Sunday with a Sassy Shopaholic: Lidl and Ali Express

This week, I was using some of my favourite mascara, Kiko Luxurious Lashes Waterproof Mascara and noticed, as I always do, how hard it is to remove. I usually use Byphasse Micellar Water which I love because it’s great for sensitive skin and does not itritate my eyes. I was searching for a two phase one. Then, I spied the Two Phase Makeup Renover by Cien. I’ve never used it and it seems like it’s a new product. I’ll let you know what I thought when I have had a chance to review it.

The thing I am really excited to tell you is that I have finally started my wedding shopping! AliExpress have EVERYTHING you could ever want, and so I looked there. I bought a fun kit for a hen night as well as some cute heart-shaped confetti and artifical rose heads. I was searching the artificial flowers seaction for the bouquet but did not buy it yet.

There are a lot of very pretty things out there. No photos I’m afraid, I prefer to keep them for other posts before, and on, the special day.

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World Prematurity Day 2018

Today I was wondering what to blog about then I remembered it is World Prematurity Day.  I’ve been blogging today for years ever since I was aware that the day was celebrated. I myself was born 11 weeks premature, in week 29. I was a twin. My sister Natalie and I both weighed 2lbs 6oz (1 kg 8 grams) and we were born in December but were meant to be born in March.

This particular World Prematurity Day, I am still adding to my NaNoWriMo project despite having reached the goal because I want the “badge” for 30 days of writing updates.

With it being the day it is today, my thoughts have turned to my memoir and my struggles with that. I have a lot to say, it’s just that the information from the early days and weeks is a bit hazy. Over the years, I have tried talking to family but it is not a subject that is readily talked about in my family.

I’ve always been pretty open about what I know about my birth and Natalie’s and about the fact that I miss her every day. In terms of my memoir, I’m including what I feel happy for people to know. It would be nice to know more but I don’t and I have learnt to live with that and with the knowledge that, despite being born weighing as much as a bag of sugar I have come a long way and done, and will do, so much in my life.

SEE MY PREMATURITY STORY- CLICK HERE

NaNoWriMo update: I Reached 50K

I reached my target of 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo. My 6th event and I’m still planning to add to my total until the end of the month. If you are doing NaNoWriMo, I wish you the best of luck. There’s still time to get more words in!

NaNoWriMo Update: 40K. 10K left

I’m still going with NaNoWriMo and have reached 40,000 words. 10,000 more to go to hit the minimum 50K. 

Hit a plots standstill so stopped to brainstorm. More dictating  words tomorrow. 

So if you are in a rut, stop to plan. Your book will thank you for it.

Hosting on Twitter was really fun

For the past week, I have hosted the @WeAreDisabled Twitter account.

I went into it not sure of what to do. I had my questions and they were answered before I took over. I thought, what would people want to hear about? The answer was just to get to know me.

So, I posted links to my blogs as well as writing project updates. For those of you wondering, I’m 32K into my 50,000 word manuscript for NaNoWriMo and I finished the last 5 chapters of my fiction manuscript which was a Camp NaNoWriMo project in 2015.

I did post some disability-related tweets and some life-related ones. I have decided tomorrow will be my first meeting about my wedding dress (I have found some gorgeous styles online).

If you follow me here on my blog, you will see my updates about that. I did a book review of Sarah Simpson’s  Who I Am which is a great book if you like twisty thrillers. I’m on the blog tour for it tomorrow.

I also got in some online shopping for wedding things which I will detail in another post.

Finally, thanks to Julia at We Are Disabled for this hosting opportunity, It was an amazing experience. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks everyone for all the likes, retweets and mentions, too.

Control Problems on Invare G90A Joystick

This weekend has been good but also frustrating because from yesterday afternoon my powerchair has been out of action. The chair is an Invacare TDXSP2 NB (Narrow Base) chair. 

I’ve contacted the technician and am hoping he can help. After 2 years 5 months with the chair, I love it. Except now I can’t use it. 

I made this video to illustrate what’s wrong.The control is a G90A joystick. 

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This is the first control I’ve had on the chair and it is controlled by others much of the time because I don’t have much strength in my hands arms and fingers. I’m looking at alternate controls but what’s going on with it  is still annoying. 

2 Chapters to Go For Family Ties

In 2015, I started drafting my fiction novel, Family Ties. 2 drafts and 3 years later, I finally like it enough to consider sending it to publishers. 

Today I dictated 3,000 words and so that’s another chapter done.  More news- the copy of A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult that I have been waiting for since dad ordered it for me in March arrived today. 

I love the cover, it’s really soft and feels almost handmade. Beautiful design too. 

I’ve already listened to the eARC which the publisher sent but wanted this as a physical copy for my shelves. 

I’m hosting the We Are Disabled Twitter account until next Monday night and it is my first time doing so. It’s fun and I wanted to do something different.