Rosie Scribble

Not so jet set

2012-02-24T09:58:42+00:00

Once upon a time I imagined myself living the jet set lifestyle. Well, not quite jet set but I certainly imagined myself travelling up and down the country, staying in posh hotels, wearing killer heels and a power suit to match. Think Dynasty and manicured hair. I’m a child of the eighties. It was regular Saturday night viewing.

So this week I packed my overnight bag and headed off to London for a business meeting and a one-day copywriting course. And the reality of that sort of lifestyle hit home.

Rather than a posh hotel I found myself in the tiniest single room imaginable in an area of Kings Cross I decided wasn’t safe to walk through at night. Rush hour on the London underground proved to be an exercise in survival of the fittest. Hesitate getting on your train for even a second, and the nice, sweet lady you smiled at entering the tube will suddenly barge past everyone in sight to claim her seat.

That was just the morning. And accidently step in front of someone in the queue in Starbucks and there’s a danger they’ll curse you for the rest of the day.

So while it was a very productive and enjoyable day, it’s not the sort of thing I would want to do every day of the week. Give me a home office, my lovely Apple iMac computer to stroke, the chance to chat with friends on Twitter and I’m happy. So I’m hanging up my heels and sticking to jeans and trainers.

It’s Friday and I’m still recovering from just one night away, but thankfully a little luxury has arrived once again in the form of my February Glossybox. I would have received it earlier in the week but Sods Law dictates that all deliveries will arrive on the one day you’re not at home. So once again I’ve had to spend rather too long on the Royal Mail Redelivery website.

The Glossybox is the one item I treat myself to each month. This is my second box but I’m still opening it with the excitement of a small child at Christmas. So please excuse me while I go off to indulge myself a little.

Obviously a beauty blogger would go in detail about all the products here. I’m just going to open them and use them. It’s as sophisticated as you get round these parts.

Have a great weekend!

Survival

2012-02-23T13:22:25+00:00

I’ve hesitated, and hesitated some more about posting this image. It’s not an image I particularly want the world to see. And it’s not an easy image to look at.

It reminds me just how ill Anorexia can make a person and I hope it shows others that there’s an ugly side to being thin.

This photo is a world away from the beautiful models you see in magazines that so many youngsters aspire to look like. This shows the reality of Anorexia and extreme thinness and it isn’t nice.

Too many teenagers seem to think thin is beautiful. Clearly it isn’t.

I wasn’t expected to recover from this. I’d been ill for over a decade when this shot was taken. The outcome could have been so very different, and it so nearly was.

I was saved by a little girl I nickname IJ on this blog. I type that with a lump in my throat and no words to describe how overwhelmed with gratitude I am to have her in my life.

For every distressing image like the one above, I have images that make me smile, like the one below. I’m happy, healthy and the proud mum of a beautiful daughter who, in typical fashion, refused to pose properly for the camera, but it makes me smile.

Not everyone who has experienced an eating disorder lives to write a post like this. Some are never able to go on and have children. Others are no longer here.

My reason for writing this is to support a blogging friend of mine, Nickie, who is one of a handful of bloggers working to raise awareness of children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent and their Yummy Mummy Week. Nickie has provided a number of writing prompts over the last few weeks to get us writing about the #dosomethingyummy campaign. This week’s prompt is survival.

CLIC Sargent is holding a Yummy Mummy Week from 10^th to 18^th March. The money raised will be used to provide clinical, practical and emotional support for children and young people with cancer and their families. Further details of CLIC Sargent’s Yummy Mummy Week can be found here: www.yummymummy.org.uk. You can also read Nickie’s post about how you can get involved too.

I’d class myself as someone who has survived a serious life-threatening illness. I’d like to help others do the same.

Win tickets to the Ideal Home Show

2012-02-23T09:38:30+00:00

As our home is currently in a state of redecoration chaos, it seems rather apt that I have five tickets to the Ideal Home Show sponsored by Everest windows to give away.

If you're looking for some ideas for interiors, some home improvements solutions, the latest gadgets for your home or even some inspiration for your garden, the Ideal Home Show is a great place to start. There are show homes to explore, over 600 exhibitors from all over the UK and experts on hand to provide you with all the information you need when it comes to inspiration for your home. It’s a shopping experience like no other and a great day out.

The event runs from 16 March until 1 April at Earls Court in London and your ticket is valid for entry on any day of the event.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply tell me: If you could change one thing about your home what would it be and why?

Leave your entry in the comments section before 9pm on 1 March. I'll select five winners and notify you the following day. I'll also update this post with the winners' names. Each winner will win one ticket to the show. You’ll be asked to provide your full name and address and your ticket will then be sent out to you.

Good luck!

Sponsored post.

Bedroom buddies

2012-02-22T13:51:00+00:00

I'm not sure where IJ's obsession with monkeys comes from but she is absolutely smitten.

She won't want me disclosing too much here about the monkey soft toy she can't sleep without. But if you've ever lost your child's sleep aid you'll understand the attachment that goes with such things and how quickly they become an additional member of the family. If you lose them, even for a few hours, all hell breaks loose.

I’m not allowed to touch her monkey collection as apparently they don’t particularly like adults, so the ones in this picture have been carefully put back in their rightful place following their brief photo shoot. She’ll never know a thing.

Such is her love for all things monkey-related that she is thrilled to bits with the latest addition to her monkey family - a monkey pillow from Pillow Pets.

He’s not the cutest monkey in the bunch but what he lacks in cuteness he makes up for in softness when he turns into a pillow you can actually lie on.

IJ loves him and has been falling to sleep on the pillow every night. She’s awarding him full marks.

If you’re not a fan of monkeys, the range also includes a penguin, panda, puppy, unicorn, pig, ladybug and bumble bee. For Easter they have brought out a range of bunnies and a duck. Enough for a small farmyard in your living room and priced at £19,99 each, which seems very reasonable given the quality of the materials.

We received the Monkey Pillow Pet from Mookie Toys free of charge for the purpose of this review. He’s priced at £19.99 and available, along with his friends, from Toys ‘R’ Us and Amazon.

Your child's first visit to the dentist

2012-02-21T12:43:20+00:00

As my daughter is terrified of the dentist, which has lead to some ongoing tooth problems, I’m welcoming a guest post from Dr. Glafcos Tombolis, who runs Putney dentist Ethicare. Here he addresses some common parental concerns :

Picture by Pig Sty Avenue

Q: When should a child first visit the dentist? How regularly should they visit?

Glafcos Tombolis (GT): I would say that it’s a good idea to bring a child into the dentist between the age of two and two-and-a-half. Bringing them at this age is excellent experience for them as it gets the child used to the dentist’s environment and makes it seem less daunting in future. If there is any problem at all with a child’s teeth before this then parents are of course welcome to bring their child in for a check-up. We’ll try to help them whenever we can and can always refer them to hospital if appropriate. At Ethicare, check-ups are free for all children under the age of five.

Q: What age should a child’s teeth come through and when should a parent start to panic if the teeth haven’t come through?

GT: On rare occasions baby teeth are present from birth. Normally however, baby teeth start coming through between the age of four months and six months. There are of course variations – one child can find their teeth comes through six months earlier or later than another child of the same age. Missing teeth are rare; if we are concerned about the slow emergence of a tooth we can take X-rays to check the location and development of the tooth. This advice also applies to the development of permanent teeth.

Q: Is there anything parents can do before a child visits the dentist to prepare them?

GT: There are lots of excellent children’s books available such as pop-up picture books describing what a dentist’s practice looks like and what goes on there. These are super for giving kids an idea of what to expect and, of course, parents should speak to their children to fill in any gaps.

Q: In your experience are children generally nervous during their first few visits to the dentist?

Generally, and not surprisingly, children are more unpredictable patients than adults. However, they do share this trait with grown-ups – if they experience pain or discomfort in their mouth prior to a visit to the dentist they are more likely to be nervous about visiting the dentist. If they’ve been prepared well by their parents, they should be less nervous. We try to make a child’s visit to the dentist as fun and as informal as possible – it’s all about taking the fear out of the process.

Q: Do parents normally stay in the room with a young child during a visit to the dentist?

It varies. Some very young children find it extremely reassuring to have a parent present. However, and this might seem a little surprising, some kids can respond negatively – for instance reaching out for their parents while being examined. Deciding whether to accompany a child into the dentist’s room is a judgement call by the parents – it’s important to do what’s best for the child and parents know this best of all.

Q: Do you ever use nitrous oxide to help nervous kids?

Yes; laughing gas is an option that we reserve for all very nervous patients.

Q: A lot of children receive ‘fissure sealant’ treatment. When is this beneficial?

If a patient has one area of decay on their teeth then they should be offered fissure sealant on their other teeth. If there is no decay present then there is no evidence of vulnerability to decay so fissure sealant might well not be beneficial.

Q: How important is a paediatric dentist?

I would say that a paediatric dentist – a dentist who specialises in children’s dentistry - is worth their weight in gold for any practice. We are lucky to have Mina as our paediatric specialist here at Ethicare – she is appreciated by staff and patients.

Early dental experiences can often determine a child’s outlook on dentistry for life. That first visit should be a relaxed and happy one.

We don’t want to put children off visiting the dentist for the rest of their lives!

Sponsored post.

Young Travel Writer Competition

2012-02-21T11:11:57+00:00

It’s a while since IJ and I went away for a proper holiday, but I’ve decided for the 40^th birthday next year we are going to do something special. I just haven’t decided what yet. All I do know is that it will involve travel, possibly overseas.

New York has always appealed but in reality it’s likely to be too far and too expensive. Paris is an option or we might head to the sun for a week and lounge on a beach for a while. We’ve always holidayed in the UK but I want this trip to be something different and one we will remember for a long time to come.

So now I’ve set the holiday scene and created an image of a hot sunny beach in your mind, you might be interested in winning a holiday for the whole family including £500 worth of travel expenses.

Al Fresco is running a Young Travel Writer competition for budding travel writers and the winning entry will win a holiday for the whole family to a Al Fresco holiday park of your choice. Al Fresco provides luxury mobile home holidays on parcs across Europe, so there are plenty of locations to choose from. Each parc offers a range of activities to keep the whole family entertained, including on-site water parks, children’s entertainment clubs and even spas for a bit of added luxury.

The competition is divided into two categories – age 10 and under, and 11 and over. To enter, children are invited to write up to 300 words about their holiday detailing where they went, what they did, and why it was great. They can include a picture or two with their entry as well.

Not only could you win a family holiday but it would be a great way of encouraging your child’s creativity and getting them writing. They could be a travel writer in the making and who knows where that could take them.

For full terms and conditions and to submit your child’s entry, visit the Al Fresco blog.

Sponsored post.

I am three

2012-02-19T09:43:41+00:00

I'm three years old today. Not me obviously, that would be a ridiculous claim. My little blog has been residing in this space for exactly three years.

It’s been quite a journey. I reckon one blog year is equivalent to ten human years, which means I've just entered my thirties. A period of quiet reflection should probably follow. I should perhaps offer a summary of my blogging highlights and link to a few of my favourite posts over the years.

But in fact this is the first time I have ever remembered my blog birthday. And in typical fashion I am posting this in a hurry as I am about to board a train to London and I've left my packing to the very last minute.

So instead of any post highlights or advice for anyone wondering how you can make it to three years without going slightly mad, I'm sharing a few favourite images from my blogging journey.

And in 140 characters or thereabouts I'd like to add:

A huge heartfelt thank you for reading and commenting and sharing my online journey with me. Without you I'd simply be talking to myself, which would be more than a little worrying.

Now indulge me if you will.

Friends at Cybermummy 2010

Cameroon, Africa 2010

Blogging trip to Israel with Kinetis, summer 2011

Floating in the Dead Sea (second from left)

Meningitis Blogger Day, Birmingham 2011

Unicef Supply Division, Copenhagen, November 2011

Centre Parcs review, Christmas 2011

My world.

Review: Johnny English Reborn

2012-02-18T14:44:42+00:00

I had high hopes for Johnny English Reborn after watching the first film on Facebook and loving it. Although I found it very watchable, it just didn’t match the hilarity of the first film and it’s not a DVD I’d watch twice.

I’ve always liked Rowan Atkinson and his role as a slightly clueless secret agent was played brilliantly, as expected. But for me the storyline appeared a little too serious in parts. There are a number of laugh-out-loud moments and a fabulous wheelchair chase, but the film lacked the comedic value of the first.

Perhaps the idea of a hapless secret agent has worn slightly thin. Or perhaps it’s the case that squeals are rarely as good as the original, in my experience.

I also couldn’t get past the fact that the DVD is in widescreen. When you don’t have a widescreen television it means the film only fills half the screen making it difficult to fully enjoy.

The synopsis provided by Universal Pictures is as follows:

In his latest adventure, the most unlikely intelligence officer in Her Majesty's Secret Service must stop a group of international assassins before they eliminate a world leader and cause global chaos. In the years since MI-7's top spy vanished off the grid, he has been honing his unique skills in a remote region of Asia. But when his agency superiors learn of an attempt against the Chinese premier's life, they must hunt down the highly unorthodox agent. Now that the world needs him once again, Johnny English is back in action. With one shot at redemption, he must employ the latest in hi-tech gadgets to unravel a web of conspiracy that runs throughout the KGB, CIA and even MI-7. With mere days until a heads of state conference, one man must use every trick in his playbook to protect us all.

It is good family entertainment on a rainy Saturday afternoon, but if you're not a fan of Rowan Atkinson or you don’t own a widescreen television I’d recommend borrowing a copy from a friend.

Marks out of five:

Johnny English Reborn from Universal Pictures, rated PG, is available on Blue-ray Triple Play and DVD and currently priced at £14.99 and £10.99 respectively on Play.com. I received a review copy of the film from Universal Pictures for the purpose of this review.