For the Love of Mum and Dad

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Isn’t it amazing how much we once took our amazing parents for granted? All that effort and care and love they gave us, all the little things they did, would all fly under the radar, unnoticed by us and our carefree existence. It was part of being a kid. What’s more, is was part of the joy of parenting.

Early mornings, breakfasts, packed lunches, homework help, playing fare-free taxi driver, standing on the side of the sports field in the pouring rain and getting the arts and crafts on so you could be in the Nativity play. They didn’t do it for appreciation, they did it out of love.

Luckily it is never too late to say thank you or drop a little anchor of appreciation.

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Your Turn To Cook

Remember all those times your parents cooked a delicious homemade meal for you. Most of the time they did it simply because it was dinner time, but sometimes it was the best to show they love and care about you, to cheer you up and make you smile. Well, why not turn the tables and make them their favorite dinner, or start rehearsing something special and wow them completely. Nothing says love like a delicious meal.

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Buy Them Something For No Reason

There are days through the year which are dedicated to moms and dads, but surprising them with an unexpected present ‘just because’ will mean so much more. Catch your dad off guard by getting him one of the ultimate gifts for men, such as a track day, or a golfing experience or even booking him onto a sailing holiday. As for your mum, something like a surprise spa weekend, or getting her two tickets to her favorite theatre production will say I love you louder than the words ever could.

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Indulge In Their Interests

Knowing someone has a genuine interest in your passion is one of the best, warmest and fuzziest feelings ever. Someone loves what we love, or maybe not loves but cares about. So why not give your parents this feeling by getting involved in their passions. If they love art exhibitions, go along with them and soak up all their frenzied words. Go out for cocktails and giggles with them if that is what they love doing. Or, if they love camping, then go away with them for a weekend. Just indulge their interests by being genuinely interested. It is such an easy way to create a special bond.

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Go To Them For Advice

When you are young, you rely on your parents for everything. They dedicate themselves to you completely; they go above and beyond for you. They make sure you have all the skills and characteristics to make it in the world on your own. Then, suddenly, that reliance stops. You don’t need them like that anymore. But you do. We all do. And a great way to show this is by going to them for help and advice and getting their wide words. This lets them know you still value their opinion, above all others, and that is true trust; that is a loving trust.



*A Collaborative Piece

You Will Not Defeat Us

On Monday night I was playing around on Twitter and then suddenly, my heart dropped.  A potential explosion at the Manchester Arena.

I followed the story for about an hour.  At that point, there was no real information coming out. Trying to piece together conspiracy theories, people saying that it was just a speaker that exploded, others saying that nothing had happened at all.

By 11.30pm all I knew was that something had definately happened, but not what.  I woke at 7.30am to hear the worst news imaginable.  A terrorist had detonated a nail bomb, killing, maiming and injuring dozens of people.  Children. 

I cried as I watched Olivia Campbell's mother on the television pleading for news of her daughter.  I sobbed when I heard of her death.  Every story I read makes me cry.  I think of the wounded in hospital, with terrifyingly bad injuries and wonder how their families are getting through it.

But why am I telling you this?  You know what happened.  You have felt and are feeling exactly the same feelings. We have all been glued to the news, to Twitter and people's stories about what happened for the past two days.  I won't talk further about what that man did.  It was monstrous. How you can specifically target children and their parents and subject them to what happened is something I can and will never fathom.

What I want to talk about today is how this country comes together in the worst of times.  We become the best of ourselves in times of adversity and conflict.

Police and ambulance crews dashing to scene, without regard for their own lives or whether any more explosions could happen.  Every level of staff member from receptionists to surgeons upon hearing the news running to their hospitals to help.  To save people.  Taxi drivers turning their meters off to ferry anyone home who needed it.  Droves of people offering their homes, food, and blood.  Anything that they could do to help.

When we are divided we are weaker.  Be it politics, referendums or people trying to drive us apart.  When we are strong is when it matters.  The Olympics.  The clean up campaign arranged on Twitter after the London riots.  Now.  

CharleyHasted on Twitter sums us up pretty well.

British Stages of response to a terrorist attack:
-Shock
-Sadness
-Anger
-Kindness
-Mocking terrorists

I found in delight the #BritishThreatLevels hashtag on Twitter today.  When I saw it initially, my heart again sank.  I knew that the threat level had been changed to critical.  My heart rose when I saw hundreds of people, and gaining by the hour, saying that they were not afraid of terrorists.

We are afraid of tea running out, of people on the bus actually talking to us; someone who doesn't fancy "a cheeky Nandos"; 1 centimeter of snow; the incorrect use of their, there, and they're.  We are not afraid of you.

So terrorists, listen to us.  You will NEVER defeat us.  You will NEVER knock us down because we will ALWAYS get back up.  Even when the EDL turned up in Manchester today, they were thwarted by Mancunians who would not dealt with their hatred.  Not today.  Not ever.  

You will NEVER turn us against each other because at its heart, this country is one.  Name one other country who has, two days after an attack, fought against terror with talk of tea and sarcasm.  

We are STRONG. You are COWARDS. We stand together with every country that you have attacked, whether the media bother to mention them or not.

I sometimes wonder why we are called Great Britain.  Today I remembered.

Gifts Should Celebrate The Person, Not The Day

It’s always hard to pick the right gift idea for someone. More often than ever, many people are just asking the other what they would like before they get it. The gift becomes a formality, the gift-giver a middleman in a transaction that often does little than help the recipient save some money. If you want your gift to mean something, then why not pick something that goes beyond celebrating the big day by helping them get what they want? Celebrate the person, instead, giving a gift that’s all about them.

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About them

How often do you really tell your loved one just how much they mean to you and what kind of impact they’ve had in your life? If you’re one who loves any opportunity to gush about what makes you feel happy and loved, it might be quite often. But that doesn’t mean that getting it in writing or getting it with some time spent on it isn’t a hugely memorable experience. If you’re worried that whatever you’ve bought doesn’t have the emotional impact you want, then why not create a little heartfelt message of appreciation? For instance, you can create a jar of love notes that contains little bits of positivity that the recipient can go back to time and again. Or you can create a love notes photo book that has you and your loved one taking a trip down memory lane with lots of great snaps from over the ages.

Unique to them

Everyone has a few things that they’re not going to share with most of the people they know. Their birthday itself is one thing that they might not share with a lot of people. Why not commemorate the person by commemorating the day itself? For instance, you can get vintage old newspapers from the day they were born, showing how the world was when they first came into it. You can also use the web to look up what songs were on the top of the charts when they were first born. If you want to put some effort in, you can create a playlist or a mixtape for them containing the number ones of their birthday every year.

With them

If you’re really special to that person, then the gift that means the most might just be your company. Especially if you haven’t had a lot of time to spend with them as of late. It might be something as simple as a meal out. Or you can treat them to a spa day. If you’re both the adventurous type and can clear the time, you can consider some of the more exciting and unusual getaways. Visit a hobbit hut, spend a weekend in a treehouse, or just go explore somewhere neither of you have ever been before.

More often than a gift itself, it’s the experience of receiving the gift and the emotional impact that lingers a lot longer. The next time you have to think up a gift, think about celebrating the person, not just their big day.

Keeping Up With The Jones'

I have always loved the views from our house since we moved here.  Surrounded on two sides by Water Board land, despite living in a small town, living half way up a hill and surrounded by green makes you feel like you live in a village or in the country.

We live at the top of a very garden proud cul de sac.  Unfortunately, neither my mum nor I is any kind of a gardener.  I will mow the lawn when it reaches an embarrassing height and weed when I remember, but the other gardens put ours to shame.  They are more like show pieces and we are the embarrassing cousin at the end of the row.

So this summer, we are determined to turn it around and not be the garden that our neighbours comment unfavourably on.   We are employing the tactic "fake it till you make it". 

HIRE A GARDENER

First off, we have hired a gardener to come every few weeks to deal with the plants and create actual straight edges to our lawn.  We will never be gardeners so leaving that aspect to the professionals seems wise.

DISTRACT, DISTRACT!

What we can do however is buy some garden furniture/pieces that distract the eye.  

First thing is first, we are looking at buying a wrought iron patio set for, shock horror, our patio.  We have a little balcony that is crying out for some seats and a bottle of wine,

Galbemere Wenlock Set

Secondly, one of my favourite things is a water feature.  There is nothing more relaxing to me than sitting in your garden, glass of wine in hand and the sound of water tricking through a fountain. Sadly our garden is not exactly palatial, I am looking more for outdoor fountains for the wall.

Lastly, and it is a simple one, but lots of tubs and lots of plants in them.  They take minimal effort other than watering in spring/summer.   I am all about minimal effort, maximum output.

Four Ways To Put On Your Face

We live in a society that is conscious about its looks, and unfortunately there is no getting away from that. Whether you’re at work, or out with friends, there is a face you must present to the world. Much like your body image, a lot of people can feel self-conscious about how their face looks. However, there are many ways to show the world your best, most beautiful face. Ultimately, the way to make a really good impression is to just be confident, no matter how you put your face on.

Naturally

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Everyone feels self-conscious about going out without any makeup, either because you’re prone to breakouts or you believe (most likely wrongly) you have unflattering features. Don’t worry; healthy, glowing skin is within reach. You can reduce your breakouts by drinking lots of water, exercising, and eating food rich in fiber, omega-3, and vitamins A and B complex. There are also a number of natural remedies you can try at home to promote a natural glow. You can decide to apply makeup on your beautiful skin, or you can go au naturel for the rest of the day.

Surgically

Some people might look down on cosmetic surgery, but there are people who feel held back by a single body feature. Where it may be an overlarge or crooked nose or overly prominent ears, people can still feel self conscious about having - in their minds - an embarrassing feature. If their confidence skyrockets after having rhinoplasty or inserting ear folds, then it’s obvious that cosmetic surgery was the right decision for them. Everyone has their own way of boosting their self esteem.

Makeup

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There are hundreds of reasons why women wear makeup, and not all of them are related to impressing other people. Some women wear it because they don’t think they look like themselves without it, because they feel more confident wearing it, or just because it’s fun to apply it. There are also those who don’t wear makeup, unless they’re celebrating a special occasion, which is also perfectly fine. Whether you prefer to go with a more natural look, or you like experimenting with bold eyeshadows and lipsticks, makeup can be a way of expressing yourself. It’s also a sneaky why of covering up any surprise breakouts.

Take care of your skin

Ultimately, the best way to make sure you’re always putting on your best face is to practice a regular skin care routine. Wash and cleanse your face daily, and maintain your glow by using a good exfoliator to scrub away dead skin cells. You should finish off your skin care ritual by moisturising. Oils are more effective than creams because they can penetrate deeper layers of the skin, and they are lighter than cream. Now that summer is almost here, you should also remember to put on a light layer of BB cream that contains at least SPF 15. Sunburn doesn’t look good on anyone.

*Collaborative piece

Please Register To Vote

Today is the last day that you can register to vote.  It takes five minutes.  This has not been so important for many a year and hence the reason why I am writing this post today, along with many other bloggers under the hashtag #NotThe33

In the last election in 2015, only 66.1% turned out to vote.  That means that 33.9% of the population left the state of the nation to chance and other people's voices and opinions drowning out their own.

There are a lot of people who are not interested in politics.  They think that whomever ends up in government will be mostly the same as any others; so why bother.  I used to be one of those people.  But then I started reading the occasional news story and my response was an ever increasing "What the hell?  WHAT THE HELL?"

I started to read more and more, looking more into the views and stances of the various political parties, especially given the rise of UKIP and I found myself becoming more and more political.  When the BNP had political aspirations it was laughable.  Everyone knew that thugs were not going to get into parliament, even with my knowing at least one person who had voted for them.

But then UKIP emerged with the odious Nigel Farage pegged as "the working man's politician" and everything changed.  Although UKIP are not a party that will gain anything meaningful in this election, many of its voters have moved to the Conservatives.

I am not going to tell you how to vote or even ask you to vote for one party or another.  All I ask is that YOU VOTE.  We are now into the two long years of negotiations for Brexit and we need the right party there speaking for us.  But this isn't just about Brexit.  This is about the lives of the British people and those who choose to come to our country to work.

It was not a requirement in writing this post to share who you are voting for.  But I am happy to share my particular vote, which will be Labour.

While I am not a particular fan of Jeremy Corbyn, I believe in the policies that Labour have put forward in their manifesto.  I believe that Labour are for the people, all of the people, unlike the Conservatives who are blatantly for only for the rich.

I cannot vote for a party that want to continue the £9000 a year tuition fees for students.

I cannot vote for a party that want to take pensioner's winter allowance away from them (plus how much is this means testing going to cost? That has not been specified)  One Daily Mail reader suggested putting hot water bottles next to windows??

I cannot vote for a party that want to take away free school lunches from pupils who for some, is the only hot meal they have that day.  Any savings gained by offering breakfast is laughable considering that schools will have to employ more staff and pay more hours in order for this to happen.  Which comes of their ever decreasing funding.

I cannot vote for a party that want to reinstate fox hunting.  A blood sport where foxes are ripped to pieces for people's entertainment after hunting them to exhaustion.  There is no argument that justifies this.  

I cannot vote for a party that wants to make the elderly pay for their own care, after their death by taking their houses.  What happens to the many family members who move in with their relatives to provide that care and then have nowhere to live?

There are many other examples but frankly, we would be here all day.

You cannot look at this election and think only about immigration, which I know is a factor for many.  But the truth of the matter is that we need immigrants.  As one example, we do not have enough doctors or nurses.  FACT.  The Conservatives have already taken away nurse's bursaries enabling them to study and don't get me started on how they treat our doctors.  EU Immigrants put 20 billion more into the system than they take.  FACT.

But regardless of what you think of immigration, this cannot be your own only reason for voting.  Look at the manifestos in their entirety or even just the main points.  The most important thing is to VOTE.

Can You Become A Morning Person?

Can you become a morning person?  If you had asked me that ten years ago, the answer would have been a resounding no.  I have always become more alive at night, groggy in the mornings.  Ten years ago and beyond people knew not to even approach me before 10.30am.

These days I have improved a lot, people can now approach me with safety haha, but I still struggle to get up in the morning and I would like to be able to accomplish a lot more.  So I thought that I would share some of the things that I have been doing to improve my mornings.

First things, first plan your morning the night before.

If you struggle to function in the mornings, organising yourself and the things you need to accomplish is somethings (always) hard.  One of the things that I make part of my evening routine is to organise my morning routine.

I chose my outfit the night before and get it out ready.  I take out the makeup that I will be using and lay it out on a chest of drawers ready to be used.  I put my skincare routine out ready in the bathroom (within morning stumbling distance) and put my coffee things out ready in the kitchen.  I am still working on having breakfast in the morning but haven't accomplished that yet.

Next, set yourself up to be ready for sleep.

This is a hard one for me as I live with my mum and my bedroom is used as sitting room, lounging room and bedroom.  Depending on what I am doing the next day, I aim for a time that I want to go to bed and turn off the television at least half an hour before.  I try to read some of whatever book I have on my bed stand for the remaining time as I find this relaxing.  I also ensure not to eat anything at least three hours before I want to go to bed. 

Be comfortable and supported

When my very old mattress needed replacing a couple of years ago, I made the mistake in not investing in a good mattress.  I bought a cheap one, thinking that anything would do, and subsequently spent the next six months uncomfortable and with disturbed sleep.

I invested in a decent pocket sprung mattress and suddenly I was sleeping through the night without waking up, having to adjust to become more comfortable.  I think I paid around £250 and I am happy in the knowledge that it should last me 7-8 years.

Finally, and this is something that I will talk about in a future blog post, I have recently bought a morning sidekick journal which aims, within 66 days, to make you in a morning person.  I will let you know about my progress.

In the meantime however, I have become involved with the Bed Guru's #SpringOutofBed campaign.  They have offered me the opportunity to give away a fabulous breakfast hamper, shown below, which has lovely things like smoked salmon, croissants and fruit preserves.  You can check out the hamper here:

You can enter the competition below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*In collaboration with Bed Guru.

Corsodyl Ultra Clean Review

Everyone is scared of the dentist. How could you not be?  Someone poking and prodding around in your mouth, with hooks and drills and god only knows what.

I have always been lucky with my teeth.  I've never needed a filling and up to a around four years ago, had never had anything that needed doing apart from a scrape & polish.  My gums though have always had issues, compounded by the fact that I smoke, which disguises many of the symptoms, such as bleeding gums.

Four years ago I had a tripping accident which led to a tooth extraction.  Without telling you all in the ins and outs of what happened, within 10 minutes of getting into the dentist's chair I was out of the practice, sans tooth and with the anesthetic running down my throat, making me lose all feeling.

I had a full on panic attack and had to ring my sister to come and get me.  It was not the dentist's fault.  They have so little time to allot to each patient and the anesthetic going my throat was just bad luck.

After that, every dentist appointment was a nightmare for me.  I knew that I had gum disease and as such, deep cleaning scrapes were needed every time.  The dentist frequently had to tell me to breath as I would be turning blue in panic and eventually, I was having panic attacks.  Eventually this led to me stopping going to the dentist at all.

A year ago I got to the point where I knew that I had major issues with my gums.  I could feel a large pocket behind one of my front teeth and in terror of losing my tooth, I tried to make an appointment at my dentist.  Safe as to say, with no attendance for three years, I had been taken off the patient list.

Now I am with a private dentist.  The difference between the NHS and private practice is noticeable, in that the dentists and hygienists are able to spend extra time with you and are much, much better if you have a real terror of the dentist.  That is not the fault of the NHS dentists, they simply are not given enough time to see their patients.

My gums are improving all the time.  I do have pockets behind all of my teeth but thanks to deep clean scrapes, which I no longer feel thanks to injections and the amazing Wand, these are getting better.  It is expensive, but I no longer have panic attacks when the hygienist comes near my mouth.

My dentist recommended that I use interdental brushes called Tepe brushes, which have really helped with removing plaque before it begins to attach to your teeth.  My dentist also recommended recently that I start using Corsodyl Ultra Clean toothpaste which is clinically proven to be four times more effective in reducing the build up of plaque bacteria.

I have been using this toothpaste for the past three weeks and I have really noticed a difference with my oral health and am on my way to getting pearly white teeth.  Along with using the Tepe brushes which I have been using for many months now, my mouth and gums feel much cleaner and my mouth feels very fresh every time I brush my teeth.

Unlike previous versions of Corsodyl which I have tried before, this toothpaste has a much better taste to.  It still does taste like something medical rather than minty, but the harsh taste of the previous toothpastes has been eradicated.

Overall, I would really recommend this toothpaste to help stop and prevent bleeding gums and to assist people with gum disease.


*This product was gifted to me but all thoughts (and gums!) are my own

Stress Free Decorating

There is an infinite amount of information floating about on this thing called the Internet, and about half of it is information about how to decorate your home. That’s how it feels anyway. But no matter how different the latest decorating trends chop and change there is one constant; decorating is stressful.

Sure, the final destination is bound to look breathtaking, like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or something, but what wannabe interior design blogs don’t tell you are; the journey to perfection is paved with blood, sweat, and tears.

So, how can we make the whole re-decorating thing way less stressy and way more practical? Well, here are a few things to help you approach your new space from a place of peace and tranquility, sort of.

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Really Look At Your Space

I picked the word space carefully because it is one of the subjective things I don’t want to jumble up. Space could mean your entire house, or a room, or a single shelf, or a corner. So determine what that space is and go from there. Oh, and look at the factors that determine what your space means, like your budget and, let’s be honest, your patience too. Running out of funds halfway through will suck, and it will become super stressful if you’re still redecorating three months from now. Just saying.

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Be Inspired Before You Start

The great thing about the internet is you don’t need to have any imagination whatsoever; you just have to look for inspiration. Instagram, Pinterest, blogs, all that sort of stuff is like a goldmine for inspiration. It could be shelf goals, or basement ideas, or banging bedroom (actually don’t Google that last one), whatever it is you’re doing, there is an idea to piggyback, and that could be your motivation to get started. So do it.

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I Love It When A Plan Comes Together

You have decided on a space. Tick. You have some ideas pinned to a board. Check. Well, that means it is time to go all Hannibal and get yourself a plan. It could be a list or a bunch of light sketches or a brainstorm or a bunch of images printed out; it doesn’t matter. Just have a plan, one with visual aids that will ensure you stay focused on the endgame. Then ask yourself some questions. What things do you want to add? Where do you want these things to go? What size should these things be they be?

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Get Your Shop On

This is another element that seems fun at first, but can quickly become stressful because of money and logistics and that sort of stuff.  If you want to get cute stuff on the cheap, then head to places like Thrift stores and Ikea and anyway else you can think of. However, consider the size of your purchases. If you are getting a gorgeous sofa or a bed or something, then plan to get help, and consider using someone like Shiply's furniture delivery service. Take cash out as well, whatever your budget is so that you don’t accidentally go over this and make your life way more stressful financially. It is all about knowing where to go, how to get your stuff home and not spending too much.

Decorating your home is amazing, but it can be stressful. But, if you take just one thing away from this blog, let it be this; it is better to do something small than nothing at all. It is better to do that shelf, or that corner than to think a redecorating operation is too much to take on. That’s the key. That’s how to keep calm and carry on.


*A collaborative piece

The Complete Handbag Buyer's Guide

Handbags are a must-have item for every woman. It is a well known fact that the larger your handbag, the more things you find that you absolutely have to put into them. I refer to my previous What's in my Handbag post. But how do you go about choosing the right one?

Decide On The Style

The term ‘handbag’ is actually pretty broad. There are so many different types of bag that fall under this category. Some have more uses than other, some are small, some are wide, some have straps, some have no straps. Saying you want to buy a new handbag is just the beginning, you need to dive into things and decide what style of handbag you’re looking for.

When most people say they need a handbag, they’re usually talking about a bag they can carry with them throughout the day, every day. This really refers to three or four styles in particular; shopper bags, shoulder bags, tote bags, and maybe across the body bags too. These are all great styles if you’re after a bag to use for practical purposes as well as to compliment an outfit. Then, you have smaller varieties that are more aimed towards being a fashion accessory more than anything else. The bottom line is that you need to decide on the style before you start shopping.

Consider How Much You Want To Spend

Setting yourself a handbag budget is a must, as you can easily get carried away and buy something way out of your league just because it looks nice. The budget you choose should be representative of your financial situation, as well as how much usage you’ll get out of the handbag. If you’re buying an everyday handbag, then you can afford to spend a little more as you will get a lot of use out of it.

Also, don’t be fooled into thinking you have to pay top dollar for the best designer brands out there. We have places like Nordstrom Rack that sell designer bags by Marc Jacobs, Rebecca Minkoff, and so much more big brands. Plus, you can probably find Nordstrom Rack coupons to drop the price even further. There are loads of other outlet stores like this that sell expensive bags at much lower prices. Bear that in mind when you’re shopping for your new handbag.

Think About The Brand

Some people think that buying branded handbags is a huge waste of money. However, there is a lot of logic behind buying a more expensive, designer brand, compared to a non-brand that’s very cheap.

For one, designer brands tend to be more expensive as their quality is far greater than other bags out there. This means you can get a handbag that lasts you for years without showing any signs of natural wear and tear. With the cheaper non-brands, you might see issues within a year. So, think about the main designer handbag brands out there.

Although I have not achieved my desire for a designer bag yet, I do have a fund that I saving up in to buy one. Something that is classic, timeless and will hopefully last me many years.

* Collaborative piece