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Ally Aldridge Goals, Writing

NaNoWriMo progress (Day 16 to 25)

I’m not going to post an update every day as I think that will be too much.  I thought every 5 days would be better but I’ve struggled with that so it has turned into updates every 10 days!

The goal

My goal is to write 25k in 31 days to finish my novel titled Glide. I’ve called the project Diamond In The Sky as this is what I am considering renaming the novel as.

You can click:

  • here to see my post about setting the goal.
  • here to see my post covering day 1 to 5
  • here to see my post covering day 6 to 15

NaPoWriMo Diary

Day 16 to 20.png

Day 16

Pregnancy is really catching up with me.  I am so tired by the time I finish work and it is so hot in the evenings, all I want to do is lie on my bed and dream of owning a fan.

I did received some good news.  An article I wrote for a publication was accepted!

Day 17

So, today the good news got better as they sent me a link of how my article would look for my approval.  Plus, they asked me what I’d like to write next!

At work, I went to lunch with a group of colleagues.  It was sort of a leaving lunch because it is the last time we will all be in the office at the same time before I go on maternity leave, next week.

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Boule Burger #yummyfood

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I did manage to do a little blog writing on my mobile whilst I melted in the heat.  I went to bed early and didn’t do any NaNo writing.

Day 18

I have left the gifts to the last minute so Noah and I were up early doing crafts before nursery.  I was pretty impressed with what we did.

I had the afternoon off work to take him to his graduation party at the other nursery.  It was a lovely little party but I still don’t think he understands nursery is coming to an end.

I’m so busy with all the activities with his nursery coming to an end and everything I need to do before maternity that I haven’t the energy when I get home to do creative writing.

Day 19

Today, was my son’s last day of nursery – we were up early making crafts for this placement too. I had a busy day at work as my colleagues suddenly realised I only have two days of work left!

I did receive some very good.  My CIPD tutor let me know that all my assignments are now marked (including re-submissions) and I have passed.  So, I can relax and focus on my baby and writing.

On that note, I wrote 576 words.  I know it isn’t a lot but it is much better than the other days.

Day 20

This morning, Noah had another sports day – there is double of everything because he has a dual placement.  It was out in the sun with no shelter and no where to sit.  Noah wanted to visit his nanny afterwards but my feet were so swollen they looked like elephant trotters, so we had to go home so I could put my feet up.

It’s very hard to write upside down and it took me the rest of the day to get my feet to go back to normal.  I was also incredibly tired and fell asleep for 2 hours in the afternoon. I’m lucky my husband was off ill otherwise who knows what my son would have got up to.  As a result, I didn’t do any NaNo.

On a plus note, my husband and his best friend worked on building the nursery furniture which is a huge relief to see the room finally coming together.

July NaPoWriMo Day 21 to 25.png

Day 21

I’m 38 weeks pregnant today and booked in for some pampering.  I felt so relaxed and happy afterwards.

Sadly, I returned home to learn there is a problem with the wall stickers I ordered for the nursery as the seller is in America.  I spent the rest of the day coming up with a new theme for the nursery and looking for UK sellers that do the same sort of thing… with no luck and no NaNo progress.

Her walls will be white like the blank page on my computer screen.

Day 22

Today, I got straight on the PC and wrote 2k before doing anything.  I sent my husband off in the evening for a rock climbing experience day which left me alone with the PC once the little man was in bed and I got another 1k done.

I now have a fan!  Yay!  Thank you mother-in law.

Day 23

I started the day full of determination to get home and do some writing but at work they were having building work which resulted in the air con being turned off and on the roof their are seagulls and their chicks and they are aggressive – so we can’t open the windows.  By the time I returned home I felt like I was dying and wasn’t good for anything!  To make matters worse I felt like I was coming down with a cold – despite the heatwave… is that even possible.

Day 24

Yes, it is possible.  Today was my last day at work before maternity leave and I was streaming from my nose with my cold and sweating along with everyone else suffering in the heat.  Most of my colleagues were on holiday as they had to use it up before the end of July.  The one colleague that was in treated me to lunch for my last day which broke the day up and made it feel a tad more special.

When I got home, I couldn’t even put my son to bed as I was so ill and exhausted.  I opted to sleep on the sofa as I didn’t want to keep my husband up with all the nose blowing.  I was right – I didn’t sleep a wink.

Day 25

This was supposed to be the day that clawed it back!  I really thought I’d have all day to write but I’m ill, haven’t slept, feeling very pregnant and it’s too hot.  I spent a lot of time between household chores (nothing too strenuous) just roasting in front of the fan.  I am so glad that Noah had holiday club as there is noway I would have kept up with him.

I did manage to take some pics for my blog that had to be done as the deadline for a scheduled post is in two days.  I have struggled today but managed to add a few words to the count.

Reflection

Days 16 to 20 were pretty poor – partly why I didn’t feel motivated to do a 5 day diary for that period.

I’m really pleased with my day 22 progress which shows what I can achieve if I have a fan and time and feeling healthy.

I’m also really pleased about my article getting published.  If you’d like to read my post about this achievement, please click here.

Fingers crossed I can crackdown these last few days and somehow still do this!  It’s not over yet!  I refuse to give up!  I just need days like day 22.

Are you doing the challenge? How are you getting on?

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Ally Aldridge Writing

Article writing for publication

Ginger Parrot is an online publication of news that often has a ‘ginger’ theme to their articles.

When I saw Ginger Parrot were looking for writers I decided to be brave and put myself out there. They let me choose my own topic and I decided to write about Orangutans, the endangered ginger primate. It wasn’t a topic I knew well so I had to do a bit of research.

Once drafted, I sent it over and waited. They liked it and said they’d contact the charity for images to use. Then they sent me a proof of what the article would look like for my approval & had tweaked a few words. I loved it and was so excited they wanted to use something I had written.

I plan to write more for them but today, I wanted to share with you a link to the published article: Save the Orangutans: How you can help save our critically endangered cousins

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Ally Aldridge Writing

I need your help!

Every other Monday, I like to share an article by another blogger. This article is usually something I enjoyed myself and think my readers will enjoy too.

My baby us due any day now and I’m worried she’ll keep me busy that blogging…

Will stop!

Please help me. If you blog on any of the following topics, please comment and let me know as I want help finding articles to feature:

  • Beauty (ideally, organic or cruelty free)
  • Writing (ideally, tips or advice on fiction)
  • Reading (ideally YA or Children’s fiction)
  • Parenting (any useful advice or tips)
  • Blogging (share lessons learned)

In return, my followers will see your article and link to your blog. I will also tweet it too.

I hope you can help…

Ally Aldridge Personal

Hypnobirthing – what is it?

For the past two weeks my husband and I have been attending Hypnobirthing classes.

Last time, we attended a traditonal antenatal and I didn’t feel I got much more out of it than what I had already read. At the time hynobirthing was a private course costing about £300 (from memory). We couldn’t afford that.

This time, the NHS are offering it for free so I jumped on it. My husband wasnt’t sure he wanted to go as it all sounds a bit hippy to him. My midwife said it is for me and my birthing partner so he has to attend.

We were required to buy the book for £10, download the music and bring a birthing (gym) ball.

Our course was split over two days and was delivered by a local community midwife that has been in the profession for years. She covers shifts at our local hospital, so was very famillar with the wards we would be using.

Day 1

We started with an introduction to hypnobirth to help us understand what the course will cover and manage our expectations.

We then did some exercises to understand the power of the mind and the use of language to influence our feelings. On a white board we came up with positive language for labour to replace negative words:

We then were taught surge breathing and how to break the Stress Tension Pain cycle. This lead to understanding the hormones are bodies produce in response to situations and those that help labour and those that are counter productive.

After lunch, we covered the different phases of labour and what to do to help our body be most effective at each stage.

We then learnt another breathing technique called ’J’ breathing which helps to move the baby down and out.

We watched some videos of women ’breathing’ their babies out and making it look very easy. I got very emotional as it brought back the feeling when my son was first placed in my arms.

We ended by covering the benefits of delayed cord clamping which is when you wait until the pulsating stops – it is usually only takes a few extra minutes. We covered the different methods of delivering the placenta and told why the vitamin K injection is important.

Day 2

We covered how gravity is our friend. It is very important to keep moving in labour and stay upright as this helps move the baby down. We were shown why a bed birth is not the optimum method.

To use gravity, use:

  • A floor mat
  • A bean bag
  • A birth ball
  • A birthing stool
  • Rebozo (a scarf)

We we’re shown some good positions and how to use a scarf to move the baby. The techniques had names like ’shaking the apples’.

We then discussed the best position for baby. You want them head down, at the front (anterior) and on the left. The midwife used a skeleton diaphragm and doll to show us why. We were told babies move clockwise. Then she showed us some techniques to move baby into this optimum position.

We then did more breathing exercises and relaxation on mats to scripts read by our partners. Our partners we’re taught how to calm us if we are getting stressed and signs to look for. They were shown some massage techniques to help and we covered the power of touch.

We watched a video showing a supportive birthing partner to see the impact they have to improving the experience.

The midwife covered the other resources available to us at the hospital including other pain relief methods. She encouraged us that they are there if we need it and not to rule something out or be disappointed if our plans change.

We discussed resources to improve our environment and increase our oxytocin.

She told us about golden hour and the benefits of it. This when the baby has just been born and has skin to skin contact and often supports breast feeding (you can still do it with a bottle). It helps with bonding. If the mother needs medical attention, the father/birth partner can do this. Sometimes, it’s not possible if the baby needs medical attention.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed the course and got a lot more out of it than I expected.

Firstly, it was brilliant quality time with my man. We were both so relaxed afterwards, it felt like we’d been on holiday.

Secondly, the course made me feel empowered and prepared for labour. I feel excited about labour rather than afraid it will hurt or could go wrong. I’m focussed on the positive affirmations.

Thirdly, I liked how informative it was and not pushy. There was no anti-talk. It was positive and inclusive of everyone. The techniques were backed by scientific facts explaining why it works (like our hormonal responses or the way a baby moves down).

The breathing has made my baby more active – she’s been lazy until now. I love surge breathing as I get to feel her wriggle about.

I like all the exercises and tips we received to support an optimum birth – oxygen, gravity, positivity. I feel my husband is clearer about how he can support me. He has written some positive affirmations to put up round the house like subliminal messages.

I would recommend giving it a go. The techniques you learn will benefit you for life – how to relax and be positive. The course also covers the other options so if hypnobirthing isn’t for you then you are still prepared.

***

I plan to post after the big day on how my labour went so I’ll let you know if any of the techniques I learnt helped or not.

Have you done hypnobirthing? Do you use positive affirmations or relaxation in your life?

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Makeup, Skincare, Uncategorized

Review product from my Naturismo box

The Healing makeup discover box (worth £70)

Back in June, I did a first impressions post of the Naturismo box I purchased.  Click here to see the post.

I’ve been using the products for just over a month now and feel I am in a good position so say how I got on with using them and what I liked, or didn’t like.  Here we go:

Dr Hauschka: Lip Gloss (raspberry)

I won’t rebuy this.  I like colour on my lips and this is too natural for me.  It gives a little gloss but doesn’t last long.  It’s not tacky and actually feels very moisturising.

Bellapierre Cosmetics: Blush (Autumn Glow)

I won’t buy this because it is so orange on me, it is more like a bronzer.  The product is very pigmented so I think I would enjoy other shades by this brand and plan to check them out in future.

Inika Organic: Certified Organic Lip Tint (Candy)

It feels more like a balm than a tint.  The colour is a very pale nude and doesn’t last long on my lips.  I’ll use it for natural days but I won’t rebuy.

RMS Beauty: “Un” Powder

The sample pot is quite small which makes it tricky to get the powder out.  I like the little powder puff but I found I prefer applying it with a brush.  It did highlight the dry skin on my nose so unless I need my make up to last a few hours, I didn’t find myself reaching for this.  I don’t think I will rebuy this powder but I really liked having the opportunity to try it as it has been on my wish list for a long time.

Odacite: Black Mint Cleanser

I really like this cleanser.  It didn’t make it into my hospital bag because I tried it once and liked it so much that I started using it every day and it has almost run out.  I’d like to rebuy this but it’s not cheap. I found the zingy minty freshness really good in the morning and my skin feels so clean after using it.

Pacifica Beauty: Stellar Gaze mascara (black)

I can never have enough black mascara.  As my eyes are quite sensitive in this heat and keep watering I did have an issue with this mascara running.  I had to go back to my trusty Pacifica waterproof version.  However, I wore it on a night out and it was fine. I think I will keep it in the draw ready for the cooler months.  I would buy this again.

REN Skincare: Flash Defence Anti- Pollution Mist

This was the first empty. I really liked this toner and found it so refreshing.  I would want to rebuy this product.  I am also very tempted by their Glow AHA Tonic as it reminds me of Glow by Pixi.  Now, I have found the brands products effective I am interested in trying more by them.

Estelle & Thild: Sample sachets

Tinted moisturiser: I suspected that this would not be light enough but I tried the tinted moisturiser and I really like.  The colour is perfect and my skin looks so healthy.  Its very sheer so I still need a concealer for blemishes but in this hot weather a tinted moisturiser is all I want.  I am pleasantly surprised and interested in buying this again.

Healthy glow foundation:  

Summary

I am pleased that I got to try these products out.  It had helped me discover new brands and try items from my wish list.  I have been surprised by some products and disappointed by others, however, at only £2.50 each it was a very affordable way to discover what is right for me.

Head over to Naturismo to see their current offers on a wide range of organic brands.

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Ally Aldridge Books, Review

Learning through art with Arty Mouse

I discovered Arty Mouse last year at Felixstowe Book Festival (2027) and been a fan ever since. I was pleased to see them in attendance again this year and again offering amazing deals on their brilliant books. Click here to see my post on their event.

Here are a couple of reviews on the titles I’ve brought and used with my son:

Play Clay

This book is box shaped and inside is a plastic tray with all the bits you need to complete the pages. There is plasticine and cardboard cut out shapes (for example eyes, legs, hat). You then use the plasticine and shapes to complete the image and can draw with a wipe clean pen. Each page has a prompt, I.e a birthday cake that needs so many candles. This encourages counting as well as being creative.

My son had really enjoyed this book and it is easy enough to follow that he can do it independently on his own. When finished all the parts tidy away inside the book, ready for another day.

The only issue we’ve had is we lost some of the cardboard shapes so at the event I suggested they sell add on or replacement packs to increase the longevity of their reusable product.

Printing

This book is another box shaped one and inside is a plastic tray with all the bits you need to complete the pages. There is a stamp and foam shapes. You then use them stamp the shapes to complete the image and can draw with a wipe clean pen. Each page has a prompt, I.e a Loch Ness monster with missing humps. This encourages them to think about the shapes around them and how they make pictures.

My son loves this book too and on the last page he enjoy the freedom to make his own stamp picture. He is confident to use this without supervision due to clear easy to follow instructions.

My only suggestion to Arty Mouse would be to enable add on packs to collect more shapes and maybe even different colour ink pads.

I love how easy it is to tidy away, store and it’s a whole activity in one. Sometimes the plastic tray gets in the way of pressing down on pages on the left, so it might be nice to be able to remove the tray and reattach it afterwards.

Flash Cards (Numbers)

These are classic flash cards and store neatly in a box with the pen and cloth for wiping the cards clean when you are finished.

The cards have the familiar Arty Mouse characters. One side has the number for children to trace and can be found within the numeric picture. The other side has the number written as a word to practice writing. This is a great set to practice hand coordination with a pen and is really good quality.

At the FBF event, Noah had fun using their Words pack. The image below shows him using the pack -ignore the cat scratch on his face, he learnt a valuable lesson about not getting in the cats space that morning too.

Sticker Doodles

This was a book I bought at this years FBF and as soon as we got home Noah was straight into it.

I was a little hesitant about buying this book as it’s not reusable like the others. This book encourages children to draw in it with the wipe clean pen and at the back is a selection of sticker shapes that children can use to finish the pictures on the pages.

Noah has enjoyed playing with this book and has only torn one sticker – they do sometimes need a little help getting them off the pages.

Here’s a little video of Noah using the sticker book as soon as we got home.

They also had a book for cutting that I almost bought Noah as he is very into scissors at the moment. Maybe, I’ll get that next time…

My thoughts…

I also bought two more of the box sets but put them away for Noah’s birthday or Christmas. The box style books do make beautiful gifts.

All the titles I have bought have been of a high quality and the characters are appealing to preschool and early years children.

I hope they attend future FBF, as I would go to their stand. I also would be interested in buying more from their range. I am a fan, especially of the titles that can be reused.

*****

Have you tried any of the Arty Mouse titles?  Do you know any similar books that I should check out – I’d love to hear your recommendations.

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Ally Aldridge Goals, Writing

NaPoWriMo progress (Day 6 to 15)

So, I said I’d update every 5 days but was so busy I didn’t!  So this is a 10 day diary on how NaPoWriMo is going, covering day 6 to 15.

Setting the goal

My goal is to write 25k to finish my novel titled Glide. I’ve called the project Diamond In The Sky as this is what I am considering renaming the novel.  You can click here to see my post about setting the goal.

Day 1 to 5

If you want to read how the first 5 days went, please click here to view the post.

Day 6 to 15

We are now half way through the challenge and it is challenging…  Here is how day 6 to 15 have gone:

Day 6 to 10.png

Day 6

I wrote 0 words.  I started the day trying to get some laundry done in the morning.  The afternoon was my son’s graduation ceremony at nursery which was an amazing day.  When I got home, I told my husband all about how proud I was and just didn’t do any writing.

Day 7

I wrote 1,289.  I decided to skip a chapter that I was struggling to get motivated to write and instead wrote the next chapter.  Now, I feel clearer about the chapter I skipped and ready to go back and write it.

Day 8

I wrote 1,493.  I feel clearer about where my story is going now and was able to write the next chapter. It wasn’t the most exciting chapter but it was necessary and setting the path for what is to come.

Day 9

I got a refer on one of my CIPD assignments – I had hoped the course was finish so I could concentrate on other projects like NaPoWriMo.  The time after work that I would have spent writing had to be put on hold as I needed respond to my lecturers feedback and resubmit ASAP.  I want to finish before I have my baby and my due date feels like a ticking bomb!

Day 10

Today, was my Hypnobirthing class.  I love Hyponbirthing.  It is so relaxing.  The only problem is that I am so chilled out afterwards that I can’t do anything.  Word count was zero.

Day 11 to 15.png

Day 11

I was determined when I got home from work to catch up with my word count but I got as far as about 426 words before my son started being sick.  I then spent an uncomfortable night with him, comforting him as it came out of both ends.  He was amazingly tough though.

Day 12

Hubby took the day off to look after my son as it would be very difficult for me to rearrange my appointments at work, especially with only 6 days of work left before maternity leave starts.  On next to no sleep, I did a full days work (let’s call it newborn training).  When I arrived home I was too tired to write.

Day 13

Yay, my son is better.  Just as well as we had a busy day planned.  I cancelled visiting a friend with a newborn as a precaution – my son could be contagious – instead, we did jobs in town (pay library fines, allergy test for my pampering next weekend, etc).  Then we went home for lunch. In the afternoon, we visited the school he will be starting in September to take part in a preparing for school activity.  Then my husband’s best friend came over and we chatted until I had to go to bed.

Day 14

Our house is a mess!  We spent most the morning doing chores at home and popped out to buy paint for the nursery.  I then played with my son in the garden in this glorious sunshine.  It’s so good to see him happy and well.

Then once he was in bed, I got ready for a night on the sea front with one of my best friends – something we want to enjoy before life gets complicated with a new born.  Word count was zero though.

Day 15

Today, my hubby has been great keeping my son busy so I could get in front of the PC during the day because I’m often too tired in the evening. I manged to achieve 2.5k!  That is my personal best this month and it is only midday so there is chance I could add to that later on.

I also really like what I have written. There was a bit of adding to earlier chapters as well as adding a new chapter.  I got to write about her casting and developing her powers and confronting Mariah and I loved it.  The boys are back now but I will be looking for any chance to sneak off and write some more.

Reflection

I’m so pleased with my achievement today.  If only I could have more days like that. I have seen what I can achieve if I can get the time to be able to write.  I still love that feeling of creating my story, the world, characters and the magic.  It is what I love and even when I felt like quitting, I couldn’t.  This is me.

I am still behind target though, however, I have had some unexpected challenges that halted my progress. I thought I had finished my CIPD course and I had not anticipated my son being ill.

I have still managed to keep my blog posts regular and sent an article to a publication (fingers crossed they like it).  I’d like to get ahead of my blog schedule as I’m sure I’ll be distracted once the baby is here and I don’t want to fall silent.

When I think about all I am juggling, I am achieving an awful lot – even if I do say so myself.

Let me know if you are doing the challenge and how you are getting on?

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Ally Aldridge Personal, What have I been watching?

What to watch if you love witches!

This month, I thought I would share with you some of the best TV series and movies to watch if you love witches.

Movies

Practical Magic

Genre:  Fantasy Romance

This film is based on a novel by Alice Hoffman, a best selling author. If you haven’t checked out her novels, I recommend them.

The film is about the sisters overcoming a curse to find true love and keep their man.  It is just as much about the bond of sisters as it is about magic, curse and romance.

The Craft

Genre:  Fantasy/Teen Drama

The main characters are the girls that don’t fit in and I think we have all felt like that which makes them instantly likeable.  They become ‘sisters’ and unlock the secrets of witch craft enabling them to make their biggest wish come true.

This is the sort of story I would love to write.  Maybe, one day…

Hocus Pocus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUMsInka2s

Genre:  Childrens

This film is by Disney so you know it is going to be good.  The three sisters are absolutely hilarious and today you can find memes online from the film.  “Sisters!”

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Genre: Childrens/Anime

This is from Studio Ghibli famous for their brilliant Japanese animation films. This film is about a young witch finding work at a small seaside town. She makes friends becomes part of the community and improves her broomstick flying skills. It’s a sweet story about believing in your self and trying your hardest.

The Witches

Genre: Childrens This is based on a Roald Dahl novel. As a child the book was terrifying and I found the film scary in parts too. The child hating witches are from children’s nightmare but do not fear, as it is a children’s film, the brave little boy (or mouse) and his grandma, will stop their wicked plan!

Televison

Witches of East End

Genre:  Fantasy/Drama

The mother has kept the truth from her daughters that they are witches but it is about to come out.  This series follows the daughters discovering and learning their powers and all the trouble that comes with it. Family secrets are uncovered and deadly truths.

American Horror Story (Season 3)

Genre: Horror

Of all the American Horror Story seasons I have watched, this one of my favorite as I loved the magic of the witches.  Each season is a new story so you don’t need to watch the previous seasons to watch this one. It is a horror series aimed at adults so you can’t watch this with the kids.

The Secret Circle

Genre: Fantasy/Teen Drama

This series was great.  The main character doesn’t know she is a witch as her mother has tried to keep her away from it all.  When her mum dies, she goes to live with her grandmother and discovers she is a witch.  With her return the circle is complete and the local teen population’s powers are fully awoken and now, others are coming for them.

Salem (series)

Genre:  Historical/Horror

This period drama is about witches hiding in plain sight.  It is gory, nasty and twisted.  These are not your sweet love potion witches, these are the ones that manipulate and have the power. It’s gory in places but has a lot of the traditional nastiness of witches like demon worship and familiars like reptiles (toads, snakes, etc).

Bewitched

I loved this show. It is a little dated as it’s set in a time when the dutiful housewife runs around after their husband but there is a very wholesome sweetness about this show. There’s the meddling mother, the nosy neighbour and crazy aunt Clara.

A few years later, a film with the same name based was created based on the TV show starting Nicole Kidman.

Just add magic

I started watching this when I had Amazon Prime but never finished it. First impressions, it is a great series for young girls (and those that enjoy kids shows). The main character discovers a ’cookery’ book. It turns out to be a spell book. The friends start using the ’recipes’ to help although often something goes wrong. Magic is so unpredictable.

Many more…

There are many more TV series and films with witches in and I’ll probably kick myself later when I remember those I should have included.

My all time favourite witch has to be Willow from Buffy but that isn’t until towards the end of the series.  At the start she is just the nerdy best friend of the slayer.  She’s also a redhead so she gets extra points for that.

There is also Charmed but although I watched it I wouldn’t say it made my favourite list.

Quite a few films based on fairy tales like Hansel & Gretel or The Huntsman (Winter’s War) that all feature witches are films I love but my list was getting long so I may make a fairytale list another day.

Do you love any of the above? Can you think of any witch films that I’ve forgotten or you think I’d love, please do recommend.

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Ally Aldridge Beauty, Haircare

Simply Redheads

I’ve wanted to buy this shampoo and conditioner for years but always held back because it’s not cheap. I finally decided to treat myself.

I discovered the brand on the Ginger Parrot store. A website with news and products for redheads.

Ginger Parrot have bundle deals for the Henna and Horse-chestnut line or Colour Enhancing line. I preferred the Henna and Horsenut as it used more natural ingredients.

I searched for Simply Redheads to learn more about the brand and discovered their new line, Henna and Cherry shampoo. Their products use natural ingredients and free of harmful ingredients (E.g SLES, parabens) and won an award.

Customer Service

I emailed them to get advice on which one I should buy. Zoe replied and was really helpful. Both henna lines were suitable for me. The Cherry has the added benefit of being anti-dandruff and reducing hair loss – neither are an issue for me.

The Cherry wasn’t in a bundle but she put one together for me. When she packaged up the goods, she added two travel size bottles from the hose chestnut line so I could try them too.

I must say, the customer service was the best!

Henna and Cherry Shampoo: RRP £14

Henna and Cherry Conditioner: RRP £14

Bundle (shampoo & conditioner): RRP £22

Review

I didn’t notice much difference whilst using the product but my husband noticed the next day that my hair looked shinier and healthier.

The Cherry isn’t a strong scent. I’d hoped it would be more fruity but it’s very subtle. I guess that’s better than being overwhelmed by a smell.

The henna isn’t strong enough to influence the colour of your hair, just to give you the healthy boost that henna is good for. I once used a henna dye and it was so messy, but this was really easy to use. It is simply shampoo/conditioner.

The bottle is quite big. Despite my long hair, I can’t see this running out soon. It is more affordable than I originally anticipated.

Will I buy again?

I would buy this again. I haven’t tried out the travel size bottles yet and I’m tempted to swap them with the other brand in my hospital bag. I think next time I’ll buy the Henna & horse chestnut as there is a bundle that includes a leave in conditioner and I like the look of that.

Ally Aldridge Books, Festival

Who runs the world?

Lunch with Hayley Long and Virginia Bergin

This was the second event of the 2018 Felixstowe Book Festival that I chose to attend.

It was hosted at Felixstowe Library and they put on a selection of nibbles.  The sandwiches were really good and I got a glass of fresh orange juice in a wine glass (very sophisticated).  Not so sophisticated was trying to juggle my paper plate, glass, mobile phone, notebook and pen but I somehow managed.

The format of the event was Hayley interviewing Virginia about her book and chatting a little about her own too – like they were two authors hanging out.  It was very informal between the pair.  It made the event very personal as they told us about their books and what inspired them to write these stories.

Afterwards, we got to mingle and I had a wonderful inspiring chat with Virginia.

More about Hayley and her new book “Being a girl”.

Hayley Long - Author profile.png

Hayley was inspired to write a book that gives teen girls advice on how to survive puberty, however, there are lots of useful tips that would benefit women of all ages.  She describes her book at ‘How to make life easier’.

Hayley showed us some pages from her book with illustrations by Gemma Correll (famous for Pugs, not Thugs) and that some text is small like a whisper and some text is big and loud.  It looks like a fun book by about an awkward subject.

I was delighted to hear that Hayley is a local girl and went to school here.  It is really inspiring to hear that someone with similar roots made it and that it is possible.

Writing about such a personal topic was quite scary to publish as she wasn’t sure what reaction she would get.  Of all the complaints she envisioned, she had not anticipated people would complain about a tampon on the cover.

I didn’t buy her book today but if it is still around when my little girl is starting high school it sounds like the kind of empowering book I would want her to read.  She has also written other stories that are based around the Suffolk area that sound really good.  

More about Virginia and her new book “Who Runs The World”.

Virginia Bergin - Author profile.png

Virginia is a very passionate woman who talked about how much the world has changed in the past 100 years for women, like being able to vote and how she feels there is still more to be achieved. She discussed the recent equal pay success but that she thinks the next step is to change the culture and is supportive of the ‘me too’ movement.  It’s not just about changing the law but about changing the way we think towards each other about what is right and wrong.

The idea for this book was sparked whilst chatting to someone studying Tess of the d’Urbervilles at school.  She has also studied this book 30 years ago.  I’ve never read the book so I had to try to follow what it was about by what she was saying but it sounds as if the main character is repressed by a man and although she liked it in school she now looks back and sees how wrong it is.  

Virginia’s imagination then began exploring the idea of a world where women were in control and how this comes about.  She didn’t want to simply switch society over, she wanted to create something new.  Then she came up with the idea of a virus that only affects those with the Y chromosome.

Never wrong a writer (1).png

Killing off all the men made me giggle.  It made me think about a warning I read once about why you should never piss off a writer.  I couldn’t find the quote online so I made my own (see image above) which captures the gist of it. Virginia doesn’t want men to die but this quote makes me feel there are few men that may have made her virus deserving list.

Virginia is very animated when she speaks, especially doing typing hands when talking about writing.  It made her a very likeable person to listen to.  She told us about how difficult writing this novel was as she kept worrying about what people would think and if she has portrayed women without men’s influence in their life correctly.

She questions how gender is portrayed and spoke about how strong women are always made out to be masculine and asks why this is. Why can’t women be allowed to be strong and still accepted as a woman?

Virginia likes to make people think “How do you want the world to be different” and is often impressed at school visits how much the children are aware of what is wrong with the world and how they want to change it.

She recommended reading The Power by Naomi Alderman.

Mingling afterwards

After the interview there was time for us to eat some more food, buy the books and chat to the authors.

I waited patiently and then had a lovely chat with Virginia.  I asked her about whether people had judged her for writing SciFi.  Most people I know, judge me for writing fantasy.  She was very encouraging about writing what you love and never giving up.

I asked her about how long it took her to find the right agent.  She told me that a few years ago she had been writing scripts and had an agent but when she wrote The Rain she found a publisher quickly and was picked up by an agent too.  She told me never to take rejections personally and to keep trying. She also pointed out that self publishing has come a long way and especially for Sci-Fi and Fantasy it can really expand the market for writers.

She encouraged me to find local writers groups as these can be really useful to critique your work.  Another lady overheard us talking and introduced herself.  She does a leisure learning course at a local college on Creative Writing and encouraged me to come along and meet the other students who often form their own group once the course is complete.

I bought Who Runs The World and Virginia signed it and wrote a nice message to me inside to encourage me to never give up.

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