confidence Series - Week 4

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to The Body Confidence Series - Week 4. They say it takes about four weeks to create a new habit or to give up one, so hopefully by now you are getting into the swing of things. I am actually in Manchester at the moment and wont be home until tomorrow. So I will be back with a bang from tomorrow on. This week I really want to increase my workouts by working out a little longer, adding extra reps and maybe running longer and faster. 

This year I am determined to really enjoy running. Even if I just run 5k once a week I would be over the moon. I don't know what it is with me and running. I could do a hundred kettle bell classes and boot camps and would really enjoy them but running just isn't my love. Maybe I talk myself out of it before I even begin but I am going to give it a go. I also really want to work on my love handles. I find that they really are my problem area and are usually the place that I miss.

Mindset

I mentioned last week that I have a lot going on at the moment but this has proven to me how strong my mindset really is and if you really put your mind to something you can create your own happiness regardless of what may be going on the outside and that if you really focus on what you want to achieve you can make it happen. This goes for every thing from getting your dream job to passing exams or even getting into the college you want. Life is hard enough without being negative and being to hard on your self. Just do your best every single day to be a good person, work hard and be positive and amazing things will happen to you. 

Inner Beauty

This week is all about super  foods and building my immune system. I don't want to just look good I want to feel amazing from the inside out. I am trying to cut out coffee which I'm slowly getting there. I want to continue drinking lots of water and getting more green juices and smoothies. I also need to be a bit more adventurous with my meals. I eat a lot of the same meals which is why I haven't been posting in the group I've made on facebook so I did to get my act together. 

Outer Beauty

I really want to give it my all this week. Summer is fast approaching thankfully its giving me the motivation I need. But really this series isn't about losing weight or toning up for a certain occasion is about living a reallly happy and healthy life and working out and looking after my body is what makes me so happy so its a win win situation. I know a lot of you girls feel the same. So were all in this together. 

Have a happy and healthy week! 

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x 

The Body Confidence Series - Week 3

Happy Motivation Monday Everyone. I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are enjoying the series so far. For me last week was a little tougher than I thought it would be. I got some bad news at the start of the week which was a real shock. I found it hard to focus on my diet and lifestyle. But thankfully it all worked itself out in the end. This was also the reason for my lack of blog posts but this week that is certainly going to change. Its a busy week but my blog and fitness are my main priority. It's St. Patrick's Day on Thursday and on Friday I am going to the UK but I am determined to eat as healthy as I can. In saying that if there are no healthy options I will allow myself a cheat meal and not feel guilty about it. Life is all about balance at the end of the day so as long as I bounce back to my healthy lifestyle next week that's all that matters. 

Mindset

As mentioned above I found it hard to focus. I let everything get to me and fell off track a little. This week I really want to take a step back and focus on myself , get more organised and set some new goals.

"Don't wish for a good body work for it!"  

Inner Beauty

My sleep was really badly effected last week due to been a little bit stressed so this week I want to ensure that I get enough. I have been increasing my water intake over that last three weeks and I can already see a huge improvement. My skin is nearly blemish free and looks more dewy. This week I felt like I didn't need to wear as much make up as usual and still felt confident. I want to cut down my coffee intake to one cup in the morning and eventually just cut down to herbal teas and hot water and lemon. 

"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does that makes you a winner right there!" 

Outer Beauty

Need you ask my core is definitely my main focus for this week. Really working out and trying to tone and strengthen my lower tummy and obliques to create a perfect Kimmy K hour glass figure. I think I spoke about her workout DVD's before that I bought when I was in college. I used to do them all the time and really toned up. I am hoping to get the Amazing Abs Body Sculpt workout done three times this week. This week I also want to work on my stamina and start running. I am not the biggest running fan but this is something I really want to change. 

"Fall in love with the process and the results will come!"

What are your goals for this week? 

Yours stylishly 

Kerrie X   

The Body Confidence Series - Week 2

Happy Motivation Monday! We are back with a bang for week 2 and now it is time to really step it up a notch. Isn't time just flying by. It will be summer before we know it. This series is all about feeling body confident and being happy and healthy. So as mentioned in my 'Assessment Day and Goal Setting', post my tummy area is always my biggest problem area. Well my tummy and my hips I think even if I have one square of chocolate I go up like ten dress sizes no kidding.

 So every week I am going to be working on this area. I am curvy with an hour glass figure and it has only been this year that I have decided that I am going to embrace it. Growing up I was always so self conscious because not only did I have a curvier figure than all of my friends but I am a lot taller too. I've always wished I was shorter because I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. This would put be off wearing heels on a night out. This doesn't bother me any more thankfully. I think as I got older I realized that its not a big deal being tall and now I am the shortest in my family. So the point I am trying to make here is that we are all different and we should just focus on ourselves and find workouts that suit us best. 

On Thursday night I went to a health, beauty and well-being event hosted by the gorgeous Pippa O'Connor. Paula Mee was the nutritionist for the night and she made some really good points one of which was starting small we all put so much pressure on ourselves every New Years Eve, stating all of the changes we want to make and now its March and none of these changes have happened. If this goes for you too don't worry. If you are following along with my body confidence series don't beat yourself up if you had high hopes for last week and it didn't work out as well as you had planed. Forget about it and start a fresh today. Creating new habits are hard enough without beating yourself up about it. So start where you are today and just try to do one thing better every single day.

Mindset

One of my goals for 2016 was to be more positive. Talking about our problems is an addiction. I know only to well that when something has been bothering me in the past I couldn't stop thinking about it and talking about it but lately I have made some changes by reading self help books and practicing mindfulness. I feel a lot more positive and today I got the most amazing news. So I think that this news is proof that being positive really does work. 

Inner Beauty

I slacked last week on my water intake and green juices. That was down to not being as prepared as I should have been so this week I need to get my act together. I want to look up more recipes and have a more varied diet. I created a group on facebook where I was sharing my meals but figured out I was eating the same foods all the time so this also has to change. I love Matcha Green Tea but this week I added a slice of lemon to my cup in the moring and it is the ultimate game changer. It is so refreshing and I look forward to it when I wake up in the morning. 

Outer Beauty

This week is all about working those curves and really working my lower tummy and hip area. In last weeks post - The Body Confidence Series - Week 1  I shared my own at home ab circuits. So I will be doing them daily. I suffer with a knee injury from a few years going and it sometimes becomes painful but I find walking really helps to loosen it up so this week I will go for a walk for about 1 hr everyday. I want to focus on my strength and flexibility so I will do Pilates at home too.  

I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologies for the lack of post's and my lack of activity on social media. There has been a lot going on the last couple of weeks. I have found it extremely difficult to focus even though I have a notebook full of ideas. Maybe one day I can tell you what has happened but for now I just want to Thank You all so much for your continued support. 

Until next time 

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x