Happy New Years 2017

Right now people around the world have either celebrated New year's eve already and are well into there 1 January hang over eating pizza and ghost pop chips. Or they prepping to start celebrating the end of 2017 with friends, family,booze and yummy food.

For me, this has been a trying year. I guess a lot of people say that - I guess everyone has their own version of a good and bad year.

It's been a year of hard work, just missing goals set at the end of 2016, visits to doctors, health scares and anxious waiting for results, going up a dress size, feeling toxic and unhealthy and trying to convince myself that all of this was normal.
But it's not.
Driven by stress, my inner voice saying it will go away and laziness, I have turned into someone I also said I wouldn't become.

So unfortunately I have the cliche of a new years resolution.....lose weight, get healthy, remove toxins, stop drinking etc.
Well actually it'd going to be a year focused on me.

I'm not a diet person at all. In fact I'm the total opposite. I love good food and wine and trying to follow restricted eating plans or eating grilled chicken every meal sounds suicidal to me. I also don't believe in scales. I believe in feeling good in your body.

Yet, with the help of sister serena at skin renewal in Claremont I start a new journey to a healthy me on 2 January.
So for those of you who want to follow my journey please stay tuned.
It's going to be raw and unfiltered but that's what I want to share.

My new years resolution is to be a skinny sober bitch (well not the bitch part - I just liked this meme from my good friend steph)

Happy New year's everyone. Hope it's a good one

Love
Lauren Leigh xxx

Simplicity and made with love

I have been fortunate enough to recently travel to Italy and Spain. In fact, as I type this, I am lying on the couch in an airbnb in Bilbao, Spain.

This evening we had simple pintxos in a bar. Pintxos are a small snack eaten in bars traditional to northern Spain. There was nothing small about these but let's go with the dictionary definition for now.

Olives soaked in garlic olive oil, chorizo cooked in cider and anchovies on tomatoe soaked bread. All traditional. All simple. All delicious.

My partner and I were discussing how we (or people in general) complicate food. With spices and toppings and too much stuff.
Eating here has been simple. Pure, wholesome and raw flavours. The food has been prepared with love and mindfulness. And with intention.

We both noticed we feeling healthier (although this could be the average 20km we walking a day) but it has impacted us and our well-being.

So when we get home, back to cape town, food will be simple. Made with love and pure flavour.

Be grateful. We have a lot at our disposal.

Chat soon

Laurenleigh

How to create a habit that sticks

I cannot believe that I decide to start blogging again at annual occasions. After meeting some amazing people on my European adventures I have decided that this is something I need to make time for and almost makeover a habit. "They" say a habit takes 21 days at a minimum to become a routine or part of your life. And with technology there should be no excuses. Like now....I'm writing this in a cafe in san Sebastian spain drinking sangria. I think I have capacity.

Chat soon

Laurenleigh xx