Typecast

It's been a short but eventful month so let's see what I've learnt in February... If you mention that you have a few of your Harry Potter books are first editions, you get at least eighteen friends sending you links  they have found that detail which copies are worth more than others. All very useful, and they were possibly hoping to be named as ' that friend who helped me find my fortune '  although I think my copies are definitely not worth the $55,000 that some may be - possibly just £55 when all added together.  I might go and get them valued though.  What do you think? The numbers on a telephone pad and the numbers on a computer keypad are opposite ways round and no-one seems to know why. I asked about it on my social media channels and there was not one definitive answer. If you have any theories then I'd love to know. Bloggers are a valuable comodity but people will still try to take the piss out of them by under-valuing them and attempt...

I try to balance the content of this blog with content that is worth reading. Any article that I have been paid to produce or publish is clearly disclosed and is only commissioned if relevant to the theme of this blog. I would say that approximately only 1 in 20 posts have any type of promotional material in them.  A huge bone of contention with bloggers is having the placement of  'sponsored content' undervalued after we have worked hard to build an audience and continuously engage with them *whispers* s ome of us have been at this for years. Therefore, if an agent is approaching any blogger they must believe that they are going to add value to the reach of the proposed article/embedded links. So... *deep breath* if someone emails me to ask if they can place their client's article on my website and it's been established that I they have budget to pay for this, I am completely within my right to be totally fucked off if they offer me 10% of my quoted rat...

I have recently come to the conclusion that I miss old school blogging and old school bloggers - and here's why. There's also an explanation at the end...  Writing a blog post in 2002-2012: Write Publish Go and experience life so you have something to write about next time ... whenever that may be Writing a blog post now: Make sure your RSS feed is working Have a lovely template so that your blog is nicely laid out ... and mobile responsive for your potential readers that might view on a phone or a tablet ... and your own domain name because any web address with .wordpress or .blogspot in it isn't to be trusted Create IFTTT recipes 'to make blog sharing easier' Think of an idea that is 'on trend' Write the article Ensure you have everything spelled correctly and that your grammar is on point Consider the rules of Search Engine Optimisation Re-write the article Find a nice image but don't tell anyone if you use one you found ...

There are around 1000 children and young people in custody in the UK and reoffending rates are alarmingly high. Indeed, over two thirds of children re-offend within a year of leaving custody according to latest figures . These issues make working with young offenders one of the most challenging areas of social work in which to specialise. Dealing with such vulnerable children and young people on a daily basis can be trying and heart breaking, but the need for these professionals is greater than ever. There exists a wide variety of youth offending vacancies available at the moment and choosing to work in this area may be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. You may worry, however, that you don't have what it takes; you may have concerns that you will find it difficult to stay objective or that your emotions may get the better of you. Here we explain what it takes to work with young offenders. What personal characteristics will I need to have? Young offenders...

Only a week ago Kate Bevan tweeted this to the co-founder and CEO of Twitter after an few rumours were abound regarding changes to the way in which Twitter was going to be structured. . @jack How about listening to all the concerns about abuse, Jack? things have changed a lot since I wrote this https://t.co/3gK1S8nin1 — Kate Bevan (@katebevan) February 6, 2016 It led to a quick but nostalgic conversation between myself and Kate about how the community aspect of Twitter seems to have been lost as it has grown and it's harder to find cool people to engage with. Stephen Fry is often regaled as the Godfather of (British) Twitter. Because of his early adoption of the social media platform, many people felt that they could connect with him as he shared images and updates of his life. Let's be honest, in the early days, he was one of the first people you followed (along with Jonathan Ross and Philip Schofield) in the hope for a tweet from him or even for him t...

Today's Soundtrack To My Life comes from Leyla.  When she's not offering digital media solutions to businesses she is a busy mum to two (soon to be three) lovely kids and owner of two gorgeous dogs!  Her family blog captures the positive from each day and is a lovely way to create a living diary for her children to read one day.   Here's Leyla's Soundtrack To My Life... ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ Oasis - Stop Crying Your Heart Out In April 2014 my sister passed away at the age of 19. I was in ASDA a few days after it had happened picking up milk and general things for my parents. This song came over the shop radio and I broke down into tears. It was the first time I had heard it but in that instant it reminded me of my sister. No song had ever had such a powerful impact on me before, it is a song to this day that I will cry at. I asked for it to be played at her funeral and it will always remind me of my younger sister. Inner Circle - Sweat (A La...

You know me... I love a bit of home-made stuff. And I spotted my friend, Michelle ( our local parkrun Director ) sharing some pictures of little craft projects that she had created and sold to friends.  One caught my eye immediately and I asked her if she had any of the material left over as I was after a little make-up pouch for my handbag. Earlier today she dropped this off at my house (literally 36 hours after we'd chatted about it) and I. Am. In. Love!! First of all, I think it's obvious why one section of this patchwork purse caught my eye... yes, it completely fulfils my obsession with Union Jacks.  Secondly, the other material used mentions the 1970's - the decade in which I was born. But when I got my hands on the purse, I noticed that what looks like a print of an article about the progression of British chart music mentioned my beloved Duran Duran and another of my favourite groups, the Stone Roses. So many layers that just make more connections...

Speaking with one of my friends recently, she said something that I think many of you would agree with when it comes to starting a family. “We spent nine months readying ourselves for everything to change. And still I was surprised that at how different our lives are!” A truer word spoken you’ll struggle to find, and the changes actually start taking place even before you welcome your bundle of joy into the world. The house becomes baby-proofed, the car gets bigger, space needs to be found for the strollers, the clothes shopping is relentless and, of course, sleeping patterns descend into disarray. Of course, it all takes some adjustment, but as a parent it’s all part of the experience, and the sorts of things that you easily get on top of. But as your family increases in both quantity and size, one of the big questions that burns is: Do we need to upsize our house? The case for (and against) loft conversions It’s the ultimate cost-benefit analysis, and one that is en...

... I had a proper lie-in ... household chores were done without someone having to be reminded or asked ... someone gave me a hug, just because ... I hit my sales target at work ... I wore high heels ... I organised myself to get everything done ... we had spare cash so we didn't have to think about what we were spending ... I had someone to call a 'best friend' ... drank a whole brew whilst it was still hot ... I felt good about myself ... I did something where I felt proud of me ... something exciting happened at the weekend ... I didn't crave for a cigarette ... I ran for any length of time and it didn't hurt before/during/after ... I thought about myself before anyone else ... I read blogs or online articles properly ... the weather was nice ... I had a doze on the settee without someone shouting my name and 'needing' me ... I ate healthily for a full week ... someone paid me a compliment about the way I look ... I read a book ... I ...

Today's Soundtrack To My Life comes from Annwen.  Her blog is one that I have followed for a while and whilst she enjoys writing about style and travel she also incorporates family, fun, style, health, travel and life in general. In this choice of tracks, she's introduced me to a couple I haven't heard of before and a couple that I haven't heard for a while.  A great mix.  For now, over to Annwen... ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ Suzanne Vega - Luka The first song I remember really liking as a kid, as a child of the 80's I was brought up on really good music from Suzanne Vega, Belina Carlisle, Mel and Kim etc. I remember road trips in the car with a mix tape of all of the above! The Tony Rich Project - Nobody Knows The soundtrack of my first breakup, I was 15 and madly in love, he was going away to uni and didn't want a long distance relationship. I remember crying into my pillow for hours and this song will always remind me of how much it hurt a...