It’s been a tough three weeks without a bathroom. Luckily we have been able to stay overnight at my mother-in-law’s and there are people with bigger problems so I don’t want to complain.
My son has been really good about keeping out of the workers’ way and not complaining about the noise, mess or disruption – it hasn’t been easy for him. He would have loved to have given them a hand but it was too dangerous.
I felt he deserved a treat and when I saw Good Bubble had released a new Gruffalo range, I knew it would be the perfect treat.
https://instagram.com/p/Bf1IVlLBs_o/
He was really happy when he saw his new products sporting the Gruffalo, one of his favourite storybook characters.
The Review
Here is what I thought of the new line and the yummy fruity prickly pear scent.
Bubbly Gruffalo Bubble Bath (£3.99): The bubble bath made a decent amount of bubbles and smelt delicious. We have had the bubble bath before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
Grubby Gruffalo Hair & body wash (£3.69): It was easy to get a lather and my little boy was confidently by washing himself. We have had the wash before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
Little Softy Moisturiser (£3.99): This is new to the brand and an excellent addition. My little boy loved having his first body moisturiser. At first, he thought it was a hand cream until I encouraged him that he could apply it all over. This was easier for him to use than their Organic Coconut oil (£7.99).
Grizzly Mane Detangler (£3.99): He doesn’t have long hair that tangles but he does get flyaways so I decided to give this a go to see if it helped tame the problem. I think it has worked. It smells really good and can be used on dry hair so we are using it to freshen up between hair washes.
Dragon Fruit was my favourite but now it is the Gruffalo prickly pear. We will, definitely, be buying this again.
I was only able to get this range direct from their site but I’m hoping Sainsbury, Ocado and Holland & Barratt will get some in stock soon as they sell the rest of the range.
During November 2017, I was doing NaNoWriMo and I wrote an article with Tips on naming your character. I am always looking for more tips and today I am sharing an article by blog A Writer’s Path on four methods for naming characters.
by Ryan Lanz A common question I hear tossed about is how to create character names. Some writers find this simple, and yet others struggle with naming every single one, particularly concerning the main cast. In this post, we’ll talk about tricks and tips for creating character names, and perhaps we’ll bring some ease […]
I didn’t even know that there was an International Women’s Day until this year! I must have learnt about it at school because the movement was started by the Suffragettes in 1911. I remember studying the women and being inspired by their passion for change.
Here are some hashtags you may be interested in:
#TimesUp: Challenging sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace.
#MeToo: Raising awareness of sexual assault instead of hiding it.
#PressForProgress: This is the official theme of the International Women’s Day. It has ideas to enable everybody to take part in being inclusive of women.
I have never categorized myself as a feminist but I do feel that men and women should get the same opportunities and recognition for their hard work. Change won’t be overnight but we are moving in the right direction.
To celebrate, I shall share with you the strongest female characters from novels that took action to change their world:
The Handmaid’s Tale
My first holiday with friends (no parents), my little sister gave me The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood as a beach read. I wouldn’t recommend it as a summer read but I couldn’t put the book down. It was a page-turner and I honestly couldn’t imagine what was going to happen next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJTonrzXTJs
Many women cannot have children in this post-nuclear world. Offred is able to have children. She becomes a slave to the rich and powerful to bear their children. She may sound like a weak character because she complies but her spirit is strong and you can feel that she is going to bring change but as she is constantly watched it will be incredibly dangerous.
The book is worth reading. Hulu recently created a TV series based on the novel and that is amazing too (next season out in April).
The Hunger Games
Sadly, I didn’t get to read the books before the film came out. The series of books is by Suzanne Collins.
It is set in a post-war world where the twelve districts have to send one girl and one boy (children) to compete in a TV Show called the Hunger Games to remind them about the innocent lives that are lost at war. The MC, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers herself when her little sister’s name is called. Her sacrifice makes her instantly likeable. What makes her a strong woman is that she decides to break the system and through her actions, she inspires and leads a rebellion for change.
The Diary of a Young Girl
I think everyone has heard of Anne Frank, the little girl who hid from the Nazi’s and kept a diary of her life surviving a world war. Her diary is a true account of what happened during her hiding.
I had no idea but apparently, there is a movie based on her diary. It is also a long time since I read her diary but I remember it being very moving, insightful and thought-provoking.
You may think that Anne doesn’t deserve to make the list because she hid, she didn’t fight, she didn’t make a difference… or did she? Writing her diary was extremely dangerous and brave. Anne’s diary has been read all over the world making her voice clearly heard regarding what happened. Her words have educated billions to change, to never let it happen again. Her diary ensures we never forget.
Matilda
The book Matilda is written byRoald Dahl. I had read the book and watched the movie.
You may think it’s strange that she has made the list but she lived with a family that didn’t encourage or support her desire to read or go to school. As young as she is, she fought for her rights. It probably did help having telekinesis powers.
Shifter series
Okay, I promise I am not being biased on this one, even though the series really captured me and is my all-time favourite. Let me explain why I think the MC is a strong woman.
The story is based around Faythe’s family who are all shifters (werecats/Panthers). It is set in today’s world but humans don’t know they exist. The shifters world is very male-dominated and the daughters are to be protected. Faythe’s father is training her to become the first female leader and she is the first female enforcer. During the series, she has to overcome a number of challenges to prove herself and it is very action packed.
The first title in the series is Stray by Rachel Vincent. I have no idea why this book has still not been made into a movie/series yet. It is so good!
What do you think?
To me, these women are all powerful and strong as the characters were overcoming difficulties that restricted them from being all they could be. Their actions brought around change.
Is there anyone you think I should have included in my top 5 list? Any books you recommend I read that feature strong women? Please comment and share your thoughts.
It is a monthly subscription box full of cruelty free beauty products. If that’s not enough to make you feel good, they also donate a portion of their profit to Animal Free Research UK from each box sold.
This product claims to improve the appearance of skin whilst providing nourishment. The main active ingredients are Kale (vitamin C & E) and Cocoa Butter.
Review: I’ve found this cream to be light. It doesn’t have a scent. It dries fast so I can put makeup on immediately afterwards. It is a small tube so I’m not sure how long this will last but the product cost is the price of the subscription fee so I’ve already got my money back with this one item.
This brand prides themselves on being diverse and creating a brand everyone can use to express themselves (reminded me of Illamasqca). The shade Tainted Cupcake is a champagne pink with rose gold. It can be applied dry or wet for a more intense pop of colour.
Review: The eyeshadow has a shimmer to it so if you are not into that this then the shade is not for you. The shade chosen is a safe choice for most people but if you fancy something more daring they have some bolder colours on their website. It also came with a free brush which I really like.
RRP $15.00 (about £10.86 by exchange rate on 4 March 2018)
Above is just a snippet of all the goodness this brand delivers. One of the first The Pip Boxes I received contained the ‘Green Clay’ face mask, I then went on to buy more products by the brand (a body oil and their petroleum free jelly).
Review: I haven’t had a chance to test this yet but I have previously used their green clay version. It is a power mask and you have to mix it with water to create a paste. If you enjoy making your masks then you will love this.
I prefer my masks already made so I wouldn’t have chosen this for myself but I am looking forward to trying it out because I know this brand always delivers and the mask will be effective. You mix up what you need and there is enough that you will get plenty of uses out of the pot making it very cost effective.
I struggled to find the product on their website but other oils in the same packaging were the organic certified oils. I expect they have just not updated the product images yet on the site and this is new packaging. There was a wide range of products on their site and gift sets for people who like making beauty products like bath bombs etc.
Review: My skin really does love organic oils. Since receiving this, I have been putting it on before bed. You only need a little bit to cover your face and it dries quick. There were also instructions on how you can use the oil for your hair or mix it to make a serum. I’m not keen on the smell of the product – it smells like cooking oil.
I will use it up but not sure I’ll re-buy. I am interested in trying their bath salts…
This brand is difficult to get in the UK but not impossible, however, I had trouble finding a supplier that sells all the shades of lip paint yet so this is possibly a new line. The product is a liquid lipstick with a matt finish and stays on all day.
Review: The shade Cowgirl is not for me. I put it on and it is a pale nude colour that made my lips look like they had no colour and I am a red lip girl. However, I couldn’t get it off and realised I was stuck with the shade all day unless I wanted to start my make-up over. I went out in it. It did last all day.
I am very tempted to get this matt lip paint in another colour because I love the fact you can put it on and forget about it and as a busy mum, doing my makeup once is about all the time I’ve got.
RRP $12.00 (about £8.69 by exchange rate on 4 March 2018)
JOM stands for ‘Just One More’ and the brand is appropriately named.
Review: So, I opened the packet to show the sweets and tried one. Before I had even uploaded the pic to Instagram, the contents was gone. Honestly, I meant to share them with my husband and son but they really were moreish. I highly recommend!
I can’t wait to order some more of these and try other flavours.
RRP £1.25
Share to social media
Currently, boxes contain a card encouraging consumers to share pics of their box and contents on social media and how to tag to enter the monthly raffle. If your pic is chosen, you win your next box free. It’s rewarding that this support and loyalty is recognised by The Pip Box.
I take pics every month because I love my The Pip Box. I then use my images on my blog. This month, I won! So, my March box will be free and the contents will be worth £65!
I’m no professional photographer. I just took pics with my mobile. This shows anyone can win. So, if you buy The Pip Box, don’t hesitate to share your joy with pics. Do it, tag it, and you may just win it.
It is a day to encourage children’s reading. Events are held across the UK to encourage children to talk about books such as dressing up as their favourite character. Many kids receive a voucher to get a sponsored book for £1 or £1 off a book of their choice.
Many publishers and other sponsors will host competitions so it is worth checking social media. Last year, I won the box set of “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan from Write Children’s Books For Children who ran hourly competitions on Twitter!
This year, my son has chosen to be “The Jolly Postman” by Janet & Allan Ahlberg. He loves the books which are interactive and every other page is an envelope with a letter inside (or card, puzzle or mini book, etc). Plus, he has a red bike – very cool to a 4-year-old!
Both books were bought by Noah’s aunty Hev (you can follow her blog “This Pug Can” by clicking here). No prizes for guessing which was for his birthday and which was for Christmas.
After role play in his (Postman Pat) costume as the Jolly Postman, we got warm inside with blankets, wotsits and the books themselves. Usually, we read these at bedtime but today we had time to do the puzzle and play the board game.
I also feel I need to say a big thank you to Asda. The costume sold out online. Other stores had a similar one for an extra £10 and someone was selling Asda’s costume on Amazon for twice the price! Asda tweeted back to help track down a costume for Noah. In the store, staff retrieved it from the warehouse and Noah changed his mind! He now wanted to be a lion from “How to Hide a Lion!” by Helen Stephens. We began leaving the store and he changed his mind again and did want to be the Jolly Postman. The staff returned to the warehouse to get it again. They were so helpful and friendly and didn’t complain once about the interchangeable mind of a preschool diva.
Have a jolly World Book Day
I hope you have a jolly world book day and I would love to hear about what books you have been enjoying or the characters your child dressed up as today.
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post listing literary festivals taking place in the UK throughout the UK that have caught my eye. To read the full list, please click here.
This post is to remind you of those taking place this Spring.
This festival is made up of events and you buy tickets to participate in events. Events vary between workshops, speakers and screenings.
If you miss the event, this seaside town is still worth a visit. They have one of the most beautiful traditional bookshops, a lovely beach and chip shops.
This event promises to deliver a platform for underrepresented women writers such a lesbians. This is sure to be a positive event that is making a difference to supporting diversity and inclusion. Supported by DIVA magazine and The Guardian.
If Erotica is your thing, then there is a convention just for you. This event is in its 7th year and often sells out. It has schedule of speakers and events and is a structured event.
This year has a talk on how to blog about sex for the shy writer – aghhh the world of an erotic writer. One day I may be brave enough to write and share erotic fiction but for now the thought still makes my cheeks turn read (no, not like that!). I would probably benefit from the ‘confidence’ talk.
You buy tickets for the events you want to attend. There are a lot of authors attending and giving talks and there are events for children too. The event is not at one location but across the city so make sure you are able to get from one location to another if you booking multiple events. Filter the events by the category you are interested in, i.e. Workshops, etc.
This event is geared towards those involved in publishing but and has various talks on keeping those in the industry up-to-date with financial, legal and trending themes in the publishing world. There are plenty of exhibits covering pretty much every type of genre you can think of.
It is their 70th year running! This 17 day event will bring the streets of Bath alive with music and literature. Check the ‘What’s On’ page on the website to find events that take your interest. Each event requires a ticket and the price differs.
Everyone I know who has been to Bath has always returned gushing about how amazing it is. They are also home to one of the most well known and prestigious writing competitions (Bath Novel Award).
This post is for me. Today has been such a special experience, I want to look back and remember it, forever.
Snow morning
https://instagram.com/p/BftbdIeBWMT/
This morning began with my little boy getting to see snow for the first time. He wanted to go out in his PJs and it took some negotiating to get him to sit down and eat breakfast and get dressed first.
I wasn’t sure he’d have time to go out before nursery but I told him if he ate quick & got dressed fast he could play in the snow. I’ve never seen him get ready so fast!
https://instagram.com/p/BftbvxvhcV3/
SNew Experience
He was desperate to get outside but could I find his gloves and hat? We had them out in November but this morning they were missing.
I gave him a pair of my mittens to keep his hands warm and we tried to make a snowman (unsuccessfully). Then we threw snow at each other. He’s a better shot than me – I was lucky we had the excuse that we needed to leave or I’m sure he would have annihilated me.
https://instagram.com/p/BftcMa2BUXz/
Snowy Nursery
I managed to find his gloves and hat from 2 years ago. A Benjamin bunny hat and bunny gloves made by my mum (his Grandma PoPo).
After checking nursery was on, I drove him very carefully and slowly in. I was gutted they weren’t having a snow day as I wanted to stay & play with him. He was so excited and it was infectious.
At the nursery, he didn’t want to take his snowsuit off. His key worker had to promise him that after the morning activities and registration there would be time to play outside in the snow.
I couldn’t wait to finish work and pick him up from my mums and hear all about how he played with his friends in the snow. As soon as we got home, he was straight out in the garden to play some more, before it melts.
https://instagram.com/p/BftcaOvhv-J/
Lobbing snowballs at me.
https://instagram.com/p/BftchaThhow/
Giggling in the snow and eating it!
Here’s hoping that tonight it snows enough that we can stay home and play together tomorrow.
I took my son and his best friend to the cinema for their first time to watch the new Disney film ‘Coco’.
https://instagram.com/p/BfD_rx8BUKA/
As this was their first time they did get spoilt. We bought them the kids special which came free with a Paddington Bear lunch box. We also took them to Kaspers after for ice cream because sitting still for a whole film was a big challenge for a 3 and 4 year old.
After the film we let them pose and dance on the red carpet. I’m glad we went during half term because the place was empty.
https://instagram.com/p/BfEAMt_hqcx/
Review of Coco
This Disney film is about the Mexican Day of the Dead festival. The MC is a boy named Miguel who befriends a stray dog that’s actually his spirit guide. His family are against music and he really wants to play guitar and sing. His rebellion against his family sets on a path that causes him to crossover to the underworld. To return home he needs a blessing from his dead ancestors before he becomes permanently dead. But, they want to add a condition that he can’t ever perform music again. So he looks for the relative his family disowned to get the blessing without the condition.
There are a lot of themes about death explored in the film and there was a few occasions I got choked up.
It was a good film with a decent storyline. It’s worth watching but it’s unlikely to become one of those classic films that you could watch forever.
You’ve finished your manuscript and spent even more time editing. Finally, it is at a standard you are now confident to present. Now you are preparing to query.
When it comes to querying literary agents they general request the same things:
A sample of your manuscript
A covering letter
A synopsis
Many will ask you to keep the synopsis to one page (or 500-800 words). That is the challenge: summarize 80k words into one page.
Create a standard version
Most agents will want similar things in a synopsis. So it is worth having a standard version that you can use as a template and adapt to meet their requirements.
What to include?
Title: Novel title
Plot: outline the story arc from start to finish. Only give the meaningful events and you must include the ending. A synopsis should be written in third person.
Main character names: type these in capitals when they are first introduced.
Genre: Target market (in header/footer)
Novel length: word count of full novel (rounded to the nearest whole thousandth number in header/footer)
Contact details: Your contact details (in header/footer)
How to lay it out?
Length: 500 to 800 words
Font: Times New Roman or Arial (it must be easy to read)
Text size: ideally 12 pt (no smaller than 10pt)
Text colour: black
Background: plain white
Document Format: Check but generally .doc or docx (you may need to copy and paste it into a body of an email or convert to pdf)
Paragraphs: Indent the first line of your paragraphs and use single line spacing
How to approach this?
Try to break your novel into sections:
Beginning:
introduce the main characters/setting/era, etc
inciting event – the catalyst that kicks the story off
Middle:
Middle (the plan) – how your character(s) will solve their predicament
Middle (twist) – something that goes wrong with the plan
Middle (new plan) – how your character(s) will solve their predicament
End
Conclusion – the epic battle, the tie up of loose ends, the big reveal (murder mystery), they get the guy (or not)
If you can break your novel up into section for the main events, you can try to keep those sections to one paragraph. This will help keep the word count of your synopsis down.
Edit
Keep saving your synopsis and then return to see what you can edit out. Some fixes will be simple – remove filler words like ‘that’. You will also need to be critical about what details are necessary to keep and may see you can delete out some minor subplots. Keep doing this until you have reduced the size to at least one page or 500 to 800 words.
What not to do?
Teasers: The document should clearly tell them what happens and not leave any mystery or cliff hangers.
Chapters: Don’t describe what happens in each chapter.
Details: It isn’t necessary to describe settings and characters or explain every actions the MC makes. Leave out minor characters and minor subplots.
Mention other stories: keep the synopsis focused on the story it is about.
Shrink the font: This may be tempting to make it fit on the page but if it is not easy to read then… it won’t get read.
Fancy font: Again, if it isn’t easy to read, then they’ll move on to another query that is.
Wrong format: If they ask for the synopsis in a certain format then it is for a reason.
Finally – Tweak to meet the requirements
Guidelines: Check agents requirements.
Whoever you are submitting to will likely make certain requests on how they want the Synopsis presented and you will need to tweak your standard version to meet their needs. For example, they may ask for a certain font size or style or they may request a word count or number of pages. Some will want you to include a tag line or to submit it in the body of the email (not as an attachment).
With my birthday money, I decided to treat myself to a facial. I couldn’t believe my luck when I found someone in my small local seaside town that uses all organic natural products. I booked in and went to be pampered on 23 December 2017.
I had a facial (using Neal’s Yard Products) and a manicure (using Zoya polish in shade Blair).
The brand started a month after I was born in London. They believe beauty should be natural and are transparent about all the ingredients that go into their products so you know exactly what you are putting onto your skin. They were one of the first brands to challenge the synthetic market.
What products did the beautician use on me?
She did a skin analysis and identified the best products to use on my skin. For my facial she cleansed my skin and gave me a massage – everything you’d expect.
Afterwards, she recommend products for my:
Daily skin routine:
Cleanser: Wild Rose Beauty Balm
Toner: Rose Toner
Facial Oil: Frankenscense oil
Moisturizer: Yarrow and Comfrey
Eye Care: Toning eye gel
Weekly routine:
Face mask: Rose Formula Antioxidant
Samples
The beautician was amazing and even offered me samples of products to try at home. She gave me:
Yarrow and Comfrey moisturizer: so I could continue using it at home.
Lavender oil: to treat my breakouts.
Review
The facial was a very relaxing experience and my skin did feel great afterwards. The products I took away with me feel of good quality too. The only draw back I have had is they do have a strong smell and I have found it a little over whelming.
I will return for another facial but I don’t think I will use the products everyday in my beauty routine.
Zoya is a quality brand that prides themselves on healthy products with natural ingredients. They are famous for creating the first fast drying topcoat and longest wearing, toxin free natural nail polish.
I am incredibly clumsy and I managed to smudge my nails before I even got to my car. Sadly, there is no picture of my pretty nails.
Blair the shade
Blair is a beautiful burgundy shade with a subtle shimmer. Zoya describe the shade as “a blackened red wine with a satiny smooth metallic shimmer. This cool-toned, vampy shade has a undeniably mesmerizing depth!”
I’ve had my eye on this shade for a long while and I wasn’t disappointed. I shall invest in this polish in the near future.
Review
I would recommend this polish and when I buy it I won’t have to worry about my clumsiness as i’ll be able to repaint my nails as needed. I have bought Zoya polishes before and think they are great quality.
