Redundancy: An Employer's Weapon Against Pregnant Women And New Mothers?

Having spent over 15 years working for several law firms, it comes as no great surprise to read, according to a press release from Stockport and Manchester solicitors, Gorvin's, that "drastic action is needed to give new and expectant mothers more protection at work after another “shocking” and "damning" report reveals a huge increase in pregnancy discrimination over the last 10 years.

I have heard enough anecdotal evidence to know that this form of discrimination occurs more frequently than you might realise - and the Legal Sector itself is not exempt.

MP’s are calling for more “urgent action” after the latest Women and Equalities Committee report shows the true level of discrimination against women in the workplace.

The report, announced on the 31 August 2016, sheds light on further issues for women in the workplace following on from the gender pay gap issues already witnessed over the past few weeks.

Gorvin's employment lawyer Danielle Ayres, who specialises in pregnancy and maternity discrimination cases, suggests that “We need a German style system putting into place in the UK, which makes it harder to make women redundant during and after pregnancy.”

Currently in the UK, although it is wholly illegal to dismiss a woman for reasons relating to having children, a company can still choose and find other reasons to make her redundant.

In 2015 a further report highlighted that more than 54,000 new and expectant mothers had been forced to leave their jobs as a result of discrimination by their employers.

Danielle who regularly holds free employment law clinics for women experiencing issues at work says “over the past 6 months I have taken on cases from women who have returned to work to find their job is no more, or who have not been properly consulted throughout a redundancy process.

Probably more shocking is the number of women who receive notification of redundancy just before their return to work with no warning or explanation".

Further findings in the report also call for more protection for new and expectant mothers who are casual, agency or zero hours workers.

Although the right to statutory maternity leave and pay only applies to employees, the ERA 1996 does afford protection to a wider class of new and expectant mothers including these contracted workers and self-employed contractors.

Danielle who works closely with Joeli Brierley, owner and founder of pioneering group Pregnant then Screwed, has been campaigning with leading charities, maternity groups and the equality and human rights commission to afford a change to the current issues affecting this group of women.

Angela Rainer, shadow minister for women and equalities, said the report shows thousands of pregnant women are being “priced out of justice” because of tribunal fees introduced by government.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said it was a “confusing landscape” that meant “some bad bosses” were “getting away with treating their employees unfairly.”

“At such a crucial time in their lives when these women want to be enjoying time with their new baby, the last thing they need is to be affording a legal battle with their employer; something has to change and I believe this report is one step further in highlighting the abhorrent truth which still occurs in today’s modern society.”

Have you experienced this kind of discrimination?  Don't be afraid to take legal advice or talk to someone at your local citizens' advice bureau.

You can also search for a local law firm in your area and see if they offer free legal advice or employment clinics on Yell.com.

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The Back To School Guide For The Introvert Mum

Many of us will be facing the return to school of our little darlings with a mix of relief and sadness.

We have loved our time with them (mostly), but now that our house looks like it has been the scene of a 6 week long rave and there is nothing left to eat in the cupboards, apart, of course, from the chick peas you bought circa 2014, it is time to give them back to the ministrations of the local authority (the kids not the chick peas).

Sighs of relief all round.  There are even some marriages which are still intact.

But for some of us, it's not taking junior back to school tomorrow that's the worry, it's having to run the gauntlet of the school run mums.

I've written before about how isolating it can be if you are shy and don't mix well with people.  Bizarrely this can happen to those who have had jobs in professions which you might think are really sociable.  And social shyness can strike at any time and at any age.  A slight loss of confidence and then blam!  You have all the social skills of Donald Trump.  Sadly, some of us have the hair to go with it.

Why we get ourselves in such a state about two brief stints outside a school gate I'm not sure.  It may be because it brings back memories of when we were in school.   There is no doubt, however, that adult bullying goes on and, no matter, how many times you tell yourself that it is these sad individuals who have the problem, it does not take away the sting.

Sometimes though, we are our own worst enemy.  The Law of Attraction (I know, I know, weirdy, beardy shite, as the Husband calls it), says that what you give out, you get back and I'd say that is certainly true of social interaction. Someone has to make the first move and the sad thing is, very often nobody does.

Every played "hello" chess?  It goes like this.

Day 1

You see a mum.  You say hello.  She says hello back.

Day 2

You see the same mum.  You say hello.  She nods.

Day 3

You see the same mum.  You nod, she ignores you.

Day 4

You both ignore each other.

This tends to progress to being totally blanked when they drive by or ignored if they spot you in a supermarket.

We tend to assume, don't we, that if we are not acknowledged, it is all about us but we should remember that others have their own problems and, if you're anything like me, it's quite easy to become completely absorbed in a world of your own.

We also assume that others have Grade A social skills and have no trouble making friends themselves but that is quite likely to be untrue in many cases.

All you can do, I think, is decide on your own standard of behaviour and stick to that.  That way you can be sure that it's not you.

If you are being picked on or ostracized for whatever reason your choices are stark, but simple.

Either confront the bullies or ignore them.  A confronted bully, as we know from childhood experience, will often back down and then pick on someone else.  They crave power and attention and if they don't get it, they get bored.

Sometimes you just need to accept that, rather than being a rich pool of potential friendships, the school run cliques are often anything but and actually, when you think about it, in many cases the only thing you have in common is a child at the same school.

In any other walk of life this would not be enough to create a long-lasting supportive friendship so isn't it a bit irrational to pin such high hopes on other parents?

If you are dreading tomorrow, remember that you are a nice person. Be pleasant.  Say hello. Show an interest in what your fellow parents have done over the summer.

But if you are blanked or ignored, does it really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Better to concentrate your efforts on finding friends with whom you have something in common.  Join groups, take up a hobby, take an evening class if you can get the childcare.

If you still don't want to give up, then you have to be prepared to take a risk.  Ask one of the other mums for a coffee. There's bound to be someone just like you standing alone staring into space.

They probably feel just as lost as you do.

And there's a very good reason why socialising with other parents is important.  Isn't it gutting when you realise that all the children of the parents in the popular cliques get to play together and yours are never invited?

You owe it to your kids to brush up on your own social skills so that they can learn to make friends, to be the ones brave enough to take the first step and never to be the ones who make others feel unwelcome, or alone.

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New Releases, Free & Bargain Books Link-up 2 September 2016

How are you all this week?  It's September already and the kids are back to school on Monday.  I don't know whether to be happy or sad about that.  Each summer school holiday is a kind of milestone as they grow up a little more and a little further away from you.

If you're feeling a bit "emosh" as the teen's say, why not lose yourself in a book?  You'll need something to do in between watching the X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Victoria and, probably, I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, won't you?

I'll bet the judges are all reading their Kindles when the camera stops rolling.

As ever, there are some great books to choose from on this week's linky.

Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Life as Leels | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | All Romance Reader
Tuesday
It's My Side of Life | Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Cinnamon Hollow Reviews
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Nicki's Nook
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance | Mother Distracted | Colorimetry | The Ultimate Fan Blog
Saturday
Totally Addicted to Reading | 3 Partners in Shopping | Angie's Angle | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings
Sunday
Lynchburg Mama | LibriAmoriMiei | Ali - The Dragon Slayer | Wondermom Wannabe | Deal Sharing Aunt | Rambling Reviews 

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Click here for this weeks awesome selection!

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Wow. What An Insult.

If there's one word lately that's guaranteed to make my hackles rise (and it doesn't take much, as you know), it's people using the word "wow" to express incredulity, disagreement and wonderment at your (unstated) level of stupidity.

Beware keyboard warriors typing "wow"

It's become a linguistic shorthand for "you complete idiot, I have a pot plant with a higher IQ than you".

Are we really all so terrified about giving a contrary opinion that we have to hide behind "wow"?  It's worse than LOL which shouldn't, in my humble opinion, be used by anyone over 12, even though I do it all the time.

"Wow" makes you sound like a moody adolescent with an addiction to US sitcom box-sets.  "Wow-ers" can probably quote every single episode of Friends off by heart.

There's something really passive-aggressive about "wow", particularly on Facebook.  You can almost feel the sneer looming out of your PC screen whilst you know that, to your face, the "wow-er" would probably stutter, retract their statement or quickly justify the reason why they think you're a pillock.

"Wow-ing" is trolling-lite for the sanctimonious.  You see it all the time.  Someone will post a selfie of themselves in a new dress - "oh wow, you must really have lost some weight to fit in that".

Or, on the online parenting forums, any move away from the accepted parenting methods (usually from Chelsea and involving flowery wellies and a Joules raincoat, plus beards - lots of beards), will set the "wow-ing" off.

"I let little Sinjin miss his morning nap to take him to Junior Polo".  "Wow - I'd never be so cavalier with Paraphernalia's and Juxtaposition's naps. They'd just be Impossible".

Everyone's doing it but it's a shame we've lost the art of the good old fashioned insult lobed with wit and intelligence.

You think I'm talking rubbish?

Wow.  Just wow.

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Book review: Mindful Mama: Happy Baby - Calming Techniques For Both Of You

Becoming a new parent can, it goes without saying, be extremely stressful and wouldn't it be great to have a manual to hand which explains how to gain your inner calm back - and, better still, to pass that calmness onto your baby or toddler?

I've recently discovered a new book, "Mindful Mama: Happy Baby Over 60 calming techniques and creative activities for babies and toddlers by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriott" which would have been a great help to me when Caitlin and Ieuan were younger.

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby, published by Modern Books, RRP £12.99, 25th August 2016

I'm sure you have heard of the concept of mindfulness, which involves living in the present moment and directing your focus to whatever you are doing, thus removing your ability to worry and stress about things because it is impossible to do both at the same time.  Believe me I've tried!

There's no doubt in my mind that parents pass their stresses, and their stress related behaviour on to their kids and, despite some recent media reports claiming mindfulness is not as effective as it's claimed, my personal belief is that it is an extremely useful technique to use in all walks of life.

New parenthood tests not only our bodies but particularly our minds.  Nothing prepares you for the feelings you have when you become a parent and mindfulness is a great way of remaining calm and keeping a sense of perspective.

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby is a practical and accessible guide for new parents, designed to give you the skills to calmly navigate the early years of child rearing, from birth to three years of age.

The authors say that 'mindful parenting' makes time for meaningful interactions with your child, which have a profound effect on bonding during the crucial developmental stages.

Their techniques focus on the well-being of both parent and child, and help to bring peace and perspective to the emotional whirlwind of having a new baby.

The activities in the book are suitable for children (both boys and girls) from birth to 3 and each chapter contains activities for a specific age group.

The first chapter contains mindfulness meditations, visualisations and movement exercises to help you to adjust to your new role as a parent.

The activities in subsequent chapters are based on Montessori principles of learning through experience. As your baby grows into a toddler, the exercises change to allow their particular age group to fully explore the world around them and engage their senses in a fun and playful way.

The authors explain that playing with a child with awareness daily is the most mindful thing we can do as parents. It shows children we are available and passes on the self-acceptance that comes with engaging fully with an activity. As children reveal their personalities and unique ways of doing things so we learn from them, our relationships with them become richer

Both practical and inspiring, Mindful Mama: Happy Baby gives you and your child the building blocks for an enjoyable and mindful first few years.

The book contains:-

*Over 60 mindful activities and play ideas for bonding with your child

*Sensory games, songs, dances and outdoor activities to share

*Advice on nurturing, feeding, bathing, sleeping and carrying

*Meditative techniques to relax your mind and keep you calm

I really like this book and it would make a great gift for a new parent, as well as being a worthwhile investment for yourself. Dads may benefit equally from the exercises too!

Maja Pitamic is the author of I Can Do It, the successful Montessori activity book for ages three to five, as well as the co-author of I Can Make Music, Modern Art Adventures and 3D Art Adventures. Susannah Marriott is a freelance author and mother of three. Her books include Green Babycare, Natural Pregnancy, Pregnancy Herbal and The Pregnancy and Baby Book.

You can order Mindful Mama: Happy Baby (£12.99) from www.amazon.co.uk/Mindful-Mama-Techniques-Creative-Activities/dp/1906761833 or by telephoning the publisher, Modern Books, on 01256 302 692.

*A proof copy was received for the purpose of this review

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Get Ready For School With Nadiya's Lunch Box Hacks

With back to school just around the corner, BBC Good Food Show star, Nadiya Hussain, has shared her favourite lunchbox hacks.

Nadiya says:

"In between waking and dressing my three, lively children, preparing breakfast for the family, finishing emails and doing laundry, making up pack lunches in the morning is often a rather rushed job. I’m not a fan of filling their boxes, or their stomachs with junk food. I will not lie, there have been times where I have just given the kids the easiest option, a packet of crisps, a small bar of chocolate, a biscuit (or two) and I still do every now and again but these treats are saved for the weekend.

The reason being, I noticed when at home that the kids were like yoyos. After school they would slumped, tired and exhausted from the day on the sofa. As I would rush around preparing the dinner they had a quick sweet treat and would instantly become high as kites and excitable. This excitement would last for 30 minutes or so, and be quickly followed by a huge sugar crash. It then dawned on me that the same would be happening to them whilst at school and of course I didn’t want my food choices for them to affect their concentration and behaviour at school.

To save me time, I always have a few snacks ready in the fridge that I can to pop in, ensuring that they eat well whilst away from home. I also have some great suggestions for quick and easy bites that can be made in the morning.

Here is a list of a few of our favourites:

1. Hummus Celery Sticks – cut slices of celery sticks about 2 inches long. Fill the inside with hummus and wrap with cling film.

2. Summer fruit spring rolls – take a circle of rice paper and soak for a few seconds till soft. Squeeze off any excess water and place down. Add any fruit, the more colourful the better and warp like a spring roll. Wrap in tin foil for the perfect lunch box surprise.

3. It might sounds obvious but I sometimes pop in a hardboiled egg – I like to keep boiled eggs in the fridge during the week. They are quick, simple and nutritious and very easy to eat. Wrap in kitchen roll to ensure the kids have something to peel the shell on to.

4. Turkey ham wrapped cheese sticks – take a small stick of cheese and wrap around a slice of turkey ham! Simple and delicious

5. Apple and Peanut Rings – core and horizontally slice a green apple, spread the tops with smooth peanut butter and pop into a mini Tupperware box.

Nadiya Hussein

6. Mini omelettes – whisk up some eggs and add onion, cheese, chives and chopped peppers. Grease and pour the mix into a 12 muffin cupcake tin and bake in the oven until cooked. Once cooled these be stored for a week and my kids love them!"

These are really simple and look much better alternatives than biscuits when the kids come home from school starving.  You can find more lunchbox tips here.

Nadiya will be cooking live at the BBC Good Food Show London – Olympia 11-13 November and Birmingham – NEC 24-27 November. Tickets on sale now: https://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com

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The Bad Mother's 21 Point Guide To Knowing When To Send The Kids Back To School

1.  It says term starts on a day in September somewhere on a piece of paper that has been in the bottom of your bag since July.  You will obviously have to check this rumour with all the other mums via Facebook.

2. Vast swathes of Valencia filtered holiday photos featuring happy children in water parks have started to appear in your Instagram feed.  Each photo is accompanied by a minimum of 20 hastags #OhPants.

3. You have watched every single episode of Horrid Henry and Mr Bean and now wince when you hear the opening music.

4. You cannot face another kids' meal containing battered cod or chicken.

5.  You have resorted to making rude faces with the sweets that come with the kids' ice cream - in the kids' ice cream.

6.  The kids have actually just read a book voluntarily

7.  You've put on 10 pounds from snacking with the kids - elevenses, three'ses and that strange half hour before tea where you know you shouldn't feed them but CAN'T TAKE THE MOANING ANY MORE.

8.  Having failed to deliver on 90% of the promises you made before the holiday started (yes we will canter through white capped waves at dawn before frying our own breakfast on a camping stove), you cave in and agree to take them to the local cinema for the latest kiddy flick and a £15 bag of pick 'n' mix.

9.  You are happily referring to red wine as "mummy's special squash".

10.  The bottom of your handbag is a sticky morass of spilt brown sugar from coffee shop packets which have combined to create a caramel so strong you could stick yourself to the ceiling with it.

This makes finding the bit of paper with the term dates on even more tricky [see point 1]

11.  Rather than Mary Poppins, you now resemble a woman on the edge after 6 weeks of terrible PMS and the only thing that is cheering you up is the fact that you'll soon be able to spend more time with adults somewhere that doesn't have a ball pit or carry the risk of deafness simply by entering the building.

12.  Reading weepy posts from mothers missing their children before 9 am on the first day back is making you question whether you accidentally took someone else's children home from the hospital.

13.  Your book "30 minutes to a cleaner home" is now buried under a pile of school shoe boxes, crisp packets and guarded by Shopkins.

14.  Shopkins are everywhere.

15.  They are starting to look at you with their little evil eyes, particularly Linda Layercake which was apparently named after you.

16.  You develop an unholy terror of Claire's Accessories.

17.  Along with your terrible case of "Lego Foot".

18. You start to feel uncharacteristically wistful and even tearful at the thought of sending the kids back to school.

19.  Combined with an unearthly sense of jubilation that you have survived!

20.  You unearth your Ugg-alikes just to see the horror on our husband's face and you practise the 'mum bun' for the right degree of dishevelment.

21.  Weirdly,  you feel compelled to work out how many days until half term because, if you're honest, you don't mind the kids really, plus having them home is an excuse to eat crisps.

Celebrate your maternal feelings I say!  Have a great new term.

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Review: Wicked Uncle Toys - Devilishly Easy To Use

When I was young, shopping for toys involved perusing the shelves in your local department store throughout the year or, come Christmas, dragging your parents around the overheated, fake snow and glitter filled grottos for Santa.

It's the heat I remember mostly.  There was always a pensioner having a fit of the vapours parked precariously on a chair just outside whilst the staff fanned them with a towel.  Air conditioning was just a distant dream.

As my sister Sarah and I got older, our relatives just gave up trying to guess what we liked and gave us vouchers.  Now fond as I am of a voucher, it's just not the same as being given a present which tugs at the heart strings because it's just what you wanted and it's right for your age.

Today, more than ever, matching the toy to the child's age requires a mathematical equation not dissimilar to getting the Hadron Particle Collider to work which is probably easier sometimes than finding a child's gift what will keep them entertained for more than 2 minutes.

So I was intrigued when the devilishly named Wicked Uncle wrote to me and suggested a solution. They have a website filled with an amazing mix of gifts for children of all ages, sorted by age, category or gender.

This is not only useful for buying presents for your own and other kids in the family but a very useful solution to that bane of parents' term-time lives - deciding what gift to give at a children's party, what budget is right (without being considered mean) and whether that gift is suitable for their age.

I frequently ask Caitlin and Ieuan "but what does so-and-so like?" to be greeted either by a shrug of the shoulders or 'Shopkins' (the modern day equivalent of the Tribble from Star Trek).

Wicked Uncle kindly gave us a budget of £40 to road-test their site and so Caitlin and Ieuan were given £20 to choose their own gift.

There was, in fact, so much choice that Ieuan was quite overwhelmed with it all and I had to choose for him.

The website is really simple to use -

Simply select the relevant criteria for the child you're buying for to be taking to an appropriate selection of gifts.

Then choose the category of gift you think they might like.  I particularly liked that the girls' gifts included as many science / maths / experiment gifts as the boys'.  Whilst there are enough 'traditionally girly' gifts to delight your average pony / kitten/ pink loving girl, there are equally plenty of gifts to stimulate their minds and help with the school curriculum.

Caitlin chose Shadow, a Lavish Lanky Cat  (£12.95) which is a gorgeously soft, floppy toy cat with baleful green eyes.

She also chose the My Very Own Fairy & Unicorn Torch & Projector (£6.95).

The latter is a fun torch that projects images of fairies and unicorns around your room. It has 24 colour images to project on to your walls and ceilings including fairies, unicorns and their magical homes.

The images project up to one metre wide and come on three slide discs you simply slot in. You can also use it as a normal torch without the slides in place and is useful for keeping on bedside tables to give comfort to children during the night.

I chose for Ieuan and got him the Night Goggles Spy Gear (£19.95).  These have tinted blue lenses to enhance night vision and a switch on full mode which gives directional beams of bright LED light, leaving both hands free to explore.

You can also flip out the scope with it's 2x magnifying lens to spot targets from greater distances.

Needless to say we have had to promise to take him to the woods at dusk so he can scare the living daylights out of any dog walker out for a pleasant evening stroll.

Our gifts arrived really quickly (within 48 hours) of ordering and were securely packaged.  There is even a rather cute postcard included in the box addressed to the gift-giver.

And, as for the acid test, both kids are still playing with their toys 3 days later and Ieuan has not managed to break his Night Goggles yet.



I was impressed by Wicked Uncle and I think their site will be a godsend this Christmas for choosing presents for kids which will pique their imagination without emptying your purse.

You can find out more at www.wickeduncle.co.uk.

*We were given £40 to spend at Wicked Uncle for the purposes of this review.

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Review: Necta Perfecta Beautifying Mask By Bee Good

When I was much younger, we used to holiday in Dolgellau, mid Wales and the gift shops used to be full of gorgeous smelling creams and lotions made from local honey.  I can still smell that wonderful warm and comforting honeyed scent now.

Fast forward a few (cough) years and I haven't managed to find anything that captured the same home-grown, organic, good for you, honey-scented luxury cosmetic feel until now.

In fact, I discovered Bee Good's Necta Perfecta via a review by one of my favourite bloggers, Rachel Montague-Ebbs (LadyM) and Bee Good were kind enough to send me a sample to try for myself.

Necta Perfecta is a 4-in-1 face and body enzyme mask which you can use

- as a weekly scalp treatment to promote overall hair and scalp hydration

- as a facial complexion booster to refine, hydrate and visibly improve skin suppleness whilst actively targeting the signs of ageing

- as a hand rescue remedy to moisturise and restore vitality to hands and cuticles

- as an SOS mask for sore, dry or challenged skin on areas such as elbows, knees and feet to soften and gently remove dead skin cells.

It's made by awarding winning company Bee Good who launched their range in 2013 inspired by Simon, their expert beekeeper.  They are encouraging everyone to plant a meadow, even if it's a few bee friendly flowers - and my package contained a bee-mix seedball containing seeeds of Birdsfoot Trefoil, Red Clover, Wild Marjoram and Echium.

There was also a little package of very cute bee chocolates which did indeed taste of honey.

Necta Perfecta contains:-

* natural alpha hydroxyl acids from 5 fruit enzymes
* wheatgerm oil, rich in Vitamin E
* a blend of British honey and beeswax with three natural waxes, jojoba, mimosa and sunflower
* British Propolis and the wonder ingredient Bisabolol which is naturally found in Chamomile

I tried the product as a facial mask and left it on for 20 minutes.  I was expecting it to smell divine (it does) and to soften my skin (certainly does), but I was surprised to find that it left my skin firmer, clearer and had removed the dry skin from the two annoying small patches that have been troubling me around my mouth.

This is one of those products which, though luxurious, is the kind of go-to you can rely on when all else fails. I am rubbish at sticking to a consistent skincare routine (I have two kids, did I mention that?) but it's good to know that there are products you can turn to that will work.

I also love that Bee Good has a great ethos without being preachy and it's British - the beeswax, propolis and honey used in all their products comes from British bees.

I'll certainly be trying Necta Perfecta on my feet and hands and I may even try it on my scalp.  Lots of the 'performance' shampoos seem to be incredibly drying.

Plus,  I'll be doing my bit for the bees. Bee Good actively supports our British bees with charitable donations and by a support programme which includes the education of young beekeepers, supporting apprentice bee farmers and the planting of wildflower meadows across the UK.

Find out more at www.beegood.co.uk

*A PR sample for received for the purpose of this post.

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Be Good To Yourself With Begu Teas & A Giveaway Worth £125

I don't know about you but having had the kids at home for the last six weeks has seen a corresponding increase in my weight.  It's so difficult to resist joining in with snacking and so easy to say yes to that restaurant dessert or the extra glass of wine (or two!).

I also find that my exercise decreases dramatically since we usually walk back and forth to school so, come September, I'm usually feeling in need of some sort of healthy eating and exercise plan.

You may have noticed that teas are gaining in popularity as a way of supplementing your weight loss / dietary programme and they are arguably better for you than the other popular option of juice diets since they don't contain loads of sugar and are kinder to your teeth.

I was recently sent a selection of teas from Begu Tea to try.  Begu Teas are a range of speciality teas designed to help you with your weight loss and healthy lifestyle goals.

There are currently six teas in the range, each formulated with carefully selected ingredients from around the World and blended by Begu's master blender.

The herbs contained in the individual teas have been used traditionally throughout centuries for their varied health and lifestyle promoting benefits and each of the 6 teas has a specific target to help you achieve your goals at specific times of the day in a completely natural way.

There is:-

Appetite - £24.99 for 28 bags

Appetite is full of herbal fillers and appetite suppressants to keep your portion size down. It contains Chinese Green Tea, Cinnamon, Fennel, Liquorice, Peppermint, Hawthorn Leaves, Psyllium seeds and apple pieces.

Crave - £24.99 for 28 bags

Crave is a blend designed to kill those pesky cravings that hit through the day (mine are usually for biscuits!).  It's a sweet blend and is strangely filling.  It contains Sri Lankan black tea, Cinnamon, Coconut, Fenugreek, Yerba Mate, Caraway, Gymnema, Stevia and Sunflower and Calendula petals.

Calm - £24.99 for 28 bags

Calm is designed to bring you inner calm and help you to resist those urges to binge.  This blend contains Rooibos, Peppermint, Chamomile, Gotu Kola, Lemon Balm, Lime Flowers, Passionflower and Calendula petals.

Morning Buzz - £19.99 for 28 bags

This blend is formulated to get your mind and body going in the morning so that you make the best choices to support your body and cut calories.  It contains Chinese Green Tea, Yerba Mate, Ginger, Siberian Ginseng, Lemongrass, Gingko Biloba and Lemon Peel.

nightea night - £19.99 for 28 bags

Nightea night is caffeine free and designed to help you get a restful night's sleep so that your body can repair itself.  This blend contains Cinnamon, Ginger, Hibiscus, Apple pieces, Rosehip, Hawthorn leaves, Orange peel, Cardamom, Valerian root and Hops.

System Cleanse - £10.99 for 14 bags

This is a naturally purifying blend which contains a natural laxative - ideal for those who have a low fibre diet. The blend contains Rooibos, Senna leaves, Dandelion leaves, Hawthorn leaves, Psyllium seeds, Lavender and Vanilla pieces.

Packaged in resealeable packs of 28 teabags, with the exception of the System Cleanse which has 14 bags, these are high quality, beautifully packaged teas which make tea-toxing a lot more glamorous than the days of those fruity herbal teas which could fill an entire office block floor with the smell of blackcurrant.

I am a big tea drinker and it was no hardship at all to substitute a Begu teabag for one of my normal tea bags (Yorkshire Tea or Glengettie, I love a strong brew).

Although the Begu teas aren't cheap, there are a variety of subscription offers available so that you can defray the cost if you buy more than one type at a time (up to 40%).  There is also 20% off your first order - details here.

You'll also find lots of helpful diet and nutrition tips.  My teas came with a selection of fact sheets which contained all sorts of useful advice - for example a structure for a healthy day's eating and exercise (there's also a fitness section on the website which contains a selection of basic exercise videos that show you exactly how they should be done.   I now know what a burpee is!)

There's a guide to identifying the triggers that make you eat (anger, boredom) and ways to manage your appetite (plan your dessert in advance, only serve what you intend to eat).

In fact, Begu teas are designed to be part of a more conscious approach to health, fitness and nutrition and on that basis I can see that their programme would be quite effective if followed diligently.

I personally enjoyed all the teas and will be continuing with the programme over the next few weeks to get my eating and exercise back on an even keel.

If you would like to give their system a try I have a giveaway of one pack of each type of the 6 Begu teabags worth over £125 in total for one lucky winner.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget and the giveaway is open to UK entrants only.  Full terms and conditions can be found on my Competitions Page.  The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 16th September.



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Good luck!

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Working From Home During School Holidays

We're nearly at the end of the school holidays and it's been a bit of a moveable feast.  We had a great holiday, although we only went away for a week and the kids have been taken out and about most days, but it’s been tough juggling the needs of the blog with childcare.

Just the phrase 'childcare' makes it sound as if the kids are someone else's responsibility rather than my own little, um, treasures and there's the problem.

Men, to generalise, seem to be able to compartmentalise the various bits of their lives whilst we women find it a lot harder. This may be, of course, because we are juggling more of the housework, the shopping, the cleaning and the myriad of other chores that crop up and have to be dealt with on the spot, even though the Husband will declare them to be hardly a matter of life and death and things which could be dealt with later.

Mat often says that I spend far longer at my PC than he does and that I am rubbish at switching off.  I suspect most bloggers are the same.  I have had a couple of people ask me lately how to go about setting up a blog and it's only when you stop to think about how you do this that you realise how much work is involved and how many skills a blogger needs to develop - writing, social media promotion, coding, photography, design, marketing, budgeting.

But it is really hard to justify to yourself why you are writing a piece for your blog or scheduling some social media posts whilst the kids are kicking around bored or slumped on the sofa with their iPads.

I do explain to them that, for us, blogging defrays some of the household costs and gives us the odd treat but even so it's hard to escape the feeling that sometimes we bloggers are 'pimping our children out'.  Some kids have their lives more instagrammed than Kim Kardashian's.

These are my 5 biggest challenges when the kids are home:-

The Kids

Obviously.  With my two it's usually peace and love or all out war and it can change between the two in minutes.  If they're not fighting each other, they're ganging up on me and have got negotiation skills which, frankly, the Met should be making use of in hostage situations.  Currently, their favourite thing is to sit in separate rooms playing Minecraft in a shared world and bellowing at each other if one dares to destroy the other's building.

Bored of Coco Pops The Kids Took Matters Into Their Own Hands

They like to appear like spectres in the early morning demanding 'urgent software updates' and breakfast. Have they slept in at all this holiday?  Don't be silly.  Combine this with late bedtimes, shouting at each other across the corridor from their bedrooms about Minecraft designs and I predict a massive slump to coincide with the first week of school.

Food

I am rubbish at meal planning at the best of times, whereas the Husband will happily knock up something tasty from whatever is festering in the fridge in about 20 minutes flat.  Not for nothing does he call me "The Queen of the Reheat".  I do mean to come up with exciting meals but frequently it's the usual fall-backs of fish fingers or pizza.  No excuse I know but despite having a wall of cookery books, cooking from most of them involves a supermarket trip and at least a small basket of ingredients I'll probably use once and then find them again 2 years later when I get round to tidying up the food cupboards. Asking myself "what would Mary Berry do?" doesn't help.

Cleaning

It doesn't matter how many times I vacuum, two minutes later it needs doing again.  Kids rarely put things in the bin unless reminded so I am always picking up yoghurt lids, plastic wrapping and wiping sticky fingers off bathroom mirrors and windows.  I can't concentrate on writing if the dishwasher's full or I have a batch of laundry to hang out.  I could happily spend hours picking fluff off carpets.

Social Media

If there is one thing that can suck you into a vortex where time ceases to exist, it's social media.  I've read all the advice about only answering email twice a day, turning your notifications off, writing your blog post first thing, getting up earlier to write before the family get up..... and so on .....  but I can't quite resist the lure of the instant message nor the suspicion that something exciting surely must have happened in Dinas Powys that I have to read about.

Health

I say health, actually health anxiety is closer to the mark.  I'm usually obsessing about my teeth, my glasses, my hearing, my tinnitus - and on the back of that all the things I'm supposed not to be doing to keep my health on an even keel. The daily glass of wine is probably one of the things that should go but when the kids are off, the chances of that going are zero.

I keep reading about bloggers who dutifully say they don't switch on their PC until the kids are in bed and then blog from 9 pm until the small hours but I would be totally knackered if I did that.

If they do, then they have my heartfelt admiration but I suspect they are an urban myth and like many of us have got into the terrible habit of parenting with one eye on a smartphone and one hand on a keyboard.

Let's not talk about the mum guilt.  It never goes away does it? I am earning money for the family and using some of the skills I worked so hard and for so long to acquire.  Hopefully I'm also teaching them that there are always ways to contribute, even if you aren't in formal employment.

I know that working from home and looking after the kids is a privilege but I think I am going to have to come up with a better routine when the next holiday comes around or I'll be blogging about my kids childhood rather than participating in it.

And that's a price no blog is worth.

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New Releases, Free & Bargain Books Link-up 26 August 2016

How are you all this week?  I can't believe our holiday has come and gone already and we're on the downward slope to "back to school".

It's been a great reminder that we all need to make more of an effort to switch off and put the iPads down occasionally!  We've even managed to get Ieuan to read some books for the local library's summer reading challenge.  Caitlin is already an avid reader.

I hope you've managed to carve out some 'me time' for a bit of R & R (relaxation and reading of course).

As ever, there are some great books to choose from on this week's linky.

Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Life as Leels | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | All Romance Reader
Tuesday
It's My Side of Life | Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures 
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | Cinnamon Hollow Reviews
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Nicki's Nook
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance | Mother Distracted | Colorimetry | The Ultimate Fan Blog
Saturday
Totally Addicted to Reading | 3 Partners in Shopping | Angie's Angle | I Create Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings
Sunday
Lynchburg Mama | LibriAmoriMiei | Ali - The Dragon Slayer | Wondermom Wannabe | Deal Sharing Aunt | Rambling Reviews 

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Click here for this weeks awesome selection!

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Summer Bank Holiday Fun On A Budget With Ideal World

There's something equally poignant and special about the last bank holiday before autumn sets in.  

It's our last chance to pull out all the stops and ignore the fact that it has been raining for weeks, the Husband's locked himself in the shed and the kids have been rendered mute by iPads.

Many of us have blown our budget on days out around the UK, not to mention the fact that our offspring have eaten us out of house and home.  We are still trying to dig our way out of a crisp packet mountain having naively thought it was actually possible to win a holiday on that Walkers' Spell & Go promotion.

So, are there ways you can have fun cheaply without forking out another £100+ on a theme park family ticket for the privilege of inspecting the motorway tarmac as you roast in a traffic jam and then spend 2 hours queuing for a ride which lasts less than 5 minutes?

Well, possibly - but it might involve a bit of fibbing and a lot of "well that's what we used to do in the good old days".

Nothing like a good old fashioned game of  "hunt for the rusty bicycle"

If you're all out of bribery tactics and wine o'clock is now commencing when the sun is over the yard arm anywhere in the world,  here's some budget friendly suggestions for the last 'blow out' of summer.

*  plan ahead - you can save money by booking attraction tickets online in advance and there may be some last minute hotel bargains to be had from sites like lastminute.com.

* save on train fares by investing in a Family & Friends Rail Card which gives you 1/3 off fares and 60% off the kids' fares 

Thankfully the kids haven't noticed that the sea is approximately 5 miles away

* check for offers on your loyalty cards, such as Tesco Clubcard and dining cards like Tastecard which for a small annual fee gives you up to 50% off in over 7000 restaurants across the UK, plus a range of other attractions and cinemas.

*If the weather's fine, just pack a picnic and a football and head off to your local nature reserve or the beach (but be prepared for queues as usual).  Don't forget the suncream

*Of course there's the standby of the Great British Barbecue, even if it's raining!  

*Or what about a movie afternoon with popcorn for the kids and something made out of grapes for mum?  

* If it's raining, a family boardgame challenge will pass a couple of hours - the old favourites are best - Monopoly, Cluedo or how about Kerplunk or Mousetrap?  

If all else fails and the kids strop off to their bedrooms with their gadgets, you could always catch up with a bit on online shopping and snap up some of the bargains to be had.  

Why not join the fun with Ideal World (Sky 654, Freeview 22, Virgin 747, Freesat 812 and at www.idealworld.tv) who are giving free postage and packing on everything until 9 pm on Monday 29th August.  

They'll be running lots of fun competitions throughout the bank holiday weekend with some fabulous prizes on offer.

No queues, no public transport, no stroppy kids.  

Actually that sounds like quite a fun bank holiday to me......

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Beck Valley Book Tour: The Goodbye Year by Kaira Rouda

Melanie, a perfectionist mom who views the approaching end of parenting as a type of death, can’t believe she has only one more year to live vicariously through her slacker senior son, Dane. Gorgeous mom Sarah has just begun to realize that her only daughter, Ashley, has been serving as a stand-in for her traveling husband, and the thought of her daughter leaving for college is cracking the carefully cultivated façade of her life. Will and his wife are fine—as long as he follows the instructions on the family calendar and is sure to keep secret his whole other life with Lauren, the woman he turns to for fun (and who also happens to have a daughter in the senior class).

Told from the points of view of both the parents and the kids, The Goodbye Year explores high school peer pressure, what it’s like for young people to face the unknown of life after high school, and how a transition that should be the beginning of a couple’s second act together—empty nesting—might possibly be the end.

Available to buy from....

Kindle    Amazon Print   Barnes and Noble   iBooks   Kobo   Google Play

“Rouda deftly examines the difficult transition parents and their children face as they prepare for the end of one life and the beginning of another. Her latest is a compelling story and a thoughtful examination of the nature of change and the importance of working to accept it.” ―Booklist 

 “The Goodbye Year is an often hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, always engaging look at the last year before high school seniors leave their families for good. I devoured it!” -Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions, So Far Away, and The Arrivals 

 "The family dramas and dynamics are things that we can all relate to..." -Redbook magazine, "20 Best Books to Read Come Spring" 

 "Kaira Rouda channels Peyton Place meets The Real Housewives of Orange County with her newest book, The Goodbye Year.” ―Working Mother magazine

My Review

Many of us Brits don't really 'get' the US school culture - all that focus on sporting prowess and sophomore cliques but Rouda's tale of families embracing the challenges of the last school year before college is gripping for all that.  

The Goodbye Year is a story about 5 families and how the adults and kids deal with the pressures put on all of them to 'achieve' and to be a storybook family.  Everything, however, is far from picture perfect for, whilst the mums are falling apart trying to maintain the "real housewife" illusion in an affluent beach community, the fathers are behaving in ways which are far from perfect.  

Rouda addresses the very real "empty-nest syndrome" and how it can leave some parents struggling to find an identity beyond someone's mum or dad.  Despite the fact my kids are only 8 and 7, I found myself feeling rather wistful at the thought of them leaving home - although they have both informed me they aren't going anywhere until they're at least 30.

As always, secrets and lies are revealed with consequences that catch the reader unawares and shatter the whole 'happy family' illusion completely.

It's cleverly done and I really enjoyed "The Goodbye Year".  Highly recommended.

About the Author

Kaira Rouda is a USA Today bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary women's fiction and sexy modern romance novels that sparkle with humor and heart.

Her women's fiction titles include THE GOODBYE YEAR, HERE, HOME, HOPE, ALL THE DIFFERENCE and IN THE MIRROR. Her bestselling short story is titled, A MOTHER'S DAY. Her sexy contemporary romance series include the LAGUNA BEACH Series, the INDIGO ISLAND Series with a new MALIBU Series launching in 2016.

Her nonfiction titles, REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, and REAL YOU FOR AUTHORS: 8 Essentials for Women Writers (available for free download on her website) continue to inspire.

Kaira's work has won numerous awards including the Indie Excellence Award, USA Book Awards, the Reader's Choice Awards and honorable mention in the Writer's Digest International Book Awards. She lives in Southern California with her husband and four almost-grown kids, and is at work on her next novel.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads   Amazon Author Page

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

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A New Lower Cost Fertility Technique To Rival IVF?

A new fertility technique has been proven to improve pregnancy rates at a much lower cost than IVF and with fewer hormone drugs.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia in collaboration with the University of New South Wales in Sydney and UZ Brussel at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium (UVB) have developed a new method of in-vitro maturation (IVM) that uses growth factors to increase success rates.

Co-developer Jeremy Thompson said the new IVM cycle would be cheaper and safer than other popular methods such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) with a stronger success rate than current IVM models.

He said the improved method posed fewer side effects and would reduce treatment timelines.

Professor Thompson said.“In a normal IVF cycle it is necessary to enable a number of mature eggs that are collected at one surgical operation. IVM is a technique where we still have to recover the eggs but we can do it faster and with a lot less hormones - only about 10 per cent of the hormones that are used in a normal IVF cycle.

“In a normal IVF cycle, dependent on where you are in the world, the drugs cost about a third to half of the cost of the IVF cycle.”

Follicle stimulating hormones used in standard IVF cycles have been known to cause significant discomfort and can be harmful to women with a high sensitivity to them. This is often the case for women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Professor Thompson said the ability to harvest the eggs at an earlier stage allowed for a shorter time period before a patient was involved.

“This (new technique) results in a 50 per cent improvement in embryo yield compared to the standard IVM,” Prof Thompson said.

“It’s a significant improvement and it is very hard to make more and better quality embryo’s under any scenario.”

Professor Thompson said the method would also be highly beneficial for fertility preservation in cancer patients.

“Because IVM treatment requires virtually no hormones and is a far less truncated treatment, it is ideal to use with young women and girls that require their eggs to be harvested prior to chemotherapy or radiation treatment,” he said.

Professor Thompson said clinical trials for the enhanced IVM treatment were still being planned and would begin within the next few years.

Source: The Lead, South Australia

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