A Winter Essential

If you’re to get one thing this winter let it be this... the Swell bottle.

I won my swell bottle through a Flybery competition and wow, it’s not only gorgeous, it actually works!! 

It’s the blooming best drink bottle I’ve ever had! Perfect for my long days in the cold coaching and working as a therapist. I’ll make a fresh coffee at approx 5.50am and no lies, when I go to take a drink after work at 6pm the coffee is at a perfect drinking temperature! Not cold and not too hot. Plus, there’s no metal-ly taste that you get with cheaper thermos bottles. 

These bottles are perfect for the outdoors type or those with a long commute. 

Here are the pros - 

• These bottles are sustainable! By purchasing a Swell bottle you won’t waste your money at Starbucks using plastic cups that are only to be thrown away after use. 
• Drinks stay hot for 12 hours and cold for 24hrs! (I've tried it, it works!!!)  The opening is even large enough to slot in ice cubes if you fancied something ultra cool.
• They don’t leak or give you that funny coffee moustache you get when walking and sipping.
• The 17oz Swell bottle holds a lot of coffee - probably the perfect amount for me! It's bigger than any Costa you’d get. But if you want something smaller, they do smaller sizes in the 'tumblers' and 'travellers'.
• Varied designs of pretty patterns - the Swell bottle is designed for all. From marble effects to bottles covered in swarovski crystals to glitter, to prints, to matt plain designs. 
• Triple-walled technology allows your bottle to remain warm without nasty condensation. 
• The bottles are BPA free, so you won't be left with a nasty taste in your mouth.
• Travel friendly - the 17oz bottle fits perfectly in my car holder and the secure top doesn't leak when the bottle is flung in my bag to go coaching.
• Not only are the bottles great, but Swell are also a partner of UNICEF USA, giving back to the wider community. What's not to love? 

The cons? I can't find any...

Here are my favourites Swell bottle designs - 

Teakwood Design

The White Marble - my own bottle 

Onyx Tumber

If you're a travelling therapist like myself, who's often on the road visiting Starbucks and Costa to keep the energy levels high, and then stood in the cold for hours on end... Grab yourself one of these bottles! They are a life-saver!

A year full of promise

I'm not one for waiting for the New Year until I start practising a new training programme or a certain mindset - there is no time like the present! Yet, this year there are particular goals that I am putting down as 'New Years Resolutions' which I can't begin while I'm on my winter holiday and will certainly take some time to complete. That being said, I've been making plans to help me start them.
Here are my goals for the coming year. 

Last year I started a nutritional diploma course. With a busy year due to a new direction of my research, my study of this course fell away. In 2018 I'm determined to keep it going and complete it within a few months - To 'blast it out'!

Over the past year as I begun my second blog Gridiron Strong and got it going, I paid less attention to this blog. Turns out, Performance Sports Therapy is pretty popular (thanks guys!), so I've decided to keep on top of it. My sports therapy and American Football focus is still likely to be over at Gridiron Strong (so make sure you go check that out), but lifestyle and blog posts (which I quite enjoy writing) will be kept here. 

Over at Gridiron Strong I have big plans (not that I will disclose them all quite yet). One area I'm happy to disclose is that of my plans to try my hand at vlogging. You can find my YouTube channel here. 

I plan to be super busy in 2018 (not that I haven't in 2017) but along with travelling with my new job at GB Women's Flag Football, I am super excited to begin research with fellow researchers in the North East. So lots of time will be spent with my head stuck in journal articles and with fingers covered in highlighter colours. Alongside this, I have plans for my clinical work in my business Performance Sports Therapy. 

Due to being so busy I know I will need to ensure I take time for myself. To do this and remain focused on my goals I plan to practice meditation, mindfulness and gratitude. Over the past year I have practised gratitude by using my bullet journal and found it quite rewarding. I tried meditation at times but struggled. This year I really want to get to grips with it as I understand that it can be very beneficial! 

Despite what some may think, the North East of England is an incredibly beautiful place! Having lived there for 7 years I know there is so much more to see! I'm going to make sure that Richard and I get a weekend off once in a while to enjoy the local countryside. Perhaps go back to Kielder to star gaze, explore more of Northumberland's castles and beaches or go up to Scotland.

With so much planned, 2018 looks to be a great year!

Do you have any New Years Resolutions for 2018? I want to hear!