Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian - Is revenge best served as a size 10?

Today I'm going to be doing a bit of a review and commentary piece on the show Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian. This is step away from my usual light hearted ramblings and more toward my sociological thoughts on body confidence and internal struggles.

I absolutely love the Kardashians and think that everything every single one of them touches turns to gold, a bit like that time Kim posted nude in the desert. In my opinion Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian, however, does not have the (Midas Touch) Kardashian Kiss bestowed upon it.

The show has faced a lot of criticism since it aired because of the lack screen time Khloe Kardashian has actually got per episode with her featuring for a few seconds at the beginning at that's about it. My gripe with the show is not about that though. In fact, I would dare say it was a conscious decision for her to take a lesser role in the show due to how dire this concept has been portrayed in this production.

My main criticism with the show is the entire premise of a 'revenge body' in this context. I get that it's supposed to be bettering yourself because of how other people have treated you and basically making a negative thing into a positive experience but some of the people on this show really haven't tapped into that ethos.

"I'm getting thin because my boyfriend said he was no longer attracted to me. I hope he will be attracted to be after" but you're still with someone who has made you feel shitty and made no effort to help you better yourself before which is what someone who actually loves you would do?

Some of the other people are just expecting the show to change their life without them actually changing. Like that chick who was smoking weed 3 times a day and was caught eating Cheetos. You expect to lose weight and change your life without actually changing anything? You are just Cheetoing yourself (did I actually just make that pun... saaaaaake).

This show isn't really about losing weight, is it? It's supposed to be about a lifestyle change (although you don't really get to see much of that). Not eating things that are bad for you, exercising more and becoming more healthy in the process. Ditching the bad habits that got you stuck in a rut. Doing something for yourself rather than ignoring who you are and what you want to be.

I feel as though the idea is kind of mislabeled as well. I see this kind of vision as more of an 'avenge' body. As in, avenging your old self. The participants are asked to say who they're getting revenge on but a lot of the time the reason just kind of comes down to them being treated badly by society. I'm not going to get into a huge debate about societal judgements of overweight people because there is nothing more I can really add to the conversation but I will say being healthy is key, I don't think that anyone should stop lifesaving medication in order to be thin that is literal insanity. But I feel as though the avenge body is about righting what has been wrong in your life. You got fat, lost confidence and stopped singing, now you're thin, have gained confidence and are performing live again. Great! You ditched your abusive ex and now you've got time to focus on you. That is awesome! 

I think what I'm trying to say is don't just get a good body to spite someone else. You need to do it for yourself and largely by yourself.

There was that girl who complained that she didn't feel like she was supported by her personal trainer because they were meeting once every few weeks. You need to understand that all this change doesn't come from them, it comes from you and the effort you put in.

I think generally the majority of people who want to lose weight struggle because they think it's going to be easy and there is just one aspect to change. In reality, people want to lose weight for a variety of reasons and mostly because they think they'll be a better person. You can't be a better person without actually being a better person.

Getting a weave and painting your nails does not make you a better or more confident or successful person. It can help but it doesn't make it true. Sticking on a tight white dress a la Khloe, does not make you a Kardashian. Losing weight does not make you a better person. It can make you more you but it needs to be true to that person inside or you'll still feel empty and longing.

TL;DR - This show is shit for showing you how to be true to yourself. Be you, do you, but that doesn't mean losing weight.

Approved Food Review*

#PerfectlyGood

Today I’m reviewing* brand busting, frugal food vendor and money saving site Approved Food, a service I’m surprised I’ve not mentioned more on my blog or done a separate review of especially as it’s on my website A-Z! I’ve been a customer of Approved Food since 2009 and haven’t stopped loving them. I’ve always been a massive believer in saving money everywhere you can, and for me it’s the small painless penny pinching that allows you to have the best quality things. Approved Food allows you to get the best brands like the rest for a little less!

My mum first introduced me to Approved Food, we’d both enjoy trying the things we could have never afforded from the supermarket. For those who are lucky enough to buy named brands regularly you’ll find all your favourites on their website from Sharwoods and Home Pride to Walkers and Cadbury. They’ll be nearing or over their best before date, but all still #PerfectlyGood and a hell of a lot cheaper than usual.

I used to use the site religiously as a student, we’d all pitch in and make a massive order, getting the parcel within about 3 days via courier and subsequently making a box fort (you’re never too old!). Approved Food tend to have wholesale cases of products so you can bulk buy, saving yourself time and money. I used to trade my bulk buys with my housemates so when I’d ran out of something I could trade and we’d all end up with something we wanted. This time I got a case of Maggi noodles and Hellman’s mayonnaise amongst many other delights.

My impressive haul!

As a proper adult although my usual order has changed significantly, I still enjoy sifting through the bargains like a virtual ‘reduced to clear’ section picking out the gems and finding an absolute steal with a long shelf life. The range of fancy gourmet and ethnic foods is refreshing and is what puts Approved Food above other budget food purveyors. There’s things I get from Approved Food which I couldn’t even get from my local health food store like Moo Free chocolate or Weight To Go diet products (even if I could they’d cost me an absolute bomb). Not only can you get your dinner party presentable nibbles but they’ve also got your everyday non-food things as well like kitchen roll and beauty products which are definitely worth checking out.

I was impressed that I’d managed to get the components for a curry for (lentils, black eyed beans, naan breads and Loyd Grossman sauce) for less than 50p per portion. I’ve stocked up on cooking sauces for days when I’m feeling lazy, all I’ll need to add is veg and meat so we can have something tasty, quick and inexpensive. I was also really happy to find they’d given me a bag of Alpen granola fee with my order, I know they sometimes include little extras with your order which is always a nice surprise. The biggest surprise of all though was that we got £31.83 of goods which should have been £122.14, giving us a saving of £90ish had I gone to a supermarket.

   

If you’re tempted to try out Approved Food for yourself, head over to their site and fill your cupboards with delicious delicacies as well as your much loved brands for barely anything. See how much you can save!

P.S I’ve done a post for their blog so go check it out!

Mike eating the cakes I made from Approved Food ingredients

*I was kindly contacted by their PR team and given free delivery and £10 off my order in exchange for this post. As always, you can be assured these opinions are my own. I always have and always will be open and honest about any paid/sponsored posts.

If I Wasn't Skint #4

If I wasn't skint, I'd totes (haha, get it?!) but this Bee and Puppycat tote bag. If you haven't seen Bee and Puppycat, you have to. It's made by the same people who do Bravest Warriors, with the adorable Catbug, and Adventure Time. Bee reminds me of myself whilst trying to be an adult and failing miserably.

A Comment on Cheap Housing

Recently me and Mike were looking for somewhere to live as I have been given notice for my current house. It's a pain in the arse attempting to navigate the weird and wonderful world of renting especially when you're trying to rent as cheaply as possible.

Where the bloody hell have all the decent houses gone?! It's either houseshares or unfurnished and needing work. Furnished places are extremely hard to come by which sucks because we are so not in the position to be buying furniture considering my current financial situation. Everywhere that is has a ridiculous rent and and even higher deposits.

The appeal of the lucrative student market, has caused many landlords to turn their houses into student only house-shares. In fact the likely reason I've been given notice on my house is because the landlord is wanting to rob budding academics of their student loans. With a bit of basic maths I've worked out my landlord could double his monthly income if they put in 3/4 students so it's no wonder so many landlords are choosing to put students into their houses. I know students need somewhere to live, but so do working people on lower incomes/higher outgoings like myself and so many young adults.

I am quite lucky in that I'm not getting as ripped off as my counterparts in the capital where 700 odd quid will get you something resembling Harry Potter's bedroom.        

Great for a midnight snack though...

Essentially we're all getting swizzed with extortionate rents apart from unscrupulous landlords, they're laughing all the way to the bank. Someone ought to do something about this shit.

Your Rent is Due

If I Wasn't Skint #3

It's hard not to be bombarded by advertising and want material things, it's worse when you have no disposable income (#3rdWorldProblems...). For me looking at pretty things is therapeutic and gives me something nice to aim for once I've paid off my debts.

Today, I'm lusting after these beautiful moonstone poison box rings, an absolute steal at £12! Get them here.

May Favourites

Today's post is my May favourites, just a run down of all the beauty products, fashion, music, websites and youtube channels that I'd been loving this month. Enjoy!

Nude Nail Polish

Generally I dislike nude anything because it either makes me look naked (nude dresses are not good) or seriously ill, I've never worn a nude lip in public, but nude polish is fabulous. Nude nails are the epitome of chic for me, I think that brights do have their place but nude is just understated and classy.

Health Unlocked
I've been told by my doctor that I am approaching becoming obese as my BMI is 29. This came as a shock to me as I've been going to the gym quite regularly over the past 2 months so I was a little disheartened to discover this news. I decided that I would try something else to help me achieve a healthier weight and found healthunlocked.com. healthunlocked.com is a forum ran by the NHS and supports a huge range of illnesses from Cystic Fibrosis to Obesity. I joined the healthy eating and weight loss forums and have found them really helpful, some of the ladies on their have been really supportive and given me so great tips such as following the NHS 12 Week Weight Loss Programme which I am currently on week 2 and finding myself eating much less than usual.

Willam's Beatdown
This is so not for everyone but I love drag artists, I'm not really sure why but I think it is the idea of transition and transformation which appeals to me. Willam looks so different in drag compared to in real life as a man but is still as funny and harsh. The premise of Willam's Beatdown is that he takes the piss out of youtubers in a comedic way whilst swearing like a sailor. I think Willam rocks the geek girl look so well and I'm a little jealous that I will never look as good as he does!

Family Time
Since finishing my degree I've found more time to spend with my family, especially my nephews who I love dearly! Abel is just 8 months old but is starting to babble and making his first hints at wanting to crawl while Joseph, who is 5, is becoming a grown up and even stayed with me at my student house which he loved. I've included some pictures so you can see how absolutely adorable they both are!

I have more pictures of them both on my instagram

Yellow Accessories

It was my birthday at the beginning of the month and my boyfriend's mum kindly bought me this beautiful yellow Betty Jackson Black Celine style bag. It is deceptively big! Yellow is going to be a massive trend over the summer, pair it with nautical stripes and anything navy. 

Arabella - Arctic Monkeys

This is perfect summer chilled tune. I love the imagery behind the lyrics and the sort of American rock anthem style guitar and drums throughout. To quote what I put on instagram the other day:

"This song makes me wish I was riding along the Las Vegas desert in a red beat up Cadillac instead of being on a bus in the miserable British weather"

Very nice. 

What have you been loving this month?

Mental Health Awareness Week: My Story of Anxiety and Panic Disorder

It's Mental Health Awareness week (12-18th May) in the UK and so this post is taking a turn from my usual topic onto my own experience with a mental health illness - anxiety and panic disorder. Mental health is an issue very close to my heart not only because of my own experiences with it but seeing my loved ones struggle as well. I hope it doesn't come off as narcissistic bullshit but it is a very self involved account because it is a very isolating illness and the events which took place were entirely in my head.

I'll start from, what I thought was, the beginning. Some time in early June 2011 at about 9pm, I was revising for my upcoming A-Level finals when I was filled with the most horrible feeling of dread which hit me in the pit of my stomach. I believed I was going to die. I thought that the lyrics in the music I was listening to while revising were telling me I was going to die imminently. I went into a state of fight or flight panic that I'd not experienced before. I felt sick, sweaty and couldn't think straight. My breathing was short and my vision went odd. All of the symptoms I was experiencing were feeding into my deluded thoughts about my imminent demise. I remember going to sit in the same room with my mum but being unable to verbalise what I was experiencing or how I was feeling. I couldn't tell anyone what I was experiencing because I was afraid that mentioning it would jinx it. I felt as if the universe had a sick sense of humor and would smote me down on the mere mention of death and dying. This is what I now know to be a state of psychosis. I'd lost touch with reality.

In the days following from this incident I was constantly feeling sick and had these horrible thoughts about dying clouding my mind. It stopped me from revising and this in turn added to the stress of the exams so I went to the doctor. Two of my friends came along with me but they didn't know the full extent of my condition. In hindsight I can't blame the doctor for his response because I wasn't at all honest with him either. I told him I was feeling sick and that I was taking my A-Levels. He diagnosed me with stress and was fairly reassuring it would pass. He tried to prescribe me beta blockers but as I was scared of dying the last thing I wanted was my heart slowing down so I declined and he prescribed me some anti-sickness tablets and sent me on my way. I was so distraught that he'd not picked up on my actual feelings because there was absolutely no way I could tell him myself.  I never took the doctor's pills because I carefully read the leaflet that came with them. It said they were primarily used as antipsychotics for schizophrenics. This made me worse because from then I thought I was alone and crazy. My nausea turned into vomiting before/during/after every meal.

After the incident with the doctor I attended all of my exams and did a fairly good job I thought. I got a couple of days where I wasn't as bad, the sickness was dissipating and I thought it was beginning to subside just as the doctor said. The day after my final exam I woke up fresh as a daisy and promptly vomited in the back garden whilst waiting for the kettle to boil for my morning coffee. My mum saw and didn't entirely know what to say - she told me to go back to the doctor again. I was so upset. I thought things were getting better but I was feeling worse than ever. I couldn't celebrate finishing my exams because I was still anxious, vomiting and short of breath. This was my lowest point.

I returned to the doctor and saw a different lady this time. She'd always been really kind to me. I broke down in tears in her office as I told her everything I'd been feeling. She was really concerned and quickly took me through an assessment to make a diagnosis. She provisionally diagnosed me with anxiety and panic disorder and made a referral for a an assessment and a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This was where I felt the most relief from the horrible ordeal. I had to wait a fortnight for my first assessment appointment. Over the next two weeks I was continually sick and saw my weight drop from a healthy 9'5 to a gaunt 8'6 within the first week. I barely left the house, I left occasionally for the odd night out to keep up the pretence to my friends that I was okay. I felt terrible due to drinking jagerbombs loaded with caffeine which sent my heart racing so I stopped going out after that. I told my two friends who came with me to the doctors the first time and they kept checking in on me which was nice, I didn't feel so alone.

The next part was a blur. Over the next 3 months I received CBT for an hour once every fortnight. I learned how to control my breathing and dissipate any negative thoughts. I tended to only leave the house for these sessions and tried to double them up with visiting my family. I also went to stay at my boyfriend's house in Worksop a few times for extended periods. I had to use the train to get there which caused me a lot of trauma. Unfortunately he was quite unsupportive during this time and tried to talk to me about dying which I hated every moment of. I'd learned to calm myself down but I'd not learned to stop getting worked up. One morning when I was at his, I got a phone call from my dad telling me my grandma had died. I was quite far on with my treatment and this was my first test for dealing with my fears head on. My dad took me to see her body but I stayed in the foyer of the funeral home facing the wall, avoiding the headstones and literature. When the day came for her funeral I didn't feel a thing. I felt empty.

When exam results day came I found I'd missed my grades but upon calling UCAS I found out Sheffield had accepted me anyway. In less than two weeks I'd be living in Sheffield. I was overjoyed. Later on that day I went to my 7th CBT session and was feeling much better about my anxiety and actually went shopping for uni stuff later that day. The night before I moved into my new flat in Sheffield I had a massive argument with my boyfriend because he didn't understand how upset I was about leaving my family because I'd be losing my support. When I moved into my flat I wasn't daunted and I wasn't going to let the anxiety get to me. I had my final therapy session over the phone with my therapist who said she was satisfied I was well enough not to need treatment and would write to my doctor to tell them so.

From then on it has been a slow recovery of getting back my confidence, leaving people who made my feelings worse behind and accepting helpful people into my life. Although I finished my treatment I had to use what I'd learned in real life situations. I also spent a lot of time reflecting on the start point of my illness, as I started to remember things made a lot more sense to me. I'd initially become ill from exam stress but previously I'd been to the doctors with chest pains and told there was nothing physically wrong with me. I'd also had three panic attacks at various intervals before then, one was following an RE lesson about death in year 9. Even then I still wondered if there was anything more. Had I been born this way? It was odd seeing myself going from a 13 year old who was confident enough to sing and play guitar in front of a crowd to a recluse who couldn't leave the house at 18.

I'm still getting my life back today. I've been in and out of treatment since to try and explore the possibilities behind the illness and attempting not to let stress get the better of me. It has got bad on occasion but at least now I can get the train without crying. I sometimes still humm in awkward social situations and flick my toes for good luck. Sometimes I feel like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as the anxiety is completely different to my actual personality. I've learned to live with anxiety and overcome everyday situations, which most people do not even think about, which still incite fear within me. Remember if you are struggling you need to tell someone and don't let it take over your life. It's a long road but you can beat it.

A Look at Tesco Homeware

Today's post is a collection of my favourite picks from Tesco's homeware section. They've got some really strong themes with larger pricier items and smaller accessories for smaller budgets. Everything in this post is under £20 so you are bound to find something you like and can afford and even if not, these things are all utterly beautiful to look at.

Peony Bedding Set

£15

An absolutely gorgeous quilt cover, the blue looks more vibrant in real life so would add a beautiful pop of colour to a boring room. The print and colour palette reminds me of the Ted Baker cubist floral range (pictured here) which is beautiful but costly. 

Platinum-band cup and saucer

£3.50

This cup and saucer set caught my eye because it looks very similar to the platinum banded crockery designed by Vera Wang for Wedgewood (pictured here) which retails for £15. You could buy an entire 4 piece set of the Tesco ones for the price of one Vera Wang one which, in my home anyway, would inevitably get broken.

Anchor Shaped Cushion

£8

A really fun cushion which would just take the tone of a room down. Would look perfect on a wicker chair or amongst a red and white theme.

Decorative Glass Candle Jar, Pink

£6.50

I love the shape of this glass jar so this candle would look just as beautiful unlit as it did aflame. You could also reuse the jar once the candle has burned down to store your trinkets in.

Dogtooth Bedding Set

£9.00

Retro inspired bedding is always a winner in my books! This is a lovely print and I'm planning on buying this for my own room because I love it so much.

Home Stacking Mugs

£10

Another fun retro inspired idea for the kitchen. It would be even better if the people living in your house have the initials which make up the word 'home'.

Chevron Rug, Navy

£10

The chevron pattern has become massively popular in recent months and Tesco has managed to tap into this trend with this piece. The rug comes in both navy and red shades and is a decent size at just under a meter long.

What's your favourite item?

Saviour Snack Box Review

Today's post is a review of the Saviour Snack subscription Box, a fantastic little goodie box full of treats which are extremely healthy and good for you. The box I bought was the Super Skinny Box, £14.95 £4.95 including delivery (available weekly, fortnightly or monthly), containing 14 snacks which are 120 calories or less. Saviour have various different snack boxes to choose from depending on your budget and dietary requirements - I chose this box because I'm looking to discover healthy snacks and realised that if I ate one thing a day then it would last me 2 weeks.

When the box was delivered I was having a pretty crappy day so being presented with this gorgeous box my mood was instantly lifted. The first thing that I loved about this concept is that it feels super indulgent and exciting but is totally guilt-free. Everything is perfectly packaged and I really looked forward to delving into the little treasure chest once a day to get my mid-afternoon snack. I think the fact that I knew I wasn't putting absolute crap in my body amplified this feeling. Having a little crib sheet about the box's contents helped - it details everything from calories to vegan status so you can be sure you know what is going into your body.

My box contained a good mix of branded and Saviour's own products and the range changes with every box. I was worried that the entire box would just be full of mixed fruit and nuts but there was a nice selection of different things, they've gone to a massive effort to create some interesting fruit and nut combinations. I adored the Pogo Pack which had some yummy berries, almonds and pumpkin seed. The great thing about the snacks is that they are decently portioned and great for putting in your bag so you'll never have to make a poor food choice when out and about again.  I'm pleased they provided both sweet and savory snacks so I have a choice depending on my mood. From my box I particularly enjoyed the Nairs Cheese Oaty Bakes, the Bear Pineapple YoYo and, my absolute favourite, the Clearly Scrumptious Golden Berries.

I have looked about to see if I can get all of my favourites for normal shops and found everything either at Tesco or online, most items are around the £1 mark and made me feel a little bit better about the expense of the service. In terms of it being a discovery service it works very well for me as I'm not used to buying healthy snacks (read: I usually eat crisps) so I've discovered new things that I'd purchase again. In terms of price, there is no way I'd be able to justify paying full price for this service regularly at the moment, £15 is quite expensive and equates to a weeks shop for myself (!). If you are interested you can sign up to their newsletter (here) and get a box for £4.95 and then cancel your subscription. Until I have a full time job and no other pressing responsibilities I'll have to put this one on hold but it is something I'd love to have in the future because it is so delicious and makes snacking less complicated.

Would you subscribe to something like this?

Lancome Hypnose Mascara for just £10!

To celebrate 10 years since the launch of Lancome's infamous Hypnose mascara, you can purchase it for , just £10 from Debenhams! It's usually £22.50 so this is an absolute bargain but be warned, this offer is only available for 24 hours so be quick! Click here to purchase (also available in Debenhams stores nationwide).

April Favourites

It's that time of the month again where I tell you all the things I've been loving in April! It has been a very very long month!

Cosmo 'Beauty Blender' and Revlon Colorstay Foundation
So there has been a massive buzz around the Beauty Blender sponge for a couple of years now and I've just discovered how amazing the Revlon Colorstay Foundation applies with this kind of sponge. I used to used it with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation but when I changed my foundation I discovered that it didn't work as well so the poor thing has been languishing in a draw for over a year. Fast forward to now and I can't get enough of these two products, they create the most perfect base and have allowed me to fake flawless skin. The best part about the particular sponge I use is that it is £13 cheaper than the official blender. You can also pick up these sponges for less than £3 for 4 from Amazon.

Buzzfeed
With such hard hitting journalism as "7 Scientific Reasons Diagonally Cut Sandwiches Are Better" and "26 Times You Wish You Could Take Off Your Pants But Can’t" you really shouldn't snub buzzfeed. It is a mixture of cute, funny and informative and an absolutely perfect way to get lost on the internet for several hours. If you haven't already, try taking one of their quizzes - they have one for almost any inside joke so you can share them with your friends too.

Healthy Snacks
I decided to try a snack subscription service (there will be a full review coming up) and it has made me conclude that snacking can be extremely healthy and exciting.

Churchill's Breakfast Cocktail
It was my housemate's birthday at the beginning of the month so we went out for a few cocktails and I tried the most wonderful drink called a Churchill's Breakfast. Although famously Winston Churchill drank Pol Roger champagne for breakfast, this cocktail had no champagne in it at all. Instead it contains a beautiful blend of coffee, bitters, maple syrup, whiskey and the smoke of a cinnamon stick. Yes, you read that right, THE SMOKE OF A CINNAMON STICK! It is fantastically indulgent.

The Gym
I joined the gym this month and I'm loving getting fit and healthy!

Hey Hey Lover - The Heartbreaks
I've seen these lovely Lancashire lads live twice now and they have given some amazing performances. I saw them last month when they were supporting We Are Scientists in Leeds and have been obsessed with this song ever since. I love how upbeat and how it is a bit of a sing-a-long tune perfect for the summer.

Little Bird Illustration

Sheffield is rich in artistic talent and I discovered these beautiful images in Tamper Coffee. I now have this image as my phone background and facebook cover photo. 

And Finally...

Finishing my dissertation!

For those of you who don't know I did my final year sociology dissertation on pornography in mainstream media images and it has proven to be a very interesting project. It really has been 9 months of hell but now it is complete, I'm so happy I did it!

What have you been loving this month?