Category: Family

Posted on by — 11 Comments

The Caffeine Effect

Coffee-Beans-2Sweating and with a heavy headache, coming off caffeine was no easy feat.  I hadn’t realised I was so addicted until I tried to stop drinking diet fizzy drinks.  It wasn’t the aspartame that people tend to attribute as the biggest problem, as that was still in the diluting juices I fizzed with my soda stream instead.

I must have been taking caffeine in large doses although I really had no idea just how much it took to end up with withdrawal.  I was obviously sipping enough of it as the withdrawal was very obvious.

I’ve heard people saying that caffeine isn’t addictive, but if you have ever ingested lots of it over  a long time frame and tried to stop, you’ll probably get some of the symptoms I suffered with it.  I believe caffeine is a mild painkiller, so perhaps lots of us self medicate by using it.  Boots tells us that caffeine helps other pain relievers to work better, and is often in over-the-counter pain relievers, cold medications and diet pills.

I know that coffee and tea are the ones we know most about, but where I took most caffeine in was with my Diet Irn Bru and Diet Coke.  My kids were also all imbibing it in larger quantities by wanting Pepsi Max which seems to be Diet Pepsi with added extra caffeine.  Cocoa beans contain some caffeine, and Pro-Plus tablets / Energy Drinks contain quite high levels.

We all know people who take caffeine to keep them awake or to appear brighter, but where should we draw the limit?  On the Diet Coke bottle beside me, I can’t even find how much caffeine is actually in it so keeping tabs on how much we eat/drink isn’t the easiest of tasks.

There is actually less caffeine in Coca-Cola and Coke Zero than in Diet Coke which surprised me.

In 500ml of fluids, there are approximately:

  • Coca-Cola 48mg
  • Coke Zero 48mg
  • Diet Coke  64mg
  • Pepsi 50mg
  • Diet Pepsi 48mg
  • Pepsi Max 92mg
  • Instant Tea 48 – 62mg
  • Instant Coffee 120 – 170mg
  • Diet Irn Bru – (Approximately 50mg.  I couldn’t find the exact amount anywhere)

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and although we do end up with a dependence, it isn’t thought that it would affect our physical health.

Symptoms of withdrawal usually go away after a few days, and may include:

  • Headaches
  • Tiredness
  • Irritability
  • Brain fog (difficult concentrating)
  • Anxiety
  • Shakes
  • Increased heart rate

Daily limits for health are not easily found.

I’ve seen it spoken about that levels around 500mg + of caffeine a day may cause some problems.  Although caffeine is a well studied substance, each persons tolerances are different.

I used to drink about 4 litres of diet irn bru a day which would take me to around 200mg of caffeine a day.  That’s not a massive amount in the terms of caffeine intake, yet I did suffer incredible headaches and used to get stressed if I thought I was about to run out of my liquid nectar which seems totally daft to me now.  I didn’t suffer the other symptoms of withdrawal, but the headache was enough for me.  There are times when I drink a Diet Coke that I can have indigestion, so I do think that caffeine has an effect on me.

Is caffeine safe?  

Who knows, but the effects certainly seem to have been well studied.  I think this is one additive to products we really all have to take our own responsibility for.

Posted on by — 17 Comments

Hypermobility Syndrome (HMS) / or Wibbly Wobbly Joints As We Know It

Two of my boys have hypermobile joints.  You know the ones that can turn their elbows inside out, or stick out their shoulder blades at completely stomach churning angles.  One of mine can do that.

Littlest can turn his feet to direct opposites of each other.

HMS1

In simple terms, hypermobility is the ability to move our joints further than the normally expected range of movement.  It can range from very mobile to some of us with almost no mobility at all (like me).

Many hypermobile jointed people are described as “double jointed.”

The different levels can made a big difference to quality of life.  My boys are lucky enough that theirs is easily spotted, yet allows them to still lead an active and quality life.   They can do things like stick their shoulder blades out at wierd angles that make me cringe, to folding their thumbs back so that they they are in line with their arms.

How common is it? 

It’s fairly common at some level in our population.   For some people, it might just be elbows and fingers and for others it may just be fingers that make it difficult to hold a pencil.  Yet more people might find it difficult to do some everyday things, and for others it might even be a benefit.  Imagine if you are an athlete whose edge could be that your hip joints give you that little more flexibility for each step and propels you further forward.

I watched a TV programme that Cheryl Cole was on where she demonstrated her hypermobile elbows, so it can affect anyone.

Quite often children seem to “grow out” of HMS as it can often seem to reduce as they get older.

Problems

My youngest has learned that it doesn’t take much to dislocate his thumb.  It folds back on itself, right to his arm, but a knock easily dislocates it.  That is incredibly painful for him and although it pops back in place easily, it takes a good couple of weeks for the pain to subside.  I suspect that occurs as although his joint over extends easily and he doesn’t really realise that it can go too far.  I’m grateful his healed up fine, as HMS injuries can be difficult to recover from.

He struggles to hold his pencils or pens correctly and although there are pens and pencils for people with HMS, in reality, it’s difficult for them to keep hold of.  Other children tend to want to try them or they are easily broken.  Children often don’t want to be different from their peers and might just not use them anyway.

We’ve got round that for lengthy writing exercises by having a laptop available for him to use, but again, he has to be told to use it or he’ll just potter on with struggling to hold his pencil and not manage to write very much.  It takes so much effort to just put pen and pencil to paper, that the quality and quantity of output can be quite poor and the condition unrecognised as an issue by teachers.

Pain

Some HMS affected people can experience pain from their joints, and it can be to the extent that it is misdiagnosed or interfere with daily living.  Thankfully we have not got to that point and hopefully we never will, but it is always good to know what the future potential can be.

Diagnosis

It does pay to have HMS diagnosed.  I hadn’t realised what it was until my eldest had a thumb injury and the physiotherapist told me he had it, and she watched my youngest writing and told me he also suffered from it in his fingers and thumbs.

Without the diagnosis, youngest wouldn’t have his school laptop and we wouldn’t know to watch out for hand injuries.

If they had less obvious symptoms I wouldn’t have bothered.  I just thought eldest and his shoulder blades were a bit like a party trick.    Diagnosis also helps to pinpoint later on if there are some more serious effects and it helped us to understand that it wasn’t much of a blow that dislocated both eldest and littlests thumbs on different occasions.

There is a scoring system, the “Beighton Score” which grades the body to identify possible hypermobility in some parts of the body, but it is usually best diagnosed by a doctors examination and they can help suggest things to help if it is causing problems in life.

Where do I get help?

Find out more about HMS by visiting the following:

 

 

Posted on by — 7 Comments

Grow Your Own Garden Goodies

Getting goodies from the garden is always a fab thing to get.  We’ve got a plot and it’s great to get fresh stuff.  Our plot has grown and grown and grown and although it’s the first year, there should hopefully be many years after this to enjoy the goodies.

Plot Strawberry Plants

The strawberries looked and tasted great.  Pity they’re all done already as we only got a few dozen and they don’t last long in this house.

Plot Plants

The potatoes are a different story.  We’ve been eating them for a week and loads more to come.  Fresh and absolutely lovely when they’re cooked.

Plot Potatoes 1

Plot Potatoes 2

Sadly the cauliflowers are taking longer to ripen than we thought so they might not be goers this year, fingers crossed.

Cauliflower

The peas have done well, but it’s just a pity there isn’t really that much when they pea pods are shelled.  I forgot to tell them to keep the shells for stir fry, but they’ll remember next year I hope.

Plot Lettuce

Loads of lovely lettuce.

Herbs

Some mint, two types of basil and some parsley made up the total amount of herbs we pulled up.  Somehow I’ve not managed to get a photo of the parsley.

Plot Dill

Last but not least this week was the dill.

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Holiday Horrors: Sunburn

Sunburn hurts. A lot.

We’re in France and on day 2 it was raining and very very cloudy.

The boys all took to the pool with gusto and we never thought about topping up the suncream. The result was that we were all slowly being roasted through the clouds.

Two of the kids sunburn abated with a day out of the sun, but for eldest, it was a trip to the local doctor who spoke no English at all. We did manage to communicate with some difficulty and he has second degree sunburn on his shoulders.

We used natural yoghurt on the first night as after sun just wasn’t doing anything for it.

That got me thinking about the different degrees of sunburn and how they should be treated differently. I am also a bit more sensible and I am making sure the kids have a sunscreen top up every hour.

Sunburn happens when the skin is burned from ultra violet light (UV). ANY redness is sunburn and it IS damaging our skin.

Even with creams and lotions, skin can still be burned so take care. Clothes do provide a good barrier and shut out the rays.

OK – first aid for sunburn.

If someone has passed out, is semi- conscious, or is not making sense, seems to have lost control over their body or is having difficulty breathing with any level of sunburn – call the emergency services. That is sun poisoning.

FIRST DEGREE SUNBURN

This is what we see most. Patient is conscious, skin goes red and it’s quite easy to see on eldest and myself as we both have very fair skin. The skin may turn pink to bright red and is sore.

All burns are dehydrating so give plenty water. After sun lotions or moisturisers can be applied to the skin to keep it moist and provide relief from the pain.

Small blisters may appear and it is a good idea to see a doctor if they do.

The burn will heal, possibly in a few days. Skin may flake and peel, but resist the temptation to pick it off as it might take off healthy skin around it.

SECOND DEGREE BURNS

The skin is so burned that it tries to protect itself with noticeable blisters.

Don’t put ice on it as it will make things worse.

With eldest, these yellow orange blisters appeared almost 2 full days AFTER the day he was exposed to the clouds. He stayed inside for the first day afterwards as we thought he just had regular sunburn. Thank goodness he wasn’t outside the say after the burn.

Never open or pop the blisters. They may weep, but leave them alone.

Keep the sunburned person out of the sun and get a doctors opinion of the blisters, even if they don’t have the symptoms of sun poisoning. They will need prescription cream to put on the burns. Don’t wrap up the blistered skin as it will stick to anything it meets.

Wear cotton white t-shirts for the next week and stay out of swimming pools or the sea.

If the burn covers more than a third of their body, even without signs of sun poisoning, get them to hospital or call emergency services.

THIRD DEGREE SUNBURN

This is dangerous. The body cannot cope with the damage to cells.

Skin may look dried and cracked. The person will most likely be unconscious and in danger. If they are conscious, they may not feel the pain due to nerve damage.

Call emergency services immediately.

Don’t move them, but get shade over them. Sprinkle cool water (no ice) over the skin if you can.

Disclaimer: this article is for information only. I am not a trained medical professional. If in doubt, always consult your GP or doctor for advice.

20130803-152408.jpg

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Help For Holiday Hair Horrors

collaborative post

I have thick and wavy hair, even though I straighten it to within an inch of its life daily, and sometimes several times daily.

I’ve often been tempted to have a try at the hair extensions the young kids use nowadays, and my boys elder sister does a great job of creating fabulous hairstyles from her clip in extensions.

They look so real that I had no idea that it wasn’t her own hair until I saw her one afternoon without them and asked if she’d had her hair cut.

holiday hair

Going on holiday is always the time when my hair just goes all to pot.  It starts to frizz in the heat and if its humid, it slowly starts to wave and cul outwards which I hate with a passion.

That’s even before I even start with the chlorine in the pool or the hot sun.

I was thinking about how I was going to control my hair this year abroad when I was contacted by Hair accessories from Pauls Hair World with a sponsored opportunity for a blog post which suited me just fine.

I’d wondered a few times where the boys sister had got her hair extensions from and these look very similar.

It was too late for me to get any for my holiday, but I’d certainly give gorgeous hair pieces a go for the next wedding or big event that I’m invited to (and can attend).

There are some things that I do on holiday to keep my hair from frizzing up too much, and I’ve learned these over time.

1 – Coconut Oil

On one of my earliest holidays, I remember using a certain spray stuff that bleached our hair while we sat in the sun.  That was fine until the 4th or 5th day when my hair started to feel like chewing gum when it was wet and an old greek woman told me to use coconut oil on my hair every night and sleep with it on.  It worked to keep my hair reasonable until the damaged lengths were cut off and I still use coconut oil regularly on my hair when the sun has been on it.

2 – Heat Protection Spray

I use straighteners – a LOT.  Sometimes twice a day if I am going out in the evening or my hair has been frizzed by humidity or sea haar / mist up our way in Scotland.   Pauls Hair World recommends letting our hair dry naturally and then using curling tongs or straighteners afterwards.  I know that would be the ideal thing to do, but it just takes sooo long for thick hair to dry that I usually give up trying and blast away with the dryer.  I do often use a heat protection spray to help stop the split ends from over processing and I seem to have hit a good balance with that now.

3 – Conditioner

If I’m going swimming regularly abroad, I often just smear some conditioner or cream that can be left in to give it that little bit of protection while the sun is on it.

4 – Go Natural

When it’s just too hot to process, I have no option but to go au naturel.  My hair is very thick so it takes a fairly long time to blow dry and straighten.   When I am somewhere really humid, I just take some mousse with me so that I can leave it to dry on it’s own.  Naturally, my hair dries quite wavy and a little fly away frizzy, so the mouse allows it to have some weight and stop the fly away frizz.  I do prefer my hair straight when it’s blonde but find it easier to live with wavy when it’s darker.   I have no idea why.

5 – A Good Brush

Good brushes are great for smoother hair.  When you look for a hair styling brush, try and find one that suits you and your lifestyle.  Brushes are not only good for detangling but can also help with the condition, shape, style and shine for crowning glory.  With the right brush, you can create curls, smooth and straighten, and also end up with romantic waves.

————————————————————————————

This post was sponsored.   I will not benefit if you click the links contained within, but they will take you to a sponsors website.

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Guest Post: Is your child’s digital knowledge streets ahead?

Baby Computer

 

This is  a guest post by Alexandra from Know The Net, an organisation that provides information, tips and advice on how to stay safe online.

———————————————————————————————

Having grown up in a world in which computers are all pervasive, it is little wonder that children often know more about using technology than their parents. To many, it would seem as though kids just “know” how to surf the net, play a games console, operate a mobile phone, and interact with technology in general.

When faced with an apparent digital divide between the generations, it becomes difficult to gauge just how far ahead your offspring are. Nominet recently completed some research to try and define and quantify the difference, by questioning parents and teenagers regarding common internet phrases and how well both parties understood them.

A musical muddle

For the most part, the research suggests that parents are relatively well informed when it comes to the proper use of computers. “Mature” internet concepts, such as downloading songs from iTunes or streaming tracks from Spotify, were generally understood by adults, and therefore viewed as being harmless. The good news is that accessing media through these mediums is perfectly safe.

However, less legitimate activities, such as torrenting songs and videos, were much less understood. According to Nominet’s research, 42% of parents questioned had no idea what torrenting is, nor whether they should be concerned. Just 23% of respondents thought torrenting was an issue. In case you don’t know yourself, torrenting almost always involves downloading copyright-protected content illegally from other Internet users – so, as a parent, you should be worried about the prospect of your children doing this.

Social networking nightmares

With 1 billion users worldwide, there is a high probability that parents and children alike have their own accounts on the social network Facebook. However, different generations often use the network in completely different ways.

Take the concept of “fraping”, for instance. Nearly half of parents (49%) had no idea that updating another person’s Facebook status without their knowledge even had a proper name. However, 58% believed that engaging in such activities would almost certainly get their kids in trouble.

Many of the problems parents face are actually based around language and abbreviations, rather than technical challenges. Netspeak words, such as LMIRL (let’s meet in real life), YOLO (you only live once) and ASL (age, sex, location), were poorly understood by adults.

A common problem

Although the Nominet poll seems to confirm that there is a definite generation gap when it comes to using and understanding technology, parents can take some comfort from the knowledge that they are not alone. In every region of the UK, parents showed similar levels of ignorance when it came to the darker side of the internet.

Parents should also know that even if their kids are streets ahead, the gap in knowledge can be closed. For example, you can often quickly pick up new words and their meaning simply by showing an interest in what your children are doing. Resources such as Knowthenet also provide beginner guides, which cover many topics such as jargon, social networking, and common online scams and pitfalls for children.

Staying aware

A 2010 survey by Nielsen found that 75% of parents add their children as friends on Facebook in order to try and understand what they getting up to. In 41% of households, having a parent as a friend is a prerequisite of being allowed to use the network. Despite teenagers often being less than happy about this arrangement, many experts agree that parents do need to keep an eye on what is happening online.

For parents concerned that the hands-off approach is not working as well as hoped, parental control systems can offer an automated way to keep kids safe online. This could involve blocking ‘adult’ material, preventing torrent apps from being installed or running, and restricting the hours that the computer can be used. Parental control software is particularly useful for keeping pre-teens protected online, and helps create an audit trail of how they have used the computer, so you can ensure all is above aboard.

To further narrow the knowledge gap between you and your children, you might also consider trying to think like them, particularly with regards to circumventing house rules and parental control. A quick Google search for “parental control bypass” throws up hundreds of pages and articles dedicated to getting around rules designed to protect kids. If you can understand for yourself how kids try and bend the rules, you can also prepare for the hard conversations if they do.

Ultimately, your child may well be streets ahead when it comes to digital knowledge, but there is no reason why you cannot at least start to catch them up. The Internet has thousands of free guides available, designed to help you get the best from technology. You could even learn with your kids, having them teach you, making the process more of a family affair and helping you gain greater insights into their abilities.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Swimming Lesson Torture

child swimming

If there’s one thing that has driven me mad over the last few years, it’s been the constant competition for places on the council run swimming lessons.  You sign up, are allocated a pool which might be a fair distance away at inconvenient times, and then take little cherubs there for years on end while they learn to swim the prescribed way.  My neighbours experience filled me with dread.  After 2 years of lessons her boys still couldn’t swim and she hired a private tutor.

Standard step by step lessons doesn’t take into account the differences in children and how they learn.

I saved myself the weekly race to the allocated swimming pool and booked us into a private club for swimming lessons at a time that suited us.  We got disability living allowance for middler and reasoned that it was worth trying to get them to swim properly so that if they fell in a river, they’d at least have a fighting chance of getting back out again.

I sat regularly fuming while the parents from previous lessons took up 5 – 10 minutes of our lesson chatting about their little precious darlings, completely oblivious to the rest of us whose minutes they were nicking.   At £30 for 5 lessons at the time and only lasting 30 minutes, those 10 minutes was taking up £2 each and I had 3 kids in the lessons, so about £6 a day.  I did complain but got nowhere, so eventually gave up with it.  In total, my kids had a small fortune worth of lessons and not one of them could keep their heads up above water.

I resigned myself to trying to get them to swim myself and persuaded my water averse mother to come into the water with me and take one child while I tried to work with the other two.  I did have to splash out on some swimming caps from Zoggs for her as she wouldn’t go in the water and risk getting her hair wet.  That’s another thing – You see so many alpha women who parade the poolside and daintily coast up and down the lanes, yet never get their hair wet.  Those women are a mystery to me.

“I nearly died,” the 7-year-old dramatically exclaimed when a little water went up his nose.

“My eyes sting.” chimed in another.

So off I popped to get some eye goggles and lastly some swimming ear plugs and a nose clip each for them.

Happy that we could all safely go in the water, we spent the next year unsuccessfully trying to get them to swim.  Two of the boys managed to learn to swim pretty well underwater without taking a breath, but neither of them could master the knack of getting their heads up to take in some air.

On a wee holiday to the campsite in Huntly, Scotland, I decided to book them into the local swimming pool for summer lessons.  It was the best thing I could have done.  Rather than make the kids do it all one way, they looked at the individual children and took on board that I don’t care if they can swim properly.  I have no ambition for them to be little Tom Daly’s or Hannah Mileys, all I want is for them to be able to tread water and lift their heads for a breath.

After a few lessons at Huntly, we had the beginnings of breathing.  I also breathed with relief.

Going swimming isn’t such a chore now as I’m not trying to keep my eye on three kids who can swim underwater and think they’re invincible.

2 down, 1 to go….

————————————————————————————-

This post was sponsored by Zoggs.   It is a story from my life and has not been influenced in any way by Zoggs.   I will not benefit if you click the links, but they will take you to a sponsors website.

Posted on by — 14 Comments

What’s The Alternative to Vet Prescription Charges?

Looking at the receipt from the vet nearly made my eyes water.  They prescribed 5ml of drops for my old girl for possible glaucoma today, at a price of £51.02 for the meds.  I pretty much choked, said that the dog would have to get put down at this rate as I wasn’t willing to get into debt for her monthly drugs.

I know, pouting doesn’t suit anyone over the age of 8 – I sounded ridiculous.

I paid the extortionate fee and fumed while I waited to pick up a child.  I checked the Internet to see if there was a human version and thankfully the same drug is used for humans.  That meant a phone call to my local pharmacy.  They charge £11.45 on a private prescription for it.

So – £8.50 for the prescription and £11.45 for the drops (the chemist make a profit at this rate remember.)

A total of £19.95 from the chemist over the road from the vet.

The vet wanted £51.02, so that’s a whopping £31.07 more than the local chemist.

So, breaking it down, the vet wanted £31.07 pure profit + the £8.50 script and say £3 for the profit the chemist would have made.  I know it’s probably more, but it’s a conservative estimate.

In total, off a teensy bottle of drops, the vet wanted to pocket £42.57 at least.  Probably slightly more.  That doesn’t even count the £26 for a consultation to get the drops in the first place.

It’s daylight robbery.

Vet Prescription 1

I looked at Lloyds online and they were even cheaper for it at £7.85 so I would probably go that route if this ends up a  long-term prescription.    And at £7.85, Lloyds make a PROFIT.

If these figures aren’t making you sit up and take a look at your pets meds, they should.  Most medicines won’t be so over inflated as these drops, but you could save a pretty penny over a year if your animals are on long term scripts.

I’ve heard people saying vets have to pay more to get them in, but I don’t believe that.  A large vet won’t be charged more than a dispensing pharmacy for animals than they would be for humans, or they should be telling people to go and get their scripts filled elsewhere to allow the animals to get the treatment they deserve.

No wonder so many animals are going without treatment.  If people don’t realise they can ask for the human version where possible, they are being fleeced right royally.   It’s not fair and it’s not right.  It’s also not usually the fault of the vet we see in practice as they normally are just charging what they’re told to charge, but if we don’t talk with our wallets, they’ll just keep on overcharging us.

If the vet prescribes you something for your animals, check it out before paying.  My vet had the good grace to refund me the £51.02 and give me a script that I could walk across the road and get filled.  Talking to the pharmacist, she is surprised that  they don’t get more prescriptions from people going to the vets, given that there are 2 vets within a short distance,.  I would imagine most people are like I was and don’t realise that many pet prescriptions can be filled at a chemist or online human or animal pharmacy for much cheaper than we pay at the vets.

For the next script, if she needs more, I will ask for a few months on one script so that it works out even cheaper.

We all need to get smart with our pets meds.

pocolo

Posted on by — 3 Comments

How to make a quick uncooked strawberry sorbet with stevia.

A sorbet recipe gives a lovely and light ice cream substitute and doesn’t show that it only a blend of strawberries and sugar or sweetner.   I believe they used to be used to cleanse the palate between courses in earlier centuries, but sorbet now tends to be used in place of ice-cream, or as a gorgeously light and tasty alternative on a hot day to cool us down.

To make them, it just involves freezing fruit, water, sugar and on occasion lemon juice to help it keep for longer.   Recipes tend to recommend frozen strawberries, but I prefer mine fresh as the sweetner takes care of any lack of sweetness in them.

Strawberries

I decided to give my new stevia sweetner a try out in this version as I wanted the calories to come only from the strawberries themselves.  Stevia is quite expensive so it’s something we have to think about carefully before adding to our food as a cooking ingredient.  I used an ice-cream maker and the consistency was perfect for us.

When you freeze this, it will take a while but because the sugar isn’t cooked, the consistency if it is frozen too long or overnight will be like an ice pole with the water content forming larger crystals.   If you are using it after a long time in the freezer, take it out so that it can defrost enough to be pliable.  If you want a smoother, creamier version of sorbet, you will need to cook the sweetner into a syrup, but this did the trick for me.  It all depends how you like your sorbet.

Strawberry Sorbet Recipe with Stevia Instead of Sugar (Simple, Uncooked Version)

Lesley S Smith
If you add an egg white, the sorbet will be slightly creamier. I prefer the slushy strawberry ice without the egg.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer
Servings 6 - 8
Calories 31000 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 heaped tablespoons Stevia I used Tesco Sweet
  • 750 g Strawberries Hulled
  • 2 tablespoons Lime Juice
  • 150 ml Water
  • 2 tablespoons Vodka/Wine or Gin Optional

Instructions
 

  • I used the very fine stevia which didn't need heating up, but if you use the granulated kind you would need to melt the sugar in the water and bubble it for a few minutes and then leave it to cool down.



  • With the fine stevia, I added it with the water and lime juice to the strawberries which were pureed. Mix it up in a blender for several minutes until you have a smooth mix. Some might prefer it to be put through a sieve at this point, but I just use mine as it comes out of the blender.

  • You can taste the mix here to see if it is sweet enough for you. If it isn't sweet enough, simply add a little more stevia, whizz it around for a while, then taste once again.



  • Chill the pureed mix in the fridge for an hour and put it in the ice-cream maker for 20 - 30 minutes, or until it turns to a thickening slushy consistency.

  • Simply add it to a container and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours before serving.



  • If you make it without an ice cream maker, put your mix into a container and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours, then take it out and put it back into the blender to whizz it up again. Then simply put it back into it's container and to the freezer once again for another couple of hours.

 

Posted on by — 10 Comments

Sneaky Pamper Days: Canine Hydrotherapy

What’s that’s I hear you ask.   Canine hydrotherapy???  Well, it isn’t for me, nor for the kids, but my old and blind lab still has a huge passion for life and still wants and needs exercise, lots of cuddles and some fun to go with it.  She deserves a little pampering in her old age.

Hydrotherapy 2

Her favourite activity used to be splashing around in water and swimming whenever she got a chance.  She is very wary of water now as she can’t see the shore and tends just to paddle close with the lead on to guide her back in.  She no longer runs as she can’t see where she’s going, so I looked around for a way to get her a swim sometimes.

I was a bit wary of taking her to a hydrotherapy centre as I’d not heard any reviews, good or bad about them, and there seemed to be plenty videos on YouTube that looked as if it was a good thing for elderly or infirm animals.  They swim in the warm water and so are not given such a shock at being in the pool.  I really just wanted it to get her in the water, but they are doing a programme to strengthen her legs and she now looks better than she’s looked in a few years.

It was with a little trepidation that I took her to try it out.  She was very nervous of the scales so we agreed to leave those until the end.  When it’s time to go now, she tries to knock me down to get into the car to go there, and then her legs do the Elvis shake until she gets into the pool for that swim.

They are really good with her and for her first session, there were 4 of them around the pool calling encouragement, help and praise all the way around.  Now she is used to it and knows where to find the ramp, she often chooses to just ignore it and keep going around and around.  They sometimes put the jets on and she tries to find them.  I think the noise reminds her of rivers with running water and she seems to like that.

Hydrotherapy 3

The best bit for her is the spa at the end where her old bones get a well deserved massage, then an quick shampoo and blow dry.

Hydrotherapy

I do find it a bit pricey so I think it’ll be limited to once a fortnight or less going forward, but her legs are moving in her sleep again as her dreams are obviously happier now and she’s happier in herself for getting a swim.  Who said blind dogs shouldn’t go and do things.

Here is her in action on her first visit when there were plenty staff round the pool giving her encouragement.

Posted on by — 18 Comments

Where are the missing kids? #blogging4madeline

I am taking part in the #blogging4madeline campaign this year.   Yes, I can just hear some of you sigh, begin to switch off and think about clicking away, but just wait a minute and spare a few minutes for the kids who have all gone missing, including Ben Needham, April Jones and many other nameless and faceless children.  What if they were your children?

”Blogging4Madeleine”

If your children had been taken, no matter what the circumstances, would you click away then?

This isn’t about the parents, or the press, or the stories of who did or didn’t do anything right or wrong.

It’s about the children and nobody else.

I have watched people crucifying April Jones parents for having her out playing late at night, or the McCann parents for leaving the children alone, but neither of those things changes the facts that the kids are still missing.  I think that we would all clutch at hope of any kind if our children went missing.   I’ve accepted that I don’t have to agree with what parents might or might not have done to offer my support with helping to find those missing kids.

I’m posting for the kids.

Madeleine went missing from Praia da Luz, Portugal on Thursday 3rd May 2007.

I agreed to join the blogging4madeleine campaign to raise awareness that Madeleine McCann is still missing and to spread the word about her and the other missing children around the world.  There are thousands of children missing from the UK, but far too few people know about any of them.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (run by the police) operates a website called Missing Kids UK that shows many of the children who are missing.    I’ve added their widget to my blog footer.  If you want to add the same as mine which is smaller than theirs, the code is.

<iframe width=”150″ height=”195″ src=”http://www.missingkids.co.uk/widgets/missingkidscrawidget.aspx” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>

Why are we posting now?

  • Children deserve not to be forgotten.
  • There are thousands of British children missing.
  • Madeline McCanns birthday is the 12th May 2013.  She would have been 10 years old.
  • The 25th May is International Missing Childrens Day.   Get involved over on Facebook.

Contact information to report any sightings or information of Madeleine and other missing children.

  • Your local police force immediately, AND
  • +44 845 838 4699 or investigation@findmadeleine.com
  • OR Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111
  • OR www.crimestoppers-uk.org

This is what Madeline could have looked like at age 9.

madeleine have you seen me image

 

If you’re interested in joining the #Blogging4Madeleine campaign please contact CJ from A Mummy’s View blog via Twitter, Facebook or by emailing amummysview@gmail.com.

I’ll leave you with part of the message from Kate McCann on her website which stated that most children who are missing in the way Madeline was are for sexual exploitation.  I found the statement she made further on very disturbing.

“What are the benefits for our children of being in a European Union where several member countries offer child pornography as a LEGAL past time?  The most vulnerable members of our society are our children and they deserve better than this. Lack of sex offender registers, lack of reliable tracking systems for known offenders and no CRB check requirements , not even for those working with children are other major areas of concern within many parts of Europe. My eyes have certainly been opened to a whole new world out there – a very worrying one.” 

Posted on by — 15 Comments

Kids, Money, Boredom and Avarice

While we were on holiday this year to Grannies Heilan Hame, it was obvious that lots of kids run to and from the holiday park shop, brandishing the third or fourth £5 or £10 item of the night.  Wheedling loudly, some slurring parents giggle at the kids who are coshing the have-nots over the head with their new-found lighty up things.

The giggling turns to annoyance as they hand over fivers and tenners a time for their kids to pop off and visit the arcades downstairs.   I usually sit as far away from them as I can, scattered among the other disbelieving parents and wonder at how they can give each child £10 – £20 and often much more to spend each and every day they are on holiday.  They fritter it away in arcade machines or spend on rubbish from the holiday park shops.   This year, balloon machines seemed to be the most popular toy of choice.

Given how much my kids struggle, I’m quite pleased with how they take not being so flush with money as many of the other kids.   Mine usually grumble, but they live with it and accept reasonably well that their friends often have a never-ending supply of tenners in their young pockets.

I give mine £2.50 a day each to spend on what they want most days, and they are often happy enough with that.  I top up for a holiday park junk purchase on the last night and they seem to accept that well and I think what I give them is a lot to give kids on holiday.   One of mine gets more annoyed than the others about how much (or little as he sees it) they get, but being on holiday helps and they get on with enjoying it as best they can.

I just don’t know how some families do it.  Do they just not eat at home so that their kids have what I think is a fortune a week to spend on junk? I know it’s easier with one child than with multiples, but even so, it’s still a lot of money per child.

I know that taking kids out for a day is expensive, and that even a cinema trip would set us back a small fortune even if I do take drinks and sweets with us, but I’d never do that every day.  Some of my kids friends are out EVERY day of the school holidays and not to cheap or free things either.

What I can never work out is when these kids ever learn to be bored.   If they don’t learn to be bored, how are they going to amuse themselves from boredom when it’s really needed?  Perhaps having special needs makes it more important that kids learn to cope with being bored, but all I see is a large part of a whole new generation that may end up as whole life credit junkies.

I made sure my kids were bored for part of our holiday, and they relieved it by digging holes in the sand and watching them fill up again when the tide came in.

Lets bring on more boredom and free activities, and get our kids doing more of the 50 things for free, it’s good for them.

Some of the 50 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU’RE 11 ¾ from the National Trust we did again. 

5. Skim a stone.
6. Hunt for treasure on the beach.
37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool

Our things.

  1. Digging a huge hole in the sand and letting the sea fill it in.
  2. Play football on the beach.
  3. Talk to a sheep.