Judgement – a Life Lesson for those who are judged, and those who judge
How best to support your friend who is going through something difficult.
Helen
Guess the cost, and win my exclusive craft shopping haul with E.ON
GIVEAWAY NOW ENDED It’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending when out shopping for things you love. Whether it’s a jacket you’ve been staring at in a shop window for the past few weeks or that impulse purchase on the way to the checkout, your tightly controlled budget can quickly be forgotten – and this doesn’t just happen on the high street. With months of darker, colder evenings ahead, it can become all too easy for energy bills to rise far beyond the expected – especially as there’s no price tag to keep you in check. So, I …
Gaming: Keeping your child safe online
What did you get for Christmas? More to the point, what did your child find under the tree on Christmas day? And whilst they’ve been playing with it, are you sure they’re safe? With Wi-Fi connected toys topping the list of Christmas gifts for children, AVG’s Tony Anscombe explains why parents need to consider the security implications and how connected they want their child to be. Consider Online Gaming Safety Many parents will have noticed the invasion of talking (and listening), ‘artificially intelligent’ (AI) toys hitting the shelves this holiday season. Once inanimate, mute objects on which we had to project …
Theatre: A Curiouser Alice in Wonderland for teenagers
“I totally, utterly hate being me!” Not something we’ve heard yet here, but at 11, I’m aware that this statement is a possible assertion for my daughter at some point in the next few years. Just before Christmas we went together to see Wonder.land at the National Theatre, to discover what might be lurking round the corner of her teenage years. The first thing to say about Damon Albarn’s musical adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic, is that it’s not suitable for children under the age of 10. It says so on the website, and it’s true, not just …
Why diabetes is like a toddler
What would you say is the worst thing about having a toddler? The obsession with the word no, and a refusal to comply with any request? The sleepless nights, as your child won’t sleep, or will sleep, but not in his own bed, and only for intermittent bursts? His unpredictability, and tendency to tantrums out of nowhere? His uncanny knack of figuring out a way round all your best laid plans? Or his lack of common sense and logic, which frequently puts him in dangerous situations, as you hurtle in to save him? It’s the same with diabetes. Toddlers and Diabetes at …
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream Recipe – how to use up Christmas leftovers
An easy way to use up leftover Christmas pudding, cake, or even mince pies!
Food, Beers, Beds, and Shopping: The Old Stocks Inn – review
The first thing we noticed at the Old Stocks Inn, in Stow-on-the-Wold (after the lovely warm welcome) was the bar. Quick, let’s go and explore, so we can get back here and have a drink! we decided, and we did. We visited the Cotswolds on a typical British winter weekend, and the dark afternoon made our frosty breath and the twinkly Christmas lights feel festive and exciting. All we needed was a cosy bar and a pint to top it off perfectly. As we wandered around the market square, popping in and out of charming little shops, marvelling at interesting gifts and old-fashioned …
I am international spy with a serious caffeine problem
Bet you didn’t know that. Neither did I, but that’s what comedian Mark Watson decided when he came to have a snoop round my home recently. Star of stand-up comedy, Mark Watson Kicks Off, and Mock the week, Mark was invited by Money Supermarket to have a guess at my personality, based on what he found in my home. The theory was that we insure our most important belongings, not just for their financial worth, but because of what they mean to us personally. A team arrived to video Mark’s cogitations, and rather like Through the Keyhole, I stifled giggles …
Perfect Stocking Fillers for Girls from Little Ondine
Recently my girl turned 11. There is some grace to a birthday celebration at this age. Gone are the full-scale parties for 25 with an entertainer and endless curly sandwiches that used to see me collapse into a glass of wine at the end. Now she just wants sleepovers with a few friends. Easy! They run it themselves, and all I have to do is order pizza. The hoard of make-up and tinctures that took up residence on my kitchen table was a sight to be believed. These 5 girls have more make up between them than I think …
A Reggae Catamaran, and a Dolphin Kiss at Beaches Negril
How beautiful is that? That’s the catamaran you’ll dance on. Oh yes you will, because you won’t be able to stop yourself. Once you’ve arrived at Beaches Resorts Negril, there’s not much you’d want to leave for. It truly is paradise (take a look at our virtual tour review if you don’t believe me). But there are one or two things on offer that you really will be glad you paid the extra for. Here are our two favourites: Reggae Catamaran Cruise I have to confess I was dubious. I had visions of Club 18-30, and whilst that does look …
Travel: The 7 Best things for Kids at Beaches Resorts Negril
It’s easy to think that Beaches Resorts is all about you. Whoever you are. As a parent, it was ALL about me: the cocktails brought directly to me at the poolside, the restaurants, the comfy sun-loungers, the stunning beach, and the kids clubs that actually felt welcoming enough for my kids to want to go there, and safe enough for me to let them. Yep, it was all done for my benefit. But actually, I’m pretty sure the kids thought the whole resort had been put together with their particular desires in mind. Here’s what they loved: 7 Best …
The Ghost of Christmas Past and my Perfect Christmas
We put our tree up this weekend. It’s always a big deal, never a chore. In the pursuit of family traditions, I’ve always made sure that Christmas tree weekend is special. So no, you can pass on those Chelsea tickets, welcome the cancelled football match, and even – just this once – skip swimming lessons. Put on the Christmas playlist, overboil the mulled wine, and warm up some mince pies, because Christmas tree weekend has to happen in a certain way every year. I apologise if I’m a little prescriptive, slightly bossy, and rather a neat freak, but this …
Christmas: a magical email from Santa
*Checks no-one is looking* Shhhh. I’ve just finished organising the kids’ videos from Santa. *Turns up TV and locks door* Get an email from Santa They’ve both been really good this year; at least that’s what I told Santa when I held a secret conference call with him earlier today. Ahem. He’s promised to bring what they’ve asked for on Christmas Eve, and has even emailed them a video of the mailing room where their letters have been received. Not only that, but in the video, he takes them on a tour of an elf’s house, and shows them his reindeer. It’s …
Review: the new SEAT Alhambra
Deciding on a family car is a minefield, isn’t it? Do you sacrifice style for space, cool factor for safety, or cram everyone into an ego-booster? And if the latter, where will you put the buggy, the dog, and the monumental amount of shopping you seem to get through every week? Not to mention all the crap that the kids cart into the back seats and which disappears into various pockets until the loss of something important (a hairband, or a Match Attax card) drives them to a mass clearout. Recently we were asked to test drive the new SEAT …
A virtual tour of Beaches Resorts Negril
Honestly, I could go on (and on) about our trip to Negril with Beaches Resorts all day long. But I don’t want to cause mass jealousy (well, alright, maybe a tiny bit), and also, every time I write about it, I wonder why I came home. So for this post I’m just going to show you the resort in video. Because, let’s face it, what you really want to see is how good they are at towel art, right? Useful information about Beaches Resorts Negril Rooms Rooms at Beaches Negril come in 3 levels: Luxury (from $292 …
The gloves are on!
This afternoon I saw the tell-tale signs of Winter arriving. No, it wasn’t the first frost, or the last leaf dropping from the trees. It wasn’t the darker mornings, or the need for the electric blanket before bed. It started with a tingle in my fingertips as I finished typing for the day; it progressed to an icy cold sensation as I headed out on the school run; and by the time I got home my fingers were white. I’ve always had cold hands and feet. I remember quite clearly as a teenager doing my homework with a hot water …
Travel: Why food might your first priority at Beaches Resorts
What do you go on holiday for? Relaxation? A change of scenery, time off from the usual mundane chores of life? Time with family and friends, a suntan, a chance to do something different? Chances are it’s all of those things, but shall I tell you what figures high on my list of reasons to leave home for a week or so? Food. As a mum, just not having to plan it, shop for it, cook it, and clear it all away three times a day is a holiday. Food is an essential part of travel for me. Which is …
Travel: Getting to Beaches Jamaica and why we love Virgin
If you’ve followed our social media accounts over the last few weeks it will not have escaped your notice that we’ve been on holiday. Somewhere rather lovely. Sorry. Being at Beaches Resorts in Negril, Jamaica is the most wonderfully relaxing experience (they call it coming home). We visited at half term, so we only had one week (and an extra day off school, actually, given my failure to register that leaving the Caribbean on a Sunday didn’t mean we’d get back on a Sunday – oops). Normally we’d book any holiday that required a nine hour flight to get to for …
Beaches Resorts Negril: coming home
Coming home from Jamaica last week was hard. Not because of the sudden shift in temperature (Jamaica rests at around thirty degrees celsius most of the year – a glorious climate!); not due to the nine hour overnight flight with two children either – that was a breeze with Virgin; nor was it down to mine and my daughter’s complete diabetes failure, as both of us exited the plane without her ‘sugar bag,’ which contains the sugar and insulin she needs round the clock (oops). No, for the first time ever, I left my holiday haven feeling actually homesick. The Beaches Resorts …