Admit defeat And Move On

Sometimes you have to do things for yourself and sometimes admit defeat and move on. I was on substack but it takes a while to get people to follow and I like people being able to read my content for free. After doing some research, I found that if you don't have a paid subscription on substack your posts don't get noticed as much. So Here I am back where I started and should have been. My content varies as I want to write about different things. A blog post about my writing, decorating and money.

I think it's because when I write on my blog I'm writing for my own enjoyment, instead of worrying about whether the content I'm writing is suitable for certain platforms. I deactivated my Bluesky. I just don't get the same enjoyment as I did on twitter. Don't know what it is but change is good.

Been writing a new police drama and I think this one is what I need to keep myself on track.

It's an easier story to write. My other ones are complex and have many different characters. I have to world build 2 of them.

Can't believe it's July! Got to start Christmas shopping and doing some stuff around the house as I might have my operation soon. I want to post what I'm doing like decorating and sorting out my planners.

So when you feel down and something isn't sitting right. Change it! Change is good for the soul. It will push our limits and make us walk a different path and that's ok.

Keep going but sometimes things just need to be dusted off and moved around for a whole new perspective.

Sara

Christmas Shouldn’’t Be A Hassle!

Yes I'm afraid it's time to tell you that Christmas will soon be upon us. So I am starting early.

The days I used to sit as a child, thinking about all the beautiful things at Christmas. Now as an adult and parent sometimes I cannot wait for it to be over! I didn't realise the planning and preparation you have to do.

I love the evening of Christmas day, when everything is done and I can sit down; watch Christmas movies, eat leftovers and relax. What could be better than that? 

Well if I really started planning early then I wouldn't be so fed up and feel like Christmas is just a hassle instead of just enjoying the holidays.

I came up with an idea that would help me, so I decided to share the wealth of being happier at Christmas.

I'm in the process of creating a checklist for the whole year as many of us I'm sure would like to spread the cost of Christmas throughout the year and not spend so much on credit cards etc.

1.Plan

It doesn't matter how you plan for Christmas as long as some ideas are written down for later reference. Make a planner for shopping and paper can be moved out easily.

Craft Tip - use old Christmas cards as dividers and laminate them. I found a red Filofax with cherries I have had for ages that I use.

2. Organization

Organisation is key at Christmas but do not leave everything until the last minute.

CHRISTMAS  IN JULY 

I was watching YouTube and saw many videos about doing your Christmas  shopping earlier in the year due to the sales in the summer.

Spread out buying Christmas presents over the year. Friends, co-workers and family in summer or fall sales. Stocking stuffers are also good to start buying early. Set a schedule to buy small gifts in the sales,  closer to chrismas medium gifts, large gifts in the summer or wait until sales start before Christmas, anything that someone might want to return buy closer to Christmas. Do not forget to buy Christmas items for the next Christmas in the sales. I buy plain paper I can use all year round and buy different ribbon and tags for each person.

If you have more than one child, you can colour code which child is who's.

Keep a planner though the year update when you hear someone say something they would like.

DECLUTTER 

Declutter in Septempter/October and see if they need anything for everyday. Socks, underwear, shoes, winter items. 

Home Tip 

If you have small children do this when their at school no tears over toys.

FOOD

I have started buying items I need in my store cupboard. When I was woth my ex we didn't  get paid until Christmas eve. Iwent to buy cloves one year and they had sold out. I did not have time to go somewhere else, so why not buy early before the rush.

Tinned items can be stored, make a Christmas Hamper for special items you want. Buy drinks, mixers in summer sales, buy wine and champagne in summer sales and store in a dark place, always handy for a hostess gift.

DECORATIONS 

I have really cut down Christmas decorations as my children are grown up. I use home decor items for a winter. I have been using a winter wonderland theme, as it ticks all the things I like about fall, winter and Christmas. 

I love hanging lights around the ceiling and use tree trunk tealight holders, use dark shades of foliage and use artificial flowers to make year round vase displays. 

Use ideas you see in magazines, Pinterest or the internet instead of buying items for Christmas. All it takes is some imagination and some know how! So let's get crafty this Christmas!

I bought small to medium stuff animals from a charity  shop of a fox, donkey, reindeer and many more, I arrange them around the tree. I start decorating in October for Halloween and use my Christmas tree as a witchy tree. I decorate with witch boots, victorian items and love the lights on the tree. Also I'm saving money on electricity I use a reading lamp so I can read. It gives a dark academia vibe to my room.

Cozy blankets, pillows that could be mixed with browns, oranges, purple, green and red. 

I like a vintage decor design with wood and gold frames. Reminds me of Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. I buy all these things from charity shops over the years.

PLAN AHEAD

Make a Christmas binder. So everything is in one place and you don’t lose those all-important lists. This will last you for years to come. Hopefully take some of the headache out and stress that comes with Christmas. Pack it with useful hints, tips and decorating ideas. keep a copy of your favorite printable’s in your organizer. I tried using a notebook but I couldn’t take out paper if I needed to update it. I have my handbag planner for on the go while I'm shopping this has all my do lists and things to buy while I'm out. Take a couple of pens just in case.

 

The idea for your main Christmas organizer is that it can done on the computer or written out by hand. you can keep a record of everything you spend, keep track of gifts you have bought over the year, things you will need. Then when it comes to next Christmas, you have a list of things you could buy in the January sales and it's all done.

Have a checklist of the things you have bought, check them off your list (I have a column with the heading Done, You can use any program or just paper if you want to. This is your organizer and can customize it however you wish to. 

Now what to have in your planner

A Monthly calendar would be useful in it, you can keep up with what needs to be done, a notes section and to do list is also convenient. First sort out the countdown to Christmas, how long do you have until Christmas. Next, the cost of Christmas, how much do you what to spend? Because we all do overspend at this time. Sort out what bills you have for the coming months; this is an expensive month, so everything to the penny! The food shopping this is where I overspend I buy so much “but it’s Christmas” I tell myself but I don’t need half the things I buy. The menu,” I know turkey on Christmas” but sometimes we want to have something different. What about if you have a party or family over? 

TABLE & DINING 

Do you have everything you want? Do you have enough tables, chairs, plates etc. Mix and mat h your dinner set. Maybe red & cream plates. You could buy 2 inexpensive dinner sets for Christmas. So you have enough for everyone and if something gets broken it not your favorite or family heirloom dinner set.

The present list, most of us have computers and smart phones, so we can use them to make many of our lists on our phones all in one place. But I'm a paper pen kind of girl. I only have a certain amount of information in my Filofax as I don’t need all the information I have an A4 lever arch binder. I keep everything I need to make my Christmas special.

 

I make templates for everything on the computer. I make out my lists on the computer and print out. Don't forget! To check your Christmas lights. I do every year and make sure lights are working properly. See if they are something new I want you might want to have a different theme than last year. 

GARDEN 

I want to include the garden in the decorating. We may not want to go to the length of some others but some decorations in the garden do look great. I like all one colour lights. I think I like  cream lights as it reminds me of candles.  The warm orange glow of people's homes look like fires in a fireplaces. I like traditional items like pots with red ribbon tied in a bow against the green foliage. Pots with winter plants.

GET CRAFTY

Is there anything you could make as crafts? Home made cards popular to make for people, Decorations to give to people , that the kids make. One year I didn’t have a lot of money so I made Hand prints of the kids, to give to the family and got them to make one for me. It’s something you can look back on with their little.

 

This is my countdown for Christmas to make things a bit easier and spread Christmas thru the year. When to look for bargains in the coming months, as we all know prices do rise at around Christmas tine. 

Hope you enjoyed my pist let me know your money saving ideas to share!

Sara

Making Movies In America

President Trump made a surprising announcement to put 100% tariffs on foreign films. Wanting studios to make films and TV shows, production in America. But this will not help the writers? This would stop writers having the ability to tell their story their way. If wanting to tell a story over different times or in different places. This would essentially stop creative freedom and the main reason why people write. If using different locations this would push movie making out of America.

For example using Pinewood studios here in the UK as it is an easy location for Europe and traveling.

If your story is set in Victorian England you would want that genuine background not built on a set, only for internal shots. 

Writing is about different voices and the stories they want to tell, not have someone tell writers how to write them.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/jon-voight-trump-hollywood-tariffs-b2745467.html 

Watching a documentary about the Oklahoma City bombing ties to Waco Texas and Jan 6th

Watching a documentary about the Oklahoma City bombing on Netflix Uk and learning more about the person who did it. He follows a book called The Turner Diaries about how a new order is set up to overthrow the governmentby starting an insurrection. It was on 19th April 1995 this the same date that the siege on a compound in Waco Texas finished. This why law enforcement agencies keep records and make sure that these domestic terrorism incidents have any connections?

There is one part when I was doing some research that caught my eye and that was when the insurrectionhappened on 6th Jan 2021 they called for the hanging of the Vice President Pence. This is also in the book called The Day Of The Rope. This ideology from the book was used on Jan 6th. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He began publishing “The Turner Diaries” in 1975, as a serial in the group’s newspaper, “Attack!” The narrative, presented as found diary entries, follows white people who form terrorist cells and start a race war. The attacks they launch include a bombing of F.B.I. headquarters, a mortar attack on the Capitol and “the Day of the Rope,” in which “race traitors” are lynched, including “the politicians, the lawyers, the businessmen, the TV newscasters, the newspaper reporters and editors, the judges, the teachers, the school officials, the ‘civic leaders,’ the bureaucrats, the preachers.” Eventually, the group takes control of the United States and carries out genocide on a global scale.

All these ideology are going backward instead of forward making change for the better. But these home grown terrorists do not care what target or people die due to these attacks. 168 people working, doing their part died that day including children at the daycare center. This is not freedom the killing of innocent people and no part of a free democracy.  

Isn't It Good

I'm off work now for 11 days. Here in the UK we have Good Friday and a bank holiday Monday off. So I booked holiday for 5 days after. That's 11 days off including weekends. During this time I need to do some stuff around the house.

I want to decorate my living room a muted dark pink colour. I love vintage! Need to decide on colours, it’s stressful knowing what to choose.  

 

I like to get things done so I can do some planning and writing. I need to finish sorting out my planners, editing. I need to finish dictating all my research and dialogue and start printing it out, sort my story binders and do some reading. 

I wish had a office/library with a big vintage table, with those green shaded lights. The walls are covered with bookshelves showing my collection of vintage books and my vintage things I've collected, an old library card unit to store my craft supplies, an old map chest for paper storage and book nook area to read.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up, walk into your room and you are at work, make myself a cup of tea, sit down, write and get paid for it. Dreams!

cut down on your shopping

With another hike in energy bills here in the UK and wages for up in April. But by the time bills go up we don't have a lot to show for in wage increase.

It's not just being affected here in the UK but all around the world. So here are some tips to help you no matter where you live on how to save money.

The main thing to do is cut down on non-essential spending and save for a period of time for items you need and want. 

Example: save each month for personal items. Buy in a 3, 6, 9, 12 month period.

Clothes and accessories 

Health and beauty 

Entertainment 

Eating out 

Hobbies

End of season Sales 

This is the perfect time to have money saved for any seasonal items you want to buy.

Pay off any outstanding debt

By paying off the smallest amount first and then rolling that amount onto the next amount To pay it off quicker.

For example: you are paying £20 to the smallest bill each month. You pay it off. The next bill is £30 So now you will pay £50 to get that bill paid off. In the USA it's called the snowball effect. 

Food Shopping 

Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, don't forget to look in the reduced section. You can freeze certain things such as ready-made meals, vegetables, and fruit. Did you know you can freeze butter, milk and bread? Always good to have just in case.

Do research before shopping. Many supermarkets now are comparing prices to each other to get you to shop there.

I like online shopping because I can see the best prices across all supermarkets and discount stores. But not having a car is cheaper for me to buy with my food shopping or buy on another site due to delivery costs.

I still sometimes buy things I don't need but it’s mainly items to stock my store cupboard.

Freezer

Health & Beauty

Pantry

If you have a list and what you use on the regular with a list of favorite meals, you can make and freeze spaghetti sauce, lasagna, chinese. I buy jar curry do to life and time put it in the slow cooker and use the rice cooker. I haven't got around to making my own curry sauce which I would like to, so I can freeze portions.

Health & Beauty

Look around for deals and don't forget to check your store cards for points. 

Not everyone can shop at Costco but for my family it was cheaper to shop at supermarkets or amazon to buy in bulk. 

Supermarkets brands

I have been buying supermarket own brands for a long time. I watched a video on YouTube and found many brands make the same butter at the same location. So think before you buy. Check on the back there should be a code of the manufacturer site. 

I understand that they're certain brands we like. So save money elsewhere to buy the things you like. Mine is Dr Pepper. My eldest son's favorite brands are Heinz baked beans and Heinz ketchup.

Freezer

We like Iceland when doing bulk freezer shopping. They have good deals and brands. We don't really like a lot of ready-made meals but we like to stock up on ingredients to make quick items for meals.

The last item should be to write a shopping list and stick to a budget. If I see a product I need for myself like health and beauty and there is a deal on then I have to reduce my personal budget. Here in the UK we have 3 for 2 don't be fooled, it's 3 for a reduced price.

Happy shopping and hope these ideas will help you!

Sara

Don't Just

 

Mental Health Awareness Week from May 12-18th UK

Many people work out and eat right. But are you taking some time for yourself? That means catching up on sleep etc. I hate seeing these videos on YouTube morning routines “I got up at 5:00am!

Babe Please! I sometimes only sleep 4 hours and have a nap due to me not feeling well. Not everyone can get up at 5am because they're already working from a night shift. You know doctors, fire, police and us cleaners work different shifts. 

Take time to watch the sunset

But swaning is their fancy cars getting your nails done, shopping and doing errands is such hard work? But people say that stay at home moms are not doing enough. I had this looking after my 2 sons after being left and caused more mental health issues. What I didn't realise at the time was I was doing what I could.

Be sure to understand that everything you see could be fake. The Internet is very good at hiding the real stuff that happens. Go at your own pace. And don't forget to check in with yourself and take some time.

No it's not selfish or bad! But sometimes I've booked some time off, and can't go anywhere due to the cost of living at the moment. I'm having a stay at home vacation. And as I'm getting older I have to go and get some better glasses. It's time to face my reality that life happens so just go with it. You're Getting Older! But that's OK. The best piece of advice is to let go of things you don't need and remember you know what is best for you. So every week check in, breathe and sleep if you want.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Over the weekend I watched the show Apple Cider Vinegar on UK Netflix. I was astonished at how this young woman Bella Gibson made people believe her lies.

I think it's because people want to be a celebrity and have praise. This is a part of the TV show that I think they should have shown more. 

Especially due to the other show called Adolescence about certain aspects of social media and peers that can affect how young men think.

Young women are more likely to feel they need to become a sexual object then be respected for who they are.

Picture found in Internet

https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81637595?preventIntent=true

This also has an effect because young men then take advantage of young women and their insecurity.

What bothers me more is that the boyfriend stood by and let her do this and didn't speak up.

The meaning of the story is that these people that lie have people that enable them. Let them off the hook and ignore the real truth. Because of the monetary benefit it can bring.

With every invention that helps us can also be a hindrance used for improper means. That's why there needs to be more laws with social media and the internet.

But as with American politics, it is a tool that can be used to spread misinformation and conspiracy theories. 

It takes writers and voices like ours to call out these inconsistencies or we will forever be in a place of misleading information that could make you poor or even kill you. #Snakeoil

The London Blitz

 

The Blitz 

I watched a YouTube video about an American who had never heard of The Blitz and it isn't taught in US schools.

September 1940

For 57 nights the Germans bombed London. This was in an 8 month campaign of bombing British towns. Britain was at a loss due to the amount of German aircraft. 

London's docks were on fire; they called it the Black Saturday.

The Germans started bombing on civilians.

History is a snapshot of time.

This was also a time when Britain didn't have eggs and had to have powdered eggs. I know this because I've seen one of the Ration booklets my grandparents had. I heard stories as a child of when my grandfather was in the British Army working in the mess Hall. Well in some cases it was a make shift tent.

This is why the UK understands the feelings of the Ukraine people. 

Children and adults from all over the world need to learn about the fear and mayhem that war causes. 

Just think about it! You are sending your children to a different part of the country, while war is going on. This is what parents had to do in this time of history. 

The sound of sirens of incoming bombing must have been the dread that a number of people didn't want to hear. Hiding in the Tube stations living with the fear your house could be next?

King George and Queen Elizabeth remained in London at Buckingham Palace. On September 13, 1940 Buckingham Palace took extensive damage to the chapel.

The then Princess Elizabeth (who would become Queen) and her sister Princess Margaret were evacuated to Windsor castle for safety. 

While these bombing were going on, people were still going on with their daily lives and going to work. 

Not far from where I live in the UK, the city of Coventry was bombed on the 14th of November 1940 the most severe bombing ever occurred.

Coventry received major structural damage but nothing was off limits for the Germans.

Hitting all major utilities electric, gas and water. This is why the British still use washing up bowls because water was scarce.

Having water was a necessity not just for tea but to put out fires.

In this time of crisis nothing will do but a good cup of tea! It makes everyone feel better. The same as Americans sitting at their dining tables to bring families and friends together.

Something as little as that to have each other's company in such a time of need and comfort.

Many of you have probably heard of the word Enigma.

“a person or thing that is a mysterious or difficult to understand” Oxford Dictionary 

Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered no defence measures should be taken against the Germans. They didn't suspect the Cypher had been broken, especially as officers work for a highly classified organisation called Ultra. A highly level encrypted radio and teleprinter at the GC & SE at Bletchley Park.

  

The Second World war was won because of the Enigma machine and the dedicated men and women of Bletchley park and our Prime Minister at the time. 

But something that should never be overlooked is a man named Alan Turing who was a mathematician and computer scientist, cryptanalyst. He had a doctorate degree from Princeton, he graduated from King's College Cambridge. He played a crucial role in cracking the German Cipher coded messages.

Alan was a very gifted man but he was treated differently. Alan was a gay man. He was charged for being gay and went to prison. He killed himself on the 7th of June 1954. 

He was later honored by the Queen and then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Due to his efforts during the second world war.

But what is forgotten is it doesn't really matter who we love, where we come from. What matters is we come together and we all united. 

But we must not let people assume or take freedom away from others because it could be your freedom that is next.

Writing A Story

 

Writing A Story

No matter what you write for TV, Film or Book writing needs to be let out on to the page.

Author Michael morpurgo on writing, he wrote War Horse. From a book to a film

https://youtu.be/QzAJ3oxYdy4?si=obYfyG2mKo6F7yxd

Life is sometimes not easy and throws you a Curveball. Sometimes and you have to go with it or not, that's the decision?

Writing nowadays is very similar and follows the same rules. But to be a writer you have to step out of your own box and have a good look around.

It may appear that some people have an easy life but we have different ways of thinking. Some people want to work a lot and make loads of money and do things that some of us wouldn't.

Some of us just want a life where we work to be comfortable, we pay our bills and are able to treat ourselves now and then.

We have to write from all different aspects of life: rich, poor, young, old. People that have disabilities and different sexual preferences.

Because in the end we are all still people!

Because this is who we are. As human beings we are curious about life, love and feelings.

But also our surroundings and what effects it has on us. 

Writing to some is difficult but it need not be. Write from experience and knowledge of your own circumstances. 

The trials and tribulations of everyday life put into words. The inner, most likely scenarios that life can take us down. The land of wonder, where everything along the path that is coming towards the character or characters to push the story forward. 

I would have to say I am a matter of fact writer. A writer that likes to write a beginning, a middle and an ending to the story. I think it's because I like to see how much a character has grown and gone through to where they end up at the end. 

I hate stories that leave the reader to imagine how the character ends up. Just tell us! Did they or didn't they? 

I think it goes back to my days as a young child reading Nancy Drew books and couldn't wait to find out who did it? It’s the mystery of who did it and why?

I think that is the question? Why? Why do we as humans do things? When we deep down know it might not work? Because of feelings. Hope, love, understanding.

To be a writer we have to write not just from the mind but the heart. The biggest mistake is someone misunderstanding good intentions. To assume what someone is before understanding their journey. 

How luck or tragedy Could change a person's life for good or bad. 

It's all in the details how one thing could lead to the next.  Let the story flow, it doesn't  matter how you write it or in what order? As Michael says the first draft just write don't  worry about mistakes, just get it on paper or on your computer.

Great writers like Jane Austin, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens etc didn't write from a certain act or structure, they just put pen to paper and wrote their story.

Happy writing!

Sara