Category Archives: Parenting

Frost Loves: Dantoy “I’m Green” Line of Bioplastic Products & Toys

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green toys, bioplastic, toys, toy reviews, Dantoy,

I am always on the lookout for environmentally-friendly products. Sustainable living is important to me, and important to all of us at Frost. Dantoy ticks all of our boxes with these gorgeous and well made products. Their is a pretend play dinner set and an equally gorgeous Bio-Toy Bucket and Spade 4 piece set.

From the moment my children saw this 22-piece, pretend play dinner set their eyes light up and they have played with it non-stop since. It is excellent to get my toddler daughter to try different foods too. It can be used for garden picnics. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

The bucket and spade 4 piece set has been played with non-stop, especially as the weather is so good. The toys are stylish, green and high quality. I cannot recommend them enough. 

Dantoy have launched a brand-new “I’m Green” line of bioplastic products, their bioplastic is made of at least 90% sugarcane, a sustainable raw material, and their bioplastic is 100% recyclable.

Dantoy leads the way with their bioplastics. The manufacture of bioplastics reduces carbon emissions. The sugarcane is cultivated on controlled, pesticide-free plantations in central and southern Brazil. The sugarcane is harvested every 6 – 12 months. Bioplastic made of sugarcane is a 100% sustainable raw material.

Traditional plastic is made from crude oil, whilst dantoy “I’m Green” PE (bioplastic) is made from at least 90% sugarcane (ethanol). Ethanol, a form of alcohol, is extracted from sugarcane, after which it is used to make bioplastic.

The sugarcane used for dantoy bioplastics grows in plantations in the southern and central regions of Brazil, more than 2,500 km from the Amazon region. The enlargement of areas for cultivating sugarcane is managed by “Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning”, formed by Brazil’s federal government. The harvested sugarcane is conveyed by train for further processing, which is more eco-friendly than being transported by lorries.

Sugarcane can be harvested several times a year. New sugarcane plants are planted every five to seven years. The fields are harvested every six to twelve months enabling them to be classified as a sustainable raw material. Sugarcane absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, thereby minimising the greenhouse effect. For the manufacture of bioplastic, the carbon emissions accounts are positive from the budding of the plant until it is manufactured into bioplastic. For each kilo of manufactured bioplastic, 3.09 kg of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere.

Dantoy’s packaging is all made from recycled cardboard. Their toys are made to last and are approved for contact with foods, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, frost-proof and contains no toxins.

Dantoy’s range of bio toys includes the popular 22-piece, pretend play dinner set which can be used for garden picnics. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

Dantoy believe that people should buy less, buy well. That is why their toys are only made with sustainable products.  We can all be eco-friendly and by choosing brands who care will make a little difference.

The Dantoy Bio-Toy Pretend Play Dinner Set 22-Piece set costs £18.73 from Amazon.

Dantoy’s range of bio toys includes the bucket and spade set, pretend play dinner set which can be used for sandpits, the beach or mudk itchens. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

bucket and spade, bioplastic toys, green toys,

 

The Dantoy Bio-Toy Bucket and Spade 4 piece playset costs £28.99 from Amazon

How I Finally Got My Natural Birth.

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working mother, mother, working, freelance, blogger, mummy blogger, blogger, parenting blogger, blogger, writing,, pregnancy, birth, childbirth, hypnobirthing, Catherine Balavage, trauma, childbirth, women on childbirth As I write this it is my sons fifth birthday. He is happily playing with his new toys and his toddler sister is playing with a train track. The pain of my sons birth has lessened this year. The pain is not as searing. I wanted a natural birth with my son. I had gone to an antenatal class at the hospital and they had skipped over most of the birth part due to time constraints. The one thing they did cover was pain relief, and it all looked awful. Even the epidural which they said was the ‘only thing that actually works’ looked so invasive. A catheter? No thanks. I would have a natural birth. It would hurt, but it would be worth it. 

The birth itself was a series of little mistakes leading up to an emergency C section. I ended up having pethidine and an epidural. I have always been sensitive to drugs. I hate the feeling of being high, but by the third day of labour I could not take anymore. The midwives bullied me for taking drugs saying, ‘how much more pethidine is that baby going to have?’, but at no point did anyone induce me during my over eighty hours of labour until the very end. One midwife shouted and screamed at me at the top of her lungs while my water broke. I was bullied, abused and I thought my child and I were going to die. We both almost did. 

That is not what I want to talk about today. Today I want to talk about what happened two-and-a-half years later: I got my VBAC. Having a natural birth with my daughter was the most healing experience of my life. I was thankful it was at a different hospital with better staff. 

The trauma from my sons birth lead me to research childbirth and talk to as many women as I could about their experiences. This lead to me writing my book Women on Childbirth: Tips and Experiences from Women who Have Done it. I read everything I could about natural birth as I did not want another C section or any drugs. A book I recommend is The Positive Birth Book from Milli Hill. I was humbled when Milli was kind enough to contribute her birth story to my book. I also have to mention the team at St George’s who were so supportive. I cannot thank them enough. 

I decided to try hypnobirthing and I read everything I could about it. I was confident I could breathe the baby out of my vagina as long as I was in the right environment. I knew if I was as calm as possible things would go well. I wanted the room to be as dark as possible. I did not want any drugs as they slow down labour. I refused to have anyone other than my husband there. I was treated terribly by the midwives at the other hospital and I knew that it would be partly luck if I got a good midwife or not. I was not going in on just luck however: I was going in empowered with information and a confidence in the abilities of my body. 

I was in labour for over twenty-four hours but most of that was the early labour part which is not as bad. The pushing part was a few hours but it seemed to go faster. I was so surprised when the amazing midwife Elle told me I was ten centimetres. During my last birth I did not even get to five. The breathing really helped with the pain. 

Did it hurt? Of course it did, but a natural birth is only more painful in the moment. It does not hurt as much afterwards and the recovery is much quicker. The moment I pushed out my daughter and she was on my chest was one of the proudest moments of my life. The female body is an amazing thing and we need to have confidence that our bodies can do what needs to be done, but we also deserve to have the right environment to birth in so our bodies are able to do that. Birth rights are human rights. 

 

Childcare during the pandemic has damaged my career prospects say 57% of mothers

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traveling in london while pregnant, traveling in london with pram, traveling in London with baby, with child, London, tube, step free access, babyonboardbadgetravelinginpregnantwhenpregnantAlmost 50% of working mothers feel forced to send their children back to school or childcare to save their job

 

New research from charity and campaign group, Pregnant Then Screwed, which has spoken to 3,686 pregnant women and mothers to understand what the impact of Covid-19 is having on their careers so far, found that  57% of employed mothers believe that their increased childcare responsibilities during the pandemic has impacted their career prospects or will harm them in the future. Techniques like the kidspiration in gorton adopted in reputed nurseries can help children be more creative and learn more at a tender age.

 

After 11 weeks in lockdown as nurseries and childcare facilities have begun to open up, almost half of all working mums (48.6%) have admitted they feel forced to send their children back.

 

Joeli Brearley, Founder of Pregnant Then Screwed explains, ‘We know from the London School of Economics that women are more likely to deal with homeschooling, childcare and chores around the house than men. What’s terrifying is the volume of mothers that we have spoken to who after just 12 weeks already feel that this will negatively impact their career.’

 

This research has also found that a huge majority (78%) of working mothers have found it challenging to manage childcare and their paid work during lockdown, and a quarter (25%) of these mothers explained that their work hasn’t been flexible to allow for them to complete their paid work and manage childcare duties.

 

Joeli Brearley explains, ‘It’s utterly disgraceful that employers haven’t recognised that working from home with children has been a case of absolute survival. Women are more likely than men to lose their jobs in the impending recession* and yet for a quarter of working mothers their employer has refused to give them the flexibility they need. This has resulted in women being pushed into unpaid leave, sick pay or furloughed as a direct result of having children. It’s no wonder working mothers aren’t thinking positively about their future careers.’

 

The survey also spoke to pregnant women, and found that 7.7% are expecting to be made redundant, of these women 20% believe their pregnancy is a factor. Not all pregnant women are able to adhere to social distancing measures, with 5% still going to work, rising to 6.4% for BAME pregnant women, in environments that are unsafe. 15% of pregnant women working in the NHS are still having face to face contact with patients who could have Covid-19, and 8.1% of pregnant women have been suspended from work on incorrect terms including sick pay, no pay, enforced annual leave or put on maternity leave early.

 

Joeli Brearley, Founder Pregnant Then Screwed, comments, ‘If you are being treated differently in the workplace than other women or men because you are pregnant this is discrimination and it is illegal. If your work has not completed a health and safety risk assessment to prove that you are safe at work, and will not come within 2m of other people, this is illegal. Pregnant women are in the vulnerable category, they must be protected, not penalised, and not put in harm’s way.’

 

The future could however be brighter where flexible working is concerned, as 58% of working mothers think that homeworking will be possible once normality resumes, this is an increase of 14.4% from pre-Feb 2020.

 

www.pregnantthenscrewed.com

 

YI Technology | YI Home Camera 1080p: from smart to INTELLIGENT

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baby monitors, cameras, security, monitors Frost loves the YI Home camera 1080p, which thanks to the new integrated SensLab chip is now powered by Artificial Intelligence and can detect humans in motion at up to 20 fps (which makes the camera able to detect even a person running at high speed and send timely activity alerts), for a top-of-the-line security experience!

Other relevant features include:

– Non-invasive night vision with 8 adjustable Infrared LEDs (940nm each) which can provide visibility even in pitch dard and with no visible glare. The camera also features the ability to switch off both the infrared lights (ideal for soft light environments) and the status light, which makes it ideal for undisturbed sleeping.

– Free and secure Cloud Storage: If the motion detection function is enabled, any time an activity will be detected by the camera, a proper 6-seconds video-clip showing the detected activity will be stored for 7 days for free and secured in YI Cloud with an end-to-end encryption. Convenient premium plans with longer storage options (including Continuous Video Recording) are also available.

– Loud and clear Two-Way Audio, to talk to your beloved ones or ward-off intruders,with Walkie-Talkie Mode (only one side can talk and listen at a time) or Telephone Mode (both parties can talk and listen to each other simultaneously).

– On/Off scheduling & Customizable Alerts:The camera operating time can be set for each day of the week and the alert frequency and the motion sensor sensitivity level can also be adjusted. And thanks to the Activity Zone function it is possible to receive notifications only once motion is detected in the preset area.

– Smart, flexible and robust design: The durable polycarbonate support offers numerous viewing angles thanks to its adjustable base. The lens can also be removed from the support and either be used individually or integrated into third party mounting supports.

– Advanced security: Optional pin-code to lock the camera settings and livestream access and advanced bank-grade end-to-end encryption via EU-based server to ensure full security and privacy to all the recorded footage.

– Upgraded local storage capacity: The camera now supports Micro SD cards from 8 to 128GB (upgraded capacity), for both Continuos and Activity-Only Video Recording. The micro SD footage can be visualized both from the YI Home app and from PC/laptop (with a proper SD reader)

 

The upgraded, AI-Powered YI Home Camera 1080p is on Amazon.co.uk for only £27.99, with limited stock because of Amazon’s temporary stop of new supply due to the COVID-19 emergency (additional stock expected in mid-June).

 

 

Taking Care of Your Toddler While Staying at Home

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Being a parent to a toddler is a hard task. And despite the fact that we’re all mostly home due to the ongoing health crisis, the additional household chores, work, and stress make it even more of a challenge.

parenting, toddler,

Luckily, you can overcome the additional workload by staying organised and getting the respite you need. So here are four tips for taking care of your kids at home during these trying times.

Schedule your day

The first step to balancing your work and parenting load is to create a schedule. How many hours or projects do you have to accomplish in a day? In between those hours, set some time for your toddler’s needs, such as feeding and playing. If you run your own business or are a freelancer like mother-of-two Catherine Balavage, then you can be more flexible with your schedule. Otherwise, your company might require you to work for set hours. In this case, it helps to inform your employer about your situation and send in a tentative schedule. They may even have maternity policies to help you out.

Keep them entertained

Keeping your children entertained allows you to focus on your other tasks. In the Irish Times’ article on keeping children entertained, they mention that toddlers are at that age when they want to ‘feel useful’ and are always in the mood to ‘sort’ stuff. For this reason, you can have them do home-play activities such as cooking and cleaning. Kitchen set toys and even a small broom might keep them occupied for a while. To satisfy their urge to sort, you can leave them with simple activities like arranging laundry into piles or different-coloured pasta into groups. Their curiosity has the potential to keep them entertained for hours.

Go out for some fresh air

Staying cooped up in your home is not good for you or your toddler’s health. If you have a garden, now is the time to maximise it. But if you don’t have one, or are simply looking for a change of scenery, you can always go out for a quick stroll. In case you’re worried, the BBC reports that walks are actually highly encouraged now, as adults can use the time to unwind and boost their immune systems. Of course, you’ll need to take trips sparingly to minimise risk. Additionally, it helps to have the necessary equipment to ensure your child remains even safer and more comfortable during these walks. According to iCandy’s guide to pushchairs, a harness and a parasol can help keep your little one protected while you’re out and about. This ensures that they won’t fall out of the pushchair or get too much exposure to the sun. You don’t need these concerns on top of everything else that’s going on, so being prepared will allow you to make the most of your daily walks.

Prepare meals in advance

Meal prep can take up a lot of time, but it will help you manage your day-to-day schedule if you have your toddler’s food ready in advance. It helps to start prepping during the weekend when you have more time. In this regard, Smart Mom Ideas lists a couple of children recipes you can store in the freezer to be eaten for the entire week. The list includes comfort food like chilli mac, small bites like mini pizzas, as well as bulk meals like casseroles.

The current situation won’t last forever. But until things go back to normal, you have to be able to adapt and work around your situation. It will sometimes be overwhelming, but by keeping these tips in mind, it doesn’t have to be too complicated all the time.

Author’s Bio

Jean Baker is a freelance writer and a mother of two beautiful daughters. She does a lot of reading in her spare time, and has opted for this kind of flexible lifestyle to be there for her kids.

Ideas for Keeping Kids Learning Through Play at Home

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It is fair to say that keeping little ones entertained can be a tough job. The best of both worlds is when you can entertain them while they learn. So we have two fantastic recommendations for you.

cuddle bug, learning toys, toy reviews, VTech Musical Cuddle Bug | 6 – 36 months | £21.99

As learning toys go the Cuddle Bug has a lot going for it. It is cute and fun and it can teach children everything from colours to songs. This was a huge hit with my little ones and I cannot recommend it enough.

This soft, friendly and cuddly fabric bug features many colours and patterns to stimulate the curiosity of your little one! Including 15 melodies and 3 sing-along songs, this cutie will have fun with your baby in day mode and soothe them in night mode. The 8 soft buttons on the bug’s feet teach Do-Re-Mis, colours and shapes, and the colour changing star button plays fun phrases, sounds and music.

The Cuddle Bug is available here.

toy toaster, play food, learning toys, great ideas for kids,

LeapFrog Yum – 2 – 3 Toaster | 12+ months | £17.99

The Leapfrog Yum Toaster is great for pretend play. The toaster pops up the toast and it also sings and helps children learn their colours and count. This was another hit with my little ones. It is perfect to spark childrens imagination. I love that it comes with plates, cutlery and food. I find toy food is great for helping children eat.

This friendly toaster will help your little one cook up and serve a delicious breakfast. There’s nine different foods and utensils to choose from, so your little one can make egg and bacon sandwiches, or some tasty toast with jam. Popping the toast up and down introduces opposites while the dial lets kids choose how toasted they’d like their bread. The buttons encourage learning numbers, colours and foods.

The Leapfrog Yum Toaster is available here.

 

 

The Rise of Digital Babysitters Is Helping Stretched Parents Cope With Lockdown

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little big moments Stretched UK parents are increasingly turning to family members and carers as ‘digital babysitters’ as they struggle to cope with jugging workloads and childcare during lockdown.

A survey from Ladybird children’s books has found that 81.6% UK parents with nursery age children said they had, or were looking in to, arranging a few hours of digital babysitting a week with a family member such as a grandparent, uncle or aunt, or a non-family carer to help them out with the childcare, giving parents valuable time to deal with their increasing workload, or even have uninterrupted time just to mop the kitchen floor or make the beds.

The activity most parents (52%) said their children would benefit from most was online storytelling, with arts and crafts second (26%), and spelling practice third (10%).  With 61% parents admitting they are struggling to balance work life with homeschooling their youngsters, enlisting the help of family members to help takes some of the burden off each week whilst helping children with crucial skills in their developement.

Ladybird commissioned the survey to discover how they could best help parents in these difficult times.  

This week they launch an initiative, Little Big Moments, to help connect children with those family members who they can’t see right now: whether that’s an isolated grandparent, a cousin, aunt, uncle, a parent who lives in a different home or a key worker family member.  Every day, Ladybird is sending a pair of matching books to a separated duo so they can still settle down for storytime together, over the phone or on a video call.

All people need to do is head to www.ladybird.co.uk/littlebigmoments and enter their child’s name to be in with a chance of winning a story, and thereby creating a virtual hug with a loved one, even when apart.

 

Building Environmental Blocks Together

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Magicubes, toys, toy review, magnetic cubes, I can tell how good a toy is by how long my children fight over it. The Magicube was a particular winner as, sometimes, they still do. Building blocks are fun anyway but these Magicubes are magnetic and take building to another level. Literally. You can put one on the side. I highly recommend them. They are innovative and great for learning. 

Magicube is a cutting edge construction system that turns the concept traditional building blocks into something extra “magical”. Developed for different age groups: 1 1/2+ and 3+ the Magicube collection offers complete versatility and flexibility for all age groups. Providing a supply of fun activities that reinforce those basic skills and a hands on approach to learning.

Captivating themes include some of your children’s most loved TV characters such as the Peppa Pig Magicube. Match up the magnetic cubes to build Peppa’s house and garden. Or the Paw Patrol Magicube, build Marshall’s fire truck or Skye’s helicopter, the possibilities are endless.

For a greater understanding of learning principles, the Math & Word Building Magicube offers Maths and Word building activities helping to reinforce a child’s first numeracy and literacy skills, with number and letter recognition, as well as first sums and words.

Geomag’s Free Building Magicube, allows children to explore the freedom of creativity without boundaries, available in sets of 8, 16, 27 and 64 the brightly coloured cubes allow children to build to their heart’s content as the magnetic cubes attach to each other on every side. This simple, fun and creative play activity encourages even the youngest of kids to develop their dexterity.

As part of the prestigious “Editors’ Choice Awards” presented by the British Toy and Hobby Association at this year’s London Toy Fair. From the extensive number of 260 exhibiting companies, Geomagworld’s new initiative, the Green Collection, was among the most voted by journalists present, coming runner-up in the ranking. Alongside the launch of the collection a number of new Maths and Word sets will be available which allow children to observe, create and solve with the basics of STEM learning. Not to mention the new Mix & Match sets depicting animals alongside their favourite foods and home which allows children to make fun combinations and bring these animal creations to life.

For more information on Geomag’s existing and highly anticipated Green Magicube Collection, please visit GeomagWorld.