It is no secret that I love fashion and my husband may say that I am slightly obsessed with shopping but being fashionable isn't always about style. My husband also "may" have commented recently that I was too classy to wear a certain style of jeans (I won't comment which ones) but it really got me thinking about style and class.

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Outside the business world, we are constantly worrying about whether we are dressed in style. Or, have we fallen out of style completely and is it time to refresh our wardrobes? The same fear is not often apparent when you get dressed to head into the office Monday through Friday. Many people simply pick an outfit that looks somewhat conservative and formal from the wardrobe and then heads off on their merry way. 

But this is a mistake because style does matter, even in business. From the very beginning, business owners and employers are looking for candidates who are well dressed and well presented. Don’t forget, that an employee always represents the firm and business owners constantly have this in mind when conducting interviews.

Of course, style is important later on too. At a certain stage in business, you won’t just be providing a service to clients. It will be your job to win new customers and ensure that they want to sign on that dotted line. Believe it or not, people will be more likely to do this if you dress and look the part.

Without further ado then, let’s explore some of the possibilities that you should consider when choosing your office style.

The Right Accessories

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Well, first, you can think about buying the right accessory for the job. Women can look into getting a handbag or brief case while men, should probably just stick with the briefcase. A lot of office workers these days carry a rucksack, and this looks a tad ridiculous with a suit and tie. You should always aim to be a little more formal. As far as other accessories go, you may want to keep them to a minimum. You certainly shouldn’t walk into the office looking like you just robbed a jewelry store.

Suits, Skirts, And Shirts

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Men really don’t have that many options when choosing how to dress for the office. It’s a suit or nothing. In some companies, you can get away with an open-collared look without the blazer. As for women, we have a range of choices. We can opt for the skirt, pants, a fitted shirt or blouse matched with a blazer. In some businesses, you can even wear a stunning dress to work. Don’t forget to finish off your office outfit with the right shoes. The right shoes will complete any formal outfit and ensure that you look stunning in business or on the street.

Styled To Stun

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Finally, you should think about your hairstyle. You should certainly consider using a professional stylist for your hair, and you might even want to flick through Vogue to find the right choice for you. Weirdly enough, the style of your hair does say a lot about you. Or rather, people think it does. So, if you have a pixie cut, people might assume you are bold and edgy. And if you opt for long flowing locks, they might assume you are quite an elegant person. It really just depends on what type of impression you want to convey.

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The dread of the looming summer break is a long-standing quip between school run mums. Social media sees parents counting down the days, as children become bored and unoccupied, ‘ready to go back to school’. You know, swinging from the lightshades and dragging their siblings around by the ear.

I just know I’m not alone here. I’m surely not the only parent that can’t wait for the six week break to begin. Once May is out of the way, I find myself counting down the days until the end of term, when I can spend quality time with the kids. After all, blink and these years are gone. Gushing aside, there’s plenty more to celebrate about the upcoming end of term.

1. No more school runs

It’s not even as though you’ll get a lie in. We all know that those are a thing of the past. But, just imagine six whole weeks where it’s perfectly possible to stay in your PJs after 8am. No more screaming over unfound socks and shoes. No more school run traffic or compulsory morning walks. 

2. A break from hellish homework

Reading stories with infants can be cute. Pythagoras theorem with teens? Not so much. In fact, anything beyond finding fractions is simply out of the equation. How do children know this stuff? Did we know this stuff? Summer is a break for the brain.

3. Lunch is made at lunchtime

Is there anything worse than dragging yourself out of bed at 6:30am, only to prepare a packed lunch every single weekday morning. Yes, the better routine is to make it in the evening and pop it in the fridge. Does anyone actually stick to this, though? Summer shows us that sandwiches for lunch can be made at lunchtime. Who knew!? 

4. No school, no afterschool activities

We all want the best for our children, but I challenge you to find me any parent whose patience hasn’t been tried by afterschool club schedules. Music tuition, swimming lessons, Brownies, the list goes on. Oh and on, and on. And on. How splendid it will be come summertime, when beans-on-toast-Tuesdays and even whack-it-down-your-throat-Wednesdays are temporarily replaced by relaxed evening meals.

5. It’s not quite the end…

And of course, if you really are dreading the six weeks holidays, perhaps the best thing about a looming end of term is that we’re not quite there yet! Relax. There remains a few more weeks of child-free nine-while-threes. 

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I love linking up with Emma's Savvy Savings weekly frugal round up as it really focuses my mind on being savvy every single week but last week we were lucky enough to go on holiday and that has changed our spending a little. So here are the top 5 savvy savings I have made this week.

1. While we were on holiday, I had one friend who had a birthday and another who was leaving work to have a baby, so I needed to send flowers to them both to arrive while I was away. I have tried lots of different online florists over the years but Interflora have always seemed the most consistent and value for money and they now have an annual delivery pass for £10, so it doesn't matter how many flowers you send, you only pay the inital £10 delivery pass charge. This is a result as I often send flowers to friends who live far away.

2. I also used my usual trick of googling discount codes before checking out and as I did them in seperate transactions, I saved £15 in delivering both bunches of flowers this way! That was a blooming good deal I thought (sorry I coudn't resist the pun)

3. A few days before we went away, I was checking out the best deals on travel insurance (nothing like leaving it to the last minute) when I had a moment of inspriation and remembered that my bank account had insurance features, so I rang them up, checked all our details and had confirmation straight away. I know I am paying for it as part of my bank account but it meant that I saved £100 that I thought I was going to have to spend, so that was a win for me!

4. We needed new luggage for our holiday and I have been coveting some new suitcases for some time, so I visited our local outlet store and managed to pick up 4 lightweight Antler suitcases from the outlet store for £120 and they come with a 10 year guarantee!

5. Finally (and a bit tongue in cheek) my best saving of the week was enjoying all the food and drink that I wanted ...... from the all inclusive menu, without having to pay a single bill!

So as I said at the beginning, I’m linking up with Cass, Emma and Becky in this week’s ‘Five Fabulously Frugal things I’ve done this week linky and I am now off to have a read (and get inspiration) from the others that have linked up too.

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Many of us define ourselves by our job. You might say you’re a teacher or a nurse before you say you’re a parent. This is why not working can be really hard. There are many reasons why you might stop working for a while. Those reasons can be hard enough without the added pressure of unemployment. 

No work usually means no income. If your time out of work was planned, like having a baby you might have a few months of savings in the bank. You may still need to tighten your belt a little, though. A detailed budget to figure out exactly how much you need to live on can be helpful at times like these. Of course, any emergency situations, like a burst pipe or broken window, can seriously impact your finances.

If you’re not able to work because you are unwell or injured, you may be struggling with the emotional impact of this as well. Injuries are often painful and can prevent you from sleeping well at night. This means they take even longer to heal so you may need to undertake some special exercises and treatment. Of course, this costs money, so you might ask a lawyer “have I got a no win no fee claim?” If you have, you can choose to proceed with this and seek to pursue a payout for the extra help you need.

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While you’re off work and trying not to spend too much money, try to keep your mind stimulated. You might welcome the extra time at home with your children. Become a supermum and enjoy all those moments you usually miss because you’re at work. You can experiment with new foods, learn to do new things like riding a scooter, or baking cookies. Both of you can spend those valuable hours reading books together and making the most of the quality time you have.

Of course, many of us are just stuck at home alone when we’re off work. It’s boring and can become quite isolating. Why not pick up old hobbies or start new ones? It’s important to keep yourself stimulated mentally. Challenge yourself to learn something new. You could take an online course, or learn to play a musical instrument. Make the most of each hour you have to yourself and indulge in a little pampering.

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If you have the time, why not spend it at the gym or sports centre? This can be a good way to build your confidence as well, especially when you’re job hunting all day every day. It’s also a good place to meet other people, so you don’t feel quite so isolated. Pick fun activities and classes that you know will do you good both mentally and physically. And a physical workout can feel just like work sometimes!

While many of us would love a few days off, not working at all can be boring and quite unpleasant. It can knock your confidence and leave you socially isolated. It’s still important to enjoy this time but put it to good use too. Give yourself a boost until you’re back on your feet.

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