Frost Recommends: BabyBlooms For Christmas , Gorgeous Gifts For Babies

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babyblooms, parenting, baby gifts, christmas, personalised Frost absolutely adores Babyblooms. Babyblooms is an online baby gifting company who do gorgeous personalised gifts. They are always presented in a gasp-worthy way. We cannot recommend them more. 

Babyblooms, the UK’s online baby gift company, in conjunction with their friend, Bertie Bear, have launched a gorgeous range of Christmas gifts sets to make Christmas truly special. All gifts come perfectly packaged in beautifully illustrated gift boxes and will create magical memories for years to come.

Christmas morning is finally here and after all the excitement of opening his stocking, Bertie wants to sit down to a special Christmas breakfast. Create a family Christmas tradition with this fabulous, festive bone china, Christmas breakfast set that can be personalised with the name of your choice.
Bertie Bear Christmas Morning Breakfast Set – RRP £50.00

Also available from BabyBlooms.

Why not start a new family Christmas tradition with this beautifully personalised wooden Christmas Eve box? Complete with a luxury, cloth bound version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ and a personalised Christmas Eve plate for Santa’s snacks and Ruldolph’s carrot, this is a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Personalised Christmas Eve Box with ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas book and Personalised Christmas Eve Plate
– RRP £49.99

Preparing for Christmas Eve bedtime is a magical time and Bertie loves this soft and snuggly personalised bathrobe with bear motif. He will be there in his personalised jumper to hop into bed and cuddle ‘til Christmas morning.

Bertie Bear Christmas Bathrobe Set
– RRP £50.00

 

Babyblooms pride themselves on their unique and beautiful packaging inspired by their home town in the Cotswolds. Each of these gorgeous Christmas gifts will be sent in a beautifully illustrated box that, once opened, will make perfect keepsake boxes or nursery storage. Available from http://www.babyblooms.co.uk/

 

Ivy and the Inky Butterfly By Johanna Basford | Frost Loves

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This colouring book is just stunningly beautiful.The illustrations are sublime and we love the story too. Charming and wonderful. Frost Loves. 

Bring your own colour to the story

From colouring book queen Johanna Basford, a lavishly illustrated fable about a girl named Ivy who stumbles upon a secret door leading to the magical world of Enchantia.

A charming story that interacts playfully with beautiful, colourable artwork in Johanna’s signature style, Ivy and the Inky Butterfly is a one-of-a-kind adventure for the whole family and readers of all ages to customise, colour and cherish.

Johanna has picked a crisp ivory paper that accentuates and compliments your chosen colour palette. The smooth, untextured pages allows for beautiful blending or gradient techniques with coloured pencils, or are perfect for pens, allowing the nib to glide evenly over the surface without feathering.

Ivy and the Inky Butterfly By Johanna Basford is available here. 

THE BUSINESS OF BOOKS: IGNORING NOVEMBER – Jane Cable considers NaNoWriMo

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I have to admit to being a NaNoWriMo sceptic. Even their slogan – the world needs your novel – raises a wry smile. Does it? Really? Given the size of the ‘to be read’ piles of just about everyone I know, it probably doesn’t.

But this year – the scheme’s 19th – I couldn’t ignore it. Writers I respect are taking part so was I missing something? The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days with help, support and motivation from the calculators and community on the NaNoWriMo website.

A better slogan for the programme – and one which has come up more than once in conversations with authors taking part – would be ‘don’t get it right, get it written.’ Now that, I can relate to. As RNA New Writers’ Scheme member and veteran of NaNos since 2014 Jan Baynham says: “In 2014 my attempts to write my first novel were taking an age. When all the publicity for NaNo came around, I thought I’d give it a go and set myself a goal of getting up a couple of hours earlier than normal and to try and write every day. Having NaNo buddies was a wonderful support. Seeing the tally of words written each day was another huge motivator. Apart from checking through what I’d written each day, I left serious editing until after NaNo was over. In 2014, I exceeded the 50,000 word goal by a couple of thousand. Did I make that editing stage harder by just writing non-stop for the whole of November? I don’t know but NaNo was one way for me to complete the initial draft of my first ever novel.”

Fellow RNA NWS member Kirsten Hesketh agrees and is making good progress with her first NaNo: “21 days and 34k words and still going strong. I made about every mistake going with my first book, faffing around, editing as I wrote and spending hours polishing passages that didn’t made it into the final cut. So Nano has been very helpful for getting the bones of my second novel on paper. I particularly like three things about Nano (1) committing to writing each day rather than trying to fit it around everything else and thereby not doing it at all; (2) not vetting as all as I write which I think has made me a braver writer (3) the camaraderie, support and shared purpose.”

The camaraderie point is an important one and typical of the writers I know it’s peer motivation rather than peer pressure. Susanna Bavin, author of The Deserter’s Daughter, a saga published by Allison & Busby, has particularly valued this: “What I have specially enjoyed and appreciated is the companionship of a group of online friends. In the November Nano, you can message your buddies through Nano one at a time, so we all got together via Twitter to share one another’s angst.”

The more I look at NaNo, the more I can see that for some writers support and a target over a limited period of time plays a big part in making it happen. However in 2016 less than 10% of those taking part reached the target. Does that necessarily matter? I leave the last word to Choc Lit author Laura E James: “When I discovered the updates that Nano provide, I smiled. After a couple of days of managing 500 words, as opposed to the 1660 plus required to hit the total, Nano informed me I would finish in January. What did I take from that? The fact I would actually finish. I celebrated. I high-fived my daughter. I’d reached a point where I was in danger of never again completing a project, but to see the statistics in black and white helped restore my faith.”

My thanks go to Jan, Kirsten, Susanna and Laura for sharing their thoughts with me.

janbaynham.blogspot.co.uk
 www.susannabavin.co.uk
www.lauraejames.co.uk

IS LIFE INHERENTLY UNSATISFACTORY? By Paul Kwatz, author of Conscious Robots

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Ask a parent “What’s the most important thing in your life?”, and they’ll say “My kids”. This pleases a biologist, who believes that, because humans are the product of evolution, “having children” has to be the most important thing in our lives (after eating and breathing). If it wasn’t, our genes wouldn’t get passed on, and evolution simply wouldn’t work.

But ask a parent “What do you want for your kid when it grows up?”, and the biological angle might be less obvious. “As long as she’s happy…” doesn’t seem to have much to do with survival.

Until we realise that “happiness” is the mechanism that evolution uses to control our choices.

Maybe you didn’t realise that evolution was controlling your choices. Maybe you thought your conscious mind was the thing that was in control. But consider our daily battle to stay thin. “Eat a donut, or go for a run?” The donut gives you pleasure. The running hurts. Why does the donut give you pleasure? Because your brain evolved when calories were scarce. And the running hurts because running uses up those scarce calories.

Pain and pleasure arise from a non-conscious part of your mind that you can’t control. If you could, you’d simply choose to feel great when you were running, and, well, life would be a easier if a donut tasted like a kale shake, wouldn’t it?

We want a nice house because we think it will make us happy, we want to be thin because we feel good when we’re thin, and we want our kids to be happy because, although we encourage them to work hard at school, we’ve got a sneaking suspicion that a great career is no easy ride: it’s only satisfying in direct proportion to the hard work we put in every year.

And we’re right to be suspicious. When humans were evolving, the most successful ones were the ones with the “never-happy-with-what-I’ve-got” gene. They didn’t sit around as soon as they were full of berries, they carried on picking until the bushes were bare, made jam and designed bows and arrows to protect their bounty. It’s why millionaires become billionaires and why movie stars chase another Oscar. They, like all of us, are the descendants of hunter gatherers that were never satisfied: regardless of what we have achieved in life, regardless of our mobile phones, air-conditioning and indoor toilets, life, as Buddha observed, is inherently unsatisfactory.

But the good news is that life is also inherently satisfactory. Because sometimes there’s a drought and the berries don’t grow. And it’s not going to do our genes any good if we sit around moping. Our evolved brains reward us when our situation improves – regardless of how low we have sunk. As long as we’re moving upwards, our brains are happy to hand out the pleasure. It’s what allowed your grandparents to be perfectly happy without phones and why the plains of Africa rang with the laughter of our ancestors. `

‘Conscious Robots: If We Really Had Free Will, What Would We Do All Day’ is out now in print, published by Peacock’s Tail Publishing and priced £4.99 in paperback and £2.99 as an eBook. Visit www.consciousrobots.com or Amazon UK

Four Great Children’s Books For Christmas

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Four wonderful books for children this Christmas. Frost loves them all.

Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz By Michael Morpurgo.

From master storyteller MICHAEL MORPURGO, and illustrated in stunning colour by the award-winning EMMA CHICHESTER CLARK, comes a surprising, charming and uplifting twist on The Wizard of Oz, told by a very special and unforgettable character: Dorothy’s pet dog, Toto. A perfect, collectible gift for all children (and children at heart).

“I was there,” Papa Toto said, and those magic words sent shivers down my spine. It was going to be the Wizard story. “Dorothy and me were both there.”
We were all silent, snuggled up together, waiting, waiting.
Then Papa Toto began…

When a twister descends on their Kansas farm, Toto and his owner Dorothy hide in the house – only to be plucked into the air and whisked away!

Coming down with a crash in the mysterious land of Oz, the pair meet a series of extraordinary characters: a scarecrow who believes he has no brains, a tin man without a heart, and a cowardly lion who may not be as cowardly as he thinks he is.

But Toto and Dorothy are desperate to return home – after all, home is home, and home is best! So they set off with their new friends on a journey down the yellow brick road to find the only person who might be able to help them: the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

But what they find might surprise them. And on the way, all of them will learn that what they think they are missing might have been there, all along…

Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is an unforgettable telling of a classic story, and a must for every bookshelf.

Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth By Oliver Jeffers.

The exquisite and thought-provoking new book from the multi award-winning, internationally best-selling picture book creator of Lost and Found, Oliver Jeffers.

Well, hello.
And welcome to this Planet.
We call it Earth.

Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you’ve only just got here. Your head will be filled with questions, so let’s explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey. And you’ll figure lots of things out for yourself. Just remember to leave notes for everyone else… Some things about our planet are pretty complicated, but things can be simple, too: you’ve just got to be kind.

Here We Are is the utterly heartfelt new book from Oliver Jeffers. We’re glad you found it.

Father Christmas Heard a Parp By Olaf Falafel.

The side-splitting festive follow-up to Old MacDonald Heard a Parp, from hilarious picture book superstar, Olaf Falafel.

“Father Christmas heard a parp … E-I-E-I-O!”

Father Christmas is getting ready to deliver the presents – but he keeps getting distracted by some VERY rude noises! Who keeps PARPING?!

Could such a big noise actually be coming from someone rather small…?

More windy fun is in store in this brilliant picture book by the sensational Olaf Falafel. Featuring helpful do-it-yourself instructions so you can parp along to your heart’s content and drive your family nuts during the holidays, it’s set to be the ultimate stocking filler for Christmas 2017! Fans of The Dinosaur That Pooped series will love this tongue-in-cheek Christmas tale. Perfect for ages 4 and up.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas 60th Anniversary Slipcase Edition By Dr Seuss.

The one and only Grinch from the iconic Dr. Seuss gets a brand new look for his 60th birthday, in this collectible slipcase edition with a special introduction all about your favourite Christmas character.

It’s the Grinch’s 60th birthday – and you’re invited to the party.

“The Grinch hated Christmas!
The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why.
No one quite knows the reason…”

With a heart two sizes too small, the Grinch is the meanest creature you’ll ever meet. He hates Christmas and the whole festive season. But when he hatches a dastardly plot to
steal Christmas, he’s in for a big surprise!

With hilarious rhymes and beautiful illustrations, this classic seasonal story has become a favourite for good reason and teaches readers the true meaning of Christmas.

Now in a very special foiled slipcase edition with extra material, this classic story is the perfect gift for boys and girls of all ages.

Festive Cocktail Ideas : Greenall’s Sloe Gin Edition

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Take it Sloe Toddy

Every week until Christmas we have teamed up with some fabulous drinks brands to bring you some wonderful festive cocktail ideas. This year Greenall’s have launched a new Sloe Gin recipe combining the eight botanicals which make up the Original Greenall’s with rich sloe berries to create the perfect warming winter tipple.

Greenall’s Take it Sloe Toddy

Best enjoyed by a roaring fire

Ingredients:
50ml Greenell’s Sloe Gin

100ml Cloudy Apple Juice

50ml Orange Juice

Cinnamon Stick

2 Cloves

Method:
Pour Sloe Gin into a toddy glass. Warm juices gently with the cinnamon and cloves for 5/6 mins until infused. Pour the warm liquid into the Greenall’s Sloe Gin. Garnish with orange wheel and cinnamon stick.

Greenall’s 1761 Royale

Perfect for dazzling your party guests

Ingredients:
25ml Greenall’s Sloe Gin

50ml Prosecco

Blackberry to Garnish

Sprig of Rosemary

Method:
Pour Sparkling Wine over ice into a coupe glass. Lightly bruise rosemary then drop into glass. Slowly pour Greenall’s Sloe Gin so it sinks to the bottom.

Greenall’s Sloe Thyme

A refreshing tipple

Ingredients:
50ml Greenall’s Sloe Gin

150ml Cloudy lemonade

Sprig Thyme

Lemon Slice

Method:
Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in Greenall’s Sloe Gin. Slowly pour in cloudy lemonade or lemon tonic. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a lemon slice.

Greenall’s Sloe Gin
New recipe Greenall’s Sloe Gin will be available to customers in the UK through Amazon from November
R.R.P £18

Paul Dodgson… On a Road Now Taken by Maya Pieris

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Though he claims no connection to Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, Paul Dodgson did step through his own looking glass a year or so ago to take to the stage with his guitar and his songs to see if his other first love, music, still loved him. It did and the result was a play for Radio 4, “On the Road Not Taken”, and now a book of  memoir combined with a series of musical treks. And he also has plans to record an album which would really be the fulfilling of a long held dream.

 

Paul is a writer of radio and TV plays, memoir, singer and writer of songs, BBC producer and an inspiring workshop tutor who has successfully encouraged other Frost contributors such as Francis Colville, Wendy Breckon and myself to take the pen plunge and write their own word worlds.

 

I also like to think that he and I may have crossed paths in childhood and teenage years, in Canterbury, a town we were both knew and know. Not that Paul would have been subjected to the horrors of shopping for patent leather party shoes at Ricemans. More likely he was after his first guitar or the latest vinyl. Curiously it’s a town that holds musical and literary moments for me as well as being the place where I met my first love-but that’s another memoir.

The writing bug took hold when Paul was about 12 and he realised “language could be manipulated in the same way my father worked wood” gravitating as a “musical sponge”, towards the musicality of writers like Dylan Thomas and Laurie Lee as well as developing a fascination with memoir, a current inspiration being Richard Ford’s memoir,’’Between Them: Remembering My Parents”.

 

Paul’s musical tastes are wide ranging from opera to obscure electronica and he describes himself as a “Punk Folk” musician, song writing like “remembering something I have forgotten”. And he’s a great believer in trying to practice every day-a theory I subscribe to but whose practice is somewhat elusive. Putting this other first love of music centre stage has involved a move across the channel –Bristol not English- to Wales where he has discovered the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, their coffee and the buzz of people this creating an inspirational nest for his writing. I’m sure lots of writers empathise with such places being great to create- and you can overhear some fascinating conversations.

 

So having spent 30 years “singing unheard songs in my head and in the kitchen when no-one was home” Paul is now touring pubs, festivals and front rooms to share and “persuade other people to pursue long forgotten dreams… just carry on down the road and see where it takes me”. If you want to read more go to “On The Road Not Taken, a love story about the transformational power of music”, which is crowdfunding on Unbound and become part of the story.

https://unbound.com/books/on-the-road-not-taken and book him for an evening of music and memoir. I have.

50% pregnant women will avoid flu vaccinations this year due to perceived risk

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giving birth, birth, childbirth, the truth about giving birthBabies born to women who have flu are four times more likely to be born prematurely and have a low birth weight

The peak season for flu in the UK begins in November and between 2009 and 2012 it was the leading cause of death for women in the UK who died during pregnancy or shortly afterwards. It is estimated that that the flu vaccine (which helps to protect both mother and baby), could have prevented half of these deaths. In a bid to raise awareness of the importance of vaccinating while pregnant, the UK’s leading support resource for mums to be, Emma’s Diary, in conjunction with the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), has surveyed more than 2,600 women about their experience of vaccinations.

The results revealed that 44% (nearly half) avoid vaccinations (including flu) while pregnant, through fear of the health risks to their unborn baby and also risks to their own health.

The study asked women what their reasons were for avoiding vaccinations designed to protect mother and baby, such as flu and whooping cough; worries about health risks to both mother and baby was the number one factor (44%), this was followed by admissions from women about their hectic schedules with many claiming ‘they simply don’t have enough time to have the vaccination’ as being a main reason (16%). A further 11% say they don’t believe in vaccinations and others say they either don’t need it or they believe the vaccination is ineffective. These findings come despite the real risks associated with babies born to women with flu, such as a greater chance of premature birth (being four times more likely), low birth weight and in some cases it can lead to stillbirth or even death in the first week of life.

The research revealed the most pregnant women rely on their midwife to obtain information about vaccinations. As such, midwives across the country are working hard to ensure that pregnant women have access to all of the information they need this season to make more informed decisions about the vaccinations that can protect them and their unborn babies.

Nick Watts, Managing Director at Emma’s Diary said: “Working with the RCM on the pregnancy vaccination research has been hugely beneficial and insightful. We’ve been able to tap into our engaged audience to better understand women’s perceptions of having vaccinations during pregnancy. We are using these findings to help shape new resources that will support pregnant women in making more informed choices on having vaccinations while pregnant now and into the future.”

Mandy Forrester, Head of Quality and Standards at the Royal College of Midwives said: “One of the most important findings to come out of our survey was that pregnant women want and need more time to talk about vaccinations with their midwives before they make a decision. Having that time is so important because there can be misconceptions about some vaccinations and although it is useful to have leaflets and websites to refer to, there is nothing quite like having a real conversation, to talk through any concerns or questions.”

The RCM is working closely with Emma’s Diary to develop new resources to boost awareness of vaccinations in pregnancy, and to share the findings of its survey to pregnant women across the country.

For further information on vaccinations while pregnant please visit: http://www.emmasdiary.co.uk/pregnancy-and-birth/pregnancy/1st-trimester-of-pregnancy/avoiding-pregnancy-risks