A-BROAD IN LONDON’S 5 FAVOURITE THINGS OF 2018
Happy New Year From London
I hope and trust 2019 is off to a great start. I was planning on doing Dry January, you know give my liver and some other internal organs a well deserved break…but my only New Year’s Resolution was don’t make any promises you cannot keep. So sorry Ban-uary, I am coming to you with a glass of Chardonnay by my side, 16:45 BST.
As I was recapping 2018 it was a big year of change for me. I have moved house, I lost 20 pounds (although gain five back over the holidays) and I have officially changed my Facebook status to single by dropping another 170 pounds. I have a shiny new outlook on my life and that makes me feel happy and empowered like the skinny legend I have become. Props to my girl squad for that tag.
So as I was reflecting on this past year I discovered some new things that I absolutely love that I wanted to share with you. Not surprising that for someone who has such an unnatural love for my iphone that two of them are apps. So here it is…enjoy.
A-Broad In London’s 5 Favourite Things Of 2018
Calm
I was skeptical about this app Calm. It was heavily promoted on Instagram telling you to breathe. I don’t know about you but I hate being told what to do, especially when I am already doing it. But this app has helped me fall asleep. Like a lot of women I know (never men) I have a crazy hard time falling asleep. The app has this feature that will read you a grown-up bedtime story, one is even narrated by Mathew McConaughey, alright, alright, alright. I tended to prefer the “once upon a time” stories more than a virtual walk in a tropical rain forest but you know what, it works. It has other features too like guided mediation, relaxing music and self help chats in various subjects. Who knew I just needed Mathew McConaughey in my bed reading to me?
This is EXACTLY what i look like when I sleep….EXACTLY!
Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with 10% Pure Vitamin C
Now for whatever reasons I have not used Clinique products since I was a teenager and I likely would have never discovered this product if not for the Queen of Skincare my model daughter Charlotte. She gave me this Vitamin C Daily Booster that comes in four individual weekly packs and I have seen a huge difference in my skin within a week. Smoother and with less discolouration. I have used vitamin C a lot in my life as I try to turn back time (thank you Cher) but this for me has had the best and quickest results I have seen.
Pilates
If you are really looking for a change in your body this is going to do it for you. I started last spring as I knew cottage season would be upon me before you know it. A friend suggested this 55 minute workout on the reformer, as did my physio therapist after my pelvic fracture accident . Not only has it given me Michelle Obama arms and the revenge bod that has been eluding me since pre-motherhood but it has greatly improved my posture. Three times a week folks to see the change. So worth it.
EyeGlass Chain
So this is not your granny’s eyeglass chain. They look like jewelry and they come in a variety of styles and colours. This has literally saved me hundreds on lost, scratched or bent way out of shape glasses as I tend to rest them on the top of my extra big head where at some point I forget they are there until they hit the ground. I literally have been stopped several times asking where i got them. A fab lady whose company is called Orris London. She ships.
Audible
You book readers might not require this but as I rarely have less than three screens open at one time it does make reading a book a tad challenging. This Audible app has allowed me to enjoy books again and more frequently. It is a monthly subscription app to audio books. You choose what you want from thousands of titles. As I tend to walk everywhere it has given me a nice alternative to listening to music.
So as I walk my well rested Jennifer Lopez booty to Pilates (they actually have an exercise called J-Lo) my youthful skin a-glow with my glasses on my funky eyeglass chain I am listening to an audio book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler. Please don’t judge. I will have to work myself up to something more profound in 2019….then again…maybe starting my day off with a laugh with Chelsea is exactly what we all need.
Please tell me what you loved in 2018. I want to know. Maybe I will love it too.
