It's time to take control with Buscopan

Irritable bowel syndrome aka IBS is more common than a lot of people think and affects one in five of us. For those that may not know what IBS is it's pain caused by muscle spasms in the bowel and symptoms can vary from person to person. The most common symptoms include abdominal pain and discomfort, diarrhea and constipation and bloating of the abdomen. 

The people at Buscopan have revealed that IBS is on the rise and 81% of GPs saying they have seen an increase over the past 10 years. There seems to be a lot of confusion about the condition though: 

- 1 in 3 don't know what causes IBS for flare up

- 1 in 6 people with IBS haven't told anyone

-1 in 10 Brits haven't heard of IBS.

I have been sent a little hamper to help me to relax this is because stress is a trigger for IBS and I find I get stressed a lot so this tends to be one of the triggers for me. The hamper I was sent contains a vogue coloring book and my own personalised coloring pencils, a keep smiling tote bag and a the white company candle. 

It's time to start taking back control by: 

- Knowing your food triggers

For me my food trigger is takeaways so I don't have them that often. Some foods can make the condition worse so its important to work out what yours are so you can give them a miss for awhile. 

- Talking

Stress is a trigger of IBS and I suffer from stress quite regularly. Its best to talk to someone about IBS and also about stress as this can help you to deal with stress and improve the condition. 

- Have something to hand

At the first sign of a flare up take an over the counter remedy such as Buscopan to help with symptoms of pain and discomfort.

Buscopan IBS Relief works differently to painkillers as it has an antispasmodic action that specifically targets the root cause of abdominal pain to quickly help the muscle of the bowel return to normal. It starts to work within 15 minutes, acting directly on the muscle spasm in the bowel to quickly and effectively relieve the painful cramps and discomfort of IBS. Buscopan IBS Relief is gentle on the stomach and can be used at the first sign of flare-up as needed. Buscopan IBS Relief is priced at £4.99 for 20 tablets and £8.34 for 40 tablets. Buscopan IBS Relief contains hyoscine butylbromide. For medically confirmed IBS. Always read the label.

Importance of good quality office furnature

If you work in an office whether that is from home or otherwise its important to make sure that you are comfortable. Especially if like most office jobs you are sat down all day. 

The two most important items in an office for workers is their desk and most importantly their chair. It's important to have a good quality chair to prevent aches and pains and to also make sure you have breaks away from your desk to help with this. 

When it comes to how your office is when it comes to organisation is very important.

If you have a cluttered and messy office this can be a risk factor for stress. So it's important to have a good filing system for paperwork and so a filing cabinet is a good idea. They have a great selection of cabinets so you will find one that is suitable for your office and your needs. 

As the office chair happens to be the most important item in the office here is a run down on the must haves for a comfortable office chair:

- Make sure you have a well padded, adjustable seat with a round front 

-Make sure the seat has a comfortable backrest that provides firm support for the middle and lower back. 

- A swivel function 

- A tilt feature

- Easy to use adjustment controls. 

As for your desk it needs to be glare free and have enough space for you be able to look at documents and use equipment needed. 

*In collaboration with Furniture At Work

Christmas Gift Guide 2016: For those with a sweet tooth

Christmas time is when a lot of sweet treats hit the shelves and here is a selection of sweet treats that will make some great gifts this Christmas. 

*Cadbury 

This time of year Cadbury release a whole range of goodies for the festive period. Below is a selection of some of the chocolate delights that you can get this festive season. With advent calendars, chocolate tree decorations and a wide selection of treats that will fit in your stocking you are spoilt for choice this Christmas. 

*Mr Stanley's

Celebrating the best of British confectionery - Mr Stanley’s delivers quintessentially traditional sweets.Introducing Mr. Stanley’s confectionery, a delectable assortment of British sweets which truly capture the flavours of a world gone by with a modern twist. 

Mr Stanley’s brings together a signature range of eye-catching British confectionery; from crumbly fudge to gourmet chocolates and nostalgic sweets. Created using traditional recipes and still made in the good old fashioned way, Mr Stanley prides himself on producing a range to transport you back in time.

*Monty Bojangles

Truffle experts Monty Bojangles have a delicious and mischievous cracker for Christmas this year, the Milky Mischief cracker is priced at £6.00 from Tesco stores. The milkier, lighter truffle is the perfect way to treat yourself or friends during the festive season. These delightful truffles are moreish and are a delightful gift. 

*Chocolate Gift Boxes

Gift boxes of chocolate are such a great gift especially if you know what chocolate is their favorite. 

The Galaxy gift box contains: 

 Two GALAXY Milk Chocolate Bars, two GALAXY Caramel Bars, a GALAXY Honeycomb Crisp Bar, a GALAXY Cookie Crumble Bar, two GALAXY Salted Caramel Bars, two packets of GALAXY Minstrels, a GALAXY Duet Caramel & Shortcake Bar, a GALAXY Duet Cookies & Cream Bar and a packet of GALAXY Counters.

The GALAXY Gift Box is available from Next.  RRP: £13.00.

The Maltesers gift box contains:

Three bags of MALTESERS, two MALTESERS Treat Bags, four MALTESERS Teasers Bars and three Merry Teaser Reindeers.

The MALTESERS Christmas Gift Box is available fromDebenhams and Amazon. RRP: £13.00.

*Haribo

Get your Ho, Ho Harbio this Christmas with a fab selection of Christmas sweets. 

With the Haribo Mega Stars box, Star mix and Tangfastics in themed Christmas tubes and last of all the Starmixmas bag which contains mixed jelly and foam sweets featuring limited edition Christmas themed flavours. You will be spoilt for choice for sweet lovers.

I hope you like my selection and that this has given you some inspiration. 

*I was gifted the items in this post for the purpose of this guide. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas Gift Guide 2016: For The Kids

Buying for children can be pretty hard as there is such a huge selection of toys, books and other present ideas out there for them. So I have compiled a list of items that we love to help you out if your stuck. You may want to get comfy as this is going to be a long one. 

*Books

This wonderful new ladybird hardback book classic edition contains the full Cinderella tale as featured in the original with the images in black and white ready for your own color. This would be an ideal gift for older girls and boys who love Cinderella and coloring combined. £6.99

How are you making that beautiful sound? What is this music you have found?"

Jungle Jam is a sweet rhyming story designed for young children as an introduction to musical instruments and sounds. The book also contains an activity page on how to make two musical instruments mentioned in the story. 

Mikey the monkey dreams of being a famous singer. One day he decides to leave home and sets on a wild musical adventure  to share his singing with the world. 5.99

*DVD

A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, Pete’s Dragon is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. “Pete’s Dragon” stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley and Wes Bentley. £9.99

Lego

The most recent Lego title Lego Dimensions combines many TV, film and gaming universes all together into one fantastic Lego universe. Featuring the voices of Gary Oldman, Chris Pratt, Will Arnettt and many more. This is the perfect game to play with friends and family and with the new packs releasing every few months it's a game that will never get old. £32.99

*Poster 

From the company who make the personalised books The Little Boy/Girl Who Lost Their Name and The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home! This alphabet poster is personalised for your little one so that  they don't just learn the alphabet, they learn to spell their name too. from £12.99

*Music

Star of CBeebies’s Something Special, Mr Tumble, will be brightening up the festive season and making Christmas celebrations even more magical, for children  and parents alike, with the release of his first ever album, Mr Tumble’s Christmas Party. The album contains brand new studio recordings of 20 much-loved classic Christmas songs, with a Mr Tumble twist. Tracks include Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and many more, including Do You Want To Build A Snowman from the kid’s favourite blockbuster hit film, Frozen.

*Toys

The Mix and match motor boat from Tomy is a must have bath toy for lots of fun and thrills. 

Watch it chug merrily through the water as the wind up boat heads where you want it to be. This clever craft is designed in four parts which you can mix and match in different ways. At the front is a water cannon to shoot and spray. Back in the wheelhouse is the skipper lift up the bird to find the wind up motor. In between you can rearrange the color segments. There is a cabin that lifts out and doubles as a water sprinkler and a drum that little hands can get spinning. Blake absolutely loves his and I'm sure your little one will do too! £14.28

 Take the new Tomy Push me, pull me Puppy for a walk this is an adorable toy that goes beyond a pull along toy. A simple twist of the lead will turn his head and the puppy will follow you like a real dog! Watch as he wags his tail as he scampers along , barking as music plays. The puppy comes along with a bone and water bowl for role play. He'll even pant and bark when you press his nose to tell you that he is a happy puppy. £20.99

This classic wooden Miffy shape sorter comes with 4 wooden shapes: star, circle, triangle and square. Which has the matching shaped hole for the shape to fit through. The toy is great for fine motor skills, teaching shapes and problem solving skills.  The bold colors makes it eye catching for children and have illustrations of Miffy and other characters from the books. £18

Another wooden toy is the Pyramid of Play by Hape which makes it easy to learn how to recognise colours and shapes. There are five nesting blocks, each with five sides of letters, numbers, pictures, shapes, and colours. Allows for dozens of ways to play. Build the tower up, or turn the blocks over and arrange them by size. Suitable for children from 18 months. £14.96

Baby Annabell's Brother from Zapf creations is just like his sister with realistic functions and now wets his nappy too. Love and care for him like you would a real baby. He responds to touches, can cry real tears and loves his bottle. Of course a small baby like him needs plenty of sleep. If you gently rock and sway Baby Annabell's Brother back and forth on the arm or in his cradle, he slowly closes his eyes and falls asleep, snoring happily! When he wakes up, it's time for something to eat. When the little one is given his bottle, he will move his mouth and eyes as he sucks – just like a real baby. When you caress the cheek of Baby Annabell's Brother, he will happily babble to himself. In case he ever cries real tears, he will be happy again in no time thanks to the dummy, included in the set. £36.99

Roooaaarrr!!!” BABY born's cheeky dragon with its cuddly soft purple fur is a real sweetheart. Her eyes and her nostrils start shining and it makes funny welcoming noises when you tap the forehead with the magic wand. If you continue to tap her, the adorable Dragon Mommy starts stomping around. While walking she flaps her sparkling wings enthusiastically and makes all sorts of fun noises. £54.99

Num Noms are popular right now all you have to do is pick a container, add a nom, pick nums to create your own wacky flavour combos. If your little one is into this craze than they will love the season 2 pack which has recently been released. The delux pack above Includes 5 jelly bean Nums, 2 motorized Noms, 1 jelly bean container, 1 jelly bean accessory, and 1 collector's menu. 

If your little one loves Peppa Pig or Paw patrol than they will love Weebles! They are round and love to wobble. Give them a nudge and they'll wobble from side to side, and won’t fall down no matter how hard you push! They are fun toy that your little one will spend hours playing with. Suitable from 18 months.

Let your child learn whilst having fun with Peppa Pig. With six games to encourage learning, this Peppa Pig smart tablet is a fun an interactive toy. Which teaches colours, numbers, shapes, letters, characters and musical instruments. The touch sensitive screen feature makes learning easy and fun to do too. £14.99

Leapfrog is a brand we love and Blake has a lot of toys of theirs.

This fridge numbers magnetic set is the perfect gift to introduce children to numbers and counting. The fridge number magnetic set is a colourful fridge magnet, which also acts as a tile reader and comes with 20 interactive number tiles. Place a tile in Scout’s picnic basket to hear the number out loud, and count along with Scout. Matching numerals to object sets help reinforce the concept that numbers represent quantities. £14.99

Melody the Musical Turtle is the perfect gift to keep children engaged over and over again. Melody the Musical Turtle is a modern mix of classic memory play with a musical twist. Ten musical activities prompt toddlers aged 2 years and over to find numbers and colours, repeat sequences from memory and create tunes by pressing light-up buttons on Melody’s shell. It fosters skills such as learning numbers and colours, memory, music etc.  £14.99

I hope you like my selection and that this has given you some inspiration. 

*I was gifted the items in this post for the purpose of this guide. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Christmas Gift Guide 2016: The Home

This year I have chosen to compile a small gift guide of a few things that will be fab for the home and are perfect for all. 

*For  Parents

Ideal for families of all ages, Illustries’ Family Album provides a place to record the details that all too often get forgotten in the whirlwind of family life. From the extraordinary to the everyday, there’s a page to complete for all the little details, milestones and memories that make a family unique. From favourite films and secret recipes to silly quotes, sketches and selfies, this is a book that promises to be fun to fill in and read for many years to come. It is carefully designed to suit any family structure, such as same-sex parents, adoptive etc. RRP:£24.95

*The Gardener 

Hozelock AquaDeco is an innovative and decorative handmade watering solution that keeps your plants watered and healthy. Available in a selction of attractive colours and individually hand crafted. These water globes can be used inside and outside the house.  RRP:£7.99 for a pack of 3. 

This penguin garden ornament (available in black and white) from the garden furniture center is made from Polymer fiberglass that is lightweight, really hard wearing and allows very detailed moulding with lovely soft edges.This Penguin Ornament is unaffected by the elements all year round. Sold in small, medium or large.The high quality, shiny finish is achieved by hand with multiple layers of lacquer and this makes for a tough, non-chip appeal as well. RRP:£39.99 for small, £69.99 for medium and 99.99 for large. 

*For house hold cleaning

The Kobold VC100 is a handheld vacuum cleaner that weighs the same as two cans of Coke and is ideal for cleaning up pet hair and vacuuming the car. Easy to handle and recharge this handheld vacuum fits into every home environment and can be stored  upright, horizontally or hung. It's compact too so you don't have to be worried about space. 

This vacuum has been a god send for us for cleaning up after Blake has eaten so we no longer have to get our big hoover out. RRP:£129.99

*The office

The Ricoh SP 150 printer series has been designed with the primary purpose of allowing consumers to productively copy, scan or print at the touch of a button via a tablet or smart device, at home. It’s the new age alternative to outdated printer solutions, facilitating more productive home working for busy employees today.  The SP 150 is a compact design and small in volume with an easy toner change. It has a fast 22pm to boost printing productivity and is easy to install and simple to operate.  RRP:£125

*For couples

The Lavender House Gift Company was set up by the lovely Sarah to create unique, personalised gifts perfect for special people and special occasions. Each unique piece is custom made by hand, by Sarah. Each design can be created in your choice of colour and wording is fully customised. This gorgeous medium personalised heart  button artwork makes a beautiful gift. The design comes framed in a white contemporary box frame, 25cm x 25cm square, glazed with glass rather than perspex. It comes complete with a hook on the back for hanging or can be stood up on it’s side. Your purchase will be beautifully gift wrapped in lavender tissue and ribbon, with a hand finished gift tag. If the artwork is going direct to the recipient, a message can be added to the gift tag at no extra charge. The piece is then bubble-wrapped and boxed. I totally recommend Sarah's designs, my photos really don't show how special and made with love this design is.  RRP:£25

*Art lovers

Artfinder sell art that changes lives. Art that awakens our imagination, transforms our homes and expresses who we really are. At Artfinder they are building a world where artists can make a living doing what they love. Where anyone can easily find and buy original art, no matter their taste or budget.Every peice of art work is unqiue, signed and sent directly from the artist. This gorgeous giraffe painting caught my eye as I love giraffes and the detail of it is amazing. £27

I hope you like my selection and that this has given you some inspiration. 

*I was gifted the items in this post for the purpose of this guide. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Christmas Gift Guide 2016: For Her

When it comes to gifts for her I have great selection to share with you this year. All items that are included are things that I love and are gifts that I would choose myself. 

*For Readers

The twelve days of Christmas by William Morris is a stunning book filled with hand-picked patterns from the V&A's collections. Featuring art work by William Morris and Charles Voysey, this is the perfect Christmas gift for any fan of art and design.

*The Mums

Mum Hacks by Tanith Carey offers everyday shortcuts to allow busy mums plenty of quality time with their children, partner and even themselves! This book is for anyone who is trying to spend less time tidying, cleaning and washing and more time enjoying every day. I can't wait to stuck into my own copy, I've had a quick flick through and it looks like a good read and a must for mum's. £9.99

*For those that like a drink

31 Dover offer a Pick and Mix selection where you can choose 3 bottles from a selection of mini's. I went for Luc Belaire Rosé Mini which is the size of a half bottle, the Chase Vodka which I enjoyed with cola and last of all the Chambord black raspberry liqueur which were both in 5cl.  RRP: Dependent on what mini's are chosen. 

If your favorite drink is prosecco than you will love La Marca Prosecco. La Marca Prosecco opens with aromas of fresh citrus, honey and white flowers, and is sold for an affordable RRP of £10. With sophisticated baby blue packaging, La Marca adds a stylish sparkle to every occasion. This refreshing fruity Prosecco is the first Prosecco to be launched by recognised high street brand E&J Gallo Winery. RRP:£10

*For keeping cosy

Buddy Bear designs sell a range of jewelry and clothing pieces this fox in socks sweatshirt comes in 3 color options: Black, dark heather and light heather. They believe in giving back to the environment, so  have pledged to donate 10% of every sale they make to Scotland's Trees for Life charity. These donations provide funds to allow the recreation of Scotlands ancient Caledonian forest. There jewellery packaging is made from 100% recycled and biodegradable materials and clothing garments are climate neutral and an earth positive. 

RRP: £29.99

*For Jewelry lovers

Sailbrace strive to create quality anchor bracelets with a modern, minimalistic look and design that goes along with any style. Formal and casual enough, they flow seamlessly into your everyday life but are still a small but mighty reminder of the moments you should never forget. This golden touch anchor bracelet is a classy look of 14K gold and I picked the black cord as i felt it would go with most of my outfits. If you would like to get 15% off your own bracelet enter code: joannavictoria at the checkout (Until February) RRP: starting price of £15 up to £19.

With DIWAH you can pick out one of their gorgeous already made pieces or can design unique, semi-precious fashion jewelry. This can be done via their online platform or you can fill in their design form so that their team of designers can create a bespoke piece for you.Having done this myself the service is pretty easy to do and you get a piece of jewelry you will love. I was given 2 designs to choose from which was based on a questionnaire about my likes and dislikes and I chose the below design which I love. RRP:£30.

*For stylish gadget lovers

For those that like to travel with their laptop, the STM Grace Deluxe Sleeve is a perfect gift. Simply slip your laptop into the gorgeous, super soft interior, add any cables, pens or phones to the zippered outer pocket and off you go! Keep your technology safe whilst you are commuting or travelling further afield with this chic laptop sleeve. The magnetised strap allows for clean and easy access. RRP £34.95.

The iCushion from Mobiletoyz an innovative iPad cushion stand designed to hold your iPad or tablet securely at a natural reading angle no matter where you are. Use the iPad cushion stand when you’re sitting on the sofa, relaxing in bed, at your desk…

It’s unique patent pending design provides comfortable support while reading, watching movies, browsing the web, and using the keyboard.RRP:£24.95

*For flower powers

Send your loved one a beautiful flower gift this Christmas, with Blossoming gifts. Choose from their beautiful range of Christmas flowers , including stunning roses, festive berries and heavenly scented lilies, all available with next day flower delivery. RRP: Prices on Christmas flowers start at £17.99

*For the beauty obsessed 

Transformulas Hydration Gold is an Anti-aging recovery creme. 23 carat pure gold combined with Hyaluronic acid brings the anti ageing benefits to the forefront. The benefits of the 23 carat gold powder allows optimising visual effects that Hyaluronic Acid/ hydration brings to the skin, creating a sheer veil of radiance that can be lost with age. RRP:£41.95

Burts Bees sell a fab range of products that are suitable for gifts this Christmas. 

The Beeswax bounty is a selection of 4 lip balm favorites in Vitamin E and Peppermint, Pomegranate, Mango and Vanilla. The set is a fab stocking filler, RRP:£12.99 

The Burts bag of treats is wrapped in a beautiful travel sized wash bag. 

Containing: 

- Exfoliating peach and willow bark deep pore scrub

- Nourishing Milk and honey body lotion

- Classic Vitamin E and Peppermint lip balm 

- A sample sized night cream

RRP:£19.99

*For the candle lovers 

I'm a lover of candles especially Yankee candles and the Holiday party collection has such a great selection of scents. Below I have Macaroon Treats, Vanilla and Festive Cocktail. The small jars that I have below RRP £8.99 each.

Macaroon Treats is a classic Parisian macaron-sweet as can be and lighter than air, with notes of vanilla, almond and, of course, sugar.

Festive Cocktail is a tart concoction spiked with mountain berries and a sprig of fresh-snipped pine.

Vanilla is a  pure vanilla fragrance that is both sweet and subdued, sugared yet creamy, and always seductive

*The film fanatic 

Experience the joy of what life and love have to offer with this global box office hit Me Before You, starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin and based on the critically acclaimed, best selling novel by Jojo Moyes. I've read the book and so I've been wanting to see the film for awhile I think this will be a popular gift this Christmas. 

What do you think of my guide? Will be buying any of these?

*I was gifted the items in this post for the purpose of this guide. All thoughts and opinions are my own