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This year we decided to make a weekend of it and considered taking the car across the channel to Europe, but with time ticking away we decided to head off on a mini road trip to Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market, about a two-hour drive from us in Kent. There are loads of amazing Christmas markets in the UK, we’ve done Manchester, St Albans and the one that lines the banks of the River Thames in London before, and I’ve had Edinburgh, Bath, Oxford and Winchester on my wishlist for a while. First thing we did when we got into Winchester was head to the ice skating, it is always one of my favourite things to do over Christmas, and here they have their rink under cover, so doesn’t matter what the weather is like. * Get your car, winter ready – make sure you have enough fuel for the journey, check your oil, tyre pressure, top up your screen wash and be prepared for the icy weather by making sure you have an ice scraper and de-icer.

This year, I’ve either really wore him down or my husband is totally feeling in the Christmas spirit as he let me go and get not one, but two Christmas trees this year on December 2, yep I’ve always had this Americanised view of Christmas, I think it is all those festive flicks I love watching, and I love how in the movies they always go to a Christmas tree farm, trek into a huge woods to find the perfect tree and then cut it down themselves. that’s a thing, but it really is a long drive to cut down a tree each year, but moving to Kent has meant we are quite close to a number of Christmas tree farms, and this year I found Sussex Trees Northdown Plantation in East Sussex, which has over 40,000 trees growing on site that you can pick your own, and even cut it down if you want. If you like the look of this 30mm lens and have been thinking about investing in an Olympus Pen, the new Olympus E-PL9, has a great offer on until the end of December that you can claim a free 30mm f3.5 lens worth £249, which is an amazing deal, as it is a great addition to the 14-42mm kit lens.

If you squealed just a little, or in my case a lot, you are going to want to keep reading as I have the cutest pieces from the Bambi collection that launches tonight, November 30 at 7pm, for those with an early access code. As with other collections, Cath Kidston has perfectly teamed the wonder of Disney taking inspiration from the classic 1942 Bambi animation to create enchanting prints that feature across fashion, bags, accessories, home and kids, they really have put together a wonderful range, from embroidered jumpers to ditsy floral print bags, the cutest crockery, and even adorable PJs so there is a piece of Bambi x Cath Kidston for fans of all ages. Of course, you guys know me, I love a Disney x Cath Kidston collection, remember Mickey and Minnie, Tinker Bell, Alice in Wonderland, and most recently It isn’t just the bags I have my eye on, the sweaters are just as cute, as is the new Disney dress, I love the colour palette of soft blue-grey hues and warm stone creams that runs through the fashion and bags, it has an enchanting feel about it, and it wouldn’t be Cath Kidston without florals, and new ditsy floral prints are gorgeous.

I’ve been very conscious lately about not adding too many pieces to my wardrobe, instead trying to restyle trusted pieces with a few key buys, whether that’s trends or just common sense additions for the autumnal months, so I thought I’d share with you the three key pieces that I think would look good in any wardrobe, especially if you are working on a capsule wardrobe like me. This New Look ‘c’est la vie’ slogan jumper, ticks more than one box for me, it has the quirky slogan, added bonus that it is in a fun handwritten style, it has the rainbow stripe, plus it is black, means it will be very versatile. I’m a huge boots fan, especially in the autumn, and I’m so happy about the hiking boot trend that hit the catwalks of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Proenza Schouler, as not only are these the autumnal answer to the summer ugly sneaker trend, but they are functional and so comfortable to wear. Things to consider with this utilitarian style, chunkier the better, use the hiking boots to toughen up your look, like I have with my high-shine pleated skirt, or how about a floral slip dress or a soft jumper dress for a full-on casual look.