Favourites

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The Tech I Use to Help Me With My Writing Projects: Scrivener & Backing Up

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The Tech I Use to Help Me With My Writing Projects: Scrivener & Backing Up

With writing we are lucky in that we don’t need much in the way of kit before we start. Just a notebook and pen. A computer is also good as is a printer. In this day and age many people have already got these items for work or school. I’ve always written my projects in Microsoft Word but since last year I blew the dust off the Scrivener software I invested in some years ago and started to use it for my book proposal. And I was hooked. Since then I’ve used it for my Patreon essays and for my newsletters. Everything now gets written in there and then gets saved on my external hard drive and backed up on another external hard drive.

In this video I share exactly how I use Scrivener and which external storage I use. Click the link to watch: https://youtu.be/EEqj6LqUVkk

Animal Themed Homeware for the Animal Lover

Animal Themed Homeware for the Animal Lover

Over the last few years my home has come to reflect the animals we keep and those that fly into our garden. The extent of the influence from our pets and the outdoors hadn’t really occurred to me until yesterday when I spotted the Joules mugs below and I started to look around me at what I already had and put two and two together.

I have dog prints on the wall, chicken and highland cow photographs that I’ve taken myself (we don’t have cows, I hasten to add, but they’re in the field opposite), we have rabbit, pheasant and dog prints on lampshades, to my left of where I’m sitting I have a picture of a green woodpecker and foxes are running about everywhere on cushions, towels, bedspreads and mugs. And the chickens and the ducks are on the table mats, also on mugs, on china, on cushions…the list goes on. So I thought I’d write a post sharing some of my favourites. Just in case you’re as animal obsessed as I am.

Cosy Autumnal Purchases

Cosy Autumnal Purchases

One thing I don’t tend to do on my blog is to list my recent purchases unless they’re book (or desk) related. The reason being, I don’t buy that much for myself or the house. We have towels in the airing cupboard that we’ve had longer than the children and I often go barefoot or just wear socks instead of using slippers.

However, the contrast between then summer heat and the cooler autumn months is making an impact on me. I need cosy. I need comfort. And I need a hand-towel that doesn’t look threadbare and stained no matter how hot we wash it.

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October Favourites

October Favourites

Well, October, probably my favourite month, and the beginning of my favourite season, is now coming to a close. I've had a birthday, we've settled into the school routine, and the woodburner is being lit most nights as I snuggle up on the settee with a blanket, soft cushions and a good book.

Outside the leaves are crispy, it's been a dry month here, and the sound of contented chickens scratching about in them is utterly charming.

Yesterday we had our first proper frost. I've been using slip-on plastic shoes for the past month with bare feet as I did my chicken and duck chores but have now decided it's time for something more substantial to pull easily onto my feet. Which brings me to my first favourite of the month:

September Favourites

September Favourites

Completely inspired by the YouTubers I so admire I am writing up a list of my favourites from the previous month at the beginning of each month. I love to watch or read about what other people recommend so, if you do too, then this post is for you.

Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Notebook

I get so frustrated with myself. I've so many notebooks and lists on the go that when it comes to finding something, or wanting to know what my plans are for the week, I waste so much time trying to find the relevant notebook and information.

Then I watched some YouTubers talk about Bullet Journaling. Oh my goodness there are so many creative journals out there. At first I thought this isn't for me. It would just add to my workload rather than streamline it.

But then I thought about what I wanted my journal to do. I wanted something that had my month at a glance, held useful information such as grocery shopping staples, and a packing list I could turn to again and again. But mainly it is to store my ideas for blog posts, YouTube videos, products I wanted to try, books I wanted to read, bloggers I wanted to share - along with keeping track of Instagram and blog stats.

So I bought myself a Leuchtturm 1917 and haven't looked back. I've tried online organisational tools (as well as my numerous notebooks) but there's something so satisfying about having just one journal next to me on the sofa, or by my bed, or on my desk, that I can consult and add to again and again in an organised way.

I've wrapped an old leather cover from a previous Aspinal notebook around mine.

Nars Velvet Lip Glide in Bound

Anyone else get overwhelmed when it comes to beauty and make-up?

I have no idea what products are good as I've been out the loop for so long. (Was I ever in the loop? Hmm...) But I saw this one recommended by either Zoella or Tanya Burr and, in a sea of lipsticks, it stood out - so I decided to give it a go. And I love it. In fact, I may be a little obsessed. As the name suggests it glides on and stays put. The colour is fab for me as it gives me the fresh faced look rather than overly made-up (and I'm finding I need to work on that 'fresh faced' look more and more as I get older!) . Perfect for day wear.

Botanical Candle Co - Tinder Box Scented

I've got a bit of a thing for candles in amber jars. This one from the Botanical Candle Co was recommended on Instagram so, seduced by the packaging, I gave it a go. At first I was a bit, hmm, I'm not sure. But it's a real grower. Now I love it and have it close to me on my desk. Even though it's not currently lit I have the musky fragrance wafting towards me as I type. 

It contains sandalwood, black pepper and tobacco leaf. It isn't too overpowering - it just adds a subtle layer of scent to your home.  

Scion Mr Fox Mini Mug

I've spoken about this mug's larger brother in my September Desk Essentials post. The larger one I love for my hot chocolate (so it can fit in the squirty aerosol cream) and the smaller one is perfect for my morning coffee(s).

In the Moment Magazine

A new-ish magazine along the same lines as The Simple Things, I saw the September issue - which is number 3 -  in the supermarket a few weeks ago. At £5.99 it isn't cheap for a magazine BUT there is lots of thought and time gone into it. The numerous articles are calming with beautiful photography and there are inspiring recipes and ideas.  You can find their website at calmmoment.com. Well worth the £.

September Favourites

Manfrotto mini tripod

I've been using my Canon Powershot G7X Mark II a lot more recently for my YouTube films. And this little tripod from Manfrotto has been brilliant. You can use it to hold the camera in your hand by putting the legs together or using it as a tripod. 

The Break by Marian Keyes

There used to be one author I'd always buy the hardback of as soon as it was released and that was Maeve Binchy. Now Maeve has sadly gone I'm delighted for Marian to take on my 'always buy the hardback when first released' mantle.

Like Maeve, Marian has that wonderful way of writing that just pulls you into the warmth of the book. The scenes play in your head as you read, the voices strong, the characters real. I thoroughly recommend The Break. Her writing just gets better and better. 

Funnily enough I went to see Marian talk at the Althorp Literary Festival two years ago when her previous novel, The Woman Who Stole My Life, was released. She talked about the next book she was writing, which was this one, The Break. At the time it was going to be another story about Clare Walsh from her first novel, Watermelon, and was going to be called Time Off for Good Behaviour. Then Marian said later in a video that this was making her too sad to write. The Break, I'm guessing, is this same idea but with different characters. I'm glad she didn't use Clare Walsh, too.

Wool Blend Diamond Geo Rug from Next

We have a lot of floor tiles in our house. Great for summer, cold underfoot for winter. In our new bathroom we put down yet more tiles. But this rug, from Next, is absolutely lovely next to the bath. I'm obsessed with anything grey.

Next grey rug

None of this is sponsored (although some of the links I've provided are affiliate links which means I will earn a few pennies if you click on it at NO expense to you) it's just me sharing what I've enjoyed.

September Favourites
Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com
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The Good, the Great and the Fabulous: Body Scrubs

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The Good, the Great and the Fabulous: Body Scrubs

I've become a little bit obsessed with body scrubs. I mean, considering I never even knew they existed a few months ago I'm now completely addicted.

And when I say I didn't know they existed - what I mean is, exfoliating my skin never even occurred to me. Failing to look after my skin and my body: to exfoliate, to moisturise, to blow dry my hair.... it just - didn't. Which is why I wrote this post. 

But then I saw a YouTuber mention them (another recent thing I'm obsessed by, YouTube videos) and I thought, ooh, get me some body scrub and fast!

Over the summer, as I go outdoors doing my daily tasks with the dog, hens and ducks, my legs are like a moving supermarket for midges and other bitey insects; leaving me with itchy, scabby legs. That, coupled with many years of neglect and our hard water meant my skin was more scaly than a chicken's leg.

It was high time for me to try out some body scrubs. And these are the three I tried:

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Failure to Moisturise

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Failure to Moisturise

I look down at my shins and they're flaking with dead skin. My elbows are hard and catch on my cardigan. My facial skin is not much better. Puffy eyes, spots, flat. There's no glowy, dewy skin anywhere near here.

For many years, particularly since I had children, I didn't think I was worth taking care of. I wasn't worth spending money on. Buying a moisturiser that suited my skin, getting my hair cut and coloured, taking vitamins, even drinking water. I avoided all of it.

For my children I would look through the Boden catalogue and buy them cute outfits. My son and daughter had eczema as a baby and I researched the best cream for them*. It was pricey (at the time) but I didn't think twice. They were worth it.

But was I?