Where has this year gone? It seems like only last week we were in the throes of back to school, with Eoghan (my eldest) already starting year 4, and Phee starting pre-school! The weather may have taken its time to change, but it certainly feels like winter now. All my summer clothes have been evicted from the wardrobe, replaced by snuggly jumpers and woolly cardigans.

This week has been a particularly busy one – yet again, (like all mums at this time of year) I’ve found myself spinning quite frankly a rude amount of plates. Is it just me or do stocking fillers get more and more expensive each year? And of course, as the kids get older, its even more difficult finding cheap but interesting novelties. Feel free to share your ideas: I need all the help I can get at this point! There’s just so much to remember in December, I need a separate diary just for the school activities. I learnt this the hard way when Eoghan was the only child at his carol service missing the key item of a Christmas jumper… Bad parent award goes to me!

Whilst being rushed off our feet finding new homes for our wonderful winter boots and colourful clothing, my mind has had to be in august next year, as I have been ordering 2019 school shoes already! Don’t worry, we’ve gone up to big sizes in girls Velcro school shoes. We thought we’d sussed it this year, but children are getting so tall these days therefore, our girls Velcro range will be going up to an adults 6. Having a son, I understand the frustration of wanting variety for boys. That’s why we have also added lots more styles, to give both younger and older boys an even bigger choice. Here’s a sneaky peek…