Humans and fire have a relationship going back beyond most people’s comprehension. This love affair has not always been a good one, fire has lifted the human race out of early foraging, but it has also killed millions and been largely taken for granted somewhere in between. But in saying all that having a real fire in our homes is something most people seem to desire. Whether it’s a visit to a friends house who has a fire blazing on a cold winters day, perhaps a holiday cottage stay or just an innate wish to have a fire the drive is there for a lot of people.

However, it is not as simple as just “getting a fire” and this is often what stops people going through with it. Surrey Fireplace experts Wakefords in Woking  said “the popularity of fires and burners just goes up and up but with it come the pitfalls of getting the wrong fire and many other issues.”   Costs, where to put it, chimneys, types of fires, surrounds and wood storage are all factors that need to be considered so here are some top tips on how to choose a fire and what the reality of having one is like.

With all the shopping, never ending to-do lists and general festive chaos it can be easy to overlook your over half over the Christmas season. Here's my run down of the best Christmas gifts for couples to ensure some quality time together and bit of romance under the mistletoe.

Hen Parties are changing - whoop whoop! Thankfully we are no longer stuck with the choice of a night in an awful club wearing L plates or a pretty boring girls pamper night in. The choices for activities and the expectation of a bit of quality mean things are certainly much more appealing to the hens and the guests. But one thing activity seems to be out competing them all and it is, in it’s own way, somewhat traditional and that’s Hen Party Life Drawing. But what is it all about and is it any good?

As we creep towards December Christmas shopping is in full swing! Today I'm featuring my top picks for kids Christmas gifts which are a little unusual and will ensure excitement and smiles on Christmas Day (even from the teenagers).

Despite November being a super manic month so far we are watching some awesome TV, to the point where Husband and I actually decided we are watching to much and have designated Tuesday night Games Night! Here's a round up of what I'm watching this month...

Let’s Talk About Dying. No? Well no one would blame you. Very few people want to talk about dying and even less are able to do so with any kind of cheer. But, it really should be something we talk about. People love to talk about inevitable things like tax, weather, illness, traffic, work and so on but yet when it comes to the single most guaranteed thing in life we clam up.

There is, of course a reason for this and that is because it is sad, scary and a whole host of others things as well as being a bit impolite in some situations. The irony of it all is by talking about it less we actually make it all worse. If we were more open about it we can avoid some of the more negative aspects of dying.

Last we I featured my Christmas Gift Guide for Men and this week it's the turn of the Girls! I've collated and tested some of the best, reasonably priced gifts available online and on the high street. So read on for a round up of Christmas gifts I'd love to find in my stocking this year.

Nothing gets a party started like a big bowl of delicious rum punch! I've teamed up with The Duppy Share, an award-winning blend of two complementary Caribbean rums and aged in oak bourbon casks, to bring you some festive rum punch recipes in the lead up to Christmas celebration. Mix up a bowl before people arrive then relax and enjoy a drop of punch with your guests.

We begin with the zesty Duppy St Clements which couldn't be easier to make:

Christmas is in the air and I've scoured the internet to compile some of my favourite gifts ideas to make your loved ones simile this Christmas without breaking your bank. First up we have gifts for the men.

Ah, Christmas. It’s a wonderful time of year, as long as you don’t look at your bank account. It’s hard to experience the same joy we felt as children during the festive season because there’s so much planning and spending to be done at this time of year. But Christmas doesn’t need to be a financial burden. Here’s how to save money during the festive season so that your budget feels bigger.