A master wordsmith in the making

My daughter is a linguistic genius.  A lyrical gangster.  A master wordsmith in the making. 

Fact.

How do I know?

ONE big chance to fight world hunger

Last night I was privileged to witness what could be a historic amount in the fight against world hunger.  Being a 'ONE Mum' (a blogger ambassador of the advocacy organisation, ONE), I was invited along to the launch of a new campaign aimed at eradicating this problem from our planet.

Now I know these sorts of campaigns and awareness drives are launched all the time by aid charities so what makes this one different?  Why do I think it could be the start of the end for global hunger?  Because, all those organisations have realised that sometimes, there is strength (and a louder voice) in numbers.  ONE is one of 100 organisations that have teamed up to launch the "Enough Food for Everyone If..." campaign.

There's no business like snow business

The country's been swamped in snow during this last week and it's all such serious business.  It's snow joke that's for sure *ahem*.

Making paper snowflakes

With all this talk of snow, it's been making me feel a little Christmassy again.  It seemed as if the white stuff was enveloping the rest of the country this past week but although we had some right at the start of the working week, it soon melted away.  Not wanting to be left out, Sophia and I sat down together and decided to make our own 'snow' - paper snowflakes!

It's something that's really easy to do and something you can do with children of any age.  Yes, it does involve scissors, but you can involve younger children in different ways.  

Sophia is only three-years-old and she had a great time helping me make these snowflakes.  Here's what we did.

(Recipe) The world's quickest and easiest homemade snack

I have a confession to make; I'm not the most experimental when it comes to food.  If I'm making a meal I stick religiously to a recipe, worried that if I veer off course from those strict instructions, the dish will end up as a disaster.

But, I received a cookbook for Christmas with an unbelievable receipe inside; one that not even I could balls up if I tried to adapt it.  So that's what I've done.  Here's a recipe for what must be one of the world's quickest and easiest recipes for a delicious and tasty lunchtime snack.

Curious

(Review) Kiddicare Lakeside: A new shopping experience

With the January sales in full swing and the likelihood of new year baby or pregnancy announcements, are you on the hunt for some baby-related bargains?

It can be very easy to head online to buy your purchases, avoiding the actual, physical act of shopping altogether - after all, it can be much less stressful.  But, when shopping for babies or small children it can be essential to see things 'in the flesh' before you spend your hard-earned money.

It's something that Kiddicare has recognised.  If you're a parent, chances are you already know about this self-styled baby specialist company.  Kiddicare started life as a website selling a wide variety of baby products and is now branching out into actual, physical stores across the country. 

2013 and the wind of change

Image credit: Mr Lightman | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Dear Sophia and Dexter,

On New Year's Day last year I made a New Year's promise to you.  I was on the verge of returning to work following my maternity leave but desperately didn't want to go back full-time.  I didn't want to miss the time at home, the nursery drop-offs or impromptu visits to the park.  I didn't want my time with you limited to a couple of hours a day during the week.  Above all, I was worried that the closeness we had developed and embraced might weaken as a result of us spending less time together.

Celebrity spotting on New Year's Eve

I am useless at spotting celebrities.  Even when my husband and I lived in the heart of London and we would be out and about in Covent Garden, Camden, or wherever I couldn't spot a well known face even if it was a few hundred yards in front of me.  My most famous 'miss' was John Cleese - I walked right past him and, despite warnings from the husband, failed to notice him at all.

But this New Year's Eve, I couldn't help but spot famous face after famous face.  I wasn't even anywhere special - just my own living room.

That's right.  Michelle Pfeifer, Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ashton Kutcher, Jon Bon Jovi, Katherine Heigl, Hilary Swank, Jessica Biel, Halle Berry and a host of others were all in my living room last night seeing in the New Year (I could name them all but it would take too long!).  No, I haven't suddenly become an A-lister's best friend, I was watching the film, New Year's Eve.