You may know that on November 30th the world celebrates St Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day. There will undoubtedly be parties galore in Scotland, events around the world and maybe a few wee drams to warm the cockles, given the cold November we are having.

As I am now married to a Scotsman, this holiday is somehow now more prevalent in our calendar and he is very proud of his heritage. According to Scotland.org "Saint Andrew (who is believed to have later preached around the shores of the Black Sea), was an agile and hardy Galilean fisherman whose name means Strong and who also had good social skills. He brought the first foreigners to meet Jesus and shamed a large crowd of people into sharing their food with the people beside them. Today we might describe him as the Patron Saint of Social Networking!"

It was through the power of social networking that I came across Buyahipflask.com. I have to admit that I *may* have historically thought that a hipflask was more suited to the older generation but after seeing a fellow blogger at an event with an uber cool hipflask, I suspected I should re-evaluate my opinon.

Given the chance to review a hipflask, I spent ages browsing round the site and whilst I was tempted by a very cool one for myself, I knew that really I should get one for my very own Scotsman. I know it sounds ridiculous but I love that Buyahipflask are based in Scotland and even more so that their hipflasks are made in the UK.

I chose the 6oz Tartan Round Flask  which retails at a very affordable £27.00 and you get the chance to personalise many of the flasks too. There are so many to choose from that it becomes a little mind boggling but I loved the stylish simplicity of this flask, whilst being a little different to the standard hip flask shape.

All their hip flasks are made from 100% Pewter, which keeps its shine with minimal effort, perfect for me who has minimal time to polish the silverware. (word of warning don't put it next to an emery board in your handbag, as this *may* scuff your shiny flask ..... just a small suggestion). On the subject of my handbag, did I also mention that it fits perfectly in a handbag for a cheeky tipple on a night out?

So what is our verdict?

What we love:

• The extensive range of designs
• The quality
• The fact they are made in the UK
• The ease of the site.

What we don't like:

• That the Scotsman has a hipflask in MY handbag .... I may just fill it with Pinot Grigio instead!
• !

Tweet

This post was brought to you by Toothpick.com Their goal is to improve the dental health industry by making it more transparent, with reviews for every practice and by making it easier for you to book a dentist appointment for you and your family. 

As most parents know, children will do almost anything to avoid brushing their teeth, even resorting to lying to avoid this simple task. Instead of constantly doing battle with your children, try these great techniques and play some of these simple games to make oral hygiene fun rather than a chore.

The Bubble Game

Play a game where all the members of your family brush their teeth at the same time. Encourage everyone to make as many bubbles as possible while brushing their teeth and give a prize to the person who makes the most bubbles.

Train Wheels

Another good game you can play to make sure that your child brushes their teeth thoroughly is to pretend that their brush strokes are actually train wheels. You can show them how to make the brush strokes as large and round as possible and perhaps sing a train song while your child is brushing their teeth to encourage them and add more fun to the experience.

Storytelling

Explain the importance of brushing your teeth to your child by telling a story. Make the story as animated as possible to really make the point and use colourful characters such as sugar bugs, which attack the teeth and have to be battled by the brave toothbrush. You can even create a comic book using these characters with your child to make the story fun and memorable.

Let Your Child Select Their Own Toothpaste

Many children find the taste menthol and mint toothpaste too strong, which can put them off brushing their teeth. However, special children’s toothpaste comes in a wide range of flavours these days, including orange and strawberry. Letting your child choose a brightly coloured toothbrush with an image of a cartoon character on it may also make them more willing to brush their teeth.

Praise Your Child

After you child has brushed their teeth successfully, make sure you give them plenty of encouragement so that they are more likely to want to brush their teeth again later. You could assign special rewards such as stickers or stars which your child can collect and trade in for a special treat when they have collected a certain number.

Countdown

Convincing the kids to spend the recommended two minutes brushing their teeth can be tough at times. Help the time pass more quickly by playing a song that your child loves or even singing to them while they brush their teeth. We have found a great app that is good for this.

Do you have any other tricks or ideas for getting your little ones to brush their teeth?

Tweet

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 .......

Tweet

Post as per our disclosure page.

Would you remember what I bought you for your Birthday or Christmas last year?

Would you remember the type of paper it was wrapped in?

Would you know if the card this year was bigger or less expensive?

I bet you probably wouldn't.

So I am not entirely sure why I have my little book to remind me of the presents I have bought in the past and the notes about the paper and cards because there are some things that don't stick in your memory (or even need to) but my memory isn't always the best, so my notebook helps me make decisions for the following years presents.

So even if my gift buying prowess doesn't stick in your mind, it is worth remembering that a gift doesn't always need to be wrapped in paper. It can be just a simple phrase, an off the hand comment but sometimes, just sometimes, a few words can give comfort that a blanket never could, change a path better than any map or help make a decision that needs making.

As I said, my memory isn't always the best but I never forget seeing a tarot reader and after turning over the first card she said "you are with someone you shouldn't be". If I am honest, I don't really remember much else from the reading but I knew she was right. It was something I had known for a while. That sentence made me change my life and who I was spending it with.

It was a long, long, loooooong time ago and the venue was in a very cool part of town and there was almost an air of mystery and thrill in going to see a psychic, whereas now you can simply click onto The Circle and have immediate access from the comfort of your own home. I have seen a couple of psychics since that day and it never ceases to amaze me how accurate the readings are. One told me my daughter's best friends name, which astounded me at the time but then she followed up with how I was going to have another little girl called Amy. In an act of defiance, I called my daughter something else.

But it's those things you remember. The moments that make you question your decisions (and it is not always about the Christmas wrapping paper). Thankfully my only decision at the moment is what to buy for Christmas this year ......

Tweet