February (at last!)

This and That

Hands up if you’re glad to see the back of January?  Other than the fact that there were 2 birthday girls in da house here at Gin & Yin HQ, oh and running a deliciously cosy ‘hygge’ weekend retreat in The Witterings with the loveliest bunch of gals (as per photo) … oh and catching up with old friends … oh and wait, there was ‘Traitors’ too of course in my finest tartan PJs – but deep down I was delighted to see the back of January.

I can’t put my finger on it, but it had a kind of weighty feel about it. Did anyone else feel the same? But hey, that’s one good thing about time, it just keeps moving forward, ‘this too shall pass’, thank you time, hello February.

So here we are sloshing forward into a new, albeit equally as soggy month, but don't let that rain on your parade, so to speak – there’s still lots to be joyful about, get your ice and slices ready for a splash of colour and a measure of creativity:

💡Last week I tuned into a 'Life in Colour Vision Boarding Workshop' with Sophie Robinson, an Interiors expert - if you'd like to brighten up some spaces in your home as we head into Spring, check out her collab with Dunelm - https://www.dunelm.com/search?q=sophie+robinson

❣️ If hearts are your thing and you're off 'out out' for a Valentine's supper - I love this in the sale from Boden: https://www.boden.com/products/women-clara-cotton-shirt-dress-ivory-heart-cluster-d1201ivo - too much to pair with these? https://www.next.co.uk/style/st653128/990387

👩‍🎨 If, on the other hand, if you'd like some colourful and creative 'Galentines' fun - get yourself up to London Waterloo on 14th Feb, I guarantee you'll have a hoot with China at her 'Sip & Paint Galentines' evening: https://www.artistand.co.uk/service-page/galentines-sip-paint?referral=service_list_widget

What's Been Happening at Gin & Yin HQ?

Here's a glimpse of what we got up to in West Wittering - it was wonderful collaborating with Nicola Males, founder of Willow & Finn and Willow Bakery - what a hoot we had choosing 'Star Baker' too, although to be fair, all the sourdough loaves were amazing, along with everyone's essential oil candles too. Huge thanks also to Gio Monteiro from Kitchen Botanica and Niki Perry and Lawrence Clark from Blessed Yoga for helping us to make our retreat by the sea super special.

I also enjoyed an afternoon at Google HQ - 'making sense of AI for small business owners', thanks to Enterprise Nation for the invitation - a gentle reminder that "Imagination is our only limit" when it comes to getting the most out of AI ... I just need a few more hours in the day now just to work out my handwritten notes!

What's coming up next?

Retreat to Portugal

3 Nights - Thurs 28th - Sun 31st 

May 2026 - 3 Spaces Left

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If your shoulders are currently up by your ears, consider this your sign to let them drop and be taken care of for a few nights here in the mountains in Portugal.

From Thurs 28th - Sun 31st May, a small group of us are heading to Casa de Cura—a space described as the "antidote to the modern fast-paced world." It is an off-grid sanctuary where time doesn’t exist, the air is sweet with mountain minerals, and the energy is pure Yin.

What's on offer?

Daily yoga in an open-air yoga shala (Yin, Hatha, and Nidra) - A cacao and sound session - A morning mountain hike, along with a visit to ancient Roman thermal springs. I'm also working with a wonderful and knowledgeable chef on this retreat; we're in for an absolute treat on every level.

A deposit of £350 secures your mountain spot. Sharing Options from £850 pp - Or Private Ensuite at £1,100 pp

Tell Me More - I Need a Break

Indian Cooking Workshop - The Thali Way

Raynes Park, London

Sat 18th April - 11.30 am - 2.30 pm

2 Spaces Left

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I did this class with Nidhi last year, and it was fun, informative and delicious. This would be a great activity to do with your partner, or maybe your bestie, or just come by yourself. It's super friendly and relaxed.

Nidhi Verma is a Chef, an Entrepreneur, founder of Meri Rasoi cooking school and co-founder of The Cookaway brand. This event is open to everyone over 18 and would be part hands-on and part demo-ing, learning about the joys of cooking the ‘thali way’. Nidhhi will share her tips and tricks along with the key ingredients she uses to make her recipes so delicious.

This will be a colourful few hours of learning, cooking, chatting and laughing. We'll also enjoy the dishes together around her dining table, with either a cup of masala chai or a gin cocktail crafted specifically to complement the Indian flavours. 

£70 pp or 2 for £130

Book / Cook Now

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no

one can take it away from you.”  BB King

I mean, there's every possibility I might forget it by next week 😄 but anyway, going back to my afternoon at Google HQ, I did remember learning about 'Gemini' and 'Nano Banana' which is an AI image generating tool developed by Google DeepMind, so I asked it to come up with an image for my 'Walking Phone Safari & Social' with Jet Black Squares on Sat 16th May from 2 pm to 5 pm in London.

What do you think? I'm not sure if it's amazingly good or scarily terrifying. Probably both? I like the bag too, nice touch. If you love taking photos with your phone as much as I do, it would be lovely if you can join us. The booking link is now live on my website, and tickets are £55.

Righty ho, must dash - I'm off on possibly my furthest, coldest and wildest adventure tomorrow, I've packed, unpacked and re-packed more times than I've poured non-alcoholic gins, so prob not that many in truth? I'll tell you more when I'm back.

Until next time, thanks as always for reading my witterings. I hope to see you soon, preferably with a little less rain and a lot more daffs.

Ruth xxx