11/27/2013

Simple One-Handed Hairstyles for Long Hair | Just Add Ginger




For me, growing up with something that made me just that little bit different was sometimes not the easiest thing. And in particular - especially as I grew older - was trying to find ways around doing girly things. Hair.... nails....fashion. I had to find my own way to work all the things that I really enjoyed. 

Hair was the biggest mountain to climb. Finding a technique to use that made it easier for me to become even more independent was hard. But a few years ago, I finally got the knack. 

And that's where this video comes in. 

I wanted to create a tutorial that showcases how I do my own hair on a day-to-day basis. Because I live by myself, my family and friends aren't always around and I am a very stubborn woman, I have found a few different simple styles that I can throw my hair into if I need it up off my face (which is 5/7 days a week for work.)

Hopefully, this tutorial will help inspire others who may find hair difficult and show that with a little time, patience, and dedication, creating basic everyday hairstyles can be done.

If you believe in yourself, anything is possible! 
What did you think of this video? Would you like to see more "how-to" style ones? 
Let me know in the comments below 

11/20/2013

Ginger's Jollies: Living Crafts for Christmas at Blenheim Palace


Collage Created Using PicMonkey

It is not that often that I take he train journey down South. My life up here is so jam-packed nowadays that I find it really hard to get away. And I am also now of an age where I am no longer eligible for a railcard, so train tickets can be a touch on the expensive side. So now, I save up going down for something really special. 

Two years ago, me, MG, and Saunders took a road trip to the Living Crafts for Christmas event. Held in the building and grounds of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the event plays host to lots of lovely stalls selling arts, crafts, jewellery, clothing, food, drink, and lots of festive goodies. 

This year, we decided to return, and on Saturday morning we all jumped in to the car and away we went.

The event this year did not disappoint. The stalls were all beautiful, and the atmosphere was buzzing with cheer and festive electricity. There were Christmas songs being played, the palace had its trees up, and I had my first mulled wine of the season (Yes, I know it's NO-vember, but I allowed myself the day off because I LOVE mulled wine.)  

I picked up some gorgeous little Christmas gifts, and made the wonderful discovery of chocolate-cheese. I came back up home feeling incredibly jolly and in the Christmas spirit. I'm already marking the event in my diary for next year. If you love home-made goodies, pretty things, tasty things, Christmas, or even just being out in the countryside, you should definitely look this event up too. It's one not to miss out on. 

Did anybody else go to the event this year?

For more information about the Living Crafts for Christmas event, visit: 


And for more information about Blenheim Palace, visit: 



11/14/2013

Brit Floyd @ The Echo Arena


It was a few months ago when I discovered that Brit Floyd were touring this year. 

And as soon as I found out, I was on the phone to MG....

"Should I?" 

Boyfriend is a MEGA Pink Floyd fan. But, I know that some die-hard music fans can be a bit hesitant to see a tribute artist (some may not cut the mustard in doing their icon justice.) 

But, taking a huge leap of faith, I went ahead and booked the tickets. I couldn't wait 4 months to break the news about where we would be going on 9th November 2013, so after a few Happy Hour cocktails one sunny Summer afternoon, I handed over the confirmation email. 

Instagram: @Gingerjax

Thank GOODNESS it was smiles all round, otherwise....

 ...well, this blog post wouldn't exist, would it? 

I didn't know much about Pink Floyd before I met Boyfriend. I could recognise a few songs and album titles, but that was about it, so going to the Brit Floyd gig on Saturday was a big eye-opener for me. 


I was completely blown away!!


I remembered from my friend going to see Brit Floyd a few years ago that the show was going to be audio-visual, but nothing could prepare me for actually being at the Echo Arena and watching the gig. It was definitely - as the description stated - an experience and not just a music show. 

The audience got really in to the songs too, which was great. There I was, humming along, and croaking out the few lines I knew, and there was everybody else, singing back to the band with full force. It was incredible. 

As a musical event, I can't fault Brit Floyd. I am a Ginger of eclectic musical taste, so this appealed to my ear drums (and eyeballs) immensely. I may not have known all the songs, but it didn't matter. The music is so evocative that even though I couldn't call myself a full-blown Floyd fan, it didn't matter. 

Whether a Floyd fan or not, if you love music, and Brit Floyd are coming to a town near YOU, go and see them. It's an experience you definitely won't regret! 

To see Brit Floyd's tour dates, visit: 




11/05/2013

The Ready Steady Cook Challenge | Just Add Ginger

Ready Steady Cook Date Idea

About a month ago, Boyfriend had an idea for date night.

"We should do Ready Steady Cook."

Growing up in the 90s, Ready Steady Cook was the show I really looked forward to when I came home from school (aside from the children's programmes of course.) Whenever she came over to dinner, Saunders and I would  pretend we were chefs on the show, and make up methods for how we created our bowls of half-melted ice cream and chocolate sauce. So when Boyfriend suggested we have a proper Ready Steady Cook Challenge, my excitement filter went in to overdrive.

We set the budget for £7.50 (the show's 'gourmet bag' budget) simply for the fact that £5.0 doesn't really get you anywhere any more in terms of ingredients.

The prize? A highly sought after selection of wooden utensils purchased from the budget line of my local supermarket!

Our  Ready Steady Cook Challenge only had only a few guidelines:
  • Herbs/Spices do not count in the £7.50 budget 
  • There is no time limit for cooking. 
  • Anything found in cupboards/the fridge may be used in addition to purchased goods. 
  • The other contender may be used as Sous Chef
Naturally, with it being his idea, Boyfriend (the Red Tomato) went first.

Picking the ingredients was definitely tricky. I wasn't sure whether to go for a random selection, or pick things that I could create a dish with myself. In the end, I went for items that I knew we both liked, and sounded like a good combination. These included: black pudding, potatoes and a pear

And this is what he created!!

Ready Steady Cook Date Idea

When the food was plated up, it sparked a really excitable conversation about the dish, and what each of us would have done a bit differently. As an avid recipe-following cook, I was so impressed with his creation, but at the same time, my heart sank....how was I going to beat this? I have the cooking creativity of beans on toast. This was going to be tough. 

We left a gap of a few weekends until it was my turn. And when the time came, I'm not afraid to admit that I was pooping myself about it. Especially when I saw what ingredients he had chosen for me; pork belly (which I had never cooked before,) smoked cheese, peppers, mushrooms.....

But I bit the bullet and opened up my imagination, and I was actually really proud of my invention.

Ready Steady Cook Date Idea

In order to judge who was the champion, we decided that the best way would be to write our scores out of 10 for each other on a piece of paper, hidden from the other contender, and then on the count of "three," display our scorecards. No scores were allowed to be changed. It all went on that one scoring decision.

There was .5 of a point in it for us....I WON!!!

Doing something a little bit different for date night was really special, especially when it combined something Boyfriend and I love. For any other Foodie couples - or even friends - out there, The Ready Steady Cook Challenge should definitely be tried. 

What are your date night ideas?