joproctor79@hotmail.com, Author at Little Mis-Fit

What will be your word for this New Year?

Can you believe we are getting ready to say goodbye to 2018! I mean I honestly feel like I just said Hello! 😳. Is anyone else feeling the same?

The past couple of years rather than making New Year resolutions, I have opted to choose a word or a theme of how I want my year to look. For some they may chose the word calm as they want to bring more calm into their life or maybe its health, if you want to make your health and well-being a priority this year . Maybe you want to travel lots in 2019 so maybe Travel could be yours . You could even have more than one!, you make your own rules 💕.

For 2018 , my theme was Building my Dream , I wanted to focus on working towards making my dream of taking Mis Fit full time and in November of this year , I did just that! 😋.

I’m currently in a business group – the Dream life Academy programme and as part of that, we each had to come up with our hashtag for the year when we started back in September. I opted for a bit of only fools and horses inspiration and went with the # she who dares! , so I am going to stick with that as we go into 2019. A reminder to stay brave , especially when stepping outside my comfort zone as that is most often the time when you find the magic! 💕. A reminder for myself to always reach for the moon , because even if you don’t quite reach the moon , you’ll still land among the stars 💕.

My boyfriend and actually some friends and family have also suggested I may need to learn the art of chilling out/relaxing a bit more 😂, so I guess my theme of 2019 is to work hard but also to ensure I make the time to play too.

This past year I got to travel more , which I loved especially as I hadn’t had the chance to do much the past couple years and it’s something I used to do a lot more of , so definitely hoping for a couple more adventures in 2019 and I already have a couple fun trips booked 😀. It’s my 40th birthday so plenty of celebrations!.

What about you guys? I’d love to hear what your word / theme for 2019 is? Let me know in the comments below 💕

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2019!. May it be filled with love, laughter and Adventure.

Joanne x

The Amalfi Coast

Capri

Portugal

Merry Christmas! and January Class and programme updates

Its the Night before, the night before Christmas eve!. so only 3 sleeps until Christmas!. Who else is excited???.

December has flown over! , along with teaching classes , I’ve been enjoying lots of Festive fun adventures. You can see what I’ve been up to over on Instagram – @littlemisfitjojo and over on our Facebook page – www.facebook.com/lilmisfit1.

I also got to be interviewed for a podcast – about Yoga and mindfulness for Children. If you haven’t heard it yet – you can check it out here – https://themummytrainer.co.uk/podcast/

January classes and programmes.

Both our Small Group programmes both Pilates and Fat burning ones for January sold out in November which was just incredible. We start Saturday 5th January for 6 weeks.

However I am also looking at possibly also running a day time small group programme , if anyone is interested.

sessions would be as follows:-

Monday 9.30am – 10am @ Dance Max , Consett

and

Wednesday 9.15am-0945am @ Annfield Plain Church

£120 per person including two Weekly Group workout sessions, a nutrition plan and a private Facebook group to help you motivate and support each other .

Online classes

Our little Online community is continuing to grow which is fantastic. Our Online classes cost just £10 per month and access is via a private Facebook group. There are already a wide variety of classes in there – Pilates, HIIT and Strength and conditioning style. Plus two new workouts are added each week. if you would like to sign up for January , please drop me a message.

January Class timetable and passes

Class passes will increase slightly from 1st January to the following:-

8 session pass – £35

12 session pass – £50

Unlimited Monthly pass – £60

passes are valid for a calender month only – ie 1st -31st January and are non transferable.

introducing our new class for January – Body Sculpt! , this is a class that will incorporate Pilates/Barre/strength and conditioning /HIIT and boxing workouts , using body weight, along with our weights, gliders , resistance bands, the red bands , the green balls, – all the favourites haha.

Monday

Post Natal Pilates 1030am-1115am @ Dance Max, Consett * 6 week block starting 7th January *

After School Yoga 4.15pm-5pm @ Belive and Be * 6 week block, starting 7th January *

Body Sculpt 6.30-7pm @ North Durham Academy £4

Pilates 7pm-7.45pm @ North Durham Academy £6

Do both evening classes for only £8.

Tuesday

Body Sculpt 7pm-7.30pm @ Tesco, Consett £4

Wednesday

Pilates 0945am-1030am @ Annfield Plain Church £6

Pilates for Mam and Toddlers 1030am-1115am @ Annfield Plain Church £7

Thursday

Pilates 6.45pm-7.30pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall £6

Men on Mats 7.30pm-8.15pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall £6

Friday

Post Natal Pilates , 11am-12noon @ Taylored Fit Physio , Langley Park, 6 week block, starting Friday 11th January.

Pilates 6.30pm-7.15pm @ Annfield Plain Church £6

Saturday

Body Sculpt 9am-9.30am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £4

Pilates 1-1/Small group

My 1-1 / private small group Pilates programme is proving very popular, which again is brilliant and as a result, I currently only have limited time slots available – if you would be interested in more information, please do drop us a message.

After School Yoga @ Believe and Be , Consett

Our After school yoga class is back from Monday 7th January for 6 weeks.

This class is suitable for little ones age 4-7. £35 per child.

We practice yoga poses, mindfulness activites and have story/relaxation time.

if you would like to book your little yogi a place, just drop us a message.

Post Natal Pilates

January we have not 1 but 2 Post Natal Pilates classes !

Mondays 1030am-1115am @ Dance Max, Consett. starting Monday 7th January for 6 weeks . £35 for the 6 week block

and

Friday 1130-1215pm @ Taylored Fit Physio, Langley Park. starting Friday 11th January for 6 weeks . £35 for the 6 week block.

For more info or to make a booking , just drop us a message.

Tween / Teen yoga

I am also looking at running a Yoga class for Tweens/teens so for those age 9 – 15 on a Tuesday afternoon 5.15pm-6pm @ Tesco , Consett. Please let me know if you would be interested.

I think I’ve remembered everything!

As always though you can keep an eye on my Facebook and Instagram pages . plus of course check back on our blog .

I just want to wish all of you a very Merry and Magical Christmas.

Thank you all so so much for all your support again this year, I appreciate it all so much more than I can ever express.

Joanne x

12 days of Christmas workouts and December happenings

Hey guys,

Can you believe its almost December??. Its only 4 weeks until Christmas !!.

From this Weekend, its lots of Festive adventures for me , so I’m super excited. If you follow me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo , be sure to check out my Insta stories as I’ll be sharing my adventures over there and I’m thinking of doing Blogmas – so check back here each week for my weekly festive adventures too. Do tag me in your Festive adventures too – I love seeing them.

Who has their advent calender at the ready?. My mam always gets me a Dairy Milk one , and this year I also got this Christmas train one!

So what is happening at Mis Fit HQ over December?? check out all our updates below –

12 Days of Christmas workout

From Saturday 1st December – I will be doing our annual 12 days of Christmas workouts. If you want to join in the fun, just send us an email – info@littlemis-fit.co.uk just with a little note saying you want to join in, and I’ll add you to the list . Then from 1st December you will receive a daily email for 12 days , with that days mini workout. By Day 12 you will have a 12 minute workout that you can do over the festive season!.

Online Classes

Who wants to join us for our December online classes ,? . just £10 per month and you will get access to our at home workouts , that you can do at home and fit around your schedule. Access is via a private Facebook group. Two new workouts added each week!.

December class updates

December class passes will be available from next week.

I am away Saturday 1st December so no classes that day.
I will also be away Friday 7th December so no Friday evening class that night. We will finish classes for Christmas on Saturday 22nd December, though Our last Tuesday evening class will be 11th December as the Community room closes for Christmas on the 12th December.

On Saturday 8th and 15th December , There will be an additional Pilates class 8.15am-9am at Delves Lane village hall. This is our usual Small group Pilates session but for these two dates , The class will be open to any of you guys that would like to come along.

December class timetable :-

please note classes will run subject to minimum numbers as I know it is a really busy time for everyone.

Festive Fit- Mas is back!. What is Festive Fit -mas? – We will be taking a variety of workouts and classes to create some fun and effective workouts for over the festive season!. Imagine our Festive Fit Mas classes , like a box of choclates – you never know what you’re gonna get (who else said that in their head like Forrest Gump haha)

Mondays

Festive Fit Mas 6.30-7pm

Pilates 7pm-7.45pm

Tuesday @ Tesco Consett – please note last Tuesday class is 11th December

Festive Fit Mas 7pm-7.30pm

Wednesday

Pilates 0945am-1030am @ Annfield plain Church

Thursday

Pilates 6.45pm-7.30pm @ Delves Lane village hall
and
Men on mats Pilates 7.45-8.30pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall

Friday

Pilates 6.30-7.15pm @ Annfield Plain Church – no class 7th December

Saturday

No class – 1st December, otherwise

Pilates 8.15am – 9am @ Delves Lane Village hall

Festive Fit Mas 9am-9.30am @Delves Lane Village Hall

January .

Small Group Training

our January Small group programmes are already sold out!!! .

However I am looking at possibly doing a day time Small group programme aswell if interest is there.

Currently looking at Monday 9.30am-1015am at Dance Max , Consett and Wednesday 9.15am-1030am at Annfield Plain Church. Please do let me know if you would be interested. £120 per person including nutrition guide and twice weekly group workout sessions. However sign up before Monday 26th November and receive a £10 discount.

I may also run a second evening programme if we have more interest and if we can fit it in the timetable somehow.

1-1/ Private small Group training sessions. I have a couple of Daytime slots available also for 1-1 Pilates sessions or perhaps a small group if 2 or 3 of your friends/family members wish to do a session together. Please get in touch regarding pricing and availability.

Wishing you all a brilliant Festive week and don’t forget those advent calenders!

Joanne x

Whats the difference between Yoga and Pilates?

One of the questions I get asked a lot – What is the difference between Yoga and Pilates?. After all a lot of the moves are very similar and I find the two compliment each other well. Both can help improve flexibility , build strength and help with mental health, and lower stress levels. Below are my takes on the differences between the two .

Yoga means the Union of the mind, body and spirit and originated in India , thousands of years ago. Yoga helps us build strength and improve flexibility too, and also has a strong emphasis on our Spiritual wellbeing also.

I love the quote “Yoga is not about touching your toes, its about what you learn on the way down “. For me Yoga is about my own journey on my mat. Of course its fun being able to do some of those impressive Yoga poses – It was a proud day when I managed Crow pose for the very first time and if I’m honest any other time I am able to do it ! , though the Headstand still alludes me. I can hand stand against a wall though and take my legs off the wall for 5 seconds haha , but its not about that, its about what we learn about our bodies as we try a pose , .there are days some poses will come more easily than other days and that’s ok. Its being aware of your body and how it moves day to day, Stepping on my mat is about me stepping away from the busy chaos of my everyday life and heading to my mat to help find some calm, as I just focus on moving through the poses , and being present in that moment and not thinking about my ever growing to do list or feeling anxious about the worries and stresses of life

Pilates was originally known as Contrology , when Joseph Pilates first brought the concept to New York in the 1920’s , where he had his own studio . It was only after his death in 1967, the name was changed to Pilates by his wife Clara.

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880 and was poorly as a child, suffering with rickets, asthma and Rheumatic fever. As he grew up, he wanted to develop a health regime to make him stronger and healthier and tried various activities such as Yoga, gymnastics, skiing, boxing and karate, along with meditation.

In 1912 he travelled to England , working as a boxer, Circus performer and Self defence instructor. However during World War 1, as a German living in England, he was interned as an enemy alien. During his time locked up, he worked on a training regime, which he would share with his camp mates and he also created programmes to help injured soldiers with rehabilitation exercises.

After the war is over , he returned back to Germany, and through his friend Rudolph Laban was introduced to Dance.

In 1926 , However he set off for America – New York, where he meets his future wife, Clara. Joseph opens a Studio in New York and primarily works with dancers to help keep them strong , reducing their risk of injury and if they did get injured , help them recover.

Joseph Pilates trained dancers and apprentices in his Pilates method , and they would then go on to open their own studios.

For Joseph Pilates , Pilates was the complete coordination of mind and Body. The main focus of Pilates is about building core strength. The Core is seen as the Powerhouse of the body. Pilates moves can also help all those smaller muscles get stronger to help better support the bigger muscles in the body, lowering your risk of injury and is often used by athletes especially runners because it . Having a strong Core, strengthens the Spine, reduces lower back pain and bringing better alignment to the body and improving posture.it also helps keep the pelvis in alignment Pilates helps build a long lean body. There is also a focus on taking deep, full breaths .This allows the muscles to be supplied with energizing oxygen and the old stale air to leave the body on each exhale.

Pilates is often used in rehabilitation of those with injuries, health conditions and orthopaedic conditions , just like Joseph Pilates did all those years ago with the injured soldiers during WW1. I have clients with a wide range of health conditions , some of whom I work with 1-1 as we can tailor the session specifically for them. Even if you are generally fit and well though, including a Pilates/Yoga workout in your programme amongst those Higher impact workouts is highly beneficial, it will stretch out tired muscles and help keep them strong, lower your risk of injury and bring balance to the mind and body . Modern living means we are a generation with poor posture from spending days hunched over computers, laptops, mobile phones etc, which means we are also all constantly “switched on” so stepping on to that mat will help you find a little oasis of calm.

Both Yoga and Pilates are also brilliant for pre/post natal women.

For me personally , I love the benefits of combining elements of both Yoga and Pilates into my own practice and that of the classes I teach, and the majority of my Pilates classes will finish with a Savasana / snooze just like in Yoga . For some though this actually the hardest part of the class – relaxing!. Those are the often the ones that need it the most! .

What about you guys?, do you have a preference?

Namaste

Joanne 💕

Having the Courage to follow your heart and Intuition Guest Blog Jayne from Lulu Charles Jewellery

Joanne recently asked me to write a blog post about how I went from working as a freelance textile designer & lecturer to a fully self employed business owner, working with my husband, Ashley, to design and hand make jewellery. Prior to setting up LuLu & Charles Jewellery I had worked as a part-time lecture at Newcastle College teaching fashion & textiles and self employed freelance designer. After the arrival of our second son I decided to leave education and focus on the freelance side of my career, which worked perfectly around the boys while they were little. Ashley on the other hand was working for my dad at Christopher James Jewellers, based in the Metro Centre.

My daily routine consisted of designing and making garment fronts for the fashion industry. I specialised in mixed media textile designs, combining hand embroidery, print & embellishment. Reworking antique lace and vintage prints. While Ashley was happy working at Christopher James Jewellers, he loved his job working in a busy jewellery shop, employed as a finisher, jeweller, sales assistant. He would never in a million years have dreamed of working for himself.

It wasn’t until my dad’s shop closed and Ashley was faced with redundancy that the idea of us working together crossed our minds. At the time I was pregnant with our 3rd son, so the timing was a worry. However despite the bad timing, I now look back and believe it was the best thing that could have happened! Freelancing was getting harder and the industry had shifted towards digital trends, which just wasn’t my design style. So I had been looking for a new direction and what with Ashley’s redundancy on the cards, we were forced to do something and make some decisions. I knew I wanted to do something new with a creative focus that would work around our hectic family life. Jewellery was all Ashley had ever known and something I’d been brought up with, so combining my vision and design skills with Ashley’s knowledge, the idea of setting up a handmade jewellery brand was born.

The shop was a huge part of our lives, it’s what brought us together in the first place and as a result of the shops closure the idea of LuLu & Charles Jewellery was formed. In a short space of time our business started to take shape, growing from world of mouth and social media. Initially the idea was for myself to design jewellery for Ashley to make, however that soon changed when I realised I wanted to learn the trade and make jewellery too.

Surprisingly we work really well together, our strengths and weaknesses seem to create the balance our business needs, we couldn’t do it without each other. We love, live & breath our little business, it’s like our fourth baby!

Although it feels like a distant memory now… at the time, it was quite a bold and scary move, which just seamed to happen accidentally more than anything. Maybe it was fate….I don’t know? However upon reflection it was the best thing that could have happened to us, the timing was perfect. Inevitably Ashley’s redundancy gave us both the push we needed to change path and follow our dream, creating a business that works for us. Fast forward four years and our business has grown steadily, we have repeat customers from all over the world, who keep coming back.

As a husband and wife team we share the highs and lows of running a business, I still have to pinch myself sometimes when customers get in touch to say, they LOVE what we do & have always wanted to own a piece of LuLu & Charles Jewellery.

One of my own pieces of Lulu Charles Jewellery, made using gold from old sentimental jewellery I had , that was just sat in a drawer gathering dust, until Jayne and Ashley, took that gold and made it in to my Joanne necklace, I absolutely adore 💕.

To find out more about LuLu & Charles Jewellery please visit www.lulucharlesjewellery.com

When nothing is certain, anything is possible

Happy 1st day of November!.

In the States , its the month , they celebrate Thanksgiving. As a Brit it’s not a holiday we celebrate, but regardless of our nationality, just taking the time to note down the people, experiences and things in each of our lives we are thankful for , is something we can all do.

This is the month, I take a leap of faith and take Mis Fit full time!. I have just 6 days left at travel work. I am so so grateful to each and everyone of my Mis Fit family, past and present who have helped me build my little business up these past 8 years. Without you guys coming to classes, I wouldn’t have a business!. So I am incredibly grateful to each and everyone of you.

I am so grateful to my family and friends who support my dreams too and are there cheering me on always and believing in me. Who understand aswell that my working hours are different to most people who work a 9-5,so I can’t always be there for nights /days out.

I am incredibly grateful for my travel job, as I got to travel to some pretty amazing places – I even got to work in LA and Vegas looking after a tour group – lost a couple in the Airport on the first trip but I found them shortly afterwards so thankfully all was fine ha . They had sneaked off for a cigarette after the flight landed without telling me. I had everyone else on the bus ready to be dropped at their hotels and I had to go hunt Vegas airport for these two !. There was also the lady who came into the shop when I worked for Going Places ( showing my age here – who can remember going places travel agents lol) , she had a family holiday booked to Majorca, and she came in looking all flustered with her confirmation in hand and said she needed to cancel , as the confirmation stated there was sharks in high season and she was going in August. I was a bit perplexed , thinking – Sharks in Majorca? , and how on earth do Airtours know they are going to be there in the summer. I took the confirmation from her to read it and had to try so hard to keep a straight face – if you know me , you know how hard this was , but Airtours were actually referring to their kids club which was called Sharks and advising it only operated in high season 🤣. To be fair to her, the way it was worded was a little confusing. It did make me laugh though.

I am also grateful to my travel job as it provided for me financially, as I paid for my fitness courses and built my business up. It’s this part that is the scariest- leaving behind the safety net of that regular income. I also get health benefits, such as dental and my glasses – obviously I have made sure and bought my new glasses and had a dental check up before I Leave!. Going from getting that same amount in my bank account, on the same day every month , to now never knowing from week to week what I will make. You could have a full class booked in and then get a bunch of last minute cancellations , or we are also approaching the time of year , when the weather turns bad – we got our first snowfall last Saturday- 27th October!!!!. Which of course also effects classes . I just feel though as scary as that is, what is even scarier is being still Sat behind that travel desk in a year or twos time, still wondering if I could possibly make it work , teaching classes full time, doing a job I adore and am passionate about, rather than doing a job I endure to pay the bills. Life can be incredibly short and I would rather try and if it doesn’t work , at least I’ll know, rather than be too scared to try and always wonder what if.

As my leaving day approaches I am so excited , but after 24 years of working in the travel industry, some sadness too at the end of this chapter, plus I’m not going to lie – i’ll Definitely miss my travel,perks! . I’m also getting some lovely messages from my current colleagues all with lovely messages of support. I have made some lovely friends in my travel journey, including my best friend Stacy . We met on the bus as we used to get the same one to work – she was on a YTS for Lunn Poly and I was On one with Going Places. 24 years and much mischief and mayhem later, we are still best friends 💕.

I’m a Huge Believer in the universe and how it responds to the vibrations we send out, and if we are sending positive vibrations out and we have faith in ourselves and it’s for our own higher good, I believe the Universe will always lead us to exactly where we need to be in life.

If you haven’t read The Universe has your back by Gabrielle Bernstein, definitely check it out. I also love this quote below, so as I embark on this new journey , I am going to indeed embrace the uncertainty, enjoy the beauty of becoming and know that’s when nothing I say certain, anything is possible!.

Wishing all of you guys a magical November with lots of love and laughter and memories made with loved ones.

Joanne xoxo

Pumpkin Power Workout ,and November class updates

Hello Mis Fitters

So Its almost Halloween and would it be Halloween week – if we didn’t do our annual Pumpkin Power workout??????? . Of course not! so grab a pumpkin and This Tuesday 30th October – our Barre class will become Pumpkin Power workout instead! forget your weights – it will be all about the Pumpkin!.

Online Classes –

You can sign up for our November online classes now!. Just £10 per month, you will get access to a variety of workouts you can do, at home, at a time that suits you , maybe first thing on a morning or later at night , or somewhere in between. Two new workouts are added in each week. Just drop us a message to sign up, or for more information.

November class updates

From Saturday 17th November , we will have Festive Fit mas on a Saturday morning 9am-9.30am at Delves Lane Village Hall. This will be a HIIT style class – getting us in shape ready for the festive season. We will be mixing up Boxing style workous, aswell as weights and other cardio workouts and maybe even a Metafit sneaked in there too haha – I know you guys love those!!.

I am also looking at doing a couple Festive Retro Robics classes in November and December – Dance based ones. So please let me know if you would be interested in these – It would probably be a Monday / Tuesday or Thursday just one offs in leui of the usual class.

After School Yoga at Believe and Be –

Our last after school yoga of 2018 , starts this Monday 29th October for 6 weeks.
At Believe and Be. 4.15-5pm. £35 per child – suitable for kids age 4-8. To book your little Yogi in , just drop me a message.

Post Natal Pilates for Mam and Baby

Our next Post Natal class for mam and baby, starts also Monday 29th October for 6 weeks.

Mondays 1030-1115am @ Dance Max, Consett.

£35 per mam/baby for the 6 weeks or pay as you go for £7 per session.

Pilates 1-1 / private small group training

I also offer 1-1 or Small group Pilates sessions at your home/Work place . From the end of November, I will have a little more availability to take on a couple more , so if you would be interested please do drop me a message for more information.

Class passes

November class passes will be available from Thursday 1st November

8 session pass – £28.00

12 session pass – £45

unlimited monthly pass – £55

From January , the monthly class pass prices will increase . The class pass passes have remained the same for the past few years now, and our class prices and most of the hall hire costs have gone up in that time. so I do need to look at increasing the cost of these

so from January Class pass prices will be as follows –

8 session pass will be £35

12 session pass – £50

unlimited monthly pass – £60

Timetable for this week :-

Please do book for all classes – and please let me know if you can’t make it.

Monday 29th October

Pilates for mums and Tots 1030am-1115am @ Dance Max, Consett

After School Yoga @ Believe and Be for kids age 4- 9 , 4.15pm-5pm

Barre Burn 6.30-7 pm @ North Durham Academy £4.00

Pilates 7pm-7.45pm @ North Durham Academy £6.00

or do both evening sessions for £8.00

Tuesday 30th October

Pumpkin Power Workout – 7pm-7.30pm @ Tesco Community room, Consett £4.00 ***** Don’t forget your Pumpkins ! *****

Wednesday 31st October

Pilates 0945am-1030am @ Annfield Plain Church £6
and
Pilates for mams and Toddlers 1030am-1115am @ Annfield Plain Church £7

Thursday 01st November

Fitness Pilates   6.45pm-7.30pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall £6

and
Men on Mats Pilates 7.45pm-8.30 pm   @ Delves Lane Village Hall £6

Friday 02nd November

Pilates 6.30-7.15pm @ Annfield Plain Church £6

Saturday 03rd November

HIIT 9am-9.30am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £4

and

Family Yoga 1015am-11am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £7 for 1 adult and 1 child

Joanne xoxo

My Self Care Pact

Hello guys,

Well its been quite a week here at Little Mis-Fit HQ . Last week my boiler was condemned – they actually stuck a danger – do not use sticker on it! . To be fair the fact I had to give it a whack every time I wanted it on , did give me a small clue that it was on its way out. But still a new boiler eek! The up side is I don’t have to whack this one, its much quieter than my old one , which used to sound like it was taking off and also my house is once more nice and toasty – hurrah!.

Last weekend I took a trip to Busy Bee studios in Durham https://busybeestudio.co.uk with my friend Erin – it was so pretty! . she had some gorgeous things. I got some gorgeous smelling Orange Cinnamon candles – they smell divine and very festive!.

I did have a little trip up in the loft this week aswell to get some of my autumn/Halloween things down so I could start decorating in the house . I’ve also been using my halloween mugs from Tk Maxx – loving those!.

What with boilers , dental check ups – does anyone else get Dentist dread?? 😳. I had meetings , aswell as trying to keep on top of housework , and still juggling the two jobs alongside doing a business mentor programme , it is so easy to get a little overwhelmed – and I know a lot of you guys are the same – juggling Work/kids/looking after elderly parents – our own self care does seem to go out the window at times. So I am making a huge effort to make sure I am prepping and organising food and eating healthy meals , aiming to get enough sleep ( a work in progress) and fitting in my own workouts aswell as taking a little time out in my week to just be. I do find though that when I do take time out – my creativity increases and the ideas flow so I know – when I think I am too busy to stop and take a breath and get some time out , that is actually when I need it more than ever!.

Some of my favourite ways to get some self care time are below. I would love to hears yours too!. Add them in the comments!

💕 Getting outside – I think fresh air is a brilliant tonic for the mind and soul. going for a run or walk or just taking my book in the garden instantly soothes my spirit.

💕 Take time to relax before bed – I am terrible sometimes for working late into the night , but I am trying to cut off by 9pm and doing something other than work related – watch some youtube videos – loving Grace Denny’s channel – if you love makeup, clothes and TK Maxx and drinking tea – her videos are brilliant! . plus She loves Halloween and Christmas so combined with her love of makeup – I love her ha. I also love to listen to podcasts too.

💕 Curling up with a book – I love to read and have done since I was a little girl . So taking time out to curl up and lose myself in a book is heaven – especially if we add a large cup of Lemon and ginger or peppermint tea and a bag of chocolate buttons (shh).

💕 Meeting up with friends – This is a big one, I think all of you fellow Girl bosses running their own business’s will agree that it can be a lonely journey at times and sometimes you do get so caught up in work and getting overwhelmed with your to do list and sometimes just talking things through with someone on a similar journey can help you feel much better.

💕 A good Netflix binge – Or a boxset or Movies 24 – especially when it becomes Christmas 24 (can you tell I’m a bit of a Christmas elf) . We are currently watching Making a murderer on Netflix – It is so good!. if it is just me watching though, I love Good girls – amazing!!!! and Cheasepeake Shores.

💕 Working out – something that often slips down the To Do list when we get busy . I promise though taking even 15 / 20 minutes in your day to get moving – doing a workout – hiit, yoga/pilates, Dance around your living room, taking a walk – I promise you will feel so much better for it! . exercise really is a brilliant mood booster, it will also help boost your energy levels so you can tackle that to do list more efficiently . It also helps boost your immune system – something that lowers if we run ourselves down too much.

💕 sleep!. Making sure we get enough sleep. Aiming for a good 7-8 hours a night. It’s when we sleep , that our bodies repair themselves , our cortisol (stress hormone ) levels lower and our energy levels replenish.

So I am making my Self care Pact here – to make sure I look after myself so I can continue to make sure you guys are all looking after yourselves too. Especially as we head into this last quarter and probably the busiest few months of the year! Comment below with what you are going to aim to do for your own self care pacts!

Joanne x

The Barre is open

Hello Mis Fitters

So its now officially Autumn!. The final quarter of 2018 – honestly where has the year gone?. Does anyone else think its just whizzed by so fast?. Please say yes so I just don’t think its because I’m getting older and they say time speeds up as you do eek!.

The end of Summer / start of Autumn weekend was a good one – I went to see Wicked last Saturday – its the third time I’ve seen it now but its just as spell binding as the first time!. Sunday was such a lovely Sunny Autumn day , we took a stroll around Beamish museum. We have those annual passes for £20 which means you can go as often as you like – its perfect for a nice walk. plus there is always something going on there. The pub with their apple cider – delicious, perfect for this time of year . I can’t wait for the 1950’s town to open aswell!!! .

This week I finished my Barre qualification, hurrah!. Barre is a combination of Ballet moves, combined with Pilates and Yoga – plus we’ll be adding in elements of HIIT, plus using weights aswell for workout that is going to help you get leaner, stronger and more toned – perfect for any time of year , but especially with the Christmas party season right around the corner!. Its a class I’ve wanted to bring to the timetable for a while and I’m excited to finally be able to do just that. check out our new October Timetable on our Timetable page! . I would love to add a Teen/Tween barre class too if I can fit one in somewhere!. Those of you coming along to Barre next week – don’t forget your 1kg weights if you have them!. I got mine from Argos for £6.99.

I’m also busy working on our Halloween themed classes –

Monday 22nd October

Halloween Kids Yoga camp 1130am-3pm at Believe and Be Consett . This class is suitable for kids age 4-7. £18 per child including a picnic lunch , 90 minutes play in believe Town plus a Yoga and craft session. Spaces are limited so do please book early!

Of course they can get dressed up in their halloween costumes !

We will also be doing our Pumpkin HIIT class and a family Halloween Yoga class! on Saturday 27th October – more details to follow!

Last week we also had our first men on mats pilates class – which was really busy. I think they really didn’t know what to expect, but they all did brilliantly . They all seemed to really enjoy it and hopefully all coming back!

By the end of the year Little Mis Fit will be full time – eek, I’m not going to lie , I am so nervous to leave my corporate 9-5 Travel job with its steady pay check and benefits – I only work there two days now but its still nerve racking taking that leap into full time self employment . I have to try though and life is indeed what happens at the end of your comfort zone so its time to spread my butterfly wings and fly. I’ll definitely be sharing my journey here on my blog for those of you that want to follow along. Maybe you are on a similar journey or maybe you would love to do something you are passionate about for a career so maybe my journey might help you in some way.

This weekend I’m off on a little trip to the Busy Bee Studio in Durham with my friend Erin, for a browse around their Halloween/Autumn goodies. Erin has been telling me about this shop for ages and they have three big shopping weekends – one end of September, one end of October and one end of November . I’m so excited. as they keep posting teasers on Instagram of the shop and all the amazing products. Check out their Instagram @busybeestudio.co.uk. I’ll try and Instastory on our trip there , and I’ll definitely be sharing anything I purchase.

Love

Joanne x

Spooktacular October at Little Mis -Fit

Hey Guys,

Right I feel I have said this so often this year , but honestly I can not believe another month is almost over!. I mean its October next week! – October ! . Though I admit , I do love Halloween month, I’ll will definitely be gong in the loft to get my Halloween décor out in the next week or so . I got some fab Halloween mugs last week from Tk MAX. – what about you guys? – do you decorate your home for Autumn/Halloween? . if you follow me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo- I’m sure I’ll be doing some Insta stories on my autumn/Halloween décor.

October at Little Mis-Fit we will see some timetable changes! . Injecting some new classes.
We will be bringing Barre classes to the time table . Barre is a combination of taking ballet moves and fusing them with pilates and yoga moves to help strengthen and tone the entire body and we can also make it a HIIT style workout too – welcome to Barre BURN!!. If any of you would like to get a pair of 1kg weights to bring along to these classes , to add in an extra challenge to the workout, then it would add an extra challenge.
You can get these from Sports Direct, Argos , Amazon etc. Don’t worry you will still be able to do the classes without these , it just adds that little extra to your workout and of course Christmas party dress season is right around the corner . I am also
going to bring a boxing style class back on a Saturday morning , as we have been boxing past couple weeks and I know some of you miss it.

We will also have a Small group training starting Mid October , which will take us to the end of November – right in time for Party season. Please let me know if you would be interested in a place.

Pilates Small Group will also be back Mid October though this often sells out pretty quickly!.

From January , I will also be looking at running some day time Small group sessions so please let me know if this would be something you would be interested in. these will be in addition to the evening sessions.

We will also be doing a Halloween special Family Yoga class on Saturday 27th October!. Of Course Halloween fancy dress will be highly encouraged!.

Mis- Fit Christmas party – I am looking at options, so will send a separate email and see what the preference is.

From 1st October our Timetable will be as follows:-

Monday

– Barre Burn 6.30pm-7pm @ North Durham Academy. £4
– Pilates 7pm-7.45pm £6

or do both classes for £8

Tuesday

Barre Burn 7pm-7.30pm @ Tesco, Consett

Wednesday

Pilates 0945am-1030am @ Annfield Plain church £6
and
Pilates for mam and tots 1030-1115am @ Annfield Plain church £7

Thursday

Barre Pilates 6.45pm-7.30pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall £6.50

Men on Mats Pilates 7.30pm – 8.15pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall £6

Friday

Pilates 6.30pm-7.15pm @ Annfield Plain Church £6

Saturday

Boxing Blast 9am-9.30am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £4
and
Family Yoga 1015am-11am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £7

October class passes

Passes will be on sale 1st October

8 session pass – £24

12 session pass – £45

Unlimited Monthly pass – £55

We also have our online classes – just £10 per month. Access is via a private facebook group . two new workouts added each week – Hiit classes, Piit style, barre classes , pilates /yoga style. so a wide variety . The workouts can be done at home, at a time that suits you.

We also have a couple daytime slots for 1-1 Pilates sessions . These can be done 1-1 , or maybe a couple friends or with your mam/sister etc. get in touch if you would be interested

Wishing you all a spooktacular October !!

Joanne 💕

My new feeling Wicked and Happy Haunting mugs from TK Maxx!.