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        A friend recently informed me that her window cleaner’s neighbour (whom she only knew by sight) had broken up with her boyfriend and was dating a toyboy “with a six-pack to die for”. “I didn’t know you knew her that well”, I replied. “Oh I don’t. I saw it on facebook.”…She is a bit of a voyeur I must add and likes nothing more than sitting down with a cuppa and having a good old nose. Postings such as “just made some chicken soup. Mmmm” and “hangover cures anyone?” are her daily fodder. I occasionally get informed about the dead pets of various acquaintances thr..

        What does a girl have to do to get a compliment around here? You folks might be getting your fill of plaudits but me? Well, I know I married a man of few words but let’s just say it’s been a little too quiet of late. Before I get going on my mega-moan I would like to point out that I have joined the tide of pre-Christmas desperate dieters. My husband, who is irritated by the world’s self-imposed Christmas deadline sniggered when I announced I would only be having one potato with my Sunday roast instead of the usual 45. “You love your carbs too much, you’ll never..

        In my younger days, an invitation to the pub was very rarely turned down. Indeed, if there was some bizarre reason I was unable to attend ie near fatal illness, nuclear war etc., I would do everything in my power to get there somehow, even if it was only for last orders, or a bag of nuts come to think of it. Who cares if I didn’t have the taxi fare home? It didn’t matter because everything was wonderfully spontaneous back then. I inhabited a world where anything could happen, at any time and I just enjoyed the ride. Yeehaa! Cut to a decade (ok maybe two) later..

      What is it about washing? Whoever you are and whatever you do, you can’t seem to get away from it. Absolutely everyone is involved in washing. From the mothers with 10 children who are at it (washing that is) from dawn til dusk, to the Hollywood stars who take off their costly frocks and fling them into a basket. Maybe they fling them at some minion instead but whoever they fling them at even they cannot deny this makes them part of the washing super-chain. Life is tough enough but washing makes it tougher – especially when you live in a dryer-less household. I remem..

    Our Seaside themed 'Little Buoy Blue Collection'.   I was never too happy about growing up. When all my friends were trying desperately to look older than their years – wearing the latest fashions and experimenting with makeup (badly) – I was quite happy pottering around in my sister’s hand-me-downs trying to ignore the inevitable. I had no desire to wander around the streets aimlessly, or rather appearing aimless whilst ‘casually’ bumping into certain boys. I would much rather dance around in my bedroom to the top 40.  I just wanted to keep on being 12 thank you ve..

      Whilst rifling through the usual paraphernalia in my daughters school bag I discovered a bordering-on-begging letter for help with the summer fair. I have never really had much time to get involved with school stuff really but have always secretly wanted to be in that number if I’m honest. It all seems so smiley and wholesome, what’s not to like? I hear lots of busy mums muttering to the contrary but I’m guessing they secretly want it too. Luckily, I was about to fulfil my dream as I would be free that very afternoon. Now I wouldn’t say it was on my bucket list but I..

    We recently wrote about our childhood beds and to summarise, quite frankly how unmemorable they were. But with that conversation came flooding back vivid memories of childhoods spent, as small people playing in our bedrooms.   In particular, for one of us at least, was the memory of making a den. This wasn’t the sort of den boys might normally make outside in the garden, but a far more comfortable (even luxurious!) den, made from pillows, cushions, bedding, clothing, even other peoples clothing (you get the idea) and normally constructed in an extremely tight spot,..

    I’ve always been a fan of good storage solutions. The fact that we moved into a house with absolutely NOWHERE to put ANYTHING was perhaps the catalyst for my obsession. When there is not a nook or a cranny in sight, you have to resort to desperate measures.   We had the mop and bucket in the bathroom and a hook on the wall for the dustpan and brush. The ironing board was propped up behind the kitchen door at an optimum angle so as not to flatten any visitors, and the iron was shoehorned into the crockery cupboard. The one cubby hole we were afforded was stuffed to t..

      I’m one of those people who is a little impatient I suppose. I hate being held up on the school run by mums having a conversation across the street. I hate being behind someone with fifty-twelve tokens and a cheque book at the supermarket. I hate walking behind a human weeble along the narrowest pavement ever, watching them lurch from left to right as I desperately attempt to dodge, having to time it to the last microsecond or risk getting flattened.   Chatting can be bothersome too, if you’re not the chatter or the chattee that is. I witnessed my mum become 70..

      This might at first seem like a strange question to ask! But we are in the bed business after all, so please accept this as serious market research. Somewhat less seriously, the reason we ask is that no-one here can actually remember their bed, or much of their bedroom furniture as a young child. Which led us to question whether children ever appreciate what beautiful furniture they have these days?   Clearly our childhood bedroom furniture was so uninspiring it has been quickly erased from memory. But then everything was probably less inspiring all those (twen..

Arriving at my local supermarket recently I was surrounded by signs of summer. There were barbeque kits stacked high in the foyer next to an eye-watering collection of garden toys, ranging from huge bubble wands and multi-coloured windmills, to the centrepiece, the mother-toy, a bouncy castle/water slide/tunnel combo complete with pump. Blimey what I would give to be a child today! All we had was a tennis ball in a sock. Anyway, this huge summer spectacle sparked panic within as my mind “helpfully” flashed up images of one corner of our cobweb infested shed and its sorry contents. A pre-hi..

Weddings are a joy, especially when held on a Sunday and are so far away that it is inconceivable for the whole family to attend. Children miss school? Husband miss work? No we can’t have that. Despite almost no protests, I still found myself in front of the aforesaid bunch, eyes closed with hands apart, gently patting the air, adopting the universal ‘calm down’ pose saying “Ok ok I’ll go and save all our skins, then at least one of us has shown our face.” It worked and within two hours I was all but packed and on my way. It also helped that I could tie it in with a visit to our facto..

Well it’s now May and once again, as is becoming my spring ritual, I am guilty of all charges laid before me. -Failure to adhere to a straightforward (impossible) diet. -Failure to assist slimming leaders with their enquiries (not turning up for weigh-ins). -Failure to comply with ANY rules concerning diets (out and out scoffing). -Wrongly believing that just saying the words “I’m on a diet” will make me slim. -Failure to remove any labels from my new gym kit (let alone wear it). Despite this, I have been known to go to the gym. In fact I have been twice. Once to join and..

    What’s not to like about bunk beds? They’re fun for climbing up and they’re fun for jumping off (although don’t tell the guys from Health & Safety that!). They’re practical, they’re space saving and are available in a range of shapes and sizes. The only downside is deciding who gets the top bunk! And, depending on which one you choose, they generally convert easily to two single beds for when the time is right and you have the space. So how can we here at Lucy Willow improve on a much loved and centuries old design bed that has been adored by kids throughout the world? ..