Life is easy when you realise your creating every moment of it

Life is easy when you realise your creating every moment of it. I find when I practice the law of attraction, which there is now scientific evidence of, life is easier. I just wish it was mainstream knowledge and taught in homes or schools.

I don't need scientific proof, if something works for me, then I believe. Plus I believe that when you believe something, then it is. End of.  But I am a scientist (ok computer) so I have a need to understand how things work and am always searching for answers. I'm like a sponge for knowledge. 

For the last couple of years I have been studying all aspects of physics, the universe and consciousness. It all fits in with my spiritual beliefs which led me back to the law of attraction. I've never been religious but always believed we and everything in the universe is energy. That is fact anyway. So in my mind no higher power or god. Us, the energy is all there is, and we create our reality.

I've always managed to attract exactly what I've wanted into my life, some not so good, but all by practicing this law.  Quantum physics fascinates me and it kind of makes sense to me, even though I have trouble articulating it and all aspects of my beliefs. There are many more scientific studies which prove we use our consciousness to create everything. Everything is just vibrating energy. 

Many people think they need to see something to believe it, i.e. the saying, "seeing is believing". But I have always been open to believing things even if we can't physically see it, or science hasn't proved it yet.  When you walk into a room where two people have had an argument, you feel the energy or atmosphere, you can't see it. They can be the best actors in the world but if there's a bad vibe you will sense it. Your feeling the vibration.

Also I think there are a lot of things we aren't told about or are made public. Not necessarily aliens or ufos, but just in general. I am amazed as to why there hasn't been much fuss made over some of the major scientific findings in the past hundred years.  It's quite laughable what news we are fed.  But understandable when you realise who is running the world and media.

I have been consciously practicing the law of attraction on and off for years. Sometimes unconsciously and not to my benefit, but other times when aware, it never fails.  I've always said. If you say you can, then you can, if you say you can't then you can't. Both of these statements are the truth. I really get annoyed when people say they can't do something because of this and that. They use excuses. Everyone uses excuses. I'm the same. But I do find when I want something bad enough, nothing will stop it from materialising. 

I see evidence of it everywhere. Rarely for the good I must say. I often listen to people who are full of the 'poor me' syndrome as I call it.  I've have many friends and family I know are struggling with life and have tried to help them. They moan about this and that and when I think I'm helping by suggesting a better choice, they say 'I can't because'. And the because is just an excuse. Everyone has excuses. This frustrates me and the trouble I have is that the older I have got the less patience I seem to have with people, family and friends.  So rather than offering my advice lately, I tend to just listen and be an ear.  

What I really want to say is... you are creating this drama, this illness, you can create a different reality if u choose it, you are attracting exactly what you are getting. 

I don't have all the answers, I can only go on my own experience. I have pretty much been through most things so when I hear a friend moan about being in debt or being overweight or suffering with mental illnesses or anything I have experience with, I feel I should try to offer advice. But it's hard to make people believe that they are creating their life circumstances by the law of attraction. But what other explanation is there? 

Cognitive SEO Free Trial Review Scam/Con

All I seem to write about lately is dodgy companies. Beware if you planning on signing up for the free trial at Cognitive SEO. Cognitive SEO Free Trial is a Scam or Con.
http://cognitiveseo.com

I thought I would see if their tools had improved so went for this. They claim you get a 14 day trial for free and then only $99/month. No Obligations. You can Cancel Anytime.

 So I went for it and put a reminder note on my calendar to cancel before the end of the 14 days.

 It stated I had till the 9th of November to cancel. But they took money on on the 24th October for 97.25.

I contacted them to complain and they then offered me a so called special deal and refund the difference.

Well on the same day they refunded me 75.53, but also took out another 133.83 which only today I have noticed.

Conning buggers! I have emailed them to ask what they are playing at. I will update when I know more.

They better refund me or I will shout louder.

My Son could be a Tommy Shelby Look Alike

Everybody says my son looks like Cillian Murphy who plays Tommy Shelby in the hit BBC series Peaky Blinders. He does have the same high cheekbones, similar eyes and mouth and when wearing a cap you can really see the likeness.  I think he could easily pass as a Tommy Shelby look alike if he was dressed in the full gear and clean shaven.

Below are some pictures of my son Shannon:

Tommy Shelby - Cillian Murphy - Peaky Blinders

For those that haven't see the series you are missing a treat. It is crime drama based on the Peaky Blinders gang who operated in  Birmingham, England in the late 1800s. The TV series though is set in 1919 just after the First World War.  The drama is based around the gangs leader Tommy Shelby who is played by Irish actor Cillian Murphy.  He is a real lovable rogue and natural leader.  Ruthless and ambitious he is the most feared Peaky Blinder. He is very much a family man and determined to make their lives better.  The character was a former soldier who fought in the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Somme and whom received a number of medals of honour after the war. The war left him with ongoing nightmares and the determination to make a better life for himself and his family.

The first series was shown on  BBC Two on 13 September 2013 and ran for six episodes. The second series started on 2 October 2014. We had to wait a little longer for the third series as it was premiered on 5 May this year.

It was written by Steven Knight who came up with the idea years ago.  It is based on stories told to him by his parent who grew up in Small Heath in Birmingham. Lots of people believe the name 'Peaky Blinders' derived from the gang sticking razor blades into their flat caps to use as weapons.  This can be seen in the TV series but in reality that probably wasn't the case.  In reality the real peaky blinders were causing mayhem around the 1890's when razor blades were a luxury and expensive item according to historians.

The filming of the drama was carried out in Manchester, Leeds, some at the Black Country Living Museum but mainly in Liverpool. The street where the Shelby family lived was actually the street where the Beatles Ringo Star grew up in.  You can see the street and other location on this Peaky Blinders Location tour here.

I wont go into the series details and give spoilers but the show was an overnight success so well worth a watch.  I normally hate anything gangster related, but I loved this show, not just because everyone kept saying my son looks like Tommy.  However that was the reason I got interested in it.  You can watch series 1-3 on NetFlix or you can buy the series on DVD or Blue-Ray from the BBC website here. Earlier in the year it was revealed that the BBC have commissioned two more seasons and Cillian Murphy told the Birmingham mail that he thinks they start shooting the next series in March 2017.  This means we should get to see series 4 around October of the same year.  Cant wait.

Any lookalike agents wanting to get in touch with my son Shannon, or event organisers please get in touch with me on 07813 257386.

Since writing this post he has done some work. Read this post here.. 19th March 2018

I am also in the process of setting up a website.: www.tommyshelby.com

"You don't need to lose weight" makes me want to scream

Whenever I mention to folk I want to loose a few pounds I always get the response "You don't need to loose weight".  If I was cheeky enough I would reply "You haven't seen me naked".  I get it though, I have always been tall so I can gain a stone and nobody but myself can see it.  But the trouble is that as I am 1/2 an inch off 6 foot, when I gain a stone or even just half a stone I can't fit into a size 12.  Size 14's just dont fit me.  They may fit around the waist, but they are ill fitting elsewhere. So for the past couple of years I have been living in leggings.

What annoys me is that many people over the years have called me skinny.  But I have not been skinny since I was a teenager when I was first living in a bedsit at 16 and partying too much and not eating enough.  Calling someone skinny is as much as an insult as calling someone fat.  I guess people make comes based on what is relative to them.  If they are quite a bit overweight, then even when I am overweight I would be thin or skinny to them.

Being tall isn't that great to be honest, clothes dont fit unless I am a size 12 and I get a lot of jealously from women. As a young woman I hated it and wished i could chop some of my legs off.  I hated being taller than boys and standing out like a sore thumb.  But over the years I have learnt to live with it.

The weight has crept on since I started working from home back in 2009.  Not having to walk anywhere and being able to get biscuits and the like from the kitchen next door hasn't helped.  Also from time to time I suffer with depression and anxiety which has stopped me keeping up my exercise.  I used to always be a member of a club or doing some form of exercise but resent years this seemed to had dwindled.  I have been pushing my artwork so spending most evenings creating my flower people. But I haven't been happy so I decided to so something about it.

I have since joined BodyFit in Wellington and have been going to regular classes.  I did join a year or so ago with a friend but when my friend stopped going so did I.  I decided this year that I missed her classes and saw on facebook the club had moved and they run a clubbercise class.   This sounded right up my street as I love to dance and looking at the videos it looked so much fun, plus they do it to all my favourite dance tunes.  So I took my daughter-in-law along and started the classes.  When my daughter-in-law stopped going, so did I for a bit until I thought why am I not going just because she isn't..  So I got brave and went on my own. Best thing I ever did.  The lady who runs the classes is Elisha and she is just a bundle of energy and a lovely girl.   She is young so with that as her job has an enviable figure.  I think just because we reach our 40's doesn't mean we have to put up with the middle age spread as my mum calls it. Recently Elisha has been selling the Forever Living products which I have come across before. She had a talk about the products and mentioned the C9 detox and thought this might be worth a try.

In the past I have lost weight using Slimming World which I do recommend, and to be fair I do follow the diet to this day but also forgetting it and pigging out at the weekends, hence not loosing.  Being a target member I could have gone back to Slimming World, but fancied the sound of this detox.  In fairness I only did it because I wanted to give back something to Elisha, she works so hard and I know that you really have to sell a lot of Forever Living products for her to make any real profit.  So it was part to kick start my weight loss but also part to support her.  I only have about half a stone to loose and after hearing that weightless is a added bonus to this detox I decided to give it a shot.

Now many people believe that you need to do exercise to loose weight.  I totally disagree with this.  A few years ago I gained a couple of stone and I lost it in a few months by going to Slimming World and not doing any exercise.  It was when I was in my lazy period.  So I know that you dont have to up the exercise to loose weight. When we are overweight it is simply because we are eating too much of the wrong foods.  On slimming world you end up eating more of the good stuff, fruit and vegatables and just a few snacks or syns. Also remember the more we put into our body, the more the body has to work.

Exercise for me has always been about boosting my serotonin levels.  If you dont know about serotonin levels, there are many researchers who believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression.  I whole heartily believe this because the only time I get down is when I am not getting regular exercise. Since joining body fit and going to classes each week I haven't felt down at all and in fact have felt better than I have in a long time.  It was just the fact that I was still eating crap at the weekends that stopped the weight coming off.  So here is my review of the C9 Detox which I completed this Saturday.

C9 Detox Review

You are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day and can have free feeds such as strawberries and other fruit and veg in moderation.  My bladder didn't know what had hit it!
Before you start C9 you measure your waist and stuff.  Here were my measurements:

Weight 11.4
Chest 93cm
Biceps 28ch
Waist 93cm
Hips 96cm
Thighs 56cm
Calves 34cm

Days 1 and 2

On days 1 & 2 you only have what comes with the programme but are allowed some free foods in moderation.  Also you are only supposed to so low impact exercise like walking.  I just walked the dog a couple of times a day.

Breakfast 
 2 x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels
120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel
1x Forever Therm Tablet

Snack
1x packet forever fiber

Lunch
2 x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels
120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel
1x Forever Therm Tablet
1x Scoop Forever Lite Ultra

Dinner
2 x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels
120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel

Evening    
120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel
250ml of water

I stuck with this and just had an apple and some strawberries each day.  I found it quite easy but they do say the first two days are the hardest.

Days 3 - 9 

Your supposed to step up the exercise which i did a bit not most majorly.  I just walked the dog and went to lots of classes at BodyFit. Food wise you can now add a 600 calorie meal. The full plan you eat is below:  

Breakfast 
 2 x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels
120ml Forever Aloe Vera Gel
1x Forever Therm Tablet
1x Scoop Forever Lite Ultra 

Snack
1x packet forever fiber

Lunch
2 x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels
1x Forever Therm Tablet
1x Scoop Forever Lite Ultra

Dinner
2 x Forever Garcinia Plus Softgels
600- Calerie Meal

Evening    
250ml of water

Again I just snacked on apples and strawberries as they were the only things I really like out of the free food list.

On day four I had a tired spell but in general i felt great all the way through it.  My energy levels were rasied and by the end of it I could see and feel the results. I didnt loose as much weight as I'd have liked however they do say that the amount of weight loss depends on a number of things.  For me I wasn't that much over weight.

This is what I dropped to at the end of it:

Weight 11.0
Chest 93cm
Biceps 26cm
Waist 91cm
Hips 94.5cm
Thighs 52cm
Calves 33cm

However I'm not sure if these measurements are accurate as I only realised the tape measure doesn't start at the very end of tape. So they could be 2 cm out. Can't remember whether I realised this on first measurement or not.  I also used my scales to check fat, bmi etc:

Fat 23.5- 22.8
Body water 56.0-56.4
Bone mass 6.5-6.3
BMI 22.1-21.6

The only thing I missed on this detox was a cup of tea and salt.  I am a big salt fan I must say and do put it on everything.   Below are some before and after pictures:

 

Below is a side view but the ones with the same jeans didn't come out well so showing some other jeans which I can now fit into.  But you can see the difference.

 

Below is me trying on an old pair of size 12 jeans.  Yay they fit. Feeling fab!

So overall I am happy with the outcome.  Since it has ended I haven't wanted to revert back to my old ways of eating.  I am sticking to the slimming world healthy way of eating. With just a few treats, NOT the whole packet of biscuits like before. Also since it ended this Saturday I  have noticed that now I really can tell when I am under hydrated, so I am keeping up with the water drinking, plus it fills you up and stops you wanting to eat unnecessarily.  If I feel thirsty I force myself to drink a whole glass of water, then refill it and take it back to whatever I am doing.  I am having a cup of tea in the morning, but that's it, not more during the day, maybe one if I make one for a visitor.

Also I have noticed my fitness levels have increased.  Most Sundays I bike ride to my mums house which is only and 3 miles.  Its down hill on the way but on the back its mainly uphill.  Normally I have to stop about three times,  however this Sunday I didn't need to stop once and it took me 10 minutes less than normal. Plus i can now do two classes at BodyFit rather than just one.

If you have done the C9 detox or are thinking of doing it, comment below. I would recommend it, however at £108 it can be expensive for most.  If cost is an issue for you I recommend just doing your own form of detox by just eating fruit and vegetables for a week and drinking plenty of water.  It should give you the same results.

Free Giveaway - Win one of my miniatures from my flower people collection

I've teamed up with Mary from Over 40 and a Mum to One to offer one lucky person a chance to win this miniature Little Miss Rose.  The piece is made with parian clay and left white.  Parian clay is a self glazing clay and looks and feels like marble.  This one has been left white but it could be coloured if the winner wishes.  Colour can be be applied to just the head or the whole figure if they choose.

 For a chance to win this little flower sculpture of mine head over to the page below.. Good luck!

 http://over40andamumtoone.com/2016/10/23/flower-people-miniature-rose-worth-20-giveaway/

Head over to my website so see more of my flower people.  You can also follow me on social, I am pretty active on facebook use #cazamic to find me on all networks.

Fame at last! Thanks Style at Home Magazine.

Earlier this year I had a call from a journalist looking for creative people who might have designed a kitchen or bathroom for a feature in Style at Home mag. As it happens I had designed my kitchen the year before so I happily agreed. I explained I would happily be interviewed as long as the company who installed it were not given a mention. They were cowboys that made me ill and didn't deserve the mention. However after perseverance I got the kitchen I'd designed.  A journalist and photographer came to my home and talked to me about my kitchen. The night before I had painted some flower people green and strategically placed them on display. The write up about me is in Novembers issue of Style at Home. I thought it was going to be a bit more about my creative side and my artwork mentioned more, but they listed my website and since the mag hits the shelves I have had loads of sales and commissions. So thanks Style at Home.

Who was the real Matt Kendall?

Matt Kendall was the owner and trainer at Telford Thai Boxing. Sadly on October 12th he was found shot dead in Church Stretton, so the club is no more. Basically Matthew Kendall was a very sick man, a narcissist.  I am not going into details, but I have very close connections to the family it has effected, (my extended family) so know the truth behind recent events and his suicide.  I have written this post to get it off my chest.  If the police wish to speak to me or remove the post I will.

'Grooming is a insidious predatory tactic, utilized by abusers. Grooming is practiced by Narcissists, Antisocial predators, con-artists and sexual aggressors, who target and manipulate vulnerable people for exploitation.'

I met Matt 4 years ago when myself and my two boys aged 13 and 21 started to train at his club. At first it was great and we enjoyed going each week, but a few weeks down the line I started to realise there was something not right about him, but I couldn't work out what it was. I was always a bit shocked by his huge ego and self importance. He thought he was the best at Thai Boxing and believed his club was the best.  Yet he was overweight and I never saw him fight once.  He didn't look very fit at all. He would slate all other clubs and always acted like he was above everyone, a right aragant twat..  There was always talk how he was always cheating on his partner whom he had a son with. And there was lots of talk of his unhealthy relationship with his vulnerable girl students. 

I remember when the club moved to the business park in Hadley. He got everyone in to help, fair enough, but the most important part of doing up the new venue to him was creating a bar area. I remember thinking this was odd. Why was the bar and seating area so important too him? I soon came to realise. I believe he was an alcoholic as he was always talking about getting drunk at the weekend and on any trips it was all about getting drunk. Many times I would turn up to class and I could tell quite clearly he was on something. His eyes said it it all. They were always glossy and he looked off his head. Also someone very close to me said he saw Matt and other members sniffing white powder in the bathroom.

One thing that stood out quite soon was his people skills. He didn't really have any.  He seemed to lack empathy and was very pushy and manipulative. He pressured club members all the time trying to get more money into the club and to come to every class. At first I fell for it and sponsored him, I gave him £100 for new punch bag. But he was always pushing for more. He knew I had money and played on that. He was very impressed by my car for some reason and the fact i have my own business. Those that went fighting would have to pay him up front on the mini bus or before hand we got to the club where fights were held. Also we all paid an extra £5 for the drive to the club, fair enough.. The last fight I went to i noticed that the cost at the door was a lot less than he charged us. I did the maths and was shocked at how much money he was making out of us. I spoke to other fighters from other clubs and they didn't pay half as much, this angered me as he had lied to me regarding costs. On one event I had to pay full cost for my youngest son even though on the event website the cost was half that amount. He was a compulsive liar. The club was just a way for him to make money, probably to feed his addictions.

Then there was his classes. He rarely ran them himself. He would get his favourite members or members that he'd grown close hwith to run some classes. He would just sit on his laptop looking away with the fairies.. I asked one of these members if they were paid to help or at least have their monthly membership paid, but no, they were given nothing. Matt was a very good manipulator. 

The final straw for me was at a Christmas do he put on for everyone at the club. Well I say he, but he did very little. He asked us club members to bring the food, bring raffle tickets, pay a fiver to get in, pay for all drinks. He didn't even offer one thing for the raffle such as some cream or his t shirts. All he gave us was a video showing how great he was. He spent time putting together a video going on about the amount of fights won, the amount of club members attended that year, and anything to really feed his huge ego. Then at the end of the night when I had left, those that were still there played a drinking game. My 14 year old son was given 4 shots of tequila and other drinks which made him violently sick. He never called me to ask if it was ok to give my son these drugs which incidentally I believe should be illegal. Alcohol is by far the worst drug out there which has been proven by experts in recent years. I only knew about it by the state of my son the morning after.  It was my sons first taste of the drug alcohol and it was given to him by this so called respected member of the Thai community. This utterly disgusted me. The next day I stopped my standing order to the club and told my boys if they wanted to keep going they would have to pay for themselves, but I would rather they never went back.  Thank goodness they decided they had had enough and stopped going. My youngest went a couple more times but had grown tired of Matt's attitude and the way he ran his club.

He wasn't happy when we left and said I'd put the club at jeopardy. Me! Yeah right. We had a few heated text messages. His responses were very strange to be honest, I wish I could remember them. I know he had seemed to respect me so I told him the truth about how I thought he was a poor business man and where I believed he was going wrong. I thought it might make him see how it was his behaviour that was hindering the club at that time, not us members.  He had a huge turn over of students, lots coming and going. Over the year that I was at his club, most of his top members would leave. He fell out with a lot of people and he would blame it on their lack of commitment to the club. A lot of people did not like him.

I remember thinking he must just be a sad addict but I knew there was more too it. I was trying to understand him so I put some of his personality traits into Google. This is when I learnt what a narcissist was. It was Matt all over. It was like a bingo moment, he had a personality disorder.

Symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

In order for a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) they must meet five or more of the following  symptoms:

• Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
  TICK
• Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
  TICK
• Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions) TICK
• Requires excessive admiration
  TICK
• Has a very strong sense of entitlement, e.g., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
  TICK
• Is exploitative of others, e.g., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
  DOUBLE TICK
• Lacks empathy, e.g., is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
  TICK
• Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
  TICK
• Regularly shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
  DOUBLE TICK

Source: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/narcissistic-personality-disorder-symptoms/


This whole event has been shocking to everyone who knew him.  But for me it was like the final jigsaw piece slotting into place.  I am sorry for everyone involved including his family, but more so his victim/s family.  But he was not a nice man, he had a lot of problems.  Unless you fell out with him you wouldn't have come across his nasty side. It's just a shame he didn't face up to his problems and get help.  I guess he knew he had lost everything, and for a narcissistic man like that, it was just too much to handle.

Best Drywall Anchors

I believe I have found the best drywall anchor and am looking for people who would like to review it for us and prove it is the best.  If you’re a keen DIY or in the building trade you will know the limitations of current plaster board or drywall anchors.

The inventor Gary has been a tradesman’s for over 30 years and believes he has come up with the ultimate drywall anchor. He got frustrated with the drywall anchors on the market so decided to design his own. This is how the GeeFix drywall anchor was born.

It is the strongest and best drywall anchor on the market, and the only one that is compatible with plasterboard, insulated plasterboard, plywood, chipboard, MDF, metal, lath & plaster and other materials. It is very easy to install, all you need is a electric or manual drill with a 25mm bit or hole cutter and a screwdriver.

The pack has very easy to follow instructions or you view them on their website and watch this video:

 

The guys over at Be The Pro were impressed. Jon is a builder and he tested the fixing and quoted "In my personal test, I found that a single GeeFix hollow wall anchors system can hold at least 55 lbs in ⅝ drywall. I feel like this is quite good and likely more strength than any single anchor would need." He filmed a couple of tests and the first is the first is below:



This is his second test:



You can read the whole review here: http://bethepro.com/btp-review-geefix-hollow-wall-anchors

Drywall TV Mount

Carpenter Chad did a tv wall mount installation and said "I used the GeeFix wall anchors system to mount a wall mount for a 32” television in my office. I am impressed with the performance of the anchors – confident enough in its performance that I actually hung the tv on the mount."

You can read the whole review here: http://bethepro.com/geefix-wall-anchors-review/




So it seems to be pretty good.  Are you a builder or blogger who would like to review it?  Please contact carolyn@geefix.com if you want give it a try.



 

Fraud/scam using exclusive@the-sun.co.uk - Employee at news.co.uk running a scam

Yesterday I was nearly conned out of £5000 so today I thought I would blog about it to see if anyone else has come across this scam.

While I was walking my dog I received a phone call on my mobile from a so called David Thorne (the number was 07552483964).  He explaining to me that he works for an agency which supplies content for the newspapers The Sun and The Times. He explained that he could offer me a FREE A4 editorial space in a magazine supplement called 'Look a little closer' which would be inserted into every copy of The Sun and The Times tomorrow (or today now).  He explained if I agreed he would get Carol Vorderman to phone me up and conduct a sort of interview over the phone and this content would get added to this magazine.  Apparently there was to be a feature on 'unusual things' and Carol had interviewed 5 other people, but one artist had a car accident and wanted to pull out of the editorial, hence there being a space.  He said normally they would fill the space with advertising but wanted to see if he could offer this slot to someone like myself. Saying I was top of his list of people to contact.  He went on about how much an editorial like this would normally cost and it was my lucky day! How my art work is amazing and totally unique and ideal for this supplement.  I then asked if it was really free and he said that I just have to pay for the interview with Carol for 'about £5000', said he would need to check, but then that money would be reimbursed by the company he works for as an expense.  At this stage I realised he was trying to con me and told him that it sounds too good to be true so must be a con.  He denied this and went on about how if I send him my logo and images today it would be going to print tonight, it would change my life, blah blah.   I then said to email me confirmation that I will get this £5000 back in an email. He said I would be paying either Carol Vordermon direct or her agents.

This is the email he sent me from exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

Good Afternoon Carolyn,

Just a brief written confirmation regarding the editorial opportunity we discussed on the phone for you. Confirming that we have offered you a free of charge full page A4 editorial space in the ‘ Look a little closer ’ magazine supplement, featuring Carol Vorderman, which will be printing this evening and will be a pull out insertion inside every copy of both tomorrows The Sun and Times newspapers equating to a print run of nearly 23 million copies – looking as businesses and individuals that provide something slightly different. Further guaranteeing for you that although you will have to hire Carol yourself on a freelance journalistic basis to produce the content of the space at your own expense (£5,000 – VAT nil ), that you can claim this cost back from us as an expense you have incurred towards producing content that we then print. You will be liable for your reimbursement immediately after the article goes to print, or after you physical ly confirm in writing that we are legally allowed to run the article when our production send you the final copy of proof before print. Images will be need to be provided by yourselves – It would be easiest if you could reply to this email with the images/logos you would like to incorporate into the piece. Please include your space reference as the emails subject when replying with the imagery you would like us to use ( Space ref: sun608 ). The entire supplement will be also be available for digital download and viewing on The Sun and The Times websites for between 6-12 months. You will retain all copyrights to the article for further use prior to print. Please reply with a short confirmation – I will call you back shortly!

Warmest Regards

- -
David Thorne
Supplements Manager
Direct: 07552483964
Switchboard: 020 7782 6000
Email: advertising@newsint.co.uk
Paper: exclusive@the-sun.co.uk

News UK & Ireland Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London
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United Kingdom
020 7782 6000
www.news.co.uk


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Back at home he phoned me again from this number:  020 7782 6000 which happens to be the same number for News UK www.news.co.uk which is a trading name of News Corp UK & Ireland Limited.  And according to this wiki page a key person is Rupert Murdoch. The news.co.uk website says on its home page that they publish for The Sun and The Times. So it all looked quite legitimate. 

I was still skeptical and told him this and he said "but I have emailed you from The Sun (exclusive@the-sun.co.uk) and I am calling you from the company I work for...  You can see the number on the website".  This was all true.  I then said to him that if this was legitimate and Carol has already done some of these interviews then get her to call me to confirm.  If its worth £5K to her she wont mind speaking to me briefly before I confirm to have this interview done by her.  He then said it shouldn't be a problem and I hung up, assuming I would get a call from Carol.  Obviously I didn't hear from Carol or him again.

This email exclusive@the-sun.co.uk is listed on the contact page of The Sun's website so it is a real email. 

This and the fact that he called me from a number which is listed on news.co.uk made me worry that I was rude to this chap and I had missed out.  But my instinct told me this was a scam. One thing that I found odd was why there was the daily mail url in the signature of the email.

So I decided to find out who Carol Vordermans agent is and get in touch.   Her agent is John Miles MBE and he confirmed it was not a genuine proposal. He actually called the mobile without a reply and he called the 020 7782 6000 which is the switchboard at news.co.uk and they confirmed they dont know a David Thorne.  So obviously fraud. I have since had a conversation with John and he agreed when I suggested reporting it to the police. He wasn't happy as they are using his clients name.  What worries me is if this chap has done this many times and conned many people.  I do hope I am the first..   So I contacted Action Fraud and they decided it was serious enough to file a report.  I am now waiting on someone from the police in London to phone me.

I assume that this person works at www.news.co.uk.  He was very convincing and had I not been exposed to unscrupulous journalists in the past I may well have fell for this.

So if you have had a similar experience, maybe using a different celebrity or different story please get in touch.

Electronic Cigarettes Vs Smoking

I have recently been trying out electronic cigarettes. I haven't fully stopped smoking cigarettes but I have cut down quite a lot. That is the next step.  First I am trying to get my head round all the terminology surrounding e-cigs and vaping.  Having done some google searches I came across a site that answered a lot of my questions: http://www.electronic-cigarettesco.co.uk.  They have a page which explains all the terminology here http://www.electronic-cigarettesco.co.uk/content/33-e-cig-terminology. 

After reading around I realised I should start with a basic starter kit.  I followed the advice found on this e cigarette starter kit page and ended up buying the Aspire e Cigarette Starter Kit.   So far so good.  It comes with 5 coil heads which I haven't needed to use yet, but it is early days.  From what I have read I will know when the coil needs changing because the vapor production will be reduced and it might leak or make gurgling noises or a burnt taste.  So far I haven't noticed anything like this but I have my spare coils at the ready.

Liquid wise I am liking  the sweet flavours with bubble gum being my favourite at the moment.  It takes me back to being a child when I used to sneakily smoke and then chew bubble gum to supposedly rid the smell.  Not that it worked.. however the taste of  the bubble gum and the nicotine (12mg) seems to just take me back to those times.  I also used to chew juicy fruit chewing gum which made me wonder if they do an e liquid in that flavour!  A couple of clicks later I have found some so just ordered this juicy fruit eliquid! Excited muchly.

To be fair is all the different flavours which convinced me to try this vaping lark.  I had a go on my sons one and he had parma violets eliquid which tastes just like those little purple sweets from my childhood!  I couldn't stop puffing on it which convinced me this has got to be the way to do.  Lets face it most of us seasoned smokers if we are honest dont really like the taste of tobacoo (well I don't) it is just an addiction.  So if I can stop it by vaping on fruity flavours, surely this is better and the way forward..

I will see how I go and update my progress with another post.  Happy vaping everyone.. I finally get it!

To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.

I have had a good start to the year to be honest.  I feel like I have got my mojo back!  I am a bit of a work-o-holic and always put work and family before myself.  So this year I decided to plan to do more things for myself and towards my ultimate dreams. I am coming to an exciting new phrase in my life as my youngest is 16 so it won’t be long before I am totally free from parental responsibilities.  Well obviously I won’t stop being a mum, but now it’s my time.  I have always just worked and lived for my kids really.  Now I feel it’s my time to put myself first.

My mojo got a boost early into January when I was really quite down one evening missing my father who died a few years ago.  I was watching some youtube videos about quantum physics and energy ( I love science and anything spiritual) and I came across one about the power of prayer. I am not religious in a so called god per say, but I do believe we are all energy and vibration, so we are all in fact this so called god, not a higher source.  We are the source.  Also I was looking at spiritual retreats and places to visit in peru as this is something I have always wanted to do.  So anyway I thought I would give praying a shot.

Before my dad died I asked him to prove to me that my beliefs were correct and that energy cannot be killed so somehow when you die your ‘soul’ or self sort of lives on.  He promised me under his giggle that he would try.  He was not really a believer.  I did the usual trips to spiritualist churches and spoke to some mediums but nothing gave me the proof I wanted. I told my dad to spook me or talk to me through mediums with something only he and I would know.  He used to call me a silly name and if I ever hear that spoken from a medium I would have a heart attack.  Well there was nothing, no ghost, his sculpture hasn’t never cried (I made a bust of my dad and asked him to make it cry or something silly (we loved the show Only fools and Horses - remember the crying Virgin Mary sculpture)). But nothing has ever given me proof that he is around me.   I stopped believing and became skeptical for the first time in my life.  Anyway out-loud I sort of prayed to my dad and ‘god’ asking to be helped in some way.  I think I had a little tear in my eye as I was feeling so low for some reason.  

The next day I got a surprise in the post when a friend/colleague sent me the book ‘Ask and it is Given’ by Ester and Jerry Hicks. It’s a book on learning to manifest the law of attraction. It was just what the doctor ordered really as for many years I have practiced it but this was a reminder I had stopped.   The book hasn’t really taught me anything I didn’t know but it has been a nice reminder.  For those that don’t know what I am talking about, the law of attraction is a thought philosophy where if you focus on positive thoughts a person brings positive experiences to themselves and visa versa.  That day I made myself take a lunch break and started the book.  The book was the most perfect wonderful perfect timing gift to receive and since that day I have felt 100% better and  like my old self.  You can click here to search on amazon for the book.

The same day I got a phone call off a Shamen healer who is based in Kent and offers trips to Peru. He was looking for some help on his website and the night before I was looking for peru retreats!  It seemed like someone was listening and my prayers were answered immediately!   Coincidence I hear the sceptics cry, well maybe, but maybe I created these coincidences.  I have always wanted to go to Peru as it’s the place for so called 'spiritual awakening'.  It was reading the ‘Celestine Prophecy’ when I was much younger which got me fascinated in Peru and all things spiritual. For me that book made perfect sense and almost like the missing jigsaw piece in my view of the universe.  So getting a call off this shaman learning about shamanism was like the pray answered again.  I am now planning to go on this peru retreat later this year with Andy Wood.  Click here to learn what Shamanism is.

Since that night when I was at a low point the very next day it felt like my prayers were answered.   I have again been using the law of attraction to get what I want out of life.  I am only doing what I have done with every aspect of my life really.  We all create our life and experiences and if your life is feeling pretty crap, you only have yourself to blame.  I was a drop out school at kid, left aged 15 without any qualifications.  By 19 a single mum on benefits. Not the best start in life but by using the law of attraction I have always got what I wanted out of life. There has been plenty of haters and people giving me negative responses when talking about my dreams.  During my degree I was seeing a chap who said I wouldnt get anywhere in IT as its a mans game.  This I proved wrong.  Again with my Art I have always had folk tell me I couldn't success as an artist, well again I am proving them wrong.  I never listen to people and always believe completely and wholehearted in my dreams. 

Those that know me will know I am a budding ceramic artist who would love to earn a living from making and selling art all day everyday. Positive affirmation on way.. I WILL have my own art shop in a busy tourist area such as Iron bridge where I will be making my art of full display as well as selling my art and other art related products.  Well I am already doing quite well and supply my art to a number of outlets and sell them online.  But this year I planned to get more stockists and get out there a bit more.  Currently it’s a part time evening job and more like therapy for me!  It is very therapeutic making and creating art and it has always been a back burner.  Anyway without going into detail I have now got a few more suppliers, I have been featured on the front cover of a couple of magazines and been looking at properties in Iron-bridge.  What this space.  My art can be found here: https://www.cazamic.com/

Also my kitchen design is soon to be an featured in Style at Home. A freelance journalist said she was looking for creative people who had designed a new kitchen or bathroom.  Well oddly enough is was the stress I went through creating my own kitchen  (read old post here)  which brought me down.  That and loosing a good friend and a coupld of other things which made last year not a great one. I always thought I would buy and sell property and believe I have an eye for design.  Perhaps this feature is a sign that I could be interior designer - another choice i have going forward.  

Another dream I have is visiting more locations around the world on holiday.   I go on holiday with my mate Claire who is a bit of a traveler, she will leave the country at the drop of a hat. We have been to Iceland, Greece, New York and lots of other places.  Our next jaunt is to a two day and 2 night trip to Skellig Islands in South West Ireland.  I have been to Dublin in Ireland before but after seeing the islands on Star War we both decided that would be our next trip.  So we are heading on a Skellig Michael tour with Brit Movie Tours.  Another tour I plan to do is a walking tour in paris by Set in Paris.com.  I went to Paris during an Art Access course years ago and visited all the top sites.  I remember having a very odd experience in Notre Dame and would love to experience it again.  As soon as I walked into the building I felt its energy so much it was breathtaking and I just has to sit and marvel at the surroundings.  It was very peaceful but buzzing. 

I have also been invited to Egypt with a group of friends for a week of sun in April.  I have a friend who seems to love Egypt and every year they go.  I myself wouldn't choose to visit Egypt again as I feel like I have been there done that and want to discover other countries.  But unless I choose to holiday alone, beggars cant be choosers.  Plus its a good crowd and it will be a much needed sunshine break even it if will be my 4th or 5th time to Egypt. 

So its all happening for me this year, but its only because I am creating it.  We all create our lives and have complete control over what we bring into our lives.  Just remember this folks.  If you dont belive me try it yourself.  Remember  ' to accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe'.  Great saying there.  Don't know where it comes from but its so true. Get thinking and creating the life you want to life, I am living proof we can all achieve great things, regardless of where we come from. 

How to discipline your teenager

Anyone who has a teenager knows how difficult they can be. They think they know it all and think they are adults but they are not. I have a 16 year old who suddenly thinks he's a man. Up until recently he has always done as he's told. I've always been strict but fair. But suddenly he has started to disobey me. This I wasn't going to put up with. The trouble I have is that at his age I was living in a bedsit with no parents telling me what to do. I could go out come back late stay out and just do what I wanted. So trying to explain to my lad that he is a child and still needs to do what I say as i am legally responsible for him till he is 18 has been tricky.  So what did I do? Well after trying to just explain to him a dozen times each time falling on deaf ears I decided I had to be tougher.  I have always believed in the old saying "you have to be cruel to be kind" so I thought how can I scare him to death so it shocks him enough to realise that if he lives with me I'm still the boss and what I say goes.  So i gave him an ultimation. I told him if he wants to live with me he follows the rules or he can go and live with his father.  At first he didn't believe me and was all cocky saying he would think about it.  Now I know this is the last thing he would want as he isn't that close to him and has said he would hate to live with him and his family. So I knew he was just bluffing. Now I had to really prove I meant it which to be honest I think I did at this point.  I've brought him up on my own without any help and it's not been easy. Part of me would love his father to take some responsibility and let me have a quiet life. So I started to plan for a life without him.  I do have plans that once I am free of kids I will sell up and buy a shop and possibly move back down south. After a few days he came back saying he wants to stay home and will do what I say. I thought this could be short lived so decided to keep up the charade. I told him I would prefer him moving out and explained how good it could be.  I tried to make living with his dad sound fun, saying how he could spend more time with that side of his family and could spend more time with his little brother and he could come see me at the weekends.  I explained how I have moved my plans forward and was looking forward to moving. Well I think this just shocked him, he hated the thoughts I was putting in his head and freaked out a bit but I was consistent and made him believe what I was saying until he broke. So it worked. I guess it was a bit of emotional blackmail really but nothing I said before would get through to him.  He is now back to his old self and a joy to be around doing as he's told. He just needed scaring. So if you have a teenager and you want them to reign them in a bit think of the one thing that they would hate the most and use it.