It’s Beatles Day. I live just off Penny Lane – and have done, on and off, for nearly 23 years. I used to love The Beatles. I still love Penny Lane. I love the bakery where I buy my pastries. I love the corner shop (that isn’t on the corner) where I buy the milk. I love the pub where we get Saturday lunch occasionally. I loved the Washerama when I didn’t have a machine and it was still open. I love the giraffe statues my children admire on the walk to school. It’s really pretty fantastic. 

However, due to constant exposure to the Fab Four, I never choose to listen to their music. What’s the point? It’s shoved into my ears constantly anyway.

Except this song…it’s too beautiful to ignore. In fact, it’s almost perfect. I sang it to my youngest daughter at seventeen minutes past midnight on the…

When somebody asks you to write a post about five likes and / or dislikes, you think ‘easy’. Then you sit back and…

Seriously, I know that I overthink everything but this has really taught me about myself. Specifically that I’m quite possibly completely incapable of focus.

Likes

Pomeranian dogs – I’m not going to apologise for this. They’re cheery. There isn’t enough cheery about.

Seafood – most of it anyway. Mainly I prefer it hot but a really handsome man can feed it to me cold dipped in aïoli. I give my consent freely.

Midnight blue – it’s not navy and it’s not purple. Sorry, I know it when I see it – it’s just perfect.

Peonies – they flower for two weeks of the year. One of which contains my birthday. If I don’t get given them, I buy them for myself.

Speed – I have a naturally…

Here at Sophie’s Voice I am very strict about the importance of keeping the Christmas holiday period sacred.
Preparations and celebrations will commence tomorrow – on the 1st of December.
I am, however, well aware that some of the people who make the holiday so magical start their work a little bit earlier in the year.

Take, for example, the NORAD Santa Tracker team. These lovely people have kept children all over the world au fait with the travels and travails of Father Christmas every year for the last 60 years.
Here’s the entire real of Mr Christmas’ journey in 2014. Spare 14 minutes – you won’t regret it.
Oh, and a word to the wise, any Santa cynics will be blocked – hate the holiday, not the show.

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Have you planned your Mother’s Day celebrations? If not, good luck trying to get that reservation.

Do something that I rarely advise and take the advice of Miss Vogue and buy your mother a luxurious present that isn’t related to you or the kitchen.

I also have a few little tips that will earn you a gold star sticker – or a merit badge, if you manage them all:

Give your Mum (please note the capital – she deserves it) a lie in. Change her sheets the night before if you want. Remember reciprocity is one of the keys to peace. I prefer it if my bed looks like something from my imagined Parisian apartment.

Make sure that a cup of tea or coffee is ready for her when she wakes up. I know some people go for breakfast in bed but make sure that she likes it. Personally, I’m…

This time four years ago, I had 2 hours to go until I gave birth to the pre-schooler. Labour lasted a blistering 49 minutes with the human bullet weighing in at just 5lbs and 13oz.

Mr Sophie’s Voice and I thought we’d never have children. We were wrong. I’m very glad to say.
I am – like many of the women in my family, seemingly – not really ‘the maternal type’. I certainly find it difficult. I don’t think that I’m a natural, by any means. Motherhood is frustrating, thankless, boring and dirty. It’s also unbelievably rewarding, joyful, fulfilling and enlightening.

Like me, maternity is a swirling mass of contradictions. We don’t get on that well but we’re still in love.
I find it tremendously hard to be a mother because I can’t do it perfectly. I’m also very similar to both my daughters – which means that our home…

I was 18 when I first read 50 shades of grey. Whilst reading it, I felt so uncomfortable and it had nothing to do with the sex or ‘kinky’ stuff that was happening. After re-reading I realised it was because what was really written on those pages was an abusive relationship being sold to me as a love story. Not only me, but millions of people were reading this book and worryingly, falling in love with the man that is Christian Grey wishing they had their very own version of him.

But we need to ask the question- would you be happy with a partner who micro managed your life, dictated what you ate, required you to exercise a certain amount of days a week and cut you off from your friends and family? Add some good looks, a six pack and a billionaire status and you have Christian Grey.