*GIVEAWAY - And the winner is...

Last week I launched my first ever giveaway - a *Fydelity retro bum bag with working speakers courtesy of the very kind Truffle Shuffle.  Entrants told me their favourite things about the 1980s - fashion, films, music, magazines, games - and there definitely was some good comments!

But, as they say, there can only be one winner. I entered numbers one to 45 which represented each of the entries (not including the comments on comments) onto random.org which then automatically picked the winning number. So, the winning comment was...

Congratulations @bondbabe13! I will get in touch today and I really hope you enjoy the prize!

I just want to say a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who entered; I really do appreciate any support towards this blog - it has been a very exciting first giveaway for me. I will definitely be doing more in the future so keep yours out for those!

Wardrobe Peek: Hello Sunshine!

So yesterday I blogged about Saturday's trip to the beach, well Sunday was just as sun filled. After a bit of a lay in, I went to the shop (a necessity) and so I had to have the car windows down and the sun roof open, blasting the one and only Miss Spears and the Femme Fatale album - oh yes! I then visited my oldest friend as it was her birthday and then myself and @ultimatecoddy went for a walk in People's Park.

I desperately need to purchase some new summer clothes but for now, I am digging out some oldies-but-goodies, and this is what I wore!

Sunglasses: Rayban Aviators (@ultimatecoddy's!) Denim Waistcoat: Next T-Shirt: Topshop Skirt: Boutique by Gallery
Belt: New Look Sandals: Office Bag: A gift

Now, I just hope the sun stays a while so I can at least try and get a bit of a tan! (Safely, of course!)

P.S. This is my 200th blog post on The LC Issue - woohoo!

Life's a beach...

I love living so close to the beach - true, I now live a good 15 minutes away as apposed to two minutes like the past 22 years of my life, BUT I really know how lucky I am to be able to make a short journey to the seaside. And this is exactly what we did on Saturday!

Just like most of the country, Cleethorpes encountered the best weather I think we've had for a long time, so a couple of friends came  down and we spent the day at the beach - tourist stylee!

We took a walk from the Boating Lake along to the Promenade...

stopped off for drinks along the way...

had ourselves a 'little' pub lunch...

and some ice cream!

Before we played a spot of crazy golf...

and then relaxed until late in the night - perfect!

My Pinteresting Fortnight (9)

I must admit, I haven't been on Pinterest much over the past couple of weeks, not because I haven't wanted to, but because I've been rather busy (and making the most of this beautiful sunshine!) But, as always, I have pinned a few gems that I'd like to share with you all.

Starting with the random images I found... I've had 'Somebody I used to know' since seeing the last image.

I have spotted a few items for when I'm ridiculously rich (hence why it is called a wishlist!) I love being near water and swimming, and I have always wanted to try scuba diving; the image below just looks so perfect! The embellishment detail on this dress is stunning and aren't the Spaniels adorable?!

Spending the weekend in the sunshine has made me realise how much I need a new summer wardrobe! I love this pastel, floral outfit and think this beaded top is beautiful - luckily I already have one very similar!

I have really been getting into nail art lately, but I really do need to practice; here is just a few examples I like.

And I think my 'For the Home' pins are starting to follow a pattern...

I have seen some really pretty DIY home ideas too including this beaded mirror frame, lace-painted lightbulbs and glitteres soles... if I was a housewife, this is what I'd be doing (as well as baking, obviously!)

And of course, I couldn't have Pinterest post without cakes!

If you're on Pinterest, please feel free to follow!

A quick look at the all-new Oaklands Hall Hotel!

Just another quick post today as I am not very prepared - I spent last night getting the VIP treatment at the relaunch of Grimsby's Oaklands Hall Hotel!

It is a beautiful building - originally built in 1877 - which has recently been taken over and undergone a BIG makeover. Think original coving, grand chandeliers, picturesque gardens...

We were treated to a red carpet arrival, bellinis, drinks, canapés, tapas, entertainment and wonderful surroundings - what more could you ask for?

Unfortunately my phone wouldn't connect to Twitter or Instagram so I don't have many pics available, but there will be a feature going into the next issue of Lincolnshire in Focus (which we are currently working on) where you will get a better idea of the refurbishment, so here are a couple of quick pictures for now.

I will have more photographs to come very soon...

One month to go... the Lincolnshire Show!

It's been a while since I've posted about Lincolnshire in Focus, one of the magazines I write for, but now seems like a perfect time as we are getting ready for our busiest time of the year - the run up to the Lincolnshire Show!

This year, the Show will be held on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st June and will feature all the usual greats; delicious Lincolnshire food, beautiful flower displays, things to see and do, hundreds of trade stalls selling all sorts and of course, farming!

Last year was my first ever visit to the Lincolnshire Show and I spent it at our trade stand and wondering round the Lincolnshire Showground - I genuinely had a brilliant time! I had my first Lincolnshire Red Beef Burger which was delicious (and I don't usually like beef burgers!) and ever since, I have appreciated Lincolnshire cuisine -  anyone who follows me on Twitter knows how much I love buying meat, fruit and veg from the local market! You really get a taste of the county's rich heritage, from agriculture and livestock to the nature areas and peoples' pastimes - fingers crossed I am asked to go back this year!

If you'd like to view the Lincolnshire Show edition of the magazine, just click here!

Instagram (3)

I'm sorry this post is a little late this week, but as they say, better late than never! ;)

1. @ultimatecoddy's very geeky but very cool new hoody 2. Lots of lovely fruit and nuts bought from the market (buy local!) 3. My market shopping list 4. My 90s boyband night - old school Nsync and BSB! (Loved it!)

5. My homemade mini meat feat pizza 6. Homemade spicy potato wedges ready for the oven 7. My version of pub food - burger topped with cheese, bacon, red onion and egg, with homemade wedges 8. I'm the queen of Toad in the Hole!

9. My beautiful navy patent pumps with baroque trim - from George at ASDA! 10. I've had this stuck in my head since Thursday's brilliant episode of Glee. 11. My Cosmo collection 12. My favourite tan brogue heels from Office Shoes.

13. Zumba Sentao post - can't wait for these classes to start 14. Pamper day 15. I couldn't pick a colour... 16. My first ever giveaway! It's still open until Sunday 27th May, so get entering! One for the 80s kids.

*GIVEAWAY! Fydelity Retro Speaker Bum Bag from TruffleShuffle.co.uk

On Thursday, I posted about the return of 80s fashion and, more specifically, the return of bum bags - yes, bum bags! Admittedly, this is not something that I ever thought I'd say, but now I have seen celebs like Rihanna rocking the accessory - and making it look good! - I honestly think it will only be a matter of time... (What's next, skirts attached to trousers, again?! Forget I said that!)

And, as promised in this post, I have something very special for you lovely readers - I am offering a retro bum bag as a prize for my first ever reader giveaway, courtesy of Truffle Shuffle!

I am so excited about this! A giveaway is something I have wanted to do for a very long time; I can not stress enough how much I appreciate your views, comments and follows - I love blogging and it means the world to me that there are people out there who enjoy reading and following - and so I am ecstatic to finally give something back!

You have the chance to win a *Fydelity Retro Boombox Bum bag in purple, and the best part is,  they have real working speakers! Simply plug in your MP3 player or iPod (after installing three AAA batteries) and you can listen to your favourite songs wherever you are; in the park, at the beach, at the gym, walking down the street - perfect for brightening this (so far, very dull) summer!

For an authentic 80s style, wear statement leggings - an aztec or animal print perhaps - an oversized t-shirt, high-tops (which are going to be BIG this autumn/winter!) and a pair of sunglasses - how perfect for festivals?!

Of, you can wear it like I wear mine, as a handy bag for jogging! Running whilst carrying house keys, my phone and a water bottle was very annoying, and so these bum bags were a life saver! I can run without worrying about dropping my beloved phone or losing my keys with only my water bottle handy - which is a necessity anyway!

Ready for my jog, with my Fydelity retro boombox bum bag!

To win, all you have to do is simply leave a comment below and tell me:

What is your favourite thing about the 1980s? 

I know, where to begin?! I'd say, the films; The Goonies, Bill and Ted, The Lost Boys... some of my all time faves!

Of course, there are just a couple of T&Cs:

• You must be a resident of the UK and you have until 11:59pm (GMT) on Sunday 27th May to enter 
• Don't forget to leave your email or Twitter address too so I can get back in touch with you! 
• The winner will be picked at random via Random.org
• They will have three days to reply with their details otherwise the prize will be passed onto another person.

Wishing you all the best of luck! x

*Bringing the 80s back!

What comes to your mind when you think about the 1980s? The big hair? Mullets? *Retro accessories? Tetris? Saved by the Bell? Some of the best films of all time? (The Goonies - hello!) There so much cheese associated with this decade that people just can't seem to let go of - including the fashion... and the music!

In just under one month's time, the 80s will be brought right to the forefront of people's minds once again with the release of one of the most fun-looking musicals-turned-movies of all time - 'Rock of Ages'! Classics such as 'We built this city', 'Don't stop believin'' and 'Can't fight this feeling' (plus much, much more) will be worming their way into our heads thanks to the likes of Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J Blige and Russell Brand - the stars of this new film.

And the timing couldn't be better really, as 80s fashion seems to have made a comeback; bodycon dresses, denim jackets, plastic jewellery, bum bags - wait, bum bags?

Image sourced from here.

Yes, that is a leather studded bum bag worn by Julianne Hough, one of the stars of 'Rock of Ages', behind the scenes of the film. Accessorising a denim skirt and cowboy boots, this is definitely 80s rock chick! And she's not the only celeb to be rocking (get it!) this style - how about Rihanna?

Image sourced from here.

She has definitely been influenced by the era's fashion and has sported a tight perm, oversized blazers, high tops and even shell suit jackets in the past - a fanny pack seemed like the next step! Teamed with double denim, she looks casual, comfortable yet still fab! I've always been a bit unsure of the denim on denim look, but I really like this outfit!

However, this is the 80s we are talking about, so there should be some sort of cool, edgy gimmick.... enter *Fydelity and their range of working speaker bags - including the bum bag!

These are the purple and pink varieties which were kindly sent to me from Truffle Shuffle. All you need to do is put in three AAA batteries, plug in your MP3 player or iPod and boom! Music to your ears... via your bag! How funky would these look at a festival?! I have been trying these out lately and you can see how I got on very soon, so keep an eye out for that post! *wink!*

To be honest, I never, ever thought bum bags would come back in fashion but, judging by the hype that 'Rock of Ages' is generating, and by Rihanna pulling this look off effortlessly on several occasions, then it is bound to be a must-have accessory of the future - as well as the past!

Oh, and we can't forget the men too... LMFAO.

Image sourced from here.

P.S: I may have something very special coming for you lovely readers - make sure you don't miss out on Monday! ;)

Introducing... Zumba Sentao!

As I have mentioned plenty of times on this blog before, I am a BIG fan of Zumba! I have been attending a Wednesday night class for well over a year and it's still just as much fun now as it was back then.

But, in recent weeks, our Zumba Instructor - Rachel Blood (who hosts classes in Lincolnshire) - has been talking about something new, something that was very intriguing... Zumba with chairs?!

Here's a taster - image sourced from here.

I KNOW!

This new style of Zumba is called Zumba Sentao; we've had samples of the routines in our classes and trust me, I can tell that this will burn! For any of you lovely readers out there who are interested in learning more about this, then Rachel has very kindly shared the basics.

What is Zumba Sentao?
The Zumba Sentao programme combines strength and resistance training with innovative dance fitness moves, all centred around the chair. Infused with the famous Zumba party atmosphere and energising world rhythms, this never-before-seen workout tones muscles, strengthens the core and torches calories in a unique and consistently thrilling way.

Who is the Zumba Sentao participant?
Zumba Sentao is designed for everyone - all ages, sizes and fitness levels. The choreography can be modified and adapted for the individual. This class provides a total body workout whilst being fun and challenging.

When will your Zumba Sentao classes be held?

Rachel Blood at February's Party in the Pier Carnival night!

Masterclass for Sentao will be next Wednesday 23rd May at Cleethorpes Acadamy at 7.15pm-8.00pm after normal Zumba class. It will be £4 pounds each and then I will be confirming when the regular classes will be.

Zumba is loved by so many people and is obviously still getting bigger (and better!), what is it about Zumba that makes it so popular?
Zumba is continuously growing and becoming more and more exciting! The good thing about Zumba, unlike no other fitness programme, is that it is open to everyone - you can be 65 years and still enjoy it as its about moving, feeling good and taking that hour of the class to forget about all your cares and stresses.
 
Imagine push-ups on chairs, plenty of leg kicks and the moves of Zumba all rolled into one... definitely sounds like hard work, but you know that it will be fun! Anybody in the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and wider area who is interested in Zumba Sentao should take a look at the Zumba Sentao Lincolnshire Facebook page.

Personally, I can not wait for this to begin! And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one...

Bring on the Burn: The Results

Three weeks ago now, I wrote about my new fitness routine and the Zaggora Two Week Challenge. After a pretty abysmal second week, I decided to re-do it and so, seven days late, here is my concluding post... being completely honest, I do not have one!

It wasn't until yesterday, Sunday, when I weighed myself on the Wii Fit and asked Coddy to measure my waist that we realised that there was something odd about the figures. Bottom line; they were just wrong!

Sometimes, we have to plug the Wii board in to the mains as the batteries are not charged and we found that this majorly throws off the final weight and BMI measurements - sometimes by five or six pounds! And so, I don't actually know what my final weight is?! And then, when measuring my waist with a tape measure - the type for DIY - we realised that it hadn't curved to my body properly and that there was no way my waist is 36 inches! And this led to the conclusion that the measurements I stated three weeks ago in my previous could just be as wrong too! So please ignore them - I most definitely am!

But, just so I do not completely waste valuable posting space, I will tell you about my fitness habits over the past three weeks.

Week One: We gave squash a miss but I did go jogging and attend zumba as per. I also did my sit-ups and my exercises on the Powerspin, but still stuck to my eating habits; a bit of chocolate, a takeaway, the usual. I did feel better for exercising, but I knew I had to step things up a bit.

Week Two: I started with the best of intentions but, for some reason, my social life just took off! We skipped Monday's exercises to go bowling and have a (very delicious) pub lunch and ended with a lovely dinner at the local fish restaurant with Dan's family, with naughty foods in between. I did find a daily exercise plan on Pinterest which I was doing each day, but it was Dan's one-day detox, and his great feelings afterwards, that inspired us to really take being healthy seriously.

Week Three: We bought lots of fruit, nuts and vegetables from the market and only ate healthy meals; the only snacks we ate were fruit salads, yoghurts and nuts, saving the naughty foods for Friday, our cheat day. I went jogging and attended zumba, and although I did have a lazy day on Thursday too (it was a bad day!), I definitely made up for it on Saturday - an outdoor fitness boot camp at 0730 hours on the dot followed by an extra zumba session straight after and god, did I feel AMAZING!

I felt so happy and so proud of myself for doing it; it really gave me the motivation I need to keep that kind of lifestyle up... and I am ready for it!

For each exercise session, I wore my Zaggora Hotpants and I still stand my initial impressions; they are fab! Obviously, I can't tell if they helped me to lose any weight BUT it is something I want to monitor, so hopefully I will be able to tell you a better progress report at a later date.

But for now, here's to my new healthy lifestyle - bring it on!

My Pinteresting Fortnight (8)

This post is a little late this week; my weekend has been spent exercising, cleaning and cooking, going bowling and having drinks with friends, seeing Dan's family and then having a takeaway with the girls, so it is safe to say that I have been a bit busy! I always have time for a bit of pinning though, and this is what I have been adding to my boards over the past two weeks.

As I have said plenty of time before, I adore Art Deco!  Sometimes, I just like to search for this period in time and have a look at the pretty pictures... so this is what I did!

Users of Pinterest have pinned some beautiful jewellery inspired by the era, and I found this image of a peacock which, I think, is stunning! I have fallen in love with some of the artwork and would love to have some to hang proudly in my home (when I have the pennies!)

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that all of this week I have been eating healthily and exercising regularly - a mixture of jogging, zumba and an outdoor bootcamp! I only have chocolate and naughty foods on cheat day, which is Friday... but this doesn't mean I can't look at the yummy goodies on Pinterest!

This week, Lincolnshire has seen some sunshine (finally!) so I've been fantasising about lovely new clothes; I am loving the bright jeans trend (have you seen my bright blue jeans post?) and have been looking at some nice tops and accessories to go with them. I also found some other lovely items of clothing including this beautiful pewter Zuhair Murad dress worn by Blake Lively; I honestly think it may be one of the prettiest, most stunning gowns I have ever seen!

As much as I am into Staycations at the minute (I have a looong list of places I want to visit this summer), hopefully in a couple of months time, myself and @ultimatecoddy will be flying to somewhere hot for a change of scenery. We have spoken about so many places we want to visit and so I started my own 'Places I need to visit' board; here are just a couple!

After spending last weekend with the monster that is Brandy, and having a long over-due cuddle with my baby Sandy, my wanting for a pet dog is bigger than ever! Of course, I would love to have Sandy and Brandy here with me but unfortunately we can't have pets in the flat, so in the meantime, I've been getting a serious case of the 'awwww's thanks to these beauties!

And, as always, I've been having a great laugh at some of the random postings; where some people get their sense of humour from I don't know?!

If you're on Pinterest yourself, then don't forget to follow me! And leave your addresses so I can follow back too!

The Accidental Pizza

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen my tweets about healthy eating this week; I've been eating lunches and dinners that have been better for me, stopped snacking on crisps and chocolate and bought plenty of fruit and nuts from the market (I really must blog about our local market soon - it is fantastic!)

So far, I have been very good and can really see myself sticking to this - every time I do a healthy eating stint, I always wonder why I don't keep to it -  BUT, as decided by @ultimatecoddy, Friday is our cheat day and so, I made us this...

A homemade, meat feast pizza (Domino's eat your heart out!) I used shop bought bases and tomato sauce (so not completely homemade, but shh!), topped it with mozzarella, red Leicester cheese, mushrooms, red onion, sausage, bacon and a cut up burger - I feel full just thinking about it!

And the best part about this is that the pizza itself is only a small, individual size! Oh, how images can be deceiving. Although I will admit, I wouldn't have been able to stomach anything bigger!

But, why is this the accidental pizza you ask? Because it was never meant to be as good as it was! Sometimes, throwing bits of things together just works...

P.S: All of this meat, mushroom and onion were bought from the Grimsby Top Town Market - I can't stress how good it feels to buy local!

One for the Gleeks: My 10 Best Songs from Glee!

I can't believe this time has finally come... the last post in my OFTG series! Since September, I have been finding my favourite quotes, character by character, gleeking out at some of my favourite Glee moments. Who can forget Brittany's reasoning behind her disliking of Britney Spears, Puck's general bad ass-ness and Sue's utterly brilliant rants?

But it is not just the scripting that I adore; the show wouldn't be the success it is without the songs! I will admit, I really struggled to do this post as there are just... so... many! From classic musical numbers and tributes to mash-ups and even tongue-in-cheek covers (Sue's 'Vogue' anyone?)

This really is a flexible list as it all depends on my mood. But, to round off what has to be one of my all time favourite series of posts, here are - in no particular order - my top 10 songs from Glee.

River Deep, Mountain High

Video sourced from here. 

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Video sourced from here.

Start Me Up/Livin' on a Prayer 

Video sourced from here.

Alone

Video sourced from here.

Bills Bills Bills

Video sourced from here.

Maybe This Time 

Video sourced from here.

Stop in the Name of Love/Free your Mind

Video sourced from here.

Sweet Transvestite

Video sourced from here. 

Dream On

Video sourced from here. 

Don't Stop Believin'

Video sourced from here. 

P.S: I really wanted to share the cast's X Factor UK performance but unfortunately I can't embed it. BUT you can view it here!

I really hope you fellow Gleeks enjoyed reading these posts as much as I enjoyed writing them - now bring on tonight's episode!

The Adventures of Brandy: A Very Fitting Day Out at Home

OK I admit, I have been a naughty little blogger... I missed yesterday's blog post which was supposed to be all about my fortnight with my Zaggora Hotpants! To be completely honest, I haven't really stuck to my fitness routine over the past few days for the same reason as missing my posts - I've been taking full advantage of the Bank Holiday Weekend!

After having a few drinks on Friday night with some work people, I packed my bags and joined @ultimatecoddy for a long weekend of dog-sitting the lovely Brandy! To help clear my head of pink wine and cocktails, we went for a long walk right up to the other end of Cleethorpes, known locally as The Fitties.

For any of you who are not familiar with the area, The Humberston Fitties is a conservation area right along the coast which is home to around 300 quaint chalets - from 'Grand Designs' style miniature homes to decades-old shacks - where people can live from March to December each year. It is believed to be one of the oldest plot developments in the country, beginning as a lodging site for soldiers stationed nearby in the First World War - for more information about the history, please go to the North East Lincolnshire Council website.

With protected salt marshes and a quiet beach (compared to the other end of Cleethorpes!) it is a lovely little area that, I think, is sometimes forgotten. This is a place my dad used to bring me and my brother and our dog, Sandy, for long walks and has to be one of my favourite places in my hometown. So, for a little bit of nostalgia, myself and Coddy decided to bring the monster for her first venture on the Fitties.

After parking the car, we walked along the beach and passed Haile Sand Fort which was built in 1915. The tide was out, but I was too chicken to get any closer for a photograph! As you will see from the pictures, despite the weather being OK and it being the start of Bank Holiday weekend, this part of the beach is really quiet - just the way I like it!

Haile Sand Fort.

You will often see kite surfers on a windy day.

A view of the Fitties from the beach.

From the beach, there are plenty of pathways to the Fitties; it really is like a neighbourhood you would find in a film. There are chalets painted in pastel colours complete with picket fences (imagine a mini Wisteria Lane), some in the style of log cabins, beach hut inspired homes and some which look like they haven't been touched since they were built! All around there were signs for Bank Holiday celebrations, British flags and even bunting ready for the big Diamond Jubilee - you really get a great sense of community here; no wonder my parents always wanted to own one!

One of the extremely old, almost untouched chalets>

Who's walking who?

Even though there isn't really much to do here, it is such a nice place to walk around; across old wooden bridges, along the beach, through open grass. I have so many great memories of here and I am so happy that it has not been spoiled in anyway - it looks exactly the same every time I come... only with a bit more salt marsh! Oh, and Brandy loved it too; she was worn out by the time we got home!

Recently, I have been writing about 'Staycations' for Lincolnshire in Focus magazine and it is places like this, and others which I visited as a child, which remind me of what a great place Lincolnshire is, from the castles and historic buildings to the areas of natural beauty; let's just say I am going to be doing a lot of exploring this summer!


P.S: My fitness post will be back next week when I will have completed my challenge properly!