August issue

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EDITORS LETTER Much love and thanks to Elena for my beautiful illustration: https://www.facebook.com/LiveLoveDoodle/info

So half way through the year and already I’ve been invited to 6 Christmas PR days! How scary is that?!

I’m still trying to think about what to do this Summer with my girls - what is everyone else up to?

We have another packed issue for you to enjoy this month including a great interview with X-Factor winner Sam Bailey on pregnancy, her relationships with the X-Factor judges and life in the public eye, fantastic articles to help you through health, fashion and lifestyle as well as another great feature about ‘Raw Foods’ from our resident fitness and health expert to the stars, Ruben Tabares, ready to answer any questions you may have! Ruben is one of the most in-demand strength and conditioning coaches in the world and he boasts a client list with the likes of the former World Heavyweight Champion Boxer David Haye. Former light welterweight champion, Amir Khan. Actor Mickey Rourke and rapper Tinie Tempah, Ruben's world-renowned approach to weight loss, strength and condition, as well as nutrition, continues to attract some of the most elite clients from around the world and now we have the privilege of getting his insight, knowledge and experience to guide us too!

We also have our fabulous feature ‘Parents & Business’ which showcases businesses started up by other parents and their tips on how they’ve managed to succeed and advice on what you should or shouldn’t do. We also have our regular legal advice which this month gives you the inside knowledge on what to do should you wish to become a parentpreneur!

If you have any questions, or would like me to feature a particular topic, then please do get in touch by email on nickie@babybuzzmagazine.com or give me a call on 0208 440 1159.

x

Wishing you all a wonderful July / August,

No purchase is necessary. All prizes must be accepted as offered. For products that have been reviewed and then given away as part of a competition giveaway, it must be noted that there will be minimal wear and tear to that said product. All prize details and prices are correct at time of going to print. Winners shall be notified by email after the closing date with a delivery date to be agreed.

If the winner does not acknowledge prize awarded within 2 weeks, the prize shall be offered to the runner-up.

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The views expressed in this magazine are not always those of the publishers. Neither the publisher nor any other person associated with the production and publication of this magazine makes any guarantee, warranties or claims as to the accuracy of any of the contents of this magazine. We include and use products and services that we believe to be of a reputable standard but we advise readers to make their own judgements. The publishers and magazine will not be held accountable and or responsible for any loss caused by errors, loss or negligence resulting from Baby Buzz Magazine Limited. We do not accept responsibility for any unsolicited material/photographs published. Terms and Conditions for our competitions can be found on our website at the time of being published. No section of this magazine is authorised for use or reproduction in any form without the prior consent of the editor.

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Baby Buzz Magazine Limited London Company No: 8234631 Editor Nickie Evans nickie@babybuzzmagazine.c om 0208 440 1159 07957 731 617 Arts Editor Cindy Evans Website & Design Emily Hewett, I am Emily contact@iamemily.co.uk Dean Baxter, ChimpMySite Dean@chimpmysite.co.uk Baby Buzz Magazine is a monthly printed and online publication.

If you have any questions or would like to receive a hard copy, please email us at:

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P15 The Baby Bible P06 P23 Interview with Sam Bailey P07 P30 Announcing The Winner of The 2014 Tiny P14 Tux Competition P27

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Medela - New Research Reassures Breastfeeding Mums An Holistic Approach to Fertility Back to Body Basics - By Abi Adams Postnatal Depression or Baby Blues

By Michelle Eshkeri Boots - Protecting Little Peepers JM Herbalist - Your Q&A The Benefits of Baby Massage Mumma Loves Organic Fitness Expert Ruben Tabares - Raw Foods

P58 P59

Baby Buzz Fashion Guide - The Little Tailor Maternitywear - Seraphine

P18 P19 P22 P24 P33 P40

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Norweigan Seafood Council - Amazing Salmon Recipes for all the Family Sizzling Summer Cooking with Santa Maria

The Isle of Wight The New Forest / Milford on Sea Martinhal

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Welcome to the World

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Toddler Damage Prevention Tips Fit For A Royal Household How Much is Too Much?

Competitive Parents Train Up For Sports Day Tinies Launches Summer Club for Teens P82 Parents to Splash Out £500 this Summer Frugal Fun - Keeping Your Kids Busy this Summer UK Parents Fear Summer Repression 7 out of 10 Parents Feel Judged on Decisions They P.70 Baby Buzz Get Growing Challenge Make For Their Child P.71 Dawn Isaac - Little Green Fi Gaining A New Perspective - Parent Perspectives Kids Want Screens - The Fine Bedding Company Keeping Your Child’s Imagination Active Maynards Aegon - Women Not Making a Financial ‘Plan B’

P20 P21 P24 P45 Our Top Six Pushchairs / Travel S y s t e m s P25 P26 and Car Seats P34 P47 Children’s Health & Beauty Products P36 P48 Childrenswear & Acccessories

P49 General Health & Beauty P50 Children’s Food, Meal Ideas and K i t c h e n Gadget Reviews P52 Children’s Toys & Games P55 Baby Buzz Book Club Reviews

Enterprising Mums Parents in Business Start Up Business of the Month Raspberry Plum London Mum Finds her Live/Work Balance No Letting Go The Rise of the Parent-Friendly Franchise Yoga Bellies

P37 P41 P62 P81

Little Signers Club - Signing Fun P26 Designer Babies - By Elizabeth Hobson Don’t Leave It To Luck - Busy Bees Benefits P76 The ‘I’ In Team - The Buggy Network P77 Home & Furnishings with Piccoli & Co P78

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Spoilt Rotten Babies - Supporting A Good Cause Cake Lingerie & Competition Little Steps - Back to School with Geox Willows Farm - Maisie’s a-maizeingmaze Hauck - Celebrating a Double Award Win Blinx - Eyewear Accessories for Kids Which Guide - Tens Machines? Do They Work?

Disney Highlights for August

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We’ve been reading about a beautiful little girl called Matilda, born at just 26+2 weeks and we would love for her parents to have the support of all our readers! To read her incredible story so far, please copy and share this link: https://www.facebook.com/matildakhatibsjourney Name: Date of Birth: Weight at Birth: Parents:

Matilda Eve Khatib 7�� June 14 1lb 10oz (Now 5 weeks old and 2lb 4oz) Laurie & Adam

Another of our wonderful mums, who has followed the magazine for a long time and helps with our product reviews, also gave birth to two gorgeous little girls born at 32 weeks as they were MonoAmniotic Twins (Monoamniotic twins are identical twins that share the same amniotic sac within their mother's uterus which poses a serious threat to their wellbeing).

Name & Weight: Name & Weight: Date of Birth Parents:

Brooke Smith - 3lbs 4oz Harley Smith - 3lbs 30�� June 14 Kirsty & Mike

Congratulations to Stacey and Matthew on the birth of their beautiful little boy!! x Name: Weight: Date of Birth Parents:

Sonny Alexander Lewis 9lbs 11�� July 14 Stacey & Matthew

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At Enterprising Mums, we aim to support and inspire each other through our networking meetings. In this month’s advice column, we hope to give you some basic PR tips to help you get your brand message out there... it past some people you know who don’t know your business and get their feedback, or ask them to tell you what the key message is, so you know it is clear to someone other than yourself.

Will a journalist want to tell your story? The best way to think about this is to look at the publication, blog or website they are writing for and think as yourself as a reader. Would you want to read an article about the story or product you are putting forward?

It may be a more effective use of time to speak to someone small who engages well with your target audience, than a bigger publication who has mass coverage. Likewise if your business is internet based, it would be better to target online publications and bloggers who can put a direct link through to your site rather than a print publication, where you are relying on people to keep PR is a great tool for promoting your business and is still one of the least hold of the article and log on later. Look at bloggers as they tend to be expensive forms of advertising available to you. very focused and speak with a specific niche. Spend time researching them and understanding their likes and dislikes. Social media is a great When looking at PR, there are several options available. You could hire way to do this. in a consultant or agency to work on a launch project and pay a one off fee, or if budget allows, there are lots of good people out there who will Think about ways to grab their attention…photos, videos, charge you a monthly retainer fee. There is the option to do it yourself, research and case studies are always good ways to introduce a product but if you do, bear in mind PR takes a lot of time, as it is about building or service. Just be sure to make it relevant! and maintaining relationships with individuals.

The world is built on human relationships. It There are a lot of journalists and bloggers out there and they can be is sometimes easy to forget this in the social media and internet age, but extremely hard to reach and they have very little time. They get if you can find a connection with a journalist or a blogger it can go a long approached by hundreds of companies a week who think they should way give their brand coverage, so how do you stand out from the crowd?

Here are some 5 key ‘do’s’ to get ahead.

If you don’t understand your story yourself For more information on Enterprising Mums networking groups or to set then how do you expect a journalist to? So, keep your words to a up a networking group yourself, please visit www.enterprisingminimum and to the point (for example a one page press release). Run mums.co.uk or tweet us @enterprisemums

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Parents & Business

How to become a parentpreneur your new venture. Hand a stack of cards to all those you know – family, friends, other mums you meet on the school run etc – you never know who could be a potential customer and a personal recommendation is always the best way to secure new business.

When you become a parent, your priorities naturally shift. Many parents are now seeking new ways to work around their family and as a result, we have seen a rise in parentpreneurs – parents starting up their own businesses – seeking a more flexible way of working so they can balance work and family on their own terms.

The great thing is that there has never been a better time to get your brilliant business idea up and running, thanks to the internet.

With a plethora of services at your fingertips, making the first steps needn’t be time-consuming or complicated.

Seeking guidance from friends and family is one of the best ways to road-test your business idea – they’re going to be the most forthcoming! On your way back from the school run or whilst waiting at the school gates, set up a phone call to bounce a few ideas around and to garner honest feedback and advice.

They may also be able to give you a helping hand with funding to get your business off the ground. If borrowing money from friends and family, draw up a ‘promissory note’ to record details of the amount you are borrowing and when you will aim to pay it back.

This provides security and clarity for you and the person lending you the money. You can create one for free if you sign up to the one-week free trial on Rocket Lawyer.

It’s an unavoidable part of life but you do have to register your business for tax purposes! You can easily do this online through HMRC. Make sure you’re organised with paperwork from the start and keep all records and copies of invoices, receipts etc. as you will need these to tally up the numbers at the end of every business year.

As your business gets off the ground, you may need to think about assistance and staff so you can get on with what really matters – growing the business. Even if you hire help from close family and friends, you are still legally required to issue an employment contract! Consulting a lawyer may sound daunting (and expensive) but there are online legal sites like ours that allow you to create your own professional document so you have solid legal footing from the start and both employer and employee know where they stand.

Set up a business bank account at your local branch; you can also do this online very quickly. This helps you to maintain a high level of professionalism and keeps your personal and business finances separate for tax purposes, which will make it easier to calculate in the long run!

Or you can even seek investment from the public and ‘crowdfund’ through popular sites like Kickstarter and Crowdcube.

There you have it! Don’t be afraid to bring into fruition those ideas you’ve been sitting on. Some of the best ideas are born out of your everyday needs or surroundings, it could be a gap in the If you’ve been sitting on a brilliant business idea for some time, market you’ve spotted at home or a problem that seemingly you probably have a few ideas for the name of your business. couldn’t be solved whilst running an errand. Look for inspiration Keep them all in one place so you can refer back to them quickly in those precious spare moments, possibly when you’re on the and this will make it easier to shortlist your favourites. school run, which often goes by in a flash.

Enter prospective names through Companies House, it takes just a few seconds to find out whether the name has already been registered and could protect you from future potential name infringement issues.

www.rocketlawyer.co.uk

Depending on the nature of your business, you may only need to create two to three social media accounts, Facebook and Twitter being the most popular and valuable free marketing and networking tools.

Alternatively spread the word by handing out branded business cards - Vistaprint often offer free business cards (you just pay postage) so this could be a really cost-effective way of promoting www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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Parents & Business

The company was founded by Julia Minchin, mother to three children – Tom, Ollie and Sophie.

Hippychick is a business that sells a range of essential nursery products that are innovative, practical and designed above all, to make life easier for parents.

Hippychick sells a mix of its own products such as the multi award-winning Hippychick Hipseat, the Hippychick Mattress Protector range and the Hippychick Waterproof range as well as distributing a carefully chosen range of products such as The Snoozeshade, the best-selling Wheelybug collection and Nattou soft toys

Julia Minchin, Hippychick founder, with husband, Jeremy I started Hippychick 15 years ago, after the birth of my first child, Tom. I didn’t want life to stop while Tom was a baby and was always thinking about things that I could do that would complement family life, as well as provide an income. What I discovered, as a first time mum with precious little knowledge about the role I was suddenly plunged into, was the dearth of nursery products actually designed to help ME. The Hippychick Hipseat was the first product I developed – a back-supporting belt with a built-in shelf on which toddlers can perch, taking the strain off the spine.

It was instrumental in the take-off the business. As the orders started to flood in, my husband Jeremy joined the team. Hippychick started life in the spare room at our family home near Bridgwater in Somerset where I was able to work around my brood. As the business continued to grow, the boxes started to pile up. We realised that the business was starting to impinge on family life and needed to look for commercial premises. We found a warehouse on a small industrial estate in Bridgwater that was perfect for our needs and with plenty of room for expansion.

The Wheelybug

I would like Hippychick to become a household name, and to be a widely recognised nursery brand synonymous with products that make life easier for parents. I also see the international side of our business as a huge opportunity and want to establish a network of overseas distributors in order that Hippychick grows as a brand right cross the globe.

There have been just so many. But probably all the feedback and testimonials we receive, unsolicited, from our customers, as well as all the awards we have won for our products over the years.

The Hippychick Dream Tubes

No downsides, just obstacles. My husband Jeremy had a terrible paragliding accident in 2011, suffering life threatening injuries. He was out of action for four months, leaving me to run the business and the family as well as function as his primary carer when he came out of hospital. Though it was hard at the time, I recognise in hindsight that the whole experience gave me greater confidence in my capabilities as both a business woman and a mother.

If you’re going to start a business, you really need to research the market. Be sure that it hasn’t been done before, or, if it has, that you are going to do it better!

Never underestimate the amount of time and hard work it takes to set up and run a business. It sounds obvious but it is absolutely true that the more time you put in, the more you’ll get out of it. Never be arrogant and assume you know it all. Business is a continual learning curve.

For more information please contact:

Always spend enough time with your children. All too quickly, mine are growing up but I feel good that I have tried my best to never sacrifice them for the sake of the business. It’s probably just taken a little longer to get the business where I want it to be – and that’s the compromise.

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The Hippychick Hipseat in a new Liberty Art Fabric

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Parents & Business

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‘Love 13’ was started by myself, Denni and my husband Dan. We are both extremely passionate about our businesses! I have a creative background and a love for all things handmade. Dan, having previously worked in sales, had run Love a Cup (Enfield Town Station) for over 4 years. He has the financial brain and is also a great barister. We employ my mum, Lorraine who is enthusiastic, vibrant and a real asset to our shop. We also recently took on our first apprentice.

I began to sell my handmade fabric flowers at designer-maker shops and markets in London, such as Spitalfields. They were well received so I decided I’d like to also sell my creations locally, but there was absolutely nowhere that specialised in creative or handmade goods. This was frustrating, as I knew there must be a market for this kind of thing. We’d spend our weekends in Crouch End or Islington (and even Brighton!) trawling shops that stocked beautiful and unusual things… Wishing that there was somewhere in Enfield that we could shop instead. After a couple of years gaining business experience at Love a Cup, we decided to combine our skills and passions for coffee making and crafting and opened Love 13 in 2011.

http://www.love13.co.uk info@love13.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/love13shop https://twitter.com/love13shop

childrens classes, community charity craft projects and have raised over £400 this year for North London Hospice.

When we started, there was nowhere else in Enfield that offered this kind of class or specialised in handmade products. We aim to keep adding to and improving our offering, leading the way for classes to teach adults new craft skills in a fun and social environment. We are increasing our range of gifts, cards, classes, running more corporate team-building sessions, baby showers and hen parties.

We always wanted our business to bring people together. When we have a class, a mums meet-up or a Knit & Natter where there are a huge group of people who didn’t know each other before, chatting, swapping tips and making friends it gives us an amazing sense of achievement. We recently hosted the launch of the ‘Enfield Breastfeeding Welcome’ scheme, which was such a pleasure to be a part of both as a business owner and as a new Mum.

You are always at work! We find it almost impossible to completely switch off… But maybe secretly we don’t want to ;) Our shop thrives on offering different things to different people. We are more than just a gift shop, we offer unusual products many of which are made especially for us. We offer coffee and cake in relaxed and welcoming surroundings and we were the first place locally to run professional social craft classes for adults. We have created drop-in sessions which run weekly to bring the community together including our 'Mums, bumps and babies' group and our 'Knit and Natter' which is regularly attended by 20+ people aged 19-90! We hold crafty parties,

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BE UNIQUE. For your idea to succeed it needs to be ‘all you’. Be organised; this will free up more family time. Do something you are passionate about. Work harder than anyone else, be braver, dream bigger… Oh and keep your accounts away from your baby! x

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Parents & Business

I, Neha Vyas, am solely behind BabyRoof, which was formed earlier in 2014 in Wimbledon.

Early 2014 when my son was a few months old.

BabyRoof displays all recommended products, from the biggest retailers, under one roof. As a new mother I realise how many options there are currently, and how taxing all the searching can get. BabyRoof was formed with the idea of giving new parents (and even while they are pregnant) a one stop shop where they know everything displayed is researched, and hence, recommend. Nothing on the site is something we don’t swear by.

I hope to target new parents who are as confused as I was back then, and give them peace of mind while online buying for the love of their lives.

My son! And of course, getting great feedback in terms of customer stories is always a delight.

BabyRoof is like having another son - hyper active and always wants me. It sometimes becomes a challenge to detach myself from BabyRoof, especially on the weekends when my husband demands undisturbed attention.

I would say - GO FOR IT! I know what it’s like to be a new mum and staying home can take a toll on your entire personality. Treat it like your baby - have patience and don’t give up.

For more information please contact: Website: Email: Facebook: Twitter:

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Parents & Business

That would be me, Helen. I struggled to find un-processed finger foods for my baby without added sugar and salt, e numbers etc. I started making my own fish cakes and risotto fingers for Ted, a couple of my friends from my antenatal and NCT group asked for some of the items. I thought I might have found a gap in the market and after I was made redundant from my job I started making the foods in my home kitchen to sell at a local farmers market.

In 2012 I learnt that the food needed to pass stringent analysis to comply with the Processed Cereal–based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children (England) Regulations 2004, after some experimenting I got the 9 items available approved for sale to babies. A friend set up a website for me and I started to trade at local baby shows. The food is now professionally made in purpose built accredited kitchens by my business partner, acclaimed chef, Richard James (Fuud ltd)

The company’s about providing quality, nutritious, guilt free convenient finger foods for babies, toddlers and young children.

The food is unique and not what you typically find in the supermarket but above all it’s healthy, handy and yummy!

I hope to be successful in my business and make parents life a little easier with guilt free, convenient food. Now the food is in production I hope to be able to spend more time with Ted rather than cooking. I would love to have Fab Finger Foods available to buy in farm shops and deli's as well as online direct to customers.

I have found many highlights of starting my own company, a sense of achievement, new friends but hearing from parents whose children enjoyed the food has been the biggest highlight after all that tells me that I’m on the right track and heading in the right direction.

For more information please contact: For me the biggest downside has been the time away from Ted at baby shows and markets. I struggled with cooking until the small hours, deliveries throughout the day as well as juggling my part time job as an Audiologist along with general household jobs, Ted having no clean clothes wasn’t a highlight, but at least he had some healthy food!

Website: Email: Facebook: Twitter:

http://www.fabfingerfoods.co.uk fabfingerfoods@hotmail.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/FabFingerFoods https://twitter.com/FabFingerFoods

Advice I would give to a parent wanting to start up their own business is to work hard and it will pay off. For me I live by the saying "I would rather regret the things I've done than the things I haven’t" and so far it's served me well. I would say give it a whirl!

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Parents & Business

A Regular Mum of four, who had an idea and a passion for helping people not to forget occasions.

I was discussing the Idea with my Husband for an e-organiser and planner for all occasions, this led us to the idea of also stocking cards and providing a hand writing service. That conversation was over a year ago now and Smartsenda is now up and running.

My husband is useless at remembering birthdays and keeps getting into trouble, and he’s not alone. We understand that life is evermore demanding and that people do not intentionally forget to send out cards. We provide a free service that plans out all your regular occasions, and sends cards on your behalf, saving you the embarrassment of forgetting. We remember so you don't have to.

To be there for our customers and provide a service to those busy people out there. We would like to be an online concierge facility, maybe expanding to high end gifts as well as cards. Our main aim is to provide premium top quality products at a competitive price and provide a free occasion planning too.

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The highlight has to be seeing my ideas coming to life, I get a great deal of satisfaction every-time we help someone out, we also get the occasional thank-you email from happy customers, which makes it all worth while.

I am having fun being my own boss but if there was a downside, I think it's trying to get to grips with all the jargon involved with developing your own website.

Don't do it... Only kidding its rewarding but very time consuming running your own business, it helps if you have a passion for your product, tons of patience and the ability to talk to people on a level that they understand. It's not to different from parenting really!!.

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http://www.smartsenda.com/ hello@smartsenda.com https://www.facebook.com/SmartSenda https://twitter.com/SmartSenda

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Parents & Business

Louise Millard first thought of Thoroughly Modern Baby after having her first baby, Skye, 18 months ago,. She enlisted the help of her old friend, Nicola Martin and together they launched their website at the beginning of June.

We did a huge amount of online research to find out what other websites offered and what made a site popular. We were happy in our vision for TMB and appointed Atholl Road Web Designers in February this year. Louise had a "hit list" of products we wanted to showcase on the site and with this in hand we set off for Harrogate Nursery Fair in March, test site up and running and a head full of great ideas!

Thoroughly Modern Baby is an online based shop that specialises in innovative and modern baby products. It's a portal site that showcases the very best in new products and ideas for babies and parents.

We would love to see the site be a huge success and expand into becoming an online resource for mums and dads. We want to be able to give people easy access to all of those gorgeous, practical and innovative products that keep appearing! We also hope to offer great advice and real feedback from other parents and experts in all things baby and toddlers. Because we have everything in one easy shop, making life easier is right at the top of the list!

Seeing it all come together and go live! It was months of hard work and although there were exciting little milestones - approving the brand, the site layout, getting our favourite suppliers on board - it was that wonderful day on the 8th June when the holding page came down and the site was there and live that we could breathe out again and relax! We've had some amazing feedback from other Mums and Dads and this has made it all the more special.

Midnight product uploads! We both have other jobs and we're running this at night.

The website has been built to automate a lot of the ordering and our suppliers all dropship for us. However, we are there, resizing photographs and writing descriptions until the wee small hours. Its hard work but worth it!

Go for it! Get your plan together, get your support network sorted out and just do it.

Be clear in your head but don't overthink it. If you think about it too hard your head will explode - and lets face it, we'd never have had children if we'd been put off by all the risks and tales of sleepless nights!

For more information please contact: Website: Email: Facebook: Twitter:

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http://www.thoroughlymodernbaby.com/ hello@thoroughlymodernbaby.com https://www.facebook.com/thoroughlymodernbaby https://twitter.com/ThorModBaby

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Start-Up Business of the Month

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That would be me, Aleksandra Stastic. I design the entire range and the image of the company. That is the most enjoyable part of my job, but sadly it's the shortest part of it. I am always getting excited by new ideas for the brand, but there is just not enough time or space in the collection to realise all of them.

http://www.raspberryplum.com info@raspberryplum.com https://www.facebook.com/raspberryplum https://twitter.com/raspberryplum

Having a business that is ethical is greatly important to me. This means producing garments that are not only beautiful and original, but ethically made and durable is one of the priorities of RaspberryPlum.

I also want to create a work environment for my employees where they feel appreciated and a part of the team. I believe in a pleasant work environments that embraces peoples skills, creativity and efforts.

Seeing my vision come alive and not having to compromise or conform to somebody else's aesthetic standards. It is amazing when that vision I am at that age when most of my friends are having babies. While is recognised and embraced. I think children's clothes have the ability shopping for presents I failed to find kids clothes that suited my taste to make people happy, and I love seeing my range bringing smiles to and that were comfortable fork ids. I found that the vintage style that peoples' faces.

I like is often uncomfortable and impractical. This brought me to design a range that keeps that chic look of vintage clothes, without being gimmicky, but also looks modern. Comfort is another priority. I have a Being in charge of a company is a great deal of pressure. There are so lot of experience in womenswear and textile design and I felt that it many things you have to keep under control. Leisure time becomes was the right time to create my own range, and put my own vision out very sparse, so I've learned to make the most of the little free time that there. I come from a long line of entrepreneurs therefor it was a natural I do have. path for me.

Raspberry Plum is about embracing childhood, letting kids be kids, play, get messy, be comfortable but always look cool a chic. I don't think that clothes should be precious but I think that by letting kids express themselves though clothing at an early age builds their self-esteem.

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As I am not a parent yet, I can only imagine that it would be very tough juggling family and a new business. I would mostly advise anybody who wants to start a business to wait until their business grows a little bit before starting a family, as while the business is still young most of the work needs to be done by the business owner. If they are a parent already I hope that they have some help with childcare, or they should start a business with a partner who has a different set of skills to themselves.

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Exclusive

Have you ever had one of those moments when you stumble across something, or in this case someone, that brings a whole new definition to motherhood and makes you want to rejoice that someone finally understands how you are feeling?

So did you or do you have the perfect pregnancy, the perfect family, the perfect child. Uh, sorry - NO! So why is it that society keeps pounding us with the illusion of everything is rosy pink and perfect when you are expecting or have just become a mum! There are so many books out there that paint the picture of perfection and tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, that when you inevitably fail at living up to these impossible standards, you feel that you’ve failed at being a mother!

For those of you who haven’t heard of Olivia Siegl and The Baby Bible, pay attention…. PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION! She is about It soon became apparent that she was not alone in the wilderness of motherhood, trying to negotiate her way around the daily pitfalls to become your life saver, your friend - hell your confidant! no one had warned her about pre baby, as she started to hear from I would urge all women out there who want a straight talking, no hundreds of women worldwide who were in exactly the same bullshit sanctuary and an escape away from the shitty situations situation but just not talking about it. we face daily on the battlefields of motherhood, to visit The Baby Bible (http://www.the-baby-bible.com/). I’m pretty sure you will Following the overwhelming support from fellow mums, all after a find yourself relating to most of the ‘confessionals’ that have been fresh and un-sugar-coated perspective on the reality of written by other like-minded mums who’ve dared to tell it as it is. motherhood, Olivia wrote a book, set up a website and is currently inviting all like minded mums out there to join her in her No Bullshit So what is The Baby Bible all about? The idea for The Baby Bible Revolution! We will be featuring regular features from Olivia each started out as the ramblings and rants of writer and mum Olivia month to try and give our readers some level of sanity in the world Siegl, who after reading all the traditional baby books felt smugly that is motherhood! prepared to be the owner of a tiny human. What a load of Bullshit!

Once she had pushed her baby, sanity and any dignity she had left out and into this world it suddenly dawned on her that the book dealing with the hilarious, downright horrific and at times incredibly dark realities of motherhood did not exist. To preserve her sanity she decided to start writing about them herself and then to share them with fellow mums.

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Want to discuss how you are feeling about being a mum, warts and all, NO JUDGEMENT? Come join the No Bullshit Mum Revolution and pop into The Confessional to chat to other like minded and straight talking mums at www.the-baby-bible.com, follow us on Twitter @thebabybible and on the closed Facebook Group by sending your email address to Olivia@the-baby-bible.com.

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15

Health & Wellbeing

New Research Reassures Breastfeeding Mothers Every breastfeeding mother will, at some stage, question if she is doing everything ok.

Common questions such as, how often do I need to feed my baby or, how do I know if my baby is getting enough milk, will certainly play on their minds. Breastfeeding mothers may also find they compare themselves, wondering why a friend’s baby doesn’t feed as frequently during the night for example. These types of questions will be asked by mothers during their breastfeeding experience and may cause anxiety or concern for some.

Now, thanks to a new study from leading lactation researcher Dr Jacqueline Kent our understanding of breastfeeding is far clearer. Kent’s work has outlined the boundaries for what can be considered ‘normal’ breastfeeding and in doing so has answered these common queries. This is music to the ears of many mothers’ who find themselves questioning their personal breastfeeding experience and asking if it is normal? Dr Kent’s findings were presented for the first time at Medela’s world leading breastfeeding symposium in Madrid this April and have since been shared far and wide around the world. Her work confirms that in fact there is no breastfeeding norm, no specific Dr Jacqueline Kent pattern that infants will, or indeed need to adopt, and certainly no set of rules that benchmark the right way to breastfeed. The new research explains that every breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby is unique and that it will adapt and change throughout the breastfeeding period. The differences may appear extreme, but are natural and not necessarily an indication of insufficient milk supply or other problems. Kent’s findings highlighted varying breastfeeding patterns between infants, but also showed changes in each baby’s individual experience, sometimes changing monthly. Between one and six months of lactation breastfed infants take fewer, faster, larger feeds, but their total daily milk intake is constant. The significant variability in frequency and volume intake of the healthy, exclusively breastfed infant aged 1 to 6 months is as follows: ● ● ● ●

– the number of breastfeeding sessions per day minutes – the duration of a breastfeeding session ml – volume of milk consumed in a breastfeeding session ml – the volume of milk consumed in a 24 hour period

All of the infants who were monitored as part of the study were considered to be growing normally according to the WHO growth charts. At every age there is a wide range in the number of breastfeeds in a day, but on average the frequency decreases between one and six months, after which it stabilizes. Similarly, there is a wide range in the duration of each breastfeeding session at every age, but on average the duration decreases between one and six months. This knowledge will undoubtedly provide much-needed evidence to give health professionals confidence in various feeding situations and to give mothers self-assurance in their role. Better knowledge of the variability and expected changes in breastfeeding patterns will also improve mothers’ confidence about their milk supply.

The breastfeeding community must take from this study the understanding that changes in an infant’s breastfeeding behaviours are completely normal, as are differences between babies. Lack of milk is often cited as one of the reasons mothers give up breastfeeding; the concern that their baby is not getting milk is naturally a worry. Mothers may think that because their baby is feeding more often it is a sign they are not getting enough each feed, but thanks to Kent we have learnt that this is not necessarily the case. Using Kent’s new work to further educate both mothers and health professionals on the expected breastfeeding journey can potentially irradiate breastfeeding myths, thus making it a truly ground-breaking study in the field of lactation.

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For more information, please visit: http://www.medela.com/

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16

Family Focus

TODDLER DAMAGE PREVENTION TIPS FIT FOR A ROYAL HOUSEHOLD As Prince George turns one (22ⁿ� July), the world is inundated with images of a beautiful calm and well behaved little prince. But mums and dads know too well that behind closed doors, every toddler can wreak Royal havoc, especially in the home. In fact, damage by animals and children are a common cause of home insurance claims. With Buckingham Palace now home to both kiddies and the corgis, the Queen will need a good home insurance policy more than ever to ensure the Crown Jewels are suitably covered. As the nation prepares to celebrate the birthday boy’s big day, home insurance specialist, Together Mutual Insurance, has compiled some top tips on safeguarding the home for those with a little havoc-wreaking prince or princess of their own.

1.

When selecting the wallpaper and carpet for a room, make sure you consider how easy it will be to clean them. Children love scribbling, especially on walls. So opt for the easy clean wallpaper, or be prepared to display your little prince’s masterpiece for quite some time.

2.

Make sure that the little one doesn’t get hurt by baby proofing sharp corners and securing furniture that could topple. But also check that in doing so, you won’t damage or devalue your favourite piece of furniture.

3.

Standard contents policies include an element of cover for accidental damage - including stereo equipment and glass-in furniture - but they don't cover accidental damage to other goods or actual furnishings. So it is worth adding extended accidental damage cover to your home contents policy, or investing in hard wearing sofas. Make sure kids don’t take food on to the sofa and if they are colouring in, that they wash their hands and leave the ALL the pens and crayons in the play area, not in back pockets.

4.

Here’s hoping Kate & Wills have insured their jewellery. Little ones love everything that sparkles, and have a nasty tendency of hiding them in the weirdest places. And if they haven’t stowed it away, there’s always the chance they’ve flushed it down the toilet. Keep your jewels and crowns out of children’s grasp and get them suitably covered in your contents insurance.

5.

Mummy’s handbag is a treasure trove of goodies, and we’d all love to know what Queenie carries in hers. If the tot gets into your purse, your lipstick and mascara being used as crayons could be the least of your worries. One spilt juice carton could spell the end for the bag and what’s inside. Make sure your bag is closed and kept out of reach.

6.

It is said that children are a drain on finances. In addition to their high maintenance cost, tiny tots often like to slip credit cards, crisp £20 notes, cheques and important business cards through the gaps in floorboards. Avoid pulling up the flooring and make sure you have your credit card details close to hand, stored in a safe place away from the big spenders.

7.

If your little prince is visiting granny, it might be worth her paying an extra premium for accidental damage cover to be added to her policy. That way, if your toddler knocks over the TV right before her favourite soap starts, you can rest assured that it will be covered.

8.

A standard home insurance policy doesn’t cover portable electrical equipment and clothing for accidental damage. So, as much as your phone or iPad pacifies your child, it might be better to get them a child friendly version and to hang your favourite expensive jacket out of harm's way

9.

Keep baby wipes with you at all times. They are great for any messy activities, and can equally be used to clean up minor spills* as well

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as mucky hands (*Before using wipes to clean furniture and upholstery try wiping in a small inconspicuous area and only continue to use if no adverse reaction occurs) 10. Last but not least, accept that Make sure you’re covered with a suitable policy for if, and when, the worst does happen.

For more information, please contact: http://www.togethermutualinsurance.co.uk/

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17

Health & Wellbeing

An Holistic Approach to Fertility Jacqueline Hurst is a fully qualified acupuncturist specialising in fertility, an accredited BACP Counsellor and Psychotherapist and a member of BICA. She runs Fertility Support clinics in Warwickshire and the West Midlands, alongside a network of specialists and attracts clients from the surrounding counties due to her reputation in successful outcomes and the range of holistic therapies she offers: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Acupuncture Nutritional Advice Fertility yoga & Pregnancy yoga Fertility Reflexology & Pregnancy reflexology Massage for stress reduction Mindfulness Guidance and Breathing for relaxation Monitored Cycles AMH blood testing Ultrasound Scanning

Co-enzyme Q10 play a vital role in egg production, fertilisation and implantation. Vitamins can also help with more extreme male fertility issues or very low ovarian reserve.

For clients going through IVF or ICSI I recommend a Detoxifying Lymphatic Drainage Massage and a specifically designed relaxation massage the night before embryo transfer has proved to be tremendously successful.

My key pieces of advice for anyone preparing to start a family, for those who are experiencing a delay in conceiving or those who are facing IVF are:

Here she offers some key pieces of advice.

I am often asked how acupuncture works. The common consensus is that it helps to improve the flow of blood and energy to the reproductive organs, balance the body, build up the womb lining, grow follicles and help with implantation. It also helps with endorphins to help calm and reduce stress levels, as stress can impact significantly on fertility. I work closely with top fertility consultant, Dr Rina Agrawal who practices at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire and also from a clinic in London. Both clinics offer fertility treatments, such as IVF, privately as well as through the NHS. Clinics around the country are now recognising the benefit of a holistic approach to complement IVF treatment.

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Don’t smoke and avoid smoky atmospheres, as cigarette smoke affects the lining of the womb

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For males, blood flow and heat affect sperm production, so limit the amount of time sitting at a desk and avoid very rigorous exercise

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It takes 100 days to create healthy sperm (or to change it)

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Try to limit your stress levels. We advise breathing dynamics and visualization as excellent ways to combat stress. Good breathing technique helps to circulate oxygen around the body and into the reproductive organs. It will also help to focus the mind and cope with the stresses of the conception journey. Visualization is very important at every stage of the cycle. I help my clients to visualize what is happening in their body – the follicles growing, the eggs maturing, the womb lining thickening, the embryos implanting. I also provide instructional CDs for my clients to try at home.

Ideally you should have a weekly acupuncture session three months prior to trying to conceive. For natural or clomid cycles we work on a 4-phase plan to complement a natural cycle and with assisted IVF or ICSI cycles I have a set protocol.

I am also associated with Tummy2Mummy who provide ultra sound services with over 30 years’ experience. We offer a ● Keep talking with you partner and spend time doing things monitored cycle, which provides valuable insight into our client’s fertility status, being able to see if and when ovulation occurs. you both enjoy. You are on this journey together so you need to be able to support each other throughout it.

This is particularly helpful for sufferers of PCOS who have extremely long cycles. Ultra sound scanning may also be able to identify pelvic and gynecological disorders, which when treated You can read more about Jacqueline’s holistic approach to fertility may eliminate the need for assisted conception. support, and read her successful client case studies at www.fertility-support.co.uk Good nutrition, for the man and the woman must be a priority as it impacts on every aspect of health and wellbeing, particularly when undergoing IVF. I am a founding member of the Zita West (London) affiliate network, specialising in all aspects of male and female reproductive health. We advise all of our patients to take a good quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. Vitamins C, E, A and B complex, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iron and www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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18

Health & Wellbeing

Back to body business...

6 weeks...... Now, a 6 week holiday is awesome. 6 weeks of studying and living in an ashram, meeting all warps of life and a few legends in between is epic. 6 weeks (+ some for an emergency c section) of doing nothing (aka resting) is not awesome or legendary. Yes I am a yogic sharer career (aka teacher) and pregnancy masseuse and have advised many women of the benefits of taking it slow and allowing the healing to take its course. To all those ladies, I'm sorry. But we do have to look at the body as a long term investment. Rush it and all that hard work could disappear in the blink of an injury.

YOGA - LESSON SEVEN

The first 4 weeks were a beautiful haze of resting and getting to know Rafferty. And I really did immerse myself in the indulgence of not doing much. But if I'm being honest, and to all those ladies out there that work for yourself as a yoga teacher or fitness instructor I'm sure you can agree, the thought of getting back to work (for the sake of your client base and earnings and not neglecting your child) and back to body is never really far from your mind. And getting back your body to all women kind is generally slapping you in the face when yet another magazine is dissecting some poor celebrity for going up a dress size to size 6 - EEEEK! Ladies and warrior princesses of the world, I hear ya! Not only are we getting to know our new little addition to the family, you're recovering, you're healing, you're looking after your house, you're trying to get back to a healthy diet and burning your biscuit tin, heck! You may even be working?....... But if I'm being honest, the later of the above were all issues I pushed myself into thinking I needed to do. Burn those magazines ladies (other than Baby Buzz of course)! And get this: you. Are. Beautiful just as you are (sorry to the producers of Bridgette Jones if this paragraph is trademarked). I think its fair to say most of us worried early on about getting our bods back, but remember, if your breast feeding the weight will fall off anyway and as proof is in the pudding, lifting, carrying, pushing and hanging your head in bewilderment as to what to do next burns those calories to Mars. Dont be afraid to eat those carbs before Marbs as your gonna need that energy to keep you going and most importantly, emotionally stable.

This is just sooooooo good for the shoulders! And I can involve Raff, who absolutely loves it when I make faces when lifting my head (no better yoga than hearing a baby laugh):

I promised myself I would indulge in the healing from others and I'm proud to say I've kept my word. Acupuncture was great to clear all the drugs from my body and help clear up restless leg syndrome. Deep tissue massage helped with the acutely tight shoulders I had from lifting Raff.

And the pièce de rÊsistance was the Thai abdominal massage from my teacher and friend on her trip to England (more on this in another blog).

The question I would ask myself when I began to consider cancelling my appointments due to finances was: if money wasn't an issue would you go? And the answer was always yes. A lot of my work is to change the mindset of others in that YOU are WORTH any therapy you get called to.

This has also been a learning curve for myself. Instead of always giving therapy to others I now know how important it is for me to receive and that I am WORTH it too. Is your health really second best to that handbag (even if it is Mulberry)!

Lay on your back with soles of the feet as close to the buttocks as you can.

Lengthen out through the crown of the head and then gently draw your chin backwards, bring the arms up to shoulder height and then bend elbows so fingers are pointing upwards.

Strongly draw the shoulder blades down towards the feet and keep them like this at all times.

Inhale with head on floor, exhale and slide shin up chest and lift head, inhale to lower.

Soften your face, jaw and tongue Keep repeating until the upper body starts to shake. This means you've had enough!

As you get stronger, increase repetitions. You can also include your pelvic floor by drawing it up on the exhale and head lift. Enjoy!

And after 3 months I'm getting back to my practice. Slowly. And you know what? I'm really enjoying going back to the beginning. Practicing the most easiest of postures that unlock the key to issues I've been experiencing of late. The Joint Freeing practice by Mukunda Stiles (RIP) and Yoga For Emotional Balance by Bo Forbes have been wonderful integrating into my practice. Simple, but so effective. Remember, the body is a long term investment. Respect it and don't rush it.

Abi Adams Oolong 07951 101 049 www.loveoolongtime.com

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19

News & Features

How much is too much? ●

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The majority of parents with children aged 2-4 DON’T worry about any of the identified side effects of digital use e.g. sleep quality, attention deficit, obesity, eye strain The main worries for parents with children aged 5-7 years old were behavioural problems (31%), attention deficit (29%) addiction (24%) and eye strain (24%) The main concerns for parents with children aged 8-10 years of age were behavioural problems (34%), sleep quality (31%) and headaches (30%) The main concerns for parents with children aged 11-13 years old were sleep quality (41%), eye strain (40%) and headaches (34%) The top worries for parents with children aged 14-16 were sleep quality (44%), eye strain (40%) and headaches (29%) The majority of parents with children aged 2-4 (35%) have never taken their child for an eye test The majority of parents with children aged 5-16 have taken their children for an eye test within the last 12 months

● As parents, I’m sure many of us are guilty of giving our child a games console, mobile, iPad or some other gadget in order to give us 5 (ok maybe 10) minutes to get something done. But how long are children using these devices on a daily basis? Are kids spending too long looking at screens and backlit devices and, if so, what effect is this having on their health? Lenstore conducted a survey across 2,000 parents in the UK with children aged between 2 and 16, to see which digital devices children use and how regularly they use them. The results of this have been really astonishing and highlighted some really concerning areas such as overuse of digital devices, social media and online safety. We’ve been given some of the key stats to highlight the point of how much is too much!

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are the age range spending the on digital devices with an average of with 14-16 year olds spending 9.48 hours on devices per day. said they Interestingly parents who have children aged thought a day was for their child to be spending on digital devices.

Interestingly, the majority of about how long their children were spending on digital devices (57%) but identified that the average 2-4 year old was spending using digital devices.

Parents identified that their children within the age brackets below were using digital devices predominantly for the below functions: Age

Main reason for digital use

2 - 4 years

Additional learning

5 - 7 years

Online gaming

8 - 10 years

Online gaming

11 - 13 years

School and homework

14 - 16 years

Social media

The survey revealed that 83% of 14-16 year olds have a mobile phone which enables 69% of them to already have Facebook, 1 in 3 to have Twitter (33%), 27% to have Instagram and 26% to have Snapchat.

Less than half of parents surveyed with children aged 5-7 (41%) and 8-10 (49%) said they check their child’s online activity or even monitor their use of digital devices (5-7 year olds – 47% and 8-10 year olds - 48%)

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The survey results show that children learn to manoeuvre their way around a tablet(52% based on children aged 2-10) before learning vital skills such as swimming (42% based on children aged 2-10) and telling the time (37% based on children aged 2-10) They are also more likely to confidently use a mobile phone before being able to read or ride a bike.

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Lenstore have explored these results and in particular the damaging effects our children’s digital aptitudes are having on their health and eyesight in a blog post where doctor Rob Hogan has offered his expertise on how to keep our children’s eyes healthy while using digital devices.

To read more, please visit:

Nearly 1 in 3 children aged 2-4 own a tablet (30%) and 10% have a mobile phone.

37% of children aged 5-7 own a tablet, 22% own a mobile phone and 12% already have a Facebook profile.

1 in 5 8-10 year olds (20%) already have a Facebook profile with 41% owning a tablet and 36% owning a mobile phone.

8-10 year olds are also the most likely to have an Ask.fm account (8%).

Nearly half of parents surveyed with children aged 11-13 said their child owned a tablet (49%), 75% said their child owned a mobile phone and 46% already have a Facebook profile. 11-13 year olds are also more likely to own a tablet than 14-16 year olds (43%)

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20

News & Features

COMPETITIVE PARENTS TRAIN UP FOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY Ever since David and Victoria Beckham took part in their son’s school’s parent relay race last year, the anticipation of Sports Day has seen parents preparing months in advance to impress their kids and beat fellow mums and dads.

Amazon.co.uk has seen the following increases in sales: ·

Sales of Adult Racing Sacks are up by 263% month on month · In order to beat their personal best, sales of stopwatches are up 221% month on month · To improve accuracy, parents have been buying ring toss sets – up 142% month on month · Extending the trend to the family picnic, rounders kits are also up 1,100% month on month great motivator for all the family to get fit and have fun together,” commented Ian Bradley, Sports & Outdoors Store at Amazon.co.uk “As the popularity of the ‘Parent’s Race’ continues, it appears that Ltd. parents are now going the extra mile to impress on Sports Day,” commented Xavier Garambois, Vice President of EU Retail at Not all parents are quite as successful on the field as they might Amazon. “Don’t be surprised to see parents practicing the sack race like, and for those that fall at the first hurdle, First Aid Kits have also in their back garden or training with an egg and spoon in the local risen 11% month on month. park.”

Find a range of products to help get a head start before Sports Day “Whether you’re encouraging your children to be the next Andy with the Sports & Outdoors Store and Toys & Games Store at Murray or see yourself as the next Judy Murray, Sports Day is a www.amazon.co.uk.

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21

Family Focus

Postnatal Depression or baby blues?

There are two usual treatments for postnatal depression: medication and talking therapies (counselling).

For mild to moderate depression, the recommended treatment is counselling and a course of at least 6 sessions can be as effective as anti-depressants.

For severe depression, a combination of anti-depressants and talking therapy should be offered.

In the first instance, women should access support through their health visitor or GP, but partners or other close family member may be the first to spot the signs and may need to encourage women to seek help.

By Michelle Eshkeri ● ● ●

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Between 10-15% of women will suffer from postnatal illness 10% of new fathers also get depression following the birth of a baby Where women have suffered depression during pregnancy, the statistic for postnatal depression rises to 33% and of these 25% will still be experiencing symptoms up to a year later.

Recent research by charity 4Children shows that 49% of women who thought they had suffered from postnatal depression did not seek treatment, mainly because they either did not believe the symptoms were severe enough or they were concerned about how they and their baby might be impacted by seeking treatment.

Puerperal psychosis is a rare but severe mental health condition which affects around 2 in 1000 women after birth. Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions and suicidal thoughts. Help must be sought promptly at a mother & baby unit or psychiatric facility. Most women improve significantly within one month following the correct treatment.

For support with postnatal illness, visit

www.anpi.org www.pandasfoundation.org.uk www.mind.org Postnatal illness occurs after the birth of a baby. It is a form of The NCT helpline on 0300 330 0700 depression which can affect both the mother and the father. Many experts believe it is caused by genetic, environmental and social This article was written by Michelle Eshkeri, director & founder of Parent factors and hormones also play a part.

Partner, a Barnet-based company which provides private and NC group courses as well as tailored individual birth and parenting coaching 8 out of 10 women experience a brief period of feeling depressed sessions and baby/child first aid sessions.

which occurs 3-4 days after birth and can persist for a few days. This is known as baby blues and coincides with a large release of hormones associated with milk production. Postnatal depression, however, often occurs between 4-8 weeks post birth, or later and is often longer lasting with more symptoms.

For more information, email: info@parentpartner.co.uk or visit http://www.parentpartner.co.uk or call Michelle on 07789 928 530

Common symptoms include: ● Crying a lot ● Feeling exhausted ● Difficulty eating ● Difficulty sleeping ● Feeling guilty about not being about to cope ● Feeling guilty about not loving the baby enough ● Difficulties in the relationship with the partner ● Low libido ● Withdrawal from family and friends

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22

Celebrity Interview

Sam Bailey enjoying Kiddicare’s new Bump, Baby & You service.

Five months pregnant with her third child, X-Factor winner Sam Bailey spoke exclusively to Kiddicare. Candid, down to earth, a real woman’s woman… this is a lady we’ve got a whole lot of love for!

Looking tanned and relaxed, fresh from a holiday in Gran Canaria (“we stayed in a German hotel so no one knew who I was”) Sam tucks into a cheese toastie and reveals that she’s always longed for baby number three but says, “I was working 41-hour weeks at the prison, leaving home at 6 in the morning and getting home at 9 o’clock at night. Craig and I were like ships in the night. Then after the X-Factor our circumstances were different. And we were in a better financial situation.”

mums and we have a lot in common. We’ve become really close, she’s definitely someone I can trust and tell anything to. I don’t have the same relationship with Simon!”

My waters broke, I had no contractions, then I had an epidural and C-section. I went natural last time and I screamed! I was off my face on gas and air which was great, then had an epidural and played on the Nintendo DS for 4 hours!”

So how did she break the baby news to Craig? “I did a pregnancy test in Asda’s toilets. Classy, me! I just came out and said ‘Craig I’m pregnant’. He had a huge smile on his face.”

And how did her management react to the news?

“I thought they were going to go ape! They were really supportive though, everyone was delighted. We had to let everyone on the X Factor Tour know not to manhandle me – especially Nicky (McDonlald) and Luke (Friend) getting me in a headlock!”

Sam agrees that the last 24 months have been an incredible journey. “Highlights were definitely winning X-Factor and singing with Michael Bolton at the NTAs. My actual audition was more terrifying though, I was petrified. I sang Listen by Beyonce and I got a standing ovation from all four judges. I was also a fat heifer at the time!” Funnily enough, Sam admits that she can’t actually remember the exact moment she won the X Factor title. “It’s all bit of a blur. Almost like it didn’t happen. I heard Dermot say ‘And the winner is…’ then that massive pause that seems like ages. Next thing I see Sharon on the floor. It was just bizarre. I genuinely don’t remember it.”

The pop star says – in her typically down-toearth way, “I don’t want to move house,” she says. “The kids are happy and I don’t get hassled. I don’t get the paps outside like Nicholas and Luke do, so we’re extending the house and I’m going to swap my 4-seater Mini for a 5-seater.” The extension won’t be finished until early next year so “the Babystyle Aspen (link to Kiddicare.com) furniture I’ve got my eye on will have to wait - there won’t be anywhere for it to go!”

It’s chip shop chips “with loads of vinegar” that have got her through her pregnancy. That and ice lollies. “I love a Twister – it’s a very fine lolly.

Then I was into Nobbly Bobblies, now we’re on to white Magnums.”

With honesty she reveals “I had a bit of a scare, With her children, Sam’s had two very different when I had a bleed, and had to go to hospital” labours. “I didn’t have any pain with my first. says Sam, “but they checked me out and everything’s fine with my little girl.” Even so, Sam’s decided to take it easy two months before her October due date, particularly as her first came eight weeks early and her second was two weeks early.

“I don’t want to be on stage in the middle of a show and have my baby! Mind you it would make great TV if I did!”

The bond between Sam and her mentor Sharon has been strong from day one.

“She’s going to be the baby’s godmother.

She’s always there if I need her. We’re both

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Does Sam have any words of advice for fellow mums-to-be? “Yes, just go with the flow and don’t commit to anything because kids always come first. And when it comes to juggling make sure you’ve got a good support network. I believe in favours for favours – I’ve given my Leicester season ticket to my child minder!”

When chatting about our #WIWIK (link to Kiddicare.com/wiwik) campaign, Sam reveals the one thing she wishes she’d known was about storing formula milk. “My son really suffered with gastroenteritis. He was very sick and lost a lot of weight. I wish I’d known that you shouldn’t make up bottles in the morning and keep them in the fridge for the day. New research says you have to make them up fresh to prevent babies getting poorly. He was ill for years – I really wish I’d known!”

Sam spent an afternoon browsing our Peterborough store and enjoying a Bump, Baby & You 1-2-1 consultation with colleague Rachel.

She and Craig scooped an impressive haul of baby gear including: Funky Friends bedding bales, Jumperoo, some beautiful Pumpkin Patch dresses and matching shoes, nursing pillow, just4bums nappies, Ewan the Dream Sheep and a Little Bird Told Me Butterfly play gym.

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Family Focus

Tinies launches new summer kids club exclusively for teenagers

As the summer holidays arrive parents with teenagers will be racking their brains to find fun and innovative ways to entertain them during the school break. For parents in London, the challenge has been made significantly easier as Tinies launch their first ever holiday camp specifically for children aged 11 to 16.* Activities vary each day and include rock climbing, kayaking, crazy golf, go-karting and trips to the movies.

Situated just behind Victoria Station, the holiday clubs at St Peter’s are perfect for London residents and commuters who can easily drop their children off onsite before heading to work. at Tinies says: “Kids who are 11 to 16 can be a really tricky age group for parents who are unsure how to keep them busy over the holidays. The last thing parents want is them sitting around the house all day or hanging out with the wrong crowds.

At Tinies we’ve experienced a high demand in parents asking for advice on how to keep their children entertained when they hit their teenage years. For parents who work or have children where there is a big age gap, it can be particularly difficult, so we’ve sought to make it easier for them – and helped to make the Summer holidays a time for kids to enjoy life and have fun, as it should be!”

The first camp will take place from Thursday 24�� July and will run throughout the summer, ending on Friday 29�� August.

The teen trials cost £37 for a day from 8.30 until 6, including all activity costs and food.

Parents can book their child in online at tinies.com/stpeters, as last minute as they like. Places are currently limited to 14 spots per session, giving kids the opportunity to make new friends and experience things they have never tried before. Situated beside St Peter’s Club which caters for children aged 4 to 11, taking care of childcare has never been easier.

Protecting little peepers Boots Opticians now offer UV protection and toughened lenses as standard.

With so much to see and do, little one’s eyes need to be kept in tip-top condition to ensure they do not miss a moment of the fun. Now, Boots Opticians is making it easy for parents to keep young eyes protected by including its Protect Ultratough UV lenses, as standard, with every single pair of children’s frames it sells. With the majority of the eye’s lifetime exposure to UV light reached before the age of 18, children’s eyes are particularly susceptible when it comes to UV, with evidence suggesting up to 70% more light reaches the retina than in an adult’s eye. With only 10% of people aware that eyes are up to 10 times more sensitive to UV damage than skin², Boots Opticians is committed to helping parents understand how best to protect their children’s eyes in order to maintain great eye health – in the same way that they would protect their little one’s skin by applying sun cream. Championing every child’s right to UV protection, Boots Opticians is making its Protect UItratough lenses - which filter UV rays from the front and back surface - available at no extra cost. It’s new ‘clearer prices, clearer vision’ promise will apply to even the most basic frame range and NHS prescriptions – the first time UV protection will be available, as standard, to NHS customers.

With every pair of glasses from Boots Opticians now coming with UV protection, as standard, parents can rest assured that their precious pride and joy’s eyes are protected - even when its overcast, when up to 40% of UV rays still penetrate through the clouds. And knowing children are prone to a bit of rough and tumble, the Boots Ultratough lenses are also scratch resistant, reflection free and are so tough, they’re virtually unbreakable!

Victoria O’Connor, Eye Health Condition Manager, Boots Opticians comments “The risks associated with UV exposure are cumulative so it’s important to protect eyes at an early age. UV damage can occur even when it is cloudy, so everyday UV protection is essential to minimise chances of your child experiencing sight problems as they get older. 80% of children’s learning is through sight, but one in five primary school children have an undiagnosed vision problem so it is important to ensure your child visits the optician at least every two years – and has a check before they start school.”

For more information, please visit: http://www.boots.com/en/Opticians/

Tinies organised a teen trial over the Easter holidays this year and one attendee was Sam Williamson. He said: “I really enjoyed going and trying new things every day, like kayaking and climbing in a castle.”

Tinies Holiday Club Westminster is taking place at St Peter’s Primary School, Eaton Square, Lower Belgravia Street, Westminster, London, SW1W 0NL. For more information visit www.tinies.com/stpeters or call 020 7384 8368. *Children are eligible right up unto their 16�� birthday.

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Family Focus

PARENTS TO SPLASH OUT ALMOST £500 ENTERTAINING KIDS THIS SUMMER buying treats such as magazines or coffees (34 per cent) this summer.

Others would be forced to rely on more drastic methods as they watch their bank balance. Nearly one in ten (eight per cent) admitted that they would skip paying household bills and around one in twenty (six per cent) might take another type of holiday – this time from their mortgage payments.

However, two out of five savvy parents (41 per cent) have saved in advance for their summer holiday expenses. This represents a 12 per cent increase on the number of parents who planned ahead in 2013 (29 per cent) indicating that families have learned lessons from previous summers, with 29 per cent admitting that they spent more than they expected to last year entertaining their children.

“The significant rise in parents’ spending this summer may be due to families feeling a renewed sense of confidence as the signs of economic recovery take hold. ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

Over the six week period, parents will spend £492 entertaining their children – a 26 per cent increase on last year On top of this, an average £119 will be spent on petrol and a further £106 on childcare Summer worries: almost two thirds (58 per cent) of parents worry about the cost of entertaining their children One in 10 would miss bill payments in order to cover costs

“The summer holidays are an exciting time for all and while it’s important to keep your children entertained during the summer break, it’s a good idea to plan ahead and budget wisely. There are a number of ways to manage your finances, including options such as credit cards, savings and overdraft facilities, but it's important to work out which one best suits your needs. It’s encouraging to see such a significant rise in the number of people saving in advance to cover their costs this year.”

UK parents will splash out £492 entertaining their children this summer – a 26 per cent increase on last year suggesting that parents are feeling annual a renewed sense of confidence, according to Parents also expect to see further damage done to their bank balance as they shell out £66 on other people’s children, £106 on childcare and £119 on petrol.

∙

∙

While children all over the UK are eagerly awaiting the summer holidays, more parents than ever before (58 per cent) are still fretting about the cost of keeping their kids entertained – despite planning to spend more.

Worryingly, nearly half of all parents (46 per cent) also feel under pressure to keep up with other parents’ spending. To cover costs, one in four parents expect to dip into savings (24 per cent), and a further 16 per cent would consider stopping saving altogether to make ends meet.

Nearly one in five will rely on their credit card (18 per cent), while 17 per cent are prepared to work overtime to boost the family’s monthly budgets. In an effort to keep costs down, one in 10 (12 per cent) will rely on auction sites to pay for activities over the summer holiday.

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙

When it comes to spending, the bulk of money will be spent on admission for various attractions, including theme parks and museums (47 per cent), while two in five parents (42 per cent) also plan to spend a significant amount eating out. A family holiday abroad is where nearly a third of all parents (29 per cent) expect to spend the most of their money.

This is nearly double the amount of parents who planned to head off last year (15 per cent), perhaps indicating that the average family is feeling more confident about their finances.

∙

Track down deals online, there are great discounts and 2 for 1 offers to be found to theme parks, the cinema, family days out and restaurants Look out for offers at local attractions and events organised by your local community, these are often free or inexpensive Travelling by train can also be cheaper if you book tickets in advance and avoid travelling at peak times Some museums have free entry throughout the year and the summer break is a great time to make the most of this Whether you’re heading to the park, a museum or simply a day in town, take a packed lunch as eating out can be expensive Look out for deals at supermarkets that could save you money on packed lunches or simply eating at home Organise a fun‐filled day at home such as cake making, painting, crafts or start a reading club Filling up at a less expensive garage or driving in a way that’s fuel efficient could mean you save extra cash A day in the garden or helping with the gardening can be just as fun as a day out at an amusement park and may save you some time on gardening yourself!

Research conducted by Opinium on behalf of Post Office between 30 May to 02

Many mums and dads would also consider making personal sacrifices. A June 2014. 2,004 online interviews took place, of which 585 were parents with third of all parents would give up buying new clothes (34 per cent), while children aged 18 and below. Parents expect to spend £82 a week entertaining others would miss out on their regular takeaways (34 per cent) and resist their own children – 6 X £82 = £492. The cost in 2013 was £391.50.

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News & Features

Have you got whatever it takes?

Since Spoilt Rotten was founded in 2010, with a vision to always provide beautiful organic cotton baby clothes and gifts. This vision has grown from selling baby clothes, to now having an extensive range which includes organic maternity tops, ethically made mum and dad t-shirts & gifts and kid’s t-shirts. Spoilt Rotten are proud to present the ‘Whatever It Takes’ babygrow featuring artwork kindly donated celebrities such as Tinie Tempah, Daniel Craig, Dave Grohl, Kanye West and Pink. Each celebrity has created a unique hand drawn piece of artwork featuring different designs. Their original artwork has been donated for the exclusive use of the Whatever It Takes campaign, which has so far raised over $7 million for 21st Century Leaders. The babygrows are 100% Organic cotton manufactured to high standards of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), and the Soil Association. The packaging has been specially designed to hold the babygrows, making it a perfect gift packaging, and designed around the artwork donated by the celebrity.

Spoilt Rotten is committing to raise a minimum of $26,000 from the sale of this Babygrow collection for 21st Century leaders, for selected projects in support of key global development causes –poverty alleviation, environmental conservation and the protection of children.

We were thrilled to be sent a babygrow with the Tinie Tempah design and it really is gorgeous whilst supporting an amazing cause! Tinie Tempah's artwork features, "Love, Live, Life" with a life line and heart below which cleverly incorporates the words. It is printed in red, yellow, purple, green, blue and orange giving it a vibrant look and feel to the babygrow. It comes carefully gift wrapped in Spoilt Rotten's exclusive Whatever It Takes Tinie Tempah Milk Carton which is reusable with a lid. ● ● ● ● ●

Artist: Tinie Tempah 100% Certified Organic Cotton Each packaged in exclusive Tinie Tempah Milk Carton Easy change with envelope neck & 3 Nickel free poppers.

No chemicals used in manufacture. NONE.

Frugal fun – keeping your kids busy without breaking the bank this summer!

“I’m bored”- two words that all parents dread hearing, especially during school holidays. Yup – it’s coming up to THAT time of year again, when parents around the country are faced with the challenge of keeping their children busy and entertained for six whole weeks and, if your purse strings are already frayed from repeated tightening, the thought of yet more cost can be really quite overwhelming. The latest figures from Child Poverty Action Group and the Joseph Rowntree foundations calculated that it now costs £148,000 to raise a child, an increase of 4% on the previous year, so it’s no surprise that many families are struggling. Keeping your kids busy, and maybe even getting out and about a bit during the summer hols can really stretch already tight budgets, so we’ve thought of a few ways to help end boredom, without snapping the purse strings!

It’s fun, educational and cheap – what’s not to love? Websites like Nature Detectives have great ideas to get you started, and with headlines regularly appearing about how our children are becoming increasingly detached from the natural world, it’s important to reconnect them for their education and wellbeing. Whilst you might have to pay a bit for transport, the Great Outdoors is mostly free, plus activities like tree climbing, den making and playing classic games like pooh sticks are free and fun! For those of us not blessed with having the countryside on our doorsteps or within easy reach, don’t forget your local park, many of which will have special events on during the holidays. It’s Love Parks week from 25 July to 3 August this year, so keep an eye out for activities and events taking place that week in particular.

Most venues and attractions (us included) have some kind of online offers or discounts available, so you can usually save a few pounds even when planning a grand day out at a large family attraction. At Eureka!, for example, we’re a member of Yorkshire’s Magnificent Attractions, and by registering on their website you can get 10% off the cost of entry, at any time of year. Hit your favourite search engine and look for discount or offer codes, and it’s always worth having a check on sites like moneysavingexpert.com and maybe even signing up to their newsletter. It only takes a few minutes, and you can definitely save a few quid!

Plan any major excursions as far ahead as possible. Book travel well in advance to take advantage of the cheapest rail and coach fares. And pack a picnic - they’re great fun and, whether you’re planning to sit on a blanket on a nice patch of grass, or heading to the seaside for a family outing, they could save you a small fortune as the cost of snacks, lunches and drinks soon stack up, though if the sun is out you may well get your arm twisted to buy ice-creams.

With scientists and meteorologists currently predicting that that summer will be the hottest on record, slather your children in sunscreen, grab your hose and plan a couple of playful days splashing about with water. You’d be amazed how many hours of activity can be generated with a tap, a hose and some buckets or washing up bowls. You don’t even need a paddling pool. Got a garden sprinkler? Brilliant – let’s play dodge the spray. Grab those spray bottles (who needs a super soaker?) and have a splashing shoot-out. It’s what summers were made for!

Eureka! National Children's Museum are celebrating a summer of creativity with a 6-week event Made By Me culminating in Yorkshire's only Maker Faire this summer at the museum on 30/31 August.

http://www.spoiltrotten.com/

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Family Focus

London Mum finds work-life balance with property inventory company No Letting Go! Mum of three Jay Kerai joined No Letting Go as an inventory clerk six months ago providing property inventory reports and check-in services for Letting Agents and Landlords around London and the Home Counties. She had been working as a data analyst for a pharmaceuticals data company in a pressured environment that was quite stressful. When the company made some redundancies at the end of last year Jay decided it was an opportunity to look for something different that would bring her more flexibility and a better fit around her three children aged 14, 13 and 8.

“As you can imagine my life is very busy; I am constantly in the car running my children to their various activities and I am also a level 2 qualified football coach so there are a lot of commitments to juggle. Whilst I didn’t really know much about the role of being an inventory clerk I do have an interest in the property sector, I am a Landlord and understand the importance of an accurate and properly recorded inventory to protect the both the landlord and the tenant.”

“I particularly enjoy the flexibility of the role, being out and about. No two days are the same and I am constantly meeting new and interesting people. I’ve met actresses, writers and even a band in my day to day work! The range of properties also keeps things fresh and interesting.

I’ve visited some stunning properties that have had amazing make-overs that inspire me. I am effectively my own boss and not micro-managed, it’s rather like running your own business. On a typical day I’ll probably do between three or four inventories/check-outs but there is an ebb and a flow and typically the end and beginning of months are busier as you would expect with tenancies ending and starting. No Letting Go provides me with a car allowance and I do my reports on a tablet so I am able to work efficiently and without paperwork. I take a lot of photos as these are an important part of recording the condition of a property.”

“I am much happier now, I have more time to spend with my children and at the same time an interesting and varied job that I enjoy. It’s a perfect job for a mum who wants to have an income without compromising her family.”

No Letting Go are currently recruiting in the London and surrounding areas.

For more information, please visit: http://www.nolettinggo.co.uk/

The rise of the parent-friendly franchise!

There are more mothers working today than ever before and for many, getting a healthy work-life balance seems an impossible task. However, dozens of mothers across the country are managing to achieve the elusive work-life balance by starting up their own business. YogaBellies, yoga and therapies created especially for women, mothers and babies, is one business that has proved hugely popular with new mums across the UK as, not only struggling with anxiety and severe stress. I met Cheryl at a conference and can they bring their babies along to take part in the classes, but they give was so inspired by her story and ambition.” Audrey had already been them an opportunity to work where they like, when they like. practising yoga on and off since she was 21 and saw the opportunity of combining a hobby that she loved with earning a living as too good to be Founded by Cheryl MacDonald in true. In May 2011 she launched her own YogaBellies franchise and with two 2009, the business has grown children, aged 10 and four, she has been able to get the flexibility, freedom exponentially since it launched and and enthusiasm to live a happy life. she now has 105 franchises in the UK and beyond. Cheryl says: “I have Many YogaBellies franchisees are women who had high pressured jobs in the always loved yoga and was teaching city who then struggled to balance work and family due to the lack of it to friends and family in my spare understanding from their employers. One mum who struggled to return to time as a hobby but it was only when work after having a baby is 31 year old . She returned to her I was made redundant while on role as an HR Service Manager at a large agra-pharmaceutical company after maternity leave that I thought – yes, perhaps I can make a business of this. a year at home with her daughter. The plan was for Leah to do a job share While I was pregnant I realised there was a real need for more activities but this fell through and she found herself fitting in a full time job into her suitable for pregnant women so I merged the two ideas and YogaBellies was contracted three days a week. She says: “I was finding it such a struggle, born – a form of yoga that is suitable for both new mum, and mum-to-be.” commuting three hours, three days a week, and trying my best to be a good Cheryl has worked hard to attract other women in similar situations to herself mum. I was getting ill all the time; whenever there was a virus going around, who have struggled to balance work and family and ensures that she supports I would catch it as I was so run down and my little girl’s behaviour was them all thoroughly from day one, promoting a ‘community feel’ so that each becoming very challenging. After a while I realised there must be more to and every instructor feels a part of the wider team, while running their own life and resigned. It was extremely scary but I am so pleased I did.” Leah has business. She says: “I know exactly how hard it is to find time for work and since re-trained as a yoga teacher, running her own Yogabellies franchise, family and I always advise my teachers to ensure they book holiday and put teaching pre-natal, post-natal and baby massage classes in her local wellbeing their family first. YogaBellies suits my franchisees down to the ground and community centres. She has managed to get a healthy work-life balance because they can bring their children along to take part in the classes and and work flexibly but only by leaving her past career behind her. can arrange the lessons to fit in with their family, while making some good money.”

Women interested in becoming a YogaBellies franchisee can visit www.yogabellies.co.uk, request a prospectus pack and have a quick phone Almost all of YogaBellies instructors are women who had very successful jobs chat with their recruitment co-ordinator, Jo, who will help you figure out prior to having a family and then either found it difficult to maintain their whether this is the perfect career for you. career with motherhood. And rather shockingly, like Cheryl, of the 105 YogaBellies franchisees were made redundant while on maternity leave and so came across YogaBellies while looking for new options in employment. One franchisee who struggled to balance work and family before starting her own YogaBellies franchise is 39 year old , from Glasgow. She says: “I was working in Events Management and was

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LARAH AU-PAIRS ESTABLISHED SINCE 1992

To help with childcare and housework Carefully selected with references and police checks Personal friendly service with back up

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Family Focus

By Elizabeth Hobson Genetic engineering has made it possible to cherry-pick and even alter human embryos so that particular features become more or less likely to be born in the individual. One technique intended to maximise the number of genes available (which has long been known to lead to healthier beings from the anecdotal evidence of the dangers of inbreeding in humans and other animals) is to insert genetic material from more than two people into an egg. Despite the bizarre outcome of children being born with more than two genetic parents this practice really represents little more than a fast-forwarding of natural selection (my children's children would have both mine and my partners genes and their partners for example). In my opinion, this is an inert science at the very worst and potentially useful. Another technique is the selection of zygotes (eggs and sperm) bearing desired or not bearing unwanted bio markers.

These markers could indicate anything from predisposition to particular illnesses to physical attributes or intelligence. I find this technique more challenging ethically.

My concerns about designer babies constructed using the latter technique are scientific and social. Socially, as a mother I have major concerns for children whose parents have very prescriptive expectations of them. I believe that a parent has no ownership of a child (thus no moral choice in who that child will become) but a duty to nurture the child as they find them. Where parents elect to choose physical or mental attributes for their child I worry both for the child for whom the experiment didn't work out and whether they'll be affected by their parents possible disappointment and the child who comes out exactly as per order to parents who may, as a result, expect their child to continue to develop within their narrow parameters of ideal. As opposed to rather superficial preferences such as eye colour, height or even IQ it is far more understandable for parents to seek to protect their children from the likelihood of inherited illnesses however I still think we need to practice caution here. In Dmitri K. Belyaev silver fox experiments in selective breeding (started in 1969) foxes displaying greater docility were chosen to parent successive generations. The results, as hypothesised by Belyaev, showed not only domesticated temperaments but changes in physical appearance- fur patterns changed and the foxes gained droopy ears and curly tails that are rarely

By Elizabeth Hobson

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Designer Babies if ever seen in wild populations. What this shows is that genes have many functions that may be totally unrelated to the primary function. Now, of course, we know far more about genes than Belyaev, we have 'mapped the human genome' but it would be a fallacy to believe that our awareness is significantly more than rudimentary.

As a friend pointed out: what parent would not want to spare their child the difficulties associated with any illness? But we do not know what we could be depriving them and their communities of (either as a direct or indirect result of the illness) in the process of determining genetic information. I suffer mental illness and I'll be devastated if I've passed that on to my progeny but I feel that it's made me a 'better' and more valuable person and I'd never change it in myself- should I welcome the promise of changing it for my offspring?

Naomi Wolf is, as you may be aware, an academic, journalist and activist of illustrious career. In her adulthood she discovered that she'd been born with a very mild form of Spina Bifida whose effects she successfully treated. Had the gene responsible for that been removed and replaced with a 'healthy' gene would she have been the same person and achieved what she has? We just don't know. Our ability to treat illness improves everyday.

Furthermore I suggest that what we view as illness (particularly mental) may be subjective and could potentially come to be viewed as strengths within nurturing societies and/or in the future. Autism can be challenging but there is a greater prevalence of the 'illness' in the worlds role call of genius, notably of course Einstein. Currently due to the exponential increase in data we are exposed to (internet) our preferred methods of presentation are becoming less linguistic and more visual. Visual thinking is often seen in Autistics and could easily surpass traditional academia in it's usefulness to society.

I do see a place for this, even now despite our ignorance, there are fatal complications that will be just swept away and lives saved but I feel this should be carefully managed and I really hope no one makes any mistakes.

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REFORM CREATES YOUR IDEAL SUNDAY ROCK N’ ROAST Take the edge off your hangover, or indulge in Sunday cocktails at Reform Social & Grill with the Sunday ‘Rock n’ Roast’ every Sunday.

Celebrated guitarist, singer, songwriter Julian Burdock’s mellow blues-inspired beats will accompany the quintessential British roast dinner in the heart of Marylebone. You can even call in for some of your favourite song requests!

on the bottom of the Yorkshire Pudding. Fish & chips and a vegetarian asparagus and white stilton salad are also options for the non-meat eaters. If you have room for dessert, try the jam roly poly with custard, or toffee apple crumble with brown bread ice cream. If you’re not free that week, don’t despair; Reform Social & Grill will still serve up the same delicious roast dinners every Sunday to satisfy anyone with that gravy craving. Worth noting is that kids eat for free at our Rock n' Roasts (with child-sized portions of the adult menu) and that the roasts are an existing event which run every week.

Sunday Roast from £14.00; Available from 12.00 – 17.00 Sunday Roast 3 course with free flow prosecco £32.50; Available from 12.00 – 15.00

Reform is taking it a step further. At the centre of every hangover cure is a Bloody Mary, and at the centre of every extra large Yorkshire pudding at Reform, you can have your Bloody Mary… literally! Sink into a green leather banquet and indulge in top-notch cooking (even better than your mum’s Sunday Roast some say and no washing up) with all the trimmings.

Choose from Roast Aged Topside of Beef or Roast pork belly with apple sauce, both with roast carrots and potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower cheese, gravy and the perfect combination of crispiness on the top and sogginess

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Hi Joanne My 15 year old daughter suffers terribly from hayfever; for the last three years from about the end of May onwards she gets streaming, itchy eyes and a constant runny nose. This doesn't seem to respond well to antihistamines and she is at her wits end; she struggles to do much outside on days when the pollen count is high and this is of course really difficult for her because it makes sport and socialising with friends difficult.

I'd appreciate any insight you have into this!

Thanks Suzanne Hi Suzanne A common problem, hayfever can be quite tricky to treat because the symptoms can vary so much from person to person so I do feel your daughters pain in not being able to find something which has helped her so far. First off, I'd suggest locally produced honey; if possible this needs to be produced within 3 miles from where you live/spend most of your time. Start that off as soon as is possible, about 1 tsp per day.

Supplements like Quercetin have been shown to help, so I'd look at the possibility of using that too - though it's important to stick to the recommended dosage for her age, as with any supplement, check out a good local health food shop for a suitable product, many independent stores will also be able to order things in for you if they don't have it in stock. Simple things such as wearing sunglasses and washing your face with a cool flannel can be really helpful too, but of course this is not going to solve the issue entirely! For allergies like hayfever, I love nettle and elderflower. Nettle is amazing, one of my favourite herbs as it contains a

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really strong antihistamine, its own antidote infact! It's a brilliant antiinflammatory and very good for allergies. Elderflower is another antiinflammatory and very specific to the mucous membranes, helping to reduce excessive production of mucous, so really helping with that runny nose! I'd use these as teas - which you should be able to get from a good local health food shop, or even use from your own garden. I do a great line in nettles myself, so I use gardening gloves to pick them and brew in a teapot.

I'd also really like to have a chat to you - these are helpful tips but I could probably help a lot more if we spoke in more depth, for example some foods can really have an impact on allergies but of course this does differ so it's difficult for me to reel off a list to you. I have had some great success in treating this kind of allergy, including in my own son, so I am sure that we can do something to help - I'll drop you a line and we can discuss in more depth, but do look into the teas and supplements in the meantime!

Speak Soon!

Joanne xxx

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Nearly half of UK parents fear summer regression for their children as six week break hits!

With school summer holidays kicking off in the coming days, research announced to coincide with the launch of Parragon’s Gold Stars series of activity workbooks for children reveals that almost half of parents (47%) are “worried” their children will fall behind in their education by the time they return for the new school year in September. The study was commissioned to investigate how over 18m parents across the UK plan to approach the six-week summer break, revealing that many parents are concerned that the good learning behaviour of term time could be replaced by bad habits during the summer recess. Almost half of parents (49%) admit that bed-time reading with the children is either reduced or goes out of the window altogether during the summer months. The research also finds that the number of nights that the average child is either read to – or reads to their parents – drops by more than 10% during the summer break. As summer approaches, over one in four parents (28%) are already worrying about their child’s performance in school exams next summer. Parents in London are the most concerned with over 39% admitting to being concerned. Parents are also alert to the possibility of their child falling behind compared to other children as over a third (34%) worry that other parents are investing more time and money in their child’s education than they are able to during the summer.

More than one in eight (13%) are planning a private tutor to help their children stay ahead this summer. Six out ten parents (60%) think it’s important to reinforce their child’s learning over the summer months, with parents believing that over 2 hours a day should be dedicated towards education.

However nearly three in ten (29%) said they think they would be ‘unlikely’ to meet their own learning time targets. Nearly one in four parents (23%) describe their state of mind as “worried” when considering the forthcoming summer holidays. Chief concerns beyond education include keeping their child entertained (46%), their child watching too much TV or playing too long on the computer (25%) and children staying up too late (20%). These fears appear be well founded; children are expected to watch on average watching 67 minutes more TV per day and go to bed 36 minutes later during the summer break. However, many parents are actively planning pursuits to keep their child entertained and occupied as 93% have already planned activities. Nearly 29% are planning trips to sites of educational interest, whilst 16% will send their child to summer school. A highly organised 7% of parents have planned activities for every week of the holidays. The cost of these educational pursuits is on average £228 per child over the summer break. This rises in the capital with parents in London spending, on average, £319 per child during the summer. For the nation’s children, this works out at a total cost of £1.9bn for the six week period, approximately £40m per day.

Almost a quarter of parents (23%) admit to feeling the pressure to spend a lot of money during the summer holidays.

can be achieved in a short, regular time over the holidays.

"It should be borne in mind that children do need a break from more formal learning as imagination and creativity depend on it. The 'Summer With Gold Stars Challenge' allows for structured learning alongside a full and fun summer holiday. Parents can rest easy in the knowledge their children are continuing to learn and develop, whilst having fun, enjoying the long summer break."

Parragon Books is launching its ‘Summer with Gold Stars’ Challenge to show that supporting a child’s learning over the summer break needn’t be expensive, arduous or time-consuming. For the challenge, children are encouraged to complete a ‘page a day’ of their Gold Stars workbook – a premium range of fun and engaging workbooks for children, designed to reflect the national curriculum and designed in conjunction with teachers and educational specialists - over 30 days of the summer, which can take as little as 30 minutes a day. All those completing the challenge will receive a congratulatory letter and personalised certificate via email; and parents are encouraged to tweet about their experiences using the #summerwithgoldstars hashtag.

We were recently sent the Ready For School Big Workbook (Ages 3-5 Pre-School) and as our little one is just 3 the first thing that caught her attention were the stickers but within a few minutes she was eager to read through and look at all the pictures which was a positive start. We also received the Learning Pack which contains 5 x A5 books about learning phonics, starting maths, starting to write, starting to count and starting to add. I can’t wait to sit down with her this Summer and start teaching her new things and seeing how well she progresses!

There is an extensive range available which cater for Pre-schoolers, Key Stage 1 and 2, with formats including workbooks, storybooks and wipe clean activity books.

www.parragon.com/goldstars

Parragon Books’ Educational Consultant Geraldine Taylor, who consulted on the new Gold Stars range, comments: "As this research shows, many parents actively fear the summer holidays. It's a tough ask for parents to keep their children both entertained and stimulated during the lengthy six week break from school. However, reinforcing the good practices of term time needn't be too time-consuming, arduous or expensive. I am so pleased that Parragon - with their 'Summer With Gold Stars Challenge' have highlighted just how much learning, consolidation and development

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Family Focus

7 in 10 parents feel judged on the decisions they make for their child Three-quarters are given advice without asking for it!

New research reveals that 68% of parents feel judged on the decisions they make for their child. The survey conducted by Nurofen for Children shows that the areas parents feel most judged on are diet and nutrition (50%), parenting style (43%) and their child’s behaviour (33%).

While 90% of those surveyed would consider themselves confident parents, 16% of fathers and 14% of mothers admit to feeling judged by others ‘all the time’.

When it comes to being given advice without asking for it, parents find they get the most guidance from their own mothers (36%), closely followed by partners (26%) and friends (23%).

Interestingly, mothers note that other parents (20%) are those most likely to judge their parenting style, closely followed by their mother-in law (16%) and their own mum (16%).

While 20% of dads say their parenting technique never comes under scrutiny, those that do feel judged list their mother-in-law as the main culprit (16%) along with other parents (14%) and their own mother (13%).

When it comes to proactively asking for advice on their children’s health, those surveyed turn to their own mums as the first port of call for advice for most parents (39%), while 34% seek help from their GP, and a fifth talk to either friends (19%), other parents (20%) or look for information on the internet (18%).

Dr Pixie McKenna, GP and mum of one comments on the findings: “Being a parent can be one of the hardest but most rewarding of jobs and one that causes plenty of second-guessing. Whilst these results show that many parents feel judged on their parenting choices by others there are also positive signs that parents are looking to each other, whether family and friends in person, or online support groups - for advice and support. Even as a GP, I still turn to my family and friends for their top-tips when it comes to making choices for my child.”

A quarter of those surveyed say they would appreciate more proactive support and advice on children’s health from their partner (25%), whilst 21% would like more advice from healthcare professionals (pharmacists and GPs). The survey also found that 19% of parents would appreciate more support from their mother and 16% from their friends.

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Almost a fifth (18%) of parents surveyed admit the decisions they made for their child were not right first time round, with parents aged 45-55 most readily admitting their mistakes. Parents aged 18-24 feel most confident with their decisions with a quarter (25%) saying they definitely made the correct choices for their child without previous experience.

A spokesperson for Nurofen for Children comments: “There are plenty of instances where as a parent you question the choices you are making for your child – particularly when it comes to health issues. We want to encourage parents to talk to each other for support and advice and be confident in turning to their GP or pharmacist for further advice when needed. Crucially we want parents to feel that they are making advised decisions that are best for them and their child.”

In general, parents feel that finding friendship groups and socialising their child is the hardest area to make decisions on (25%), closely followed by decisions on health issues (24%) and education (23%). Interestingly, fathers are 4% more likely to worry about their child’s safety (24% v 20%) whilst mothers are more concerned about balancing work with parenting (24% v 20%), parenting style (19 v 15%) and food and nutrition (17% v 10%).

Despite these concerns, when it comes to boosting confidence, the top three things that make parents feel more confident are; knowing why their child is crying or upset (56%), making informed decisions for their child (54%) and being able to get their child off to sleep (53%).

1) 2) 3)

The health of my child (47.75%) The safety of my child (47.70%) That my child will fall in with the 'wrong crowd' (35.80%) 4) My child’s education (34%) 5) That my child will be bullied (33%) 6) That my child won't always confide in me (18%) 7) That my child won't make friends (16.5%) 8) That my child will forget their manners when they are away from me (16.5%) 9) That my child may not grow up in a happy family environment (13.10%) 10) That one day my child won't want to be hugged (13%) For more information, please visit: http://www.nurofen.co.uk

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Family Focus

Gaining a new perspective on parenting!

A brand new and completely unique toolkit designed to help parents’ nurture their individual parenting style has just launched in the UK. Developed

by Dr Fin Williams, a Clinical Psychologist who has been working with families for more than ten years, the kit offers a refreshing approach to parenting.

The insightful toolkit guides parents through a series of fun and explorative exercises to make them more aware of the value of their own experiences. The toolkit provides parents with an opportunity to discover the strengths that they have developed through previous challenges, and harness these to increase their resilience to stress in the transition to parenthood.

Dr Fin asks parents to imagine their lives as a story, with distinct chapters to define key moments and decisions. She explains that becoming a mother or father is a big change, and in order for people to make that transition most successful they need to reflect on their lives so far. By re-enacting their own history and by everyday worries and concerns that have the potential to get identifying those significant moments, readers will gain a new in the way of parenting. insight into how and why they react in certain ways.

All exercises discussed in the toolkit are based on clinically and The toolkit explains that re-connecting with our own experiences therapeutically evidenced techniques that Dr Fin has being using helps parents to develop empathy and understanding for other in her work with families and young children for over ten years, people’s experiences – particularly their baby’s. It is this empathy so parents can be confident they have been tried and tested and connection that is fundamental to parents being able to follow make a real difference. Dr Fin describes the kit as a ‘Gin and their own instincts and feeling confident in whichever way they Tonic, your run, your weekend break’ and it is designed to be choose to parent. exactly that. It’s something parents can come back to time and time again to give themselves reassurance and a confidence boost Mums and Dads will find themselves doing all kinds of interesting to deal with everyday life, challenging situations or a change in things, from filling a home-made suitcase with keepsakes, to circumstance. practising breathing techniques and sketching their own childhood memories. Unlike a parenting manual, the kit gives It truly offers a modern approach to parenting, recognising the parents the tools to learn how to trust their own instincts and fact that mums and dads know exactly what is best for their balance the stresses of everyday life. Dr Fin treats parents as the babies, sometimes they just need a helping hand to realise it! experts, and trusts that the decisions they make are based on their own relationship and understanding of their child .

Toolkits are available to buy on Amazon, priced at £4.99 Dr Fin does not tell parents what to do or how to act in the face of certain situations, but instead encourages them to look deeper into their own journeys to understand what may cause them to react in a certain way. With understanding comes great awareness and confidence.

Parents using the toolkit will explore physical and creative ways to deal with the stresses and pressures of everyday life. She encourages readers to be mindful of the present, so that their attention can remain focused on purely that time with their infant.

This is especially important for today’s generation of parents, who are busier than ever. Once they master the techniques of keeping a clear and open mind, they will be able to stop being distracted www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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News & Features

Big Wild Birthday Parties

TOP TIPS ON CHANGING YOUR NAME!

50,000 people are unnecessarily spending money each year on costly deed polls to ‘officially’ change their name but there is a much less expensive yet less well-known option – a ‘statutory declaration of name change’ document where you are simply sworn in by a solicitor.

Parents looking to make their child’s birthday party a roaring success need look no further than ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, as its brand new birthday parties are set to guarantee a uniquely wild celebration.

The birthday boy or girl can enjoy a day at the Zoo with all of their friends, including an hour’s play at the Zoo’s unique Hullabazoo Indoor Soft Play Centre, in which they can explore the centre’s different animal habitats by swinging like primates, climbing like insects and sliding down the ‘ice’ like penguins.

Birthday parties also include a free ride on the Zoo’s Jumbo Express steam train from which the excited youngsters can discover the fun of riding on a steam locomotive while watching rhinos, camels, sloth bears and the Zoo’s herd of ten Asian elephants along the journey.

The fun doesn’t end there. Party guests are treated to a special birthday picnic, a goody bag containing mementos of their adventurous day out and day entry to the Zoo so that they can stay and enjoy the furry fun for as long as they like.

To book your party, go to:

A formal statement that serves as evidence that you wish to abandon your former name and adopt a new name. Signed in the presence of any registered solicitor, you can then use it to update important documents such as your passport, driving licence, bank account and utility bills.

Our online legal service allows you to create your first legal document free of charge (there is also a one-week free trial) and the document takes less than 2 minutes to create – it just needs to be signed in front of a solicitor. The ‘swear’ takes another 2 minutes and costs £5. Any registered solicitor can witness, sign and stamp your document.

They both perform the same job. Deed polls are often printed on heavy duty paper and bear ‘official-looking’ seals and crests – both of which serve no legal purpose, they are more expensive as a result, often costing in the region of £33. A ‘statutory declaration’ is much less expensive (and often free) and can even be drafted yourself – you just need to have your document sworn in in person by a solicitor (costs £5).

http://www.zsl.org/experiences/birthday-parties

For more information, please visit: http://www.rocketlawyer.co.uk

Gwen Stefani spotted again in LA with her CYBEX by Jeremy Scott Baby Bag Most of my readers will know how much I love Cybex and the range of car seats, pushchairs and accessories that they have. Seems I’m not the only one! Last weekend, Gwen Stefani was spotted again with her favourite CYBEX by Jeremy Scott baby bag while watching her two sons Zuma & Kingston play football.

Holding everything a ‘soccer mum‘ could need, the CYBEX by Jeremy Scott Baby Bag (www.cybex-online.com) is not only stylish and colourful, it is also lightweight and easy to handle. Gwen Stefani is not the only celeb to have discovered CYBEX, which was founded in 2005 and has rapidly become a synonym for innovative product solutions in the babies’ and children’s sector. Other renowned CYBEX fans include Sarah Jessica Parker, Fergie, Katherine Heigl, Matt Damon, Gisele Bündchen, Amber Rose and Natalie Portman.

CYBEX was founded in 2005 and has become the synonym for innovative product solutions, signature designs and exciting designer collaborations in the babies’ and children’s sector. Products that are perfectly adapted to urban lifestyles and the rigorous demands of modern parents.

For more information please visit www.cybex-online.com

With just under 15,000 views and downloads online every month and a distribution of 5,000 all over the UK (via 400+ nurseries), hospitals, Pearsons Department store, Enfield and Harris & Hoole branches and many other outlets, you can get your business seen from just £75.00 for a quarter page!

Advertising slots are available on our website from just £35 per month (discounts available for 3 months or more)

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Health & Wellbeing

The Benefits of Baby Massage

By Samantha Quinn Today we have a guest post can be very useful in giving you the confidence to get started. But don’t from Mumma Love Organics, worry, there is no ‘one way’ to massage your baby. Do what seems right with lots of tips and advice on for you. the benefits of Baby Massage.

To start, you need to be in the right frame of mind. You need to be Human beings have five relaxed. You need to be calm. You need to be in a quiet, darkened space incredible senses; sight, with no distractions and no chance of being disturbed (otherwise all you hearing, touch, taste, and good work will be undone in seconds!). Make sure the television is off, smell.

We use these your phone is elsewhere, and you are not playing any loud music. The fantastically important senses idea is to keep the massage room in dim light. Speak in whispers if Founder of Mumma Love every single day of our lives, possible. Before you bring your baby into the room, make sure everything Organics - Samantha Quinn and that includes the day we is ready, including a blanket or towel for them to lie on (a towel is good are born. Although newborns can’t see too well until their eyes become if you are using oils, as it can be washed easily), a fresh nappy, and warm fully focused (at around 6 to 8 weeks), their hearing isn’t fully developed clothes or another blanket for cuddling up in after the massage. (until around one month old), and their taste buds only encounter milk until weaning begins, their other senses are already helping them to The Etiquette understand the world around them, which is essential for healthy growth Although it may feel strange at first, it is good to talk to your baby about and development. Their other senses being smell and touch. And smell, what you are planning to do – as time goes by, they will associate the although useful, will only account for a small percentage of a child’s sound of your words (and eventually the words themselves) as the start ability to learn. of their massage time, and they will automatically become more relaxed and receptive. Before you touch each part of their body, say that you are It is, perhaps, touch then that has the most profound impact on a child going to do so (“I’m now going to touch your arm”, for example), and from the very start. When adults interact with a small child, they often ask whether it is all right. You are building trust by doing this, even though automatically reach out to touch or stroke the baby, and certainly when your baby won’t be able to speak back to you to begin with. Since that holding the child they are stimulating the situation with the sense of is the case, it is essential that you watch your baby as you begin to touch. As soon as a baby is born, they are handed to their mother for massage them; if their reaction is not good, stop immediately. And never skin to skin bonding. This isn’t just about holding a gorgeous newborn; massage a poorly baby. this is about comfort and love and for your child to learn who is there to protect them from the start. So baby massage, with its emphasis on The Benefits gentle touching and soothing, is the next logical step for any parent who Massage is not simply a purely physical thing; it is emotional too, and it wishes to add another element to their child’s daily routine. An element causes an attachment through touch. Massaging your child benefits you that has many benefits other than simply being a pleasant thing to do as it brings you closer to your baby, and it benefits the baby since it makes (although that is certainly the case!). them more relaxed and content. Just enjoy the moment, and don’t worry about what is next on the agenda, or the washing up, or where you have Is Baby Massage Right for You and Your Baby? to be at a certain time, or any of the other dozen things on today’s to do There is nothing quite like the touch of another human being. A hug, a list. They are for later. Keep massage time purely as a moment of serenity caress, a massage. Just being held is a wonderful experience that lowers for you and your baby, and enjoy it. Massage increases blood flow, which blood pressure and makes both parties feel happy and secure. Babies in turn increases the number of endorphins that are present within the may not understand everything that is going on around them, but they body. Endorphins are mood enhancing hormones that make us feel do understand the people who love them when they make literal contact happy and puts us in a good mood. Not only that, but massage soothes with them. Sometimes that is all they need to know. Amazingly, a pain and can ease constipation, wind, colic, and reflux. It improves newborn can soon distinguish between which parent is actually cuddling oxygen flow which eases muscles and joints. And as a bonus, massage them, and their response is different depending on whether it is Mummy boosts the immune system too! With all these health benefits, baby or Daddy. And of course, baby massage allows for uninterrupted quiet massage is a wonderful way to keep your child fit and well in a way that time with your baby, which, in these busy days can sometimes be will also strengthen the bond between you. overlooked.

So why wait? Even if your child is older than newborn, introducing Although baby massage has been proven to strengthen the bond massage is still a great idea, and one that will become a fun, enjoyable between the parent and child, will give your child confidence, calmness, part of your daily routine. and peace, and will even help your baby sleep well (and for longer), there are other fantastic reasons for getting involved in baby massage. These If you need any advice or support, please do get in touch include easing the pain of wind, colic, or reflux, soothing eczema and www.mummaloveorganics.com - we’re always happy to help. other skin complaints, and, for you, helping with symptoms of post natal depression.

How To Start You do not need any professional qualifications in order to begin soothing and relaxing your child, although it can be a slightly daunting idea at first. There are specific baby massage classes that are often run by local parent and child groups, and these

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Family Focus

Kids Want Screens This Summer… but the bygone art of making a den is better for development says child expert

retailer The Fine Bedding Company as part its new campaign.

And according to life coach for children, Naomi Richards – author of The Parent’s Toolkit: “Anyone feeling nostalgic about this list would do well to remember the importance of sharing childhood memories and games with children. Children learn so much from hearing what their parents enjoyed as children and trying these skills out for themselves. Reminiscing about some of the toys and make-believe games that made your summer times so special – like den making and a simple game of elastics – is good for everyone whatever their age. And let’s face it you rarely hear adults say they were bored during the six-week’s holiday. Plus with the World War One commemorations this year, nostalgia is a huge theme in the UK, so put your own stamp on it and create a summer 80s style.”

Sara Wadsworth from the Fine Bedding Company added: “New findings from the Post Office (June 2014) also revealed that over the six-week period parents will spend a whopping £492 on The school summer holidays have already started for some and in just a few entertaining their children - a 26 per increase on last year. They will also more weeks “school’s out” will be the cry across the whole of the UK, but a spend an average of £119 on petrol, and a further £106 on childcare. It’s new poll has revealed just how different school summer holiday activities hardly surprising when you look at what today’s children voted for in their will be this year versus 30 years ago. While 96% of six to eight year olds bucket list. Our survey also asked both the adults and children to gauge on listed playing with an electronic device on their school summer holiday bucket a scale of one to 10 their excitement or memory of excitement relating to list, 30 years ago eight year olds’ number one summer activity was den the schools holidays and whereas the average score of the grown up looking making. A comparative list of the top 10 favourite summer holiday activities back at their feelings was 8.8 today’s children only recorded an average of enjoyed by 40-year-olds, who were at school in the early 80s, versus their 7.2.” offspring aged between six and eight also shows that parents could be facing a whopping £500 bill, per child, to keep little ones entertained during the The Fine Bedding Company carried out the survey on the back of its new school holidays this summer. This is compared to virtually no cost attached Duvet Den Making Activity Guide, that it hopes will encourage parents to to favoured activities 30 years ago. Even levels of ‘school's-out-for-the- recreate the nostalgic art of den making using household items. summer’ excitement seem to have diminished over the decades, according Fore more information, please visit: http://www.finebedding.co.uk/ to the survey of just under 1000 adults and children carried out by bedding To view the guide visit www.finebedding.co.uk/blog

1.

Den making

1. Play games on the iPad / Wii / Play Station (Minecraft was a frequent answer)

2.

Playing army in the woods with sticks as guns and climbing trees

2. Make loom bracelets

3.

Playing out on bikes

3. Go to a theme park

4.

Making a mix tape recorded from the radio

4. Watch YouTube videos

5.

French skipping and elastics

5. Go to the cinema

6.

Waterfights with hose pipes and buckets

6. Ride bikes

7.

Playing in streams/rivers/in water

7. Play football

8.

Making a gang

8. Go to the beach / swimming pool

9. Banging a tennis ball in Mum's old stocking against the wall game

9. Play on the trampoline

10. Making petal perfume

10. Get the Lego out

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Simply upload your photo of your own “Duvet Den". We are looking for images which capture the creative fun that can be had over the summer holidays by taking your duvet off the bed and building a duvet den. The winner will be the image that we feel captures the spirit of traditional creative play and will be chosen by a panel of judges from The Fine Bedding Company and its partners.

You can submit as many photos as you like by the submission end date (8�� September 2014).

The winner will receive an overnight family activity break for two adults and two children at Carden Park Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa and also receive a family bedding bundle worth over £250 from The Fine Bedding Company.

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Health & Wellbeing

Enzymes are a key branch of twentieth-century nutritional research, alongside and equal in significance to vitamins and minerals. They are complex proteins involved in almost every biochemical process that takes place in the body and they act as the catalyst or the ignition for these processes. Minerals including manganese, copper, iron, zinc, magnesium, plus vitamins, are needed for the function of enzymes within the body.

Without these, the enzymes cannot function.

Glands in the stomach secrete hydrochloric acid and pepsinogen, which initiate protein digestion as well as the intrinsic factor needed for vitamin B12 absorption. The enzyme rich small intestine, however, releases all of the various enzymes needed for complete digestion.

· · ·

Without the proper tools to digest the food we are eating it is very difficult to break down and then, more importantly, absorb the nutrients within that food. Add to this the fact that a large proportion of people today have digestive problems, IBS (irritable bowl syndrome), Crohn’s Disease and a lack of gut flora and we begin to understand why are we not digesting our food properly but also not absorbing it. A diet composed exclusively of cooked food puts a severe strain on the pancreas, depleting its reserves. If the pancreas is asked to constantly produce enzymes which should be naturally present in food but are not, the result is an over stimulated pancreas and will in time inhibit its function.

Research by biochemists has revealed the importance of raw and fermented foods in our diets. These foods reduce the body’s need to produce its own enzymes and therefore rob us of our own valuable In the 1930s, when enzymes first came to the attention of biochemists, enzyme stores. All enzymes are destroyed at a wet-heat temperature some 80 enzymes were identified. Today over 5,000 have been of 118° F and a dry-heat temperature of about 150° F. So unfortunately discovered. heat kills, especially when it comes to raw foods and enzymes. The absence of enzymes in our food is the reason why a large proportion of Enzymes fall primarily into three groups: the population is unhealthy and overweight.

Metabolic Enzymes Digestive Enzymes Food Enzymes

Metabolic enzymes play a role in all bodily functions including behaviour, movement, breathing, talking, immune system etc.

A sub-group of these metabolic enzymes are also responsible for neutralizing poisons and carcinogens, pollutants, tobacco smoke and DDT, changing these into less toxic forms to allow the body to eliminate them.

Digestive enzymes are the second group and there are around 22 of them. They are manufactured by the pancreas and secreted by glands in the duodenum (upper part of the small intestine) and work to break down the majority of partially digested food leaving the stomach. Food enzymes are crucially important, particularly when it comes to planning a person’s nutritional plan or educating them about which foods they should be eating on a regular basis. These enzymes are found in large amounts in raw foods, and they initiate the process of digestion in the mouth and stomach.

Food enzymes include: · · ·

Proteases for digesting protein Lipases for digesting fats Amylases for digesting carbohydrates

Our saliva contains amylases and they begin the digestion of carbohydrates. This is why it is important to chew our food rather than just getting it down. All enzymes found in food continue the digestion process while it is mixed and churned by contractions in the stomach.

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According to the work of the late Dr. Edward Howell (a noted pioneer in the field of enzyme research), an over stressed pancreas and other digestive organs results in a shortened life span, illness and lowered resistance to all types of stress. He points out that humans and animals living primarily on a cooked food diet have enlarged pancreas whilst other organs and glands, especially the brain, actually shrink in size.

Enzyme rich foods provide limitless energy, a fact that I’m all too aware of when my children are still running around in the garden past their bedtime!

Fruit and vegetables, but also raw animal proteins and fats in the form of raw dairy foods, raw fish and raw muscle and organ meats, which are also found in certain cultures. I don’t suggest you do the following but my pre rugby game breakfast was always blended raw calves liver with red onion, raspberries and honey. My mum either knew exactly what she was doing or had completely gone off the reservation – I’d like to think it was the former.

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Health & Wellbeing

I know there is some concern when it comes to raw dairy products but I think it is a good idea to consume raw cheese and butter for their huge nutritional content.

We will leave milk out for the moment as that is something I would like to one day discuss in depth before you all go reaching for the raw milk, but there are some great raw dairy products out there.

Cultures that eat like this also traditionally include a certain amount of fermented foods; in fact The Eskimo diet consists of partially fermented fish, to which they attribute their incredible stamina. That said, I had the pleasure of trying some partially semi-rancid shark some years back on an athletics trip to Iceland and I didn’t much care for the taste. Fermented foods have been around for thousands of years and one of my recent favorites is kefir, a cultured probiotic which is amazing for aiding digestion, energy and making sure your gut flora is working allowing the nutrients and enzymes to be more readily available. optimally. The best on the market is Bio-tiful Dairy. I spend my life researching food and can honestly say this is the best product, but the In short, our diets should comprise a variety of raw food, slightly steamed real proof is that my children love it and I can see the difference. vegetables such as broccoli and kale, raw dairy products such as cheese and butter, fermented foods like kefir, cooked grains and legumes, super As with everything in life, balance is vitally important and my one piece foods such as cacao, maca, acai, hemp seeds, vegetable juices, fish oils of advice is always be as discerning as you can of any fad out there when and of course a plentiful amount of fresh clean water. We are all it comes to health and fitness. When a certain all-protein diet came out individuals, and some of you may not do well on a primarily raw diet, or a few years ago I could literally see people getting less healthy and older find raw foods unappetizing. If this is the case, Asian people usually before my eyes. An all-protein diet, especially cooked protein, is include small amounts of enzyme-rich condiments with a diet of cooked detrimental to your health and definitely worthy of another article. I have foods. come across many different diets and I like to think I now have enough knowledge and experience on what is good for you and what isn’t. You My final word would be, learn to listen to your body. If you add a particular thing to your diet then pay attention to how it makes you feel and make a note of it. We are all individuals and there is no right thing ‘My mum either knew exactly what she was doing or had or way to do things other than drinking water, and taking on board as many nutrients as possible. completely gone off the reservation – I’d like to think it was

the former.’ Ruben Go raw for better skin, brighter eyes and a general feeling of wellbeing.

Once you’ve seen the results, I guarantee you’ll never look back. can draw upon the good things on all of these diets and ignore the not-so-good.

Whilst we need to include raw fruit and vegetables in our diets, it is important to be aware that there are no traditional diets composed exclusively of raw foods. Even in the tropics where there was warmth the indigenous cultures would always light a fire to cook some of their food.

Some of the most enzyme rich foods may surprise you. They include; Extra virgin olive oil (and other unrefined oils such a coconut oil) Raw honey Grapes Figs Avocados Pineapple/papaya – which is amazing for healing scar tissue Dates Kiwis/mangos

Please join me on Twitter and Facebook and keep your questions coming in to myself and Peter Marcasciano, one of the worlds top experts on health, nutrition and physiotherapy.

Grains, nuts, legumes and seeds are rich in enzymes as well as other nutrients, but they also contain enzyme inhibitors and can put great strain on the digestive system. This is why I always advice the soaking of the above, especially nuts for at least eight hours before consumption.

Soaking or the fermentation process removes these enzyme inhibitors

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43

Family Focus

If you have recently become a parent, the pervading mood will be one of joy at the new little life (or lives) which you have brought into the world (if you can see past the tiredness and the many fresh challenges your wee one is creating for you!). Your life is probably being lived on a day-to-day or even hour-to-hour basis. In a way this can be refreshing after all of the planning of the birth, maternity leave and getting the nursery ready. Children change your life forever. It can be a difficult, yet wonderful time. You will soon forget what life was like without them. You possibly haven’t even entertained the thought of what their life would be like without you. But you should.

Writing a will is the single most important thing you can do to ensure that your child is looked after by the people you choose, and will receive access to their inheritance in a planned and sensible way.

for disaster for a 16 or even 18-year-old to come into a lot of money in one go.”

Everyone should consider having a will written, no matter what their age, but particularly if they are a parent. A will ensures that your property and possessions (your estate), however small, pass to the people you actually want them to go to. A will also gives you the opportunity to express your funeral desires, appoint guardians for children, protect your partner if you are unmarried, minimise inheritance tax and provide financial supSadie and her husband John had port for your family. procrastinated about writing a will since their marriage, three years before the birth of their Families can be complicatfirst child, Victoria. When it was just the two ed, and these complications of them, it didn’t seem to be an issue. If one can be highlighted at stressful of them died, the other would inherit. Sadie times such as a death. If you do not says “Once Victoria was born, we realised that have a will, your possessions will have it wasn’t just about us anymore. What if the Rules of Intestacy applied, which follow something happened to both of us? Who the family tree in a set order of priority. Withwould look after her? We quickly realised we out a will your estate could possibly go to a needed to declare the arrangements we would family member you don’t even like, or haven’t want in a will.” seen for years. If you are not married or have remarried, your current partner or children They decided to ask Sadie’s brother and his may not receive anything. wife, who already had a child of their own, if they would agree to be named as Victoria’s It is possible to write your own will, but it must guardians in the event of John and Sadie’s be clear and legal. If your will is not legal, then deaths. John’s sister agreed to have the Rules of Intestacy apply. It’s helpful to have responsibility for holding money in trust for professional support. As Sadie and John found, Victoria for her care as she grew up and then using the services of a solicitor helped them for her to inherit when she was 21. to consider options they would not otherwise have thought about.

“We felt much happier once the subject had been broached with family and although no Sadie and John decided to ask a friend who one wants to think about their own death and they knew had good organisation skills to be the consequences for their family, once we the Executor of their will. The executor has the had started the process, we found ourselves complicated task of paying debts, taxes, talking about it in a strangely business-like closing bank accounts and paying for funerals way. It inspired other family members to make and solicitor’s costs from the proceeds of your their arrangements too. The solicitor was very estate. All of these transactions need to be sensitive to our feelings and presented us with carried out properly and in good time. You different possibilities we might wish to should explain the responsibilities of being an consider to get the best outcome. For executor before writing your will, so the instance, she led us to the decision to only person or people you appoint understand allow Victoria access to her inheritance when what’s involved. Sadie and John felt that asking she was 21. We decided it could be a recipe either of their siblings to do this task would be

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t o o much of a burden on top of everything else they had asked of them. After all it would be a very emotional time for the family.

Benjamin Franklin wrote the famous phrase “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." When dealing with certainties, it makes sense to have a plan. If you haven’t written your will yet, do it today.

Busy Bees Benefits is an employee benefits company offering a range of services including childcare vouchers, mobile phones, retail discounts, cycle to work, car care and car leasing. A discounted Will Writing service is offered to employees through its partner solicitors.

For more information, please contact: http://www.busybeesbenefits.com/ or call 0330 333 9100.

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Baby Buzz Product Reviews

Our Top Six! Pushchairs, Travel Systems and Car Seats

Britax™ King II LS - £165 Group 1

Cybex Solution Q-Fix £190 - Group 2/3

This has to be one of the most innovative car seats we’ve seen to date with the ability to save valuable boot space and storage space at home! The car seat turns into a stroller with a touch of a button and is so easy to handle. It comes in seven colours and has great accessories that you can buy from an amazing sun canopy that covers the seat right through to the handle to bags and wheel covers. Having already won numerous industry awards, I can see why this is going to be a strong competitor in the market. We love it!

BRITAX recently unveiled its latest Group 1 belted seat, the The seat features an innovative a clever little light that helps parents to find the correct harness tension for a safe and comfortable journey. We reviewed this car seat in our last issue and loved how comfortable it was for our little girl.

It provides safety and security and is easy to install. With four recline positions and removable covers, it’s a great option for your next stage up from Group 0/0+

We absolutely love, love, love the Cybex range of car seats, from the Sirona, Aton Q to the Pallas and the Solution Q-Fix. With such incredible attention to safety, practicality and functionality you can’t go wrong with the Cybex range. We’ve had the pleasure of reviewing all of the car seats available and have been impressed with all of them! We have since heard of numerous readers investing in the Group 2/3 Solution Q-Fix and each one has loved it as much as us!

Hauck - London All-In-One £469.99

Mamas & Papas Armadillo - £199

Joie - Chrome - £280

The London Set - the lightest stroller set from hauck, pure fun on every ride. What a lightweight! When combined with the carry cot Carcooon or the car seat, the buggy is lighter than 10 kg. The buggy version is even lighter. So every trip will become a special treat.

We know what it's like. You're tired of dragging round a massive pushchair they've outgrown, but you still want something that's comfortable. That's why Mamas and Papas created the armadillo.

Doona™ - £299 - Group 0+

The chassis with lockable swivelling wheels is very agile and also performs excellently in cross-country rides. The brake acting on the rear wheels ensures safety. Your baby items can be stowed in the large basket.

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It's got all the big features you love, like loads of stretching room and comfy padding for long walks and short naps, but you can fold it away to a surprisingly compact size in seconds, with just one hand.

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Master multi-tasker - Total versatility with car seat + carry cot + rearward and forward facing seat Infant friendly - From birth, fully flat recline and adjustable leg rest create a cocooned seating area for relaxing and napping Looks both ways - Pushchair folds with seat attached in rearward and forward facing modes, anyway, anywhere.

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45

Baby Buzz Product Reviews

Baby and Children’s The Wet Brush - £11.99 With a beautiful, easy to hold, ergonomic handle, The Wet Brush quickly and painlessly detangles even the thickest, most stubborn hair thanks to its revolutionary bristles. Specially developed to use on wet hair (wet hair is more prone to tangling, stretching and snapping) and dry hair The Wet Brush’s IntelliFlex™ bristle is designed to be ultra thin and flexible, yet still have rapid recovery memory to instantly bounce back to its original form. Flexible on one stroke and firm on the next, the adaptive flexibility of IntelliFlex™ eliminates all tugging, tearing, pulling and ripping resulting in no split ends or hair loss. In addition, the soft and gentle ball tip bristles provide a massaging action that stimulates circulation at the follicle and is a proven benefit for hair health. With two children with very curly and easily knotted hair, I was very sceptical about this and had to rely on another brand brush to do the job, but this brush is amazing and actually works even on the curliest of hair! If you experience the same problem, this is a must have to stop the tears!

Mumma Loves Organic - Easy Breathe Baby Balm - £9.95 (50ml) Our Easy Breathe Baby Balm has been specially developed to settle baby when congested.

Formulated with eucalyptus and lavender oil, it provides natural relief to babies. Eucalyptus has cooling, soothing vapours to help maintain healthy respiration while lavender relaxes and settles your baby when poorly. Our Easy Breathe Baby Balm will lubricate dry mucous membranes to ensure healthy airways and clear your little one’s head, leaving them comfortable enough to settle down for the night. My little girl always gets the sniffles, not quite sure if it’s hayfever or just a cold, but we used this on her to help her sleep and it seemed to ease her congestion and she slept soundly! With no paraben’s or silicon’s and suitable for vegetarians, it’s great to find such a natural product that actually works!

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By Carla Eucalyss Travel Blanket £15.99

Infacare Nighttime Baby Bath £3.49 (750ml)

Whether you are holidaying at home or abroad, you can protect your baby from pesky mosquitoes and biting insects naturally with the Kit for Kids Eucalyss range. This essential travelling collection includes a Kit for Kids Baby foldable or thick travel mattress and a By Carla luxury blanket, all of which have been treated with Euclayss; a 100% natural treatment that repels mosquitoes and biting flies. Made from Eucalyptus oil, this creates a no fly zone around the mattress or blanket so you are protecting your baby from being bitten, so they can sleep soundly, dreaming of their next family adventure. We were given a blanket to try out and use it at home as, with the weather that much warmer, the windows are open at night and so far our little one seems to be bite free.

Definitely taking with us when we go abroad!

InfaCare Night-time Baby Bath is clinically tested, reassurance for mums that the formulation isn't irritating on delicate baby skin.

Plus, it is pH balanced, so it matches the natural pH balance of your baby's skin and hair, making it super kind and gentle on even the most sensitive of skins. A little InfaCare Night-time Baby Bath is all that's needed to form loads of long-lasting bubbles - just what babies love at bath time. A lovely warm bubbly bath is a soothing experience, and getting your baby warm, clean and dry is a great way to ease him into bedtime. This is a great bubble bath and a little really does go a long way! My little girl loves the bubbles and the scent is truly relaxing - even great for mum when she wants to have a long soak in the bath.

Philip Kingsley Shampoo & Body Wash - £19 Kids De-Tangling Spray - £9.99 Kids Grooming Brush - £9.99 We were given three new products from the Philip Kingsley range to try out this month: PK KIDS Shampoo & Body Wash - ultra-mild and dermatologically tested; PK KIDS De-Tangling Spray PK KIDS Grooming Brush.

The shampoo and body wash is incredible and is gentle on children’s skin, we noticed that Lillie didn’t get any skin irritation when we used this and in fact we all use it daily. The De-Tangling spray is also excellent, my oldest daughter Mia has extremely tight corkscrew curls and this makes it a dream to brush through her hair, which is no mean feat! Unfortunately the Grooming Brush wasn’t as great for us and caused a few tears with Lillie, even with wet hair it didn’t seem to go through her hair very easily and we were left a little disappointed.

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Keep It Kind - Children’s Deodorants - from £2.99 Meeting the huge demand by mums and kids alike, Keep It Kind (KIK) introduce an all new category in the wellbeing and personal care sector. KIK deodorants are free from aluminium, parabens and alcohol and contain natural ingredients that care for younger, sensitive skins.

KIK deodorants are dermatologically tested and are not tested on animals Three brand new deodorants for children aged 8-14 will be hitting the UK high street. This innovative range of natural and caring deodorants includes Fresh Kidz, a fragrance free roll-on aimed at children aged 8-10+, Blast a spray deodorant for boys aged 11+ and Missy, a spray deodorant for girls aged 11+. We found that you needed to use a good amount of the Missy deodorant to stop body odour but the Fresh Kids was probably the best for my daughter and worked all day, especially during the hot days we’d been having.

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Baby Buzz Product Reviews

Health & Beauty Products

Jackson Reece - Kinder by Nature Nose Nuzzles - £2.49 | Baby Wipes - £2.00 | Mucky Mitts - £1.49 Jackson Reece is a brand that is trusted by mums who want to use natural, chemical free products on their children’s skin. Made in the UK, using 99% natural ingredients and completely alcohol free. Mucky Mitts is a hand sanitiser which is kind to the skin but tough on dirt and germs. The Baby Wipes are unscented, 100% alcohol and paraben free and the Nose Nuzzles are unscented 100% alcohol and paraben free natural saline wipes perfect for stuffy noses.

We loved using all three products, as they are so gentle and contain no harmful products.

They also make great facial wipes for mums too as they are so delicate to the skin. The hand sanitiser was a blessing in disguise and has become an essential product for us to carry around when out and about!

purepotions Skin Salvation We featured an introduction to this brand last month and this month we promised you an additional review on two of the other products we hadn’t tried yet. Well, we’ve found a miracle for dry feet! The purepotions Intensive Moisturising Ointment is just incredible! With severely cracked feet, thanks to wearing sandals all the time, I’ve suffered from really sore heels for many years and I’ve started using this in the evenings just before bed and it’s worked wonders! My feet are soft and no longer cracked and feel amazing.

We also have started using the bath and body oil for both the children’s bath but also the rare chance I get to have a long soak as well and it leaves you’re skin incredibly soft too. You only need to use a tiny amount otherwise it can get a little slippery but for those people who suffer from eczema, dry itchy skin or other skin conditions, this is a must buy.

Tommee Tippee - The Best of British Gift Set - £14.99 We have featured Tommee Tippee on many occasions and couldn’t help but show you this gorgeous little gift set. A great starter kit with a limited edition Best of British London bus design, the Tommee Tippee® Best of British set makes a great gift that's perfect for newborns.

The unique shaped bottle teats are designed with a soft feel and are easy for baby to latch onto, while the super sensitive valve makes bottle feeding feel more natural to little ones, making switching between breast and bottle easier. The bottles themselves are also easy to hold, giving you a more comfortable experience too. Also included in this Tommee Tippee gift set are two London bus soothers, designed with an orthodontic shape to promote and encourage healthy gum and tooth development. Both the soothers and bottles are completely BPA free for your peace of mind.

WOOL BEDDING WAS THE ANSWER TO MY CHILDREN'S SLEEPING PROBLEMS Rebecca Spragg, of Stamford, had been pulling her hair out for the past few “Children need a solid 8 hours sleep every night to recover from their day and be prepared for a busy day ahead. Sleeping disorders in children can years trying to get her three children to sleep throughout the night. influence behavioural issues, as well as exasperating medical issues, which is The oldest son, Alex woke frequently during the night, while her daughter, why it is vital that children get a good night's sleep" says the Wool Room's Holly aged 11 was too cold during the night and her youngest child, Harry, Managing Director, Chris Tattersall. "The average person perspires one litre suffered from night sweats and was unable to get comfortable at night. All of water each night and because this perspiration is unable to be absorbed three desperately needed to sleep through the night with Harry needing good inside synthetic or down fibres, the moisture sits around the skin, raising skin sleep to help his body repair from the inside out. "They simply couldn't get moisture levels above the recommended 30 to 50 per cent and causing a comfortable", says Rebecca. "We'd tried a variety of different duvets, sheets heat build-up which is enough discomfort to pull you out of sleep. "We are and pillows, to try and make all three comfortable in their different ways." so confident our bedding will provide a better sleep, that we offer a money "It wasn't until we finally tried The Wool Room's woollen bedding, that we back guarantee, if you try it out and don't think the same' he continues. finally had an answer. Who knew that woollen bedding was so different to the expensive down filled duvets and pillows we'd been using." "Since we Wool bedding from The Wool Room start from just £29.99 for a Wool pillow, swapped over all of our children's bedding to wool only they've slept like a rising to £360 for a complete wool bedding set which includes an all season log and we couldn't be more grateful to have found a solution" continues double duvet, mattress topper and two pillows available in wool or alpaca.

Rebecca. In a recent survey by The Wool Room, over 34% of respondents The deluxe range of wool bedding also offers the extra benefit of being reported to suffer from night sweats. Particularly hard for children to deal machine washable whilst retaining its 100 per cent natural status. with, these can course interrupted sleep and prevent deep sleep. One of the well-known cures for night sweats, is sleeping in natural fibres, which includes For more information, please visit: bedding such as duvets or mattress toppers. Wool helps to regulate http://www.thewoolroom.com/ temperatures throughout the night, reflecting your own body heating and creating a naturally comfortable night's sleep.

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47

Baby Buzz Product Reviews

Childrenswear & Accessories

Smafollk

Clothies - Set of 3 - £14.99 (including delivery)

Clothies are hand made baby burp cloths in fabulous fabrics and soft super absorbent micro fleece. Great looking and wonderfully practical, a modern mums essential accessory! They are 100% Cotton on the front with a 100% Polyester super soft and absorbent micro fleece backing, offering comfort on delicate faces and absorbency for all those milky dribbles. A great modern alternative to muslin's. Compact enough to squeeze into your overflowing changing bag, with eye catching designs to have draped over your shoulder. They can also be used underneath baby's chin when feeding and sat on your lap winding. We gave a set to one of our mummies (Emily) to try out.

“We absolutely loved the Clothies as they are super soft and really absorbent and as we are currently feeding solid foods we found that it was much softer to clean her face afterwards.

They seem to wash really well and keep the softness and colour. They would make a great alternative to muslin clothes or as part of a gift”.

GNappies Gingham Girl Dress £24.95 Gingham Girl gPants £17.95

http://www.gnappies.com/

The name Småfolk is an old Scandinavian word meaning "little people" or "children". Småfolk is always happy colors, in the best quality. 85% of the collection and nearly 100% of the baby collection is ecotex certified. Småfolk clothes can be mixed with earlier or new collections.

We hear again and again from parents, that a certain T-shirt or dress has been the children's favourite – because the children make stories from the clothes.

I love this collection, purely because it has so many different styles and prints to choose from.

The quality of the items are amazing and there are some great products coming up for winter.

We loved the little hat that looks like a balaclava for children - as it will guarantee to keep your little ones head, neck and ears safely tucked up and warm with just one item as opposed to loosing a scarf, ear muffs etc. Everything is made in vibrant colours with big bold colourful patterns. The prices start from as little as £11.85 for a long sleeved t-shirt to £19.75 for a babygrow.

Piccoli & Co, Organic Cotton Kimono All-in-one with Liberty Fabric - £35.00 “Piccoli & Co will create pieces that are generational and become family heirlooms handed down through the generations, giving each family the tools to make timeless and comfortable nurseries through sophistication and simplicity,” says Aine.

“Monogramming is a key part of our business, where we went back to my Italian heritage,” explains Leo. “In Italy every family has a set of monogrammed linen in their home. Our vision is bringing and mixing this tradition with a fresh approach and offering this service in welcoming new additions to families.”

I fell in love with Piccoli & Co the moment I saw it! It screams quality, beauty and elegance which was ever more apparent when we reviewed probably the most beautiful All-in-one Cotton Kimono that I’ve ever seen.

This charming piece from Marquise de Laborde is perfect for adding a touch of luxury to baby’s early days.

Crafted from super-soft pure 100% cotton and Liberty fabric details it is finished with covered feet and popper fastenings to keep little ones in comfort all day long.

Your child will look like the most beautiful little girl you’ve ever seen and you will wish your little girl never grows out of it.

I have absolutely loved the gNappies range since it first came out, it was one of the first products we had to review.! It was great to see the new collection of clothing that had been released to match the gNappies and I just had to get some for more readers to review! One of my mummy readers very kindly tried them out with her little girl and as well as her comments below, you can see just how cute her little girl looks in the matching set.

Mummy Rebecca Kenyon says: “we were sent some lovely gNappies and matching dress to review recently for Baby Buzz and they came at the perfect time! We had already used cloth/reusable nappies but it's been super hot over the last week or so, we are lucky that our house is nice and cool, but when out and about the cloth nappies can get a bit hot as they're quite thick for optimum absorbency. The gPant are very slim fitting and light weight with no heavy materials and breathable due to how they are constructed.

They consist of a cloth outer, a waterproof inner that snaps on and into that you place the disposable insert. This is another reason why they would be fantastic for a holiday, when you take full cloth nappies it takes up a lot of space and you need proper washing facilities, with these you can just remove the disposable liner and replace so you get a few uses out of the outer and when the outer needs washing they can be easily hand washed and they dry very quickly. This means you only need a few outers and a pack of liners which doesn't take up much luggage space at all, this also makes them fantastic for long days out. Last but least they are super cute and the range of matching clothes and accessories they do are gorgeous and fantastic quality! I will definitely be buying the next size up when she grows out of these, they fit fantastically, are very absorbent and we've had no leaks. They are also good for the environment as the disposable liners are eco friendly and compostable!! Very clever and we are very impressed!!

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Bundle & Bow - prices from £13.50 We were contacted by another gorgeous little company recently called Bundle & Bow who personalise and create changing mat pillows and car seat pillows. The specially designed pillow shape fits all Maxi Cosi infant carriers, The Cybex Aton, STOKKE® iZi Go™ by BeSafe and the Britax Baby Safe (once the removable new born padding has been taken off the seat). Each pillow has a removable case - machine washable at 40 degrees.

The inner case is also machine washable or if you wish to clean the soft polyester wadding keep it inside the inner case, simply hand wash and then lay on a rack to dry - do not tumble.

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Baby Buzz Product Reviews

General Health & Beauty Beauty Pro Hydratest - £59

The Breath Co Oral Rinse - £13.99 (500 ml) & Dry Mouth Lozenges - £8.99 (72 lozenges)

Keeping skin moist, we are so often told, is the key to staying young. But working out when your skin is thirsty and needs a boost is far from simple.

Now scientists have come up with an ingenious new ‘pen’ which claims to help the beauty conscious prevent the onset of aging. The HydraTest device measures oil and hydration levels in just five seconds, delivering a personalised ‘skin prescription’ to the user and prompting them to treat dehydrated skin. Ibs Ansari, director of BeautyPro, which manufactures the pen, said it was the first pocket-sized device, based on salon technology, of its type to measure skin moisture levels in real-time. ‘The two prongs on the analyser send a slight electrical current to the skin. Anyone who uses it won’t feel this current, because it is so small, but the amount of resistance to the current is used to determine the amount of moisture and oil in the skin tissues. ‘The pen will enable individuals to tailor a skin care regime for themselves. It also allows users to monitor progress to see how their skin is improving.’ The pen, which weighs around 40g, and is as big as a standard pencil, is portable and powered by a single AAA battery – enough to deliver around 1,000 readings.

The Oral Rinse is unconditionally guaranteed to stop bad breath. The patented formula uses the natural germ fighting power of oxygen to attack the source of bad breath odour and gum irritation. Helps prevent dry mouth symptoms. Mild natural mint flavour. The citrus mint lozenge formula quickly eliminates any unpleasant flavours and odours in your mouth. The clinical strength powers of Zinc, Oxygen and Xylitol attack the germs that cause bad breath. And our proprietary mouth wetting agent stimulates saliva production to eliminate dry mouth.

Although not the most amazing tasting mouthwash, I liked using this product. It didn't contain any nasty ingredients or alcohol and it left my mouth feeling fresh and clean. I will definitely be adding this to my household shopping list as something the whole family can use. The mouth lozenges are great to have in your bag for emergency breath freshening. Sugar free and once again, a product free of any nasty ingredients, the lozenges were fresh, very minty and were the perfect antidote to spicy/fragrant food or just as an instant breath freshener. I also liked that they were individually wrapped. Very hygienic.

Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser - Pampering Honey - £3.56 (250 ml) and Nivea Body Lotion - Firming £5.10 (250 ml) I was never one for moisturising, firming lotions or creams of any kind but having had the opportunity of trying many different products I have to say I absolutely love the In-Shower Moisturiser!

The precious time I do get to have a shower means I don’t have time to get out, dry off, remember to moisturise and then sort out the girls, but since using this I’ve been able to start looking after my skin and find that it’s so much smoother than it was before. I’ve also got my oldest daughter using it to save her a little time in the morning and to make sure her skin stays supple and soft. With such a great start and being able to save a little time I thought I would start using the firming body lotion, so I’m hoping to see the results of that in a few weeks time, I will certainly keep you posted. The scents of both products are lovely and, especially with the In-Shower body moisturiser the bathroom smells divine whilst you are using it! I’ve read many comments from other users all of which differ greatly, but I’m definitely with the majority that for a timesaving way of moisturising, this is probably one of the best on the market! Well done Nivea, amazing products and at an amazing price.

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As I get older, I'm taking more and more interest in my skin and the opportunity to utilise products that will help with the prevention of the signs of aging. So, I was very intrigued to the try this product. It was extremely easy to use with clear instructions and results and it showed me that I have much dryer skin than I thought. Although I've only been using it for a short time, I have begun to change my skincare regime and I am already noticing an improvement in the the levels of moisture in my skin. I'm looking forward to the long term benefits of being more aware of the condition of my skin and it's needs and requirements and I think this painless, easy to use piece of equipment will really help.

Proactive - Oil Free Moisture - £15.95 (50 ml) and proactive - Deep Cleansing Wash £15.95 (240 ml)

As mentioned before I have never been one to tone, cleanse and moisturise, not out of laziness but purely out of lack of time.

This month I’ve had a lot of products to try out and so I’m hoping that in a month or so I should have perfect, flawless skin (albeit with the 40+ hours straight I work, the bags under my eyes will need a lot more work!) I have to say that after using the Oil Free Moisture I didn’t really notice a difference, it didn’t really leave my skin any softer or feel more moisturised than it had before.

However, I really liked used the Deep Cleansing Wash before getting into the shower, I used this on my face and neck and I felt great and ready to jump into the shower onto the next stage of applying the Nivea In-Shower Moisturiser. This in itself is a great combination and I’ve never felt so clean and ready to face the day. Will definitely be continuing with the Deep Cleansing Wash as part of my cleansing and moisturising process.

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EcoHydra Instant Hand Sanitiser £2.49 (50ml) EcoHydra Instant Hand Sanitiser quickly kills up to 99.9999% of germs, and can leave no more than just 10 germs on hands; making it an extremely effective hand sanitiser with proven efficacy against even stubborn bacteria such as E. Coli, SARS, Bird Flu, MRSA and Norovirus.

With its completely alcohol-free, antimicrobial formula, EcoHydra is free from the harshness of alcohol-based sanitisers which can dry out the skin, and with frequent use leave hands even more exposed to germs. Enriched with natural moisturiser Aloe Vera, EcoHydra can be used repeatedly throughout the day making it pleasant to use as well as highly effective. Targeted directly at improving hand hygiene in hospitals, homes, schools and other environments where infection prevention is paramount, EcoHydra Instant Hand Sanitiser has been developed in response to World Health Organisation reports about combating the increase in healthcare associated infections and promoting better hand hygiene, with the ultimate aim to prevent the spread of infections.

I really like this hand sanitiser as it kills such a high level of bacteria, I also like the fact that it is a foam based product because it rubs very easily into your hands ands dries within seconds! With this one I know that all eventualities are covered. Another must for mummy’s hand bag!

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Baby Buzz Product Reviews

Children’s Food, Meal Ideas Ella’s Kitchen New Yummy Greek Style Yoghurts £0.99 (per 90g) Ella’s Kitchen have just launched their new Greek Style Yoghurts which are available in three delicious flavours Strawberry, Berry and Mango. 100% organic and brimming with loveliness, the yoghurts are wonderfully thick + creamy, resulting in an extra scrummy taste experience for little explorers to enjoy. I gave a strawberry one to Lillie to try out, as she isn’t much of a yoghurt eater I knew this would be the ultimate taste test! I was quite surprised that she enjoyed it as much as she did and asked for another one immediately after. I decided to give her the mango one to see what she thought but she wasn’t as keen on the flavour (although I have to say - after finishing it - that I thought it was great really full of flavour and a lot thicker than I had expected. A great snack on the go to keep your child happy and as they are in the squeezy pouches, there’s no mess! Another brilliant point to make is that you don’t need to chill these, to they’re even more handy and fun when out and about.

Available at:

Kallo Kids - launches new lunch box snack packs - £2.89 per pk When I was asked to review the new rice cakes from Kallo Kids, I jumped at it! Whilst many people will think that rather odd, what I should explain is that I eat rice cakes like there is no tomorrow! It was my craving with both of my girls and to this day I can’t not have a packet in the cupboard - it’s almost as bad as running out of milk! Kallo Kids Chocolate and Strawberry Yoghurt rice cakes have no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and also vegetarian and coeliac friendly, as well as gluten free. The chocolate Thins contain 121 calories in each portion pack, and the Strawberry Thins contain 126 calories - just right for a healthy treat as part of a packed lunch or for an energy booster after a long day at school. If I’m honest, for me nothing can beat a plain, uncomplicated rice cake but having tasted these I can certainly see why children will love them. Giving them just enough of a ‘sweet’ taste, this is certain to fill a gap before they have to eat dinner or come in from school a little hungry. I personally favoured the Chocolate Thins but then, coupled with the fact I am a chocoholic, it really wasn’t a tough decision. Nice to have a healthier option for our children for when they get home from school demanding ‘what’s there to eat?’

TIPS FOR PACKED LUNCHES: Mrs Crimble’s Gluten Free Goodies - prices from £1.10 per pack Making sure children who avoid gluten have a lunchbox which includes a good mix of nutritious and filling foods as well as a yummy treat can be quite an art, so Mrs Crimble's - the much-loved gluten free bakery brand - have some incredibly yummy snacks to help your child enjoy a healthy, fun and gluten free lunch. Having seen some of these products in store, I had just passed them by thinking they wouldn’t be that nice, but oh wow, I couldn’t have been more wrong! The Double Choc Chunk Oat Cookies and the Cranberry and Almond Oat Cookies are to die for! Slightly heavier than your average cookie due to the ingredients used, but still oh so delicious and don’t get even get me started on the Mixed Berry Oat Flapjacks - just gorgeous! I would be happy to have these in my cupboard, handbag and lunchbox every day.

Asda & Tesco

FAMILY FAVOURITE MEALS FOR THE MODERN DIET With the launch of the first ever free-from Fajita Kits!

Mexican Feasts are popular in many a household, with tasty fajitas and yummy nachos proving to be firm favourites, but new research shows that almost half (45%) of people surveyed wish that their fajitas could be gluten free and 78% of parents £5 from Tesco with a coeliac child prepare the same Extra Stores dinner for all the family, putting a limitation on what the whole family eats. Until now the 3.2 million of allergen suffers in the UK are forced to miss out on this fabulous family fiesta. What's more currently, a single serving of fajita with all the trimmings can contain a whopping 600 calories - a huge turn off for those watching the waistline. This is why BFree, the market leading gluten free brand, is launching the first ever free-from Fajita Kit. The kit is entirely allergen free, low in fat at only 127 calories per serving and contains no gluten, wheat, eggs, dairy, soy or nuts and is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. The kit contains six of the best-selling healthy Multigrain Wraps, a delicious mild allergen free and low salt fajita seasoning and a chunky tomato BFree salsa, which comes in a handy double sachet, meaning you can enjoy half now and half another time, avoiding food wastage. We put the kit to the ultimate test with a cooking lesson that my daughter had to participate in a few weeks ago. The kit is so easy to understand and the instructions simple to follow! The teachers and pupils were very impressed with the flavours, although the found the actual fajitas a little dry. No one could believe it was a free-from kit and all agreed they wouldn’t hesitate to buy one to try at home!

Kiddylicious - Snack Time!

We had the chance to review the latest in children’s snacks from Kiddylicious with their delicious Wibble Wobble Jelly Pots, the first ready-made jelly designed for babies from 12 months (£1.35 per pack). Wibble Wobble Jelly Pots are fun to eat and also one of a child’s daily fruit portions so they’re great as part of a healthy toddler diet.

They come in 3 fruit and berry combinations: apple/blackcurrant,pear/raspberry and peach/strawberry. The jelly is made with fruit juice and set with pectin, a gelling agent naturally found in fruit, to create a super soft texture and has little pieces of real fruit to add texture. We also tried the Gingerbread Buddies made from fortified wholemeal flour and oatmeal and with a hint of real ground ginger. They are packed in single 20g bags and will be available from Asda and Ocado at £0.40p. Crispie Tiddlers are a slightly more filling fruit snack with a satisfying crunch. They are deliciously soft and chewy fun little fish shapes, made almost entirely with real fruit juices and purees combined with crispy rice. Sold in single 12g packs for 59 pence and will be available in Asda, Tesco and Ocado. I have never seen my child so excited to see a box of snacks and was impressed that the 6 pots of jelly were all devoured within 3 days - seriously yummy! Lillie really liked the Gingerbread Buddies but wasn’t too keen on the fruity Crispie Tiddlers and wouldn’t eat more than one. Safe to say we’ve been instructed to buy the jelly and gingerbread buddies on our next visit to the shops!

To launch the kit, BFree is giving away a holiday to Mexico. For more details visit www.facebook.com/Bfreeuk

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Baby Buzz Product Reviews

& Kitchen Gadget Reviews We featured Fab Finger Foods in the last issue of Baby Buzz Magazine and this month we decided to put the products to the test with three of our readers.

In case you missed the feature last month, let me give you a little introduction to Helen, founder of Fab Finger Foods: “I started making risotto fingers and samosas for Ted when we were visiting my mum because I struggled to find portable finger food without added salt and sugar. Like any parent I was keen for him to have a balanced diet and many of the finger foods I made provided a nice mixture of protein, carb’s, fruit and veg. The finger foods were easy to pack so great for on the move, fresh, freezable and much healthier than many snacks.

I love to cook so when I found myself redundant from my job I thought I would try my hand at Fab Finger Foods.

I had a sneaky suspicion that Ted would eat anything put in front of him but friends children who perhaps aren’t so easy to please like the food just as much as him. The food is suitable from 6 months+ and satisfies the relevant compositional requirements for the processed cereal based foods and baby foods for infants and young children regulations 2003 and all items have been nutritionally analysed (except party food where I will make bespoke orders of sandwiches etc).

If you have any questions or would like to place an order, please visit:

Risotto Fingers: These are so full of flavour unlike a lot of baby foods, you can really taste the herbs and the chicken in them, they make a great snack or as the main to a meal, i served them to my 16 month old as well as my 3 and a half year old and they both really enjoyed them. Very handy to pop in the fridge overnight and take with you on a picnic the next day and healthier than grabbing something from a packet out of the cupboard!

Raspberry Muffins: These mini muffins are great as a little treat at snack time. I heated a couple up and put them with a bit of ice cream which they loved. Another healthy option to pop in your bag for food on the go or for dessert.

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The Banana Bread from Fab Finger Food arrived well packed with cooling material and had thawed during transit, but was still feeling cool when I opened it, so I put it back in the freezer immediately, just keeping two aside for my little Zayn to try. I loved the Banana Bread the first time I saw them as they looked convenient, shaped into small fairy cake sized balls which are easily held by babies. And I don’t find these messy compared to a big banana loaf cut into slices. The banana bread comes in a 6 per pack and retails at £3.00 which I think is quite reasonably expensive as I know all baby products are priced like that. The banana and cinnamon flavour was great, but I give this 4 stars because it is a fantastic base, yet is missing additional flavours/ taste that my baby prefers. He wouldn’t eat more than one in a go, whereas he loves home-made banana bread much more,…maybe because it’s a tad bit sweeter than this, as I add more bananas and throw in some chopped dates.

They maybe healthy, with no added sugar, but they are pretty much baby junk food, (the banana is far down on the ingredient list to the point that it contributes no real nutritional content) and I prefer feeding this as a treat. Overall, these are easy to hold and eat by little hands, soft and perfect as a snack or for breakfast with a cup of milk and banana on the side.

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We had the banana bread and risotto fingers to review. The banana bread was lovely and great for trips out, as it is frozen, and can be chucked in the baby bag and then come lunch time it has defrosted and is ready to eat in.

They are lovely portion sizes for everyone too. They taste lovely too. Only problem was that we run out!

The risotto fingers were also great and made a lovely meal once cooked and served with veggies.

The kids enjoyed them a lot and knowing they are so easy to prepare and also healthy was great! I will be ordering some treats soon! I loved the packaging too with the ice bags, they have also come in very handy for when the kids needed cooling down or when they had hurt themselves.

Probably not for that purpose but great all the same!

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Baby Buzz Product Reviews

Children’s Toys & Games Tomy - Aquadoodle Travel Drawing Bag and Mini Mats - £13.49 (Mini Mat sets are £4.99 which include 3 mats and 1 Aquadoodle pen) Whether you’re hitting the road, clocking up air miles or hopping aboard the express train this Summer, keep your creative little ones occupied on the go with easy-to-carry, Aquadoodle travel mats.

Aquadoodle from TOMY, the expert in preschool creative play, continues to entertain children on the move with its brilliant range of preschool character licensed travel play mats. The original and the best, these no fuss, no mess mats are safe for designing masterpieces whilst on the go, encouraging creative play in children aged 18 months and up. And as there’s no messy ink, just water, parents can relax in the knowledge that there’ll be no stains. Simply fill the special Aquadoodle Pen with water before you travel, doodle on the durable mat and watch as the drawings magically appear.

This came just in time for our review trip to the Isle of Wight and so we took it with us to see how Lillie would get on with it. I have to say she loved it and it kept her amused for quite some time. It’s an excellent way for children to get creative with their favourite characters ranging from Peppa Pig, Disney Princess and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to name but a few. I loved how the Aquadoodle allowed Lillie to colour in and for me not to worry or stress out about getting colour pen marks on walls or floors plus each pack has three mini mats inside that once they’ve finished the second mat, the first one is dry again and they can start all over again. This is definitely something that is coming with us on every trip!

Just brilliant!

Barbie & Me Colour-Change Glam Bag™ - £29.99 Winner of the Toy Fair Best New Toy Awards 2014, in the Role-Play Toys Category, the Barbie & Me Colour-Change Glam Bag™ magically changes colour to match any outfit. Simply hold the bag against any item of clothing and press the button to match over 100 different shades. The bag comes with lots of fab, clip-on Barbie accessories, so that it can be personalised to suit any style statement. There is even a mini matching bag for Barbie herself. A perfect accessory for little girls aged 3-7 years.

The Barbie & Me Colour Change Glam Bag will be available from all good UK retailers, including Amazon and Hamleys who will be listing it in their Top 10 Toys for Christmas. This fun and innovative interactive toy will make a great present for little fashionistas everywhere, so grab the glamour, clutch the colour and become the envy of the block. The bag is really easy to use and little girls everywhere will love to play dress up with this. Look out Hamleys for the Christmas rush.

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Tomy - Chuggington Tunnel and Bridge Playset - £19.99 (Individual train characters are £7.99) I have a little girl who loves toys any kind of toys, whether designed for boys or girls, she simply loves to play (I mean what 3 year old doesn’t!)

When we were sent the Chuggington Tunnel and Bridge Playset, I did wonder what she would make of it but I needn’t have bothered really. She absolutely loved playing with the toy trains. The think I like most about this is that she understands how all the pieces click together and so is always dismantling it and then putting it back together.

This has given us a good hour of quality play time, which when you have a toddler is seriously impressive! A great toy for both boys and girls as I’ve since learned, I shouldn’t be so stereotypical!

Tomy - Twist 'n' Turn Activity Toy - £10.99 For all Winne the Pooh fans is this fun Twist and Turn Activity Toy that is sure to keep your baby/ toddler occupied. Our littlest reviewer is just 14 months and she loved playing with this, I’m not sure she quite understood what each piece did or that they made a complete picture but with her mummy pointing out the different animals and colours, she seemed to have a lot of fun.

Tomy - Professor Owl Puzzle Blocks - £13.99 A fun puzzle sorter for babies / toddlers 12+. The actual blocks have additional shapes inserted to each of them for when hand/eye coordination improves. We didn’t understand at first that you had to lie the owl down to insert the cubes then stand it up again to push down on the head to make the bricks pop out again. It would be easier perhaps if you could do it with it standing up, but that was us having a little niggle, when ultimately our little tester loved it regardless of it standing up, lying down or upside down!

Not On The High Street App - Storytime Sounds App for iPhone and Android Mums and dads nationwide can now rest easy at bedtime as the magical Storytime Soundsapp launches this week, and is set to be the perfect accompaniment to classic fairy tales and futuristic fables for children and parents alike. From cackling witches to growling pirates, notonthehighstreet.com's Storytime Sounds pp offers a variety of classic fairy tale themes, as well as the mysterious noises of a lost world and the sounds of deep space. With nine enchanting sound effects to hand, the app has been designed to help parents bring bedtime stories to life.

Ben Carter, Marketing Director from notonthehighstreet.com comments "The Storytime Sounds app has been created to help parents make story time an even more magical and interactive experience for children. We want to show that technology does not always have to be detrimental to traditional family time and hopefully the app has achieved this." The app is fun, interactive and simple for kids to use themselves with themes to help parents make up their own stories or use them with books. Free to download, story time is about to get a lot more fun for all involved, so let the adventures begin!

I have to say Lillie and I really liked this app (even if she did hold her finger down on just one character to repeat the sound - yes just a little annoying!) Other than that we created some really wild and wacky stories using each of the characters all in one go that had both of us in fits of giggles! A great free app for all you iPhone users!

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Family Focus

By Eve Tudor

point. Let them run riot we won’t think any less of you or your business we will think that you are exactly like us. Probably tired and in need of adult conversation. The thing about coming together and talking and helping each other out is that it works, firstly. People gain business from it and connections. But also the most important thing is that we make new friends that understand and support us. We help each other out and we understand what we are all going through as regardless of how old our children are there is always something that we are going through that we either need someone’s understanding on. We are the team that we don’t have in business. We are the shoulders to cry on as we were so tired because the kids have been ill that we couldn’t finish what we were doing and now the client is waiting. We read through each others letters to check we don’t sound crazy as we haven't slept and we ask each other if we are crazy just incase as we aren’t sure any more.

I’ve said it before. Working for yourself makes you a team of one, and whilst having your family and friends can ease that panic of being alone in business, it doesn’t solve that problem. The thing about family and friends is that sometimes they tend to have quite the opinion on how you are doing it and how you should be doing it, which lets face it, doesn’t always help. Hence reason for working at all!!! The great thing about networking is that you meet people in a different capacity and not only are they all there to help themselves but they get a lot out of helping you too. Us networkers are forced into the situation of being helped and helping each other, and unlike some networks where you are forced to help each other, we at the Buggy network aren't like that. The satisfaction of helping people comes from the environment that we are in. We aren’t in a restaurant or golf club where you are all dressed up wondering if I connect with that person, then I look good. We are in a cafe with the kids running around eating our cake and trying to steal our coffee, and yet we seem to make friends, really connect through being parents but strictly talk about work.

Its a great way to make friends but also get the help that you would normally get from working in a team. We at the Buggy Network are again all in the same position but rely on the help of others. We still get nervous coming for the first time, wondering what on earth we are going to say, do we stand up (?) do we have to bring our children or can I take a time out from them to come along. And the answer is yes, you can. You can leave them at nursery but don’t worry if you do bring them, that’s the

Are you drinking enough?

Hydration is vital to daily living. Every cell in your body needs water to function properly. It helps replenish skin tissues and moisturises the skin. Water flushes out toxins from your organs and intrinsic to any well-balanced diet. Your brain is approximately 90% water, so drinking water makes you more alert and increases your ability to concentrate.

Most health professionals agree that the average human requires 2 litres of water (8 glasses) a day, which is easier when you enjoy the taste. Whilst tap water in the UK is safe to drink it can contain high levels of chlorine which can have a very strong smell and taste. Heavy metals such as lead and copper can also be found in tap water due to both domestic plumbing and supply pipelines. Limescale also affects many people living in the UK.

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This month I’ve been suffering from the children having chicken pox and why they couldn't have it at the same time I can only say is a test of my sanity. It has been an incredibly long time to not have any meetings for me and not only have the children been going stir crazy I’ve never felt so isolated its been really hard. But its been really nice getting messages from my networking friends making sure that I’m ok and of course the kids too!

I’m really excited though that by the time you are reading this I will be back out there in the real world children all better and hopefully getting some meetings in over the summer and getting back to seeing our friends and those that I appreciate for being on my team. I am excited that I am getting back to work and will have time to actually think more about all of our business and how we can help them evolve to be even better next school year.

(And for those of you that have children with chickenpox, honestly go to the chemist and buy Pox Clin it will save your life. It takes all of the itchiness away!! TRUST ME! You will be thanking me for that titbit!)

Have a wonderful summer and get the kids to bed early as you will need extra time to clear your head to work more efficiently, ( and of course to have a glass of wine!)

See you soon! X Eve

You can use filtered water in your small domestic appliances. With the reduction of limescale, this could help prolong the lifetime of your kettle, coffee machine, steamer, rice cooker, steam mop or iron.

I was one of those people who just did not drink water, unless it was in the form of a coffee or tea and I knew I had to do something! I am extremely grateful to Brita for giving me a BRITA Marella Red Jug to review and now I’m drinking at least two jugs a day! Something even I never thought I’d do! They are so easy to set up and you can just leave them on the side ready to top up!

Prices: £21.00 (which includes VAT) For more information, please visit: http://www.brita.co.uk/

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The Baby Buzz Magazine Book Club - Reviews Learn how to use your baby’s natural instincts and abilities to give him the very best start in life. This practical and sensitive guide shows you how following your baby’s lead will help you develop a strong and loving relationship from birth.

Baby-led Parenting is a really practical guide without making you feel like you aren’t doing a good enough job! Some books that we’ve seen tend to be a little condescending and point out the obvious whereas this book allows you to trust your natural instinct whilst giving you a good few pointers as well as useful and practical advice from the moment you give birth to being at home and adjusting to a new way of life. I love that there are significant amounts of comments from other parents who all give their own perspectives and it emphasises that everyone is different and no way is really the ‘wrong way’.

A definite must for all parents who whilst may ‘have done it before’ gives an easier transition into being a parent.

Have you ever thought: ‘I can’t believe I just said to my child the very thing my parents used to say to me! Am I destined to repeat the mistakes of my parents?’ In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel and early-childhood expert Mary Hartzell explore how our childhood experiences shape the way we parent. Drawing on stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships affect the development of the brain, and offer a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of our life stories, which will help us raise compassionate and resilient children. Combining Siegel’s cutting-edge neuroscience research with Hartzell’s 30 years of experience as a child-development specialist and parent educator, Parenting from the Inside Out guides us through creating the necessary foundations for secure and loving relationships with our children.

My first thoughts when seeing this were oh another book telling me what I’m doing wrong. In actual fact, what it does it put everyday situations into a new perspective and give you the tools to understand the way you’re child is feeling without constantly chastising them. I know that on more than one occasion when I am frantically busy i.e trying to go to print that I tend to become a little snappy but I’m certainly going to put this book to good use and use different ways of explaining why I can or can’t do something without my children feeling that mummy is just irritable and always says no. A really great asset to families with children of all ages.

Sinner is a companion book to the #1 bestselling Shiver, Linger and Forever trilogy. You thought it ended with Forever, but there's another story to tell - the one of Cole and Isabel... and this time they're in LA. There will be wolves, and there will be yearning. But most importantly there will be love.

I gave this book to my 13 year old daughter to read thinking that it would be a slightly more grown-up book that she would enjoy, but I have to say that she found it a little too depressing and more mature than what she had thought it would be. However, after realising that perhaps it wasn’t appropriate for her age mentally and that she hadn’t really got into the storyline, I thought I would try reading it instead. I actually really enjoyed it as it was a clear insight into the behaviours of Cole and Isabel and their feelings towards each other as well as to other people. Sinner can be quite dark in places but is still a thoroughly enjoyable read but perhaps for an older age range of 16+, I think they may have a clearer understanding of feelings and emotions and relate a little closer to Cole and Isabel.

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The Baby Buzz Magazine Combining gorgeous touch-and-feel elements with fun activities, parents and baby can explore this great book together and learn at the same time! It's been completely designed and conceived for new parents and is easy-to-use - each spread has left-hand page is for the parent, right-hand page is for Baby! Our little tester loved touching and feeling all the different parts of this book. We really liked the activities that you could do with your baby and the ideas for games to play with you little one to encourage their development and learning process. A great set of books for your baby’s library!

A series of mythologically-inspired modern-day parables in board book form, featuring a read-aloud summary of the Greek myth at the very end. We thought this was a great way for your child to learn right from wrong and written using Greek mythology. I liked that you could teach your child a valuable lesson from such a unique perspective, a great book for both home and nurseries / pre-schools to start teaching our toddlers about myths.

To celebrate Ten Years of Muddy Puddles, Ladybird is publishing this fabulous new storybook that is based on the best-loved characters from Entertainment One’s award-winning preschool TV show - Peppa Pig! Perfectly pitched for preschoolers with an early childhood theme that will appeal to all fans of the popular show, who will be keen to know what they were like as babies too! A wonderful opportunity to spark discussion and share precious memories. With a little girl who adores Peppa Pig, she absolutely loved this book! Currently read every night which I’m sure won’t stop for a while! A great book for all little Peppa Pig fans.

This brand new picture book from the hugely talented Lauren Child is a beautiful and moving original take on the arrival of a new sibling and will undoubtedly strike a chord with children and parents alike. Featuring a new character, Elmore Green, the struggle of sharing a world with a new small person is told with Lauren Child's trademark wit, humour and style. A much-anticipated new picture book that won't disappoint - this is Lauren Child at her absolute best. We instantly recognised the author of this book, as will many others, as the Bafta-award-winning creator of Charlie & Lola. The New Small Person is a beautifully written story that so many children will understand and would be a great way to explain to your child that they are about to become a big brother or sister! We loved it.

Four new books within the Fairy Princess series. Primrose: There’s been a storm in Jewel Forest and Bunny’s home has been destroyed. Nutmeg: It’s time for Nutmeg to be crowned Pixie Tree Princess, but disaster strikes, Blossom: The annual fete is happening in Jewel Forest, can Blossom bake the magical treats in time. Willa: Willa is going to be a flower fairy at a very magical wedding then the wedding dress gets lost! The books are a must for all little girls who wish they could meet a real-life fairy. A beautifully, easy-to-understand series of books that combine fairy magic, friendship and fashion. There are many more books in the series with sticker and activity books also available.

Another beautifully written tale with a hidden meaning. As an adult, I almost cried at this, you feel so much for the little girl, Kate, whose grandfather has died and she’s missing him terribly. Her Mum wants Kate to talk about it, but it only makes Kate angry. Granddad has gone and he's never coming back. At least she has her toy tiger, Amos, to keep her company. It was a present from Granddad, and somehow holding him close makes Granddad seem less far away. But she doesn't expect Amos to turn into a real tiger - a big, comforting, friendly tiger who smells of Granddad, and sounds like him too. An incredible book to give to your child not only to enjoy but if they have experienced a loss of a loved one, this will help them start to come to terms with their emotions. LOVE, LOVE this book!

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Book Club - Reviews A snowy day, a deserted school and the teacher you least want to see. Welcome to Snow Day, the most magical day of the year. When Danny goes to school one quiet, snowy morning, the last thing he expects to find is a deserted school and his least favourite teacher. But that's exactly what he does find. And what starts as the worst day imaginable, ends as the most life-affirming and magical day of the year. An incredibly moving story about finding friendship in the most unexpected of places. I loved reading this book and even though Lillie is younger than recommended for, she loved the pictures and seemed to understand when Danny was sad and then happy. A brilliant book which we thoroughly enjoyed and will do so many times over.

There are lots of things Algy doesn't like. He doesn't like bright colours. He doesn't like birds. But at the top of the list of things he doesn't like is the sea. So when Algy, his best friend Cherry and her little brother Brad discover that the shed at the bottom of the garden is taking them on an ocean adventure, he isn't very pleased. But will the sea turn out to be more fun than Algy always thought it was? Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey. A great read for younger children which will stimulate the imagination.

Here is an enchanting and entertaining story, perfect for young readers keen to discover the wonder of plants and animals in nature and see how they work together in harmony. Meet Belle, a Parisian girl who goes on holiday to the countryside and is eager to explore on her new bicycle. Soon, though, disaster strikes: Belle falls off her bike and is lost and alone. Now it’s time to meet a talking bee! Yes, a bee who speaks! The talking bee rescues Belle and they set off together … A beautifully written story with incredible illustrations, a great read for your child to get lost in…

We had the chance to review the first three books in the Whimsy Wood Series last month and they were great for little girls to enjoy. Your child gets taken on a journey into the woods as Rosie Posie gets paid a visit from someone special, who will it be and will Rosie be pleased. The illustrations are as beautiful as the first three and it’s great to be able to allow your child to continue their adventure.

Is there something strange in your garden? LOOK OUT! It could be an ALIEN from another planet! Pets from Space are cool!

Pets from Space are clever! Pets from Space have gadgets with superpowers! But... WARNING! Pets from Space are naughty and their tricks might get you into trouble! Find out what happens to Tom, Zack and Daisy when they meet the PETS FROM SPACE! Each book features two fun stories. We think young children everywhere are going to love these books as the mischievousness ensues from the pets in space and they get up to their naughty antics! Fun reading.

Bramble goes on a midnight treasure hunt in this brand new edition of Georgie Adams' irresistible animal adventure series - with gorgeous extra material and a classic new cover look. Perfect for fans of Beatrix Potter or Brambly Hedge. An incredibly beautifully illustrated and written book which was easy to read and had an easy to follow story with just enough suspense to keep you wanting to know what happened next. There are 12 books in the Railway Rabbit Series which I would recommend to all young readers.

Eleven-year-old Hannah Hallett's life has changed. Her mum has recently remarried, and Hannah's got a new dad and twin sisters! The whole family have moved from the city to a small town so that Hannah's mum can fulfil her life-long dream of opening a bakery. But things don't start well for the new bakery, and soon Mum's too busy to spend time with Hannah the way she used to. Hannah knows she can turn the Sugar and Spice Bakery's fortunes around - all she needs to do is convince Mum she can be useful. Can Hannah use her baking talent to save the bakery, learn to live with her big new family and most importantly - make some friends before school starts? An fantastic book that all girls will love to read. A great storyline that all girls will relate to beautifully and simply written and will keep them preoccupied for a good while!

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Baby Buzz Fashion Guide

I first found out about The Little Tailor after being invited to see what other brands had coming in for the current season. It was the first thing that caught my eye and the brand I spent most time looking over.. The collection is beautiful and the quality is clearly evident, made from the softest material you just can’t help but pick it up and run your hands over it.. The detailing is outstanding with care and attention very much evident.. The prices are affordable whilst the styles are practical.

I hope we get to review this collection for a future issue as it would be a definite essential for any baby / toddler wardrobe.

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Baby Buzz Fashion Guide

We love the Seraphine Summer Collection keeping our mums-to-be and new mummies looking gorgeous!

Made in soft and floaty fabrics, the range is designed to keep you stylish, cool and comfortable through Summer, coupled with their current sales, you can purchase gorgeous pieces for great prices!. Don’t miss out on the range of light maternity knitwear for seasonal layering..

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1. Justine Purple Dress - £29 | 2. Kylie Multi-way Dress - £29 | 3. Seraphine Aqua Ombre Dip Dye Dress - £39 | 4. Turquoise Colour Block Nursing Dress - £37 | 5. White Chic Cropped Maternity Jeans £45 | 6. Blue Denim Mini Maternity Shorts £32 | 7. White Maxi Maternity Skirt £29 | 8. Studded Loafers - £89

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Home & Furnishings

I love coming across new and exciting brands and this month we really have found a hidden gem! A company that brings a beautiful, fresh and sophisticated approach to your children’s nursery’s with upscale bedding, furniture and accessories. We were also given the opportunity to review one of the most beautiful babygrow’s we’ve seen since launching the magazine and you can read our review in our News & Reviews Section on Page 48.

A secret for those in the know, Piccoli & Co, Clapham’s luxury children’s boutique is now accessible to all as it launches its online store. Set in the heart of South London’s Clapham Common, the nursery store on Abbeville Road supplies a unique offering of quality nursery furniture and bedding to monogrammed linen and sleepwear with everything in-between. Piccoli’s furniture is designed bespoke in-house and based on 19th century antiques. With the recent launch of their online boutique you are now able to get the same style and luxury delivered straight to your door. Founders Leo and Aine have created stunning, quality pieces designed to give you the ultimate in sophistication whilst maintaining practicality. Co-Founder Aine says “Piccoli & Co will create pieces that are generational and become family heirlooms handed down through the generations, giving each family the tools to make timeless and comfortable nurseries through sophistication and simplicity.”

“Monogramming is a key part of our business, where we went back to my Italian heritage,” explains Leo. “In Italy every family has a set of monogrammed linen in their home. Our vision is bringing and mixing this tradition with a fresh approach and offering this service in welcoming new additions to families.” The impending arrival of Aine’s first daughter, Aoife - whom Leo is godmother to, is behind the inspiration for this new business. It was during discussions over this time Aine and Leo felt the children’s market was missing high quality nursery furniture and bedding. They have a shared vision of the baby’s room reinvented and wanted to fill this gap. They opened their first store on Abbeville Road Clapham in September 2013.

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Family Focus

Keeping your child’s imagination active I was invited to a recent launch at London Zoo to introduce Maynards Discovery Patch – bags of fruit flavoured jelly sweets with an interactive app for your child to explore different themes from Body Bits, Myths & Monsters and Animals. The product has a great philosophy behind it thanks to a study, commissioned by Maynards Discovery Patch in association with child psychologist Dr Amanda Dr Amanda Gummer Gummer. revealing the importance imagination plays in a child’s development and also explores parents’ views on how they encourage creative play and attitudes on the importance of imagination at home. Despite the fast paced nature of today’s world, the research found that traditional forms of play remain the primary choice for 65%* of parents, with mums and dads choosing the simple world of make-believe, arts and crafts and classic storytelling as their go-to methods when seeking to inspire their family. Parents who challenge and nurture their children’s imagination from an early age will help to better equip them with crucial problem solving and communication skills, making them more creative and successful in adult life, new academic research released today has found. The research discovered that activities that stimulate the imagination can help children better deal with unexpected events and think more flexibly – making them more successful in later life.

Whilst almost half (43%*) of parents view their child’s interest in television and computer games as a hurdle to overcome, Dr Gummer’s research shows that when used effectively these areas can have a positive impact. By its very nature, technology can actually enhance imagination by introducing concepts and ideas children simply wouldn’t have thought of unprompted. The potential of modern advances allows young minds to imagine without limits and wonder what else might be possible, leading to the next generation of inventors. Distractions aside, the research also indicated that 69%* of parents believe time spent simply being together presented the ideal opportunity to teach their families and discover and learn new things. When asked to expand on their answers, parents admitted that they valued this time together as they felt it removed the pressure to spend money on expensive activities or force them to try to keep up with their children’s friends and peers. Parents approach imagination in different ways with almost three quarters of mums (74%*) preferring to teach their children to make games out of ordinary activities, from climbing trees to tidying their toys. In comparison, almost half of dads (42%*) voted the use of games and high-tech toys as particularly useful to invoke creative play. When asked about their feelings on the role technology plays, 60%* of parents admitted that when used in the correct way, it has become an increasingly important and useful element for both play and educational purposes. Dr. Gummer advocates that the role of technology is very positive, commenting that this simple approach is conducive to help children activate their own imagination, using modern advancements to discover and better understand the world around them. Pippa Lewis, from Maynards Discovery Patch comments “Imagination and the role it plays within family life is an area we are particularly interested in, especially in respect to how it can benefit children’s development. With exciting shapes, fun facts, quizzes and Augmented Reality, Maynards Discovery Patch offers a world of discovery and fun way to spark imagination”.

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1. Augmented reality and interactive apps provide an exciting avenue for new depths of discovery during family playtime. They can excite a child’s imagination and help them to interact with ideas that they simply would not have thought about.

2. The use of imagery or photos can help children to understand events that they have never experienced – e.g. imagining travelling to the moon via a photograph of an astronaut 3. Pretend play can help children gain perspective- giving them an understanding of how to react 4. Model play – parents can demonstrate what to do in a certain situation as this promotes creativity – acting out situations or scenarios can help them gain a clear understanding of how this might apply in real life 5. Establishing a secure and safe environment where the child can freely express themselves, sharing made up songs or performing poems will enable them to learn through self discovery, safe in the knowledge that their parents are interested and supportive The Maynards Discovery Patch research reinforces parents’ belief that their role undoubtedly plays a vital part in their families lives. Their role as a facilitator allows them to provide their children with confidence and equip them with the ability to use their imagination, deal with unexpected events, discover new information and generate new ideas – all of which is becoming increasingly relevant in modern society.

Not always giving children the answers to everything they ask, instead, it is beneficial for children to try and think about their own answers, so parents should feel free to enable this to happen Spark a child’s imagination with joint story time – the parent can start Download the app for your iPhone, iPad or Android device. a story then it’s up to the child to continue it Using imaginative language. Phrases such as ‘I wonder what’ or Scan your pack and discover, learn and explore fun facts about ‘imagine if’ can help children think more imaginatively and Animals, Body Bits, Myths & Monsters and Mini Creatures. incorporate hypothetical or fantasy ideas into their every day lives, helping them to imagine what it might feel like to be in a certain situation and empathise http://www.maynardsdiscoverypatch.co.uk

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The Baby Buzz Travel Guide

The Baby Buzz Travel Guide We’ve had a busy month with two fabulous family holiday destinations. A trip down memory lane saw us visiting the Isle of Wight and then to the borders of Southampton to a beautiful village called Milford on Sea. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to revisit a place held with great fondness in my childhood memory and couldn’t wait to introduce my children to the wonders of the the Isle of Wight. the afternoon crossing serves a variety of hot meals, sandwiches and much more (I had the beef curry which was probably one of the nicest I’ve had in a long time!). Prices aren’t hideously expensive and you get a lot for your money. Food is prepared fresh in the kitchens on board. The boat was extremely clean and organised with clear instructions on boarding and exiting, and having never driven on and off a ferry before I had been a little apprehensive about this part of the journey. There is also a certain degree of flexibility as we discovered, having

Mum Nickie and children Mia, 13, and Lillie, 3.

: Woodside Beach Lodges, Ryde - Isle of Wight

The journey to the Isle of Wight is via ferry and can be accessed from Southampton (or Portsmouth and Lymington which are serviced by the Wight Link ferry company) with an approximate journey time of between 25 minutes (if going via the Red Funnel Jet HiSpeed Service) for foot passengers only, with prices starting from just £8.90 per person return (terms and conditions apply), and an hour if going with your car. Vehicle ferries run regularly around the clock, and is within easy reach of the M3, A3 and M27. Return ferry travel for a car and up to seven passengers starts from as little as £39.50 for a day return crossing or £49.50 for a short-break return crossing. Red Funnel are the original Isle of Wight ferry provider and they have just invested over £2.2 million in the

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refurbishment of the Red Falcon passenger and vehicle ferry to the Island, with two new lounges, a sun deck and new food and drink options. This was the only part of the trip that had me feeling a little nervous as previous experiences on a ferry had left me feeling and looking rather green!

The crossing was amazing and so arrived at the port smooth and we a little earlier than all enjoyed watching the planned and we other boats managed to get sailing past. onto an earlier There is much to ferry with a very offer on board minimal surcharge. from a well The journey home was just as easy and prepared dining we left feeling rested section, bars and seating aplenty! The and having had an food and beverages on incredible weekend. For offer are varied and cater for more information on Red Funnel everyone. The morning crossing offers or to book your trip, please visit: their signature breakfast (which was just delicious and almost every passenger had the www.redfunnel.co.uk same idea) or light snacks and cereals, whilst

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The Baby Buzz Travel Guide

We’ve had the privilege of reviewing other Hoseasons resorts so knew that where we would be visiting would be something special.

What I hadn’t expected was to fall in love with our destination. Whether it was the scorching weather, the beach front location, the wonders of the Isle of Wight or the hot tub outside of our french doors I just don’t know.

Brand new for 2014, Woodside Beach Lodges is a blissful haven of peace and tranquility nestling in a secluded beachside location between Cowes and Ryde and is just a short drive from the ferry port. Boasting a private beach and surrounded by the lush woodland, teeming wildlife and serene waters of a truly heavenly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this rural idyll unlocks unrivalled opportunities for romantic escapes and families seeking to get back to nature. Complementing the stunning setting next to picturesque Wootton Creek, each lodge hosts a high-end design that unites sumptuous bedding and contemporary luxury features – some with outdoor hot tubs – to maximise relaxation. Factor in red squirrels and this enchanting base will charm any lover of the great outdoors!

The park is secluded and at first a little hard to find, having an almost secluded location amongst the forest but it really is an amazing base for families to explore the island with most tourist attractions being no more than an hour away by car. Arriving at the park, we checked in with the reception who gave us the keys and pointed us in the right direction. The wow factor was very much apparent with everything taken care off from the board games and games consoles to entertain children to the most exquisite linens and luxury toiletries from The White Company. The accommodation screams high end luxury but at the same time has every necessity that you could need and if you require cots, high chairs or other baby essentials they can easily be provided (for an additional minimal fee). We used the opportunity to travel all over the Island and explore many of the attractions that I had seen as a child and we all loved being there, with my oldest daughter claiming she’d like to stay forever, a thought very much seconded by me.

Absolutely! As high end as this park may be, they highly recommend the park for families, with it’s proximity to the beautiful beach just a minutes walk away from your chalet to the children’s entertainment provided, this really is a great place to bring your children. We spent hours on the beach collecting shells and playing board games in the evening, whilst making the

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most of the local touristy things during the day. There are many shops very close to the park so you never have to worry about running our of daily essentials.

There is a large Tesco Extra 20 minutes or so away and lots of local shops should you wish to try anything home-grown. Hoseasons only recently took over and updated this park and they certainly didn’t disappoint, each location has been given the top specification treatment and you can be sure that whilst you are staying at one of their parks, you will love every minute!

For those not familiar with the Isle of Wight, there is an abundance of activities, historical sites and theme parks to keep everyone amused! I decided on visiting two of the most popular destinations on our short visit being Osborne House and The Needles at Alum Bay. The Needles is an incredible place to visit and is one of the first things you think about when visiting the Isle of Wight. With the iconic famous Needles Park, chair lift transporting guests from the cliff-top above Alum Bay down to the beach below. And giving you the chance to grab a bird’s eye view of the multi-coloured sand cliffs of Alum Bay and the stunning turquoise waters that stretch as far as the eye can see. We walked around sampling freshly made sweets in the factory and watching the

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glass blowers creating amazing pieces of glassware in the factory which was just incredible and then dared to brave the chair lift (considering that both myself and Mia are afraid of heights this was a rather odd thing to do).

We absolutely loved the journey down albeit we were both terrified with Mia having to go on her own chair and me having to carry Lillie - a lot of which I did with a deathly grip and my eyes shut at the highest points! One we had reached the bottom we decided to get off and walk back up the multitude of stairs, which when you have a three year old asking to be carried can be quite hard work! The day was just beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed making our own multicoloured sand bottles to keep as a treasured memory of our visit. There are many traditional rides and great value family attractions adding to the experience. Entry to the Needles Park is completely free of charge and you are best advised to buy tickets in advance to go on the rides as it works out at much better value.

After this we had the pleasure of visiting Dan’s Kitchen, which was easily the best restaurant we had visited in a long, long time. The appearance from outside looked like a high end cafe / restaurant with a pale blue nautical theme and as the weather was so glorious, they had opened all the doors making the restaurant completely open to the front. The restaurant was immaculate, organised and very inviting with diners of all ages seated for lunch. Once

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The Baby Buzz Travel Guide

you are inside, you know that you are in for something truly special. The owner and his wife run the restaurant with an incredible team supporting them. They had us seated in no time and gave us menu’s to look at.

Whilst they don’t have a children’s menu they do offer to make everything fresh that would be suitable for children and so Lillie asked for fish fingers (typical!).

What actually came were the most incredible home-made fish goujons with triplecooked chips and mashed peas. If she hadn’t eaten them so quickly, I probably would have eaten them for her! The flavours and texture were amazing and so, so tender. The main menu is nothing you would expect with so much variety all of which is local produce. I opted for the Quails egg salad with pickled vegetables and having never had Quails eggs before, I devoured the plate within minutes.

The taste sensation is something I’ve never had before and likely to have again, unless I go back for more! Our mains were what really blew us away with Mia ordering Sausages and Mash and whilst this may sound quite ordinary, they were anything but!

Locally sourced and freshly made they were exquisite whilst the mash potato was so smooth with an apple puree trim and a fabulous piece of crackling to the top.

The gravy was rich and you just knew it had been made with all the juices from the sausages (we ended up taking one home as it was just too good to leave!) My main course was also just magnificent being a Duo of Pork with a lemon and herb risotto. The risotto had a strong flavour and on its own would have been a little overpowering but coupled with the juiciest and most tender cuts of pork made the perfect combination.

We then tried to pick our desserts which proved very difficult when you want to order everything! Finally, and

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with much debate, we ended up ordering a Popcorn Crème Brulee with a rich ice-cream which tasted like butter tablets (much to Mia’s delight!) The pairing of popcorn and Crème Brulee may sound rather strange but works on every level and is extraordinary. It was my pudding that really sealed the meal and made me want to order two more! I had thinly sliced strawberries, shortbread and champagne jelly served with a vanilla cream and sorbet. If you decide on a visit to the Isle of Wight whether it be for the day or for longer then you HAVE to go to Dan’s Kitchen, it will be the highlight of your trip. We had the delight of also reviewing a traditional pub Awarded "Isle of Wight County Dining Pub of The Year 2014" by the Good Pub Guide. Enjoying a superb coastal location with un-equalled sea views over Bembridge Ledge on the Isle of Wight. The most sought after hostelry with a proven track record is popular with both locals and visitors alike, where the locally caught seafood can be enjoyed all year round. With a traditional intimate beamed interior and attractive patio areas it has all the ingredients for a relaxed and enjoyable experience. The menu is extremely varied and offers a good choice for children as well as adults.

As it was a particular hot day, we opted for something light. Lillie (ah the joys of being 3 years old) decided to for fish goujons again with triplecooked chips and peas.

The portion was quite big and she couldn’t quite work her way through all of it but what she did eat, she seemed to enjoy. The chips were delicious and nice and crispy. Mia chose her favourite dish of Mussels. Again, the flavours were good with her only niggle that a lot of the mussels were a little small, needl ess to say she ate them all and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had a prawn sandwich which came brimming to the edge with juicy plump prawns and a nice tangy sauce and the bread was thick and soft and it all came served with a small side salad and coleslaw. The pub is beautiful and full of character and the location is just incredible.

Parking is hard to come by due to its popularity but there is ample parking on the streets nearby.

The village is peaceful and beautiful and you could happily walk around it exploring little cafes and local places of interest. Should you want to stay at the Crab and Lobster then it also has five

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en-suite Bed and Breakfast Rooms and has been awarded 4 AA stars (free Wi-Fi is available).

Our last day was spent visiting Osborne House, which was the former home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. This was their private home as an escape from court life in London and Windsor. The house is just incredible with every detail being paid attention to. The intricate style Italianate style known as the ‘Osborne style’ was subsequently imitated throughout the British empire and is breathtaking. Walking through the house and seeing where Queen Victoria died was surreal and to see her private quarters that she shared intimate moments with Prince Albert was amazing, it really did make you think about how they must have lived day to day. The grounds are just out of this world and you can venture down through them to Swiss Cottage. In 1853 the royal Children laid the foundation stone of a timber Swiss cottage and was given to them on Queen Victoria’s birthday in 1854. You really can spend an entire day wondering around the grounds of Osborne House and all that the grounds have to offer but sadly we had to catch our ferry home.

All in all, we had an incredible weekend and didn’t want to come home. I would highly recommend it to families, couples or just a romantic getaway - just a brilliant experience.

Website: www.hoseasons.co.uk Tel: 0844 847 1356

Website: http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/ Tel: 0844 844 9988

Website: http://www.englishheritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/osborne/ Tel: 0870 333 1181

Website: http://www.theneedles.co.uk Tel: 0871 720 0022

Website: http://www.danskitcheniow.com/ Tel: 01983 872 303

Website: http://www.crabandlobsterinn.co.uk/ Tel: 01983 872244

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The Baby Buzz Travel Guide

The New Forest & Milford On Sea We were recently invited on a break with a difference and as much as my oldest daughter was looking forward to it, I was a little apprehensive, especially as it included physical activities (I’m not lazy but I tend to rely on my car a little too much) and I had my youngest with me who at just 3 I wasn’t sure she would particularly enjoy it. Our trip to the New Forest took a little longer than it normally would, due to three accidents en-route and so when we finally arrived 5 hours later, it was with a great sense of relief. We had been booked into the most gorgeous, quaint Bed and Breakfast in Milford-On-Sea called The Bay Trees. Prior to our arrival I had received an email from the owner Mark to give me more specific directions, advice on booking places to eat in advance and also activities in and around the area. As we had such a lengthy journey, Mark had been lovely enough to call us to make sure we were okay.

We were greeted with such a warm welcome and finally took in our surroundings. The Bay Trees is a stunning 17�� century Grade II listed building and was formerly a Poor House, Bank and Drapers Shop. It has been excellently refurbished with antique furnishings, a lot of which are from Mark and Sarah’s family. We were shown up to our room and given details on breakfast times and how everything worked and shown the en-suite bathroom which was astonishing. Being almost the same size as the overly large bedroom, it had a glistening double shower in the corner, beautiful claw foot bath to the side and an antique dresser with sink mounted, I really can’t do it enough justice in trying to describe it. We were also introduced to the resident pets Cleo the cat (17 years); Jasper the Spaniel (18 months) and George the Labrador (15 weeks) - yes we fell in love with them too! Breakfast in the mornings is an award winning affair with a choice of cereals (one of which made by Sarah and is beyond delicious - I forgot to ask for the recipe but that will be rectified) and fruit followed by either a full English, from which you could pick and chose your preferences. The property also boasts a beautifully developed garden where you can sit and enjoy the peace and quiet or have your breakfast, we also had a thoroughly enjoyable play with Jasper and George (the dogs). Although The Bay Trees isn’t presented as a place for families with children they are certainly welcoming and if there is availability they would be happy to welcome you as much as they did us.

The Bay Trees has three rooms available, all with King Size Double Beds (with one having a single bed in as well which is what we had and it provided more than ample space!) The charge is £100.00 per room per night for two people including Full Award Winning New Forest Breakfast. Due to the age and listing of the property, it is not wheelchair accessible but that can’t be helped unfortunately. Once we had settled in, Mark gave us directions to walk down to the beach, which was about a 5 minute walk away. Thanks to the glorious weather and the times we were able to enjoy the most incredible sunset whilst the girls made the most of the playground and collecting yet more shells!

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8 High Street, Milford on Sea, Hampshire, SO41 0QD http://www.baytreebedandbreakfast.co.uk/ 01590 642186 mark.clayson@btinternet.com

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The Baby Buzz Travel Guide

We were up and early on Saturday morning to head off on our first family activity break and having eaten a full breakfast (I know, not the smartest thing to do!) We drove to the New Forest Activities check point, parked up and prepared ourselves for our adventure. The New Forest Activities was set up by Rich Pearsall & Sam Sutton as Liquid Logistics in 2003 on Beaulieu River in the New Forest. The business expanded in 2009 to become New Forest Activities. There are a multitude of different activities that families, corporate groups and adults in general can take part in ranging from archery, kayaking, horse-riding, cycling, rope courses, battlefield live, canoeing and so, so much more. The activities are well planned out with maps for cycling routes depending on ability and each activity is clearly explained so you are crystal clear as to what you need to do.

As we had a relatively short stay, we decided to go with the cycling.

Now bear in mind that I haven’t ridden a bike in 20+ years and have the fitness levels of a newt and then to top this off I had to pull a 3 year old in a tag-along trailer on the hottest day we had had, oh my god - did I ache. I can’t even recall how many times I had to stop and ask Mia to wait whilst mummy got her breath back and the feelings in her legs had returned! Even though we picked the easiest of routes, it was incredible, and thoroughly enjoyed by us all. Lillie had a blast in the tag-along trailer, which I thought she might not be too keen on at first, squealing weeeeeee down most of the hills! I easily adjusted back into riding a bike, even with the attachment, I think it made it a little more sturdy. On the way back, when my legs could barely carry me, I switched onto Mia’s bike so she could do a little bit of the hard work on the journey back, not that she found it any harder - ah the joys of youth!

Half day and full day rental available Superb range of Giant and Saracen bikes on offer Tags alongs & trailers available on request Easy pick up and drop off in Beaulieu Village centre Limited free all day on-street parking on Beaulieu High Street Free trail with every bike hire

We stopped at various tourist points along the way and ended up in Bucklers Hard, which is an incredible step back in time where you can visit the Maritime Museum. The Buckler’s Hard Story gives an insight into the history of this 18th century shipbuilding village focusing on its vessels including those built for Nelson's Navy. You can also take a cruise from here which we decided against - wobbly legs and seasickness really isn’t a good combination! There are extensive places to visit within the New Forest that you just can’t get bored and you always find something to discover.

One of the funniest things we found was, because it is all so open, the animals i.e. cows and horses are literally walking, sleeping or eating alongside the road and we actually stopped and took pictures of cows waiting at a bus stop - I kid you not! I think the next time we go that we do it for a week to really enjoy all of the different things to do, it makes a wonderful experience especially for families who want to get their children out and about to enjoy nature at its best.

If you would like more information on what New Forest Activities has to offer, please visit: http://www.newforestactivities.co.uk/

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The Baby Buzz Travel Guide

So far it’s been a summer of mixed fortunes for national sport. But whether we find ourselves celebrating success or, all too often, coping with disappointment, it’s clear the nation needs a new breed of champions – and who knows? They may be sitting round your breakfast table.

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel near Sagres in the Western Algarve offers the perfect time, place, facilities and opportunity to find out. With availability through July and August there is no better time to get the kids active. It’s a stunning resort for a , and with banded by age groups, there’s something for children of every age. Fully trained and experienced staff members give lessons in , and throughout every week of the summer there are football and tennis tournaments – so boys and girls can take part in their own World Cups and Wimbledons.

Enjoy modern, luxurious, and open spaces with an ocean side pool (and four additional outdoor pools peppered throughout the property!) an open-air tennis court, al fresco restaurant, and endless beaches just waiting to be strolled upon. Every day promises a new discovery: from local foods (expertly prepared by the hotel chef) to hiking on deserted coastal paths and diving into the Algarve’s local culture.

“Some people have left booking holidays late because they wanted to see how England fared in the World Cup,” said Chitra Stern, Owner, Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel, “but whatever the reason, they choose us because they know everyone in the family is going to have a great time. In our beautiful surroundings there’s plenty to keep the children occupied – and with a little extra training and practice with our team, families may find themselves travelling home with future champions.”

Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel is a five star family resort set on a stunning property with boutique accommodation — from chic and airy hotel rooms to private villas — all designed to set the tone for the perfect escape.

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Baby Buzz ‘ Get Growing’ Challenge 2014

We are extremely privileged to be joined by Cbeebies Mr Bloom and renowned gardening consultant , Dawn Isaac for the Baby Buzz ‘Get Growing’ Guide for 2014!

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is such a great family activity that gets everyone involved and provides you with an edible end result - which gives you such a rewarding feeling!

Growing your own doesn’t have to be expensive and you can cultivate your own seeds if you do a little bit of research. Most vegetables will have seeds that you can keep, dry out and in turn sow when the time is right. Why not give it a go and send in your photos to feature in future issues and online. If you are a novice at growing you own , there are so many websites giving you tips and suggestions and if you visit Suttons website they have a Vegetable Garden Planner that suits all types of outdoor spaces from allotments to pots and gardens to grow bags. Why not get your school involved too? Suttons have a new online gardening store aimed at helping schools (primary and junior) to introduce the joy of gardening across the whole school community. To register your school or for more information, please visit: www.littlegreensprouts.co.uk

MONTH FIVE: A GROWTH SPURT! We have tomatoes, LOTS of tomatoes - some of which are turning red WHOOHOO!! The weather has been incredible with a few scorching days. My top tip from my professional brother is not to water the plants during the peak of the sunshine as this will cause them to burn, so try doing it first thing or once the sun has gone down a little. I can’t wait for all the tomatoes to start getting ripe, although it looks like perhaps one of my neighbours has been a little over zealous and picked one or two already!

Looking forward to tomatoes galore… www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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Baby Buzz ‘ Get Growing’ Challenge 2014

With summer holidays here, it's always useful to have a list of ideas to tempt the children away from their screens and out into the fresh air. Here are my own top ten ideas of things to do in July and August.

1. Turn an old strawberry pot into a 6. Brighten up an old tyre with acrylic paint, fill it with compost and then by planting a differlet the children add small plants, ent herb in each gap. You can use stones, sticks, moss and plastic toys acrylic paint pens to write the name to create of every herb by its side. outside.

2. Wrap some duct tape, sticky side 7. Using pinking shears, cut a circle of outward, around wrists before goold cloth the size of a dinner plate ing on a stroll. The children can then then let the children fill the centre collect different items to stick onto with their choice of garden herbs their such as such as lavender, thyme, sage or flowers, leaves, petals and seed rosemary leaves. Gather in all the heads. sides and secure with an elastic band or pretty ribbon and you have 3. Be water wise and when you've finto use in the bath or to a ished with the scent drawers. fill the children's watering cans so they can give thirsty plants a drink. 8. Cut out the children's names one letter at a time using very large piec4. Pick soft fruit such as strawberries es of cardboard. Lay these on the and raspberries and use them to lawn, weighed down with pebbles make a delicious and leave for a week. When they remove them, the children will see . their 5. If you're growing pumpkins, give the children a very shallow-nibbed old 9. Give the children a packet of chalk ballpoint pen and let them write and let them create a their names in the flesh of the fruit. on a terrace or path.

As it grows larger, so will their .

10. Drag the dressing up box outside so the kids can stage an

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Dawn Isaac is a garden designer, writer and mother of three. Her most recent book is 101 Things For Kids To Do Outside published by Kyle Books (RRP £14.99) and you can follow her blog about gardening with children at www.littegreenfingers.com.

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Food, Recipes & Reviews

This month we are doing things a little differently. Whilst I usually feature family friendly, baby & toddler recipes, I had the opportunity of attending a press launch for the Norwegian Seafood Council and their current collaboration with Morrisons. Salmon is one of those types of fish that is available at all times of the year and is probably one of the most reasonably priced fish you can buy, but weren’t you ever bored of having it prepared in one of two or three ways? We had the pleasure of meeting chef Signe Johansen and not only watched her prepare salmon entrees and mains dishes but got to sample them too! I can only tell you how delicious the dishes were and in fact attempted to recreate one of them the following day.

The recipes are so easy to follow and the taste sensations just blow you away! Often referred to as a superfood, Norwegian salmon is an oily fish, rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and vitamins A and D, which makes it a hugely popular addition to a heart and brain-healthy diet and a great choice for those looking for a lighter lunch or dinner this summer. Norway's cold, clear waters are home to an abundance of this favourite fish. If you

go into Morrisons, look for the NORGE logo on pre-packed Norwegian salmon in store through July and August 2014. As an added bonus, purchase four promotional stickered packs of Morrisons 'M' Norwegian Salmon, choosing from the varieties (440g 4 x salmon fillets [£6.50], 240g 2 x salmon fillets [£4 or 3 for £10] and 240g 2 x lightly smoked salmon fillets [£4 or 3 for £10]) to receive a free Signe Johansen cookbook, Scandilicious, Secrets of Scandinavian Cooking (terms and conditions apply and customers need to buy their packs of salmon on separate Chef Signe Johansen visits). Believe me, it will be extremely worth it, the ideas and recipe suggestions will just be so inspiring that you’ll never be fed up of eating Salmon.

Grilled Norwegian Salmon Skewers with Gremolata 4 barbecue skewers (preferably stainless steel) 700g Norwegian salmon fillet (without skin or bones) 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil Salt Pepper

1 bunch flat leaf parsley 1 clove of garlic 1 lemon for zesting

● First of all, if you are using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes in cold water so they do not burn during grilling. ● Meanwhile, make the gremolata. To do so; wash and pat the parsley dry. Tear off the leaves and chop finely. Chop the clove of garlic and then use a lemon zester to remove about 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

You can mix the ingredients together with a pestle and mortar or just use the back of a spoon. ● Rinse the Norwegian salmon fillet with cold water and pat dry. Cut salmon into large cubes and place on skewers.

Then brush with rapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. ● Grill or BBQ for approx. 3-4 minutes. (If it rains, you can pan-fry the skewers for 4 minutes.) ● Add the gremolata mix over the top of the salmon skewers or place in an accompanying side dish and serve.

Perfect for summer barbeques or casual dining, these delicious Norwegian Salmon skewers are light and succulent and can be ready in just 15 minutes.

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Food, Recipes & Reviews

Norwegian Salmon Burgers

Norwegian salmon and scallop skewers with tabbouleh

Serves 6 Burgers are always a summertime favourite and this is a great way to barbecue Norwegian salmon without it falling apart over the flames.

Serve these with pitta pockets and a fresh salad for a healthy BBQ alternative

800g Norwegian salmon, cut into bite-size chunks 500ml Greek yoghurt 1 tbsp of mustard 1 tbsp of horseradish sauce 2 anchovies Zest of 1 lemon 1 handful of breadcrumbs 2 tbsp of spring onion 1 tsp of capers 1 tsp chilli flakes or 1 small green chilli sliced Salt & pepper 1 bunch of dill, finely chopped 1 bunch of mint, finely chopped ½ cucumber, deseeded and shredded Pita breads

● In a blender process ¼ of the Norwegian salmon along with the mustard, horseradish, anchovies and lemon zest until it’s a smooth paste. ● Add the rest of the Norwegian salmon, along with the breadcrumbs, spring onion, capers and chilli. Season to taste. ● Pulse together until the mixture is even, but be careful not to over blend the mixture – the salmon flakes should still be about ½ cm in size. ● Shape the salmon into patties and chill for at least 30 minutes and no more than 3-4 hours. ● If barbecuing the burgers it’s easiest to control the cooking time by placing them in a barbecue flip ‘n’ easy basket so they can be turned at the same time. Alternatively, they can be grilled. ● Brush the oven or barbeque grill with a little oil to prevent the salmon burgers from sticking. Remember, get the embers going and wait until they go ash grey before barbecuing – avoiding an open flame is vital in order to avoid the salmon oil spitting and creating excessive smoke. ● Grill until golden brown on each side and serve while hot. ● Mix the Greek yoghurt with the herbs and cucumber and serve with the burger in the pitta breads. A salad is optional but makes a good palate cleanser for these delicious Norwegian salmon burgers.

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Serves 4 These salmon and scallop skewers make for an ideal party or BBQ dish and are great fun to make…and eat! The tabbouleh is a delicious salad made from bulgur wheat, parsley and tomatoes – a perfectly healthy accompaniment!

8 scallops (fresh or frozen) 400g Norwegian salmon (skinned and boned) 2 tablespoons chilli oil

2 cups bulgur wheat 2 spring onions 3 large tomatoes 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint Juice of 1 lemon 4 tablespoons olive oil Salt

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●

● ●

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Firstly, thaw out any frozen scallops.

Then start with the tabbouleh. Boil the bulgur wheat as per the instructions on the pack (some require boiling, others can just be soaked) and then drain.

Clean and chop the spring onions. Halve the tomatoes, remove the skin and cut the tomato flesh into small cubes. Mix the spring onions, tomatoes, parsley and mint into the bulgur wheat. Stir in lemon juice and oil and season with salt.

Cut the salmon into cubes that match the size of the scallops.

Thread the Norwegian salmon and scallop alternately on skewers.

Brush with chilli oil and grill the skewers for about one minute on each of the four sides.

Serve the skewers on a bed of the tabbouleh.

http://www.seafoodfromnorway.co.uk/Campaigns/Morrisonsfree-cookbook-campaign

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Food, Recipes & Reviews

Sizzling summer cooking with Andrea Lembke Britain is expecting its longest summer since 1910 with scorching temperatures staying around until September, but it seems it’s not just the forecasters expecting high heats. According to new research the British palate is longing for something hotter too! Mexican food is now one of the most popular cuisines in the UK, with fajitas featuring in the top ten. So why not join the fajita craze with taste developer Andrea Lembke, who’s serving up her favourite dish with a twist this summer with her favourite recipe for Tangy Chicken and Mango fajitas in this short video. The recipe is full of flavour, seasoning and spice and is a simple, sweet and scrumptious meal to enjoy with the family this summer. Join Andrea and serve up your own tasty fajitas using the recipe below and this short video http://youtu.be/eFUJwyTt_9M.

What you will need: -

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450g Boneless Chicken Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling 1 Medium Sized Red Onion 1 Green Pepper 1 Red Pepper 1 Yellow Pepper 1/2 Mango 1 Santa Maria Perfect Fajita Kit, includes 8 Soft Flour Tortillas, Santa Maria Salsa and Faijita Seasoning Mix Santa Maria Chipotle Paste

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3 Large Avocados 1 Large Lime 1 Large Ripe Tomato 1 Small Red Onion 1 Red & 1 Green Chilli (Optional) Handful of fresh Coriander Plant

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Coat the chicken in the oil and Fajita Seasoning Mix. Heat a heavy based frying pan until very hot and add the seasoned chicken, this should be fried for about 3 minutes or until well browned.

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For the guacamole, combine all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

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Chop the onion, peppers and mango and add into the pan, cook for a further 2 minutes or until the meat is cooked.

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Warm Tortillas in a separate pan.

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Serve with Salsa, Soured Cream, and Guacamole. Add some Green Jalapeños for an extra kick.

For more information, please visit http://www.santamariaworld.co.uk/

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News & Features

One of the biggest complaints you will hear from an expectant mum is that they can’t find anything nice to wear, that everything is too frumpy or boring and makes them feel and look ‘old’! Over the last year we have been introduced to a number of brands designed to dispel this myth, with their sole ambition to help all you pregnant mums look and feel beautiful. Whilst many of these brands have indeed catered for the exterior fashion, not many have thought about lingerie. We’ve had the pleasure of finding two or three companies now over the last 19 months that have done just that with one of the nicest we’ve seen in a long time being Cake Lingerie. Just because you are having a baby does not mean you need to sacrifice the desire to look sexy.

spoke to had the same complaint. I had no idea about the bra industry, but I did know there was a market for fashionable, comfortable but yet functional maternity bras. Having contacted and discussed the idea, with tons of women from all walks of life, I was convinced.

Learning about the product detail was key, which forced Cake Lingerie brings you delicious fabrics and indulgent details that give me to Fashion School. Whilst managing my home and young child, I spent you a taste of your individual self. Within the practical world of every spare minute researching manufacturing options. Eighteen months pregnancy and breastfeeding Cake Lingerie find the & 7 manufacturers later I finally found one who ‘feminine’ in you. Although you may be a mother, you Cake Lingerie are the proud winners of was capable of meeting with my stringent are a woman first and most women want to feel sexy, the prestigious inaugural UK Maternity product & quality expectation. I created Cake Brand of the Year Award, for premium Lingerie to empower pregnant and feel good and most importantly, look good! luxury and fit perfection. breastfeeding women! To make women look Each item has been innovatively engineered. From and feel great during this extraordinary period the flexible wire bras that mould perfectly to your changing body, to in our lives. I’m inspired and energised with every piece of feedback you technically constructed soft cups and seamless transition bras. Each piece send me. This drives me further to innovate and bring immense joy to is as intricately unique as the different stages of your changing body. women around the world.”

Going strong since 2008, Cake Lingerie embodies its sophisticated new Cake Lingerie is fast becoming recognised throughout the world with UK look. Strong but subtle, sensual yet familiar & indulgent yet practical! former Girls Aloud member Kimberley Walsh recently singing it’s praises in OK! Magazine; saying “Some maternity bras can look awful but I’ve “As a creative arts teacher, I never dreamt of discovered Cake Lingerie, which specialises in nursing and maternity having my own business let alone creating one underwear and some of their bras are nicer than the ones I currently from my personal need. I was 32 at the time, have in my drawer! They’ve managed to make them pretty and feminine based in London and about to have my first which I love, as usually maternity bras can be quite frumpy.” child. Used to having nice things and wearing quality, fashionable clothing, my search began We also had the opportunity of giving three of our readers the chance for maternity & nursing lingerie that was to review a selection of the range at the beginning of the year and all of feminine, stylish, comfortable, functional and fit them spoke highly about the look, feel, style and most importantly correctly. A non-event to say the least.. it did not practicality. We have been very fortunate that we have an amazing exist! My existing bras and nightwear no longer competition featured below for one lucky reader to win an Aqua Cotton fit and like most women, I wanted to buy some Candy set. For your chance to win, simply enter as per the instructions underwear, similar to what I was used to wearing before I was pregnant. below.

Why did I have to compromise? I was young, glowing and pregnant and For more information, or to see what other gorgeous lingerie they loving my curves. I searched high and low, on the web, in the high street have available, please visit: stores, called my friends in other countries. It became clearly evident that the product I was looking for was unavailable. It saddened me and http://www.cakelingerie.com/ made me more conscious about my body, and many other women I

"The Luxury Seamless Maternity/ Nursing Bra is silky soft & built for comfort. Its carefully positioned double-layered side sling, strength panels and T-back structure are designed to maximise lift and support. This bra is ideal during the initial stages of pregnancy, immediately post childbirth and as a sleep-bra, when your breasts are rapidly changing in size & shape. This bra will grow to accommodate your changing bust without restriction." www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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For your chance to win this beautiful Aqua Cotton Candy lingerie set, simply email me your answer to the following question to: info@babybuzzmagazine.com.

Q: How much does the Aqua Cotton Candy Bra retail for?

A: £29.90 B:

£39.90

C:

£49.90

Answers can be located on the website: http://www.cakelingerie.com/nursing-bras/seamless/aquacottoncandy-luxury-seamless-bra

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News & Features

GEOX, the luxury shoe and apparel brand, is putting the fun back into back to school shopping this summer.

Throughout August, GEOX #LittleSteps #BackToSchool ‘pop-up’ photo booths will be stationed within London stores to encourage a little frivolity for little ones whilst they prepare to go back to school.

buying their new #BackToSchool shoes.

The GEOX A/W’14 Junior range is packed full of shoes that are comfy and fun to wear whilst withstanding the daily adventures little ones encounter. The ‘Back To School’ range, available from July, features GEOX’s trademark breathable sole and includes stylish black lace patent brogues, ballerina pumps, loafers and Velcro sneakers.

From 11 August until 1 September, GEOX ‘classrooms’ are due to appear within the brand’s Marble Arch and High Street Kensington Stores, alongside dressing up boxes featuring replica teacher costumes and playful school items to encourage little ones to take their best #LittleSteps photo when

Throughout the activity all images will be posted on GEOX’s social media channels, and once it finishes the brand will select the top 5 best #LittleSteps #BackToSchool poses from each store. Consumers will then be asked to vote on who they think should be crowned GEOX’s best #LittleSteps poser, winning them a free pair of shoes!

Ensuring that little ones have fun whilst staying ahead in the style stakes as they prepare for the start of a new year, GEOX has everything you need this summer.

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Excitement

as Maisie’s A-maize-ing Maze reaches four foot!

After planting the seeds of her A-maizeing Maze last month, little Alina Maisie has been a-maize-d at how tall it has grown!

Two-year-old Alina Maisie helped Farmers Andrew and Anna plant the A-maize-ing Maze at Willows Activity Farm in St. Albans in preparation for Willows’ Summer Spectacular event, which kicks off from the 19�� July. The maze has already grown to around four foot, so is well on track to beating last summer’s record-setting six foot.

Farmer Andrew said “With the mixture of sun and a little rain we have had, we knew that the crop would grow quickly, but it really is a-maize-ing to think it was only a month ago that Alina Maisie was tending the shoots of the maize maze. It’s already taller than she is, and it looks like soon enough it will be taller than me!”

Alina Maisie, from Chesham, commented “It’s very tall!”

Children who enter the maize maze and successfully navigate its twists and turns will receive a free sticker, and if they find the six Willows’ friendly scarecrows on their way, they will be entered into a free prize draw to win £100 of Willows vouchers.

event which also offers acres of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Take a punt on the Goat Races as Vincent Van Goat tries to ‘bleat’ Billy No Mates to the finish line, and join in Willows’ special summer sports day races, with a certificate for every child who takes part.

As if that wasn’t enough, there is plenty of outdoor activities from Woolly’s Workout Agility Play Trail and Tristan the Runaway Tractor to amuse the kids.

Unexpected summer showers aren’t a problem either, as there are plenty of under cover play activities in Toddler Town, JCB Little Learners, Woolly Jumpers Indoor Play Barn and animal friends to feed in The Farmyard.

Willows Activity Farm is open daily and offers an all-inclusive price, so families can rest assured that they can enjoy a carefree day of fun. Summer Spectacular is at Willows Activity Farm from 19 July to 31 August 2014.

For more information visit: www.willowsactivityfarm.com or call 0870 129 9718.

Willows A-maize-ing Maze is the centrepiece of the Summer Spectacular www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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Every day, more than 700 children are born HIV 10% of the retail price of every aden + anais Special Edition Item will go to the Global positive. We can get that number near zero. Fund to fight AIDS. Sales from the following products translate into medical support Treatment exists that costs as little as 40 cents for mothers living with HIV: a day to prevent the transmission from motherto-child.

The aden + anais (RED) collection will help deliver an AIDS free generation with these special edition products: + classic swaddle 2- and 4-packs + classic snap bib 3-pack + classic burpy bib® 2-pack + classic dream blanket™ + musy 3-pack

about (RED) MISSION: (RED) is a simple idea that transforms our incredible collective power as consumers into a financial force for good. (RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands to create (RED) products and moments. HISTORY: (RED) was founded in 2006

by Bono and Bobby Shriver to engage the private sector in raising both awareness and funds to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

www.adenandanais.co.uk www.babybuzzmagazine.com

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News & Features

Hauck fun for Kids Celebrating Double Award Win Right Start Best Baby Essentials Awards 2014 The London Set Right Start Best baby Essential award Winner The London Set - the lightest stroller set from Hauck, pure fun on every ride. Comes with Carcocoon and Car seat and both can be used in the car. Benefits from reversible seat unit and suitable from birth onwards.

The London Set RRP £379.99 and available Argos, Tesco, Linens Ltd or click online www.hauckuk.com to find local stockist.

Hauck Varioguard car seat (groups 0+/I) Right Start Best Baby Essential Award Winner The Varioguard is an amazingly flexible car seat. It is pioneering in The wait is not over as Right Start will be announcing the official Gold, design and provides your child with the latest technology and the Silver and Bronze award winners at the Right Start Awards Event highest level of safety. The Varioguard is suitable from birth and will London October 2014. grow with your child. Hauck Varioguard RRP £199.99 Available Tesco, Argos, Asda, or click online www.hauckuk.com to find local stockist.

Hauck were delighted to hear the Award winning news. The Right Start Best Baby Essential awards team have been putting hundreds of items through their rigid testing programme and Hauck were up against some stiff competition this year. Sue Griffiths stated “The Varioguard car seat was a new concept and we have been working on the design for many years now, and it means a lot to us to know this is voted an award winner”. “Our London Set was designed to make life easier for parents today with its innovative design and offering parents a Carcocoon and Car Seat as part of the set which have both been passed to use safely in the car when travelling with baby”.

Newly launched this month, Blinx are are collectable soft rubber charms designed to easily slip on and off the arms of children’s spectacles, allowing them to be swapped and changed to suit their mood or outfit. They can be worn individually, as matching pairs, or mixed together to create a unique and colourful look. The soft plastic charms fit the majority of children’s spectacles and are available in an initial range of twenty colours and designs. Blinx are made of soft silicon rubber and fit approximately 85% of children's glasses. Priced at just £1.99 each, Blinx look set to become a key fashion collectable this summer. Blinx can also be used to slide onto our soft silicon Blinx Bands - adjustable wrist bands that allow you to coordinate your accessories.

For more information or to make a purchase, please visit: www.myblinx.co.uk

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Blinx – eyewear accessories for kids

Our research found that 22% of women used a Tens machine to help relieve the pain felt during labour. Of those, 28% said they found a Tens machine very effective, while 40% said it was fairly effective. Only one in 10 found using a Tens machine to be not at all effective in helping to manage the pain. Tens machines pass small electric pulses to your body via electrode pads attached to the back. It is not known exactly how a Tens machine helps to relieve pain, but it is thought that it ‘distracts’ the nerves which transmit pain. They can also boost the level of endorphins your body's natural painkillers - being produced. Our 2014 survey of mothers found that, of the women who used a Tens machine to relieve pain while giving birth, 37% bought their own, 30% hired one and 29% borrowed the machine from a friend. said: “The jury is still out on the medical effectiveness of Tens machines but most of the mothers we’ve spoken to found them a real benefit. To help you decide whether a Tens machine is right for you, speak to your midwife to get their professional opinion and details of recommended products.”

Which? has a Which? Birth Choice website that allows mothers-to-be to find out more about different types of birth, from water births to home births, as well as giving informative, impartial information on pain relief options. The site allows you to view hospital and birth centre statistics and facilities in your area and also details whether the locations you're looking at provide Tens machines. For more information, please visit: http://www.which.co.uk/

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Family Focus

Women not making a financial ‘Plan B’ A major new report by Aegon UK on how women aged 25 and over, and mothers of under 18 year olds in particular, are protecting the things most important to them, finds that despite around seven in 10 (71%) mothers seeing the financial security of their children as among the top priorities in their life, almost half (49%) have never discussed with their next of kin what would happen if they died.

This silence is serious, especially as 67% of women, and almost three in four (72%) mothers, now work to support their growing families, and seem to be underestimating their financial importance to the family unit. Aegon’s research reveals that nearly three in five (57%) women aged 25 and over don’t have any form of protection cover, and almost one in three (28%) of working women would need to rely on State support if they were unable to work for six months. Worryingly, more than half of women (55%) have no idea how much State support their family would receive if they fell ill, with most completely unprepared for the projected £21,100 annual income shortfall. When asked to think through the consequences of being out of work for six months, over one in four (27%) of working mothers surveyed admitted that heating the home would have to be given up, and 23% of those paying childcare would have to stop all paid childcare, as they’d have nobody to help them pay these bills. One in 20 (5%) working homeowners would consider selling their home to pay for general living costs.

Children are resoundingly the top priority for mums with children under 18. When asked what they considered to be priorities in their life, the health (94%), happiness (91%) and financial security (71%) of their children all came up as the most important. Yet currently, more than two in five (41%) don’t have any form of protection should they die or be rendered unable to work. For stay at home parents, only around one in 10 (9%) has critical illness protection, making them half as likely as mothers of children under 18 (20%) to have this vital cover. If those at home are unable to look after the kids, the potential added cost to the working parent would be £7,549 per year (the average fees for one child in part-time nursery and another in an after-school club). Despite this, when given £180 to spend on anything they liked, only two per cent of mums of children under 18 opted to spend it on a year’s life insurance at £15 a month. One in four (25%) would put the money toward a holiday, one in six would splurge at a restaurant (16%) and another one in six (15%) would treat themselves to a new outfit.

Despite two in five (40%) working women, or just over a third of mums (34%), claiming they’d rely on their savings to weather the financial storm if they were unable to work for six months, nearly one in three (30%) admits to having absolutely no savings whatsoever. A staggering seven in 10 (70%) claim they wouldn’t last six months living off their savings were something to disrupt their regular income, and only 13% say they’ve enough money saved away to survive for more than a year.

Almost one in three (28%) working women admit they’d need to rely heavily on State support if they were unable to work for six months.

Aegon’s research also found that more than half of all women (55%) have no idea how little this State support pays out, with one in four (25%) believing it to be more than £87.55 a week, and a further 30% admitting they just didn’t know. Against a woman’s average annual income of £23,589 a mother would face an annual pre-tax shortfall of £21,137.50.

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For two in five (41%) working women, an alternative recourse would be major cutbacks to their living expenses if they were unable to work for six months. Around two in three (69%) would give up on holidays, over half (55%) would cut down on shopping trips and nights out with friends (53%), and more than one in three (36%) would knock TV packages on the head. Worryingly, more than one in four (27%) working mothers with children under 18 admits that heating would have to be given up, and a further 14% would have to stop all paid childcare. Six months of not working is all it would take for one in 20 (5%) homeowners to consider selling their home to pay for general living costs.

Nearly half (49%) of mothers with children under 18 admit they’ve never had a single conversation with their next of kin about what would happen if they died. This is even higher for stay at home parents of which 58% haven’t spoken to those closest to them. This silence is perhaps one of the main reasons for the protection gap, but those women without protection cover also cite affordability (37%) as a key cause. Despite seeing their children’s financial security as a top priority, more than a quarter (26%) don’t see life or illness insurance as a priority, and more than one in 10 (12%) admit they’ve simply never considered it. Almost one in five (18%) also think that insurance providers can’t be trusted to pay out on their policies, despite the fact that insurers in the UK pay out 97% of claims (ABI, 2013).

“Whether it’s a reluctance to discuss the unimaginable, a feeling that protection isn’t affordable, or simply a lack of awareness about the services on offer, there are plenty of reasons why women aren’t insuring themselves for the benefit of their family. There’s a clear disconnect between the peace of mind of protecting our most pressing priorities and our behaviour as a consumer. At Aegon we want to see more women and their families protected from the worst hands that life can deal, and know we have our part to play in making these options both easier to understand and affordable. Aegon’s ambition is to get the UK ready for retirement. Being prepared for retirement is about more than saving - it’s also about protecting what you have and planning for all eventualities.”

“While women are increasingly in charge of family finances, they are falling behind when it comes to thinking about what would happen to their finances if they could not work or couldn’t take care of their children. I was struck by the fact that almost three quarters of mums say that the financial security of their children is a top priority, but one in three has no savings and four out of 10 have no protection cover. Preparing ahead for long-term illness, or worse, isn’t just about assessing how much savings you have or whether you should consider taking out a protection policy. It’s also about discussing who you‘d like to manage your finances for you if you’re unable to do so; who should look after your children if both you and your partner die and what arrangements need to be made after your death. Aegon’s report shows that half of mums with children under 18 haven’t talked about their death with their closest family. This type of conversation is never going to be easy, but talking about it and putting plans in place will ultimately make things a little easier for your family, should the worst happen. It’s too important for us to ignore.”

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For more information, please visit: http://www.aegon.com/ http://savvywoman.co.uk/

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