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Instead of buying a gift for everyone, you draw a name out of a hat, and keeping it to yourself, you only buy for that one person.  On Christmas Day, all the Christmas presents go under the tree, and the recipients can try and guess who their ‘Secret Santa’ is.

The aim is to choose a budget that you can comfortably save up for without breaking the bank – you don’t want to be worrying about January, but you do want to make sure you’ve got your person a thoughtful enough gift.  It’s their only one, remember!

A proposal and engagement is one of the most exciting times in a person’s life.  They’re making a commitment to be with and care for someone else for as long as they live.  

But finding the right gift for the happy couple can be a tricky thing to do.  Not with Ooh!

Remember, remember the fifth of November; gunpowder, treason and…lots of terrified pets.

Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, is in a lot of ways, a super weird British tradition.  We celebrate a failed attempt to blow up Parliament over four hundred years ago, is that not a bit creepy?  And little kids wheeling around a massive effigy that they are going to sacrificially burn?  Sounds a bit Wicker Man to me.

But, to be fair, I do get mixed up in the excitement of the night.  It’s usually biting cold, so getting bundled up in hats and gloves and trekking down to your nearest firework display, eating marshmallows, treacle toffee and drinking hot chocolate whilst watching the night sky with your family or your pals is pretty nostalgic.

The one thing that’s definitely NOT a good thing is owning pets on Bonfire Night.  While a toddler or even a baby can semi understand what’s happening, or at least by comforted by you, that’s not always the case for a pet.  It can be a really frightening night (or week, in my neck of the woods) for cats, dogs or feathered friends.

However, there are ways to help the hours pass a little calmer for your pets.  

Like us, animals experience anxiety and fear, and on a night where there are a lot of loud bangs, people about and bright lights appearing in the sky, this can be totally overwhelming for them.

But, like us, there are ways that they can potentially be soothed, or calmed.  

Here are a few suggestions to help your petrified pets feel a little safer on the fifth.

An easy way to think of the stress your pet will feel is to think of it as sensory overload.  A way to combat this is to help them focus on one thing at a time.  

One way of doing this is by offering food.  Now I don’t mean keeping their bowl overflowing (although I’m sure they’d thank you for it!).  I mean use small amounts of treats to keep them occupied, and less likely to focus on the noise of the fireworks.  For example, dogs might benefit from having a tough treat to chew through, or cats might like using a mobile cat feeder to keep them busy.

Another way is keeping their space as dark and quiet as possible.  Setting up a comfortable space in the corner of the room, where your dog can curl up in safety, is a good option when it gets a bit too much.  Last year, we draped a big blanket over our coffee table and placed a few cushions and his favourite teddies underneath, so that Sykes could snuggle up away from the sights and sounds outside the window.  

Cats, too, love a dark quiet space, and a crinkle bag could be really helpful when the displays get started.

Aromatherapy is another way to keep things tranquil in your home.  Burning candles, or using plugins, is comforting for the whole house, and a gentle flicker of a candle is especially comforting on a dark Winter’s Night.  Just be careful to burn fragrances that aren’t harmful to dogs, as they can be sensitive to a lot of different essential oils.  If you’re worried about this, there are dog sprays that are totally safe and have a wonderful calming effect on them.

Lastly, remember our it's not just our pets we need to be mindful of.  Check your bonfires to make sure there are no hedgehogs looking to hibernate, make sure there are no nesting birds where you are setting up your firework displays, I'm sure I wouldn't want a Catherine Wheel zipping right under my bed! 

Check out our Pet Collection for practical and fun treats for your Cats and Dogs, and our Nature Seed Gift Boxes which are perfect for attracting the wildlife to the garden.

Enjoy Bonfire Night, everyone, and wishing all pets a very calm and happy evening.  Sleep tight!

I’ve recently started tracking my habits, and, in a nutshell, it ain’t good.

On a typical day, I wake up when the baby shouts for me, I get his milk and make a brew (if he lets me put him down), I sort breakfast, get him changed and play for the rest of the morning.  While he naps, I clean the kitchen, prep lunch and answer emails.  When the baby wakes up again, we have lunch, go to the park or to one of his classes, take the dog for a walk, make tea, bath and then bed.  Once he’s down, I clean up, get some work done while watching tv in the background, do my skin care and get to bed early.

Now don’t get me wrong, I have a ton of support.  My partner does his fair share and my family are really helpful when the cracks start to show and I need some time to myself.  But even me, who feels very supported, struggles to take time for myself.  Imagine what other people have to go through?!

The narrative around health and wellbeing has changed slightly over the years, moving from external health and fitness to more about mental wellbeing.  A big part of that conversation has been around meeting needs for yourself.

Meeting needs, put simply, is about being aware of what you need at that moment and working it into your day.  This involves listening to yourself and tuning into your thoughts and feelings in a non judgmental way.

Are you feeling strained and about to snap?  What you need is a release, so go and take a kickboxing class or invite your friends to karaoke!  Feeling bored or stuck in a rut?  You need to switch up your routine and plan a day trip!  Get the idea?

Meeting your needs isn’t always doing self care things, though.  A lot of the time when I’m feeling anxious, while a bath and a glass of wine helps in the moment, the anxiety doesn’t stay away.  I’ve started journaling recently, which gives me an understanding of the causes of my negative feelings, and this way I can tackle them!

One of the ways I deal with the anxious feelings around meeting my needs is with an idea called ‘pleasure practise’.

Let’s say, for example, that you’re feeling a bit itchy scratchy, and you can’t settle on a particular task.  You sit down and write about this feeling, and you realise that it’s because the house is untidy, and it’s making you feel out of sorts.  Problem is: you haaaaaaate tidying!

This is where pleasure practise comes in.  Do you remember the scene in Mary Poppins where they tidy the nursery?  I’m not saying pleasure practise will magically tidy the toys away like ol’ MP can, but what it does is coincide what you find fun with what you, well, don’t find fun.  So blast some music, pop your party clothes on and dance around with the hoover!

Now I know where my time is being spent, I can see where I’m not meeting my needs, and find pleasure in the admin!  This week I’m having something called a ‘money date’.  Think fluffy socks, glass (bottle) of wine, luxurious chocolates, and a loooooot of spreadsheets.  Do I like looking at my finances?  Absolutely not, but it’s what I need.  A bath also helps it feel a bit nicer too.

What needs are you not meeting right now?  How can you fulfil those needs and make them fun too?

Author - Hannah Selby-Hughes

How did curry become such a part of our national cuisine and what does it mean to you?

For me, a curry is a staple part of our diet.  Family meals both at home and in a restaurant.  It’s making them at home but never quite being able to do it as well as a takeout.  Read our blog for a brief history of the British Curry!

Summer is upon us, the sun’s out, schools are closed soon and the nights are lighter and warmer.  And nothing says Summer like a beach holiday.

But if you simply don’t fancy going abroad this year, check out our top ten tips for a Staycation.