Merry Christmas!!

I would like to wish all the companies I have worked with and most importantly, all my readers a merry Christmas and a very happy new year.

For me, this year has been a rollercoaster of amazing highs and heartbreaking lows and I am looking forward to a fresh start in 2017.

So from all of us, Merry Christmas xxxxx

,

Brainwavz M100 Earphones

I love to listen to music when I am out and about, it not only helps reduce stress and anxiety levels, it makes going around the supermarket much more fun!! That said, I find many earphones do not sit properly in my ears. Until now.

Beer 52

I am always on the look out for something different to try and that offers something unique too.  My husband is hard to get for and I have just found the perfect thing for him!

Happily - Sophie Tanner

I remember when I was young and single. Everyone seemed to have met someone and began to settle down and as I was in my 20's having not long come out a serious relationship, pressure was still on my to "settle down". I was just happy being single at that point. Yes I met James and we are now married with 2 children but it was done in my own time and not where everyone expected me to.

EcoEgg - Fantastic Offers.

We all dislike house work but we all love finding products that make it easier. We also look for good value products that will save us money too and that is where Ecoegg come in.

Fun With Sassy Kids Box

My kids love to paint, draw, colour and make new things.  We have had a fun Sassy Kids box before and they absolutely loved it. So today, I am going to share our second box with you.  

Time For An Update.

This is why I love Autumn.

Hi Everyone!! The last month has been a busy one for me and I feel I have neglected my blog a little so it is time for an update.

We Will Remember Them

Petition Update

Hi Everyone.

This is just a quick update to let you all know how the petition has progressed since the Public Petitions Committee meeting on Thursday 27th October. I was no in attendance and I sent my evidence by email (as requested) but here is the outcome.

The petition has been passed to the Health and Sports Committee for consideration.  The official email (picture below) reads as follows:

All I can do now is wait and see if they wish to use it as part of their upcoming inquiries into mental health services in Scotland or if they will follow a different course of action.

You can watch the meeting by clicking here. My petition is discussed at 30:45.  The evidence I submitted can be viewed here.

I would like to thank everyone for their support over the last 8 months and I will keep you updated on any future progress.

Wicked Uncle

Every year we are asked "what would the kids like for Christmas?" and being honest 9 times out of 10 the reply is "I have no idea" The other side of this predicament is age appropriate toys. Liam turns 7 in February and Sophie 5 in April. So where can family turn for great ideas? Wicked Uncle.

Invited To The Scottish Parliament.

As you may know, I submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament back in June.  A few days ago I received an email inviting me to speak to the Public Petitions Committee at a public meeting on October 27th.

Stay Onside

It has been proven that exercise helps to not only improve our fitness levels but our mental health too. Activities such as walking or swimming are amongst the most popular choice of exercise but at Clyde FC they are bringing football to the forefront.

Strictly Fever

Autumn, a change in the seasons, beautiful leaves falling from the trees in stunning,vibrant reds and browns. Such a beautiful time of year. For me, Autumn also means my favourite show is back, Strictly Come Dancing.

Hello Again.

Hi everyone. Sorry for the silence on here over the last two weeks. It has been a bit hectic here with getting back into the swing of school, nursery, swimming lessons and everything else thrown in too. I also got my books from Open University for the second module of my degree.

My Unfiltered Life

I may not look happy in the above picture but look at my nice tan, perfect hair, natural make up and flawless looking skin. What if I told you that I don't have a tan, I was not wearing make up when this was taken and my skin was anything but flawless? Oh and when this was taken, I was in pain, tired, anxious and just back from the school run.

Carbon Clyde

On Saturday, along with James and the kids, I went to the launch of Cumbernauld FM radio station at our local town centre.  Along with performers, there was a market with different stalls. After a few minutes of walking around, one stall caught my attention and I wanted to find out more.

Competition Winners - Update On Issues

Hi

This is not one of my normal posts but an apology and an update for those who won a copy of the Lost Smile.

As you know, the books has been sent back to me as I had put my address on the back as a return address if they went missing. Royal Mail being useless as usual have yet again failed.

I emailed everyone to inform them of what went wrong and told them that the books were, once again, on the way.  That was 8 days ago and today I hear of 2 winners who have not received their books.

In the last hour, I have tweeted and sent a private message, also on Twitter, to Royal Mail. Please be assured I am doing all I can to make sure you receive the prize you won. I am so so sorry for the mess this has turned into.

Thanks
Angela

Update 1 - Royal Mail Twitter Message - OK, those items are considered delayed at the moment & not lost until 26/08.

Update 2 - Royal Mail Email Message - The customer service team are looking into what has happened and will update me with more news some time during the week. I have given them all the information with regards to dates sent etc.

Let Down By Urban Decay UK

I have always wanted to add an Urban Decay product to my make up collection. Their eyeshadow palettes are gorgeous and when I saw the new Moondust palette I knew I had found the right one for me. So I went online to order.

I Need A Break From Severe PMS

Today has not been a good day at all. I know there are people out there much much worse off than me and I do feel guilty for moaning but I just feel so low today.

Simply Be - Beautiful

So we are half way through summer, although I am convinced we have skipped from Spring to Autumn, so to brighten up me day I decided new clothes were needed.  Any excuse to update my wardrobe really. There was one place I have wanted to try for a while, so I turned on my laptop and headed to the website.

Colouring For Mental Health

When I was younger, I would spend many happy hour with my colouring book, pens, pencils and blank paper, colouring and creating new drawings.  Time would go so fast and I always remember how calm it made me feel, even though I wasn't stressed at the time.

Travelling The East Coast With Cross Country.

As you know, we went to Berwick Upon Tweed for our family holiday this year.  We don't drive so the best way for us to travel is by train.  With a choice of 2 operators on the East coast line, one stands out as being the best for our family.  Cross Country.

Berwick Upon Tweed 2016

What a busy week we have had!! Full of new experiences and fun shows. Mornings spent in the pool and night's spent watching shows and dancing. Haven Berwick holiday park is and always will be my favourite place to go (well I have been going there on and off for 28 years).

Raising Awareness About Anxiety and Mental Health

Why Mental Health Awareness Is So Important?

A fair number of people have some basic first aid knowledge. If someone starts choking in a public place, faints, or is wounded there is a decent chance someone in the crowd will know how to respond appropriately. But what if someone is having an anxiety attack? Do you think the percentage of people who would know how to react in a helpful manner is the same?

Petition Campaign Update

As you know, back in February I started the research into mental health services in Scotland with the view to submitting a petition to the Scottish Parliament highlighting the need for change.  Well on Tuesday 14th the petition was opened for public signature.

The Lost Smile

In Scotland we have an initiative called Child Smile which provides dental services to nurseries, schools and even have a child smile dentist in many dental surgeries.  They also look after your baby's first teeth when they come in.  Talking to your children about looking after their teeth is something we all need to do and we all know children don't always want to listen, I know my two have selective hearing!.  This is were Wrigley's come in with their new project - Smile Back.

Fresher For Longer

I've noticed that my fruit and veg tend to go off quickly, especially in the warm weather. I have tried different things but it still happened. The wonderful people at Ecoegg may have just come up with a great solution.

Eggsterminator

I have noticed recently that we seem to go through an awful lot of dish cloths in this house. They are not only used for cleaning the dishes, we use them on worktops too and of course they can get dirty very quick and they are not exactly easy to clean over and over again. Ecoegg have came up with a solution to this and I must admit, it is not only a convenient one, its a cute one too.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2016

This week is mental health awareness week and I have been a little busy with my online event over on Facebook and decided I would post on here today.  The focus this year is on relationships and the important role they play in recovery, support and life in general.

When Everyone Shines Including You

There has been many a time I have only been too happy to stay out of the spotlight and stay in the shadows. This is mainly down to my health condition and over time I forgot how to be me.  I was never one to shy away from conversation or to get my point heard but over the last year or two I have been a bit more careful about how I act and what I talk about.

An Interview With Joe Miles

As you know, I recently went to see Shane Filan live in concert.  I always like to go for the doors opening so I can be in my seat for the support act.  The way I see it is you might just find a new artist or a new sound that you like.  That night it was Joe Miles and he was amazing, I also had the chance to meet him at the interval.  Recently I was lucky enough to put some questions to Joe so you can learn more about him.

Falkirk and District Association for Mental Health

On Thursday 7th April, I had the honour of spending the day with the staff and services users at the Falkirk and District Association for Mental Health centre in Falkirk, to gain some insight into the services and support they offer and just how important their work is.

Sassy Kids Box - Fun Activities For Kids

My 2 little monsters still have one week left of their spring holiday and with the weather being rather strange, I like to have fun activities they can do at home on a rainy day, that's not technology related!

Mini-mise Your Worries Have Maximum Fun

With summer the summer months fast approaching, finally, there will be lots of opportunities for weekends away.  Escaping from every day life certainly helps to change our outlook.

Thrive

I have tried all sorts of different techniques that do work for calming a panic attack but I sometimes have a tendency to forget some of them.  I always thought it would be great to have an app with me that had the best techniques all at my fingertips.  Thanks to Thrive, I now have what I wanted.

How Shane Filan Helped Me.

On March 29th I was sitting in my bedroom getting ready to head to Glasgow. The nerves had kicked in and I was hoping that it would all calm down as I didn't want my big night ruined.  I kept my focus on the main goal and that was to see my idol in concert.

Petition Update

This is just a quick update today.  As you all know I am putting together a petition that will be submitted to the Scottish Parliament in May.  The Cumbernauld News published the article in yesterday's edition and today it also went onto their website.  As promised here is the link to the article.

http://www.cumbernauld-news.co.uk/news/health/angela-launches-mental-health-campaign-1-4081202

I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and I will keep you updated on any further developments.

The Next Big Step

The above picture was taken July 2013, the day one of my dreams came true, I met my idol Shane Filan. I love his voice and he is such a genuinely lovely down to earth guy. Yes I was realllyyy nervous meeting him for the first time but it was totally worth the wait. Fast forward to today and here I am sitting writing this post with tears in my eyes, yet again filled with nerves.

My Petition To The Scottish Parliament.

I thought it was time for an update on what I had been up to recently.  Last week we went to the Model Rail Exhibition at the Glasgow SECC.  I had won tickets for the event and along with that I won a limited edition "The Railway Children" train set.  Sadly the next day we all ended up with a horrible tummy bug. Ahh the joys of having children at school and nursery, they bring home all the germs!  There is one big step I have taken and that is the petition I plan on submitting to the Scottish Parliament in May.

Joint Pain Hub

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects millions of people in the UK, with one third of the population aged over 45 having sought treatment for the condition. The prevalence of OA is also thought to be on the rise, and Arthritis Research UK estimate that by 2035, 8.3 million people in the UK could have OA of the knee- one of the most commonly affected joints.

Orchid - Fighting Male Cancer

For their awareness month, male cancer charity Orchid wants all men to check themselves for the signs of testicular cancer as part of their #CheckYourChaps campaign. The charity have just completed surveying the British public, revealing that on average only 32% of men are regularly checking themselves. Young men are even less likely to check themselves (only 1 in 4 do!) which is worrying as testicular cancer most commonly affects those aged between 15 and 45.

Place2Be Scotland

A few days ago I wrote a post about the amazing work that Place2Be carry out and I shared some of the statistics relating to the work carried out in England.  Today I am going to share the statistics from the Scottish branch.

Mumtreats

As a mum I tend to forget about looking after myself properly and pamper time is usually the bare minimum which consists of a quick shower and hair being tied back.  I also now know how my mum felt running around after me and my sister and feeling tired most of the time.

Updated List of Useful Websites

The following selection of websites offer help for those with anxiety and other mental health issues.

Children's Mental Health Week

From the 8th - 14th February marks Children's mental health week. The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of children’s mental health charity Place2Be, has recorded a message to help launch Children’s Mental Health Week 2016.

Get the World Ready

February 5th 2010 and April 20th 2012, the dates my two precious children were born. I still remember the intense, overwhelming rush of love the moment they were place in my arms. It was incredible. I also remember, before going in to have them, the cleaning spree we went on to ensure everything was clean and good to go them coming home.

A Craft Afternoon

With the weather being rather nasty at the moment between torrential rain and gale force winds it can be hard to keep the kids amused,  Days like that are a great opportunity to get out the arts and craft kits and have some fun.

Valentines Day

Can you believe that we are in February already? Time has gone fast and with Valentine's day only 11 days away you don't have long to find that special gift for that special someone.

Thank You BuzzFeed

The above picture is how you imagine a person that is living with depression looks isn't it? Lonely, head in their hands and surrounded by darkness.  In a way you are right, they do feel surrounded with a darkness only they can see but to the outside world they look totally different.