Typecast

It's rather exciting to be reviewing a notebook range that hasn't even launched in the UK and even more so to be able to give my readers the opportunity to win a set too. I was approached by Anker International (leading designer, supplier, distributor and category manager of stationery, creative play, licensed stationery, homewares and seasonal products) to review their new range of notebooks. When I heard that the B.Inspired range carried very reasonable prices, I wasn't too sure what to expect from the quality, however, I was pleasantly surprised.  The whole range is very well made, has a great paper quality and will definitely stand the rough and tumble that is expected from a notebook in every day use.   I reviewed the notebooks on my YouTube channel (you will need to watch this video to be able to participate in the giveaway) and you can see how sturdy they are, their additional features and my thoughts on how I would use them. These notebooks...

I've known Clare Mackintosh since she was "More Than Just A Mother" blogger, Emily Carlisle. We've blogged alongside each other, attended conferences together and both written about vibrators ( although  her story  is much funnier  than mine ). About three years ago, Clare left her job with the police force and announced that she was writing her first novel. I've been hanging on ever since for the book to be launched. I wasn't disappointed, and neither will you be. I downloaded I Let You Go  to my Kindle and devoured it in a few days. This is a rarity for me as I tend not to have a lot of time to read these days but the book was unputdownable (yes, it's a real word, even if it does have a red wiggly line under it on my text editor!). Here is my review, on Twitter, in 140 characters... #ILetYouGo by @claremackint0sh is bloody brilliant! In the words of Melchett (Blackadder) : it twists and turns like a twisty turny thing. — Nickie (@nickieo...

There's a little tool on the interwebs that should be used with caution. It can cause an eyebrow to be raised and even a little upset if you are of a delicate nature. However, if you are genuinely interested in finding out if one person follows another on Twitter then have a look at " Does Follow ". Anyway... you have to wonder why Barack Obama doesn't follow Stephen Fry  especially as Stephen Fry follows Barack Obama? I mean, Mr O even follows ME (I am one of the chosen few 642,900 he is following and we all know he's getting value for money here).  Awkward!!  (H/T to  @ThatConnArtist )

Click here for more Silent Sunday entries.

On May 2nd I presented the opening keynote speech at the BlogOn Conference in Manchester. The session was extremely well received with lots of positive feedback and quotes taken from the presentation and shared on Twitter.   I opened with the news that I wasn't going to be sharing slides showing my Filfoax, my bullet journal and my stationery collection. I then explained that I’ve been a lover of lists and a fan of Filofaxes for as long as I can remember. For me, there’s something deeply satisfying about creating a to-do list and crossing each item off or formulating a plan and seeing it through with the results you expected - or an outcome that exceeds expectations. I lead a busy life, just like everyone else, and management of that takes a lot of planning or it just doesn’t happen. People don’t arrive where they are supposed to be, tasks aren’t completed and everything starts to fall apart at the seams. TIME MANAGEMENT Everything starts with an idea, whic...

We all play games online these days. Everyone has their favourite game to play whether it be a bit of Candy Crush, old school solitaire or a shoot-em-up although I yearn for the ZX Spectrum platform games. Instead of staring at the back of the head of the person sitting on the bus on a commuter journey, how many of you log in to your favourite game and attempt to beat that next level? I've noticed too all the different casino games and slots that you can play online. Many of these have now made the transition to mobile too so you can play whilst on the move. Lots of sites have special offers for new customers such as casino slots with free spin offer or bonus funds for playing certain games. As well as having the potential to win you a life-changing amount of money, these games make a boring journey fly by. For many years, casinos have provided overwhelming joy and entertainment to millions of people who have taken to odds-based games that provide the opportunity to ...