Typecast

Welcome to my occasional series of recommendations.  Here are my star items for November 2011 from the gifts and samples I have been sent this month and some personal recommendations too.

I am currently changing handbags.  Again!  Simply because when a Kate Benjamin handbag arrives from the 'vintage glamour' section of Accessories Direct , in it's own dust bag, wafting that gorgeous smell of leather around, you just have to indulge!  I have an unnecessary obsession with handbags and shoes, but at least they are always guaranteed to fit!

Since I renamed and relaunched this blog a couple of years ago,  I have had some fantastic opportunities with plenty of learning curves along the way.   I believe that I am accountable for the content I hold on my blog space and that is an enormous responsibility.   Apart from the occasional featured post (clearly marked, paid-for content), everything on my blog is my own work, my own ideas, my own experiences.   That is what makes it individual. If you are a regular reader you will know that I occasionally host a giveaway or a competition.  Some of my readers have been the recipients of great prizes.   I enjoy the interaction between brand representatives (a.k.a. PR's) and myself and I wholly believe that PR's contact me because I work hard at my blog and I reach a wide and diverse audience.   Social media networking plays a large part too.    I also know that they find me through the number of ‘charts’ that use rankings – namely the T...

Trying to find Christmas presents for teenagers that are both affordable and will be a big hit can prove to be difficult.   Idealo - the price comparison website - have conducted some research and found that the average amount that parents spend on each child at Christmas has risen by 63% from £75 in 1995 to £168 in 2010. So, Idealo set me a challenge.  They provided me with a kitty of £75 and I had to attempt to put together the perfect Christmas stocking for one of my boys.  I had to find the items on the internet and (preferably) use their price comparison website to try and get the best deal.  Here is what I bought: The Inbetweeners Movie Play.com £11.99 Fifa12 for the XBox 360 Amazon £37.19 Remote Control Spinster Hawkin's Bazaar £12.00 Drinking Glasses Hawkin's Bazaar £3.50 Two tins of Celebrations Tesco £4.50 each TOTAL:  £73.68 NB: online prices may change Now I think that's a Christmas stocki...

When I featured the new #FaceOfRegis and their  Rock, Lock and Load competition a couple of weeks ago ( which doesn't close until 3rd January 2012 ) Regis Salons   invited me to have a cut and colour by way of a "thank you". My hair hasn't been its natural colour since I started going grey at the age of 21 and I've probably been every colour you can think off (apart from green).  I've had bleaching disasters (think along the lines of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland), had to go to work with a dye stain down the back of my neck after home colouring sloppiness and I've had every length of hair going from one extreme to the other when having it cut (from shoulder length hair to clippered at the back in one fell swoop).  I also don't mind experimenting with styles but it never looks the same after the day I step out of the salon.

This post was submitted to me within the ethos of  Blognonymous .  This contributor doesn't blog but heard about the Blognonymous team from a blogger in our community.   This is an interesting  quandary  and one I'm sure you'll all have something to contribute; personal experience, friends who have been in a similar situation or even just your own opinion. If you would like to offer any kind of support in the comments but prefer to remain anonymous yourself then there is  a "guest comment" facility - sign out of Disqus (if you have used it before), write your comment, click "Post as..." and you will see "guest" appear as an option. If you would like to contact the Blognonymous team please click on the image to the right for more details. - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -

Did I disappoint every one again? You know when you feel you can't do right for doing wrong... Is that why they have all but cut me out of their lives Or do I have to try harder to make them Communicate? I have to question if they still love me or If live just takes over, as I know it does. Is it because the memory of the one person That held us together is Fading? I said the wrong thing and apologised But it didn't mend the gap Only made it wider. When that happens, do you leap or do you Wave? No-one to ask how I'm doing or How I am coping with everything here. Everyone expecting me to carry on being The strong one.  Which, at the best of times is Hard! Two people, ignoring me and still Expecting me to make an effort. Talking shouldn't be this hard and I just want someone to tell me I'm doing OK!

This time last year I was telling you about my inclusion in an anthology of creative writing of which all profits were being donated to Children In Need .  You can still buy the book, you know - Tiny Acorns is HALF PRICE on the Dotterel Press website  now (and postage is free). So what is going on this year? The Build-A-Bear Workshop have teamed up once more with Children in Need  to create a very special Pudsey and his BFF, Blush.  Last year Build-A-Bear sold over 11,500 Pudsey and Blush bears with £5.00 from the sale of each going directly to the charity - the total donation was £135,000 and they hope to top that this year.  This year, Pudsey has brand new pajamas and slippers and Blush has a new pinafore.  £1.00 from the sale of the outfits is also donated to Children in Need. Note: The Pudsey Bear retails at £15; Pudsey Bear t-shirt at £5; Pudsey Bear Pyjamas at £10 and the Pudsey Bear slippers at £3.50.  Blush Bear retails at £15; Blus...

What do you think the main symptom of meningitis is?  The rash? Have a look at this video then keep reading to see if you are right!

If you've not already heard about Movember then where have you been hiding? Movember is a charity that raises the profile of prostate and other cancers that affect men.  They raise awareness by encouraging the testosterone enhanced among us to be sponsored to grow some face furniture during the month of November... Moustache + November = Movember.  Geddit? So those of us aren't blessed with a furry top lip (f'nar), what can we do?  Stop bleaching, plucking or waxing for a month?  Oooohhh no... there's a much easier way to go and Mo'.  FACEBOOK!

The day Modern Warfare 3 was released there was a great online discussion sparked over on the Blogger.Ed forum  regarding the reasons why games and films have classification, especially since the popularity of first-person shooting games grew. The males in this family are all big gamers.  My husband has a PS3 and an Xbox 360 (both online) and the two boys have an Xbox 360 each (one online, one not).   My sons are 18 and 12 and have unlimited internet access on the computers in their bedrooms and I have always let them play on games that may be rated above their actual age.    Ruth from Geekmummy  has a husband who is also an enthusiastic gamer and they have two young children.  They have very clear views on what they will and will not allow their children to have access to when it comes to online content and it has sparked a very interesting debate.   You can join the debate over at GEEKMUMMY today   and we would be grat...

If you ordered a "vegetarian platter" and a "meat platter" of sandwiches for a business lunch, would you expect prawn/salmon on the vegetarian one? This was the question I put to my Facebook and Twitter possé the other day after an incident at a well-known supermarket.

The Transatlantic Blonde asked me to live blog the X-Factor show this week whilst she's living it up in America.  Here's a snippet but click through to read the rest... Kelly is back from her skive, Tulia is trying it on for the sympathy vote, Gary is moaning about what a tough job it’s turned out to be and Louis is playing the ‘bitch to the media’ card a couple of weeks early. It’s Club Classic Floor Fillers Dancefloor Classics week, people, and I’m all prepared for a little bit of chair dancing and a sing-a-long so let’s hope I’m not disappointed. PLUS it’s an X Factor DOUBLE ELIMINATION this week so everyone is at risk

I have become acquainted with people from all walks of life during my time online.  What I never expected was the revelation that one of those friends was the owner of a now-defunct online adult toy store.   He was clearing the attic out one day and discovered a couple of boxes of old stock.  I logged on to our mutual forum to find him offering free goodie boxes to his friends.  First come, first served. Well, what's a girl to do?  Free is free, right?  And everything needs renewing from time to time, doesn't it? So we conversed a little by email and he arranged to send the box by courier so that it would arrive, in plain packaging, on a Saturday.  The doorbell rang at about 2pm and I signed for the box.  It was heavy and I also noticed that it was sealed with ' Screwfix ' branded tape.  " You sarcastic, sod, Andy! " I sniggered under my breath.  It was uncharacteristically quiet in our house so I prepared...

I have a fantastic Top Tip straight from a cobbler that will make your boots last twice as long. These boots were made for working... I bought these boots from Tesco yesterday after searching high and low for a pair of flat heeled, black, knee-high boots that were actually in my price range (i.e. as cheap as cheap can be without actually being free), completely flat and truly knee-high.  I needed them for work. Our local friendly cobbler told me that ALL new boots should be resoled and reheeled before wear as many boots and shoes are made with very thin soles which wear out quite easily.  There must be some truth in the theory because my last pair of boots lasted me four years after an initial resole. Unless he's talking cobblers, of course, and I've just fallen for the oldest trick in the book: " How to make money out of gullible customers and keep a dying trade in business. " PS:  The boots are lovely; really comfortable and I'm probably going ba...

Today I am guest posting over at  Domestic Goddesque .  In November of each year, all the local forces organisations, voluntary groups and beyond took part in the Remembrance Day parade.   My final parade as Lance Corporal in the Girls Venture Corps was to be marker in the squad and to lay the wreath on the Cenotaph.   The greatest honour ever, in my opinion.    To read my " Remembrance Day " memory in full  head on over there. There's also a photo of me in uniform for you to giggle at...

Watch this exclusive video to find out who the new face of Regis Salons UK is and then keep reading for all the details of an amazing competition run by Regis Salons where you can win a year's worth of hair services and a Canon 550D digital camera. Aaaahhhhh I have SERIOUS hair envy when it comes to Emma Willis.  She always looks gorgeous, doesn't she?  I am so excited to be working with Regis Salons over the next couple of months. I'm going to check out their Preston salon and I will also be having a delve into one of their Regis Designline gift baskets before Christmas so keep an eye out for those reviews. Emma is also going to be writing a monthly update on the  Regis blog .  Also on the blog, you can also find out how you can get £10 off your next visit to your local Regis salon. Featured Post For more information please see my  disclosure policy