Absolutely Mama May 2019

Mama M AY 2 0 1 9 • I S S U E 2 8

FAMILY AFFAIR

The Magazine for Stylish Mums

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH YOUR PARTNER

NICE WHEELS Paloma Faith’s fashion-forward buggy designs

SPARK

JOY

HOW TO ACHIEVE A TIDY NURSERY

B ack to

NATU RE Simple, sweet and sustainable new looks

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THE MAGAZINE FOR ST YLISH MUMS 04/04/2019 16:03

bugaboo classic collection a true classic never goes out of style

The Bugaboo Bee5 Classic is available from June 2018 from Bugaboo.com The Bugaboo Bee5 Classic in Dark Navy is available from June 2018 exclusively at John Lewis & Bugaboo.com The Bugaboo Fox and Bugaboo Donkey2 Classics will be available from September 2018 from Bugaboo.com Š copyright Bugaboo International BV

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Maternity fashion for pregnancy & beyond

ENJOY 15% OFF* C O D E : FA B 1 5

SER APHINE.COM @S er aphineM ater n i t y

LONDON STORES 4 5 M a r y l e b o n e H i g h S t r e e t, W1U 179 K e n s i n g t o n H i g h S t r e e t, W8 10 2 N o r t h c o t e R o a d, S W11 LEEDS STORE 10/12 V i c t o r i a L e e d s , L S1

*Available online or in store when you spend over £80, until 31/10/19.

Full price items only. Excludes sale items, Luxe and gift cards.

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mama WELCOME

contents M AY 2 0 1 9

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AGENDA What’s On

26 True Faith

New Books

FASHION 36 Wild Flowers

Arts and entertainment for the month ahead

14

May’s best new releases

19

ESSENTIALS Tot Gear

Key kit to make parenting easier

MAMAHOOD 22 Insta-Mama

Leading yoga guru Hannah Barrett talks about her new book

28 Woman in Work ON THE COVER:

Louise Misha at smallable.com

Charlie Rosier and Fabienne O’Neill of Cuckooz Nest

Popstar and new mama Paloma Faith on her latest style collaboration

Be a free spirit in softly tailored summer dresses and playsuits in bohemian prints

44 Babes in the Wood

Get back to nature with simple styles in organic fabrics

WELLNESS 63 Eating Out with Kids Hit the high street without worry

64 Body MOT

Star treatments for a physical overhaul

HOME & INTERIORS 68 Nursery Notes We review the new Purflo Bedside Crib

70 Lets Get Minimal Tips for a zen space

RESOURCES 88 A Wider Outlook

Expert Melissa Hood on bringing a growth mindset to parenting

91

Hurry Nanny

Koru Kids on how to arrange for after-school care

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mama WELCOME FASHION NOTES P. 34

Editor’s

LETTER WE LOVE BOOKS P. 14

MINIMAL INTERIORS P. 70

C

o-working spaces are on the rise and more of them are waking up to the needs of a growing market of freelancing parents. I’m fascinated by these kinds of workarounds when it comes to the important but sometimes tricky business of childcare, and what it means for women in work. So often women have to choose between one or the other – being a stay-at-home mum or working full-time hours.

Cuckooz Nest offers parents a way to work while being close to their baby – and thus a way to feel connected both to their child and their professional life. It was therefore a huge pleasure to be able to talk to the company’s founders about why they set out to offer such a service.

Elsewhere, we chat to style queen and mama Paloma Faith about her foray into buggy design. In our Body MOT feature we’ve rounded up the treatments to consider if you’re looking for a physical refresh this spring; we also caught up with the founder of London’s Glasshouse Salon, Olivia Crighton, who gave us her tips on clean living. In our Resources section, Melissa Hood of the Parenting Practice sheds light on how to bring the best out in your kids – definitely one to tear out and stick on the fridge.

Enjoy the issue!

Hel en Ba r on E DITOR

POLKA DOT STYLES P. 42

@hel_bow helen.baron@zest-media.com

T h e M a g a z i n e Fo r S t y l i s h M u m s @ A B S O L U T E LY M A M A

absolutely-mama .co.uk Editor UK: HELEN BARON Contributing Editor: CARLY GLENDINNING Assistant Editor: FLORA THOMAS Social Media Editor: JESSICA SHALTOUT Specialist Manager: ZARINA KAPASI Marketing Manager: LUCIE PEARCE Art Director: PHIL COUZENS Senior Designer: PAWEL KUBA

Mid-weight Designer: REBECCA NOONAN Finance Director: JERRIE KOLECI Director: LEAH DAY Managing Director: SHERIF SHALTOUT

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May 2019

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10 things we Absolutely

LOV E The products and brands getting our attention this month

F LOW E R P OW E R

White Light

Kate Spade Kate Spade’s joyous spring campaign took actresses Julia Garner, Kiki Lane and Sadie Sink to upstate New York for a girls’ weekend away. The resulting pictures are colourful, fun and girlie. katespade.co.uk

Be lle Ch ia ra This brand focuses squarely on girls’ dresses and bathing suits, creating pieces that are at once delicate and striking, feminine and bold. The SS19 collection features both minimal and more fun and frilly styles. bellechiara.com

SKIN FOOD

E S PA The ‘tri-active advanced’ formula that underpins this high-end moisturiser employs pre- and probiotics to boost the biome – the skin’s first layer of defence against environmental nasties. Agedefying, skin-enhancing stuff. £85; espaskincare.com

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Ice Dream

L ick al ix Lickalix lollies have always been delicious, the lack of artificial nasties making them a good choice for families. But now they’ve switched to biodegradable packaging, they’re all but essential. Enjoy. lickalix.com

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ma m a LOVES

CUT & PRINT

Petit Bateau x Botter Petit Bateau’s collaboration with the winner of the Hyeres Design Festival’s new talent award sees Dutch brand Botter creating striking printed styles that explore the health of the sea and the problem of ocean plastic. petit-bateau.co.uk

FINE FABRIC

Manu el Canovas New from Manuel Canovas is Castillon, a textile design inspired by a suzani from Afghanistan. The all-over design of medallions and florals is embroidered on a linen ground in bold colours. manuelcanovas.com

Over The Rainbow

O yoy An abacus that’s as aesthetically pleasing as it is mathematically useful?

This rainbow model is crafted from wood painted in pretty pastel shades, and will make learning to count much more enjoyable. £45; bobbyrabbit.co.uk

Sea Legs

Ma m a s & Pa pa s Mamas and Papas’ SS19 collection runs away to sea, with clothing and accessories designed around nautical motifs and soft marine hues. Purchase ahoy! mamasandpapas.com

or’s Editick P

DRAWN IN

The Moomins New to the family of Moomin mugs are collections based on Ninny, the invisible child, and Moomintroll and the Martians.

Both stories centre on the power of caring and their messages are as positive as the illustrations are charming. shop.moomin.com

Little Chef

Ferm L iv ing Getting young ones interested in food by getting them involved in the kitchen can work a treat with fussy eaters. Kickstart a new culinary career with this cute apron featuring embroidered fruit motifs. £26; smallable.com

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Passionate about Play We believe childhood should be enjoyed to the full.

That’s why we’ve been making imaginative wooden toys, designed in Great Britain with a touch of French je ne sais quoi, since 1995. letoyvan.com

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Adventure time • CORNWALL •

Camel Creek Adventure Park has reopened in time for summer following extensive improvements.

The new wet’n’wild ride is sure to elicit squeals of delight upon impact-splash. camelcreek.co.uk

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W H AT ’S O N Shakespeare for littles, a literary festival and fresh air are on the agenda this May

Race Against Time 28 May Royal Albert Hall

The conductor of the orchestra is stuck in the future and we need to bring him back to the present day so he can guide the Orchestral Adventure... Using a special time machine, embark on a journey through the ages, enjoying the sights and seminal sounds of the past along the way. royalalberthall.com

we love

Baby

SHOW 17 - 19 May • Birmingham NEC

The biggest pregnancy and baby show returns to Birmingham this May. Over 200 trusted brands offer visitors the chance to test their products before buying. From buggies to bouncers, cribs to car seats and slings to sleep aids, listen to advice on the essentials from those who know.

Garden Party 27 - 31 May Horniman Museum and Gardens

Be whisked away to faraway places during the free storytelling sessions at the Horniman this month, or take part in half-term pond-dipping to explore what nature and wildlife live in the pond during late spring. horniman.ac.uk

thebabyshow.co.uk

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Wherefore Art Thou, Romeo?

4 May Little Lyric Theatre

The Rubbish Shakespeare Company are a nationally acclaimed, all-male, all-silly troupe of actors. Here, they present an hour of silliness, wigs and floppy swords. Enemies, balconies and… sausage rolls. Shakespeare’s epic tale of Romeo and (bearded) Juliet has been utterly rubbished in this utterly hilarious production.

Aimed at four to 11 year-olds. lyric.co.uk

EVENTS

COME TOGETHER As the weather perks up, it’s time to get out and about with the locals

G R E E NWI C H PAR K Royal Parks

With warmer weather here to stay, what better time to reintroduce yourself to your local green spaces. In Greenwich Park, a bespoke playground is nearing completion. Built on the themes of exploration and discovery, it offers creative play opportunities for children of all abilities in a natural, open setting. royalparks.org.uk

TAK E S A VI LL AG E Ongoing East Dulwich

A collaboration between local services, supporting the wellbeing of new parents? Yes, please. Takes A Village hosts a physical pop-up every Monday at Aneto Cafe in East Dulwich (think parents’ Pilates and sling workshops) but their online presence is 24/7.

BOOK WORM

takesavillage.co.uk

11 and 12 May Barnes

ondon’s largest children’s literature festival returns to the capital in May. It’s all about getting children excited about literature, literacy and creativity while giving them the tools to write their own futures. 2019 marks the fifth year of the festival, and looks set to be the best yet.

L

barneskidslitfest.org

SCULPTURE PARK

Ongoing Henry Moore Sculpture Park, Hertfordshire

here are countless reasons to visit the Henry Moore Sculpture Park. Having reopened for the season in April, it offers a stellar family day out. The open-air space provides welcome respite from the city; teamed with inspiring artwork, it’s a great day out.

T

M AK E A S PL A S H 13 - 19 May Nationwide

The annual Peppa Pig Muddy Puddle Walk is in aid of Save the Children, a charity which seeks to afford every child the chance to make their mark on the world. It’s a brilliant way for children to explore their surroundings and for families to get together. muddypuddlewalk.org

henry-moore.org

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We love

BOOKS May’s releases feature lessons in manners, compassion, kindness... and dinosaurs

Wo r d s F L O R A T H O M A S

FORGET ME NOT THE TIDE

By Clare Helen Welsh ,

Illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

Parents struggle to tackle tricky talking points with little ones, often avoiding them altogether. This story is all about family, with lyrical text and beautiful illustrations, it’s a compassionate book.

Perfect for children who have a loved one with dementia. £11.99  littletiger.co.uk

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MIND YOUR MANNERS W H E N A D R AG O N C O M E S T O S TAY

By Caryl Hart Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Will the dragon behave herself when she comes to stay? Will she share her toys, have good table manners, and skip happily upstairs at bath time? Well, not quite… Like many toddlers, this little dragon finds good manners a bit tricky. Luckily, she has some friends to help her. £11.99 nosycrow.com

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BOOKS

WORD PLAY A BARE BEAR

By Caz Hildebrand

Illustrated by Ashlea O’Neill

Meet a yak who can’t stop yackety-yacking, a hare with huge hair and a bear who’s… rather bare! This humorous introduction to homonyms and homophones boasts bright, contemporary illustrations.

Encouraging children to play with language helps them create connections and remember how malleable words can be. A joy to read aloud. £12.99 penguin.co.uk

CA R P E D I E M I T ’ S YO U R WO R L D N OW

By Barry Falls

CREATURE FEATURES D I N OSAU R S

By Natasha Durley

Each page of this playful book is bursting with unusual creatures with distinctive features – all drawn from the time of the dinosaurs. From long necks to terrific teeth and from tyrannosaurs to ancient turtles, this eclectic collection of species celebrates the diversity of dinosaurs and the animals they lived alongside. £10.99  templar.co.uk

A humorous celebration of the world and the potential of each and every child. Ideal for reading aloud, this book takes you on a ride of ups and downs, all the while reassuring children that their parents will always love them. “The world is magic, just like you!” £6.99  pavilionbooks.com

ON THE GO TH E SU ITCASE

By Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

When a strange-looking animal arrivals pulling a suitcase, the other animals are curious. What on earth could be inside?

A teacup? Maybe. A table and chair?

Perhaps. When the animals break into the suitcase, they begin to understand what the weary stranger has been through. A powerful and memorable way to introduce children to the idea of kindness and compassion. £11.99  nosycrow.com

A RT H I STO RY A H I S T O R Y O F A R T I N 2 1 C AT S

By Benji Davies

From the Old Masters to the Modernists, this illustrated guide to art movements throughout history is engaging and informative. It will appeal to art enthusiasts and catlovers alike, and it’s the kind of book you’ll never want to put away. £12.99  mombooks.com May 2019

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Baby care the natural way

JOIN US AT

Padsicle Blend showcasing at This Morning Live

Claim a discounted ticket using code BabyopathyLTD2019 How to claim • Visit theticketfactory.com/thismorninglive/online • Select your day & choose Silver Ticket • Enter the code above on the next page

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Pillow Talk • K ALLY SLEEP•

A pregnancy pillow that’s also of interest to any side-sleeper suffering from poor quality rest, the Kally Pillow ensures healthy alignment of the body at night – and its breathable, mouldable form is a great soother for expectant mamas with a growing bump to support. £49.99; kallysleep.com

May 2019

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reso urces

TOT GE AR

ent d r a p rove app

GOT MILK LOEWENZAHN ORGANIC S

If you’re using formula milk, why not go organic? This brand makes a range of certified organic formulas with added prebiotics and omega 3 and 6 oils – so you can rest assured baby is getting what she needs. loewenzahnorganics.co.uk

HAT-TRICK MICRALITE

TOT GEAR

Inspired kit to make parenting easier

This clever cot is really three life-savers in one: a super-light yet comfy travel bassinet for newborns, a classic travel cot with easy-fold mechanism for kids up to two, and a portable playpen with a zip-down side. Time to get mobile! £175; micralite.com

JUST RIGHT THERMAPEN

Take the guesswork out of cooling or heating baby’s milk, mush or first proper meals with this handy and easy to use food thermometer. It takes accurate measurements quickly and is super convenient. £39.99; thermapen.co.uk

H I LTON N U R SI NG CHAIR Reviewed by Violet Glenton of the Mamas & Papas Parent Approved Panel

T

he Mamas & Papas Hilton Nursing Chair has been a wonderful addition to our bedroom. My boy Jasper absolutely loves books – I know, what a great thing to become obsessed with!

Give him the option of a colourful toy or a book and he’ll (more often than not) reach over for the paper. It definitely came as a surprise as Joe and I are not big readers in the slightest. However, I figured that if he loves to read, we should make him a cosy spot for it. With its modern design and plush fabric, the Hilton Nursing Chair provides the perfect place for us to read Jasper’s favourite books.

The chair is available in several colours, but we opted for silver. I’ve added a couple of cushions and a blanket for comfort, which allow us to really snuggle up of a night-time. What’s best is it doubles up as a chair for my bedroom. I sit on it when writing up my blog posts and occasionally, yes, it becomes a clotheshorse… not very chic, but we’re all friends here.

I’m cherishing the little cuddles we enjoy in our chair. Mamas and Papas have helped us create our own little reading hideaway and I’m now starting to look forward to bedtime with Jasper. £499; mamasandpapas.com @violetglenton

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The International Hip Dysplasia Institute acknowledges this baby carrier as a hip healthy product.

Keep them close Introducing You can’t hold your baby all the time. Even though you may want to.

CUDL™ makes it easy to keep baby close and secure, all while keeping your hands free. It’s comfortable and customisable with mesh fabric, padded shoulder straps and waist belt and the magnetic buckles ensure an easy and secure attachment.

Keep baby facing in and snuggled up starting with an integrated infant booster for newborns, which then easily unzips as your child grows. As baby wants to explore the world, have them face out (up to 18 months) or switch to backpack mode (up to 36 months) for growing toddlers.

Find out more at nuna.eu

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Star Power • PALOMA FAITH FOR COSATTO •

Cosatto has teamed up with Paloma Faith for a collection that reflects the pop musician’s vibrant personal style.

Two different prams are available, each based on a tried and tested Cosatto model. We love the embroidered tiger design, which features a million stitches and is sure to elicit admiration when you take to the streets. paloma-faith.cosatto.com

May 2019

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“Our breath is such a powerful tool and can have a huge effect on both physical and emotional health”

Q How did you get into yoga?

A I actually started by taking yoga classes at a gym I used to go to. I would go to a class every few weeks and always be shocked at how hard I found it to hold the poses given how much I worked on strength at the gym.

However, it wasn’t until I was pregnant with my son that my yoga love affair began.

At the time, I had a stressful job in finance with long hours and I wanted a way to reduce my anxiety. Through finding an incredible pregnancy yoga teacher and starting a daily self-practice, I started to see the amazing benefits of yoga taking effect. The inner strength I found was addictive. The mindfulness that yoga teaches helped me to shift my outlook on life, making me calmer, happier and healthier. And it made me sweat and work harder than I had in the gym!

INSTA M AMA We meet yoga influencer and mama-of-two Hannah Barrett

yogagirllondon.com @yoga_girl_london

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Q How did you know it was something you wanted to teach?

A Yoga had such a positive impact on my pregnancy, birth and in motherhood that I knew I wanted to share its incredible benefits with as many people as possible. I ended up taking a year-long teacher training course so I could fit it in around my family. Lots of the girls on the training were just there to learn more and didn’t intend to become teachers.

Funnily enough, I think pretty much all of us are teaching now, as the more you learn the more you want to share, spreading the joy to others and helping them make the same positive changes in their lives.

Q How has yoga helped you on your motherhood journey?

A Being a mother can be tough. My second baby was born in the summer of 2017, and her birth and start to life were very traumatic. I was 35 weeks pregnant and suffered a partial placental abruption. At one point I honestly thought I had lost her. The first week of her

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mama h ood Q & A

life was terrifying - her lungs didn’t work properly, she had sepsis, jaundice and was being fed through a tube. I don’t think you can ever be prepared for having a child in intensive care, and I was hit with postnatal depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Alongside therapy, the breathing techniques, meditation and physical practice of yoga gave me an outlet to cope and feel strong again in both my mind and body.

Our breath is such a powerful tool and can have a huge effect on both physical and emotional health. Studies have shown that breathing techniques can reduce stress, help depression and help improve sleep and overall wellbeing. The breathing techniques I have learned through yoga have been invaluable during times of stress, worry and sleeplessness. Focusing on the breath helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest system), keeps you anchored in the present moment and can bring a sense of calm and balance to both the mind and body.

Mindfulness has also been an invaluable tool in motherhood. It involves cultivating a presentmoment awareness that has no judgement. In today’s world, we are a society under stress.

Technology is everywhere, we are overloaded with information and many of us struggle to create balance in our lives. Throw a new

baby into the mix and life can be more than overwhelming. I try and practice daily even if it’s something simple like a mindful walk in nature, taking in the sounds, smells and sights, trying to stay in the present moment.

Q Why do you think you’ve amassed such a big social media following?

A This is a question I get asked a lot and to be honest I’m kind of blown away by it and don’t really know! I’ve tried to stay honest on my page and share the information that’s helped get me to where I am today. I truly believe in making yoga accessible to all.

Yoga doesn’t have to look a certain way or include a hollow back handstand, for me it’s about teaching people the basics and going from there. Maybe one day that leads my students to walk on their hands but the point is it doesn’t matter. Yoga has changed my life for the better and my aim is to help and inspire others to find the same strength and happiness.

Q Tell us about your new e-book, ‘Strength Through Yoga’.

A After the birth of my son I found the postnatal exercise advice confusing and sparse. I wasn’t clear on what you could and couldn’t do, how long you had to wait after

birth to begin exercising and what warning signs you should watch for. I ended up worsening my diastasis recti and injuring my rotator cuff. This inspired me to do my own research to understand the changes in my body, and to help other new mums exercise safely post birth.

I teamed up with an incredible physiotherapist, Finola Burrell, to write Strength Through Yoga, a postnatal e-guide that ensures a safe and effective journey to restoring strength, and to support you in both body and mind. It’s a 16-week programme that’s evidence based, co-written by a physiotherapist and has been reviewed by medical professionals (including the amazing GP from TV’s This Morning, Dr Zoe Williams, who is a close friend of mine).

The e-book includes six weeks of physiotherapy-based exercises followed by ten weeks of yoga-inspired circuits designed to increase full body strength and flexibility in just 25-30 minutes, three times a week. It’s what I used to regain my strength safely after having my second baby!

Additionally, we’ve included information and advice on the core and other essential muscles, mindfulness and meditation techniques, as well as common postpartum issues – shedding some light on issues which can be hard to talk about and giving you information on what you can do to help. If you take one thing away from our e-book, know that you are not alone and help is out there.

Motherhood can feel extremely lonely but we are here to help explain the changes to your body in an easy to understand way, and to support you in feeling your strongest self.

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“Nursery prices have risen 18% in 2018 alone and are rising 3x that of wages”

CHARLIE ROSIER AND FABIENNE O’NEILL

woman in

WORK Charlie Rosier and Fabienne O’Neill on creating a co-working space with a creche Inter view HELEN BARON

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Q What gave you the idea to set up a work space with an on-site creche?

A The idea for Cuckooz Nest came from first-hand experience when I had my little girl and realised just how expensive childcare is in London. Nursery prices have risen 18% in 2018 alone; and are rising 3x that of wages. The other issue I found when returning to work, was a lack of flexibility in the current system and an unwillingness of most nurseries to take children under the age of 6 months. After speaking to friends, many of whom are freelance or self-employed we realised there was a real need for flexible, affordable childcare in the city and combining it with work space made sense as it allows the parent to be close to their child, really engage in their child’s day

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and continue breastfeeding if they so wish.

Q What’s been the most challenging aspect of building the business so far?

A The most challenging aspect has been getting to grips with running a flexible nursery that is also Ofsted registered. It has also been harder than expected to find good quality staff – thankfully we have an amazing team at Cuckooz Nest, but I think this is another area within the childcare sector that needs addressing.

Q What skills do you bring from your previous experience?

A My background is property, so has been useful in terms of accessing buildings and managing the planning regulatory system.

Fabienne comes from the world of media, sales and marketing, more recently she was working in Australia on events around the Future of Work. This experience has been invaluable in terms of understanding the future office occupier and what is happening in the next 5-10 years within the office space. We are joined by an amazing Head of Workspace who has great operational experience in running coworking spaces and an amazing Nursery Manager who understands the complexities of Ofsted.

Between us we have this concept nailed.

Q&A

Q Do you think initiatives like this are one answer to more affordable childcare, especially in London?

A I think this is one solution. When we talk about Cuckooz Nest being affordable, what we are referring to is the fact that you only pay for what you use. There is no minimum commitment, you can use as little as two hours one week, and 50 hours the next.

It allows you to scale your childcare up or down depending on your needs. It also allows you to take time out, go on holiday for example and not be penalised. I think this is important in those early years when the bond between parent and child is so important.

Going forward we want to see big businesses support their employees with subsidised child care, to help more mothers get back to work.

Q What’s the feedback from your subscribers? And what’s next for the company?

A We are so lucky to be doing something that is making a difference to people’s lives – not many

“You only pay for what you use.

There is no minimum commitment, you can use as little as two hours a week”

companies can say that! The feedback from members is amazing, they all love the concept and speak very highly of our team.

Furthermore we are seeing people use us more and more, as the trust grows and they see how their little ones are thriving. What’s next? We are opening our second, much bigger site in London later this year where we will be able to look after children up to the age of 5 years. We are having some great conversations with companies both in the private and public sector about supporting their working parents and we hope to grow this business across London and the UK. cuckooznest.co.uk @cuckooznestldn May 2019

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mamah o o d INTERVIEW

W I L D R I D E

Singer, presenter, actress and mother Paloma Faith on her collaboration with Cosatto

W o r d s C A R LY G L E N D I N N I N G Photography ELLIOT MORGAN

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hen we speak to Paloma Faith, she is in a taxi rushing home to Hackney to see her partner Leyman Lahcine and their twoyear-old. Her career is as busy as ever. The rerelease of her fourth full album The Architect reached No. 1 in the British pop charts at the end of last year, and this year will see her play villainess Bet Sykes in the Batman prequel series Pennyworth. But family life is her number one focus, which is why her new collection of prams designed in collaboration with Cosatto feels like a natural fit...

Q Hello Paloma, firstly, could you tell us a little bit about what drew you to Cosatto as a brand and what made you want to design a pram collection?

A I was drawn to Cosatto because they stand for what I’m about. When I first had my child I thought everything that was available was very boring and it was all very grown-up and one of the things I don’t want to do is that, ever! I didn’t want to lose myself or become someone else for my child and nothing out there made me feel empowered or connected

with. I just wanted to make a buggy that felt a bit more personal.

Q How did you work together to create the collection, what was the process like and was it fun seeing your designs come to life?

A Initially, I had four main ideas and I sent them visual moodboards, which they took and transferred into a CAD on their existing models to see what they looked like. And then we went backwards and forwards for a while to make sure the details were right and tried lots of different variations. For example, I wanted gold trims not silver and then I even thought that my name was written in too many places, so I took it off! I was like ‘it looks too much like my merchandise’! So we tried to make that more subtle. They were so sweet, it was just an easy collaboration.

Q There’s a real opulence to the collection and I love the leopard print and ancient orient influences. What drew you to those particular inspirations?

A I wear leopard print like most people wear black. It goes with everything and it’s versatile and you can wear anything with it and it looks good. And then for the other design, I’m really into ‘70s, bohemian style.

I’m drawn to people like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix and I really love people who are referencing that at the moment like Gucci, MSGM and Mulberry. It feels very like the zeitgeist and there’s a timelessness about it – it’s what I represent really, I’m a vintageloving contemporary person.

Q A pram is such an investment buy, was it important to you to create something that felt luxurious? And what makes the collection really special?

A I think it’s about a shared experience between you and your child and I really wanted my child to have something nice to look at because they spend a lot of time in there. I also wanted to empower mothers to

“When I first had my child I thought everything available was very boring and grown-up” May 2019

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Handcrafted nursery furniture that becomes part of the family Handcrafted nursery furniture that becomes part of the family

To mark the launch of TeddyOne, 200 sets of limited edition pieces come with a 10 per cent discount, complete with free White Glove delivery service.

Five of these come with a unique golden TeddyOne Bear – find one in To mark the launch of TeddyOne, 200 sets of limited edition pieces come your cot bed and you’ll receive your money back. with a 10 per cent discount, complete with free White Glove delivery service.

Five of these come with a unique golden TeddyOne Bear – find one in WWW.TEDDYONE.UK your cot bed and you’ll receive your money back.

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05/03/2019 06/02/2018 11:58 15:47

mamah o o d INTERVIEW

Q You’ve done so many amazing things in your career, from music to acting and presenting. What do you love most about what you do?

A The highlight of my career at this point is playing live shows, just meeting the people who like my music and interacting with them.

make them feel a bit special. Because I think sometimes when you are devoting yourself and your body to first of all growing this person and then feeding them (and then I had some postpartum problems), you can feel a bit like you’ve lost who you are. A lot of the neutral stuff made me feel like I was apologising or trying to fade into the beige world that we live in and I’ve never been a beige person! And I’m not really a practical persona either, I just want to be glamorous and fun and celebrate life! Having said that, it’s a good combination as it is a very practical pram and Cosatto really pride themselves on that.

Q The designs really feel like they capture your personal style. Do you think the way you dress changed at all when you became a mother?

A I just had to get bigger clothes really! I do wear lower shoes now than I ever did before.

I feel like my feet got bigger and they never went back to the size they were! If I wear my favourite heels, I just have to make sure I’m sitting down for most of the evening!

Q You’re such a strong voice for female empowerment and you’ve been very honest about how difficult motherhood can sometimes be (when often people don’t speak out about it). What are the things that have surprised you most about becoming a mum?

A I think it’s funny how people say your life changes irreversibly, in a way that sounds scary. But in reality when it happens you really welcome it. I’m really happy not to go out late and instead get up early and play

“It’s like the biggest love ever and now I only want to be with my kid. Everything else feels like, ‘Okay, are we finished?’” with my child. I feel like my life is fuller in a way because of it, I’m not wasting days with a hangover in bed anymore! The things that surprised me were like how close to death you can feel when you’ve not slept and I don’t understand why people don’t say that can actually make you feel a bit mentally ill. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with admitting that.

Q Any highs, lows or funny stories?

A For me, the lowest point was post-birth, because I felt like I had all these ideas about how energetic and brilliant I wanted to be.

The birth rendered me a bit out of action for quite a long time (nearly three months) because I had so many complications and infections and I was ill and I felt really sad because I wasn’t able to be the mother that I wanted to be. But then the high is just everything after my child turned one – it’s like the biggest love ever and now I only want to be with my kid. Everything else, even work, feels like ‘okay, are we finished?’, so I can go home! Funny stories… it’s definitely grounding looking after a person that has no bowel control! Every day seems funny now because I have two-year-old.

Q How are you managing to juggle family life and work life?

A I’m really lucky because my partner does the childcare. I feel like he knows that without me working, we’re not supported financially.

It’s really good for my happiness and my child to see me as a role model. I make sure as well that I have two days off a week to be with my kid. And when and where possible I try to get home at 5.30pm or 6pm so I can spend a couple of hours with them before bedtime.

Q And finally, what would be your perfect way to spend a day out and about with your Cosatto pram?

A We really like the outdoors, because I think it’s really good for children – it’s all about uncomplicated things at this age. I also really like the people that I did the launch event with.

They’re called Disco Loco, it’s a children’s afternoon club with a DJ and it’s got a fullystocked bar for the parents, which is great!

C O S AT T O Special Edition Giggle Hear Us Roar, £599.95 Wow Anarchy in the Nursery, £999.95 cosatto.com May 2019

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mamah ood COLUMN

“Needless to say, Seb didn’t crawl. He just sat for 13 months then suddenly got up and walked”

real mum talk...

Telling it Like it is Let’s talk about the pressure of developmental stages

I

don’t know about you, but as a first-time mama I frantically read books about babies, what they should be doing and when, what I should be doing and when and how I could encourage Seb to do the things he was ‘supposed’ to be doing at the right time.

For the first few months as a new parent you’re in a perpetual state of exhaustion and any ‘advice’ is gladly received, although hindsight is of course a wonderful thing. We put ourselves under so much pressure as parents. I remember so many NCT coffee conversations with the girls in the early days, a thinly veiled slightly competitive tone always lurking behind the smiles. ‘Has he lifted his head yet? Is Matilda rolling over? Leo is running, how is Seb getting on?’ We were all desperate for our children to

do whatever the others in the group were doing.

I stupidly felt if Seb wasn’t doing something other babies were, at the same time, then it was somehow my fault. Seb hated tummy-time, absolutely hated it. I’m entirely convinced the only reason he learned to roll over was in order to avoid having to do tummy-time. Everyone else’s babies were spending at least the suggested 30 minutes on their fronts, but Sebby would cry on his front and was infinitely happier on his back. I knew tummy-time was important for crawling, so I tried, making us both miserable. My ex tried even harder and for far longer than me, frantically moving Seb’s back legs for him in an attempt to encourage crawling.

Looking back there was something almost comical about the battle of

wills. Needless to say he didn’t crawl.

He just sat for 13 months while other babies were causing havoc on the stairs and with bookshelves, then inevitably he suddenly just got up and walked. He’s never looked back and at soft play he happily tears through the other toddlers like a ball through skittles. There’s no stopping him now; occasionally when I’m exhausted I wish there was.

Where Sebby was a little later walking than some friends’ children, he started talking very early and friends whose children hadn’t got anxious in the same way I had. What had I done to encourage speech?

What should they be doing? It’s just ridiculous that we are conditioned to compare what our children can do, when. It’s hard enough ensuring they’re smiling, clothed, fed and watered at times, let alone worrying about what they will do naturally, given time. I promise they will all eventually be talking, walking and out of nappies! I have spent today teaching thirty Year 1 children, all aged six, at a primary school. Needless to say all of these children are at roughly the same developmental stage. They’re all chattering away, running in the playground and they all have their own unique talents and interests. None of them are exactly the same, some find certain things easier than others, but we as adults are the same. We need to try and take pressure off ourselves as parents, not pile it on. Next time you’re worrying, look at your beautiful tiny and be in awe that you created them and that they’re healthy. And if they’re not crawling yet, enjoy the peace!

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Dream Team • LA COQUETA X SABINE GETT Y•

The super refined children’s clothing brand has teamed up with jewellery designer of the moment Sabine Getty (and her daughter Gene, pictured) for a capsule that offers bright, primary colour-embellished riffs on traditional classics. Crisp as a spring day. lacoquetakids.com

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ST Y L E NOTES

The month’s best styles, collaborations and collections

SIMPLE THINGS BOOB DESIGN

Expectant mamas, don’t smother yourself in oversize maternitywear this spring and summer. Boob Design do a fine line in lightweight dresses that will make you feel young, fun and on point while ensuring comfort.

we love

Misty dress in poppy print, £84.99; boobdesign.com

SHEAR LUXE C H AO S

We love this: a luxe accessories range designed by two stylists, blending the brash inventiveness of street style with the elevated fabrications of the runway. A young brand destined for very big things.

Shearling clutch, £550, and leather iPhone & card holder, £290; shop.chaos.club

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Secret Garden BOBO CHOSES

The Spanish brand’s SS19 womenswear collection features all their style trademarks in dazzling effect: faux-naif illustrated prints, vintage-inspired shapes and a general air of artsy nonchalance. We’re into it. bobochoses.com

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Trend Alert M I N T V E LV E T

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nd Bra us Foc

Specialising in zeitgeist-surfing yet timeless designs, Mint Velvet’s SS19 collection is the perfect place to start a seasonal wardrobe refresh. You can even browse the range by trend – meaning all their boyfriend/animal print/occasionwear styles (and they’re just a few of the filters available) can be viewed at the click of a button. mintvelvet.co.uk

Shape Up Architect and jeweller Malaika Carr on the interaction between buildings and bling

SHINE ON M OT H E R O F DAU G H T E R S X R AC H E L JAC K S O N LO N D O N

Blogger and influencer Clemmie Hooper’s collaboration with Rachel Jackson London is a cute jewellery line offering a contemporary update on classic charm necklaces and bracelets.

Ideal gifts and a memorable way to mark a mother-child bond.

Q How did you start incorporating architectural elements into jewellery?

A Having studied architecture, I feel my mind has been trained to see things in a particular way. I tend to see buildings as a puzzle, a series of components that can be broken down. I extract these components and start forming shapes.

I rotate, dissect and adapt these elements until they start to look like something that can be worn.

racheljacksonlondon.com

Q What is it about architect Ricardo Bofill’s work that translates to jewellery?

A I discovered Bofill’s building Walden 7 on a trip to Barcelona and was amazed by the volume of the building, the intimate balconies, imaginative use of colour, materials and sculptural forms. I instantly saw shapes that I started sketching which later translated to the collection Shaped Objects. I was heavily influenced by curves, vertical lines in the tiles and colour palette.

5 of t he b e st LIN E N L OVE NUMERO 74 Nina long dress, £75; smallable.com

THEORY Linen camisole, £235; net-a-porter.com

MASSCOB Morant blouse in peach, £203; smallable.com

MASSCOB Holbox dress in blue, £289; smallable.com

Q Can you describe your brand’s signature style?

A Chalk is known for bright, bold statement pieces that elevate a look.

I like to think Chalk is unique, eclectic and contemporary. thechalkhouse.com

LISA MARIE FERNANDEZ Diana belted linen playsuit, £635; net-a-porter.com

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WILD FLOWER Be a free spirit this season in softly tailored summer dresses and playsuits in bohemian print l o u i s e m i s h a .c o m

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kid s

FA S H I O N NOTES Carly Glendinning rounds up the month’s best styles, looks and launches

D OT D OT D OT MILK & BISCUITS

we love

This season, Anglo-Chinese brand Milk & Biscuits took inspiration from the instantly recognisable work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Graphic polka dot prints, picnic ginghams, oversized ruffles and high-tech sportswear come together in a collection that feels fresh and playful. milkandbiscuits.com

PRINTS PERFECT E M I L E E T I DA

It’s hard not to fall in love with the French charm of family-run brand Emile et Ida. Expect super-sweet ginghams, ditsy Liberty florals and chevron stripes for SS19 – made to be worn strolling around the pretty cobbled streets of Paris. alexandalexa.com

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Who Dares Wins MINI RODINI Inspired by myths like the Bermuda Triangle and Jules Verne’s novel The Mysterious Island, the new collection from Mini Rodini is as playful as ever. We’re excited that the sustainable brand is launching its first London store this season in Notting Hill’s Westbourne Grove. minirodini.com

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Wool Weather

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nd Bra us Foc

FUB

Known for their cosy winter knitwear, Danish brand FUB has introduced a range of wool pieces to its summer collection – for the first time. The fabric naturally keeps little ones warm on rainy days and cool in warmer weather. fub.dk

Wander and Wonder

M A K I N G WAV E S

This Hong Kong-based brand celebrates diversity

PIUPIUCHICK

Portuguese brand Piupiuchick travelled to Nazaré, an old fishing village on the Atlantic coast, to find inspiration this summer. The collection, which includes a new surf range, is all about relaxed shapes, breathable fabrics and happy sunshine hues.

F

piupiuchick.com

5 of t he b e st SE EI N G S P OTS TATAMI SWEATSHIRT, Indikidual, £40; indikidual.bigcartel.com

POM POM GRIPS, Mimi & Lula, £8; mimiandlula.com

KNIT TANK, Oeuf, £49; oeufnyc.com

MUSTARD DRESS, The Animals Observatory, £98; smallable.com

ounder of Wander and Wonder, Hilda Lim, has had an impressive career. She designed for brands including Anna Sui and DKNY and had her own womenswear line, before motherhood inspired her to try her hand at childrenswear.

Currently based in Hong Kong, Lim tells us that she has always loved to travel with her young family and wanted to create a brand that inspires children to have an open mind about different cultures. Each season, she explores a new country and chooses a charity from the destination to support.

Having adventured in Africa, Japan and Sweden so far, this season she travelled to Mexico.

The collection is designed in collaboration with young textile and graphic designer Yuk Yee and is a riot of happy, playful prints and embroidery. Think peacocks, bold sunshine colours, guitars, florals, tacos and Frida (of course!).

We love the charity aspect too; this season 2% of all profits will go to local projects run by Save the Children. wander-n-wonder.com

DOTTY SKIRT, Milk & Biscuits, £45; milkandbiscuits.com

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Babes in the

WOOD Children’s clothing gets back to nature with simple styles in luxe organic fabrics and natural tones minimalisma.com

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Helping ensure your little one's food is Just right...

The Thermapen First Foods digital thermometer takes the guesswork out of preparing baby food and milk. Quickly and easily know the food you are serving to your little one is at the perfect temperature for them to safely enjoy.

THERMAPEN.CO.UK GET 20% OFF WITH PROMO CODE MAMA-20 VALID UNTIL 30/06/19

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wellness B O O ST YO U R W E LLB E I N G W I T H A B O DY M OT p . 5 4 O LI V I A C R I G H TO N O N C LE A N LI V I N G W I T H K I D S p .6 0

Cloud Cover • CLOUD T WELVE•

This Notting Hill members club offers a salon, spa, wellness clinic and brasserie plus a spectacular family space-cum-creche for play and learning. Members get access to all the above, but the salon, spa, clinic and brasserie are also open to the public. cloudtwelve.co.uk

May 2019

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HE ALTH

Stretch Up M O R E YO GA

London-based MoreYoga has a series of family workshops this summer dedicated to getting kids and parents to enjoy the benefits of yoga. Children’s yoga has a positive impact on wellbeing and will develop little one’s confidence. moreyoga.co.uk

mama’s

WELLNESS NOTES Achieve a strong pelvic floor and this year’s Fertility Fest...

OH BABY FERTILITY FEST 2019

With an international programme of visual art, literature, workshops and debate, Fertility Fest is the only arts festival devoted entirely to modern families and the science of making babies. The third edition runs at the Barbican until 18 May. fertilityfest.com

CURRY F L AV O U R BOL

A modern twist on classic recipes, these dinner boxes are packed with three of your five-a-day and the packaging is 95% plasticfree – so it’s sustainable as well as completely delicious. bolfoods.com

On The Floor E LV I E T R A I N E R

Perfect for postnatal recovery, the Elvie Trainer rehabilitates your pelvic floor muscles, addressing problems that affect up to 80% of expectant and new mums. Its technique is used by all those in the know. elvie.com

May 2019

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TH E VITA M I N I N FU S I O N

VITAMIN INJECTIONS

BODY MOT

Four treatments for a physical spring clean

W o r d s C A R LY G L E N D I N N I N G A ND HELEN BARON

THE DEAL Vitamin Injections London offers a range of intravenous solutions for all manner of ailments. Together with your consultant you can identify and target any deficiencies, including stress, fatigue and even memory loss. It’s increasingly apparent that regular supplements aren’t up to the job, with much of their goodness processed out by the digestive system while free radicals and air pollution continue to cause oxidative damage to cells, contributing to ill health. According to Vitamin Injections London, lethargy, fatigue and ‘brain fog’ can be attributed to heavy metals found in the brain. Coupled with vitamin-deficient foods (thanks, soil erosion!), the appeal of a potent, intravenous dose of tailored vitamins becomes clear.

THE RESULT I’m in for cognitive enhancement (an injection? I might need a bucketload) but it’s immensely satisfying to know I’m increasing my body’s uptake of detoxifying nutrients, direct into the bloodstream. The treatment takes minutes and I do feel bright-eyed afterwards. I’m given some Vitamin B complex patches to wear in the coming days.

I can see this becoming addictive...

Prices start from £110 vitaminjections.co.uk

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CRYSTAL LI G HT TH E R APY

THE DEAL Emma Cannon’s approach bridges the gap between western medicine and complementary therapies, guiding each patient to find the treatment path that is right for them. Her new crystal bed uses colour and crystal healing energy to repair the human biofield and bring our mental, emotional and physical selves into balance.

Set to a special vibrational frequency, the colour of each crystal represents a different chakra in the body, suspended from a stand over the treatment bed.

REVIEW

“I’m in for cognitive enhancement. An injection? I might need a bucketload””

THE RESULT After a helpful in-depth consultation, Emma invites me to lie down on her treatment bed. It feels like I’m in her living room, surrounded by rugs, books and low lighting.

The treatment is an add-on to acupuncture, so she inserts some hair-like needles into my acupressure points. It’s so relaxing that I can’t help but drift off. The next day I feel a little emotional, but definitely lighter and as Emma describes, like I have a kind of protective field around me.

Prices start from £50 (as an add-on to acupuncture) emmacannon.co.uk

B R E ATH I N G TH E R APY

THE DEAL Breathpod founder Stuart Sandeman is on a mission to show how the practice of ‘breathwork’ can lower stress and anxiety levels, boost energy and even alleviate health issues, all by allowing our cells to get the oxygen they need. According to Stuart, one thing that humans do differently to BREATHPOD

other mammals is hold our breath as an emotional response – when we’re angry, upset, surprised etc. He tells me we can ‘hack’ the messages transmitted from the body’s respiratory system to the neural pathways in the brain by simply changing our breathing pattern. In for a one-to-one session, I lie down and begin by breathing in and out through my mouth in a flowing rhythm.

THE RESULT Stuart identifies that my breathing is centred in my chest and tells me that I should breathe into my stomach to help with energy flow and grounding. Throughout the session, he instructs me to stamp my feet and shake my arms, whilst crying out for as long as I can to release tension. He also focuses attention on different acupressure points. These techniques are aimed at creating a higher vibration in the body and as the therapy goes on I feel a tingling in my hands, like they are about to take off. When we are finished, I feel a little bit light-headed and almost like an energy blockage has been released.

Prices start from from £150 (for a one-to-one session) breathpod.me

FACE GYM

THE DEAL A ‘bootcamp’ for beauty, Face Gym takes a training approach to get beauty results, so it’s not a facial per se but rather a workout targeting the forgotten 40 muscles of the face – with instant results. I’m at the slick

FACE GYM

new salon in trendy Coal Drops Yard for the Signature Electrical. My lovely ‘face-trainer’ applies custom-blend (gorgeous-smelling and all natural) Dr. Levy products, then I’m treated to ten minutes with the Facegym Pro device, which stimulates muscles, contours cheekbones and restores skin’s elasticity.

There are a variety of workouts to choose from – such as ‘Party Face’, ‘Holiday Skin’ and (exclusive to the Selfridges outpost) the ‘Hollywood Lunchtime Lift’. All are tailored to different skin needs, whether you want to combat pollution or soothe a hormonal breakout.

THE RESULT While the device feels a little odd, it’s not unpleasant and the treatment is relaxing. A gua sha stone is applied to pressure points to ease tension while a training ball is used on my chest to open up the muscles, much like in a yoga class. My skin feels like it’s been deep-cleaned – my cheekbones look more defined, my complexion more plumped. I’m also intrigued by the Cryo Oxygen, a hit of hydration and active ingredients to blast out pores, and am absolutely going to book before the next event I attend.

Prices start from £15 for Quick Clean Skin IV and £50 for a workout facegym.com

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FA M I LY

FEAST Recipes from ‘Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Everyday’, by Hetty McKinnon

Photog raphy LU I SA BR I M BLE

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new recipe collection from foodie mama Hetty McKinnon (erstwhile Guardian contributor and editor of the Peddler journal) squares up to the ultimate challenge: developing a repertoire of simple, healthy, tasty vegetarian meals the entire family will enjoy. The book is filled with tantalising ideas – miso brown butter pasta, anyone? – that are surprisingly easy to concoct. Time-poor mamas are highly advised to check it out.

Six Ways with a Can of Beans T h e m ag i c o f b e a n s

of beans, place in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with enough oil to almost cover, add as much garlic as you are comfortable with, salt it, add a few spices such as cumin and paprika, and roast in a blazing hot oven until the beans are crispy on top. It should take about 20 minutes in a hot oven.

RECIPES

“If I have a can of beans on hand, I feel empowered in the kitchen”

4 Sa n dwi c h th e m

White beans such as cannellini or navy beans make a perfect open sandwich topping. Add some drained beans to a pan along with a good amount of olive oil, one or two very finely chopped garlic cloves, a sprig of rosemary, sage, or thyme and about ½ cup (125 ml) of vegetable stock or water, and simmer until thickened up. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Serve on top of some crusty ciabatta or sourdough bread and sprinkle with red chilli flakes.

5 Smash them

Best made using a mortar and pestle, smash up your drained beans with a small clove of garlic, a hit of spices

such as cumin, coriander or paprika, and drizzle with enough oil to make it pleasantly chunky. Toss this smashed goodness with some of your favourite roasted veggies.

6 Soup them

A simple bean soup is as easy as tossing your drained beans into a pan, adding a little vegetable stock, perhaps a can of tomatoes, and maybe a bunch of greens, and simmering it until you extract some wonderful flavors. If you want a smooth soup, blend it up.

If I have a can of beans on hand, I feel empowered in the kitchen. Pre-cooked beans are one of the most versatile pantry ingredients for successful daily cooking. They are the foundation of so many hurried meals in my house. One humble can of beans delivers so many spectacular meal options.

1 F ry th e m

Throw your drained beans into a frying pan, add some good glugs of olive oil, a little very finely chopped garlic and a few essential spices—try cumin, paprika, smoked paprika, chile, cayenne, turmeric, or fennel seeds. Fry until crispy. Eat as a snack or serve with roasted or chargrilled vegetables.

2 Pesto them

Beans are excellent in a pesto-like sauce.

Replace the nuts or seeds with spoonfuls of beans. Add drained beans, basil, garlic and sea salt and whiz it all up for a creamy, very unpesto-like pesto. Stir in some grated Parmesan if you desire.

3 R oa s t t h e m

Here is a simple formula for the most irresistibly crunchy beans – drain a can May 2019

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THE BIRTH OF YOUR BABY

IN TRUSTED HANDS THE LINDO WING, ST MARY’S HOSPITAL

The Lindo Wing, St Mary’s Hospital South Wharf Road, London, W2 1NY T: +44 (0)20 3312 6224 E: imperial.lindo.maternity@nhs.net W: imperialprivatehealthcare.co.uk Part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. All our profits are reinvested to support our NHS services

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Vegan

The Deconstructed Falafel Salad

Serves 4

F

alafels are the perfect plantbased morsel and a family favourite. However, in this salad, I’ve dismantled perfection and discovered a new, delicious way to enjoy the feted flavors of falafels – chickpeas, cumin, parsley, mint and tahini. The crispy oven-roasted chickpeas are nothing short of incredible, and I encourage you to try roasting all types of beans in this manner.

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil • 2 bunches of kale, stems removed and leaves torn • 1 Persian cucumber, sliced into thin rounds • 3 cups (150 g) store-bought pita chips • handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped • handful of mint leaves • 1 lemon, cut into wedges • sea salt

Crispy roasted chickpeas: • 18 ounces (500 g) cooked chickpeas (about 2 drained cans), patted dry • extra virgin olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 2 teaspoons ground cumin • 1 teaspoon paprika • sea salt and black pepper Lemon tahini: • 1⁄ 3 cup (90 g) tahini • juice of 1 lemon, plus extra if needed • 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped • sea salt and black pepper Substitutes: • chickpeas: white beans, butter beans • omit pita chips for a gluten-free variation

DIRECTIONS Pre-heat the oven to 425 F (220 C). For the crispy roasted chickpeas, place the drained chickpeas in a small ovenproof

RECIPES

dish. Cover with olive oil, season well with two big pinches of sea salt and black pepper, and add the garlic, cumin, and paprika. Stir to combine. Roast for 35–40 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy. Set aside. For the salad, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and drizzle with oil. Add the kale in batches, along with a pinch of salt, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until wilted. To make the lemon tahini, pour the tahini into a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and garlic. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until the sauce is the consistency of thickened cream. If the tahini ‘seizes’ and becomes very thick, add more water; it will eventually come back together to form a cohesive creamy sauce. Season with sea salt and black pepper, and add more lemon juice if you like it lemony. Combine the crispy chickpeas (and their cooking oil) with the kale, cucumber, half the pita chips and herbs. To serve, drizzle over the lemon tahini and scatter over the remaining pita chips. Serve with lemon wedges on the side. prestel.com @arthurstreetkitchen

May 2019

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CLEAN LIVING Olivia Crighton, mama to Sadie and founder of eco-friendly hair salon Glasshouse in East London, shares her five top tips for living a sustainable lifestyle while raising kids

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Minimise waste

H

aving one extra person in the household is obviously going to increase your environmental output, but I find there are lots of ways to try and minimise this impact.

There are some great alternatives for basic baby items such as reusable, washable and biodegradable nappies and baby wipes.

Traditional nappies can take up to 400 years to decompose and commonly contain ingredients like chlorine bleach, optical whiteners and other harsh chemicals which are bad for baby and the environment too. I also try to be considered when buying items such as toys, making sure they are made from materials that last and won’t have to be thrown out.

absolutely-mama.co.uk

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FASHION • INTERVIEW

we lln es s TIPS

“I try to shop at small businesses that are putting time and effort into creating sustainable products”

a ‘toxic free’ home where possible too and am very careful with things like household cleaning products and detergents. What’s safer and gentler for Sadie and I often happens to be a more sustainable option too.

Eat a varied and low carbon diet

S Buy less

I

find it a real test to resist buying all the sweet children’s outfits I come across for my daughter Sadie, but the fast fashion industry’s carbon footprint is now one of the largest, contributing around 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 a year. When they’re going to grow out of each outfit in next to no time, I try to minimise the number of new clothes I buy. I opt for secondhand or sustainably made options where possible, making sure to donate old outfits to friends or charity shops. I also look for toys and other items in the charity shops while I’m there. When I do buy a new piece, I’ve found that higher quality items made from more sustainable and natural materials last longer and are more hardwearing too, helping me to buy less overall.

Choose non-toxic

W

hen it comes to beauty, I obviously use all the products we stock at Glasshouse Shop. Each of our brands are handpicked based on what I love and use at home. They are all non-toxic for our own health and for the health of the environment too, cutting back on the amount of potentially harmful chemicals that could seep into our waterways.

When I was expecting Sadie, we launched the beautiful hand-blended products by Dani Kenney as they are safe during pregnancy and designed with little ones in mind. We also recently took on an incredible moisturising balm called Skin Salvation by Purepotions, which is 100% natural and amazing for soothing eczema. I try my hardest to maintain

adie and I follow a vegan diet when we eat our meals together – I like to cook whole foods and avoid processed meals. This not only lowers our carbon footprint, but I can avoid extra packaging whilst getting maximum fruits and vegetables into our diets. I also love that Sadie gets to explore lots of interesting tastes that she might not otherwise (she loves seaweed!). Although perhaps not everyone will be following a strictly vegan diet, I think it’s important to generally consider the environmental output of the foods you eat, choosing to opt for locally grown and organic produce where possible.

Shop independent

A

gain, in order to reduce the impact of mass-production, I try to shop at local or small businesses that are putting time and effort into creating sustainable products. Some of my favourites include Cissy Wears for her range of stunning high-quality wooden toys and Yoli & Otis for sustainable linen childrenswear. It means that with each item I buy I can support some of my favourite small businesses across the globe. glasshouseshop.co.uk May 2019

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wellness RESTAURANTS

Happy

Santo Remedio

MEALS

L

BYRON BURGER

ike Lebanese food, much of Mexican food has an obvious appeal for children.

Tacos, tortilla chips, melted cheese and guacamole are all crowd-pleasers, but a good Mexican eaterie is heavier on flavour than stodge. Santo Remedio started life as a popup before finding a permanent home in Tooley Street, and it’s a stylish outfit with a strong focus on authenticity. We’re here for the new Sunday brunch menu and the children are instantly gorging themselves on chips and intensely good guacamole before cheerfully ordering small dishes. So there’s a blue corn egg taco with chorizo, melted cheese and a fried egg, and a corn parcel filled with black beans, mole negro and cheese. Both are moreish and tasty, as are the messy but delicious chicken mole enchiladas. santoremedio.co.uk

E

ating out with children can go either way. A good experience can result in family bonding, the acceptance of new foods and good moods all round, while when things go wrong you can find your own meal ruined as you grapple with anger and embarrassment before going home and making fish fingers from the freezer. Badly behaved children in restaurants is something nobody wants. But as parents we would welcome a slightly wider repertoire than the obvious kiddie choices, and it’s important for children to learn to enjoy eating new foods. So here we visit three very different places with a view to introducing new things, but without taking them too far from their comfort zones.

SANTO REMEDIO

Eating out with children can be fraught. Mama tries some restaurants that make it work Wo r d s PE N D L E H A R T E

Comptoir Libanais

T

his chain is full of appeal. We are in the South Kensington branch and inside it’s colourful, all Fez hats, colourful baskets hanging from the walls and patterned tiles. There are lots of children here and the feel is busy, relaxed and informal. There’s an aptly named feast menu that includes all the highlights: baba ghanuj, hommous, falafel and other dips and starters, followed by aubergine tagine, a mixed grill plate, tabbouleh, delicious cheese pastries, grilled halloumi and spiced potatoes. Our children order their own chicken wraps from the extensive kids menu but are instantly enamoured of the hommous, as well as the baba ghanuj and even the beetroot dip. They are suspicious of aubergine tagine but reluctantly give it a go, and we have to stop them from eating all our grilled meat.

A rose-flavoured milk pudding goes down very well, as does the homemade lemonade.

In all, this is a winner: authentic food that’s child-friendly without being dumbed down. comptoirlibanais.com

Byron Burger

T

his is an obvious one and it comes with a perfectly good if unsurprising kids menu. But we weren’t here for that - we were here for the relaunch of the B-Rex burger, a monster creation that includes bacon, onion rings, cheese, jalapenos, pickles and bbq sauce. It was good to see our generally bird-like eaters enjoy spicy and supersized burgers in all their sloppy glory, washed down with freakshakes that bordered on the ridiculous, filled with insane mixes of sweets, cream and unidentified additions.

Byron is the original and still the best. byronhamburgers.com

COMPTOIR LIBANAIS

May 2019

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mama’s

B E AU T Y NOTES Hair, make-up and beauty news for the month ahead

ALL TIED UP

we love

DONNI

Clips, bows and slides: hair accessories are the biggest trend of the summer and none are prettier than these scrunchies from DONNI. The ethical LA-based brand supports the women who make their products and chooses a different charity each season. £32; woodgrey.com

SAFE SUDS SISTERS

Made by three sisters, this non-toxic shampoo is free from nasties and is safe for the whole family. With the aim of giving back, the ethical brand donate an impressive 40% of their profits to organisations that support women’s health. £25; cissywears.com

Great Stems MALIN & GOETZ

The abundance of flowery fragrances at this time of year can become a little overwhelming, which is why Malin + Goetz designed this ‘unfloral’ scent. Focusing on the stems (rather than the flowers), notes include mandarin leaves, wild freesia greens and hyacinth florets. £75; malinandgoetz.com

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Clean Sweep

BE AUT Y

n Salo w e i Rev

CLOUD CLOTH

Much more environmentally-friendly than face-wipes, cleansing cloths are one of the most popular trends in beauty right now.

This reusable design from CloudCloth is ultra soft on one side and exfoliating on the other and comes in natural, recyclable packaging. £10; glasshouseshop.co.uk

Gennaro Dell’Aquila

G

Wo r d s H E L E N BA RO N

FUR ALL FUR

The range of oils and creams from Fur is designed to prevent pesky ingrown hairs all over the body. Whether you’re a waxer, a shaver or you like to go au naturale, their non-toxic and gentle ingredients soften hair, clear pores and soothe stubble.

From £28; contentbeautywellbeing.com

5 of t he b e st ST R E T C H M A RK SAVE RS Stretch Mark Oil, Susanne Kaufmann, £26; spacenk.com

Stretch Mark Oil, Kit & Kin, £9.99; kitandkin.com

Stretch Mark Minimiser, mama mio, £45; mioskincare.co.uk

Anti Stretch Mark Oil, Bloom and Blossom, £24; bloomandblossom.com

Stretch Mark Balm, Cowshed, £22; cowshed.com

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ennaro Dell’Aquila has added to their original Wimbledon salon with a new outpost in the equally salubrious Notting Hill.

I’m intrigued by the natural, chemical-free credentials of the brand, and impressed the moment I set foot in the salon. On display are more than twenty signature blends made entirely from organic herbs, roots and flowers, all of which are blended to meet specific requirements. The team use a handpainting technique for highlighting called Shatush, which avoids touching the roots for a long-lasting, more natural tone. For my base colour my stylist, Marco, uses a mixture of rhubarb with cassia (a neutral henna) and a touch of red henna. Not only does he revive my hair’s sun-kissed look but the pigments add a natural shine. What’s more he applies a soothing fenugreek treatment (mixed with herbs to match my colour) so it’s a double whammy of health.

Importantly, this method neither pollutes waterways nor infuses hair with harmful chemicals – which is vital in its weakened postnatal state.

It’s only a matter of time before more salons start using it. gennarodellaquila.co.uk

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T H E L AT E ST N U R S E RY T R E N D S A N D P R O D U C T S p .6 8 M A K I N G M I N I M A LI S M – H OW TO S I M P LI F Y YO U R C H I LD ’ S S PAC E p .70

Clean Lines • POTTERY BARN •

The new collection from American stalwart Pottery Barn is in! You’ll find classic vintage-influence furniture (think Juliette, Shaker and mid-century styles), though for the nursery, clean white lines are king this season – from convertible cots to sleek changing tables and an exciting collaboration with West Elm. potterybarnkids.co.uk

May 2019

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mama

N U R S E RY NOTES Interiors inspiration for the hardest-working room in your home

NAP TIME LITTLE GREEN SHEEP

One of the more stylish Moses baskets on the market, and from a brand you can trust. This little beauty is woven from palm leaf and comes with the softest knitted liner and natural mattress. £79.95; littlegreensheep.com

we love B LOW U P PETIT PICOTIN

If positivity and French linen are up your street – and why wouldn’t they be? – this cushion is for you. Designed to look like a balloon and bearing the statement ‘Dream Big’, it’s a lifeaffirming metaphor in soft furnishing form. £41; smallable.com

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Launch Pad OLLI ELLA With nurseries, it’s all about the details – which is why we’re intent on adding one or two of these changing tray liners to our setup. Made from organic cotton in delectable hues, they’re soft, sustainable and stylish. £19.95; olliella.com

absolutely-mama.co.uk

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h o me & interio rs

Cloud Control

revie

NURSERIES

w

MAISON DEUX

Why rock on a horse when you can take to the skies on a fluffy cloud instead? This beautiful rocker is made from solid French oak and a luxe wool fabric, making it as robust as it is adorable. £352; lovethesign.com

PURFLO

Purflo Keep Me Close Breathable Bedside Crib

B

CIRCUS SKILLS M A M A S & PA PA S

The Brit brand turns to the circus for inspiration in its new interiors capsule, Big Top Tales. Highlights include a plush elephant wall-hang, colourful bunting and this vibrant musical mobile.

Musical pom pom mobile, £35; mamasandpapas.com

5 o f t he b e st F LO RA L F L OU RI S H E S MAISON BALUCHON No.4 floral eiderdown, £195; smallable.com

CAM CAM COPENHAGEN Nest in dandelion print, £94.95; scandiborn.co.uk

IAN SNOW Rio pouffe with pom poms, £129; iansnow.com

edside cribs are a convenient answer to the age-old problem of restless newborns, enabling mum to keep baby within easy reach while minimising the disruption caused by nighttime nursing. A bedside crib also represents a happy balance between providing the closeness and comfort a newborn needs and ensuring they can sleep safely in a space of their own. The Purflo Keep Me Close model has to be one of the best out there.

For one thing, it can be used as a standalone crib as well as a bedside one, meaning you can move it around the house as required. For another, it has a focus on breathable construction that keeps little one’s sleeping space aerated at all times. The permeable mesh sides and breathable mattress keep air flowing and ensure the crib meets all the relevant UK safety standards, while the drop side-rail and connectors make for a secure connection between the crib and your bed. It can be adjusted to six different heights (so it fits most beds) and even has an incline option to help with reflux.

It’s also no slouch in the style stakes, with pale wood and neutral tones predominating. And if you intend to travel? Take it with you – the crib comes with its own very handy travel bag. A snip at £199. purflo.com

CAMOMILE LONDON Hanako floral pillow case, £19; smallable.com

GARBO & FRIENDS Floral vine cotton bedding, £58; smallable.com

May 2019

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h o me & interio rs INSPIRATION

Extract for th

Ryla

Let’s Get

MINIMAL Grace Tindall, founder of e-commerce boutique Scandibørn on incorporating minimalism in the home

U

ncluttered and streamlined homes have hugely increased in popularity following the Netflix documentary ‘Tidying Up’ by Marie Kondo. At Scandibørn, we are huge fans of that minimalist, pared-back aesthetic – but while we can only dream of having a fully decluttered home by following the ‘KonMari’ method, we thought some simple steps on incorporating minimalism into the home were important to share.

We love the whole ethos that surrounds Scandinavian living and interiors. It places value on buying products that will last years and fulfil different needs as our lives change. We’d spent a long time getting our home just perfect and having children seemed to open the door to a whole range of eyesores that I didn’t want lying round our living room. Don’t get me wrong, our son Harry still has a whole hoard of plastic toys, they are just stowed away in stylish storage bags! We felt there was a gap in

the market for people like us who wanted to be able to create beautiful, playful and stylish spaces that fitted with their contemporary homes.

Decluttering and clearing your space has huge health benefits. Not only do you feel calm and at peace when you have a streamlined home, the notion of ‘Tidy Home, Tidy Mind’ comes to the fore.

‘Spark Joy’ is not a new concept. Live by the William Morris quote from the 1800s, which is still as relevant today: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

Take small steps and be realistic with simple changes that can affect the way you live forever.

Simplicity: this is key. Keep rooms uncluttered and allow the space to breathe. The first rule of Scandinavian design is to keep the base neutral and add colour through accessories for that minimalist space that encourages a calm, peaceful environment.

Most people respond well to light and airy minimalist spaces.

Storage: make sure everything has its place. Live by the mantra ‘don’t put it down, put it away’, which

01 SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY A palette of pale, natural tones can help to make a space feel calm and uncluttered. Matching furniture like Leander’s high chair enhance the effect.

May 2019

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h o me & interio rs INSPIRATION

means spaces don’t become crowded and cluttered.

Children have a tendency to collect knick-knacks at an alarming rate. Find a place for everything and do regular clear-outs of their toys and games when they are not around. Invest in stylish storage solutions, from baskets to lockers, shelving and pretty boxes, to keep clutter hidden from sight and make tidying up a breeze.

Imagine the destination. Before you start buying anything for the home, including the nursery, imagine where the item will go. Think about how you want it to feel and where that said item will live. Do you want the space to feel uncluttered or cosy? This gives you a great starting point for designing any kind of space.

Items that spark joy. At Scandibørn, we are in absolute agreement with the Marie Kondo sentiment that items in your home should ‘spark joy’ and give you that warm feeling when you pick them up. This should continue through all areas of the home including the children’s bedrooms and/or playroom. Keep hold of all those items that ‘spark joy’ and donate or gift the rest.

Investment pieces: invest in a few high-quality items around the home rather than filling the space up with multiple objects. This could be anything from multifunctional cabinets like the Cam Cam Copenhagen changing table (which converts to a dresser) to shelving systems. We love the Rafa Kids XL Shelf for that minimalist Scandinavian design or the iconic String shelves (all available at Scandibørn).

Decluttering is hard and comes easier to some than others. Take some simple steps and you’ll find that small changes can change the way you live forever. scandiborn.co.uk • @scandiborn

03 02

04

02 STATEMENT STOR AGE A stylish shelf system like this one by Rafa Kids adds form to function, and allows you to add personality to a room.

03 LOCK U P Lockers like Mustard Made’s Shorty (shown here in blush pink) are a great way to keep things organised and will suit many decor styles and colour schemes.

04 NEAT IS GR EAT Mutli-functional furniture like Cam Cam Copenhagen’s Harlequin Changing Table can save space while making a focal point of your artfully arranged items.

May 2019

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Add a Little Luxury To Your Stay Book your next family holiday at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai as an Imperial Club guest and add a little luxury to your stay with exclusive benefits across the resort.

From complimentary airport transfers, to a dedicated concierge team and even an exclusive private beach just for our Imperial Club Guests. Enjoy a little moment to yourself while the kids have their fun at the Atlantis Kids Club or The Zone for teens, with complimentary daily access during your stay.

The best part of it all? Daily complimentary access to the all-new Imperial Club lounge. Whether you’re after a tasty bite for breakfast, relaxing afternoon tea or evening cocktails before dinner, the Imperial Club Lounge has it all.

Book today for a dream holiday you’ll never forget.

atlantisthepalm.com

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Gold Coast • COSTA NAVARINO •

If swoon-worthy villas and a paradisiacal beachfront location are your thing – and why wouldn’t they be? – this luxury Greek resort deserves a look. It’s beautifully realised and compromises on nothing while happening to be the most sustainable holiday development in Greece. costanavarino.com

May 2019

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The Maserati of SUVs LEVANTE V6 2019 STARTING FROM £500 A MONTH, 0% APR† WITH 3 YEARS FREE SERVICING** H.R. OWEN MASERATI LONDON MELTON COURT, 25-27 OLD BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW7 3TD 0333 240 1580 HROWEN.CO.UK/MASERATI Fuel economy and CO2 results for the Maserati Levante MY19 range in mpg (l/100km) combined: 20.7 (13.6) to 30.0 (9.4). *CO2 emissions: 282 - 207 g/km. Figures shown are for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption and CO2 figures with other cars

tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results, which will depend upon a number of factors including the accessories fitted (post-registration), variations in weather, driving styles and vehicle load. *There is a new test used for fuel consumption and CO2 figures. The CO2 figures shown however, are based on the outgoing test cycle and will be used to calculate vehicle tax on first registration. †Offer available on Maserati Levante V6 MY19 range ordered and registered between 01/01/19 and 31/03/19. 24 month term. Minimum 20% customer deposit required. Model shown is a Maserati Levante V6 GranLusso MY19 (incl. Tri-coat paint, Silver painted callipers, Metallic finish roof rails, Panoramic sunroof, Bowers & Wilkins sound system, Rear laminated privacy glass, Driver Assistance Pack and 20” Efesto alloy wheels) which will increase the customer deposit to 32% and a monthly payment of £600. Optional final payment may vary depending on version. With Maserati PCP you may return the vehicle instead of making the final payment. It must be in good condition and if you exceed the agreed annual mileage, you will be charged 12p per mile for exceeding 15,000 miles p.a. in this example. Subject to status. Guarantees may be required. T&Cs apply. At participating Retailers only. Maserati Financial Services, SL1 0RW. We work with a number of creditors including Maserati Financial Services. **Three years free servicing offer is based on typical usage (12,000 miles per annum) and is covered by a three service Maserati “Premium Service” plan. The “Premium Service” program covers all the inspections, replacements of components and consumables provided by the official maintenance schedule described in the vehicle owner’s manual. Offer available on new Maserati Levante MY19 range ordered, registered & delivered by 31/03/19. At participating Retailers only.

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escapes

INSPIRATIONS

BOOK NOW ANASSA

One of the most celebrated resorts in Cyprus reopens for summer on 1 April. Get a free upgrade on board for kids if you book now for summer – lush gardens, a stunning spa and a brilliant kids club await. scottdunn.com

mama’s

T R AV E L NOTES The most exciting destinations at home and abroad

we love

GREEK GIFT

BAMBINI MIO

Stay at one of Divani’s Athenian properties and your tinies can learn about Greek mythology where it all began. With hotels near the Acropolis, on the Athenian riviera and at the heart of town, they’re offering a 20% discount on second rooms. divanis.com

Reusable nappies aren’t just for landlubbers! The pioneering folks at Bambini Mio make them for little swimmers too, in all kinds of colourful, summer-friendly designs. Save the pool while saving the planet – sounds like a plan to us. £9.99 bambinimio.com

3 o f t h e b e s t SA FA R I T R I P S Hemingways Collection

SWIM TIME

D I VA N I H O T E L S

K E N YA

Volcanoes Safaris

U G A N D A & R WA N D A

Wilderness Safaris

Spend three days at Ol Seki Hemingways Mara spotting lion and wild dog before jetting to the coast for four days of marlinfishing, dolphin-spotting and kite-surfing.

Stay at one of this pioneering nonprofit’s luxury lodges and you’ll be helping to save local troops of chimps and gorilla, while enjoying guided walks into the bush to see our cousins for yourself.

From June, you can stay at the revamped Kings Pool camp, where a special hide beside a watering hole lets you get almost in touching distance of wild game – including elephants. Wild.

farandwild.travel

volcanoessafaris.com

wilderness-safaris.com

HEMINGWAYS COLLECTION

B O T S WA N A

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T H E H OT E L

fter a short two-hour flight we arrived in Florence and picked up our car. We were planning to head into the Tuscan countryside following our stay, but you don’t actually need a car if staying in the city as everything is within walking distance. You couldn’t get more central than the location of Rocco Forte’s Savoy. Set in the heart of the city, overlooking cafe-lined Piazza della Repubblica, the hotel is a stone’s throw from Ponte Vecchio, Via Tornabuoni, Piazza della Signoria and the Duomo.

From the look of the Savoy’s facade, a historic building facing onto central Florence, one might expect decor of draperies and chaise longues.

However, the hotel has recently had a thorough going-over as a part of its initiation into the Rocco Forte family and offers a modern twist on a classic building.

Once in the lobby, we were immediately struck by the jazzy fabrics in bright colours set against the cool marble floor. The Savoy represents the first collaboration between Olga Polizzi, Director of Design for Rocco Forte Hotels, and Laudemia Pucci, daughter of legendary designer Emilio

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A room with a

VIEW The family-friendly Savoy is the best hotel from which to explore Florence W o r d s J E S S I C A S H A LT O U T

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FLORENCE

Pucci. Their influence is apparent throughout the hotel: for one thing, a specially designed Pucci scarf in fuchsia and bright blue features on the tabletops in the restaurant. The hotel has a more classic feel beyond the lobby, with the use of gorgeous Italian fabrics, locally crafted cabinets and custom-made soft furnishings.

THE SUITE

hen the hotel underwent its recent renovations they actually reduced the number of rooms to make more suites and we were lucky enough to stay in a Grand View suite on the fourth floor. The decor is chic throughout, with herringbone floors, Baroque-style art, soft Farrow & Ball greys, blues and greens, and furniture made by local artists. Our suite came with a dining room and sitting room full of books but the most impressive part was the panoramic view overlooking the square. We enjoyed watching the crowds of tourists at different points throughout the day, and even a bit of the nighttime buzz from the comfort of our balcony.

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Sizewise, it was perfect for a young family. Our baby was able to sleep in a separate room so we didn’t have to creep around the room in silence after her bedtime. Connecting rooms are available for families with older children and there are all sorts of special activities and services for children, such as the ‘Pinocchio Experience’ and organised treasure hunts in the Uffizi. Bottle-warmers, baby baths and complimentary baby meals are provided for little ones, and slightly older children will appreciate the ‘Teddy Turndown Service’. There

“The decor is chic throughout, with herringbone floors and Baroque-style art”

are mini bathrobes and slippers and children’s toiletries too. Even the entry-level doubles are generous in size and have enough room for a small sofa.

THE CITY

he hotel is ideally located for exploring Florence. Surely unparalleled in terms of historic architecture and the sheer number of galleries to get through, you have to be up early to avoid queues for hotspots like the Uffizzi. We enjoyed walking the streets, stopping every now and then to sample Italian coffee, wine or delicacies. We went in off-peak season so it wasn’t too busy or hot and the trip was made even better by the fact that the Italians seem to love babies so much.

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Starting rate €600 per classic room per night including breakfast and VAT roccofortehotels.com May 2019

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“Nowhere apart from Sölden has a special Bond museum built at 3,000 metres”

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M o u n t a in

HIGH There are few places more beautiful – or more fun – than the Austrian Tyrol in summer. Mama takes the family to the mountains Wo r d s PE N D L E H A R T E

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hen I tell my Austrian friend proudly that we’re going to the place where they filmed James Bond, I’m expecting her to know exactly where I mean. She doesn’t: “Oh they filmed Bond all over the place.”

It’s true that a lot of Austrian ski resorts show off about their 007 connections, but nowhere apart from Sölden has a special Bond museum built at 3,000 metres, at the exact location of much of the action in Spectre. And nowhere else has a glass cube structure at its highest peak, housing a restaurant with a Tom Dixon interior and spectacular 360-degree views. For Austria, Sölden is prime Bond territory.

But that’s not really why we came. Sölden is an alpine resort in the Tyrol’s Otztal Valley, south of Innsbruck and near the Italian border. Nearby Obergurgl is a popular ski area for British people, but Sölden, home to the skiing World Cup opener, is more popular with Dutch and German skiers. In the summer it’s quieter but there’s still

a lot to be said for it, and not just the low-season rates, the vast beauty of the landscape, the clarity of the air and the enormous range of activities.

We are here as a family with two daughters, and the family suite at Das Central is perfect: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a cosy seating area, two balconies. Half-board means breakfast and dinner every day, and they seat you at the same table every time, which instantly makes you feel like a regular. Staff wear traditional dirndls and the buffet breakfasts are as huge and generous as you would imagine. It’s all wooden chalet-style with a contemporary slant. One of the best things about staying here is that you are automatically issued with a Premium Card for the region, which allows you free or discounted entry to so many things that there’s a weighty booklet to list them all.

Ski lifts, swimming pools, mountain bike school, public transport, museums.

We pledge to try everything. On day one we turn up bright and early at Bike Republic, the mountain bike centre, where we are introduced to an instructor from the Ride On bike school, who promises that we’ll be speeding down the mountain after a bit of gentle practice on the town’s pump track. Her three-year old daughter can do it, she says. We are confident urban cyclists: we’re sure May 2019

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Happy lives here!

We want you and your little ones to holiday just the way you want to: safe, stress free and in locations you love.

It’s why we’ve developed our own exclusive resort experience alongside our range of beautiful, family friendly properties.

We hand pick every destination to meet your young family’s needs—from pool safety to playtime—and they’re fully equipped with everything you need, so you can travel light and feel at home as soon as you arrive.

Discover the Tots difference and let us help you find your perfect, fun-filled family holiday.

All private pools barriered

FREE baby and toddler kit

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Call us

0800 808 5487 Browse and book at

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we’ll be fine. The pump track looks small but quickly it becomes clear that in our family at least, fear levels are directly proportional with age. Our nine year-old is entirely comfortable with tight hairpin bends and a tilt that leaves her knee perilously close to the ground, while the adults are significantly less comfortable, and less nimble. We struggle to get around the track. Still, an hour in and we are ready to take our bikes into the cable car and up: a fortifying plate of dumplings at the middle station’s Tirolerstube prepares us for a steep and bumpy downhill bike ride. Taking our positions: standing up in the saddle, forefingers only on the brakes, knees bent, we hurtle down the path with varying degrees of confidence at speeds that range from fast to hypersonic, or at least feel that way. We are proud of ourselves.

Day two: let’s go to Italy. It’s only about 70km from Sölden to Merano but the drive is likely to take more than two hours over the

spectacular Timmelsjoch mountain pass.

Open only during the snow-free months between April and October, this is one of the world’s most beautiful roads, twisting and turning to reveal ever-more impressive vistas and countless viewpoint stops. In the light of our mountain biking experience we admire all passing cyclists – the ascent looks calf-wrenchingly impossible, the freewheeling descent terrifying. Despite the intense beauty, it is a long drive, especially when you know that you need to be back before the road closes at 8pm. We drive into beautiful Merano, which is German-speaking despite being well into Italy (the South Tyrol retains a strong Austrian identity that defies the border). Finding a lovely public pool, we spend happy hours on the slides and diving boards, enjoying the views of mountains around us. We drive back before the curfew, happy not to have to tackle the mountainous terrain in the dark.

There’s some rain the next day so we head to the Aqua Dome, a vast indoor and outdoor swimming world that features heated outdoor pools (rain no problem) as well as a saltwater pool, a pool with a strong current, some amazing waterslides (one, a dark hole, even shows a live broadcast of its current inhabitant on a screen) and lots of indoor sun loungers.

But the best watersports activities in the area are to be found at Area 47, a large lake near a rapid river where you can try out all the watersports you’ve ever heard of, as well as many that you haven’t. So there’s blobbing (hilariously), and cannonball, wakeboarding and more slides than we’ve ever seen, some of them improbably high. There’s a slackline across the lake which we happily fall off repeatedly, a climbing wall from which you can fall into the water and a restaurant terrace allowing great views over everything.

We spend the whole morning entering and

exiting the water by different means before assembling for our rafting afternoon. We are kitted out in full body wetsuits with boots, hats and life vests and given a detailed introductory talk (the instructor is English; most staff here are students who have found the best summer job ever) and we set off down the river, 12 of us all clinging to our paddles (it’s a 50 euro fine for each lost one) and shrieking with laughter as we cascade down the river. It’s the most fun we’ve had as a family in a long time (or certainly since mountain biking).

We were having so much fun that we’d almost forgotten about Bond. Our last day dawns significantly cooler: we don layers and head up in the high-tech gondola all the way to the top. At 3,000 metres is the Ice-Q, the glass structure that so impressed Spectre’s location scouts, and next to it is the museum.

It’s a high-tech exhibit focusing on the history of Bond and the creative feats involved in making the films. Enthusiasts will love it, and it’s accessible for the less obsessed too. So whether you’re a 007 disciple (or a skier) or not, there are reasons to visit the Otztal.

DA S C E N T R A L H OT E L Das Central Hotel, Sölden, Austria has double rooms available from €153 per person/per night (summer) and from €200 per person /per night (winter), based on two people sharing on a half-board basis. central-soelden.com May 2019

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UK GETAWAY

CHEWTON GLEN Helen Baron discovers a country retreat ideal for foodies and families

THE AREA

THE HOTEL

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ituated just a couple of hours from London on the southwestern fringe of the New Forest National Park, Chewton Glen is the epitome of old-school English comfort. The beautiful redbrick manor house is surrounded by lawned gardens and charmingly clad in creeping vines – it looks like something out of Atonement.

Inside, guest rooms and communal areas alike are decked out with a flair for contemporary refinement.

T H E S PA

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hewton Glen is about unwinding in elegant surroundings, and the award-winning spa illustrates

and October. Kids will love it – as they will the kids’ spa treatments (mini manicures!) and their own mini bathrobes and slippers.

the point perfectly. Facilities include a hydrotherapy pool, aromatherapy saunas, crystal steam rooms and individual treatment rooms where guests can benefit from a huge range of holistic therapies. If you’re feeling more energetic, you can work up a sweat in the dance studio, on the tennis courts, at the fully equipped gym or on the stunning 18-hole golf course. And of course, there are the pools – the indoor spa swimming pool is open to kids for 90 minutes in the morning and evening, but the heated outdoor pool is familyfriendly all day long between June

THE FOOD

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ining here is an experience every bit as sumptuous and relaxing as the spa. The Kitchen is a creation of celeb chef James Martin, who also uses the facilities to run half- and full-day cookery courses specialising in everything from perfect puddings to world cuisines. Martin himself runs a monthly masterclass, so you can let your inner Masterchef out to play in the finest of company.

And as if that wasn’t enough? There are even courses for little ones and teenagers. Perfect if you’re of the opinion that they should learn to make something beyond cereal...

here’s lots locally for families to enjoy, not least Paultons Park – an independent theme park and home to Peppa Pig World – and Beaulieu Motor Museum.

The New Forest offers prime rambling through woods and moorland liberally sprinkled with free-roaming ponies, cattle and pigs, while Chewton Glen is also close to the south coast – you can follow a path around the golf course to a lovely sandy beach with a view to the Isle of Wight. Stay on the estate and kids over three can enjoy the children’s club – there are even activities like archery, falconry and Apache buggies for older kids. What’s more, from this summer, the children’s club will be based in a magnificent new treehouse set to debut at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this month. Go check it out.

Rooms at Chewton Glen start at £325 per night; chewtonglen.com

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‘ Enjoying childhood and realising our imagination.’

“My time at Dallington has helped me to grow in body, mind and soul – this is something that I am immeasurably grateful for. Dallington has given me a push in the direction of success and I am thankful for all they have done.

I will do the best I can to repay them, the best I can, by leading an honest and dignified life.” - Nick (Year 6 pupil) Dallington is a family-run co-educational independent school, with a nursery, in the heart of London.

Personal tours each day of the week, except Wednesday.

Next Open Evening: Thursday 16th May 2019 from 6 to 8 pm

Headteacher, Proprietor and Founder: Mogg Hercules MBE Email: hercules@dallingtonschool.co.uk Phone: 020 7251 2284 www.dallingtonschool.co.uk

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resources A N E W CO N C E P T I N A F T E R - S C H O O L C H I LD C A R E p . 91 C A N YO U R R E L AT I O N S H I P S U RV I V E WO R K I N G W I T H YO U R PA R T N E R ? p . 9 3

Garden Variety • PLUM PLAY•

Now spring has sprung it’s time to encourage kids to head outside for some physical fun. Plum Play offers the most stylish and various selection of swing and slide playsets we’ve come across, as well as trampolines and playhouses to facilitate outdoor play. plumplay.co.uk

May 2019

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I OUTLOOK A wider

A parenting expert on bringing a growth mindset to raising children

Wo r d s M E L I S SA H O O D

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have been a parenting educator for 18 years, and every time I start a course I get parents to imagine the future when their child is grown-up. I ask them which attributes they would like to see in their child. Inevitably, happiness and success will be among the qualities mentioned. Of course parents want their child to be happy, but happiness is a state of mind that changes all the time. Pursuit of happiness can, in fact, lead to narcissism and dissatisfaction. Real happiness occurs when we have purpose in our lives.

So, what does success look like? Happiness may be a by-product of accepting that success comes in many different forms. Will it be attainment of wealth, power, fame, status, or accomplishment of some externally set qualification, grade or promotion? Many parents have quite a fixed view of success, determined by their own upbringing and by whatever societal narrative of success they are tuned in to. But when there is a definite goal for

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a child, in their parents’ minds, there is often one predetermined path to achieve it.

There are many successful people who have not pursued a conventional path. Think of Richard Branson, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Lucille Ball, none of whom ‘succeeded’ in conventional education. There is a Hasidic teaching that says: ‘If your child has a talent to be a baker, don’t tell him to be a doctor’. When this was mentioned in a class one of the parents said: “Oh no, my son will be a doctor!”

When success can only look one way there is potential for causing much stress in children, as well as rigid thinking, loss of creativity and missed potential. A child pursuing someone else’s agenda may feel overwhelmed and anxious. That child may feel very controlled and lose rapport with the parent. Juliet asked her ‘tween’ son what his definition of success was and he said: “It’s Usain Bolt – because he gets to do what he loves and he has the physical and mental energy to do it really well”.

If we set our own standards for success, and follow them, then we are successful. Whatever shape it takes, success is achieved in small steps and takes effort. Don’t feel you have to justify your version of success to anyone else.

The workplace of the future will look very different. Machines have moved on from being able to do manual labour better than us and are now able to process and learn from data at frightening speed, and without the requirement of sleep

or days off. White-collar jobs that used to be the exclusive domain of the university graduate are rapidly being taken over by computers.

Entry-level jobs in law, finance, education and healthcare may soon not exist.

The rise of robots and artificial intelligence means that the set of skills to enable humans to succeed in the new world will include creativity, imagination, enterprise, the ability to challenge information (critical thinking) and the ability to understand the way other humans think and feel. Parents can encourage those attributes in their children and create the conditions in which those skills will grow.

You can work with your child – accepting their temperament and understanding their educational profile – to help them succeed, with academic attainment being only one part of that success. Success in the educational sphere and the workplace often hinges on non-academic skills like emotional intelligence.

To encourage creativity and imagination, your child needs time to chill and think. A lowstress environment with consistent routine and a calm, problem-solving approach to discipline is necessary. If you want to encourage understanding of other perspectives, you need to show and teach empathy.

Be an emotion coach for your child. Your child’s rational, thinking, impulse-controlling brain (they have got one but it won’t be fully mature until their mid-20s) works most efficiently when less stressed. When your child is upset, validate and describe their feelings to them. They will be able to manage emotions much better when they understand them and see that you accept them. That frees up the brain to look for solutions. Naming the feeling makes connections between the language centres of the brain and the emotional amygdala. And hugs also produce oxytocin, which calms the brain.

Supporting them can start with empathy, such as: “I know sometimes it’s hard to get started on your homework/music practice when you’d rather play your new game. Those computer games are designed to be really appealing and when something’s new it’s even more tempting”.

Emotion coaching works even better when combined with descriptive praise (noticing

“If your child has a talent to be a baker, don’t tell them to be a doctor”

MELISSA HOOD

and mentioning the qualities you want to encourage): “You seem really stuck on this problem. It can be hard to think of solutions when you feel like that. Last week when you had those spellings to learn you really persevered and had some creative ideas for remembering them. As I recall, you found it helped you to move around while you were memorising. You got them in the end.”

Pressure to achieve at school is a leading cause of stress for children. Sometimes in our efforts to encourage our children to do their best, we may in fact be de-motivating them and simply adding to their stress.

Parents often say that they want their children to be confident and self-motivated, willing to try things and take risks, to work hard and persevere. You can motivate your child without causing stress by: • Making sure you have realistic expectations for this child, given their stage of development and temperament • Showing an interest in their learning • Avoiding the seven deadly habits: criticism, blaming, nagging, shouting, controlling, threatening and punishing.

• Encouraging input from your child • Using descriptive praise, not for results or grades, but for effort and attitude.

T H E PA R E N T P R A C T I C E For more information, visit theparentpractice.com May 2019

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TIPS

“Trying to fit the school run into a packed schedule can be an unexpected headache”

FLEX APPEAL How an after-school nanny can take away the stress of childcare

Wo r d s BY R AC H E L CA R R E L L O F KO RU K I D S

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hile the recent announcement of primary school places will be a relief to some parents, for others it will introduce a whole new set of unwanted problems. If your child’s school place is further away than you hoped, trying to make the school run

fit into an already packed schedule can be an unexpected headache. For parents in London, the answer could be an after-school nanny. Rachel Carrell, the founder of innovative childcare startup Koru Kids, has five insider tips on what to look for in an after-school nanny.

1

Make sure the after school nanny is local to you and the school.

By finding a nanny perfectly placed in your area, you can rely on them for school pickup and local activities. Here at Koru Kids, our after-school nannies are never more than half an hour from your child’s school and home, meaning they will always be at the gates to collect your little ones on the dot.

2 Find out about their interests and

passions outside of work.

It’s important to get to know what a nanny does in their spare time – it can open your child’s world to a completely new skillset or talent. Koru Kids’ carefully vetted nannies are often made up of current university students or older parents who have often already raised their own family. Children looked after by our nannies have learned art skills, guitar, sports and even mastering a second language!

3

Let home time be restful.

The school day, after-school clubs and longer commutes can be exhausting

for kids. By allowing them to head home straight after school, you can reduce the exhaustion they face.

Rather than set a planned activity each evening, allow an after-school nanny and your kid to structure their own time and vary activities depending on how they feel.

4 Make sure they are comfortable

with all aspects of after-school care.

Feel comfortable being clear with your after-school nanny about what your priorities for after school are, whether that is focusing on play and activities, making dinner or helping with homework. Armed with cookbooks full of healthy snacks and dinner options and often bringing a scholarly approach to homework time, a Koru Kids afterschool nanny can free up your own evening, letting you have quality time with your children when you arrive home.

5

Use the flexibility that having a nanny for only after-school provides.

Work isn’t always the traditional nine to five and finding childcare that matches the modern family can be a struggle. Let your nanny know your schedule, hours and times so you can be sure it is the perfect fit for both of you. Our families let us know which after-school days are non-negotiable and we make sure we match them with a nanny who can work to their schedule exactly.

KoruKids.co.uk @korukids_london

May 2019

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Hawkesdown House School

For Boys & Girls aged 2 to 11 years

27 Edge Street, Kensington, London W8 7PN Telephone: 0207 727 9090 Email: admin@hawkesdown.co.uk www.hawkesdown.co.uk

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Sylvia’s Happy Childcare is homebased nursery in Queen’s Park. Our aims are to provide outstanding Early Years Education for children through creative hands-on play and learning experiences in a stimulating, safe and relaxed environment.

We want children to feel excited about learning and aim to give them a positive first experience of life.

We are open 50 weeks of the year including school holidays

Monday to Friday from 8:00am - 6:00pm To arrange an appointment to view our nursery or for more information please don’t hesitate to contact us.

www.sylviashappychildcare.london SDC.indd 1

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Reso ur c es

TIPS

TI PS FO R

Working with your

PARTNER by husband and wife team Hayley & Luca Lepola

A L P H A B E T BAG S . C O M

1. LISTEN

Working with your partner is bound to create a less formal atmosphere than a normal workplace setting. Even if things are more relaxed in this respect it’s so important to listen to each other, take ideas and suggestions seriously and see the value in what the other half has to offer.

Working with your partner, someone you should be so comfortable with, should really be the perfect partnership for sharing ideas.

2. FIND YOUR NICHE

From the outset there will probably be obvious roles that you each fill within the business. However, as time goes on the business will evolve, it’s important to be aware of each other’s skills and interests, to understand who is best suited to new tasks.

might not be nine to five, but have a cut off. Know when it’s time to set business to one side and focus on being a couple (or two individuals!) This is the most difficult tip to practice and one we regularly fail to follow!

5.

3. DO LUNCH TOGETHER

It won’t be possible every day, but try to find just 30 minutes to have lunch together. Try not to discuss work during your lunch break, enjoy a little bit of time to catch up as a couple, it will lead to a much more enjoyable and productive afternoon!

4. SWITCH OFF

It sounds so simple but keeping work and home life separate is so important in the long run, especially if your workspace is in the home. Your working hours

EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY

If you are able to make working together work it can be a lifechanging opportunity. We started working together while studying at university, without any expectation for the business to be a long-term thing. More than 12 years later we are seeing more benefits that working together can bring, from flexible working hours when it comes to juggling family life, to enjoying working with the kids (when they want to get involved).

You might not just be working with your partner, but starting what could become a family business.

Embrace the change and enjoy what it can offer!

“Your working hours might not be nine to five but have a cutoff. Know when it’s time to set business to one side”

May 2019

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Georgina FUNG

is the founder of Magnificent Mama, a hypnobirthing and pregnancy wellness company. As a hypnobirthing teacher and pregnancy wellness expert, she supports women to have a positive pregnancy and birth experience. magnif icentmama.co.uk

Ask the

EXPERTS Q

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A

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Q How exactly does hypnobirthing work and can it really help me have an enjoyable birth?

A Hypnobirthing is absolutely not stage hypnosis and it most certainly can help you to enjoy your birth. At no point will you be asked to follow a swinging watch or to cluck like a chicken. Instead, you will be taught a series of relaxation techniques, which will help you attain a state of deep peace, calm and tranquillity. A great hypnobirthing course should provide a complete antenatal education programme, giving you all the tools, knowledge and techniques that you need to feel calm, confident and excited about giving birth. Fear causes tension and tension causes pain, so by ridding yourself of fear you are able to avoid the tension that would otherwise be causing you pain. It might sound simple or possibly too good to be true, but it works.

There are many benefits to hypnobirthing for the mother, birth partner and baby. These include a reduced chance of induction, shorter labour time, less need for pain relief, higher levels of birth satisfaction and less time in hospital post-birth.

It’s beneficial for every type of birth, including if you’re planning for a caesarean, to help keep those wonderful, positive hormones flowing through you during the birth surgery process.

Hypnobirthing is on the rise and with all of these benefits, it’s not difficult to see why! If you’re looking for a positive, calm, empowered birth experience then definitely give hypnobirthing a go.

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reso ur c es ADVICE

Heather MORRIS

Heather Morris is a registered general nurse and state certified midwife. She is mum to Freddy, Harry and Jack. metanium.co.uk

Can nappy rash be prevented?

No matter how careful you are, most babies are likely to get nappy rash at some time. Nappy rash is usually mild and can be managed with a good skincare routine and a barrier ointment.

Taking care of your baby’s delicate skin is essential in both treating and preventing nappy rash. Following these simple steps will help: Lie your baby on a towel and leave your baby’s nappy off as often as you can, to let fresh air get to the skin. Change wet or soiled nappies as soon as possible. Clean the Q A

nappy area thoroughly using plain water or alcohol and fragrance free wipes. Don’t use talcum powder as it contains ingredients that could irritate your baby’s skin. Try to bath your baby every day, but don’t use soap or bubble bath. Gently pat rather than rub your baby’s bottom dry and avoid vigorous rubbing. Use a suitable barrier ointment at each nappy change. Most mild cases of nappy rash can be easily treated with an ointment from your pharmacy and following this skincare routine, but if you are worried always seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

“COMMIT TO OPEN COMMUNICATION AND PRIORITISE INTIMATE TIME THROUGHOUT YOUR CYCLE”

Dr Larisa CORDA

Dr Larisa Corda is an obstetrician, gynaecologist and fertility expert on ITV’s This Morning. drlarisacorda.com Q What are the top tips you’d give to someone wanting to get pregnant?

A Most people are led to believe that getting pregnant is something that should happen naturally and quite soon after they set out to. But the truth is that you should start a lot earlier. Studies show that the lifestyle we lead not only influences our health, but also the health of our future children. The five main pillars of this lifestyle approach are featured in The Conception Plan, as followed by three of our couples on This Morning, each struggling to have a baby:

DIET: This needs to be as clean, unprocessed, nutritionally dense and as organic as possible.

EXERCISE: A minimum of 150 minutes per week is required as a mix of aerobic (cardiovascular) and anaerobic (resistance) training, to improve blood flow to your pelvis and maintain a healthy weight.

ENVIRONMENT: Aim to make this as toxin free as possible, from the food you eat, to what you use to prepare it, to products you use around the house and on yourself, eliminating as many of the harmful synthetic substances as you can.

STRESS: It’s crucial that you become aware of any stress you carry and invest in dealing with this, whether it’s via counselling or hypnosis or acupuncture or reiki, you must align your mind and soul with what you’re asking your body to do.

RELATIONSHIP: You must commit to free and open communication with your partner and prioritise intimate time together, including sex, not just around ovulation but throughout your cycle.

May 2019

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Henry Fawcett Community Nursery (Leaf ) Clayton St, London SE11 5BZ 020 7582 0509

to know Mama’s guide to London’s best nurseries and preschools

Base Zero Nursery Happy Days 109A Randlesdown Rd, Gramsci Way, London, SE6 3HB 020 8461 3510 The Villa 54 Lyndhurst Grove, London SE15 5AH 0207 703 6216 Chairbears Day Nursery 9-12 Deptford Broadway, London SE84PA 020 8305 6588

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North Bridge House Nursery School/Pre-Prep 33 Fitzjohn’s Ave, Camden Town, London NW3 5JY 020 7267 6266

Les Trois Oursons 4 Collins Yard, London N1 2XU 020 7099 0452

Hatching Dragon Nursery School 1 Viscount St, London EC1Y 0AA 020 7256 9365

Little Stars Nursery 58 Allen Rd, Stoke Newington, London N16 8RZ 020 7254 4367

Sahan Preschool Day Nursery 12 Stukeley Rd, London, E7 9QZ 020 3719 7002

The Mulberry House School 7 Minster Road, London, NW2 3SD 020 8452 7340 Living Spring Montessori St Michael’s Church Annexe, St Michael’s Road, London, NW2 6XG 020 8830 7331 Nuffy Bear Nursery Brondesbury Park Fitness & Wellbeing Centre, Sidmouth Road, London, NW2 5JY 020 3432 8708

Sylvia's Happy Childcare 119a Chevening Road, London, NW6 6DU 020 8960 2217

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Puddleducks Nurseries Puddleducks House, r/o 75 Friern Barnet Road, London NW3 5JY 020 7267 6266 Hackney Care For Kids 61 Evering Rd, London N16 7PR 020 7923 3471 William Patten Daycare Nursery William Patten School, Stoke Newington Church St, Stoke Newington, London N16 0NX 020 3844 4227 Creative Explorers Day Nursery 18 Gisburn Rd, London N8 7BS 07956 809748

Oliver Thomas Nursery School 1 Mathews Ave, London, E6 6BU 020 8552 1177

The Lyceum Nursery 6 Paul Street, City of London, London, EC2A 4JH registrar@lyceumschool.co.uk lyceumschool.co.uk 020 7247 1588

SOUT H E AST Dulwich Montessori Nursery School St Stephen’s Church, College Road, Dulwich, London SE21 7HN 0208 766 0091

Eaton Square Nursery School, Belgravia 28 & 30 Eccleston Street, London SW1W 9PY Eaton Square Nursery School, Knightsbridge Rutland Gardens, London SW7 1BX Eaton Square Nursery School, Pimlico 32a Lupus Street, London SW1V 3DZ nursery@eatonsquareschool.com eatonsquareschool.com 020 7931 9469 The Knightsbridge Kindergarten St Peter’s Church, 119 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AL 020 7371 2306 The Willcocks Nursery School Holy Trinity With All Saints Church, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BA 020 7584 5054 Melrose House 55 Finlay St, Fulham SW6 6HF 020 7736 9296

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reso urces DIRECTORY

Hatching Dragons Westminster Units 3&4 Westminster Quarter, 2 Monck street, London, SW1P 2BQ 0203 912 2902 Tadpoles Nursery School 68 Park Walk, Chelsea, London SW10 0NQ 020 7352 9757 The Barnes Village Nursery 3A Station Rd, London SW13 0LP 020 8878 5111 Gwendolen House 39 Gwendolen Ave SW15 6EH 0203 441 2450 London Early Years Foundation 121 Marsham St, Westminster, London SW1P 4LX 020 7834 8679 One World Nursery 9 Knowle Cl, London SW9 0TQ 020 7924 9505 Dee’s Day Nursery (Wimbledon) 2 Mansel Rd, Wimbledon, London SW19 4AA 020 8944 0284 Learning Ladders Nursery Ground Floor, Falkner Court, Francis Chichester Way, London SW11 5HX 020 7622 9300 Kiddi Caru Day Nursery 2 Piazza Buildings Empress State, London SW6 1TW 0207 386 4505 Tiggers Nursery School, Putney 87 Putney Bridge Rd, London SW15 2PA 020 8874 4668 Wee Ones Nursery 4 St Ann’s Cresent, London SW18 2LR 0208 870 7729

The Orchard Day Nursery 201-203 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1NL 020 3880 7373 Tiny Thinkers Childcare 192 Tudor Drive, Kingston upon Thames KT2 5QG 0203 441 2450

W EST Little Chepstow Nursery 108 Lancaster Road, W11 1QS 0207 243 0243 Rolfe’s Nursery School The Little House, 34a Oxford Gardens, London, W10 5UQ 020 8969 5805 New Studio Pre-School Kelfield Mews, Kelfield Gardens, London, W10 6LS 020 8969 5805 Denbigh Under Fives Group 5b Denbigh Road, Denbigh Road, London, W11 2SJ 020 7221 5318 Kids Unlimited 34 Ladbroke Grove, London W11 3BQ 0845 365 2918 St Peter’s Nursery School 59a Portobello Road, London W11 3DB 020 7243 2617 Ladbroke Square Montessori School 43 Ladbroke Square, London W11 3ND 020 7229 0125 The Square School 18 Holland Park Avenue, London W11 3QU 020 7221 6004 Holland Park Nursery School Kenley Walk Hall, Kenley Walk, London W11 4BA 020 7792 0323

Jack in the Box Kelmscott Community Hall, Ashchurch Grove, White City, London W12 9BT 020 8811 8099 Stepping Stones Nursery 5 Gayford Road, London W12 9BY 020 8811 1646 Bright Sparks Montessori School 142 Sinclair Road, London, W14 0NL 020 7371 4697

Caterpillar Montessori PO Box 105 11 London W4 5WU W4 5LG 020 8747 8531 Maggie and Rose 55 Finlay St, Fulham SW6 6HF 020 7736 9296 Millie’s House Nursery and Pre-School Distillery Lane, Fulham Reach W6 9US 020 8748 4303

Vanessa Nursery 12 Cathnor Road, London W12 6JA 020 8743 8196

Windham Nursery School Windham Road, Richmond, Surrey, London TW9 2HP 0208 831 6060

Little Owls Nursery 108 Lakeside Rd, London W14 0DY 020 3266 0044

Merchant Square Day Nursery 13 Harbet Rd, Paddington, London W2 1AJ 020 7402 2227

The Kensington Kindergarten St Barnabas Church, 23 Addison Rd, Kensington, London W14 8LH 020 7371 4848

Busy Bees at Hammersmith 3 Bute Gardens, London W6 7DR 0208 741 9945

Millie’s House Nursery and Pre-School Distillery Ln, London W6 9PL 020 8748 4303 One World Montessori and Pre-Preparatory 69 - 71 Brook Green, London W6 7BE 020 7603 6065 Little Cherubs Nursery School Our Lady Of Victories Church Hall, 16a Abingdon Road, London W8 6AF 07810 712241

The Corner House Day Nursery 82 Lavington Rd, London W13 9LR 020 8567 2806 Bunny Park Day Nursery & Nursery School 37 Manor Court Rd, London W7 3EJ 020 8567 6142 Hatching Dragons Twickenham 2 The Green, Twickenham, London, TW2 5AA 0203 912 2901

Carmelite Parish Centre Pitt Street W8 4JH 07810 712241 Iverna Gardens Montessori Nursery School Armenian Church Hall, Iverna Gardens, London W8 6TP 020 7937 0794

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TRIED & TESTED

IN-DEPTH REVIEWS OF THE LATEST PARENTING KIT

reso urces REVIEWS

Ickle Bubba Mercury iSize Car Seat

T

R e v i e w e d b y C H L O E VA L I E N T E

something our daughter loved straight away. Importantly, however, it retains all the safety features you could wish for – including isofix connectors (meaning it stays firmly in place in your car) and brilliant screw-out side impact protectors. Another plus is the way the seat adapts to your child, with a one-touch adjustable headrest and cool integrated guides that ensure the belt always sits in the correct position on your little one’s shoulder and across their waist. You can even remove the back and use the base as a standalone booster seat once your child is over 135cm tall.

And of course, it’s stylishly designed – ours is a lovely, soft salt and pepper grey with red detailing. It was set up and installed in minutes and our daughter hasn’t had a complaint since.

A real win.

he first time you drive with a newborn is a dependably tremulous experience, and the best way to offset those newmama nerves is to source a car seat you can rely on.

The Ickle Bubba Mercury is just such a seat, designed to cater to children from their very first road trip to the age of 15 months or so – and its firm focus on this key age range means it’s specially tailored to protect the tiniest of tinies.

That protection takes the form of a shock-absorbing shell that shields your child in the event of a side, front or rear collision, absorbing the energy of any impact. There’s also the stability provided by the isofi x base, which not only keeps the seat securely fastened to your car but makes it easier to remove and reinsert as needed.

Other great features include a UPF50+ sun-deflecting canopy, a removable and breathable memory foam newborn insert and a headrest that can be adjusted to six different positions with one hand. Maximum comfort is only ever a gesture away.

Last but not least, the seat is travel system-compatible, easily fitted to most big-brand strollers using the Stomp universal car seat connectors (supplied separately). All of which makes for a comfortable ride for your new baby.

 £195; babys-mart.co.uk

 £319; icklebubba.com

Britax-Roemer KidFix2 S Highback Booster Seat

S

Reviewed by HELEN BARON

hop for a new car seat and you enter a minefield of competing claims and scientific stats. Just marshalling the vast amount of data is a job in itself. So when we were looking for a new seat for our daughter, who at nearly four was starting to complain that her existing seat was no longer comfortable, we hewed towards a select few brands with an excellent track record of safety and performance.

Britax-Roemer is arguably the leader in its field, with a product range built in Germany to reliably exacting standards and the test results to back up its marketing. What’s more, in its innovative new KidFix2 S seat, it has solved problems we didn’t even know we had.

The seat is a highback group 2/3 booster chair for kids aged approximately 3.5 to 12 years (1536kg). This means it looks and feels less enclosed than a Group 1 chair,

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