Category: Collaborations

Travelling with a newborn baby can be challenging. Aside from the hassle of carrying all their equipment, you need to plan their feeds and nap times around your schedule. And if you have older kids to deal with too, you may find leaving the house to be stressful at times.

(Collaborative Post)

The good news is that you don’t have to sacrifice your annual family holiday. If you and the rest of the family fancy a day or week at the beach, baby can come too.

The important thing is to be well prepared. Whereas you can ‘wing it’ with a toddler or an older child, babies have quite specific needs. They may require a certain brand of baby milk or a particular size of nappy. You can accommodate these things if you head somewhere with shops, but a day on the beach is trickier, as shops won’t be so readily available.

Make a list before you leave the house. Note down everything you would typically use in a normal day and make sure you pack it in the car or your bag. Include an extra change of clothes and some spare nappies. It is better to be well prepared than not have everything you need.

UV Protective Clothing

The main risk to a newborn baby is the sun. A baby’s skin has no natural protection, so they are vulnerable to sun damage. It is sensible to apply lots of sunblock to your baby’s face and body, but UV protective clothing provides an extra layer or protection. There are fabrics that have been developed to filter out harmful UVA and UVB light, so your baby is protected at all times, on the way to the beach and while you take them for a paddle.

A trendy rash guard vest will ensure your baby looks stylish while staying safe in the sun. A boys rash guard from Folpetto comes in several colours and sizes and is perfect for young children.

A Sun Shelter

Babies shouldn’t be out in the sun for long. Therefore, a sun shelter is an excellent accessory for a long day on the beach. It will provide some much-needed shade and give you a safe place to change nappies, feed, and put your newborn down for a nap. Sun shelters are like pop-up tents. They are easy to erect and provide a visible base for the rest of the family to head back to after a dip in the sea. Look for one that is large enough to accommodate your baby’s equipment and beach accessories.

Portable Crib

If you drive to the beach, you can transport your baby in his car seat. If you walk to the beach, he can lie in his pram, but it may be tricky to shift the pram over the sand, so a baby sling could be easier. However, if your baby goes to the beach in a sling, he has nowhere to take a nap when you arrive. Since you may not want to place him on a sandy towel, consider taking a portable crib or bassinet. This provides a safe place for your newborn baby to sleep between feeds and nappy changes. Look for a lightweight Moses’s basket or similar.

These are the main items, but there are zillions of other useful items worth packing in your baby backpack. Hand sanitiser is very useful, as it protects you from nasty bacteria and helps to ensure your hands stay hygienic after changing a smelly nappy. Don’t forget to pack nappy sacks too, as carrying around a dirty nappy when there are no bins is likely to be unpleasant on a hot day.

(Collaborative Post)

Fine wine storage is an art, and if you’re unfamiliar with the whole process, you could end up making mistakes that will have a negative on your wine’s quality and not allow it to develop and age the way that it should. If you want to preserve your fine wines the right way, there are some strict rules that need to be followed. In this article, we’re going to discuss some of the things you should do and avoid when storing fine wines.

Do Consider a Wine Storage Facility

If you’re serious about your wines and look at them as an investment, then it would be wise to consider storing them with a wine storage company. Fine wine storage is not something to be taken lightly, especially if your goal is to pass them down or resell them, so handing the wine storage process over to a company that is familiar with vintage wine storage is a wise decision. These companies usually have underground cellars which have the perfect conditions for fine wines and will also allow you to record the condition and duration of storage, which will make appraising and reselling your wines easier. If you want to know more about the process in general, you can always check this guide to fine wine storage.

Don’t Expose them to Light

Wines are very sensitive to UV rays, so you should do everything in your power to protect them from sunlight and fluorescent lights. Dark bottles are already better for wine storage, but they won’t be enough to completely protect your wines from light. Delicate white wines in particular are prone to light damage, so take extra precautions with them.

Heat is also an enemy of good wine, so make sure that you store your wine away from any heat source like radiators, hot water heaters, furnaces or any appliance that emits heat. Wines should ideally be kept at about a 13c to 14c temperature for optimal results.

Do Check Humidity Levels

Besides light and temperature, humidity also plays a major role when storing your wines. Store them in an environment that is too dry, and the cork might dry out and let air in, which could ruin them. This could also lead to leakage. At the other extreme, if you store your wines somewhere that is too humid, you might have to deal with mould and contamination. The humidity of the room you choose to store your wines in should hover around the 60% mark. This will allow your corks to remain fresh and expanded.

Don’t Put Your Wine on Your Fridge

Some people just put their everyday wines on top of their fridge out of habit. But that’s one of the absolute worst places for a bottle of fine wine. Not only do refrigerators give out heat, but the vibrations they emit are bad for vintage wines. Vibration will affect the way the wine ages and tastes. Not only that, but your bottles will most likely be exposed to direct light if you store them there. So, whatever you do, make sure that your never store any vintage wines on top of your fridge if you want them to age properly.

Storing fine wines doesn’t have to be difficult once you know the basics. If you follow the few simple tips in this article, you’ll allow your wines to develop to their full potential and get the most out of your investment.

This is a collaborative post.

When your kids start to grow up and become a little more independent, it can be a relief. As they begin to play imaginatively by themselves, you get a little of your life back, and are at least able to work around the house without needing to care for them every moment of the day.

This time of their lives comes with new responsibilities for their parents though: you need to make sure you they’re safe and stimulated even as they develop the capacity to keep themselves amused and pursue their own games and imaginative life. Today let’s look at some top tips for constructing a play room that will keep your young children safe and entertained.

Creating Space

The first you need to do is clear a space. Whether your play room is actually just a corner of your lounge, a basement, or a whole spare room you can devote the purpose, you need to make sure it’s not also being used for storage. You don’t want to run the risk of your newly strong and mobile child pulling an old box of clutter over on their head and hurting themselves. The whole idea of making a safe play space for your kids is that you’re able to leave them there for short periods and not worry about them!

So start by looking into storage options that let you clear out a room. If you look into byStored self storage you’ll find a well priced solution that also includes free pick up of your items to store so you don’t have to worry about driving them over – an extra advantage when you have a highly mobile and curious toddler to take care of.

Controlling Chaos

One issue of a creating a room for your children to play in is that’s prone to become a disaster area! While you can start teaching them to tidy up after themselves when they’ve finished playing, it doesn’t always go well with boisterous toddlers.

You can try and control the chaos by focusing it on specific areas. Turning one wall into a chalk board your toddlers can scribble on to their heart’s content is a good way to avoid finding original crayon artworks on other walls, or total chaos on the floor.

Similarly, if you cover the crates and boxes you keep your children’s toys and supplies in with thick brown paper, that gives them another safe place to draw, and really make the room feel their own!

One you’ve added their toys, and softened sharp corners with cushions, and other simple safety measures, you’ll have a playroom your children can enjoy to their heart’s content while you enjoy a few little periods of independence each day.

Collaborative Post

Flies can be a real nuisance in our homes.  They’re frustrating and annoying, with that constant buzzing noise around your head, and that’s not to mention the potential for spreading disease.  The spread of disease is something you want to avoid, especially in the kitchen, where our food is prepared on a regular basis, and good hygiene routines are essential.

Saying all that, getting rid of flies from your kitchen should form part of any hygiene routine we have in place, but it’s not easy to get fly control perfect, as those little flying things have a knack of escaping even the most energetic of fly swatters.

Disease.

That says it all really.  House flies are not fussy about spending their time in clean areas. In fact, they prefer mucky filth, and revel in the internals of a rubbish bin, and we’ve all seen them swarm around dog poo.

After all that, they fly in through an open window or door, and flit around, from room to room inside our homes, spreading their lovely germs as they go.  If we don’t get rid of them straight away, they’ll land on our kitchen work surfaces, tables, and any uncovered food left lying around, or set out for the next meal.  Salmonella has been potentially linked to house flies, which are known to be carriers of more than 200 types of bacteria, so getting rid of flies should be a priority in our homes.

How to help stop flies invading your home.

We can’t actually avoid finding flies in our homes, especially from spring to autumn, but we can reduce the risk in our homes by taking a little action.

• Make sure that any gaps and cracks in the exterior walls of your home are sealed up.
• Make sure that debris is cleared away from the exterior of your property.
• Keep outside rubbish areas clean and tidy, with lids on.  Open rubbish tends to attract flies and the closer they are to your house, the easier it is for them to get in.  Wash your outside bin with hot soapy water.
• Consider hanging screens on windows and doors you leave open frequently, to make it harder for flies and other insects to get inside.

What if flies do invade?

Let’s face it, you only have to open a door, and flies can get into your kitchen. You need to make sure that you get rid of them straight away, so that they do not have chance to spread disease in your home.

Taking preventive measures can help reduce the amount of flies that get into your property. But, you need to look out for those that do get in, and make sure that you get rid of them straight away.

• Make sure that food is kept in the fridge or covered up.
• Dispose of waste products properly and keep it outside, eg cat litter and nappies.
• Clean your sinks and hobs regularly with hot soapy water.  Any food residue will attract the flies to your home.  Remember that flies can breed in dirty mops and cloths, so don’t leave them lying around.
• There are several home remedies that you can use, to help you get rid of flies. You can also opt to use a fly spray, or a UV-A lamp which attracts flies and then kills them.
• Grow insect repelling herbs, such as mint, rosemary and lavender on your window sills, to deter them coming in.

Brought to you in collaboration with Teacherboards.

It’s safe to say middlers bedroom is a bit of a stromash at the moment.  He’s a child/teenager, as so many special needs children are, and although he wants to be a teen, he’s still a child at heart. His room badly needs doing, but as with everything else, life moves on, and here we are, with him now a couple of years into teenagehood, and he’s still got transformers curtains and childish decor.  Even he wants it changed.

When Teacherboards got in touch, I was still thinking about how I could possibly change his room into something that still lets him be a child, yet can be quicky and easily turned into a more grown up room for when his brothers friends come round, and he can swiftly, and on his own, make his room blend in to what a regular teenager would see as cool.  I hadn’t found anything that would allow him that privilege.

I did half think about the rainbow felt pinboards, but thought he might think those too girly. 

They come in 20 different colours, with beech surround.  They can be displayed vertically or horizontally, and include a wall fixing kit. These would have been perfect for him a few years ago, for making shapes, puzzles and more, but for this time round, I have been looking for something a bit more grown up.

I’d thought about buying a blackboard or giant sheets of paper for him, and the option of whiteboards were a very real possibility, then I spotted the paint…  Yep, that’s right..  Paint, but not ordinary paint.

I spotted this paint on their website, and I knew I’d found what I was looking for.

Ideapaint – Dry Wipe Whiteboard Wall Paint, in white.

Write on after four days.
• Environmentally compliant.
• 10-year limited warranty.
• IdeaPaint is odourless when dry (after 24 hours) and will cover an area of 4.65m² per package.

It would be perfect for him….  Absolutely and without any doubt whatsoever.

I can just imagine him drawing away on the walls to his heart’s content, never having to worry about what mum and dad will say, and just the thought of having your walls as your canvas, is genius, for all kids I think.  It would also let him quickly wipe away any evidence of squiggly wiggly lines if he wants to look more grown up when his brothers friends are around.

Given the price, at £168.60 including vat for 4.65m² , I could only justify one wall done in this paint, but that would be enough for him, and would keep him a very happy boy indeed..  I’ve never seen this in classrooms but I’m sure some of you out there have seen this in action.  I’d love to know what the kids actually think of it.

Now, all I have to do, is save up the money, and he can have the drawing board of his dreams……

Happy Mothers Day to all.

The Co-operative sent me a lovely surprise gift for Mother’s Day with no expectation that I would post about it, but I think Mother’s Day is one of the most important days of the year.  More so than a birthday really, as the day signifies all that someone thinks of their nearest and dearest.

I didn’t expect anything at all, so my lovely surprise parcel was a nice way to receive an unexpected gift.  I couldn’t make the Twitter Tea Party, so I had my own.

I think my biggest Mother’s Day tip, would be that mums are more concerned about what we do for them, than what they get.  I’m lucky if I get a bunch of £5 flowers from the local shop and possibly a card if my hub actually remembers mother’s day is coming up, as he would need to buy for the kids :-).

What I’d really like, would be for them to make breakfast for my mum and I, and keep bringing her cups of coffee all day long, to save me going up and down her stairs around 50 times a day.  Now that would be a fabulous Mother’s day break for me.

As it is, we’re lucky enough to have a carer for a few hours this Mother’s Day, so I will be able to take it easy, though I’m due for my next run session, trying to up my 5k time from the ridiculously slow to the almost acceptably slow……

In my parcel were some lovely little gifts.  Thank you Co-op.

In collaboration with Tesco.

It’s that time of year again when I’m looking for something for my mum, and being who my husband is, with no idea of what I’d like for Mothers Day, I usually end up buying something for myself and he takes the kids to get a bunch of flowers since I can’t do chocolates as a diabetic.  I have horrific memories of some of the disastrous gifts he’s come up with over the years, and I’ve learned to get what I like myself, or drop enormous hints.

I do a lot of shopping with Tesco, so being asked to take a look at their Mothers Day presents range was something I would do anyway, and gave me a good chance to root through the online gift choices on Tesco Direct.

What I’d Choose for Myself

There is just so much to pick from.  We don’t do large gifts for adults in our house, so the range on offer was ideal for me.

Von Shef Snap and Stack Cupcake Storage Carrier

I never know what to do with baked cupcakes.  They usually end up squished into a plastic tub, or end up going all over the place.  With a capacity of 24, for £13.99, this storage carrier would be perfect for me.

Quirky Gadget – App Controlled Smart Scale

At £39.99, it’s more expensive that I’d usually consider for Mother’s Day, but I can dream, and I’d absolutely LOVE one of these smart scales.  I’ve looked at them more times that I care to remember.

If my other half is reading, this is a big nudge, nudge, hint, wink, wink…..  Not only does it guide us through the baking process, it even gives us hints and timers for when to mix, bake or cook.  My gadget girl head can’t wait to try one of these.

Afternoon Tea – Katie Alice Cottage Afternoon Tea Set

How about this to sit down with afternoon tea and a slab of lovely cake?  I think most women appreciate nice crockery, and I’d like a set or two of these in my kitchen cupboards for when friends come round for the afternoon.  Getting myself lovely cups and saucers hasn’t been top of my buying list, so as a present, I’d be delighted with these for £9, which includes a tea-cup, saucer and side plate.

Flowers

I almost always have to buy my own.  If my husband bought them too often, I’d wonder what he’d done wrong….  For Mothers Day, he does sometimes let the kids buy me some, and although I don’t particularly like lilies, I like most other flowers, especially ones in either very muted pale colours or very vibrant reds and purples.

My choice would be this Mother’s Day Seasonal Posy at £25, which includes the milk churn, if I could persuade my man to get them.  I’d love something like this on permanent display, but it could get rather pricey, but for a special occasion, they’re gorgeous.

Many thanks to Tesco for allowing me to reproduce these images.