Graco Evo Mini Review - Guest Post.

This post is by the lovely and awesome Liz, who blogs at http://www.hartofthemunchkinpatch.co.uk/

Pushchairs are for big girls too, mummy ...!

Since our Graco testing began a few weeks ago, all of or focus at the Munchkin Patch has been on how much Beastie is loving it and how perfect it is for her. I think someone has been feeling a little left out! Munchkin has asked on a number of occasions if she can "have a ride in the orange buggy". As a rule, Munchkin doesn't use a pushchair any more. She walks everywhere. However, she does get very tired when she does a lot of walking, and therefore, we were delighted that the Evo Mini was a pushchair that could comfortably accommodate them both. Therefore, I couldn't let our testing period end without Munchkin taking it for a proper test drive. After all, the Graco Evo Mini is suitable up to 15kg, so plenty big enough for my 13kg bundle of fun!

This week, Munchkin's nursery held a 'Bedtime Stories' session from 5-6pm. This was held on a non-nursery day for her, so she was very excited at the thought of going into school on her day off (crazy child!!) The idea was she would go to nursery at 5pm dressed in her pyjamas and slippers, accompanied by a favourite cuddly toy and they would enjoy an hour of bedtime stories whilst sharing milk and cookies. I suggested she could walk to nursery in her shoes and change into her slippers at nursery ...

No way! Slippers would be worn both to and from nursery! And a dressing gown would replace a coat too ...!

Her solution was that she would ride in the orange buggy to save her slippers from getting dirty. I didn't argue with her idea. It made sense. She had insisted on taking her new friend, Pinkie Pie, along to Bedtime Stories with her, who is almost as big as she is. Therefore it would save any encounters with muddy puddles and prevent me from being lumbered with a huge cuddly pink bundle in my arms for 85% of the walk!

As you can see, our Evo Mini is plenty big enough for both Munchkin and Pinkie Pie!

It was also a very windy evening which bothers Munchkin immensely! She does not deal with the windy weather well at all. As soon as we stepped outside and she jumped into the seat of the pushchair, she said, 

"Oooh, mummy, my orange buggy shuts all of the wind out!!"

Of course, the Graco Evo Mini's hood does not act as a complete wind shield, but she clearly felt the benefit of being in there straight away. She claims that the wind couldn't get to her because ...

"... my orange buggy has the biggest hood in the world!!"

As you can see, there is no discomfort here at all. She fits perfectly well into the seat without feeling cramped. On the way home, she even asked me to put the seat into the reclined position so she could test that out, and then announced that she was planning on having a little sleep!! That told me she must have been comfortable!! When I asked her what her favourite bits about the Graco Evo Mini were, the first thing she pointed to was the foot rest! I asked her why that was the best part and she replied, 

"It just feels nice on my feet, mummy. That's all!"

I am very used to pushing Beastie around in the Evo Mini and was wondering how much heavier the pushchair would feel with Munchkin in the seat. To be honest, I hardly noticed a difference! The Evo Mini still felt really lightweight and easy to move around. It felt just as smooth as it moved along the pavement and Munchkin and Pinkie Pie were very comfortable! The harness was not a problem and adjusted easily to fit around her, and I was pleased to see how much head room she had.

Huge thanks to Danielle at The Family Express for sharing our thoughts about the Graco Evo Mini with her readers! If you would like to read more about our Graco Evo Mini testing, take a look at our other posts HERE.

We have been sent the Graco Evo Mini for the purpose of an ongoing review and are competing for the title of 'Graco Ambassadors'

Legoland Windsor NEW Legends of Chima 4D Movie Experience

LEGOLAND Windsor is a favourite day out for the whole family, so when we were asked if we wanted a sneak peek of the park a week before it opened to the public, we jumped at the chance!
We were excited to be reunited with some of our favourite rides, and also a great chance to see what was new for 2013.
One of the big main attractions for 2013 is the Legends of Chima 4D Movie Experience

   

  Take the whole family on a trip to Chima, where powerful tribes of animal warriors fight over the precious energy source CHI. You and your young animals will join a wild chase through Chima, becoming entwined in a battle for CHI between Laval the Lion Prince, and Cragger the Crocodile Prince.

The film was amazing! Filled with action, clever lighting, fire (in safe distance) and even snow! It was a complete 4d experience which bought the brilliant story to life. The children were gripped, and so were the adults. A must see for all visitors, old and young. It brought the Chima Characters to life, and inspired their imaginations massively

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 There is plenty of other attractions, it is sure to be a complete day out for all the family. There is the amazing Atlantis ride, which takes you on an underwater adventure, visiting the new baby bamboo sharks and plenty of fish too...

This year Marky was old enough to get his very own driving license...he takes his responsibility very seriously...

 LEGOLAND Windsor is a brilliant day out, with restaurants, kiosks and amazing baby changing facilities, there is everything you could need on the site and much more besides.  There is even more planned for 2013, with the opening of DUPLO Valley Splash and Play which opens May 2013, one we can't wait to see. You can buy tickets online, check out all of the rides, attractions, new and lots more at www.legoland.co.uk

More Stay at Home Moms Are Running Online Businesses

One of the toughest choices that a mom can make after having a baby is whether or not to go back to work. For those who decide to go back to their office jobs, it's a matter of not just if but when. Although there used to be a clear-cut line between stay at home moms and working moms, the lines are becoming increasingly blurred thanks to online businesses and remote working opportunities. Today's moms may stay at home, but they can still be easily connected to clients or run their own ecommerce shops in their spare time. This has led to the rise of the work-at-home mom.

In the past, many moms earned money on the side by selling beauty products, providing day care or tutoring services, or working in arts and crafts. These are still popular money-making options, but the internet has expanded these opportunities to include such fields as business, website design, marketing, and retail. 

Benefits of Working at Home for Moms

There are numerous benefits for moms (and dads) who can manage to run an online business from home. One is flexibility. By working from home, parents can take care of sick children without calling into the office, and can take care of errands during the day. Parents who work from home have the freedom to meet up with other families for play dates or coffee breaks to expand their social life. Moms working from home can breastfeed on demand without worry, and have time to schedule in naps if they have been up all night with a baby. As children get older and enter school, this provides working parents even more time to grow their businesses.

Types of Online Businesses

There are endless ways to make money from home using the internet. Many parents decide to make money from blogging; sharing stories about their families, interesting news items, and helpful information. Blogs can be monetized using advertising, guest posts, and pay per click campaigns, among others. Another option is to set up an ecommerce business. There is software out there to make short work of setting up a business website, including secure hosting and a fully automated shopping cart system. Click here to see examples of this type of software package. Setting up an ecommerce business allows women to sell physical products as well as services. Moms could choose to offer freelance design, writing, or business consulting services, for example. On the other hand, it's easy to run a shop from home and take care of shipping and web maintenance when the children are down for a nap.

A Growing Trend

Studies show that more moms than ever are embracing the possibilities that online businesses provide, and are choosing to stay at home. There are currently over 10 million businesses owned by women in the United States, and a 2007 survey showed that 48% of women believed that staying at home full time would be the ideal situation. This is up 10% from just a decade earlier, showing that attitudes towards staying at home are changing. It may be the new home career possibilities that are helping tip the tide in favour of becoming a work at home mom.

Hello Canvas Review

When I was asked offered a 20×28 inch canvas picture to review from Hello Canvas, I jumped at the chance. I have a few large canvases from several different companies which we have purchased over the years and I love the stunning effect they give the rooms of my house. 

My Hello Canvas arrived with just a few days, I was expecting a good couple of weeks for printing and drying time, but it literally took just a couple of days. The canvas came boxed in a perfect size box, so there was no room for it to move round inside and get damaged. The actual picture was also bubble wrapped. 

I opened it up expecting the canvas quality of our expensive pictures we have previously bought from other companies, but I was astounded with the quality of this one. The detail is the clearest I have seen any canvas photo from an image, and I am so pleased with it. It sits pride of place on our fire place wall, it is a real headturner and everyone who enters our house remarks on it. 

You can order your very own Hello Canvas from www.hellocanvas.co.uk prices start from just £19! 

Getting Organised for School Days

The school years are an exciting time for any child, but they can also be stressful with the heavy course loads and after-school activities that many children take on. As a parent, you can help make life easier by creating an environment at home that is well-organised and conducive to study.

Set Aside a Special School Area

Pick an area in your home that can function as your child's school zone. This could be a corner of your own office or a special desk in the child's bedroom. Let your child help you decorate it with bright school name tags to make it a special, personal space. Stock the area with all of the school supplies that they will need to complete homework assignments and sit down to focus on schoolwork without outside distractions. It's also a good idea to designate a portion of the kitchen counter or other public area to organise school papers that you will need to sign. Arrange to meet with your child at this spot each day to review any items that they need to discuss with you.

Keep Book Bag Organised

Start the day by going through the child's book bag together to make sure that they have everything they need. This could include course materials for the day, special art supplies, permission slips, and school assignments. Purchase special folders to keep homework organised within the bag, or you'll end up with a sack full of crumpled papers.

Create a Daily Routine

At school, your child most likely adheres to a regular routine. This could include daily course schedules, monthly calendars of special events, and break schedules. Children thrive when given a steady routine. Lay out clothes together each night that have been marked with name labels for clothes with Mynametags, and stick to a firm bedtime each evening. Morning routines could include making lunch, making the bed, and eating breakfast together.

Your child's primary school years are an important time for learning and socialisation. With a little bit of organisation at home, your child will not only feel less anxiety but will be able to complete all their tasks in a timely manner. 

Cutting Edge Technology at an HCA Hospital – www.hcahospitals.co.uk

HCA Hospital Group has five private London hospitals, of which the Harley Street Clinic, based at 81 Harley Street, has the most advanced treatment technology found in the United Kingdom. This was the first hospital to employ the cutting edge CyberKnife robotic radiotherapy system, which tackles tumours often previously considered difficult or impossible to treat and makes chemotherapy and invasive surgery redundant. A handful of such machines will be installed at NHS hospitals within the next few years.

CyberKnife uses a tracking system which allows the delivery of radiation with an accuracy of less than a millimetre, and shoots more than a hundred beams of radiation at tumours. The accuracy allows considerably higher doses of radiation to be used. The system adjusts to movements of the patient due to breathing, allowing the treatment of tumours formerly considered inoperable due to their proximity to major blood vessels. It cannot, however, compensate for movement caused by coughing. Conventional radiotherapy requires twenty or more sessions, while CyberKnife needs as few as three.

The first Briton to benefit from CyberKnife was Robert Ferrant, who had been given only months to live after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a condition suffered by around 7,600 Britons a year that led to the death of <em>Dirty Dancing</em> star, Patrick Swayze. His tumour was wrapped around an artery and had been deemed inoperable. Three gold seeds were inserted to Ferrant's tumour to guide the laser. He was awake during therapy and said the experience was painless. Other treatments could have extended his life by around three months, but CyberKnife offers the prospect of a cure.

CyberKnife is unsuitable for the treatment of bladder, bowel, stomach and oesophageal cancer due to the thin muscle walls of these organs, but can treat such cancers as that of the head, neck and spine. Using CyberKnife, the Centre Oscar Lambret in Lille was able to treat more than 200 patients who could not otherwise have been treated in 18 months. More than 35,000 people worldwide have benefited from the technology to date. Machines cost between £2 and £3 million, while a lead-lined bunker costs an additional £6 or so.

Can anyone take part in a clinical trial?

Clinical trials are carried out by medical research organizations and charities who need to test developments in drugs and medical procedures before taking them any further or putting them on the market. Medical trials are heavily regulated and they are only carried out once the drug or device in question has passed safety tests and gains the approval of a health authority and/or ethics committee so as not to put any of its human testers in danger, though as with any treatment, there still remains some degree of uncertainty. The participants in drug trials are typically volunteers, though most trials offer considerable payment to fulfil their research needs as quickly and efficiently as possible. There are different volunteer requirements for each trial, depending on what kind it is, and so not any old person can sign up to do one. These strict entry conditions are put in place because, for accuracy, the participants in each trial need to be as similar to each other as is humanly possible. Trials are expensive, time-consuming and - in a sense - urgent all at once, so precision is key. For basic Phase 0 or Phase 1 drug trials, potential volunteers must undergo a medical screening in order to take part. Unless their results are positive and fit the needs of the trial co-coordinator, they won't be able to partake as it is essential that the testers are at a level of health appropriate for that particular study to get accurate results and avoid discrepancies that could put the entire trial in jeopardy.

Tests carried out in a medical screening typically include: - Blood sampling - Drug abuse testing - Weight and height measurement - Measure of blood pressure, heart rate and temperature - Urine sampling - Measurement of the electrical activity of the heart - Pregnancy testing (only applicable to women).

This medical screening is carried out for all clinical trials, but for the aforementioned drug trials the volunteer's eligibility generally depends entirely on it, while others have additional requirements or specifications. Most other trials look for patients and volunteers who have a particular disease or medical condition, so different rules apply. These trials are carried out by patient organizations and charities focusing on finding treatments and solutions to things such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and arthritis, each trial having varying entry conditions. Because of the nature of the disease and its many different kinds, cancer trials are complex and contain variants from study to study, as doctors and researchers usually focus on a single type of cancer to find out what does or does help to treat it. Personal GP's are generally consulted prior to going into a trial, and they can advise against participating for any number of reasons. Other factors that influence eligibility into any clinical trial can include age, medical treatments currently being undergone, the particular stage of the participant's condition or over-subscription.