I love before and afters on everything. Seeing someone before and after weight loss is hugely motivational, I love makeover shows for both people and homes and I have a love for all things style. This video hits all my buttons.

Some of these shows can be a little trashy but they are easy watching that can actually teach you quite a lot. Watching shows where a person gets a makeover can teach you a lot about shopping for your body shape, how a new hair style can change your whole look and what sort of clothes really update your wardrobe.

Since buying a house I’ve been more interested in the home makeover shows. Interior style is my new passion and I’m somewhat obsessed with seeing some dated and ugly be transformed into something glitteringly modern and functional.

It’s the little tips I like. For example, how a coat of paint in a light colour can instantly refresh a room and make it appear larger. How lamps and lights can be used to create space and how to transform a boring book case into something special with just some paint and clever positioning.

I actually think my fashion obsession came from watching What Not To Wear all those years ago. As a kid that hammered clever dressing tips into my head and I’m still known as the go-to-girl for fashion dilemmas!

All opinions are my own – this was a sponsored post.

All these big shows like Decorex, Grand Designs, Moda UK and Pure London are a treasure trove for freebies. Lesmar makes some amazing promotional products that can often be seen at shows and events. You could get your hands on bags, books, clothing and pens. Maybe even more.

I’ve been to shows and have been given some amazing promotional tote bags, some of which I still use to this day. Here are the tips and tricks to gathering the most from a show.

- Start by visiting the stands you really want to see. If they do have any goodies to give away then it’s likely that all the good stuff will be gone by the afternoon so get there early

- Engage with people on the stand, find out about what they are doing, why they are there and if they are offering any special discounts for products bought on the day.

- Be interested. Don’t go to a show with the view to get lots of free stuff because not all of it will be useful, pretty or any good.

- Be happy to promote. If you pick up some promotional clothing, like a t-shirt, are you going to wear it? You will be giving that brand some free advertising. Find companies that you love and support. Getting a free t-shirt from them will feel even better!

- Be cheeky. If you don’t ask you won’t get. If you’ve created a rapport ith someone on a stand  then you might be able to get away with asking if they have any freebies to give away.

- Enter competitions. There will surely be loads of people standing around with clipboards asking you to enter competitions. Just for entering you might get something. If you don’t then you could win something amazing!

Interflora have an official voucher code on their blog. As a lover of Interflora I thought you might all like to know. It’s for a delicious 7% off.

Click here for the Interflora voucher code

You’ll probably know from previous posts that I love a good drink in the garden. In the summer that is, I’m not very good with the cold. However, we had a party a few years ago in December. We had woodburners, patio heaters and a fire pit. It was lovely. And no one was cold, I remember happily floating around in a pink sleeveless dress all evening. Even into the early hours.

I suppose choosing a fire pit could prove a bit difficult if you don’t know what you are looking for. There’s all sorts of things to take into account such as where to put it, what is suitable for your garden and so on. Do your research and make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. After all you are going to have a pit filled with fire in your garden. Safety is key.

You want a fire pit that you and your friends can sit around when evenings get cooler after the summer. Although in the UK you might find that a fire pit is essential even in summer. Not every night is warm and sticky. If, like me, you live by the coast then a fire pit is a good idea even on summer evenings. The wind coming from the sea is often rather chilly.

You will probably be using your fire pit on cooler evenings. consider a patio fire pit, especially if you patio is the first part of your garden you step out onto from your house. Having a fire pit so near the house will mean you don’t have to travel too farm from its warmth to get things like more drinks or to answer the phone.

Another upside to having a fire pit is the cooking opportunities. Marshmallows on toasting forks are my favourite. A very social and sticky way to to get your sugar fix. There are loads of options to the type of fire pit you can get, do you want a gas fire pit? Do you want to have to source wood to fuel it?

As with any purchase like this. Do your homework.

Garden furniture can make or break the look of your outdoor space. It is important that it matches the overall look of your house.

If you have a small garden then steer clear of large bulky items. You need small minimalistic items. Possibly that can be stored away. Our garden is tiny and you can barely move for the table and washing line.

For a bigger garden don’t feel you need to fill it with furniture. If you have a BBQ area or decking then keep furniture concentrated to that area. Also think about the type of furniture that might suit you house. Wicker furniture is very versatile and comes in various colours. There are also good padding options available. Wicker furniture can make a very comfortable and easy to maintain seating option for your garden.

Wrought iron furniture is another option. It is also very easy to maintain. It tends to be a lot more decorative than wicker furniture but also comes in various colours with various padding options.

Try to keep everything matching and make sure you don’t have any garish hand-me-downs in your collection of furniture. Always make sure you store away cushions and things that might get damaged if they get wet. Then just wait for summer and enjoy your outside dining/lounging area.

It is easy to get carried away with garden furniture, especially if you don’t have much room. Go for a minimalist look to begin with. Do you need ten seats when you are only ever going to have six people round at once? Think about practicality too. If you get really high maintenance furniture do you really have the time to take care of it?