All-in-One Mum

Living roughly 11,210 miles away from close family and friends in Cape Town (give or take a few inches), I use social media to share photos and videos of my daughter.  The only hitch is that a large number of these sites are not incredibly private and so I am slightly apprehensive to share more intimate family moments which is a real shame.   23snaps is a fairly new App on the market and a wonderful discovery too at that.  Basically, clever mommy's and daddy's use this extremely user friendly App to share photos of their wonderful offspring with loving family members and friends both locally and around the globe.  Comments can be left on the media you have chosen to share and if they really want to express themselves they can 'heart' the photo or add a smiley or sad face to show deeper virtual emotions. To get started, download the App , register with 23Snaps (none of your information is shared with 3rd parties) and then create a profile for ...

This is a fabulous Guest Post from Joel Dowling who writes for the Sainsbury’s Bank Money Matters blog on a wide range of subjects including family life and motoring. He has two young children but no longer dreads long journeys. I hope you find this as informative and helpful as I did! Making your Car Child-friendly One of the many daunting aspects of parenting is working out what you need and what you don’t. The marketplace seems to teem with products that you simply must have. But for travelling with your kids, there are only really a few essentials that you need to help you get by. Here are a few handy tips to consider: Safety – is the first consideration: Make sure you have a car seat that’s the right size and shape for your child and that it definitely works with your make and model of vehicle. Any serious vendor will have staff trained to know exactly what you need. Make sure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy. Get your tyres, brakes, air bags and fluid levels ch...

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My daughter jumped into bed with me after both of us had woken from gorgeous afternoon naps.   Normal hugs, kisses, tickles and cuddles were followed by my little one wanting to play the 'name that body part' game.  This is what went down... LO:  "Look. Freckle!" (on her arm). Me:   " Yes, and mommy has freckles on her arm too!" I have way too many in fact, all from growing up in the South African sun.  Don't think I've added that many in the past 8 years while living and spending most of my time in the UK. LO: (After brief inspection of mommy's freckles).  "What's that?" (pointing to my rather wrinkly elbow flesh) My elbow has a tiny scar on it from where one of the family dog's we had whilst growing up accidentally bit me when I was about 10. Me:   " It's my elbow, sweetie." At this point I straightened my arm to look at it, so the skin was no longer tight. LO: " Ewww!!" (Looks of utte...

My husband began to train and compete in triathlons about 6 years ago.  Since then our home now houses his bikes, training gear and other 'essential items' that come along with this 3 discipline sport.  I still think that he owns more running and cycling shoes than all the shoes in my closest put together?! I have a very deep respect for what he does; swimming great lengths, cycling across long stretches of road, up steep inclines for extended periods of time and then topping it off with running a few laps of whatever venue or area that particular race covers...all in the matter of a few hours!  Well, more like half a day if it's an Ironman distance.  Yes, he has competed in and finished 2.  Incredibly proud triathlete wife! Yet, that is only what he does on race day.  People don't see what goes on behind the scenes; the hours spent on the bike, in the lake, in pools, running in all the glory that is our British weather system.  The blisters, t...

I recently had the pleasure of sampling the Organic Children lavender shampoo and conditioner.  Made from 83% organic products both are mild, gentle and non-irritating which is fabulous for using on sensitive scalps like that of my toddler.  Organic Lavender, Aloe Vera and Tree Tree naturally cleanse the hair leaving it clean, smelling beautiful and feeling tangle free (every mom's dream!).   For parents with school going children it can be used to treat the removal of head lice.  Evidence suggests that Tee Tree oil naturally and effectively treats head lice. As with all the products that I test, I use them on myself first.  I have long, thick hair that is naturally brown and not coloured treated.  I blow dry and straighten my hair at least once a week.  After using the Organic Children shampoo and conditioner and gently blow drying, my hair was left feeling soft and silky which was not far off from my regular products, and possibly,...