It's quite likely you have heard of Steig Larsson's Millennium series and his anarchic anti-hero Lisbeth Salander, the originalz Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Sadly Larsson died before a single word of his 80 million copy selling trilogy had been published. After a long drawn out legal battle between Larsson's family and long term partner for control of his literary estate, a new Millennium book was published 11 years after his death - but it isn't the continuation of the series Larsson had planned and has been heavily criticized by his partner.

So what do I make of this 4th novel? Is it a welcome addition to the Millennium Story or would it have been better to allow the series to die with Steig?

Are you raising a future environmental steward? While you may value measures that seek to preserve this wonderful planet, it is essential to begin teaching your children those same values early on. Even though issues of recycling, global warming, and pollution can seem like complex topics to explain to your little ones, there are easy ways to help them understand the importance of taking care of the environment. You can also empower them with ways to actively learn about and work toward a better future for the planet. Not sure where to get started? Discover three ways to help your children become environmental stewards as they get older.

March was a very social one. It kicked off with a huge dump of snow on World Book Day. Then we struggled to Birmingham for My Mum's hen weekend. We celebrated the world's first Auntie's Day with my Besties and their kiddies but then Mother's Day was cancelled due a poorly Little I and in turn a poorly me! Then we celebrated my Gran's 80th with yet more snow. Nieces and Nephews visited and we enjoyed the run up to Easter. Phew. Bring on April and the wedding!

It’s safe to say most of us could do with more hours in the day. Sometimes, it feels as though finding time to shower is a struggle, let alone tackling all the other things you need to do around the house. And, let’s be honest; there are a lot of other things higher up the to-do list than decorating. Spending time with your kids is, of course, a priority. Then, there are tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and making time for your partner. And the list goes on!

It’s no wonder, then, that many of us struggle to consider our home decoration. In fact, for some busy families, this is a task which forever falls off the radar. It isn’t unusual to simply stick to the decor which was in place when you moved in. After all, it does the job, right?

Of course, it does. But, feeling at home is essential, and you might struggle to do that with someone else's decor choices. Instead, it’s time to take control of time. Or, at least find a way to fit decoration into your life. Lucky for you, that may not be as difficult as you’re expecting. All you need to do is find ways to minimise or manage the workload. And, I've got a few suggestions which could help you do it.

The title of this blog post is a little deceiving because, while we may regard small acts of charity as ‘little’, to someone else they can have a big effect. It doesn’t take much to show a little solidarity in our day-to-day life and, if we all did, our children would find the world in a much better place than it is now.

From small acts of kindness to going all out to raise money for charity, there really is so much more all of us can do. Here, we have listed just some of the things that you can do today that can make life for  someone else that much better.

Despite March being the month we knuckle down to fit into our outfits for my Mum's wedding we still aren't doing very well! We stuck to last week's meal plan quite well but my Gran's 80th Birthday on Sunday scuppered things as did a cheeky spontaneous visit to Bella Italia on Sunday... But we are back on track this week and determined to stick to healthy eating 100%. Here's my meal plan for the week (all Slimming World friendly)

Busy mums need a little me time and this fantastic Me Time Box from Baby2Body is designed with just that in mind. These carefully chosen products help you relax, unwind, and take care of yourself. Because mama deserves to look good and feel amazing every single day. I have two boxes to give away to one lucky winner - one for you and one to give to a friend!

Last year I read the scariest book I have ever encountered: Behind Closed Doors by B.A.Paris. This was some feat as I've been reading the psychological thriller and horror genres for over 25 years and honestly believed I was immune! No wonder it has sold over 1million copies in 37 countries around the world. I couldn't wait to meet the author of my nightmares at the book signing of B.A. Paris' latest thriller Bring Me Back at Waterstones in Farnham last week and I'm intrigued to find out if it packs the same fearsome punch as Behind Closed Doors.

Well, last week's meal plan started well but a stomach bug put the brakes on our weekend plans and made Mother's Day a bit of a wash out. I'm still not feeling human but I've bravely planned this weeks menu to make sure we eat healthily after our illness.

I would love to say we had a fantastic Mother's Day filled with smiles and fun. Unfortunately Little I caught a tummy bug which she naturally passed onto me so the weekend was a complete washout! I hope somewhere there are some violins playing...

Luckily I had spent Friday with my Besties having the first inaugural 'Aunties' Day' and Friday night at the new B.A Paris thriller book launch with my Mum. So I already felt I'd celebrated, just a shame my girls didn't get to pamper me for the day! They'll have to make up for it next year. Here's a shot with my lovely Mummy at the book launch on Friday night.