This Is What School Lunches Look Like Around The World

I saw this article few days ago whilst on MSN website which featured school lunches across the word. I remember my school lunch days not with fond memory if  I may add, it usually consist of tuna sandwich, a piece of cake, fruit and drink or chips, cake and fish fingers  because I didn't like the look of the rest cooked foods on offer. It was nothing like the lovely food featured by MSN.

I have picked some of my favourites based on the food I still love and loved as a child growing up ( rice, plantain) as well as the ones I would have love to try if I had the opportunity as they look lovely and I hope would also translate to tasting lovingly too.

I am a big fan of plantain as I get to eat it at least three times a week. Everything about the food looks lovingly and delicious.

The main appeal for me with the Spanish school lunch are the shrimp, rice, tri colour pepper and off course the soup.

 

Everything on this plate looks pretty, healthy and colourful too.

For more information on school lunches around the world click here! 

Black Barbie and Ken's Nigeria Traditional Wedding By Photography Obi

So what do you think of this Nigeria traditional weddings black Barbie and Ken? I came across this website when browsing from one website to another. According to the photographer Obi, he got bored sometime last December, and then came across French photographer Beatrices’ Barbie and Kens’ wedding shoot, and with some inspiration from the black Barbie shoot on Italian Vogue, he decided to create a Nigerian Traditional wedding shoot with black Barbie and Ken … it started up as a pretty simple shoot that would have taken about a week or so, but it ended up taking up to 5 months. He had to enlist the help of his wife to help out with the outfits, as well as with searching the internet for all the little accessories.

He said that he was beginning to get weird looks from my son whenever I came home with a barbie …

Source: Photography Obi

Control Toys For Kids? Think Not

It goes to show that the saying 'No Publicity Is A Bad Publicity is really true. 

The toys  might seem like a harsh way to discipline unruly offspring, and in fact the 'Control Toys' were only created to promote the Brazilian version of the Super Nanny TV show.

But what about if these restraint toys were real, would considered buying one for your child? Leave comments below.

Source: Daily Mail

High Heels For Little Girls Good or Bad Parenting?

Steve Madden Kids Ulltra $39.99

Nine West Kids Elevate $35.99

I don't think it's fair to blame Suri Cruise (the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) for the increase in sales of high heel shoes for little girls. Even before Suri Cruise was born little girls all over the world would remember at some point in their childhood when they practised walking in heels with their mother's shoes.

A market research conducted by a company called NDP Group said the sales of fashion footwear for girls grew nine per cent in the last year, after a five per cent growth the previous year. The increase in the shoes' popularity has as much to do with parents as it does with children. (Daily Mail).

Shoe brands such as Steven Madden, Gap Kids, Nina, Michael Kors and Stuart Weitzman have all jumped the bandwagon to design heels for girls too.

Other designers are not so keen in following suit, one of those designer refusing to support the trend is
Sarah Cannova. She is the owner of shoe and accessories boutiques in the Washington, DC area. This is what she has to say on this 'Mini Me' trend, 'You're basically giving the green light to expediting childhood and going full speed on to womanhood,' she said of refusing to buy heeled shoes for her three daughters.

'Childhood is over soon enough as it is,' she added.

At What Age Would You Let Your Daughter Wear Heels? Leave your comments below!

Baby Bangs Company Sells Wigs for Newborns

Baby Bangs Made Just Little Girls $29.95 

It is described as a beautiful creations of hair and hair band combined. First of all my apologies if what I am going write somehow sounds a bit rude. But why would anyone want to buy a wig for their little baby.

A company based in the USA known as baby bangs sells baby wig. Is this a wonderful idea, crazy idea or absolute madness. What is so wrong with a baby sporting bald head?

Have you as a parent or guardian ever bought baby wig for your child? If yes what was your reason if you don't mind me asking.

Pintastic: Interview Questions For My Grand Parents

Source: thehouseofhendrix.com

Saw this article from pinterest filed under kids by Jimmyz Rock. Thought it was lovely idea and that's my reason for sharing them with you guys

Is Four-Years Old Too Young For A Child To Have A Phone?

Does the idea of a 4 years old child having a mobile phone sounds like a good parenting or just utter nonsense?  Well my view on this subject is absolutely no for a 4 years old to given a mobile phone.Ii will be more considerate when they are about to enter secondary school or perhaps on their last year at primary school.

There are the main facts:

• The mobile phone is by a company called  mobile by OwnFone
• The custom-made, credit-card sized mobile by OwnFone is light on features, but conceptually pretty interesting.
• It has no screen, keypad or games, but has an easy control scheme, 10 designs and a battery that lasts up to a year.
• Parents specify up to 12 numbers to pre-program into the phone, which kids can call at the push of a single button.
• The device, and only use it in the case of emergencies. The definition of emergency varies a great deal
• OwnFone said that makers say the aim is to keep kids connected, but take away the dangers of a modern smartphone.
• The 1stFone costs from £55 and is available on a 30-day rolling contract, pay as you go or six and 12-month bundles.

Source: Huffington Post

Fun Fashionistas Summer Bootcamp for Budding Young Designers

Founded with the intention of encouraging children to pursue their fashion, Fun Fashionistas offers a range of events and activities for youngsters to become acquainted with the world of seams and sewing machines.

Youngsters and pre-teens with a passion for fashion can get to work on their first collection this summer as Fun Fashionistas launches an exciting series of summer workshops. The innovative summer camps will introduce both girls and boys to the world of clothes and fashion, and will teach them a range of new skills that can kick-start a potential career as a designer or seamstress.

Tammi Walker, founder of Fun Fashionistas said, “Our bootcamp summer workshop is perfect for children of all ages who have already shown an interest in fashion. The four-day workshop will take them through a number of exciting activities and teach them some new skills, with a fashion show for family and friends to attend at the culmination of the event, which offers them a chance to showcase what they have achieved.”

The fashion workshop for children takes place from the 5th – 8th of August and will be held at the Piccolo Caffe Hogarth Youth and Community Centre in Chiswick. The timing of the workshop, right in the middle of the summer holidays, also make it a great opportunity for parents to entertain their children for four days with ease. The venue has easy access from local underground stations and the £160 package includes the full four-day experience, along with all materials, teaching, fruit and water for the children.

The first day of the workshop focuses on fashion and design. It allows children to voice their own ideas about fashion, and explains the concept of creating their own brand. Children will create mood boards and start to think about the creation of their own items, using the materials provided by Fun Fashionistas.

Day two will mostly focus on the design of their special item. They will be able to choose from a range of fabrics and learn special sewing techniques for beginners, with supervision at all times. Hand sewing, one of life’s forgotten talents, will be taught, and children will get the chance to learn how to use a sewing machine to carry out basic tasks and enhance their garment or accessory.

The third day will also be spent working hard on their self-designed item, before the fashion show on the final day. Photos will be available, and family and friends can come and see the first collection from what could be one of the UK’s premier fashion designers in ten years’ time.

For more information and to book a place, visit http://funfashionistas.co.uk/

Interesting Ways To Teach Kids About Money

Image: Courtesy of Madame Noire


I had never made it a secret on my desire to teach my children about money from an early. And it was the very same desire that led me into looking for something unique to give them a Christmas present - when I purchase the automatic money counting jar for my kids.

So I was browsing through the Internet, I came across this article titled '15 ways to teach kids about money'. Some of the points that really stuck to me were:


Communication
Communicate with children as they grow about your values concerning money — how to save it, how to make it grow, and most importantly, how to spend it wisely. I promised myself that I would talk to my kids about their finances before they have credit cards over the limit and an undesirable credit score. Finances: a topic that needs to be addressed sooner than later to give your children the best chance at having healthy financial habits


Difference Between Needs and Want
Help children learn the differences between needs, wants, and wishes. This will prepare them for making good spending decisions in the future.


Setting Goals
Setting goals is fundamental to learning the value of money and saving. Young or old, people rarely reach goals they haven’t set. Every toy desired should become the object of a goal-setting session. Such goal-setting helps children learn to become responsible for themselves.


Saving Versus Spending
Explain and demonstrate the concept of earning interest income on savings. Consider paying interest on money children save at home; children can help calculate the interest and see how fast money accumulates through the power of compound interest. Later on, they also will realize that the quickest way to a good credit rating is a history of regular, successful savings. Some parents even offer to match what children save on their own.


Continue Reading

Today’s Talker: How Children Hack Off Their Parents

Image Credit : youngsies.com

I saw this article whilst on train to London and the title of the article somehow made me laugh. Last Friday, I went to the town centre with my children after school and I decided to withdraw some money from the cash point. My son watched me dutifully as I keyed in my pin number and at the end of the transaction, he said mummy I know your pin now, it’s ****.

Even when I am shopping online, my son would watch me key in my pin code and try to see if he could memorise my password. Maybe later, whilst he is browsing online he probably would try to enter the password to pay for the entire toys from Amazon - by the way he’s only 6 years old.

The article in Metro is talking about how children hack off their parents. This research is based on a poll conducted by Virtual Piggy. They surveyed 2000 children between the ages of 5 to 18.

Below is what they found:

12% of children have tried to crack their parents’ online password

25% of youngsters have racked up internet bills on their parents’ credit cards or online accounts

80% know the passwords or pin codes to their mother’s and father’s laptops, phones, tablets or PCs

6% said they have owned their own computer since the age of eight

30% of children said they fib about doing homework when they are, in fact, surfing the web.

Source: Metro Tuesday, May 21, 2013

So what have been your experiences with your children? Please share by leaving a comment below. 

Let’s Make Cookie Cutting Fun with 3D Safari Biscuit Mould

I had always loved baking, but having kids has made me to learn more about baking as well as using different techniques. I have acquired a few bakery books from places like ‘the people book’ as they are a lot cheaper than buying from the established book retailers. I love to experiment and the kids also loves getting their hand dirty and make their unique and funny shape.

Baking gingerbread man or buying it from the bakery is one of those childhood memories that will never go away. But now a new company Firebox is taking cookie baking to a whole new level with their own 3D safari inspired biscuit moulds in lion, giraffe, hippo and elephant.

The cutters or moulds come as individual shapes which little hands helped by a grown-up can use to make and bake the animal's constituent parts before slotting them together to create fully three-dimensional standing beasts.

So are you wild about biscuits: These cookie cutters, £7.99 a set from www.firebox.com  will liven up a regular recipe. Ideal for the baking enthusiast

.

Safari Animal Cookie Cutters as a set £26.99 or £7.99 each

Lion

Giraffe

Hippo

Elephant

Dinosaur Cookie Cutters as a set £26.99 or £7.99 each

Brachiosaurus

Stegosaurus

T-Rex

Triceratops

Mother shuns Disney Princesses for Real Women Heroines on her daughter’s fifth birthday

Photographer mother knew that her daughter’s five birthdays had to be different this time. I suppose she wanted something with meaning rather than just one of those parties usually thrown by parents for their daughter.

Rather than settle for the usual princess, pink themed or any of the children character related party, she looks at the idea of getting her daughter dressed up as five REAL women heroines (based on her opinion) from history to commemorate Emma’s fifth birthday.

To quote Jamie – “So my amazing daughter, Emma, turned 5 last month, and I had been searching everywhere for new-creative inspiration for her 5yr pictures. I noticed quite a pattern of so many young girls dressing up as beautiful Disney Princesses, no matter where I looked 95% of the “ideas” were the “How to’s” of  how to dress your little girl like a Disney Princess.”

Jaime Moore from Austin, Texas, took photos of her daughter Emma emulating real women she felt were worth admiring. She chose Coco Chanel, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, Jane Goodall and Susan B Anthony

Coco Chanel

Amelia Earhart

Helen Keller

Jane Goodall

Susan B Anthony

The icing on the cake has to be the BIG DREAM PICTURE of Emma running for President in 2044 at the age of 36.

At the end of the photo series, the photographer has written: 'Let's set aside the Barbie Dolls and the Disney Princesses for just a moment, and let's show our girls the REAL women they can be.'
Source: Jamie Moore Photography

Help Your Child Set Up a Blog by Sarah Kessler from Mashable

It's so surprising that this article was actually written on 3rd October 2010 and I only just discovered last year March 2012 because I subscribed to Mashable to be receiving their weekly newsletter.

And even with the article being just over 2 years old, I still find the article really interesting and relevant because it's talking about kid's blogging. I also like the emphasis placed on parents understanding the importance of Internet safety. Below is an excerpt from the article

"Some parents are more comfortable if they keep the computer in an open space, make sure any e-mail associated with the blog is delivered to an account that they have access to, and check the blog daily. The amount of monitoring that is appropriate depends on your child.
“You know best the maturity and how much interaction your child can handle,” explains Fioriello. “Supervise them or monitor them or check their browsing history. Do whatever you need to do as a parent, but still allow them to grow and learn.”

To read the rest of the article please click here  

Top Smile Triggers Based on Colgate Research

Colgate the toothpaste manufacturer conducted a research with both children and parent to find out what their top smile triggers are.

According to  Colgate, below are the answers on top 30 smile triggers

Children say...............          Parents say.........................

playing with friends                                      my children
birthday parties                                            kisses from my children

mum                                                           sunny weather

cuddles                                                        holidays

dad                                                              playing games with children

kisses from mum/dad                                    husband / wife

jokes                                                           going out for the weekend

a new toy                                                    romantic time with my partner

funny faces                                                 winning money from lottery

pocket money                                             spending time with my friends

eating nice food                                           being taken out for a dinner

my pet                                                        getting a pay rise

being read a story                                        comedians

listening to music                                         being a good cook

dancing                                                       money

puppies                                                       getting new clothes

picnics                                                        seeing my parents/ siblings 

going out for meals                                      receiving an email from old friend

my brother and sister                                   going to the pub

new clothes                                                 new shoes

kittens                                                        getting a new car

using the ipad                                              gossipping with friends

spending time with brother and sister             snow days

family                                                         listening to my ipod

new shoes                                                   moving into a new home

gadgets                                                       gadgets

bath time                                                    playing video games

shopping                                                     going to the gym

my friend falling over                                   avoiding a parking tickets

getting a new TV                                         getting a new flat/house

The key to turning the frown on a child's face into a smile doesn't mean forking out for a gadget - because all they really want is a cuddle. Hugs, birthday parties and playing with friends  are more likely to make a youngsters grin than iPads or new clothes,a survey shows.

Mothers are more likely to make  their children smile than fathers, and David Cameron was voted the No.1 famous face to make them sad.

Parents said their offspring are most likely to make them smile -  generally, ten times a day or less. Children, however, are little rays of sunshine - with 42 per cent claiming to smile constantly and 13 per cent saying they smiled 5 million times a day, they told Colgate.