A Picture Says a Thousand Words

I really want to do more with my photography. I feel the blog would benefit from better quality photos and I actually really enjoy taking them. I also need an excuse to walk more, as it's one of the best exercises for me and it's free! If you are going to walk and you don't have anyone to go with, I think it helps to have a prop. Dogs are great, but a bit of a commitment. After all, they are for life, not just for walkies. So, the next best thing is a camera. I find if I have something to focus on, I walk further without even realising and it doesn't feel like exercise.

The Toothbrush Truth with Toilettree!

I am a bit fanatical about dental health, as I am not actually a fan of the dentist, so I was very interested when Toilettree got in touch to ask if I would like to review their electric toothbrush, with (and this is the best bit, in my opinion!) a free travel electric toothbrush! How inspired is that? I hate having to switch back to a manual toothbrush for travelling and the beauty of this one is it has a cap, so you don't have to throw a wet toothbrush in your luggage, to get covered in fluff and other stuff! I was a little unsure how I would get on with a new electric toothbrush, as I have used the same brand for a long time, but I'm actually really pleased with it.

Remembering Jack: The Final Chapter

For those of you with a really good memory, you may remember how myself and my friend Lisa had a great deal of support from a lot of amazing people in order to raise £2,000 for Addenbrookes Hospital. We started the fundraising to honour the memory of Lisa's beautiful son who lived just two days. If you would like to, you can read the original story here. Lisa recently travelled to Cambridge to hand over the cheque and meet some of the wonderful staff who do such a brilliant job looking after some of the most vulnerable of the hospital's patients. There follows a short post from Lisa, who wanted an opportunity to thank everyone who made this possible, so I will leave the final word to her.

Shared Parental Leave

Shared Parental Leave is a new initiative being launched by the government in April this year. Following the birth of a baby, it allows parents a lot more flexibility to care for their new offspring together. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with. In principle. I think the idea that parents can be equally involved in the care of their child is long overdue and will go some way towards reflecting the 21st century position in this country; where it's near impossible for the average family to survive on one income and it's by no means unheard of for the woman to earn more than the man.

Win £50 Cash with Cheesestrings!!

Two things I love, one is competitions, the other is putting things in my son's lunchbox that I know he will eat. It's getting more and more complicated to organise packed lunches for school these days. There are different rules about what is considered healthy enough. Some schools will only allow products with a certain percentage of fat and sugar, others will only allow certain types of products, for example no sweets or chocolate. Now, this part I agree with. There are plenty of healthier choices, but what matters most to me is that my son eats. I worry about him getting hungry and I get really fed up sending him to school with a good lunch, then unpacking most of it when he comes home again!

A Really Easy Toastie Twist!

Fed up with unimaginative cheese on toast? Here's a way you can jazz it up, with very little cost or effort! This lunchtime recipe is super-simple to make and can be adapted to use up all kinds of left overs you may have languishing, unloved, in your fridge. It's a straight forward twist on classic Cheese on Toast. All you need to start you off is grated cheese and tomato puree, the rest is up to you! Here is how I made mine, but you can add or remove ingredients to suit your taste and budget. You can also use french bread, or pitta bread, which makes it more like a pizza.

Mothers Day Competition

I am wondering if I ought to apologise for the amount of pictures that this post is likely to contain, but I'm hoping you will love them as much as me. I was talking recently to some very good friends of mine, Lucy, from London Bird Lucy and Mellissa, from The Diary of a Jewellery Lover about the tricky business of buying gifts for Mother's Day. There are so many generic 'Mummy' type gifts, mass-produced in our stores these days, much like I illustrated in my Valentine's Day post recently, that it's hard to find something truly unique and special. So, we decided to get together and figure out a lovely giveaway, with a prize that is sure to please any Mum.