To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Ten

Please excuse me if I write this in a slight state of euphoria. I feel like I should be wrapped in an aluminium sheet, glowing from my marathon-like exertions and grinning triumphantly at the aghast crowd.

But alas, I am alone at my laptop with a herbal tea. Well, a herbal tea and a rising sense of self satisfaction. I only went and bloody well did it. Ten whole days of wholesome, natural, purifying food. Lots of sleep. Lots of nurturing. And lots of education.

Breakfast: Eggs, strawberries & blueberries, Lunch: Veg stir fry with salmon, Dinner: Chickpea & tuna casserole, quinoa & sweet potato wedges

So what now? Well, to be honest, probably more of the same. I shall be making certain concessions (I think we all know what they might be) but mostly I am sticking to this 'eating clean' concept which Helen McCrea so brilliantly promotes. I am ecstatic with the results. I feel alert. I feel calm. I've lost a few inches and - most importantly - I've learned so much more than I could have imagined.

I'm not going to tell you it all. Helen's the one to do that. But I will tell you that what I've learned is enough to change the way I feel about my day-to-day eating habits. If nothing else, I am much more conscious about what I am putting into my body. I don't feel stressed about it. I just feel conscious.

Not an option folks

I think we've probably all giggled at that saying, 'My body is a temple' at one time or another. But hang on a second, isn't there something in that? I'm swinging round to the opinion (and yes, I have nicked this out of a personal development book) that my body really is a gift from my parents.

A gift. A treasure. In this body I can cuddle my sons. I can stroke a dog. I can see the sunrise. I can talk for an inexcusably long time on the phone to old friends (you know who you are). I can think, I can dream, I can act, I can love. This body is bloody amazing!

I have some very well-intentioned friends who gasped in horror when they found out I was going on this detox. I suppose that's because detoxes are related to extreme weight loss, and those friends don't consider me to be someone who needs to lose weight. But that was their assumption. Yes, weight loss might happen (although Helen will tell you inch loss is far more telling) but I wanted to give something back to my body after all its given me.

Bless it, the poor thing deserves to be loved and nourished. I think we'll get along far better if we can look after each other.

Thanks to everyone who has followed this blog whilst I've been detoxing . . . your support has been just the ticket. And well done to all the other girls on the 10 Day Body Boost . . . it made a big difference knowing we were all in it together.

And Helen, you lovely lady you . . . what an experience! Thank you so much and please keep doing what you do because us ladies need to learn how to give our bodies a bit of TLC.

Go well,

Abi

Keep following this blog for loads more funny and informative blog posts from Abi and share the address with your friends: www.coolruleantics.blogspot.com

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Transform the life you share with your toddler at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out all about Helen McCrea's services at www.femalefitness.co

Read Helen's brilliant, educational blog about fitness and nutrition at www.helenmccrea.co.uk

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Nine

We're closing in folks. The finish line is in sight. Only one more day to go of this detoxing lark and I'm a free woman.

Free to do what though? Free to eat truck loads of chocolate (Easter is imminent you know)? Free to wolf down piles of pasta? Free to guzzle coffee and convince myself it's all for the worthy cause of keeping me awake?

Somehow I think not. Do you remember that horrendous day I had on Day Three? The detox headache from hell? Well I didn't think I would say this but I think it was kind of worth it. I mean I must have had some pretty grim stuff going on in my body if that's what withdrawal is like. Do I really want to invite more grimness in?

Breakfast: Eggs, tomatoes, cucumber & olives, Lunch: Tuna with balsamic vinegar & pine nuts, salad & boiled egg,   Dinner: Haddock fillets, oven baked ratatouille, garlic mushrooms & corn on the cob

And whilst I'm not ready to run any marathons just yet, I do feel very much awake. Yes. Without the caffeine. The herbal teas are taking a bit of getting used to but really I'm starting to question what coffee or tea really ever did for me anyway.

The fact that I love chocolate has not changed (and never will). Helen McCrea would need to be some kind of  all-powerful sorcerer to sort that. But now I know not only how to predict my cravings, but I also understand them and can prepare for them with wholesome, nutritious food. Raw cocoa is one of Helen's tip top recommendations. I knew there was a reason I liked her.

This morning I was asked, with only 30 minutes notice, to go on BBC Radio Newcastle as a phone guest. Eeek! Obviously, I was up for it but I was kind of nervous. The last time I was on the radio, only a few weeks ago, the BBC managed to lose me in their own building and I ended up bursting into the studio with only seconds to go to plug my business. Not ideal. But this morning, as I paced the floor of my living room, waiting for them to call, I felt alert, ready, positive.

I think it went okay too. I'm a little jaded that I didn't get a chance to mention my website (thecoolrulecompany.co.uk, if you're wondering), but I actually enjoyed chatting about the topic, which was toddlers and telly. Would I have been so in-the-moment if I'd been fuelled by sugar and caffeine as per usual? Perhaps not.

Hmm, Newsnight or Question Time?

So, I shall glide into Day Ten tomorrow with a whole lot of love for myself and my new-found mental alertness. I hope you'll join me for the home run!

Go well,

Abi

Sort out telly rules for your toddler and lots more besides with the amazing Cool Rule range. Just visit www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Listen to my radio interview on iPlayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p015yrmt
Scroll along to about 9 mins, 12 secs to find me!

Find out about Helen McCrea's brilliant detox and fitness plans at www.femalefitness.co

Read Helen's expert nutrition blog at www.helenmccrea.co.uk

Too Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Eight

Today I have assumed my role as professional-entrepreneur-type-person. And what a refreshing change. I love my kids, really I do. But sometimes it's just the tonic I need to get out of the house for the day and focus on my business.

I've been to a nursery trade fair in Harrogate really just to take a look around. The fair was a massive event and far bigger than anything The Cool Rule Company has exhibited at to date. But I can dream, can't I?

Silver Cross, Phil & Ted's, Trunki, Fisher Price, Tomy - all the big names were there. With eight different exhibition halls, I had quite a trek to get round the whole thing and after about five minutes I was cursing my choice of shoes. The highest heels I own were not having the desired business-like demeanour I'd imagined at seven o'clock this morning.

Anyway I was glad of my protein-rich breakfast because it saw me through to my very swanky lunch. No I did not sit making some crucial business deal over a glass of champagne and a complicated-looking sandwich in one of the exhibition centre's classy cafes (and honestly, I did see people doing just that). No, I was boosting my body thank you very much and that required a body-boosting meal which was simply not catered for in those cafes, no matter how classy they might be.

So I sat in the car with a box of Quinoa and veg. Now how glamorous is that?

Breakfast: Salmon fillet, blueberries & blackberries, Lunch: Quinoa & roasted veg, Dinner: Cod fillets with oven baked ratatouille, sugar snap peas & rocket salad

And bearing in mind I was charged £1.65(!) for a teeny tiny bottle of mineral water inside the exhibition centre, it's a small mercy that they didn't cater for my detoxing requirements.

Travelling home in the car, I chewed on a a celery stick (oh yes, I'd come prepared) to ward off any travel-related cravings. Imagine what I would have done before this detox! I would have most likely stopped at a garage for a Diet Coke, maybe some 'sucky' sweets or a couple of chocolate bars. All things I would not have any actual need for but there's just something about driving along a motorway which seems to warrant the absentminded consumption of sugary nasties.

The question that I'm dealing with now is: will I be able to keep this up? I wait with baited breath for Helen McCrea's Body Boost maintenance plan which I'm just hoping will give me further support past these ten days. We all know there's nothing wrong with indulging in your favourites now and again, but so far this detox has shown me I can break those habits I thought were unbreakable. I mean look at me now . . . I'm blogging away to my heart's content and there's not a hot chocolate with marshmallows in sight!

Your name's not down, you're not coming in

Go well,

Abi


Transform the life you share with your toddler at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Discover the amazing talents of Helen McCrea at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Seven

Sundays, eh? Who else has been ironing? Who else has been Tot-watching? Who else has done an amalgamation of both plus many, many other household tasks you have cunningly avoided during the week? Join the club.

Circus act

Poor Big Tot. He loves his weekends, chiefly (although he may not always admit it) because he gets long stretches of mummy time uninterrupted by inconvenient events like school. But if I haven't been very on-task during the week, then he has to share me with the demands of the house when it comes to Sunday.

My failure to fulfill all my tasks this week has been down to the detox to end all detoxes. Eating 'clean' as my nutrition guru, Helen McCrea calls it, commands immense skills in organisation and planning. Whipping up a veggie soup here, defrosting a fish there . . . and bearing in mind that the Tots and the hubby refuse to eat my detox food, I have, at times, had to create three separate meals three times a day. Madness.

So Big Tot has followed me round the house all day (Little Tot is happy dissecting Buzz Lightyear and sucking felt tips) asking me questions and forcing me to face unfavourable topics of discussion. Let me give you an example:

Big Tot: Will you be forty one day?

Me: Yes sweetheart, I will.

Big Tot: What will happen?

Me: Nothing.

Big Tot: I asked . . . What.Will. Happen?!

Me: (sigh) Nothing will happen. I'll just be forty.

Big Tot: I'll tell you what will happen. You will need help with everything.

Me: Will I?

Big Tot: Yes, because everything will be too hard for you.

Me: Just because I'm forty?

Big Tot: Yes. Forty is very, very old.

Me: What kind of help will I need?

Big Tot: You'll need help with everything. Washing the dishes, getting your pyjamas on, doing your hair, driving the car . . .

Me: Oh. I didn't realise being forty was going to be so hard.

Big Tot: Yes it will be. Do you know why? Because it's very oooold.

And bearing in mind that I turn thirty-five in a couple of weeks, the extreme oldness which Big Tot so eloquently describes is closing in fast. So what can I do about it?

Well, as far as I'm aware, some of the best foods for anti-aging are: berries, salmon, kale, spinach, avacado, green tea, coconut oil, almonds, tomatoes, garlic . . . now stop me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that sounds suspiciously like a detox?

Breakfast: Eggs, cucumber, tomato & olives, Lunch: Mackerel, homemade houmus, mushrooms, salad & boiled egg, Dinner: Brown rice, charred aubergine slices & Menemen (Turkish egg dish)

Does that mean I'm on the right track then? If I continue to eat well, do you think I'll be able to do my own hair when I'm forty? I hope so. I don't fancy giving Big Tot free reign with the hairspray.

Luckily, once this 10-day Body Boost programme is finished, Helen will be giving us ladies a maintenance plan to send us off into non-detox land safely and happily. She's even started to advise on the 'cleanest' alcoholic drinks if we feel we must indulge. Champagne was top of the list. So guess what I'll be doing on my thirty-fifth birthday?

Go well,

Abi


Sort discipline with your toddler the fun and positive way, visit: www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out all about Helen's fab detox plans and fitness schemes at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Six

The sixth day of my detox and my Saturday night consists of a bit of blogging, a herbal tea and a bowl of berries. Honestly, how did my life reach these dizzy heights?

Breakfast: Blackberries, blueberries, almonds and brazil nuts, Lunch: Butternut squash soup & salad, Dinner: Quinoa with roast veg, salad, boiled egg & homemade houmus

And to crank up my hedonistic lifestyle even more, I threw a party this afternoon. Yup. An outrageously loud, indulgent, and chaotic party.

Though I have to admit, the loudness came from the over-excited Tots, the indulgence belonged to everybody but me and the chaos reigned wherever Little Tot decided to land. I think you're starting to form a mental picture.

But I bet you wouldn't guess that it was actually an 80th birthday party. A good friend of mine's Mum had turned 80 and wanted a low key birthday event. Nothing fancy, nothing swish, and she wanted to be with the Tots. And because the local soft play centre did not seem to me to be the ideal place to take an 80-year old, I had suggested, a few weeks ago, that we have a birthday tea at my house. Sorted. No problem. Until I decided to go on a blinkin' detox.

Cake made by Magic Mummies - white chocolate and raspberry, mmmmm!

So for the second time in six days I have found myself in the position of preparing indulgent food for a gathering of people without tasting a single bite for myself. I'm getting really rather good at this. And saying no to a glass of Cava didn't seem nearly as difficult as it was on my Mam's birthday, five days ago.

What really puzzled me though, was that it was quite easy to say no to the really naughty stuff like biscuits, chocolate and the oh-so-factory-processed scotch eggs. But when I got the Ryvita Thins out of their packet I thought I might swoon with desire. They were sesame seed adorned as well. That nearly tipped me over the edge.

I didn't give in to these little temptations!

What's with that? Bizarre cravings for a food I'd usually liken to cardboard. These are thoroughly strange times.

It seems that this whole detox experience is thoroughly strange. There is no text book process to it and I guess that's because digestive systems differ from person to person. One minute you're up (quite literally, leaping about with energy) and the next minute you're down (quite literally, in bed in a darkened room, nursing a headache). Everything comes in waves and it can be a little unnerving.

But I can turn to the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn to remind me how to deal with it all:

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."

And maybe by Day 10 the waters will have calmed to a ripple.

Go well,

Abi

Transform the life you share with your toddler at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Get fantastic info on women's health and fitness at www.femalefitness.co

See Jon Kabat-Zinn in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Five

I've hit the halfway mark folks. From this point onwards I am officially closing in on the day when all this detox madness ends. And perhaps by then I will be convinced that it is not madness after all.

Breakfast: Courgette & pepper omelette & strawberries, Lunch: Mackerel with quinoa & salad, Dinner: Butternut squash soup with salad & sweet potato wedges

But, to be fair, I did have a hell of an energy surge today. Those of you who follow my blog regularly might remember one of my most popular posts, 'The Avoidance of Proper Cleaning' in which I use my well-worn housewife experience to give tips on how to meander around any real household cleaning. But this morning something strange happened.

I actually wanted to clean.

And not only that. I wanted to rearrange, declutter, reorganise. I actually moved all of the furniture in my living room to brand spanking new spaces, much to Little Tot's onlooking bemusement. If I hadn't known better (and I certainly do) I might have even called it 'nesting'.

Can all of this be put down to the detox? Possibly.

But after that bout of energy came lunchtime and I was faced with yet another protein-rich meal devoid of carbs and fun. Well, that's not entirely fair, the meal itself was fine. Delicious, even. It's just that it bears a striking resemblance to many other meals I've eaten over the last four days.

That's when I started to feel a little despondent. What am I even doing this for? The halfway mark seems to be a good time to ponder over that very point. What, exactly, do I want out of this? Is it going to be worth it? Wouldn't a little cup of tea and a Snickers bar make me feel better and set me back on the right track?

Look at it, the lovely thing

Well we all know the answer to that, don't we? You don't have to be a health expert to know that the average detox does not allow for chocolate breaks. Boo.

I decided to be honest on the Facebook forum tonight and let Helen know about my wobbly faith in the whole thing. As always, she came back with the perfect words of advice:

"This is when your body is saying"just have it" because it is so used to having the roller coaster ride. But now your education and determination will carry you through for another day or two. Once you hit that high you will realise that you cannot bottle it. Be patient. Everyone is unique, not everyone suffers. Some sail through it whilst others struggle. Just support your body. Give it what it needs not what you think it needs or wants."

How can I argue with that?

So let's get to grips with why the flip I'm doing this in the first place . . .

• In a bid to ward off my regular gloomy energy dips
• To get clued up on the health benefits of certain foods
• To get out of some bad, reactive eating habits (cue Snickers)
• To somewhat reduce the jelly belly my Tots have left me with

If I can hit even one of these targets during these ten days, I'll be one very chuffed lady. So with that in mind, I shall soldier on in this Snicker-less world for another five days. Just watch me.

Go well,

Abi

Sort discipline for your toddler the fun way by visiting www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out about Helen McCrea's detox plans at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Four

Good news everyone. The detox headache from Hell is subsiding. It looks like that Helen McCrea knows her stuff after all and will, indeed, boost my body with her detoxing wisdom.

Breakfast: Mushroom & onion omelette and strawberries, Lunch: Salmon fillet with salad, sugarsnap peas, homemade houmus & celery stick with cashew butter, Dinner: Quinoa stuffed peppers, salad & homemade houmus

I've felt a lot better today, although any improvement on yesterday is a good thing. I've even swanned into Holland and Barrett and scooped up deals on cashew butter, almond butter and various life-improving bags of nuts. I'm getting rather good at this health lark.

My workout today was a tad easier too. I've given myself the permission to adapt Helen's suggested exercises around my dodgy knees so whether I'll burn the desired amount of calories is doubtful. But Helen insists that the main thing is just to bloody well move and I'm definitely doing that.

There is one little thing though, that is a tell-tale sign that I'm not quite with it. And that would be the shortness (or perhaps total disappearance) of my patience with the Tots.

Big Tot insisted he should try out the rope swings on the way home from school today so off he trotted. After approximately five minutes I was cursing whichever insane person thought up rope swings in the first place. Big Tot whinged and cried and shouted and screamed because he didn't want to swing on the ropes without holding on to me and that involved hair-pulling and coat-tearing I was simply not willing to endure. Meanwhile Little Tot had thrown his dummy and his toy train into a snowy, muddy abyss and was cranking up the volume too.

I think I did well not to throw myself into the snowy, muddy abyss.

Finally at home and Big Tot decided he had tummy ache. Using my ingenious mother's intuition (or plain common sense) I knew this was not the case. Yes he wanted to lie down on the sofa. Yes he wanted to play Super Mario Kart. And yes he wanted a blanket. But no, he did not have tummy ache.

The modern cure for all ailments

So I urged him to recall yesterday's events when Mummy had gone to bed because she felt poorly. That's what we do if we're feeling poorly, we go to bed for a little rest. So I got him into his pjs, tucked him in with a book or two and explained he had to stay there for half an hour to see if he felt any better afterwards. This did not go down well.

I thought I might teach him a lesson about telling the truth and simultaneously get half an hour to myself to prepare that night's detox dinner, but what I actually got was a bellowing voice every few moments: "How many minutes left now Mummy? Is my time nearly finished? Shall we count them down? Is it a million minutes or is it a thousand minutes? How many minutes left now?"

Shortly after doing his time, Big Tot ate three pieces of pizza, a portion of chips, two choc chip muffins, a pot of custard and a banana. Tummy ache indeed.

So when I checked the Body Boost Facebook page tonight, I poured over Helen's words about the experience me and the other ladies are going through:

"More fortunate people retreat to India or Thailand to detox. Us poor souls do it whilst raising kids, working and running houses, businesses and god knows what else. So give yourselves a huge pat on the back."

 Aw thanks Helen. Now can I go and  lie down on the sofa with a blanket and play Super Mario Kart?

Go well,

Abi


Make discipline fun with your tots with my fab Cool Rule range at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Learn about Helen McCrea's brilliant healthy living ethos at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Three

I've been something of a detox casualty today. I was told it would happen. It's not like I wasn't warned. But blimey, when that headache hits you it is like something from a nightmare.

I've had a headache pretty much since halfway through Day One of the Body Boost programme, but that paled into insignificance once the real torture started today. I saw Helen, the mastermind behind this whole detox scheme, this morning at the school gates and asked her if it was normal. She nodded with sympathetic recognition and said, "It's the sugar and caffeine leaving your body and I'm not going to lie to you, it's only going to get worse."

Detox headache

So I kept her words in mind but didn't really think it would happen to me. I mean, how toxified could I have been anyway? I'm a vegetarian for goodness sake. And allergic to cheese! And I do yoga and meditation and positive thinking. Surely I could positive think my way out of this one?

Apparently not. By the time one o'clock came I had spent the morning chasing Little Tot around a Mumpreneur business course and deterring him from chucking toys, pens and dummies at the course leader, only to go outside and find my car battery was flat because I'd left the lights on. Nice one. I'd like to blame it on my foggy detoxing brain but I did actually do exactly the same thing last week taking Big Tot to football.

So this caused the AA man an unending amount of amusement (it was the same bloke as last week) as he jump-started the car. He chuckled away over his paperwork and I could feel the pain in my head spreading to my eyes, my neck and my shoulders. By the time I got back in the car to give it a run out and charge the battery, all I wanted to do was lie down in a pitch black room and sleep until the end of time. I soldiered further on to take a load of Cool Rule orders to the post office (can't let all those stressed-out parents down!) but then made a run for home.

The famous Cool Rule Book

Luckily the hubby was home so I stumbled through the door, begged him to get Little Tot out and put him down for his nap (I was incapable of batting my eyelashes, which is my usual ploy). I grabbed a tupperware box of some Quinoa concoction I'd made the day before, wolfed it down, drank two glasses of water and found my way to bed. I needed dark room therapy.

And it worked. Well, kind of. I don't feel like I want to die any more but the headache is still lingering, almost reminding me what it is capable of.

On the Facebook Body Boost group tonight, I find that many of the other ladies on the programme are experiencing similar things. Helen's words of wisdom to us all are: "If you're experiencing headaches or feeling yukky it's a sign that things are working. Stick with it as when you hit day four or five your energy levels will rocket, your mental clarity will amaze you. Honestly, it's so worth these few days of feeling rubbish."

I'm kind of tempted to get her to write that down and sign it in blood but maybe that's the headache talking.

Go well,

Abi

Breakfast: Salmon fillet and berries, Lunch: Quinoa and roasted veg, Dinner: Tuna salad with egg & sweet potato wedges

Discover a fantastic, funky range of happy living products for the coolest families at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out more about detoxing and women's health and fitness at www.femalefitness.co

If you're interested in attending Mumpreneur sessions in Derwentside, visit www.dida.co.uk/starting-in-business/

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day Two

Surprisingly enough, after Day Two of my crazy Body Boost shenanigans, I am feeling very full and satisfied. Not too long ago I polished off a plateful of cod, salad and quinoa and I have to say it really hit the mark. That may have something to do with the fact that I was so hungry I could have eaten a scabby horse, but nevertheless, I will go to bed with a happy tummy.

Breakfast: eggs, tomato, cucmber & olives, Lunch: Butternut squash soup & salad,
Dinner: Cod, Quinoa & roasted veg & salad

It's been another busy day of supermum-type activities, the highlight of which may have been a rather terrifying trip to Tesco. Not terrifying in any exciting or dramatic way. Nothing that's going to make any local headlines. But terrifying because of the devastating effect that it had on my bank balance.

"I'm just popping out to get some basics," I hollered to the hubby before rugby tackling Little Tot into the car seat (he is oh-so-good at the archy-back thing). And in my mind I had developed a brief shopping list of basic things I needed if I was going to do this 10-day detox any justice.

I'd already bowed out of the optional list of health supplements which detox guru Helen McCrea had given me. When you're wondering how on earth you're going to pay the gas bill, it's never a good idea to splash out on digestive enzymes.

And because I'm vegetarian and not tempted by the majority of protein options on Helen's 'allowed' list, it was time to stock up on fish and eggs. And a barrel full of leafy greens, of course.

So I swished swiftly past every single Easter egg offer in the entire building (much to Little Tot's dismay) and selected only the healthiest detox-type items which I felt sure Helen would pat me on the back for, had she been tagging along.

Supermarket Sweep

Only two days before Tesco had swiped a load of cash from my bank account after I'd done a mega-family shop. So, I sailed up to the checkout to pay for my haul of body boosting goods, knowing that I only need worry about myself. Just a few quid would see me through the next few days of detoxing.

Just a few quid? After the smiley Tesco lady had hammered my debit card for fifty five pounds, I staggered out to the car park in a state of shock. Fifty five pounds?!

I was just thankful Little Tot can not yet understand such concepts as eating on a budget and would not, therefore, breathe a word to his father on our return. The receipt went quickly into the bin. The food was packed into the fridge in record time and I turned the subject to football as the hubby walked into the kitchen. Works every time.

Never mind. Tomorrow is another day.

Go well,

Abi


Transform the life you share with your tots and visit www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out about Helen McCrea's genius fitness and detox programmes at www.femalefitness.co

To Boost or Not to Boost? - Day One

Day one of the Body Boosting scheme and I still appear to be alive. I have enjoyed my meals, done my exercise and drank three squillion glasses of water. So top marks to me.

Breakfast: Eggs, tomato, cucumber & olives, Lunch: Mackerel, sugar snap peas, avacado & salad,
Dinner: Quinoa & roasted veg, homemade houmus, salad and boiled egg

But I think, actually, I also deserve a gold star. Or maybe even two. For today has not just been any day. Today has been my Mam's birthday and, being the wonderful daughter that I am, I decided to put on a little tea party for her.

I decided this master plan last week, when I had no idea I would be purging my body of all things naughty. I'd also decided to ask a few of her friends along, as a surprise, as I love an excuse to play the host and throw a buffet together. Little did I know I would be throwing said buffet together chiefly with foods my detox guru, Helen McCrea, would deem as 'toxic'.

So I think you get the picture. I made Thick, creamy coleslaw. Spicy pasta salad. Cucumber yogurt dip. Tuna mayo baps. Bread sticks for heaven's sake! I couldn't take a modest chef's taste of anything, not even a lick of the fingers for fear of sending my body into detox meltdown.

And setting it all out on the table . . . and watching everybody else eat it . . . and helping Little Tot spoon it into his mouth. Torture!

Luckily I'd sneaked in a few goodies I could eat onto the buffet table. Quinoa and roast vegetables. Homemade hummus. Eggs, olives and the like. So that got me through the savoury part of the meal. But how, oh how, would I get through a table laden with sweet birthday goodies? And what about the denouement of the event? The birthday cake?

My Mam's a Dog Show Fanatic, hence the decorations

And it was a beauty. Made by my good friend Claire, who runs a successful business taking various tasks off busy mums so they can get on with other stuff - Magic Mummies. I know her cakes are absolutely delicious and had, upon ordering the cake, been very excited about the prospect of tasting her wares. Sadly it was now not to be. And I made do with a bowl of berries.

Luckily, Big Tot ate enough cake for the two of us and ten minutes later was complaining of tummy ache. So while I did the whole magic kiss thing for him, I couldn't help but feel a little angelic because my own tummy was filled with nothing but purity and light.

Tomorrow I may well sprout wings and perhaps a halo will emerge.

I'll keep you posted.

Go well,

Abi


Find out about my fab happy living products at www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Check out what Helen McCrea can do for you at www.femalefitness.co

Discover every mum's best kept secret at www.magicmummies.co.uk

To Boost or Not To Boost?

Recently, the morning school run has become something of an anticipated event for me. Not just because Big Tot is still, thank the lord, young enough to give me goodbye smooches before he skips off to join his class queue. And not just because I get to palm him off on somebody else for the day either. I am loving the morning school run at the moment because I get to pick the brains of a very clever lady, a health and fitness guru no less.

Helen McCrea is a busy full-time mum (just like me) running her own business (just like me) and is an expert in women's health, nutrition and fitness (ok, not like me at all). We've been at a few of the same local business courses so I was kind of aware of what she was up to, but it wasn't until we got chatting at the school gates that I realised her guru-like status. This woman really knows her stuff. Forget your faddy diets and health-fuelled media frenzies . . . Helen helps women really understand what's going on in their bodies and change their thinking about nutrition forever.

The lady herself

Now I know I'm not really overweight, and I'm genuinely grateful for a fully functioning, healthy body. But we've all got our hang-ups, right? And it is widely known that I am more than partial to a custard cream. And that my best mates (who take up permanent residence in the freezer) are named Ben and Jerry.

And, like the rest of us, I am guilty of choosing the 'low-fat', 'fat-free' or 'no added sugar' options at the supermarket without really knowing what, exactly, they've replaced the fat or sugar with. Lord knows what I'm putting my body through under the guise of a 'healthy' option.

So with the intention of learning more about what my body really needs, and maybe having a crack at losing some of the jelly belly, I've gone and signed up to Helen's online ten day body boost programme. It's educational. It's physical, It's communal. It's got 100% success rates. Get in.

Helen's successful business

I figure, it's only ten days. Ten days of eating nothing but 'clean' food. Of learning why oh why I get insane sugar cravings. Of giving Ben and Jerry the silent treatment. I can do it, can't I? (Insert your own cooing, encouraging phrase here please . . . )

There may be a couple of complications along the way in the form of my undeniable faddiness (vegetarian, allergic to cheese, will eat fish but not seafood) and my medically-certified dodgy knees with complicated baby-related ligament damage. Factor in my daily commitments as super-mummy to demanding Tots, full-on housewife and crazed Mumpreneur and Helen McCrea just may have her work cut out for her.

Goodbye faithful friend

So tonight, the night before my ten day Body Boost programme commences, I am raising a spoon of Cookie Dough in a pledge to write a daily blog about my experiences. Now are you in or are you out?

Let's see . . .

Go well,

Abi


Find out all about what Helen offers at www.femalefitness.co

Transform the life you share with your toddler and start happy living today with www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

My Radio Story

I've been feeling rather keyed up recently because coming soon in the Cool Rule social calendar is The North East Baby & Toddler Show. Now there's nothing I love more than having a chance to rave about the Cool Rule range. It's fab to show parents, grandparents, childminders and carers how the Cool Rule Book and all the other fab Cool Rule products can transform the life they share with their toddler.

Looking forward to it!

So imagine my glee when I was asked by the organisers of the Baby & Toddler Show to go on BBC Radio Newcastle to further rave about The Cool Rule Company. And the glee was cranked up a notch when my good friend Maxine was also invited to join in to chat about her party-in-a-box business, Life's A Celebration. And that meant we could both plug our brand new joint venture, Moment Makers, a fabulous new at-home party experience for mums. Triple whammy or what?!

So for several days of blissful smugness, Maxine and I agreed that we shouldn't overthink it. Surely our natural enthusiasm would steer us into the direction of making radio art. This was, after all, only a few moments of recorded interview and would be edited and polished to perfection by the BBC's experts.

And that's when I got the call from the girls at The North East Baby & Toddler Show. "Erm, Abi, we've just found out you're going to be live on air. The Jonathan Miles Show. And it'll be a ten-minute interview tying into Mother's Day and International Women's Day. That's ok, isn't it?"

Of course I agreed that it was. That I wasn't at all phased by the change. That I knew all about talking into microphones and speaking eloquently and making an instant, meaningful connection with a radio audience. Of course it was ok.

So Maxine and I made good use of our time. Key messages were practiced and confirmed. Notes were avidly written. Radio voices were tried out. Panic was formed but quickly squished by messages of good luck from our friends, family and customers. It was all going to be alright. Big deep breath now. It was all going to be alright.

We arrived mega-promptly in the morning. Forty two minutes early to be exact. And the receptionist behind the rather magestic BBC desk directed us up to the canteen and assured us somebody would come and collect us for our interview. There was plenty of time for the supping of coffee and the re-checking of our notes.

Time well spent

Well, long after our coffees had been supped we started to wonder when someone was going to whisk us off to our interview. Surely we should be expertly surfing radio waves by now. We took it upon ourselves to go back to the reception desk and enquire.

As soon as the receptionist rang through to the correct department, a very harassed looking lady burst through a random door and shouted "Abi! We need you now!"

Maxine and I struggled through an intricate silver turnstile (which I considered hurdling over in the drama of the moment) and then raced down a corridor after the harassed looking lady who was jabbering away about some mix-up and a change in receptionists and how the girls from the Baby & Toddler show had been filling in for me. Filling in for me? Just how late were we?

Next thing we knew we were (silently) bursting into the Jonathan Miles studio. Now this was not the entrance we had envisaged. No jovial introductions, no explanations of the technical workings of the place. Nope. Just Jonathan Miles asking one of those poor girls from the Baby & Toddler show just why, exactly, women should continue to be internationally celebrated each year (oh lordy), as Maxine and I waited to be integrated into the whole experience.

And so the integration began. Mr Miles seemed rather intrigued by the whole naughty spot thing which was not really, as I recall, in my notes but I went with it anyway (I felt like putting him on a naughty spot for not coming to collect us from the canteen). And I did manage to squeeze in some info about The Cool Rule Book and how it's helping families across the nation. And then it was cue Maxine and her few seconds of fame.

Watch out Jonathan Miles!

I reckon Maxine and I did the best we could with the few seconds we were given and when I listen back to it, I marvel at how solid our voices sound considering we'd just done a full-on panic-sprint down an unnecessarily long BBC corridor.

Maybe we didn't get to chat about all the things we'd hoped to, but at least we'll have fun recounting how the mighty institution of the BBC was able to lose us in its very own building.

Have fun, go well,

Abi




The North East Baby & Toddler Show is at Newcastle Falcons, Kingston Park on Saturday 16th March from 10am - 4.30pm. Check it out and book your tickets now!
www.northeastbabyandtoddlershow.co.uk

Click on the iPlayer link below to hear us on the radio (available until 15th March 2013). Scroll along to approx 1hr 22mins to hear the point where we burst into the studio!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0151ld1

Find out why the Cool Rule Book and the whole Cool Rule range is sweeping the nation at:
www.thecoolrulecompany.co.uk

Find out how Maxine can help you with every party you'll ever have at:
www.lifesacelebration.co.uk 

Discover Moment Makers, the fantastic new at-home party experience for Mums at:
www.facebook.com/momentmakers or www.makethosemoments.blogspot.co.uk