Museum Days

A couple of years ago my friend asked me if I wanted to do a museum day with her. We both took a week day off and decided to tackle three museums in a day: British Museum; Natural History Museum and Science Museum.

We both live in London and have travelcards and now the museums are free (apart from the special exhibitions) it was set to be a cheap day.

It was great but three was overambitious. Given the travelling needed two would have been more realistic. By the time we got to the science museum we were flagging.

But the point is this, who really spends time as a tourist in their own city? Take a day off and be a tourist.

*Photo credits: J!mbo and TwOsE

The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss (without Being a Bitch)

This is the book I was talking about in my first post: The Girl’s Guide to Being a Boss. The book is basically a really good guide to being a manager but with a useful female angle. Because I think it is hard being a female manager. Especially if you have male members of staff.

Do I agree with everything? No, but definitely 90%.

Is everything relevant? No because I work in the not-for-profit sector but it is interesting.

It is written by two American women, Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio, who work together in PR. And whilst researching this post I stumbled across their site: Girls Guide. It is a site, about business, for women. As they say:

"This is a "New Girls Network" that will put the "Old Boys" to shame"

Something for me to have a look at I think.

Their next book The Girl's Guide to Kicking Your Career into Gear is out in May and it's already on my Amazon wishlist.

p.s. the books are cheaper on play.com than Amazon.

Washing powder

This is really my Mum's recommendation not mine but I follow it, believe it and so it's in.

Don't use so much washing powder!

When you wash your hair you use a certain amount of shampoo right? If you use more your hair doesn't get any cleaner. Now apply that to washing powder.

If you're like me your clothes really aren't that dirty when you wash them - I usually just need them freshened up. Obviously if you are doing the football team's kit that week then go mad with it but if you are just doing some tops for work then you probably can use much less.

I use tablets and the manufacturers always tell you to use two. What incentive might they have for recommending more than you need? I use one unless it is a full load and particularly dirty.

* Picture credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmo/19079859/

Baking with Nigella

I've loved baking for a long time. Mum baked pies but I never got into that. But Dad did the fun cooking with us. Simple stuff like chocolate cornflake cakes and Angel Delight (not so much cooking as enhancement with a crushed up Flake on the top).

Anyway when we got a microwave it came with a recipe book (because microwave cooking was going to change everything you know) and in that book was the recipe for queen cakes. I remember it to this day:

50g caster sugar
50g butter
75g self raising flour
50g sultanas/ raisins
a bit of milk

I can't remember the cooking instructions mind. I'd credit the recipe book too but I have no idea what it was.

So when I grew up and got a place of my own I was keen to start baking my own cakes. And that is when I discovered Nigella. And "How to be a Domestic Goddess". My absolute favourite and the page that the book with open to is the Madeira cake.

So I can happily recommend "How to be a Domestic Goddess" because even if I am not baking from it there are lots of lovely photos of things I'd like to bake...

Starting Off

Anyone who knows me knows just how enthusiastic I can get when I really believe in something. Usually this is some kind of product but it can be an event, a tv programme, a film.

Yesterday my friend got a book I bought for her. It's a great book; I'll make it the subject of one of my first proper posts. She rang me to thank me. It was during this conversation that I joked I should start a blog.

And then today, while sitting on a tube on the Piccadilly Line trying the get into The Blind Assassin (not a candidate yet) I quickly compiled a mental list of subjects for posts. A blog could be born.

I'll aim to blog every couple of days. I'll use the blog to tell the world about something I like and why I like it. With some useful links. It's like a personal and advanced delicious.