Hair Transformation

This year I decided to buy myself a Christmas present.  As I don't go to the hairdresser's often (my usual routine is get it cut to the jaw/shoulder, then let grow for 2-3 years before cutting again.  No point wasting money in between on trims...) I will get my hair done as I have always wanted it.

Well, always is a bit strong because though I have always wanted the colour, how that colour would be applied has changed.  When I was a teen, I wanted jet black hair, but with a purple sheen.  I never died my hair then, because I was a 'good girl'.  It was against the school rules, and wouldn't look good when going to university open days.  When at uni, I wanted to go a more vibrant purple, but again, I didn't because it wouldn't look good when going to job interviews.  In my job, I would have liked to go purple, but again, it would not look very professional.  So I never dyed my hair.

After I quit work (to become a SAHM, and then later when HEing), I thought about it again, and when I turned 30yo I got my friend to dye my hair for me.  As my hair is naturally very dark, it needed bleaching to within an inch of its life.  Unfortunately, I have a lot of red pigment in my hair, so rather than a nice white-blonde, my hair turned decidedly 'lion mane'.  Not to worry, as I was putting purple over the top.  However, it turned out that we hadn't got the hair white enough, so the purple came up very very dark.  More like the black with purple sheen I had wanted in my youth.  Not only that, the colour barely lasted a fortnight before needing to be redone, and redone and redone.  If you haven't gathered by now, I'm not a girly girl.  I'm not high maintenance.  I can't be arsed to spend all that time and money on myself.  So eventually I dyed it brown again.

Fast forward a few years, and I've been wanting to dye my hair again.  I've been getting recommendations from friends (and random people on the street with bright hair!) as to where to go.  I finally decided to travel to Swindon to get it done by Sharon Rewston and I'm not disappointed.  Even though it cost a lot of money (to me, that is, given I don't get my hair trimmed due to the cost!) I am very, very pleased and can say it was well worth it.  And eight hours sat in the chair, with a hair dresser that was happy to let me read, rather than make small talk (thank you!), meant I finished a brilliant book, that I'll review in the next few days. A full head of foils is heavy!  I swear there must have been a whole roll or two of foil on my head, lol. It turns out, that my virgin hair can actually get quite white with the right bleach, but it's the previously dyed ends that make me look like a lion.  And nobody realised how long my hair was (almost everybody, including my husband, thought the first picture was DD1!), because I always wore it tied up in a tight, but messy, bun.

So yes, I'm happy.  Having only had it done on Monday, I don't know yet how it'll fade, but fingers crossed it'll last a good 6+ weeks, and I have the last of the pink dye to mix with my conditioner in order to refresh it. I have had so many compliments, from friends and strangers, I'm wondering why I had never done it earlier?  Not only that, even my mum thinks it looks lovely! 💖

Weekly Update No50

I've nearly completed the year! Wahoo!

That means it's nearly Christmas, and since it is December, I am eating mince pies again.  That may (or may not - for those who haven't read my previous blog post, and the FB post that prompted it, you may [or may not!] realise 'may' is a modal verb that denotes possibility not fact) have something to do with my weight going up and the graph looking bumpy again.  Or it may be that the earth's gravity field is stronger every December, so people's weight is heavier when their mass is the same - who knows? (Ignoring the fact that weight and mass are different, and mass is measured in kilos, not weight, but I'm using convention of measuring weight in kilos not Newtons.  Argh! When people are all pinickity [which I've just googled and apparently I should be using pernickety or finickity] and I'm trying to write as clearly as possible, explaining as much as possible it gets all convoluted and complicated. Gah!)

Nothing else really to report, though.  I'm still tracking my weight and most of my calories... I'm not exercising atm as fates have deemed that there are no Fridays that I can do until the New Year.  Despite that, though, I have managed to change my appearance somewhat, but I'll share that in tomorrow's blog.

People are funny

...weird, that is, not funny haha.  Though I am laughing about it all.  Luckily I'm in a good place mentally, so I can laugh about it; otherwise I fear what it would have done to my mental health.

In this blog I have posted much about my life, on lots of different topics.  I know I swerve from 'the norm' on some things - I'm a Christian, I home educate, I consider myself a naturist, and most recently I voted against the winners of the general election.  Within this blog, though I generally use it for book reviews and for tracking my failure to lose weight, I have posted the occasional more controversial topic.  Yet, it is a post that I thought was pretty middle of the road that has caused a bigger reaction than I expected!

I posted this directly on my Facebook Page in response to the result of the election.  I admit that my tongue was in my cheek when I suggested that the electorate were stupid, selfish or both, but did use the qualifier 'may' and pointed out that it's an opinion not a fact.
The rest of the post, however, was talking about how to help people in the coming days, months and years because I think a Tory government is not good for society, and does not have people's (especially poor people's) best interests at heart.
Finally, as I get prompted by FB on every post I write, I thought this may be a relevant one to actually add a donate button to.  I don't know you, I am not telling you you must donate, I am not saying reading my blog is on the condition of donating, but is something you could choose to do should you wish.  I chose the Trussell Trust because it is an organisation that has food banks nationally around the country.  I could have chosen a food bank that was local to me, but given that I know I have readers all around the country, and indeed around the world, I figured they wouldn't care about a food bank in my little town.

At time of writing, this post on FB has currently got 114 reactions (yey!), 57 comments, and 17 shares!  I naively thought that if people didn't like what I had to say (though as I've said, I didn't think it was controversial) they'd just scroll past and ignore.  There's so much that comes up on my FB newsfeed, that even from pages that I usually like, there is the odd post that doesn't resonate so I simply move on.  If it's a page I haven't 'liked' on FB, unless there was something absolutely ridiculous and needs refuting, if I don't agree with a post I'll either scroll past or at worst, hide it from my newsfeed.

You can probably tell where I'm going with this!  when I woke up Saturday morning, I was surprised to see that I had upset someone by choosing the Trussell Trust to donate to.  In that thread of conversation I was repeatedly told "you really are an idiot"; a different person said "coming to your page with insults, you started your diatribe with the very same insults, because you and millions of other moaners lost an election."  though in an interesting twist these two people then started arguing with each other.  Other comments, in response to my post: "Accept the result and stop preaching to the rest of us. You come across narrow minded, judgemental and bigoted."  being a Christian, I've sat in my fair share of sermons, and reckon I could preach with the best of them; this wasn't it.  Here I was just trying to suggest that people are kind to each other - clearly I failed! Finally (again, at point of writing), I'm told "You are stupid and selfish." Not one to normally boast, but having a Masters degree in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford (and I do have friends who read this blog, who were at uni with me - I'm not lying), I can categorically say I am not stupid.  I may not understand some things, or may lack knowledge in certain areas, but I hold my hands up and am honest if that is the case.  Similarly, I don't think I'm selfish [often. I think everyone, including me, is selfish at times.  I try my best to override that part of myself, and with God's help, I can manage it sometimes], nor do I think it selfish of me to say that we should be kind and love one another.  Surely that's common sense and part of being a good person?

Oh well, you live and learn.  People are funny weird, and I can laugh at it all.

Edited to add some more comments:
Very funny! Begging for our money to line your own pocket, just like many others! Try working for your money like we do!  As much as I wish I was paid for writing my opinions, I'm not, so receive all this abuse for free.
 if you want people to be kind how about giving it a go your self!   In reaction to not understanding the words 'may' or 'just an opinion'.
Your post insults a lot of hard working, decent people   Other than a tongue in cheek comment, that already has been clarified, I fail to see where I have insulted people, but suggesting a few things.

Oh well, you can't please everyone!

The Forgotten Girls by Alexa Steele

Going through the books on my kindle that I haven't read yet (regular readers of my blog will know that I had over 600 books, and am now down to around 500) I decided to read this one yet, not knowing anything about it other than the title.  As has been known to happen on more than one occasion, ahem, I got hooked and ended up buying the rest of the series...

I will insert a Trigger Warning here: the main character of the books works for the Sexual Victims Unit - as such, the theme of these books is sexual violence against girls and women.

The blurb for The Forgotten Girls says:

In an elite suburb of New York City, girls are dying. That doesn’t happen in Greenvale, with its immaculate lawns, exclusive yacht clubs and multi-million dollar mansions. But behind its perfect façade, its trimmed hedges and luxury cars, a darkness lies. Girls, dependent on Adderall, outmaneuver each other to get into top colleges, while the mothers’ need to live vicariously only makes it worse.
Bella DeFranco is one of the Bronx’s top SVU detectives. At only 37, she disarms everyone with her stunning good looks, yet she is as tough as most men—and a lot smarter, too. Yet when is summoned to Greenvale, she finds herself getting lost in a case that even she can’t comprehend. She stumbles into a land of secrets, a place where husbands hide their pasts from their wives, where friends are not what they seem, and where no one wants to know too much. As she digs deeper into layers of suburban dysfunction, she comes to learn that, behind all the fake smiles, there is a subtle violence--rivaling even her crime-ridden streets of the Bronx.
With a killer on the loose, time running out, and a new partner who never recovered from his washed-up alcoholic days, the odds are stacked against Bella. She is determined, though, to save these girls, whatever the cost. Yet as she gets close, the depth of psychosis she discovers shocks even her….

When I read this book, I immediately related to Bella - not least because I also have stunning good looks and am smarter than most men...  No, what I liked was her determination, drive and ambition.  She squirrels away, determine to find the truth and bring justice for the girls.

In the second and third books of the series, the investigations are stand-alone but the character of Bella and her partner Mack develop. You learn that something happened to Bella in her childhood that is the reason why she works so hard for the SVU, but it doesn't go into details.

I read the whole series in less than a week, it was that riveting.  Alexa Steele really knows how to pull you into a story.  You enter their world and get caught up into the lives of the rich and exclusive, and the seedy and violent dark side.  At the end of the 3rd book, it does say that there will be a 4th book at some point. I hope it's soon!

Love Me Darling by Laura Burton

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review

This was my favourite of the Love Me series, not least because it involved all the couples from the previous books, but because Laura is back to her best, writing straightforward cozy romance.

Love Me Darling is a festive romp, in the days leading up to Christmas, between Lottie and Lucas.  Lottie has fancied the pants off Lucas, like, forever, and Lucas has recently started seeing Lottie in a new light, rather than the little kid he has known for years. 

The blurb says:

A short Christmas romance to warm your heart this winter.
Lottie: I hate Christmas.
The LED lights give me a headache.
I can't sing. And I get sick. Every. Single. Year.
This year is the worst. My Nan is practically on her deathbed and has planned for the biggest Christmas party this world has ever seen. Everyone will be there. Lucas Green is invited. My childhood crush. The guy I've been stuck in the friend zone for years. This is my last chance to get him to notice me. But how do I stop looking like an idiot with all the Christmas cheese at every turn?
Lucas: It's the best time of year.
Business is booming.
Ada's about to give birth any day now.
The town is full of cheer. And Lottie is coming home for the holidays.
This is it. The year I finally make a move. Otherwise, I think Ada will kill me. Problem is, every time I see her, my legs turn to jelly and I act like a total idiot. I need to woo her with lots of Christmas surprises. I mean, who doesn't love Christmas? Nothing can go wrong.

An adorable Christmas story including all of the couples from the 'Love Me' series. Laughter, tear-jerking moments and swoon-worthy romance all wrapped up in Christmas gift wrap. A British Christmas romance suitable for all ages.

 As we're coming up to Christmas in real life, I'm feeling all festive anyway, and was looking for an easy-to-read story that will get me in the Christmas spirit, and this was it.  Yes it is predictable, but it all worked out in the end and that is exactly what you want from a book like this.  I love made-for-TV Christmas movies (it's a December tradition that I aim for one a day in the run up to Christmas), and I can easily imagine this story being made into a film.  It would fit right in amongst the other Christmas romances on the small screen.

As always, the story is well written by Laura, and immediately sucks you into their world.  It took me just over 24hours to read the book, which given how busy this time of year is (and by busy I include the time I spend watching Christmas films!) is a testament to the fact I couldn't put it down.  Other than a couple of clunky sentences (which stood out in contrast to the usual high standard of Laura's work), it was very easy to read.

I would recommend to anyone wanting a festive romance this year.  Though it is the conclusion of the Love Me series, it is a stand alone book.  There are some references to the characters from the previous stories, so though you don't have to read them first, to see them in greater depth, read them too!

Weekly Update No49

My weight started to decrease this week!  Well, until I had a binge day on Sunday, and accidentally ate too much today, but the graph is still looking good.

I need to empty the freezers as we're coming up to Christmas, and I have a lot of frozen fruit and veg, so I plan to make smoothies for lunch the next few days.  Even with almond milk (I sometimes make water-based ones, but have some milk to use up), they should be a 'good' number of calories, and filling too.

However, as it is the Christmas season, I have a few meals out, drinks etc planned.  On Friday, there's a Presents and Puddings evening with ladies from my church.  We'll all be round a friend's house, sharing various desserts, and having a Secret Santa gift swap game (where you can 'steal' someone else's present, but similarly, yours can also be 'stolen').  Then Saturday I'm going to London to have lunch (and a few drinks!) with girls from uni.  I last saw them in September, so it'll be good to see them again.

Weekly Update No48

Oooh, it's been a full week since I last posted,  I can't remember the last time that happened (holidays excepting).  Actually, it's been longer, as I'm two days late posting this.  Oh well.

I have kept up tracking for a second week!
My average has stabilised, and my weight has flattened out.  Considering we're coming up to Christmas, and I'm not stopping what I'm eating, it's no bad thing that it has.  Now it's December, I'm watching Christmas films and eating mince pies; enjoying myself, but tracking.

I probably should try and do something to kick-start the weightloss again.  Even if I lose weight one week and stabilise the next, over time I could lose a lot of weight, and that is a good thing.