Cherubs Magazine - Winter Edition 2022

THE LIVE THEATRE SHOW

HEY DUGGEE™ and character logos™ & © Studio AKA Ltd 2014, Licensed by BBC Studios. BBC logo™ & © BBC 1996.

Hello festive season, when did you burst through our doors? Is it just me or did we literally blink three times and suddenly the year has nearly ended?

It’s bizarre, I have to say. There is definitely a certain mood change and I’m not entirely sure if everyone is in the Christmassy spirit just yet.

I’m not ashamed to say that 2022 has been challenging, I’m also not afraid to tell you all that there have been moments where I’ve found myself totally and utterly lost trying to navigate and process what we’re all going through and, often enough, staying behind my door hidden has been far more easier than facing the outside world. That’s OK my friends, that is totally ok. We have been turned upside down and this is all new to us. How many times does a baby fall while learning to walk – we get lost counting, right? But what do they do? They stand up and they go again until they master their new task at hand. It might all be new to us but this too shall pass and we will find a way, because there is one… we just need to see it.

Embrace the sound of laughter from your children, breathe the fresh air deep into your lungs, hug the ones you love tightly, but most of all, look into the mirror and tell yourself that you are doing a great job because you are. Life is a little challenging at the moment and you’re doing a bloody good job of getting through it, so praise yourself. Not a lot is free in this world. However, the guidance above is, and it will feed your soul.

Pause for a moment this Christmas. My wonderful friends remind me that not everything has to be perfect just to lay a roast on the table, and do you know what, they are bloody right! It’s not what your surroundings look like, it’s who’s around your table that matters. Enjoy it darlings. Eat, drink and be merry because we deserve it.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Peace, love… and mince pies

Feaures

020 8154 3664

@kidzbop_uk

KIDZ BOP ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ music video, is out at the end of Nov. You might just spot the Cherubs twins.

Must-See Theatre Shows

Recommended by Ana Sheppard @younglondonist – theyounglondoner.com

Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show

Be part of the hit CBeebies show and join Duggee and the Squirrels in this vibrant interactive production bursting with music, puppets and barrels of laughs.

When: 14 Dec-8 Jan 2023

Where: Southbank Centre Price: From £18.50 southbankcentre.co.uk

Horrible Histories: Horrible Christmas

When Christmas comes under threat from a jolly man dressed in red, it’s up to one young boy to save the day. From Victorian villains to mediaeval monks, puritan parties to Tudor treats, join us on a hair-raising journey through the history of Christmas in the company of Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII and St Nicholas, as they come together to save the festive season. Get ready to celebrate Christmas in the most wonderful way.

When: 27-30 Dec 2022

Where: Barbican Centre Price: from £16.50 – barbican.org.uk

My Christmas Orchestral Adventure

Oh no! Father Christmas has lost his map on a practice run of his delivery route! Thankfully the Royal Albert Hall’s trusty ensemble has found it but they need your help to return it to him ahead of the big day. Zip around the world on an orchestral adventure to track him down. Along the way ice skate on frozen lakes, go on a sleigh ride and enjoy a white Christmas, all without leaving the Royal Albert Hall’s magical auditorium.

When: 11 Dec 2022

Where: Royal Albert Hall

Price: From £23 – royalalberthall.com

The Smeds and the Smoos

Soar into space with this exciting adaptation of the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back?

When: 5 Dec 2022-2 Jan 2023

Where: Arts Depot Price: from £12 – artsdepot.co.uk

Santa’s North Pole Adventure

With the most magical night of the year fast approaching, we join Santa and his elves at the North Pole for a seasonal story of fun, laughter and audience participation.

When: 14-24 Dec 2022

Where: New Wimbledon Theatre Price: from £17 – atgtickets.com

Christmas Tales

With puppets, singing, dancing and some largerthan-life characters, Christmas Tales is guaranteed to entertain the very youngest of the audience (and grown-ups too!), leaving everyone happy and merry at this most wonderful time of the year!

When: 3 Dec-30 Dec 2022

Where: Chickenshed Price: £10 more –chickenshed.org.uk

Sleeping Beauty

After the success of Dick Whittington, Petite Pantos are excited to return to South Norwood with Sleeping Beauty They’ll be putting their unique spin on this magical fairy tale and making sure it’s full of silly jokes, fantastic songs and lots of joining in. With a professional cast and an ensemble featuring the talented kids from Cherry Stars Performing Arts – you won’t want to miss out on this epic adventure.

When: 17 Dec 2022 Where: Stanley Arts Price: £10-£15 – stanleyarts.org

Rapunzel on Ice

Alexandra Palace Ice Rink Amateur Production presents a re-telling of the story of Rapunzel, who has been locked away in a tower since she was captured as a baby by the evil witch. Spending all her days daydreaming about what life could be like on the outside, with the arrival of an unexpected visitor, her dreams may suddenly become a reality. Expect adventure, humour, love and hair… lots of hair. Suitable for ages two and above.

When: 5-12 Dec 2022

Where: Alexandra Palace Price: from £13 – alexandrapalace.com

The Snowman

Potted Panto

Seven classic pantomimes in 70 hilarious minutes! The Olivier Award-nominated festive celebration Potted Panto is back for four weeks only. In a madcap ride through the biggest stories and bestloved characters from the wonderful world of pantomime, our dastardly double act dash from rubbing Aladdin’s lamp to roaming the golden streets of Dick Whittington’s London and making sure that Cinderella gets to the Ball.

When: 17 Dec-8 Jan 2023

Where: Apollo Theatre Price: from £20 – nimaxtheatres.com

Mother Goose

The mother of all pantomimes is back in Hackney this festive season, starring Clive Rowe as Mother Goose. First created in 1902 for Music Hall legend and Hackney Empire performer Dan Leno, we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate 120 years of this iconic pantomime at the end of our 120th birthday year.

When: 19 Nov-31 Dec 2022

Where: Hackney Empire Price: From £25 – hackneyempire.co.uk

Birmingham Rep’s magical stage adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Raymond Briggs CBE and the

Dianne Jackson continues to enchant audiences of all ages. The family favourite follows the

of a

boy’s

snowman comes to life on Christmas Eve. Join them on their magical adventure to the North Pole where they

When: Saturday 19 Nov-Sat 31 Dec 2022

Where: Peacock Theatre, WC2 Price: Tickets: £18-£55 – www.sadlerswells.com

a

of colourful characters including dancing penguins, a beautiful snow princess and Father Christmas himself.

animated film directed by

story

young

adventures when his

meet

dazzling array

Skating Around the Christmas Tree

Recommended by Ana Sheppard @younglondonist – theyounglondoner.com

‘Tis the season to get skating! Get some skates on, grab the kids and have a go on one of London’s iconic ice-rinks. To make your life easy we’ve compiled a handy guide to all the ice-rinks throughout London where you can glide, slip and slide with the kids. Want more festive fun? Follow us on instagram for the latest recommendations.

Hampton Court Palace

Spectacular historical location, festive refreshments and lots of Christmas cheer for West Londoners. The Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink is the perfect spot to take little people ice skating, unwind with friends or go on a romantic date. Skate aids are available and can be prebooked, so there’s a guarantee you will doing more gliding than slipping.

When: 7 Nov 2022-8 Jan 2023

Where: Hampton Court Palace Price: £18.70 for adults and £14.20 for kids.

Canary Wharf

Skate beneath the skyscrapers for 18 magical weeks (the longest duration for a pop-up ice rink in London) and this year they have a roof in place, which they promise to light up with “the shimmering lights of our giant mirror ball”, which means the great British weather won’t spoil the fun. There is also an off-piste bar for those wanting to spectate (or warm up after a skating session). Skate aids are available.

When: 22 Oct-25 Feb 2023

Where: Canada Square Price: £19.95 for adults and £14.95 for kids.

Glide

From the team who brought you the Natural History Museum Ice Rink (which is no more) comes the only riverside ice skating rink in London. The whole area will be buzzing in festive spirit with live entertainment, vintage funfair rides and a variety of food stalls and cabins. Skate aids are available.

When: 11 Nov 2022-8 Jan 2023

Where: Battersea Power Station Price: £12 for adults and £8 for children 12 and under. They also have a toddler and parent ticket for £11.50, which also includes a hot drink.

Somerset House

Think festive London and skating at Somerset House comes to mind. As well as the iconic rink you can expect delicious food and drinks, chalet-style gourmet dining and lots more. Plus, Somerset House is making skating more inclusive with a skate school for kids, chillout sessions and wheelchair user skate sessions. Skate aids are available on a first come first served basis.

When: 16 Nov 2022-15 Jan 2023

Where: Somerset House Price: £15 for adults and £8.50 for kids.

budding skaters. Penguin and seal skating aids will be available for little ones, as well as bob skates to help guests stay steady on the ice.

Christmas Wonderland Lakeside

Plenty of rides (join Santa in a balloon ride, have a go on the carousels or get dizzy on the snowdome walzer). There will be food options galore and drinks for young and old to be enjoyed in this winter wonderland. The Ice Skating rink promises to be a great way to get the kids moving and there are skate aids and affordable prices for offpeak days!

When: 17 Nov 2022-1 Jan 2023

Where: Bluewater Price: £14.50 for adults and £12.50 for children. £17 for adult and toddler tickets during off-peak hours.

Winter Wonderland Hyde Park

Queen’s House Greenwich

Skate in the centre of an iconic UNESCO World Heritage site with spectacular views of the London skyline and the backdrop of Queen’s House. One of our favourites in London. There are skate aids available too as well as refreshment trucks on site (and you have the whole of Greenwich to explore before or after your skating session.)

When: 17 Nov 2022-8 Jan 2023

Where: Queens House Greenwich Price: from £16 per adult and £10 for a child.

Bluewater Ice Rink

Offering plenty of fun for guests of all ages, the Ice Rink will be running quiet sessions, as well as parent and toddler sessions for

Is it even Christmas in London without a visit to Winter Wonderland? It’s the perfect place for a winter skate in the heart of London and this year they’ve teamed up with Lidl to bring us all Christmas cheer. Set under a canopy of twinkly lights and built around the iconic Victorian bandstand, it’s the perfect way to get in the festive mood. Skate aids are available.

When: 18 Nov 2022-2 Jan 2023

Where: Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park Price: From £10.50 for adults and £7.50 for kids.

When: 18 Nov 2022-2 Jan 2023

Where: Lakeside Christmas Wonderland Price: from £8.50 for adults and 7.50 for kids.

Winter Festival Brent Cross

There’s a whole Winter Festival at Brent Cross and they are hosting one of London’s largest real Ice Rinks so families and their little people across London can enjoy a whole festive day out. Skate aids are free and available on a first come first served basis.

When: 26 Nov 2022-3 Jan 2023

Where: Brent Cross Price: Adults £17 and children £15.

From Festive Crafts to Yummy Bakes…

Christmas Character Treat Bags

By @thehomesihavemade Be the talk of the town when hosting your kiddies’ Christmas party at home with these sweet Christmas treat bags. They make the perfect carrier for taking home goodies.

Christmas Pudding For Kids

Little Foodies Christmas Puddings

By

Kate @foryourfoodies

Makes 6

1 banana, mashed

1 egg

1 tsp of vanilla extract

50g of coconut oil, melted

80g of plain flour

1 tsp of baking powder

40g raisins or sultanas

6 tsps of maple syrup

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.

Mash the banana in a bowl, and beat in your egg, vanilla and coconut oil until combined and frothy.

Mix in the flour, baking powder and raisins. Stir until you have a smooth batter.

Pour into a greased muffin tray, or into muffin cases.

Bake for 25 minutes, until risen and the top springs back to touch.

Allow to cool before serving. Serve with a teaspoon of maple syrup and top with cream, yoghurt or ice cream.

Page-Turners This Festive Season

An uplifting rom-com, brimming with festive spirit. Newly single lawyer Gwen Baker is hoping that a family Christmas will help mend her heart. Then Gwen wakes up to discover it’s Christmas day all over again. Like Groundhog Day but with turkey and family arguments. On repeat. Dev, her boy-next-door crush, is now a tall, dark and handsome stranger with a fiancée. But how do you fall in love with someone who can’t remember you from one day to the next?

From the Sunday Times bestseller comes the perfect Christmas romance filled with family drama and festive spirit! When Lucy appears on the Miller’s snow-covered doorstep, she is mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. But by the time the confusion is cleared up, a storm has hit and Lucy is stuck. As everyone settles in for a snowedin Christmas, tensions bubble to the surface and suddenly Lucy finds herself facing a big family fallout with a family that isn’t hers.

The long-anticipated sequel to the #1 Sunday Times bestseller It Ends with Us. Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil co-parenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side. Revealing more about Atlas’s past, It Starts With Us follows Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband.

A new thriller including millionaires, marriage and murder. Harriet Reed is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir to an extremely powerful American family. When Edward’s father hands her a tape of a book he’s been working on, she is desperate to listen. But as she presses play, it’s clear that this isn’t a novel. It’s a confession to murder. Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is all part of a plan to test her loyalty. Or something far darker. Because this might be a game to the Holbeck family – but games can still be deadly.

A page-turning debut thriller that’s now a film on Netflix. Ani FaNelli is the woman who has it all: the glamorous job, the designer wardrobe, the handsome and rich fiance. But behind her sharp edges and meticulously crafted facade lies a dark past. When a documentary producer invites Ani to tell her side of the incident that took place at her school, she hopes it will be an opportunity to prove how far she’s turned her life around since then. But as the wedding and filming converge, Ani’s immaculate veneer starts to crack and she is forced to question: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for –or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

This is a small story about big questions. It’s a story about family, community, life. It starts with a storm and a death. But how does it end? Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink.

Instagram: @sarabraggwriter Website: sarabragg.com

Writer Sara Bragg rounds up the best books this Christmas. Whether you’re looking for a stocking filler or fancy gifting yourself a book to get you in the festive spirit, there’s something for everyone.

All I Want For Xmas is a Squashed Pickle Recipe

with Neha @squashedpickle

Croissant Waffle Pops

These croissant waffle pops are so fun and so simple to make. All you need is a few ingredients and you can make these delicious festive pops! Get creative by using different chocolates, add marshmallows and sprinkles and decorate your croissant tree.

Ingredients

• Jus Rol croissant dough

• Melted Chocolate (I use a chocolate pen)

• Sprinkles

• Candy Christmas decorations

• Lolly sticks

Method

1. Start by unrolling your croissant dough, slice up and roll as per packet instructions. You can make mini ones by cutting down the dough.

2. Slide a lolly stick onto each croissant.

3. Place croissant pop on a hot waffle iron and close. Let cook until golden.

4. Using melted chocolate or a chocolate pen drizzle chocolate over the croissant.

5. Sprinkle and decorate with festive shapes.

Rudolph Strawberries

Here’s a cute way to serve strawberries this festive season and who doesn’t love chocolate dipped strawberries! So simple to make and they look amazing.

Ingredients

• Strawberries

• Chocolate (melted)

• Candy eyes/nose

• Flipz or pretzels

Method

1. Start by melting your chocolate. I did mine in the microwave as it’s so quick.

2. Dip your strawberries into the melted chocolate and place on baking paper.

3. Cut a pretzel/Flipz in half and stick on as antlers.

4. Add the eyes and red nose.

5. Refrigerate for 30 mins until it is all set and enjoy!

Christmas Cones

If you’re looking for a fun and festive way to serve snacks to your kids or at parties this Christmas then this is for you. These are also so easy the kids can make them themselves.

Ingredients

• Ice cream cones

• Chocolate (melted) or use a chocolate pen

• Sprinkles/crushed candy cane

• Pop corn (to fill)

Method

I used a chocolate pen but if you are using chocolate...

1. Start by melting your chocolate and set aside.

2. Get your cone and dip the top into the chocolate sauce.

3. Swivel and swirl it around so it’s nicely covered.

4. Sprinkle some festive sprinkles all over it or crushed candy cane.

5. For the reindeer, blob bits of melted chocolate to stick decoration.

6. Place the cone into a shot glass or a short glass and refrigerate for 20 minutes until the chocolate has set.

7. Fill the cone with popcorn or anything you like.

Christmas Cookies

Christmas is all about baking and making the house smell delicious. I do love gingerbread men, however, I love this cookie recipe so much more! It is the best cookie recipe ever and it’s so fun to decorate them. These cookies are such a treat for everyone and they can be wrapped up and given as cute gifts. This recipe makes the most delicious chocolate chip cookies – simply decorate with sugar decorations to make them extra festive. Baking cookies and decorating is such a fun kitchen activity.

Ingredients

• 150g salted butter, softened

• 80g light brown muscovado sugar

• 80g granulated sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 225g plain flour

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 200g plain chocolate chips

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190 C/fan170C and line two baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

2. Put softened salted butter, light brown muscovado sugar and granulated sugar into a bowl and beat until creamy. Beat in vanilla extract and the egg.

3. Sift plain flour, bicarb of soda and salt into the bowl and mix it in with a wooden spoon.

4. Add chocolate chips and stir well.

5. Use a teaspoon to make small scoops of the mixture, spacing them well apart on the baking trays. This mixture should make about 30 cookies.

6. -Bake for 8–10 mins and decorate.

How to Create a Stunning Fireplace Garland

With Dobbies

Whether you’re looking for new ways to make a statement with your Christmas decor or are seeking the perfect festive alternative to a tree, Dobbies’ stunning fireplace garland is the perfect choice to add some yuletide magic to your home.

This glittering display is a guaranteed showstopper and can be made using foliage foraged from your own garden, making it both cost effective and a wonderful Christmas crafting activity to enjoy with the full family.

Winter greenery will add a pop of life to your home, and you can completely personalise the garland to suit your style, meaning the possibilities are truly endless.

Dobbies Stylist, Rebecca Stanton gives us a step-by-step guide on how you can create your own magical fireplace garland to make Christmas celebrations this year even more special.

What you will need

To create your fireplace garland, you will need real conifer foliage and branches to act as your base, green floristry wire, lights, decorations, ribbons, and baubles of your choice.

Creating your wreath

1. Cut foliage and longer branches from your garden, or forage these on a winter woodland walk. In the picture we have used Conifer, but you can use any type of evergreen, or mix it up by using a combination of greenery for added texture.

2. Place the cut branches on your fireplace mantel, ensuring you have some longer pieces that can drape down at the front and side. If you have small pieces of foliage, you can secure these to the larger branches with some floristry green wire.

3. Next, it’s time to get creative and begin adding your Christmas decor. We’ve chosen to add lights and candles to give a lovely warmth to the display. To give your display depth, place accessories of different shapes and sizes in amongst the foliage. We’ve opted for our Micro LED tree, £12.99; Micro LED string lights, £9.99; Embossed smokey black tealight holders, £6.99; Metallic star, £6.99.

4. The finishing touch is to hang individual baubles from the branches using ribbon. You can really personalise this look to your Christmas colour pallet or the décor in your home. For an eyecatching garland, use stand-out baubles and hang them at different heights to create drama and interest. We’ve opted for baubles from our Moonlight and Sparkle range.

For more festive inspiration, and to browse Dobbies’ collections this Christmas, visit dobbies.com.

Top Eco Xmas Swaps

Great ideas from Achieving Greenness @achievinggreenness

Where did this year go? Christmas is fast approaching and the time to start thinking about the fun-filled festivities and craziness of December is already here. So, to help you get through the next couple of months, reduce a little bit of the Christmas stress and remove some of the eco guilt you might be feeling about the ‘consumer’ side of things at this time of year, we have put together a few top eco Christmas swaps for you to try. By making some of these simple but effective changes we can still have an amazing Christmas while being that little bit greener.

The Secret Santa Swap

Take a step back from the stress time and cost of having to think about, buy, and then wrap a mountain of presents for large family or friendship groups this year, and instead try swapping to a Secret Santa approach. Only having to buy one gift for one person in the group and setting a cash amount means real-time energy and thought can be put into the buying of that one gift and everyone in the group will receive something they actually love. Everybody saves time, produces less waste, saves money and enjoys the gifting process for a change, what’s not to love about this swap?!

The Wrapping Paper and Tape Swap

Step away from the glitter-covered wrapping and the normal environmentally unfriendly and non-recyclable wrapping paper and sticky tape this year, and swap to glitter-free, recycled and fully recyclable wrapping paper, paper tape and reusable ribbons. There are so many lovely options to choose from now, all your parcels and gifts will still look just as fabulous under the tree and be more environmentally friendly. And if you are canny (and quick enough during the opening) you can whisk away the paper once opened and save it for next year too.

cascayde.com

The ‘Experience Gifting Instead of Stuff ’ Swap

We all have so much stuff these days and Christmas time often leaves us with yet more stuff to add to our ever-increasing mountain of stuff. By swapping out the usual physical gifts of stuff to our loved ones and instead gifting them experiences allows us to create fabulous memories and enjoyment, which lasts so much longer. There are so many amazing experience gifting companies around now you’ll be able to find something for even the hardest person to buy for. buyagift.co.uk

The Christmas Tree Swap

We’re not suggesting you get rid of your Christmas Tree altogether in this swap! Instead try moving away from the usual single-use cut trees that drop needles all over your house and try renting one in a pot this year instead. When you rent a tree it can be delivered to your door in a lovely pot at your convenience ahead of Christmas, you can decorate it to your hearts content as usual, and then it can be picked up again (with all its needles intact) after the festivities are over. What’s not to love? Or you could try investing in your own potgrown Christmas Tree then simply keep it outside in your garden after Christmas and bring it back in to reuse each year.

christmasonthehill.co.uk

The Christmas Cracker Swap

Again, we’re not suggesting you get rid of Christmas crackers altogether in this swap. Instead you could give reusable Christmas crackers a try this year and make them as personal and as fun as you want and then reuse them over and over each year. There are lots of brands popping up you can try. Some cracker sets come with reusable party hats, and there are a few cardboard brands that even come with a supply of the ‘snaps’ too. So give the usual crackers a miss and opt for this much greener, reusable alternative to reduce waste and plastic, and increase enjoyment. kaneo.co.uk

The Lost Wish

Wandering around a very Christmassy press show earlier on this year, I was introduced to Clare Anderson. A beautiful soul, with an incredible story. A lady of many talents, she is ambitious, creative, hard working and above all a wonderful mummy to her little girl Siena (who is as talented as her mother may I add). In this interview, I’m lucky to get to know Clare and her story just that bit more and I’m so excited to be able to share it with Cherubs readers.

Hello Clare, so lovely to have you in Cherubs magazine. Can you give us a bit of background on your work, and how you got to where you are today?

Thank you Sev, it’s an absolute pleasure to be part of this wonderful parenting magazine. I started my career as a beauty therapist for the likes of Champneys and Clarins, before working my way up to a national position in sales for Decleor and Carita. Working for high-end spas and prestigious professional brands gave me the opportunity to gain experience in every aspect of the industry – and prepared me perfectly for when the opportunity came to go back to Champneys as a manager in charge of developing and launching the brand’s new skincare range. This was when I finally discovered that my passion was creating and developing products, but it was not until a few years later that I decided to launch my own business and brand –Shared Beauty Secrets, which debuted with the self-heating massage tool Lava Shells (now used in treatments in top spas across the world). The idea for Sensory Retreats came some years later, starting as a range of massage oils designed to complement the Lava Shells treatments – but then came lockdown, and everything changed. In order for the company to survive, I had to fast-track the project and change focus: I decided to launch five self-heating eye masks into the retail market, and due to the heightened need for self-care (and difficulty sleeping) during the pandemic, they absolutely took off.

Is this how Elf Eyes was born?

Actually no, my daughter Siena came up with the idea late November in 2020. She wanted to have a product that she and her friends could use and as the Sensory Retreats self-heating eye mask was her favourite product. Together we started working on a new and inspiring design that would appeal to this younger wellbeing audience, and Elf Eyes was born, but it didn’t stop there!

Tell us more…

Inspired by a visit to Lapland, Siena had an idea for a story about what elves got up to when they weren’t making presents and how they would need to take time out and relax. This developed into Elfland UK, a new wellbeing portal, bursting with wonderful wellbeing gifts and ideas for kids alongside woodland adventures, outdoor activity days and a storybook, The Lost Wish, promoting the values of wellbeing and friendship to a younger audience.

If running your own business and household wasn’t enough, you went on to create your daughter’s vision and bring The Lost Wish to life by writing the book. How did you go about doing this? They do say everyone has a book inside them!

It all started with Siena of course, as she

is, and will always be, one of my biggest inspirations and the reason why I am so passionate and driven about supporting children’s wellbeing.

We’d been on a wonderful family visit to Lapland, UK, and Siena came up with an idea about what the elves did when they weren’t making presents and bringing the magic of Christmas to life. She thought it would make a wonderful story about how elves relax and unwind and what they might get up to. Did they like to hang out with their friends and make magic or mischief?

It certainly got us both thinking and using our imaginations. Siena and I both started to explore the imaginary concept of an ‘Elf Land’. We thought about what a visit there might look like, what characters we might meet along the way and the adventures that could unfold.

Our creativity was on fire!

It was December 2021 when we started to write down our ideas. We reached out to author Emily Jacobs to help bring our vision and story to life in early 2022. Three months later, The Lost Wish book was written. We then worked with an illustrator, Emma Kurran, who brought our characters to colourful life, and a local teacher, Sim Crowther, whose help we enlisted to edit the book. The Lost Wish is also a hugely inspiring one that supports children’s literacy and has core messaging interwoven throughout the book, reinforcing the importance of friendship, wellbeing, enjoying outdoor

activities, and promoting sleep.

These are all things that, as a company, we feel extremely passionate about endorsing.

So just how did the relationship between yourself and Emily develop? How did you work together to bring the vision for The Lost Wish to life?

It’s been a completely collaborative process.

I like to consider myself as the custodian of the story, with Emily beautifully tapping into my imagination and breathing words and life into the tapestry of it. I’m a visionary, but I struggle to articulate myself on paper. With Emily, supported by a wonderful editor, Sim, I’ve been able to truly bring my vision to life without embarrassment by my grammar and spelling.

I firmly believe in fate and that things happen for a reason, and people come into your life exactly when they are meant to. Emily, Sim and the entire The Lost Wish team were meant to collaborate creatively.

The next fateful plot twist brought me to discover the wonderful illustrator of The Lost Wish, Emma. Again, another family member of a friend of mine. Emma felt like our missing link. As a CGI designer for Disney, she had all the credentials and creativity to bring my characters to life.

Family connections and giving something back mean the world, so I’m delighted that, based on Siena’s initial descriptions,

Photo credit: Kryssy Bryant

I’ve been able to work with a team that is almost part of the extended Shared Beauty Secrets and Sensory Retreats family.

Tell us about Elfland UK. How did a visit to Lapland UK lead to developing this magical forest adventure?

By chance, or I prefer to think kismet, that evening, when we returned home from Lapland UK, we spotted an advert to go see Santa in a local woods called Evenley Wood Garden.

Set amongst the beautiful rural countryside of Northamptonshire, Evenley Wood Gardens is a glorious outdoor space featuring 60 acres of privately owned woodland garden containing a huge array of plants and unusual trees and shrubs.

It’s a place Siena and I discovered during the first lockdown and somewhere we always found quite magical. It also happened to be a firm favourite of our family dog, Buddy. He loves adventure, just like the rest of the family.

Unfortunately, due to Covid travel restrictions, our planned family Christmas holiday got cancelled and I was desperately looking for fun and imaginative ways to keep Siena entertained over the festive season.

As luck would have it for Siena, someone had dropped out of the event at Evenley Wood Garden, which freed up a space for her to go.

Why did Evenley Wood Garden seem like the perfect location for Elfland UK?

We’d always felt that Evenley Wood Garden was magical, otherworldly even. We both had a huge sense of how special the place was whenever we visited. But at Christmas,

the woods really seemed to come to life and were quite breathtaking.

As part of the adventure, kids embraced being outdoors, at one with nature, as they embarked on a range of wholesome activities, including writing and sending special messages down the stream.

What did you first envisage the link between Elfland UK and Evenley Wood Garden would be?

Siena confided in me that she’d made a very special wish that day… to create a special place at Evenley Wood Garden where elves could come to visit, relax, unwind and play when they weren’t working hard making all those Christmas toys. She thought Evenley Wood Garden would be the perfect spot, and I had to agree.

So we spent the next 24 hours huddled together and coming up with a crazy plan to create an outdoors adventure concept housed in Evenley Wood Garden, which would become the very first home of our Elfland Adventures.

It’s a nature and adventure lover’s paradise and the perfect spot to bring the enchanting and magical world of Elfland, home of The Lost Wish, to life. More on that later!

But, at that point, we just knew that Evenley Wood Garden could eventually become the home of Elfland UK and I knew that I just had to use it as the location for my next photo shoot.

How did the concept grow from there and take on its wellbeing message as well as link with the book?

Always one to embrace a challenge and keen to encourage Siena’s creativity, I wanted to help more children unlock

the power of their imaginations through outdoor play.

At first, it was about bringing something to life that Siena and her local friends could enjoy, encouraging them to get away from their screens and enjoy the fresh air and outdoor adventures. But it snowballed from there and took on a new life as I envisaged Evenley Wood Garden, the home of Elfland UK, as the location for an enchanting and magical children’s book which was to become The Lost Wish and is undoubtedly the most exhilarating and, I hope, rewarding venture that I’ve ever been involved with – perhaps because I’ve been on this crazy adventure with my daughter.

So what can we expect from an Elfland Adventures Day at Evenley Wood Garden?

It’s a jam-packed kids’ activity adventure session based on the The Lost Wish book. Elfland Adventures days are fun and interactive, combining treasure and scavenger-style hunts, basic outdoor skills, holistic wellbeing techniques, with plenty of opportunity to explore the beautiful local forest surroundings and toast a marshmallow… or three. They’ve been designed to boost kids’ wellbeing, confidence, resilience and independence and encourage them to reconnect with nature, their environment and each other. With more locations planned for the future, we hope to bring Elfland Adventures to additional nationwide forests making these fun-filled days accessible to more children in the UK.

Photo credit: Michael Calders Photography

We Wish You A Merry Board Game

With Asmodee

Looking for games to play with families and friends this festive season? Want something to while away the travel time on your way home for Christmas? Searching for that perfect gift? We have got you covered!

Dobble Waterproof

First up is Dobble Waterproof, the nowclassic described by celebrity fan Holly Willoughby as the ‘best game ever’, Dobble is the smash-hit observation game where players race to match the identical symbol between cards.

Bananagrams

Then the favourite of many –Bananagrams. TV Star Phillip Scofield is a fan saying, ‘I love Bananagrams.’ It’s the fast and frantic game where players race against each other to build crossword grids. No pencil, no paper or board required.

CATAN

CATAN is a game that is open to all – it is easy to learn and easy to play. With 32 million copies sold worldwide, you can see why this is a game that keeps topping the popularity charts.

Noggin

Noggin is the brainchild of Radio 1 DJ, Matt Edmondson. Perfect for fast-paced games junkies, this is a fastest-thinker-comes-first frenzy, where players take turns to deal their playing cards – a combination of letter cards and action cards, down on three piles of letter cards.

Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza

Jungle, Hat, Dunny, Star, Hammock

Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza is a game with a memorable title and is piles of fun we promise! The perfect simple, no fuss and easy-to-play card game, fans describe it as ‘filled to the brim with hand-slapping mayhem!’ Keep these five crazy words in mind as you play is our top tip because the game is as unique as its name.

Bunny Hops!

Need to liven up the party? It’s time to get some Bunny Hops! into your life. The perfect game to shake things up before a night out or for the next family or friends games night! Simply get into teams, place a card on your forehead and try to guess the word, celebrity or song which is on there. It’s hilarious fun.

as

Look out for our new addition which combines two of the nation’s great loves: game-playing and TV’s toughest entertainment show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! We’re excited to introduce Jungle Hat Dunny Star Hammock. A game that is sure to be the hit of this year and on every ‘want’ list across the country!

HINT Wheels Vs Doors

Are there more wheels or doors in the whole world? The game inspired by the social media phenomenon, ‘Wheels vs Doors’, has been launched by Radio 1 DJ Matt Edmondson. This game is sure to spark some entertaining debates between players, while they decide if there are more of one thing or another in the world. For example, are there more movies featuring The Rock or casinos in Vegas? Wheels vs Doors is a two to sixplayer game but can also be played in teams.

HINT is the party game where your teammates have to guess what on earth you’re trying to hint at. The challenge is to draw, talk, mime and hum about anything and everything from garden games and countries on the equator to hairstyles and British hits of the 90s. But beware of wild guesses.

If you have young children you will know all about CBeebies. What you may not know, is that one of the presenters on the channel is on a mission to change the amount of support there is for dads on their parenting journey. Nigel Clarke host of the hugely successful show The Baby Club, dubbed ‘A TV godsend for frazzled parents’ set up Dadvengers back in 2020, and since then it has grown into one of the countries leading dad focused parenting organisations. We managed to grab a few minutes with Nigel to find out more.

What is Dadvengers?

When I first had the idea for Dadvengers it was meant to just be a podcast where people could listen to men talking about their fatherhood experiences, but in a weird twist of fate the pandemic put a stop to all that I ended up taking to Instagram and doing live chats as a form of research for the podcast. Here I am nearly three years later and now it’s a community of parents (that’s not just dads), geared towards supporting dads on their parenting journey. With resources ranging from blog posts and digital content, to podcasts, face to face opportunities, and our brand new course for new dads, we have become one of the fastest growing dad inclusive parenting organisations in the UK.

What I think makes us different is our tone. We want to empower dads through knowledge and support. As opposed to teaching dads because they don’t know what they’re doing. This has lead to engaging content that both men and women enjoy.

Can you tell us a bit more about the resources and services you provide?

The resources we provide have grown lots since we started. I’m a firm believer

in the fact that people engage and take information on in different ways. So we provide a selection of ways for people to engage. Some of which are purely for fun. Nobody wants to think they are in a lesson or being taught all the time. Learning and growing through fun in an unforced way is a much better way to get people engaged. Below and on the opposite page are summaries of our four most popular resources.

The Dadvengers Podcast

In each episode of our podcast, well known dads like Joe Wicks, Andy Day (CBeebies), Russel Kane, Paul Brunson and Matt Willis give us an insight into their experiences as a father. We have men talk about all aspects of parenting from labour experiences, to how they felt scared becoming a dad, to how it affected relationships. Nothing is off limits and hearing men talk about these

subjects is not common place. This provides both men and women with a window to the male parenting perspective, which can change our views and the way we tackle situations as parents.

Blog Posts

Our website is probably our largest and most accessed resource. Thousands of people every month browse through our pages looking for all sorts of fatherhood help. What’s really good is that the search engine on our site will point you in the direction of many things surrounding your query. So say, for example, you typed in mental health, you would be given a selection of blog posts, podcast episodes and Instagram live chats that are all related to the subject. Giving visitors that all important choice of ways to consume the information.

Dad Walks

During the pandemic most of our resources were online, and the natural progression once the world opened up again was to have something in person. A place where people could meet face-to-face. With one in North London and one in Norfolk, they’re a great opportunity for dads to talk about parenting. Or work, or music, or sports anything they feel like. There is no pressure to talk about anything in particular which is part of why the dads love them. But what they don’t realise is that these sessions go a long way to supporting their mental health, developing their solo parenting skills and providing a community of other dads going through similar things. Mums do meet-ups at the local cafe, we do this.

Course for New Dads

Our newest resource is the Dadvengers course for new dads that we launched in October this year. There are so many courses new parents sign up for, but a lot of men who’ve been on them will tell you that they didn’t feel much of it was focused on them. That’s why we developed a course that tackles the things men should be thinking about when becoming parents. It’s a four-week online course that is a safe space for men to get their heads around the introduction to parenting. We’re quite excited about it because there isn’t really anything else out there like it. Plus we know it’s needed because mums have started buying them as gifts for their partners.

As a community we have loads more that we get involved in including Instagram live chats, in person meet ups, online quizzes, Spotify playlists, and more is planned for 2023. The best way to keep up with all we are doing is to head to our website and subscribe to our mailing list.

Wrap Up Your Skin This Winter

With

Amy Conway – Makeup Artist @bbpro_amyconway

Whether you are preparing your skin for party season or just enjoying the darker evenings when the kids are in bed, face masks are our skin’s winter saviours and a great way to boost your skin as the weather changes in just a few minutes. Some you can use for 10-15 minutes – others you can sleep in, but all of them leave your skin fresh and revived for the new week ahead. These are a just a few of my must-haves.

BEST FOR DRY SKIN

BEST FOR OILY SKIN

Origins Clear Improvement Mask £25

These charcoal masks are fantastic to help with open pores, excess oils and blemishes, you can use all over the face or just down the T-zone if needed. origins.co.uk

BEST FOR GLOW

PIXI GLOW Glycolic Boost Sheet Mask

£10

I love the glow you get straight after these sheet masks – perfect for before makeup or an event when your want your skin to look radiant. lookfantastic.com

Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Mask £24

Like a glass of water for the skin, this recovery mask gets straight to work at hydrating the skin. paulaschoice.co.uk

THE ULTIMATE INDULGENCE

Sisley Black Rose Cream Mask £124

This is such a gorgeous rich mask you can sleep in, it leaves your skin feeling plump, hydrated and silky soft. I love to use this once a week for the ultimate skincare indulgence. origins.co.uk

HAIR

We focus so much on our skin changing in the winter that we are often quick to forget our hair routine and in particular our scalp. This is up there in my top 10 winter essentials to combat dry and flaky scalps.

Aveda Invati Advanced Scalp Revitalizer £53 aveda.co.uk

This Christmas take advantage of 10% off any of our candles with the code CHERUBS10.

Here at the Moonchild Apothecary, we lovingly create 100% pure and natural aromatherapy products to target different areas of healing and wellbeing and bring you to a state of peace and calm, whilst also keeping you healthy, energised, spiritually in tune and emotionally balanced.

We specialise in aromatherapy candles, beautifully hand poured, topped with moon charged healing crystals and infused with our very own signature essential oil blends to help with anxiety, sleep, stress and low energy. We believe that self- care is of the utmost importance in what can be a hectic lifestyle and we are here to help you fulfil that.

Artisan aromatherapy products for the mind, body & soul, Inspired by nature with your wellbeing in mind.

W ter

Reading

Recommended by Pickled Pepper Books

Princess Minna: The Big Bad Snowy Day

Babies& Toddlers

We Disagree About This Tree

By Rose Collins – 1-4 years

Bear and Mouse have overcome their differences and are living together in harmony... until it’s time to decorate the Christmas tree! A fantastically funny festive story with rhyming text perfect for a Christmas story time with your little one.

By

kirsty Applebaum and Sahar Haghgoo – 4-7 years

Princess Minna loves to sort out mix-ups and mishaps in the kingdom. In this fullcolour, illustrated chapter book, join her on a funny, exciting adventure to help Granny and her friends, and still have time for a snowball fight.

Well Done, Mummy Penguin

By Chris Haughton – 2-5 years

With his vibrant, stylish art and spot-on visual storytelling, Chris Haughton turns to Antarctica for an irresistible ode to family bonds and amazing mums.

Unipiggle: Fairy Freeze

By Hannah Shaw – 6-8 years

A madcap and much-loved adventure series for 6-8 year olds, perfectly bridging the gap from picture books to chapter books. Get in the wintry spirit with Princess Pea and Unipiggle as they save the Snow Ball!

Space Blasters

By Katie and Kevin Tsang – 7-9 years

Save the universe in the awesome and hilarious new space-themed adventure series. STEM themes woven throughout, including real mind-bending space facts and pages from Suzie’s inventors’ notebook!

Leila and the Blue Fox

By Kiran Millwood Hargrave – 9 years+

Based on the true story of an Arctic fox who walked from Norway to Canada in seventysix days, a distance of two thousand miles. This compelling, emotional and beautifully illustrated story is the perfect gift for 9+ readers.

Tyger, SF Said

By Dave McKean – 9 years+

From the acclaimed author of Varjak Paw comes a compelling story of a world on the brink of destruction and the magical animal discovered in a London rubbish dump that might just be able to save it.

Booked

By Kwame Alexander – 11 years+

In this electric and heartfelt graphic novel, football, family, love and friendship take centre stage. Twelve-year-old Nick learns the power of words as he wrestles with problems at home, stands up to a bully, and tries to impress the girl of his dreams.

Reading Eggs are offering Cherubs readers a free 30- day trial with access to the entire Reading Eggs suite including Reading Eggs, Reading Eggs Junior, Fast Phonics and Reading Eggspress. Simply visit the web address below to sign up!

One of the many things parents love about Reading Eggs is that it’s the online reading programme that really works! Yet, if you were to ask the over 20 million children who’ve used the programme what they love; it would be the fun online games, engaging activities, and the fantastic features like the Reading Journal.

This makes it a win-win for parents or guardians and their young learners. Reading Eggs keeps children motivated to keep building on the key literacy skills needed to become a successful reader. Reading is at the centre of all subjects at school, so students need a firm grasp of this skill to perform well in everything from maths, science and social studies.

So how does it work? Children aged from two to 13 are introduced to key reading skills as they work through the lessons. More advanced readers can then focus on grammar and punctuation as the programme progresses, meaning the programme grows with them at their own pace.

Aside from having loads of fun on the games and collecting golden eggs, Reading Eggs is bursting with exciting features that help children improve their reading and writing skills. One of the most exciting and brand new features is the Reading Journal. This customisable, interactive journal helps children build a stronger connection with the books they read and to encourages them to read for enjoyment.

Best of all, it helps them feel proud of their achievements when it comes to their reading efforts. Whether they enjoy collecting books that they’ve read or

sharing their wins with family and friends, they’re sure to love it! The Reading Journal allows children to track their reading progress and personalise their experience of reading. It makes them feel independent and motivated to read by giving them child free rein over the kinds of books they would like to read.

Kids are able to customise each and every page of their Reading Journal with a plethora of colourful stickers, tapes, and pins. Watch their excitement as they choose their very own unique Journal cover to reflect their style. To keep things thrilling and new, they’re able to go with a new decorative theme each month, earn literacy-linked rewards and download a certificate.

There are multiple benefits to using the Reading Journal as it helps improve children’s grammar, problem solving skills, general knowledge and even their school engagement and motivation. Anything that boosts communication with family and friendship groups and can inspire better mental health is worth giving a go. Get your little learner to take this next step with their learning, by hopping into Reading Eggspress today!

Aside from the new features being added constantly, Reading Eggs remains the programme of choice to teach children how to read. Parents can feel confident that their kids are learning with a programme created by educational experts, which is backed by solid scientific research. They can always remain in the loop, being informed about their child’s progress.

The programme is based on the five

essential keys to reading success – phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and text comprehension. Reading Eggs is dedicated to building children’s confidence and skills in literacy.

Reading Eggs gaggle of cute characters help kids explore the dynamic learning levels, guiding them through all the important literacy skills they need to attain. Children love the brilliant online reading activities, interactive educational games and animated videos. There’s alphabet and spelling games, phonics activities, word puzzles, nursery rhymes, comprehension quizzes and so much more! Not to mention the exciting rewards, golden eggs, songs and certificates that help keep them motivated and on task. Not to mention the Story Factory, where your child can create their very own book!

Plus, did you know that Reading Eggs has a phenomenal online children’s library with over 3,000 e-books! You can choose books based on a child’s age, interests and reading levels. All our online books are carefully levelled to cater to children of all abilities – starting from read aloud picture books for beginners, all the way through to longer chapter books, which build confidence and reading stamina, while nurturing a lifelong love of reading!

We’re all about safe, positive screen time! It only takes 15 minutes of Reading Eggs a day for your child to learn how to read in a matter of weeks.

Available on desktop, IOS or Android which means children can learn in the comfort of their own homes, or on the go!

Multi-award winning Reading Eggs teaches children how to read with fun lessons and exciting features

Tips For GCSE Revision

By Anna Coulson – Champion Tutor

Are you wondering how to help your child prepare for their GCSEs? We have some great tips, from creating a timetable, to help sleeping and getting the best results.

Early Preparation

The earlier you start the preparation for revision the better. The more time you can spend revisiting earlier topics, refreshing on mock exams and jogging your memory the better. The GCSE paper will cover topics from as far back as the start of the year, so gaining a head start on recapping and spending time revising will give you an advantage.

Discover your learning style

Make sure you mix up your revision style to discover what works for you and also to avoid repetition. Whether it’s auditory, visual or through reading and writing notes, discover what works best for you.

Create a revision timetable

Spending some time creating a timetable will help manage your workload and time.

You can schedule more time spent on subjects you may struggle with, ensure that you are not cramming as much revision into the days leading up to your exam and make time for sports and clubs you enjoy.

Small daily goals

Setting a goal for the end of each revision day will help avoid you feeling overwhelmed. It will also give you a sense of accomplishment. For example: “Today i’d like to cover algebra.” Adding these goals to your timetable will also help you keep focused. Remember to be realistic.

Find a study group

Occasionally learning with others can help fill any gaps in your own revision. Working together you may come up with ideas of how to remember key facts. It would also be worth testing each other and teaching each other. Breaking down revision then sharing what you have learnt.

Practice papers

Try getting hold of previous exam papers.

It will give you some good practice on the structure of the papers. Timing yourself will also give you the experience of learning to use your time wisely.

Plan breaks

Scheduling breaks and exercise when creating your timetable is so important. Make sure you get some fresh air, move around and eat well. The benefits of exercise on revision include increased focus, improved memory and a chance to revisit any difficult topics with a fresh mind.

Sleep

These revision tips won’t be effective unless you get sufficient sleep. Prioritise seven to nine hours a night. Getting enough rest is productive, not only to help commit what you’ve learnt during the day to long-term memory but it also improves your cognitive ability to learn again the following day. You’ll be able to concentrate better and feel more motivated after a good night’s sleep. Download an app to assist sleep and relaxation or meditation. Remember, you need to be well rested to learn and function productively.

Transition

From Primary to Secondary School (Year 6 to Year 7)

The transition from primary to secondary school is an important milestone in the lives of children and their families. It is for this reason that Mount House staff work collaboratively with primary schools and parents and pride ourselves on providing our new students, parents and carers with a smooth and extensive transition programme.

Our programme aims to support new students as they approach this change in their lives, ensuring they arrive in September full of excitement, feeling part of the school community and with minimal nervousness.

The programme starts with the Year 7 Pastoral Team contacting all our new joiners and their parents. This is an opportunity for the Year 7 Pastoral Team to find out a little about individual students and also for students and parents to ask any questions they may have. During conversations the Year 7 Pastoral Team will ask parents whether they give permission for one of our Year 12 students to call and speak to our new joiners. This is an opportunity for our new joiners to ask questions from somebody representing the student body.

Our Head of Year 7 and her Tutor Team will visit primary schools (where possible) to introduce themselves to our new joiners whilst informing them of the plans for the Induction Afternoon which will be held at the end of June. During the Induction Afternoon our new joiners will meet our Senior Leadership Team, their Form Tutors and Teacher and Student Heads of House. At the end of the afternoon parents will be invited to join us for drinks.

Year 7 2023 Assessment Day

If you are interested in your son/daughter joining Mount House School, we will be holding our Year 7 Assessment Day on Saturday 7th January 2023. If you have not yet registered your child, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible via our website.

On Assessment Day, your son/daughter will have the opportunity to visit our school, set in beautiful surroundings in Hadley Wood. They will sit exams in English, Maths and non-verbal reasoning and they will also take part in some exciting group activities, enjoy lunch in our Treetops restaurant and meet me and some of our teaching staff. We hope that this will give them an idea of what it is like to be a student at Mount House School. It is important to note that we do not offer places based on the performance in the exams alone. Parents are invited in for a family interview with their child to find out more about your child’s interest and hobbies. Mount House aims to provide an ‘all-round’ education where we offer not only a broad curriculum but also an extensive and impressive co-curricular programme.

Mount House offers a small number of scholarships each year to students who demonstrate strong academic ability as well as a commitment to the wider life of the school through the co-curricular programme, particularly in sport and the creative and performing arts.

Here at Mount House, small class sizes are the norm and students are supported to take responsibility for their own development. We encourage them to become intellectually curious, resilient, independent young people with good moral character. We aim for each child to be nurtured and supported so they feel safe, valued and enabled to fulfil their potential.

Mount House is a happy and successful school, with an excellent record of GCSE and A-level results and an outstanding record of students achieving places at top universities. We are very proud of our school and if you have not yet visited us, we would be delighted to welcome you and your son/daughter for a tour of Mount House.

Mrs Sarah Richardson Head, Mount House School

Introducing

‘The Curious Maths Parent Subscription Service’

In this edition of Cherubs magazine, we’re introducing Sara Tilley, a primary maths consultant based in North London. During the week you’ll find Sara training teachers, teaching exciting maths lessons and after school you’ll find her leading her Curious Mathematician’s Club. Wherever she goes, she’s spreading her love of maths and her ‘can do’ approach is infectious.

Sara is passionate about helping parents support their children with maths at home. Finding a tutor can sometimes be costly and often tricky to fit into the week when we’ve packed our evenings with school clubs and work. Her vision is to empower parents and support them. Sara teaches you, so you can support your child.

There’s a strong focus on conceptual learning and reasoning skills. Good teaching shouldn’t just be about quick methods and procedural learning. We teach using the CPA approach and in a multi-sensory way. We use resources (the concrete stage), maths diagrams (the pictorial stage) and number sentences (the abstract stage). Growing up, most of our learning was around the abstract stage where endless sums filled the pages of our maths books. Today, we have moved on and maths is so much more than sums on a page.

Sara’s site will take you through a whole range of maths topics taught in primary school from addition, division, fractions, decimals, percentages and more. You can watch definition videos, ‘how to teach’ videos and games videos. Find out how we use Numicon, Cuisenaire rods, place value counters and other resources in the classroom. This way of teaching helps us make connections, understand big ideas and we’re more likely to remember our maths skills and concepts in the future.

The videos show you the precise maths vocabulary we use when we teach. Did you know ‘hundreds, tens and units’ are now ‘hundreds, tens and ones’? And when we do column subtraction, we no longer use the word ‘borrowing’ but ‘exchanging’ and ‘regrouping’ instead. Mathematics is a creative subject, where we work together, ask questions, spot patterns, hypothesise and problem solve. Games are a perfect way for children to use maths, talk and practise skills. There are downloadable game boards, puzzles and resources with top tips throughout. (It’s probably a good time to tell you that I’m also a Curious maths teacher. You’ll find me in the games section of course!)

As a mum and a maths coordinator, I have

learned so much from Curious Maths. I cannot recommend enough the excellent ideas, games and advice that this website is brimming with.

If you’d like a taster, you can access the site free for a week. Alternatively, do a quick google search on Curious Maths and you’ll find free videos and puzzles. Maybe you’ll have some quiet time over the Christmas holidays, you might want to start the year with a new take on home learning. Subscribers also become part of the Curious maths Facebook group where you can have direct support with live workshops and competition give-aways.

Supporting maths at home is important to us, particularly after the last few years where parents have had to juggle work, home and online teaching.

Find time to explore maths in the world around us. Discover the patterns of snowflakes, count downs on advent calendars, festive bakes and boardgames with the family. And as you know, parents and children having positive maths experiences is pretty amazing. Nurture your young mathematicians from young and be curious about maths together.

As a parent, I found the videos incredibly useful for my child. The videos are clear, they are easy to understand and are extremely helpful. My subject knowledge in maths is quite weak and these videos have been a huge help. It has not just benefited my son but also me. Can’t thank you enough Sara, you are amazing!

Website: curiousmaths.co.uk

Are You Ready to Play?

By Hari Neocleous @the_maths_nuts

As a primary maths and chess teacher it brings me great joy to share the wonderful LogiqBoard and its amazing co-creator, Rita Atkins.

Rita Atkins is a Women’s International Chess Master, maths and physics teacher and chess coach. I first met Rita when I joined one of her Maths & Logic courses. I was blown away by how many wonderful logic puzzles and strategic games could take place on an 8x8 chess board. I also remember being put in a break-out room with Rita as we battled it out in the ‘Slime Trail’ game.

Rita, along with a small Hungarian team, created the new interactive and shareable LogiqBoard during the online chess boom and when courses needed active participation. I now use the LogiqBoard as a whole class demo board, and with the iPads in class. My students love it! Today I want to share some of the 8x8 strategic games and how easy it is to use the LogiqBoard at home. If you’re curious about chess for you or your child then I highly recommend the games as an intro to strategic thinking. You will be hooked.

What is a strategic game?

A strategic game is where players play against each other and use decision making skills to win. Success is determined by every decision you make. Planning long-term, skill-full thinking and game analysis come into play.

What’s special about 8x8 Strategic games?

The minigames you’ll find on the LogiqBoard are what we call ‘low floor, high ceiling’. They’re accessible to all my students as a fun game to play but if we want to, we can develop our reasoning skills and explore maths concepts at a deeper level through carefully planned tasks.

All the games have simple rules and starting is easy. At home, you can play for enjoyment or dig deeper and begin to think about the winning strategy. Once your child figures out the ‘secret’ they’re on the path to becoming unbeatable! Some games involve reaching the other side, controlling territory or making the most captures.

Game-based learning has many benefits. I love how games imitate life. Solving problems, being analytical and learning from mistakes. Planning ahead, adapting, coping with failure and rules. Awareness of these skills is part of metacognition, (thinking about thinking). Recognising that you have or don’t have a game plan is also part of metacognition and both are fine. Keep it fun.

Can my child play with a friend or family member online?

The answer is yes! When you visit the site, create a board and click on ‘menu’, ‘games’, then ‘strategic games’. You choose the game you want, go to the top right corner and click ‘copy link’, send the link to the opponent of your choice and the game begins! It’s a wonderful way to connect with friends and family and check-in on each other. I’m looking forward to my two playing with their grandparents. That will be fun.

I have been flying my little chess flag trying to reach more primary

school teachers. Rita inspires me to keep going. Making chess inclusive and exploring the many benefits it brings is a shared passion. A huge force in chess education, she recently spoke at The Chess Connects Us Global Summit, a global chess festival put together by the world’s greatest female chess player of all time, Judit Polgar. Rita’s captivating lectures include STEM education and gender differences, maths and chess, and the LogiqBoard.

I asked Rita about her vision for the future, “My vision is to bring chess into every school as a tool for education. The goal is to enhance ‘the four Cs’: critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity through game-based learning.”

Parents, do check out LogiqBoard. It’s fun, free and the future platform for chess education. Whether you see it as brain training, a stepping stone before you begin your chess journey or because you love the social connection of 8x8 games, I say go for it. I sometimes send my other half a code for a game and the loser has to make a cup of tea! I’ve been dying to write a piece about chess for children and it’s nearly time, but in the meantime, Cherubs readers, your homework is the LogiqBoard (logiqboard.com).

Playing 8x8 Strategic games is the first step into the wonderful world of chess!

“If

Photo Credit: Rita Atkins in action, creative teaching using LogiqBoard, with special thanks to the Judit Polgar Foundation.

Panic Attacks

Ask the expert, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, Marilena Andreou

What are panic attacks?

Having frequent panic attacks can be part of a disorder called panic disorder. Panic attacks have cognitive, physical, emotional and behavioural components. Some of the physical symptoms can involve shortness of breath, a faster heart rate, sweating and palpitations.

Some common thoughts associated with panic attacks are ‘I’m going crazy’, ‘I’ll collapse’ and ‘I will lose control’.

Some common behaviours include: avoidance of specific situations, seeking reassurance from someone and not going alone to place.

The focus is that the person catastrophically misinterprets the physical symptoms as being dangerous, and perceives them as a threat. The fight or flight response is activated and the person’s body gets prepared to either ‘fight’ (confront) or ‘flight’ (get out of the situation). Many different things can trigger panic attacks, some examples include: bullying, trauma, conflict, the death of a loved one at cetera.

My daughter keeps having panic attacks, and she won’t go anywhere alone. Should I keep accompanying her to places or encourage her independence?

Although it can be a parent’s instinct to want to protect their child and support them by accompanying them to places all of the time, I would suggest that you refrain from doing this all of the time. You

could develop an exposure hierarchy with her where you both list the places that she avoids or the ones she finds anxiety provoking to go to. Then she could rate how distressing she finds each one (from 0-10) and start exposure with the least distressing one on the list. Simultaneously you could start with accompanying her to the place, maybe for a very short period of time and leave her. Gradually you can encourage her to go alone or at least without you. She will be able to develop her confidence, independence and find out that she can cope in situations alone and without you all of the time.

I seem to worry about everything and I can’t control it. How do I manage my worries?

Please remember that everyone worries about something at some point in their lives. However, when the worries are so frequent and excessive this is when it can form a central part of generalised anxiety disorder. In short, you can write the worries you have down to distinguish between hypothetical worries (futurebased, ‘what if?’ thoughts) and worries about a current problem (one that actually has occurred). With the current problem you can use a problem-solving strategy to develop an action plan to solve this. It involves identifying all possible solutions, and advantages and disadvantages of each one, then choosing the one that is the best option and developing an action plan outlining when you will carry out the steps.

If you have hypothetical worries, use a

strategy called ‘worry time’. This is where you have a scheduled worry time slot either in the morning, afternoon or evening for up to 20 minutes. You can only worry about the hypothetical worries during that slot and if you find yourself worrying outside of this slot, you need to try and refocus your attention on the present moment and postpone the worrying until ‘worry time’. Although this is not always easy to do, it works for many people.

Since the pandemic, my son has stopped meeting up with his friends and he only speaks with them online. How can I help him to start actually meeting up with his friends again?

Going through the pandemic has been extremely challenging for most people, especially young people. For some people, social anxiety has developed as a consequence of it and avoiding certain social situations is fairly common. His avoidance of meeting up with friends could be part of social anxiety disorder or depression, or both of those. Initially you could find out by asking him what he finds the most distressing about the idea of meeting his friends in person. Also what the difference for him is to meet friends in person or to interact online with friends. This could give you a good indication of whether it’s related to social anxiety or depression or both. Encouraging him to start with some small steps towards meeting his friends could be helpful but also might add more pressure on him. Remember to seek professional help if you need to.

Website: inspring-minds-therapy.co.uk

Ask The Nutritionist

QWith

AFirstly, remember that the holidays are a time for making happy memories with friends and family; food and drink are only one part of the fun, so don’t make food the only focus of every event. I know we tend to focus on the thing we’re a bit worried about or really love (for many of us food is both those things) but it’s just food. And I say that as someone who loves food!, So, of course, enjoy food as part of the festivities, but whatever the event, look at all the other things there are to be enjoyed – the people who will be there, dressing up, music and decorations.

To make it easier to stay on track over the holidays, continue your healthy habits. You know that you are going to have more meals out, more chocolate, more cake and that’s OK. But that doesn’t mean you can’t also still eat lots of vegetables, drink plenty of water, go for a daily walk and all the other feel-good habits you practise during the rest of the year.

Enjoy festive food and treats but be mindful and maintain some balance. A celebration is not an excuse to over indulge and I encourage you to ask yourself if that’s what you really want. One or two mince pies with a cup of tea will be delicious and enjoyable. But eating four, won’t feel quite so good. Balance is key! Think about your day overall. If you are going out for an indulgent dinner, then think about how you can balance it the rest of the day. Don’t starve yourself all day to have a big dinner, but load up the green veggies with lunch, have a high protein afternoon snack rather than a high sugar one et cetera..

If you’re invited somewhere for a meal take along a healthy dish that is in keeping with your goals. Enjoy whatever your host has cooked of course, but by also having a dish you have prepared at the table, you can balance your plate.

Speaking of balancing your plate, remember

to always load up on veggies and make sure the meal includes some protein, no matter where you are eating. This will keep you fuller for longer and help avoid sugar cravings. If you’re in a restaurant, ask for a side of plain vegetables. And if possible, get dressings and sauces on the side. This way you can add as much or as little as you like. In my experience, restaurants often put far too much of both and it’s not all needed for the dish to be delicious.

Plan ahead. This will help with that all important balance. Look at your week, and plan some extra-nourishing meals to balance the treats. Shop and have the ingredients to hand to make healthy meals and snacks choices. During this time of year, the house will be filled with chocolate and treats, by filling it with fruit and vegetables, you’ll have some of those too.

Be mindful of portion sizes – especially with nibbles like nuts or crisps which can be very high in calories. Take a portion, enjoy it fully but avoid constant picking.

Don’t stop moving – there will be lots of social occasions, movie nights and more sofa time but try and move your body. You might not do your usual gym classes but still try to incorporate movement into your day. A 20-minute walk, 10 minutes of weights; whatever you can fit into your day is great.

Alternate alcoholic or sugary drinks with water or low-calorie alternatives. This is better for your waistline, and your liver will thank you too.

If you have an over-indulgent day, don’t get annoyed at yourself or let guilt set in. And do not give in to the “all or nothing” mindset and think “I may as well eat whatever and start again in January.‘’ One or two days won’t do any harm, but two weeks can become a setback.

And finally, if you gain a couple of pounds, it’s not the end of the world. If it meant lots of happy memories, fun with your loved ones, they were worth it and not something to worry about. Get back to your healthy habits and you’ll get back on track.

Q Do you have any tips on how to eat healthily on a budget?

A

Absolutely – lots of them! Together they can make a big difference to the cost of your weekly food shop.

• Top of the list is to plan your weekly menu and make a shopping list. You are far less likely to buy items you don’t need or waste food. And it’s less stressful too.

• Think a little more cleverly about how to get your nutrients. If you want to include salmon in your diet for Omega 3, frozen salmon is just as good as the more expensive ones from the fish counter. If you want to include beef for iron, you can get good value, great quality mince as opposed to a beef joint which would cost much more. Enjoy those for treat meals.

• Use frozen fruit and vegetables. They are often just as or even more nutritious than fresh because they’re frozen soon after being picked.

• Use canned foods like fruit, vegetables and fish – these are great nutritious low cost options but I do recommend making sure they’re in water or low-salt brine and checking there isn’t any added salt.

• Buy fresh produce that’s in season – it will be much cheaper and taste better too.

• Utilise your freezer. If you have fruit that you know you wont eat that week, chop and freeze it to make smoothies, crumbles, ice cream. If you have veggies you won’t use before they go bad, freeze them and use another day to make a pasta sauce. Just roast from frozen and blend or grate and freeze and then add to dishes like stews, soups and bolognese for extra veggie goodness.

• Buy bigger packs that are better value, especially long-life foods like rice, pasta, oats.

• Look for special offers in supermarkets and if its something you will use, stock up.

• Buy supermarkets own-brand products. You may have to try a few to see which ones you like but many are just as tasty and nutritious as more expensive branded products.

• Organic is not necessarily more nutritious, so don’t spend the extra money.

Christmas coming up, how do I stay on track and avoid excessive weight gain over the holidays?

EatHappyFeelGood

Chicken Paprikash

We love this dish! So full of flavour, easy enough to make on a weeknight but definitely special enough for the weekend.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1½ kg chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, grated

• 2 large tomatoes, seeds removed and finely chopped

• 2 red peppers, chopped

• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika

• 1½ cups chicken stock (or water and a stock cube)

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons plain flour

• ¾ cup full fat sour cream (must be at room temperature to avoid lumps)

• ¼ cup double cream

• Rice or pasta and vegetables to serve.

Method

1. Remove the excess skin from around the chicken thighs. Scissors work best for this.

2. Put the butter in a large pan, heat and brown the chicken all over. Remove the chicken, transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan, add the onions and cook till lightly caramelised. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and peppers and cook for another few minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and add in the paprika, salt and pepper (paprika becomes bitter if scorched so you don’t want to burn it). Mix well.

4. Return the chicken to the pot along with any juices and turn the heat back on. Add in the chicken broth. The chicken

should be mostly covered. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to mediumlow and simmer for 40 minutes.

5. Take a medium bowl. Whisk together the sour cream, double cream and flour to form a smooth paste. Take a little of the juice from the pot with the chicken and whisk into the cream and flour mixture. Whisk well to avoid any lumps forming.

6. Pour this back into the pot, mix well and cook for ten minutes to cook the flour and thicken the sauce. If you see any little white lumps, don’t worry, they disappear as you mix.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve with rice or pasta and green vegetables. If serving with pasta, a little Parmesan really works. Unconventional but so good.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1½ cup oat milk (or any other milk)

• ⅓ cup maple syrup

• 2 large eggs (room temperature)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• ¼ cup yoghurt (dairy-free also works)

• ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)

• Sea salt (optional)

• Flaked almonds (optional)

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Make sure to break up any lumps of cocoa.

3. In another bowl whisk together the oat milk, maple syrup, eggs, oil and vanilla.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix well. Set aside for five minutes.

5. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, almonds and sea salt if using.

6. Pour into an oven proof fish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the centre is just set. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy.

Ingredients (makes 12 beautifully fat cookies)

• 1 ¼ cup gluten-free rolled (jumbo) oats

• ⅓ cup ground almonds

• ½ cup sunflower seeds

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds

• ¼ cup chia seeds

• ½ cup flaked almonds

Method

• ½ cup raisins

• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp fine salt

• ½ cup honey

• ⅓ cup tahini

• 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste

• 2 flax eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking pan with non-stick baking paper.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

3. Mix all the wet ingredients together in another bowl.

4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix together until well combined.

5. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop evenly sized cookie balls onto the baking sheet.

6. Lightly wet your hands and gently press down with your fingers (these cookies won’t spread).

7. Bake for 15 minutes in the centre of the oven.

8. Let them cool a little and transfer to a cooling rack to cool fully.

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5 Minutes with Jane Dowden

The comedy genius behind @mum_and_a_mic. We guarantee that she will have you rolling about in hysterics after watching one of her Instagram reels. A comedy genius.

Your bedside reading at the moment is…

Confession. I’m absolutely awful at reading books. I waft around with one on holiday and have a pile by my bed… but they very rarely actually get read… Saying that, I am currently 20 pages deep in Dawn O Porters new book Cat Lady, and it’s fab!

Favourite podcast when you have five minutes’ peace?

Second confession. I have never listened to a podcast! Is that weird? I just always opt for music. But if I was going to listen to one I’ve heard such brilliant things about Rosie and Chris Ramsey’s one.

Three things you always have in your glove compartment?

McDonalds straws, McDonald’s serviettes and a random ketchup or two. Never know when you might need them.

If you had to pick would you prefer performing on stage or screen?

Oof! That’s a tough one. That’s like asking me which kid is my favourite. There’s nothing that beats the magic of a live audience but at this stage in my life I’d probably say screen just pips theatre to the post. Saying that, I’m gagging for a theatre job right now.

Ultimate food weakness?

Sushi. I’m literally addicted to it. I’m fairly sure my bloodstream is half blood, half soy sauce. Also, I have a weakness for old school pie and mash. It reminds of my Nan and sitting on benches in Harrington’s in Tooting as a kid.

Coffee or tea?

Both. Coffee first thing, followed by a tea mid-morning. An absolute rebel, me.

Favourite holiday memory?

This is a tough one. I love holidays. Mark (the husband) is always rolling his eyes at me because I’m constantly looking for the next one. Doesn’t have to be posh… in fact some of my absolute favourites have been family caravan holidays. The

smell of a caravan, the sound of the kettle boiling in the morning just makes me feel so nostalgic. We rented a caravan literally on the beach last year, and it was such a special few days. Simple and perfect.

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

George Ezra is my absolute go to. His songs just make me smile and I have so many great memories of belting them out at family BBQs and festivals. Also… Now and then I like to whip out New Kids on the Block’s Greatest Hits. Cover Girl… what a tune!

Twin mum, actress, Insta and Tik Tok queen… when do you find time for yourself?

Haha. Well, since they’ve been at school it’s been a bit easier, but sometimes I do find it hard to switch off and just take some time. Mainly because I get terrible FOMO so I always feel like I should be doing something.

A ‘wow’ moment in your, life so far?

Hands down finding out we were pregnant with twins. Absolutely nothing prepares you for that. I swore a lot. We’d longed for a child for quite a while and when they said our embryo had split and we were having identical twins, our jaws hit the floor. Telling the family was so magical though. We told my parents by telling them they would need to get a bigger car to ferry their grandchildren around, it took about five mins for the penny to drop. I literally remember every single phone call to the people we love like it was yesterday. There were lots and lots of happy tears.

What gives you instant calmness?

The seaside. I always feel drawn to the sea, it just makes me feel happy and instantly at peace. One day, in a dream world I think we’ll live by the sea.

The next destination on your list is…

Ask me next week. I’m writing this from a sun-lounger in Tenerife and I know as soon

as I’m back I’ll be on the scour for the next break, to Mark’s absolute dismay.

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

It depends what the issue was. Life stuff is generally my sister, poor girl who has had to listen to my verbal diarrhoea on many occasions. For work related stuff, or when I’m doubting myself I generally call Kelly (@kids_and_the_commute) who is a fellow Insta w*nker and all round brilliant human! In fact, I have such an amazing group of women I’ve met through the app, it’s one of the best things to come out of starting out on this journey.

If you could choose one superpower…

Being able to fly would be pretty cool. Also means I wouldn’t have to rely on Uber on a night out. Ha ha!

What language would you love to learn?

Ooh, maybe Spanish. I like the way it rolls off the tongue.

How would you describe yourself?

I would say loyal, sometimes chaotic, other times mega-organised, optimistic, usually late, forgiving. With a dash of anxiety thrown in for good measure.

The mantra you live by?

Be kind. It may be a cliché but it’s also really bloody important. It’s all too easy to judge, or jump to conclusions, and actually, we never know what people are going through, what their state of mind is. I’m not perfect, by any means, and obviously sometimes I know I could do better, but I do think I always try to be kind. It costs nothing.