With Boo’s Baptism two weeks away, there is the small matter of my outfit.

Mother of the Boo is an impressive title but what should I wear? I don’t think it needs to be said that I will be wearing my fashion staple, a dress. Well that didn’t take long to narrow down, but is it really narrowing my choices down? Now I have to choose between short, long, fitted, loose and then there is the minefield of colour and material. Ok it sounds like I’m back to square one.

The truth is with Boo and the Stinkies not to mention an often working away He I don’t have much time to shop. So when I saw that House of Fraser had launched their new dresses collection online I couldn’t resist a peek.

Like many other online retailers there are hundreds of dresses on the website, but they have a clever little trick up their sleeve be it short or long that may just be the answer to my time starved prayers. Not only can you narrow down dresses by brand or colour but the nifty tool to the left of the screen allows you to go as far as drop and sleeve length; this makes the inner dress demon very happy!

I’m going to be honest I still haven’t decided what dress I’ll be wearing. I have a shortlist which features many from House of Fraser. If I’m honest I’d quite like this dress but not too sure Boo or He would approve of such lavish spending especially when Boo has an extensive Christmas list. The good thing with House of Fraser’s online dress collection is that if it’s a dress you’re after, you’re sure to find one to suit your style, shape and budget.

Disclosure: A fee was received for this post but in no way affects the honesty of my opinions and experiences told in my own words.

It’s national baking week this week and in our house we all love a bit of cake. It’s an easy lunch box filler and a fresh cake always bring the family together along with a pot of tea.

Ok so I sound like the Martha Stewart of the north with images of me whipping up a batch of cakes before the sun has risen. This is NOT the case. Yes I can bake, I’d go as far to say that I find it relaxing when I’m left alone to create a slice a culinary cuteness.

Sometimes though I want the wow factor without the trial and error / hard work part, and this is where Betty Crocker’s cake mix and ready to spread icing come to the rescue.

We all know how they work: cake mix, egg, oil and water, a big bowl and an eager Stinky to mix it all up and voilà! A quick stint in the oven and the smell wafting through your house would make even Nigella drool.

Once cooled the cake can be iced in a matter of seconds and the finish is the same every time.

Is it cheating? Yes. Is it baking? That’s a grey area but yummy most definitely; a real crowd pleaser.

Betty Crocker’s cake mix and ready to spread icing is the baking equivalent of liposuction; cheating but the result is still damn fabulous.

At 1.30 this morning I made a promise to Boo that if she went to sleep in the next half an hour I would buy her a pretty pair of shoes. We won’t be shoe shopping today or even this week!

Boo decided at 10pm that it was time she got up for a late night play session – because of course that has always featured in her routine! We tried everything to coax her back to her dreamy state but she was having none of it.

An hour later I brought her downstairs as it was no use staying upstairs in a dark room with her shouting ‘What’s this?’.

By midnight I knew I was in for the long haul – Boo was in full hyper mode complete with shrieking, giggling and jumping. Daddy needed to head to bed ready for work in the morning so I gathered the spare duvet, the tent blanket and the snuggle blanket and made a midnight den/ princess bed. My plan was that after a little longer of hyper playing Boo would surely get so tired that she’d fall asleep and then I’d carry her up to her cot. Boy was I wrong.

My lullaby for the early hours of the morning was the incessant quacking coming form Boo’s prized possession at the moment her M&S Duck Sound Book – it promises at least 500 ‘opportunities to play the sound’ although after last night I’m sure I’ll be required to replace it very soon. Quack Quack Quack Quack!

I last looked at the clock at around 2.30 and the next thing I knew Daddy was bringing me a cup of tea announcing that it was indeed morning time. I can vouch for the fact that sleeping on the floor is not good for my back AT ALL!

While nursing a headache that feels suspiciously like a hangover – so not fair. I’m worried that I’ve somehow taken a million steps back by allowing Boo to come downstairs last night – I knew there was no way she was going to settle back down but maybe midnight madness in the living room wasn’t the best idea, all I know is that it can’t happen again anytime soon.

Boo is rocking the hyper mode look this morning while I look like a zombie on a bad day. Thank goodness for jumbo sized sunglasses and tinted moisturizer for when I need to pop out later!