Women Footballers To Watch In 2019

2019 is going to be a great year for the women's game, the FA WSL is in full swing and there is a race for the top between Man City and Arsenal who is going to come out on top... well this year you really can't tell as it has been so close between the teams. The NWSL is set to kick off soon and what a season that will be will North Carolina come out on top again? Or will other squads strengthen from last season and put up a fight? I am really hoping that the Pride & Thorns can come close. Then there is the highlight of the year for me... the World Cup. Forget last years men's one this is going to be fantastic and I have a post coming up nearer to the start with my top picks. There are players going from strength to strength every year and here are my top picks for the ones to keep an eye on throughout 2019.

Sam Kerr is a goal scoring machine who is breaking records in both America and Australia, if teams don't pick up on her and she is in front of the goal 9/10 that ball will be in the back of the net. She is still only young but really has made a name for herself already. She is definitely one to watch in the World Cup as Australia have just sacked their manager and the team really need to pull together, however I think Kerr can be a big threat to any team she is up against.

Millie Bright is by far one of my favourite defenders at the moment. She is what I call a no nonsense defender who isn't afraid to go in for a tackle. Not only is she a brilliant defender but she is a danger at set pieces too along with her long range shots been absolutely fantastic. She is going to be a crucial player for England in the World Cup especially in the group stage against Japan. 

Ellie Roebuck is currently fighting for the number 1 spot at Man City alongside Karen Bardsley and too say she is only young she is doing a really good job, I have seen her pull off some fantastic saves in her games for Man City and she is not only one to watch for 2019 but for the future as well. I can't see Ellie getting into the World Cup squad this year unless some others are hit with injury but I do see her been a huge player for Man City and their battle for first place.

The only Leeds fan I will follow and a Yorkshire lass taking the NWSL by storm, so many Americans I talk to always mention how good Rachel Daly is as a player. She has not only seriously improved season after season at the Houston Dash but she has also found her way back into the England squad and is playing brilliantly for them too.  I think Rachel could make a big impact in England's world cup campaign if selected so fingers crossed for that. One of my favourite things with Rachel is she can play out as a defensive back or up as a forward, although my favourite is when she is a forward as he is a massive attacking threat. Not only do I think she will do well for England but I also think she is one to watch over in the NWSL again as I think she could have a really strong season... fingers crossed they can keep her injury free. 

Now Alex Morgan is on this list for 2 reasons, the fact she is coming up to a milestone of 100 goals for the USWNT so that is something people are going to be following throughout 2019. When are the goals going to come? Who knows, but I am sure it will be before the world cup campaign begins. Alex is a household name in the women's game and so she should be as she is one of the best players in the world right now however, she didn't have a particularly spectacular season with the Pride in the 2018 campaign. That is why Alex is going to be one of my ones to watch in 2019, I can't wait to see how well she does with the new manager coming into the Pride & all the focus on the build up to the world cup. Fingers crossed she does have a good season and world cup but I just really want to see Pride in those play off spots this year.

Unfortunately one of my favourite players Kelley O'Hara was hit by injury throughout the season and at the end of last season she ended up having ankle surgery, but everyone knows when something happens to Kelley she comes back fighting and stronger to prove herself that is why she is one of my favourites because she never stops believing and keeps going from strength to strength. I think after battle backing from surgery and previous injuries Kelley will be playing one of her best seasons for the Utah Royals as she has a point to prove and a place to earn on the USWNT squad for the world cup. This can really benefit Utah too and I can see them really pushing for a play off spot this season. Kelley is also a big moment player like her goal against Germany in the 2015 world cup which was fantastic so if she can pull something like this off again I think her name will be out there more than it already is and a lot more people will start paying more attention to her as a player. 

Christen Press in my opinion is one of the most underrated players on the USWNT she isn't given a chance any more and I honestly can't see why as she is a fantastic player and a proven goal scorer. Christen isn't afraid to take a chance at goal and her skills are just as good as her finishes. If given a chance she can prove to be a huge piece of the USWNT's success in the world cup however, if they don't play her and don't play the right players around her they may suffer. Christen is another player who has had her set backs but always comes back and surprises people, I seriously believe her time playing abroad has really benefited her and some teams just really can't cope with her. Another thing that impresses me with Christen is her ability to go and attack at defenders with confidence which is something you don't always see these days. I think if she is still at Utah this season she can really help them in that push for the playoffs and I can see her and Kelley linking up really well.

Finally we have my overall favourite player at the moment... Tobin Heath, what a player Tobin is, in 2017 Tobin unfortunately had a lot of time out due to injuries. Then she came back and in 2018 had a brilliant season for the Portland Thorns and did really well in the USWNT too, in fact I think it was her best year in a while. I believe that if Tobin can stay injury free the Thorns could easily benefit from this and end up in the playoffs again and the USWNT can get to the world cup final. Tobin's skills are out of this world, half the time I don't know how the ball is kept in play but she does it, but she isn't a player to show off and do the skills and lose the ball every time, she does the skills and gets the team into a better position than below. She is a play maker who can also get the goals when needed. Tobin will be a big threat to most countries throughout the world cup and I can see her running people ragged and creating plenty of opportunities for the USWNT. She is definitely one to watch for the skills and the passion for the game, that is why she is one of my biggest inspirations too she never gives up.

So there you have it those are my ones to watch through 2019, I just cant wait for the NWSL and world cup to start but first up the She Believes Cup.

See you soon,
Lucy

Companies I am Loving Right Now


Whilst I have been out and about shopping I have noticed a huge trend, I am been drawn to the same stores and companies all the time. Whether it is a store that houses a lot of brands or not there are brands that I will specifically go to and by pass the rest. The theme is definitely obvious in my wardrobe and drawers too and you would be lucky to pick out an item not by any of these companies within this post. So here are the companies I am heading to these days...
Primark is absolutely killing it lately, especially their men's department. I could spend an absolute fortune lately especially on their t-shirts and hoodies. They are cheap and their clothes seem to actually last me a while, I am well stocked on their plain t-shirts too as these provide the perfect fit for me unlike other places where I could pay twice as much for a plain black t-shirt. Even their women's department is starting to looking more appealing to me. I went in the other day for a top for a party and I saw the perfect one for me straight away, which makes a huge difference. 

Not only is Primark good for getting myself stuff but I have also picked up a lot for the nephew from here and he is not even born yet. I could spend forever looking at their baby clothes and get him as much as I could, but unfortunately other family members all have the same ideas as me and his wardrobe is already full. The Primark home range is also getting stronger and I have got my eye on quite a few bits for the dressing room.


If I remember correctly in 2018 alone I picked up 4 of the t-shirts from here and I already have my eyes on a load more. I have found the quality of the material is absolutely fantastic and not only that they have survived plenty of washes and haven't even begun to lose shape yet, which is pretty rare for the clothing I have I normally buy cheap and have to buy twice. I really want to pick up one of their hoodies but as that is an incentive for me getting to a certain weight I am going to have to work for it. I also hope to fit into their jeans someday too. 



Nike is a brand I am always going to love. I grew up wearing it and will always continue to. Back in my rugby and football days I would have Nike boots, my favourite teams all had Nike jerseys (so I ended up with a lot of them) and I even had a total 90 tracksuit. These days their lifestyle wear is fantastic, I have 2 of their tech hoodies as they are such good quality and keep you so warm. I also have a lot of their t-shirts as some of their prints look fantastic along with fitting really well. Another thing with Nike is they are really helping in the growth of women's football, one of their AD campaigns at the moment involves Alex Morgan and she is mentioned alongside the likes of Harry Kane, which is something that doesn't happen too often. They also have some great looking women's football gear on their site which I may have to invest in soon.


A fairly new brand I have become hooked on, this is thanks to a certain US women's national team defender, if Kelley O'Hara didn't start working with them I think they would always have been under my radar. It started out with a pair of gloves that kept my hands nice and warm for a change, then it went to football boots (post coming soon on those). Then when we signed up for the gym I ended up drawn to the Under Armour range and that now makes up 80% of my gym clothing. Although a little on the pricey side they are really good quality and I can see them lasting me quite a while. In fact I have a lot more items I want to pick up of  theirs. 

So there you have it those are the companies I am loving at the moment, I can see a lot more items from these brands being added to my wardrobe this year.

See you soon,
Lucy

Last Week #32


Last week was not very good in terms of my weight loss as I gained what I had lost the previous week but instead of just being disappointed in this I am going to pick myself up and get back on track, I am getting back in the gym and eating a lot better again. We had a few shopping trips too getting ready for my sisters party and I am happy to report I got a top a size below my usual, so in terms of weight loss I must be doing something correctly. I also found a bit of extra motivation last week, Liam was working and I actually got loads of jobs around the house done, which is the opposite to what normally happens. So here is what I had...

Been Watching: It was FA cup weekend so plenty of football was watched but me and Liam spent most of our time watching crime shows on Netflix, we watched the people vs OJ Simpson, Ted Bundy and Abducted in plain sight. I wasn't too keen on the Ted Bundy one so only watched 1 episode but the other 2 were absolutely brilliant.

Been reading : It is a miracle I actually managed to spare some time to read and I am so glad I did, just that hour before bed helped me sleep better than I have in a long time. I need to do it more often. 

Been listening to : Nearly all week I spent my spare time with Busted on in the background, although I did through a little bit of McFly into the mix.

Bought : I didn't do too well in terms of spending last week, I needed a new top for my Sisters party which I got from Primark and I love it as it is totally different for me, I also got us 2 sets of Star Wars candles which are going to look amazing in the games room. I picked up a few presents for my sister too but also treated myself to a new bag for the gym & a new Nike Tracksuit which may be featured on here soon.

Plans for this week : I am getting back into the gym this week however, I have a pretty busy week coming up, football Tuesday night, Physio Wednesday and the hospital on Thursday but luckily Friday I have the day off to just take some time for myself. I also want to try get out and get some images for blog posts at the Weekend if the weather is okay. Hopefully I will lose some more weight too. 
So there you have it that was my week. What have you guys been up to?

See you soon
Lucy

Weight Loss #1


Towards the end of 2018, I really started to get down (more than before) about the look of my body and how I felt in general in regards to my weight. It was starting to get to the point I didn't want to go out as it meant getting dressed and feeling uncomfortable once again. I was also getting stressed with my knee pain and not seeming to be getting anywhere in solving my knee issue, alongside this I had just been referred to a specialist about some other health issues.

It was then something in my brain just snapped and I knew enough was enough, I needed to get healthier. My physio said I could get back in the gym so I signed up, got new gym gear and I can't wait to get going. I have also begun to bring my dinners to work with me instead of buying junk from Tesco daily. In addition to this I have started substituting meat out of a couple of meals a week and I am already feeling a difference. I also take water to work with me so my coffee intake has also been reduced. I am hoping by doing these steps along with working out that I can reach my target goal (will take a long time) and just generally be happier and healthier. Who knows it could also help me knee feel better.

This little series I am doing on the blog will track my weight loss, highlight my food choices of the week plus any workouts I have done along with aims for the following week.

So my Aims for the week ahead are:
No fast food / Takeaways - I know I am having Frankie and Benny's one day but I will be having a healthy option.
Go to the gym at least once
Do an ab workout at home at least twice

Start weight : 15st 13 3/4 lb

It is time to be come the best version of me. 

I am hoping overall through this journey I can at least lose 2 stone throughout the year and get more confident within my own skin. So keep checking back to see how I am progressing as this will be a weekly post on a Tuesday).

See you soon
Lucy

The Wardrobe Dilemma


You may remember from my previous posts (building a wardrobe that is me part 1 & 2) that I was trying to create my ideal wardrobe, one that captured my style and personality perfectly. But once again I am at a crossroads, my style seems to be constantly changing although I am at the stage where I am between two main ones, one being smart the other been more of a streetwear style. I want to venture more into my smarter style but I am struggling to find items that fit my current body shape that fit this style. Therefore lately I am mainly wearing my printed t-shirt with a jacket or hoody thrown over the top.


The above image is the current state of our wardrobe, we share and all my items are on the left with Liam's over on the right, I also have 4 piles on the shelves. Which is far too much for what I actually wear. You will find me in a Levi's top and skinny jeans or just a plain top and skinny jeans half these items still have the tags on as they are too small or they just don't jump out on me whilst I am trying to put together an outfit. I know what my ideal style would be t-shirts layered with shirts, knitted jumpers and shirts (smart and casual) with skinny jeans in the winter and chinos and shorts in the summer.


That is why I am going to try be more careful whilst shopping, only buying the parts I require or know I will get my money worth from, there is no point me wasting my money anymore, I may as well save it for work in the house or treating myself to something I really want. Plus it means less waste in terms of clothing those clothes I buy for the sake of it others could really benefit from so there is no point me getting it just to look at. 


In terms of the clothes that are too big I aren't going to wear them again as I aren't planning on gaining weight anytime soon, I only want to get rid of it. I will keep a few of the bigger items though as there are a couple that look quite good oversized. In terms of ones that are too small I will be going through seeing what I will wear as I drop sizes and if I have no intention of wearing them then they will be gone to free up space. I will be doing a wardrobe clear out soon and items will either be getting donated or passed on to family if they want them. I am just at that point now where what is the point in keeping things if I aren't going to give them the time of day, but the items that do get kept I will be making sure I try mix up what I wear. 


Shopping trips will be reduced and more thought will be put into any future purchases it really is now time to work on my style and what I am comfortable in for a change and I will definitely be taking more pride in what I look like. Who knows I may experiment more with the items I love when I loose weight and get more confident.


See you soon,
Lucy.


  

Last Week #31


That dreaded cold decided to show back up last week and once again it absolutely wiped me out. So I had yet another delay in starting the gym and it is driving me mad because I actually want to go. 
I did pretty well with my food by taking in different lunches everyday and thanks to that I have somehow lost another 3lb it is such a good feeling seeing those scales go down. My physio appointment on Tuesday also went pretty well and now we are just onto the pain management stage at last. Other than that most nights were spent in bed. The weekend was actually quite chilled to with a little bit of shopping mixed in with cleaning (I have decided that is as clean as our wardrobe will ever be in the image above) and watching films all wrapped up on the sofa, we really have made it feel pretty cosy in there. Then there was the football on Saturday, sat in the freezing cold to watch our team got a goal down in 90 seconds, it finished 4-0 in the end and was definitely not worth getting so cold for. So here is what I had...

Been Watching: I finally finished Taylor Swifts Reputation Stadium Tour on Netflix and that was fantastic I really do need to go see Taylor one day. I also watched plenty of YouTube and finally got around to watching Blade Runner 2049 and what a fantastic film that was, not as good as the original but definitely still up there.

Been reading : I read a few blogs last week if that counts?

Been listening to : Once again it has been mainly Taylor Swift, although Liam seems to be going through a phase of listening to Busted again so that has been on a fair bit.

Bought : Surprisingly I bought nothing last week other than the food shop, mainly because all the shops seem to be out to get me. All I want is some new bedding and home decorations but nowhere has them, yet if I wasn't looking I bet they would be everywhere.

Plans for this week : I am definitely going to the gym at least 2 nights this week, because after seeing my weigh going down without working out who knows what will happen when I actually start. I also need to go out to find an outfit for my sisters birthday party next weekend and get her some presents. Liam is working Saturday too so I think that will be spent doing housework and maybe a little more blogging.

Last weeks posts : Last Week #30

So there you have it that was my week. What have you guys been up to?

See you soon
Lucy

Last Week #30


Last week was actually really good, mainly because I actually started to feel human again. I think I am finally getting over whatever I had over the Christmas although I can't seem to shift this cough as usual. It was a pretty relaxed week last week with the only big things happening being my scan and my sisters baby shower. The baby shower was brilliant and it was so nice having everyone in one place and catching up with those people you rarely see. Sunday me and Liam ended up spending some time with my family, just shopping and having some lunch together which made a really nice change. It is so nice being able to enjoy things again and not feel so ill, so here is what I have...

Been Watching: I finally watched the Taylor Swift Reputation Stadium Tour over on Netflix and I absolutely loved it. Taylor is one of my all time favourite artists so after missing out on tickets it was great to watch it in the comfort of my own home. I have also watched a lot of decluttering and organising videos on YouTube to try gain some motivation to sort our house.

Been reading : Reading had taken a big step back last week as all I wanted to do was play on the PS4.

Been listening to : Thanks to Netflix one of the only artists I have listened to is Taylor Swift, especially her older stuff as it is just brilliant. I have also had Lauren Jauregui on repeat quite a bit.

Bought : I got a few more bits for the Nephew as well as a new PS4 game for myself. I also got a Man City jacket & Nike T-shirt whilst at the Nike outlet.

Plans for this week : I want to actually get motivated this week, I want to reduce our amount of takeaways to a maximum of 1 for the week, I also want to get to the gym 3 times. On the nights I aren't at the gym I want to manage my time better and get on top of jobs around the house along with getting blog posts sorted out. Luckily all we have this weekend is the football on Saturday so the rest can be sorting stuff out.
So there you have it that was my week. What have you guys been up to?

See you soon
Lucy

NWSL College Draft 2019



My Thursday night was definitely well spent as it is one of my favourite times of the year. It was the NWSL College draft day, meaning it was a chance to see those players who could possibly be playing in the league next season. The draft list was huge however only 36 players made the list, it doesn't mean it is the end of the line for those who didn't get picked though as they still have different routes they could take.


This years draft was always going to be an interesting one as it was announced roster sizes would be increasing plus the World Cup is coming up meaning a lot of big names will be missing from the squads as the NWSL doesn't pause for the whole of the competition. With big names missing this gives a chance for a lot of these drafted players to put themselves out there for the clubs they are drafted to if they end up making an impression in pre-season and end up being added to the roster. 


My ones to watch where Tierna Davidson, Hailie Mace, Karin Muya, Jemma Purfield and Lucy Whipp. In my eyes Hailie Mace would be number 1 pick, however, with the late addition of Tierna Davidson this was up in the air as both women would be great additions to any team as both had USWNT call ups in the past. Muya, Purfield and Whipp were all on my ones to watch as these are English players who all attended University over in the states who come from huge English clubs in the past, Muya is Chelsea, Purfield is Doncaster Belles and Whipp is from Everton so all are looking to continue within the game and make names for themselves. 


Unfortunately only 2 of the ones I was watching got drafted, these were 1st and 2nd overall picks which was to be expected and it was Davidson who ended up taking the 1st overall pick, which in previous years has provided some fantastic players which are Morgan Brian, Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Rose Lavelle and Andi Sullivan all who have gone on to do brilliant things within the game. Hailie Mace ended up 2nd overall however, I really hoped this wouldn't happen as she ended up going to Sky Blue who have recently come under fire by fans and some players about the conditions their players live in and how their facilities are. They have also had a lot of players leave or be traded lately which to me seems a little strange something is quite clearly going on. Along with the 2nd pick Sky Blue also traded their 3rd pick to Washington Spirit with players to be named at a later date and the 29th overall pick in the 2019 draft. I spent most of my night trying to work out who the players could be so I can't wait for that to be revealed. this was the only trade in the 1st round and we had to wait for the 2nd round and 17th overall pick for the Portland Thorns to trade with the Washington Spirit, through this the Thorns gained the 31st 2019 overall pick and Washington's 2nd natural pick in the 2020 draft. 


The next trade to take place actually didn't take place until the 24th overall pick where Chicago traded the 31st and 35th overall pick with the Thorns in the 2019 draft, this actually benefited the Thorns quite a bit as they ended up receiving Emily Ogle who looks promising for the future. That was it for the trades and everything seemed to be plain sailing. Unfortunately none of the English ones I had my eye on got picked but honestly I am just glad they didn't end up at Sky Blue, who knows they could end up playing in the English leagues. It has also already been rumoured that Julia Ashley won't take her spot at Sky Blue and will in fact go for opportunities abroad but no one really knows until it is properly confirmed by either Sky Blue or the league. Now though is my favourite time as all the trades on the rosters tend to take place after the draft so who knows where any player in the league could end up and I think there could be a fair few big announcement coming in the next few weeks so I will be keeping a close eye on those.


So here is the draft list from Thursday in full minus the trades highlighted above (the list includes the pick, team, player & University they are coming from)...


1st Pick - Chicago Red Stars - Tierna Davidson - Stanford
2nd Pick - Sky Blue FC - Hailie Mace - UCLA
3rd Pick - Washington Spirit - Jordan Dibiasi - Stanford
4th Pick - Washington Spirit - Samantha Staab - Clemson
5th Pick - North Carolina Courage - Leah Pruitt - University Southern California
6th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Julia Ashley - University North Carolina
7th Pick - Washington Spirit - Tegan McGrady - Stanford
8th Pick - Washington Spirit - Dorian Bailey - University North Carolina
9th Pick - North Carolina Courage - Hayley Harbison - Pepperdine
10th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Paige Monaghan - Butler University
11th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Julie James - Baylor
12th Pick - Houston Dash - Ally Prisock - University Southern California
13th Pick - Houston Dash - Cece Kizer - Mississippi
14th Pick - North Carolina Courage - Lauren Milliet - Colorado College
15th Pick - Chicago Red Stars - Maria Sanchez - Santa Clara
16th Pick - Houston Dash - Betsy Brandon - Virginia
17th Pick - Washington Spirit - Bailey Feist - Wake Forest
18th Pick - Houston Dash - Kayla McCoy - Duke
19th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Kyra Carusa - Georgetown
20th Pick - Chicago Red Stars - Bianca St. Georges - West Virginia
21st Pick - Houston Dash - Jazmin Jackmon - Oregon
22nd Pick - Grace Cutler - West Virginia 
23rd Pick - Utah Royals - Michelle Maemone - Pepperdine
24th Pick - Portland Thorns - Emily Ogle - Penn State
25th Pick - Orlando Pride - Erin Greening - Colorado Boulder
26th Pick - Chicago Red Stars - Kayla Sharples - North Western
27th Pick - Utah Royals - Madeline Nolf - Penn State
28th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Kaylin Marckese - University of Florida
29th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Kenie Wright - Rutgers
30th Pick - Orlando Pride - Marissa Viggiano - North Western
31st Pick - Chicago Red Stars - April Bockin - Minnesota
32nd Pick - Utah Royals - Alexandra Kimball - University North Carolina
33rd Pick - Chicago Red Stars - Hannah Davison - North Western
34th Pick - Sky Blue FC - Sabrina Flores - Notre Dame
35th Pick - Chicago Red Stars - Jenna Szczesny - Loyola Chicago
36th Pick - North Carolina Courage - Kaycie Tillman - Florida State




So there you have it that is the list of players drafted, I really hope those that don't give up and carrying on trying to break into the teams via different routes. In terms of those who did get picked I can't wait to see which get signed fully and get game time, as over the years it has been some of the draft picks who have had a part in great moments throughout the season and some drafted players have gone onto great things. Plus they will have that big opportunity when the big names go to the World Cup.... can the league please just hurry up and begin as I am missing it.

See you soon
Lucy

Under Armour Wish List

Now I am heading back to the gym I can do one of my favourite things.... go shopping for workout gear. When I do workout I try to have my outfits all in one brand, I can't do with mixing Nike & Adidas etc it drives me mad these days. One brand that has recently come to my attention is Under Armour, this is a brand I had never bothered with in the past but in recent months their products are really standing out to me. As I start to build up my perfect workout drawer (where all these clothes will be stored) here is what I am hoping to add from Under Armour. 


This tracksuit has caught my eye on every visit to DW Sports, it is £50 currently which to be fair isn't bad for a tracksuit at all considering Liam picked up some of their joggers for £32 and the tops can be up to £50 alone. The material is pretty decent quality too and should last a while. Although I don't think I would wear it as a full tracksuit too often.


I absolutely love the 1/2 and 1/4 zip tops from the brand. I managed to get a grey 1/4 zip one from TK Maxx recently and can't wait to wear it, I would love to have a variety of colours to chose from so I aren't just wearing black and grey every time I work out. 


These hoodies are a brilliant thickness and I have tried a few on in the past when I fell in love with them. These would be perfect for travelling to and from the gym as well as lounging around on my off days. I would definitely get my wear out of them. They also come in a variety of colours so I could definitely have plenty of options to chose from.



I went through a phase not so long ago where the only socks I would wear, whether I was working out or not, was the Nike sports socks. However, I now finally have them beat as the Under Armour ones are so much comfier as they are thicker. I currently have these in black but very soon will be adding the white ones to the draw. I am also trying to just wear these for working out as so many more pairs of socks are just sitting unworn.


I have one t-shirt from this brand so far and it fits brilliantly, so I want to get plenty more as I am going to need more in my rotation, these are pretty reasonably priced too and also come in quite a few colour options so I don't look like I am still wearing clothes from the workout earlier in the week.



Shorts are something I struggle with as I hate my legs, they are covered in scars and stretch marks and it drives me mad. So finding the perfect shorts that can hide most of these is a struggle however, Under Armour are brilliant and have shorts in a range of lengths meaning I always have an option. Plus they aren't too baggy like so end up being and are actually a pretty perfect fit. They also have plenty of designs and colours available.



Leggings are a bit of a dodgy one for me, I either love them or hate them, with how my body is at the moment I don't really feel confident to wear them but I do own a couple of pairs just in case. These sort of leggings will be perfect for when I am out in the garden or on a field doing a little bit of football practise as they provide that extra compression and warmth. I could even throw on a pair of shorts over the top if I really wanted to.



Now for one of my favourite parts... the bags. I have grown out of all the character bags I own, I really don't want to head to the gym with my Adventure Time bag. So I have been looking at the sort of ones Under Armour has to offer and I haven't been disappointed. Both the backpacks and the duffel bags look quite stylish alongside looking quite minimal. I especially love how simple the backpack on the left looks but I know for what I take to the gym this will have plenty of space, the duffel bag would be more for travelling to fields for practising my football.

Fingers crossed some of these items come home with me soon however, I will be staggering the purchases of these items as with me hoping to drop clothing sizes there is no need for me to buy everything in an XL if I don't aim to be in them very long. Fingers crossed this works and I can keep building my workout drawer up over time as I am aiming to spend more time in workout clothes this year than normal ones, I will get fit again, plus these can be for both the gym and football training in the garden. Keep an eye out on the blog as I will be doing these sort of wish lists for plenty of other brands in the future.

See you soon
Lucy.