Showing all posts in Women’s Interest

In Food, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss, Women's Interest

Slimming Down to Meet Health Goals

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on
From Xmas Day 2014 to the 7th June 2015. I'm starting to see a difference for the first time in a long time.
From Xmas Day 2014 to the 7th June 2015. I’m starting to see a difference for the first time in a long time.

Hands up if you’ve been ona diet of some sort on and off for as long as you can remember. Yes, me too.

My metabolism ground to a screeching halt when I was around 18 and has shown no signs of waking up ever since. Add to the mix the fact that I also have PCOS and you get someone who has had to actively diet constantly for years in order to remain a healthy-ish weight. I’m still not where I need to be, not being at goal for a while however at the end of last year my GP finally ripped off the plaster and told me that I was pre-diabetic, heading for Type 2 and that we needed to take action.

I’m now on a hefty dose of Metformin twice a day to control my blood sugars and what not which so far appears to be working. Being on a constant mission to slim down isn’t really something that is easy to maintain motivationwise however now I have definite health goals to aim for and warding off Type 2, a very real threat, is my focus (there’s also potentially a cholesterol thing going on, just to keep things interesting).

I switched a little while ago from Slimming World back to Weight Watchers (I was a gold member back in 2004/5 and haven’t seen the same weight since) to give myself a boost and something of a kickstart and I’m happy to announce that so far, so good.

I’m not usually one for measurements and before and after pictures, especially as this is an ongoing quest for health as opposed to a one road to a certain size however I really did want to share the above with you. Hell, if I can do it anyone can.

Any other Weight Watchers / pre diabetics, long term slimmers out there?

In General, Interior Design, MoneySaving, Reviews / Sponsored, Women's Interest

Achica – Luxury at Budget Prices

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on

A few weeks ago I was offered a voucher code to use on Achica so that I could browse, order and then hopefully enjoy the Achica experience.

Achica is a site cram-packed full of fabulous homewares, gifts, items for kids, personal items and pretty much anything else you can think of. It is a place where you will find expensive boutique items, top brands and more at knocked down prices. Every day new sale events start, offering you a wide range of items for usually a week at a time. Items are limited (fair enough seeing as some these items are reduced by hundreds) however this doesn’t negatively affect the shopping experience in any way.

Just some of the items on offer at Achica right now.
Just some of the items on offer at Achica right now.

The Site

Achica is a members-only site however it is free to join up and there are no fees etc. Navigating the (very attractive) site couldn’t be easier and adding items to the basket and checking out is a simple but secure process.

Delivery

If you want something from Achica tomorrow you may be disappointed. As items are often sent from the individual brands and then onto Achica for checking and packaging and THEN onto you the process may take a week or two. That said the items are worth waiting for and expected delivery times are made very clear for each item when ordering.
You may track your order via the online account, I received email updates regarding my order as well as a smooth delivery with text alerts and more. Yes it took a while to get here but the money saved is worth the wait.

My Order

Achicam

A microwave! Not any old microwave but a pretty microwave that would fit perfectly into my kitchen. I’ve actually been looking for one like this for ages however they’ve all been in excess of £100 (I don’t use a microwave often enough to justify that!).

This particular microwave was £110 full price if I remember right knocked down to £69.

As you can see the delivery date range is shown on the actual product page. I think it fits into my kitchen quite well!

achica micro

Summary

What do I Really Think of Achica?
Honestly I have to say I’m a fan. I’ve used it before in the past although there seems to be an even bigger range of items available now. I love the moneysaving aspect, how easy the site is to navigate and above all having the opportunity to find new and different items for the home or for gifts.

Achica asked me for an “open and honest” write-up based on my experience of this shopping review and I have to say that they deserve nothing less than 9/10 (you have to be fairly spectacular to get a 10!).

 

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