Cynthia Lawrence

Don’t: Overindulge at the free bar. Open bars can be a recipe for disaster if abused.

2. Searching for an anti-allergen birthday cake. Back in the day, there was only one birthday cake (usually homemade). All the kids would eat it problem-free, and the only emergency would be little Jack vomiting on a chair. But with today’s abundance of nut, gluten, wheat, egg and you-name-it allergies, vomiting is the least of your worries. Now, your mission is to find a cake (or several) that will not require antihistamines afterwards.

The player — His shady behavior raises suspicions, and he never seems to elaborate on what he’s been doing. His phone constantly bleeps which he deliberately ignores (“must be the mother again…”) before switching it off.

Having a baby is a joyous time but can often bring about drastic changes to the dynamic. With sleep deprivation, breastfeeding, body hang-ups, and not to mention the baby blues, it’s no surprise that time for each other and sex drive can be nonexistent.

"So what happens when the split is acrimonious and your friends end up dumping you, too? Suddenly you’re treated as an outcast, and when you bump into them in the street, they pretend they haven’t seen you, even when you’re standing in the next line in Costco!"

After the initial shock and panic, it’s easy to wallow in a sea of self-pity (over a bottle of red). But don’t let it be all doom and gloom. Dust yourself off, get your Olivia Pope thinking-cap on and get it ‘handled’.

Growing up, I'd been taught to never think, breathe, or even utter this F-word.

1. Don’t go wild at the free bar — Yes it’s a party, you’re having fun and the drinks are overflowing but that’s no excuse to get ridiculously drunk. You probably won’t even realize your glass being constantly refilled, so pace yourself!

I’ll admit, there is something thrilling about purchasing something new, even if it was an item I wasn’t sure I needed. But the reduced price of £10 from £40 justified the spend!

Far from being shy and retiring wallflowers, introverts can be just as successful, (Bill Gates, J.K. Rowling), proving that you don’t have to be the loudest, abrasive, or most domineering to stand out from the crowd!