The TV Book Club Summer Reads

The TV Book Club have launched their summer reads for 2010. Check out the selected books here

http://www.tvbookclub.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_category_tbp?storeId=351&catalogId=353&langId=100&categoryId=75717

I was very excited about the list as there are a number of books in it that have caught my eye. I think I will start with 'the weight of silence.'

The TV programme starts tomorrow on More 4.I loved Nathaniel Parker on the show and hope he will be involved in this new series.

Sophies Soup

I love Sophie Dahls cookery programme on the BBC and when I saw her make a delicious tomato soup I knew I had to give it a try. The recipe is so easy.
Simply roast the following ingredients in the oven for 40-50 minutes:
2kg/4½lbs large ripe plum tomatoes(halved)
2 large red onions (peeled & quartered)
1 garlic bulb (cut in half horizontally)
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
and a little salt and pepper .
Take it out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before mashing the garlic with the back of a fork & and discarding the skin.
Then blend and pulse everything together until smooth.
Pour the soup into a large saucepan and a little Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar before heating up.
This quantity was plenty for 6 bowls of soup.
I had some this evening with some multigrain bread from the avoca shop and it was simply delicious.

I also want to quickly mention a wonderful film that I went to see last night.
'His and Hers'is a documentary featuring 70 Irish females from little girls to old ladies talking about the significant men in their lives. It is so simply sweet and charming. I absoutley loved it.

One Day

This week I finished reading this wondeful book by David Nicholls. It is certainly a love story but not your classic fairytale. The imperfect hero Dexter and the working class heroine Emma become our friends as we meet them on the same day every year for twenty years. We see the changes in themselves and in their relationship with each other. It is entertaining, thought provoking and funny but also very very sad. If I was alone reading the last few chapters I can image I would be in floods of tears. However I read them sitting on a train so I had to keep a firm control on my sentimental side.

I think this is a book most people would enjoy and I was happy to learn that filming will commence on the movie version of the book later this summer. Emma will be played by Anne Hathaway who I think will suit the role perfectly. The movie will be directed by Lone Scherfig who recieved an Oscar nomination for directing 'An Education' a film which I really enjoyed.

I know many people have already read this book but if you havn't I would recommend it highly.

Practice Makes Perfect

This poster perfectly illustrates how I often feel. However I recently heard an interesting radio discussion where the person being interviewed said that there is no such thing as talent and when somebody is good at something it is because they have done an awful lot of practice.

This theory is supported by a 2006 study by cognitive psychology researchers Ericsson and Ward who said that what many people think of as "talent" may just be the motivation and commitment to continually challenge yourself.

Infact Malcolm Gladwell put forward the idea that it takes ten thousand hours or 10 years of practice to become an expert at something. Mozart may have written his first opera when he was 14 but he had been practicing music since he was 3 years old.

If you are considering trying something you thought you had no talent for remember that 'deep practice' is what is important. This means stumbling, making mistakes and slowly learning to master your activity. To encourage a culture of practice in children they should be praised for effort rather than talent.

I am not sure I 100% agree with this viewpoint but it is certainly a much more positive outlook rather than having a belief that there is no possibilty for personal development or growth. What do you think?

Kosmea Eighth Natural Wonder Revitalising Facial Serum

This is my final review as part of the mypure blogging panel for this month.

This is an anti ageing moisturiser and the packaging says that the powerful combination of hibiscus extract and organic rose hip oil form natures answer to cosmetic surgery giving skin an instant face lift. As I am now in my late 20's I have been considering purchasing an anti ageing night cream for the past few months so I was very happy to try out this one.

The packging is inoffensive. I do not love it but I do not hate it. I do not think it looks particularly high end considering the price. The product is a serum and there is a pump dispenser which makes it very easy to use(you just need 1 pump for whole face). The scent is quite strong(rose scent) but not unappealing to me.

I initially used this only as a night cream because I was concerned it would be too rich under my makeup in the daytime. I was very happy with the consistency of the product. As it is a serum it is not too heavy on my skin and it absorbed quickly although I did feel that it left a little film on my skin. After a few days using this as a night cream I decided to also use it in the morning under my makeup. I was quite happy with the results but I did not work as well as my usual moisturiser (boots botanics oil free sensitive moisturising serum).

Also I noticed after 2 weeks of use my pores were more clogged than usual and I developed one or two spots. I cannot say that this is definately a result of using this moisturiser but I do think that it is maybe a bit rich for me (my skin is combination/sensitive).

With regard to the anti ageing properties of this product I do not feel I can really comment on this. I have not yet noticed any wrikles on my skin (thankfully) so I was using this purely as a preventative measure.

At £25.00 for a 20ml bottle this product is not cheap. I do not think I will repurchase it but I think it is something that might work very well on more mature skin than mine.

To find out more about this product or to purchase it go to the mypure website:
http://www.mypure.co.uk/kosmea-b142?utm_source=Blogging&utm_medium=May2010&utm_campaign=Kosmea8thDay

Lovea's Moroccan Argan Brilliance Shine Shampoo

This is my second review as part of the mypure blogging panel.

I was really happy to recieve a shampoo in the package as I love trying out new shampoos. Also I was delighted to try a product which contains Moroccan Argan Oil because I have heard that this works wonders for hair. For reference my hair is coloured and can be quite limp and dry.

Initially I did not find the packaging particularly appealing.The bright yellow colour is a little garish in my opinion and for that reason I probably would have passed it by in a shop. Also I am not particularly fond of the smell of this shampoo. It has a citrus/nutty scent which some people might like but it did not appeal to me.

This shampoo promises to make the hair shiny and stronger. However I felt it made my hair very flyaway and I did not notice any extra shine or moisture. On a positive note I did not find that there was any problem getting the shampoo to lather. Infact it lathered much easier than the Jason lavender shampoo which is only other SLS free shampoo I have tried (however I much prefer the packaging, scent and results of the Jason shampoo).

Overall I would say that this shampoo was average. It is definately not the worst shampoo I have ever tried and I was happy to be using a natural shampoo. However I personally do not feel that it was particularly beneficial to my hair type and I did not love the packaging or scent.
You can find out more about this product and purchase it on the mypure website here http://www.mypure.co.uk/lovea-b136?utm_source=Blogging&utm_medium=May2010&utm_campaign=LoveaShampoo