When I first heard about Dubai it was from someone who had never been. They were quick to judge it as a fake materialistic city built on nothing, full of dropout expats.

When I first visited Dubai nothing was further from the truth.

It is the most delicious cocktail of...

I have just come out of a horrid ordeal that I really didn't want to write about. But it is through sharing our experiences that we learn.

As some of you may have read already I have been trying for a baby for a while now. I have had a...

I had always expected I would have kids. As a child you dress dollies and give them names. Mine were two girls, just like my sister and I. Charlotte and Helena. Then you start dating boyfriends and imagine what your children would look like. Then life happens. Career, divorce, loss...

I was in the queue in a supermarket today and the woman behind me kept bumping her trolley into me. She obviously wanted to jump ahead but my shopping was half way through the till.

I bit my tongue but when she knocked my calves for the umpteenth time...

I live in Paris and despite all the ornate lights, sparkling shops and delicately wrapped pressies it just doesn't feel that Christmassy. There is a natural reticence to go nuts, pump out the jingles and get into the spirit. The decorations are low-key, tasteful and heaven forbid that there is...

I'm as European as you can get. I lived in Greece, studied modern languages at uni, am now married to a Frenchie and living in Paris.

I have lived in France now permanently for three years. Three years of baguette buying, raw steak munching and smelly cheese tasting.

I loathed going to the hair dresser from an early age. I had darling silky curls till the age of 10 and then puberty and frizz kicked in. Cue the nerdy geeky look. After that I never managed to tame my mane. Straighteners, potions, blow dries. Nothing worked.

So...

Like most kids I grew up on a diet of fairy tale stories with happy ever after endings. Even as a teen the little flutters of romance with boys at our nearby school kept my dream alive.

Then I hit earth with a thud.

I had my first snog. A...

I just had the best summer holiday. Not because it was particularly luxurious or exotic. We were in a crumbling beach house, there was a constant bathroom queue and the kitchen was less than modcon. It was special because we were in the best of company. Simple pleasures shared by...

I am sitting in an idyllic place in Ibiza yet the clientele is far from chilled. Its Poseur Ville on the white isle of Spain.

Ibiza is a vibrant island for the young at heart but everyone has taken it too literally. They are relentlessly in pursuit of youth, no...

I worked on the advertising campaign of original Olympic application. To win the bid London had to prove that the UK Olympics would mean progress, not just in sport but for the nation.

So we came up with the idea of leap for London. A leap ahead for everyone,...

Step-mum immediately has connotations of the wicked step mother in Cinderella. Witchy traits and evil intentions. Even the word step mum is loaded. The other mother, the one sitting one the other step, on the ledge. In French it's belle mere - belle being beautiful so more positive in every...

My husband and I are moving to a nice new home in nearby town just outside of Paris. I call it Sex in the City meets Jean de Florette - a modern loft in the heart of a market town.

We have lived in my beau's previous family house...

I loathe flying these days.

I am not claustrophobic and not particularly neurotic. But all of a sudden everything seems very unsafe above ground. The slight judder of turbulence sets my teeth on edge. Less noise also spells out trouble - did the engines stop and will we drop out...

We live in a world where we are constantly busy busy. Even by ourselves we can fill our time now to the brim with all the new digital applications. Agendas are overloaded, everyone is multi-tasking and even sleep is restless with BlackBerrys by the bed.

But if you take all...

When I was little I was unsure about everything and fretted about anything. If the cat was sick. If my teacher wasn't on form. If my parents were unhappy.

Sometimes I would come away from talking to someone who was negatively charged and feel inexplicably down. They would say...

When I looked back at photos of myself as a little girl I was always smiling. From very little everyone said I was a ray sunshine, bouncy, bubbly and bright.

When I hit my teens I also hit spots, buck teeth and bad clothes all at once. Yet instead...

I have an unhealthy obsession with my birthday. I think I'm a birthday addict. The sight of a pristeen white envelope or the rustle of a wrapped present send me into a frenzy. I love everyone else's birthdays too. Card shops are my favourite haunts.

I was born in...

Some of you may have read my blog about having a miscarriage and then being too scared to try again.

I'm finally fully embracing the idea but very soon I turn 39. All through my thirties I thought I was bobbing along fancy-free and young at heart. Now the...

This year is a very political year for many countries. France has just voted in their new leader, Greece will do shortly and the USA elections beckon.

Hundreds and maybe thousands are spent on elections. We just heard how George Clooney held a party and raised millions - 15 to...