Move a muscle and you're nicked...

Can't believe it. Just got 3 points and £60 fine, for using my phone in the car, whilst parked.

The world has gone mad.

The engine was on, I left it running as it was cold this morning, but I had the handbrake on and was going nowhere.

Most frustratingly, the police man was the most aggressive man I've met in a long time - you'd have thought I'd just shot someone in front of him. I could sense his delight at nailing me, for doing, quite frankly, nothing. Of course he was all sweetness and light as soon as he had my signature on the charge slip.

So, apparently, the law has gone to even greater lengths to keep our minds on the driving and our hands on the wheel. I thought my Busy Girl friends should benefit from my lesson - here's the full list of what will get you the same fate...

Apparently it's now illegal to:

• Hold a mobile phone while driving, this includes cradling the phone on your shoulder, or holding it by any other means.
• Hold a mobile phone any time the car's engine is switched on, even if the car is stationary, whether to make or take calls, send text messages, use Google Maps etc, or any other function.
• Hold a mobile phone while supervising a learner driver. Cause or permit anyone else to use a handheld mobile phone while driving.
• Or doing anything that suggests you wouldn't be in total control of your car - which can mean eating, smoking or finding mints in your pocket...

... humph ...

Eva x

should the clocks go back?

Personally I was delighted this morning to wake to daylight - in my book, there's nothing worse than waking up in the dark, aka dead of the night.

But apparently there's big debate on whether we should turn the clocks back or simply keep the time as it, all year. I guess there's the question of safety for people walking home from school and work in the dark to consider, so maybe if I didn't have the comfort of my car, I'd have a different opinion on the dark afternoons.

Am totally delighted that it's finally cold though - I simply love this time of year, when we can wrap up warm in boots and tights and cuddly jumpers.

I bought a fabulous cape from (can you believe it) Tesco last week - it was only £15.00 and is lovely! It's not been off my back since. The button fell straight off so I've fastened it with a vintage brooch - fabulous, love it.

Not sure Himself gets it... he says I look like Bat Man. Bless him.

Have a great day Busy Girl - get your boots and tights on and wrap up warm and keep safe in the dark tonight!

Eva (http://www.busygirlsguide.co.uk/) The Busy Girls Guide to Life xxx

Imagine a world without animals

Late home the other night, I passed a beautiful, huge fox loitering on the A34. Then I was stopped dead in my tracks when a stunning foot high owl flew past me and landed on the traffic lights. It was amazing, but just didn't seem quite right - two wild creatures living on a dual carriageway lit with orange-sulphur street lights.

Charity, recycling and the environment are constantly forced upon us, every day, pushing us to substitute our already paid taxes with additional funds to support where the government doesn't. Most of have our heart strings tweaked and support because we know there are people and places less fortunate than ourselves.

But what about the animals? The other beings that share our planet with us?

As a real animal lover, I'm delighted the media have finally started to focus on the welfare of animals instead of overdoing stories on rubbish and recycling. Don't get me wrong, we need to recycle and stop the excessive waste, but we all know that the proposed environmental taxes are doing the government's pocket a great deal of good.

So, finally, it seems we're focussing on the animals. Today, GMTV highlighted the need for the rehabilitation of ex-racing greyhounds, how we should be saving the countryside and helping to make kids more aware of nature around them. Not to mention the possibility of complete extinction for the wild and wonderful Tigers, Orangutans and Panthers.

Imagine a world without animals....

I don't know about you, but I don't want my grandchildren or great grandchildren to suffer that fate. I'm off to find out how to help.

Have a good day Busy Girls... love Eva xx

The price of living in paradise

While we were shouting at the TV all weekend, willing our boys to win the World Cup Rugby and later, the Grand Prix (don't say it was just me?), residents of one of the most luxurious and coveted areas in the whole world were fleeing their burning homes.

If you haven't heard yet, Malibu has been on fire all weekend as a result of naturally occuring fires. And there we are, always moaning about the British weather, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has discussed running off to sunnier climes. But it seems even one of the most fabulous places in the world has its problems.

Speaking of LA, how amazingly fantastical was the camera work on the new MTV programme Living on the Edge?! I watched the apparently 'real-life' docu-soap the other day and it was quite incredible.

It seems I don't have to think about moving; according to their programme I already live in LA! The camera panned around Alderley, showing a beautiful harbour with expensive yachts - Alderley Edge doesn't even have a river let alone a sea front! I'd love to get my hands on some of the MTV rose-tinted glasses...

Hope you have a good day in paradise Busy Girl

Speak soon, love Eva xx

stop putting yourself down!

"Oh, I'm just a mum", "I just work in an office, nothing special", "I have a rubbish job, I hate it"

I was at a ladies networking event (social not business) last night and I couldn't believe how people were describing themselves.

Us girls have got issues. The more women I meet, the more I see the general lack of self confidence.

Americans are known for being brash, bold and confident to the point of arrogance, but us British girls, we just don't seem to be able to blow our own trumpets - we're always apologising for ourselves and putting ourselves down.

We just hate to sound 'full of ourselves' so we attempt to put ourselves down before we start.

I mentioned what I felt to Lucy at The Busy Girls Guide last night and she promised to put something on the Guide about it tomorrow - as a lifestyle coach, she works with people on their confidence all the time, so I knew she'd have a solution! I'll post the link here later today...

So, Busy Girl, if this sounds like something you'd do, today I want you to join me in a little confidence practice - if you meet someone new today, try telling them what you do without making it sound dull, boring or unimportant - you are important and much more worthy than you make out!

Have a great day, and a lovely weekend and I'll catch you next week...

Eva xxx

Always an exception to the rule...

I was on way home from the Midlands last night, rushing to get back to Manchester for an evening meeting. I stopped at a garage on the dual carriageway to get some petrol. Normally, I throw my cash card into my bag, so when I couldn't find it at first I knew I'd eventually see it tucked into a dark corner of my 'abyss' bag...

So, I put a bit of petrol in and ran into the garage.

Scrabble, scrabble... no card. Right, erm 'just a sec!', frantic scrabble... no card, no cheque book, no pin number for my credit card. No way to pay.

Called the bank, told them that I had lost my card, the pin number for my other card hadn't arrived (thanks, Royal Mail), I had petrol in my car and no way to pay, "we can order you a new pin number, it will take 4 working days"... it was all I could do to not swear at the man when I calmly told him that waiting in the garage for 4 days was NOT an option.

"There's nothing we can do", he said. "Thanks for being utterly useless" I spluttered.

Now, when I get annoyed, I go very calm. It's an odd thing, I kind of slow down, lower my voice and silently smoulder. Where was my card? Why now? What about the meeting? What do I do?!?

"I'll pay, just send me a cheque", the man behind the counter said.

God bless that man. He paid cash out of his pocket, refused my contact details, said to send him a cheque and "drive safely, and don't rush, you want to get to your meeting in one piece".

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about Britain's rudeness - I've just had a very worthwhile lesson - there's Always an exception to the rule...

Eva xx

The Busy Girls Guide http://www.busygirlsguide.co.uk/ - Manchester & Cheshire

Living on The Edge - MTV goes Cheshire set

OMIGOODNESS...

Hoovering the kitchen (as Busy Girls do on their only days off) I was passively listening to some tunes on MTV when I heard the words 'Alderley Edge' in an advert.

I rushed through to the lounge, nearly killing myself by catching my enormous slippers (don't) on the lead and there it was, shots of little Alderley Edge, with golden camera-added glitzy glaze... apparently they're doing an OC style reality show on Alderley Edge, starting tomorrow on MTV.

Everyone has probably heard about this new programme apart from me (I'm a Busy Girl, too Busy to watch TV) but, my goodness... whatever will they think of next?

You see, we live between Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, in the MTV-nicknamed 'LA of the UK'. I'd love to know where they got that phrase from - there is money in Cheshire - the number of Range Rover Sports, DB9s, Ferraris and Lambo's are proof of that, but LA Alderley Edge ain't!

I am SO watching this programme tomorrow - sad or not - because I want to see how much 'creative camera-work' has gone into making Alderley look and feel like a UK LA...

I'm off to dance round the hoover to some more tunes... do let me know what you think of MTV's Living on the Edge

Eva xx

The Busy Girls Guide http://www.busygirlsguide.co.uk/ - the ultimate lifestyle guide for Busy Girls - Manchester, Cheshire & Liverpool