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Swap snacks
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Moisturise
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Do more with the kids
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Take up a new hobby
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Get running
Need a little local help with your resolutions..? We've got it covered!
Center yourself
The craze of ‘mindfulness’ has swept across the planes of yummy mummy’s London, with proponents downloading apps on their phone and reading books on the train in an attempt to achieve 21st century enlightenment. But as they say, no smoke without fire. Being more mindful and in tune with your body does seem to make us feel better about ourselves and less frantic. When you’re not on ‘Headspace’ on your iPhone, why not go the whole hog and join a yoga class?
BoCo yoga in Surbiton teach yoga in a serene and peaceful environment. Small classes (maximum 12 people) mean you will be sure to get lots of one to one attention. BoCo welcomes all levels and will help you work your whole body and exercise your mind. Why not try their taster offer of two classes for £20?
Visit boco-uk.com
Swap snacks
Looking to loose your festive paunch? Tired of healthy 'treat alternatives' that claim to be yummy but just simply aren't? Finally the answer is here.
Guildford born and bred health guru Elizabeth Peyton-Jones has just launched a new range of healthy snacks, wackily-titled, Go Nuts! Elizabeth is famous for her youth-enhancing detox diets and her philosophy – adopted by the likes of age-defying Thandie Newton and Joanna Lumley – is encapsulated in her best-selling book Eat Yourself Young. Available in four flavours (cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla and coconut), these protein snack bags comprise a blend of dried fruits, seeds and nuts with no added refined sugar or other unwanted nasties.
Go Nuts! £2.80 a packet. Vist epjhealing.com
Moisturise
Most of us forget to give our skin the attention it deserves, and most of us will probably regret it a few years down the line when the cracks start to show. Start the year by showing your face some love and promising you will moisturise every day.
Frankincense Intense is Neal’s Yard Remedies’ latest anti-ageing moisturizer. Backed by proven clinical results which show a 100% visible reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, this intense cream is set to become a new age defying hero. It works by harnessing the powerful stem cells from the gardenia plant and combining a synergised three peptide complex to provide multiple levels of collagen production for firmer, younger looking skin. The traditional therapeutic essential oils also help to calm the mind, improve elasticity and nourish skin on all levels.
Do more with the kids
It’s all too easy to fall into a pattern of lounging around the house on the weekend. Getting out and about with your children is a great way to enjoy quality family time and enhance learning outside the class room.
Why not visit RHS Garden Wisley? Once again the exotic butterflies are back in the Glasshouse, fluttering among plants from far-off shores. Come along to learn all about them and be wowed by their vibrant colours!
Garden Wisley: Glasshouse opens Jan 18-Mar 9, Mon-Thurs 10am-4.15pm, Fri-Sun 9am-4.15; standard garden admission applies. Visit rhs.org.uk
Alternatively, the Big Garden Birdwatch, Claremont Landscape Garden is a great day out for all the familiy. Count the number of birds you see in an hour using the provided bird recording sheets. Organisers will compile your results with others to create a bigger picture of the garden’s ecosystem. Bring binoculars (if you have them) and a pencil.
Claremont Landscape garden: Jan 25-26, garden opens 10am-4pm; standard garden admission charge applies, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/claremont
Get Cultured
There’s so much great art in Surrey this month that there’s no excuse for a culture lapse. Start with Mary Seton Watts’s exhibition at the Watts Gallery, Compton. Delve into the world of this highly influential 19th century female artist who bravely ventured into the male dominated world of art.
Mary Seton Watt’s: Until Jan 19. Adults £6.50, kids free. wattsgallery.org.uk
Animal lovers will enjoy The Ingram Collection: Animals in Art at the Lightbox Gallery, Woking. This exhibition will explore the long tradition of artists representing animals in art and will feature work by both Modern British and Contemporary artists. The exhibition will include paintings, prints and sculpture by Ruskin Spear, Patrick Hilton, Elisabeth Frink and John Craxton, alongside Dustin Juengel, Darrell Evanes and Sooim Jeong. The Lightbox Young Curators will co-curate this hands on, family friendly exhibition.
The Ingram Collection: Animals in Art: 8 January 2014 – 16 March 2014, free entry, donations welcome. thelightbox.org.uk
Take up a new hobby
Taking up a new hobby is a great way to lift your spirits. In the New Year, why not try something you have always thought you couldn’t do or been too scared to try? Dancing publically is many people’s biggest fear, but can be great fun once you get going. Surrey Jive holds dances once a month at Ruby’s in Ashtead for anyone who wants to glam up and discover that doing the Jitterbug all night is infinitely cooler than knowing all the moves to Gangnam Style. If you want to polish your moves before you hit the floor, book yourself on a Lindy Hop course at Surrey Jive. Catering for all levels of ability (even the rhythmically impaired are welcomed), Surrey Jive runs ten-week courses in Epsom, Thames Ditton, Wallington and Cheam that celebrate the music, fashion and beat of the 40s and 50s scene. No partner is required, meaning Surrey Jive courses are a wonderful way to meet new people.
Courses cost £70 per person. Go to surreyjive.co.uk or call 07723 826752. Monthly dances take place at Ruby’s, Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall, Surrey, KT21 2BE
Get running
Training to do a run is a great way to get back in shape in the New Year. Running also makes you release tons of feel-good hormones called endorphins which are sure to help you beat those seasonal blues.
- For the more experienced runner: Try the Runners Need G3 Series at Newlands Corner, Guildford. Prepare to be faced with hills, sand and mud as you navigate your way round this 10K endurance course in the Surrey Hills. This is the ultimate fitness test for those who have indulged a little over Christmas.Are you up to the challenge?
Jan 18, 8.30am (more events in Feb & March); £17 per race, £45 for all three. Visit g3series.co.uk
- For everyone: Try the Glow in the Park – Night Run, Great Bookham. Don your hi-vis, head torch and glow sticks and brighten up a January evening with a 5 or 10 kilometre run through the Polesden Lacey estate! The run welcomes all levels; whether you're a fitness nut with a personal best to beat or just looking to have some friends, this run is for you! Families, groups and individuals welcome.
Jan 25, 7.30pm; £13 for 5k, £18 for 10k; glowinthepark.co.uk
What are you waiting for? Have you made your resolution yet?
