With lockdown restrictions tightening and the distance you can travel for exercise getting ever narrower, it might be that you are exercising alone a lot more at the moment. If, like me, you need a bit of extra motivation, a distraction, or just a bit of company while you are out on those solo stints, [...]
Category: Mind and body
An antidote to the January Blues
It’s January. We are back in lockdown. And it’s freezing. If you are anything like me, you will be feeling at a bit of a low ebb (to say the least). If the bombardment of inspirational messages are making you want to hibernate/cry/drink a bottle of wine, then you are not alone. It’s easy to [...]
2020
I've been debating whether or not to write a post about this year. In some ways, perhaps it is a year best forgotten. But amidst the global awfulness, within our little bubble we have found moments of joy. It is these moments that I would like to remember when I think back on this year: [...]
Children’s books, books, books for Christmas
With news of the launch of Bookshop.org in the UK, even during lockdown there is little reason not to treat yourself to a book from your favourite independent book shop. I have to admit that I probably spend more than average on books. Be they for myself, my daughter, or as as gifts, I rarely [...]
Le sac, c’est moi.
Over the past year or so I've developed a new-found appreciation of books of essays. I think it all began with Marina Keegan's 'The Opposite of Loneliness', which sent me down a rabbit hole of pleasing, concisely-written discourses on everything from the tyranny of possessions (E.B.White) to litter picking (David Sedaris). The joy of a [...]
Mind the gap? Dealing with diastasis recti
I’ve mentioned my diastasis on the blog before, but over the months since I originally noticed the problem, the separation in my abdominal muscles seems to have become worse (or at least it’s no better). In fact, it has reached a point where I’ve been mistaken for being pregnant on more than one occasion, which [...]
Lock-down with a toddler: Part 2
As the weeks of lock-down tick on I remain on the lookout for new activities to keep (me and) Florence entertained. I was so pleased that a few of the ideas from my last blog post, Lock-down with a Toddler, proved useful to some readers, and so grateful for all of the activities that were [...]
Lock-down with a toddler
A number of my mum-friends have been asking what Florence and I have been up to to keep ourselves busy while on lock-down and likewise I have been quizzing them for ideas. I wanted to share some of our activities here; many of these are taken from other mums and Google but hopefully they will [...]
On love, and loss, and London
This week I finally told my husband about the affair I’ve been having. It’s been going on for about ten years now; it started before we met and while I had thought it may lose its fiery passion over the years, the feelings have become deeper, more profound and harder to shake. I’ve been waking [...]
Life lessons from life drawing
The way I feel about going to life drawing is, I imagine, much the same as other people feel about going for a run. The class looms large over my day, like a cloudy mixture of duty and dread. Even once I’m there, I find it difficult, frustrating and exhausting. And I’m bad. Not just [...]