How to throw the perfect sleepover
It was only a matter of time. Not only does everything seem to be about rainbows, unicorns and flip sequins in our house at the moment, now that the oldest has turned seven there’s increasing talk about sleepovers too. I used to love sleepovers when [...]
#MySundayPhoto
I've got a confession about #MySundayPhoto this week: it wasn't actually taken by me. It was taken by Misery Guts at Mottisfont Abbey, a National Trust property in Hampshire, during our recent holiday in Dorset. It's rare we get a nice picture of all three [...]
10 top tips for returning to work as a breastfeeding mum & WIN a Philips Avent electric breast pump worth £125!
Going back to work after having a baby? Want to continue breastfeeding? Then this post is for you! The thought of returning to work when you’re breastfeeding can be a daunting one, something I know only too well as a journalist with rolling deadlines, because [...]
10 things they don’t tell you about holidays with kids
Holidays with kids. After spending two weeks 'off' with three kids and a husband on a short fuse I've come to the conclusion 'holidays with kids' is an oxymoron. We didn't go anywhere fancy: we took advantage of the fact my parents were somewhere fancy [...]
Why we’re all just a TEENY tiny bit in love with Dr Ranj
Have you heard the news? I'll give you a clue: I'm talking about a TV doctor, a certain glitterball trophy and lashings of fake tan. In case you've been on another planet I'm referring, of course, to the revelation that CBeebies' Dr Ranj is among [...]
#MySundayPhoto
If you saw #MySundayPhoto last week you'll know I was charged with the task of producing an emoji/rainbow/unicorn birthday cake for the oldest, who turned seven this week (see 7 wishes for my daughter on her 7th birthday). Well this is the result: an explosion [...]
10 ways to make the most of a childfree mini break
Two whole days and two whole nights. That’s how much time we’ve got childfree coming up thanks to the in-laws, who have offered to have the kids for a few nights (all three of them!) while we’re holidaying nearby. The question is how can we [...]
7 wishes for my daughter on her 7th birthday
Seven. That’s how old our oldest turns this week. And I genuinely don’t know where those seven years have gone. Earlier in the year I brought you 40 wishes for my husband on his 40th birthday, so I thought it would be fun to continue [...]
How to find the right nursery for you & your child
Got a little one starting nursery soon? Want some expert advice on what to look for – and what questions to ask? Then you’ve come to the right place! Leaving your baby or toddler with strangers for the first time can be stressful enough, without [...]
#MySundayPhoto
#MySundayPhoto this week is my task for the week ahead: producing a birthday cake to the exacting requirements of my soon-to-be seven year old. This year she's charged me with the task of making a two-tier creation featuring emoji faces and rainbow icing, and has [...]
5 ways birthdays are better when you’re a mum
I don’t mean their birthday, I mean your birthday. Surely I can't be alone in thinking birthdays are better when you become a mum? I’m celebrating my seventh birthday as a mum this year and I've come to the conclusion that grown-up birthdays are a [...]
10 fun ways to exercise as a family #ad
They say a family that eats together, stays together. Well I’d argue that a family that exercises together, stays together too. Research shows that not only does a family grow physically fitter by exercising together, the bond they share is strengthened too owing to the [...]
Win tickets to a magical interactive fairy trail!
Love fairies or know someone who does? Can you get to Brighton next Sunday? Then read on! We’ve teamed up with Theatre Royal Brighton to offer one lucky reader the chance to win two tickets to a magical interactive fairy trail! Part of the Theatre [...]
#MySundayPhoto
Do you believe in fairies? My six-year-old does, hence the latest addition to our allotment and #MySundayPhoto this week: a magical fairy door. The three-year-old questioned why it doesn't open, but the six-year-old (quite rightly) pointed out that it's magical so it doesn't need to! [...]
What REALLY happened at Monstrous Children’s Festival
‘Furious parents demand refunds’ and ‘a complete shambles’. Those are just some of the headlines following Monstrous Children’s Festival, a new kids’ festival in London promising seven fantasy worlds and the world’s largest giant inflatable obstacle course. The question is are the headlines fair? We [...]
