I’m going to put it out there – I’ve got a bit of an addictive personality. I kicked the nicotine habit a year and a half ago (one of my proudest accomplishments I think) but daren’t even look at my caffeine intake… I do love a good coffee. I buy green tea and peppermint tea and all of those virtuous things with the best of intentions but if you try and talk to me in the morning before my coffee don’t expect more than a glare and quite possibly a mouthful of abuse.

My addictive tendencies extend to other aspects of my life too. Like biscuits. I don’t even buy them anymore, I don’t even like to walk down that aisle in the supermarket. I’m an all or nothing kinda girl, and I can’t understand people who open the packet and savour one custard cream with their cup of tea for elevensies. If you let me loose with a pack of custard creams 10 minutes later I’d be sat there surrounded only in crumbs and a cloud of shame…

My main addiction since losing the fags though is one I’ve been nursing since I was about 6. Whenever my parents uttered those words ‘come on; we have to do the food shopping, get your coat on’, my response would always be something along the lines of ‘can I get a magazine??’

Those bright colours and their tempting freebies were just too much to resist. Who wouldn’t want a pink plastic tambourine with a comic on the side? As I got older, late primary school and early secondary, I loved Shout, Sugar and Bliss. Free nail varnishes, free combs (one of which I. Still. Own. ) free God knows what else….

[quick anecdote: once, in primary school, I was sat in the school office over lunch, not sure why, but I was reading one of my magazines (Sugar) and didn’t understand a particular word. So I did the sensible thing and asked my teacher what it meant.  My dad was called, the magazines confiscated never to be bought again until I was older and as far as I was concerned my life was ruined. All I’ll say is the word was on the problem page and it’s probably not something to say to your elderly year 5 teacher.]

Anyway! I progressed to fashion magazines and gossip magazines.  I’ve been through a phase of buying the weekly ones with the intention of winning all the competitions but never actually entering even one. I used to buy every hair magazine when I was getting a haircut. (Not now, Google image saved me on that one)

Now, I buy any magazine to do with food. Or health. Or fitness. Or weddings. All of them. They shout at to me as I try and walk past and grab me in! I can’t resist. I don’t even read them, or I do but approximately 10 months later once I’ve caught up on all the rest I’ve got. Here’s just one box I have filled with magazines I’ve bought but am yet to read…

I’ve got about 3 piles upstairs too, plus more dotted about here and there.  So there you have it. I’d love to say I’m ashamed but I’m not. I opened that box this afternoon and was filled with excitement, especially when I realised I hadn’t even opened the plastic on some of them!

So there you have it. My name is Nicola and I’m an addict.