Family Life

Your Guide to Bringing the Sparkle to Memorable Family Gatherings

Family gatherings are an opportunity to connect, celebrate, and create memories with loved ones. From casual weekends to festive holidays, bringing a little extra sparkle to your event can make it truly unforgettable. Here’s a guide to help you add that special touch, ensuring your family and friends enjoy a gathering filled with warmth, laughter, and joy.

  1. Set the Scene with Thoughtful Decor

An inviting atmosphere can set the tone for your gathering, making guests feel welcomed and relaxed. Try stringing fairy lights around the room or garden, setting up...

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Ellie Green

Ellie Green

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What do I get for Dad?

Authored by Val Watson
Posted: Wed, 12/22/2021 - 7:59am

Dads can be hard to buy Christmas presents for, often it’s not quite as simple as a spa day and a bottle of wine. And there are only so many times that you can get something that’s branded with his favourite football team logo.

Obviously, everyone’s dad is different so that may not be the case for you, but generally, it can be hard to figure out a thoughtful Christmas present.

There’s also that problem of ‘what do you get for the man who has everything?’, especially when all the unique gift ideas are selling out at an alarming rate.

It’s not impossible though....

5 Reasons Not to Post Pictures of Your Child on Social Media

Authored by Val Watson
Posted: Tue, 12/21/2021 - 6:31am

With the age of social media, more and more people are sharing their lives with the Internet through any means necessary. Some people want to show off the marvelous lives they have with their kids, but this could end up being a very big mistake.

Here are five big reasons why you shouldn’t post pictures of your children online for the whole world to see.

Your Posts Could Attract Dangerous People

Photos and videos of children can sometimes end up on very disturbing websites, more than likely child pornography. Tracking down the source or owners of these websites...

Home in the twilight

Devon home movers benefit from festive demand

Christmas is fast approaching and most of us are busy hunting for gifts and decorations. A savvy few Devon residents, however have learned that demand for property for sale is set to peak and are getting their homes ready to be put on the market.

Rightmove, the UK’s most popular property portal, experiences its busiest time all year between Boxing Day and the New Year, with a massive 51 million visitors to their website during this period last year.

This huge spike in home hunters, beginning immediately after Christmas, is set to continue through to the New Year. With so many...

New free parenting guide offered to separating families in the South West

Authored by Sue Cade
Posted: Tue, 11/30/2021 - 4:43pm

The Family Law Company is offering the new guide for free to local families who are divorcing or separating. The ‘Parenting Through Separation Guide’ is written by family professionals and advises parents of how to put their children first during a separation.

It is being launched during ‘Good Divorce Week’ which runs from 29 Nov - 3 Dec. The campaign is organised annually by national family justice organisation Resolution and this year the focus is on parenting through separation.

As specialist family lawyers, The Family Law Company is offering parents in the South West a...

Free school meals holiday vouchers doubled for Christmas

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 11/22/2021 - 4:57pm

Families in Devon on low-incomes, whose children receive free school meals, will get extra support this Christmas to help them buy food during the holidays.

Over the past Devon County Council has provided supermarket vouchers worth £15 per child per week of the school holidays to families who qualify for free school meals, so their children don’t go hungry.

We’re doubling that for Christmas, with an extra one-off £30 supermarket voucher, so families will receive a £60 voucher per child for the two-weeks to help with the additional financial pressure the festive period...

A golden retriever lays outside on a wooden bench with his head on the armrest, looking at camera.

Research from Guide Dogs reveals fireworks are biggest cause of dog anxiety

Authored by emma.tucker
Posted: Tue, 11/02/2021 - 3:27pm

As we get ready to celebrate Bonfire Night and Diwali this year, 42% of dog owners have voted fireworks night as the worst night of their year. The research for charity Guide Dogs revealed that fireworks were the biggest cause of dog anxiety (42%) coming in ahead of sudden noises (35%), thunder (33%), being at the vet (28%), other dogs (25%) and being alone (20%).

Almost a fifth of UK dog owners say fireworks night has a detrimental effect on their pets’ mental health. It is important to look out for warning signs in your dog such as barking or howling, shivering, digging and...

Let’s talk about adoption

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 10/18/2021 - 11:20am

A new survey has revealed that a third of people in the South West find adoption difficult to talk about and 80 per cent say they don’t have a good understanding of how to start the process.

It’s worrying news for our local adoption agencies, Adopt South West and Families for Children, who need to find forever families to change their lives of nearly 60 children in the South West, as they prepare to mark National Adoption Week 2021 (18 – 24 October).

The annual event aims educate and inform people on the adoption process with a rounded, honest, and inclusive portrayal of...

Children in Exeter to take part in UK Reads Story Box Project

Literacy charity UK Reads holds a special Story Box Project with Exeter Chiefs rugby star and children’s co-author of ‘Bounce Back Jack’, Jack Maunder.

On 20th October 2021, 15 children and their families will join Jack and the UK Reads literacy team at Sandy Park. The sessions will deliver fun and engaging literacy activities that aim to increase enjoyment and confidence of literacy and develop a regular reading routine at home.

UK Reads supports children and families most in need to improve literacy skills through fun interactive experiences. In response to reach...

Government announces “No Fault” Divorce to become law on 6 April 2022

Authored by Liv Butler
Posted: Tue, 10/12/2021 - 7:29pm

At the moment, couples wanting to end their marriage have to point the finger at one another in the divorce petition. Before a divorce can be granted, one spouse has to prove that their marriage has broken down by citing one of the five “ grounds for divorce ”. If the problems in the marriage do not fit into any of these categories, then it isn’t possible to get divorced.

Grounds for divorce include,

  • Adultery
  • Unreasonable behaviour (a broad category that can include anything from abuse to drug use and even failing to contribute to household expenses)
    • ...

Why is Ukraine popular for surrogacy?

Authored by David Banks
Posted: Mon, 10/11/2021 - 5:22am

Many families from different parts of the globe have problems with having children. Some of them have some problems with health, and so they aren’t able to conceive a baby. Another common obstacle is a lesbian or gay couple. Fortunately, there is a great way out! We don’t mean an adoption. We mean surrogacy, which is a perfect method to preserve the genes of both parents, regardless of their sex.

One of the most popular countries for surrogacy is Ukraine. Gestational surrogacy in Ukraine is popular for several reasons. They are as follows:

  • High quality. A high
    • ...

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