The Live Lagom movement has its roots in IKEA’s ongoing sustainability strategy, but since the launch in 2014 it has transcended the Swedish furniture giant to take on a life of its own.

Each year, IKEA stores recruit a new group of wannabe Lagomers via their IKEA family database. There are no other criteria for selection other than the desire to want to live better with less and make a positive impact on the planet.

Lagomers are from all walks of life. We all have different living arrangements, daily routines, demands from work, family life, skills, backgrounds. Without the Lagom programme, we might never have met. However, the Live Lagom scheme has brought us together through a shared goal and fostered a community where we can share our ideas and experiences.

Outside of the program, everybody is invited to join the Live Lagom Facebook group which is full of lively conversation and advice on how to live a more sustainable life. There’s also a growing number of blogs from Lagomers past and present.

If you’re looking for inspiration to start your Lagom journey, I can’t think of a better place to start.

Less Stuff

‘Easy changes to make life simpler’

Bristol-based Lagomer and designer Lisa Cole is a regular on the Lagom Facebook group. She shares practical ideas and achievable challenges to help us all to live with less clutter.

Her ‘Less Stuff‘ site is a great source of inspiration if you’re interested in switching to more sustainable behaviours but you don’t have the time or you’re just not sure where to start.

From free printable charts to help us to understand our plastic consumption and food waste to realistic guides on what to do about it, Less Stuff is packed with everything you need to start making those small changes that inevitably add up to a big impact.

Feed me Good

Nureen Glaves has been part of the Live Lagom family at the Wembley IKEA since 2017 but her passion for sustainable eating extends far beyond this.

Nureen has over 18 years of experience in food, nutrition and health. She strongly believes in the power of food to improve health and wellbeing and strengthen communities.

She set up ‘Feed Me Good‘ to ‘teach people about food and health in the simplest form.’

Take a tour of Nureen’s Lagom kitchen.

Live Lagom with Em

Emily stumbled upon Live Lagom by accident when she was browsing the IKEA site to kit out her new home. She was inspired by the Live Lagom blog to make purchases that would minimise both her bills and her impact on the environment.

LED bulbs, reusable bottles, metal straws, insulating fabrics, she was already off to a great start, but she wanted to do more. For example, why did she need so many harmful chemicals in disposable plastic to clean her home?

She was accepted on the Live Lagom program 2018/19 and she uses her blog to document all the changes she’s putting in place and how they’re impacting her life. A great insight into how to apply the Lagom principles in the real world.

Living the Lagom life

Not a blog in the traditional sense, but this Facebook page is still well worth a follow. It’s run by Sarah and Wes who have a young daughter called Layla (little Lagom). They use the page to share their discoveries and tips for introducing Lagom into family life.

They began their Lagom journey by eliminating as much plastic waste as possible from the bathroom and now there’s no stopping them. They’re posting almost daily, sharing their successes in reducing their waste around the home.

The Lagom Life family have been trying all sorts of sustainable products and posting pictures and reviews. If you see anything you like, they might be able to save you a bit of money too since they also share discount codes from the new brands they try.

Cornish Exile

If you ever wanted to see what the complete year in Lagom looks like, as well as life beyond the program, this blog is the place.

Cornish Exile began the program way back in 2017 with the intention of conquering the heaps of random chaos that had accumulated in the area around her washing machine. How? By making waste management recycling easier and by organising the space more effectively.

She also decided to take action to reduce energy use with rechargeable batteries, draft-excluding curtains and low-energy lightbulbs. It didn’t take long to see a massive saving of £26.76 over 6 months on gas and an estimated £110 a year on electricity.

Lagom living didn’t end when the year-long program was up though. You can also see how Cornish Exile has continued putting into practice the principles of Lagom and hopefully be inspired by some of her ideas.

The Eco-Friendly Student

Bethany Saul is part of the 2018/19 cohort at my home branch of Ikea in Southampton. As a student with a limited disposable income, she appreciates that living an environmentally-friendly lifestyle can seem expensive and therefore inaccessible to many.

She joined the Lagom program to broaden her understanding of what we can all do to live sustainably whatever our personal circumstances. The Eco-Friendly Student blog is where she shares her learnings on Lagom for all, as well as ways you can influence change in the wider world.

Curiously Conscious

Besma was inspired to start her blog when she was living in Paris in 2014. During her time there she was immersed in the French ways of doing things, which in many cases seemed more sustainable. For example, shopping for food locally and buying timeless ‘investment pieces’ rather than ‘fast fashion.’

The good habits she picked up in France have stayed with her even now that she is living in London. According to Besma, an ethical lifestyle as an investment in your own life and wellbeing. She writes about businesses and organisations that have committed to understanding and minimising their impact and also shares useful tutorials, tips and recipes.

Girl Industries

Scottish Katy Penman is an advocate of shopping local and supporting small businesses. Her etsy store is full of cute upcycled stationary supplies and she is also the founder of ethical kidswear business Mimi and Will.

As well as updates on her lagom journey, Katy shares stories from all aspects of her life, from running an ethical business to tales from her travels.

Pinks Charming

Mum-of-two Katy Pink created this blog to share her experiences of living a more sustainable lifestyle. Since buying a 1970s house, she has been documenting the journey of transforming it into a home and she has loads of great ideas for upcycling and styling that won’t literally cost the earth.

Follow Katy for tips, tricks and reviews on clean beauty, food and interiors. Make sure you check out her dreamy Instagram too – it’s full of inspiration.

Disclaimer: I am not paid by IKEA, although they have kindly helped me on my Lagom journey with free merchandise. 

Find out more about Living the Lagom life.

A few months ago I entered a competition on Facebook with Specialized, one of the world’s biggest bike brands, to win a space on their women only Get Out of Town weekend. Specialized have always been a really female-friendly brand in an often male-dominated industry and seem to be doing lots to encourage women to ride in the communities where they have stores. I was thrilled to be randomly selected as one of the winners because it meant that I would be heading out to Somerset to stay with them for a weekend of gravel riding on their new adventure bike, the Specialized Diverge.

Being a bit of a kit obsessive and also scarily organised for a change, I wanted to share with you what I’ll be taking away. There’s going to be two days of riding so it’s also a really good opportunity to test out my new Kitbrix bag which has been sitting in my front room waiting for its first mission.

So, what to take for two days of September weather? I picked out two of my favourite kits in a sensible weight for the cooler temperatures – not super-summer-light and not super-heavy. Morvelo (left) is one of my all-time favourite brands. There’s a reason I own about six pairs of their bibs – they’ve got a pad that’s every bit as comfortable as the Rapha ones, they come in awesome prints and they have the most sensible strap design. Instead of the traditional ‘braces’ a stretchy strap goes up the middle which you can pretty much forget about. Another reason I love Morvelo is that they often make base layers to match their outfits. What they don’t make to match their outfits often enough is socks so dhb steps in and fills the void with a toasty Thermolite pair.

The Rapha outfit (right) is a bit more mis-matched and I debated with myself over whether I want to bring my Brevet jersey out. Now that I’ve decided it’s Brevet weather it’s probably getting worn to death and I’ll end up getting sick of the sight of it again but that’s a mark of just how good it is. With a zippy pocket large enough for a gilet as well as the standard three rear pockets and a front pocket for a brevet card it’s just perfect for those changeable days when you end up carrying all your various layers. I teamed it up with the matching socks and non-matching but ever-so-comfy souplesse bibs (I guess they match the souplesse base-layer at least).

You might notice that I do love a good base layer and there’s two reasons. The first is that they just make your outfit that bit more comfortable in any conditions. A good base layer is soft against your skin and wicks sweat so it keeps you dry and warm. The second reason is that I can unzip my jersey with absolutely zero self-consciousness. Any woman who rides in conventional bib shorts will know that the only (well, if you’re not a pro) way to go to the loo is to take your jersey off. Not being a fan of putting clothing on the floor of public facilities I often remove mine outside and the base-layer lets me retain some dignity. Likewise if I’m riding on a hot day and need to unzip. Base layers just make sense.

You’ll also see that each outfit has a cycling cap and regular Instagram followers might have picked up on a slight obsession. Caps are the best bit of kit ever. They can keep the sun out of your eyes, keep your head warm, keep bugs out of your hair but, most importantly, they’re just cool. You will never have too many caps. There’s simply too many amazing designs just waiting to be discovered.

How to accessorise? Well, on both days I’ll be wearing my new favourite sports bra from Odlo which is one of those stretchy pull-over ones which I thought would only be good for yoga but which I seem to be wearing for everything. Maybe not great for larger busts but suits me fine! Then, super-important, Grip Grab AquaRepel arm and leg warmers. At this time of year when mornings and evenings are cool but daytime can still be super-warm, don’t decide between shorts and longs. Just wear sleeves and legwarmers you can take off and stash in a pocket as the day heats up. These have the added advantage of being water resistant. I’m also playing safe with mitts and gloves – the Hurricane gloves will keep my hands from seizing up if it’s cold but light enough that I can stash them if I want to switch to the mitts.

The Kitbrix

So all this kit, plus helmet and shoes….will it all fit in the little Kitbrix? I wasn’t convinced, but I’m happy to report that it did with room to spare! The robust little waterproof bag quite happily zips up and I can even get a couple of t-shirts, snacks, pants and socks, small toiletries and PJs in there (I’ll wear the same jeans over the weekend)! The interior zippy compartments mean I don’t need extra bags to organise my stuff and the outside stretchy pockets will take my train tickets, purse and even my lightweight waterproof. Since I’ll be looked after by Specialized, I won’t have the usual tools and spares I would normally take for a cycling adventure but I reckon I could squeeze some in if I wanted to so I’m pretty impressed!

So I’m all set to Get Out of Town on Friday! I’ll let you know how it goes!

 

I’ve always been a fan of Strava‘s virtual cycling challenges. It’s not just the woven ‘swimming badge’ they sometimes offer as a reward or the kudos from fellow Strava-ists. It’s the sense of being a part of something global and accepting the challenge to ride that bit further or higher or commit to riding on an arbitrary day not knowing what the weather will be or how you’ll be feeling. I’ve taken crazy detours to and from work to top up my distance for the Spring Classics badge and taken the train to London to meet with complete strangers (now friends) to ride the Women’s 100 in the pouring rain on treacherous pothole-ridden roads. Even on the challenges I’ve taken alone, I’ve never been truly alone. One of the beautiful things about this time we live in means we can browse social media using hashtags and connect with fellow cyclists around the world. OK the wind on that #braverthantheelements was truly heartbreaking but damn! Those ladies in Canada on skinny tires in the driving snow! Chapeau!

The Rapha Festive 500 has been on my to-do list for a while but in the nine years since I moved to Southampton, I spent the first eight Christmasses on planes, trains and busses, dashing around family and friends dispersed across York, Newcastle and Glasgow, with my little troupe of bicycles taking a well-earned rest back home. This year however, was a bit different. My partner and I ended up stuck in Southampton over the festive period but we decided to turn a bad situation into a golden opportunity and made the commitment to ride the Festive 500.

The Festive 500 is an annual event taking place over the eight days between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. There’s no rules, no organised mass-participation course – all you need to do is get on your bike and ride 500km (just over 310 miles) during that period. Not a big ask in terms of distance but this is the time of year when everyone’s at their busiest and there’s the added risk of storms, floods and ice to contend with for those super-tough cyclists in countries where it’s actually winter. Lucky for us, since we would be visiting family in the New Year instead of over

Christmas, we had little in the way of commitments. Out of the eight days, I would only be working two and although Storm Barbara threatened to blow our chances away it amounted to little more than a bit of wind on the first day.

The first ride filled us with confidence; although the wind was high enough to make some descents feel like an uphill struggle, it was relatively warm for December and we managed to get 129km in the bag straight away. By the end of day four, we had 411km under our belts and we were pretty confident. I had to go to work for two days but we still had December 30th and 31st to get those last 89km. That Festive 500 badge was pretty much a dead cert. Then winter arrived.

Below-freezing temperatures overnight before our penultimate day had left a blanket of fog so thick visibility was limited to a matter of metres. No worries – the weather forecast predicted it would be gone by midday so we waited. And waited. And checked the forecast again. The forecast had changed – the fog wouldn’t actually lift until 16:00! In that case, we were left with one option. We had already agreed that riding the winding roads of the New Forest would be an accident waiting to happen so begrudgingly we made our way to the local park, riding laps and desperately trying to avoid the dogs and children weaving across the paths on their shiney Christmas bikes until the fog miraculously began to lift. Our confidence grew and we were losing patience with the busy park so we finally decided that we were ready to risk getting out on some real roads. However, the temperature was dropping again and as we rode out from the city centre I began to develop a thin layer of frost and started to lose sensation in my hands until I could no longer operate the gears or brakes. Defeated, we had to call it a day and arrived back home with only 62km to go and one day to do it. Having initially thought 500km  over an unusually warm Christmas period would be easy, I was reminded what a fickle beast the British weather can be and how seasons can change overnight and knock all your plans sideways in one swipe.

New Years Eve had come around all too quickly and whilst things had gone so well in the first half that I had visions of triumphantly finishing on 600km+, things were suddenly starting to look uncertain. With another severe weather warning for fog in effect until at least 10am, we kept ourselves busy at the supermarket before embarking on the last leg. Things were looking good – visibility was already improving by 09:30. Hurrying home to get changed, we were feeling pretty confident. Until the fog started to roll in again. So close to our goal, there was no question that we would bail now so armed with our best lights we set out for our last ride of the Festive 500. We thought our worst fears had come true as we rode further and further out of town and the fog once more enveloped everything around us, leaving us with only 10 meters of good visibility ahead. Mentally calculating loops in the more sheltered suburbs of Southampton as a last resort, we rode on in the murk but once we reached the shelter of the New Forest, the fog began to clear and suddenly the forest was beautiful. The battleship grey of the sky with rays of light desperately punching through, skeletal trees in silhouette, verdant fields contrasted with the gold of the last fallen leaves of autumn. This is why we ride in winter and in those final kms the sun bathed everything in a golden light and reminded me what I love about this time of year.

MADE IT! And the sun came out for us!

I started the Festive 500 feeling cocky. With an unseasonably temperate short-term forecast and six days ahead of me to ride 500km, I wondered if it would even feel like much of a challenge. When the weather changed after my two days back in the office, I suddenly realised that it wasn’t a dead cert at all. 500km in six days isn’t a challenge for me but getting through the changing British weather unscathed and riding even when I would normally think I’d rather not – that’s the challenge. Although it will probably be business as usual next Christmas and my bikes will be enjoying a break, I’m proud of my achievement this year and would gladly do it all again.

 

It’s 03:15 on a Monday morning, the rain beats at the window of my seaside Travelodge room. The room fills with an unfamiliar electronic melody. It’s not a dream – that’s my mobile phone alarm and there’s no denying it no matter how far under the covers I try to hide. I look at my trusty Lexi, my ever-faithful and long-suffering road-bike, sparkling clean with her new cassette, chain and tires, saddle-bag and pump attached, ready to go. On any other day I might tell her we’ll hang on till it brightens up but not today. Today we have a mission. Today we will chase the sun.

Back in January, it seemed like such a great idea. Watch the sun rise over the sea in Poole then ride over to Cornwall and watch it set over Widemouth Bay. Timing our ride around the summer solstice would guarantee maximum daylight and there would be a good chance of decent weather, right? Well, unfortunately here in this green and pleasant land of ours anything can and will happen, even in June. But we’re made of strong stuff here and I was glad to see all 17 of my fellow riders from Ordnance Survey kitted up and ready to go at the start, smiling, happy, even excited. We gathered on the beach for a ‘sunrise’ photograph, joking about the absence of any sun, determined that we would find it by the end of the day.Through the rain, into the head-wind, we started to head West.

We spent the first segment pedalling through rain-slicked suburban streets, over countless roundabouts past still-sleeping households. The roads were blissfully quiet and thankfully relatively flat, allowing our half-asleep legs to gently wake up for the distance ahead. It wasn’t long before we arrived at our first pit-stop, a Waitrose in the slightly surreal experimental town of Poundbury. However, by that point we were thoroughly soaked, dishevelled, and ready for a nice cup of tea and then maybe back to bed. Feeling slightly apprehensive about inflicting our water-logged, mud-splashed selves on the pristine little supermarket, we were instantly put at ease and made welcome and even offered two-for-ones on hot drinks. Warmed and fortified with baked goods and coffee, we set back out with a renewed energy, ready to tackle the busy A-roads of the next stretch. We attacked the cat 4 Mutton Street climb with the incentive of the next pit-stop at the top. Or was it? Well…not quite… Post-ride Strava analysis revealed we had just stopped short of the end of the segment meaning that my time of 34 minutes and 17 seconds was never going to worry the reigning QOM at just over 7 minutes.

Onwards West, 53 miles done, 87 to go, now we were getting to the fun bit. Hills, hills, hills, if we weren’t climbing, we were descending narrow country roads, brakes squealing round blind corners, cautious of the slippery wet gravel and inexplicable number of vehicles on this rainy Monday. We were stronger than the wind and the rain though. The miles melted away as we rode on side by side, chatting and smiling and laughing under dark grey skies, and maybe that cheer was wearing down that elusive sunshine. As the morning became afternoon, we started to notice the stubborn clouds began to part. At first just a snippet of blue, then a glimpse of sunlight. The rain had a few goes but simply couldn’t summon the energy to hang around. By the time we reached the third stop at the Crossways Tavern in Hele, we were sailing along dry roads. Although the pub itself was sadly closed, all we needed was water, bananas and a little something sweet to get us through the penultimate stage.

With 83 miles in the bag and only 57 to go, we were getting into the real hilly country. The flashes of sunshine interspersed with bouts of rain made the rolling patchwork fields glow all shades of green. As we finally passed the sign marking the edge of Cornwall, cheers rang through the peleton and we pushed on with renewed energy. It wasn’t long before we started to see our final destination of Bude appeared on the road signs. With over 100 miles in our legs, it became a case of simply getting to the next sign. Climbing and descending, climbing and descending, double-figures became single figures and suddenly we found ourselves looking at the most beautiful view of the day. At just the right moment, the summit of yet another climb, the clouds parted to illuminate a vast and glistening sea. More cheers. We were almost there, with less than ten miles to go. We were so near yet the more we pedalled on, the further it seemed; around every corner, yet another climb, short and sharp. Another climb, but as the sky cleared for the last time that day, I realised I could smell the sea and I knew that this was going to be my last climb. We had made it. Swooping majestically down a long descent alongside a jewelled sea, bedraggled and slightly dazed, we had arrived at Widemouth Bay. Settling down with well-deserved beers, we watched the waves and waited for the sun to set.

After months of planning, this was a ride I will never forget. I consider myself privileged to have shared the experience with such an incredible and determined group; some had never cycled even 100 km in one go until a few months ago. By the end of that day we had all completed 140 miles in adverse weather that would make most people stay at home. There’s no way we could have done it without our four amazing volunteers who gave their time to drive around after us and make sure we were safe and well looked after. So now the only question is, what’s the next challenge?

Members of the Ordnance Survey Cycling Club organised this ride as a personal challenge and as an opportunity to raise funds to support the excellent work of Solent Mind, a local charity working with people experiencing mental difficulties. It’s not too late to sponsor us through our Just Giving page. Thank you.

All photos by Alan Rolfe. See more of his work at alanrolfe.com .

Happy New Year to you all! It’s at this point that many of us will be looking forward to the year ahead, making plans and promising that this year we’ll resolve to become new and improved versions of ourselves. The fact that I am actually writing this on January 2nd might tell you that I’m not really that committed to New Years Resolutions but following the Christmas excess it’s a good time to return to healthier food and exercise.

Obviously, the magazines are full of helpful advice on how you can kick-start your healthy new 2016 and the key to happiness seems to be (as it is every year) slim down and tone up. Yawn-fest. From experience, the weight-loss resolutions come around year after year but almost always fail. Creme Eggs hit the shops before the last of the tinsel is taken down so there’s not much chance for any of us. Of course, success in weight loss carries no guarantee that you’ll be happy if you achieve it (especially if it involves eating less chocolate), or even keep it off for that matter.

Instead of resolutions, I prefer achievable goals that involve doing something fun, and not just on January 1st but whenever I realize something’s going on that I want to be part of. For example, my main goal is a sunrise to sunset cycle ride on the longest day of the year. I know I have to do a lot of training but actually, cycling is so much fun it won’t feel like training anyway. As a Les Mills Body Pump aficionado, I also want to be able to squat 40kg for the entire 5-6 minute set by this time next year (OK it doesn’t sound like much until you consider it’s up to 100 reps in time to music). Any weight-loss or improvements to general well-being are purely coincidental and I get to do something I love so it’s a win-win.

If you want to join me in ditching those stupid resolutions, my wish for you is that you can find something you enjoy, whether it’s running, lifting, cycling, hiking, whatever, and set a goal that will make you happy when you achieve it. Maybe you’ll run a marathon, maybe you’ll enter a ballroom dancing competition, maybe you’ll walk the Great Wall of China! Whatever it is, the adventure is getting there and the sense of achievement when you make it is a far greater reward than a smaller dress-size (although this might end up as a side-effect). It doesn’t have to be January 1st either – if there’s something that will make you happy, get out there and do it!

 

Here in the UK we are lucky enough to have one of the top-ranking women’s road races. Rated as a UCI 2.1, The Women’s Tour takes place over five days and features a total of just under 600km of riding. Twelve of the thirteen top-ranking women’s teams in the world took to the start line, bringing with them no less than 11 national champions. In a sadly rare example of equality in cycling, this year’s edition is extra attractive because the prize money is equal to the fund available for the men’s Tour of Britain. With thousands of spectators lining the roads at each stage and an hour-long highlights show on ITV4, The Women’s Tour is an excellent showcase for women’s road racing.

Last year I managed to enjoy the electric atmosphere of the exciting sprint finish of stage 4 of the inaugural tour in Welwyn Garden-City so this year we were eager to catch a bit of the action in Waltham Cross. Thanks to my employers the Ordnance Survey and their support as the official mapping partner, I was fortunate enough to get on the guest list for hospitality and a ride-along in the convoy. As you know, I’d always rather be riding on my bike than in a car but there was no way I’d be able to keep up with these girls, averaging around 40kph over each stage.

The day started in Waltham Cross High Street. Super-excited we turned up far too early to get into the hospitality area and wandered by chance into the car park where the teams were preparing to race. Being a huge fan, I was far too star-struck to actually speak to any of the girls but it was pretty surreal to be standing just feet away from the greatest female cyclist of our time, Marianne Vos as she chats to Wiggle Honda staff. I wandered round in absolute awe of the level of talent just casually hanging around; Giorgia Bronzini, Elisa Longo-Borghini, Lucy Garner, Laura Trott, I could go on. Oh and don’t get me started on the bikes. I was so busy gazing at the beautiful bikes I could have almost bumped into poor Alan Sheldon, a lovely chap I’d met a couple of weeks before at Canary Wharf who was on the staff for Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International at the Tour. Being a huge fan of Katie Archibald, I was glad I’d brought my Pearl Izumi team cap because Alan very kindly got it signed by the whole team just before I had to run back to the start line to meet my driver, Stuart Hourigan.

As we got settled into our Skoda we were given a copy of the Race Manual, the source of all information from detailed routes to where each team is staying each night to diagrams and guidance for each and every piece of signage associated with the tour. Accompanying us there was over 60 police motorbikes as well as a whole host of other vehicles and as we set off ahead of the peloton, it was almost hypnotic to watch the chaotic yet beautifully choreographed rolling-roadblock in action, each motorcycle briefly taking a position at any side-street or junction where traffic might emerge, swiftly moving on once another had taken their place. Stuart explained to us that we would remain ahead of the peloton until a significant breakaway occurred, at which point we might be able to slot the car in behind. We kept track of the race over the race radio comms listening out for any opportunity for our car to drop back and catch some action. The first three stages had seen some exciting breaks and Stuart remarked that this was becoming more common for women’s racing as the sport became more mature and strategies more developed. Unfortunately there was no significant break in stage four; Sabrina Stultiens and Elisa Longo Borghini staged a heroic getaway in the twists and turns of the final quarter but were swallowed up within the last couple of KMs.

We agreed with Stuart that the break wasn’t to be early enough to leave the race far behind and zoom into Stevenage in time to catch the finish. Having experienced the course, albeit from the comfort of a car, I could appreciate how tough the rain-slicked, twisty, pot-holed roads would have been. I could only cheer my loudest and hammer on the boards as the girls sprinted to the finish line.