To look at, the Ozeri scales aren’t anything special, but the design is nice and modern, and the tempered glass top is a lot better quality than the typical white plastic sets of scales you often see.  They are also slim and, though weighty, aren’t too heavy, so they’re also easy to store.  The scales run on four AAA batteries, which is handy as they’re easy to get hold of, unlike my last set which used one of those flat silver batteries that aren’t always easy to find.

Perhaps the most important aspect of a set of scales is their accuracy, and these are incredibly accurate.  I even tested them alongside my mum’s bathroom scales!  I weighed myself three times on each to compare the readings, and on my mum’s I was given three slightly different readings, whereas on these I got the same reading every time.  I think this is down to the four high precision GX sensors that the scales boast, as they can weigh up to 440lbs/200kg, in 0.2lb/0.1kg increments, so they’re extremely precise.

You can also change the units that the scales measure in, from pounds to kilograms to stone, using a small switch on the back.  I personally weigh myself in stone, but it’s always handy to have the other two options there, especially if you want to weigh your suitcase before going on holiday to check you’ve not gone over your baggage allowance!

The screen on the front of the scales is a nice size, has a blue back light, and the digits are large so they’re easy to read.  A bonus for anyone who doesn’t have the best eyesight.  It also switches itself off automatically to help conserve battery life.

Overall, the Ozeri Precision II Digital Bathroom Scales are a quality set of scales and they do everything you’d want them to do.  They’re robust, accurate, low maintenance, and easy to read, and are well worth the £18.95 they cost.  If you’d like a set for yourself, they’re available on Amazon.

Naomi x

*These Ozeri Precision II Digital Bathroom Scales were sent to me for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*

So without further ado, the lucky winners are…

Entry 18 – Rachel Wheeler

(who will receive the red Dopper)

and

Entry 127 – E. Cave

(who will receive the orange Dopper)

Congratulations to the winners!  Please email your postal address to bewitcheryblog@gmail.com, and I will post your prize as soon as possible.

A big thank you to everyone else who entered, and thank you too to Dopper for providing these brilliant prizes.  I am still running my AngelEye giveaway where you could win a gorgeous party dress perfect for Christmas, so if you’d like to enter please click here.

Naomi x

PS. To find out more about Dopper, why not check out my review?

Dopper is a Dutch product which was invented with the aim to put a stop to the damaging effects that plastic bottles have on the environment.  Dopper is a unique reusable bottle which has a zero net carbon footprint, and is BPA-free, meaning that the Dopper is free of the harmful chemical usually used in plastic production.

Dopper bottles are completely sustainable, as they can be refilled and used over and over again, and promote the drinking of free, calorie-free, thirst quenching WATER!  There’s even a Dopper app so you can find out where to refill your bottle for free.  The brand also contribute to water projects around the world through the Dopper Foundation, with 10% of all Dopper sales going straight into the Foundation to fund the introduction of safe, clean drinking water and facilities in countries such as Nepal.

If you want to find out more about Dopper, their work and ethos, click here.

What I love about my Dopper is that it doesn’t look like a normal bottle.  It has an unusual but fashionable design which is also practical, and comes in a wide range of colours.  The Dopper has a wide, flat lid which, at first, seemed a little unnecessary, until I realised why…  Not only does the lid unscrew, but the white section unscrews as well, so you can use it as a drinking cup if you don’t fancy drinking straight from the bottle.  An absolute genius addition to an already excellent product.  Luckily, both the lid and the cup screw back on securely, so there’s no need to worry about leakage.

The Dopper holds 450ml of water, just a little less than your average bottle of water from a shop, and is the ideal size to carry with you in your bag, fit into the cup holder of your car or take with you on a run or whilst exercising.  I can’t express enough how much I absolutely love my Dopper.  The design is so innovative and functional, but it also looks fantastic and, most importantly, it’s so much kinder on the Earth than the bottled water you buy in shops!

In fact, I believe in Dopper so much that I have something very special to share with you… I have not one, but TWO Doppers to give away to two lucky readers – a red and an orange that both really stand out from the crowd.

To enter, all you have to do is complete as many of the tasks as you want/can on the Rafflecopter form below.  The competition will run for three weeks, and will end at midnight (GMT) on 26th November.  The giveaway is open WORLDWIDE and all entries will be checked.  The winners will be chosen at random and announced the next day, and contacted via email, and will be given 48 hours to respond with their postal address.  If no reply is received within this time, another winner will be chosen at random.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Naomi x

The Braun ExactFit 5 monitor comes with everything you need to check your blood pressure and heart rate – the monitor, two arm cuffs, an owner’s manual, four AA batteries and a handy black storage pouch.  The arm cuffs come in two different sizes, S-M for arms measuring 22cm to 32cm, which is the size I use, and L-XL, measuring from 32cm up to 42cm, so everyone is catered for.

The monitor itself is sleek and compact for easy storage and transportation, and is a very intelligent piece of kit.  After the initial simple task of inputting the time and date, very little interference is needed, but the monitor can do so much.  It has a memory function and a multiple user option, so two people can use the monitor to store up to sixty results each, whilst remembering the exact time and date of each measurement, and after seven days it can calculate your full day, morning and evening average using your most recent readings.  As it takes your blood pressure reading, the monitor also measures your heart rate, and has the very useful feature of being able to detect and highlight an irregular heartbeat.  Furthermore, the coloured bar indicator down the side of the screen is compliant to the World Health Organisation, and gives guidance on whether your blood pressure is normal or too high.  Despite its complex abilities, however, it is easy to understand, as the on-screen information is displayed clearly, in simple terms.

The ExactFit 5 is really easy to use, as the cuff depicts exactly how to fit it, with the red section and circular symbol having to sit over your main artery.  Once you’ve got the cuff right, you just press the start button and the cuff will inflate.  I have used home blood pressure monitors in the past which have felt uncomfortable and taken a long time to take and display a reading, but this one is surprisingly comfortable and quick.  After a reading is taken, it deflates quickly and the result is accurate and displayed immediately, unlike some less sophisticated monitors where you have to wait a while for the reading to show whilst the cuff remains tight.

Whether you want to check your blood pressure quickly every now and then, or regularly, the Braun ExactFit 5 is invaluable.  I imagine I’ll find it very useful when I eventually get pregnant, and it would also be ideal for the elderly or anyone with an existing health condition that requires regular checks.

The Braun ExactFit 5 has an RRP of £99.99.  For further details visit www.braunbloodpressuremonitors.co.uk.  Packed full of information and advice, Braun’s new microsite includes tips on controlling your blood pressure, as well as practical videos showing you how to fit your Braun blood pressure monitor and understand your measurements.  The Braun blood pressure monitors are available nationwide at selected Boots stores.  Visit the microsite for further information.

Naomi x

*This Braun ExactFit 5 Blood Pressure Monitor was sent to me for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*

This little gadget is a lot more sophisticated than your average pedometer as rather than clicking and only working when it moves up and down, it uses a 3D Tri-Axis Sensor, meaning it can sit at any angle or position along a Y, X or Z axis, and still work.  Also, it not only records your steps, but also your distance, speed, the number of calories burned and the amount of time you’ve been walking for.

There’s a set-up option on the pedometer which allows you to set the date and time, but also your weight and stride distance.  Using the latter two pieces of information, the pedometer is then able to calculate how far you’ve walked and how many calories you’ve burned depending on your weight, and every single time it does so it gives the same result as the MyFitnessPal app that I use on my phone, so it’s really accurate.  It’s also easy to look back through your recorded data – you just press the mode button to scroll through today’s results, or the up and down arrows to check through the last seven days.

Unlike a lot of pedometers, the 4×3 is completely silent, and comes with a detachable neck strap so you can wear it around your neck if you so desire.  However, its ultra slim design means it can sit in your pocket without looking or feeling too bulky, which is how I prefer to carry mine as it’s more discreet.

The pedometer has a few other useful features too, such as a blue backlight for night viewing, a sports timer, a clock and a calendar, and it automatically goes into sleep mode if you’ve stopped walking for thirty seconds or more.  This helps to save the battery life, but also prevents it registering any other movements or vibrations as steps, which is handy.

My only issue with the Ozeri 4×3, and it’s a small one, is the colour.  Though I like yellow, it wouldn’t be my first choice and I’d like to see a few other colour options be introduced.  A purple one would be nice!  But that’s only a tiny, insignificant quibble about an all-round brilliant pedometer that does what you want it to, and much, much more.

The Ozeri 4×3 Motion Digital Pedometer is available on Amazon UK and costs £15.95, which is a £16.61 saving on its RRP!

Naomi x

*This Ozeri 4×3 Motion Digital Pedometer was sent to me for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*

On a different note, I can’t quite believe it’s been more than a month since I last posted on here.  I guess that just shows how busy I’ve been though, as I’m not usually one for abandoning my little blog.  I’ve missed it, and I’ve missed you too!  Lately my weekdays have been filled with the monotony of writing my postgraduate dissertation, which is twice as long as the undergraduate one I did two years ago.  So as I’m sure you can understand, when considering the planning, supervisor meetings, intensive research and 20,000 word limit I have to reach by September, I’m left with very little free time for other forms of writing.  I’m getting through it though, so hopefully I’ll be around a bit more in the near future, and things will definitely be back to normal in less than two months time.

It’s not all been hard work though, I’ve also been having a lot of weekend fun, some of which I’ll tell you about now…

30th June – Race for Life

At the end of June I ran the Race for Life in memory of my Grandad, with my sister, her best friend, and her best friend’s cousin.  It was a fairly hot day and we were all expecting to walk most of it, but we surprised ourselves and ran around 4 kilometres, on and off, of the 5 kilometre distance, speed walking the rest.  We all had a lot of fun and the atmosphere on the day was really lively and exciting.  I managed to raise over £110 in total for Cancer Research UK, so a big thank you goes out to everyone who sponsored me.

13th July – Friend’s Wedding

Last weekend my partner and I went to our friend’s wedding reception, and it was lovely and quirky, and all outside.  There was a vintage tea party in the afternoon, a curry buffet at night, pick n mix sweets to help yourself to, great music, sunny weather, huge garden games (I particularly enjoyed the big buzzer game) and brilliant company.

I didn’t get any good pictures of my outfit, but this is what I wore…

Cat Dress – H&M – £14.99

Clutch – Irregular Choice – £7.00 (from TK Maxx)

Black Suedette Shoe Boots – New Look – £15.99

20th July – Tramlines Festival

Yesterday, my dad, my partner and I headed up to Sheffield for the Tramlines Festival.  The festival happens every year and is usually free, but it cost £6 this year which is still amazingly cheap.  We went specifically to see two of our favourite bands – Amplifier and 65daysofstatic – but we also saw a few other bands which we enjoyed.  The highlight of the day for me was 65daysofstatic’s Sleepwalk City installation at the Millennium Gallery, which involved a half hour live set accompanied by projected videos and surround sound.  According to the Tramlines website, the installation explored ‘submersion, noise, and the collapse of everything’, and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE.  Such an awe-inspiring experience that I’d love to repeat.  Amplifier were as excellent as ever too, and they sang one of my favourite songs which is always a bonus.

Here are a couple of photos from the day that my dad took on his iPhone…

So that’s me!  Busy, busy, but I have a backlog of products to review, a few Thrifty Finds to share with you and potentially a VIP event to attend, so keep an eye out for lots of exciting posts coming to Bewitchery soon.

What have you been doing with your summer so far?

Naomi x

My sister Freya and I have decided to run the course together, and will be completing the 5k track in memory of those we have lost to cancer, and in celebration of those who have overcome it.  The day is always a lot of fun, full of music, colour, fancy dress and positivity, and I am really looking forward to taking part.  I am absolutely determined to run most if not all of the track (rather than walking it), so I am hoping to get a bit of training in before the big day!

My fundraising target for this year is £100, so if you can spare a few pennies and would like to sponsor me, you can do so via my online fundraising page.  It’s safe to use and all money goes directly to Cancer Research UK, and can be Gift Aided too.  Thank you so much in advance!

Naomi x

Up until a few years ago I was rarely interested in sport.  With Athletics as the exception, I dreaded and loathed doing PE at school.  I didn’t support any teams, and watching a game of sport was my idea of hell.  Over the last few years, thanks to my partner, I have started to enjoy watching some sports, namely rugby (my city is home to the Leicester Tigers, one of the best rugby teams in the UK) and the UFC, but even through my sport-hating childhood I always had a soft spot for the Olympics.  I remember spending hour after hour watching various events, but once the games were over they soon disappeared from my consciousness and I carried on as normal.  This year was different, however.

With the 2012 Olympics being held in London I really felt the buzz of the lead up to the games.  I went to see the Olympic and Paralympic Torches being carried through Leicester (which I blogged about here), and once the Olympics began the country felt so positive and a nice place to be.  Team GB performed amazingly well and I was glued to the screen every day, shouting my support and feeling so proud.  I felt part of something big and I didn’t want it to end.  And it didn’t!  When the Paralympic games began last week I couldn’t wait to see how well our Paralympians would do, and so far they have been outstanding!  Every single British Olympian and Paralympian has inspired me with their performance, and it is because of them that I am writing this post, because without that inspiration I wouldn’t have been encouraged to be more active and to keep fit!

I recently posted about reaching my weight loss target, which involved healthy eating and some good old-fashioned exercise, but I wanted to do something more than just walk everywhere.  I learnt to enjoy exercise more on my journey to change my lifestyle, but since reaching my target I felt I was lacking a goal.  As a result, and thanks to the Olympics, I started to look for activties where I could set myself goals to visibly and physically improve and hopefully become good at something, and here’s what I’m starting with…

1. Swimming

A new swimming pool recently opened at the university I used to attend.  I taught myself to swim in the sea when I was 4 or 5, and have always preferred swimming in the sea to pools.  I thought I’d give the new pool a try though, and as it happens it is lovely.  It’s clean and modern and doesn’t smell too strongly of chlorine, and its a pleasure to swim in.  I’ve been a few times now since it opened and I have already seen my swimming improve.  I have cut a few seconds off of the time it takes me to swim a length, and I have noticed that my body is starting to tone up.

2. Aqua Aerobics

I will be going to my first ever Aqua Aerobics class on Friday afternoon with my mum.  I’ve been wanting to try a water fitness class for a while, so I decided to take the plunge (excuse the pun) and book a place.  The class is 45 minutes long and will involve a lot of splashing about to music, I imagine.  I’m hoping it will be a lot of fun!

3. Jogging

I haven’t actually started jogging properly yet, but I now have all the kit to do so (I didn’t even own a pair of jogging bottoms up until a month or two ago), and I have every intention of going jogging at least once a week.  If I don’t, force me to.  It must happen!

4. To Be Continued…

That’s right!  I don’t know what I want to try next, but I am going to look for another sport or fitness class to try out, so watch this space.

This is what I’ve done so far to keep the Olympic spirit alive.  I’m determined to make the legacy of these wonderful games last and carry on keeping fit, trying new sports and being active, and I hope you will join me on my mission to do so!  In fact, I plan on updating my blog with my fitness ventures every couple of months, so if you see me slacking give me a nudge.

Has the Olympics inspired you to try any new sports, or to keep fit?

Naomi x

The changes I decided to make were very serious to me.  Faddy diets and weight-loss plans didn’t even cross my mind as I knew the results wouldn’t last (even if they were fast) and they only targeted one tiny part of what I wanted to change.  Instead, I looked at my diet, saw where I was going wrong and altered it.  I have been vegetarian for eleven years and have always cooked healthy meals for myself, so that wasn’t the main problem.  The problem was snacking.  I have a sweet tooth and in between meals I would always snack on chocolate, biscuits and cake, several times a day.  I now avoid snacks unless I actually need one, and then I’ll choose something healthier.  As a result, I appreciate my main meals a lot  more and it’s made me realise that the snacks I was eating before were very unnecessary as I can survive without them!  They were eaten out of habit or boredom, if anything, which is a pattern I am very glad to have broken.  I by no means deny myself these sweet things…  In fact I still eat them quite often, I just eat less of them.  I used the MyFitnessPal application on my smart phone to track my meals too, which I found helped a lot as I could see if/when/where I was going wrong.

As well as eating better, I started to exercise more.  I used to find exercising quite a chore, but now I really enjoy it.  I’m not sure how I managed to change my mindset on this so easily, but the sheer determination I felt to change my lifestyle drove me forward and made me want to exercise.  The more I did it the better I felt, and the better I felt the more I wanted to do it.  Believe it or not, my main source of exercise is simply walking.  I walk whenever and wherever I can and it really has helped.  I also find the Wii Fit really useful as the fun element of it distracts me from the hard work!  I have noticed a great difference in my health since starting to exercise more.  I used to suffer from asthma which was aggravated if I exerted myself too much, but now the asthma is so much better and I hardly ever need to use my inhalers, which is a massive bonus.

As I got healthier, my confidence grew.  In my case, a healthy body really has lead to a healthy mind.  In February I started Bewitchery, which I would never have done this time last year, and getting positive feedback from my lovely readers has helped me a lot, so thank you to all of you for helping to boost my confidence.  As Bewitchery grows, my confidence grows, which helps me in other ways too.  I’m far more assertive now than I was a year ago, which has definitely helped with my university work, I now feel comfortable wearing clothes such as shorts and strapless tops, which I would never go near before, and I feel confident that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to, which is the most important thing I have taken from this.

Overall, I am now healthier, happier and more confident, both in my body and my mind.  I’m glad I took the steps to change my lifestyle for the better and there’s no looking back now.  This is me and this is how I want to be.  It’s been an amazing year full of personal achievements, and here’s to many more to come!

Naomi x

At 10am, my family and I headed down to Leicester Race Course and were met with an exciting atmosphere of sun, music and happy people.  After a bit of a warm up, the runners had to follow a marching band down to the race track for the run to begin.  I was running on my own, and was slightly daunted by the size of the track, but when the horn sounded off I went…

(I’m the one in the red trousers with the silly face).

Despite it being the warmest day of the year so far, I managed to run the mile without any issues!  I had to stop twice to tie my trousers tighter, but other than that I hardly walked any of the mile at all and ran all the way.  It took me about ten minutes to run the mile and I was presented with a lovely medal at the end.

I’m very proud of myself for doing this and I’m so happy that the money I have raised will be going to an excellent cause.  I’m already looking forward to my next run in July – the 5k Race For Life for Cancer Research UK.  I better get training!

Thank you to everyone who sponsored me and showed me support, I am forever grateful.

Naomi x