There's nothing like the cold and grey days of November to make me want to stay indoors and get cosy. Whilst it might be approaching party season, it's important to save a little cash and gather your energy for the Christmas festivities. 

With that in mind, I've been busy planning my next weekend at home where I can make sure my batteries are recharged and my mind is kept stimulated with an array of home-based tasks and entertainment. 

Already the shopping arcades are getting horrendously busy with people rushing to do their Christmas shopping. Rather than facing the crowds, I prefer to laze on my sofa and do a little window shopping. I love using sites such as Pinterest to get a little inspiration, and once I've decided on what presents I want to get my loved ones, I like to use Google's Honey add-on to see what voucher codes can save me some money.

Getting the home in shape for the festive season is something of a task too. But like many things, if you use your imagination and make it fun, then it can be good way to pass a couple of hours. Although I'm no craft master, I do enjoy the challenge of making some of these homemade Christmas craft items – so much more fun than fighting the crowds in the city centre!

 Similarly, whilst video games once used to mean simplistic games of Mario Brothers, now there are sites like Betway that feature entertaining games like online roulette that are great fun for adding a little casino atmosphere to your otherwise relaxing weekend at home. But even if you're looking for a way to game in retro-style, then you can play lots of old Sega games like Sonic the Hedgehog online for free via your web browser that'll reacquaint you with the joys of gaming like yesteryear!

Food and Drink

Staying at home also has the great prospect of filling up the fridge full of goodies to keep you fuelled over the lazy weekend. Whilst it can be tempting to indulge in endless amounts of sweets and crisps, I've been trying to create a few healthy and nutritious snacks such as some yummy blueberry and banana muffins that are perfect for making that long and cosy afternoon all the more delicious! 

Jumper: H&M - Jeans: c/o Fat Face - Shoes: Converse c/o Spartoo

As much as I would love to go walking in my usual tights and dress with pumps that really isn't ideal so I popped on my super comfy, stretchy jeggings from Fat Face and some more practical shoes to head out for a walk this weekend. I normally have real issues trying to find jeans that fit all over but these jeggings were spot on. I hate a baggy ankle, don't you? If you get a pair of skinny jeans you want them to be skinny all the way down. I'm definitely going to be wearing these again this winter with some added layering to keep warm on my winter geeky train walks. I may even be tempted to get some slouchy boyfriend jeans like Elizabeth who is rocking them over on her blog here. One step at a time though, this dress loving girl won't become a jeans convert overnight. 

The walk I went on around Sudbrook isn’t the prettiest in Wales - its heavily industrialised but that's the type of history I really love. The route Martyn and I walked along forms part of the Wales Coast Path which runs along the whole 870 miles of Wales. This area is known for lave net fishing and has been an important crossing point since Roman times. 

The reason I wanted to visit the little town is the engineering marvels on view. Not only can you see the Severn Bridge and Second Severn Crossing, there is also a hidden tunnel too. The Victorian engineers wanted to create a less perilous crossing between England and Wales in a time when the only way across the channel was by ferry. Bob Dylan took this ferry once as he needed to get from one live show in Cardiff to perform in Bristol the next day. 

The village of Sudbrook houses the huge brick building that contains the pumping station which spews out millions of gallons of water from the spring that would otherwise flood the Severn Tunnel. You might not even learn anything about the little village by walking through it but it has a real important history. I loved the little row of Great Western Railway workers cottages, all the quirky little alleys and the wonderfully eccentric Tunnel Centre which documents the history of the town. I'm guessing most of you aren't into trains but you can find out a bit more about the construction of the tunnel here if you like. 

What are you go-to items of clothing when you go for a long walk? Can you recommend any interesting walks in the West for me? 

Starting a new job, in a new sector with entirely new skills to learn has certainly been a challenge but one that I've enjoyed. I come home from work exhausted from taking in so much information and after nearly three months in the job I decided that I deserved a little break so I booked a weekend in a cottage in my all time favourite town. Hay-on-Wye is a small town of about 1,500 people located in  the Brecon Beacons National Park in SouthWales. It's only about 90 minute drive from my house and I've been many times before. The town is nicknamed “the town of books” and you’ll quickly see why as you walk down the streets. Every single corner of this town is filled with books and bookshops. There are also plenty of antique shops and cafes to visit too. 

After forcing Martyn to look around book shops and antiques for a couple of hours after arriving in the town we headed to the very homely Old Stables Tea Rooms for an obscene amount of cake and plenty of tea. All the staff were friendly, the sponge cake was light and fluffy and the outdoor area was full of cute dogs. The ideal setting for me. 

The rest of the weekend involved lots of chocolate, walking along the Offa's Dyke path, relaxing in a huge bath and reading in a Shepherds hut at the stunning Pond Cottage. We were some of the first people to stay at the cottage which had undergone a total refurbishment. The cottage had everything we needed including a book collection, deep bath and a well appointed kitchen. Drinking prosecco in a bath was exactly what I needed after a long walk and week at work.

I absolutely loved my weekend in Hay-on-Wye, I could have easily stayed there for another few nights. It is right on the Wales/England border so is really accessible for anyone in the Midlands so head to the town soon if you fancy a spot of book shopping and wonderful views of the Brecon Beacons.

It’s time to get your fancy coffee mugs out and dig a showstopper recipe, as Macmillan Cancer Support’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning returns on Friday 25th September. This year Macmillan is hoping that more people than ever will take part and help to celebrate its 25th Anniversary by raising over £25million for people affected by cancer. If you didn't already know, Macmillan Cancer Support is a UK charity that provides practical, medical and financial support to those with cancer. They also campaign to push for better cancer care. Nothing has really changed from the original coffee morning back in 1991 when the first one was held. You just gather with friends, family of colleagues and tuck into some cake and coffee to raise money for Macmillan

Last year Macmillan estimates that over 5 million people were involved and a staggering total of £138million has been raised since 1991.
With 2.5 million people currently living with cancer, this year Macmillan needs more people than ever to get involved. Every cup of coffee bought, cake baked and laugh shared at a coffee morning helps Macmillan to continue to providing vital services and support to ensure no one faces cancer alone.