Welcome to Write On

Put the kettle on, open the biscuits, and - more importantly - open a new note pad or a new post on your blog. I have some writing prompts for you (and me).

I used to go to a monthly writing group. We had 'homework' in the form of a writing prompt. I haven't found a similar group since we moved house two years ago. I haven't looked that hard either, there's always something else to do. No longer. I miss the structure of someone else telling me what to write about. To get me back into the habit of writing regularly I thought I'd challenge myself online. I'd love you to join me.

How to Write On

• Chose a writing prompt from the list below (I'll set three new prompts each Wednesday).
• Write a blog post inspired by a prompt (or do all three). You can write in any way you choose, whether that be fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, stream of consciousness, essay or 'just' a regular blog post.
• Include my shiny new badge in your blog post, if you like (just copy and paste the code from the top of the sidebar or bottom of this post).
• Publish your post between now and Monday.
• I'll publish my post, inspired by one of the prompts, on Monday.
• Link up your blog post (The linky goes live at 9am on Monday).
• I will attempt to comment on and share all of your posts.
• It would be great if you could read and comment on some, or all, of the posts too.

I'm hoping we'll create a supportive writing community.
These writing prompts are for everybody. Even if you wouldn't call yourself a writer, you are still writing on your blog. Have a go. Express yourself. Stretch yourself, you never know what might happen. There are no rules. Try to enjoy writing.

There is also a Bloggers and Writers Facebook Group that you may find useful.

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Write On Prompts - Week 1

1 - I have never...
What have you never done, that everyone else has done? Would you like to do it or are you taking a stand?

2 - Toys being sold by gender - right or wrong?
Does the way toys are sold make you cross or are there more important things to worry about in life? Have your say.

3 - Mother
What does this word mean to you?

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Here is the shiny badge code

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Welcome to Write On

Freaky Friday at Milton Keynes Museum

It's been a while since I published a Freaky Friday post, but we recently went to Milton Keynes Museum again and I had to share these beauties with you.

Don't have nightmares...

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Freaky Friday at Milton Keynes Museum

Weight Loss Coaching

I've written before about my weight issues. It seems so obvious - if you haven't got an eating disorder - that to lose weight you should just eat less bad stuff, eat more good stuff, and be more active. If if were that simple I would be a size 10. If it were that simple no one would be overweight.

Dawn Walton is a Cognitive Hypnotherapist. She is also my friend and wants to help me become as healthy as she has become. In the last year or so Dawn has gone from a size 24 couch potato to a size 12 marathon runner. She is an amazing person who has dropped her emotional baggage along with the weight. You can read Dawn's story in her book, Nothing Needs to be the Way it has Always Been.

Dawn has recently developed a Weight Loss Coaching Programme and asked me if I would like to review it, free of charge. Of course I asked myself the question What have I got to lose? The answer would seem to be only weight. So I agreed. I am writing about my experience of this programme now, at the beginning. I will also give you updates throughout the twelve weeks.

It sounds simple, but it is not easy. Change is hard. Dawn explains more about the programme on her personal blog The Moiderer. When she suggested the idea to me I knew that she could help me. She helped me before when I had pneumonia. [Edited to add: Dawn had also helped me lose some weight last year when she was training to be a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, she also got me to the point where I was ready to join Slimming World where I lost a load more]. Then I got nervous. What if it didn't work? The worst that could happen is that I'll just carry on going to Slimming World and lose ten minutes per day listening to a recording. Then I got even more nervous. What if it did work? Could I really change my relationship with food that fundamentally that food becomes a fuel and nothing more?

What if I really could be slim, fit and healthy?

I would love to be a normal size. I would like to eat like a normal person. I would like to wear normal clothes. I said this to Dawn at our first Weight Loss Coaching Skype session and she asked what I mean by normal.  I surprised myself with my answer. I want to be unremarkable (a strange admission for a blogger). I don't want people to look at me and feel sorry for my children as they clearly have a fat and unhealthy mum - the biggest mum at the school gate. I hate it.

I've been following Dawn's programme for nearly two weeks now. I listen daily to a personal download that Dawn has recorded for me. This is simple, it's ten minutes of relaxing with my headphones in. I also write down three positive changes that I have noticed each day. This is easy as I am noticing so many changes. I am walking quicker and doing more. I am choosing - mostly - to eat healthy foods. When I eat 'bad' foods I'm not enjoying them. CURSES!

The part of the programme that I am find really difficult is eating mindfully. I am used to doing six things at once. To stop everything, to close the laptop, to move anything with writing on, and just eat is torture for me.  I'm finding I am eating less because I want to get back to doing other things. I know I still have a long way to go as when I'm eating a 'bad' food I forget to eat it mindfully. That's just taking away all the fun of the binge. I'm sure Dawn will have something to say about this at our weekly catch up...

I'll keep you posted.


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Weight Loss Coaching

Feeding the Ducks

Children love to feed the ducks. The ducks (and swans and geese and moorhens) always look starving and are so grateful for the scraps of bread that the children throw at them. There isn't much in life that's funnier - for a child - than to hit a duck with a tiny chunk of bread, or have them catch it in their beak.

But should we feed the ducks? At Furzton Lake in Milton Keynes there is a feeding platform. We take one slice of granary bread for each child, already torn into bite-sized pieces. Once it's gone, it's gone. We shake out the bag for the sparrows.

I have no idea what was going to through the minds of the people who threw into the water whole naan bread, half a loaf of soda bread, the whole rolls or the massive pieces of French stick. Idiots.

I've always felt uneasy watching other families arrive with whole loaves of white bread. I really dislike plastic white bread and can't imagine it does the ducks much good. I decided to find out.

A quick Google threw up a great website called Duck Rescue Network . They have all the answers. Sadly we shouldn't be feeding the ducks at all. Any type of bread is bad for their health. If you must feed the ducks they can eat greens, defrosted peas, grapes (cut up) or grains. We'll do that next time.


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Feeding the Ducks

Review: LEGO Duplo Number Train 10558 and LEGO Roadshows

The LEGO Duplo Number Train 10558 is a fantastic addition to your Duplo stash. It's a toy train that you build yourself. It comes with a driver and a dog.

The scope for imaginative play is huge. Where is the train going? What is it carrying? Where will it stop? Can you build a station?

It's educational too, and helps little ones learnt their numbers and aids counting.

Best of all it's only £12.99 which I think is great value for money.

This is Presley building a station.


Our children are 5 and 4, so they're at the upper end of the Duplo age range. They have regular LEGO, but they're still happy to spend an afternoon playing with Duplo. It never dates, it's a wonderful quality toy.

Over half term the LEGO Roadshow visited the Centre MK in Milton Keynes. Sadly Cash had a vomiting bug the night before, so instead of going to the Roadshow we were in A&E to rule out concussion (he had bumped his head the day before).

We were so disappointed to miss it. The children could play with LEGO CHIMA, LEGO FRIENDS or LEGO DUPLO and every child received a goody bag.

Here are some photographs of the day:

Look out for the LEGO Roadshow coming to a shopping centre near you this summer.


Disclosure: we were sent a LEGO Duplo Number Train to review. We also received a few other LEGO goodies from the PR when she found out the boys were ill. Thanks, Kelly.
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Review: LEGO Duplo Number Train 10558 and LEGO Roadshows