Have you heard the new JT song, yes JT is back

So I just heard the new JT song and realised that I was seriously missing Justin musically. His acting is ok at best and music is his true calling so glad to see he is back in the studio. His new song Suit & Tie is produced by Timbaland and features Jay-Z, once you get passed the intro it's classic JT and I like it! Can't wait for more from him.

Destiny's Child the same cannot be said of Nuclear, if contracts stipulate a release please try and make it a decent song!

You can check out the new Justin track here http://globalgrind.com/music/justin-timberlake-jay-z-suit-and-tie-new-music.

Let me know what you think.

How are you doing with your 2013 resolutions?

So today was my first day back to work and so far i'm not doing too badly with my 2013 resolutions:

I didn't make it to the gym today as I left my padlock at home - fail; but have already been 3 times in 2013.

I didn't get to work before 9.30am - fail.

But I did drink lots of water - result.

I did take off my make up before I went to bed and have done so every night since the new year begun - result.

I've only missed taking my vitamins once.

Although it hasn't been a resounding success I'm going to keep on at trying to make these habitual actions that become a part of my day to day. I'm off now to pack my padlock in my gym bag and get an early night.

Just say NO to sugary cereals

I'm not a fan of the nanny state and so reports that Labour MP Andy Burnham is suggesting that supermarkets shouldn't sell sugary cereals to help prevent childhood obesity just seem stupid to me. I'm a parent and throughout my son's childhood he ate one of the following for breaking before going to school, Weetabix with hot milk and a teaspoon of sugar (blame my mum for the introduction of sugar), ReadyBrek, Rice Krispies sans milk with a pot of yoghurt or toast - no surgery breakfast cereals there. Yes he did ask for them and occasionally I would buy Cocoa Pops or chocolate spread but that would happen maybe once every year - I'm a believer in everything in moderation. But the key factor in all of this is as the parent I said no - if he decided not to eat it, I used to take fruit with me on the way to school or bread and jam, and low and behold hunger pangs overwhelmed him and he ate them.

Now I think rather than blaming supermarkets, tv advertising and food manufacturers for obesity, childhood or adult; we should be real. We (society) are overweight because we mainly lead a sedentary life, eat and drink too much and don't engage in enough exercise to ensure we maintain a weight that is ideal. So rather than suggest we shouldn't eat sugary cereals or ban them lets get our children to do more exercise. The Government could better help to reduce obesity by:

1. Subsiding sport for children, swimming lessons, football coaching and clubs, and tennis lessons - all of which I've coughed up for are expensive. I had to say no to cricket not because of cost but with the schedule above it was impossible to fit it in, and even at 4 my son just wasn't interested in gymnastics which he said was for girls.

2. Looking at food costs (supermarkets control of this) the poor weather and general economic situation means food continues to get more and more expensive, and reports are that it's going to get much worse. Reports are that apples alone may go up by 25%, when you can feed a family on a £10 bucket of chicken with fries, fizzy drink and sides and you don't have to cook - some parents will choose this option. I'm not sure how you will change this.

3. Improved food education, the British diet is generally unhealthy lots of carbs - bread, potatoes, fried foods etc. Years ago people wouldn't have been able to eat the abundance of food we have now, they may have had one good meal and snacking was a myth; they also worked hard. Basically we need to eat less - if you child ate a sugary cereal once a week as a treat say Saturday I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem. We also need to consider that it's not just portion sizes that need to be reviewed but some people may actually need cooking classes. And what is the British fascination with chips with everything, chips and lasagne, curry with rice and chips, pizza and chips - carb overloading.

A simplistic look at cereals as the cause of the problem is ridiculous, it's vital that a healthy lifestyle that incorporates exercise and a varied diet is offered to children at school and at home; but if the parents do not have a proper understanding of what this should include then banning cereals won't make a difference.

Products I love - Jan 2013

I decided to start 2013 sans weave, making this decision at 2pm on New Years Eve wasn't my most sensible idea especially as I had to remove, detangle, wash, treat and then condition my hair before wishing in the New Year. Even though I've had my hair in a weave for 12 weeks it was in good condition and felt moisturised, I still wanted to make sure and decided to try out the Cantu leave in moisturising Shea butter http://www.cantubeauty.com/mobile/ for the first time and boy am I glad I did - I love it!

After a 16 week break from the creamy crack - I have quite a bit of regrowth,  the Cantu butter really helped me to be able to slick my hair into a top knot. My hair feels so lush! I asked a few others (fellow hair groupers) for their thoughts and their response has been really positive, with only one person saying they didn't like it as they felt it coated their hair. I agree it does have that feeling but in my opinion that isn't a bad thing,  it does contain mineral oil but it's quite far down the ingredient list, but the feeling is of moisture rather than an oily residue.  I would definitely recommend this product whole heartedly and at £3.49 it's well worth-it. If you use this product do let me know what you think of it.

My second product that I love is Smashbox's primer. I had previously been using MAC's Prep and Prime or Make Up Forever's HD Primer. Unfortunately I had run out of the HD Primer so was solely using MAC. Now that Smashbox is stocked in (larger) Boots it's so much easier to buy and as a product I've always wanted to try I decided to purchase. Now I've tried it I can honestly say I won't be using anything else. I absolutely adore the finish it gives me; before even putting on my base I already feel that my skin is half way to flawless. My foundation stays on longer, it's easier to apply and has an improved finish. I also feel like I use less and I've started using my Sleek BB creme again - which I fell out with in the autumn.

The biggest wake up call for me on how good the Smashbox primer is, is when I inadvertently misplaced it - I was running late and it wasn't in my make up bag so I used the MAC primer. Lets just say there is no contest - I need to buy another bottle just in case this happens again.

I'm a product junkie so if you have any products that you would like to recommend let me know. If you've used any of the products featured in 'Products I love' then feel free to share your feedback.

Nadie xxx

PS Happy New Year - I hope 2013 is filled with joy, love and laughter in abundance.

What will you be doing differently in 2014?

My year begins on October 3 and each year on my birthday I say thanks for the year before and set a focus for the year ahead. I don't call it a resolution because I believe I'm tempting fate which could lead to failure but I do set myself goals. Since I do this on my birthday I ignore the new year hype but if I'm honest these goals are very much focused on my own very personal needs and as I start in a new role in Jan and I was inspired by this post from Topshop (see photo) I've decided to pull together a list of things I will be doing in 2014.

1. Getting to work by 9.30am my usual time is circa 10am.

2. Making regular use of my gym membership throughout the year not just pre holiday or an important event. Let the focus be health and fitness rather than hotness.

3. Sending friends and loved ones cards and letters I started doing this at the end of this year. It's such a small thing but the response when they're received is lovely - it's such a nice surprise.

4. Improving my baking techniques - especially icing.

The hardest one for me to achieve will be getting to work earlier so it will mean early nights (in bed before 12) and getting out of bed rather than lounging in it - hopefully getting up and going to the gym will help this. What will you be doing, what's your biggest challenge to achieve it and how will you overcome your challenges - do let me know maybe we can motivate  each other.

Thank you 2012

2012 has been a roller coaster year for me some really big highs and some real lows but all in all I would say it's been a good year and I have lots to be grateful for. Most of all I'm thankful for these things (in no particular order):

Everyone who has read this blog thanks I don't know who you are but thanks for reading; if you do have any feedback than please let me know. My very own feedback to myself is proofread and spellcheck.

That all of my loved ones both friends and family have made it through the year; having them in 2013 will be a blessing.

London 2012 was such a highlight for me not only did I get to experience the actual games as a spectator on a couple of occasions - 4 to be exact; but it also gave others an opportunity to experience the city I love in one of its finest moments. Super Saturday was emotional - the video of my screaming 'go Mo' as the stadium erupts is hilarious.

I learnt a lot about myself this year, about the person I want to be, what's and who is important to me. The life lessons or challenges provided this clarity -  I believe everything happens for a reason.

My Samsung SIII and my iPad giving me the best of technology; life with an iPhone wasn't all that it could be but I still missed the App store. Now I have the best mobile phone and tablet both doing the jobs they were meant to do.

Great tv - Scandal, Homeland, Boardwalk Empire. I need more like this. I'm going to try again with Girls and I loved my ratchet tv more LHH please.

Anything French - Paris and Les Miserables are examples of some of the great memories I will have from this year.

Good music - highlights Walk the Throne concert, Hackney Weekender, Nas, Frank Ocean, The Weekend, Kendrick Lamaar.

Seeing friends get married, have babies, and make the next step in their lives and reacquainting myself with people I had lost touch with.

Being part of Pride's  beauty round table.

My Cineworld card.

Life.

instagram.

Why I should be a lady of leisure

Now that the Christmas rush is over and I'm still on leave from work I've had the chance to have a little me time, which I've spent sale shopping, baking and movie watching. But today I thought it was about time I made a venture into the great outdoors and did two things; the first was visit my new gym. I recently ended my gym membership with Fitness First and joined The Gym Group, www.thegymgroup.com because of cost - it's £26 a month cheaper which is a £312 saving over the year, as well as actually being closer to home #winning. I will miss Fitness First because it had a great range of classes, although I only went to Spin, and the free magazines - I am going to have start buying Look. Today was my first visit to the gym but it had all the equipment I needed and was clean and I would totally recommend it if you have a local Gym Group gym near you - my gym going isn't always as regular as it should be so it makes sense to not spend a lot of money on membership fees. If you prefer to attend classes you may wish to try another gym but if you happy to focus on using machines then this is perfect for you, you can trial the gym for £5 and its open 24 hours, so if you feel the urgency to exercise in the middle of the night you can.

My next stop was one of my favourite places in London, the V&A, where I spent the evening viewing the Ballgowns - British glamour since 1950 and Hollywood Costume exhibitions. The Ballgowns exhibition was exquisite especially the more recent dresses, I always stay up to tweet the red carpet so I just loved the contemporary ballgowns, but the whole collection was beautiful and if you are into glamour then I would definitely go and see the exhibit. It ends on Jan 6 so do make sure to go ASAP if you are interested. It costs £10. The Hollywood Costume exhibition showcases costumes from many classic films including Titanic, Batman, Indiana Jones, Legally Blonde, Elizabeth and much more and includes interviews from directors, actors and wardrobe designers. The exhibits showcase the importance of costume to a film, and the vital role they play in getting the actors into character.

One of the things I liked most about the collection and the interactive displays was that it enabled you to get a real feel for the role of a costume designer - unless it's a period drama my view was that it was a relatively easy job, but there is a lot more to it than just choosing a wardrobe and ensuring continuity. Costume is a key part of the film and the importance of its role in the success of a movie is showcased superbly. I would totally recommend this exhibition for film buffs, general film goers, or just anyone interested in clothes. Be warned it takes about 1.5 hrs to see everything, but it's a really good exhibition to go and see with someone who isn't into museums or galleries. It costs £14 but tickets are sold out on line and can only be purchased on site. This exhibition ends at the end of Jan but it was really busy when I went and I've always found that the last weekends are very busy so I suggest you go before then.

As I was in full museum mode I also decided to check out the Architecture collection, which I loved and surprisingly hadn't seen before - I love architecture so I wasn't quite sure how I hadn't checked this out previously. I also saw the modern Iranian photography exhibition, which has some really great photography and provides insight into Iranian society. Who knew that magazines are censored with black crosses and dresses are extended to meet the Iranian moral code?!

I also took the opportunity to pay the African Collection, which I mentioned in a previous post, a visit. This is quite a small collection but showcases items that are in the V&A's archive but haven't been displayed previously. One of the exhibits is a range of photos purchased from an exhibition of negro art at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1935; as I said this a small collection and I'm not sure I would make the journey just to see these exhibits but if you are at the V&A then do pay it a visit.

If I didn't mention a price it's free to visit these particular collections, the V&A ask for a donation of £3, but I love it there so I'm going to become a member. If you do go and see any of these exhibitions or have seen one that you would recommend let me know. Further info is available at www.vam.ac.uk #ballgowns.

I didn't take photos of the ballgowns or costumes but did take some of the other exhibits - naughty! Check them out ...