Not sure if it is the lead up to Christmas that makes everyone slightly mushy but love is definitely in the air. There seem to be an increased number of engagement announcements in our circle of friends and family and celebrations are being held left, right and centre. A bottle of bubbly would be the obvious gift but personally I like to add something a little more imaginative into the mix. 

Whilst spending the weekend at friends of ours I noticed their toddlers playing with these little books. They loved them, probably because they are pint-sized just like them. Intrigued by the title I took them to the guest room with me for some light bedtime reading at night and that was it, I couldn't stop and kept my hubby awake with my giggling.

Each book contains hundreds of snippets of entertaining advice, most so outdated and some so politically incorrect that it makes for a good chuckle, but there are also a good few that still ring true a hundred years later:

Don'ts for Husbands:

"Don't insist on giving holidays to the servants during your holiday on the ground that your wife can 'manage' at the seaside. You are not the only person to be considered, and it's no holiday for her to be tied to the children day in and day out while you go golfing or fishing. Probably she would like to golf or fish as well if she had the chance." (Servants? I wish!)

"Don't expect your wife to do all the cheering up while you do all the giving way when things go wrong. Share and share alike." (Hear, hear!)

"Don't forget to buy your wife a pair of gloves occasionally. She will always be pleased to have them." (Personally, I prefer something more liquid ...)

Don'ts for Wives:

"Don't forget to wish your husband good-morning when he sets off to the office. He will feel the lack of your good-bye kiss all day." (Immaculately dressed and coiffured I assume?)

"Don't say 'I told you so' to your husband, however much you feel tempted to. It does no good and he will be grateful to you for not saying it." (Not bad advice actually and still very applicable)

"Don't let him have to search the house for you. Listen for his latch-key and meet him on the threshold." (Needless to say with a glass of his favourite tipple. Those were the days ...)

I think these books make a fun little gift (for anyone who is happy to take the advice given with a pinch of salt and remembers that they were put to paper in 1913!) for engagements, weddings, anniversaries or just as stocking fillers for Christmas. You can buy them at Amazon for £3.15 each or you might be able to get them cheaper on Ebay. There seem to be a few of them around at any one time and prices vary depending on condition and seller. Check them out if you are in need of a little light entertainment and nostalgia, I really enjoyed picking through those pearls of wisdom.

Image source: Wikipedia

Please note: This post is not sponsored and I am not paid to endorse any products or services.

“And it’s a world of dread and fear

Where a kiss of love can kill you

And there is death in every tear ...”

The new Band Aid 30 single is out, please open your hearts and donate to the Ebola Outbreak Appeal, together we can make a difference!

How you can help:

Download the single from iTunes: 99 pence

Buy the CD from 8 December 2014 or pre-order on Amazon now: £3.99

Donate by text – Details can be found on the British Red Cross website under Ebola Outbreak Appeal

"... cause tonight we're reaching out, and touching you!"

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.

Aaron Siskind

Much like the American photographer Aaron Siskind, my passion for photography started when I was gifted a very basic point and shoot camera at the age of 12. Back then in the 80s photography was an expensive hobby. You had the initial outlay for film and then getting it developed afterwards, often to realise a little too late that the pictures taken were out of focus, too dark or totally overexposed and not useable for anything. Being a teenager with only pocket money as an income I had to reign myself in and could only afford to take photos at special events like holidays or celebrations.

How things have changed since then and how lucky we are now! In the age of digital we don’t even need cameras anymore, our phones can do a pretty decent job with in-built effects and custom settings that can rival most digital point and shoot cameras. There is a seemingly endless list of photography apps available and you can take the shot and upload it straight to your social networking account of choice for the world to see. Any mishaps go straight to the bin and there is no money wasted on development fees.

Modern cameras are smart, but they can be fooled into mistaking the scene and subject and don’t always get the settings right. It is so disappointing when you travel half way across the world to visit a famous landmark and then the photos you take look nothing like the real thing you see in front of you. But there are a few simple things you can try to get a better result.

If you only use the automatic settings option you are putting all your faith into the digital brain of your device and whilst technology is getting smarter and smarter, it still can’t compete with the human brain and the human eye. So sometimes it pays to give it a little help by selecting the best scene mode for your desired outcome instead of sticking to auto mode. I don’t want to bore you with technical jargon but here’s a quick overview of the most common scene selection options and how they can help you take better photos:

Portrait mode

As the name suggests, this is the most useful mode for portrait photography. Your camera will automatically adjust its settings to throw the background out of focus and your subject will stand out more. The same mode can be used for any other subject where the main focus is in the centre foreground of the frame, for example a bunch of flowers against a boring background.

Landscape mode

This does exactly the opposite to portrait mode. The camera will adjust its settings so everything within the frame is in focus and it is a good mode to select for wide scenes that are far away from the camera. In landscape mode you will have a slower shutter speed so the use of a tripod, especially in low light conditions, is encouraged to avoid blurry pictures caused by camera shake

Sports mode

This mode is so much more versatile than the name suggests and can be used for many more subjects than sports only. The camera will adjust its settings to a fast shutter speed which means that all action appears frozen in time. It is a great way to get sharp images of anything in motion including children, pets and wildlife. When used in connection with water you can get some fun shots of the kids playing with the sprinkler where the water droplets seem to stand still in mid air.

The word "photography" was created from the Greek roots φωτός (phōtos), genitive of φῶς (phōs), "light"^[2] and γραφή (graphé) "representation by means of lines" or "drawing",^[3] together meaning "drawing with light".

As the literal meaning of the word photography suggests, light is the most important aspect of taking a good photo. The most magical time to go out and take beautiful photos is during the Golden Hour. This is the approximate hour just before sunset and just after sunrise when the light is very soft and warm and gives everything a flattering golden glow – perfect for beautiful portraits. And if you are a fan of sunsets but can never quite get them right, don’t wait to take the photo just as the sun sets. The real magic of wonderful colours and patterns often happens in the 30 minute lead up to it and this is when you should be clicking away. And if your camera has got a sunset mode – now is the time to use it.

Now go out and shoot, it is free and you’ll create some wonderful memories and art for your home.