Tag: Try Something New

Day 27: Talking Blogs

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For Day 27 of #100DaysNoTV I did something I never believed I would (or could) do: I gave a talk about my blog to a group of people I’d never met before. To say I was out of my comfort zone is a massive understatement! But, I survived and, for many reasons, I’m so glad I went through with it.

I was invited to give a talk at a Mummas & More event, and Emily – the brains behind it all –was so lovely that I felt I couldn’t say no. When I told Rob about it, the fear set in: I would be speaking aloud, publicly, about myself. That’s something I tend to steer well clear of!
In a heartbeat Rob said, “Do it. It’ll be good for you.” It was the little nudge that I needed.

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Day 26: Cambridge Wineathlon

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I’m not a serious runner but over the last year or so I’ve become more committed, taking part in the Cambridge Race for Life 10k and the Grand East Anglia Run 10k. My Strava app records every run I do, and last November I joined Run Mummy Run (RMR): an online community of mummies who like to run and support others. This group organised last December’s Advent Streak. 🙂 On Day 26 of #100DaysNoTV I ran in my first team event with some RMR girls.

The Cambridge Wineathlon was a not-at-all-serious 10k run through the pretty villages of Foxton, Fowlmere and Newton. I signed up with a couple of RMR girls and our group grew from there. Where’s Wally? is a staple uniform at some local parkruns, so it was the natural choice for the Wineathlon too! Don’t we look good?! 😉

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Day 25: Six New Things

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If you’ve been following my #100DaysNoTV project, you’ll know that I like to try new things and have new experiences. And, I can be pretty flexible about when I have my next ‘Day’. So, I have ultimate respect for my blogger friend, Maria Wylie. As of today she’s managed to try something new for 258 consecutive days. Yes, something new every single day!

Maria also challenges friends to complete a week of new things: a monthly Challenge Week. She offers a theme or two to make it easier to think of something cool to do. I took part in the August challenge: Eco-friendliness & Creativity. On Day 25 of #100DaysNoTV I completed a week of new things!

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Day 24: iPhoneography with Sara Tasker

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I have an iPhone. I have an Instagram account. I don’t have a lot of knowledge about using my iPhone to take amazing photographs, other than the basic techniques. Or rather, I didn’t, because I recently attended an iPhoneography Workshop with Instagram queen, Sara Tasker.

Organised by Shutter Hub as part of their OPEN 2016, Sara – of Me & Orla – travelled down from Yorkshire to NOVI in Cambridge to teach us some of the tricks that would help us to take better photos using just our smartphones.

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Day 23: Cocktail Masterclass

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Life has a way of taking over sometimes, doesn’t it? Where’s the Pause button when you need it? It feels like forever since I was able to write a blog post. However, I’m back now and excited to share my stories with you again. 🙂

Every once in a while it’s great to get some friends together and try something a little bit different. I had a special birthday this year, and that seemed to me like a perfect time to do this! Day 23 of #100DaysNoTV was an excuse to get dressed up, meet with a group of girlfriends and spend a lazy Sunday afternoon at a Cocktail Masterclass.

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Day 22: Gin Festival

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Gin + Festival + 8th April = Birthday present perfection for my mum. As soon as this event appeared on Facebook I went to Eventbrite to book two tickets. And, thank goodness I did. The event sold out in just a few days. On Day 22 of #100DaysNoTV the Cambridge Corn Exchange was the venue for Mum’s 67th (ssh, don’t let her know I told you!) birthday celebrations.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a festival of gin in the heart of Cambridge. I’d been to plenty of beer festivals but this was always going to be a totally different experience! I imagined it might be more like a food & drink festival, with lots stalls offering tasters and selling their wares. In reality, it was a lot more sophisticated than that.

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Day 20: Night of Fashion

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After nearly a year as Communications Officer and Blogger for Cambridge Style Week, I swapped my desk and laptop for a spot at the end of the catwalk with my iPhone, and prepared to live tweet for my first fashion show. On Day 20 of #100DaysNoTV I was one quarter of the live-tweeting Social Media Team for Cambridge Style Week 2016 Night of Fashion.

If you’d read that paragraph to my younger self I’d probably have sniggered into my copy of Four Four Two.  From as far back as I can remember, I was the class tomboy who lived in tracksuits and played football, not kiss chase. Later it was a football shell suit (come on, it was the early 90s!) and I stayed out to play football, instead of staying in to paint my nails.

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Day 19: Tea Blending

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Dad taught me how to make a ‘proper’ pot of tea before I was old enough to drink caffeine: “warm the pot first, one heaped teaspoon per cup and one for the pot . . .” My love of tea grew from there. We never had teabags at home, though I rely on them these days – but when we go out for tea I like to try different blends. On Day 19 of #100DaysNoTV I joined a friend and fellow tea lover to create a new tea blend. And, I’m really quite proud of it!

Having grown up with PG Tips (it was the 80s!) I always assumed that teas from a Tea House were made using some magical formula with recipes handed down through the generations. It turns out new teas are being blended all the time, and with help from a tea aficionado (she might not admit it, but she really is), it’s easier than I thought!

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Day 18: Resin Jewellery

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One of the most exciting aspects of my #100DaysNoTV project is the opportunity to spend time with a friend, indulging for a short while in their passion. On Day 18, I spent a morning with Tali – of the brilliantly named Tallulah does the Hula – making resin pendants.

The last time I made jewellery with Tali was in 2011 when were both seven months pregnant! With tummies up to the craft table (too much info?), we made beaded necklaces and earrings. Since then, Tali has gone on to create beautiful pieces with polymer clay beads before turning her attention to resin.

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Day 17: Pressed Flower Art

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A super simple activity for Day 17 of #100DaysNoTV. I made a little memento of an autumn walk I had with the boys last year. They love being outdoors and collecting “treasure”, and we had carefully chosen some fallen leaves and – incredibly for the time of year – buttercups and daisies. I pressed them, stored them, and now (finally) they’re displayed!

Luckily, I was able to use things we already had in the house. I used a frame that had been sitting in a drawer, for goodness knows how long. We have an abundance of card and poster paint, so there was no issue with making a background for the flowers and leaves to stick on. I just had to decide how I wanted it to look.

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