Category: Lifestyle

1. Can you really cruise with children?

   Posted on 11:27am Tuesday 20th Jan 2015

   Last year I had the pleasure of going on two mini cruises. One for my hen weekend and the other for our mini moon. Both were child free. However we have friends that cruise with their children every year and it has got me thinking about how practical and affordable it is to cruise with children?

   

   Safety

   As a paranoid mother, I always fret about the children wandering off (which they never do) but the beauty of being on a cruise ship is that whilst it may be vast, they can't actually go anywhere other than around the ship. The views on deck can be stunning but there is that little part of me that worries about them going overboard. I know that this is completely irrational and the safety briefly is compulsory, not optional for all passengers. (obviously having a nap during the safety briefing is frowned upon).

    

   Location

   You can cruise anywhere in the world but some children (and adults) have a fear of flying, so a cruise is the perfect option for a couple of days of luxury, Mediterranean cruises or a round the world trip. Just be prepared for the inevitable rocky seas through the Bay of Biscay. I *may* have done this with a hangover and was grateful for the luxury bed in our cabin to lie down on.

    

   Activities

   My girls are happiest in the swimming pool but it is good to know that cruise liners cater for the children too. It is not all about formal nights and playing bridge, they provide great entertainment and activities for the children also. It is worth noting that if you are looking to book during the school holidays, it is worthwhile doing it early. We tried to book a couple of breaks in August but the child places weren't available due to restricted numbers, which is frustrating but also good to know that they don't overbook the clubs and ratios.

   Cost

   This is the one element that parents fear. The cost of a break in the school holiday is enough to make the strongest parents quiver in their boots but the good thing about a cruise is that you have everything included. You don't need to worry about them not liking the food as there is a huge of choice in the many restaurants on board. Children do get discounted rates, so it is definitely worth exploring. 

   Personally, I loved cruising last year and would love the chance to do it again with the whole family ..... and when I say whole family, my parents want to come too!

   Would you ever consider a cruise with your children?

   

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2. A Weekend of Door Painting and Negotiating

   Posted on 10:12am Tuesday 25th Nov 2014

   I have to be honest, DIY has never been my strong point but a friend of mine had recently bought a new oak front-door from Todd Doors and fancied painting it herself. So me, and a few others, descended on her house last weekend armed with paint samples, brushes and a few bottle of wine. All the essentials, you understand. It was a hilarious day spent debating over bold colour choices and what actually does your front-door stay about you. Not only was it a great get-together with friends but at the end my friend was left with a beautiful, customised door that perfectly represented her vibrant personality. So, I thought to help those of you who are thinking of embarking on such a venture, I would summarise our friendly paint committees weekend activities. 

   The previous week, another friend had kindly zoomed around her local B&Q and collected a staggering amount of paint samples. She came, bags bulging with small test-cans, and proceeded to line them up along the wall of the front-garden. Here is where the first debate began. My friend, who had purchased the door, wanted a vibrant popping colour that would really stand out against the white exterior of her home. However, a section of those presents were convinced that these kind of statement doors often turned out more garish then grand. Moreover, there were voiced concerns about how quickly these bright colours faded and did our friend really want to spend repeated days topping up her postbox red or royal purple door after every batch of stereotypically wet British weather. The decision-making process was also slightly delayed by my friend becoming unsure if she wanted to have her shiny new door splattered with test strokes for days before she made her decision.

    

   image by  CJ Isherwood 

   This new debate raged on until someone had the bright idea of getting a spare bit of plywood from the shed and using it as a test canvas. Once this test canvas had been presented to us, we got to work. One team, the splashier decorators, got to work exhibiting some of the more bright and brash paint colours. The other, the more reserved painters, got on with creating a serene template of muted, subtle shades. Certain colours, namely a hideous burnt orange and a mind-numbingly dull beige, were quickly and universally discounted. Once these obvious disasters were avoided, we then began a prolonged discussion that slowly and steadily ruled-out various choices. The previously mentioned royal purple was sidelined when someone, rightly, pointed out that it hardly complimented the soft yellow of the hallway. The light grey option suffered a similar fate when we decided that, when combined with the white outer walls, it made everything a bit to monochrome.

   Eventually, after an hour or two, we finally settled upon a beautiful midnight blue that was reserved enough to keep with the house’s Victorian aesthetic but still had a certain unique pop to it. Moreover, it perfectly complimented the lovely silver handle and number plate that my friend had also bought. We got to work and soon we were standing back as the late-afternoon sun made the paint glisten. My friend was thrilled, not least because of a few appreciative comments thrown her way by passing neighbours, and we were already deciding who will be the next person to transform their front-door. 

   Now just to decide on this weekend's project .......

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3. Don't feel blue : Wear It! Savvy Shopping Tips

   Posted on 1:25pm Wednesday 8th Oct 2014

   We have recently talked about children's fashion must haves for Autumn but what about the grown ups? What are the on trend fashion must haves for mum?

   I have always loved fashion and being a mum doesn't mean you need to turn into a fifties housewife, unless of course that is totally your thing! Keeping one eye on the catwalk and the other on the purse strings, means that being on trend sometimes is about key items rather than a whole wardrobe for super savvy mums.

   For me, shopping online is the best way to find the most competitive prices and you can check them in seconds but I have recently found LoveSales  which is a new website and ideal for my shopping habit. It only displays sales and it can easily be personalized as you are given the option of which stores you like and then only those will appear on your sales feed. It also has a feature where you can literally add any website and it will instantly notify you when the price drops, perfect for keeping an eye on those key pieces.

   The catwalk has been awash with blue this autumn and while pink has reigned supreme in recent seasons, blue seems to have fought back on the AW14 catwalks. So while the weather maybe dismal at the moment, there is no need to feel blue - you just need to wear it! So what are the best ways to get colour into your wardrobe, without having to buy a whole new collection of clothes?

   Scarves

   I LOVE scarves, they can be fashionable, practical (and in dire emergencies, can be used to wipe a toddler's nose but I am obviously not advocating that, it was merely an observation). A scarf can add a splash of colour to any outfit!

   Jewellery

   Add a brightly coloured blue necklace, bracelet and earring set to an outfit and voila, instant colour injection and with very minimal outlay. Costume jewellery is so competitively priced now, it is a great way to change the look of an outfit in seconds.

   Shoes

   A girl can never have enough shoes. That is all.

     

   Handbag

   As above! If you get matching shoes and handbag, (especially blue or red) you can dramatise an outfit in the blink of an eye.

   Coat

   If you only buy one thing for the new season, it must be a statement coat. I *have* to have a new coat every year, much to the disgust of a certain male in the family. He doesn't understand the need for a new coat if there is nothing wrong with the old one but if I can get one at a discounted rate, it would be rude NOT to buy it wouldn't it?

    

   Is there anything you would add?

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   This is a collaborative post.