Charity Christmas Cards for CRY! - Marathon Update No.4

'Tis the season to get crafty!

The shops have their party windows in place, our calendar's are filling up with festive gatherings and the streets are glittering with fairy lights. Christmas is well and truly on the approach and I am so excited! 

This December for me, is not just festivities however; it marks the beginning my marathon training programme for the big day next year. As Christmas is the time for giving, it's also the perfect opportunity to begin fundraising for my worthy charity CRY that I will run for on the 23rd of April next year. 

 I've handmade every single one of these cards and would love your support, should you wish to purchase any - I hope you like them!;

GLITTER SNOWMEN £1 EACH (CAN MAKE TO ORDER)

BEADED MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS £1 EACH (CAN MAKE TO ORDER)

REINDEER BAUBLES £1 EACH (CAN MAKE TO ORDER)

LITTLE PENGUIN ICEBERGS £1 EACH (6 AVAILABLE)

GLITTER MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (NON BEADED) £1 EACH (CAN MAKE TO ORDER)

GLITTER REINDEER 5 PACK WITH CANDYCANE £5 (CAN MAKE TO ORDER & ALSO SELL SEPARATELY FOR £1 EACH)

All of the cards can be posted to you or of course delivered if you live in Cheltenham! All proceeds will go straight to my marathon Virgin Money Giving page, so if you are purchasing the cards to be delivered, you can make your donation on my Virgin Money Giving page here after confirming your order with me via Facebook message, commenting on this post or emailing me! Or of course if you see me, you can give your donation in person and I'll add it to the funds! 

*BACK OF CARD CRY STICKER* ALL PROCEEDS TO MY MARATHON FUNDRAISING PAGE 

Cardiac Risk in the Young is a brilliant charity that is working towards reducing the shocking 12 deaths a week in young people in the UK from a sudden cardiac arrest. It is such a worthy cause and I cannot wait to raise as much money as possible for this wonderful charity. 

If you require your cards by a certain date let me know when placing the order and I will ensure they reach you in plenty time! - I'm currently making cards in my sleep! ;-)

Please let me know your order in the comments below, Via Facebook message, or my email; thatfashionedit@gmail.com and I'll get back to you ASAP!

Hope you are all getting excited for the festivities ahead and thank you all once again for your support!

L x

Autumn's here! - It's time to get cosy!

Well after much anticipation, the cold snap of Autumn has finally arrived. At last, we can begin to wave goodbye to that awkward weather that starts the day cold but leaves you sweating in a jumper come lunch time!
With the cold nights and dark mornings, come the need for candles, blankets and a cosy bed to climb in to at the end of a long day. Autumn is by far my favourite time of year; I love sunshine on cold days, playing hockey in the Saturday morning sun and getting home from work to cosy baths and fluffy PJs. It's also, lets be honest, the countdown to Christmas! I've been building my Autumn collection of homeware bits and accessories over the past few weeks and I thought it was time for the first mini Autumn haul. Along with some of the photos I've snapped of the beautiful changing season so far!

The first thing I bought was my lovely new bedding. There's nothing better than updating your bedroom to fit the season. I mean, I still keep my same duvet cover, I just add some seasonal cushions and throws to give my bed the update it needs to get me in the Autumn spirit!
As you may know, if you've watched my haul videos on youtube or on Instagram, I love a budget haul. Mainly because I can't afford to go all out when I change my decor every season, but also because you simply do not need to spend a lot of money to find gorgeous bits and pieces if you know where to look!
In the Summer it was all about Primark's beautiful Moroccan homeware range - so gorgeous and summery and wonderfully premium looking; but for this season I hit the jackpot in the form of a whole aisle of Burnt Orange, Leaf covered gorgeousness in ASDA.





Pictured above: Stay home & snuggle cushion - £8
                          Burnt Orange Check cushions (sold separately) £8

The other gem that i found in ASDA was this luxurious brushed cotton fitted sheet;

It was such a bargain at only £8 and quite frankly I don't know why I haven't owned one of these before now!? There were a few different colours and prints. I went for a plain natural colour but it did take all my will power to prevent my inner child from buying the one with little hedgehogs printed all over! The orange check throw in the background matches the cushions and was also from ASDA. The cushions and the throw are faux mohair, which makes them gloriously cosy and ideal to snuggle up with when the heating's gone off for the night!

What better way to feel ever cosier, than with an abundance of scented glowing candles! I bought my candles and beautiful holders from Homesense (TK Maxx), Vinegar Hill, Yankee Candle, Dunelm, Tesco and Bath & Bodyworks - who don't actually ship to the UK but if you know someone living in or visiting America/Canada/Dubai etc, then I would definitely get them to send you some over, such amazing fragrances and their Christmas range is another level of excitement altogether. I'll apologise now for the next hour you are going to waste trawling their website in awe!

Once I had my bedroom and living room all cosy with fairy lights, candles and cushions; it was time to start bringing out the Autumn Winter wardrobe!
I always start with the accessories, although this often leaves me wearing a bobble hat the minute it drops below 17 degrees! The great thing about Autumn is the layering, you can add so much to your outfit through accessorising and scarves and knitwear are brilliant for this. Pictured below are two of my favourite purchases from Primark. A checked scarf is my ultimate must have for Autumn, this season there are so many amazing textures and colours on the high street, so you can really get involved with this trend to fit your own style. This Red check scarf was £5 and the Oxblood clutch bag was around £6 from what I can remember! I absolutely love the colour and I have the perfect lipstick that matches back perfectly for a night out with this bag.

I also found these 2 gorgeous bobble hats in Primark, they were £2 each and come in so many colours so you can literally have one for every possible outfit! I went for the blush pink and charcoal, but there was a beautiful mustard colour that would look gorgeous if you have chestnut brown hair!
 On the left is my Michael Kors Selma satchel in the sunshine with my new faux shearling mitts from New Look - which are literally a cosy bed for the hands! While putting this post together, I've realised I have rather a lot of wardrobe pieces to talk about. For that reason, I'm planning a Youtube video on my wardrobe essentials for this season so look out for that!

We all know with the colder weather comes the perfect excuse for hot chocolates and warming comfort food. With this in mind, I thought I'd share some treats I've been indulging in over the past few weeks. Of course Autumn begins the moment Starbucks bring out their famous PSL, (Pumpkin Spiced Latte, for those who aren't basic enough to know the abbreviation!) However this year they answered my prayers with a Pumpkin Spiced Frappe which was perfect, given it was 18 degrees on launch day! - Absolutely full of sugar of course and in no way way good for you, but the perfect treat on a weekend out shopping. I also re-discovered my love of baking recently and whipped up the chocolate salted caramel cupcakes for a work bake sale. They are from the Hummingbird Bakery; Home Sweet Home recipe book and really delicious. Let me know if you would like the recipe and I'll post it. I got the gorgeous leaf sprinkles and gold cupcake cases from Homesense. I think I'm going to make some cinnamon and spiced apple muffins next weekend and may even venture to some pumpkin cupcakes too for Halloween! I'll let you know on instagram/snapchat how I get on!

So I think that's all from me on my Autumn haul and how I've welcomed my favourite season of 2016! I have taken so many photo's of Autumn's beauty recently so here's a few of my favourites and some outfit photos in-between :)

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, all the products are linked in the paragraphs, but any questions, please leave me a comment! I'd also love to know if you guys are inspired to shop any of the products in the blog post so please let me know in the comments below.
Happy Autumn/Shopping/Decorating!
L x

Running the Half Marathon - Marathon Update No.3

Sunday the 25th of September began a bit differently to my standard Sunday's; 6.30 alarm, nerves and a big bowl of porridge, quite the contrast to waking naturally at 9.30 and lounging around in my PJs until around 11. This particular Sunday, I'd have 13.1 miles under my belt by the time I'd usually be thinking about getting in the shower and starting the day!
Different though it was, it was one of the best Sunday's I've ever had. It's the greatest milestone in my marathon training so far and a brilliant test of mental strength which has only left me better off when thinking about preparations for next years 26.2 miles. I now have full confidence I will be able to run the marathon!
I think back to when I started training for the event next April; when pushing for 6K instead of 5 was a real struggle, training was overwhelming and my legs would ache for days after an 8K run. I feel an overwhelming sense of achievement and for the first time I understand how people can get addicted to running marathons!

As my training progressed I was motivated by beating my previous times, I continuously ran faster 5K's and managed to shave a few seconds off my longer run times also in the run up to the half marathon. I know some people run the marathon and other events just to get round and complete it, after all, everyone's personal efforts are a great achievement and I'm not for a moment belittling this approach to running.

For me however, I am a naturally competitive sportswoman who is motivated by beating previous times and distances. Many of you who know me are probably nodding along in agreeance as you read this! I set myself the goal of running the half in 2 hours or less, and as you can see from the above image, I did it! The relief, happiness and pride of seeing that time at the finish line was such an amazing feeling, and definitely one I'm desperate to relive when it comes to the London Marathon in April! The top photo in this post is me crossing the finish line, you can tell by my face how relieved I am to have completed it! You can see my full results and race position here.

For this post I thought about what I would have liked to have read before doing the half, so I'm just going to summarise the weekend, how I felt before and after the run and my final prep before the big day!

The week on the run up to raceday was busy. We had a midweek work party, several late nights, I had also been trying to prevent a niggling cold with tablets and lots of fluids but typically it all caught up with me on the Friday. I felt pretty stressed out, but the most sound piece of advice I received was that it was totally out of my hands, I just needed to relax and enjoy it. I'd had loads of fun in the week and if I'd sat at home each evening getting early nights and missing out on the fun, I'd have been even more gutted to catch a cold right before the day! So I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't take it too seriously - train hard, stick to your schedule as best you can but when it comes to the countdown just relax! The training has been done and you'll get out of it what you put in!

 The day before the race, my lovely pal Jess came  round with some little good luck treats for me. I  can't even explain what a difference it makes to  have supportive friends when it comes to an event  like this. She brought me my favourite chocolate,  cosy socks, bath soak etc and we sat and chatted  with a cuppa for an hour - during which time, my  nerves were totally gone.
 For the rest of the day I just chilled. I went for a  short cycle in to town just to get my legs going in  the afternoon, I had a nice bath and a massive carby  dinner of pasta before laying out my outfit and race  number and getting in to bed for an early night.
 The race was to start at 9am, so I decided to get up  at 6.30, get ready and have my breakfast. The  weather was fairly fresh but the sun was forecast to  come out so I decided to wear capri leggings and a  vest along with my running belt that I had trained  in. I filled the running pouch with Dextros, tissues  for my cold and a couple of energy gels. I was still  able to fit my phone which was ideal so I could  have my 'map my run' app on!

I cycled up to the race village which was in Cheltenham race course. This turned out to be the best decision I made, as the traffic was terrible and people struggled to make the start! I found my friend from work, Pete, had a quick chat to calm the nerves before making my way to my pen. I had my energy gel before the race began (Took me ages to find a nice flavour I liked, I went for this one I got in Holland and Barrett in the end, It's pretty good if you are unsure which ones to buy!) I was in a pen that had the 2.5 hour pacer at the front - not ideal considering I wanted to do it in 2 hours! However this is another piece of advice I wish I'd have had when I signed up, always predict faster when it asks the time you want to run in! Luckily when the group warm up started the pens all joined and the pacer told me to start weaving in and out people while edging forward to the 2 hour pacer - which  I managed! 

I ended up listening to music around the route despite having trained with Audiobooks for longer runs. Something about the crowd and atmosphere made me want to turn up the volume and run to some good chart music. The sun was shining and each mile, the streets were lined with people cheering the runners on. I spotted my friends that came out to watch at mile 4 and 9 and then my friend Holly surprised me at the finish line which was literally the best! I had no idea she'd be there, so that was amazing. I felt like I was floating those first few steps after crossing the line!

I managed to Facebook Live some of the race which was great to look back on and update everyone how I was getting on. I'm sure everyone loved the notifications too! 

The route was pretty good overall, aside from the final 2 miles around the racecourse at the end! I think that was enough of an endurance test in itself! Here's the route and my 'map my run' app route (I forgot to turn the app off until about 5 minutes after hence the time difference!) ;

Finally just a few tips on preparation - I ran 17km when I was home in Scotland 2 weeks beforehand and that was as far as I'd run until raceday - My pace wasn't affected and I managed to complete the run in my predicted 2 hours based on the pace of my 17K run. I had my sister cycle with me supporting and it literally makes running so much easier! Just to mention again my lovely friends & family who sent me texts, Facebook messages, liked my live videos, came out and cheered for me and captured photos of me crossing the line. - They truly made my day and gave me the strength to push for the sub 2 hour mark when I so badly wanted to stop running and walk on that racecourse! 

Here's some pics of my training with my sister up in Scotland;

All in all, I had a brilliant day running the half. A great half way mark in my training and a sense of achievement that I needed to spur me on to strive for the best I can in the marathon next year.

My fundraising page has been set up since I started training so if you are inspired by my blog or just want to show your support then please leave a donation on the below page;

Lindsay Deans Virgin Money Marathon 2017 - Cardiac Risk in the Young

Also, this is the 3rd post in my marathon training blogs, so if you have just found out you've been successful in the ballot, or have signed up with a charity but don't know where to start, here's the links to my other posts;

Training for the Marathon - 1

Training for the Marathon - 2

Thank you again to everyone for your support so far!

Any questions about training or taking part in an event such as a half marathon, or about anything else, please leave them in the comments below!

L x

Neal's Yard - Organic Beauty Week

September 19th -25th marks this year's Organic Beauty Week in the UK. The Soil Association's annual event takes place for the month of September and incorporates a whole host of information and brands encouraging you to eat, drink, use and choose organic. Organic beauty has never been more popular and with celebrities such as Miranda Kerr bringing out her own range (Kora Organics) and top blogger & youtuber Niomi Smart backing the campaign as an ambassador for Organic September having just released her new cookbook Eat Smart.  Beauty week is sponsored by Neal's Yard Remedies - with organic and natural health & beauty at the heart of everything they make and do. The British brand prides itself on being the world's first health and beauty company to be awarded 100/100 for ethics from the Ethical Company Organisation. Not to mention those iconic blue plastic bottles, which are 100% post-consumer-recycled plastic. With this in mind, I thought I'd pay a visit to my local branch in Cheltenham. Here's how I found it;

Located in the beautiful Montpellier St, the Neal's Yard shop and therapy centre is the perfect place to   browse after brunch with friends or on a Saturday afternoon. The smell of the essential oils when you walk in immediately transports your mind to a relaxing spa. There are shelves filled with beautiful blue bottles, baskets of rolled plush flannels and soaps, and gorgeous organic recipes for smoothies & healthy snacks dotted around the store.

The main thing that excited me when I walked in was the front table of Autumn treats! I absolutely love this time of year and especially as the nights draw in, 'cosy night in' season is well and truly on it's way! My cousin, a Neal's Yard representative, kindly sent me down some samples of the Beauty Sleep Concentrate serum. I absolutely loved using it as the perfect finish to a pamper night before getting an early night!

I particularly liked the 5 step bedtime bliss routine. It incorporates several lovely, nourishing products which you can purchase in store or through a representative of the brand. The brand rep's are fully educated on product benefits and how to apply the products to get the best out of them. Application of the creams and serums are central to the relaxation and final results. I'd usually just slap on a body butter or face cream any old way before bed, but after being educated on the benefits of pressure points and applying the creams in a way that increases blood flow and keeps you looking youthful,  I have a completely new approach.

They also offer an extensive gift range so if you know someone who likes to use conscious products then you will definitely find something for them within the range. There are gifts that come in range of prices so whether you are thinking about stocking fillers/secret santa gifts or a slightly more luxurious birthday or Christmas gift for a loved one - theres plenty to choose from. It's worth mentioning the lovely mother and baby range also. I know my cousin has loved using the products on her baby boy and these sets will make perfect baby shower/mother to be gifts!

Finally, top food blogger; Deliciously Ella has collaborated in a beautiful mini facial range with Neal's Yard. The moisturiser and facial wash are both scented with Rose, Lime and Cucumber and smell fresh and natural all at once. Ella believes that the beauty products we use are just as important as the food we eat. Her products will leave your face with a gorgeous radiant glow.

I can't wait to learn about the products in even more detail and get to know my favourites within the extensive range. If, like me, you are new to organic beauty but have been inspired by recent trends and articles then the best person to speak to is Neal's Yard independent consultant. My cousin, Pamela, has an extensive understanding of the products having used them herself after suffering allergies to several beauty products in the past but found Neal's yard really worked for her. Alongside this, as I mentioned earlier, she has introduced these products to her baby and clients at her Physio therapy clinic. You can get in touch with Pam through her page and place orders at the same time.
The link to do so is here!

In the mean time I hope you have enjoyed my quick run through of my experience with the brand so far, I am yet to explore organic and natural beauty further so I hope this post inspires you to look in to it also!

Happy browsing/shopping/relaxing!
L x

August Favourites | ThatFashionEdit

My third ever YouTube video is now live!

All my favourites from August - What I've been loving this month!



Please subscribe and hit the thumbs up if you like it!



L x

Training for the Marathon - Update No.2

Time flies when you are having fun, it's been over 6 weeks since I set out on my first run - no idea where I was going, how fast to pace the pavement or whether I was even going to make it back to my house without passing out! - This is probably one of the best things about running, the sense of achievement with every run completed, the surge in pace and fitness and the improvement in your ability to get out and run a new distance!
The last 6 weeks have not however been without difficulty - after all, if it was easy, everyone would run a marathon! I've had everything from aching muscles and sore joints to bleeding toes and blisters so here's my next 5 tips for training that I've learnt along the way so far!

1. Your muscles will hate you for running as much as you are. I always thought because I went to the gym and played sports before I started running, that I'd be fine, the whole thing would be a bit of a breeze and I was in pretty good fitness. Wrong, everything hurts. I can no longer sit cross legged on the floor for longer than 5 minutes and I have to constantly uncross my legs at my desk at work, due to a dull ache in my quads after just minutes! It's times like this that you could really do with a sports massage every other day. But, lets be honest, they aren't the cheapest and having your own private masseuse on hand isn't exactly realistic for us mere mortals! My saving grace has been my trusty foam roller - basically a sports massage you can do yourself anyway, without the hefty price tag! I picked up mine from Up and Running - It's the Fitness Mad Foam Roller which is now £19.95 in the sale! The lady in the shop advised me to get this one as a first roller. It's longer than a normal one, and without the extra texture which can be pretty painful until your muscles are used to it. This one does the job perfectly. I've put together a handy guide of the main muscle work I do of an evening before bed and after I return from a run. The fitness mats I use are from ALDI, you can pick them up in store for £12.99 but they aren't essential as you can foam roll on the carpet easily too!
2. Up the distance! This is something I really struggled with at first. I am quite a fast paced runner, I don't really see a point in running at a pace so slow that  you may as well do a quick walk! That said, running a 5K in 25 mins is great until you have to keep that pace going for 8 or 10km. I was worried I wouldn't be able to slow down, but equally worried I wouldn't be able to push myself to run further when keeping a good pace was such a strong motivation for me. I asked for advice on this one from my dad. Confused by whether I should start my whole run slower or not, he advised me that I had my pace set from the several 5/6km runs I'd been on, so not to slow down at first as my legs would naturally reduce the pace slightly as I got to further distances. I was still extremely nervous to embark on a 10K, it was actually a dream I had about the marathon that made me finally get out and do it! In the dream I'd just run the marathon, so with that in mind I was certain I could do a 10K - and I did, and I smashed it.
   
   
   After that, I took on a further distances, the next Sunday completing 11k, the following week 13k and the another 12.7km today. All the while keeping my average pace between 5.13min/km and 5.26min/km. I've been delighted to be able to keep my pace but I can feel it getting tougher each time. The further you go, the more stretching, foam rolling and re-fueling you have to do afterwards! I've been making sure to eat a breakfast about an hour before these longer distance runs and making a protein shake and a good lunch after to help my muscles repair properly. Also the bath will become your best friend after a long run, I usually run a nice hot bath on a Sunday evening with one the relaxing LUSH bath products, they have a great variety of muscle relaxing bath bombs to treat yourself to!
   
   
   
3. Motivate yourself to go and run! The first few outings are great for feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, I find it amusing now that I used to be worried about going out to run 5km! Every run counts however, I aim to go for two 5km runs in the week (this has been 1 recently due to hockey summer league & pre season training!) and one long run on a Sunday. Although I don't get the fear of doing a 5K anymore, the struggle of getting out of bed at 6am, or to not sit down when I get in from a long day at work is pretty tough! It's so easy to moan about the weather and make excuses, believe me, I'm the queen of moaning about the weather! Chances are; it's going to be too hot, too cold or pouring with rain so man up, put on your trainers and go.
    So how do I motivate myself? - For the short runs I try and beat my previous times. I know not everyone is fussed about pace, but for me this is what drives me. I also rationalise a 5K to the fact that it's 30 minutes long - all I need to do is get up and go and in half an hour I'll be home, in a nice warm shower and that's me done before the day has even really begun! As for the long runs, I have the app Audible to thank for getting me out to take on those tough distances. Audiobooks can be so mesmerising, you kind of forget you are running for so long! Music is great for a HIIT session in the gym or a short run but relying on a motivational upbeat playlist for over an hour each week can be difficult. I often get bored of chart hits quickly and re-making a playlist when your running 3 times a week can be pretty tedious. I've been listening to Harry Potter, as it's a 21 hour long book so a good free one to choose! It makes me feel so chilled and my pace stays steady, unlike when listening to different tempo songs. You can get your free 30 day trial and a free first audio book to get you started when you sign up.
   
4. Get inspired - motivation to run is all very well, but training for a marathon is a long process and remembering why you signed up can be tough when everything hurts and you are more tired than ever before! I purchased a couple of books to chill out with of an evening while still educating myself on training. - Like anything you are new to, you are always learning. The first book I bought was Alexandra Heminsley's Running Like a Girl, It's a really fun take on marathon training, her story is so encouraging and if you are wondering if you should start running then I'd definitely give this a read! The other book I bought was The nonrunner's marathon guide for women by Dawn Dais. Like the first book, It's about a woman who had never run a marathon before, she gives her take on what it's really like to train,what worked, what didn't, and quite frankly she's hilarious. Both books are really worth reading if you too, are in my position of being a running newbie! I love that the weather is getting a bit more autumnal now, it's the perfect excuse to get the candles on, cosy up with a blanket and read a book!
   
5. Nutrition - So I touched on this in the first post with the recipe for the protein shake I make after my run's. However, I recently ordered The Bodycoach's first book Lean in 15, it has some great recipe's in it; from pre and post workout breakfasts to meals high in natural fats that will give your muscles what they need to repair properly. I'd definitely recommend this book for keeping healthy while training. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking running makes you lose weight. Running, in fact, doesn't burn nearly as many calories as you'd think, so don't fall in to the trap of 'oh well I ran 10 miles I can eat whatever I want.' I was recently watching a marathon programme ahead of the Rio Olympics and was shocked to hear that with every step you run, 8 times your body weight goes through your hips, knees and ankles. With this in mind, I'm really keen to get my body fat percentage down ahead of the marathon next April. Now, everybody knows muscle weighs more than fat, so I'm not expecting the scales to plummet and neither should you, but balanced lean meals and lots of training will naturally reduce your body fat and hopefully prepare your body to be in the best shape for the event. I'll maybe do a post specifically on nutrition as I get a bit more focused closer to the marathon if that interests you guys!
   
   
   

Finally, I mentioned in my first marathon update that I was going to do a post on what to wear for running. I've decided to do this as a video over on my Youtube channel in the next couple of weeks. Mainly because there's more bits I am looking to purchase for the cooler weather and thought it would be good to do a mass marathon haul; including accessories, health/muscle necessities, nutrition bits, and of course clothing. So look out for that at the beginning of September!

I think that's all for update no.2! As ever, thank you so much for your support on both my blog and marathon journey. If you'd like to sponsor me you can do so here! Every contribution is greatly appreciated!
Oh and if you missed the first marathon update you can read it here!
Happy running/reading!

L x