Mr Tom James

In recent months, I have noticed there has been an increase in the number of adverts on television fundraising for breast cancer. This may sound inappropriate but I find so many faults with these adverts. For a start they are focused on women and all pretty and pink. The first thought that goes through my mind is WHAT ABOUT THE MEN! Have these breast cancer charities forgotten that men too can get breast cancer? Let me try and justify what I am trying to say. Breast cancer is an incredibly sensitive subject and many of us will be able to relate in some way so I don't want to offend anyone. Let's take Race for Life which consists of several physical events to raise money for all types of cancer. But it's only open to women. I don't understand why this is and why men are excluded, shouldn't we all come together and support one another? There are ways in which men can be involved in Race for Life, I'm not suggesting women should have to take part in the ev...

As you know I work with children as a nursery nurse and teaching assistant and so I am always on the look out for fun educational games which engage children.  Randomise  ticks all the boxes, there are different tasks so children don't lose concentration. Most importantly, it supports holistic development. I decided to test the game out on my three little guinea pigs often referred to as my little cousins. "In this game, players are given random identities - such as a dizzy robot bungee jumping, a confused octopus eating spaghetti or a disguised giraffe playing air guitar - and can choose whether to act, describe or draw their identity for their team mates to guess". The one thing I enjoyed most about this game was the fact it was old-school, no phones and no tablets just good old fashioned family fun. It got everyone around the table for the first time in a long time and it proved to my cousins you don't need technology to have fun. As a child I was an...

Last Christmas and New Year I remember seeing lots of jars on social media which people filled with little love messages and ideas for romantic days out and date night. This is just a very simple idea and requires very little effort. I simply grabbed an old coffee jar ripped up a bit of scrap paper and began scribbling down a few positive and funny quotes then folded them up and shoved them in the jar. Every morning when I wake up and get that gut feeling that today is going to be a bad day I start off by reaching over for my quote jar for a little positive pick me up. It's amazing the impact a few words can have on your mood and without these quotes I wouldn't have the motivation and will-power to get out of bed some days. It is safe to say this idea has been restoring my resilience.  Here are just a few of the quotes inside my jar... Every new day is a chance to to change your life. Make the most of today you're not guaranteed tomorrow. ...

First things first you're probably thinking washing powder like really is he seriously going to talk about washing powder? Well I am but this isn't you're bog standard washing powder it's special washing powder. Now you're probably wondering what on earth is he on about there is no such thing as special washing powder. Well there is and this is why... It's no secret that I have Eczema and with all of my allergies I have to be careful with the washing powder I use. In the past whenever my Eczema has decided to flare up the first thing that comes out of peoples mouths is "Have you changed your washing powder?". I was casually browsing and came across the Simply brand. I was pleased to see the National Eczema Society featured on the packaging, a charity close to my heart. Last weekend I spent cleaning my room and being a typical lad I found a huge pile of clothes scattered around which needed washing. So you can imagine my relief when the ...

You may remember I wrote a post about spots  and how I managed to banish them. I'm not used to getting spots put these past few months I've noticed they've started appearing on my forehead. Since I got rid of them I've been looking for a treatment to use which will help prevent from reoccurring. Today I am delighted to announce I have found flawless product and it's Proactiv+ , it is rather expensive but like I say your skin is there forever so I don't mind spending that little extra to look after it. I have to admit I hadn't really heard of Proactiv+ but not long after my parcel came I started to notice it being advertised on television.  In my option it is without doubt the ultimate beauty product and a must have for anyone. There are a lot of celebrities who use it such as, one of my favorite artists Adam Levine the lead singer of Maroon 5 and Jurnee Smollett . If that's not enough then you'll be surprised to learn the bea...

I am in love with the MIND website, the work they do speaks volumes. They are an incredible charity who are passionate and work tirelessly to support mental health. I recently followed them on twitter  and discovered their latest campaign called #takeoffthetape. The purpose of the campaign is for those who are ready to speak openly about the one thing that causes you to feel anxious and take off the tape so to speak. There is no shame in mental health, there is only one way to treat it and that's to be as open as you can to get support. It's simple if no one knows then no one can help. Recently, the media has reported how there are a lack of hospital beds and facilities for young people with mental health issues. Furthermore, there is also a record number of young people currently taking anti-depressants. These facts are a reflection of the number of young people who are coming forward and talking about their mental health. Tablets and I don't go well together,...

Firstly, I never created this blog to inspire anyone. I simply wanted to find a way of treating my mental health, I find it hard talking to people so end up keeping everything bottled up which only leads to a breakdown. I needed a way to channel my thoughts and release some of the negative feelings in my body. I recently set up a Facebook page to promote this blog and while it only has 5 followers, it's one of the best things I ever did. And here is why...on this blog I have over 17,000 views in just under 3 months but I have never received any messages and rarely do I get comments. But yesterday a lad messaged me on my Facebook page and here is what he said.... "Hi Tom, I was inspired by your blog and decided it was time to start my own, if you have time could you please have a look at how I've started and feel free to give me any pointers! Thank You" Now reading that you may not think much of it but there's two things which point out in it a...

It's back and it's back with a vengeance. I'm referring to the demon in my head known as depression. Tonight has been my relapse, I've given and talking myself into believing I'm depressed. The past few weeks have been good even though there's been a lot of traumatic and stressful events I have managed to remain positive throughout. The reason behind this was down to a girl I started talking to through one of those dreaded dating apps. As you already know I've spoken to a lot of girls on there but this was the first one that really got my attention, I felt as if I could be open with this person and trust them. Many of you will probably find that difficult to understand as I haven't even met them, but for me there was a spark. Don't get me wrong at times she was a massive pain in the butt, it was annoying how she had the power to control my moods and feelings. I tried a lot, prior to to talking to this girl I was in a difficult place, I had ...