30 Wishes

Just a few days ago I joined club 30. I waved goodbye to my twenties and celebrated my birthday with family and friends over a delicious Indian meal with just one or two (bottles of) alcoholic beverages. I'd been dreading it to be honest, it felt as though my youth was coming to a bitter end and I was about to burst with grey hair and wrinkles (getting older is daunting for everyone, right?) but I decided to do something positive to mark my special day with Balloon Time instead.

Balloon Time kits are a convenient way to fill balloons at home in preparation for any celebration. They can easily transform a room and make it far more festive whether it's for a wedding day, christening or baby shower - whatever you like, and if you are a little adventurous you could create some bouquets or centre pieces for the table. You can even give them away to guests as favours at the end of the event which the children in particular will appreciate too. 

A Royal Summer

This time last year we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of a little prince; George. He is already a major trend setter with many mums purchasing the same attire for their own little boys, and he hasn't yet turned 1! It looks as though it's going to be a very royal summer indeed with his birthday on the agenda, and plenty of celebrations for Kate and William's bundle of joy, plus many other special occasions too for the royals too...

Prince George had one of the heaviest birth weights of any royal recorded and it's predicted that it

Mother's Day - Bargain Buys

Homemade cakes and cards are a lovely treat on Mother's Day, but quite often your kind and thoughtful little ones will want to use their own pocket money to purchase a gift for mum. They probably don't have a fortune to spend though so making the most of their pennies will certainly help - our list of bargain buys should provide you with some ideas!

All of these are just £5 or less.

• Aldi have a superb selection of great value gift solutions this March from handbags and pjs to flowers and teapots. Their cosmetic bags come in a set of three and are perfect for mums that like to travel with all of their essentials to hand or just want to keep their makeup organised

Silent Sunday

A Guide for Wedding Guests

Family celebrations are few and far between for us but in just over two weeks my little brother is marrying the love of his life in Liverpool! He popped the question in rather a romantic way last year while in Paris, on a river cruise, and we are all very much looking forward to the wedding... the first in our family for nearly 20 years.

The past year since the proposal has flown by and now as the big day approaches we have been organising outfits, scheduling hair and makeup appointments and booking our hotel rooms. I'll admit I'm no expert, far from it in fact, but hopefully my tips will help others preparing to be a guest at a special occasion too.

Invitation reply

As soon as you receive an invite check your calendar at the earliest opportunity to see if you are available to attend the event and respond promptly. No doubt there is catering and seating to be arranged and if you can't make it they have the chance to invite others instead. 

If a menu is supplied make sure you send that back too, just check for any possible allergies beforehand.

Buying a gift

Although the bride and groom are likely to appreciate all presents they receive, choosing something from the gift list, if they have one, is the best idea. It prevents people buying duplicates or things that aren't to there taste that will end up gathering dust in a cupboard somewhere! If you aren't sure what to get then a voucher for a large department store should come in handy for most couples as they can pick something lovely for themselves.

What to wear

From your beautiful designer outfit to your amazing high heeled shoes you will want to look stunning on the day and dress to impress. I'd recommend looking for an outfit 3-4 months before the wedding to narrow down what suits your shape, taking a friend along with you for an honest opinion, and purchasing something 6-8 weeks beforehand. 

Don't forget your matching accessories too and booking in your hair, nails and makeup if you wish to with plenty of time to spare.

Behaviour

It may be amusing to swap the place cards, the food may be so good that you want to take leftovers home and the centrepieces may look lovely in your home but sneaking things into your bag is not the way to behave. Just remember it's someones big day and you don't want to embarrass yourself or upset others while there. Also if you are drinking don't drink to excess, vomit down yourself isn't a good look and you don't want to cause injury on the dance floor!

Travel

If like us you are travelling for a few hours to the venue, try to get there the day before just in case of any traffic or transport issues on the day which may result you missing the ceremony and reception! Don't forget about arranging your transport home at the end of the special day back to your accommodation too, it's wise to book a taxi in advance.

What advice would you offer guests at a wedding?

*This is a sponsored post*

Meal Planning Monday

The Christmas celebrations which saw us indulge in some delicious festive meals are now over and after this evening we will be back to some form of normality when it comes to eating as a family.
I'm aiming to lose 3 stone by September so January is a detox for the Mr and I who are both avoiding alcohol, chocolate and take-away to kick start 2013!

This weeks planner...

NYE Party buffet
Carbonara
Chicken Tikka Masala
Fish, jacket potato and veg

We are child free Friday-Sunday as the Mini Mes will be with their dad but I'm thinking of steak with veg, a roast dinner and lasagne will be on the agenda over the weekend.

What's on your menu?

I'm linking this over with At Home With Mrs M.

Christmas Preparations

With the year flying by it really is time to start thinking about Christmas and preparing for the big day, regardless of how much the Mr would like to leave it until 24th December to get organised.

Most years I find myself out and about Christmas eve fetching the last few bits in for dinner that I have forgotten and in a mad panic wrapping gifts I hadn't remembered were hidden under the bed/in the boot of the car/up the attic/under the stairs. I felt it wise to create a check list for to ensure nothing is missed out as I would love a completely stress free day and the chance to sit and drink wine for the majority of it.

Buy the most wanted and expensive gifts first. It helps to spread the cost a little so you only have the little bits and bobs left to purchase and prevents your child from missing out if things are sold out later on. Pick up your variety of toys and other goodies now!

Prepare your Christmas cards. You don't need to post them just yet but writing a list of who you are sending them to now, or even writing them, saves the time nearer the big day when things will be a little more hectic and the shops will be a lot busier.

Stock up on batteries. Not only will you need these for all of the toys but for the camera too. You don't want to miss out on those magical moments.

Sticky tape and gift tags are usually the two I run out of first so I will be having lots of these spare this year, colour coordinated of course!

We usually put the tree up on 1st December but it would look a little bare without lights and decorations so make sure all of yours are in working as soon as you can and pick up some more if you need to.

Get your advent calendars. I used to buy chocolate filled ones for a tasty treat each day but I often found doors hanging open earlier than they should be! I have therefore resorted to Advent Calendars with play sets that you build instead as they last a lot longer and save on the E numbers (and calories).

You may be preparing a huge family feast with all the trimmings this Christmas but don't forget your basics. You will need milk and bread and the shops wont be open so stock up. You can always freeze some if necessary. You can also make and bake bits now and freeze them for later too.

Make sure you have stamps, and plenty of them to get your parcels and cards out in plenty of time. 

Check out Royal Mail's last postage dates:

Thursday 13 December - Standard and Mail Order Return Parcels

Tuesday 18 December - Second Class and Recorded Signed For™

Thursday 20 December - First Class and Recorded Signed For™Special Delivery™

Friday 21 December - Special Delivery™ with Saturday Guaranteed 

Saturday 22 December - Special Delivery™

Discuss where you will be spending the day. If you are travelling to spend Christmas with friends and family get your tickets for trains, coaches or flights and hotel arranged well in advance. You don't want all the seats and rooms to be booked ruining your plans.

If family are coming to you make sure you have enough cups, plates and cutlery for everyone to enjoy their meal with. Think about sleeping arrangements and if you don't have spare duvets and air beds get them to bring them along with them.

Make a cooking schedule so you know what needs going in and out of the oven when and defrost your turkey in plenty of time. This saves a lot of time Christmas eve and day reading boxes and packets and faffing about in the kitchen when you could be downing sherry.

Are you looking forward to the big day? 

What preparations do you enjoy the most?

*This is a partnered post. As always, all my opinions are my own and not swayed by outside sources*