A Glorious Kitchen Tea

As many of you may already know, our very own Yasmin is about to get married! On the 23rd of November 2013, yes only 10 days time, she will wed the man of her dreams. In keeping with tradition, Yasmin's bridal party and family threw her an amazing surprise kitchen tea filled with colour, gorgeous flowers and lots of fun games. Her reaction to the surprise was priceless.

12 Week Wedding Weight Loss Challenge

As the wedding day approaches stress, late night planning and a busy schedules of fittings and appointments all lead to one thing... naughty snacking. While I absolutely do not advocate fad or crash diets - particularly when you want to have that radiant bridal glow, I am all for healthy living through lifestyle change.

It is 4 months until my wedding (Nov 2013 eekk..) so in the spirit of "doing it together" I am going to embark upon a journey of hard work and sacrifice in order to reach my goal before the big day. My grand plan is to finish up my weight loss challenge 1 month prior to the wedding to fit in with may last dress fitting and also to avoid any last minute unnecessary stress.

So after weeks of research (reading, net surfing and talking with friends and industry professionals) I have decided to combine the best parts of numerous programs into 1 simple easy to manage plan. I am by no means an expert or professional in this area and I have no idea if what I have put together is going to work - but I guess if you join me on the journey we will find out together. I am hopeless at counting calories and weighing everything I eat so this plan will be simple, easy to follow and based on common sense and clean eating.

Here is my week by week 3 month plan:

FOOD:

It is recommended to eat 5 small meals each day to speed up your metabolism and curve sugar cravings. I will choose 1 item daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner and 2 items from snacks as listed below. It is important to remember your portion size is everything so don't over do it!

Breakfast
2x Poached Eggs on Wholemeal Toast with Mushrooms and Spinach
Spinach and Mushroom Frittata
Muesli
Fruit and Yoghurt (I love Activia Yoghurt)
Whey Protein Shake
Banana or Berry Smoothie

Lunch
Char-grilled Chicken Skewers with Salad
Cold Rolls (or rice paper rolls)
Chicken, Zucchini & Cottage Cheese Pocket
Vegetable Soup
Curried Egg & Lettuce Sandwich 
Ham or Rare Roast Beef and Salad Wrap
Sushi
Tuna Salad

Dinner
Grilled Meat, Chicken or Fish with 2 cups of salad or vegetables
Beef or Chicken Teriyaki Vegetable Stirfry with Brown Rice or Noodles
Vegetable Stack
Greek Lamb Salad
Soup (Broccoli, Minestrone, Pumpkin)
Prawn Pad Thai
Chicken, Pumpkin and Cottage 

Snacks
Veggie Sticks with Hommus or Cottage Cheese
Low Fat Yogurt 
Fruits 
Corn Thins with Cottage Cheese, Tomato and Avocado
Handful of Nuts and Seeds
Whey Protein Shake
Herbal Tea or Decaf Coffee / Tea

Supplements
Whey Protein - after a strenuous workout 
Garcinia Cambogoia - twice daily 1/2hr before meals (As seen on Dr Oz) 

Avoid
Potato, White Rice, Cereal, Pasta, Bread, Caffeine, Fruit Juice, Soft Drinks, Cordial, Alcohol, Sweets/Chocolate, Refined Foods, Cakes and Biscuits 

My most important areas to focus on is water intake, 2 litres a day (*sigh* I struggle to drink 500ml so this will be a difficult task) and curving my sugar addiction - particularly chocolate this truly is my greatest weakness!

EXERCISE:

Choose at least 3 activities a week, when it comes to exercise I think its important to be creative and mix it up. Include activities you love - otherwise from previous experience you will end up hating the whole process!

Indoor Bike / Cross Trainer / Treadmill  (30-45 mins)
A walk or run with the dogs (30-45 mins)
Mount Lofty Climb (For this of you who live in Adelaide this is a 7.8km uphill climb)
Squat Challenge (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDpB8pWEjhk)
Waist Slimming Pilates (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUur9Jqm64c)

Come along with me on the journey! Over the next 12 weeks I will share with you my struggles and breakthroughs once a week via video and blog posts. Lets lend one another support and encouragement to shed those unwanted kilos and find our inner bridal glows! 

Yasmin xx 

2013 Trending Wedding Make Up Styles

Your wedding day is the time to shine. Friends and family gather to celebrate your love and commitment to your one and only. With so much on your plate, the last thing you should have to worry about is your wedding make up. Use these tips to make dazzling your groom and guests a breeze as you present your best side to your new future.

This wedding season, there are four looks to make you into the glowing bride you’ve always wanted to be.

Be Bold

Dress up your luscious lips with a bright red to add a touch of old Hollywood flair to your big day. Remember to keep mascara and eyeliner neutral and subtle so your lips can steal the show. Wine hued shades are striking as well, and may work better with cooler skin tones. The blue tones in wine lipsticks have the wonderful added bonus of making your pearly whites sparkle. For the best results, use a lip brush and line your lips well and avoid sweeping on gloss. This will keep your pout popping all night. Whether red or wine is your color, your dreamy hubby won’t be able to take his eyes off your mouth.

Catch Their Eye

Dramatic eye make-up can say a lot to your future husband. It can remind him there is still mystery in Mrs. Right, and it will tell him he is marrying a woman with confidence.  The Smokey Eye technique is a timeless classic and suits all eye shapes.  The popular colour schemes at the moment are chocolate browns and for the more daring, even classic black.  With this look it is ideal to complement your bold eyes with a neutral or shimmering nude. Like wearing classic red lipstick, it is important to only highlight one feature dramatically and keep the rest of your makeup minimal.

Channel Your Natural Beauty

A beautiful touch; a pretty & natural Bride is always in style. This ‘Oh-so –soft’ makeup look is so easy to do! There is something magical about this look, it just works for everyone. Just add a touch of neutral shadows to the eyes using greys, browns and taupes and finish with some soft definition along your lashline using a darker shadow in the same tones.  For your lips, it’s all about adding just a hint of colour by dabbing on some of your favourite  soft lip colour then spotting a touch of gloss in the centre. Ditch the powder blush with this look and press in the remaining lip colour on your fingers onto your cheeks for a natural rouge.  A simple and elegant way to add glamour to your nuptial.

Colours of Autumn

Auburn colors work wonders, especially in highlighting hazel and blue eyes. Or think greys or neautrals for green and brown eyes.  If you want to go for the auburn look, pair it with a natural or peach toned color for your lips. These two make a fantastic couple, almost as perfect as you and your husband. If you want stunning eyes, but darker colors aren’t your thing, make your eyes pop with these simple steps. First, sweep the color across your lids, then lightly line with a black pencil, and finally, add a burst of color to the corners of your eyes. Wear this dazzling look with a natural or peach color on your lips to accentuate without over doing it.

Guest Blogger,

Selina x 

Losing 'Bridezilla' to find your inner 'Bridecess'

Yes we made it up, but ‘Bridecess’ is our new favourite word!

... February is upon us and it has prompted our thoughts turn to wedding trends and ideas for 2013.

Now this may be somewhat controversial given the society we live in, our love of good drama and the popularity of some TV shows, but it is our belief (The Wedding Gurus) that

‘Bridezilla’ is well and truly OUT!

Being a bride has always carried with it a certain elegance and beauty that those of us who have not been lucky enough to walk down the aisle can only dream of experiencing.

We imagine ourselves moving graciously down the flower adorned aisle or pathway to join our handsome waiting groom as all our guests and loved ones look on in awe and shed a tear in response to the heart warming exchange between the man and his soon to be bride - the love of his life.

With this in mind, how then did it ever become fashionable to transform into what we know as 'Bridezilla'?

The word itself brings to mind a horrific picture: A bride in a huge flouncy dress screaming and frothing at the mouth as others try desperately to tame and calm her outbursts. Is it really ever pleasant to have people see us this way on what should be our time to really shine?

Lets be real. Do you honestly want to be seen as an out of control, screaming, nasty bride to be, so feared by not only your bridesmaids, but also your friends and family that by the time the big day arrives they would much rather suffocate you than be part of your special day?

Or do you want to aspire to the persona of someone like Princess Kate Middleton who showed courtesy and good manners to all those around her and pulled it all off with such elegance and class?

We want to convince every one of you to aspire to be a gorgeous and glowing bride, one that is calm, in control and who leaves every person in the room thinking what a perfect choice the groom has made.

Let the single ladies wish they were you and the single men wish they had found you first. Let the elderly people comment on your manners and decorum, while the married women wish they had been so gracious on their wedding day. Let your parents burst with pride at what a great job they have done and your in-laws feel grateful for the daughter they are gaining. Let your bridesmaids feel excited and priveledged to have such a great friend and to have had an absolutely fabulous time helping you with this wedding. But most of all ,let your groom feel that he is absolutely the luckiest man alive to be the one standing beside you.

So......ditch that old Bridezilla (its so 2012) and find your inner Bridecess. Your friends, family, bridesmaids and soon to be husband will all thank you for it.


We’ve put together a few ways that we think you can achieve the true title of ‘Bridecess’

1. Accept the fact that things will go wrong, they always do but it is the way you react to it that will determine whether it complete ruins your wedding or is remembered as merely a road bump on the way to a perfect day.

2. Surround yourself with loving and supportive people who will be there to help you and remind you of the real meaning of the day.

3. Be organised, plan and work out every detail so that nothing can pop up and stress you out.

4. Scheduling 'you' time that does not involve wedding planning and is relaxing and uplifting.

5. Throw out all the old sayings you have heard –
"You cant please them all so just please yourself",
"You can pick your friends but you cant pick your relatives".
“Weddings are as stressful as a death in the family"
All of these statements carry some degree of truth, but if you approach wedding planning in this negative frame of mind you will feel nothing but stress and anxiety. Of course you have to think about your guests and wedding party, it’s primarily your day but they are all playing a part and deserve to enjoy it too.

6. Lastly but most importantly don’t forget that you are a couple and this is supposed to be the happiest day of both of your lives. Imagine how it feels to be a groom about to marry his true love only to see her go from being his princess to a total out of control train wreck.

Do you want your tantrums, tears and bad behaviour to be etched in the memories of your guests when they recall your wedding day or do want them to be using you as their example when they begin planning their day?

The Wedding Gurus
xxx