Every Day Is Valentine's Day

So, I'm attempting to do this whole "healthy eating" and "cut out sugar" lifestyle and I thought I'd start with making an awesome breakfast muesli! I looked up a recipe from a website called Nutrition Stripped but I've adjusted it ever so slightly. 

Here it is!

I love Pilates! Why?

That last point is really important for me. I feel that we are forgetting the real reason for Pilates. It's become this awesome fitness/best way to get Miranda Kerr's body craze that blogs, websites and magazines are writing about. Wouldn't we all like to look like Miranda, but it's so much more than that! Did you know that it was originally created as a form of rehabilitation? I did a bit of research and found out that soldiers returning from the war and ballet dancers were the only ones who ever really used it: rehabilitation.

I had a back injury several years ago and these days, I have recurring back problems. With my initial back injury, I was constantly doing Pilates, however, once I thought my back was all better, I stopped it and decided to do other forms of exercise. I stupidly and naively thought that Pilates was just there to help relieve my back during an injury. This has been the cycle for the past few years: stop Pilates, back problems, go back to Pilates, stop Pilates when my back is better, back problems. 

(Image from Q Pilates website)

It's only now, after years of this cycle and after years of being told by my mum and physio that I need to maintain Pilates, that I'm realising that it's not just a form of exercise that you do sporadically. I need Pilates every week and pretty much for the rest of my life to stay on track and keep my core and back strong, injury or no injury. This year, I will be maintaining Pilates through Q-Pilates and my gym, Pure Health Clubs. Yes, I'm hopefully going to look like Miranda, but all I know is once I stop Pilates, my back is going to cop it and I'm sick of that happening. I need Pilates to rehabilitate and get back on track. 

So this year, I will not put up with the winning of the sore back! The only thing that will be sore, is my core!

Pilates for the win! Go team.

So, I've recently traveled to the UK for an awesome winter holiday! The British just know how to make Christmas and winter totally awesome! Well, I think it's awesome - not everyone does. For those who have travelled during those cold winter months, I'm sure you are asked by locals/family/friends, "Why are you travelling during winter?" Ummm, because it's amazing?!  

 Just a simple girl, living in a simple home.

I made sure I had plenty of supplies for the year.

The train was ok...

It's not much, but it's home. 

Hello!

Yeah, so, I haven't blogged in a while....soz.

Anyway, so I am traveling to Europe in two months time and I've decided to start documenting my journey now.

I am currently in the process of exchanging money that I've saved and making a general budget for my trip. I have no freaking idea how much to take! Trust me, I have looked up blogs, websites and community forums to try and find a reasonable answer, but the thing is, everyone is so different in terms of how they spend their money. I'm definitely not a nomad who spends only £30 pounds a day, nor am I an extravagant spender who buys Chanel every single day. 

So after my extensive research, I've come up with my own estimate of how much I will need for each location (keep in mind, accommodation, flights, major train journeys and any tours have been booked already):

I love that line and I have no idea why. It comes from one of my favourite [movie] stories, 'Peter Pan'!

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the story of 'Peter Pan'. Mermaids! Well, I love the Disney movie of 'Peter Pan'. I've never read the book. Note to self: read original 'Peter Pan' book.

My mother and I saw the Queensland Ballet production of the story the other day. I didn't realise that the performance was on the same night as the final State of Origin game (GO QUEENSLAND!) but I still went to the ballet. 

What I loved about the production. Of course the dancing was great! It would be embarrassing if they were bad dancers. I loved Rian Thompson as Peter Pan. His flying across the stage was exceptional; such strength, control and grace. I would absolutely freak out doing flips and turns with bright lights in my face. I loved the cameo appearance of the infamous crocodile; what a rad job that dancer had! The dancer basically lay horizontally and use their legs to move the contraption. I loved that Li Cunxin is the Artistic Director of QB. I've read his book four times and he's such an inspiration. Kudos to Li and the company for their portrayal of the story; it would be very difficult to do considering the magic and flying elements!

However, I did have a few minor problems with the production. I left feeling dissatisfied. It wasn't the story I'm very familiar with - thanks Disney! I guess that one's on me for not knowing the original  story, but still! Where was Tiger Lily? Why wasn't Tinkerbell jealous of Wendy? Why was Tinkerbell hardly in it? Why didn't Mr Darling say he was going to move Wendy to her own room and tell her to grow up? Hook had a son? Where was Nana? Why were there three acts and two, twenty-minute intermissions? That certainly dragged the night out. Couldn't there have been a mix of both the original story and the Disney one? Am I the only one thinking this? Am I asking too many questions? Okay, I'll stop. Look, basically I wanted to see the Disney Peter Pan onstage. 

I've left the biggest disappointment 'til last:

*drumroll please*

THE MERMAIDS!

When I think Peter Pan, the first things I think of are the Mermaids! Remember the movie 'Hook'? I desperately wanted to be one of those Mermaids, with the coloured hair and the glitter makeup. Please, can we reminisce for a moment?

Mermaids from Hook

They are beautiful! Even the Disney Mermaids are beautiful. I wanted to see beautiful Mermaids in beautiful Mermaid costumes! Not some weird blue and white body suit. BOO! Also, there was a merman....a MERMAN! This isn't 'Zoolander' QB.

Regardless... Congratulations to Queensland Ballet for an amazing performance, but I do wish it was more Disney-fied.

ATTENTION! This is somewhat of a serious post about healthy living.

Recently, I haven't been eating as healthily as I usually do and I haven't really been exercising as much either. Because I have been cursed with Michelin Man genetics, these two components of my life need to be in order so I don't end up looking like this: