{mally powell}

BearFaced cheek - a grumble

There is currently a meme on my Facebook stream in which women friends nominate each other to post a self portrait without makeup in the interests of raising awareness of breast cancer. Setting aside the questionable usefulness of the exercise without any attendant links or relevant information*, it raised my hackles in the same way as another well-intentioned initiative - the BBC Children In Need BearFaced campaign did last year.

The idea of the BearFaced campaign is that women are sponsored to go without make up for a day. It is supported by beautiful portraits shot by Rankin of 'bare faced' celebrities (many of whom seem to be to be wearing plenty of 'natural' make up, and all shown bare fleshed as well as faced).

These are both noble causes and raising awareness and cash is great BUT (here comes the grumble...) when did the idea of a woman leaving the house or showing a picture of herself without make up become so shocking that it merits an 'aren't you brave - Go girl!' pat on the back? Let alone actual sponsorship! Is it really equivalent to running a marathon, or even sitting in a bath of baked beans? Given that most sponsored endeavours demand a feat of endurance or public ridicule, which camp does this fall into?

Imagine a similar campaign targetted at men... I can't. It would be a nonsense because men haven't been told that they need cosmetic assistance to make their appearance socially acceptable.

Several of my friends posted that they wouldn't be taking part in the Facebook meme, mainly because of the spurious value of the exercise but also because 'it would put you off your breakfast'. A joke, I know, but I can't help thinking it's based in very real insecurites. I have known people with facial scarring who wouldn't answer the door without their make up on, which I can understand. These friends, however, are beautiful, interesting, accomplished women but seem to feel the same pressure to put on a mask to face the world.

In a society where there is an ongoing debate about the social and feminist implications of the veil, it seems that this approach to cosmetics - apparently accepted as the norm - touches on similar issues about the role of women and the acceptability of their bodies.

I'm not anti make up - like most women I have bought and used it since I hit my teens (though I don't wear it every day - not when applying it is going to eat into my sleeping time!) - but the implications of these campaigns bothers me.

* it has evolved and most friends are now including information on how to make a £3 donation to Cancer Research UK by texting BEAT to 70099. The charity did not initiate the meme but have apparently enjoyed something of a windfall as a result.

Happier breakfasts

One of the things that has stayed with me from Gretchen Rubin's (ace) book Happier at Home is the idea of celebratory breakfasts. These are nothing particularly fancy, just a few things to mark special days in the calendar (valentines, halloween...) and set the day off on a jaunty note.

Today is Ginger's birthday and the first thing Titch asked this morning (after 'I NEED A WEEEEE!') was 'What does the table look like on birthdays?'. He gets it! He likes it! It works!

Thank you Gretchen.

100 days healthier: days 7 - 14

This week has been a bit better than last, though still far from exemplary. So much for my plan for three runs, I managed zero. In my defence, I've been surrounded by poorly males this week and both time and energy have been limited.

I've gone off the rails a bit this weekend, though not as wildly as last week. There was a biscuit baking experiment, which I probably should have thought better of, and I made marmalade. Consequently I have eaten rather a lot of toast...

On the up side, the pint of water before meals habit is easing into routine - not perfect but I remember more often than not. And I've been eating a lot more fruit and veg.

So, my Two Tiny Things for this week are to:
Take my Floradix tonic every morning
replace milk with almond milk.

The Floradix (essentially an extract of lots of vegetable based iron, vitamins and minerals. Not entirely yummy, despite their best efforts with fruit juices, but fine with a fresh juice chaser) works for me when I need a bit of a prop to get exercising. Once I start exercising, I have more energy, but getting started from a low can be tough.

I've cut down on coffee lately but I still drink a LOT of tea. And my tea comes milky. I try to stick to chai as I can enjoy that without sugar, but once or twice a day I'll have a builders brew. A builders brew with almond milk is just not the same; in chai its OK, but I have a limit. See my thinking? Cunning eh? I'm aiming to ease up on my tea habit and replace it with herb/fruit teas, but thats quite a big ask and we're talking about tiny things here. Baby steps.

My mum - 68 in a matter of weeks, breast cancer survivor, pace maker user, all round superstar - ran her first half marathon at the weekend having started from a base of no running at all last autumn. And - at the other extreme of the kick-up-the-bum scale - my lovely, feisty great-aunt passed away the same day. So. No more excuses, this is the week when I get back out on the road, and do some stretchy goodness in between.

Oh, and I STILL didn't do my measurements. I'll do it this week... Probably.

Watch me go (puff puff blow)!

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Previous tiny things:
Drink a pint of water before meals
Eat something green every day

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Practically health food: cheaty cheesecakes

I made these last night, expecting them to turn out like little baked custards. The taste and texture is actually closer to a baked cheesecake which, once my tastebuds adjusted to the idea, is a very good thing. They are very easy and virtually 'guilt free', but they taste like a proper pudding. H'rah!

To make around 10 small cheesecakes:

350g vanilla yogurt (I used one of the newish £1 mid-size pots of fat free yeo valley organic)
Pinch of vanilla powder or teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional - I'm a big vanilla fan)
4 eggs, beaten.

Mix all ingredients together and divide between silicone fairy (cup-) cake cases arranged in a roasting pan. I put them in a cake tin first then made a Bain Marie by filling the roasting tin with boiling water to about half way up the cake tin, but now I realise they aren't custard-ey I'm pretty sure this isn't necessary.

Bake in a medium oven (190/350 degrees) for around 30 minutes until just set.

Cool in the cases or refrigerate over night.

Enjoy with fruit of your choice.

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100 days healthier

100 days healthier: days 1-7

The theory goes that the first week of a challenge should be filled with vim, resolution and enthusiasm. It's an excellent theory, and one which I wish was true in my case...

The reality is that I sort of forgot, and then on Friday I made Chelsea-ish buns (moreishly good, recipe to follow) for a special valentines breakfast and (later!) drank far too much wine. Consequently I spent the rest of the weekend eating chocolate and carbs. And cheese.

Because I'm clever that way.

So I'm not expecting miracles on the scales or tape measure tomorrow (not least because I forgot to take starting line measurements/weight/photos. As I said: clever).

It wasn't a total dead loss, though. I did make some incremental improvements:
- I did a couple of workouts, and enjoyed them.
- I remembered to drink a pint of water before my meals a few times, and felt better for it.
- I tried to make healthy choices (some of the time) and replaced my desk sweetie stash with a fruit bowl. In fact, it was going pretty well - in a low key sort of way - until I went slightly mental at the weekend.

Today is a new week. I plan to consolidate and build on those little wins. I'll also do the measurements thing and run three times. Yes - three! Not once on Monday and then skip it for the whole week, thus ensuring zero progress and nagging guilt. Like a boss.

I'm also going to break out the Floradix tonic and green smoothies. Because I need to find some energy from somewhere, and apparently mainlining caffeine is 'a bad idea'...

100 days healthier

So. 2013. That was a toughie... Lots of Big Stuff - some really good, mostly not so fun - resulted in seriously disappointing progress against goals and a whopping two stone (28lb) weight gain (comfort each much?).

This year started out with good intentions and initial progress but has already been waylaid by more Big Stuff. I'm struggling with my weightloss goals, my exercise goals, my budgeting goals, my personal development goals, my make-and-do goals, my home improvement goals...

I think I may have too many goals.

So I've decided to keep it simple. For 100 days, starting next Monday - 10 February to 21 May 2014 - I am concentrating on establishing some healthy habits. I want to:

Get back into healthier eating habits

Establish a sustainable exercise routine

Practice kind/positive self talk (I really need to stop the 'I'm so rubbish at.../too fat...' etc in front of the boy)

Make more time for Girl Stuff (doing my make up, having pretty nails, hair that's 'done' not just stuffed up in a rubbish knot. (Good knot - fine, just not the rubbish ones)

Also, I'd like my underwear to fit again!

Thing is, I am so BORED of dieting (I put on most of that weight while 'on a diet'. Make of that what you will...). Looking back at pictures of myself a year ago (on a diet, dissatisfied with myself, looking great!) I have come to a realiseation that I just can't diet any more. Right now, I am well and truly Over It. Hence the emphasis on establishing sustainable healthy habits:

* Herbal tea instead of builders/coffee in the week

* Drink a pint of water before each meal

* Good bread at the weekend, none in the week.

* Minimise processed food

* Minimise sugar

* Maximise fruit, veg, lean protein and healthy grains

* Some sort of exercise every day. Some days a little, some a lot; I want to be able to run 5k comfortably by May 21st.

Lets see how this new approach works. I'm hoping for a little less lard, and a lot more energy.

Go me!

 

All the pretty things - glass teapots

A lovely friend of mine has recently been posting instagram pics featuring a fabulous tall, ribbed glass teapot she received from a girlfriend familiar with her love of tea and gorgeousness.

I am not ashamed to admit that I covet that pot.

As part of my ongoing efforts to replace bad habits with better ones, I'm trying to minimise my milky sweet tea consumption in favour of refreshing herbal infusions. Obviously, a beautiful pot would help with this. It is practically medicinal!

I've been having a little look around and come up with this short list - I think 1. and 4. are front runners, with 4 maybe sneaking an edge for the pretty ribbed effect.

What do you think? Do you have a favourite?

Do you sip mint tea or are you builders brew all the way...?

1. Teapigs simple glass teapot £20.40

2. Teapigs scandinavian teapot £44.95

3. The Exotic Teapot jewel clear glass teapot £34

4. The Exotic Teapot ribbed glass teapot £22

Secret genius - Vivien Maier street photography

via www.messynessychic.com

This has been doing the rounds for the last week or so but is nonetheless magical for that. Vivien Maier: nanny, recluse, street photographer extraordinaire.

I can't decide whether the story or the images are more moving. Either way, I can't wait for the documentary, and hopefully an exhibition of her work...

Originally seen here: http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/02/18/found-at-auction-the-unseen-photographs-of-a-legend-that-never-was/

Taking the hint. T-20

There seems to be something in the air at the moment. I've been wittering on about wanting to achieve X, Y and Z for, well, pretty much forever if we're being really honest. I'm a great starter, less good at the follow through (ever done a Belbin assessment? I'm a classic, gold standard, 'Plant' - all about the ideas then 'bored now'. I'm working on that second bit).

Health and fitness is a longstanding Thing. Weight, in particular. It goes down, it goes uuuuup. At the moment it's about as up as I want it to be. It should come down by about 20lbs or the best part of a stone and a half.

Anyway. Yesterday two seperate blog posts - from Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project and Sydney Markle over on Go Mighty (how I love that site)  - wandered across my attention, both making the same point: you are more likely to succeed at any stated goal if you measure and monitor progress.

The other really interesting tip from Sydney was to pick two small things a week to change in order to take you a little closer to goal. Teeny things. Things that are so inconsequential you barely notice them and can't in good conscience NOT do them. The idea is that all those tiny little triumphs pretty soon add up to significant progress. I'm going to aim to cut one bad habit and add one good habit each week.

So here I am. In the starting blocks: Target -20lbs.

This week my two tiny chages are:

• stop eating generic chocolate - specifically Titch's stash (so bad! SO bad!). High-end chocolate I can do with moderation, a small amount scratches an itch. But leave me alone with the mass-market stuff and I can't be responsible for my actions. I'm pretty sure they lace that stuff with crack.
• drink a pint of water before each meal.

Project nifty thrifty - the revenge

I have been trying - and quite spectacularly failing - to take my finances in hand for a while now. Big events like Christmas and birthdays blow me out of the water, mainly because I don't do the sensible thing and save for them throughout the year.

Pathetic, right? I'm old enough now to be a sensible person and save some cash. I want to be able to feel relaxed and in charge of my finances, and of the sea of stuff that surrounds me. To that end I've been reading Girlynomics by Kate Battrick, better known as Ms Make Do Style. I need to dedicate some time to doing some proper hard core budgeting, but there are already some simple tips that I can get on with right away.

First up: no more online shopping! Basics - groceries and essentials such as (some!) books or emergency gifts, fine. But if I need clothes, or homewears, shoes or a gift-in-good-time then I need to plan ahead and get to a shop. A proper, bricks and morter, shop. Ideally a local one.

It is too easy to click the button online. Too easy to chuck a couple of extra things in the basket that I don't really need. Too easy to order things thinking 'I'll send one back...' which I never do. Or to get something that doesn't really fit, or isn't really me, or doesn't sit well in my wardrobe (ha! That is a whole world of weird in itself!), or even something that was not what I ordered in the first place... and never send it back. And suddenly I'm a couple of hundred pounds poorer and surrounded by even more STUFF. Ouch!

So. To the shops! The fact that I really have to be in the mood for shopping, which coincides increasingly rarely with opportunities to get to 'proper shops', is an inbuilt bugetary factor. More often than not, recent shopping expeditions have involved me wandering from shop to shop in a growing cloud of frustration and dis-interest. The trick is to avoid coming home with something random and sparkly (emerald green sequined cocktail dress anyone? Hanging in my wardrobe after my last London shopping trip and so handy for any home-working, seaside town dwelling, mother of a small boy...).

Next up, a spending fast (or maybe diet)...

(Speaking of diets - those coins in the picture? Chocolate. Munching through that stash is another bad habit I need to give up!)