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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