Get Speedy Drone Delivery When You Shop On JD.com

Photo by Sorasak on Unsplash

Jingdong recently announced that the government of Indonesia has officially approved the use of drone flights. The company, also known as JD.com, is a leading e-commerce retailer in China. It is considered to be the largest in the country. The news from Indonesia can have a profound effect on the company's future business trends in Southeast Asia. The announcement was made in January. 

Millions of customers rely on Jingdong to deliver everything from groceries to computer parts directly to their doors. The approval of drone delivery is a major breakthrough for both businesses and residents of the entire region. There are regulatory approvals that are pending from the Ministry of Transportation of Indonesia. Members of the Civil Aviation and Air Navigation Department were there in person to witness the drone flight. 

The announcement was made during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos. Mr. Richard Liu, the Chief Executive Officer of JD.com, was in attendance at the forum. Also present were many worldwide leaders in business, politicians and government leaders, and other renowned experts. Details of the flight we're also disclosed when the news was announced. The drone launched from its starting point in Jagabita Village, Parung Panjang and flew to the MIS Nurul Falah Leles Elementary School. It made a delivery of school supplies for the children, including donated books and backpacks. These were only a portion of a large donation of school items from Jingdong. 

The company regularly donates products and financial support to worthy causes within the community. The philanthropic efforts of Jingdong are widespread. They seek to help families, children, and adults in need. Many of these families are living in poverty, and the company helps to bring aid and support into their lives. They donate needed school supplies to many of the schools in the district. JD.com was founded in 1998 by Richard Liu. The headquarters of the company are in Beijing, China. It is ranked as one of the Global Fortune 500, and it is a public company thst trades on the NASDAQ. 

In its early days, the products offered by JD.com were mainly limited to a few categories. The company had a humble beginning compared to the massive multi-billion dollar enterprise that it is today. As the business grew, more and more products were added. All of the products that sold must be 100% authentic. The company has strict standards and continues to abide by this promise made to their customers. Jingdong partners with other retailers to offer one of the broadest range of products available on one website. 

Jingdong makes the promise of quick delivery, and their customers enjoy prompt delivery of their order. They can purchase perishable food items with confidence knowing that their delivery can arrive in a matter of hours. The drone delivery system, as well as the fact that they will also send a driver to deliver an order in some instances, confirms that quick delivery to their customers is a priority. 

There is a vast array of products available to shoppers at JD. Consumers can shop for all types of apparel, luxury accessories, vitamins, computers and computer parts, health and beauty supplies, cell phones, jewelry, pet supplies, sporting goods, and much more.

The RealReal X Gucci

Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Gucci continues to be one of the hottest brands season after season as creative director Alessandro Michele steers the brand into his visionary success. This current cruise wear season featured the brand's usual iconic imagery as a diverse cast of fresh-faced models wore the seasons designs in an open farm. It was described as the after party of a rave where farm animals became part of the gag. This sounds like it would be anything but glamorous, but the brand is always at a contradiction of sorts in its branding. Past campaigns have featured other worldly creatures from space in embrace with the usual models in horn rimmed glasses. In short, Gucci has made the bizarre unique and profitable with their unique take on the fashion industry. 

The RealReal has been one of the premiere online resale sights since its inception. It has a revolving door of Gucci products in store that range from vintage to current collection. The most popular items are usually its infamous "GG" buckle belt or anything from its Marmont line of leather goods. In fact, the Marmont is one of the few bags that retains a high retail value as it ages. These bags are always in demand, and they show no sign of slowing down any time soon. This makes the RealReal an optimal place to find your favorite styles for less as you build up your collection of luxury goods. 

If you are in the market for a Marmont bag, then you should keep in mind the colour and style you want to have. The classic quilted styles will always be available in basic colours like tan, pink, black or red. However, if you want one that is more unique than consider one of the seasonal releases that are usually made in velvet or suede while embellished with crystals. This is the best time to pick up a limited release purse that you might have missed when it first came out. Set up your notifications from the RealReal so you know when the latest new arrivals are posted on the website. 

If you prefer a different style of bag, then consider the Dionysus. This well-structured bag also comes in several colors and shapes depending on the season. However, it is usually featured in the classic "GG" logo print. It also will feature a hard chain link strap in pewter along with the reverse snake logo buckle. This are its prized identifying characteristics that make it an iconic bag if you want to stand out. It usually retails for several thousand dollars, but it might be cheaper online with a second-hand website like the Real Real. This is your opportunity to find the best deals on your favorite luxury brands and handbags that are sure to amp your style. Fashion month is finally here, and you want to look your best. Now, you can thanks to all the great deals you will find on Marmont and Dionysus bags online at the Real Real.

East Lancashire Hospice Bubble Rush 2019

I'm really excited to share with you my collaboration with the East Lancashire Hospice to help them share information about the 5k Bubble Rush. 

BUBBLE RUSH 2019

Saturday 27th April 2019

This is a sponsored, family friendly, fun 5k which will be held at Pleckgate High School in Blackburn. You can run, walk, dance or skip the route through the colourful foamy bubble stations. The route is two laps so if you aren't up to the full course then you can just do one lap and have fun in the event village which will feature live music, photo booths and fun for all the family. 

You can book your place by clicking this link
https://eastlancshospice.org.uk/bubble-rush-2019 

Join the Groovy Green 11am start or the Hello Yellow 12pm start

Registration costs £15 for adults and £6 for children (under 3s are free) and this includes a t-shirt and a medal. 

Participants are asked to pledge to raise £25 in sponsorship for the charity which goes towards supporting the care the hospice provides.  I have two places available that I'm going to raffle off on my personal Facebook page and this will be open to anyone who can come along on the day. 

JOIN THE RAFFLE HERE

More about East Lancashire Hospice

East Lancashire Hospice is a hospice offering care and support for people in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

The hospice has a 10-bed inpatient unit, as well as a range of community services, complimentary therapies, creative and support therapies and bereavement support.

To care for patients within the community, they need to raise £3.7 million a year. This is not an easy task but it is thanks to events like this, they can achieve their fundraising targets.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

RAFFLE TERMS AND CONDITIONS * 100 numbers will be available for purchase * This raffle will begin at 18:00 on 17th February 2019 and finish at 22:00 on 31 March 2019 or sooner if all numbers are bought * This raffle is open to any of my friends/followers aged 18 or above who reside in the UK. * There is no cash alternative to the giveaway * There is one (1) prize in total which is a two entries to the East Lancashire Hospice 5k Bubble Rush which will be held on Saturday 27th April 2019 - the entries can be for either adult or child to either the 11am or the 12pm start time * Raffle numbers can be bought for £1 each and participants can purchase any amount of numbers * Entries will only be accepted as instructed and any entrant that does not complete the qualifying requirements will be disqualified * The winner will be chosen by using a random number generator and will be contacted direct * The prize has been provided by in conjunction with East Lancashire Hospice and Viva PR * The prize winner will be asked to provide their email address so that contact can be made to arrange prize delivery * Please contact me for further clarification on any of these T&C *

Things I Learnt In January

So basically, I'm shit at sticking to monthly posts but I do really like picking up this blog post when I've got plenty to share and recommend.  It's only a week or so late but here's the things I learnt in January...

The last week of January is too late to wish anyone a "Happy New Year". I thought it was polite and a bit of a conversation starter with clients that I'd not spoken to since before Christmas but most of them were a little taken aback at my late attempt of etiquette. When do you stop saying it?

Mo Farah's weekly training schedule is nothing short of amazing. I normally write about running stuff on a dedicated blog post (you can read the January Run Down here) but when I saw Mo Farah's typical weekly training regime, I thought you might like to have a look. I'm exhausted just reading how many hours and miles he clocks up but it is his job, after all!

Retro is all the rage! I absolutely remember the first perfume that I owned. My mum bought it for me from one of those 80s 'perfume parties' that sold copies of well known scents for a fraction of the price.  Mine was a dupe of an Oscar de la Renta fragrance and I'm sure it's shaped my choice in perfume ever since. So I was really pleased to see that Aqua Manda creator, Christopher Collins has acted as an advisor on the relaunch of two of their original scents - Aqua Citra (a citrus & spicy aroma) and Aqua Manda (a citrus and floral smell). And whilst they do have undertones of a 70s vibe (you had to be there.... trust me) they also smell very fresh and new.  Give them a try!

Losing weight and keeping it off is harder than expected.  I'm not about to slip into a yo-yo diet routine because I worked too hard to lose two stone last year but, after putting a few pounds back on over Christmas, I've plateaued a bit and found it harder to get my head back in the game for the consistent losses that I was achieving a few months ago.  What's really helped (apart from making sure I actually attend my Slimming World classes) is two things:

• Drinking XLS Medical Tea which is the UK's first clinically proven tea to help with weight loss and has a low caffeine content.  Now, I'm not usually a fan of 'faddy foods and drinks' that promise the earth but with limited results but this 'weight loss tea' includes Litramine which binds up to 28% of the dietary fats in the stomach, contains no laxatives and no preservatives. The recommendation is to drink it three times a day (after meals) but I'm sticking to twice a day due to needing to a variety of flavours throughout the day. So far, so good - I'm finding that I'm not eating huge portions of food (even though I can on the Slimming World plan) which is going to pay dividends in the long run.  

• Listening to my Thinking Slimmer 'pod' - I've been a fan of neurolinguistic programming for a long time and Thinking Slimmer is exactly this, coupled with unconscious persuasion, neuroscience, modern psychology and behavioural science to help retrain the brain to think differently about food and dieting in general. I've found it has also massively helped with my confidence and (without giving away too many spoilers), I've been interviewed by founder, Sandra Roycroft-Davis, which can be seen in a video soon and we've been plotting away behind the scenes to set up a challenge to help with goal setting. I'm really excited about it all! 

I'm still enjoying receiving my Birchbox each month. Each time I share an photo of my monthly treat I have to put "hashtag not sponsored" because I don't want my friends to think I'm being paid or bribed to share what I'm receiving.  I really love getting the monthly treats through the door and it gives me the opportunity to try out new products that I wouldn't normally have bought. Every time someone uses my referral code to sign up, they receive £5 off their first box and I receive a £5 voucher for the Birchbox store so this month I've bought some Dr Paw Paw lip balm and some Beautaniq Beauty brow gel.  Six months ago, I was oblivious to either of these two products and now I have no idea how I managed without them!  (PS, if you want to use my Birchbox code to sign up then click here).

You never forget how good Yazoo are/were.  I spotted this tweet a while back praising Alison Moyet's voice on a old John Peel session from 1982.

I need to hear this - where can I listen?

— #nickiepedia (@nickieohara) August 11, 2018

and this query led me to this YouTube video... and it's amazing! It's worth 16 minutes of your time! 

Finally, I'm in the process of relaunching my Facebook page. It's a bit of mish-mash of content at the moment but I'm going to use it as an extension of this blog - so a bit of a mind-overspill of blog content I love, memes, videos and everything else... Follow me on Facebook here (ignore the name - it's undergoing a change)

It'd be good to hear what you've learnt or tried out over the past few weeks.  Drop your tips and discoveries in the comments or give me a shout on Twitter! 

The January Run Down - PLUS I'm A Bodytek Ambassador

First the excuses and the mini-updates... 

I hadn't written a "January Run Down" until now because there didn't seem to be much to say (I'm wrong, as usual). For me, the beginning of the year is always a bit of a slow start and, up until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn't entered any races.

My first run of the year was a mid-week, daytime run which is a HUGE novelty but I had an extra day off work and managed to get out with a few of the running gang and have a lovely six mile plod around Samlesbury. Nothing else exciting happened apart from occasionally leading the 11-minute mile group for Club Runs on Monday and Wednesday and joining in with some longer runs with my friends who are training for the Lisbon Half Marathon in March.  I currently haven't got a half marathon booked but wanted to increase my mileage "just in case". After all my protesting last year, I'm learning to appreciate the longer runs, but only when I have good people to run with - I seriously doubt I have the discipline to go out and tackle anything longer than 5 miles on my own.

I assisted with another parkrun takeover too. This time, Blackburn Road Runners successfully managed the Clitheroe Castle parkrun on 19th January.  Here's a video of our morning at the castle (I have a small cameo at the end. I was Volunteer Coordinator this time - I just promoted myself to Run Director when I saw a spare bib)!

(video credit : Shafiq Khan)

The snow that covered the UK prevented me from going out on a few runs so the mileage covered in January was 57 miles. I'm aiming to match or better that in February and I'm hoping to attend a couple of track speed sessions that my running club organises - maybe this will help towards one of my 2019 goals (a sub-30 minute parkrun)?

Races I have booked are

• Stanley Park 10k - 24th February
• Muddy Bottom 9 mile trail run - 31st March (I've still no idea how I got talked into this one)
• Fleetwood 10k - 7th April
• Wesham Summer 10k - 22nd May

Races I want to book are

• Freckleton Half Marathon - 16th June
• Southport Half Marathon - 30th June

But now, onto the exciting news! 

I've been invited to become an ambassador for a brand new UK fitness-wear company called bodytek who fully support sustainable and recyclable materials for their products which was the main reason I wanted to work with them. I've been sent their 'Women's Winter Training Bundle' to try out and, so far, I'm impressed.

The running top is long-sleeved which is perfect for wearing under a long or short sleeved training top on these cold nights but the most exciting part for me was that it is made from bamboo.  I recently discovered bamboo pyjamas and I'd literally live in them if I could - bamboo keeps you warm when it's cold and cool when it's warm. I have no idea how it works but I'm liking this magic material!  And it's the same with my running top - the material is natural and anti-microbial so it stops you from sweating without the clothing actually smelling.  Mind blowing! There's also a hidden zipped pocket in the seam which is ideal for a car or locker key and a bank card.

Next in the bundle is a stainless steel bottle.  I was recently researching this new trend in stainless steel bottles (more magic - keeping cold drinks cold for up to 48 hours and hot drinks hot for up to 24 hours) because they look sleek and functional.  This bottle holds just over a pint of liquid and is the perfect size for a gym bag or for carrying in your handbag to remind yourself to keep hydrated. The bottle itself is 100% stainless steel, made from recycled materials - and is also 100% recyclable itself!

Lastly in the bundle, is the drawstring gym bag with the bodytek logo and #feelthechange slogan printed on.  It's made from durable cotton and its big enough to hold all your essentials.

The bodytek blog details each item but I also wanted to mention that the owners of bodytek have been to meet the farmers of the cotton plants and have seen their certification of eco-friendly practices. They have also been to the factory where the clothes are made to ensure ethical working conditions and fair pay. Again, this was important to me when helping promote a brand - it's more than just looking and feeling good whilst reviewing products. You have to take it back a few steps, don't you?

So look out for my recommendations. All my links to the bodytek website are affiliate links (this means that I make a small amount of commission on any products you buy if you use my link - it doesn't cost you any extra). If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you.

So that's it for January!  A bit of running, some future plans to fit in with my 2019 goals which I mentioned on Instagram. The ones that are running related are:

❓ Lose another 2 stone to take my total weight lost to over 4 stone
❓ A sub-30 minute 5k or parkrun
❓ A 2h30m half marathon

And I'll finish with this video that I saw on Facebook.  I want to be ALL of these women when I grow up! 

How to Upscale Your Downtime

With busy working lives, families to see and friends to connect with, it’s a little wonder anybody has any free time in this 100mph world we live in. My belief is that we should all cherish a little downtime, once in a while, to recharge the batteries and get the endorphins running; whatever that means for you. From the energetic to the downright slovenly, here are some ideas for how you can maximise your spare time and perhaps enjoy some self-improvement at the same time!

Dance to the Music

Let’s face it: the idea of running or hitting the job doesn’t appeal to everybody, and that’s fair enough. But exercise is proven to be good for us in so many ways, from burning off the calories from those late-night chocolate hits to releasing endorphins and hormones such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which are well-known in scientific circles for improving mood and promoting feelings of positivity.

Source: Bruce Mars via Pexels

There is still this perception that exercise has to be hard, and that you have to suffer in some way. But that doesn’t have to be the case, and even just walking more quickly and animatedly to the shops can help to burn additional calories.

One form of exercise that the majority of us love is dancing, and remember you don’t need to reach for the neon leggings and glowsticks to get involved. Few things in life are more enjoyable than dancing in the kitchen to our favourite songs, so crank up the volume and get active!

Something for Nothing

There was a story in the newspapers last year about a man who won more than £20,000 simply for entering free competitions. Just think about how you could spend that cash, from an extension on your house to a dream holiday in the sun or a super-fast car to get you from A to B in style.

The gentleman in question didn’t do anything particularly taxing or time-consuming; indeed, in 95% of cases it simply involves entering some personal information into a form or answering a simple question. And the prizes range from cash payouts to event tickets, holidays and designer clothes. What’s not to love!? There’s a great article on ‘comping’ on the MoneySavingExpert website.

There are other angles you could try too. If you are a sports fanatic, you could try free-to-enter contests like the Super6 (football) or ITV7 (horse racing), where you can win huge prizes just for guessing the correct winners of a match or race. And if you love nothing more than a trip to the casino, there are tons of freebies up for grabs on the web; such as the newest online casino Wildz, who reward their new players with bonus cash, free spins and more.

Winning something, when you haven’t invested time or money into it, really is a fantastic way to spend your free time.

Read My Mind

For many of us, our learning days are over as soon as we leave school as a wide-eyed teenager. But maybe we should never stop trying to learn, whether it’s a new skill or information that could help us in a personal or professional way.

Source: Pexels via Pixabay

There are so many good books out there about psychology and mindset, and these really can both entertain and prove educational.  Why not spend your downtime learning about the world, our history on this planet or perhaps even how the human mind works. Worst case scenario you’ll be a hit at the next pub quiz, but maybe you will learn something about yourself or others that you can put to good use.