Now that autumn is well and truly here, nights are noticeably longer and temperatures significantly cooler. Here in the UK, the clocks will go back at 2 am on Sunday 27 October plunging us all back into the early morning and early evening darkness which can frankly be a little depressing. Even more important, then, to cope with approaching stresses of the festive season by…

Halloween is almost upon us. The shops are full of Halloween decorations and people are preparing for what has become quite a big party night. It also won’t be long before there’ll be the sound of fireworks being let off late into the night and, when that happens,  you can hear dogs barking right across the village. Pet anxiety can be a big problem for…

Nothing pulls at a parent’s heartstrings, in my experience, like discovering their child is being bullied.  But bullying is a stressful and common problem for school children of all ages, gender, and social standing. In fact, it is estimated that over 50% of the students enrolled in school today are victims of bullying, be it physical, verbal, psychological, or online. School teachers and staff are…

If you’ve saved up your deposit, and are about to step onto the property ladder – then congratulations! It’s a big step, and no matter how old you are when you do it, it never gets less exciting or significant – and of course, daunting. If you’re not familiar with the property market and you’re just going into it, it can seem like a minefield.…

After nearly 12 years as a parent, I’ve certainly gained my fair share of experience when it comes to raising kids. But I still remember those early days struggling to figure out what to do. Why was the baby crying? Was I feeding her enough? Would people judge me if I asked for advice?  Whose advice should I even listen to? It’s always tricky, isn’t…

If your child’s birthday is fast approaching, it’s time to pick out the perfect kids birthday party venue – whether indoors, outdoors or even at home. With plenty of options for younger children and older kids alike, your kid’s party is sure to be the highlight of their year!  You do need to be organised though as the most popular venues can get booked up…

It’s almost Halloween and, much as I adore it, I have very mixed feelings about trick or treating.  In this post I’ll cover some trick or treating safety tips to help keep your kids out of harm’s way – whether they are little ones or teens. Love it or hate it? Opinion seems to be thoroughly polarised between those who think trick or treating is…

Christmas is the time of year when it’s easy to spend more than you can afford and, if you have kids, it’s tempting to buy them everything on their Christmas lists. This means that many of us find it a struggle to make ends meet at the start of a new year. Budgeting at Christmas has little appeal when there’s so much fun to be…

If you read the recent post on the blog regarding common digestive diseases (which you can read here), you will know that a sore stomach can occur for any number of reasons. And while you may be able to tell the difference between an upset stomach and a bit of indigestion, when you have prolonged periods of pain in your abdomen, it’s important that you…