I’ve been meaning to create this journal for quite some time and now I’m finally making it happen. It’s amazing how totally new circumstances can encourage you to get things done.

I hope that all the content you receive from us, from emails to social posts, provides some light relief from the news cycle, and some entertainment to break up your day. But what I really hope is that you also find it useful. Everything you’ve seen over the last few weeks has been carefully created to help you in some small way, even if it’s just working out what to wear around the house.

It all comes from what I’ve been discovering as a working woman trying to create a sense of normality at home. Juggling all that we have to do on a daily basis and adapting to this new reality is providing me with a new way of looking at things. I’ve been talking constantly with friends and colleagues, sharing insights on everything from business to home life. This journal is the result: an insider’s guide, my virtual little black book if you will, of what I’m turning to nowadays.

I’ve had endless people ask me about what to wear now that we’re all working from home, so I’ve put together my edit of multi-tasking essentials. I’ve attempted to do that influencer selfie thing in the mirror with looks that I’m wearing to go from video call to cooking to daily walk. I’ve also curated my edits of mood-boosting style solutions: uplifting florals, cosy and crease-free separates and the positive power of yellow. I’ve also decoded the perfect formula for on-to-off-duty – we’re calling it ‘feminine casual’.

My teenage daughters, Maddy and Grace (16 and 14, respectively), are home from school so I’m using this as an opportunity to teach them about business and finances by getting them involved in work. We had to cancel our location shoot, so they have been doing some modelling in our new arrivals.

I’ve had endless people ask me about what to wear now that we’re all working from home, so I’ve put together my edit of multi-tasking essentials. I’ve attempted to do that influencer selfie thing in the mirror with looks that I’m wearing to go from video call to cooking to daily walk. I’ve also curated my edits of mood-boosting style solutions: uplifting florals, cozy and crease-free separates and the positive power of yellow. I’ve also decoded the perfect formula for on-to-off-duty – we’re calling it ‘feminine casual’.

My teenage daughters, Maddy and Grace (16 and 14, respectively), are home from school so I’m using this as an opportunity to teach them about business and finances by getting them involved in work. We had to cancel our location shoot, so they have been doing some modelling in our new arrivals.

A-list interior designer Jo Plant.

I’ve worked with A-list interior designer Jo Plant a lot, most recently on our new flagship store in Mayfair. Jo has so many incredible insights on interior design, so I asked her to provide her top tips on how to tweak a room without needing any external help. This week she talks about pink bathrooms.

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Daisy Payne, founder of raw dessert company The Hardihood, has contributed two lovely recipes to try at home.

They only use plant-based ingredients, are vegan and free-from refined sugar, gluten and dairy. Two years ago, my daughter was diagnosed with a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis, an inflammatory disease of the oesophagus. As a result, in addition to medication, she has a very strict diet that I also follow to support her. What she misses most are treats, so these recipes are perfect for us to make together.

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Willow Crossley teaches us how to arrange flowers from your garden.

If you don’t have a garden, then turn to Flowerbx, founded by Whitney Bromberg Hawkings, for beautiful blooms delivered to your door. They are my favourite florists: Willow created the flowers for my 50^th birthday party and Whitney fills our London stores each week. They have very different styles, but I love what they create.

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Gill Hornby

Gill Hornby is a writer and journalist, author of The Hive, Altogether Now and her latest novel, Miss Austen (recently on both the Sunday Times and The Times bestseller lists). As an author, voracious reader and, lucky for me, my sister-in-law, I have asked Gill for her favourite book recommendations, which she’ll be sharing each fortnight.

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