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

34 Tomorrow

I'll be 34 years old tomorrow. Does that plant me firmly in my mid thirties then?

Is that why my nearly-four-year-old son throws his head back in disbelief when I casually call myself a girl and then practically snorts at me "No Mummy, you're a lady".

Is that why I had to tick a different box on a consumer survey the other day and reluctantly admit I am no longer in the 'Young Person' age bracket?

And is that why I'm here, desperately hugging a mug of hot chocolate with five (yes, five) floating marshmallows and musing over all the things I thought I'd have done by now?

I think we all know the answers to these questions. But how cruel that I can no longer make smudged mascara look cool. How tragic that I am unable to wear ripped jeans without the health visitor raising an eyebrow. And it's not fair that I can't look cool doing Zumba. Who invented this whole ageing business anyway?

But having said all that I'm really quite enjoying getting on a bit. For starters, and let's put the baby-birth hair loss and wobbly belly to one side for a minute, the last four years have given me two fantastic healthy children. They are the result of a heart-stopping romance leading to a happy marriage with my own dark, brooding Mediterranean man. I've had the courage to ditch a career I didn't want any more to boldly be the Mum I've always wanted to be. I've lived in three different countries and therefore met three sets of fabulously gorgeous people. And now, in a bid to tip the balance a little bit more in my favour, I'm starting my own business.

It's all new and exciting right now and whilst it's not exactly top secret, it's not something I'm going to shout about until I'm good to go. So until then you'll just have to be satisfied to know that it's cool and it involves rules of some kind and the antics will be posted right here.

Oh, and I found the inspiration for it during my ever-so-wonderful early thirties. Let's hope the mid-thirties have something to offer too (other than floating marshmallows).

Go well,
Abi