We’re thrilled to welcome our new columnist Amanda Marks. Amanda is a Renowned Breastfeeding, Food & Sleep Consultant

With over 40 years of experience supporting families, Amanda Marks is a highly respected breastfeeding, food, and sleep consultant. Based in prestigious locations including 10 Harley Street, London, and Alderley Edge, Cheshire, Amanda has worked with families from diverse backgrounds, including media personalities and royalty, maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality.

Gaining optimum performance in all areas of our life is surely a goal that many of us are all trying to achieve?

Who doesn’t want to look better, feel better physically and mentally, perform better (in all areas!) and have a stronger mindset?

I absolutely do.

Talented Ashley James is a TV presenter, model, DJ and Mum of two. Ashley is a familiar face on TV, but she is perhaps most well known at the moment for her presenting role on This Morning and her inspirational, honest and relatable content on social media which has led to Ashley gaining a large social media following of loyal fans.

Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping the conversation around marriage by embracing pre‑nups as a practical tool rather than a taboo. Armed with better financial literacy, greater access to information, and a realistic understanding of modern relationships, younger couples are approaching marriage with both romance and long‑term planning in mind. For many, a pre‑nup isn’t about mistrust — it’s about mutual respect, transparency, and protecting the lives they’ve built before saying “I do.”

This month, I’m thrilled to share two of our all-time favourite bakes: our homemade Hob Nobs and nostalgic Wagon Wheels. These recipes are more than just sweet treats—they’re time capsules. The Hob Nobs came from a rainy weekend when we had oats, butter, and not much else in the cupboards. The kids loved rolling the dough into little biscuit balls and watching them flatten in the oven. Dipping them in chocolate was the final touch—well, that and licking the spoon clean!

As we hit the Autumn months, we asked our resident chef and food editor Simon Wood to share a mouth watering recipe: Rib of Beef, Celeriac Puree, & Pommes Anna

Sally Lindsay is one of Britain’s best loved actors and presenters, best known for her roles as Shelley Unwin in ITV’S Coronation Street, Lisa Johnson in Sky One’s comedy series Mount Pleasant, and as Kath Agnew in the BBC sitcom Still Open All Hours.

It can be hard to find balance in life when we are so busy with all the other things that we have to juggle. One thing that has stood out since starting BROOD, is just how many of us are constantly looking for more ways to try switch off and spend quality time as a family. It’s also clear that we all want to incorporate ways to exercise into our weekly routine and encourage our kids to be active and outdoors too, but it can be hard to fit it in when there is only so many hours in the day! So, with a new sport activity sweeping exciting across the UK – Padel – we just had to find out what all the hype was all about, and to see if it was an activity that would fit into family life.

Working mothers often carry an invisible mental and emotional load long after the day appears to be done. In this powerful piece, Sarie Taylor explores the “stress hangover” — the exhaustion, anxiety and overwhelm that can surface once the crisis has passed — and offers a compassionate reframe for why it happens and what it really means.

Imposter syndrome and the anxiety surrounding that feeling of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is something I still hear a lot of people talk about in one way or another and I I have a view on it that may differ to others, but I would love you to hear me out and see if I can help you adjust your own perspective of what it means to be an imposter!

Anna is formidable in her pursuit for equality in the workplace, fuelled by her passion to ensure that her girls, or any girls, don’t face a future where you can have your career snatched away from you just because you dared to have a baby; sadly this is something that Anna experienced first hand.

Mum-of-two Megan Ford shares how family life, late nights, and a passion for purposeful play sparked the beginnings of Ellor & Co — proving that big dreams really can start at the kitchen table.

Cacao ceremonies have gained popularity for their potential physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental benefits, all of which can contribute to a deeper connection with oneself, enhanced creative flow, self-expression, and self-acceptance. Here’s a breakdown of these benefits:

Rachaele Hambleton, aka Part Time Working Mummy, is an inspirational mum of six. The incredible 43-year-old is a Sunday Times Bestselling Author—four times over—founder of The Patchwork House, a support and guidance service for vulnerable individuals and families, and she’s also a successful entrepreneur, which includes her own clothing brand REBL.

The great thing about brain training is that it doesn’t require anything fancy, it’s more about building small habits that challenge your mind in different ways. Reading a book, even for just a few minutes a day, helps your brain stay engaged. Solving puzzles, like crosswords or Sudoku, also gives your brain a workout, pushing it to think critically and solve problems. It’s not about doing these things perfectly. It’s about keeping the brain active and flexible, like any other muscle.

The clocks have gone forward, the evenings are lighter, and for many parents that means one thing — sleep routines suddenly feel harder. In this expert column, Amanda shares why the seasonal light change can affect babies and toddlers, plus practical tips to help your child settle well, sleep longer, and wake less.