What girls can't live without.....

Chocolate chocolate chocolate. That's all that's been on my mind over these festive days of the Easter celebrations. With my pre-wedding diet (kind of) been going on for weeks now, with only a sneaky treat at those times when I just can’t get through the day without something sweet, Easter is that one time of year when it somehow seems okay to indulge in that exquisite, brown ingredient that I couldn’t possibly live without.

However, it’s lucky for me that in Mallorca, the joy of receiving an Easter egg isn’t of as much importance as it is in many other parts of the world. It’s probably a good idea that I’m not in the UK right now, or in fact have been over the past month, as I remember how the shelves were stacked in many supermarkets, stores and whichever other shop that could get away with selling those yummy alternatives to the bog standard egg we usually have lying around in our fridge. On my island, in most places you’d expect to see those delicious chocolate creations sold, they quite disappointingly only display a modest array of mostly bunny shaped chocolate, the more-than-usual selection of Kinder eggs, not forgetting toys and teddies mainly related to rabbits. Most children don't expect the Easter bunny to pass by their houses leaving them chocolate eggs a-plenty, and many would give you the most puzzled look if you ever mentioned an Easter egg hunt to them. We all know, however, that in Spain they're nowhere near as commercial as us Brits, and at the end of the day, Easter, as well as Christmas and all those other celebrations that we seem to have forgotten the real meaning of in the first place, are now celebrated with over-publicised and heavily adverted treats and presents, rather than family get-togethers and times for love and caring like they should all be about. In Mallorca, this week has been full of never-ending parades, street markets and bustling restaurants complete with the whole family enjoying huge feasts.
So, my question is, what best suits us British residents of Spain? The good old commercial Easter with supermarket shelves bulging with chocolate in all shapes and sizes, or the traditional family-orientated celebrations the way the Spanish spend their 'Pascua'. Well, seeing as you´re asking a self-confessed chocoholic the answer is fairly obvious, isn't it?
So then, my next question is - how does someone hoping to squeeze into a size 8 wedding dress in less than 4 months possibly get through the whole chocolate experience without piling back on the pounds lost in previous months? Well, without spending 2 hours sweating it all out over a treadmill after every naughty piece of luxury that passes past your lips, I may have finally found the answer to still being able to enjoy each and every moment of delicacy without the guilt or the extra inch to your waistline. Choose the chocolate wisely girls. It's as simple as that.
All right, we all know how easy it is to pop into your nearest newsagent´s, grab your local Sunday newspaper and a Kitkat as a weekend treat, as we've all heard they contain less calories than most chocolate bars. That vending machine is also too tempting as you go and get a quick coffee fix whilst at the office, and you know that after grafting away at your desk all day you so very much deserve that Dairy Milk staring at you from the Cadbury's machine next door. And who else keeps an emergency supply of chocolate at the back of the cupboard for those rainy days when you just "need" a sweet tooth fix? (I'm sure I have far too many 'emergencies' though....) Bottom line is, chocolate lovers like me can easily fall into the trap of eating every and any Easter egg in sight, and before you know it, you´ve consumed anywhere near 2,000 calories in a couple of highly-indulging hours, which we all know is way above our daily recommendation for all food in general. So, that´s when chocolate knowledge is essential if you want to indulge sensibly and free of all guilt. Let me give you starting point ideas....
Previously mentioned Dairy Milk was always my favourite treat in the world. A friend of mine once very kindly brought me over a giant size bar from England and I devoured it all in only 2 days. How greedy is that? I always knew how many calories and grams of fat even the smallest bars contain, (525 cals. and a whooping 29.8grms of fat); however, I would still allow myself more than one probably too many times. But as I went from a comfortable size 10 to the next one up, I knew the full fat milk chocolate had to go. So that´s when I discovered dark chocolate. I must admit, never had I been a fan. The bitter taste always reminded me of something that should be cooked and melted down to add a rich taste to yummy chocolate deserts. Most dark chocolate resembles a rock and is almost too hard to bite the little squares off with your average set of gnashers, unlike the milky stuff that instantly breaks off and melts in your mouth. However, after some getting used to and finding the right brand, it´s really not as bad as I once thought; in fact, far from it.

And then I found out that dark chocolate is actually good for you! I know, it certainly took some believing and lots of research on my own personal behalf. Surprisingly enough, it can lower blood pressure, and the best news yet - it´s full of antioxidants, even more than green tea provides us with.

But once you mix milk with the choc, it interferes with the absorption of strong antioxidants found in pure cocoa, the ones which fight off heart disease and lower our risk of strokes, cancer, diabetes... The cocoa content does, however, have to be at least 70% to do some good, which means it´s going to be extremely dark and rich, but not necessarily bitter if you choose the right choloate.

The Swiss make, 'Lindt', is my personal favourite. They boast "chocolatier excellence", expertising in making sure their chocolate is of the very finest quality. Their delicious dark varieties start off with a minimum cocoa content of 70%, going all the way up to 90%. The rest of the ingredients are made up of low fat cocoa butter, vanilla and the very best demerara sugar. However, the bad news is that a 100g bar of this amazingly good quality sweetness contains 529 calories and even more grams of fat than a Dairy milk - a sinful 46 grams! Looks like it´s going to have to be a square at a time then girls, instead of gobbling down the whole bar in one go, if that´s even possible.
However, looking around my local supermarket and pining over the chocolate and sweet shelves, I´m always surprised to find how the variety of ´healthy´, dark chocolate, sometimes even sugar free, is getting better and better. They even now make organic dark chocolate, such as the incredibly good 'Green & Black´s', who boast to produce a "high-quality, bittersweet, dark-chocolate bar, packed with 70% cocoa solids". But no, they have no fewer calories or fat as any other other rich choc we´ve grown to love (551cals, 41.1g fat).
Now, let´s get back to Easter. Do they make chocolate eggs with good, solid, health-conscious cocoa beans, skipping on the milk? Actually, yes they do. We can still enjoy the whole experience without having to live with the guilt. Most confectioners like Thorntons and Aphrodite, English handmade chocolatiers, seem to be the only ones who remember us dieters, and, of course, those with a tolerance to dairy. However, apart from being a few pounds more expensive in the UK, they´re hard to find in most local stores and almost impossible on my island of Mallorca. So what can we do.....?

Well, my advice is just enjoy the 100g of dark luxury chocolate bars the best way you can. Stock up on as many different flavours as you want, ('Lindt' even do chilli flavour; it's actually delicious), and as long as you don´t eat them all in one day, indulge, delight your taste buds, and let that rich, dark, bittersweet texture light up the moment it melts in your mouth. Heavenly goodness - that pretty much sums it up for me.

The Celebrity Bug

As I pass my local kiosk on the corner of my street, I cant help but notice the front page headline on that glossy celeb magazine that never manages to escape my notice. A stunning, enlarged photo of an impeccable-as-always Jennifer Lopez catches my eye and the huge, red print reads, 'How did J-Lo lose all that baby weight?'. I can't help myself, but glide over to the magazine stand, which is bursting with celebrity magazines alike, and I immediately pick out that all important mag with the full cover story of how the beautiful Ms. Lopez went from carrying around 40 whooping pounds more than she's used to whilst pregnant with her adorable twins, Emme and Max - now 14 months old - to now; her body as enviable as ever and her weight down to her Jenny from the Block days. No need was there for me to flick to the intriguing feature, all I had to do was reach for my brand new, electric blue, patent purse that, if I may add, was a must-buy purchase after seeing Paris Hilton carrying one just like it in a photo I'd seen of her leaving Starbucks also in another of those celeb mags; the J-Lo cover story, along with the rest of the mag, was then an instant buy. So I popped it into my Chanel tote bag - ok, another celebrity inspired buy - and I waited impatiently unti l I could spare 5 minutes to sit down, open up that all important, 90-page spread out of glossy pages, and read about yet another celebrity and their not-so-private, intriguing life that we all can't help ourselves but delve into.

Jen's story was inspiring, and her killer body wasn't all down to thousands spent in some miracle LA clinic that promises to make you look beautiful on your lunch break. It was the result of a lot of hard work, time and effort spent getting her body back to the one we've either jealously cristisized or drooled over at some point. Yes, she's got a bod we'd all die for, but it's her life in general we're so interested in. And it's not just about Jennifer Lopez, her baby twins, her heart throb hubby, Marc Anthony, or even her drop-dead looks. Those of us like myself can't resist a celebrity story, a good old gossip magazine or one of the millions of biographies now becoming the latest trend in celeb land. We're just so obsessively involved in what's going on with them, their relationships, their clothes, their stories, to the point that we feel we know them almost as well as we know our own best friends. Bearing in mind, nothing is kept a secret in celebville.

But what is it about them that attracts so much of our attention? Apart from all the exclusive parties they go to, fancy restaurants they dine in, or luxury stores they shop in, what is so interesting about their lives? Okay, so most of them make blockbuster films, great music and star in some of our favorite soaps or TV series'. But off screen, we continue to follow their every moves and keep a constant track of what they've been up to over spring break. And whether it's something as boring as washing their car, walking their dog or sunbathing down on Malibu beach, for most A list celebs, their paparazzi shots and sometimes uninteresting stories always manage to creep their way into one or more magazine or newspaper. We forget that they're also normal people like us who lead normal lives off-screen or out of the studio. They also have that tendency to do the same naughty things that most of us have done at least once in our lives, like getting incredibly legless, maybe have a smoke, or even get caught wearing no underwear.

Beautiful women are photographed with no make-up on and are are slashed as 'UGLY', and the handsomest of some famous males are seen unshaven, in scruffy jeans and a baseball cap, and are labelled 'TRAMPS'. But this is what we all forget - they're ordinary people just like you and me.

So why? What makes everything they do so eye-catching, attention-grabbing and amazingly intriguing? Well, my opinion is explained above. Because they are normal people just like the rest of us mortals and we enjoy to read, see and hear this.

Former females breathe sighs of relief as they realise that they're not the only ones struggling to maintain a size 8 figure and that even celebrities have their slip-ups days, as they see stunning supermodels indulging in a chocolate sundae. Whilst the male population catch a glimpse of Jake Gyllenhaal having a bad hair and hungover day looking like what us girls would call 'sexy rugged', but our men would think scruffy and rough looking. They secretly feel proud of themselves for thinking that these male models aren't as hot as their girlfriends think. And that's why we've all caught the celeb bug. Why we take so much interest in their lives. Because most of them are as boring and normal as ours and that's what we, subconsciously, like most about them. As long as they keep getting snapped doing their weekly grocery shop, angrily picking up a parking ticket, or having a quiet drink in their local, that's what we all want to know. They may have more millions than most of us will see in a lifetime, but what's money when they've got a constant trail of photographers, reporters and crazy fans followng their every move? We may love their lives, but definitely wouldn't want to lead it. Reading about it in my favourite celebrity magazine will always do for me. I've got the bug, but my feet are staying well fixed to the ground. Glossy pages are the closest I'll come to living in La La Land.

The Not-So-Glorious Sun

Here in Mallorca, at least, I´m happy to say that once again, Spring has gotten off to a good start and there is only one thing that comes to my mind as I look forward to many more delightful spring days ahead - SUN.

Well, actually, there´s something else that hasn´t been able to escape, my knowledge, or my nose. Hayfever. My adult-developed allergy that is exteremly annoying, when all I seem to be doing is sneezing, blowing my nose and, of course, popping away at the anti-histamine pills. A dreaded result of spring suffered by a lot of us; yet most of the time I´m still convinced it´s a common cold, as all those snotty children who haven´t gotten over their winter flu, sneeze and cough all over me. No, a mixture of pollen and germs never seem to get past me spring after spring.

Oh well, there´s still that three-lettered word that instantly lightens up my day and puts a smile on my face every evening when I watch the weather forecast on the telly for the following day. Yes, that glorious, bright, yellow, beaming sunshine. Who doesn´t love it?

On my island of Mallorca, spring is almost always the beginning of long sunny days spent at the beach. To start with it´s nowhere near as hot as it is months later, but the sun does beam down on us most days and without that dangerous burning factor, thankfully. It is, without a doubt, one of the nicest times of the year it seems, especially where I live.
After months of the locals being all snug in their houses glued to that warm spot in front of their open fire or gas heater, (as we do experience cold winters in Mallorca too), it´s guaranteered that the first fews weeks of March, it suddenly feels like the population has dramatically risen overnight. Everyone enjoys daily strolls along the front - morning, afternoon and evening alike - whether they´re walking their dogs freely, wandering happily hand in hand with their partner, or even cycling, jogging and rollerblading; there´s nothing that keeps us all in our houses when we can be out enjoying those first few rays of sunshine.
And with the temperatures soaring day by day, those extensive, white sanded beaches that were left deserted for so many months, little by little become more and more dotted with white bodies, all in the hope to turn them that golden brown colour we all love to become by the end of the summer.
I hold my hand up high and admit to being, for years and years, one of those early sunbathers who just couldn´t wait to dig out my favourite bikini and roll out my beach towel onto that still cold, sandy beach. And also, for years and years, was I under the impression that, with the sun not being as warm, and the days not being as hot and sticky, that I could sit, lay or swim freely in Spring with little to no sunscreen on, as at least I´d be getting some colour. Oh, and colour I got. The same resemblane to the shade of a lobster I were to have the whole of the summer, as well as experiencing the sunstroke, blistering and peeling I have done all my life, and probably always will.

This is the one thing I hate about the sun. The sunburn that comes with it, the burning rays, the stifling heat, the dizziness it leaves us feeling if we´re sat out in it too long. But is it really the sun´s fault? Actually, it isn´t. And I began to realise that only last summer....

For years I´d been a victim of sunburn. My pale skin always turned red not brown at only a sight of the sun and my freckles got so extreme they would sometimes even join together.
I remember being in Greece at 7 or 8 years old and having blisters the size of golf balls on my right arm, and then having to swim in the hotel´s swimming pool wearing a t-shirt my mom had forced me into, as all my little brown friends showed off their stripey swimsuits. I hated it.
One year whilst holidaying, ironically, in northern Mallorca with a friend´s family, my so-called friend threatened to poor a glass of freezing cold water on my back if I didn´t put any sun-cream on. So I fell out with her for it.
At 16, I had to be rushed to the doctor one evening after laying out in my garden for hours on end on one of those scorching hot July days, leaving me with sunstroke and a whole front body so sore I could barely walk. The doc smothered me in cooling cream and told me to keep out of the sun for 2 weeks. I loathed him for it.
But was it all their fault? Not in the slightest. Were they all looking out for me and my fair skin and freckles? Of course, they were.

When I first moved to Mallorca every time I had my weekly chat with my parents, especially over the hot summer months, my also fair-skinned, red-head dad would repeat that same phrase over and over again until it was almost predictable as to the exact point in the conversation when it would pop up; "Make sure you put plenty of cream on". And I would reply in the same groaning way; "Yes, Dad", but really thinking at the back of my mind, 'Dad, do you not understand the importance of having a tan?'.
Of course I wasn´t going to cover my body head to toe in sun block when all I wanted was to be the colour of all those other bronzed Spanish beauties, all laid out in rows on the beach in their perfect bikinis and showing off their perfect tans. How I longed to turn the colour of my partner after a day at some hidden away cove we´d found by chance. We´d compare tan lines on the evening of our return, as he pranced around proudly with his deep brown skin and a perfect white line where his board shorts had been. All I had to show were streaky red marks for bits I´d forgotten to put cream on and hundreds more freckles than I had that morning. But no, I´d try everything summer after summer on a quest to get that golden skin I so very much longed for.

Then one year it finally hit me. After summers of exaggerated sunburn, prickly heat, sunstroke and far too much money spent trying to desperately found that one sun-cream that just must exist which would turn me brown not red, I suddenly realised I might as well have been living on cloud cuckoo land! When has a fair, freckly, naturally red-headed Brit like me ever been miraculously able to have that perfect tan we see in sun-screen ads? It´s just not possible.
I remember looking at a close-up reflection of me in the mirror, at 23 years old, after weeks spent sizzling in the sun and seeing all these little fine lines on my face and chest. These lines will now never go away and are only a result of one thing. Premature ageing caused by the damage that huge ball of fire in the sky has done to my skin. I look at the Spanish ladies, or even foreign residents who´ve obviously spent years over here - the ones who spend their days on a fold-away deckchair on the beach or sat around their private pool, in summer or on sunny winter's days - and they easily look 10 years older than they probably are. The lines on their faces are so prominent and their hair is so dry, who would possibly want to look like them when they´re 50?
It´s people like that and research I do about what the UV rays are actually doing to our skin, that has changed the whole way I spend my summers. Sure, I absolutely adore the sun. A perfect day for me would be lying on a sun-lounger with an ice-cold cocktail on my hand. The feeling of sand between my toes can take me to the beach in my head in that very instant. I love it all.
But these days, you´re more likely to see me well and truly covered in SPF30, a trusting but stylish (of course!) sun hat and plenty of water nearby for that very important dehydration, also a dangerous factor caused by the stifling heat during the Mallorcan summer months. This year, I´m also considering investing in one of those brightly covered umbrellas that you also see people fiddling around with trying to fix it well in the sand, just so they have a buit of a guard from that dangerous sun. I always used to think, 'just roll out your towel and lap up the sun will you!'
I was actually amazed to discover that even the shade of a brolley is only protecting us by 95%.

No, this year I'm not allowing anything less than SPF15 in my house, and my partner can just forget that factor 2 oil he´s used to drenching his body with. No way, I don´t want a 40 year old, wrinkly husband. Whatever happened to keeping our skin supple and youthful looking, and always striving to look younger not older? We don´t think about that as we sprawl out on our beach towels, do we? And what´s the point of that high population of women who buy all those anti-ageing/anti wrinkle creams, if by the time it comes to their summer holiday in Cyprus or wherever it is this year, they lay out in the sun all day encouraging all those wrinkles to come back that the miraculous creams had supposedly gotten rid of?

I´m 100% clear on how I want my skin to look now and in the future. And that´s why that number on the bottle is more important than I ever knew. I don't want to look 10 years my age or develop skin cancer for that matter. And there's no point us all thinking , 'Cancer? No, that won't happen to me', when there are over 40,000 cases per year in the UK alone.
Beware beach babes. Let this be a lesson to you. Start looking after your skin. You'll thank me for it one day.

The 'F' Word.

FASHION. I love it. Who doesn't? Who doesn't turn their heads as they walk past a shop window with a well-dressed mannequin in the window? Who doesn't flick to the style pages in magazines for a sneaky peek of up and coming trends? Who doesn't admire other people's handbags/shoes/jeans/jackets as they glide past them in the street and wonder where they got that from?

Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating, I admit it. We don't all do this? In fact, my boyfriend couldn't care less about current trends. He just wears what he likes, feels comfortable in, and whatever I tell him to put on, of course! I have friends who prefer to dress in what best suits their shape rather than what the fashion industry is trying to promote. And over half of the male friends I have wouldn't even know what was 'in' last season, never mind the current one.

But quite honestly, I don't have any problem with that. I can understand how fashion isn't a priority in many people's lives and it's true, there are much more important things to think about than what you'll have hanging in your wardrobe next spring. However, the majority of us girls just can't help ourselves.

Whether we long to find out what next season's trend will be, or whether it's just a case of cramming as much into your wardrobe, in-fashion or not, it can definitely turn into an obsession if you're not careful. I should know, I've been there done that and bought the t-shirt, literally; although not one, drawers full of them!

It starts off with a pile-up of magazines all with the fashion pages marked and most items seen, searched shops for, or even bought; then comes the discovery of online shopping where you get to the point of knowing your card number off by heart from having typed it in for your order so many times; then, of course, it's popping out to the nearest shopping centre or high street selection of shops on what is supposed to be your lunch hour to buy that top/skirt/pair of jeans before they run out of your size. And no, who cares if you skip your lunch as a result of adding more credit onto your card; it's a step closer to fitting into those high-waisted numbers you need to lose a few kilos for in the first place. Oh, and I suppose there's no point mentioning that Saturdays are no longer the days when you'd pop into the town centre to do some shopping. Everyday might as well be a Saturday for you. Or every day you get chance to hit the shops at least. Would you dare walk out of a shop empty handed? I would have rather dropped dead. No exaggeration. (Okay, maybe slight)!

But that's what I mean when I say obsession. It literally is. It's an addiction and it just keeps on growing and growing as your wardrobe expands. People say to you, "You never wear the same thing twice". And it's true. But eventually it gets past the point of dressing in something different everyday to make a statement; there's just no need. You've got so many pairs of trousers and skirts you could wear a different item every day of the month and you'll probably still find something you haven't worn. Your collection of tops/shirts/jumpers is so endless that you could easily change your top-half 3 times a day for at least 3 months and there'd be still no need to repeat. And don't even get me started on shoes/bags/accessories. They have long since needed a special place made in your house because, do you really think they'd fit in your wardrobe with all your garments?

Does all this sound familiar? It's scary but true. There are so many of us out there who are addicted to shopping. But the good news is, some of do get past the addiction. Just like people addicted to nicotine give up cigarrettes. Alcoholics become tee-totals, and ex-drug addicts can't even remember their last fix. So I hold my hand up high and say, I am a recovered shopaholic. I can now go for weeks without buying one single item of clothing. The only time I wear new jewellery is if it is a present. I can now walk out of a shop empty handed and still have a smile on my face. And most importantly I can go much longer than a week, a month, and even a whole season if I have to of not even stepping into a place where I once would consider more comforting than my own home. And you know what I'm talking about.

But luckily for me, I didn't have to learn the hard way. I've never used a credit card or even a store card in my life, so my obsession with fashion never once lead me to any kind of debt. Practically all of my monthly salary was spent mostly on clothes, but I still kept aside the amount I was saving fro my new house and never once dipped into my savings account to feed my addiction. My extensive collection of 'clobber' took up three warbrobes, and has since been turned into a closet, but however much I bought each month and although fashion always came first, there's no doubt about the fact that I luckily had the funds in the first place, and this is what I'm stressing; you just have to. But the minute you run out of money or other things in your life start to take priority, you know it's time to stop. And only one word curbed my addiction. Mortgage. That all important monthly repayment that once you've got, you just know that your whole life is about to revolve around that. Among all the other things that come with owning a house of course, mostly all starting with b and ending in l.

So, unless your whole live doesn't have to depend on your mortgage and homely payments, and you luckily have a job that covers all costs easily leaving you with more than enough to spend on what the hell you like, there's no need to quit the addiction like I did. That's unless you really want to.

Okay, so I can't really compare it to giving up cigarrettes or drugs like I previously did. Most ex-junkies would never touch that horrible skag again. But I, of course, still treat myself to that pair of sandals I've just got to have, and I'd never use the same handbag in summer as I did in winter. However, all within reason. Now it's all a lot simpler. If I can't afford it, I just don't buy it. Those shoes will just have to wait until I can non-guiltily treat myself to them. I'd go back to a handbag that I haven't used for months as my summer arm candy. Whereas before I'd probably end up bribing my boyfriend into buying them all for me, usually involving me sitting through a horrible, gorey, violent or incredibly torturing film at the cinema, whilst he munched his way through two buckets of salted popcorn, just so I could have that dress I'd previously seen in Mango.

These days I'd rather sacrifice something for that dream jumper I'd see in a shop window. I'd put in an extra hour at work, or skip a Saturday night out, or even miss my favourite weekend treat of a girly meal with wine, because that could cost a pair of gladiator sandals for the summer. Mmm, the very thought of them......

I would be lying if I were to say I don't miss my daily trips to the shops and ripping off those price tags of all those newly bought items. But I still probably have enough clothes to not wear the same things more than once for most of summer, but that's because instead of throwing out stuff I'm bored with, I'll now keep it and wear it the next season. Anyway, who else has noticed the same things popping up in the shops season after season? Waistcoats look here to stay, but that's a whole different post.

So, my friends, I end this post with, for the non-fashion followers reading this, you really don't know how much money you're saving! Good for you, and unless you're not wasting your hard-earned cash on some other obsessive and mostly brainwashing, media addiction, don't fall into the fashion industry trap.

And if like me, you're a fashion follower and addicted to the shops, make sure you know what you're doing. Have the funds, don't let it take over your life and you CAN wear the same things twice. But not three times. ;)

A Brief Guide to Wonderful Mallorca

Whether you're looking to spend lazy days at the beach, shopping til you drop or fancy a bit of sight-seeing, there's not a chance you'd be at a loss in Mallorca. There's something for every generation, every lifestyle and every need. With no time to be bored here and no reason to ponder what to do, I would recommend Mallorca to absolutely everyone. But I'm bias. I live here. It's my island. I've never made it unknown that I love it. Well, read on to make up your own mind. No doubt you'll agree....

The beauty of Mallorca is that it's small. Ok, so it's not one of those miniature islands that you walk around in a day, but with a car you can drive around it and see almost everything there is to see in a couple of days. In fact, without a car you wouldn't get to see or experience the hidden away beaches, local villages and true Mallorcan character that so much of the island has to offer.

Let me start with my favourite place in the world, and the island's capital - PALMA DE MALLORCA. What a city. Big but small enough to shop from one side of the cosmopolitan city to the other in a day. Stylish but rustic enough to see how it's tried to keep its original character. Bustling but chilled enough to not feel like you're in a capital city.

Full of chic coffee shops, trendy bars and a wide range of creative restaurants serving all different types of cuisines, there are endless things to do in Palma. And with the seafront only around 1 km away from the city centre, the air is full of the scent of salt water, making the capital even that little bit more special.

Not far from Palma are the main tourist resorts, popular especially with the Brits and Germans; the former tending to opt for places like Cala Mayor, Puerto Portals, Palmanova and Magaluf moving up the south west coast of the island, and the latter; Arenal is a huge favourite with the Germans, on the south east. All resorts have everything the stereotypical Brit or German holidaymaker is looking for. Sea, sand, plenty of cheap jugs of sangria, a never-ending selection of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, and most importantly, more hotels than you'll need even for annual visits.

But if that isn't the type of holiday you're looking for, but sea and sun do sound tempting, Soller would be the perfect choice. A thrilling but not for the light hearted drive up into the mountain range of Sierra Tramuntana and then back down the other side, winding around the bends at a careful speed, will eventually bring you to the town of Soller. The town is quaint and full of character. The square is always bustling with locals and tourists alike, and the tangy orange juice, a local produce, is not to be missed. A tram ride which runs through the town will take you the Port of Soller. A little fishing village with, again, that local feel about it.

The rickety old wooden steam train that still heads from the centre of Palma to Soller five times daily running up through the mountains, is a hit with the tourists and is well worth the trip.

Along the west coast of the island and further up than Soller, there is also so much more to see. For example, the mountain village of Valldemossa is ever popular and never a disappointment with the Mallorcan rustic feeling still present, as are less tourist invaded pueblos like Fornalutx, Banyalbufar and Deia, all worth the visit, for their quaint little beauty if nothing else.

Driving round and up to the north of the island, you'll come to the pretty towns of Pollenca and Alcudia, that are also visited by many holiday makers and inhibited by the odd brit. They´re great spots and are personally where you'll find amazing fish and seafood restaurants and will eat the best paella in the whole of Mallorca. The long beach of Alcudia stretching to Muro is white sand and blue sea galore. What bliss.

A 20-km drive from Port de Pollenca is home to Mallorca's most northerly point, Formentor. Its amazing views has scenery as dramatic as anyone could wish for, getting a glimpse of the neighbouring island of Menorca on good days. Not only is Formentor home to stunning views, but also the heavenly Formentor beach and the luxury Hotel Formentor, which opened in 1929 and has been pampering the rich and famous ever since. Ahead of the beach and hotel, there is a famously scary drive tunnelling through En Fumat mountain up the very tip of the island, Cap deFormentor, where the drive will eventually lead you to a lighthouse with the inevitable bar and shop and more stunning views. Well worth the trip to the top.

The East coast of Mallorca is an area of great beauty. It consists of hundreds of small coves stretching its entire length from Cala Ratjada in the northeast to Punta Negra on the island's most southerly tip. The greatest concentration of these quaint coves which are easily accessible lie to the south of Cala d'Or, where highlights include the national park of Mondragó and the beaches at Cala Figuera and Cala Santanyi, which have long attracted artists from around the globe. Inland from the coast, rural life continues in the small villages unperturbed by the tourism boom .The biggest tourist development is the resort of Cala Millor, which has long been a favourite for German visitors, athough plenty of British visitors also head there in the summer months. Up and coming resorts such as Calas de Mallorca are fast becoming equal favourites with holiday makers.
Practically every visitor to this coast visits Porto Cristo at some point during their stay. Not only is this a beautiful little coastal town, but is also home to the famous Caves of Drach which are one of Mallorca's main tourist attractions.

For golf enthusiasts, there are five golf courses along this coast which are all very accessible. In the central section of the coast head inland from the lovely town of Porto Colon, towards Felanitx then take the road for S'Horta. This will bring you to the Vall D'Or golf course. The other four courses are located very close to one another just inland from the northern part of the coast at Capdepera, Canyamel, Pula and Son Servera. get to Colona Saint Jordi, a few kilometres from Mallorca´s most impeccable beach. With a total area of some 1,500 hectares, the Es Trenc beach is a virgin sand bank three kilometres long. At present it is one of the most popular beaches on Mallorca, and has beautiful fine white sand with crystal clear water.

A short drive away from the what is described as some people as the second Carribbean, you´re back to the south east coast, where my guide started.

So, with something for everyone, and attractions, scenery and visions that can only be summed up as pure manmade beauty, is it now clear why I think so much of my island?

The internet is bursting with maps, more detailed guides and full lists of just about all sorts of information you need to know about Mallorca. Although until you visit the island, they are all only words........

A Realistic Review of ´The Secret´.

For those of you who´ve never heard even a whisper of ´The Secret´, let me first explain exactly what it is. Basically ´The Secret´has been put together using ancient legends, spiritual healing, and mystical messages to make, first, a film - which I have not seen - then a book, which is what this review is based on.

For me, the ´secret´journey, all started when a very good friend of mine came to Mallorca to visit me with ´The Secret´book in tow. She was raving about how fantastic it was, so one morning whilst she was still sleeping, I had a quick peek and read a few pages of the book. The pages I came to were expressing the importance of gratitude and how we should be grateful for things we have, leaving aside the things we want. It said that if we learn to appreciate all the good things we have in our lives and regularly say thank you for these things, we will receive more of them as we are giving out good, positive thinking.

Well, 3 minutes into the book I was hooked. Within days of taking my first glance at these inspirational words, I was on to amazon.com ordering my very own copy. I was intrigued to find out how my life could be changed just by using positive thinking and transmitting good frequencies. And then it arrived, from the UK to Mallorca only 4 days later. The very next day after receiving my eagerly awaited book, I made a start to what I believed would change my whole way of thinking.

Ok, so I admit it, it did start off a little deep and dare I say, unrealistic. Apparently, there is a "law of attraction" that exists and every thought, feeling or belief that we have is sent off into the "universe" and brought back to us as either a good or bad result depending on whether our thought was positive or negative to start with.

For example, if you wake up thinking that today is going to be a bad day and you truly believe that not-so-good thngs are going to happen to you, you are sending off these negative frequencies and they will be transmitted back to exactly how you thought, ie. the result being a bad day. And yes, you´ve guessed it, on the contrary, if you wake up in the morning feeling good, thanking and being grateful for just about everything you have and think positive thoughts - "Today will be a good day" - that is, apparently, exactly what will happen.

It´s all about the power of the mind. Supposedly, we control everything that happens to us by what goes on in our heads. We are all in charge of our own lives and destiny doesn´t exist. It depends on the vibes we give out and what we think, feel and believe will happen.

The book even refers to the Universe as a type of genie with a ´your-wish-is-my-command´ approach. In other words, if we were to say to ourselves, for example, "Today I´m not going to pass my driving test", and you believe that, the ´genie´would grant that wish. A negative thought = a negative outcome. So then, of course, the book´s theory is to dictate to yourself, "I´m going to pass (my driving test)" and truly believe it will happen, it, miraculously, will.

Throughout the book, we hear unbelievable stories of absolute miracles. Stories of several people who have decided to, like ´The Secret´claims, think hard in their minds and tell themselves with all their might that what they think and believe will one day come true. Whether it´s becoming incredibly wealthy, healing or curing oneself, or the miraculous story of a man who was told he would never walk again. But, guess what, believing in the Secret´s force, he walked out of his hospital bed 100% recovered, stunning all medics he´d proven wrong.

So the big question is, does it really work? Do we really believe in this? Well, according to the book, if you doubt it, it won´t work, and if you believe in it, it will. Easy right? Well, actually no. I still find it really hard to think that one day I will be working the job of my dreams and have never-ending cash, living in the 5 bedroom, sea-view house I´ve always wanted. But if I believe hard enough, the genie or ´universe´ will grant all my wishes, supposedly.

I finished the book 3 days ago; with my busy schedule, it took me 3 weeks to read. Throughout the book and since finished, I´ve tried to focus hard and think good thoughts about the things I wish to happen. Not impossible things either, just those I would benefit from in my life at this moment in time. For now, at least, sadly the genie hasn´t granted my wishes. But it´s all about positive thinking and believing hard that one day the good will become.

So, back to the review. The quantum physics theories of the book and its constant reference to the power of what goes on in the mind is convincing. The incredible and 100% true stories back up these theories, although it´s difficult to admit that unless you do believe in miracles, they are, literally, unbelievable. But that´s entirely it; Rhonda Byrne - the inspiring writer who put both the book and the film togther - only wants you do one thing, just to believe.

However, I personally do think that the book is very relative. We´re either cynical or trusting. Pessimistic or optimistic. You´re either going to believe it or you´re not. My advice is buy it, read it, enjoy it, try it, and make up your own mind. Choose whether you want to believe it or not. Discover the ´Secret´journey yourself. Good luck.

The Latest Trend - being a ´Skinny Bitch´.

Now this ´trend´, as we call it, has seemed to be going on for a couple of years now. Also known as Team Size 0, it perhaps started off with celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Nicole Ritchie and Nicky Hilton to name a few, stepping out (all mostly on the streets of L.A. let me add) looking gaunt, thin and incredibly boney. Ok, what they were wearing looked great. Not a fat roll nor even a hint of cellulite in sight. But they started to, worryingly, show literally millions of girls across the globe that being stick thing made you look good in aboslutely anything you wore.

So then came the skinny jeans. denim short shorts, wet look leggings, that you just cannot wear if you don´t have super slim legs, and lots more. Sky high and platform heels were to make you look even more slender, and that is when the high street went mad. Did it only seem to cater for the skinny bitch look?

Being a brit I´m still up-to-date with the nation´s fashion; I´m not a secluded islander in any way! I´m also conscious of the US and most of Europe´s current trends, and clearly know what to wear and what not to.

However, now living on my island and doing most of my shopping in Mallorca, I can´t help but notice that most of the high fashion stores seem to forget about us curvy girls. This big controversy has sadly been going on in Spain long before the size 0 trend set in. Yes, it´s true that when I walk into Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti etc, most of the sizes 34, 36 and 38 (UK size 6, 8 and 10) have all disappeared from the rails, but this actually has little to do with the UK and US´s skinny bitch appeal. Spanish girls do tend to be tiny, with a small frame, slim legs, a small bust and a pert little culito (bottom as we would call it). We´ve all heard the mediterranean diet being praised, with its abundance of olive oil, tomato salads and fresh bread. It´s true, it does exist, but I´m sorry, never have I seen people eat so unhealthily than in Mallorca!

The typcial breakfast, even for most slim girls, is either café con leche (milky coffee, usually full fat milk) or Cola Cao, which is again full fat milk mixed with powdered chocolate. This is then eaten normally with magdalenas (litte fairy cakes), ensaimadas (basically a spiral of pastry), or nothing at all. Lunch for a Spaniard consists of something deep fried or overcooked; few fresh vegetables; and tomate frito, which the Mallorquins put on everything and is a sweet tomato purée loaded with salt and sugar. Some would even go for a siesta with a full stomach after their huge lunch for anything upto an hour. Cena, or their evening meal, is usually ´light´if you´re eating-in, but, note, this will not be anywhere near before 9pm and could even be stretched out until 11pm. It could be the spanish omelette, made with about 10 eggs and a dozen potatoes, all previously fried; a huge baguette of white bread as wholemeal barras are hard to find; or something easy like a frozen pizza.

Can you see why it completely boggles me how on earth the average Spanish girl is a slim size 38 (UK 10)?

So the good news is that most of the chicas, at least on my island, have not being affected by the size 0 trend. They´re just naturally skinny bitches..... Grrrrr.

However, this doesn´t stop the rest of the female population, as mentioned before, mostly the brits and americans, from practically starving themselves to be able to fit into a tight pair of black skinnies. Whatever happened to eating healthily, doing a bit of exercise and being a slim size 10? This is what used to be acceptable. Now we seem to have to live on adame (soya) beans and sushi to even get recognised in the fashion industry.

I must admit though, after reading the controversial book, ¨Skinny Bitch¨, which when spotted in the hands of Victoria Beckham the sales not so surprisingly soared, I did fall into the whole I-must-be-thin trap. I´m not going to get into a book review now, but if you stick to what the ex-model and nutritionist writers say, (basically live a vegan diet), you will no doubt be a Skinny Bitch, and I truly believe that you will be a healthy one, as that is what the book boasts.

But the truth is, being a size 0 is just no fun. What normal girl doesn´t enjoy going out with her boyfriend/friends/work collegues for a slap up meal washed down with a few glasses of wine or a couple of vodkas? Ok, so we can always watch what we eat, that´s not hard, but when you have to limit everything you eat constantly is just boring, unsociable and most of the time it just leaves you craving for more of the foods you´re depriving yourself of. Trust me, I´ve been there done that many a time. And it´s sad but true, I´ll never be a skinny bitch. I couldn´t possibly begin to dream of wearing a size 0 pair of jeans, and there´s no way I´d give up my love of dark chocolate for anyone! But I know myself, just as much as we all do, there are limits and the most important thing is to feel comfortable with how you are and how the body that was given to you looks. It´s not about looking like all the stick thin celebs. They have a boring life. They may look good on the outside, but do you think they are happy on the inside? Life is too short to worry too much about your dress size. And the sooner you wake up to realise that, the better. I´d rather be a healthy tart than a skinny bitch any day!