Have you ever been to Royal Ascot?  I went many many years ago, pre-children, I was working as a PA and had a last minute invitation to join the VIP guests the next day.  Queue panic to find a dress and hat.  I fortunately had a beautiful deep pink silk dress and a big hat ready to go ....!  It was really good fun but I have never been back and I really should put that right as Ascot isn't far from where we live.  Next week is Royal Ascot 2020, from Tuesday 16th June to Saturday 20th June.  But things are a bit different this year!

It would be wrong to write this post without acknowledging the very real and very worrying situation developing around the world today.  Whole countries shutting down, holidays cancelled, small businesses with no business, and no income for their owners, older people likely to feel very isolated ... stock piling of food and toilet rolls meaning the vulnerable will be left with none.  And so it goes on.  You have all seen the news.  I am beginning to feel quite worried and a bit uneasy.  I saw my elderly parents today to plan a few things for them.  But life has to continue and we should try and keep as close to normal routine as possible.  So I thought I would still share my outing last week.  Do let me know how Covid-19 is affecting you, are you worried?  Comment below.

A couple of months ago I was asked to save the day for an event in London with Maidenform, the shapewear brand.  They had organised such a fun and gorgeous event, held in the penthouse suite at the ME Hotel in the Strand.  I was so looking forward to it.  A chance to try on the shapewear (it is so difficult to know what will work when looking online), a make-up refresh with a make-up artist, fizz, canapés and an opportunity to have some photographs taken by a professional photographer.  I admit I did hesitate about going.  But in the end I decided to drive into London and not take the train/tube.  I felt with no official advice to stop my day to day life I was best to 'keep calm and carry on' but take sensible precautions.  Hence my decision to drive.  Usually when I meet friends we kiss and hug and welcome each other so it felt really odd not to be able to do this. 

Back in December we spent a night at The Lygon Arms in Broadway with friends.  Although it seems ages ago now, I still wanted to write about it on my blog and share what we did, we had such a good time and I wanted to share my recommendations.  The Cotswolds are a lovely destination, easy to reach from London and the Home Counties and so pretty whatever the weather or season.  We often visit and I will share below my other blog posts about other trips we have done.

Me and my girlfriends planned this night away back in the summer when we had a girls weekend nearby.  It was during the hottest weeks of Summer 2019 and it seemed mad to be thinking about Christmas Markets but that is how it came about.,  We popped into the Cotswold Distillery Shop in Broadway and ended up booking a tour of the Distillery and a night away with the husbands.

I'm not going to do a full Christmas gift guide post this year.  I just don't think we all need to be buying more stuff just for the sake of it.  Sorry if that sounds anti-Christmas!  Last year I did a small series of gift guides where I focussed on supporting small businesses and suggesting that we consider gifts that are ethical, reusable or longer lasting and I especially love the idea of days out, family time, making memories and having experiences. 

So instead I am going to pick some of my favourite ideas that keep to this mantra and share with you my own plans for gifting this year.  Plus I love the blog post that Jo from Less is More has written so I will share the link to this further down.