Thoughtful gestures with Elizabeth Shaw - and the winner is…

So last week I asked you all what you would be doing with your extra hour in bed. The lovely people at Elizabeth Shaw wanted to encourage us all to do something really thoughtful when the clocks went back on 30th. I hope you had a lovely day and managed to embrace your extra hour. We had a cosy day at home - they boys had friends round and did college work together while I baked more of my maple leaf biscuits, and later I made pizza for everyone. It was so nice to spend some family time together and it was extra lovely to be in our new kitchen/diner space, being able to talk and chat while I cook rather than being banished alone to the kitchen!

I loved all your anecdotes and suggestions: they were so warm and thoughtful. LOADS of you told me all about the wonderful ways you’d helped friends, family and even complete strangers: from running errands and fundraising to paying for parking in hospitals to helping out total strangers with really generous gestures. There were loads of ideas for small things to do to make a real difference to someone as well: popping a kind note into a book or magazine, donating toys to charities and food to food bank collections, buying homeless people a meal and a hot drink and paying for the next person’s coffee. Going forward, I’m going to try and do something lovely for someone every week. It feels so positive and uplifting.

Anyway, on to that gorgeous Elizabeth Shaw hamper: the lucky winner, chosen at random, is Kathy Atkinson - congratulations!