Is it just me, or as the weather has changed from autumn sunshiny days and pathways strewn with golden leaves that demanded to be kicked and tossed in the air like you were 5 again to wet puddles and miserable endlessly grey skies, the need for a winter treat to cheer you up has got greater?!

I find myself slipping a (uh hmm) family pack of Minstrels or Malteasers into the weekly shopping trolley, because it just feels so comforting to swirl your fingers into a bowl of chocolates. I like to empty mine into a bowl so I can hear the chinking sound of the chocolates against the china as I dive in for a handful searching for the misshapen one at the bottom.

It's a time for complete indulgence. And I love it.

More kisses at the school gates wishing each other a lovely Christmas, rum cocktails on a Tuesday, extras with a roast dinner on a Sunday, suddenly I feel the need for all the trimmings and it's not even Christmas dinner day yet! Yes I need cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings, red cabbage (I mean how good are the microwave ranges in the supermarket this year - I am totally cheating on the 25th December!?) and fires on a Friday morning.

My usually positive nature feels like it gets chipped away in the dark days of winter. I long for flip flops and spring and summer colours around me. I'm snapping at the boys more, my patience seems shorter and I am feeling the pressure of working in more limited daylight hours. So I do what I know best. Accessorise and indulge!

I've covered the sofas in cosy blankets which get equally used for den making and snuggling under for a film on a Sunday afternoon. My favourite sheepskin from the local farm shop hangs over the back of the sofa in the living room, for tired school boys who need to rest their weary heads after pick up.

This time of year is about cosiness and comfort. We sink into bed each night under our Winter Warm Slumberdown duvet and I feel like I can't get up in the mornings! It's too dark and I am way too warm, cocooned like a sausage roll in a pastry made from cotton wool. The westies are in complete agreement ;)

Winter time comes at the end of the year, a perfect time to say thank you and treat the ones who have loved you, supported you, encouraged and embraced you through the year.

So I have 2 treats today for you lovely readers.

Firstly a new set of floral wallpapers - it's been such a long while since the last! I picked out some of my favourite props and got silly with the glitter! You can download one or all of them! 

Choose your favourite and let me know!

Just click on an image to download.

I also have the perfect winter comforts bundle to win from Slumberdown. Because for all the racing around around, present buying, gift wrapping and good deeds we will do before the big day, you deserve to feel spoilt!

You will win:

A copy of the GBBO book, a vintage bath time pampering set, a fabulous hot chocolate set from Not on The High Street and a pair of Slumberdown's luxury silky pillows!

To enter leave a comment on this blog post or any of the wallpaper images I share over on my Instagram account. 

The competition is open to UK residents and will close at midnight on Christmas Eve GMT. 

Good luck!

I don't like Christmas time, I LOVE Christmas time. Like really love it. I adore the decorations, the parties, the wrapping, the food, the total justification to watch Love Actually on loop for 2 weeks.

I love the look of complete amazement in the boys eyes as the house gets covered in fairy lights and I take such pleasure putting up our Christmas tree. I've been growing a collection of baubles for years and the ritual of bringing them down from the loft and remembering when I bought each one, just makes me feel warm and cosy inside!

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I sit in the co-ordinated tree camp. I am all for the magic of Christmas being about the children, heck I have lovingly kept every single decoration they have ever made, wrapped up their tissue paper-glittery- creations each January and hoarded every cotton wool bearded Santa but... they have their tree and I have mine! It's like a reward at the end of the year - perfectly placed baubles, my boy helping me, with a bit of Mariah in the background and all the standing back, squinting to the left, squinting to the right, faffing and fiddling!

One of the things I adore about the house is it's very traditional layout and because we use the bigger living space for a family/dining room, it means we have the more formal sitting room as our grown up lounge. The boys blast in, we will have the coffee table covered in snacks for movie night on Christmas Day and the dogs will stretch out in front of the fire, but it's a room that I can pretty up with a beautiful tree in my favourite colours.

This year I knew I wanted to add to my gold and white collection, and was thrilled to collaborate with B&Q to show you their range of artificial trees and their new range of decorations. 

You know when you walk into a shop and want them all. That. 

They have totally managed to combine incredible value with great design, contemporary geometrics and luxurious textures. And the best thing of all the majority are shatterproof! We tested them - they bounce! 

We have boys who don't walk they bolt. And with 2 cheeky westie pups I resisted the urge to fill my trolley with the ceramic hanging baubles and hearts, and instead picked up two as real special ones. Our pup Moose in particular cannot be trusted indoors, even with a green rug, he sees it as a big piece of grass - so an artificial tree is definitely for us! 

I do love the smell and shape of a real tree, but I also like a big bushy one! And one I can tease into shape, manipulate to hang heavier decorations and which needs nothing after Christmas than squeezing back into it's box and popping in the loft.

I walked the aisle debating the pros and cons with another customer, pre-light vs a bargain price, more realistic needles vs berry embellishments but ultimately for me it's all about the shape. I love a tree which has beautiful symmetry, one with a longer top branch which I always need to fold over to fit into the wonky area in front of the window seat. 

I was so impressed at the huge range, for every budget and so many under £50 and under £100, that looked far more expensive.

Then I set eyes on the Lakewood beauty and that was it! A good quality artificial tree is an investment, if you want the more realistic looking branches, a variety of greenery, those extra built in decorations, you do spend a little more. But it's so worth it, our previous tree has been in our Christmas photos for 10 years! 

Our room is fairly neutrally decorated with pale grey walls and blue accessories. We have brass wall lamps and curtain poles and the warm gold tones help to make it feel cosier. 

I like to have a base of more basic baubles, plain, simple and good fillers. I use cheap small crackers and bows too to add interest but at a fraction of the price of more intricate decorations, and save the best spots of the tree for the fancier baubles.

I always start with the sturdier larger baubles at the bottom (THINK BOISTEROUS BOYS & WOOFERS) and work upwards, like a pyramid. 

I also rummaged through the sale baskets by the till points and found some bargain 20p triangular patterned glittery baubles from their 2014 range! 

Colour coded branches - this was a totally new concept on me! So simple but so effective!

By having individual branches to attach rather than shaking out a three piece tree as I have done in the past, you get to really tease out each individual stem. 

This means that you can build the shape from the bottom and then give it a final zhush. 

The best thing about this tree is that once all the smaller branches are splayed out you can't see through it. The thicker branches fill out all the gaps and they all are strong enough to take the heaviest of baubles.

It honestly feels like such a treat to walk into the room, I have mixed our new decorations with some treasured old ones and feel like I have this almost heirloom type sentiment collection. All with the most beautiful angel coloured by the boys! 

And just in case you thought I was telling porkies...

Thank you to B&Q for inviting me to select our tree and decorations this year. I couldn't be more thrilled with our beautiful bushy fir! Now I just need to get wrapping and fill the underneath with presents!

What colour scheme are you going for this year?! Are you a classic red and green fan or love a complete colourful rainbow for your tree? 

Tonight I have an old twig wreath that I want to hang from the ceiling over the dining table. I am going to paint some feathers with gold tips and hang them with mistletoe with some rough string. And then our festive decor will be complete.

Happy decorating!

This year we will be at home for the lead up to the big day and Christmas itself and I can't wait. We have a mass family get together in Oxford on the 23rd and a date with best friends and Father Christmas's grotto on the 22nd, but this year, Christmas day will be just us and my in laws.

And I am determined to enjoy every minute with the boys, give them a wonderful day from start to finish. And a festive fun breakfast will start the day in the best possible way - there's chocolate at breakfast - it's got to be a winner right?!

Christmas morning is a perfect excuse for a treat breakfast and these ideas are easy for the children to join in with too. Now there are lots of pancake ideas floating about at this time of year but I say try these scotch pancake ideas, I want to make the boys something with wow factor with minimal effort, I mean I do have a Christmas dinner to cook too and I don't like being a slave to the kitchen on Christmas Day - you miss too much. So I cut as many corners as possible!!!

I picked up a packet of caramel waffles, scotch pancakes, chocolate chips, fruit and raided my Bento drawer for some edible eyes, sprinkles and icing pens I had left over and hoorah, we had the makings of a breakfast of champions.

You can substitute anything you want, but I love the waffles for Rudloph and instead of squirty cream which my boys don't like I used white sugar cake sprinkles for Father Christmas' beard.

Grapes would work just as well for your green tree and raisins would be a healthier option for the antlers. 

Now I just need to think of a grown up alternative!

My brother in law always follows his Philippine traditions and has ham and mango chutney, but Rich makes a mean poached egg so I may go for a twist on the traditional smoked salmon and eggs. 

Which one would your little or big ones like the most?

In our house Rudolph was most popular!