children

Give Girls Power #givegirlspower 3

 in children / Uncategorized  tagged contrception / Save the Children by

The family planning summit, backed by the Gates Foundation, UNFPA, charities, campaigners and attended by governments from across the globe, is a chance to make a real change in the lives of millions of women which would have knock on effects in whole communities and nations.

David Cameron is hosting a family planning summit on Wednesday 11 July (yes, tomorrow). This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help girls and women make decisions over when and whether to have babies. Save the Children we want him to lead the summit to take action on empowerment, sex education and health care as well as providing more contraceptives.

As a woman, I am a true believer in empowering other women to be able to make the right decisions for themselves. I was fortunate enough to visit a town ship in South Africa with a friend of mine who works for a charity

The difference a week makes – #Syria #TippingPoint 3

 in children  tagged #syria / syraia by

So whilst my children are celebrating this wonderful country we live in, take two minutes out of your day to sign Save the Children’s petition to Stop the Killing, which call for world leaders to put in place an immediate and legally binding “Resolution to Protect Children” that carries the full force of international law on those attacking children and other civilians.

Spending cuts to hit the North Harder – but what will they mean for you?

 in children / family / money / politics / spending review by

The wonderful Baby Genies post about the upcoming spending cuts really resonated with me today.  I am starting to wonder what is coming to the world.  I have blogged about make take on politics, the election and what I wanted to see before and it seems to be as though none of the politico’s were listening. So what will this week bring?  It seems to be that the word of the month has been fairness, although I fail to see what is fair about taking child benefit from families where one parent is in the higher tax bracket, especially is like us, I am not working. Nick Clegg also announced this more »

Encouraging Children to be Walkers 1

 in autumn / birthday crown / children / walking / walks by

In an homage blatant copying of Chris at Thinly Spread, I bring you our favorite weekend Autumn Walk.  Now I am pretty lucky in the once the boys get started on a walk they love them and often it is MadDad and I who start back first. We live in a very beautiful part of the country and are blessed to have fantastic countryside on our doorstep.  We live 200 yards away from a wonderful wooded area which is on The Cleveland Way. So making the most of a dry day, we decided to set off on an adventure this afternoon. I am not sure if it is a boy thing, more »

Cooking with Children – Lamb Stir-Fry

 in children / cooking / cooking with children / cool2cook2 / kitchen / The minimads by

 We were given a some welsh lamb and the ingredients to make a welsh lamb stir fry from the Cool2Cook2 book which has been produced by Meat Promotion Wales (Hybu Cig Cymru) to help get kids cooking. I love getting the boys in the kitchen, so we set about following the recipe on Saturday evening.  The boys chopped all the vegetables, whilst I did the ginger and MadDad prepared the lamb, which was welsh and organic. I have to say that the recipe was really easy to follow and the boys did the majority of the work, with me and MadDad supervising. We really enjoyed it and there was 4 empty more »

Three for the price of One – The Gallery, Play Academy and Children’s Craft Showcase

 in art / children / childrens craft showcase / The Gallery by

  The Gallery this week is extra speical as it is linked with Cathy my friend over at Nuturestore and her Play Accadamy, so I thought that I would use a new Childrens Craft Showcase for this week, as it really seemed to fit the bill. I think that this craft is pretty self explanatory, we all have bubble wrap and using it to pain on and create texture is so much fun for children. We used our bubble wrap to make a sea on cards and on some paper.  We painted the wrap blue and green. Then pressed it down on the card and paper. To make a funky pattern. more »

Childrens Craft Showcase – Gifts for the Teacher

 in children / childrens craft showcase / gifts / school / teacher gifts / Teachers / thankful by

The end of the school year is very nearly upon us here in England, so I have started to think about teacher appreciation gifts for MaxiMads wonderful Reception teacher and her assistance and for Mini’s Preschool Teacher. I am a firm believer in child made is best, I don’t want my gifts to be expensive, just used and made with love. So I have a selection of things that we have made previously for people that would make great gifts to say thank you to a teacher.   Handpainted Cups This is what Maxi made for his teachers last year and will be doing again for his current teacher.  Click on the more »

A Pause in Lent – Stories of Jesus for Children

 in A Pause in Lent / children / Easter / easter story / Jesus for Children by

For most of us reluctant worshipers the closest we get to explaining Christianity to children is Christmas, when Jesus was born and Easter when Jesus dies.  This has certainly been true for me. Now As I have said before, I do class myself as Spiritual, although I am not sure which part of any organised church I belong too, but I feel it is important for my children to have an understanding of the Bible and these stories for a number of reasons.  It is super for morals, it helps explain good and bad in very set black and white ways which are easily understandable for children and it reminds me more »

Writing Workshop – Do not be defined by what you can be, rather who you can be

 in boys / children / link love / mini mads / Wednesday writing workshop by

What can I say about a mothers love, the love I feel for my two boys The need to give them happiness throughout their lives To see joy in their faces To be privileged to experience with them so many firsts. First Steps First Smile First tooth The first feel of sand in their toes To be able to pick them up after their first fall. To be able to give unconditional love. To love their faults. To instill in them the morals of their father. To teach them to be righteous men, with big hearts and a strong comprehension of good and bad and the sense to make the best more »

What Makes a Mother?

 in children / death / motherhood / Mothersday / mums by

  Do you ever just look at your children and feel a tugging in your chest. A physical sensation of how much they mean to you?Do you ever just want to hold them to tight, to squeeze the air out of them?Do you ever want to spend an hour kissing them or stroking their baby-soft skins?Do you ever tell them how perfect they are in every way possible and how much you love them?Do you ever wonder who speeded up time now your a parent. How can another year have passed so quicky?Do you let them know that you like them and enjoy being with them.Do you ever sit when the more »

Spiritual Sunday – St Valentines Day

 in baking / children / handmade; homemade; crafts / remeberance sunday / spiritual / valentines by

What are we celebrating today?, Who was valentine? Well wikipedia says He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner — until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor — whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn’t finish him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. MadDad and I have told the boys it is a day for recognising the people you love and for standing up for the more »

Cooking with Children – Tarka Dal and Naan Bread 7

 in children / cooking / Cooking / Fakeaways / Mains / mini mads / receipe / Recipes by

I love cooking and more than that I adore cooking with my children.  I love watching them measure, weight, pour and get excited about the tastes and textures of the food we grow, make and eat. MiniMad and I made dal and naan breads last night, a real store cupboard meal, which is warming, filling, inexpensive and meat free, oh and it is also dead easy too, especially with a little prep work. Firstly I rinse and soak the lentils, we use split yellow ones (chana dall??), they need at last 40 minutes. I used 200g ish for all four of us. Then we make the naan bread to prove. We use more »

Child Safe Sparklers 11

 in baking / children / cooking by

Obviously I dont give  the mini’s real sparklers, but they do see other children with them, so we came up with this as a solution. This is a really simple and fun recipe that you can do really easily with the children. Ingredients Bread sticks chocolate – milk or white hundreds and thousands or sparkles Method Melt the chocolate in the microwave Dip the bread stick in the chocolate, covering approx a third or alternatively use a brush like MiniMad Cover the chocolate area in sprinkles Eat all the sprinkles and melted chocolate you can whilst mum has her hands full and takes pictures. Enjoy! If you have a bit of time, more »