Youvember and Participational Prizes

   Youvember begins on Saturday, and I've got the participational prize list for 4 winners put together with pictures to follow! To win, read below!

The Health and Fitness bundle will include:

• A selection of Real Nutrition Co goodies including amazing protein shakes, multi-vitamins and your choice of #RNC fitness t-shirt or vest - did you know 57% of female gym-goers now use protein shakes and powders?
• Nuun tri berry hydration tabs and a Nuun water bottle to better increase your hydration while working out, running or cycling
• Dance it Off and Tone it Up DVD - my personal favourite 10 Minute Solutions DVD with 3 high-energy and fun dances, and two resistance band routines for upper and lower body
• A resistance band - y'know, so you can do those last two routines!
• Teapigs green and herbal tea

The Arts and Crafts bundle will include (with more to come):

• PITT Castelle Fineliner Pens - Fine and Superfine - I use these pens in my inking drawings, and their different thicknesses are very useful. They're also incredible quality and extremely reliable with no smudging when erasing pencil lines beneath them.
• Winsor & Newton drawing ink in black and silver and a fine paint brush.
• 300gsm sketch book
• Selection of washi tapes

The Feel-Good bundle will include:

• Bill Bailey 'Qualmpeddler' DVD (in your region) - a unique musician/stand-up comedian.
• Galaxy Chocolate is the best chocolate in the solar system. You thought I'd say 'galaxy'. Well, I've not tried chocolate from Risa but I bet it's good. So I'm not prepared to say 'galaxy'. Yet.
• A monster plush toy from Grumble Cave Monsters - hand made by myself, standing at 35cm tall, faux fur, anti-allergenic filling, safety eyes; not suitable for children under 3.
• Handmade animal jar jewellery from my shop, Peaches and Pebbles - my fox jar necklaces are easily my most popular item, and I've thrown in some bonus pieces from my upcoming art exhibit in the summer.
• £50/$50 Etsy gift card - does what it says on the tin.
• Options hot chocolate - drum of belgian hot chocolate; just add 3 teaspoons of powder to hot water and stir away. The best bit? 40 calories. I've blogged about Options hot chocolate in the past, and I still adore it. No need to add sugar or milk, it's quick, easy and flawless.
• Pastel Barry M nail polish selection
• BBC's 'Africa' DVD (in your region) - one of the BBC's best nature documentary series, it will leave you in awe when you see giraffes fighting and rhinos gathering to socialise at night.

The Christmas bundle will include:

• A wide selection of different decorations and embellishments
• A Christmas monster plush set from Grumble Cave Monsters, both the Christmas and the bah humbug monsters!

   Participating in Youvember is easy, and it's all about you. The only 'wrong' way to do it is by stressing yourself out with it. Youvember is simply taking time for yourself to destress and unwind in order to tackle the Christmas (and Thanks Giving) period a little easier. You can work out and take out stress physically, you can take time to meet with friends and encourage them to do the same and chill out over a coffee one day every week, or you can finally set aside some time to do something you've been meaning to for a long time, like try out a new craft or start and/or finish a project.

   To win one of the above prize bundles, you need only participate regardless of your location, doing something for yourself, and at the end of the month either email me a link to a blog post summarising your Youvember experience, or, if you're not a blogger, email me a picture or paragraph doing the same, as well as a note to say which bundle you'd like to be entered to win. The picture or paragraph can be about something you spent the month making, a workout you started and completed - then 30 Day Shred, for example - a long awaited trip or visit with friends, a Christmas organisational plan - maybe even a blog itself you finally decided to start.

As long as you do something for yourself this November to de-stress or breathe, you're eligible.

   There are Youvember badges you can display on your sidebar or at the foot of your posts to show your participation and spread the word. They can be found on the Youvember page, along with suggestions for how you could participate. The email to submit your entries via will be released and announced during the final week of November, as stated on the Youvember page.