Typecast

This weekend I took part in the Wesham 10k (organised by Wesham Road Runners ). Its an important run for me to participate in as it's one where our running community come together to raise awareness and funds for Theo's Journey against Neuroblastoma .  As I'm sure you know, my own daughter was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma when she was 14 months old so it's a cause that is close to my heart.  As a team, we painted Lea Town and Salwick purple with our #TheosWarriors t-shirts! Last year I finished this course in 1:15.21 and, after my new 10k personal best time in the Windmill 10k  a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't really planning on anything spectacular - just to finish the course and enjoy the run.  I was almost looking forward to it, especially as the route had changed slightly - a revert back to an original course from a few years back. The day was clear and sunny but cold and it was very frosty.  This course is a rural one so it was definitely going...

One of our neighbours put up her Christmas lights last week (yes, really) so I thought it was time to start pulling my annual Christmas  wishlist  Gift Guide together. I've got everything from the unusual to the Secret Santa so let's make a start...  Useful Gifts You Never Thought Of I've been working with The Woodland Trust for over a year now and their family membership package is a  great family gift. You receive a a whole host of interactive information, a tree dedication for the family and children get their own activity pack each season. Find out more here . If you know someone who is a fan of scented candles then an aromatherapy kit from Essence of Arcadia would be an great gift package.  I reviewed them earlier this year and still love experimenting with recipes and using recommendations to help create the right mood.   Buy here . If you've got a Snapchat addict in the house, you'll make their life so much easier with an...

Just recently, I've discovered Fotor - a suite of editing tools for your photographs with an option to create your own images for use on your social media channels.   You can use the Fotor tools either via the website for online photo editing or off-line using their desktop app. With just a few clicks you can tidy up a favourite photograph by simply adjusting the exposure, brightness and contrast, you can add a filter or two, crop the image, remove red-eye and so much more, all with simple steps, all of which come with full instructions and hints and tips. There are over 50 preset edits you can use or layer them up to create even more effects. Here's a simple edit I did with one of the photos I took outside Salford Lads Club a couple of years ago. I adjusted the tilt shift (two layers of blur to create the effect), used one of the black & white effects and cropped the image. It took about two minutes all together. BEFORE AFTER As also mentioned, ...

For the past year I've enjoyed a Woodland Trust family membership for myself and my grandchildren.  We're enjoying another year of exciting adventures too! We are enormously lucky to live within a short distance of a number of Woodland Trust woods but also to have our very own tree dedicated to us at Polyphemus in Darwen , Lancashire where, in 2007, two thousand trees were planted on the 40 hectare site .  The Woodland Trust is the country's largest conservation charity who protect and campaign on behalf of woodland areas, plant more trees, restore ancient woodland - all for the benefit of wildlife and people. Having this membership is a great opportunity for us to get out and explore nature.  Every few weeks, the grandchildren get their own pack through the post which is packed full of seasonal activities, puzzles and information. There's an endless amount of information and ideas on the Woodland Trust website - and a family membership makes an ...

A week before the main event and the emails have already started to drop into my inbox. Black Friday (26 November 2016) or Cyber Monday is a perfect opportunity to grab some pre-Christmas bargains.  Here are my top five tips for surviving the online shopping mall rush and a little video to help out. Remember, Remember Make a list of what you would like to buy, check the website and find out exactly when that sale is starting. Set an alarm on your phone or your email. Follow The Band Find your favourite stores on Twitter and Facebook and watch out for alerts and social media special deals. Check It Out Compare the price on other websites by using Google Shopping or PriceRunner to ensure you are getting the best deal. Just because one store says it's a bargain, it might not necessarily be the best bargain. Get Even More Discounts See if there are more savings to be had by checking out websites such as myvouchercodes.co.uk or to see if there is local ...

Many a time I have championed the Mia Tui bags (see here , here and here for starters) so when Charlotte announced that she had been 'messing around with some scraps of material' I knew we were in for a treat. I didn't realise that it would be this kind of wonderful... and just in time for Christmas too! My make-up bag is the worst mess ever. I tidy it out once a month, give it a bit of a wipe over inside and then throw everything back in. I can never find that eyeliner or the lippy that I need without digging around for a few minutes or tipping everything back out. As you can see, these make-up bags have been given then Mia-Tui treatment and will organise your cosmetics - and provide you with precious extra minutes when you're getting ready. There are two pockets on one side for larger items (powder, bronzer) and five small elasticated pocket for items such as eye pencils, lipstick, mascara or brushes. The space in the middle is perfect for your founda...

Bear with me.  This will start on a downer and we'll work our way up from there.  When running alone, I hate every single step I take. Most probably because, for the past two years, I've been embedded into the most wonderful community running group - GroupRun Blackburn - which has taken me from being a non-runner to someone who can choose (that's the key word there) to run 10 kilometres. The GroupRun ethos is a hard one to explain to anyone who hasn't experienced it but you make friends, you see personal goals smashed out of the park and you celebrate each other's achievements, all whilst being coached and encouraged to do better and better each week, clocking up mile after mile along the streets of Blackburn.  This time last year I ran my first ever 10k - the Windmill 10k, organised by Fylde Coast Runners . I ran it in a time of 1.13:18 at a distance just short of the full 10 kilometres. After that I was plagued with a series of knee issues and in Dec...

Over the years, in this little corner of the internet, I've written almost 2000 blog posts.  That's a lot of words, and ideas, and random thoughts, and lots and lots of waffle... I have no clue how many different directions I've taken with my ramblings.  So when Kate resurects Listography and asks contributors to pick their five favourite posts written by themselves, I start to panic.  As I'm writing this opening paragraph I have twenty-seven tabs open with blog posts that I (a) enjoyed writing and (b) are still relevant now.  How on EARTH do I narrow that down to just five? OH, I DID... HERE GOES... Mothers Day 100 Words was a series inspired by Mr London Street (blog no longer public) and endorsed by Her Melness (now blogging at What Mel Did ) and I dabbled a bit to practice my creative writing. None of the attempts are noteworthy but the emotions in this post still ring true today. Being A Grandmother I've written so much about the dyn...