The whisperings are there, in the background; a few Instagram pictures here, a few tweets there, the occasional PR e-mail. All of these things indicate that while Summer is still attempting to make a valiant attempt to show itself, Autumn is on its way and charging everyone out the way is… Christmas! Furthermore, Imight have ordered one of The Boy's birthday presents yesterday on the Internet.

The problem is that when you're on a reduced family wage due to my part-time hours then you need to budget carefully. Nowadays, there seems to be an awful lot of family and friends to think of at Christmas time, and as there is such a wide age-spread in my nieces and nephews it's becoming increasingly difficult to know what to buy them. I've started to buy them gift cards because I don't know what to buy a 16 year old girl, let alone a 13 year old boy. Gift cards give them the freedom to get what they want but show a little more effort than money. And the easiest bit is that they can bought at supermarkets during the weekly shop so the cost is absorbed and not so noticeable.

Now one of my favourite supermarkets, Morrisons, has come up with a genius idea which utilises the high street gift cards that it sells, in order for you to benefit from them as well. By buying a gift card for one of thirty four high street stores included in the scheme, they will provide a coupon giving a discount off every litre of fuel purchased (1p a litre for every £10 spent).

The nifty thing is that some of the stores included are actually places that we shop in each month anyway (Pizza Express, Boots, iTunes, Next, Toys R Us amongst others) so if I buy a gift card with the equivalent amount on there, then I can get a voucher to save me money off my petrol as well! The online calculator below provides an idea of how much could be saved each month:

This fuel saver scheme ties together so many great ideas in order to help lessen the impact of rocketing petrol prices. It cost me £68 to fill up my car this month; ten years ago it only cost me £35. It's a lot of money each month and buying gift cards either to give as presents or to purchase your own goods, seems like a really sensible thing to me.

 

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I've recently been sorting out my clothes and shoes and resigning myself to the fact that I'm a long way from being in my twenties and some of the shoes I used to wear, and as such have had to recycle more than fifteen pairs of shoes which no longer fit. I like shoes and this made me quite unhappy indeed!

However, rescue came in the shape of the ECCOshoes which was sent to me for review. To me ECCO shoes have always been about practicality and comfort first and foremost, a must nowadays for a busy mum on the move. However, as The Boy gets older I've realised that I'm not just a mum, I'm also a woman who is only in her thirties, and I want a bit of style back, especially when it comes to my obsession of shoes.

Therefore I was more than happy to try the Sculptured 65 pair of shoes. Called the 65 because they have a 65mm high heel but a cushioned sole with an excellent fit that supports the arch. This is excellent news for me as I tend to suffer with plantar fasciitis (an inflammation of the arch ligaments) and I need something that offers strong support. I like a chunky heel on my boots and shoes, and in these I have that; chunky yet tapered and made from a material which offers the same 'shock absorption' in a shoe as a pair of sports trainers.

The best thing about these is how adaptable they are. As you can see above, when worn with jeans they look like a boot but without the added heat factor!

I've decided to style these shoes in three ways; three different looks using the ECCO Sculptured 65.

Smart styling, ideal for work: bootleg trousers and a chiffon top.

Casual styling, great for the weekend with the family: wide-leg jeans and a sequinned jumper.

Party wear: skinny trousers and a black, studded tunic.

So, here's my question to you: how would you style this shoe?

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