Adopted from America, the school prom has caught on big time in the UK. Well, why not? We all like an excuse to let our hair down and dress up, so to speak. However, in typically British fashion it has now become a bit of a competition between parents to lay on something special for their child on prom day and to do this many will use chauffeur hire with a posh car to get their children to the prom.
Just picture this - an office in central London housing 100 staff in the middle of summer and not an air conditioner in sight.
Everyone is feeling the pressure to meet their deadline, the heat from the office machinery is off the scale, staff are crammed together like sardines and sweat is pooling on the floor precariously. An aroma is building that is stifling the thoughts of the staff and all anyone wants to do is get out of there - hardly an environment conducive to getting the best from your staff.
My husband and I are going on a belated honeymoon in May this year. We delayed it by eight months because we wanted to go somewhere really special and had to pick the right time of year to enjoy the best weather. Denis Island in the Seychelles it is but as it’s going to be a once in a lifetime holiday we really want a special way of keeping the memories alive forever which is why we have decided to make photo books from our experience.
Well, today saw something I thought would never happen! My eldest son came to me and asked my advice on buying houseware.
Now, the time came about a month ago when he and a few mates decided they could afford to club together and share a flat. They organised it just as boys do - room each and space for the TV and beer fridge. No thought to how they would clean the toilet, dispose of rubbish, clean their clothes or cook they’re food. Of course, they didn’t think of any of this - in their mind they could live off take aways forever and the washing and cleaning would be done by the fairies that existed when they lived with their parents!
Like many mums-to-be, one of the first things I did when I discovered I was pregnant was to begin thinking of baby names. Yeah, I know, there are much more important things to consider but in those hazy, fuzzy moments thinking of the new life growing inside of me, I turned to thinking about what sort of label I was going to attach to this little person with for the rest of their lives.
When it comes to holidays, who wants to have to stick to a routine? Who wants to be told what time to have breakfast? What time to go out? What time to be entertained? Who wants to have a restricted diet? Not me! I’m a fan of self catering holidays where I can choose my own agenda, where I can lay in bed til midday if I choose, then get a breakfast of my own choosing, whether that be chocolate or chips or cereal. I then want to have the freedom to go out and find my own entertainment or simply sit in my room reading until I feel like a stroll or until I feel like eating anything I want.
Fed up with trying to budget for an overseas holiday every year just to get there and find my hotel window faces a wall and the food makes me sick, I’ve decided from now on to stay in the good old UK for my holidays. I want things to go smoothly with minimal planning and hassle involved which led me to purchase my own holiday home and consequently, holiday home insurance.