When I posted about HRT gels on my blog a few weeks ago I didn't expect such a response and reading your emails and comments it made me appreciate just how us women do need each other to talk to - then my more recent Instagram post abut my own blip with HRT was also popular, anyway .... thank you for getting in touch, thank you for sharing your stories and thank you for being kind about my recent dip in oestrogen and subsequent return of symptoms!  The good news is things are slowly improving!  Anyway ...

Not wishing to be too negative but sometimes another menopause challenge to overcome is maintaining healthy hair! Hair loss, hair thinning, hair breakage, brittle hair, and a general change in our hair texture comes along during peri menopause and we need to change our hair care routine. By the way, there are many other factors that can cause hair loss in women. I recommend reading this article on Hairguard.com if you're interested in knowing more. 

​I've always had fine hair and it is neither curly hair or straight hair, just a sort of in-between wave prone to frizzy hair days. As a teen I did suffer from excess oil but nowadays it is much drier and seems to need more moisture added. And my hair is much thinner and prone to breakage. I've dabbled with hair extensions (just at the side) but didn't really like the feeling of them in my hair.

​So a few months ago I set about finding out more about my new hair type and what I can do to encourage healthy hair growth and get it back to tip top condition! I've been on a very determined mission!

This blog post contains gifted products and affiliate links.

Nano CellCare is a completely new anti ageing treatment to the UK and I have recently been visiting Dorota's Lifestyle Studio in Chiswick to try it out and learn more about this natural skin rejuvenation treatment. Not only can it work on the obvious outer signs of ageing, like fine lines and wrinkles, but it can also target our inner health and help with general fatigue and discomfort from pain and inflammation. It is a simple, short, non-invasive and completely painless treatment. Nano CellCare is the first treatment of it's kind to offer the possibility of slowing down the clock of ageing to look after your skin tissue, muscles and tendons. But how!?

This blog post is part of a gifted collaboration.

Guest post from Celine Gaurier-Joubert from the London Piano Institute  | I am delighted to welcome Celine to my blog, Celine is the Founder and Artistic Director of the London Piano Institute which is undoubtedly the most comprehensive piano academy for adults in London and the United Kingdom. Thanks to their unparalleled understanding of adult piano enthusiasts who play the piano for their pleasure and broad experience in adult piano education, they have now established themselves as a reference in London.

I have never been musical, apart from playing the recorder and the violin for a very short time at school, picking up a musical instrument is not a familiar skill to me.  I'd have loved to have tried piano lessons but with no piano at home when I was growing up, it never seemed to be an option.  My son works in the music industry and although his skills are more technical (photography and videography) he has been able to learn piano as an adult, his employer organised adult piano lessons in the office for any employees that were interested.  

I agree it is never too late to do what we want to do, we can always learn new skills, or follow our dreams, no matter what our age. Learning to play the piano is not something I have ever considered but I do feel a little envious of those that can sit down at a piano and start playing, a good old fashioned sing-a-long is so good for the soul and of course a lot of fun!

This is a sponsored blog post.

We have just had an amazing few days away in Barcelona, we loved the city so much and so I am sharing our 3 day Barcelona itinerary here with you in case it inspires your next city break! 

We booked it all a bit last minute but availability was good and we managed to get reasonably priced flights with EasyJet from London Luton and then I booked a 2-bedroom Airbnb apartment in a central Barcelona location and with a roof garden.

The great thing about Barcelona is that it has something for everyone, the beach, the architecture, the cuisine and the sunshine! It was our first time in Barcelona, and in fact our first time in Spain (I did a day trip from France to San Sebastian when I was about 14)! Early spring was a great time to visit Barcelona, although the weather this year had been wet and stormy much later than usual, but I would recommend late April and into May as a good time to go as the spring weather is just warming up and it isn't too hot for sightseeing.