20 Ways to Personalise a Rental Home

When my daughter was small, I lived in private rental properties for six years. During that time, three landlords wanted to change the use of the property, so I had to move, which threw up a couple of problems. When you rent privately in the UK, you quickly learn that everything you buy has to be removable, as you could have to leave with a couple of months notice. You also find out that it takes a lot of imagination to make your house a home, as landlords don't like you drilling holes or messing with the decor. Here are 20 ways to personalise your rental space, without spending a fortune or annoying the property owner when it comes time to compare landlord insurance.

Understanding the History and Basics of Reverse Mortgage

The chances of you coming across the term “reverse mortgage” may be high. However, do you knowwhat this term is and how it works? Not everyone has access to in-depth research on this subject matter. You may or may not find this area useful at the moment, depending on how close you are to retirement. Nevertheless, it is worth understanding this financial opportunity as it may come in handy for you or a close relative. A reverse mortgage is the financial safety net any retiree, who is also a homeowner, needs. 

Guest Post Collaboration with All Reverse Mortgage Inc.

17 Ideas to Help You Relax

We're fully in the swing of work and school now and it's surprising how quickly normal routines kick in and you almost forget about that weird six-month blip where the world just sort of stopped. It's hard to believe it's possible for the whole of society to just grind to a halt, but it did and now we're all trying to find our way back into some kind of normality. One thing I have really noticed since all this crazy Lockdown business started is how important relaxation is. We've been through some pretty stressful stuff, but going back to work is stressful in itself and I've found myself quickly falling into the old pattern of not fully relaxing because there are always more things I could be doing. 

Finding the Best Childcare in your Area, with Childcare.co.uk

There are certain advantages to having a ten year gap between your children and one of them is that, by the time your youngest is school age, you have a ready and (for the right price) willing, babysitter. A large age gap between children doesn't suit everyone, but it was a win-win in our family because my eldest learned skills that she then used to secure more babysitting work, which gave her an income and experience while she was still at school and I never had to find someone to watch my youngest if I needed to go out at short notice, or if my work commitments changed. 

Five Cheap Easy Meals to Teach your Child for University

 Sending your children off to University is a very strange time. As parents, it's in the job description to try to raise confident, healthy, happy people, who can make their own way in the world and be successful. Then the time comes for them to do just that and it's suddenly a bit nerve-wracking. It comes around so quick, it's easy to forget they've become adults, while we haven't been concentrating. One of the biggest concerns for parents is whether or not their offspring might starve, or become very unhealthy, due to a mix of ineptitude and laziness, so here are the five meals I taught my daughter to make before she went to university, they're cheap and easy, so will suit every budget and motivation level! 

Antique Jewellery - Why and How to Buy It

A hot topic right now is fast fashion; cheap clothes which may be a bargain but don't last very long and have to be frequently replaced. This is obviously not good for the environment, as the cast-offs often end up in landfill, but have you ever considered that the same can apply to jewellery? When I decluttered to make my office space recently, I was surprised at how much of my jewellery had quickly become tarnished and unwearable, because it was made from cheap metal. Cheap metal goes from shiny to shoddy very quickly and often has a limited lifespan. Here's how you can look for quality when you buy a piece of jewellery and how antique jewellery, such as the collections you can find at Carus Jewellery, could be the answer to sustainability. 

Creating my Small Space Home Office

I had to take a long break from 'serious' blogging, due to ill health and a certain global virus that has turned everyone's lives upside down, one way or another. In many respects, the enforced break did me good, and I've come back with a renewed determination to make the most of my little slice of the internet. So, I did something I'd been talking about for years, I set up a home office. The fun part was, I had zero available space in my little house, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. Here's how I got creative and created a quiet, comfortable working environment, without taking any space from the room layouts I already had. 

Creativity and Family Life

When you first become a parent, no one tells you how arty you suddenly have to be. For some people, this isn't necessarily a problem, but for others, the creative juices can be a little less forthcoming. One theory is that the creative side of the brain is more dominant in some people than others, which leads a proportion of us to relish creative tasks, whilst the rest run screaming for the hills at the merest glimpse of a Pritt stick. No matter how hard you try to avoid messy creative tasks, it becomes much harder once the children start school. It's not just the homework and the art projects, it's the party invites, cards for relatives and endless competitive dress-up days, to name but a few.

Little Lifts: 9 Easy Ways to Boost your Mood

I don't want to state the obvious here, but the last few months have been really tough for lots of people for all sorts of reasons. It has become harder for even the most upbeat personality to stay positive and anxiety and low mood have become a lot more common and harder to shake off. It may not be possible to do the things you normally do to make yourself feel better at the moment, so here are my favourite ways to lift a low mood, within the confines of your own home. I hope they help you too when you're feeling down and please feel free to add your own tried and tested mood lifters in the comments.

Top Tips for Choosing your Indoor Furniture

Choosing indoor furniture should be a fun and exciting activity, but for many, it can prove to be a nightmare. There are many different aspects to consider when selecting furniture, such as comfort, style, size and colour, so it's unsurprising that many rows take place around buying the perfect sofa or dining set. New furniture can completely transform a room, so it is worth taking time to get it right, but if it's not something you find easy, there is a lot you can do to make choosing furniture a more enjoyable experience.  At Rattan Garden Furniture Ltd. our design experts would like to share with you when and how to invest in indoor furniture, whether it's for dining or leisure. 

When Your Child Hates School

Not all children like going to school for a number of reasons, such as; separation anxiety, not enjoying certain lessons, not appreciating some of their teacher's methods or even just objecting to following someone else's rules! If any of those descriptions applies to your child, or even if you have one of those children who are generally fine with school and loves it once they get there, but you still have endless problems getting them to go, then this may interest you. Many children go through phases of hating school and I've put together this guide with some ideas to help if your child is reluctant to go to school, based on my own, and other parents' experiences.

Win a £100 Amazon Voucher in our Amazing Giveaway!

Everything has gone a bit bonkers since the lockdown started. Routines are up the spout, timetables are out the window and even blogging, for me at least, has had to take a back seat whilst I try to hang onto my sanity in the hellscape that is 'encouraging' a teenager to do his schoolwork. I won't call it homeschooling, because, honestly, who gets KS4 maths enough to actually teach it?! What I do know is that everyone is finding their own ways to cope and get the best out of this unusual lifestyle that we've all had to adopt. With this in mind, I've joined up with some brilliant fellow bloggers to bring you a giveaway to win a £100 Amazon voucher. Treat yourself, or someone you love and bring a smile to your day. There are lots of entries, but you can do as many or as few as you like and you might find if you've done Rafflecopter giveaways in the past, that you already follow a lot of us so it won't take as long as you think. Good luck!

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.

Novotel Bristol Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Baffling!

We've just returned from a stay at the Novotel Hotel, which is situated about ten minutes' walk from Cabot Circus in Bristol. We booked through Hotels.com and paid about £195 for two nights, which is towards the lower price end for a fairly last-minute booking in this area. This secured us a double room with a sofa bed for myself, my adult daughter and teenage son. The hotel is part of the Accor Hotels group and is described on their website as a 'mid-scale hotel for business or family trips'. We've never stayed in a Novotel hotel before and it looked very swish from the outside, so we had high expectations. How did it measure up? Read on to find out.

Win One of Five Christmas Hampers UK Blogger Giveaway

It's been a little quiet around here lately, as I have been struggling with ill-health, which you can read more about here, and also contemplating a change of direction. In the meantime, somehow, October has been and gone and Christmas is suddenly on the horizon, which seems impossible. As a thank you for all the support I've received, I have joined in with a really exciting blogger giveaway, offering a great opportunity to find other blogs you might enjoy, whilst also taking part in a giveaway to win one of five fabulous Christmas hampers, which would be a great start to the Christmas shopping!

Don't Rush to Flush #Unblocktober

It's #Unblocktober! I'm really pleased this is a thing, because it needs to be a thing. Fatbergs are gross and destructive, costing taxpayers a lot of money and many of the unflushables that are flushed down the nation's toilets cause enormous harm to our environment. Whilst researching this post, I discovered a lot I didn't know about what you shouldn't flush and I thought it might surprise you too, so here's a post all about responsible flushing and how you can make #Unblocktober a success. To join the conversation and for more information, including a downloadable resource pack, head over to the Unblocktober website. 

Cuddle Fairy and the Instagram Pirates - Protect Your Social Media

I am writing this post primarily to help a friend, but also to try to prevent anyone else suffering the same fate. Her plight has made me realise exactly how easy it is for your online content; photos, writing, whatever, to be taken and used against you and how distressing it is when this happens. It is preventable and we all need to take steps to protect ourselves so that blackmailers can't prosper. In this post I will show you how to secure your online life and also how to help support someone who lost everything she'd worked hard for at the hands of these cretins. I think it is important that she gets something back of what she lost, so that those criminals don't win.

A 13 Year Old's Party at AirHop - Review

Each year it gets harder to come up with original and fun party ideas to celebrate L's birthday. It's important to mark the occasion, but older children have different ideas about what's entertaining! This year, however, I got really lucky and won  a party at Airhop in Bristol. We were celebrating L's 13th birthday and, since it's tricky to think of party ideas for older children, I thought I would share our experience. The Extreme UV party has many fun features and this post details how it was received by our guests who ranged in age from 6 to mid-forties! Could we really find a party idea that suited everyone? And what exactly is a UV experience? 

Giving Up Sugar - After Three Weeks

I originally took on the challenge of not eating sugar for Lent, so I have about another two weeks to go. However, I intend to carry on controlling my sugar intake, as I've come to realise the negative impact excess sugar can have on the body. It hasn't been easy, though. In week 1 the headaches started and in week 2 I was hungry and confused, so I didn't really know what to expect from week 3. Now that things have settled down a bit I will be writing these updates as round ups, rather than daily entries, since there aren't as many changes to report. There have still been a few ups and downs though. This is week 3, as I try not to eat the world during my giving up sugar challenge.

The Bodyguard - Bristol Hippodrome Review

Last night we were given tickets to review The Bodyguard, starring Alexandra Burke, who we last saw in Sister Act, along with Benoit Marechal and Micha Richardson. The Bodyguard made its triumphant debut in the West End in 2014 launching Alexandra Burke's amazing theatre career and was followed by a sell-out tour in 2015 - 2016. As well as Sister Act, she has also since starred in Chess and Chicago. Benoit Marechal first starred in the French version of The Bodyguard and Micha Richardson has toured with Legally Blonde, Fame and Mamma Mia. Here's what we thought of the show.

What to Buy a Teenage Boy Gift Guide

This gift guide is entirely unsponsored and made up of all my own ideas, which I paid for myself. Not that I have anything against sponsored posts, they are a great way to discover new products and I wouldn't say I liked something if I didn't, but I feel I should get all the credit for nailing a teenager's birthday with absolutely no help, because it really isn't easy. This is by far the hardest birthday I've had to buy for so far. He gave me a list of four video games, two of which hadn't even been released yet, and that was it. I always think the trick with birthdays is to get some things they want and some things they didn't know they wanted. Here's what I bought.

Giving Up Sugar - After 2 Weeks

I'm very pleased to have got through and survived week 1 of giving up sugar for lent, but it has been a lot harder than I expected and I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps I ate a lot more sugar than I realised. So far, I have not cheated at all, despite the headaches, which I'm really pleased about, but it hasn't been easy. I'm still having small amounts of sugar in some meals, but I have stopped eating all sugary snacks and soft drinks, which has meant I've needed to really think about what I am going to eat. Week 2 has been a lot more stressful than week 1, with a lot of different challenges and this is a diary of how I coped with the side effects of giving up sugar during week 2.

Managing Chronic Pain Week 6

It's hard to believe we are so far into the course, it's gone so quickly. It's a really nice group of people and I look forward to going. I think I will miss it when it's over. Even though we don't necessarily know why the other group members suffer from pain, or what their circumstances are, it is still really helpful to be able to talk to other people in a similar situation. It really emphasises the point that pain is the same for everyone regardless of where the injury came from, or lifestyle differences. In the group, we've been talking about keeping in touch when it ends, which would be great. This week's topic was flare ups.

Everything That's Wrong with Universal Credit

I had avoided watching Skint Britain - Friends Without Benefits for some time, as I knew it would likely upset me, since the story is quite close to home. I watched a close friend struggle for years on benefits, it's still too painful for me to write about fully, since my beautiful friend eventually died from a stress-related condition, but it really brought home to me how life and death the benefits system is. It's not just a decision whether or not to hand over some money, or how long for, there's so much more to it than that. It's people's lives. So I guess this post as been a long time coming as I have a lot to say about everything that's wrong with Universal Credit.

Giving Up Sugar - After One Week

I always try to give up something for Lent. I think it's a really good opportunity to remind myself that there are people in the world who don't have things to give up, and how lucky I am to have a lifestyle where I'm able to have little treats and vices. It's usually something like chocolate, but I've been finding that giving up one treat is a bit of a cheat really, because there are plenty of other sweet treats to fill the gap, so this year, I've given up sugar. I have made it a bit easier, in that I don't count the hidden sugar in meals, but I have stopped eating any sugary treats. No cakes, biscuits, chocolate, nothing and it's been interesting. Here are the highs and lows of my first week, which was a lot harder than I expected.

Managing Chronic Pain Week 5

After waiting an hour for a bus in pretty dreadful weather the previous week, it's probably not surprising that I came down with a really horrid cold virus the next day. I know that we shouldn't blame the weather, and viruses aren't caused by standing in the freezing cold, but I'm convinced it made it worse and have been sending psychic hate messages to the bus company ever since. Anyway, the upshot of all this is, that I couldn't attend week 5 because you are can't to go if you have something gross and contagious, on account of it being a course for people with chronic conditions who could have lowered immunity. So this is a summary of week 5, Communication, from the hand outs we received afterwards.

Captain Marvel Parent's Guide

It's not that I don't like Marvel films, I do. A lot. The problem I have is that they are heavily marketed at children, with many different toys, plushies, Lego models, etc, all featuring superheroes from the Marvel franchise. Which is absolutely fine, children need heroes, positive role models to look up to, but, here's the annoying part, the films are a 12A and often feature language and scenes that not everyone would consider appropriate, even if they are the right size for the corresponding costume! So, here is another Parent's Guide, so that you can make your own mind up about Marvel's latest superhero; Captain Marvel. 

The Natural Soap Company Review and Trial

I've suffered with eczema for years and other skin conditions too, like sebhorric dermatitis, which effects the scalp. I don't want to gross anyone out, but I do want to give a bit of background as to why I decided to switch my shampoo for natural hair soap, and maybe give hope to fellow sufferers with my results. I've never officially been told what causes these conditions, but I've always felt that harsh hair products could be making it worse. This post offers a review of the products I bought from The Natural Soap Company, and how their shampoo bar helped improve my skin.

Over 50 Easy, Cheap World Book Day Costumes

It's nearly World Book Day again and if you've got more than one child, a tight budget or not a lot of free time, you may be having a little panic about this. You don't need to worry though, because this list includes every simple, cheap World Book Day costume you could think of and there's bound to be one that will suit your expectant offspring. They may not be the most elaborate costumes, but they will get you out of trouble last minute, and can be made from items you probably already own. Just pick the one that fits what you have in the cupboards. Easy! 

Managing Long Term Chronic Pain - Course Notes Week 4

Week 4 of The Pain Management course saw a few returners and a couple of absences, but I'm getting used to who everyone is, so it's much easier and more relaxed now. I was late, because the stupid bus didn't turn up, so I missed goal setting and recap from last week, which wasn't ideal, but everyone was welcoming and forgiving. I had previously warned them that the bus is hourly and not exactly reliable. Stagecoach, sort yourselves out! Anyway, this weeks theme was Sleep and, since I have a sleep disorder and already have a reputation for falling asleep in class, this should be interesting. 

Half Term on a Budget with a Teen

It's becoming more of a challenge to find things to do with my son as he gets older, but it's also becoming more important. L is nearly thirteen and as such, he likes nothing more than to while away countless hours gaming or watching YouTube, as (he tells me) is perfectly normal at his age. As anyone who's got sucked into an angry thread on Facebook or hilarious parking videos on YouTube (that last one might be just me) it is too easy to sacrifice hours to the internet. So, I vowed to take decisive action this half term and do something appealing enough to drag a teen off the sofa every day, on a budget of under £50. For the whole week. That equates to just £10 per day and this is how we did it. 

Surviving a Cold, What Worked and What Didn't!

Bugs that arrive via our children, or air-conditioned virus-circulating offices, are always at their worst in winter. If I'm going to catch one, it is usually in that depressingly bleak lull between Christmas and Spring, when everything is particularly cold and miserable. This year's offering was especially unpleasant. Flu-maggedon hit our household like a ton of snot and I can genuinely say, it is the worst cold I've ever suffered. So, by way of explanation for my blogging absence and to help anyone else who gets it, here is a run down of how I survived the onslaught, what worked and where you can definitely save your hard-earned cash.

Tom Gates Live - Theatre Review Bristol Hippodrome

We are very lucky to be able to review the stage shows at the Bristol Hippodrome on a pretty regular basis and, having different aged children, we have seen a wide variety of shows over time. Nothing piqued my curiosity quite like Tom Gates Live on Stage, though. Having read the books to my son many times when he was younger, I couldn't help wondering how Liz Pichon's unique animation style would transfer to the stage. It turned out, however, the author herself was very much involved in the production and stamped her particular style all over it with gusto! This is our review of this brand new show from Birmingham Stage Company. Tickets were gifted in return for our thoughts on this production.

Getting Help with Home Adaptions for Disability

This is a difficult subject for a lot of people, as getting any kind of help with a problem flies in the face of the British 'stiff upper lip', 'make do and mend' philosophy. This means there is often a psychological barrier to getting help, as well as a physical one, when you don't know where to start or who to approach. In this post I hope to tackle both, looking at what aids and adaptations are available and who can help you get them, as well as dealing with the emotional side of taking the step to seeking and accepting help. If you are struggling at home, but are used to soldiering on, maybe it's time to think about some simple adaptations to make life easier. 

Managing Long Term Chronic Pain - Course Notes Week 3

This was my second attendance of the Pain Management course, which was week 3 of the 8 week programme. There were a few new members who I didn't recognise, because they had attended week 1 (which I didn't go to) and skipped week 2, which I did go to, but I guess a pain management course is going to be a bit hit and miss with attendance. It is advised to try to attend all parts of the course to get the most benefit, but it is a little bit flexible as going anywhere when you suffer from pain can be a struggle, particularly when it's a set time each week. This week's theme was Problem Solving.

Growing Old Gratefully - The Anti-Ageing Debate

There have been a few social media 'challenges' recently. The 10 Year Challenge, The Puberty Challenge and The Ageing Challenge. The first is fairly self-explanatory; you post a picture of yourself now and a picture of yourself ten years ago, to see how much you've changed. In the second, you post a photo of yourself now and one from your youth, to illustrate what puberty can do in terms of features, mood and fashion sense. The third is particularly brutal; you post your first ever social media pic, and your most recent, to see how much you've aged.  These are all variations on a theme and have been interpreted very differently by those taking part.

Managing Long Term Chronic Pain - Course Notes

I have been suffering from a chronic pain condition for over 10 years now and I continue to fight it every day. I experiment with nutrition and exercise to keep the pain under control and always live in hope that one day it will go away altogether. I am an optimist. However, since seeing a rheumatologist last year, I've been informed that, medically speaking, there is nothing more that can be done and I'm stuck with it. I've now been referred to a Pain Management course and I thought maybe it would help other pain sufferers to hear what happens, so these are my notes on part one of a group therapy course designed to help sufferers cope with long term pain. 

Motown the Musical - Bristol Hippodrome Review

Last night we attended the press night for Motown the Musical at the Bristol Hippodrome, so that we could tell you all about it. And what a show! If you've been here before, you will have noticed I do enjoy a good musical, but this was probably the most musical musical I've ever seen. The cast was large and there were amazing performances of every Motown singer I could think of. The costumes were stunning and the choreography perfect, but what I was not expecting was the immersive experience that transported the audience back to an emotional and scary time of racial division and tension. 

Sensory Issues and Fussy Eating Phases - An Update

In 2014, I wrote a post about my five year old son's struggles with food, with some ideas on how to tackle a similar situation, using everything I had learnt, along with some input from other bloggers who had faced similar situations. Last year, I edited it and reposted Top Ten Tips for Sensory Issues and Fussy Eating Phases, with a few updates based on what I had subsequently learned about sensory issues. Since then, things have continued to improve, and I thought it would be good to post an update, mainly to reassure other parents that it can get better, vegetables won't always be the food of the devil and scurvy won't take hold by the time they reach secondary school.  

Veganuary Inspiration and Recipes from Great Food Bloggers

Since 2014, Veganuary has encouraged the nation to embrace Veganism and give up their meat and dairy consuming ways for the month of January. There is a world of reasons why people take up the Veganuary pledge at the start of the year. It might be because animals often suffer in the production of the foods we enjoy, it might be to ease the pressure on the environment from meat production, or even to support a New Year's resolution for a healthier lifestyle. Whatever the reason, if you have taken up the Veganuary pledge, and are already struggling for ideas, your Veganuary inspiration starts here.

Why New Year's Resolutions are So Last Year

I've been having a long think about New Year's Resolutions. So long, in fact, that this post is a day late, but more on that later. My issue with resolutions is this; if you resolve to do something that you have previously failed at, are you setting yourself up to fail? It seems that so much emphasis is placed on resolutions; ie, what you intend to get right in the new year, that that you are almost obliged to come with something you are currently dissatisfied with. But do such public declarations of intended success ever end well? Particularly if you don't first address the reason you haven't previously achieved it?

Beautifully Simple Gifts to Make with Children

Everyone loves a handmade gift, and it's a great way to get children involved with the gift giving process. Little ones don't have much concept of shopping, or choosing gifts for important relatives, so a gift they have made is something that they can personally be a part of. Two problems often arise with crafts though: they can be time consuming and surprisingly expensive. In this post I have some ideas of gifts you can make with household items that won't break the bank, take ages, or make a crazy amount of mess. If you're having a last minute panic about gifts from your children, this might just be the answer!

T'was the Night Before Christmas, a Modern Tale

This poem was my entry for a competition in 2016, where you had to modernise the poem T'was the Night Before Christmas. I didn't win, so maybe it's terrible, but it took me ages, so I thought I would republish it this year, as a reminder that there are a lot of people going without this Christmas. I thought it would be good to highlight the fact that sometimes we don't see what is right in front of us and anyone can be struggling in one way or another. So, if you get an opportunity to help someone out, or make them smile this Christmas, have a go, it might make you smile too! 

How to Help Retain Important Memories

I have never been very good at remembering things. My short term memory is diabolical, I don't just forget to do something, I can forget I even agreed to do it in the first place! I try all the usual tricks to help me remember, such as writing things down, but then I have to remember to look at what I wrote. It's a work in progress. What bothers me more, though, is my long term memory. I hate not being able to remember things we've done as a family, or details about my children's earlier years. Recently, I've been looking at ways to help me retain important memories and I thought I would share them with you.