Afternoon Tea in Cheltenham

Earlier this month, the calm of the Cotswolds was disturbed momentarily. Why?

For the Cheltenham Festival, of course!

One of the biggest events in horse racing, every March ladies and gents flock from the world over to glorious Gloucestershire, ready to place a bet on their favourite runners, dress up in their finery, and enjoy a tipple or two. Anyone who's anyone is sure to be seen at the course - including the Duchess of Cambridge on several occasions - so you could say that it's quite an important event on the social calendar.

Mum and I had a much better idea, though.

Spring Lust List

Spring is most certainly on its way!

How do I know?

Because there's a beautiful bunch of blooming daffodils on our dining table, the days are getting lighter and brighter, and I've spotted the first hot cross buns edging their way onto the supermarket shelves.

You can also feel it in the air, can't you? That little edge of optimism as people go about their day with a 'spring' in their step... {Sorry, couldn't resist.}

A new season means a fresh start: a chance to clear out the wardrobe, shove the winter woollies right to the back - and treat yourself to a few new pieces, of course!

Never one to resist creating a wish list {a girl can dream} I've gathered up some of my favourite clothes, beauty buys and homewares hitting our high street right now - so grab a cup of tea and an Easter biscuit, and get clicking!

C L O T H E S

There are some really gorgeous items around this spring - I particularly love Joules' and Boden's offerings. My favourites have got to be the Hallie top with its charming clematis print - perfect as a Mother's Day gift for green-fingered mums! - and the meadow green Angelica T-bar flats, ideal for adding a pop of colour to any outfit.

Am I a Feminist?

Am I a feminist?

I want men and women to be treated equally, and not discriminated against purely based on their gender.

Currently, this is not the case. Here in the UK, or globally.

Are you a feminist?

Would you trust a female pilot less than a male one?

Would you refuse to be treated by a male midwife?

Would you balk at the sight of a female security guard?

No. Of course not. So why do we accept that in some areas, women are still being paid less than their male counterparts, for doing exactly the same job - purely based on their gender?

Are you a feminist?

Happy Eating

I love food.

I do, I really do - I love buying ingredients, cooking, baking, eating out at restaurants, trying new cuisines... You get the idea. I had a bit of a reputation whilst I was at school as I wouldn't share my snacks with anyone - I like to think that I'm a bit more generous these days {Unless it's chocolate. There's no way I'm letting ANYBODY get their paws on my chocolate.}

Mr Maggie May and I have always prided ourselves on the fact that we eat pretty well; there are plenty of vegetables in our diet, we don't touch ready-meals or processed stuff if we can help it, and we're lucky enough to have fairly slim builds.

But actually, we realised a few months ago that there were plenty of changes still to make - changes which could affect us, but could also have an impact on others as well as the environment.

It started off when dairy farmers hit the headlines, and news of the whole industry being at risk made my ears prick up; there have been dairy farmers in my family for generations {including both my parents!} and so this was something I felt we couldn't ignore. Instead of picking up our bog-standard 4-pinters, we began opting for the slightly pricier 'For Farmers' options in the supermarkets when we bought our milk and cheese, with a small portion going back to the dairy farmers. This kept us happy for a while.