Working from home has lots of advantages in flexibility (not to mention staying in your pj's .... I can assure you that never happens!) but having come from a corporate world in a former life, I am always conscious of health and safety too, although not carrying out risk assessments every five minutes definitely has its advantages.

When I was told that More Than were launching their Fire Safety Campaign, I was straight on the phone to my brother, who is a Fire Fighter to see what his top tips were regarding fire in the home. His immediate response? Get out, stay out and call the fire brigade! Once I told him I was not working for his boss and wanted "real" advice about fire prevention, he was actually really helpful! (who knew my baby brother could be so informative!)

It appears that a small thing can make a big difference where fire is concerned and the Fire Service advocate the use of Smoke Alarms. They are such a small thing at relatively small cost but can be the difference between getting out of a fire in time and not. More Than suggest buying longer life batteries and it is important to have them on every level of your home.

Did you know that ....?

• 90 people die each year because the battery in their smoke alarm was flat or missing.
• More than five fires a day are started by candles
• Every three days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette
• Faulty electrics (appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets) cause around 7,000 house fires across the country every year. (Yes, I bet you looked under your desk at the extension lead right then didn't you?)

The one thing that my brother said that really made me think was to make a "Bedtime Checklist" as you are more at risk from a fire when you are asleep, so it is a good idea to check the house before you go to bed.

• Close inside doors to stop a fire from spreading
• Turn off and unplug electrical appliances, unless they are designed to be left on (I don't want to be responsible for you unplugging the freezer and having all the food defrosted!)
• Check the cooker is turned off
• Don't leave the washing machine o
• Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
• Make sure exits are all clear
• Leep door and window keys where everyone can find them quickly if needed.

It is worth taking a few minutes to take a look at the #MoreThanFireSafety campaign as a fire can be devastating but making sure you do everything possible to prevent it and protect your family against it can be done by a few very simple measures.

Do you have any tips you would add?

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My September child is not always full of grace but born on a Monday she is fair of face,

Whilst pregnant through the summer, in a hazy warm whirl, I was constantly asked if I wanted a boy or a girl.

I never had a preference, although girls are the best, which is particularly good given that with two I am blessed.

The timing of the birth became something of discussion, never once really thinking about timing repercussion.

How a simple matter of days can change things in a jot, from those who are at school and those who are not.

My gorgeous girl likes to crack a funny, and repeatedly ask "do I make you laugh Mummy?"

My September child who has friendships that will change, when finding new friends can sometimes be strange.

Will they want know how funny she can be, will they give her chance to see what I can see.

My September child misses the school cut off by a matter of days but I know that I have not missed the school placement craze.

Because I don't inwardly groan about the difference those days make and every opportunity to be with her I will take.

And while others worry about the right school uniform gear, I am just glad that girl is mine to enjoy for another whole year. 

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For anyone who has "owned" one of those cheeky little three year old daughters, you will know that your day can change in an instant, from dealing with an irrational meltdown to the happiest child in the world. I suppose that is a little like me on a shopping trip, one minute I am crying that they don't have my size, then I am skipping with delight when I find a bargain .... but I digress. Catching and maintaining the attention span of a toddler is no mean feat but here are my top 10 every day (and mainly free) activities to do with your little one.

1. Dance & Sing Together

We sing, alot. We sing in the car, much to the amusement of my husband when he is in the car but we dance at every given opportunity too. The little one loves to copy dancing on the TV, so just make sure the parental controls are on the music videos.

2. Take silly pictures and look through family photos

I do not know any toddler that doesn't love taking a random selfie or two (or fifty) and sometimes I have to wrestle the phone back from her in order to make a call (and delete 50 random selfies). It is good to look back on old photographs with the children too, they love seeing themselves as a baby and find it hilarious to look at photos of me and their dad as children too.

3. Wash the car

This may sound a tiresome task to any grown adult but to a toddler it is an excuse to splash outside, wave a hosepipe around and find nothing more funny than getting soapy bubbles anywhere other than on the car. Once they have calmed down, it is also a good way to teach them the importance of helping do tasks around (or outside) the home.

4. Go shopping

Shopping is a passion of mine and this week on our "mummy and daughter" day, the little one asked to go to the shops so we could have a cup of tea. So we ventured to John Lewis for our regular tea for two and sat and chatted about what we were going to buy. Shopping is a passion of mine, I know it might sound shallow but we all have our vices and a gorgeous pair of shoes and matching handbag is mine.

The toddler was all about what she could get in the toy section, whereas I needed to go to River Island for my godsons birthday present (apparently 9 year old boys are fashion conscious too). Just don't get me started on the toddler "selecting" a party outfit for herself too!

5. Play dress up

Now usually I am all about clothes but unfortunately the girls love nothing more than stripping off as soon as they get in the house, unless of course there is the chance for dressing up. This can be anything from a princess, a doctor ..... or indeed coming in and finding them wearing one of my dresses and tottering around in my heels. Apparently a mums wardrobe is a haven of delights. 

6. Bake

You don't have to be Delia to bake cakes with the children. My mum always said that her oven was broken but in reality she couldn't get a cake to rise for love nor money, thankfully I haven't inherited the inability to bake and the girls love to measure, mix and decorate cakes. Word of advice though : Never leave a toddler with a tub of hundreds and thousands as they *may* end up in every corner of your kitchen.

7. Have a tea party

Who doesn't love a tea party (see toddler above) and this is one of our favourite bath time activities. We have a plastic tea set and everyone gets a (slightly bubbly) cup of tea ..... unless you are Daddy and he gets coffee of course. This translates into every day life too as when we are making tea (or coffee) the little one loves to come and help with the milk and sugar, not the boiling hot water bit, and let's be honest making a good cup of tea is a life skill in my book! 

8. Build a tower

You don't have to have expensive building blocks to build a tower, children love to build a tower with anything and everything from dominoes to lumps of wood outside but the very best part is always knocking it down.

9. Let them be you.

All toddlers love to emulate their parents, so I very often let the little one into my office to come and "work" for a bit. She loves to sit at my desk, pressing the buttons on my phone and writing important letters. It is easy to ask them to leave you in peace while you work but in all honesty, I think it is good for her to see me working and I hope that the desire to do well, to contribute to the family finances and achieve personal fulfillment can be found in these moments.

10. Let them play on their own!

I see so many parents (myself included) continually trying to stimulate, engage and occupy their children, when sometimes the very best activity for them is to play by themselves. They develop their imagination, find role play with their toys and learn to enjoy their own company. It also gives parents a few minutes peace but just be careful if they go quiet ...... a silent toddler is usually a mischievous one.

What activities do you enjoy with your little ones?

I read a blog post a little while back by Mummy From the Heart about "Life lessons you want your kids to learn" and I knew I wanted to write a similar post for my girls. I am a huge believer in the fact that life will give you what you can handle and whilst it may sound like I am channelling the universe, I also know that I need to lead by example with my daughters.

I think we forget sometimes that the role models our children see are not necessarily the famous pop stars or reality tv "stars", they copy and emulate us from such a young age that it is so important to be conscious of our own actions. I want to nuture my girls personalities and encourage their quirky ways and specific talents but there are some basic things I think they should learn.

1. Learn to be present and always look people in the eye when you’re talking to them. 

In an age where technology is part of our every day life, it is easy to forget to be fully present in dinner table conversations whilst instagramming your food, take part in discussions and time with your family. Make sure you take time to put the technology down and look the person in the eye who is talking to you. Give people your full and un-divided attention. Do not spend your entire time seeking stimulation on a phone screen and learn to make real human connections.

2. It’s not the quantity of friends that matter. It’s the quality. 

You do not need anyone's approval and no matter what the other girls or boys say at school, be comfortable in your own skin and you will find that your true friends will filter through. It is better to count your real friends on one hand, than have a handful of so called mates who wouldn't be there if you needed them at 2am.

3. When it comes to relationships, don’t settle. 

This goes for friendships and romantic relationships. Don't settle for anyone that doesn't make you feel special, loved and important. (If they can make you laugh, this is a big bonus too).

4. Money does not equal happiness

I *may* have pinched this one from Mummy From The Heart but it it such an important lesson for the girls to learn. You do not need money to be happy, it can help buy a bigger house, more clothes or a nice car but those are not the things that will make you happy. Happiness is not a destination, it is what you create from life along the way, regardless of whether you have one pound or one million pounds.

5. Rules are made to be broken. Except mine.

Challenge the norm. Question everything. Except me.

I really did love this linky and I want to play it forward. The rules of this meme are simple, blog about your big 5 life lessons and link back to this post so people can follow the train of the meme. Tag 3-5 other bloggers to complete the meme and let them know about the tag. Of course it is always good form to go and comment on those other blogs too. 

I am tagging Emma from Mummys Savvy Savings, Jayne from Mums The Word and Marianne from Mari''s World.

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