Winter Staples for the Writer

I'm full of flu and feeling very sorry for myself, so I thought I'd create my list of absolute essentials to get any writer through winter and/or illness.

I'm what some people would call a 'mard-arse' when it comes to cold.  I'm always cold, even when people around me are sweating.  I hate winter, and in my wildest dreams, I'd have a holiday home somewhere hot to escape to during the British winter.  But, I don't, so I have to suck it up and get through it somehow.

I have all of these items, and I firmly believe that I could not survive winter without them, and I most certainly wouldn't get any writing done.  Some writers have a lucky talisman - these are mine.

• Hot water bottle - I can't live without my hot water bottle.  Well, it isn't actually mine.  I broke mine by filling it with boiling water, so I've pinched my 4 year old's.  It's a giraffe called George, and can be found stuffed up my top during the day, or under my feet at night.  When I'm writing at my desk, I swap it between my lap and my feet.
• A good blanket - By 'good', I mean not itchy, not too thick and not made of any fluffy, 'artificial' fabric.  My favourite is a 100% wool, multi-coloured blanket I found on Amazon.  It's large enough to wrap around me, but not too large to be cumbersome.
• A favourite mug - I don't know about you, but when I'm writing I drink copious amounts of coffee and green tea.  I have a couple of favourite mugs, that nobody else is allowed to use...  And this brings me to my next tip...
• Drink lots of hot fluids - I find that when I have a cold or flu, drinking anything hot helps - it soothes my throat and clears my sinuses.  I tend to drink coffee during the day, then at around 4pm I switch to flavoured green tea.  If I'm feeling really poorly, I'll have a Lemsip in bed before I go to sleep.  So stock up on all of your favourite hot drinks.
• A warm cardigan/jumper - It's obvious really... Wrap up and feel warmer.  It's no genius tip, but an important one.  A scarf can also come in handy.  As a parent, I find wearing a long scarf comes in handy in a variety of ways.  My kids use mine as a comfort blanket, nose wiper, mouth wiper, hand wiper... mostly to wipe things.  They also come in handy if you spill coffee on your papers/laptop and there isn't a tea towel in sight... Just me then..?

Stock up on the essentials, and make writing in winter a little bit more bearable.  I hope every writer out there has a warm, cosy and productive winter.

Sunday is Funday for Mummy...

I work from home, so my week is pretty hectic.  After the school run, I work for a few hours' on my event management business, Pink Lace Events.  This is followed by a quick lunch, if I remember.  I then do my daily workout and squeeze in a quick shower before I'm out of the door for the school pick-up.
Once the kids are home, it's all cleaning, cooking and play, with the occasional trip to the park or play centre, until D arrives home in time for tea, baths and bed.
I record all of my favourite TV programmes (mostly soaps), so I can relax and watch them once the kids are in bed.  I will then have a couple of hours' to get some actual writing done before I collapse, exhausted into bed.
This happens from Monday to Friday.  Saturday runs along the same vein, but with more tantrums and mess (mostly from me).
Sunday, well, Sunday is heaven for me.  D is home all day, which means I can sit at my desk and write until the well runs dry.  I like to get some housework done early, so that I can write without guilt, and have a break to cook a roast dinner (again, to ease the guilt).  But, the most of the day is spent feeding my brain, writing and daydreaming.
Without Sunday, I'd have no energy to get through the following week.  It's my solace; my rest day; my day for filling up the well.