Category: General ramblings

I love running gear, that is no secret. So when I was offered the chance to sample a pair of running tights from Ginger Orange, of course I agreed.

They are a start up company, based in London, that specialise in women’s active wear. Taken from their website:

At Ginger Orange we provide immaculate activewear which is manufactured to the highest quality standards, using premium performance fabrics which flatter your figure. We design sportswear for all women who enjoy the active life and engage in various workouts ranging from yoga, pilates to spinning, running and everything in between. Our carefully selected fabrics provide excellent moisture management, shape retention and anti-pilling qualities that increase the durability and comfort of the clothing.

Their leggings include plain ones, and some very funky patterns (that look like tattoos- Laura and Tamzin the sailor ones reminded me of you girls!). Check out here for the designs.

I chose some plain purple ones, as I thought I would wear them more often. They have a lovely thick waistband which is really comfy (and the orange pattern is a lovely change to most plain ones). I have not worn them running yet, as it is too warm for long tights, but I have worn them for squats, calf raises and other bits like that at home and they have been lovely and comfortable. The fabric is nice and soft. I chose the medium size, and I think the guide is pretty accurate (the size guide says 10-12). It is a shame that at the moment they only go up to a large, which is size 14 according to their chart. But perhaps once they have been going for a bit longer they might expand the size range. They were nice and long- way too long for me, but the fabric was easy to pull up so that they didn’t cover my feet.

I tried to show in the photo that I could have them at their full length, or shorter to suit me when I run.

As with all workout leggings, I would always favour a zipped pocket that could fit my front door key in, but I do carry a little waist pack for my phone, so I would still wear them outside.

They have created a discount code: runningcupcake10off if you fancy ordering a pair for yourself.

* I was sent the tights in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

I think we all know by now that being active during the day is better for us than being sedentary for most, and then doing an hour of exercise at some point. But that is easier said than done.

I was contacted by Simplyhealth to see if I could come up with some tips for staying active at work- they have written their own piece about it here. As a teacher I tend to be fairly active anyway- I use my Garmin vivofit to see and my activity peaks between 8-9am (setting up the classroom), 12-1pm (tidying away from the morning/ getting ready for the afternoon) and 4-5pm (putting things away, getting things ready for the next day), and of course once the children are in I might sit for a bit, but am generally standing or walking around. When I am out of class I tend to be sat at a computer planning and catching up on paperwork, and that is what I need to be aware of. My tips are pretty specific to teachers / teaching assistants I am afraid!

Don’t sit when you can stand

This has been mentioned a lot recently, but it is so important to stand when you can. I have tried to make sure I do this more now. Sometimes I do have to sit (if I am working with a group at a table, reading a story or working at a computer in the workroom), but other times I can easily stand, so I try to make sure that I do. I am lucky that the teacher computer in my classroom is on a cupboard, so when I am checking emails or setting up things for lessons, I have to stand at it.

Don’t stand when you can walk

Teachers all have to take their turn on the playground, and it is easy to end up standing in the same place for the whole of play/lunch time. But walking laps of the playground means you can see more of the playground, will probably interact with more children, and you will get your body moving more.

Join in!

If you are doing a PE lesson, don’t just direct from the side- join in with the activities (obviously, you need to make sure you can see the class/ keep them safe/ not get so out of breath that you can’t give instructions etc.)- even if you are joining in with the warm up it is better than nothing. If you are singing “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, then do the actions along with the children.

Take the stairs

My school is all on one floor, but I sometimes go on courses at a training centre that has an upper floor. There is a lift, but there are also stairs, and honesty every time I go there I am shocked by the number of people waiting for the lift! Fair enough if you have a lot to carry, but it’s one flight of stairs!

Wear comfy shoes

If you are going to be walking or standing a lot, then wear shoes that support your feet properly. If your feet ache after an hour, you are not going to want to stand for the rest of the day.

Get some fresh air

Although teachers typically don’t like playground duty, in fact it is great to get some fresh air in the middle of the day- especially in the winter when you go to and from work in the dark. So volunteer if you are needed! Sometimes we even manage a short walk at lunch time, but usually we are too busy rushing about to have time for one, but on the odd occasion we manage it, I always feel much better afterwards.

So, there are a few of my tips. Hopefully you might be able to apply one or two to your job!

Do you stand or walk a lot in your job? If you have a desk job, how do you fit activity into your day? Does your place of work encourage you to be active?

Simplyhealth asked me to write this post, but all opinions are my own. I will receive a gift in exchange for writing this post.

What did I just say? Yes, you read it correctly.

You may have noticed by now that I do rather love tea. Going to Brighton is always top of my list, and now that The Bluebird Tea co have opened there, it is even better. They are like the David’s tea of the UK (I got a bit obsessed with going there in Canada). Rows of giant tins filled with loose leaf tea, tea paraphernalia, plus a tea bar where you can buy anything hot, iced or as a latte.

On holiday last summer I did rather fall in love with London Fog lattes, which are made with Earl Grey tea, vanilla and steamed milk. I have tried to recreate them at home, but not quite so successfully. However, Bluebird Tea make them (and other scrumptious tea lattes), and you can even choose almond milk! Amazing!

You can also buy online, and after seeing an offer (possibly free postage- I can’t remember) I went for a pick and mix of teas. I only tend to have black tea once a day, and at the weekend we get out our special teapot so having a few smaller packs is ideal as we can try a few but wont have them jamming up our tea cupboard for too long.

I went for:

Birthday cake tea (Rooibos and black tea with almond and cake sprinkles)

Bonfire toffee (Black tea with caramel and apple)

Apple Strudel (rooibos with apple and cinnamon)

Totally Nutty (Black tea with almond and cinnamon)

Terry’s Tea (Black tea with cocoa nibs and orange)

And some Ear Grey creme teabags (Earl Grey+vanilla- I have some of the loose leaf tea, but this is for ease during the week)

Now, sadly I didn’t actually have any on my birthday, but I had some last weekend, and it’s fab! Just a hint of sweetness from the sprinkles in there.

I am very much looking forward to trying the other flavours too. And of course, visiting Brighton again, and partaking in more of their freshly made drinks.

Are you a tea fan? Iced or hot?