It's that time of the year again and as the temperature has dropped the bugs seem to hang on for dear life and make you feel miserable.

For as long as I can remember I have been susceptible to cold and flu, where a normal person may have 2 or 3 illnesses a year I tend to get at least 7.

I was born with a hole in my heart due to a premature birth, I believe this has weekend my immune system a little bit, either that or my immune system is just crap at it's job, either way I get ill a lot.

When I am ill, whether it is cold or flu (preferable the first one) there are a few things I do without fail. I don't really know if they even work anymore as I have been doing them for so long.

1) Lots of fluids including orange juice or dissolvable vitamin c tablets, I tend to stay away from fizzy drinks and tea. However I have drunk a lot of Honey tea, just put some Honey into hot water as honey has a natural ingredient that kills off bacteria.
2) Tissues, lots and lots of tissues, my nose tend to work overtime on cold duty and I go through so much.
3) Vaseline, for if my nose does get sore its the least painful thing to use to sooth the area.
4) Vicks Vapo rub or Olbas Oil inhaler. for the chest these are really helpful, they may not be the nicest smelling things in the world and even if you don't think they are working they are usually doing lots of good and helping you.
5) Tablets, cold and Flu ones that help reduce temperature or just normal paracetamol, either way I can't get through a illness without a few, even if its just to ease the banging head that comes with any cold!
6) Wrap up, and use a hot water bottle at night. I tend to try and sweat the cold out , but as I cant deal with too much heat this doesn't really work too well, but it makes you feel cwtchy.
7) Try and get as much sleep as I can, I would sleep through the hole thing if my body would allow it!
8) Eat, even if I don't really want to, I will have 2 pieces of toast, just to keep my energies up and fuel the fight with the cold!
9) Hot baths. not only is the vapor from the bath good for clearing away your runny nose for a while it gives you a boost and relaxes your sore muscles.

There is a lot of advice out there to help you with your cold/flu but as everyone is different, what may work for me may not work for you, Trial and Error is the key!

For once the weather man has been right and we've had a nice influx of snow. 9 times out of 10 they say were going to have snow and we have literally 20 flakes and that is it.

I have a love hate relationship with snow, I love to play in it and it looks stunning but it increases the chance of me twisting my ankle or having an accident.

I love the way that silence falls when there is a thick layer of snow on the ground, everything sounds muted and quiet. the uniform white is pretty and bright and relaxing. The smell as well, snow is fresh and clean and pure.

A good snow storm is a great start to the year, all I hope is that it doesn't turn to ice!

1) Cold Crisp Evenings - I love it when its dry but really cold and you walk outside. You can see your breath, the evening air hits your face and you get that tingle in you cheeks. Its something I love because it reminds me of being a child and going to see firework displays, Santa in his grotto and visiting relatives.
2) Frost - I love the way it sparkles on everything, Okay I despise having to clean frost off my car and I hate falling on the floor, but it makes the world look pretty and fresh, It makes the world glitter and wink and feel like anything is possible.
3) Snow - I mostly love snow first thing in the morning, when no one has walked in it, the world is a white fuzzy cotton ball and it sounds so quiet and calm, the blanketed white of everything is so bright and powerful that it wipes away any dreary colors of greys and blacks and makes everything uniform. I find I am more relaxed in the snow and I enjoy throwing snowballs at my husband!
4) The Dark - The fact that the evening are darker for longer is lovely, it makes you appreciate the daylight. More than that it means that Christmas is on its way.
5) November - I love this month as its the gear up to Christmas in stores, you start to see Christmas decorations and towns/cities turn on their Christmas light and decorations. There is a real spirit in the air in November and I love seeing the lights twinkle in the cold air.

6) Wrapping - It may sound strange but I hate the actual wrapping of presents, but I love the final outcome. I love looking at something wrapped and knowing what is in it but that the intended recipient will have a nice surprise. I love to give,
7) Layering - The cold comes and you start to put on layers, I tend to wear legging and knee length socks under my jeans/trousers. I normally wear a vest top, a long sleeve top and a jumper plus my knee length coat. I also wear a scarf, hat and gloves. this comes back to cold evenings as there is nothing better than piling on the layer and leaving your house and staying warm, but also after being out for hours the reverse it true. Coming in from the cold and feeling the warm air hit you and removing your layers.
8) Decorations - as mentioned in #5 - November, I love the decorations in towns and cities, I also love putting up my own. Buying some new ones every year, adding to the original, spending a good evening deciding the best place for things to go. I also love looking at other peoples decorations, seeing what they like and the effort they have made.
9) Candles - I love to burn candles all year round, but in the winter, during the darker nights, candles take on a life of their own. They are much more warming and homely, they invite you in and make you feel warmer just by looking at them. Maybe its just a left over caveman instinct, but I love to light a candle or 3 in the evening to bring that soft glow to my life.
10) Christmas - Yes, I love Christmas, I have not grown up. My husband and I do a stocking for each other. We wake up (well I say wake up, we normally barely sleep no more than 3 hours on xmas eve) open our stockings. Then while we fully wake up, he puts the kettle on and makes a cup of chocolate. we then open all the other presents. I love it all, cooking dinner, feeling stuffed after overeating, watching tv/dvds, staying in all day and just the whole day.
Our Christmas this year will be a little strange as my husband has to work on Christmas Day, so we are going to do the dinner on boxing day. We will still make the most of it.

On a day to day basis, any of these can be found in my home. The most permanent is the glade discreet in Exotic fruits - I have it by my front door so its the first thing you smell. I love this scent as it is fresh and clean and gives my home a fruity smell so when you first walk in you feel at home.

Clean Cotton and Pink Sweet pea are my go to frangrances for my home, they are both very clean and fresh smells and as you can tell there is a general theme in the scents that I like. Its the same in my perfumes I mostly like fruity and fresh, not a big fan of the sweet or musky but there are a few exceptions. Life would be dull without exceptions. Clean Cotton and Pink Sweet Pea are both just lovely and give the place a nice smell without being overpowering.

The Winter berry, Cranberries & Frost and Black Cherry are my Autumn/winter choices, They all conjure up memories of Christmas, Cold mornings, Cooking and these are things I love.

Sparkling snow is my Christmas favorite and I don't buy it often as I want to keep it a special smell. The same goes with the Bahama Breeze, I use it in the summer, but only on rare occasions when I want the place to smell more special, almost tropical.

So that is what I use around my house, Any of the about I would recommend, but it is all personal preference. I have a friend who loves vanilla, and its lovely when I go to her house and come out with a sweet smell, but its not what I like where I live.

Out of all the above my top 3 are Black Cherry, Sparkling snow and Cranberries & frost. Funny how my favorites are all winter ones, well I do love winter.