It wasn’t a landmark birthday but a birthday none the less. It’s a shame I only got one slice of my own cake but that’s the problem when you’ve got two teenagers in the house I suppose. We’ve actually started writing things on stuff in the fridge, “DO NOT EAT!”, “FOR DINNER ON TUESDAY”, “FOR PACKED LUNCHES, NOT SNACKING”, and so on because it appears that everything else is fair game. Of course writing “KEEP YOUR SODDING HANDS OFF MY CAKE”  in icing would have lessened the aesthetic of the cake. I was a little disappointed none of the kids asked me why my IQ was on the cake, which I feel ..read more

There are plenty of articles written about busy mums and how they can speed up their beauty and skincare routines, but for dads, there isn’t as much consideration; why is that? Traditionally men have been seen as less interested in their looks. That “bed hair” look has always got you through before, right? Wrong. The Importance Of Being Well Groomed Being well-groomed is today the key to success, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a sharp suit, short hair, and no beard. No, being well-groomed today means having your personal look and style and ensuring you’re looking good, and that can be a tou ..read more

Most people would agree that natural light makes all the difference to a space. Whether it’s your own home space, a home space you’re looking to sell, or even an office space, natural light can be the difference between good health or negative health. Here are explored 5 key benefits of natural light at home that you should know about. 1. Improved Mental Health Sunlight makes you happy, and a light and bright home is always going to improve your mood compared to a dark one. If you spend a lot of time at home, especially when you have a family, then the more natural light you can introduce, the ..read more

One of my big successes of the last 7 months has been my running. It only happened by accident too; the swimming pools closed down in late October due to Covid, so I decided to go out for a jog, and the rest they say, is history. Or it was until I pulled a hamstring rather badly in mid April. I’ve only ever had two bad injuries before- a chip fracture on my ankle playing football when I was 20, and another ankle injury when I fell up the stairs and landed on my foot. This was worse than both of those injuries for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I’d really got into running and it was helping me o ..read more

The last 30 or so years have witnessed a considerable shift-change in people’s attitudes to cigarettes and smoking in general. As the world has slowly begun to wake up to the dangers of smoking (and inhaling second-hand cigarette smoke), there has been a considerable backlash to the habit.  With governments the world over now taking an active stance against smoking by trying to discourage cigarette use and limiting the places where people can smoke, it seems there’s a slow but growing revolution taking place. Where once cigarette smoking was considered ‘cool’ (look back at old movies for ..read more

With so much technology at our fingertips, finding the time to enjoy the natural world with our families can be difficult, especially if we are living in the middle of a city. However, spending time in nature is definitely something we should be trying to do more of for ourselves and for our children. From fresh air and sunlight to trees, plants, and flowers, nature can have a calming effect on us and even boost our mental health. If you want to make the natural world a bigger part of your day-to-day life, here are some ideas to help you bring nature into the family home.  Bring in lots o ..read more

It’s been ten weeks since I started running, pulling on that old pair of trainers and going out in the dark before dawn with the lady wife. If I’d been doing the Couch 2 5K programme I’d now have run my first 5K. Instead, I’ve done the following:- 34 5K runs 7 10K runs 2 half marathons I’ve managed to knock 12 minutes off my best 5K time and 13 off my 10K. My two half marathons were within 40 seconds of each other, despite being entirely different routes, so I’m nothing if not consistent now. I’m fairly pleased with that, although I’ve plateaued in terms of distance. Need to build up my stam ..read more

If you’re lucky enough to have a good-sized garden, it’s important to make sure it’s safe and spacious for your children to enjoy during the summer months. If you are thinking about doing some work in your garden, here are some suggestions on how you can make it great for your kids as well as yourself: Clear Some Space It’s no secret that kids like to run around, whether they’re chasing each other or playing football. This is why it’s important to clear some space in your garden where they can do this safely without the risk of knocking over your plant pots or damaging the flowerbeds. Preferab ..read more

Gardens can be magical places for children, providing a space in nature that they can play and stretch their imaginations, all while getting some fresh air and exercise. Your lawn, hedges and garden shed might look basic to you, but to a child your garden can easily become a vast jungle, spaceship or assault course. However, your garden could hold some hazards for children that will soon spoil their fun should they get hurt. To ensure that your child’s playtime remains magical and free of tears, here is how you can child-proof your garden. Remove poisonous plants and fungi Children are notorio ..read more

Lockdown has sort of officially ended but as a country, we’re not really returning to the office yet in massive numbers, as working from home has proved successful for many and let’s face it, encouraging people to return to the office AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL SUMMER HOLIDAYS was never going to be the greatest piece of joined up thinking from our illustrious leaders. We’ve continued plugging away at work and household life, which has settled into a bit of a monotonous drudge. The monotony has been alleviated by the lack of rushing around, chasing our own tails, with extra curricula lessons a ..read more