Tag Archives: writing

Writers Block Hacks – The Story Prompt Jar

Continuing on with our journey into how to remove the dreaded writers block without spending any (or very much) money, I’m going to show you a simple but powerful tool – the Story Jar writing prompt.

For anyone who would like a fun way to inject a a little creative boost to their writing and generate a few stories on the fly, this really works to get the brain ticking over in ways that you may not have thought possible before.

A bonus is, this can also work in a. group situation so try it with your writing group or even with your family around the dinner table or the sofas and see just where a group imagination exercise can take you. Beats mindless scrolling any day!

What is a Story Jar I hear you ask?

It’s basically just a container of some sort filled with pieces of paper – each bearing a story element such as a character, setting, object, goal, theme, genre…. it could be anything you wish.

You can be as creative as you like, grab some coloured paper and put a different element on each colour such as characters on pink paper, settings on brown paper, genres on yellow paper….you get the idea…

Then you can select a colour depending on what element you want to concentrate on – or, go rogue and stick them all on the same colour – oh the risks that could come from that!!!

All you need is a container, paper scraps, a pen and your imagination.

Steps to create your own

1 – Choose your categories

Examples could be: Characters; Settings; Objects/motifs/ Conflicts/problems or Emotions.

2 – Write one idea per piece of paper.

Examples could be: Character – A retired circus performer; Setting – A haunted coastal village; Object – A broken compass; Conflict – Keeps reliving the same day; Emotion – Longing

3 – Fold or stack your prompts and put them into the container. make sure you have plenty of each category so that you have loads of variety.

4 – Draw one from each category (or mix and match) and start writing.

So, it you were to draw the following – A young inventor, an underground library, an ancient key and a phobia of spiders…You could write about a curious inventor who discovers an abandoned library beneath a city and uncovers a key that unlocks a hidden past – but, he’s so afraid of spiders that he struggles to make his way through the labyrinth of spider webs that have accrued over the many years that the arachnids have lain here undiscovered and unchallenged…

Oooo, my fingers are itching to type already!!!

I’m wondering what the funniest or strangest story prompt you’ve ever come up with is?

Share them in the comments…

Let your imagination run wild and happy writing!!!

Anita x

When Writer’s Block Strikes…

With the demise of Nanowrimo it’s now Novel November. So what better time to get those words down and making them count?

Great idea, but, as writers, we all know that awful feeling of the dreaded ‘Writers Block’.

Imagine the scenario – for once, we have found time to write. We’ve made our favourite drink (coffee for me, white, no sugar). We are in our favourite place to write with no distractions (in the office, window to the estate in front of my desk so I can look up and see what is going on outside every so often – me? nosey? no! seeking inspiration…). We open our writing implement of choice (laptop) and navigate to the blank page… Fingers poised over the keyboard we wait… and wait… we know words are there, we’ve done it before, we had loads of ideas half an hour ago when we were boiling the kettle and preparing ourselves for the epicness that was about to be unleashed from our souls…

… and, dejected, we drink our coffee, close the laptop and walk away, telling ourselves that we will try again tomorrow.

So, what we need to do is break that block, do something that will get the flow going and those tetchy fingers typing away like there’s no tomorrow.

“How do we do that though?’ I hear you ask – You are, I know you are….

Well, there are plenty of things on the market for you to purchase that are designed to help you through this – but, as those of you who have been with me for a while know, I’m always on the lookout for saving money and doing something that is free or at minimal cost. Beating writer’s block is no different, after all, we are creative beings are we not? Surely we can come up with some creative DIY writing prompts?

So, I’m going to do a series (because nobody wants to read me waffling for hours on end in one sitting- I’ll be kind and break it down into much more enjoyable chunks) of different ways that we can prompt ourselves to get writing. Today. Right now in fact.

I’ll start with an oldie but goodie.

The Random Book Prompt.

Grab the closest book to you – don’t cheat – and open a random page. With your eyes closed, point to anywhere on the open page. Write the closest sentence down and use it to prompt a piece of writing.

  • It could be the opening line of a story.
  • A poetry prompt.
  • Dialogue from a character.
  • Scene or mood inspiration.

As an example, I have just done this exercise and here are my results from just ten minutes writing.

The book I choose was a book on Tarot – I’m already on a hiding to nothing when that was the closest book and it really does prove that I didn’t cheat!

The sentence was ‘Rest and relaxation is needed here.’

And this is what I came up with…

‘Rest and relaxation is needed here,’ she said to me, authority oozing from every syllable of her consultant doctor’s title.

‘I know, but it’s easier said than done,’ I replied.

‘If you don’t make the time now, then your body will force you to. It’s already starting the process or you wouldn’t be sitting in my office now.’

I hung my head dejectedly. She was right. Of course she was. but there was too much that I had to do and nobody could do for me.

As if she read my mind, she continued, ‘You’re no use to them if you burn out. They need to help you f or a little while. Put yourself first and do something you enjoy. Go for it a walk, or a swim. Hug a tree or read a book. Do anything that will help you de-stress. Even five minutes will help.’

I picked up my bag and nodded at her as I walked towards the door. ‘I’ll try,’ I said, knowing that I couldn’t.

He’d kill me long before he would help.

Ok, I know it will never be Oscar winning material, but for a quick exercise to get the brain going, it’s ok… I think…

I’d love to hear what you thought…

Or let me know what you came up with…

#writingprompt #amwriting #creativewriting #writingcommunity #writingprompt #diywritingprompt

New year, new me and all that jazz…

It’s 20 days into 2024 and it already feels like a lifetime ago that it was 2023. I think that i always start out the new year with good intentions, with ideas to make this be MY year, the one that is going to change my life forever.

Sometimes, this has happened, not always for the better when we think of people who we sadly lose, and who we really want to still be around us. But, most often, the good intentions peter out as the months drag on and we revert to old habits and the safety of our comfort zone. Sound familiar to you too? Thought so.

It’s been a while since i’ve done a blog post, this site is sooo out of date (one for the to do list i guess) and so much has changed over the last couple of years since i last wrote about my exploits. A quick summary is that of getting the second Cornwall Writers anthology – Secret and Hidden – out into the world, becoming the performance signer for Rock Choir Cornwall – that was so out of my little introverted comfort zone you wouldn’t believe it - Boardmasters was amazing…ly scary… but so much fun!

I absolutely love that the audience were trying to copy what i was signing as well!

I also signed a two book publishing deal with the fabulous Spellbound Books Ltd. My debut novel, Behind The Curtain, is set to be published in August 2024. I still pinch myself regularly about that one, whilst i am tearing my hair out as i’m writing the first draft of my second novel. I’m keeping that one under wraps at the moment though, so you’ll have to keep checking back to see if i let out any spoilers for it.

SpellBound Books Ltd

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 !!📣

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 , 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱!

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺.

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗛𝗦 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗿.

𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘆. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 ‘𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘀…’

𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁.

𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 , 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮!

So what does 2024 have in store for me? I haven’t set any resolutions but i have some intentions.

They start with the publication of Behind The Curtain and the writing of novel two – nope, still no spoilers!

I will continue my signing journey, i just love bringing the joy of music alive to those who need support to understand and enjoy it. Regardless of my not being a natural extrovert, it is moments like these, with Florence who was non-verbal for the first few years of her life, copying me and engaging in every song, that keeps me determined to continue on this road. I’m thinking of expanding this further, taking it into my writing and maybe performing for others. If this interests you, get in touch.

There are ideas around supporting the start up of a dementia choir locally, getting a book of my poetry out into the wide world and continuing to expand the memory sessions books and activity resources for adults with cognitive disabilities. There is also the third Cornwall Writers anthology in the final editing stages as i type and will be published later this year.

It’s definitely a new year, i’m not sure if it’s a new me – more of a sort of renewed one who is learning that the world is actually hers for the taking and if she doesn’t do it now, when will she?

And as for ‘All that Jazz’?

Well, music feeds the soul doesn’t it?

Let me know if this resonates with you. what are your intentions for 2024?

Have a happy day,

Anita x

Cornwall:Misfits, Curiosities and Legends

An anthology by Cornwall Writers.

This is such exciting news!

We are now at the crowdfunder stage for our new anthology which brings together an eclectic mix of stories all based around our wonderful County of Cornwall.

Eighteen tales are included and range across all genres – historical, science fiction, fantasy, women’s literature, comedy and serious – there’s even a stage play, a letter to a loved one and a poem tucked away inside that beautiful cover.

Oh, and if you are thinking of getting a cover designer for your own work – don’t hesitate to contact Ruta Ciutaite of Blue Rue Designs

I’m sure you’ll all agree that her artwork is amazing. We were blown away by the designs that she gave for us and found it so difficult to narrow it down to this one.

Personally, I have two stories in this book:

‘Waiting ‘ is set in Penzance in 1758 and is the tale of Alice and her children as they wait for her husband to return…

The second is ‘A Cornish Rant’ which does exactly what is says!

This short piece is about the love between a Grand mother and her grand daughter, but with a Cornish twist involving holiday makers, narrow country lanes and with a bit of pasty making thrown in…

To see even more of our fabulous book trailers, go to our YouTube channel which you can find here

At the time of writing our crowdfund appeal has just passed the £1,000 mark which is absolutely brilliant and we are ecstatic with the assistance and trust that this has shown. We need to do more though, we want to put a book into at least every library in Cornwall, then we want to go further afield and spread our work to a much large audience.

So, if you can help – and this means you can also get hold of either our paperback or our ebook at a special, pre-publish price and ensure that you are one of the first lucky people to be able to delve between the pages – then please visit our appeal, take a scroll through our pledges and select your choice… the page can be found here

Enjoy, and have a happy day.

Anita. xx

I is for Internet

Day 9 of the A – Z blog challenge.

The internet can be a major help as you strive towards a make do and mend lifestyle. Not least because a simple Google search can tell you how to make and mend just about anything that takes your fancy.

Obviously Youtube is the place to start with any type of new craft or DIY skill that you may find yourself lacking in.

  • I have fixed my dishwasher when it wouldn’t drain properly – had to take the drain section to pieces and found a piece of glass blocking it. As this was on Christmas Day it would have been a while before an engineer could come and fix it for me at i don’t want to think about what cost.
  • I have taught myself the finer points of crochet.
  • I have learnt how to reattach the zipper of a zip after it comes off the teeth in your hand when you are altering a wedding dress… ooo, that was not a good moment i can tell you…
  • I have found the songs i require to teach singing and signing sessions at work as well as finding some that are really not quite so suitable – but fun all the same.
  • I have found out what some never used (and probably never will be) sewing machine feet were meant to be used for after i found a random bag of them lurking at the bottom of my sewing box.
  • I have learnt jewellery making techniques i didn’t have before.
  • I have learnt how to work with Fimo – made some minion keyrings, they were really cute and friends and family loved them.

Minions

  • I’ve tried yoga – it wasn’t successful – don’t do a downward dog with a loose bra on. It doesn’t work. Invest in a sports bra. Or don’t have boobs.
  • I’ve been entertained by funny animal videos, ever seen a hedgehog being fed a treat? It’s hilarious, go find it, you won’t be disappointed.
  • I could probably continue ad infinitum, no person could possibly live long enough to watch everything that is available….

As well as Youtube, there is good old Google itself. The answer to every question in the universe plus a few that have never been asked before. Probably.

It is no longer necessary to have a costly encyclopaedia in the house, the internet can get you the answer to that query before you’d have had chance to open the first page. Although it may take a while for you to find the actual piece of information you were looking for. The trawl through the sites can rake up some stuff you never wanted to know though…or see…

Shopping is where the internet really saves you money though. Sites such as Ebay and Amazon are gradually taking their toll on the traditional high street while those seeking individual hand made items can use sites such as Etsy or Not on The High Street as well as many others in order to show their unique identity.

On top of this there is the possibility of having your supermarket shopping delivered. I believe this does save you a lot of money, even after factoring the delivery cost, by you not actually having to visit the shop yourself. You have your meal plan for the week, you have your shopping list to facilitate your planning and you buy just what is on the list because you aren’t physically in the shop to see all the special offers and impulse buys that the supermarket is trying to tempt you with. On top of that, there is the fact that you have no transport costs to get you there and back. You save on shoe leather from not walking around the shop. You don’t get stressed out by the amount of people blocking your way as they chat to that friend they haven’t seen for absolutely ages right in front of the milk aisle. This means that your diet also stays safe as you don’t reach for that huge bar of chocolate that is sitting conveniently by the check out, just crying out your name, as your reward for having to go through that hell week in and week out…

Or is that just me?

Finally, we have education.

I could not go to university when i first left school. I wasn’t actually even allowed to attend college, i had to go straight into work to start earning a wage as soon as my legal schooling days were over. Admittedly, i had no strong aspirations for any particular career, i didn’t know what i wanted to do so i didn’t put up any fight either.

Years later, when i did decide i wanted to further my education i was married and had children. I went to evening classes at the local college but that was never going to improve my career prospects. When my marriage failed, i had even more need to gain some qualifications but even less ability to go to a university to get them when i had three boys to feed, clothe, house and keep warm.

I turned to the Open University. I could stay at home, go to work and gain a degree at the same time. It wasn’t easy. Trying to fit study hours in was excruciating at times, but the flexibility of study and the range of study materials and peer/tutor support available was second to none. My first degree, a BSC Hons in Health and Social Care was sort of my introduction to computing that wasn’t being beaten at space invaders by my brother in the late 1980’s. This was in the early 2000’s and was delivered by a combination of online support and snail mail assignment postings.

 

My second degree, an Open BA, was in the 2010’s ish,  and was mainly delivered online.

Graduation Torquay 2014-15

They’ve grown a bit haven’t they!

I am currently three quarters of the way through a Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree with the Open University and it is completely delivered online.

With the increase in technology i have gone from no hoper, straight out of school and into the local factory where her mum worked to a person who can hold her own, live independently and believe in herself and her abilities. I could not have come anywhere near that without the internet and the ability to study at home without racking up tens of thousands of pounds in student fees and living costs.

So the internet is amazing at helping you save money in so many ways.

Have a happy day,

Anita x

 

 

E is for Economics

Day 5 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge

 

According to the British Dictionary the definition of Economics is ‘the social science concerned with the production and consumption of goods and services and the analysis of the commercial activities of a society.’ 

Or to put it in my way, making sure you don’t go broke by buying stuff you can’t afford.

‘It makes sound economic sense’ is a phrase that i have often heard although i will admit to not always adhering to the message.

I’m not going to sit here and preach about what you should or shouldn’t buy, you are the one in control of your purse strings and you are the one who decides whether to open it or keep it shut. But all i am going to ask is that you think before you make that final decision to purchase.

And the only thought that i ask you to consider is the one i mentioned above: Does it make sense?

Particularly if you have to go into debt to be able to afford it.

Look into whether you can afford the repayments. What the interest rate is? How long will you be paying for it? How much will the item have depreciated in value by the time you have paid it off? How much will it cost you in total if you do buy it on credit?

How confident are you that you will still be earning the amount you currently do for the length of the borrowing term?

Will you actually use it? Do you actually need it?

When you have answered these questions, then you will have your answer as to whether it makes sense or not and can make a rational decision whether to sign on the proverbial dotted line, or flash the plastic numerous times, forgetting the purchases almost immediately and then panicking when the bill comes in two months time.

Better still, leave the plastic at home, odds are, if you have to go back to the shop a few days later then the impulse will have passed and more than likely you don’t buy it anyway.

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My dad always told me to live within my means. Earn it first and save up for the big stuff. I’m no hero, i didn’t always do as he said and i learnt from my mistakes.

He also told me to always reverse park into a parking space because you never know what pillock will have blocked you in while you were away from your car. I have always listened to that advice and been thankful for it many, many times.

Maybe i should have listened to his economic advice earlier……

And no, Thomas Jefferson wasn’t my dad…

But my dad was my hero…

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Have a happy day.

Anita x

Reference

British online dictionary, Economics, Available at http://www.dictionary.com/browse/economics?s=t

 

D is for Disposable

Day 4 of the A – Z Blogging Challenge

Today’s society relies far too heavily on the use of disposable items. We are the throwaway society that i talked about on Day One, A is for Action, and it can’t all be solved with the use of Beeswax Wraps no matter how much i love mine.

It’s not just the obvious plastic utensils, paper plates at parties, takeaway containers when we fancy a proper fish and chip supper etc, it is in just about everything we do and everything we use.

We don’t get things mended anymore. It is just so much easier to go and buy a new item to replace one that is broken or torn and yet there is, quite often, so much life left in an item if it’s just given a little bit of TLC.

I am a qualified seamstress. I first used a sewing machine back in my secondary school in the 80’s and have rarely been without one since. I feel bereft when I am without access to one. I know that makes me sound sad. On top of my day job i also take in alterations and repairs for clothing but the value of this occupation has diminished considerably over the last decade or two. Generally, it is not considered as a costly thing to do. I have lost count of the amount of times i have been asked,

‘Can you just replace this zip?’

And i take a look at the pair of jeans. I know how much of the waistband i have to unpick, how many belt loops have to be taken off, how difficult it is to get the old zip out through three rows of stitching without damaging the surrounding fabric, inserting the new zip and then replacing the belt loops individually into the replaced waistband. Oh, and not forgetting that i  am usually expected to go and buy the new zip as well, it is rare that the customer brings one with them so add on the fuel and the time to get to the shops and back. Online shopping is not often particularly good for this type of service, or maybe i’m just too picky…

And so i reply,

‘Yes, i can do that. It will take me about an hour to an hour and a half. I charge £10 an hour plus the cost of the zip which will be around a fiver. So, between £15 and £20. Is that ok?’

And the customer says,

‘Twenty quid? It’s only a zip. I can get a new pair for that!’

And so we have the definition of the disposable society.

It is quite often cheaper to throw it away and buy a new pair of jeans than it is to get the old ones repaired. They go into landfill and the clothing shop owners who make and buy in mega bulk and sell at mega cheap prices are rubbing their hands all the way to the bank.

I’m not saying we should all stop buying from these places, although i do believe that, in some cases, you get what you pay for. Don’t expect a £2.50 T shirt to not shrink in the first couple of washes – my tip, buy a bigger size to account for it, believe me, it will fit perfect after a few spins in the washing machine – but i do think we need to take a bit of time to consider our purchases and what we throw away. Sometimes, just a little bit of thought can save us an awful lot of money.

And it’s amazing what you can do with a pair of old jeans…

 

Have a happy day,

Anita x

B is for Beeswax Wraps

The A to Z Blogging Challenge

A recent discovery in my bid for a more sustainable lifestyle are Beeswax wraps. I am so totally in love with these!

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I take a packed lunch with me every day to work. Quite often this consists of home made soup which i make in batches and freeze in reusable plastic containers that i can then put straight into the microwave. However, when i have had a lazy weekend which involved me not getting around to making said soup i revert to the good old favourite of a sandwich which would then be put into a plastic sandwich bag. This piece of plastic would then go in the bin once i had eaten my lunch. In my hunt for a more planet and purse friendly option i came across these. If looked after properly, they can be reused again and again, they are chemical free and the perfect alternative to cling film, sandwich bags and foil.

What makes them so amazing? They use the heat of your hands to fold around anything, i have recently seen them referred to as ‘self cling fabric’ as well.

And the cleaning? You just wash them in hot soapy water with your normal dishes – not the dishwasher though, that is too hot, and will make the beeswax melt. Similarly, these cannot be used in the microwave (i just bung a plate on top of any bowls etc). It is also recommended that you don’t use them for raw meat because of the risk of contamination through not being able to clean them at an incredibly hot temperature.

 

On my search for these i also looked out how to make them and where to source the ingredients, mainly because i have a fabric stash a mile high that needs to be used up. The ones in the photos are wraps i made myself and when my next delivery of beeswax arrives i will be having some up for sale on my ETSY page and my Facebook page, both of which are called Baby Dreams Stitchery. So keep an eye out here over the next week for some fab designs – don’t you think the Minnie Mouse one is adorable? That particular one is currently sitting in my fridge covering half a tin of mushy peas…but i have a fair bit of that fabric left to make more. I also have some pretty funky vintage Paddington Bear earmarked for this project as well, although i don’t have much of this fabric left so there won’t be very many made.

So, as far as i am concerned, beeswax wraps are the bees knees. They have resulted in a considerable drop in the amount of single use plastic i use in the house (that tin of mushy peas would previously have had a sandwich bag pulled over the top) and my family are gradually nicking the ones i have made faster than i can make them – the ones for Baby Dreams Stitchery will be hidden from their prying eyes and thieving fingers…

For those of you who are vegetarian, it is also possible to get soya wraps which are purported to work in a similar way, but i cannot comment on these as i have not researched them…yet…

Check back tomorrow to discover what my C is going to be in this alphabet challenge and seriously take a look at making the switch to beeswax or soya wraps, i mean, how much clingfilm and how many sandwich bags do you get through in a year????? I bet you’d be horrified if you stopped to work it out.

A quick google search has told me that in 2017 there were 260 official working days in the year… i’ll let you carry on with the math from there as only you know how much single use plastic you use in each lunchbox for your family…

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Feel free to let me know your answer…

And above all,

Have a happy day.

Anita. x

A is for Action

The A to Z Blogging Challenge

Now, since i decided to do this challenge i had chosen to do A is for Anita: a bit about me and why i feel that the time is now to reduce the waste of both resources and money that we, as a society, put out there. But on sitting down to my computer this morning i changed my mind (that’s my prerogative, i’m a girl after all and don’t mind a little bit of stereotyping when it suits me) because it’s not just me that needs to change, we all need to take action. And if it actually helps us in the long run? I would call it a win win. Besides, you will probably learn quite a bit about me in the forthcoming posts throughout this month.

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  I mean, really? Why would anyone do this?

Far too many years ago, when i was but a lass in secondary school, i took a book out of the school library. What is so amazing about that i hear you ask? That is what libraries are for and as a self-confirmed bibliophile it was certainly not an extraordinary experience. What is so amazing is that i can still remember the message this book brought (even though i haven’t a clue now of the title or author, come on, it was over 30 years ago!).

The story was about a couple of time travelling teenagers. They had come back to the 1980’s from the future to try and change the past because the world they lived in was barren and struggling to cope with the residue of the lifestyle in which we lived. The teenagers sought to change opinion of the people they met by their harrowing descriptions of what would happen if their lives of waste continued. But ultimately they failed in their mission. The reason for this? They hadn’t gone back far enough, they had only travelled to the time of the wastage, not the point where they could change it.

I’m not saying it changed me from that moment, there are plenty of people around on this planet that would certainly take great delight in calling me a liar if i did. But it has stayed in my mind. I have felt guilty when i knew that i was wasting stuff that could be used. There are also a great number of people on this planet who know that i am a crafty hoarder of craft related items, with a view to the fact that ‘it could come in handy one day.’ But at the beginning of this year i decided to call a halt to unnecessary spending and wastage. A buy nothing new year and a significant reduction in my use of single use plastics are the ‘Actions’ i have chosen to start with.

I’m not saying you have to do the same.

If you do agree with me and make even just a few small changes to your lifestyles because of the posts i write over the next month that would be great. Let me know how you get on.

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I took this picture in the car park of a local secondary school.

And if you know what that darned book is called or the author then i’d love for you to tell me, it’s been bugging me for weeks!

Above all,

Have a happy day.

Anita x

 

 

 

 

The A to Z Blog Challenge

Have you ever heard of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge?

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Nope?

I hadn’t either until a couple of days ago and then i thought,

‘Well, that might be fun.’

Then i found that the done thing was to not only write a blog post on each day of the month, but it should also revolve around a theme.

‘Oh,’ i thought, ‘that makes it a bit more difficult. Still might be fun though, what theme shall i do?’

And lo, i asked my trusty Facebook friends what they thought would be a good fit for me to theme up a month of blog posts in extremely short notice and the reply was:

‘Crafts.’

I should have guessed that really, most of my Facebook posts are to do with my crafty hobbies. However, while i was on  a thinking roll, i thought again (i was getting a headache by now with all this cogitating) and i figured i could maybe go one step further than that. My crafting these days has centred around a more thrifty, planet, money saving type of focus (as my previous posts have talked about) and so i have decided to construct an A-Z list around this.

Now, apparently it was to be the big theme reveal last week, which obviously i missed because i didn’t know it existed, but never one to let an opportunity slide, i’m going to do one anyway so…

Wait for it….

The Theme for the A-Z April blog challenge is:

Make Do and Mend: Reuse; Recycle and Spend Less.

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This will also incorporate a few crafts along the way, just to keep my hand in like….

There, that was worth waiting for wasn’t it!

Have a happy day.

Anita. x