pencil case envy (a competition from Sew Lomax)

A new pencil case and September go hand in hand.  The Smalls and I have already taken that annual trip to WHSmith for those trusty HB pencils, a brand new rubber and infopharm.com the ever-ready Pritt stick.

Sew Lomax pencil cases

Sew Lomax pencil cases

And just sometimes, I’ll admit, I find myself having a little pencil case envy.  As a self-confessed pencil addict (as long as it has a rubber on the end), an attractive zippy tidy-away really appeals.  So when I noticed that clever Emma Lomax has designed a pencil case for grown-ups (and trendy teenagers alike), I begged her for a handful for my readers.

After all, who wouldn’t want to celebrate the Smalls’ return to school?

All you have to do to enter this competition is sign up to my blog (top right of homepage),  follow me on Twitter and 5 pencil cases (worth £15 each) will be sent to the 5 lucky winners, picked at random on 5th September 2013.

Check out Emma’s full range of products and my interview with her last January. 

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Aguas Blancas, Ibiza

Aguas Blancas would feature very high if  I were to make a list of my most idyllic beaches in the world.

Aguas Blancas, Ibiza

Aguas Blancas, Ibiza

There is something about the steep decent on foot, the golden sand and dramatic rock face which makes me feel we are rediscovering a slice of heaven every time we visit.  It’s also full of REAL islanders – with rarely a Brit in sight.

the sheer decent

the sheer decent

All four of us are fair skinned and burn easily so we don’t aim to get to the beach any earlier than 5pm.

rocks surround the cove and provide diving boards in the sea

rocks surround the cove and provide diving boards in the sea

This gives us all time to dip in the warm (and shallow) ocean, enjoy a snack and some sandcastle/reading activity before the sun sets behind the cliff at around 7pm.

snacks & reading

snacks & reading

good old-fashioned sandcastle fun

good old-fashioned sandcastle fun

And then, barefoot, we hike back up to the car.  Sandy and happy.

heading back up the hill towards the car park

heading back up the hill towards the car park

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Sponsored Post: John Lewis asks me #whatmattersmost

John Lewis asked me a question earlier this week.  They wanted to know (and I clearly wanted to answer) what really matters to me.  (Their question ties in with their new home insurance advert which they launched last Friday entitled Things Matter and, in typical John Lewis style, they are fixated on how their shoppers FEEL.  About everything, not just the product they stock.pile-of-notebooks-mark-william-jackson

So, lying here by a pool in Ibiza, I’m thinking about my answer.  Happiness and good health of those closest to me clearly figures high.  Being able to afford holidays like this is also important.  Any family holiday (wherever it is) matters a lot.  It’s when you discover the real truth about how the Smalls feel about a tricky personality in their class.  And it’s when He finally lets it all his London stress go and morphs into a 17 year old hippie (almost).

My work matters a lot to me: whether I am writing some retail copy for a client’s new site or advising a bigger corporate how to maximise their social media strategy.  And, of course, my own snapping and word-play are HUGELY important to me, quite simply because of the fun I have constructing them.

The answer isn’t as simple as all that.  And – if I wasn’t struggling enough – the retailer has also requested I encapsulate my response on Vine’s 6 second video platform.  Explaining my task to Lady Y (who quite simply can’t live without the John Lewis Partnership), I wondered if I should be thinking more along the lines of material possessions.  Always better in a scenario, I challenged myself to state the item(s) I would drag from a burning (god forbid) home, needless to say, once my loved ones were safely deposited on the pavement.  My notebooks, dating back from teenage years, sprung to mind.  I always have one of these little black books on the go, containing scribbles of BIG ideas to Ocado shopping lists.  As I’m constantly flicking through them, these books would be high on my matters-to-me list.

But the notebooks clip didn’t work well on Vine.

So I’m going to plump for a good old-fashioned game of family and friends cricket.  Because, in all honesty, friends and family matter most.  And nothing beats the sounds of the wood bat meeting the ball, the cheer and the laughter.

Here is my Vine cricket game post: cricket

Very John Lewis – if I say so myself.

Check out the John Lewis Insurance microsite where you’ll find an amazing Vine competition – with a WEEKLY prize of a Canon SLR and a grand prize of £1000 John Lewis vouchers!

Ps This is a sponsored post BUT all the emotions and opinions are mine. 

 

 

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Nikki Beach in Ibiza

I remember – as a 15 year old me – going to eat at TGI Friday’s near Brent Cross with some girlfriends.  They were giddy with excitement – the juicy burgers, sizzling fajitas and ice cream cocktails.  The American themed diner was clearly thrilling and somehow I was MISSING THE POINT.

And, today, some 20+ years later, I still don’t get the point of a themed restaurant.  Surely each diner wants to experience something unique.  While I do understand that a feeling of familiarity can be comforting, surely I am not the only one looking for something a bit new and different each time I return to a particular restaurant– to enhance my experience?

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It was clear this is not what Nikki Beach is all about.

Nikki Beach, Ibiza

Nikki Beach, Ibiza

But it was His turn to choose our dinner location.  And He was keen to take a look at the latest Nikki Beach opening (Marbella being the most established with Miami Beach, St. Tropez, St. Barts Marrakech, Koh Samui and Mallorca all following close behind) which is only 5 minutes down the road from where we are staying on the East coast of Ibiza.

beach club at Nikki Beach

beach club at Nikki Beach

The restaurant cum beach club only opened a month ago so the team are eager to please and the chairs a little empty.  Lunch (from what I hear) is a busier affair with most of the double sun beds (costing 250 euros but accompanied by a bottle of champagne) snapped  up by 11am. The pool gets crowded and the euro-glitterati snack, drink and party.

the saxophonist tried his best to create atmosphere at a pretty empty Nikki Beach

the saxophonist tried his best to create atmosphere at a pretty empty Nikki Beach

Back to dinner.  After a fair amount of waiter hovering, I glanced at the menu.  Euros flashed in front of my eyes.  Everywhere.  One bottle of champagne was 250,000 Euros.  What on earth could the Smalls eat for less than 30 Euros?

The manager saw my panic and calmly rescued me.  Spag bol for the Smalls (12 Euros) and some helpful navigation of what looks like an extensive menu but actually isn’t.

The setting feels contrived and definitely flash.  The food is actually exceptionally good (as well as expensive) but – crucially – from this the top end of the market right down to the lower end (TGI Friday’s), any themed or branded restaurant feels to me like the inside of a marketing department.  And all I want to scream is:  I’m not a logo – get me out of here!

P.S. If you’re wondering what is 100% my cup of tea here in Ibiza, I’ll gladly tell you.  La Paloma in San Lorenzo.  I can truly relax there – even the crockery doesn’t match.

the non-matching crockery at La Paloma...

the non-matching crockery at La Paloma…

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