This is what I found in my handbag this morning thanks to my teenage son. He thought I would have noticed it before going out but nope, there I was ready to get my purse out and oh, there it was, our tv remote control. I wondered what I was going to do with that all day, a useful device some may say if it was programmed to control people. You could turn the volume down on someone if they were talking loud or the noise from the traffic on the road. If someone looked a bit peaky and off colour you could turn their brightness up or turn it down in the middle of a menopausal hot flushy moment.

That got me thinking about the amount of stuff we as women carry around in our handbags, probably a lot of things in there we don't use or have had rattling around for a few years. I know if I swap hand bags or downsize for a night out I end up cursing myself as I've left something in original 'everyday' handbag. 

I am pretty well organised inside my bags. I like everything to have it's own place, I'm not a 'chuck it in' person. I have a make up bag with bits and bobs such as headphones, a pen, anadin extra, and a lipstick in, ya know all those small bits that if let loose they would just sit at the bottom never to be found again. I have my purse, phone and keys which are the three essentials for any bag and a fan for my hot flushes. I have to have an extra card holder for my immense collection of loyalty cards, honestly I have one for every shop. This sometimes gets left behind on bag swap and then it's so annoying when I haven't got it with me and I visit a shop that I require my card for. I have now started to log them into my phone, yes there's an app for that, ha then I've got them with me whatever the bag of the day is. 

It's a big decision when it comes to bags, do you have a big bag and throw everything in or do you go small with the essentials? I've taken to using the bag within a bag which kind of solves that problem. You take your small bag, which acts as am organiser I suppose, pop it in a large bag then you can have everything in including the kitchen sink, then if you are going somewhere which just requires essentials such as purse, phone, keys then just take small bag out of big bag and away you go. Great idea eh? This way you are not forever having to change handbags like I do and forgetting to take your added extra bits with you. 

I do like to use a different bag but that's only because I have so many of them and feel the need to rotate the collection. It also depends on the seasons, my mood, the weather, do I need to carry an umbrella, am I going on a date and needing extra polyfilla, oh I mean make up. I don't think some people realise how important this is. 

There are those people,, and I can't believe I am going to say this but those who do not like handbags!!!! OMG....what???? No handbag. Who are these people? What's more where do they put their stuff? I could not exist without a bag of some sort in my life, even if it's a small bum bag when going on a walk, trouble is I wouldn't be able to fit a tv remote control in there.

I do remember when my bag used to contain baby bumf such as wipes, toys, drinks bottles, then came ipods and DS games consoles, now it's obviously tv remotes. The mind boggles. With the progression of technology these days you'll only need your phone or a watch, not sure what happens with your Tampax but there may be a day when, dare I say it, the bag becomes redundant!!!! Nooooooooooooo, that will never do and I will not let that happen. You can always rely on Tesco for a bag for life and that means life!

I will leave you there wondering if you may have alien objects in your bag and useless pieces of equipment or obviously have a new hobby which entails changing random tv channels on the go.

Thanks for reading, I will be back tomorrow with a Verse for Thursday so join me then.

Take care for now.........

I've been ordering again from 'A Thousand Yellow Daisies'. If you didn't catch my post about my new mug and coaster set I received last month, take a look here for my review a-new-home-for-my-brew.html

If you love crafty bits with nice designs then you need to have a look at this store. I treated myself to a small lined notebook with a marble design on the cover, light and the right size to carry around in my handbag. I always like notebook to write down all important messages and ideas for my blog. Yes I have my phone which I pop notes on too but there's nothing like a pen and paper sometimes. 

I also ordered a handy colouring pack and an activity pack which come complete with postcards, colouring cards, magnets, badges and confetti stickers. These are so neatly packed and so handy to pop in any bag when travelling or on a day trip. They would keep any child busy for a while or an adult. Colouring is good to destress so have a pack handy as you can always find a few minutes for a bit of colouring, sneak a quick colouring session in on a lunch break, you'll feel so much better. 

There are different designs available and a selection of sizes, reasonably priced too so head over to their online store at:
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ATYD?ref=l2-shopheader-name

As an extra special treat for all you 'brewers' here on my blog you get a special 15% discount if you use code ATYD15SL2017 so no excuse, get an order in for that special birthday or dare I say it.......Christmas stocking fillers??? Go on treat yourself. I am an Ambassador for A Thousand Yellow Daisies but I do order my own products so I just enjoy being a part of their projects and passing them on to you.

Thank you so much for reading today, do come back tomorrow for another Verse for Thursday.

Take care for now......

It time to get your needles out again. If you remember I posted back in June about The Big Derby Knit and their plight to hit a target of 200 scarves to donate to a homeless charity in Derby. Here is the original post
knitting-for-charity.html and I'm glad to say they managed not only to hit the target but received many more than expected so not only was it a successful project it was a lot of fun too. 

Well they are at it again with project number 2. This time they are asking everyone to knit twiddle blankets and twiddle muffs for people with Dementia, Alzheimers and those who may be recovering from a stroke. We also think that these blankets would be good for people with Autism too. Basically you knit a lap size blanket and attach different sensory items such as velcro, zips, ribbons, and you can even attach a pocket to hold a photograph in. You can leave flat as a blanket or sew together to form a cylinder to allow people to put there hands inside. 

I have started one blanket to just experiment a bit and knitted with size 9 needles and a super chunky wool, I cast on 50 stitches and just knitted until it reached a nice lap size. I used 3 x 100g balls so thats gives you an idea. I've yet to sew on my bits and bobs but I'm enjoying just messing around and trying different wools. You could crochet too so come on get those needles and hooks a clicking! They need another 200 again. If you would like more information and take a look at some patterns for this project there is a Facebook page at:
www.facebook.com/BigDerbyKnit/

It just feels nice to take part and feel as though I'm helping in some way. These items are proved to have helped patients with Dementia so together we can all help some special people get some well deserved therapy and comfort. I have to be honest I had never seen these before and when I did see what the girls at The Big Derby Knit had planned I instantly wondered whether the blankets would also be good for someone on the Autism Spectrum.

As we know some people with Autism are very tactile and this maybe something they could use at school or in the home. I know my son will always touch, stroke and smell things and I'm actually going to make him one just to see if he likes it. You can personalise them to suit the person so my son's will probably have something to do with trains on there somewhere. With a thick wool it would become slightly weighted as well and a lot of people also like this as comfort. It's worth a try anyway. If you do use one already and it is successful please let me know, I'd be really interested in your views and what you think.

Don't forget knitting is very therapeutic to do. It is relaxing, can reduce your blood pressure and stress so what's to stop you now. You don't have to knit any fancy stitches, just keep it simple unless you want to be creative and push yourself a little. It's a great project for anyone, from beginners to those more experienced, you are in charge of your own little creation so good luck and I'm sure I'll post again to update how the whole thing is going on.

For now though thank you for reading, come back tomorrow for my Verse for Thursday that's if I haven't been blown away by Storm Aileen which I believe is on it's way overnight. 

​Take care everyone and stay safe........

Another love in my life is flowers, I am a qualified Florist and have dabbled in a few bouquets and arrangements in the past. Fresh flowers are beautiful but just recently I've been making up a few wedding bouquets and buttonholes and really enjoying it.

I know what your thinking, artificial flowers are just plastic rubbish and remind you of some horrendous arrangement of dried flowers that an auntie or nan had in their house gathering dust in the corner. No stop thinking that and imagine! Imagine a bouquet or arrangement that looked so realistic you couldn't tell whether it fresh flowers or artificial.

There are a wide range of great quality flowers around now and they do work well as a wedding bouquet. Some people prefer them on their wedding day as they don't like fresh flowers or they may have allergies such as hay fever and don't want to take the risk of a massive sneeze fest or the mascara running on their big day and that's just the men!!

Another reason for choosing artificial flowers is if you have chosen to get married abroad. It is possible to put a whole package of silk flowers together including brides bouquets, bridesmaids bouquets, buttonholes and corsages all boxed up and ready to pop on a plane. How easy is that? No worries of them losing their will to live on the journey over to your destination or wilting in the heat.

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Table decorations are very popular in artificial flowers too as there are a wider range of colours available to choose from so you can get really creative with different ideas and tie in corporate colours for an official company ball or any charity event. Maybe try an artificial arrangement on a reception or desk, this could be easier on the finances as you won't have to replace them so often. Its a bit like the Christmas tree debate, do you have a fresh one and watch all the needles drop off? Can be a bit messy, although I always contemplate going for a real tree every year and then revert back to my artificial one as it's just easier.

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This bouquet just shows you how crazy you can go with colour. Bright coloured Gerbera's in yellow, orange, and pink with a green handle, I mean who would have thought of putting these colours together? You can keep you wedding bouquet forever with artificial flowers, wrap it up and put it away with the dress. It's a memory and you get to treasure it for the years to come. 

So have I convinced you that going artificial has it's advantages? They're not grotty anymore and the possibilities for arrangements are endless. I know a good florist if you fancy trying them. I will feature some more arrangements again but for now thank you for taking a look and having a read today.

I will be back tomorrow with A Verse for Thursday.

​Take care till then.........