Last night I went to bed early and slept. I wasnt interrupted by either daughter. I slept. Deeply. Deep enough to dream.

Unusually this morning, I was able to recount my dreams,and there were many of them, from being friends to William and Kate (I clearly have dillusions of granduer) to having an argument in the hairdressers for cutting my hair too short. Lots of people dream about falling or have recurring dreams about a specific thing but my dreams always seem realistic and are usually sparked by something that has happened that day (I am not sure where the William and Kate aspect came from).

Sleep is very topical in our house, from being delighted that the little one sleeps through the night, my other half's insominia, to returning the eldest one to her bed when she is sleep walking but nightmares rarely feature I am glad to say. I was therefore interested when Simply Different shared this post on Facebook today:

Amethyst

Powers & Magical uses: Dreams, Overcoming Alcoholism, Healing, Psychism, Peace, Love, Protection against theft, Courage, Happiness. 
Energy type: Receptive. Associated element: Water.
Use to prevent insomnia and nightmares by sleeping with a piece of amethyst under your pillow. It is a reducer of stress, so it can be used to great effect in today's pressured lifestyle. Use amethyst to calm fears, raise hopes, and enhance spirituality. Amethyst can also be used to enhance psychic abilities, and aid meditation.

I genuinely found this really interesting and despite my usual interest in gemstones being more of the jewellery variety, I think investing in a piece of Amethyst might be on this week's shopping list! Although if the associated element is water, does this mean midnight trips to the toilet :-)

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If you are a parent, you will understand.

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Disclaimer: This is a ppc post. 

... is Grandad going to die mommy?

That was the question I faced a few weeks ago. We had been talking about Cancer and why people get Cancer and I had said that people who smoke cigarettes are at risk of getting it because smoking is bad for you. Obviously I was thinking about putting that into her head so she didnt feel the need to smoke as she gets older but it didnt occur to me that her little brain would go into overdrive and start thinking about the people we know who smoke. One of whom is my Dad.

Dad has always smoked on and off. He tried to give up when we were children but we always knew he was a "smoker". When I told my mom about my daughters comments, she asked if I remembered telling my maternal grandparents that "their arms and legs will fall off if they carried on smoking". I dont recall saying it but I've obviously felt strongly about it from a young age.

So when I got approached about a product called SKYCIG, I asked my dad if he wanted to try them. SKYCIG e-cigarettes are designed to simulate the act of smoking tobacco without the 4,000 harmful chemicals found in traditional cigarettes. They contain a small dose of Nicotine, which is delivered in the form of water vapour. Here's an interesting article which explains more about what these e-juices, as they are called, contain: http://e-cigreviews.org.uk/e-liquid-uk/ . According to TV doctor, Dr Hilary,  only 3-4% of people can give up smoking with their own will power, so  these e-cigarettes can be used as a tool in helping curb or quit smoking – to wean you off it.

I know only too well how many times my Dad has tried to give up cigarettes and his first reaction to the SKYGIG was that it is heavier than a normal cigarette but he is trying them ..... I cant ask more than that. It also lets me tell my daughter with confidence that her Grandad is doing everything he can to ensure he stays around for a very long time.

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Following my blog earlier in the week about International Babywearing Week, there have been some mixed responses to this post, regarding the terminology and the support available.

From some people to agreeing with my point that it sounded like a fashion statement to comments on Twitter that there is dissapointment that some sling meets are unbiased with their support.

I have tried a Lifft Sling, a Mei Tai (reviewed by Simply Hayley here) and more recently a Babasling (see my review here) and all have been valuable at different times of my baby's development but what if you havent got the resources to have a different sling or wrap for the different stages of your baby's growth? There are some fantastic sling libraries around the country, allowing you to try before you buy which I think is a great idea.  The School of Babywearing have a list of sling libraries around the UK and you can find them here.

Babywearing isnt a fashion statement or something you will be applauded or critised for, I have found that babywearing is all about your personal choice. If you want a cloth wrap, a fixed carrier or a sling, the choice is what is right for you and your baby.

Finally and most importantly, the main thing I have learnt on my babywearing journey is that whilst a sling may help you to reclaim your hands, your baby will always hold your heart.

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