Mixing Out Blog

Author: Mixing Out

  • MixingOut Update: Upcoming Events in Derby

    With our the ranks of our Derby members ever on the increase, we wanted to remind you guys of some of the exciting events in Derby coming this month. There’s a varied mix of fun things going on around the city, as well as some events organised by our MixingOut members.

    Events-Derby

    Markeaton Park Fair

    What is it: Come one, come all! Markeaton Park will be buzzing this month with all the fun of the fair – including traditional fairground rides, games and prize stalls. Entrance to the park is FREE and as well as tons of attractions, there’ll also be hot food and drink on offer.

    Where is it: Markeaton Park, Kedleston Road

    When is it: Thursday 7th August to Sunday 19th August, opens at 1pm daily.

    What you can expect: A lively atmosphere and tons of fun for absolutely everybody. Perfect for getting to know each other for the first time. Find out more here.

    Hydrangea Garden Open Day

    What is it: A guided tour in the sunshine through the UK’s largest national garden of Hydrangea (that’s a kind of flower, incase you didn’t already know). There’ll also be plenty of other specimens to behold and lots of natural, picturesque locations to enjoy.

    Where is it: Terrace Café, Darley Park, Farnworth

    When is it: Sunday 10th August, 10am to 4pm

    What you can expect: As well as a guided tour, there’ll also be a talk given by curator Peter Smith. So expect an informative and relaxing day, with some beautiful scenery and a few stops at the coffee shop. Find out more here.

    Ladies That Lunch

    What is it: MixingOut member Julie is organising a a lunchtime get-together for female members only. There’ll be friendly chat, light lunch and perhaps a few cocktails too.

    Where is it: Zest, 16D George Street, Friar Gate, Cathedral Quarter

    When is it: Saturday 23rd August, 1:30pm

    What you can expect: Good company, good food and great conversation. It’s ladies only remember, so no holds barred! Want to get involved? Sign up here.

    The Darley Park Concert

    What is it: The annual Darley Park Concert returns for another magnificent evening of live orchestral music, rounded off by an exhilarating fireworks display. There’s also a selection of special picnic hampers on offer so you can really make a day of it!

    Where is it: Darley Park, Farnworth

    When is it: Sunday 31st August, from 6pm onwards.

    What you can expect: An evening of joyful, lighthearted class (if there is such a thing). It’s a really relaxed, friendly environment and a great event to meet up and have some fun. Find out more here.

  • MixingOut Update: Big Events Lined Up – Come and Meet Everybody Getting Involved!

    adventure-activities

    With the success of the recent Made in Leeds festival, and the masses of positive feedback we received from our MixingOut members, we’ve thought long and hard about the types of big events everybody would like to see more of in the future – whilst retaining that friendly element of meeting new people and having lots of fun.

    The idea with MixingOut, since the very beginning, has always been to deliver something big and exciting. And now that we’ve got over a thousand members across Leeds, Derby and Wakefield – a great mix of friendly girls and guys who really know how to enjoy themselves – it looks as though that time is now.

    go-kart-02

    We’ve got some great ‘activity-based’ events lined up, including many popular requests such as paint balling, go-karting, archery and even hand gliding! In the mean time, we’ll still be running the usual get-togethers and big nights out. So it’ll be a great opportunity to meet up and get to know each other before attending some of our bigger events.

    We know how much fun our bigger events can be, so we want as many people as possible to get involved and really enjoy themselves. And getting to know exactly who you’ll be staring down the barrel of a paintball gun beforehand is a major part of that!

    Paintballing-friends

    If you’ve always wanted to try something a little different, then come along to one of our regular events posted on our events board for a taste of things to come. Alternatively, if you fancy trying something different but feel a little nervous about not knowing what to expect, then come along and get to know everybody. All our members and event organisers are friendly, welcoming people who just want to have fun – just like you!

  • Meeting People for a 10 Hour Party in Leeds – What We Got Up To

    Let’s get one thing straight: A dodgy carousel in a car park shouldn’t be as much fun as it ended up being. Maybe it was the drink, or maybe it was the fun times we had meeting people – just take a look at the pictures and you can decide for yourself on that one. Thankfully, there was plenty more to enjoy at this year’s biggest party in Leeds; Made in Leeds Festival.

    It was the first music event of its kind in the city centre, and ever since we heard something of this magnitude was taking place in Leeds we just had to get involved. After all, we love music, we love the city and we absolutely can’t get enough of meeting the people there.

    Back to Basics, Insomnia, SpeedQueen and Fibre were headlining this year. And if you recognise any of those names then you won’t need telling how great it was. If you don’t have any clue who they are (like quite a few of our members who came) then it doesn’t matter – all you need to know is that it was lively, the atmosphere was buzzing and everybody had a fantastic time. (If you’re interested, you can get a feel for the vibe listening to a mix of the set list here).

    With more that 5,000 people in attendance, all coming together for a monumental party, there was no shortage of excitement. Admittedly, we didn’t last the full ten hours (although we’d like to meet anybody who did) but we definitely got around a bit. 

    Made In Leeds Crowd

    Above, The crowd getting into the party vibe as SpeedQueen takes to the decks.

     

    MO Made In Leeds

    Above, A few of the MixingOut crew having a good time.

     

    Made In Leeds Lights

    Above, Things are starting to heat up!

    Made In Leeds Carousel

    Above, That Carousel. Brilliant.

    If you fancy getting together for a similar event, then be sure to check out our events board. Alternatively, you can create your own event and let everybody know what you’d like to do.

  • 5 Facebook Friends Everybody Has But Nobody Wants

    hashtag

    1. The #Hashtagger

    No longer satisfied with Twitter as a means of spreading their pretentious, internet-assembled philosophies, these social media hipsters are now intent on ruining Facebook for everybody too. Trying to remain friends with somebody who constantly uses hashtags on Facebook is like trying to convince yourself that you’re not in a miserable, loveless relationship. Get rid of them now!

    2. The ‘smashed that meal’ poster

    Sometimes they’re ‘eating clean’ or ‘bulking like a beast’, but in the end it’s just taking a photo of whatever’s in front of them and letting everybody know they’ve finished their meal – what are you, six? Need permission to move on to your pudding? Not until you’ve deleted all these pictures from your account, you can’t!

    gym-facebook

    3. The gym-checker

    Apparently, some people can’t go more than an hour without telling us about their ‘need to go to the gym and workout’. Let’s just hope they don’t feel the same about going to the toilet – it all amounts to same thing in our opinion, a load of old… bowel movements.

    4. The ‘political selfie’ poster

    These do-gooders find something different to rant about every week, like picking a T-Shirt, just so they can wear it and show it off, in an effort to appear ‘more enlightened’ in the eyes of their friends. We’re not saying being opinionated is a bad thing, but when you’re doing it for purely narcissistic reasons, it’s about as irritating as posting a selfie.

    facebook-update

    5. And our personal favourite

    The older relative who tries to ‘check-in’ on nephews and nieces by commenting on their most recent posts, rather than just making a new wall post or sending a private message. That’s one sure way to look way cool in front of your friends.

  • The Over-thinker’s Guide to Dancing With New Friends

    You know the score: a few late night drinks with some new friends and somebody suggests you all hit a club. Before you know it, you’ve been coerced onto the dance floor, when all you really want to do is order one of those ludicrous pitchers filled with phosphorescent alcohol. Then from out of nowhere, one of those throwback eighties tracks booms over the loudspeaker – or worse, something superficially modern – and now you’ve got to strut your stuff.

    At first, it starts off fine; you’ve joined your friends in a safe little mini circle, and everybody’s laughing and joking as they put their arms around each other in some palsied rendition of the Hokey Cokey. You continue through your repertoire of dance moves – “Playing Snooker”, “Stacking the Shelves”, and the ever reliable “Hula Hoop Around the Neck” – when all of a sudden you can’t think of what to do anymore. Now you’ve got to think, quite literally, on your feet.

    So with that being said, here’s 3 over-thinker’s thoughts when it comes to finding yourself in that awkward dancing situation:

    1. “Maybe more drink will make my dancing better”

    Erm, absolutely. What could possibly go wrong?

    Carlton

    2. “I don’t think I’m moving my arms enough”

    Yep, if your dancing is lacking anything (other than choreography) it’s definitely arm moving. Pretend like you’re the girl at the beginning of Jaws. The more thrashing, the cooler you look.

    beyonce1

    3. “Should I break away from the group?”

    Quite a tough one, this. Straying from the safety of your mates is a bit like prancing off into no-man’s land. You could end up looking like a hero, or a complete and total t*t if you’re not careful. Remember, fortune favours only the brave.

    Brent

  • Why Women Only Events Are Such a Big Hit at MixingOut

    The gorgeous single, the busy mum, the wild child, and the girl who barely finds time to meet friends between business meetings – you could literally write a book about this lot (and they have, probably hundreds). It might be a scenario rooted in fiction, but sometimes there’s nothing better than meeting up with your friends for a bit of girl talk over a few cocktails and a light lunch.

    And it seems as though you ladies agree!

    We’ve had an overwhelming response to many of the Women Only events on our network, which may have something to do with the warm weather and the sunshine. More female members are joining MixingOut and signing up to lunchtime get-togethers and afternoon drinks, which is fantastic news for any of ladies out there who feel like joining in the fun!

    So with that in mind, we thought we’d dedicate this week’s post to our favourite things about meet-ups with the girls:

    Looking absolutely glam, no matter what the occasion.

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    Being part of a very friendly, very fun group people.

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    Getting together with other ladies just like us!

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    Here’s what one of our ladies had to say:

    “I’d been a member at MixingOut for a short while, but felt very wary about signing up to an event. I’m not normally nervous about meeting other people, I love making new friends, but I wanted to feel super comfortable during my first meet up. A lot of the events were either at night (which I wasn’t particularly feeling) or with mixed groups of men and women, and I knew I’d feel more at home with a group of other girls. A lunchtime get together over drinks sounded right up my street! Everybody was really friendly, really welcoming, and helped me settle into the swing of things. Long story short – I had a lovely time, and will definitely be doing it again some time soon.”

    Yasmine Thomas

    Book on to our upcoming women only events today.

  • 3 Ways of Making Friends When You Were a Kid That Still Apply Today

    Making friends when you’re a kid is easy. Remember when you were six, and one minute you were best friends with somebody because they liked the same things as you – and by the end of the day you were best friends with somebody else because you both had the same coloured shoes. Ah yes, those were the days.

    Nowadays, it doesn’t always come so naturally. Over the years we’ve gotten a little more self-restrained, a little more self-conscious, and a lot less impulsive. In other words, we’re much too scared of saying or doing the wrong thing, out of fear of looking like an idiot in front of other people who would then reject our friendship. And it’s not reflective of some flaw in our personalities, or some innate inability to make friends; it’s just a part of growing up.

    With that in mind, shouldn’t we each take a leaf out of our six-year-old-selves and start living a little more… childishly. Or to put it another way, a little less seriously. So to show you what we mean, here’s 3 ways of making friends when you were young and how to translate them over to today:

    ‘Give me a crisp and I’ll be your friend’

    A classic example of playground trickery resulting in instant friendship. Of course, it was never about getting your greedy mitts on somebody else’s food, it was about getting somebody’s attention.

    These days, you can’t exactly go around asking potential mates for a swig of their pint or a bite of their lunch in exchange for your friendship (they’d think you were mad). But you can do the next best thing, making yourself known.

    Sharing your best felt tips

    Finding a coloured felt tip pen that hadn’t run dry was always the most challenging thing about class (that and making sure you’re colouring stayed within the lines). So it was always going to be instant BFF’s when somebody shared theirs with you.

    Hopefully by now you’ve learned to use a proper pen, but that shouldn’t stop you from attending to the needs of others, sharing what you have to offer in order to get to know somebody else a little better. In short, it’s your round at the bar.

    Inventing stuff 

    If you were a girl, it was probably daisy chains and rose-petal perfume. If you were a boy, it was probably something altogether different and involved new ways of making the girls cry.

    Either way, coming up with new and exciting things to do together can often form the basis of a longer lasting friendship. So the next time you’re out with a group of people, why not propose a future activity to experience for the first time together.

  • Meeting New People Is Fun – It’s Normal To Be Nervous

    Meeting new people can always feel a little intimidating at first, especially when you’re by yourself in a large group, without your usual circle of friends around you. And even though we do it almost all the time, perhaps at a party or in a club, nerves can still sometimes get the better us. It happens to everybody, even us social types.

    But you know what? That’s completely fine! Because every week, we see plenty of newbies attending their first events; most of them nervous about not knowing what to expect. But once they settle in, have a chat and drink, they soon loosen up and get into the swing of things. That’s because all our members are welcoming, friendly folk who know how to enjoy themselves and love to meet new people.

    Nerves-quote

    It’s all because of our users and event organisers that MixingOut has been such a success at finding fun, interesting people more and more exciting things to do together. And it’s because our members are so welcoming that everybody comes away from an event looking forward to the next one, and the next, and the one after that! 

    “When I first signed up with MixingOut, I’d arranged to go on a couple of get-togethers but I was so nervous, I backed out each time. Then one of my friends suggested she come along too. When we got there, I realised I had nothing to worry about. Everybody was so welcoming and friendly. We even left at separate times, I’d gotten so immersed into the whole thing.”

    Lucy Taylor, Leeds

    “Putting yourself into a room with a whole new group of people you’ve never met before can be a little daunting. Usually I go for a drink with friends from work, but quite often they’re too busy with family to really stay out late. I was very nervous about my first MixingOut event, but everybody made a real effort and by the end I was totally relaxed and having a good time. The drinks didn’t do any harm, either!”

    Cris Stringer, Woodhouse

  • 5 Types of New Friends Everyone Should Have

    Kind-of-friend

    We’ve all seen the movies; new friends and old friends heading off on a night out/to search for a dead body/to throw a ring into the fires of Mordor. There’s always one of every ‘type’ to help the hero on their way. But when it comes back to the real world – which types of friends should everybody have in their circle?

    1. Someone who is older and wiser than you – the guru

    For those of you who never grew up with an older sibling, having a friend that is older is an absolute must. Somebody to hand down their worldly pearls of wisdom. You know the kinds of things; somebody to show the ropes when it comes to relationships, culture and getting out of jury service.

    2. Somebody who is younger than you – the grasshopper

    As well as sponging advice and information, you also have a responsibility to dish it out to those who need it. If having mentor can improve your character, then having somebody to share your wisdom can do just the same.

    3. Somebody who isn’t afraid to say ‘yes’ – the fearless adventurer

    ‘Yes’ opens up a lot of avenues and opportunities. Having somebody around who isn’t afraid to try new things can do wonders for your social life. It gives you the support to experience the things you’ve always wanted but never had the courage to, as well as a few things you never even thought of.

    4. Somebody who knows when to say ‘no’ – the sensible one

    Even though ‘yes’ can be a good thing, it can also land you in hot water. It’s always good to have somebody around to keep you grounded, somebody there to remind you that you’ve got work in the morning, that maybe you’d better stick to water for the rest of the night – and that maybe you’re not ready to jump out of a plane just yet.

    5. Someone who is the polar opposite to you – the person who surprises you

    Instead of constantly surrounding yourself with people who are similar to you – with the same taste in clothes, music, films, hobbies, etc, it’s always good to branch out and meet new people you never even thought of being friends with. Limiting your circle of friends to a certain type might be a good way of doing the things you know you enjoy, but look elsewhere and you may just discover something new.

  • Meet Friends on Your Lunch: 3 Alternatives to Your Typical Lunch Break

    So it’s almost lunchtime and nothing’s going to satisfy you more than to meet friends for a quick bite to eat, with a side helping of ‘pleasant conversation’ and maybe a few drinks thrown in for good measure. Yes, nothing aids digestion more than good company (unless they steal your food from your plate) which is why we wanted to run down 3 great ideas for an alternative lunch with friends.

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    Al fresco 

    With summer just around the corner, you won’t always feel like sitting inside a steamy cafe and bustling restaurant. Gather yourselves outdoors and meet up for something a little cooler and more refreshing.

    There’s always plenty of vendors serving lots of different kinds of foods on the go at this time of year. So why not break the monotony of a busy day at work with some outdoor lunch fun!

    Take a look around

    A feast for the eyes is still a feast, and for those of you who like a discussion during your lunchtime, you’ll have plenty to talk about with all the interesting works on show.

    Museums in busy town centres are often surrounded with quaint little cafes, pubs, and eateries – so there’s always a place to sit down afterwards and grab a bite to eat. It’s the perfect way to fill a lazy afternoon when you feel like trying something different but not too vigorous.

    Don’t fancy a museum? Not a problem, just substitute it for something that all of you are interested in – a look around the city and your favourite shop maybe. Just be sure to find time to sit down and enjoy yourselves.

    Try something new

    Don’t like sushi? How would you know unless you’ve already tried it? Japanese? Mexican? Tapas? Busy shopping centres and food courts are nowadays packed with all sorts of interesting places to sit in and try something new.

    And it’s not just the kinds of foreign foods you’re already familiar with from your Friday night takeaways, there’s lots of lunchtime menu variety on offer. So why not take a break from the sarnies and jacket potatoes and try something different.

    EVENT ALERT: Ladies That Like to Lunch

    On Saturday 10th May MixingOut organiser Andie will be hosting a get together at All Bar One in Leeds, for light lunch, girl talk and cocktails. So if you fancy popping along, sign up here.