Mindful Mama: Happy Baby, by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriott Book Review

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

I have to confess, I haven’t read a lot of parenting books. I keep meaning to, but find it hard to find the time. I managed to find some time for Mindful Mama: Happy Baby as it looked interesting. It has a number of things going for it: it is easy to read, fun and full of ideas. I am not into mediation or mindfulness, but I found the activities interesting and will use some of them with my son. The book has games, songs, dances and outdoor activities. The book breaks the activities down by age and has a development chart too. The book is well-illustrated and has clear instructions. funnily enough, I recognise some of these activities from my own childhood so there are a few classics.

I liked this book and will be doing some of the activities with my little one. This book is fun and educational.

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby is an accessible guide for new parents using mindfulness techniques and Montessori activities to bring calm and confidence to the early parenting years. Susannah Marriott has published a number of successful parenting titles, while Maja Pitamic is a Montessori teacher and author of the best-selling I Can Do It, also published by Modern Books.

Over 60 mindful activities and play ideas for bonding with your child

Sensory games, songs, dances and outdoor activities to share

Advice on nurturing, feeding, bathing, sleeping and carrying

Meditative techniques to relax your mind and keep you calm

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby is a practical and accessible guide for new parents, designed to give you the skills to calmly navigate the early years of child rearing, from birth to three years of age. Mindful parenting makes time for meaningful interactions with your child, which have a profound effect on bonding during the crucial developmental stages.

Emphasis is put on the well-being of both parent and child, as well as the importance of bringing peace and perspective to the emotional whirlwind of having a new baby. As your baby grows into a toddler, the exercises change, allowing this age group to fully explore the world around them and engage their senses in a fun and playful way.

Playing with a child with awareness daily is the most mindful thing we can do as parents. It shows children we are available and passes on the self-acceptance that comes with engaging fully with an activity. As children reveal their personalities and unique ways of doing things so we learn from them, our relationships with them become richer

Both practical and inspiring, Mindful Mama: Happy Baby gives you and your child the building blocks for an enjoyable and mindful first few years.

Maja Pitamic is the author of I Can Do It, the successful Montessori activity book for ages three to five, as well as the co-author of I Can Make Music, Modern Art Adventures and 3D Art Adventures. She has over fifteen years’ experience teaching young children and holds degrees in Art History and Montessori Teacher Training. She currently lives in London.

Susannah Marriott is a freelance author and mother of three. Her books include Green Babycare, Natural Pregnancy, Pregnancy Herbaland The Pregnancy and Baby Book. Her writing has appeared in Weekend Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, Marie Claire, Zest, Shape, Top Sante, Healthy and Junior. She currently lives in Devon.

Also available in this series:

I Can Do It (Sept 2015) and I Can Make Music (Sept 2015)

Mindful Mama: Happy Baby

0ver 60 calming techniques and creative activities for babies and toddlers

by Maja Pitamic and Susannah Marriott

Published by Modern Books – 25^th August 2016. @modernbooks.

RRP: £12.99

Domination of Screens Taking Its Toll On Children’s Reading, Learning And Behaviour

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Margaret Graham

At Frost we are great believers in the value of reading, as you will have notices from the number of books we review.

So, it’s no surprise to know that new research has revealed that a book at bedtime can boost a child’s brain power, accelerate academic achievement and reduce the risk of behavioural problems.

MRI scans show that reading to children from an early age actually increases activity in parts of the brain involved with language, particularly those regions which are critical for spoken language and reading.

Better understanding of the neurobiology of the brain has also shown how diet and digital technology can influence reading and cognition.

But the latest research, underlining the importance of reading, points to problems ahead. Research from Equazen, suggests that a worrying number of British children are turning their backs on books.

Leading neuroscientists believe that our reading is more superficial when we use a screen, but a survey of parents has shown nine out of ten children have access to a tablet or Kindle.

I endorse this. As an author I write more succinctly, and superficially for screen than for print. A new report, SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT READING, authored by Philip Calder, Professor of Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton and an advisor to Equazen and independent dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton examines the very latest data and explores new research into literacy and brain function. And it reveals a complex interplay between reading, cognition, behaviour, diet and lifestyles.

It seems reading alters the way we think^,and interestingly improves blood flow to the brain though, but e- devices may lead to ‘digital brain’ and reduced concentration. The report supports the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids, which I take. .

Might be wroth trying some omega-3 for the kids, and ourselves. Equazen do a range which is suitable for pregnancy, babies from six months to three years, a liquid for children who don’t like pills, and a chew .

You can find these Equazen products at pharmacies, Amazon.co.uk and health food shops.

Royal Warrant Holder Fulton Umbrellas launches ‘The London Collection’

Posted on August 12, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

Fulton Umbrella’s 2016 Parasoled range Review

It is no secret that I love London and Frost Magazine can be quite London-centric (sorry to the rest of the UK. We love you too). There is a good reason for our love of London: it is the best city in the world. To celebrate Fulton have launched a London Collection. Fulton’s iconic style makes it a favourite of Her Majesty the Queen. I review the London Photographic print. It is beautiful and full of landmarks of London. The umbrella is well made of course. It is of the highest quality and fits well into a handbag. I am a fan. Pick one up yourself. There are five original designs.

Designed to pay homage to the city’s iconic landmarks and famous features Fulton launch The London Collection. Featuring classic cabs, red telephone boxes, Big Ben, the Royal Guards and the Union Jack, Fulton’s London Collection offers the perfect accessory to celebrate the city where the brand was born sixty years ago.

The collection includes a range of lightweight, compact models which feature bold prints to make a statement in showers this summer. The ‘Tiny’ is Fulton’s most compact style, without compromising on quality, making it perfect for handbags in case of unexpected downpours.The Birdcage, Fulton’s iconic style and a favourite of Her Majesty the Queen, is given a fresh twist with the London Icons pattern. Children aren’t forgotten, with a distinctive Funbrella featuring Royal Guards marching along its trim.

Fulton was founded in 1956 in the UK and from humble beginnings the company is now the UK’s leading umbrella manufacturer, exporting to countries around the world. As an international brand, Fulton is a great UK success story for innovation and style.

MumsThread: On Traveling in London While Pregnant

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

I love London so it is quite hard for me to write this piece. Now I love the tube, but it does bring out the worse in people. Everyone just wants to get home and it can be over-crowded and hot. So, excuses for my city over let me get to my point: traveling in London while pregnant is awful. Really awful. The entire time I was pregnant I was only offered a seat a handful of times and only once by a man. The man made his teenage daughter get up for me. I will be eternally grateful to him. Anyone who has ever been pregnant knows that being offered a seat while carrying another human being inside you is a pretty big deal. I had an awful pregnancy with acute morning sickness and low blood pressure throughout.

The truth is, even when wearing the great badge that TFL send free to pregnant women, most people will just bury their head in their book and turn their iPod up louder. The Baby on Board badge will spark good people to do the right thing, but sometimes it seems like there are too few of them.

Not getting a seat wasn’t the worst of it. While on the way to have lunch with one of my role models, the editor of one of the biggest magazines in the UK, I was pushed TWICE down an escalator by a man who wanted to shave a few minutes of his journey. I was walking down the left hand side whilst seven months pregnant. I guess pregnant women don’t walk fast enough for him and he pushed me twice hard, and also tried to shove me out of the way. I made my feelings clear to him, but I was shaking from head to toe. The upside is that a wonderful woman stopped to stroke my back and make sure I was okay while glaring in his direction. I am very thankful to that woman. It really helped me cope. It proves that a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

I still find it depressing that only one man offered me a seat when I was pregnant. He was even a tourist FFS. Add on the fact that, at most, five people offered me a seat in my over 41 week pregnancy then I am going to have to give us an F Londoners. It is not good enough so let’s try for an A+. We are the greatest city on earth and we can do better than this.

Please let us know about your experience of being pregnant in London.

Interesting, And Not Just For Children

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Should I re-think my snacks perhaps?

New research by Fruit Bowl, the brains and creators behind the leading brand in dried fruit snacks for kids, found that more than half (52%) of Britain’s four to 12-year-olds are often tired after school, with a quarter of parents reporting their child had difficulty concentrating when they got home from school but at the opposite end of the energy spectrum almost one in ten (9%) is “almost hyper” towards the end of the day, a survey of 1,000 parents has revealed.

The Fruit Bowl research suggests that fluctuating blood sugar levels are an important factor in these mood and motivation issues. Just over a third (34%) of parents reported their children “always” complained of being hungry when they got home and almost half (44%) said hunger was a problem.

There is good evidence to show that growing children are more reliant on snacks than adults to ensure steady energy levels.

Fruit and vegetables are the favourite snacks for restoring children’s energy levels, with almost a third (29%) of parents putting this healthy option at the top of their list, followed by biscuits or cake (12%) and a sandwich or toast (10%).

More than a quarter of parents report that their children can be fussy about fruit with one in five (22%) saying their offspring stick to one or two favourites and 5% saying it’s a struggle to get them to eat any fruit at all.

Dr Carrie Ruxton says: “Every parent knows how fussy children can be, and how difficult it can be to encourage them to try new flavours. Fruit-based snacks are a great way to encourage picky-eaters to try new flavours

“Fruit-based snacks, such as Fruit Bowl® School Bars, Fruit Flakes and Fruit Peelers for example are made from the juice and/or pulp of fruits and typically count as one portion of 5-A-DAY depending upon the product.”

Fruit Bowl® Fruit Peelers (RRP £1.50 for a pack of 4 individually wrapped 16g Peelers

Ella’s Kitchen Cereals Range And Kids’ Snacks Range Review

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Catherine Balavage

My son loves Ella’s Kitchen so much that his little legs start kicking when we pass that section in the supermarket. When I heard about the new cereals range I got very excited indeed. So did the little one. He has been a happy little tester. Here is what we thought:

The cereals have a range of textures for the weaning journey and are all organic.

Multigrain Baby Rice

Super smooth and deliciously scrummy, these two taste-tingling multigrain baby rice products offer bags of flavour + can be enjoyed any time of day. Suitable for tiny tums 4 months+, the carrot multigrain baby rice is a great way to teach little ones to love veggie tastes, right from the start of their weaning journey! The little one loved these. We don’t give him too much rice so it was a new experience for him. Both samples ended up with a clean plate.

Porridge

This berry good breakfast will help introduce little ones to more exciting flavours + is jam-packed with delicious strawberries + raspberries! Textured with yummy crispy bits and not too lumpy, the consistency is perfect for tiny tots from 7 months+. The LO loves porridge. This one did not go down as well as I thought it would. Babies are fickle. Strawberry porridge was his favourite but I think he has gone off it now. He still eats it though.

Muesli

Made to help little ones learn to chew, this new cereal for 10 months+ is the perfect next step on their weaning journey. With a chunkier + lumpier texture, this yummy muesli is full of scrum my banana + cinnamon to tickle tiny tastebuds. This was LO’s favourite. His mouth was wide open every time. No matter how big the portion was, he wolfed it down.

Easy-Peasy

The cereals range comes in great packaging which allows you to easily reseal the pack. It is also easy to pour, making it mess-free. I love the range and the little one did too. Thumbs up.

The Ella’s Kitchen’s cereals range is available in-store now with a RRP of £2.30 for Multigrain Baby Rice (125g), £2.50 for porridge (175g) and £2.70 for muesli 175g).

Also new from Ella’s Kitchen.

Look out! Our super tasty + super cool Kids’ Snacks range has landed – yippeee! Created especially for big kids from three to five years, these delicious snacks are not only super tasty, they’re super fun too!

Featuring two scrummy products and seven BIG taste combos, the 100% organic range provides bigger kids with snacks that are lower in sugar and introduce exciting veggie flavours to encourage healthier appetites.

Smooshy Snacks

Representing one of your five a day, these four taste-tingling smoothie combos feature a mighty VEG ingredient to show big kids just how cool veggies can be!

– mango + pumpkin

– orange + carrot

– strawberry + beetroot

– apple + cucumber

These are a great addition to the Ella’s Kitchen pouch range. The flavours are interesting and work well together. The little testers were fans.

Fruity Bars

With three exciting taste combos on offer, new Fruity Bars are completely unique and

includes tasty additions such as crisped rice, oats, flaxseeds and coconut.

– briiilliant banana + raisin

– pow powww pineapple + coconut

– rrrocketing raspberry + mango

The fun doesn’t stop there though! Featuring super cool comic strips on pack, kids will meet an entire cast of superhero characters, including a cheeky rabbit causing mischief with a crew of fellow superhero animals. To join in the superhero fun, simply use our pull-out superhero masks + collectible pop-out finger puppets. Snacking has never been so cool!

These are a brilliant idea. The packaging is fun and gets kids interested while the snack itself is yummy and nutritious. Super cool indeed.

How to find us

Ella’s Kitchen’s Kids’ Snacks range is available in Sainsbury’s and at sainsburys.co.uk with a RRP of £3.49 for Smooshy Snacks (4 x 100g) and £2.50 for Fruity Bars (5 x 20g).

The London Fire Brigade has appointed their first-ever Young Fire Safety Officer

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Such a great story has reached Frost Magazine:

The London Fire Brigade has appointed their first-ever Young Fire Safety Officer, 7 year old Archie Cosaitis, to head up the PLAYMOBIL 150th anniversary firefighter crew

Archie is a lifelong fan of the Fire Brigade, and will be launching 65 collaborative open days across the capital throughout this 150^th anniversary year, to get the essential message across about fire safety in the home.

Limited-edition London Fire Brigade versions of popular PLAYMOBIL Fire Brigade sets have also been created for little ones to learn through play at home. 10% of proceeds will be donated to the Brigade’s charities of choice, with toys available from April to purchase at the open days and from PLAYMOBILE customer services.

Archie was inspired by the PLAYMOBIL crew’s catchy sing-a-long video already being used by London Firefighters and the Brigade’s Education team as part of their fire prevention outreach work. It shows children how London Fire Brigade fights more than just house fires and highlights how much they do for the community.

Duties in his new role include blowing out the candles of a birthday cake made by Great British Bake Off star Firefighter Mat Riley, giving fire safety advice to his classmates and testing out PLAYMOBIL’s latest Fire Brigade vehicles.

The anniversary open days will be perfect for anyone who’s ever fancied playing firefighter for a day. These will take place across London from April through to December. Children big and small can meet real firefighters and life-sized PLAYMOBIL ones, plus enjoy toys and activities galore.

Jamie Dickinson, Marketing Manager of PLAYMOBIL UK, commented, “Archie is doing a sterling job so far in bringing the fun factor to learning about fire safety. He’ll have me out of a job if I’m not careful!”

London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said, “The 65 open days across the capital are a great opportunity for people to celebrate our birthday and interact with firefighters who do so much work protecting London every day. Our Education Team does a great job instilling fun into our fire safety advice and Archie is an important ambassador for the work we do.”

Click here to see all 65 anniversary open day dates and locations: http://bit.ly/PLAYMOBIL_LondonFireBrigade

Watch the all-singing, all-dancing video here:

http://bit.ly/PLAYMOBIL_LondonFireBrigade_Video

Acquaint 100% Natural Sanitising Water Review

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Frostie

Acquaint was a huge hit with the parents at Frost. Having a baby means lots of sterilising and washing your hands. Babies immunes systems are weak and keeping them safe is a priority. Acquaint is a sanitising water that is 100% natural and can be used on babies from birth. They can even swallow it. Impressive indeed. We loved it and will be buying in bulk. A genius idea that makes parenting easier, and anything that makes parenting easier is a hit with us. Frost loves.

Acquaint is a sanitising water that mimics the body’s immune system by using water and Hypochlorous Acid (HCIO) to cleanse and kill bacteria from any part of the body, or on any equipment. Hypochlorous acid is known as a biocide that we already have in our bodies, making it extremely safe. Aquaint contains .003% of this acid, and nothing else, no additives at all, making it the safest sanitiser on the market today

How?

Stage 1, bacteria, viruses or other harmful pathogens get into our bodies and start to invade the human cells

Stage 2 Neutrophils, which are the most abundant white blood cells live in human blood vessels and detect the pathogens and travel to the infection site where they surround the pathogen

Stage 3 Once the pathogens are then surrounded it produces an oxidant called Hypochlorous Acid (HCIO)that kills the bacteria almost instantly

When Aquaint is sprayed onto anything, the Hypochlorous Acid or HCIO is used virtually instantly to kill the bacteria, and all that is left is the water. Aquaint is a unique, revolutionary and multipurpose 100% NATURAL Sanitising Water that kills 99.9% of bacteria in seconds. The water provides the base for it to be highly effective as a cleanser, and its only other ingredient, a NATURAL ACID (Hypochlorous Acid) that is produced in the human body to fight bacteria and germs, provides its anti-bacterial properties. Aquaint is endorsed by Allergy UK as an ‘Allergy Friendly Product’ and has passed stringent UK drinking water tests, making it the safest sanitiser on the market.

Why is Aquaint Different?

ü It does not contain alcohol, fragrances, preservatives or harmful chemicals

ü It does not leave behind any chemical residues and therefore it does not need to be rinsed off

ü It does not dry out or irritate the skin

ü It is gentle, powerful and extremely safe

ü It is harmless if swallowed and is as safe as drinking water

ü It is suitable for repeated use

ü It is suitable for use during pregnancy and on new-born skin

Where can Aquaint be used?

ü It can be used to sanitise the hands and skin (from birth) and in the mouth

ü It is also suitable for use on surfaces, even on food

ü To clean and insert contact lenses

ü On any equipment, toys, kitchen bathroom etc

ü On any broken skin, cuts without stinging

ü Can clear athletes foot

ü Can clear cold sores, and quickly

ü Can clear Blepharitis

ü Can be used to sanitise and use around animals, including use on them if necessary, it does not harm them

ü Suitable for sensitive and allergy prone skin

ü Can be used for nappy changing

ü Suitable for elderly skin

ü Effective mouthwash

ü Babies soothers

From ocado.com and jojomamanbebe.co.uk

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