Author Archives: Tracy Baines

Unwrapped: My Kind of Christmas Dinner

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I really don’t like mentioning the C word – not until at least December anyway – but there’s always going to be an exception. And the Christmas Dinner will always be my exception.

Last year I stumbled upon this fabulous event for young people leaving care. I didn’t give them a thought before – did you?

TCD – The Christmas Dinner

I wrote about the Leeds Christmas Dinner because a friend’s post on Facebook caught my eye. Perhaps you remember it? Perhaps you were a Secret Santa yourself. If not you can read about it here.

It’s the easiest way of giving and stepping into the Christmas Spirit while all those brilliant volunteers do the hard work. And those who give of their time so freely are from all walks of life – teachers, PAs, lawyers, waitresses, actors, photographers and social workers to name but few. Juggling homes, families and stressful jobs, they give up huge amounts of time to make Christmas special for many young people who may otherwise remain forgotten and lonely.

The Christmas Dinner is an annual project founded by the poet Lemn Sissay MBE for communities to provide a Christmas Day for care leavers aged between 16 and 25. This is the THIRD year a Christmas Dinner has been held in Leeds, mobilising the community to put on a scrumptious and magical Christmas Day dinner, turning Christmas into a time to cherish.

Lemn Sissay MBE

Lemn Sissay is a former care leaver himself so knows how tough this time of year can be for young people. Now Chancellor of the University of Manchester he continually inspires others to step up and get involved. And you can get involved without leaving your armchair. Bliss!

Volunteers look after every element of the event, from present wrapping, collecting food donations, dressing the venue, to helping to cook and entertain on the big day itself.

 

If you are in the area – and there are nine Christmas Dinners planned for this December – then why not join in. And if that’s not your particular bag and you’re up for Secret Santa – the bit I love the best – then why not click the link to the Amazon page and select a gift. Couldn’t be easier – and no wrapping!

Gifts range in price from £3.99 for a lip balm to £65 for a smart watch, and a variety of gifts that will suit most people’s pocket in between. Any one of them would make someone very happy indeed.

If only all of Christmas could be so easy!

I am being glib, I know, but sitting here at the keyboard allows me to be. It doesn’t mean that I’m not counting my blessings and looking forward to all the family descending here for Christmas – Brussel sprouts and all. Family can be many things but mostly it’s about caring for each other. Who that other is is up to you.

Well, there’s still so much to do before the big day and I’m determined to ignore it as best I can until the last possible minute.

Until then, I’m hoping over to Amazon right now to make my selection.

Care to join me?

To be Secret Santa follow me The Christmas Dinner wishlist for Leeds

You can find more about the other Christmas Dinners at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-christmas-dinner-2017

 

The Chicken Soup Murder by Maria Donovan

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Although Maria Donovan has had great success with her short stories this is her first foray into longer fiction – and I dearly hope this debut novel is swiftly followed by another. It has such warmth and humour – which isn’t bad for a story about murder and death.

Michael lives with his nan in a little town near the sea with its magic hills and the three pebbled dashed semis in a long arc. But everything is turned upside down when the Bulls move in next door and Michael’s magical creative thinking lands him in trouble: why is he the only one who thinks a murder has been committed? Can we believe his story?

As Michael struggles to help himself and the people he cares for to move on, he learns about acceptance and grief, and to what happens to those who are left behind when a loved one dies.

Reading the above you might think that this would be a maudlin, fearful book but its not like that at all. Although Donovan explores the many repercussions of death – on family, friends and neighbours, she has a light touch and paints a varied picture of grief as it is, in its everyday shabbiness and unwashed clothes, in the difficulties of holding on and letting go.

The narrator, eleven-year-old Michael, just about to go up to ‘Big School’, leads the reader through the happenings at the three semis in the street where he lives; his own home where he lives with Nan, Irma the next door neighbour and best-friend Janey and her family at the house on the end.

It would do the novel a great injustice to describe it purely as a murder mystery because it is so much more. It is about what makes a family, what holds it together and how friends and neighbours can be family too. How much they become a part of the very fabric of our lives. I was gripped until the very last sentence.

The Chicken Soup Murder was a finalist for the Dundee International Prize and is published by Seren.

Maria Donovan is a native of Dorset and has strong connections with Wales and Holland. Past career choices include training as a nurse in the Netherlands, busking with music and fire around Europe and nine years as a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan.

www.mariadonovan.com

 

The Waterway Girls by Milly Adams

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The_Waterway_Girls_Milly_Adams

I’m always delighted when the latest novel from Milly Adams arrives on my desk and happy to say her latest, The Waterway Girls, did not disappoint. More than that, I discovered that this is the start of a series which follows the unsung heroes who spent the war on the canals.

It is October, 1943 and nineteen year-old Polly Holmes is leaving bombed out London to join the war effort on Britain’s canals.

She boards the Marigold in the pouring rain and soon discovers she has plenty to contend with. Not least her fellow crew: strong and impetuous Verity, and seasoned skipper Bet.

With Polly’s sweetheart away fighting in the RAF and her beloved brother killed in action, there is plenty of heartache to be healed on the waterway. And as Polly rolls up her sleeves and gets stuck into life on board the narrowboat she discovers new beginnings await amid the anguish of war.

What can I say? I was soon absorbed in life on the canal and the journey from London to Birmingham. Adams draws her characters so finely that I half expect to bump into them when I pop to the shops. Life on the canals was tough and relentless and the descriptions of how the canals and locks operated is described in such a way that gives the reader a glimpse into the life of the boaters, without being over technical and slowing the story down. But there is beauty there too, and we are able to see this through Polly’s eyes as she settles to the rhythm of the waterways.

There is such warmth and humanity in the writing  that it makes the characters and the setting leap from the page. Among the pages you’ll find romance, humour and ordinary people doing their best to survive and get along in extraordinary circumstances.

I’m so relieved that this isn’t the last we have heard of the Waterway Girls. I can’t wait to discover what lies ahead for Polly, Verity and Bet.

 

The Waterway Girls by Milly Adams is published by Arrow.

Price £5.99

Be Kind to your Body with Kind Natured

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Before your tan fades and you dive into those winter woollies make sure to pamper your body with Kind Natured nourishing body lotions. Free from sulphates, parabens and petrochemicals Kind Natured’s hair and body products are 97% natural – and they smell delicious too.

Slough off that dry, flaky skin with Coconut and Monoi Foaming Sugar Scrub and follow with lashings of deeply nourishing Shea and Macadamia Body Lotion.

Natural sugar crystals blend with coconut, shea and minoi to create a sumptuous foaming sugar scrub that is free from microbeads. It smells of  golden summers on the beach and is gentle on the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.

 

Follow up with Shea and Macadmia body lotion to nourish and protect very dry skin. The rich lotion helps skin regain suppleness and smoothness, so lather it on and let your skin drink it in.

It’s a shame to cover that beautiful skin in sweaters really.

Tested on people not on animals, all products are reasonably priced – £4.99 for the body lotion and £5.99 for the Foaming scrub. Available at Boots and free delivery on orders over £10 direct from www.kindnatured.com

 

George Luck wooden puzzles at Hape

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Hape_Cats_puzzle

If your children are trooping off to one birthday party after another and you are all out of gift ideas why not check out the selection of beautiful little puzzles at Hape. Made from wood and water based paints there are plenty of designs to choose from.

We particularly liked the new Cats design. Six little cats tightly snuggled together, helping to develop dexterity, shape recognition and hand-eye co-ordination.

If there is a budding David Attenborough in your family they’ll love the award winning George Luck Grasslands puzzle. Five animals waiting patiently at the watering hole. Spot the cheeky monkey peeping out from behind the lion, rhino, elephant and giraffe.

Hape’s wooden toys are fun as well as educational and made to be handed down rather than tossed away.

Available from all good toy retailers. RRP £8.00

www.debenhams.co.uk

Busy Builders – Hape Crane Lift

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Hape-Crane-Lift

Entertain and inspire the little engineer in your life with the Hape Crane Lift. As with all Hape toys it’s so easy to put together – no screwdrivers or scissors needed while your child hops impatiently from foot to foot.

The crane lift gives hours of fun and helps develop hand/eye coordination and encourages creative play. It was a fantastic addition to the growing number of cars and lorries in the household and gave added play value to toys already owned. The lift fascinated little minds and there was no limit to toys that could be winched and moved across the playroom.

Strong and sturdy, made from natural materials and water based paints the crane meets with rigorous safety standards and will last for generations.

Available from Argos at £34.99

www.argos.co.uk

Cut out the holiday hassle with Bramley

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It’s stressful enough packing for holiday without decanting your favourite products into little plastic bottles to pass security regulations. Now you don’t have to as Bramley have introduced a range of their larger size products into 50ml and 100ml bottles

Bramley’s countryside inspired collection of bath, body and hair products are available to buy separately so that you can mix and match to create your perfect collection.

We tested the shampoo and conditioner. After a hectic day travelling the lemon, mandarin and rosemary essential oils in Bramley shampoo and conditioner gave an instant lift and soothed frayed nerves. The smell was heavenly and the combination of products left hair feeling soft and glossy. Both products are gentle on the hair and can be used daily.

Bramley use only the highest quality essential oils which not only have renowned therapeutic effects but also naturally fragrance their products. They contain 100% natural botanicals and do not use any artificial colours or ingredients and do not test on animals.

Available in sizes: 50ml or 100ml

 

Lemon, mandarin and rosemary essential oils are combined to create a softening conditioner.

 

Available in sizes: 50ml or 100ml

 

Other travel size products available Hand Wash, Hand Cream, Body Lotion, Body Wash, Bubble Bath and Travel Candles

www.bramleyproducts.co.uk

Bright Bites for Baby-Nibbling Whale Teether

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Nibbling’s jewellery collection is the perfect combination of style and practicality. We tested the whale teether in coral. Baby found the teether the perfect size to hold in little fingers. It comes with a lanyard clip that mum can pop around her neck instantly converting the teether into a piece of jewellery.

We particularly liked the fact that the colours were softer tones.

Nibbling products are made with 100% food grade silicone, safe and soft enough to chew. They are soft on babies gums and emerging teeth. Our little tester found it easy to hold and easy to bite.

Check out the full range of nibbling jewellery products for mums and kids. A safe, practical and stylish collection of delightful necklaces, bracelets, teething rings and dummy clips.

The teether is available in other colours and shapes and retails at £12.00

www.nibbling.co.uk