The moment I turned 17, I started my driving lessons and worked hard to pass my driving test, although this may be a few more years ago than I care to imagine. When my Nan helped me to buy my first car I had no idea actually how much driving would cost me over the years. 

1. Researchers studied British motorists revealed that over the average lifetime of driving, the typical driver spending nearly seventy thousand pounds on fuel over the course of their lives. 
2. They will also wrack up a bill of forty thousand pounds on MOTs, servicing and repairs
3. There is an incredible £9,404 on parking. 
4. Car supplies like screen wash and air freshener will cost us just under £2,000 
5. Holiday rental car £180 a year £11,610 over a lifetime

Am not sure the last one applies to me though as I am not a big fan of driving on holiday but it is certainly worth considering, especially if you consider the cost of excusions against the cost of 

Cheap Car Rental

 So if my girls want to start driving when they are 17, I suspect I should start saving now!

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In the past couple of years, we have fallen in love with cruising, whether that be on a short weekend break or a family holiday. At one point we did question whether you could comfortably cruise with children and utlimately we agreed that you can. I love everything about going on a cruise and I suppose there is still some elitism about it as a holiday but it is really interesting to read recent research* that reveals hilarious exaggerations Brits tell that relate to food, travel destinations, theatre and literature.

Here are the top 20 places Brits claim to have visited in a bid to appear cultured

1.            New Zealand  

2.            New York        

3.            Australia     

4.            Rome         

5.            Paris        

6.            Iceland  

7.            Cuba      

8.            Brazil      

9.            Venice     

10.          Jamaica    

11.          Moscow    

12.          Dubai      

13.          Milan  

14.          Barcelona   

15.          Morocco  

16.          Berlin   

17.          Miami  

18.          Florence  

19.          Ibiza    

20.          Sri Lanka 

So in an effort to tick some of those off the list (!!) together with our new passion for cruising, I know that I want to look at longer breaks and maybe take a Mediterranean cruise which is a great way to get a taste of a number of different counties, discover differing cultures, cuisines and traditions in a relatively short amount of time

However and maybe even more hilariously, apparently by liking these top 20 foods, Brits feel that they appear more cultured. (personally I love dark chocolate ........ am clearly soooo cultured!) 

1.            Sushi                   

2.            Dark chocolate  

3.            Rare steak           

4.            Quinoa                

5.            Oysters               

6.            Craft ales            

7.            Smelly cheese    

8.            Hot chillies          

9.            Avocado              

10.          Granola                

11.          Raw Vegetables  

12.          Sweetbreads       

13.          Kale                       

14.          Korean food        

15.          Kimchi                  

16.          Sashimi                 

17.          Courgetti             

18.          Rye Bread            

19.          Bowl food (Congee) 

20.          Aged meat        

 

Where are you holidaying this year? Did you choose it for cultural appearances?

*Independent research commissioned by MSC Cruises. Researchers surveyed more than 1500 people across the UK in an online poll in December 2016.  

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Asthma can be hard work at any time of the year for sufferers but the changing weather of late can make it all the more difficult. We have had some really cold snaps and the cold, dry air can be painful on the lungs and make doing the simplest task outside more arduous. Aside from the cold, dry air is the other big problem for asthma sufferers at this time of year as is the high number of respiratory and sinus infections that hang around.  Nearly every child in my daughters school has a cold at the moment, meaning avoiding those bugs can be hard work. 

Most asthma sufferers, are eligible for a flu shot and this is another good measure to reduce the risk of getting those cold and flu bugs.  It also helps that if you do get the flu, the conditions won’t be quite as severe as they would be without the jab.

 

Combatting the cold

It would be nice to say don’t go out in the cold during winter but this doesn’t always solve all the problems.  However, when you are outside, try to avoid opening your mouth.  This is because when you open your mouth, the cold air is sucked straight into your lungs and causes the asthma to flare up.  If you are going to be chatting while outside, wear a scarf or a muffler over your nose and mouth to reduce the impact of the cold.

How to manage your asthma on warmer days

The weather has been beautiful in the UK for the past few days but with increased temperatures there is also an increased risk of having an asthma attack for the 1 in 11 people in the UK who have asthma. There is a theory that warm weather can increase the amount of pollutants and mould in the air - both of which can trigger asthma symptoms

It is great to encourage children to play in the fresh air, if a child wants to play outside, it is good to let them but try to plan any outdoor activities for earlier in the day when the air quality tends to be better.

Have an asthma plan

All asthma sufferers should have a plan to deal with an asthma attack and for children, this plan should be discussed with teachers and child-minders.  It involves knowing what to do if there is an attack, what medication is needed and at what point help must be sought.  Medication should also be taken any time before you go outside to help the change in air temperature – around 30 minutes beforehand is ideal if possible.

Conclusion

The cold, damp weather, thunderstorms, really hot weather and a sudden change in temperature can trigger symptoms for some people so while we welcome the sunshine at the moment, we need to ensure that it is not triggering asthma symptoms for the little one.

In the meantime, we are continuing to show our support for Asthma UK which has been an invaluable resource to us and we are planning on trying to organise an Big Asthma Bake Sale for World Asthma Day on the 2nd May 2017. So, anyone for cake??

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We first heard about the Ebookadabra app after reading a review on the blog from Emmaand3.com and with my youngest daughter in reception (and also always wanting to play on my phone), that this was something that definitely sparked some interest with me.

Story time has always been bedtime in our house but since the youngest member of the family has gone to school, she is too tired at bedtime to read and would seemingly prefer to watch a YouTube video on the iPad than concentrate on her reading. This doesn't sit well with me, both from a learning perspective and as someone who loves nothing more than a good book. 

Ebookadabra is designed for a new generation, the generation of children who have been born into a technological age where everything is available at the touch or swipe of a screen. Even I have converted to reading books on a tablet as it is so accessible (and I can now read in the dark - who knew!), so having a wide range of books on the Ebookadabra app means that reading becomes more accessible to a technology loving child too. 

Although Ebookadabra is only just launching, the platform already has a wide variety of features on it such as:

- The ability for parents to record themselves reading the stories that their children are looking at

- A safe and secure messaging system that allows a child to talk to their parents about the progress they are making in app.

- An innovative visual search engine designed for kids that lets the use visual search terms to explore our library of books.

- The ability to save stories to your in-app library so you can enjoy them on the go. 

- All of this is available for less than the price of a book a month £2.99 (introductory offer) along with a 30 day free trial.

The team at Ebookadabra tell us that it is a reading experience aimed at young families with kids aged from three to seven years old. It is a world where kids will discover books for themselves, be rewarded for their reading and be able to share the experience with their family. 

My youngest daughter is five so she is perfectly placed to trial to app and everytime she picks up my phone or the iPad now to play a game, she goes to the Ebookadabra app first to read through a book. She can navigate her way around the app much quicker than I can (which I suppose is the point) and I feel like we have only just seen the tip of the iceberg with what we can do on it. 

She loves getting a little reward at the end of each book and the game challenges once you had completed every book are a fun way to help with some of her fine motor skills, which can only be beneficial from a learning perspective too.

We are presently having the books "read to us" but the app has difficulty levels so as each child's educational needs change and their reading improves, the books become more age appropriate. 

The monthly cost is the same as you would pay for a single paperback book and as more titles are added, or siblings share the app, so it really becomes a very affordable and cost effective way to read new books with your children.

I am enjoying seeing her reading more avidly and she is enjoying "reading like mommy" on the iPad. I honestly feel like we haven't explored everything that the app can do and am excited to see how it develops but more so how my daughters love of reading develops too!

Ebookadabra offer a free trial to all new sign ups, so with a mix of good old fashioned story books blended with modern technology, what have you got to lose?

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