My Girl's Holiday Essentials - What's On Your List?

Now I'm going to state upfront that my list is probably not going to be your list.

And that the list of a woman in her 50's might differ ever so slightly from that of a twenty-something off to Aya-too-much-booze for 10 days of tattoo warping sunshine.

No. I have a much more traditional approach to going on holiday with the Husband and kids.  I like to think of it as "coming back healthy".

Some people like to come back 'refreshed' or 'energized'.

I like to avoid any possible communication with the Institute of Tropical Diseases (which happened on my return from a trip to Egypt  in 1988).

I'm afraid I have form, having managed to catch Pharaoh's Revenge.  My 24th birthday was spent lying prone in a hotel room in Luxor whilst nibbling on a Twix to get my sugar levels up and trying not to be sick.

I love to read other girls' packing lists.  During my single life, no trip anywhere was to be undertaken without a trawl through the floor-strewn merchandise of Primark for some Primarni t-shirts and knickers.

And of course it was de rigeur to pack so many toiletries into your suitcase that the plane had to extend its taxi up the runway just to lift off.

Today we have all learned to pack light (largely to avoid being charged extra by the budget airlines) - that, and the threat of terrorism.

Travelling has lost its innocence in many regards.

But I digress (as usual).

If I had to come up with a list of holiday essentials, then they would surely be

- suncream (protection factor 25+)
- smartphone
- Kindle (a duplication but I can't bear squinting at the small print on my phone)
- extra strength hair condition to avoid frizz
- a good lip-balm

It's not very Kim Kardashian, is it?

I suppose I ought to add the Husband and kids for the full family effect.

When you're a parent your chances of a holiday night out all glammed up tend to be remote in my experience.  

This makes lugging a full make-up kit rather unnecessary.

In fact the days when I actually get round to applying a full face of make-up are few and far between. Now I come to think of it, the last time was my wedding day in 2011.

Medication on the other hand is another matter entirely.  You can never be too prepared in my book so my toiletry bag(s) groan with Calpol, Nurofen, current prescriptions, earplugs (vital!), stomach medication, travel sickness pills - you name it and I could probably treat it.

You know I do wonder whether people really manage to relax on holiday or whether it's more about managing their neuroses in a different location.

I'm far more likely these days to spend time browsing in an online pharmacy than I am testing shimmer bricks, lippies and reformulated-for-summer perfumes and spritzes.

How times change!

Thank the Lord for wine.

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Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour® Cream All-Over Miracle Oil Giveaway

I was recently given the opportunity to try the newest product in Elizabeth Arden's legendary Eight Hour® Cream Range.

Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden herself to soothe skin, Eight Hour® Cream Skin Protectant became an instant success. It was made from a combination of petrolatum, a skin-soothing beta-hydroxy and vitamin E.  Miss Arden even used it to soothe her famous thoroughbred horses' legs and its name came about when a loyal client used it to treat her child's skinned knee and "Eight Hour®s" later, the skin was all better.

The new product, Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour® All-Over Miracle Oil, is a versatile, multi-tasking formula for the face, body and hair. It is infused with Tsubaki oil, an ultra-hydrating ingredient that works to deliver long-lasting moisture.



Like the other products in the range, All-Over Miracle Oil can be used in numerous ways.  Elizabeth Arden suggests:-

- apply for all over moisture

- use it to smooth rough skin

- apply to dry dull hair to add shine

- slather it on skin post shave

- use it as a massage oil

- use it as a cuticle softener twice a day

It comes in a handy pump spray which is easy to throw in your bag and carry with you.

I found it to be pleasantly scented, easily absorbed and very hydrating.  It is quick to apply and doesn't leave greasy marks on your clothes - a really useful multi-tasking product.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour® All-Over Miracle Oil retails at £29 per bottle and I have one to give away.

Simply enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. UK entrants only.  The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on 31st March.  Terms and conditions are on my Competitions Page.

Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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What’s the truth about vaping?

I smoked briefly in my late teens and twenties. Why did I start?  All my friends smoked and it was the 'thing' to pass around the Benson & Hedges (Bennies) or Silk Cut in the pub.

Ah, my wild youth.

I promptly gave up when I read that each cigarette takes about 5 minutes off your life.  That's without factoring in the damage it does to your fertility and your kids, both in the womb and out of it.

Oh and the smell lingering to your clothes, hair and breath which no amount of Gold Spot breath freshener or TicTacs could ever disguise.

It is not a habit I ever want Caitlin or Ieuan to take up and we have been discouraging them in the strongest possible terms.

Not that this worked with me - my father still smokes a pipe to this day.  It's hard to impress on kids the dangers of smoking when there's a smoker in the house.

I should probably mention that dad doesn't live with us and never smokes around his grandchildren.

These days we’re all well aware of the health dangers linked to smoking tobacco and I don't see anywhere near the number of people smoking cigarettes I used to.

I do see people vaping which raises the question, what are e-cigarettes doing to our health?

There has been a lot of media coverage lately about e-cigarettes but separating the fact from the fiction is no easy task.

There are strong arguments being put across from both sides of the debate. For example, Cancer Research UK and Public Health England are both clear on the fact that vaping is much safer than smoking tobacco.

I’ve been reading through the information collated by The Electric Tobacconist which gives arguments both for and against e-cigarettes.

Whilst the effects of nicotine on the body are deeply concerning, it does seem that vaping is a significantly safer option than smoking.

My personal view is that if vaping helps those who already smoke to cut down their habit or to eventually quit entirely, then it should be cautiously encouraged.

It’s confusing that there are such strong arguments on both sides of this one, even more so when the media goes for scaremongering headlines. The debate is triggering more and more research which will be interesting to follow given this is a relatively new product.

In the meantime, it looks as if a safer alternative to tobacco has been found. It will be interesting to look back on this in years to come and see just how much of an impact it has had.

Credit: www.electrictobacconist.co.uk

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What is Scarlet Fever?

As scarlet fever cases reach an almost 50-year high, and nearly 600 cases a week are being diagnosed in England alone, what exactly is this disease?

Scarlet fever is a highly contagious disease caused by an infection with bacteria in the group A Streptococcus (the same bacteria that cause strep throat).

It mainly affects children with those aged between 2-8 being most at risk.

Scarlet fever is treatable with antibiotics and usually is a mild illness, but it needs to be treated to prevent rare but serious long-term health problems.

There is no vaccine.

The incubation period for scarlet fever is about 12 hours to seven days.

Scarlet fever is usually spread by the aerosol route (inhalation), but may also be spread by skin contact or anything capable of carrying infection including skin cells, hair, clothing and bedding.

As it's so contagious, scarlet fever is likely to affect someone in close contact with a person with a sore throat or skin infection caused by streptococcus bacteria.

Early symptoms to look out for are a sore throat, headache and fever with a pinkish/red sandpapery rash appearing within a day or two.

The rash usually first appears on the chest and stomach before spreading to other parts of the body.

Scarlet fever is usually treated with a 10-day course of antibiotics, often in the form of penicillin or amoxicillin tablets, although liquid may be used for young children.

The fever usually gets better within 24 hours of starting antibiotics, with the other symptoms disappearing within a few days.

If scarlet fever has been caught as a result of a throat infection, the fever usually goes within 3 to 5 days, and the sore throat passes soon afterward.

The scarlet fever rash usually fades on the sixth day after sore throat symptoms began, but skin that was covered by rash may begin to peel. This peeling may last 10 days.

You should keep your child away from nursery or school for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.

Adults with scarlet fever should also stay off work for at least 24 hours after starting treatment.

You can also take some simple self care measures such as:-

- drinking plenty of cool fluids
- eating soft foods (if your throat is painful)
- taking paracetamol to bring down a high temperature
- using calamine lotion or antihistamine tablets to relieve itching

Public Health England (PHE)  expects a further rise in cases in the next few weeks as the peak season for the fever occurs, usually between late March and mid April. Currently, Yorkshire, the Humber, London and the East and West Midlands are being badly hit.

For further information go to the NHS Choices website.

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Surcare Sensitive Washing Up Liquid Helps A Hand

We were recently challenged by Surcare to swop our usual brand of washing up liquid for Surcare Sensitive Washing Up Liquid.

Ieuan - ready for the challenge

Well known for its gentle laundry products, Surcare washing up liquid is made for those looking for great cleaning without harsh chemicals. It has no added perfumes or dyes, is fragrance free and has been dermatologically tested and approved.

Surcare Sensitive Washing Up Liquid contains nothing to irritate skin and, being prone to contact dermititis from certain other brands, I was keen to return to the bowl and give it a go!

Let's be honest, having a dishwasher is a luxury many of us have got used to but they are not always the most effective use of time and money if you only have one or two items to wash.

Plus, hand washing your dishes is a great way of training the kids in the gentle art of housekeeping.

Cue much muttering from the Husband that I don't do any and the usual response from me that "if you think I don't do anything then I'll stop and you can see what the house looks like then".  

But I digress....

As part of the challenge, we had to pass on some 'handy' skills to the kids - giving them a helping hand since Surcare had helped ours.

We gave the kids a choice.

Having discounted car engine maintenance and making a puppy out of clay and buttons on the basis that the potential for mess was probably way above acceptable European Union standards, we chose two more peaceful activities.

My sister and I grew up in a piano playing household - my dad is a piano teacher in his spare time and he has given Caitlin some lessons.  My sister went to Dartington Music College but I only ever managed to 'play by ear'.  (I can still play a rousing version of "Men of Harlech" and "Onward Christian Soliders" if anyone's interested).

Caitlin practising her piano

So I spent some time with Caitlin trying to decipher the annotated music books my dad has given her. 

My dad has a baby grand piano but the Husband bought me a lovely keyboard with bells and whistles a few years back.  

Caitlin loves to switch on the church organ function and play everything in funereal, although admittedly peaceful tones.

Ieuan does not have his sister's patience yet and, in any case, has been brainwashed by the Husband into liking shouty Viking rock.  (I feel another post on Tinnitus coming on).

He does, however, like to help out with some gardening and as part of the Surcare Help A Hand Challenge, we spent a lovely warm afternoon in our Capability Brown styled garden (um...).

Caitlin raked the leaves whilst Ieuan supervised.  Have you noticed how boys are very good at 'supervising' even at a very young age?

There's plenty of work to do in the garden!

Eventually his sister handed him the rake and told him to "get on with it".  That's my girl.

The kids have made birdhouses for some very small birds.

Then the kids added a finishing touch of two bird houses, which anything bigger than a worm-starved linnet is going to struggle to get in - but they look nice.

We really enjoyed the challenge, not least because it involved time away from the iPads and some fresh air.  It's too easy to let the kids slump on the sofa and play "ninja kittens burst balloons" or some such non-educational game.

And what did we think of Surcare Sensitive Washing Up Liquid?

I have used my main brand for many years but was really impressed by Surcare's.  It did not irritate my skin at all and a little went a surprisingly long way.  

Its cleaning power was as good as my main brand's which I wasn't expecting being suspicious of the efficacy of lots of the eco-friendly / anti-allergy brands.

It also doesn't have a cloying fragrance which some washing up liquids do - and sometimes you even find that the fragrance lingers on your dishes after you've washed them.  

Surcare is available at all major retailers and the Hobbis family highly recommend it.

Surcare Sensitive Washing Up Liquid

Plus we've been reminded that there's really no substitute for hands-on, if slightly messy, family fun.

*collaborative post

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How Everyone's United By Football - Making The Most of Family Time During UEFA Euro 2016™

These days it's all about the screen time.  We are a nation obsessed with all things 'i' and android.  We experience huge swathes of our life online and converse in emoticons (as Facebook's new 'like' icons attest).

We parents can be as guilty of this as our kids.  At the end of a long day, it is just so easy to pick up a tablet and switch on and check out.

So it's a refreshing (and much needed) change to find an event that brings families together and generates an energy that doesn't come from a charger.

Now readers of this blog know that I am not the most sporty of women. I make no secret of the fact that I used to wear the Left Back bib in hockey because I used to be Linda Brooks and I liked wearing my initials.

But when you have kids, you quickly realise that an event like the forthcoming UEFA Euro 2016™ football championship is too good an opportunity to pass by when it comes to spending some quality time with the family.

We've got the kids enthused about the Six Nations Rugby Tournament and we watched last year 's Rugby World Cup together - except that the kids were really upset when Wales were knocked out (we were robbed).

The concept of national pride is very topical these days and, even though I moved to Wales in 1969 when I was 5, I consider myself to be Welsh.  The Husband was born in Cardiff and both my children were born in the Heath Hospital so their nationality is definitely Welsh!

There is something very emotional about supporting your own country's sporting efforts.

I think it's good for kids to see their parents cheering and shouting encouragement at the TV.  Caitlin and Ieuan's expressions when the Husband shouts for Wales to "come on!" is a sight to behold.  I don't think they realised he was capable of that volume of noise.

And then there's the subject competition.  I think kids need to learn that a game has winners and losers and that there is no shame in losing if you gave it your all.

As my mother always says "it's the taking part that counts" - not that I've ever seen her on a football pitch.

Kids need to see that achievement can be physical and not just academic. Watching a team sport is a great way to truly understand team work.  To see a team sprinting down a pitch like a well oiled machine is a noble thing.  To watch team players listen to the ref (without referring him to Specsavers) shows that rules are there to be followed.

Pulling together, 'having someone's back' - these concepts are made much easier to understand when watching a game.  We can use sporting analogies to help kids solve problems and get them to relate to the concept of achieving a goal.

Sport is also a great way to demonstrate that everyone has different physical strengths and that a team is a combination of different strengths arranged in an effective way.

Cue the role of the coach.

As kids develop and grow at different rates and as they discover their bodies have different builds, sport is a great way to teach them acceptance.

And when our kids enter the working world, being a team player is a vital skill in career success and overall happiness.

This year sees the UEFA Euro 2016™  European Championship, which will be held in France from 10 June to 10 July. Spain are two-time defending champions.

24 teams will compete in a new format and the matches will be played in ten cities -  Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Étienne, and Toulouse.

The French team have won the UEFA Euro 2016™ twice: in 1984 and 2000 and the winning team earns the right to compete at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup hosted by Russia.

We will obviously be supporting Wales who are in a group with England, Slovakia and Russia and our first match will be on the 11th June against Slovakia in Bordeaux.

Prior to qualifying for UEFA Euro 2016™, the team had only qualified for a major international tournament once in their history, when they reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

And since Wales knocked England out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, our expectations for our footie team are, shall we say, pretty big.

I'm sure there will be a real party atmosphere here in Cardiff, perhaps even with a French flavour!

Of course we will be watching the game and perhaps adding a French flavour with hamburgers et des frites (chips!) and un peu du vin for the parents.

The Husband will no doubt expound on the rules of the game (don't ask me about the offside rule) and the kids will get to know the Welsh team members.

It will be a chance for us to all sit down together and cheer Wales on.

And how about this for a fabulous opportunity for your football mad youngsters?

Your child has the opportunity to be a Player Escort at one of three UEFA Euro 2016™ matches taking place in June or July 2016 by entering a competition run by McDonald's.

We would be thrilled if Caitlin or Ieuan had the opportunity to walk out with the Welsh team - it would be an experience none of us would ever forget.

Just launched by McDonald's ambassadors, Ryan Giggs, Martin Keown and Pat Jennings, the competition will give the lucky 9 children the chance to stand beside their national heroes and walk out at hotly anticipated fixtures throughout the tournament including England vs Wales, Northern Ireland vs Germany and the UEFA Euro 2016™ Final.

To enter, parents are asked to capture their child’s football passion and upload images of them enjoying the beautiful game.  It is open to all children in the UK who will be aged between 6 and 10 years old on 10th June 2016 and the lucky winners will join the qualifying home nation of their choice and walk out hand-in-hand with their football idols at this summer’s tournament in France.

Big sporting events are great for getting together with family members you don't often see and perhaps getting together for a meal afterwards.

Hopefully the weather will hold so that we can just get out into the fresh air and kick a ball around.

And if you enter McDonald's fabulous competition, who knows, your child may actually be on the pitch!

For your chance to enter see: www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Sport/Football/LetsPlay/EURO-2016.html.

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My Sunday Photo - 13/03/2016

It's nice to see that, despite his love of his iPad, sometimes, Ieuan is just as happy to build spaceships with his Lego.  

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Review: Time Tokens - A Great Way To Control Your Child's Screen Time

We recently had the opportunity to test Time Tokens - a brilliantly simple solution to weaning kids off a growing dependence on their tablets and screen time in general by putting the control in their hands.

Counter intuitive though it may sound, Time Tokens aims to give children the power to manage their own screen time in a way which avoids arguments, teaches them new skills and encourages them to actively seek out family time which is NOT screen based.

The brain-child of mum of 2 Amanda Bucknall, Time Tokens were born when she found it increasingly difficult to get her 7 year old son Harry to turn off the TV or get off the i-pad.

It was easier to persuade him to do his homework, go to bed or eat veggies!

Fed up with emotionally draining battles over screen-time, Amanda and Harry set about inventing a system that would work for both of them – Time Tokens was born.

It worked so simply and effectively, soon temper tantrums were a thing of the past and Harry was actually using less screen-time and was happier and calmer as a result. After trialing it with friends and family Amanda realised they had hit on something really special.

So how does it work?

Each child is given a Time Token wallet which contains a selection of tickets each worth a certain number of minutes.  The parents decide how many tickets they are allowed and the children hand them in to gain the appropriate number of minutes of screen time.

There is also a Golden Ticket which the children get as a reward for sticking to their side of the bargain and which they can exchange for a non screen-based family activity (an ING) of their choice.

The pack also contains a timer so they can check they are sticking to the number of minutes they have 'bought' and a contract which the child signs to say they promise to stick to their side of the bargain by not going over their allotted time.

They must also promise to switch off once their timer says their time is up and not complain!

Friday is Time Tokens day when they'll get their next allowance.

There is also a range of cute cartoon characters called the Frazzles, Sparky, Splodge, Whizz, Wiggle and Pickle, each of whom has a different interest and idea of how to spend that Golden Ticket, painting, singing, exploring, making things - absolutely nothing to do with typING!

Every Friday you receive a newsletter which features a Time Tokener of the week and artwork the kids have produced of the Frazzles, together with tips and advice to help parents maintain a calmer and less 'frazzled' household.

The minimum age is 5 years old and I would say the top age range is about 8-9.

So what did we think?

The Time Tokens themselves are a breeze to use and the kids grasped the concept immediately. What was interesting from our point of view as parents is that the exercise forced us to recognise our part in the kids' rather excessive amount of screen time.

I think we are all guilty of using screen time as a babysitter and general calming activity when, ironically, it is often anything but.

Time Tokens actually makes adults discuss appropriate limits on screen time and encourages you to focus more on non-screen-based activities.

Caitlin was happy to stop using her iPad when her allotted time was up as she enjoys reading more than her brother.  (She's 8, he's 6).  She'll happily take herself off to her room and read.

Ieuan, on the other hand, requires rather more coercion to give up his tablet but was very keen to take control of planning the family outing.

We are addressing our other bad habits too - for example taking iPads to restaurants to keep the kids quiet.  Now we are encouraging them to talk about their day and making plans as a family.

We had noticed the beginning of a definite spiral of moodiness linked to iPad usage - I hesitate to use the term addictive behaviour but it can be pretty close.

We make sure that the iPads stay downstairs and don't find their way up to bedrooms (or get hidden under duvets!).

Time Tokens may not work for older, more sophisticated kids but it is a great tool for at least beginning to tackle the problem of excessive screen time and to help set more realistic limits.

I loved the idea of the contract / promise the child signs up to and the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket reward.

If it does nothing other than get the adults to address the problem then it's worth the very reasonable price of a pack of tokens.

And if it gets children reading (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory for example), instead of playing Hay Day or watching endless Kinder Egg videos on YouTube, that's a great step forward.

Time Tokens are available at a special launch discount of £10.95 from www.TimeTokens.com

I think they're well worth a try.

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Review: Bioglan Vitamins - The Range For SmartKids

As any busy parent knows, getting your kids to eat a balanced and healthy diet can be a bit of a challenge.

Not only is there the daily challenge of coming up with an exciting menu, you may find you also have to deal with picky eaters and the vegetable averse child (step forward Ieuan!).

Then there's the problem of food intolerances and allergies which means ensuring your kids get their daily quota of vitamins is often anything but easy.

And all this is at a time when their bodies are rapidly growing and changing and being put under pressure from an often large variety of sports and extra curricular activities.

I have always taken a good multi-vitamin to stave off as many bugs as possible and also a pro-biotic for gut health.

I think it is only relatively recently that Western medicine has understood how important gut health is to the functioning of our bodies and, in particular, our immune system.

Caitlin and Ieuan regularly have chewy multi-vitamins so I was interested to discover that the company that makes the pro-biotic I take, Bioglan, has created a brand new range, SmartKids to meet the key needs of a developing child.

There are four products in the range which are priced from £9.99 and the products are specially designed for fussy eaters, since they contain nutritious fruit, vegetables and super food ingredients, and are enhanced with essential vitamins and minerals.

We were sent two of the four products in the range to try.

Bioglan SmartKids Brain Formula, available in a citrus flavour, is especially designed to help support healthy brain function, giving kids the best support possible.

   

This supplement contains Omega-3 fish oil which is especially high in DHA, the fatty acid best known for its role in brain health.

The formula also contains several B vitamins which contribute to a normal nervous system and Iron which plays a vital role in oxygen transportation to the brain and the rest of the body, as well as contributing to the normal cognitive development of children.

This supplement comes in a chewy 'burstlet' - a liquid containing capsule which releases the contents when bitten.

Whilst the outer capsule was pleasant enough, it is quite chewy and although the liquid inside has a lemony taste, there is the unmistakable flavour of fish oil.

Caitlin was happy to take these but Ieuan was not so convinced.  I think these are probably better for a slightly older child who has a fuller appreciation of the benefits of taking the supplement.

We also tried Bioglan SmartKids Happy Tummies which are strawberry flavour yoghurt balls, each containing 1 billion good bacteria - Lactobacillius acidophilus and Bifodobacterium lactis - two well known and researched strains often found in yoghurt.

Both kids really enjoyed the flavour of these and they are an ideal supplement to help ward off tummy bugs - which are doing the rounds here yet again.

The other products in the range are the Bioglan SmartKids Fussy Eaters Multivitamin, especially designed for fussy eaters. Obviously it is better to get your vitamins straight from your food but this supplement contains a wide spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals, together with a high ORAC blend of fruit and vegetables. These are chewable tablets which come in blackcurrant and strawberry flavours.

Lastly there is Bioglan SmartKids Superfood Shake, a chocolate shake packed with hidden fruit and vegetables which Bioglan suggest would be ideal for an after school snack or before dashing off to swimming, ballet or Tae Kwon-Do!

The shake does not contain added sugar, artificial sweeteners or flavours and is easily added to milk, smoothies, cereal or yoghurt. 

Bioglan originated in Australia over 25 years ago and all its products are formulated by qualified naturopaths and are based on only the strongest clinical trials and long-term evidence.

The SmartKids range is available from Holland & Barrett.

Now that the NoroVirus is doing the rounds again, and winter coughs and colds are in full swing, I like to think of these as an extra insurance policy for the family's health. 

Because you can guarantee that anything the kids come down with will be passed swiftly on to the parents!

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Spring Bags 2016 I'm Loving

There are sooo many fabulous bags out there to choose from and what better way to freshen up your wardrobe without too much of a splurge (although sometimes your heart leads you astray).

These are my current favourites.

Bow Handle Cross Body Bag, Floozie By Frost French At Debenhams

I love the colour of this bag from Floozie. It features a bow handle on the top, a fold over popper fastening design and a detachable shoulder strap.

Vivienne Westwood Bunny Shopper £170 - Vivienne Westwood Bags

How cute is this bunny shopper from Vivienne Westwood Bags?  As you'd expect from Westwood, there is plenty of quirkiness which ensures that any of her bags automatically become investment pieces you want to keep and revisit year upon year.

River Island Structured Tote Bag - £45

This is a striking mustard yellow suede structured tote bag from River Island. With white top handle and white side tassel details, I think it's great value at £45.

Antonello Woven Tote - £295

This is a really unusual bag with a bit of a 70's vibe about it. Antonello took inspiration from hand weaving techniques from Sardinia for this bag which has a beautiful tribal pattern adorning the front.  This bag would look fab matched with a white outfit to make the colour pop.

Marc Jacobs Embellished Backpack - £712.18

This statement backpack combines casual graffiti-print cotton canvas with nickel hardware and has backpack straps, looped top-carry handle, zip-around closure and front zip pocket.

Simply Be Tweed Shoulder Bag - £20

This bag with pastel colours and a gold chain is an absolute bargain from Simply Be.

Micro Sidney Fringe Bag From Whistles - £85

The bucket shaped bag has a drawstring closure with fringes and a metal chain.  Very bohemian!

So there you have it.  Which one is your favourite?

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I'm A Useless Feminist

On a day when we celebrate women and their achievements, I find myself silently berating myself for my less than glowing feminist credentials.

By that I mean that whilst I know with every fiber of my being that women are equal to men and that no woman should come second because of her gender, I still struggle with the concept.

I grew up in the 70's and 80's at a time when there was a definite sea change towards a kind of social and economic freedom our mothers never knew.

But the backdrop to this was still a world in which to truly succeed it seemed as if conformity was the quickest and easiest route.

And many of us who wanted to strike out and defend a woman's right to be everything she wanted to be with no limits, found our mothers had a completely different idea.

Two examples often heard from women during my upbringing - women were worse drivers than men and that unemployment levels would be immediately reduced if women would only stay home and look after their children, thus freeing up jobs for men.

In the Legal Profession in which I found myself quite accidentally, women were still less likely to be made partners.

I hope that this is no longer the case but I seriously doubt it.  

My friends and I used to joke (although it really isn't funny) that women would make manager and assistant manager positions but directorships and partnerships would usually go to the men.

And less talented men at that.

So I learned that conformity was the thing.  Keep your head down, don't make waves, don't disagree. I was a single girl and I needed to keep my job.

This is not the image of the ballsy, go-getting feminist who wouldn't be talked down to in meetings and would never accept the task of making the tea.

I would watch from the sidelines as the male employees would get invited to sporting hospitality events, dinner with the partners, an afternoon of golf.

Men seem to have an easier way of relating to one another.  They argue, swear and cuss at each other and then move on.

With women, it is often an endless war of attrition where sweetness and concern cloaks a fierce and ruthless ambition.

It seemed that women could not compete 'openly' with one another but had to resort to a set of tactics which would make Machiavelli look like a novice.

Apart from one, I can't think of any female boss I enjoyed working for.  

They were, by and large, power-dressing, mint crunching, bobbed hair types who, when they were not 'delegating'  (the responsibility, mind you, never any authority) nebulous projects, were just as likely to be found doing their weekly grocery shop online.

Do I sound bitter?  Damn right I am.

This was not how it was supposed to be.

I read frequently of sisters who support one another. Female managers and co-workers who build each other up, look out for each other and celebrate each others' triumphs.

As I get older I wonder if this is some sort of feminist myth and whether, for example, in the hot-housed enclaves of the partitioned office environment so popular in Wales this ever actually happens.

I really hope, for the sake of young women today, that it does.

I find myself wondering what to tell my own daughter when she enters the world of work.  If the current economic climate does not improve, getting and keeping a job may well be more important than challenging any barriers.

Does that make me a hypocrite or a realist?

I'm afraid it probably makes me a useless feminist.

In the end, it's all about the easiest route to self-preservation, the quickest way to secure the pay rise, the least threatening way to fit in.

Looks are still currency.  This seems to be the main belief of our selfie generation, encouraged by the Kardashian clan in their endless pursuit of reverence.

There are thousands of young women working hard to gain qualifications and skills in fields such as medicine and science.

Yet, Kim Kardashian takes her clothes off, posts it on the internet and makes millions.

And there's the central problem.

I can't bring myself to agree that this is the definition of empowerment, but in the face of her vast wealth, I really struggle to call it anything else.

As I said.  Hypocrite or realist?

Certainly a useless feminist.

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Review: Kiss The Cartridge Goodbye! - The Epson ET-2500 Ecotank Printer

For many years, it could be argued that investing in a printer was a luxury.  Times have changed of course and now many home offices boast a printer of varying levels of sophistication.

The Husband has a home office where he works when not travelling the globe and his work requires the production of complex, technological documentation for clients and for sales presentation materials such as hand-outs and printed slides.

The Epson ET-2500 Ecotank Printer

My printing needs are simpler - the odd e-book (I still love to read hard copy!), maps, e-tickets, order confirmation slips and invoices.

Our existing printer, a small Samsung black and white laser printer, has worked well, if temperamentally for over 5 years.

You can bet that it will have a paper jam when you really need to print out something urgently - an e-ticket or map, for example - or that it will announce it needs a cartridge change on a Sunday at 4 pm.

According to Epson, we're not alone - with 56% of us having had 'printer panic'.  I don't know about you but I have quite enough to worry about as it is!

We were recently given the opportunity to review the Epson ET-2500, one of Epson's new EcoTank printers which can save you up to 70% of your printing costs due to its integrated high capacity ink tanks.

The Epson ET-2500 is a 3-in-1 inkjet printer with print, copy and scan features.  It's the first time we have had a photocopying facility at home, having previously had to trudge over to our local library with a pocket full of 5p pieces and a prayer that the machine was actually working.

Finally, a photocopier at home!

This printer also comes supplied with 2 years of ink having four colour 70ml Epson genuine ink bottles in the box, which make it easy, clean and quick to fill the ink tanks.

The printer comes with four bottles of ink to add to the tank

Best of all you can say goodbye to ink cartridges.

The ink supplied is sufficient to print up to 4,000 pages in black and 6,500 pages in colour at just a fraction of a penny per page.

Because the ink tanks are high volume and refillable, the ink should last you far longer than the traditional ink cartridges.

The printer also has mobile printing.  It is equipped with Wi-Fi, so that you can use the Epson Connect features.

These allow you to print quickly and easily over Wi-Fi from a smartphone using the free Epson iPrint app, print remotely or email the ET-2500 a print job from anywhere.

The ET-2500 uses Epson's own Micro Piezo technology for excellent-quality print-outs.

Mono prints are delivered at a rate of 9.2 pages per minute while it can issue 4.5 colour pages per minute.

The Epson ET-2500 retails at £229.99.

So we gave the Epson ET-2500 a thorough road test over the period of one week to see how it compared with our old printer.

What we loved

• Compact
• Easy to maintain
• Pulls in paper without a hitch  (unlike our old printer)
• Good quality printing in both mono and colour
• 3 year extended warranty
• Lots of ink compared to other printers and cartridge designs - will last a long time 
• Refill costs currently look well priced making this a cost effective printer 
• Connects over Wifi - no need to use cables
• Reasonable speed for an ink-jet
• Multi-function printer - In built scanner and copier facility

What we loved less

• Slower than a laser
• Does not automatically wake up once the printer has gone into sleep mode (Wifi) 
• Needs manual intervention to print duplex 
• Slow print time for detailed graphics
• Long set-up time - 20 mins to charge the ink.
• Needs Epson driver

This is a great multi-functional printer which would suit a home office where bulk printing is an occasional, rather than a constant event.  If you need to print out a set of hand-outs and produce a high-spec technical document, it is ideal.  Having the photocopying and scanning functions included is an added bonus.

I think that if you are constantly churning out multi-page documents then you may be better off considering a laser printer - and possibly asking your boss for an office!

There is an Epson Easy Photo Print tool which allows you to correct and position your photos, plus add frames but I was unable to print out a photo of suitable quality using normal copying paper (not surprisingly).  Ultra glossy paper is recommended so this function was not fully tested.

The price of the Epson ET-2500 is very reasonable, in our view (£229.99), especially when you factor in the savings you'll make from not having to buy and replace ink cartridges.

It's a great, economical and environmentally friendly home office printer, best suited for daily correspondence, small scale bulk printing and family printing.

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My Sunday Photo - 06/03/2016

My Mum, Kay and I About 50 Years Ago

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Kidsitter.co.uk - Reliable Childcare In A Hurry

One of my regular frustrations is finding a babysitter.  In the old days, all you would do is rope in the nearest adolescent and pay them a couple of pounds whilst giving them full reign of your biscuit cupboard.

I remember spending many happy hours babysitting for my neighbours.  Whilst their children slumbered upstairs, I would be happily ensconced downstairs accompanied by an extensive pile of magazines and an equally large pile of custard creams.

Today, though, we live in a different climate and parents are much more concerned to find appropriately qualified, professional and capable babysitters.

Easier said than done.

You can bet that when a function arises, your babysitter will be busy.  If you're anything like me, you'll find the number of sitters available generally dwindles down to just the one.

There's a new answer to babysitter woes for those in the London area (and hopefully, later wider across the country) - Kidsitter.co.uk.

Founded by London Business School and Harvard alumni, KidSitter is a secure and curated online marketplace, with a mission to connect parents with trusted babysitters in London.

KidSitter uses a thorough 5-step vetting process to ensure they work with only the very best babysitters, most of who are nannies, childminders, nurses and teachers and, they say, only 1 in 10 will meet their criteria.

KidSitter babysitters are all DBS checked, paediatric first-aid certified, reference checked and interviewed in-person.

The in-person interview is worth its weight in gold to me.  There are a couple of other online babysitting services which operate much like a dating site.  You can create a free profile and input a 'job' and then wait for the responses to roll in.

But you then have to pay to respond to those messages (currently around £20 per month or £100 per year).

The vetting and interviewing are left to you which means that your chances of finding a babysitter at short notice are slim.

I have also found that the babysitters who use these other sites are not always amenable to meeting you and your kids either.

Often they are as young as 16 and their experience is solely looking after their younger siblings. Sometimes they don't even live in the same county as you!

Kidsitter launched in Islington in October 2015 and has now increased their service to the whole of London.

They can send you a trusted babysitter in as little as 2 hours at a very reasonable price of £12 per hour with no joining fees, booking fees or added extras.

They also offer a scheduled babysitter service so that if you have a regular exercise class or brunch date (I wish!), help is always on hand.

For mums like me whose partners work away most of the week and who have practically zero access to childcare, this could well give you some of your freedom back!

At the moment, I can't commit to a regular evening out because I never know where the Husband will be and, since my parents are elderly, I can't really ask them to sit late in the evenings.

With Kidsitter you can book as much as a month in advance to two hours before you need a sitter, if the booking is made between 9 AM and 6 PM, on all days of the week.

There is a three hour minimum for each booking but if your plans change full refunds are offered for cancellations made from the time of the booking until 24 hours before the sitter is due to arrive.

The other thing I like is that you don't pay the sitter directly.  Usually sorting out payment for our babysitter involves a dash to the cashpoint and, occasionally (don't tell them!), a riffle through the kids' money boxes (of course we put it back!).

At the time of booking, you will be asked to provide your credit or debit card details. 24 hours before the booking, KidSitter will charge your card for the amount of the booking. Once a sitter has completed her work successfully, KidSitter will pay them directly.

At the moment I have at least two upcoming events I need a babysitter for and I have a lot of vetting and interviewing I need to do urgently.

So if you need to find a babysitter in London, why not give Kidsitter a try and save yourself a lot of the extra stress of just having a night out?!

I really hope they come to Cardiff soon!

*collaborative post

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If We'd Had World Book Day In The 70's, I'd Be Taking These

Today is World Book Day which is now in its 19th year. World Book Day celebrates authors, illustrators, books and, a subject close to my heart, reading. In fact it has been designated a worldwide celebration of reading by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

World Book Day - Thursday 3rd March 2016

The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasure of reading by giving them the chance to have a book of their own. And to help with this, participating schools have been sent packs of book tokens and age-ranged World Book Day Resource Packs with lots of ideas, activities and display material.

When I learned to read, we had the old Janet & John books ("Look Janet, the dog has the ball" - it's ingrained now!) and fairy tales came in the form of the classic Ladybird books.

World Book Day has got me thinking about those books dear to my heart and that I'd want to talk about in school.

These are just some of them - and I've specifically listed the paperback versions because, much as I love my Kindle, it is never quite the same reading experience.

And I believe our kids have far too much 'screen time' as it is. On the other hand, of course, if you wanted to read these to your kids as a bed time story, many fabulous children's books are downloadable free of charge.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri - £6.99 at Amazon.co.uk

Young Heidi goes to live with her grandfather in his lonely hut high in the Swiss Alps and she quickly learns to love her life there. Her strict aunt decides to send her away, back to the town. Heidi can't bear being away from the mountains and is determined to return to her happy life with her grandfather.

Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley - £4.37 at Amazon.co.uk

These are stories of little country girl, Milly-Molly-Mandy who lives in a tiny village in the heart of the countryside. She is a busy little bee, whether earning money to give a party, minding the village shop, having a picnic or going sledging. Despite the stories being nearly 80 years old, they are still enjoyed today.

What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge - £6.99 at Amazon .co.uk

Katy Carr is a tomboy who dreams of being "beautiful and beloved, and amiable as an angel". Unfortunately Katy is untidy and always getting into mischief. When a terrible accident threatens her grand plans for the future, she needs all her courage and humour to see her through.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - £5.24 - Amazon.co.uk

Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle and everybody says she is the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. Pale, spoilt and quite contrary, Mary is also horribly lonely. One day she hears about a garden in the grounds of the Manor that has been kept locked and hidden for years. And when a friendly robin helps Mary find the key, she discovers the most magical Secret Garden.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell - £4.94 at Amazon.co.uk

This is one of the best selling books of all time, selling over 50 million copies. Although ostensibly about animal welfare, it is really an allegory about how to treat people with kindness, sympathy and respect. Narrated by the horse, Black Beauty, each chapter tells of an incident in Black Beauty's life and contains a lesson or moral.

The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton - £5.10 at Amazon.co.uk

Actually the second in The Faraway Tree series, this is about Joe, Beth and Frannie who find an enchanted wood on the doorstep of their new home. This is the start of many magical adventures with characters such as Moonface, Saucepan Man and Silky the fairy. Blyton is arguably the most famous children's author of all time and her stories still sell thousands of copies every year.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - £4.99 at Amazon.co.uk

The Wind in the Willows is a children's novel by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It is the story of kind, sleepy badger, brave and lively ratty and irresponsible Toad, together with the sinister weasels and stoats who capture Toad Hall when Mr Toad is in jail.  It is up to his friends to, as Ieuan (and Captain Adorable) would put it, save the day and save Toad Hall.

Incidentally, my mother used to say I drove my car like Mr Toad.  Hmmm.

Which children's classics would you add to this list?

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