Cherubs Magazine - Autumn Edition 2021

EDUCATION • HEALTH • WELLBEING • LIVING • BEAUTY • STYLE • TRAVEL

MAGAZINE

#celebratingcolour I am loved, I am courageous

The Morning Routine Mum Bag

of the season

Crunching

Through Autumn

cherubsmagazine.com

Inspiring Everyday Family Life

Autumn 2021 • Issue 13

THE PERFECT FAMILY TREAT!

LIV E ON STA GE

Based on the award -winning picture book by

Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks whattheladybirdheardlive.co.uk What the Ladybird Heard © Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks 2009. Macmillan Children’s Books

RADLETT CENTRE

THU 23 - FRI 24 SEP

Radlett Centre

radlettcentre.co.uk

GUILDFORD, YVONNE ARNAUD THEATRE

North Finchley, artsdepot

TUE 5 - WED 6 OCT yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Bromley, Churchill Theatre

M25

BROMLEY, CHURCHILL THEATRE

WED 20 - SUN 24 OCT churchilltheatre.co.uk

Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

NORTH FINCHLEY, ARTSDEPOT

TUE 26 – SUN 31 OCT artsdepot.co.uk

Contents Autumn 2021 • Issue 13

I’m sorry, was that meant to be summer? I feel truly cheated by the British weather and not sure if I can pack those dresses away just yet – perhaps layering-up will be my new look this season?

With the children firmly back at school (I know, I’ve felt every second of those weeks with you all) we can finally, hopefully, find a moment’s peace to gather our thoughts and regain some sort of adult life, even if that does just mean going to the loo by oneself.

I must admit, I find myself making more resolutions in the autumn season than I do in the new year and I’m keeping everything crossed that as the colder months set in we will remain as we are – ‘sort of free!’

This season, I am going to focus on ME, something I usually forget, even though it’s actually the most important! So, I will be allowing myself to have well-earned day’s off and swan around places that make me feel alive. You only receive one shot at this life, you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone, nor do you have to follow suit.

If it feels good for my soul... then I’m doing it and so should you.

Why we chose to not enjoy moments and continuously stress about the smaller things in life I shall never know. Embrace it and go with it, unless we are faced with a gigantic hurdle that throws us off course, then my mantra from now on is: “live for yourself, trust yourself and if someone or something wants to join you, they will naturally share your path.”

Happy Autumn Love

Sevim x

Features 8 13 26 44

I am loved, I am courageous, I celebrate colour Sustainable wash bag Settle in for September Mrs ‘Rebel’ Chi Chi’s

In this edition 4 16 18 34

What’s on this autumn Autumn reads Oh hello school Fertility clinic

A taste of ...

10 18 28 35

Style Education Health & Wellbeing Living

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Follow us on social media for regular updates @CherubsMagazine Style Editor: Antonia Sanchez–Toomey Healthy Food Editor: Christianna Karaolis Designer: Chris Webb Printers: The Roma Group

To advertise in our next issue email info@cherubsmagazine.com or call 020 8154 3664

Catch up on past issues of Cherubs Magazine online at

While we take every care to ensure details are correct the publisher will take no responsibility for errors or omissions. Readers are advised to check information published with individual advertisers and take legal advice where appropriate before entering into any transactions.

Where prices or dates are quoted they are correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change. Unless specifically stated the publisher does not endorse any product or service appearing in the magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.

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WHAT’S ON

Get your diaries at the ready because autumn is filled with spectacular family-friendly events, exhibitions and workshops. We’ve collated our top 10 mix of things to do with the kids but if you want more fun with your little ones keep an eye on @younglondonist Instagram.

Colourscape Music Festival

Colourscape is a music festival inside an art installation filled with colour and strange acoustics. Get lost in this labyrinth made of inflatable tunnels and immerse yourself in the colour and strange sounds. It’s a brilliant way to spend a couple of hours and an amazing experience to share with your little people.

When: 11-19 Sep 2021 Where: Clapham Common How much: Adults £10 (weekends) £5 (weekdays) Kids £5 (weekends), £2 (weekdays)

Chelsea History Festival

Calling all history buffs – the brilliant Chelsea history Festival is back and there are a bunch of brilliant events to get involved in.

Experience 2000 years of London’s history brought to life with a street through time, get playing on Giant Games for Little Soldiers at the National Army Museum and nose around a secret garden at the Chelsea Physic Garden open day.

When: 18-26 Sep 2021 Where: throughout Chelsea How much: Mostly free with a few sessions for £6 – check the website for details. chelseahistoryfestival.com

Ice Skating at the Natural History Museum

Get your skates on for a twirl (or a trip) for the last time in front of the magnificent Victorian building that is the Natural history Museum. There are plans to turn the space into a new year-round wildlife garden. Penguins are provided for children and last-minute bookings accepted.

When: 22 Oct 2021-16 Jan 2022 Where: Natural History Museum How much: From £8 ticketmaster.com

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Tiny Tea at Bluebird

Affordable afternoon tea for little people at Bluebird cafe on the King’s Road. Expect favourite teatime treats such as homemade strawberry Jammy Dodgers and Malteaser milkshakes.

When: Thursday to Sunday during school holidays Where: Bluebird, Chelsea How much: £12pp including a drink bluebird-restaurant.co.uk

020 8154 3664

WHAT’S ON

Frieze Sculpture

Regent’s Park English garden is once again becoming an outdoor gallery and you can expect lots of masterpieces from the likes of Rasheed Araeen, Daniel Arsham, Anthony Caro, Gisela Colón, José Pedro Croft and loads more.

Pack the kids and a picnic and enjoy sculptures and the colours of autumn in one of London’s iconic parks.

When: 14 Sep-31 Oct 2021 Where: Regent’s Park How much: Free frieze.com

Stick Man

The 2008 children’s book written by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is brought to life in this jolly performance on stage. Expect laugh out loud moments, loads of audience participation, live music and puppetry alongside a visit from Santa.

When: 23 October-3 January 2022 Where: Leicester Square Theatre How much: From £16 stickmanlive.com

Family Rave at Fabric

Didn’t think family and rave belonged in the same sentence? Well think again! Big Fish Little Fish are bringing the best in rave culture: banging tunes, unity and escapism to fabric alongside balloons, bubbles and children’s activities – so get your rave on with your little people! The event is space themed and fancy dress is encouraged.

When: 18 Sep 2:00pm-4:30pm Where: Fabric Nightclub How much: £9 for kids and £13 for adults bigfishlittlefishevents.com

Peppa Pig Halloween Bus Tour

Take in the iconic views of London with Peppa Pig and her alliterative friends whilst you munch on Bridgit’s Bakery special themed afternoon tea delights. The bus will take you past some of the most famous London landmarks including Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Nelson’s Column, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral and more. There will be singing, playing and lots more fun to be had.

And there is a best dressed competition so get those spooky outfits dusted down.

When: 22-24 October and 28-31 October Where: pick-up outside Somerset House How much: Adults £45, children £35 b-bakery.com

cherubsmagazine.com

The Flight of Babuscha Baboon

The story of a baboon who wants to fly to the moon in a hot-air balloon all told from a barge on the canal in Little Venice - yes you read that right. Check out a show at the Puppet Barge and enjoy a magical combination of string marionettes, shadow puppets, haunting music, beautiful lighting and moving poetry, suitable for ages 3 and above.

When: 11 Sep-1 Nov Where: Puppet Barge Little Venice How much: Adults £13, children £9 puppetbarge.com

Christmas at Kew

The annual Insta friendly Christmas at Kew is back and you can expect the usual after-dark family friendly festivities including sparkling tunnels of light, dancing waterside reflections, and trees drenched in jewel-like colour on your way to the panoramic Palm House light display. Journey through the mesmerising flickering flames in the Fire Garden, spot larger-than-life illuminations and say hello to Father Christmas along the way.

When: 17 Nov-9 Jan 2022 Where: Kew Gardens How much: Off-peak £21.50 Peak £26.50 kew.org

Cherubs Magazine | 5

WHAT’S ON

Top 5 must go to parks this Autumn with @mummy_from_enfield Instagram Page for Days Out in London & Beyond

Cedars Park

Golders Hill Park

Who loves a sculpture trail park ? This one also has a maze, a duck pond, a mini zoo and a cafe! Definitely Hertfordshire’s little hidden gem, Plus parking is totally free.

Cheshunt, Herts EN8 8RU

This is a large park near Hampstead Heath with lots of features that include a big playground, free mini-zoo, a butterfly garden, pergola and a Cafe. Car park is restricted to Blue Badge holders only, Golders Green Station is only eight mins walk away.

Golders Hill, NW3 7HE

The Paddington Recreation Grounds

Myddleton House Gardens

Harlow Town Park

This playground was renovated two years ago and is ideal if you’re having a London Staycation with kids! The modern design is great, especially the row of houses that is actually the back of a slide!

Maida Vale, W9 1PD

If you like history and flowers then this tranquil botanical garden is the one for you!

Though it hasn’t got a playground, it’s very child-friendly as it sits on eight acres of land! It has a tea room and a museum too! Free entry.

Enfield, London En2 9HG

Everyone loves a day out, but when it’s a Free day out then that’s something quite special! This park has a free farm, it also has a playground, picnic benches and lots of green space for dog owners.

Harlow, Essex CM20 2QQ

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020 8154 3664

WHAT’S ON

Meet the Author & Illustrator at Pickled Pepper THAT DINOSAUR HAS TALENT

Lily Murray and Richard Merritt Sat 25 September 10:00am & 11:30am Lily Murray and Richard Merritt are back with their latest picture book, That Dinosaur Has Talent! the highly anticipated follow-up to the best-selling Dinosaur Department Store that captured the imaginations of dino-loving children everywhere. They bring to Pickled Pepper a storytime event, with fantastic costumes to bring the book to life!

Tickets: £5 redeemable against the book Running time: 45 mins + signing Age: 2-7 years

UNIPIGGLE: WITCH EMERGENCY

Hannah Shaw

Sat 23 October 11:00am

RETURN OF THE PESTS

Sat 2 October 10:00am & 11:30am Watch out – the pests are back and they’re hairier and scarier than ever! Stix is the tiny but heroic mouse that could be living behind your washing machine. Meet the Pests in our glow-in-the-dark theatre space along with bestselling local author Emer Stamp, who will bring the characters to life and will read from the new book Return of the Pests.

Tickets: £5 redeemable against the book Running time: 45 mins + signing Age: 6+ years

Tickets: £12.99 redeemable against the book (£5 for siblings) Running time: 45 mins + signing Age: 2-7 years

Calling all witches and wizards! Come along and celebrate Halloween with Hannah Shaw, the award-winning author and illustrator of the madcap adventure series, Unipiggle: The Unicorn Pig. Hannah will share her top tips for creating super spells and extraordinary enchantments, just like the ones from Unipiggle: Witch Emergency.

Hannah will also show you how to step-bystep create your very own Unipiggle and other magical creatures from the series.

Fancy dress is encouraged and there will be a prize for the best costume.

Tickets: £5 redeemable against the book Running time: 45 mins + signing Age: 6+ years

Emer Stamp

Stephenson for a magical experience as she brings the tale to life with puppets and interactive storytelling.

THE MUSEUM OF MARVELLOUS THINGS

Kristina Stephenson Sat 20 November 10:00am and 11:30am

Sensible, serious Norbert Norris knows ALL the important things: dinosaurs, planets, shapes and sums. But when the Museum of Marvellous Things is in trouble, Norbert doesn’t know what to do. Only magic can save it - and he knows nothing about magic!

Norbert must learn to believe, because when you imagine incredible things, almost anything can happen. Join author Kristina

SHIFTY MCGIFTY AND SLIPPERY SAM: SANTA’S STOLEN SLEIGH

Steven Lenton

Sat 27 November 10:00am & 11:30am Shifty and Sam are off to Lapland to bake a festive feast for Santa and his elves.

But there’s a Christmas crisis – the elves are unwell and can’t finish the toys! Does mysterious stranger and gadget queen, Flo Frost, really want to help? Or could she have her eyes on the most magical gadget of all... Santa’s flying sleigh? It’s up to Shifty and Sam to race across the snowy slopes and save Christmas for everyone!

Tickets: £11.99 redeemable against the book (£5 for siblings) Running time: 45 mins + signing Age: 2-7 years

All tickets can be purchased at

pickledpepperbooks.co.uk

10 Middle Ln, Crouch End, London N8 8PL • 020 3632 0823 cherubsmagazine.com

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CELEBRATING COLOUR

#celebratingcolour

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020 8154 3664

CELEBRATING COLOUR

I am loved, I am courageous, I celebrate colour.

Ogo and Claire Mkparu are the founders of Akwa Baby, a unisex kids clothing brand they started to promote acceptance and self-love. Here they tell us what inspired them to start their brand and the legacy they are giving their children.

Ogo’s Story

My name is Ogoegbunam Ejimofo Uguchukwu Mkparu. I’m a British-born, First Generation Nigerian, I’m a husband and dad to two small children.

My mother raised myself and my three siblings single-handedly after my father passed away just as I turned 18-monthsold. There was a period of time in my childhood that we spent eight years living in Nigeria and so I had exposure to a typical Western African way of life, and then, when we returned to London I could really see the contrast was palpable.

Here I was living in London at the age of 13, not Nigerian by native standards and not British by cultural comparison. To be honest, we lived in financial hardship but to me, we still had more than some and so I was raised with an attitude of gratitude for what living in the West could provide.

I will admit that a feeling of shame shrouded my African heritage growing up.

I wasn’t old enough to question why there wasn’t much positive representation of Black people in British culture, and why the social divide was so acute. Why my name was unpronounceable to everybody and why the physical features of a Black person were one of comic fascination. When an insecurity lives within you that comes from how you look – and that is also felt by everyone else who looks like you too – that’s incredibly tough for a child to process and overcome.

When I reached my twenties I decided I’d had enough of this disparity in my identity.

What did it mean to be Black British, and how can I embrace my heritage? I started my own process of self-education. I read books and books about African history, the empires, the cultures and the landscapes, people of note, self-made, successful Black

men and women. Over time I built pride in myself and a connection to Black culture that allowed me to embrace the strengths, the resilience and the beauty of what it means to have African ancestry.

It’s my wish that my children grow up seeing and believing positive reinforcement of a love and acceptance for themselves and that they offer that same love and acceptance to all others, regardless of race or background. Akwa Baby was born to spread a positive social message about self love, confidence and the celebration of diversity. We want to promote the belief to our children and to all children that they have unlimited potential and our vision for the company is that all children will grow up in a world where they feel they are valued.

Claire’s Story

Ogo and I met at a music festival, noticing each other across a crowded dance tent and basically never looked back at single life! Our first daughter, Chia, appeared and she turned the world I’d previously held as a young, carefree working professional into complete disarray (as they do). Nothing truly prepares you for the journey of motherhood and with my experience came the additional considerations of raising a child with brown skin.

We decided to set up Akwa Baby over dinner one night as a newborn Chia fell asleep in her Dad’s arms. We’d wanted to buy her some African fabric clothing so she could be matching with her Nnenna (Ogo’s mum) at an upcoming family event. Buying clothes for Chia on the high street really started to open my eyes. Faced with rows and rows of very traditional, Western prints and colour palettes, I realised that only a certain type of baby was really considered. I wanted vibrancy and a stunning nod to her heritage to show off our pride - but I also wanted it in baby-soft clothing.

We started studying a bit about fabrics from the African continent and read about how the process of producing these prints were often passed between generations, and that the symbols or the line formations you see can also be meaningful messages.

Ogo and I have always been in synchronicity

when it comes to knowing how we want our children to feel growing up. It was at this point we had our lightbulb moment about what we could do to not only help build the self esteem of our children but to maybe even help start a movement among all little people!

We created our first print, OBI (meaning ‘heart’ in Ogo’s Igbo language) to carry symbols that represent three positive affirmations: I am loved, I am courageous, I celebrate colour.

“Celebrate colour” to us means: I see and love the uniqueness of myself and the uniqueness of others.

The range has been produced with all Oek-Tek approved fabrics, components and inks in an organic cotton and bamboo mix for added softness. We’re also proud to say there is no plastic between the manufacturer and our customer, as all branded tags, attachments and packaging have been crafted from natural fibres and FSC approved paper.

My story of growing up is in stark contrast to Ogo’s. I was raised in a home counties suburb and, for most of my life, I will admit I was unaware and unconsidered about what it meant to be an ethnic minority person growing up in our country. Meeting Ogo and seeing the pride he carried in who he was and where his roots were laid was incredibly inspiring.

My years spent with Ogo and raising children together have given me new ways of thinking, seeing and approaching the world. Truthfully, in the years before meeting Ogo the topic of race would probably have been an awkward one for me. but now I run towards opportunities to learn and converse and understand and I’m passionate about encouraging other parents to be involved in this important conversation.

Five years on and I’m definitely still a work in progress and I make mistakes but that’s OK because I’m trying and I’m motivated and I’m not afraid to help create some positive societal change in this lifetime!

www.akwababy.com cherubsmagazine.com

Cherubs Magazine | 9

STYLE

Fashion Edit Polished

Tailored Blazer

£155.00 Fine Knit Vest

REISS reiss.com

€19.99

MANGO mango.com

The Eye - Solid yellow gold with a central black diamond, surrounded by yellow sapphires, white diamonds and turquoise sapphires.

£950.00 @diamondsbyfabio

Oversized Quilted Tote Bag

£19.99

Stradivarius stradivarius.com

Court Shoes in Taupe

£175.00 REISS reiss.com

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Wide Leg Tailored Trousers

£138.00 REISS reiss.com

020 8154 3664

STYLE

Relaxed Relaxed Belted Trench Coat

£49.99

ZARA zara.com

Shearling Gilet

£70.00

RIVER ISLAND riverisland.com

Gingham Checked Shirt

£69.00

hush hush-uk.com

Cream Felt Crossbody Bag

£24.00

next next.co.uk

Flared Jeans

£250.00 Chunky Chelsea Boots

Chloé chloe.com

£150.00

Dune London dunelondon.com

Website: tailormadeliving.co.uk Instagram: @tailormadelivingstore cherubsmagazine.com

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STYLE

Ultimate Mum Bags AW21

By Karen - @thestylenurse

So, as we all know, every season has some kind of ‘it’ bag, although last year that wasn’t quite the case, as for obvious reasons we didn’t really leave the house!

Fast forward a year and things are a changing and according to the holy bible of Vogue, the bag is most definitely back with a vengeance for AW21 and we are talking the

bigger the better. Think super sized, maxi, multi-tasking, back to business kind of bag.

really just begs the question what style will you go for?

Good news for us mums as, quite honestly, the humble bag could never really go out of fashion! How else would we transport everything but the kitchen sink around on a daily basis, now add to that hand sanitiser, endless supply of wipes and masks for all, it

Luckily, I’ve done a bit of searching around and hopefully there will be something here for everyone, whether it’s an everyday modest style or something for larging-it at the weekend, you decide!

Something for the weekend, you can definitely fit it all in here for sure and still look super stylish.

Something a bit more simple but definitely no compromise on the style is this mock croc beauty, perfect if you like your hands free for running around the park!

£32.00

stories.com

£125.00

miniandmoi.com

Definitely one for the minimalists out there, so simple but oh so stylish.

£150.00

And if, like me, you’re just not ready to say Adios to the straw bag just yet…

If you like to have something a little more organised you will love all the compartments in this, it has a more edgy look about it too.

£150.00

£325.00

jigsaw-online.com 12 | Cherubs Magazine

cosstores.com

kerikit.com 020 8154 3664

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable Wash Bag Planning a cheeky getaway over October Half Term? Here’s what Karen – @N4mummy always has in her wash bag for better, sustainable living. Packing to go away always ends up being a last-minute thing. As much as you try to plan, organising everything for a family takes forever. By the time you reach your own packing, it’s a case of shoving a few things in a suitcase and hoping for the best. Sound familiar?

Over time, I’ve learnt that having my washbag always ready makes packing so much quicker and means I don’t forget my deodorant! Now, I’m always on the hunt for great products that are a joy to use. Products that smell heavenly, nourish my skin and are kind to our world.

Cleanse Beauty Kitchen is taking the sustainable skincare world by storm and I am in love with their Seahorse Plankton+ range. Not only does it hydrate my dry skin and deal with those pesky fine lines, but the scent from the marine extracts make me feel like I’m by the seaside. Their products are a real mood booster, such a good way to start each day particularly in autumn.

Beauty Kitchen uses the very best ethically and sustainably sourced 100% natural ingredients, are cruelty free, palm oil free, microbead free and have B-Corp status. But what really makes them stand out is their return, reuse and repeat approach to packaging. When your product runs out you simply pop it in the post and return it to them free of charge, so they can wash it, fill it up and sell it again. So simple.

Facial Cleansing Konjac sponge

£7.50

Beauty Kitchen beautykitchen.co.uk

Facial Oil

£7.50

Beauty Kitchen beautykitchen.co.uk

Cleanser

£15

Underarm care Finding a natural, aluminium and plastic free deodorant hasn’t been the easiest as I have very sensitive skin.

But Wild’s refill sensitive deodorant really does the job. It’s baking soda-free and comes in a range of incredible scents.

You choose your forever casing and subscribe to your favourite scent refill that is delivered straight to your door. It’s easy, affordable and, crucially, it works.

Beauty Kitchen beautykitchen.co.uk Deodorant 1 case & 3 refills

£25

Wild wearewild.com Large Mabelle Wash Bag

£48

Liberty libertylondon.com

Sun protection This Ren SPF has been in my wash bag for a good few years now, it doesn’t clog pores, is mattifying and sits perfectly under my make up.

It’s a vegan, naturally derived formula with zinc oxide to protect skin from the sun.

Facial Cleansing Konjac sponge

£32

REN renskincare.com

Lips & Skin Solid skincare is difficult to get right, I’ve tried lots of products that haven’t really worked.

However, Cornish-based Scence Natural Skincare have nailed it with their plant-based, vegan ingredients that are paraben and plastic-free. The black pepper lip balm is really moisturizing and is now my wash bag/handbag ‘must have’, I don’t go anywhere without it. The cedar-scented body lotion has a really fresh natural scent and is just the thing for post-shaved legs. Plus, being solid, there is no danger of spills. All their products come in compostable and recyclable paper-based packaging.

Lip Balm

Body Lotion

Scence scence.co.uk

Scence scence.co.uk

£4.50

£12

Website: n4mummy.com Instagram: @n4mummy cherubsmagazine.com

Cherubs Magazine | 13

STYLE - ADVERTISING FEATURE

Frugi

When Cherubs met the lovely Jeni Bolton, the creative designer behind Frugi, we wanted to know more about her and what the future plans are for the brand.

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STYLE - ADVERTISING FEATURE

Q

Hello Jennifer, so lovely to speak with you and welcome to Cherubs.

We’d love to know about you, when did the love for children’s clothing begin?

A

Childrenswear has always been my heartland. At university I was the only one to send a children’s wear collection down the runway at our graduate show… much to my tutors’ discomfort.

Childrenswear wasn’t viewed as true ‘fashion’. I found a freedom and huge level of creativity in designing for children that was lacking in womenswear. It was so enjoyable! It felt like my handwriting belonged in a world for children full of adventure. I love immersing myself in the nostalgia of being a child again when I’m designing.

Q

It’s so important to connect with a child and understand what they would love to wear. Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

A

Inspiration is in everything! In the things we see but also in the experiences we have. I am inspired by adventures and time spent with my own children from reading bedtime stories to time spent outdoors. Our design ethos at Frugi is to design for the child so we have a very child-centric approach and make sure we consider comfort and appeal. We make sure we design characters and print

cherubsmagazine.com

that children can recognise and engage with. I also take great inspiration from solving problems and creating solutions like making sure our products are as parent friendly as possible by being machine washable or easy to get on a wriggly baby or that our outwear has the technical credentials and features that mean kids can play outside for longer without getting cold and wet. I’m inspired to make the parenting journey easier and children’s adventures more enjoyable!

Q

You joined Frugi just as they rebranded from Cut4Cloth, what drew you to the brand?

A

I was already designing for a wellknown children’s wear brand based in London and although I loved my job I felt I needed to work for a brand with a greater purpose than producing beautiful clothes and to build a lifestyle that was as equally as fulfilling as my job. The daily tube commute just didn’t cut it. I found out about Frugi through a mutual friend who was living in Cornwall and when I first saw their website, I knew straight away it was something really exciting! They had a great brand story and values that really resonated with me. From a design point of view, it was in the very early days of the brand establishing it’s handwriting, and I could see the opportunity to really elevate the product with a broader range of fabrics

and styles and some brave statements on colours and print.

Q A

How does life in Cornwall compare to one in London?

When the weather is good our weekends can feel like mini holidays in a day. I don’t take for granted how lucky we are to have such wonderful surroundings on our doorstep and relish each and every sea swim and coastal walk we have!

I miss the cultural stimulation and everchanging landscape of the city. Live music, world foods and shops! But we travel out of our beachside bubble frequently to stay in tune with civilization!

Q

What’s next for Frugi?

A

We are an ambitious bunch at Frugi and our passion for the brand and its future knows no bounds. We want to share our story and beautiful product with more people further afield, and we have lots of exciting plans to help us do this over the next one to two years. We want to make sustainable fashion the norm and really inspire the next generation of eco-heroes.

We are constantly exploring the boundaries of organic cotton whilst also looking at innovation in new sustainable materials and challenging ourselves to improve our ethical production processes.

Cherubs Magazine | 15

READING

Reads Autumn

Recommended by Pickled Pepper Books

Babies & Toddlers

Roar

By Amelia Hepworth (author) and Jorge Martin (illustrator) – 0-3 years If you like to have fun (who doesn’t?) then this is the book for you! Get ready to ROAR with laughter at this hilarious lift-the-flap book – with a surprisingly noisy ending!

Hello Mr Tiger

By Sam Boughton – 0-3 years Say hello to all your favourite jungle animals in this adorable lift-the-flap book. Little ones will love saying ‘hello’ to a whole host of friendly jungle animals in this delightful lift-the-flap book. Sam Boughton’s vibrant illustrations bring facts to life with deft humour and memorable comparisons.

Early years

Wishes

By Muon Thi Van – 2-7 years A lyrical picture book and a moving reflection on immigration, family and home. Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family’s search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the longlasting and powerful impact that makes on the littlest member of the family.

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Let’s Get Ready for School

By Jane Porter – 2-7 years Starting school can be a great adventure, but it can make you feel a bit nervous too. What will school be like? What will we do there? What if I miss Mummy? Do I have to go? Jane Porter answers all of these questions and more in this warm, witty and reassuring book for young children that explores everything they’ll need to know before starting school.

020 8154 3664

READING

Books to get them reading for pleasure

What a Wonderful World

By Leisa Stewart-Sharpe – 8 years+ This book takes you on a breathtaking tour of our planet – from towering mountaintops, through grasslands, jungles, rivers, deserts, polar wildernesses and into the blue ocean – to discover the incredible variety of life that calls it home. Along the way, read the stories of 35 inspiring Earth-shakers – children and adults, from tree-planters to scientists, from all around the world – who have taken action to protect it.

Happy Here: 10 Stories From Black British Authors & Illustrators

By Sharna Jackson, Dean Atta, Joseph Coelho, Kereen Getten, Patrice Lawrence, Theresa Lola, E.L. Norry, Jasmine Richards, Alexandra Sheppard and Yomi Sode – 6-12 years An uplifting collection of 10 stories and poems from Black British authors & Illustrators. Exploring themes of joy, home and family through a wide range of genres and styles, each author has been paired with a different illustrator to spotlight Black British artistic talent.

Long Distance

By Whitney Gardner – 9 years+ From the creator of Fake Blood comes another exceptionally charming graphic novel about friendships both near and far, far away. We follow the story of Vega, whose summer holidays have gotten off to a terrible start since her parents decided to pack up and move to Oregon and have sent her off to summer camp.

The Wild Before

By Piers Torday – 9-12 years Can one hare alone change the world? The captivating animal adventure destined to be loved by readers of all ages. A stunning prequel to the award-winning, bestselling The Last Wild trilogy, touching on timely themes of climate change, friendship, and above all, hope.

10 Middle Ln, Crouch End, London N8 8PL 020 3632 0823 • www.pickledpepperbooks.co.uk cherubsmagazine.com

Cherubs Magazine | 17

EDUCATION

Oh Hello School Too cool for school? Totally, with our must-haves for the new school term.

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Coloured Fine Liner Pens – Pack of 6

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18 | Cherubs Magazine

020 8154 3664

EDUCATION - ADVERTISING FEATURE

Providing Girls with the Happiest Start OK, so that’s not what PGHS actually stands for, but the Nursery and Reception classes at Palmers Green High School do exactly that! As a parent, making the decision to send your child to school or nursery for the first time is a daunting one. For the first time, you will be trusting others to look after and care for the most important person in your life. Choosing PGHS for this milestone means you can be confident that

your daughter will be well-looked after in an environment designed for thriving and have the happiest start to her education that you can give her.

Our School motto, By Love Serve One Another, reflects the very special ethos of our small and nurturing School, where kindness underpins everything we do.

Our small class sizes mean that your daughter will be well-known as an individual to all the teachers and teaching assistants who work with her. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, while also nurturing the interests and enthusiasms of each child to instil in them a life-long love of learning.

If you and your daughter would like to become part of the PGHS family, please contact the Admissions Team on 020 8886 1135 or by email office@pghs.co.uk For more information, a virtual tour and videos, please visit pghs.co.uk/virtual-open-day

Girls from our Nursery have priority to come through to our Reception Class, where they build on those foundations with specialist teaching in Drama, Music and PE alongside their expert Class Teacher. From Year 1, additional specialist teaching includes Art, Design and Technology, Computing and Languages.

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EDUCATION - ADVERTISING FEATURE AS GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Mount House School

The Cambridge AS Global Perspectives course is a ground-breaking and stimulating course that stretches across traditional subject boundaries and develops 21st Century transferable skills. It is both cross-curricular and skills-based and taps into the way learners of today enjoy learning, including teamwork, presentations, projects, and working with other learners around the world. The emphasis is on developing the ability to think critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view.

AS LEVEL THINKING SKILLS

Analytical thinking underlies all rational conversation, argument and enquiry. It is characterised by a meticulous and rigorous approach to the nature of the argument being discussed. It involves the analysis and evaluation of information and the development of a range of intellectual skills that aid the use of reasoning to reach clear, logical and coherent judgements within a given context. During the course, students will much improve their ability to analyse any argument presented to them – see what the conclusion is, what reasons are My first year at Mount House School has been an interesting time. I am being presented, any assumptions used and any flaws in the reasoning.

looking forward to leading the school into a new year, with more face-toface events, more musical and dramatic performances, and more sporting fixtures. It will also be wonderful to begin to plan our usual programme AS LEVEL CITIZENSHIP of trips in the UK and hopefully abroad, like Duke of Edinburgh and skiing trips, and excursions to London and beyond.

In this course, students will learn more about such concepts as identity, power getting and justice and will encouraged This yeardemocracy, I have enjoyed to know all be our students. to We have said goodbye to a wonderful Upper Sixth group, who are leaving approach different viewpoints and opinions critically, in order to us for universities like Bristol, Leeds, Exeter and UCL. We have a new MUGA gain a deeper understanding of contemporary debates surrounding (multi-use games area) being built on the school campus, which will be modern The course encourages an activeWe andhave introduced ready forcitizenship. the students’ return to school in September. a new ‘fifth column’ of sixth-form subjects which,the along with their to A levels participatory approach to citizenship, including opportunity and the EPQ, will stretch and challenge our sixth formers academically. We conduct individual research in an area of personal interest. have plans to expand the school from its current role of 230 to 350, whilst maintaining the small class sizes and the relaxed, family atmosphere of the school.

AS LEVEL LAW

So all in all it’s been an exciting time for me and all of the teachers and

Our AS Level Law fosters students’ interest law and helps students hereinat Mount House.

When I thinkinabout how resilient and cheerful everyone here has been, makes me proud to leadof the school them develop knowledge and skillsitrelevant to further study law and other excited about the future here.

Becausetheir of our small size,ofwe can offer and subjects.

Students will develop knowledge the a nurturing environment for our students, one where every individual law in England, and theand interaction law, not morals, receives the attention care theybetween need – and just justice, during a global pandemic. society and technology. They will also study Criminal Law and Tort.

For more information about Sixth Form and Open Days, please call 020 8449 6889 or visit the website www.mounthouse.org.uk

20 |

We have sixth-form guardians and buddies who look after new Year 7 entrants; we have form tutors who look after forms of 12-15 students; we GCSE LATIN have Heads of Year and the Pastoral Deputy Head available to any student who needs someone to,students about anything be worrying GCSE Latin is designedtototalk help develop that theirmight knowledge them. We are always thinking of new initiatives like the ‘Well-Bean Café’ and understanding of the vocabulary, syntax and accidence of the where anyone who’s feeling a bit overwhelmed can hang out in a quiet Latin and also ofGreen ancient literature, valuestime and society space;language, or our Gardening Team, who spend in the gardens, planting the andstudy nurturing and caring through of original texts.for our lovely school and grounds; or after-school art clubs, where students can create and paint in the relaxed atmosphere of the art rooms.

THE ACCREDITATION FOR LANGUAGES IN BUSINESS I would like to invite anyone who doesn’t yet know Mount House to come [FRENCH] along to our Open Day on 25th September, where we’ll be able to show you around the school and you can meet teachers and students as they

This is a fantastic course to boost employability and develop demonstrate science experiments, drama, music, art and more. knowledge of languages for the world of international business.

Sarah Richardson This blended learning course involves a series of practical Head assessments to develop students’ speaking and listening, reading Mount House School and writing skills in a business context. It is suitable for students who have previously studied French to GCSE level.

020 8154 3664

INSPIRING EVERY INDIVIDUAL Tailored learning and support in small class sizes.

OPEN DAY Saturday 25th Sept 2021

Barnet / Independent / Co-educational / Ages 11–18 #InspiringMountHouse

mounthouse.org.uk

EDUCATION - ADVERTISING FEATURE

in Enfield RTSY The Creative School of Art looks at the holistic approach of creating art and the benefits which help children with well-being and mental health. Art is not just a subject it is a powerful tool, which evokes inner happiness, confidence, fulfilment and self-expression.

Our children have suffered during this epidemic in different shapes and forms and heavily relied on iPads, mobile phones and consoles for fun, passing the time and enjoyment. I believe that children need to expand their creativity and imagination and find enjoyment in the visual Arts again.

RTSY is a unique Saturday School which has small class sizes in a safe space indoor and outdoor.

Children have the opportunity to spend more one to one time with their art teacher, make friends with like minded individuals, share ideas, feel proud and achieve success. Through our creative curriculum, our students will be introduced to advanced techniques and skills not yet taught to them on the national curriculum. We encourage them to experiment with a variety of mediums such as drawing, painting, printing, sculpture, graffiti, digital art, textiles and much more.

Art is a magical subject, which helps reduce stress and has therapeutic properties, which enables children to succeed with academic success, feel part of arty community, share their thoughts and ideas about their visual world, and enhance their inner artist.

RTSY gives you the opportunity to work outside and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings and to explore and take inspiration from nature. In addition, it enables young eyes to see the elements of art line, shape, tone, form and texture through observational studies.

One of the components of our teaching is History of Art which enables young children to explore the story behind a painting which helps develop new painting techniques and learn about the life and inspiration of an artist’s life and journey.

RTSY develops every child’s inner artist to shine.

AUTUMN TERM Saturday Art School in Enfield: 24 Sep - 27 Nov / Every Saturday / 90 Minutes Infants Art Classes (Ages 4-9) Juniors Art Classes (Ages 10-13)

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SCAN ME WITH YOUR MOBILE PHONE

BROOMFIELD SCHOOL

A LOCAL SCHOOL FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

JOIN US AT OUR OPEN EVENING TUESDAY 5TH OCTOBER 2021 6PM -8.30PM

NEW ENTRANCE TO THE SCHOL FROM POWYS LANE AUTUMN 2021 www.broomfield.enfield.sch.uk

Coffee Mornings and Virtual Roadshows happening throughout September and October follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates @broomfield_sch

broomfield Sch Enfield

EDUCATION

5 top benefits of tutoring For those in education, it has been an incredibly disruptive and unpredictable year. The loss of learning, incurred as a result of cancelled exams and home schooling, may have not only had a detrimental impact on your child’s academic success, but their mental health and emotional development, as well.

Tutor Doctor is a global education specialist for in-home and online learning, offering personalised one-toone learning experiences for children of all needs and ability levels. Becky Ward, Education Experience Specialist at Tutor Doctor believes that tutoring is a great option to help your kids catch up on what they’ve missed. Here are her thoughts on the benefits of tutoring beyond just improvement in academics: Helping your child develop important life skills Tutors take the time to help your child develop the vital executive functioning skills that will assist them both in school and their life beyond the classroom. These include:

• organisation • time management • prioritisation • motivation • communication • goal-setting.

An effective tutor will work with your child to build these skills through regular and practical application and practice, helping your child find greater success academically and feel in control of their studies and life.

Builds confidence and self-esteem When students feel they can achieve their goals, they naturally feel more confident.

Having a tutor is a great way to help your child find their strengths and see that they have what it takes to succeed in academics and beyond. Your child’s tutor will nurture their confidence and self-esteem by building their knowledge and skills, celebrating even the smallest win, and helping them to understand that mistakes are learning opportunities.

A tutor is also a mentor It can be really valuable for students to have a great mentor who guides them through the challenges of education. Tutors and students develop a strong, trusting relationship, which means that students often look to their tutor as a listening ear, advisor, and confidant. Having another person on their educational team who supports them, without judgement, can make all the difference!

Establish a routine After such a long period of inconsistency and upheaval, many children need a return to normalcy and routine. Returning to a solid and predictable learning schedule will not only help students feel more relaxed and less anxious of the unknown, but it will also prepare them for the return to school and the very structured daily routines they lost last year. Being prepared for this change will mean students can spend less time re-adjusting and hit the ground running when term begins.

Fills learning gaps It’s natural for children to develop gaps in their knowledge, especially after the changing educational formats the pandemic brought. Tutors help to identify gaps that might not be so apparent and work to build back lost or missing learning through personalised learning experiences that move at their own pace.

Learning new things Kids want to learn! However, what gets them excited to learn doesn’t always align with the school curriculum. A tutor makes learning interesting and fresh, and they can stretch your child’s mind and skills by supporting them as they explore those topics that they are passionate about, even if they aren’t covered in school.

For more information, please visit: www.tutordoctor.co.uk 24 | Cherubs Magazine

020 8154 3664

North Bridge House

g Acceptin ons applicati for 2 Sept 202

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Email admissionsenquiries@northbridgehouse.com or call 020 7428 1520 for more information

EDUCATION

26 | Cherubs Magazine

020 8154 3664

EDUCATION

Settle in for September

By Aimee Hart @hart_at_home September... the feeling of fresh starts!

Having worked in a school for over 10 years, September always feels more like a new year than 1 January. New pencils, school shoes and backpacks… and that’s just for the teachers! Now, I know that reality can also come with other emotions. All children deal with school life in different ways and, as a teacher, I want to reassure you that all feelings displayed by your child are normal and valid. Making new friends, being in a new classroom, being separated from you or generally having the confidence to be out there alone, showing the world the amazing person they are. It comes with a bang the day they return, or start, school and it can be hard to deal with if their emotions get the better of them. Below are five of my top tips (as a parent and a teacher) if your child needs a bit of reassurance with the newness of school life.

a positive spin on their day/talk positively about the school then their perception will begin to change. (Just as a caveat to this tip, if you DO have an issue with the school try not to talk about this in front of your child or speak negatively, this will only increase their unease and generally make their feelings amplified.)

5. Remind them of experience with school

your

amazing

My daughter constantly asks me what I did at school and which subject I liked. This will help build a connection with you and their school experience.

All children will face a wobble with school at some point in their life. Most will overcome

this in the early years when generally being away from their caregiver is too difficult for them. I do believe in the ‘rip the plaster’ theory here. Make drop off quick, positive and happy. Once parents are out of sight then the child can get on with their day quicker. Some have the wobble in later years when the work becomes challenging or they have friendship issues. All are normal and all are worthy of a sit down and reassurance. Communicate your concerns or worries with the school so they can provide support if they feel it is warranted. But also don’t feel disheartened if the school brushes it off… they may see a different side to your child at school and once they settle after the morning register all might be well with them. Trust and communication go hand in hand with schools and the teachers will always have pastoral wellbeing at the forefront of their minds each day. No child is a carbon copy of themselves at both school and at home – every teacher will vouch for this after sitting down at parent’s evening talking about a child who is a class role model to be told they are a menace at home!

Whatever your September pans out like, please remember that all emotions are valid and that children DO and WILL take time to settle (especially after a global pandemic.) Most importantly, trust the school to support your child through their struggles. At my school, mental health and wellbeing are part of our makeup and we have an amazing designated wellbeing champion who ensures good wellbeing all round (with a side of ABBA, obviously.)

Seek someone out at your school who can provide even more invaluable information.

1. Remind them what they excel at This may be something academic, or something extra-curricular but whatever that thing is, make sure they know it’s something they should be proud of.

2. Don’t worry if they come home and don’t want to talk about school Sometimes the day has been so hectic and full on that reliving it all over again can take its toll. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t good!

3. Plan after school activities This will give children who find separation difficult, something to look forward to while at school. Even better if you can organise an activity with other children from their class.

4. Talk about school in a positive way It can be hard when children struggle to adapt to school life but if you always put

Website: myevelynandme.com cherubsmagazine.com

Cherubs Magazine | 27

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Four-point lower and lift

The Morning Routine “Win the morning and you’ll win the day”, is a quote from American Entrepreneur, Tim Ferris. Now, as much as I truly love this quote and couldn’t agree more, I have to say, I, like so many of us, just don’t have this disciplined mindset. There, I said it. A ‘wellness professional’ is confessing that she’d rather stay in bed. I find the quote that aligns far better with me when it comes to a morning routine is: “I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.” Well isn’t that more like it?!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love doing Pilates, but our brains have a funny way of finding all the reasons not to do something, rather than jumping in and just doing it – even when it’s the best thing for us. You may think it comes down to having the motivation to do a class in the first place, whether that be taking a moment out for ourselves, connecting back to your body after a long period of not exercising – or dare we dream – toning for an exotic holiday.

It’s normal! But I believe motivation often starts once we’re already on the mat, not before and a lot of the time our stumbling block is the M word. We’re kind of obsessed with it. But seeing as so many of us aren’t 28 | Cherubs Magazine

fuelled by motivation to exercise, how do we tell it to bog off so we can simply roll out the mat and get started before our brain can tell us otherwise?

The concept of having a morning routine isn’t new, but with so many of us now having more time at home since the pandemic, one thing it has allowed us is some extra time to set aside for ourselves, instead of dashing for the 7am train to Waterloo. A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that morning exercise improves attention, visual learning and decision-making, plus I can certainly vouch that it boosts your mood for the rest of the day.

What’s helped me most in recent years is changing the narrative of how we should exercise. I don’t know about you, but I used to think if I didn’t have an hour spare to exercise, then I didn’t have time to exercise.

But this simply isn’t true. The game changer for me was the realisation that short and sharp, but more frequent classes were the key to success when it comes to having a morning exercise routine. So slowly I built up the frequency of me hitting the mat in

the morning until it became a habit – and yes, my brain still has no idea!

Keen to see how it can work for you? Well firstly we need to rethink how we see exercise. I often hear people groan or sigh at the thought of exercising. We know it’s essential, but because the media has made us believe we have to punish our bodies to get results we often see it as something that hurts, makes us incredibly sweaty and makes our knees as cranky as can be. This shift in perspective is what I promote a lot on my online Pilates Platform Haus Pilates Co. We’ve been made to believe ‘no pain, no gain’ is the key to get results, which not only is damaging to our joints and stressing our bodies, it’s also not great at connecting ourselves to our breath, which helps with our mental wellbeing. So, although we can trick our brain into not knowing what’s going on for our early dose of movement, we do need to rewire it to get us out of this dated mindset. With that in mind, I’ve created a morning challenge based on my ‘Quickie Pilates’ classes on Haus Pilates Co that will allow you to roll out your mat and get your morning routine off to a flying start.

020 8154 3664

HEALTH & WELLBEING

• From

Cat This has got to be one of my all-time favourite morning movements. I like to keep my eyes closed during this one to really feel my body move freely in space.

here, keep your leg straight and lengthen all the way from the hip to the big toe.

• Keep your hip parallel to the mat and begin to lift and lower your right leg ensuring it stays straight at all times.

• Do this 10 times and on the last one, keep the leg lifted behind you.

• With the leg remaining lifted, begin to slowly draw small circles with your big toe in a clockwise direction 10 times and then anti-clockwise for another 10 repetitions.

• Repeat on the other side.

Four-point - lift and lower into circles This exercise seriously tones the glutes and gives you what I like to call that satisfying Pilates burn.

• Staying

in four-point kneeling, begin by extending your right leg behind you whilst keeping your toe connected to the mat.

100’s At Haus Pilates Co I like to call this the beast of all Pilates exercises, as not only does it target the core and build stamina like no other, it also is going to give you a serious energy boost too.

• Begin by lying on your back, knees bent

• Now

you are on all fours. Check that your hands are directly underneath your shoulders and your knees are under your hips.

• Take a deep inhale and at the same time begin to draw your tummy button toward your spine as you begin to arch your back into a flexed position and gently take your chin to your chest.

• Slightly press your hands into the mat as you do so and evenly distribute the weight between your knees.

• As you exhale, slowly come back through your start position and slightly extend your back the other way without flexing your neck too much.

• Repeat this 8-10 times.

towards your chest, clasping your hands around your knee.

• Begin to alternate making sure you fully extend the leg that is going away from you and pointing your toes.

• Repeat this 15-20 times.

Single leg stretch This is a great exercise for our core. It not only builds core stability but is great for coordination. Remember we’re tricking the brain, keep it busy!

• Start by lying on your back. Knees bent

and feet flat on the floor with your arms long by your side.

• Engage your core and begin to float your right leg and then left leg into a double knee fold with your toes touching and knees pointing slightly out towards the sides of the room.

• Take an inhale and as you exhale nod your chin towards your chest and peel your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, placing your hands onto the sides of your shins.

• Begin to extend your right leg and at the same time gently draw your left knee

and feet flat on the floor with your arms long by your side.

• Float your legs into a tabletop position with your shins parallel to the mat.

• Start by tilting your chin to your chest, raise your head and shoulders off of the floor and lengthen your arms away from you so your hands are level with your hips.

• From here begin beating your arms as you inhale for a count of five and exhale for a count of five.

• Do this for a count of 100.

• To finish hug your knees into your chest and breathe.

A morning Juice to give you a zing To round off your morning routine, why not try this delicious juice to give you a morning mood boost without the caffeine. You’ll need: • a juicer • 5 stalks of celery • 1 apple • 1/2 lemon • 5cm piece of fresh ginger

Website: officialanna-johnson.com/hauspilatesco Instagram: @hauspilatesco cherubsmagazine.com

Cherubs Magazine | 29

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Gut Health

Sophie Trotman is a registered Nutritional Therapist based in London. Sophie sees clients for one-to-one consultations and hosts workplace wellness workshops. @sophietrotmannutrition sophietrotmannutrition.com

September, the month of fresh stationery and new intentions. Many of us have a back-to-school mindset hangover from our childhoods. While an eagerness to improve one’s health is clearly a positive, the uptake of fad diets and restrictive eating increases in this autumnal month. As a registered Nutritional Therapist, I implore you to look away from those reductionist calorie counting, unsustainable methods and approach health with a more holistic, longterm approach.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the far-reaching importance of gut health on our health and wellbeing.

Gut health impacts every bodily function including immunity, sleep, mental health and much more.

In this article, we explore ways in which we can gently restore balance in our guts and reap the many benefits.

Impact of summer on our gut health A more laissez faire and sociable summer period can compromise our gut health.

Firstly, a general lack of structure may have caused us to consume more sugar than usual. The bad bacteria in our gut feed off sugar, meaning that an increase in dietary sugar can cause an imbalance between our good and bad bacteria.

Furthermore, the summer months are associated with more relaxed drinking habits. A few too many glasses of rosé can lead to disruptions in the gut microbiome, wiping out beneficial species and causing further imbalance.

Now, I don’t paint a very pleasant picture about the current potential states of our guts. However, the empowering aspect of gut health is the fact that we have a toolbox of dietary and lifestyle measures at our disposal to improve it. Read on to learn more about my top tips for gut health improvement.

Top Tips Increase plant diversity Studies have shown that the wider the variety of plant foods, the greater the 30 | Cherubs Magazine

diversity of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

The microbial diversity of Westerners has decreased in recent years, which contributes to the elevated instances of gut issues that we see. At present, the government recommends the consumption of 30 plant foods per week. At first, this may sound overwhelming, but once we acknowledge that this number includes nuts, seeds and grains in addition to vegetables and fruit, the target seems more achievable.

In clinic, I challenge clients to cook with new vegetables. Signing up for a vegetable delivery service such as Oddbox can be useful. In addition, seed mixes and trail mixes provide an easy way to increase dietary plant diversity.

Include probiotic and prebiotic foods Probiotic foods include beneficial bacteria that populate the gut and offer healthpromoting properties. Fermented foods are a great source of beneficial bacteria and have a delicious umami taste. Try to incorporate foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and tempeh in your diet. Probiotic drinks like kombucha and kefir are also fantastic options.

Prebiotics act as a source of food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Gut microbes turn them into useful metabolites like short-chain fatty acids and vitamins. All the more reason to include onion, garlic, artichokes and asparagus in your diet.

Avoid artificial sweeteners Despite the rise in popularity of artificial sweeteners in recent years, there are an array of reasons why we should avoid these substances. In terms of gut health, these can cause irritation in the gut and unfavourable shifts in our microbiome. Ditch the canned drinks and enjoy sparkling water with fresh fruit or herbal tea.

Ease up on the drinking Cut down on your alcohol consumption to improve gut health and much more.

There are many alcohol-free or low-alcohol brands out there now, and by reducing your alcohol consumption by even just a third, your gut will thank you.

Try to implement some of these tips over the coming months and let us know how you get on via the Cherubs social platforms @cherubsmagazine 020 8154 3664

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An overload of light, sound and energy will power you through your workout.

Our instructors will challenge, push and support you, to achieve results you never thought possible.

A Myzone heart-rate belt will track your performance every step of the way.

With your heart rate streamed on digital screens, you’ll work your body at just the right intensity to get the most from your workout.

Get ready to feel the burn and join the tribe #Blazetribe

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Easy yoga morning routine for busy parents The morning school run can often be extremely stressful especially with little (or not so little) ones running around your feet when you’re trying to get everyone’s cereal on the table and have a morning drink yourself. We end up releasing a little stress cry every morning to “get your shoes on!” and then feel guilty when those eyes look back up at you.

How to break the circle and feel a little calmer in the morning?

A daily morning yoga practice can help massively in setting the energy and keeping the stress at bay. Yoga brings together your mind and body, incorporating breathing exercises, meditation and poses designed to strengthen you from the inside, encouraging relaxation and reducing stress.

It doesn’t have to be full on, 10 minutes in the morning before family life takes over is all you need.

Marica Carleschi, European Consumer Marketing Manager at INNOVO, and parttime yoga instructor, discusses the many benefits of a quick yoga morning routine including how it can strengthen your core muscles and give you control over bladder leaks when you jump around with your kids.

Key Benefits of a Yoga Morning Routine Reduce Stress – when we’re stressed, we hold a lot of tension in the body which makes us feel tight and can cause pain in certain areas. Yoga is known for its ability to relieve stress and encourage relaxation by combining many popular stress-reducing techniques, including exercise, breath control, the ability to clear the mind, and relax the body.

Relieve Anxiety – Yoga helps us to learn how to regulate our stress response and build resilience to stress. The breath work we learn on the mat can be applied to any

32 | Cherubs Magazine

aspect of our lives, therefore in times of stress or heightened anxiety, taking deep meditative breaths can help us control our emotions and feel a sense of calm.

Prevent Bladder Leaks – a strong pelvic floor is essential for preventing bladder leaks. The pelvic floor is a key set of deep muscles that holds all the pelvic organs (uterus, vagina, bowel and bladder) in place and supports the bladder to provide control when you urinate. Like any muscle group, these muscles need to be toned and strengthened for them to perform efficiently. Yoga is hugely beneficial for your pelvic floor muscles as a lot of exercises focus on strengthening and engaging your core.

Improve Your Orgasms – not only does a strong pelvic floor prevent bladder leaks, but it is possible that strong pelvic floor muscles could increase sensitivity during sex, giving you stronger orgasms.

Improve Quality Of Life – yoga is the perfect exercise to help you unwind, boost your endorphins and put you first.

A regular exercise routine has an array of benefits including a boost in self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression and health problems.

Your Morning Yoga Routine Tadasana, Mountain Pose (Illustrated below left)

Start by standing, with your feet hip distance apart and your hands resting at your sides. Place a yoga block (or a thick book or pillow) between your thighs.

Engage your inner thighs and try to lift the block upwards. Close your eyes and focus the attention on your breath. Breathe in, push the tummy out and feel (or be aware that) your pelvic floor moves down. Breathe out, gently pull your belly in and feel the pelvic floor moving up.

Struggling to feel your pelvic floor? No drama – this is very common with most of us. Try this: inhale and keep your PF relaxed, exhale and engage your PF by lifting it. How? Imagine you are holding a wee or you are walking into cold water, and you really don’t want your bits to touch the water! With a bit of practice, you can begin to accentuate each end of the breath cycle, relaxing and engaging, relaxing and engaging. Do at least five rounds of full breaths.

Downward Dog (Pictured above)

From Tadasana, fold forward, bend the knees as much as needed to be able to plant the hands on the mat shoulder distance apart. Press the palms down and step the feet back into a plank position, keeping the feet hip distance apart. Now walk the feet in, push the hips up and back elongating the spine. Keep the knees soft and lengthen the spine. Look at your navel, head and neck are relaxed. Keep breathing deeply and hold for five breaths.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING Warrior 2 From Downward Dog, step your right foot forwards (use your hand to push your foot between the hands) and lower your left heel down on the mat so that your right foot is straight but left foot is turned out slightly with your toes pointing away from your body. Lift yourself up and extend your arms straight out to the sides so they are parallel to the floor. Keep Bend the right knee over the right ankle, keeping your left leg straight. Tighten your tummy as though you are pressing your belly button to your spine and pull up the pelvic floor as we did in Mountain pose. Hold for five breaths, then straighten the right leg and turn on the other side. Do five breaths on each side.

Malasana, Yoga Squat Now separate the feet so that the heels are on the mat and the toes are off the mat.

Bend the knees and lower your hips toward the floor. Lift the chest. Lift both hands and press the palms together in front of your chest. Push the elbows into your inner thighs and lift the chest a bit more.

Remember: spine is long, shoulders away from the ears, shoulder blades towards each other, neck is long, look forward.

Modification: place a block under your seat for extra support. Stay for five breaths.

Navasana, Boat Pose Utkatasana, Chair Pose Step back in Mountain pose, with your arms stretched upwards, and the tips of your fingers lengthened towards the ceiling. If you have a block, hold the block with your hands, pressing the palms into the block and keeping the arms straight. Bend your knees, keeping your back as straight as possible, and push your hips back into a squat, as though you’re sitting down into a chair. Keep your heels connected to the floor, without your hips dipping any lower than your knees. Hold the posture for five breaths. Take long, relaxed breaths. Try to lift your pelvic floor upwards, as though you were trying to hold in a wee. Straighten up again slowly.

Start sitting on the floor with both knees as close as possible to the chest, hands behind the knees. Point the toes, feel the ground with both sitting bones, take a deep breath in and push the chest towards the knees, keep the shoulders away from the ears.

Exhale and lift both feet up until parallel to the ground. Keep pushing the chest towards the knees. Hold for five breaths and then repeat. Options: You can keep your hands behind the knees for support or extend both arms forward. You can keep the knees bent or straighten both legs.

Stay for five breaths. Watch out: do not curve the spine and fold in, keep pushing the chest forward trying to reduce the gap between the chest and the thighs.

Bridge, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Start lying down on your back, arms alongside the body with palms facing down.

Bend the knees and place the heels as close as possible to your sitting bones, feet hip distance apart. If you have a block, place it between your knees. Turn the toes slightly in. Take a deep inhale and on the exhale tuck the tailbone under, engage the glutes and lift your hips and chest up. Squeeze the block between the knees. Think about elongating your spine and start actively pressing the palms and the forearms down on the mat to find more lift. Look up at the ceiling. Five breaths, lower the spine down, take a couple of breaths and then repeat.

Happy Baby (and Happy Parents!)

Lie on the matt on your back and draw your knees in to your chest. Hold on to your knees, inhale deeply & exhale. Grab the outside edges of your feet, or the back of your thighs and pull your knees (bent) out to the side, trying to pull the knees as closely to your armpits as you can without causing any discomfort. Keep your heels right on top of your knees and your tailbone and shoulders on the mat. Pull your feet (or your thighs) down with your hands. Tighten your tummy as though you are pressing your belly button to your spine and pull up the pelvic floor. You can rock from side to side to give your back a lovely massage.

Hold for as long as you feel comfortable, then release your legs straight to the floor gently, with your arms at your side to relax.

Check out Innovo’s invisible workouts at myinnovo.com

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Cherubs Magazine | 33

HEALTH & WELLBEING

The Fertility Clinic

By Dr Ellie Rayner

Deciding when’s the right time to have a baby is an incredibly individualised decision that will vary from person to person and from family to family. Women who plan a pregnancy and are healthier at conception have a better chance of becoming pregnant quickly, having a safe and healthy pregnancy and labour, and giving birth to a healthy baby. With this in mind, whatever age you are, it’s never too early to look at your general health and lifestyle and be informed in preparation for a future pregnancy.

Pregnancy and your age In the UK, most couples under the age of 40, having regular vaginal intercourse and not using contraception, will become pregnant within one year of trying, with around one in three becoming pregnant within the first month. Of those couples that don’t conceive in the first year, around half will fall pregnant spontaneously in their second year, meaning that overall, more than 90% of couples aged less than 40 will fall pregnant in their first two years of trying. Unfortunately, your fertility does decline with age, particularly after 35 years, so if you are considering having a baby it is important to keep this in mind when deciding when the right time is for you.

Preparing for future children later in life In the UK, older maternal age is considered to be 40 years and above, whether this is your first or a subsequent pregnancy. Most older women have a healthy pregnancy and baby, however, unfortunately, there is

an increased risk to both mother and baby of medical problems or miscarriage and stillbirth and the chance of these occurring does continue to increase with age. If you are an older mother, your pregnancy is likely to be different from the outset compared to a woman who is younger, with your midwife or obstetrician offering you additional appointments and monitoring of you and your baby to help reduce the risk of complications. Pregnancy in older mothers is becoming more common for several reasons, such as women choosing not to start a family until later in life for personal reasons. As being an older mother carries its own risks, it is especially important if you are considering pregnancy later in life to optimise your health and wellbeing before and during pregnancy to increase the chance of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Secondary infertility Around 5% of the population may experience difficulties conceiving a second or subsequent baby and it is important to recognise that this can be just as devastating as for a couple who have never been able to conceive. The treatment and approach to this condition is usually the same as if you haven’t had a baby before, however it is important to remember that as your fertility declines with age, the length of time to achieve a pregnancy can increase.

Many health and lifestyle factors in both men and women can influence your

fertility for both first and subsequent pregnancies, so if you are having difficulties trying to conceive it is important to adjust your lifestyle as soon as possible as this alone may make a difference. Reducing or stopping smoking and drinking alcohol, and stopping any recreational drugs are all extremely important steps to take towards improving your fertility and chance of a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, being overweight affects your fertility and exercising, and being active regularly, can boost your fertility and will help you have a healthier pregnancy and birth. Seeing your GP before stopping contraception if you have any medical problems or take medication can also help ensure you are on the correct treatment before you conceive.

If you are planning a pregnancy, make sure you are taking Folic Acid supplements for ideally at least three months beforehand to reduce your chance of developmental problems with your baby.

Whether it is your first or a subsequent pregnancy you are trying for, if you are less than 35 years old and have not conceived after a year of trying or are aged 35 years and older and have not conceived after six months of trying, you should see your GP to discuss your personal situation. They will talk to you and your partner in detail and you should be offered investigations and referral to a specialist to rule out any underlying cause and consider whether any further treatment is required.

Dr Ellie Rayner is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, she is the founder of www.thematernitycollective.co.uk 34 | Cherubs Magazine

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LIVING

Fun snacks for those little pickles with Neha @squashedpickle

Cheesy Marmite Pinwheels

Froyo Apple Donuts

If you like marmite and you like cheese you’re going to love these!

You need four ingredients and you have the perfect party snack, lunch box filler or on the go nibble. I’ve tried these on a few people and they were a big hit. You can substitute the egg wash with milk if your little one can’t have an egg.

These Apple donuts are fun and so refreshing. They make a fun kids activity and can be decorated any way you like. I’ve kept these simple with chocolate stars and vanilla Greek yoghurt but you can flavour your yoghurt and add any toppings you fancy.

Ingredients

• 3 lolly sticks • 1 red apple • 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt • Vanilla extract • Honey (for kids aged over one) • Toppings (sprinkles, cereal etc)

• One packet puff pastry • 2 tbsp marmite (slightly warmed) • Approx 250g mature cheddar Method

1. Lay your puff pastry on a floured surface.

2. Place marmite in a bowl and heat for around 15-30seconds. I feel this helps to spread it. You can put as little or as much as you like.

3. Spread it all over the puff pastry .

4. Sprinkle grated cheese on top all over.

5. Roll the puff pastry tight (width ways) like a sausage and seal close with a little water.

6. Slice the roll into 2cm circles.

7. Place on a non-stick baking tray and bake and brush with the egg.

8. Bake for 15 minutes in a hot oven at 180c.

Yummy!

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Ingredients

Method

1. Start by mixing the Greek yoghurt with vanilla and honey and set aside.

2. Slice your apples into three slices around 2cm thick (you can remove skin or keep it.)

3. Remove the centre of the apple using a knife or apple corer.

4. Using a sharp knife make a small slit in the side of the apple and slide the lolly stick in.

5. Dip or top the apple lolly with the yoghurt mix.

6. Add sprinkles, cereal, frosting anything else you like!

7. Freeze for two hours.

Enjoy!

Cherubs Magazine | 35

LIVING

EatHappyFeelGood

Thai Chicken Thai chicken meatballs. A delicious, perfect family meal that’s so adaptable, add more or less of any of the flavours, or you can leave something out altogether if you prefer. I serve them with rice and green veggies or a Thai salad.

Ingredients

Makes 10 For meatballs • 1 kg chicken mince • ½ cup finely chopped fresh coriander • 3 cloves garlic, grated • 3 red chillies, finely chopped • 1½ tbsp toasted sesame oil • 6 spring onions, finely chopped • 2 tsp grated ginger • 1 tbsp coconut oil (if browning) For the sauce • ½ cup sweet chilli sauce • 2 tbsp soy sauce • Juice of 1 lime

36 | Cherubs Magazine

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C. 2. Put all the meatball ingredients apart from the coconut oil into a large bowl. Mix well, hands work best for this.

3. Form into meatballs; make between 15 and 20.

4. You can either bake for about 35 minutes or till cooked through OR Heat the coconut oil in a large non stick pan.

Brown the chicken balls all over. Be gentle with them as they’re a little fragile when raw.

5. When they’re browned all over, transfer to the oven to cook through. Depending on the size of the meatballs this takes about 25 minutes. Check they’re cooked through before serving.

6. Five minutes before the meatballs are ready, put the sauce ingredients in the same pan and cook for five minutes over low heat just to combine and thicken the sauce a little.

7. When they’re ready, add the meatballs to the sauce, mix through and serve with rice and veggies.

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LIVING

Goodness Hot Chocolate

Because we can have the delicious things we enjoy and still give our body nutrients. I love this recipe, chocolatey, creamy and so satisfying, what more could you want from an afternoon treat.

We love it with salty pretzels because salt and chocolate are so good together. It really is delicious but you also get: avocado healthy fats, potassium, folate, vitamins C, K, B5 & B6. Medjool dates – fibre, antioxidants, iron, potassium, B vitamins, copper and magnesium. Raw cacao – polyphenols, which have powerful antioxidant and anti inflammatory effects.

Ingredients

Serves 2 • 2 cups milk – use oat or almond • 3 medjool dates, pitted

Method

• 2 tbsp raw cacao • 1 small avocado or half a regular one

• Optional maple syrup to taste

• Mini marshmallows to serve

1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.

Taste and add maple syrup to the sweetness level you want.

2. Pour into a pan and heat gently.

3. Top with mini-marshmallows and enjoy.

Veggie Packed Cottage Pie Q: Can you guess how much extra veggie goodness I got into our dinner tonight?

A: Courgettes, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower, peas, carrots.

This is the kind of meal that makes me happy. Family-friendly delicious comfort food that’s packed with flavour and veggies... because you guys know how much I love veg! A cottage pie is the perfect dish to add loads more vegetables and they really do make it even more tasty. My base has lean mince, cooked with onion and garlic. I then add loads of flavour with good quality stock cubes , fresh thyme, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Then I add as many veggies as I can get in my pan. Today I added peas, grated courgettes (water squeezed out) carrots, mushrooms and peppers. You can cut these as big or as small as you like. The courgettes almost melt into the sauce, as someone who doesn’t like courgettes trust me when I say... I’d notice.

My topping is half potato and half cauliflower. I promise you it’s just as creamy and delicious as a traditional mashed potato. I then add a few panko breadcrumbs and cherry tomatoes and bake for 45 minutes. Totally delicious way to get loads of nutrients into your family. And for extra bonus points, make more of the base mix and freeze for another day.

Halloween Pumpkins In our home Halloween means fun and trick or treating! This year we’re celebrating with these super fun M&M rice pop trick or treat pumpkins. ten rice pop treats, eight filled with yummy M&Ms and two filled with liquorice. Happy Halloween!

Ingredients Makes 10 • 220g (5 cups) white mini-marshmallows • 150g (5½ cups) rice pops • 45g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter • 5-10 drops orange food colouring • M&Ms of your choice – they’re all yummy! You will need to set aside 10 brown ones and 10 green ones for the top • 2 pieces liquorice

Method

1. Put a pan of water on to boil.

2. Place a large heatproof bowl over the pan of boiling water.

Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.

3. Put the marshmallows in the bowl and heat till they’re fully melted together.

4. Add the orange food colouring and mix well. Add a little at a time and make sure you’re happy with the colour.

5. When it’s all mixed together, take the bowl off the heat and add the rice pops. Using a spatula, mix the rice pops into the melted marshmallows until completely combined.

6. Dip your hands into the water to prevent the rice pop mixture from sticking to your hands. Take a handful of the mixture and form a flat ball on your palm. Put 3-5 M&Ms on top and form a ball around the M&Ms. Press together firmly. When you’re happy that it’s all sticking together, slightly flatten to resemble a pumpkin. Make a small indentation on the top to insert the brown M&M. The peanut ones work particularly well for this.

7. Repeat the process with the liquorice. These are the trick ones!

8. Put the brown M&M into the indentation to represent the pumpkin stalk. Put a green M&M next to the brown one to represent the leaf.

9. Put them in the fridge to set.

10. Enjoy and have fun!

Website: eathappyfeelgood.co.uk Instagram: @eathappyfeelgood Cherubs Magazine | 37

HOME

Home Edit September is a great time for getting organised for the season ahead, a light declutter and a few home updates are just what we need.

Keep it monochromatic and add some caramel tones for a chic look.

Monochrome Print

£3.00

ABSTRACT HOUSE abstracthouse.com

Metal Hat Rack

£49.99 H&M hm.com

Opie Terracota Vase

£185.00

Bloomingville bloomingville.com

Manic Metal Storage Boxes

£13.00

IKEA Ikea.com

Butterscotch Rush Basket

£25.00

Dunelm dunelm.com

Website: tailormadeliving.co.uk Instagram: @tailormadelivingstore 38 | Cherubs Magazine

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HOME

Parker Coffee Table

£345.00 Loaf loaf.com

Organic Shape Mirror

€79.95

SKLUM sklum.com

Tufted Cushion Cover

£19.99 H&M hm.com

Faux Eucalyptus

£45.00

Neptune neptune.com

Solkint Brass and Smoky Glass Lamp

£13.00

IKEA Ikea.com

Patterned Cushion Cover

£24.99 H&M hm.com

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Cherubs Magazine | 39

HOME - ADVERTISING FEATURE

Why is the UK’s Property Market Heating up?

The good news for investors and landlords is that the UK property market is heating up. However, to better understand why this is happening now and what is the future trend, we have investigated current market trends and future property predictions.

Here’s our summary.

Added to this change of lifestyle was the government tax break of the stamp duty holiday of savings on property up to £500,000, which ended in June. Although the savings may not have been the reason for house sales, it was an added incentive for investors.

UK Housing prices are growing at the fastest rate in 17 years, with all regions picking up.

Although we are in the middle of a global pandemic, property prices remain high.

Finally, the ultra-low interest rates have been a positive impact on the property market. The good news is that it doesn’t appear to be a rush in putting the interest rate up after the long period of lockdown.

We have seen that at the start of the pandemic, the property market was put on pause. Now we are seeing sales surging, with the average sale price of a home in England increasing by 10.2% since March 2020.

All this combined has led to a large demand in buying property. The strong demand is also being driven by not having enough property to sell. The result is an increase in house prices.

People have reassessed their lifestyle and work situations while they have been forced to stay home. We see a trend that people want to continue to have the flexibility to work from home in comfort.

Although the house prices outside of London have increased, it is likely that the price of flats in the city will follow this trend.

What’s more, since people are finding they don’t need to commute to work, this has led to London residents moving out of London to buy properties that suit their new lifestyle. This includes extra green space around the property, a larger property for their kids or properties with a balcony, garden, or courtyard.

During the pandemic, flats without gardens were not popular to buy, neither were inner city apartments. With the restrictions, people were not travelling to the city for work or going out to enjoy the well-known London nightlife.

However, the demand for this type of property is likely to come back quickly once the ease of restrictions commences and people start to come back into the city.

In addition, due to restrictions on travelling, some households were able to increase their savings during the pandemic. This led them to have more capital available to negotiate for the property they wanted, which pushed up the price as they bid against competitors.

Due to the hot property market, renting will remain a popular choice for London residents. Our research shows that renting will continue to increase until the end of 2021. This is due to ongoing job uncertainty pushing people to rent instead of buy.

This has led to a surge in property demand over the past several months.

With the COVID restrictions easing, international students will likely return, and workers will be able to return to their

offices in some capacity. This is expected to see an increase in demand for rental accommodation.

Another trend is that the number of buy-tolet landlords has significantly increased. In addition, there was a rise in demand from first-time buy-to-let landlords due to the low interest rates and increasing house prices.

Another key factor in the growing property trend is the potential of foreign investors.

With the special visa for British National Overseas passport holders in Hong Kong being granted, it is predicted that this will increase the number of new foreign investors buying property, which will have the potential to increase the housing prices further.

Whether the current boom will continue is hard to predict. However, we see that the current demand continues to be strong for the near future. It seems that the demand and higher property prices will continue until at least the end of 2021.

Investing in the Right Property for Your Goals We recommend that if you are thinking about investing in a property, you start by getting professional advice to make a considered decision.

At REKA Property Management, we give our clients the facts about the property industry.

If you want to know how to achieve solid rental returns and have peace of mind with your property, then call us on 020 3286 6468 or email us at admin@rekaproperty. co.uk

LANDLORDS WE WANT TO GIVE YOU UP TO

£1,000

Rent Your Property to Long-Term Quality Tenants and Receive a Cash Incentive

How Landlords Can Help Ease The London Housing Crisis, Without Impacting Their Rental Returns If you’ve struggled to find quality tenants, reduce rental vacancies or been frustrated doing the necessary legal compliance, repairs or maintenance, then maybe the REKA Property Home Finder Scheme can help you.

This FREE service helps landlords to immediately let their properties to good tenants while providing quality accommodation for Local Housing.

Benefits to Landlords: • Property let within 10 days • A solid two-year assured tenancy period • Fast-tracked housing benefit within days of inspecting your property • A cash incentive up to £1000 • Fully vetted quality tenants • Receive the housing benefit payment directly to you, the landlord, not to the tenants.

To find out more information, call us on 020 3286 6468 or email us at lettings@rekaproperty.co.uk and quote “rent my property.”

W W W. R E K A P R O P E R T Y. C O . U K

PARENT LIFE

Struggling to get the little ones down after an exciting six weeks?

As the fun and excitement of the summer holidays draws to a close, the return to school brings with it a change in routine that often means a change in sleep patterns for children. Sleep is important for a child’s wellbeing; sleep is key for waking up energised and in a good mood, allowing you to perform at your best both physically and mentally, whether that’s at school or at home.

Just like adults, tiredness impacts a child’s ability to concentrate and their productivity. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation, even partial, can significantly affect mood and wellbeing. Without getting the adequate amount of sleep, it is much harder for our brain to absorb, process and recall new information. The National Sleep Foundation generally recommends 10 to 13 hours for pre-school aged children, nine to 11 hours for school-aged children, and eight to 10 for teenagers.

As children grow up and hit preadolescence, they begin to experience a delay in their circadian rhythm. With their internal clock shifted back slightly, they will

find themselves needing more sleep in the morning and also find themselves awake longer in the evening, potentially impacting cognitive performance.

One study measuring the brain activity of children aged between five and 12 found that those whose sleep was cut short had an increased need for deep sleep in maturing areas of the brain. This affects the regions of the brain involved in vision, spatial perception and processing multi-sensory input. While long-term consequences to cognition and learning still need to be investigated, this highlights the vital role regular sleep plays in helping children to be the best versions of themselves and giving their minds and bodies the time necessary to recharge.

Some Tips for Sleep Make a plan (and stick to it!)

Keeping a regular bedtime all week – Monday to Sunday – is essential to avoid difficulties sleeping. It helps to have a regular sleep schedule that involves some time for slowing down and avoiding

excitement. Reading with your child or giving them a bath can be a great way to help them wind down before bed.

Avoid screens While a bit of bedtime TV may feel like a good idea as part of winding down, the blue light emitted by screens such as mobiles, TVs and tablets can inhibit the production of melatonin; a sleep-inducing hormone that usually signals when it’s night-time and instructs our bodies to go to sleep. Keep the bedroom free from these electronic devices and ensure children avoid blue light at least a couple of hours before bed.

Cuddle time A cuddle before bed is more than just a nice way for your little one to drift off to sleep.

Not only does it help them feel safe and secure in their bedroom, it also helps to reduce their core body temperature, as the blood vessels in their hands and feet dilate.

This helps their bodies dissipate excessive body heat, which is crucial for sleep as the body needs to cool down in order to enter a good night’s rest.

Dr Verena Senn, Neurobiologist and Head of Sleep Research at Emma - The Sleep Company emma-sleep.co.uk 42 | Cherubs Magazine

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PARENT LIFE

Playdate: the new dating app for single parents Playdate is the UK’s first dating app catering solely to single parents. The app is founded by single mum and marketing entrepreneur, Nevine Coutry, who knows how tough dating as a single parent can be. Frustrated at the lack of opportunities to meet like-minded single parents, she decided to launch her own app. Her vision with Playdate is to allow single parents to find meaningful relationships, which work alongside their lifestyle and commitments.

Developing an app for single parents seemed to be a logical step as most people are familiar with dating apps. One in five relationships begin online in the UK and approximately 68% of the UK population has used or is currently using a dating app.

The purpose of the app is for single parents to find love and to also find a partner who can support them and their children.

Nevine recognises the importance of re-establishing a family unit and how beneficial this can be for children of all ages. With Playdate her goal is to make this possible for single parents across the country.

Nevine comments: “I came up with the idea for Playdate because the idea of online dating has always been quite daunting for me, as current mainstream apps seem to cater for the more adventurous, wild types, but what makes it increasingly daunting is the fact that I am a single parent.

“As a single parent, there is more at stake, you can’t be as spontaneous or adventurous as you were before having

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children. You have responsibilities and are juggling a million things at once. Your time is precious. You can however seek to meet and hopefully develop meaningful relationships with like-minded people.

can be challenging. This feature is updated regularly with mentions of local ‘childfriendly’ restaurants, cafes, and bars should you feel comfortable enough to bring the children along after a few successful dates.

“As most single parents looking for a meaningful relationship or a long-term partner, I would much rather date someone who is in the same boat, a fellow single parent who understands what it means to be a parent and also would automatically have a sense of added responsibility about them. They are not intimidated by the fact you are a single parent, in fact, they are attracted to you because of it!”

The app has partnered up with Bubble, the UK’s number one sitter and nanny app, which offers on-demand childcare, to provide its users with instant childcare solutions, so they can finalise arrangements for their date while enjoying a special discount for all bookings generated through Playdate.

The app’s main features are based on your location, so will only show you other single parents in your area and school districts.

You may find that you have like-minded single parents in the same school(s) your children go to! Users can also filter their search based on age, whether or not they are open to having more children, and their single status, so for example users who are single parent widows can match up with other widowed single parents. There is a shared experience there that could lead to connection and potentially love.

Because of the lifestyle and usually extremely busy schedule of single-parent life, the app alsol provides both childcare options and date ideas to make the dating experience stress-free. One of the special features on the app is Date Ideas, which will include suggestions for lunch dates or coffee meet-ups instead of only dinners or nights out when babysitting

One of the things Nevine wanted to avoid was the fear of rejection, often found with other apps, so with Playdate, there will be no swiping left or right, users simply send a ‘chat request’ and users can choose to accept or not. The app will, of course, have a standard chat feature option for you to speak online with your potential date before you agree to meet in person.

A premium membership is available which includes audio and video messaging and allows users to see who has viewed their profile. Perhaps the most interesting feature in the premium membership is a ‘make invisible’ feature which allows users to make themselves invisible to certain users, even if they are not on the app yet.

Most single parents for example would not want their ex-partners to see their profile.

For more information about the app, please visit gotoplaydate.com. Playdate is available from the App Store and Google Play now.

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PARENT LIFE

Mrs ‘Rebel’ Chi Chi’s We all love a bunch of flowers in our life, especially when they come from a gorgeous local Mama. She’s famously known as Mrs Chi Chi’s (after her yummy family restaurant in Winchmore Hill, North London.) However, she has a wild side… meet Victoria Hardwicke, founder of Rebel & Wild. We caught up with her over a coffee and waffle (obviously) and found out how this lady went from a marketing job in the city to creating beautiful blooms for all to enjoy.

Tell us about yourself?

I’m a mum of two and creator of Rebel & Wild, a local flower subscription service based in N21. I also run regular flower design courses at our family restaurant – Chi Chi’s Brunch and Nights. Anything from Prosecco-fuelled Christmas wreath making to flower-crown making courses for parents and kids.

Why Rebel & Wild?

I started Rebel & Wild during the first lockdown after being made redundant from my PR and marketing job in the city. It was a crazy time of change and uncertainty for me and the whole family, but it also gave me a rare opportunity to rethink what I was doing and consider starting something new. Without the pressure of job hunting (there were no jobs to hunt), I was free to imagine what my next move might be and what would truly make me happy after 16 years in the corporate world.

44 | Cherubs Magazine

As for many, my garden became a real haven of nature, joy and colour and as a (very) amateur painter, I was drawn to the colour in the garden and started to mix flowers together in the same way I would use paint. I started to post what I was doing on Instagram and realised that without any formal training in floristry, I was doing something quite unique with my arrangements that people were actually appreciating. That little bit of attention was all I needed to start believing this could be a real career move for me. After that, I became obsessed with flowers, arranging, styling, conditioning, photographing – every day was about seeing what I could create from the garden and post on Instagram.

I also realised how important small, local businesses had become to people during the lockdown and how much support there was for local services that could be delivered. With the help of my husband Richie, we decided on a local subscription service delivering flowers within 2.5 miles

of N21. It started slowly and has gradually grown into a really beautiful community of what I affectionately call my Rebel & Wilders. We see each other every few weeks, appreciate flowers and talk about each other’s lives on the doorstep. After a year in business, I still have all of my customers who were with me in the first few weeks, and I am so grateful for their support.

What do you love most about what you do?

I’m passionate about doing everything I can to make my work as sustainable as possible, whether that’s incorporating home grown flowers from my cutting garden or allotment, making the flower food from scratch, so that I can use glass jars instead of plastic sachets or walking or cycling to my local deliveries whenever possible. My business model also means that my customers get their flowers on the same day that I buy them, so they’re 020 8154 3664

PARENT LIFE not sitting around for days and it gives the customer the full vase life of the flower.

And because I always know the number of flowers I need in advance, I have almost no waste at all, which is one of the biggest problems a florist faces.

Where did your career lead you before you dedicated all of your time to Rebel and Wild?

I spent the last 16 years before I started Rebel & Wild in PR and marketing. It was an incredible experience, and I was lucky enough to work for lots of global brands all over the world, helping them to build their brand stories, which came in pretty handy when I faced the challenge for myself.

Eventually I worked as a brand strategist in the city but it was most fun when I was younger, living and working in Australia and enjoying the crazy, fun, Aussie lifestyle.

Your arrangements are so unique.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I’m inspired by the wilder, quirkier aspects of nature, the way flowers, grasses and trees morph during the changing of the seasons and finding beauty in what might be considered ugly or not worthy to be placed in a vase. I’m always foraging for seed-heads and dried grasses and flowers at the end of the season.

Colour is really important to me and I mostly try to work with nature in this department but sometimes I like to clash colours too.

So often, I’ll use the colours within one flower to inform the rest of the bunch, so there is harmony in the colour scheme. I’ve also enjoyed painting throughout my life and I think the experience of mixing paint colours has definitely influenced how I work with flowers.

What’s it like trying to run your own business whilst also bossing mum-life and wife-life?

What’s your average day like?

Tell us about your courses – what inspired you to start them?

On the whole, with two young children, two small family businesses, and a kitten, my average day resembles carnage! It’s always an early start in our house, either getting up to collect flowers at 5am or getting up with the kids at 5:30am. On a day when I’m delivering flowers, I fling a lot of leaves and sticks around the kitchen while packing lunch for Leon and doing Lucia’s hair. The flowers, the kids and keeping on top of the house take turns in the priority stakes. My poor husband barely gets a look-in! But we do, somehow, make it all work. For me, there’s nothing better than when I finally get the kids to school and nursery, put my music on, start conditioning the flowers and then focus on creating something unique for my Rebel & Wilders.

Like most mums, I feel like I’m juggling many balls and just hoping I catch them all in the right order. But there is something very rewarding and fulfilling about running my own business and knowing that every part of it is truly mine – the good and the ugly.

I absolutely love running the courses and I guess it came quite naturally to me to want to do them, because of the years I’ve spent presenting to people and wondering whether I really should have been a teacher.

The courses are just loads of fun, messing around with flowers and being surprised every time by how creative people are, even when they come into the class convinced they aren’t. Mostly, I love to see how people shine through their creations. It’s uncanny how you can pinpoint a person’s true personality from how they arrange their flowers.

It’s always such a lovely evening, with Chi Chi’s Brunch and Nights turning into a beautiful flower haven. Together as a class, we create the time and space to be creative, focused and happy while enjoying a glass of Prosecco or two!

Excitingly, I’ve just launched my course schedule for the rest of the year - taking us right up until the Christmas wreath making season at the end of November.

There’s such a range of different courses to get involved in, so hopefully something for everyone. We’ll be celebrating the Dahlia season in August followed by a kids dried-flower dreamcatcher making course, then a dried-flower wreath making course in September and an Autumn hand-tied bouquet course.

What advice would you give someone out there longing to start their own business?

I started my business as a self-taught florist with no experience, during the first lockdown, when there were no jobs and our family restaurant was closed indefinitely. So, I can’t imagine anyone taking advice from me seriously. But I do think that I can say with some confidence, that if you’re lucky enough to find the thing you’re passionate about (to the point of obsession) nothing will stop you and everything will motivate you in the right direction.

Describe yourself in three words.

My best friend, Jen, calls me Crazy Flower Lady, which I think works!

Website: rebelandwildflowers.co.uk • Email: victoria@rebelandwild.co.uk Insta: RebelandWildFlowers • Facebook: Rebel & Wild cherubsmagazine.com

Cherubs Magazine | 45

LASTLY

5 Minutes with Suzy Reading Coach, Author and Physiologist. @suzyreading

Your bedside reading at the moment is…

Next destination on your list is…

Favourite podcast when you have 5 minutes peace...

You can choose one superpower…

The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor.

Australia... when that will be possible again. It’s been a long wait.

Pause Purpose Play podcast with Michaela Thomas (thethomasconnection.co.uk/ podcast/).

Unflappable courage.

What language would you love to learn?

Three things you always have in your handbag?

Italian (while in Tuscany please).

How would you describe yourself?

Pen and paper for when inspiration strikes and L’Oreal lip balm in 204 Never Stop.

Red lipstick - yay or nay?

Learning and growing.

Nay I’m afraid, see above! Nothing else comes close.

The mantra you live by?

Savour the joyful, make peace with the shitty.

Ultimate food weakness?

Cadbury’s Wholenut.

Suzy has her first journal coming out on 23 December, which we are thrilled to be able to share now!

Coffee or tea?

One savoured coffee daily is necessary to sustain life.

Which album will you have on loop and never be bored with?

Favorite perfume?

Favourite holiday memory is...

What gives you instant calmness?

Thoughts on mismatch pjs?

If you needed to hear a voice of comfort, who would you call?

Beck - Sea Change.

Pottering about the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, sharing with my little ones the places where I grew up.

As long as they are in a colour and fabric you love, any time.

Neom Organics Energy Burst.

Mother Nature and a long exhalation.

My sweet mum.

Suzy will be resuming her 9am Monday Micro Moment live sessions on Instagram @suzyreading from 6 September – this is where she shares all her favourite tips and tools.

46 | Cherubs Magazine

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