As a mum you are often the lynchpin of your whole family. If you are tired, stressed and snappy chances are your whole family is tense, as they take their lead from you and pick up on your vibes. So, how do you get the balance right between being selfless and exhausted to being upbeat and enthusiastic?

WE’VE all been there. You love being a mum, but you feel as though your whole world revolves around taking care of your baby or toddler’s needs, and an endless cycle of washing, cooking and cleaning. You’d also like to talk to someone who doesn’t just speak toddlygook sometimes.

Olivia Rubin, leading fashion designer, and Bottega, Cheshire based Lifestyle Emporium hosted an exclusive ‘by invitation only’ Trunk Show, at Bottega, Tarporley in November 2010.

Whether you think of this day as another reason for excessive consumerism or like me, a really good excuse to use it to milk it for all it’s worth – Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Call me selfish but I’ve done a really good job of marketing it to my family – especially the husband. “How important it is to look after each other, respect family members and not take each other for granted,”