Thursday, 2 March 2017

Mother's Day gifts...that aren't flowers

I should start this by saying I’m a big fan of flowers and will always welcome a bunch of posies, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only option for Mother’s Day, so here are a few other ideas!


Something crafty – these stamps (pictured below) from Hazel Nicholls are perfect for anyone who’s wasted several hours (and shiny pound coins) browsing in Hobbycraft.
I gave these away at Christmas...wanted to keep them so much!

 Caffeine addict – most of the parents I know function at about 90% caffeine capacity just to get through the day. Machines like this one are often in the sale (we got ours half price for example) and make an amazing brew that will see you through the longest night of teething.

Yeah, that's two espressos going into my Chatty Nora mug

Long overdue day out – try seeking out local, small attractions and find out if there are any special events on. Don’t forget to check if there’s a nice cafĂ© or, if you’ve been a particularly errant offspring, cocktail bar.

A famous bottle kiln at Gladstone Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent

All blog content and photos are Copyright of Charisse Sayers Proofreader & Copywriter www.charisse-sayers.com I welcome all feedback and would love to know your thoughts so please get in touch, comment, share, like and generally get involved – you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

Science fiction – the ultimate retro


I don’t consider myself a massive science fiction fan, but the evidence speaks for itself: I have a TARDIS for a shed, my favourite place to holiday was the filming location of The Prisoner in the 1960s, and the last few books I’ve read have all been science fiction themed, or at least magical realism.

As a big fan of children’s fiction, it seems odd that this classic trio of books had escaped my attention, so I tracked down preloved copies of A Wrinkle in Time, The Phantom Tollbooth and The Box of Delights.


 


I’m currently part way through The Phantom Tollbooth, and so far it’s my favourite of the three, closely followed by A Wrinkle in Time, with The Box of Delights trailing in third place. However, I have it on good authority that the BBC’s 1980s version of John Masefield’s classic is well worth a watch, and as the narrative provides some strong imagery I think I might prefer a TV adaptation. I was also unaware it was a sequel when I bought it, so perhaps I should read The Midnight Folk before passing final judgement.

There’s always something fun about reading futuristic books that are tinged with nostalgia, if anyone can recommend any good reads in a similar vein to these, please let me know!



All blog content and photos are Copyright of Charisse Sayers Proofreader & Copywriter www.charisse-sayers.com I welcome all feedback and would love to know your thoughts so please get in touch, comment, share, like and generally get involved – you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Friday, 18 December 2015

My amazing new website is live!



     My stylish new website is live at www.charisse-sayers.com and mobile responsive too, so Google should love it even more now! I’ve refreshed the text and the whole design has been given a revamp courtesy of front end web developer Edward Ellis and technical support from JonGor Software.



     I love the new design and more intuitive layout and want to know what you think too! Please have a browse, all feedback welcome.

All blog content and photos are Copyright of Charisse Sayers Proofreader & Copywriter www.charisse-sayers.com I welcome all feedback and would love to know your thoughts so please get in touch, comment, share, like and generally get involved – you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Thursday, 17 December 2015

My top five Christmas foods


      I’ve been very busy the last few months starting a new job and working on an update of my website, but with Christmas approaching it’s time to slow down and appreciate the really important things in life, like food, and how best to stock my kitchen for that perilous one day of the year when (nearly) all shops are shut and everybody panic buys nine loaves of bread in case there’s a shortage come the 26th of December.

     Part of my new busy routine is that I am hardly ever the one pushing the trolley for our weekly food shop these days, and as such my favourite treats might not always make it through the checkout, so here’s a little reminder for anyone who wants to keep me happy over the festive period.

1. Cheese
It’s not Christmas without cheese. As a child it was standard to get a jar of Stilton in my stocking, the idea being that we had one each and we could tuck into our individual jars with a spoon, much like Americans eat giant tubs of ice cream alone in all those paltry rom coms that Channel 5 will undoubtedly wheel out over Christmas. 
Definition of a balanced diet


2. Christmas pudding that is on fire
It has to be on fire. I nearly set the kitchen (and my hand) alight last year attempting this when friends visited but it was worth the warm tickle of blue flames up my fingers to eat the tasty, boozy scented, flame grilled pudding. Finger burning good.


3. Mince pies
I don’t really trust anyone who doesn’t like mince pies, despite the fact logic tells me they are precisely the type of food that I can understand people not liking. I didn’t discover the joy of warm mince pies with melted brandy butter until my early twenties and now it’s a winter favourite. Yeah that’s right, a winter favourite, I eat them until the Easter eggs come out. 
'Deep filled', words to warm my heart

4. Chocolate yule log encrusted in buttercream
You may be seeing a theme here, food that would make a dentist or cardiologist wince, but tough – it’s Christmas! I love these and demand one every year. Despite the fact they are nearly always completely dry and inedible, and I might as well eat a roll of sugar paste given the overpowering sweetness but hey, who cares, nobody wears those paper cracker hats because they love disposable fashion, they wear them because it’s Christmas and that’s what you do.


5. Selection box of chocolates
Now call me a heathen if you must but I’m not a fan of those giant tins of Quality Street/Heroes/Roses/AllTheOthers. I prefer a nice selection box of truffles or pralines to sit and ruminate over while gradually shoving the whole box in my mouth until I can’t sleep due to cocoa poisoning. 
Always a welcome gift


     So there you have it, my top five foods for Christmas, which I now realise means my top five foods for January will probably all be vegetables and pulses as I’ll be sick of stodge and sugar by then. On the plus side, if you’re invited to my house over the festive period, you now know to wear elasticated trousers.

Merry Christmas and a full-belly new year!


All blog content and photos are Copyright of Charisse Sayers Proofreader & Copywriter www.charisse-sayers.com I welcome all feedback and would love to know your thoughts so please get in touch, comment, share, like and generally get involved – you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

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