It's the most wonderful time of the year... but it can also be one of the most stressful. If you have still got presents to buy let alone wrap check out my round up of unusual Christmas gifts for all the family guaranteed to produce smiles on Christmas morning.

Can you believe the school holidays are nearly over?! Remember back to mid July when the weeks seemed to stretch ahead and now here we find ourselves starting a fighting over a seat in the shoe shop and googling which lunch boxes are heat/water/yogurt proof - which may be how you found this post. Here are my top back to school essentials to ensure a smooth return to term time routine.

Little E turned 8 and Little I turned 5 last week. I kinda need to do away with the ‘Little’ now don’t I?! Perhaps just for E as I can’t cope with the thought of my baby getting big! Within the space of 6 days we celebrate the following birthdays: Both my children, my Husband, my StepDad, my Dad and my Mum. Yes. I am speaking the truth! The rest of the year feels like a holiday in comparison to that one week in February...

Requested cakes this year were ‘a brownie tower’ and ‘orange with a horse on top’. I think I nailed both and I actually got to bed before midnight so I’m winning!

Happy Birthday my beautiful girls.

Mums are pretty incredible (even if I do say so myself!). And every year, on Mother’s Day, we get the chance to thank them for all they do. However, beyond the usual cards and flowers – how can you go one step further this year?

Here are some ideas (hints for my husband…):

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The day of romance is nearly upon us. Husband and I don't make grand gestures on Valentine's Day but we do buy each other a little gift, and what better than a personal present. I have teamed up with Amazon Handmade to bring you a selection handmade Valentine's gifts perfect to hit the right note with your loved one.

It's the beginning of a new year which means time to focus on how 2019 can be an even healthier year plus review what is and isn't working in your beauty regime. I've put together a roundup of the latest New Year, New You products on the market to help make this year your best ever!

Christmas is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with a festive punch recipe. This recipe from award winning blended rum The Duppy Share has Christmas written all over it - when else do you garnish your cocktails with a cinnamon stick I ask you?

Before the kids I would regularly treat myself to some beautiful blooms from my local florist to create a stunning design for my home but these days it is hard to find the time visit a proper florist, so my flower arranging tends to stop at plonking a sub standard bunch from the supermarket into a vase. I was lucky enough to receive an early Christmas present earlier this month from flower subscription box FlowerBe who use their 20 years experience in artisan floristry to curate exquisite selections of seasonal flowers delivered to your door each both for your to arrange. Oh the joy!

Autumn and Winter are some of my favourite months because I can break out the boots, chunky knits and layer up! So when online women’s clothing retailer Simply Be challenged me to create my own perfect Winter look from their extensive ranges I was in fashion heaven.

Keeping kids moving and engaged in winter months can be a challenge as it’s very tempting to just stay indoors and keeping warm. However this can not only make the children antsy but is also a surefire way of getting cabin fever for you too! There are plenty of activities to keep the kids busy and entertained during the winter months. These activities are the best ones I’ve found to bond with your children this Winter rather than letting them just bond with the TV!