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…
Category: Walking
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;…
A Look Back At April
I know I say this a lot, but I genuinely don’t know where April went! It came and went in a flash. We’re currently enjoying a bank holiday weekend here in the UK, and it’s nice to have some time to stop and catch my breath after a hectic month. Here’s a little look back…
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…
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…
What is Active Relaxation?
This post was originally published on 19th January 2019 and updated on 14th November 2021. We all know what relaxation is, even if we’re not very good at it, but how about active relaxation? The words alone seem to contradict themselves, yet active relaxation can be as good for us as any other form of…
A Look Back At October
As I sit here on Hallows Eve, it’s time to have a look back at October. I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on my blog as well as my business. I’ll be making some changes to The Mindful Gingernut over the coming months, but I’m pleased to say that my monthly reviews will be one…
Everything You Need To Know About Brean Down
There were two places I wanted to visit during our family trip to Somerset back in September – Cheddar Gorge (tick) and Brean Down. Whilst I ticked off Cheddar Gorge on my way to Somerset, Brean Down waited patiently until the last day of our trip. To give you a little bit of information about…
The Best Way To See Cheddar Gorge
Last week I finally took a week off work. After nine months of freelancing and with limited breaks, I was bordering on burnout. Thankfully, my family had booked four nights in a caravan for mid-September, which would give us all a much-needed break. Somerset, which is in South West England, is one of the largest…
A Look Back At August
As Summer turns to Autumn and the woolly jumpers and endless mugs of hot chocolate slowly start to reappear, it’s time to look back at the highs and lows of August. I’m not sure I mentioned it in my look back at July, but July ended on a sad note as two of our family…
A Look Back at July
I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the Summer! I’m sure the world has been speeding up ever since we first went into lockdown last March! I’ve even started to track my working hours because I couldn’t work out where all my time has been going, which has been a helpful exercise. I’ve been using Toggl to…
A Look Back At June
If you’re new to my blog, I like to finish each month (or start the next month) with a look back at the month just gone. It allows me to reflect on the highs and the lows of the last few weeks and is a great way to remember some of the adventures I’ve had….
Making New Friends, Countryside Walks and Getting Back to Some Kind of Normality
As I write this week’s blog post, I’m sitting outside my parent’s house in Northamptonshire, soaking up the sun, which has decided to grace us with its presence during the past week. May was a much colder, wetter month than I think any of us had hoped, although it didn’t stop me from getting out…
Mental Health Awareness Week
As many of you may be aware, it’s been Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK this week. We all have mental health, and we’re all impacted by it in different ways. I’ve had a very personal view of family and friends who’ve suffered from poor mental health since my teens. My own mental health…
Family, Radio Shows, and Wellness Retreats
I was starting to think this year couldn’t get any weirder, but it did. April was a strange month in many ways. It was time to readjust as lockdown measures continued to ease here in the UK, with two households or groups of six now able to meet outdoors and restaurants, pubs and cafes with…
Love, Saying Thank You and the Road Map out of Lockdown
February has been another odd month. There have been plenty of moments to feel grateful for, yet I can’t shake this feeling of trepidation. Animal Hospital Update I’m pleased to report that following last month’s roundup, my trusty companion, Wigs, seem’s to be doing a lot better. She’s discovered a love for Cat Malt which…
Snow, Vaccinations & A Trip To The Vets
As January comes to an end, I thought I would write a summary of the madness which has unfolded over the last few weeks. Not only does it give me time to revisit the month just gone, but it also allows me to reflect on the month, clearing the way for a new chapter as…
Ham House
As Autumn began to arrive in suburbia, I decided it was time to get my walking boots back on and get out and explore my new surroundings. I started looking into some local walks and stumbled across a route on The Guardian website which started at Kingston railway station, taking the Thames Path to Ham House &…
The Wombles of Wimbledon
With my neighbourhood starting to feel like it’s part of Eastenders, I was grateful to get out to the outskirts of the city yesterday to enjoy some much needed peace and quiet. Over the last couple of weekends, a number if things have got me questioning, for the first time in nearly five years, whether…
Virginia Water Lake
What better way to start a week off work in August than a day out in the rain! Not one to be deterred by a spot of the wet stuff, yesterday, I loaded up my rucksack, cramming in my waterproof, and headed out in my trusty little fiesta, down the A3 towards Virginia Water. Virginia…
The Mindful Gingernut 