Tesco were recently kind enough to send me some items from their new range of make-up Vivo that celebrates being ‘alive with colour’. It’s a range that aspires to being of catwalk standard but at an affordable price and of course with the convenience of being available at the supermarket.

I was sent a Pearl Eyeshadow (£1.50) in the colour Golden Leaf, Some False Lashes (£2-£4) in Natural Night and a Primer (£6) to prepare skin for makeup and make it last all day.

The eyeshadow was applied over a gold shadow that I put on my eyelid. I used the Golden Leaf as a thick liner, following the contours of my eyes and sweeping upwards with my makeup brush at the outer corners. I followed this with lashings of black mascara and the effect was absolutely gorgeous . I wasn’t sure about the colour of the shadow when it was in the palette – it looked a bit odd and dark, for my blonde colouring, but when applied it was spot on.

I tried the false lashes with this look but decided it looked a bit over the top for me, so I removed them on this occasion. I’ve never worn false lashes before – I bought some once but couldn’t get them to stick properly. These ones though come with very clear instructions and were incredibly easy to apply. I wore them one day with no mascara and they made my eyes look very pretty I thought – like wearing a light mascara but with more drama. Despite this though, they looked very natural and when I asked someone if they liked my false lashes, she replied that she hadn’t noticed that they were false but I was looking lovely. You can tell you’re wearing them but it’s not annoying and I have irritable eyes and wear contact lenses and managed OK. They lasted all day and were easy to remove at night – you just peel them off again. The eye on the left has the false lashes applied:

The primer didn’t fare so well – it claims to help your makeup last all day but this wasn’t the case for me. I do have problem skin and though it went of very nicely in the morning, providing a matte base and helping my foundation slide on smoothly, by lunchtime the foundation had slid right back off again on my nose. I’ve just discovered Witch primer though is excellent for skin like mine (oily and spotty) so maybe the Vivo primer would be better for drier skin.

I would definitely be tempted to try other products in the range – the mascaras range in price from £1.50 to £3 and your average mascara by other supermarket available brands is £10 plus these days so cost-wise Vivo has a massive advantage. They do the full range of makeup, all at excellent prices – Foundation at £2.59, blusher £4 and an under eye highlighter I’d like to try at £3.59.  Brilliant!

Disclaimer: The product was sent for free. I was not obliged to write this post and the opinions expressed are all my own.

Tagged by the gorgeous and wise MishMash, I have added my offerings to the A-Z meme:

ANORAK…Do you have a sad side?

I’ve been called a geek but I cant imagine why! I’m a subconscious storer of useless (and some useful) facts and information.

BODY…What physical attribute would you most like to change?

My skin – I’ve a lifelong battle with spots and blotchiness and now I’m getting wrinkles too. Woe!

CELEBRITY…Which one would you most like to date and why?

I’d like to have just the one date with Snoop Dogg and see if I could suss him out

DEBUT …Tell us about your first ever blog post. What made you start blogging?

I wanted to record my sons life but I find it very hard to write about personal stuff.

ERROR …What’s been your biggest regret?

I try not to have regrets but there is one I don’t want to discuss as it’s still too painful today.

FUNNY – who’s making you laugh?

My son always cracks me up, with his cheeky grin and his wickedest laugh..

GRAND…If we gave you one right now what would you spend it on?

DRINK! Technology! Oh, I don’t know, I’d probably spend it very wisely. I might get some new tops, i’m a bit short on tops for the winter.

HOLIDAY… What’s your favourite destination?

I found the rainforest in Cape Tribulation immensely soothing.   My dream is to visit the caribbean.

IRRITATE… What’s your most annoying habit?

Me? annoying? Nah! (well, actually, I may have many. I annoy myself by talking in silly accents without realising it, I mentally slap myself if I do). I have got a bad habit of offering advice where it’s not wanted or really needed. It just slips out!

JOKER…Whats your favourite joke {the one that makes you laugh every time you hear it}?

All jokes grow old eventually!

KENNEL… Do you have any pets?

One big hairy difficult but loyal and loving cuddly dog called Shadow.

LOVE…Are you single, married, engaged, living with a long term partner?

Single and planning to stay that way! I’ve given up. Seriously. I just pick wrong ‘uns.

MEAL… Whats your ultimate starter, main and dessert?

Starter, prawn or crayfish cocktail in a tall glass with nice iceberg lettuce all shredded and watery and paprika on the sauce,  Main, a really nice piece of fish, cooked with a simple but tasty sauce or dressing with freshly picked vegetables and a knob of garlicky butter,  Dessert, strawberry pavlova or tiramisu. But I really like lots of food.

NOW…If you could be anywhere right now where would you be and who with?

I’m right next to my son, in my big comfy gorgeous bed and I wouldn’t be anywhere else.

OFF DUTY…What do you do in your spare time?

Tweet and drink tea.

PROUD MOMENTS …What are you most proud of?

My son. And my educational achievements.

QUEASY …What turns your stomach?

As a dog owner and mother, not much these days. My own blood, when seen in vast amounts, maybe.

RELAX…How do you relax?

Relax? Me? Eh? I like to read..I don’t do it nearly enough.

SONG…What’s your favourite song of all time? 

The Fugees – Killing me softly

TIME …If you could go back in time and relive it again, when would you choose?

The time since my son was born, minus the drama. I’d live it over and over and over and over.

UNKNOWN…Tell us something about yourself that no one else knows?

I’ve got 6 tattoos.

VOCAL…. Who is your favourite artist?

I have many favourites; Warren G, Kanye West, Elephant Man, Missy Elliott, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Abba, Steps, Shirley Bassey……I couldn’t choose just one.

WORK….. What is your dream job, and are you doing it now?

Being Malachis Mummy. It’s a lovely life.

XRAY…Any broken bones?

I think I broke my little toe once when I walked into a wall. I may have been tipsy.

YIKES…What’s been your most embarrassing moment?

I have SO many. My most recent one is tripping over the dog and splitting my head open on the road. Now all the kids in the village know me as the ‘one who tripped over her dog’. Great :S.

ZOO…. If you were an animal, which one would you be? 

I think I would like to be a snake so I could curl up and sleep all day in the lovely tropically warm reptile house. And I’d give good killer hugs.

and in return I will tag:  @dawnie_brown @hex_mum @angeline1611 @danielleblogbybaby and @eggdipdip

Innocent (as in the smoothie people) kindly sent me a box of fresh fruit and veg with which to make a scary Halloween monster.  They have a special competition on at the moment and the first 1000 people to upload their veg monster creations will win some glow in the dark number magnets.

It’s quite difficult making veg monsters with a nearly two year old so we quickly invented Mr Frowzy monster with the veg that had arrived in the post, a spot of paint (which travelled spookily all over the furniture and walls as well) and some terrifying knobbly potatoes that I had grown in our very own back garden this year.  He sports a courgette, potato and pear hat, potato arms, a frog nose and one knobbly potato leg with two feet and one pumpkin leg.  What could be scarier? Honestly? I had to chop him up and put him in the slow cooker to make sure he didn’t eat ME!

If you’d like to enter the competition too, here are the instructions:

“1) Make your fruity freak or vegetable monster from the spookiest looking fruit or veg you can find

2) Give it a name and use your innocent magnets to spell it out (how about ‘Terry Able’ or ‘Aaaaaaaaaalan’)

3) Take a picture of your spooky creation and post it in our scary Halloween gallery www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/fruityfreaks and email myfruitandvegmonster@innocentdrinks.co.uk with your flickr name and a postal address.

4) The first 1,000 entries win a set of limited edition glow-in-the-dark Halloween 0-9 number magnets (the perfect addition to our alphabet set) 5) When you’re done with your monster why not use any leftover veg to make a soup or whizz any fruit up into a smoothie?”

Twelve weeks ago I was introduced to MuTu System and Thinking Slimmer. I had heard bits and bobs about both on twitter and was curious to find out more about these new and purportedly fantastic weight loss systems. MuTu requires some effort on the part of the person following it, but promises a flatter tummy, repair of any damage done by carrying a baby and giving birth, and a body that matches your pre pregnancy state. All this can be achieved in about fifteen minutes a day, four times a week, with no need for you to even leave the house. No treks to the gym, no childcare dilemmas, no undressing in shared changing rooms, no wobbling your jiggly bits in public. Every week you receive an email with a link to a video that tells you a little bit more about the things that you can do to help your body become strong again. It’s not just all about getting sweaty either, because it incorporates elements of yoga and general lifestyle advice, put to you in an understanding and completely non-patronising manner.

When you are out of shape, any exercise can seem very daunting and as an expert in the bodies of mothers Wendy knows this, and the exercises start really easily and you can build up the intensity when you feel strong enough and are ready. I was lucky enough to be reasonably fit to begin with, being a regular dog walker and baby (well, toddler, now) wearer, so I could progress to the higher intensity exercises within the twelve week period. But you don’t have to, because the end of the twelve weeks is not the end of MuTu, it is merely the end of the introduction to a change of lifestyle. The MuTu website is regularly updated and Wendy writes a blog that you can subscribe to by email. As well as this, she is on twitter @MuTuSystem and facebook and encourages a community of Mums to help and support each other, as well as also being there for professional advice herself.

Thinking Slimmer, on the other hand, requires absolutely no effort whatsoever. If you want to lose weight by the easiest possible method ever invented by anyone, Thinking Slimmer is for you. All you have to do is to listen to a ten minute mp3 for 21-42 nights consecutively after setting yourself some goals. For the first 21 days you will receive motivational emails, and after the 42 days you can ‘top up’ by listening once or twice a week, so that the magic continues. And it really does feel like magic – it sets off something in your subconscious that makes you eat less and more healthily. It really is as simple as that. Extra pods can make you exercise more, be calm, sort your chocolate addiction out..have a look at the website because there are tailored packages for a wide range of needs.

After you have carried a child (or two, or three, or more) most people find they need to lose some weight. Thinking Slimmer will do that for you on its own but it doesn’t help repair the damage that has been done to your tummy muscles and pelvic floor. MuTu can be done alone, but Thinking Slimmer makes the food bit of losing weight, effortless. I have done both and I really am overjoyed at the results I have had. I gave up smoking four years ago and went from a size 12 to a size 14. I was quite happy as a size 14 and after having my son would have been happy to return to that size. I cannot believe that MuTu and Thinking Slimmer have taken me back into a size 12 – a feat which I honestly thought would be impossible after giving birth – I thought carrying a child stretched your hips for good. Not only that but my size 12′s are starting to get loose and I am now wondering if I can reach a size 10! It’s been a VERY long time since I’ve been that size. I look in the mirror and I really like my silhouette now and my body feels strong. I can sneeze without having to worry about leakage and a pain that I’ve had in my knee since pregnancy has vanished. It’s amazing – I no longer have to hobble round after my son but I can run and jump and play with him without feeling like an old lady (hmm, now I just need to get more sleep!).

When I have told people about these wonderful systems, they often ask about the price.  I tell them that if you had to pay a voluntary amount at the end of losing the weight you’d pay three times the amount.  If you were to have a personal trainer it would cost you anywhere in the region of £25-60 per session. You’d have to book a session and stick to that time.  Wendy offers you similar support but is available out of hours for any questions you might have.  My local council gym is £30 per month, and I’ve mentioned the time cost of going to a gym in a previous post.  The two main slimming clubs cost £5-6 per session plus joining fees and you have the additional embarassment of weekly weigh-ins, and certainly no real support outside of that weekly meeting.  Compared to this, MuTu works out at just over £15 per month, though you do pay upfront.  Thinking Slimmer offer single pods and packages that beat any gym membership fees.

Since I have been an adult I have had to watch my weight and believe me I have tried all the diets out there, including crash dieting.  Doing Thinking Slimmer and MuTu has been the easiest way I have ever found to get fit and lose weight and it is done in your won time, at your own pace and in the healthiest way possible.  I have enjoyed myself and I havent been the best student in the world and there have been weeks when I’ve hardly done anything what with exhaustion and illness and I’ve still lost weight.  I could sing their praises all day long.  Really, they are worth every last penny – for the weight loss and especially for putting my child-torn body back together again, in a better shape than it was when I began!

Here are some scary/motivational before and after shots:

Previous weeks – the Thinking Slimmer and MuTu story:

Diet 2011 – the story so far

MuTu and Thinking Slimmer – What’s that?

Entering Week 2 with Thinking Slimmer and MuTu

Week 3 – @ThinkingSlimmer and @MuTuSystem

Week 4 – a new workout

Week 5 – in the wars

Week 6 – and breathe ……

Week 7 – The food bit

Week 8 – a look at my goals

Week 9 – A little lie down

Week 10 – rocking some firey core exercises

Week 11 – what to with your exercise equipment

 I was asked to review the Paddie Rider – Lambie by www.izziwizzikids.co.uk and the video review can be found here. This is more or less a typed transcript of the review: 

Lambie, or Ewe-an, as I have named him, is a beautiful wooden ride on toy made out of recycled rubberwood with a removable sheepskin seat cover and soft lamb ears. He came partially assembled and at first the assembly looked a bit daunting. Though it was a bit more than a five minute job, once I sat down and read the instructions properly it wasn’t too hard a job. The toy also comes in two other models, a cow (Calfie) and a tiger, and measures in at 48 cm long by 29 wide and 44 high.

It is a great sturdy toy with rubber wheels and a frame that will take a lot of abuse. It is not completely weatherproof, being wood, but it is coated, so the occasional shower or toddler accident won’t ruin it. He has been through puddles and has so far survived. It’s a bit tricky to ride him on grass or heavily gravelled surfaces but my son has still managed, and picks him up if the going gets too tough.

The recommended age range is from 19 months and will last until your child grows out of it – I’ve seen Amazon reviews saying 3 or 4 year olds have played with them but their legs may be too long at some stage. Weight wise, it will take even my weight though. And when your little one has finished with him, lambie is sturdy enough to last another few generations, I’d say.

In the first few days we managed to get paint all over it so I whipped the seat off and tossed it in the wash with my other washing and didn’t notice until I was hanging it on the line that it said to hand wash only. I stretched it back on and it was ok, so it will probably stand a few light machine washes.

The steering was a bit loose when I tightened it so my Dad had to make a few adjustments – I think my hands weren’t quite strong enough. My son hadn’t any experience of steering before and he adapted to it very easily. He really loves it and took to it straight away and to be honest has hardly been off it, to the point where I’ve had to stop him taking it to bed with him! It’s strong, sturdy, beautiful to look at and a great sensory item for your child to touch. It teaches the concept of steering and promotes independence and its friendly animal face will make it feel like a lovely family pet.

The only thing I would alter is that I would put poppers on the seat cover to secure it to the underside of the seat because it does come off really easily. But it does make a really cute/silly lamb hat too!  The seat is now in a drawer because it came off too much.

Disclaimer: The product was sent for free. I was not obliged to write this post and the opinions expressed are all my own.

Each winter we all hope to make it through winter minus the constantly streaming nose, the irritation cough disturbing our nights, the head full of cement. Unfortunately, bugs have a number of factors on their side. Viruses aren’t just airborne. They can live for up to 3 days on things like escalator handrails, door handles, coffee cups, drinking glasses and plastic surfaces. No wonder they can be so hard to avoid. The virus will then dock on epithelial cells in the nasal cavity and replicate, sparking the unpleasant cold/flu symptoms. Even if we escape the viral infection route, there are bacteria out there seeking a landing site on our hapless mucous membranes.

On the plus side, we have Echinacea to relieve the symptoms of colds and flu, as well as upper respiratory tract infections. It is one of our most popular herbs, used by countless people both in the UK and in many parts of Europe and North America. Three species are used medicinally – Echinacea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida but it is Echinacea purpurea that carries the most credibility in the form of solid research evidence. Echinacea purpurea has been shown to work by improving the immune response to any potential bug, making it less likely that you’ll fall prey to any kind of infection, from colds to flu and throat or chest infections.
On average, adults can expect to get 2 or 3 colds a year and each can last up to a week so if you are prone to catching colds or flu, it’s important to have a supply of good quality Echinacea drops or tablets to hand in preparation for the cold season. Taking Echinacea regularly between October and the beginning of February means that your immune system will be on the alert, ready to deal with the miseries of colds and flu during the winter months. If however you have already caught a bug, Echinacea will help speed up your recovery time.

But even if you manage to stay cold free, the long nights of winter, together with cloudy skies have still to be faced. During these months the body is not exposed to as much sunlight causing the brain to release smaller amounts of ‘happy chemical’ leading to a feeling of low mood or slight depression. This is borne out by the fact that in the Northern hemisphere this problem becomes worse during the winter and increasingly so the further North you go. Research has shown that St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), often referred to as the ‘sunshine herb’, does indeed lift the mood of people suffering from low mood or mild depression. Hypericum tincture is an excellent way to take this herb, as it absorbs easily into the bloodstream without having to be broken down in the gut (an important point for people who have less than ideal digestion).

During the cold or damp weather it is very important to keep joints warm. The cooler, damper weather of winter can result in the reappearance of aches and pains which have lain dormant during the summer. Gentle exercise will soon stop you from seizing up, but don’t try anything that puts too much pressure on joints. Swimming, gentle walking and beginner’s yoga or T’ai Chi are good options, if you take them slowly. Arnica has been recognised as a medicinal plant since the 16th century and has a special place in homoeopathic medicine. Its most popular use is a remedy for bruising. When used as a herbal remedy, however, arnica has excellent anti-inflammatory properties which may prove of benefit should you have the misfortunate to slip or fall due to icy conditions and suffer sprained or strained joints as well as other tissue injuries. Research has shown that Arnica gel is just as effective as ibuprofen gel and as a result many people like to keep a tube of this popular herbal remedy to hand, not only for use during the winter, but for all times of the year.

Guest Post by A Vogel

Well, week eleven. MuTu emails and videos get delivered for 12 weeks, but I won’t be stopping the exercise just because they have ceased, and we do continue getting periodic emails and of course the blog is well worth visiting on a regular basis. It is more like a twelve week introduction to a healthier and more active lifestyle really, because I do really need to re-watch the videos to remind myself what to do, every now and again. Even though I’ve been a bit of a slacker and rarely done the four times a week workouts that I am supposed to, I have enjoyed the workouts and have been amazed at the results of my little bit of effort.

This week I have managed to perform some of the ‘dynamic’ moves that Wendy has shown me – I honestly thought I’d never be able to do a dynamic plank but all of a sudden I can! The dynamic squats and lunges are a killer, and make me curse quite a lot but I can do them now and I realised to my amazement that suddenly I am not getting any knee pain any more, an affliction that had been troubling me since pregnancy.

The week eleven video shows some exercises that can be done with the help of some equipment that you might have lying around the house, such as the exercise ball (hard, very hard!), resistance bands (ive got one tucked away in a drawer) and some dumbbells, (which I haven’t purchased yet, but am thinking about). I’ve been mostly doing the tabata workout because it’s a) quick and b) easier because the mp3 has the sections timed for you so you don’t have to fiddle about with the timer on my phone.

I’m going to have to find something else to write about on the blog after next week aren’t i? Cripes. Suggestions can be commented below. An agony column? A crowdsourced topic per week? Honestly, I can chat sh*t about plenty of subjects so feel free to encourage me.

Previous weeks – the Thinking Slimmer and MuTu story:

Diet 2011 – the story so far

MuTu and Thinking Slimmer – What’s that?

Entering Week 2 with Thinking Slimmer and MuTu

Week 3 – @ThinkingSlimmer and @MuTuSystem

Week 4 – a new workout

Week 5 – in the wars

Week 6 – and breathe ……

Week 7 – The food bit

Week 8 – a look at my goals

Week 9 – A little lie down

Week 10 – rocking some firey core exercises