Prizes and plans

We have all seen competitions advertised either online or in newspapers and a variety of other formats, but I think that many of us assume that we will never win anything and so we don't bother filling in our details. I have entered competitions on and off over the years but aside from the odd prize here and there have never had much luck.

Just after the beginning of December I decided to join a few online compers communities; places where dedicated compers share details of competitions they have seen (and probably entered). I also decided that as I am very limited mobility-wise I would stick to entering online competitions, must via social media. Since then I have spent an hour or two a day entering competitions, not every day I have to admit.

As a result I have won a number of prizes - none of them alone are worth more than £100, but together they add up to a retail price well in excess of £500. I have won at least one prize a week since I began and, although they aren't worth a lot, it has been great fun. The prize that my husband is most pleased about me winning is an AutoGlym car valeting/detailing kit; the first job he ever had involved valeting and detailing cars and it is something that he enjoys doing. I think my favourite has been the £50 Debenhams gift card, which came with a bathrobe and bath towel, although I am sorely tempted to try the artisan G&T gift set. I have never tried gin however and I'm not sure my meds would appreciate the alcohol.

This morning we were lucky to hear someone hammering at the downstairs door, which leads up the stairs to the flats. That door is rarely locked during the daytime due to people coming and going who don't have a key - such as the delivery man. Unlike some, he did realise that the flats are actually up the stairs and chose to walk up and hammer at our door instead. It turned out to be a prize from the advent calendar competitions I had entered in December containing several make-up items such as blush, eye-shadow and nail varnish (it wasn't what I had been told to expect, but I'm certainly not complaining!)

That was the last of the prizes from December, leaving just two from last month that I am still awaiting the arrival of: a football and a bathroom goodies set. Hopefully they will be with me soon - mostly because Pete wants the football!

I have decided that I am going to carry on comping, as well as writing, drawing and having a go at painting which is something I haven't done since my Art GCSE many moons ago. Oh, I also want to learn how to sew using the machine. My hands are too shaky to sew by hand (which is going to make drawing & painting very interesting). The writing and comping are both things that I do via talk to type software on the computer; something that can also become quite entertaining given my speech issues.