Here comes the sun

I’ve spent much of this week trying to keep kids off screens despite the rain/without spending a small fortune doing so. Hitting deadlines has meant getting up early and working late. But no school run, eating pancakes at 11am and watching films on Netflix in the middle of the afternoon has more than made up …

Gin & Tonic

Last week, one lovely reader asked about gin. She’d walked into a bar, ordered a gin & tonic, was asked which gin and panicked. So, her question: is there really that much of a difference apart from the price tag? Answer: the basic recipe is the same i.e. neutral base spirit with added botanicals. But it’s …

New York, New York

So I won’t go on about it but I went to New York. For the weekend. With no kids. I know. I walked in Central Park desperately hoping to bump into Tom Hanks (I didn’t), window-shopped in Soho, stayed out late in Brooklyn and drank Old Fashioned like it was going out of…you know what I mean. We …

Skin Deep

Ah, new year’s resolutions. Mine remain pretty much as they did last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. Basically, be healthy-ish and only shout when absolutely necessary. Usually, I’m an everything-in-moderation-including-moderation kinda girl. Except this year, for the first time ever, I’m going dry for January. No booze will pass my lips until …

Prize Winning Roses

Tomorrow morning, things might just get a bit stress-y round here. After six weeks of not having to say shout ‘I’M LEAVING IN FIVE MINUTES AND IF YOU’RE NOT IN THE CAR YOU’RE WALKING TO SCHOOL’, we’re back to the old routine. Alarm clocks, rushed breakfasts and the obligatory last minute missing shoe searches (sometimes …

Lady Writer

Pamela Vandyke Price Last week, a lady called Pamela Vandyke Price died, aged 90. The reason I know this is because she was a rather famous name in the wine world. In fact, she was one of our first female wine writers, with a column in The Times back in the 1970s and with a …

Life’s a Beach

The last few weeks have been filled with days spent on various beaches. First in Brittany, where there was also a fair bit of time spent imbibing bread, cheese and wine. And then in Cornwall, with obligatory cream teas. And more wine, obviously. So after pulling on a pair of slightly-too-tight jeans this morning I …

Present Day

Mother’s Day is marked by the cup of tea in bed, a selection of home-made cards and a group hug. All at about 6am which is, you know, a bit annoying but lovely nonetheless. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Except for the present, maybe. Currently, we go home-made. But to be honest, I’d cope …

Happy P-Day

So, tomorrow is publishing day for the KMWC and my book will be in shops. My family pinched all the free ones I was sent (I’ve had to write ‘My Copy’ in my copy). I know some of you have already received pre-ordered copies. Last night we had a little party to celebrate the launch. …

Red Alert

Funny how things turn out sometimes. Yesterday, I got a flat tyre on the way to school. I had to kill an hour in town whilst waiting for a lift home: cue blissful time in the local bookshop, followed by a coffee and browse in my very favourite clothes shop, leaving in a pair of …

Silent Night

This week has been chaotic. Like, properly, stupidly, chaotic. Whoever thought it was a good idea to combine school holidays with a child’s bodyweight in chocolate clearly didn’t think it through. Same goes for holidays and working. Not a great match, as it goes. And then there was the sick bug. Two out of three …

Worrier Princess

I’m a born worrier. I’m the eldest sibling, a Virgo and a mother. Triple whammy. But there is a huge difference in my BC (before childbirth) and AD (after delivery) worries. BC was mostly me: namely money, weight, clothes, job, social & love life. There was a dalliance with existentialism vs. rationalism during the university …

Press For Change

Three brave fellow British Mummy Bloggers have just returned from a visit to Bangladesh with Save The Children to raise awareness for the Press For Change campaign, one that aims to help prevent the deaths of children. 9 million a year, to be precise. I’ve been following their trip here and whooping (to myself) when reading about …