A conversation with my mom was part of what inspired this site.

A conversation with my mom was part of what inspired this site. She told me, “When I was raising you 4 kids, I didn’t have Dr. Phil, and Dr. Dobson, Dr.Kevin Leman, or anyone. I thought kids raised themselves, and when I started having to discipline I was lost.” She was also a mom in the “Pre-Oprah” generation that didn’t realize that taking time for yourself helps make you a better mother, and wife. The other part of inspiration was one of my best friends, Shay (Shalom Cubbison). She has always been my biggest fan, and trying out her “Life Coaching” skills, she really pushed me to follow my passion to help moms feel confident that they can be, and are being, the best moms they can be. So since my husband, Ben, is a website designer, what better place to start than here?

As a teenager, and an adult, the primary jobs I have held have been daycare worker, nanny, and now full time mom of 2. I really feel that I was in training as a nanny for the job I hold now. I was able to see completely different parenting techniques, see what seemed to work and what didn’t. I am still learning, call it an on the job training. But I am thankful for the people who have helped point me in the right direction. Long before I ever became a mom, I was introduced to a parenting technique called “baby wise” or “Let the children come…” . A friend I knew had used, and taught it. So when I found out I was pregnant, after the initial “oh my God’s”, I knew I had to call Kelly. Because whatever it was she did with her son, I knew I wanted to do with mine. It was amazing! My daughter was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks. And I did it! I felt like the most awesome mom! And that feeling remained she was the best baby in the world. No one could believe how easy it was to take care of her, you knew exactly what to expect when …

… Then she began to talk, and I was lost. What I have discovered since then is to roll with the punches. I have been on an avid search of reading and trial and error to find what works for Emily, and now with my second child I realize I need a totally different approach with her. While the first few months were pretty much the same, she is beginning to talk. She is a totally different kid. What worked with Emily does not always work with Anna … each one has her own personality and temperament! And they are only 18 months and 5!

As lost as I have felt at times as a mother, I found people asking me for advice. What I discovered is that we all feel inadequate at times, we all struggle with how to be a good mom. We all want to know how to balance motherhood, being a good wife, and finding time for yourself; and understanding that all 3 are connected.

While I do not have all the answers (and never will), my desire for this site is to give support to moms coming behind me, and maybe gain something from moms ahead of me who have something to offer. Because I love being a mom. Maybe it’s the smiles and hugs, weedy flowers, and “I love you’s. Or the fact that they think you really do know it all. I think it is that I know that I am a part of the greatest miracle in the world, and that they are my greatest accomplishment.

Thanks for visiting this site, and I hope you will return to visit, and share Your story. ~Angel Cope

Angel and her husband, Ben, and two daughters, Emily and Anna, live in Powder Springs, Georgia. They attend and are very active in their church, Trinity Chapel.

How I Got My New Ipod touch, without paying for it!

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

I have wanted an Ipod for awhile now. Being able to walk or work out to music is so much more fun. So I have been telling my husband that I wanted one for our anniversary. (The one that is coming down in price because the new one (the Ipod touch) has come out.)

As we approached our anniversary, where we had plenty of money the month before, we now were not able to afford the extra expense. I told him, don’t worry about it let’s just go out and enjoy our time, no kids, no gifts.

What he, or I, didn’t know was that one of his friends which Ben was promoting a product for, was offering a new Ipod touch to the first few affiliates to sell ten of his product. On our anniversary, Ben had sold ten! He called the guy, and had it engraved… “To the love of my life, Happy Anniversary 10/5/08″. I received it today.

Just another testimony of how God provides the desires of your heart! Believe today that God wants to bless you, abundantly, exceedingly, above all you can think or ask for! I did not even ask for the latest IPOD version, with internet access, and all kinds of extras, but I got it, because God blesses abundantly, exceedingly, above all we can think or ask.

** Just another note: My sister has also had an IPOD on her wishlist. The week before my anniversary she went to her husbands company picnic. They were giving door prizes, and she prayed that God would let her win something but she wouldlove the IPOD. Guess what, she won it!

Two different stories, same gift, God is no respector of persons only that you ask and you shall receive!

The definition of rich is not about how much money is in the bank account, but having what you need and desire when you need and desire it.

"Pokemon Go": 5 stories already unavoidable that will repeat

"Pokemon Go" keeps on talking to him. In just a few days, this game for smartphones has sparked dozens of news items, which should further multiply on the Web.

Since July 7, the world sees individuals walk, head deflected to their mobile phone. They are the hunters of Pokémon, who track the mythical creatures in parks, near rivers, and in the streets, or to remote locations via the mobile game "Pokemon Go." Faced with the exponential number of players who wish at all costs become the best trainer, many stories begin to proliferate on the web.

Dismissed for trying to play Pokemon Go

An Australian working in Singapore was fired by his company on July 11 after a rant on social networks against the absence of the game in the country. Hired as a consultant for one week by real estate website 99.co Sonny Truyen complained on his Facebook account will not find in this "p ... countries" this very popular video game, tells "Mahable " .

His comments provoked strong reactions in Singapore, where many foreigners have already lost their jobs for posting on social networks deemed derogatory comments from people in the Asian archipelago. The site boss, Darius Cheung, who dismissed Mr. Truyen and apologized for the behavior of the Australian, Singaporean called his countrymen in a blog to stop spreading messages of hatred and division, following of the incident. "It was a dirty trick on my part and a great error of judgment that label negatively entire country about Pokémon. It was very wrong of me to rage in this way, "said the Australian.

A man sees his house turn into Pokémon arena

In the game, since that is level 5, it is possible to go fight other trainers in dedicated arenas. These are mainly found in public places such as parks, monuments and railway stations for example. However, Niantic developed algorithm is not perfect. Boon Sheridan, an American owner of a deconsecrated church in Holyoke (Massachusetts), has understood. His housing was inadvertently identified as such by the publisher of the game.

On Twitter, he said humorously: "I just realized that all people and cars passing by, that linger and leave that could easily suggest that this place is like a drug dealer's house. I officially stopped counting after more than 30 people and so many cars are stopped for a few minutes. "

A woman looks for Pokémon she comes across a corpse

To inflate its inventory of Pokémon (called "Pokédex" in the game) and find virtual creatures like water, Shayla Wiggins, an American originally from the State of Wyoming, decided to go to the river the day before Riverton working. Unfortunately, badaude 19 years made ​​an unexpected discovery July 8: that of a corpse lying on the ground. "I do not know what to do," she expressed to local news site KCWY13 adding: "I was really scared, I told myself -Do I call 911. So I contacted them and they told me to stay on the road waiting for an officer. "

This macabre discovery did not prevent the US to return this place. "Yes, it may be that I go to capture a water-type Pokémon. I'll try, "she further said.

Thugs use Pokémon Go to extort money from people

Team Rocket is real. A O'Fallen, Missouri (USA), a group of armed robbers used the game to attract people and strip them July 11, reports the "Guardian" . "The thugs were able to find the whereabouts of their victims and determine if they were isolated," it said.

With the GPS system, four young people aged 16 to 18 years have indeed been trapped for their players steal money. They used assembly areas (called "Pokéstop" in the game) to anticipate the arrival of the players.

Two players dropped from a cliff

Like the selfie, hunting Pokémon can be dangerous or fatal. On July 14, in San Diego County, two men in their twenties were near death. "A man fell from 22 to 30 meters. When firefighters have rescued, they found the unconscious second 15 meters down, "says the fire chief of the city of Encinitas Robbie Ford, quoted by the" Los Angles Times " .

According to the US daily, the men crossed a security fence to "try to capture the characters." "I think people need to realize that this is a game. It is not worth your life," said the fireman. Both players were taken to the hospital and suffer from "moderate" injuries.

I’ve slept with 900 men – so what?

Victoria Betteridge, an Oxford graduate, is a woman who knows exactly what she wants. Sex – and lots of it. Be afraid, guys...

 As Victoria Betteridge takes a final drag of her cigarette, she stretches in bed and rolls over to examine the man lying next to her. He's not really her type, but she doesn't care - the sex was worth it.

The sheets are twisted around him from their energetic session the night before and their clothes lie strewn over the carpet. Victoria climbs out of bed and prods him with her finger. It's time for him to leave. When he offers to take her number, she shrugs and tells him there's no need. Last night was no-strings sex. She doesn't want to see him again.

He's just another one-night stand to join the hundreds of others. Victoria, a 28-year-old Oxford graduate, confesses she's slept with 900 men in nine years... Yes, really.

"People presume I've been promiscuous from day one, but that couldn't be further from the truth," says Victoria defiantly.

In fact, the PA from Hertfordshire had a very sheltered upbringing. Her parents are devout Catholics. An only child, she was sent to a private girls' boarding school.

Need to Escape the Cold? Make Tracks to Turks & Caicos!

This has been the coldest, longest, snowiest and most depressing winter I can recall. And as a sixth-generation Canadian living in one of the coldest places in the country, I’ve seen more than my share. So when the opportunity came up to come out of hibernation for a few days by hopping a plane to glorious Grace Bay Beach on the Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales (locally known as “Provo” ) I couldn’t  pack fast enough!

Grace Bay Beach

When I first looked at photos online I thought they  must be retouched as the beach looks just too perfect. But I’d also heard from some of my travel writing colleagues that Grace Bay ranked among their top five on the planet. So it was with an open mind I anticipated pure paradise. I wasn’t disappointed. It truly is postcard perfect.

The Somerset at Grace Bay

The Somerset at Grace Bay

Activities at The Somerset

This was to be a short trip, not one bent on exploring every inch of a new destination, but more of a rest, recharge and thaw-out sojourn. SoThe Somerset at Grace Baywas just what the doctor ordered. It’s a small  five-star luxury boutique  hotel with  all-suite condo style accommodations ranging from one-bedroom garden view to split level three bedroom and penthouse affairs. All rooms are all fully equipped with everything one would  need to live in them: washers dryers,well-stocked kitchen appliances and dishes, whirlpool baths, multiple bathrooms, and beautifully appointed living areas sprawling onto ultra large balconies.  My one bedroom suite was  humongous, yet it never felt empty due to  the smart and homey design. But though the accommodations are first-rate, the real star at this resort  is the beachfront infinity and endless pool area. It’s stunning.  And of course, then there’s the beach!

During my stay, dining was confined to the pool terrace  restaurantLunaSea and a special Beach BBQ as they were mid-construction of a brand spanking new uber classy dining spot.  The new multi-level  restaurant  is now open;  it’s called  Pavilion at the Somerset run by Executive Chef Eric Vernice, and offers a broad range of fusion and Caribbean cuisines. And it’ s also complemented by a  new classy cocktail bar on-site called The Pearl.

Surf-side Pleasures

The Somerset at Grace Bay

Grace Bay beach offers 12 magnificent miles of stellar soft sand and gentle surf, and the activities right in front of the resort include hobie cat sailing, paddle board lessons, sea kayaking and sunset yoga.  And I enjoyed them all. But I also really enjoy snorkeling, so I had to make side trip for that. The resort will lend you the equipment, then you take an about a 25-minute walk down the beach to find a perfect public snorkel spot called Bight Reef. It’s a protected coral garden right off shore beginning in very shallow water where you can easily spot scads of huge parrot fish and all kinds of colorful sea creatures. It’s ideal for little ones and novice snorkelers, and the water is crystal clear and the coral vibrant and healthy.

Bight Reef

Other Pleasurable Pastimes…

Though I found it really tough to tear myself away from that prime beachfront playground, I did manage to take a complimentary coaster bike into the modern little touristy town five minutes away for a little off-resort exploration. There are cute little shops and  bars, ( do try Lemon Cafe for exquisite coffees ) and it’s worth a look to buy some nifty souvenirs like Bambarra Rums- excellent local spirits that come in different blends and flavors.

Bambarra Rums

If you have more time, then a day trip out to the famous Conch Farm or an island tour  by land or sea are also great options. But if not, just enjoy. Beaches this alluring  are difficult to come by. And the polar vortex will fast become just a distant memory.

Panama City – Urban, Historic and Rural Dimensions

Panama is a small nation with a capital that offers an astounding cross-section of cultural and historic experience: from the colonial legacy of its old quarter to a newly energized modern city, to the legacy and continued expansion of the Canal to the easily accessible countryside just beyond.  While all these different routes to exploring within and beyond this vibrant city depends on a visitor’s own interests and time, some of these options to experience past and present certainly belong on any must-do list.

New capital skyline from the old quarter (credit: Hal Peat)

The Modern Capital – Energetic, Relaxed, Innovative

Many leisure travelers arriving into Panama stay over in the capital first, while business travelers also find it useful to stay on for leisure exploration and activity.  The financial district is home to ever-expanding hotel accommodation along with a range of museums, activities and international annual events.   To handle the growth, the city is already well-positioned with a range of event facilities, notable among these and at the city center facing the ocean is the state-of-the-art Atlapa Convention Center, with extensive exhibit space and meeting facilities for up to 5,000 visitors.  The Center’s theater is also host to a wide variety of cultural events over the course of the year.  In recent times, the main Tocumen International airport has undergone major expansion  and there are plans to add more terminal structure – all to accommodate the growing number of international air carriers desiring routes to Panama from points beyond the Americas.

Also reflecting the increase in leisure interests is the broad range of annual events that nowadays fill the urban calendar.  In 2013, the city hosted a world-class outdoor multi-sports event around the capital and its waterfront with its first-time hosting of the Ironman Panama - which promises to become a favorite for athletic-minded travelers who are open to multi-sport in a tropical urban landscape.   Anything sports-oriented – from indoor to outdoor events – is now well within the ability of this city to host and stage:  witness also the Challenger Visit Panama Cup 2013, only the second All Tennis Pro event to be held in the country.  In the cultural arena, the city has become a favored destination also for lovers of music, food and the arts – the Panama Jazz Festival, for instance, has become an event drawing jazz lovers and artists from across the continent and beyond for several days each January.

Past and present harmonize well around the plazas of the Casco Viejo (credit: Hal Peat)

The Old Quarter (Casco Viejo) – History Amidst Renewal

A distinctive colonial neighborhood with a monuments, museums, churches and historic buildings that date back to the early Spanish presence, the Casco Viejo has seen a resurgence in recent decades thanks to its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Observing how the old and new have come together in a transformed life can be done by taking a walking tour around the avenues and squares  of this quarter.  It retains its distinct character in large part due to being situated on a peninsula adjacent but apart from the modern capital, and along with being home to a fascinating assortment of historic and cultural landmarks, this is also a place to indulge in some fine dining, entertainment and even base yourself at one of its restored boutique hotels.

Along with crowded streets, Casco Viejo is experiencing wide renovation, so doing any exploration on foot here is the most efficient way to move between points of interest.  An ideal point from which to begin any visit is near the southern end of the district along the promenade of the Paseo Las Bovedas (Promenade of the Vaults).  This secure location was a significant reason in moving Panama’s capital here in 1673 after the original Old City was sacked by the pirate Henry Morgan.  That fortified aspect is visible as you stroll this broad walkway curving above a massive stone defensive wall.  The military origins of this elevated promenade are softened by the presence of the occasional rambling bougainvillea and small stands of native Kuna handcrafts.  Also found here is the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (National Institute of Culture; Plaza de Francia) – which houses an art gallery on its upper floor.

A series of main avenues you will quickly find on any map of the district will also take you along some of the main squares noteworthy for their historic churches, museums or other colonial era legacy.  At the very heart of the Casco, for instance, it seems appropriate to come across the Plaza de Independencia (Independence Square), commemorating Panama’s declaration of independence from Colombia in 1903. Also memorialized nearby at the Parque Bolivar is that central figure of Latin American independence.  The revolutionary icon met in a school building on one side of this square in 1826 while trying to unite the former Spanish colonies into a Greater Colombia.  Then, west of the Iglesia de San Jose is the Parque Herrera (Avenida A), where much of the daily activity comes from the diligent street vendors selling anything from lottery tickets to Kuna native indian crafts.  Savor the historic and the contemporary during a  day or two of navigating your way through this vibrant and engaging quarter of preserved, restored and renewed structures that come together with boutique hotels and small fine restaurants featuring cuisine from Panama and beyond.

Wall photo art at Miraflores Visitors Center celebrates the Canal’s builders (credit: Hal Peat)

Countryside and Canal – Natural and Man-Made Dimensions

 Also well worth viewing for its significance in Panama’s past and future is the Panama Canal itself, just a short drive from the capital.  This phenomenon of engineering and human determination can best be observed at the Miraflores locks, where the Canal’s locks mechanism and the quiet but majestic passing of gigantic vessels are on display from the terraces of the multi-storyMiraflores Visitors Center.  Even here, the continuing surge into the future is visible – as the Canal is being widened to accommodate larger vessels and a higher volume of traffic through its waterway.

Finally, and only a little further in distance to explore for a day, take a journey into the lives of the Embera Indian tribe, one of the seven living Indian cultures of the country.  Their authentic village is located near the base of the Chagres River which you can navigate enroute in dugout canoes with expert tour operators such as Rainforest Adventures by Panama Excursions, who not only took us into this timeless side of a small nation but also to other high points within or close to Panama City including the Casco Viejo, the ruins of old Panama City (Panama Vieja) and the Panama Canal.  Today’s Embera Indians maintain much of their traditional way of life on their lands along the Chagre, including growing their own agricultural produce and creating the artisanal crafts for which they are renowned throughout the region.

My life of terror with cop killer

Bieber's ex-lover tells her story

THE former live-in-lover of cop killer David Bieber today relives the terrifying day the crazed monster sent a hitman to gun her down.

American beauty Michelle Stanforth—the person who knows him best—miraculously survived a hail of bullets after making the near deadly mistake of dumping the steroid-pumping bodybuilder.

And as she recovered from her ordeal she chillingly discovered her FATHER was also on Bieber's death list—because he dared to help move her possessions out of the fiend's flat.

"David is crazy—the vilest man on earth. When he can't get his own way, he is pure evil," said the blonde, who moved states after the attempt on her life.

"He killed that policeman —and he ordered my murder just because I was the first girl to break up with him. He deserves nothing less than the death penalty."

Today Michelle speaks for the first time of her life of hell with the ex-US marine— caged last week for the murder of British PC Ian Broadhurst .

She tells how the gentle giant she fell for revealed himself as a dangerous, obsessive nut who:

TURNED into such a control freak he strapped a pager to her waist so he always knew where she was.

FLEW into screaming, steroid-fuelled rages if she tried to wear anything remotely revealing.

BANNED her from seeing her family, going out with her friends or even talking to other men.

DOWNED cocktail after cocktail of illegal steriods as he strove for the perfect body—even though they made him become a paranoid, ranting monster. Michelle, 30, finally walked out on him when she caught him in bed with female bodybuilder Danielle LaBelle—whose own boyfriend was destined to become the first on jealous Bieber's hit list to die.

After unsuccessfully pleading for forgiveness, Bieber turned nasty—following Michelle to work in Fort Myers, Florida.

He burst into her office, grabbing hold of her and screaming: "Girls don't break up with me. I break up with them! You f****d up now, bitch. You'll be sorry."

Frightened staff called police who arrested him. He was given a restraining order to keep him away from terrified Michelle.

But his final words to her were to come back to haunt her one bright sunny morning in August 1995, nine months after their break-up.

"I was loading up my car outside my new apartment ready for work," says Michelle. "I remember seeing this skinny young guy in the parking lot, kind of sneaking between the cars-but thought nothing more about him.

"Then suddenly he was just in front of me. His hand went inside his shirt and he pulled out a gun. He took aim and started firing.

"I had been half in the car when the first shot went off and, then, as I hit the ground, two more shots whizzed past me. Bam, bam, bam. I'll never forget those sounds.

"I was absolutely petrified, panicking like crazy, unable to even breathe, and scrambling around on my belly trying to work out where the shooter was going next.

"My mind was racing. I remember thinking: ‘This is it, I'm going to die'. Even though he missed me, I figured he would just walk around the car and finish the job off.

"I stayed on the ground, screaming at the top of my voice, waiting for it. Then I heard him running away. I darted into my car and just took off. I can't remember calling the cops. I remember my dad showing up at the police HQ and just hugging him.

"I didn't immediately think, ‘This is David's doing'. But it was soon afterwards that I put him in the picture."

And Michelle was to be proved right. A month later 17-year-old David Snipes was arrested for the contract killing of Markus Mueller—the boyfriend of Bieber's lover Danielle—in February 1995.

Snipes confessed to shooting Mueller and to the attempt on Michelle's life—and revealed that the mastermind in both cases was Bieber. "He told the cops that I was too pretty to kill," says Michelle. "I guess that saved my life."

Snipes also confessed that Bieber had instructed him to kill Michelle's father too—but the hit had been a problem because her dad's job meant he worked different hours from day to day and didn't have a set routine.

The teenage hitman was sentenced to death in the electric chair—later commuted to life imprisonment. But Bieber fled Florida before he could be arrested and was considered so dangerous he was put on America's Most Wanted list. He eventually headed for Britain under a false identity.

Michelle—now married with two children—had no idea of the nightmare in store for her when she first met Bieber, then working as a personal trainer at a gym and taking part in bodybuilding contests.

"I loved him—he was my dream guy. And he told me he loved me and called me his baby," she says. "There was absolutely no hint of the beast within—not even in the bedroom. David wasn't into rough or kinky sex. He never tried to dominate me in bed. He was a gentle lover.

"Although I knew he was taking steroids, it never seemed to have any effect on our love life. I never noticed him having shrunken testicles, which is a common side-effect. Everything in that department was normal."

But within a month of living together, Bieber turned into a jealous and controlling lover.

"He gave me a pager and told me I had to strap it to me and wear it at all times so that he could contact me whenever he needed to," she says. "At first I thought it was because he loved me so much. But he would be bleeping and bleeping me, telling me to come home— especially when I was visiting my family. It was freaky."

Then Bieber started trying to control what she wore. "If I arranged a night out with my girlfriends, he would follow me round as I was getting ready, telling me what I could or couldn't wear.

"If he didn't like the dress I had on, he'd scream that I was going against him and looking for someone else. Once he threw a bottle at me that smashed against the wall.

"Then David actually started banning me from going out. He would tell me there were guys out there just wanting one thing.

"He seemed to want to turn me into some sort of trophy girlfriend he could control." As Bieber's behaviour became more bizarre, Michelle became more and more concerned about his steroid abuse.

"David was already using them when I met him—but it was only much later I discovered he was illegally importing them," she says. "There were steroids all over our apartment.

"Every morning David would mix up weird cocktails with protein shakes, steroids, insulin and ephedrine and wash them down with coffee. He would inject himself with them too. He was a virtual pincushion!

"As a result, he would have the most severe anxiety attacks He'd start sweating heavily, pacing up and down the room. He would complain that he couldn't breathe and that his heart was pounding. I used to beg him to stop messing with his body—but his vanity was the most important thing to him. He'd spend all his time in front of the mirror, posing in a thong. He'd always be flexing his muscles. And he'd spend 30 minutes every morning doing his hair."

The end for Michelle came when she arrived home to find him with Danielle. "She was lying there in our bed looking really slutty—I knew it was over," she says.

"I left the apartment and my dad came to move the rest of my stuff out while David sat on the couch glaring at him. Later he turned up at the doctor's practice where I worked.

"He was very abusive and aggressive and he grappled with me as I tried to pick up the phone to dial 911. The police were called. I was so frightened of him I got a restraint order against him." Barely three months after Michelle dumped him, Bieber married Danielle, who was still secretly seeing her lover, Markus Mueller.

The day after she tied the knot, Danielle realised she had made a terrible mistake, left Bieber and ran back to Mueller. Six days later Mueller was shot dead.

"When I heard Markus was dead, I instinctively knew David had something to do with it," says Michelle.

Nine days after the murder, Bieber broke his restraining order and went to see Michelle at her parents' house. "He was stood outside. I was completely terrified. The police turned up and took him away. They told me he didn't have a gun—but it made no difference. Later he just sent someone else to kill me instead."

Michelle admits to being relieved when Bieber went on the run— but devastated when news broke that he had murdered British PC Broadhurst in cold blood.

"It brought everything back—I feel so sorry for the policeman's family," says Michelle. "But now at least he's behind bars where he belongs.

"I will never get over the horror of having a hitman firing bullets at me. I live with the nightmare every day—and will for the rest of my life."

While we shiver in Britain the stars are splashing out in the sun

SHE may have left The Street, but you can't take the Cor out of an ex-Corrie babe...

Here's TV beauty Angela Lonsdale battling an almighty swell—and losing half her top mast.

Angela, who played Curly Watts' wife Emma in the ITV soap, got into trouble as she frolicked in the Caribbean with fiancé Perry Fenwick, better known as EastEnders' Billy Mitchell.

One onlooker told us: "No one was too upset about seeing Angela pop out of her bikini. She has curves any woman would be proud of.

"When she realised what had happened she looked embarrassed. But Perry gave her a kiss and they had a laugh." Angela accidentally made waves during a Christmas Barbados getaway.

At least we know Perry won't be lost for something to hang his baubles on!

Suranna's stocking filler

CORRIE beauty Suranne Jones landed her best Christmas present ever yesterday—a £750,000 deal to launch her into big-time drama.

The stunner—set to leave her soap role as feisty factory lass Karen McDonald—tied up the glittering contract with Granada bosses anxious to keep her with the network.

They've promised to turn 25-year-old Suranne into the new Sarah Lancashire—another former Street favourite who carved out a career away from Weatherfield.

Lead

Scriptwriters are pencilling in the busty actress as a potential lead in no less than EIGHTdramas.

A Granada insider said: "Suranne was brilliant as Karen McDonald. We were devastated when she wanted to leave Coronation Street.

"But she wants to stay with ITV so we've been working on projects that will suit her."

Suranne flies home today from a break in Sydney with her on-and-off lover Jonathan Wrather—who played Joe Carter in Corrie. She will begin work on her first drama in January.

The brunette is set to leave the soap today. After Steve tells Karen it's over she walks out in a fit of depression.

But there's nothing depressing about Suranne's future. "The deal they offered me was too good to turn down," she said. "I'm staying with ITV and it's all good."

EXCLUSIVE: New Year's Honours

Oar-rise Sir Matt

AWESOME oarsman Matthew Pinsent will receive a knighthood in the New Year Honours List, theNews of the World can exclusively reveal.

The four-times Olympic champion, who retired from rowing in November, heads a host of athletes in line for gongs for their heroics at last summer's Olympic Games in Greece.

Track queen Kelly Holmes is tipped to pick up a CBE and Britain's winning 4x100m men's relay team will also be honoured.

The announcement caps a triumphant year for Matthew, 34, who led his boat to glorious victory in a thrilling coxless fours final in Athens.

The old Etonian broke down in tears (right) on the winners' rostrum after beating Canada into second place.

He said then: "I wasn't crying before I crossed the line—that all starts once the race is over. You'd think these things would get easier fourth time around—but they never do."

The 6ft 5ins rower was first made an MBE in 1993 and upgraded to a CBE in 2000 after he won his third Olympic gold. Now, he has swapped his oar for a microphone as he continues with his TV and radio commitments.

He is also involved in London's 2012 Olympic bid. His team-mates from the Athens Games—James Cracknell, Steve Williams and Ed Coode—will also receive rewards.

As Matthew celebrates his award, double gold medallist Kelly Holmes will also be cheering the end of an amazing year. In Athens she stunned the world with wins in the 800m and 1500m finals and, just a fortnight ago she beat Matthew to scoop the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

Kelly, 34, is expected to be upgraded from an MBE to a CBE—but insiders say she may even be in the running to become a DAME.

In an exclusive interview with the News of the World two weeks ago, Kelly revealed: "Any honour from the Queen would be just wonderful.

"But for a girl like me, who was brought up in a humble council house, to be made Dame Kelly Holmes would be amazing.

"I've heard people say it could happen in the New Year Honours and just thought, ‘Oh my God'."

The former army sergeant added: "I got an MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace, but that was for services to the British Army. I've never been honoured as an athlete."

It's not just Britain's sporting heroes up for awards.

Prime Minister Tony Blair will also court controversy by rewarding civil servants, diplomats and business leaders for their work in Iraq.

More than 50 awards are to be given to those who have spent the past year working in Iraq, rebuilding parts of the southern sector of the country controlled by British forces.

Sir David Omand, the national security co-ordinator responsible for overseeing the intelligence services, is understood to be in line for a reward. Jane Marriott—who was at the centre of government assessments about Saddam's arsenal as head of the Foreign Office's nuclear proliferation department—is another.

On the domestic front, retiring head of the Metropolitan Police Service Sir John Stevens is expected to receive a seat in the House of Lords after he leaves his job early in the New Year.

How to make a man go Corr

Soap beauties star in new video

THESE three fit Corrie babes are acting all trim and proper—as the stars of a sexy new workout video.

Nikki Sanderson, Tina O'Brien and Lucy-Jo Hudson reveal the secret of their fabulous figures, and how the rest of us can look the part too, in Coronation Street—Funk Fit.

In the hour-long DVD and vid, which hits the shops tomorrow, the girls, who play Candice Stowe, Sarah Platt and Katy Harris, team up with Troy the trainer, who puts them through their paces with a series of funky dance routines.

Nikki, 20, said: "We had great fun filming, but it was hard work."

Lucy-Jo, 21, added: "We had to do the routine time and again to get it perfect, so I was shattered." Tina, 22, admitted she's a member of a gym—but never actually goes.

"I can't motivate myself," she said. "It seems like such a hassle after a long day at work.

"That's why we thought this video would be good. People can work out in their own homes without having to drag themselves off to a gym."

Toned

All the girls say they love exercising and all aim to improve one part of their bodies.

Nikki wants to firm up the tops of her legs and her bottom. Lucy-Jo said: "I want a six pack."

And Tina? "I want a toned belly and better posture," she said.

Soap fans reckon they're a fine body of women already.