Espresso? Dark Chocolate? Mint Tea? ...

Here's a bit of fun. Fancy writing a story? Submit your 'writerly stuff' to the Creative Cafe Project and assign your story a drink :

The Creative Cafe concept seems to me, a fabulous utopian idea ... I want one ! Or at least I'd love to have one nearby. I want to be the writer who's pretending to write a novel on her laptop, the one who people interrupt ... ask questions ... share writerly stuff ...

The Creative Café is the brainchild of university lecturer and children’s writer, Gill James. In 2006 she envisaged a network of cafés where creative practitioners know they are welcome and where normal coffee lovers know that they will be able to experience something a little different as they sip their brew. This is happening informally. The project aims to identify, create and expand Creative Cafés. Several pilot / benchmark cafés have been identified. The project is now seeking to organise expansion logically.

http://creativecafeproject.co.uk/SubmissionGuidelines.aspx

The Creative Cafe Project is looking for:
... thought-provoking and entertaining stories, though ones which might be a tad different from what you normally read in a woman’s magazine. They should be the sort of length that would make easy reading whilst you drink a cup of coffee, even if you linger a while, but without you needing to rent-a-table.

Each story will be assigned the name of a drink. [You may assign the drink] Something light and frothy might be a hot chocolate. A dark piece of flash fiction could be an espresso. Something good for the soul would be a mint tea.

[Suggest under 3000 words. Shorter stories and flash fiction welcome]

Check it out, Gillian 

Gift Wrap for Free ... almost ...

Gift wrap almost for free ...

Creative is such an on-trend expression atm. So, being creative and saving money must be a double whammy [whatever that is ... ?] Feeling pretty smug, I thought I'd let you see my latest creative saving ...

These colourful wrappings came from a Sunday Newspaper Magazine supplement !

All you need is a small strip of sticky tape or a piece of string to hold the wrapping together.

I save ribbons from chocolates, gifts or flowers.

Sounds mean ... but think of it as recycling.

Jill

Faux Pas ...

Faux Pas

Cool as a martini in Manolo Blahnik towers,
she steps from the tube, mind the gap,
sharp stilettos clipping,
Louis Vuitton hanging,
she clings to the glue-coated
moving handrail, hails a cab,
slips tortoiseshells in her hair,
tap, tapping on monikered mobile,
a jewel encrusted fake,
she ogles at Oscar de la Renta.
and travels to nowhere.


Luxury is more of your own perception than what it says on the label.

Check:
China – 300,000 millionaires
Russia – 88 thousand millionaires
[Moscow] 33 billionaires
India – 70,000 millionaires
[Approximate figures]

Jill

Network Coverage ... check it out ...

I know all daughters [and sons] are sooo techno savvy, but just thought I'd mention, when you're next looking for a mobile phone contract, check out the network provider's predicted coverage ...

Just enter your home post-code, work post-code, college/uni post-code, mates post-code or local pub's post-code [depending on where you spend the most of your time], to find out the level of coverage for phone/text or networking/broadband ... Then, when your mum phones you to say 'Hi Darling, How are you?', you won't be able to say ... 'Aw, didn't know you'd phoned. I mustn't have had any network coverage'

http://www.gadgetstylist.com/blog/mobile-phone-coverage-check-your-mobile-coverage/

Jill

RIP Amy Winehouse

Sadly at 27, RIP Amy Winehouse.
Thank you for your wonderful and unique soulful voice.



Jill 

£30,000.000 ? You're joking ...

How Ridiculous !


Why don't we ALL put this stuff BACK in the POST
BOX?


Let Royal Mail pay to take it away as we haven't requested this rubbish..


[See previous Panorama Programme] for Royal Mail's
alleged involvement in Scam Mail Delivery !

It's as easy as A Walk in the Park ...

Henrietta, taking a walk in the park [oka my garden]

Extreme Dieting? Exercise Classes? Boxing? Pilates? Cycling? Aerobics? Yoga? Zumba?

Yes, you can do any or all of these but just taking a Walk in the Park ... is a start.

I've been taking short walks down by the river every other day and the difference to my shape is showing already. Burning off a few calories as often as possible takes your body to a place ready for toning.

Happy Walking, Henrietta & Jill 

If you thought Falconry Displays were boring ... watch this ...

Enjoy, Jill

Relaxing Tiddlers ...

Check out the Relaxing Tiddlers at right side of blogs ... another half hour spent procrastinating ... I really should have an award for it !

Jill

Feng Shui Extreme ...

Is this a step too far?  Is it The American Dream gone to extreme?

Check out feng shui decorating for thoughts on not only clearing clutter [ and you know how much that's a fave of mine ] but where [when possible] to place sofas, side tables and of course, your clutter for improved balance in your life. Bearing in mind, that if you don't want sensibility, just leave your beans-on-toast plate and drained bottle of wine or empty lager can [s] on the floor by the sofa for a couple of days. [only joking ~ I know all you daughters and sons wouldn't dream of doing that ~ especially when a parental visit is promised !]

http://www.efengshuidecorating.com/

Get busy, Jill

'Man Flu' Exists. 'Man Flu' Exists?

'Man Flu' does exist, according to a report in a recent broadsheet newspaper. [Didn't we girls know that already?] [only joking boys!]. The anonymous reporter from the Telegraph claims that when there are viruses in the air waiting to be caught, men take to their sick beds whilst women carry on with daily activities. [Didn't we know about that too?].

Apparently, women have a much stronger immune response to rhinoviruses. Researchers have found some evidence that this protection is regulated by hormones ~ which is why women are better at resisting the viruses and why men are more susceptible to falling ill.

Doesn't really change anything does it?

Jill   

Lulu & Poodle Print ...

Hello Ladies, Girls, Shoppers and boyfriends looking to surprise their girlfriends ...

Yes, the sales are on ... so I thought ... anyone interested in fun label fashion might like to check out Lulu Guiness's statement handbags ~ Checks, Poodles, Cut-outs & Lips ... all Half Price !!

http://www.luluguinness.com/homepage.aspx?siteid=UKB2C¤cy=GBP&utm_campaign=Sale%2Bunder%2B150&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email


Enjoy, Jill

Rant, Rave and Junk Mail ...

If you saw BBC Panorama's programme WHY HATE JUNK MAIL - July 4th, you will have listened to Tom Heap explaining how Scam Mail [often the sort that tempts to you send money off in order to claim a multi ££££ prize] is distributed through the Royal Mail posting systems.

Terrible I say ... Disgusting behaviour ... Trickery ... A Right Royal Scam ...

Watch This if you missed it ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b012gn9m/Panorama_Why_Hate_Junk_Mail/

So ... Why don't we all post our Scam Mail - delivered by Royal Mail ... back into the post box with a message... RETURN TO SENDER ~ NOT REQUESTED AT THIS ADDRESS ... ??

Rant over, Jill.

Burgers Breaking Up ...

Don't worry, this is not the end of a romance. I've had a question from a 'daughter' [thankyou] who is having problems with her home-made burgers breaking up on the Bar-b-q.

Hmmm ... I'm guessing that when the burger is on a steel rack of some sort, the meat which touches the wires will get hotter much more quickly, seal and crisp more quickly whereas the meat in between will not be as hot / not cooked as much and be less crisp. The softer, wetter texture of the meat may cause it to collapse and fall through the gaps in the mesh ... hence ... a broken up burger ... ahh.

It might help if you put the burgers on a flat cooking tray on top of the rack ? But you probably won't be able to use the tray in the oven afterwards [?]

Happy Bar-b-q ing ... and congrats for trying the home-made burger recipe.

Jill 

Just One Holiday Tip ...

Especially if you've been dieting for your holiday ... and if you happen to be travelling on a no-frills or no-food flight ... Please pack up some healthy goodies to munch on. DON'T begin your holiday here:

To be honest, pop, white bread, crisps, chocolate ... It's no wonder the nation is 'going large'?

Try asking your airline for something really unusual, like an Apple or a Tangerine, maybe a small bag of Grapes ...

See the SHOCK on the air stewards' faces.

They're not shocked at your request [after all, it's clearly visible that they look after their bodies]

No, the SHOCK is that all you can buy that includes fruit on the no-frills flights where everything is tinted with an Orange glow, is a child-luch-pack at around £4 that includes - yes another white bread sandwich with a piece of yellowy plastic looking slice in it, a chocolate mini roll and ... don't be SHOCKED now, a packet of sliced APPLE !!! To be completely fair there was some slight improvement; a slice of brown bread with ham inside.

So next time you're on a no-frills flight ... and the airline company want to sell you a lump of soggy white bread, part microwaved-ish / part toasted / part dampened piece of food which is often described as a 'delicious toasted sandwich' ... please honour your body - ask if they've something healthy. If we keep asking - 'they' might just re-think what 'they' are serving on our aeroplanes.

Rant over but it had to be done, for all our sakes,
Jill

Learn How to be a Leader in approximately 3 minutes !

Get dancing everyone,
Jill

eeek ... Boot Camp ...

eeek [again] my daughter has had me on boot camp. No chocolate, no potatoes, no pasta, no white bread, no butter ...

What's a girl to do?

After 5 days ... I've not lost a single pound ~ but I do feel loads better. Almost smug if you don't mind me saying so.

I think that addiction to chocolate must be something like being addicted to cigarettes. Once you've got past the first few days, the craving becomes easier. I'm managing okay so far without chocolate. I have to admit, getting through 3 toffee crisps and half a packet of plain chocolate digestives and a couple of sneaky fudge bars was a normal daily intake for me. The problem for me is that living without potatoes, pasta, toast, real butter is sooo difficult ... and maybe that's as hard as giving up smoking ?

So now I'm on the next level ... no potatoes, pasta, bread.

The main thing obviously, is to eat healthily. The sooner you get into the habit of it, te sooner you'll feel better. Plenty of fruit, vegetables, soups, juice, water ... Because you're worth it.

Off now to whip up a pan of cabbage [diet] soup ...

Jill