When considering redecorating your house, you think of the massive task ahead, the time it will take, the expense of doing it and the inconvenience of being stuck in a messy house on your own working! Why not get together with a few friends who are thinking of doing a project themselves and all agree to help each other out? It is definitely an idea that should make the disruption in each house less and should ensure you all have fun while doing each other’s houses up. Obviously you will want to pick people who you can work with. If you’re like Monica from Friends you’ll probably not want a Phoebe being wishy washy about the task in hand however as long as you all agree on tasks you should be fine!

I have some tips for you on making your make-up easier to do. I am very blonde (yes, in behaviour and in looks) and my brows and lashes are very pale. Seriously, without make-up I have no definition on my face and look like i’m about 10 years old. Instead of spending loads on fancy mascaras and eyebrow pencils, why not have your eyelashes and eyebrows dyed? This is what I do and it saves time and effort when getting ready and also means that if I don’t wear any make-up, I still have defined features. Some people have eyeliner, brows and lip liner tattooed on which I think is a bit severe but for about eight quid from Boots you can get a DIY eyelash and eyebrow kit. Just paint it on, leave it for 10 minutes and you have glossy dark lashes. Just don’t dye your brows black if your hair is not black!

So i’m on a health kick at the moment and currently in the mission of trying to get fit for my next holiday! Be advised that it is not sensible to try and do the advanced session on a workout DVD when you’ve not exercised for about three years. My muscles are completely aching and I am now very aware that you should definitely do the warm up and the warm down that is advised! The DVD was Mel B’s Totally Fit and I swear the woman is a machine! The day that I can do that many sit ups and then go straight into a lunge for three minutes will be the day I am proud of my abs. I have never been made cry by a Spice Girl before, but on Saturday I was laying on the floor in agony after trying to keep up with Mel B. Think I may get Geri Yoga next!

The beautiful weather at the weekend made it a perfect opportunity to get out in the garden and have a barbecue. This was the choice for many of my friends this weekend who were raving about their amazing garden parties. They all did say that they had to tidy up the garden before they had people round. It seems the advice that if flying around at the moment is all about tidying up your flower borders, the best kind of lawn mowers, special clippers for the hedge and getting new stones for your garden walls or rock pools! It is true though, we are due a fabulous summer so now is the time to get outside and sort your gardens out. It’ll be worth it.

My friend is having an extension done at the moment and is keeping to a very tight budget. She’s having her lounge extended so the living room is doubled in size and can then act as a kitchen diner. She really wants a big space to have a proper dining table so she can have proper family time with her son and also have enough room for a three piece suite. There is usually a big problem when having an extension which is budget. They are not cheap. The key to my friend’s success with a cost effective extension is the fact that her man is a builder! They have been pretty much doing it themselves with her knocking down walls and shifting rubble and him doing the proper building work. It has saved about five thousand pounds and is definitely a big benefit of having a tradesman as her partner. A trade is a valuable commodity and definitely means you will always be useful!