Handbag Personalities

You should never look in a woman's handbag, right?
Well, that shouldn't be a general rule any more, because you can tell an awful lot about a person through the contents of their handbag.

After reading a couple of blogs on the contents of handbags, I've come to the conclusion that there are four main types of people, and it's all to do with the state of their handbags:

The Compartmentalists.
If you have a nose through these people's handbags, you'll find that everything has its place. They may even have a bag organiser. They generally have bags filled with compartments, and every compartment is utilised. Tissues in one pocket, pens in another, phone in the phone pocket and an organiser wherever it will fit. If there aren't enough pockets in the bag, there will be even smaller bags inside. Sometimes they put tupperware in too.

These people are meticuously organised. They probably hoover on a daily basis and arrive early to everything. Treat with care.

The Interchangers.
Have a peep inside their bag and it'll look like everyone elses, only with less stuff in. Why? Because every day these lot will chop and change their items according to their needs. On a rainy day, when they're ill, they will have an umbrella. paracetamol, tissues and other pharmaceuticals along with the essential keys, phone, purse and lip balm combo in a leather number. But see their bag on a sunny day and it'll be a lighter material, with sunglasses, sun lotion, water and anything else they think they'll need.

Super-organised to the point of being a bit weird and practical, these people do everything they're meant to be doing and always seem to be on top of stuff.

The Mary Poppinses.
If there's one way to tell who is a Mary Poppins, it's their bag. It will be messy, disorganised and big. But everything has a reason to be there. My sister is one of these, and you can tell by the amount of 'just in case' items that she has; tissues, coffee sachets, paracetamol, plasters, batteries, hay fever tablets and a mutitude of pens all have a place in her bag, even when no-one is ill and she doesn't have her camera.

This group are pretty much your saviour when you need something a bit weird. Don't have any tweezers? not a problem (though they may not have a kitchen sink in there). They're not so organised so may be rummaging for a while, but they'll get there. Their bags are also so big that you can put your extra stuff in theirs if you need to.

The Hoarders.
Can be mistaken for Mary Poppinses. But you'll know when you have a good look in their bag that they are not what they seem. Empty paracetamol packets and sweet wrappers sit at the bottom of their bag, right next to a small fire's worth of receipts. This lot are notorious for not chucking things out of their bag, so may have random items like Happy Meal toys and leaflets.

If you live with this handbag type, you'll soon know about it. They probably don't take the bins out very often and have items strewn over most surfaces. One good thing? They could have stuff that you need in there too, though whether that's on purpose or an accident you will never know.

The Pocketers.
In other words, men. Or women who are just going to the local shop. This group are travel-light most of the time. They'll carry only the essentials; keys, wallet/purse, phone... and maybe a pack of chewing gum. Easy to spot due to their loss of bag.

They're very laid back, and don't see the point in carrying things around so may also be a tad lazy. But they do always have free hands, which come in useful when you're too busy holding your own bags.

And me? I'm an interchanger - Every night I change my bag and its contents for the following day. It depends on weather, what I'm doing, how far I'm walking and how I'm feeling. Here's my bag contents:

This lot covers nearly every eventuality: I've left my sunglasses at home-home because I'm an idiot.
Essentials: Purse, keys, phone, microgynon, brush, mirror, headache cure, hand sanitiser, lip balm, lipstick x2, water, hair tie, pen (and most of these go in the little black bag)
Not so essential: Diary, tissues, umbrella, batteries (why?), other cards (this includes my trusty railcard and my Waterstones card), and my sunglasses, when I have them.

Which type are you?

A Titanic Mistake

Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. And, as I am currently living in Southampton, I feel totally justified in writing about it.

Over the last few weeks, I have watched the film and the TV series, I have gazed at the memorial and I have talked about the tragedy... a lot. And you know what I found out today? A lot of people didn't even know that it was a real event. It actually disgusts me that someone has obviously known about the film/ TV series, has maybe even watched them, and didn't think to find out if it was true. And anyway, aren't all the best stories based on reality in some form or another?

Nothing gets me upset more than a hugely irresponsible loss of life, and I think that the Titanic is an excellent example of this. Despite several ice warnings, the ship continued to go ahead at full speed, with the lookouts missing their binoculars. Not too long ago, I walked along the an outdoor exhibit of Titanic's boat deck and was shocked to read the number of people in the life boats as opposed to their capacity. Some didn't even carry half of their full capacity. About 2224 people were on board at the time, and only 710 survived. Over 1500 people died that night, including a good few prominent figures.

I thank God that so many enquiries were carried out after the Titanic sank. New maritime regulations were put in place afterwards that I am sure will make us sleep easier if we embark on a ship any time soon. But there are still problems in the ship world. I'm sure we all remember the Concordia capsizing off the west coast of Italy in January this year.

So I think now is the time to remind ourselves of the people who lost their lives 100 years ago, and to pay our homage to those people who have kept the events alive.

Tomorrow, Titanic will sink again. But this time it will only be on our screens and in our hearts.

Officially a household name.. ish

This may sound pretty silly. It may even sound a little too enthusiastic.
But I don't care, it needs to be shared... everywhere!

I am officially in a magazine. And not just any magazine, my favourite magazine: Company magazine.
Ok, so it's just a little tweet I did to them for their Twitter book club #readitandtweet, but still, it's a start. I feel like I am on my way to magazine journlismness. Seriously though, I am right there. Bottom, left-hand corner on page 95. Me, my tweet, recommending my favourite author.

Go me.

Just Getting on With It

Every now and again, I have a down day/ weekend/ week. I think everyone does.
My sister had it recently, when she had a bad meeting for her dissertation. Her tutor decided to tell her that she hadn't done nearly enough work in a pretty bad fashion. My sister was rather upset about it all.

But you know what? After a good, long talk about the matter, we decided that I would be her new tutor. What Stacey needed was a little bit of helpful guidance and some weekly targets to help her along. She needed a pep talk from her boyfriend (which she got) and she needed someone to turn around a tell her that she was doing well, instead of telling her something bad.

As a result of these pep talks, she picked herself up, dusted herself off and wrote a week-by-week plan of what she was going to do for her dissertation. Now she has aims, she has already completed nearly 8000 words of her 10,000 word dissertation. Considering she was on about 3500 two weeks ago, I would say that's a pretty sizable chunk done. I am proud.

So now it's my turn for the down-ness as I find myself slowly drowning in a torrent of work, with six pressing issues and six more that will be pressing soon. I've made myself a schedule, but it seems a little impossible to me. And just when I begin to get really bad, I remember that actually it's not the end of the world.

I am using my sister as an example, and she reminds me that you can do something that seems impossible if you work hard enough.

Maybe by next week all those pressing issues will be gone.

At least, that's the hope.

Lazy Days

Usually, I can't stand being lazy. I get upset if I stay in bed til after 10, even though I have nothing better to do til  3pm. i am personally affronted if I have left my room in a state (this means rough around the edges to every normal human being). I get annoyed at peple who don't take bins out, or don't wash up straight after they've eaten, or don't pick up dirty clothes off the floor. God only knows what will happen when I move in with my boyfriend.. he is rather prone to being lazy. We may need a rotor.

Yes, I'm serious.

I also enjoy making lists so that I remember what I'm meant to be doing with my time, just in case I forget. In fact, I love lists. And useful space saving techniques, like putting all your pens in a pot on your desk so they're easier to find. I once noticed my sister didn't have one, so I made her one. Let's just call me an obsessive cleaner and organiser.

So yes, I do not like lazy. And yet today I am finding that lazy is a good thing.

I haven't gone so far as to stay in my PJ's all day, but I have put on tracksuit bottoms and a cosy jumper, instead of my usual jeans and top combo.

Instead of sitting at my overladen desk, I have opted not to bother cleaning it and to snuggle up on my bed with the laptop instead.

I haven't been outside, even though yesterday I was determined to go into uni to do work.

 Some things will never change. The list is still right next to me and I have actually done work today. But today I learnt a valuable lesson:

You don't have to be active to be proactive.

Feel the Happy

Recently it seems like everyone around me is a grumpy old sod. 

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and while I know we brits don't celebrate it anywhere near as fervently as the Americans do, I was sad to see so many people calling it 'just another day on the calendar' or 'another excuse for the shops to get money out of us'. My first thought is that they all must be resentful of the couples who are celebrating it, but shockingly quiet a few were happily coupled up. So then I had to wonder why exactly they couldn't just celebrate Valentine's day as the one day in the year where you will find people walking around with giant heart-shaped balloons or have a stack of roses anonymously delivered to your door. It's not like romance is dead or anything.

Personally, I think this severe lack of joy is a serious problem. And it got me into thinking of a few ways to combat the hate and hostility towards what I see as a perfectly innocent little day that would never purposefully try to hurt anyone.

As of now, ladies and gentlemen of the United Kingdom of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, you all should adhere to the following rules to ensure the love is spread evenly across the surface of our little spot on earth:

1. Smile. All the time. At people who you dont' know. At people who look particularly grumpy. Because when you smile at them it will guarantee to brighten up their day a little bit.

2. Be nice to everyone. Open doors, say your pleases and thank yous and if you're in no hurry, why not let that poor, ruffled young man slip before you in the queue, because you can bet he'll be really grateful.

3. Do a good deed once a day (at least). Yes, even if it's quickly running to the shops for your sister because she has a stomach ache.

4. Play happy music quietly. Let it seep into their consciousness. Before they know it they'll be whistling 'Singin' in the Rain' and feel happier.

5. Tell your loved ones you care. Nothing says happy like a few words and a cuddle.

With any luck your entire community will be grinning like fools by the end of the week, and you'll feel good about yourself too. Let this guy be your guide:

Dementia and the NHS

(2011)

All over the world, Dementia sufferer numbers are rising at a worryingly fast rate. Kyra O’Reilly investigates how this could affect the NHS and the public’s future.

According to a recent report from Dementia UK, there are currently 750,000 people in the UK with dementia, two thirds of which are women. And this number is rising.

 It has been estimated that by 2021 that number will increase to 940,000 and by 2051 that number will have escalated to a staggering 1.7 million.

By that time, many people who are currently in their 20s could be at huge risk of this incurable condition.

With these figures, the question is; how will this affect our healthcare system?

Dementia is a psychiatric syndrome that causes severe memory loss, as well as causing a decline in normal brain functions like language, judgement and understanding.

The most common form of Dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which 62% of dementia sufferers have. However, there are several other kinds, including vascular dementia, Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Fears for the future

Experts are concerned the NHS and care homes alike will not be able to cope with the rising number of cases due to recent figures released by Dementia UK.

Currently, there are many jobs at risk in the NHS, including doctors and nurses. With the NHS in danger of being the next to face monumental spending cuts, this number of frontline staff could drop perilously low.

The NHS has taken a hit in the past year already, with staff having a pay freeze and wards closing in several areas.

Mary*, a senior staff nurse, said: “The pay freeze is the government yet again kicking us nurses [when we’re down].

‘We always take a low [pay] raise anyway and they feel they are safe to do this as nurses very rarely strike- we are humane.

There are not enough staff in the wards and nursing homes at the moment and experts feel that this urgently needs to be addressed by the NHS and the public, as dementia can be dangerous in certain circumstances.

For example, if a sufferer spills a drink and then forgets it, they could slip over and injure themselves. If there are too few staff, something this simple can easily be missed.

In the future, experts foresee the decline of dementia wards and care homes, with relatives replacing the carers who were properly trained because the ratio of staff to patients is too low.

They also predict the deterioration of dementia healthcare in the NHS simply because there is not enough nursing staff or people willing to study for these positions.

Richard Sharples, a specialist doctor in older persons mental health, said: “There is an urgent need for better care of patients who are in hospitals. There needs to be urgent thinking and research into better ways of providing social care.”

It appears that it is up to the public need to get involved in order to make sure that their care is in safe hands as the outlook is currently not a positive one.

Plans for improvement

Mary had many ideas on how NHS care could be improved. She said: “With Dementia care in particular I would set up homes that really do care and treat people as if it was their home.”

She talked about a recent documentary that showed such a home, where the staff did everything with the dementia sufferers that they would do in a normal home. For example, they would help them do the washing, cooking and cleaning.

 

The staff loved their jobs, so they didn’t leave and had great morale. However, there was a waiting list to get in.

“I believe all homes should be like this in the future. Also, I feel more money could go into dementia research and see if we can detect early and find earlier treatments that are effective,” Mary said.

“[In the future], capital investment into the provision of wards that are ‘fit for purpose’ is likely to drop. The number of staff to patient ratio may not be adequately maintained. Medical cover is being stretched more thinly and will continue to do so,” said Richard.

“Treatment and suitable help for those with dementia is possible for the future. But this needs to be thought about now, rather than later, if it is to be done all over the UK and funded adequately.”

Roll on 2012

So, it's a new year. But this time there's something very special about it. Forget about the dismal end of the world theories, I am talking about bigger and better things.

The Olympic games are coming to the UK again after 64 years, and guess what? I'm going! Years later, I can say to my grandchildren that I was there. And I'm seeing possibly the most famous event of all : the athletics. Of course, the Paralympic games are also coming to the UK, so I can't wait for both. It will no doubt be an exciting time for anyone living here.

The Queen is having her diamond Jubilee, and of course us Brits get a four-day-weekend to celebrate in style. Everyone will be encouraged to have lunch with their neighbours that day, which is rather sweet. I only wish that we had another Royal Wedding too, just to put a little more limelight on the UK.

There are going to be lots of music and arts festivals around to showcase the amazing talent we have to offer. Needless to say, our tourist industry will be booming, and our products will be much better.

As for my year personally, I am finishing University and graduating in November.

It's an important year, and I hope we live it to the full. That's my New Year's Resolution.

Good Hauls

So, Christmas is over, and I can safely say it's been the best year yet for wanted presents. Not one present was wrong for me. In fact, so many were right that I daresay the Amazon wishlist has worked a treat.

Here are some excellent examples of what I had, and I am SO happy with them.

Avon Double Sided Necklace

Back and white dress with lace top and bandage skirt (apologies for the black lacy number behind it)

Front Cover Nail Polish Set - Metallics Collection

Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (DVD), American Anthems 2 (CD) and Thumbelina, not pictured

Joanne Harris - Sleep Pale Sister, Carlos Ruiz Zafon - The Mignight Palace, Bram Stoker - Dracula

 Babyliss Big Hair

 Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps (blue with gold stars)

 Canon EFS 60mm f/ 2.8 Macro Lens, Tripod

 Lilac Pashmina Scarf

Red Sequinned Clutch Bag with Wrist Strap

Getting in the Spirit (no, not THAT kind of spirit)

Yes people, it's Christmas. The geese are getting so big that they can't waddle any more and people have started singing at us once again.

This year, I am getting more and more excited about the beautiful possibilities of the holiday. For one thing, I can't wait to get back to the family and enjoy their racous celebrations (even the inevitable board games and the uncle who got so drunk last year that we had to put him to bed, crying about how lovely we all were).
...Of course the presents are always a bonus, but what I really want to see is the look on my sister's face when she opens this one present... I can't say what it is though, because she might read it.

This year, I have discovered the brilliance of Amazon wishlists. Well, ok, I didn't, but I found out about them and now I can't stop counting how many gifts I have recieved, as well as browsing the site for more bargains to get in the future.

Anyway, this time of year is all about being happy and singing along to those god-awful Christmas tunes ('Mistletoe and Wine' anyone?). So I think we should all get in the spirit, whether it is sitting in a pile of shredded newspaper with your sister and making paper chains (yeah, we did that), making your own Chirstmas cards or buying so much ribbon your presents look like they've taken style tips from Ronald McDonald.We should all do our bit to make this Christmas just a little bit more special.

PS: Sparkle is totally in.. don't forget to cover everything with it.

Epic German Christmas Markets