I love supporting family run businesses as they really care for their staff and their customers. Did you know that Beaverbrooks, the jewellery chain started out as a family run business 95 years ago? No, neither did I!




From humble beginnings they have grown to over 65 stores nationwide yet they still care about their staff, being voted top 100 companies to work for in 2013 in the Sunday Times.

But that's enough about the company you may say, what about the jewellery?

Beaverbrooks sell a wide range of jewellery from Tresor Paris earrings from £14 to diamond rings for thousands of pounds. All the well known jewellery and watch brands are here from Links of London to Michael Kors, Thomas Sabo to Omega. It's certainly a feast for the eyes. 

They also do a range of their own well priced jewellery such as the Talisman range. Crafted in sterling silver or rose gold plate this range is based on Talismans which are objects thought to bring you good luck or protect you from harm. Wishbone, feather and key pendants are their top designs in this range, stunning jewellery that convey deeper meanings. 



The earrings are really cute. They have a warmth from the rose gold colour and beautiful sparkle from the cubic zirconia. They also look a million dollars but cost a fraction of the price!
Beaverbrooks have some lovely jewellery items on their website, with perfect Mother's day prices. They even do a click and collect service where you order your jewellery online and collect in store.

To win this beautiful necklace above, why don't you enter my giveaway? To enter just pop over to the Beaverbrooks website and come back and tell me which piece of jewellery you would pick as a gift for a birthday or for Mother's Day. Entry is via the Rafflecopter application below.

If you like entering competitions check out my other competitions here. You have to be in it to win it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is so much to think about when planning a wedding, such as getting the perfect dress, picking the right wedding rings and choosing the perfect wedding reception and that's just for starters. Here are some tips about choosing the perfect wedding reception venue.



Firstly the budget has to be discussed as this can impact on the choice of venue. Do you have a limited budget or is money no object? If you have a limited budget then the venue will have to be cheaper and often this means the amount of people pared down. You may even decide to hold it in your house or a local hall or community centre as opposed to a country house, grand hotel or marquee.





Secondly do you have a number of people in mind you wish to invite, and can the venue cope with it? Things to consider include expectations of you by other people. You will more than likely invite close family but what about your mum's best friend? Would she be upset if you didn't invite her? If you have 20 people you are inviting then a small cosy meal in a local restaurant may be a great option but may not be suitable if you are inviting 200 people, when a country house hotel could be better.

Thirdly what type of venue would you like and where do you wish to hold the reception? There are many types of venues to consider and the main ones include hotel, restaurant, home, local hall or community centre, and marquee amongst others.

Fourthly what type of food do you want and are the venue able to provide this or are you bringing in outside caterers or cooking it yourself? Obviously the cost implications of cooking it yourself will mean you save a lot of money but do you have the time and inclination to do this so close to your wedding? Maybe other family members would help out if you wanted to go down this route.

Using a cosy room in a hotel may be perfect for an intimate gathering. Many hotels also have larger rooms than can be hired out for a large party. A large country house hotel is perfect if you want to push the boat out and have a higher budget. You may even pay to take over the hotel for your wedding. Are you ordering off the normal menu or is there a special wedding menu available? A special menu may be a cost effective option. Can you bring your own wine or will they expect you to buy it from them?




Booking a table in a restaurant may be suitable for a smaller gathering, whilst hiring out the whole restaurant maybe possible for a large party. Again ask if they have a special wedding menu or are they able to put a menu together for the event? You will generally be expected to buy their wine and drinks for a toast and these maybe pricey.

If you use your home you need to consider will you use outside catering or are you or your friends and family cooking the food. This can be the most cost effective option. You can hire a marquee for the garden, and this is a lovely option for a summer wedding. Buying wine from a local cash and carry or even supermarket will be cheaper than buying wine in a hotel or restaurant.

A local hall or community centre can be a great cheap option when you really have to watch the pennies. Again consider who is making the food, will you hire an outside caterer or will it be friends and family making the food. Providing your own drink is cost effective.

Marquees can cater for a medium to large number of people, and some come fully lined and heated too. Smaller marquees can be a surprisingly cost effective way of catering for those as an added extension to your house. Some marquee companies will also provide hire services of items to furnish such as chairs, table linen and glassware for example. A great option for something a little different. Marquees may be set up in a country house hotel, a pub, your own garden or outside space. Prices vary depending on where it is set up, size of marquee, the furnishings and whether you are providing the catering or an company are.




As you can see there are many things to think about when considering the perfect wedding reception venue. 

Tell me - are you planning your wedding? If you are already married where did you hold your reception? What do you think of the options available?


* Sponsored by C & J Rentals  - marquee hire in Yorkshire and the North of England.

Jon Richard is a name that is becoming popular on the high street, with over 100 stockists in the UK and nearly thirty years experience of producing affordable fashion led jewellery. They also have concessions in large number of Debenhams stores as well as designing and sourcing jewellery for companies such as Butterfly by Matthew Williamson, Star by Julien Macdonald, Principles by Ben de Lisi and J by Jasper Conran.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I also love about the brand is that their presentation and packaging are spot on. I do admit, I let out a little squeal when this was delivered by the postman. The ribbon and bow added some class to the gift bag and the card was a lovely finishing touch.



Inside the bag was a gorgeous box with the You Crack Me Up egg. This extra thick egg is sure to make you smile with its 12 smiley face chocolates and happy chicks. The thick milk chocolate egg is edged with white chocolate. This smooth, creamy mellow chocolate egg melts on your tongue and taste little a little piece of heaven.


I enlisted the aid of my son and husband to test the chocolate out - well I think if I hadn't they would have never spoken to me again!

I made notes on a number of the chocolates before they were scoffed by the family, unfortunately I didn't get to try them all - but that is a recommendation in it's own right!

The milk chocolate chick had a simple mellow chocolate taste that was very satisfying and yummy. The milk chocolate bunny was a favourite. The creamy milk chocolate had a hint of caramel running though and was simply delicious - a very luxurious tasty chocolate. Another favourite was the milk chocolate square with the white chocolate fried egg. It had a hard shell and inside was sweet toffee and a praline cream. The crunch of the milk chocolate shell and the dreaminess of the toffee and praline was a taste sensation. 

This perfect partnership run by Steve and Sarah Bennett has grown from strength to strength as Steve sources the gemstones whilst Sarah designs the jewellery. They also work closely with The Colourful Life Foundation to aid communities where gemstones are found, educating and supporting as well as ensuring these communities benefit when they sell their jewellery.

I was excited when they said they would send me some earrings to review as everything looked beautiful on the website. 

I waited with anticipation until they arrived, and as I opened the packaged I was not disappointed. 


The white quartz earrings they sent me are in a diamond cut pattern which catches the light. These earrings are a substantial size and very glamorous. Set in classic sterling silver with a frosted setting, I thought they looked stunning and fabulous value, priced at only £16. One comment is that they were much nicer in real life than on the website, see images above. I think this is because it's hard to represent white gemstones online, other than diamonds. These earrings are perfect for a night out somewhere special and I can't wait to wear them when I go out for a meal next.

Gemporia have such a range of designs on their website you will be surprised. From simple silver jewellery under £20 to platinum and diamond rings costing thousands of pounds. A great deal of thought has gone into picking each item, value for money, the quality of the stones and the perfect setting all create each individual piece.




In conclusion I think if you are looking for great value for money and a beautiful piece of jewellery you can't really go wrong with this company. They have a large selection of jewellery, something for everyone and they are a responsible company. 
Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

• 1KG strawberries, they need to be halved and hulled (the stalks taken out)
• 6 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 900g of granulated sugar & 5-6 tablespoons of strong pectin stock (this is made from apples and can be done at home) OR 900g of jam sugar. 

• Using a big stainless steel saucepan, pop all of the strawberries and lemon juice onto the hob and cook on a gentle heat for about 5 -10 minutes.  You learn quickly that this isn’t a science, a lot depends on how fresh your fruit is, the heat you use, size of the pan and so on.  Once the berries have become soft you are ready for the next step.
• Add in the sugar and pectin stock (or the jam sugar if that is what you are using).  Keep the heat on low and stir the moisture until the sugar has all dissolved.
• Bring to the boil and then cook for 15 minutes.  You can be more precise by using the setting point for strawberry jam which is 105°C .
• You now need to test for a set.  This is really easy, have a cold plate or saucer to hand (pop it in the freezer or fridge), pop a little of your hot jam onto the plate and leave for a minute.  Prod the jam with your finger and if it wrinkles, it’s set!
• Now, once your jam has cooled slightly and you remove any surface scum, you can ladle it into sterilised jam jars.  (Sterilise in a dishwasher or microwave).  Cover with a wax seal/paper disc, pop on your lid and allow it to completely cool before opening! 

Those of you who read my blog on a regular basis may have seen the lovely necklace from Merci Maman that I reviewed in January. The gorgeous little silver necklace was engravable and quickly has become one of my favourite pieces of jewellery I own.

Merci Maman is one of those small but perfectly formed companies that you may not have heard of, but when you find them, you wish you had heard of them before! They specialise in personalised jewellery in sterling silver and beautiful gold plate with cute touches, and they are always fashionable but classic in their designs.

Recently this company created six years ago by Beatrice, a French mother of four, has been featured in Hello Magazine since the news that their Duchess necklace was given to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge from her sister Pippa. The gold plated necklace features three charms adorning a long chain. 



Catherine or Kate as we like to call her was given a necklace with a mini heart engraved with W representing Prince William, a lovely little boy charm and a gold plated disc with her son's full name George Alexander Louis. It is such a lovely idea and a wonderful heirloom to hand down to your children, that I was extremely delighted to have the chance to review my own version of this necklace on my blog.