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Friday 28 September 2012

Review: TLC Sport - Performance


I was recently sent a couple of items from ladies sportswear brand TLC Sport. Currently celebrating its 20th year, TLC Sport has a huge range of clothing all designed and made here in the UK. One of my favourite things is how personal everything is - this is a family run business which really puts the customer first. For example, you can request plus-size items at no extra charge. Now that's service!



The ribbons make a recurring appearance throughout the collection. The grey vest I'm wearing is really comfortable and the stripes not only make you look slim but the fabric really does hold you in whilst you're working out. Great for when your doing a core workout like I was, it really encourages you to tense all those abs! The top is reversible too giving you the choice of a high or low neckline. Love the adaptability.

The leggings are figure firming and really live up to their promise! I've cycled to work in them a few times too and there's still no sagging around the knees or bum, something which really annoys me about most leggings.

Top £22
Leggings £36

I love this outfit. It's grown-up and functional, the pieces are comfortable and well made, I look like a proper fitness fanatic when I'm wearing it and more importantly I feel like one. I love the whole collection and am looking forward to topping up my workout wardrobe with more from the site.

Thursday 27 September 2012

Domestic Goddess in the Making

Embo Parko runs her own blog Swirlyface and also contributes to lifestyle site SinSins World. She's a domestic goddess in the making and bakes the second best cakes in the world. (OK, they might be the best but I'm Bunn The Baker, I've got to say I'm better!)


I was the least domesticated person I know. Yes, I cleaned and tidied up etc, but when it came to knitting/baking/domesticated things I was not ‘in the know’. I am a single woman of 29, completely independent, I don’t have kids to bake for either, so I basically felt like breaking the stereotype of the typical ‘at home baker’.


I made my first batch of cupcakes only a few months ago and they looked like this:


Fashion Break: Dr Martens Ofira Shoe

Oh my gosh! Look at these, just LOOK at them! I was perusing the DM website recently after a pair of winter boots when I stumbled across the heels section. My life will never be the same again. I bet they're really comfortable.

Dr Mertens Ofira Shoe - £110 at drmartens.co.uk

Monday 24 September 2012

My Turn @ Craft Love: DIY Business Card Holders

I was feeling crafty last night so sat down with last weekend's Craft Love post - DIY Business Card Holders. I raided my stores for some scraps big enough to make a few and set to work.

All was going really well until I got to turning the whole thing right side out and one of the pockets had fallen out! That'll teach me for not using pins...

Well, I finished it off anyway (albeit quite roughly) and here's my attempt at a business card holder.



It was a really easy tutorial to follow and I think next time, as long as I use some pins, I'll make some lovely neat ones!

Saturday 22 September 2012

Craft Love: DIY Business Card Holders

Seeing as how I have my own business cards now, I'd like something to keep them all neat and tidy. So, when I found this 'How To' on The Crafty Cupboard I was over the moon! I love the fabrics used, the tutorial is simple and clear and the photography is beautiful! Can't wait to give it a go.


Friday 21 September 2012

Sport Persuit Pop-Up Sales

I'm guessing that, seeing as you're here in the fitness section, you're into sports. As such, it would be safe to assume you like sports clothing and equipment. Me too! That's why I was so excited when I found out about Sport Pursuit. It's sort of like Brand Alley - pop-up sales where you get big brand stuff at tiny prices.

I was gutted to have missed the Shock Absorber sale, totally need a new sports bra, but there's some great other stuff on there too. You need to join in order to see the sales, but it's free so don't panic. Also, if you get friends to join you receive money off your orders.

So sign up to Sport Pursuit and bag yourself some bargains like these!

Beet It - I love beetroot, so the idea of a sports shot made of it. Apparently you can work out for 16% longer with one of these beauties, and they're around £1 each. Beetroot is full of antioxidants (which neutralise nasty free radicals in the body) so one of these a day will keep you looking and feeling great too.









Tresspass Iota Jacket - Now that Autumn is setting in and winter is ahead I need to get me something warm for the raing commute on my bike. Purple is my favourite colour ever, and this looks toasty warm and lovely. It's currently reduced from £100 to just £37.50 in the pop-up sale, a bargain I think you'll agree!




Lezyne Mini Drive LED Light - with the mornings and evenings getting darker I'm going to have to invest in some lights. This is super-bright (150 lumens) for dark country lanes but can be turned down if you're in urban areas, it's got a rechargeable Li-Ion battery and looks really cool. A snip at £25.50 - nearly 50% off.






So, those are my top picks, who knows what will be on there next though as the sales only last seven days and are constantly being updated! What are your favourites from the site?

Thursday 20 September 2012

8 of the Healthiest Long-Life Foods Your Body Will Love

The team who work at Gracewell Healthcare know the importance of maintaining a healthy work/
life balance. However, they have also learnt that it's hard to keep up a healthy diet when you are
constantly on the move. It's for this reason that they've come up with this list of foods that are long
lasting, high in nutritional value and easily stored in different areas of the home or office.

Organic Oats – Pantry

The best way of starting a busy day is to enjoy a bowl of granola, with delicious organic oats. You can store this type of food in the pantry for anywhere up to 3 months. The beta-glucan fibre found within the oats will keep your levels of serum cholesterol down, so that you are at a reduced risk of heart attacks and atherosclerosis.




Wednesday 19 September 2012

Buddying Up

Image Credit

Motivating yourself to exercise is all very well and good, but there will be some days when you don't feel like it and you will struggle to convince yourself that getting active is more important than watching Torchwood. That's where buddies come in.

You're going to come up with excuses now, like "none of my friends are into exercise!" or "I live too far away from everyone else". Shut-up. This, dear readers, is the 21st century. Distance is irrelevant!

Every day for the next month I will be doing the 30 Day Shred at either 6am or 8pm in my living room. Why don't you come and join me?! Not literally, obviously, but haven't you heard of Skype? So, if you want to join me leave a comment or  send an email to bunnali[a]gmail.com and I will send you my schedule and Skype details. See you there guys!

Flamenco Eggs

Flamenco /eggs
This meal is perfect for when you haven't got much in the cupboards. You can use any old left-over veg, just make sure to add plenty of paprika!

Tuesday 18 September 2012

30 Day Shred


I've heard about the 30 Day Shred before, and I've heard it's pretty tough. Jillian Michaels (the one who makes fat Americans exercise until they're sick on The Biggest Loser) uses her 3-2-1 technique to get the best workout from the shortest time. That's strength-cardio-abs. 3-2-1. Easy.

Or not.

The DVD contains three workouts and I started with the easiest. I don't want to totally spoil it for you but there's star jumps, sit-ups, weights and Natalie who has the most amazing legs! (I also want Jillian's arms, they're fantastic) You don't get rest periods it's just straight into the next section. There were bits I found tougher, particularly some of the weights exercises for arms - mine are scrawny and weak at the moment.

I think, because I was expecting it to be so hard, I didn't give it my all. At the end I was tired and sweaty, but I could have been more tired and more sweaty. It's OK though, I have tonight to do it again! And I know I got a good workout because my calves and my shoulders are killing me this morning.

So, I think I'll continue level one this week, and perhaps try level two next week, but I can definitely see myself being a lot fitter by the end of this!

If you want to see how I looked by the end of the workout head over to Spikes and Heels to the #OperationHideous gallery.

Tee-Total Time

Image Credit

I used to be quite a heavy drinker, I guess a lot of students are though. It always seemed perfectly acceptable to have a bottle of vodka before going out, shots and 99p bottles of fizzy e-numbers before somehow managing to make it home in one piece. I've had some close calls, I was beaten up by a rapist whilst drunkenly stumbling home in 2002, luckily a passer by saved me from what could have happened.

A few years ago I decided to really cut down on my consumption. Several nights where I could literally only remember the first two drinks then all's a blank until I woke up in bed, fully clothed, feeling like I was dying of death.

Since then I've still been drinking alcohol, and I've certainly had a few crazy nights and bleary memories. Recently I've started to notice just how bad my body feels even after just a few drinks. I get lethargic for days, headaches, dehydrated, tummy aches and really really grouchy.

So when @millwall_embo decided to quit drinking for the rest of the year I thought perhaps I'd join her for a while. For the next month (at least) I'm going to be a tee-totaler. I'm going to join some of the greats like Muhammad Ali, Brian Blessed and Catherine Tate. I'm not saying it's going to be forever, just for now.

Monday 17 September 2012

An Introduction to Squatting

Image Credit

Whether you are training to lose weight, increase size and strength or for sports - you should be squatting! Squats are a compound exercise, this means that they use more than one set of muscles. In fact squats are the most important compound exercise you can do. The main muscles used are the quads, glutes and hamstrings, but squats do a lot more than build lower body strength. Squatting correctly uses muscles over the whole of your body.

The Body Weight Squat
  • Stand up straight with your feet shoulder width apart.
  • Bend your knees and lower your upper body until your thighs are parallell to the floor (you can go down further into a deeper squat but make sure you go to at least parallell.)
  • Ensure that your knees do not extend past the end of your toes.
  • Look straight ahead. This will help keep the correct form and stop your back from arching.
  • Push up through your heels to a standing position.
  • Breathe in as you go down and out as you push up.
  • Repeat!
It is a good idea to practice body weight squats for a while before adding weight. This ensures you are using the correct form and will help prevent any injuries.
Once you are comfortable with the body weight squat and can perform 20 reps quite easily - try it with an empty bar across your back.
  • Place the empty bar (no weight plates) across the top of your back (not your neck!).
  • Grip the bar with wide grip, palms facing forward.
  • Squat! (remembering the flat back, knees not past the end of your toes and to push up through your heels.)
Adding Some Iron!
Once you are happy with your form with the empty bar it's time to add some weight. You will need to use a squat rack. If you don't have access to a squat rack, you can squat with dumbbells (see below).
  • Step into the squat rack and set the bar a few inches below shoulder height.
  • Check that the safety bars are low enough so that you can squat deeply.
  • Duck under the bar and grab it with a wide grip, palms facing outwards.
  • Rest the bar across the top of your back.
  • Unrack the bar by standing up, whilst breathing out and then take a step back.
  • Squat!
  • When you have finished put the bar back onto the rack by stepping forwards and dropping it back down.
The Dumbbell Squat
If you don't have access to a squat rack you can still perform squats using dumbbells. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down by your sides and perform the squat using the same technique as above.

Following this guide and squatting correctly won't just help you sculpt those Olympian legs - you will find that more iron on the squat bar will put a few extra kilos on your bench press, deadlift and other exercises too.

Saturday 15 September 2012

Craft Love: Pillowcase Dresses

There are some really gorgeous dresses for kids in the shops at the moment, but my budget just doesn't stretch. These dresses from Lark & Lola (tutorial link in her post) are lovely and it looks so easy to transform a gorgeous vintage pillowcase into a beautiful dress for your little 'un. Opt for darker colours (purples, blues and browns) and create an autumn look with a long sleeved top worn underneath the dress. Cute!


Thursday 13 September 2012

Fashion Break: Floral Print Dress



Now I'm doing a bit more freelance work I'm having to think about my work wardrobe - my regular job comes with a uniform!

I love this outfit - with the bag and platform heels it looks classy, powerful and stylish. I'd need big heels to lengthen my legs and probably a long necklace too.

Jolie Floral Print 2-in-1 Dress - £12 at boohoo.com

Monday 10 September 2012

Vegan Breakfast Smoothie

I'm not a big fan of eating in the mornings so a smoothie is the perfect option. This is my current favourite...


Ingredients
1 banana
handful frozen berries
a few leaves of chard (or spinach)
Soya/Rice/Coconut milk
Protein powder & instant oats (optional)

Method
Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz. Keep adding soya milk until you get to the consistency you want - I like mine quite thick. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

What's so good?
Bananas - full of slow releasing carbohydrates for energy, potassium to keep your blood pressure down and loads of vitamin B6 to help boost the immune system.
Berries - packed with anti-oxidants for clear skin and vitamin c to boost your immune system even more.
Chard - loads and loads of vitamins!

Saturday 8 September 2012

Craft Love: Pretty Pots

I love plants, but plant pots can be so ugly! Head over to Christine Chitnis for this lovely tutorial which will transform your pots into gorgeouse vintage-style beauties.





Friday 7 September 2012

Vegetable Lasagne

You can use whatever vegetables you like for this. I had a massive sweet potato hanging around which went beautifully with the (optional) sharp goats cheese on top.


Thursday 6 September 2012

Fashion Break: Combat Boots



Autumn brings with it some of my favourite fashion options. I love to wear boots with floaty summery dresses and big knits.

These boots are gorgeous, look sturdy enough to last through the winter and I bet they're comfy! I've got a lovely blue tea dress they'd look just awesome with.

Sketchers Combat Mid Calf Boot - £44.99 at fyfo.co.uk

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Fat Definitely Doesn't Mean Fit


This. This annoys me. The most shared story on the BBC News website right now is that fat people can be fit. Well that's just excellent. Cue hoards of overweight heart-attacks-in-waiting crying "See! We told you!" through bites of doughnuts and KFC. Fat people will see fit and read healthy, and this is why...

The study basically shows that out of 18,500 obese people, only half were metabolically unhealthy, meaning they don't suffer from diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. I've never suffered from any of these and, until last year, I was mega un-fit. Just because you don't have those three things wrong with you does not mean you can call yourself fit!

Having done a little science and critical thinking, oh, a decade ago, let's see if I can come up with some variables which have not been considered here.
  1. Fitness defined - What is fit? The article does not tell us and we are left to assume fitness is measured by whether you suffer from one (or more) of three health issues.
  2. Level of obesity - the article does not explain whether these people are just a bit overweight or morbidly obese. It also doesn't explain how obesity has been defined so if, for example, they took the stats of a wrestler and calculated his BMI, he'd be obese. But not fat.
  3. Length of obesity - diseases like those listed in the article can take years to develop. If a participant had only been obese for six months they are obviously less likely to suffer than those who have been fat for three decades.
  4. Fitness in 'non obese' participants - There is no mention of results in the other two-thirds of participants in the study and so we have nothing to compare these results to.
You may think this makes the article pointless and, scientifically, I suppose it does. The problem I have is the impact it will have. There is so little explanation that what a lot of people will read is "I can continue to be fat and not exercise, I'm still fit and healthy as long as I don't get a life threatening disease." and that is wrong. We should be encouraging people to go out and exercise and to eat healthily not just to prevent diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure but also to help prolong your joints and bones, to help regulate your hormones and metabolism and to lift your mood.

Being fat is not healthy and very few fat people could ever be considered fit. Luckily even the picture inspires me to go home and pump some iron so the article isn't a complete washout.

Saturday 1 September 2012

Craft Love: Photos on old books

This looks beautiful, and like Zaira from Mango & Passion Fruit says, they'd make a great present or card. Can't wait to give it a go! There are some really lovely ideas on this blog so click on the picture to go there and have a browse.