Warriors Can Resist Cupcakes

It has not been as easy as I thought it would be. I have been wee-ing like it's going out of fashion but guess what? I still am thirsty. I down 3 litres a day as well as part of the Detox.

Courtesy of Where Magazine

What I have found is that there is a lot of time commitment involved in being a Warrior. Having said that, you will agree that any thing you expect good results from will require some amount of time commitment.

I have enjoyed being a warrior especially as yesterday was exercise free. I did struggle on Thursday though. I found the push ups so hard but guess what? Afterwards, I sat through a 3 hour meeting with a tin of cupcakes in front of me and just enjoyed their beauty and inhaled the aroma without thinking of reaching for them. In fact one of my co-warriors is a cupcake maker.

The key for me now is to get better organised. I think cutting up some of the green juice ingredients ahead could save a few minutes in the morning such as celery and cucumbers.

Other ingredients are cocoa nibs, cinnamon, blueberries, a handful of green leaves, coconut milk and coconut water which all taste amazing.

So, stay with me and I'll let you know once Nikki starts taking on a new set for her 21 day detox programme.

P.S: This detox will not make you hungry it's full of veg, salmon, venison and yummy coconuts x

Why I'm A Warrior

If you remember a while ago I blogged about shedding my post-natal weight. Well, as I'm still post-natal and the weight is still evident I decided it was time to wage war against the bulge.

Courtesy:John Christian Fjellestad

Luckily, a friend on Facebook who is a trainer, Nikki held a competition and how lucky am I to be among the chosen few called Warriors.

It's a 21 day programme and today is day 1. I have exercised parts of my body I didn't know had muscles - my thighs - hamstrings for example.

However, I'm no novice when it comes to warring against the bulge. Name it I've done it - Dukan, Weight Watchers, Juice Machine and some I don't even remember now. My issue with them is that I don't see myself continuing the way recommended.

Have a look at Nikki's page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/357417637850/. Look at her posts from day to day and you'll see she's real and committed. Plus, all the things she asks are do-able.

Even my Mum won't believe I can do push-ups not to talk of a burpee! Burpees are hardcore man! Anyway, keep checking to see what I'm up to in the 21 day Warrior programme. I'll be updating this blog on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the next 21 days. Don't miss out on this battle.

What would you do if your child received 48kg of chocolate in the post?

I'm not taking the piss at Omar Shah's mother because she was reluctant at her son's decision to take part in a competition run by the Jeddah Hilton to win some chocolate. Well, how did he end up with his own weight in chocolate being delivered at home then? Quite simply the competition was to guess what a 2.5 metre chocolate camel weighed.

I think once I got that phone call to say we'd be getting 48 kg of chocolate, I'd start writing out a list of people I could send chocolate boxes. Or, check the expiry and save them as Christmas gifts? Selfish, stingy? Ok, what would you do?

You can read the full article here.

Want to Live Long? Eat Chocolate

Photo:Josephine Tesauro

I just read an article about a 100 year old who credits chocolate for keeping her going. Her daughter says that Edna Hoover, her mother eats some chocolate everyday and up to 2 pounds a week! If you're thinking what I'm going to say next is go ye and do likewise then my answer is no.

I think life is all about balance. And I'm sure Edna eats a balanced diet or did or might not at all and is just lucky to have a strong body. My maternal grandmother died at 92 and enjoyed her chocolates regularly. However, I remember she ate very balanced meals and always had breakfast fit for a queen. She may not always have though.

I am a stickler for balance and I hate regret. I am committed to doing what is right as much as I can especially if it's in my power to do so. Eat some chocolate - preferably some with a decent amount of cocoa and enjoy it but also try to do what's recommended - 5 fruit and veg a day etc. I can't say I'm there yet but I do try.

What every business can learn from LinkedIn

I've recently become more of a LinkedIn addict simply because the profiling is more detailed so I really know who I'm connecting with (to an extent). One thing I have noticed in the last one month is the amount of changes that take place on LinkedIn almost everyday.

I've just logged in this evening to find that the way my inbox is configured has changed and I like it. Only last night I was looking for a message from a new contact and found it difficult to identify because I couldn't remember her exact name but I knew she had recently sent me an invitation to connect.

Well, today as I logged in I saw that LinkedIn had separated the invitations from the messages. How useful is that! And I say that as opposed to Facebook's new 'Like' Ok...I thought that was what being a fan meant?' or Twitter's 'Retweets' that can't be edited'. As a business, it's important to keep innovating but I think considering how useful it will be to the end user should be priority.

Love Your Chocolate and Lose Baby Weight

I am several months post natal and have decided it's time to shed the baby weight. I was however happy to see two celebrity Mums who have just had babies as well talk about their diets but not as if it's a do or die affair.

I read in the US Magazine that Kendra Wilkinson recently visited a chocolate factory not quite 3 months after giving birth, then had a chilli hotdog and even joked about it saying she's on a chocolate and hotdog diet.

Zoe Ball also confesses to eating some chocolate in the evening while watching TV. Yet, she has lost 2 stone already!

Credit:Isaac Brekken/Wireimage.com

I think it's important to decide to diet but not kill yourself if you via off or have to eat something you shouldn't. If you're dieting it should be for your own good and benefit not for your Mum's best friend's niece who lost the 3 stone she gained a month after giving birth.

We all can't be Tess Daly in a bikini 10 weeks after. We're all different. I can only promise to do my best and be happy with my results. Wish me good luck :)

Making the best of follow friday

If you're on Twitter, you might have found that it's quite easy to get distracted by Follow Friday as you get mentioned several times. Maybe you are ignoring it altogether as some sort of popularity contest that you cant trust or just dont have time for. However, you can make the best of every Follow Friday if you keep your goals and objectives in mind on Friday. Even if you don't tag people on Fridays, as your followers start tagging stay focused by asking yourself:

1. Who are the people I need to connect with that will make my time on Twitter worthwhile? Use Follow Friday to find these people. If you've followed a few good contacts watch out for who they hash tag with a follow Friday. Check out their profiles and decide if they're worth a follow.

2. Can I relax now? Yes and No. Yes because you are now using Follow Fridays to do the right thing - find new followers which will shortly bring you new ones as well. No because you have to be consistent. You dont have to do it every week but do make it part of your Twitter strategy. 

It may be Friday but still keep your business antennas tuned for the few minutes you'll spend tweeting. How do you use Follow Friday or is it a distraction?

Could you survive in Oprah's studio?

 Oprah Winfrey's has recently re-built parts of her talk show studio with Godiva Chocolate Bars. Yum Yum. How long could you stay in there without eating up the set? It could take me weeks in all sincerity with over 10,000 bites to take. According to Toronto life the set consisted of a grandfather clock, table, books, chess set, fireplace and a vase of flowers (all made of chocolate) and was created with 7,000 Godiva bars and 2,400 truffles over the course of 1,400 hours. There was also a chocolate chandelier made from 1,500 pieces of chocolate.

Racism? I never use that word or should I?

 As I work outside home part-time and my 16 month old is finding home too restrictive, I decided to find a child minder. This was my preferred choice as I thought she may feel lost in a nursery surrounded by so many kids so suddenly.

She has always been at home with me. I stayed home with her for 11 months, then my Mum for about a month, then with my In-laws, who came from abroad to see her for the first time, for 4 months.

So, I educated myself on how to get one. I called the council got a list of registered child minders, checked OFSTED reports and chose one with an outstanding report.

Alas! It started off nicely but after two weeks she calls one evening and says " I don't think you trust me". After 30 minutes of trying to convince her on the phone, she sends a text 1 hour later saying "I still don't think it's working."

Did I hide a camera in the bag? Check on 16 month old every five minutes by text? Did I do a 'Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew' during my lunch break and get caught eavesdropping at the door? Did I do worse? No. No. No. I rest my case.

Miss you Linea Nigra, Miss you pre-preggo tummy

While dressing up today, I discovered my Linea Nigra had disappeared, you know the dark line that runs from under the chest to below the navel in mostly dark skinned pregnant women. I had been a bit concerned it was still there especially since DD is now well over 1 year old.

Well, I now kind of miss it as it's been with me now for over a year and had become a part of me. Yes, I was sad to see it had disappeared now leaving me with my pot post-preggo belly. So, recently I've been reading on how to get rid of it and found the most helpful tips in the Parenting magazine.

I really like the one that says to avoid foods that bloat like broccoli and contain lots of salt which can cause water retention. The 'do' bit which I'd like to try is to eat more water-rich fruits and vegetables, like oranges, tomatoes, asparagus, and celery, which act as gentle, natural diuretics. I'm not sure about celery and asparagus though ;( Any ideas on how to become a celery eating Captain Vegetable (a la Sesame Street) ?

Eggstreme? Easter chocolates on supermarket shelves

I posted an article link on Twitter regarding supermarkets like Tesco who are already stocking Easter Eggs and have had very interesting responses. Certain feel it's ok but more people feel it's wrong especially so soon after Christmas. However, according to a report by The Telegraph, Tesco is only stocking them in response to consumer demand.

Realistically, we wouldn't expect them to be folding their arms at this time of year as concerns Easter, yet in a way I believe they could be a bit more strategic, maybe stocking them in mid-January. At least, Easter is celebrated at the same time everywhere. Who are these consumers stocking eggs that are not half-priced on New Year's Day? In defence, Tesco noted though that they would be launching their own Easter range nearer the season.

It's easy to criticise Tesco but how about all the Fashion stores who have launched their Spring collection? We are not even sure it wont snow in Spring. I think Tesco's timing is wrong but they are certainly not alone in this Early Bird competition. I have already started designing Mother's Day wrappers and plan to upload our designs before the month's end. It's all about planning ahead for me I cant speak on behalf of others.

Posh's Savoury Chocolate Cravings

I've just read about Posh asking David to pick her up five bags of salted chocolate caramels after dining at Gordon Ramsay's. The Daily Mirror says she can't get enough of the Salty chocolate balls. It's interesting that she would eat these but gets into a panic thinking of eating turkey and trimmings. I figure she must have her calorie requirements worked out perfectly. If I had people waiting on me hand and foot as well as on my family members I'd probably be thinking of my calories. In which case, savoury chocolate balls might fit the bill. However, as I never know from day to day what sort of dive I'm going to have to make so that DD doesn't land in the Casualty ward or how many different meals I will have to cook her so she can at least have something in her tummy, I stick with the sort of calories turkey and trimmings give. And as I am face to face with chocolate everyday, I don't get to send the Husband for some, I simply unwrap one for the extra calories I always need. Oh for the Posh life! Thankful for the personalised chocolates life!

Meilleurs Voeux

I've just been reading about the various uses of the above phrase which basically means best wishes. This is one of the many ways to say Merry Xmas or Happy New Year. You could sign a card by writing:

Meilleurs Voeux pour l'annee 2010, Suzie

Or say Je vous souhaite mes meilleurs voeux pour l'annee 2010.

Personally, I would say Joyeux Noel which means Merry Xmas or Bonne Annee - Happy New Year.

Other ways in which the phrase can be used are in letters to close the correspondence, so one could say:

Veuillez accepter mes meilleurs voeux or as a get well message Meilleurs voeux de prompt retablissement. 


How have you wished others Merry Xmas or Happy New Year using a different expression this year? Please share it with us.

Why wont she just eat?!

Im quite exhausted tonight and DD is sitting happily on the floor playing with a DVD case. Im here wondering why she's so happy as she hasnt eaten as she normally would all day. She's wasted so much food. Did I hear you say welcome to Motherhood?

She has probably eaten enough but as usual Im worried. I hope she'll sleep well and not wake up hungry as Im off to work at 8 am. Plus, DH has a very important meeting tomorrow so we cant afford for her to wake at night hungry.

I've been working hard today on a complimentary line to our chocolates launching early next year. There has been a lot of calculations to do and thinking of adequate funding.

DD is watching Franny's feet on Playhouse Disney sucking happily from her cup of water. Wish me luck!

Personalised Chocolates? - Nah! not my thing

What I enjoyed most this Xmas was the variety of orders we had. We had an autographed wrapper.

 Name card chocolates

business card chocolates

and photo chocolates

It was a lot of fun helping to design these orders. I had a lot of people send in their own designs especially kids! Even better was the feedback that came in when people received their orders. It's very fulfilling helping others create their dream chocolate gift. What is your dream chocolate gift design?

So you may ask how do I design my own wrapper? Simple. Open a new word document and add some shapes, colours and a message. If you'd like to autograph it, print it out and sign on it then run it through a scanner et voila! Btw, that's our French Word of the Day;) Hope you caught it!

Everything you need to know about ordering personalised chocolate favours

You will either be asked about where and how to order chocolate favours or need some at a point. Whatever it is, this information will come in more than handy one day soon!  


1) Budget: How much do you plan to spend? How many guests will you have? How much are you willing to spend?


Now, please halt for a moment. Read the other points below then come back to point 1. Can you afford what you are after? Where can you cut costs to afford what you are after? Reduce quantity per head? Is the supplier willing to hold the offer for you till when you need them? If you buy now, will the favours still be in their best condition when you need them?

2) Type: What sort of favours are you planning to get? Dragees? Mints? Chocolates?  


3) Presentation: Will your favours be scattered over the table or will you put them in boxes? Or would you rather they are presented as name cards or menu cards? Better yet, would you like to give a fore-taste of the event by sending them out as a Save the Date or Invitation Card?  


4) Theme: Do you plan to let your favours match the theme of the event or party? Will you match the colour scheme, your flowers or the ambience theme - Rock n Roll, Hawaiian, Heart shapes? 


Did I miss out anything? If you've ordered favours for an event what, in your opinion, is another critical consideration?

12 days of Xmas

Hi

We've just launched our BT Tradespace shop and to promote it we are doing a Xmas Advent give-away! Simply keep up to date with our Tradespace News Posts from December 12 till Xmas Eve to save on essential personalised chocolate needs in 2010.

As featured on Helen Carter Weddings

Wedding favours are something that a lot of couples ask whether they should have or not. I personally think it’s a nice gesture to give your guests a keepsake of the day, but I also know that they can end up being ignored or forgotten about and consequently can feel like a waste of money. This is why I often recommend clients opt for something edible – guests love having something to nibble on after dinner, or they’ll tuck it away to munch on their way home later!
So today I’m delighted to welcome Tola Popoola from Chocolat a Toi. Tola specialises in creating personalised chocolate wedding favours... Continue

Working on personalised photo Xmas chocolates - fab!

Had a great time at everywoman conference. Well chuffed to see our yummy chocolates in Natwest goody bags!