Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dreams Nail Polish & Disney

Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream

I mentioned this in my last 'Take 5' post.  I wrote a nice paragraph on this in that post so I don't want to repeat myself too much As it really is a pretty polish I thought I would share a few more pictures.  It's colourful, sparkly, shimmery- I think they looked at Ariel's tail from Disney's original tale).

Two coats- it's like those speckled Illamasqua polishes, but with shimmer and glitter instead.

'The Little Mermaid' (the version where they live 'happily ever after'- slightly different to the

Square bottle.  Win!

I love the square bottles because the store so neatly.  The colour is gorgeous although removing glitter nail polish is always a chore.  The one thing I'm not so in love with is the price.  These are a little on the pricey side- but an occasional splurge wont hurt right?  There are some really unusual colour combinations in the range.

Even with one coat it looks good.  Also worth trying over a coloured base like Gold, champagne or teal!

You can see the full range at House of Fraser online (link) or find some at slightly cheaper prices on ebay (If any of you can recommend reputable sellers, please leave a comment below).

Do you have any Deborah Lippmann nail polishes?  Would you recommend them?  What is your favourite Disney fairytale?

Disclaimer.  This item was a personal gift.  I mentioned it because it's pretty and I like pretty things.

Take 5: Part 3: Bargains, Nails, Food

 Food, H&M, La Roche-Posay bargain alert, Apivita and Deborah Lippmann all make an appearance to keep reading :)

La Roche-Posay, Deborah Lippmann and Apitiva.

I found La Roche-Posay Effaclar K reduced from £13.00 to £6.50 in Boots.  A number of items in the range were reduced so I hope this doesn't mean La Roche-Posay are downsizing their range in the UK.  (I am asking my contacts!)  I'm not opposed to a bargain, but we only just got the brand so I hope it isn't leaving so soon!

£6.50 Bargain!

I haven't not tried the Effaclar range so I'm not sure what to expect.  This product makes up part of the cult Effaclar Duo product, but part K just targets bumps, blackheads, deep congestion rather than the surface spots.  If you want to read more then Boots have it online and currently have a 3 for 2 offer.

Apitiva Natural Serum

I'm really loving Apitiva Natural Serum for Radiance.  The Greek company Apivita makes a range of ethically sourced natural products.  There are 4 serums in this range, and they recommend them according to your age.  This one has bilberry, vitamin C, Lycopene, Wild Rose, Pomegranate, Coenzyme Q10, Propolis, Lemon, Orange & Neroli essential oils and Green Tea infusion in it.  Lots of good, super food ingredients.  It smells delicately fruity (which is good- I'm not a fan of overpowering face products).  I also like the simplicity of the application, which involves a pipet.  Apivita is available online and in most Marks and Spencers stores (and online).

Mermaid's Dream.  So pretty!

Deborah Lippmann nail polish in Mermaid's Dreams.  The nail technician famously discovered by Bobbi Brown has a gorgeous range of polishes.  This one is teal green littered with gold shimmer and green/Teal glitter.  It's very pretty and builds well.  I have worn it on it's own or over other colours.  The polish lasted to the 3 days mark when I had to remove it for other reasons- and the gorgeous colour was worth the faff of removing glitter nail polish ;)  I'm very into mint green this season and this polish compliments my new mint green H&M jumper perfectly.  You can find this range with a recognition points offer at House of Fraiser (although these are a little pricey and perhaps a treat for most of us).  (Side note- LOVE the square bottles for tessellation and ease of storage).

Yum.  A firm cake favourite.

Salted Caramel Millionaire's shortbread.  I made a batch of this earlier in the week for and event where I had to bring and share.  They went down really well, but I forgot to photograph them before they went.  However if you want the recipe I used this one.  They taste so good, but just don't look at the amount of sugar and fat in them!!

Jennie Runk for H&M beachwear campaign.

I came across this image for the H&M beachwear campaign, featuring Jennie Runk.  I thought it was a really beautiful shot. Jennie is in fact a 'plus size' model.  To me that doesn't define her, or this photograph.  I just see a happy, healthy, beautiful model in a lovely dress and a stunning location.  I wrote a little more about Jennie on my fashion blog http://www.5foot10.blogspot.com

So there is another edition of Take 5.  I hope you are enjoying these little snippetts.  As always, if you have anything thoughts I'd love to hear them :) Bloggers always like a comment or two :)

Have you tried any of these products?  What is your cake weakness?  Do you think H&M got it right?

(Disclaimer: Items bought by me apart from Apvita which was a sample, and Mermaid's Dream which was a gift.  All words and thoughts my own).

You know you are a (beauty) blogger when.....

1.  You have a box of new unopened products that you need to photograph before you can use them.
2.  You spend months waiting for a certain eyeshadow/lipstick to be released only to cry all the way home on the train because you can't swatch it (before you have photographed it).
3.  When people talk about Mac- you think makeup, not Apple Mac computers...
4.  You have the Mac website on your bookmarks and know how to find Limited Edition products on there before they hit the main homepage..
5.  The word 'swatch' makes your heartbeat a little faster.....

Swatch, Swatch!

6.  #bbloggers means something.....
7.  You stalk reality TV shows waiting for the 'celebrities in the bathroom putting on makeup' clip and then pause the TV so you can identify what products they are using, before making a list.
(You then instagram the paused TV clip and tweet your findings feeling very proud).
8.  You buy girly magazines only to see a blogger friend featured on the next page.
9.  (You then tweet that blogger with a twitpic just to prove that 1) they are in the magazine and b) you purchased the magazine).

Magazines!

10.  You enter 'purchase ' into your diary purely because Miss said that there is going to be a free Nails Inc/L'Occitane/Neal's Yard/Benefit/Avon product with next issue- you then buy 4 copies of the magazine jsut to get ALL the products....
11.  You are willing to pay double the retail price for a limited edition makeup item on Ebay.
12.  You pay extortionate shipping to get super, super cheap makeup items shipped over from the US- just because it looks cooler than what we have in the UK.
13.  You plan your trip to Paris around what Pharmacies to visit.
14.  You leave space in your luggage on ANY trip to Europe just to stack up on the biggest bottle of Bioderma.

French skincare :)

15.  During aforementioned trip to Europe you photograph the inside of the pharmacy (much to the bemusement of the locals.
16.  You are unable to eat ANY meal without arranging it on your plate and then photgraphing it with your iphone, applying a nice sparkly filter and then tweeting it (with #food after).
17.  You cringe at the state of makeup counters in shops and have to resist taking your own makeup sanatizer to the unmanned counters.
18.  You have to explain what a Clarisonic is to most people- 'no .. it's a toothbrush for your face'.
19.  You have a world of weird named people as friends- and when you talk about them to your real life friends, most of them think you have a load of make-believe friends.....
20.  You cringe when people say they only use face wipes to cleanse their face.

Sephora! Mother ship!

21.  You plan your holidays around places that have a Sephora.
22.  You notice when the tv makeup artist uses the same lipstick/blush/eyeshadow on multiple characters/presenters.
23.  You watch other people apply their makeup in public- and then steal tricks or tweet the faux pas!
24.  You get emails addressed to 'Hi Mrs Blogger'... (and vent your rage on twitter)...
25.  You smile when you see blogger products in real life- Pixiwoo brushes.
26.  You plan your spending ban around IMATS.
27.  You buy a random fluorescent jumper and jacket because you saw other beauty bloggers wearing them...
28.  You find out breaking world news while on twitter chatting to other beauty obsessives about Sleek's latest blush or MAC's 37th collection of the year...
29.  You randomly stop strangers while out shopping and ask them what lipstick/highlighter they are using- and then think about buying it-' for the blog'.  Lots of things are bought 'for the blog'.. ahem...
30.  You have a daily narrative going along in your head in the style of a blog post...
31.  You know you are a beauty blogger if you have identified with 10 or more of these points!


So, are you a beauty blogger?  Do you know someone who is unsure if they are a beauty blogger?  Do you or your friend need help for this strange ddisease which is beauty blogging?!  What points could you add to this list?  I hope you enjoyed this post- feel free to retweet, comment, or click the reaction boxes :) If you do this as a TAG please link back :) Thank you!

Take 5 : Makeup Brushes

Continuing my '5 things' posts, today I thought I'd bring you the 5 makeup brushes I'm currently reaching for.  I do have a little growing collection.  This is because I hate washing them.  It's boring and tedious.  Of course the easier option is to go into denial and just buy more brushes.....

5 Brushes... spelling '5'....

 Of course this is not 'the ultimate' top 5 brushes- just the ones I'll reach for if they are clean.

Top to Bottom!
1) Gosh flat eyeshadow brush.  I have posted about this before (link) so all I want to say is it is affordable, soft, applies and bends my eyeshadow nicely :) Great for travel or carrying in your handbag.  Available from Superdrug

2) Real Techniques Blush Brush.  Reviewed here.  Again, soft, synthetic and affordable.  I like this brush because a) you can see when it's dirty (and when it's properly clean during washing) due to the white tips, and b) it's tapered edge makes it easier to apply blush (or bronzer) lightly- it distributes the powder more evenly rather than in a big blob that you have to blot out with tissues (think Aunt Sally!).  Available at several places but I picked mine up at Boots (link)

Nice lineup! (1 Gosh, 2 Real Techniques, 3 ELF, 4 MAC, 5 Japonesque)

3) Elf Powder Brush. Link.  This is my go to foundation brush.  It eats foundation which is a downside but I love the finish it provides.  It really works the product into the skin.  Plus it's a bargain at £3.75.  I'm hoping the invest in a smaller one by a different brand shortly so it wont eat up my chanel foundation so quickly- but still gives me a good foundation finish.

4) Mac 210 eyeliner brush.  I don't think ALL Mac brushes are good- there are some good dupes about.  However I love this brush for gel liners.  It washes well and retains it's shape- something which is a must for precision brushes.  This has been the best small liquid or gel liner brush I have found.  Worth the  £16 price tag (although Debenhams often have money off all beauty so worth a look!)

5) Japoneque Pro Concealer brush.  Flat, tapered edge.  Washes well.  I use this for my liquid concealers and under eye highlighters.  It's not so good on thicker concealers (like Mac Studio Sculpt) because I find it wipes some off- however if the consistency is more mailable then I use this brush.  I also use it to blend out under eye concealer/highlighters (we don't want reverse panda eyes now, do we?!).  I should also add that this generally what I use when the spot/pimples/pigmentation surface is not too uneven (or picked tsk!).  I have a different routine for those kinds of spots- but I'm hoping my days of getting bad acne are numbered (more on that to come).  This brush is synthetic and afforable at £11 from HQHair or BeautyBay but keep an eye out for discounts!

So there you have the 5 brushes I am using a lot at the moment.  What brushes are you using?  Have you tried any of these?  Hope you are all having a great Sunday :)


(Disclaimer: All purchased by me apart from the Japonesque brush which was a sample.  As always, all products are included because I choose to and all words are my own).

5 Things: Take 5

My take on '5 Things I'm loving right now' to share with you :) 'Take 5'.  Inspired name I know!

Daffodils in bloom around the UK.  Bright colours and signs that Spring has sprung!  Yellow is very much an energetic spring colour.  It reminds me of that gorgeous Jenny Packham yellow tea dress Kate Middleton wore when visiting Australia

Lovely Golden Daffodils

Coco Mademoiselle Purse Spray.  I love this fragrance for Spring.  Light and delicate, but without being so delicate it disappears instantly.  The twist and spray purse spray is very elegant and easy to carry around or have as a feature on your dressing table.  Available here (Link)

Lovely Coco Mademoiselle :)

Topshop Fedora Hat.  Made in Britain :) Navy felt with a neon trim.  Perfect for Spring and Autumn and a bargain price (especially if you get a student discount).  I have to be careful with hats- I find them hard to wear, but I think this one is perfect..  (Link)

Well made and stylish Fedora :)

Ear Plugs.  I always carry some round in my bag as you never know when you'll want to shut out the noise on the train (or people on the train ;) ) or when an after work drink turns into a noisy band gig.  In the battle of man Vs electronic amplifiers it's my hearing that will loose out- so I carry some discrete ear plugs.  I have several sets- these Pro Guard Lin-ear PR20s limit the damage but are designed so they don't limit the sound quality at gigs.  Perfect.  Nice carry case too.  More information HERE

Looking after my ears :)

MAC Girl About Town lipstick (thanks to Liz)!  A bright blue toned fuschia pink to inject a bit of summer into the room (even on grey days like today).  I was quite nervous the first time I wore it out in public but I had so many compliments that I've worn it regularly since!  If you are worried about a bright lipstick but want to dip your toes in that area, then I recommend checking this one out! (Currently on offer as a beauty club winner at link)

MAC Girl about town :) I feel like it's saying 'Ladies who Lunch' with Girls about town!

So there are my 5 things I'm loving right now.  What are your 5 things? Have you tried any of the products mentioned?

Disclaimer: Ear plugs were a sample but all thoughts are my own and I only mention the things I want to.

10 Things the Internet has taught me about Beauty (Tag)

After a chat about a giant spider that lives in Brazil with Big Fashionista (her blog is fab, check it out for many laughs!), I had the realisation that there are many things I wouldn't know without the Internet.  Many random facts, many beauty related things... just many, many things.  I thought I would make a little list about some of them.  I'm sure I will think of others- so maybe I'll do follow up posts at some point...

1) That the average woman looks in the mirror 8 times a day (link)

2) Your pillow can give you acne and silk pillows are best for anti-aging.  

3) Our faces are not symmetrical.  If they were most of us would look very weird.  On a similar note our eyebrows are sisters, not twins.  They are not meant to look identical (if they did one would be back to front- but that aside, they are different.  Embrace it)!


4) Sephora exists.  The mother ship.

I would have walked past this beauty without the Internet!

5) That the word 'blogger' is very influential and is now used to list makeup and clothing on ebay (link!)

6) That eyeshadow (specifically MAC ones) can be depotted to save space (and get a Back 2 Mac product!)

One of my favourite MAC promo images

7) That your skin renews itself in a cycle that can take 30 days- so some product wont have a visible affect of the skin until the new cells are on the outer layer of your skin.

8) That Sally Hansen is not a real person (I'm in shock!) (Read this!)  Joking aside- it's a brand name not a person!

9) There is an eye cream that costs £109.

10) That most of us don't clean our make-up brushes enough- and feel very guilty about it (but not guilty enough to clean them after each use).


So there we go!  10 things the internet has taught me.  Of course I have also found out about countless brands, gadgets, styles and many people.  What things have you been taught by the internet?  I'd love you to do a post (if you do, don't forget to link me!)  I hope you are enjoying a wonderful sunny day!

TIPS: Organisation, storage and small spaces!

I have spent the past few days Spring Cleaning and organising and thought I'd share some organisation inspiration and tips with you guys! It's not finished but so far 3 bin sacks for the charity shop, 1 for Give and Makeup (though I generally take these to my local women's refuge in person), 4 sacks for the recycle and 1 of other rubbish.  Phew!  (I have previously blogged about Give and Makeup HERE and had a surprising reaction last time so I hope someone else will be inspired by this post!

Some of my surplus items going to women and children who have fled from domestic violence in the UK.

Use your space effectively

I have always wanted a walk in wardrobe/closet.  In the UK these are not a normal component of most houses- so we have to make do with a wardrobe or built in wardrobe inside the room.  After dreaming and looking at countless closets of youtube gurus I put my feet back down on the ground and decided to work with what I have rather than wasting time lusting over what I don't have.  In a bid to use my space more efficiently (while keeping it pretty) I discovered a few good products.  I hope these will interest you if you feel like you are not in control of your space!

Shoe storage for doors...

I had a brain wave to use this on my wardrobe doors.  It's designed to hold shoes but the pockets are small (I would say ladies UK size 8 will be ok but the pockets are not wide enough to hold bulky shoes).  With a little bending of the hooks so that they fit a slimmer wardrobe door (instead of a thick full sized room door), I was able to put this device inside my wardrobe door.  I also had to knot the elastic tap at the bottom to reduce the length but keep the tension.

Scarves and belts, belts and scarves...

It now holds my scarves and belts in the clear pockets so I can see what I want to wear easily and.......

Folded up!

....folds in half (handing on two hooks instead of four).  This means I can close the wardrobe door but still benefit from an extra 40 pockets! Yes 40!!  There are 20 per organiser.

I have one for the other door, which currently holds..

Sunglasses storage- hurry up sun!!

Sunglasses.  I havent put them all in but it takes my chunky Roberto Cavalli sunnies and case and my slimmer (and much cheaper) Dorothy Perkins sunglasses (I think these were around £5-8 and have UVA and B protection).  My Anna Sui ones are in my handbag in vain hope- you can see them on here!  I have about 10 spare pockets- Any ideas of other items I can put in them?

I bought this from a local shop but it's made by Tszuji- they have an amazon store (link!) and an ebay store (Link!) online if you are not near a retailer.  I think mine cost around £13-14 though the online ones might work out a little cheaper.  I really pleased I bought it!

Reuse packaging boxes

What did I do with this lovely old Glossybox?

Pink, pastel, sturdy- too good to throw out!

Meet my medicine supplies box!  I normally carry around a few asprin, paracetamol, rennie etc in my handbag.  These tend to get pretty beat up, so I normally keep a small box of things in my room so I can replace things easily.  The Solpadeine is pretty strong stuff (toothaches and strong headaches)  and addictive, so if you use it be sure to monitor how much you take and never take it on an empty stomach.

I also use old Glossy boxes for plasters, sample sachets, perfume storage.  The possibilities are endless.  How do you use yours?  Link me!

Make sure you can see items and separate them 

If your storage resembles a big old jumble sale then you are not going to use the items, because you wont see them.  It'll take you ages to find them (time waster) and they will probably age and break quicker.  I take this to heart with my jewellery.  I don't want to spent 15 minutes trying to find one earring- neither do I want my carefully purchased items to break because they are tossed in a box with 15 other items.  And don't get me started on the knot of necklaces that lurks at the bottom of everyone's jewellery box..

Stackers Jewellery Storage

I have blogged about these previously, but I love being able to see my earrings (and some necklaces) in these little compartments.  It makes dressing a little easier.  I have several of these boxes but the one above show my Butler and Wilson earrings (blogged here), my Accessorize owls (Jewellery haul post) along with a few other pieces from various boutiques.

Shrink Space!

As part of the tidying I have been using Vacuum Bags for the first time ever.  I know they are not a new invention- but I have recently become a convert of 'putting away out of season clothes'.  I've seen the light!  Onesies and summer beach wear are currently in Vacuum Bag confinement!  Basically you fold the items, place in the bag, seal (zip lock) and then use a hoover on the cap.  It's amazing how much space is saved when the air is gone!  Also it protects the fabrics from moths and damp (but make sure the clothes are clean before you store them or sweat marks/stains can become permanent over time).   I found some small, medium and large ones at Wilkinsons (link) but be warned- the closing on these required me to manually pinch the seal (despite what the instructions say).  I have found a few others which seal a little easier but they all do the same job- I think the cheapest I found were on ebay for 50p.  I guess it depends on if you want to wait for the post or get on with clearing and sorting today!  Once I'd stored my onesies I was addicted.  I now have pillows, cushions, duvets, jumpers, blankets, beachwear etc all stored hygienically and in neat bags (plus it's addictive to watch things reduce in size magically- if you havent done it then vacuum pack a pillow.  It'll blow your mind*).

Magic bags from Wilinsons!  Storage made easy and effective

Save Time!

My last storage tip is baskets.   You can throw things in them, put them on a shelf and no-one will know!  You know when you were little and your parent's asked you to tidy up your room- so you used to push everything into the wardrobe and slam the door quick?... Baskets are the chic grown-up equivalent.  I have my unopened makeup back-ups in that basket below, nail care items in the Glossy box, then my jewellery stacker.  The fact that the inside of the basket is a mess.... no-one knows ;) (Till now!)

Pretty baskets and boxes hold lots of items and look neat on the shelf!

How do you store your items?  What should I store in my wardrobe pockets?  How do you use your old beauty boxes (glossybox, birch box, etc)?  Would you like to see more storage, organisation posts?  

(*Yes I need to get out more!  All items bought by me)

What to do if you're feeling down / alone / worthless....

My last post was a bit of a downer, but today I came across this story.  Quite frankly I think this girl is amazing, inspiring and just reading the news article (caution Daily Mail link, but it's a good story!), reading her own website and chatting to Jodi on twitter... I am smiling like a loon.  Just proof that not everyone is bad.  Bad things happen, but it's how we deal with them that counts- life is not measure by seconds lived, but by the path we tread and the hearts we touch along the way.

Photo from Jodi's Site http://onemillionlovelyletters.com/

If you are feeling down, alone, worthless then dont be.  People can only put you down if you let them.  Jodi's website http://onemillionlovelyletters.com is a portal of loveliness.  She used to leave notes for strangers in library books, bus seats- anywhere- just to let people know that they are important and lovely.  Then, at 23, Jodi was struck down with illness after a tick bit her- a rare reaction but one that lead to her being partially paralysed with a stroke.  Normally a poet, she lost her ability to hold a pen- but has spent hours retraining her body (and brain) to be able to do some of the things she could before her illness.  She still has daily battles BUT has used her time to write letters to strangers who need a boost.  These letters are beautiful in word and design- something to physically and emotionally brighten the days of those who are having a lonely or vulnerable time.

Jodi says "In the UK alone there are 62,641,000 people, in the whole wide world there are 7,038,044,500. The average person has 3 close friends and 19 “mates” so take that off and you are still left with seven billion thirty-eight million forty-four thousand four hundred and seventy eight strangers.  And all of those strangers have at least one day where they could use a little lift."

Letter as featured on http://onemillionlovelyletters.com/letters/

So if you are very down or alone and need one of Jodi's beautiful letters to give you strength though your tough time then visit http://onemillionlovelyletters.com and follow the instructions.  I'm sure Jodi would appreciate donations of stamps but this is just something I thought of as I am sure she is inundated with requests for letters from all over the word.  If she wont accept stamps or money for stamps then why not make a donation of the cost of a stamp to a charity of Jodi's choice as a thank you?  Just a thought!  Let's kill the world kindness one bit at a time :)

                                                                   

  I hope this has brightened up your day!  

                                                                   

What things make you happy?  I love the spring sunshine.  I also saw some beautiful purple and yellow crocuses today which made me smile.  Please share your happy thoughts below!

What to do if your purse is stolen...

....Sad to say this happened to me this week.  When I (eventually) arrived home I was quick to google and search for advice, and didn't find too much.  I thought I would share my experience and tips in the hope it will help someone else.  It's an awful thing to go though and left me quite shaken.  I also feel quite violated that someone somewhere deems it their right to have my money and things that I have worked very hard for.  It's not your right.  Everyone has to work hard to get money and you Mr. (or Mrs) thief are no different (although your actions clearly show you think you are entitled to what others work hard for).

Through your actions in broad daylight I lost work, was stranded hours from home with no money, no transport, no travel pass, no ID, no store cards- plus the loss of a few special mementos (and work receipts I needed to claim back).  I still had to cancel everything and have got bills worth far much more than the cash you stole from my purse (thankfully there was very little cash in there).  I am also very twitchy about being out on my own.  Not that you'll care about that if you are brazen enough to steal.

If you find yourself without a purse then I suggest the following;

1. Keep Calm- you don't want to have other items stolen as you are searching for an item which may or may not be lost.  Carefully double check all bags and pockets just to make sure.  It's easy to panic and not see what is in front of your nose.  Look around to see if anyone is moving away from you holding your possessions.  Log any descriptions of anyone suspicious who is close to you.
2. Check around you/under tables etc.
3. Carefully think about the last time you had/used the item and think if it was possible you left it there.
4. At this point I queried the lost property of the location I was at.
5. Go to the Police.  They will log your item as missing.  If you have a bit of evidence or witnesses they will log the item as stolen.  If not they will mark it as lost.  They will take a statement and issue you with a crime number/lost property number.
6. If you have not done this already make a list of all the items in your purse and then cancel all of them.  Banks normally have 24/7 helplines to report lost/stolen cards and will liaise with the police if money has been withdrawn.  Some banks will give you a small amount of money to help tide you over.  Some forms of ID do not require you to notify the issuing body, however you will have to order a new one.
7. Make a list of the circumstances- where were you?  What were you wearing?  What were you carrying?  Where had you been?  Any suspicious people near you?  Any odd distractions/people bumping into you?  What time was it?
8. Check with your insurance company as items may be covered by them for replacement costs.
9. If you are worried about Identity Fraud it's worth having a look at http://www.cifas.org.uk/ I have not used them but several people have mentioned this service to me.
10. If you are stuck travel wise then don't forget to mention this to the police.  I was very lucky that the train companies were very understanding (and having the crime report/number on me helped).
11. When you get home, go over the list of items that are missing and the circumstances- double check and write down any additional details.  
12. Have food- especially something sugary to help combat the shock/loss of adrenaline.  A small glass of wine might help.

Subsequent Days

1. Go over the list of missing items and circumstances- it's amazing what you remember given a little rest and time.
2. Ring lost property again- most thieves will grab the purse, go into a toilet, empty the cash/untraceable items and dump the purse in the bin/over a wall etc.  Hopefully someone will hand it in.
3. Be very wary of any phone calls- especially if your bank cards are stolen.  Any bank calls should be able to identify themselves sufficiently.  However NEVER give out your PIN.  If in doubt hang up and ring your bank directly or pop into the branch.

   

   Security gadgets: A noisy coloured thief alert bell keyring £1.50 HERE

Prevention Tips

Foldable handbag hook (similar on ebay HERE)

1. Empty your purse regularly.  Do not carry around lots of cash or sentimental items. 
2. Make sure your bag does up securely and easily.  Carry it in front of you if possible- especially in crowded areas.
3. Do not advertise how much cash you have when paying for items.  Do not feel pressured to leave the checkout when paying for items until your purse and bag are both secure.
4. If you carry ID/important items, make sure you have a photocopy at home in a secure place. (Or better still, carry the photocopy only).
5. Keep a record of your bank telephone numbers on your phone/in your diary/in your bag.  You never know which one might get mislaid and when you might need to phone them.
6. Keep a record of your store card/reward point card numbers at home.  You'd be amazed at how many lines I telephoned only to have them tell me I have no account with them... Yes I do.
7. If possible, split your cash up so it is not all in your purse- perhaps put some in your makeup bag, an inside pocket etc.  Better still, carry very little cash.
8. Chain your purse to your bag- literally.  Or use a keyring that makes noise if someone picks it up.
9. Never leave valuable items in outside pockets, on tops of bags, in reach on anyone on tables or under tables.

So there you are, some bits of advice should you every go through the same thing (I really hope you never do) and some tips to help prevent some of you from going through the same thing.

Sorry it's not a particularly cheerful post- but hopefully a useful one.  I have been in two minds whether to share this experience or not but concluded that it might prevent or deal with a theft in the future.

I have to say a huge thank you to so many of you on twitter who were supportive, helpful and calming.  It's great to that twitter as a medium- especially when having a trying day.  If you are on there please say hello to me @computergirl200 !  Also Click HERE to see my last post about importing your blogger dashboard subscriptions into Bloglovin in a few easy clicks for when Goggle pull Google Reader (and potentially GFC) in July

Do you have an personal safety tips or advice for dealing with thefts of this nature?  Have you had anything stolen?  Any thoughts?
Discalimer: This post is not sponsored etc etc!

How to import your blogger dashboard / GFC to Bloglovin

Just a quick post.  Google are discontinuing Google Reader on July 1st (a great way of following blogs/websites)- this is very much connected to GFC (Google friend connect), and I highly suspect there will be some changes to this service too.  A great alternative is Bloglovin, a simple subscription application that is very much like the blogger dashboard.  The BEST bit is that you can IMPORT your Blogger dashboard/Google reader subscriptions with 2-3 clicks of a mouse.  Simply

1. click this link http://www.bloglovin.com/import
2. Sign into Bloglovin if you haven't already!
3. Click 'Google Reader'
4. Click 'Import from Google Reader'
5. Click 'Allow Access'
6. Done!  All your subs are imported in bloglovin which is great if you have spent years building up brilliant blogs on your blogger dashboard and reader!

Bloglovin also have a great app so you can read the blogs on your ipad/iphone/generic computer device.  Hurrah!

There are. of course, other ways to follow blogs- Google + is a start (although I havent quite figured it out), Facebook, Hello Cotton, Twitter, Instagram- Computergirl200, email subscription.... and I'm sure there are other ways!

Google- i'm not sure what you are trying to prove, but my dashboard has never worked properly, and now you delete the reader... I know it is a free service BUT without users you don't exist.  Would it hurt to ask us what we think?

How do you follow blogs?  Share your tips and advice!