*Obligatory New Years post*

I started this blog a couple of years ago and one of my early posts involved telling the world (or, more accurately, my eleven whole readers) how I was going to start afresh and make the following year my best yet. In the interests of not setting myself up for failure this time round, I've decided to bypass the usual list (run more, eat less) and come up with a slightly easier one to adhere to:

1). Stop drunk tweeting
As a twitter addict, it seems only right that every move is documented (whether alcohol induced or not). Even so, there's no worse accompaniment to a sore head than scrolling down the previous night's tweets in horror.

2). Become a domestic goddess
And by this I mean wash my dishes and learn how to bake something that has ingredients beyond Betty Crocker mix.

3). Learn how to curl my hair
I got heated rollers for Christmas and it's about time I learnt how to use them!

4). Continue the search for a Mulberry bag
This may seem frivolous to some however I am a firm believer that a designer handbag is a wardrobe investment. I would never dream of paying full price for one (mainly because that would involve giving up food for a month) and so my main hope is in the form of one of their outlet stores. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I'd come up with more but they'll only make me feel bad about myself. It's like we store up all of the things we don't like about our lives until January when we embark on a month of self-loathing and pity (with zero money in our bank accounts). I like the way lots of other bloggers have taken a more positive stance when rounding off their year. Lily Melrose has looked back over her outfit posts and Emily Schuman has documented some of her memories through her gorgeous photography.

Despite some momentary blips, I guess 2012 has been a pretty good year for me, too. Having started the year watching the Sydney harbour bridge fireworks, I went on to hold a koala bear, run through the Mersey Tunnel, leave home (for the second time), attempt to surf in Devon, dance the night away with one of my best friends in Sweden, attend my first post secret event and give a presentation on what Sex and the City has done for feminism. It's been a blast.

Happy New Year x

Real Hangover Cures

The festive season is upon us which means one thing: hangovers (hopefully you'll have other things to remember Christmas 2012 by but we all know that overindulging is a certainty). As a result, some kind of recovery guide is normally only a few clicks away. Coupled with new medical developments you'd be forgiven for thinking that hangovers should be a thing of the past.

I'm sure most of us can testify that this is very much not the case (unless you can afford to be hooked up to a drip for a few hours). Last Saturday, feeling so rough that I had to ask my local pharmacist for a cure, I turned to google to see if the internet had any words of wisdom to get me on the road to recovery. Unfortunately many of 'tips' I came across involved altering the previous night's behaviour. Now for those of us without a time machine, we need another way to combat the consequences of failing to alternate our rum with soft drinks. So, in the interests of keeping us all well and ready to get back out on the dancefloor, I have compiled a list of real hangover fixes. You are welcome.

1). Make like a Coyote (Ugly) and say no to H20
All the 'experts' out there rave about the healing powers of water the morning after. I disagree. Instead try some lemonade/sprite or orange squash. The sugar will (probably) make you feel a little perkier and it's a lot easier to stomach than water when you're feeling really ill.

2). Prescription medication
Okay this one's a bit naughty however is certainly worth mentioning. A few months ago I was prescribed anti-sickness tablets (Buccastem in case you're interested) which I didn't use up. Luckily I had the foresight not to get rid of the remainder as these bad boys are now my lifeline if I've over done it on the wine. Unfortunately I only have one left and so I'm guessing this hangover cure will soon be no longer (unless any Medics out there fancy making a bit of money on the side...?).

3). Non-prescription medication
An alternative to the above is to dose up on over the counter remedies. My personal favourites are Paracetemol (I've heard it's easier on your stomach than Ibuprofen) and Berocca although my housemate swears by Original Andrews Salts.

4). Carbs
I think most people agree that some kind of food is needed however why go down the nutritious route when you have the perfect excuse to gorge yourself on refined carbohydrates and junk food? A hangover is one of those magical times where the calories just do not count.

5). Therapy
So we've talked about the physical effects of a hangover but what about the mental distress you're probably facing? Forget reliving the night's shenanigans (for a moment), alcohol is a depressant and so even if you thought you were well behaved, you're still likely to feel a bit mopey the next day. My go to activity when this happens is to find someone non-judgmental and use them as your own personal therapist for half an hour or so. It's good if you have a mutual arrangement with a sibling or housemate (these tend to be the people that will still tolerate you even after you've stumbled downstairs in last night's clothes). They will help you get things into perspective (particularly important if there was any wine-induced inappropriateness) and give you a boost to carry on with your weekend. If you're feeling particularly ambitious you could try some light exercise for an endorphin rush or, for the weaker amongst us, put on a DVD and enjoy a well earned duvet day.

6). Damage control
Apart from the obligatory apology texts, my best advice is to pretend it never happened.

For some more sensible hangover cures see here and here.

Back to Basics

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Anyone who follows me on twitter will know I'm a sucker for a good feminist debate. I'm that person who quotes Caitlin Moran on a regular basis, thinks rape culture is a perfectly legitimite topic on a night out and has no qualms with pointing out when a colleague has made a sexist remark.

Recently I've become very conscious that a lot of my views have come about since I started working in the Student Movement. A few years back, when I began my time as a Student Officer, I didn't really appreciate the feminist argument (I was too preoccupied with the worry that the Women's Officer might want to ban pole dancing). Fast forward to today and it's become an integral part of my life and what I believe in. It would be silly to pretend that these beliefs haven't been influenced by the environment I've worked in for the past three years. Students' Unions are absolutely brilliant for their stance on equality and desire to make everyone feel safe and included. I think they're fairly unique in that sense. As a result this is often on my radar. Even when there's a topic I don't feel particularly strongly about, when I'm with people who don't come at it from an officer/adviser/general Union-ista's stance, I will often get defensive on behalf of the minority group in question. A good example is the gender neutral toilet debate. Not something I spend a great deal of time pondering however last night I found myself automatically explaining the merits of it just because it came up in conversation and, well, I felt I should.

I'm often surrounded by people who have similar views to me on feminism and so there's no real need to defend my beliefs on a day to day basis. However when I'm with different groups of people, there's a need to legitimise what I'm saying with well-reasoned arguments. This is where I often fall down. Feminism is now in the spotlight and there's a plethora of well written pieces in support of the movement. In my excitement to discover all of this, however, I've almost forgotton where my own beliefs actually stem from and why they're important to me (and not the author of the vagenda blog, for instance). I've therefore often bypassed the core arguments which have made me feel a certain way and headed straight to buzz words like 'safe space' and 'equality' in order to uphold a view which I'm not fully certain is even my own.

Take my previously cited example of rape culture. Last night a friend said something along the lines of girls being stupid for dressing promiscuously. I'll admit, I found it difficult to distinguish my emotional response ("I can't believe you just said that!") from a more reasoned rebuttal. This could have been down to the fact I'd already had a couple of glasses of wine or, quite simply, because I'm not normally in an environment where I'm required to defend this topic.

I think it's important that we all challenge our own views. Not to fit in with what others think but to feel comfortable that they really are our own. In the same way people with a religious upbringing may question whether their faith stems from those around them, I'm now questioning why I hold certain beliefs. I'm hoping this will strengthen my feminist argument so that next time I'm sat there open mouthed at a friend's comment I can actually put together a coherent response.

(For the record, I'm a feminist because I believe that both genders should be valued equally, which they currently aren't, and not just because I quite liked Caitlin Moran's witty take on female body hair.).

Wanted: Role Model

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I was watching a programme about female role models the other night which I think needs to be compulsory viewing for anyone who works with young people/the media. It basically illustrated how many young girls have no interest in making a name for themselves through hard work, instead harbouring ambitions to marry into success or to let their image do the talking. This is, of course, all a little misleading. All of these so called 'shallow' icons (Katie Price, Kim Kardashian, etc) have certainly put the hours in to get where they are today. However, as the programme acknowledged when interviewing TOWIE's Amy Childs, this hard work isn't always so visible (and can lead to young people viewing certain paths as the easy option).

We were then shocked with statistics telling us how few girls could name a female scientist/politician/business woman. I was actually horrified by the fact that I also struggled to come up with many myself. Having always considered myself as having ambition beyond what handbag I'd eventually like to own, it's worrying to realise that I'm probably more familiar with Emma Watson's style evolution than any great scientific discoveries made by a fellow woman. It's not that I don't care. It's just that, as the programme said, women don't tend to be talked about quite so much as men for reasons other than what they look like or who they're dating. This is a subject close to many feminist's hearts, with Caitlin Moran even dedicating a whole chapter of her book to role models (I'm seriously trying to mention this woman in as many posts as possible!).

It wasn't all doom and gloom. The programme also took three work-shy young girls and paired them with mentors (such as the founder of Nails inc and the CEO of a charity) in order to show them that there's more to life than fake tan and becoming a WAG. As predicted, once these girls had been shown an alternative, they were all for the world of work.

As many people say, feminism often deals with economic issues. Your aims in life are largely a sum of your background and education- if you've never been inspired to believe that hard work will get you places (places which allow you to keep your clothes firmly on) then of course you're more likely to be drawn in by a job which promises fame and glamour. Life can be mundane and uninspiring if you don't have people to look up to, people to show you that things can get better. So instead of frowning upon the girls who see themselves as the next Katie Price, why not ask ourselves if society has done enough to show them that there are other options?

I just want to end on an observation. I googled 'CEO' to see if there were any fitting images for this post. Needless to say, I was greeted by countless photos of men with a mere scattering of women, the third of which was CEO Barbie (as seen above). I think it says a lot when google ranks a plastic doll more highly in relevance than real, living and breathing women.

Green eyed monster

I like to think that I follow an eclectic mix of bloggers however, more often than not, they have one thing in common. Whether they're writing about fashion or feminism, I can't help but get a bit of an inferiority complex as I work my way through my reading list. Of course bloggers want you to view their world through rose tinted Ray Bans and are very selective about what they post however, as the following points show, it's not just their writing style I'm pining after...

The Fashionista

It's currently London Fashion Week and any blogger worth their shiny Cambridge satchel is out there photographing every moment of it. I always knew fashion blogging wasn't for me however, thanks to twitter, it's incredibly easy to feel left out of something you weren't even sure you wanted to be part of to begin with. I guess when your life seems to comprise of rum-induced disasters you do start to question your extracurricular activities.

The (Health) Foodie

If, like myself, you count blueberry muffins as one of your five a day you're bound to feel the guilt when reading someone rave about their latest healthly concoctions. For some reason I often find myself reading said blog whilst eating chocolate digestives, every bite reminding me of why I will never be able to wear that studded crop top from Urban Outfitters I have my eye on.

The Rich Kid

These kinds of blogs are pure escapism (oh how I long for the day when I can afford Mulberry accessories) with the sole purpose of illustrating just how fabulous the writer's life is. They also make me resent the fact that I am probably sat in my H&M jeggings on my lunch break rather than wearing Prada on a boat.

I realise this could possibly be one of my more negative blog posts. It's not supposed to be. I genuinely love reading these kinds of blogs and a little bit of envy is totally worth the potential outfit ideas/new recipes/general enjoyment I get out of them. In short, the rich, clever, witty, and beautiful people should keep writing (but perhaps throw the rest of us some more tips along the way, yeah?).

Six years later...

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It's funny how A Level results day always prompts people to reminisce about their school days and ponder the direction their lives could have taken had they chosen differently. Like many people, my life has taken on a very different path to those I was toying with in sixth form (mainly because I didn't know the role of 'Advice Coordinator' existed back then but that's beside the point).

For some reason I had my heart set on doing Biomedical Science at University despite a clear lack of ability and interest in the area. Having shunned the subjects I actually had a decent level of understanding in, I embarked on what was to be three years of pretending my degree didn't exist. Instead I threw myself into extracurricular activities from the word go (gospel choir in fresher's week, anyone?) and learned just how amazing the Students' Union was. Of course this stood me in good stead for going on to work in the student movement and I genuinely believe that had my course been more riveting the opportunity to get involved in the Union might have passed me by.

On the flip side, not doing what I was really passionate about meant that my last memories of education are not great. Don't get me wrong, I adored University, but that was more to do with my new found independence as opposed to lectures and lab sessions (those weeks of sketching rat brain were the worst of my life!).

So six years later what have I learnt? Not much in the area of my degree but we all know that learning is hardly restricted to academia:


1). Don't pick a subject because it sounds clever!
 This may be obvious but it's so easy to get sucked into something because you like the way it sounds (I guess this goes for job roles, too). A few impressed looks were so not worth trying to get to grips with cell biology.

2). Blessings in disguise do exist.
I ended up at my insurance choice as I missed out on the grades I needed however I can honestly say that I can't imagine spending my student days anywhere else. Not that underperforming in your exams is to be encouraged however in my case this actually worked out pretty well!

3). There's usually another way.
Unless you're looking at a really specific career (such as Medicine or Dentistry) then you can often find your own way into a job. I'm not saying it's easy but sometimes you just need to explore your options at your own pace rather than following your life plan to the last detail. As the majority of the twitter world have been saying to those getting results, today does not need to dictate the rest of your life. You have more power than you realise to change direction and so don't let less than perfect grades lead you to compromise your ambitions.

New Stuff

In the interest of showing that my life is about more than eating all the cake, here's a glimpse into what's new in my world:

1). Just in case you've missed my incessant tweeting about my new living arrangements, I have finally moved out. This has taken me the best part of a year and so I am indescribably relieved to no longer be living with my parents. Not that they weren't a treat, I just don't think they need to see their daughter stumble in drunkenly on a Friday night any longer.

2). The whole world is getting married. I've never felt particularly pressurised to find myself a husband however the thought of people my age walking down the aisle is always a little unnerving (committment phobe, moi?). Obviously I wish them all the luck in the world (what with the rocketing divorce rate and all...jokes) and await the facebook photos eagerly as Weddings are facestalking gold!

3). Driving lessons. These are currently the worst part of my life. I think it's safe to say I'm not a natural. My main reasons for learning are because my dad told me to and the fact that I want to be able to go to a drive through McDonalds on my own.

4). I signed up to present at the next Ignite session in Liverpool. I probably shouldn't broadcast this fact as part of me expects to drop out when the fear gets the better of me. I mean I'm all for stepping out of my comfort zone but a five minute presentation on what Sex and the City has done for feminism (yes that is my topic of choice)? I think I may have stepped out a little too far.

When Russell Brand met the Dalai Lama...

Yesterday a group of us went to see the Dalai Lama talk at an event called Stand Up and Be the Change. I'm not particularly religious (my Catholic upbringing kind of fell by the wayside once church was no longer a mandatory Sunday activity) however, with free tickets for under 25's, this seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. Plus as soon as I heard that Russell Brand was acting as compere I was sold (he's my guilty pleasure, what can I say?).

I must admit I was a little apprehensive. I think I was half expecting to be preached at however there was a refreshing lack of religious terminology and the principles explored were not particularly controversial (such as the importance of forgiveness and how we all have the right to find spiritual happiness). The general consensus on our way out was that a lot of what was said made perfect sense however I did feel that the event lacked practical advice. It's all very well telling a group of people to 'Stand Up and Be the Change' however I'm still not quite clear about what I'm supposed to be changing and how I should go about doing so. Either way, I liked the focus on empowering young people and it did hit home that it is now our generation's turn to do our thing (no pressure...).

All in all it was a great way to spend a Saturday, especially the parts were Russell Brand attempted to interpret the Dalai Lama's advice on spiritual wellbeing (there's a sentence I never thought I'd write!).

Mersey Tunnel 10K

Last Sunday I ran the Mersey Tunnel 10K. I'd heard about it a while ago and vowed to take part, mainly for the novelty factor of running through the tunnel (for similar reasons I also want to run the London Zoo 10K). Having completed a half marathon in the past I knew this distance was certainly do-able however, as I've been somewhat lacking in motivation, felt it would still be a decent challenge.

The race itself didn't disappoint. Sure parts were tough (I wasn't counting on the sun making a rare appearance) and negotiating my way through fellow runners at the beginning was a pain, however the great atmosphere meant that I genuinely enjoyed myself. Crossing the finish line in just over 53 minutes, I was reminded of why I am so determined to make running a part of my life.

I wish every run felt like a race (and not just because I'm weirdly competitive). I love the shift in attitude that race day brings. Of course the crowds spur you on however there's also that constant voice in your head telling you that stopping/walking just isn't an option. Sometimes it takes a certain kind of environment to really push yourself and lone training runs don't always cut it. When I'm jogging around my local park I will use any excuse to stop for a breather (my ipod needs adjusting, I need to tie my lace, I have to stretch... you get the picture) despite the fact that I know my body is more than capable of carrying on.

My next step is to join a running club. Having briefly dabbled in the past, I think I now need to make the commitment and find somewhere that won't let me stop unnecessarily as soon my legs get a little achy! I also need to work on my general overall fitness however the longer I can put off attending circuit training during my lunch break the better.

Five ridiculous things

There seems to be two primary functions of a blog. One is to post photos of yourself in various outfits and the other is to rant into cyberspace about whatever is currently on your mind. Considering I'm not the most photogenic of people I've decided that the latter option is best and so here you have it, a condensed insight into what's been irritating me lately:


1). Jessica Ennis being called fat

Stupidest. Thing. EVER. As always, I'll leave it to more eloquent bloggers (here and here) to expand on this but suffice to say I am annoyed.


2). My phone not recognising the word 'patriarchy'

Clearly technology's attempt to completely undermine the feminist movement. Blackberry, I'm onto you!


3). Pasty tax talk

Yes this tax was ridiculous. What's more ridiculous is the fact that we're all still talking about it. Our country is still in financial crisis. People around the world are still suffering. There may even be another female athelete to insult (joke). Let's move on already and devote headlines to more worthy topics.


4). The weather

Sorry to go all British but it's a topic which can't be avoided. I just can't cope with such changeable seasons! How on earth am I expected to choose an outfit for the day when I have no idea if I'll be reaching for the sun cream or more layers?


5). My waistline

I'll admit this is largely (oooh good pun) self inflicted and I can hardly expect much else from the amount of oreos I've been consuming (have definitely reached a new personal best). For some reason cutting back just seems unthinkable at the moment (how else would I get through the week without so many carbs?!) and so I've resigned myself to the fact that it will probably take either a beach holiday or a few fat jibes to make me shed the pounds. Although if you do call me fat I will cry. And possibly throw an oreo at you.

Running Towards the Cake

I love the running community. I have read so many blogs singing the praises of fellow runners and saying how supportive they are however nothing beats experiencing this first hand.

I went on my third Park Run this morning which I found ridiculously hard (slightly worrying when I have a 10K in a month) however the wonderful volunteers who cheer everyone on each week genuinely make my day. Having a complete stranger complimenting your running, even if it's stretching the truth and they say it to everyone, is a great ego boost when you're out sans make up on a Saturday morning.

The only problem is, a 5K run at 9am seems to trick my body into thinking it's entitled to chocolate biscuits galore. Luckily I'm not really running to lose weight (and here's why you shouldn't either!) and so can cross the finish line safe in the knowledge that I'll be indulging in the calories when I get home. Of course there's a happy medium and no one can exercise at their full potential having lived off takeaways for a month however it's all about the bigger picture. Life's no fun without your favourite things and there's certainly room for both running and cake in mine!

If you're a runner (or want to be) and are looking for motivation then I would thoroughly recommend Spikes and Heels (where the above linked peice is from), an amazing website by Muireann Carey-Campbell. Living by the motto "be pretty on rest days", her site is a must read for anyone wanting to break out of their comfort zone.

Have a treat filled weekend x

Day Five (almost time for treats)

I quickly decided against blogging each day about what I was eating for Live Below The Line, purely because no one wants to read about cheese sandwiches and biscuits for five days straight.

I am approaching tomorrow with the same excitement as I would my birthday as I can reintroduce my usual treats into my diet. I wouldn't say I've gone hungry over the last five days (in fact, I've probably still eaten more than a lot of people who weren't living below the line) however it's the lack of variety and spontaneity which have been the hardest. I'm so used to grabbing food at every opportunity, whether it's chocolate to break up the working day or biscuits (which aren't Asda smart price) in front of the TV. I've also missed being able to pay for the convenience of having food whenever I want it. Eating dry toast on the train to London yesterday was probably a low point of the week!

Of course five days is absolutely nothing and, as numerous other participants have been saying on Twitter, there's so many more people who are permanently living below the line (and don't have the luxury of constantly tweeting at others for support). I've gone through this week counting down the days until I can go back to my old (bad) habits however I'd like to think I've taken more from the experience than a new level of appreciation for Nutella.

Having to think so carefully about what you're eating is exhausting (I'm still worrying about the possibility of going over budget and I never want to weigh out pasta again). It also impacts your social life considering I couldn't have afforded one cocktail with my weekly budget (and no one wants you watching them eat whilst you're sipping a glass of tap water).

As I said on Monday, I'm not asking for sponsorship as I don't think skipping after work drinks is enough to inspire people to give generously. I would, however, urge you to have a look at the amazing charities Live Below the Line are working with and let them speak for themselves. I've decided to donate money to Positive Women however they're all incredibly worthwhile causes and so please, swap that Friday night glass of wine for some good karma and donate if you can.

Day 2- Like a diet but with no beach holiday to look forward to

Okay that's a slight exaggeration as I'm hardly depriving myself of calories. I lied yesterday. I ended up indulging in some evening snacks of biscuits and dry toast. I also managed a second breakfast and pre dinner snack today (see how I'm making this work for me?).

I think the main issue is knowing I'm not allowed certain foods. There's nothing wrong with pasta for dinner (again...) however when I know it's my only option it's suddenly a lot less appetising. And working out the cost of every single thing I eat is giving me a headache (or that could just be the diet coke withdrawal symptoms).

Today's menu was poached egg on (dry) toast for breakfast, cheese sandwiches for lunch (which I would probably be having anyway due to my lack of imagination) and pasta, sauce and sweetcorn for dinner. I also had a banana and some biscuits for snack time. Reading that back it looks like loads but there would usually be more chocolate/crisps present in my diet which are definitely the main things I'm missing! On the bright side, I'll be keeping my dentist happy.

Day one: Let's go shopping!

I started the Living Below the Line challenge badly by not having bought my week's worth of food the night before (unfortunately a hangover and Sunday trading laws got in the way). Instead I went shopping this morning which, considering I was already hungry (ie. irritable), wasn't the best way to spend a bank holiday.

So here's what I bought:

Eggs (splashed out on free range), cheese, sweetcorn, one potato, pasta, five bananas, pasta sauce, bread, biscuits (unfortunately my budget didn't quite stretch to oreos). All for the grand total of £4.89

I am usually a bit of a brand snob however today I obviously didn't have the option of shunning the supermarket's cheapest versions. Although I will say that I'm pleasantly surprised by Aldi's pasta sauce and Asda's smart price biscuits. Clearly the name on the packet doesn't mean everything (probably would have done me some good to have learnt that as a student...).

Anyway, day one over (eating wise anyway, no room in the budget for my usual array of post dinner snacks) four more to go!

Living below the line

I heard about Live Below the Line last year however let the week pass me by, making a vague mental note that it was something I should get involved in next time. Fast forward one year and here I am- about to attempt to live off £1 a day for five days. Considering my second breakfast sometimes costs twice as much as that, this isn't going to be easy. My days are punctuated with snacks, pretty much most of my socialising revolves around food/drink and I get ridiculously irritable if I think I've waited too long for my next meal.

Anyone who knows me is aware of the role food plays in my life. This used to be something I didn't like drawing attention to ("omg I can't believe that guy just saw me eating something- he now knows that I EAT!!") however I no longer have any qualms about vocalising my constant need for chocolate and hatred of low carb diets. I think food blogging and Twitter have also made it more acceptable to tell the world whenever you're stuffing your face and I now like to see my obsession with cake as an endearing character quirk as opposed to a lack of self control.

Most of us are fortunate enough not to know what real hunger is (apart from during the run up to a beach holiday) however excess food and too much choice can lead to problems of their own. Food may be plentiful in the UK but so are eating disorders, obesity and other dietary related conditions. Yes we have the luxury of enjoying what we eat however, when food starts to develop other associations, we can abuse this privilege and the enjoyment turns into a private pain. Of course the above issues are complex and shouldn't be oversimplified, however my point is that food can be problematic even when we do have enough of it. I fully expect the next few days to force me to look at my own relationship with food (and why I feel a constant supply of oreos is key to my overall wellbeing!).

In their own words: "Live Below the Line is challenging individuals and communities to see how much change you can make out of £1. By living off just £1 per day for food for 5 days, you will be bringing to life the direct experiences of the 1.4 billion people currently living in extreme poverty and helping to make real change. "

I will donate the money I'm saving on food to one of the campaign's chosen charities however I'm not asking for sponsorship as I'm quite picky about what I deem a legitimate reason to make a plea for people's hard earned money. Considering I probably eat twice as much as the average person anyway, I'm considering this more of a personal challenge (and if this does prompt anyone else to donate then that's just fabulous). I am likely to use my blog to rant document my progress so keep reading if you care to hear about the joys of dry toast and my diet coke withdrawal symptoms. All I ask is that no one comes near me with cake during the next five days. It could get ugly.

Glamour Magazine- The New Mental Health Guru?

The Vagenda Team have been giving me all kinds of blogspiration lately (if I haven't already made it obvious, I am currently a little obsessed with this amazing team of writers). A couple of their tweets in particular caught my eye recently:

"The editor's letter of this month's Glamour seems to imply that having a support network which includes staff will help you beat depression"
"I'm sure having a nanny, a PA, and your girly friends may help. But don't doctors say that a combo of therapy and medication works best?"

Magazines often embark on awareness raising campaigns about all kinds of issues, from safety to sexual health, in a bid to educate and support their readers. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this in itself. In fact, I love when my favourite monthly reads provide me with more than a shopping wish list I cannot afford.

I think the problem arises when magazines begin to stray outside of their remit and oversimplify issues they're not really qualified to advise on. As the Vagenda Team point out, they can often skim over (or completely leave out) important parts of the story (ie. that Depression is an illness which usually requires more than the ability to delegate in order to be beaten). Whilst it's important to encourage sufferers to get support it's equally important not to undermine the seriousness of mental health problems.

This doesn't mean, however, that the glossies should shy away from the topic. There are so many amazing organizations working hard to destigmatise mental health problems and it's great that the magazine industry wants to join them. They don't need any criticism for this- if Jo Elvin's (Glamour editor) letter prompts just a handful of women to seek support (whether it's from their best friend or their GP) then I'd say it's a job well done. We just need to ensure the right information is out there so that those who need to access support are not put off when they realise a laugh with the girls won't necessarily be the miracle cure they hoped for.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the path to mental wellbeing doesn't always require a prescription of Prozac. Being free from a diagnosed condition is only the beginning and it's also important to look after our mental health on a day to day basis. In a society where our waistline is sometimes prioritised over our own true happiness, perhaps such campaigns can remind women to place the same emphasis on their mind as they do on their bodies? If we are encouraged to ask for support as we go about our day to day business perhaps we will find it easier to reach out for help if we come up against bigger challenges.

We need to get to the point where society can encourage those suffering with depression that things will get better without implying that they should just 'snap out of it'. Is Glamour  in a position to do this? Magazines may not have the specialist knowledge to recommend treatment plans however they are in an excellent position to shape the way thousands of young women view mental health issues which has pretty amazing potential.

Since starting this post (yeah I have issues with concentration!) I saw on twitter that Time to Change were putting on an event about the representation of mental health in women's magazines (which Jo Elvin spoke at). I think the timing is perfect and, despite my adoration for magazines, we need to hold these big names accountable when it comes to the way in which they influence their readers. Mental health problems don't just happen to other people (one in four is a pretty big statistic) and so it's in everyone's best interests to keep this issue high on their agenda.

Too damn fabulous

Like many people, I had a scroll through the Daily Mail website during yesterday's lunch hour in order to see what people were wearing to this year's Ladies' Day at Aintree. I won't post a link to the article as it's pretty predictable, ending with readers (anonymously) insulting people's chosen attire. Luckily, I also came across this article by Stephanie Heneghan which sums up my feelings on the matter perfectly.

A day later, however, and I just can't shake off my feelings of anger. Since when was publishing deliberately bad photos of women (as one commenter observed) in order to spark a string of hurtful insults a valid career choice? And as for the comments themselves, I appreciate we're all entitled to an opinion but where do we draw the line? You wouldn't shout at a woman in the street because you didn't like her fake tan (well not if you're a decent human being) so why does the Daily Mail make it okay for us to do so online?

Women really cannot win. If we don't make an effort we're seen as lazy and committing a crime against femininity however if we dare to show a bit of personality through our style then, as Stephanie points out, we're publicly ridiculed. But there's a happy medium you say? I'm sure there is however when society continuously changes its idea of  what's desirable in a woman, this 'happy medium' gets increasingly difficult to achieve.

Considering beauty is so very subjective, how about people just shut the hell up and stop criticizing the ladies of Liverpool for being too damn fabulous.

I am a bad feminist

I seem to pick and choose when I want to fight the cause. I hate gender stereotypes yet I fully embrace the one given to me (shopping and pink cocktails? Hell YEAH). I have issues with strip clubs but I've taken a couple of pole dancing classes myself (definitely no hidden talent there). I can't stand guys who pass judgement on a woman's body, as if being slightly bigger without covering up is a crime against femininity, however I look longingly at the skinny models in my magazines all the time. I fully accept that sexual harassment is a serious issue although I wouldn't mind being wolf whistled at once in a while. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with any of those things. Because that's what feminism comes down to- choice.

On a very basic level it's finally giving women the choice between forging ahead with their career or staying at home with children (although we're still not quite there with that one). On another level it's also about embracing the other choices we may wish to make. We talk about respect and equality yet too many women (and men) seem intent on reserving these 'privileges' for those who hold very specific views about how a woman should express her desire for equal status.

I am a feminist. I also have the right to decide what I deem to be sexual harassment, whether or not pole dancing constitutes a legitimate past time and how I feel about the sex industry. I appreciate the arguments surrounding these issues however I am quite capable of coming up with my own views without sacrificing my feminist values.

When the internal arguments so often alienate people from the cause why do we continue to make them our focus? I'm not saying we should all suddenly sacrifice our beliefs in the interests of getting along; I love a healthy debate as much as the next person. However debate is the operative word here. This shouldn't be a one way dialogue and listening is just as important as making your views known. By enforcing your beliefs on others, no matter how passionate you feel about them, you're already in the same territory as the so-called oppressors who have done so for years (granted your views may have women's best interests at heart however the principal's pretty much the same).

When will we finally say to women that it's okay to be unsure? Feminism throws up some tricky issues and I'd much prefer someone spent time thinking about where their beliefs sit and what they are comfortable with rather than shunning certain activities simply because feminism says they're bad.

I love that women's rights and 'issues' are often in the spotlight and I think it's so important to keep them there. I don't, however, like the assumption that all feminists should hold the same views on a range of issues just because we happen to have one view in common. As Cate Sevilla says, "Equality is not a sisterhood of women who agree on everything". Provided women are in an environment that allows them to make an informed choice (eg. not forced into the sex industry due to being economically disadvantaged) I think we can agree to disagree in a lot of cases.

In the words of Caitlin Moran (I will never stop quoting this woman): "the purpose of feminism isn't to make a particular type of woman...You know what? Feminism will have all of you". So let's stop with the judgement, the belittling and the snobbery. Go right ahead and book a burlesque lesson, wear an indecently short skirt, dress up as a sexy nurse for a fancy dress party- just don't do it out of a sense of duty as a woman.

Progress

And the fitness regime has begun! I was half preparing for a blog post on how last week's plans fell through (negative, moi?) however I guess even I can manage a few days of exercise when the gym is about a minute away from where I work.

Unfortunately all the exercise classes I want to take are at really awkward times (and I don't think 'legs, bums 'n' tums' is an adequate reason for leaving work early). This meant that I had to face the actual gym. Now it's not that gyms particularly intimidate me (I'm quite partial to watching the guys in the weights room), I just find running on the spot really tedious. And the TV doesn't help (mainly because I still have issues working it but that's besides the point). Anyway, I went along to the running club a couple of nights later which was much better. I mean there was the close shave with the fire brigade, and I did almost get left behind towards the end, but I suppose that's the risk you take when you break free from the safety of the treadmill.

I also managed to get to a Box-Kick Fitness class which I would thoroughly recommend to anyone with pent up rage. Seriously though, it's a great workout and the novelty of wearing boxing gloves adds to the enjoyment factor.

I fnished off with a run on Saturday which, in all honesty, was hell. You know when you keep trying to psyche yourself up only to realise it's just not working? I remember reading somewhere that the bad runs are actually the most effective ones, which I guess makes sense seeing as they're more of a struggle, however I managed to replace any calories burnt by consuming large quantities of nutella on my return. As much as I joke about my horrendous diet, I'm starting to admit that it probably does affect the way I feel when running. Maybe I'll take baby steps and just give up chocolate on exercise days and see how it goes. There's no waaay I'm jumping on the deprivation bandwagon for Lent and going cold turkey. I've done it before and have no intention of doing it again!

All in all, quite a good week exercise-wise. Although it has drawn my attention to the fact that I'm in need of a decent gym bag (my Topshop shopper isn't really cutting it). I do have my eye on a neon pink asos number however it will clash horribly with my winter coats (yeah I'm obvs not ready for Spring time yet). Any suggestions? Perhaps accessories would be a better exercise incentive than the prospect of another jar of nutella...

Back at the start line...

So I have finally decided to get back into the whole fitness thing. I genuinely miss the aching muscles the day after a brilliant work out and the feeling I get after a run. It's not even about thinness anymore (okay maybe it is a little, all that chocolate is catching up with me!). I don't think I'll ever be as motivated as I was during my military fitness/healthy eating stint and, seeing as I no longer have the pressure to be beach ready, I know I'll need more than a little push to get back into things.

Luckily my job comes with free gym membership (did I mention I also get free diet coke? Yeah that's job satisfaction for you) and, as most of my office seems to be on some kind of fitness kick, there's certainly no shortage of gym buddies. Funnily enough, I haven't actually made it to the gym yet (what? Talking about exercise isn't enough?) however did manage to go out with the running club last week. I knew it would be a bit of a struggle seeing as I haven't properly exercised yet this year (apart from one pathetic run) however I didn't quite anticipate feeling so sick as we were made to sprint up and down the car park. Nor did I realise I would practically need to be dragged as we ran up and down the steps to the Cathedral (my calves are still not back to normal...).

It was also strange to class myself as a 'beginner' again. Having already trained to a stage where I could complete a half marathon in a decent time, it's kind of disheartening to be back at the start line when it comes to my fitness levels. I mean I wasn't that bad during the running session, however I certainly have my work cut out if I want to enter another race (which I think is pretty essential if I want to stay motivated for longer than a week).

I have actually always wanted to run a marathon however I know I'm not in a place in my life where I could committ so much time to training (that's probably more down to laziness than being particularly busy). Instead I quite like the idea of doing another half marathon but possibly somewhere more exotic than Liverpool this time. I have been talking to Kathyrn about doing one in Paris (a bit Bangs and a Bun style!) however, for me, the main attraction is the number of macaroons we could consume for energy purposes. There's also a 10K through the Mersey Tunnel which I've always wanted to do and might be a more realistic aim for now.

Anyway despite all of this talk, I'm still yet to go for my second run (I'm blaming the aching calves) however I have high hopes for next week! The plan is one running session (with the running club) and two exercise classes a week which I will then step up when I have a bit of discipline back. Despite knowing how great I will feel after some exercise, it's likely I will either need a friend physically dragging me to the gym or a big piece of cake waiting for me at the end of a run (preferably both) in order for me to follow through with this fitness pact. Maybe I should carry some photos of macaroons around with me as a reminder that every run will be one step closer to the Paris Half Marathon- forget thinspiration, foodspiration is where it's at!

The big V

I seem to be disproportionately excited for tomorrow considering I am single and the only person buying jewellery for me is, well, me (during today's lunch hour to be precise). Anyway, regardless of my relationship status, I have never been one to shy away from Valentine's Day. Whether it was sending a carnation to an unsuspecting boy back in year seven, or living up to the stereotype with a rom com and my single girlfriends, I've always been a firm believer that February 14th is there to be celebrated.

This year I shall be drinking cocktails with one of my best friends (because nothing says 'I love you' like a Cosmopolitan) and potentially feeling awkward when we realise we're the only non-couple out on date night (actually that won't happen, I'm sure there'll be tons of fellow singletons out in force trying to ensure they're coupled up by this time next year).

I did have the idea of sneaking into work early to change everyone's screensaver to pink puppies however, seeing as I barely make it in on time anyway, that may be a bit of a challenge.

Anyway, this isn't going to be a post aimed at dissecting the meaning of relationships or exhibiting any form of bitterness (honest!), just my general musings on the whole V day. I think any kind of themed day will always be a winner, even if only for comedy value (because changing my email signature to Cupid's would be hilarious and not at all unprofessional...).

Whatever you're doing, have a fabulous day x

The land of Tim Tams and Koalas

Seeing as I made such a big fuss about needing a bikini body for Australia I thought a blog post about my trip was in order (so that you can see I did do other stuff apart from moan about a few extra pounds!). Having been home for almost a month now, I'm kind of dragging this out a bit (yeah I don't think 'jet lag' is an acceptable excuse for being late for work again) however at least blogging about my travels means you can just exit this page if you're bored as opposed to feigning interest as I recount another story involving sand, sunburn or koalas.

Melbourne

I started off with my parents and sister in Melbourne, where my sister is currently studying for a year. This city is amazing. I keep telling people it's like Liverpool in the sun (which is a good thing, honest!). I loved the whole cafe culture, quirky bars and the general friendliness of the place.

Being the typical Brit English rose that I am, I managed to get sunburnt on the first day by misjudging the need for sun cream (rule of thumb: always wear the stuff). Luckily my sister and I have nursing sunburn down to an art thanks to years of experience. Premature skin ageing aside, we had a great time. We stayed in a place called St Kilda which was full of bars and restaurants (and cake shops. Lots of cake shops). There's a nearby beach (Elwood) which is refreshingly laid back and has a cafe that sells the loveliest milkshakes. As you can see by the food talk, any attempt to look half decent in my swim wear was quickly forgotten.

We spent quite a few days wandering around the city, stopping more often than necessary for snacks. Being a city which clearly likes its food, I was right at home. In fact one of the bloggers I follow, Gourmet Chick, has been blogging about restaurants and cafes in Melbourne and she knows her stuff. I was also introduced to Tim Tams (penguins will taste rubbish after you've tried these bad boys) and lemon lime bitters (makes vodka go down a treat although you can actually get these in the UK, I'd just never seen them before).

Wise words for a paper cup

Aside from stuffing my face, I did manage to take in some culture. And get my Christmas shopping done (so much easier when you're just with your family!). Rather than turning this into a day by day account of what we did, which is no fun for anyone, I thought I'd let a few holiday snaps do the talking.

Shrine of Rememberance

 

Royal Botanic Gardens

St Paul's Cathedral

T'Gallant vineyard (wine time counts as culture, right?)

One of my favourite things about Melbourne was how understated the run up to Christmas was. Now I'm no scrooge but I do get irritated by the new levels of tackiness the festive period often brings. It wasn't that nobody over there cared it was Christmas, they just seemed to be busy enjoying life in general as opposed to building up to one individual day. I guess if Christmas day was slap bang in the middle of our summer (and we had an abundance of fabulous beaches to choose from...) we mightn't be so ridiculous about the whole thing either.

Even the Christmas trees don't over-accessorize

Christmas day itself was spent on the beach (obvs) although I tend to leave out the part of the story where we hid inside from a thunderstorm. So in actual fact Christmas morning was spent on the beach and the remainder of the day was pretty similar to Christmas in Liverpool (except Australian TV is very disappointing and we gave the turkey a miss this year).

More highlights from Melbourne include the Great Ocean Road (stunning scenery and if you're lucky you'll see some koalas in their natural habitat), a day trip to the Grampians (complete with creepy tour guide) and the Victoria market (anywhere selling that much food is always a winner).

Sydney

I feel I should get the generic tourist snaps out of the way first...

Sydney Opera House

 

Harbour bridge

I think Melbourne spoilt us a little and it took quite a lot for me to get excited about Sydney. Granted, my first impressions of the city were of Kings Cross (Oz's answer to Magaluf) which is fine for an alcohol fuelled night out however not so fun when you're walking past strip clubs with your parents in toe. My sister and I also booked the rest of our travels here and so Sydney will always be the place that left a massive dent in my bank balance!

Anyway, I started to warm to the city on our second day when we stumbled across Harry's Cafe de Wheels (although I must admit I prefer Pie Face's offering). I think at this stage of the trip I was past caring about my waistline and eating so much pie was some sort of rebellion against all of the toned bodies around us. Seriously, people would jog past us whilst we were still catching our breath from climbing the steps near our hotel. I really don't think I'd survive in a place where everyone is so damn skinny (unless Pie Face came up with a low fat option).

This was also when things became quite hectic as we realised just how much we wanted to fit in. We welcomed in the New Year at the harbour (next NYE has a lot to live up to) and then were up bright and early the next morning to squeeze in jet boating followed by the obligatory visit to Bondi Beach.

I'm not really one for posing in the sun (at least not for extended periods of time) and so it's often the sea which will make or break a beach experience for me. Bondi is definitely a favourite as the waves were amazing (if not slightly dangerous when I was pushed under water for longer than I was comfortable with!). Despite the crowds (and the slightly too-cool-for-school vibe the surrounding area gave out) I loved it and will someday live there with my surfer husband (it's important to have aims).

Cairns

My sister, her friend and I continued our journey up the East Coast, starting with Cairns. Turns out there's not a great deal to do in Cairns apart from book expensive trips and/or drink. A guy tried to sell us tickets to a party with perks such as a free toga however we politely declined as we had to be up bright and early the next day for white water rafting. I also felt I should give him a lesson in knowing your audience. Showing a 24 year old photos of drunk people will not convince her to hand over $20. It's not that I don't want to get drunk, I just don't want someone younger than me trying to sell me the idea. We ended up drinking in our hostel bar instead where we were subjected to topless jelly wrestling and so, in hindsight, we probably should have just gone with the toga party...

Whitsunday Islands

You can't really go wrong with being on a boat for a few days, especially when you're fed regularly and are taken snorkelling. Whitsunday Island itself was beautiful and, apart from the charming guy who decided to comment on my sunburn whenever I walked past, we met some lovely people. I think limited space definitely helps the bonding.

Fraser Island

Despite having reached a stage where budgeting was becoming a necessity (the meals out with our parents had turned into noodles in our hostel), I'd say this was one of my favourite places. Having facebook stalked people who had already been to Fraser Island, I was under the (mistaken) impression that it was pretty much just a shipwreck on a nice beach however turns out it's a little more than that. For one thing, getting about without a four wheel drive would have been quite a challenge (not least because of my abysmal sense of direction).

In short we went to lots of lakes, which doesn't sound like much however don't underestimate the novelty of crystal clear water and a lack of sea salt (finally, I could open my eyes under water!). There was also one lake surrounded by sand dunes where you could sand board into the lake. Unfortunately this was easier said than done and my attempt (having asked a family if I could lend their board) resulted in what could only be described as rolling into the water having screamed all my way down the hill. Guess that wasn't the best day to wear my tiniest bikini.

It may look pretty but that damn sand burned the feet!

We camped on the island which was an experience in itself. Our tour guide kindly told us just how many species of snakes it was home to and advised us to go to the toilet in pairs (well somebody has to be on dingo watch).

Dangerous creatures and unfortunate sand boarding incidents aside, we had a brilliant time (however felt the need to disregard the hostel's five minute shower rule on our return).

Brisbane

Ah the land of affordable shops and cheap drinks. I only had a couple of days here before flying home however made the most of them by fitting in some much needed shopping, more Pie Face (dessert pie really is the way forward) and koala hugging (money well spent I'd say). 

All in all an amazing trip which has made me even more determined to travel and/or live in another country at some point. I was so jealous of all the people we spoke to who were in Australia for a year and so had months to explore the east coast at their own pace (as opposed to sleeping on night buses and running about like crazy people with back packs on). There were some people who had moved simply because the job situation back in their own country was so dire which was a little depressing however as far as new homes go, Australia certainly isn't the worst (just don't mention the bikini body maintenance).

Judging a book by its cover

I have always had a bit of an obsession with magazines. A copy of 'Glamour' in my handbag ready to read on the bus home genuinely makes my day and, sad as it may sound, it can sometimes take a well written article to make you realise you're not alone when it comes to a particular view point. That said, I never hesitate to say when the magazine industry gets a little, well, ridiculous. I've also read other people's criticisms of my favourite titles and, despite initially feeling defensive, I've often came to realise that they have a point.


Today an unfamiliar publication caught my eye as I scanned the shelf of the newsagents for my latest fix. The magazine in question was called 'Body' and, judging by the advert I have since seen, appears to be dedicated to helping females keep tabs on their figure. Brilliant. Just what we need. Come on guys, we have a gazillion books/magazines/websites telling us how to lose weight- how can you still be trying to milk this? I appreciate that it's not always as simple as eating less/exercising more and I love reading about diet fads as much as the next person however even I am beginning to reach saturation point when it comes to calorie talk. More importantly, doesn't anyone else feel a little uncomfortable with the launch of yet another magazine guiding us towards a body which is probably unattainable for the majority of the female population?


I guess I should give them some credit for promoting a 'curvier' role model with a headline of "You don't have to starve to look like this! Kim Kardashian's shape-up rules" however I highly doubt I will look like the magazine's cover star simply by mirroring her eating habits. Which brings me onto another thing which infuriates me. Why give us unrealistic expectations? We're always told that looking like a celebrity is a full time job and often dependent on good genes yet the same magazine will still dedicate an entire eating plan to looking like our airbrushed idols.


Another headline also made me roll my eyes- "Is your salad cheating on you?" Um yes, it's pretending to be a full meal when we all know it's barely a snack- lying scumbag! As you can see, I struggle to take such articles seriously.


As the title of this post suggests, I have not even picked up a copy of 'Body' magazine and so am more than happy to admit I'm wrong if I do actually read through it and am pleasantly surprised. I also appreciate that this time last month I was blogging about my quest for the perfect bikini body. Considering this magazine may well have helped me to achieve just that, I guess I'm being quite the hypocrite here. It's not that I don't care about my weight, it's just that I'm currently relishing the extra layers of clothing which allow me to eat all the chocolate I want (thank God for winter!). I'm certain there will come a time when I am back on the bandwagon and clinging to any piece of literature that promises weight loss however, until then, I think I'll stick to reading articles which don't leave me questioning my salad's fidelity.