Someone, namely Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches Trashy Novels; http://www.smartbitchestrashynovel.com/ a great place to read romance novel reviews, and I mean really trashy novel reviews ... they do boast this ... so obv, it's meant as a complement, 'All of the Romance... None of the Bullshit' [their tag not mine] 'A website that reviews romance novels from a couple of smart bitches who will always give it to you straight', wanted to know what to eat when going out to sample Turkish dinging.
Playing it safe ...
Starters ~ Mezzes; small portions of spicy minced vegetables, yoghurty/minty dips, stuffed tomatoes, Russian salad [70's I know but yummy] aubergine & beans, stuffed vine leaves, lots of beany things Gillian Mckeith says is good for you but cleverly disguised in tomato [y?] sauces, fishy dishes. You usually select the amount and the variation ... eat with hot thin seed covered pizza-pitta-type bread which I have totally forgotten the name of.
Main:
Shish Kofte ~ Minced lamb prepared with a variety of spices, skewered & cooked on the charcoal grill or
served as meat balls; minced lamb in hot [temp] hot [spicy], tomato [y?] sauce.
Chicken Kebab Specially prepared cubes of seasoned Chicken - served with creamy rice [they must put Carnation cream in it or something] ... mmm ... and Shepherds salad [lettuce, cucumber, tomato, mint].
Try the lamb or chicken which is cooked in a tall oval pot in large oven with bread as a stopper ... try, try , try, its fabulous.
Dessert:
Never really seen a cake in Turkey - but melon is offered after every meal.
Enjoy supper, Jill
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Monday, 22 August 2011
All Steamed Up ...
Thank you 'Daughter' [planning ahead and making sure she's not in distress], for your question about choosing a steam iron.
First, absolutely super to hear you actually want to iron your own clothes whilst you're at Uni [old fashioned concept I know, but sometimes necessary] - and not just save them up for your mum's visit or reading week.
To answer your question [and believe me, having 4 teenagers, I've motored through a few irons on extreme ironing days], the type of steam iron with the water tank in the separate base are easily the best. They're usually a bit more expensive but well worth it. [Why not surprise your parents and ask for one for your birthday?] Try this Morphy Richards steam iron - I paid around £69 from Comet a few months ago and it's still going strong. And you must all know how I like multi-tasking - you get a Full Steam Facial every time !!
- Quick to heat up.
- No arm-ache. The iron is lightweight [cos the water is in the base of course].
- Super steaming saves time as the steam eases out difficult areas without extreme ironing.
- Super steam means you don't have to press on or repress the garment a billion times.
- Super steam means you can glide over the garment with super-speed - more time in the pub.
- Super steam means you can steam garment on the hanger - no ironing board necessary.
- Super steam means you get a facial at the same time [multi-tasking the way I like it]
Jill
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Shopping Challenge ... Are YOU up to it ?
I imagine challenges are supposed to be difficult ... but here's a really easy one:
For One Month ... promise not to buy even One item of Clothing !
No excuses ...
Search your wardrobe ... wear clothes, shoes, jewellery, accessories that you haven't worn for ages ... and ages ... and ...
After One Month ... Assess which clothes you Really Honestly didn't enjoy wearing / didn't fit properly.
If you find favourites which need repairing or cleaning, get on with it.
Then ... and only then ... you could sell the seriously unwanted clothes ... to 2nd hand shop, ebay or car-boot.
[The items you don't sell, take to a charity shop]
The money from the items you do sell ... allow yourself to buy only 1 piece of clothing. The rest of the money, you save.
Great Plan? Try it out. Let me know how you get on ...
Jill
For One Month ... promise not to buy even One item of Clothing !
No excuses ...
Search your wardrobe ... wear clothes, shoes, jewellery, accessories that you haven't worn for ages ... and ages ... and ...
After One Month ... Assess which clothes you Really Honestly didn't enjoy wearing / didn't fit properly.
If you find favourites which need repairing or cleaning, get on with it.
Then ... and only then ... you could sell the seriously unwanted clothes ... to 2nd hand shop, ebay or car-boot.
[The items you don't sell, take to a charity shop]
The money from the items you do sell ... allow yourself to buy only 1 piece of clothing. The rest of the money, you save.
Great Plan? Try it out. Let me know how you get on ...
Jill
Friday, 19 August 2011
Write yourself healthy ...
Write yourself to a Healthier Lifestyle …
How can words help you towards a healthier lifestyle?
It is becoming increasingly accepted that the process of writing helps the individual organise problematic thoughts and experiences which might lead to an improvement in their mental health or emotional well-being.
Writing can aid the chaos in our lives by discovering meaning. For instance, remembering the past might help us understand how we feel. Through writing we could learn to recognise our courage and erect new lifestyle plans. Writing can give us a sense of release and help relieve internal stress.
‘That’s a bit heavy’, I hear you say but most of it has been seen to be true. I’m not talking of writing essays, a white paper or a two thousand word report on Millennium consumer trends. I’m talking of jotting down a few words, in any form, at any time, when you feel like it.
Do you feel as though your mind is cluttered with things to do?
Do you find you wear yourself out thinking too much? Are you anxious about that unfinished project at work? Too befuddled to help the children with their homework? Are messages racing like a motorway police chase or spinning like fast wash-load in your brain?
To clear your mind so that you can concentrate on your main goals, interviews, exams, work related problems, relationships, here are some simple ideas to get you started:
Take a power nap, relaxing bath, glass of wine. Or all three if you are over eighteen. Then, take a pen or pencil and a blank page, a little black book, an old school jotter, stiff hard back, patterned folder or hand-decorated textured paged extravaganza ... any sort or writing space will do …
Find a favourite place ~ hopefully, this will be somewhere quiet.
Open your book
Write pretty fast and furiously …
Or just doodle if you want …
Write for five or ten minutes to begin with.
Let your thoughts flow onto the page ~ initial thoughts are usually spontaneous, even daring. Fill the page[s] with these thoughts. Repeat thoughts if necessary. Underline them. Circle them. Cross them out. It’s up to you.
Write non-stop about any topic or feeling that comes into your mind no matter how silly or serious. Let your mind wander ... Let your emotions or mood out onto the page.
Write in huge letters, small letters, be messy ... Scream from the tip of your pen.
If you can't think what to write, write just that!
What was the best / worst thing that happened today?
Write about happy incidents, fearful moments, smiles, tears and frustrations …
Write about an incident which included you, how you felt about it – remember you are moving things out of your mind into a neutral space.
Keep writing until your allotted time is up.
This is your Journal. A journal is about emotions whereas a diary is about dates and times. But Yes, write it everyday if you can. Day or night. Some people prefer to empty their minds before they go to bed insisting the action clears their mind for sleep. You don't have to share what you have written. Your writing may seem like ramblings. It doesn't matter. Now that all the surplus information milling around inside your head is on paper ~ you may feel more free. Sometimes our own writing inspires us. We might feel a sense of mastery, of liberation.
Later, you may want to go back and read some of your literary ramblings. They may make sense, they may not. You might want to note how many times you have repeated the same thing. My Journal was so full of the word `tired` and loaded with a sense of can’t cope-ness, that I immediately identified I had to do something about the day to day organisation of family, work and self which was clearly in chaos.
It’s often best to write for a few days before you read your handy-work back to yourself. Glancing over the pages will give you an idea of what is congesting your mind. Often people can recognise a pattern straightaway; topics repeating themselves; needs and wants creeping onto the page, loneliness. Let's hope you can use your journal to help you make changes, introduce new plans, enjoy settled sleep patterns, the ability to concentrate harder, feel emotionally fitter and enjoy a freedom from over-thinking.
Once we have recognised what we need to do, we need to set methods in place to change our habits. But how? We can organise ourselves through words, writing things down to make life plans easier to focus on, to follow and adhere to, especially when we are wanting to achieve a specific objective or aspire to a precise aim.
By the time you have invested a few days in you journal, given your mind a run on the jogging machine and loosened it all up, you can plan ahead.
Lifestyle Plan ~ Where do we start?
In order to create new energy and success in our lives, we need to design an image of what the next destination looks like. We need to make a map of how to get there. This may not be a long way. It may be joining a local gym, a darts club or singing group. It could be embarking on a journey or holiday alone, or applying for a job. The idea is to simplify all the problems around us in order to achieve our goal.
You could start by making a list about you. Write five words that describe you. Then with your other hand, write five more words that describe you [I know it’s difficult, writing with your opposite hand. It’s untidy but that doesn’t matter]. Doing this accesses a different area of your brain and helps to present a more creative description for you. You may find new information which empowers or at least surprises you.
Next, make a list of all the things you want or need to do no matter how great or small, physical or emotional. From visiting the Great Wall of China to sorting out a friendship dispute, write the list as quickly as you can. You can add to the list at any time later.
Once your Super-List is more-or-less complete, separate your thoughts under headings which best suit you. My friend calls this her life-map. Some ideas might include:
Necessities
Most important things
Things I need to change in my life
Things I want to achieve
Places I want to visit / experience:
My wish list
Once problems, challenges and desires are separated under your choice of headings, you can prioritise. Put them into short term, medium term or long term time scale. This relieves pressure that not everything has to be done ‘today.’ Jot notes alongside your content. Keep the list as an ongoing life plan. Act on one topic at a time. Hopefully, you will begin to plan for the future, step by step, word by word.
Gillian
Gillian Hesketh 2010
How can words help you towards a healthier lifestyle?
It is becoming increasingly accepted that the process of writing helps the individual organise problematic thoughts and experiences which might lead to an improvement in their mental health or emotional well-being.
Writing can aid the chaos in our lives by discovering meaning. For instance, remembering the past might help us understand how we feel. Through writing we could learn to recognise our courage and erect new lifestyle plans. Writing can give us a sense of release and help relieve internal stress.
‘That’s a bit heavy’, I hear you say but most of it has been seen to be true. I’m not talking of writing essays, a white paper or a two thousand word report on Millennium consumer trends. I’m talking of jotting down a few words, in any form, at any time, when you feel like it.
Do you feel as though your mind is cluttered with things to do?
Do you find you wear yourself out thinking too much? Are you anxious about that unfinished project at work? Too befuddled to help the children with their homework? Are messages racing like a motorway police chase or spinning like fast wash-load in your brain?
To clear your mind so that you can concentrate on your main goals, interviews, exams, work related problems, relationships, here are some simple ideas to get you started:
Take a power nap, relaxing bath, glass of wine. Or all three if you are over eighteen. Then, take a pen or pencil and a blank page, a little black book, an old school jotter, stiff hard back, patterned folder or hand-decorated textured paged extravaganza ... any sort or writing space will do …
Find a favourite place ~ hopefully, this will be somewhere quiet.
Open your book
Write pretty fast and furiously …
Or just doodle if you want …
Write for five or ten minutes to begin with.
Let your thoughts flow onto the page ~ initial thoughts are usually spontaneous, even daring. Fill the page[s] with these thoughts. Repeat thoughts if necessary. Underline them. Circle them. Cross them out. It’s up to you.
Write non-stop about any topic or feeling that comes into your mind no matter how silly or serious. Let your mind wander ... Let your emotions or mood out onto the page.
Write in huge letters, small letters, be messy ... Scream from the tip of your pen.
If you can't think what to write, write just that!
What was the best / worst thing that happened today?
Write about happy incidents, fearful moments, smiles, tears and frustrations …
Write about an incident which included you, how you felt about it – remember you are moving things out of your mind into a neutral space.
Keep writing until your allotted time is up.
This is your Journal. A journal is about emotions whereas a diary is about dates and times. But Yes, write it everyday if you can. Day or night. Some people prefer to empty their minds before they go to bed insisting the action clears their mind for sleep. You don't have to share what you have written. Your writing may seem like ramblings. It doesn't matter. Now that all the surplus information milling around inside your head is on paper ~ you may feel more free. Sometimes our own writing inspires us. We might feel a sense of mastery, of liberation.
Later, you may want to go back and read some of your literary ramblings. They may make sense, they may not. You might want to note how many times you have repeated the same thing. My Journal was so full of the word `tired` and loaded with a sense of can’t cope-ness, that I immediately identified I had to do something about the day to day organisation of family, work and self which was clearly in chaos.
It’s often best to write for a few days before you read your handy-work back to yourself. Glancing over the pages will give you an idea of what is congesting your mind. Often people can recognise a pattern straightaway; topics repeating themselves; needs and wants creeping onto the page, loneliness. Let's hope you can use your journal to help you make changes, introduce new plans, enjoy settled sleep patterns, the ability to concentrate harder, feel emotionally fitter and enjoy a freedom from over-thinking.
Once we have recognised what we need to do, we need to set methods in place to change our habits. But how? We can organise ourselves through words, writing things down to make life plans easier to focus on, to follow and adhere to, especially when we are wanting to achieve a specific objective or aspire to a precise aim.
By the time you have invested a few days in you journal, given your mind a run on the jogging machine and loosened it all up, you can plan ahead.
Lifestyle Plan ~ Where do we start?
In order to create new energy and success in our lives, we need to design an image of what the next destination looks like. We need to make a map of how to get there. This may not be a long way. It may be joining a local gym, a darts club or singing group. It could be embarking on a journey or holiday alone, or applying for a job. The idea is to simplify all the problems around us in order to achieve our goal.
You could start by making a list about you. Write five words that describe you. Then with your other hand, write five more words that describe you [I know it’s difficult, writing with your opposite hand. It’s untidy but that doesn’t matter]. Doing this accesses a different area of your brain and helps to present a more creative description for you. You may find new information which empowers or at least surprises you.
Next, make a list of all the things you want or need to do no matter how great or small, physical or emotional. From visiting the Great Wall of China to sorting out a friendship dispute, write the list as quickly as you can. You can add to the list at any time later.
Once your Super-List is more-or-less complete, separate your thoughts under headings which best suit you. My friend calls this her life-map. Some ideas might include:
Necessities
Most important things
Things I need to change in my life
Things I want to achieve
Places I want to visit / experience:
My wish list
Once problems, challenges and desires are separated under your choice of headings, you can prioritise. Put them into short term, medium term or long term time scale. This relieves pressure that not everything has to be done ‘today.’ Jot notes alongside your content. Keep the list as an ongoing life plan. Act on one topic at a time. Hopefully, you will begin to plan for the future, step by step, word by word.
Gillian
Gillian Hesketh 2010
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
And you might like some of these ...
For winter walks through the woodlands, by the river, on the beach or just going to work in the snow ...
£17 ... probably can be found in 'Primani', let me know.
http://www.hunter-boot.com/
Still Time for a Festival ...
For a long list of any and every festival, click below:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3673389/August-Music-Festivals.html
Might see you there.
Jill
 |
| Hunter Gloss ... at ... http://www.hunter-boot.com/ |
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3673389/August-Music-Festivals.html
Might see you there.
Jill
Saturday, 13 August 2011
~Stress ... ?
Apparently, if you're stressed, it means there's not enough fun in your life ...
Hmmm ... need to have a think about that ...
Jill
Hmmm ... need to have a think about that ...
Jill
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Women: Love & Frivolity ... Things are hotting up ...
Things are definitely heating up ...
Women: Love & Frivolity is getting warmer ...
the laptop is over-heating ...
the ink is evaporating ...
the cover, racing through the printing system ...
We're just waiting for the ribbon ... yes ribbon ...
Watch this space ... I will be ...
Gillian
Women: Love & Frivolity is getting warmer ...
the laptop is over-heating ...
the ink is evaporating ...
the cover, racing through the printing system ...
We're just waiting for the ribbon ... yes ribbon ...
Watch this space ... I will be ...
Gillian
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Budget Planner ... I know, boring but necessary. Have a go and surprise yourself ...
DAUGHTERS IN DISTRESS:~ BUDGET PLANNER …
You Know It Makes Sense ...
Whether you want to save money or save up money, a regular budget plan helps to see where you're up to financially. Just like a diet, no cheating.Write everything down that you spend. Take it away from your income to see exactly how you can make changes to your saving and spending. You could find areas where you could cut your spending and be able to achieve something else more important. Have a go ... It's FREE !!
CHOOSE TO LIST ENTRIES EITHER: WEEKLY / MONTHLY / ANNUALLY
[*Make sure you use the same process for each entry]
INCOME:
SAVINGS:
EXPENDITURE:
MORTGAGE/RENT/BOARD
COUNCIL TAX
MAINTENANCE/CHILD
ELECTRIC
GAS
WATER
INSURANCE
TV LICENCE
LIVING & FOOD:
FOOD
CLOTHING
HAIR/HEALTH
OTHER
SOCIAL:
BIRTHDAYS/CELEBRATION
PHONE [S]
GAMING/BINGO/POKER
CLUB FEES/HOBBIES
CIGARETTES
LOTTERY
HOME:
RENEWALS
REPAIRS
DECORATION
TRANSPORT:
CAR / INS / TAX / REPAIRS
TRANSPORT
MISCELLANEOUS:
TOTAL INCOME:
LESS TOTAL OF EXPENDITURE:
= DISPOSABLE INCOME:
NOTES to SELF for CHANGES:
Oops ... I'd made lots of neat boxes for all the figures ... and they're missing ...if you'd like a copy of the real budget planner, complete with lines, boxes etc. just email me: gmhesketh@gmail.com
[*you wont' receive any other unwanted emails or messages]
Jill
You Know It Makes Sense ...
Whether you want to save money or save up money, a regular budget plan helps to see where you're up to financially. Just like a diet, no cheating.Write everything down that you spend. Take it away from your income to see exactly how you can make changes to your saving and spending. You could find areas where you could cut your spending and be able to achieve something else more important. Have a go ... It's FREE !!
CHOOSE TO LIST ENTRIES EITHER: WEEKLY / MONTHLY / ANNUALLY
[*Make sure you use the same process for each entry]
INCOME:
SAVINGS:
EXPENDITURE:
MORTGAGE/RENT/BOARD
COUNCIL TAX
MAINTENANCE/CHILD
ELECTRIC
GAS
WATER
INSURANCE
TV LICENCE
LIVING & FOOD:
FOOD
CLOTHING
HAIR/HEALTH
OTHER
SOCIAL:
BIRTHDAYS/CELEBRATION
PHONE [S]
GAMING/BINGO/POKER
CLUB FEES/HOBBIES
CIGARETTES
LOTTERY
HOME:
RENEWALS
REPAIRS
DECORATION
TRANSPORT:
CAR / INS / TAX / REPAIRS
TRANSPORT
MISCELLANEOUS:
TOTAL INCOME:
LESS TOTAL OF EXPENDITURE:
= DISPOSABLE INCOME:
NOTES to SELF for CHANGES:
Oops ... I'd made lots of neat boxes for all the figures ... and they're missing ...if you'd like a copy of the real budget planner, complete with lines, boxes etc. just email me: gmhesketh@gmail.com
[*you wont' receive any other unwanted emails or messages]
Jill
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