Category: Christmas

1. Christmas ideas : Batteries not included

   Posted on 9:45pm Wednesday 2nd Nov 2016

   It is November so I am officially allowed to mention Christmas.

   As usual at this time of year, the big names are launching their predictions of what will be the biggest toy of the Christmas season.  And while there are the usual cuddly toys and computer games, reassuringly there are several interesting, educational toys in the mix as well as items that provide learning or skills while having fun. And while there is nothing wrong with any of these presents, sometimes you want to give your children something different, something educational or to help with their learning.  Sometimes, you want to give them something that gets them away from the TV screen or the smartphone!

   

   Day Trips

   Children always look forward to a day trip somewhere, whether to the local museum, castle or an animal park or farm.  Anything that holds their interest will be keenly anticipated.  So why not build on this by booking tickets ahead of time and giving them as a Christmas gift?  Even if the tickets don’t look like much, you can always print information about the location from the internet to make it seem even more exciting.

   If there is a certain place that they love to visit, then why not get a membership as a Christmas present?  Memberships can save money if you go more than once a year to a place and the promise of regular visits will no doubt excite the kids.  Museums, zoos, aquariums and even music venues offer memberships that often gain access to special events before the public too – another added bonus.

   Get crafty

   Winter can be difficult as parents because the children can’t get outside and enjoy themselves as they do in spring and summer.  Therefore, Christmas can be a great opportunity to get them involved in some form of craft or art with Christmas at The Works, with lots of ideas that they can learn over the winter and come back to any time there is a rainy day or they are bored. Making something is both educational and very satisfying so this is a good basis for a present.  You can buy lots of ready-made kits or create your own scrapbook so they can have their own journal or memory book that will last long after the Christmas decorations have come down. 

   Photography

   Creating a scrapbook is a brilliant project to do with your children and a kit containing the basics makes an ideal present.  Whether they have their own camera or smartphone or simply use yours (with a little adult supervision) taking photos and adding them to a scrapbook is very satisfying. 

   Nature walks are a great opportunity to take those photos so why not add in a nature guide to presents pile?  That way, they can learn about what they are photographing and can even write about it in their scrapbook or create crafty embellishments to go with it.

   Baking

   Baking must be tied in first place as the best activity for kids to do with parents, alongside crafting.  Most of us love to have home baked goodies and some of these recipes are extremely easy to do.  Buying a children’s baking set for Christmas will inspire them and even if you start with a packet mix from the supermarket, they will love creating something everyone will enjoy.  And maybe, they will take to it so much that they will end up being the next baking superstar!

   Do you try and find alternatives to the usual Christmas list demands?

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2. How to Give Your Child a Healthy New Year

   Posted on 9:54pm Thursday 14th Jan 2016

   Christmas is the only day of the year you’re allowed chocolate for breakfast - why else would we stuff the toes of our children’s stockings with chocolate coins? Many parents will testify that excessive sweets and chocolate can have a detrimental effect on their children’s health and behaviour. You don’t want to limit the fun of indulging over Christmas however few days of splurging should not turn into a fortnight’s binge. We’re not talking about diets for kids, but we are starting a new year of healthy eating, so here are our top tips on how you can get the entire family back into a healthy way of eating after Christmas.

   

    

   Buy Less

   Supermarkets are savvy and drop the prices of tubs of chocs in October and November so that we start stocking up early and then we still buy more in the sales ..... because it is just too good to leave at that price. Don't! Limit the amount of junk coming into your house and you’ll have an easier time getting rid of it afterwards. My kids always get spoiled by school, Santa, and relatives. They bring half a year’s worth of junk food into the house in the space of week, so I don’t need to buy them any more.

   Exercise Control

   Don’t make the mistake of letting kids keep their goodies in their bedrooms where you can’t see what they’re eating. It can lead to them guzzling in between meals, having massive sugar crashes, and picking at their plate because they weren’t hungry. Try storing their chocolate in the kitchen, somewhere it is out of sight but where you can see (or hear) when they are helping themselves and can stop them if it’s inappropriate.

   Two Days, not Two Weeks

   Research carried out into children’s eating habits found that they eat nearly four times their recommended daily calorie intake on Christmas Day, which is quite a shocking fact when you consider it. Give your kids one or two days where they can scoff sweets but then bring things back to normal. Dilute the influence of the sugar they are ingesting by making meals vegetable rich, and giving them water or milk to drink instead of sugary, fizzy pop. 

   Get Active

   All those extra calories children ingested over Christmas need to go somewhere. Channel the energy in a positive way through family walks or other physical activities. You don’t have to go outside - playing Twister, dancing around the sitting room, or even pillow fights will have the same effect.

   Moderation is Key

   Ditch the feast-or-famine mentality about Christmas eating. Lead by example - if they see you gorging non stop for a week before going on a strict diet you end in disappointment after ten days, your children will assume that an all-or-nothing approach is normal.

   No one is telling you to be a food-Scrooge, but you’re not doing your child any favours by encouraging - or even allowing - them to eat their body weight in Quality Streets. Reign back on the amount you bring into the house, keep an eye on what they’re eating, and gradually bring their diet back to normal once Christmas (not the Christmas holidays) is over. 

   Mu husband is always telling me that eating shouldn't be about diets and cheat days, it should be a healthy way of eating EVERY day, so how do you manage to get your children eating healthily? We would love to hear your tips for keeping your family healthy.

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3. Decluttering your House after the Christmas Fest

   Posted on 8:56pm Saturday 2nd Jan 2016

   Well, it’s practically all over. The presents have been ripped open, boxes played with, chocolates eaten, cuddly toys hugged tight and fought over. The New Year celebrations have come and gone, heads have cleared and the future beckons. Before you can get back to normal, of course, it’s time to deal with those pesky decorations.

   Time to return your home to normal.

   After all the festivities, it’s tempting to throw them all in one box, lug it up to the loft and forget about decorations for another year so if you really want Christmas 2016 to be the occasion you spent three hours unravelling the lights, then go right ahead.

   

   A little time and preparation now can make next year a breeze and also help you keep control of all those trimmings. If you’re like me, your collection can grow, from bespoke baubles and oversized glittering beads to a crazy singing reindeer.

   Sometimes it’s a good idea to declutter, throwing out the old and in with the new, as the saying goes. To do this you have to show a good deal of resolve but it can also be a pretty cathartic process. It can also make sure you stay in control of your Christmas decorations.

   • Sort your trimmings into like for like piles (stars, baubles, tinsel, lights etc).
   • Decide which you are going to keep and the things that have seen better days and need to be let go.
   • Keep your baubles for the tree in one box, your more intricate decorations for the mantlepiece in another.
   • Make sure your lights are wound properly (if you don’t have something ready-made then how about an old strip of stiff card?).
   • Dismantle your Christmas tree carefully and repackage it properly rather than throwing it in the box.
   • If you had a real tree, then take it down to the recycling depot before the pine needles start to fall off.
   • Throw away/recycle any decorations that have lost their sparkle or have seen better days.

   The end of the Christmas period is also a great time to declutter other parts of your house. You don’t have to stop with the decorations. In many Eastern cultures, New Year is the perfect time to get rid of unwanted clutter. Why not try these simple tips?

   • For each gift you got this year, why not get rid of two old ones in exchange. Got a new shirt or blouse, throw a couple into the charity shop sack. What about those DVDs? Try giving away the ones you don’t really watch anymore.
   • Paper recycling can be fun. If you aren’t going to be using that Christmas paper again next year, then make sure you put it in the recycling. But don’t just stop there. What about those old newspapers and magazines that can go too? How about all those books which could be given to the local second hand shop?

   Houses, especially with children in them, can quickly be overwhelmed with stuff and Christmas is the ideal time to get the family involved in reducing all that clutter. Get hubby to sort out his collection of unused sport equipment, the kids to tidy up and give away the toys and games they are no longer interested in, while you go through everything from the closets to the kitchen.

   Once everything is put away and the house is suddenly tidier than you’ve ever seen it, the new year ahead will seem so much brighter. And those properly sorted Christmas trimmings can go up in the loft or into the store cupboard, all set for next December when the festivities begin again. 

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4. My Reverse Resolutions : 2015

   Posted on 8:14pm Friday 1st Jan 2016

   It has become a tradition to look at my resolutions in reverse, 2014 was a particularly good year and rather than setting myself for new year resolutions, I like to reflect on the previous year and what's been acheived.

   For some reason, I have always started my post with my favourite quote of the year and so the quote for 2015 has to be:

   "It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness"

   Charles Spurgeon

    

   So here are my Reverse Resolutions for 2015.

   1. After "working" social media with my own business for such a long time, I decided it was time to get some form of recognition for my talents (ahem). I did it, got a distinction and a real sense of achievement.

   2. My daughters birth story was in the national press. Admitedly some 4 years after it happened but even so, it reminded me of how amazing it was and how empowered I felt after giving birth. 

   3. This lead to a couple of my articles being published in the press, not just on my little corner of the internet, printed in the paper and friends actually realising some of the things I do for a living!

   4. I lost a really good client at the beginning of the year, due to the reduction of their business and it knocked me off balance for a while but they say as one door closes another opens. So that change has given me time to work with some AMAZING new companies, which has pushed my comfort zones and abilities and I am very excited where this will take us into 2016.

   5. Finally, I *think* I may have mastered the work / life balance. I have spent time going out with friends and family, I have walked away from my phone and my laptop to spend time with the people I care about. I do care passionately about my work but making sure that it doesn't engulf my life has become the holy grail and for now, it is within my grasp. Maybe I shall make this my only resolution for 2016, to maintain a healthy balance throughout the whole year. What do you think?

   I shan't mention my ability to consume prosecco at an exceptional rate or how removing nail polish from the carpet should be on my CV, so I shall stick to the resolutions that I am most proud of for now (although the red nail polish was some achievement). How about you? Do you make resolutions? Or would you prefer to look at your achievements in reverse too?

    

    

    

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