New Years Resolutions 2016

It's vlog week!

Today, I chat about my New Years Resolutions, would love to know what yours are?

If you can't see the video click here!

Until Next Wednesday!
L xxx

Christmas Legends

Sometimes Christmas feels like a full-time job and when you're medically declared unfit for work, you understand why you've been labelled that way.

As I have mentioned countless times I adore Christmas, the music, the food, the decorations, the gatherings, time with all my loved ones, the games and the TV Christmas specials (Hello! Call the Midwife!) but it's tiring!

This week has been utterly mental, I am meeting people for all three meals of the day - Slimming World hell - but only a 1lb gain this December....so far!. There is a mental list running through my head 24/7 and the ridiculous thing is; my Father in law will be cooking Christmas day dinner, due to lack of funds, we've only bought gifts for our 4 Nieces and 2 Nephews and all the meet and greets I've been going to, have been away from our house (i.e no clean up for me!) and yet I'm still panicking and exhausted. (I'm aware of my first world problem!)

So this blog is dedicated to all the parents buying for all their kids, families, kids friends, teachers, scout and brownie leaders, bosses, workmates, Secret Santa's and Neighbours. To all the shop's co-ordinating mountains of Christmas gifts, irate customers and fatigued staff. To all the charities struggling to provide for all those in their service with a dire lack of funds - I salute you all in this beautifully insane festive period, keep going, there are only a few days left and lets face it, we'll all miss it when there are 365 days to go until the next Christmas day.

Merry Christmas readers/watchers!

Until next Wednesday!
L xxx

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If you didn't see it last week here is last weeks vlog (If you can't see the video, click here!)

Making a list!

It's Wednesday! It's also vlog week... so here's a video about cheering yourself up when the festive cheer is avoiding you!

Don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel!

Until Next Wednesday!
L xxx

Giving as good as we're given!

It's December, which means I can actually talk about Christmas without being told off on Twitter!

Any long term readers will know; I'm a Christmas-acholic - it's my favourite time of year, in fact, one year, I had to wake up my small Nieces and Nephews on Christmas morning as they weren't up early up enough for my liking!

Me casually mocking my Nephew

To me, it's not just about family time, Christmas music on loop (much to Mike's dismay!), and endless supplies of mince pies and eggnog - to me Christmas is a special time of year, where people become charitable and giving, almost selfless. Yes, we should be caring all year around, but I'm just glad that most do their bit for one month of the year.

Since buying our new house, Mike hasn't really worked (due to the oil industry crashing - he is anything but lazy!) so money has been tight, tighter than ever in the 10 years we've been together - it's been hard but we've been sensible and finally my love of coupons and creative cooking has been utilised!

In the past, I've been called a charity whore, I love a good fundraiser, I always religiously watch Children in need and Red Nose day. Mike has to brace himself on both event days as our bank accounts get a beating, usually with each emotive VT they show. But this year, Mike asked if I would forgo my usual sob fest and not donate to charity this Christmas or at least tone it down - and although I was horrified, I knew he was right, but it still made me sad.

After my sulk, I did begin to wonder, how much have I given to charity over the years? It's probably best there is no tally, as I probably could have bought a new car by now, so maybe a year off isn't so selfish, but then there was a knock at the door.

My friend Chole turned up with a suitcase, not going into too much detail, she needed a bit of company and TLC and she's still with us 4 days later and although our bigger house has given us a bigger mortgage (read: Money worries) it's also given us the space to take in those in need - my own sneaky way of still giving even when things are tight and tough - screw you oil industry!

Not being one to sit still, Mike has opened up a small art company called Bored Monkey UK (we're taking orders!), he makes art carvings, graphic design work and takes commissions.

One of Mikes pieces (Click here to buy)

Thankfully our friends have shared his work and got us more commissions so that we're not desperate, some may see that as sympathetic charity from those who feel sorry for us - I see it as all the kindness I've given, over the years, coming back to help us and I couldn't be more grateful to our loved ones.

So after my shock and horror at a lean Christmas, I'm still giving and receiving so much more than a box of chocolates or Boots gift set - doesn't that make you warm and gooey inside? It does for me!

Until next Wednesday!
L x

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Last weeks vlog - Slimming World!

Look After your Lady Parts!

From the title, you’ll probably gather just what this blog is about, but don’t be frightened boys, share this with the ladies in your lives; your Mum, wife, sister, cousins and friends – look after your loved ones.

Yesterday, I had a smear test, these aren’t fun or comfortable, physically or socially (no matter how casual a conversation about getting your mobility scooter on a train is – this is a weird procedure!).

I had meant to have one last year and simply just kept forgetting to book it, only to be annoyed when Carrie (my code name of my periods – yes referencing the horror movie) arrived. It suddenly occurred to me last month that I was the same age as a close family member was when they had pre-cancerous cells in their cervix – terrifying!

I’d made a specific appointment for the smear test; it wasn’t my first, but I knew it was the necessary evil. We’ve all read the stories of women with female cancers getting younger and younger, which is why I cannot fathom why the first smear test,  for any women, isn’t taken until they’re 25. There are people protesting for the age to be lowered to 18 or 21 and I agree, but on the flip side, I know ladies in their 30, 40’s and 50’s who have ignored the test offer letters including those who’ve had children.

Please don’t  ignore them, ladies, cervical cancer is a silent killer with all too subtle symptoms; unusual bleeding, constipation, back pain, swollen legs and lack of energy – show me a woman who doesn’t have at least one of these symptoms weekly or at least during their period.

Borrowed from Radiant Health Magazine

The nurse or doctor administering your test has seen many many vagina’s and are not fazed;  even if you turn a shade of scarlet, shake like a leaf and have a 70’s do down there, the medical professionals do not care, the only thing they care about is your health – as should you, above any embarrassment!

Also, please look after your breasts, boobs, puppies, baps – whatever you call them (this goes out to you too gentlemen – yes your breasts can kill you too – the bastards!) Use the Coppa Feel Guide below to check your beautiful boobies and if you have any changes at all that worry you, get a loved one to check too and then go and see your GP – the quicker anything nasty is caught, the better!

Borrowed from CoppaFeel

Until Next Wednesday!

L xxx

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For more information go to these websites;

NHS Cervical Cancer Guide

Coppafeel - Breast Cancer Charity

48 Hours Later!

November is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome awareness month! November 7th is the internationally recognised CRPS day and I made a vlog.

Every year on this written blog, I've tried to promote and create awareness of the condition I've had for 25 years. The condition really sucks, I'm in pain 24/7 but I wanted to create something a little different this year; the first is trying out Vlog, I hate my voice and I could think of much better things to do than spend the day watching my own face for hours but I wanted to get out of the comfort zone I currently nestle in!

Secondly, I wanted to do a piece about the positive side of dealing with a chronic pain condition and this is what I came up with...

I try to keep chipper about bad days, it's my belief that if you wallow you'll only concentrate on the pain and end up feeling worse, but then this morning....

I felt so rubbish! I've had a little burst of energy (read: coffee) but it has been a difficult day, one I wouldn't normally harp on about, especially when I look so God-awful but I think it's good to show both side of life for us with CRPS

So there you go, so now you have blogs and vlogs to look forward to, you lucky lucky people!

Until next Wednesday!
L x

Avid Friender

I’ll toot my own trumpet; I have a lot of lovely friends these days, but as a child and teenager I was a bit of a weird kid, I didn’t get my peers at all and I would admittedly do odd things; I would be learning sign language in the playground or setting up lunchtime clubs for younger children and ignoring my own year group – I didn’t help myself really did I?

These days it’s a running joke that I’ll make friends with everyone; I do have my boiler man, electrician, and plumber on Facebook, I text the buyer of our old house and Whatsapp with the owners of my favourite cafe but recently someone asked if I have a need to be popular or where my large social media friends lists more for show?

I suppose a part of me loves being loved, who doesn’t? But I don’t feel the need to be popular per se, to be honest, I have enough family to make up for any shortfall in friends, but I genuinely love people.

I admit I’m a voracious friend requester, Instagram, and Twitter follower but when I meet interesting and new people I am fascinated by their lives, likes and what they get up to. People give me inspiration for writing, new products, places to try and for Mike’s new art business Bored Monkey.

I do hope that when anyone accepts my requests that they’re not only doing it to be polite and find me interesting too. 

I’m naturally very nosey and sometimes do suffer from a bit of FOMO (Fear of Missing out) but you’ll see stories playing out before you, way better than any soap opera or movie;

• After a very serious health scare, watching a couple pack up their entire life, sell their house and go backpacking through South America -  brilliant!

• I used to go clubbing with a guy in a large group of friends, like any small teenage group it became complicated with crushes and heartbreaks but watching this friend become a proper family man and self-employed photographer has been fun seeing the transformation.

• Seeing a friend's Mum being told she would only live for 3 months and is still going strong 12 months later – inspiring!

• I went to school with a girl who I’ve not seen for years, but she has an autistic son but watching the family’s joy when he accomplishes something they thought he wouldn’t do, is wonderful.

• Seeing one of my closest friends who I don’t get to see very often at all; loving life in London and interviewing people like David Attenborough, Twiggy and Joanna Lumley for her job is jealously inducing mixed with genuine pride.

How can you not love social media, people, and all their stories?

Until next Wednesday

L xxx

Such a child! (Halloween!)

Halloween is upon us again! I simultaneously love and hate the season, I think it’s because I’m still a child mentally but clubbed with being a complete and utter wimp.

As a child/teenager my cousins Scott, Lee & Terry thought it was hilarious to scare the crap out of me by making me watch Thriller and Halloween on VHS, then whacking the lamp shades from the top bunks when we had sleepovers – bastards!

The trouble is I never grew out of that fear and I will not watch horror films I’ve never seen before (I’ll watch Halloween, 28 Days Later, Nightmare on Elms Street because I’ve seen them and I know what’s coming!) which is annoying for Mike, but the trouble is; I’m my own worst enemy, I’ll watch YouTube Videos on Planet Dolan and get fully engrossed in those cheesy (probably faked!) ghost investigation programmes on TV, then I have to sleep with the lights on and ignore the need to pee until morning – such.a.child!

On the flipside I love playing dress up with my Nieces and Nephews, Halloween related crafts, trick or treaters visiting, carving pumpkins (also roasting the pumpkin seeds and baking pumpkin pies – one must get their moneys worth!) and nights out – of course!

Yesterday I made Halloween lanterns with two of my Nieces and two of my Nephews who are 12, 8, 6 and 2 I made the whole project easy enough for all ages and I believe I had more fun than the children!

Halloween Lanterns

You’ll need

• Clean and Clear Jars
• PVA Glue
• Poster Paints
• Glitter
• Halloween decorations of your choice
• String 
• LED tea lights

Method

1. Mix 2 parts of PVA to 1 part poster paint for each colour.
2. Use these paint mixtures to paint your jars, the PVA will make the colours opaque so the tea lights can shine through.
3. We decorated ours with fake blood, glitter and cut black paper cut into Halloween themed shapes on our Cricut machine and stuck them all to the outside with more PVA.
4. Drill holes into the lid of each jar and feed the string through them as handles.
5. Leave your jar to dry then pop in your LED tea light and pop on the lid!

Until Next Wednesday
L xxx

Stairlift to Heaven

After ALOT of money, phone calls, e-mails, 12 weeks and a company I will NOT be recommending, I got my stairlift!

Like many other mobility and disability aids, stairlifts are seen as clinical, ugly and are associated with the elderly. I myself agree with the first two points but many of us are far from elderly and need this equipment to muddle through our daily lives. 

My stairlift joy dance!

So if you’re considering a stairlift, there is no shame or giving in and here’s a modern girls guide to 

stairlifts.

1. Do your research - We did a lot of research into brands, products, and companies associated with stairlifts and still came up a cropper with an uncaring and rude company who didn’t do what they were paid to do. If I was installing a new TV or fridge I wouldn’t have been so angry but this equipment was giving me my freedom!

2. Bags – My right hand controls the stairlift and my left hand is a tad useless, so I have cloth bags both upstairs and down. You pile in all the stuff you need to take up with you that prevents dropping everything and creating a waterfall of crap you can’t pick up, this also works with washing, before I used the bags, I had to hug the dirty clothes and no one needs Mike’s rancid socks so close to their nose!

3. Invest in a lidded coffee cup or flask – I love my morning Dulce’ Gusto skinny cappuccino but my study is upstairs, balancing a hot drink whist controlling the stairlift was fun but nobody has time for a soggy burnt lap.

Safe Coffee

4. Enjoy the ride – There is a law that the lifts cannot go any faster than 4mph and it takes almost two minutes to get upstairs (if you forget anything that’s a 5-minute round trip!) I started to get annoyed that my 2yr old Nephew Alex could overtake me but then I had a thought....

I’m notoriously stubborn. On my good days (which are getting further apart – Gee thanks British weather!) I like to get stuff done and of course, overdo it, so now I see my 2 minute ride on the world’s slowest roller coaster as a time to rest and think about what’s next!

5. Pimp your ride – Yes stairlifts are ugly as sin! You can’t do much with the rails but I plan on learning to use a sewing machine to cover the beige seat in something funky and less drab.

6. Not just for mobility – Stairlifts are, in my eyes, not just for mobility, I fully expect that friends, family or even future teenagers of my own, will get very drunk and I reckon we’ll end up sending them up on the lift to bed plus there’s a seat belt for safety!

My stairlift also has a 125kg weight limit so if Mike and I need something heavy moved upstairs I fully intend to use it to save Mike’s back.

7. Answers nature's call – An unexpected bonus to the stairlifts speed is that you'll achieve very good pelvic floor muscles, because if you’re dying for a pee, you’re not going anywhere fast, so either go before you're desperate or get very good at holding it in!

8. Lastly appreciate the technology – When I was a teenager my parents couldn’t afford a stairlift and the waiting list for a government funded one was huge, so I had to pee in a commode (emptied by my wonderful mum), have a sponge bath in the dining room (also emptied by my patient mother) which is also where I slept for several years, and having the savings to buy my own stair lift when I needed one is a true and brilliant luxury that I’m grateful for.

Until next Wednesday!

L xxx

Video Credit to my Brother Steve who remixed my stairlift video to our mutually loved soundtrack of Blink 182

novo (Salon) Review

I was lucky enough to win a competition with a Southend Hair salon called novo. I’d won a Kérastase Discipline Blow Dry Treatment for thick unruly hair and after two years without a haircut and a shameful lack of conditioning, my hair was is desperate need of some TLC.

I had a wonderful hairdressing team called Goodman and Brook but they’re in East Sussex and I used to see them when I visited my In-laws, but then they moved West Sussex and as much as I love the G and B team I’m not prepared to drive 2hrs for a hair cut!

Before G and B I hated going to the hairdressers, most of them did as they wished and not what they were asked to do and I once came out of a salon looking like one of my brothers with curtains for hair!

Having won the discipline treatment with novo I thought I’d treat myself to a cut and colour too.

I rode 4 and a half miles on my mobility scooter, only making my hair do worse and arrived at novo. I was greeted By Abbie who was my colourist, she made me a Cappuccino and we started my transformation!

Novo Southend Branch

I chose an even brighter version of the red I already was (although I think I’ll go even brighter next time!) and Abbie and I chatted the whole time. Not only was she glamorous, she was sweet and considerate.

Next, I was introduced to Paige my stylist. Another cappuccino down, we discussed what I wanted to some great length (pun intended!). Paige gave me her advice in regards to the cut in relation to my face and hair type, I felt like she knew exactly what I meant and I already trusted her judgement. We had a funny conversation about all the competitions I enter/win, she felt like and old friend.

After three hours of pampering and brilliant chat (and yet another coffee – I’d had 3hrs sleep!), I felt fabulous! I spent the rest of the day swishing my hair around like a Pantene TV commercial model; my hair was soft, bright and expertly cut.

Before and (thankfully!) after!

Now because I’d had my hair coloured I had to wait 3 days for my Kérastase treatment. So off I scooted back to novo for that. I was introduced to Jasmine, an absolute sweetheart who reminded me of my younger self; Pug mad, chatty, honest and a real people person. The treatment took three hours but my hair once more was gorgeous and I got caught more than once checking myself out!

I really recommend novo, I felt like a valued customer and had a laugh which made me forget my nerves and in fact, I’ve booked to go back in 6 weeks time – a true Lynsey seal of approval!

Until next Wednesday!
L x

To find out more about novo or to book an appointment go to http://novohair.co.uk/ join their facebook group here and check our their Instagram right here where you'll also spot my face!

306 Days

Well Hello. It’s been 306 days since my last blog. Let me explain.

In the last few years, a lot of stuff has happened, you would have read all about the good but I decided not to share the bad (you’ll have to wait for the biography to read all that juicy goss!) and believe me there’s been a lot of bad. 99% of the bad stuff was completely out of my control but it affected my work, opportunities, relationships, confidence and at points, my mental health.

Last December after particularly vicious troll message, I’d.had.enough. So, I stopped writing, completely. I didn’t want this blog to become a pity party and a negative place, but anyway, now I’m back!

I’m hoping you’ll all forgive my absence, so let’s have a recap...

The Boy and I

Mike and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary; a decade together has been interesting and wonderful in equal measures.  As we were saving like a possessed couple, we just went for dinner and cocktails which leads me to the biggest change; we moved house!

I’m no longer writing from our tiny flat/apartment in central Southend, we now have an actual grown up family home. We relocated a whole 4.4miles to the wilds of Shoeburyness. We have a dining room, 3 bedrooms, Estuary (Thames River) views and apple/pear trees in the garden! An added bonus is that we also have a garage which Mike has commandeered as a workshop for his art business. 

View from my new study - The Thames

This is our forever home, the house we’ll make as man and wife, the home we’ll bring our babies back to and our happy place in this crazy world.

We went on holiday with 11 members of my family to Portugal (we went on holiday 9hrs after we moved the last box into the new house!) which was wonderfully relaxing and we have spent the last 4 months getting used to our new home!

There have of course been many other goings on but I have to hold my horses and save them for another day and another blog. I’ve chosen Wednesday as my new blog day, I need to get into a routine with my writing, and I may add others days as I go, but we will see.

Until next Wednesday!

L xxx