I surprised myself this year by not publishing a New Year's resolutions post. Last year I looked back at the goals I'd set myself and I fully intended to do the same this year. But do you know, with the boys not back at school until today, the New Year hasn't felt like it's officially started just yet. We have eeked out every last drop of the holidays, realising we'd spent just one night at home in 5 last week! The boys have loved our mini adventures with best friends to Bournemouth and adored their sleepover with Granny on Saturday, but yesterday I promised we would have the last day of the holidays on the go slow.

They spent the whole day in pjs, played with absolutely every present they got for Christmas and rediscovered old toys rooting through the playroom. It almost feels alien to say it, after quite a challenging few weeks of over excitement/stamping of feet, but they were delightful. Angels singing to themselves "We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!" 

I almost wished they weren't going back. It's refreshing and rewarding to end the school holidays on a high note! So instead of my traditional New Year list I am going to save my 35 before I'm 35 post for the weekend and share my lovely sister's baby shower we had on Sunday.

When my sister told my niece she was pregnant and they went to the 12 week scan, Yasmin decided that the thing inside Mama's tummy was a baby rabbit. And it's stuck. The bunny theme has got stronger and stronger, with all of us unable to walk past a light up rabbit night light, a hare print cushion or a bunny greetings card! I loved spoiling her the first time around with a Baby Bee party and this time we went for florals and bunnies!

8 of us headed to a beautiful local hotel and took over their garden room for the afternoon. We sat and made floral crowns, stuffed wooden monogram letters with oasis and created floral initials. My sister has decorated the nursery with a mint green and grey colour palette which has brought to life all of Sammy's lovely dark wood furniture that we have passed down to the soon-to-be newest member of the family. I incorporated a touch of gold and peach roses into the party decor and made the most of the vintage bureau and little tables in the room for the nibbles, sweet treats and drinks. 

We made crowns, prettied up our wooden box initials with oasis and flowers and had fun painting a set of alphabet blocks for the baby's room. The canvas rabbit made the perfect memento guest book which we will add to at the baby's Christening. 

Simple games are really all your need for a great shower. We had time to sit and chat over nibbles, watch my sister really smile and relax and laughed through the nappy race game. The bottle trophies were presented to the 3 fastest times for changing a nappy blindfolded on a rabbit stuffed toy!

We are all equally divided between team pink and team blue this time. I am hovering over the team pink column but armed with 6 years of lovely blue clothes if we are blessed with a precious nephew! Everyone went home with something sweet and something to grow and sow. A kraft box pillow of heart chocolates a succulent for a window ledge and a poppy seed head full of seeds to sprinkle, all wrapped up in a sparkly polka dot envelope.

I absolutely loved spending time with my sister's best girls and spoiling her to bits. Now come on baby Broadley we are desperate to meet you! I have my "Go Bag" as Rich calls it packed and ready to head off whatever time of day or night and I can't believe I will get to be there when the baby is born. It is the greatest privilege to be one of her birthing partners and I will never forget the moment I saw Yasmin take her first breath and the absolute raw and powerful emotion of seeing my sister and brother in law become parents.

This is going to be a special year.

A big thank you to The Paper Hare for the beautiful invitations, cake picks and stickers, perfectly on theme! 

Ok, it may only be the 26th November but I am in the festive spirit. For me, this time of year is a little like the birthday cake at a children's party. We always display our cake in the middle of the buffet table, so the birthday boy and everyone else for that matter, can enjoy it. Not spend lots of time (uh hmm I mean some money - on the resolution list to bake a birthday cake) on this incredible creation for it to be whipped out in the final 5 minutes then cut up and popped into party bags to get crumbled into the car on the way home!

Christmas is just like that. I want to enjoy the build up for as long as possible and that means getting in the seasonal spirit from right now!

I've been slipping colourful crackers into the house, picking up lengths of ribbon and edible decorations for the last couple of weeks, ready for this post. I may actually have squealed at the postman when he delivered the box marked Fragile, with not clue what was inside. But I did. 

West Elm is one of my most favourite home interiors companies. It's one of the stores on my must go to list when we visit my brother in the States and when they opened a London store with shipping across the UK I was giddy. It's one of a very very small number of brands whose products my husband and I 100% agree on. Everything from the styling of the store, the simplicity and understated elegance of the website, to the cushions and crockery. 

It's all divine.

When we bought the house last year one of the first purchases was a West Elm armchair, a blanket and matching cushion for the living room. They were the only company who embraced a coral and mint colour trend last year and I wanted to buy up the store. 

When we stay with my brother and sister in law, we have had the chance to go into New York City for the day. A quick 50 minute train ride and we always head to the Flat Iron Building to walk around the pavement cafes enveloping the park and then make a beeline for Fishs Eddy. I walk in and gasp. An independent family store, selling every kind of kitchen ware, crockery and beautiful books, vintage linens and unique glassware and ceramics. I carry my hand luggage onto the plane like it carries the crown jewels! 

I recently broke my favourite sausage dog jug and was over the moon when I spotted a Fishs Eddy collaboration with West Elm. They stock a number of their gorgeous lines and new in for Winter this year is their gilded table ware - and it's currently on sale too!  It was a pleasure to style up a festive table scene on our old french table, the mini balloons and greenery pulling together this black, gold and a hint of lime scheme.

West Elm in the country!

There's a hint of whimsy with the comical slogans and the elegant pattern reminds me of an art deco hotel. Paired with simple styling, elegant foliage, they get to be the star of the table. I love the more rustic woven napkin rings and ever since we moved here I have collected a stash of linen napkins. If you like classic lines mixed with contemporary prints and on trend colour palettes this is the collection for you. 

Gold feels like the colour of the year and their stemless glasses give the less formal naked table a more glamorous feel and the gold cutlery puts the fabulous in flatware! Take advantage of the sale where the glassware is on special offer. I would use the salad plates as dinner wares they are slightly smaller and perfect for a narrow table. And you can always have seconds!

I love the idea of table names, even just for a few of you. It feels like an extra special meal. Mini ginger bread men are a great way to get the children involved in your festive table, make a batch and use some for edible place cards, then you can eat your name tags! A sprinkle of edible gold leaf just gave them that extra sparkle.

The simplest recipes are always the best. My mum suggests this one. 

In a mixing bowl combine 350g flour, 100g butter or margarine, 5 teaspoons of ground ginger, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Mix with your fingertips until crumbly. Add 175g of soft brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of golden syrup and one egg and stir until it forms a firm consistency. If you find the mix a little wet, add a touch more flour and keep stirring until you have a pastry type texture.

Roll out your mix to your preferred thickness and cut your shapes with a cookie cutter. Lightly grease a baking tray and cook in a pre heated oven at 180c/Gas Mark 4 for 12-15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to make sure they are not burning as all ovens vary a little. 

Laying the table over the Christmas period is such a pleasure, I love planning it all, making an extra effort for Christmas Eve, (we are planning an Indian feast) the big day itself and we have lots of family and friends celebrations from Boxing Day through to New Year. It doesn't matter what you serve, making a little extra effort just makes it all taste nicer.

How do you style your table? Do you get your wedding plates out of a box like Monica from Friends?!!! 

I am loving all the beautiful tables shared on social media today. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the US, especially my brother and sister in law and their mini bump!

In collaboration with West Elm. 

I have boys, they love brains and slugs and anything disgusting. They make potions in the garden, stirring mud, petals, leaves and shards of grass in little jars. But it turns out their girly pals love it all too! So here is a dastardly dish for your Halloween party that will delight all those little ghouls!

Super simple to make - who doesn't adore ready to roll pastry?!

Here's how to make your jammie brains...

All you need is shortcrust pastry (I bought mine but feel free to make it!), strawberry jam and a beaten egg to glaze.

It's so easy it's not worth writing a recipe for! These are tarts your children can make in minutes.

Take your pastry and roll it out on your kitchen work surface or chopping board.

Using a round pastry cutter, punch out your tart bases with a 3 inch diameter cutter.

Press your pastry circles into a baking tin and add a healthy dollop of jam for the blood. See I told you - disgusting!

Now you need to make your pastry brains.

You can choose to add a smaller circle of pastry using a slightly smaller cutter so your brain sits on top, or just add your edible cortex straight on top of the jammie centre.

Cut approximately 1cm thick strips of pastry. Roll them between your fingers like a rolling pin going back and forwards until you have made pastry sausages!

The longer the better, but beware of the pastry splitting. 

As you layer them onto your jam centre, curl the lengths of pastry slightly to get a more realistic brain shape.

Let the children join in, they don't have to be perfectly symmetrical, it's all part of the Halloween fun!

Add 2 smaller rolled strips down the centre of your brain, glaze with a beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12 -15 mins until golden brown and with bubbly jam pouring out of your tasty brains tarts. 

A total pastry indulgence!

What's not to love?! We are heading to my sister's for a Halloween party for 3 on Saturday. Just the boys and their little cousin Yasmin and we can't wait. 

What are you making for Halloween this year?