As Boo’s first full week at big girl school comes to an end, we’re getting into the swing of things. Mornings are running pretty smoothly and on the whole Boo is a an eager little bunny when it comes to dropping her at the classroom door. The real adjustment for me comes at 12.15 – there is nothing.

For the past four years regardless of nursery, childcare, etc lunchtime has been ours; apart from when I’ve had to commute into town or work away (which being freelance thankfully isn’t that often). Even if we weren’t eating at exactly 12.15, we were bound to be dashing off somewhere – to meet friends, go swimming, pop into town for an event or simply settle down for a cheeky movie session. Now she’s off immersed in a world of her own, which is exactly what she should be doing; not hanging from me – I definitely don’t want that for Boo, I want her to flourish and be the best and happiest she can be.

Whilst I feel sadness I do not feel regret; knowing that Boo is my one and only I took onboard one of the most important pieces of advice I was ever given: Enjoy and savour every single moment, take pleasure from the ordinary and celebrate every event with as much passion and love that you have. That is exactly what I have done for the past four years and although it will never be enough for the mummy memory bank as I will always crave more – thank goodness for the lovely week we spent in Alicante just before Boo started school making wonderful memories – (I’m pretty sure it’s like that for everyone?!) I am proud of the beautiful young lady Boo is becoming and will somehow manage to fill the 12.15 gap – hello to taking more work projects on and maybe just maybe managing to finish a cup of tea without it going cold!

My feeling lost is thankfully only temporary as come 3.15 every afternoon Mummy and Boo are back in business and ready to pack in as much adventure and fun as possible.

Enjoy school Boo, you’re going to love it and I’m pretty sure they already love you!

When Boo was a baby I was really particular about what toys she had, in fact when I say particular what I mean is that 90% of her toys were Lamaze, so when they invited us to Hamleys this afternoon for a storytelling session with Milkshake presenter Jen Pringle, we were thrilled to get a chance to take a trip down memory lane with Lamaze and see the new toys from the Autumn/Winter 2015 collection.

Hamleys is a special place for me, living in central London for some of my childhood meant that Hamleys really was my local toy shop and despite now being an adult, I still get excited when I step over the famous threshold and with ‘the finest toy shop in the world’ turning 255 next month they’re still offering magic and wonder for children.. and plenty of adults too!

Lamaze toys, from TOMY have a simple but ingenious approach when it comes to toys; they believe that by offering ‘The Right Toy At The Right Time’ will help babies grow, discover and learn through play. I remember one of the best things I loved about Lamaze toys were that they helped to inspire daily discoveries for Boo, even in the early days and being designed with two levels of play – packed full of surprises for both Mummy and Boo to discover and independent play – they grew with Boo in the crucial first year of play and development.

Throughout the afternoon, Boo and her friend Poppy got the opportunity to sit down with the lovely Jen Pringle from Channel 5’s Milkshake and enjoy story time with a scrummy buffet and to top it all, magical and blingy (trust me when you’re 4, bling is EVERYTHING!) face painting.

Massive thank you to all the team at Lamaze and Hamleys not forgetting Jen Pringle for a perfect afternoon rekindling our love for baby toys and having a blast.

I’m the first to admit that I’m extremely fortunate when it comes to holidays; getting the opportunity to travel so frequently for the blog is an incredible perk and one that earns me endless hate – I know you love me really!

However there is some skill that comes to travelling a lot, often at a moments notice: I am the queen of packing and keeping it hand luggage only (there is nothing worse than standing at a baggage carousel at 1am on your return to a rainy UK only to discover that there must be a personal grudge against you by the baggage handlers, as that’s the only reason you bag is ALWAYS the last!). Frequent travelling, often out of season also means you get pretty good at knowing exactly what you do and don’t need and having it to hand – that includes travel size toiletries and cosmetics.

George very kindly sent me the greatest little wheeled carry on suitcase – take it from me, finding a good one of these really is the holy grail of frequent flying – filled with gorgeous swimwear and beachwear, perfect for summer getaways and when I’m seeking winter sun.

I got this gorgeous neon paisley bikini which works really well with a tan and is a good enough fit to jump in the pool for a splash about with Boo, I also picked out a couple of swimwear covers up – perfect for lazy days by the pool and they proved pretty popular with Boo and soon became her favourite poolside siesta blanket!

I often get asked how I’m able to pack so quickly and efficiently and if I’m honest there’s no real secret – just practice, a good list and a go to holiday wardrobe full of stylish and versatile pieces; thanks to George for adding for adding some key pieces.

Disclosure: We were sent beachwear and luggage by George for review. No payment was received and all opinions are 100% honest.

Believe it or not it’s summer, yes I know the rain and the drop in temperature may have some of us fooled but now is the time to be thinking of holidays (ok ok I admit I’ve pretty much have holidays on my mind all the time!) and lazy afternoons in the sun but instead I’ve been whacking the heating on and reaching for a jumper.

Boilers are usually the last thing on people’s minds during summer but looking out the window this afternoon I’m starting to accept that the heating system in our house isn’t likely to be getting a substantial break this year – owing to the weather and that I was built for much warmer climates (think deserts) so am constantly cold.

A boiler is a part of the house, that you take for granted and don’t really pay it much attention until something goes wrong – I must admit that while I have contents insurance for the house, breakdown insurance for the car I haven’t thought about insuring the boiler against breakdown. Scottish Power, boiler cover offers protection from as little as £6.50 per month; which is the same cost as a trip to Starbucks for me and Boo and takes all the stress out of trying to figure out what to do when the boiler breaks down in the middle of the coldest Februarys on record (mark my word it’ll happen).

There’s plenty of different options when it comes to choosing boiler cover: from breakdown only, right through to a yearly service and with the average UK winter temperature last year at 3.3ºC and my fear of the cold – I’m pretty sure that’s a proper phobia and not just me – I won’t be taking chances and let’s face it: boiler cover is a heck of a lot cheaper than checking into a hotel when your house resembles an igloo.

Posted in collaboration with Scottish Power

I love the house being full of flowers, for me it’s one of life’s little indulgences – such a small touch that makes the difference between a house and a home. If I’m honest, I like flowers in every single room from the kitchen to Boo’s bedroom; even a few stems in a jam jar next to my bed are a welcome sight.

My favourite flowers are lilies, roses, peonies, tulips and gladioli and recently I’ve started to really get into flower arranging and experimenting with looks throughout the house. I’ve been increasingly searching the web for florist supplies as it’s a great way – as is the oracle that is Pinterest – to browse different flowers and all the accessories that go with them without looking like a total tool and asking a million and one questions every time I pop into my local florist.

This week’s house blooms are masses of pink oriental lilies in every room, I love the smell that floods the house and Boo loves sitting and trying to blow the pollen – someone please remind me why I attempt an all white house!

As you’ve probably guessed, party planning and flowers are a match made in heaven for me even if it’s tiny artificial flowers woven into bunting for an impromptu tea party, they’re the perfect addition that adds a finishing touch to any occasion.

Put simply I can’t get enough of flowers, I’ll take them anyway I can get them… What’s your favourite bloom?

Posted in collaboration with Michael Dark.