The Perfect 10

It has not been that easy but then again I did not expect it to be but I have now lost 10lbs and now weigh in at 190lbs with 209 days to go before I hit 40Fit&Fab. There have been ups and downs in the last month. Some great highs feeling wonderful and positive and life seems ever so fabulous (which it is!). Then there have been a few lows - eating rubbish because I was tired or emotional (any emotion - happy, sad, joy, fear). The trouble with the lows is they sneak up on you! I suppose what I am learning is how to cope with it. Manage it and get better at that. Not turn to food as some sort of weapon because after all the only person who gets hurt is me!? #selfsabotage

Met someone recently - just someone who pops into your life for a day and you will never meet again. She was an uber happy, bubbly and annoyingly positive person who has been on every life-therapy weekend there is available. She did keep saying "You have to remember you are brilliant. YOU are brilliant". So although she would really get on your nerves after more than a day I do believe she is kind of making sense. You have to believe in yourself. Allow yourself to be proud. Be Happy. Be You. So basically what I am saying is - I am F***ing awesome.

Sort of.

Getting there.

EJMx

Pleased as Punch

Having one feature published was great. Having the second one published feels fandabbydosy. So please if you have time to visit We Heart Living - time a peek, read and then share share share. There are Facebook, Twitter, Pin and Google+ links to share just under the feature.

 

 

Hope you like it - and whilst I am here - I know at least 60 people have had a peek at the logos. Please please leave me a comment as it will really help me decide!! See Totes Amazeballs post.

EJMx

Totes Amazeballs

My main man Jimbo at 155Creative has played about with a little logo for EJM. I LOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEEE them. I love it when a graphics person not only does what you ask but takes it that little step forward and then as if that was not fandabbydosy enough they offer you other options too. I cannot big him up enough. A big Jumbo EJM shout out for Jimbo. Jumbo...Jimbo. He is soooo part of the EJM team! (Not saying Jimbo is Jumbo. Oh you know what I mean!)

 

So I will keep this post short and sweet as I basically just want you to look at the logos. Here are the designs and I want to hear from you all - what do you like? What do you love? Anything you do not like? Any thoughts. Anything at all. Thank you! Post on the blog if you can so the peeps at 155 Creative can see them...

EJM x

Design Sheet 1

Design Sheet 2

Design Sheet 3

Releasing the Inner Skinny

This is life changing. Big. Huge. No bigger than huge. Epic. Age 39 years and 151 days my life is taking a whole new direction. I have finally found I quite like salad. I know. This is major news is it not!?! So far I have one combo that I like but it has made me believe I can change and perhaps my inner skinny is fighting to come out!

When I say like, I mean love - Roasted Aubergine, peppers and red onion on a bed of rockety salady stuff with some pizza express (light) dressing with a little bit of goats cheese. It is actually scrummy. So now I am open to ideas to try other salad combos! It is never too late to change!

About 18 months ago I trained myself to like coffee. Tea and coffee were always just dirty hot water to me but now I am addicted - not sure it is such a good thing but having a coffee to help me through the day as opposed to two large slabs of Dairy Milk has to be a good thing! Tea is still filthy though!

I never really drank alcohol until I had my 3rd child. A boy after two girls! I was shattered and weak and turns out I love alcohol but I am pretty much a lightweight. I have some friends (all of them actually) who are trained professionals in the art of drinking. I tend to still drive most of the time but when I do have a tipple - I topple. #cheapdate

Speaking of which. I was supposed to be going out tonight at the marvellous Hertford House Hotel

to celebrate 3 years of Crossfit Huntsman. Dr Evil and the coaches including Mr Big have created a great Crossfit community and I am so glad I was introduced to it by a nutty friend. Unfortunately one of my little kidney stones has decided to make an entrance so I am stuck at home. Boo hoo!

Speaking of Hertford House Hotel it used to be the offices of the Hertfordshire Mercury where I was a reporter and spent quite a miserable time realising I was more "features" than "news". Even though I am a journalist I feel more at home in Hertford House Hotel than I ever did at the Mercury!! The building is so beautiful now and I never saw that. The beauty was hidden as my head was so busy trying to work out what the Editor wanted from me. Turns out he just did not want me. Anyone but me. Yet here I am with publications asking me to write for them. As me. As EJM. When someone stops me to tell me they love/like the blog or simply that it makes them smile it really does Raise me Up Westlife Styleee. So thank you peeps. You have put to bed a nasty little 'issue' that I have let hang around far too long. This blog lark is great therapy!!

#thankyou

Anyway - back from the deep stuff. Any salad combo ideas for me to try?

EJMx 

What is with the name?

Elephant Juice Mum? Elephant Juice - Really!?!

Ok, I hear you. Daft name. What on earth could it mean? Just the Greatest Words of All - sung Whitney (Greatest Love of All) styleeeee. Yes. The Greatest Words of Alllllllllll. It's easy to achieveeeeeeeee. Learning to love yourself.... Sorry Whitney took over. She does that to me sometimes.

Nothing to do with juice, nothing to do with elephants really but I do love them! Anyway, in our house Elephant Juice -  it means I love you. Mouth "Elephant Juice" and it looks like you are saying I love You. Just a silly THING. I like it. Some people say Elephant Shoes or Olive Juice but for us it has always been Elphant Juice. It makes me smile. And you know how I feel about smiling! And now I am smiling at the thought of you mouthing "Elephant Juice" just to make sure. Go and look at yourself in the mirror. It works. You will smile. Happy Monday! This Monday is a particularly 'orrible Monday with rain lashing down so make someone else smile. I dare you to mouth Elephant Juice at someone. Could be someone you love or just to wind someone up. I might try the postman........

I wanted something that people will remember. So many blogs out there I need to stand out from the crowd and they do not come much bigger than an elephant. I know some people (special people) know what Elephant Juice means. I do not 'own' it. It is a THING. Some other people out there know what it means. I promise you I have not made it up. See!

Anyway, just letting you know. The Mum bit - well I am one. That is me. Mum. Elephant Juice Mum. x
#justsaying

EJMx

#crushagrape NEWS

I am so excited and I just can't hide it. I know I know I know!

Whoop Whoop

My first feature has been published on We Heart Living!

Proper #crushagrape moment. Feels lovely to get back writing and have already penned the next one.

 

Get sharing from the website to show the peeps at We Heart Living you like it and if you LURVE it - leave a comment over there too!

 

Thank you all for your support

Much Love

 

EJMx

 

#crushagrape

A Marathon Weekend

What a weekend we had. Exhausted. Completely well and truly shattered. My husband Mr EJM and one of his besties (proper bromance going on!) ran the Chester marathon but I tell you what - being supportive is hard work. 

My favourite banner of the weekend

We dropped them at the start. Found a Starbucks. Wave, wave, scream, cheer at mile 2. Zoomed to Mile 17. Found a pub. Sausage sandwich. Wave wave, cheer cheer, whistle whistle.

Zoom to the finishing line where I actually had to sprint about 500metres to meet Mr EJM who was so awesome finishing in an incredible time of just under (very important to say that) 3 hours 45 minutes. Very proud. A few tears. He was in that very moment totes amazeballs in my eyes! I however, had just sprinted 500metres without a sports bra. I did consider joining the queue for the post race massage but thought that would really be pushing it. It was inspiring but I do know I never want to run a marathon. It is 26.2 miles. That is way way too far and believe me it looked painful.

We celebrated in fabulous style creating our own little party in the most splendid (yes splendid) of settings The Botanist

of which I want to pick up and place back down in Hertford so I can spend every evening there! The staff were so friendly, the food was amazing (do not tell Mr Big!) and the drinks were INCREDIBLE (again Shhhhhhh)!! I mean if they are going to make such pretty cocktails that taste scrummy it would be rude not to drink lots of them!! It was a proper let your hair down evening full of smiles and laughter although I do think we were robbed on the Quiz - too much cheating going on (not enough cheating by us!). The great thing is the people behind The Botantist are opening something up in London for all those city boy types. It will not be as pretty as The Botanist but I am sure there will be a cocktail with my name on it! Marvellous! I may have to meet Mr EJM from work when it opens!#party

My My: Rose Petal Mai Tai

Take Flight

Oops: Would have been rude not to!
(No Fat or Carbs in this at all Mr Big. Promise. And I ate it whilst doing a handstand so that means it does not count!)

So a marathon is not on my to do list before 40Fit&Fab. We, the supporters, did decide to challenge ourselves to a 10K and quite fancy the look of the Winter Run on Feb 1st 2015 in London.

Would be a good goal to keep me running (or actually start) whilst counting down to 40Fit&Fab. Not entered yet - just at the "thinking" stage...

EJMx

RIP Phil

I was on a mission to create some wonderful new juices to freeze for my wonderful new healthy 'get me I am so fit and fabulous' lifestyle. I had the entire fruit and veg aisles delivered. I got chopping and prepping and then disaster. The Juicer, my juicer, my world. He died. I had no idea he was even poorly. Just boom. Gone.

Devestated. My juicer. My everything. RIP Phil. (Phillips Viva Juicer)

Through the tears I got straight on to Google. Best Juicer. What a minefield. What to buy? Then I saw the word. Do you ever just get the giggles at a word. Well apparently there are masticating juicers. Hehehehehe. I know, silly isn't it. I cannot help it.

I get that a lot. The giggles.

Reminds me of when I was little and told my Dad that there were people masturbating in a circle further up the beach. He stormed off in search of such people only to return in fits of giggles. Meditating. They were meditating. It has never occurred to me until now how on earth I knew the word at all........

Anyways. Another story, same holiday. My friend and I saw a jellyfish and again we ran back to tell the parents. "Massive testicles," my friend told our parents...... Kids say the best things don't they?

Back to my poor juicer. So I am in research mode at present. I have a weeks worth of juices in the freezer but ideally I need to get something delivered and delivered fast! It looks like I am setting up a fruit and veg stall on the kitchen worktop!

Liking the look of the Nutribullet because of the ease to clean BUT I like to bulk juice and freeze and this would mean adding something to my daily routine..... will I make time for it?!? I love the price too at just under £100. This is different to my old juicer as this uses the fibre too which I like the idea of. Whenever I was throwing away all that goodness I did wonder if there was some way of getting it into the drink. It copes with flax seeds (whatever they are) and even nuts so could also be a way of getting nuts in me! Yes I really did just say that! Hahahaha. Oooo er missus!

Then there is the all singing Vitamix but it has a lot to live up to with prices starting from £399 - yes I said starting from! So in the name of research I have just watched the video on qvcuk.com and of course I now cannot live without this machine. I will be making every meal of the day in this Vitamix. I will make my money back in just weeks.....

STOP THE PRESS
Phil is alive. Mr EJM came home from work (very important busy man in suit tip tapping on computer kind of work) and I told him about the demise of poor Phil. Then within seconds Phil had a pulse. Turns out there is a switch on the bottom - reset. Simples!

But. No joy and happiness. I felt nothing. I have already moved on. I no longer love Phil. I do not want him and his left over fibre and multiple cleaning bits. It is over. I need Norman or Victor (Nutribullet or Vitamix).

EJMx

The One and Only

Just a pound. One pound. All that effort for 1 pound. That is what one side of my head is screaming at me.

The other side, the patient positive logical side, says it is THAT week. You know, lady week. It is water retention and all that kind of stuff. I feel better and clothes are fitting that did not a few weeks ago. It is all good. Half a stone in 3 weeks. That is totes amazeballs. Fabulous. Wonderful. Everything is good!

 

But then the dark side of my head comes back louder and stronger. Drowning out the logic. PATHETIC - you should lose more. Go on, go and eat. You will feel sooooo much better. What is the point in working out - you can't do this.....

 

BUT. BIG BUT. No I will not allow "I like Big Butts and I cannot lie...." to enter my head at this time. This is serious. I will win this week. I am doing this.

Earlier this week I was feeling completely sensible knowing that time of the month had arrived. DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF THIS WEEK. That is what sensible EJM said. I was all over it. Escape the negativity that may be on the scales as I can easily put on weight during THAT week. Brilliant. Genius idea. Great plan.

 

Then, this morning, they started talking to me. Before I had even left my bed the scales were calling to me. "Come on my pretty, come and weigh yourself. I will be nice to you. You know you really want to know." In my sleepy stupity I stepped on.

 

193. This is good. This is a another pound. Little positive EJM was in my head trying to do star jumps and the Carlton from Fresh Prince dance of joy. Brilliant, fabulous, marvellous.

 

Then miserable dark side of negativity smacked the poor little positive EJM to the floor and started jumping up and down - quite violent my dark side. Top that with the anger at myself for actually getting on the scales DESPITE telling myself I wouldn't and my positivity was flattened. Usually this would mean one thing. THE END.

 

This would mean a little trip to a supermarket for a lunch that would make me "feel better". Junk. Rubbish. Not clever.

 

So my poor little positive side has peeled itself off the floor and is fighting back. I am off to Crossfit with someone who I know will make me smile like a Cheshire Cat and as for that negative little person in my head - well today it can piss right off!!!!!

 

193lbs

Total loss 7lbs

#winning

EJMx