Category: fun stuff

adventures in post, fun stuff, lifestyle boxes, reviews, stationery

Boxcitement 

ramblingmads

Another fun subscription box on the market at the moment is Boxcitement, a themed monthly box full of goodies. 

Inside July’s Wanderlust box there are travel goodies and pretty little treats. 

Tin of travel mints, a mirror keyring, scented soap bar, wooden luggage tag, cloud brooch, earrings, Aloha card. 

World map wrapping paper, travel liquids bag. 

Travel journal, Paris card. 

Everything is beautifully put together and decorated, the earrings are very pretty too. It really makes me wish I was whizzing off on holiday, but a girl can dream, and plan for next summer! 

fun stuff, questions, tag posts

Four in a row tag

ramblingmads

Spotted this on a blog and thought, these tag posts are quite fun, so why not. 

🍍Four places I’ve lived 

– Harrow Weald, Middlesex

– Stanmore, Middlesex

– Roehampton, Surrey

– Edgware, Middlesex 

(Pretty much spent my whole life in North London) 

🍍Four places I’ve worked 

– In a posh shoe shop fitting kids’ school shoes

– In an indoor play centre aka Hell

– In a charity’s office (several times)

– In a holiday playscheme (best job ever) 

🍍Four songs I’m listening to at the moment

– Chandelier – Sia 

– Painkillers – Brian Fallon 

– Under the Bridge – Red Hot Chili Peppers

– Change my Needs – Scars on 45 

What can I say, I have eclectic tastes. 

🍍Four Places I’ve travelled to 

– Moscow, Russia 

– Southern California, America 

– Venice, Italy 

– Beziers, France (where my sister was born)

🍍Four dishes I like 

– Creme Brulee 

– Crab cakes 

– Halloumi salad with watermelon

– Roast chicken 

🍍Four drinks I like 

– Diet Coke 

– Fruit infused water (especially limes)

– Peppermint tea

– San Pelligrino Limonata 

So that’s it, short and sweet, unlike me. 

Feel free to join in.  

beauty, fun stuff, make up, questions

The Beauty Knowledge Tag

ramblingmads

I’ve seen this popping up on lots of different blogs and Twitter feeds. The answers are often pretty hilarious. 

For this tag you need a partner or friend who doesn’t use make up or know much about it. I am using the Mr as my guinea pig. He doesn’t get my interest in make up at all. Let’s see what knowledge he has absorbed. 
💋What are these different beauty products and techniques? 

💋Bronzer – giving a tanned appearance 

💋Blusher – making your cheeks pink like a doll

💋Mascara – making eyelashes black and curly 

💋Eyeliner – making your eyes look more Egyptian 

💋Strobing – something to do with disco

💋Eyeshadow – colouring your eyes in 

💋Powder – do you put that on your face? Is it like manual photoshop?

💋Foundation – like a base coat 

💋Concealer – covers spots and blemishes

💋Setting Spray – like varnish or hairspray for your face?

💋Contouring – using your make up to give your face different shapes?

💋Primer – another base coat

💋Lip liner – makes lips look happy 

💋Brow pencil – drawing on your eyebrows after you stupidly shaved them off. 

💋Serum – watering down make up to apply an even coat

💋Cleanser – taking your make up off

💋Micellar Water – no idea, is it for cleaning your face?

💋Toner- matching your make up to your skin tone

💋Was this test hard? Not really, I think I knew a lot. 

💋Why? You didn’t ask for an essay and I had no idea about some of them. Did I win something? Is there a prize? 

I then had to explain what everything was, he still doesn’t get the point of most of these products. He still wants a prize. Bless him. 

If you want to do this tag, go for it. Let me know in the comments, I’d love to see if your partners and friends do any better. 

fun stuff, life

The ‘adult tag’ 

ramblingmads

​Thought this might be a bit of fun as I lay here dying of serious cramps. Join in! 


1 – How old are you and where do you live?

29, almost 30, North London on the border of Hertfordshire. 

2 – Where did you expect to be by this age?

I think I expected to be a bit further along in the old career, own house, maybe married. Life is a lot more complicated than you imagine. 

3 – Are you on track to where you want to be now?

Yes and no. My career took a back seat to health issues and that set me back. But I’ll get there. 

4 – What piece of advice do you wish people told you when you were young?

Life is what you make it, take more risks. 

5 – What advice would you give to younger people now?

Take every opportunity that comes your way, don’t be afraid to jump in with both feet. You never know how it’ll turn out. 

6 – Do you still suffer from FOMO?

I don’t know if I ever have – my decisions are my own and if I’ve ‘missed out’ maybe it’s for a good reason. 

7 – What is your opinion on living at home vs moving out in your 20’s?

Having done both in my 20’s, I can see that living at home can have it’s advantages in letting you save some money, but having your own place does allow you more freedoms at time but definitely costs more! 

8 – Have you had any sudden realisations about life/relationships/friendships since hitting your 20’s?

Life’s too short to be an arsehole. Grudges and fallings out are for school kids, move on. It’s not worth trying to force a friendship – it either is or it isn’t. 

10 – Do you feel like an adult?

Sometimes. I pay a bill I don’t want to pay (like council tax) and feel like an adult because I’m doing the adult thing, but sat on the sofa in my pjs eating dark chocolate digestives (the best kind, I’ll fight you) watching TV on a Saturday morning, feel like I’m still a kid. 


Well there you go, my adulting knowledge in a nutshell. Feel free to copy and play along. 

fun stuff, happy mail, lifestyle boxes, mental health, mindfulness, reviews

Buddy Box – Summer Sun

ramblingmads

The Buddy Box from The Blurt Foundation is designed to help people dealing with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. It’s basically a hug in a box. And this month’s comes with a little summer sun. 🌞

Fruit seems to be the theme too, with pineapples and watermelon popping up on the box itself and inside. 

Inside are some bright, sunny treats to help you get through July even when inside your brain it’s more like November (that may just be me). 

There is a very cute notebook with a fox on it, I love notebooks and own about a gazillion of them, so this is welcome. 

A pineapple scented air freshener. I don’t have a car but my wardrobe/beauty cupboard will look very snazzy (and smell sweet) with this. 
Fruit Fix Pomegranate & Blueberry face mask. I love a good face mask, deep cleaning all the crap out of my skin so I will  be slapping this on for a Netflix session. 

#365 Days of Selfcare challenge card and post-its. Which you can join in with. #365daysofselfcare on Twitter and Instagram.  
Personal note from the Blurt team on a fun card, which I will be adding to my inspiration wall. 

Finally, I saved the most fun till last. As you may already know, I am a stationery nerd. And I love quirky pens and pencils. This pencil is a superhero. This pencil has a cape. 

While the crappy winter weather definitely batters on my hatches, summer can be just as hard. When the sun’s shining and fun is being planned, we need to still be looking after our mental health. It’s hard to be “on” all the time and it can feel impossible to tell people you’re feeling bad when the sun’s out and you’re supposed to be jolly. 

The Blurt team know that and I am telling you, self-care, whatever form it takes, isn’t selfish. If you need to stay in, wearing your pjs, eating Nutella croissants or a pile of toast or a bowl of mashed potatoes, or whatever your go-to is, watching crappy tv, an old film, reading a good book or even just taking a nap. That’s A-OK. 

books, fun stuff

#IBW2016 @booksaremybag

ramblingmads

Cross posted from the Books Are My Bag site:

IBW2016 TAG

You may have seen bookish people doing the #IBW2016 TAG over the past week or so, either on Twitter. YouTube or on blogs – all discussing books and bookshops – what’s not to like? Will at Vintage Books kindly started the TAG off and we’re so pleased to see so many book lovers get involved.

If you’d like to join in with the TAG, the questions are below:

1. What book(s) are currently in your bag?
2. What’s the last great book you read?
3. What book have you gifted the most?
4. What’s your favourite independent bookshop?
5. What’s been your favourite book recommended by a bookseller (or fellow Booktuber)?
6. What’s your favourite bookshop memory?
7. What do bookshops mean to you? What do you love about them?
8. What are the books that made you? Which books have most affected or influenced you?
9. What book do you recommend readers gift for Father’s Day?
10. What book is currently at the top of your TBR pile?

You can watch some of the videos that have been uploaded so far includingLegend Press, Savidge Reads and Jean at Bookish Thoughts on our playlist here.

If you take part in the TAG, remember to tweet us @booksaremybag or tag#IBW2016 

My answers;

1. What book(s) are currently in your bag? None – but I am reading The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCuers for Book Club.

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2. What’s the last great book you read?

Elephants can Remember by Agatha Christie, love me some Poirot. She was a total genius.

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3. What book have you gifted the most?
Probably Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, I gave it as a World Book Night book some years ago and still highly recommend it and gift it to this day.

4. What’s your favourite independent bookshop?
Much Ado Books in Alfriston, Sussex. Nowhere near where I live but totally worth the trip and run by truly lovely people – plus they’ll post you books if you’re not local.

5. What’s been your favourite book recommended by a bookseller (or fellow Booktuber)?
I was waiting for my beloved Mr once and drawn into the lure of a bookshop, the lovely bookseller recommended the Ketty Jay series, brilliant if you like your fantasy Steampunk and with wings – also reminded me of the cancelled far too soon Firefly.

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6. What’s your favourite bookshop memory?
When I got so many book tokens for my birthday I staggered to the counter with a stack of books I couldn’t see over and the assistant said “are all these for you?” Oh yes they were!

7. What do bookshops mean to you?
What do you love about them?
I think of them (much like libraries) as sanctuaries.

8. What are the books that made you? Which books have most affected or influenced you? Hello, Cruel World by Kate Bornstein, the work of Tamora Pierce and Terry Pratchett, so many books have changed and developed my thinking.

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9. What book do you recommend readers gift for Father’s Day? My Dad loves crime thrillers and sci fi, so probably David Baldacci’s latest.

10. What book is currently at the top of your TBR pile? I just ordered some more Poirot stories so they’ll probably be in there somewhere, along with Half a King by Joe Abercrombie, Half Light (crowdfunded through Unbound – a tribute to Alan Gardner) and many others (it’s more like a mountain than a pile).

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fun stuff, happy mail, lifestyle boxes, reviews

#happymail Spring box

ramblingmads

This month’s #happymail box popped through my letterbox this weekend, bringing a dose of Spring magic with it.

It’s packed full of sweet things to make your home bright.

As well as a cute art print, there’s a gorgeous scarf printed with swallows, which I will be wearing with my Spring outfits. There’s also a flower print coaster, which will be jollying up my desk at my new job, a ceramic butterfly, cute necklace with dinky silver hearts and a little gift for my mum.

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It’s a really gorgeous selection of goodies Katie at ihearthomes has curated. Can’t wait to see what she comes up with next month.

fun stuff, happy mail, lifestyle boxes, reviews

Lucky Dip Club

ramblingmads

I’ve been curious about the Lucky Dip Club sub box for ages, but since I either sleep through the 7am subscription window or am travelling to work at that time, I always fail to score a box on the first of every month.

So I added myself to the reserves list and was lucky enough to score a spare box that way.

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May’s box is essentially Spring in a box.

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There’s seeds to attract bees and butterflies to your garden, a copy of Girl Planet zine, a patch to sew onto your bag or jacket, a funky cactus pin, a tote bag (essential hand bag kit or pay 5p every time you shop!) and a Super Sunflower, which I will use to jazz up my plant pots, all in a cute box that was delivered by a unicorn.

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Are you a Lucky Dip Box subscriber? What are your thoughts? Let me know what you think below. 🌷🌸🌹🌺🌻🌼

#paperhaul, adventures in post, art, fun stuff, lifestyle boxes, reviews, stationery

#paperhaul May – weather

ramblingmads

This month’s #paperhaul box of beautiful stationery comes illustrated by Canadian Chad Geran.

As always a percentage from each box goes to the charity Postpals, sending letters and cards to sick children .

As suits May’s (mostly) sunny days the contents are themed around Spring and weather.

There are sweet note cards, stickers, washi tape and a notebook. Perfect for brightening up someone’s day.

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friends, fun stuff

Tabletop Day

ramblingmads

April 30th is Tabletop Day, a game for playing board games and other games with your friends, and in our case, eat loads of pizza.

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Before the carnage

We’re a bit nerdy and love card and board games, from the classics like Monopoly and Scrabble (not that anyone will play that with me anymore) to fun contemporary games like Cards Against Humanity, Tesla vs. Edison, or Forbidden Desert.

We play cooperative and competitive games, and I always win, even when I don’t.

A bunch of our friends came round, we raided the cupboard for games (we have quite a selection) and set up for a great day of gaming. And pizza, thanks Papa John! Poor delivery guy.

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Piles of games

We worked our way through seven board and card games.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks the board game – based on the TV music panel show. Teams compete to answer music themed questions including Intros, Songs in a Sentence, True or False and others. My team won a resounding victory.

Exploding Kittens NSFW edition – I backed the original version of this on Kickstarter and the NSFW was a bonus. In it you compete to avoid being blown up and undermine your competitors. We played three rounds and I won one.

Forbidden Desert – a cooperative game where you work together to find the missing pieces of your airship and reach the launchpad without the storm burying you in sand or anyone running out of water – we lost when my cousin’s canteen ran dry!

Regnum Angelica – there is a war raging between the powers of heaven and hell. You are either angels or the fallen and must battle your way across the board – described by today’s combatants as a bit like American football or chess but better.

Bad Medicine – you play competing drug companies creating new treatments for a variety of bizarre ailments. You must create a cure, then convince your fellow players that this is the best treatment despite some peculiar side effects.

Articulate – this was probably the most classic game we played. We adapted it to make it harder, cutting it from 2 minutes of guessing to just one and we went round the board twice. This was probably the most competitive game we played, luckily we had an umpire to referee all the carrying on.

Cards Against Humanity – known for being a game for horrible people with dark senses of humour, we wrapped our day up with this hugely popular card game. Turns out we’re really twisted. You decide what that means…

My friend Will was today’s overall TableTop Champion, as he won the most rounds individually and in teams. There was no prize except the deep sense of satisfaction winning things provides.

Can’t wait till next year.