 |
| My Mum, Kay and I About 50 Years Ago |
Sunday, 6 March 2016
Friday, 4 March 2016
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
Thursday, 3 March 2016
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Incidentally, my mother used to say I drove my car like Mr Toad. Hmmm.
Which children's classics would you add to this list?
Which children's classics would you add to this list?
Wednesday, 2 March 2016
5 Beauty Hacks For Glasses Wearers
You’ve probably seen the videos. YouTube is awash with so-called Beauty Gurus who claim to be able to solve your every facial “fault” with makeup.
But recently a new trend has emerged.
Many major beauty writers, bloggers, and makeup artists have begun discussing makeup techniques relating specifically to glasses wearers.
If you wear glasses yourself, you probably don’t have to ask why. Glasses can smudge mascara, move foundation on the bridge of the nose, hide beautiful eyeshadow and more.
Glasses can be a beautiful, eye catching accessory but it’s easy to see how they can become frustrating.
If you love your glasses but hate what they do to your makeup, I have a few quick hacks to try.
1) Setting Spray
Many people have a bit of extra redness around the nose area and choose to cover it with foundation or concealer. This can become a problem when glasses leave streaks or marks in all your hard work.
It’s common knowledge to apply powder over problem areas in the hope that it will fix the makeup in place. Sadly, this heavy powder can become cakey and look ageing.
Why not try a setting spray instead?
Not only do setting sprays fix your makeup in place, but they do so without adding another layer of makeup.
The effect of the vast majority of setting sprays is completely invisible, and they’re a great way to freshen up on the go.
2) Waterproof Mascara
This is perhaps the most obvious solution. If we wear glasses or contact lenses, our eyes can sometimes become irritated. As a result, it’s natural for them to water occasionally but this can have disastrous results for our makeup.
Investing in a waterproof mascara and eyeliner can be a lifesaver.
Many women also find that emphasising the upper lashline is enough to make their eyes stand out.
Products added to the lower lashline are more likely to run and smudge. Add a feline flick on the upper lashline instead, or a few individual lashes for a special occasion.
3) Fix Your Eyebrows
Make sure that your eyebrows are well-groomed and suit your face.
This is particularly important for glasses wearers. Glasses draw more attention to our eyes in some ways but can also swamp them in others.
Polished, flattering brows will frame the face and make sure our eyes remain a feature.
4) Eye Health
Okay, so this isn’t strictly a makeup hack but it does still affect your makeup.
Chances are, if you can read this article you’re not struggling too much with your eye health. But don’t get complacent.
Make sure to get regular check ups and invest in eye drops if your eyes feel dry and irritated. Makeup will sit better on eyes that are fresh and healthy.
5.) Bright lips
If you feel your glasses already draw enough attention to your eyes, why not balance it with a brighter lip?
Not only will you feel more polished and confident, but it can be a great way to step into Spring.
But recently a new trend has emerged.
Many major beauty writers, bloggers, and makeup artists have begun discussing makeup techniques relating specifically to glasses wearers.
If you wear glasses yourself, you probably don’t have to ask why. Glasses can smudge mascara, move foundation on the bridge of the nose, hide beautiful eyeshadow and more.
 |
| Image Credit |
Glasses can be a beautiful, eye catching accessory but it’s easy to see how they can become frustrating.
If you love your glasses but hate what they do to your makeup, I have a few quick hacks to try.
1) Setting Spray
Many people have a bit of extra redness around the nose area and choose to cover it with foundation or concealer. This can become a problem when glasses leave streaks or marks in all your hard work.
It’s common knowledge to apply powder over problem areas in the hope that it will fix the makeup in place. Sadly, this heavy powder can become cakey and look ageing.
Why not try a setting spray instead?
Not only do setting sprays fix your makeup in place, but they do so without adding another layer of makeup.
The effect of the vast majority of setting sprays is completely invisible, and they’re a great way to freshen up on the go.
2) Waterproof Mascara
This is perhaps the most obvious solution. If we wear glasses or contact lenses, our eyes can sometimes become irritated. As a result, it’s natural for them to water occasionally but this can have disastrous results for our makeup.
Investing in a waterproof mascara and eyeliner can be a lifesaver.
Many women also find that emphasising the upper lashline is enough to make their eyes stand out.
Products added to the lower lashline are more likely to run and smudge. Add a feline flick on the upper lashline instead, or a few individual lashes for a special occasion.
3) Fix Your Eyebrows
Make sure that your eyebrows are well-groomed and suit your face.
This is particularly important for glasses wearers. Glasses draw more attention to our eyes in some ways but can also swamp them in others.
Polished, flattering brows will frame the face and make sure our eyes remain a feature.
4) Eye Health
Okay, so this isn’t strictly a makeup hack but it does still affect your makeup.
Chances are, if you can read this article you’re not struggling too much with your eye health. But don’t get complacent.
Make sure to get regular check ups and invest in eye drops if your eyes feel dry and irritated. Makeup will sit better on eyes that are fresh and healthy.
 |
| Image Source |
5.) Bright lips
If you feel your glasses already draw enough attention to your eyes, why not balance it with a brighter lip?
Not only will you feel more polished and confident, but it can be a great way to step into Spring.
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Why Is It Cooler To Learn Coding Than Poetry Writing?
Now this might be a very obvious question and, since the Husband makes a living from computer coding, I'm probably on a sticky wicket flying the flag for poetry.
But whilst I understand that we are an economy reliant to a huge degree on technology and scientific advancement, it's a bit of a shame that we can't muster up a little more enthusiasm for the verbal artistry required to write a good poem.
Particularly on St. David's Day as I sit with the daffodils being blown about in the wind and rain here in Dinas Powys, I find myself thinking of the great Welsh poet and writer, Dylan Thomas (I named my daughter after his wife, Caitlin) and his well loved play for voices "Under Milk Wood".
"To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea".
His love of language shines through every thing he writes and to me "Under Milk Wood" is closer to a poem even though it is technically a play. Thomas truly paints pictures with words.
Poetry connects us to our feelings in ways that prose does not. You could argue that poetry is form of coding which talks straight to our hearts and accesses reservoirs of feeling never quite touched by other forms of fiction.
Poetry is a more challenging form of literature-writing because you have to condense your thoughts and feelings in to images which speak large to your readers. Not only this, but the construction and rhythm of your poem adds to the meaning.
Poetry is meant to be read out loud.
In the same way that, to me, a true appreciation of a Shakespeare play can only be achieved when the text is performed, or at the very least read aloud.
How can you not love this?
"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son".
(If, by Rudyard Kipling)
or
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
(Daffodils by William Wordsworth)
or
Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question….
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.
(The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot)
Before we had the written word, we had songs and sagas. Ancient themes of love, loss, survival - the keystones of the human experience, are all captured in poems across the ages.
I hope that we continue to teach poetry in our schools and to give it as much importance in the curriculum as no doubt coding and all things IT will come to have.
My old secondary school loans all its pupils iPads, whilst I remember English lessons on sunny afternoons watching the motes of chalk dust swirl in the light as we took turns to read poems and stories out loud.
Our challenge, as I see it, is to preserve our literary past whilst embracing the technological future.
Growing youngsters often struggle with their feelings and literature can provide a safe, enjoyable safety valve.
Good poetry is almost a form of hypnosis. You could argue the same about playing games on an iPad.
But whereas one is often soulless, the other can sometimes connect you to your soul.
 |
| Dylan Thomas - The Great Welsh Poet & Writer |
Particularly on St. David's Day as I sit with the daffodils being blown about in the wind and rain here in Dinas Powys, I find myself thinking of the great Welsh poet and writer, Dylan Thomas (I named my daughter after his wife, Caitlin) and his well loved play for voices "Under Milk Wood".
"To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea".
His love of language shines through every thing he writes and to me "Under Milk Wood" is closer to a poem even though it is technically a play. Thomas truly paints pictures with words.
Poetry connects us to our feelings in ways that prose does not. You could argue that poetry is form of coding which talks straight to our hearts and accesses reservoirs of feeling never quite touched by other forms of fiction.
Poetry is a more challenging form of literature-writing because you have to condense your thoughts and feelings in to images which speak large to your readers. Not only this, but the construction and rhythm of your poem adds to the meaning.
Poetry is meant to be read out loud.
In the same way that, to me, a true appreciation of a Shakespeare play can only be achieved when the text is performed, or at the very least read aloud.
How can you not love this?
"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son".
(If, by Rudyard Kipling)
or
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
(Daffodils by William Wordsworth)
or
Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question….
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”
Let us go and make our visit.
(The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot)
Before we had the written word, we had songs and sagas. Ancient themes of love, loss, survival - the keystones of the human experience, are all captured in poems across the ages.
I hope that we continue to teach poetry in our schools and to give it as much importance in the curriculum as no doubt coding and all things IT will come to have.
My old secondary school loans all its pupils iPads, whilst I remember English lessons on sunny afternoons watching the motes of chalk dust swirl in the light as we took turns to read poems and stories out loud.
Our challenge, as I see it, is to preserve our literary past whilst embracing the technological future.
Growing youngsters often struggle with their feelings and literature can provide a safe, enjoyable safety valve.
Good poetry is almost a form of hypnosis. You could argue the same about playing games on an iPad.
But whereas one is often soulless, the other can sometimes connect you to your soul.
Easter Extravaganza Giveaway - £200 Amazon Vouchers / Paypal Cash
.
So who's helped put together this wonderful prize?
Emmy's Mummy | Hubby Helps | Missing Sleep |Mummy's Little Monkey | Bump And Beyond | Cosmic Kick | Julie's Notebook | Serenity You | All The Beautiful Things | Mother Distracted | Testing Time Blog | Wishful Wonderings | A Working Mum's Blog | Lucy's Mad House | Spanish Mummy | Hex Mum
Being Tilly's Mummy | Chilling With Lucas | Alice-Megan | Rambling Through Parenthood | Angel Eden Blog | The Not So Secret Diary of a Wannabe Princess | Petit Moi - Big World | Precious Little Worlds | Dizzy Miss James | Ickle Pickle's Life and Travels | Cookies and Cwtches | Sally Akins | Odd Socks and Lollipops | Life in a Break Down | UK Bloggers
To enter all you need to do is answer the following question in the comments below: What is the best thing about Easter?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Please note that all entry options other than the question are optional, however it would be lovely if you could take a few minutes and support some of the bloggers who have helped make this giveaway possible.
Good Luck!
So what is it you can win?
Would you believe it one lucky winner will be walking away with a fantastic £200 worth of Amazon vouchers, while one runner up will get £20, to spend on whatever they want - though chocolate seems like a good idea at this time of year. (If the winner is from a country other than the UK the prize will be delivered via PayPal cash).So who's helped put together this wonderful prize?
Being Tilly's Mummy | Chilling With Lucas | Alice-Megan | Rambling Through Parenthood | Angel Eden Blog | The Not So Secret Diary of a Wannabe Princess | Petit Moi - Big World | Precious Little Worlds | Dizzy Miss James | Ickle Pickle's Life and Travels | Cookies and Cwtches | Sally Akins | Odd Socks and Lollipops | Life in a Break Down | UK Bloggers
To enter all you need to do is answer the following question in the comments below: What is the best thing about Easter?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Please note that all entry options other than the question are optional, however it would be lovely if you could take a few minutes and support some of the bloggers who have helped make this giveaway possible.
Good Luck!
Monday, 29 February 2016
Does Swearing Have A Place In Blog Posts?
The other day on Facebook, there was much discussion about the aged chestnut that is the "should bloggers write for free" question.
I have to say that whenever I come across swear words in blog posts, I find myself clicking away pretty quickly.
This is not because I am a delicate flower. It's more because I feel vaguely let down.
Great Bloggers Are Wordsmiths
There are millions of fantastic words in the English language. Millions.
As bloggers, shouldn't we be wordsmiths? Shouldn't we use language to paint amazing verbal pictures?
Don't we have standards to uphold (or even create)?
Some of the sweary posts I have read have been written by parenting bloggers.
Is A Post Full Of Expletives Really Going To Engage A Brand?
That must go down very well with brands and PRs seeking to engage with a family audience.
I'm sure the "it's our blog and we write what we like" brigade will be sticking a pin in my effigy but, as they used to say in school, "it's not big and it's not clever".
There is a type of 'bitter blogger' who specialises in venting spleen in a wry, vaguely comedic way, using language that would make a trucker blush.
And it's funny for a while.
Among the ascerbic comments, there are usually a few kernels of truth, a few good take-away points.
There's another saying which comes to mind from the old music hall days - "they're funny but they're on too long".
Do You Know Your Readers?
Now swearing might be completely appropriate for your blogging niche. I can't for the life of me think what that niche might be but if that's what your audience enjoys then fine.
But the question is, do you really know who's reading you?
As bloggers we rely on stats, social media likes and comments. These can paint a partial picture of what our readers think.
Except that in many cases, blogs are read by other bloggers in a kind of "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" way.
I think, particularly if you are a parenting blogger, you should assume that you could be read by anyone of any age.
And that's where the swearing habit is risky if you want to build an engaged audience.
It may be a stereotype but I think an older, more mature audience won't welcome a blog post full of expletives.
If you're writing about family matters, your comment posts should surely reflect that. (You wouldn't be daft enough to swear in a review post, would you?)
Listen, I fully understand the "mummy's had a bad day, the kids are little sods and where's the corkscrew" sentiment.
But giving full verbal vent to your frustrations in purple prose makes you look a bit, well, out of control.
Have The Perfect Lifestyle Parenting Blogs Had Their Day?
I read recently that there is a backlash against parent blogs which create a perfect lifestyle - you know the kind of thing - instagram pictures curated to the last pantone, cutesy shots of the family dancing through autumnal leaves and posts about how to make your home Martha Stewart worthy.
Frankly I love these kind of posts. And I'm not sure that the antidote to these is the bitter, sweary mummy blog focusing on how awful it is to be blessed with children especially when they will insist on behaving like children.
Still, the great appeal of blogging is that it is a platform for expression available to all.
I'm not suggesting censorship. I am saying that blogging is a craft which deserves respect, and care, and consideration for the feelings of the reader, whoever they may be.
And you won't find any expletives in my posts. That much I will swear.
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