Disrupted sleep

Well, I don't know about you, but I have a really hard time on the weekend when daylight savings takes effect;  in the UK, we changed our clocks this weekend and I don't know whether or not I'm coming or going.  It's turned me into a zombie - probably not too difficult, but I'm definitely not as sharp as usual.

I came across a website about sleep and the effects of disrupted sleep patterns - and, although I normally sleep well, this weekend gave me a bit of a taste of what other people go through most nights when their waking hours overtake the number of hours asleep.  I promise you, it's scary.  I'm going to keep an eye on this blog so that I know where to find the information if my normally good sleep patterns are upset again.

Children's Entertainers in the UK

It's only a few weeks since I became a Great Auntie (again!) and we enjoyed meeting our great-niece recently.  Isn't it amazing how such a small bundle of fun can have a huge impact on your life!

Anyway, more to the point, because her folks are in the entertainment industry, we started chatting about kiddies' parties; how much people would spend on them, what types of things the children wanted to do and, ok, some of the disasters as well.  Then they got a bit more technical.

For instance, one of the things they said was that, in the UK, if you're booking an entertainer for a party, then you could and should ask if they have a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check done and also if they carry public liability insurance.  There are loads of other questions you should ask a children's entertainer before hiring him/her to perform at your children's party.  I came across the Children's Entertainer Directory and found a very useful set of articles there which should help you avoid trouble when booking a performer - and where you can also find performers for hire.

Don't for get to ask the questions, though - your children and their friends are so precious - and it's worth taking extra trouble to make sure you get it right!

Check out the articles on http://www.childrenentertainers.net/articles/

Warm as toast

Sometimes the Scottish weather can be really challenging - and that's how it was when we went to visit friends the other day.  It was wild, wet, windy - and cold, especially considering we were only half way through September.

Our friend's a builder - so he always keeps a weather eye out for a bargain - and quite often these bargains end up in his house.  He had just installed a wood-burning stove and it was quite unlike any I've seen before.  Sleek and modern, it was the most efficient wood burner I think I've seen.  He said it would work with just a few logs each day - and, because it burned the wood so efficiently, there was hardly any ash to clear out. 

Additionally, our friend said he'd installed a wall-mounted "insert" wood burner into a fireplace for a client.  The client wanted him to install the stove at a height which would allow him to load in the wood without having to bend down ...   that sounds like my kind of arrangement :-)

I have to tell you that I came home feeling inspired to make over our sitting room completely because the comfort coming from that Jotul stove had me dreaming of ....   ok, I'm not going to tell you where my dreams took me !!

There, their - is there a better way to do it?

I came up the old-fashioned way.  Our writing had to follow the rules of grammar, be spelled correctly and it was even allowed to be interesting.  Now, far be it from me to say that I knew then and can remember now all the intricacies of English grammer as it was taught back in the late 1950s.  I find myself slipping into the modern day slang and, when I'm typing out an article, my spelling can go completely adrift.  I don't always catch these mistakes and then, months later, re-reading can give me some quite serious heartburn.

Is it really my imagination or have people lost the notion that grammatical writing can be good?  It certainly seems that efforts to spell correctly have gone by the wayside.  One of my pet hates is when folks can't figure their way out of the "there/their/they're" debate.  I can remember one of my teachers going through the rules, the descriptions and the examples over and over again until our class really got it.

They're going to put their school books over there.

There remains the question, "So, what was so difficult about that?"

Fiverr for Business

Fiverr for business
It's some time now since I came across the smart service which is run by Fiverr; you can buy and sell "gigs" for $5, allowing you to earn some income and to do some business online.

What do you get for your $5? Well, it has to be said that this can vary from the exceptionally good to the truly awful. You have to look, learn and listen. There are some sites which just ooze useful information which will help you avoid the many pitfalls on Fiverr and which will also allow you to use Fiverr for business and, yes, you guessed it, one of the best is Fiverr for business.

I'm constantly amazed by the innovative ways people are using Fiverr gigs and I don't doubt it will stretch your mind to find out how Charleen is making the best of Fiverr for business.

Margaret

ps - I've just spent an extra hour or two surfing round her site picking up more cool ideas! A great way to spend an afternoon :)

Mother Nature's Natural Remedies

Mother Nature's Natural Remedies is a small natural/alternative health shop and complimentary therapy practice.

They take pride in giving an amazing, fast and value for money service providing customers with personalised Flower Remedies, in addition to Aromatherapy and herbal based health boosting products. The aim of the team at Mother Nature's Natural Remedies is to promote a positive path to emotional and physical wellbeing for their customers.

The Natural Health Retail Store is located in London’s trendy Camden Lock.

Services include -

• One to One Reiki,
• Flower Essence Therapy,
• Allergy Testing & Counselling.

Consultations take place with qualified practitioners in well-known Central and North London locations, including the beautiful Kingyo Therapy Centre in Paddington and Crouch End in North London.

'Manage your health fullfil your potential' is their motto!

Chemo Fog and Brain Health

Those of you who know (and love?) me, know that this year has been a challenge. Starting with a hysterectomy at the beginning of the year, I have also undergone a short course of chemotherapy followed by a short course of radiotherapy (mostly as a precautionary measure to mop up any rogue cancer cells). For the most part, I have coped extremely well with the treatment - apart from losing my hair, there have been very few side effects. However, one thing which is obvious from within (and I don't know if I'm concealing it as well as I hoped) is the chemo fog in which I live.

My life hasn't changed significantly as a result of the treatment - but I do find my ability to recall names and events has been changed. Suddenly I have this "doddery" approach to things which a few months ago wouldn't have phased me at all. I have been looking around to see if other people are in the same boat; well, of course they are, because this is a well recognised after-effect of the chemo. I also came across a website which offers information and help on improving the health of my brain function. The sign-up is free and there is an online assessment of your cognitive abilities. I am about to sign up and check my brain health and then see what recommended exercises are to keep my brain strong and healthy for as long as possible.

The Cognifit website doesn't only deal with people with "Chemo Brain" - but all kinds of memory impairment. I'd be interested to hear how you get on :)