So this is very late but I have a minute so let me tell you about the things that I loved in February. After January crawled by at a snail’s pace, February skipped by and I enjoyed it reacquainting myself with yoga, looking after my skin and cooking anything and everything.
My favourite foods from February included an anchovy and samphire linguine and a chicken and vegetable curry that is absolutely divine and will be ready to share next week.
For now, I leave you with my February favourites. It’s a varied bunch but they all made my life easier and a little bit nicer and will be enjoyed for many moons to come.
Yoga at Frame
I fractured my hand early last year and honestly, it was an absolute nightmare, I could barely clip my bra for months, let alone bearing any weight. I was told that it wouldn’t be fully recovered until the end of March 2020. By June I was back at spin and with physiotherapy I was back at HIIT by December but the mobility wasn’t quite there for yoga. Luckily, in January I managed to regain the strength in my hand and wrist and now I’m back.
I saw that Frame, one of my favourite gyms for yoga, was offering 30 classes in 30 days for £60 and I jumped at it and took this chance to relearn some of the fundamentals in yoga. I’ve always been a big stretcher so I maintained my flexibility but my strength was in the gutter.
I didn’t do 30 classes but I did a fair few and got amazing value for my money. I thought it would be a bit daunting but all of the instructors at Frame are so supportive and create such a calm and positive atmosphere so I felt great and rebuilt my confidence in yoga. My favourite is still yin by a mile but I enjoyed a few vinyasa classes and learnt so much in beginners yoga and even managed to crow for the first time. I did my course at the Shoreditch branch and my favourite classes are below:
Thursday 5.15 – Beginners yoga with Fizz – This class is really good for beginners but also if you want to go back to basics. Fizz is really good at taking you through each movement slowly so you know exactly which muscles you should be using and why.
Friday 5.15 – Dynamic Vinyasa with Helena. Helena creates a really positive atmosphere and the flows are always varied. She always offers alternatives and helps you find your own flow. This room is boiling though so prepare to sweat.
Friday 6.20 – Yin yoga with Helena. This is probably my favourite class. It’s so calming and each stretch feels so good. I always leave this class vibrating with energy. Helena is really supportive with the inversions as well. I’d recommend this to anybody.
Saturday 4.00 – Restorative yoga with Jodi. This is such a nice way to spend an hour at the weekend, I love the gentle flow of these classes and they are so, so relaxing. Jodi also has some amazing oils and sprays that relax and invigorate throughout the class and afterwards.
Gua Sha
Until last October I had never seen the benefits of these close up but then I went to Face Gym and this was one of my favourite parts. I love using my gua sha with oil or a hydrating mask (Such as Jetlag by Summer Fridays or Skin Frosting from Plenaire), not only does it really help these products really penetrate the skin barrier but it also adds definition to the face with continued use. Also, it is so cooling and healing which is perfect for puffy, tired and hungover skin. You don’t have to break the bank either, I got mine from eBay for about £3.50 and its rose quartz and I love it.
Coconut yoghurt
I love making dal and curries but I don’t completely love coconut milk. In January I tried to make a few things with coconut yoghurt and I have not looked back, it is so versatile. It makes curries and dal so nice and creamy without any excess liquid. My favourite is the Coconut Collaborative coconut yogurt, it blends so nicely in smoothies and lends itself well to all different sorts of dips and sauces. The coconut flavour is really subtle so it soaks up different herbs and spices well, I love to mix it with cumin and coriander to top a curry or a chilli con carne. Since January this has become a fridge staple and I hate not having it in the fridge.
Coconut Collaborative products can be found in most supermarkets including Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
I am somebody who hates ironing; it’s boring, I always manage to leave a crease somewhere and it’s so much hassle to get it out with the ironing board etc. Enter the handheld steamer, they’re easy, heat up really quickly and you can do it standing up. I wanted this for about a year before I bought it and it was worth the wait. My friends always laugh at me for loving things like but this steamer is one of my favourite things in life.
This steamer is gorgeous! I got it in pink and it’s so pretty. It is extremely easy to use and store and is perfect for travelling. The storage bag also doubles up as a heat protector for your hands which is beyond nifty. It gets rid of all of the creases in my dresses and silk blouses and is also good for lifting dirt from suede bags. It’s pricey but completely worth it in my eyes.
What have you been loving this past month? Let me know in the comments or over on the grid.
The Pickled Gingers 