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Georgie Colquhoun : Cooking Them Healthy

If I’m jumping on the ‘healthy eating’ bandwagon, it must be going mainstream. My rotating repertoire of unoriginal supper’s has stooped to a new low. I gave my friend’s child Spaghetti Hoops and Hotdogs for lunch on Friday! I need help. Pronto.

Luckily, there is an answer. Cooking Them Healthy is a sparkling website full of inspiration, from snacks to supper’s and everything in between, for your little mite’s.

Georgie and Jo, the founders, hold great value in the art of using ingredients to heal and strengthen and with their combined knowledge of both food and nutrition, they hope to create the perfect “go to” place for parents to learn more about health topics. I believe, this they have done. The information in the media can be overwhelming so they aim to debunk the confusion and provide you with what you really need to know for a healthy family.

Georgie with 2 of her 3 children

One of Georgie’s most popular recipe’s to make with her children the It’s a Wrap Pizza as it covers all ages including her husband!

One of my favourite categories on the website is the Essential Shopping Basket. There is a list of key healthy ingredients that are easy to throw into your weekly shop, paired with helpful delicious recipes.

Thank goodness for this jam packed website full of information to inspire – clearly and helpfully laid out. Bookmarked!

Georgie’s ‘5 Favourite’s

Shop: Whole Foods

Website: www.ocado.com

Hotel: Babington House, Somerset

Restaurant: Abu Zaad in Shepherds Bush, London

Place to go with Children: Portobello Market

For more ideas and inspiration go online at

www.cookingthemhealthy.com

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People Travel

Jamie Is Running!

Jamie is 34 year old British adventure runner from London, who is attempting to run solo from Vancouver to Buenos Aires. He isn’t trying to beat any records or be the first to achieve something but would like to prove that anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it. He is currently in Nicaragua having completed 6500km of the 18000km already. Keep up to date with Jamie’s progress and amusing anecdotes on his blog.

Jamie with current beard

He is also raising money for three great charities – You can buy a day to contribute to the expedition costs or donate directly to his three chosen charities.

www.thecalmzone.net CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably
www.wateraid.org WaterAid – Provision of Clean Water in Third World Countries
www.macmillan.org.uk Macmillan – Cancer Support

Please cheer him on his way!

www.jamiesisrunning.com

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Family Life People Property

Life After London: The Mass Exodus

So many friends in the last month have declared they are moving to the country. It feels like a tidal wave must be approaching and I haven’t been sent the memo. Most popular choice is Hampshire that seems to be country enough whilst still having strong transport links into London.

The moves are so frequent now that I have got used to it. I understand the desire for a bigger place and putting down roots. Time spent with family in Surrey, Hampshire and Suffolk always gets my husband and I talking about if and when we will ‘do it’. When we first married the thought of living anywhere but London made me feel homesick but 6 years on and the tables have turned – I have alerts emailed weekly from Rightmove for our hypothetical preferred triangle, as I toy with what I Imagine would be a simpler life, whereas my husband quashes my wanderlust pronto when I bring it up, with a firm ‘I want to see my children before school and bed’ that would not happen with 7pm bedtimes in the Home Counties.

A clever mother Belinda has set up a website and online forum for those who are thinking of going and for those who have gone. It is well worth a look even if you are just toying with the idea.

Founder Belinda Aspinall

Www.lifeafterlondon.com

For now however, I am off to ‘utilise’ London…

Actually with 3 children, I’m so knackered, I might just settle with a box set!

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Family Life People

Au Pair : To Have Or To Have Not

Friends and acquaintances often ask how I like having an Au Pair living with us. I understand they are not everyone’s flavor usually due to the fact that once the children are in bed they want privacy. To me this is a sacrifice we are willing to make.

We have had three Au Pairs in 3 years (1 a year) and they have been wonderful and we are lucky enough to have kept in touch with them. I think you know after a very short period of time whether it is going to work (I have omitted the 2 day Au Pair that went home as quickly as she arrived due to ‘homesickness’. I actually think she realised what she had let herself in for!)

Our current Au Pair, Nalla

Hubby and I have a list of questions that we ask our shortlist of girls that I often wing over to friends when they have a shortlist from which to choose. We use aupair-world.net and filter down our search as follows

Age between 21-28 (Too young they can be homesick and I imagine myself at 18… but that’s a different matter!)
Spanish. All of ours have been Spanish. I strongly disagree with the stereotype that Spaniards are ‘lazy’. They have all been so hardworking.
Experience with children the same age as yours. So they know what children are like/doing at that age.
Kind. This is a sixth sense that is usually conveyed in the candidates humility and keenness. Anyone asking too many questions about pay and time off straight away is a no no.
What they want to do after they are an Au Pair. Childcare/teaching or a nanny is brilliant as then the Au Pair is helping them gain the necessary experience.
How long do they want to be an Au Pair for? A year is a good time frame as long enough for the children to create a bond but short enough that they don’t become stale.
Do they have a boyfriend? 1 of ours did, 2 didn’t. I think the most important thing is you don’t want someone who is on the prowl. I have heard of Au Pairs that use tinder when they come over. Recipe for disaster!
What hobbies do they have and how often do they go out? Ideally, not partying as you don’t want the key in the latch too late!
What do they like to do with children? Do they have creative ideas?
Are they happy going out in the rain and cold? This is the UK after all.
Do they have contacts in the UK already? A few is good, but if there whole class is here they may not be as willing to meet new people.

Above all, you want an Au Pair that is honest, keen and likes children. Believe it or not, some Au Pairs appear not to!

Once you have chosen one and they arrive, it is important to be kind to them, include them and treat them like part of the family and put down the ground rules up front as it is easier to do at the beginning rather than when cracks start to appear. Remember ultimately – respect begets respect!

www.aupair-world.co.uk

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Family Life People

What I Wish I Had Known Before Babies

Don’t we all wish we had the beauty of hindsight especially when it comes to our children and how to bring them up. Here is my list of ‘What I wish my mother had told me about…babies’

You won’t find a buggy that does everything but make sure you find one that folds easily!
Never discuss your baby names unless you are telling your chosen name. Everyone knows a bully at school/a great Aunt that had bad breath etc with that name and you don’t need to hear it
Prenatal baby group friends are great. There is nothing better than having a baby at the same time to compel a friendship and hopefully it will last past the baby phase
To establish breastfeeding, if possible get that baby latched on ASAP. Frequency frequency frequency
Check for tongue tie. Impossible to breastfeed successfully if they are even slightly tongue tied
Fairy liquid is an adequate substitute to sterilising when it comes to cleaning baby bottles
They aren’t distressed when they are crying unless it’s a prolonged and sustained period of time
Short sharp cries = hungry
Long low wail = tired
If your baby has reflux, hang on in there – it does get better with time
Teething pain is worse before the teeth cut through so be sympathetic from as early as 3 months
If your baby is doing explosions up the back – go up a nappy size
Cheap nappies are a false economy
If your baby is sucky you need a dummy. Go cold turkey by 1 year so you don’t have to get into dunmy fairy territory
Take videos even if you think the gurgling is dull at the time. Often better than a photo down the line
Don’t compare your baby. Your baby is the most advanced and beautiful so don’t worry if it seems others can’t see it
Monitors might seem slightly neurotic but oh it is so much easier than questioning your ears every few minutes
A baby sleeps in cycles of 45 minutes, therefore be quiet/keep car moving 45 minutes in to their 2 hour lunch time sleep
Babies will stay sleeping in the car if you stop within the first 15 minutes of sleep but touch and go nearing the half hour mark
Trying to get your child into a routine too quickly is futile as they will change as soon as you have told someone they are in a routine
Ditto to ‘sleeping through the night’
That I only just realised that ‘smug’ mother wasn’t saying baby slept 7-7 at 4 weeks – the definition increases with each week!
Don’t spend too much money on baby clothes as they grow so quickly. Invest more when they slow down.
The more you try and keep your old life as is the harder it will be
Embrace it and don’t wish it away as it is such a short phase of your life

On that note, do what works for you as deep down you knew what you were going to do anyway!

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Family Life People Services

Rebecca Leshures: Tinkling The Ivories

Not only did I finally agree to purchasing a REAL piano, hubby succeeded in persuading me that it would be a smart replacement for our console table in the hallway. As he is quite often – he was right. It looked lovely. Tinkling the ivories was on the cards…

New piano

I suspected it would be a 9 day wonder, however 4 months in – it continues to be used everyday – from the toddler banging about on it to our 4 year old having weekly lessons. ‘4 year old having piano lessons’ I hear you murmur. That’s what I thought. How Tiger mum. However, I thought let’s give it a go, and if he disliked it, we would stop.

That was before we met Rebecca, a breath of Canadian fresh air who has become a firm Tuesday afternoon fixture in our house, engaging H with her fun and informative teaching style that he doesn’t even realise it is a lesson.

I am starting to hold out that perhaps we have a Rachmaninoff in our midst…

Rebecca Leshures

Leshures@gmail.com

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Family Life People

How To Respond To Gender Presumptions

‘I bet you would really love a girl’ was the most common response when I told people we were having a 3rd baby after 2 boys. It was usually people, acquaintances or people who hadn’t received the memo on what not to say to a hormonal pregnant mother.

Many of my friends have 2 of both sex and the ones that have a ‘Jack and Jill’ pair are perceived as clever or lucky. I have also noticed a pattern emerging that people are more likely to roll the dice on no 3 to get the elusive sex, although I am yet to meet anyone stupid enough to do so without their eyes fully open that it may not go that way.

More on the subject of Gender Swaying in another blog post!

At our 12 week scan, after much Googling of the ‘nub theory’ (see my post on The Nub Theory here) I glimpsed at the monitor and suspected that we were having a girl. I was also fed up of people presuming I wanted a girl.

My best response was ‘Oh I didn’t know there was a choice.’

However my impatience got the better of me and we went for an Early Gender Scan at the The London Ultra Sound Center at 14 weeks to have my suspicions confirmed that we were actually having a girl.

Nb she believed that couples keep having the same sex as they are keep the same routine & habits (food, exercise, bedroom) so best to mix it up! Anyway, we were firstly pleased to hear that the baby was developing well and thrilled that it was a girl although we kept it relatively close to our chest until she actually arrived, not in a smug ‘I’m not telling you what we are having’ – like people actually care that much – but in a way she would have to be seen to be believed.

I enjoyed knowing from the planning perspective and to be armed when the check out girl said ‘hope it’s a girl’ wink wink but the excitement and intimacy that comes from guessing what it is with your other half can’t be beaten…

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