Show your home some love during the festive season

Christmas is a mere weeks away but once the flurry of festivities are over, all you are left with are leftover sweets and some annoying stains on the carpet. January is the perfect time to pull out the duster and mop and spruce up the house, so it is fresh for the year ahead. Rug Doctor, the carpet care experts have put together some handy tips to help you clean and transform your home for the year ahead.

Start from the top and work your way down

With each room start at the ceiling and get rid of the cobwebs before working your way down walls and finishing with the carpet or hard floor.

Care for your curtains

Are your curtains looking drab? Well take them down, remove the hooks and give them a quick warm cycle with a wet towel in the tumble dryer to get rid of the dust. Remove them immediately to prevent creasing and, after inserting the hooks, re-hang them.

Take it one room at a time

Planning is crucial so make sure you plan ahead and choose where to begin; make a list of the areas you want to target and tackle them one step at a time. Do little and often and if you add a couple of extra jobs to your regular housework routine, it’ll be a doddle.

Prepare the spare rooms for the next time

Spare rooms often double-up as a junk room throughout the year. If you’re had friend or relatives to stay with you during the Christmas holiday, give it a spritz. Free up some hanging and storage space and and freshen up the room for the next guest who comes to stay by opening the windows. A carpet deep clean can refresh any musty smelling carpet, making all spare rooms look and smell inviting again

Add a splash of vinegar and a twist of lemon to make those windows shine

A top tip for making those windows squeaky clean is to mix 25% vinegar to 75% water in a bowl, adding a squirt of lemon juice for an extra fresh clean smell. Then, using an old piece of cotton towel, wipe the solution onto the glass, then simply wipe clean with a dust free cloth.

Deep clean those carpets

Did you know the average family of four sheds up to 3lbs of skin per year? Most of this ends up trapped in the carpet fibres along with food debris, pollen, dust mite droppings and all the other nasties that vacuuming alone can never remove. Surprisingly, despite these shocking facts, over 80 per cent of homeowners have never washed their carpets!

Nothing refreshes a room more than a deep cleaned carpet, and renting a wet extraction carpet cleaner can have your carpets looking, feeling and smelling as good as new in no time and at a fraction of the price of hiring a professional.

Shower Solution

Limescale around the bath taps and shower head are often something we live with, but can be easily cleaned with hot white vinegar. But don’t use it on plated taps – you will ruin the plating! However, if your shower head is not removable don’t worry. Simply take a plastic bowl, fill it with hot white vinegar (heated in a saucepan) and immerse the shower head in the bowl.

Take an old tooth brush and scrub the shower head. Don’t forget to run the shower to remove excess vinegar. Wipe the outside of the shower head with a wet cloth and buff up using a dry cloth.

Say “oh là là ” to your laundry.

Boys in the house? Line their laundry baskets with a couple of sheets of paper towel sprinkled with tea tree oil to keep nasty smells at bay.

Give your walls a fresh new look

The New Year is for new beginnings and change, so why not change the walls and jazz them up with a splash of colourful paint or be on trend this year with some retro inspired floral wallpaper. Or go for a combination of classic blue and white to create an illusion of more light, which looks great in a flat or apartment.

Don’t forget the bed sheets!

Fresh bed sheets give you the peaceful, comforting night’s sleep you have been longing for. Spray some delicate fragrances like lavender or camomile to help you relax after the hectic festive period. There’s nothing like the moment when you slip into your comfy nightie or pyjamas and sink into your fluffy warm fresh clean duvet.

For more information on Rug Doctor please go to www.rugdoctor.co.uk

Disclaimer : We received no financial compensation for this post but thought that they were some good handy hints to share!

New research reveals that it takes up to two years to get the hang of motherhood

How did you feel when your new baby arrived? Nervous, anxious, elated, excited .... totally at ease? In the words of my midwife, I was an "experienced mum" as I already had an older daughter but it had been a few years since I had had to remember the nappies, the wipes, the change of clothes .... the whole baby routine and new research reveals that it takes up to two years to get the hang of motherhood. It certainly makes you think! I am delighted to share this research as it will certainly make most mums smile at least a few times before you have finished!

Feeling overwhelmed, nervous and scared are the overriding emotions today’s parents feel when they’ve had a baby. In a new survey of 2,000 UK parents by Munchkin to celebrate the launch of the new Click Lock™ range of cups, the international baby brand polled parents and confirmed it can take them up to two years s to get to grips with parenthood, with 58% of mothers fearing they would never get to grips with it. It’s not just mum worrying about herself either, with two thirds stating it takes dad a long time to adjust to their new role.

Even before the birth over half of respondents said they felt scared and just under half felt nervous about the impending arrival showing that this worry for parents starts long before baby is born.

The report showed that nearly two thirds of mums said that they didn’t feel they could confide in anyone if they didn’t feel it had all clicked into place with the most popular response stating that they thought it was something that everyone felt and they didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. If mums did turn to someone it was more than likely their own mum, with 5% asking their mother-in-law.

Top Ten things that mums felt had to be mastered before things clicked in to place

Being in a good routine 

Knowing what to do when baby is crying 

Not worried about dealing with baby in public 

Not panicking when baby is poorly 

Leaving the house with a spare change of clothes 

Being able to change a nappy quickly 

Having baby sleeping through the night 

Leaving the house with milk/food and snacks 

Always having a toy to entertain baby with 

Being able to leave the house on time

 

But many parents admitted that their worry was a regret and that they should have enjoyed the experience more. Two thirds admitted they wished they has been more calm and relaxed and less worried.  

Claire Rayner, Munchkin spokeswoman says “It’s expected that all new parents will feel emotional and overwhelmed after the birth of their child but it’s surprising that it takes up to 2 years for mums to feel that everything had clicked into place.

 

“It seems that mums feel that they need to have a number of tools in place before they feel fully confident in their role as a parent.”

 

“At Munchkin we develop products to make life easier for parents and our new range of Click Lock™ cups have a clear audible click when the cup is sealed so that on top of everything else mums have to worry about, spillages and leakage from our cups isn’t one of them.”

 

Sometimes things in life just click and this is never more true than with the brand new Click Lock™ Cup range from Munchkin! With over 20 years experience, Munchkin, the award-winning international baby brand , is thrilled to launch the brand new Click Lock™ cup range, one of the most innovative and exciting range of cups parents will find on the market today.

 

The Click Lock™ range features ‘ click’ to lock technology providing a leak proof guarantee, , so drop, throw or tip upside down, no liquid will come out. The cups could not be simpler to use, simply turn the lid until it ‘clicks’ in to place providing parents with an auditory reassurance that the cup is completely sealed. What’s more, the range, just like all Munchkin products, is fun, vibrant and practical, making parents lives that little bit easier .The Click Lock™ cup range starts at £3.99 and for more information log on to www.munchkin.eu.com   

 

Parents worldwide are choosing Munchkin products because they really do excite and delight, making life easier for today’s busy parents, and having sold over 55 million cups worldwide to date Munchkin know what makes a good cup! 

Each item from Munchkin has been designed to excite and delight children whilst making parents lives easier and more enjoyable. The full collection includes a range of colourful and clever bathing, feeding and hygiene products. To see more of the fantastic range and for full stockist details log on to: www.munchkin.eu.com or like the Munchkin Facebook page: Munchkin_UK

Disclaimer: We received no financial compensation for this post, we just thought it was fab to share!

Why move to Growing Up Milk?

With our little one "growing up" we are already having the debate about when to move her onto the next level of milk or whether to just give her whole milk. Here is a mum talking about the move to "Growing Up Milk" by our friends at Aptimal!

Helpful hints on how to keep cool this summer

The sunshine has finally come out to say hello to 2012, but while we all enjoy basking and bathing in this glorious weather it’s important we take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our little ones! Hot water expert, Megaflo has put together some top tips on how to keep cool and protect yourself in the heat.

1) Dress for the weather

Make sure you wear loose-fitting clothing to keep you cool. Try wearing light coloured garments too as dark clothes absorb the heat.

2) Cream up!

Make sure you use sun screen whenever you’re in the sunlight to prevent yourself from burning.

3) Refresh yourself

Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the fridge so when you need a refresh you can give your face a spritz!

4) Get fanning

Fans are a great way to cool yourself and get air circulating throughout your house!

5) Ice cool

Keep plenty of ice trays stocked up in the freezer so you can keep your drinks cool, or even make your own ice lollies!

6) Take a cool shower

Having a cool bath or shower helps keep your body temperature low leaving you feeling revitalised to carry on with your everyday duties.

7) Drink the right drinks

Combat dehydration by drinking plenty of water especially while participating in sporting activities. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.

8) Protect your head and neck from the heat

Wear a cap or hat to protect your head from the heat as this will reduce sun exposure to your face.

9) Eat summer foods

Eat light summer dishes little and often rather than hot and heavy meals.

10) Chill out

Make sure you alter your outdoor exercise pattern to take advantage of cooler times. Early morning and late evening should be cooler so try and schedule your exercise for then.

For more information please visit http://www.megaflo.com/

Megaflo is showing its support to helping save water by co-funding a Pump Aid project to develop, dig or improve water wells and install pumps and flushing toilets for 21 schools in Malawi. Pump Aid is a charity dedicated to providing clean water and good safe sanitation to underprivileged areas in rural Africa. ..... They are showing their support, we wanted to show ours by posting this information.

Disclaimer : This post is not in any way sponsored, nor have we received any compensation or remuneration for this post.

These Bobux are made for walking : Step Up Shoe Review

Who doesnt love new shoes? Well actually the 10 month old is not a huge fan of shoes and takes every opportunity to take her little pram shoes off! So we were filled with excitement and trepidation when we were offered shoes from Bobux to review.

Bobux tell us that the step up range has been designed specifically for pre-walkers, with a natural shape, flexibility and easy accessability. Perfect for special occasions, the "twinkle toes" dress shoe will catch every girls eye. (they also caught her bug sisters eye, who thought, and I quote "mommy, they are toooo cute").

 

Now with the little one trying to go from crawling to walking in one massive (lilypad) leap, I dont think she is quite ready as she curls her toes underneath her when she is standing. However, when she has the Twinkle Toes on, she keeps her feet flat ..... this is definately progress

 

The velcro straps are quite sturdy and to date, she hasnt figured out how to get them off .... which is definately a bonus as I have spent many a time retracing our steps to find a "missing" shoe!

 

The shoe itself is just adorable (I refer to 7 year old's comment above) and make my baby girl look like a big girl. They are flexible and light weight, which makes them great for wearing indoors and outdoors, although given the weather at the moment its more likely to be indoors!

 

All in all, they get a huge thumbs up from us and we feel these Bobux are definately made for walking, and that's just what she'll do!

 

Shoes available from Bobux priced at £29.99 - also available in white!

The Evolution of the Family Holiday - Guest Post

As always, we are delighted to welcome our regular guest contributor from Moneysupermarket.com. What are your thoughts?

To us Brits the family holiday is one of the most important dates in our calendar, for parents and children alike there is not much that tops the excitement associated with getting away with our loved ones for a week or two.

But with populations, economic situations and even climates changing how will that leave our much cherished family holidays in the near future?

Currently a week to Cornwall or an all-inclusive break to Spain might be the norm, this infographic by TravelSupermarket shows how our holiday habits might change – who knows our children might be taking a sun break to Sweden by the time they have their own families!

The Butlins Future Report: What is a 3D Dad?

How have things changed?

In years gone by, the man was the bread winner and the woman was the bread maker (the loaf variety of course) but with the shift in family dynamics and more complex family structures means that as long as the "bread" is on the table, it doesnt necessarily "knead" to come from one direction.

I was fortunate to read a report commissioned by Butlins on the future of family holidays and the one aspect that really caught my eye was the element regarding men and women and the shift from the traditional roles I mentioned above. Here is an extract:

3D Dads


More women entering the workplace has already driven the shift away from traditional gender roles, with women gaining greater financial independence. More responsibility for helping with housework and childcare will fall with fathers, and by 2037 we can expect to see an army of 3D Dads (Domesticated, Dynamic and Devoted).

According to the research, one in three (35%) dads currently shun housework, and one in six (16%) do little to no childcare. But it’s a far more optimistic outlook for 25 years time with 60% expected to split chores evenly, and 40% pulling their weight with childcare.

These figures seem incredulous but the report is really interesting. From supersized 14-strong Relation Vacations, to the rise of Super-Gs and 3D dads - The Butlins Future Report uncovers how changing family structures will redefine the way millions of Britons holiday in the future. The full report is available upon request or can be downloaded at www.butlins.com/future

Is your family traditional or do you have a 3D Dad??