Blog : Little Lilypad Co

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The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.
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Category: News

  1. Why Life Insurance is Vital

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    We have recently been talking about whats important in life and are therefore pleased to host this guest post about "Why Life Insurance is Vital"

    If you do not currently own a life insurance policy, you should consider shopping for life insurance quotes today using a comparison site like Compare the Market. You never know when misfortune will befall. Everything from an unexpected accident to a serious illness could bring your life to an end long before you thought it would, and life insurance offers your loved ones with financial protection during and after this event. This is vital coverage that can benefit everyone in multiple ways. Consider these points.

    1. Funeral Costs. The cost of a funeral includes the actual memorial service, a burial plot, a grave stone and more. These expenses are generally incurred within a few days of a person's death, and they can cost a significant amount of money. Many people do not have this large amount of money readily available to spend on a funeral, but life insurance proceeds can pay for the expenses associated with a funeral.

    2. Personal Debts. Many people today have numerous personal debts. These may include a car loan, a home mortgage, credit card balances and more. If you required medical care before your death, you may have medical debts that need to be paid. After death, your loved ones may sell your assets in order to pay off your debts. However, you may owe more money to your creditors than your assets are worth. Another possibility is that your loved ones want to retain your assets as mementos, heirlooms and more. Life insurance proceeds can be used to pay off the balance of your debts quickly, easily, and without the need to sell assets.

    Debt

    3. Loss of Income. If you contribute financially to the livelihood of others, your death will result in a loss of income they depend on. They may not have enough income to continue living in their home or otherwise to maintain their lifestyle without your income. Even if you do not contribute financially, you may contribute in other ways. For example, if you are a caregiver or a stay-at-home parent, your death may create the need for additional services to be purchased in order to maintain the lifestyle of a loved one. The services of a maid, a nanny or someone else may need to be purchased. Life insurance can pay for these services and support their lifestyle after you are gone.

    4. Future Plans. It can be difficult to think of your loved ones carrying on with their lives without you, but after mourning your loss, they will eventually want to get back to the plans they had for the future. Your spouse may need to retire; your kids may have plans to attend a university and more. These future plans may have required your financial or other valuable contributions. Life insurance can help your loved ones continue on with future plans.

    As you can see, life insurance is vital to paying for so many expenses related to your death as well as to promoting the future well-being of your loved ones. With this mind, consider reviewing your current life insurance needs, and get quotes for the cover you need.

    Disclosure: This is a guest post for which I received compensation

  2. Getting back into shape after having a baby : Academy 4 Wellbeing

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    Okay so after 2 children I cant say that my stomach is toned and ripped ( but then again I cant say with conviction that it ever was ) but unless you are a movie star with a dietitian and a personal trainer, most new mums dont have the time or the inclination to go through rigorous exercise regimes. Most of us feel lucky just to get through the day, so when I had an email about the Academy for Wellbeing, I was more than a little intrigued.

    The Academy 4 Wellbeing is a brand new weight-loss retreat designed to transform lives. They have recognised that many new mums find it hard to get back into shape after the birth of their little ones, however, I am told that the Academy 4 Wellbeing will give guests the skills and knowledge to improve their entire wellbeing; from health and fitness, to nutrition and weight loss.

    The Academy 4 Wellbeing is opening its door for the first time in September 2012.  Prices start at £995 for a seven day stay, so its not the cheapest option around but they firmly believe that the lessons you will learn in this week will stay with you for life ..... so if you divide £995 by another 40 years of your life - it equates to less than £25 a year,  which has got to be cheaper than weekly weight loss meetings?

    Academy4Wellbeing

    I was given the opportunity to visit the Academy 4 Wellbeing but due to other commitments, I couldnt go (and my wellbeing is cursing me for it), so I am not recommending this on personal experience, nor am I offering any form of endorsement. What I am saying is that it looks like a fantastic kick start to physical and emotional wellbeing .... and what mum wouldnt love the opportunity for a seven day break. So *if* you get the chance to go - please let us know what you think! We would love to hear about it.

    For more information log on to www.academy4wellbeing.com 
     

  3. Best Beginnings - supporting families with a premature or sick baby

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    If you are a regular blog reader, you will know that I am blessed with two perfectly (cheeky) daughters who, although were both 10 days early, were born safely and without incident. But what would I have done if that hadnt been the case? During pregnancy, most women just assume that their baby will arrive safely and healthily but for those parents that do have premature or sick babies, what then?

    As a parent, I know that I would have wanted all the information available to me so I am therefore pleased to be able to share details of the new national initiative that supports families with a premature or sick baby. The initiative launches on the 19th June 2012 and is designed to enable every family of a sick or premature baby to be at the cornerstone of their baby’s care in ways that can help to improve health outcomes.  

    Here are some details from the press release for you:                                                                                                       

    UK-based child health charity Best Beginnings, working with six medical Royal College, UNICEF and more than 15 other organisations, is rolling out a national Small Wonders Change Programme implemented by over 400 nurse, doctor and midwife ‘Champions’ within hospitals throughout the UK to help families of premature and sick babies in the UK irrespective of their socio-economic group, receive the same high quality family-centered care.

    At the centre of the programme is the Small Wonders DVD, which is the culmination of two years of intensive work for Best Beginnings and follows fourteen families, charting the real-life experiences the parents faced as they met, cared for, and returned home with their premature or sick baby.  With 80,000 babies in the UK each year born either premature or sick it is designed as a tool to enable neonatal staff to support and advise parents through their baby’s stay, and encourage parents to play a pivotal role in the care their baby receives in ways that have been proven to positively impact health outcomes, interventions and activities such expressing breast milk, responding to their baby’s non-verbal cues and having skin-to-skin contact.

    Using the expertise of over 200 experts in neonatal care including consultant neonatologists, representatives of Royal Colleges, specialist dieticians and infant feeding specialists and created in conjunction with 10 hospitals across the UK, the Small Wonders DVD is designed to ensure that parents have the insight, guidance, confidence and support they need, from when they are first told they may be having a premature baby, through those first crucial hours after birth to their baby’s first birthday.  The DVD is split into 12 films each covering a different topic, which parents can select individually.

    In addition to being available for free in neonatal units across the UK the Small Wonders DVD is available to purchase for £5 from www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/pages/shop/.

    Best Beginnings

    Having been fortunate enough to breastfeed both of my daughters, I know the bond it can give you and this kind of support is invaluable, especially to mums feeling vulnerable after the birth of this gorgeous small person into the world. Best Beginnings is a small charity committed to having a big impact on child health across the UK.  You can find out more about their work and support them at http://www.bestbeginnings.org.uk/appeal/donate-for-child-health 

    If you know one person that this may help or be of interested to - please share it with them. This small action can mean a big deal to someone who is feeling isolated or struggling and with most of us never having enough hands to hold a book, a DVD is a great way to share this information.

    Wouldnt you want the Best Beginning?  

  4. Kids Holiday Hotspots

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    You know we love children and we are also quite partial to our friends over at Travelsupermarket.com, so we are delighted to share this short guest post from Charlotte McColloch ..... get ready for a giggle!

    It’s widely known that kids say the funniest things and when we invited a selection of 4 to 9 year olds to discuss their views on holidays it was no exception. Watch the below video to see what they had to say when TravelSupermarket’s resident travel expert, Bob Atkinson asked them their views on topics ranging from their favourite holiday destination to how much they think a family holiday to Spain would cost.

    If these adorable descriptions of family holidays inspire you to take a break this year, TravelSupermarket has great deals to help make your trip that bit more affordable from cheap flights to all inclusive deals. Thankfully a break doesn’t have to cost as much as some of our mini travel experts think!