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.

Imagine opening your wardrobe every morning and loving what you see, knowing that every item is perfect, worn often and versatile.  Jo Haley, The Positive Image Coach is more than just a colour stylist.  Jo offers a range of packages to help you make the most of your wardrobe, to encourage you to feel more confident and to love your style.

Way back in March I went along to meet Jo at her studio near High Wycombe and to chat all things stye and colour related.  I have had a colour consultation in the past but never felt I really kept to the advice.  Something was bothering me, I explained this to Jo and she said there is a huge difference between having your colours 'done' and having them 'analysed'.  At the end of our session I understood what she meant. 

​Jo is friendly, approachable and fun, she is passionate about what she does, she loves to empower women to have confidence in themselves and their image, to love what they see and work with what they have.  She has recently relaunched her style consultancy under the new name 'The Positive Image Coach' and she loves working with women who are 40, 50 or 60+ who feel they have lost their way a little in midlife.  Maybe they have retired from corporate life and need a whole new style of wardrobe or maybe they just need a confidence boost with their changing figure and lifestyle.  Perfect fit for me and my blog then!

I'm back!  I took a little break from my blog and stepped back a bit from social media too, I needed to focus my time on supporting my daughter as she prepared to leave home to go to Norland College in Bath to study for an Early Years Degree and the Norland Diploma.  We had a lot of fun in the few weeks leading up to her departing, we visited her student house in Bath, we did a big trip to Ikea to find lots of lovely items to make her room feel comfortable and cosy, a home from home, we had lunch at The Coach in Marlow and we slowed down and enjoyed just being at home.