Author Archives: Frostie

The Average Mum Falls Ill 324 Times Over Their Youngster’s Childhood

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The average mum will fall ill 324 times over their youngster’s childhood – with colds and bugs passed on to them by their offspring, a study has found.

 

An endless cycle of sore throats, runny noses, migraines and sickness bugs means the average mum will be left feeling under the weather 18 times a year.

 

The study of 2,000 parents, found that over the 18 years of their youngster’s childhood, mums will suffer from 54 colds, as well as a total of 108 sore throats or runny noses.

 

There will also be 36 sickness bugs – two every year – and an annual bout of flu.

 

On top of that, they can also expect to endure one bout of headlice a year after the critters come home from school on their children’s hair.

 

And eight in ten of those polled by supplements firm Healthspan say the germs and bugs can usually be traced back to the kids, leaving them suffering days after nursing their children back to health.

 

Dr Sarah Brewer, GP and Medical Director at Healthspan said: “Mums are often on the front line when it comes to the family’s illnesses and, due to time pressures and putting others first, are often poor at looking after themselves.

 

“Prevention is key and it’s important for mums to look after themselves by boosting their immunity to help prevent common illnesses as much as possible, and to shrug off respiratory infections quickly with go-to products they can trust to banish colds, such as Healthspan Pelargonium – a traditional herbal medicine that will tackle a cold in 24 hours.”

 

Sixty-eight per cent of mums said they had been more prone to falling ill since having children, with 39 per cent saying they now constantly feel under the weather in some way.

 

In fact, the average mum has just 13 days a month where they feel completely fit and healthy.

 

But 84 per cent of mums feel they are unable to sit back and relax when they are ill, instead having to battle on through, compared to just seven in ten dads.

 

And 72 per cent of women reckon they cope better than their partner when they are ill.

 

Mums’ illnesses – per year

Sore throats – 3

Runny stuffed nose – 3

Cold – 3

Flu – 1

Sickness bug – 2

Rash/skin complaint – 2

Migraine – 3

Conjunctivitis – 1

 

Total – 18

 

 

Comforting Recipes From Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Easy Sweet Chilli Steamed Buns

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easysweetchillisteamedbunsEasy Sweet Chilli Steamed Buns

Serves 6

Perfect if you have some left-over turkey or chicken from the Sunday roast.

Ingredients:

– A 400ml can of coconut milk

– Self – raising flour, enough to fill the empty can of coconut milk

– 1 tsp. of baking powder

– A good pinch of salt

– 2 tbsp. of sweet chilli sauce

– 150g of cooked, shredded turkey or chicken

– 1 tsp. of black sesame seeds

– Cooking spray / spray oil

Method:

– Empty the can of coconut milk into a bowl, then fill the empty can with self-raising flour. Add the baking powder and salt and mix well to for a sticky batter.

– In a bamboo steamer, lay 6 cupcake cases around the steamer and spray with oil.

– To make the job easier (and less messy!), spray an ice cream scoop with oil then scoop a tablespoon of dough into the cases. Create a hole in the middle and spoon in a teaspoon of sweet chilli chicken. Scoop another tablespoon of dough over the top and gently press around the edges to seal. Spray the top of the buns with oil and scatter with a few sesame seeds.

– Pop the bamboo steamer over a pan of simmering water and cook for 10-15 minutes until risen and fluffy.

– Serve with extra sweet chilli sauce.

 

Recipe by Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook. Milly’s debut book, Milly’s Real Food will be published BY Harper Collins in hardback, priced at £20 and released on 4th May 2017. For more information and additional recipes see: http://millycookbook.com/

 

Are We Overworking Our Children?

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children, parenting, exhausted, children working too hard, studyShattered kids are ‘working’ for over 46 hours a week, according to a new survey.

The shock research shows that parents are over-timetabling their children with extra-curricular activities in addition to their school commitments.

This means exhausted children are actually working harder than the average parent who only completes a 37.5 hour week at work.

The average child already completes 30 hours and 50 minutes a week at school Monday to Friday, as well as seven hours and 51 minutes of clubs and homework each week.

Actively reading with parents daily accounts for a further five hours and 49 minutes a week.

And finally, the Center Parcs study of 2,000 parents found the average child also helps with housework for up to an hour and 37 minutes each week.

 

In response to the findings, Center Parcs has commissioned Channel 4 child psychologist Dr Sam Wass to develop a Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for Free Time – which equates to three hours and 51 minutes every day.

The RDA, which was inspired by the government guidelines we use for fruit and vegetables, is based on three hours on a week day and six hours a day at the weekend, calculated using time needed for a variety of free-time activities which will allow children to use their imagination and develop their creative thinking.

Dr Sam Wass said: “Many parents are desperate to do the right thing for their children – we shuttle them back and forth from school, to football, to an after-school club, and then get them home and sit and ensure they do their homework.

“But in fact, research suggests that it’s much more beneficial for children if their time is not always so structured. It’s the down-time, when there is not such much going on and the child has to entertain themselves, when they do their best learning.

There is a huge amount of research that suggests that this child-led, unstructured free play is vital for stimulating imagination and creativity, as well as helping the child to become more self-sufficient.”

The poll reveals 54 per cent of parents feel it is important to encourage children to participate in as many clubs as possible to give them the opportunity to excel at what they like.

A further 44 per cent think it is important to further their children’s learning, while 53 per cent say clubs give their kids essential social skills.

A quarter of parents questioned simply like their children to be busy – and as such the average child will have experienced swimming lessons, football, gymnastics and either brownies or cubs.

Researchers for Center Parcs also polled 1,000 children aged six to 11, to find out their views on how much they have to do in a day – it shows 44 per cent of kids reckon they do more in a day than their own parents.

And a quarter of kids questioned admitted they only take part in after school activities because their parents tell them to.

In particular, children most dislike swimming lessons, followed by football and foreign language lessons.

Colin Whaley, Marketing Director for Center Parcs continues: “This report shows that parents are really going above and beyond to do what they think is best for their child. As a parent myself, I was initially taken aback by the suggested recommended daily allowance, but it gave me food for thought about whether or not my own children currently achieve it.

“Clubs and sport play an important role for their development and life skills but creating a balance with some more simple time out together is clearly very important.”

 

AVERAGE CHILD’S WEEKLY TIMETABLE

Activity

Time/week

School

30 hours 50 minutes

Clubs & Homework

7 hours 51 minutes

Reading

5 hours 49 minutes

Housework

1 hour 37 minutes

TOTAL

46 hours 7 minutes

 

 

Comforting Recipes from Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Brie and Cranberry Waffles

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Brie and Cranberry Waffles
Makes 4

Stuck with what to do with that leftover piece of Brie at Christmas and New Year? Turn it into a delicious brunch with my comforting waffles recipe.

Ingredients:

– 1 free range egg
– 1 cup of self-rasing flour
– 1 tsp. of baking powder
– A pinch of salt
– 200 ml of milk
– 1 tbsp. of honey
– A handful of brie, ripped up
– 4 tbsp. of cranberry sauce

Method:

– In a bowl mix the egg, flour, baking powder, salt, milk and honey together until it forms a smooth but sticky batter. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.
– Preheat your waffle iron to the highest setting.
– Dollop half a ladle full into each section of the waffle machine, scatter with brie and spoon in a tablespoon of cranberry sauce per waffle. Ladle the other half a ladle over the brie and cranberry and close the machine, cooking for a few minutes until golden on either side.
– One golden brown, serve immediately. Cut in half and let the brie ooze out.

Recipe by Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook. Milly’s debut book, Milly’s Real Food will be published by Harper Collins in hardback, priced at £20 and released on 4th May 2017. For more information and additional recipes see: http://millycookbook.com/

Comforting recipes from Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook: Swedish Potato Waffles

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swedishpotatoewafflesrecipefour-comforting-recipes-from-nicola-millbank-aka-milly-cookbookSwedish potato waffles

Makes 4

Channel your inner hygee with these simple potato waffles, decked with traditional creme fraiche, onion, roe and dill. If you don’t have a waffle machine, turn the mix into patties and cook in a frying pan.

Ingredients:

For the waffles:

– 2 cups of mashed potato

– 2 tbsp. of plain flour

– 1 free range egg

– 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped

– 1 tbsp. of chopped dill

– A pinch of salt and pepper

To top:

– 4 tsp. of roe

– 4 tbsp. creme fraiche

– 4 tsp. of finely chopped red onion

– A few sprigs of fresh dill.

Method:

– Preheat your waffle iron to the highest setting.

– In a bowl, mix the potato, flour, egg, red onion and dill into a smooth and sticky batter. Season with salt and pepper.

– Dollop a ladle full into each section of the waffle machine and close, cooking for a few minutes until golden brown on either side.

– Top with a tablespoon of creme fraiche, a teaspoon of roe and red onion. Scatter with fresh dill and serve immediately.

 

Recipe by Nicola Millbank AKA Milly Cookbook. Milly’s debut book, Milly’s Real Food will be published BY Harper Collins in hardback, priced at £20 and released on 4th May 2017. For more information and additional recipes see: http://millycookbook.com/

 

 

The Average Woman Will Change Dress Size 31 Times in Her Lifetime

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London Fashion Week 2012The average woman will change dress size 31 times during the course of her adult life, according to new research.

 

Key size-gain spikes in life are having kids, moving in with a partner and the first years of marriage – while major size-drops occur pre-wedding, after the loss of someone close and following break-ups.

 

Regular ‘blips’ happen during Christmas and the winter period – and also after holidays away.

 

Men will typically go up or down a clothes size on 24 occasions as an adult – with a third identifying stress at work as the reason for the change.

 

The research of 1,000 women and 1,000 men was commissioned by Fits Me, a fit tool that helps shoppers to find their perfect size.

 

 

Six in 10 women said they aren’t happy with their clothes size – compared to 45 per cent of men who feel the same way.

 

Three quarters of females own garments that no longer fit them properly with around 16 ill-fitting items found in the average woman’s wardrobe.

 

While 61 per cent of males have kept hold of clothing that is either too big or too small for them – on average keeping hold of 14 items.

 

Half of respondents said they hang on to clothes that don’t fit because they want to get back into them one day and a fifth have a sentimental connection to the items.

 

The typical female is most happy with her clothes size aged 28 and men are most content at 29 years old.

 

In contrast, women are most dissatisfied with their proportions at 38 while males feel similarly aged 39.

 

A quarter of men and almost half of women have avoided going to clothes shops because they were concerned they wouldn’t find garments that fit as they would like.

 

Four in 10 respondents have been shopping for clothes only to find their size has gone up while 26 per cent have seen their size go down.

 

Perhaps as a result, three quarters of females and 44 per cent of males said they worry about finding something that will fit well.

 

While 21 per cent of men said they experience a drop in confidence when clothes shopping and two in five women said the same.

 

Over a fifth of Brits admit they aren’t confident they know which clothing items look best on them – however three quarters said their size changes from retailer to retailer.

 

Of those surveyed, 58 per cent have felt intimidated by shops that are “too cool” – with the range of clothes available the thing that threatens them the most, followed by the prices and the shop staff.

 

Three quarters of respondents buy clothes online, however 86 per cent think it’s a gamble as to whether the items ordered will fit as hoped.

 

Four in 10 people prefer to try clothes on in a shop fitting room and 45 per cent would rather be left alone to do so – and on average three items will be taken into the changing room with them.

 

A third of men and women would rather see how the garments look on them at home and 28 per cent have no preference.

 

The number one boost to people’s confidence when clothes shopping is seeing clothes they like – followed by getting something that fits well and finding an item in the sale.

 

 

Over 19 Million Homes at Risk of Fire This Christmas

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CHRISTMAS PAST & PRESENT by Jenny Falconchristmastree1Regulatory body for Electricians advises on how Brits can avoid leaving their homes at risk of electrical fault and potential fire at Christmas
Make an electric check part of your routine this winter

  • 9 in 10 UK homes will be using Christmas lights this year
  • Only 1 in 4 question whether the lights they are using are safe
  • Shockingly 97% show no concern that the amount of lights they use could be a danger

The NICEIC & ELECSA are reissuing a crucial message as we approach the Christmas season; think safety first when decorating your home this Christmas.

The UK’s leading regulatory body for electricians NICEIC and ELECSA surveyed 2,000 UK tenants and homeowners. With 9 in 10 of us using lights to decorate this Christmas, some disturbing facts have been revealed about our attitude to electric safety over the festive period. In excess of 1 in 4 showed no concern about the safety of the lights they are using. This result is marginally better than the response to the 2015 study. Tony Cable, Senior Electrical Engineer for NICEIC and ELECSA said;

“Electrical safety in the home is important at any time of the year, but at Christmas we tend to forget that all the decorative lights we use around the home massively increase the dangers to our family. Just grabbing old lights from the loft and plugging them in isn’t acceptable. Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers and take into account the risks”.

Faulty electrics in the home account for 20,000 house fires each year, causing upwards of 70 fatalities. Most electrical issues in the home are easily preventable by ensuring your home is regularly checked electrically by a suitable, registered electrician.

Last year it was highlighted that people use the same Christmas lights year on year and 2016 has shown similar results.  65% of Brits are guilty of  reusing lights, which is a 5% increase on last year.

A further concern that the study unveiled is that 97% of Brits do not consider the amount of Christmas lights they have running on their tree, across the home, and in the garden; Vicente McNeill, a London based electrician is all too familiar with this issue:

“The most common problem that occurs at Christmas is over-loading due to people plugging in too many lights… In my opinion, homeowners are not aware of the strain they are putting on their home systems.”

Brits are advised to think safety first when decorating their home this Christmas. To assist NICEIC and ELECSA have identified the top five tips to ensure your home is electrically safe this Christmas;

  1. Do not overload sockets– Try to avoid extensive use of extension sockets and adapters. Do not plug multiple extensions into each other.
  2. Do not re-wire your lights– Many homeowners will be tempted, or have already rewired lights to include 2, 3 or sometimes 4 sets of lights into a single plug. This is dangerous and causes a potential fire risk.
  3. Make sure lights you use outside are certified safe for external use– Only use outdoor lights that have been specifically designed to be used outdoors. If you are unsure check the manufacturers’ instructions.
  4. Do not leave lights on for long periods– Many homes will be tempted to keep lights on for 24 hours, overnight or even more concerning, leave them on when they go out. All Christmas lights increase the risk of fire and overloading and should only be switched on whilst you are at home.
  5. Always use Christmas lights that have been certified for use– This can be identified by the European Standards Symbol (represented by CE) and the British Standards Kitemark. If in doubt, don’t use them. Always buy lights from reputable stores.

If anyone is concerned about the safety of their home electrics, or would like to obtain professional advice about their Christmas lights, they can visit www.niceic.com/safechristmas or www.elecsa.co.uk/safechristmas to find the latest advice and tips and to find a registered electrician.

 

 

Over Three Quarters of the 50 Richest People Under 30 didn’t go to University

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educationUniversity of Life: stats reveal that over three quarters of the 50 richest people under thirty didn’t go to university…

  • Only 24% of the Young Rich List were privately educated.
  • 84% are self-made.
  • Sports stars make up 40% of the Young Rich List.

 

Young, rich, and famous: that’s what everyone wants to be, right? But while we all want to ‘get rich’, there’s no one, clear path to going about it. Some people are born rich, some will work incredibly hard to become rich, while others are just plain lucky. So, is there any secret to it? Does it all depend on what kind of education you had? Is private school necessarily ‘better’ than state school? Should you go to university, or could it actually be a waste of money? Do some professions make you richer than others? Are there any short cuts?

The questions are endless. However, creators of eco classrooms and modular school buildings TG Escapes, decided to analyse the backgrounds of the 50 richest people under thirty, who appear in this year’s Sunday Times Young Rich List, and they made some very interesting discoveries…

Firstly, only 34 out of the 50 (that’s over two thirds) went to state schools, proving that you don’t necessarily have to pay for a ‘better’ education to end up rich. If you have talent and skill, then that will take you far; just look at the likes of footballer Wayne Rooney (6th on the list, worth £96m), singer Ellie Goulding (at number 39, she’s worth £17m) or boxer Amir Khan (worth £18m, at number 36); they all went to state school, but clearly already had an innate talent that shone through.

And an even greater proportion of people (76%), didn’t go to university. Perhaps that’s not too surprising, given the crippling fees it costs these days, but it certainly didn’t do the likes of older, successful entrepreneurs like Sir Alan Sugar or Sir Richard Branson any harm; following in their path are the likes of techpreneur Pete Cashmore, who founded tech blog Mashable (and, at number 5 on the list, is worth a staggering £170m).

What is also inspiring is that 42 of them (84%) are totally self-made, and didn’t inherit family wealth. This can’t be said for the person at the top of the list, 30 year Tom Persson – who’s worth a whopping £672m – because he’s part of the family who own fashion label H&M. But for the majority of sports stars, or musicians, many of whom come from relatively humble backgrounds, they’ve made their wealth on their own, thanks to their skill. Footballer Gareth Bale, for example, amassed his £34m fortune (no 17 on the list) himself, while the four current members of One Direction are all worth £33m (at no 18).

So what are the professions which will make us the richest? Well, 40% of those on the list are in sport, while 37.5% are involved in creative industries such as film (like Emma Watson, no 16 on the list with £35m), music (like Ed Sheeran, no 14 with £45m), or fashion (such as model sisters Cara and Poppy Delevingne (worth £14m between them, at no 49). Two per cent are lottery winners, Nottinghamshire couple Matt and Cassey Topham, who won a £45m Euromillions draw in 2012.

But perhaps more soberingly, only 10% of the people on list work in industry – in electricals, property or cars – such as 28 year old Thomas Mackie, who runs the electrical goods wholesaling company his grandfather started in Kenilworth and has built it up so much that his net worth is now £380m (putting him at no 3 on the list).

‘There are obviously a variety of ways to become rich and successful,’ says Richard Harvey, Managing Director at TG Escapes: ‘Good, hard graft rewards many, and talent will get you far, too. However, it’s a little sad if young people reading this think that the only way to make money is to become a pop star, actor or sportsperson, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s worth sticking with an education for as long as you can, which will give you so many more options later in life.’