Monday I had a seminar on corporate parenting, followed by Labour group. When I got home Anthony had some lovely flowers waiting for me, for St Dwynwen's Day. On Tuesday it was Full Council - the webcast is up - which I tried live tweeting to an audience of about three. :) I asked a question about the LTP (Local Transport Plan) and how we're going to promote public transport when we have no control over rail or the bus network... In the afternoon we went to Bron Afon's residents consultation for Northville, then I went on to finance committee for my primary school governor's board. Then came food shopping, always the highlight of the week...

Wednesday was a home day, then Thursday Marianna and I went with my parents to Aust, so my dad could go fossil hunting. Me and my mum 'promenaded' up and down the walkway with the pushchair and just chatted. Friday and Saturday were both fairly uneventful, but sometimes it's nice to have a few days with nothing much on.

Mum and Marianna bundled up against the cold in Aust.

This week has flown by! Monday, we did something... I forget what. Tuesday I got out of planning committee to attend an emergency school governors' meeting, and did the shopping. I had my first meeting of the Healthier Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, then on Thursday I took Marianna for a meeting about small schemes and a consultation Bron Afon are doing. She was very good, and very much enjoyed the chocolate biscuit she got hold of.

I had Gwent Police and Crime Panel on Friday; we set the policing precept for next year - it's going to be an increase of 3.99% if you live in Gwent, which equates to about 16p extra per week for a Band D property. On the plus side, they're going to be recruiting again for the first time in years: 100 new PCs over the next two years or so. In the evening Anthony went out, Marianna stayed with my mum, and I had a blissful evening of watching TV by myself. :)

Saturday I just spent the day around my mum and dads, and then on Sunday I went on the Fun Run to fundraise for Coed Eva School. When I say went on I don't mean I ran it, that would be madness. But I did walk 5k on a Sunday morning which is most out of character for me!


Me and Kelly gearing up for the fun run walk.

There's a 73 quick fire question challenge doing the rounds, courtesy of Vogue's video series. I love blog challenges and the like so was psyched to be tagged by Loving My Finley to give it a go myself!


1. What Is Your Favourite Movie?

Grease. It has everything! I did the 30 Days of Film Challenge a few months back, if you want to see more of my taste in film.

2. Favourite Movie In The Past Five Years?

I don't know, I don't watch many new releases. I did like Get Santa though.

3. Favourite Hitchcock film? 

So hard to choose, but Rebecca gets it by a hair.

4. A Book You Plan On Reading? 

The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale. It's due out in May.

5. A Book That You Read In School That Positively Shaped You?

I hated all the set texts at school, they were terrible. I hated Shakespeare, I hated Of Mice and Men, and I really hated An Inspector Calls. Chaucer was alright, I guess, so I'll choose him.

6. Favourite TV Show That’s Currently On? 

I'm enjoying Dickensian.

7. On a scale of one to ten, how excited are you about life right now? 

About 8. I've got lots of plans for this year.

8. iPhone or Android? 

Neither. I love my Blackberry, and my Blackberry loves me. So there!

9. Twitter or Instagram? 

I prefer Tumblr.

10. Who Should EVERYONE Be Following Right Now? 

Me, duh.

11. What’s Your Favourite Food? 

Stodge. I like things like cheese and potato pie, pie in general, chips...

12. Least Favourite Food? 

Peas.

13. What Do You Love On Your Pizza? 

Ham and Pineapple.

14. Favourite Drink? 

Strawberry Milkshake. As a toddler, I subsisted on nothing but warm strawberry milkshake because I refused to eat anything with the slightest hint of a lump in.

15. Favourite Dessert? 

Trifle, with lots of sprinkles.

16. Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate? 

Milk

17. Coffee or Tea? 

Tea

18. What’s The Hardest Part About Being A Mum? 

Accepting that you can't be with them all the time.

19. What Is Your Favourite Band?

Right now it's Prides.

20. Favourite Solo Artist? 

Marina and the Diamonds.

21. Favourite Song? 

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac. I've got a 30 Days of Music Challenge to for other favourites.

22. If You Could Sing A Duet With Anyone, Who Would It Be?

I don't really sing, so I wouldn't want to embarrass myself in front of them.

23. If You Could Master One Instrument, What Would It Be? 

Piano.

24. If You Had A Tattoo, Where Would It Be? 

If I wasn't one of the most fickle people I know, I'd want to get a full sleeve down one arm with lots of stars, water and bright flowers.

25. To Be or Not To Be? 

Is really not a very good movie.

26. Dogs or Cats?

Dogs. Just look at this face:


27. Bird-watching or Whale-watching?

Bird-watching. Whale-watching sounds like something which requires travel and hassle.

28. The Best Gift You’ve Ever Received? 

All of them. Even if they weren't the greatest thing in the world, somebody thought enough of me to gift me something, and that's awesome.

29. The Best Gift You’ve Ever Given? 

I got my brother a sword one year. That's pretty cool if I do say so myself.

30. The Last Gift You Gave A Friend? 

I gave Anthony a cake this week.

31. What’s your Favourite Board Game? 

Pay Day. We make up little backstories for the cards (like, if it's the fifth time your child's broken a neighbour's window, you've got to wonder!) and it's so funny.

32. What’s Your Favourite Country To Visit? 

Of my admittedly small sample, my favourite was Turkey.

33. What’s The Last Country You Visited? 

England.

34. What Country Do You Wish To Visit? 

Japan. So much to see, so much to do, so much to buy!

 35. What Is Your Favourite Colour? 

Red.

36. Least Favourite Colour? 

Beige.

37. Diamonds or Pearls? 

Diamonds. 

38. Heels or Flats? 

Flats these days.

39. Pilates or Yoga? 

Yoga.

40. Jogging or Swimming? 

Swimming; I hate jogging.

41. The Best Way To De-stress? 

I like to play monotonous games like Farmville and suchlike.

42. If You Had One Superpower, What Would It Be?

Super speed. I could stay in bed until the very last second and still be on time.

43. What’s The Weirdest Word In The English Language?

Phalloorchoalgolagnia - sexual arousal from receiving a painful blow in the male genitals.

44. What’s Your Favourite Flower? 

Daffodil.

45. When Was The Last Time You Cried? 

I got a little bit teary at Healthier Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday. We were looking at the new 'When I Am Ready' scheme - encouraging young people in care to stay on with foster carers past the age of 18 - and we were talking about how what children have lived through in their early life will continue to affect them. There was a story about a toddler in particular which made me think of Marianna and put a lump in my throat.

46. Do You Like Your Handwriting? 

It's alright, it looks nicer with a wide nibbed fountain pen, I think.

47. Do You Bake? 

No. I eat a lot of baked goods though, does that count?

48. What Is Your Least Favourite Thing About Yourself? 

My weight. :(

49. What Is Your Favourite Thing About Yourself? 

My nose.

50. Who Do You Miss Most? 

My Nan.

51. What Are You Listening To Right Now? 


52. Favourite Smell?

Creosote.

53. Who Was The Last Person You Talked To On The Phone? 

My dad, to see if I could cadge a lift to work.

54. Who Was The Last Person You Sent A Text To? 

My other half, Anthony.

55. A Sport You Wish You Could Play?

I wish I could ice skate, it looks so beautiful.

57. Eye Colour?

Hazel.

58. Scary Film or Happy Endings?

I love both!

59. Favourite Season? 

Autumn.

60. Three People Alive or Dead That You Would Like To Have Dinner With? 

Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Val McDermid. I could learn from the best.

61. Hugs or Kisses?

Depends who's giving them!

62. Rolling Stones or the Beatles? 

The Beatles.

63. Where Were You Born?

Panteg Hospital in Pontypool.

64. What Is The Farthest You Have Been From Home?

Turkey.

65. Sweet or Savoury?

Savoury. In a dream world I'd live on crisps and sandwiches.

66. Lipstick or Lip Gloss?

Lipstick, every time. The brighter red it is, the better.

 67. What Book Have You Read Again and Again? 

Grasshopper Island. It's a kids' story about three brothers who run away and find an island which turns out not to be quite as uninhabited as they thought... For more on my taste in books, check out my answers to the 30 Days of Books Challenge.

68. Favourite Bedtime Story? 

I always read historical crime stuff before bed, it might explain my frequent nightmares.

69. What Would Be The Title Of Your Autobiography? 

Shit Happens. Lol, I don't know, I'd have to think about it.

70. Favourite Sound?

Marianna giggling. :)

71. Favourite Animal? 

Squirrels. It was their appreciation day yesterday.

72. Who Is Your Girl Crush? 

Dita von Teese.

73. The Last Photograph You Took?

Anthony posed for this snap for me:


I'm leaving the tags open - if you want to take up the challenge, let me know in the comments and I'll pop a link into this post for everyone to see. :)

ETA: Louise from Little Hearts, Big Love did it.

I couldn't make the seminar on Monday, but this week's was an update on the fire at Coed Eva school. The infant building was completely gutted, but the school reopened on Monday and the nursery will be open on the 25th when the demountable classrooms are up. Some teenagers were apparently messing about on the grounds on New Year's Eve, setting fire to a bench - the flames caught the nursery porch / overhang and that was it. All the firefighters could hope to do was to stop the blaze spreading to the junior building. That's the problem with all the outdated school buildings across the country; they're full of asbestos and not built to withstand fire. This might inspire Welsh government to stop dragging its feet over approving our 21st century schools plans and releasing the funds for the school rebuilds... but I won't hold my breath! Most of them have been pushed back at least 5 - 10 years already.

Anyway, on Monday evening I had a governors' meeting at Croesyceiliog School. If you've ever thought about becoming a school governor, check out my handy guide to it. Tuesday was pretty quiet, even though it was Kiss a Ginger Day. (Seriously!) All I can remember about Wednesday is that Marianna went for her MMR and booster jabs. On Thursday I had to have a banking review (I'm with the Natwest). I was really worried that they wanted to take my overdraft off me or something, which is generally all that stands between us and non-payment of everything, but it really was just a review of personal details and my account. The woman who did the review was lovely and, unlike some of the tales Google brought up, didn't try to sell me anything. I complain about the Natwest a lot because their online banking seems to be down about 12 times a week, but this did change my opinion a fair bit!

In the evening we all went to our local Labour branch meeting. They grate on me more as time goes on because it's just the same thing every meeting. I'm secretary at the moment but it's the AGM in February and there is no way I'm continuing with it - I've already warned Anthony that unless we suddenly get a new enthusiastic member, he'll be doing it. ;) Friday and Saturday were a bit of a write off in terms of diet and achievements. I felt really ill and generally gross, so didn't do any aerobics and ate the full 2k calories each day. All I did was put up my Sindy house!

I sit on two school governing bodies now - Maendy Primary School, and Croesyceiliog Secondary School. They're both schools I once attended and this week, as I was walking along the same old route to a meeting at my old comprehensive, it got me thinking about how I never imagined I'd end up sitting next to my old teachers questioning school finances. But if I can do it, so can you. Read on for how and, perhaps more importantly, why -

What is a school governor?

The NGA (National Governors' Association) covers the basics when it says, 'school governors are people who want to make a positive contribution to children's education'. Because the children don't need to be yours. In fact, you don't need to have any children. You don't even have to like children. The only real requirements to be a school governor are a) be over 18, and b) be willing to give up your time to attend meetings.

What does a school governor do?

Your main function as a governor is to be a 'critical friend' to the headteacher and SLT (Senior Leadership Team). They will present you with all the relevant facts and figures, and you will then ask questions and work with them to:

 ✩ set aims and objectives for the school;
 ✩ adopt policies for achieving those aims and objectives;
 ✩ set targets for achieving those aims and objectives; and
 ✩ review progress towards achieving the aims and objectives.

That sounds like so much official rot, I know, so here's an example of how that works in practice. Let's say the aim is that all children should have as close to full attendance as possible, to ensure they're making the most of their education. The objective, then, is to lower the number of unauthorised absences. To help achieve this you adopt attendance policies, perhaps drawn up from scratch, more likely supplied by the LEA (Local Education Authority) or similar body. Based on the policy you will then set a target, remembering that Estyn (or relevant inspectorate) will want to see you being both aspirational and realistic. To review progress, you would then see the latest figures on a regular basis, and go back through the target setting process annually.

Just this week it has been headline news that, in Wales, it is unlawful to put a blanket ban on term time holidays. Many LEAs and governing bodies had put one in their policies though, and lots of parents will now be appealing the fixed penalty notices they were given as a result. What the headlines seem to have ignored is that getting that absence authorised is still up to headteacher discretion, and you can be sure the LEA and the governing body will be advising they use that power sparingly. Ten days absence brings a pupil's attendance down to 94.7%, not an Estyn pleasing figure.

This whole business might have you asking,

What happens when you get things wrong?

Sometimes governors aren't kept up to date with legal changes, or don't really know what's going on in their school. They're reliant on the SLT for data in-year, while some might struggle to interpret the data they do get. If things go belly up, the buck stops with the governing body. But. Providing you act honestly and in good faith, you are not personally liable. Instead liability falls on the governing body as a whole. If things get that bad, the LEA will step in and replace the governors.

Now your worries have been alleviated, you might be thinking,

Okay, what does being a school governor involve?

You will need to attend a meeting of the full governing body every half term or so. In addition, you will be expected to join one or two subcommittees (e.g. finance, or learning and teaching). Meetings are held after school and tend to last around two hours for a full meeting, less for a subcommittee. The exception is if you are a member of the staffing or disciplinary panels - these meetings, though much more infrequent, may well be held during school time. If you're a glutton for punishment, you can try for chair and the accompanying pre-meetings.

You will also need to undergo training. In Wales, at minimum, you need to do a governors' induction session, and one on understanding school data. There will be plenty of other sessions on too, looking at topics like school health and safety, corporate parenting, and chairing skills. Most LEAs still insist on people attending physical training sessions, because e-learning is (apparently) a mystical concept.

If you're less confident about it all, or simply have less time to spare, go for a primary school governing body. They tend to be much smaller, have less to deal with in terms of exam results and other issues, and you get to sit on those little tiny chairs again. It does make it a bit weird when you get the inevitable invites to prize evening, school plays, choral events, etc - unless you're a teacher, childless adults are probably always going to feel out of place at a primary nativity!

As a school governor you'll be in good company - even Draco Malfoy's dad, Lucius, took time out from being evil to take Dumbledore to task over his questionable record on student welfare.

What do I get out of it?

The warm glow of selflessness? Or, if the 'Big Society' doesn't float your boat, you get to learn the ins and outs of things you might not otherwise get the chance to. No longer will acronyms like SDP (School Development Plan) and PDG (Pupil Deprivation Grant) leave you baffled. When education is in the news, you'll have the ammo to argue your point, and I can guarantee you'll learn surprising things about the gap between perception and reality on all sorts of issues. If you have school age children, the benefits are obvious, in terms of knowing what is happening behind the scenes, but even if you don't you're still getting to help shape the education of the next generation. And that's a pretty big thing, when you think about it.

I'm sold. Where do I sign up?

There are a few routes to governorship. The less likely routes are:

 ✩ Observer Governors. This might be a member of the SLT who sits in to give extra information, even though they lack voting rights.
 ✩ Associate Governors. These are often current pupils who have no voting rights, and are excluded from confidential issues (e.g. staffing), but are nevertheless invited along to meetings to give a voice to the student body.

The more likely routes are:

 ✩ Foundation / Partnership / Sponsor Governors. These are appointed by a funding body, if the school has one - e.g. the diocese for a church school.
 ✩ Staff Governors. This is the primary route in for teachers and paid school staff, who are elected to vacancies by their colleagues.
 ✩ Co-opted aka Community Governors. Members of the local community co-opted by the governing body. These might be retired teachers, teachers from other schools, former pupils, or anyone else deemed suitable. (For Torfaen, email the EAS - Education Achievement Service - at governor.support@sewaleseas.org.uk if you're interested in becoming a community governor.)
 ✩ Authority aka LEA Governors. These are governors appointed by the local authority - principally elected councillors. If you're interested in becoming an authority governor, contact your local council.
 ✩ Parent Governors. What it says on the tin. In many ways this is the hardest route in as these are elected positions. When a vacancy comes up you put your name down and charm / bribe other parents into voting for you. (Note - you may not stand as a parent governor if you're an elected councillor or work at the school for more than 500 hours pa.)

Take the plunge - it's easier than you think!


Are you / have you thought about becoming a school governor?

We've been starting to get back to normal this week. On Monday I had a Labour group meeting at the Community Council and it was nice just to get out in the fresh (if cold) air and walk there and back. Tuesday saw the usual chores, food shopping, and then I took Marianna to her check-up with the physiotherapist. They were really pleased with her progress since the last one; she's started rolling, crawling and trying to stand over the last few weeks, putting her just within the normal range. She hasn't been diagnosed with hypermobility or anything, but is massively flexible, so they've recommended getting her to kneel as much as possible to help her control her legs. It probably doesn't help that she's so tall for her age - there is a lot of leg to get to grips with!

Wednesday was Community Council proper, and on Friday we went out for the afternoon to look around our local discount stores. (Luckily) there wasn't much about and I spent less than £10. When we were in B&M we did see a mattress fall on this poor woman who was just walking past! We went and got the staff, etc, but I hope she was okay - she was walking with a stick to start with, and didn't look good at all.

Other than that this week has been about starting the new healthy living regime. It's been really hard work, but I did my mini workout DVD six times this week and stuck to the diet. I'm not weighing 'officially' until the end of the month, but I did have a sneaky stand on the scales yesterday and it looks like it is paying off. Wish me luck for this week coming!

I'd heard lots of good things about Childs Farm, so was really excited when we were asked to review the Little Essentials gift set, RRP£7.99...


The cute little ziplock purse makes this set a great gift, and is also really useful for storing toiletries for travel - there's no way your bag is going to get wet or gooey! I also like that it's completely reusable too. I expect I will end up storing miniature bits and bobs in it.

The set itself consists of four 50 ml bottles of:
☆ Hair & Body Wash for Dirty Rascals.
☆ Hair Detangler for Flowing Locks.
☆ Moisturiser for Silky Skin.
☆ 3-in-1 Swim.

Marianna, being a dirty rascal, was soon ready to try it all out. The orange scent is quite subtle, but still lovely and fresh, and it did the job it was made to do. I love that Childs Farm products are dermatologist approved for both sensitive and ezema prone skin - you can use them from newborn upwards, which is brill if you're travelling with little terrors of varying ages. It's a no sting formula too, just to make life that little bit easier.


As you can see, Marianna's locks aren't exactly flowing, but we did try a little spray of the detangler. Again, it smells so fresh - grapefruit this time! - and I think it may well end up on my section of the bathroom windowsill...

Next up was the moisturiser. This one is grapefruit scented too and goes on really smoothly. Marianna has pretty good skin anyway (touch wood!) but it felt even lovelier and softer after a few uses. We haven't tried the 3-in-1 Swim yet, but we were advised to take Marianna swimming at her physiotherapist appointment this week, so its time is not too far away!


I'm really impressed with the Childs Farm products, and they get a big thumbs up from me! To check them out for yourself visit childsfarm.com - there is even free shipping on orders over £15. You can also connect with Childs Farm via social media at:

What is a 404?

The dreaded '404 Not Found' message appears when a server can't find the web address you requested. This might be the result of a broken or dead link, or human error when typing in the address. Either way, it leads to equal amounts of frustration!

What does my 404 page look like?

To check just add /404 to the end of your blog's web address. If you're using Blogger's default settings, your 404 page will look something like this:

What's wrong with it?

Well, nothing per se. It's just a bit boring, and doesn't do much to keep the disgruntled visitor on your blog. Some people set up an automatic 301 redirect from 404 errors to their home page, but this is bad for your SEO, and confusing for people who clicked a link expecting something specific. The best way forward is to create a custom 404 page.

How do I fix it?

Blogger makes things nice and simple for you. On your Dashboard, click 'Settings' then 'Search Preferences'. You'll now see a section headed 'Custom Page Not Found'. Click 'Edit' and, ta-dah, you get a nice empty box waiting to receive your custom HTML.

If you don't feel confident typing it straight in, just get it all ready in a draft post then copy and paste. I decided to keep things simple - I made a cutesy 'page not found' image with canva.com and added a search bar:


The great thing is that you can make yours as simple or as complex as you like. You can use your 404 page to help find a missing child, showcase your favourite blog posts, or engage people with a web game. For inspiration, check out creativemarket.com's list of the coolest 404 pages on the net.

It's been a nice quiet week, recovering from the excess of Christmas. At least I did. Anthony went out Tuesday night and didn't get in until 5am the next morning! We stayed in on New Year's Eve with a takeaway, then on New Year's Day Marianna turned one. We threw her a birthday party and filled our little living room to capacity. :)

Hannah took this photo of Bracken, making her appear innocent and angelic. Don't be fooled!