Category: Views & Ramblings

1. How we created exfoliating sun cream this weekend!

   Posted on 12:47pm Monday 6th May 2013

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   Today has been glorious hasn't it? It reminded me of long summer days when I was a child! What I don't remember is my mom constantly lathering me with suncream every hour like I seem to be doing with my own girls. Yesterday they were playing in the sand pit, so when it came to putting the sun cream on, it was like they were getting a mini exfoliation too!

   The NHS recommends that you use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 but the higher the SPF, the better. They also remind you to make sure the product is not past its expiry date as most sunscreens have a shelf life of two to three years. I remember my Dad thinking factor 8 was high when we holidayed abroad as children and even using a tanning oil on the last few days. ( My mom is oblivious to expiry dates ... don't let me start on the tins we found when they moved house ... so the tanning oil was undoubtedly giving no protection whatsoever).

    

   Awareness of skin cancer has made us all more conscious of looking after our skin, I shudder at the amount of sun bed sessions I had in my early twenties and the long term effects it has had on my skin. My girls get lathered in Factor 50 suncream to protect their beautiful skin as they are both fair English Roses and I am happy for them to stay that way but when they are babies, it is always best to keep them out of the sun wherever possible as babies skin is so delicate.

   I was shocked to learn that there are almost 100,000 cases of non melanoma skin cancer diagnosed in the UK each year. This makes it the most common type of cancer by far and this type of cancer tends to be under reported. The actual number of cases could be more because non melanoma skin cancers are easy to treat and cure, they are often left out of national cancer statistics. *

   I know that looking tanned and glowing is the ultimate goal for some sun worshippers but at what cost? I also know I probably go overboard with my daughters, especially on days like this. I love the sun and I do love having a sun tab but I am much more careful with my own skin as I get older with the only tanning I get, coming out of a bottle!!

   What about you?

   *research by Cancer UK.

2. How much is too much?

   Posted on 10:51am Sunday 5th May 2013

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   This weekend saw the start of my eldest daughter's 8th birthday celebrations with an ice skating disco party. When I was 8 years old, I think the most "glamorous" thing any of my friends did was have a party at McDonalds as that was a "treat" when I was young, so an hour on the ice, plus food, party games and a disco was certainly not something my parents would have entertained. My folks always worked hard to give us everything we needed but maybe not everything we wanted as they felt it was important to establish values and appreciation and I do worry that sometimes I go over board with my girls.

   My daughters birthday is not actually till next week but so far she has had her birthday party with her friends, a bbq with family friends and that is without the plans for a get together with all the family planned for later in the week. On top of this there is the presents ..... let's not get started on that list.

   If I total up the cost, I would have to add up:

   • The birthday party = excessive but they loved it
   • The party bags = filled to the brim with girlie treats
   • The cupcakes = just because
   • The party outfits = she actually wore 4 different outfits yesterday (apparently you need a different outfit for skating, disco, bbq and a spare!!)
   • The BBQ food = well the sun was out, it would have been rude not to!
   • The birthday cake = again, her choice! You have to have a cake don't you?
   • The presents = I can't mention them yet .... just incase she reads the blog ;-)

   We all work hard to provide the very best for our children and if you can afford it, why shouldn't you give them the very best you can ..... as long as they learn the values too. So the only thing I need to really add up is:

   • The look on her face = priceless

3. If I wanted to be a juggler, I would have joined the circus!

   Posted on 8:39pm Monday 29th Apr 2013

   

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   Today has been exhausting. Most days I have it covered, we all get out of the house in the morning looking "mostly" immaculate, with everything needed for the school run, the nappies and wipes for the little one, my laptop, phone, handbag and sky scraping heels. Today, was somehow a little more frazzled.

   Today the school run was done and dusted with no drama, we were even early, we then had a playdate to help develop the little ones social skills, nap time (the little one not me), emails dealt with, back to school and then somehow the military operation that is our daily life somehow became a little  less organised.

   We scraped to the swimming lesson by the skin of our teeth (I blame the tractor that delayed our journey), there was no where to sit so the toddler was running around (again the tractor is to blame in my eyes), I had no change for the vending machine (I can't blame the tractor for this one), so after swimming snacks were a no-go (much to the disappointment of my eldest but secretly to my delight) and then we get home, dinner seemed to take forever and was then proceeded to be flung around the kitchen. *takes a breath*

   Now I am sitting here, looking back on the day and chuckling to myself at the things the girls have said and their funny little ways. Ultimately, the children were where they were supposed to be, when they were supposed to be there, my deadlines were met when they needed to be, admitedly my eldest daughter did not get the snacks she wanted, but at the end of the day when I kicked off my sky scraper heels, I maybe more like a tightrope walker than a juggler in the circus of our family life, but I am glad I have got ring side seats to the laughter.

4. Can mum's make money from switching their bank accounts?

   Posted on 9:39pm Wednesday 24th Apr 2013

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   We have talked quite alot about finances on the Lilypad lately but this is important to growing families, with ever reducing budgets due to the rising cost of living. So can changing bank accounts save you money and how easy can it be to change?

   I have changed utility providers before and have always used online comparison sites but I think sometimes we open a bank account and never look to see if it continues to provide us with the best deal and options for our money. (I am guilty of this, as I still have the bank account that gave money boxes for savings goals as a child!)

   We don't claim to be financial experts but in the words of Martin Lewis "Switching CAN make you £100s. While banking is 'free', this only applies if you're in credit. Most banks pay a pitiful 0.1% interest on your money then loan it out as overdrafts at 20%. So, even if you like the service, if it's so good, are you willing to pay £100s in lost benefit?"

   There are lots of options available and we are not here to suggest anyone in particular but to serve as a reminder that changing your bank account or indeed loan or mortgage could save you hundreds of pounds. Using a comparison site or budgeting tool, like the one we found on family friendly site MyFamilyClub definately helps to reduce the search. 

   Budgeting for a family can be a juggling act, whether you are living day to day or saving money for your children's future, so it's great to know that we can save money by using a simple budgeting tool to make simple changes. At this point, I usually make a comment about saving money means I can buy more shoes but the rate my daughters are growing, I think it will be more shoes for them instead!