Something about springtime and the gentle ease into summer makes me so excited to use all my favourite products. I get more daring with my shade choices, I feel more confident with that bronze glow I love for this time of year and I reach for all my old favourite summer essentials, wishing it to come sooner. This month there have been splashes of bright colour, fresh light fragrances and a lot of love for a golden glow.

My love for Manor Farm goes back many years, back to my own childhood when I would make visits there at weekends and during school holidays, living in the same village and just a short walk to the farm itself. When I was pregnant, one of the things I was most excited about, was being able to share some of my favourite childhood experiences with my own baby. Show them all the things I love, take them to my favourite places, fill them up with experiences. Manor Farm was one of those places I couldn't wait to take Willow, and she absolutely loved it!

One thing we all associate with being a mother, is changing bags. Wherever we go, they go. Before we leave we have to pack them until they barely zip up, just in case we need anything throughout the day. You need changing essentials, something to occupy your little one, even snacks and drinks.

Recently I've been slim-lining our changing bag, only carrying the absolute essentials and trusting my instinct when it comes to deciding how much to take out with us for the day. Willow's needs have changed over the months and the older she gets, the things inside of our changing bag change. These are our current changing bag essentials, the products we always have to have in our changing bag whenever we leave the house.

I have used, adored and repurchased the Weleda Skin Food for several years now, an incredible multi-purpose product that has well earned a full post dedicated to it. If you have dry or rough skin, this really is a wonderful, and very budget-friendly, product that is well worth looking into adding to your beauty stash.

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We all know I'm a sucker for Urban Decay eyeshadow palettes and the Full Spectrum palette is definitely one that stands out from the crowd. Bold and bright, it's a daring palette that has shades for all year round, with some of the funkiest shade selections I've seen from Urban Decay.

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When we went to Cyprus back in April we were well prepared with SPF protection for all the family, but I was still a little bit worried of the dreaded sunburn, especially with Willow's delicate skin, so I made sure we had some kind-to-skin aftersun with us as well. If you're off on your summer holiday soon or even catching a bit of sun here in the UK, here are my top two picks for budget-friendly after sun care.

Over Easter, we spent our first family holiday in Paphos, Cyprus. Cyprus is always my favourite destination to go to on holiday, being Cypriot myself and always feeling more 'at home' there. It had been a long time since my last holiday, 13 years in fact, and so I was really excited to be heading back to Cyprus, particularly as it would be Willow's first holiday and our first family holiday. We stayed at Akti Beach Village Resort, which is in Paphos, and we booked through Jet2Holidays.com.

I've never been one who is happy just sitting in a hotel, instead preferring to explore and visit local attractions and places to see, so when we went to Cyprus in April, I made sure that we went out as much as possible. Here are my top five recommendations for things to do if you're staying in (or near to) Paphos, Cyprus.

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Flashback to my childhood and teens, and I would have told you I didn't need sunscreen, I never ever wore SPF. It's only since my 20's that I started to realise how absolutely paramount it is to protect our skin and wearing SPF, daily, is so important. It's important in the UK and it's important when you go on holiday, wearing SPF is one of the easiest ways you can ensure your skin is protected as possible.

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Coming from a Cypriot background, food has always been a huge part of family life and so family mealtimes have always been hugely important to me. I grew up eating at the dinner table as a family, using the time to catch up on everyone's day and of course, delving into delicious food that all the family enjoy. When we had Willow, family mealtimes became even more important, a time where we can sit down together and enjoy a meal with our little girl, who is still exploring the huge world of food and flavour, chatting together and enjoying a nice sit-down family meal.

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Nude lips have been my go-to over the past two years, straying away from the bright and bold shades I used to opt for earlier in my 20's, adoring a simple nude lipstick that flatters my complexion and compliments my look. You can't go wrong with a nude really, can you? They go with any makeup look, any outfit, for any occasion, an essential in any makeup lovers beauty stash.

We spent a beautiful week in Cyprus over the Easter half term and one of the places we visited whilst there, was Pafos Zoo. I'd looked into things we could do in the area in the run-up to our holiday and Pafos Zoo kept coming up as a recommended place to visit, and so we headed there mid-week during our stay. I love animals and I think zoos can be beneficial in understanding animals as well as aiding research, conservation and breeding of rare or endangered animals. Last year we took Willow to Twycross Zoo, a great family day out and somewhere I hope to visit again this summer, but the chance to visit a zoo in Cyprus was one we couldn't miss, and I'm really glad we went!