The power of Aloe!

It’s Wednesday morning, I’ve been awake since 5am with a poorly boy shouting me then waking his little sister up only to back to sleep himself.. cheeky sod 😝

Anyway, time to watch shark tale and sip on my cup of tea trying to peel my eyes open when really all I want is to curl back up in my fresh sheets!! The joys of parenthood. Boy aren’t I glad that I don’t have to head out to work today, I’ll be setting my office up from home to catch up with exciting messages about people wanting to earn more cash for Christmas or even more wanting to change their life for good.

What time do you think I’ll crash though? Will other parents know on the school run that I’ve been up since the crack of dawn as I walk in looking like I’ve been dragged through a hedge? LUCKILY I’ve discovered Aloe berry nectar gel before any of you have 😆

One little shot while making my morning cup of tea and I will now be energised until bedtime, I’ll be fresh faced, right as rain and raring to go by breakfast time, don’t you wish you’d known about this a long time ago?

Containing 90.7% pure inner leaf aloe gel along side added antioxidant vitamin C to help with the protection of cells this delicious cranberry and apple flavoured aloe is a must have!

Aloe berry nectar is great for:

✔️ Clearer skin

✔️ The immune system

✔️ The digestive system

✔️ Energy levels

✔️ Your metabolism

What better product to have in your fridge for your overall health and wellbeing!

Why not try our aloe peaches flavour too!! One of my new customers who has just received her peach flavoured aloe gel said ‘No need to hold your nose, it tastes lovely and I can feel the difference in my energy levels already’ after just one day 😍

The power of aloe just speaks for itself 😆😆.

Livvy X

What my forever order looks like!

Some of you may be interested to know more about the products I post and what better way to get to know more than to read along with me.

So here I am popping in to show you all what my forever order looks like.. basically my favourite products that I use daily that have ran out and I now can’t live without.

Number 1.) FOREVER LITE ULTRA shake: My upmost favourite considering protein powder is something I’ve used for so long in day to day life. I have a scoop on my morning oats, a scoop in my evening yoghurt snack also occasionally use it just as a shake or a pancake ingredient if I’m ultra hungry.

Number 2.) ALOE BERRY NECTAR: This aloe Vera gel is AMAZING and I wouldn’t be without my daily shot every morning now! It helps me to feel energised, healthy and definitely rids a two day hangover 😝.

Number 3.) FOREVER PRO X2 chocolate protein bar: These yummy bars are blimmin TASTY, soft and chocolatey. They’re a no brainier to chuck in my order! I’m a sucker for a good protein snack 🙌.

Number 4.) ALOE PROPOLIS CREME: This lovely aloe moisturiser is just the right thickness and leaves your skin feeling super soft and moisturised, the whole family loves it and thanks to the hubby taking a liking to it, we are nearly all out after just 4 weeks 😱 definitely a fave!

Don’t get me wrong I have soooo many favourites that I could share with you and I will share them in the future but these right now are my daily go to’s that I desperately need topped up!

Hooooray for pay day 🙌🙌❤️

Livvy X

Why mindset is key!

If your waking up in the morning.. sliding yourself out of bed.. dwelling on all the things you have to do throughout the day and thinking your life has got to be worse than anyone else’s then are you going to boss your day? The answer is definitely no!!

What if you changed your mindset? Changed the way you think also the way you see things! That’s what it all comes down to, you act on what your thinking so if you think negatively you aren’t going to live a happy life, in fact your setting yourself up for a miserable time!

Recently I’ve thought about this a lot as I won’t pretend I’m all fairy cakes and rainbows constantly, I’ve actually been quite negative at times when really this is not the way I want to live my life! I’ve got so much to be happy about.. Good health, an amazing little family, a great job opportunity and I’m doing just fine 😊.

All I want is a good life for my family and the only way this is possible is with positivity just like many things! If your wanting to loose weight, gain muscle, reach your goals in the gym you need to be positive.. if your trying to reach a promotion at work, you need to be positive. Negativity will only bring you down and the way you think really is down to you!

Some of you may be sitting there thinking ‘but I’m so negative, nothings going right and I can’t be positive’ of course you can be!! Life throws us obstacles, it’s how you choose to deal with them.

If your struggling to find the good in everyday try searching for positive quotes, YouTubing positivity and gratitude, try writing out things your great full for every morning, think of the good things before the bad!

I think we all have our own concept of ‘happy’ which leaves us lost thinking we’ve not found it when really it’s right in front of our eyes!

Be thankful for every day. A good positive mindset will get you far in life! You will smash your goals while enjoying every minute of it 💕

You never know when your time is up..

Livvy X

New beginings!

Have you ever felt a bit worthless? A bit like you don’t belong and don’t really have a purpose? Yep.. that was me too!

I think being a mum of young children you can definitely feel isolated at times.. You can go days without having any adult conversation and quite frankly it just sends you a bit doolally 🙈 but what if I told you that I’ve found a new adventure to stabilise this? Something that makes me feel a bit more human.. makes me feel excited about life and my families future and makes me want to get up in the morning to work my socks off? Would you stop what your doing and read on?

I think so too 😃🙌

Where it started:

I was approached on Instagram by Amy, someone I can now call a friend.. I had followed her for a while not knowing what it was that she did, I was so intrigued by her life that I was watching day in day out on social media that I think I ended up dropping in the ‘what is it you actually do’ question into her messages. She began to tell me all about this amazing job opportunity that was right in front of me proceeding to let me know that I needed no previous experience just a positive attitude, to just be coachable and this could change my life!

I knew I could be that.. I knew I had that fire in my belly to give it my all but my downfall is that I overthink way too much! Don’t we all!?

What I did next:

Did I grab that opportunity with open arms? No, of course I didn’t 🤦🏼‍♀️. I sat back and watched Amy, a 22 year old mum of two young children build her amazing business, taking all of the incentives the company gave her for working hard, creating the best life for her family and best of all enjoying her freedom of money and time while I carried on living without that passion in my mediocre life.

That was nearly a year and a half ago now! Yes a whole year and a half that I sat back and watched, where would I be now if I had started this then? My life would be on its way to unrecognisable!

Finally I did it though!! Eventually the thought of ‘if someone else can achieve this then why can’t I’ took over! The excitement over took the nerves. It was time to shut off any other emotion to focus on the I cans!

Today.. as I sit here right now to think about it I realise that I haven’t felt this good for a long time, finally a sense of belonging.. a reason to work so hard to create a stable future for my children. I get to chat to like minded people daily, meet new people while creating friendships along the way and the main point being that I get to do this all from home while bringing up my own babies 💕

Here’s to new beginnings, a new lease for life and here’s to success!!

Who’s with me 🙌

Livvy X

Instagram vs reality

Instagram.. a place we visit many times daily, post photos on, keep up with friends on it, follow our favourite enthusiasts but is it really that good for us? The answer is probably no! Even I’m guilty of it massively but I thought I would touch down on this.

Although Instagram is a great platform for business and earning whilst catching up with friends, a part of me feels like it’s a problem in some of our lives. Who is guilty of looking on their favourite Instagram enthusiasts page and envying them? Looking at them and thinking to yourself ‘I wish I looked like that’ or even seeing one of your friends or someone you know posting happy photos looking like they have the best life ever and wandering why they have the ‘perfect’ life? The truth is they don’t!! No one has a perfect life and no one looks good all the time, unfortunately we only see the good in peoples lives.. the best photo picked out of 100 bad ones and I think it’s too easy to forget that!

We all have our imperfections and that’s okay.. that’s what makes you you, what fun would life be if we were all the same? It’s such a shame that we’ve got to a point where people use filter after filter, start photoshopping things and take it to an unrecognisable stage! I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want to be told ‘actually you look better in pictures not in person’. Yes I use colour filters in my photos that I personally post but I’d still get found if my photo was on a lamp post to say I was lost 😂.

All we are achieving from doing this is actually just making people feel crap about themselves and their lives! Please let’s just come back down to reality and remember that loads of us have stretch marks, we have spots, we have saggy Mum belly bits weather they be big or small, we have wrinkly skin, cellulite, wobbly bits, uneven skin tones and the list could just go on.

I’ve learnt over the last few months to try not to look on social media and envy people, it’s easier said than done I know.. especially if your having a bad day/week but honestly my best piece of advice would be that if anyone you follow is having a negative affect on your life in anyway as much as you love seeing their posts please unfollow them! I’ve followed my own advice and it helps so much ❤️

Social media is definitely a growing thing in most of our lives.. let’s not let it affect us the way it does some of us! No ones perfect but perfect in their own way 😘.

Livvy X

The fox tan.. does it do what it says on the packet?

The fox tan!! I seen this all over Instagram before my recent holiday and thought I’d give it a try, I mean why wouldn’t you when your going away with your two small children so won’t actually get much tanning time 🤦🏼‍♀️ anything to actually look like I’ve been abroad in the sun 😂.

Let’s be honest like many of you reading this will be, I was a bit sceptical.. especially at 14.99 a small bottle but I braved it and packed that little beauty in my suitcase ready to go!

Off to Spain we went, the weather wasn’t always great but we got at least three days worth of sunshine, each sunny spell I was topping up my coating of fox tan while using suncream in between (there’s no spf in the fox tan, it’s just an enhancer so be sure to be using suncream too). I don’t think the results were obvious instantly, it was more gradually and each day that went on I realised I was getting darker. I was lovingit! Considering the small amount of full days in the sun I actually look like I’ve been sunning it up for a whole week 😍.

My true opinion on it.. IT WORKS! I’m now glued to the stuff, bought another bottle since being home for any sunny spells we get to top up my tan quickly, you can even use it before going on the sunbed which is awesome.

Need a second opinion.. even the hubby loves it! He used it religiously while we were away too and he is now darker than dark 😝 never known a man so in love with a product 😂. His daily words ‘where’s the fox tan at’.

Sat there wandering what the fox tan is? Here is what it claims it does:

‘Our exclusive ingredient FoxComplex helps you achieve your darkest natural tan faster! Poolside, beachside or relaxing in a sunbed – Rapid mist has been formulated to use whilst catching UV exposure.’

Originally I bought the first bottle online while ordering a few bits from Pretty Little Thing but I’ve now found it in my local Superdrug store 🙌.

I can see you all running to the stores now 😝 definitely a holiday must have!

Livvy X

Want a tiny waist? Small waist illusion hacks!

Let’s start with my current goal.. to have a bigger bottom half 🍑 and a smaller waist. How you say!? The answer is simple.. forget training that peach day in day out and start training your upper body too!!

So many women are too scared to train their upper body with fears of getting ‘bulky’ or just simply don’t know how to. Trust me ladies it is not just for the men, we need those lovely shoulder and back muscles to make the illusion of our waist being smaller!

In no way is my goal to be top heavy so I stick to one upper body training day a week and get all those muscle groups into one session. Don’t be afraid to go heavy.. the heavier the better, we don’t want to be in the slow lane.. let’s get burning more fat and building more muscles 💪🏼

Be prepared to eat ‘well’ to maintain a good shape. Plain salads and low carbs are just going to make you deflated and not very ‘shapely’. To feed your glutes to grow you need to be eating enough and getting those good carbs in (i.e brown rice, sweet potato) The funny thing is, some people think carbs are the enemy but honestly I’ve changed my diet round enough times to know that if I’m training right and eating a good amount of carbs my stomach actually feels flatter than when I’m avoiding carbs! Weird right!

Drink lots of water and by lots i mean I try and get 4L in a day. This will help reduce bloating in the long run (although you may feel bloated at the time of downing a litre 😂) it will help with your recovery and also help you to feel less lethargic.

High waisted leggings/jeans: these will automatically cut you in at the waist making you appear to have a smaller waist and wider other assets and this is something you don’t have to do much work for (you just need to find a pair that fits you well and I know this can be so hard) 🙈. My recommendation for flattering high waisted jeans has to be the top shop Joni jeans, if these are too pricey for you then look on eBay, you can shop outlet ones there ☺️. For gym leggings it has to be the merakilo amenitys, the high waist band is ribbed and fitted which gives that illusion of tucking you in where you needit.

Just remember while setting your goals and aiming for a certain shape that everyone shapes differently, some goals may not be as possible for you but if you smash it as hard as you can consistently you can be sure to get as close to where you want to be 💪🏼💕Livvy X

Bodypower, Birmingham 2018!

As many of my followers know, my husband and I recently attended bodypowers yearly event at the NEC in Birmingham this month. This was my third year at this particular event and the excitement was real after rumours that it was going to be bigger and better for their 10th year anniversary.

Up bright and early we travelled the 2.5 hour journey. Quickly after arriving we over heard conversation of disappointment and didn’t know what to expect. Gate opening time came and off we went.. people running in all directions as usual to be first in the que. We strolled on over to the busiest stand (body building) to avoid the gigantic que that would form later in the day. It was there that we realised how many big brands were missing this year (Bpi, Gymshark, On nutrition, to name some) and I think for many returning after years of attending that was the biggest disappointment along with some promised big named athletes not turning up unexplained.

Despite the let down of lack of big well known companies it was so lovely to see small, unknown, new companies coming together to showcase their brands to get their products out there. We got given more than enough samples for our monies worth, a few tshirts, bags, shakers and cans of energy drinks.

My favourite product that we bought for ourselves has to be from the brand ‘ghost’ they are an American brand who have literally just this week I believe opened a UK warehouse which is the best news ever! We decided to try their BCAA’s (a dietary supplement to help improve recovery from exercise) in kiwi strawberry flavour which we were kindly advised was the best flavour by an ambassador on the stand.. he couldn’t have been any more correct, it literally is kiwi strawberry!! That sounds stupid but so many supplements do not taste how you would expect them to, now we have found an exception which is just so delicious and sweet 😋.

Continuing with my favourites from the day, I LOVED the ‘women’s best’ stand.. it had the best atmosphere at giveaway times, all the sponsored girls were lovely and so down to earth, got some amazing samples of their products while getting to meet two of my fave instagram influencers Sophie Austin and Lisa Lanceford 💕

The best clothing brand I bought from had to be ‘Merakilo’ their clothes are just stunning and fit incredible.. keep an eye out for reviews coming soon!

It wasn’t long before we were fully expo’d out and trying to avoid the massive queues left so we made the sunny journey home along with lots of melted protein bars (probably shouldn’t have dropped them off to the car earlier in the day 😝).

I left feeling motivated, inspired and believing that if all those people in there could do it then I could do it 🙌. If you want to be in a room full of people with the same passion as you, the same drive as you. People that want to meet you, want to help and talk to you then you need to go to one of these expos!

Since then we have booked to go to an upcoming new event called fit festival which is going to be held so close to us in Somerset in August! I can’t wait to see what it has in store!! 😍

LivvyX

My plans to prepare my body for holiday 🌞🌞

3 weeks to go!! (Not that I’m counting or anything 😝)

There’s nothing more that I love than having an incentive.. something to work for! It just gives me that extra motivation and buzz to get to the gym and I’m lucky enough to have a holiday to Spain to look forward to in 3 weeks time!

I’ve been busy bikini shopping.. decided to treat myself to some new ones this year for losing all of last years baby weight 🤷🏼‍♀️ any excuse right!! I’ve been loving it, there’s so many pretty designs this year.. do you think I like stripes?? ⬇️😝. One little tip for bikini shopping whilst I’m here is that if you’ve got thick thighs like moi size up on your bottom half to stop that hip hang over 🙌 best advice you’ll receive!

So here’s how I plan to get ‘bikini ready’ or more like ready to smash back all the holiday food I can while I’m there 😜. Week 1 (this week) i will be preparing my body for the hard work so I won’t be pushing it to the max.. barely any cardio, flexible eating with no stress and getting all the carbs i can to fuel the next few weeks 😝. I don’t want to burn out, start craving and crash in the last week before I jet off. Come next Monday (week 2) it’s crunch time for the last two weeks, 3-4 days of at least 20 mins cardio after weight sessions, no skipping sessions!! 2 ab sessions a week without fail and eating to compliment my training (depending on what body part I’m training that day) for example if it’s a rest day I will have low carbs. Let’s call this a mini cut 💪🏼

Why? Because 1.) I like a challenge, it keeps me motivated 2.) I like to feel my best, to have a boost of confidence and last but not least 3.) it gives me lots of extra room for holiday carbs 🙌🙌

If you follow me on Instagram (if you don’t then head over to Livvygoodland_fitmum and give me a follow) you’ll know that I recently had a week ‘mini cut’ and from the results it shows that it doesn’t take me long to get rid of those little bloated areas so I know this will work for what I want to achieve ☺️.

Before I go let me tell you this though.. there is no such thing as a ‘bikini body’ all bodies are beautiful.. I was not ashamed when I was bigger after having my children, I was not ashamed when I wore a bikini with my pregnant bump! No one should think they have to look a certain way. Do what you want, look the way you want as long as YOU are happy ☺️.

Livvy X

The truth about having two young children!

Having one child is easy. Well it might not seem like it at the time but you soon realise when the next one comes along! Whoever said that going from one to two is easy is one big fat liar 🙈.

Now I’m sorry if your reading this while your pregnant with your second child or sat planning another baby, I suppose you could thank me for giving you a little taste of reality though.

Don’t get me wrong, my children are amazing.. they are my whole world, I wouldn’t be without them and I love them both with all my heart but it’s not always easy. All you seem to see is the people that are winging it (aren’t we all though 😂) some people look so graceful, so calm and collected.. I do envy those people sometimes! Then again who knows who thinks that of me!? I could come across as one of those people when really I am definitely winging it!!

When I was pregnant with my second baby I imagined constant happiness, a lovely bond between the baby and my first born, I honestly didn’t think it could be that much harder and really couldn’t wait for our next adventure to start. In reality I wish I had made the most of those moments with my first before our lives got crazy! Of course there is a lot of happiness but there is also a lot of stress, a lot of nagging, a lot of forgetfulness and a lot of exhaustion.

I now forget birthdays, forget to text back, forget the one thing I’ve gone to the shop for. I love naps, am in bed by 9pm every night. I have no time for cleaning our home so it stays dirty for weeks at a time, I’m late for most things but still my heart is full of love.

There is no bond like a siblings bond but my god there’s a lot of bickering.. when once there was silence there is now the sound of constant squealing where one is winding up the other while I hide in the kitchen pulling my hair out. My husband has turned into my saviour.. he comes home from work and rescues me daily although sometimes it appears he’s had a worse day than me and that must mean it was one of my rare good days 😂.

Every now and then I brake down.. it gets too much and I need to let it out! I’m not afraid to admit that! Everyone has their breaking point, we weren’t made to take on everything life throws at us without some sort of little melt down so just know that it’s okay. We are all dealing with our own struggles, you’re allowed a moment to feel like your failing but just remember who’s watching you! Deep breaths and start again.

Being a mother or parent is one of the hardest jobs ever and yes it is a job because it is non stop (I probably do a tonne more steps than your average insta fit girl) but it is also one of the most rewarding.. to see a child that you have created turn into the most wonderful, caring little human being (they don’t always seem that way 🙈) is just magical.. you put the hard work in just like anything they turn out to be a true asset to you.

I’ve got two little people in my heart to love forever.. two little people looking up to me.. following me when I pee and I am forever grateful for them ❤️