Tag: sobriety

✨2026 let’s Sober Glow!

January 1, 2026

Hello my beautiful Glow Getters,

Happy 2026!!!

January can feel full of pressure – new goals, new habits, new expectations. But this year lets do things differently…..
Not from punishment.
Not from restriction.
But from care and compassion.

This month’s Sober Glow Newsletter is here to support you through Dry January (or sober curiosity), gentle self-care, and setting yourself up for a calmer, clearer year ahead. Its about adding new routines not restrictions and I am here to help you every step of the way!

Let’s begin ✨

Top Tips for Dry January

Whether you’re doing Dry January for the first time or you’re a seasoned sober soul, these tips will help you feel supported — not deprived.

1. Focus on what you’re gaining, not what you’re giving up.
Clear mornings, better sleep, calmer skin, more energy, no regrets or embarrassment.

2. Create an evening ritual.
Swap the wine glass for a mocktail, herbal tea, journaling, skincare, or an early night. I love a cosy early night complete with a face mask, hot chocolate and Netflix! It’s time to do things differently and really discover what helps you relax and wind down after a busy day.

3. Eat well and hydrate more than usual.
Alcohol withdrawal can feel like tiredness or sugar cravings so nourish yourself through it. Let yourself have the sweet treats especially in the early days.

4. Move your body gently.
Walks, stretching, yoga or strength training, any movement boosts mood and motivation. When I first quit drinking in the early days I promised myself I would walk everyday as I wasn’t at a gym – but it was a little promise to myself to get out there and move.

5. Plan ahead for social moments.
Luckily for anyone trying Dry Jan for the first time, its a period when we normally dont have a lot of socialising in our diary. See this as an opportunity to try new healthy activities, join a gym, try a new class or a new hobby. If you do have social events in the diary then plan ahead. Know what you’ll drink, what you’ll say, and give yourself permission to leave early.

6. Track how you feel.
Not just physically, emotionally too. Awareness is powerful. In the Ten Day Soberglow tracker there is a section where you can jot down your thoughts and journal.

7. Remember: you don’t have to decide forever.
Just decide for today, there is a lot to be said for the saying “one day at a time” – it really helps you get through each day if you are struggling.

📝 Your 10-Day Tracker

If you’re someone who loves structure, reflection and gentle accountability, I’ve created a 10-Day Sober Glow Tracker to help you stay focused and motivated.

It’s designed to help you track:
✨ How you’re feeling
✨ Your energy & mood
✨ Your self-care rituals
✨ Your sober wins (big or small)

👉

10 day soberglow trackerDownload

📚 January Read of the Month

January is the perfect time for a book that feels grounding, inspiring and gently motivating — something that supports your mindset without pressure.

This month’s pick is all about clarity, self-awareness and starting again with intention.
A reminder that you don’t need to overhaul your whole life — just take the next right step.

👉 The Universe Has Your Back – Gabrielle Bernstein

The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein is a gentle reminder to release fear and trust the journey you’re on. This book encourages you to soften, let go of control, and choose peace, especially during times of change or new beginnings.

Shop here – https://amzn.to/4biraxc

🥬My Soberglow Smoothie

This is my go-to kind of January nourishment — fresh, energising and kind to your body, plus it feels like its feeding your skin too!

Green smoothies are brilliant for:
✨ Supporting digestion and boosting essential vitamins
✨ Boosting energy
✨ Nourishing skin
✨ Reducing sugar cravings

How to make it:
Add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth, and enjoy!

👉 Frozen Mango/pineapple, frozen spinach, apple, greens powder, turmeric powder, greek yoghurt, seeds and honey

✨Your Sober Glow Starts Here

One of the biggest changes I noticed when I stopped drinking was my skin — but what really transformed it was consistency, kindness, and ritual.

I’ve shared my simple morning skincare routine over on YouTube, designed to:
✨ Wake the skin up gently
✨ Support hydration and glow
✨ Reduce puffiness and dullness
✨ Create a calm, intentional start to the day

This routine isn’t about perfection or having lots of time, it’s about taking five quiet minutes to care for yourself before the world asks anything of you.

Your morning sets the tone for your whole day, and this little ritual is one of my favourite ways to choose myself first. check out my You tube channel for lot of sober and skincare tips…….

👉 https://youtu.be/kRypquBvGwY?si=c1vhYzxnByvIRo5D

🌿 Glow With Tropic — Join My Team and share your sober glow!

If you love clean beauty, self-care and empowering other women, joining Tropic could be a life-changing next step – which came naturally to me after I got sober. At a time I was looking for toxin free beauty and skincare and really thinking about what I was putting on my skin and in my body, the business side of things was never planned! It all happened organically – which is what I love about it, zero pressure!

What you get when you join:
✨ The Tropic Starter Kit filled with bestselling skincare & our founding product, the gorgeous Body Smooth!
✨ 25% off all your own products
✨ Flexible – work online, in person or both. Zero targets or pressure, you have full control and can do as little or as much as you want to do!
✨ A supportive community of Glow Sisters – I have around 100 ladies on the team now and its all grown organically from customers who LOVE the products, and we have quite a few sober glow ladies on there now too!
✨ Personal guidance from me as your mentor – I will be with you every step of the way!!

If you’d love more info, just reach out, I’d love to support you on your Tropic Sober Glow Journey! AND IN JANUARY WE WILL HAVE A NEW STARTER OFFER – message me to find out more!

💛 A Gentle Reminder

You don’t need to become a whole new person this month.
You just need to take care of the one you already are and focus on being sober this January.

Small steps.
New Routines.
Daily self-respect.

That’s the Sober Glow way!

Thank you for being here and walking this journey with me.
Every month I’ll be dropping into your inbox with sober tips, self-care, skincare, mocktails and all the glow you need.

If you enjoyed this January edition, please share with your sober sisters and your socials. Don’t forget to leave a comment or send me a message to let me know what you think – I love hearing from you.

Please check out my linktree https://linktr.ee/soberglowgetter and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/soberglowgetter/ for other ways to connect. I am here for you every step of your sober glow journey.

Big Love

Angie xx

Here’s to a clear, calm, glowing start to the year.

Sober Glow Newsletter

November 21, 2025

NOVEMBER EDITION

Your monthly dose of sober strength, glowing skin, clean beauty, mocktails & motivation.

Hello Sober Glow Getters!

Welcome to the very first edition of my monthly Sober Glow Newsletter , something I’ve wanted to create for such a long time but you know how busy this sober lifestyle gets! Today I am celebrating 9 YEARS SOBER and I thought it’s the perfect time to launch my monthly newsletter!

Every month, you’ll get a blend of:

✨ My top sober tips
✨ Skincare & makeup recommendations
✨ A “mocktail of the month”
✨ A motivating read
✨ A glow-boosting self-care ritual
✨ Info on joining my Glow Sisterhood
✨ Plus a sneak peek at Tropic’s latest offers

I’m so excited to bring us all together in one space to support, inspire, and lift each other through this beautiful sober self-care lifestyle.

🌱 My Top 9 Tips for 9 Years Sober

Today marks 9 years alcohol-free – I can not belive its been 9 years, it feels like I have created a whole new me in that time! 9 years of clarity, peace, strength and creating a life I love 😍

I am always getting messages asking for my top tips so here are the nine tips that have helped me the most on my sober jounrey:

1. Romanticise your sober life.
Make it feel special and make it a priority! Especially in those early days create cosy rituals, make time for you and make YOU and your recovery a priority.

2. Treat self-care as non-negotiable.
Self care is so important and it really is how we take our power back – from an early night with a hot chocolate and a book or Netflix, promising yourself a walk every day, healthy food and new recipes, a long hot bath and pamper night, taking yourself on a date – for a coffee or the cinema. Its all about doing the things that YOU want to do and MAKING yourself a priority.

3. Know your triggers & plan ahead.
Preparation removes pressure. When I quit I was determined to keep all the Christmas dates in my diary, I just thought if I can get through these sober and the whole of Christmas I can get through anything. BUT I had a few tools in my tool box to help, some people were more than happy with me saying I had an early morning start so was driving, whilst others wouldn’t take that as an answer so a couple of times I would say I was on antibiotics. It worked!

I made sure that food was involved! Sitting and enjoying lovely food was a novelty to me as I always ate less to drink more, food was an inconvenience!

Make sure you have your AF drinks in stock too – at the start of my sober journey these helped me a lot.

4. Don’t isolate — connect.
Find supportive people and uplifting spaces. This can be online or in person – for me a lot of my support has been on line. Just find your people, the people who light you up! Who give you the good energy, the good vibes, they don’t have to be sober but they need to lift you up on your journey.

5. Move your body for your mind.
Exercise is therapy. Exercise has been my go to since day one of my journey, even if it meant just getting out for a walk in those early days. Now I workout most days and push myself with weights and cardio and have even signed up to the Manchester Hyrox in January! Mentally it just keeps me on track and if you want more proof just read these stats……..

Exercise releases natural mood boosters (serotonin, dopamine, endorphins).

Just 15 minutes a day can reduce depression risk by 26%.

Movement reduces anxiety by up to 30%.

Improves sleep by 65%, which massively boosts mood.

Regular exercisers have 43% fewer low-mood days.

6. Replace the glass with a ritual.
Mocktails, tea, AF fizz, whatever you fancy but one thing I have realised is the GLASS is more important than the drink! I still LOVE a gorgeous big glass even if its full of something simple like a sparkling water or diet coke – its all about the glass!

7. Celebrate every milestone.
Small or huge, acknowledge it all. At the start of my journey my goal was a sober Christmas and then 100 days, then 6 months, a year and every year after that! Celebrate your sober milestones with a little treat to YOU (or a big treat) I’m planning on a mini break next year for my ten years! This year I have finally got myself a coffee machine that I have wanted for ages – in the early days I would just have a day off work and go for lunch! Big or small celebrate it all! And don’t forget if you are looking for selfcare treats, I am your girl!

8. Educate yourself.
Keep learning, growing, and staying empowered. Our sober journeys are an ongoing path of self development and self discovery – podcasts, books, inspiring Instagram accounts, new challenges and pushing yourself out of that comfort zone is really what its all about.

9. Remember: you’re not losing anything, you’re gaining everything.
My sober journey really has been the gift that keeps on giving, I literally put down the glass and picked up a new life!! And you can do the same!

🍸 Mocktail of the Month: Glow & Berries Spritz

Ingredients:

  • Sparkling water or alcohol-free fizz
  • A splash of raspberry cordial or AF mulled wine cordial
  • Frozen berries
  • Fresh mint
  • Ice

How to make it:
Fill your glass with ice, pour your fizz, add cordial, berries, and mint.
Refreshing, simple, and perfect for a cosy night in-all the festive vibes without the hangover!

✨ 5-Minute Gua Sha Facelift Ritual

I shared this demo on my socials earlier this month and had great feed back! From the drinking me who would very rarely wash her face at the end of the night (normally too drunk, tired or both!) I absolutely love having a good skincare routine and this is an essential part of mine!

Why I love it:
A Gua Sha routine helps reduce puffiness, softens tension, boosts circulation and gives you that natural “calm glow”. It’s a beautiful way to reconnect with yourself at the end of the day and even repeat a couple of positive affirmations as you do it.

👉 5 Minute Gua Sha Routine

📚 Motivating Read of the Month:

The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley

When I started my sober journey, Clare’s words were like a lifeline – honest, funny, emotional and so real. She helped me feel seen, supported and understood in a way I didn’t even know I needed.

Clare has been one of my biggest inspirations, and I’m so honoured to be mentioned in the acknowledgements. It’s something I’ll always treasure.

If you’re sober or sober-curious, this book is uplifting, relatable and full of hope.
A beautiful reminder that life on the other side of alcohol is brighter, calmer and so much more you.

Get your copy here!

🌿 Glow With Tropic — Join My Team and share your sober glow!

If you love clean beauty, self-care and empowering other women, joining Tropic could be a life-changing next step – which came naturally to me after I got sober. At a time I was looking for toxin free beauty and skincare and really thinking about what I was putting on my skin and in my body, the business side of things was never planned! It all happened organically – which is what I love about it, zero pressure!

What you get when you join:
✨ The Tropic Starter Kit filled with bestselling skincare & our founding product, the gorgeous Body Smooth!
✨ 25% off all your own products
✨ Flexible – work online, in person or both. Zero targets or pressure, you have full control and can do as little or as much as you want to do!
✨ A supportive community of Glow Sisters – I have around 100 ladies on the team now and its all grown organically from customers who LOVE the products, and we have quite a few sober glow ladies on there now too!
✨ Personal guidance from me as your mentor – I will be with you every step of the way!!

If you’d love more info, just reach out, I’d love to support you on your Tropic Sober Glow Journey!

🎁 Tropic’s Give Back Friday Offer!

This months offer is truly special one of our most generous yet with something for you and our Charities! click the link below to find out more

👉 www.tropicskincare.com/angiefairclough

See You Next Month for lots of festive top tips for a sober Christmas to remember!

Thank you for being here and walking this journey with me.
Every month I’ll be dropping into your inbox with sober tips, self-care, skincare, mocktails and all the glow you need.

If you enjoyed this November edition, please share with your sober sisters and your socials. Don’t forget to leave a comment or send me a message to let me know what you think – I love hearing from you.

Please check out my linktree https://linktr.ee/soberglowgetter and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/soberglowgetter/ for other ways to connect. I am here for you at every step of your sober glow journey.

Keep glowing 🌟

Love Angie xx

“Top 5 Tips for a Sober Holiday!”

June 11, 2025

Welcome back!

Last month I celebrated 8 and a half years of sobriety, and marked the occasion by starting up my own YouTube channel! Its the perfect place for me to chat all things Sobriety, Selfcare, Skincare, Health and wellness – how to THRIVE in sobriety and not just survive.

Something I get asked a LOT, is how do I holiday sober? One of my latest posts is all about this and you can listen to it here Subscribe here

With over 8 years of sobriety under my belt, I know first hand that holidays can bring unique challenges when you’re alcohol-free. BUT they can also be the most beautiful, clear, recharging and refreshing times when you’re present and prepared.

Here are my Top 5 Sober Holiday Tips to help you build your sober toolbox and enjoy a holiday you’ll actually remember — hangover free!

1. Remember Your Why

  • Reconnect with the reason you chose a sober life — your health, your peace, your relationships, your freedom.
  • Write it down, keep a reminder on your phone, or say it out loud before big events.
  • When temptation arises, your “why” becomes your anchor.

2. Do Things Differently

  • Break old patterns. If holidays used to revolve around alcohol, try a fresh approach.
  • Choose new destinations, activities, or people that align with your sober lifestyle.
  • Shift the focus from drinking to experience, connection, and self-care.

3. Stay Connected to the New You

  • Keep routines that support your sobriety: journaling, walks, skincare, meditation — whatever keeps you grounded.
  • Don’t leave your sober self at home when you pack your suitcase!
  • Be proud of the version of you that’s showing up fully present.

4. Enjoy It ALL!

  • You’re not missing out. You’re gaining so much more: energy, memory, real joy.
  • Savour the mornings, the conversations, the food, the laughter — all without the fog.
  • Celebrate the freedom of living authentically and Feeling amazing and hangover free.

5. Play It Forward

  • If you feel tempted, fast-forward in your mind to how you’ll feel after a drink; the regret, the hangover, the lost progress.
  • Then play forward your sober choice; the pride, the clarity, the peace.
  • Use visualization as a powerful mindset tool to stay on track.

Holidays are for making memories, not losing them. They are all about coming home feeling refreshed, recharged and relaxed – not coming home needing another holiday!

With these tips in your sober toolkit, you can travel, celebrate, and live your best life with clarity and confidence.

Other things I have been loving this month……………..

New Tropic Makeup! Visit my shop link or message me to find out more www.tropicskincare.com/angiefairclough

PLUS this is very exciting…….My VIP Sober glow summer bundle offer, perfect for that sober getaway! This is only available direct through me so just message me to order!

Ten Month Transformation 10 month update on my fitness journey and I am finally starting to see the result!! Head over to my Sober Glow insta post for all the info.

And also I have finally set the date for our Sober Glow Summer social in Manchester, I would love to see you there! We have approx 5 spaces left – its the perfect opportunity to connect and share the sober inspo in person.

PLUS if you would like a Sober Glow self care pack posting out just let me know and I will get one to you. (Free if you are in the UK)

If you have any top tips for a sober holiday then please let me know in comments or share them on my you tube channel – I would love to hear from you.

As always your support means the world to me, and I promise to keep my blog more upto date for you! I now have lots of ways we can connect…….

Instagram

You Tube

Shop link 💚

Email – Weightsnotwine@gmail.com

Looking forward to sharing the Soberglow support with you!

Big Love

Angie xxx

Sober Lockdown Lowdown…………

June 13, 2020

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How is lockdown life treating you?

Can you believe we are now entering our 13th week of lockdown – I know rules have been relaxed ‘slightly’ but we are still living in a totally different world than the beginning of the year!

I am not going to lie – some times have been so hard!  And the reason for me not blogging as often as I wanted too was because I have put off thinking about anything in any depth!  My life has been in a little bubble of juggling  the girls at home, being mega busy with Tropic, redecorating the house (well my husband has but its still something extra to deal with!) and just trying to maintain my exercise regime and control my chocolate intake.  I am sure this list is just like the list from so many other people – we are all in this together, each with our own set of problems that lockdown brings.

I mentioned in a past post A letter to my readers…………. that one of my main stresses and triggers is not knowing what is happening and plans being changed.  2020 was going to be such an amazing year – I had so much planned.  I had done a mood board in December last year, full of all my hopes, goals and  dreams for the year ahead.  It was the first time I had ever done a mood board and I felt pretty proud of it,  its got pride of place in my office just next to my desk where I can look at it all the time and remind myself of what I want to achieve this year.

Well as the lockdown days turned into weeks, I can not tell you how much I have wanted to throw this mood board out of the window!  It has caused me so much stress, showing me all of my plans and dreams that have had to be cancelled for this year.

Like so many people I have spoken to lockdown has created a roller-coaster of emotions, and I have been exactly the same.  Some days feeling so positive that I have done so much, and other days not even getting out of my pj’s and being amazed that I’ve manged to just feed the kids.  Apart from my girls being my reason for everything, the other two things that have got me through those days have been my job – everything about Tropic is positive plus some sort of exercise, even just walking the dog.  But paramount in all of this is that even at my lowest point I didn’t pick up a drink!  Believe me some days I would have happily escaped how I felt with a bottle or two of Pinot.

It was around the 21st May – my sober milestone of  three and a half years sober, that my mindset began to change.   I took a step back and started to look at the positives, the main one being I had got through all of this SOBER.  The positivity I got from my Insta page was just unbelievable, plus I am in a Facebook group called The Alcohol Experiment – I think I got over 600 likes and a hundred  of comments –  It was seriously a gamechanger for me.  My mindset changed over night – I had a really good chat with myself, I needed to get a grip, I was inspiring other people.  People were looking at me and watching – I needed to be strong for them.  You guys – my followers, ,my sober warriors, I needed to be strong for you !

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I now accept that things are far from ideal, and we are a long way from ‘normal’ life and seeing our loved ones with no restrictions.  Yes we have had to cancel or postpone a lot of things we had planned but these things will happen and we will cherish them even more.

So when I look at my mood board now, I am slowly starting to love it again.  Mood boards ideally should cover 5 areas of your life, Career, Home, Relationship, Travel and Wellbeing/growth.  They help you find your direction and set your goals.  The idea is that you look at your board regularly and those things should manifest in your life – it’s the perfect example of the power of positivity.

And now that I can bring myself to look at my board again without wanting to smash it into a million pieces I can see that I HAVE achieved some of the things on there without even thinking about it.

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Career – I wanted to grow my little business and become a Manager – I have now got a team of 11, my business has doubled in size and I have definitely smashed working from home! my mood board has a photo of Alan Sugar and Susie Ma, who I was meant to meet in March as I was promoted to manager but will no doubt now meet next year.

 

Home –  I wanted to make my home more cosy, redecorate, and just focus on enjoying time at home and making it a safe place, somewhere that my girls want to be as they grow up.  Well that has certainly come true in lockdown – My picture on my board was fairy lights and people snuggled by the fire with hot chocolate whoch has been a very regular lockdown scene!

Relationship – My plan was to make more time for US, more date nights and time on our own.  That hasn’t happened at all, more like the opposite but we HAVE supported each other through this and the different challenges we have faced. My husband is my rock which I have always known, but this past few months have really highlighted and reminded me, we are a real team, best friends.  Plus he’s amazing at decorating -ha!

Travel – We have had holidays rebooked, cancelled, rebooked! And I really miss holidays.  But we do have a huge list of what we want to do and where we want to go when all of this is over, and I feel like holidays will feel extra special.

Wellbeing/Growth – The sober me LOVES challenges and pushing myself out of my comfort zone ( read my past post You Didnt Come This Far To Only Come This Far!)and I had planned a sky dive at 45 for my 45th Birthday (still time to do that!) My picture showed two skydivers with the quote “Take Every Risk Drop Every Fear”

Being a Bodypump Instructor and as you know I love my weights, I also had a picture that said “Lifting weights doesn’t make people huge, cup cakes make people huge!” And after a couple of months of more chocolate and cake and less weights – yes that’s true!

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So guys all is not lost, giving up is not an option.  2020 can still be a good year.

If this is you right now and you are struggling, please just take a step back and see how far you have come.  You owe it to yourself not to give up.  And if you are In the early days of sobriety you are a sober Rockstar and I salute you – remember we didn’t come this far to only come this far.  Lockdown has taken so much away from us – don’t let it take your positivity, pride and sobriety.

If you have never made a mood board – try it!  Such a positive thing to do and it gives you something to focus on if nothing else.  Think of what you want to fit into this next six months of 2020!

How have you survived lockdown, any tips or advice – please let me know in comments

Find me on Instagram @soberglowgetter for all things sober!

Love Angie xx

 

 

 

 

SOBER SELF CARE

April 6, 2020

 

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Hey guys how are things going?

This lockdown is certainly messing with my head, from being pretty upbeat and positive 99% of the time I’m feeling pretty up and down at the minute.  But I’m guessing its normal and totally to be expected with everything that’s going on.

A huge hands in the air for the soberistas who are in the early days, what a testing time and you are smashing it!  I got an amazing comment on my last post from Sarah who was on day 25 – wow that is something huge in the current climate.  At over 40 months sober I am serious when I say I would struggle if I was starting now – so a massive well done guys – if we can get through this sober I’m thinking we can get through anything!

The hardest part for me is that my routine is upside down, my days normally fly by and at the moment they are dragging.  I am physically not as active, so yes I am working out everyday and walking the dog every day but for the rest of the day I am sat down a lot, either with the kids, watching tv or sat in the garden – When normally I am flying around everywhere.  And possibly the hardest part for me is not knowing when this will all return to normal, we haven’t got a time scale – I’m a planner I NEED to know what’s happening and when.  But you know what I’ve got to accept it is what it is and my priorities right now are keeping myself, my family, and my parents healthy and safe and that’s all I can do right now.

All of these feelings are feelings I would normally escape from by drinking.  We have all been there when its all too much and you just need to escape your own mind.  And that is the hardest part, sitting with these feelings. But just think how strong we will be when we come out of the other side – sober super heroes!

You have to find other ways to escape, other way to relax and destress and just give yourself time out.  This is when you realise how important Sober Self Care is – you have to learn new ways to let yourself escape reality and just look after yourself and recharge.

I used to think going to the corner shop for a bottle of wine or two was self care?  So believe me this is something that I have had to learn to do, but I can not begin to tell you how important self care is for you and your sobriety.  Here are some ways that I switch off and try to look after myself physically and mentally. I am still trying out new ways and ideas so feel free to comment and let me know what self care means for you guys too :-

  • This … Blogging!  Today my head was just all over the place, I have felt teary and pretty emotional but just stting down to focus on this and the contact with my readers and a feeling of giving back has just made me feel better.  Maybe start a journal, a video diary, an Instagram page or even set up a little blog yourself.
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  • Exercise – no surprise I know!!  Exercise has been my number one coping mechanism since I stopped drinking over three years ago.  I love anything with weights and occasionally running.  But you can do anything, yoga, workout dvd, power walking with the dog.  Just something to give your endorphins a boost and give you that much needed time out.  The best time to exercise I  feel is first thing in the morning before your brain knows what your body is doing, plus what a better way to make the most of those glorious hangover free mornings!
  • Pamper time – a hot bath, doing your nails, trying out new makeup, do a gradual tan or a relaxing face mask.  Since I started with Tropic I have got to admit this is now a close second to exercise for me as it feels a little like product research!  The old me would NEVER relax this way, I would occasionally go for a spray tan  before a night out but as we all know there is nothing relaxing about that!  If you would like some pampering inspiration visit  My online shop or message me and I will happily help
  • Reading – I have read some amazing books since I quit the booze and although I don’t seem to have much time to read anymore but I always make sure I have a good book for long weekends or holidays.  My go to books are inspirational books and memoirs so Noah Galloway, Jillian Michaels, Clare Pooley and Catherine Grey are just a few.
  • Netflix & Chill – I cant even begin to tell you how many films the drinking me would watch and not remember the ending, or not really focusing on the film because my glass constantly needed refilling.  I love now just getting fully immersed in a dvd or a film at the cinema and you can just totally lose yourself for a couple of hours – total heaven.
  • Early nights – never underestimate the power of an early night with a hot chocolate, especially in those early days of sobriety.  I would feel so tired and as it was winter time, I couldn’t wait to snuggle up in bed all cosy with a hot choc!  If you need to sleep – sleep!
  • Retail therapy – who doesn’t like to online shop!  Sometimes I will just spend an hour filling and emptying my basekt – dream online shopping! And if you add up how much you have saved by not drinking, you can certainly afford to treat yourself.
  • Chatting with friends, a call with an upbeat, like minded friend can totally lift your spirits or even an online catch up with your sober online support friends.

There are soooo many ways you can take time out to look after YOU which are also fab ways to distract yourself if the wine witch is calling!  And the extra bonus is that none of them give you a hangover from hell in the morning.

Let me know how you guys practice self care, any tips or ideas would be appreciated.  I know a lot of people find cooking relaxing but its the total opposite for me – lets just say I have never had the urge to channel my inner Nigella!!

Now more than ever is a time we should be making self care a priority.  It isn’t selfish its a fundamental part of our sobriety and an important part of both our physical and mental health – you have every right to just give yourself time to ………

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Take care, stay safe and stay at home – we have got this

Find me on Instagram for daily posts and sober inspo   @soberglowgetter

 Love Angie xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best View Comes After The Hardest Climb……..

July 14, 2019

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Happy Sober Sunday!!

First please let me apologise for there being such a delay in me posting – I am really sorry!!

If you are following me on Instagram you will know the reason why…….. I have been training to qualify as a Bodypump Instructor and I have finally done it, whoo hoo!!

It has taken me a lot longer than I ever thought it would do and I can safely say that Les Mills are asking for a very high standard in there assessments, down to clear instructions and millisecond timings.  The standard was much higher than I realised and it took me three attempts to get there but I finally did it. Here is my little Bodypump journey for any of you out there looking to follow the same path and become an instructor,  or just for anyone struggling right now – I hope this may help.

So my first initial training weekend was on the 30th and 31st of March (mothers day – I know, the guilt!)  This involved around 15-20 people spending two days of learning the tracks and being monitored and assessed.  On the Saturday morning I actually felt physically sick during the one hour drive to get there, I was so nervous but I really had no need to be.  There was a mixture of ages and physical abilities within the class but everyone was super friendly.  So I soon calmed down and felt relaxed with everyone.

The first thing we did was the masterclass – which was the new body pump release lead by our instructor Daniel and Damien who were the coaches.  They were amazing and easily showed us how it should be done!  After that it was a full day of practicing our tracks that we had been allocated and then teaching them to the rest of the class. So after day one I felt a lot more confident but also so tired and so hungry! (major tip – take lots of food!)

Day two was pretty much the same formation with your official assessment at the end.  Luckily we all passed and that was an amazing feeling!  Unfortunately though this feeling was short lived as you then have two months to submit full recording of you teaching the whole release to a class, scary!!!  Now two months may sound like a long time but when you include a holiday, the two weeks Easter holidays and basically just life in general getting in the way – then it really isn’t all that long.

So I learnt the release the best I could and submitted my first assessment – you then wait up to two weeks for your results (I know – the torture!)  Ten days later my result came back as a pass pending.  I was so upset, everyone else on the group seemed to be passing as we were updating a Facebook group we had set up – but no not me.  I cried for about half an hour and then thought – well I ‘ve just got to do it again!

So it took me another two weeks to keep practicing and aiming for perfection.  This time I thought it had gone better but my recording had cut out half way through so that knocked my confidence and threw me out with the timing.   But I was just at the point of thinking – sod it! I will send it in anyway and hope for the best.  Guess what- Les Mills don’t want that attitude they want confidence from instructors and they want your recording to run smooth and lets be honest almost perfectly.  So once again I got a pass pending.

Now this time my confidence was really knocked.  All of the self doubt started creeping in – I am too old to be doing this – I’m not good enough – its all a big mistake – its not for me – I cant do it????  Honestly I was so close to giving up and ready to wave my dream of being a bodypump instructor goodbye!!  I was 99% sure I would not be going to submit for assessment again.  My email with the result had come on a Friday and that weekend I had to dig so deep to not stay in bed for 48 hours.  I was gutted, that gutted feeling where you want to escape from being you – that gutted feeling where only sleep or alcohol will allow you to escape.

But I kept myself busy, the kids had netball matchers and we had other stuff that needed doing like cleaning the house!  I also had a really good chat with Damien who was one of the instructors on the training weekend – now talking to him was a game changer for me! He was and is so positive and convinced me to go and shadow him at his gym and told me that I HAD to submit for a third time.

So I did – I went to his classes and his enthusiasm sparked the fire back in me – I became so determined – this is what I want to do and I am not going to stop until I am qualified! For the next couple of weeks I had never done so many squats, lunges and deadlifts in my life.  I recorded myself,  recorded all of my practice classes until I knew the routine inside out and most importantly the timing.  For the first time I sent my recording in feeling CONFIDENT – I honestly felt like I couldn’t have done any better – and after another ten days of torturous waiting …………..yes,  you guessed it I PASSED!

When I opened the email confirming that i was now qualified – the feeling was the best!  The fact that it had taken blood sweat and tears to get their (literally) made it all the more amazing when I finally got there!  And you know what I believe its definitely made me a better instructor now.  I worked so so hard to get there I will never just take it for granted. Les Mills you are a hard act to follow but the constructive criticism and rigorous assessment that you gave me has certainly been for the best and I am so proud to be a Les Mills instructor.

I feel like I have got so much more out of this than a qualification.  I have learnt how important it is to not give-up, no matter how difficult things get.  I will be 32 months sober next week and honestly I have found my sober journey easier than my body pump journey!  But I don’t think I could have one without the other – the drinking me could only dream of achieving something like this and would have given up at the very first hurdle.

I have always said that giving up drinking is only the start of your journey and it is so true.  My challenges used to be just getting through a weekend without a drink, or even one night without a drink!  But now it has slowly led to me challenging myself both physically and mentally and although it sounds dramatic saying that getting sober has changed my life – it really has because it has changed how I feel and my mindset.  I want to fight now for the things I really want in life and I know I have the strength to not give up until I get there.

I will apologise in advance because you are now going to be singing this all night but in the words of Miley Cyrus :

“It ain’t about how fast I get there, ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side – its the climb!”

So to anyone reading this and you are struggling with the early days or million day ones of sobriety – just remember this one thing DO NOT GIVE UP – you will get there.  And if you have a few months of sobriety under your belt and you are starting to want to change certain things about yourself, in your life or challenge yourself in different ways – go for it -you can do it!

I am hopefully going to get back on track with my blogging, although I have just received the Bodypump 110 programme which is now being released, so the learning has started all over again!  Just like my sober journey – things are changing and challenging me all the time!

I hope you’ve had a lovely hangover free weekend and if not and you are looking for help and inspiration then read through my other posts and don’t forget to find me on Instagram  @Liftingweightsnotwine 

Love Angie xx

 

I’m Still Here – Please Don’t Leave Me!

March 13, 2019

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Hey there – happy warrior Wednesday guys!!!

I am feeling so so so bad! I havent blogged for so long and it makes me feel really guilty.  All of you who have bothered to follow me are so important to me and my sober journey, and hopefully I am important to you on yours?

Life at the moment is pretty much going at a million trillion miles an hour and I am struggling to keep it all together – unfortunately my blogging has taken a back seat and I am sorry.

So a quick update with things – I have finally stopped my ironing business, woo hoo!  My job as a Tropics Skincare Ambassador is just going from strength to strength and I am doing so well I have been given the opportunity to meet Susie Ma and Lord Sugar at the Tropics headquarters – I cant tell you how excited I am about that!  And finally I have passed my theory Exercise To Music course and will be doing the BodyPump course in two weeks – all this plus kids, a crazy labrador puppy and trying to get in my best shape ever – lets just say I have been struggling to fit anything else in!

And you know what, I am not for one second complaining because I would rather have ALL this going on than being stood at my ironing board, Monday to Friday, counting down to wine o’clock day in day out!  Bring on the crazy new me and my sober journey because it really is the gift that keeps on giving!

Is anyone else feeling the same? Does anyone else feel that their life is changing at a crazy rate – in a good way! All because you have stopped drinking and started to chase the things you love to do in life and become the person you want to be.

When it comes to my blog,my baby!  Which is a huge source of sober support for me – please just stick with me.

Everything I am doing now is leading me to give you better posts, I can hopefully look at having my own exercise and sober support programme by the end of the year.   I want to set up a sober on line shop that will include gym t-shirts, sober rewards and all of the lovely Tropics pamper products for you to be able to purchase once you hit your milestones – big and small!

I also want to rewind back to the start of my sober journey for you guys out there in the early days, to help with social outings, friends, weight loss and sober self-care etc

So please stick with me guys!!

In the meantime I am still posting nearly everyday on Insta for sober inspo and motivation so please find me @ lifting weights not wine

Don’t forget you can email or DM me anytime, I love hearing from you and will reply every time!!

Lets carry on  this crazy sober journey of following our hearts and becoming the best version of  us!

Lots Of Love

Angie xx

27 Months Today!

February 21, 2019

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Today marks 27 months of my sobriety.  Not sure what that is in days so I just keep ticking the months off!!

I’m not really celebrating as such but as its half term I am going to the cinema with my girls to watch a film, with a Macdonald’s for lunch as an extra treat!

Recently I have been talking about the big changes that have been happening in my life since I stopped drinking  including moving into a different career.  And without a doubt my biggest change in my life is in my fitness and health, both of which have improved dramatically.  These are the BIG things, but the little things are just as important to!

I have mentioned previously about the guilt I used to have in the past and the increasing levels of guilt that I had as my children got older and would start to notice my drinking and hangovers.  These times made me want to change, made me want to stop so much but I just couldn’t.

A couple of these times that have really stuck with me when I felt particularly bad are linked to the cinema.  Once when I was so hung over after a night out that I had to leave the film after twenty minutes of it starting, much to my eldest daughters disappointment.  I had horrendous anxiety, felt sick and was convinced I was going to pass out it wasnt good.  I went home and went to bed, I felt so crap, I just felt like I had let her down so badly,  but that wasn’t enough for me to stop.

The second time was also a cinema trip.  We had booked to see Finding Dory later in the day after sunday lunch, I had a hangover from hell and found myself drinking the dregs of wine from one of the  bottles from the night before just to make me feel better and more “normal” to go and sit in the cinema.  Obviously after an hour in I  felt even worse and spent the whole film in a world of self-hatred and thinking how fast could I get to the loo to be sick.

It was about two weeks after this that I quit.  But from there was about 12 months in between these two events.  That’s a long time to feel crap about yourself and wanting to change but not having the strength to do so.

Because a lot of my posts are about positivity, change and living a life you love,  it makes me feel pretty sad when I write about the shitty times.  But it’s these times that got me to where I am today.  If by sharing this I can show one person that it’s possible then it is so worth it!

So today, I am up and on it, workout done and off to the cinema. Feeling fresh, strong and healthy knowing that I am giving my girl the best version of me.  It certainly is a million miles from how the drinking me felt.

If your reading this, how are you feeling about yourself right now?

  • Do you hate yourself or love yourself or at least are you on the journey of loving yourself?
  • Are you giving your children and your family and friends the best version of you or are you functioning at 50% suffering from hangovers and feeling drained most of the time?
  • Are you spending your time wishing you were someone else (I used to do this all the time) Why can’t I be the woman who has their life together? Whose mind isn’t obsessed with trying to control their drinking?
  • Are you proud of who you are?  I was ashamed and disappointed in myself every monday morning, EVERY SINGLE MONDAY!  I was constantly letting myself down – that’s a really horrible feeling.

 

Now all of the above are feelings that you don’t actually realise your walking around with most of the time.

Your aim is to get through the week, feed the kids, workout if your lucky, clean up, do your day job, smile at people and just tick off the boxes – day after day after day!  Your head is buried in all of that, you can’t see a way out.  You just don’t have the strength to fight away out of it to make a change.

What makes making the change even more difficult is when your drinking isn’t causing too many problems in your life.  So your drinking way more than you should be but your life looks pretty normal to other people.  So  no one is going to pull you to one side and say – your drinking is out of control you need help.  Because to the outside world you do look in control.

I didn’t tell anyone how much I hated myself at the time that was trying to quit.  To others I was the life and soul of the party and 90% of the time all happy, bubbly and smiling.  I was always the one who would get the most drunk, I would never be out without drinking, I would always want to stay out the latest, always wanted that next drink that other bottle.  But the guilt, regret and the hangover the next day was just soul-destroying.  I couldn’t understand how I seemed to be the only one who was feeling like this, everyone else seemed to just carry on as normal and didn’t have this guilt that I had.

It was only by setting up my blog and Instagram page that I realised there are so many others out there who feel exactly like I did and who are making the change to sobriety.  People sharing their own storied has given me so much support and I know from the comments I have received from followers that my story has done the same for them too.

How I was in the past,on certain days was nothing to be proud and I hated myself at times, but now I’m gradually learing to love myself and feel proud of what I’ve achieved.

How far have you come in your sober journey, in days, months or other achievements?

If you’re looking for daily sober inspo please find me on Instagram Liftingweightsnotwine

Thankyou for following my story – the sober support I have found on my blog and insta has been amazing – lets keep sharing the sober love!

Angie xx

 

 

 

 

Want A New life? Get Sober!

February 9, 2019

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Earlier this week I saw this quote on internet and it just hit me – boom!

I have had this huge guilt recently that I haven’t been blogging as much as I planned but at the moment my (new) life is just getting in the way.  And I have to keep telling myself that it’s a good thing, not a bad thing.  Life is moving at a zillion miles an hour and I just need to embrace it!

I mean – what was my other option.  My life certainly couldn’t carry on the way it was, I couldn’t carry on the way I was.  Kidding myself that I was ok, that my drinking was ok.

It is so easy to get stuck in a drinking rut, so easy to tell yourself that everything is ok, that it’s normal to feel drained, its normal to want to drink to escape who you are and what you are feeling, its ok to spending most of your weekend either drinking or thinking about drinking.

It’s not NORMAL. Its not OK.  And there is only YOU who can do something about it.

Earlier this week I posted this on my Instagram page and a couple of Facebook groups that I follow.

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I was absolutely amazed at the response!  My message was a bit more ‘tough love’ than It would normally be, but you know what a lot of people seemed to react to that in a positive way.  On the Facebook groups especially I received so many positive comments.

You really DO need to stop listening to your own bullshit and kidding yourself that your life as it now is OK.

One of the things that sobriety has shown me is that by taking alcohol away you are allowing yourself to be who you really are.  You start to discover the real you, what you REALLY enjoy doing, the people who you really want to spend your time with.  Its like unravelling the layers to discover the new you – this new life that you are slowly creating around you.  When you are drinking, your focus is on drinking – take that away and your life becomes about so much more.

Last night I realised how far I have come in my journey.  And although I have been so stressed this last couple of weeks with course work and signing up to be a tropics ambassador,  I felt like last night was my reward.  I stood in front of a group of friends and family and hosted my launch party.  I felt confident, I was in my element, I was talking about something I love and it was a huge success!  I loved it and I can’t wait to do another one.

Now rewind to the old me – at this type of party (which I had a few, it fit in with young kids, it got people together and most importantly, I could drink what I wanted in my own house) I would be taking every opportunity ti knock back the wine, constantly getting up for a top up and having another glass in the kitchen as my ‘kitchen’ drink just in case I left my glass in the other room (please tell me someone else out there has done that!!??) And I have sometimes even woken up with no idea what I have ordered??    I would NEVER have even contemplated being someone who ran these parties!  What?  a Friday night, having to drive somewhere, having to watch other people drink, and having the confidence to stand up there, with no wine and sell something nooooooo that would NEVER happen!  My wine was far to important to me, it was my ‘reward’ for a ‘tough’ week with the kids.  It was the escape that I needed,  and NOTHING would get me off the settee and away from my wine.  How ironic that it was the wine and the settee that I needed to escape from!!

Fast forward to last night and I stood up there after a large glass of Zero Point Zero fizz from Aldi and held my own party! And after lots of positive texts from my guests I’m pretty sure I smashed it!  The person I feel like now to the person I felt like then is just two totally different people.  I really do feel like my sober life is a new life and a new me.  I am slowly becoming the person who I am meant to be and doing the things I love.  I am waking up everyday feeling excited (stressed, hectic and anxious at times – yes!) but feeling as though my new life is slowly coming together and the hard work of the early days of sobriety, and the numerous day ones are paying off.

Change doesn’t happen over night.  I have seen a lot of people towards the end of Dry January saying things aren’t changing such as weight loss, energy levels etc.  But they won’t, the changes are slow, gradual but they will happen .  Not picking up the glass id the first change you need to make – the rest will follow.  You are becoming the real you, taking away the smoke screen of alcohol that tells you everything is OK.  ITS NOT OK.  And if you are reading my blog you probably already know that it’s not ok.

It doesn’t matter if your on day one or day 1000 of your sober journey.  What matters is that you stop kidding yourself and start pushing forward on your journey to discover the real you and live the life that makes you want to jump out of bed every morning (well let’s be realistic – most mornings!)

If your just starting out on your sober journey, oleo look back at some of my first posts that help with the early days Just start……….

Hope its a happy hangover free weekend for you guys and that your spending it doing something that you love.

Please find me on Instagram for daily sober inspo @liftingweightsnotwine

ANGIE xx

A sober shout out to Linda,Trish, Michelle and ….. My mum who are all on their little sober journeys and becoming sober,strong women (its only taken me 43 years to be a good influence!xxx)

 

You Didnt Come This Far To Only Come This Far!

January 25, 2019

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First of all sorry for the delay in this weeks post – gosh what a week it’s been!  To cut a long story short, my week has been taken up with two very poorly children and now a sick dog thrown into the mix too.  Seriously, dogs can catch human sick bugs, who knew!  I feel like I have been in some sort of sick zombie time warp, living in a world of Calpol, snot and sick!  Anyway the eldest has gone back into school today so I am actually up, dressed and normality seems to be resuming! (fingers crossed!)

So I actually need this post more than anyone, you guys are helping ME get some positivity flowing again today so THANKYOU!

The title of this post is a quote that I have seen a lot dotted around the soberista social sites and I LOVE IT! And you know what it’s only recently that I have truly ‘got it”, and that I really feel it.

When I first quit drinking, my focus coupled with exercise, was basically just getting through the days, weeks and months without picking up a glass of wine.  It was a year of first times to tick of my sober list – first sober Friday night, first sober weekend, first sober night out, first sober Christmas, first sober holiday, fist sober Birthday – you get the picture!  That was enough to keep me motivated and inspired me to keep going.

Fast forward to the end of the first twelve months and feeling really pleased with myself, I  remember posting my one year success on my personal Facebook page and also the lovely Clare Pooley (sober mummy) mentioning it in one of her blog posts.  Now you can imagine the response from Clares post was a lot more positive than my personal page, although a handful of close friends and family have been behind me all the way which I am SO grateful for (but that’s a whole different blog post for me to discuss at a later date!)  But basically it was Clare and the comments from other members on her blog that inspired me to set up Lifting Weights Not Wine.  So my second sober year has really been spent setting up my blog and Instagram page, but I’ve also had this feeling that I want more.  I want to change what I do on a daily basis.  I have felt restless, unsettled and frustrated – what next?

From being a Mortgage Advisor before children, to setting up my own ironing business to fit around the children when they were babies, my work has never really been something that I loved doing or felt passionate about.  It has just got me from Monday to Friday with the promise of the weekend (normally unless pregnant a boozy weekend!) getting me through the week.  But all of a sudden the sober me wasn’t happy with that, I didn’t want to just get by, waking up every morning and only really looking forward to the workout or run I could squeeze in but feeling bored and tired of my actual job.

It’s then that it CLICKED – I didn’t come this far to only come this far!

So I have slowly been putting changes in place and it feels like this year, so far that its actually happening!  I know I have mentioned my goal to be a Bodypump instructor before, that’s now all booked in to start at the end of March, but I have also now become a Tropics Skincare Ambassador.  Now both of these changes excite me, I have a passion (as you all know ) for exercise especially weights and to be able to actually teach that to people is just AMAZING for me.   The move to Tropics has come from a love of their products, which I have been using for about 8 months now.  Clean, natural skincare and cosmetics that totally fit in with the new me and my sober lifestyle, trying to be as healthy and toxic free as I can possibly be.  Both of these career changes together will eventually replace my current ironing business, which worked for me and served a purpose when the girls were babies.  But now I want to do something that I love and feel passionate about, something to wake up excited about!

Now I know these career changes are small and some people are going to work and making multi million pound business deals or managing hundreds of staff, to them this will probably look like nothing.  But these changes are HUGE to me!  They are EVERYTHING! These changes would have scared the drinking me to death and I would not have had the courage to make the change.  And lets me just point out the majority of my business will be done at pamper party’s on Friday evenings, imagine the thought of the old me leaving my wine and the settee on a Friday night! I thought  I was happy plodding through the week, living for the weekend and then spending most of it drinking and feeling hung over – dreading Monday morning.  Now I have got this new-found confidence to change ,to look for new goals, trying to be the happiest and best version of me that I can be.

So to those of you who are smashing their way through Dry January and starting to think “yes – I am actually feeling good!”  Why stop?  Why start drinking in February? Why not carry on?  Why would you want to go back? Why not see where this sober journey is going to take you? How exciting is that!!

Look if I had given up I would still be exactly where I was, I wouldn’t be making the positive changes that I am making now.  The only initial change i made was that I stopped picking up the wine glass and look how many positive things have happened as a result.  So just ask yourself, do your REALLY want to stop now?

How about any of you guys who have more than a few weeks of not drinking behind you, are there any big changes that you have made or are in the process of making? What are your plans for the sober you?

Quickly getting back to the Tropics Skincare, I’m not sure if you have heard of it but it really is a beautiful skin care and cosmetic range that I have totally fallen in love with – they promote a positive, healthy and clean image that I am all for!  Have a look and see what you think, and if you’ve a sober milestone coming up why not treat yourself!!  Don’t worry I am aware that you guys are looking for sober inspiration and not necessarily skincare advice so if you would like to  be part of a my own Tropics Facebook group where I will share videos, tips and offers then please find me on facebook @tropicswithangie or click on Tropics Skincare to go straight to my Tropics Online Shop.

 

http://www.tropicskincare/angiefairclough

I hope this post has inspired you to look at the bigger picture of not drinking, because believe me there is a bigger picture and you can make that as vibrant  and colourful as you want it to be!!

Happy sober Friday and let’s have an amazing hangover free weekend sober warriors!

Angie xx