Colouring-in is not just for kids! Here are 5 reasons why you're never too old to pick up a pencil...

5. Everyone's At It:

The colouring-in craze has exploded over the last few years. Three of Amazon USA's top 10 selling books last year were colouring books, and they make up 17% of book sales in Brazil. Nobody wants to be a sheep and just follow the herd but, if you fancy it, millions of other adults have already gone and set a precedent.

4. There's So Much Choice:

The inevitable effect of all this interest in adult colouring books is that, well, everyone is cashing in on the genre. You don't have to make do with knock-off cartoon characters printed on Z-grade paper anymore; these days you can colour everything from the solar system to your own Tarot deck.


Hannah bought me this one for Christmas. :)
3. It's A Stress Buster:

The research into this is actually pretty sketchy (geddit?) but the Guardian says it, so it must be true.

2. It's Fun!

You've got my word on that one, which carries much more weight than a national newspaper. Obviously.

1. You're Carrying on a Proud Tradition:

Though it's taken off in a big way recently, colouring-in isn't new. The first colouring book, The Little Folks' Painting Book, is credited to the McLoughlin Brothers in the 1880s, and the first official adult colouring book hit the scene in 1961. It kick started an early 60s fad for colouring, so if you're too hipster to dance to the tune of 2016, you can say you're recreating those swinging cold war days.



You can check out my own current range of colouring pages over on etsy:

#1. Then and Now. Post a past and present comparison of whatever takes your fancy.

#2. Put together a gift guide and be as general (Father's Day) or as specific (Rainbow obsessed one-year-olds named Marianna) as you want.

#3. Connect with people - post an overview of your social media presence.

#4. Who would you invite to your dream dinner party, and why? What would be on the menu, and what would the entertainment look like? You might even be able to turn it into a series of posts.

#5. Give advice. Here's me telling you how to complain and get results for inspiration:


#6. If you know a lot about something, make a guide to it. I regularly post guides to doll diversity and the weird and wonderful things you can find in miniature.

#7. Humans are nosy creatures, give us a tour of your house. (Room / work space / single tidy looking shelf...)

#8. Who inspires you, and why?

#9. Complete the 30 Days of Film Challenge.

#10. Make a list of your top ten whatever - I've done Paintings, Comedy Songs, and Video Games.

#11. Review something. If you've tried a product and liked it, let the world know. Or let them know that it sucked, it's your decision! You can check out my reviews HERE.

#12. If reviewing isn't good enough, how about a comparison post? I've got one on trade-in websites.

#13. Take part in a community blogging challenge. The Fandom Snowflake Challenge, for instance.

#14. Post about all the bands you've been to see.

#15. Ghostly Going-Ons, Post about the things which go bump in the night: local legends, family ghost stories, or even just the scariest thing which has ever happened to you.


#16. Find an old picture of yourself. Write about what you thought your life would be like now, back when that photo was taken.

#17. Be negative - tell the world about your least favourite things, and the worst films / books / dinosaur / whatever you can think of.

#18. Or, be positive. Blog about all the things which make you thankful to be alive.

#19. Complete the 30 Days of Horror Films Challenge.

#20. Give your opinion on an item in the news. Have a scroll through the latest headlines and it shouldn't take long before something riles you up enough to get writing. For example, HERE are my own posts on topical issues.

#21. Post a wishlist.

#22. Chronicle your mobile / cell phone history. We've all had fascias and ringtones we wish we hadn't!

#23. Suggest some methods of beating boredom. I just scanned in a page from an old magazine doing the same thing...

#24. In fact, scanning in retro magazines and advertising material can be a great post idea in itself.

#25. Write the A-Z of Me. I've listed quite a few blog meme / challenge ideas in this post because, well, they're always great when you're looking for something low effort to write about. Similar options include the 73 Question Vogue Challenge and Welcome to Me.


#26. If you've been anywhere other than your usual haunts recently, write about it.

#27. Rant about something which really gets your goat. Like the idea of 'smart' cards.

#28. 'A Day In The Life'

#29. Complete the 25 Days of Christmas Movies Challenge.

#30. Run a giveaway. Who doesn't love winning stuff? To check out my latest giveaways, click HERE.

#31. If you've been lucky enough to win a competition, let your readers know.

#32. Compile a list of things to do on a rainy day. Don't forget to tailor it to your niche.

#33. A picture says a thousand words, so why not try out a picture post.

#34. Put together a glossary of terms used in your blogging niche, workplace, hobby, etc.

#35. There are hundreds of special days throughout the year, from Squirrel Appreciation Day to Kiss a Ginger Day. There are bound to be a few you can find something to post about. I'm putting together a whole calendar of editorial calendar ideas.


#36. How do you make the perfect cup of tea / coffee?

#37. OOTD (Outfit of the Day) posts are always popular.

#38. Did you have a favourite toy as a child? Tell us about it.

#39. Post a video.

#40. Get somebody to guest post. Your readers get a fresh voice, and you don't have to write anything. Win-win, eh? I haven't actually hosted any guest posts yet, other than one by my partner, but you can check out ones I've written for other blogs HERE.

#41. Do you speak another language? Write a post in it - perhaps include a translation!

#42. Look up your horoscope for yesterday - did it come true?

#43. Write an open letter. (It wouldn't be a proper blog topic idea post without that one!) Here's mine to the Natwest bank.

#44. Debunk a myth. (Or that one!)

#45. Recap your week in a summary post.


#46. Post a job application, project pitch, personal statement or something similar you have written. Let your readers know how successful it was.

#47. If you had a time machine, where would you go and what would you do?

#48. Share your experience on a topic your readers might not know much about, like this post on the role of school governors.

#49. Complete the 30 Days of Photography Challenge.

#50. Share a quote. Quotes always go down well - you can check out my favourites HERE.

#51. If you collect something, make a full checklist.

#52. Or showcase your collection so far.

#53. Write about the history of something. For instance, I've got posts on the history of paper and photography.

#54. Create a printable.

#55. Tell your readers about your hobbies:


#56. Write a story.

#57. Post about a way to save money.

#58. Or, better still, a way to make money.

#59. Complete the 30 Days of Disney Challenge.

#60. Research something and write about it. I went with Jack the Ripper.

#61. Post a bucket list.

#62. Make yourself a custom 404 page - then tell everyone about it.

#63. Been shopping lately? Share your haul with the world via your blog.

#64. Get your funny on and make people laugh. Or smile. Hopefully. Like with, You Know You Were a UK 90s Kid When....

#65. Tell people the story behind your blog name.


#66. Do you link your posts up to blog linkies? Why not compile a list of linkies you use. It'll also come in handy when you're planning out your weekly post schedule.

#67. If your house has been overrun by a small, human-like thing, post about your birth story.

#68. Tell your readers about your resolutions. It doesn't even need to be new year.

#69. Complete the 30 Days of Music Challenge.

#70. Enter a competition which requires you to write a blog post. You might even win it.

#71. If you've been performing some technological wizadry on your blog, don't forget to post about how you did it. Here's one I made earlier on custom favicons.

#72. Things nobody told you about... (E.g. Having a Baby.)

#73. Share your CV with your readers. You never know, you might even get a job out of it!

#74. Blog about things to do and places to go in your local area. We've been out and about in Torfaen.

#75. What's in your handbag?


#76. Engage your readers. Post a poll, or a quiz, or invite questions for an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session.

#77. Write about a conspiracy theory. My post on the Titanic Switch Theory has been my most read ever.

#78. Share your budget.

#79. Complete the 30 Days of TV Challenge.

#80. Post a round up of the more random search queries which have led people to your blog.

#81. If you still have your college / university essays and coursework, post them to your blog. Students who have left things to the last minute will thank you.

#82. Have a go at eBay Bargain Hunt and blog about your success. (Or lack thereof.)

#83. Tell a joke.

#84. Create a list of your top online tools for blogging (or whatever else you might be using online tools for).

#85. Have you been in the press? Tell your readers about your 15 seconds of fame.


#86. Have you ever blogged before? Do you still have an old social media account lurking online? Pull some content from it and give your readers a blast from the past.

#87. Promote a charity that means a lot to you. Check out my post on Oxfam's work on improving girls' access to education in rural Pakistan.

#88. Post a recipe.

#89. Complete the 30 Days of Books Challenge.

#90. Write a tutorial.

#91. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it's a post about your favourite superhero.

#92. Post a list of your most popular blog posts. Or the blog posts you think ought to be the most popular. I did this in my 2015 Blogger Year In Review post.

#93. Talk about what you've been reading lately.

#94. Post an infographic. Extra points if you create it yourself.
#95. Summon your interior interior designer and describe your perfect bathroom, etc.


#96. Now put on your party planner hat and tell us about your ideal wedding, birthday bash, halloween party, etc.

#97. Get serious and blog about your religious and / or political beliefs.

#98. Where do you hang out online when you're not blogging? Let people know your favourite websites.

#99. Complete the 30 Doodles Challenge.

#100. Share some random facts about yourself.

#101. Write a list of 101 blog post ideas... ;)

What's in my handbag? posts are such a classic, and I love them for the way they offer a peek into other people's lives and personalities. Pretty notebooks, fancy make-up, trendy sunglasses... Let me say right now that you ain't gonna be seeing any of that in my handbag. My bag is like a vortex, sucking in all manner of junk which festers in there for weeks until I get around to giving it a proper clean out.

This is what the accumulated contents of my handbag looked like this evening... The bag itself is a Luca Bocelli laptop bag, and was a birthday present from Anthony's family. It can fit so much in it, which is my number one concern these days.


Here we see Marianna making her presence felt - we've got a couple of Moony nappies, nappy bags, wetwipes, and a cute little pair of shoes. We lost one of them on Monday, so I unwittingly carried around the other until I found its partner in the council chamber on Thursday. Talking of work, you can see my swipe card and lanyard, along with such essentials as a hairbrush, bobby pins, gumy earphones, and my iPod which is covered in stickers to please my inner eight year old. The purse is Ted Baker and was another birthday present, this time from my lovely friend Louise.


Next up, piles of agendas, notes, receipts and bus tickets. My pen collection is looking pretty healthy - the Staedtler fountain pen on the end is my favourite, it's designed to look like the iconic pencil. The owl necklace is something I picked up in Poundland earlier this week, and although it looks like I'm opening my own chemist, those blister packs - ibuprofen, sertraline, and ranitidine - are mostly empty.


My beloved diaries, appointment book, and my passport because I need ID and don't drive. Underneath that lot is a copy of the Metro, and the first glossy magazine (Cosmopolitan) I've bought in about a year because it was on offer for £1. There are also some hair ties, old receipts and the remains of a remembrance poppy. Then, we have Soap and Glory 'Thick & Fast' mascara, Miss Sporty lipliner, Nivea lip balm, Rimmel liquid and pencil eyeliners, Makeup-Revolution lipstick in Crime, and red lipstick which has long since lost all its identifying features. Finally, my house keys and a little welsh dragon dressed in a welsh lady costume keyring.

It's been pared back now, but I'm sure in a couple of weeks time it will be just as bad! So, the question is, what's in your handbag? :)



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I took Marianna into work with me on Monday because Anthony was full up with a cold. She was really good, but the seminar was on childhood obesity so I felt more guilty than usual about letting her have a biscuit to munch on! Tuesday saw me struck down with the cold myself, so after shopping, etc, I spent the day on the sofa, bundled up in my duvet. Wednesday was back to normal, and in the evening we went to the Northville Community Group meeting at Maendy Primary. It's so nice to see people wanting to improve the area. Marianna was quite miserable so I kept having to get up to show her a picture of Floppy the seal, the school's mascot. She really loves Floppy for some reason!

Thursday was quite busy; I had healthier communities scrutiny committee in the morning, looking at social services, then a meeting with the Wales Audit Office who had come in to see where the council is in its preparation for the Well-being of Future Generations Act. It will be a really useful framework, in my opinion, but the official guidance sounds like the most wishy-washy load of old tosh I've ever heard. I don't know why they can't write guidance with an audience other than overpaid think tanks in mind. Anyway, after that we had a Labour group meeting but when I got home about 7pm Anthony had put Marianna to bed and made my tea ready, like a proper 1950s housewife!

On Friday my cold amped itself up to 11, probably because it knew it was my day off and it wanted to ruin the occasion. Saturday morning was councillor advice surgery, and in the afternoon I took Marianna to my mum's for tea and TV. :)

There is something about immersing yourself in an alternative, interactive world that is awesome. That's my excuse for the huge number of hours I've wasted playing video games over the years, at any rate. If it wasn't for the arrival of seventh gen gaming, and obligatory contact with other human beings to complete quests - as though the whole point wasn't to sit alone in your bedroom, completely cut off from the outside world - I'd probably be a hardcore gamer today.

As it is, I've sold off all my games and consoles, and replaced them with miniature replicas. Seriously. Check out the Nintendo History Collection from Takara and, even better, the Sega History Collection by Yujin. I just need the Sega Mega Drive now and I'll have the full set!

1/6 scale Sega Mega Drive, Mega CD and 32X picture from the Sega Memories blog. The detail on these miniatures is so amazing - the cartridges are interchangeable, and all the wires can be unplugged!

Anyway, back to the games. In no particular order we have...

#10. Lemmings

Nothing says fun like marching small innocent creatures to their death. The game was originally released for Amiga, PC and the Atari ST in February 1991, but went on to become one of the most widely ported games in history. We had the Sega Mega Drive version and many happy - if frustrating - hours of my life were spent murdering lemmings.


#9. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Originally released for Sony's Playstation in August 1999, Tony Hawk's Skateboarding, as it was known in the UK, quickly became a video game staple. The games had great soundtracks, fun gameplay, and copious amounts of blood to punish your virtual character for failing you, over and over again.


#8. Pokemon I loved Pokemon. I watched the show, collected the trading cards, and thought Pikachu was the best thing since sliced bread. The problem was that I hated the Game Boy with its tiny little screen. Nintendo came to my rescue with the Transfer Pak bundled with 2000's Pokemon Stadium. It meant I could play Pokemon Yellow - clearly the best of the Game Boy releases - on the TV via my beloved limited edition Pickachu Nintendo 64. Happy days!


#7. Resort World
It's almost embarrassing how much I loved this online simulation game from Game Insight. Basically an earlier version of Paradise Island, it was released to Facebook and VK, and you could also play via Gaia Online. Play I did; I logged in every day for years to keep my holiday resort ticking over. I still haven't forgiven whoever it was who made the decision to pull the plug back in 2012.


#6. Banjo-Kazooie
Banjo-Kazooie, a Nintendo 64 exclusive released in 1998, has a plot. What it is exactly is neither clear nor important - all that mattered was getting past each puzzle, and not being driven insane by the in-game music...


#5. Tetris Tetris, along with vodka, matryoska dolls, and the Buranovskiye Babushki, is one of the greatest things Russia has given to the world. Originally released in 1984, it was the brainchild of Alexey Pajitnov who, despite creating one of the most popular video games of all time, only began seeing royalties for the game in the 1990s. Still, it did bring a whole new meaning to the phrase: Be there, or be square...


#4. Farmville There are better games, much better games, but Farmville got me through morning (i.e. all day and all night) sickness, so it will always have a special place in my heart.


#3. Shenmue
Shenmue is one of the greatest games ever made - and it's not just me who says so. You play as Ryo, a teenage boy intent on avenging his murdered father. Allegedly. In truth, Ryo seems more interested in collecting gashapon (capsule toys), racing a forklift at his part-time job, and getting his butt kicked by sukeban (school girl delinquents). That's what makes the game so much fun though. You have a bit of everything; random chit chat with the old people who work on the market stalls, feeding a cute homeless kitten you find at the local Shinto shrine, and you can even get Sega Saturn games to play on the console back home in Ryo's dining room. It's so meta I can't even. Originally released in Europe back in December 2000, on the ill-fated Sega Dreamcast, some awesome news came out of Japan last year. Shenmue III is in development after a massively successful crowdfunding campaign, and is slated for release to PC and PS4 in late 2017. Fingers crossed they'll be porting the first two games at some point too!


#2. Final Fantasy VII
The Final Fantasy series has been going since 1987 but VII, released for the Playstation in 1997, is where it's at for me. The storyline is fairly involved for a video game, with the corrupt Shinra Corporation conducting weird human experiments and draining the life force from the planet in its never ending quest for profit. Last year it was announced the game is getting a high definition remaster for the PS4. It's like fate is telling me which console I ought to be buying, or something.

#1. Sonic the Hedgehog
As a Sega kind of gal Sonic will always be my video game mascot. It's hard to believe that everybody's favourite blue hedgehog has been around since 1991, when the first game in the franchise was released. It was the first video game I ever really played, and each subsequent release features large in the memories of each section of my life. 
I'll just share my favourite piece of Sonic trivia though - the 'Sega' noise you got when the game loaded up apparently took up 1/8 of the space on the 4 megabit cartridge. To put that in some sort of context, on a cheap 2GB memory stick you could store that same 'Sega' noise 32,000 times. Man, I feel old now! :)

What is your favourite video game?