New TV rules and parenting fail

Screw the new TV rules (parenting fail?)Lindsay Weiss

Dr. Dana just posted the AAP’s new guideline: No screen time under age 2. (I get a big fat parenting fail for that one.) In addition, the guidelines state that parents shouldn’t watch TV while the kids are around because:

When parents are watching their own programs, this is “background media” for their children. It distracts the parent and decreases parent-child interaction. Its presence may also interfere with a young child’s learning from play and activities. I often watch TV during the day, and spend hours on the PC if I can but my baby needs supervising does that mean I can't watch any TV either? These guidelines seem like the TV equivalent of the South Beach Diet to me. There is no moderation. No TV. No Carbs. No. No. No.

I know a lot of stay home mums use TV as a distraction for their kids so they can get chores and other things done around the house. Its not the best thing for kids but where is this notion coming from that kids and parents need to spend every second engaged in quality play and/or parent interaction? There are 24 hours in a day, that’s a lot to fill with engaging and imaginative play! Frankly, a little WordWorld is a whole lot better than what they’re gonna get from me on four hours of sleep.

I take these guidelines to heart, they are coming from a good place, but I dont think its damaged children with limited toddler screen time, in fact, it might just save mums sanity. Now excuse me, I’ve got some carbs to eat.

Baby Lucas

Finally our baby has arrived!

Baby Lucas Valentine Carrington was born on
September 21st 2011 weighing 6lb 14 :)

Daddy is very proud and mum is resting,
after 36 hours she certainly deserves it : D

Badge of Honor

As an Army wife I am very proud of the work my husband does - I support his job despite our disagreements on the legality of western involvement in the middle east. Naturally I have a bias opinion but I believe his work is vital to saving lives of civilians in conflict areas and our own deployed troops. As a searcher he is trained as an integral part of the British armies Counter-IED Task Force. In this modern warfare it is a risky job, we have lost friends and neighbours and many more have been badly wounded - their lives changed forever. Unfortunately unlike EOD specialists and ATO searchers they do not get any extra danger money or recognition for the high risk work they do, but today we had a step in the right direction.

Carver Barracks hosted a parade to award searchers with their own badge, the symbol of the "all seeing eye" aflame will be awarded today with pride. News reports can be found at British forces news and Cambridge news. Despite being 5 days overdue with our first child I attended the parade with satisfaction (and smugness) that our guys are getting at least a little of what they deserve. The new patches are just in-time for the new issue uniforms too! It was really nice to have a parade to celebrate, so often they are memorials or remembrance parades which are understandably rather sombre affairs.

Whilst over 100 of our friends and neighbours are currently on tour, at home participating in the parade were 250 of our own Searchers who either have recently been or are preparing to deploy. We also had some visitors from 61regiment: Private Alex Stringer (who stepped on an IED and lost 3 limbs earlier this year) attended the service to receive his badge. Stringer is part of a documentary "The Bomb Squad" which happens to coincide with our parade about the IED task force in Afghanistan. It is on BBC1 tonight at 10.35pm and is well worth a watch to learn more about EOD and the work our searchers do.

DH receives his badge

Summer means Jam making ^_^

Making homemade jam—or chutney is a great way to preserve the best fruits of summer. Strawberries this year have been amazing, either from your patio, allotment or at the pick your own farms over the south east of England. Later in the year there are plenty of wild blackberries along the lane where I live which are best in the late summer and autumn. Its very easy to make jam and using fresh fruit with no preservatives makes it taste so delicious, you just can't beat it on scones with cream and a pot of tea ^_^ it is simply divine!

The trickiest part of jam making is how much pectin (the settling agent) is in each kind of fruit. The high sugar temperatures can be a little overwhelming aswell but this can be easily overcome. I use a cheat, jam making sugar from silver spoon which has added pectin from apples : D


For soft fruit jam follow this easy peasy recipe!

Recipe:
400g Soft fruit can included strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches and blueberries etc (I use a blender and add vanilla to blueberry jam ^_^)
500g of Jam sugar
1tsp lemon juice
1tsp of butter

Method: For traditional English jam mash your soft fruit with a potato masher, or if you prefer American style jelly you can use a blender to remove lumps, although the later wont work so well with seeded fruits such as raspberries - you still get the seeds!

Using an old saucepan (incase you burn it!) on a medium heat to bring your mashed fruit to a rolling boil, not spitting but gently bubbling over - my husband calls it my cauldron ;)

Add lemon juice, butter and/or vanilla at this time. Add the jam sugar and stir constantly, you dont want any one part of the jam to get too hot and burn. Boil it for a full 3 minutes to ensure all the pectin and sugar are combined with the fruit.

Using a tea spoon take a small amount of the hot jam out of the pan, leave it to cool for a few minutes and if it sticks to the spoon when you stick it upside down then your jam is ready :)

Canning:

If you use recycled jars be sure to sterilise them first or if you prefer you can buy them on-line. Warm your jars gently on a low heat (80') in the oven or in a saucepan of boiling water and then put the hot jam into your clean jars.

Carefully screw on the lids - the hot jars with hot jam will create a natural vacuum seal that will last 9-12 months. With a printer and some adhesive paper you can easily knock up some smart labels, I'm sure friends and family will be very impressed.

For beginners domestic goddess Delia has some very handy tips.

Lunar treat for you

I post on Monday about viewing last nights lunar eclipse on-line. Additionally Visit the Google home page today and you'll be treated to a playable movie of the eclipse, which turned the Moon a scary blood-red colour.

Drag the scroll bar underneath the logo to view individual stages of the cosmic event. Google updated its homepage through the night to feature the very latest image of the moon, using the Slooh space camera, which collects user photos of space events, and is partnering with Google Sky to map space.

Last night's eclipse was visible rising over South America, Africa and Europe, and was also visible from Asia and Australia. It was the first total lunar eclipse of the year, and lasted a total of 1 hour, 40 minutes and 52 seconds. It was a particularly dark eclipse too, because part of the moon passed through the very centre of the Earth's shadow. These rare total eclipses are known as Central lunar eclipses.

Lunar eclipse

On Wednesday at 21:25 there is a chance to see the lunar eclipse, (no its not a shiny vampire movie) the type where the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks its light.

It is the last one to be seen in the UK intill 2042 so worth a few minutes to take a look . . . if you can actually see the moon that is! Good old British weather has forecast rain rain and more rain! It will probably too cloudy to see this interesting phenomenon but fear not; the age of digital astronomy is upon us! Head over to wired.com where there will be a live feed from satellites of the eclipse.

Car booty!

I just I'd share a few of the goodies I've got for sale at the moment, as we are having a big clear out. Its amazing how a priority like having a baby on the way can make even a hoarder have a brutal clear out, I'm sad to say good bye to some of my cool junk but it needs to be done.

The first and biggest lot is a complete Wii bundle with 12 games (Zelda, Tomb Raider, Lego Star Wars, Mario etc) and a host of official accessories including a travel bag, boxing gloves, zapper & driving wheel. All have original boxes with instructions and are in great condition £150 ono for the whole lot, a bargain as these were going for nearly twice that at Christmas. (I missed the boat there >_>)

I also have an N64, Dream-cast and Game-cube (original box) all with corresponding cables and games for very cheap prices, from £5-£15 :) Plenty of some older PS2 games available as well at £1 each :)

Rock Band instruments for XBOX360 are in a dusty but good condition, we'd like £50 for the set. The Stratocasters whammy bar has a loose spring but other wise they are in good working order, not shown is the original drum sticks and microphone, the set is less that 2 years old but unfortunately mere months ago my DH threw out the original boxes! I have Rock Band 2 and Beatles games for the XBOX. I also have Guitar Hero games I&II for PS2 with its original box for only £20 (I am usually good at keeping boxes ;)

Since Mr Toffee passed away we have a large indoor pet cage (which was £80 new on its own) with loads of accessories from mixed animals, a large wheel and ball in "rat/chinchilla" size, a ceramic heat lamp, small pet carrier (suitable for any small mammals) and a mixed collection of ferret and cat toys with bells etc. The whole pet bundle for £50 would be great :)

This lovely Jug has never been used in our house, its a beautiful piece which has 4 very fine glasses to match in bright blue, sadly the set has been gathering dust. We also have 2 goblet style glasses which are not shown in the photo and we would like £15 for all 7 pieces.

We have lots of games, comics and books that will go to a car boot this Sunday and some of my home made costumes for sale too over at Cosplay.com Some of the things are quite new but don't get used very much, we need space for all the new junk that comes with parent hood (it seems babies need an awful lot of kit!) and the extra cash it will raise is a bonus.

All prices are negotiable make me an offer and I'd be glad to have my cool junk go to a new home :)

Grand day out

My husband David worked all over Easter and the numerous bank holidays over may day and the royal wedding, so he now has 10days leave to make up for it. This week we've been working at home, doing big spring chores and generally taking long lunches and walks with the dog.

We live in the beautiful countryside and since being married generally we eat al fresco in the garden or have a BBQ instead of my old favourite; the picnic, so as treat David planned one for us this Friday. We bought some treats and packed a lunch but Dave wouldn't let on where we were going so I didn't know what to wear - shorts for the beach or sturdy shoes for hiking? The only clue was we couldn't take the dog, even on the morning as we got ready to leave I still couldn't guess where we might go . . . . in till he said "I can't tell you cause you will get over excited" he was right and I knew at once we were going to the Zoo!

We spent all day walking around Colchester Zoo, we saw lions who were so much bigger than expected, tigers who were prowling much like our own panther Bagheera, and I got to fed my all time favourite: giraffes ^_^ We saw wild looking wolves (not unlike our GSD, one was wagging his tail hehe) big African elephants, endangered our Amur leopards, apes as big as orang-utans and monkeys as tiny as baby tamerins - I thought they were all great! By far the cutest were the red pandas, such sweet faces and their behaviour reminded of cats, I just wanted to cuddle them ^_^ It was a beautifully sunny, its been grey all week and will be raining this weekend and I caught the sun on my face.

By the end of the day I was pooped, my feet ached and fell asleep in the car on the way home. The brilliant day had a perfect ending, I had a bath while DH cooked dinner, watch a movie in my PJs and then an early night for me and bump. Hardly a rock star lifestyle but I wouldn't change it for the world :)

Our right to vote part 2: The Referendium

Many of you who are interested in politics may have heard about some changes in our voting for out government, just recently its been all over our news. On May 5th the public will be asked whether they want to replace the existing first-past-the-post system for electing MPs to Westminster with a method known as the alternative vote. Basically this means instead of a cross for your favourite party, ranking all parties no offer. If your first choice gets the least vote they are knocked out and your 2nd choice is taken
instead.

This new way of voting has confused many voters and frightened others. The old school guys say that AV will be too expensive, that it will let more "extremist" parties into or government or that its complexity will scare away voters who don't understand. The pro AV folks say it will mean an end to tactical voting (wanting to vote for the small guy but forced to vote for the your least disliked big man.) and will give those small guys more of a fair chance at the MP seats. If you still unclear about the changes a great website for the pros and cons for both FPP and AV can be found here.

I think its important for everyone to use their right to vote in a country with fair democracy but its also important that your vote is not a blind one, educate yourself before heading down to the polling station :)

The important things in life?

Anyone who knows me will know I am a positive upbeat person who enjoys the simple things in life even when the complex ones aren’t going to plan. I think this is a healthy attitude to have and I try to maintain this sunshine outlook on life.

Unfortunately the music industry seems to be filled with singers and songwriters who are either drunk /on abooty call or depressed, most seem to lack genuine depth. British singer Adele is a sexy lady with a very soulful voice, her music is loved by millions across the globe and her latest melancholy song “Someone like you” has had extensive airplay on both radio and TV. . . . . I hate it! I disliked it on first hearing and with it’s repeated over playing I find I am more and more annoyed by the song and the coverage it gets.



Sure it’s a touching song full of sorrow for a lost love, we can all relate to that and its beautifully sung but if you listen to the story its just pathetic. The character turns up at the house of a man she lost, and since that time he has married and had a kid. Someone who not only holds a torch for that long but also acts on her heartache and despair so long after their parting is not in a healthy place. Love is important but dwelling on the past is depressingly sad and not in a good way.

Here instead listen to some Palo Nuttini, the cheerful chap who brightens up my day with his bouncy tunes and appealing lyrics about enjoying the simple important things in life :)



Remember that if you have shoes on your feet, a roof over your head and food in your belly you are better off that 2/3rds of the worlds population, stop winging and enjoy good health and the warm sunshine on your face :)

Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is a TV adaptation of George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, with 5 published and more in the pipeline, the series has been critically acclaimed and has a huge fan following spanning the 15 years since the first book was realised in 1996. Anticipation for the series adaptation has reached fever pitch, and I for one will be glued to the screen!

Sky Atlantic will begin broadcasting Game of Thrones, the fantasy drama based on George RR Martin's novels, on 18 April – the day after its US premier. It has been adapted for TV by David Benioff and DB Weiss. Benioff said no one had ever done fantasy "the HBO way, where the focus is on character and psychology rather than spectacle".

A great deal of attention is being paid to fine detail. A shot of Grand Maester Pycelle's desk reveals scrolls bearing the names of previous Targaryen kings, whilst King Robert's crown has a stag motif to reflect the Baratheon heraldic symbol. Eddard's small council seat has the symbol of a hand imprinted on it, whilst Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish wears a small clasp in the shape of a mockingbird.

The drama focuses on the struggle for power between competing factions in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of the mythical continent of Westeros – a time and place "reminiscent of medieval Europe" – with a cast including Sean Bean, Lena Headey, Mark Addy, Aidan Gillen, Charles Dance and Iain Glen.

Street Party

It wont be long now intill the big day arrives, The Royal Wedding. Kate Middleton will marry our Prince William to become Princess Windsor, the country will rejoice (for the most part) and we all get a bank holiday and have a 3 day week - huzzah!

The realm at large will commemorate the occasion with many street parties up and down the country, a traditional celebration often seen with bunting and cucumber sandwiches. Applications for road closures have been received in record numbers, particularly in Wales and Northamptonshire where William has ties to the Spencer family. Public Liability insurance is not necessary in most cases when no money is being exchanged and many people are planning festive feast for the occasion.

Unfortunately there are some issues with red tape, some councils charging for road closures and others refusing for approval without certain insurance policies. I hope that more councils consider slashing the forms and charges regarding these events following the example of Sutton council Its a time when encouraging community spirit should be applauded :)

Our little military community is having a fanfare event for 50 people (which is 90% of the residents!) with bouncy castle, races games and a hat making competition. There is also some face painting being done and if its warm enough David will put the stocks out and you can soak dad with water bombs ;)

Change in your pocket

As previously mentioned we are expecting a baby at the end of the summer and in preparation for this we are clearing out our little "junk" room to convert to a nursery. This involves throwing out a lot of stuff we no longer need or find important (hoarding comic books is hardly a priority when compared to housing your first born!) and selling on a lot of the useful stuff to get a little extra cash whilst making room for baby.

Now I was intending to ebay a lot of this buuuuut as I now have a job for a few months I have decided to save time instead we will spend a whole day slogging at a car boot :) I am hoping we can get a few hundred quid for our collection, which will pay for decorating the room. We have plenty of nearly new and working electronics, games and DVDs as well as art supplies, books and a collectors items. I also have 3 bin bags of good clothes which if they don't sell will go to the charity shop and several complete costumes but I want a good price so will hold onto them for longer if necessary.

But my reason for this post is to share the easiest £100 I have ever made! Whilst clearing our our little room we found several old mobiles stashed away. I logged onto a comparison website to see how much money I could get recycling them and was pleasantly surprised! I was offered £70 for the newest phone and £50 for another, the last 3 were old but still working so I got £2-£8 for each of them. Interestingly the companies I have seen advertised on telly were not the best prices offered. I went with weeebuy as they had the best average prices (I didn't want 5 different companies) and sent the newest (a Nokia 5800 express music) to the post offices' SimplyDrop recycling centre.

It was so easy, fill in a few details, register on their site and they give you an estimate for your mobiles. I decided to opted for vouchers with weeebuy as you get 10% more, but cash from the post office. I have only just sent my phones off and haven't received the full price yet, from what I have heard these trade ins can sometimes use misleading quotes to reel you in, so Ill keep you informed :)

My mummy is a Hippy

I often thought I would use cloth nappies instead of modern disposables not just to be cost effective but also for the impact it has on our planet. I'm not the only one, many parents choose cloth nappies because they're worried about the environment.

But it's not clear whether reusable nappies are the most ecological choice so I did a little research. Using cloth nappies means that much less waste is sent to landfill sites. Around 8 million nappies are thrown away every day in the UK and it is thought they could take hundreds of years to decompose. Cloth nappies, on the other hand, need to be washed and dried which uses a lot of energy.

A report for the Environment Agency published in 2008 compared the environmental impact of using disposable and cloth nappies over a period of two-and-a-half years. The Environment Agency worked out that using disposables would create approximately 550kg of carbon emissions.

For cloth nappies, the calculations are more complicated because so much depends on the way you wash and dry them. Assuming that you wash your nappies at 60 degrees C (the minimum temperature recommended by the Department of Health) and dry three out of four loads on a washing line, the rest being tumble dried, you would produce around 570kg of carbon emissions. Using the tumble dryer more often would push your carbon emissions even higher.

However, if you wash your nappies on a fuller load, use an energy efficient washing machine and always hang them out to dry you can reduce this figure considerably. And if you use your nappies on a second child, the carbon emissions associated with using cloth nappies fall even further – by as much as 40 per cent.

So cloth nappies can be more environmentally friendly than disposables but you have to think carefully about how you wash and dry them.

In with the old!

The new year might be a sign of progress marching forward, but it seems the high street didn’t get the memo, with some very retro inspired electricals. This radio player, £69 from Very.co.uk wouldn’t look out of place in an old-school American diner, and this dashboard clock, £24.99 from Lakeland, is straight out of war-era Britain. Who needs a touch screen when retro looks this good?