Category: Views & Ramblings

1. On the first day of Christmas .....

   Posted on 6:49am Monday 1st Dec 2014

   ..... my true love gave to me, a beautiful guest post from the very awesome Mary Key of Keynko. We always celebrate Christmas with some fabulous posts from our blogging friends and this year is about memories. .....

    

   I was brought up in a house that was full of Christmas spirit. My mum was the most excited person in the house in the run up to the big day and always the first one out of bed that morning shaking people awake to open presents.

    

   So the first Christmas without her was very very hard. She passed away at the beginning of November and it seemed wrong in some way to be getting ready without her, I just couldn't bring myself to sort anything out. My dad made the decision to go off to America that first year to stay with my brother and waving him goodbye only made it worse. 

    

   But for the sake of my own children I needed to get in the mood and try our best to have as much fun as we could. With that in mind we decided that we needed a complete new set of Christmas decorations that year, new broom and all that, and I hoped maybe hunting for new tinsel would make me feel festive. The first shop we went into yielded the perfect tree topper which everything else was then matched to  

    

   

    

    

   My mum loved peacocks and this little bird was sat on a shelf all on it's own looking lonely, I mean we had no choice but to take him home and make him feel welcome.

    

   I love my little birdy, and in fact because he now reminds me so much of my mum he is never packed away and lives all year round on the mantelpiece in the living room. 

    

   And his little glass nest? well that first year my Dad, god bless him, bought little stocking fillers for everyone before he went away and this was mine. A very simple glass candle stick with a little card, 

    

   "my darling girl, I hope that this will help to lighten your life - a little" 

    

   And it did, just a little.

    

   8 years down the line we obviously still miss her, but we work hard to enjoy the holidays with our loved ones, we can raise a glass to her memory and laugh about happy times in the past.

    

   So please do the same - raise a glass to those people who can't be with you this year, remember the good times you had with them and enjoy the time with your loved ones, squeeze them tight and have another mince pie in memory of my darling mum! 

    

   Happy Christmas everyone! x x x x x x 

    

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2. St Andrews Day : Buyahipflask.com Review

   Posted on 10:30pm Thursday 27th Nov 2014

   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!
   • !

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3. Would you remember ....?

   Posted on 8:32pm Sunday 23rd Nov 2014

   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 ......

   

    

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   In collaboration with The Circle, featured post.

4. Countdown to Christmas : Top Tips for a Stress Free Shopping Trip

   Posted on 8:41pm Tuesday 28th Oct 2014

   Yes, I mentioned the C word. I heard Christmas songs in a shop this week so the countdown is officially on!

   I was talking to a friend about going Christmas shopping this week and whilst I much prefer to do my shopping online, there is something magical about going to the shops, listening to all the songs and getting into the Christmas spirit.

   Nearly a quarter of Britons view Christmas shopping as more stressful than rush hour traffic, filling in forms or flying, according to a survey by Ocado. With lots of people to buy for, having a plan is the best way to ensure it is most definitely a happy Christmas, so here are our top tips for stress free Christmas shopping.

   1. Make a list

   I have been the worlds worst for impulse shopping in the past so making a list (and checking it twice, just to find out who is naughty or nice) absolutely helps to have a definitive number of gifts to buy and who to buy for. 

   

   2. Start Early

   Its never too early to start and although it is October, I know people who started in early September. Not only does this give you more time to get everything sorted, it will help you spread the cost too.

   3. DIY Gifts

   Sometimes it is the handmade gifts that mean more than the expensive cashmere jumper, so if you are a nifty knitter or a crochet queen, then a handmade scarf or blanket could be the ideal and very personal gift for someone this Christmas.

   4. Create a budget

   Budget, budget, budget. Do not spend what you don't have.  If you have a set budget, don't deviate from it. It will make gift selection easier and results in more practical purchases, rather than emotional ones.

   5. Enjoy a little Christmas Spirit

   In Birmingham,  the German and Craft Markets span a mile of the city from Symphony Hall through hundreds of stalls leading down New Street to the Bull Ring Shopping Centre, which houses some fabulous shops, restaurants and bars. So why not treat yourself to a glass or two of wine and a stay at a hotel to make a weekend of it. You know we love a good deal, so we have found some great places to stay in Birmingham:

    

   Crowne Plaza

   Holiday Inn Coventry

   We actually have our Water Babies lessons at the Holiday Inn now, although I am more interested in splashing some festive cheer in a glass, than in the pool at the moment!

   I think I just need to get some friends together and see if they fancy joining in the Christmas spirit with me! Who fancies it?

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   Disclosure :  This post is in collaboration with IHG but all stress free tips are our own.