voucher blog

Couples across the UK prepare to have the cockles of your heart thoroughly warmed as Valentine's Day is almost upon us.

For many, preparations for the celebration of all things love and romance will already be under way, with many pulling out all the stops in an effort to show their other halves just how special they are.

However, marking this annual day d'amour doesn't necessarily have to involve over-the-top displays of affection, hot air balloon rides at sunset anyone?

After all, Bishop Valentine, whose legend we invoke each February 14th demonstrated his love by simply passing a note to the object of his desire with the words "from your Valentine". Read More »

While few can admit to being dedicated followers of fashion since they were knee high to a grasshopper, it appears that the gap between children and couture is rapidly narrowing as London prepares to host the first ever Global Kids Fashion Week.

Spanning two days in March (19 – 20) the great and glorious from world of fashion, featuring established brands such as Junior Gaultier, Tommy Hilfiger and lesser-known names such as Rachel Riley and Munster Kids, are set to unveil their spring/summer 2013 kiddies collections to the eyes of the waiting public.

A catwalk show will also take place for a press-only event for the autumn/winter 2013-14 trends featuring designers such as Paul Smith Junior and Little Marc Jacobs. Read More »

Hitting the high street for a spot of retail therapy can be exhausting at the best of times but, when the kids are in tow, a shopping spree can soon turn into a shopping flee, as our bid to stock up on the latest seasons fashions is swiftly abandoned in an effort to avoid the dreaded phrase 'Are we done yet?'.

Here are few ways we continue to indulge in our penchant for all things fashion, while making sure the
little ones don't turn into the ultimate diminutive divas. Read More »

Last year my life, and my skin, changed for the better thanks to the miracle in a pot that is Boots no 7 Essential Moisture day cream.

Encased in a glossy white jar and with a smooth as silk texture it bears all the hallmarks of a high-end brand without the punishing price tag.

I first chanced upon this bargain beauty find when a friend bought me a no 7 gift pack and, after languishing atop my chest of drawers for a number of months, I finally delved into the beautifully decorated box to fish out a mini face cream that would tick all the right boxes when it came to those pesky airport restrictions – every girl's worst nightmare realised!

After a few days of absentmindedly slathering the mixture onto my face, I noticed that a brighter, fresher version of myself was staring back at me. Read More »

One of my dearest friends is about to dust off the shackles of the 9 to 5 in favour of the more laid-back pace of life and glorious sunshine on offer in Tanzania and who can blame her?

With only a couple of weeks until her departure, our almost daily phone calls will be replaced by carefully co-ordinated Skype chats, fitted in around work commitments, time differences and so on.

While for most people this would be the perfect way to catch up with their friends 'in person', for my part there's a small hitch... my ancient Dell laptop is sans both microphone and camera. Read More »

While none of us relish the prospect of leaving this mortal coil, if we had to live each day as if it was our last, recent research reveals that we'd be far from stuck for ideas as to how to spend our time.

A study commissioned by outdoor clothing company Helly Hansen has revealed a list of the nation's top 50 'must do' activities before departing our earthly life, with travelling the world featuring in second place behind living in the lap of luxury as one the UK's estimated 306,655 millionaires. Read More »

The Bank of Mum and Dad officially opens the moment a child comes kicking and screaming into the world and it appears that it doesn't shut up shop until our little ones hit the tender of age of 21... so much for adulthood officially starting at 18!

And while many would-be parents think the cost of raising a child will only involve shelling out for a few on-trend outfits, the occasional school uniform upgrade and our young one's weekly fill of food and drink, they may have more than a little surprise on their hands when they read the final bill for shepherding their children through primary school, secondary school and beyond.

The recent annual Cost of a Child Report from LV= revealed that parents will stump up a staggering £222,000 from birth to 21, with more than three quarters (76%) forced to tighten their purse strings in an effort to do all they can for their offspring.

Here are just a few ways parents can claw back some of their kiddie cash. Read More »

Spring is the season of all things new and that includes a thoroughly updated wardrobe. Out go any remnants of autumnal browns or wintery greys and in comes a dizzying array of colourful garments that wouldn't look out of place in a Monet painting.

You see, the joy of the upcoming season's fashions is that it literally puts a spring in your wannabe catwalk step and drags us out of the doldrums of our not-so-high-fashion winter wear. Onesies anyone?

So wave a fond farewell to your cosy knits, slouchy knee highs and snoods and wave hello to suits, sandals and more.

Here are just a few reasons why the words spring and fashion sit so happily in the same sentence. Read More »

We haven't even got through the first month of the New Year but it's safe to say I'm thinking about my annual leave already. So far, I've been cautious and only booked a meagre half day but I've definitely got more where that came from – and then some!

However, research conducted by Hilton Hotels & Resorts unearthed some surprising results: that a quarter of respondents have cancelled annual leave in the past because of work pressures and that over half of UK employees felt too busy or guilty to take all of the annual leave they are entitled to.

The study also revealed that we're not even breaking free from the shackles of office life when we take time off, with more than half of the British workforce taking work-related calls and checking work emails whilst on annual leave. Read More »

According to dubious scientific research, Monday was not just any Monday but 'Blue Monday'. In loose terms, this means that all of our winter blues schedule a big get-together for the third Monday of January, leaving us feeling thoroughly miserable.

With the prospect of a long week ahead, Mondays are not generally known for their capacity to induce optimism; however, this Monday was supposed to be the day when a combination of wintery woes – gloomy weather, week upon week of dark days and less sunlight, the post-Christmas financial hangover and the failure to stick to New Year's resolutions – all came to a head.

Read More »

Do you want to know what got my heart pounding and left me physically shaking on Friday night?

That's right, I spent my Friday evening in Christian Grey's Red Room. Only joking! Although driving home in the snow was just as scary.

After spending half an hour sweeping about three feet of snow off the car, I spent an hour and a half driving what should have been a 40 minute journey.

It was a nightmare from start to finish: I skidded on numerous occasions, sailed through red lights on the grounds that braking might actually do more harm, and spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about the three hills I was expecting my car to make it up without turning it into an Alton Towers-esque experience. Read More »

Britain: an island battered by rain and (currently) blanketed by snow. It's no wonder we value our holidays abroad or that the destination with the biggest increase in searches among UK jetsetters last year was somewhere with balmy climes.

According to research by Hotels.com, the number of UK-based searches for Monastir in Tunisia rose by a whopping 490% in 2012, compared to 2011. Read More »