It has come to that time of the year!

Whether you love or loath Christmas I’m here to make it easier. Personally I am a lover however one thing I do loath is buying a present for the sake of buying a present. When you run out of time and you know that the gift is just ok, or costs way more than you think it should but your choices are pay up or go without. I once did Christmas Eve on Oxford street… never again!

I have put together a selection of unique gifts for you, from small businesses and all responsibly sourced. I have personally bought one of everything on this list so I know both the quality and service is great too. There is a range of prices, and options to suit everyones tastes.

1. Jord Home - Boutique Rug Store.

   Simply put, these rugs are stunning! Not only do they look great, are super soft but the company focuses on ethical rearing and sourcing. I have bought two so far and I expect I will be buying many more as I continue to decorate the house. Perfect gift for a friend or family member who loves to be cosy. Think warm socks, cups of hot chocolate and a roaring fire and you have the perfect setting. https://www.jordhome.com/collections/sheepskin

2. Edward and Irwyn - Chocolatiers.

   Yes to some of the best chocolates I have tasted! As well as being delicious this small chocolate shop also has some fantastically unique treats on offer. From dragon tails filled with salted caramel to shards of stargazer marbled chocolate you will find something for everyone in the family, stocking fillers anyone! Based in Edinburgh, their shop is as unique as the chocolates they make, they do of course have an online shop too but get there quick as their stocks can go very quickly. My favourite, Dark Chocolate Shards with Scots pine, juniper and peat smoked salt… YUM! https://edwardandirwyn.co.uk

3. The Botanical Candle Co

   Hands down my absolutely favourite candle company! Everything I have bought from here not only smells beautiful but also looks lovely. Highlight, they come elegantly wrapped so you don’t even need to worry about doing that yourself, buy and gift! https://www.thebotanicalcandleco.co.uk

4. Little Cloud

   They have a selection of beautiful gifts for children. The glitter stars have certainly being making the rounds on instagram and for good reason they are beautiful! They are great to mix and match as well so you don’t have to stick to one colour. The only warning I would give is if you have a toddler stick them high enough otherwise you will find them rearranged each morning, plus side I can definitely vouch for them being resticklabe. They have a mixture of small stocking fillers too! http://www.little-cloud.co.uk

5. Lost in the Light - Photography course.

   There are so many great photography courses out there, the true art is finding one. Then once you have found one, the amount of information that you need to take in during the course is mind boggling. Finally how do you know what level someone needs. How much do they already know, what camera do they have etc. The joy of this course is yes it covers a huge amount of information and the first time you complete the course as a beginner you might be left feeling slightly overwhelmed it doesn’t matter as once you have signed up to this course you can retake it as many times as you need to. Run by a couple its a relaxed online community with a mixture of complete beginners to a little more camera savvy. https://https://themelias.co/the-melias-shop2

6. Writing course - Cambridge university

   For someone who is a keen writer this course is fantastic or if someone needs some gentle encouragement to start. Run by the published author Natasha Pulley who will give feedback as you go as well as your peers its a fun and interesting way to test your writing skills. Even if you don’t plan to be the next J.K Rowly you can’t beat spending some time for yourself doing something creative. They do have online courses too which runs for 7 weeks or you can do the one day course at Cambridge it depends how you work best and you other commitments. I did the online course as it worked a little better around childcare. You have a week for each assessment which is made up of both reading and writing tasks. http://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/course/introduction-writing-fantasy-0

7. 12 week planner - Make a Plan, Make it Happen

   This is a must for anyone who has New Years resolutions! I’m sure like me you start off with the best intentions then by feb (mid Jan) life has taken over and all those amazing ideas you had have been forced to the back of the queue by work, children, animals, cooking… the list goes on (and on). Split into three different goals and colour co-ordinated to each week across the three months this planner helps you break down the bigger goal into bite size chunks so the task doesn’t seem as overwhelming anymore. By having the planner up on the wall it reminds you what needs to be done. It also has a treat box so you can write what reward you will get for completing each goal! http://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/shop

8. Nikki Hill Apothecary

   I have bought so many things from here over the last couple of months. Nikki the founder is a fully qualified naturopath, clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist. From candles (which is currently making my office smell amazing) to herbal teas and bath salts you know you’re in good hands. Perfect gifts for friends as they do kits too, the Relaxing self care kit is a goodie for anyone who finds the Christmas season a little stressful or you can also create a bespoke kit to tick all the boxes. The salts and teas come in a lovely glass jar which you can buy refills for as and when you need them. Her products come nicely wrapped so again you don’t need to do anything other than put a name tag on the box. You will love this range of gorgeous and therapeutic products. https://www.nikkihillapothecary.com/apothecary/#wellnessgifts

Jord Home Sheepskin

Edward and Irwyn chocolates

Make a Pan, Make it Happen - 12 Week Planner

Little Cloud - Mixed star packs

Where to Buy!

1. https://www.jordhome.com/collections/sheepskin

2. https://edwardandirwyn.co.uk

3. https://www.thebotanicalcandleco.co.uk

4. https://www.little-cloud.co.uk

5. https://https://themelias.co/the-melias-shop2

6. https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/course/introduction-writing-fantasy-0

7. https://www.josephinebrooks.co.uk/shop

8. https://nikkihillapothecary.com/apothecary/#wellnessgifts

I love a weekend away but a weekend in the stunning Cotswolds countryside, with horse riding, stunning hotels and delicious food certainly can’t be beaten, even if it does rain… a lot.

Perfect for groups with or without children. Doggies welcome on this trip! So if you’re looking for a family and dog friendly active weekend away with friends this is a winner.

We stayed in the Lygon arms in Broadway, which if you have never been to think The Holiday. Quaint village high-street, surrounded by chocolate box cottages. Mixed in with a great Deli, shops and a few estate agents so you indulge in a little fantasy shopping while you’re there.

The Lygon arms is a large hotel that manages to behave like a boutique one. The bar area is made up of lots of knoocs and crannies where you can easily hide away next to a lovely roaring fire. First, before enjoying this it was time to earn our dinner with a two hour hack at Jill Carenza’s riding school which is based a ten minute drive away in Stanton. Another stunning village, this definitely ticks all the boxes for a very ascetically pleasing spot. Apparently the area is usually incredibly busy with tourists who come for its very British country style, Covid isn’t helping much on that front. The village is however still full of very enthusiastic riders venturing off into the hills that sit behind it.

If you’re looking for a great riding weekend that suits all levels then Jill’s is a great spot. You can mix the levels of riders on the hack too because if needed they will send someone out to lead people while the others go off galloping along with the hack guide. You can also choose to have a lesson or do a lesson/hack combo. They of course provide body protectors and hats but I would always recommend some chaps and boots, Ariat are both stylish and comfortable if you’re in need of some new boots.

We got absolutely soaked on our ride and sadly couldn’t see the amazing views that this part of the country has to offer. The horses were quick to respond and you didn’t feel that you had to chase them to get them to keep going. At the same time they were relaxed and put the rider at ease straight away which if you have been to many riding schools you know is a good thing.

View from The Mount pub

Once we finished our hack we headed back to the hotel to spruce up a bit (I looked more like a drown rat than anything else). Rooms where smallish but cosy and had clearly been recently decorated. They also had some amazing heat coming off the old fashioned radiators which was handy to dry all our sodden clothes.

Drinks and snacks at the bar, all of which were delicious. Then a quick taxi ride to the local pub. If you have time make use of the hotel bar as its a great place to spend a couple of hours in comfort while people watching.

The next day, feeling well rested because pubs have to close at 10pm, which judging from my head may have been a blessing in disguise we had a quick walk around Broadway. I always like an early morning run or strole when a place is at its most quiet. After looking at lots of houses that we can’t afford, back to the hotel for breakfast which as you suspected was gorgeous, relaxed and plenty of it. We had breakfast included in our room rate so the endless coffee, drinks, hot food etc was fantastic.

Now to earn our lunch, seeing as after breakfast we weren’t that hungry and we had lunch at the Mount booked. Back to Stanton as some of our party had hacks booked for the Sunday too, my bum didn’t fancy that. You can park in the pub car park and then as you come out and turn to the left is great walk up to hills. You can easily walk for a couple of hours and loop back around before finishing at the pub. You can eat inside or out but obviously its pretty cold so inside it was. You can also stop there for a drink however at the moment (wrap up warm as drinks where served outside only).

A nice relaxed vibe for a pub where they are use to walkers with muddy boots. I can’t recommend the roasts enough but also the vegetarian burger was a goodie too. Again dog friendly!

You can also book a room at Jill Carenza’s BnB. I haven’t stayed there myself but have only heard great things about it. It is a cheaper option than the Lygon arms and still fantastic. Although maybe without children as I’ve heard the breakfast can get a little boozy.

Useful links

Riding - http://www.cotswoldsriding.co.uk

For an extra special weekend away - https://www.lygonarmshotel.co.uk

Pubs - https://www.themountinn.co.uk

Walk - we joined the Cotswolds way

Riding boots - https://www.ariat.com/gb/en/women-footwear-riding

Straight forward Halloween plan

To say I am excited about Halloween is a slight under statement, even in this covid world some fun can still be had. Later today I will be attempting to hang a witches broom above the table as a centre piece. With tea lights hovering above peoples heads as if flying this may be a risky choice. I will be serving plenty of French martinis to keep everyone distracted from impending doom (Boris Johnson later announced another lockdown).

Halloween is fun but let’s face it, its also a lot of work (a mini warm up for Christmas). This takes time to come with plans, to decide what to eat, drink, decorations you want and entertainment.

Having thrown many, many dinner parties my biggest suggestion is serve something big but simple. You don’t want to be heading in and out of the kitchen while in the middle of a good gossip, neither do you want to be trying to create some elaborate dessert under the influence of blood vodka shots… we have all been there. What you do want to do is keep your guests bellies full and their glasses topped up.

Decorations!

Every year you get a few trends, bats and white pumpkins seem to be making the rounds this time. Its Halloween, do what you want! Get some fun labels for glass bottles and burn black candles down the sides (see picture). Buy.a gold skull which is full of salted caramels (Artisan du Chocolate). Have bats flying all over the place or hang a broomstick above your dinner table. Sadly the only picture I have of this has my toddler sat in the middle of the table helping herself to a pot of chocolates.

Dinner

The easiest way to keep each course in tune with the next is to get the majority of it from the same cookbook. Therefore this Halloween feast will be from Simply by Sabrina Ghayour apart from the dessert because you can’t go wrong with a chocolate cake.

Starters - Green humous and pitta (simple, easy and tasty).

Main - Slow cooked beef brisket, salmon bites (one of our friends is a pescatarian) with wild rice and a big salad. The salad will be courtesy of our greenhouse which is still growing a lot of tomatoes. I always like to throw in something fresh and easy so that a meal isn’t too heavy.

Dessert - Chocolate beetroot cake that Rosie from the Bakeoff made. All my friends are big Bakeoff fans so I know this will go down well. When we have a big meal I tend to reduce anything too fussy for pudding because firstly not everyone will have room for that amount of food but also if you leave it and eat it later in the day, what does it matter. Finally everything on the list can be eaten the following day with wraps and a fresh salad. Win win!

Entertainment

I love to terrify my guests! So tiny little attic room with an Ouija board, I think so!

Let’s keep it simple

When it comes to decorating your toddler’s bedroom there are so many things to take into consideration. You have your taste, your child taste and then also practicality to add to the mix. You could end up with a beautiful bedroom which you end up tidying for hours every week once the hurricane has torn every book out of the shelves, played with every toy and dragged all their teddies back to bed.

Stars from Little-cloud

Before even starting put together a board on Pinterest or save ideas into Instagram or the old-fashioned cork pinboard. List ideas that you love, want and also don’t want. I sometimes struggle when I don’t have a clear idea of what I want before I start ordering. It took me 25 paint samples before I chose one, simply because I wasn’t 100 sure what I wanted! Help yourself to my Pinterest board if you’re in need of toddler bedroom inspiration - link at the bottom.

I have a list of where I bought everything at the end of the post so if you don’t know where to start with buying check it out. 

1. Curtains are expensive! Let’s face it, your darling child may like dinosaurs today, ballerinas tomorrow and finish the week shouting Elsa at you. In other words, choose a curtain that will work for a while. Once you have chosen fabric, had the things made you will be looking at your overall budget wondering what happened. I went for something that had multiple colours in it to suit her changing tastes, was playful yet grown up (hope she likes them till she is 20 at least!) Finally curtains that I would happily move to another location in the house. Our curtain fabric is from Charlotte Gaisford and is called Blue Tiger (its BEAUTIFUL!)

 2. Carpets – go for something that you can wash easily. I would love to go natural however I know what will happen. It will look beautiful for a few weeks but sooner or later disaster will hit. We live in an old house and unfortunately have problems with moths.

 3. Washable walls! My daughters’ room is very white, but it is washable. I made sure to buy a little extra paint, just in case. We used a lovely chalky white (Wevet) by Farrow and Ball and so far so washable.  

 4. Wooden Toys – Not only do they last longer; they are usually pretty solid so firstly there is less breakage but secondly so much easier to tidy up. Sweep in a big bag without having to worry about random little bits here there and everywhere. If the dog steals them they tend to last a little longer.

 5.Comfort – I love a super comfy bed, therefore I wanted to have the same for my daughter. I wanted her to disappear into her room excited about climbing into her bed. The bed itself has a frame otherwise I would be worried she would fall; it also creates a den feel to her bed. Bedding, buy lots of it. There will be accidents and it’s so annoying to keep having to add to the collection, so just buy it from the start. I buy bigger sizes rather than going slowly up the ranks to keep the costs down. 

 6. Lighting – I would highly recommend HUB lighting. It will link in with your WIFI so rather than trying to sneak into your child’s room to dim or switch there light off. It also comes in multiple different colours so you can switch it to suit your mood. Finally, you can go wire free if you’re worried about your child getting hold of the wires or playing with the plug when you’re not there. 

Fabric from Charlotte Gaisford, drawers Oliver Bonas, afternoon tea set Great Little trading and skirt and elephant from the White Company

 7. Furniture – I found furniture for her room all over the place. She has pieces from Oliver Bonas and a Made. Don’t stick with children’s furniture only as it reduces your options. I didn’t want her room looking over childish so I have a nice mix. All of the furniture will last her a long time and if she ever decides she doesn’t want it I will happily have it in another room.

 8. Art work – This and the next point are easily my favourite bits. You have done the boring part, painting, the sensible part, furniture. Now you get the fun bit. I have a mixture of things on G’s walls. Animals, to lovely quotes to prints of art work from places we have visited together. I understand of course that the latter points mean very little to her but hopefully they will as she gets older. Personally, it’s a nice reminder for me too and I don’t want anything on my walls which doesn’t make happy. All the art work in G’s room is from direct from the artists. You would be amazed at the work you can find for very fair prices.

 9. Decorations – let the fun continue! This is where Instagram comes into its own. There are so many unique small brands out there with beautiful things. This may take a little longer than turning up to a superstore and decking your child’s room out but I can’t tell you how much it is worth taking that extra time. Not only are you supporting small business but you would be surprised that the prices are the same and often the quality is better. 

10. Tidy up (funs over). Even with the best planning unless you have an angel child you will need to tidy their room at some point or if you have the skills get them to tidy it. Rope buckets are perfect for this! Sweep and drop everything into those and slot them back into a shelf. My daughter can easily tidy up using this and you can move the rope bucket about which is why I prefer it to wooden boxes. 

Where to buy 

Furniture 

·      Oliver Bonas can be a little hit and miss with furniture but it is worth checking out. I bought the white draws and bedside table from here - https://www.oliverbonas.com/furniture

·      Wardrobe – this part was hard for me as we have a very low ceiling on the way upstairs so anything larger than draws needed to be self build. https://www.thechildrensfurniturecompany.com/childrens-wardrobe-double-starlight

·      Perfect for wooden toys too. We bought shelves from here along with rope baskets and an afternoon tea set. https://www.gltc.co.uk

·      For beautiful bedding as well as unique pieces and finishing touches - https://monlitcabane.com/en/

 Art Work and decorations 

·      I’m in love with this artists work, so magical and beautiful https://www.jasminerebecca.com

·      These are simply beautiful quotes and sketches to alongside them - https://shop.charliemackesy.com

 ·      Glittery stars and moons – these have taken Instagram by storm and its not hard to see why - https://www.little-cloud.co.uk

 Extra 

 ·     Bedding – Pottery Barn https://www.potterybarnkids.co.uk

·      Phillips Hue lighting https://www.johnlewis.com/philips-hue-go-connected-portable-light-with-bluetooth-multi/p4751087?sku=238324624&s_ppc=2dx92700055387917179&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZ7Rnfno7AIVg-3tCh2sFwVVEAYYASABEgI5IvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

·      Curtain fabric, my absolute favourite fabric. Also beautiful to work with - https://www.charlottegaisford.co.uk/product/tiger-blue-small-scale/ You can order samples directly. 

I’m sure I am not the only one who loves a well organised pantry, full with delicious home made goods.

Let’s start with the simple steps, what do you want in your pantry. Personally anything that doesn’t fit in the fridge goes in the pantry, especially in the winter when its pretty cool in there. This includes drinks, vegetables, pastas, rice, tins, sauces and spices. All my pantry needs to do is be functional and to look great, easy right!

5 simple BEGINNER steps to a dreamy pantry

1. Jars, jars and more jars. Glass looks better than loads of plastic hanging around. You can also see everything quickly when in the middle of cooking.

2. No Labels please! Lots of people invest in a labelling machine but honestly I think you know the difference between pasta and rice without a label. Anything that is a little more confusing self-raising flour Vs plain flour I put a label on the back. This helps keep it looking tidy.

3. Keep the ugly things together. Its inevitable that not everything in your pantry is going to look beautiful because well that’s life. I have a side of the pantry which looks all shinny that your eyes are instantly drawn to when you walk in and then I have a more hidden area with packets, tins and sauces.

4. Organise it! As I said before not only do I want my pantry to look nice but I need it to be functional. If you can reach everything with ease then you will likely keep the pantry tidier as you don’t have to constantly move things around to get to what you want.

5. Spices need height. On the functional thread spices need to be on steps so that you can see all your prices without having to constantly pull them out as that will slowly drive you mad. A lot of people have them lying on their side as a lot of spice jars have the content on their lids but not all of them so I wouldn’t suggest this. The spices you use regularly can be identified by sight so it helps to be able to see as much as the spice as possible.

Fill it up with homemade treats!

I have a few recipes that I have created myself based on attempting to recreate tasty treats I have found on my travels, this is one of my absolute favourites.

Hot Chillies

1. Choose your jar size fill it with a chilli of your choice, lemon flavoured ones are delicious. Especially if you like Thai food.

2. Chop the chillies into various sides and then dry them out. You can either cover in salt for a few days or put them near the boiler or somewhere warm.

3. Once dried out (dust off the salt in you’re using this method) and add the chillies back to the the original jar you picked.

4. Heat enough oil to cover the chillies in the jar and heat until hot but not boiling. If you pour the oil when its too hot it will cook the chillies.

5. Pour over the chillies, let it cool slightly before putting the lid on. Leave for a couple of weeks minimum before eating.

Coming up in Step 2 towards a Dreamy Pantry, how to deal with the ugly items and Damson pickle.

Seeing as we can’t go on holiday at the moment we can at least plan for next year! I know everyone is dreaming of hot beaches, tropical sands and cocktails (lots of cocktails) there is always a place in my heart for Scotland, especially near Christmas! This is also the perfect trip if you have already booked all your holidays and can only go away for a weekend.

Last year I took my husband for his birthday surprise and he absolutely loved it. I have no idea how it has taken me so long to visit Edinburgh but I am very glad that I did. Luckily I have some friends on the ground who gave me tips about places to visit, stay and do so now I am sharing with you because sometimes trip advisor just won’t cut it. There are a million different sites that will tell you the super tourist activities but this is more about having a chilled weekend with friends, good food and some new experiences.

We stayed at the Balmoral which is not only beautiful but can be located from most places in Edinburgh thanks to its clocktower (helpful if you’re like me and you get lost a lot). Apart from being well placed this has to be one of the nicest hotels I have stayed in, the room was lovely, the bars inviting and the breakfast delicious. As it was a birthday treat I went for one of the rooms that looked towards the castle which at this time of year also over looked the Christmas Market.

We arrived late on Friday as we flew up from London after work. Both feeling pretty shattered I wanted something easy, with no dress code but yet tasty. I booked a curry for the first night and I’m glad I did book ahead as there was a queue outside the door when we got there. bearing in mind it was 9pm on a Friday night. We went to Mother India’s Cafe and it gave us exactly what we were looking for, tasty food in a relaxing, busy setting. I wouldn’t say it is anything fancy but the food was nice and the environment was buzzing. Walking distance from the hotel meant we could also have a wonder back through the city. We finished the night in the hotel bar before a very peaceful nights sleep!

Saturday morning we woke up slowly thanks to the drinks the night before and heading for a lively breakfast. I would like to pretend that I’m healthy and had juice and fruit . Of course I didn't, anyone who has ever met me knows that I went for a full cooked breakfast. I always love to go for a long walk in a city because it helps me get some idea of positioning but mainly because its a nice way to explore and make more space for food later in the day. I found this amazing chocolate shop Edward & Irwyn which is down in Morningside. The walk took us about an hour but we were walking pretty slowly as being nosy takes time. I can’t recommend a visit to this funky chocolate shop, they have a mixture of some very unique chocolates which are scrumptious!

By the time we got back from our long walk (and taxi ride back) we needed to warm up big time. No better way to do this than by visiting SCOTCH the whiskey bar at Balmoral. To clarify neither us are massive whiskey drinkers, especially me but we did find a lovely one that kept us both happy as it wasn’t too strong. If you’re looking for an easy whiskey to start with try one from Auchentoshan as a warm up. If you visit SCOTCH they will happily recommend you something based on your tastes.

Saturday night we went for something a bit more fancy as our friends were driving across from Glasgow to see us, the Edinburgh Food Studio. (this sadly has closed at its currently location due to Covid, however I’m hopeful it will appear at another location so will keep you updated). I won’t go into too much details about this place as it will only make you jealous. After filling our bellies with this absolutely delicious food we moved on for some cocktails Panda’s and Sons is a basement bar which on street level looks just like a barbers. The cocktails are lovely plus they only let you know if you have a table plus the drinks are no overly expensive. We hadn’t booked a table before arriving and waited about ten minutes. There is nothing more irritating than going somewhere fancy and spending the entire evening clinging onto an over priced cocktail while you get hustled around the bar.

Sunday morning was a slow start, again I think you can guess why so breakfast in bed I think so. We drafted in grandparents to look after our toddler so of course we were going to take every opportunity to have a lie in! We met up with friends around mid day and headed towards Arthurs Seat. We of course took a nice long route as our friend was giving us the guided tour. We started up near the castle and then wondered down towards Holyrood, passing the Scottish Parliament Building which whether you love or hate the architecture it certainly is an interesting look building. Its not an overly difficult walk but I would wear sensible shoes that you won’t be worried about getting dirty as well as some warm layers. The views from the top are gorgeous and 100% worth the walk as you can see all of the city as well as the sea.

Sadly that was the end of our trip! Short taxi ride back to the airport followed by a super quick flight back and boom all over. If you’re flying from London especially if you’re going after work I can’t recommend City airport enough, Seeing as we moved to City’s super quick security is a thing of the past.

Where to start

• Balmoral Hotel - https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/the-balmoral-hotel/

• SCOTCH - you can by a whiskey tasting or just go to the bar and ask them to recommend something.

• Chocolate Shop - https://edwardandirwyn.co.uk

• Mother Indias Cafe - https://www.motherindia.co.uk/index.php/mother-indias-cafe-edinburgh-home

• Panda and Sons - https://pandaandsons.com