It’s the last day of April which means I’ve come to the end of my life overhaul. It’s been a brilliant way to start Spring. When I began it was snowing and cold and now it’s sunny and colourful flowers are popping up everywhere. I’ve posted 29 out of 30 days about the things I’ve [...]

It’s day 29 of my life overhaul and I feel like I’ve done a lot thing, not quite as much as I’d like but it’s been an interesting few weeks all the same and really enjoyable to boot. Isn’t it easy to get swallowed up by life in London, or elsewhere, and not take a [...]

Autism is still a misunderstood condition, when I grew up it was called the middle class malaise which it certainly isn’t. It’s Autism Awareness month and I’ve not seen much about it except via Crystal Jigsaw who is compiling posts about it throughout the month, so pop over and have a read if you want [...]

If you’re a fan of Sex and the City, no doubt you will have drooled over the amazing walk in closet that featured in the films. I have to to confess, I have a similar walk in box room full of crap closet. While this should be a thing of envy, in reality, it couldn’t [...]

Phew, five days in to the ‘no-meat-no-wheat-no-dairy-or-booze’ and today I’ve really missed…ummm…wine. Especially, burgundy wine, with a nice rare steak and a plate of cheese. I can easily survive the working week on rabbit food on a detox diet, but when it’s time to unwind on a Friday evening, another bowl of rice noodles and [...]

I’m living the dream and blogging from my iPad but the app doesn’t work and so I’ve logged in from the web and can’t see any of the flash stuff on the CMS, and it’s taken ages, not really what I was hoping for but that’s what happens when you delve into the world of [...]

After a very spritely start to the day, I hit a wall at 9pm… I can’t even face watching Mad Men. I’ve been thinking about the mental list of things I set myself to do this month and running it over in my mind’s eye, there’s still quite a bit left to do, but I [...]

The sun, blue skies and blossom everywhere makes life amazing doesn’t it? It’s almost dreamlike, as if some kind of flower-power was shooting petalled fireworks from the gnarly knots of the winter trees. It was 19 degrees in London today and everyone was buzzy and happy. I breezed through the day and kept to my [...]

Bright-eyed and bushy tailed on a Monday? Who am I trying to kid! A day without dairy products is probably one of the hardest things I’ve done so far this month. Breakfast without butter, tea without milk and not even the slightest nibble of cheese has been difficult. An evening without wine is easy, but [...]

I was lucky enough to have a lovely lunch with a group friends this afternoon, we had hugely indulgent and divine plates of food. Wouldn’t it be great if life was always like that? But it can’t be so – especially if a Summer holiday is in the planning and the dreaded bikini reveal moment [...]

It’s always a shock to the system when the new term starts, even though it’s only been a fortnight break, having to sort out uniforms, snacks, lunches and all the other gumph is easily forgotten until that time comes around again. While I’ve resorted to getting up earlier but continue to switch the 6am alarm [...]

Trusted wisdom says we need eight hours sleep a night, but BUPA says seven or eight and the NHS says six or nine, so maybe it depends on who your health provider is. For me, seven hours unbroken sleep is more like it, but when I watched Bed Time Live last night I saw a [...]

You don’t need to resort to drastic measures for a life overhaul. Sometimes, it’s the small things which can really make a difference and I’ve been trying three things out over the last couple of weeks. This is the new wonder drug in our house, well it’s not really a drug, it’s much less exciting, [...]

After the terrible events in Boston yesterday, my daughter was really upset before going to sleep. She had gone to bed, sneaked her iPad under the covers to look at stuff online and then read the news articles, watched disturbing video footage and came downstairs crying inconsolably at 11pm. She had got herself into such [...]

Thoughts and prayers with everyone in Boston, that is all.

If you really want to do something, you’ll always find the time won’t you? Well, sometimes you have to try a little harder, well I do, especially when it comes to reading. Over the last year, my capacity for reading books has nosedived. I’ve gone from reading between two and five a month to about, [...]

Do you buy flowers? I do and while they’re an indulgent treat, they’re also a lovely way to mark the passing of seasons. We’re awash with hyacinths and daffodils at the moment but that will soon pass and well be tip-toeing through tulips and daisies. Someone once told me that it was good feng shui [...]

It’s been a really busy week and today was no exception, but as it’s Friday, I’d cannily scheduled in a bit of up time for the evening. As they say, there’s nothing better than having a few laughs, so today’s vodka and tonic was a big night of comedy at Headliners, a night of stand [...]

Today has been hectic, I mean really hectic, my week has been hijacked by deadlines brought forward by a week and an early return home from my daughter…While I’m delighted about both, it’s had a concertina effect on my to do list. This is why everything I usually plan gets put on the back burner [...]

Who needs friends? We all do. Feeling good every day has a lot to do with being in touch with people you love, who you have shared experiences with both good and bad and you can continue to share your lives with in any way possible. I have two very amazing friends who I have [...]

Overhauling your life is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and doing different things. Today, I did that very thing. I spent a great afternoon with Saima who owns The Hampstead Kitchen – a most fantastic start up business which cooks up amazing food according to what you like, where you like and [...]

The day has been overwhelmed with news, first PIP was everywhere, and then the news that Lady Margaret Thatcher has passed away broke. The biggest surprise for me was that the circumstances of her death were more Rock and Roll star gone bad than former head of state; it’s sad that she died alone in [...]

At the end of week one of my Spring life overhaul, it’s time to take stock – is it going well?  Have I achieved what I set out to do? And more importantly, can I manage this for a month? The answer is yes, yes and yes. I feel healthier, more energetic and slightly more [...]

I’m always full of ideas and part of this 30-day process is to substantiate them into something real. This week of culture and inspiration has sparked some creativity in me and for the first time since I can remember, I’ve been sketching.   It’s utterly absorbing. I’ve had this idea for a while for illustrating [...]

Unhappy Birthday hails itself as a no budget movie and has an intriguing synopsis (below) and like Sightseers, it’s a grotesque pastiche of Britain rather than a gentle drama, so be warned but prepared for a Tales of the Unexpected meets Hammer Horror type tale… A surprise birthday party becomes a living nightmare for city-dwelling [...]

Not a big post as it’s just before midnight…I’ve been catching up on stuff I’ve been given to review and was happily waylaid by some unexpected visitors… Expect more tomorrow

Phew – four days in to this malarkey and I feel quite refreshed but being so busy, hitting the sofa for a bit of R&R this evening is no bad thing. It’s still f-f-f-freezing and feels more like the Christmas holidays with the snow. It’s hard to believe it’s April but we’ve been dosing up [...]

Well, the day’s not quite over yet but it’s been productive and busy with lots to feel good about, even though I’m knackered.  I’ ve also had some lovely tweets and comments about my 30-day challenge, which is great so thanks everyone. Today’s big win is that I managed a 5k run.  Getting started the [...]

This is day 2 of my winter to spring/summer overhaul and things are moving along nicely.  I thought this spring clean idea was an invention of Mrs Beeton or some such but actually spring cleaning is an ancient Persian tradition called Khouneh Tekouni – who knew?  I certainly didn’t.  The literal translation is ‘shaking the [...]

After a bad fall running a month ago, I’ve  not hit the streets to do my 5ks since and I’ve grown a bit too fond of Sky Atlantic to make my evenings at home productive.  I’ve been using this extended Winter as a big excuse and decided it’s time for a change. The sun is [...]

London has so much to offer and a lot of it is still free, including the museums in South Ken. We spent a wonderful day at the Science Museum last Friday. I thought it may be foolhardy to head out to one of the popular museums on Good Friday, but it wasn’t too hectic. As we [...]

“It was the courage of the Timorese that inspired me to have courage. That is what has driven me throughout my journey and that is what continues to inspire me today.” – Kirsty Sword Gusmão If you are wondering what we all did before twitter and blogging when trying to effect change, and if you [...]

It seems like International Womens’ Day this year has created a huge splash, largely driven by social media but also online and in the media. I’m not sure I particularly like the google doodle today but it’s a big step to have it there, and even Yahoo! has dedicated part of its home page to [...]

The Wizard of Oz was one of the most memorable films of my childhood and remains so to this day. I loved the books and the author L Frank Baum was himself quite an amazing character. He started writing about the age of 10 and would self publish by typesetting and printing his own short [...]

  Save the Children has launched today a major new body of research, Superfood for Babies, which looks into the state of breastfeeding globally.  This year’s G8 will see countries pledge support for combatting malnutrition.  If all babies were breastfed within the first hour of life, 830,000 children’s lives would be saved every year.  But [...]

After my post yesterday, I’ve pulled together a collection of places to go this half term which focus on a small selection of London attractions including theatre and museums. And yes, this time, money is involved. If you’re visiting London, always make sure you book ahead and leave plenty of time for travel, especially when [...]

Half term in London? Are you mad or what?! I hear you cry. Well, I’m not joking at all. February half term is often the best one to head out in London because it’s decidedly off season as far as the tourist industry is concerned. Only Brits would be so happy to trudge around in [...]

Those of you that know me will be aware that I rely heavily on cabs and am expert in seeking the best deals and quality cars for getting around town when public transport won’t do. I don’t own a car and don’t plan to as I hate driving and think we pollute the world enough [...]

We all know things on the internet can occasionally go pear shaped, but it’s generally a great environment and a positive place to be. Today is Safer Internet Day, so it always worth reminding ourselves of the perils and pitfalls and how to avoid them, plus teaching our kids to use their online time wisely. [...]

In this post, I want to explore the ups and down, ins and outs of social media and the habits of the younger generation. A few years ago, I suggested Facebook Lite for kids, an idea which would maybe help parents let their children onto the social networking site but have some parental guidance in place. [...]

I spent the afternoon with Save the Children yesterday at their London HQ where I joined a throng of bloggers, Thinly Spread, Dorkymum, Hello It’s Gemma and Jenography, youtubers and games makers to get a briefing on the new IF campaign, an initiative spearheaded by Save the Children to solve world poverty and stop millions [...]

Another Monday, another bunch of PR hits the online versions of the media; covered by the Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph and even Business Insider, it seems misery loves company nearly as much as the media loves bad news. For today is (drum roll) Blue Monday, the third Monday of the January, which has [...]

With her latest series, commanding one of the largest viewing audiences over the Christmas telly season, polarising the chattering classes into the lovers or haters, it’s no suprise the media are finding her useful fodder at the moment.  Do you like Miranda?  The TV series?  Miranda Hart the person/personality?     Lucy Mangan wrote a [...]

  Brace yourselves, it’s literally going to be a bump-er year for the bumparazzi (that’s the long-lens-loving photographers who get rich off selling ‘is she/isn’t she’ celebrity photos if you couldn’t get past the puns). So while the media pedals nonsense stories – Jennifer Aniston, according to the number of tabloid reports I’ve seen, should [...]

Is there a better way to start 2013 than to have a bit of a look at a philanthropic business venture which aims to help everyone? Hangovers spent under the duvet aside, of course there isn’t. Last month, I went to a launch event in Hackney at a place called Degree Art. Funnily enough, it’s [...]

Popcorn is everywhere these days.  You can buy it ready popped bagged from the crisps shelf in the super market, in microwave ready bags and in exotic flavours like wasabi and lime, balsamic vinegar with salt, and it’s even making a starring appearance in ice cream these days. We don’t go in for these over [...]

Working parents value nothing more than extra time which is why I look at everything in terms of a basic formula; £s Spent v Time reclaimed Simple as it is, it makes decision making really easy and on that basis, taxis and internet shopping come up tops, and of course, having a cleaner is a [...]

As a Product Champion on WeShop, the innovative shopping collective created by In The Powder Room, I’m always looking out for great things to showcase. Just in time for Christmas comes my latest addition, and a perfect present for friends and family with young ones in the house, Joseph Garcia’s Complete Guide to Baby Signing. [...]

I haven’t posted to the gallery for ages but it’s time to jump back in. This is my post for the gallery this week and the theme is Eyes. This is a series of images which I took on Photo Booth using the Kaleidoscope filter while goofing around on my latest tech haul road-testing my [...]

Appearing on reality TV shows is a career booster for many flagging stars, but when it comes to politicians, quite the opposite seems to be the case. We’ve been watching I’m A Celebrity here at Nixdminx Towers because it’s pretty funny and of course we love to support our local heroes Ant and Dec.  Another [...]

I recently wrote about the new Lush Fun product and last week, having been invited along for afternoon tea, we popped along to the Lush store in Covent Garden to find out more and check out the Christmas goodies on offer there. If you’re Lush aficionado like I am, you’ll know that on first glance [...]

    Contemporary New York, a bunch of female friends, modern life trials and tribulations, haven’t we heard it all before?   Of course we have, which is why when a new show aimed at women gets a lot of  hype in the media I’m only really interested if it’s from a decent source and [...]

This Saturday, 10 November, Mumsnet is heading to Altitude on Millbank and joining the mummy blogging conference throng with a new event; BlogFest, to celebrate all there is to love about blogging and social media in the company of some of the most talented writers and bloggers around, including keynote speakers Caitlin Moran and Miriam [...]

There is no denying that Lush is a great place to get fun handmade toiletry stuff and things for kids.  It manages to remain interesting and environmentally sound without being too worthy or earnest. The defining feature of all shops is the distinctive aroma you can smell at least a block or two away. In [...]