Babi a Fi

When it comes to dresses for work, I ask a lot of them. I want them to look good but be comfortable. To wash well and be able to be dressed up or down, not just in terms of a day to evening switch, but to be layered up so they can be worn when it's hot or cold. Not that I'm picky or anything! So, when I was asked if I would like to review something from JD Williams , I was really keen to try out one of their maxi dresses. I always think that maxi dresses are very forgiving and, providing we're not in the middle of an unseasonable snow storm, they're just as suitable for spring and autumn as they are for summer. Anyway, after much umming and ahhing - and kudos to JD Williams, by the way, for having both a well laid out, easy to use website, and nice shots of each dress from front and back - I narrowed the choice down to the Little Mistress Printed Maxi Dress (£88) and a cobalt Together Maxi Dress (£80): The Little Mistress dress is so pretty but in the end I w

We're almost a quarter into 2018 and so it's time for an update on how my New Year's Resolutions are going. You can read my full resolutions over at the original post . ☆ #1. Lose Weight ☆ Goal - Lose two and half stone by 2019. Progress - ? I had big plans of dieting in readiness for the wedding. Er, they did not come to fruition! I've definitely lost some weight this year, but that's mostly from being hit by a nasty gastrobug that has been lingering for over three weeks now. But, as I haven't weighed at all, I've no idea how much. I think this will be a resolution I only really pick up after I finish as Mayor and no longer have the temptation of tea, biscuits, and buffets. ☆ #2. Break The Tots100 ☆ Goal - Be ranked in the top 100 by the Tots parent blogger chart. Progress - Almost! In February I was ranked #99 but I slipped back down to #103 in March. Fingers crossed for April. ☆ #3. Write a Novel ☆ Goal - Write 100,000 words of f

The High Sheriff is one of those roles I had never really encountered before becoming a councillor, but today I had the privilege of attending the swearing in of the new High Sheriff of Gwent, Mrs. Sharon Linnard, at Newport Coroner's Court. Over the past year as a Mayor I've learned such a lot about this ancient office from the outgoing High Sheriff, Kevin Thomas. Kevin and his wife Elaine are just the loveliest people, and were happy to answer all my dumb questions about what a High Sheriff does and how you get to be one in the first place. Kevin Thomas wearing the uniform of High Sheriff - traditional velvet court dress - and the then outgoing High Sheriff of Gwent, Anthony Clay. This picture is from a Monmouthshire Beacon article on Kevin's career history. So, what is a High Sheriff? The origins of the office date right back to the seventh century when the 'shire reeve' was responsible for maintaining law and order in the shire on behalf of the m

Japan based Hasegawa Corporation have been producing plastic model kits since 1961. They're best known for their vehicles - cars, motorbikes, aircraft, etc - but they also make 1/12 scale furniture and machinery. The finished products look great and assembly isn't difficult, just a touch finicky, although the instructions are only pictorial with Japanese detail. The toughest one I've put together was the 1/12 scale crane machine which threatened to beat me a number of times... You can pick up each set for between around £10 and £15 on Ebay, usually with free shipping. My latest purchase was the Science Room Desk & Chairs set which consists of a nice laboratory desk with sink - obviously from a far fancier school than any I've ever been to! - and four 'wooden' stools. I saw somebody using it as a mortuary table in a scene and it looked so cool I was inspired to get one myself. This is how it's supposed to look, and how it arrived: This is th

Throughout the year there are so many awareness days, commemorative days, special days, celebrations, holidays, observances, etc, etc. These can be great as blog post inspiration, or just for getting a bit of extra traffic to an existing post by promoting it as a tie-in. Read on for a list of notable dates for February - if the day has its own website or wiki page, I've linked to it. A lot of the weirder ones are USA based unofficial 'national days'; I've included them in the list if they've crossed the pond, or had a fair number of media hits when I googled them. 1st ☆ Armed Forces Day - Mauritania. ☆ Beltane . ☆ Constitution Day - Argentina. ☆  Executive Coaching Day. ☆   International Workers' Day . ☆ Lei Day - Hawaii, USA. ☆ May Day . ☆  Mother Goose Day. ☆  New Home Owners' Day. ☆   Purebred Dog Day . ☆  School Principals' Day. 2nd ☆ Anniversary of the Dos de Mayo Uprising  - Madrid, Spain. ☆  Baby Day. ☆  Birth A

Supplier: kefxi Website: Ebay store . Products:  Handmade 1/12 scale paper miniatures - signs, posters, cards, bunting, etc. I bought a little set of boxed Christmas cards for £2.40. I was really impressed with the print quality and how neatly the cards and box were made. I photographed them with one of my 1/24 scale Pose Skeletons to show just how small they are. Post and Packing:  £1.10 for first item, subsequent items free! For more like this, please click the image below:

I had to get an emergency GP appointment on Monday and was diagnosed with a gastro bug, in all likelihood. I was given a sick note for the week and a bag full of drugs which thankfully did the trick! The doctor said I could go back to work sooner if I had 48 hours without being sick, so I went back on Thursday though I was still feeling kind of delicate. We had the Pontypool Community Council KS2 Eisteddfod in the day and, I must confess, I took great joy in knowing how much (well, little) Anthony would be enjoying it. He's rubbish with anything to do with schools or kids, and this was a full day of poetry reciting, singing, and young children playing violin... I had a good time at any rate. It's amazing to see what these kids of just 8, 9, and 10 are capable of. Marianna enjoyed it too, and spent most of it spinning around and showing off the glitter on her dress. Until she spilled orange juice all down it. After a quick pit stop at home and a change of dress for Mari

Today's post is looking at ways and means of ensuring that when you reach for a snack - and, let's face it, it's basically inevitably at some point - it's the right kind of snack. So, without further ado... One key to keeping a healthy diet is staying fed throughout the entire day, which will help you avoid overeating later on. This means that snacks are a crucial part of a healthy diet, but with our hectic schedules and unhealthy options on the market, staying on track can be difficult. Putting a little thought into what we’re buying and eating is a good start to keeping a healthy diet and lifestyle! Consider these tips and snacks next time you find yourself preparing for a long day away from home. #1. Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store - In most supermarkets, the perimeter of the store is where fresh foods are found. For example, the deli, produce, meat, dairy, and organic sections are typically found on this perimeter. You can find almost everyt

Ever since we heard a few weeks ago that the Generation Games exhibition was coming to Pontypool Museum we've been looking forward to it. The exhibition has been on display at the Waterfront Museum in Swansea for the last few months, cataloging the history of gaming in the UK since the very first console - the Magnavox Odyssey - to hit our shores in 1973. The Odyssey was part console, part board game, and supplied graphics via a transparent plastic overlay for your TV screen! There are playable games from each of the eight console generations, from a 1976 Binatone TV Master - a Pong clone - right through to a 2017 virtual reality 3D headset that lets you fly over the rooftops of Paris. We all had a go on that one and I'm pleased to say I was the only person not to crash and die a painful death within the first three seconds. :D We had an awesome time at the opening of the new Generation Games exhibit at Pontypool Museum this afternoon! A post shared by Jessic

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Throughout the year there are so many awareness days, commemorative days, special days, celebrations, holidays, observances, etc, etc. These can be great as blog post inspiration, or just for getting a bit of extra traffic to an existing post by promoting it as a tie-in. Read on for a list of notable dates for March - if the day has its own website or wiki page, I've linked to it. A lot of the weirder ones are USA based unofficial 'national days'; I've included them in the list if they've crossed the pond, or had a fair number of media hits when I googled them. *Note: I've not included any dates related to Easter. 1st ☆ Baba Marta Day - Bulgaria. ☆ Beer Day - Iceland. ☆  Commemoration of Mustafa Barzani's Death - Iraqi Kurdistan. ☆  Fruit Compote Day. ☆ Heroes' Day - Paraguay. ☆   Independence Day - Bosnia and Herzegovina. ☆ Mărțișor - Romania + Moldova. ☆  National Horse Protection Day - USA. ☆ National Peanut Butter Lover&