Last Autumn I started thinking about holding a family get-together: me, parents, all siblings and babies and other-halves and various add-ons such as dogs and fluffy dinosaurs and pull-along ponies. It would be fun, I mused, to get everyone in the same place at the same time and it would also be momentous, in a way, because we had not all been in the same place at the same time for years. In fact, taking sibling husbands and girlfriends into account, we had never all been in the same place at the same time.

Mass gatherings don’t happen in our family very frequently because a) we all live spread out over England and trying to get a time when everyone is free, and able to travel, and willing to travel, is nigh on impossible and b) (and this is probably more the reason) there simply isn’t enough room at any of our houses to comfortably accommodate everyone together without there being queues for the loo or mayhem around the dinner table or gridlock on the driveway. Of course the parental home is always the hub, but what parents expand the size of their property as the children grow up? Most start downsizing, or at least stay put, and the home that once held two adults and a few kids suddenly feels very tight when those kids are tall and come with a family of their own who all need room.

And so (stay with me, readers, you’re in for the long-haul here!) I started a discussion with my Mum about planning a family get-together “away”. Something I’ve inherited from Mother: I take an almost indecent amount of pleasure in organising things “away”. Weekend city-breaks, fortnights in the sun, days out to visit family and friends; both of us seem to enjoy sitting for hours at the computer trawling deals and hotel options, working out flight itineraries and nit-picking our way through Tripadvisor and Booking.com to weed out the trustworthy reviews. So we tackled the family get-together idea with gusto, immediately listing ideas and accommodation options.

We wanted something quite special, with a touch of luxury, as we felt that this was a big occasion (my birthday, my niece baby Edith’s first birthday and something else rather exciting) and so the first consideration was whether or not we booked a hotel. But for the number of rooms we’d need, a hotel was prohibitively expensive and we didn’t like the idea that we wouldn’t be able to cook and we’d have to constantly find activities to keep the group occupied, otherwise everyone would just end up spending time in their own little rooms and the whole get-together weekend would be little more than having an evening in a restaurant and then seeing everyone for breakfast again the next morning!

And so the solution for this special weekend was to rent a house. I’m no stranger to the whole holiday-let renting game; I’ve been on quite a few weekends with twelve or so friends and all the relevant children, I’ve been abroad and stayed at lovely villas with Mr AMR and I’ve shared little holiday cottages in England with my parents. In every way, a large rented house was the ideal solution here: plenty of space to all be together, the ability to cook all of our own meals whenever we wanted to and enough separate, private rooms to allow for quiet time. In short, replicating the typical family home set-up, just with enough room to house everyone comfortably. But with a bit of something extra-special and lovely, something that we would all remember for a long time afterwards…

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Max Factor Lipfinity gives upto 12 hours long lasting lipstick. An ultra long lasting and vibrant lip duo that together creates a smooth, sheer finish that lasts upto 12 hours!

Max Factor Lipfinity has a semi permanent colour and a shine boosting, moisturising topcoat there’s no need to reapply, even after eating and drinking throughout your day- no matter how long it is your lipsticks still on!

How to Use

Max Factor Lipfinity has a revolutionary 2 step lipstick system that gives long lasting colour plus moisture.

Step 1: apply the colour once first thing in the morning and it will last through coffee, lunch and afternoon tea – you really can forget all about it!
Step 2: apply the moisturising top coat for moisture and shine.

Every week I develop some sort of online shopping obsession; sometimes it’s a glitzy dress that I’m on the hunt for, other times it’s rubbery protective corners for the edges of my tables and shelves. (Watch out, crazy baby on the loose!) This week I’ve been rounding up the best, most decorative candles. You know, the ones you’ll never want to burn because the jars are so beautiful and the wax is so gorgeously scented and the thought of getting to the bottom is just unbearable…

First on the lust-list: anything from No.22 Candles. I love the cable knit effect on the outside of the jars and this warm, homely aesthetic is continued into the scents too – Bookshelf, Laundry Room, Woodstove. Very different, very new and there’s a bespoke service available, if you want something absolutely unique… You can find No.22 online here and at Liberty here.

Bella Freud’s Ginsberg is God candle – one for the sleek, cool interior. I adore the Fig Leaf and Tomato scent; it’s green and earthy but slightly sweet at the same time. Very evocative of my childhood years, for some reason, though I can never quite pinpoint why. Maybe my Grandad’s greenhouse. At any rate, it’s amazing and the glassware would make a great brush or eye pencil holder once the candle has burnt out. £40 at Cult Beauty.

Fornasetti’s Ortensia Rose, Iris and Orange Blossom candle is more than just a candle, it’s a small work of art. The scent is absolutely beautiful, but it’s the decorative ceramic holder that you’ll want to show off. Fornasetti create the most striking designs – they are always a talking point. And that’s before you’ve even put match to candle wick and released the fragrance… Fornasetti candles are £115 here.

If Batman had a scented candle (I love my Batman beauty fantasies – hairbrushes, nail polishes, lipsticks, I can imagine him with all sorts of things) then it would be this whopper of a Baies candle from Diptyque. Who an earth wouldn’t want this gracing their garden patio or outdoor terrace or bijoux balcony in the Marais? Baies is a classic Diptyque scent and the jet black earthenware holder is just unutterably chic. Better get saving if you want one of these, it’s sort of the ultimate candle indulgence, though it does weigh in at one and a half kilos! It’s £180 here.

Finally, a delectable fig scent from Mrs Todd’s candles: Figs in the Forest. I wrote about my friend’s start-up business here, but since then things have gone from strength to strength for Mrs Todd and there’s even a website to browse. Figs in the Forest has had nearly every visitor to my house asking what the gorgeous smell is – and the candle they’re talking about hasn’t even been lit! You can order scent samples and browse the candles online here. The luxury candles are handmade and cost £28 each.

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