I don’t quite know where to begin with my usual monthly reflections. February felt like a weird month. I spent so much of it feeling tired and energyless. I felt stuck in first gear. The tiredness dissipated towards the end of the month, but as I pulled together my monthly ‘Look Back’, you’d never know…
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Why I Joined Borrow My Doggy
If you follow me on social media, you might’ve noticed a bit of dog-related content on my stories recently. As much as I would love a dog someday, none of the lovely dogs are actually mine. At the start of the year, I wondered whether it was time to get another pet. My beloved cat…
FUSEBOX: A new space for young creatives in Kingston Upon Thames
I’ve been sniffing around the building site at the back of John Lewis in Kingston for ages. As soon as I heard the renovation would include a brand new co-working space – something I’ve been seeking for ages – my interest was piqued I had also heard that the project would include some space for…
My Top 10 Wellbeing Tips
Every month in my newsletter, I let my readers into some of my favourite self-care and wellbeing tips. Through various features, I’ve also gathered advice from others, some of whom are real-life experts in the health and wellbeing sector. This week, I’ve been looking back on the wealth of tips I’ve gathered through my newsletter, and…
A Look Back At January 2023
I can’t quite believe we’re a month into 2023 already! I don’t know about you, but unlike previous years, I really enjoyed January. I eased myself into the New Year and found myself relaxed, with a chilled but positive mindset. If you found yourself bogged down by January (or any other month), I find it…
Why I’m Spending This Year Doing Things I’ve Never Done Before
This year, I’m setting out on one big adventure. Ahead of my 40th Birthday in December, I thought I’d set myself a little challenge. There’s some stuff that I’ve wanted to do for a while. So I thought, why not make it into a ‘thing’ in the lead-up to my BIG 40? It’s common for…
Setting Goals For The Year Ahead
If you’ve followed my musings for a while, you’ll know I love setting New Year goals. For me, it’s not a case of HAVING to set them. It’s more a case of WANTING to. They keep me focused on things I would like to achieve, and the geek in me loves to keep track of…
A Look Back at The Goals I Set in 2022
Happy 2023 🎉 It’s been a little while since I’ve been in this space, but it’s good to be back. November and December were busy months at The Mindful Gingernut HQ, but I’m back and raring to go. Before I get carried away with 2023 antics, here’s a little roundup of where I got to…
A Look Back At August
I’m a bit later than usual with my ‘Look Back’ due to recent events, but I’m back with a round-up of August, which seems like a lifetime ago already! August was a bit of a strange one this year. We sadly lost one of my Aunties last month, which has left my family mourning the…
Thank You M’am For Everything
It wasn’t my plan to write about the death of Queen Elizabeth II today. But life rarely goes to plan, and it felt wrong to write about anything else. I want to start this post by addressing the fact that I know the Queen was not everyone’s cup of tea. Everyone is entitled to their…
My Italian Adventure – Part 2
After a lovely long weekend in Ferrara with my friend Magdalena, it was time to head south, back to Bologna, where I would spend the next four nights. Magdalena accompanied me to Bologna as she didn’t have to work until that evening, and as a newbie to travelling solo in a city, it was nice…
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 Italian Adventure – 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 boyfriend’s parents booked him on a flight to join them on holiday at the same time as the anniversary, I found myself in a quandary. I…
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;…
We’re Going To Ibiza
Does anyone else always get a particular earworm stuck in their head whenever they hear Ibiza mentioned? For me, it’s the Vengaboys ‘We’re Going to Ibiza’. I don’t even like the bloody song! But ever since we booked our trip to go ‘back to the Island’, it’s been stuck in my head…on repeat! Last month…
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…
My First Therapy Session
On Thursday this week, I had my first therapy session. After finding myself in a vicious cycle of anxiety led thoughts at the beginning of the year, I found myself on a waiting list for psychotherapy. My appointment date came through a couple of weeks ago, and although I knew the session was looming, it…
Claiming Universal Credit
Would you like to know a secret? Did you know that if you’re self-employed and work in the United Kingdom, you could be eligible to claim Universal Credit? I’ve been claiming Universal Credit (UC) for just under a year, and it’s been an absolute godsend, especially in the early days of starting my business. With…
My 2022 Goals in Review – Q1
As we somehow find ourselves a quarter of the way through 2022, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with the goals I set myself at the beginning of the year. As in previous years, I find that blogging about my goals helps me to: Keep accountable; Check on my progress;…
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…
A Look Back At February
At the end of each month (or the beginning of the next!) I like to look back on the highs and lows of the month. February was a challenging month for so many people. When countries are at war, it can be challenging to know how to help. Yet we feel this overwhelming sense that…
5 Reasons Why I’ve Stopped Watching The News
I’ve spent the last few days debating whether to write this post or not. The news coming out of Ukraine this week has been beyond heartbreaking. It’s been impossible to ignore. Yet, here I am, about to tell you why I’ve stopped watching the news. The devastating events unravelling in Eastern Europe have re-emphasised the…
Painshill Park
I’ve lost count over the number of times I’ve driven past the brown tourist signs for Painshill Park since I moved to London 6 years ago. I always felt intrigued by what it was, but it never seemed to be cross my mind when I was looking for something to do. That was until earlier…
Adjusting to Life with Anxiety
Last month I found myself leaving my Doctor’s surgery with a referral to the physio and a referral to speak to a psychotherapist. I had been suffering from pains in my middle back/side for a year, and I’d finally had enough. So I booked myself an appointment with my GP. When I made the appointment,…
A Look Back At January
How lovely January could have been if she’d allowed us to enter slowly, easing into the new year quietly, with no drama. But alas, the universe had other ideas. New Years Day started with a trip to the hospital for my brother, who had a high temperate and what turned out to be a nasty…
The Mindful Gingernut 