If you’re lucky enough to have a Dunelm Mill near you, you’ll already know how handy they are for things like bedlinen, curtains and kitchen equipment. Dunelm asked me if I’d have a look at their new Cook & Dine kitchen collection, which launched in early April.
Las Vegas is all about excess. People come from all over the world to have their stag and hen nights there, and with the rise of sites like GamingClub.com many more now come to Vegas to holiday with friends. Many choose Las Vegas because it has everything you could want in terms of fun. Bars, clubs, casinos and restaurants are everywhere you look, and there is something to suit everyone’s budget.
(Okay, so not really doom, but it made for a good title).
So, for the second birthday of April (our planning was a bit off, wasn’t it?), our lovely Sam turned 19. Already suffering from the blow of my youngest child turning 16, I was a bit more philosophical about this one.
I have two basic default settings in the kitchen. The first is ‘all out go-for-it’ where I can throw myself with abandon into making a big roast dinner or a cake with lots of different elements. The other is ‘nah, can’t be bothered’, which usually coincides with days when I’ve been really busy working or testing recipes and I’ve just had too much kitchen time.
It isn’t something most of us like thinking about, but making sure your affairs are in order for when you’re no longer there can make it easier on your family when that day arrives. Probate is the process where someone, an Executor, applies for the right to deal with your estate when you are deceased. One of the important decisions to make for when that time comes, no matter what your circumstances are, is who you would like to be that person.
On our recent trip to New York, we were lucky enough to travel back to the UK in Virgin’s Upper Class cabin. Having never turned left before, this was a completely new experience and we absolutely loved it. Here’s a sneaky peak at what to expect.
It’s only when I’m travelling that I realise how much I love a really beautiful bedroom. I read somewhere that it’s important to keep your bedroom uncluttered and orderly (and free from work stuff and screens!) to make it an oasis of calm. I’m naturally really messy, but I do try and force myself to tidy up. There’s something really lovely about going upstairs to bed and being greeted by a beautiful space in which to relax.
My baby boy is 16. How did that happen? I’ll save you the ‘it seems like only yesterday’ speech, mostly because it doesn’t seem like only yesterday, in fact, I can barely remember those first few weeks, to be honest, plus it’s a bit yawny when parents start getting all misty eyed. Suffice to say, we’re the proudest parents, we love him to bits and we’ll move on to the birthday cake of choice.
August is when festival season really kicks in in Edinburgh. The city is suddenly filled with thousands of street performers and you’ll be lucky to walk more than a few steps without someone enthusiastically pressing a flyer into your hand. The mass influx of performers and punters means the city is alive with an electric buzz.
I’m a huge Disney Cruise Line fan, as you know. We were on the Disney Magic last year cruising around the Mediterranean and it was just absolutely magical. Of course, the Magic has now had an incredible revamp and is ready, all sparkly and new, to set sail along with the Fantasy and Wonder for new destinations in the summer of 2015.
We really like our local Prezzo. We were there at Christmas trying out their special festive menu and we’ve been back quite a lot since. The atmosphere is buzzy and fun and we really like their menu (and I’m a bit partial to their house Shiraz too).
If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that I’ve been having a bit of a moan about mobile data roaming when travelling abroad. Obviously, being online and staying in contact is really important when, like me, it’s your business, but just generally, most people want to be able to stay in touch when they’re abroad (although obviously tweeting when you’re on the beach is generally only the preserve of nutters like me).
Regular readers will know I’m a huge fan of Italy - we visited Rome on our fabulous Mediterranean Disney Cruise and I’ve recently written about Sorrento and Pompeii. I was delighted, then, when Inghams asked me if I’d like to contribute to their ‘Parents Guide to Italy’. Would I ever?
Inghams Italy are experts in Italian holidays. They’ve worked really hard to find tons of really unusual hotels, from vineyards to castles, with the flexibility of choosing to fly from over 20 UK airports on a day to suit you. They’re specialists in tailor-made holidays with tons of flexibility and are all about making your holiday perfect for you.
I love Easter. Firstly, it’s my birthday, then there’s all that chocolate, the chance of sunny days, gorgeous spring lamb, daffodils, more chocolate… it’s just a big combination of lots of things that I really love.
So did I mention I’m going to New York?
I KNOW!
I’m going to New York for work (like a proper grow up) and then straight onto a fabulous cruise. I’m feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. I also have just discovered that I have NOTHING TO WEAR.
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