The Lockdown Birthday Cake Disaster of 2020

This is a story from a while ago, right at the start of Lockdown, on the very the first day that the schools were closed way back in March. With all the craziness that's been happening, I've only just got around to sitting down to write about it. This is the story of my son's lockdown birthday, which began with the greatest birthday gift he could have received, the closing of his school on his birthday, and went very much downhill from there. But doom and gloom have no place in a world where there are so many ways things could be worse, so read on to find out how we made the best of it all.

Home Beauty Treatments and Remedies - Tried and Tested

All the beauty treatments included in this post can be made using ingredients you probably already have in the cupboard and I've tried most of them, so I know they work. Beauty treatments are a great way to relax and enjoy some me-time and that's something we could all benefit from at the moment. I've also included some remedies for common skin complaints, which could be really handy since it's hard to shop for beauty supplies right now. There is no reason not to look your best, even if you can't go out, it might be just what you need to lift your spirits and you could even rope in other family members to join you in some of the treatments too. 

50 Fun Activities for Families in Isolation

Normal life naturally inclines us to spend some time apart from our nearest and dearest but now, in the midst of the Covid - 19 Coronavirus pandemic, we are suddenly required to spend all our time together. It's an anxious time for many and keeping busy is going to be paramount for our mental and physical wellbeing during this period of social distancing and isolation. It's not always easy to come up with ideas to amuse a whole household every day, so I've compiled a list of activities to distract and amuse in these challenging times. You could work through the list for fifty days, or just scroll down to the ones that interest you.

The Mother's Day Prize Bundle Giveaway

This Country Book Signing and More About the Show

Last weekend, Jade and I ventured into Bristol for a very exciting event. We have been fans of This Country since it first began and have really enjoyed following the characters as they've made their way through various adventures and disasters in their small village community. I was unaware that there was a book signing with the stars of the show and was amazed when Jade surprised me with tickets to attend last Sunday. It was a really enjoyable experience and I thought I would write a bit about the show, for the uninitiated, and what it was like meeting Charlie and Daisy May Cooper, who star as Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe.

Win a Philips Soundmachine for Christmas

Christmas is a lovely time of year, but can become stressful when we add up all the gifts we need to buy. Aside from the cost, there's also the task of thinking what to buy for everyone and then going shopping for everything. This competition might just take the pressure off, buy ticking one gift off your buying list. Everyone loves music, so hopefully this Philips Soundmachine will make a nice present for someone, or keep it for yourself, no judgement here!

How to Handle Difficult Relatives at Christmas

In an ideal world, relatives would be like other people, we would be surrounded by the ones we like, and not obliged to spend time with those we don't get on with. Sadly, it doesn't work like that and Christmas is probably the prime time for testing the tolerance levels of the average adult, often to Hulk-esque proportions, but you can make it easier on yourself. If family politics (or personal guilt) rule out going away for Christmas, pretending to have a highly contagious disease, or faking your own death, here are some suggestions for helping things go more smoothly when difficult relatives threaten your Christmas spirit.