BOXING DAY BARGAINS

After three Christmas dinners (...if you include this evenings Bubble & Squeak) washed down by several glasses of Proescco, Boxing Day Sales are not featuring heavily on my priority list. The idea of firstly getting off the sofa to then grapple with strangers in a bid to save £20 quid is not too appealing...

However - thanks to the wonder that is e-commerce those nightmares situations are no more. This is a magical land where the things that didn't make it under the tree can be brought to you in just a few clicks (..and a few weeks delivery but really it just feels like Christmas all over again when they arrive. Huzzah!)

Having spent the day casually perusing on my favourite websites and adding a lot to my wish lists I have compiled an extensive list of Best Boxing Day Finds. However I find that I cannot seem to stay awake for longer than a certain period of times this holiday season so in fear I may lose you mid way, I have whittled the list down to my top four items - enjoy.

Channel your inner Pat Butcher and invest in this leopard print coat from Topshop for under £50. Does leopard ever go out of fashion? Was it ever in fashion? Who cares - it's sure to pack a punch to an outfit and well worth the investment.

Now, I am a fan of this top for three reasons - the colour is gorgeous, the price is slashed and the ruffles hide a multitude of sins after the holidays. For £18 what's not to love?

A Whistle Bag has been on my "to buy" list for a while now (maybe I'll do a post on this one day....the list keeps expanding as my purse is depleting but that's nonetheless) and this one is gorgeous. I love a good bucket bag as I kart my life's belongings around with me most days. Snap this one up ASAP! 

Believe it or not, summer will happen again. That's right, although I am suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency and am addicted to wearing my Zara scarf/blanket/coat/tent thing at all times, the sun will rise again. Therefore you need to protect your eyes in the chicest way possible, why not splurge on these Miu Miu glasses? 

What have been your absolute bargains that you have stumbled across this Christmas? I have a little bit of money left over for Christmas and can be pretty speedy with that trigger finger.... 

1REBEL

Now, having sang the praises of Class Pass it seems only just that I should do a couple of reviews of my favourite classes to attend from the app! When I first started Class Pass the vast variety of classes left me confused and a little overwhelmed and I would have appreciated a helpful pointer in the right direction.

In fact - my first class on Class Pass was a TRX PT session in London Bridge that me and a new colleague booked on very last minute. We had only really know each other for a week and still working each other out (no pun intended) so decided to try this out together. However - unbeknownst to us we had booked ourselves into a very intimate personal training session which consisted of a silent gym and just us two and a PT. This then swiftly turned into an awkward session where we both tried out hardest not to moan/groan/sigh/pant/cry whilst making awkward chit chat. Hilarious in hindsight and but at the time - not ideal!

Anyway - I digress. One of my absolute favourite classes is 1Rebel (Broadgate). Now the Broadgate is important as their are two classes both very close to each other, but Broadgate has the best amenities and therefore is a must.

1Rebel has various classes, all of which I am yet to try. But my favourite is Reshape 45 - a HIT classes which consists of interval training on both a treadmill and weights/resistance.

The classes consists of typically spending 20 mins on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the weights (in intervals of around 5-9 mins long). There is pumping music, dimmed and flattering lights and shock absorbing treadmills which are a GOD SEND on my knees. (Yes I sound about 50 years old saying that but they have to last me a lifetime okay?)

The time on the treadmill is spent either sprinting on and off or running on an incline which increases every minute (or whenever you think you are about to keel over). The weight training consists of weighted squats, burpees, lunges and all those other delightful things we do so enjoy.


Overall I love the class - although about 20 minutes in I start questioning if I am going to make it - the people working out around me strike up my competition side of I keep going.

Another reason I am a fan of this class is the amenities - rose gold decor, GHD straighteners, expensive shampoo, free toner, chilled lavender scented towels for cooling down? Is it sad that those are sometimes the things that motivate me to go to the class?

Of course - it wouldn't be a review without a few cheeky cons to the class. My main concern is that some of the exercises are terrible for your knees (...I know I know) with high impact and mix that with bad posture and you are screwed. However I have found out what I can and can;t do and just end up doing my own things which the trainer is always fine about.

CLASSPASS REVIEW 2016

You know those adverts that pop up on your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that are targeted to your personality and hobbies? The scary ones that link you to that overpriced handbag you were looking at three weeks ago and had almost forgotten about? The ones that will eventually bankrupt you? 

Well - there was one link for me that was quite persistent - "ClassPass Limited-Time Trial - Choose Any 5 Classes for £19" - it was everywhere. After a quick bit of research it appeared this is an app/website that allows you to do 5 classes a month at some of London's best studios at any time in the day. 

https://classpass.com

Eventually I succumbed to the temptation and signed up for the £19/month trial and after 4 weeks of intense training that left me aching and slightly depressed about how unfit I truly was, I swiftly signed up to the £55/month deal and have never looked back! 

The app offers thousands of classes across London varying from Bikram Yoga and Cross Fit to PT sessions for you and a couple of friends. 

Having been signed up to Class Pass for over 6 months now I am a huge fan and wanted to review ClassPass and talk you through what I love about it and why you might enjoy it too. (As a true English Lit grad I have to argue both sides of everything with a conclusion at the end so be prepared for some cons as well....)

Pros;

• Motivation - it pushes me to actually workout. Paying £55/month means I am keen to get my monies worth. 
• Sociable - several of my colleagues and a couple of friends have ClassPass. This means that if I am looking to do a class on the evening I can invite a few friends to come alone and afterwards we can all share an overpriced protein smoothie and can all revel at how we are winning at life (for that evening anyway....)
• Price - in London a class can cost circa £20 for an hour, meaning it is quite economical.
• Variety - I have tried classes I would never get to try f I went to a gym (Bikram Yoga is next on my list...)
• Unlimited - if you pay £110/month you can go as much as you like, even up to several times a day...if you could manage it physically (although this treads the line between pro and con.) 
• Locations - unlike a gym membership I am not restricted to one place, meaning if I am meeting a client in Canary Wharf late one day I can book onto a class straight after. (Which is yet to happen but I like having the option, okay?)

Cons;

• Bookings - you can only book up to a week in advance - this works fine for myself but if you like to plan ahead it can be tricky. Additionally, you cannot book too close to the class start time which is annoying for me as I am a last minute kinda gal. 
• Cancelation - you have to cancel the class 12 hours before or face a £15 charge. I get why they do it but sometimes plans change and the be charged £15 when you are already paying for the app seems a little stingy. 
• Holidays - if you are going on holiday for a lengthy period of time you can either miss 2 weeks worth of classes or "freeze" your classes for that length of time for... (yep you guessed it) £20 extra. 
• Availability - the popular classes get booked up incredibly quickly. One of my favourite classes is Core Collective and I am sure there are psychic ClassPass goers that book up the class within the first minute of it being available because I never get it and get the same feeling I do when I lose out to an item on Ebay even though I was SURE I was the last bidder! 
• Posers - some of the trainers are incredibly annoying. Not all, but some are more interested in posting the class on their Snap-chat/Instagram rather than check if your technique is correct. Also - some trainers will push people too far  and I have had a few injuries as a result. A simple "leave me alone" seems to do the trick though... However some are incredible and hugely motivating, you get used to which ones you like attending. 

Overall I am a bit of a ClassPass addict and find myself paying extra for classes when I have ran out of the 5 classes after week 2. it is fun, different and much more interesting then working out in my gym where I live. Oh - it's also a great way to check out the current Sweaty Betty/LuLu Lemon season in action by everyone else who attends. That is probably an extra con actually - it will make replenish your work out wardrobe - arriving for my first class in old leggings and baggy charity 10k t-shirt was a bit of an eye-opener... 

THE TABLE

I promise...I do other things than brunch.
However having visited my other favourite brunch place I figured why not continue with the theme and do a post on The Table in Southwark.

Now, I only actually discovered this place when I was meeting a friend from brunch at The Breakfast Club in London Bridge. We met bang on 11am and as predicted there was a huge queue of hungry Londoners/tourists waiting to delve into their menu and most likely purchase a souvenir mug.
Don't get me wrong...that's exactly what I was going to do - however having gone for a morning gym class, I was not in the mood to stand and wait for food for a good hour.
My friend said she knew a place round the corner which was just as good so off we walked down to Southwark whilst I tried to hide my hanger. That was my first time at The Table and I can safely say I am now an addict.

This place has found the perfect balance of always been packed but managing to seat people instantly. 

After finding a cosy table in the corner (albeit it nearly rubbing elbows with the couple next to us... #london) we quickly ordered a cuppa tea and a 'Going for Gold' (which used to be called Morning Glory...they must have received some feedback) which is a gorgeous pineapple, mango and lime with orange juice smoothie.

Now - with food - I am a creature of habit so got down to ordering avocado on toast with poached eggs which were done to perfection (aka the Breakfast Bruschetta). My boyfriend ordered a Full English as per, with sourdough bread, baked beans with ham and chorizo, fried eggs, garlic fried mushroom and la pièce de résistance.... pork and leek sausages. These sausages are easily the best sausages I have ever had (.... insert immature joke here.) In fact, they are so tasty that we asked where they source them from to make a bulk order later that day. To our dismay they are made by the owner of the restaurant in a farm way up North and are only sold at this restaurant. 

Over all this restaurant is reasonably priced, has a great atmosphere and food to die for. It has won several awards and is well worth a visit.

If you are ever in Southwark or have a hankering for a sausage then give it a try! You won't regret it.