Being single should never be the thing that holds you back from going out and having a good time. As a woman in her 40s with no partner or kids, I know how easy it is to feel like everyone else has company. Most of my friends are married or knee deep in family life, so I’m used to riding solo.
Category: Travel
Project 365
Last year, I took part in Project 365. The idea is to take at least 1 photo a day throughout the year. It’s a great way of ensuring you pick up your camera and take more photos, as well as having memories to look back on.
My Most Read Blog Posts in 2025
Are you ready to discover the top 5 blog posts my readers delved into last year at TheMindfulGingernut.com? Although I published 10 new blog posts in 2025, it was a selection of golden oldies that made it into my Top 5 most-read list!
Moving to London – 10 years on
London. The city that stole my heart, burnt me out, and had an impact on me that will last forever. In August 2015, I packed my bags, waved goodbye to my hometown and left for the big smoke. I’d never lived anywhere other than Northamptonshire. I even went to university there.
Exploring Newhaven
One of the things I love most about moving to a new town is getting to explore new places. This time, I don’t just have a new town to explore, but a whole new county. After doing some research, I decided on the small port town of Newhaven on the East Sussex coast.
Achievements That Make Me Feel Proud Of Myself
A few years ago, my parents brought me a book that opened my eyes to the importance of self-care: ‘Self-Care for the Real World’ by Nadia Narain & Katia Narain Phillips. My biggest takeaway from the book, was to write down 5 achievements that make you feel proud of yourself.
The 3 Peaks Challenge: My Story
Training for the 3 Peaks has certainly kept me busy over the last few months. And back at the beginning of September, the challenge finally arrived. After months of training, I finally found myself sitting in a hotel room in Fort William.
My Bucket List Plans for Turning 40
This year, I’m setting out on one big bucket list adventure. Ahead of my 40th Birthday in December, I’ve set myself a little challenge. There’s some stuff that I’ve had on my bucket list for a while. So I thought, why not make it into a ‘thing’ in the lead-up to my BIG 40?
October: Dartmoor, Stalking Deer and an Autumn Retreat
Wow! What an epic month of adventuring October turned out to be! I can go months without seeing people, and then I have a crazy month of socialising and going places. Being an introvert at heart, I find socialising tiring. So as much as it’s been fun, I’m ready to hide away for a bit now!
A Look Back At September
In a month where we said our final goodbyes to my Auntie and the Queen, it’s been hard to get on with life as ‘normal’. Although it’s been a difficult month, it has gone by so quickly. It doesn’t seem like five minutes since the August Bank Holiday weekend, yet here we are in October….
My trip to Italy – Part 2
After a lovely long weekend in Ferrara with my friend Magdalena, it was time to head south. I was heading back to Bologna, where I would continue my trip. Magdalena accompanied me to Bologna as she didn’t have to work until that evening.
A Look Back At July
I started July in Italy, albeit on the last day of my trip. I had a late flight home, so I had a full day to explore Bologna before I headed back to the airport. I took the opportunity to climb to the top of the Towers of Bologna, eat some more pizza, and indulge…
My Trip To Italy – Part 1
I’d been dreading June since the beginning of the year. The tenth anniversary of my best friend’s passing loomed like a big dark cloud on the horizon.
When my then boyfriend announced he would be away for the anniversary, I found myself in a quandary. I could stay in Kingston on my own burying my head in the sand or spending the day feeling sad.
My 2022 Goals in Review – Q2
A little later than planned, but I’ve spent the weekend reviewing my goals for this year to see where I am and to think about any further tweaks I need to make as we move into the latter half of 2022. I find that blogging about my goals helps me to: Check on my progress;…
Ibiza
Does anyone else get an earworm stuck in their head when Ibiza is mentioned? The Vengaboys ‘We’re Going to Ibiza’ springs to mind. I don’t even like the bloody song! Ever since we booked a trip to go ‘back to the Island’, it’s been stuck in my head. On repeat!
A Look Back At June
So here we are, already in the second half of 2022. I’ve been appalling at maintaining my blog this year. It always seems to be the first thing to go on the backburner when life gets busy. The irony is, that’s probably one of the reasons I ended up seeking therapy earlier this year. My…
A Look Back At March
March has been a complete whirlwind. I’m not sure where the time has gone. But yet, here we are in April. Spring’s being its typically British self here in the UK with everyone out in shorts and t-shirts the week before last, and this week we’ve been back in coats and jumpers with a sprinkling…
The Sculpture Park, Surrey
My trip to the Sculpture Park coincided with something new I’m trialling this year with my working week. I’m attempting a four-day working week instead of the ‘normal’ five days. I have no idea how practical this will be. But one of the beauties of being a freelancer is having the flexibility to set my own hours.
New Year New Goals
Happy New Year! The end of 2021 flew by, and I found myself taking my lengthiest break from writing so far! I wanted to write, but time kept disappearing. In the past, I would’ve beaten myself up about this. This time, however, I decided to be kind to myself and accept that something had to…
Brean Down – Everything You Need To Know
There were two places I wanted to visit during our family trip to Somerset back in September: Cheddar Gorge and Brean Down. I ticked Cheddar Gorge off on my way to Somerset, which just left Brean Down to visit. This would be the final destination on our family trip to Somerset.
Weston-super-Mare, Burnham-On-Sea, and Brean
The last time I had been to Somerset was on a family trip to Weston Super Mare 30+ years ago. Needless to say, I couldn’t remember much about it! This time, I began my journey in Cheddar Gorge, and then drove to Brean to meet up with the rest of the family.
A Look Back At September
Every month throughout this year, I’ve written a blog post looking back on the month just gone. It’s been a helpful little reminder during some difficult times that amongst the shit, there have been plenty of good times and lot’s of new memories made. I have to admit, September feels like a bit of a…
2021 Goals Review – September
By the time you’ll be reading this post, we’ll be in October and heading towards some of my favourite events of the year. There’s something so magical about Autumn. I almost get as excited for Halloween and Bonfire Night as I do Christmas! With the New Year less than 13 weeks away, it’s time to…
The Best Way To See Cheddar Gorge
Somerset is in South West England, and is one of the largest counties in the UK. It’s also famous for Cheddar Cheese, Cider and sinking sand!
I had been to Somerset once before many years ago. My only memory was eating hot, sugary doughnuts on a very wet and cold pier in Weston-super-Mare.
How Do You Know When It’s Time To Take A Break?
If you’re reading this blog post hoping to find the answer to this question, you might want to look away now. Unfortunately, it’s a question I don’t have the answer to yet. I haven’t had a week off work since Christmas, and the last couple of weeks have been a struggle as a result. Perhaps…