Author: ramblingmads

I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
adventures, challenges, charity, exercise, life

Walk4 round up

ramblingmads

My feet are throbbing and I am knackered so here’s a photo round up of the walk4 Refuge. Apologies for the less than stellar photos, the sun was in my eyes and my phone was struggling.

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A quick pep talk at the beginning in sunny Wapping
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St Katherine's Marina
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Ancient and Modern London
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Giant pink balloons on the North Bank
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A church tower
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Bridge over fairly calm waters
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A glimpse of St Paul's
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Old Man Thames
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Shakespeare's Globe
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A river view
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Art boat
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Bridges
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National Theatre, South Bank
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MI6 building
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Wahaca, South Bank, yum
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South Bank Undercroft Skate Park
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Street music
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London Eye
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Houses of Parliament
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A dragon guarding The City of London
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HMS Belfast
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Coming back to the Tower
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Tower Bridge
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Last bridge of the day
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The modern city viewed from the ancient
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Gherkin meets Tower
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Medal time

The day was really good, approximately 300 people, men, women, children, dogs, took part. Every £60 raised is a night in a safe place. An incredibly vital cause, rounded off with lemonade, goodie bags and winning in the champagne raffle.

There were lots of other charity walks taking place as well, for Cancer Research, Diabetes, MS, and a very cool dapper gentleman’s vintage motorbike ride for breast cancer – they looked amazing.

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Shame all the roadworks got in the way, but I’m sure you’ll find better photos out there.

Great to see so many people raising funds for the causes they care about.

You still have time to sponsor me, while I recover from my blisters and aches.

ramblingmads

Uncategorized

Domestic Abuse can kiss my arse…

ramblingmads

When you read this I will be doing my 10k for Refuge UK – the largest domestic abuse charity in the UK. They help women and children fleeing abusive homes by providing them a safe place to stay and helping them access legal support and put their abuser away.

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My number

Sadly this is something that exists in all stratas of society, regardless of wealth, privilege and education. But because it goes on behind closed doors we are often oblivious to it. 1 in 4 women in the UK will experience some form of domestic abuse – whether it’s physical, mental, financial or sexual. That’s a staggering number. Then there are children who suffer a secondary, equally harmful abuse, despite what a lot of people seem to think, children see and hear everything – imagine the effect this must have.

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Yes, men can be victims too, and it happens in same sex relationships as well as opposite sex ones. But women are overwhelmingly the victims.

Having worked with victims of crime for the last 6 years, I have seen first hand how awful this can be. From the client who cried in our office for two hours because she was too scared to go home, to the story a women’s aid worker told me of the husband who threw his naked wife onto the street, telling her that she could leave but take nothing that belonged to him and as she hasn’t worked (he hadn’t let her) even her clothes (and by his logic) children belonged to him. These women need help to be safe to be free of the terrifying control their abusers have.

So if you would like to sponsor me – all the money goes to Refuge, I just get sore feet and blisters, please click here.

ramblingmads

beauty boxes, nail polish, nails inc, reviews

Nailbox – Spooky September

ramblingmads

I skipped August’s nailbox while I tried to use up some of my existing nail polishes, and September’s box arrived today.

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Slightly confusingly it’s Halloween themed, despite it being September, but I suppose if you’re planning an All Hallows’ party, this would give you plenty of time to practise your designs.

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As well as three polishes, there’s a set of nail design brushes, and a base coat from Nail Apothecary.

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The polishes come from a range of brands, including my fave Nails Inc, and they’re all full size. For £15 this is a good range of nail items.

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ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, haircare, latest in beauty, make up, nail polish, reviews, skincare

Latest in Beauty – Heart Beauty Essentials

ramblingmads

Latest in Beauty loves the radio as it’s collaborations with Capital FM and Heart demonstrate.

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This beauty box in conjunction with my Dad’s favourite station (he always has it blaring away in the van) is jam packed.

Bloom & Blossom Bath and Shower Gel

Dirty Works 4-in-1 Face Wipes

Kitsch Prima Ballerina Hair Ties

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Lola Electric Purple Nail Polish

Nuxe Creme Moisturizing Cream

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Mask

Roger & Gallet Lait Sorbet Bois d’Orange Body Lotion

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Rimmel London Provocalips

Philosophy the microdelivery peel

Urban Veda Hydrating Toner

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Also included are discount vouchers for some of the brands included.

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I think I will be making use of all of these goodies, most of the brands are already in my beautifying arsenal.

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, birchbox, make up, reviews, skincare

Birthday splurge

ramblingmads

Yesterday I had a meeting in town and as I was in Central London I thought I’d pop into Selfridges and spend some birthday money (the rest is reserved for shoes).

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I get serious shopping envy in Selfridges, there’s so many gorgeous things but my budget doesn’t stretch as far as I’d like.

I decided to hit up the Beauty Hall. So many gorgeous things. I made a beeline for the Clinique counter, I fancied a new chubby stick for eyes.  After scribbling a few testers on my hand, I picked shade 04 Ample Amber, a soft golden colour, perfect for all over eyelid glow or a hit of gold on my lash line.

While I was there I also picked up the face wash that goes with my sonic cleanser – a great way to get my pores scrubbed out. I also got two freebies – a chubby stick for lips in Super Strawberry and a sample of their superprimer.

Then I decided to check out the Birchbox build your own birthday pop-up. As you do.

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I couldn’t resist building a box – picking 6 samples and getting two bonus items exclusive to subscribers. I picked what I think is a good mix of goodies.

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I wandered about eyeing up the Tom Ford counter (gorgeous packaging) and trying out some new perfume ideas. If I had the cash, there would have been such a splurge!

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ramblingmads

family, life

A little love story…

ramblingmads

My grandparents celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary recently and on Sunday the entire family went out to lunch with them. It was postponed from the beginning of the month as my poor Grandad had shingles, but he’s all better now.

We gathered at the rather posh Oatlands Park Hotel in Surrey, not far from my mum’s hometown. Amusingly the ‘children’ now outnumbered the ‘adults’ at the table as both of my cousins and I brought our partners along.

Their story is sweet but also rather sad.

My Nan had a fairly tragic childhood and although it had a happy ending, her life was full of loss. She married her childhood sweetheart, Bill, at 18 and had two daughters (my mum and auntie). Bill died at 30 from Non-Hodgkins’ Lymphoma, leaving her a widow with two small children to support.

Meanwhile in Yorkshire, a young man lost his wife to cancer and decided to head out to ‘The Smoke’ to find work and start over.

My Nan was mainly raised by The Aunts, and it was Auntie Doll (a pretty kickass woman in her own right) who introduced her niece to the young man whose accent was so strong, she thought he was Scottish!

It was love at first sight, and then he met her little daughters and a family was formed. My mum and auntie were bridesmaids and got a new dad.

They are still very much in love and Grandad is one of my favourite people on the planet. He has taken such good care of my little Nanny. She hasn’t been very well in the last few years and he has done everything he can to keep her well.

Here’s to many more family get togethers and love.

ramblingmads

happy mail, lifestyle boxes, reviews

Happy Mail – the alternative to all those bills

ramblingmads

Every month the lovely Katie at I Heart Homes ships out little bundles of joy, or Happy Mail.

There are three price tiers, including postage, £10, £15, £25.

I subscribe to the lowest tier, as it fits through my letterbox and that matters when your post gets delivered in the rain and parcels left outside the door get soggy.

Each month the boxes are themed, and all the little treats are associated with the theme. For example August’s was ‘Time for Tea’.

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June's Birds & Bees box
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July's day at the beach

September’s upcoming box is ‘A Trip to Paris’, and I can’t wait for it to arrive.

To subscribe, or buy past boxes or any of the lovely things in the shop, visit the website.

ramblingmads

clean eating, food, healthy, recipes

Make this tonight: lettuce gratin

ramblingmads

This is a great way to get more veggies into your diet, and can be vegan or vegetarian as well. It’s adapted from a far more complicated Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall recipe previously published in the Guardian newspaper.

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Photo from The Guardian

Ingredients

Cos type lettuces (I use two baby gems)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
Celery
Peas
Spring onions
Pancetta cubes
Parmesan cheese
Bread crumbs (I used Japanese panko)

Wash and chop the lettuce, drain thoroughly. Toss with oil, salt and pepper. Put it in a casserole dish. Roast at 200°c for 25 minutes – keep an eye on it, do not let it burn.

While the lettuce roasts, wash and chop your celery and spring onions. Fry them in a pan with the pancetta, add the peas (I use them from frozen), season with pepper (if not using pancetta you could add a little salt).

Remove the lettuce from the oven, scatter the veg and pancetta over the lettuce. Reserve any liquid in the pan.

Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the gratin. Fry the breadcrumbs lightly in the preserved oil and fat. Scatter over the gratin. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese and brown the breadcrumbs.

Serve on its own or with some crusty bread.

To make it vegetarian/vegan omit the pancetta, and switch the Parmesan for a dairy free hard cheese. You can add any other veggies that appeal too.

ramblingmads

life

Things I’ve learnt since I was 18

ramblingmads

Updating my CV this week as I start job hunting in earnest I looked at the list of exams I took as a teenager and thought about how much has changed since then.

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Why do the things I learnt at school, learnt to pass a standardized test that tells you nothing about me now, matter so much to employers. I have 12 GCSEs, 3 A Levels, a Bachelor’s Degree and a Masters. But employers always seem to ask about those things 16 year old me did, not the 29 year old me now.

Teenagers are by nature idiots. They can’t help it, the risk assessing part of your brain doesn’t develop till your 20s, so you do unbelievably stupid things. I know I did. Then you grow up.

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The things we knew at 16 or 18, the exams we passed (or didn’t) have such a major impact on our futures, but should we really be relying on teenagers to make those decisions. I picked an A Level subject I ended up hating, and dropped one I was passionate about, because it looked better, now I know I should have followed my passion.

Who on earth decided 18 year olds are the best people to decide their futures? I almost failed my A Levels, teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown as I was (boy, was that a fun way to spend my summer), but the things I’ve learnt since then, surely they should matter more.

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Me at 18, i don't recognise this girl anymore

I don’t mean just academically, I have learnt how to be a person, hold responsibility, the difference between Direct Debits and standing orders (go me!) as well as plenty of other things.

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As my twenties come to an end, and more of my friends get married, have kids, buy houses, have we cracked adulthood? Doesn’t that matter more than who we were at 18?

ramblingmads

beauty, beauty boxes, fashion, glossybox, haircare, make up, reviews

Glossybox Style Edition

ramblingmads

September is a month of Fashion Weeks all over the globe in glamorous locations (New York, London, Milan, Paris…) and Glossybox have themed this month’s box for the most stylish month in the fashion calendar.

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The box is beautifully decorated, and features five full size items to get you ready for the new fashion season.

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Pink and khaki grey are the colours for this autumn and the whole box, including the wrapping, is on this trend.

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Maria Nila Luminous Colour Hair Masque – sulphate and paraben free, 100% vegan, doesn’t smell too bad, suitable for coloured and natural hair, a treat from Sweden. I currently have this soaking into my newly cut hair, which needs a boost to look its best. This also comes with a 20% off voucher for the whole range.

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Invisibobble traceless hair ring – I’ve had long hair, short hair and am the queen of the ponytail at any length. In the last few years more and more companies have produced metal-free, hair friendly bands. These claim to leave no kinks in the hair, or cause any breakage. Definitely something my hair can appreciate. There are three in the box.

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Nails Inc polish in Uptown, there is another colour in some boxes. This is a dusky pink shade, though pink always seems like more of a spring colour. I am however a massive Nails Inc fan so this will be added to the mix.

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Bellapierre Cosmetics Shimmer Powder in Whesek. This greyish powder, with its hint of glitter, is perfect for autumnal smoky eyes.

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Marsk Eyeshadow Brush Pro to complement the shimmer powder, I like the wide, fan shape of this brush for sweeping colour over my lids, plus the brush is super soft.

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This box is incredible value – approximately £60 worth of products for £12.95.

There’s also a £15 voucher for invite only fashion brand Best Secret and a sneak peek of one of next month’s products.

really like this box – it’s very generous and features several brands I already use. The box itself is gorgeous and as sturdy as always – making it perfect for storing your make up or wrapping up for a friend’s present (obviously not an empty box!)

Will you be donning this season’s shades and looking totally on point?

ramblingmads