All posts filed under: Reviews

Helping an anxious child ease back into school routine

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That’s a mouthful of a title, I know but I did feel it was important I wrote about the things that have helped Emma with her return to school anxiety. Of course, first of all, an open and honest relationship with us, her parents is the most important. I have always encouraged Emma to speak about her worries and together we try to find solutions to what concerns her, be it a new teacher, playground squabbles or being on time in school but sometimes, I found that talking is the first step and extra assistance is needed. So these are the things I have noticed that have helped in the last week and I thought I would share. Keeping busy before school with calming activities. Emma was sent last week a beautiful parcel from Eat Sleep Doodle containing two pillow cases and a mini iPad case to colour in and have fun with. If you are new to the concept, these are high quality cotton products that come with wash out fabric pens, encouraging children …

Luxury Autumn Items (for Mums, for once!)

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I have literally just dropped Emma off to school and I think the most appropriate way to pass the first morning without her around (instead of missing her like crazy!) is to write about some of the lovely items I was sent to review, all appropriate for the cooler season approaching. The first one I will mention here is my beautiful BKLYN fur bobble hat! Part of their new Autumn-Winter collection 16/17, the hat oozes style and comfort from the word go. To the touch, it feels soft and the bobble, well, the bobble is simply addictive to touch! I am sat at my desk wearing it as I am writing this and it feel so cosy and snug, I simply wish it was winter already so I can wear it out in public! Here are some nitty but anything but gritty details about the quality of the BKLYN hats: “Luxury Italian merino wool bobble hat, created from the finest quality wool and made and hand finished in England. Its softness and timeless elegance are …

Caribbean Food Week 2016

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As you may know, we are a multicultural family: I am Romanian, Alex is Greek and Emma, well, she was born and is being raised in Northern Ireland. We eat a large variety of foods, which include not only Romanian, Irish and Greek dishes but also Thai, Italian and many more. We love trying new things so when Grace Foods UK approaches us about the Caribbean Food Week, offering us a food hamper to sample, we had to say yes! This was the first time I cooked Caribbean food so I did a bit of research once the hamper arrived. Caribbean food is all about flavour, I found out! It is about slowly marinating your meat in jerk sauce, a wonderfully tangy mixture of herbs, spices, lime juice and soya sauce. It is about heart warming sides, like the rice and peas (actually black beans) I cooked, which had thyme, coconut milk and all spice in it, a delight on a plate, if you ask me! And Caribbean food is all about spices! My sweet …

Back to school essentials

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The summer has flown by, it seems and Emma is due back to school next Monday. This has been the first year when I have truly enjoyed the summer with her, she is a young girl now, no longer a baby who needs entertainment and attending to 24/7. She has come in leaps and bounds this summer, not only physically but also in her own self: more caring and understanding but also more confident and inquisitive about the world around her, which has been an absolute delight to see. She will be going into Primary 3 (year 2 in England) and this year, unlike the summer before, I have been super prepared,  and bought her whole uniform from M&S at the end of June, taking advantage of their 20% off offer at the time. I even got her shoes using the same offer, risky since her feet usually grow during the summer months more than at any other time, but it has proved a good move and they do fit nicely for now. Last year, …

Imaginary Adventures with Storytime Magazine

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We are back from our travels but our adventures are far from being over for Emma. In June, we were kindly offered the opportunity to review the Storytime children’s magazine and were sent several printed issues which we took with us to Greece. I did not know if Emma would take to them since she has never shown a great interest in stories and myths before but I was so wrong! The magazine offers a compact yet amazingly varied array of popular fairy and around the world tales, ancient myths and legends and fables along with short poems and rhymes and activities related to the magazine’s content. If you think that is not enough, every month the magazine includes a short sample from a popular children’s book, we really enjoyed July’s The BFG and it really triggered Emma’s curiosity about the book and the new movie that had only been released. Emma is at the stage where her confidence as a reader is growing with almost new every page and book she reads and I believe …