Quids in with Quido

Cashback sites are a no-brainer. Desperately needed a new bikini, got £12.95 money back by going through Quidco. Also use Mrs Cashback and mutual.net. Competely forgot when ordering my new laptop - ouch - would have got loads of money if I'd gone through a cashback site.

Look What We Found!

Not one for processed convenience foods, I do love the products from Look What We Found. Noshing on Herdwick Mutton Stew With Pearl Barley And Vegetables as I speak, I also love the Wild Rabbit With Leek and Elderflower Sauce and Carmargue Rice.

Coming in pouches, they about the right size portions not to feel like a glutton, these are great storecupboard (long shelf life) saviours for when I need something more substantial than a snack and can't be bothered to cook.

Waterfall D-Mannose - This really works

After weeks of frustration and several courses of antibiotics which ceased to work at all earlier this year, I was at the end of my tether suffering from recurring cystisis. After some googling I came upon various reviews of a natural remedy, D-Mannose so gave it a try. (It is not a herbal product, but a natural monosaccharide isomer of glucose, extracted from Sweet Forest Timbers mainly of the hard Fagaceae and Betulaceae families without using solvents, according to the blurb.)

Truly amazing, it really works! And when I emailed the company asking a question about dosage (they are tied up in all sorts of legal issues about recommending how to take the damn thing!) the lovely Anna rang me up and we had a long chat. These are people who really care.

Yesterday got cystitis again, took one tablespoon in a bit of water, and within half an hour I was right as rain again. Wonderful.

Dirt is good, clean is bad...

Really enjoying the new series of Courtney Cox's Dirt - with the plots not even thinly disguised real life celeb stories - current one being Britney and the paparazzi bloke and kissing Madonna (called Mia in this, played with aplomb by Rosanna Arquette, who not only is CC's sister in law, also featured with Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan- whoa great film that.)

I love Dog Borstal!

On BBC Three, all over the bloody schedule, but brilliant. I don't even have dogs and I am fascinated by this hilarious programme. Lots of talking at the TV "It's the owner, not surprised the dog won't behave!". Mic Martin is so funny, and Lynne Davis, who is local to me so happy to plug her too.

Shame Vodafone, I'm off to 02 for the iPhone

A combination of things, really, has led me down the route of going to buy the new iPhone when it's out next month. Even though it is currently only available on 02 and I'm with Vodafone, A) I want it and B) I'm a bit fed up with the hassle that Vodafone has given me by its customer service. All of a sudden I couldn't send emails from my Blackberry Pearl and it took two lengthy calls to try and get them to do something about it before I had to put the phone down in exasperation. Then I fixed the issue myself (sent a service book from the mobileemail account page since you ask). So I just called Vodafone to find out when my contract ends, which is, as luck would have it, next month, so I can move anyway. And I've been with them for how many years now? For ever!

And, get this, Vodafone immediately try and push the Samsung F90 at me and offer me £10 a month off my bill! Bit late for that, mateys! Why not offer me that as a longstanding customer with a contract about to end before now???

Cafe Zeera - curry in Wing, Bucks

Went to a great Indian restaurant in Wing, Bucks last night. Cafe Zeera is not cheap, but the food is really good. I had an unusual mango & prawn starter, then Lamb Chot Boti, which is is chickpea orientated. The layout of the place is a bit strange, you either eat in the main room which is narrow and long, or in the other room which has no windows and feels a bit odd. But good.

New Bond book - Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing at Ian Fleming

I wanted to really like this, and I did, but not as much as I thought I would. Really quick, easy, likeable read, ticks off most of the boxes, but having read all the Fleming Bond novels in the correct order one listless summer when I was about 14 or 15, Devil May Care doesn't quite do it for me. Attention to detail perhaps, almost certainly desciptive powers of sentence construction. It read more like a novel of a film. But do read it, perfect to get back into the habit of reading.

Devil May Care is set in the 1960s, just after Bond's wife Tracy has died. So between OHMSS and something else I'll look up at a later date!

Ma-Dahna

Listening to Madonna's new album, Hard Candy. Like it, but apart from a couple of tracks doesn't get to me the way that any of her albums have since the majestic Ray of Light. And the DREADFUL track, Incredible, surely a pacifier for husband Guy Ritchie.

Belated review of Sex and the City the movie

Went with stepdaughter Clare for the first showing last Wednesday - oh so fabulous. Just what I expected and hoped for - frills, fashion, frivolity and Manolos. So enjoyable I wanted to watch it all over again straight away. Will be watched many, many times in the future. But.... HATED Carrie's Vivienne Westwood wedding dress ensemble with her Cruella de Ville make up and that bird thing in her hair. I know it was meant to be extreme, but...

Giving Boden another try

Having bought some rather rubbish shapeless jumpers from Boden a couple of years ago, I gave up on the brand. But I kept getting the catalogues and flicked through. Some things took my fancy but I've been dubious about quality for the price.

But, this amazing looking skirt has taken my fancy, so I've placed an order, for a couple of tees and a pair of sale espadrilles too. Will keep you posted...