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Mind Your Own T*ts
When Theo was born via caesarean, I felt like a failure. The terminology thrown around whilst I tried to “push” didn’t help. I was told I’d “failed to progress” in labour, and that I’d “failed” to push the half a centimetre of cervix back to allow Theo to be born (after almost twenty hours of labour, I’d dilated to nine and a half centimetres – so close yet so far from the birthing experience I’d envisioned). So, the distinct feeling of failure was instilled in me before I was even taken to theatre. Then came breastfeeding. Two hours after Theo was born, he was finally placed on my bare chest…
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Talking Point: Sarah Everard – She was only walking home.
For almost a decade, I have worked alongside survivors of some of the most horrifying crimes. Each and every story that I am trusted to write stays with me, etched into my mind and in some cases, my heart, forever. Every single case I have covered has left me feeling some level of sadness and anger for the people whose lives have been turned upside down, and sometimes destroyed completely, as a result of the most despicable kinds of people: Rapists, murderers, child abusers – the list goes on. Sadly, I am no longer surprised by the harrowing stories I hear. Devastated and deeply unsettled, absolutely. But shocked? Surprised? Not…
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Talking Point: Smear Tests
In January last year, I received the letter. You know, the one all women dread landing on their doorstep when they hit the grand old age of 25? I’d given birth six weeks earlier, so the thought of anybody poking around made me feel incredibly anxious. I was still ridiculously sore from my caesarean, and if I’m being totally honest, it was a bit of a mess down there. It was an enormous relief to me when I called to book an appointment, and was told by my doctor that my smear was being delayed for a couple of months, to allow me more time to physically recover from childbirth.…
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Worth a Try: Olaplex – The Best Hair Product I Have Ever Used
I grew up with a younger sister and two cousins who all had the most beautiful, thick, long hair. Meanwhile, my own was wispy and fine, prone to breakage and never seemed to grow past a certain length – that length being my shoulders at a push. My hair has been on quite a journey. Throughout my teens, I used straighteners and curling wands excessively, regularly and without any form of heat protection. I used cheap, nasty hair extensions and backcombed my own hair within an inch of its life. I remember my mum, who is an incredibly talented professional hairdresser, begging me to bin them. But obviously at 16,…
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How I lost Weight After Giving Birth
I feel it’s important that I start this post by making it clear that I never had the intention of losing weight quickly after having Theo. It just wasn’t on my agenda. I have spent so much of my adult life trying to slim down, and have tried everything from detox teas (which I strongly advise against), laxatives (so dangerous) and of course the traditional and ONLY safe and effective methods – healthy eating and regular exercise. But I’m human. I love chocolate and I certainly don’t want to spend every single second of my free time in the gym. So, like most women, my weight has fluctuated in a…
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Talking Point: 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Breastfeeding
When I was roughly 28 weeks pregnant, my midwife told me that whilst I should make a birth plan, it wasn’t often that what a woman hopes for comes to fruition. In my case, I wanted as natural a birth as possible and my biggest fear was a csection. I will be writing about Teddy’s birth in more depth soon, but for now I will say that my labour and his birth were nothing like I’d hoped. I desperately wanted a natural birth, specifically a water birth, if a pool had been available. Yet after almost 20 hours in labour and finally making it to the pushing stage, I ended…
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Worth A Try: LouLouBelle London Skincare
Since way back into my early teens (thank you Timehop for reminding me daily what an enormous dork I was back then) I have suffered with spots. And, despite my relatives/teachers/doctors promising me they’d disappear when I left my teenage years behind, I have since discovered this was absolute bullshit and to this very day, I still struggle with problematic skin. Sure, I have a stressful job. And the chances of me getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night are about the same as me winning the lottery. But I do my best to eat a clean and healthy diet, drink plenty of water and use products that…
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Worth A Try: Your Tea, The Only ‘Tea-tox’ I’ll Ever Recommend
Those who know me well will vouch for the fact one of my greatest loves in life is tea. I am a firm believer that a well-made cuppa has magical powers and is the key to solving 99%* of life’s problems. *The other 1% of problems being when you’ve tragically run out of teabags/tea leaves/milk and the shops have closed for the night. Sadly, a cuppa is the one thing that won’t solve this predicament. By day you’ll find me editing women’s magazines, and by night I can be found either writing up blog posts or ghostwriting. In both situations, one hand is always firmly glued to a mug of tea. So…
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Talking Point: 10 Things Nobody Tells You About Being Short
As a little girl I loved being one of the smallest kids in my class. It meant I could squeeze into all the best hiding places, and let’s be honest – there was nothing better than being the last one discovered during a game of hide and seek. Another perk to being small was that I looked absolutely adorable in my pretty summer dresses, and my grandma’s sister always told me nice things come in small packages – so I always felt pretty special. However, being short as an adult is a whole different ball game. In fact, navigating everyday life can be a fucking nightmare if, like me, you’re…
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Hot Hacks: A Lazy Girl’s Guide to Great Hair
Although I spend most of my working life in an office, there have been occasions that I’ve been asked to cover a trial or sentencing in court, and sometimes I’m even asked to cover inquests. Although I’d love nothing more than to throw on my comfiest leggings and a hoodie for a day spent at my desk, I have to make some level of effort to look my best on the off chance I’m needed in court. I’m fortunate enough to work in a role that allows me to work with victims and survivors of serious crimes, and I absolutely adore it. I have met so many incredible, brave and…
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Worth a Try: Williamson Tea
Back when I was a tiny little girl, my sweet old Grandma taught me that there are few troubles in life that can’t be solved by a cup of tea. Now, I’m not claiming that your obligatory morning cup of Yorkshire Tea is going to bring world peace and end global hunger (if only that were true!), but let’s be honest – in the face of adversity, we reach for the kettle. Or at least, I do. When the opportunity to collaborate with the lovely brand that is Williamson Tea arose, I was absolutely ecstatic. Having tasted their beautiful blends on the odd occasion over the years, I knew I’d be…
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Profile: Sophie, Blossom and Dill
Meet Sophie, creator of Blossom and Dill’s blowsy and painterly flower arrangements… There is no denying that I am a lover of all things floral, owing largely to my late Grandma’s influence. So when a recent trawl of the internet led me to discover Blossom and Dill, a quaint florist specialising in blousy and painterly arrangements for all occasions, I had to get in touch. Further investigation led me to a gallery of the most beautiful seasonal flowers arranged lovingly into an assortment of Mason jars, and it was at that very moment that I realised I’d finally discovered my wedding florist (hooray!). When Sophie, the creator of the brand,…
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Worth a Try: Tracey Bell Cosmetics
I have suffered with problematic skin for as long as I can remember. Having tried pretty much every ‘remedy’ out there (which if i’m honest, only aggravated my skin more), from the high-end, expensive products which promise to clear the skin in a matter of days to homemade face masks cultivated of natural yoghurt and honey (these generally end up being eaten more than they are used to clear my skin), it seemed as though my stubborn spots would be with me forever. I was recently invited to Tracey Bell’s Liverpool-based cosmetics clinic where I received a thorough treatment of Microdermabrasion followed by Intraceuticals therapy, and for once, my spots actually…
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What Liverpool Really Thinks of Boob Jobs: A Project with OPEN Magazine
A recent study has revealed that nobody loves boobs like Liverpool does. Statistics publicized in December showed that more women in Liverpool venture under the knife to acquire bigger boobs than anywhere else in the UK, with a total of 644 operations arranged in the first nine months of 2014. With boobs the focal point of many an intense debate, from the outrage reaped by public breastfeeding to the speculation surrounding the future of page 3, you’d think we’d have been over them by now. On the contrary, it seems that more women than ever are splashing out to enhance their own pair. I decided to ask the people on…
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Talking Point: Body Hair
A couple of weeks ago, a dreaded but necessary trip to Primark etched itself onto my lunchtime agenda. I have to be honest, despite the occasional indisputable bargain and an unwavering devotion to their adorable Disney pyjamas, I loathe the place. But much to my dismay, my stiletto nails found themselves embedded into my tights two hours before an important client interview and thus a new pair was an essential purchase. If there’s one thing I loathe more than the absolute chaos of Primark, it’s a laddered pair of tights. After battling the hordes of shoppers to the lingerie department, I managed to grab myself a pair and make a…
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Talking Point: Spiritual Sex – Real or Myth?
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the concept of their existence has caused debate amongst conspiracy theorists for centuries. I can’t count the number of sleepovers I attended throughout my teens, during which somebody had the fabulous idea of telling a ghost story with only the eerie light of a torch for comfort. I might be ballsy now, but as a teenager I was so easily scared. And, whilst my pals turned in for the night and quickly fell asleep, I lay wide awake – not daring to close my eyes out of the genuine fear that a demon would be inches from my face when I opened them again –…
