Here are some of my favourite coats and jackets for this season. Featuring a mix of trench coats, jackets and warm coats there is something for just about everyone here.

Trench Coats
1. This trench coat by Morgan has cuff tabs, a button back flap, and contrasting leather look piping. With a little bit of an edge this trench coat is a great classic every woman should have in her wardrobe. Also available in navy and black as well as beige it is easy to keep clean being machine washable too.

2. This Michael Kors trench has big bold silver looking buttons, a shirt style collar and a wide belt to nip in your waist. Also available in Khaki as well, this coat is super smart and great for work or evening wear.

3. If you love bold colours this Yumi double breasted coat is in a royal blue with contrasting piping. Perfect for wearing over jeans on a shopping trip, this coat is machine washable too for ease of wear.

Jackets

1. I really need this Barbour Viper International jacket in my life. Perfect for Winter strolls on the beach, this jacket has a red fleece lining, funnel neck and zip and popper fastening.

2. This Phase Eight Reagan puffer jacket will keep you warm all Winter. With stretchy cuff guards and zip up diagonal pockets, puffer jackets have never looked so cool.

3. This Superdry riding jacket is in a longer length and made of a wool rich material. With a full inner lining, reversible shoulder epaulettes and a turn up collar with denim panel, it's all in the detail with this stylish riding coat. 

Warm Coats
1. This vintage inspired wool coat by Kaliko in black has a contrast faux fur collar and double breasted design.  A little bit of old school glamour to keep you warm.

2. This funnel neck design of this Pied A Terre wool mix coat will keep out the cold. I love the simple tie waist, vibrant cobalt blue and elegant design. I think I have found a new favourite brand.

3. How gorgeous is this Ted Baker wool blend skirt coat with wide lapels, and a wide belt? The colour is different too, I would describe it as a moss green.

Let me know what you think of my choices dear readers. 

From a selection of Trench Coats, jackets and warm coats from House Of Fraser.

* In conjunction with House Of Fraser 

Do you remember time B.C - Before Computers, or B.S.P - Before Smart Phones. The world was a simpler place. You actually spoke to your family for once.

You went out for a meal and didn't take a photo of your dinner to share on social media. You went to the pub and didn't check your phone every 20 minutes for an email or tweet. Your friends were friends you had met, not virtual friends that you may never meet.



Yes computers and the Internet are essential for living in today's world and many people who have lost touch with each other have found each other again online, making new friendships too. In fact the Internet has changed the world, how we do business and how we form and maintain friendships in general, yet with an increase in online communication and online relationships can come a decrease in face-to-face communication and the time you spend on real life relationships.

Look around any pub, cafe or restaurant. How many people are checking their phones? How many families are on their own individual technology - Ipad, Kindle, smart phone and are sat not speaking? Maybe your family is one of them. Now I'm not insinuating Facebook is the devil or Instagram is the root of all evil but sites like this can be addictive. There is often a positive reinforcement involved with checking in and posting on these sites. Something as simple as a like or comment can make you smile and validate your post. Before you know it you have lost track of time. 

A digital detox once in a while can make you realise that the amount of time you are spending online, on your phone, your tablets, can be excessive.

Simple Steps

1. Pick a day which is easy for you to do this.  Saturday and Sunday maybe easier if you work in the week, alternatively a day when you are really busy as opposed to a day when you have all the time in the world which you would have spent online.
2. Prepare the day before . Do what you need to do online such as pay bills, message friends, online shopping and the like.
3. Put the computer and all other devices away. Yes you may need your phone but stop the push notifications from your social media apps and your email.
4. Plan what you are doing in advance. Meet up with friends, read that book you have been putting off, go for a long walk, take up that new hobby you have been meaning to try. Keeping busy will help you on your first detox day.
5. Enjoy time spent with your friends and family and enjoy your own company - it's very underrated!
6. Repeat frequently as you see the benefits. 

You never know as well as finding time you never realised you had, it may strengthen the bonds with loved ones and you may actually enjoy it.

Tell me - do you think you could do a digital detox? Are you addicted to technology or social media?

* PR collaboration

Kitchen Trotter is a new monthly food box that gives you 5-6 ingredients per box and recipe inspiration with a little cookbook. 

The kit I received to review was themed as an Indonesian kit, each kit will be different and would be themed around a country and a cuisine. The idea is a culinary trip around the world.


In my kit came the following ingredients:-

Gado Gado Mix - a peanut base mix
Kecap Manis - a sweet and slightly thick soy sauce 
Terasi - a fermented prawn paste
Combava leaves - a leaf with a citrus fruit aroma
Lemon Grass Powder - which has a very characteristic taste
Pandan aroma - a plant based substance with a vibrant green colour
Kemiri nuts - which look like hazelnuts but have a different taste


There is an hourglass in the kit you order as well but I didn't receive one. The idea of the food boxes is that it gives you the specialist ethnic ingredients to which you add fresh produce. Now I really like this idea. I live in a small town and I could never find these ingredients in the one small supermarket here. To receive ALL the specialist ingredients in one box really is a lifesaver, no hunting around for the one illusive ingredient you can never find.

The booklet that came with the ingredients was interesting to read. At the beginning was a section 'Welcome to Indonesia', with some fun facts about the country and also some local vocabulary. Did you know that badminton is one of the most popular sports in Indonesia? Then there is a section about the chef that concocted the recipes and a list of the specialist ingredients. You do have to buy fresh produce for the recipes so a shopping list in included. Then the rest of the booklet is the recipes - Gado-Gado, Mie Goreng, Ayam Areh, and Kue Dadar Gulung. 
As you can see I guess you have to be a little adventurous to try these dishes, and I have never tried any of these before, but they were all either vegetarian, chicken based or had prawn paste in and were basically salad, stir-fry, a chicken dish in a coconut and garlic sauce and a coconut crepe. If you do not like coconut this isn't the box for you!


The plate of food I cooked Mie Goreng was tasty and we both enjoyed it. It had brown sugar in the recipe and I was concerned it would be too sweet but it wasn't. You make an omelette as part of the dish and  I wouldn't have thought of adding an omelette to a stir fry type dish but this is a classic Indonesian dish and it does work. I have to admit, I did adapt it slightly for my husband by adding a little chilli, which I thought added to the flavour. This wasn't strictly correct for the dish, but still that's the beauty of a box you cook at home, you can adapt it to suit your needs.

Some constructive criticism  - the instructions could be clearer.  For example the recipe I tried Mie Goreng had no mention of carrots in the ingredients but when you turned the next page, it said to add carrots.

Also the ingredients were in French and they didn't exactly match up - I had to Google what they were to be on the safe side. For example the lemon grass powder was called Citronelle powder. There are photos of the ingredients from the box at the beginning of the booklet with descriptions, I would suggest these are bigger so you can match the product to the ingredient as these would not be familiar products to some people.

All in all I think this food box would be an interesting box for those that are foodies, adventurous but still need some recipe inspiration. The convenience of having all these specialist ingredients delivered to your door is the major plus point. The recipe booklet has interesting information at the beginning about the country and cuisine and it is useful to have the recipes all in one place.

The company are just starting in the UK so if you sign up to their website, you will be one of the first to find out about their food boxes.

Tell me would you try Kitchen Trotter?

ASOS have great fashion credentials. In fact it is one of the first fashion shops I can remember ordering online with many years ago. It's name originally was As Seen On Screen with the idea being that you could buy fashion as seen in films and TV. The website has evolved over time and now ASOS is the UK's largest independent fashion retailer selling fashion for men and women as well as beauty and gifts.

With Christmas fast approaching I thought I would pick out some of my favourite items from ASOS this festive season. 

Party Dresses


This Little Mistress fit and flare dress with embellished mesh insert is a gorgeous colour, and priced at only £24 a real bargain. The loose skirt hides all the lumps and bumps , and you would feel like a princess in this dress.


Win £ 100 ASOS Gift Card

The way in which we shop has changed in the last 10 years. Shopping channels and the Internet have revolutionised shopping. We can shop from the comfort of our home, easily and securely - all we need is a debit or credit card, a phone or computer, and then we just press a few buttons, or make a few clicks. Before you know it, everything is delivered to our homes effortlessly without all the hassle of going to a major town or city.

Christmas is just days away and while I’m sure many of you will be busy with your last minute preparations for the big day, I’m looking ahead to the New Year.

Today I’m teaming up with NuCasa to give away a gorgeous vintage style Typhoon biscuit tin to one lucky reader, but first I want to share a few ideas for New Year’s Eve party puds with you...

Macaroons



If you’ve got a fair amount of time on your hands to prepare this New Year’s eve and you’re somewhat of a dab-hand in the kitchen, macaroons are definitely the way to go.
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These are my top bucket list ideas for a once in a lifetime experience.

Fly Over The Grand Canyon


A survey of 2000 Britons by the National Lottery in 2014 placed seeing the Grand Canyon in the top 5 of all bucket list experiences. I was lucky enough to visit Vegas in the summer and during my time there we went on a helicopter tour of The Grand Canyon run by Sundance Helicopters. As we were only staying in Vegas for three days, we wanted to see The Grand Canyon in the most time efficient way possible so decided on a helicopter tour. 

A stretch limo picked us up at the hotel which was a lovely touch and with only a short transfer to the helicopter base at Mccarran Airport we were there in no time. After checking you in and weighing you (no one can see this) for weight distribution you are on your way. Pete, the helicopter pilot was very professional throughout, and after we strapped ourselves in, put on our headphones for the narration and protection from the noise, we were off!

I am a bit of a nervous flier but the trip was smooth as anything and before long I was enjoying the view. To see the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and The Grand Canyon from above was fantastic. Pete gave us a guided tour of the area we were flying over as we headed to our touchdown point. Did you know that the Hoover Dam is 726 feet high, 1244 feet long and provides water for an estimated 18 million people?

Sitting under the shaded canopy admiring the view it was amazing to think what nature had created. We had 30 minutes to explore before our picnic lunch was served, a selection of sandwiches, salad, and dessert with a glass of bubbly. The scenery was breathtaking. Apparently, there are 70 species of mammals, 250 species of birds and 25 types of reptiles here.

Love means many things to many people. It means you fit together like two parts of a jigsaw. It also means you care for that person unconditionally. Yes, you may not like their actions sometimes but you still love them. You commit to them, invest in them, spend time with them. 

To me, it's the little things you do to make them happy that show you care. You search all the stores far and wide for that perfect gift because they will love it, you buy their favourite blu-ray although you really hate it because it will make them smile, and you bring them a cup of tea in bed, with their favourite biscuits... just because.

You feel lucky to be with them, to know them, to love them. 

The best relationships also have a strong friendship at the core. You try not to take each other for granted and take into consideration their feelings. You go along to support them in their favourite sport when you've no interest in it, something I always find myself doing with my husband. You listen to them when they need to talk, really listen and you are nice to them. Yes I know being nice can be thought of as an old-fashioned concept but being nice, saying they look good, smell nice, and that they have done well in work is very underrated in my opinion.

Love and friendship aren't always perfect. Both can be hard work at times, but love and friendship are always one hundred per cent worth it.

Showing you love that person can be as simple as giving them a hug, a kiss, being there for them when they need you. However, at other times only a grand gesture will do to show them that they mean the world to you. A grand gesture like an Ever Us diamond ring.



The Ever Us diamond ring is made of two sparkling diamonds - one symbolising your best friend and one symbolising your true love, The Ever Us meaning is the diamonds sitting together side by side are 'us' - you are each other's best friend and each other's true love. 

Recently my husband and I went to Bath to visit the Christmas market and soak up the atmosphere. Bath is one of my favourite cities ever. The mix of history, gorgeous architecture and shopping makes it, in my opinion, a great city to visit.

My husband knows how I love Christmas markets. Last year we went to Berlin and the year before Prague but this year we decided to stay close to home as we have a couple of big holidays next year, and to be honest we couldn't afford a short European break and the spending money that goes with it. So Bath it was, and I wasn't disappointed. 



I thought we were just going for the day but he surprised me with an overnight stay at The Francis Hotel, right in the centre of Bath.

We got to the hotel around 10am. We knew we couldn't check in yet but as the Christmas market gets very busy we thought we would get there as soon as it opens. 

When we arrived at the hotel we didn't know where to park but as we stopped outside the concierge, an older gentleman, came out and was most helpful. He said that we could unload here, as it was a Sunday and although he thought there was no parking space available yet he would double check to see. As we unloaded he tagged our bags and I went to see if I could fill in the registration details at reception. As I was doing so the concierge pointed out that a space had become available in the car park and my husband went to park. What great service! 
The hotel certainly has the WOW factor. The reception area is small but really lovely and you can see into the two lounges. On their website they say it is "Regency Rediscovered" and I can see why. This grade 1 listed building which originally opened as a hotel in 1858 has undergone many transformations, especially after being bombed in World War 2. In 2012 after a 6 million pound renovation project it changed into The Francis Hotel. Seven of the original townhouses have now made it into a luxury boutique hotel which is both modern yet traditional in its style and service. 



Walls are traditional regency colours but also mixed with stunning wallpaper adorned with birds and silhouettes. 



The room wasn't ready so they took our details and stored our luggage for later.

We then headed straight out for the Christmas market a five minute walk away where we enjoyed the atmosphere and later in the afternoon had a cheeky glass of mulled wine from one of the stalls. The Christmas market was very busy as it was a Sunday. I would recommend visiting on a day in the week if you could. Bath has some great shops so we also did some shopping and had lunch before heading back to the hotel for 2pm.

When we returned our room was ready.


The room was a decent size, not big but perfectly formed. The room was very stylish in the Regency style but with modern facilities such as a coffee maker, flat screen tv and fridge with fresh milk. How often do you see that in a hotel these days?

The bathroom was decorated in black and white with a feature wall of a scene from the Roman Baths just down the road.

A recent survey has revealed that one in three couples can't remember the last time they were intimate and one in ten admitting they are no longer intimate at all.

This study by The Fantasy Box shows how much us British are neglecting our sexual needs. Younger people citing work pressures are the cause of a lower libido whilst the older generation cite health concerns.

Over a third also admitted to hiding their sexual fantasies from their current partner, stating that they just don’t talk about sex anymore.

If you are one of these people or just want to add a little spice into your life, The Fantasy Box may be just what you are looking for. Mariah Byrne, the co-founder of The Fantasy Box created the company with her partner Chris with one mission - to bring back people's happy sex lives. This luxury service helps people explore in a safe, stress free and fun environment.



With this service you have four main theme in which to explore - Sensual, Control, Costume and Playful, and also a Honeymoon gift box. If you're looking to explore multiple types of play, the subscription option is your best bet because they include all the theme categories. One off boxes are also available to buy if you want a taster of the service. A classic introduction box is a good start if you want to try it out.

Installing a new kitchen can be an expensive business but if you are short of money some new accessories and some carefully chosen small appliances can give your kitchen a new lease of life and improve your home, giving you a gorgeous kitchen in no time.