NEW FRIENDS & A SPRINKLING OF GH MAGIC…

What a month it has been – 30 days into my new job and I’ve been well and truly embraced by the wonderful world of Good Housekeeping. It all started on a glamorous photoshoot with November’s cover star, Nigella. She is one of the most beautiful women I have ever met – every inch the Domestic Goddess but also modest, warm and passionate about her family and her food. Her Forgotten Cookies (p20) have already made a welcome appearance in my own kitchen!

Another highlight was seeing our gorgeous photographs of Victoria Derbyshire. Her story is close to my heart. Like Victoria (and too many women), I have lived through breast cancer and, when I read her interview, I was moved by her strength and optimism. Her new book should be handed out on the National Health!

Next up came the fabulously festive Christmas shoots for our December issue. I won’t ruin the magic by telling you how we create snowy scenes in early autumn, but I can reveal it takes a cast of thousands (or so it seemed), some clever photography and a lot of hard work by the Good Housekeeping crew. I can’t wait for you to see the results in next month’s extravaganza of an issue.

And talking of extravaganzas, our legendary Gift Guide just keeps getting bigger and better! We had great fun choosing the very best presents for our loved ones… and making mental notes about what should go into our own Christmas stockings! What I really love about the GH gift selection is that every item has gone through strict quality control by our little elves at the Good Housekeeping Institute. When you see a Tried & Tested logo on a product, you know that it’s been put through its paces by the ultra-fussy GHI – and if it’s good enough for them…

Don’t tell my girlfriends, but I shall be mainly giving out Good Housekeeping’s excellent Beauty Box this year. Our beauty director, Eve Cameron, has curated this collection of amazing products, so I know they work. We’ve featured the Beauty Box in this year’s Gift Guide – if you’ve been very, very good, why not treat yourself?