Fitness For Less

The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting lighter and summer is getting closer. And that can only mean one thing…early morning boot camps, of course!

Don’t worry, I haven’t decided to join the fitness blogging band wagon (I would be terrible at it!), I actually wanted to share with you a few items I have picked up over the years that have become staples in my fitness wardrobe. Exercise gear can often be expensive, and with the cost of gym membership added on top, getting in shape or keeping fit can become a bit of a wallet buster!

Well, firstly I don’t go the the gym, so that’s one cost I don’t need to worry about! Tom and I are lucky enough to live on Millfields Park and the River Lee, so I have miles of gorgeous running routes and trim trails to keep my wobbly legs happy. This morning we decided to reinstate our morning bootcamps, where we jog around the park and do circuits for about 30mins before work. Tom is a tough trainer, and I might grimace, snot and sweat my way through it but it’s a great way to start the day and best of all it’s totally free!

And now here comes the important bit, my kit. I bought these trainers from the Trinity Hospice charity shop on Queensway, London about 4 years ago. They are Asics, fit perfectly, and were £5! Asics retail at £50+ so this was an absolute bargain, and they have been with me through thick and thin the last few years. These guys helped me finish my first ever 5K Race for Life, they’ve crossed the finish line in the Olympic Stadium, plodded their way through 2.5 hours of running my first half marathon last year, got me through numerous spin classes, and here they are on my first 6.30am bootcamp of the year! They are a little worn, but they’ll be falling apart before I can be persuaded to buy a new pair!

For years I have been running in old cotton t-shirts that make you sweat buckets. But a few months ago I came across a pair of almost new Karrimor running tops in an Oxfam in Cambridge for £2 each! Here I am wearing the blue one (the other is black). They are really comfortable and perfect for the summer season!

And here is the full outfit, plus a picture of me doing the monkey bars, simply because I’m usually rubbish at them but this morning I got across the whole way:)

A Work of Art

This morning I came across this lovely little news story about a man in Canada who is breathing new life into paintings he finds in charity shops.

David Irvine takes the slightly worn, dated paintings and adds in a modern twist, creating these slightly odd but charming pieces of art!

I just love this idea. Charity shops are full of unloved paintings –  I’ve often bought some for the frame alone and the painting that sat inside them gets thrown away, and it’s lovely to see them being re-used and bringing a smile to faces of people all over the world!

Incredibly, David sells his ‘Re-Directed’ art for around £200+, which isn’t bad for a painting that can’t have cost any more than £5 when he bought it! The only thing I would have liked to see is that a donation of the profits are given back to the charity shop where the original was purchased. 🙂

Easter Monday in Greenwich

What a gorgeous Easter Monday! The sun was shining and instead of sitting at our desks we were free to actually enjoy it! This afternoon I ventured south of the river to visit my friend Kirsty in one of my favourite places in London, Greenwich. It’s got the Thames, The Cutty Sark, some amazing pubs and a fantastic park which offers some of the best views on the city.

With it being such a gorgeous day I was desperate to dig out one of my beloved summer dresses, but it wasn’t quite warm enough to go bare legged so I opted for the dress and leggings look. I wore this adorable sun dress that I found in Hackney a few years ago, and teamed it with a cosy navy blue cardigan that I found in Compton Hospice, Wolverhampton.

My back pack is also a recent purchase, bought from Save the Children in Clapham North for £4.99. I love a good back pack and have a few sitting in my wardrobe, but this Claire’s Accessories number is cute and summery and I’m loving it.

Daisies and Lace

I don’t just buy from charity shops, I donate to them as well, and after a bit of a sort out my boyfriend and I are always taking in bin bags of the things we don’t want. The trouble is, whenever I take stuff into a charity shop, I often end up taking something new home with me!

This was just one of those occasions. I was taking a bag of things to the Mind charity shop on Stoke Newington High Street and left with this gorgeous navy blue AX Paris dress, bought for £9. I love the lace daisy detail around the sleeves and collar, and am considering wearing this to my cousin’s wedding next month.

Feeling Fruity

I have discovered a new charity shop mecca, and it’s in Walthamstow Market. It’s the longest Market in Europe and that’s room for LOTS of charity shops!

On a recent weekend wander I found this adorable fruity print cotton dress in Age UK for a mere £3.It has a button up front and a tie waist. I love it, and can’t wait for summer to arrive so I can wear it everyday.

Clapham Delights

On a recent lunch break charity shop session, I was lucky enough to find these two pretty dresses in Save the Children store on Clapham High Street. Both will be perfect for when the warmer weather arrives, which will be soon I hope!

The first dress is a cute cotton shirt dress in purple tones, bought for £4.99. It fits perfectly and the colour is nice change from my usual pastel pinks!

The second is a peach floral dress, originally from Pull and Bear, and bought in mint condition for £4.99. It’s super cute and will look even better with some sun kissed skin 🙂

Spring shirts

Work was pretty crazy at the start of the year and I rarely left the office before 7pm, let alone took a lunch break, but things have quietened down now and I am really making the most of my hour long lunch breaks. That means exploring the area for new charity shops 🙂  Last week on a lunch trip I bought this lovely floral shirt, bought from Barnardos in Brixton for £4.99. It’s super light and the bright colours are perfect for spring. I’ve worn it here with some simple black jeans.