Magpie Moments - Silver Heart

Beautiful Silver Jewellery from Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery

Rarely entering Instagram giveaways, only choosing prizes I truly covet, I was delighted earlier this month to be named the winner.  Having captured my attention with her beautiful jewellery designs, Elizabeth of Elizabeth Anne Norris Jewellery visually fed my love of silver pieces as I followed her Instagram feed (@eanjewellery).  Therefore when I saw Elizabeth was having a giveaway for a gorgeous silver heart pendant, I decided to chance my luck.  All that sharing and screenshotting paid off, I won!  My prize is featured below and is a wonderful addition to my silver jewellery collection.

 As a supporter of artisan businesses I always love the story behind the creations, how the maker developed their skills and started on their creative business journey.  Elizabeth is an award winning designer whose eye for detail and ability to make simplicity truly beautiful, I'm sure you will agree, make the perfect bond in her jewellery design and creation.  

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

In The Bag - A Wintry Walk

Clockwise from the top -Quilted Jacket from Barbour - Wellies from Joules - Leather Backpack from Eazo -
 Leather Thermos Flask from Beg Bicycles - Wellies from Joules - Leather Backpack from Paper High - 
Leather Backpack from Iris

Mercury on the thermometer may have plummeted but this should not be an excuse to stay indoors. Although I know how alluring the warmth of an open fire, a pot of tea and a good book can be when outside the air is crisp.  Pack a flask of freshly brewed coffee or hot chocolate, put on a warm coat, hat, gloves and scarf, tuck toes snuggly into boots lined with fluffy socks and head outside.  Exhale dragons breath and listen for the crunch of frost with every step.  

Until next time, take care.

Zoe
xo

Take Me On A Journey

image source - Lisa Barbero on Etsy

A sprinkle of sunshine on a chilly day has turned my thoughts to adventures in the warmer summer months.  Packing a bag, flying away, having an adventure.  With the children getting older plans to travel on our own seem less of a distant horizon.  Yet family adventures are still to be had and I hope for many more years to come, even when our hair is a little greyer, our bones a little creakier, adventures as a family will hopefully still be sought.  

With a hunger for culture, offering sights, scents and tastes to expand my mind and probably my middle, I want to take a trip to many cities.  But tiny islands can captivate our minds and senses in similar ways, tasting traditional recipes created in tavernas passed down through generations, overlooking bays with boats bobbing in a sparkling sea. Italy has always held a place in my heart, feeding my mind, body and soul. Tired feet, having spent days walking along narrow streets, navigating busy roads in cities can quickly be rejuvenated on sandy beaches, whilst the children can head out to sea in toppers, catching the breeze in their sails, returning to shore with sun kissed skin and salt in their hair.

So today as I continue in earnest with my decluttering my thoughts will be taking me off an adventure on cobbled streets, eating sundried tomatoes, olives and sipping an aromatic espresso or chianti in the warm Italian sunshine. Where will your next adventure be taking you?

Until next time, take care.

Zoe 

xo

This post is my entry for the #MarkWarnerMum blogger competition, in the creative writer category. 

World Cancer Day

image source - World Cancer Day website.

There seems to be a day for everything these days, but today is an important day for me.  It is World Cancer Day.  Today is my day off, a break in the week when I can stop thinking about cancer.  Sadly for many people they don't get to have a day off from cancer.  Living with cancer is a term that is being spoken more often as survival figures climb, longer remissions possible.  Yet there is still so much to do.  Treatments are harsh, symptoms limiting quality of life and side effects changing peoples lives beyond treatment finishing.  Research is key not only for reducing the percentage of people likely to have cancer but for improving treatments and just as importantly improving care, service and information delivery.  Treatments are becoming evermore personalised yet we still have a long way to go in tailoring information to individuals.  

As part of the ICanWeCan project for World Cancer Day, I Can help every patient I treat cope with their radiotherapy treatment.  Of course I already do this and will continue to do this. But in the coming years I want to help my profession make improvements to service delivery, tailoring information to individuals, finding ways to help patients living with short and long term side effects of radiotherapy get the quality of life they deserve.  Even though I am a newly qualified Band 5 therapeutic radiographer I already have ideas and will research project ideas in coming months to see if they are actually viable. 

So what you can you do for the ICanWeCan project?  You can book that smear test, check your breasts, give up smoking.  You can take a friend who is living with cancer out for coffee and a catch up or head out for a walk with them, fresh air is good for the soul as well as relieving fatigue. You could make some meals for the freezer of a friend or relative currently having cancer treatment for their family, so they don't have to worry that everybody is getting fed.  Whilst we could all give a fixed amount to the various charities, which of course means we can make changes, improve treatments and save more lives.  Giving the gift of time, whether for ourselves to get checked or spend with a friend or family member living with cancer, or making a friends life a little easier whilst they receive treatment, is worth more than any donation.  

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

January Round Up

image source

Whilst I have planned on monthly round up posts before I never seem to quite get around to it.  So this year I have decided to try and collate a round up as each month closes, sharing what I have been doing, reading, listening to and even watching.  

Reading  - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo

In an effort to declutter and tidy the house properly once and for all I have turned to the tidying godess that has received high praise across social media in the recent months.  So fingers crossed her magic works on me!

Doing - Business Planning

This month has seen me helping my husband make plans for creating a business that fits around our family and gives him a way to share his talents.  To be honest I have thoroughly enjoyed this, donning my creative and marketing hats again.  Also one of the ideas will mean I can collaborate with him.  Watch this space.....

Listening - Adele, Foxes and Jo Whiley

This month I have continued to play Adele's new album, 25, whilst in the car.  A damn good sing along on my long drives home from work have been the tonic I needed as the dark evenings have become a little depressing.  My other love this month has been Foxes, I absolutely love this band and have added them to my various playlists this month.  Also this month I have been making sure I listen to Jo Whiley's Radio 2 show as much as possible, whether this is live or on catch up.  For me Jo's show is a celebration of talented musicians, old and new, whilst catching up with an old friend or big sister.  

Watching - War and Peace and Call The Midwife

After spending so much in the company of Dr McDreamy and the cast of Greys Anatomy whilst I devoured box set after box set on Amazon Prime, I needed a new fix.  This time it wasn't a hospital based medical drama, the only blood to be seen is on the battle field, or in childbirth. Having never read War and Peace, I know a terrible admission for a literature graduate, I was intrigued by the new adaptation.  Thankfully this does not disappoint and I am loving the character development, drama and beautiful location and costume of this epic.  Call The Midwife has become a firm favourite with myself and the girls, making time every Thursday after school to watch an episode in the wintry months, so we are thrilled that January saw it's return.  

What have you been up to this month? Any recommendations?!

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

New Approaches In Womens Healthcare

This week marks the start of the annual Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, with Jo's Trust aiming to run campaigns to better inform the female population about this and encourage women to attend appointments for smear tests.  Oh yes those dreaded two words, something we try and avoid, completly dislike and wish we didn't have go at all.  Yet we should all know how important it is to make sure we attend that dreaded appointment every three years.  Early detection can save lives.  Really it can, it's not just a scaremongering tactic.  But I know how difficult it is to get an appointment at exactly the right time of the month.  

Recently I have been thinking about barriers in healthcare again, particularly womens healthcare.  Since turning forty I know my body will start to change, with the promise of menopause on the horizon and not many more years until I get my first letter to attend for a  mammogram.  But what should I really be expecting from the next few years?  Yes I am aware of the breast screening programme, but more through my job than being told this is what will happen in your mid forties onwards.  As for the menopause my knowledge is limited, unless I search for information or blog posts or magazine articles about it, there is not a fixed appointment with my GP to advise me about what to expect.  In amongst the national screening programmes and making sure we know the importance of early detection for cancer, we seem to have forgotten about the things that affect all women, or certainly the majority of us.  Female health seems very much to still be a bit of a taboo subject.  I am sure there are some of us who readily discuss changes in our bodies with friends or family but not everybody is fortunate enough or comfortable enough to discuss periods, breast changes, the menopause or fertility issues, or body changes after pregnancy and birth.  

So what can we do to change this?  Attitudes will need to change, but this takes time, gently feeding the need for information through blogs, magazines and newspapers.  Womens health issues need to not be whispered about but openly discussed.  I don't mean that we chat loudly on the bus, or in the supermarket queue, but that we have confidence to talk about our bodies and it's changes and problems.  No longer avoiding a trip to the doctors if something isn't quite right.  But this is where I feel there is a big barrier in us receving the healthcare we deserve and need.  With many surgeries having only one or two female GP's that often work part time, it is a real battle to get an appointment with a female GP.  Recently I was informed by letter that our family doctor had changed ad I was delighted we had a female GP.  However she only works part time and her hours sadly don't coincide with my day off, so the delight was short lived.  

Over the past few years Nurse Practioners have become an invaluable part of the surgery, offering knowledgeable advice and healthcare for so many of us.  So why doesn't every surgery have a Female Health Nurse Practioner?  This nurse could be available part or full time, covering more than one surgery in smaller towns or be full time in surgeries covering a larger radius or busier town.  We can visit with our concerns about periods, menopause and the many other gynaecological issues we have.  These nurses could also make sure we don't miss our smear tests or mammogram appointments, provide information about the risks and benefits of HRT or get us the help we need for incontinence after childbirth.  Having a friendly face at our surgery that understands the issues of the female body and knows where to get us the help we need or simply reassure us that it's quite normal would be huge bonus to the service provided.  Yes I know that this would cost money, something the NHS is always short of, but think how much it would save in the long term.  Women could readily access this service, preventing issues progressing to a level that requires more expensive healthcare.  Personally I know that I would happily make an appointment.

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo

A Note To Final Year Radiography Students

To All Final Year Radiography Students,

Right now it seems like there are not enough hours in the day I'm sure.  With a dissertation deadline getting closer and closer and clinical placement competencies to be met.  Nevermind trying to write your personal statement for job applications, with little time to actually search for Band 5 jobs.  On top of all that you are probably struggling to find time for friends and family, people moaning that you're a rubbish friend, sister, brother, mum or dad.  Everyday you wonder if you are doing the right thing, not even sure you will make that distant day in the summer when you will collect your results, qualify as a radiographer, start that first post as a band 5.  

Now stop, breathe, give yourself a little time off.  Even just half an hour to sit with a cup of tea and watch some rubbish telly, flick through a magazine, wrap up warm and go for a walk.  I know you have so much to cope with right now, but sometimes we need to take a short pause.  Everything will still be there when you press play again but taking time out will help, I promise.  Maybe that paragraph you've been struggling to write will now make sense, you will think of a way to manage your time better, making a plan of action or even feel better prepared to cope with a difficult supervisor on your current placement.  Little things can suddenly seem huge when you are stresssed, difficult mountains to get over.  Taking time out each week will be a huge benefit to you now.  So no more thinking I don't have time to stop.  Make time, write it in your diary, add it to your outlook calendar to make sure you have a little time out.  No more excuses, you need to take care of yourself to make it through the next few weeks.  

Good luck and take care,

Zoe

xo