Well the Christmas party season is now in full swing. But before you begin necking the free champagne at your work-related functions, don’t forget that every social occasion is an opportunity for networking. That doesn’t mean acting like an annoying brazen careerist, running around stuffing business cards into people’s hands and clamouring over conversations to talk to the CEO, though. There are a few simple ways you can get the most out of the occasion while still enjoying yourself.

Dress appropriately. Don’t be fooled into thinking that first impressions don’t matter. If …

Evening, friends. All I can say this evening is: OUCH. A little too much partying last night. So let’s keep this brief! Here are some of the things I read and enjoyed around the web this week:

Keep bored kiddies amused during the school holidays with this guide to making Christmas cards with cookie cutters

Looking for some ideas for Christmas gifts you can make? Look no further

Some excellent tips on how to constructively take criticism at work (something we all need to remember, sometimes!

Some ideas for getting away over the Christmas break on the cheap

Good news for …

Thank god it’s the weekend. This week has been loooooong and cooooold. I really want this cold weather to go away! Thankfully, FruGuy is finally home again after being stuck in the US due to Gatwick’s closure from the snow, but I have lost out on a £70 train ticket thanks to the weather (advanced ticket = no refund!) On the plus side, we bought our Christmas tree today and it is sitting pretty in the living room making me feel festive as can be!

Here are some good reads from ’round the web for your lazy Sunday reading:

Personal Finance by …

Learning your way around the kitchen is a great way to save money and eat healthily. Learning to cook is probably the single easiest way to save money on your grocery and eating out budget, as you will find that buying ingredients instead of ready-packaged foods is much, much cheaper – not to mention better for you.

But in order to save money in the kitchen, the cooking part of things is only half the battle. The other thing to be aware of is that …