Category: News

1. Ideas for family time for the New Year

   Posted on 10:59am Wednesday 16th Oct 2013

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   I am looking outside my window and it is raining. My hands are wrapped around a hot cup of tea as I am cold and it feels like it has been raining for weeks.

   

   I read a news report this week that said by November, the winter will have taken a grip and we should expect the coldest winter in 100 years! Now if that is not an excuse to hibernate, I don't know what is? It is also an excuse to buy a whole new winter wardrobe but shhhh, we won't say too much about that out loud.

   So I suspect we should take advantage of the autumn leaves (that are no so crunchy after all this rain) and get outside before the cold snap really takes hold .... although I suspect the children will have me outside making snowmen when it finally does snow. It doesn't really matter what the weather is like outside as ultimately there are always things we can do as a family.

   I am a secret control freak and love to plan everything, even those things that may "look" spontaneous are usually executed with precision planning, so I am already thinking about what family new year breaks to consider. Christmas is always magical in our house, so going somewhere like Butlins for New Year would be fabulous as it caters for everyone. (there is also up to 40% off at the moment, which appeals to my family budgeting heart). It sounds exciting to have a huge confetti blast at midnight in the Skyline Pavilion, which is then followed by a fantastic fireworks display on New Year’s Day (our British weather permitting of course .... let's hope the rain has stopped by then). 

    

   So today might be dull and cold outside but looking at exciting family choices for New Year has added a little sparkle to my day!

   

    

2. Can you have a fun and affordable family holiday in London? Featured Post

   Posted on 9:06pm Tuesday 8th Oct 2013

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   Now, I can understand your eyebrow raising at my suggestion to take the kids to a densely populated capital city with expensive tourist attractions, busy public transport system and the worst traffic of any UK city. You could also be forgiven for questioning why anyone would want to take a family trip to a city where you can never guarantee the weather.

   However, London is actually a great place to take kids; it has countless family-friendly restaurants, loads of child-orientated activities, and even the odd free event for your little ones. Once you’ve mastered the capital’s public transport system, it is actually very easy to get around. Plus, kids under five can travel totally free!

   Here are some days out I know all the family will enjoy, along with some top tips for coping with kids in the UK’s buzzing capital, and most importantly, keeping them safe.

   Step back through time

   London has one of the densest collections of mind broadening museums and galleries, however, a sure-fire option to keep curious minds occupied is the Natural History Museum. With dinosaurs, wildlife and even a 1000 square-meter ice rink come winter, it’s a great day out for all the family. I wonder if you could get any little kids believing the exhibitions come alive at night.

   See some heroes

   Fancy standing shoulder to shoulder with the Queen? How about an A-list celebrity or one of the Marvel superheroes? Madame Tussauds have a waxwork to please every member of the family, and if anyone has a teenage daughter screwing up her face at the idea, the new One Direction waxworks are sure to change her mind.

   Spot of tea

   Fairy cakes, little sandwiches, jam and scones – what kid, or big kid for that matter, wouldn’t enjoy that? There are countless hotels and bakeries that offer up a very British afternoon tea option, all ranging in price. A must when in England’s historical capital.

   Holiday in style, and comfort

   A key element to any family holiday is accommodation. Kids can become bored in cramped hotel rooms, especially if there is no TV, and central hotels can be extremely pricey for a family room. If you’d rather have your own space at a cheaper price, why not consider these short stay apartments in London, where your little ones can make loads of mess, and no one will know!

   There is simply so much on offer in London, I could go on for hours, but those are my top recommendations. One last thing however is making sure the kids have a safe, and enjoyable trip. A good option for any parent is to create a little pack for them, including any accommodation details, your phone number and a little bit cash should they get separated from you or lost. This simply means they can easily phone you should you lose sight of one another. I’m sure it won’t happen but better to be safe than sorry. ]

   Now go and enjoy ....

   

3. Capturing the right moment : Featured Post

   Posted on 8:55pm Monday 16th Sep 2013

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   I was reading about a survey of 2000 mums today, that has been carried out by Venture photography studios, which found that many mums in the UK admit to overlooking their second-born children when it comes to taking photographs, with almost two thirds of them admitting they forget to take images of their new addition on its own – instead plumping for ones including their elder siblings. This research totally resonated with me as I was very conscious of giving my second daughter the same time and attention as I gave my first, which is no mean feat when you have the older sister to take into consideration too. 

   91 per cent of mums questioned said they obsessively recorded every moment of babyhood for their first-born but amazingly a whopping 70 per cent of mums admitted that they have fewer than 10 photographs of their second born child on its own, with photos almost always including the older sibling.  

   

   61 per cent have none of the keepsakes for their second baby that they kept for their first child, such as hand and footprints, first locks of hair and first paintings. ‘Detail’ photographs of tiny feet and curled up fingers were also lacking when it came to the second child – with 75 per cent of mums admitting that they have fewer of these for their second baby than their first.

   It really made me sit and think about why this happens and it occured to me that whilst a lot of the time it is about just that, time. When you have two children, there are occasions that you simply don't have the time, energy or inclination to get the camera out, when you are juggling the demands of two or more children. This is where sites like MyFamilyClub come in to help busy parents. They currently have a fantastic offer with 10,000 FREE MyFamilyPack's to giveaway which includes all sorts of things such as discounts, freebies and best deals to make mums lives easier(go register now, quickly).

   Capturing the best deals is part of the the Lilypad philosophy.

   Capturing those special moments ..... well that is up to you.

    

   Image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net

   Featured post as per our disclosure policy.

4. These boots are made for walking ... in all weather

   Posted on 8:08pm Monday 16th Sep 2013

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   It has been reported in the Mail online today that forecasters are warning of an early winter, with snow expected as early as October! This has the potential to wreak havoc with my Halloween plans, not to mention a friend's wedding but it is however also another excuse for me to buy new footwear! The UK and Ireland have also been forecast to experience extreme cold conditions and snow from the Arctic for prolonged periods, so maybe footwear won't be the only thing on my shopping list.
   .
   It is fairly common knowledge of my love affair with shoes and a change in the temperature is just another reason (as if I need one) to buy new shoes. Last year when the snow came, I wasn't prepared. Now I know that this sounds ludicrous when I am a complete control freak but it kind of caught me off guard so I remember going out to play in the snow with the little ones without suitable footwear for any of us really. So today I was introduced to MoziMo and in my search for snow boots, I was able to indulge my passion for shoes. I particularly like these stretch boots on the MoziMo website and whilst they are possibly not the most practical for the forecasted bad weather, if I am going to slip and slide around in the snow, I may aswell look good doing it!

    

   The Met Office has said that below average temperatures in October could mean that there is a chance of upcoming overnight frosts, which would be seen predominantly in the Midlands and south-east (the last time this happened my food shopping wasn't delivered for 4 days because they couldn't get through the lanes by our house! but I digress) so typically I am going to be finding any excuse to accessorise with scarves, hats and gloves.

   My youngest daughter got so excited about a pair of new party shoes at the weekend (I wonder where she gets that from) but getting both my girls the right shoes is important to me. As I have got older, I realise the damage I have done to my own feet over the years by not buying the correct shoes so now buying the best shoes is as much about design as what is best for my feet!