It's Panto Season! Discover Peter Pan at Mayflower Theatre

The festivities are in full swing and with panto season upon us, it was time to head to the Mayflower Theatre for this year's pantomime. The Qdos Entertainment Production of Peter Pan which will be gracing the stage in Southampton until January 5th so there's still plenty of time to book tickets. 

Peter Pan features a whole host of familiar faces including Marti Pellow, Darren Day and The Grumbleweeds so you're sure to recognise some faces. It's fun and frolics with a few questionable skits from beginning to end and I'm sure lots of adults will enjoy it just as much as the children.

Everything you need to get Festive Ready

Christmas parties, family dinners, drinks with the girls, Christmas markets - it's all going on this month and that means sequin outfits, the hottest red lip and a little help getting ready for the big night. So I've pulled together five brands that will get you festive ready this December whether it's Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve. 

Latest in Beauty Haul of Fame The Round-Up

Latest in Beauty have released some amazing collections this year and to top it off, the Haul of Fame The Round-Up has even more incredible products for you to get your hands on. Available to buy now, the collection includes twelve of the most sought after products including three full sizes for just £32.00 and it's worth a whopping £180. 

From global bestsellers and cult classics, this is a collection you won't want to miss. 

Joshua's Christmas Eve Box 2019

I adore the idea of a Christmas Eve Box and it's something we couldn't wait to do for Joshua. Arran and I have a few little traditions we've started during our relationship and Christmas Eve is always a chance for us to wear new pyjamas, eat lots of cheese and treats and watch a Christmas film so we've taken that and created a child-friendly version for Joshua with a few added extras. 

I know they're not for everyone, I think the beauty of Christmas is that we all have our very own traditions and this is just one of ours so I wanted to share what we've put inside ours this year. 

Five Lipsticks from Lipstick Queen for the Festive Season

When it comes to lipsticks during the festive season, I'm pretty set in my ways with a classic red but after falling more for Lipstick Queen this year I've branched out this December. 

Lipstick Queen is known for breaking beauty barriers, leading the way with bright lips, unbeatable colours and incredible formulas to boot. The textures are soft, the formulas moisturising and the colours can transform a look with just one swipe so I've selected five shades that are perfect for those oh so special days during the festive seasons.

Shop from your sofa this Christmas with Moonpig

In previous years, I've always loved to get out on the high street and finish my Christmas shopping. I adored the festivities, the coffee shop break for a hot chocolate and soaking up the twinkling lights but with a two-year-old in tow, it's just not worth the inevitable stress that will incur this year. 

So I've joined the masses and shopped online and ya know what? It hasn't been that bad especially with our own Christmas tree twinkling in the background and a hot chocolate by my side. Moonpig has been my go-to for a lot of gifts this year, I've been totally impressed with the variety available and I've managed to pick up some corkers so I'm going to share eight items to pop in your basket from Moonpig this Christmas. 

Get Christmassy with L'Occitane Festive Garden

When it comes to beauty at Christmas, one brand that always does it so well is L'Occitane and the Festive Garden range is at the top of my recommendation list if you're looking for something beautifully festive for a loved one this Christmas or ya know, for yourself. 

The Limited Edition Festive Garden Collection features a handful of products that will keep skin soft, well moisturised and smelling gorgeous. Each of the products are made using responsibly sourced green mandarin from Brazil and ylang-ylang flowers from the Comoros Islands so you can just imagine how great they smell. Spoiler - bloody fabulous!

It's a really great collection of products and skin will not know nourishment like it.

A Very Merry Christmas at Pho

December is the month of glorious food and maybe one too many tipples and I'm totally on-board with that. Getting friends and family together at this time of year is my favourite and with plenty of Christmas set menus available, you just need to choose where to go. 

One place you should definitely add to your list is Pho, now open in Gunwharf Quays. The family-run restaurant first opened its doors in 2005 after owners, Stephen and Juliette travelled through Vietnam and fell in love with the food. 

They serve healthy Vietnamese street food which is all cooked daily in their kitchens. There is a huge range of gluten-free dishes accredited by Coeliac UK as well as many choices for those with dairy and egg allergies. The majority of the dishes can be made vegan too so it's pretty much the perfect place to go. 

The best bit? The Christmas menu is banging!

Tower Toymaker's Workshop at Spinnaker Tower

Finding somewhere to visit Father Christmas with little ones is brand new territory for us, it's the first year Joshua has been really aware of Christmas and who Father Christmas is so we wanted to find somewhere special to visit with him. We wanted an experience, something interactive and something we'd remember and the Tower Toymaker's Workshop at Spinnaker Tower was perfect for that. 

We were invited to the Spinnaker Tower at the end of November so wrapped up from the wind, we made our way to Father Christmas' workshop and put our elf hats on.

Stocking Fillers for Beauty Lovers

I don't know about you but I'm a sucker for cute mini products so Christmas is the perfect time for me to get my fix. There are products in baubles, mini lipsticks and glitter galore and the best bit? They make brilliant stocking fillers. 

I've collected together some fab products that I think would be perfect for the beauty lover in your life together with a couple of surprises you could even hang on your tree. 

It's going to be a very Merry Christmas for somebody!

Victorian Festival of Christmas at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Tis the season to be merry and that's exactly what you'll find at the Victorian Festival of Christmas at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard this weekend. The annual event will be celebrating twenty years of festive magic over three days bringing Christmas to life on their cobbled streets. 

The festival sees the dockyard transformed into a bustling Christmas market full of wonderful stalls selling food and drink to festive decorations and gifts as well as circus performances, Dickensian characters and the chance to meet Father Christmas in his beautiful grotto. 

We have wanted to visit the Victorian Festival of Christmas for a number of years now but for one reason or another haven't made it so being able to finally visit on Friday filled me full of Christmas joy. My grandmother and I took Joshua and arrived at 10am for a full day of festive fun in the beautiful November sunshine.

We couldn't have picked a more perfect day for it!