A Secret Solution To Looking More Pert - Pertz leggings

After finding her perfect pair of leggings in a boutique abroad which gave shape, support and a slight shimmer and being unable to find anything comparable at home, Caroline Hyde spent 18 months designing, researching fabric and testing to reproduce her perfect pair of leggings.

Leggings - Pertz, Top, Guess

Pertz leggings (The Shape of Feeling Good) are her solution and I was sent a pair to try.

Pertz leggings have a unique design and are manufactured to limit any ‘muffin top’.They have a hidden tummy control panel whilst the fabric used helps give the bottom a smooth yet pert appearance.

Many women wear leggings with a tunic top or long jumper to disguise their waist, tummy and bottom and Pertz leggings are designed to be worn this way.

They are, however, designed to show off your legs since the leggings will minimise any visible bumps from cellulite and give the appearance of toned thighs.

Pertz leggings come in sizes small to extra large - going from sizes 8-22 and cost £45 per pair.  They are available in one colour, black, and in a choice of either Capri or Standard lengths.

So what did I think?

My initial thoughts were that the material was very thin and the leggings looked so small I wondered if I would actually get them on.  I was sent the medium size (12-14) to try.

The fabric reminded me of compression sportswear and the tummy control panel has quite a pronounced seam forming a noticeable 'V' shape in the crotch.  This is easily hidden under a tunic top or jumper.

To put them on, you almost have to roll them on like tights the first time you wear them and you need to gently pull them up.  I would not advise trying to put them on with long fingernails or wearing jewellery.

Although they came up to my navel, I would have preferred them to reach up a little higher but I suspect this may because I have quite a short body and long legs.

Extra options for leg length could be something for Pertz to consider in the future.

This might possibly be solved by going up a size, although this may well compromise the overall fit.

I found the leggings gave a good shape and I liked the slightly glossy finish.

You can feel them supporting you but without the uncomfortable pressure some shapewear garments give you.

And you obviously need to wear a thong or invisible pant line type pants.  You won't get away with your 'comfy pants'.

As I mentioned, my only request to Pertz would be to adjust the sizing for those of us with longer legs - in other words the leg length / length of body ratio.

Would I buy them?  Yes I would.  They are great for giving you an extra bit of confidence and help to hide that 'mum tum'.

Don't I look pert? 

I think I would keep them for special occasions though.  I've managed to put holes in the knees of a couple of my usual pairs of leggings (John Richmond Star Leggings from Debenhams) when playing with the kids on the floor.

And I wouldn't want to ruin a pair which make my bottom look more pert!

For further information go to www.pertz.co.uk or you can find them on Facebook or Twitter.

*I was sent a pair of Pertz leggings to review.

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How will you enjoy Nutella on World Nutella Day?

I'm sure we are all familiar with Nutella, the hazelnut-chocolate spread which is similar to peanut butter but with a sweeter flavor.

Yes, it does contain saturated fat and sugar but it also supplies a good amount of key vitamins and minerals that you need for good health, including fibre, iron and calcium.

We all need to watch our sugar intake these days but I'm still a firm believer in "a little bit of what you fancy does you good", and that certainly applies to Nutella.

And today is World Nutella Day when fans globally celebrate their love of the spread in a whole host of ways, from writing poems, taking selfies and creating Nutella inspired songs and pictures.

Nutella has long been a cupboard staple in our house. As nice as it is dolloped on toast, it's equally useful when melted slightly and added to ice cream or when adorning a home-made banana split.

There are, though, a whole host of more exciting ways you can use Nutella.

Image Credit

Image Credit

Pancakes are always popular - and it's Pancake Day on Tuesday 9th February!  Why not combine Nutella with the zing of fresh raspberries?

Here are a few more suggestions.

Banana Bread With Nutella Swirls

Image Credit

Discovered HERE at passthesushi.com.

French Toast Roll Ups

Discovered HERE at CinnamonSpice&EverythingNice.com.

Nigella's Nutella Cheesecake

Discovered HERE on www.nigella.com.

Netmums' Nutella Microwave Mug Cake

Discovered HERE at www.netmums.com.

Nutella Fairy Bread

Image Credit 

Discovered HERE at www,kidspot.com.

Are you a fan of Nutella?  How will you be eating yours on World Nutella Day?

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Beck Valley Books Tour & Giveaway - At Bay, An Alex Troutt Thriller By John W. Mefford

NEW SERIES....
Alex Troutt Thriller Series #1
AT Bay
Alexandra Giordano never knew she had it so good. Until it was all gone in an instant.

As she begins her daunting quest to uncover the black spots on her memory, what she finds isn’t sweet or charming or even pleasant. And that’s when she begins to question everything, including herself.

Her work as a Special Agent for the FBI is only a distraction, serving as a mental metronome…anything to crank the gears of her feeble mind.

And then it happens—a bizarre, ritualistic murder. She loses herself in her work, fully immersed in the investigation. Unable to recall even her own kids, she’s somehow able to formulate coherent theories on what type of person could pull off such a sickening act.

As her mind slowly plugs a few memory gaps, her emotions are scrambled by the reality of her worlds colliding. And the resulting explosion tears her in two.

Can she pick up all the incendiary fragments to solve the twisted crime while she clings to some semblance of sanity?

One woman can only keep so much…AT Bay.

Available to buy from.....

Amazon Kindle    Amazon Paperback    Barnes and Noble    iBooks   Kobo   

MY REVIEW 

I loved this book.  I particularly love that Mefford has created a plausible and likeable female agent who gives as good as she gets, without needing to reapply her lip gloss. Booker has met his match!

The story begins with FBI agent Alex coming out of a coma having sustained substantial memory loss after a car crash. 

Whilst on leave of absence, she nevertheless manages to get herself involved with a new murder case. Alex becomes a woman on a mission to reclaim her memory and to solve the case of a killer whose method of dispatching his victims is truly unique - and unpleasant.  

Whilst grappling with the seemingly unsolvable, Alex also has to reacquaint herself with her family and her history, including a marriage that seems to be unravelling and a nanny who has designs on her husband.

Not only does she have to catch a killer but she has to grapple with the typical guilt many working mothers feel - has she not been there for her family?

As ever, Mefford's writing is gutsy, fast paced and enjoyable. Highly recommended.

About the Author

A veteran of the corporate wars, former journalist, and true studier of human and social behavior, best-selling author John W. Mefford has been writing novels since he first entered the work force twenty-five years ago, although he never put words on paper until late 2009.

John writes novels full of intrigue, suspense, and thrills, but they also evoke an emotional connection with the characters.

When he’s not writing, he chases three kids around, slaves away in the yard, reads, takes in as many sports as time allows, watches all sorts of movies, and continues to make mental notes of people and societies across the land.

John lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife, three opinionated kids, and a feisty fat cat who rules the world.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Google+    Goodreads   Amazon Author Page

OTHER BOOKS FROM JOHN W MEFFORD

Follow the book tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win Signed paperback copies of AT Bay and BOOKER - Streets of Mayhem
2 Winners!!
Ending on Sunday 7th February at 11.59pm CST

Open Worldwide 

Enter HERE

Good Luck !!

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Will Doing Up Your Kitchen Help To Sell Your House?

The old saying is very true. The kitchen really is the heart of the home - even if, in our case, it looks like we've been hosting one very long party.  

But, does renovating your kitchen pay dividends when it's time to sell? Will it really add value to your home? Will it help to sell your home quicker?

Image credit:  By Mocolocco

It's very easy to get 'kitchen' envy.  I love reading homes and gardens magazines and planning my dream kitchen which would include a new oven, beautiful granite worktops, one of the floating islands for us all to sit at in the morning and drink our freshly blended juices whilst sprinkling chia seed on yoghurt and sharing our family goals.

Yes I jest.  A bit.

We put a new kitchen in the home I inhabited as a singleton with my overweight and sadly deceased cat Samson and we paid around £7,000 at the time.  There were no new white goods, just cupboards and worktops.  That was in 2008.

So, when we came across a showroom for one of the top kitchen manufacturing brands, I was intrigued to know how much a brand new kitchen would cost.

We wandered in whilst praying Ieuan didn't fall off the precariously high breakfast bar chairs and Caitlin didn't place an order with the staff for us (it's been known).

We need to rip out the suspended ceiling and rethink storage

I admired a white, Shaker-style set of units together with gleaming double-oven, wine rack and those clever corner units which allow you to reach all your pots and pans without dislocating a shoulder. The sales lady helpfully calculated the cost for me just so I could have an 'idea of what to budget for'. I nearly fell of the nicely padded stool  £25,000 with fitting on top.

Much as we love our current home, we are hoping to move up one more time in the next few years to a house which has a bigger room for Ieuan so I can't see the point in a whacking great investment like that when we are likely to leave it behind in the relatively near future anyway.

I used to think that adding a decent kitchen to a property might increase its value, but whilst it's certainly one of the most popular home improvements, I'm not sure that's true these day.  Basements, loft conversations and extensions seem to be more popular improvements, together with adding extra light.

Either way, to install a brand new top of the range kitchen with a view to recouping the cost on the sale of the property seems to be risky. A better approach would be to make some minor upgrades such as replacing unit doors and tiles.

Stuff everywhere - it might need more than just a few minor adjustments to the design

Luckily there are some great sources of information online to help you with your kitchen design such as Homify which cleverly combines design ideas with products, professionals and even a community forum where you can discuss your renovation plans.  You can even search by style and popularity and create your own look book so that you can really keep up with the Jones'!

The most important thing, I think, is to create an atmosphere where everyone is comfortable and which caters to the need of the activities you undertake the most frequently.

The Dormy—Kitchen/Breakfast Room by Jigsaw Interior Architecture

I love the light, airy spaciousness of this kitchen, but the rustic cosiness of the one above.  Light, neutral colours really open out the space.

by Studio Maggiore Architettura

The space should really be set up to encourage the family to spend time together.  Even though this space seems quite narrow, it is still welcoming.  That table would be a great place for the kids to do their homework after school.

Bent Kitchen by Diane Berry Kitchens

I love how the splash of lime green makes the space come alive.

Sentosa Beach House by Design Intervention

I love the detail in the worktop and the light shades.

The great thing about sites like Homify is that they help you to crystalise in your mind what really works for you in terms of design.

You can then carry on your research and carry out your project management according to the budget you have set aside - even though if the TVprogramme Grand Designs is anything to go buy, building in a safety net of an extra 20% or so would seem to be a good idea.

Our starting point is to get rid of the suspended ceiling and then we will start our redesign.

Just one of our many DIY projects this year.

*collaborative post

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Are You Kept Awake At Night By The Hum?

For the last three nights, I have been woken around 5:30 am by a hum.  On the first night, I was so convinced there was a noise indoors, that I walked around the house in the dark checking to see if there were any fridge/freezers buzzing or machines left on.

Nothing.

Do you hear strange noises in the night?

It was windy outside so I wondered if the sound was coming from the vibration of  the cables criss-crossing our street.

Or was it emanating from next door's newly installed solar panels?

The Husband, who I regularly drive insane with my health niggles, says it is just a new tinnitus tone and I need to stop focusing on it and switch off.

Easier said than done.

It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't recently read about "The Bristol Hum", a low droning noise audible at night which has been plaguing some residents since the 1970s.

Then, experts were drafted in who put the hum down to factory noise, electricity pylons or tinnitus, although some suggested flying saucers or secret military activity. Eventually, the hum stopped as abruptly as it began, but by then there were reports of equally unidentified hums in other towns across Britain.

French scientists now say that the hum is caused by continuous waves causing the ocean floor to vibrate - a sound which apparently only 2% of the population can detect.

That, in my case, is a theory which doesn't, if you pardon the pun, hold any water.

Trying googling electromagnetic fields - EMF (yes I know I shouldn't) and you'll find loads of sites telling you how bad these are for your health.

Among the symptoms exposure to EMF is claimed to have caused are unexplained headaches, fatigue, digestive problems and sleeping disorders. Even the increase in immune deficiency disorders has been linked to EMF.

The most likely culprits for an increase in EMF exposure include wireless power meters (so-called smart meters), cell phones, cell towers, wireless routers, and cordless phones. Most of these types of technologies expose you to both electric and magnetic fields.

I have seen several reports recently in the tinnitus forums online about the negative effect smart meters and water meters have been having on the dreadful buzz sufferers have to live with 24/7.

Many of us are constantly exposed to WiFi.  Sleep problems, hypertension and depression are just three of the symptoms linked to our seeming inability these days to put our phones, PCs and tablets down.

The adoption of WiFi based gadgets and its infiltration into many aspects of our daily lives seems to be an unstoppable juggernaut.  We want cleaner, quicker, smarter and we want it now.

But I suspect that there may be an untold price to pay in the effect of this technology on our health.

It is possible, of course, that what I have is hyperacusis - defined as a reduced tolerance to normal environmental sounds. Sufferers also struggle to deal with quick shifts in sound loudness. Hyperacusis often accompanies tinnitus.

I have, despite my hearing loss at medium frequency, always had good hearing at low frequency.  I can hear a boiler come on next door and find the throb of a sound system's bass beyond annoying. The sound of our neighbours' washing machine which backs on to our lounge in the spot where the TV sits drives me nuts.

When these machines are designed, are the engineers actually taking the noise these things generate into account?  Hair driers, coffee machines, blenders - louder seems to be better.  But why?

Have we lost the ability to sit in silence?  (Those of us with tinnitus lost that ability ages ago sadly).

As for me, I am still not sure whether what I am hearing is external or a development in the musical cacophony of tinnitus sounds it is possible to experience.  It is also possible that my insomnia is caused by the approach of the menopause.

One thing is for certain, I won't be having a smart meter, or solar panels (please stop phoning!) and I won't be moving anywhere near a mobile phone mast or electricity pylon.

That might sound neurotic but trust me, when you feel as if you're vibrating like a tuning fork, it makes perfect sense!

I just hope I can reclaim my sleep because if I wasn't a 'morning person' before, I'm certainly not one now!

Have you experienced the 'hum'?

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Valentine's Gifts For Her

Valentine's Gifts For Her by lindahobbis featuring a sexy lingerie

Ann Summers sexy lingerie
very.co.uk

Tom ford perfume
johnlewis.com

Kate Spade New York Cedar Street iPhone 6 / 6s Case Wristlet
£68 - shopbop.com

Marciano cat's eye Sunglasses | GUESS.eu
guess.eu

Biba Gold heart crystal emblem earrings - House of Fraser
houseoffraser.co.uk

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Blush Palette - House of Fraser
houseoffraser.co.uk

Valentine's Hearts & Truffles Chocolates - Hotel Chocolat
hotelchocolat.com

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Location, Location, Location - Does Where You Live Pose A Threat To Your Health?

We all worry about the things that could affect our health, but could the risk of developing a serious medical condition change depending on where we live in the UK?

How safe is the area you live for your health?

Analysis of national statistics by Benenden - a health & wellbeing provider - delves into the varying risks of developing medical conditions across different areas of the country.

Analyse your chance of getting ill in your region

On the back of this, Benenden have developed a Risk By Region tool for people across the country to check which major medical conditions are most likely within their region.

Using publicly available health statistics, the tool looks at the national average – based on occurrences per 1000 people, and uses "relative risk" to provide statistics that look at how more or less likely you are to potentially develop a serious medical condition based on your location.

For example, if you live in East Sussex you have the most reduced risk of developing a serious medical condition, whereas people in Hampshire are deemed to have the most increased risk.

Areas of high and low risk?

Other high risk areas are Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Durham, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

Areas with the lowest risk also include Suffolk, Herefordshire, Rutland, Lincolnshire, Cumbria, Norfolk, Shropshire, Worcestershire and West Sussex.

Differences between male and female risk

There is also a big difference between men and women and which medical conditions they are more likely to get based on where they live.

Men are 35% more likely to develop heart disease if they live in London than if they live in Manchester. But a man in Yorkshire is 13% less likely to develop heart disease than a man living in Bristol.

Women are 21% more likely to be at risk of breast cancer if they live in Cheshire compared to women who live in Cambridgeshire. And if you are female in Cornwall you are 14% less likely suffer from heart disease than a woman in Merseyside.

I live in the Vale of Glamorgan which ranks 50th out of 71 counties across England and Wales for risk of a medical condition in females, with lung cancer topping the list.

The Benenden Risk By Region Tool

This ‘Risk by Region’ tool is designed to raise people’s awareness of the higher risk medical conditions in their area so they can take a more informed view of their approach to health and lifestyle.

We still need to keep ourselves fit by maintaining a healthy lifestyle

It does not, however, make any assumptions about your current lifestyle.  In all likelihood, those areas with higher risk may be home to a greater ageing population, or have higher levels of obesity, alcohol intake or smoking related diseases.

The varying quality of NHS medical provision may also be a factor.

So before you take Kirstie and Phil's advice and put down the deposit on your dream home, it might just be worth checking to see what effect your des res might have on your health - or at the very least consider taking out some decent health insurance!

You can access the Benenden Risk By Region Tool HERE. and read the Daily Mail's coverage HERE.

Further information at www.benenden.co.uk 

*collaborative post

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