Sick kids. Advertising. And Ninjago...what else?

I'm at home with a sick child today, E has been suffering recurring tummy pains for years that have been investigated up the wazoo, with the only theory being that he suffers from 'stomach migraines'. I'd never even heard of such a thing, but after suffering alongside E when they attack, I can assure you it is real and awful with his pain being about a '9' on the scale and has him hugging a wheat pack and hanging over a bucket for the duration. The only small mercies are that he doesn't usually vomit, just feels extreme nausea, and doctors have assured me they generally grow out of these in their teens, something to do with their systems being immature when they're younger and sending pain messages the wrong way. Here's hoping.

So he's been in pain since Sunday and also complaining of a sore throat. As I have been headachy and sore throat-y myself, I'm wondering if we've picked up the same bug and his has just manifested in his stomach instead of his head, like mine.

Anyway so I've been catching up on work emails and doing bits and pieces whilst waiting for our doctors appointment just after lunch. I hate having time off so close to my finish date but when you have a sick child, what do you do? I think this is a lament famous among pretty much every working mother in the world, yeah?

The guilt can really eat you up, you feel guilty if you stay home, you feel guilty if you go to work and send your unwell child to school, it's an awful feeling. You always want to put your kids first but we've been on this tummy merry-go-round for a while now and it does become draining.

Hopefully the doctor will be able to figure things out and I can have my gorgeous, ridiculously energetic guy back soon.

Moving on...

So anyway, in the last week or two you may have noticed an ad or two popping up on my blog.

I write this blog because I enjoy writing and hope that occasionally something I say or something dumb I do that I relate to you resonates, makes you laugh or think or makes you want to slap me. I don't mind, unless you actually do slap me, in which case I probably WOULD mind. Or cry. Or something.

You could say I write for the love of it. Most days.

However, I am human, and a broke human at that, so I thought if I could actually get something tangible (read: cold hard cash or at least a free sample or two) out of something I love, then is that a bad thing? Don't they say that if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life?

Well I won't be giving up the day job in any great hurry but I have made the decision to put a few ads on my site.

Never fear, there won't suddenly be some carnival-esque flashing banner across the top with a 'brought to you by' flash video popping up on your screens, but I have made contact with a few businesses that I regularly use myself and that perhaps might be of interest to you as well.

If like me you're into reading and makeup and playing more with your kids toys than they do, then maybe you'll find something that piques your interest. And if not, you can scroll on by, that's all good too.

You can be sure that I would never advertise anything that I don't use myself, and I'm proud to say that I am a loyal customer of all of the businesses I have chosen to advertise and would recommend them highly. In fact, I've just spent the morning on the Lego website picking out presents for E's birthday in July. Love the fact that I can access products that I can't find in stores! And the website is so damned cool. At E's age he is really into creating his own pieces, so I am absolutely loving the bricks section where you can choose windows, doors, ladders, fences, pretty much whatever you like. I remember these from when I was a kid, but these days you can't just buy the pieces in the stores. And of course, there's Ninjago...a whole section just for this. I don't think I'll show it to E just yet as there's still a few months to his birthday and I'd prefer to contain the pestering and heavy hint dropping until a later date.

xx

Maybe she's born with it...

I'm a giant big sucker for advertising particularly when it comes to beauty products. A great ad can leave me salivating and totally believing that THIS is the item that will change my life. I too can look like a Victoria's Secret model if only I had the right shade of lipstick...

Totally.

In my defence, the beauty industry wouldn't be raking in a gazillion dollars if YOU didn't think the same.

So my latest must-have crush has been the Maybelline Shine series that looks so unbelievably good on TV that clearly it will give me Angelina Jolie lips too, right?

Yesterday I rushed out and spent ages simply AGONIZING over all the different colour choices. Should I go with a bubblegum pink, or something darker and more mysterious? So many to choose from and my hand was completely multi-coloured after having to sample the test colours.

Decisions. Decisions.

Of course, being the creative female I am, I then thought outside the box and decided, why not get two? Hey, they were on sale.

I am now the proud owner of 'Juicy Pink' and 'Red Revival', because one of these days I will actually bother to wear red lipstick and I NEED to be prepared.

So far I've applied them and am slightly disappointed. They're shiny, great colours and feel good, but I simply didn't see Linda Evangelista staring back at me in the mirror, just me with some lipstick on (no comments about lipstick on pigs please!).

No this isn't a sponsored post, Maybelline aren't paying me anything (although if they'd like to, that's pefectly OK with me).  They just have me right where they want me because they know and I know that next time I go via the makeup counter, those self-same lipsticks will be singing my name with their siren song.

Because it's simply a matter of time and the right product that will enable my transformation from mum to supermodel. We all know that.

xx