Tag: Rachel Dalton

Cooking up a storm, a recipe for disaster

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Photo by Rachel Dalton

Cooking up a storm, a recipe for disaster

Have you ever seen the film ‘How to lose a guy in 10 days’? Or rather, have you ever wished it for yourself? If so, I may have just the recipe you’re looking for…

Picture this: You’ve been dating a guy for a few months now and things were going well. But now you’re at a dull point in the relationship, where things seem to be winding down. So what do you do?

You could just break up with him, but the thought of receiving whiney 3am texts or having him stalk you on Facebook makes you think twice. The only option is to be a “man” about it.

What you need:

  • A dash of mischief
  • A pinch of drama

Method:

With a few suggestions to help you along the way, you’ll soon have enough ingredients to make him feel like small fry.

  • Turn up on a ‘guy’s night out’ and don’t leave his side.
  • Forget your purse the next time you go out – “Oops, it’s in my other bag…”
  • When queuing for the cinema, ask him to buy the popcorn. When he’s gone, sneakily ask for two tickets to see the latest cheesy rom-com.
  • Get a temporary tattoo and write his name in the middle. “Tattoos are for life, just like you”
  • Reorganise his cupboards; make up, hair products, at-home waxing kit, razors…you get the drift!

He’ll soon realise that being with you, is not all it’s cracked up to be.

Love is all around, or at least on Valentine’s Day…

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Valentine's Day flowers

Valentine's Day flowers - Photo by Amy-Elizabeth Jones

Snow globes, bubble wands, vibrating love bugs, flowers, sexy lingerie, heart-shaped dog bowls.

These are only a handful of Valentine’s Day gifts I’ve come across when browsing the shops recently. Did I mention the heart-shaped dog bowls?!

Gone are the days when a single note was enough to show the ones you love how you feel. And now, it’s estimated that individually people spend up to £150 every year on Valentine’s Day. As soon as Christmas is over, shop windows are laden with pink and red, gifts that you’ll buy and present to the person who may or may not be ‘the one’.

I may sound cynical but I too got sucked into the love bubble that surrounds this so-called happy and celebratory day. In 2009, I bought my boyfriend of 4 months (oh, the shame) a watch costing, yes you guessed it, £150. I am not proud of this decision, but at the time I stupidly believed he was the one for me. It’s fair to say that two years later, he’s gone and so is my immaturity.

Anyway, I spent £150 on something he had asked for and what did I get in return? A “romantic” meal for two, a teddy bear and some jewellery, I am far from the ungrateful type but I’m not the lovey-dovey teddy bear type either! Ultimately, it ruined whatever feeling I had towards the day anyway.

Having grown up a lot since then, I have come to realise that the time of love letters and minute but significant gestures is over, replaced with a day that feels like an excuse to get us to part with even more money.

There are thousands of people that will probably disagree with me, believing it’s a day dedicated to celebrating love, almost like an anniversary, but the way you feel for another shouldn’t be kept for just one day and presents aren’t going to emphasise it either so how about skipping it this year?

No, I didn’t think so. Well okay, just don’t let romanticism get swept away with the time. Oh and one last thing, if you’re planning on spending £150, let him know what you’d like before you buy that watch he’s been lusting over…

City of the Month: York

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York Cathedral

York Cathedral - Photo by Rachel Dalton

December: YORK

I wasn’t sure what to expect from my trip, as I didn’t know much about York, other than it’s a historic city with a cathedral…slap me on the wrist if you must.

Lots of my friends and family had recommended visiting so I took a trip just before Christmas. Luckily the snow had gone but the freezing temperatures hadn’t. This didn’t dampen my merry spirits though; as I walked through the city I was surrounded by a mix of old & new – the feel of the place was warm (despite the weather) and walking around, I felt right at home.

Positives: A good mix of old & new, friendly atmosphere (met some lovely ladies in the sweet shop) and a man playing a piano just outside the cathedral.

Negatives: Don’t get me wrong, the cathedral is beautiful, but having lived in Lincoln for 3 years, nothing quite compares. Oh and the bitterly cold weather.

Verdict: Lovely.

City of the Month: Cambridge

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Punting in front of King's College, Cambridge

Punting in front of King's College, Cambridge - Photo by Rachel Dalton

January: CAMBRIDGE

Home to one of the best universities in the world, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Having heard so many stories about the historic buildings and famous punting, I couldn’t wait to experience Cambridge for myself. I spent 4 days wandering the streets with my friend and realised why so many people loved the city. The university campuses are unsurprisingly beautiful, making everything around them seem insignificant. The highlight for me was punting though, it’s so much fun and you get to see Cambridge at it’s best! My advice would be to go when it’s warmer though, it will be busier but a much more enjoyable 30 minutes.

Positives: Beautiful city with lots to do – punting, museums, shopping, parks!

Negatives: It’s quite small and public transport is more expensive that London!

Verdict: Majestic

City of the Month: Nottingham

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Christmas market in rainy Nottingham

Christmas market in rainy Nottingham - Photo by Rachel Dalton

November: NOTTINGHAM

Home to Robin Hood and his merry men but even more significantly, named as one of the top cities of 2010 by the New York Times I was intrigued to visit Nottingham. Having also been recommended to me by many of my friends I was excited to book the tickets and get on my way. However, pulling into the station I was greeted by scaffolding to my left and derelict buildings on my right, not to mention horrible weather. Making my way out of the station, I asked someone for directions, hoping to find something more than just building works. Luckily, the town centre was huge, with endless rows of shops, restaurants and the Christmas Market. I’m a city girl so this suited me fine!

Positives: The Christmas Market for the mulled wine and endless cheese stalls, a Vivienne Westwood shop (I can dream!), lunch in Bella Italia and the town’s Christmas lights.

Negatives: The weather, the architecture and the poor sign-posting – we couldn’t find where anything was!

Verdict: Not the best, but good enough.

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