Tag Archives: charity

Viva la Comfy Bra!

Putting myself out there with something a little different today!

You see, I’m 22 now, and in the last few months I’ve had somewhat of an epiphany that has lead me to believe that I’m actually growing up: I just want bras to be comfortable.

Thistle and Spire Fine Lines

I don’t know at what point during our teen years that it happens, but somehow we seem to be programmed to believe that we need super-push-up, extra padded and wired nonsense for our boobs to be happy. Well given that taking our bra off at the end of the day is considered to be a huge relief, this clearly isn’t true.

As a teenager, if it wasn’t wired, I wasn’t interested – how could anything without an underwire keep my boobs in check, right? – and this mentality has stuck with me into my twenties, but no more.

I took a chance on a cute little Thistle and Spire set I stumbled across on Asos, and from the moment I tried it on I felt something change; not only was I comfortable, I felt supported, and not in the way a sports bra squeezes everything together, it felt more natural. Of course I do still have a draw full of wired bras, but I’ve ditched the belief that they are the be all and end all, and when I’m in a bit of a bad mood or want a bit of comfort, there’s nothing quite like the feel of a comfy soft cup or bralet to make everything feel better.

So why have I decided to ramble on about my bra feelings today? Well, I wanted to talk about something that not everyone is comfortable discussing: breast cancer. Someone who used to be a big part of my life is currently going through treatment, and while she was very lucky to have caught it in the early stages, not everyone does.

If you do one thing with your day today, let it be this: check out this guide for checking yourself, and tell someone else in your life to do the same. Its not a big deal, and it could save a live.

Thank you

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My 1000 Mile Challenge 2016

It really is time to say goodbye to 2015, and tomorrow I’m going to be sharing all my New Year’s resolutions (so keep an eye out for that one!), but today I want to tell you all about one thing in particular I’m hoping to do in the coming year.

SONY DSC

I’m calling it My 1000 Mile Challenge, and it is what is says on the tin: throughout 2016, I’m aiming to run 1000 miles, whether it be an official race, on the treadmill at the gym or just going out and running; if I’m running, it will count.

While I’m aware how crazy this all sounds, it works out to less than 20 miles a week, or just under 3 miles a day. A year ago this would have seemed 100% impossible to me, but after the year I’ve had? I’m up for the challenge!

And, of course, there’s a reason for my madness – it’s all for charity! Each month I’ll be choosing a different charity to support (and please get in touch if you have any suggestions!), and shamelessly begging people to sponsor me, with the aim of raising £1000 collectively, and I’ll be sharing my fundraising pages on Twitter so everyone can keep up with how I’m getting on!

Am I mad?!

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Your Guide to ToughNBuff Challenge Workouts

I’ve now completed two whole weeks of my Children’s Society ToughNBuff Challenge and I’ve been planking my socks off!

Its not too late for you to start your own challenge, and to show you just how easy the exercises are, here’s the how-to videos that the lovely guys at ToughNBuff have made to inspire you!

Planking

Squats

Push-ups

Burpees

Now get started! Sign up at www.toughnbuff.com, and get fundraising!

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ToughNBuff June – Week 1

I can proudly say that I’ve survived the first week of my ToughNBuff challenge!

As I said last week, I chose to do the planking challenge, and so far I’ve spent 215 seconds in the infamous plank position – over 3 and a half minutes – and I’m definitely feeling it! So here’s what I’ve done so far:

Day 1: 20 seconds – this one was pretty easy; its over before you even notice you’re doing it!

Day 2: 25 seconds – this was also fairly short and sweet, although there was a slight ache coming on in the last few seconds..

Day 3: 30 seconds – this was the first time I really felt like I was having to dig in to keep my bum up!

Day 4: Rest Day!

Day 5: 35 seconds – the ache was slightly more apparent, but knowing there’s only a few more seconds to go is enough to push to the finish!

Day 6: 45 seconds – ok, this one got tricky! I found that having the timer turned over so I couldn’t see it made it a lot easier though.

Day 7: 60 seconds – a whole minute of achy abs!

So who am I doing this for?

The challenge is to raise money and awareness for The Children’s Society, a UK charity that does vital work for children living in poverty, or with the scars of abuse – physical, mental and sexual.

The charity was founded in 1881 by Sunday school teacher Edward Rudolf, and last year alone worked with 23,000 children living at risk, but that’s still not enough. It is estimated 3.7 million children in the UK are living in poverty, and because of this, the charity is working to change government policies, so that no child has to live in poverty again.

If you do nothing else today, spend some time reading about their work at www.childrenssociety.org.uk, you’ll honestly be amazed how bad the current UK situation is!

Today is another rest day, yay, but tomorrow I’m back into planking madness! Don’t forget you can sponsor me by going to my Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/tcsfitLottie-Martin/

🙂

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ToughNBuff June with The Children’s Society

Summer is coming and its that last minute bikini body panic rush to hit the gym and tighten that tummy ready for the beach!

But if you don’t have a fancy, or not so fancy, gym membership, there are loads of ways to get your exercise fix at home without the need for special equipment or a personal trainer, and one way you can do this, and do your bit for a fantastic charity is by taking part in the ToughNBuff Challenge, hosted by The Children’s Society

Firstly, who is The Children’s Society?

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The Children’s Society are working for the futures of children in the UK; children on the streets, children who are suffering abuse, refugee children, the list goes on..

For some of these children, happy endings only seem to exist in fairytales. They have seen things that no child should ever have to see, and done things no child should ever have to do, and even when its all over for them, they live with the memories that can haunt them forever.

The Children’s Society does believe in happy endings. They believe in fighting child poverty, nurturing and supporting destitute families, and tackling neglect by providing counselling and support to the victims of abuse.

They are changing the lives of these children, and they need help to do it.

ToughNBuff Challenge

I will be taking part in the 30 day ToughNBuff Challenge throughout June, and you can too! Its super easy:

1. Sign up at toughnbuff.com – they do all the hard work, setting you up a Just Giving page and everything!

2. Pick your challenge – you can choose between burpees, press-ups, squats and plank challenges!

3. Get exercising, and get fundraising – complete your daily challenge, and nag everyone you know to donate, its a great cause!

So I chose 30 days of planking. I start today with 20 seconds, and by the end of the month I’ll (with any luck!) be holding a 5 minute plank! You can keep up with my daily progress on my Instagram and Twitter accounts, and I’ll be posting updates here every 5-7 days. If you’re feeling generous, pop across to my Just Giving page to donate, and on top of that warm, fuzzy feeling, I’ll love you forever!

Let’s do this!

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