As my children and I were all labouring under the effects of persistent colds, I remembered a "recipe" for herbal steam tablets in the January edition of Daphne's Diary. Made using bicarbonate of soda and essential oils, these tablets are intended to release lovely smelling vapours to invigorate while you shower and they're very easy to make at home.

Here's how we made our own herbal steam tablets, along with a few tips we learned along the way.

As our schedules become even more busy, we often forget to take the time to enjoy the small things which make us happy. Simple experiences, such as enjoying a coffee with a friend or seeing a child's face light up as they smile, are moments which can make us feel more content about our lives. As the 100 Happy Days project explains:

The ability to appreciate the moment, the environment and yourself in it, is the base for the bridge towards long term happiness of any human being.

Head lice. Pesky little critters aren't they? It's estimated that one in three school-aged children will get head lice at some point during the year, and that as many as one in ten have them at any one time!

Children aged between four and eleven are at most risk of contracting head lice, though adults can get them too - particularly parents who may contract them from their youngsters.

Unfortunately head lice are notoriously difficult to get rid of, particularly as we may not notice their presence until they've had time to set up home and spawn a few generations more. Having battled with the pests on more than one occasion, I can offer some useful advice for how to really get rid of head lice, along with tips to help keep them at bay.

When I was a young girl, Nannan Joan taught me how to style hair in ringlets using strips of fabric - no curling irons or heated rollers required! It was such a novelty to me at the time, though strangely in the years since I haven't curled my hair - at least not using rag strips!

Last week it was Princess' birthday and we'd planned a fun day out, so as a treat we decided to style her hair using this technique to help her feel extra pampered on her special day.

In today's post I'll explain the technique we used, complete with a few photos to illustrate this old-fashioned but incredibly effective method of curling hair.

Like many busy mums, I often find there's barely time in the day to comb out my tangled hair, let alone paint on a full face of make-up. Weekly manicures have become a thing of the past, and at the end of the month there's barely enough left in the pot for my favourite magazine, let alone a trip to the hairdressers!

Every woman wants to feel pretty and pampered, but when time and money are of the essence, what's a mum to do?

Here are a few suggestions for cheap and easy beauty fixes to fit in with even the tightest of schedules so you can have your beauty fix without having to worry about the cost!

For many women, the dawn of motherhood signals a pause in their pursuit of personal development. They become nurturers, caregivers, selfless beings who when faced with a moment to themselves wonder how best to spend this time for the good of the family, rather than on themselves.

Dreams are put on hold and plans for growing the self are held off until children are older, perhaps even flown the nest... Unfortunately these women fail to understand that personal development is not a selfish treat enjoyed only by themselves, it is an important investment in family life.