2013 was probably the most momentous year of my life for many reasons. Firstly, and I'm not going to dwell on this too much, after a really horrible illness, I lost my mum in March. We did manage to look after her at home, which I was really happy about. It was something she wanted very much, so that was one small bright light at the time.
Only a few days after losing mum, I had the most amazing news - a message was left on my answer machine to say that I'd won a week long cruise to Norway on the Queen Mary 2 with Cunard. My first thought was that mum would have been over the moon for me - I'm disabled and haven't been abroad for over 10 years as I can't fly, but a cruise would be perfect. My second thought was that I would have to turn it down. My partner and I have a very elderly dog - Buffy - who we've only ever left for one night before, and that was when we left her with mum. However ....
I'm incredibly lucky to have a wonderful friend who until last year, I had never met. Nicky lives about 250 miles away from me. We 'met' online, and chat on the phone and email all the time, but had never seen each other in real life. As soon as she heard about the cruise, she immediately offered to have Buffy for the week. I admit that I did hesitate - I've never left my old girl for that long before, and somehow after losing mum, she seems even more precious. After lots of chats though, we agreed to accept the cruise, and take Nicky up on her kind offer. Because we sailed from Southampton, Nicky was able to hop over on the ferry from the Isle of Wight, collect Buffy and her suitcase (complete with laminated instructions about all her little habits!) and take her off for her own seaside holiday for a week. It was so exciting to finally meet my friend. We got on just as well in real life as we do on the phone, and I KNOW we'll meet again in the future!
The cruise was amazing. I truly couldn't begin to describe it on one short blog post, but Alasdair (my partner) and I absolutely loved it. For someone like me who can't walk far, it was perfect, and so glamorous! I loved dressing for dinner - especially on the formal nights, and the traditional, old fashioned afternoon teas. I can't dance myself, but it was wonderful watching the couples take to the floor and waltz as the band played.The food was absolutely amazing, and the restaurant is beautiful. I fear we've been spoilt so much by the QM2 that no other cruise ship could ever measure up!
We were really sad when we docked back in Southampton, but all holidays have to end, so we collected Buffyand headed back up North and back to normal life.
We did talk about going on a cruise again one day, but only in an abstract fashion until Alasdair proposed! Not only did he propose, but he suggested we get married at sea on the QM2. I cannot imagine anything more perfect. I have almost no family after losing mum last year, no siblings or children, so the thought of marrying the love of my life, and having the holiday of a lifetime at the same time sounds almost too good to be true. We're planning (with a little luck) to get married on a three week cruise of North America in 2015 and I truly truly cannot wait.
2013 has definitely been an absolute roller-coaster of a year. I can't ever remember feeling as low as I did early in the year, but equally I don't think I've ever been this happy before, or felt as excited about the future!
Guy Laurence
Vodafone UK CEO
Friday 6th September 2013
Dear Guy,
I was so happy to see on your website that you’re happy for any issues with Vodafone to be sent directly to you, and that you’ll take the time to read the comments that are sent. I’m hoping you can explain the Vodafone policy of actively discouraging less mobile and disabled customers from using your PAYG service by making it necessary to visit the store for services which other networks provide over the phone.
I’d like to tell you a little story if I may. Until last year, I was a customer with Three, and when I was unfortunate enough to have my phone stolen, within 24 hours they had posted me a new SIM with my existing phone number on it ready to pop in my replacement phone. I foolishly assumed that this service would be available through all the UK networks - after all, you’re able to port in numbers from other networks to new SIM cards, which to a layman would seem to be much harder than applying a Vodafone number to a Vodafone SIM.
Unfortunately Guy, as I’ve discovered over the last couple of weeks, this seems not to be the case. About 10 days ago I decided to treat myself to a new phone. I bought a gorgeous shiny new Galaxy S4 Mini. It’s lovely! I can see it from where I sit typing this letter. As you can imagine, I was very excited to start using my new phone, but unfortunately, being such a lovely shiny new gadget, it needs a new fangled micro-sim. This meant that instead of just popping my old SIM in the new phone, I needed to contact your customer services to arrange the new SIM. Rather naively, I now realise, I expected this to be a matter of requesting one, and waiting for the postman to drop it through my letterbox the next day. Alas, my hopes were dashed! There was no way to get a micro-sim with my old phone number on it unless I visited one of your shops. I did explain that I was disabled, and would find it difficult to visit a shop, but your advisor was adamant. Unless I wanted to change my phone number. I would have to go into a shop.
Now I’m very fond of my mobile number. We’ve been together for many years, and the number is well known to all my friends and family - not to mention my financial service providers and utility companies, so I reluctantly agreed to visit a shop. It was quite a kerfuffle to be honest Guy - but I’m blessed with a very helpful partner who was willing to assist on this mission, so on Thursday the 29th August, we set off on our quest to acquire a micro-sim for my new phone. At this point, I really have to compliment you. We visited the Wakefield store, and were seen immediately! The young man was polite, friendly and helpful, and in almost no time, we were on our way with a new micro-sim. It was even installed in the phone as the friendly young man offered to do it for me. Wonderful! I was told to leave the phone off for a few minutes, and then try switching it on to see if the new SIM was active. It wasn’t, but I didn’t worry, as the friendly young man had explained that it might take a couple of hours to activate. I would soon be playing with my lovely shiny new phone - I could hardly wait!
I have to be honest here Guy, and admit that I’m not really the most patient person in the world, but I was good - I waited and waited. Unfortunately after five hours the new SIM still wasn’’t working, and the new phone remained unplayed with. I was disappointed, but not cross - after all, these things happen. I rang your customer services, and again I have to credit you on the helpfulness of your staff Guy. The young lady I spoke to was very apologetic, but told me I’d been misinformed in the shop - it could actually take up to 24 hours to activate a new SIM. She offered to escalate it for me, so said it might be done in the next hour or so, but to be on the safe side, I should allow 24 hours from the time of the phone call. I was a little confused as to why the 24 hour wait time had been reset when I phoned up rather than running from the time of my visit to she shop, but I didn’t query it. I was still happy with Vodafone and the friendly helpful staff, and what was another 24 hours between friends after all?
Unfortunately after 24 hours my new SIM and therefore my shiny new phone still weren’t working, so I found it necessary to call your customer services again. I spoke to a young man who was again friendly, and again apologetic - I cannot emphasise enough how good your staff are at apologising - he said that my transfer seemed to be stuck on the system, and that he would have to send the details to the technical team to resolve. He did this for me while I waited on the phone, so I could be sure it was done, but he said that unfortunately it may take another 24 hours from the time he’d sent the report. Once again, he’d been so friendly and helpful that I couldn’t find it in my heart to be cross, and so I thanked him very much for his help, and hung up to begin the latest 24 hour countdown to playing with my shiny new phone.
I think you can probably guess what happened next Guy - it’s not a happy ending unfortunately. After the 24 hours were up - again - I was sad to find that nothing had changed. I still had no working micro-sim, and no working shiny new phone, so I called your customer services again. I spoke to another young man - I do wonder what the ratio of helpful apologetic young men to helpful apologetic young women is in your call centres - who it goes almost without saying was helpful and apologetic. He told me that while I had been correctly informed that my transfer had ground to a halt on the system, I had been incorrectly informed that it would be fixed within 24 hours. In his considerable experience, he had never known this fault to be fixed in less than 3-5 working days!
This was going to be a very long countdown. I was so used to the 24 hour countdowns, that 3-5 days seemed like a lifetime - especially as it was starting on a Saturday, which along with the following Sunday didn’t even count! The latest helpful and apologetic young man told me that my shiny new phone might be working my Wednesday, although it would more likely be Thursday, and there was an outside chance it could be Friday. This seemed like a very long time to me - again, I admit I’m no expert, but it seems to me that in this time I could have ported my number out to another network and back in to Vodafone! However. I realised that the delay wasn’t the fault of the friendly and helpful young man, so I thanked him for his help, and settled down for a long wait until I could use my shiny new phone.
The time passed Guy - although it seemed to pass slowly as my shiny new phone mocked me from the mantelpiece with it’s non working SIM. Wednesday came and went, as did Thursday, so I awoke this morning with mixed feelings. -Some excitement - would today finally be the day? But also a small amount of apprehension. I felt I’d been let down so many times before, I could hardly dare to believe the transfer would actually happen! Sadly my apprehension wasn’t misplaced. My shiny new phone still isn’t working, and the transfer still hasn’t happened.
About 2 hours ago I phoned your customer services yet again. Another young man, who I found to be friendly and apologetic, but sadly not helpful. He told me that I’d been misinformed on my previous 2 calls, and there was nothing that your technical department could do. He had no idea why I’d been told the transfer would go through. All I could do, the young man told me, was to visit the store again for them to sort it out.
I have to confess at this point Guy, that I wasn’t feeling best pleased. I may indeed have raised my voice to the apologetic young man on the other end of the phone. It seems that I’ve wasted over a week waiting for a transfer to go through that never will. I’m once again in the positing of having to try and get into one of your shops, and there’s obviously no guarantee that anything will go any better this time round. I did ask the young man on the phone if I would have to go into the shop for a replacement SIM if I had my phone stolen as it was last year, and he confirmed that I would.
I do feel lucky that I still have a working phone, even if it is old and non-shiny. I admit I’m very annoyed about all the times I’ve been misdirected and misinformed. I also admit to being slightly angry that after over a week I’m still unable to use my new phone. But what really scares me is what would happen if my phone did break, or got stolen and I was without it for over a week as I could well have been recently.
As a disabled person who relies on her phone very much I would love to hear your comments on the Vodafone policy for replacement SIMs as opposed to the service I received last year from Three when I received a new SIM in under 24 hours without leaving my house.
Yours sincerely
Judith Scales
Vodafone UK CEO
Friday 6th September 2013
Dear Guy,
I was so happy to see on your website that you’re happy for any issues with Vodafone to be sent directly to you, and that you’ll take the time to read the comments that are sent. I’m hoping you can explain the Vodafone policy of actively discouraging less mobile and disabled customers from using your PAYG service by making it necessary to visit the store for services which other networks provide over the phone.
I’d like to tell you a little story if I may. Until last year, I was a customer with Three, and when I was unfortunate enough to have my phone stolen, within 24 hours they had posted me a new SIM with my existing phone number on it ready to pop in my replacement phone. I foolishly assumed that this service would be available through all the UK networks - after all, you’re able to port in numbers from other networks to new SIM cards, which to a layman would seem to be much harder than applying a Vodafone number to a Vodafone SIM.
Unfortunately Guy, as I’ve discovered over the last couple of weeks, this seems not to be the case. About 10 days ago I decided to treat myself to a new phone. I bought a gorgeous shiny new Galaxy S4 Mini. It’s lovely! I can see it from where I sit typing this letter. As you can imagine, I was very excited to start using my new phone, but unfortunately, being such a lovely shiny new gadget, it needs a new fangled micro-sim. This meant that instead of just popping my old SIM in the new phone, I needed to contact your customer services to arrange the new SIM. Rather naively, I now realise, I expected this to be a matter of requesting one, and waiting for the postman to drop it through my letterbox the next day. Alas, my hopes were dashed! There was no way to get a micro-sim with my old phone number on it unless I visited one of your shops. I did explain that I was disabled, and would find it difficult to visit a shop, but your advisor was adamant. Unless I wanted to change my phone number. I would have to go into a shop.
Now I’m very fond of my mobile number. We’ve been together for many years, and the number is well known to all my friends and family - not to mention my financial service providers and utility companies, so I reluctantly agreed to visit a shop. It was quite a kerfuffle to be honest Guy - but I’m blessed with a very helpful partner who was willing to assist on this mission, so on Thursday the 29th August, we set off on our quest to acquire a micro-sim for my new phone. At this point, I really have to compliment you. We visited the Wakefield store, and were seen immediately! The young man was polite, friendly and helpful, and in almost no time, we were on our way with a new micro-sim. It was even installed in the phone as the friendly young man offered to do it for me. Wonderful! I was told to leave the phone off for a few minutes, and then try switching it on to see if the new SIM was active. It wasn’t, but I didn’t worry, as the friendly young man had explained that it might take a couple of hours to activate. I would soon be playing with my lovely shiny new phone - I could hardly wait!
I have to be honest here Guy, and admit that I’m not really the most patient person in the world, but I was good - I waited and waited. Unfortunately after five hours the new SIM still wasn’’t working, and the new phone remained unplayed with. I was disappointed, but not cross - after all, these things happen. I rang your customer services, and again I have to credit you on the helpfulness of your staff Guy. The young lady I spoke to was very apologetic, but told me I’d been misinformed in the shop - it could actually take up to 24 hours to activate a new SIM. She offered to escalate it for me, so said it might be done in the next hour or so, but to be on the safe side, I should allow 24 hours from the time of the phone call. I was a little confused as to why the 24 hour wait time had been reset when I phoned up rather than running from the time of my visit to she shop, but I didn’t query it. I was still happy with Vodafone and the friendly helpful staff, and what was another 24 hours between friends after all?
Unfortunately after 24 hours my new SIM and therefore my shiny new phone still weren’t working, so I found it necessary to call your customer services again. I spoke to a young man who was again friendly, and again apologetic - I cannot emphasise enough how good your staff are at apologising - he said that my transfer seemed to be stuck on the system, and that he would have to send the details to the technical team to resolve. He did this for me while I waited on the phone, so I could be sure it was done, but he said that unfortunately it may take another 24 hours from the time he’d sent the report. Once again, he’d been so friendly and helpful that I couldn’t find it in my heart to be cross, and so I thanked him very much for his help, and hung up to begin the latest 24 hour countdown to playing with my shiny new phone.
I think you can probably guess what happened next Guy - it’s not a happy ending unfortunately. After the 24 hours were up - again - I was sad to find that nothing had changed. I still had no working micro-sim, and no working shiny new phone, so I called your customer services again. I spoke to another young man - I do wonder what the ratio of helpful apologetic young men to helpful apologetic young women is in your call centres - who it goes almost without saying was helpful and apologetic. He told me that while I had been correctly informed that my transfer had ground to a halt on the system, I had been incorrectly informed that it would be fixed within 24 hours. In his considerable experience, he had never known this fault to be fixed in less than 3-5 working days!
This was going to be a very long countdown. I was so used to the 24 hour countdowns, that 3-5 days seemed like a lifetime - especially as it was starting on a Saturday, which along with the following Sunday didn’t even count! The latest helpful and apologetic young man told me that my shiny new phone might be working my Wednesday, although it would more likely be Thursday, and there was an outside chance it could be Friday. This seemed like a very long time to me - again, I admit I’m no expert, but it seems to me that in this time I could have ported my number out to another network and back in to Vodafone! However. I realised that the delay wasn’t the fault of the friendly and helpful young man, so I thanked him for his help, and settled down for a long wait until I could use my shiny new phone.
The time passed Guy - although it seemed to pass slowly as my shiny new phone mocked me from the mantelpiece with it’s non working SIM. Wednesday came and went, as did Thursday, so I awoke this morning with mixed feelings. -Some excitement - would today finally be the day? But also a small amount of apprehension. I felt I’d been let down so many times before, I could hardly dare to believe the transfer would actually happen! Sadly my apprehension wasn’t misplaced. My shiny new phone still isn’t working, and the transfer still hasn’t happened.
About 2 hours ago I phoned your customer services yet again. Another young man, who I found to be friendly and apologetic, but sadly not helpful. He told me that I’d been misinformed on my previous 2 calls, and there was nothing that your technical department could do. He had no idea why I’d been told the transfer would go through. All I could do, the young man told me, was to visit the store again for them to sort it out.
I have to confess at this point Guy, that I wasn’t feeling best pleased. I may indeed have raised my voice to the apologetic young man on the other end of the phone. It seems that I’ve wasted over a week waiting for a transfer to go through that never will. I’m once again in the positing of having to try and get into one of your shops, and there’s obviously no guarantee that anything will go any better this time round. I did ask the young man on the phone if I would have to go into the shop for a replacement SIM if I had my phone stolen as it was last year, and he confirmed that I would.
I do feel lucky that I still have a working phone, even if it is old and non-shiny. I admit I’m very annoyed about all the times I’ve been misdirected and misinformed. I also admit to being slightly angry that after over a week I’m still unable to use my new phone. But what really scares me is what would happen if my phone did break, or got stolen and I was without it for over a week as I could well have been recently.
As a disabled person who relies on her phone very much I would love to hear your comments on the Vodafone policy for replacement SIMs as opposed to the service I received last year from Three when I received a new SIM in under 24 hours without leaving my house.
Yours sincerely
Judith Scales
Childhood Holidays
When I heard from a fellow (but much more prolific) blogger that Butlins were running a competition for bloggers to write about their favourite childhood holiday, my first instinct was to think I was excluded. Sadly I was never lucky enough to go on a Butlins holiday as a child, much as I wanted to. My childhood ran mostly through the late seventies and early eighties, so firmly within Hi-de-Hi! territory, and I longed to go to a holiday park which I was sure would be just like that!
Luckily, despite the lack of a Butlins holiday as I was growing up, I can still take part in this promotion - Butlins are looking for memories of childhood holidays in general, not just at their parks. Yay!!
I didn't go abroad until I was 11 - we weren't massively well off, so most of our holidays were either in caravans, or occasionally a small hotel or B&B. I'd have to say that without a doubt my favourite holiday was to Whitby on the east coast. We stayed in a caravan owned by relatives - it was a relatively swanky static caravan, with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. Definitely a step up from some of the miniscule 1970s touring caravans we'd stayed in before!
It was on quite a large site, with a shop, and a big clubhouse where they had a nightly disco! Whoop!! Little ten year old me was in her element in the disco. There was a weekly youth club disco at home, so I knew all the moves and all the songs, and I proudly strutted my stuff on the dance floor night after night. To their credit, mum and dad never tried to stop me, or to tell me how ridiculous I must have looked (I can't dance now, and doubt I was any better then!)
I'm sure the days of that holiday were fun-filled and sunny - as most holidays are looking back through rose tinted spectacles, but in truth, all I really remember is getting glammed up every night and heading out to the disco! I was too young to wear make-up, but I had several pairs of deeley boppers, and a couple of slinky jumpsuits made by my mum, and I wasn't afraid to use them!
I had no brothers or sisters, so I headed onto the dance floor on my own that first night, but it's so easy to make friends when you're ten, that before long there was a gang (or mob!) of us tearing round the club - making brief pit-stops at our parent's tables to eat some crisps or drink some coke before heading back out to show off in front of our new friends.
That holiday was definitely a sign of things to come - I spent most of my twenties on holidays abroad where the days were spent lying on a beach somewhere in Greece recovering from the night before, and the holiday was all about the nightlife. I have far more fond memories of those long ago caravan holidays with mum and dad, making new friends, then the more expensive but much less memorable ones in Greece!
Competition sponsored by Butlins Holiday Parks, helping your family make memories
Luckily, despite the lack of a Butlins holiday as I was growing up, I can still take part in this promotion - Butlins are looking for memories of childhood holidays in general, not just at their parks. Yay!!
I didn't go abroad until I was 11 - we weren't massively well off, so most of our holidays were either in caravans, or occasionally a small hotel or B&B. I'd have to say that without a doubt my favourite holiday was to Whitby on the east coast. We stayed in a caravan owned by relatives - it was a relatively swanky static caravan, with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. Definitely a step up from some of the miniscule 1970s touring caravans we'd stayed in before!
It was on quite a large site, with a shop, and a big clubhouse where they had a nightly disco! Whoop!! Little ten year old me was in her element in the disco. There was a weekly youth club disco at home, so I knew all the moves and all the songs, and I proudly strutted my stuff on the dance floor night after night. To their credit, mum and dad never tried to stop me, or to tell me how ridiculous I must have looked (I can't dance now, and doubt I was any better then!)
I'm sure the days of that holiday were fun-filled and sunny - as most holidays are looking back through rose tinted spectacles, but in truth, all I really remember is getting glammed up every night and heading out to the disco! I was too young to wear make-up, but I had several pairs of deeley boppers, and a couple of slinky jumpsuits made by my mum, and I wasn't afraid to use them!
I had no brothers or sisters, so I headed onto the dance floor on my own that first night, but it's so easy to make friends when you're ten, that before long there was a gang (or mob!) of us tearing round the club - making brief pit-stops at our parent's tables to eat some crisps or drink some coke before heading back out to show off in front of our new friends.
That holiday was definitely a sign of things to come - I spent most of my twenties on holidays abroad where the days were spent lying on a beach somewhere in Greece recovering from the night before, and the holiday was all about the nightlife. I have far more fond memories of those long ago caravan holidays with mum and dad, making new friends, then the more expensive but much less memorable ones in Greece!
Competition sponsored by Butlins Holiday Parks, helping your family make memories
John Freida 3 Day Straight Review
I was lucky enough to win the February giveaway on the gorgeous Love Lust & Fairy Dust Blog recently. Among the gorgeous goodies I received was a box of the latest product in the John Freida Frizz Ease collection - 3 Day Straight. It's described as a semi permanent styling spray, and as I battle daily with very curly frizz prone hair, I couldn't wait to try it!
They say
Transform curly, frizzy hair into a straight, smooth style that lasts up to 3 days.
Designed to work with your hair straighteners, this weightless spray with heat protection blocks out frizz as you straighten. A revolutionary blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days.* Keeps hair glossy, smooth and swinging with body.
The instructions said I needed to spray onto damp hair, blow dry and then use with hair straighteners. I normally use a wide variety of styling products - I have a drawerful of partly used lotions and sprays including Tresemme, Paul Mitchell, Redken and Tigi, but I must confess my usual styling routine is to apply the product, roughly dry my hair without blow drying, then brush through and use straighteners. Actually, now I've written it down, it's no wonder I don't get the sleek look I want! It takes ages to section and blow dry though, so I usually only bother for a night out!
However, as I was going to be reviewing this product, I thought it was only fair to follow the instructions, so I applied (about 15 sprays) then sectioned, blow dried with a ceramic brush, and straightened - again in sections. It turned my usual 15 minute styling routine into more like 45 minutes, but I have to say the results were well worth it.
I was really really impressed with how smooth and straight my hair was. I didn't even get the 'ear kink' I usually get from continually pushing my hair back behind my ears! It looked just as good at the end of the day as it had when I first styled it.
So far so good, but this product isn't called 1 Day Straight, it's 3 Day Straight, and since it promises that it's 'blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days' I was looking forward to waking up on day 2 with shiny swishy straight hair, and not needing my daily battle with my straighteners.
I have to admit it looked better than it usually would the day after washing, but it was nothing like day 1!
A quick whizz through with my trusty GHDs though, and it wasn't looking bad - no need to fasten it up as I often would on a non-wash day
So, finally on to day 3, which I did photograph purely to give a full review of the product, but day 3 was definitely a hair wash day!
Verdict
Although the product didn't fully live up to it's claims, overall I was very impressed, and I would use it again for a night out. It did take a lot longer to style though, so I think for general day to day wear, I'd rather stick to my usual fluffier style, and have the extra half an hour in bed! I'd also add that in order to be sure that 3 Day Straight really does give better results than my usual products, I'd really need to do the time consuming blow drying routine with them too. Perhaps in the summer when it's easier to get up early!
They say
Transform curly, frizzy hair into a straight, smooth style that lasts up to 3 days.
Designed to work with your hair straighteners, this weightless spray with heat protection blocks out frizz as you straighten. A revolutionary blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days.* Keeps hair glossy, smooth and swinging with body.
The instructions said I needed to spray onto damp hair, blow dry and then use with hair straighteners. I normally use a wide variety of styling products - I have a drawerful of partly used lotions and sprays including Tresemme, Paul Mitchell, Redken and Tigi, but I must confess my usual styling routine is to apply the product, roughly dry my hair without blow drying, then brush through and use straighteners. Actually, now I've written it down, it's no wonder I don't get the sleek look I want! It takes ages to section and blow dry though, so I usually only bother for a night out!
However, as I was going to be reviewing this product, I thought it was only fair to follow the instructions, so I applied (about 15 sprays) then sectioned, blow dried with a ceramic brush, and straightened - again in sections. It turned my usual 15 minute styling routine into more like 45 minutes, but I have to say the results were well worth it.
I was really really impressed with how smooth and straight my hair was. I didn't even get the 'ear kink' I usually get from continually pushing my hair back behind my ears! It looked just as good at the end of the day as it had when I first styled it.
So far so good, but this product isn't called 1 Day Straight, it's 3 Day Straight, and since it promises that it's 'blend of polymers with keratin protein wraps each strand, sealing in straight style for up to 3 days' I was looking forward to waking up on day 2 with shiny swishy straight hair, and not needing my daily battle with my straighteners.
I have to admit it looked better than it usually would the day after washing, but it was nothing like day 1!
A quick whizz through with my trusty GHDs though, and it wasn't looking bad - no need to fasten it up as I often would on a non-wash day
So, finally on to day 3, which I did photograph purely to give a full review of the product, but day 3 was definitely a hair wash day!
Verdict
Although the product didn't fully live up to it's claims, overall I was very impressed, and I would use it again for a night out. It did take a lot longer to style though, so I think for general day to day wear, I'd rather stick to my usual fluffier style, and have the extra half an hour in bed! I'd also add that in order to be sure that 3 Day Straight really does give better results than my usual products, I'd really need to do the time consuming blow drying routine with them too. Perhaps in the summer when it's easier to get up early!
Kitchen Stools!!
As some of my followers will know, I had a new kitchen fitted last year. I desperately needed more storage, so in the redesign, I sacrificed the table I had in the kitchen, and went for a breakfast bar instead.
I spent a long time choosing two really nice bar stools. I knew I wanted comfort, without too much bulk, but they also needed to be easy clean, given that they would be in a busy kitchen!
I chose some nice ones online, and have been really happy with them EXCEPT they look like I've had them for six years not six months! The back of the stool just catches under the edge of the breakfast bar, which is fairly sharp, and has shredded the back! They look dreadful, but are quite an expensive item to replace, so I'm living with it for now.
However, today I found out about an amazing giveaway over at Shopaholic They're giving away £300 worth of bar stools from Kitchen Stools Direct All I have to do to enter is to blog about my favourite item from their site. Not easy when they have so many fantastic products to choose from! Since I know exactly what I don't want after my last experience though, I was able to narrow it down to stools that were either backless, with nothing to catch, or those with a back that would be too high to catch under the counter. I finally decided that if I was lucky enough to win the giveaway, I'd go for the gorgeous Giola Stool in cream. The colour would go perfectly with my cream cupboards, and I'm as sure as I can be that it wouldn't catch. It looks really comfy too!
I spent a long time choosing two really nice bar stools. I knew I wanted comfort, without too much bulk, but they also needed to be easy clean, given that they would be in a busy kitchen!
I chose some nice ones online, and have been really happy with them EXCEPT they look like I've had them for six years not six months! The back of the stool just catches under the edge of the breakfast bar, which is fairly sharp, and has shredded the back! They look dreadful, but are quite an expensive item to replace, so I'm living with it for now.
However, today I found out about an amazing giveaway over at Shopaholic They're giving away £300 worth of bar stools from Kitchen Stools Direct All I have to do to enter is to blog about my favourite item from their site. Not easy when they have so many fantastic products to choose from! Since I know exactly what I don't want after my last experience though, I was able to narrow it down to stools that were either backless, with nothing to catch, or those with a back that would be too high to catch under the counter. I finally decided that if I was lucky enough to win the giveaway, I'd go for the gorgeous Giola Stool in cream. The colour would go perfectly with my cream cupboards, and I'm as sure as I can be that it wouldn't catch. It looks really comfy too!
Two birds with one stone!
One of my favourite ways to de-stress and relax is to bake. It's something I've done since I was small - my mum taught me, although she was never very enthusiastic herself, and I think she was happy to pass the family baking baton to me! When I still lived at home, many years ago, I baked quite a lot, and everything would get eaten - often by my dad! Since leaving home and living alone, I've done much less baking. Although I still enjoy it, I don't really want to sit and eat an entire batch of cookies myself!
Luckily, although we don't live together, my boyfriend spends about half the week at my house, and I've discovered that he's quite fond of home baking, and happy to eat whatever I produce, so the baking's back on!
I must've been quite stressed this afternoon, because I had the baking bug quite badly! I made quite a variety of things - cranberry and oatmeal cookies, lemon buns, and almond & cherry muffins which were made with fresh cherries!
Although they all look alright, if I'm being honest, I would have to say that they could definitely have been better. I'm still getting used to my new electric oven, which I don't like as much as my old gas one, but I'm learning that it needs to be set quite a bit higher than the recipe asks for, so hopefully my output will improve a little once I'm more familiar with it!
I'm sure as soon as Alasdair's finished yesterday's plum, apple & blackberry crumble he'll get started on the muffins buns & cookies! Perhaps I should try yoga or meditation to de-stress for a few days until he's caught up a bit!
Luckily, although we don't live together, my boyfriend spends about half the week at my house, and I've discovered that he's quite fond of home baking, and happy to eat whatever I produce, so the baking's back on!
I must've been quite stressed this afternoon, because I had the baking bug quite badly! I made quite a variety of things - cranberry and oatmeal cookies, lemon buns, and almond & cherry muffins which were made with fresh cherries!
Although they all look alright, if I'm being honest, I would have to say that they could definitely have been better. I'm still getting used to my new electric oven, which I don't like as much as my old gas one, but I'm learning that it needs to be set quite a bit higher than the recipe asks for, so hopefully my output will improve a little once I'm more familiar with it!
I'm sure as soon as Alasdair's finished yesterday's plum, apple & blackberry crumble he'll get started on the muffins buns & cookies! Perhaps I should try yoga or meditation to de-stress for a few days until he's caught up a bit!
The gift that just keeps giving!
I was surprised to see my OH return from his usual dog walk this morning with two enormous courgettes. In fact they were so large I had to ask a friend if they were actually marrows! He'd been given them by a nice allotment holder on his walk, and - not knowing George as I do (you learn your lesson after eating cauliflower for a week) - he'd accepted the offer. I'm sure he was expecting one regular greengrocer sized courgette, not two monsters!
Anyway, we had them, now to decide what to do with them! We hadn't any meals planned for the day luckily, other than using up some homemade soup for lunch. We'd planned to buy some fresh bread to go along with that, but settled I stead for mini courgette and chilli pizzas. Very nice, even if I say it myself! We have half the pitta breads left for the same again tomorrow, but even so, had barely used half of one of our courgettes!
So, on to dinner! Needing to use up rather more of our gift, we settled on pan-fried salmon, and large slices of courgette cooked in the George Formby, then covered in cheese and stuck under the grill. Also nice, but I'm not sure I can face the same again tomorrow! I have found a recipe for courgette and lemon cake though, so that may be on the cards for tomorrow!
Faking it!
Anyone who knows me, will know I'm a bit of a self tan addict. Sadly, I don't have a very even skintone - I spent far too much time frying on Greek beaches in the eighties, which means I'll never have beautifully even creamy skin like Nicola Roberts or Kelly Osborne, and as I've now learned my lesson about sunbathing, and only sit out with a high SPF, I have to fake it!
I've been lucky enough this year to be given a few new self tan products (thanks Kim!) plus I managed to win some in competitions. My two favourite brands for the last few years have been Xen Tan and St Tropez, although I'm happy to try others. I've always found that St Tropez is easy to use, and hard to get wrong as long as you prepare your skin well beforehand, although Xen Tan lasts a little longer, and smells of vanilla rather than the horrible fake tan smell we all hate!
One of the new items I've tried this year is from Xen Tan - it's their Intense Mousse, and I have to say, I think it's wonderful! It's incredibly easy to use with a tanning mitt - mine's from Superdrug although Xen Tan also sell their own. It's a coloured mousse, which means it's really easy to make sure you don't miss any areas, and with the mitt it glides on in seconds - I can do my whole body in just over a minute, and it dries almost instantly. Because it's from Xen Tan, it has a lovely fresh vanilla scent, with no giveaway fake tan smell, and the colour lasts for days. You can control the depth of colour with the amount you apply too.
The only thing that stops this being my perfect self tanner is the cost! I was lucky enough to win mine from Xen Tan on facebook, but to buy it's £21.95 and the bottle doesn't do many full body applications compared to their Deep Bronze Luxe, which is the cream I used to use, at just a few pounds more.
I'm not sure I could recommend it for weekly use all year round, as their are better value prodcuts available, but for anyone not used to self tanning, or for a special occasion, or some pre-holiday colour, this is perfect as it's so hard to go wrong!
Cheeky likes
I've been lucky enough this year to be given a few new self tan products (thanks Kim!) plus I managed to win some in competitions. My two favourite brands for the last few years have been Xen Tan and St Tropez, although I'm happy to try others. I've always found that St Tropez is easy to use, and hard to get wrong as long as you prepare your skin well beforehand, although Xen Tan lasts a little longer, and smells of vanilla rather than the horrible fake tan smell we all hate!
One of the new items I've tried this year is from Xen Tan - it's their Intense Mousse, and I have to say, I think it's wonderful! It's incredibly easy to use with a tanning mitt - mine's from Superdrug although Xen Tan also sell their own. It's a coloured mousse, which means it's really easy to make sure you don't miss any areas, and with the mitt it glides on in seconds - I can do my whole body in just over a minute, and it dries almost instantly. Because it's from Xen Tan, it has a lovely fresh vanilla scent, with no giveaway fake tan smell, and the colour lasts for days. You can control the depth of colour with the amount you apply too.
The only thing that stops this being my perfect self tanner is the cost! I was lucky enough to win mine from Xen Tan on facebook, but to buy it's £21.95 and the bottle doesn't do many full body applications compared to their Deep Bronze Luxe, which is the cream I used to use, at just a few pounds more.
I'm not sure I could recommend it for weekly use all year round, as their are better value prodcuts available, but for anyone not used to self tanning, or for a special occasion, or some pre-holiday colour, this is perfect as it's so hard to go wrong!
Cheeky likes
A smile through the post
I got a gorgeous gift from a good friend this morning - Hoppy the bear! I've been quite unwell this week - I had to go to hospital with a few problems, and only avoided being kept in because I discharged myself against medical advice - it turns out they really don't like it when you do that! I had nobody to look after my dog though, so really couldn't accept their kind invitation to stay!
I'm still fairly immobile, and feverish, and to be honest, feeling a little bit sorry for myself, although I usually try hard not to, but when I saw this gorgeous bear this morning, with a bandaged leg, and a little crutch, I couldn't help but smile and feel more cheery. He even comes with a birth certificate and care sheet. I love him!
He's the only teddy I have, and so extra special. Funnily enough, we'd been talking teddies last weekend, when another friend ran a bear giveaway on her blog, and I was unable to enter as I was teddyless, and entry was through posting a picture of your teddies. I'm now all set if that situation arises, with Hoppy sat next to my bed. I'm so happy to have received such a thoughful gift, which I'll cherish forever - much nicer than flowers, which are beautiful, but don't last. Thanks again Nicky xxx
A very ironic cake!
I got a nasty surprise in the post this morning - an unexpected vet bill for my dog Buffy. She had quite a few lumps and bumps removed in April, and although it was covered by her insurance, unfortunately her policy renewal date fell during her treatment, and the excess payable increased by £75, which was what I had to pay today.
I spent the morning being a domestic goddess (no laughing at the back!!) and as well as making a slow cooker lamb and apricot curry, I also made a lemon drizzle cake - one of my favourites.
I decided to call in at the vets and pay the invoice while the cake was cooling. I left Buffy at home as I was only going to be twenty minutes. My boyfriend and I were joking that she'd better be extra cute today to make up for the vet's bill!
Unfortunately, Buffy can't have been listening - or perhaps she misunderstood the word cute, because when we got back, the loaf tin - with the cake inside - was face down on the floor, and when I turned it over, I saw that she'd eaten half of it! It's over ten years since she last stole food or climbed up on one of the worktops, not since she was a puppy, so I'd trusted her completely with my cooling cake. Never again!
Buffy was banished to her basket, and ignored completely for an hour, which she hates, and I set to baking another cake - I refuse to let her beat me!
I spent the morning being a domestic goddess (no laughing at the back!!) and as well as making a slow cooker lamb and apricot curry, I also made a lemon drizzle cake - one of my favourites.
I decided to call in at the vets and pay the invoice while the cake was cooling. I left Buffy at home as I was only going to be twenty minutes. My boyfriend and I were joking that she'd better be extra cute today to make up for the vet's bill!
Unfortunately, Buffy can't have been listening - or perhaps she misunderstood the word cute, because when we got back, the loaf tin - with the cake inside - was face down on the floor, and when I turned it over, I saw that she'd eaten half of it! It's over ten years since she last stole food or climbed up on one of the worktops, not since she was a puppy, so I'd trusted her completely with my cooling cake. Never again!
Buffy was banished to her basket, and ignored completely for an hour, which she hates, and I set to baking another cake - I refuse to let her beat me!
When is a weekend not a weekend?
My answer would be when you're retired!
I realise that nine to five, Monday to Friday jobs are probably in the minority now, with flexible working hours, and varying shift patterns - not to mention the fact that we all want shops, and services to be available 24-7, but I miss my weekends!
I was forced into early retirement due to ill health - very reluctantly, I loved my job and wanted to keep working. I have to say that one of the things I miss most about working (apart from a higher income and a social life) is that Friday feeling!
My days are often dictated by my pain levels, so I can't even give myself a faux weekend by getting chores done midweek and relaxing on Saturday and Sunday - often I'm forced to rest and let housework and chores build up through the week, and then do them when I feel able - whatever day that might be.
I know early retirement probably sounds wonderful to a lot of people - especially those who are unfortunate enough to be doing a job they aren't passionate about, but believe me, there are plenty of downsides. The next time you're struggling through your Wednesday hump day, take a moment to be thankful for your weekend - it will come eventually, I promise!
I realise that nine to five, Monday to Friday jobs are probably in the minority now, with flexible working hours, and varying shift patterns - not to mention the fact that we all want shops, and services to be available 24-7, but I miss my weekends!
I was forced into early retirement due to ill health - very reluctantly, I loved my job and wanted to keep working. I have to say that one of the things I miss most about working (apart from a higher income and a social life) is that Friday feeling!
My days are often dictated by my pain levels, so I can't even give myself a faux weekend by getting chores done midweek and relaxing on Saturday and Sunday - often I'm forced to rest and let housework and chores build up through the week, and then do them when I feel able - whatever day that might be.
I know early retirement probably sounds wonderful to a lot of people - especially those who are unfortunate enough to be doing a job they aren't passionate about, but believe me, there are plenty of downsides. The next time you're struggling through your Wednesday hump day, take a moment to be thankful for your weekend - it will come eventually, I promise!
He's a very nice man - but he can't fix it!
Ok, so a nice man called Kevin came to check my scooter out this afternoon. He scooted up and down the street in it for a while - which was fairly embarrassing as I don't use it at home, so i doubt any of the neighbours knew I even had a mobility scooter! He then got a few gizmos and gadgets out of his van to check various bits and pieces - thankfully working fairly quickly as he was charging g £10 per fifteen minutes on top of the £50 call out fee!
His verdict after just over half an hour was that the gearbox was kaput, and would cost over £200 to replace, with no guarantee that it hadn't affected the motor, which could also need replacing! So, what a fabby afternoon, it cost me £70 to find out that the scooter's not worth repairing! I'm very reliant on it, so will have to get a replacement from somewhere, although I'm not sure where at the moment!
Anyone got one going spare??
His verdict after just over half an hour was that the gearbox was kaput, and would cost over £200 to replace, with no guarantee that it hadn't affected the motor, which could also need replacing! So, what a fabby afternoon, it cost me £70 to find out that the scooter's not worth repairing! I'm very reliant on it, so will have to get a replacement from somewhere, although I'm not sure where at the moment!
Anyone got one going spare??
Help!! My Scooter's broken!
I'm both fortunate and unfortunate in that I have a mobility scooter.
Unfortunate, because I wish I didn't need to use one - especially at the age of 39. Even though I have one, I still think of it as something an old person would use!
Fortunate, because it does allow me to get out and about much more than I ever could without it. This year alone, my boyfriend and I have had days out to Chatsworth House, Castle Howard, Blackpool, Whitby, and many other places. I scoot along, and he walks, and we can really cover some ground on a day out!
The problem at the moment is that my scooter seems to be developing a fault. It's one I bought myself - I don't get any financial help despite being so reliant on it, but the motor gets very hot, and the battery drains much more quickly than it used to, which makes it quite a nervous experience to go out for the day in case I can't make it back to the car!
Of course, neither of us knows anything about the workings of it, so it needs to be serviced. The trouble is the cost! We've been quoted a £50 call out fee, plus £10 per 15 minutes, and then parts on top. Definitely not cheap - and it's not like having a car problem where there are numerous garages to choose from, and you can often get a personal recommendation. As I don't know anyone else with a scooter, this is pretty much a shot in the dark.
We're going on holiday to Cumbria for a week in September, so I'll have to bite the bullet and have it looked at before then, or we're in danger of spending the whole week inside the cottage!
Unfortunate, because I wish I didn't need to use one - especially at the age of 39. Even though I have one, I still think of it as something an old person would use!
Fortunate, because it does allow me to get out and about much more than I ever could without it. This year alone, my boyfriend and I have had days out to Chatsworth House, Castle Howard, Blackpool, Whitby, and many other places. I scoot along, and he walks, and we can really cover some ground on a day out!
The problem at the moment is that my scooter seems to be developing a fault. It's one I bought myself - I don't get any financial help despite being so reliant on it, but the motor gets very hot, and the battery drains much more quickly than it used to, which makes it quite a nervous experience to go out for the day in case I can't make it back to the car!
Of course, neither of us knows anything about the workings of it, so it needs to be serviced. The trouble is the cost! We've been quoted a £50 call out fee, plus £10 per 15 minutes, and then parts on top. Definitely not cheap - and it's not like having a car problem where there are numerous garages to choose from, and you can often get a personal recommendation. As I don't know anyone else with a scooter, this is pretty much a shot in the dark.
We're going on holiday to Cumbria for a week in September, so I'll have to bite the bullet and have it looked at before then, or we're in danger of spending the whole week inside the cottage!
Physio Done!
I wrote a couple of days ago that I was worried about a physio appointment I was going to - especially as I've had some bad experiences in the past of being seen by a student, or someone who knew very little about my condition!
I'm pleased to say that my first appointment is over and done with, and was a great success! I saw a lovely woman called Nicky, who knew all about hyper-mobility syndrome and the types of pains and problems it can cause. She immediately knew what the problem was, and how best to treat it.
I have a list of exercises to do several times a day, and I go back for my next appointment in two weeks. The exercises are quite gently at the moment, as my shoulder's so loose and unstable that it's in danger of dislocating until it's a bit more stable, but Nicky seems very confident that I should be able to use my wheelchair again without pain within a few weeks, which will be wonderful!
I'm pleased to say that my first appointment is over and done with, and was a great success! I saw a lovely woman called Nicky, who knew all about hyper-mobility syndrome and the types of pains and problems it can cause. She immediately knew what the problem was, and how best to treat it.
I have a list of exercises to do several times a day, and I go back for my next appointment in two weeks. The exercises are quite gently at the moment, as my shoulder's so loose and unstable that it's in danger of dislocating until it's a bit more stable, but Nicky seems very confident that I should be able to use my wheelchair again without pain within a few weeks, which will be wonderful!
HMS
I have a physiotherapy appointment tomorrow, which I'm a bit worried about. I have HMS - hyper-mobility syndrome - which means most of my joints are unstable, painful and prone to dislocation. This means I've had physio lots of games before, but it's always been for hips and knees in the past. This time it's for my shoulder which has been giving me a lot of trouble lately. I'm struggling to use my wheelchair, which is a real nuisance!
My experience of physio in the past hasn't been great. I've often seen students, or people who've known very little about my condition, and have asked me to do things which have been painful, and remained painful for a few days. This is bad enough when it's a knee, but if the same thing happens on my shoulder, and it gets worse than it is now, then I'll be in a bit of a mess!
I really hope I'm proved wrong, and I get someone knowledgeable, who is able to help stabilize the joint without causing too much pain! I'll find out at 3pm tomorrow!
My experience of physio in the past hasn't been great. I've often seen students, or people who've known very little about my condition, and have asked me to do things which have been painful, and remained painful for a few days. This is bad enough when it's a knee, but if the same thing happens on my shoulder, and it gets worse than it is now, then I'll be in a bit of a mess!
I really hope I'm proved wrong, and I get someone knowledgeable, who is able to help stabilize the joint without causing too much pain! I'll find out at 3pm tomorrow!
Musings
I set up a blog - or at least a blog site, over 2 years ago but never used it! I can't even remember why I set it up! I would imagine it was either for a competition, or as a means of entering a competition, since that's what I spend a lot of my time doing.
Anyhoo, the plan at the moment is to start using it for random musings. That's the plan on a rainy wednesday afternoon when I'm fairly bored though - whether that will also be the plan on a sunny Saturday afternoon when I have far better things to do remains to be seen!
Anyhoo, the plan at the moment is to start using it for random musings. That's the plan on a rainy wednesday afternoon when I'm fairly bored though - whether that will also be the plan on a sunny Saturday afternoon when I have far better things to do remains to be seen!
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