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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 »

Would you wear hotpants to work?

Probably not... a study by the British Heart Foundation has found that office-dwelling males want
hotpants and similarly revealing attire to be banned, deeming it too distracting.

Unveiling some surprising results, the research found that men actually want women to cover up at work, describing a number of different garments as off-putting and inappropriate in a professional environment.

Hotpants were the main culprit, with 32% of men labelling them as unacceptable. Sheer tops were hot on their heels (27%), and miniskirts and low-cut tops did not dodge the bullet, with 24% and 22% of men (respectively) describing them as considerable distractions. Read More »

One of the first questions couples get asked is, "How did you guys meet?"

When I asked the inevitable the first time I met an old flatmate's girlfriend, the answer wasn't quite what I was expecting. It turned out she'd found him on Myspace, liked what she saw, messaged him something along the lines of 'You're fit' and voila – a two-year relationship in the bag.

Internet dating is now the third most popular way in the UK to meet a partner, along with meeting someone at work.

This is according to the Observer Online which also noted that the phenomenon has snowballed to the extent that it is now included in the Office for National Statistic's UK 'shopping basket' of goods and services that measure cost of living. Read More »

The dust that Christmas left behind in its wake has barely settled but it's already time to fire up your ideas machine for the next big annual celebration.

The prospect of a white January, coming across the odd forgotten bauble that escaped the miserable process of dismantling the decorations and indeed the dreaded credit card bill, are all a hark back to the festive season and for many it feels like the air is still alive with the spirit of Christmas.

However, with February 14 just around the corner, it is in fact love which is in the air, which means it's time to release your inner Cupid. Read More »

Love 'em or hate 'em, everyone still takes a guilty pleasure in following the lives of various celebs, especially when it comes to what they're wearing and the usually astronomical price tags associated with the clothing. While some celebs' fashion sense leads a lot to be desired (ahem, Lady Gaga) there are some who make looking good seem completely effortless and, while good genes do help, it's not all about the money.

Just to prove it, we're going to show you how to dress like a celebrity for a fraction of the price, looking great on you and even better in your purse. Read More »

A new year gives us a chance to shake things up a bit. Change is good: it prevents us from getting stuck in a rut and tiring of the monotony of everyday life.

This is why people make New Year's resolutions; to help them to this end. However, more often than not, their willpower runs out after weeks or even days!

So why not think of some more unique resolutions? The exclusivity may motivate you to stick with them, meaning you'll be able to say you achieved something by the end of the year rather than fall in line with one of the 45% of people who break their resolutions within a fortnight. Read More »

It's the same every year: you always get at least one present that makes you question what was going through the buyer's mind when they thought you or anyone else for that matter, would like it.

Itchy Christmas jumpers, à la Bridget Jones, yet another pair of gloves or an unsightly ornament that would look better in the bin than on your mantelpiece, are just some of the usual unwanted suspects.

According to research from Gumtree.com, clothing, ornaments and beauty products accounted for the majority of unwanted gifts in Christmas 2012, with friends, mothers, work colleagues and in-laws primarily responsible.

But what do you do? It requires a bold personality or a generous dose of Dutch courage to muster up the nerve to ask for the receipt. Read More »