Make your money work for you ...

Abel & Cole began life in 1988 when Keith Cole rather rashly decided that life as a barrister was not for him and began selling spuds door-to-door with his mate, Paul Cole. From there, they discovered 'organic' and began giving people the choice to have of ordinary or organic potatoes. These days, Abel & Cole make it as easy as it possibly can be to eat fresh, healthy food. They'll deliver organic fruit and veg boxes, plus eggs, meat and other groceries, direct to your door. They'll put extra stuff in if you want it, take stuff out if you don't (so no more curly kale if you can't stand it!) and even give your recipe suggestions so you've got no excuses for not eating the stuff. And best of all, you know the food is free of nasties ... other than the occasional caterpillar perhaps!

artgallery.co.uk is one of the fastest growing sites for original art in the UK. Although it was only launched in 2006, it has already signed up some of the hottest British artists around and the portfolio is growing daily. So if you want something unique and inspirational on your walls, at home or in the office, take a look at what's on offer here.

artrepublic.com is the place to go online if you're looking for high quality yet affordable fine art posters and prints. Discover rare, limited edition prints from today’s cutting-edge artists plus thousands of open edition museum prints and poster art by world famous artists. The best thing is, you can search the collection by colour as well as artistic category, so if you need something blue for your bedroom, you can find it quickly and easily.

Astley Clarke is a site you'll want to visit when you're writing your Christmas list! They offer a wide selection of beautiful designer jewellery, from pearls to platinum and everything else besides. They also offer next day delivery (and same day in London) so that your other half can buy you a last minute gift without losing face! And, apparently (I haven't been lucky enough to find out myself yet) the jewellery arrives packaged in a stunning blue box.

Austin Reed is renowned for high quality tailoring and classic style. The founder, Austin Reed, opened his first shop in the City of London in 1900 and now, more than a century later, the company has over 70 outlets in the UK and more overseas. In 1925, Austin Reed took the then revolutionary step of introducing a quality, value-for-money, ready-to-wear suit, of the kind that many of our menfolk now wear day in and day out! Austin Reed also became famous for their top-notch customer service. These days, whilst still offering men’s suits and formalwear, they also offer a range of beautifully-cut womenswear, crafted from gorgeous fabrics and designed to give you a great silhouette.  They are definitely at the smarter end of the spectrum, ideal for work and posh parties!  Take a look, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised! 

 

Avon is the world's leading direct seller of beauty and related products, with a global annual turnover of $8 billion. Avon markets to women in over 100 countries through over 5 million independent sales representatives, often fondly known as “the Avon ladies”. I don’t know about you but I can definitely remember the excitement of “the Avon lady” calling! Avon began life as The California Perfume Company way back in 1886, when a struggling door-to-door salesman, David McConnell, took the decision to sell perfumes rather than books to New York homes. The business quickly prospered and Mr McConnell appointed his first General Agent, Mrs Albee. At a time before women even had the right to vote, Mrs Albee was instrumental in establishing the unique sales method that continues to be Avon's hallmark today. When Mr McConnell decided he wanted to expand his company overseas, he realised that he would need to change its name.  Having been enchanted by the beauty of Stratford upon Avon during a visit to England, in 1939 he chose the name 'Avon' for his growing international company. Operations began in the UK in 1959 and today Avon is one of the top 3 beauty brands in the country. And their Skin So Soft moisturiser is, allegedly, one of the best ways to keep the mozzies at bay, although apparently it has such a strong fragrance that it may keep people away too!  

 

Benefit Cosmetics was the brainchild of Indiana-born identical twins, Jean and Jane Ford. Although they looked exactly the same, they had such completely different personalities that people used to say “Jean has a right brain, Jane has a left ... together these two just might do something crazy! And they did. In 1976 they set up a beauty boutique in San Francisco with a whimsical candy store atmosphere. “Who says make-up has to be serious to be good?”, they asked. They became famous for finding quick fixes to every girl’s beauty dilemmas, and for mixing technical knowhow with a large dose of wackiness and fun. Since 1976, they have successfully grown Benefit Cosmetics into a global beauty brand. They are probably best known for their rose-tinted lip and cheek stain, Benetint, which was developed after a stripper’s special request for something to give her nipples a sexy pink flush! So now you know!

Blacks is Britain’s leading outdoor retailer, offering clothes and equipment for all those healthy, wholesome active pursuits that I’m always meaning to do! The company was started by Thomas Black, who went to sea in 1848 when he was 12 and had become something of a sail maker by the time he was 17! When the sail-making industry was affected by the introduction of steamships, his son, Thomas Junior, had the timely idea of transferring their skills into another business: tent making. Their equipment was used for a number of high profile treks and expeditions, such as the famous Jock Scott walk from Greenock to Cape Town, and they became renowned for producing equipment that could withstand the toughest conditions. During the Second World War, Blacks made tents and other canvas gear for the armed forces. They even made the sleeping bags supplied for Sir Winston Churchill's historic meeting with President Roosevelt! So, if you ever give in to the pressure to go camping, you can trust them to at least keep you warm and dry!

Blooming Marvellous is a great example of a successful business started by ‘mumpreneurs’ in response to their own needs. It was founded in 1983 by then mums-to-be Judy Lever and Vivienne Pringle because they couldn’t find a pair of maternity jeans that looked and fitted like normal jeans! They wanted Blooming Marvellous to offer mums the kind of clothes they wanted to wear when they were pregnant. Originally a mail-order business operated out of their living rooms whilst they still had full-time jobs, Blooming Marvellous now has 14 stores across the UK and a mailing list of many thousands of mums. As well as maternity wear, they offer baby and children’s clothes, equipment and nursery furnishings. And, most impressively of all, between 1983 and 1993, Judy and Vivienne also managed to squeeze out six children between them!

Boden is one of those companies that I just love, partly because of their fab clothes but, probably even more than that, because of the way they so artfully capture and communicate the kind of life I aspire to! Who doesn't want to be an effortlessly stylish Boden mum, running from a meeting to pick her kids up from school and then scamper home with them through the autumn leaves in a riot of joyful colour, laughing all the way?! I certainly do. Okay, so the reality of my life doesn't quite match up (not quite!) but there's something about Boden that just warms my heart and makes me think we can put the world to rights with a few bright spots and a sparkly butterfly motif! Well, it's got to be a good start anyway ...
            

British Airways - well, what can you say about British Airways? They say: “British Airways is the UK's largest international scheduled airline, flying to over 550 destinations at convenient times, to the best located airports.” To be fair, it’s a while since I last took a flight, as these days I tend to find myself squeezed into a car with two small children and all the associated paraphernalia instead! However, I can remember once vowing that I never travel on a budget airline again and that, in future, it would have to be BA or better!

British Heart Foundation is one of the UK's biggest charities. I suppose I had better declare a vested interest in them (although not a financial one!) as I’ve done a fair bit of work for them in the past and think they are a really great organisation. The BHF was founded in 1961 and plays a vital role in funding pioneering heart research in the UK, which in turn has an huge impact around the world. Many of today's new drugs and treatments might never have been possible without the existence of the BHF. And they seem to me to be really moving with the times, with some innovative and hard-hitting campaigns such as The Beat and Two Minutes. Apparently, 85 mothers die from a heart attack every day, and yet many of these deaths are preventable if we just did a little bit more for our heart health.  Go to the BHF website to find out more …

buyagift.co.uk offers a range of over a thousand amazing gift ideas, including once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as Ferrari and tank driving to the more relaxing spa breaks and balloon flights. For those that are experienced enough already, Buyagift also provides a range of traditional gifts including fine wine, flowers, hampers and chocolates. And, what’s more, they give a 150% price guarantee, so that if you buy an experience through them and within a fortnight find it advertised for less somewhere else, they’ll give you 150% of the difference! It’s the kind of site that tempts you to try something new - how about ‘sphereing’ or ‘indoor skydiving’?  Or you could always just ‘go ape’!  Because there’s nothing to stop you from buying a gift for yourself as well ….

Cath Kidston is famous for her vintage-inspired prints on everything from clothing and accessories to a variety of homewares and home furnishings. The company began in 1993 when Cath opened her first shop in Notting Hill selling old junk furniture and vintage fabrics. This sowed the seeds for Cath to create her own range of fabric and product designs. Whether you love her style or not, you can’t deny that it’s distinctive. According to wikipedia.org, “it’s the epitome of the “shabby chic” fashion and lifestyle”. She now has 21 shops in the UK, plus some in Japan, and a cult following of loyal customers including many celebrities. She’s recently launched Cath Kidston Kids which is bound to be loved by lots of parents and, hopefully, their kids! Her Lakeland terrier Stanley often features in catalogues and has been the motif for highly successful patterns. She’s still heavily involved in all aspects of the business, which is now celebrating its 15th birthday with a ‘bake a cake’ competition! Aaah, the nostalgia ... 

 

Comet began back in 1933 when George Hollingsbery set up a business called Comet Battery Services in George Street, Hull. One thing led to another, and today they’re one of the UK's largest electrical retailers with over 250 stores nationwide. They make their presence felt with black and bright yellow, and are currently celebrating their diamond anniversary … for 75 years of selling electrical goods. What’s possibly more interesting is that there are apparently two diamond anniversaries, one at 60 years and another one at 75! The 75th anniversary is the original, traditional diamond anniversary with the 60th being added when Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee (the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne) in 1897. So there you go …

Cucina Direct offers ‘stylish cookware for smart kitchens’, which is the kind of kitchen that I desperately aspire to but so far have never achieved! Still, when I look at all the amazing equipment you can buy from here (such as, for example, their six-cup rose baking pan, which I just happened to come across), I am almost inspired to get Nigella back out from the bookshelf, dust her down and give the whole ‘domestic goddess’ thing another go! If, unlike me, you happen to be a natural-born cook with a penchant for entertaining, you’ll probably love this site!

Currys is one of those places to go when you’re looking to ‘price compare’ on electrical goods. It belongs to the same group as Dixons ... and I’m not sure what else I can say apart from that! Although, again, I find that a Currys store can keep the children entertained for a good few minutes with its bank of TV screens and lovely long aisles for running up and down. Probably not what the store had in mind, but great for a rainy afternoon. Just don’t let the kids run too wild or you could end up with a very big bill!

Dixons is another one of those places to go when you want to ‘price compare’ on electrical goods. But did you know that the first Dixons was opened by Charles Kalms in 1937, as a photographic studio in Southend?! And the name was chosen out of the telephone directory, to fit the space above the shop door (which could only accommodate a word of six letters or less)! The business flourished during the Second World War because there was much demand for photographic services and family portraits. Despite all kinds of ups and downs, Dixons capitalised on the nation's growing interest in photography to become the UK's number one photographic retailer. The company has only diversified into other electrical goods in fairly recent years. Just in case you were wondering!

Early Learning Centre is Essential for Life with Children! Just about every parent in the UK (not to mention several other countries around the world) must surely recognise the little green triangle of the ELC? I only have to take a quick tour of our house to get a scary reminder of how much money we must have spent on their toys in last few years! Their shops are the kind of mum-friendly place where you can go and let your children have a little bit of fun before / after the supermarket or shoe shop. In fact, I’ve lost track of how many hours I’ve spent in the ELC, just dozing on my feet whilst the kids play under the supervision of some nice kind shop assistant! And every Tuesday morning is proper playtime, so if you’re at a loose end, you know where to go. Alternatively, of course, you can avoid all the “Mummy, I want ...” moaning by shopping whilst the children are asleep ...

Ellie Gray clothes have a sporty fit and feel, but they’re designed not just for the gym or dance studio. They’re meant for everyday wear, the kind of hoodies, t-shirts and sweatpants you can just pull on and go … to do the school run, to meet the girls for coffee, to pick up a bit of shopping or to actually do some proper exercise if you like! And they’re just as good for chilling out in at home. I am definitely not a sporty bunny, and I rarely if ever wear a tracksuit, but there are plenty of clothes on the Ellie Gray site that I would actually buy … and even put on. Why not have a look and see what you think?

feelunique.com is an online luxury boutique that offers a huge selection of High Street skincare, makeup, hair-care and fragrance brands as well as leading skincare ranges from the best spas and premium brands from around the world. Set up by mum Frankie Huggler and her husband Lawrence, it aims to let people recreate a luxury spa experience in their own homes. As well as beauty products, you can also buy the sort of top quality Egyptian cotton robes, towels and bedlinen you might find in the world’s best hotels. So if you’re in need of a bit of pampering but can’t go away to get it, this is a good place to start.

figleaves.com is an online lingerie, sleepwear and swimwear retailer, stocking over 250 brands including Calvin Klein, Elle Macpherson Intimates, Lejaby, La Perla, and even the Queen’s own favourite Rigby and Peller (not to mention Hanky Panky and Spanx!). They only charge £2.95 for delivery and offer free returns, which means that you can order a whole stack of stuff and try it on in the privacy of your own home. There are sooooooo many nice things … and therein lies the problem, there are tooooooooo many nice things! If you’ve got a weakness for gorgeous undies, you won’t get over your addiction here. So perhaps the best plan is to buy from their ‘Greenleaves’ selection - did you know you could get ethical knickers?!

findmypast.com is a UK-based family history and genealogy website with over 550 million family history records and with more being added all the time. They were the first people to put the birth, marriage and death records of England and Wales online. By doing this, they enabled the public to have far easier access to the records, which had previously only been available to search at certain locations in England. This achievement garnered the prestigious Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2007. The website makes it easy to research your UK ancestry, and you can get started on your family tree, for free, in minutes! So if you’re intrigued to know where you came from and what made you who you are, go to findmypast.com …

Gossypium means ‘cotton’ in Latin and is one of the leading brands in what is sometimes called ‘fairtrade fashion’. It started in 1998 when two textile technologists, Abigail Garner & Thomas Petit, got together to see if there was a way of making better clothes in a more direct, environmentally friendly and fairer way. After two years working as consultants to a farmer’s service centre in the cotton fields of India, they opened an office in Lewes, Sussex. In the beginning Gossypium was sold via a market stall on Brighton beach! They now have a shop in Lewes, a mail order catalogue and a website, so there’s no excuse for not buying fair-trade fashion.

greatmagazines.co.uk is the UK’s most popular magazine subscription website. If, like me, you’re addicted to magazines, you might as well subscribe to your favourites and save yourself some money. When you’re looking after children, it’s often easier to dip into a mag than to get stuck into a book. There’s a good range available here, including ‘Grazia’ (to remind you of the life you had) and ‘Mother & Baby’ (to help you with the life you’ve got now). Plus there are plenty of other titles to give as gifts to your loved ones.

Green People is the kind of company I love to support. It was set up by a mum, Charlotte Vøhtz, because her two year old daughter couldn’t stop scratching with eczema. She wanted to find some kind of treatment that would help her child and was thrilled when a herbal tonic, plus Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acid supplements and the elimination of chemical-based products from their home, cleared up her allergies. At that moment, she realised: "…that we all are children of the chemical age and that man-made chemicals found everywhere, combined with changing dietary habits, profoundly affect us all." She had a nursing background, knowledge of herbal medicine and more than 11 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and she decided to take action. The Green People Company Ltd launched their first organic health and beauty products into UK health stores in August 1997, and now offers products that are based on over 10 years’ continuous research and development. And they give 10% of their net profit to charity! So, if you haven’t already done so, there’s another good reason to go organic …

GUL have been ‘surfing since 67’, apparently, so you’d think they’d be quite good at it by now! They also manage to offer a range of surf and marine-inspired clothing for both men and women, and are the clothing sponsors for the Skandia Team GBR sailing crew. Yet another site that makes me yearn for the sea and wonder when you’re too old to learn to surf?!

Hamleys has two main associations for me. My very first teddy bear - ‘Pamela’ or ‘Pam Pams’ - came from Hamleys and was given to me when I was born. Despite the fact that that was quite a while ago, she’s still going strong, albeit looking a little ‘tired’ (kind of like me, I guess!). Apparently, I also once got lost in Hamleys, which seems like a pretty good place to get lost! Even now, it’s still supposed to be the best toy shop in the world, and it was the product of a little boy’s dream. William Hamley grew up in Bodmin, Cornwall, and might easily have become a tin miner or a fisherman, but he had other ideas. He dreamed of opening the best toy shop in the world. In 1760, he did, cramming 'Noah's Ark' with every kind of toy, from rag dolls to tin soldiers. By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, Hamleys was already a London landmark. Families flocked to William's 'Joy Emporium', now owned by his grandsons. So successful was the shop that in 1881 a new branch opened in Regent Street, which is still there to this day. You can take a tour of the famous shop at the Hamleys website, not to mention spend a fortune of course!

Heals began as a bedmaking firm in 1810 and prides itself on offering “better furniture for better times” . When Sir Ambrose Heal joined the firm in 1893, he had the vision to work with the most skilled designers and artisans of the day to create furniture that was comfortable, beautiful and affordable, reflecting the ideals of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Influential designers like Mies van de Rohe, Marcel Breuer and Robin and Lucienne Day have all been drawn to Heal’s distinctive character and reputation for innovation. Heal’s continues to work with the designers of the future and to offer home furnishings that represent the best in contemporary design - from people such as Philippe Starck, Tom Dixon, Orla Kiely and Matthew Hilton. If only I could afford it all!

Healthy Direct provide a whole range of vitamins and minerals to your door, at really reasonable prices and with free delivery. The best thing about the website is that you can search either by category of product or based on how you’re feeling. So, for example, you can select ‘I have PMS / PMT’ and you’ll be given a list of products that may help you. Strangely enough, it doesn’t include tablets of chocolate!

Hush Homewear is a business after my own heart. It was founded in 2003 by an Australian woman called Mandy Watkins who had moved to Britain with her then boyfriend (now husband and father of her two little ones) after he took her to stay in a castle and promised her all of England was like that! She missed her friends and family, and found it difficult to adjust to the winter weather. She realised there was a gap in the market for cosy, comfortable, lounging-around-at-home clothes that looked as good as they felt, and she plugged it with Hush. Stocking the most gorgeous soft, dusky-coloured PJs, undies, slouchy trousers, cardis, leggings, hats and gloves (plus PJs for your man if he’s so inclined) it’s just the place to stock up as the nights draw in and it starts getting a bit chilly. Brrr ...

Idlewild London is the place to go if you want to look good in bed …. and, let’s face it, who doesn’t? However, if you’re anything like me, gone are the days of swanning around in the “nuddy nude” (as we call it in our house). These days, with children who are notorious for waking up in the middle of the night or at the crack of dawn, I need something to protect the world from the sight of my bare bottom! Idlewild offers nightwear and loungewear that’s comfortable but doesn’t compromise on style.

James Villas was set up in the spare bedroom of its founder, James Needham, in 1984. At the time, it acted on behalf of villa owners in just one location, Lanzarote. It now has a portfolio of more than 3,500 rental properties in more than 40 different locations around the Mediterranean and beyond. So if you fancy getting away with the family but would like a bit of a ‘home from home’ - a space to yourselves, a garden, perhaps a pool - then a James villa is the way to go. They still hand-select every single one of the villas on their books to ensure that they are offering only the best of what’s available in each location, and they also perform health and safety checks for your peace of mind. They pride themselves on offering superb accommodation at great prices. And, having had a good look around their website, I’m thinking that the way to go for school holidays is to team up with another family and share a deluxe villa between us! Take a look at the Best of James ...

Joe Browns is one of those sites that appeals to the teenage surf chick in me ... not that I ever was one but you know what I mean! It’s full of funky, casual, slightly hippy gear that looks designed for festivals and beach-side barbeques rather than the school run or supermarket shop. Having said that, with a bit of careful choosing, I’m sure I could put together a selection of outfits that would work for most aspects of my life ... except, perhaps, work. Joe Browns offer menswear too, and if you’ve got sons and daughters who are growing up scarily fast, I suspect they’ll like this site.

John Lewis is actually a co-operative, owned by its employees!  It was founded in 1864 when John Lewis set up a draper’s shop in Oxford Street, London, which developed into a department store.  In 1920 his son, John Spedan Lewis, decided to share the company’s profits among its employees. The democratic nature and profit-sharing basis of the business were developed into a formal partnership structure and Spedan Lewis bequeathed the company to his employees.  Around 69,000 ‘partners’ now work for John Lewis, all of whom have a say in how the business is run and a share in its profits.  Along with Waitrose, it has been voted Britain’s favourite retailer for the last three years running.  It may not offer the cheapest prices, but when you buy from John Lewis, you get quality products and great service …

Jones the Bootmaker is a family business which began in 1857 when Alfred Jones and his wife Emma opened their first footwear shop in London's Bayswater. Conditions were much harder then than today with opening hours from 8am to 8pm, except on Saturday when the shop was open until midnight. A progressive businessman, Alfred Jones was one of the first traders to install electric lighting in his shop. This event brought crowds flocking to his Bayswater shop to see the new miracle, and mounted police had to be called to dispel the throng! Over the years, nine of Alfred's sons were apprenticed to the shoe trade, each eventually opening a shop of their own and all trading under the name of A. Jones & Sons. Jones led the retailing field by introducing stocks of ready-made shoes in 3 different widths and, in doing so, started a tradition in shoe fitting. These days, Jones the Bootmaker is known for high quality shoes as well as boots!

Joules Clothing started out originally in the 1980s as Joule and Son Ltd, run by Ian Joule. In those days, Ian would go out selling waxed jackets and waterproofs at point to points and country shows, accompanied by his son Tom. In the 1990s, father and son established a new company, Joules Ltd, and bravely launched a range of their own-branded clothing, designed to offer the country set something quirky, upmarket, and a little less staid than they were used to. Today, Joules clothing still has a distinctly country feel but the company’s strapline - “living the good life” - reflects their desire to appeal to a wider audience. So if you’re after practical, wholesome, stylish clothes, click on the banner and go for a wander around the Joules Village, check out the ‘look of the month’ and see what you think …

Kew launched on the High Street in 2003. It’s a sister company to the long-established Jigsaw which, for what it matters, is where I always used to buy my work clothes back in the days when I had to be really smart! Kew offers great quality clothes at affordable prices, including both classic and trend-driven designs. They put a lot of emphasis on using luxurious fabrics and finishings. What’s interesting is that Kew don’t ‘buy’ lines from suppliers. Instead, all their clothes and accessories (along with those for Jigsaw) are created by the design team at their Head Office in Kew, Surrey. They work very closely with their own factories, here in the UK, in the EU and in Hong Kong, to develop the final clothes. So you know that everything in their collections is designed to work together.

Koodos offers ‘stylish brands at smart prices’, with amazing discounts on a wide range of designer gear, including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, jewellery and handbags! If you’re prepared to have a good look around, you can find some gorgeous bargains. I just spotted the most amazing necklace reduced from £340 to £205. That’s quite a saving, but it’s common to find things at up to 80% off the original price. Like ‘7 for All Mankind’ jeans for £70 instead of £200! And you can even sign up for alerts to tell you when new Chloe handbags arrive, that kind of thing. So if you’re a fan of designer labels but can’t quite justify the price tags, try Koodos ...

Kurt Geiger was set up by, you’ve guessed it, Kurt Geiger, an Austrian-born entrepreneur who opened his first shop in London’s Bond Street back in 1963. Kurt Geiger now offers the broadest portfolio of luxury designer shoe brands in Europe. These range from comfortable casuals such as Birkenstocks, Converse and Uggs through to far less comfortable (I’m guessing?) but far more glamorous numbers by Chloé, Agent Provocateur and Gina. They also offer their own highly successful brands of Kurt Geiger, KG, Carvela and Solea. So, if you never get the time to actually go out shoe shopping, you might like to order online and have them delivered to your door. You can always return them if they don’t fit, although you do have to pay for this yourself.

L'Occitane en Provence was founded by Olivier Baussan in Provence (surprise surprise!) in 1976. Drawing inspiration from the countryside, traditions and techniques of the Mediterranean, he developed skincare products that were effective, authentic and appealing. L’Occitane now has stores in nearly 70 countries around the world, and offers a wide range of delicious-smelling beauty and home products based on natural ingredients. They’ve recently launched a new Mom and Baby range that contains no alcohol, parabens, silicons, mineral oils or colourants. And, best of all, they’re an ethical company with a commitment to looking after the environment and their own charitable Foundation which, amongst other things, supports sustainable economic development projects led by women in poor countries. So they really do offer ‘feel good’ products …

Laura Ashley always used to be seen as a little bit too ‘chintzy’, but times have changed and Laura Ashley has changed with them! Would you believe that this world-famous fashion and home empire actually began, back in 1953, when Laura and Bernard Ashley went to see a Women’s Institute exhibition on traditional handicrafts at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Laura was inspired to make her own patchwork quilts but couldn’t find any suitable fabrics in the shops ... so they started printing their own on their kitchen table! They invested £10 in equipment and off they went! At first they could only produce small squares of fabric - luckily for them, however, the release of the film ‘Roman Holiday’ with Audrey Hepburn sparked a huge trend for headscarves. They realised they could produce these and, in no time at all, were selling them in great quantities to shops like John Lewis and Heal’s. And so it all began ...

Lego Company is responsible for many happy children, and parents! My own daughters have spent hours carefully constructing Lego worlds, and it’s one of the few non-girly pursuits that they enjoy, much to their daddy’s delight! But did you know that the name ‘Lego’ is actually an abbreviation of the two Danish words ‘leg godt’, meaning ‘play well’. It’s the company’s name and their ideal. They actually discovered later on that ‘lego’ can also be loosely interpreted as meaning ‘I put together’ or ‘I assemble’ in Latin. The Lego Group had humble beginnings in the workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, in Billund, Denmark, in 1932. The company passed from father to son and is now owned by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, a grandchild of the founder. It now offers an amazing range of products catering for kids from 1 to 101, which makes this site a great place for presents!

Legoland is also responsible for many happy children. There are 4 Legoland parks, one in Windsor, Berkshire, and the others in the USA, Germany and Denmark. Essentially, they’re theme parks, with a lego twist! The UK park includes an ‘Xbox 360 Gaming Zone’ inside ‘Lego City’; a brand new £7 million ‘Land of the Vikings’ with a ‘Longboat Invader’ ride and the very wet ‘Vikings’ River Splash’; all sorts of other rides; plus shows such as Johnny Thunder in ‘Revenge of the Aztec Queen’. It’s not cheap to visit (unless you go for an annual pass) but everyone I’ve ever spoken to who’s been says it’s definitely worth the money! And, in case you’re thinking it’s best for older children, there is loads for the little ones too!

Letterbox began as a small toy shop in Cornwall, almost 20 years ago, and has grown into a very successful mail order company. They pride themselves on ‘inspiring active imaginations’, with a range of quality toys and games for children. They also offer soft furnishings and storage solutions for kids’ rooms, personalised gifts, pocket money toys and all sorts of themed bits and pieces for parties. There’s a lovely mixture of traditional and more modern products, with plenty of things that you’ll never find on the High Street. Prepare to be tempted ...

Links of London was founded in 1990, as the result of a simple request for a pair of fish cufflinks - bizarre but true. A local restaurant owner commissioned the manufacture of a pair of sterling silver cufflinks, as a gift for their loyal restaurant clients. Harvey Nichols, the exclusive London fashion store, loved the design and ordered a whole collection. Links of London was born and today it has stores in the UK, Hong Kong, USA and Canada. They are probably most famous for their ‘Sweetie’ bracelets (made up of hundreds of circular links) and for the extensive range of charms to go with them, but they offer a wide variety of other contemporary jewellery too.

Little Fashion Gallery is widely recognised as the place to go for designer childrenswear. According to Jess Cartner-Morley, Fashion Editor for ‘The Guardian’, “Little Fashion Gallery is like netaporter.com, but cuter. A brilliantly edited selection of childrenswear that avoids the clichés of girls in glitter and sugar pink, boys in scaled-down utility-wear. Great styling and easy navigation mean the site works for inspiration or for shopping." They also offer super stylish toys, such as the plexiglas Ding dolls’ house, albeit at serious prices! And it’s worth a look just for the photography …

London Fine Foods Group has been supplying the highest quality luxury foods via the web since 2003, and prides itself on ‘bringing you fine foods at even finer prices’. So if you’re a true ‘foodie’ and want to track down the same kind of delicious, gourmet ingredients that you might find in London’s top food halls without having to trek into town, this is the website for you! Your taste buds will be tempted by champagne, caviar and truffles, plus the very best cheeses, hams and teas. And that’s not all. You can even join their ‘eFoodie’ membership club which apparently has over 2000 members including global rock legends, leading politicians and Friday night TV presenters, amongst others. Just be warned, this site could be seriously bad for your waistline!

Lonely Planet Publications have accompanied me around the world, and have proved to be really trustworthy companions, pointing me in the direction of the best places to stay and the best things to see and do. In fact, I’m so fond of my old Lonely Planet guidebooks that, even though they’re a bit past it now, I still can’t bear to send them to recycling heaven! The Lonely Planet story is a legend these days. Tony and Maureen Wheeler met on a bench in Regent’s Park and were married a year later. For their honeymoon, they decided to try and cross Europe and Asia overland, all the way to Australia. On their return, they wrote their first travel guide ‘Across Asia on the cheap’, sitting up late at night at their kitchen table. When it sold 1500 copies in the first week, Lonely Planet was born. More than 30 years later, it is now owned by BBC Worldwide, but still provides independent advice for independent travellers, covering all the best places in the world. So go on, take a trip ...

Long Tall Sally is another company that has been a big part of my life, seeing as I’ve been over 6’ tall since I was 14! It was started in 1975 by a tall American woman, Judy Rich, who moved to London and was disappointed to find that, despite its reputation as fashion capital of the world, there was very little choice for tall women who still wanted to dress with some style. Long Tall Sally clothes aren’t just longer in length, they’re cut to fit all the proportions of a taller woman, so no more seams splitting you in half when you sit down!

lovefilm.com has transformed my life. No longer do I need to stress about getting a DVD back to the library or rental shop on time. Now, I can just keep it for as long as I like and then, when I send it back, get a new one landing on my doormat, no effort required! And they’ve got the most amazing range of films available. With just a couple of clicks, I managed to track down ‘Betty Blue’, a French film that I first saw about 20 years ago and that I’ve been wanting to see again ever since! With subscriptions starting at £3.99 a month, online DVD rental has got to be the way to go ...

M & S is, quite simply, a national institution! It is the largest clothing retailer in the UK and, as of 2008, the 43rd largest retailer in the world. In 1998, it was also the first British company to record a pre-tax profit of over £1 billion. And yet it was founded by Michael Marks (an immigrant from Minsk) in 1884, as a single stall in Kirkgate Market, Leeds. The site of this first stall is now marked with a green and gold commemorative clock. Fast forward to today, and M & S is proactively pursuing its ‘Plan A’ - an ambitious campaign to dramatically increase the environmental sustainability of the business within five years … ‘because there is no plan B’!

Millets was founded in 1893 by Mr J M Millet, an outfitter and draper, and its core values still hold true today: to offer outstanding value for money and friendly, knowledgeable staff in every store, as well as an outstanding selection of outdoor kit. So if you’re feeling energetic and want the proper gear for hiking, climbing and camping, it’s definitely worth having a look in Millets. Especially as they now offer a ‘One Earth’ range of environmentally friendly clothing, wind-up walking accessories and camping equipment. These high-performance products by Peter Storm and Eurohike use alternative fabrics from sustainable sources, innovative methods of dying, and even come in recycled packaging printed with vegetable dyes. Another positive move …

Mr & Mrs Smith is the kind of business I wish I’d started! It began life as a simple guide to some of the UK’s best boutique hotels, created by couple James Lohan and Tamara Heber-Percy after they went away for a weekend and were bitterly disappointed by the hotel in which they stayed. They chose the name ‘Mr & Mrs Smith’ long before the film with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came out, because it reflects that “we’re all about romantic escapes with your other half. A wink to couples everywhere, who fancy checking into a fabulous hotel under this classic dirty-weekend pseudonym.” They now review the most stylish and luxurious hotels across the globe (lucky things!), so if you’re looking to get away with your other half, start looking right here …

my-wardrobe.com is a great way to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in the fashion world. It enables you to buy the kind of items you see in magazines without having to traipse round the shops ... rarely pleasant, or even possible, with small children in tow! My-wardrobe.com offers the latest in clothing, shoes and accessories and, unlike some other websites, only sells current season collections. What’s really great is that you can shop by specific trend, by editor’s picks, or by event. So if you want to know what ‘dark romance’ actually looks like, or if you need to find an outfit for ‘dinner at the races’, it’s worth looking here. And they even have their own TV channel!

mydiamonds.com are the online specialists for loose diamonds and bespoke diamond jewellery. So if your beloved has got money burning a hole in his pocket (or if you have yourself, for that matter), why not invest in something sparkling?! After all, “diamonds are forever” and can be handed down to your children and children’s children. With mydiamonds.com, you can choose exactly the kind of diamonds you want - carat, cut, colour and clarity - and then have them set into simple rings, pendants and earrings. The best bit is that mydiamonds.com only offers diamonds that have been acquired through legitimate sources - absolutely no conflict diamonds here. They also insist that their gold suppliers comply with the ‘no dirty gold’ campaign. So you can wear your new jewellery with pride ...

Myla sells the most beautiful luxury lingerie, swimwear and sleepwear. They also offer an exclusive selection of innovative designer sex toys and a range of seductive and indulgent ‘bedroom accessories’ (whatever they might be?!). And, in case you’re interested, they famously provided the lace and freshwater pearl g-string that tickled Samantha’s fancy in ‘Sex and the City’. You can still buy one for a mere £79! It has to be said, the stuff on here is not cheap, but it is absolutely gorgeous. The first Myla boutique opened in Notting Hill in 1999 and their products were featured in Vogue every month for the first year. Kate Moss is said to have rushed here for bespoke lingerie when she first discovered she was pregnant. So if you go for Myla, you know you’re in good company. Definitely one for sleepless nights of the romantic kind!

Natural Collection is the UK’s leading non-food ecological retailer. Formed in 1999, long before the rest of the business world jumped on the ‘green’ bandwagon, Natural Collection’s aim was to bring a wide selection of ecologically considered products and services to as wide an audience as possible. They work with renowned environmental expert Edwin Datchefski, who has been consulting on product design and sustainability since 1994. Edwin independently assesses all their products against their 5 key criteria: Eco, Organic, Fair and sustainable trade, Natural living and Well being. So you can be confident that the products and services they offer are about as ‘good’ as you can get! On top of that, they have so far raised over half a million pounds for environmental and other worthy causes. Go support them …

Next Domestic Appliances offers, well, domestic appliances! They say: “We believe in keeping things simple. We work hard to cut prices, not corners and we think that good service speaks volumes. We have over 4000 great value appliances from major brands ready to deliver direct to your door.” So there you go …

Oddbins offers ‘wines with spirit’. Ever wondered why ‘Oddbins’ is called ‘Oddbins’? Probably not, but I’m going to tell you anyway! It’s because it began, back in 1963, when entrepreneur Ahmed Pochee started up a small business delivering bin-ends and oddments of wine to the restaurants and clubs of London's West End. The business is now owned by Castel Freres, one of France’s biggest and best wine producing companies, and has over 100 shops across the UK, plus a superstore in Calais. Oddbins has 12 ‘Wine Merchant of the Year’ awards under its belt, so when a wine is recommended on the site, you can expect it to be good …

PC World sells pretty much everything you could ever want to do with computers, not to mention TVs, audio equipment, cameras, phones and even furniture. They also offer a really valuable service for anyone as ‘un-techy’ as me - The TechGuys TechFriend™ - a 24/7 helpline providing IT support. You pay a one-off fee for 12 months and then, that’s it, you can use it as often as you need, for any of your computers. And if the TechGuys can’t fix things over the ‘phone, they can remote access your computer and do it that way. Sounds like a good idea, especially if you’ve ever spent days trying to resolve a problem only to end up calling in the experts at some exorbitant price!

Pharmacy 2 U was the UK’s first internet pharmacy. It enables you to get prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines and personal care products deliverered direct to your doorstep without having to leave the comfort of your own home (which, let’s face it, can be difficult when you’ve got poorly children!) Prices are often lower than on the High Street, and delivery is free for all UK NHS prescriptions. Just like a traditional pharmacy, Pharmacy2U can also offer expert advice. Plus, you can do all sorts of fancy things like request repeat prescriptions and get reminders for repeat prescriptions. And it’s run by pharmacists to the highest professional standards, so you can trust their service. No wonder it’s now the country’s largest internet pharmacy.

Photobox is Europe’s leading online photo service, with over 5 million members.  The site has won more awards than any other online photo service and offers an amazing service - apparently, standard-sized prints ordered before 4pm are sent out first class that very same day!  Prints cost from 5p each, and at the moment you get 40 photos free when you set up an account.  You also get 1000MB of free photo storage, and can order a wide range of personalised photo gifts as well.  The company was launched in 2000 by Graham Hobson.  As the father of three young children, he found himself taking loads of photos and spending a fortune on film and processing.  He bought one of the early digital cameras, but then found that his computer struggled to store all the files, and he couldn’t get the kind of results he wanted printing his photos out on his home printer.  And so Photobox was born!  Just look at it now …

Present Aid is Christian Aid’s online gift shop. Christian Aid is a development charity working in nearly 50 countries around the world to help people (regardless of religion or race) to improve their own lives and tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. When you buy something from Present Aid, you don’t get something you can wrap up in shiny paper and ribbon, you get something far better: ‘gifts that keep giving’. Like a mosquito net to protect a family from malaria, or a brood of chicks to help a farmer feed his children, or a teacher’s salary for a month, so that more girls can get an education for their future. Gifts with a real feel-good factor …

Responsible Travel is a new way of travelling for those who've had enough of mass tourism and who want to enjoy amazing experiences whilst also respecting and benefiting local people and the environment. It was co-founded by Justin Francis and Harold Goodwin in April 2001, with financial investment from Anita and Gordon Roddick (of The Body Shop). It all began in 2000 when Justin stayed with the people of Kawaza on a trip to Zambia and learnt, from Jackson the village headman, just how much of a positive difference tourism could make. Responsible Travel was set up to enable people to buy their holidays from the growing number of travel companies that are economically, socially and environmentally responsible. And it’s not just for intrepid adventurers, they offer literally hundreds of family holidays too. So … where to next year?

SBR Sports is for serious sportspeople! SBR stands for ‘swim, bike, run’ ... because SBR are all about triathlons. If you’re brave / mad enough to do anything like that, you’ll find all the swimming, cycling and running equipment you could ever need here, plus they offer specialist advice to help you achieve your personal best. Having said that, you’re apparently quite welcome to shop with them even if, like me, you have absolutely NO intention of ever becoming a triathlete but just enjoy the occasional bike ride and want some ‘under armour’ to protect your bits!

Sheila's Wheels car insurance has been specifically designed for women, because everyone knows that women drivers are better drivers! So they offer no claims discount of up to 75%, a free courtesy car if yours is in the garage being repaired (by a female-friendly repairer!), up to £300 handbag cover and a free 24-hour counselling service in case you have a traumatic incident on or off the road. They also now offer home insurance with, get this, new-for-old cover on all your clothes! But, contrary to what you might think, it didn’t all start in Australia. Sheila’s Wheels is a brand of esure, one of the UK’s leading direct insurers, and the name was chosen, quite simply, because someone liked the sound of it.

Smythson of Bond Street is world-renowned for its high quality diaries, notebooks, purses and handbags, amongst other things. Frank Smythson opened his first shop on 29th September 1887 at 133 New Bond Street. His trade card described his business as ‘First class stationery, leather goods and cabinet work’. The Smythson flagship store is still in New Bond Street, now directly opposite the original shop. In 1964, Smythson was granted a Royal Warrant to Her Majesty the Queen. This is considered a huge honour as, to qualify for a Royal Warrant, tradespeople must supply the member of the Royal Family concerned, or their household, with products or services in significant quantity over a period of at least five years. In other words, the Queen must like her Smythson!

The National Lottery is played by over 77% of the UK adult population, all of whom obviously believe that “you’ve got to be in it to win it”!  The National Lottery is the official retailer of Lotto, EuroMillions, Scratchcards and all other lottery games.  It has been going since 1994 and has raised over £21billion for good causes across the country.  Until recently, you had to buy your tickets in a retail outlet, but now you can buy them online … and you can even buy them on the night of the draw, which is great if you don’t want to drag the kids back out to the shops!  There are loads of reasons to play the lottery online: no queues, you can’t lose your ticket, they’ll email you if you win and they’ll automatically put the prize money into your bank account.  Oh, just imagine that!

The White Company began life in 1993 when Chrissie Rucker was moving in with her boyfriend (now husband) Nick Wheeler and couldn’t find the kind of stylish, simple white bedlinen and home accessories that she wanted. Having always wanted to run her own business, and having spotted a gap in the market, she decided to source the products herself and sell them via mail order. The first catalogue was just 12 pages long, photographed in a friend’s house on borrowed beds. The company now has an annual turnover of almost £80 million, and Chrissie is still heavily involved. She and Nick also have four children between them. Talk about a super stylish super woman! And, if you’re not that into white, don’t worry, The White Company also offers several other subtle ‘of the moment’ shades ...

Toys R Us has just about every big brand toy you could imagine, plus baby and nursery equipment, accessories for children’s bedrooms, you name it. Anything your children have ever seen advertised on TV will probably be at Toys R Us! The prices are normally pretty competitive and you can even get a Toys R Us gold card, which enables you to collect points and be rewarded with money-off coupons, special offers and discounts.

Travelodge

Uniqlo is a household name in Japan, where it began by opening its first store in Hiroshima back in 1984. It now has over 760 stores worldwide, selling an extensive range of “casual wear that can be worn by anyone, any day”. Products include great quality basics, like T-shirts and merino wool jumpers, in all sorts of colours and at affordable prices. It’s the kind of stuff that, if you choose carefully, can make you look effortlessly, minimalistically stylish! No fuss, no frills, just good honest gear.

 

Urchin has all sorts of lovely stuff for children and families, much of which I haven’t seen anywhere else. They also stock an exclusive range of innovative, stylish products for babies - Bosieboo. So if you’re looking for an alternative source of presents for the kids, the Urchin website is definitely worth a visit. In just a few minutes, I managed to find at least five or six things I wanted to buy for my little ones, including a gorgeous brightly-coloured fleecy blanket, a dotty coat hanger, an animal farm hanging organiser and a silicone lolly mould. This last item is guaranteed to cause huge excitement in our household after the hoo-ha we had trying to get our ice-pops out this summer! And I didn’t even get started on the toys ...

White Stuff has turned out to be quite successful for George Treves and Sean Thomas, who started the business more than 20 years ago when they were passionate ‘ski bums’! Thomas was working in the Alpine resort of Méribel as a handyman and met Treves, who ended up sleeping on the floor of his flat and famously once said “I could only stretch out completely by opening the fridge door and putting my feet where the vegetables were.” The pair were looking to raise some money to maintain their snow-focused lifestyle, and began by designing and selling T-shirts that were a bit ‘cool’ compared to the other stuff available then. Sales took off immediately, and in 1991 White Stuff opened its first shop in London. They now have 47 shops and a successful mail-order and internet business, with a turnover of around £80 million. The clothes have moved away from skiwear to stylish, casual everyday wear, with women’s fashions accounting for 70% of sales. I love it!

Wiggle Online Cycle Shop is where my partner went when he was looking to buy some nice cool, comfortable, cycling clothes for a sponsored bike ride to Paris, and he seemed pretty pleased with his purchases. As I've only ever been a 'fair weather tarmac trail' kind of a cyclist, I'm not really in a position to judge, but they apparently have everything and at good prices!