Carnival carnage..

Back to mybluetasks

NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL!

It's that time of year again: August Bank Holiday, we are expecting rain and it is time for Notting Hill Carnival. For me, when I am in London, it is must-do for a variety of reasons. Not only is it incredibly fun, but it also is a great reminder of how multicultural the city is and how much London supports and promotes different cultures, traditions and experiences.

For those of you that have never ventured to carnival, this is the year to do so. I'm sure that everyone says this every year, but considering the weather forecast actually looks promising for this bank holiday, it would be a big shame to miss it.

Although I have attended this event a few years running (last year spending both Sunday and Monday there), I actually realised I didn't know that much about it - the history or why it happens, apart from that is a mix of a "Caribbean Carnival" with much inspiration from Rio.

Notting Hill Carnival has been ongoing since 1966 and now has attendees of over 1million people from all parts of the country, all age groups, all races and all cultures. Much of the roots of the carnival is to bring together different cultural groups and celebrate on the streets of Notting Hill. However, there is a particular focus and tradition stemming from Trinidad and the very first carnival was intended to promote and showcase the steel band musicians who played in W11 every week, where the music gave relief in the days of abolition of the slave trade. 

Interestingly, the custom of costumes and masks stemmed from mimicking the European attire of former slave masters, and even wearing white masks at time. This has all developed to see some of the great costumes we see today at Carnival. 

If you do intend to go to Carnival, why not throw an after-party (the processions end by 7pm and then the streets begin to clear). Get everyone to dress up in colours, play some reggae beats and continue the fun. With the carnival spirit, mybluetasks is even offering a 10% discount especially for home cleaning for the after party (book by 27th August) - just type in BNK10 at the checkout to redeem it. 

Enjoy and party!

p.s. remember that if you do intend to meet someone at carnival, make sure you meet well away from where it is going on. It took me 1hour 15minutes last year to find someone, which was not fun, at all. 

Summer Sun..

Back to mybluetasks 

For the past month, as London has broken temperature records, Londoners and tourists alike, have been celebrating and finally enjoying summer like summer should be. Drinks spill late into the night, even on a Tuesday evening, and eating al fresco is something we are never used to, but what remains in everyone's heads is, when is this going to end? Surely its just too good to be true. 

In a true British style, everyone around seems to be complaining ("30 degrees is too hot to do anything!"), but there are great things we can do in this weather, and make the most of it before the dreaded rain (and snow) come along. 

Outside dining: we can definitely act like Europeans, classy, cultural and eating on the streets. Finding a place to sit outside is always rather difficult, but it is definitely worth the wait. There is nothing nicer than sitting outside, without a jumper, in the sun, in London. It sounds almost unlikely. 

Some of the best places to check out are: 
- Shepherd's market, W1. Find a nice little place to eat on the streets in the small alleyways. Look out for the lobster at great prices. 
- South Kensington - Just around the corner from the tube, all the restaurants have laid out a Parisian style set up, with plenty of tables to sit outside and enjoy the sun and the weather. The queues may look long, so be patient as you won't be waiting longer than 10 minutes. 
- St Christopher's Place, just behind Selfridges. The places outside are far and few but the atmosphere  is always bustling and lively. 

Outdoor swimming: Unfortunately, London isn't close to a beach, or a sandy beach at that so we can make the most of the outdoor swimming places there are.

- Shoreditch House. If you are lucky enough to get into Shoreditch House, you can experience a magnificent view from the swimming pool or the sun bed. It's not quite Marina Bay Sands in Singapore but it nearly just as good. 
- Hampstead Heath Lido. Why not have a stroll or jog around the Heath and then go and cool off in the water. Ideal for sunbathing and to get (a little) out of the city. 
- London Fields swimming pools. For those who enjoy a bit of the East, head down to London Fields where there is a great pool to dip in, do your lengths or just float around in the London summer sun. 

BBQs: In true British style, the one thing that happens when the sun comes out is every shops runs out of BBQs and coal. Whether you can get your hands on a big grill to put in your garden/rooftop/terrace/patch of grass/all of the above, or you are using a disposable one in one of the parks, make the most of eating your heart out!

mybluetasks helps you love summer: there is not a better time that mybluetasks can help you, whether it is to prepare your garden for your BBQ, clean up after your summer party or assemble your outdoor furniture, don't forget to book in 60 seconds on mybluetasks.com - let us help you! 

Father's Day frenzy

Back to mybluetasks

With Father's Day around the corner, it is one of those rare moments when we heavily communicate with our siblings about gift ideas that aren't jumpers/ties/cufflinks/golfballs/all of the above. But why do we desperately try and be unique, year after year, when our Dads are probably the simplest out of us all? 

My siblings and I, every year make an effort to do something fun for Father's Day, probably to compensate the lack of originality of our present. Mum is easy - just like buying gifts for women is usually much easier than men (or am I just being bias because I am a woman?!) So, I thought it would be best to give some ideas of interesting things to do this Father's Day around London, that can be original and in place of a [insert nondescript present here]. 

1. Take your fathers somewhere they have never been before. When I took my dad to Chelsea Flower Show (see my last post), his first reaction was 'Wow, I have been wanting to go there for the 30 years I have lived in London and never been'. Right there and then, I knew that he would enjoy it and it would be ticked off his London bucket list. 

-----

A loo with a view 

The Shard is a great place to go - the half an hour 'View from the Shard' option is probably ideal. Not too long that they will get bored, but exciting enough as it a 'new' thing to do in London (think London Eye, just higher, much higher). The Shard also has a good restaurant if you want to splash the cash and massively impress. 



2. Hang out with the family. Most fathers actually just want to spend quality time with their children. There is probably no present you can get that can compete with family time (unless you happen to get them an Aston Martin DB9, in which case I fully understand). With the days of very busy lives, calendar invites and a constant need to check our phone, the best Father's day present is no doubt a good few hours together, phones and all other distractions aside, just to 'hang'. 

-----

Book a nice place for a meal, where it is casual enough not to be rushed, but nice enough that it still looks like you have made an effort. One of my favourites is Mildred's in Soho, which is a great vegetarian place, that even all meat lovers would love. 

3. Watch a movie. On a rooftop. Although watching a movie is probably not the most interactive of activities, try taking your Dad to a rooftop cinema (weather dependent, of course). If your father is anything like mine, he loves watching movies, just usually doesn't get much time to actually go out and watch one. The rooftop cinemas that are being organised around London are ideal - usually well-known movies in an excellent setting (a rooftop, of course!), where you can fuel yourselves with popcorn, drinks, and even BBQ food. Do make sure you are prepared for the chilly evenings though, which probably makes the experience all the more enjoyable. I would recommend a big coat, gloves, and some thick socks. Yes, remember, just because it is June, it doesn't mean it is summer. We do live in London, after all. 

-----

Try the rooftopfilm club, with their numerous locations around London, or if you are lucky enough to have a rooftop - set one up yourself! 

4. Take the gardening/handyman/cleaning pressure off them (from Mum) - with mybluetasks.com! There is probably no better present than to say - "don't worry Dad, those shelves that Mum has been pestering you about has all been taken care of". Find the exact service your Dad would want, exactly when they would want it (and to save them some grief!) with mybluetasks.

Have a great Father's Day! 

Getting to grips with gardening..

Back to mybluetasks


Gardening can be blooming marvelous, once you bring out the fun in it. After attending the Chelsea Flower Show this year, I found a new appreciation for gardens, flowers, bulbs, seeds and all the rest. Not one to be particularly impressed by extravagant displays like the Australian winner, rather my favourite displays were the rows of Chrysanthemums in various colours, or the sole Bonsai tree. The best part about the show - I was able to get great tips about how to create colour and beauty in my garden at home, without trying too hard. 

1. It's important to get a good gardener to come and de-weed, mow your lawn and rake the leaves (have a look at our expert gardeners on mybluetasks.com)

2. With a 'blank canvas', planting seeds and bulbs becomes a lot more exciting. 

3. Pick the colours and types you want and arrange them in clusters - the best gardens are full and flowery rather than sparse. 

4. With the sun finally shining, take the opportunity to water your garden regularly (the hosepipe ban is still on, despite the horrific amount of rain we have had), so it is usually best to just use a watering can. Watering your garden can be extremely therapeutic, especially after a big night out.  

5. Summertime encourages growing herbs to use for your delicious cooking, or mint for your fresh mint tea. 

6. If you have a small garden or no garden at all, why not try and an innovative way to pot your plants - use an old boot, a tin can or even a big teacup. 

Happy gardening! 

mybluetasks helps you spring clean..

Spring clean your way to summer.. 

Back to mybluetasks

With Spring Cleaning in full swing, there is no better time to start de-cluttering, getting that fresh coat of paint and getting that wobbly shelf fixed. 

As all of us Londoners now, Spring will last a lot longer than we hope it would, so why not make the most of the rainy weather and finally clean out those cupboards. 

Have a look at mybluetasks best tips to spring clean your way to summer..

1. Declutter your life and your wardrobe. You always think that flowery tie-die top may just come in handy that one time you have to go to a fancy dress party as a hippy but it's time to make way for the old and in with the new. 

2. Divide-and-conquer. The old-age rule to getting through just about everything but it couldn't be more applicable to cleaning your home. Go through your list and break down the easy ones from the hard. Estimate how long it will take to do each task and get the easy ones ticked off first. 

3. Manage your time. Don't start spring cleaning when you have an imminent dinner or appointment. Once you leave something half-finished it will be very difficult to come back to it. Find a time when you have a spare half-day/day to get through the first few big tasks and you'll gain the motivation you need. 

4. Have some fun. There is nothing like cleaning with your favourite music/tv programme/boyfriend/ dog playing in the background. It will be all you keep you going and get you through the tasks at hand, just as long as you don't get too distracted either!

5. Change things around. Once you have cleared the bookshelf full of old magazines and letters, replace the old look with the new - light a candle, put a small plant there and a photoframe. It will brighten up your room and you.

Remember, spring cleaning comes round once a year, so take the opportunity and get de-cluttering!