December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Aenean scelerisque elit

Suspendisse ac lobortis tortor. Ut sed scelerisque lectus, in eleifend lorem. Suspendisse lobortis nisi nisi, quis aliquam tellus commodo ac. Donec efficitur euismod nibh, vehicula rutrum tortor tempus non. Suspendisse bibendum urna vel iaculis porta. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam non molestie lectus, et tincidunt arcu. Aenean porttitor gravida massa convallis tincidunt. Morbi ultrices dolor at nisi consequat, vel blandit libero sodales. Sed sagittis euismod mauris, nec condimentum ex varius vitae. Integer at augue ut urna ornare vulputate ac et felis. Donec in turpis a tortor elementum vehicula. Curabitur molestie venenatis dictum. Mauris sit amet pharetra quam, in sodales est. Vivamus tortor magna, mollis vel mi vel, ornare sollicitudin enim. Sed ac dolor dolor.

Proin a nunc odio. Duis ultricies, nisl non lobortis auctor, urna quam vulputate urna, ac cursus metus leo a neque. Aliquam nec lacus maximus neque vehicula suscipit. Cras feugiat semper justo vel rhoncus. Donec ut neque quis mauris lacinia dapibus. Proin eget erat pharetra, blandit urna sed, accumsan orci. Sed velit turpis, hendrerit quis dolor at, laoreet molestie risus. In auctor, lorem at rutrum sollicitudin, ante libero tincidunt ipsum, sit amet ultricies urna nibh in tellus. Pellentesque at massa nec metus vulputate ultrices a nec sem.

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Vivamus mollis imperdiet nibh at maximus. Ut venenatis odio et ante varius, ac facilisis nunc molestie. Morbi eu varius orci. Quisque at elit dapibus, hendrerit mauris sit amet, commodo est. Curabitur felis eros, tempus in lacus in, iaculis fermentum enim. Suspendisse potenti. Mauris lacinia turpis quis magna egestas, ut ullamcorper eros finibus. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Fusce gravida, urna ut aliquam scelerisque, neque dui aliquam ex, at varius odio sapien et leo. Proin ultrices condimentum risus eget vestibulum. Praesent volutpat mattis rutrum. Mauris in diam odio. Aliquam dictum tempor libero non feugiat. Pellentesque finibus, elit ac viverra scelerisque, augue eros semper enim, nec blandit erat metus sed neque.

Mauris pulvinar urna rhoncus euismod sagittis. Integer bibendum vitae sapien et laoreet. Vivamus ultricies id lorem at porta. Nulla aliquet nibh id congue sollicitudin. Maecenas nunc mauris, sollicitudin nec sapien at, fermentum lacinia odio. Donec tincidunt lorem porta, viverra erat ac, blandit magna. Aenean scelerisque elit quis lorem sodales, at pulvinar libero fringilla. Cras mattis eu purus ac suscipit. Aenean mauris leo, lobortis non ullamcorper vitae, tincidunt sed justo. Curabitur eros lorem, tempus quis luctus in, ullamcorper nec augue. Vivamus facilisis in ipsum ac aliquet. Nunc elementum magna et pulvinar dignissim. In ut mi eget nunc pretium ultrices. Fusce viverra lorem ultricies felis lacinia, et lobortis nisl dictum. Etiam facilisis sapien sed posuere congue. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Donec in nulla lacinia, venenatis diam vitae, accumsan nunc. Duis vitae sollicitudin nulla. Pellentesque ultrices porta felis quis sollicitudin. Fusce eget lacinia orci. Vivamus tristique, velit ut laoreet egestas, dolor arcu semper urna, cursus volutpat velit odio sed lacus. Suspendisse tempor a leo in sollicitudin. Proin nec luctus dolor. Cras egestas vehicula odio, id dapibus nunc. Nulla tristique venenatis sem in ullamcorper. Nunc id lacus in sem varius maximus sit amet non orci. Suspendisse eu posuere nisl. Integer at felis vitae risus porttitor faucibus eget et tellus.

Aenean accumsan urna at libero finibus finibus. Maecenas non auctor nunc. Vestibulum maximus iaculis risus, rutrum luctus eros volutpat sit amet. Nam eget ipsum id tortor consectetur pharetra. Vestibulum nec auctor est, ut tincidunt magna. Donec feugiat malesuada aliquam. Nunc sed eleifend lorem. Fusce congue leo quis condimentum blandit. Donec luctus felis eget pharetra fringilla. Praesent ultrices massa a ex luctus, non vulputate libero auctor. Aliquam neque elit, accumsan non lectus eu, dignissim vulputate urna. Mauris dapibus iaculis diam, quis efficitur nulla vestibulum in. Cras ac est ac dolor elementum commodo id a felis. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce interdum, tellus sit amet facilisis malesuada, libero sapien finibus sapien, facilisis venenatis libero lorem ut diam. In feugiat nisl eros, quis cursus mauris consequat et.

Phasellus ac tempor metus. Pellentesque lectus quam, interdum quis iaculis sed, imperdiet eu massa. Donec id tincidunt est. Donec sit amet dolor ut urna elementum tempus eu nec tortor. Donec at egestas lorem. Curabitur consectetur vulputate quam congue maximus. Etiam maximus in odio ac semper. Aenean tincidunt elit sed dapibus varius. Nullam eu quam ac nulla vehicula eleifend ut non enim. Nam ut vulputate neque, id euismod orci. Nulla ultricies pellentesque enim. Nunc feugiat tellus vel mauris volutpat consequat. Mauris aliquam lorem vitae diam convallis tempus quis a nibh. Maecenas ligula libero, vehicula a nunc sed, pellentesque vestibulum orci. Pellentesque fermentum, augue ac molestie dapibus, ex mauris porta diam, aliquet egestas nunc mi id enim. Cras pellentesque blandit lacinia.

December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Vivamus tortor magna

December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Cras feugiat semper justo

Suspendisse ac lobortis tortor. Ut sed scelerisque lectus, in eleifend lorem. Suspendisse lobortis nisi nisi, quis aliquam tellus commodo ac. Donec efficitur euismod nibh, vehicula rutrum tortor tempus non. Suspendisse bibendum urna vel iaculis porta. Aliquam erat volutpat. Nam non molestie lectus, et tincidunt arcu. Aenean porttitor gravida convallis tincidunt. Morbi ultrices dolor at nisi consequat, vel blandit libero sodales. Sed sagittis euismod mauris, nec condimentum ex varius vitae. Integer at augue ut urna ornare vulputate ac et felis. Donec in turpis a tortor elementum vehicula. Curabitur molestie venenatis dictum. Mauris sit amet pharetra quam, in sodales est. Vivamus tortor magna, mollis vel mi vel, ornare sollicitudin enim. Sed ac dolor dolor.

December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Mauris sit amet pharetra

December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Vivamus mollis imperdiet

December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Suspendisse ac lobortis

December 30, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

Proin a nunc odio

December 5, 2018 Ally Aldridge Beauty, Skin Organics Box, Uncategorized

Why subscribe to Skin Organics beauty box

I’ve had a total of six Skin Organic beauty subscription boxes! At the end of this article, I will include links to reviews and first impressions of those boxes.

When I started taking more interest in the ingredients used in my heart products, I was horrified. There I was thinking I was treating myself only to discover all the harmful chemicals I was putting on my skin.

Switching to organic skincare wasn’t easy and I had to do it gradually. I began by switching the product I use most first – my cleanser. I wish I had known about the Skin Organics box back then as it is a great affordable way to discover new organic products and brands.

What ingredients to avoid?

There are many harmful ingredients in highsteet/designer makeup and skincare products. Once you are aware what these ingredients can do to your body it is shocking that they are even allowed.

Here are some examples to give you a taste of what you might be putting into your body through your skin everyday.

Parabens: can cause breast cancer, skin cancer, decrease sperm count. Some types will disrupt the endocrine system, cause reporductive and development disorders.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): can cause skin irratiations, canker sores, disrupt natural oil balance, eye damage and cystic acne.

Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): can cause skin depigmentation, liver damage, stomache cancer, interferes with the repoducitve system and thyroid hormone leveles.

There are more but that is not the purpose of this post. I just want to illustrate why you might want to rethink ‘treating’ yourself and start looking into products created using natural and organic ingredients.

Why get a Skin Organics subscription?

Skin Organics Clean Beauty is a subscription box with a selection of non-toxic, cruelty-free, organic and natural products. These may be skincare, body care or beauty products. Their aim is to help you discover clean, green and cruelty-free products and brands. They dispatch on 20th of the month.

Your box will contain five products. All of these will be free from nasty harmful ingredients like Parabens, SLS, pthalates, petrochemicals, suylphastes, silicones and GM ingredients. And, the brands with be ethical and cruelty free.

Cost: £19.00 (+£3.95 P&P) subscription, UK

Click here to subscribe.

If you don’t want to subscribe you can buy a one off box (or send one as a gift), you can also buy gift vouchers and buy seasonal boxes (for example, this Chrsitmas they have a Christmas Gift box with 5 festive products or a Mini Christmas box with 2-3 festive products).

Here are the highlights:

Here are links to my first impressions and reviews of the Skin Organics box when I was a subscriber. I’ve also tried really hard to choose a favourite product each month.

My last Skin Organics box – August (review published 27 September 2018)

I am not a fan of scrubs but I loved Revive Body Polish by Butter Bar Soapery. I am going to buy it as a gift for people at Christmas (and for myself). And, I’ve shocked myself by loving BAO Skincare‘s Apricot Rose Face Polish. Both of these are products I never would have bought myself but I now look forward to using as a treat.

Review: Skin Organic Box – July (review published 1 September 2018)

I have loved most of the items in this box. I must confess I’ve not really used the Lola’s Apothecary Body & Massage oils but everything else is well used. It’s trick to pick just the one but I am going to go with the Green People‘s Damask Rose moisturiser and face oil.

Review: The Pip Box – June (review published 27 July 2018)

From this box, I have still not used the Lucidlure Allava Hair Mask although due to my hormones changing, my hair is currenlty falling out so I have been thinking about using this – just need some me time. The Bespoke Aroma Peppermint and Lomongrass Pulse Point Oil was a life saver when I got a cold whilst pregnant. I also loved their facial mist in the hot weather.

Review: The Skin Organics – May (review published 5 July 2018)

This has to be one of my favourite edits as I am really struggling to choose a favourie. I’m going to tell you my three favourites! A.S Apothecary‘s Wild Beauty Balm is so good that I am wondering how I will afford it on materntiy leave – it makes my skin so happy. I also love Roques O’Neil Himalayan Detox Bath Salts. These were my go to after labour for a soothing bath and now I can’t get enough of them. Sadly, I did not like the dark chocolate – yuck, not for me!

Review: The Skin Organics – April (review published 7 June 2018)

I absolutley loved the Mono Facial Steam but sadly it was a limited edition and can’t be bought.

Review: The Skin Organics box – March (review published 26 April 2018)

I really love NKnaturals‘ London’s Delicate – Healing Cleansing Balm. It has been so delecate I have used it to on my eyes to remove make up. Although it is delicate it has still removed waterproof makeup. I must re-buy this!

My first impressions of this box can be found here.

Overall thoughts…

If I could afford to subscribe to only one beauty box, it would be this one. I love the chemical free, cruelty free and ethical products and brands that I recieved. All the products were of good quality and didn’t cause me any irritation. My only wish is that they’d sometimes include a makeup item.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:

November 29, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

NaNo Progress Diary (week four)

Thursday, 22nd November 2018

10:30pm

Admittedly, I have not done any writing this evening but my plan is to get my blog posts written and out of the way so I can focus on just novel writing for the rest of the month… Wasn’t quite as productive as I hoped.

Friday, 23rd November 2018

10:30pm

Guess who is ill now? Me! I have a cold and I think Aria knows as she has been impossible to settle tonight. She has finally gone to sleep and I’m shattered. Just wanted to quickly update my diary before going to sleep. I didn’t even get to grab some Black Friday bargins.

Saturday, 24th November 2018

10:30pm

I’m officially full of cold. I finished a rather lengthy blog post (Christmas Gifts for writers – coming soon) and once the little ones were in bed, I actually got to write.As there has been a bit of a break I was slow to get strarted but once I got going I really enjoyed it and I’m enjoying where the story is going again as my characters are now on a quest for dragon’s fire.To finish my 25k in time, Dabble worked out I needed to write 1,432 words but I managed to smash that and wrote 1,571. I love how Dabble’s interface clears whilst you are typing on your manuscript making it void of distractions. I also loved how it notified me that I had met my daily goal so I didn’t have to keep track of how many words I had typed.

Sunday, 25th November 2018

10:00pm

I’m not sure what has gotten into Aria tonight but she wasn’t in agreement to go to sleep. I have only managed to just get her down and now I am too tired to write – Boo!

Monday, 26th November 2018

9:30pm

Shamefully, I didn’t manage to do any writing today. Aria carried only waking up every hour last night so I am shattered today. It has taken its toll on me and together with my cold I am in desperate need of an early night.

Tuesday, 27th November 2018

10:00apm

Wow, what a busy day! This morning was the last parent maths class. I then hurried over for the first day of baby massage class. I then went home for lunch and decided to skip the baby singing group which Aria loves because I needed a chance to breathe.Then, I picked my son up from school. Had dinner then went to a Tropics Ambassador event (I am interested in joining). When I got home it was late and I had to start the battle with Aria to get her to sleep.There was barely a moment today to even think about my story, let alone write. I wish I had written more yesterday.

Wednesday, 28th November 2018

10:00pm

Aghhh, I am feeling the pressure of Christmas coming and birthday parties, so I had to cram in a bit of online shopping before writing. I also don’t want my blog to go radio silent, so in the background I have been drafting the outline of some posts.I’m pleased to confirm that I also managed to write. I added another 1480 words to my word count.

Reflecting on week 4

I am so tired, I feel like I am running on empty at the moment. Any energy I have left I am spending on my children. I have found that keeping a NaNo diary is makng me feel more unaccountable for my word count because I really am cringing everytime I have to explain to you guys why my daily word count is zero. I’m also finding Dabble great at helping me see how many words I need to write each day to achieve. It is really motivating and also after skipping a few days I can see the impact of my actions (or lack of it).

My motto for this week’s NaNoWriMo is “Any progress, no matter how small, is better, than no progress at all” Are you doing NaNoWriMo? How are you getting on? If you like this post, then you may enjoy my week three diary for NaNoWriMo November 2018 or NaNo Done. If you want to know what I have been working on, please check out my NaNoWriMo Project post.

November 27, 2018 Ally Aldridge Uncategorized

More than 10 Affordable Ultimate Gifts for writers

With Christmas fast approaching, I have decided to create a list of gift ideas writers. Here you go from the extravagant to the affordable.

As my list got too long for my post <eek>, I have had to split it between two posts. Part 1 is the more affordable gifts and part 2 are the more extravagant gifts.

Here it is, gifts under £20:

Writing Jewelry

The Literary Gift Company: This website is great for lovers of literature as it has a rich collection of products that is bookish or writing inspired. I love these Origami Rose Earrings for £12.99

Nabu Online: This store specializes in gifts for writers. I like the writers charm bracelet RRP £20.00.

Writing resources

Wearth London: This store enables you to shop by your ethical values (i.e. zero waste, plastic free, vegan, etc). I like this Write Your Own Story pencil pot RRP £16.00 which would look great on any writers desk. In addition, you could buy reusable gift wrap – it is made from fabric and therefore can be used year after year, saving money and making zero waste.

A writer’s struggle is real, so you could buy them a notebook with a motivational quote to keep them going when times are tough. Or a writer or bookish type quote. There is lots of choice on Cafe Press and RRP is about £13.00.

If you think your writer would like a more sophisticated notebook, then check out the notebooks from Beautiful Notebooks. For example, PaperBlanks is a brand that creates notebooks with either blank pages or have dot-grids, enabling the writer to jot anywhere on the page and add drawings. In addition, the purchase contributes to charities and products come with a history about the design.

Support a fellow artist and the environment and buy a beautiful notebook designed by Louise Manson at Bombi Design. With unique designs her unicorn or mermaid notebooks would be an ideal git for a fantasy writer. RRP starts at £15.99.

You could buy the writer a noticeboard. You can choose between a cork board or a magnetic board. I prefer the magnetic boards as you can often write on these and use magnets with inspirational quotes. These are useful for mapping out the plot, collecting ideas and character details. There is a great range on Zazzle. Here are some examples of the magnets you could buy:

If you like giving practical gifts, how about these files by Klever Case. The files look like books and can make storing boring paperwork look much more appealing. Or, you could fill it with writing tools like pens and notebooks and it could be a handy box to store it all (and make a fabulous useful gift). These RRP at £18.95.

If you writer uses a laptop or tablet to write, they may like a Laptop Tray so they can write in bed or on the sofa. Check out this one from Amazon RRP £21.89 which include a little draw for them to keep their pens or USB in.

Your writer may also really appreciate a nice USB flash drive. How about this book shaped one RRP £7.99 from Amazon.

Book Festival tickets

There are lots of festivals running all year. You could buy them tickets to a large event that specialises in their favourite genre or a local one. Many book festivals have workshops or talks that writers will appreciate and you could get them a ticket for these. The gift could include an overnight stay. For ideas of festivals to look out for, check out my following posts:

Spring festivals
Summer festivals
Autumn festivals
Winter festivals (coming soon)

Drinking resources

Many a writer will confess to their caffeine addiction that gets them through those drafts and edits. So here are some mugs that really stood out to me that writers would love:

The Disappearing Cheshire Cat Mug for RRP £12.99 on The Literary Gift Company. The Cheshire Cat only appears when their is a warm drink in the mug. I want this mug so badly!

You could hunt for the perfect Grammar or Punctuation mug for the writer to drink from whilst editing. There are some funny ones about but be aware not all writers love colourful language (decide if swear words are a no go). Check out these on Super Mug for about RRP £11.99.

The Story Gift is a brilliant site full to gifts for readers or writers (as they tend to go hand in hand). There is a great range of choice (more mugs) and you could buy them a “Writing in Progress” coaster to go with the mug RRP £4.50.

For the Writer on the move, you might want to get them a water bottle or travel mug. Cafe Press has a wide range of items that you can personalise and you could buy them a gift to keep their ides refreshed.

Book voucher

Amazon gift vouchers are a great option because Amazon has a wide range of books and other products. The great thing about their eCard is you can send the voucher by email, saving on post and gift wrap. Alternatively, you can have it sent to them in a physical format and one option is as a bookmark. Then they can buy the book in their preferred format (hardback, paperback, ebook, audio, etc) or something else they want. Alternatively, you could buy them a Kindle subscription so they can download books whenever they wish. Kindle Unlimited cost £7.99 per month until you end the subscription and gives access to millions of titles for free.

You could support their local book shop by buying a gift voucher for there. After all, this is where the writer is likely to do book signings and talks once published (or already does).

Reading resources

I wasn’t quite sure what to call this category but here some ideas of things your writer will love if they also love books:

Ethical Marketplace: The name of this store makes it clear that the ethics of the products is important. They have a whole category for stationery on this site. I was really taken by the up-cycled leather book mark/money clip for RRP £15.00.

There is a wife range of choice for unusual Book Ends from Not On The Highstreet. I like the “Once Upon a Time” ones by British designer Heather Alstead for RRP £24.95.

well-being

Writers are constantly using their hands for their craft. So, you could look to treat those digits with a nice hand soap, hand cream, gloves or even a manicure from a local salon.

My favourite hand soap is by Cosy Cottage Soaps. The soaps are handmade, ethically made and no nasty ingredients. You can even purchase them a subscription service starting at RRP £3.90.

Or, you could buy them a nourishing hand cream. I like this quirky design by Balde En Provence in the shape of an apple. It smells delicious. I might try the pear one next. RRP 12.50 EUR

Games

The Writer’s Toolbox is a game from The Literary Gift Company RRP £17.95. The game is desgined to teach you to use the right side of your brain for being creating.

A great buster for writers block is Rory’s StoryCubes. The game consists of a collection of dice with different pictures. Roll these and then write a story linking the images together. RRP £9.99

Thank you

With this affordable writers gift list, there is no reason why anyone should struggle to buy a writer a gift. At these prices, you can always treat yourself. Is there anything on this list you would love? Please let me know ifI have missed anything out.

Thank you for reading my affordable writers gift list. I hope you found it useful. If you would like more ideas, please check out my extravagant writers gift list.