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Have Fun With The Family This Easter

April 5, 2012 By admin 2 Comments
easter egg chicks

You’ve probably all heard of the term ‘Parent Bloggers’, but have you ever taken the time to look closer into the circle of parents writing daily in the blogosphere? You will find some amazing posts covering all kinds of parenting and family related topics. A wide and varied selection of blogs –  personal, funny, touching, professional, reviews, crafty, recipes… whatever your taste, there will definitely be a blog that you will come to love following.

Here Flying Start takes a look at a few recent Easter recipe and craft posts featured on a selection of parenting blogs.

Easter Bakes - Easter Biscuit RecipesEaster Bakes

On www.plus2point4.co.uk Aly and the kids have been busy making Easter bakes. Not one, two but recipes for you to make with your kids, Easter biscuits and Simnel biscuits.

Aly’s daughter is already eager to make some more biscuits and we aren’t suprised as they sound so scrummy, containing ingredients including mixed apple pie spice, cinnamon, currants, marzipan and sugar coated chocolate eggs just to name a few to tickle your taste buds!

Click on the image to go direct to the recipe!

angry birds easter egg craft

Angry Birds Easter Egg Craft

Over at Red Ted Art, Maggie demonstrates Easter Egg blowing and decorating with a twist…. an Angry Birds twist!
With instructions on how to blow eggs and decorate your angry birds using acrylic paints and basic craft items, your children can proudly show off their decorated eggs.
Click on the Angry Bird image to go direct to step by step instructions on making your very own Angry Bird characters.
Here are some more Easter craft ideas we are sure you will love:
Kinder Egg Suprise craft - Easy Spotty Eggs - Chocolate Easter Nest - Easter Chick Cards - Easter Bonnets - Cotton Wool Lambs - Egg Candles - Easter Egg Decorating

Quick and Easy Easter Egg Cupcakes

Over at www.mummyalarm.co.uk , they absolutely love cupcakes and seeing that Easter is just around the corner,  have decided to share their quick and easy Easter Egg Cupcake recipe with you.

The cupcakes look lovely on an Easter-themed table and are really easy to make.

Click on the image to go direct to the recipe!

Easter Crafts Cress Egg HeadCress Egg Heads

The Flying Start team love this fantastic idea over at www.kidsonestopshop.co.uk .

This is a great activity to do with children. Not only do they get involved with being all crafty, they get to grow something too!

Cress grows in a matter of days and you don’t even need soil!
With just some empty egg shells, basic craft materials and some cress seeds, you and your children can make a whole egg head family!

Click on the image to go direct to the simple step by step instructions!

Bubble Painting Easter Chicks

Over at thinlyspread.co.uk they have been having lots of fun blowing yellow bubbles to create fantastic Easter Chicks.
This is so simple and so satisfying. It can get very messy so it is usually very popular with children and the author of Thinly Spread says “I have even had success with those who are not keen on getting their hands dirty! ”
Flying Start thinks this is a brilliant crafty idea to keep little ones (and even bigger ones!) entertained this Easter.

Click the image to find how to make Bubble painted Easter chicks, plus a sneak preview of the finished product!

Easter PieVegetarian Easter Pie

theveggieexperience.blogspot.co.uk features a great Vegetarian main course dish which can be eaten with roast potatoes, vegetables and all the trimmings over the Easter weekend. Clare, editor at The Veggie Experience says “I quite like having vegetarian pies when the meat-eaters are tucking into their roast as they are quite substantial, fill you up and you don’t feel like you haven’t had a proper meal – which is what I feel like if I have just been served the potatoes and veg without the meat.” Clare’s inspiration came from a Harvest Pie recipe which uses lots of root vegetables, she adjusted the vegetables to suit the season. Click on the image to go direct to the recipe!

easter egg chicksCrafty Kid’s Chocolate Easter Chicks

‘Absolutely Fabulous’ is what Flying Start thinks about these yummy scrummy funky chocolatey Easter chicks!
A Mummy Too shows you how to make a family of funky chicks using Cadbury creme eggs, orange chocolate buttons, white chocolate buttons and milk chocolate buttons.
The only problem is… they look too cute to eat!

Click the pic for instructions on how to make your own family of funky Easter chicks!

daffodil biscuitsDaffodil Biscuits

The recent sunshine inspired the-gingerbread-house.co.uk to make these lovely daffodil biscuits. If you want an Easter recipe but without the hassle, then this idea is just for you.  Using a gingerbread biscuit kit from a supermarket, The Gingerbread House improvised using an alternative cutter to create daffodil shaped spring biscuits for Easter. The best part…. you can make 12 biscuits out of one mix!

Click on the image to go direct to the recipe!

Easter CupcakesEaster Cupcake

Easter Cupcakes

Over at Mums The Word, Jayne has been busy making Easter Cupcakes, which we have to say look totally scrumptious!

With simple ingredients, a simple method and an amazing outcome, we are sure you will agree that these cupcakes already have your taste buds tingling!

Jayne has shared the recipe here with us.  You can visit Mums The Word by clicking on the cupcake image.

Ingredients

Cakes

  • 100g butter or margarine
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100g self-raising flour, sifted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Icing

Decoration

  • White ready roll icing
  • Yellow food colouring
  • Clean paintbrush
  • Mini eggs

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • Cupcake cases
  • Whisk
  • Teaspoons
  • Piping bag
  • ‘Grass’ nozzle (Wiltons number 233)

Method (found here: http://www.cupcakerecipe.co.uk/cupcake-recipe/method/14/ and here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/basicbuttericing_73263)

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (Electric oven | Electric fan oven 160°C | Gas Mark 4) and place 12 paper cases into a muffin tin.
  • Using an electric whisk, food processor or wooden spoon, beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before adding the next. Add the vanilla essence if using.
  • Carefully fold in the flour (and baking powder if using).
  • Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients together using a food processor. Use the pulse button to mix together in between adding the ingredients in the order above.
  • Bake in the oven for 10 – 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, check to see if the cupcakes are ready by inserting a cocktail stick into one of the cupcakes. If it comes out dry then the cupcakes are done. If not, then back in the oven for a few minutes more. Don’t overcook the cupcakes otherwise they will dry out. Lift the cupcakes out of the muffin tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
  • Once the cakes have cooled, make the icing by beating the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
  • Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Beat in the milk, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.
  • Stir in the food colouring until well combined.

To Decorate

  • Half fill the icing bag with the green icing and ice each cupcake all over. To make a grass effect, hold the nozzle a few millimetres away from the cake, squeeze the bag until a little comes out and then pull the bag directly upwards.
  • Roll out your white icing and use daisy shapes cutters of various sizes to put on each cake. You can paint a little blob of yellow food colouring to the middle of each daisy.
  • Place a couple of mini eggs on top too, for a really Eastery feel!
Filed Under: Parenting

Easter attractions: tips to beat the rush and save money

April 4, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
easter attractions

It’s school holiday time again!
So have you thought about what you are going to do with the kids this Easter break?
Here’s some tips and ideas….

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Easter attractions: tips to beat the rush and save money” was written by Lisa Bachelor, for guardian.co.uk on Wednesday 4th April 2012 14.33 UTC

Legoland and the London Dungeons … places that seem like paradise for children, but hell on earth for parents having to travel to them during the Easter break. Nevertheless, there will be many brave souls doing just that, so are there ways to avoid the lengthy queues (and tantrums) to help you get in and on the best rides? And what is the best way to avoid being stuck in traffic on the motorway before you even reach the gates?

We asked Thorpe Park, Legoland, Alton Towers, the Eden Project, the London Dungeon and the AA for some tips.

Book online in advance

The main piece of advice from all the attractions that could save you money, as well as time. Discounts for booking more than seven days ahead range from 10% (Legoland) to 25% (Thorpe Park and Alton Towers). Most places also let you print off the tickets in advance and avoid having to queue when you get there. Thorpe Park gives those who choose this option early ride time to get into the park an hour before the general public at 9am.

Know your ticket options

Lots of attractions sell fast-track/premier tickets to get you in and on to rides more quickly.

Thorpe Park Fastrack tickets start from £3 for a single ride (on top of the entrance price), or you can buy Fastrack packages from £7.50. Be warned, though, some readers who have bought priority tickets to attractions in the past have told us they didn’t get in any quicker.

Consider staying in the hotel at the attraction

You might pay more than for other hotels in the area, but this could be a small price for getting your offspring on the rides early. Antony Garley from Hertfordshire has booked into the hotel at Chessington World of Adventures this year having lost hours queueing last year. “We booked into a hotel outside the theme park last year but ended up queueing for ages just to get into the park. This year we decided to stay on site so we can start early and hopefully avoid any other queues for the rides themselves. We’ve also booked fast-track tickets.”

Legoland has a new resort hotel with guests allowed access the rides at 9.30am, half an hour before the park opens.

Know the peak visiting times – and avoid like the plague

The busiest time of day at the Eden Project is between 10:30am and 1pm, according to a spokeswoman. Thorpe Park and Alton Towers suggest the best time to get on the rides is the last hour of opening or lunchtime when most people are eating. London Dungeons, notorious for its queues, advises arriving before 10.30am or after 6pm to get a cheaper entry price and a shorter wait time.

Plan your visit and target your rides

All the big attractions with multiple rides reckon you can make huge time savings by planning your visit in advance using the park maps, rather than winging it when you arrive, and suggest you visit the most popular rides/ experiences off-peak.

At Eden Project, for example, this is the Rainforest Biome, which gets busy from around 11am until 2pm. “We would suggest that people either arrive early and make a beeline for it, or wait until after 2:30pm when it will be less busy,” a spokeswoman says.

Thorpe Park’s main attraction is The Swarm, Europe’s tallest winged rollercoaster, which opened in March, while Legoland’s must-sees are Atlantis and the Star Wars mini land experience. At Alton Towers its newest attraction, Nemesis Sub-Terra, is proving extremely popular, while other other sought-after rides include Nemesis, Oblivion, Rita, Air and TH13TEEN.

Attraction specific tips

Alton Towers has a Parent Q Share pass. This allows one adult to stand in the queue for a ride (lucky them) while freeing the other to wander around with smaller children. Once one adult has ridden, they swap parent care duties, hand over the pass and the other can ride without having to queue. You can get the pass from guest services.

Alton Towers also has Single rider queues. if you don’t mind splitting up from your group use the single rider queues which are available on many of the more popular thrill rides

Legoland has Q-Bots, handheld devices that allow you to reserve a place in a virtual queue for your favourite rides without having to actually stand in line. Prices for a Q-Bot range from £15 up to £70 a person.

Which roads are likely to be most congested over Easter?

According to TrafficMaster these include the M25 western sector between junctions 12 (M3) and 21 (M1), especially around 14/15 (Heathrow Airport and M4); and the M25 eastern sector between junctions 27 (M11) and 2 (A2), especially around the Dartford crossing.

The M1 between junctions 6A (M25) and 13 (Milton Keynes) is expected to be busy, especially through the section of major roadworks between junctions 10 (Luton) and 13 (Milton Keynes).

In the south-west, the A30 between Exeter and Cornwall and the A38 between Exeter and Bodmin are always congested during holiday periods, and in south Wales the M4 between Severn Crossing, Newport and Cardiff is expected to be busy.

In Yorkshire and the north-east traffic is expected to be busy on the A1/A1M between the M1 at Aberford and A66 at Scotch Corner, and on the A64 between Leeds, York and Scarborough.

York is also the venue of the 2012 Royal Maundy service – there will be restrictions and road closures within the city, especially around York Minster, throughout the day on Maundy Thursday.

What can people do to avoid traffic jams?

The AA said it is expecting this Easter to be quieter on the roads, largely because most schools broke up last Friday. It expects getaway traffic to peak on Maundy Thursday.

However, it says the key getaway routes and other “pinch points” in the network will still be busy at peak times. To avoid traffic, either travel earlier or later and check the traffic and weather reports before departing.

While on the move local radio is a good source of updates, but it’s also a good idea to use the TA or TP traffic function fitted as standard on many car radios. This is when the radio automatically switches to traffic bulletins (a useful but often overlooked feature).

Also take a road atlas and satnav if you have one, to help you take a detour around any major incidents.

As a general rule of thumb, the AA advises switching off your engine if you’re likely to be stationary for more than three minutes. Typically, an engine uses fuel costing 2p-3p per minute of idling.


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Children becoming addicted to video game fantasy worlds, teachers warn

April 4, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
computer games-violence-children

Do your children play adult computer games?
Do you worry about violence or the effects of prolonged  play?

Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled “Children becoming addicted to video game fantasy worlds, teachers warn” was written by Jessica Shepherd, education correspondent, for guardian.co.uk on Tuesday 3rd April 2012 14.55 UTC

A growing number of young children are acting out violent scenes from adult computer games in the playground, teachers have warned.

Pupils as young as four and five are simulating car crashes and graphic injuries as a result of playing games unsupervised in their bedrooms, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) annual conference was told.

A motion at the conference called on ministers to introduce “stringent legislation” to counter the “negative effects some computer games are having on the very young”.

Primary school teachers said the games were making their pupils far more aggressive and addicted to “fantasy worlds that separate them from reality”.

Doctors found children who continually play computer games may be more likely to develop tendinitis – an inflammation between the muscles and bones – and suffer from seizures, teachers said.

Psychologists have expressed concerns that playing some games make children more aggressive.

The teachers fear that by spending hours alone playing the games, children could become anti-social and slow to develop speaking and listening skills. Many pupils arrive at school exhausted having played the games until the early hours of the morning, they said.

Alison Sherratt, a teacher at Riddlesden St Mary’s Church of England primary school in Keighley, West Yorkshire, said her four- and five-year-old pupils spend their breaks pretending to “throw themselves out of the window of the play car in slow motion” and act out blood “spurting from their bodies”.

“We all expect to see rough and tumble, but I have seen little ones acting out quite graphic scenes in the playground and there is a lot more hitting, hurting and thumping in the classroom for no particular reason.”

She said her pupils believed the violence depicted in computer games was real and tried to recreate it in play.

“Obesity, social exclusion, loneliness, physical fitness, sedentary solitary lives – these are all descriptions of children who are already hooked to games … Sadly there is a notable correlation between the children who admit to playing games and those who come to school really tired,” she said.

Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said many teachers were worried that parents ignored age restrictions on games. “The watershed tends to work quite well, but with online TV and video children and young people are probably watching inappropriate content over a range of media,” she said.

“It’s about reminding parents and carers that they have a very real responsibility for their children and that schools can’t do it alone.”

Meanwhile, teachers have called for the government to abolish a website that allows parents to rate schools. Teaching unions claim the site gives anyone with a grudge against a school free rein to make an unfounded claim.

The Parent View site, launched by the school inspectorate Ofsted last year, encourages parents to assess state schools against 12 criteria. A school or college with poor ratings may receive a visit from inspectors. Parents researching potential schools for their children can log in and see the comments.

Robin Bevan, a teacher at Southend High School for Boys in Essex, told the ATL conference the website hosted views that “may not be an accurate reflection of parents’ views” and that there was no attempt to verify whether those posting comments were “genuine parents”.

An Ofsted spokesman said parents had to register with a password and an email address to post on the site.


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The Role Of The Modern Grandparent

March 29, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
I am Typecast The Role Of The Modern Grandparent

In this feature, Flying Start showcases ‘The Role of The Modern Grandparent’ as seen on www.iamtypecast.com.
The Typecast blog is written by Nickie O’Hara- wife to one, Mum to three and Nana to two. She works full time for an educational charity, is studying for a Social Science degree with the Open University and writes, cross-stitches and tap dances to “relax” (although not at the same time). You can read more about Nickie here.

The Role Of The Modern Grandparent

I know I’m not quite the norm when it comes to being a grandparent (stop sniggering at the back, you know what I mean) but when I read research highlighted by The Telegraph it appears that children cared for by their grandparents whilst the parents go out to work are better developed both in social and emotional aspects.

To me, this is only representative of traditional families where, maybe, the grandparents are old enough to have retired and are in fairly good health.  It doesn’t take into consideration that there are many families at the extreme of this research, i.e. living longer gives us more reason to start our families later.  But also very much not when your family includes a non-traditional ‘Granny at 36′.

I never wanted history to repeat itself with my daughter also becoming a teenage parent, for both selfish and unselfish reasons.  I wanted a gap where my husband and I could have a break from little people running around and revel in the fact that we didn’t have to organise enough equipment for an expedition to the South Pole when we were actually only going out for the day in the car.  But also, I wanted my daughter to have A Life; one where she could have a few wild years, find a career that she loved and go and do all the things that I would have wanted to do instead of sitting at home surrounded by bottles, nappies, boring routines and a list of “What If’s”.

Life never really turns out the way you expect it to.  So you deal with it…. Read More

Filed Under: Family Matters, Featured, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

New Bedwetting Guide

March 29, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Bedwetting
ERIC’s popular bedwetting guide for parents and children has been completely redesigned, updated and rewritten.
This booklet explains what causes bedwetting, how it can be resolved, what parents can do to help and much more…. it’s a must for every parent whose child wets the bed.
The booklet is free to download from ERIC’s website and single hard copies are also available for 50p + pp – order from the ERIC shop.
For health professionals, bulk orders are available
Filed Under: Featured, Learning & Development, Parenting Tagged With:

New Baby and Toddler Hazards in Today’s Homes

March 29, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Baby Safe Homes

Experts in home safety advise on accident prevention

With over 500,000 visits to A & E from kids under 5 years old in 2011*, a survey of hundreds of UK homes by safety experts, Baby Safe Homes, reveals new risks from today’s furnishings and equipment.  RoSPA’s Make it Safe campaign is drawing attention to the dangers of blind cords, but Baby Safe Homes, the leading child safety company in the US, which recently launched in the UK,  reveals some of the other common baby and toddler safety issues to beware of in today’s homes:

1. Flat Screen TVs unsecured

These are heavy and often within easy reach of a toddler, on furniture which is unstable or easily climbed.  If not mounted on a wall, TVs can be pulled over by a curious toddler.  This risk has been overlooked in every home visited by Baby Safe Homes to date.

2. Complex stairs

RoSPA reports that the most severe accidents to children in the home are caused by falls from height.  Baby Safe Homes observed many homes with unique, complex stairs, eg spirals, open tread, or wooden and slippery, each presenting a unique and significant risk to toddlers if no barrier is in place to stop a child going up or down.

3. Pressure gates at the top of stairs – unstable and a trip hazard

Pressure gates are popular, as they are easy to fit and don’t require any drilling, however, they create a dangerous trip hazard, particularly for sleep-deprived parents.  Screw-fit gates are a safer option and drilling can often be avoided by using bannister post bracket kits.

4. Heated Towel Rails – A burn hazard

A heated towel rail could be a burn hazard, especially for a toddler that likes to hold on to things to pull themselves up, or cruise along.  If there is no way of regulating the temperature of the towel rail, it should be turned off.

5. Book shelves and storage units unsecured

Many UK homes struggle with lack of storage and this becomes more acute when babies arrive, with a plethora of toys and baby equipment.  While there are many cheap and easily assembled shelving units available, they aren’t always stable, but can be secured safely.

Commenting on the thousands of safety hazards he has observed, director of Baby Safe Homes UK, Chris Jones, says, ‘I’ve seen balusters like those on a comedy film, where toddlers could easily push them out and fall through.  On the other end of the scale I’ve seen parents who have padded every available corner, on every wall or hard surface.  Parental supervision is always the best safety measure available.   First time parents are understandably nervous with a newly mobile baby or toddler in the home, but there is a middle ground between excessive baby-proofing and doing nothing.  Our service takes the hassle out of the task of preparing a house for an active toddler.’

How and When to Baby Safe

Baby Safe Homes recommends parents stay slightly ahead of their child’s development, for example putting stair gates in when the child looks ready to crawl.  It’s better to take the time to adjust to the equipment before it’s absolutely necessary.

When deciding how long to keep gates in place, every child is different.  Once a child is confident on stairs and can be relied upon to hold on to the bannister, parents should consider allowing more access.  Most children are ready for this after their third birthday.  Anything that the child has found a way to get around, should be removed immediately.

About Baby Safe Homes UK

Learning what equipment is on the market and finding the right safety products for your home can easily turn into a frustrating and confusing research project, and it could then take several days or weeks of DIY to fix the safety equipment.  Baby Safe Homes UK, a RoSPA member, provides a clean, fast and affordable service to baby safe the home.

The company will carry out an initial survey of a home and provide a consultation on safety issues to be remedied, for a nominal fee, from £25.  A list of tasks and recommended products is provided and the company can then install all the required equipment, the same day, in a matter of hours.  The company’s experience means they know the most appropriate and best quality safety products to install.  If the same day installation service is chosen, the initial consultation will be free.  Installation costs vary according to what needs to be done and equipment costs are competitive to those found on the high street or Internet.

Call 0207 559 1491 for more info, or visit www.babysafehomes.co.uk.

Filed Under: Featured, Parenting Tagged With: , ,

Here Come The Holidays!

March 28, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Splash About Holiday Swimwear for Babies and Children

Whether it’s a Spring break or long waited for Summer holiday make sure you pack your Splash About essentials for the kids when heading off to the pool or beach.

The simple yet effective original Happy Nappy (from £9.85) is compulsory in most baby swim classes in the UK and is made from supple, stretchy neoprene finished with super soft, snug fitting, deep bands of fabric with a high rubber content to stop any unwanted accidents. Choose from a wide selection of bright colours or opt for the oh-so-cute pale pink Frilly Bum Happy Nappy or the proud-to-be-British Union Jack Happy Nappy!

The Splash About Water Buddies Float Jacket (£27.99) is a stylish bit of buoyancy kit for children aged 1 year and over, older children and adults and is also available in a range of bright, visible colours and patterns including the new Star design in lilac and blue. The Water Buddies range has been developed to help teach toddlers how to swim by combining correctly positioned floatation that can be gradually reduced to stop dependency on floats.

When the sun’s shining you need to think about UV protection clothing which is where Splash About’s Sun Protection range comes into its own. Just one of a host of great fashion colours and designs for 1-6 year olds is the so ‘on trend’ navy stripe Sun Protection Loose Fit top and shorts – made from cool, smooth fabric that not only keeps UV rays out but also helps perspiration evaporate (£29.99).

Don’t forget the sunglasses either – My First Shades (£12.99) are certified to provide 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays and are shatterproof, impact resistant and come with polycarbonate lenses and frames making them pretty much kiddie-proof!

All Splash About products are made from special SPF 50+ fabric which blocks 98% of the sun’s rays, so children are protected from the sun when swimming and playing outside.

Splash About – simply the best safety swimwear you can buy.

For more information on the Splash About range of safety and swimwear go to www.splashabout.com

Filed Under: Featured, Parenting, Summer Tagged With: , ,

Huggies® Launches Innovation With Talking Babies

March 28, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
Huggies Launches Innovation With Talking Babies.jpg

Kimberly-Clark’s nappy brand, Huggies®, is investing in its biggest marketing campaign in over four years with the launch of the new Huggies® drylock system.

The drylock upgrade leaves baby’s skin super dry for up to 12 hours and helps to prevent leaks. The launch will see a multimillion-pound investment featuring a new TV advert airing 21 March, product trialling, in-store activity, PR and online activity.

The TV creative brings the fun side of the Huggies® brand to life and features two babies, Alfie and Evie, talking in baby babble and animating their conversation with expressive hand gestures.

Alfie calls for babies to join his campaign against the embarrassment of leaky nappies and to choose Huggies®. The campaign’s strapline brings Alfie’s rally together with the assurance that ‘What happens in Huggies® stays in Huggies®’.

The baby babble is translated via subtitles for the viewer, to differentiate the advert against conventional baby product campaigns. Alfie’s campaign will continue online with the launch of his very own Twitter handle, @AlfieTheBaby, the content of which is rumoured to be created by a high profile writer.

Louise Weatherstone, Brand Manager at Huggies®, says: ‘We know the most compelling reason for mum to become brand loyal is to have the reassurance against leaks and Huggies® drylock provides our best ever protection.’

‘Drylock signals the largest investment in product innovation to date and to celebrate this we will be staging our biggest ever product giveaway online.’

‘Alfie’s campaign has been developed to create a careful balance of humour and engagement, to entertain and motivate parents to buy Huggies®. The campaign will be delivered across varied marketing platforms, with particular focus on online, as this remains the number one point of reference for parents looking for baby brand insights.’

‘With the launch including strong retail promotions, we are poised to see an influence on sales and are confident the surprises baby Alfie brings over the coming months will continue to make an impact’.

The unique new drylock system combines a super absorbent core to draw moisture away from babies’ skin fast[2], with a super soft, stretchy waistband, leg elastics and improved leg guards, to protect against leaks. The drylock product upgrade has been added to Huggies® Super-Dry and Natural Fit nappies, available in baby sizes 3 to 6.

Filed Under: Featured, Parenting, Pregnancy + Maternity Tagged With: ,

LolliBop 2012 Tickets Now On Sale

March 28, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
LolliBop Family Festival 2012

LolliBop 2012 tickets are now on sale for a super early bird price of £19.50pp. There are a limited number of tickets available at this special price for the family event, which is returning to Regent’s Park, August 17-19.

LolliBop are delighted to announce Halfords as an official partner for the 2012 event. Halfords will create a bespoke Bike City at LolliBop, which will include a Wacky Races obstacle course for under 5s, where children can be the first to try out a brand new range of Balance and Apollo kids Bikes. LolliBopper’s will be the first in the country to ride the new bikes, which are available to buy exclusively at Halfords from September. For big brothers and sisters highlights include a BMX stunt display and demo area.

Pint sized guests (and grown ups) will notice a few more additions to the 2012 event.

The ‘LolliBop Kitchen’ will bring an exciting new area to the event, where LolliBoppers will have the chance to learn new skills from live demonstrations and interactive workshops. A new ‘Tween’ area will play host a number of activities including street dance, hula hoop, and beatbox workshops, and even it’s very own laser room!

Other new areas include ‘The LolliBop Human Zoo’, ‘The Disco Shed’, and the ‘The Village Green’ (with its own live music, craft stalls, and street theatre).

Back by popular demand, the Science Museum are preparing for a triumphant return to Regent’s Park with an expanded area and dedicated Science Zone.

For pre-schoolers, the ’3 ft & Under’ area is back. Confirmed activities include a mini disco, tiny play, little arts, yoga, teddy bears picnic and baby salsa. An extended covered buggy park is also being created.

Old favourites, including ‘LolliSports’, ‘Imagination Stations’, ‘Itsy Bitsy Strictly’ and ‘The Enchanted Forest’ will all return for 2012.

And of course no festival would be complete with a live stage. ‘LolliBop Live’ will play host to some of the hottest names in kids entertainment, with some surprises for adults to. Headliners to be announced soon.

LolliBop Super Early Bird day tickets are on sale now priced £19.50pp (numbers are limited). http://www.lollibopfestival.co.uk

Filed Under: Fashion & Lifestyle, Featured, Parenting Tagged With: ,

Self Sterilising Anti Colic Bottle

March 28, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
mam

The smart MAM Anti-Colic cleans itself!

Every day baby life is easy with the MAM Anti-Colic. The innovative bottle reduces colic and sterilises itself! Enjoy 80 percent less colic thanks to the smart base ventilation. Easy switching between mum and MAM thanks to the unique teat. And practical self-sterilisation thanks to innovative technical design!

This smart and innovative bottle ensures that from now on parents are mobile: the MAM Anti-Colic sterilises itself. Simply heat in the microwave with water and it’s done! Whether on holiday or visiting friends the smart Anti-Colic bottle is ready for use. Babies enjoy feeding from the Anti-Colic because the bottle ensures that the feed flows smoothly. This means that babies don’t swallow any air and colic is reduced.

The MAM Anti-Colic sterilises itself! Whether at home or on the go: simply heat in the microwave with water, no need for a steriliser. 80 percent less colic: the MAM Anti-Colic innovative base ventilation ensures a smooth flow and makes every feed enjoyable. As soft as mum’s skin: a gentle sensation for baby when feeding thanks to the extra-soft MAM teat.

The perfect companion…

Life with a baby can be quite stressful. This is why the MAM Anti-Colic is the ideal support. Its new sterilising function ensures that it is ready for everything: visiting relatives, travelling or meeting friends. The smart bottle is sterilised in an instant; simply heat in the microwave for three minutes with a little water and it’s ready to use. No additional product, no chemical additives – that’s how easy sterilisation can be. Peace of mind for parents and a perfect start in life for babies. Lisa Parkhill Managing Director of MAM UK commented that: “The MAM Anti-Colic is convenient at home and on the go, it is the perfect companion for dynamic every day baby life.”

Learn more at: http://www.mambaby.co.uk/MAM1.mov

Filed Under: Featured, Parenting, Pregnancy + Maternity Tagged With: , ,
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