MamaRaven
Nottingham, UK

My son and I put together a lovely little gingerbread house as part of the many activities we've been doing to bring in a little cheer during this awful year 💚

This was INCREDIBLE! I went along with my 6 year old and my sister, who were the best company as they are also all about that Pokémon hype 🙌🏽 We actually managed to go twice in the end. We planned on just going down early on our 2nd mo...

I joined our local Beaver Scout group the same day my 6 year old did, and we've both been enjoying it a lot! There's a lot of fun and interesting activities while the kids work on their badges, and we get to go on some great trips (like ...

Something I've wanted to do properly since I was about 13! Almost 20 years later, I finally made it happen 😂 I trialed my outfit at my aunt's 50th birthday party, as it was fancy dress, then wore it out properly at Nottingham Comic Con ...

The Explorers Retreat, adjacent to Gulliver's Kingdom theme park, overlooks the beautiful Derwent Valley. We stayed in one of the pirate-themed cabins, and it was amazing! They put so much detail into the cabins, it was an especially mag...

The treehouse we visited was the one at Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, and lemme tell you, it is BIG. There's an entire restaurant up there, rope bridges to get over one set of trees to another, and of course the cosy little cafe that...

As a witch, and someone absolutely fascinated by poisonous plants, this place is a must see! We ended up having the amazing experience of a private tour at the end of the day, and it was so worth getting drenched in the rain 😂 Our guide...

Life. Saver. My skin feels so good! And it looks so young and clear! Hyaluronic acid is my new best friend 😂

I took one of London's refurbished Victorian waterbuses from Camden Lock to Little Venice to see some of the city's history and scenery from the water, and certainly wasn't disappointed! It was a very warm, sunny day so it was a beautif...

A lovely little town along the Regent's Canal, with many people residing there in adorable houseboats. It was a beautiful, sunny day when I was there, and it's really hard to believe this place is tucked away in bustling London! Took a ...

Brilliant! Went to see the play on its final night, and everyone was amazing. It was a dream come true watching Gillian perform, as she really is in her element on stage 😍 Even got to briefly meet co-lead Lily James at a bar later that ...

I've been thoroughly enjoying genealogy since I made a start on our family tree a year or two ago. It's amazing the paths it can lead you down! Paired with the DNA test I did, I've found previously unknown cousins, a wealth of photos and...

So this was a pretty unique experience - a family rave! It had all the elements of a traditional rave (set in an old factory, DJ playing non-stop loud dance music, the darkness lit up with glowsticks and other funky lights, giant balloon...

It's no secret I'm obsessed with all things Alice in Wonderland, but my absolute favourite incarnation is that created by American McGee, in his Alice video games ❤️ I love everything about them, but one thing in particular I've always a...

I knew years before I even had a child that I would home educate if I became a mother (even before I knew the legalities and such! 😂). It was such a strong and sure feeling, just something that I knew I had to do. My main reason was fre...

My little boy, when he was 4, decided one of his dreams was to see the Eiffel Tower in France. Not only did my mum and I make that happen for him just after his 5th birthday, but I also took him right to the very top of it! He had an abs...

Always wanted to go to Disneyland in the lead up to my favourite holiday, and in October 2018 we did just that! 🎃 Everywhere was so gorgeous with all the autumn colours and festive decorations!

My amazing mum is the one that made this happen - she wanted to treat her grandson (and herself!) to a trip here, and used her upcoming 60th birthday as a good excuse. We all had such a great time! 😍 A truly magical place ❤️

So amazing to finally get this done! It mostly confirmed what I already knew, but it's interesting to see some details about the British/European parts of my DNA that I wouldn't have guessed were there. Also fantastic to have been linked...

Charles Dodgson brought Alice Liddell here as a child to see that very same dodo, way back in February 1863 ❤ In July 2018, I finally got to stand before this display and see it for myself 😊

This really felt like the experience of a lifetime 😍It was a beautiful, hot and sunny day, perfect for a trip down the River Isis. I found myself so excited to be standing on Folly Bridge, and shortly after sat on a boat, booked from the...

I did two different self-guided walking tours, over the course of two days, and it was so much fun! Well, apart from the blistering heat as it was the peak of summer lol. But what a wonderful way to catch so many of the hidden - and not ...

This was an extremely emotional experience, and one I will treasure forever ❤️ Not only did I finally get to set foot in Christchurch College, but I also had the rare opportunity of spending time in the (usually closed to the public) Upp...

What an incredibly fun day out! There was so much to see and do, and I tried to fit as much in as possible - lectures, a tour of Christchurch, drinking mocktails in the sunshine, a lobster quadrille dance, an Indian circus performance......

This little shop, which used to be a Victorian sweet shop in the 1800s, was the inspiration for the 'Old Sheep Shop' in Lewis Carroll's 'Through the Looking Glass' ❤ Today it is a treasure trove of Alice in Wonderland memorabilia! :) It ...

ATX was incredible! There was a lot of laughter, a lot of tears, and of course so many amazing memories made with Amanda Tapping and our friends (aka second family) ❤ The last Gabit event of this kind, and we all made sure it was one to ...

Germany really knows how to do Christmas! The markets are just as magical as you'd imagine them to be 🎄💚 We visited two - the more modern fairground and small market of Wintertraum am Alexa in Mitte during the day, and then later that ev...

This place is AMAZING! Seriously, a gamer geek's dream lol. I wish we could have spent an entire day here tbh, rather than just a couple of hours on our final evening :( It was so much fun, as almost the entire museum is interactive, and...

We spent a good few hours here, and the dinosaur remains were just as impressive as expected! I didn't realise just how big the museum was, so we were able to learn about a lot more things than expected (some of which fit in perfectly wi...

My son and I spent 5 days in Berlin this December (his first plane ride and trip out of the UK, too!), and it was great :) We managed to pack a lot into our short week - checking out the local area - shops, restaurants, a park, etc; visi...

This really was the hidden paradise I expected it to be! One of the most beautiful little beaches I've ever visited, and the view out of the Cove and beyond to the English Channel is just magical. I really hope we can return here someday :)

Finally went camping properly for the first time ever (something I've wanted to do since childhood)! We spent 2 nights camping in Nottingham for the UK Vegan Campout festival :) The weather was beautiful, and we had the perfect spot to p...

I attended a special Iftar gathering held in Nottingham as part of the nationwide #GreatGetTogether in 2017, held in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox ❤ Pictured are two of the inspiring members of Nottingham's Muslim community that took to t...

I travelled to London in March for the weekend to go see Gillian Anderson and Jennifer Nadel do a talk on their new book, 'We', released that week. As I was going alone for a short stay, I thought it'd be a good time to finally cross thi...

So, this was unexpected! Despite going to see Gillian Anderson and co-author Jennifer Nadel do a talk on their new book, meeting them both afterwards was never part of the original plan! It was meant to be a simple talk for the book rele...

Finally made it to our city's monthly vegan market! It was so great knowing that everything being sold was ok to eat without checking! I had a yummy lunch whilst there, then picked up some goodies to bring home for the week ahead :) I'll...

I'm very proud of my mixed heritage, and part of that is the English/Scottish line that leads right back to William of Rule in the 14th century. I've been wanting to become an official registered member of our clan for a long time, so to...

Finally started putting together a bucket list! I love seeing what I've already achieved, as it's made me realise I've done more than I thought :) And it's fun having dreams and goals to aim for - gives me more determination to make them...

Finally renewed my passport, but more importantly - got my son's first passport! :)

As a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, I'd been wanting to throw a mad tea party for years! So when my best friend suggested we do just that for our joint 30th birthday, I jumped at the chance! Everyone looked amazing in their costumes and w...

The theme for the party at AT9 was a masquerade ball, which was a lot of fun! I loved seeing everyone's masks and how they chose to dress with them :) I wore a red classic lolita dress and had a red and white Day of the Dead inspired mas...

What a memorable weekend! Somehow it even managed to top the awesomeness of AT8 the previous year! I attended the cocktail party again, this time having pre-arranged a table with people I knew. I was able to spend more time with people t...

My little boy is obsessed with trains, so I've been wanting to take him to Thomas Land once he was old enough to enjoy it. As such, I was overjoyed when my dad and stepmum offered to get tickets for us all for his 3rd birthday! It was an...

I've wanted to go to Glastonbury since I was a child, and finally got the chance while road tripping back from Somerset in September. It was also the day of the Harvest Moon, which made it seem all the more special ❤ As we approached Gla...

I love seeing clear, detailed photographs of the moon (and other aspects of space), and used to think 'one day, I'm gonna give that a try'. Well, that day came when we were travelling back from Glastonbury, seeing as I now had a really a...

I started writing for GameSkinny, and had my first article published in August 2016. It was just a simple news piece about a delayed release date on an upcoming game, but it still felt fucking awesome seeing something I'd written up on t...

Quicker and easier than trying to keep up with a blog, especially when on the move! So now I use my Instagram for documenting our lives as world-schoolers/home educators, Pagans and vegans, who love going out and about to see the world 🌍❤😊

I've had a soft spot for this guy ever since I saw him in the Stargate movie as a kid (and totally crushed on him growing up lol). It was a shock and delight when he started following me on Twitter a few years ago, but then something mor...

The Great Central Railway in Nottinghamshire were running a special "Easter Egg-spress" event, where you could ride the old steam train to Loughborough and back again, and the Eater Bunny boarded along the way to hand out treats to the c...

Something I'd contemplated doing for 10+ years, so I finally did something about it in September 2015. Transitioned slowly as I learnt how to do things properly, and by around March 2016 we were no longer using any animal products or ani...

I actively started collecting a location-specific item when I visit places around October 2015, during our trip to Cornwall. I decided to go with small pin badges - currently they are pinned to the backpack I take practically everywhere ...

Not only did I finally get to see this wonderful Pagan gothic rock band perform live (having been a fan for about 11 years!), but as they were the headline act at an event I usually work at, I also had the chance to meet vocalist Candia ❤

The Midland Lolitas organised a meet at Nottingham's Kitty Café for International Lolita Day 2015, because tea, cake and cute kittens is pretty much what we're all about 😂 We all got dressed up and met there for yummy treats, gossip and...

Fell in love with this book the moment I got it, just like I knew I would! By the end of the first day it was full of sticky notes with ideas on. I decided to challenge myself to make the entire journal Alice in Wonderland themed! So far...

After admiring this amazing woman for about 15 years, I finally had the opportunity to meet Amanda at her Gabit event in London in 2015. We attended a cocktail party on day one, where she sat next to me and chatted briefly - such a great...

Being a huge fan of Amanda Tapping since my mid-teens, I'd been wanting to attend one of her solo conventions since I'd first heard about them 11+ years previously, but something always seemed to come up to prevent it happening. I finall...

We were due a total solar eclipse on the Spring Equinox of 2015, and it was going to be at 90% visibility for my area of the UK! So, for the first time I made a pinhole camera in order to view it, and thankfully the weather was fantastic...

I've been interested in foraging since my teens, but had never gathered anything beyond blackberries and a few very basic and easy-to-identify spell ingredients. So when the opportunity arose for me to go on a wild food walk with an expe...

Something I've wanted to do since I was 7 years old - and my first opportunity came about in my own county of all places! I spent a day helping with an excavation at Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire. I started out helping to finish up ...

It's like a real life global treasure hunt - what's not to like!? It really is a lot of fun, and quite exciting when you finally find the caches you set out for :D

How cute is this little guy!? I didn't really know what I expected a snake to feel like, but still was quite surprised to find they are so cold and smooth! Little Iroh here belonged to a bellydancer that had performed with him that night...

I've always been supportive of women's rights, including breastfeeding, and once I became a breastfeeding mother myself I became quite the advocate. After an appalling situation in which a nursing mother was made to leave a well known st...

The lambs were so cute and lovable, and the one I was feeding let me stroke its head as I gave it the bottle of milk ❤

My life changed in the best possible way the day my little boy was born ❤

My friend is a face painter, and wanted to branch out into body painting too. So as I had a huge pregnant belly to use as a canvas (I was less than 3 weeks away from my due date), she offered to do a free belly painting for me, in exchan...

I wanted to start a blog that would focus on life as a Pagan parent (and eventually a home educator), so I set it up and started making entries about a month before my son was born. Sadly, it's fallen by the wayside a little this past y...

After far too many years, I finally made it to my first Gay Pride event, in my home city of Nottingham. It was a beautiful sunny day and a really fun atmosphere! I went along with my sister, and met up with more family and friends throug...

After saying for 6+ years that I wanted my hair cut like Miyavi back in his faux-hawk-mullet-thing days (😂), I finally took the plunge when I was 7 months pregnant and sick of the summer heat. My sister is a self-taught hairdresser, and ...

I aim to visit each country in the UK eventually, and considering Wales was at the bottom of the list, I was surprised that it ended up being the first one (after my home in England, of course) I ticked off! It happened that way because ...

This was so much fun! I've always wanted to give this a go, and on a trip to London for Valentine's Day I was able to convince my then other half to have a fun photoshoot done as a great souvenir :) We went with a Victorian era look, and...

A Muslim friend had shared a post on her Facebook wall about this global movement, and I decided to take part in support of our Muslim sisters across the world. I tell ya, when you're not used to putting on a hijab, it's pretty difficult...

My friends and I share a large allotment, that we mostly use for rituals (we're Pagan/witches). So, as we were going to meet there for the Winter Solstice anyway, we decided to go all-out and have an all-night "end of the world party" on...

On the way home from a trip to Scarborough, my friends and I decided to spend a few hours in York while we were passing by. Betty's Tea Room was a must while we were there, and as a huge fan of fancy tea places, I was very happy to visit...

Whitby is just great if you love "olde worlde" style British towns and spooky folklore. I visited briefly as a kid with my mum, but got the opportunity to go again and see more sights as part of a trip to Scarborough with friends years l...

We didn't get chance to go here in our first Paris trip, so I'm glad we got to go the second time around. The view of Paris from up so high is spectacular! And the Basilica itself is just gorgeous. I would have loved to stay long enough ...

I got so fecking excited when I spotted the Mad Hatter at Disneyland Paris! 😂 He was instantly crowded by kids and their parents, so I stood there for a while just waiting patiently (I'm a grown woman ffs, I can't go before little kids l...

Fulfilled a dream when we won tickets for a 3 day stay at Disneyland Paris! 😍

Hikki was pretty much the person that solidified my entry into the world of Japanese music. My brother is also a huge fan of hers, so when she announced a UK gig would take place, we were so excited! I was lucky enough to get tickets the...

After 3 years of wearing lolita fashion, I finally made it to a meet - and it was a huge one! We spent the day in Birmingham, and visited the Sealife Centre, a pancake and milkshake bar, and finally a park to take photos. I wore sailor l...

I went to college and spent 3 years studying Japanese! I can now read/write/speak the language fairly well (and it really is a beautiful language!) ❤😄

As soon as I heard there was going to be a UK based Pagan Pride event, I knew I just had to go! Even better was that it was based in my home city! I've attended every year since it started, with the first being in 2010. It gets bigger an...

I've always wanted to learn how to play proper Texas Hold 'Em Poker. My son's dad plays it a lot, so a few months after we got together (back in 2010), he taught me - and pretty soon I was kicking his ass at it! :') My bluffing game is p...

I still remember I about died on the spot when I heard Gackt would be coming to the UK! Haha. A chance to go see my favourite Malice Mizer vocalist performing live had arrived! I love his solo work too, so really did enjoy every minute o...

One of my favourite stores within Camden Market - it makes my inner raver so happy! The clothes, the music, the dancers, the giant robot statues... Everything is so amazing! It's like a nightclub and a clothing store all in one 😍

ABS are one of my favourite bands, so when they decided to do a European tour and were gonna be hitting London, I had to be there! What a great night it was too! As usual, I got there in the afternoon to queue with friends, and while han...

On my first trip to Paris, I made sure to take the time one morning to hunt down the Baby the Stars Shine Bright boutique, so I could see what it was like to visit an actual lolita brand's store. It was kinda surreal to be honest! Lol. S...

It was lovely sailing along and seeing all the famous historical buildings in this part of Paris. By boat is a really great way to see this area, and you get to learn about the buildings and their history from a guide as you go :)

Visiting the Château de Versailles was a dream come true! It's beauty took my breath away countless times. I loved it so much I returned 2.5 years later, and would happily go back again! :)

Anyone that knows me well enough knows that I LOVE pancakes, especially the crêpe-style. So, of course, whilst in Paris I just had to try proper French crêpes! I chose a Nutella filling, and as you can see from the ecstatic derp face I h...

A dream destination for years, and the first time I ever left the country! We managed to pack so much into the 4/5 days that we were there :)

We didn't go right the way to the top, but to the level beneath. What a view though!

I've loved planes since I was a kid (even went through a phase of wanting to be in the Air Force!), but I didn't actually get to fly in one until I was 23 years old! On New Year's Eve, as we drank and rang in 2009, my oldest friend and I...

We didn't get much time here, so I'd love to go back and spend a few hours taking a proper look around. However, I did get to see the Mona Lisa in person. My immediate thought was that the painting is a lot smaller than I imagined it to ...

My second favourite band (outside of Malice Mizer), and thankfully one that was still active! ;) So when they came back to London for what was their second UK gig (but my first), I just had to be there! It was absolutely amazing, one of ...

I absolutely love cyberpunk fashion, so had wanted to try out dread falls for a long while. I eventually took the plunge and bought a blue-green set (blue is my favourite colour). They were fun to wear, but as you can see by the pic, blu...

OK, so I didn't get a pair of original Vivienne Westwood RHS, because like most people I don't have £300+ to drop on a pair of shoes! Instead, I did the same thing 99% of lolitas do - bought a cheaper, off-brand version from elsewhere ;)...

I'd been into lolita fashion for a little while, having fallen in love with the look via my interests in visual kei music and Harajuku street fashions. After a couple of years, I decided to take the plunge and make my first purchases, an...

I don't remember when it was that I first visited Camden Market, but it was sometime after my first London trip in 2004. I'd been wanting to go since my teens, and when I did eventually make it there I fell in love with the place just as...

My sister and I both loved Miyavi, so when he did his first UK gig we jumped at the chance to see him perform live! This was my very first J-rock gig, and it'll always hold a special place in my heart for that reason ❤ He whipped up such...

A fancy meal in a place that looked like a cross between the castle from Beauty and the Beast and Hogwarts lol, followed by calling-out speeches from teachers and students alike, prom photos, embarrassing dancing from teachers, and then ...