Win £200 Amazon Vouchers In The Bloggers' Santa's Surprise Giveaway

Welcome to November and the second to last month of the year! We all know that December is an expensive month and to try and help 2 of you out, I have teamed up with a fantastic team of bloggers to offer a duo of great prizes.

However before I tell you more about the prize, lets meet the bloggers:

Adventures of a Yorkshire Mum | Keep Up With The Jones Family | Sparkles at Midnight | Mother Distracted | Missing Sleep | Hubby Helps | Mums Wine HQ | Chilling With Lucas | Purely Amy | The Mighty Duxburys | Petit Moi Big World | Sally Akins | The Adventures of a Silver Surfer | My Life As A Mummy | Bump and Beyond | EmmaDrew.info

A Testing Time | Melanie's Fab Finds | Spanish Mummy | Precious Little Worlds | Life As Mum | We Made This Life | Nine to Three Thirty | Hex Mum Plus 1 | Big Family Little Adventures | The Diary of a Jewellery Lover | Kumbear XO | Cosmic Kick | Becster.com | Accidental Hipster Mum | Mummy Vs Work | Life at 139a

Charli B | Renovation Bay-Bee | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels | Tanned Beauty Addict | Life in a Break Down | UK Bloggers

The Prizes

What can you win? Well one grand prize winner will be walking away with £200 of Amazon vouchers, while a runner up will get £50.

How to enter

So how do you enter? To be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is let us know: What would you spend the vouchers on, should you be the lucky winner?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

The prize draw opens on 1st November at 11:00 GMT and closes at 23:59 GMT on the 30th November, the competition is open worldwide, with winners outside of the UK receiving their prize via paypal funds. For full T&C please see the rafflecopter application.

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A Hobbis Family Halloween

We love Halloween and this year it was made all the more special by seeing the burning of The Wicker Man at St. Fagins (National Museum of Welsh Life) on the Sunday.

When the wicker man burns you are supposed to make a wish and the crowd were asked to scream as loudly as they could to repel evil spirits for the forthcoming year.

I love decorating the house and the kids were on red alert for trick or treaters but this year we only had 2.  I know lots of people really don't like this tradition - particularly since it can be scary for the elderly, younger children and pets but it is nice when you find fellow Halloween enthusiasts!

The Husband and kids did a great job of the pumpkins this year

Mr Bones announced he needed a holiday

The kids with my mum, Kay

Ieuan as the Grim Reaper

Caitlin as a gothic bride

I'm a zombie bride 

The kids with my parents, John and Kay.

I always think it's important to take every opportunity to celebrate the yearly events in the religious calendar or those times which were marked by rites and rituals by our Pagan forefathers.  Life goes by so fast and it's good to make some memories, isn't it?

When you're an older mum, like I am, you are very conscious of the passage of time so these times have an additional significance.

Did you celebrate Halloween?  What are the events which mean the most to you?  I'd love to know.

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Time To Take Steps To Stop Your Child's Screen Time Affecting Their Education?

Many parents will be familiar with the weekly Sunday night battle to get the kids to finish off their homework.

And how many of us secretly curse ourselves for not being stricter with the screen time that has overtaken the spare time that could have been given to homework?!

It's so easy, isn't it, to see the kids happy on their gadgets whilst we do household chores or take a little precious 'me-time' but the problem is it's like entering a vacuum.  The time just goes and it's Sunday evening again.

Gadgets are so prevalent now in our, and our children's lives that parents and teachers are starting to notice a negative effect on our kids' education.

Social media is everywhere, from Facebook to Twitter and Instagram to Snapchat and we now lead our lives by connecting with each other through our social accounts. For many of us, our phones are the first thing we check in the morning and the last thing we check at night. And our kids are picking up our bad habits.

A new study conducted by the leading voucher website in the UK, My Voucher Codes, looked into the ramifications of children living their lives on social media, specifically looking at the way social media can affect education.

In the survey, entitled "Distracted To Failure" 2,500 parents were asked a number of questions based on their children’s internet usage including how long they spend each day online, whether there are any restrictions such as banned apps and whether they think that social media sites affect their child’s education.

The survey discovered that 23% of teachers feel that children in their classes don’t get enough sleep to get the most out of at school and 75% of parents feel that mobiles, tablets and gaming devices create a negative effect on their children’s education.

The survey discovered that the majority of children are spending 2-3 hours online every day, with a staggering 34% of children spending between 3-4 hours a day online.

Here are the results to the question "how long do your children spend online on mobile or tablet devices?"

• Under 1 hour a day - 0%
• 1 to 2 hours a day - 25%
• 2 to 3 hours a day 41%
• 3 to 4 hours a day 34%
• Over 5 hours a day 0%

Much of this has been blamed on the parent’s reluctance to monitor their children’s online activity especially when it comes to social media and, in fact, 38% of parents also admitted to not monitoring their children’s online activity.

When asked ‘do you restrict their time on mobile or tablet devices?’ 42% of parents said yes, while half said no and the remaining 8% said that they didn’t need to either because their children knew the rules or stopped of their own accord.

Over a third (34%) of parents stated that they removed mobile and tablet devices while their children were studying, with 16% saying that they were thinking of doing so. Half of those polled said that they did not remove mobile phones or tablets when their children were studying.

The survey went on to ask ‘do you think using mobiles, tablets or gaming devices late at night, has a negative effect on your child’s ability to concentrate in school?’ A staggering 75% of parents admitted that they felt mobiles, tablets and gaming devices created a negative effect on their children’s ability to concentrate in school, while 25% disagreed.

When it came to the question "do you think social media sites have a negative effect on your child's education", parents were split 50/50.

Commenting on the findings Chris Reilly, Managing Director of My Voucher Codes said: “It’s interesting to see that three quarters of parents feel that mobiles, tablets and gaming devices have a negative effect on their child’s education, yet half admit that they do not restrict the time that their child spends on the internet".

I think we can all agree that monitoring your child’s internet and social media usage is now more important than ever because despite benefits such as increased communication and access to information, there is also the risk of online bullying, depression caused by online altercations and exposure to inappropriate content.

Arguably we should all be setting ground rules, checking privacy settings and monitoring what our children are sharing to ensure their safety - as well as enforcing sensible amounts of screen-free time.

In fact excessive internet usage by children is becoming such an issue that the safety of children online is currently being discussed in the House of Lords and it will be interesting to see whether pressure is brought to bear on the social media giants themselves to assist parents in managing their children's online time and increasing security.

Meanwhile, I for one, certainly need to be far stricter with my kids' screen time - and as I'm sure many bloggers would agree, my own.

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Keeping Your Pets Calm On Halloween & Bonfire Night

Already there are fireworks being let off late into the night and, with the anti-social bangs, you can hear dogs barking right across the village.

I can't understand why fireworks are still available for sale to the public given the risks to health and safety, particularly to our children and animals.

But, whilst we have to put up with it - and the late night explosions seem to start earlier every year, here are some things you can do to keep your pets calm, especially on the night itself.

And since it's Halloween on Monday night, there's the extra possible disturbance of trick or treaters ringing the door bell and setting pets howling or running for cover.

Animals have very acute hearing and loud noises can cause them real distress so here are some simple steps you could try.

As Kennel Club Secretary, Caroline Kisko says, “dogs can react very badly to the unfamiliar sights and sounds that are common around Halloween and Bonfire Night. Fireworks, people in costumes knocking on the door, flashes of light and other things that dogs would not normally experience can be terrifying for dogs and could result in them behaving unpredictably which could put their safety, or the safety of people, at risk."

Try to keep them indoors

In the days when we had Samson, my beloved old black and white moggie, we always made sure he was kept indoors and that the curtains were drawn. It was a little easier for us because Samson was an indoor cat anyway and it's obviously more difficult if your cat wants to go out for a loo break!

Walk your dog earlier in the day

For dogs, the simple solution is to walk them a little earlier in the day so that they can be safely indoors when the banging and flashing starts, or when people in scary costumes start turning up.

The Kennel Club advise dog owners to walk their dog before trick or treaters start their rounds and keep a firm grip on the lead as many dogs are frightened by people in costumes and could potentially react aggressively through fear.

Distract them

A special chew or some extra kitty biscuits might go some way to taking their mind off the din.  Obviously you don't want to feed your dog any chocolate from the Halloween sweet stash.  You might also need to keep pets' water bowls topped up as dogs in particular will drink more through the extra panting that results from being scared.

Create A Safety Zone

If you are having people around which will add to the noise and stress for your pet, you could bed them down in a separate room away from the hubbub.  The staff at Battersea Cats & Dogs Home suggest this could be something simple like a blanket draped over a table and to set this up so that your pet has a chance to get used to it before it needs to be used.

Try A Firework DVD or CD

The Kennel Club suggest that, in the run up to Bonfire Night, you could try playing a sound CD with firework noises or firework sound videos on Youtube at a low level to let your dog get used to the sound in the background.

Behave normally

Close the curtains and turn the television or radio up and try to behave as normally as possible to encourage your pet to do the same. Don't shout at your pet or tell them off - it's not their fault they're scared.

Ensure your pet is chipped or tagged

If they run off you'll have a far better chance of getting them back again if they have been micro-chipped and are wearing an ID tag.

Fix Broken Fences & Gates

Check that your pets can't escape from your garden if you have one. Fixing that broken fence before the festivities start might be a good idea just in case your pet makes a break for it.

Talk to your neighbours

Ask your neighbours if they are planning any parties or firework displays of their own.  That way at least you'll be prepared and could even relocate to somewhere quieter for the evening.

Talk to your vet

There are calming sprays and plug-ins that might help and it's always worth asking your vet for some advice.

With a little preparation you may be able to make Halloween and Bonfire Night less of an ordeal for your pets.

Do you have any tips for helping to keep pets calm?

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New Releases, Free & Bargain Books Link-Up Week 43

How are you all this week?  We're surviving half term and it's a quiet one for us as the Husband is 'doing DIY'.  This means copious visits to Wickes and ScrewFix for things I really don't recognise and lots of demands for coffee.

We've not put the Halloween decorations up yet and I'm steeling myself for attacking the two large pumpkins we've bought to lit the way for the Trick Or Treaters.  My Halloween competitions are closed now but there's plenty still be to won on my competitions page including that Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Hamper worth £50.

I hope you caught my recent review of "The Fabulous @50 Re-experience" by Dianna Lee Bowes.  It's a great primer for those of us in our 50's wondering how to make the most of our later years.  There are 4 signed copies to win in Dianna's giveaway too which ends on Sunday and this giveaway is open internationally.

And don't forget my new problem page here.

Happy bargain and freebie book hunting on this link.

Have a great week!

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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How To Prepare Your Kids For The Winter Weather

As soon as it comes to this time of year, it always becomes a little more worrying being a parent. Having kids is stressful at any time of year, but winter can be particularly scary. There are many reasons that parents might start to feel a little concerned in winter. One of the most obvious ones is the weather. With the days getting shorter, this is definitely something that any parent needs to think about carefully. The truth is, as a parent you need to ensure that you are doing everything to keep your children safe and warm in the winter. There is often more to this than you might imagine, so it helps to run through it all. Let’s do that now, and see if we can help to prepare your kids for the colder months.

Pic Source

Buddy Systems

Just because it is getting colder doesn’t mean that your children will be less inclined to play outside. Much of the time, it will be even more tempting, especially if snow is a possibility. When allowing your children to play outside or with other children, be sure to have some kind of buddy system in place. Using this kind of system, you can ensure that there is always someone who has their eye on your child. The last thing you want is to not be able to let them outside to play, so this is your best option most of the time. The best buddy systems also have a secret password. That way, you can be sure of your child’s safety at all times, no matter what. If your children are under eight, you should make sure that they are always supervised, regardless.

The Right Clothing

It goes without saying that clothing is always going to be a major concern when it gets to winter. Of course, one of your main tasks here is to ensure that nobody gets a chill. Keeping your kids warm can be surprisingly difficult, however. Most of all, it is about ensuring that there is plenty to layer with. Layering is the best way to make sure that your children stay warm. Of course, you should also invest in at least one good quality, thick coat for the dead of winter. But it is not just about when they are outside. You also need to ensure they are kept warm inside, particularly at night. Finding the right kids pyjamas is going to be an important part of that. Add to that slippers and possibly a hat, and they should be set. The general test for whether your child is sufficiently warm is that their hands and feet are warm. If they are, then what they are wearing is probably absolutely fine. Anything less, and you need to add another layer or two. Clothing is really important, as it can be easy for young children to get quite ill from the cold quite fast.

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Safety Kit For The Car

Just because it’s the winter months doesn’t mean you need to stop going out and having fun with your family. A great way to pass the time over a weekend or longer is to go on a road trip with the family. Of course, if you do that, you need to ensure that you properly protect the whole family. It helps in these situations to keep a safety kit in the car, for use if the worst happens. In this kit, you should have anything you might need if you break down in the snow or ice. A shovel is going to be one of your main items of importance here, for obvious reasons. It is also beneficial to have sand in the car, as this can help if the car gets stuck anywhere. Tyre chains can be a useful addition, as they can stop the car from skidding around uncontrollably. And no safety kit would be complete without an ice scraper and a flashlight. As long as you have these essentials in your car, it shouldn’t matter too much what happens. Also be sure to have extra layers for warmth. In the worst case scenario, you will at least be warm enough, and so will your children.

Pic source

Sunscreen

Finally, a note on sunscreen. This might seem a little odd, and yet that is the very reason that it needs to be mentioned. People often entirely forget about sunscreen at this time of year. However, the fact is that the sun reflects off the snow and can actually be incredibly damaging, particularly for young skin. Make sure your children are wearing sunscreen if they play in the snow for a long time.

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My Problem Page - What Was I Asked In Week 43?

This week I'm talking about dating by text (again!), whether a man should stay 'buff' to keep a relationship and what to do when your annoying mate phones you at 2 am.

If you would like any advice, feel free to message me or pop a comment in the comment box at the end of this post. I promise to be gentle.

Here's this week's questions.

Q: Do I break off our relationship? 

From day 1 she made it clear she'd only stay around if I get buff. I am 6′4 and 170 and we have been going out for 1 year. She loves all my personal traits,but her number 1 condition is me being more macho. I want to be loved for who I am first and then work on my muscles. Her sine qua non is my buffness.

A: If there’s something you do need to develop, it’s not a six pack - it’s a backbone.

I’m guessing quite a few women will be rather amused at your ‘dilemma’ because many women are treated like this all the time - and it’s not pleasant.

My question to you is why do you want to be with a woman for whom your only value is as a living embodiment of Barbie’s boyfriend Ken?

You say you want to be loved for who you are first. I’d suggest you need to love you a little more too. Ask yourself, why am I putting up with this?

Is your girlfriend a stunner? Are you with her because you too value appearance over personality?

If so, it’s hardly surprising you’ve attracted someone who mirrors that kind of shallow attitude.

Don’t put up with being treated like an object. Tell her you’ll keep your body the way that makes you happy and if she doesn’t like it there are gyms all around the country for her to find her next trophy.

Q: My girlfriend is very insecure (she looked through my whole phone when I left it at her house) and expects me to be completely open to her about everything in my life. But when it comes to her phone, she's secretive about the people she texts. What should be my next move?

A: Well firstly you need to tell her that openness is a two way street and, whether she is insecure or not, if you are expected to report back on every contact then she should also be more forthcoming with who she is texting. 

I wonder if you have done anything to increase her insecurity - if that is really what it is. Lots of people experience a twinge of jealousy in a romantic relationship. That’s quite normal. 

Has she ever done anything apart from go through your phone - was that a one-off? Does she check up on you, phone you at work, follow you, check your receipts? These are behaviours which indicate an unhealthy jealousy. 

I wonder also if you object to feeling ‘tied down’. It is reasonable of her to want to know what you are doing within reason. If you are resentful at having to tell her then I’d suggest you might want to think about whether this is the right relationship for you. 

Q: If I like daily texts/communication from men and the new guy I'm dating is silent for 1-2 days after a date, is it time to find a new man? 

A: If frequent and probably meaningless texting is what defines a relationship for you then, yes, this one is probably not a keeper. 

Personally, having to check in every day would drive me nuts but everyone’s different. 

Perhaps he’s busy or has other stuff going on in his life. Perhaps his focus is not on relationships right now and he just wants to have fun. 

1–2 days is hardly vanishing off the planet. After a week, possibly but perhaps he doesn’t want to seem too keen. 

I do think you need to relax a bit and give him a chance. Otherwise you risk jeopardising what could be a great relationship because he won’t play the game your way. 

Why not try to find a man you can really trust so that you don’t feel so insecure if you don’t get that daily text? 

Texting proves nothing you know. It’s actions that count.

Q: Why didn't my first date in Manhattan help me get a cab after dinner when he tried to kiss me and I politely declined? 

I told him I never kiss on a first date. The date was less than two hours so I barely know him. He texted right after when I found my own cab to say he had fun and to let him know when I got home.

A: I’m not sure what the problem is here. 

The guy texted you to say he had fun and to ask you to let him know you got home safely. Perhaps he assumed you weren’t that interested when you declined to kiss him. 

And, as you say, it was less than 2 hours so he doesn’t really know you either. 

It sounds like you are trying to find a reason not to see him again - or your expectations for a first date might be a little too high. 

Chivalry is a rare thing these days and at least you got a follow up call. 

Q: My friend called me at 2 am to annoy me. How can I get back at him? 

A: Well assuming you are both older than 12, why don’t you just switch your phone off at night, block his number, change your number or change your friend. It’s not really difficult is it? 

But if you start retaliating, he will just do something else to annoy you. 

You don’t say why he does it - is he just being an idiot or have you done something to really annoy him? 

If you value the friendship, I think you need to sort this out - or find a new friend.

Q: How long should a "break" be in a relationship where she asks for a break but doesn't want a break up?
A: To be honest if someone asked me for a ‘break’, I’d assume the relationship was over.

Otherwise, giving someone “time-off” to go and sleep with other people makes a mockery of your relationship.

You don’t say why she wants a break - that is more important than deciding how long the break should be.

What ‘conditions’ will this break have? Will she be dating others and sleeping with them?

I would tell her that if she wants a break that’s fine but don’t expect to find you waiting for her when the novelty wears off.

And go and have fun yourself.

How would you have responded to these questions? I'd love to know. You can find more advice on my problem page.

All materials included in this post are intended for informational purposes only. This post/information is not intended to and should not be used to replace medical or psychiatric advice offered by physicians or other health care providers. The author will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.

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