LIFESTYLE

[SNAPSHOTS] Insta-Weeks

May 23, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 3 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: FASHION, food, insta-weeks, instagram, LIFESTYLE, on the go, out and about, snapshots, travel

Love decorating my new home with flowers! // I borrowed these gorgeous beauties from Jimmy Choo – to a Jimmy Choo event celebrating Sandra Choi, their Creative Director.

Love wandering through the streets of Chelsea in the weekend. // On my way to sushi!

One of the many ‘clean’ meals during my Turbo Charge cleanse – raw veg and steamed fish, with a dollop of natural yoghurt (so yummy). // The best way to see what you’re missing in your wardrobe? Colour coordinating.

Packing for Croatia! // Arrived at Le Meridien – heaven.

View from the hotel bar… not bad. // Obligatory selfie in the lift (caught with a not so obliging fiancee!).

This is how most mornings looked like; early start at the gym (not hard, with that view!) – then a protein rich breakfast. Perfect.

Ah, the seafood! So fresh. Could eat this every day! // View of the port in Split from one of our favourite restaurants.

Enjoying the last day on the beach. Don’t want to leave! // Back in London, and discovered a new local eatery in our area, Cafe Phillies, just off High Street Kensington. Yummy salads and amazing cakes.

My area covered in pink blooms… So beautiful! // A nice surprise to come back to after a long week <3.

Celebrating some very good news… I became an auntie for the first time! // Love waking up to a sun filled kitchen and my new window sill plants! Small joys.

London is cold again, and I’m going print crazy. // One of the best things in life? Going to our local gastro pub for pizza and wine with my fiancee.

Eating ‘clean’ after that pizza and wine; coconut yoghurt with bee pollen, flax, sesame, chia seeds, together with carrot/ginger juice. NOM! // Healthy grub before heading to the airport; poached salmon with brown rice and steamed veg.

Perfect travel attire; my new favourite boyfriend jeans from Noisy may, merino wool jumper, Converse and snakeskin travel pouch. // Flying high with Wi-Fi (not sure I like it; it’s the one place I can disconnect).

Back in Norway with my family, tucking into the best kind of food; rye bread, salmon and boiled eggs. Everything tastes so much better at home! // It was a heatwave in Oslo, so I spent most of the time chilling on our terrace…

…and spending time with my wonderful one-week old niece, most importantly<3.

[LIFESTYLE] Coconut Oil & Almond Butter

May 20, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 4 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: almond butter, biona, coconut oil, fitness, food, health, LIFESTYLE, meridian, summerbody

Biona Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, £13.17 (pack of 3) & Meridian Almond Butter Whole Nut Spread, £12 (pack of 3).

Cold pressed coconut oil and almond butter spread are one of those things that’s been on my shopping list for ages, I’ve just never got around buying it until now. And boy, it’s yummy!

With coconut oil, it’s a much lighter and healthier alternative to butter and olive oil. The main health benefits include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, high blood pressure and bone strength. So, an amazing alternative – and if you like the taste of coconut (only a subtle flavour), it’s a no brainer!

Almond butter is again, a much healthier alternative to regular butter, and peanut butter (if you use this for protein). Firstly, it’s good for the heart as its rich in monounsaturated fats (basically, good fat), which are the type of fats that reduce levels of cholesterol and therefore lowers your blood pressure. It also controls your blood sugar as it’s sweet (and so yummy), its rich in antioxidants and helps with your weight control; being so high in protein, fibre and monounsaturated fats.

There are several ways you can enjoy both – I for one now cook all my veg, fish and eggs with coconut oil, and it tastes scrumptious (especially with white fish). With the almond butter, my favourite alternative is using it as a spread on rye toast, either to enjoy on its own or with egg, cottage cheese or some sliced banana – the perfect breakfast alternative to start the day with.

Here are some of my current favourite recipes..

Spicy Zucchini with Smoked Salmon

You’ll need:

Zucchini

Coconut Oil

Lemon

Tabasco

Cracked Pepper

Slize the zucchini and slowly cook with coconut oil and lemon. Dish up with some tabasco, pepper and some more lemon, and add some smoked salmon for your protein! Delicious and takes minutes.

High Energy Protein Breakfast

You’ll need:

Eggs

Dark rye bread

Almond butter

Cucumber

Bon Appétit!

[LIFESTYLE] Anthropologie Voluspa Candle & Notebook

May 15, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE COMMENT ❤ HERE TAGS: anthropologie, boutique, candle, home, kings road, LIFESTYLE, new in, notebook, scented, shop

Anthropologie Voluspa Japonica Candle Tin, £19 & ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward Planner‘, £14.

Anthropologie… One word, heaven. Granted, it’s pretty pricey, but the shop and merchandise is just to-die-for (not literally, obvs).

I particularly love the one on the Kings Road (although the one in the Meatpacking District N.Y is my all-time fave, if we’re talking globally). All of their shops are pretty much a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle from the city. After trekking my fiancee around the whole shop for a good hour, who is the worst in any kinds of shops – except for electrics & music (standard) – I settled with this beautiful scented candle from Voluspa which comes in a beautiful tin (great to re-use to store nick-nacks and jewellery), and this handy ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward Planner’.

You all know I love my scented candles (I’m secretly a hoarder) and with my crazy schedule, I’ve been looking for a small, pocket-sized book (not too heavy to lug around), where I can carefully map out my days/weeks with my tasks. I obviously already have my diary – but this version is more a day-to-day to-do-list, with monthly and weekly view sections, as well as some handy note pages for ideas and inspiration.

As always, Anthropology never ceases to fail. Now, I am seriously lusting for their beautiful bed throws that I just have to have… One day.

[BEAUTY] New Hair by Sassoon

May 15, 2013 by Anneli in BEAUTY 13 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: BEAUTY, hair, LIFESTYLE, treatment, vidal sassoon

In the weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited for a cut, colour and treatment at the Sassoon Salon South Molton Street.

For you guys who have have been following me for a while, know that every time I go to the hairdressers (notably here and here) – I have the constant dilemma of either going back to my natural colour (dark brown), or go even lighter. Each time I chicken out, keeping it quite similar (caramel tones), with just subtle enhancements and length. This time however – I wanted a bit more of a radical change – or rather, my hair needed a big chop (sadly – but much necessary).

Firstly, let me tell you how fabulous this salon is. Located on one of my favourite streets in London, South Molton Street, just off Bond Street – this unassuming salon is a bustling two-storey haven. Granted, I chose an appointment at possibly their busiest time of the week – midday on Saturday – I was met with a big smile, with friendly, professional and relaxed staff. I was fortunate enough to have my colour with the lovely Neville (a Sassoon employee for over 10 years!) – who after meeting with me for a skin test prior to the appointment, had already decided for an ‘Allesandra Ambrosio’ colour on me (if only).

The gorgeous Laura was cutting my hair, and after consulting with both of them about the cut – we all agreed that my hair was in really bad condition, and needed quite a lot chopped off. I breathed in… and agreed. They were never pushy – just explaining the benefits of a thorough hair cut (rather than the regular trims that I normally get – which they surprisingly said were pretty much pointless; good to know!). I liked their honesty, and felt completely in safe hands and in ease throughout the whole process – which is very important at any salon (no rushed or forced decisions).

Let the treatment begin!

Before…

Lifeless with broken ends.

In progress…

In the chair with Neville working his magic (god – I look like a scarecrow here). He lightened the whole hair and roots (no bleach) – adding one colour all over, called ‘biscuit’, then he put on a toner, to take away the orange/red tones.

The cut…

After the colour, it was Laura’s turn to work her magic on me. The first thing she asked me to do was to stand up – while doing the initial shaping. One word: precision. This girl didn’t miss a single hair, and was precise to a point. Granted, it was short – a lot shorter than I would have liked it – but my hair feels a-mazing and super healthy. And – it’s already grown a bit since Saturday!

Result…

Lighter, shorter and thicker! Love it.

The colour in this picture doesn’t really show how light it actually is (especially on the top), so I snapped some more pictures the days after, as seen below.

Hope you like it!

Picture below taken from my Instagram @anneliwillis

As an extra treat – they supplied me with the below products by Sassoon – which they used on my hair during the treatment. Shampoo, conditioner, treatment (this stuff is sooo good), a leave-in-conditioner, and a very useful travel set.

In other words, the perfect Saturday…

Thank you to team Sassoon Salon South Molton Street!

[LIFESTYLE] GapFit by Gap Gym Kit

Apr 28, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 4 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: exersize, fitness, gap, gapfit, gym, health, LIFESTYLE, sport, sporty, training

gapgymkit-1

Top & leggings, both £24.95 - shop GapFit here.

New gym kit from Gap called GapFit, and I absolutely love it! I wasn’t actually aware that Gap did gym clothes, and it’s actually really nice, and great quality! You all know I love my neon, so I opted for this black set – top and leggings – with a pink/purple combination. Really tight and flattering fit; the top’s not too short, and the leggings aren’t too low on the waist, etc.- all very important factors to feel comfortable at the gym.

Ok, for you guys who are bored with my fitness/gym/juice updates – ‘normal’ Anneli commences tomorrow with some fab new fashion purchases and holiday prep products for my trip to Croatia on Thursday!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

[REVIEW] Jason Vale 7-Day Juice Cleanse Programme

Apr 27, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 13 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: 7 day programme, cleansing, green, health, jason vale, juice, juice cleansing, juicing, LIFESTYLE

I am so proud to say that my 7-day juice cleansing is now done! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but to be honest, didn’t think I had the patience, willpower or time. But in all honesty, who can’t do anything for just seven days? Preparation is key, and I would definitely recommend getting the book a few weeks in advance (from whichever programme you decide to go for) and study it properly, so you can both mentally, and physically prepare for what you are about to put your body through.

I went for the Jason Vale a.k.a Juice Master 7-day Juice Cleanse programme (called the 7lbs in 7 days Super Juice Diet) after reading some great reviews and recommendations from friends. My goals? To cleanse, feel more energised and loose a few kilos. Well, I am happy to say, I did all of that, but the journey wasn’t easy…

7-Day Juice Cleanse Diary

Specifics:

- 5 juices a day (morning, mid-morning, lunch, early dinner, late dinner)

- Hot water lemon/lime (morning, before juice)

- Hot water fennel/mint or hot apple juice w/cinnamon (evening, after juice)

- Morning, afternoon and early evening exercises (from 20-40min per session)

Day 1:

I decided to start on a Saturday, when I had more time to prepare and get used to it. If you have all the ingredients to hand (tip: prepare them all in advance on the chopping board) the juicing process is super simple (especially with my wonderful Philips Juice Maker, albeit, quite messy.) I actually felt fine in the morning, before and after the gym, but towards the afternoon, I was feeling very tired, lightheaded and weak. Surprisingly no headaches all day. I felt refreshed after I had my early dinner juice and had a long soak in the bath. I was too tired to have my late dinner juice after this. Just before bedtime, I had warm apple juice and cinnamon, delicious! Slept like a baby.

Note: Be careful with the amount of wheatgrass you put in some of the juices; I messed up the measurements on the morning juice, and added far too much – which was rather painful for the stomach! Other than that, the juices are yummy.

Day 2:

The morning juice tasted much better with only one teaspoon wheatgrass (thank god)! I felt ok in the morning, and managed a 60-minute Body Pump class, without feeling any weaker. However, I had a big dip in the afternoon again. It didn’t help that I had a big brunch planned with a group of friends – the temptations were killing me. I felt a bit more revived after I had the early dinner juice. I swapped my late evening juice for one with banana in it (you are allowed to swap and change, as long as you keep the basis of the juice with either pineappe, apple or carrot), as I was feeling a bit dizzy and craved the yoghurt/banana combination. I skipped my hot evening drink, as I drank the evening juice so late. Again, slept great.

Note: During this week, try not to put yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by delicious food, especially on Day 2 (the hardest period).

Day 3:

Monday morning! I got up nice and early and felt really refreshed (a rare account for me!) and prepared all my juices for work. Stomach felt a lot flatter. In general, the morning was fine and I had normal amount of energy not feeling too groggy. I was however very hungry at work at around 11am, good job I had my mid morning juice prepared! I was hungry again before lunch time, and was relieved I had the banana/yoghurt juice concoction. It didn’t really fill me up though, and by 2.30-3pm I was really flagging, feeling dizzy and faint at work. I actually managed a ‘Body Blitz’ class at my local gym, which surprisingly made me feel better? In general though, this day was hard and with evening plans after, I was quite dizzy and weak, and my mood swings were everywhere.

Day 4:

I didn’t manage my usual 8-hours sleep (due to being out the evening before), so I was really tired waking up. Stomach felt a bit bloated this morning, which was unexpected. Felt groggy all morning, so didn’t manage any morning exersize. Busy day at work, and had little energy. Again, had an afternoon dip, and had to drink my early dinner juice earlier, and ended up drinking more juice today (6-7, instead of 5) as I was quite hungry and in need of extra energy. This was the hardest day. Went to bed early and fell asleep within seconds.

Day 5:

Woke up more more energised with a flatter stomach (thank god!). This was the first day of feeling ‘normal’. I had loads of stuff going on all day, and felt much stronger and clear headed. My mood swings seemed to have stopped (good news!). Still enjoying all the juices. Went to a high intensity aerobics class and managed it fine. Went to bed early and again, fell asleep straight away.

Day 6:

This was my most challenging day in terms of what I had going on, with an all-day work event (in killer heels) – but it actually went fine! I had a few moments of feeling slightly dizzy, but I made sure to drink all my juices and loads of water throughout the day, and was feeling great most of the time. I had a big evening event/party to attend (wearing even higher heels!) and was fine for the first few hours, then my body just said stop – understandably, a lot of this probably has to do with me running around like crazy all day as well (always pushing my limits).

Day 7:

Last day, and I have to admit, I stopped counting down to the end after day 4. I am not thinking; ‘YES, I can finally eat!’, it’s rather; ‘YES, I did it!’. Great day in general, again felt normal, and even after 6 days of juicing I’m still loving the recipes and taste (even my fiancee said they tasted nice, and he’s not a fan of any ‘overly’ healthy food!). Good session in the gym and nice and relaxing Friday night with a hot bath and my Friday treat in the programme, Sherbet Lemonade.

Summary:

To conclude, I would like to say, this was not easy (and I am someone with a lot of willpower and stamina.) I hate quitting things, and I knew after reading the very motivational book by Jason Vale, I would not quit. Looking back, I probably should have trialled a 3-day or 5-day cleanse programme first, but hey, I wanted a challenge. And this was by far, the most challenging thing I ever put my body and mind through.

There was many ups and downs (mostly downs in the beginning part of the programme) – but the one surprising thing throughout the whole process, was that I hardly thought about food or missed chewing something solid! Of course, I was very tempted on Day 2 at the sit down Sunday lunch, but other than that I’ve been fine, making sure I didn’t put myself in any other similar situations. The juices have also been surprisingly delicious, which was the best surprise. As there is a lot of pineapple/apple juice combos, many of the juices are quite sweet, giving me slight sugar rush at times, but in general, they kept me full (although I ended up drinking slightly more/less on a few occasions.) Note, I didn’t manage all the daily 3 x exercises that were in the programme – it was physically impossible with my work hours and schedule – but I did manage some kind of gym class/exercises once a day (minus one day).

My main goal was to cleanse and feel more energised, which I did towards the end! I do suffer from occasional bloating and light heartburn after meals, so it was a delight that this cleared it. I also slept like a baby each night and woke up relatively easy at 6am all mornings (to my standards, that’s early) to prepare all my juices.

In general, it’s made me really review and think about my food choices. I didn’t miss any heavy food or naughty treats, as the juices were relatively sweet anyways – and I’m excited to start eating more green, consciously and nutritious!

Now to the weight loss. I am aware I am not overweight; I generally just want to look healthy and fit. I did however want to shed some pounds for my upcoming holiday (in line with a healthy exercise plan to tone up). I didn’t seek out the book to loose the ’7lbs in 7 days’ exactly – I didn’t really have any specific target in mind.

My end result? -3.8kg (-8lb 6.).

Next step? Start Phase 2: The Turbo Charge Plan (also by Jason Vale) of the cleansing process, for the next 21 days. This consists of a diet of juice (often for breakfast), salad or juice for lunch, and a nice light dinner (i.e fish, brown rice, steamed rice) for dinner. So a lot of lean protein, good fat (avocado, live yoghurt) and good carbs (dark rye, brown/wholegrain rice, etc.) So in plain, just simple and healthy living! Shouldn’t be too hard after a week of just juices!

Hope you’ve enjoyed reading my diary and review. Drop me a comment if you have any other questions or just general feedback!

[SNAPSHOTS] Insta-Weeks

Apr 23, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 3 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: FASHION, food, LIFESTYLE, london, out and about, outfit, selfie, snapshots, travelling, work

Discovered our new local pub, which just happens to serve the best Pizza in town (one of my all-time favourite guilty pleasures) and amazing deserts…

Yes, another selfie, enjoying a rare sunny day down South! / One of our local shops in our new neighbourhood happens to be Whole Foods, the most amazing natural food market ever! Deli, organic food, health counter, wine – amazing. These curried Kale chips are to die for, and the perfect healthy snack!

Obsessed with my new zebra printed cashmere scarf, a gift from my father, all the way from Nepal. He really knows me too well.

I travelled to Denmark with work, and was mostly excited about eating a Scandinavian-style breakfast (the best there is). / Packing (god, I hate packing).

Enjoyed a spring evening with colleagues in Denmark, on a pink bike, with a glass of red. Standard. / One of the locations for our brand meetings – a haunted manor house.

Off travelling again, this time home to Norway! / R.I.P Margaret Thatcher.

Home! My bedroom at our summer house by the fjords in Norway. // Dinner is served, family time <3.

I never get tired of this view! / Walking along our beach.

My sister’s baby room. Due any minute! / Rewards of hard work and achievements at work. Nice surprise to come back to!

The juicing begins! / Day 1 over… Seeing green.

Arm candy! / Walking through South Kensington, one of my favourite areas of London.

Spending the day in Chelsea with one of my favourite London bloggers, Natalie from Canned Fashion.

You can find me on Instagram as @anneliwillis.

[LIFESTYLE] Juice, Juice, Juice!

Apr 20, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 6 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: 7 day, blender, cleansing, health, juicing, LIFESTYLE, philips, preparing, wholefoods

In preparation for my 7-day cleanse, I have had to gather a few (a lot) of bits in the last few days. I’ve already got my juicer, and now a brand new Philips blender (essential for the avocado, banana, ice cubes, etc.), the 7-day cleanse book (by Jason Vale), a whole load of food shopping from Wholefoods (note, not all ingredients for the juice cleansing) and some final grocery shopping last night from my local supermarket to keep it all fresh.

Some essential ingredients? Apples (a lot), carrots, pineapple, kale, beetroot, ginger, avocado, spirulina, wheatgrass, probiotic… only mentioning some.

Let’s go!

[LIFESTYLE] Philips Fruit Juicer

Apr 13, 2013 by Anneli in LIFESTYLE 8 COMMENTS❤❤ TAGS: cleanse, diet, food, health, jason vale, juicer, juicing, LIFESTYLE, living, philips, super food

Philips Whole Fruit Aliminium Juicer, £69.99 (reduced from £100), from Amazon.

Yes, I’ve succumbed to the ‘juicing’ hype. I’ve been reading so much about it and hearing from friends – and in need of a ‘spring cleanse’, I’ve decided to give it a go myself. First step; get the juicer! I decided on this one from Philips (which also came with a complementary gift; a book by the legendary ‘Juice Master’, Jason Vale).

This juicer is apparently the preferred choice to Jason Vale, and after reading countless reviews online, I decided to give it a go. I will let you know when I start (hard to find a consistent period of time to do it) – but like Jason says (god, I sound obsessed already) – anyone can do anything if they really put their mind to it. And I guess, I am a very determined person when I first want to do something.

There are obviously several programmes or length of time you can begin the juice cleanse; either going with the full going on a 7-day cleanse, or start off with two times a week. I’ve also got a blender on it’s way, a juice flask (when on-the-go), and another book by Jason – the ’7 Days Super Diet’ programme (which is the initial programme I will be doing). Sounds crazy for that long (to me, that is a long time without any solids), but I actually can’t wait to get started!

Why juice? (video)

Personally, it’s all about increasing my energy levels and to cleanse – although it’s kind of perfect timing right before my mini-break in Croatia in a few weeks as well. Now, I just have to compile all the superfood ingredients, which I guess is the more time-consuming part of it.

Have you tried juicing? I would love to hear from you!

1 2 3 4 5 6